Hi all!

Just a quick hello. I have been using the forums here to gain a bit of knowledge and understanding of my new car. I figured I might as well sign up as I seem to be here quite often browsing about lately.

Quick summary of how I came to own my Mazda;

I needed an economical car as my commute will soon increase from 7 miles to 30+ each way. I had a 2007 Ford F-150 SuperCrew Lariat with the 5.4 Triton (oh ya, you could hear it gulp)... I had a 2003 Bayliner 185 that I never use any more, so I thought why not get rid of the truck, sell the boat, and buy a little car? Fantastic idea! Well, the market for boat's it seams is not so good... The market is saturated with folks needing cash and there are a million boats for sale. ANYWAY, I changed my strategy. I listed the boat for sale OR trade for an economical car on Craigslist. Three days later an older gentlman, retired, divorced and looking for a boat called me up. Said he had a car for trade and would drive the hour-and-a-half from his place to mine to show me the car, and have a look at the boat.

He saw my ad for my 2003 Bayliner, and proceded to tell me he has a 2006 Mazda3 s Hatchback with 41k for trade. I am thinking scam at this point! However, he was sincere enough so it seemed... Sure enough, we set up a time, he came up to my house and I took the car for a spin. I fell in love instantly after a tour through town, on the freeway, and then through the winding hills behind town... He loved the boat, and found it to be far more valuable to him that the car, and me just the opposite... It was a win-win situation. I came out on top as my boat barely eaked out an 11k value with the electronics included on NADA. The car however was an easy 14-15k. So we did the paperwork and signed over titles as we both held clear title to the respective properties. I had to pay tax and license fees wich came to around $1300. But it is the only car payment I will ever make on this car! (besides insurance of course).

SORRY for the long winded entrance to the Mazda world! But I just can't tell the story enough, it was perfect and far more than I expected. So hopefully with the experience and guidance I have found here already, I will be a very happy owner for a long time. I am so pleased with this car, and it dosen't have a blemish on it to boot...

So since May 10th the following is my new best friend LOL!


[IMG]local://upfiles/17399/4D072D88269C40ECB7EFFCECE490E32D.jpg[/IMG]

 

even trade. for a better car. and let me say that looks sweet. goodbye truck that takes like 200$ to fill lol. and hello car that takes at most 50 to fill. and gettin rid of the boat. dude that is definitly a win win situation you ahve there. you got it for an even swap. im assumin he had a truck or something as well? hmmm maybe it was his ex wifes car and she plans on hunting you down cuz he sold her car LOL. just kidding its all fun on this site. but congrats man and thats awesome.. hmm i wish someone would sell me a mazdaspeed3 for my mazda3... if only.

 

Yes, he had a new truck and his girlfriend has her own car. Truth is from what he said it was what he was left with after the divorce... Good news for me though! I used my boat a total of four times over the last TWO summers... I use this everyday! It is a bucketload of fum to drive too... And the gas, oh boy, it took $250 a month for my seven mile commute. Now it takes about $100 (until I commute further). I don't want to know what would happen if I kept the truck $$$$$$$$$$$$$

I did do some research over the week it took us to coordinate the swap though. Clear and free title (no pesky ex on the hunt) and maintanance was done by the dealer the week before... All I have to do is drive ;-)

 

Congrats toyou CBC, and since you've only been lurking up to now, Welcome (officially) to the forum!!

Now if only you and he had thought to say that you each bought the other's item for $1, they would've only charged you (and him) sales tax on that instead of the full value. Here in Texas that means I would've paid .0825 tax.
I did that with a Datsun/VW swap I did w/a friend of mine years ago. The notorywas a little confused about it at first, but went through with the title swap anyway. Sales tax cost for each of us, 0.06.

 

Thanks for the welcome. That sounds great, however, here in WA they use the retail value to calculate the tax even though we wrote it up for 10k (trying not to be too obvious)... So 8.5% of 14,995! We could not do a "collateral swap" because it was not "like/kind" property... Car for car - boat for boat - trailer for trailer - etc...

Oh well what are you supposed to do? LOL He got off easy being an OR resident, NO SALES TAX!

 

well i say you got a kick *** deal. 15k car for a 11k boat u didnt ever use. congrats. damn hey richard wanna trade my car for yours. its new

 

I remember that every day I drive it (how lucky I was). Never gonna happen again! Oh, and for the bonus... He had the trip computer already turned on, air horns installed (yes, air horns!!) and the iPod cord ready for my playing pleasure...

 

hmmm well it all works out in the end. AIR HORNS.. hmm im thinking a train horn then i guarantee richard would be able to hear my car hahaha