VikashLurker
Well-Known Member
I thought I would do a small write up on my journey of purchasing a vehicle in the USA. In my previous posts, I've documented my experience on scaling down in prep for emigration from SA. I bought a cheap Honda as a run around, and drove that for about 7 months. It fulfilled its purpose, it was clean, reliable and cheap. And when the time came for us to sell up and jump on a plane, I was able to sell it off and I actually made a bit of money on it due to its condition. I was asked by someone here, why did I even bother, detailing it, if all it was meant for was cheap reliable transportation? And the short answer was, Because I like driving a super clean car, no matter the age. I'm OCD like that.
Anyways, onto my experience across the pond. When we arrived, I got myself a rental to get us around. It was a new Hyundai Tuscon. We drove that around for about a month, and once I got my drivers licence and Social Security sorted, it was time to get my own vehicle. I looked at getting something decent as the vehicles here are fairly affordable, in price and interest rates offered. However, when I got serious about something and applied for finance, I was offered ridiculous interest rates, as I have zero credit rating.
So off to plan B. Getting something cheap to runaround until I build up a credit score. Looked around on Craigslist, and the experience is very similar to Gumtree / OLX back home. There are allot of scams, mis-information etc. So ou have to sift out the garbage to get something decent. The budget was around 10k, and at that price point, you could get a very used SUV like Acura MDX, Lexus RX350, Honda CRV etc. or a really good, low mileage sedan Acura, Lexus. As much as I love my BM's, German cars are a big no no here, they can be had for bargains, however parts and services are waaay expensive. Considering my price point, most of the vehicles I was looking at were all high mileage. This ruled out American brands. (This might be overly cautious as there are plenty of old american SUVs on the road) So my search criteria was very narrow, Lexus, Toyota OR Acura, Honda. Lexus and Toyota are just overpriced, just like back home. Acura and Honda was more value for money, however the SO did not "like" the look of the CRV rear.
I was almost ready to throw in the towel, when I came across a diamond in the rough. I saw an ad on a Hyundai Santa Fe. From the pics it looked like a good clean vehicle, so I went out to see it. It drove well and was in great nick. The lady selling it was relocating to the west coast, so she wanted to get rid of it quickly. I was not looking for a Santa Fe, however, the price, condition and the features on the vehicle just made it a no brainer. Features - 3.3L V6 with good fuel economy, Navigation, SunRoof, dual climate, heated seats and best of all, 11 speaker Infinity Sound System (Oooh this sounds good, almost as good as my Jeep Grand Cherokee!)
I documented the detailing process and thought I would share that:
This was a few before pics, some I took at the sellers home before picking it up, and some at my place.
Headlights heavily oxidized and scratched
First up I set to tackle the headlights. I got myself the Meguiars headlight restore kit from Walmart, which has the 1000 & 3000 sanding discs, plastic polish, wool mop drill attachment & most importantly, the headlight sealant for UV protection.
Anyways, onto my experience across the pond. When we arrived, I got myself a rental to get us around. It was a new Hyundai Tuscon. We drove that around for about a month, and once I got my drivers licence and Social Security sorted, it was time to get my own vehicle. I looked at getting something decent as the vehicles here are fairly affordable, in price and interest rates offered. However, when I got serious about something and applied for finance, I was offered ridiculous interest rates, as I have zero credit rating.
So off to plan B. Getting something cheap to runaround until I build up a credit score. Looked around on Craigslist, and the experience is very similar to Gumtree / OLX back home. There are allot of scams, mis-information etc. So ou have to sift out the garbage to get something decent. The budget was around 10k, and at that price point, you could get a very used SUV like Acura MDX, Lexus RX350, Honda CRV etc. or a really good, low mileage sedan Acura, Lexus. As much as I love my BM's, German cars are a big no no here, they can be had for bargains, however parts and services are waaay expensive. Considering my price point, most of the vehicles I was looking at were all high mileage. This ruled out American brands. (This might be overly cautious as there are plenty of old american SUVs on the road) So my search criteria was very narrow, Lexus, Toyota OR Acura, Honda. Lexus and Toyota are just overpriced, just like back home. Acura and Honda was more value for money, however the SO did not "like" the look of the CRV rear.
I was almost ready to throw in the towel, when I came across a diamond in the rough. I saw an ad on a Hyundai Santa Fe. From the pics it looked like a good clean vehicle, so I went out to see it. It drove well and was in great nick. The lady selling it was relocating to the west coast, so she wanted to get rid of it quickly. I was not looking for a Santa Fe, however, the price, condition and the features on the vehicle just made it a no brainer. Features - 3.3L V6 with good fuel economy, Navigation, SunRoof, dual climate, heated seats and best of all, 11 speaker Infinity Sound System (Oooh this sounds good, almost as good as my Jeep Grand Cherokee!)
I documented the detailing process and thought I would share that:
This was a few before pics, some I took at the sellers home before picking it up, and some at my place.
Headlights heavily oxidized and scratched
First up I set to tackle the headlights. I got myself the Meguiars headlight restore kit from Walmart, which has the 1000 & 3000 sanding discs, plastic polish, wool mop drill attachment & most importantly, the headlight sealant for UV protection.
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Ah well, its nothing fancy, however it will be my trusty ride for the next couple of months ...
it looks brand new!
what type of polisher are you using? The one Is the vibrating type, still not sure how effective it is.