Friday, July 13, 2012
By Starlight, I Know You
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Where Were Going We Dont Need Roads
The Tesos sure have been blowing this blog-o-sphere up. Im loving it!
We now have two cars! Well, tomorrow itll be legal anyway. Im buying my step dads 99 Saturn SL1. Its an interesting thing buying a car. In this price range, the less than $800 range that is, it doesnt matter as much who makes the car. What matters is what still works. Between the two cars we have over 500,000 miles. Everything but the AC works on both cars. Sure the Jeep needs some fresh shocks and the Saturns windshield is cracked but who cares. These things are not stopping us from driving. Im pretty excited about this new chapter in our automobile owning lives. Itll be fun to see if I can get the Saturn the rest of the way back from the moon. It only have 132,600 miles to go.
Monday, July 09, 2012
!!!Warning!!! This post is more than 140 characters.
I found this ad last week:
Date: 2012-07-04, 2:18PM EDT
Reply to: hkxbg-3081415998@sale.craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
I responded with this email:
Hopefully Im writing this email to your very specific requirements. My name is Dave and Id like to come see your Metro. I have $750 to spend on a car right now. If this fulfills your needs please call me at 616 914-xxxx. Have a wonderful Independence Day.
Take care,
Chuck
email this posting to a friendgrand rapids craigslist > for sale / wanted > cars & trucks - by owner
please flag with care: [?]
Avoid scams and fraud by dealing locally! Beware any deal involving Western Union, Moneygram, wire transfer, cashier check, money order, shipping, escrow, or any promise of transaction protection/certification/guarantee. More info
Geo Metro XFi (from the west coast) (GR)
Date: 2012-07-04, 2:18PM EDT
Reply to: hkxbg-3081415998@sale.craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
Let me first be clear on something and that is I am only half-way considering selling this car. In other words, I might very well keep it.
Secondly, I will not invest hardly any time in selling it. In other words, I will likely ignore nearly all requests for info. I will only respond if you express serious interest in buying the car, as in saying you would probably be willing to pay $x,xxx for the car and your name is xxxxx xxxxx and your phone number is xxx-xxxx All other email will be ignored.
Now let me tell you a little bit about it:
It is a 1991 Geo Metro XFi that spent its first 17/18 years on the west coast. Other than some surface rust the body is in very good condition for being a 1991. It has been well cared for.
The car has 225,000 miles on it.
It will need a new clutch one of these days; but I have been saying that for 3 years.
The transmission shifts great in all 5 gears with the exception of downshifting into 1st while the car is still moving. I double clutch it for this.
Last summer I checked the gas mileage for three tanks in a row and averaged 49 miles per gallon. And this is not highway driving either. In other words, had I been doing highway driving it would have been in the lower 50's
It runs well other than it needs either a new rear main bearing or rod cap for #3. I am betting on the rear main which, as I understand it, can be replaced without pulling the crank shaft. All you need to do is drop the oil pan to access it.
The compression in all three cylinders is around 190, so lots of life left in my opinion.
It needs a new inside driver's door handle, and perhaps the door latch. too. The windshield has a crack that is low so it does not obstruct my vision.
In terms of the value of these cars, the Metros in Michigan are generaly worthless due to underbody rust. And in the last three years I have only seen two XFi's and their bodies were toast. So if you want to buy one that is not going to rust out underneath in the near future you have to go to the west coast, for example. And it would likely cost $1,000 just for transporation to get it back to Michigan. Plus you would have to travel out there just to look for one. Maybe you would find one, probably you would not. Who knows how much time you would have to spend out there looking for one. XFi's are very rare; less than 10% of the Metros made back then were XFi's. - BTW, they were originally rated 53/58 for city/highway.
I will add a photo in the next few days as time permits.
Now, if you are interested, please reread the first few sentences because I really believe this car has extra value and I am really serious about not wasting my time.
PostingID: 3081415998Secondly, I will not invest hardly any time in selling it. In other words, I will likely ignore nearly all requests for info. I will only respond if you express serious interest in buying the car, as in saying you would probably be willing to pay $x,xxx for the car and your name is xxxxx xxxxx and your phone number is xxx-xxxx All other email will be ignored.
Now let me tell you a little bit about it:
It is a 1991 Geo Metro XFi that spent its first 17/18 years on the west coast. Other than some surface rust the body is in very good condition for being a 1991. It has been well cared for.
The car has 225,000 miles on it.
It will need a new clutch one of these days; but I have been saying that for 3 years.
The transmission shifts great in all 5 gears with the exception of downshifting into 1st while the car is still moving. I double clutch it for this.
Last summer I checked the gas mileage for three tanks in a row and averaged 49 miles per gallon. And this is not highway driving either. In other words, had I been doing highway driving it would have been in the lower 50's
It runs well other than it needs either a new rear main bearing or rod cap for #3. I am betting on the rear main which, as I understand it, can be replaced without pulling the crank shaft. All you need to do is drop the oil pan to access it.
The compression in all three cylinders is around 190, so lots of life left in my opinion.
It needs a new inside driver's door handle, and perhaps the door latch. too. The windshield has a crack that is low so it does not obstruct my vision.
In terms of the value of these cars, the Metros in Michigan are generaly worthless due to underbody rust. And in the last three years I have only seen two XFi's and their bodies were toast. So if you want to buy one that is not going to rust out underneath in the near future you have to go to the west coast, for example. And it would likely cost $1,000 just for transporation to get it back to Michigan. Plus you would have to travel out there just to look for one. Maybe you would find one, probably you would not. Who knows how much time you would have to spend out there looking for one. XFi's are very rare; less than 10% of the Metros made back then were XFi's. - BTW, they were originally rated 53/58 for city/highway.
I will add a photo in the next few days as time permits.
Now, if you are interested, please reread the first few sentences because I really believe this car has extra value and I am really serious about not wasting my time.
- Location: GR
- it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Hopefully Im writing this email to your very specific requirements. My name is Dave and Id like to come see your Metro. I have $750 to spend on a car right now. If this fulfills your needs please call me at 616 914-xxxx. Have a wonderful Independence Day.
Dave
This was the response I got:
Hi Dave,
Your email fulfilled enough of the requirements so deserves a response. And I owe you an apology for not listing a price. The reason was simply because I just wasn't sure what I should ask for it. The car has a lot of miles, to be sure. And it has some issues that some might consider major, but I do not. Having said that, this car has been well cared for and should last many more miles and years. Not something that can be said for any other Geo Metro that has spent its life in Michigan. Those cars are at the end of their life, unlike this one. And in order to get one of these, even if you can, and it is nearly impossible because so few XFi's were made, requires a ton of time, travel and luck, not to mention money. I looked for one for 6 months straight at one time and finally gave up. A year later I came across this one by chance, but had to get it from the west coast. So right there is a thousand bucks in value just to transport one to our state. And on top of that is the value of the car, which I consider to be quite high because its operating costs (gas!) are so much lower than anything else out there. So long story short, I will not sell it for less than $1,900 and I am sorry if you feel that is too high or do not have that much money. But that is the minimum I would sell if for, and actually consider it worth more than that. And for what it is worth, I took it off craigslists a short while ago because seling it at this time is too much of a hassle. When gas hits $5 a gallon I will relist it. Unless you decide you are able and willing to buy it for $1,900
Your email fulfilled enough of the requirements so deserves a response. And I owe you an apology for not listing a price. The reason was simply because I just wasn't sure what I should ask for it. The car has a lot of miles, to be sure. And it has some issues that some might consider major, but I do not. Having said that, this car has been well cared for and should last many more miles and years. Not something that can be said for any other Geo Metro that has spent its life in Michigan. Those cars are at the end of their life, unlike this one. And in order to get one of these, even if you can, and it is nearly impossible because so few XFi's were made, requires a ton of time, travel and luck, not to mention money. I looked for one for 6 months straight at one time and finally gave up. A year later I came across this one by chance, but had to get it from the west coast. So right there is a thousand bucks in value just to transport one to our state. And on top of that is the value of the car, which I consider to be quite high because its operating costs (gas!) are so much lower than anything else out there. So long story short, I will not sell it for less than $1,900 and I am sorry if you feel that is too high or do not have that much money. But that is the minimum I would sell if for, and actually consider it worth more than that. And for what it is worth, I took it off craigslists a short while ago because seling it at this time is too much of a hassle. When gas hits $5 a gallon I will relist it. Unless you decide you are able and willing to buy it for $1,900
Take care,
Chuck
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