It is really getting tiring. Drove a half hour each way to get to a dealer that had three cars that looked promising. The morning started out nice and cool but by the time we got there the clouds were burning off and it was hot.
First. due to my budget constraints I have to deal with tiny independent car dealers that have fifty cars all packed into a lot where if you want to drive one they need to move three other cars out of the way.
First car we tried was okay but not quite good, seats were okay, power was good but AC was meh. Also he sat down and asked how much money I could do, hemmed and hawed, told him I had a car to trade in, he looked it over tested the engine light code and said because it needs a new catalytic converter and AC it isn't worth much but parts and said the best they could ask is 400.
Try the car next to it, model like mine only newer had stickers on the back window but the black bumpers and trim were getting very grey and would not likely last long. That one did not have good shocks and something else. The third car we got in, the guy said it was on empty so don't go too far... we got three blocks down and discovered the AC was not blowing cold air. It was also more expensive.
Three strikes and we were out. We looked at a car day before yesterday not as far from us. The pictures online were clean to a point, we got to the lot where it said it was and the dealer told us it was at the other location. Right. So you need to fix that. He gave me the card for both locations and ...the same address is for both. Which was the other location. We finally get there and walk around it, the rear tail light was broken. This is a 2006 Honda CRV which means the tail light assembly is vertical. Also the other tail light on the left side had condensation in it. Even I know that's not a good thing. We took it for a test drive I immediately notice the thin cloth cover on the driver side door panel was completely pulled away and hanging. That is an upholstery job, aesthetic mostly but still not good. The drive went well, has some good get up and go, good steering, mileage is reasonable so we decided to look at another dealer when we got back.
Going to contact that dealer and see what kind of deal they can do fixing the light cover. Like I said it was fine in the pictures so it had to have happened on the lot. I can pay for it cash money with no payments out the door. Only downside is the interior is black but upside cloth bucket seats.
So that's been my last three days. Sigh. It will cost about $3000 to fix my current car and that's just putting a new lung into an old body. If you showed it to an insurance company they would total it out. The next dealer I'm going to ask for 600 and maybe drop to 500. Luckily when we walk on the lot, I take the lead and they don't try to look at Jon at all, of course he is kind of hanging back and letting me do the talking anyway so they have no choice. Oh did I mention that both dealers were of the Arabic/Persian ethnicity? I thought it interesting and no disrespect but having dealt with that paraticular type of customer, not fond of the way they deal with things. It's a cultural thing I'm sure.
So enough of that, will try again maybe tomorrow or the next day. I'm pooped. Freeway speeds with two and a half windows rolled down driving for 30+ miles is exhausting.
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