Author Topic: Auto Repair Question (or: The "Laugh at Virex's Expense" Thread)  (Read 3956 times)

Offline Scott

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Re: Auto Repair Question (or: The "Laugh at Virex's Expense" Thread)
« Reply #15 on: April 22, 2004, 03:20 PM »
See I was serious in my first reply, and it went downhill from there, sorry :'( (not really)

Offline JoshEEE

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Re: Auto Repair Question (or: The "Laugh at Virex's Expense" Thread)
« Reply #16 on: April 22, 2004, 04:17 PM »
I stand corrected.

Next thing I know, you're going to show me "Snot Rags" brand tissue paper.

 :)
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Offline sp00ky

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Re: Auto Repair Question (or: The "Laugh at Virex's Expense" Thread)
« Reply #17 on: April 22, 2004, 04:20 PM »
Use a cutting torch and you can have a convertible for the next few weeks...

Scott
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Offline jjks

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Re: Auto Repair Question (or: The "Laugh at Virex's Expense" Thread)
« Reply #18 on: April 22, 2004, 07:14 PM »


Duck Tape Club

Proving two things:

1) JoshEEE is not always right

2) There is, indeed, a website for everything

Good lord, I wasn't quite prepared for this. I think it's time that I put my faith in someone else. Now that I know that JosheEe is only human, someone else care to step up to the plate? I need someone else to worship.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Auto Repair Question (or: The "Laugh at Virex's Expense" Thread)
« Reply #19 on: April 22, 2004, 10:37 PM »
Virex, a couple ?'s...

1) What are you doing to get rid of this Celica...?  I mean, the hypothetical YOU of course.  :)  Junking it?  Trade-in?  Selling it yourself?

2) Not a Q so much as advice, but even on  POS I recommend glass breakage...  I've carried it since I've owned a car, and trust me I've own some big POS's in my time...  1986 Plymouth Caravelle with 130k miles...  I've driven turds on wheels my friend, but with how often those F'n "anti-skid" stones kick up here and break/chip windows in winter to the point they won't pass inspection, it's worth it...  Not sure what OK's rules are on junk like that though since inspection and car rules in general change by state.  

That's just a suggestion though...

3) What are the laws there?  Like will the fuzz pull you over for broken windows like they will here?  

My opinion is this...

Don't fix the dents at all...  Tape isn't goiong to cover anything a "buyer" won't notice and they're not gonna hurt youor car either.

If the law's gonna give you BS over the window, obviously I'd say fix it depending upon where/how often you plan on driving the car still.

If you're SELLING the car, definitely fix it.  People will laugh at a car that needs a window replaced that you're not replacing yourself (Paying to have it replaced that is) because it's such a little thing (it can cost a ton though, I know how you're feeling, especially rear-windows).  They may question you NOT fixing it, like think the car's got so many problems you're not bothering to fix the window,e tc...  Then again that is your intent I guess, but this hinges on if you WANT to sell it or try trading it in on a new car.

As for fixing it yourself, I'm gonna say that unless you fix car windows yourself for a living it's not possible really....  At least I've never known ANYONE to do that themselves, evenn people who restore cars from the ground up...  It always has to go to a glass place...  

Rear-windows can cost an assload though, and if youo're NOT driving it a lot and the fuzz aren't on you about it, and yoou're not reselling it (just scrapping it to a junkyard) I say try taping/covering it with plastic and just limp it through to the end.  A new rear-window for my T-Bird would run me something like $500 I was told (it needs one)...  I imagine your car wouldn't be TOO much less.
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Offline Matt

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Re: Auto Repair Question (or: The "Laugh at Virex's Expense" Thread)
« Reply #20 on: April 22, 2004, 10:58 PM »
Lotsa questions to answer.

Virex, a couple ?'s...

1) What are you doing to get rid of this Celica...?  I mean, the hypothetical YOU of course.  :)  Junking it?  Trade-in?  Selling it yourself?

Trade-in.

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2) Not a Q so much as advice, but even on  POS I recommend glass breakage...  I've carried it since I've owned a car, and trust me I've own some big POS's in my time...  1986 Plymouth Caravelle with 130k miles...  I've driven turds on wheels my friend, but with how often those F'n "anti-skid" stones kick up here and break/chip windows in winter to the point they won't pass inspection, it's worth it...  Not sure what OK's rules are on junk like that though since inspection and car rules in general change by state.  

That's just a suggestion though...

Yeah, well, on the new car, believe me, I'll get comprehensive.  I just took out the liability insurance on this thing through Geico last November--and I only went with liability because I knew I wasn't going to have the car much longer.  But yeah, on the new one, I'll have it all.

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3) What are the laws there?  Like will the fuzz pull you over for broken windows like they will here?

Dunno.  Never had a broken window before.

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My opinion is this...

Don't fix the dents at all...  Tape isn't goiong to cover anything a "buyer" won't notice and they're not gonna hurt youor car either.

The "taping the dents" thing was a non-smileyed joke to DSJ's reply.  I don't really care about the dents at all.

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If the law's gonna give you BS over the window, obviously I'd say fix it depending upon where/how often you plan on driving the car still.

I drive it maybe 12-15 miles a day tops, to work and back, and rarely see any cops on my route.  If I do get pulled over, I'm getting hauled in anyway, thanks to the warrants I have out on me for killing a prostitute at a truck stop back in '82, I'll just explain to the officer that I was "on my way to the auto glass shop", thank them for being so vigilant, and offer them a donut.

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If you're SELLING the car, definitely fix it.  People will laugh at a car that needs a window replaced that you're not replacing yourself (Paying to have it replaced that is) because it's such a little thing (it can cost a ton though, I know how you're feeling, especially rear-windows).  They may question you NOT fixing it, like think the car's got so many problems you're not bothering to fix the window,e tc...  Then again that is your intent I guess, but this hinges on if you WANT to sell it or try trading it in on a new car.

I would have to be nuts to try and sell it in the condition that it's currently in.  The window is just the latest in a long list of things that need to be repaired.  

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As for fixing it yourself, I'm gonna say that unless you fix car windows yourself for a living it's not possible really....  At least I've never known ANYONE to do that themselves, evenn people who restore cars from the ground up...  It always has to go to a glass place...
 

Fixing it myself is definitely not an option.  I don't know if I said that it was, or if I was unclear on something, but no.  If I did say that, then what I meant was "take it to a place where they have people that know how to do that, and pay them to do it instead".

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Rear-windows can cost an assload though, and if youo're NOT driving it a lot and the fuzz aren't on you about it, and yoou're not reselling it (just scrapping it to a junkyard) I say try taping/covering it with plastic and just limp it through to the end.  A new rear-window for my T-Bird would run me something like $500 I was told (it needs one)...  I imagine your car wouldn't be TOO much less.

Well, I bought some tape and some plastic sheeting tonight at Lowe's, if that tells you anything.  I haven't gotten any estimates on the cost of replacing the window, but I'm guessing somewhere in the neighborhood of at least $200 (if not more).  I'd only probably get around $1,500 in trade-in value on my car at best, and $200 is a month's payment on a new car.

I'm planning to be in a new car in three weeks, or the end of May, whichever comes first.  Not worth the trouble or the expense to get a new window put on, I don't think.

Appreciate your advice.
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Offline jjks

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Re: Auto Repair Question (or: The "Laugh at Virex's Expense" Thread)
« Reply #21 on: April 22, 2004, 11:09 PM »
I'm getting hauled in anyway, thanks to the warrants I have out on me for killing a prostitute at a truck stop back in '82,

Reminds me I need to start looking for my birth mother who left me back in the early 80's...wonder what ever happened to her? :-[

Offline Jedi Idej

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Re: Auto Repair Question (or: The "Laugh at Virex's Expense" Thread)
« Reply #22 on: April 22, 2004, 11:59 PM »
You won't get back through trade-in what you'll blow on replacing the window. Kill two birds with one stone and just duct and cover -- you'll make consumer advocates and Tom Ridge proud. (Hopefully the cops won't have an issue with the clarity of your new rear window.)

Oh, it's as good a time as any to brush up on your paintless dent repair skills, you know, for the next time chunks of ice pelt your new wheels.



Offline Jesse James

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Re: Auto Repair Question (or: The "Laugh at Virex's Expense" Thread)
« Reply #23 on: April 23, 2004, 12:02 AM »
Alright...  Yeah, a couple things I was thinking were maybe jokes from DSJ and yourself (and some others) and I just didn't get it...  Spare me guys, I just got in like a couple hours ago after being out since 7 this morning...  Long-ass day.  :)

Humor's rolling off me like water off a duck's back right now, haha...

About the replacing it yourself, I just saw it mentioned (maybe by Scott) which I guess was a joke that flew over my head again, that was all.

Duh me...  again...

Sounds like you've got a plan, BUT I'm wondering what you'll actually get from the trade-in...

I've never actually traded in a car to know much about the proces...  They may be picky on that window though, or they may just not care since they may do that work at their shop or something.  

I've never owned a "new" car myself since I'm too damn poor, haha...  I've got my first car I've EVER kept full coverage on though right now (a used car), and never thought I'd actually own something I cared that much about.

My old car I ran till I thought I destroyed it, but amazingly my brother fixed it and got it running again (fine as ever too) and gave it to his very undeserving wife who's a skinny pig.  

I liked that car, no matter how utterly horrible it looked.  It had bench seats in the front for god's sake!  Front BENCH SEATS!  And no A/C...  And a radio that only a couple buttons worked on...  And a 6 inch crater of a dent in the left rear fender...  Terrible.  
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Re: Auto Repair Question (or: The "Laugh at Virex's Expense" Thread)
« Reply #24 on: April 23, 2004, 10:16 AM »
Can you afford to get the new car without the trade in?

If so, you might be better off in the long run donating the Toyota to a charity, as is.  You would get a tax deduction next year for the fair market value of the car.  Even with the window damage and dents, you could probably show that the fair market value is more than the $1,500 trade in value.

Of course, this is based on the assumption that you actually pay your taxes.

:)