TalkativeTown / billy / All http://talkativetown.com Your Source for Social News and Networking Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:00:56 -0700 en <![CDATA[01 Civic Running Against Camaro....]]> http://talkativetown.com/cars/01_civic/ http://talkativetown.com/cars/01_civic/ Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:00:56 -0700 billy Cars http://talkativetown.com/cars/01_civic/
The 01 civic is able to beat the Camaro with a good lead over it. One of the most unexpected results to show for the muscle car. Just enjoy the race.





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I got my 01 civic around 8 months back when I wanted a good, reliable and fuel efficient second car as my daily driver was giving a bit of a problem. I did not care about the looks and just wanted a hassle free car. Finally I was able to get a used 01 civic online with 110,000 miles on it. Even with those many miles my 01 civic ran great and good maintenance was taken. For the past 8 months it has become my daily driver and it is by far a very reliable car. I have taken it to long trips without any issues and the fuel mileage is just beyond my expectation. The overall cost of ownership is also much lesser than almost all the cars I have driven till now.

There are a few experiences I want to share with current or future civic buyers:

1. Searching: I ended up searching more than I had expected for my 01 civic. While purchasing a used car it is better to keep at least 2-3 weeks of time. I had informed most of my friends of my requirement and than I waited if any of the sellers might show up. However I did not get much of a positive response and now I believe directly going over the net is a much better option. You should search the following sites to look for a used car:- Ebay Motors, Autotrader, Cars.com, Autos.aol and Carmax. Besides this you should also try Craigslist of your local area. You can get good options within half an hour of surfing through them. Once done select at least 5-6 you would be interested to pursue.

2. Contacting: Fix an appointment by contacting through phone or email. Generally fixing on a weekend is better as you might be much more free and the seller is also free. If possible call the person at least once before visiting. You can come to know if the car is his own and if there might be any major problems with the car. If the answers are evasive it might be a good indication that there might be something wrong.

3. Inspection: I did not know much about cars and hence took one of my more informed friends with me. Out of the 5 chosen 1 canceled the appointment and hence we inspected 4 cars on the weekend. The basic inspection you need to make is to check the car body for any major accident sign or rust sign, interiors for the cleanliness and flood damage, under the hood for transmission and engine and checking the overall car for any major damage signs. Before going to test drive it is also good to check the history records of the car through CarFax. It will show if the car is salvage title, flood damaged or involved in any major accident.

4. Test Drive: This is the most important part of a purchase of the car. While doing a test drive you can find out easily if there are any major internal problems with the car. This is one of the reasons why many people do not like to go for car auctions as you cannot test drive the car. While doing test drive it is good to follow a set procedure or even take a checklist and do the test drive accordingly. This will make sure that none of the major components go unchecked. You can print out a version by checking sites like Consumer Reports. Just search for test drive checklist. I was able to shortlist 2 cars from the 4. One was the 01 civic and another was 97 accord.

5. Negotiation: It is very important not to do the negotiation before you have done all the test drive. Even if you like a car very much it is better to know of all the possible options before beginning the negotiation. Another important factor is to check out KBB, Edmunds to find out the approx value of the vehicle in the market. This besides being a very good negotiating tool is also good to know in what range should you be negotiating. The person selling the 97 accord was asking around 40% higher that what KBB showed and so I went with the 01 civic which was better maintained and had lower miles on it. I had a final deal at $5,200.

6. Paperwork: This again is very important. If you buy a new car or a used car in a dealership they take care of this themselves however if you buy with a private party you need to take care of it yourself. Get the smog test done by the seller. Get the Bill of Sale form filled. Pay the sales tax and get the insurance reactivated.

7. Maintenance: It is important to realize that no car, even these reliable civics, will give you good miles unless the basic maintenance schedule is followed. Change the engine oil, transmission fluids as required. Also get regular service of the vehicle done. This will give better miles and will also give better return value on selling the car.

8. Tuning/Modding: In the past 8 months I have learn't a lot about cars especially the civics. Went with few of my friends to the drag races and were really interested in the stuff they do. Since then I have been visiting their tuning shops regularly. If you want to go for tuning it is better to get a basic background on it. A very good source for getting knowledge about tuning/modding are the following forums:HondaSwap, Honda-tech and Torquecars. The members are very supportive and can guide a lot.

8 Vote(s) ]]> <![CDATA[Major Mistakes Made While Buying a Car]]> http://talkativetown.com/cars/major-mistakes-made-while-buying-a-car-1/ http://talkativetown.com/cars/major-mistakes-made-while-buying-a-car-1/ Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:36:00 -0700 billy Cars http://talkativetown.com/cars/major-mistakes-made-while-buying-a-car-1/ {image1_200x200} Buying a car whether new or used is an exciting experience and one in which you do not indulge every day. The decision you make will in the end determine whether you spend the better part of your time in the next few years with your car in a mechanics shop or on the road enjoying your ride. Here are the most common mistakes which car buyers make while purchasing a car:

1. Showing openly how much they like the model: Even if you are totally into a model and it has been your dream to see that car in your driveway never show these feelings in the dealership. This will also be a major obstacle in you looking at any other alternative vehicles which might be better. Instead of going for a model you should look at your requirements and budget and then do the research as to which car would suit your needs the best. Also showing your emotions in the dealership might restrict your bargaining power.

2. Not doing the test drive: This is by far the most important step. There is no amount of knowledge and experience which can substitute an actual test drive as all the major problems in the car will show under test drive. Even if you are getting a used car from a private party insist on a longer test drive(even paying them a bit for their time would be good if you like the vehicle). Also besides the mechanical issue you would also come to know whether the vehicle fulfills your requirement. You can look at the detail tips for test drive.

3. Doing the negotiation based on sticker price: This is a very wrong negotiation tactic. In the end you might find that you have been given a deal which is $500 less than the sticker price and you might feel elated by it however actually you might be at a loss. It is always better to know the actual cost of vehicle for the dealership and then negotiating upwards. Many times the car maker offers rebate to the tune of $1000-$2000 to the dealership if they sell a particular model. Having a knowledge of where the dealership makes money is very helpful.

4. Doing negotiation based on monthly payment: While going for car financing the majority of buyers are concerned about the monthly payment they have to make on their car. This is a wrong way of negotiating. The dealership can easily decrease your monthly payment while increase their fees by increasing the loan period. Always negotiate on the interest rate you would have to pay. This is based in a large part on your credit history and hence make sure to check it beforehand.

5. Focusing on the "deal" instead of the car: Although you certainly would like to get a great deal at the dealership but still in the end you also need to make sure that you are getting a good car. It is also better not to go in the numbers until you have done the test drive and finalized the car you want to go for. So make sure that you have already done the research and have the alternatives of the right vehicle for you before you enter the dealership.

6. Going to dealership without prior finance research: You need to do complete and thorough research even before you enter the dealership. One of the parts is the financing of the car. You should know your budget, how much car you want, monthly payment you can afford, your credit score and if possible to go with a pre-approved no strings attached loan. This can improve your bargaining power at the dealership. Try to avoid the general car financing mistakes people make. Also it is good to know the various auto financing option available to you so you do not blindly go with whatever terms the dealer offers.

7. Overlooking the safety features: Although the safety features might inflate the cost of the car a bit but totally overlooking them is not a good choice. If possible going with the latest Electical Stability Control(ESC) and other devices is good and if you are not inclined at least go for the general safety features available today.

8. Going for unnecessary extras: Often when you are in the dealership they will try to sell you added features in the car. The exact cost of these should be calculated and their use should be known. These are a huge portion of the overall profit for the dealership however they might not be very beneficial for every customer. EX: you can do the VIN etching yourself spending a mere $30 instead of paying the dealership $200 to do it. Also not all models might require extended warranty. Some are reliable enough and also you might not be keeping the car for more than 5 years in which case it might not be of that much use. The dealership has huge overhead in terms of labor, land and maintenance and they would try to take every possible penny out of your pocket. It is worth it to know the general signs of trouble at the dealership and not going with every other thing they offer.

9. Loss in trade-in: Doing a proper research for the trade-in car is good. You should try different sources to know the exact price like kbb.com and nada.com which give very good estimate of the exact price of your car. If not getting the exact worth for your car you can also plan to sell it yourself. Following tips are very helpful while selling your trade-in vehicle.

10. Not getting the used car examined by a mechanic: Although this might cost you anywhere from $75-$150 it is worth the cost to go for independent examination of the car. If you are really interested in the vehicle and the deal you are getting is good enough you can request to get it checked by an independent mechanic. If any major problems are there they can tell it within a few minutes and you will be saved a lot of frustration in the future.


0 Vote(s) ]]> <![CDATA[Ways to Avoid Online Fraud While Buying Cars Online]]> http://talkativetown.com/cars/ways-to-avoid-online-fraud-while-buying-cars-online-1/ http://talkativetown.com/cars/ways-to-avoid-online-fraud-while-buying-cars-online-1/ Sun, 08 Aug 2010 05:04:14 -0700 billy Cars http://talkativetown.com/cars/ways-to-avoid-online-fraud-while-buying-cars-online-1/ {image2_200x200} Although most of the transactions pass through without any major hitch there are still a good number in which a buyer is duped while purchasing a car. If you are purchasing a used car with the help of internet you should check the following tips to prevent getting scammed:


1. To good to be true: If you see a deal which is too good to be true you can safely say that there is something fishy going on. If someone is selling you a Mercedes with very low mileage and in great looking condition for $3000 you can rest assured that there is a problem somewhere.

2. Telephone contact: Do not fully rely on internet and mails. Contact the seller on telephone and ask where the car is located. Ask if the car can be inspected(even if you are not inclined in doing so). Ask if the title of the car is clear.

3. Verify the escrow company: Most of the scams involve a fake escrow company. Ideally you are advised to always use a very well know escrow company like escrow.com. If the seller requests another escrow company verify it very closely, however it is better to stick with the above service.

4.Don't give personal information: you should not give your personal or financial information till you verify the escrow company.

5. Don't use person to person money transfer: Legitimate escrow companies will not use services like Western Union or MoneyGram and do not direct you to get your payment done to a particular individual instead of a corporate entity.

Finally it is always better to go only for very well known escrow services like Escrow.com which are recommended by ebay also. Finally while making any deal it is best to use your common sense and not get into a deal promising abnormally high profit.

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