Bobby's used car lot and Free Carfax

[riser4]

Expired tags implies that it was ever legally registered to the driver, which is false.

Interesting sidenote, in VT they stopped issuing expiration stickers for license plates. They phased out the front plate sticker requirement a while back. Now they finally eliminated the sticker altogether. The only other people who will know it's expired is your garage when you want to renew your safety inspection and the cop who runs your tags.

Buddy got his crucial 3rd DUI because the plate on his vehicle was from a different vehicle. Cop ran his plate before pulling him over. This was in the late 90s. Plates for a Jeep Grand Cherokee on a Toyota Camry. D'oh!

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

ALPR cameras are pretty much negating the need for registration stickers, stolen or legit.

[Hopeless Sinner]

So, has anyone here ever done the “build” thing I see on car makers’ web sites? Time frames? Did you get what you wanted? Did you get ripped off on the price? Were sales people all up your ass after you submitted it? What else? Up til now I’ve been able to find what I want on the lots.

I’m getting interested in a new SUV, but the models don’t seem to be readily available, especially in the trims I want. And fwiw, I’m looking out a little into the future at models that are just being released in 2024 - the new Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus GX 550. Others on the radar are LR Defender 110 and the ol’ standby 4Runner.

School me.

I have ordered trucks and cars many times. Time frames vary of course especially recently w covid and supply chain. Many trucks were ordered over the past 2 years that never got built or took a year. I ordered a Chevy truck in late Oct 23 and it arrived in late December which is pretty quick. At the time it was considered a hard combo to obtain and I paid $2500 less than MSRP. Prices are weakening on trucks now.

I don't think ordering is an invitation for a "rip off" in fact it's an opportunity to price shop on absolutely equal terms. A dealership in theory has no money invested in a ordered vehicle so no floorplan expense so in fact it costs them less to sell.

One issue I did have was a BMW ordered and after shipping to the US, but prior to delivery it was flooded in a warehouse so they did have to build a 2nd one so that resulted in a dispute of the value of my trade-in. I made them honor the price on the trade as the flooding was their responsibility. I did order a 3/4 T suburban and they put the wrong axle ratio in so they built a 2nd one after trying to get me to buy what showed up. That was the only mistake over about 10 vehicles I have ordered.

On to Toyota when I purchased a 4RNR in 1999 every one was loaded to gills in the NY metro area so I did purchase in New Hampshire as they had moderately optioned vehicles to choose from. Back then Toyota optioned their vehicles by region not sure if that's still true, but ordering a specific vehicle wasn't an option. Perhaps these days Toyotas and Lexus can be ordered.

[Ted Striker]

new Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus GX 550. Others on the radar are LR Defender 110 and the ol’ standby 4Runner.

I've done it with Toyota dealers, but in person. Found the (seemingly) least douchey salesperson, and contacted them via email. If they replied, I said I had a list of must haves, that I probably can't be talked out of so that the vehicle would likely have to be ordered in their next allotment or pulled/swapped from another lot.

Tried as best as I could to convey that I'm not a flake, and won't pull any shenanigans, so this should be an easy sale if they were interested.

The first time, they tried a bait and switch, then tried to lowball me on my trade-in, so I walked. Second time, smooth as butter (but that was a Scion dealer who were all no-haggle). Got that car with all the white shipping plastic still on, no license plate drill, no swirls from dealer "prep". That salesman was a really good guy.

Most recent one was a 2019 Tacoma that they did a vehicle swap with another dealer. My must have on that one was a manual transmission. The dealer sending it was super happy to get it off their lot, and my local dealer unloaded something that isn't as popular in this town, so they saw it as a win-win. Got a good price too (and sold it three years later for what I paid LINK)

[Touring_Sedan]

Expired tags implies that it was ever legally registered to the driver, which is false.

Interesting sidenote, in VT they stopped issuing expiration stickers for license plates. They phased out the front plate sticker requirement a while back. Now they finally eliminated the sticker altogether. The only other people who will know it's expired is your garage when you want to renew your safety inspection and the cop who runs your tags.

Why the fuck would anyone need to know what month my registration expires? Sounds like the folks that need to know, (cops & mechanics) already know.

[ghosthop]

Why the fuck would anyone need to know what month my registration expires? Sounds like the folks that need to know, (cops & mechanics) already know.

In less scrupulous parts of the country it’s a good sign to keep your distance because the driver is generally uninsured.

[gravitylover]

@MS do a Volvo OSD and get the trip to Sweden to pick it up.

[Meadow Skipper]

@MS do a Volvo OSD and get the trip to Sweden to pick it up.

That’d be cool, but then I’d have a Volvo.

I just found out there’s like a 2 year waiting list already for the GX 550. Probably about the same for the Land Cruiser.

[Touring_Sedan]

That’d be cool, but then I’d have a Volvo.

Truth. You pick up a Porsche in Germany so you can thrash it on the Autobahn. You pick up a Volvo from the parking lot of the Kroger, so you can test it out in it's natural habitat.

[MontuckyFried]

Truth. You pick up a Porsche in Germany so you can thrash it on the Autobahn. You pick up a Volvo from the parking lot of the Kroger, so you can test it out in it's natural habitat.

Haha. While they DO indeed excel at the getting of the groceries, mine was more at home at the lumber yard. One cannot deny the sheer practicality of the old Volvo wagon. Try one out sometime. They're really not so bad.

For real tho? They actually kick ass for hooning up to the mountain on a snowy morning. I used to absolutely flog mine going up to Moonlight Basin. Crazy fun.

Sent from my Pixel 8 using TGR Forums mobile app

[BmillsSkier]

I’ve always had great fun in the 2 Volvos I’ve owned. My first car, my mom’s old 760 Turbo - hella fast and fun. And my ‘14 XC70 T6 - 300hp/300ftlb awd highway star.

[Touring_Sedan]

Guys, we get it. Y'all like Volvos and you like wagons. When there's only two of you it's not a circle jerk.

[bennymac]

Not with that attitude it’s not

[BmillsSkier]

We also like Porsches and Audis and Alfas and pre-Bangle BMWs and Toyota trucks if that's not enough to get the juices flowing.

But, everyone knows you gotta eat to keep the energy up so maybe enjoy some fancy ass mustard on your fold down sandwich tray?

[gravitylover]

Haha. While they DO indeed excel at the getting of the groceries, mine was more at home at the lumber yard. One cannot deny the sheer practicality of the old Volvo wagon. Try one out sometime. They're really not so bad.

For real tho? They actually kick ass for hooning up to the mountain on a snowy morning. I used to absolutely flog mine going up to Moonlight Basin. Crazy fun.

In all fairness it was just a lowly 3.2 so you had to flog it going uphill.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Clowns! The V60 T8 Polestar is a rocket!!

[Timberridge]

We also like Porsches and Audis and Alfas and pre-Bangle BMWs and Toyota trucks if that's not enough to get the juices flowing.

Let's not forget Grand Caravans and sub-$3500 Craigslist listings of various other makes.

[BmillsSkier]

Let's not forget Grand Caravans and sub-$3500 Craigslist listings of various other makes.

Excellent point. We absolutely enjoy debating the merits of a Facebook Marketplace shitbox with a 2 picture listing and multiple known flaws as a daily driver that will see serious use.

Shit, we could have a whole other thread dedicated to poor automotive choices and how to make them.

[MontuckyFried]

In all fairness it was just a lowly 3.2 so you had to flog it going uphill.

You're not wrong. I had to floor it to do anything, BUT you know what they say about driving slow cars fast and all that. It's fantastic AWD is what really made it fun tho. Having a proper set of winters didn't hurt either. Just whip the tail around on a hairpin up the mountain, then point and shoot. Car would magically right itself and go wherever you pointed it. But yeah, that 3.2 was a pig. Damn reliable at least so I was happy in the end. Tho I'm MUCH happier with the power in its replacement to be perfectly honest.

[gravitylover]

Let's not forget Grand Caravans and sub-$3500 Craigslist listings of various other makes.

See, this guy gets it

Excellent point. We absolutely enjoy debating the merits of a Facebook Marketplace shitbox with a 2 picture listing and multiple known flaws as a daily driver that will see serious use.

Shit, we could have a whole other thread dedicated to poor automotive choices and how to make them.

MF and I can be the stars

[riser4]

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...automatic-cars

[BmillsSkier]

The cover photo for that article is fantastic.

[gravitylover]

Hey all. I have my sights set on a Mazda 3 hatch AWD, hoping to find a CPO car with AWD and a manual. They didn't make many between 2020 and 23 then canceled them in the middle of the year last year and the people that own them don't sell them so they're really hard to find. Searching nationally is harder than it should be so if anyone knows a dealer that might have one lemme know.

[Iowagriz]

I find cars.com good for searching with specifics. Only 1 manual AWD that I found. Houston.

https://www.cars.com/shopping/results/?body_style_slugs[]=hatchback&dealer_id=&keyword=&list_price_max=&lis t_price_min=&makes[]=mazda&maximum_distance=all&models[]=mazda-mazda3&monthly_payment=&page_size=20&sort=best_mat ch_desc&stock_type=all&transmission_slugs[]=manual&transmission_slugs[]=unknown&year_max=2023&year_min=2020&zip=59801

[Iowagriz]

And sometimes how you apply the filters gets different results. The above link was 3,hatch, manual or unknown.

This link is 3, hatch, AWD and unknown Trans (I didn't look thru results, but 4 show).

https://www.cars.com/shopping/result...ivetrain_slugs[]=all_wheel_drive&keyword=&list_price_max=&list_pri ce_min=&makes[]=mazda&maximum_distance=all&models[]=mazda-mazda3&monthly_payment=&page_size=20&sort=best_mat ch_desc&stock_type=all&transmission_slugs[]=unknown&year_max=2023&year_min=2020&zip=59801