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Most people don't buy a new car to replace one that is running into mechanical problems. More likely, they're just tired of the old one. If you read the article Buy and Hold, The Cheaper, Greener Strategy you know that I advocate buying a car that you aren't likely to get rid of anytime in the next 10 years. But what if you don't have that option because you made the mistake of buying something less than your dream car 6 years ago. Are you just stuck with that forest green Camry that you thought was a bargain? No, you just have to do what every teenager has done with his jalopy since the 1950s: Pimp that Ride!
For some reason, adults buy a car, maintain it, get tired of it, sell it and buy a new one. Teens and young adults often have to stretch a buck and work with what they have. With a new coat of paint, some ornamental wheels and a new stereo they manage to spruce up the vehicle you've soured on.
After 7 years, I had a car that I liked but I wasn't so thrilled about the wheels. They seemed fine when I bought it, but as I drove around town I couldn't help noticing that a lot of middle aged moms were driving the same car. I'm normally a secure guy and couldn't care less about what my car will add or subtract from my image. But the 'mommy vehicle' thing pushed me over the edge. Call it an identity crisis but my immediate impulse was to get a new car - something with a little more pizzaz - the kind of car you never see a mommy driving.
Fortunately, before I acted out my impulses, I hired an affable sales guy in his mid twenties. He wasn't impressed with my ride either and told me as much. "Dude, you need to get some strong wheels for that thing". I thought about it for about 10 seconds and the next day I rolled into the lot with 4 low profile tires with the slickest rims that ever graced a 'mommy car.' They cost $1,100 and it was worth every penny. What I paid for the rims and tires was 70% less than the sales tax I would have had to pay on a new car! That's all the therapy I needed to get over my 'mommy car' crisis.
The car felt new again, different, and unique. Best of all, my urge to plunk down $25,000 to snap up a new car was gone. Once I dealt with my seven year itch, the car rewarded my fidelity by giving me another 5 year of trouble free service.
Another improvement is to give the old bird a face lift. You'd surprised how many people will think you bought a new car after you paint it. Not only is it cheap, you'll get most of it back when you finally decide to get rid of it. Nothing spruces up a car like a decent paint job. For a thousand bucks, you'll make it look like a custom classic.
So before you surrender to the urge to abandon a perfectly good car, consider showing a little kindness and try pimping it before you put it on Craig's list.
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