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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 1976)
ihunxky, dcccmbsr 2, 1973 third dimension pc:3 3 A special Third Dimension pull-cut on fho arts of owning, driving end maintaining fho cutcmohil; ng, 10 i 4 t ..." ..It: OX Photo by Steve Basrner It's a long, sad story, says UNL student Dave Hardy. After $840 of repairs, hi figured he probably would fare better to send his 1969 Saab up in flames. By Jim A Saab story Sometimes, you can do everything right when you buy a used car, and it doesn't help. And sometimes it doesn't matter As the heart-rendering strains of "Love Story" swell in the background, hear the story of UNL psychology major Dave Hardy and a malad justed Swedish car named Bjom. "I had VAN FEVER," recalled Hardy, "which you pick up from a toilet seat. But I couldn't afford to insure my van so 1 kept it up on blocks all winter." When spring came, Hardy decided his 197 1 Ford Supervan's immense size and thirst for gasoline were too much bother. He sold it for $1 ,400. - " Well, heck, 1 said to myself, I need some new wheels'," Hardy said. "I started looking around. I saw an ad in the Rag for the Saab and decided it " looked like a good car for a basic radical-liberal future college professor." Hardy knew you can get hurt buying a used car, and so he prepared. He checked ? old Car and Driver magazine, which called the Saab "a moderately priced and exceptionally tough economy sedan." He ar ranged to get help from a friend who said he knew something about cars. When he discovered he knew the seller's brother, Hardy thought he couldn't lose. . Hardy sid this friend went out to East Campus for a look at the car. It was a 1969 Saab 96, a faded, red little hunchback that loomed like a football whose bladder had given out. It had factory air, a 4-speed column shift and a 1 500-cc, V-4 engine driving the front wheels. The friend W.SHJC.S.A.C. did the test-driving, as Hardy couldn't handle a stick-shift, and he said it was good. He and Hardy tested the compression, a vital measure of engine' health, cn the only cylinder they -could reach in the crowded compartment. It was good. The seller said "$750." Hardy ssld "sQld It stn wouldn't run after the carb work-the mechanics mentioned they'd hid to push it out cf the gane-sai a ccrcplcte care required a $ 170 vslvs ' job. - ; - "" " Est rjsrn ran fhe 1 the way Lcme-35 rrJlcs per gsHsa end plenty of power. No presents but a funny rrir5dl3 coi in fL-st and second grars. - I took it to be retted and xztz.tlzz.zi the cobs 1 ! -it ihini it wax srrtlirit In. Later I net a ca3 . from the rzzjz.i:Zott:Zzl That D Hardy? Gi X raX bsy you're paaa z Czi s red fussy! to to r. r-a. y fr- ' csisba! Asd &i fc the best part, ecu1 ccstSTCCf - " , , , "I thought, 4oh hc3, I have to have jt done. Let s see, n tallxny mother. . ." Hardy's KHpsch stereo shakers went festead, erce the f?u b3 was only $334. I'jtt he i!iou!i have gotten the hr.t -n he went to pkk cp the ccr, and it wouldn't stt. Ths, seller rt p'sccd a Ic-cre wire, mi I lardy li?.d:zi " rew h2r?y h bd to shift the four ca4lie srJ fJ VW MicrcbuKi wci? outdn htnttthel: . "I took it in to a dealer and said , Hey , my car is slow-fix it.' They called me back and told me my clutch was shot. I was rich, so I thought 1 could afford it." ; $280 later the clutch was fine. Hardy decided it was time for a trip in Ejorn-"I called it that because it's a neat Swedish mane. I decided to try it in the mountains. ! loadw.., grandmother in the car for traction and drove to Boulder. Then it started chug ging, going slower and slower. Cars were going by me down the mountinas, I got an instant ulcer, and my grandmother learned some new words." "Now it had officially cost more in repairs than to buy it," Hardy said. $750 in car and $840 in repairs." The Honda: hex By Mark Young Unlike the Sasb, some used cars generate no love, only aggravation. Mark Miller probably would stew his month-old 1972 Honda 600, but he figures it's caused enough heartburn already. . Miller saw the Honda, an odd creature with a tiny " 600-cc, two-cylinder engine and a gearshift growing out of the dash, at Misle Imports' used car lot. He drove and liked it despite a nonworking reverse gear. There wer her minor problems, but the car had the look of a gas gutter's Uncle iwooge for only $750. The car ran well enough at first, waiting almost eight days to turn nasty. While it was a teetotaler at the gas pump ihe little freak had more ailments than a 40-year-old quarterback. One bright morning it wouldn't start, so MHler led his prize back to Misle. After two weeks, it returned with a rebuilt starter. It still refused to run. Miller was unhappy and became mere so when he got the b!3-S24 for a starter and $5 1 for kbcr. . Miller's roommate and co-owner went after Abxsham ?ie in person. As a result, no kbor bO was paid and the Honda, new starter etti3 cm the- -fbor.wss towed to tsotlCTslp.. - - ' . They fessd lilt's ener Lsd tssn the wrcr.j -- size. , " . - Aftsr tl".e rrlU ftsrter.a Hy'hsd asd ths iccrLlce .' cf tzotezZi, 3 1 CLT WlC lC lC-T i mm m - tlHa-'s tCly rzn &Zz.ly to ll::cta zrA izzk Jr ir- Umko, mnr m&V lMU)klWiuJ ttsrt osly by isrrs&teent with j jjus s: ablea, - fir !Her fcssi't beta sb!e to Had iitsile - meat braids, lie keeps tle csr Looked to a bsttcry . chcrT he's rot drivlw3 , - . . , ' Loc'xr:! back crcrancr.ih cf ouxrnli'p, HHcr (perhaps tl"ikir2 cf his $200) accepts his fits. I Is ' S2'S,csLT,Iy,I Liv lc?n rcy;"y semved." Lm's SwwS iinzir liefer 4citti.y djrrxed. , "f eerie think they save cn a used car, but there's always sce girrib. fscpb wsnt scnie&irg fcr nothmg-I do, it's Cie Arnericsi wiy of life: They tend to ft C-.zl a S7C3 csi Izizy h the S2C0 usd circf a y:;.-j r3. m 0 m Off cf Miller, but he gave no details of the dispute. He said the price of the incorrect starter installed by Misle had been refunded for consumer relations. ."We didn't have to. You can't guarantee a used car. Hell, I wouldn't even do that with a car I'd .'.owned." - . - ,-,-- . - -. - -- .-. . -. Mattingly sccmsd upset about the used car de!ers traditional reputation. "People always talk about the dealer getting to the customer, i nere s anotner side to all tnat. We ve had people come in to trade a car and aicer I'd appraised it, switch the tires, take out tape players. Even the best dealers can do only so much for a car that's been abused. A few will do as little as they can. If you can't tolerate uncertainty and can pay for peace of mind, there's an alternative. It's called a newar showroom. tWiai ihsy shoulQ have known Drivers might not have as much trouble as Mark Miller did if they knew how a car dealer's service de- -partment typically works. Here is an outline. When you bring in a sick car you meet the service writer. He writes your car's problems on a work order. If you give him a specific order, such as "state inspection" or "rotate tires" or "replace engine," he probably can tell you about what will be needed and what it will cost. If you don't know the exact trouble-like "find the funny squeak" or "it doesn't run right" it's like giving the dealer a blank check. It pays to be as specific as you can when describing problems. Tell the service writer what the car does and under what circamstsnces. . Ifhefcatsars what work is needed, aik to leave your pnone numser tor tLn to ci yoa wiih an " --. Dsns specific psys cfT rri whea the mechanic ., . starts work. The cr2y pi2e tz hss is yoa wcric , .- ' Utricsp yrii ssccrdirj to wtie - mnaaLj" a tcx.lrcl.lhtlj how 1st ch rrptirjcb siajli tike, rJl-T Ci fa-thdr zctzzl wcf -3 -:i v - time, lis protects yc M If 4hs rrdLTc is a --wcrksr. The rrrdrJ: il:o crs a ctrL.l"J,"i ca . - You as t:e tl-zt mechanic isa't fild fcflLe . trne he rpssds -hst 's v;Tcr.3 mii ycir err, . cdy far Cling it. provide electrcsic dlz'TUB- .ticecrut tL cinic CfaTi 0 is cvjn Ills ir Ln roix mossy replscisg oxa part ifltt sssthir ur.tH he finds V&a fcs'i Osljhcd, the mechanic ussly csat fosd-tcst L;i5 cj because tliS dealer's Lisursnce wont .cr-v it. w d 4-S r3 p v. .a 1 Tl'je orJy rune tlie cashlsr knows is "no nusey, no cr-ee." I :'s net the p:r.cn to cr-;: wi if ihe r t fceen iluiiC rt"-t. Ilrpir work Cutwii i