People with Crappy Cars

...or crappy maintenance skills.

I just had the opportunity to drive one of my previous cars, a 1995 Acura Integra LS.

This car was absolutely perfect when I had it. It was clean, the interior was immaculate, it shifted perfectly, ran GREAT, everything worked, and I liked it even though it was a FWD grocery getter. The only problem with it was fading paint on the hood and front end (common problem IIRC).

Well, the new owner let me drive it yesterday.

He's had it for a year. The interior is so dirty that there is dirt EVERYWHERE. Trash laying around. Looks like it's never been vacuumed. Both side mirrors are broken from him hitting stuff. There's a giant crack in the windshield extending almost the entire width. It's being used as a work truck with piles of tools and crap in the back. The intake broke about 6 months ago and he never repaired it, or even ATTEMPTED to repair it. He bought a $500 flip-up DVD player and installed it, then realized it wouldn't open all the way in it's position, so it's now installed sticking halfway out of the dash so it will open fully (he watches movies while he DRIVES :rolleyes:). I don't know how, but the transmission still shifts okay even though he tries to be "racer boy" a lot and sqeal the tires-speed shift-etc, and he drove it for months with NO CLUTCH. So I get in and take it for a spin... let the clutch halfway out and the car lurches forward and nearly dies, no smoothness like it used to have. I get to a stoplight... press the brakes.. ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR and the car KEEPS ROLLING. WTF??

I don't think he's washed it more than twice since he's had it either.

I nearly cried when I drove it because he's let it go completely to #@!$.

I'm thinking about asking him if I can buy it back, just so I can put it back into decent condition.

You guys thought I was bad with speaker wires running all over the car and a loose battery...




The saddest part of this story?

The owner is my brother.

He's 34 years old. You would think that someone at that age would be able to handle basic maintenance and repair, especially when he has the nerve to talk about my "crazy driving". What the hey is wrong with people? :(

I'm seriously considering buying the car back and letting him spend the money on a beater pickup so he won't ruin such a great car. It'll carry my RC planes almost as well as a minivan (has a lot of room with the seats folded down) and my Miata could certainly afford the downtime to get some much-needed work done.

Your thoughts? I'm sure you've been this disgusted with other car owners at one time or another. I wonder what I could buy it back for...

:(

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Originally Posted by MadMonkey

The intake broke about 6 months ago...The owner is my brother.

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I see that intake issues run in the family. ::Banana::

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Originally Posted by jrj512

I see that intake issues run in the family. ::Banana::

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Hey, mine just wouldn't have passed inspection. It still worked :D

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Originally Posted by MadMonkey

...interior is so dirty that there is dirt EVERYWHERE. Trash laying around. Looks like it's never been vacuumed.

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You sure you weren't in your current car?

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Originally Posted by sammm

You sure you weren't in your current car?

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You guys are mean :(

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Originally Posted by sammm

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Originally Posted by MadMonkey

...interior is so dirty that there is dirt EVERYWHERE. Trash laying around. Looks like it's never been vacuumed.

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You sure you weren't in your current car?

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+1. We found some scary stuff in your car when we were putting in the rollbar. :wink:

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Originally Posted by altiain

+1. We found some scary stuff in your car when we were putting in the rollbar. :wink:

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Did you take the opportunity to plant err uhh I mean leave behind any other scary stuff? ::EvilBana

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Originally Posted by sammm

You sure you weren't in your current car?

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Originally Posted by altiain

+1. We found some scary stuff in your car when we were putting in the rollbar. :wink:

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+1

Your car had some nasty crusty critters in it both times I've seen it at Sewer Cam Boys house!

Looks like a classic case of = ::PotKettl

+1

I was going to say that :(

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Originally Posted by POS Racing

+1

Your car had some nasty crusty critters in it both times I've seen it at Sewer Cam Boys house!

Looks like a classic case of = ::PotKettl

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...uh...

At least I've kept my car in good running condition. I was scared to look at the fluid levels in the Acura. My car looks better than it did the day I bought it; my point was that the Acura looks like total CRAP now. It's just sad. I know my car has some problems but at least I'm making an effort to get them fixed :(

Oh Geez.......

If your brother payed you for the car, then you shouldn't worry about it.

One of my buddies bought my 93 subaru from me last year. When I sold it to him the interior was extremely clean, the car ran like new and all power items functioned properly. Within 2 months he managed to completely trash the interior with mud, dirt and trash, lose the oil cap, have the exhaust almost fall off, (don't know how) lose the key (and all the spares) and have the car impounded. After the impounding, he just gave up on the car.

Moral of the story: I got my money, I let it go, It wasn't my responsibility and my buddy is irresponsible and dumb. It's just a car.

Don't even think about buying it back! Sometimes you just have to let go. I know that somewhere, out there, my cherry 300ZX is getting trashed by some unappreciative idiot. But it's not my car anymore. Focus on the one you do have at the moment and make it as nice as you can.

In MM's defense (we monkeys gotta stick together), unless he bought the car new, you can't (ok, shouldn't ;) ) hold him responsible for all the crud found when digging deep in his car. I try and keep mine as clean and nice as possible, but I've still found some amazing stuff when digging around. Of course, most of that was McWrath's fault... :rolleyes: .

But back on topic, I am amazed at what some people do to cars!! Just this week I saw a nice, new Audi with the left half of the exhaust ripped loose and hanging down under the car. It was also pushed about 1-2 feet too far to the left (wouldn't line up with the hangers or indentions in the bumper now). How the heck do you even do that?!? :confused: And on a car he spent major coin on?!?! And then just continue to drive it around, sparking the muffler every time you hit a bump! I only spent $8k on my Miata, and I take better care of it than most people who spent $50k on theirs. More money than sense, I guess...

Your brother isn't a "car guy". Most people only see cars as a tool, a means of transportation.

I can see how your average person who might not so neat and tidy in general could let a car go. In fact, you see it all the time.

Speaking of which, let the car go. It will cost more to fix it than it's worth and you'd divert funds better used on fixing your car and maybe even washing it once in a while. ;)

Let it go. It's OK. Be at peace. Love your brother, not things. (This is way too deep - sorry.)

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Originally Posted by randy7601

Let it go. It's OK. Be at peace. Love your brother, not things. (This is way too deep - sorry.)

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LOL...your going to get one of these

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Byhttp://forums.dfwmiata.com/images/mi...card_small.gifPower Upgrades 02-26-2007 04:02 PMExpired 1Apologizing

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Originally Posted by MadMonkey

I'm thinking about asking him if I can buy it back, just so I can put it back into decent condition. :(

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I'd say just let it go...

*sigh*

I guess I should just let it go.. it's depressing though because I have to look at it every time I go outside and now I know what condition it really is in (I didn't know about all the stuff wrong with it until I actually drove it, except the mirrors). Such a nice car, too.

Don't get me wrong, I love my brother, but sometimes I just want to ::Chair::

Dude, my older brother doesn't like to work on cars and rarely reports anything going wrong with the car. Does that mean my dad and I want to buy him a different car to "abuse"? No, we support him, offer to help him fix things, take the car out for a spin to check the brakes, etc. Get out there and have a tech day with your bro since you live with him. Go wash the car yourself like AJ did for his sister. You can help bring it back to health without owning it. Good luck MM.

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Originally Posted by MadMonkey

*Don't get me wrong, I love my brother, but sometimes I just want to ::Chair::

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That's what they are for....let it goooooooooooooo and don't be such a :cat: ...........

Yes...




Let

It

Go





...it's a car, not a puppy...

And as much as it breaks your li'l pea-pickin' heart, think of it this way... if you were shopping for a car and came across that one, would you really even THINK about buying it???

I helped my cousin buy a really nice little Toyota pickup once - clean as a pin, as it were. Well, I saw it a while back and when I opened the passenger door, an AVALANCHE of crap poured out onto the pavement... and that's on top of the whiskey dents, the bald tires, and the effed-up alignment (curbs will do that to ya).

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Originally Posted by trickyrix

..... of the whiskey dents, the bald tires, and the effed-up alignment (curbs will do that to ya).

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Whiskey dents huh? I don't think I have ever seen a whiskey dent before. Pics?

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Originally Posted by Nexus Flux

Whiskey dents huh? I don't think I have ever seen a whiskey dent before. Pics?

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Whiskey dents are the dents put in the car after you drive home drunk.

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Originally Posted by trickyrix

And as much as it breaks your li'l pea-pickin' heart, think of it this way... if you were shopping for a car and came across that one, would you really even THINK about buying it???

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Actually, for the price I was quoted, yes. I listed the things wrong with it and it just needs a little TLC imho. Plus I need a DD, plus it can haul anything I need without having to remove the passenger seat, plus I know what condition it's in. I'd sooner buy it than a cheap minivan that I don't know anything about, at least I know exactly what's wrong with this one. I'm really considering it, he needs a pickup anyway.

Call me an idiot, but I think it's the way I was raised that I find it hard to ignore something like this. Some of you wouldn't understand...

It's like trying to explain being a gun nut to a Brit. I've been attempting that on CR.net ::Censor::


EDIT: w00t 900 posts :D

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Originally Posted by MadMonkey

It's like trying to explain being a gun nut to a Brit...

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Yeah, I've tried explaining that to my father-in-law with much the same results! No matter what I say, I'm this guy --> ::2Guns::

:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by MadMonkey

Call me an idiot, but I think it's the way I was raised...


EDIT: w00t 900 posts :D

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::Banana::
I would, but for the old saying that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.;)