Woo-hoo! I just sent the final payoff amount for the C230 to Crapital Wun. Paid it off a year early, too.

They probably don't like me cutting them out of some interest. When I thought I might have to dump the C-Class and applied for another of their Blank Check things, they would only give Ol' Perfect Credit Me a 9.9% interest loan, though their website says "As low as 6.6," and my original loan was for 5.5. By their standards, I'm a deadbeat. Hah.

Credit card and car insurance paid off, as well. Lawdy, I'se debt-free for the first time in three years. What'll Ah do with all this extra cash?

(This post includes a hidden Harry Potter-esque curse: The first person who responds with "Send that money to me!" shall be afflicted with boils. That is all.)

__________________
* *
-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino

My Mercedes' are paid for too...all nine of them.

...nice feeling, isn't it?

__________________
Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Yep,,, that is a good feeling and the longer we go without a car payment, the less I want to get into one. Love all our cars anyway and have no desire to get rid of them.

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95 SL500 Smoke Silver, Parchment 64K
07 E350 4matic Station Wagon White 34K
02 E320 4Matic Silver/grey 80K
05 F150 Silver 44K

It's a great feeling! Did cartwheels when I paid off the W124.

The W163 was a couple of months from being paid off...till I screwed up and got the '07 W164!

Almost done with the W208. Wish I could say the same about the REST of the finances!!!

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

Good for you, Paul. I've spent about $1800.00 on car repairs this summer. As I was reflecting upon that a couple of days ago, I thought to myself, "Hmmm, $150.00 a month is way cheaper than any car payment. No too shabby!"

After I paid off my first and only car loan, I kept on paying it every month . . . into MY bank account. I've never had to borrow money for a car since.

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

What is a "car payment"??

I've heard of house payments and have a few of those, but, I never understood "car payment".

A car payment is where a bank loans you a new car for a set montly price and when they get tired of you (Takes about three to five years) You get to keep the car.

I have never had a car payment, and I will try to keep it that way.

I promised myself that I would have a mortgage payment before even considering taking a loan out for a car.

Congrats now drive it for 10 more years, thats when you really get your money out of them.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Never had a car payment. Never had a house payment.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Damn. I envy you.........and with 14?? rentals!!!

Oh, I've had rental house payments but the renters were making those payments.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Oh, I'll keep the C230 for a while, for sure!

Dunno if I can stand to live with the same car for more than about 5-6 years, though. I had the 420SEL for 5.5, and would have continued with it if it hadn't been totalled. The record holder was, get this, an '84 Ford Escort 4-door hatchback, which I steered around for almost 7 years -- mostly because I couldn't afford anything else at that point in my life. The others ('75 Ford Maverick, '65 Mercury Park Lane, two Olds Cutlass coupes) were all 3- or 4-year affairs.

On the other hand, none of those cars *felt* as new when they were paid off as this one does, and it's 11 years old (in-service date Aug. 1, 1996). And everything else I've test-driven recently is either disappointing, or not better enough to make another car loan worthwhile.

I guess that's why we are willing to put up with the occasional expensive repair; we get so much more value back.

__________________
* *
-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino

It's a great philosophy not to be making payments on a depreciating asset like an automobile, if you can.

The car dealers have a term for the unfortunates who miscalculated, and wind up owing more on their car than it is worth.

It is called
"Being buried alive, face down"

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

I pay cash for everything, or I don't bother with it at all. Your news is awesome though, and I'm very happy to hear that you've done this for yourself. Now, with no more car payment, you should be in good shape for a long time. I mean, You didn't pay off a friggin Buick. You paid off a high quality car that will last you a long time. Cheers pal, enjoy, but don't squander the extra cash. Good job.
Nick

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[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

Good for you, what a nice feeling. My Mercedes is paid for also. Nice feeling having the title tucked away in an envelope at your house.

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"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL