CAG Car Thread!

I have a backup camera but I turn around in my seat anyway. Just used to it.

I feel like it's not really that useful. Blind spot monitoring though I think would be helpful since it helps you avoid split second decision errors.

You know what is awesome but a complete luxury? Adaptive cruise control. I set it at 75 and just let it adjust down for me if necessary.

I'm gonna try the mirror adjustment in the honda my friend lent me while he's out of town. Hopefully I don't crash his car.
 
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Hey guys, I seek more advice. :) I posted here a few months ago looking for a nice used car. Long story short, I now have a really nice 2000 VW Passat with transmission issues. :cry: So instead of fix it, I'm going to trade it in, knowing that any VW lot will send it directly to auction without really looking into it.

Anyway, the part I need advice on. I just came out of the VW dealer after looking at used cars. He said I wouldn't be able to find a manual transmission Rabbit very easily, so of course, he tries to upsell me. But in the end, I was fairly convinced. With all of the promotions and blah blah blah, I can walk away with a 2014 Jetta, 0% interest for 72 months, at about $17k. That comes to about $264 a month for 6 years.

So, I have a few questions:
  • What do you think about the 2014 Jetta, and VW in general?
  • Do I buy his story that new cars are that much better than used ones? (Warranty, reliability, etc.)
  • For a recent college grad with a steady job, is buying a new car a good decision?
Right now, I'm halfway between screw him, I'll find a used Rabbit and he makes a damn good point about the cost of repairs for a used car. Any advice would be much appreciated. This would be my first new car, and only my third car ever, so I'm mostly new to this game.
 
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Ideally, newer cars are more reliable than older ones, and as long as it isn't the 1st year of a new generation, most of the kinks are usually worked out by the 3rd year and therefore generally the best version of a generation.

It sounds like you're not really into fixing cars and prefer reliability, so I would go with a newer car. At 0% APR, they're basically paying you for inflation and those are the types of finance offers I would have absolutely no problem going the full term. The caveat is that you should put at least 25% down so you won't be upside down on the loan in case you get in a wreck and it gets totaled. If that happens, then you're responsible for the difference between what insurance pays you and what's left on the loan. This way, you also avoid needing to pay for gap insurance. New college grads usually get a bit of a rebate if you go through manufacturer financing.

$20k isn't an extravagant amount to spend on a new car IMO, but you also have to consider the cost of ownership in regards to insurance premiums, excise tax, long term maintenance, etc. It might even behoove you to get an extended warranty if you're planning on keeping the car until it dies. That'll require some research on your own to see if the car has any trouble spots mechanically or electrically. Affordability varies from person to person so you should figure out your budget to see if that's too much money for you. General advice used to be 6 months of savings, but with the job market being what it is, I think people should bump that up to a year.
 
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VW's are expensive to maintain, but you'll have a warranty for three years, so you should be good.  You also get the free maintenance for the three years, so they have you covered on oil changes and anything else that might come up.  

In other news, my Treg will be obsolete this summer :cry:

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2014/04/2015-volkswagen-touareg-revealed-auto-china-beijing.html

2015-VW-Touareg-Front.jpg


J/K of course, since I'm going to drive it to the ground, or as long as it makes financial sense.

 
Access_Denied said:
Hey guys, I seek more advice. :) I posted here a few months ago looking for a nice used car. Long story short, I now have a really nice 2000 VW Passat with transmission issues. :cry: So instead of fix it, I'm going to trade it in, knowing that any VW lot will send it directly to auction without really looking into it.

Anyway, the part I need advice on. I just came out of the VW dealer after looking at used cars. He said I wouldn't be able to find a manual transmission Rabbit very easily, so of course, he tries to upsell me. But in the end, I was fairly convinced. With all of the promotions and blah blah blah, I can walk away with a 2014 Jetta, 0% interest for 72 months, at about $17k. That comes to about $264 a month for 6 years.

So, I have a few questions:

  • What do you think about the 2014 Jetta, and VW in general?
  • Do I buy his story that new cars are that much better than used ones? (Warranty, reliability, etc.)
  • For a recent college grad with a steady job, is buying a new car a good decision?
Right now, I'm halfway between screw him, I'll find a used Rabbit and he makes a damn good point about the cost of repairs for a used car. Any advice would be much appreciated. This would be my first new car, and only my third car ever, so I'm mostly new to this game.
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don't buy a new car unless you have the money to burn, the value drops too heavily in the beginning. Try to avoid stealerships.

I recommend you go american or Japanese. Euro cars typically cost more in parts and trust me, they break down just as much or more than american cars.

If you must buy a new car, make sure you follow this guide:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPor5b7JLLE

The 0% APR they offer you is usually at the cost of some other incentive. Always get your own financing. I got a 3 year loan for my CTS-V at 0.8% on a USED vehicle from Penfed. At the end of the day keep your eye on the ball of the TOTAL COST. Don't let them fool you with "incentives"

And the free maintenance is usually bullshit. Expect to have annoying issues once that window is up.

 
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Access_Denied said:
Hey guys, I seek more advice. :) I posted here a few months ago looking for a nice used car. Long story short, I now have a really nice 2000 VW Passat with transmission issues. :cry: So instead of fix it, I'm going to trade it in, knowing that any VW lot will send it directly to auction without really looking into it.

Anyway, the part I need advice on. I just came out of the VW dealer after looking at used cars. He said I wouldn't be able to find a manual transmission Rabbit very easily, so of course, he tries to upsell me. But in the end, I was fairly convinced. With all of the promotions and blah blah blah, I can walk away with a 2014 Jetta, 0% interest for 72 months, at about $17k. That comes to about $264 a month for 6 years.

So, I have a few questions:

  • What do you think about the 2014 Jetta, and VW in general?
  • Do I buy his story that new cars are that much better than used ones? (Warranty, reliability, etc.)
  • For a recent college grad with a steady job, is buying a new car a good decision?
Right now, I'm halfway between screw him, I'll find a used Rabbit and he makes a damn good point about the cost of repairs for a used car. Any advice would be much appreciated. This would be my first new car, and only my third car ever, so I'm mostly new to this game.
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If you're going on a 6 year term, you're going to need an extended warranty with a VW. I love my VW, but it is spendy when things need to be done. Buying a new car is a good decision if you plan on keeping it for at least 10 years, outside of that, it's usually a better idea to go with a used car.

Zoglog said:
don't buy a new car unless you have the money to burn, the value drops too heavily in the beginning. Try to avoid stealerships.

I recommend you go american or Japanese. Euro cars typically cost more in parts and trust me, they break down just as much or more than american cars.

If you must buy a new car, make sure you follow this guide:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPor5b7JLLE

The 0% APR they offer you is usually at the cost of some other incentive. Always get your own financing. I got a 3 year loan for my CTS-V at 0.8% on a USED vehicle from Penfed. At the end of the day keep your eye on the ball of the TOTAL COST. Don't let them fool you with "incentives"

And the free maintenance is usually bullshit. Expect to have annoying issues once that window is up.
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This man knows what he's talking about, listen to him. :) Except for the American car thing of course. ;)

 
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Put me in the new car camp. I don't have to worry about it because everything is minty fresh and covered by warranty.

I'm not over paying for depreciation. I'm paying for peace of mind.
 
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soulvengeance said:
If you're going on a 6 year term, you're going to need an extended warranty with a VW. I love my VW, but it is spendy when things need to be done. Buying a new car is a good decision if you plan on keeping it for at least 10 years, outside of that, it's usually a better idea to go with a used car.

This man knows what he's talking about, listen to him. :) Except for the American car thing of course. ;)
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I think American cars are making a decent comeback. Tesla, GM, Ford, etc. I know they have a decent amount of brand repairing to do (except Tesla). I got nothing against euro cars. I might be buying my brother's E92 M3 Coupe. However I'm aware of the realities of cost to repair those. Esp out of warranty.

 
Confucius said:
Put me in the new car camp. I don't have to worry about it because everything is minty fresh and covered by warranty.

I'm not over paying for depreciation. I'm paying for peace of mind.
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I totally agree with you on this one. My "compromise" is getting a car that's still under warranty. Lexus and Acura give 4 years, so finding a 3 year old car with 30k on the odo isn't terribly hard. I love the "new car" feeling though, but it also comes with the increased paranoia of people messing it up. Then again, I had the same level of paranoia with my 8 year old RSX. :rofl:

Inside and out, you'd never be able to tell it was 8 years old though!

Zoglog said:
I think American cars are making a decent comeback. Tesla, GM, Ford, etc. I know they have a decent amount of brand repairing to do (except Tesla). I got nothing against euro cars. I might be buying my brother's E92 M3 Coupe. However I'm aware of the realities of cost to repair those. Esp out of warranty.
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True. American cars are certainly making a comeback. Would I buy one? Only if they look like the new Vette at less than half the price. :lol:
 
My paranoia is that there's something seriously wrong with the car that's been covered up. Something chronic that might be fixed under warranty but still.

Obviously this can happen when buying a new car too but at least I know it wasn't because some jackass who owned it before me was responsible by not taking care of it.
 
Just got back from the dealer. I ended up buying it. I know that everybody has their own opinions on cars, but from what I can tell, the Jettas a pretty reliable. And I'm handy enough where I can fix most things that go wrong. It may turn out to be a mistake, but only time will tell. If I'm lucky, I'll still have mine 12 years from now like my cousin.

Didn't get to drive it home today though. Since I wanted a manual transmission, I have to wait a few days for it to come in. I'll post pics when I get it. :)
 
Zoglog said:
I think American cars are making a decent comeback. Tesla, GM, Ford, etc. I know they have a decent amount of brand repairing to do (except Tesla). I got nothing against euro cars. I might be buying my brother's E92 M3 Coupe. However I'm aware of the realities of cost to repair those. Esp out of warranty.
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Yeah, I was just kidding.:) A guy at work has a Chevy Sonic, I was actually surprised by the quality of the interior compared to the Chevy Cav z24 I owned way back when. Man, a M3, even though I know it would be a pain to fix it, I would be tempted to buy it. :)

 
Access_Denied said:
Just got back from the dealer. I ended up buying it. I know that everybody has their own opinions on cars, but from what I can tell, the Jettas a pretty reliable. And I'm handy enough where I can fix most things that go wrong. It may turn out to be a mistake, but only time will tell. If I'm lucky, I'll still have mine 12 years from now like my cousin.

Didn't get to drive it home today though. Since I wanted a manual transmission, I have to wait a few days for it to come in. I'll post pics when I get it. :)
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Congrats! What color is it?

 
I wanted a yellow one, but they don't make yellow Jettas. :cry: So I asked for red with blue as a second choice. I just wanted something that was different, so no white, black or silver.
 
dohdough said:
True. American cars are certainly making a comeback. Would I buy one? Only if they look like the new Vette at less than half the price. :lol:
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You ask too much haha. The C7 is already a great bargain for what you get.

Access_Denied said:
Just got back from the dealer. I ended up buying it. I know that everybody has their own opinions on cars, but from what I can tell, the Jettas a pretty reliable. And I'm handy enough where I can fix most things that go wrong. It may turn out to be a mistake, but only time will tell. If I'm lucky, I'll still have mine 12 years from now like my cousin.

Didn't get to drive it home today though. Since I wanted a manual transmission, I have to wait a few days for it to come in. I'll post pics when I get it. :)
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It's your money and your life. Nobody else can dictate your decisions for you. Congrats

soulvengeance said:
Yeah, I was just kidding. :) A guy at work has a Chevy Sonic, I was actually surprised by the quality of the interior compared to the Chevy Cav z24 I owned way back when. Man, a M3, even though I know it would be a pain to fix it, I would be tempted to buy it. :)
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I already know the rear right tire loses air. It's been sitting in my parent's garage for 3 years with nobody to really drive it. My parents hate driving it since they're old. Still, unless the price is phenomenal my gas bill will be rediculous with another V8 in my garage.

 
Access_Denied said:
Just got back from the dealer. I ended up buying it. I know that everybody has their own opinions on cars, but from what I can tell, the Jettas a pretty reliable. And I'm handy enough where I can fix most things that go wrong. It may turn out to be a mistake, but only time will tell. If I'm lucky, I'll still have mine 12 years from now like my cousin.

Didn't get to drive it home today though. Since I wanted a manual transmission, I have to wait a few days for it to come in. I'll post pics when I get it. :)
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Congrats dude! Drive what you like and like what you drive, is my motto! Enjoy it(when you get it)!

Don't forget the pics. ;)

Zoglog said:
You ask too much haha. The C7 is already a great bargain for what you get.
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I'll take less than half that power too. :lol:

I already know the rear right tire loses air. It's been sitting in my parent's garage for 3 years with nobody to really drive it. My parents hate driving it since they're old. Still, unless the price is phenomenal my gas bill will be rediculous with another V8 in my garage.
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He should give you the "brother" discount: FREE!
 
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Access_Denied said:
I wanted a yellow one, but they don't make yellow Jettas. :cry: So I asked for red with blue as a second choice. I just wanted something that was different, so no white, black or silver.
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Nice, congrats! Too bad they don't make the Fahrenheit edition anymore. That would've suited you perfectly :)

2007-volkswagen-jetta-gli-fahrenheit-edition-photo-105041-s-429x262.jpg


 
Im going with a jetta too. I actually love the redesign since 2011. Im going to trg to get a used one around 13-14k. You guys warned me about this and said i'd be better off with a civic/corrolla, but I guess I'm just too young and dumb and I want what I want lol.
 
I forgot to mention that they wouldn't give me much for my Passat. Apparently the mechanic we bought it from did a dashboard swap by himself, so the odometer didn't match the Carfax report. They offered me $300 and I declined. He agreed that I'd be better off donating it. Has any of you ever donated a car before? What's that process like?

I'm either going to donate it, or keep it around and replace the transmission at my leisure, just for shiggles. Now that I've got another car, I've got plenty of time to do it. :)

EDIT:

So I wasn't paying enough attention when I bought the car. I liked the base model because everything was simple. No heated mirrors (which cost a fortune to fix), no electronic seats (which break more than they should) and no fancy navigation system to distract me. However, I didn't think they actually still made cars without cruise control. :/ Luckily, it's only a couple hundred bucks and a few hours to install it yourself. Looks like that's my first order of action when I get it. Anybody every done that before? I'm most worried about having to remove the airbag; everything else seems easy.
 
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wwe101 said:
Im going with a jetta too. I actually love the redesign since 2011. Im going to trg to get a used one around 13-14k. You guys warned me about this and said i'd be better off with a civic/corrolla, but I guess I'm just too young and dumb and I want what I want lol.
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Haha, I wouldn't say I warn you against it, I love my Eos and we recently bought a Jetta Sportwagen. You just need to know that it's not as reliable as a civic/corolla. I think with the current special financing rate for a Jetta, 0 percent I believe, you should think about just getting a new one instead of a used one.

 
Just picked it up today. Had to drive straight to work, but I love it so far. I've only stalled it like 4 times. :lol:

kSA8TqD.jpg

EDIT: Forgot to mention that VW gave me GAP insurance for $8 a month. I thought it was a pretty good deal considering that it's a 6 year loan and I didn't put anything down. Plus, most insurance companies don't offer it here because it's not required in the state of Indiana.
 
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encendido5 said:
I hate hand washing my car sometimes. Every time I do, I find another scratch or dent that wasn't there before.
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I feel you man. It's just the game we play by dd-ing our rides. :(

On a general note, Advanced Auto is running another promotion for about 40% where you can pick up some Bosch Icon wipers.
 
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Hmmm turns out my bro might not be coming back from China in the near future so I may have the opportunity to pick up his 2010 M3 for a pretty damn good price.

Question is do I sell my Altima, and Saab 9-2x to fund the purchase? My biggest concern is I'll end up with a slightly more fuel efficient V8 than my CTS-V Wagon which will have to do daily driving duties. Not the most cost effective option.

On the other hand my garage could soon look like this (not my V)

IMG_20140102_120959.jpg


 
That's a tough call man.  As much as I would love to have an M3, it's just not practical.  I can see it as a toy car, but for a daily driver?  I think I'd rather just stick to a comfortable ride than a speed machine.

 
Zoglog said:
Hmmm turns out my bro might not be coming back from China in the near future so I may have the opportunity to pick up his 2010 M3 for a pretty damn good price.

Question is do I sell my Altima, and Saab 9-2x to fund the purchase? My biggest concern is I'll end up with a slightly more fuel efficient V8 than my CTS-V Wagon which will have to do daily driving duties. Not the most cost effective option.

On the other hand my garage could soon look like this (not my V)
IMG_20140102_120959.jpg
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgoqrgc_0cM

Big pimpin'
Spendin' G's...
...on gas... :rofl:

edit: If you're going to be putting miles on the M3 like you did on the Altima, why NOT have some fun if you can afford it? Financially, it might be more of a lateral move to go from maintaining those 2 cars down to 1.
 
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One aspect as well is that I would like a car I don't give a damn about. Driving and parking nicer cars around LA is a bit stressful to be honest. I like jumping in my altima and not giving 2 f's about where I park it. I don't know if I could do that with the M3, even if I get it for a fantastic price.

 
Good news on the car front! My gf is tired of her brother wrecking her car that she's loaning him, so...she's taking it back. That means I get to keep the BRZ! SCORE!
 
Looking to see what people on here might think the issue is.

I left work today and my car wouldn't start.  I was able to get it jumped only when I put my foot on the break to put the car in reverse it died.  When I got it towed the guy told me the battery is fine.  Some times it sounds like it might have a click when trying to start, some times the click doesn't happen till after I shut the car off, but most the time it does nothing.  With people trying to get things done before the long weekend next week the shop wont be able to look at it till most likely Monday.  

Messed up thing is I was thinking about trading last weekend.

 
That sucks man. I don't know too much about mechanical issues, but if it isn't the battery, maybe it could be the fuel pump?
 
If that's cheaper than the alternator or anything electrical than hopefully that's it.  I keep getting this feeling that come Monday I'm getting a phone call telling me it's something big and it's going to cost a lot.

 
Flying out to Europe this week and then Nurburgring next week. Bucket list item gonna be checked off :)

I'd better get some practice in Forza 4 while I can with my wheel....

Day 1: BMW M5 Ring Taxi
Day 2: Trackday with Skylimit events
Renting a Golf GTI from rentracecar (10 laps) with 6 laps of instruction.
Day 3: Public Day with the Golf GTI (4 laps)

I pondered switching to the Sirocco for Day 3 or the porsche 997. The 24,999 euro insurance deductible deposit was enough to make me avoid the porsche o_O.

Hope I'm making good choices here. The trackday sounds intimidating to hit so many laps on my first time there.

 
Found out last week about the car.  Just forgot to post an update.  Ended up being just the battery.  I have never had one do that when it went dead.  Glad it was just that as I was expecting worse.  However with it going to a dealer it cost me a lot more than I would have liked to pay for a better.

 
sendme said:
Found out last week about the car. Just forgot to post an update. Ended up being just the battery. I have never had one do that when it went dead. Glad it was just that as I was expecting worse. However with it going to a dealer it cost me a lot more than I would have liked to pay for a better.
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Having it ONLY be the battery is great news.
 
Yeah I was glad to hear that it was only the battery.  Also a little confused as I have never had a vehicle do that when the battery had been dead.  Glad it was only the battery, it just sucks that I couldn't put it in gear to take it to auto zone to get it checked and a new one.  For an 05 it could have been much worse.  

 
I'm wondering how safe it is to buy a car on Craigslist at a higher value. I've always bought for 3k to 5k on there but now I'm considering one for 12k-15k. Would a mechanic possinly miss something on inspection if I gpt one before purchase? What if it was in an accident and I didn't know it?
 
Apparently me and confucius are living duplicate lives.  I'm starting to look for another car at this point to pair with my forester. 

I really like Volvo s60 series, but can't decide between a car or another forester.

 
Friend of Sonic said:
I'm wondering how safe it is to buy a car on Craigslist at a higher value. I've always bought for 3k to 5k on there but now I'm considering one for 12k-15k. Would a mechanic possinly miss something on inspection if I gpt one before purchase? What if it was in an accident and I didn't know it?
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There's always a chance that'll they'll miss something. That's just the risk of buying used. There are usually dead giveaways if a car has been in an accident: panels don't line up perfectly or gaps are inconsistent, luster of the paint is different, paint is different shades on the panels.

irideabike said:
Apparently me and confucius are living duplicate lives. I'm starting to look for another car at this point to pair with my forester.

I really like Volvo s60 series, but can't decide between a car or another forester.
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2015 WRX? Cheaper and has a good partial overlap collision(or whatever the new collision test is called) rating.
 
irideabike said:
Apparently me and confucius are living duplicate lives. I'm starting to look for another car at this point to pair with my forester.

I really like Volvo s60 series, but can't decide between a car or another forester.
Click to expand...
Volvos scare me on reliability.

What do you need the second car for?
 
irideabike said:
Apparently me and confucius are living duplicate lives. I'm starting to look for another car at this point to pair with my forester.

I really like Volvo s60 series, but can't decide between a car or another forester.
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get the volvo S60. Awesome car. Esp the T6.

well, I picked up my rental car from Paris today....

10377430_10152222289974142_5565861593926641090_n.jpg

I guess this auris hybrid is kind of like the prius or prius c? only 11km on the ODO.... Time to tear up the autobahn lulz....

 
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I just got a new toy. It had been too long since I had a classic Muscle Car(used to have a gorgeous red w/black 1969 Camaro RS with a well built 383). Was looking at a few Camaros that I might turn into Pro Touring cars, until I saw this:
ixA8Che.jpg
....which was already underway being turned into one.
JDRYxRp.jpg
bUw9HLn.jpg
 
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