You and me both man. As a mechanic I basically repair robots now. That's what they are.
Edit: I've sat on the phone with tuners for hours while I did all the physical stuff and they did the "tuning" to get it to run right.
Edit 2: the worst was a second gen RX7 with an aftermarket PCM. Took a ridiculous amount of time to figure out that the factory crank sensor air gap was not generating enough voltage for the programming in the PCM to recognize the signal. I adjusted it as close as possible to the rotor without it hitting and bam, started right up. Me and the dude on the phone who was a tuner for that company had been pulling our hair out. It was all within the supposed parameters but the software was fucked and it wasn't responding to triggers appropriately.
I wanted to get a car from 1972 or before so I can skip emissions every two years. They give you a five year tag when you buy new, the state law states after five years the manufacturer is not liable for repairs(they put the exemption in for the manufacturers after lobbying)
So you could possibly buy a new car that can’t pass emissions and don’t know it, you go in after 5 years and you end up spending 1000’s on a defect that’s no longer covered.
I found a 1971 blue convertible Cadillac cheap and my GF wouldn’t let me buy it lol it was huge. Most of the pre 72 cars have went up in price in the last few years. A pickup used to be $500 but needed a new oil pump, an easy cheap fix. Now they’re thousands.
If you are mechanically inclined you can fix a car with a busted engine or whatever for pennies on the dollar in the current market. New Tacoma's and what not are going for about $10,000-30,000 over MSRP so I hear. Which is fucking insane. I've never bought a new car though and never will unless I have the means to wipe my ass with Benjamin's.
Buying a new car is one of the dumbest purchases ever. Immediate huge loss of value the second you sign the paperwork. And it never goes up from there, typically, this finger fucked artificial market would make me eat my words. But it's totally artificial. Central government caused. Not the actual market value.
I never bought one until last year. My dad’s work used to sell the sales people’s cars instead of turning them back in after the lease was over, they’d sell them for pennies on the dollar. I got a 5 month old BMW for $7,000 because the idiot got a dui and fired.
Most were 2 years old and around $4,000-$5,000 and well maintained, the only requirement was you couldn’t resell them for 3 years. Then he died and that ended and I drove the other car I bought for 10 years. I paid roughly $500 a year in repairs and maintenance better then a car payment.
Then me and my GF got huge bonuses last year and decided for once we’d get a new car and got one and paid by check, if you bring cash they have to report you to the IRS lol. I was going to bring cash until they flipped out about the extra paperwork. If I draw money out and bring it in what’s the difference then bringing in a check for the same amount and them transferring the money.
Our house is paid, we have no bills, our credit cards are set up for bills and to pay the balance in full 7 days before the due date so we don’t get charged interest. We have savings and hopefully can move in the next few years as Oregon becomes a bigger shit hole by the day.
This car will last us hopefully 15 years or it’s back to used and I hate dealing with car dealers.
Also it sounds like you are talking about California SMOG laws. Which I unfortunately have to work around as well.
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