During our visit my brother told me that a buddy of his is a salesman at the local Honda dealership.
"Lets go see what he has on his lot."
Hopes were not high since my budget was too small to consider a Honda but I thought it would be fun to get out of the house and do some car shopping with someone who enjoys car shopping (namely my brother).
Before we got there the salesman told my brother over the phone that he had a 2002 Escort that was in my price range. Now normally I wouldn't consider buying a Ford since my first new car purchase was a 1988 Escort (aka 'piece of junk') but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Warning: my wife refers to the following as 'My Ford Rant'
Within a few months after purchasing the 1988 Escort the paint started cracking and literally falling off of the car! The dealership only agreed to repaint the car after I threatened them with legal action. But that isn't the worst of it.
The 88 Escort stayed in my possession for 3 additional years. About every 6 months the timing belt would snap off of the damn thing! It would cost $120 each time a new one had to be put back on. My favorite story with the car was when I was traveling down to visit my older brother when a minor bump on the Interstate triggered the fuel line shut off valve (aka 'stupid' Ford idea to prevent more exploding economy cars... remember the flaming Pintos?). I was stuck on the side of the Interstate for several hours until the nearest dealership (Chattanooga) could come and tow the car back to reset the valve. Due to warranty, only the dealerships were allowed to reset the valves. It cost me $280!
It was a few years after the car left my possession that NHTSA forced Ford into releasing internal documents that stated that the year model Escort I owned was designed with faulty engine mounts resulting in a motor that was out of balance causing timing belts to prematurely snap. Of course NHTSA didn't have the authority to make Ford reimburse their customers and Ford didn't offer.
So this is for any corporate employees of Ford out there who are wondering why their recent efforts to turn the fortunes of the company around are not working.
FORD HAS BEEN TREATING FIRST TIME CUSTOMERS LIKE DIRT SINCE 1988!
Corporate types like to blame the whole thing on the cost of union labor but that isn't the sole reason why Ford is going under. Ford is producing cars that are second rate and are not designed with the customer in mind. Enough said.
Back to Car Shopping in 'Bama
By the time my brother and I arrived at the dealership the 2002 Escort had been sold. So I test drove a 1999 Dodge extended cab mid-size pickup truck. I have to admit it was nicer than I thought it would be. It had a 6 cylinder engine and I liked the additional power (considering the 4 bangers I usually drive).
Then the salesman showed me a 2000 Honda Accord SE. It handled nice but it was waaaaay out of my price range. The salesman told me he would see if he could get the price knocked down a second time.
I didn't hold my breath.
After about 10 minutes he returned with a deal too good to turn down. They had come down $1600 off of the sticker price... about a quarter of the total asking price!
Deal.
The wife thought I was pulling her leg when I called to tell her I was bringing back a Honda Accord. Earlier in 2006 we had to buy a car out of desperation (and yes... it was a Ford... I said DESPERATION!). Her exact words were:
"Not only is it a Honda... it isn't another Ford!"
Heh.
We arrived home about two hours ago and let me tell you... the Honda drove like a dream!
Posts
That's a nice-looking car! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks. I wish that was the actual car (I didn't have time to take a picture) and had to pull it off of Google Images.
ReplyDeleteIts an incredible facsimile.
Too Fat, SN
Hondas are GREAT cars--congrats on your purchase. I know people that drive their Hondas until the seats literally fall through the floors --over 250,000 miles--guess the body wears out b4 the engine. Yeah, they last. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone interested... the employer I used to work for was Bridgestone/Firestone (corporate). Yes. I worked there during the Ford-Firestone fiasco.
Fun... NOT!
Too Fat, SN
Another reason FORD is going down is the Christian stance against them. They are big in support of homosexual rights, but refuse to support any Christian causes. I will not buy a FORD. Nice car.
ReplyDeleteHondas good. Toyotas good. Fords not so much.
ReplyDeleteMy first ever new car was an 88 Festiva, a tiny little box of a car that got me 50-miles per gallon on long trips. It was actually made by Kia but Ford branded it for a few years.
I could drive it from upstate New York to Boston on one 10-gallon tank of gas.
Anyways, I was out joy-riding one winter day when it was windy with 6 inches of fresh snow. I swerved out of control into the oncoming lane, spun backwards and crossed back over only to roll over down a 6-foot embankment where it landed upright on a frozen marsh area.
I was completely uninjured. At the auto shop where it was towed, my mechanic hopped in it and banged a few dents out of the roof with his hand. Then I drove it home. It was undamaged.
There, I said it. I rolled a Festiva and drove it home. I sold it 8 years later and bought a 4-door Mazda because the young one had come along by then and the Festiva was too small.