"BeyondJamesBond" (beyondjamesbond)
12/27/2014 at 20:46 • Filed to: None
5
27|
"BeyondJamesBond" (beyondjamesbond)
12/27/2014 at 20:46 • Filed to: None | 5
| 27 |
I was having a random conversation about all the brands GM killed in the last decade with a friend and decided I wanted to test drive an older Saab. Found a '04 manual Aero that looks pretty decent about an hour from the house, so I spent the first half of my day off today to go up there.
Called to make sure they were open and everything. Dressed nice enough to be taken seriously (for a 20 year old). I looked at the map for a good road to drive on near the dealership. Then I left my house.
Got to the dealership in about 45 minutes, and took a few minutes to look around. The Saab I saw online was unlocked so I checked it out alone. $3,995 on the tag, and I could tell why. Various amounts of wear-and-tear on the interior, which is why there hadn't been any photos of the inside online.
Whatever, it's cheap. If I like the drive I can make it work, pay off my current loan payment with a trade in, and be payment free until the car dies. So I went to find a salesman.
Found one. Just the one. There was only one. One guy. Introduced myself, told him I wanted to test drive the Saab, and he asked me which one. I said the Aero. He said they had two. I specified the one at the end of the lot I had been looking at. Turns out the other one was an SUV, so not an Aero, right? Anyway..
He takes 10 minutes and comes back and sort of ignores me as he goes to the receptionist. I ask him what's going on and he says they don't have the keys to that car. He'll be right back, he's going to look again . Right. Good.
Nope, no keys. Let's go check the car and see if they're in there. Sure, because it was unlocked for me to explore freely, so why not leave the keys in it? It's not like you would want to sell it or anything. We get out the car, and he takes a good minute to rummage through it. Nope, no keys. In the mean time I'm walking around the car when I notice it. The icing on the cake. The cherry top.
" You realize, sir, the car has a flat tire? " " Oh, yea, we know. We're working on it. "
Sooooo we were going to test drive it with a flat on the rear? Okay.
" I'll be back next week, I have time off. " " Alright, thanks for stopping by! "
I hate lying.
Sorry for the clickbait title. It's a joke.
mazda616
> BeyondJamesBond
12/27/2014 at 20:52 |
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What a shame. Those are some of my favorite Saabs.
Alfalfa
> BeyondJamesBond
12/27/2014 at 20:52 |
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In a month, they'll probably be wondering why they can't seem to sell it.
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BeyondJamesBond
> mazda616
12/27/2014 at 20:54 |
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The exterior looked great. The interior's only real issues were with peeling coloring and material, which isn't a huge deal with me. My real concern was knowing it was priced about 1-2k cheaper than other models for sale near me of similar age and mileage. Something's up, beyond, you know, not being able to start it and it having a flat.
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BeyondJamesBond
> Alfalfa
12/27/2014 at 20:55 |
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The guy didn't even ask me for my license. Or a name. Or a phone number to call when they could schedule a test drive. Joker.
Sn210
> BeyondJamesBond
12/27/2014 at 21:05 |
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how many miles were on it? Were the interior pieces easy enough to replace? $4k sounds like a good price
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imadeaburner
> BeyondJamesBond
12/27/2014 at 21:08 |
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The SUV is an Aero. Has the 5.3 I think or maybe 6.0 V8 in it.
jdrgoat - Ponticrack?
> imadeaburner
12/27/2014 at 21:42 |
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The 9-7x was available in 3 trims. 4.2i with the 4.2L I6, 5.3i with the 5.3L V8, and Aero with the 6.0L LS2 V8. The 9-7x can be called the "Trollblazer SS".
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BeyondJamesBond
> jdrgoat - Ponticrack?
12/27/2014 at 22:02 |
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Huh, did not know that. I hate to think this guy knew more than me.
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BeyondJamesBond
> Sn210
12/27/2014 at 22:05 |
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The damaged interior pieces were the most used, so air fan, radio stations, etc. The handles on all four doors on the interior where peeling this odd-feeling fabric-like paint. The seats, wheel, and everything was great. The lift-button-thing to go into reverse on the shifter was stuck in the raised position until forced back down, as well. The exterior, again, was in great shape. Lip spoiler, nice 17 (I think) sporty wheels with good tread on the tires (inflated or not) and overall seemed a decent get. Mileage was 136k.
I have a feeling there would have to be some mechanical issues, though. No idea how many previous owners, etc. Didn't get that far. My visit was no more than fifteen minutes.
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Sn210
> BeyondJamesBond
12/27/2014 at 22:09 |
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yeah know if the interior is a mess, you know they just didn't care :(
Blake Noble
> BeyondJamesBond
12/27/2014 at 22:26 |
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If you really want a Saab, hit up your local auto auction for one and save a few bucks. I helped my cousin score a 2004 9-3 Aero with 153,000 miles for $1,800.
Also, GM-era Saabs had notoriously cheap interior paint on the interior door handles, radio buttons, etc. You can thank General Motors for that.
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BeyondJamesBond
> Sn210
12/27/2014 at 22:26 |
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There's another in black which I might go check out later this week. Same mileage, but 1.5k more but definitely in better shape. Only it doesn't have the 17's or the deck lid spoiler. I've always wanted a 'murdered out' car, why not a Saab?
Steve in Manhattan
> BeyondJamesBond
12/27/2014 at 22:42 |
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Unclear why people like this bother with a business - have the car ready to test, full of gas, and clean.
Vicente Esteve
> BeyondJamesBond
12/27/2014 at 22:44 |
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Working on it...
Yeah, I don't have any money to pay you right now. I am still working in it.
shop-teacher
> BeyondJamesBond
12/27/2014 at 23:23 |
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I hate places like that. I once went to a little dealer to test drive an El Camino. The guy said, "Oh that, you don't want that. That thing's a piece of shit."
Carl (@stuffcarlsays)
> BeyondJamesBond
12/27/2014 at 23:24 |
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That's a shame - those generation of 9-3 were some of the best "Saab" that GM ever built. If you ever get the opportunity, get behind the wheel of a 9000 Aero.
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BeyondJamesBond
> Blake Noble
12/27/2014 at 23:51 |
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The whole objective of today's operation was simply to drive one and see if I would like it. I currently DD a '03 BMW 325ci (manual) and love it to bits, but I'm gettig cabin fever. With the highway driving I do it'd be nice to get around 30 over the 24 I do now, and as mentioned in the article I'd be able to pay off some stuff.
But again, today was just for a test drive. I had about 2.5 hours to do it, and it was wasted by some schmuck place. Oh well, there's a decent lot about the same distance from me with a black one to test next week, I guess.
Discovered a nice road and an awesome radio station on my trip, so all is not lost.
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BeyondJamesBond
> shop-teacher
12/27/2014 at 23:53 |
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"Salesman"
Try to sell car
???
Profit
Poor guy didn't even get to step 1.
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jdrgoat - Ponticrack?
> BeyondJamesBond
12/28/2014 at 00:25 |
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Well, from the sound of the lot, I would be really surprised if it was a 9-7x Aero. They're almost a unicorn. I'm pretty sure there was also a 9-4x Aero, which is rarer still. And come to think of it, the 9-2x (Saabaru) had an Aero trim, too. That one was basically a better looking WRX wagon, which some people might call an SUV.
Younginwithavette
> BeyondJamesBond
12/28/2014 at 00:29 |
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I once went to look at a GMC Typhoon in a bad part of town. It was in the middle of winter with snow on the ground. I, like you, looked at it for a few minutes and discovered it was plumbed for nitrous, the body wasnt aligned on the chassis correctly, it was a color typhoons never came in, and it had a sunroof which wasnt an option for the typoon. So of course I went to find the one salesman. He was a russian guy with a heavy accent. I asked him if I could take it for a test drive and he said it had a dead battery. So he grabbed the keys to a Ford Expedition he had on the lot to attempt to jump it. The Typhoon was parked back facing the building and the battery is in the rear. He hooked the jumper cables straight up to the starter and after trying to start it maybe 3 times the Expedition shut off. It ran out of gas. I told him I'd come back later in the week but never did.
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BeyondJamesBond
> Younginwithavette
12/28/2014 at 00:45 |
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Damn. I thought my lie would at least be convincing. Apparently it's handbook for back-the-fuck-out-now language.
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imadeaburner
> jdrgoat - Ponticrack?
12/29/2014 at 07:17 |
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I know of a used car lot with 2 Trollblazer SS's there right now. Both look great and have the 6.0
I knew that they had some kind of chevy V8 strapped in there.
boobytrapsandtreasure
> BeyondJamesBond
12/29/2014 at 12:12 |
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I was expecting a bait and switch story. It sounds like the sales guy has not been trained at all in sales. Why did he not try to steer you toward something else? Why did he not get your contact info?
HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
> BeyondJamesBond
12/30/2014 at 01:29 |
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I had something like this happen to me when I was a salesmen.
We had an 06 Jeep Liberty CRD, that was one problem after another.... any way I had a costumer that was interested in it. They called and said they'd be coming in to check it out the next day at 8 am(when we opened). I went to take it for a test drive and it didn't start, and it had a flat tire. I went an grabbed a jump box. still didn't start.
I went in and told my manager that I needed his signature on a work order so I could get it looked at. He said "ahh, no I'll take care of it myself." a few minutes later I saw the Jeep being towed into the shop. 30 minutes later it drive out with a pumped up tire. I figured that meant it was fixed. Asked my manager about it and got a very "stop bothering me", "yeah it's good to go".
I show up the next morning and go to get it started so it'll be warmed up and ready to go for the customer (this was in January 2013). Sure enough it wont start. I try to start it till the battery is almost dead, which didn't take as long as it should of. I walk back to takl to my manager again, and grab a jump box, and there he is in the showroom talking to my customers...ugh
Well the didn't want to test drive the Jeep I couldn't start, and they were so pissed off that they didn't want to test drive the other vehicle they had mentioned. Obviously I got blamed for "losing the sale". This wasn't the only time I lost a used car sale b/c of my manager being a general slimeball. the worst part was I had requested that it be left in the garage over night, because I figured it had a better chance of starting if it was warm, but I guess he ignored that suggestion.
F40LM
> BeyondJamesBond
12/30/2014 at 03:53 |
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Read because of clickbait. Was not disappointed. I don't know how a place like that can make money.
Justin T. Westbrook
> HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
12/30/2014 at 08:46 |
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You're example is of a good salesman! My example included a guy who couldn't care less and a secretary who I feel like I recognize from "the internet" if you know what I mean. No manager.. but perhaps I should have asked for one.
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Justin T. Westbrook
> F40LM
12/30/2014 at 08:47 |
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They always have listings on Cars.com when I'm looking, but his is the first time I've visited. Had a nice Maserati Quattroporte in the lobby, except they had clear-taped pieces of paper with "do not touch" directly to the car..