I picked up my 370Z touring, sport package, 6 speed, black on black 3/23/09. On 4/08/09 I had back surgery and as a result may need to sell my car and get an automatic. I only have 381 miles on the car and have spoken to the dealer I have dealt with since 1990. I have bought or leased 10 cars from them and my children have bought or leased 5 cars. They promised not to "beat me up". I laughed when they told me they would give $30,000 for the car they sold me 2 weeks earlier for $39,000 incl. tax, title, etc. Needless to say, that except for warranty work, a 19 year relationship has ended. I must say the salesman has tried to intercede on my part but greed is a powerful motivator and this dealer is no different than most. Part of me wants to see if the strength in my legs returns yet part of me feels I will need to move the car. I will wait another week and then I will try to sell it for $35,000. Any input/advice.

Give it three weeks. Don't rush your recovery.

Sorry to hear about your situation, but if it were me I would give it a bit more time. Its unfortunate, but I'd rather struggle with the car for a few weeks and hope it gets back to normal than lose a few thousand over it.

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1985 300ZX n/a

See my Z project

Thanks. I guess part of my mind set is that prior to surgery I began losing strength in my legs and I also had the sensation that my left foot was slipping off the clutch. I actually became very nervous about driving the car. I will give it more time and drive it on side roads to build up my confidence. If that doesn't work I will try to sell the car and not take too big a hit. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Just wondering, why did you buy the car when you were having back problems serious enough to require surgery?

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-- I've had a few Zs --

In my line of work I see of lot of back injury. All I can say is that one week will not be sufficent time to tell if you will be able to drive a manual tranny car again. Hell even one month may not be enough time. It usually takes considerable amounts of time for back injuries to heal, especially in cases where surgery was required. That being the case an automatic is defiently the way to go.

As for your financial situation with your new Z all I can say is that you won't do better than 30k that the dealer offered you so you might as well take that. You have to remember that most people who are educating themselves about this car know that they can buy them for invoice. Judging from your 39k price tag with TTL I'm assuming that you also paid close to invoice. While your car has low miles you will be hard pressed to find someone to buy your car for 35k. I'm not saying you shouldn't try but I am saying to be realistic and realize it probably won't happen.

Without knowing more history about your back injury and the type of surgery you had I can't say much more. From the info you gave I would give it a couple weeks of thinking things over. Drive the car as often as possible to help make up your mind. If in the end you don't think a manual is something you can do anymore then post the car for sale. If after 2wks you don't get any bites I would bite the bullet and take the deal from the dealer. It sucks but it's better than paying on a car that you won't get to drive and enjoy. Good luck and sorry to hear about this

When I ordered the car surgery was a very remote possibility. The Drs. felt therapy and injections would possibly delay the need for surgery well into the future. Unfortunately, neither therapy or injections worked and the symptoms got progressively worse. The surgery involved a laminectomy, disckectomy and fusion of L4/L5 I still have good feelings that I will heal well and the selling of my car will become a moot point. I did get the car at invoice, but I don't believe selling at below invoice ($35,000) is unrealistic either. If it comes down to selling I would deal with private parties first and then another dealer if necessary. The one I have dealt with for 19 years has lost me and my family and those friends I convinced to buy there.If they had made a reasonable offer, say $33,000, they would have made an additional profit on the resale and kept me and family.

Damn, a laminectomy, diskectomy, and fusion! It's going to be a long road to recovery with that but everyone's pain tolerance is different. Pretty much all my patients that have had similar surgerys drive automatics and have on/off pain for the rest of their lives. Good luck in whatever you choose to do.

Sounds like you might be a Dr., Chiropractor, or a therapist? I have a pretty high level for tolerating pain and hopefully the surgeon's work was as good as I believed it would be. Anyway, time will tell. Thanks for your input.

Archduke Wrote:
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> When I ordered the car surgery was a very remote
> possibility. The Drs. felt therapy and injections
> would possibly delay the need for surgery well
> into the future. Unfortunately, neither therapy or
> injections worked and the symptoms got
> progressively worse. The surgery involved a
> laminectomy, disckectomy and fusion of L4/L5 I
> still have good feelings that I will heal well and
> the selling of my car will become a moot point. I
> did get the car at invoice, but I don't believe
> selling at below invoice ($35,000) is unrealistic
> either. If it comes down to selling I would deal
> with private parties first and then another dealer
> if necessary. The one I have dealt with for 19
> years has lost me and my family and those friends
> I convinced to buy there.If they had made a
> reasonable offer, say $33,000, they would have
> made an additional profit on the resale and kept
> me and family.

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I have ran into similar situations like yours in the past. I have found that if you consign the car to a dealer (new or used dealer) to sell it for you, you can get almost retail for it and pay only a small fee to the selling party. Just my $.02

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Mspeasl
Decatur, Illinois - Forum member since 2/02

'Growing old may be mandatory, but growing up is optional'

2009 Solid Red Touring 6sp W/Sport Package '370Z' - Delivered 7 April 2009
2008 Radiant Red Toyota 'X-Runner' - Delivered 15 November 2007
2005 Satin Jade Green Chrysler 300C 'Hemi' - Delivered 1 June 2004

1957 Chevrolet Belair 2dr post - 'Gas Coupe Drag Car' owned since 1964
1947 Chevrolet Fleet Master sport coupe - 'Street Rod' owned since 1974

I had never heard of that but it is definitely worth looking into. Thanks

Mspeasl I talked to the salesman who sold me my car and asked about them taking the car on consignment. He thought it was a good idea and would speak to "the powers that be" in the morning. I hope it works.This way I make out better they get a piece of the action and I end up buying another car from them which gives them a piece of that action too. I feel its a win win but time will tell.
Thanks again.

Wait, wait. You got the royal screwing by these guys, yet you go BACK to try and work out another deal? HAVE YOU NOT LEARNED YOUR LESSON??!!

Go to a DIFFERENT dealership, or at least bypass all of the salespeople and go straight to the GM.

Get screwed once, shame on them. Get yourself screwed again, shame on you.

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1985 300ZX n/a

See my Z project

have you explained that they are losing long time customers, and future customers, as well as having their name blemished to all the people you know? did you explain that you'd turn right around and buy another from them! i'm sure thats worth the extra 3k (you said woulda pleased you) to them!

I hear you all and appreciate your advice. The one bright spot in all of this has been the salesman. He told me that if the consignment idea doesn't float he has a customer ready to buy a Zcar who he will direct to me. I would sell him the car directly saving him money and making me happy. I know talk is cheap but for what ever reason this particular salesman recognizes the true value of a customer like me and is doing his best to keep me in the "fold". I am sure he knows I will steer business his way.

I don't see how the dealership is giving a "royal screwing" to anyone.

If the sale price was $35k for a BRAND NEW car, I don't see how $30k for a one-owner USED car (even with less than 400 miles on it) is that bad a deal.

Absolutely counterproductive to think of it as them screwing you. Let them do what they can for you, if it's not good enough, try another method.

But don't take it PERSONALLY. It is BUSINESS. It would be sheer stupidity on their part to take back the car, now officially used and depreciated (despite the fact that it's presumably "as-new"), for a more significant portion of the original price.

MHO...

Quote:

If the sale price was $35k for a BRAND NEW car, I don't see how $30k for a one-owner USED car (even with less than 400 miles on it) is that bad a deal.

And yet, a dealer will sell a car with 400 miles of test-drive on it as brand new for full sticker. Hypocracy by the dealer?

Dealer hypocrisy? I don't think so.

It is just a simple fact that a car with 400 miles that hasn't already had an owner is worth more than the same car with 400 miles in the exact same condition that has already been sold and had an owner. The dealer would absolutely, certainly have to take FAR less for the "used" car than the "new" one with 400 miles.

It is also generally true that a dealer with two identical new cars on the lot, one with 400 miles and one with 40 miles, will generally have to take less $$$ for the 400-mile car. There is depreciation, but not nearly as much as the depreciation associated with a car having already had an owner.

I am trying to sell privately for $34,500. That is $2000 under the invoice price I paid. The salesman has stopped returning my calls so I assume that consignment is a no go. I knew I would take a hit, but $6500 from a dealership that would probably sell car for $33,500- 35,000 used, I am now wide eyed about the concept of loyalty to customers. The true loyalty was on my part. I realize it is a business but this dealer made a bad business decision. They have lost me and family as customers and their service department has also lost us. That alone is worth much more over time than the $1000 or so they could have given me on a trade-in over the course of a few years. ie, $500 for one of the "big check-ups" they do in the 15,000-25,000 mile range. I do those at the dealership. I correct myself, I did those at the dealership. I am big boy and have learned a valuable lesson. That lesson is simply "screw them more than they screw you." LOL

Once the car is taken off MSO and titled to an owner, it cannot be sold as "new." Even if the car had 5,000 dealer demo and test drive miles, but had never been personally titled, it could be sold as "new" by the dealer.

Selling the car outright to a private party buyer is always the best financial move, regardless of how old the car is. You get a higher sale price and they get a better deal than buying from a dealership. This is assuming the car is in good running order and there are no hidden problems, of course.

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-- I've had a few Zs --

hey mr Archduke i have the same car but in grapithe gray black interior and with only 1600 miles got it a month and a half ago.its 7 speed auto and fisrt of all i feel for you. those people at the dealership have lost a great customer for a few thousand dollars not a smart move on their part.if there was a way to trade mine for yours would you do it? i mean its along shot and i love my z even being an auto but i'm just saying that if it was possible i would deffenetly help you out man,providing you still want a z car. here's some pictures