Plan Viper Part 2: Wait longer or pull the trigger?

Plan Viper Part 2: Wait longer or pull the trigger?

  • Go for it! You can always drive your Mustang

    Votes: 48 64.9%

  • You're better off waiting longer to buy one

    Votes: 26 35.1%
  • Total voters
    74
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Are you hitting on him??? :p
 
Mr. Nice said:
Here's a blue one, with low miles, that looks to be in excellent condition.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=p&car_id=310216964&dealer_id=66784917&car_year=2006&sownerid=600361&lastBeginningStartYear=1981&end_year=2012&model=VIPER&showZipError=y&pager.offset=75&search_lang=en&start_year=2005&dma=PORTLAND_OR&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&search_type=used&body_code=0&first_record=76&isFlashPlugin=true&distance=0&default_sort=priceDESC&address=97201&rdm=1323409927829&marketZipError=false&sort_type=priceDESC&make=DODGE&num_records=25&seller_type=b&cardist=2320&standard=false

I'm not seeing any that are in good shape for less than about $49,000. Gettysburg PA isn't terrifically far from Intercourse.
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Yep and that's the one and only one for sale right now I think, and even then I don't think it's for sale anymore. It was listed on Craigslist like 2 months ago. I e-mailed him via Craigslist but never heard back. It also has some annoying mods like chrome rollbars and that Viper text on the windshield. That could be modified I guess, but it's also a bit overpriced.

Kicking myself so hard for not jumping on these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140635011902 Sold for $49k, 9500 miles!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160675729551 Sold for $45k, 23k miles

:cry:

In other news, I don't think I'll go for the extra expense of a 2008. I think I'll just suck it up and give it a few more months waiting for another blue 2006 to come along. I might have to wait until spring, but oh well.
 
Viper007Bond said:
It also has some annoying mods like ... that Viper text on the windshield. That could be modified I guess...
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Really? Really? Impossibly high standards are impossibly high. That's literally a five minute fix you can perform yourself in the parking lot at the dealership when you pick up the car:



You're never going to find the perfect car. Find one that's close enough and just buy it.

Stop searching for excuses and start searching for solutions.
 
Nugget said:
You're never going to find the perfect car. Find one that's close enough and just buy it.

Stop searching for excuses and start searching for solutions.
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Unless you buy new, Nugget is exactly right.

I was initially looking for a black 2007-09 GT/CS. I didn't much care for the looks of the 2010+ Mustangs. I mean they didn't look bad, but I preferred the earlier ones. And I definitely didn't want a red car and attract every CHP patrolman between Redding and Bakersfield.

But when I saw the price, equipment, and mileage on my car, I decided that I could live with a red 2010 Mustang after all. And a month later, I still love my car and don't regret buying it for a minute.
 
phoenixsac said:
Unless you buy new, Nugget is exactly right.

I was initially looking for a black 2007-09 GT/CS. I didn't much care for the looks of the 2010+ Mustangs. I mean they didn't look bad, but I preferred the earlier ones. And I definitely didn't want a red car and attract every CHP patrolman between Redding and Bakersfield.

But when I saw the price, equipment, and mileage on my car, I decided that I could live with a red 2010 Mustang after all. And a month later, I still love my car and don't regret buying it for a minute.
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Same thing happened to me, more or less. I would never have specced heated seats, leather, navigation, premium audio, or sunroof giving the choice to save the cash instead, but here I am because the timing and price was right. Though I completely agree on pointless mods, that stuff would see deletion before I even drove the thing...
 
Hmm, fair enough... :)
 
Current plan:

  1. Call a Dodge dealership in Maryland on Monday to see if they do inspections and if so, how much they estimate one would be.
  2. Call the used car dealership selling a 2008 Viper I have my eye on, ask about the car, see if they have any maintance paperwork for the car, etc. and make sure they'd be fine with a third party inspection. See if they can drop it off at the Dodge dealership a mile down the road or what.
  3. Hear back from Dodge dealership about inspection.
  4. If nothing wrong, haggle down from $63k to at least $60k, but planning on making an initial offer of $57k (low ball) as they'll work me up. If something is wrong with the car but I can deal with it, haggle harder.
  5. After finalizing a price, visit local bank and secure financing.
  6. Fly out, sign paperwork, pay for car.
  7. Arrange shipping.
  8. ???
  9. Profit Party
 
8. ??? should be "Hook up with fellow FGers in the area for a 'Yay, I just bought my Viper!' party." :dance:
 
Several problems with that idea. It's winter in the US, in a Viper, on wet, greasy and/or icy roads. Being driven by someone relatively inexperienced as a driver. Hell, I've been driving for over 20 years and I wouldn't attempt that drive in that car at this time of year.
 
My Viper is going nowhere a wet road. :p
 
Viper007Bond said:
5.After finalizing a price, visit local bank and secure financing.
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This should be done first. There's no need to have a settled price (or even a specific car) to get financing sorted out. Banks are quite comfortable with conditional pre-approval even while you're still shopping. And having it settled in advance will certainly make the price negotiating go smoother, since it gives you more leverage.
 
Nugget said:
This should be done first. There's no need to have a settled price (or even a specific car) to get financing sorted out. Banks are quite comfortable with conditional pre-approval even while you're still shopping. And having it settled in advance will certainly make the price negotiating go smoother, since it gives you more leverage.
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I hadn't thought of that until you said that. I guess the bank doesn't care what price or specific car because they'll do their own estimate of what the year/model is worth in order to decide whether it's enough collateral or not versus the loan.

Okay, bank on Monday and phone on Tuesday maybe. :)

EDIT: Actually, I think I can do this online...
 
Phone on Tuesday? More prevaricating and let another one slip through your fingers? Call them first thing tomorrow.
 
Nugget said:
This should be done first. There's no need to have a settled price (or even a specific car) to get financing sorted out. Banks are quite comfortable with conditional pre-approval even while you're still shopping. And having it settled in advance will certainly make the price negotiating go smoother, since it gives you more leverage.
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Yep, they only want to know this:

Vehicle year, make and model (only if you know it?not required to apply)
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Keep in mind that this first sort of general initial "approval" is not gauranteed, and will could as a "soft" inquiry on your credit report. Not a big deal: people/banks expect you to shop around so check a couple banks. By shopping around, I saved nearly $2K over the course of the loan compared to my first quote. On a $50K+ car, that savings would be even higher!
 
Viper are you eligible for USAA?
 
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