more than you can afford, pal... ford!


FENZO

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 7, 2008
1,518
Lafayette, CO
Had a guy ask me just this morning... How expensive was it, divorce or boob job?

All I could say it that the wife hasn't requested either, yet.
 

peiserg

GT Owner
Aug 15, 2010
283
Phoenix, az
hmm. actually i' think i've got a new response to the price tag question.. "so, how much did this cost?" "not sure yet, divorce hasn't been finalized"
 

RALPHIE

GT Owner
Mar 1, 2007
7,278
I paid cash for my car, which prompted the sales manager at the Ford dealership to say to me, "so, you're a big swinging dick, what do you do for a living? Drug dealer?" Now, I had not said a single word to the sales manager, and the sales rep came from a different dealership in order to do this deal....so, there wan't any interaction and I didn't precipitate any bad blood in the first place.

I was quite offended and normally would have told him to shove it where the sun don't shine...., but since it was EXACTLY the car I wanted, I just said, "yeah, that's it' and walked away. I've never been back other than to pick up the Ford wheel bolt replacements.

So much for Ford creating a 'Halo Car' to generate foot traffic in to the dealerships.

I had a totally different experience: When I found my late 2005 (new) in early February, 2007, I just called down to San Diego's Mossy Ford - and, upon finding out that it was available (for MSRP) I asked if they would take a deposit over the phone, gave them the credit card number for the deposit, and told them I would be there in the morning 2 days hence. When I arrived (in my daughter's Maserati), they treated me like royalty until they found I was just an average Joe that wanted the car to drive and enjoy. Then, they treated me even better. Even though I was paying cash for the car, they ran a credit check on me anyway - when I inquired what the results of the credit check were (I've never asked to have it checked before), the dealership manager said "You could buy the dealership if you wanted" - kind of made me feel good. My response was "then I'd owe money - something I have always tried to avoid."

As I drove away, they were all happy and friendly and gave me a very warm feeling - but I only had 6 or 7 hours to get to Mammoth before a major snow storm was coming, so I had to get it home and into my garage (I had been checking the weather all morning with the ski area to find out if I could make it home).

All dealerships seem to be different, but I certainly had a good experience with mine.
 

Empty Pockets

ex-GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Oct 18, 2006
1,361
Washington State
I paid cash for my car, which prompted the sales manager at the Ford dealership to say to me, "so, you're a big swinging dick, what do you do for a living? Drug dealer?"


What do you want to bet that gentleman isn't there anymore? He's undoubtedly said something like that to more than one person before as well as since, and I can't imagine the DEALER tolerating something like that if he were aware of it. :willy
 

gtinmyblood

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 23, 2007
735
Mesa Az/Aspen Co
Ralphie,

My experience was similar and the salesman, who no longer is in the auto biz, continues to this day to be a good friend. I had made arrangements over the phone for the car at MSRP. I flew to San Antonio, the dealer picked me up at the airport and drove me to the dealership in New Braunfels. We did the paperwork, I drove it off the showroom floor to have lunch for free at a nearby restaurant that belonged to a friend of the dealer, drove it back onto the show room floor. They drove me back to the airport and off I went. A week later it arrived in Phx via enclosed carrier.

Nathan
 

MK2_GT

GTX1 Owner
Mar 25, 2006
795
So we're all guilty of having watched Fast n Furious. You can admit it. Anyways.. remember that scene where they pull up next to the ferarri, and ask what the retail is.. guy answers "More than you can afford, pal... ferarri"..

So this guy is next to me at a light.. and ask (word for word) the same question.. i figure he's kidding, throwing the famous line out... so I answer "more than you can afford, pal... ford."

he didnt seem like he got it. i'm guessing he never saw the movie. now i feel like an ahole.. ah well. :lol

That's just funny LOL!

I usually just say "less than a ferrari...."
 
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tony h

GT Owner
Jun 16, 2010
75
United Kingdom
When I first got my car, one of my mates dads asked why I had put Ford badges on a Ferrari and was I takin the piss? :rofl

He is about 60 years old and a mechanic....looks like he spent his life either on the wacky backy or with his head up his ar**

Was at an event and a young lad also asked me how much did it cost - when I told him you get one free if you collect 100 cornflake wrappers he literally asked his mum if they could get some cornflakes......bet his mums life is still hell :lol

Tony h
 

Empty Pockets

ex-GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Oct 18, 2006
1,361
Washington State
..."then I'd owe money - something I have always tried to avoid."


:agree:

I was actually astonished to discover not all FGT owners (nor F-car, or Lambo, etc.) pay cash for their cars - for whatever reason.

In my own case, I'm too darn cheap to pay all that interest...:willy
 

gtinmyblood

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 23, 2007
735
Mesa Az/Aspen Co
Was at an event and a young lad also asked me how much did it cost - when I told him you get one free if you collect 100 cornflake wrappers he literally asked his mum if they could get some cornflakes......bet his mums life is still hell :lol

Tony h

VERY funny!
 

BlackICE

GT Owner
Nov 2, 2005
1,416
SF Bay Area in California
:agree:

I was actually astonished to discover not all FGT owners (nor F-car, or Lambo, etc.) pay cash for their cars - for whatever reason.

In my own case, I'm too darn cheap to pay all that interest...:willy

+1, me too!

BTW all of the Ford dealers across the US I dealt with were much better in the PR dept than my local Fcar dealer.
 

daytrayd

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 23, 2010
557
Austin, TX
My standard response is "a pretty penny." Old fashioned and subtle.
 

Waldo

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Sep 7, 2005
767
Fort Worth, TX
The reply I settled on was, "Let's just say it cost more than your average Buick."
This tends to be my standard response as well.

I was actually astonished to discover not all FGT owners (nor F-car, or Lambo, etc.) pay cash for their cars - for whatever reason.
There are worse things in life than a car payment.
 

Kingman

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 11, 2006
4,072
Surf City, USA
While I can appreciate your story, I think it is very much dealership dependent.
By no uncertain terms do I intend to imply it's anything other than a jack-off individual. It just so happened to be the Sales Manager which by default is the face of the dealership.
 

BlackICE

GT Owner
Nov 2, 2005
1,416
SF Bay Area in California
There are worse things in life than a car payment.

Like alimony payments?
 

dmark1

GT Owner
Dec 18, 2010
202
Dallas
At the dealer where I bought my car I stood and stared and poked around the car for a good 20 minutes. It was like the sales people thought "another tire kicker" and ignored me. Turned out to be a great thing, because
the sales manager came up and asked me whether I wanted to sit in the car and check it out. Didn't have to go through the "shuttle back and forth from the little cube" bullshi$ that you usually do. So the car salesman takes the car out and he turns out to be the WORST
granny driver ever. Slipping the clutch, took off in 3rd gear (I stopped him early before he did any damage), shifting at 2000 RPM. Pretty obvious he was oblivious to any car faster than a Taurus.

Thing was though he was genuine. He told me what the car cost, I told him what I could pay and we met in the middle. No BS, no sales, no problem. Best deal I ever did. Then he said something I have never heard another dealer say in my life - " If you decide
to sell this car in the next year and you don't put more than 12,000 miles on it I will buy it back from you for exactly what you are giving for it". I have it in writing, not that I will ever use it.

That says it all about the mighty FGT!

Mark
 

Empty Pockets

ex-GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Oct 18, 2006
1,361
Washington State
There are worse things in life than a car payment.

How right you are, sir! :thumbsup

But, just in the context of voluntary cash outlays, paying the purchase price for any item, PLUS paying interest on 'toppa' that, gives someone as cheap as Pockets a terminal case of the gallopin' clangs...especially when it comes to paying said interest on a depreciating asset...which is the case with 99.999% of all new cars. :willy:willy:willy

I have much the same view with regard to making interest payments on credit card balances, which is why I pay those off every month. I know that doesn't thrill my credit card companies, but, they continue to accept my charges anyway.

All that said, it seems the 'younger generation' does have a somewhat different view on all that these days.

Whatever makes their barn dance...:biggrin
 

sr71

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 22, 2007
512
Calgary, Great White
Line of credit is at prime, the money is making me 10%. Paying off the car just doesn't make sense.

And if it's a kid and/or a smoker asking how much, I say "you'll spend more on tobacco by the time you're 55, than the price of this car." (estimate 250000)
The choice is yours!
 

Waldo

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Sep 7, 2005
767
Fort Worth, TX
Like alimony payments?
Aren't some things cheaper to rent?

...paying interest on 'toppa' that, gives someone as cheap as Pockets a terminal case of the gallopin' clangs...
No argument there, but... some things are worth the money.
 
H

HHGT

Guest
I pay cash for everything I own, if I can't afford it, I don't buy it. The first GT I had to take $100 bills with me because the idiot dealership (Raceway Ford Riverside) did not want a Cashier Check. I sat at the dealership for 45 minutes while he made photocopies of all the bills - what a moron - he said that was their policy in case the money was counterfeit. He would not take a wire either because their policy was not to give out their account #...
 

RALPHIE

GT Owner
Mar 1, 2007
7,278
...I have much the same view with regard to making interest payments on credit card balances, which is why I pay those off every month. I know that doesn't thrill my credit card companies, but, they continue to accept my charges anyway....l

Remember, they also charge the selling company a percentage of the sale, which is added into to the price of the item - so you still wind up paying them to use the card - just a smaller amount.