Selling off vehicles

[Packo]

I just read an article about people taking enormous losses selling off their "gas guzzlers" and paying a premium for small cars. This isn't new. A professor in Virginia said it's the end of SUV's and trucks. Naw...no chance, and here's why.

I was working as a Business Manager, (F&I guy) for an Olds, Caddy, Toyota dealer during the 2nd oil crunch in the late 70's after the Iranians took over the Embassy. Gas prices soared and just like now, people panicked. I watched people getting ripped off on their Olds's and Caddy's to buy new Tercels. One huge fat guy I remember could barely get into the Tercel and his stomach was pressed into the steering wheel. It was funny. Toyota was advertising the Tercel for like $5,000 on t.v. Problem was, they were not shipping any 5K Tercels to the U.S. They would completely pack them out to around $8 or 9K. Customers were on a waiting list. When a new Tercel would come in they would be called. The people would show up at the dealer and complain that they wanted the 5K one. Sorry...this is what came in. If you don't want it, you go to the end of the list. So, they'd trade their car...at a huge loss, and finance the Tercel...of which they were immediately upside down in. (Owed more than worth.) It was as sad as it was funny. The salesmen would laugh and say..."Just wait till' these idiots get sick of driving these econo boxes and come back next year to buy a bigger car We'll get them again by saying the markets flooded with used econo boxes." Within' 2 years people were unloading the tiny cars and going big. Why...we get used to whatever the price of gas is after awhile. Look how we yearn now for the days of $1.99 a gallon. We would think that was a friggin' bargin. So, in a year of so people will be unloading the tiny cars and going back to ones with some room. The great thing is that if your looking for a SUV or a truck....your in luck because this is a great time to deal especially with the 09's getting ready to come out in a few months. Looking for a small car....expect to pay about sticker.

Packo the Predictor

[goodnessgracie]

I actually am looking for a tagalong camper and something adequate with which to pull it.

A fifth-wheel toy hauler and something adequate with which to pull it would also work.

Don't have lots of $$$, but I don't have to have them immediately, either.

Preshate it if anybody runs across anything like this, let me know.

Thanks!!!

[MORTARDUDE]

I think this is different. Oil was $ 24 a barrel when Bush 2 started his term. It is almost $ 130 a barrel now...all the folks who think they know what is happening ( ? ), say there is no upper limit. When everyday folks hit the $ 100 mark for a fillup, the market for large vehicles will be dead for quite awhile.....

Gas just went up here from $ 3.39 to $ 3.55 in a few days.

It has already had an effect on sales:

http://blogs.motortrend.com/6248100/...-in/index.html

This will keep going, unlike the aforementioned 1970s bump in the road. Congress and the president, no matter, who is in charge, cannot stop this either.

Mortardude the contrarian.

Larry

[Packo]

I agree that no president can stop this....but since solar, increased gas milage vehicles, etc. are a long term solution that should have been a priority in the 70-00's...and didn't, we need to also stop this sillyness of no new refineries in years, no new offshore drilling, and that sillyness about the Anwar. That is something congress and the president can work on....but won't, no matter who gets in. Nuke power also....but that's such a no-no for the old hippies in this country. Ethanol...ain't the answer.

Pack

[MORTARDUDE]

Originally Posted by Packo

I agree that no president can stop this....but since solar, increased gas milage vehicles, etc. are a long term solution that should have been a priority in the 70-00's...and didn't, we need to also stop this sillyness of no new refineries in years, no new offshore drilling, and that sillyness about the Anwar. That is something congress and the president can work on....but won't, no matter who gets in. Nuke power also....but that's such a no-no for the old hippies in this country. Ethanol...ain't the answer.

Pack

The one point no one seems to want to talk about, politician-wise, is that easy to get at oil will run out at some point, just as world-wide consumption will increase dramatically...this will cause the price per barrel of oil to go ever higher...

Larry

[Norfolk]

Originally Posted by MORTARDUDE

The one point no one seems to want to talk about, politician-wise, is that easy to get at oil will run out at some point, just as world-wide consumption will increase dramatically...this will cause the price per barrel of oil to go ever higher...

Larry

Yep, no one wants to make the hard choices 'cause they're afraid that the voters will blame them for whatever pain that necessary changes will cause...and of course they'd probably be right. So, as usual, when things finally hit the wall (or come pretty close to it), only then will something be done, and the pain will be ten times worse than had it been if something had been done after either the first warning ('73), the second warning ('79), the third warning ('90), or the fourth warning (now).

[SEATJERKER]

...

...E-85 isn't the answer, although it "might" be better for the enviroment as the tree huggers want you to believe, it only gets about 12 mpg's, and @ $2.58 a gallon, that's $$5.16 for the same 24 mpg's some cars/trucks might get,...

..Chevrolet has 10 cars/trucks that get 30 mpg's right now. The Impalla, seats 6 with comfort, ranges from $22,500 up to $26,*** with leather, roof, etc, the new redesigned Malibu gets 29.6 on the highway up here,(hills & dales) on cruise @ 65. Cobalt, Aveo(puddle jumpers) with the manual trans get a little better, up to 34, and then some depending on the driver, active fuel mgt goes from 8 cyl. to 4, all with a 3years/36,000 bumper to bumper, 5 year/100,000 mile warranty, zero deductable, fully transferable to 2nd, 3rd owner, etc roadside assistance, courtsy transportation,(we can't fix it in one day, free rental. And then comes ONSTAR, whole new world of safety there, EMT's @ your fingertip.

...Safety, DRL's daytime running lamps reduce accidents 21% over 10 year #'s dual stage airbags, head curtin airbags for front, and REAR seat occupants, ABs, antilock brakes Std on lots of models.

...In the long run Chevrolet is the backbone of America, the bread, and butter with the lowest OOC's, OVERALL OPERATING COSTS in the long term,...

...Chevrolet, best value for the money,...

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