Estimate Vehicle

Wesley Teston

Wesley Teston

New member
How are you guys doing your estimates? What I mean is have any of you gone to a small truck for giving estimates or a car?

I am looking at getting something more economical for giving estimates and going behind my guys. I also need it to be some what practical. Right now I do all my estimates and checking behind my guys in my diesel truck that sits on 35" tires. After 72,000 miles I'm ready to save a little in fuel cost. So any vehicle is almost instant fuel savings.

Volkswagon has a diesel motor for the Jetta that gets 50+ mpg, but I have never owned a car so still unsure about this. Any feedback or ideas are appreciated
 
a nice clean little ford ranger or s10 would be perfect!! 4cl good on gas cheap to buy and you could get it all lettered up to make it look real nice!!
 
unless you already own the vehicle , you can sure buy a lot of fuel for what you would pay to insure and buy a car. you need to run the numberd on how many miles you drive a month and what the payback would be, if you are doing it solely for financial reasons.
 
I have a scion xb that I use for estimates and as a personal vehicle. It's professionally lettered to match my other vehicles. I absolutely love the gas savings driving around. It gets 30 mpg. It has room in the back to put small pieces of equipment or chemicals. You could never pressure wash with it. We have one exactly like it for window cleaning with a ladder rack and all gear fits in the back with two employees. The truck stays hooked up to the trailer and only goes out when it's working.
 
Scott Stone is probably right. However I'm sure you have already figured out what your numbers are. I haven't driven one but I saw a few Smart Cars on St. Simons Island over the past couple of weeks, tourists of course. They are small, catch the eye, get great gas mileage and could help start conversations. Just my two cents.
 
ckingclean said:
I have a scion xb that I use for estimates and as a personal vehicle. It's professionally lettered to match my other vehicles. I absolutely love the gas savings driving around. It gets 30 mpg. It has room in the back to put small pieces of equipment or chemicals. You could never pressure wash with it. We have one exactly like it for window cleaning with a ladder rack and all gear fits in the back with two employees. The truck stays hooked up to the trailer and only goes out when it's working.
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While one of my vans was in the body shop, after it was hit by an uninsured driver:mad: , I had a Chevy HHR. We did a few bids, and believe it or not a few KEC jobs, in it. While it wouldn't be a practical work truck, it would work well for driving around to bids and meetings. We averaged 28mpg in it, mostly city driving.:)
 
Kory said:
I am useing my 97 camaro. customers understand but I still think its a little tacky. I think a conversation getter would be better maybe a 69 camaro or a harley or something to that affect.
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I have been on an estimate before in my 69 camaro...I had to show it Kory :D
 

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You could make money in just giving rides in that 69 Camaro - nice car!!
 
Thank you Larry.....
 
Joseph Floyd said:
Scott Stone is probably right. However I'm sure you have already figured out what your numbers are. I haven't driven one but I saw a few Smart Cars on St. Simons Island over the past couple of weeks, tourists of course. They are small, catch the eye, get great gas mileage and could help start conversations. Just my two cents.
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Wes in a smart car would be like stuffing a giraffe in a match box......lol.


Wes get the programmer I told you about before and have some custom tunes written for your needs.Drop your tire size down to 32" if it won't make your lift look out of balance.
Since I want train horns before a new programmer I'm living with the edge I have installed now.
 
Okay, I did a very rough, very quick calculation. I had to assume a couple of things. I assumed that you did not have a small car, that your truck, which is similar to mine gets 14 mpg, and that there was about a 70 difference between diesel and gas. I also assumed that the new car would get 30 mpg. For all of those things to make it beneficial to get a new car to run estimates, it would in VERY rough numbers, be necessary to run about 2100 miles a month, in the estimate car, to reach break even.
 
Okay, I did a very rough, very quick calculation. I had to assume a couple of things. I assumed that you did not have a small car, that your truck, which is similar to mine gets 14 mpg, and that there was about a 70 difference between diesel and gas. I also assumed that the new car would get 30 mpg. For all of those things to make it beneficial to get a new car to run estimates, it would in VERY rough numbers, be necessary to run about 2100 miles a month, in the estimate car, to reach break even.
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Scott, thanks for running the numbers. Give me a little credit guys.
I sold my truck today, I am in the market for something else, that is why I ask the question.
And 2100 miles a month is an average for me! I am statewide and some of our maitenance accounts are 240 miles one way. Before any one asks, no we dont go that far for one job!
 
Wesley: I use to own a Gen 4 Volkswagen Jetta Diesel best car I have ever owned 1999 sold it last year (Not sure why) anyways appox 8yrs never had any problems except when the Timing belt broke cause I was to cheap to replace caused a lot of damage about 3K and I did all the work myself. Can't go wrong with Jetta but it will be hard to find a good used one. Good Luck dh
Wesley Teston said:
How are you guys doing your estimates? What I mean is have any of you gone to a small truck for giving estimates or a car?

I am looking at getting something more economical for giving estimates and going behind my guys. I also need it to be some what practical. Right now I do all my estimates and checking behind my guys in my diesel truck that sits on 35" tires. After 72,000 miles I'm ready to save a little in fuel cost. So any vehicle is almost instant fuel savings.

Volkswagon has a diesel motor for the Jetta that gets 50+ mpg, but I have never owned a car so still unsure about this. Any feedback or ideas are appreciated
Click to expand...
 
Wesley: I use to own a Gen 4 Volkswagen Jetta Diesel best car I have ever owned 1999 sold it last year (Not sure why) anyways appox 8yrs never had any problems except when the Timing belt broke cause I was to cheap to replace caused a lot of damage about 3K and I did all the work myself. Can't go wrong with Jetta but it will be hard to find a good used one. Good Luck dh
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People I have spoke to that I see around town love them, same thing you said best car I have ever owned.
The VW dealership here just got the new 09 diesel in, nice driving car. They cant sell this car until their shipment arrives in a couple of months its a demo only. Very clean burning diesel. They didn't make any diesel jetta's in 08 or 07 so they could focus on this new motor.
 
Sounds great but I will caution you, speaking from 26 yrs in the Auto Tech field currently 10yrs with Toyota (NEVER) buy a new car/engine design until they have been on the market for at least one model year or more, let them work the bugs out first or you might be the one who is at the dealership every week getting something fixed. IMO dh

Wesley Teston said:
People I have spoke to that I see around town love them, same thing you said best car I have ever owned.
The VW dealership here just got the new 09 diesel in, nice driving car. They cant sell this car until their shipment arrives in a couple of months its a demo only. Very clean burning diesel. They didn't make any diesel jetta's in 08 or 07 so they could focus on this new motor.
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I still like the Smart Car. It just looks cooler. However if you do the VW did you consider doing waste oil biodeisel? Or have any of the guys that do hoods hit their customers up with a discount or trade yet? Just a thought for you guys that do restaurant work, since prices are never going down.
 
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