Has your car entered "heapdom?"

[shereads]

Re: Re: Has your car entered "heapdom?"

If you keep a car long enough, depreciation is irrelevent, as I keep telling a co-worker who only buys used Volvos.

My 1992 Nissan 240SX is still passing younger cars. I'm hoping it will hold out several more years, so I can get the house paid off and proceed to my midlife crisis 350Z.

I'm afraid I'm not a candidate for a fabulous midlife crisis car. So I'm wondering if I might find something a little nicer in a used car with three or four years on it than a shiny new Blah.

A young woman at my office lucked into a seriously cool used car for $1200: a 1989 Saab convertible, silver, with leather interior and no major repairs needed beyond the roof mechanism. Guys at the office are saying the parts should have been worth more than that. We keep waiting to find out what's really wrong with it, but she's been driving it for five months with no problem.

What are the odds.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

Girl, why are you fighting this so bad?

Your co-worker most certainly lucked out and you want a new car. So GO GET A NEW CAR!!

~lucky

Tell the people at the dealership, I want my referral fee ASAP.

 

[oggbashan]

I used to drive serious heaps.

"Don't open that door - it'll fall off"

"The plywood on the floor IS the floor"

Duct tape held the wings on, the trunk (UK=boot) shut, the windscreen wipers on their arms, and the water out.

Now I drive a 1990 Volvo estate. Only 175,000 miles so far. The only heap-like trait is a glowing light on the dashboard telling me the automatic is in 'low' - but it's a stick shift.

The toolkit in the trunk used to be worth more than the cars and I needed it. Now I can't remember where the toolkit is.

Og

PS. I still carry the duct tape. I might meet someone with a heap.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I was recently introduced to the term "hoopde" for a beater. I';d never heard that before, and think it might be black slang. Anyone else every heard this term or know where it comes from?

---dr.M.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

I was recently introduced to the term "hoopde" for a beater. I';d never heard that before, and think it might be black slang. Anyone else every heard this term or know where it comes from?

---dr.M.

According to urbandictionary.com any car that meets the following:

a) driver must enter car through passenger side
b) three different brand and size tires - 3 of them missing hubcap c) exhaust is held up by half a clothes hanger - other half replaces the antenna
d) backfires every three blocks - loudest backfire being when car is turned off
e) must open door at drive-threws as windows don't roll down
f) you only get one AM station and the tape deck eats all tapes inserted
g) can't open the glove box as the whole thing will fall out
h) if you let go of steering wheel while driving you'll make a u-turn
i) must manually move blinker lever up and down as it no longer blinks on it's own
j) must keep one foot on brake and one on accelerator when at a complete stop
k) has had the same temporary registration sticker in the window for the last 18 months
l) has all the above issues but still has a $200 professional tint job

originating from:

Americana slang coined by Batman in the first Batman TV series.

"To the Hooptie Robin"

Of course, it depends on whom you ask. To some the hooptie is an old Chevrolet with more money in it than my brand new Volkswagen's sticker. Custom paint, wheels, sound system, etc...

~lucky

 

[SlickTony]

My 1992 Nissan 240SX is still passing younger cars. I'm hoping it will hold out several more years, so I can get the house paid off and proceed to my midlife crisis 350Z.

I'd dearly love to upgrade to that. However, by that time my son will have gotten a driver's license and I won't be able to afford the insurance for both.

 

[KenJames]

I'd dearly love to upgrade to that. However, by that time my son will have gotten a driver's license and I won't be able to afford the insurance for both.

No dear, the 350Z is for you. Sons should start with the modern equivalent of a 1968 Dodge Dart.

 

[shereads]

Girl, why are you fighting this so bad?

Um...Highest long-term unemployment rate since the Great Depression? Worked for six companies that went out of business? Got this most recent job by pure luck? They're late with our paychecks, sometimes by as much as three weeks?

You're right. I want the car.

 

[SlickTony]

No dear, the 350Z is for you. Sons should start with the modern equivalent of a 1968 Dodge Dart.

Oh, I agree. The 350Z would be for me. I was just concerned about paying the insurance on it and for the dubious privilege of having my son on my policy.

Right now I don't see him having a car, unless he somehow manages to scrape up the wherewithal to get one on his own (and if it turns out to be a red and white '57 Plymouth Fury I'll know I'm screwed). Even at that we don't have driveway space for the cars we've got.

 

[Weird Harold]

"heapdom is defined as that period of time when your car is inexorably sliding toward the junk heap. Heapdom begins when you can no longer simply toss your keys to someone. Once the toss of the keys must be accompanied by special instructions (i.e., "don't forget to check the oil every time you get gas," or "you have to bang twice on the hood and jiggle the shifter before turning the key"), you have entered heapdom."

Ihave a question about what constitutes "special instructions" -- does, "mind the brakes, I had them fixed" count towards heapdom?

I discovered yesterday that my 86 S-10 Blazer has apparently been without rear brakes for an extended period of time because the brake cyclinders were seized up and the rear brake shoes had almost no wear in the five years since they were installed. Consequently, the front brakes had to be completey replaced -- rotors, calipers and pads.

When I picked it up today, it has significantly more braking than it has had for long time and made me glad I wear my seatbelt.

 

[SlickTony]

Man! You're fortunate.

 

[shereads]

Re: Re: Has your car entered "heapdom?"

Ihave a question about what constitutes "special instructions" -- does, "mind the brakes, I had them fixed" count towards heapdom?

I discovered yesterday that my 86 S-10 Blazer has apparently been without rear brakes for an extended period of time because the brake cyclinders were seized up and the rear brake shoes had almost no wear in the five years since they were installed. Consequently, the front brakes had to be completey replaced -- rotors, calipers and pads.

When I picked it up today, it has significantly more braking than it has had for long time and made me glad I wear my seatbelt.

I've been coasting to a stop for two months now. It requires more skill than braking, and adds interest to an otherwise dull traffic jam.

Caution: the coasting-to-a-stop method doesn't work at all in those spiral downward exits from parking garages. For that, you need to cut the ignition, yank up the hand brake, sharply turn the wheel in the opposite direction of the spiral driveway, and curse loudly. This should be done about every ten seconds, but only if there are slow cars ahead of you. If the garage is empty, it's probably okay to skip all of the steps except for the cursing.

 

[minsue]

Re: Re: Re: Has your car entered "heapdom?"

I've been coasting to a stop for two months now. It requires more skill than braking, and adds interest to an otherwise dull traffic jam.

Caution: the coasting-to-a-stop method doesn't work at all in those spiral downward exits from parking garages. For that, you need to cut the ignition, yank up the hand brake, sharply turn the wheel in the opposite direction of the spiral driveway, and curse loudly. This should be done about every ten seconds, but only if there are slow cars ahead of you. If the garage is empty, it's probably okay to skip all of the steps except for the cursing.

My first vehicle was a '69 Ford stepside shortbed. I kept telling my father that there was something VERY wrong with the brakes, but he wouldn't believe me because I told him sometimes it would pull (HARD) to the left when I would brake & sometimes it would pull to the right. Told me that's not possible. I told him I kept having to add brake fluid, close to daily. He crawled underneath & looked around and told me it wasn't leaking. When it finally reached the point that I was sliding into intersections when attempting to stop at red lights, he sucked up his male pride and consented to let me take it to the shop. Turns out the brakes were leaking, both sides, and were leaking onto the brake pads. So I had no brake fluid and nice slick brake pads.

I miss that damned truck.

 

[Just_John1]

According to Tom and Ray of NPR's car talk,

This, despite the fact that new cars lose thousands of dollars in value as soon as you drive them off the lot, and that the new one recommended in my price range by the Car Talk brothers is made in (gulp) Korea.


What should I do?

She...

Some basic rules for deciding when to buy a new car... when repairs cost more than a new car payment would... every single month... Buy a new car.

When you look around the parking lot to make sure no one is looking so you can get into your car anonymously... Buy a new car.

When you look at your old car (age does not matter) and think "oh god what a piece of shit" buy a new car.


When you;ve thought about it and thought about it and finally resort to asking for advice about buying a car on lit... You're overdue to buy a new car...

Bottomw line??? Buy a new car.

IMHO

JJ1

 

[lucky-E-leven]

I've been telling her this for months and I'll bet you anything she's still driving that crx around...risking life and limb every day.

~lucky

 

[minsue]

Re: Re: Has your car entered "heapdom?"

When you;ve thought about it and thought about it and finally resort to asking for advice about buying a car on lit... You're overdue to buy a new car...

 

[shereads]

I've been telling her this for months and I'll bet you anything she's still driving that crx around...risking life and limb every day.

~lucky

The only lives seriously at risk are the ones of people I might harm out of spite when the weather turns hot again next month and the a/c begins dripping ice water onto my gas-pedal foot.

Seriously, I am going to buy a car. I just have this awful urge to do the financially responsible thing and buy a used one that's under warranty. I know I'll regret it.

 

[shereads]

Re: Re: Has your car entered "heapdom?"

When you;ve thought about it and thought about it and finally resort to asking for advice about buying a car on lit... You're overdue to buy a new car...

Bottomw line??? Buy a new car.

IMHO

I hear something...but I don't see anyone.

It must be Invisible John.

 

[KenJames]

Re: Re: Has your car entered "heapdom?"

Ihave a question about what constitutes "special instructions" -- does, "mind the brakes, I had them fixed" count towards heapdom?

I discovered yesterday that my 86 S-10 Blazer has apparently been without rear brakes for an extended period of time because the brake cyclinders were seized up and the rear brake shoes had almost no wear in the five years since they were installed. Consequently, the front brakes had to be completey replaced -- rotors, calipers and pads.

When I picked it up today, it has significantly more braking than it has had for long time and made me glad I wear my seatbelt.

Getting the brakes fixed is moving away from heapdom, or possibly "twisted metal and broken body" dom.

 

[Just_John1]

Ok, we'll look at this from the other side...

The only lives seriously at risk are the ones of people I might harm out of spite when the weather turns hot again next month and the a/c begins dripping ice water onto my gas-pedal foot.

Seriously, I am going to buy a car. I just have this awful urge to do the financially responsible thing and buy a used one that's under warranty. I know I'll regret it.

Why people sell cars:

They are lemons...

Repairs cost more than car payments... every single month.

They have to look around the parking lot to make sure they are anonymous when they get in it...

They figure there is someone who is more of a sucker than they are and they can make a profit...


A new car gives one an enormous feeling of power... When you walk into the dealer, after owning the car for a month and the engine won't start, or the transmission makes these really unusual noises... and you can say... "I bought it new now fix the fucking thing" this amazing rush of power will flow through your body and an immense feeling of satisfaction as you drive off the lot in the free rental they give you as they bow and smile and say "tell your friends!!!" Its almost as good as sex.

IMHO

JJ1