Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

driver100

stickguy said:

If you plan to keep the 2014 another 5 years, just pay the high end audio guy and be done with it. If you really want the new one, go trade it in. Either way you get the camera! But blind spot and rear cross path, one you get used to that, hard to go back!

The 2017 is the newer design, so lots of other changes. Much fancier car.

Would gladly keep for 5 years, BUT, to be realistic, a used Mercedes could be a money pit. OTOH, according to Edmunds it is worth $11400 as a trade-in. It is worth way more than that to me.....especially with 30k miles on it, and doing 6k miles a year.

But, if I could foresee a $4000 or $5000 repair bill I would rather trade for a newer model. I am in limbo, doesn't make sense to trade up, don't want to chance messing up the car. Plan C is to wait, see if there is a reputable installer around, definitely worth $400, maybe $500 to have it done right.

driver100

fintail said:

But would that be worth it to really get it right? Sometimes you get what you pay for. I've seen enough iffy installs over the years to be leery of shopping by price locally. If you're keeping the car, do it right. Your car is a W204.

I was joking with the AMG, finding the most insanely priced example. Nearly 100K MSRP, nah, depreciation will be painful (and that color'd be a beast to maintain). I suspect someone could get it for no more than 80K with a little negotiation. Tons of normal C300 in loaner fleets and lots of lease returns, one of those CPO would be the way to go, you can even find them in better than base spec.

driver100 said:

I tried one high end shop....5 stars, lots of glowing reviews. They insisted on hardwiring in, using their equipment "to get it right", cost to install $400 plus the equipment.

I like that 2019....I don't think I need an AMG model for 5 months/6000 miles use each year. I don't like the ad in it tells you nothing about the car, unlessl you give them your information. But, one beautiful looking car.

Thanks for confirming the W204 designation fin. I agree, if doing it has to be done by someone who knows what they are doing....will keep my eyes and ears open for such a shop.

explorerx4

I think the installers that don't specialize are worried they will tap into the wrong wire and cause some light to come on.
Some vehicles measure the voltage or draw(something like that) on the lights. If it falls below a certain threshold it thinks a light is out.

driver100

Michaell said:

@graphicguy - thanks for the info on PR. Wife is sick and tired of the winters here in CO, so we're looking for someplace warm. She's not a big fan of planes, so not sure that PR would work - we're thinking either AZ or NM for the winters. But, that is still some years off. I like the idea of cheap real estate, however.

Sometimes places sound ideal....until you actually live there. Retirement isn't just lying around and watching the ocean. Think about what you want to be doing every day. Your activities and your friends and neighbors...maybe family are what most people build around. I also want roads I can drive on, I need to have a car, I want to play tennis or pickleball 5 or 6 times a week, I like law and order countries, I like good grocery stores, I like a variety of restaurants, access to internet and Netflix or Prime. I like banks that are reliable, and builders and homes that are built to certain standards.

I think living next to the ocean could have way more problems than it is worth. In Florida prices are 4X higher, then there is flooding and red tide and smells etc. We stayed on Anna Maria Island one year, paid double, wouldn't want to do it again. Too much traffic, how often do you really want to go to the beach, a long ways to everything.

Once 50 years ago I was in a taxi cab and said to the driver this must be the perfect place to live. He said, you must be a tourist, it seems that way until you actually live here.

driver100

explorerx4 said:

I think the installers that don't specialize are worried they will tap into the wrong wire and cause some light to come on.
Some vehicles measure the voltage or draw(something like that) on the lights. If it falls below a certain threshold it thinks a light is out.

I think it is something along those lines too. One mistake and it could cost the installer huge bucks to get it fixed. Most of the youtube guys doing it are doing it to high mileage cars, and they are so slick and smooth they probably run chop shops or steal cars for a living. They aren't Best Buy Geek Squad guys.....and they know what the settings are and how to circumvent the systems. They are the computer hackers of the car electronics world.

andres3

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

snakeweasel said:

PF_Flyer said:

Never try to "prove" anything on an internet forum or message board is what my grandma always said

Just sayin'

While there are true believers out there that would not accept anything that goes against their narrative (I'm talking to you flat earthers with your high tech gyroscope) false information should be challenged. Any statement can and will seem true until someone comes along to challenge it. The challenge is not so much to change the mind of the poster but to give the casual observer more information so that they can make a informed opinion.

For example, I recently learned that European studies/groups similar to the NHTSA also lump all sorts of absurd things in order to pad the "speed kills" fatality stats with speed-remotely-related collisions.

This time, "stolen vehicles." You can't make this stuff up. That high-speed chase you saw on the nightly news ending in a "speeding" crash causes these insurance-backed "statisticians" to get out of their seats and jump for joy at another peg to add to the padded stats blaming speeders for everything.

I think I've seen some auto insurance policies include in their exclusions "collisions caused during the commission of a crime" such as using your vehicle as the getaway car robbing banks. If Insurance companies can exclude it in their policies, why can't they fund honest statistics and data gathering similarly?

I'm going out on a limb and say that the irony of your post escapes you.

I'm well aware that in a "high-speed" chase from the Police the vehicle often speeds. However, any reasonable person knows that they crash because they are running from the Police in a STOLEN VEHICLE they don't give two sh**s about. Pretty massive stretch to blame that kind of a crash on "speed" or "speeding." Pretty sure I've seen a lot of videos where a high speed chase actually ends in a low-speed crash as they jump out of the car and run on foot (forgetting to put it in park or set the parking brake).

I'd imagine being pit-manuevered going 26 in a 25 MPH residential area would trigger a "speed-related" collision too.

oldfarmer50

Sandman6472 said:

OF, So far, so good! Liking the new Enterprise gig a whole lot. Mostly older retired guys and a few women, about 35 of us, give or take. Our group is only at 5 drivers right now, but eventually, the team will contain 10 plus the lead. Today, I did a lot of the driving of the chase vehicle as the others had excuses as to why they didn't want to do it. Since I was the last guy getting in the Dodge minivan, the lead gave me the keys and said, drive please. Turns out, he does paperwork and gets texts and phone calls telling him what moves we're going to make. He took over the chase when we had cars to move. But he's a really nice guy, very calm and communicates well with all of the drivers. Stresses safety and says to not speed, take enough time to get there safely. His calmness has the rest of our crew actually having fun while learning the many places we're going to be going.
We've mostly been going between Palm Beach county and Broward county moving vehicles to the "recon" area. Luckily, I've been almost everywhere we've been going at all my other driving gigs, so it's been quite easy to just go. We eat on the road instead of always going back to base, which is a real time saver. Since some of us bring, we've been going to the service plaza on the turnpike so those who need to buy have a few choices. Quickest half hour of the day! First day, we worked from 7:30 to 7:30 as there were some issues on he last run which set us back close to an hour. But today, got back earlier and clocked out by 5:30. A few of us have volunteered to work Thursdays and Saturdays/Sundays if needed. He mentioned that since we'll always be off on Mondays, might be best to try and set all doctors appointments and other things we need to do for that day so we'll be free if needed those other days. Only a couple of the guys said they'd rather just work the three days they signed up for. He said that's cool, so we'll see how things go. Since it's season here now, I plan to work as many days/week as they need me as I know the summer will be a slower time. And they're letting me take my weeks vacation at the end of December as planned since I've basically worked all year with no real time off except for my allergy surgery in May. Everyone is very friendly which has made this transition from Hertz to Enterprise so easy.
Hard to believe that next month, I've been moving rental vehicles for seven years! The time has flown by and it's still as much fun as it was my first day in January 2013! I'm still happy to get up & go to work when scheduled so feel very lucky. Same way with the post office job I had. For that reason, I feel very blessed!

That’s great Sandy. When I brag on how nice it is to work for Enterprise I wonder if my office is some kind of exception but it’s good to see that the experience is the same 1500 miles away.

oldfarmer50

jmonroe1 said:

suydam said:

venture said:

While cleaning my office I ran across the window sticker for my 1988 Buick Regal. One of my first cars.

MSRP was $12,782 and with options and destination it was $15,961. Everything was a single option; no packages. It had the optional radio with cassette player, "concert sound" speakers, and automatic power antenna. It sounded like crap if I remember correctly.

As a first year model it wasn't too bad except for the brakes. I always had trouble with them.

I recall being happier when I traded it in than I was when I bought it.

$15k was a lot of money in 1988. We could never have afforded a car that expensive back then, with 1 income and 3 small children. We actually bought our first new car that year, a Mazda 323 sedan MT. I think it cost well under $5000 and I thought that was so much money! We really loved that car.

If you think $15K was a lot of money in 1988, you would have had a conniption about the almost $17K that my 1980 Buick Park Ave. cost. I didn't buy it new (I bought it used in '83 for $7800, private party). I found the window sticker in the glove compartment along with a few service records. Had that car untill 1997 when we moved back from SC. The car had around 115K miles on it and the tranny was just starting to slip. I was considering dumping around 400 bucks into it for a rebuilt tranny but Mrs. j said, "just let it go already, just let it go!" That car was just starting to show some rust behind the left wheel well but other than that it was perfect body wise. If I knew @oldfarmer50 back then he would have given me more than the 800 bucks the used car dealer gave me when he put it on the hook of his tow truck and stole it from me. :@

jmonroe

I don’t know, I owned an 82’ Oldsmobile 88 coupe and it was an awful piece of junk. The quality of those GM boats in the late 70s-early 80s was not the best.

I’m also shocked that you would stick me with a bum tranny.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

They have probably been burned, expensively, on a car like that and just not willing to take the risk.

If the trunk piece needs power, that usually just taps into the wire to the back up light. If the head unit is a box, keep it on the dash or in the console, and plug into the 12v outlet. Pick it up when you need it.

If you want something totally hidden and integrated, gonna have to pay up. If you just want a cheap way to see behind you, this should do it. Or you lived without it this long, just keep winging it!

Maybe he should get himself a nice Ford. I hear they are literally LEAPING to get them in Crystal River.

https://youtu.be/kI-ikwiEN9w

abacomike

graphicguy said:

abacomike said:

graphicguy said:

fintail said:

Dear Leader doesn't seem to like Puerto Rico, maybe it could be traded for some oil-rich northern island?

ab348 said:

My sense of that area (totally based on zero actual experience) is that in winter it is not warm so much as just less cold. So, damp and gray, but without snow usually. I am talking sun, warm temps, drinks with umbrellas, and a need for SPF40.

I’m actually looking at property/house in Puerto Rico.

As long as you keep looking, no harm can come of it. But if you act on those observations (property/house), big trouble - especially in Puerto Rico. Remember the problems with their electric grid? And don't forget their junk bonds that many people lost their life savings on! Oh - and the corruption on the island - can't forget that!

Mike....there are some risks involved, as you point out. I kind of vacillate on making that sort of life change, which would be dramatic and fraught with the “unknown”.

Fact is, Puerto Rico is part of the U.S. so visas, passports, all the rights I have as a U.S. Citizen in OH would transfer there and would be the same as I enjoy now.

Their power grid failures depend on the part of Puerto Rico you’re looking at. Some areas are terrible...some are no different than what’s going on in CA right now. I think a fuel generator would be required as back up.

The up-side....property....nice property.....beach front property...is cheap right now.

Political corruption.....well, that issue isn’t much different in Puerto Rico than what we have in the upper 48.

Weather? Mostly eden-like. The risk of hurricanes isn’t much different than it is in South Florida or the Gulf Coast.

It’s a drop dead gorgeous part of the U.S., too.

Truthfully, it’s just a matter of where I want to spend my retirement years. I’m 3-5 years of making that jump, though. I know many (including yourself) love FL. Many of my friends have their homes here and their home (condos) in FL. I think you guys have lots to recommend FL. It’s just not for me. Can’t explain why.

Can you imagine a house or condo right on the beach in S Florida and being able to purchase it for less than $100K? That’s what I can do in Puerto Rico.

Might be a pipe dream. But, I’ve been down there 3 times to look, so I must be more than just casually looking.

You have to do what you think will best meet your needs, GG. Puerto Rico provides a kind of isolation from the hectic life here in the States. The US Virgin Islands is another paradise that you might want to look into.

If I had my choice, I would live in the northern parts of Florida - perhaps along the beaches in the panhandle or where my brother lives in Ponte Vedra. I just feel safer living in the US.

Good luck GG.

omarman

venture said:

While cleaning my office I ran across the window sticker for my 1988 Buick Regal. One of my first cars.

MSRP was $12,782 and with options and destination it was $15,961. Everything was a single option; no packages. It had the optional radio with cassette player, "concert sound" speakers, and automatic power antenna. It sounded like crap if I remember correctly.

As a first year model it wasn't too bad except for the brakes. I always had trouble with them.

I recall being happier when I traded it in than I was when I bought it.

In 1989 I was looking for the cheapest reliable commuter car on the market. So before doing any test driving I picked up a copy of C&D with a handy comparison test:
Eight for Ten: Can you find decent transportation for less than $10,000? We say yes.

I wound up spending more than $10k and although I didn't pick any of the C&D writer's picks it seemed like a pretty fair sampling of what a $10,000 new-car budget could provide back then.

Also a co-worker of mine decided to go all-out, no-option stripper new vehicle at that time and got a pretty good deal. Columbus area Nissan dealers ran a summer special in '89 offering new Nissan hardbody pickups for $5999. My friend said they weren't kidding about "no options" because a rear bumper was extra cost.
This dealer ad was similar to deals being offered in the Columbus metro area back then.

edit to add: Just noticed that the C&D comparison test included a VW Fox entry write up by Bill Visnic. Could that be Edmunds' Senior Editor Bill Visnic?

ab348

Heh. I had forgotten about a few of those cars - the Festiva, Justy, and Tracer to name a few. I always liked the Tracer after sitting in one in a showroom but they sold maybe 2 of them here and buying an import from a Mercury showroom never seemed a wise move. The Fox was not a good car, I concluded, after driving one. Honda sold a lot of Civic DX models here but I also preferred the gen-2 Golf.

jmonroe1

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe1 said:

suydam said:

venture said:

While cleaning my office I ran across the window sticker for my 1988 Buick Regal. One of my first cars.

MSRP was $12,782 and with options and destination it was $15,961. Everything was a single option; no packages. It had the optional radio with cassette player, "concert sound" speakers, and automatic power antenna. It sounded like crap if I remember correctly.

As a first year model it wasn't too bad except for the brakes. I always had trouble with them.

I recall being happier when I traded it in than I was when I bought it.

$15k was a lot of money in 1988. We could never have afforded a car that expensive back then, with 1 income and 3 small children. We actually bought our first new car that year, a Mazda 323 sedan MT. I think it cost well under $5000 and I thought that was so much money! We really loved that car.

If you think $15K was a lot of money in 1988, you would have had a conniption about the almost $17K that my 1980 Buick Park Ave. cost. I didn't buy it new (I bought it used in '83 for $7800, private party). I found the window sticker in the glove compartment along with a few service records. Had that car untill 1997 when we moved back from SC. The car had around 115K miles on it and the tranny was just starting to slip. I was considering dumping around 400 bucks into it for a rebuilt tranny but Mrs. j said, "just let it go already, just let it go!" That car was just starting to show some rust behind the left wheel well but other than that it was perfect body wise. If I knew @oldfarmer50 back then he would have given me more than the 800 bucks the used car dealer gave me when he put it on the hook of his tow truck and stole it from me. :@

jmonroe

I don’t know, I owned an 82’ Oldsmobile 88 coupe and it was an awful piece of junk. The quality of those GM boats in the late 70s-early 80s was not the best.

I’m also shocked that you would stick me with a bum tranny.

I wouldn't have stuck you with a bum tranny. You know I would have been up front about it. Like I said in my previous post, a rebuilt tranny would have only cost about 400 bucks.

Just for grins I ask the guy how much he thought he would get for it, as he was putting it on the hook, and he said, "I'm going to put a rebuilt tranny in it, that's going to run me about 300 bucks. I deal with a tranny shop all the time so I get a better price than you can get. Then I'm going to put it on my lot for 2200 bucks and I won't lower the price one penny unless it sits for a month, which I know it won't given the shape this car is in". Told you he stole it from me (he paid me 800 bucks) but I blame Mrs. j for that because she's the one that wanted me to "let it go already". :@

jmonroe

fintail

A mint Justy is on the cusp of being a special interest car/minor collectible these days.

Too bad no final run Horizon in that comparo, I recall those being super cheap (as they were pretty old) too.

suydam

I will just mention that I love living near the ocean. Every place has drawbacks. I personally couldn’t take snow and ice in the winter, plus stormy weather and even tornadoes at other times. We have friends here, the health care is good and close by, there is a lot to do here that we like, and we have both developed new interests and continued old ones. Those were our retirement priorities and so far it has worked out very well. Everyone has to make their own lists of what matters to them.

stickguy

I test drove a brand new fox when they first came out. What a dog that was. Up there with the early Excel my grandmother bought. Both felt like beat up old cars, brand new. But I loved the concept of the Fox wagon. Just needed to stick a GTI underneath it!

oldfarmer50

jmonroe1 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe1 said:

suydam said:

venture said:

While cleaning my office I ran across the window sticker for my 1988 Buick Regal. One of my first cars.

MSRP was $12,782 and with options and destination it was $15,961. Everything was a single option; no packages. It had the optional radio with cassette player, "concert sound" speakers, and automatic power antenna. It sounded like crap if I remember correctly.

As a first year model it wasn't too bad except for the brakes. I always had trouble with them.

I recall being happier when I traded it in than I was when I bought it.

$15k was a lot of money in 1988. We could never have afforded a car that expensive back then, with 1 income and 3 small children. We actually bought our first new car that year, a Mazda 323 sedan MT. I think it cost well under $5000 and I thought that was so much money! We really loved that car.

If you think $15K was a lot of money in 1988, you would have had a conniption about the almost $17K that my 1980 Buick Park Ave. cost. I didn't buy it new (I bought it used in '83 for $7800, private party). I found the window sticker in the glove compartment along with a few service records. Had that car untill 1997 when we moved back from SC. The car had around 115K miles on it and the tranny was just starting to slip. I was considering dumping around 400 bucks into it for a rebuilt tranny but Mrs. j said, "just let it go already, just let it go!" That car was just starting to show some rust behind the left wheel well but other than that it was perfect body wise. If I knew @oldfarmer50 back then he would have given me more than the 800 bucks the used car dealer gave me when he put it on the hook of his tow truck and stole it from me. :@

jmonroe

I don’t know, I owned an 82’ Oldsmobile 88 coupe and it was an awful piece of junk. The quality of those GM boats in the late 70s-early 80s was not the best.

I’m also shocked that you would stick me with a bum tranny.

I wouldn't have stuck you with a bum tranny. You know I would have been up front about it. Like I said in my previous post, a rebuilt tranny would have only cost about 400 bucks.

Just for grins I ask the guy how much he thought he would get for it, as he was putting it on the hook, and he said, "I'm going to put a rebuilt tranny in it, that's going to run me about 300 bucks. I deal with a tranny shop all the time so I get a better price than you can get. Then I'm going to put it on my lot for 2200 bucks and I won't lower the price one penny unless it sits for a month, which I know it won't given the shape this car is in". Told you he stole it from me (he paid me 800 bucks) but I blame Mrs. j for that because she's the one that wanted me to "let it go already". :@

jmonroe

When I blew out my Torqueflite in the 69’ Plymouth I got it rebuilt for $190. Youse guys got hosed.

roadburner

tjc78 said:

Nice car those late 70s / Early 80s Park Avenues. They were quiet, comfy cruisers. Nothing like them on the road today, that's for sure.

How could you not love seats like this!!!!

All I can say is:

Fransie80

roadburner said:

tjc78 said:

Nice car those late 70s / Early 80s Park Avenues. They were quiet, comfy cruisers. Nothing like them on the road today, that's for sure.

How could you not love seats like this!!!!

WOw! that is ineed very pimp I dont think I ve ever seen car seats looking that comfy! very nice!

Sandman6472

Luckily, in 1985, my in-laws bought my wife a brand new Olds Cutlass Supreme 4-door. They even covered the insurance but hey, she was an only child and I was working at the post office. One baby not even a year old, another on the way with my wife not working. We had bought a condo/townhouse back in 1983 before kids, as I said we have to own first before we have kids. Figured with kids and renting, one stays renting. This way, we owned something, though small, but we owned something. Little did I know that by the end of '87, we'd have another child and living in a brand new house!

Sandman6472

Yes OF, think it's that way all over for Enterprise. Just depends on who's running the shop and who the co-workers are. My group, all retirees so far, all like coming in, which is half the battle right there! They like to joke around but on this gig, plan to keep it more professional. At Hertz, some of the drivers could cross the line a few times which got annoying very fast! Most were younger and felt that kidding around had almost no limits. Me, I'm fun to a point but after that, stop when I say o k. But here, doubt that'll be an issue. We joke but keep it very light so far...and I think it'll stay that way. Basically, just hand me the keys and tell me where to go. I'll be there with no drama, usually mid pack. Don't need to be the first to get there like some I've dealt with but, don't always want to be dead last making the whole group wait. Have found, mid pack is the perfect spot to be in.
Now, we'll see if the lead has me doing most of the driving. Don't mind once or twice but think it best he spread it around so I can sit and relax between runs also. Have learned after the last few gigs, don't let them know that you know everything as they'll remember that and depend on you while it should be spread around the group. Sometimes knowledge is not power...just gets you doing more of the grunt work while the rest sit and have fun!!
Seriously, have no clue helping but, don't want to be the fall guy. Hell, I'm even bringing my blue handicap placard just in case parking is a hassle!

oldfarmer50

I agree that the right boss can make the job. Fortunately, both my bosses are great.

The environment in work groups like ours reminds me of middle school with the jokes and jibes. Sometime it goes a little overboard (like middle school) but at this stage in my life I’m much better equipped to deal with it and give it right back.

I don’t like being the chase driver either but I’m willing to do it when I have to. Some of our drivers absolutely insist on doing it which is fine by me. Let’s me catch up on my naps.

I’m seeing more and more young people on our crews. Yesterday we had a young guy in his 20s. I asked him why he chose this job and he said he got used to driving to NYC and South Carolina to visit relatives and thought it would be nice to get paid for it.

oldfarmer50

OK, what’s going on in Florida? Every day something more bizarre. Robbers using a UPS truck as a get away vehicle? Explain that thinking!

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

If you plan to keep the 2014 another 5 years, just pay the high end audio guy and be done with it. If you really want the new one, go trade it in. Either way you get the camera! But blind spot and rear cross path, one you get used to that, hard to go back!

The 2017 is the newer design, so lots of other changes. Much fancier car.

Would gladly keep for 5 years, BUT, to be realistic, a used Mercedes could be a money pit. OTOH, according to Edmunds it is worth $11400 as a trade-in. It is worth way more than that to me.....especially with 30k miles on it, and doing 6k miles a year.

But, if I could foresee a $4000 or $5000 repair bill I would rather trade for a newer model. I am in limbo, doesn't make sense to trade up, don't want to chance messing up the car. Plan C is to wait, see if there is a reputable installer around, definitely worth $400, maybe $500 to have it done right.

If you could foresee a $4-5k repair bill you should go to the racetrack and use your psychic powers there.

graphicguy

Michaell said:

1988 - we bought our Trooper II that year for about $17K, plus TTT. Was a dealer demo.

Spoiler - the Trooper will be the subject of my next COAL post on Saturday

@graphicguy - thanks for the info on PR. Wife is sick and tired of the winters here in CO, so we're looking for someplace warm. She's not a big fan of planes, so not sure that PR would work - we're thinking either AZ or NM for the winters. But, that is still some years off. I like the idea of cheap real estate, however.

NP....there’s lots of real estate in Puerto Rico for sale since the Hurricane right now. I give the people credit there. When they were delayed in getting their FEMA aid, they became very resourceful in fixing, rebuilding their homes. Not exactly at “code”, but resourceful nonetheless. They’ve been quite welcoming of me as a “northern” neighbor. Looking now at what I would give up/gain by living in a U.S. Territory vs a State!

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

OK, what’s going on in Florida? Every day something more bizarre. Robbers using a UPS truck as a get away vehicle? Explain that thinking!

Attempt to blend in with other UPS trucks?

Funny enough, I just saw something very suspicious 2 nights ago involving a UPS truck. As I drove past an abandoned dirt lot, I spotted a UPS truck back-to-back with a moving truck, rear doors open on both. I can't think of a reason for that other than offloading the UPS truck into the moving truck.

graphicguy

@driver100 @abacomike ...

Appreciate the perspective. Everything with a beach looks idyllic. Lots of other factors go into it. As best I can tell, groceries and essentials are now readily available in PR. Can they be disrupted? Sure! Probably more likely than anywhere in the continental 48.

Friends? I love my friends around here. But, I’m betting they’d be willing to come visit given the climate. Same for my sisters and my son. Lifestyle change? Absolutely. But, I’m betting it would be for the better.

But, first things first. To live there full time, I need to retire, sell the house I’m currently in, and most importantly, find a place I like.

This isn’t happening tomorrow, or the next day, or the next month.

I do have my lawyer looking into how the transfer of my accounts down to PR would affect my assets and if there are any laws restricting free movement of my assets.

bwia

I've been offline for a while; hope you guys had a Happy Thanksgiving and participated fully in the American ritual Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

I'll be off be on my annual Caribbean sojourn beginning Tuesday 10th. December. This time my granddaughter will be tagging along for the first time so I've arranged for scuba, kayaking, hiking and river tubing for her. If that does not work then she's on her own.

I know @driver and others have connected their cars to a trickle charger while away for long spells. I'd like to do the same but with a connection directly to the cigarette lighter. Does anyone have suggestions for keeping my battery from running down?

Thanks and Happy Holidays to all.

snakeweasel

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

OK, what’s going on in Florida? Every day something more bizarre. Robbers using a UPS truck as a get away vehicle? Explain that thinking!

Attempt to blend in with other UPS trucks?

Funny enough, I just saw something very suspicious 2 nights ago involving a UPS truck. As I drove past an abandoned dirt lot, I spotted a UPS truck back-to-back with a moving truck, rear doors open on both. I can't think of a reason for that other than offloading the UPS truck into the moving truck.

Well the UPS truck could have broke down and with Christmas very close all other available UPS trucks are busy making deliveries and the only real alternative was to rent a moving truck to get the packages on their way.

snakeweasel

bwia said:

I've been offline for a while; hope you guys had a Happy Thanksgiving and participated fully in the American ritual Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

I'll be off be on my annual Caribbean sojourn beginning Tuesday 10th. December. This time my granddaughter will be tagging along for the first time so I've arranged for scuba, kayaking, hiking and river tubing for her. If that does not work then she's on her own.

I know @driver and others have connected their cars to a trickle charger while away for long spells. I'd like to do the same but with a connection directly to the cigarette lighter. Does anyone have suggestions for keeping my battery from running down?

Thanks and Happy Holidays to all.

Only way I can think of is a trickle charger or disconnecting the battery. The charger would be a better option. The only other alternative would be driving the vehicle at least once every two or three weeks.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

OK, what’s going on in Florida? Every day something more bizarre. Robbers using a UPS truck as a get away vehicle? Explain that thinking!

Attempt to blend in with other UPS trucks?

Funny enough, I just saw something very suspicious 2 nights ago involving a UPS truck. As I drove past an abandoned dirt lot, I spotted a UPS truck back-to-back with a moving truck, rear doors open on both. I can't think of a reason for that other than offloading the UPS truck into the moving truck.

The parcel services have to get creative during the holiday rush. Last November we (not me personally) delivered a few hundred cargo vans to Fedex in White Plains for Christmas rush. 3 month rentals.

This week we took 15 Nissan AWD Armadas to Burlington so UPS could use them as delivery vehicles. Evidently up in the snowy north they have to have AWD so they chose big SUVs.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

@driver100 @abacomike ...

Appreciate the perspective. Everything with a beach looks idyllic. Lots of other factors go into it. As best I can tell, groceries and essentials are now readily available in PR. Can they be disrupted? Sure! Probably more likely than anywhere in the continental 48.

Friends? I love my friends around here. But, I’m betting they’d be willing to come visit given the climate. Same for my sisters and my son. Lifestyle change? Absolutely. But, I’m betting it would be for the better.

But, first things first. To live there full time, I need to retire, sell the house I’m currently in, and most importantly, find a place I like.

This isn’t happening tomorrow, or the next day, or the next month.

I do have my lawyer looking into how the transfer of my accounts down to PR would affect my assets and if there are any laws restricting free movement of my assets.

Are you fluent in Spanish? That would seem to be essential if you were to be a permanent resident. You might want to consider an extended stay vacation away from the hotels to see if you and the real island are a good fit.

Maybe hitch a ride with bwia to see how life in the tropics suits you.

oldfarmer50

bwia said:

I've been offline for a while; hope you guys had a Happy Thanksgiving and participated fully in the American ritual Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

I'll be off be on my annual Caribbean sojourn beginning Tuesday 10th. December. This time my granddaughter will be tagging along for the first time so I've arranged for scuba, kayaking, hiking and river tubing for her. If that does not work then she's on her own.

I know @driver and others have connected their cars to a trickle charger while away for long spells. I'd like to do the same but with a connection directly to the cigarette lighter. Does anyone have suggestions for keeping my battery from running down?

Thanks and Happy Holidays to all.

I used to just start my stored cars up once a month to charge the battery but last year they got drained too low for my tastes. I hooked a trickle charger up to the Sebring because that has the weakest battery. May have to do the same with the Ford as that has a lot more electronics drawing power and last year I got some “low battery” warnings.

I just hook them to the terminals. Why would you want to use the cig/power outlet?

That reminds me, I was supposed to start both cars up this week but my cargo van is buried in snow right up against the garage door where the Mustang is sleeping. The convertible is out in the barn and I don’t have a dog sled to get out there.

driver100

Miami - 18 year old UPS employee hiding packages and stealing them later.

You'd think he would try to look less conspicuous!
Why do these things happen in Florida?

Video: https://abc11.com/18-year-old-ups-employee-accused-of-stealing-packages/5735401/

graphicguy

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

@driver100 @abacomike ...

Appreciate the perspective. Everything with a beach looks idyllic. Lots of other factors go into it. As best I can tell, groceries and essentials are now readily available in PR. Can they be disrupted? Sure! Probably more likely than anywhere in the continental 48.

Friends? I love my friends around here. But, I’m betting they’d be willing to come visit given the climate. Same for my sisters and my son. Lifestyle change? Absolutely. But, I’m betting it would be for the better.

But, first things first. To live there full time, I need to retire, sell the house I’m currently in, and most importantly, find a place I like.

This isn’t happening tomorrow, or the next day, or the next month.

I do have my lawyer looking into how the transfer of my accounts down to PR would affect my assets and if there are any laws restricting free movement of my assets.

Are you fluent in Spanish? That would seem to be essential if you were to be a permanent resident. You might want to consider an extended stay vacation away from the hotels to see if you and the real island are a good fit.

Maybe hitch a ride with bwia to see how life in the tropics suits you.

OF....I’ve been down to PR probably 6-7 times. Never had an issue with the language. That said, it seems most in PR are bi-lingual, but speak mostly Spanish.

Having been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit, U.S. Citizens (as well as U.K. Citizens) seem to be mostly stuck only speaking English, much to our detriment.

That said, it’s probably no different than living in Southern Florida when it comes to the support of more than just English.

driver100

bwia said:

I know @driver and others have connected their cars to a trickle charger while away for long spells. I'd like to do the same but with a connection directly to the cigarette lighter. Does anyone have suggestions for keeping my battery from running down?

Thanks and Happy Holidays to all.

Have a good trip. I highly recommend getting a Battery Tender Trickle Charger....there is a Junior Model too, full size $45, Jr $25 on Amazon. They get excellent reviews from 1000s of users.

You can get a Battery Tender adapter that you can plug into the cigarette lighter for $7.50. I got one of those but I find it easy just to put the red clip on the positive, the black on the negative.

Don't forget to add STABIL to your gas tank, and you may want to put 2 or 3 pounds of extra air in your tires. Some people put steel wool in the exhaust pipe, and you can buy packets of stuff mice don't like, to put under the hood.

AMAZON - TRICKLE CHARGERS

stickguy

They reload delivery trucks on the fly. Like refueling planes in midair.

ab348

Several years ago I bought CTEK charger for the Cutlass and its winter hibernation. They don't seem to make my model any more but it looks something like this one:

https://www.ctek.com/products/vehicle/mxs-3-8

It has been great and is small so it is easy to keep under the car cover too. Looks like the prices have gone up significantly since I bought mine though.

driver100

ab348 said:

Several years ago I bought CTEK charger for the Cutlass and its winter hibernation. They don't seem to make my model any more but it looks something like this one:

https://www.ctek.com/products/vehicle/mxs-3-8

It has been great and is small so it is easy to keep under the car cover too. Looks like the prices have gone up significantly since I bought mine though.

They have it on amazon:
CTEK (56-158) MULTI US 3300 12 Volt Fully Automatic 4 Step Battery Charger
4.5 out of 5 stars 818
Automotive
$74.70

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

bwia said:

I know @driver and others have connected their cars to a trickle charger while away for long spells. I'd like to do the same but with a connection directly to the cigarette lighter. Does anyone have suggestions for keeping my battery from running down?

Thanks and Happy Holidays to all.

Have a good trip. I highly recommend getting a Battery Tender Trickle Charger....there is a Junior Model too, full size $45, Jr $25 on Amazon. They get excellent reviews from 1000s of users.

You can get a Battery Tender adapter that you can plug into the cigarette lighter for $7.50. I got one of those but I find it easy just to put the red clip on the positive, the black on the negative.

Don't forget to add STABIL to your gas tank, and you may want to put 2 or 3 pounds of extra air in your tires. Some people put steel wool in the exhaust pipe, and you can buy packets of stuff mice don't like, to put under the hood.

AMAZON - TRICKLE CHARGERS

I got my trickle charger from Walmart for about $13. Does everything I wanted which is to keep the battery charged without overcharging.

suydam

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

OK, what’s going on in Florida? Every day something more bizarre. Robbers using a UPS truck as a get away vehicle? Explain that thinking!

Attempt to blend in with other UPS trucks?

Funny enough, I just saw something very suspicious 2 nights ago involving a UPS truck. As I drove past an abandoned dirt lot, I spotted a UPS truck back-to-back with a moving truck, rear doors open on both. I can't think of a reason for that other than offloading the UPS truck into the moving truck.

Actually this is very sad. Two armed men hijacked a UPS truck and sped away. All the occupants were killed at the end of the police chase that ensued, including the driver, who was just a UPS employee covering for another driver that morning. He had a wife and 2 young children.

oldfarmer50

suydam said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

OK, what’s going on in Florida? Every day something more bizarre. Robbers using a UPS truck as a get away vehicle? Explain that thinking!

Attempt to blend in with other UPS trucks?

Funny enough, I just saw something very suspicious 2 nights ago involving a UPS truck. As I drove past an abandoned dirt lot, I spotted a UPS truck back-to-back with a moving truck, rear doors open on both. I can't think of a reason for that other than offloading the UPS truck into the moving truck.

Actually this is very sad. Two armed men hijacked a UPS truck and sped away. All the occupants were killed at the end of the police chase that ensued, including the driver, who was just a UPS employee covering for another driver that morning. He had a wife and 2 young children.

I heard that an innocent bystander got killed too. How insane do criminals have to be to get into a shoot out with police.

driver100

Fridge was delivered from Lowes this morning, then the dishwasher was delivered from Home Depot. I see to register the Whirlpool fridge you can mail in a card, or take a picture of the barcode and text it to Whirlpool.

Now I have to learn how to use the digital controls to turn the freezer temperature down....the old one had a dial, the world is getting so complicated.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

Fridge was delivered from Lowes this morning, then the dishwasher was delivered from Home Depot. I see to register the Whirlpool fridge you can mail in a card, or take a picture of the barcode and text it to Whirlpool.

Now I have to learn how to use the digital controls to turn the freezer temperature down....the old one had a dial, the world is getting so complicated.

It isn't as hard as you think. Look at the "quick set up guide" for how to do it. Easy peasy.

When the "pro" installs the dishwasher, make sure he doesn't damage the drain stub on you new garbage disposal unit. I know someone very well who had this happen to them. :@

jmonroe

venture

I got an email from Subaru that there is an update to the maps for my Legacy navigation.

I downloaded the Map Installer, downloaded the files, then put them on a USB drive. Almost 15 GB. It took a while.

Now I'm going out to install it to the car. They say it takes about an hour, but the last time I think it was about 20 minutes. We will see.

It took about 40 minutes.

jmonroe - your Legacy should get this too.

explorerx4

More Florida goodness.
https://www.autoblog.com/2019/12/05/car-leaps-over-dealership-lot/

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

More Florida goodness.
https://www.autoblog.com/2019/12/05/car-leaps-over-dealership-lot/

Ah, um, I already posted that.

omarman

News agencies reported that the Florida Camry surpassed the 120 feet distance of the Wright Flyer set on December 17, 1903.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsKYNQTbSD4

abacomike

On Tuesday morning I am having the first cataract surgery - right eye. I Opted for laser rather than scalpel - $1675 for each eye. They told me they place a new lens into my eye - supposedly good for distance only - will need progressives to see medium and close distance (reading). So I become farsighted after the surgery - I was nearsighted all my life.

I am quite anxious about Tuesday. I start putting two different Eyedrops 4 times a day starting tomorrow. One of my friends is driving me to and from the surgical center and I think my daughter is staying with me Tuesday night just to help me out. Then my friend picks me up Wednesday morning for my first post-op appointment with the surgeon.

But i am very nervous about this and the surgery on my left eye in January. 🤓😞😞

suydam

Good luck! I had the kind of laser cataract procedure that gives you far, medium, and closeup vision, so I don’t need glasses at all any more. I’m sure you’ll do fine! And you will see beautiful colors again!