Buying a used car

 I have four new (to me) wheels in my garage.

Commuting 60 miles to work has been a bit expensive driving the Dakota
every day. During the summer I would ride the bike and that kept the
fuel bills relatively reasonable. Right now it is costing me around
fifteen bucks a day.

So I have been looking for a second vehicle. Something smaller,
preferably with all-wheel drive and inexpensive. I didn’t want another
new car. Unless you spend mega amounts of money, they all look the same.
Like a sled.

As always I wanted something unique, like the XJ I sold last fall. I was
looking for a Mercedes, a Subaru, something along those lines.

I set a budget of not more than $10k. In Canada you cannot find much for
under $10K.

After looking around for a month I came across a 93 Audi 90 Quattro CS.
http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicle  ... Z331159837
or
http://tinyurl.com/8yqcdv5

The seller was asking $5k and the car appeared to have been well looked
after and in decent shape. Long story short I took it for a test drive
this morning and bought it. It is in good shape, drives like a sports
car and is all wheel drive. The seller has owned it for over ten years
and kept all the mechanical records. I could see the regular maintenance
has been done, including a recent major service.

More to my point of this message is it is interesting what you see in
other people’s garages when you are looking at used cars. When I pulled
up to this guy’s house I could see the Audi. Poking out from under a car
cover was the mudflap of an MR2. Behind the Audi was a Ducati Monster.
Scanning the rest of the garage I could see three other Ducs under their
respective covers. I am thinking this guy likes performance.

I probably have the models wrong but I think he said he has an ST-4, a
916 and something else. If I had of listened more carefully to Tim over
the years I would have been able to discuss Ducatis with the seller in a
little more depth.

Anyway the seller is a nice guy with a fine stable of vehicles and I
have a new toy.
--
Disclaimer
Do not believe a thing I have said, unless you already know it to be
true, or can independently verify it from another source.

Reeky Ride To The Rockies
http://actualriders.ca/reekyrockies.htm

 On 11/19/2011 4:26 PM, Calgary (Don) wrote:

You'll probably love it to death until the first time you have to buy
parts for it... I really liked my 87 5000 Quattro Turbo, a real top of
the line car in its day.  But it was old and pretty decrepit by the
time I got my hands on it. A part that would be $50 for a domestic
car would invariably be $150 and either have to be gotten from a single
Audi dealership or bought via mail order, whereas parts for domestics
are common and easy to get anywhere.

Your car is obviously in much nicer shape than mine was and should give
you at least a few years of fun ownership.

 On 19/11/2011 3:37 PM, Mark Olson wrote:

The seller has a whole box full of new consumables and wear and tear
items, filters, brake pads etc.  He has all the manuals.  I am aware of
the higher maintenance costs though.  Having the internet makes sourcing
advice and parts a whole lot easier than it was in the old days.

One of my many flaws is I rarely buy practical vehicles.  I tend to lean
towards classic styling or something that is fun to drive.

--
Disclaimer
Do not believe a thing I have said, unless you already know it to be
true, or can independently verify it from another source.

Reeky Ride To The Rockies
http://actualriders.ca/reekyrockies.htm

 On Saturday, November 19, 2011 4:06:54 PM UTC-7, Calgary (Don) wrote:

Ummmm...Don?  You ride motorsickles.  So that whole thingy was sorta redundant,
ya know?  This group might as well be the equivalent of AA for the
nonpractical-vehicle-addicted.

"Hi, I'm Bob, and I spend money on impractical wheeled toys..."

"Hi, Bob..."


Bob M.

 
 the nonpractical-vehicle-addicted.

Except we don't try to stop each other.  Can you picture an AA meeting
where they discuss the virtues of vodka vs rum?

Bruce