| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 01/23/2005 : 3:07:19 PM
Finally. I've been posting for a while now about how my old Ford P.O.S. has been giving me headaches and how I didn't want to put any more money into it. I've had my brother and his buddy who buys cars at auctions keeping an eye out and they called me Friday morning to say they found me a perfect car down in San Diego. Yesterday I drove down and bought it haha. It was quite nerve wrecking since it was the first car I have bought. It's a '95 Honda Accord (with a sunroof lol) So far it is pretty awesome. The drive home was smooth and It is nice to have things like POWER steering, POWER windows, POWER mirrors... who knew how nice they could be. I'll post a picture later today. |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| enthuTIMsiast |
Posted - 01/31/2005 : 6:29:36 PM
Ha, yes, the Cabrio.   Maybe someday you kind folks will get a chance to come to my humble abode. Give me warning, though, I'll have to clean.  |
| tericee |
Posted - 01/31/2005 : 3:56:22 PM
JSYK, my Cabrio, in which Jason also spent quality time, was totalled in December 2003. (I wasn't driving; a family friend was. But nobody was hurt, so that's cool.) I guess we Centners total one car per year. Not sure who's turn it will be in 2005... |
| enthuTIMsiast |
Posted - 01/26/2005 : 6:49:41 PM
congrats on the new car Kevin! I remember the old black car, though.... I had some quality time in the back seat of that one. :) (I guess I should stop making that joke since all the n00bs here probably don't know how far apart we live and that the time spent was on the way to see TIM). :)
Congrats on the car, eh. |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 01/26/2005 : 5:02:00 PM
Nope, I did not. How could I, the car was 200 miles away. Thats one of the reasons the drive home was so stressful. I did not know what to expect. LOL Anyway, as soon as I got it back my mechanic looked at it and gave it the thumbs-up(LUCKILY)except for the timing chain I covered in my post. I did do one of those carfax searches on the internet and got the car's VIN # history and it appeared to be in order. So I was willing to take the chance. It seems to have paid off, or maybe I just got lucky. Either way, I drive a PURPLE Rav4 now and this makes me HAPPY!! |
| Silky The Pimp |
Posted - 01/25/2005 : 7:48:32 PM
Damn... did you have it inspected by a mechanic before you bought it? |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 01/24/2005 : 8:37:01 PM
Congrats Kev, looks nice! I would post a picture of my new vehicle, a PURPLE Rav4, but I can't do it unless it's posted on the internet. If someone would like, I can send the pic to them and they can post it for me. Just LMK.
I am sure I mentioned it, back in Nov. I was driving Burt back up to NY after an live performance on XM radio and on my way back, getting onto the NJ Tnpk of the Goethals Bridge, some idiot swerved into my lane forcing me into the jersy wall. It was 3am and there was one car behind me, both cars drove off leaving me there with airbags deployed, facing the wrong way on the curve. I was so worried another car would come around the curve and hit me head on. I managed to sort out the airbags and get pulled over off the road and boy was I angry. At 3am, this particualar toll plaza was unattended, so there was noone to contact. I sat there for about 10 mins hoping a NJ state police cruiser would come by but no such luck. Luckily the damage was minimal and the car was still drivable. With no other traffic in site, I decided to make my way on the NJ Tnpk until I could flag down a patrol car. NO LUCK.
I made it to the first service area and pulled off in disgust and asked the guy at the gas station where I could find a trooper. He told me there was a NJ state police barracks located behind the service area. I proceeded to the barracks and reported the accident where I summarily treated like a criminal for not getting a license plate # of the car that drove me off the road. I explained how it happened and the airbags coming out and me facing the wrong direction, but none of this seemed to quell their understanding of why I didn't have more information for them. The also wanted to know when it happened and I could only give them an estimate as I had waited by the toll plaza for 10 or so minutes and then driven for I don't know how long until arriving at the service area. I suggested looking at my NJ tnpk toll ticket and subtracting 10 mins. They informed me that that information isn't stored on the magnetic strip on the toll ticket. How stupid is that? Anyway, they reluctantly filled out the accident report which I knew I would need for my insurance and I was on my way back to DC. Not only was I worried that the car wouldn't make it since I was not sure of all the damage it might have sustained, I also had to contend with the noxious smell the airbags release when deployed. It is horrible.
This was the first TIMe I have ever had to deal with airbags deployed and the experience, although I am sure it saved me from being hurt more serverly, is NOT FUN. The feeling when they deploy is like being punched in the face. Mostly I guess because you don't expect it. I remember being shocked, thinking "what the fuck just happened?" Then came the cloud of powder and the ungodly smell. The interior was covered in it. I drove all the way back to DC with the windows down trying to get rid of the smell but it didn't help. Every toll plaza I stopped in, of which there are quite a few between NYC and DC, had to make some smartass comment about my airbag in my lap only adding to my anger and frustration. LOL
I got back to DC with no more incidents and the next day surveyed the damage it daylight. It seemed pretty minimal. Cosmetic damage they call it. Hell the headlight wasn't even broken. The turn signal was, but it still worked. That is how minimal he damage was. I figured it wouldn't be a big deal. The hood didn't even need to be replace. It was basically the bumper. Anyway, onto the insurance company. So I reported the accident, they told me I need to take it to their mechanic so he could estimate the damage which he estimated at about $2600 UNTIL he found out about the airbags. I don't know if you know this BUT airbags are about $1000 EACH. Bringing my grand total to $4600. Well it turns out, if the estimate exceeds 75% of the bluebook of the car IT's TOTALLED. Guess what, my car, as drivable as it was with such little damage was TOTALLED. They told me I would have the option of totalling it out and getting the full amount or keeping it and deducting my deductable and salvage costs which were estimated at $500-$750. After much back and forth with the insurance company and their adjusters which I will not bore you with. The car was totalled for $6200 or I could keep it and have it fixed myself for $4500. Which was my preference since I loved the car and didn't want to sacrifice it. As it turns out, at the final settlement they decided the salvage on the car would be $1500 instead of the $5-700 they projected. I had no real choice but to call the car totalled and start from scratch.
I started with Carmax. I couldn't find another Rav4 for under $8000 so I decided to check Washington Post classifieds online and see if I could get a better deal from a individual. The Washington post classifieds are linked to something called cars.com There you can search for a specific kind of car within a certain range and under a certain price. I chose within 200 miles. I was rewarded with a list of 74 Rav4's under $8000. The list was from highest price to lowest. Amazingly, there were 4 under $7000, the first 3 seemed like nothing I was interested in as they were roughly the same year and same mileage as what I had just totalled. Then #4 appeared, like out of a dream, the ONLY purple Rav4 on the list on the list of 74. It has always been a joke with Teri and I that my Rav4 wasn't purple. When she got it for me, I am pretty sure those were her first words to me, "I got you a car, BUT it's NOT PURPLE!". LOL I couldn't believe it, there must be something wrong with it. Under $7000, a year newer than what I had totalled with 50,000 less miles than mine had on it when I totalled it. It seemed like it was meant to be. Well hold on to your hats, guess where this WONDERFUL vehicle was located. Thats right, Elizabeth, NJ. The same exact exit on the jersey tnpk where I had wrecked my previous Rav4. What were the chances? I chose to look at it as destiny. LOL
Anyway, after much effort and frustration, which again I will not bore you with, I finally got my payment from my insurance company and hustled to get up to Elizabeth, NJ to pick it up before I had to leave for NM for the Pagan Underdog shows. So what happened is, I had to take a train to Newark Intl Airport from DC, catch a cab to the dealership and pay for the car and drive it back to DC. If you have ever bought a new car, you can imagine, you do not want for your first experience driving it a 4 hour trip on a highway nowhere close to your mechanic or home. Well what choice did I have. I chose to look at it as a good test for the new car. It made it no problems luckily. I felt quite content with my new purchase. Afterall, it was '97, not a '96 like the old one, with 50,000 fewer mile, it also had a roof rack and and power sunroof which mind did not, and above all, it was PURPLE. (oh, it did not have a CD player and it still doesn't, this is quite annoying as you can imagine on long trips) Now keep in mind this is literally the day before my flight to NM. They give me gave me my NJ temporary tags which it turns our are only good for 20 days in NJ, not 30 like everywhere else, and there will be no time to register it or get it inspected before I leave. Guess what day my temp tags would run out? Dec 8th! Guess what day my return flight from NM was? You guessed it, Dec 8th! Unbelieveable!!! So now upon my return, before I can get it inspected, I have to get new DC temporary tags because the NJ ones have expired and they won't inspect it with out legal tags. So I get the temporary tags and head down to the inspection station. While waiting in line at the inspection station, the check engine light comes on. I find out 20 minutes later, they won't inspect your car if the check engine light is on. I take it to my mechanic who assures me it's a minor problem. He looks over the rest of the car and says I made a pretty good purchase, I shouldn't have any problems with it. It will need a new timing chain I am told at some point, but that is pretty standard around 90,000 miles and this one had 81,000 when I got it. So not a bad deal. I pick up the car the next day and everything seems fine. I run by the Toyota dealership to pick up the turn signal cover for drivers side as it's cracked and they tell me even though it works it won't pass inspection like that. I replace it in the parking lot and start to drive to the inspection station. Can you guess what happened? That's right, the check engine light came on. I take it back to my mechanic who discovers that it's a problem with the same thing they had fixed the day before, just a different part but they will have to order it. It might take a few days. Of course this is also the weekend I need to drive it to NC for the TR private show and that is why I was so anxious to get it inspected and registered. I ask if it will make it to NC given the problem or if it will hurt it if I drive it there as is. He tells me NO, so I decide to bring it back on Monday to be fixed after my trip to NC. As you know I made the trip to NC with no car problems, just snow problems, so it was another nice test for new little car. I was quite happy with it's performance. Come monday, I drop it off. Tuesday, I pick it up and drive it to the inspections station. She passes. YEAH!!! Now all thats left is to get my new tags for her.
Side story about the tags, I wanted to keep my old tags because I loved my tag #. Anyway, the salvage yard that got my Rav4 sold it before I could get out there and get the back tag off of it because I was in NM. So I wanted to see about transferring my tags to the new one. I am informed by the DMV that you can't do that unless you have the old tags. ARRRGGHHH! I must get new tags. As luck would have it, I got there early in the day and it was the day the new series of tags had come in. My old tags started with BA, the new series that day started with CD. Strangely, the lowest number of the new series was 3001. I am told that they don't make 1000 series or 2000 series, yet noone can tell me why. The nice lady at the DMV let me pick from the ones she had which were CD 3001-CD 3010. Of course I opted for CD 3007 being that 7 is my lucky number. Would you like an example of my luck? LOL What do you think the only number she DIDN'T have was? That's right, 3007. So I opted for the very first in the series, I thought that would be kinda kewl. So I am CD 3001, and my new tags still say "Taxation Without Representation" on them. I am so happy.
Days later, what should happen? You guessed it, the check engine light came on again. I am now quite annoyed with this device on my car. It is not such an thorn in my side as the car is already inspected and registered, but it is still annoying. So I take it in one final time and I am told that it's TIMe for the TIMing chain I was warned about. Thank God! So it is finally up and running, no problems, and my mechanic assures me I have many miles of driving on that car before it should need any more work. Barring any unforseen circumstances, knock on wood. LOL
Thats my story, and I am sticking to it!!!! Now you can see why I was so absent from board during that period. LOL I was in a living hell with everything going on. LOL Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed reliving it here in these words. LOL |
| Silky The Pimp |
Posted - 01/24/2005 : 7:09:39 PM
Congrats! I hope it serves you well for years to come. |
| Arthen |
Posted - 01/23/2005 : 7:25:11 PM
I've got a '95 Civic, and I love it man. Hondas are great, awesome gas mileage, easy maintence. They last forever. |
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 01/23/2005 : 5:04:05 PM
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