Shopping for used cars in a small market.

"Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer" (dash-doorhandle-and-bondo) 10/27/2020 at 18:13 • Filed to: None

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I live in a city of about 210 thousand. 2 C hrysler dealers, one each Honda Toyota, Nissan, Mitsu, BMW, Benz, Mazda, 2 Chevy, one ford and our crown jewel, a GIANT FORD/ CHEVY dealership. Yes you read that right, we have a culture of looking the other way on this sort of thing. Then there’s Subaru, which is a straight up criminal operation, no one knows how Subaru hasn’t yanked the franchise from them. Mazda and S ubaru are independent but all the other ones are owned by the same 4 guys. Bad people, bad on the inside, the kind of guys who run their small town with an iron fist. Ford/Chevy dealer is independent from itself, as hu sband owns For d and w ife owns Chevy. Totally legit nice and legal.

We’re a net exporter of used cars as our lease returns and 3-5 year old used cars tend to be pristine and go to saltier parts of Canada where they fetch a premuim as a ‘western rust free car’. When there’s no market for that, they just sit in fields rotting as the’re kept of the market to artificially maintain s carcity. Car dealers are the scum of the earth, but ours are the kind that have ruled their little world for generations and are firmly entreched. Wanna go two towns over to get a good small town deal? Tough titty, Mr. B urns owns that one too.

Chariotoflove > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 18:34

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Sounds like car buying time is a road trip opportunity. Lemonade from lemons and all that.

ranwhenparked > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 18:44

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Similar situation with me - only about 97 0,000 people in the entire state/180,000 in my county/38,000 in my city. Very small pool of used cars available, if you want something other than domestic pickup/crossover/CamCord/Civic etc. The last 4 cars I’ve purchased have been from out of state, I consider a couple hours’ drive reasonable for that sort of purchase.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Chariotoflove 10/27/2020 at 18:52

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Out of province buying sucks yo. 

CB > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 18:59

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I feel you. I trust none of the Subaru dealerships in the province.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > CB 10/27/2020 at 19:07

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you’re familiar with Fraudo Gallery?  The guy who took the fall for the rolling back of the odometers wanted in on the DUI/interlock business but couldn’t due to that being a big mark on one’s criminal record. 

Just Jeepin' > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 10/27/2020 at 19:07

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How so?

CB > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 19:10

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I’ve looked at their site, seen the reviews, not surprised.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Just Jeepin' 10/27/2020 at 19:10

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We just have differing tax, registration and insurance sytems here.  Inter-provincial car shopping is extreamly rare because it’s a huge hassle.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > ranwhenparked 10/27/2020 at 19:11

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I am extremely fortunate to live in a great place for quality and quantity of used cars available. Lots of transplant cars sprinkled in though, so significant rust pretty much automatically makes a car nearly worthless considering the plethora of locally owned cars.

https://atlanta.craigslist.org/search/nat/cto?sort=date&search_distance=25&postal=30065&min_price=5&max_price=8000

Here’s a small selection of the very bottom end if you care to have a gander and be jealous. 

Wacko > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 19:12

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I live in rural, rural Canada, in a city of about 45000 (Rouyn-Noranda) we are the largest city in our region(Abitibi-Témiscamingue) that has a population of 120000ish. We have about 100kms between our 4-5 cities. I am about 700kms north of Montreal. So when I was looking for a 7 passenger car in 2015 I basically looked at autoTRADER and took the 9 hour night time  bus ride to Montreal and buy my car.  Our dealers are basically all owned by 3 families. 

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > CB 10/27/2020 at 19:17

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Now I personally experienced this but for legal reasons I heard a rumour of the dealer himself call someone’s wife a ‘chinese whore’  in the show room in the middle of the day. So coked up he was floating 2-3 inches off the ground, only dealership that has goons on staff.  I was standing there, but it’s also a rumour I heard. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 19:18

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Our local Chevy/Ram/Subaru/Chrysler/Jeep dealer takes their loaner cars and then sells them used to canadians. I guess it’s easier to buy a used car in the US than a new one. They generally have 2000-4000 miles on them. That being said when I bought my outback from DonK in 2012 they gave me $ 1,000 off sticker. I didn’t feel like I got screwed big time but still got a little screwed. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 19:27

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Found something

https://kalispell.craigslist.org/cto/d/kalispell-76-cadillac-fleetwood/7219098975.html

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 10/27/2020 at 19:30

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My stuff would definitely fit in there.  Drive it up to Plentywood for me?

GLiddy > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 19:44

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You only need 1 car at a time. Leave. Shop elsewhere.

I used to follow a YouTuber that went by the name CorvairWild.  Near as I could tell, he was was a dual US/Canadian citizen who owned some properties up Vermont or New Hampshire way.  He loved Corvairs and T-Rucks (his pronunciation).  It seemed every spring or summer he’d buy a plane ticket to Arizona and pick up rust free Suburbans and either take them back to the northeast or leave them on a spot of land he owned down there in Arizona.  Anyway, yeah.  Go someplace where the deals are better if not the cars.  Whats the Japanese import scene like up there?  15-year rule must be a hell of a lot better than our 25-year rule.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > GLiddy 10/27/2020 at 19:49

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You can find a fucked-up skyline for cheap in the hood.  The fad kind of cmae and went.  The lot that sells S-cargos and kei trucks has had the same dozen of them for years now. “Johnny’s hot tubs and Mini-trucks.” -stay classy. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 19:55

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That will be about $100 in fuel and somehow I got to get home. It’s not good bicycle weather at the moment.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/27/2020 at 19:56

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I see there’s deals to be had in peach country. 

GLiddy > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 19:57

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I guess it suits only a certain type of person.  Sucks that buying in different provinces is such a hassle.  Registering out-of-state purchases has never been much of a problem.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 10/27/2020 at 19:58

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Uphill too. plus we’re not supposed to mingle with the neighbours right now.  You seeing a lot of Canadian plates and change lately?

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 20:01

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There are zero Canadians here right now and this summer. We usually have a huge number of Canadians here, like 30% Canada by volume.

glemon > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 20:06

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Smaller community here too, not exactly crooks,but dealers don’t want to deal at all. Offer $ 14,000 on a car they are asking 15 for, and we are “too far apart” to even negotiate. Happened multiple times.

I got a much better deal a days drive and a state over.  But mostly wanted to say--no private market there?? Kijiji?  I would think if the dealers were such crooks people would be less likely to trade in.

Longtime Lurker > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 20:37

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Would you be interested in a 86 BMW?

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Wacko 10/27/2020 at 21:18

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Is that just barely south of “the North”?

Jb boin > Wacko 10/27/2020 at 21:27

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I can literally visit 7 or 8 different countries on a 700km drive radius but at the moment even here the market is terrible.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Longtime Lurker 10/27/2020 at 21:29

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For a toy I would be, but I’m thinking a manual forester is the exact car I need. No rush or need to buy the first one I find, I think I’ll turn the Fargo money into Some nice winter tires an d and a few other things for my almost perfectly good truck. I think some new O2 sensors would perk up the fuel mileage.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 21:39

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Indeed. See anything you have a hankering for?

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/27/2020 at 21:54

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Manual Forester.  P ound for pound little wagons are the most useful car.  For now I think I’ll spiff up my truck with a used toolbox and wait till something good comes along. 

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 10/27/2020 at 22:07

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That blows. Pardon my French.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Longtime Lurker 10/27/2020 at 22:14

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now I’m curious, what manner of BMW?

Longtime Lurker > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 22:17

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1986 325es 2door 2.7l 6 cylinder 5spd manual and lsd. red 313k rusty. I don't want to pay for winter storage, so I want to sell it.

Chariotoflove > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 10/27/2020 at 22:19

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Oh. We have some problems with new car buying between states too, come to think of it. Every state wants its cut. 

Longtime Lurker > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 22:20

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https://oppositelock.kinja.com/photoshoot-with-cb-1844587628

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Longtime Lurker 10/27/2020 at 22:20

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Just about any oppo would be interested in that.  Could be an autocrosser If there was anyone doing that around here. 

Longtime Lurker > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 22:23

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I took it to autocross last year with CB it was fun. Also drove it to BC for the Oppo trip last year, very fun on the right roads. But at this point I’ve had it 10 years and I’m done with it.

Wacko > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/27/2020 at 23:17

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I’m just north of the 48th parallel.

We actually have snow on the ground since last Monday. It was -16c (3f) this morning. Winters here are cold, snowy and long. snow just accumulates from November till mid- April. We get a -40s week or two in January. Those weeks are hard on our cars. my Wheels feel like they are squares for the first minute when I headed to work.

Where have all the lightweights gone? > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 10/28/2020 at 00:34

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Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Just Jeepin' 10/28/2020 at 09:27

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Can register whatever you want, even if it was pulled out of the bush as long as it’s from here.  A used car one week old from out of province will require a safety, and you will be contributing to the local economy as punishment for shopping outside it.