Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

graphicguy

Not sure why, but the last Porsche I was tempted by was when I was fresh out of college, and the Porsche was a well used 914. Didn’t pull the trigger, but came close.

Since then, I see them on the road, and for no other reason than I don’t keep up with them as a manufacturer of fine sports cars, not sure I know the difference between a Cayman and a Cayenne or a Taycan.

Not sure why I’m really kicking tires on different cars. I’m just not in the market. Every time I get in my TLX I’m reminded how much I like it. As these things go, while I do buy a car out of need on occasion, usually I buy a car “in the heat of the moment” as an emotional buy.

I know one thing’s for certain. Mainstream cars today are more advanced, better performers, better made than anything from even 5 short years ago. I’m amazed at how good today’s Camrys and Accords are. Stunned by how much performance for the dollar that a Stinger GT or Genesis G70 offer. Really amazed at how little you have to spend to get an all electric car, too.

Yes the interface in the TLX screens could use a freshening, it’s still quite a good car for the money while being economical to operate and maintain.

abacomike

From my home to yours, I wish ALL a Very Merry Christmas 🎁🎄.

abacomike

driver100 said:

PF_Flyer said:

Hand washed the winter gray off the cars today. We were coming home from visiting and the car was filthy. Temps got into the 50s. Picked the dog up and went by a couple of car washes and they were backed up onto the roads. So I turned the front hose back on and got to it. Of course it was back into the 40s by then so my fingers got pretty numb

In Florida we do a Florida wash. Just leave the car out in the rain and it turns out sparkling clean!

Taking your comment one step further, you mean I no longer have to shower every morning? I just walk outside in my birthday suit and wait to be washed and cleaned? 🤪😜

abacomike

carnaught said:

Back to cable/internet/tv bundling....Cox tells me I will get no more increases in 2020 on my 24 mos. “guaranteed” rate. Yeah, my 24 mos. agreement is up in July, as if I believe them anyway.

I’m shopping around and may have access to fiber based internet service. Does anyone have it yet?

ATT just completed wiring all the condo units in my area with fiber optics. I am still with Comcast cable for internet/WiFi, TV and Xfinity Mobile, but I have neighbors who love the fiber optic connection with ATT. I have seen their TV reception and it is quite good. So is their internet.

driver100

graphicguy said:

Yes the interface in the TLX screens could use a freshening, it’s still quite a good car for the money while being economical to operate and maintain.

GG, at least you have a screen!

Good points about how advanced cars have become in the last 5 years. OTOH, I find there is something very gratifying about keeping a 6 year old car in nice condition and knowing that it is solid and safe, and I am not paying it off.

Maybe one thing that saved me from buying the 2016 (at least up until now) is figuring out how much of a hit depreciation would be on your present car....calculated yearly. On the C250 we paid $25k, lets say I get $12k, over 3 years $13k is $4,300 a year. If it was closer to $3000 a year I would be happy to say I got my moneys worth, time to get a new one.............maybe unrealistic.

Anyone else think in terms of depreciation and value of your trade-in compared to buying new or newer? Oldfarmers rule, he wants to get 1 year for every $1000 spent.
Random thoughts!

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

PF_Flyer said:

Hand washed the winter gray off the cars today. We were coming home from visiting and the car was filthy. Temps got into the 50s. Picked the dog up and went by a couple of car washes and they were backed up onto the roads. So I turned the front hose back on and got to it. Of course it was back into the 40s by then so my fingers got pretty numb

In Florida we do a Florida wash. Just leave the car out in the rain and it turns out sparkling clean!

Taking your comment one step further, you mean I no longer have to shower every morning? I just walk outside in my birthday suit and wait to be washed and cleaned? 🤪😜

Never thought of that, not a bad idea.Worth a try - take a bar of soap with.
Maybe we could start a discussion on the kind of soap you guys prefer.
I know one thing...I prefer a real bar of soap compared to that liquid jell in a bottle stuff....where you don't know what you have done! :@

sda

Though I am constantly looking at cars, I can’t quite pull the trigger to replace the Accord. I am amazed I’ve owned it longer than any car and continue to be impressed by how balanced it is overall and that I find it enjoyable to drive. It’s paid for which makes it even more difficult to cut bait.

jmonroe

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

That hoovies video made me do a search. Only 3 wagons with fewer than 90k miles within 100 miles of me, and all owned by same seller. This one is probably the pick of the litter. Not a good color combo, but man does it look nice.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/share/259767727

He does have a manual wagon, but it is a 9-3, and the price is pretty dear.
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/share/261431057

You’re kind of looking for a unicorn there. Will only a Sabb do? For those prices you might get a BMW wagon. Can’t be any more rare.

https://longisland.craigslist.org/ctd/d/melville-2008-bmw-328xi-wagon-very-low/7026456990.html

or a 2014 C250 with only 30k miles on it for even less, $11700. If you need a wagon you can buy a little trailer

You can add anything you want to that wannabe...you're still glong to have a problem when you back up.

jmonroe

jmonroe

driver100 said:

I just got a card in the mail offering me $150 off at the Mercedes dealer if I get at least $300 worth of repairs.

What are the odds, I can get exactly $300 worth of work done, and come out paying only $150 for it.

It is an advertising program I am skeptical of......better to give 25% off or something. Why does someone getting $300 worth of work get the same savings as someone doing $1000 worth of work?

Don't ask us, ask the advertising dealer. OR, you could asked them, "what combination of services can I get for $300 plus a maximum of 10% more". More than likely that will be a check all fluids and top them off with factory authorized fluids and a tire rotation and top off with nitrogen. Try it and let us know how far off I am.

jmonroe

jmonroe

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

Yes the interface in the TLX screens could use a freshening, it’s still quite a good car for the money while being economical to operate and maintain.

GG, at least you have a screen!

Good points about how advanced cars have become in the last 5 years. OTOH, I find there is something very gratifying about keeping a 6 year old car in nice condition and knowing that it is solid and safe, and I am not paying it off.

Maybe one thing that saved me from buying the 2016 (at least up until now) is figuring out how much of a hit depreciation would be on your present car....calculated yearly. On the C250 we paid $25k, lets say I get $12k, over 3 years $13k is $4,300 a year. If it was closer to $3000 a year I would be happy to say I got my moneys worth, time to get a new one.............maybe unrealistic.

Anyone else think in terms of depreciation and value of your trade-in compared to buying new or newer? Oldfarmers rule, he wants to get 1 year for every $1000 spent.
Random thoughts!

There are two things that I've NEVER considered when I buy a car (1) gas mileage and (2) depreciation. As for gas mileage, anyone who purchases the largest engine for the model they are buying, like me, has to be in another galaxy to expect good gas mileage. Now, for depreciation, my track record says I'm going to own my cars for at least 6 years, although by that time depreciation should be at the sweet spot. However, you're still in another galaxy if you have to consider it. And, like I have said before, "if you have to consider depreciation for any car purchase...you really can't afford that car".

Merry Christmas. If you read the above like a rant, I sound like Chevy Chase in that National Lampoons Christmas Vacation scene (best Christmas movie ever made).

jmonroe

suydam

ronsteve said:

suydam said:

Haven’t had a landline phone for at least a decade.

Problem is once you dump your landline, and your cell is the only phone attached to enough of your accounts, guess where the spam calls go!

I can send any call not in my contacts straight to voice mail, where the spammers hang up. So I never hear them. Believe me, spammers have found cell phones whether or not you have a land line.

suydam

I consider gas mileage pretty seriously. Depreciation, not so much. Older cars will just depreciate quicker as new tech becomes available and they don’t have it.

fintail

Speaking of "old" cars, I am visiting my mom and her 03 Camry that still has well under 100K miles on it. It almost feels more like the fintail than a "modern" car, no screens, no nannies, nothing keyless - I remember the CD player and moonroof were a big deal on the car when she got it. And as it is kind of an olden times Toyota, the car has required exactly no unscheduled repairs in its life, the only fault being the AC doesn't blow cold anymore.

snakeweasel

suydam said:

ronsteve said:

suydam said:

Haven’t had a landline phone for at least a decade.

Problem is once you dump your landline, and your cell is the only phone attached to enough of your accounts, guess where the spam calls go!

I can send any call not in my contacts straight to voice mail, where the spammers hang up. So I never hear them. Believe me, spammers have found cell phones whether or not you have a land line.

I can do the same thing but I do get a daily spammer leaving me a voice mail asking if I want to sell my timeshare. How do they know I have a timeshare? I dont even know I have a timeshare.

ab348

The evolution of tech in cars has moved quickly. The only LED display (aside from the radio) on my ‘02 Intrigue was the odometer. My ‘09 Lacrosse moved up to a single-line display in the cluster. My ‘11 Regal had a 2”x3” monochrome display between the speedo and the tach and a 3”x5” monochrome sound system/phone display, plus Bluetooth. Then in ‘14 I moved on to Caddy’s CUE system in full color. Quite the progression.

jmonroe

snakeweasel said:

suydam said:

ronsteve said:

suydam said:

Haven’t had a landline phone for at least a decade.

Problem is once you dump your landline, and your cell is the only phone attached to enough of your accounts, guess where the spam calls go!

I can send any call not in my contacts straight to voice mail, where the spammers hang up. So I never hear them. Believe me, spammers have found cell phones whether or not you have a land line.

I can do the same thing but I do get a daily spammer leaving me a voice mail asking if I want to sell my timeshare. How do they know I have a timeshare? I dont even know I have a timeshare.

I don't know either but if there was ever an industry that deserves buying something that doesn't exist, it's them. If you can't sell yours, give me their number and I'll see if I can sell them the one I don't have.

jmonroe

sda

fintail said:

Speaking of "old" cars, I am visiting my mom and her 03 Camry that still has well under 100K miles on it. It almost feels more like the fintail than a "modern" car, no screens, no nannies, nothing keyless - I remember the CD player and moonroof were a big deal on the car when she got it. And as it is kind of an olden times Toyota, the car has required exactly no unscheduled repairs in its life, the only fault being the AC doesn't blow cold anymore.

My in laws have an 03 Camry XLE V6 that they bought new and it is their only car. It has around 160k, garage kept, detailed by a shop once a year. No Camry pushed in bumpers, lol. Looks nice inside and out. It has been an excellent trouble free car for them.

suydam

My constant scammer is one promising help with my student loans. Those were paid off oh, 30 years ago or so. My voice mail transcribes the text so it’s an easy delete.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

I just got a card in the mail offering me $150 off at the Mercedes dealer if I get at least $300 worth of repairs.

What are the odds, I can get exactly $300 worth of work done, and come out paying only $150 for it.

It is an advertising program I am skeptical of......better to give 25% off or something. Why does someone getting $300 worth of work get the same savings as someone doing $1000 worth of work?

I got an $80 Christmas gift card from my plumber. Almost makes me want to clog a drain so I can use it.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

Not sure why, but the last Porsche I was tempted by was when I was fresh out of college, and the Porsche was a well used 914. Didn’t pull the trigger, but came close.

Since then, I see them on the road, and for no other reason than I don’t keep up with them as a manufacturer of fine sports cars, not sure I know the difference between a Cayman and a Cayenne or a Taycan.

Not sure why I’m really kicking tires on different cars. I’m just not in the market. Every time I get in my TLX I’m reminded how much I like it. As these things go, while I do buy a car out of need on occasion, usually I buy a car “in the heat of the moment” as an emotional buy.

I know one thing’s for certain. Mainstream cars today are more advanced, better performers, better made than anything from even 5 short years ago. I’m amazed at how good today’s Camrys and Accords are. Stunned by how much performance for the dollar that a Stinger GT or Genesis G70 offer. Really amazed at how little you have to spend to get an all electric car, too.

Yes the interface in the TLX screens could use a freshening, it’s still quite a good car for the money while being economical to operate and maintain.

My youthful regret was a 1970 340 Plymouth Duster 4 speed that I almost bought from a guy at work. Considering how beat it probably was I shouldn’t have had any regrets.

pensfan83

Snowing in NY, meanwhile in Pittsburgh...

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

Yes the interface in the TLX screens could use a freshening, it’s still quite a good car for the money while being economical to operate and maintain.

GG, at least you have a screen!

Good points about how advanced cars have become in the last 5 years. OTOH, I find there is something very gratifying about keeping a 6 year old car in nice condition and knowing that it is solid and safe, and I am not paying it off.

Maybe one thing that saved me from buying the 2016 (at least up until now) is figuring out how much of a hit depreciation would be on your present car....calculated yearly. On the C250 we paid $25k, lets say I get $12k, over 3 years $13k is $4,300 a year. If it was closer to $3000 a year I would be happy to say I got my moneys worth, time to get a new one.............maybe unrealistic.

Anyone else think in terms of depreciation and value of your trade-in compared to buying new or newer? Oldfarmers rule, he wants to get 1 year for every $1000 spent.
Random thoughts!

Actually my rule is getting 10,000 miles of use for every $1000 spent. On some of my hoopties that could take five years. I also don’t like to buy used cars until depreciation gets them down to under 20% of their original sticker price. Some, I’ve only spent 5% on but those were rough.

oldfarmer50

Wow, I’m watching a Mecum auction right now and they just sold a 2015 50th anniversary 5.0 Mustang for $47k. That’s right about what it stickered for 5 years ago.

Of course back then they were adding up to $20k dealer mark ups on them. That’s also why I bet some of them are still sitting in dealer showrooms. That someone would spend that much on a 5 year old car that wasn’t real special when new amazes me.

driver100

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

Yes the interface in the TLX screens could use a freshening, it’s still quite a good car for the money while being economical to operate and maintain.

GG, at least you have a screen!

Good points about how advanced cars have become in the last 5 years. OTOH, I find there is something very gratifying about keeping a 6 year old car in nice condition and knowing that it is solid and safe, and I am not paying it off.

Maybe one thing that saved me from buying the 2016 (at least up until now) is figuring out how much of a hit depreciation would be on your present car....calculated yearly. On the C250 we paid $25k, lets say I get $12k, over 3 years $13k is $4,300 a year. If it was closer to $3000 a year I would be happy to say I got my moneys worth, time to get a new one.............maybe unrealistic.

Anyone else think in terms of depreciation and value of your trade-in compared to buying new or newer? Oldfarmers rule, he wants to get 1 year for every $1000 spent.
Random thoughts!

There are two things that I've NEVER considered when I buy a car (1) gas mileage and (2) depreciation. As for gas mileage, anyone who purchases the largest engine for the model they are buying, like me, has to be in another galaxy to expect good gas mileage. Now, for depreciation, my track record says I'm going to own my cars for at least 6 years, although by that time depreciation should be at the sweet spot. However, you're still in another galaxy if you have to consider it. And, like I have said before, "if you have to consider depreciation for any car purchase...you really can't afford that car".

Merry Christmas. If you read the above like a rant, I sound like Chevy Chase in that National Lampoons Christmas Vacation scene (best Christmas movie ever made).

jmonroe

I agree about National Lampoons Christmas Vacation being the best Christmas movie ever made. But, I prefer to trade cars at a pretty good time. It goes against my principles to be a car buying addict. It is a big moving target, because you have to weigh what your current car is worth, how much the difference will change if you wait, what might your current car need in the next year or two. For example, I could be better off buying that 2016 C300 now, because by next year my car will be worth $2000 less, and trading up could cost more. We need an app or a computer program to figure out optimum time to trade.

Or do it the JMonroe way.....wait 6 years and just do it - hope you made a wise decision and your Genesis is still in demand.

jmonroe

OK, I'll be stepping away for a while. Going with the @Monroe clad to see a movie (don't know which one, I'm just going). Then off to a Chinese restaurant. That seems to be a family ritual lately. Don't women cook anymore? Nope, I'm not going to ask that question, not after what they prepared last night. My running shoes are just about worn out. See y'all later.

jmonroe

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

Yes the interface in the TLX screens could use a freshening, it’s still quite a good car for the money while being economical to operate and maintain.

GG, at least you have a screen!

Good points about how advanced cars have become in the last 5 years. OTOH, I find there is something very gratifying about keeping a 6 year old car in nice condition and knowing that it is solid and safe, and I am not paying it off.

Maybe one thing that saved me from buying the 2016 (at least up until now) is figuring out how much of a hit depreciation would be on your present car....calculated yearly. On the C250 we paid $25k, lets say I get $12k, over 3 years $13k is $4,300 a year. If it was closer to $3000 a year I would be happy to say I got my moneys worth, time to get a new one.............maybe unrealistic.

Anyone else think in terms of depreciation and value of your trade-in compared to buying new or newer? Oldfarmers rule, he wants to get 1 year for every $1000 spent.
Random thoughts!

Actually my rule is getting 10,000 miles of use for every $1000 spent. On some of my hoopties that could take five years. I also don’t like to buy used cars until depreciation gets them down to under 20% of their original sticker price. Some, I’ve only spent 5% on but those were rough.

Let me see, I'd have to get 250000 miles on my C250.

At 10k miles for every $1000 spent, you get excellent value if you make the right choices. If you get it wrong you get a money pit or a piece of garbage decorating your house.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

Yes the interface in the TLX screens could use a freshening, it’s still quite a good car for the money while being economical to operate and maintain.

GG, at least you have a screen!

Good points about how advanced cars have become in the last 5 years. OTOH, I find there is something very gratifying about keeping a 6 year old car in nice condition and knowing that it is solid and safe, and I am not paying it off.

Maybe one thing that saved me from buying the 2016 (at least up until now) is figuring out how much of a hit depreciation would be on your present car....calculated yearly. On the C250 we paid $25k, lets say I get $12k, over 3 years $13k is $4,300 a year. If it was closer to $3000 a year I would be happy to say I got my moneys worth, time to get a new one.............maybe unrealistic.

Anyone else think in terms of depreciation and value of your trade-in compared to buying new or newer? Oldfarmers rule, he wants to get 1 year for every $1000 spent.
Random thoughts!

Actually my rule is getting 10,000 miles of use for every $1000 spent. On some of my hoopties that could take five years. I also don’t like to buy used cars until depreciation gets them down to under 20% of their original sticker price. Some, I’ve only spent 5% on but those were rough.

Let me see, I'd have to get 250000 miles on my C250.

At 10k miles for every $1000 spent, you get excellent value if you make the right choices. If you get it wrong you get a money pit or a piece of garbage decorating your house.

You can’t blame me because you paid too much.

Obviously my rule of thumb only works for fully deprecated cars. Otherwise, if I bought a fancy $100,000 car I’d have to keep it for a million miles.

If you buy your cars cheap enough you don’t go the money pit route....you just park them on the roadside and walk away.

snakeweasel

Just sitting here at Midway airport (named after a WWII battle) waiting for a flight to Nashville. Not sure why my wife doesnt think they fly non stop to florida but what the hey.

explorerx4

Had about 20 people over today.
One casualty, the garbage disposer. I'll have to call 'the guy' to fix it(looks in the mirror).

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

Yes the interface in the TLX screens could use a freshening, it’s still quite a good car for the money while being economical to operate and maintain.

GG, at least you have a screen!

Good points about how advanced cars have become in the last 5 years. OTOH, I find there is something very gratifying about keeping a 6 year old car in nice condition and knowing that it is solid and safe, and I am not paying it off.

Maybe one thing that saved me from buying the 2016 (at least up until now) is figuring out how much of a hit depreciation would be on your present car....calculated yearly. On the C250 we paid $25k, lets say I get $12k, over 3 years $13k is $4,300 a year. If it was closer to $3000 a year I would be happy to say I got my moneys worth, time to get a new one.............maybe unrealistic.

Anyone else think in terms of depreciation and value of your trade-in compared to buying new or newer? Oldfarmers rule, he wants to get 1 year for every $1000 spent.
Random thoughts!

Actually my rule is getting 10,000 miles of use for every $1000 spent. On some of my hoopties that could take five years. I also don’t like to buy used cars until depreciation gets them down to under 20% of their original sticker price. Some, I’ve only spent 5% on but those were rough.

Let me see, I'd have to get 250000 miles on my C250.

At 10k miles for every $1000 spent, you get excellent value if you make the right choices. If you get it wrong you get a money pit or a piece of garbage decorating your house.

If you buy your cars cheap enough you don’t go the money pit route....you just park them on the roadside and walk away.

If I tried your method I would probably spend way more than $3000 a year in depreciation..........repairs, cars that aren't worth fixing, cars that aren't reliable enough to get me somewhere on time.
If you can do it and win then good for you. That is probably another reason I usually trade in on the early side, I want to be able to trade-in a car with some value, a desirable car....makes it easier to negotiate.

Not easy to negotiate when your trade-in looks like this;

driver100

explorerx4 said:

Had about 20 people over today.
One casualty, the garbage disposer. I'll have to call 'the guy' to fix it(looks in the mirror).

We replaced ours in November. I can save you a lot of trouble, go to amazon, get one of these:
InSinkErator Garbage Disposal, Badger 5, 1/2 HP Continuous Feed
4.5 out of 5 stars 4,370
$91.34
Get it as soon as Fri, Dec 27
FREE Shipping by Amazon

#1 seller, the inventor of the things, very reasonable cost.

BTW...you can try to fix it by poking around and trying to dislodge something...it comes with a key thing you poke around with....watch youtube. When I did that it just made it worse....before I did it at least the motor hummed. That is when we called "The Guy".

driver100

snakeweasel said:

Just sitting here at Midway airport (named after a WWII battle) waiting for a flight to Nashville. Not sure why my wife doesnt think they fly non stop to florida but what the hey.

Sometimes stopover flights are cheaper, but, I don't know if it is worth the extra wear and tear on the body, and it multiplies the chances of things going wrong!

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

Yes the interface in the TLX screens could use a freshening, it’s still quite a good car for the money while being economical to operate and maintain.

GG, at least you have a screen!

Good points about how advanced cars have become in the last 5 years. OTOH, I find there is something very gratifying about keeping a 6 year old car in nice condition and knowing that it is solid and safe, and I am not paying it off.

Maybe one thing that saved me from buying the 2016 (at least up until now) is figuring out how much of a hit depreciation would be on your present car....calculated yearly. On the C250 we paid $25k, lets say I get $12k, over 3 years $13k is $4,300 a year. If it was closer to $3000 a year I would be happy to say I got my moneys worth, time to get a new one.............maybe unrealistic.

Anyone else think in terms of depreciation and value of your trade-in compared to buying new or newer? Oldfarmers rule, he wants to get 1 year for every $1000 spent.
Random thoughts!

Actually my rule is getting 10,000 miles of use for every $1000 spent. On some of my hoopties that could take five years. I also don’t like to buy used cars until depreciation gets them down to under 20% of their original sticker price. Some, I’ve only spent 5% on but those were rough.

Let me see, I'd have to get 250000 miles on my C250.

At 10k miles for every $1000 spent, you get excellent value if you make the right choices. If you get it wrong you get a money pit or a piece of garbage decorating your house.

If you buy your cars cheap enough you don’t go the money pit route....you just park them on the roadside and walk away.

If I tried your method I would probably spend way more than $3000 a year in depreciation..........repairs, cars that aren't worth fixing, cars that aren't reliable enough to get me somewhere on time.
If you can do it and win then good for you. That is probably another reason I usually trade in on the early side, I want to be able to trade-in a car with some value, a desirable car....makes it easier to negotiate.

Not easy to negotiate when your trade-in looks like this;

Get a quote from the junk yard and if the dealer can beat it trade it in, if not call the junk yard.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

Just sitting here at Midway airport (named after a WWII battle) waiting for a flight to Nashville. Not sure why my wife doesnt think they fly non stop to florida but what the hey.

Sometimes stopover flights are cheaper, but, I don't know if it is worth the extra wear and tear on the body, and it multiplies the chances of things going wrong!

Sitting on a restaurant on Nashvilles airport. Used to live walking distance from here. Second leg starts in an hour.

explorerx4

@driver100,
This is Christmas, not April Fool's Day.

oldfarmer50

Driver100 said:

“I want to be able to trade-in a car with some value, a desirable car...“

If the car is desirable I keep it or hand it down to a relative. Usually I won’t sell a car until it is worth under $1000. The last three cars I sold went for $750, $500 and $300 respectively. The repairs needed exceeded their value in all cases.

BTW, cars at that price range usually sell in a matter of hours.

jmonroe

explorerx4 said:

Had about 20 people over today.
One casualty, the garbage disposer. I'll have to call 'the guy' to fix it(looks in the mirror).

I don't know of anyone who actually fixed a dispossl unit. Un-jamming it yes but never fixing one. I'd suggest you don't get the puny 1/2 HP job @driver100 recommended, step up and get a 1 HP unit, you won't be sorry. Surely nothing less than a 3/4 HP unit. But that's only going half way. On second thought get the big boy. The last thing you want to be accused of is getting a wannabe garbage disposal.

jmonroe

stickguy

Depreciation is something to consider when you buy. But one you have it, purchase price is a sunk cost. Determine next move based on current value and cost of replacement. Depreciation so far is meaningless.

abacomike

sda said:

Though I am constantly looking at cars, I can’t quite pull the trigger to replace the Accord. I am amazed I’ve owned it longer than any car and continue to be impressed by how balanced it is overall and that I find it enjoyable to drive. It’s paid for which makes it even more difficult to cut bait.

My daughter's Accord coupe has over 150,000 miles on it and still going strong! She bought it new in 2012.

abacomike

I just got a call from my younger grandson who lives in California. He is 15 years old - has Asperger's syndrome (form of autism) - but he is extremely bright (143 IQ). He called to thank me for his Christmas gift. The 15 minute conversation was terrific - I understood everything he said and his mastery of the Oral English language along with perfect syntax and appropriate use of vocabulary was amazing.

His maturation and management of his behaviors is truly mesmerizing to me. This is the boy who would sit in a corner of a room and cling to his blanket with no communication with anyone. Now, he is a young man with obvious disabilities who has overcome so many difficulties - I have tears in my eyes as I type this post.

There are things that he has been exposed to in his public school education that account for his tremendous growth in his widening abilities. Of course he has a long way to go in dealing with social interactions which is commonplace with Asperger's syndrome children - but I am so proud of him - and I love him dearly! 😃😛❤️

stickguy

Great news mike.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

Driver100 said:

“I want to be able to trade-in a car with some value, a desirable car...“

If the car is desirable I keep it or hand it down to a relative. Usually I won’t sell a car until it is worth under $1000. The last three cars I sold went for $750, $500 and $300 respectively. The repairs needed exceeded their value in all cases.

BTW, cars at that price range usually sell in a matter of hours.

I sell a car when 2 fairly major things go wrong in a row.
One reason I think a cars depreciation factor is of some importance is it is much easier to sell a popular car, than to try and get rid of something people don't really want. If a car falls out of favor, Corvair, Audi when they thought the brakes were faulty, Pinto, Vega, Renaults, Fiat 500, etc., then it is harder to get any money out of it, and it is harder to sell....even privately.
Not good having a pile of junk in your driveway that nobody wants.

driver100

jmonroe said:

explorerx4 said:

Had about 20 people over today.
One casualty, the garbage disposer. I'll have to call 'the guy' to fix it(looks in the mirror).

I don't know of anyone who actually fixed a dispossl unit. Un-jamming it yes but never fixing one. I'd suggest you don't get the puny 1/2 HP job @driver100 recommended, step up and get a 1 HP unit, you won't be sorry. Surely nothing less than a 3/4 HP unit. But that's only going half way. On second thought get the big boy. The last thing you want to be accused of is getting a wannabe garbage disposal.

jmonroe

Garbage disposal Units usually last a long time....for the $100 cost you get your moneys worth. No use fixing one. But 1/2 horsepower is more than enough unless you are piling in chicken bones or huge portions of beef fat or something. If you scrape off most of the larger chunks of stuff and use the GDU wisely, it will be more than adequate.

If you live at JMonroes house you may want to get the turbocharged model. The guy is power hungry with a V8 and 3/4 hp GDU.

driver100

Here is an example of why I don't like to stretch my luck with modern inventions. I use a laptop in Florida, Mrs D uses a desktop (an HP with the tower built in to save space).
The desktop is 9 years old, this morning she got the black screen of death.
I was wondering when that PC would go. There are possible fixes, but they aren't easy to try....tried a few already.
I have asked my IT expert friend if he has any ideas....he is up North.
Can you transfer files, pictures, documents etc out of it if it has stopped working?
If I played it right, a year ago, I should have said, it is 8 years old, we got our moneys worth out of it, it is time to get a newer faster model, and still be able to transfer stuff from it to a new one.

I feel about the same with an older car...............
It's like the stock market, better to sell at the top and not on the way down...........

bwia

Today is Boxing Day down here. Don't want to jinx myself but we have had 10 straight days of excellent weather. Blues skies, low humidity, low 80's, no rain and calm seas...that's mother nature's reward for enduring the hurricane season. We are planning a short hike today but frankly I'm not sure I want to exert myself to exhauastion.

sda

For UK fans, these were lined up across the street from where I work. Belk Bowl, UK, VT.

qbrozen

I sell a car because ... its a Tuesday? The wheels are dirty? The tires are down to a concerning 7/32s? Just about any reason you can think of, I guess.

stickguy

Driver, never a worry if you back up occasionally. You should consider that in the future. There are cloud based auto run ones, or simple external drives.

In your case, if you can boot it up in safe mode you may be able to copy files off. I did that on my desktop a few years ago when it died, and was able to salvage files off before doing a full restore to factory settings (basically wiping the computer and starting from scratch).

If that doesn’t work, buy a new one and start from scratch! You may also be able to take the hard drive out and bring it to a pro to try and pull files off. If anything on there is important enough to be worth it.

imidazol97

@driver100

Try connecting the blind all-in-one HP to a separate video monitor. I don't know what connection for output it might need and if just plugging in another monitor would automatically switch the output to include that monitor or not. That monitor could even be another television. It seems to me that when I helped a friend connect another video into her laptop for doing presentations on an lcd project, it was automatically given output and worked.

If anything works, start copying data files onto a USB thumb drive.

I would try the file transfer programs to a new computer that use a cable to connect to the old one.
The cable connection might allow you into the blind computer.

Even if the video is not working, if your wife remembers the startup procedure if she had a login password OR if there is no password protect and just a box to click into or hit enter, she may be able to log in. And then the other computer can see the files to transfer.

Myself--I'd just study the videos on how to remove the hard drive from those and take out the hard drive. Then put the hard drive in a separate case available that connects it to a USB that is recognized by your new computer or your laptop as an external hard drive. You'll see everything on the hard drive as files and you'll look for "desktop" as the most recognizable aspect to get your bearings on what you want to preserve.

Do not junk or give away the all-in-one with the hard drive in it. Others can take out the hard drive and see what you may have had on there, banking, investments info, pictures, videos, etc..

I looked into removing the hard drive from an Apple all-in-one for a friend, and it's a mess. Likely the same comptuer as the HP all-in-one.

suydam

There are many factors involved in the ability to sell an old car. Back when my sons were in their early 20s I sold each of their cars for them. The ‘88 Buick LeSabre AT that was barely running sold in about 2 seconds. The ‘90 Mazda 626 MT hatchback — a much better car — took 2 weeks to sell, and the girl who bought it had never driven a stick shift. ”I’ll just learn on this one.”
Driver, take your ancient laptop to a pro. They may be able to save your data.