Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 19:41:10 GMT From: "C.S." <calebnopsamlgraphsoft.com> Subject: Re: Get real!
chcnopsamonnect.com wrote: >2) Cars are NOT... I repeat NOT investments. ALL daily cars are LOOSING >financial propositions! Bzzt. The money I put into a car may not grow, but it's still an investment and I believe I'm justified in at least hoping that the value of my investment doesn't dwindle too quickly. Beyond that, it's an investment in my personal well-being, my financial health (an unreliable car costs time and makes getting to work difficult). Open your eyes a little, bud. >4) DONT work on you own car. >Modern cars are too complex for novices. Oh please. When I need a new clutch, a tune-up, whatever, I take my car to someone who's got the right tools and knowledge to do the job right, and I'm happy to pay them a fair or even premium price for the deal. If my wiper transmission is worn and needs replacing, I don't care to pay $250 for a whole new assembly, plus extra for the labor to install it. I'll find the transmission used somewhere, install it, and keep the difference. Modern cars are too complex for the professionals, too, as illustrated by the fact that most dealers insist on replacing parts with brand new rather than taking the time to make easy repairs or rebuild them. Sure, sometimes the time to rebuild would cost more than the new part, but often enough the opposite is true, as in the case of my wiper transmission. >5) Stop whining about the car business! >You made it. No, actually, I didn't. If I'd made it, people would pay a fair price for fair service all the time, and cars would be designed to minimize repairs. Clearly, someone else made it. >6) Get a brain. You just lost my business. If you consider your customers brainless, you deserve to lose all your business. If you say "well, I didn't mean anyone in particular" then your statement is void. >7) Get real with a Saab ... >Own a used Saab?... repair costs are relative to the NEW price... >NOT what you bought it for.... and that's expensive. Wrong again. A well-maintained Saab will last a long time, and as the price drops they can often become real bargains. Of course, that's not so true if you buy from a dealer who's got high expenses to cover and thus charges high margins. But spend $3000 or $4000 on a late 80's 900, and you have a good car that'll carry you around in style for many loan-free years. Find yourself a good, honest, Saab-trained mechanic and you'll save a bundle over going to the local dealer for repairs. And insuring an older Saab is tons cheaper than insuring a new car, any make. Caleb Strockbine calebnopsamlgraphsoft.com
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