Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

venture

abacomike said:

venture said:

Driver - You may be right.

Mike - I have been down this road before. Every time I wanted to get her something newer, it was met with resistance. I don't know why other than she hates to waste anything. Not a bad thing, but taking it to extremes is.

Stick - I like her to have something new every few years. She teaches and must be on the road every day. In the winter, especially, I don't want to risk her getting stranded. I know it's only a little over 3 years old and only has 28,000 miles, but it's just time. The one I'm looking at also has a few options that her present one doesn't have that she should have (even though she doesn't know it).

RB - She doesn't say anything about me switching cars; just when I want to get her something else. Hard to figure out.

Do what I used to do - have the dealer deliver the new car to the driveway with a red ribbon on the hood on Christmas Eve.  When I was in the car business, lots of cars were delivered to spouses and significant others by my salesmen - all with red ribbons on them.  I used to get a large supply of those ribbons every November for the holidays.

My wife used to be very surprised (did it once or twice so as not to make it a frequent Christmas gift) and she always forgave me for not consulting her before the purchase.

Try it - I think you will be surprised at how much that means to her.

That's a good idea Mike. I know what she likes, especially color which seems like a big deal to her. (At least I think I do). The only problem is she parks in the driveway instead of the garage (No - I don't know why ). I guess the dealer could just park it behind hers and come and get the trade the next day . There's no chance she would not notice it though. Besides I never know when she "has" to go shopping. Hmmm. Maybe they could deliver it late at night. I think that would be asking too much...LOL.

She works today so I'm going to go to the dealer to work out trade price and new price just in case - assuming the lady we bought her last two from has time. I'll call first.

venture

sterlingdog said:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO A GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE!


Still, I have missed all of you very much. I always enjoyed the great conversations, the many things that I learned here, and most of all the friendships that we formed. I hope to be here more in 2015. Regardless of your faith or beliefs, I do want to wish all of you the very best during this special time of year. I hope that 2015 brings you only the best in health and happiness. Take really good care of yourselves.

Warmest regards,
Richard

Nice to "see" you Richard. Have a great holiday season.

driver100

stickguy said:

I learned not to pick out something for my wife. The hard way. Better to let her pick out what she wants and signs off on it.

Now, if that has happened, and she is all geared up for it, then surprising her with it is just fine.

Honestly....that all sounds great, knowing my wife she would prefer the anticipation and excitement of picking up her new car at the dealership. btw......this fancy shmancy MB dealership has one big room on one side that holds 3 or 4 new cars waiting for people to pick up their new car. That's where they give you a tutorial and ooh and ahh over the new car.

I would say in my case, I would have to let her choose the car and be there at the signing. BTW, we work well as a pair in negotiating.....one sometimes catches things the other misses, and it is nice to discuss matters. Before we bought the Audi we looked at the bmw 335 328. Because the allowance on our trade in was low we discussed it and went to Audi (which was a good plan at the time....liked it better and saved $11000). She does prefer the Audi and so do I, but, if I went by what she told me I would have overpaid and bought the bmw-which she wasn't that thrilled with..

Just saying, delivering a car is great in most cases, but, I don't think it is best for everyone.

abacomike

@driver100 said:

"Just saying, delivering a car is great in most cases, but, I don't think it is best for everyone."

Nothing is best for "everyone" driver.  You have to know your spouse or SO very well, which goes without saying.

Sometimes "ya gotta do what ya gotta do" and once or twice in your lifetime engage in a risk that could reap rewards for a relationship.  Otherwise, life can become boring!

isellhondas

Richard, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas right back at you!

Don't forget to check in here once in awhile....you've been missed!

And, while I'm at it..Can I still say this....MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you!

If you don't celebrate Christmas may you have a HAPPY HOLIDAY season!

venture

NEW YEARS DAY MEAL

I was talking to a friend who is originally from Boston. She said how odd the annual new year day foods are here in central PA. Here we normally have pork, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes as the main thing and maybe some hot dogs and/or kielbasa thrown in, supplemented with various vegetables. Probably because of the German ancestry present in the state.

I know in the south they have black-eyed peas and greens.

It might be interesting to hear what other areas of the country and Canada have on New Years day.

stever

I grew up in N. Mississippi and we never had black-eyed peas (or grits or hoppin John) for the holiday. We'd have a rehash of the Thanksgiving meal for Christmas Day and go fishing on New Year's and eat Vienna sausages and Nabs. After all that excitement, we'd go cruising in the '53 Buick Special and get stuck somewhere.

Out here tamales are everywhere for the holidays for about $15 a dozen. I got mine from some stranger who approached me in the Harbor Freight parking lot - delicious!

venture

I visited the Subaru dealer this morning. They are real close to my numbers. They just want to see the trade first - which was expected - of course they would. I did warn them that I'm about 98% sure my wife is going to go along with my scheme and I would let them know either this evening when she gets home from work or tomorrow morning.

If we buy it will be the 4th Subaru they have sold us so that is probably a consideration.

We're looking at invoice on theirs and about $1,000 above average trade-in on mine.

We'll see.

venture

stever said:

I grew up in N. Mississippi and we never had black-eyed peas (or grits or hoppin John) for the holiday. We'd have a rehash of the Thanksgiving meal for Christmas Day and go fishing on New Year's and eat Vienna sausages and Nabs. Out here tamales are everywhere for the holidays for about $15 a dozen. I got mine from some stranger who approached me in the Harbor Freight parking lot - delicious!

I was with you until "Nabs".

stever

"Nabs" was shorthand for Nabisco snack crackers (in our area, we meant the peanut butter crackers in the nickel pack, not the ones with cheese).

roadburner

Good to hear from you Richard!!!

robr2

venture said:

NEW YEARS DAY MEAL

I was talking to a friend who is originally from Boston. She said how odd the annual new year day foods are here in central PA. Here we normally have pork, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes as the main thing and maybe some hot dogs and/or kielbasa thrown in, supplemented with various vegetables. Probably because of the German ancestry present in the state.

I know in the south they have black-eyed peas and greens.

It might be interesting to hear what other areas of the country and Canada have on New Years day.

Here in New England, one is most likely eating leftover Chinese food. For some reason, take out Chinese is the traditional meal on New Year's Eve. Most restaurants close their dining room just to fit in all the bags of food. You place your order a day or two in advance and they tell you what time to pick it up. Keep in mind, the restaurant may tell you to pick up at 4 PM but your food may have been ready at noon. But it's Chinese - better when it's reheated.

That is unless you are Jewish. If so, you had Chinese food on Christmas and you let the gentiles have it the following week.

Kirstie_H

If you recently bought a car for your teenager or are currently shopping for one, a reporter wants to talk with you. Please respond to PR@edmunds.com today (12/22/14) with your daytime contact info and a few words about your experience so far.

driver100

venture said:

I visited the Subaru dealer this morning. They are real close to my numbers. They just want to see the trade first - which was expected - of course they would. I did warn them that I'm about 98% sure my wife is going to go along with my scheme and I would let them know either this evening when she gets home from work or tomorrow morning.

If we buy it will be the 4th Subaru they have sold us so that is probably a consideration.

We're looking at invoice on theirs and about $1,000 above average trade-in on mine.

We'll see.

Venture, that sounds like a really good deal, and it is probably a good time to trade and get a newer model.

Do they actually have the color and model in stock with all the right equipment?

It sounds like the dealer knows you and is being very fair to keep you as a regular customer.

driver100

stever said:

"Nabs" was shorthand for Nabisco snack crackers (in our area, we meant the peanut butter crackers in the nickel pack, not the ones with cheese).

I have never heard of Nabisco Snack Crackers with Peanut Butter.....that sounds incredibly good. I'll have to watch for them!

About special food on New Years Day in Canada....I can't think of anything except some people may get a pizza or Chinese food while watching football.

We'll be back in Florida and we are going to the golf club next to our complex for A New Years dinner....served from 4 PM until 10 PM - don't forget most people in Florida are home by 8 and in bed by 9. There will be some 50s style singers and band, and it's $20 a person. So, New Years Day We'll have to get by on minimum food to make up for over doing it the week before week.

driver100

Kirstie_H said:

If you recently bought a car for your teenager or are currently shopping for one, a reporter wants to talk with you. Please respond to PR@edmunds.com today (12/22/14) with your daytime contact info and a few words about your experience so far.

Kirstie, you only talk to us now when you want us for something!

Nice to hear from you....all the best for the Holidays.

venture

robr2 said:

venture said:

NEW YEARS DAY MEAL

I was talking to a friend who is originally from Boston. She said how odd the annual new year day foods are here in central PA. Here we normally have pork, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes as the main thing and maybe some hot dogs and/or kielbasa thrown in, supplemented with various vegetables. Probably because of the German ancestry present in the state.

I know in the south they have black-eyed peas and greens.

It might be interesting to hear what other areas of the country and Canada have on New Years day.

Here in New England, one is most likely eating leftover Chinese food. For some reason, take out Chinese is the traditional meal on New Year's Eve. Most restaurants close their dining room just to fit in all the bags of food. You place your order a day or two in advance and they tell you what time to pick it up. Keep in mind, the restaurant may tell you to pick up at 4 PM but your food may have been ready at noon. But it's Chinese - better when it's reheated.

That is unless you are Jewish. If so, you had Chinese food on Christmas and you let the gentiles have it the following week.

Ding ding ding! That rang a bell. Now I remember she mentioned Chinese food. Now that sounds weird to me.

venture

driver100 said:

venture said:

I visited the Subaru dealer this morning. They are real close to my numbers. They just want to see the trade first - which was expected - of course they would. I did warn them that I'm about 98% sure my wife is going to go along with my scheme and I would let them know either this evening when she gets home from work or tomorrow morning.

If we buy it will be the 4th Subaru they have sold us so that is probably a consideration.

We're looking at invoice on theirs and about $1,000 above average trade-in on mine.

We'll see.

Venture, that sounds like a really good deal, and it is probably a good time to trade and get a newer model.

Do they actually have the color and model in stock with all the right equipment?

It sounds like the dealer knows you and is being very fair to keep you as a regular customer.

They have exactly what I think she needs. Actually that's what set me out on this quest. I saw it while looking at their inventory and there was no, "Contact us for pricing" garbage. I usually close the window when I see that.

Leather, NAV, cold weather package, yadda, yadda, yadda.

houdini1

Hey Richard and everyone, Merry Christmas !!

imidazol97

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our friends here on the discussion. Many of us may be away for a few days, so I realized it's time to wish everyone the best. Another year has passed.

imidazol97

Attended a graduation at The Ohio State University yesterday. Great experience for the most part.
Sat next to the engineering school's group of graduates. Some interesting designs on their mortar boards.


i86.photobucket.com/albums/k110/imidazol97/DSC00428_zpsc9a9fd99.jpg

One of the bad parts was the trip home. The idler pulley bearing froze the pulley and broke the serpentine belt along I70. Coasted onto an exit ramp with the engine off when it hit 248 deg. F.. Sat for over 2 hours waiting for AAA tow truck. Cold. AAA kept giving later times for the wait. Gonna check on how my tow from State Farm works: may start using that rather than AAA.

Son got there on his way home so he let us sit in his warm car the last 20 minutes waiting for the flatbed truck. Moral: don't have a car failure in the middle of nowhere between cities. There was a Speedway on the other side of the interstate and a Fuel Mart on the side we were on--could have coasted the car down hill to the fuel mart after starting the cooled engine long enough to get through the stop sign when things got cold enough and desperate enough.

ab348

imidazol97 said:

One of the bad parts was the trip home. The idler pulley bearing froze the pulley and broke the serpentine belt along I70. Coasted onto an exit ramp with the engine off when it hit 248 deg. F.. Sat for over 2 hours waiting for AAA tow truck. Cold. AAA kept giving later times for the wait. Gonna check on how my tow from State Farm works: may start using that rather than AAA.

What vehicle?

henryn

Most of the time, AAA and your insurance company and your car manufacturer's roadside assistance program will all call the same wrecker service. Especially if you're in the middle of nowhere.

One good thing about USAA insurance, they will let me call around and find my own wrecker service and then reimburse me.

stever

Bummer @imidazol97. Guess I should check that now that I have Farm Bureau - I had two or three tows while with the last small company up in MI. I'd call around and get a tow and submit a claim, and get a check the next day. Cost me $5 every six months. Always broke down in "good" places though and never had to wait long for a tow.

abacomike

@henryn said:

"One good thing about USAA insurance, they will let me call around and find my own wrecker service and then reimburse me."

Henry, I have tried to get an auto insurance policy with USAA for the last 10 years, but their rates are not competitive here in South Florida.  They wanted $1175 every six months for a policy that had same coverages as I have with Geico and I pay $668.00 every six months.  That is significant.

They are way out of the ballpark.  If they were $100 or so more than Geico, I would insure with USAA.  USAA is a great insurance company and are rated tops.  But I just can't get close.

As regards towing and labor, Mercedes provides this for as long as you own your car so long as you service your car at an authorized Mercedes Dealer and for 4 years 50,000 miles if you do not service with Mercedes.  My Geico policy also provides this same service as part of the policy.

I'd love to have a USAA policy - I am a member of USAA, just can't get a decent policy.

robr2

abacomike said:

@henryn said:

"One good thing about USAA insurance, they will let me call around and find my own wrecker service and then reimburse me."

Henry, I have tried to get an auto insurance policy with USAA for the last 10 years, but their rates are not competitive here in South Florida.  They wanted $1175 every six months for a policy that had same coverages as I have with Geico and I pay $668.00 every six months.  That is significant.

They are way out of the ballpark.  If they were $100 or so more than Geico, I would insure with USAA.  USAA is a great insurance company and are rated tops.  But I just can't get close.

As regards towing and labor, Mercedes provides this for as long as you own your car so long as you service your car at an authorized Mercedes Dealer and for 4 years 50,000 miles if you do not service with Mercedes.  My Geico policy also provides this same service as part of the policy.

I'd love to have a USAA policy - I am a member of USAA, just can't get a decent policy.

They probable want to make the money back on the USAA MB discount you take advantage of!!

abacomike

@robr2‌

They don't have to make it back on insurance - I have their credit card which I use a lot that makes them plenty.

Besides, USAA doesn't put a nickel into the incentive - Mercedes rebates the $3500 to the dealer directly as they do with the Mercedes Benz Club of America $500. It's the manufacturers that provide the fleet incentives.

Now through the end of the year, Mercedes dealers have an additional $2000 in trunk money on the E Class.

driver100

venture said:

driver100 said:

venture said:

I visited the Subaru dealer this morning. They are real close to my numbers. They just want to see the trade first - which was expected - of course they would. I did warn them that I'm about 98% sure my wife is going to go along with my scheme and I would let them know either this evening when she gets home from work or tomorrow morning.

If we buy it will be the 4th Subaru they have sold us so that is probably a consideration.

We're looking at invoice on theirs and about $1,000 above average trade-in on mine.

We'll see.

Venture, that sounds like a really good deal, and it is probably a good time to trade and get a newer model.

Do they actually have the color and model in stock with all the right equipment?

It sounds like the dealer knows you and is being very fair to keep you as a regular customer.

They have exactly what I think she needs. Actually that's what set me out on this quest. I saw it while looking at their inventory and there was no, "Contact us for pricing" garbage. I usually close the window when I see that.

Leather, NAV, cold weather package, yadda, yadda, yadda.

What about color? Or will they leave one in your drive and she chooses the actual car later. By the way, if you are on good terms with your neighbor maybe they will let you park the new car at the end of their driveway.

Hope it's not just a picture....that's not quite the same.

imidazol97

ab348 said:

imidazol97 said:

One of the bad parts was the trip home. The idler pulley bearing froze the pulley and broke the serpentine belt along I70. Coasted onto an exit ramp with the engine off when it hit 248 deg. F.. Sat for over 2 hours waiting for AAA tow truck. Cold. AAA kept giving later times for the wait. Gonna check on how my tow from State Farm works: may start using that rather than AAA.

What vehicle?

2003 leSabre. GM products: the pulley only went 186,000 miles. :grin

There probably isn't an open towing agency within 15 miles and 30 miles on Sunday evening where my car chose to collapse.
I had a spare belt in the trunk. I did NOT have my tools with a wrench that could have held the tensioner while I put the belt on. Didn't make a difference when I was checking pulleys and found the idler bad.

I keep thinking I should have noticed a noise from the pulley and checked for a noise.

It was fine when I put on a new belt 30-40 K miles earlier a few years back.

imidazol97

Cadillac, CTS-V, 200 mph.

DETROIT – Cadillac today introduced the 2016 CTS-V, the most powerful product in the brand’s 112-year history and the newest entry in the elite class of the world’s highest-performing luxury cars.

Launching in late summer with 640 horsepower (477 kW), 630 lb-ft of torque (855 Nm) and a top speed of 200 mph, the new CTS-V reaches higher than its predecessors, leading Cadillac’s product-driven expansion and elevation. It is the third generation of the acclaimed luxury sports sedan that launched the elite V-Series a decade ago – and redefined Cadillac for a new generation of enthusiasts.

media.cadillac.com/media/us/en/cadillac/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2014/Dec/1222-cts-v.html

stickguy

that should come in handy now that they finished the new lanes on the Jersey Turnpike

venture

driver100 said:

venture said:

driver100 said:

venture said:

I visited the Subaru dealer this morning. They are real close to my numbers. They just want to see the trade first - which was expected - of course they would. I did warn them that I'm about 98% sure my wife is going to go along with my scheme and I would let them know either this evening when she gets home from work or tomorrow morning.

If we buy it will be the 4th Subaru they have sold us so that is probably a consideration.

We're looking at invoice on theirs and about $1,000 above average trade-in on mine.

We'll see.

Venture, that sounds like a really good deal, and it is probably a good time to trade and get a newer model.

Do they actually have the color and model in stock with all the right equipment?

It sounds like the dealer knows you and is being very fair to keep you as a regular customer.

They have exactly what I think she needs. Actually that's what set me out on this quest. I saw it while looking at their inventory and there was no, "Contact us for pricing" garbage. I usually close the window when I see that.

Leather, NAV, cold weather package, yadda, yadda, yadda.

What about color? Or will they leave one in your drive and she chooses the actual car later. By the way, if you are on good terms with your neighbor maybe they will let you park the new car at the end of their driveway.

Hope it's not just a picture....that's not quite the same.

The color she likes too - green. Jasmine green to be exact.

It's sitting in the driveway right now. She didn't even want to go pick it up. Too busy...LOL

When I went after dinner, the sales lady took it to the manager. She came back with what I wanted for my trade (after they drove it), but about $800 over invoice on the new one. I took the order and crossed out the price, wrote the invoice price, and initialed it. She said she would be back with a yes or another price. I told her to come back only with a yes or a no.

They bit. The F&I guy (who I know) showed me their order with a "profit" of $0.00 and a commission of $100. I will stop out tomorrow and give the saleslady a $100 - just because I'm a great guy.

abacomike

@venture‌

Great job, venture.  With you negotiating, the dealership didn't have a chance.

Most dealerships have a strict policy against employees accepting cash gifts.  Might I suggest a fine bottle of brandy or wine with a thank you card.  I gave fine bottles of wine to the personnel I work with at my dealership.  They really appreciated  the thought,

stickguy

jasmine green is nice. I helped my SIL get one last summer, and that is the color she fell in love with and ended up getting.

driver100

venture said:

driver100 said:

venture said:

driver100 said:

venture said:

I visited the Subaru dealer this morning. They are real close to my numbers. They just want to see the trade first - which was expected - of course they would. I did warn them that I'm about 98% sure my wife is going to go along with my scheme and I would let them know either this evening when she gets home from work or tomorrow morning.

If we buy it will be the 4th Subaru they have sold us so that is probably a consideration.

We're looking at invoice on theirs and about $1,000 above average trade-in on mine.

We'll see.

Venture, that sounds like a really good deal, and it is probably a good time to trade and get a newer model.

Do they actually have the color and model in stock with all the right equipment?

It sounds like the dealer knows you and is being very fair to keep you as a regular customer.

They have exactly what I think she needs. Actually that's what set me out on this quest. I saw it while looking at their inventory and there was no, "Contact us for pricing" garbage. I usually close the window when I see that.

Leather, NAV, cold weather package, yadda, yadda, yadda.

What about color? Or will they leave one in your drive and she chooses the actual car later. By the way, if you are on good terms with your neighbor maybe they will let you park the new car at the end of their driveway.

Hope it's not just a picture....that's not quite the same.

The color she likes too - green. Jasmine green to be exact.

They bit. The F&I guy (who I know) showed me their order with a "profit" of $0.00 and a commission of $100. I will stop out tomorrow and give the saleslady a $100 - just because I'm a great guy.

What a great Christmas sales story for this time of the year. Glad it all worked out....and you are a classy guy giving the nice saleslady a gift.

btw....the leather, nav, cold weather pkge, jasmine green color all sounds very nice.

abacomike

I finally got a response from Mercedes Consumer Assistance regarding proper inflation pressures on the 19" performance tires they put on the car.

They told me that the cold inflation pressures on the inside of the fuel filler door are for any standard or optional tires approved by Mercedes Benz.  Since the tires and wheels are accessories for the E 400 sedan, they should be inflated to 35 lbs front and 36 lbs rear.  They now have 40 lbs all around which he said are too high and I should not inflate them "cold" over 38 lbs all around.

So, I guess I'll have the dealer reduce pressures to 37-38 lbs all around.

venture

abacomike said:

@venture‌

Great job, venture.  With you negotiating, the dealership didn't have a chance.

Most dealerships have a strict policy against employees accepting cash gifts.  Might I suggest a fine bottle of brandy or wine with a thank you card.  I gave fine bottles of wine to the personnel I work with at my dealership.  They really appreciated  the thought,

I didn't know that. This one must either be different or she doesn't tell them. I did the same thing for the last Forester we bought. oops.

Nothing ventured nothing gained.

venture

stickguy said:

jasmine green is nice. I helped my SIL get one last summer, and that is the color she fell in love with and ended up getting.

My wife's favorite color is green. When we re-did our kitchen a few years ago she wanted to paint it green. I rebelled and let her paint it yellow.

The one we traded in was green too, but it was the sage green. I have to admit, the jasmine green is much nicer.

venture

driver100 said:

venture said:

driver100 said:

venture said:

driver100 said:

venture said:

I visited the Subaru dealer this morning. They are real close to my numbers. They just want to see the trade first - which was expected - of course they would. I did warn them that I'm about 98% sure my wife is going to go along with my scheme and I would let them know either this evening when she gets home from work or tomorrow morning.

If we buy it will be the 4th Subaru they have sold us so that is probably a consideration.

We're looking at invoice on theirs and about $1,000 above average trade-in on mine.

We'll see.

Venture, that sounds like a really good deal, and it is probably a good time to trade and get a newer model.

Do they actually have the color and model in stock with all the right equipment?

It sounds like the dealer knows you and is being very fair to keep you as a regular customer.

They have exactly what I think she needs. Actually that's what set me out on this quest. I saw it while looking at their inventory and there was no, "Contact us for pricing" garbage. I usually close the window when I see that.

Leather, NAV, cold weather package, yadda, yadda, yadda.

What about color? Or will they leave one in your drive and she chooses the actual car later. By the way, if you are on good terms with your neighbor maybe they will let you park the new car at the end of their driveway.

Hope it's not just a picture....that's not quite the same.

The color she likes too - green. Jasmine green to be exact.

They bit. The F&I guy (who I know) showed me their order with a "profit" of $0.00 and a commission of $100. I will stop out tomorrow and give the saleslady a $100 - just because I'm a great guy.

What a great Christmas sales story for this time of the year. Glad it all worked out....and you are a classy guy giving the nice saleslady a gift.

btw....the leather, nav, cold weather pkge, jasmine green color all sounds very nice.

It's actually a pretty nice vehicle. I was surprised. Her former Forester was fairly pedestrian - not this one. But I guess when a Subaru stickers in the low 30's, it should be pretty nice.

bwia

Greetings from the Caribbean. 

It is 84 and sunny. For the rest of the week it will be 84/75.

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

ab348 said:

imidazol97 said:

One of the bad parts was the trip home. The idler pulley bearing froze the pulley and broke the serpentine belt along I70. Coasted onto an exit ramp with the engine off when it hit 248 deg. F.. Sat for over 2 hours waiting for AAA tow truck. Cold. AAA kept giving later times for the wait. Gonna check on how my tow from State Farm works: may start using that rather than AAA.

What vehicle?

2003 leSabre. GM products: the pulley only went 186,000 miles. :grin

There probably isn't an open towing agency within 15 miles and 30 miles on Sunday evening where my car chose to collapse.
I had a spare belt in the trunk. I did NOT have my tools with a wrench that could have held the tensioner while I put the belt on. Didn't make a difference when I was checking pulleys and found the idler bad.

I keep thinking I should have noticed a noise from the pulley and checked for a noise.

It was fine when I put on a new belt 30-40 K miles earlier a few years back.

You went on a long trip in a car with 186k miles on it? Wow, I thought I was the gambler driving old cars.

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

Cadillac, CTS-V, 200 mph.

DETROIT – Cadillac today introduced the 2016 CTS-V, the most powerful product in the brand’s 112-year history and the newest entry in the elite class of the world’s highest-performing luxury cars.

Launching in late summer with 640 horsepower (477 kW), 630 lb-ft of torque (855 Nm) and a top speed of 200 mph, the new CTS-V reaches higher than its predecessors, leading Cadillac’s product-driven expansion and elevation. It is the third generation of the acclaimed luxury sports sedan that launched the elite V-Series a decade ago – and redefined Cadillac for a new generation of enthusiasts.

media.cadillac.com/media/us/en/cadillac/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2014/Dec/1222-cts-v.html

Who would ever need a car with that much power? Particularly these days with a speed trap behind every bush?

ab348

There was a story making the rounds yesterday of the buyer of a new Challenger Hellcat totaling it within the first hour of taking possession.

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1096006_2015-dodge-challenger-srt-hellcat-crashes-in-colorado

I dunno how you drive something that powerful. If you sneeze you might launch yourself into the weeds.

henryn

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

ab348 said:

imidazol97 said:

One of the bad parts was the trip home. The idler pulley bearing froze the pulley and broke the serpentine belt along I70. Coasted onto an exit ramp with the engine off when it hit 248 deg. F.. Sat for over 2 hours waiting for AAA tow truck. Cold. AAA kept giving later times for the wait. Gonna check on how my tow from State Farm works: may start using that rather than AAA.

What vehicle?

2003 leSabre. GM products: the pulley only went 186,000 miles. :grin

There probably isn't an open towing agency within 15 miles and 30 miles on Sunday evening where my car chose to collapse.
I had a spare belt in the trunk. I did NOT have my tools with a wrench that could have held the tensioner while I put the belt on. Didn't make a difference when I was checking pulleys and found the idler bad.

I keep thinking I should have noticed a noise from the pulley and checked for a noise.

It was fine when I put on a new belt 30-40 K miles earlier a few years back.

You went on a long trip in a car with 186k miles on it? Wow, I thought I was the gambler driving old cars.

In 1970, when I was 19 years old, I paid $100 for a 13 year old 1957 Ford and drove it from Texas to Iowa. 19 hour drive, did it straight up stopping only for gas / snacks. Would I try that again? What, are you crazy???

graphicguy

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

Cadillac, CTS-V, 200 mph.

DETROIT – Cadillac today introduced the 2016 CTS-V, the most powerful product in the brand’s 112-year history and the newest entry in the elite class of the world’s highest-performing luxury cars.

Launching in late summer with 640 horsepower (477 kW), 630 lb-ft of torque (855 Nm) and a top speed of 200 mph, the new CTS-V reaches higher than its predecessors, leading Cadillac’s product-driven expansion and elevation. It is the third generation of the acclaimed luxury sports sedan that launched the elite V-Series a decade ago – and redefined Cadillac for a new generation of enthusiasts.

media.cadillac.com/media/us/en/cadillac/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2014/Dec/1222-cts-v.html

Who would ever need a car with that much power? Particularly these days with a speed trap behind every bush?

I NEED THAT MUCH POWER!

abacomike

I was up at my Mercedes dealer for a car wash and to have them adjust the pressures in my tires.  While there, I was asked to drive a CLS 400 (CLS with the 3.0 L V6, 330 hp like in my car).  Definitely not like what I was used to in my CLS 550.  Had a lighter feel to it and the V6 power does not do the car justice.

They also put the new V6 in the SL 400.  I would think it would be fine in an SL, but definitely unimpressive in the CLS.

driver100

ab348 said:

There was a story making the rounds yesterday of the buyer of a new Challenger Hellcat totaling it within the first hour of taking possession.

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1096006_2015-dodge-challenger-srt-hellcat-crashes-in-colorado

I dunno how you drive something that powerful. If you sneeze you might launch yourself into the weeds.

Oh well....it was ugly green!

That reminds me...when I was in high school one kid got a new Corvette as a gift. He took it on the highway and flipped it going 90 mph the first week. There weren't to many parents that gave their kids a new car, let alone a Corvette at that school. That was in about 1966.

I bet he pressed the button in that Hellcat and used the extra horsepower.

roadburner

oldfarmer50 said:

imidazol97 said:

Cadillac, CTS-V, 200 mph.

DETROIT – Cadillac today introduced the 2016 CTS-V, the most powerful product in the brand’s 112-year history and the newest entry in the elite class of the world’s highest-performing luxury cars.

Launching in late summer with 640 horsepower (477 kW), 630 lb-ft of torque (855 Nm) and a top speed of 200 mph, the new CTS-V reaches higher than its predecessors, leading Cadillac’s product-driven expansion and elevation. It is the third generation of the acclaimed luxury sports sedan that launched the elite V-Series a decade ago – and redefined Cadillac for a new generation of enthusiasts.

media.cadillac.com/media/us/en/cadillac/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2014/Dec/1222-cts-v.html

Who would ever need a car with that much power? Particularly these days with a speed trap behind every bush?

ME! Speed traps? That's why I have a V1!

abacomike

@roadburner‌

In the town I live in, I've noticed more and more motorcycle cops standing in front of shrubs with their motorcycles hidden holding portable radar units.  It is impossible to avoid a speeding ticket if you are speeding here in town because of the camouflage they use on the side of the road.

I rarely go over the speed limit, even on the Turnpike or the interstates.  It's s losing proposition.  And if I do go over the limit, it's to pass a slowpoke and never more than 5 mph over.

On the Turnpike, which I frequent every day, there is a speed trap in the southbound lanes at least three days a week just over an overpass.  They have a "clocker" in an SUV and 4-5 State Trooper cars pulling people over left and right.  You'd think that after all these years of this same speed trap being set up in the same location, drivers would slow down there - NOPE!  They must issue 50-60 speeding tickets each day the trap is set up.

If I had a Corvette or a Porsche Carrera, I'd be in traffic school quite a bit.  After all, where else are you going to let all those horses loose?

fezo

roadburner said:

I might have said this before, but my lovely bride knew and accepted my car/bike obsession long before we got married- she even found my first BMW for me. Right now she is cool with the current cars I'm considering- even encouraging me to order an M235i. But I'll probably wind up in an overpowered lump of Detroit iron...

Don't do it! Go for the M235i. It'll keep your marriage happy and your radar detector as well!

Richard! Great to hear from you! Merry Christmas and don't be a stranger.

As we do every year tonight was the annual watching of A Christmas Carol. The 1951 version with Alistair Sim. The only real version...