Goshdarn 4runner!@*!!!

[AMISLANDER]

That's what I've looked like for the past 72 hours.

My 4runner has decided to become whacked. Tuesday afternoon it would not start. It's been doing this kind of cough thing if I leave the radio on and/or a/c...won't start, turn off the engine draws & then it starts...well, yesterday it did start and I drove it straight from work to the auto shop on the island. Luckily, it showed it's colors and so I'm in the process of trying to figure out what's wrong. Had to borrow transportation from where I work on LBK and ended up with a Jag. How befitting of a person in bk, eh?

And...since I'll probably have to be giving up this "asset" you can darn well bet I don't want to drop any $ into this SUV...I keep saying, what next? Well, I am just perplexed. Maybe, by the time the appraiser gets to see it, it will be ready for a morgue and not trustee auction...but I can't drive the Jag forever...it's owners will be coming down from up north sooner or later.

Now, in this predicatment, I don't even think I could purchase another vehicle or else the trustee would take that too...Has anyone encountered this situation yet?

[bkfiler]

if you get into a loan where there is no equity then the trustee isnt going to take it. its worth nothing to him.

[BassBoy]

Wow, a JAG? I was thinking about renting an expensive vehicle sometime so my neighbors could see it. I would love to see the look on their faces when I pull in my driveway with some $50K or $60K vehicle. They all know what's going on with us now.......posted in the paper. They would probably say. "He filed BK and now he's driving a $50K/$60K vehicle?" Ha-Ha. They'd sh!t. ROFLMAO!

[bkfiler]

if you think they are worrying about what you did, guess again.

they are trying to figure out how they can get out of their debt too. dont kid yourself lol

[AMISLANDER]

if you get into a loan where there is no equity then the trustee isnt going to take it. its worth nothing to him.

well, here's the thing...since "they" pay "sunshine" in FL....I have no room to have a loan payment on a car......and I really don't know how long it's going to take for them to come appraise & want to take the 4runner...last date for objections is 2/27 if that's any help?!

I really just want to go out & get something for between $2,500 and $5K...as in '95 Eclipse or Mustang....I only drive to work and back between two islands...other wise, I guess I'll get a bike...from work to home is 16 miles roundtrip...hmmm...that way I could skip the gym...not have to deal with the week of spring break traffic where it took three hours last year on one day to get nine miles...the trustee can't seize a bicycle, can they?

[AMISLANDER]

Wow, a JAG? I was thinking about renting an expensive vehicle sometime so my neighbors could see it. I would love to see the look on their faces when I pull in my driveway with some $50K or $60K vehicle. They all know what's going on with us now.......posted in the paper. They would probably say. "He filed BK and now he's driving a $50K/$60K vehicle?" Ha-Ha. They'd sh!t. ROFLMAO!

This is the first Jag I've ever been in, let alone driven...drives like a Licoln Towncar...it's a '95, one of the big, old ones with the long front. It drives like a Lincoln Town car...heavy...I'm very grateful for the use of it, but I really just want my own SUV back. I'm kind of freaked out by my car problem and scattered. The mechanic doesn't seem to be able to find anything wrong yet...

[SinkingFast]

We have equity in the car we have a loan on. We thought about doing a cash out refi on the car so we'd have money to pay the attny's fee and our taxes. We owe income tax this year cause we used Hubby's 104K/IRA to pay off the 2nd on the house. We'd max out the loan to value ratio and have $0 equity in the vehicle. Then, that vehicle wouldn't even be an asset consideration in the BK and we could reaffirm the note to keep the car post BK.

Ran that thought by one attny who thought it would be OK. Another attny said it might look like fraud to the Trustee. Doing a cash out refi like that on an "asset" on the eve of filing BK. I said even to pay legitimate bills with the money?? The answer was Yep.

2 attnys, 2 different opinions.

[robivi3]

AMIS, I was a Diesel tech for 19.5 years and have been a Computer Tech for rail Systems for the last four, both pay around 30 per hour, i just needed to be away from the oil, chemicals and smoke for health reasons so i got out of it, it wasn't a money deal. Probably go into MTU's for locomotive when i go to TN. after retirement. Before that I worked my share of dealers and and when VERY young gas stations and even one hardware store. Other than the HW store I have one hell of a lot of Automotive experience so that's to let you know I'm not just blowing smoke.

The best beater, an older 4 cylinder Mustang. Lots of room to work. Manual, if you can take it with the ten spline transmission (it is German made). Timing belt is EASY to change, head is EASY to remove. I say this because you can use one of those little garages if you can't repair it yourself. Mitsu? Cute, I know most women like cute, but but high cost to fix. Look around, you see alot of old Mustangs, RUNNING. I don't drive a "good" vehicle to Miami every day. My Corsica daily, truck on saturdays. My Corsy has 140,000 miles and is in excellent shape, I even spent 1900.00 for a GM Certa transmission. I don't recommend it as a low maintenance beater, The 4 speed electronic tranny and six cyl. depend heavily on the computer. My old "Stang was sold with 267,000 miles still running. Uncomplicate things, don't go with "cute". search for a Mustang (a poor mans sports car) that is in good shape and you will likely be happy. Uncomplicate it further by getting the 4 CYLINDER Manual trans. Life will be simpler, you can get a nicer car later.

[SinkingFast]

Edmunds.com has a forum where people post about their cars. When you find a particular one you're interested in, go to the Town Hall at Edmunds.com. You can search by make, model, and year to see what trouble other people have had with their cars. If you see one person post a problem, it's probably a one time thing. If you see a bunch of people posting the same problem you know that's probably something you need to watch out for.

You can also sign up with one of those websites that will let you run the VIN number on cars you are interested in. You can learn the title history of the car. Whether it's a salvage or not. If the title is clean. The fee wasn't much, and it really helps a lot if you are buying from a private party you do not personally know. It was especially important for us as we were shopping older cars for our kids. We looked at several that we found out had salvage titles when we checked the VIN's. One guy told us he'd bought the car from his Dad, who'd bought it new. Checked the VIN and found out he'd lied. The title had been traded lots of times in 3 or 4 different states, from a dealership to a private party, to a dealership and sold at auction to a car lot, from the car lot to a private party, and so on.

[FilingOnMyOwn]

The best beater, an older 4 cylinder Mustang.

The 4 cyl stang is the one of the worst pos to ever insult our highways. I would rather drive a tempo at least there would be less people laughing at me. And with the same engine I believe they were sometimes lucky to get 60k out of them. I'm not trying to harp on you or anything, but honestly who WANTS to be working on their car all the time just so they can drive it. I see very few 4 cyl stangs on the road, and good riddance. All the older mustangs you are seeing, are mostly 8 cyls.

[robivi3]

No, most of what i see here are the old 4cylinders. This is Miami, 8 cylinder Mustangs of any age dissappear quickly into the night and generally as Mr. Graphic will also concur have to be chained to a tree or blocked with another vehicle which given the size of our yards and driveways is impractical. The 2.3 was a good little engine. I got 267,000 out of mine and sold it running. Of course three clutches, one head gasket but not bad and the regular stuff like water pumps, etc... AMIS is in Florida looking for a get-around car that won't be popular with thieves.

It's a cheap maintenece car, everything easy to get to. If you get it with the ten spline clutch (the German one) it is better. Its a beater, yes, but my experience with it was good overall. But I don't want another one, EVER. But I can tell you this, down here you don't see many eight cyl Stangs on the road. Another beater here, old Imaplas. Friend paid 400.00 for a 1980 ORANGE Impala, it broke down on 62st and 32 ave. by African Sqaure park, he went to the phone (the keys out of the car) to call a truck and adios carro! Less five minutes. The gangbangers like them because they are good "jumpout" cars. That thing is probably still running.

[sunshine08]

I had an older Mustang (have had 2) but my mother now has it and it has over 200,00 miles on it. Love that car. Have spent very little money on it, tires, 3 alternators, couple of batteries, minor stuff. The transmission has caused a few small problems, not quite right, thats why she has it. I drive a lot, I am no mechanic, but my husband is less of a mechanic than I am.
SOOOOOO, I agree with Robivi, especially if you can work on them. Don't know part of the country you are from, but us RedNecks like working on cars. (ever watch Jeff Foxworthy???) I don' t put mine up on blocks though.....

[robivi3]

Listen, alot is said about American cars, some i agree with and i glad that their is competition, otherwise they'd be throwing 70's junk at us still. I have yet to see a Toyota Tundra pull a Bulldozer on a Trailer through mud. I've seen a hundred F350's do it. I've seen Sierras pull loads that would scare me. In my buddies recent search for a Truck he was encountering diesel American 00-03's with anywhere between 140,000 and the highest at 262,000 miles in good shape most of them. AIG Insurance does not rate a Honda as a "safe" car (in my son's case). The cheapest car to insure with them , a four door Buick Century. Honda is not the company today that the late and may i say honorable Soshiro Honda built years ago. They are DANGEROUS down here, HELL to insure for a teen and will fold in an accident like a beer can.

If you want an excellent car for the money, yes, a new Camry. In my work i saw Camry's last 200,000 miles looking good and with normal maintenence. but new, its gonna run about 23,000-25,000 minimum down here, its not alot really for a good car. If you want an excellent truck, stay away from foreign makes, we know manufacture is abroad in some cases. I know where to look on GMC's to SURE I have a Canadian one. I know how to tell where the blocks are cast (US) and such. But, all in all, for a cheap to maintain beater, I stand by my Mustang. Notice, I did not say it was a "great car", just an EASY to work on beater, real inexpensive parts. Insult to american roads, making that utter pos Honda Ridgeline Truck of the Year. It can't TOW on a grade UP OR DOWN, doesn't have a full reinforced frame and will get GREAT mileage and fold like an accordian! THAT AIN'T A TRUCK FER CRYIN' OUT LOUD, that's a raised up car! You ever see them towing boats or heavy equipment in their commercials? No, they can't do it and therefore can't show their vehicle doing it! Whenever someone really has to tow or haul, they get an Truck from an American Manufacturer. I had a brand new Mitsubishi Mighty Max ( a small truck) and it was an electrical nightmare, an utter pile of junk that i only kept a little over one year. Back and forth with it at the dealer all the time!

[AMISLANDER]

Funny about the Mustang...

My mom had gotten me a '76 Mustang back in 1981...I can't believe I let it go. The couple who's letting me use their Jag has a '85 Mclaren edition(?) Mustang...I might take that home tonight just to let it run...I find the Jag to be low & not comfy...but I can drive a stick so maybe look for '95 mustang w/stick?

[SinkingFast]

Son's car is an 89 Camaro. We bought it as a one owner 4 years. The lady was 52 when she bought it so no teenagers had had their hands on it. She and her Hubby were into Nascar. The Camaro had been driven 3 miles each way to work, and they'd hit the road with it to go to the races. Florida, Indy, you name it.

We had our mechanic go over it before we bought it. Mechanic's wife and grandkids all drive old Camaros too. He said that the Camaro was built with a 300,000 mile drive train. "Take care of it and it will take care of you for several years to come.", he said. And it has so far. It's been very reliable with no major repairs.