Thursday, March 20, 2008

A new car for me??????

UPDATE;
After I read the comments and reflected a bit on my transgressions (prior to attending Good Friday services at 3:00) I noticed what some may call hypocrisy. You may recall my Swiffer post. And some of you might be thinking "Janice will save $6 and use a dish-rag on her Swiffer and think nothing of plopping down 35K on a new car." To all of you thinking that, you'd be correct. I have my priorities. Besides, how am I going to save enough money for the car if I don't cut corners?
The Pontiac Solstice
The Saturn Sky

The 2009 - 2010 Chevrolet Camaro



Spring has arrived and love is in the air, when ones fancy turns to..... new cars. At least my fancy does. The car show rolls around and the smell of "new car" can be very enticing. This happens to me every year and it's why I decline the invitation to attend the auto show. I get new car fever.

The onset of my fever started Monday. I started my beloved metallic blue Camaro, waited the obligatory 3 minutes then shifted into reverse and eased off the brake.....nothing. I put it back in park and sat there thinking "I need a transmission". As I shifted into reverse and eased off the brake the buggy seemed to budge ever so slightly. As I applied the gas I heard a loud "thud" and I was out of the garage and on my way. The post office and grocery store stops were uneventful, no thud, nothing, everything was in working order.

All who know and love me understand how impatient I am. How bored I get and when it comes to cars I have what I've termed ADD, affection deficit disorder. I don't like the same car for too long and become easily bored. I've owned a 91 Camaro, a 92 Camaro, a 96 Thunderbird (that lasted 10 months) a 96 Mustang and this 2001 Camaro. This is the longest I've held on to an automobile. Even though my beloved only has 25,484 miles (I just returned from the PO) not bad for a 7 year old car I would trade it in in a heartbeat.

The thought of putting money into it just to trade it in next spring when the 5th generation Camaro's hit the showroom floors makes me sick. I've never been one to "fix" things. My mother would say "the ashtray is full, time to trade the car in" (funny, but I don't use the ashtrays in my cars and rarely smoke in them) Anywho, yes I trade in my cars quite frequently.

So now I'm in a bit of a pickle. I can get my Camaro fixed and wait another 12 months to get a 2009 Camaro, or, I can buy a something like a Pontiac Solstice or Saturn Sky. If I buy a car now I'm only going to trade it in on the new Camaro and take a bath on the loan. It's not like I'll be "Camaro-less" I could drive Nicks 35th Anniversary Edition 2002 Camaro Z28.

Agh! What to do! Don't you wish all your problems were of this mini-magnitude?

5 comments:

SkyePuppy said...

You could get a slighty used Solstice or Sky and take a smaller bath on the loan when the Camaro comes out. Or you could take a bath on fixing the transmission now. Either way, somebody's going to clean you out.

Malott said...

"Don't take a bath until you have to..." as we say in Greentown.

I had a similar sounding problem back in 1974, and it turned out to be a simple transmission fluid leak that was fixed rather easily.

Good luck, Tiger!

Dinah Lord said...

OMG - Janice, you little motorhead, you!

LOL about your 10 mo T-bird experience.

Here's hoping for a simple transmission fluid leak, twinny.

Alas, I don't know how to advise you on your dilemma. This is a thorny one...the Saturn Sky is cute but that dang Camaro is going to have a little bit of the old muscle car look! Good luck and keep us posted.

When I'm not rolling in the Escalade, my grocery hauler is a 1987 Suzuki Samurai with 33,000 miles on it.

It's like a sewing machine with wheels, but it served me well back when I lived in SF and was scrambling for parking spaces.

It sits idle for months at a time but starts like a champ everytime I go out and fire it up.

And it is in cherry condition.

But you really shouldn't drive it in on the Freeway because it's top speed is about 55...(riceburner for sure)

janice said...

Oh, I will be in the showroom the day the Camaro is released! That's the only given in this post. I've been waiting for the release of this car w/ the retro style since 03.

Yes, the 10 month old T-Bird. Stupid purchase. I traded a 25th Anniversary Edition Camaro for that, that, thing...yuk. So not me! Hated it, promised Nick if I could get rid of it I'd pay the next new car off before I traded that in. The 96 Mustang was paid in 2 1/2 years. Again, hated it. Only had 22K miles when I traded it in on my current Camaro.

My best friend from HS Eddy (many photos of him in the archives) works for an after-market transmission supplier, Transtar (the largest in the nation). I worked there briefly between jobs and could get a deal on the kit it in fact I needed a replacement. I just need to have it installed.

Then again, I always jump to the worst conclusion. I hope it's just a leak, or something.

janice said...

OMG D, you have a "grocery" car too? I love it! If I must stop in a parking lot in my car I hike a half mile to the door. I NEVER take Nicks Camaro and park it, anywhere. We usually take the Jeep or Caliber, you know, dings and such.