Buying a 10+ year old car what could go wrong?

[MontuckyFried]

If you don't do some of your own work on these at an advanced age it'll eat you up as you are probably finding out. Hope you bought it really cheap.

True that. Volvos will last freaking forever, but you really do have to be proactive about the maintenance. Excellent cars if mine has proven anything to me, but the Euro shop we take it to has made it abundantly clear that we need to stay on top of frequent fluid changes. More than what the manufacturer states. Otherwise, you're looking at a blown trans in short order. My XC70 manual states like every 100,000 miles for trans (or maybe it said something stupid like lifetime?) but the shop said I should do it every 40,000. 60,000 at the most.

I don't know if it's European environmental regulations or what, but all the European manufacturers seem to have fluid maintenance schedules that are WAY out of whack with reality. For example, the Sprinter I had stated 20,000 miles in-between oil changes. I asked my shop if that could possibly be right. They laughed and were like "No. You really should still do normal oil changes like any other vehicle." I trust them. They weren't saying every 3,000 or anything, but 5,000-10,000 mile intervals depending on use.

So yeah, I hope Bennett got a smoking good deal on his ride.

[undertow2]

Bumping this... I have been looking for a BMW 550i with M package used 2015 or 2016... My neighbor called and asked if I was interested in his 2005 545i sport loaded with 20,000 miles... The short of it is his son was turning 16 and could not have it on his insurance... All records kept with all maintenance done... The car is immaculate and an absolute blast to drive... The price was hard to pass so I will drive it for a couple of years and go newer... Def will be interesting to see what issues might pop up...


Sent from my SM-G955U using TGR Forums mobile app

[DeepHelmet]

Bumping this... I have been looking for a BMW 550i with M package used 2015 or 2016... My neighbor called and asked if I was interested in his 2005 545i sport loaded with 20,000 miles... The short of it is his son was turning 16 and could not have it on his insurance... All records kept with all maintenance done... The car is immaculate and an absolute blast to drive... The price was hard to pass so I will drive it for a couple of years and go newer... Def will be interesting to see what issues might pop up...


Sent from my SM-G955U using TGR Forums mobile app

Those are great cars. All my Bimmer mech’s said to keep an eye on the transmission when the miles hit high 60’s to low 70’s but it sounds like you won’t have it that long.

[Bobby Stainless]

Ehhh. BMW V8s have a tendency to leak from everywhere. The V10s too.

[Vt-Freeheel]

I think a street race with DD is in order. $37 on the line.

[4matic]

My 2007 CL600 has the brake wear light on, a side marker light is out ($200 labor). It also leaks a little on the turbos. There is a diy garage fix for the top turbo seal rather than pull the engine. Either way this does not require immediate fix.

Brake job is pretty normal for this car (non AMG). $1k in parts.

If I can get the mechanic to attempt the top tube seal I figured $3k total parts and labor for everything.

Mercedes V12 is a bargain in the used market. World class luxury cars. Very reliable overall.

Bargain:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F192547107572

[ex-powderbroker]

nice car, undertow!

[4matic]

If I were in a different situation I might be trolling that S600. The Ruby Black is off the hook.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

My Mazda 3 is starting to crumble. Still drives great well but lots of plastic bits are crumbling and I'm too busy to be fiddling all the time. It was an NYC car that is cosmetically fucked in a dozen ways. Doubt I'll get $1000 for it.

Looking at a 2004 CRV with 190K on it. Sold by my wife's friend. Price ($3900) and condition look very good. Good maintenance records. Manual transmission and all wheel drive are a nice bonus.

Good idea? How unrealistic is it to ask for 20-30K inexpensive miles? Problems to look for that might not be obvious? I'm looking to spend almost nothing. Will buy the car I want when I finish the PhD in a couple years. We could afford more, but we have house projects that are more of a priority at the moment. Better ideas for cheap transportation? Or should I just spend more money?

[MontuckyFried]

Better ideas for cheap transportation? Or should I just spend more money?

Nah. With your usage, I definitely think you're doing it right. I would personally just keep cycling through cheap but reliable beaters.

[mcski]

PhD and buying the car you want generally does not compute. Lol

[I've seen black diamonds!]

PhD and buying the car you want generally does not compute. Lol

I'm not fancy. But I'm fancier than my Mazda 3. Let's just say I had to break out the baling wire to make it home from the airport yesterday.

[nickwm21]

PhD and buying the car you want generally does not compute. Lol

Reminds me of the employee parking lot at our local hospital. The Resident section is all 15yo Japanese beaters. The M.D. section is all German.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using TGR Forums mobile app

[DBdude]

a car savy friend told me to take 40K or 50K worth of mileage off for Hondas and then compare it to other models

[Touring_Sedan]

Bitch keeps going. I appear to have found the only 2000 Land Rover that works. /Clarkson

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

[Mazderati]

Had to get pictures for insurance the other weekend. Clapped out RX-7.

[Peruvian]

^^^is fire engine red normally your color? Seems with your skin tone something more akin to candy apple would work for you.

[Mazderati]

It's a brave new world out there don'tcha know.

[Touring_Sedan]

Congrats! You found the only thing that burns more oil than my Rover!

Also, is it really clapped out with 12K on the ODO, or is my sarcasm meter busted AF?

[Mazderati]

Heh. There's truth in the oil quip.

I was being sarcastic. Car is fine. Just doesn't have many miles.

[Bobby Stainless]

Heh. There's truth in the oil quip.

I was being sarcastic. Car is fine. Just doesn't have many miles.

Smart move bro. Gotta keep the miles low on investment grade vehicles such as that....

[I've seen black diamonds!]

I passed on the CRV. Just picked this up.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using TGR Forums mobile app

[The Reverend Floater]

This is probably as good of a place to ask as any: Does anyone know if a smaller, relatively safe SUV (ie BMW egg) can sustain a collision with a large ungulate as well as a large SUV, say a Tahoe? Physics say no, Germans say yes. Inquiring minds want to know.

[PNWbrit]

This is probably as good of a place to ask as any: Does anyone know if a smaller, relatively safe SUV (ie BMW egg) can sustain a collision with a large ungulate as well as a large SUV, say a Tahoe? Physics say no, Germans say yes. Inquiring minds want to know.

Volvo have been playing up their Moose crash test for decades..

[The Reverend Floater]

Maybe I'm oversimplifactioning but isn't the biggest danger posed by ungulates and large SUVs the height at which force is delivered, rather than the amount?

Solution:

Attachment 237518

This is my logic. I have a friend who had to be extricated from her Subaru after hitting bull elk and having an antler go through her shoulder. Did I just answer my own question? I run a Ranch Hand on my Super Duty and an ARB on the Cruiser as I seem to hit one mule deer every two years. The Ranch Hand literally obliterated a doe on a drive through Northern Nevada a few years ago where a big trailer on the truck prevented me from even hitting the brakes when she sauntered in front of me at ten yards. I feel like there's no substitute for height and mass but maybe there's something I don't know that my wife does? I don't love the Tahoe but I feel better with her driving that.