Back when I last posted about this bizness got real slow so the vehicle buy got shelved in favor of eating and other necessities.
But Now I have Hooked up with another Contractor that likes my work and what I bring to a job, and I like his attitude about quality etc.
So I will be busy for a while but will be hauling the trailer to several jobs on the Finger lakes (50+miles one way)
I am afraid this will be asking to much of my tired old f-150..
It is starting to make more noise than the radio can drown out…
So…
There is a local Chevy dealer that has a good rep for being honest and reliable with service etc.
the salesman I was dealing with said he could find me a van like I want (3/4 ton, beefy and powerful enuf for hauling) (read bigger v-8)
So in my own research on the web I have come across 2-3 likely candidates that are located more than 100 miles away.
Do I ask the local guy if he can get one of them up here??
or do I let him find something via his network??
He gave me a fairly good trade in # on the ford and I can swing some cash for a down payment.
What would they require in the way of a commitment to get a vehicle up here for me??
Or should I just drive my self there and hope the vehicle is good to go with??
I appreciate any advice you truck wheeler dealer types got for me!!
buying a vehicle for me is just above a visit to the dentist….
Thanx..
T…
.
.
“After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion”
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
.
.
.
If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???
Replies
I have found that it is easy to call the dealer and ask for the salesman handling commercial sales.
One thing in your favor right now is that Chevy are selling new vehicles at the same price employees pay. Right now, you are not going to get much for a vehicle in trade, so expect a low value.>G<
IMO the best way to get a deal on a vehicle is to show up in person and buy with cash from a private party. Anything the dealer does for you will add to the cost. Study Edmunds and other sites carefully and get a good idea of the going rate for the vehicle you are being offered.
This place is fairly close to me. A lot of tradesmen buy rigs there. Any such place in your vicinity?
http://www.parknsell.net/
My vote would be to take the unnecessary tools and supplies out of the trailer and keep going with what you've got for a while longer.
In my way of thinking, this is a time for lightening the load and hunkering down until after the next administration has been in office long enough to see how the economy will recover.
That and the Fanny Mae/Freddy Mac bailouts should give us a better picture of what our industry is going to be doing in six month's time.
Or maybe I'm missing something about the Finger Lakes region. In my rural area of NY State, the building business has seldom been very good for more than a year or so at a time...over the last forty years.
That has made me very conservative and creative about my transportation needs. Having to make long commutes to find work has also motivated me to use vehicles which get higher gas mileage. The difference it makes in discretionary income is very nice.
Only reason to take all your tools with you is if its a "one day don't know what to expect day". Other than that cut down to what you really need for that day and make a list for the next day. Maybe save up while the job gets more solid.
Back to your F150, my last three traveled 200,000 miles, 2 are still running, don't know where the third is. The Chevy van I use for work now came off eBay, 3500 with 32k miles, 2005 runs great and the V8 6.0 gets the same as my f150 mpg. Paid $8.000. You could go that route, vehicles are selling real slow at the moment. If you do buy new, and drive till it dies, get the warranty extended on the big stuff for 100,000-7 years. Hopefully you won't need it.
What needs fixing on the Ford? Less than $300, cause that's a months payment.
There is a local Chevy dealer that has a good rep for being honest and reliable with service etc.
the salesman I was dealing with said he could find me a van like I want (3/4 ton, beefy and powerful enuf for hauling) (read bigger v-8)
So in my own research on the web I have come across 2-3 likely candidates that are located more than 100 miles away.
Do I ask the local guy if he can get one of them up here??
or do I let him find something via his network??
He gave me a fairly good trade in # on the ford and I can swing some cash for a down payment.
What would they require in the way of a commitment to get a vehicle up here for me??
My Mom just bought a new Impala. She made the deal (an excellent one as well) and there were several on the local lot, but all had interiors she didn't like. The salesman had someone drive him to somewhere in Michigan and he drove one back that suited her. Since he drove it back, there was no destination fee. They are ready to sell vehicles and will work hard to to it.
View Image
If you're ready to buy and are willing to put down money, a Chevy dealer will find the vehicle you want. The day I picked up my truck a few years ago, my salesman had to drive 5 hours to southern Illinois and back to pick up a car for a customer because it had one option on it that no one else had in stock. One of the local Toyota dealerships trades with a dealer in Minneapolis a lot. It usually works out well if the dealer needing a vehicle has a hot seller in stock and available to trade to the other dealer.
The thing that may hurt you is that NY requires a different emmissions package from a lot of neighboring states.
Have you looked for used vans?
With the bad economy you should be able to get a nice low-mileage vehicle that someone has to sell or one that has come off lease with low mileage. Lower cost, lower registration and insurance than new.
I bought my Ford E250 that had been a Sears appliance service vehicle. 48,000 miles, 5 years old, $9500.
I found it listed on Autotrader.com from a dealer. They even threw in a ladder rack and internal bins. It seems that when they buy vans from the wholesale auctions they remove everything in the cargo area except the bulkheads behind the seats. They let me choose from among the racks and bins they had lying around and they even installed them at no charge.
I am looking used...not interested in paying for $6K in depreciation....the one that looks most promising is a GMC 3500 wit 38K for $14000has triple roof racks and the nice steel shelves inside.and a bulkhead.thanx for the input..
.
"After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion" -Neil deGrasse Tyson
.
.
.
If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???
buying used rather than new is a lot different when there doing a dealer trade. with new all they have to do is order another one.
the dealer with the used van needs to/wants to make so much,so if he wholesales it,he'll make a profit,then the next guy has to make some also and guess who's paying the bill?
with dealer trades the scratch each others back swapping inventory .today one of them needs a van tommorow that guy needs a impala so it all works out.
i would think there would be some deals out there in vans with everything turning upside down.
can u load your trailer then rent a u store it for 75 a month close to work site? you would save that in gas with no problem. larryif a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
There is a dealer over near Albany that has service trucks from utilities that start around 5k.
Have you thought of coming to Rome for the National grid auction? They have some good vehicles very reasonable, with fleet maitanence.
"...most promising is a GMC 3500 wit 38K for $14000"3500? That should be able to handle a heavy tongue weight trailer for sure.
BruceT
One word -
"Subwoofers"
I'd just spend some money on getting that radio REALLY LOUD!
Drive it 'til it dies.
Forrest
This is a 100+K milage Ford were talking about!!!a Badarse set of subs would have me leaving a trail of parts and rust all over town!!kinda like hansel and gretel but nobody would pick them up so I would always find home again.Tbe getting lost in a Forrest... :o}.
.
"After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion" -Neil deGrasse Tyson
.
.
.
If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???
Mister T
only 100K miles?
Just being broken in or you neglected it greatly!
300K miles now you might have a point. However I'd take mine with nearly that anyplace in the 49 states. (without hesitation!) I'd attempt Hawaii but I don't have a snorkle <grin>
I've been looking at new vehicles too. It's one of my favorites minor past times. Lots of possibilites out there.
When I'm being honest with myself about what kind of new or used vehicle I should buy, I have to begin with the question; what would I want to be driving if gas was $6-$8 a gallon?
With the demand for oil growing rapidly in high population "emerging" Asian countries like China and India, while oil production remains at the same level worldwide, prices are sure to continue going up.
As the price of oil goes up, so does everything else we need which is partially dependent on oil for it's production and transportation.
As my friends in the trades have been observing since the first oil crisis, "I don't want to be working an extra four to eight hours a week to increase the wealth of some Saudi prince." Actually they've expressed those sentiments in more basic terms.
Hudson Valley carpenter.
well said!
I'm rather proud of the fact that the vehicles I've bought this century have all gotten better mileage than average.. my two most recent purchases average over 35 MPG.. (and get better than that)
two points should be noted however..
It's silly to spend tens of thousands of dollars to save a few thousand on gas.
IN the end your purchase should be balanced against total transportation costs..
I have a 11 year old pickup and while it only returns 17 to 19MPG it's been paid for for over 7 years. thus fuel and uinsurance are my only real costs of ownership..
I agree that buying into expensive gas-saving technology isn't the best or most logical solution for most of us.
Engineering is moving ahead rapidly so most of the current hybrid cars will be yesterday's news in a short time, the original buyer's extra investment taking a big hit in the process.
On the other hand, four cyclinder engines have reached a peak in efficiency after many years of R&D work, which means that money invested in low and mid priced four bangers will hold up pretty well.
Hudson Valley Carpenter.
As a bridge to the next technology shift hybreds have a place but only if the rest of the equation regarding transportation costs is in line..
Currant hybreds aren't chargeable by houshold currant.. That is their fundamental weakness. If I could bring home a chargeable hybred that would operate on household currant I could charge at night at low off peak rates and the energy costs to the nation would be a tiny fraction of currant use..
That way for the majority of users who communte under 50 miles to and from work they would use little or no gasolene. Electrical demand would shift to off peak useage when the power companies have excess capacity..
With the increase in electrical consumption we could relook at solar and other energy sources. Perhaps bring roof mounted panels into broader use.
That would bring an estimated $1400 dollars annually into usage paying off roof panels. assuming average annula electric bills of a round $1200. and adding transportation to the equation saving another $1400. annually we have the working numbers of $2600 annually. over the effective 20 year life of panels that's $26,000 to work with..
Based on those numbers payback would be achievable..
Not to mention the side benefit of all those jobs coming home and stopping importing all that oil..
four cyclinder engines have reached a peak in efficiency after many years of R&D work, which means that money invested in low and mid priced four bangers will hold up pretty well.
I was waiting on a haircut and picked up a car magazine. Apparently, Chevy is getting ready to re-introduce the Camaro. It's standard small 6 cyl engine packs more horsepower than the 327 v8 that was in the original cars, if I read correctly.
View Image
So even old GM is getting the message, or at least part of it. Seems like they're trying to be more responsive to the market these days.
Seems like they're trying to be more responsive to the market these days.
I think it's pretty much do or die at this point.View Image
No doubt that's true. But for the sake of their employees and our economy, I hope it doesn't come to that.
What kind of noises?
A complete rear end can be swapped out cheaper than fixing one... same goes for almost anything else.
Will this new work last longer than the payments (assumption here) on your proposed van?
You might be able to get new for not much more than used.
Do not assume that you can't get a smoking deal on a new van.
A complete rear end can be swapped out cheaper than fixing one... same goes for almost anything else.
I used to do engine swaps on my old American cars and trucks, during the winter when I wasn't working. Rented a heated bay in a friend's service station for a couple of days.
Got to know where every wrecking yard was, within a forty mile radius. Finding a matching low mileage engine out of a wreck, for a low price, was very gratifying.
I'm moving forward in my quest to make the perfect work truck out of an older Toyota-based U-haul 10'box truck.Most of them are being sold with 180-210k miles on em, and they all have aluminum rollup door boxes and complete fleet maintenence history logs in them.They're listed at uhaul's for sale at $2700 or so, but they'll take $1400 for them.Found one that ONLY has 158k, which basically means it's got another 70k in it for sure.Gonna buy it, put new doors,hood,bumper on it and have the whole cab painted and get the box vinyl wrapped with logos/#/web site, etc.All said and done, I'll have maybe 4k in it and get 14-16mpg.Sell my trailer, build racks/shelves, and I think it'll be the perfect work truck.I'll post pics as I progress, gonna pick it up this week.Julian
Here's a few pics of one of these from the internet...I'm liking the silver color scheme - looks better than white and will look cleaner than black.Should look good with the logo too.JT
I have an old friend who ran his business out of one of those box trucks, communting over one hundred miles a day. He was really sold on them and his experience, along with stories heard from another Toyota owner, got me interested in a standard shortbed.
I've had my '93 since new. Starts and runs immediately, no matter the weather. Will haul well over a half ton. Driving 60mph, gets 28-29mpg. Burns very little oil, even after 230,000 miles. Replaced the starter twice, the clutch once, the OEM stainless steel muffler once. Never needed any maintenance, other than the usual spark plugs and filters.
Made in the USA too.
What engine do those usually have? The 22R/RE or the V6 (3RZ? I think)? If it's got a 4, you'll definitely want to take a look at the cam chain. The tensioners on them are poorly constructed, I found mine in little pieces at 145k and replaced them and the chain with upgraded parts from doaracingengines.com. Z
Let me make you aware of a deal that is available on Ford vans. Ford sells to most of the rental companies such as U-haul, Budget, etc. They evidently want to keep this business and seem to sell them with a buyback agreement (or lease them). Anyway, they take them back after 14 months and auction them off. Most are bought by Dealers and alot of independent dealers. They are mostly low mileage; some as low as 2000 miles. I guess it depends on where they were stationed for rent. They come fully equipped. Equipment includes: small V-8, power steering, air, power mirror and locks, upholstered caption seats, running boards, and metal dividing screen. 60/40 side doors w/glass.
I bought one (2007 E250) three weeks ago from a Lincoln/Mercury dealer on Long Island with 4500 miles for $14600. It's brand new. It was originally invoiced for over $25,000.
Get on your computer and go to Cars.com to check out availability in your area. When you see one you like, check it out on car fax.com to verify the mileage and condition.
Also got the remainder of the three year or 36,000 mile guarantee.
Edited 9/15/2008 7:38 pm ET by retiree