Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

houdini1

jmonroe said:

nyccarguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

abacomike said:

oldfarmer50 said:

I'm jealous. Just found out the guy at the mom and pop pizza place owns a C7 Corvette.

Gotta learn how to make pizza.

I prefer eating pizza as opposed to making pizza. 

I'd give up eating pizza for a C7. And Mitchell was right, it's the owner's but this place is a hole in the wall operation so now I'm wondering if there's a gambling parlor in the back.

Looks can be deceiving.  You should see our plumbing supply.  Hole in the wall would be a nice way of describing it.

You're right about looks being deceiving. The best ribs I ever ate came from a place that should have been condemned.

jmonroe

All the good rib joints look like that.

Mr_Shiftright

jmonroe said:

oldfarmer50 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

I'm jealous. Just found out the guy at the mom and pop pizza place owns a C7 Corvette. Gotta learn how to make pizza.

I prefer eating pizza as opposed to making pizza. 

I'd give up eating pizza for a C7. And Mitchell was right, it's the owner's but this place is a hole in the wall operation so now I'm wondering if there's a gambling parlor in the back.

Looks can be deceiving.  You should see our plumbing supply.  Hole in the wall would be a nice way of describing it.

You're right about looks being deceiving. The best ribs I ever ate came from a place that should have been condemned. jmonroe

Yes but what KIND of ribs?

stickguy

TJC, that at Burns? I have never used them. Always ended up going to T'ville. though they are not very speedy at the Hyundai store (the Acura service department is way more efficient).

GG, agreed that you probably need a legal opinion. Hopefully informing them of that will get them to budge and you won't need to go to the mat.

Farmer, as long as they are legit need items, like the air filter, they are performing a service. Plenty of people don't have the time, desire, or even ability to replace even a simple item like that. If you are busy, they throw it in, you pay for convenience, and on your way.

heck, you made a living charging people to do something they could do themselves (grow veggies)!

snakeweasel

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

Sandman; Glad you got the car back and you are pleased. If it is worth fixing they can do a pretty good job of it, it should be as good as new.

OF, glad you are enjoying the job. It sounds like fun.
Sometimes I would like to get a job, work for a few days, and then tell the boss off and walk out. There were times I wanted to do it, now I can actually do it.

I must have missed Sandy's report on the car repair. Was wondering if he noticed any lasting effects from the accident.

Driver, why would you take a job only to walk out after a few days? Most jobs took me 20+ years to get to the point where I wanted to blast the boss.

Besides, why would you give up the glory of being a world class Pickleball champ?

I have seen people leave after only a few hours. When I was in boot camp we had a guy desert after only 12 hours in boot camp. Seriously, he arrived sometime like 7 or 8 PM and by 6 AM the next day he was gone.

graphicguy

Thanks guys.

Mike....I’ve had homeowners with Stare Farm for about a dozen years. You bring up a good point. Never had another claim with them before. So much for their pre-existing conditions claim.

My agent claims he’s fighting for me. He’s been pretty useless in all of this, though.

Guess I’m lawyering up. I HATE being taken advantage of. State Farm and their adjuster are worthless jerks.

abacomike

oldfarmer50 said:

Got a call from the dealership in West Palm Beach where I got my S450.  It seems they just sold my 2017 BMW 740i (the trade-in) but are having trouble getting the title reissued to the new owner.  It seems they need a signed affidavit from the previous owner attesting to the fact that the BMW did not sustain any hurricane damage during Irma last September.  

So I am going to drive up there this morning to sign the affidavit - but before doing so, I am going to read that document very, very carefully.  Unless it states that prior to November 10, 2017 (date I traded the car) and only while I owned the vehicle, the car did not sustain any damage due to Hurricane Irma, to the best of my knowledge.  I sure don’t want anyone coming after me if the car was damaged prior to my ownership or after I traded the car in to the Mercedes dealership.

If the document does not state the above, either they add it as an addendum to the disclosure or I will refuse to sign it.  Got to be so careful these days due to the litigious nature of our society.

That's interesting Mike. Does that apply to all cars sold in Florida or just when dealers are involved. I'd feel better buying a private sale vehicle if it came with an affidavit of that type. Of course the crooks would find a way around it but it might stop grandma from "forgetting" to tell you that her Buick got blown into the canal during the storm.

Mike...seems odd to me. The dealer you traded it to is the new owner. Once that transaction took place, it’s finished. I know it didn’t sustain any damage because you’re an honest person. But, even if it did, the dealership owns the car they are trying to sell. Not you. Personally, I wouldn’t make a special trip. Have them email you the affidavit so you can look at it at your leisure.....and to keep you from making a special trip. Ooooops! looks like I’m too late to the party. I posted before I saw Mike had already made the trip. Still, regardless of where the car was sold, something doesn’t smell right about this. The BMW was traded months ago. Title should have been in the hand of the dealership a long time ago. Not a branded title, either. Not sure about any dealership that would want me to come back after the fact (months after the fact) and sign an affidavit that the car I traded was “OK”. Their inspection should have told them that. Your title was clean, right? Can’t quite wrap my arms around this. Agree with others......a detail is what they offered for your trouble. Not thinking that would have been sufficient....not by a long shot.

I think this is all on the state of IL jerking the new owner around. I had a similar problem with NY when i tried to buy a Buick from the widow of the registered owner. Because it was a Florida title NY wouldn't let the widow sign it unless she presented testamentary letters from probate. Would have cost her thousands so the deal fell apart.

The dealer had a FLORIDA title in my name.  The dealership does not file for a new title in their name because they are a dealer.  The car is unregistered once they receive title from the lien holder.  They use “dealer plates” because it is an unregistered vehicle.  When they sell the car, they file for a new title in the name of the new owner.  If they wholesale the car, the existing clear title goes along with the car to the wholesaler who buys the car.  New title is only issued when car is retailed.

In this case, the dealership submitted the Florida title along with transfer of ownership in the buyer’s name to the Secretary of State of Illinois.  But Illinois will not issue the new clear Illinois title unless the form is submitted with appropriate signatures and properly notarized along with Illinois submission forms.

If the car was sold in Florida this form may not have had to be submitted since I do not know the vehicle registration requirements fo Florida.  My guess is that Florida has a similar form.

abacomike

graphicguy said:

Thanks guys. Mike....I’ve had homeowners with Stare Farm for about a dozen years. You bring up a good point. Never had another claim with them before. So much for their pre-existing conditions claim. My agent claims he’s fighting for me. He’s been pretty useless in all of this, though. Guess I’m lawyering up. I HATE being taken advantage of. State Farm and their adjuster are worthless jerks.

It appears they are responsible for repairs since it is obvious they have been the primary insurer during the time the leak occurred and then the ensuing damage due to the leak.  They might want to claim that you did not take preventive measures to avoid the ensuing damage, but you obviously did no know there was a leak until the cave in.

You definitely need a lawyer - however I am going to guess you will be forced into arbitration by State Farm - check the fine print in your policy - you probably cannot take them to court.

Another option is to contact your State’s Insurance Dept. under consumer affairs.  They, too, might be able to assist.

abacomike

graphicguy said:

Thanks guys. Mike....I’ve had homeowners with Stare Farm for about a dozen years. You bring up a good point. Never had another claim with them before. So much for their pre-existing conditions claim. My agent claims he’s fighting for me. He’s been pretty useless in all of this, though. Guess I’m lawyering up. I HATE being taken advantage of. State Farm and their adjuster are worthless jerks.

If your agent is a top producer for State Farm and he considers you as a vital client, the agent might be of some help.  But if the agent is not a top producer, he’ll get nowhere.

venture

graphicguy said:

Thanks guys.

Mike....I’ve had homeowners with Stare Farm for about a dozen years. You bring up a good point. Never had another claim with them before. So much for their pre-existing conditions claim.

My agent claims he’s fighting for me. He’s been pretty useless in all of this, though.

Guess I’m lawyering up. I HATE being taken advantage of. State Farm and their adjuster are worthless jerks.

I used to have State Farm. Had them for 20 years. They insured both houses and all my cars...until one day when a guy backed into my wife's van in a parking lot and, for who knows why, they blamed her. The guy was on risk insurance and even said that happens to him all the time. My agent (who was new to the business - he took over for a guy who had recently retired so he was not a top producer), didn't seem to want to get involved.

The next week I transferred all my business to another insurer. It probably didn't bother them at all, but it sure made me feel better.

iluvmysephia1

Thanks guys.

Mike....I’ve had homeowners with Stare Farm for about a dozen years. You bring up a good point. Never had another claim with them before. So much for their pre-existing conditions claim.

My agent claims he’s fighting for me. He’s been pretty useless in all of this, though.

Guess I’m lawyering up. I HATE being taken advantage of. State Farm and their adjuster are worthless jerks.

Sorry you have ta go through this, graphicguy. I have my car insurance through a State Farm agency here in Alamo and I'm wondering where my monthly bill is. I paid my initial payment on the phone with my credit card and it's been over a month from now, IIRC. I should have received my first monthly payment in the mail by now. I'll call them tomorrow morning about it. We ended up with Traveler's Insurance for the house we just bought here. Plus, I'm going to bundle with Traveler's for the car insurance - my '11 Kia Soul car insurance monthly payment will only be $55 a month! Our house insurance has to have a separate flood insurance payment made monthly rolled in to the mortgage payment as well because FEMA needs help from house consumers building back up their kitty has deemed us in a Alamogordo flood zone. Yippee!

As to your story, graphicguy, man, I agree with the others, lawyer up. abacomike is right, try your State's Insurance Dept./consumer affairs dept. for help. If you've had a policy for 12 years with them this claim is on them. I hope you get it handled in your favor, man.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50 said:

Looks like jmonroe left the gate open:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/goats-rescued-after-daring-climb-onto-pennsylvania-bridge/

I have an up date on this.

It was first reported that neither PennDot or the PA Turnpike Commission had a clue as to how the goats got up there. The Turnpike Commission is now investigating the possibility that the goats had a stolen E-ZPass.

jmonroe

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

My son took his Sable to the quickie lube yesterday for an oil change and they came back with a laundry list of "oughta do" items. Glad he didn't fall for it since stuff like tranny flushes had been done last year at my indie shop.

One item was engine air filter for $30. Went out this morning and found one for 10 bucks at the chain auto store. Probably could have done better if I shopped around.

They really try to clean up on unknowledgeable people.

All of those "recommended" services are part of the quickie lube business model. I treat them like I treat SXM - I avoid them. But they are far from unique. When I had my Regal my GM dealer suggested I needed an air filter and that for $90 they would change it. I passed. On the way home I stopped at the auto parts store in my 'hood and got one for $10. The real annoyance was that they had the airbox opened up to inspect the old filter so if they had asked me at that point and offered up even the dealer retail price of the filter I probably would have gone for it. But they put the old one back in and sealed up the housing (4 or 5 Torx screws) and tried to charge me 30 minutes labor for a job they already had done.

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright said:

jmonroe said:

oldfarmer50 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

I'm jealous. Just found out the guy at the mom and pop pizza place owns a C7 Corvette.

Gotta learn how to make pizza.

I prefer eating pizza as opposed to making pizza. 

I'd give up eating pizza for a C7. And Mitchell was right, it's the owner's but this place is a hole in the wall operation so now I'm wondering if there's a gambling parlor in the back.

Looks can be deceiving.  You should see our plumbing supply.  Hole in the wall would be a nice way of describing it.

You're right about looks being deceiving. The best ribs I ever ate came from a place that should have been condemned.

jmonroe

Yes but what KIND of ribs?

You gotta be kidding, right.

Around here it's BBQ PORK ribs. Now you have me craving some of those. I don't think it is too late to grab a package out of the freezer and have it thawed out in time for dinner at 6:30. I'm not one to brag but I make a pretty good HOT BBQ sauce not the traditional smokey type but HOT. Mrs. j won't go near my sauce, just uses the store bought wimpy stuff. No problem, just more for me.

jmonroe

roadburner

jmonroe said:

nyccarguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

abacomike said:

oldfarmer50 said:

I'm jealous. Just found out the guy at the mom and pop pizza place owns a C7 Corvette.

Gotta learn how to make pizza.

I prefer eating pizza as opposed to making pizza. 

I'd give up eating pizza for a C7. And Mitchell was right, it's the owner's but this place is a hole in the wall operation so now I'm wondering if there's a gambling parlor in the back.

Looks can be deceiving.  You should see our plumbing supply.  Hole in the wall would be a nice way of describing it.

You're right about looks being deceiving. The best ribs I ever ate came from a place that should have been condemned.

jmonroe

I took the front bumper from my Bavaria to a plating shop in Nashville that looked like an absolute dump. They did concours quality work for less than what the shops in Louisville wanted. The local shops also acted like they were doing me a favor just talking to me.

roadburner

graphicguy said:

OK....coming back to you guys for opinions.

Had mentioned several weeks ago I had a plumbing leak. It was in my master bath under the jacuzzi tub. The plumber had to cut out tile, wood, and part of the bracing of the tub to get to the leak. Since my walk in shower is next to the tub, the plumber believes that some of the water is sitting under the shower pan.

The leak was so bad, that part of the ceiling in my garage caved in (my master is right above my garage).

In addition, a little further down the same piping, was another leak (same pipe, different break) which extended into my basement home theater room.

My insurance company (State Farm) sent an adjuster. He had called me to set up an appointment (this was back in the first part of Feb). After describing what was going on, he said h didn’t think I would be able to cover my deductible ($2K) with the damage.........THIS IS BEFORE HE EVEN LOOKED AT IT. Sure enough, when he came out to look at the damage, he claimed part of the damage was “pre-existing”. He was a jerk, to boot, so that didn’t help matters.

Now, I requested a new adjuster. State Farm has refused to do so stating they’re sticking with the original adjsters inspection.

I’m between a rock and a hard space.

I’m kind of hemmed in here. The estimates to fix the damage comes in between $18K-$20K. Obviously, State Farm doesn’t want to pony up. I can come out of pocket to do it, but don’t want to just yet as I don’t want to cover up the damage.

2 months in, I’ve got a trashed master bath and home theater room. And, no end in sight.

Do I have to lawyer up? Why in the hell do I even pay for insurance if they won’t cover me?

Advice?

Hire an attorney; he/she will likely use the Ohio law on bad faith claims . You can collect attorney fees and punitive damages if the facts warrant it.
Back when I did a little PI auto accident work State Farm had the reputation of taking care of their insured while fighting tooth and nail to avoid paying a penny to the other party.

imidazol97

roadburner said:

Back when I did a little PI auto accident work State Farm had the reputation of taking care of their insured while fighting tooth and nail to avoid paying a penny to the other party.

My experience with State Farm has been just that. I have replacement value on my home and they redid the chimney tile with stainless steel lining after it was discovered a fire had occurred in the chimney at some time. New crown. No charge.

Same for replacing the roof due to hail damage a few years back. They paid to add on a layer of plywood over the original roofing to level out uneven curing in the roof trusses and softening of the OEM plywood. House built in 1976. No charge for shingles that were 20 years old that were damaged. They even replaced the shingles on my storage barn which I had re-shingled a few years earlier myself with a ridge vent.

They did NOT pay for replacing the gutters which a couple of other insurers did do for neighbors.

imidazol97

Speaking of shingles...
I got the Shingrex vaccination in January, as soon as it was available. I had had the earlier shingles vaccination which didn't protect against a high percentage of viruses but was better than nothing.

The Shingrex requires a follow up vaccination after 2 to 6 months. My Kroger pharmacy kept robo calling that I had a prescription ready but none had been ordered. Turned out it's a reminder for my second Shingrex. I'll get it later after coming home from the Smokey Mountains for a few days..

tbirdmarco

Gg  fit them get sum legal advice

tbirdmarco

So trew. Driver

houdini1

graphicguy said:

Thanks guys.

Mike....I’ve had homeowners with Stare Farm for about a dozen years. You bring up a good point. Never had another claim with them before. So much for their pre-existing conditions claim.

My agent claims he’s fighting for me. He’s been pretty useless in all of this, though.

Guess I’m lawyering up. I HATE being taken advantage of. State Farm and their adjuster are worthless jerks.

No matter what your agent says, remember, he is a State Farm employee, or a "captive agent" who only places business with State Farm. His first duty is to State Farm. Unless he toes the line they can make his life miserable. I know you are upset, but you are in the right here. Take 'em to court. That is the last thing they want. It appears they have already admitted liability, so the only question is how much.

tjc78

stickguy said:

TJC, that at Burns? I have never used them. Always ended up going to T'ville. though they are not very speedy at the Hyundai store (the Acura service department is way more efficient). GG, agreed that you probably need a legal opinion. Hopefully informing them of that will get them to budge and you won't need to go to the mat. Farmer, as long as they are legit need items, like the air filter, they are performing a service. Plenty of people don't have the time, desire, or even ability to replace even a simple item like that. If you are busy, they throw it in, you pay for convenience, and on your way. heck, you made a living charging people to do something they could do themselves (grow veggies)!

Yes Burns... I should use Turnersville since it is closer to both Work and Home, but Burns really has treated me well.  I’ve been dealing with them since 2009 when I got the Genesis.  The Buick dealer next door is just as good.  

driver100

GG, There really should be an insurance ombudsman because it has become very difficult to get compensated by many insurance companies today.

I read this article which didn't offer much hope beyond the advice given by our C&C experts, but it did mention this which probably won't work, but, is worth a try;

Filing a Complaint and Hiring an Attorney (if your claim amount is high enough)
Claim disputes rarely make it to this stage. If you are unable to reach an agreement on a claim with your home insurance company, and have exhausted all of the above options, there are only two other things you can do.

Policyholders can report what they feel is mistreatment or bad business practices to their state insurance department. The department should investigate your claim and provide you advice on what step to take next. They typically evaluate whether your complaint is justified, and if so, will reach out to your insurance provider through its own channels, and encourage a fairer resolution.

FULL ARTICLE

btw....I had an agent that stalled for a long time after my collision.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

TJC, that at Burns? I have never used them. Always ended up going to T'ville. though they are not very speedy at the Hyundai store (the Acura service department is way more efficient).

GG, agreed that you probably need a legal opinion. Hopefully informing them of that will get them to budge and you won't need to go to the mat.

Farmer, as long as they are legit need items, like the air filter, they are performing a service. Plenty of people don't have the time, desire, or even ability to replace even a simple item like that. If you are busy, they throw it in, you pay for convenience, and on your way.

heck, you made a living charging people to do something they could do themselves (grow veggies)!

As I frequently explain to customers, they are paying for my time in growing the vegetables, the veggies themselves are free.

Quickie lube wanted $20 for 5 minutes work. If I sold produce at that hourly rate I'd be a millionaire.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

Here's someone else that MB copied the C from

fintail

Both of those cars have 4 wheels and 4 doors.

driver100

fintail said:

Both of those cars have 4 wheels and 4 doors.

Not only that, but the Altima is a 2018....so they copied the 2015 C Class.
A 2014 Altima looks nothing like a 2015 C Class....maybe a bit of Mazda fender flair going on:

driver100

If you are having a boring day here is an interesting fact that could dazzle your friends;

Do you know how many portholes Buicks usually have on each side?

Answer: Officially called “ventiports,” but better known as portholes, Buick uses them to signify the number of cylinders under the given model’s hood. The Lucerne Super has four ventiports on top of each front quarter-panel to signify its V-8 engine, while the V-6 LaCrosse, Enclave, and Lucerne have three on each side. Four-cylinder models Regal and base LaCrosse have two on each side

This doesn't always work because at one time there were inline 6s, but it is a general rule.

tbirdmarco

all   Interesting reading  aboveSo trew. Driver

isellhondas

andres3 said:

abacomike said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Just got home from the dealership in West Palm Beach.

First of all, I found out they sold the BMW 740i to a guy who lives in Northern Illinois but winters in Palm Beach.  They sold it for $48,500, or $7,500 less than they gave me for it.  They lost their shirts on that sale - 5 months they had it on their lot.

Secondly, they detailed my S450 at no charge for coming up there to sign the affidavit.  Took them 2 hours.

Finally, I found out it was the State of Illinois that caused the issue.  They would not issue a clean title for the 740i to the new owner unless they had a signed Illinois DMV affidavit signed by the previous owner (me) and notarized stating that the car was not damaged by the hurricane nor did it have any water damage from the storm.

This is because the East and West Coasts of Florida and the Central part of the State were impacted by a hurricane that caused significant damage.  I live in a “disaster area county” proclaimed by the Governor of Florida and FEMA.  Remember, the car was in my Brother's garage because I drove up there to avoid Irma after they indicated it would hit the Southeast coast directly (which it did not - hit southwestern coast).  But because the car was registered in Broward County, a disaster area county, the vehicle was susceptible to hurricane damage.

So it was not Florida, it was Illinois that required the affidavit.  I would assume there are similar requirements in other states issuing titles to Florida and Houston Area (Harris County) vehicles in order to protect vehicle purchasers of cars from disaster areas.

As for CARFAX, they don’t always have complete and/or accurate info on every car.  Besides, Illinois would not accept a clean CARFAX on that car as evidence the car sustained no damage.

Is this the form they had you sign?

https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/vsd694.pdf

That would be an interesting dilemma if you refused to sign or if the car was sold to the dealer by an estate (which might happen in Florida often).

Yes - the exact same form with 2nd and 3rd boxes checked.  Glad you found it.

I'd of charged them 10% of the sale price to sign it

That doesn't surprise me.

Here that store took a massive loss and went the extra mile and you want to impose a charge on them?

isellhondas

Mr_Shiftright said:

jmonroe said:

oldfarmer50 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

I'm jealous. Just found out the guy at the mom and pop pizza place owns a C7 Corvette.

Gotta learn how to make pizza.

I prefer eating pizza as opposed to making pizza. 

I'd give up eating pizza for a C7. And Mitchell was right, it's the owner's but this place is a hole in the wall operation so now I'm wondering if there's a gambling parlor in the back.

Looks can be deceiving.  You should see our plumbing supply.  Hole in the wall would be a nice way of describing it.

You're right about looks being deceiving. The best ribs I ever ate came from a place that should have been condemned.

jmonroe

Yes but what KIND of ribs?

Yeah, I think that rib place also served Fried Green Tomatoes!

tbirdmarco

 Happy Monday everyone talking about ribs in here I’m ready for some now can have it for breakfast as crazy as that might sound or maybe some pizza have a good day all will check in here tonight again 

driver100

JMonroe

but what KIND of ribs?

Yeah, I think that rib place also served Fried Green Tomatoes

NYC's Plumbing Supply & Hickory Smoke Flavored Back Ribs

snakeweasel

Good Monday morning everyone. It's April 9th, three weeks into spring and it's a wonderful day, they sky is sunny and it's nice and warm. Just kidding, I'm about to drive to work in a @#$%& snowstorm.  :@ There is a few inches on the ground and it's still snowing. I want my spring.

ab348

snakeweasel said:

Good Monday morning everyone. It's April 9th, three weeks into spring and it's a wonderful day, they sky is sunny and it's nice and warm. Just kidding, I'm about to drive to work in a @#$%& snowstorm.  :@ There is a few inches on the ground and it's still snowing. I want my spring.

We got about 8 inches here yesterday. Everybody is very cranky.

stickguy

I had to put my knit hat and gloves on this AM to walk the dog. And my hands still froze. And I’m near philly, not the snow belt!

jmonroe

ab348 said:

snakeweasel said:

Good Monday morning everyone. It's April 9th, three weeks into spring and it's a wonderful day, they sky is sunny and it's nice and warm. Just kidding, I'm about to drive to work in a @#$%& snowstorm.  :@ There is a few inches on the ground and it's still snowing. I want my spring.

We got about 8 inches here yesterday. Everybody is very cranky.

We got the slightest dusting and only on the grass and my deck. High today is predicted to be 40 F. Yeah, it would be nice if mother nature woke up and realized it is Spring and not take so seriously what rodent Punxsutawney Phil said. :@

Cranky, yeah, I'm going to be cranky any minute now. I'm about to start my taxes both Federal and state. I have to remain a good American and keep reminding myself that it is un-American not to cheat on your taxes.

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright

Well he said the place was a dive---I was thinking "stray cats".

snakeweasel

ab348 said:

Good Monday morning everyone. It's April 9th, three weeks into spring and it's a wonderful day, they sky is sunny and it's nice and warm. Just kidding, I'm about to drive to work in a @#$%& snowstorm.  :@ There is a few inches on the ground and it's still snowing. I want my spring.

We got about 8 inches here yesterday. Everybody is very cranky.

Last week was the White Sox home opener and it snowed, today is the Cubs home opener and it's snowing. Someone doesn't like Chicago baseball teams. 

houdini1

snakeweasel said:

Good Monday morning everyone. It's April 9th, three weeks into spring and it's a wonderful day, they sky is sunny and it's nice and warm. Just kidding, I'm about to drive to work in a @#$%& snowstorm.  :@ There is a few inches on the ground and it's still snowing. I want my spring.

Snowed all day in KC on Sunday. Mid 30' though so no harm. Supposed to be in 80's later this week.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

Answer: Officially called “ventiports,” but better known as portholes, Buick uses them to signify the number of cylinders under the given model’s hood. The Lucerne Super has four ventiports on top of each front quarter-panel to signify its V-8 engine, while the V-6 LaCrosse, Enclave, and Lucerne have three on each side. Four-cylinder models Regal and base LaCrosse have two on each side

This doesn't always work because at one time there were inline 6s, but it is a general rule.

There's a camry in town with 4 on each side? What does that mean?

I'm surprised MB hasn't put VentiPorts on its cars... LOL

imidazol97

I was thinking the original VentiPorts were to exhaust for the engine. But then I recalled reading they were for airflow for ventilation. But originally some had lights in them wired to the ignition wires so they sparked amber with each firing of the plugs.

I was curious about the straight sixes in Buick but haven't looked them up. Here's the scoop:

"It was also in 1949 that Buick introduced “VentiPorts.” Four were displayed on each of the Roadmaster’s front fenders, with three on the fenders of all other Buicks. The sales brochure noted that VentiPorts helped ventilate the engine compartment. The idea for VentiPorts grew out of a modification Buick styling chief Ned Nickles had added to his own 1948 Roadmaster. Four amber lights were installed on each side of the car’s hood which were wired to the distributor. The lights flashed on and off as each piston fired which was supposed to simulate the flames from the exhaust stack of a fighter airplane. Combined with the bombsight mascot, VentiPorts put the driver at the controls of an imaginary fighter airplane. Buick chief Harlow Curtice was so impressed with this styling feature that he ordered that non-lighting VentiPorts be installed on all 1949 Buicks, with the number of VentiPorts (three or four) corresponding to the relative displacement of the straight-eight engine installed."

andres3

abacomike said:

andres3 said:

abacomike said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Just got home from the dealership in West Palm Beach.

First of all, I found out they sold the BMW 740i to a guy who lives in Northern Illinois but winters in Palm Beach.  They sold it for $48,500, or $7,500 less than they gave me for it.  They lost their shirts on that sale - 5 months they had it on their lot.

Secondly, they detailed my S450 at no charge for coming up there to sign the affidavit.  Took them 2 hours.

Finally, I found out it was the State of Illinois that caused the issue.  They would not issue a clean title for the 740i to the new owner unless they had a signed Illinois DMV affidavit signed by the previous owner (me) and notarized stating that the car was not damaged by the hurricane nor did it have any water damage from the storm.

This is because the East and West Coasts of Florida and the Central part of the State were impacted by a hurricane that caused significant damage.  I live in a “disaster area county” proclaimed by the Governor of Florida and FEMA.  Remember, the car was in my Brother's garage because I drove up there to avoid Irma after they indicated it would hit the Southeast coast directly (which it did not - hit southwestern coast).  But because the car was registered in Broward County, a disaster area county, the vehicle was susceptible to hurricane damage.

So it was not Florida, it was Illinois that required the affidavit.  I would assume there are similar requirements in other states issuing titles to Florida and Houston Area (Harris County) vehicles in order to protect vehicle purchasers of cars from disaster areas.

As for CARFAX, they don’t always have complete and/or accurate info on every car.  Besides, Illinois would not accept a clean CARFAX on that car as evidence the car sustained no damage.

Is this the form they had you sign?

https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/vsd694.pdf

That would be an interesting dilemma if you refused to sign or if the car was sold to the dealer by an estate (which might happen in Florida often).

Yes - the exact same form with 2nd and 3rd boxes checked.  Glad you found it.

I'd of charged them 10% of the sale price to sign it

That’s the difference between you and me - I have a sense of fairness and tend to be generous to a fault.  Why would I demand $10,000 from someone who has not hurt me and has been up front and sincere in their request to sign a document in order to finalize a sale of a vehicle I once owned?  They lost $7500 on that car - why drive a stake in their heart?  It makes no sense!

On this one, you're 100% right!

However, some car dealerships are less reputable, and I could see a person "driving the stake" to get some revenge.

If you have a good relationship with the dealership, no reason not to be friendly.

andres3

graphicguy said:

OK....coming back to you guys for opinions.

Had mentioned several weeks ago I had a plumbing leak. It was in my master bath under the jacuzzi tub. The plumber had to cut out tile, wood, and part of the bracing of the tub to get to the leak. Since my walk in shower is next to the tub, the plumber believes that some of the water is sitting under the shower pan.

The leak was so bad, that part of the ceiling in my garage caved in (my master is right above my garage).

In addition, a little further down the same piping, was another leak (same pipe, different break) which extended into my basement home theater room.

My insurance company (State Farm) sent an adjuster. He had called me to set up an appointment (this was back in the first part of Feb). After describing what was going on, he said h didn’t think I would be able to cover my deductible ($2K) with the damage.........THIS IS BEFORE HE EVEN LOOKED AT IT. Sure enough, when he came out to look at the damage, he claimed part of the damage was “pre-existing”. He was a jerk, to boot, so that didn’t help matters.

Now, I requested a new adjuster. State Farm has refused to do so stating they’re sticking with the original adjsters inspection.

I’m between a rock and a hard space.

I’m kind of hemmed in here. The estimates to fix the damage comes in between $18K-$20K. Obviously, State Farm doesn’t want to pony up. I can come out of pocket to do it, but don’t want to just yet as I don’t want to cover up the damage.

2 months in, I’ve got a trashed master bath and home theater room. And, no end in sight.

Do I have to lawyer up? Why in the hell do I even pay for insurance if they won’t cover me?

Advice?

Trust me, if it wasn't for thieves, and Uninsured drivers, I would have posted a bond to self-insure in CA. I think my mathematical algorithms are showing an edge for me in doing this, because why am I paying an insurance company?

that's right, for un/under insured claims, and potential loss due to theft/vandalism. At the rates I'm getting charges, I think I'd rather self-insure if I could find ala cart pricing for just those things.

andres3

oldfarmer50 said:

My son took his Sable to the quickie lube yesterday for an oil change and they came back with a laundry list of "oughta do" items. Glad he didn't fall for it since stuff like tranny flushes had been done last year at my indie shop.

One item was engine air filter for $30. Went out this morning and found one for 10 bucks at the chain auto store. Probably could have done better if I shopped around.

They really try to clean up on unknowledgeable people.

Does the $30 include labor to install the filter? Seems OK if so.

What I was not OK with is getting charged 1 hour labor at a dealership for a battery change.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

Answer: Officially called “ventiports,” but better known as portholes, Buick uses them to signify the number of cylinders under the given model’s hood. The Lucerne Super has four ventiports on top of each front quarter-panel to signify its V-8 engine, while the V-6 LaCrosse, Enclave, and Lucerne have three on each side. Four-cylinder models Regal and base LaCrosse have two on each side

This doesn't always work because at one time there were inline 6s, but it is a general rule.

There's a camry in town with 4 on each side? What does that mean?

I'm surprised MB hasn't put VentiPorts on its cars... LOL

It means the Camry owner thinks Ventiports are going to dress up his bland boring Camry......WRONG!

I don't think you will ever see Ventiports on a Mercedes......not from the factory at least...lol back at you.

snakeweasel

andres3 said:

My son took his Sable to the quickie lube yesterday for an oil change and they came back with a laundry list of "oughta do" items. Glad he didn't fall for it since stuff like tranny flushes had been done last year at my indie shop. One item was engine air filter for $30. Went out this morning and found one for 10 bucks at the chain auto store. Probably could have done better if I shopped around. They really try to clean up on unknowledgeable people.

Does the $30 include labor to install the filter? Seems OK if so. What I was not OK with is getting charged 1 hour labor at a dealership for a battery change.

That depends on where the battery is at. On my Chrysler you have to take the front left wheel off and remove part of the wheel well to get to the battery. 

On the wife's Sonata it's in the normal place under the hood and the guy at the Auto Zone where we bought it put it in free of charge.

On the bike it's under the seat. 

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

Answer: Officially called “ventiports,” but better known as portholes, Buick uses them to signify the number of cylinders under the given model’s hood. The Lucerne Super has four ventiports on top of each front quarter-panel to signify its V-8 engine, while the V-6 LaCrosse, Enclave, and Lucerne have three on each side. Four-cylinder models Regal and base LaCrosse have two on each side This doesn't always work because at one time there were inline 6s, but it is a general rule.

There's a camry in town with 4 on each side? What does that mean? I'm surprised MB hasn't put VentiPorts on its cars... LOL

It means the Camry owner thinks Ventiports are going to dress up his bland boring Camry......WRONG! I don't think you will ever see Ventiports on a Mercedes......not from the factory at least...lol back at you.

There is a kid here that has them on his Benz. But if you take even a quick glance you would see that his Benz is really a debadged Toyota with MB badges attached. 

I call it a Buiyota Benz. 

imidazol97

I never cease to be amazed at how many people recognize Buick and the ventiports as the penultimate in automobiles.

driver100

The day Mercedes adds Ventiports....is the day I stop buying one

isellhondas

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

Sandman; Glad you got the car back and you are pleased. If it is worth fixing they can do a pretty good job of it, it should be as good as new.

OF, glad you are enjoying the job. It sounds like fun.
Sometimes I would like to get a job, work for a few days, and then tell the boss off and walk out. There were times I wanted to do it, now I can actually do it.

I must have missed Sandy's report on the car repair. Was wondering if he noticed any lasting effects from the accident.

Driver, why would you take a job only to walk out after a few days? Most jobs took me 20+ years to get to the point where I wanted to blast the boss.

Besides, why would you give up the glory of being a world class Pickleball champ?

I have seen people leave after only a few hours. When I was in boot camp we had a guy desert after only 12 hours in boot camp. Seriously, he arrived sometime like 7 or 8 PM and by 6 AM the next day he was gone.

When I managed a large Auto Center for Sears, the entry level job was Tire Buster. On busy Saturdays I would have three Coates machines going all day with one experienced guy on the machine and ten or more other entry level guys pulling cars in and out of the bays, putting them on racks and removing the wheels and stacking them in front of the machines. This was very HARD back breaking work and I made very sure they were well aware of that before I would offer them the job. I had a couple of guys go to lunch the first day and never return. I had guys work one night and quit. Once they made it through a half dozen brutal weekends they usually stuck around for awhile. I usually hired college students and I was good to them but still it was miserable work!

Then one day they would learn abnout Split Rims....