Help me buy a new car (and what about cars and gender?)

Quote from AAAintheBeltway:


ps. I'd be more comfortable having my wife spend the weekend with George Clooney than sending my two day old Z4 off for an hour drive each way with some kid from the dealership. Can we say redline in every gear?
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Well, the "kid" is about 50. So it's at least better than having my son go from my garage to the driveway:)

But no, I am not thrilled about the prospect. But I was kind of left without a choice. They noticed the scratch when the car was being waxed for delivery. I had no other way home. My son left to go get a haircut, and I didn't really want to go back to West Palm anyway. This sounded reasonable at the time. Maybe I will get a very cool loaner. They had some beauties lined up there. Braman motors...maybe they'll give me a Bently (maybe a Mini).

Peace,
:)Rs
 
Quote from max401:

Well, that Z4's gotta a "1" for a first digit of the VIN. Built right in the US at Spartanburg, SC.
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:eek:

Mine is 80% German :), 5% Canadian ????
Final Assembly Munich Germany :D
Engine German :D
Trans French :mad:

I want to know who the programmers of the computer is - probably Germans :mad: Should have left that to the Japanese or other Asians.

nitro
 
Quote from nitro:


:eek:

Mine is 80% German :), 5% Canadian ????
Final Assembly Munich Germany :D
Engine German :D
Trans French :mad:

I want to know who the programmers of the computer is - probably Germans :mad: Should have left that to the Japanese.

nitro
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Well that answers that. Give the germans a screwdriver and a wrench, and they are the best. But computers?

My sticker says
Engine: Germany
Transmission: Germany

What is weird though, is on the top right, where it says all that stuff, it says "final assembly point: Spartanburg, SC.

But on the lower left, in tiny letters under the VIN number, it says
"Final Assembly: Greer, SC"

What and where is Greer? A suburb of Spartanburg? Can Spartanburg, SC actually have suburbs?

And where is the missing 10% of my parts coming from? (Nitro, you seem to be missing 15% of your parts:) )Do they consider the petroleum products to be the 10% (or nitro's 15%) and they didn't want to mention Saudi Arabia? (Althought the oil is synthetic....no oil change for 15k miles..no service for 15k miles).

Peace,
:)RS
 
It's hard to believe a brand new car can go 15k miles for its first oil change. What do you care though, you'll be dumping it in three years. I can't believe such intervals make for long engine life. I know it is common but I've often wondered if it's a matter of minimizing the all-included service they provide.

ps. That 50 year old guy used to race porsches at sebring. He is very good at shifting without using the clutch.
 
Quote from AAAintheBeltway:

It's hard to believe a brand new car can go 15k miles for its first oil change. What do you care though, you'll be dumping it in three years. I can't believe such intervals make for long engine life. I know it is common but I've often wondered if it's a matter of minimizing the all-included service they provide.

ps. That 50 year old guy used to race porsches at sebring. He is very good at shifting without using the clutch.
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Hey, you want to hear something funny? I don't know exactly what the "50' year old guy did...it certainly wasn't racing cars. The guy is kind of nebishy. But I used "50" to make things simple. He is actually 47 or 48. And as it happens, he used to come into my bar when he was 17 and get thown out. This came up in the usual bullshitting you do when making a car purchase. So when he found out the joint was owned by me, within 10 minutes, two more salesman come over to me and tell me I threw them out too.

I had to explain, the most fun thing about having a busy bar filled with college kids (drinking age in NY then was 18, and we were between 2 colleges...Hofstra and Post) was booting the high school kids. Hey, the owner needs to have a little fun too!!! Know what I mean?

Peace,
RS
 
Quote from Error 404:



Looking at my window sticker. Final Assembly Point...Spartanburg SC.

US/Canadian parts content: 35%
German part content : 55%

Which leaves 10% as a secret:confused:

But the VIN number starts with a 4, not a 1. Which means what Max?

(BTW, I got my golf bag in the trunk, but only by taking out the driver....I could get the driver in seperately...guess I need a different kind of bag).

Peace,
:)RS
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Sorry, US will be a 1 or a 4. Greer is the final assembly point just outside of Spartenburg.

You're now an ex-bar owner too?
 
Quote from max401:

Sorry, US will be a 1 or a 4. Greer is the final assembly point just outside of Spartenburg.

You're now an ex-bar owner too?
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Greer SC...sounds like a thriving metropolis. I wonder if they have a subway system:)

Yeah, I had a bar/restaurant after I sold my business in Aspen. Did the bar/restaurant from 77-84. Sold it, got a job as a stockbroker (what else is there when you are in your late 30's with no special talents or brains?), and my son was born in 85. That's why when we got married in 78, the natural thing (seemed natural at the time) was to go to Chamonix for the first week of our honeymoon. All fit?

But to get back on topic (at least a little)....when I went to Europe on my honeymoon, we rented a little Fiat at the Geneva Airport. Got to Chamonix, stayed a week. When we finally left Chamonix, the car was pretty buried in snow. I was unsuccessfully trying to put on the set of chains that came with the car, some guy comes along and asks me why I was messing with the chains. I told him I needed to get out of the parking lot. The guy told me I did not need chains, because the car had front wheel drive. I couldn't believe the car would move, but was more than happy to try. Amazingly, the car drove out fine.

That was the first time I ever drove a front wheel drive car. It was incredible. We drove from Chamonix to Paris. The map showed us the main road. It did not indicate (to me) that there was a very serious mountain pass on the road (I believe in Switzerland, but not absolutely sure...could have been France). Anyway, the car scooted right up and down the mountain, in a very heavy snowstorm. Back then, in Colorado, where front-drive cars were almost nonexistent (Aspen Police had Saabs), the passes were a mess when it snowed. People stopping to put on chains. Even at the approach to the Eisenhower Tunnel. Vail pass was still a pass (pre-interstate), and Independence Pass was just closed for the winter...and usually did not open until late May. I think that is still the case.

So, it's good to be in Florida with the BMW....not sure if I would have bought a car like this up north. I am pretty sure that Florida is the only state they sell 2wd Pathfinders. I imagine it's pretty much the same for all SUVs. I know in Colorado, there is no such thing as a 2wd SUV.

Peace,
:)RS

 
Quote from Error 404:



Greer SC...sounds like a thriving metropolis. I wonder if they have a subway system:)

Yeah, I had a bar/restaurant after I sold my business in Aspen. Did the bar/restaurant from 77-84. Sold it, got a job as a stockbroker (what else is there when you are in your late 30's with no special talents or brains?), and my son was born in 85. That's why when we got married in 78, the natural thing (seemed natural at the time) was to go to Chamonix for the first week of our honeymoon. All fit?

But to get back on topic (at least a little)....when I went to Europe on my honeymoon, we rented a little Fiat at the Geneva Airport. Got to Chamonix, stayed a week. When we finally left Chamonix, the car was pretty buried in snow. I was unsuccessfully trying to put on the set of chains that came with the car, some guy comes along and asks me why I was messing with the chains. I told him I needed to get out of the parking lot. The guy told me I did not need chains, because the car had front wheel drive. I couldn't believe the car would move, but was more than happy to try. Amazingly, the car drove out fine.

That was the first time I ever drove a front wheel drive car. It was incredible. We drove from Chamonix to Paris. The map showed us the main road. It did not indicate (to me) that there was a very serious mountain pass on the road (I believe in Switzerland, but not absolutely sure...could have been France). Anyway, the car scooted right up and down the mountain, in a very heavy snowstorm. Back then, in Colorado, where front-drive cars were almost nonexistent (Aspen Police had Saabs), the passes were a mess when it snowed. People stopping to put on chains. Even at the approach to the Eisenhower Tunnel. Vail pass was still a pass (pre-interstate), and Independence Pass was just closed for the winter...and usually did not open until late May. I think that is still the case.

So, it's good to be in Florida with the BMW....not sure if I would have bought a car like this up north. I am pretty sure that Florida is the only state they sell 2wd Pathfinders. I imagine it's pretty much the same for all SUVs. I know in Colorado, there is no such thing as a 2wd SUV.

Peace,
:)RS
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Didn't you leave out a few details?
 
Quote from max401:

Close, I think it's a major railhead.
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Makes sense. Cars gotta move somehow.

Quote from max401:

Didn't you leave out a few details?
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Nope, think I got most of it. Tried to anticipate your questions:):)

Speaking of questions, when are you going to be here to take me up on my standing offer?

Also, off the subject, I saw you were interested in Fla. RE as an investment on that other thread. Were you considering a beach condo? (Saw the listings that you guys had links to). I have a friend who bought in Aventura...(Williams Island). Her value went down pretty dramatically the last few years. And of course her maintenance is still incredibly high. I know you undoubtedly know, (however anything is possible in theory) but just in case....you guys never mentioned the maintenance (or garage costs) unless you covered those bases while I wasn't paying attention.

Back to the BMW.....Like Nitro, already have problems with how the car was prepped. Back at the dealership already, and instead of the expected 760i loaner I was hoping for, they gave me a Saturn from Enterprise (out of loaners supposedly...or I was not a big enough spender to rate).

Peace,
:)RS
 
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