Hammer Time: An Education
When it comes to cars, nothing is more expensive than an education. A bad owner. A neglected model with expensive problems. Or even a stupid owner with nothing but dreams in their head can easily turn a pearl into Chinese recycled swine. Case in point. I once had a well intentioned mom buy a 1998 Audi A4 from me. The good news? It had over $8000 worth of records over a period of 120,000 miles. The bad news? Re-read the last sentence and add arrogant 16-year-old kid and clueless Mom into the equation. I explained to them the high costs and maintenance involved, referred them to a very good repair shop, and even showed them the owner’s manual stating the next service due. As you already figured out, it didn’t matter.
By the time we were filling out the paperwork, Junior was blasting the speaker system so loud that you could hear it from the inside of our building. Even with the Audi’s and building door closed. Mom blew my advice off quicker than a texting teen and less than 2 months later the turbocharger literally exploded into pieces. $2300 and several Italian style tongue lashings later, a humbled Junior was forced to ditch the German that cost uber-Duetsch Marks in maintenance for a ‘sensible’ Corolla.
But it didn’t have to be that way for Junior or the overspending prior owner.
There are literally thousands of A4 owners who post on various Audi enthusiast sites. If he had taken that base of knowledge. Add a few hours of reading and note-taking. Learn the car’s weak points. Use top quality replacement parts. Throw in a visit to an impound lot and buy a parts car or two to gain experience and parts. Junior could easily have become a true master of his automotive domain. But then again maybe not. Junior hadn’t actually earned his car.
That’s where it should really start. Earning. It doesn’t have to be money. But a first car does have to be earned if it is to be valued. Good grades. A good work ethic. Honesty. Integrity. Devising a budget based on money earned rather than borrowed. These merits aren’t just the flavors of the month despite the cultural and political norms of today. These are universal ideals. When I see folks at the public or impound auctions come as a family with a decent kid whose obviously been well brought up, I go out of my way to help them. I quietly but firmly shoo them away from the junk (even if it’s all junk) and if there is a car that’s been conservatively driven and well maintained. I let them know about it.
It rarely ends there. Most folks looking for a ‘first car’ are not so much shopping for price as they are assurance. Everyone from a first time seller to a decades old dealer should focus on eliminating uncertainty and providing full disclosure. Giving folks the car’s history (Carfax and Autocheck), explaining the strengths and weaknesses of a particular model (they all have them), and providing them with web sites that can give them more in depth information about the car gives these folks the confidence and wisdom they need to make an intelligent decision.
It also makes you (and me) an ally and an asset rather than an adversary. The outcome? Usually we do business. But even if not I’ve received everything from referrals from folks who did buy cars, to free concert tickets and even long-term friendships. As this year draws to a close, feel free to take your automotive wisdom and pass it forward. You’ll be amazed how far it can take you.
[For more information, contact steve.lang@duke.edu]
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When I was a kid in high school there were all these other kids that were like Stepford children. Their parents bought them really nice cars, mostly late model used Ford Mustang V-8s, and the kids just drove them like normal cars and there weren't any real problems or drama. The kids didn't know fix them up or repair them. They took them in for regular oil changes and that was about it. The cars didn't get wrecked or fall apart or blow up or anything. The kids I was most jealous of were the sons of the doctor who lived next door to us. The older son got a Datsun 280-Z and the younger one a Trans Am which they drove all through college without event. Weird, huh?
Just a dumb question, but who the heck goes to an "impound" lot and buys a "parts car or TWO no less" ? For experience? Experience with what? The Zoning and code enforcement officer? And especially an Audi A4 parts car, which is far from the cheapest hunk of junk on the block. Most "auto salvage" yards in my area will remove high dollar items from a wreck, then sell the rest for scrap cost. Rare is that they have anything resembling a "car", let alone are interested in selling said car. Even if you can find same like model, you're going to "BUY" it, pay for the trasportation to your driveway, etc? That sounds like a heck of a lot of hassle to be able to drive a 1998 Audi. I'm not sure I understand at all the concept in this article. If it is mechanic's skills you are desiring for the "kid", why not just simply enroll him in a couple semesters of auto mechanics at the tech school. Seems to me, it would result in much happier neighbors and much less money spent. I sometimes read these posts and wonder if people are buying (and selling) these cars to use/drive, or to have another cross to bear. Because according to the article, you actually need to have 2-3 cars in order to drive one. That seems like a lot of hassle (and steel), but what do I know.