My family ordered a 1988 Plymouth Grand Voyager SE exactly how we wanted but since then we’ve bought cars that you chose the trim level and maybe a package and that’s it. Only buy cars every 12-20yrs though.
The vehicle options in the 1950’s are today standard equipment, obsolete or out of fashion. Today we have the same choices of the past, interior and exterior colors, wheels/wheel covers and options not offered years ago.
Today you can visit a dealer that has dozens of the same model on the lot, it is not difficult to find the desired color combination.
Selling everything in packages may be cheaper, easier to administer, etc. But of course, that leaves some owners with items they don’t want.
I understand that I can’t get a Mazda3 with a stick shift unless I buy one of the most expensive models. And I read about all the very poorly planned infotainment systems in many cars.
I suppose if I searched enough I could find the price lists. Off hand I would guess the Champion was less than $100 more than a Scotsman, but that was a lot of money in those years.
Not really, interiors are pretty much limited to either black or grey. As noted in another thread, dealer stocks generally go to white, black, or shades of grey. Certain colors many be $300-500 options.
My frustration, I got hooked on satellite radio, on Mustangs that is now part of a $2000 option package.
The reason for the packages is because it was cheaper to manufacturer then building one-offs. I custom ordered my 84 GMC pickup…I did get a package (Sierra Classic), but I had to order rear seats (it was the extended cab)…and had to order reclining seats…Vehicle comes in and go see it…and there’s no rear bumper. Pickup’s didn’t have to have a rear bumper back then. So I asked the salesman where’s the rear bumper…His response was “You didn’t order one”.
Most of my vehicles I buy are middle models. Wife likes the loaded models. I just get what I need/want. My 90 Pathfinder had some weird options. In order to get factory installed intermittent wipers I had to get an automatic. I didn’t want an automatic. Luckily I was able to add it with a Nissan kit for about $50. It was a real simple job.
My problem, I’d like to buy a model with a good number of features, but no sun roof (I don’t fit). Such vehicles don’t exist (even with a custom order), so I’m greatly limited in the cars I can consider.
My frustration, I got hooked on satellite radio, on Mustangs that is now part of a $2000 option package.
Will after market satelitte radio with car kit not work on newer cars? I have been hooked satellite radio’s since very shortly after they came out and that is how I have them in my pick ups. Last time I checked it was less than 100$ to purchase the after market one.
Yes there are aftermarket add on systems, but I prefer an OEM system.
All three cars I’ve bought I had trouble finding what I wanted with a gray interior because most new cars at dealers here have beige interiors.
Beige interiors probably sells best here. Perhaps gray and black interiors sell best where you are.
I’d still like a jewel toned deep red car with gray interior but have yet to see one even searching online. Every red vehicle seems to have a beige interior. C’est la vie. Anyway, I’m quite happy with my Camry and in no hurry to replace it.
It’s also the same concept as cable TV packages. You can force consumers to get cheap-to-make junk they don’t want by bundling it with stuff they do, and charge them for it. That’s why Dish Network’s cheapest package advertises 190 channels, probably 150 of which at least is stuff you’d never want to watch, like the jewelry sales channel. But they can charge you 70 bucks a month because “well you’re getting 190 channels!”
Car makers figured they wanted in on the game, so if you want heated seats because it’s negative-a-million in the winter, they might bundle those with stupid crap that costs them pennies to install so they can artificially inflate the price of what you really want.
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You can get a Sirius/XM receiver from them that plugs into the cigarette lighter for power. It plugs into the auxiliary jack to interface with the radio. They have two models, priced at $60 and $80, then you subscribe. More good news! This device can be used in your house too, but you need different interface for power.
I have both the car and house setup.
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It’s been pretty normal to not have bumpers with pick-ups because everyone wants/needs something different. My room mate was from Luverne, MN and always talked about Luverne Bumper. Big business making various after-market pick-up bumpers. Those chrome ones though are really blinding at night if you are behind one.
When we special ordered our 86 Buick, I wanted gauges. The only way I could get gauges though was to order the electronic instrument panel instead of the standard. That package I think was around $1-2000, don’t remember exactly. At any rate ordered the standard dash and bought gauges at Champion for $20. Actually probably would have liked the electronic dash instead. but seemed foolish at the time. Prior to that though on two Oldsmobiles, the gauge package was separate and somewhere around $50. I’m learning to live without full gauges like oil pressure and developing a “who cares” attitude.
I’m actually glad it didn’t come with a bumper. The OEM GM bumper for the S-15 and Chevy S-10 were made of plastic. I bought a new Steel bumper that was half the price of the OEM plastic bumper.
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Awww, you should have engaged in a little redneck engineering.
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A guy I was in the Army with had a wooden bumper on his Chevy pickup. Only his was actually nice. Made of 2x12 Oak. Plained and routed edges…and had his and his wife initials engraved in the middle. Stained a red to match the color of his pickup.
I’d be more inclined to say their customers spend that money to show off how expensive their vehicle is to people they know because they want to appear rich to others
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Some do, some don’t. Like every other group, there is a spectrum of people that fit into it.
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I live a few miles from the BMW factory and they claim that every car on the assembly line has different combinations of features as of the dealer orders. They don’t stock anything. When they located here they required that their more than 200 suppliers provide daily delivery of parts and assemblies. Some just have nearby warehouses. Others make or customise assemblies from scratch.