This is really bugging me

"Denver Is Stuck In The 90s" (denver80222)
11/06/2014 at 21:25 • Filed to: None

Parent / Used Car Rant after the jump. Have an AMC Eagle Wagon for your time:

Its really bugging me that I let my mom influence me on this. I convinced my dad to go back and look at it if my mom goes too, but my mom wont say if she will or wont go until I hear back from the seller saying its still available, which it may not be. The ad is still up, so thats promising. But I have a pit in my stomach because I feel that I may miss out on a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy a classic car that is both in structural and mechanically good condition, and is still practical for me to use as a daily driver. All because of a malfunctioning gauge cluster and a funny smell. I just hope I dont lose sleep tonight over this.

DISCUSSION (39)

jkm7680 > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/06/2014 at 21:26

What is the funny smell? Avoid a car that contained dead bodies at one point.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > jkm7680
11/06/2014 at 21:27

It smelled like moth balls, My mom said it gave her the creeps

Boxer_4 > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/06/2014 at 21:28

Funny smell aside, what wasn't working in the gauge cluster?

jkm7680 > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/06/2014 at 21:29

Ah, so old people probably.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Boxer_4
11/06/2014 at 21:29

The fuel gauge was fluttery and the temp gauge didnt work

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > jkm7680
11/06/2014 at 21:30

Thats what I gathered from the smell

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/06/2014 at 21:37

You're 21, you're the one that will be driving it. The gauge cluster isn't a big deal at all, and every old car I've been in smells like old people. Your Mom just seems like she can't come to grips that you are an adult, no offense, but I've dealt with one to.

KirkyV > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/06/2014 at 21:38

I think I missed your first post on this; what kind of car are you looking at?

Anyway, my parents let me buy a 14-year-old French deathtrap as my first car. On the one hand, it's awesome. On the other... Well, they either trust me implicitly, or aren't particularly fussed about the idea of me going out in a ball of French fiery glory.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
11/06/2014 at 21:39

Your Mom just seems like she can't come to grips that you are an adult, no offense, but I've dealt with one to.

My dad yesterday told me that he wont let me buy it (his opinion has since changed slightly) even tough its my money. He told me that because I live under their roof (this is solely his opinion, not my mom's), he can tell me what to do with my money, even though Im a legal adult.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > KirkyV
11/06/2014 at 21:41

I was looking at a car identical to the one on the above photo, comparable condition too.

Boxer_4 > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/06/2014 at 21:41

For the temp gauge, it's possible the sending unit is either bad or the wire connection isn't good, and the gauge could be fine. You should be able to test the gauge function by removing the wire from the temperature sending unit and grounding it, with the ignition in the "on" position. The gauge should read "full" in this situation.

A fluttering fuel gauge most commonly is a fuel gauge sending unit issue, either the contacts are corroded or the sending unit is bad (~$15-$30 part to replace).

KirkyV > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/06/2014 at 21:43

I hope you get it, man—AMC are my favourite American manufacturer, at least when it comes to their domestic-market products. (I really like Ford of Europe's stuff, going back to the sixties, but it's debatable whether they count.)

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/06/2014 at 21:44

Fuck. That sucks. Even my parents aren't like that. As long as it isn't illegal, they don't really care. They disapprove of some things though. When I got my 4Runner, I went through the same ordeal. She wanted me to get something safe. She thought 4Runner's were safe, that's how I got mine. It was probably the unsafest car of the 90's. Show them crash test footage of every Civic/Accord/Camry/Corolla in your budget, and then convince them the Eagle is a freakin tank.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/06/2014 at 21:48

I have the same going for me. It's a bit silly, imo.

Skyrider > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/06/2014 at 21:50

Mom probably doesn't want you to have it because it has no airbags. And any parent that has read Consumer Report, Good Housekeeping or People, knows that their child will die a horrific death if their child is not in a car with 25 airbags inside.

Regarding the actual car. I owned one of these and watch the vacuum lines. They run everything. And there is a buttload of them under the hood. Mine had a bad actuator for the 2wd/4wd. And I didn't have the knowledge, or the garage lift, to pull the transfer case.

desertdog5051 > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/06/2014 at 22:25

I have officially adopted you per the laws in the state of confusion that I adopted you in. I make Boxer_4 your official guardian You may purchase the car.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy
11/06/2014 at 22:26

Parents of children with life threatening medical conditions tend to a bit irrational

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/06/2014 at 22:27

Moth balls? I find that's easily banishable with some lavender air freshener.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
11/06/2014 at 22:27

I just had a talk with my parents (you gave me the courage with this comment by the way). I finally got them to respect me as an adult (sort of). My dad finally took a step back only giving me a warning about the car and not simply saying no. My mom has softened a bit too.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
11/06/2014 at 22:28

I actually like the smell of moth balls, reminds me of my grandma

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > desertdog5051
11/06/2014 at 22:31

Was I just adopted by Oppositelock?

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/06/2014 at 22:34

Any budget car is going to have problems, just one that is the Eagle's age is more likely to be fixed with a hammer. The 258 is a very solid engine, and parts are easily available. If you ever want to swap in a more modern power plant, the 4.0 is a very common swap. At a limited budget, this is probably the better deal. It may be tempermental, but it'll just teach you how to tinker and tune.

desertdog5051 > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/06/2014 at 22:40

Yeah. Sorta. Kinda. I think. Pretty sure. Should be legal... Ask your Boxer_4.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > desertdog5051
11/06/2014 at 22:41

Teehee

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/06/2014 at 23:07

Now that I got a more regular job, they seem to be stepping back a bit as well.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy
11/06/2014 at 23:12

Now that Im going to school by myself, getting good grades and good attendance (my school even called me to congratulate me on perfect attendance) My parents are slowly backing off. I even got them to back off a helluva lot more tonight (you'll know the details of you read my replies to JordanWPhillips somewhere in this thread). You just gotta assert yourself, even if your controlling parents make that hard

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
11/06/2014 at 23:13

I dont think I'd do a swap, I like the fact that this car has a carburetor

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/06/2014 at 23:16

I'm more of a fuel injected person, but to each there own.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
11/06/2014 at 23:17

I mean, If it already had a 4.0, I'd still want it. But I prefer carbureted engines

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy
11/07/2014 at 00:04

I was lucky, the only thing my mom told me was something with an auto, It was up to me (mostly, I looked at a 1990 subaru wagon with 220,000 miles but she said no, (though we did go look at it, and it looked like the doors were warping). I did end up doing okay with my car a 2000 mercury mountaineer.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/07/2014 at 00:06

I would only be worried about starting in the winter with a carburater. other than than that, its looks good.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
11/07/2014 at 00:07

I just hope its not sold

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > KirkyV
11/07/2014 at 00:08

what kind of french car did you get? I've really only seen 1 french car in America, a Renault Fuego, ironically made by AMC

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/07/2014 at 00:09

do you have a link to the ad?

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
11/07/2014 at 00:12

Ya, here: http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4746588681…

KirkyV > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
11/07/2014 at 00:16

Kinja'd!!!

A Peugeot 106. They sold them from 1991 to 2004, with a fairly major update in the mid nineties. They're great little cars, but far from uncommon where I live.

Kinja'd!!!

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > KirkyV
11/07/2014 at 00:18

do you live in europe?

KirkyV > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
11/07/2014 at 00:28

Indeed. French cars aren't exactly uncommon, here:

Kinja'd!!!

That's my car, with another - far worse, thanks to Peugeot's 2000s malaise period - Peugeot on the left, and a Citroen on the right.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/07/2014 at 08:00

See I had a similar issue when buying a car for college. I wanted a wagon, dad wanted me to drive a Nissan Pathfinder that I really didn't fit in. Granddad was paying the money.

Wagon of choice was an S210 Mercedes E320. From CarMax! In blue! For $12,000 in 2006. Dad said no.

Next one was a VW Passat 1.8T with manual. Grandpa said no.

Finally Dad asked why I wouldn't buy a Japanese or American car, because they were cheap to fix.

Next one? Lexus RX300 (yeah, I know, but it sort of proved my point). Dad said no.

Grandpa then said why not a Chrysler Pacifica? Because its late 90s DaimlerChrysler garbage and will break down.

I responded with Nissan Murano. Dad said no.

So I told mom I'd buy her G35 with stick so she could get a car with an auto (Mom had hip problems). Mom said Yes, Dad couldn't say no. And Grandpa couldn't say no either.

It's all about learning the politics.