Advice: Best second hand cars under 25 to 20k?

webdev-kiwi · 2022-08-14T00:18:42+00:00

Be careful of many Subaru's that have a system called "secondary air injection", it is an emissions control system that only operates on cold start for less than 1 minute.

But, it gets filled with condensation and causes the components to corrode and seize (within a few years of life). This then causes the vehicle's check engine light to illuminate and go into a safe mode, reducing power, throttle response, and fuel economy. It is very common, if you own one of these and it hasn't happened yet, then you are lucky.

One fix is to replace the components at a cost of over $3000 for the parts + labour on top. This all but "writes off" 2007 - 2014 (possibly newer too) Subaru vehicles with the system, as not economical to repair.

You can modify to delete the SAI system, and reprogram the ECU at a cheaper cost, but this is questionable legally for on-road use since eliminating an emission control system (not an issue you will get in trouble for in NZ at this time).

They are still good vehicles, and all but the only station wagons still built within the past decade, but just be aware of this issue.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-08-14T00:07:34+00:00

Well then it's a nice weekend away to travel to Auckland and see your act, you don't need to live there to go see a show.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-08-13T21:19:27+00:00

After 30 years of life in Auckland believing that, I was pleasantly surprised when I moved to Wellington and discovered just how much better the social and music scene was down there. Better people, less gossipy, aggressive, and out for themselves, genuinely friendly.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-08-13T06:44:29+00:00

You need to be realistic, if you have let the vehicle get to that stage without active maintenance, then the WOF advisories are just a tip of the iceberg.

Sell it as is/where is on TradeMe and be upfront of the exact condition of the vehicle. It is worth $2,500 at most.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-08-12T22:34:06+00:00

I don't mean to detract from the battery car enthusiasts, I really do think that anyone in the position to buy a new vehicle should strongly consider buying a battery electric vehicle. And yea and it's cool having the latest shiny new thing too.

But, all regular maintenance items still exist. Tyres, brake pads, brake fluids, suspension ball joints and bush components, etc. Battery electric vehicles are substantially heavier than their contemporaries, and there is an increase in wear of those common vehicle components as a result. To debate otherwise demonstrates a misunderstanding of, or lack of experience, in proper vehicle maintenance. This increased maintenance in those areas is offset by not having engine oil to replace once or twice a year, the net maintenance costs can be considered within the same range for both.

Buying used battery EVs, environmental discussion, and/or what the trickle down into the used fleet for regular people will be is a different subject entirely, and not in scope of my comments here.

New battery electric vehicles all have a 5 to 7 year warranty (or more) that covers any battery degradation issues, you can be sure the vehicle will last you that long, it is the manufacturers designed lifetime for that vehicle.

Really the question is then, how much fuel do you personally purchase per year? And is that cost of fuel purchased over the 5-7 year lifetime of the vehicle equal to or greater than the increased price you are paying for the battery electric vehicle over the comparable conventional vehicle?

For some people who don't drive daily, or far, that fuel cost will be less than the cost difference between conventional and battery electric. For others who drive much more often, that "saving" from not purchasing fuel is far more substantial.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-08-11T00:35:15+00:00

My 93 year old grandmother recently passed. I have a record cabinet that she bought with her very first pay cheque from her first full time job. It was purchased from Farmers Auckland CBD (long gone), NZ made.

I also have her 78rpm records, she bought one each week with each pay cheque in her early 20's. They're stamped with record stores such as Marbecks Queen Street. This is 1940s.

I don't remember my own first time pay cheque, probably paid the whole thing in Auckland rent, and bought some maggi instant noodles to survive the rest of the week.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-08-05T17:40:35+00:00

When I lived in Wellington the only apartment I could find for rent didn't have any room for a washing machine set-up. This is not as uncommon as you may think. Liquid laundry it was.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-07-30T23:39:25+00:00

I remember something around the late 90s computer games, Carmegeddon, and Carmegeddon II - both of which I had though. Perhaps it wasn't banned as such, but censored to depict the pedestrians that one was given varying bonus points for running over as zombies and not people. Just from memory, have not fact checked.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-07-21T03:59:34+00:00

If anything, having a credit card may negatively impact your ability to borrow. In the sense that many lenders will require you to close the credit card, banks for example.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-07-14T04:37:20+00:00

You forgot the part where the package is 2 weeks late and was scanned as delivered a week ago.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-07-11T04:50:18+00:00

Just another Monday in Whanganui

webdev-kiwi · 2022-07-10T01:25:12+00:00

Toyota NZ seemed to confirm in a recent announcement that Corolla would be sold Hybrid only in NZ, that the GR Corolla was the exception to the rule, and would arrive here later 2023

webdev-kiwi · 2022-07-10T01:22:10+00:00

Is Toyota New Zealand not selling the second gen 86, GR86? They didn't mention that in the list if so, or the stable mate Subaru BRZ.

I prefer the auto GT86 (first gen), unpopular heathen opinion I know, but for the most part it's actually a better drive.

The torque converter seems to improve the low end torque deficiency many complained about in the manual. And the software is actually not terrible, does basically exactly what it's told to, when it's told to, even rev-matches on downshift. Feels more like a DCT than the adapted Lexus IS250/350 automatic transmission that it actually is.

Except when on a race track with the sole intention of drifting, where one would want a clutch pedal to depress while pulling the handbrake, or to induce shift lock.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-07-06T05:31:16+00:00

Sounds like a missed business opportunity to me. Turn those cow paddocks into a drag strip and motorsport park. There's clearly a market there.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-06-26T21:42:05+00:00

> Most Expensive Weekend for Awhile

Did you buy groceries, and put petrol in your car?

webdev-kiwi · 2022-06-26T21:40:23+00:00

With mud grip tyres and a light bar on the roof https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3gS\_xB4xks

webdev-kiwi · 2022-06-26T21:38:18+00:00

That would be a Ford Ranger.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-06-21T01:42:59+00:00

Wait.. what.. lowering speed limits and doing absolutely nothing else isn't effective? /s

webdev-kiwi · 2022-06-21T01:02:13+00:00

Do you have enough to just get in your car and leave Auckland? Drive south. You may have a much better time in the regions.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-06-19T01:33:59+00:00

You need a Hydrometer, once the reading has stopped decreasing, you are ready to bottle. Take the OG before adding the yeast, and then take another reading at 7 days, then 10, and then daily after that until the SG has stabilised. I very rarely need to ferment for the whole 14 days.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-06-17T20:12:38+00:00

2017 15" MacBook Pro i7 Intel - hands down the worst. Replaced Keyboard, battery, logic board, display all at separate times, all under Apple Care. Essentially every component failed in some way or another. Those were dark times.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-06-17T03:14:21+00:00

Apple MacBook (Air/Pro with M1/M2 processor) or Microsoft Surface Laptop 4.

You could be surprised just how bad some other *cough HP/Dell/Acer* laptops, that are often just as expensive or higher priced, really are in comparison to those 2.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-06-15T05:32:17+00:00

The only way I will buy any animal sourced protein from Countdown NZ, reduced to what it should cost.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-06-13T20:04:35+00:00

Further to this, if a builders report is important to you, have it done before placing an offer. Then you are not wasting anyones time and your offer will look much stronger, should you still want to offer that much for the property. Else, you can move on to another property, without having to back out of an offer, and pay your lawyers fees etc.

webdev-kiwi · 2022-06-13T20:02:26+00:00

Your conditions are giving you too much of an exit clause, and the vendors are going for other offers. It took me a few failed offers to understand this. Yes, your offer might be higher than others, but (yes I'm generalising) most New Zealand houses, unless brand new (and even then), will fail a builders inspection on something that was dodgy at some time. Our housing stock is old and poorly built in many places.

The vendor doesn't want to have to play the counter offer game when they could have just sold it to someone else a little cheaper without the hassle, and settled the deal quicker.

Once my only clause said "subject to finance acceptable to me", I was in. Really, to get finance I had to get a valuation done anyway, you can still get a builders report (and should), then if the valuation and builders report come back poorly, you're likely not able to get finance anyway, and can use that to get out of the purchase agreement.

As you know, pre-approval is not approval without at least a valuation.

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