Does sun bake rubber trim?

On Fri, 06 May 2005 02:04:48 +0300, Leon >
wrote:

>On Thu, 5 May 2005 17:56:07 -0400, "Daniel J. Stern"
> wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 5 May 2005, Leon wrote:
>>
>>> My friend got a job in Florida (West Palm Beach) and is afraid to take
>>> his new 530 BMW with him because "it's too hot down there". He is afraid
>>> that the sun will bake out the plasticizers from the rubber trim that is
>>> designed for colder German weather. What do you suggest?
>>
>>I suggest your friend get over his prissy widdle self. If he's losing so
>>much sleep over the inevitable eventual deterioration of his pwecious BMW
>>(by rust in the North, by UV in the South), then he should sell the car
>>and obtain whatever his ignorant little brain considers better suited to
>>the sunny climate in Florida.
>
>OK, I'll let him know that he should have been richer. Right now he
>can afford to buy the car but he cannot afford to ruin it and get
>nothing for it in 4 or 5 years.

Then he should move to a place that's within
walking/biking/bussing/training distance of where he'll be working and
leave the precious baby at home in the garage.

On Thu, 05 May 2005 16:25:51 -0700, L Sternn > wrote:

>>OK, I'll let him know that he should have been richer. Right now he
>>can afford to buy the car but he cannot afford to ruin it and get
>>nothing for it in 4 or 5 years.
>
>If he's moving to Florida, he doesn't have to worry about the sun
>baking anything. The humidity helps to counteract that.
>
>Now if he were in Arizona, I'd recommend getting sealcoat put on
>everything, including his face.

You mean that $800 "Desert Protection Package" that Jim Click puts on
all his cars is actually good for something?

On Fri, 06 May 2005 22:38:21 +0300, Leon >
wrote:

>His 5 is manual and a good car for trips. Traded in a 3-year old 325
>(manual) that was sport.

Now that's ironic. If he's so concerned about the resale value of his
cars, why on earth would he trade it in? He got raped by several
thousand dollars over its private party resale value by doing that.

The loss of value from a few cracks on the dashboard will be
meaningless by comparison.

On Fri, 06 May 2005 19:07:58 -0500, Scott en Aztlán
> wrote:

>On Thu, 05 May 2005 16:25:51 -0700, L Sternn > wrote:
>
>>>OK, I'll let him know that he should have been richer. Right now he
>>>can afford to buy the car but he cannot afford to ruin it and get
>>>nothing for it in 4 or 5 years.
>>
>>If he's moving to Florida, he doesn't have to worry about the sun
>>baking anything. The humidity helps to counteract that.
>>
>>Now if he were in Arizona, I'd recommend getting sealcoat put on
>>everything, including his face.
>
>You mean that $800 "Desert Protection Package" that Jim Click puts on
>all his cars is actually good for something?

I bet it's good for his profits.

I doubt many people make money by owning a car. Owning a car is a
continuous expense for most people, you are always losing some money on it.

Having said that, there's alot of rubber/vinyl dressings that should work
at protecting the dashboard. Also, getting the windows tinted if they
aren't already so, would be a good idea.

Leon wrote:

>
> OK, I'll let him know that he should have been richer.

Maybe he should be smarter, not richer.

Right now he
> can afford to buy the car but he cannot afford to ruin it and get
> nothing for it in 4 or 5 years.

You know, I've got a 32 year old Plymouth and my wife has a 12 year old
Eagle that have both been in the Texas sun all their lives and the
rubber trim on THEM isn't falling apart. Maybe he should have bought
American if that German junk REALLY falls apart THAT easily :-p

On Fri, 06 May 2005 01:27:40 GMT, Steve B. > wrote:

>On Fri, 06 May 2005 02:04:48 +0300, Leon >
>wrote:
>
>>OK, I'll let him know that he should have been richer. Right now he
>>can afford to buy the car but he cannot afford to ruin it and get
>>nothing for it in 4 or 5 years.
>
>
>In five years you still have a five year old car whether it is driven
>and enjoyed or put away and held on to. If he thinks the trim stuff
>is going to make a huge difference in sales price then buy new trim
>and put it on in five years. I realise it is a nice car but its
>nothing really that special that would make it a collectors item in
>five years. It will be just another old used car.

And, in fact, if depreciation were that much a factor, a *new BMW* is
probably about the last car (along with its equivalents of course) he
needs. Beamers lose the price of a small car when you drive them off the
lot.

Jasper

Or said another way if you buy a car because the salesman convinced you
the purchase price was really an "investment" you might be shocked that
your "return" is as bad as the average dotcom stock. It's interesting
that lower priced cars are sold as a purchase while higher priced cars
(BMW Mercedes, etc) are sold as an investment.

John, who has always wondered if car salesmen also sell gold
investments on the side.....

On 9 Jun 2005 07:42:08 -0700, "John S." > wrote:

>Or said another way if you buy a car because the salesman convinced you
>the purchase price was really an "investment" you might be shocked that
>your "return" is as bad as the average dotcom stock. It's interesting
>that lower priced cars are sold as a purchase while higher priced cars
>(BMW Mercedes, etc) are sold as an investment.
>
>John, who has always wondered if car salesmen also sell gold
>investments on the side.....

Some expensive cars can be considered investments, though, at least to a
certain extent. And that category is the >25 year old classic car that is
not particularly in fashion today (ie, even some classics do go out of
fashion and lose value). A 20s-70s Rolls, or something along those lines.
If you maintain them well (and that's a whole 'nother kettle of
ca^H^Hfish) and don't wrap them round a tree they ought to lose little
value.


Jasper

On Thu, 09 Jun 2005 12:04:22 GMT, Jasper Janssen >
wrote:

>And, in fact, if depreciation were that much a factor, a *new BMW* is
>probably about the last car (along with its equivalents of course) he
>needs. Beamers lose the price of a small car when you drive them off the
>lot.
>
>Jasper

32k for a 325 4 years ago in NJ, depreciated to 18k in 3 years (was
mint too).
--
Leon