Project SVT Focus

[Feersty]

and done. Just took a lot of WD-40 and some pulling!

[Feersty]

So I have come to a crossroads with this car, and I am not sure what to do. As you may know I live in an apartment complex, and it is not that bad actually. Garages are available for 85$ a month, and car ports are available for $35 a month. I have settled for open parking, and it is not that bad, except that I worry about my car a lot, because the area and the people are still unfamiliar to me. I really don't have any tools, because I couldn't fit them in my car, and I live on the third floor as well, so it is sometimes tiring going up and down. I hope to buy a house with my wife sometime late next year, and I want to have as big of a downpayment as possible. We will get 2 car garage at a minimum and possibly three, since housing is so cheap here.

But being in Texas, it is very RWD friendly, so that will probably be my next purchase. I am thinking 350Z or 330ci(If anyone wants to give some tips.) Sometimes I just don't see any reason to put money in this car. The resale value has already dropped like a rock, even with keeping it as clean as I can. The roads in San Antonio are not that great, and I get a thunk in my front right side everytime I hit something like a pothole or an unsmooth surface. I also don't have anyone to work on the car with, because I don't know anyone here. Car repairs are always a stressful thing for me, because it is my DD.

Another issue I have is that, they have automatic sprinkler systems here, that operate at night or early in the morning. Well they seem to spray the cars more than they spray the grass, and I get water droplets everywhere every morning. It is very annoying.

I am just thinking out loud here. So I guess the question is, should I spend some money on making the car more fun, or just wait for the real "sports car" like Scotty is doing?

[Chris]

I'd just wait. Keep it maintainted so it sells well when you're ready and put your money towards a house. I'm sure its fun enough for now. Don't throw money at it unless you plan on keeping it.

[Mike]

wait.

[ScottyB]

theres no reason to get something nicer right now if you're having so many issues just keeping a cheap DD outside as it is.

keep your car in good shape and just drive it. buy a new car when you have your house sorted out. think about your priorities.

[Dave]

I'm not really seeing any reason for you to sell right now. All of the issues you are experiencing are not specific to your car, and therefore are not going to change if you get something else. The only thing that I could see as being a remote benefit would be the extra cash for a down payment if you bought a beater, rather than replacing it with a new car. Considering the two options you laid out, you'll only be further in debt and in a worse position to buy b/c you'll have an extra monthly expense.

For the record, based on my recent observations, the housing market is a buyer's market ONLY if you have cash laying around. Yes, house prices are cheap, but if you aren't paying a large lump of it in cash, you're not going to be getting a house. The 100% financing options are all gone, 95% financing is getting extremely scarce (especially for 1st time buyers), and it's all a pipe dream if you don't have stellar credit. I'm not shitting on your hopes here, but I don't want you, or anybody else, getting blindsided when they want to buy a house who have been hearing people saying "it's a buyer's market" who don't understand that available credit is the other half of that equation. Yeah, things may get better by the time you're in that position, but the loan offerings have been shaken up considerably in the past year.

Keep the car and enjoy it, keep saving your money to buy a house, and then consider your options once you've made that leap. And how is Texas more RWD friendly? It's not like we get 16 feet of snow every year...
Sorry for the rant.

[Feersty]

My car once I get back will have sat for 18 days. Will I have any trouble starting it up once I get back to Texas?

[ScottyB]

not unless you left your lights on or it's 20 below.

[Feersty]

Good, yeah I didn't disconnect the battery, but I hear that is only good to do on old(er) cars.

[Feersty]

She started right up.