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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ihuxl!walt2
From: walt2@ihuxl.UUCP (Walt Kurszewski)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: new cars (Z24)
Message-ID: <1682@ihuxl.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 9-Jan-86 19:01:56 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxl.1682
Posted: Thu Jan  9 19:01:56 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Jan-86 07:24:32 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 62

Well it looks like Old Faithful (my '77 Monte Carlo) is quickly
becoming Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang.  I've pretty much driven her into
the ground and I'd be pressing it if it tried to milk another year out
of her.

Are new car salesmen born buffoons or is it a learned behavior?  I tell
them I intend to wait until the Chicago auto show February 8th before
I buy.  "Are you sure it's in February?  I haven't seen any dates yet."
Anyone in the auto business should know when the big annual event is.
"What would it take to sell you this car tonight?".  Sell it to me for
a dollar.  "This car incorporates the latest technology into its
revolutionary design."  Is electronic instrumentation available?
"Nah!  That's just one more thing to go wrong."  "You don't want a 
hatchback!  You'll rip the sh*t out of the seats and block your
visibility."  I suppose it was a coincidence that they didn't have many
hatchbacks in the lot but they had dozens of 2-door coupes.  "You don't
want blue, silver is selling like hotcakes."  That would explain all
those *silver* 2-door coupes.  If the guy had a dead horse in the back
lot he'd give me 100 reasons why I needed *this* dead horse *today*
and that 500 bucks was an incredible bargain.  If the horse had spots,
he'd charge me extra.

I think the best way to get to the "bottom line" is to say as little
as possible.  He throws his pitches, I say, "Well...  I really should
wait for the auto show to see what's available..."  He throws more
pitches....  "I really should look at the imports/domestics closer..."
When he says, "Let me talk to my boss" the dance is almost over.
He'll go talk to the janitor about the Bears for five minutes and come
back with something more reasonable.  If the place is a class act
he'll go into the next room and you'll hear:  "WHAT!!??  ARE YOU CRAZY??
WE'RE NOT HERE TO GIVE THEM AWAY!!  ANY LOWER THAN THAT AND IT COMES
OUT OF *YOUR* COMMISSION!!!"  Then he comes back with only 100 bucks
knocked off.

And now the opinion poll:

	Chevy Z24 Cavalier hatchback with:
		fuel injected six, automatic, air, tilt, 14" Eagle GT
		steel belted radials with alloy rims, AM/FM stereo,
		heavy duty battery, rear window defogger/washer/wiper,
		spoiler, electronic instrumentation, custom interior,
		rustproofing with a lifetime warranty, 5yr/50,000mi
		warranty, 7.9% GMAC financing
		
	What I didn't get:
		cruise control, sun roof, power locks/windows
		
All for a "bottom line" (delivered) of 10,900 frogskins.

Do you think this is a fair price?  Any horror stories about the car or
the options?  And now for the warm-up question before the $64,000
question - will 20 degrees below zero damage an engine that's not
broken in?  I live in balmy Chicago and I believe that this is the
reason car sales take a dive in fall and winter.  If anyone can post
actual data on the matter they've got my vote for sainthood.

Thanks in advance.

			Walt Kurszewski
			ihnp4!ihuxl!walt2
			(312) 979-6307