Would you buy a used car from yourself? 

"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer) 01/30/2018 at 23:29 • Filed to: None

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Highschool parking lot: circa 2017 Explanation for the picture below.

The transaction is simple:

You take my jeep away from me at perhaps 75% of its market value and I don’t have to explain how I got that little scuff, or those little dings, or why it has aftermarket carpets but only in back.

The dealer will probably say“a smuck sold it to me for a good price, wierd guy, good price, it’s mechanically sound though” and earn that last 25% that I couldn’t bother having. Dealer simply cleaned it up, had their mechanics do an OBD2 read to check for codes, and put it up front.

I went to school with a bunch of rich kids (rich kids tend to go to american schools here and then flunk out a few semesters later) and as you can tell the parking lot is a parade: a Mercedes g55, a competition package m3, a mini cooper S, and a JK wrangler.

And I thought to myself “would I buy any of those from their current owners?” and the answer is Fuck no! I know these people and I know they wouldn’t care for their cars, I’d consider the Mini but the others, specially the very expensive ones, I would disqualify.

I bet that BMW was redlined before it’s break in period ended and I know for a fact that G class has a crash history because the owners backed into me...more than once.

There was also a brand new TTquattro and the last time I saw it it was doing 200km/h on a busy highway. The car was later hydrolocked and written off due to water damage.

It then dawned on me, would I buy my cherokee?

Well... No... I wouldn’t. Because I know how it’s been treated. I know I lost the interior lamp, neither of the fog lamps are working, it squeaks and rattles, and it hasn’t been taken care for too well. It only has city miles (the hardest on the components) and I also lost the luggage cover. Most importantly, I drove it as a teen and I now have quite clear that I’m a horrible driver.

I suck at driving! That’s why I drive slowly now, but when I got the jeep four years ago I felt like Ayrton Senna or something because I would always go quickly.

Today it dawned on me that if I want to own a car worth buying from myself I’d have to become much more cautious with it and leagues more responsible.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Spanfeller is a twat 01/30/2018 at 23:32

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I take good care of my cars maintenance-wise, but I sometimes drive them hard. Still, yes, I probably would.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Spanfeller is a twat 01/30/2018 at 23:34

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Probably. I’m pretty careful with generally everything so I’d be ok with it.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > Spanfeller is a twat 01/30/2018 at 23:36

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Probably not. My car’s killed a deer or two. I’ve also curbhopped it a few times.

Spanfeller is a twat > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 01/30/2018 at 23:38

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Its a very personal object (the car) and a nicely kept car (at least mechanically) speaks well if its owner.

But you get that nagging sensation that previous owners might’ve been bad drivers or reckless, specially here where cars aren’t kept well often because of the price of the parts.

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > Spanfeller is a twat 01/30/2018 at 23:39

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You’ve managed to once again turn a one sentence question into eleven paragraphs of needlessly wordy rambling, congrats.

and yes.

Spanfeller is a twat > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 01/30/2018 at 23:39

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Maybe if I told myself everything the car has gone through I’d buy my own car... But at a discount from the market price.

Spanfeller is a twat > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/30/2018 at 23:41

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Did it get fixed properly?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Spanfeller is a twat 01/30/2018 at 23:44

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The three that I currently own - yes.

Any of the Tercels I’ve owned - no.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > Spanfeller is a twat 01/30/2018 at 23:44

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About as well as I could fix it on a shoestring budget.

Banged out the fender, put the headlight back in place, bondoed a dent in the A-pillar, and that’s all I needed to do to fix the damage the deer did.

However the curb-hopping resulted in an exhaust casualty, so I ended up doing a bodge job where I fused two exhaust systems together.

Spanfeller is a twat > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/30/2018 at 23:45

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I see your concerns as a hypothetical buyer now...

Spanfeller is a twat > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/30/2018 at 23:45

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What stories do those poor tercels hide?

gettingoldercarguy > Spanfeller is a twat 01/30/2018 at 23:46

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Any of my cars, yes.

Spanfeller is a twat > gettingoldercarguy 01/30/2018 at 23:47

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I hope I can feel that way about my cars soon.

Spanfeller is a twat > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) 01/30/2018 at 23:49

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I excel at rambling and excessive wording.

I thought we had already discussed this a few posts ago when I answered “I was born to shitpost”

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > Spanfeller is a twat 01/30/2018 at 23:50

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Then you’re the anti engineer

fintail > Spanfeller is a twat 01/30/2018 at 23:51

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I wish I could find people who were as meticulous/OCD about interior surfaces as I. My biggest hangup when used car shopping, much more than exterior detailing (also seldom to my liking) is interior de-gunking.

I wouldn’t run to any highline car driven regularly by a high schooler - the sketchy money devilspawn demographic doesn’t tend to be careful with such things. There should be an automotive tribunal for these types alongside the financial crimes bureau.

WRXforScience > Spanfeller is a twat 01/30/2018 at 23:53

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I only sell my cars when I cannot convince myself to keep them any longer; however, my WRX I sold after fixing it. I let it go for a fair price, but if I could have bought it for what the dealer gave me for it I would have been getting a sweet deal.

Really, the dealer was playing a little 3 card Monty with the trade-in and sale prices which worked out great for both of us. 

AestheticsInMotion > Spanfeller is a twat 01/30/2018 at 23:54

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I ramble too. I support you

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Spanfeller is a twat 01/30/2018 at 23:56

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Oh there are no secrets. Anyone here will tell you I’ve spoken of them once or twice.

Spanfeller is a twat > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) 01/30/2018 at 23:57

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Kay.

AestheticsInMotion > Spanfeller is a twat 01/30/2018 at 23:57

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Mmm... On the one hand I’ve basically built my car from the ground up using the absolute best parts available, and I keep meticulous records of every single thing purchased, with notes from the vendors, installers, etc.

On the other hand, I drive my car like I stole it, race it, offroad it, and have the mentality that “if it breaks, no big deal. Just save up and replace the part with something better”...

I don’t know man. I feel like my car would only appeal to a certain, small subset of people

Maxima Speed > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/30/2018 at 23:58

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Ahemmm! Once or twice? Let’s see here........ how about twice a day for 6 months :P then it let him down and he still holds it a grudge.

Spanfeller is a twat > fintail 01/31/2018 at 00:00

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Agreed.

Although I think I’m part of the problem (if a way smaller part)

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Maxima Speed 01/31/2018 at 00:01

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[jilted gasp]

I feel like I don’t get enough credit for how little I post about my current car, compared the Tercel or Celica. I am making a conscious effort to be less... uh... me-like. Besides, gaudy chandeliers is what gets me the clicks these days.

fintail > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 00:03

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I think the Joop is excessive for a high schooler, but you aren’t out driving it like an asshole and flaunting it like you built it yourself.

Right? :)

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) 01/31/2018 at 00:07

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EUUUUUUNNNNNJEN-NEEEEEEER

Spanfeller is a twat > fintail 01/31/2018 at 00:09

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I was an asshole and a terrible driver.

I’m not an asshole driver anymore. I noticed I was an asshole driver when I was clocked doing 150km/h on the jeep. Ever since that incident (and some strong words from basically everyone around me) I stopped being an asshole

I am still a terrible driver, but I try to follow the rules and be courteous.

Spanfeller is a twat > AestheticsInMotion 01/31/2018 at 00:10

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As long as you’re clear and reasonable, anyone in that subset would probably agree to buying it, plus the car has quite a story!

Maxima Speed > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 01/31/2018 at 00:12

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Nah bro, it’s all good. I actually loved the Tercel stuff. I actually loved them before you had one. I like the quirky styling. Keep it up. Us Toyota people have to stick together.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 00:31

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I’d gladly buy any of the three cars in my current fleet from myself. Hell, I’d buy my previous car, too.

That said, I do need to sell a car. I just can’t bring myself to do it because I feel bad knowing how people treat their cars and the one that will go is in great shape. I also feel guilty for not driving them enough, because the two that are “mine” both sit a lot due to how little I drive anymore (my wife’s car gets all the driving, which isn’t really that much, either)...

Urambo Tauro > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 00:41

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I would love to buy a car from a seller like me. For the meticulous maintenance records, and the honesty of not trying to hide anything. As a seller, I’d be pointing out any items that really need to be serviced soon.

But one part that would make me nervous is that I’d be buying from a guy who does most of his own wrenching. As the seller, I am confident in my work and kinda OCD about doing it right and using a torque wrench a lot. However, as a buyer, I’d be a little nervous about the work of a DIYer. You never know where they might cut corners and hack something together. Sometimes it’s more reassuring to see maintenance receipts from a reputable shop instead.

RPM esq. > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) 01/31/2018 at 00:58

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Yo

Don’t be a dick.

Thanks

promoted by the color red > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 01:07

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Camry - doubful, not after I’ve gone off-roading through the Mojave with it and did a power slide with it. Maybe I’d buy it if I didn’t know about those stunts.

Miata - yes. It’s been properly exercised and obsessively maintained & detailed every month. Hell, I’ll probably point to every single flaw and give you a discount on it.

I’m generally beyond obsessive-compulsive, spending hours balancing the value proposition and keeping everything looking clean & new.

Even the Camry gets a full detailing every other month. Window/door seals are lubricated, the interior wiped down, and the car washed & dried, of course.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 01:30

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Hell no. I don’t have the slightest clue what it takes to maintain a car! 

Frenchlicker > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 02:30

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I would absolutely buy any of them. Mainly because they couldn’t get any worse. My current Jeep I bought with a cracked head, fixed it and now it just needs the engine replaced one year and 22,000 miles later. My previous Taurus was $300, I drove the shit out of it and the trans went out and I sold it for $200. A different transmission could be had for $100 and I would be golden. But it had rusty floorboards not caused by me so I would actually pass. My first Taurus I would just die to the type of engine that it would require.

Svend > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 03:14

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I wouldn’t have a problem buying or selling a car from me.

The last car the day she came home.

The date is wrong. It was the 1st March 2013.

Three years and one day later with 14,000 miles.

Well looked after but everything was checked, washed, dried, sealed, re-checked.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 04:01

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no, i’m as dodgy as most used car salesmen

random001 > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 06:29

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No! That little bastard is too damned loud!

shop-teacher > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 07:19

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I would definitely buy a car from me. U will never buy an ex-rental car though, because I know what terrible things I’ve done.

Spanfeller is a twat > shop-teacher 01/31/2018 at 07:37

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Nothing like trying all your sick moves on on the rental Malibu

shop-teacher > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 07:51

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Let me tell you this: the CV joints in W-Body Impalas make one hellacious noise, when you’re doing figure-8's in a fallow cornfield.

Spanfeller is a twat > shop-teacher 01/31/2018 at 07:57

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That notion must come from experience

shop-teacher > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 09:11

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Indeed it does.

fintail > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 09:24

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A key rule might be to drive like you don’t think your parents will bail you out. That might make for better behavior.

I suspect something like the Jeep (or a Mustang etc) just encourages the inner jerk.

functionoverfashion > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 09:25

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I would buy any of my current cars from myself, but that’s because I have become anal about maintenance, and need my cars to be perfectly reliable as I’m shuttling my little kids around in them, or else my wife is driving them 100 miles a day round trip to work. I also tend to get fidgety when anything is wrong with my cars, or boat, or house... and have a compulsive need to fix it. This isn’t how I’ve always been, mind you.

Spanfeller is a twat > fintail 01/31/2018 at 09:27

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I have two keys for asshole-free driving:

Drive without worrying about arrival time

Drive as if your family was onboard

Police never stop me here, I know my rights and they tend to dislike informed people.

fintail > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 09:33

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Those are good keys. Now follow them :)

If you’re speeding or driving aggressively, what do they do? Or is a nice car a get out of jail free card?

Spanfeller is a twat > functionoverfashion 01/31/2018 at 09:33

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Your wife has a 100 mile commute?

Thats crazy! Your cars must have a million billion miles. It’s great you keep them in good state.

Its great that you’re that way if that’s the mileage situation!

Spanfeller is a twat > fintail 01/31/2018 at 09:42

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Its a mix of having a nice car, of driving in smaller roads that normally don’t see many traffic cops, its a thing that everyone does, so its wierd if they pick you out, and it probably has to do with classism by part of the cops. Normally I see older cars being pulled over. Also younger people tend to be less willing to give out bribes, so I’m basically a lost cause for them.

Rule number one in Mexico City: never, ever give any documents unless you film the cops. By law they can’t confiscate documents but its their bargaining chip many times because few people know the law. They can’t take your car away for most infractions either but they still threaten you.

The resemble a gang more than a police force to be honest.

fintail > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 10:00

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In my area, there’s a lot of relatively newly arrived sketchy money from a few specific places, and numerous young people flitting around in Porsches and McLarens etc that were bought by their kleptocrat parents. I’ve never seen one pulled over. Of course, the cops here aren’t like there, but I think there’s classism involved too, or at the very least, they don’t want to deal with daddy’s lawyer. I like the idea of progressive penalties.

I drive a diesel E-class, I like to think I am pretty invisible. I don’t drive too jerky though, beyond honking now and then or getting aggravated at distracted drivers.

Spanfeller is a twat > fintail 01/31/2018 at 10:19

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Oh, I’d be having a similar issue in Guadalajara, except that Daddy’s lawyer is probably Daddy’s hitman over there... Thankfully we don’t have drug dealers here yet.... I sometimes feel sad for the cops that know they can’t stop a rich idiot doing 70 in a 30 zone because of the violence but then again, having empathy for cops here in general is quite hard considering most behavejust as bad as criminals do.

Ivebeen stopped twice for traffic infractions in the last five years and I’ve committed hundreds, probably two today (petty speeding and using my phone at a stop light) that I wasn’t stoped for, you can see they’re not that vigilant. I ought to note that petty speeding is doing 62 in a 55 road at six am and using my phone to turn on its wireless hotspot.

Both times I was stopped thecops tried to hassle me into giving a bribe and both times they lied about the infraction. Neither time did they actually give me a fine or take points of my licence and I declined the invitation to break federal law both times.

fintail > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 10:31

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Here, I think they only go after the rich idiots for something especially egregious. In my opinion anyway, the average worker in a 10 year old Accord is probably more likely to be stopped than dirty money in an Aston Martin, for the same offense. No hitmen to deal with, but the legal system works in favor of lawyers and money. No bribes, as in my area anyway, LEOs can be fairly well-paid.

I commit petty speeding every time I drive, as most limits here are artificially low. And something I give the cops credit for, they give some leeway, and usually won’t touch people for speeding within 10%/10mph. I don’t play with a phone though, if anything, driving is an excuse to ignore it. I also have a hard-wired front and rear dashcam setup just in case.

Spanfeller is a twat > fintail 01/31/2018 at 11:19

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I wish cops were paid properly here, I also wished that most of them passed competency and trustworthyness examinationsbut most don’t. I feel that civil servants are the true face of government and as far as Mexico City’s finest go they look and act as buffoons. The only way to get arrested here is through public pressure and outcry.

functionoverfashion > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 11:36

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She’s got a great job in State government, but yeah, it’s almost 100 miles - round trip - but still.

Yeah, mileage. Her car is an ‘07 X3 6 speed manual with 203k and counting. She sometimes takes mine which is an ‘03 325xi 5 speed with 166k, and our 2012 Volvo that we bought in June with 75k? It’s over 90k already.

She also treats her cars very well. Her ‘05 S40 that we sold with 141,000 miles had its original clutch AND BRAKES and was just barely starting its third set of tires. TRUE highway miles really are easy on a car. And so is she. I drive my car hard, but I do take good care of it.

fintail > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 11:37

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Paying LEOs properly is the first step against corruption. They also have to pass some degree of competency here, but I think it varies by location - some states and regions have much worse reputations than others. I generally think they do a good job, but there are some exceptions, especially with the fraternal accountability ideal.

Spanfeller is a twat > functionoverfashion 01/31/2018 at 12:21

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Nice fleet, specially the e46

functionoverfashion > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 12:23

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Thanks! The E46 is a wagon, too. Love that car....

Spanfeller is a twat > functionoverfashion 01/31/2018 at 12:27

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Manual and wagon? Nice.

Spanfeller is a twat > fintail 01/31/2018 at 13:10

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Certainly I’d rather have well paid police officer than well paid politicians

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 14:23

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I would 100% buy a vehicle from myself. I take great care of my cars, I may push them hard sometimes but they are well cared for and maintained.

fintail > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 15:52

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We get both, and the debt that comes along with. The bennies for both groups, especially in retirement, can be generous to say the least.

Die-Trying > Spanfeller is a twat 01/31/2018 at 16:06

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heh, real problem, is that i wouldnt sell any of my junk in the first place, at any price..... i would have no problem telling me “not for sale, move it along”........

Spanfeller is a twat > Urambo Tauro 01/31/2018 at 17:03

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Yeah, reputation is probably one of the most important aspects of a shop, and DIY projects tend to lose out on that.

I’ll probably try to become more involved with my car’s maintenance because I don’t trust the shops out there and having the dealer look out for my car’s basic maintenance might not be financially reasonable