Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

abacomike

imidazol97 said:

abacomike said:

As for buying the new car, I did 99% of the purhcasing and negotiating online and over the phone. Quite frankly, that is the first time I actually got a new car without going into dealerships. Yesterday, I sat in an E450 which was on the showroom floor, but I still have not driven one - mainly because I've had E Class cars before (last one was a 2016 that I bought in 2015) and they really don't drive too differently. Main changes are in the interior and the technology.

I thought you had been able to visit the store and pick our the first car that was sold before your store could trade for it.

Easy way to buy a car when you can trust what you're going to get.
But you had done some test driving of other cars that were potential replacements, so you
were comfortable with your choice now.

No, Imid. I did not visit the dealership - all done on the phone.

As for trusting - Yes, Imid! You know that I am "ALWAYS LOOKING". I had the E450 on my list of potential cars for months - along with the G80, Lexus ES350, etc. I was not planning to buy - was expecting to lease again. But the lease numbers were awful on the E450. But the finance APR's were very good. Let's hope the May programs are as good if not better. If they are worse, I will wait until November.

tjc78

Thanks Driver!

andres3

driver100 said:

roadburner said:

driver100 said:

roadburner said:

The more I thought about that 540i xDrive, the more I realized I'd have to ditch my BMW CCA vanity plate and replace it with one that simply read CODGER.
I'm back to only considering 2 door RWD coupes- even if I run the deadly risk of the front end "wondering."

I was going to ignore this but, I'll take the bait. I wrote quickly, shouldn't have said...."front end wandering", but I will explain why AWD can make the car more stable during certain conditions. I have experienced it in the C250. It had been dry for several days in Tampa, I was making a large left hand turn - large street - going pretty fast, it had been raining lightly for a few minutes, my tires were OK but not the best (26000 miles) got onto the other street and the rear end was sliding to the right, I could see the front end of the car sliding left (that is what I meant by wandering (not great description), of course I steered to the right, rear went left and I got out of it. Didn't expect that to happen in Florida, forgot the roads get slippery when oil comes to the surface. Also, I am used to more sure footed driving in the AWD E400.

Some racing type guys think they can handle anything with RWD. Maybe they can, but 90% of the population don't race cars. So, in that case this explanation kicks in;

Another important example of the increased level of safety of an All-Wheel Drive car compared to a Rear-Wheel Drive car is when cornering under drive power. The tires in an AWD car are transmitting half the total drive force compared to a Rear-Wheel Drive car. When cornering not only is a tire transmitting driving forces but also cornering forces. Because a Rear-Wheel Drive car drive axle is transmitting twice the driving forces of an All-Wheel Drive car there is less grip available for cornering forces.

This means that in a RWD car if engine power increases and uses more of the available grip leaving insufficient grip for cornering forces the tire will lose traction and slip sideways. This results in the rear of the car sliding sideways in what is known as oversteer manoeuvre, meaning the car turns a smaller radius of turn than the driver intended.

Because an All-Wheel Drive car only transmits half of the drive force at each wheel, the amount of grip available for cornering forces is greater than a Rear-Wheel Drive car for the same level of engine power. Meaning that the best AWD car will lose sideways grip at much higher cornering forces than the best RWD car.

The result is an All-Wheel Drive car that can more safely negotiate a corner under drive power that suddenly and unexpectedly is more slippery than the driver expected

There are other situations where AWD works better, one is starting up in a straight line. More wheels sharing power, less chance of wheels spinning.

Thanks for the heads up! I've only been an HPDE instructor since 1996, so I'm just a rank amateur when it comes to comprehending vehicle dynamics. If you need AWD to drive in the rain, be my guest- as for me I'll just continue to live on the ragged edge...

whatever............

The way to settle this is to ask a few insurance companies to quote A-B comparisons between like models where the only difference is RWD vs. AWD in models that make the comparision possible without any other changes.

I'm curious myself. My inclination is that the average vehicle operator does benefit from AWD similar to other safety nannies that are the most effective in the real world.

Of course, as good drivers will point out, you can't improve upon perfection. If you haven't caused a fatality in your first 25 years of driving, it is hard to improve upon a rate of 0.00. Is this a guarantee your 2nd quarter century of driving will go likewise? Of course not, but it is a good predictor.

andres3

fintail said:

Did you see the protesters in MI? Maybe not the people I'd want to defend my cause. I also might keep away from hearsay stories about laws. My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy
who knows this kid who's going with a girl who said you can get arrested for walking your dog

No speech rights on privately owned platforms. If people don't like how a platform is managed, they can leave and make their own.

I'm most amused about mask requirements when there's virtually no place to buy a mask (in person anyway).

For as much as the local rough and tough built it themselves rugged individualists (but with a parentally or publicly funded meal ticket, just ignore that) whine about the governor here, it appears we aren't as dumb as many locations, some solace. Things will open up, hindsight will be 20/20, those who sacrificed nothing and were at no risk will moan the loudest, and the beat goes on.

imidazol97 said:

The Michigan governor has tried the authoritarian approach for control. When folks organized protests about the stringent stay-at-home laws, she retaliated by extending stay-at-home for 2 weeks suggesting it was related to the resistance and by cooperating with big tech social platform in removing the groups--censoring their speech rights.

If I understand the Michigan stay-at-home policy, students out of school weren't even allowed to "congregate" with one other student--that comes from a grandmother friend of ours who lives in Plymouth. No shooting hoops with a buddy in your driveway, e.g., in the ultraviolet and warm temps.

If I owned a second home in Michigan, I'd love to go there because allergies I have are much lessened in Michigan. When I worked there one summer, my allergies were none existence compared to being in Indiana.

All that being said, acting immaturely, and childishly retaliatory is nothing new for government officials, whether it be a traffic cop, a traffic court judge, a Governor who's "Stay at Home" orders got overruled by the public, or in my business, a City Bldg. department permit reviewer or even more likely, Inspector of Construction.

These type of Authoritarian government positions attract a certain personality type and ego.

andres3

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:

In other news, Dinan now has an ECU flash for the N55- 63 more hp and 108 lb-ft of torque on 93 octane. The only downside I see is that you can't change the maps- you have to select 91, 93, or 104 octane at installation. At only $699.95 it's a good deal. I'd definitely need the M Performance rear diff, however. Still, for less than $3500 all in it's a reasonable option...

Where would you get 104 octane, the airport?

100 or 101 Octane is actually probably available in every major City if you look hard enough. In CA the gas station has to have the disclaimer "for Off-Road use only" even when you pump up without a trailer holding your vehicle

imidazol97

Gale Halderman was a part of these two car's design.
57 Ford
90 Lincoln

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

roadburner said:

I hesitate to post this link, and I trust that it will not encourage any reckless behavior. Drive and/or purchase one of these death traps at you own risk:
https://www.autoweek.com/news/sports-cars/g32292604/25-rwd-sedans-instead-of-lexus-gs/

My first ordered car was a Mustang with limited slip differential.

That really changed how the rear wheels worked in snow under any acceleration. The rear end broke completely loose instead of both rear wheels keeping traction. Same for wet roads with tar on them in curves or turning.

If you’re driving a Mustang in the snow you’re crazy enough to handle whatever happens.

I was cruising YouTube and saw this:

https://youtu.be/V5azm1NS2_M

Thought it might shed some light on Jipster’s kid’s car problem. I wish I had seen this before I dumped my son’s 3.0L Mercury.

roadburner

imidazol97 said:

Gale Halderman was a part of these two car's design.
57 Ford
90 Lincoln

I always liked the ‘57 Ford- better than the ‘57 Chevy. In contrast I was never impressed with the styling of the Mark VIII; I thought it was a retrograde step compared to the Mark VII.

stickguy

got adventerous tonight. Shelter in place can make you crazy! Broke out the new clippers kit and scissors, and my wife and daughter attacked my mop of hair. It was, interesting. Since I was the only one that read the directions, and princess did not admit until after we were done she never actually watched the yourtube videos.

but, after some scary language ("oops", etc.) and some fits and starts, the end result actually looks OK. really not much different than what I usually come out looking like at great clips, which varies depending on who I get there.

but, overall I am happy with the results. Looks much better, feels better (the shag was driving me nuts) and I did not shed blood!

imidazol97

oldfarmer50 said:

If you’re driving a Mustang in the snow you’re crazy enough to handle whatever happens.

I grew up driving in snows on country roads in central Indiana. I felt that a locking differential would be great for digging through snow drifts and backing out when the car would ride up on the snow. But instead of one wheel slipping and the other sticking to the road for stability on curves like a regular rear end did, both wheels would want to turn faster than the tread against the snow or slower if downshifted. So both wheels lost lateral grip partly while pushing the car's front wheels into the snow on the road.

Then nothiing stuck the light Mustang rear end to the road. I carried a bag of cement or fertililzer in the trunk for extra weight in winter.

And you've never lived until you had to hit the brakes hard on dry pavement with snow tires with or without studs on the rear of a Mustang. The front tires gripped and the rear wanted to go sideways and catch up with the front.

But I never was stuck in the snows with that car. But when I ordered the 70 Mustang, I didn't order limited slip.

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

imidazol97 said:

Gale Halderman was a part of these two car's design.
57 Ford
90 Lincoln

I always liked the ‘57 Ford- better than the ‘57 Chevy. In contrast I was never impressed with the styling of the Mark VIII; I thought it was a retrograde step compared to the Mark VII.

I liked to the style of the 93’-96’ Mark VIII. Not to say the Mark VII wasn’t attractive but I thought the latter one was futuristic. I suppose that’s what turned some people off. I preferred the 8’s 4.6L to the 7’s 5.0L too.

fintail

For better or worse, the edict of a governor can't simply be overridden by public opinion, especially by a group of maybe a couple hundred mostly unhealthy looking dopes waving guns and confederate flags. If one doesn't like the actions of a governor, they can put in motion the legal procedures to overrule them, and better yet, elect someone else.

At least locally, I find it impossible to have sympathy for property developers

andres3 said:

All that being said, acting immaturely, and childishly retaliatory is nothing new for government officials, whether it be a traffic cop, a traffic court judge, a Governor who's "Stay at Home" orders got overruled by the public, or in my business, a City Bldg. department permit reviewer or even more likely, Inspector of Construction.

These type of Authoritarian government positions attract a certain personality type and ego.

fintail

Thanks imid and driver. This will come to pass. I suspect once corporate offices open en masse, there will be more prospects, and previously applied and interviewed positions will get moving again. So far, it's still like an extended vacation - just nowhere to go, all day to get there

driver100 said:

tjc and fin....what an awful time to be searching for a job.....my heart goes out to you. I hope we get past this virus thing and the economy comes booming back, and more workers are needed everywhere.

stickguy

like being retired without ability to take advantage.

My BIL hit 65, and has wanted out of his place for a while. Had planned to retire 4/1 this year after year end bonuses were paid. We had a B'day video chat last week and he was late because got stuck on a work call (from his basement). Asked his wife about it, and she said since they were locked down, he was not doing work travel, and the main reason to retire was to do personal travel. So since he was going to be stuck in the house all day anyway, might as well stay on the payroll.

andres3

fintail said:

For better or worse, the edict of a governor can't simply be overridden by public opinion, especially by a group of maybe a couple hundred mostly unhealthy looking dopes waving guns and confederate flags. If one doesn't like the actions of a governor, they can put in motion the legal procedures to overrule them, and better yet, elect someone else.

At least locally, I find it impossible to have sympathy for property developers

andres3 said:

All that being said, acting immaturely, and childishly retaliatory is nothing new for government officials, whether it be a traffic cop, a traffic court judge, a Governor who's "Stay at Home" orders got overruled by the public, or in my business, a City Bldg. department permit reviewer or even more likely, Inspector of Construction.

These type of Authoritarian government positions attract a certain personality type and ego.

Home builders tend to be "big corporate entities." Your mid-size commercial contractor might do 200 million in total revenue a year, would you consider that a small or big business? In CA construction costs are so high a few million doesn't go very far anymore.

I work for an ethical honest company though. We might struggle with City building and permit departments precisely because we don't "buy off" officials. Maybe we are doing it wrong? I do wonder..... there has to be a better way.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

Gale Halderman was a part of these two car's design.
57 Ford
90 Lincoln

Interesting. I for once in my life will agree with roadburner, I always liked the 57 Ford more than the 57 Chev, though both were great designs. I believe Ford outsold Chev in only two years...57 and 59. The 59 Chev was a bit radical with those fins. Not to crazy about Continentals, those early 2 door Mark IIs were nice at the time, and this was the last of the ones I liked....but I do like them. I don't think they did convertibles at the time...no such thing as a 4 door convertible I believe.

driver100

andres3 said:

driver100 said:

roadburner said:

driver100 said:

roadburner said:

The more I thought about that 540i xDrive, the more I realized I'd have to ditch my BMW CCA vanity plate and replace it with one that simply read CODGER.
I'm back to only considering 2 door RWD coupes- even if I run the deadly risk of the front end "wondering."

I was going to ignore this but, I'll take the bait. I wrote quickly, shouldn't have said...."front end wandering", but I will explain why AWD can make the car more stable during certain conditions. I have experienced it in the C250. It had been dry for several days in Tampa, I was making a large left hand turn - large street - going pretty fast, it had been raining lightly for a few minutes, my tires were OK but not the best (26000 miles) got onto the other street and the rear end was sliding to the right, I could see the front end of the car sliding left (that is what I meant by wandering (not great description), of course I steered to the right, rear went left and I got out of it. Didn't expect that to happen in Florida, forgot the roads get slippery when oil comes to the surface. Also, I am used to more sure footed driving in the AWD E400.

Some racing type guys think they can handle anything with RWD. Maybe they can, but 90% of the population don't race cars. So, in that case this explanation kicks in;

Another important example of the increased level of safety of an All-Wheel Drive car compared to a Rear-Wheel Drive car is when cornering under drive power. The tires in an AWD car are transmitting half the total drive force compared to a Rear-Wheel Drive car. When cornering not only is a tire transmitting driving forces but also cornering forces. Because a Rear-Wheel Drive car drive axle is transmitting twice the driving forces of an All-Wheel Drive car there is less grip available for cornering forces.

This means that in a RWD car if engine power increases and uses more of the available grip leaving insufficient grip for cornering forces the tire will lose traction and slip sideways. This results in the rear of the car sliding sideways in what is known as oversteer manoeuvre, meaning the car turns a smaller radius of turn than the driver intended.

Because an All-Wheel Drive car only transmits half of the drive force at each wheel, the amount of grip available for cornering forces is greater than a Rear-Wheel Drive car for the same level of engine power. Meaning that the best AWD car will lose sideways grip at much higher cornering forces than the best RWD car.

The result is an All-Wheel Drive car that can more safely negotiate a corner under drive power that suddenly and unexpectedly is more slippery than the driver expected

There are other situations where AWD works better, one is starting up in a straight line. More wheels sharing power, less chance of wheels spinning.

Thanks for the heads up! I've only been an HPDE instructor since 1996, so I'm just a rank amateur when it comes to comprehending vehicle dynamics. If you need AWD to drive in the rain, be my guest- as for me I'll just continue to live on the ragged edge...

whatever............

Of course, as good drivers will point out, you can't improve upon perfection. If you haven't caused a fatality in your first 25 years of driving, it is hard to improve upon a rate of 0.00. Is this a guarantee your 2nd quarter century of driving will go likewise? Of course not, but it is a good predictor.

Nah, it just means you are overdue!

fintail

200MM? That's probably 125 relatively ordinary houses in my zipcode. How about medium?

Maybe your employer isn't offering enough of a bribe?

This area has red tape too, but the industry in the Seattle area anyway has immense economic and political clout - treated better than most during this crisis. I can't imagine many permits have been unfairly rejected in modern times. However, the Puget Sound affordable housing situation and some of the speculative and illicit elements of the scene here might give me a jaundiced eye. There's so much local demand even with a potential big economic hiccup that I have to believe that sector will recover strongly. I bet you'll be fine.

andres3 said:

Home builders tend to be "big corporate entities." Your mid-size commercial contractor might do 200 million in total revenue a year, would you consider that a small or big business? In CA construction costs are so high a few million doesn't go very far anymore.

I work for an ethical honest company though. We might struggle with City building and permit departments precisely because we don't "buy off" officials. Maybe we are doing it wrong? I do wonder..... there has to be a better way.

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

If you’re driving a Mustang in the snow you’re crazy enough to handle whatever happens.

I grew up driving in snows on country roads in central Indiana. I felt that a locking differential would be great for digging through snow drifts and backing out when the car would ride up on the snow. But instead of one wheel slipping and the other sticking to the road for stability on curves like a regular rear end did, both wheels would want to turn faster than the tread against the snow or slower if downshifted. So both wheels lost lateral grip partly while pushing the car's front wheels into the snow on the road.

Then nothiing stuck the light Mustang rear end to the road. I carried a bag of cement or fertililzer in the trunk for extra weight in winter.

And you've never lived until you had to hit the brakes hard on dry pavement with snow tires with or without studs on the rear of a Mustang. The front tires gripped and the rear wanted to go sideways and catch up with the front.

But I never was stuck in the snows with that car. But when I ordered the 70 Mustang, I didn't order limited slip.

I currently own a RWD cargo van without limited slip and it is awful in the winter. Often one wheel will spin and that’s it. My old Lincoln had the limited slip and I thought it was much better in the snow than my old RWD cars of the 60s and 70s. The additional fun factor of being able to rotate the car almost on it’s axis by spinning both rear wheels sold me.

I’ve sometimes seen long one wheel rubber patches where some kid burned out without LS and felt it was cheating.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

Gale Halderman was a part of these two car's design.
57 Ford
90 Lincoln

Interesting. I for once in my life will agree with roadburner, I always liked the 57 Ford more than the 57 Chev, though both were great designs. I believe Ford outsold Chev in only two years...57 and 59. The 59 Chev was a bit radical with those fins. Not to crazy about Continentals, those early 2 door Mark IIs were nice at the time, and this was the last of the ones I liked....but I do like them. I don't think they did convertibles at the time...no such thing as a 4 door convertible I believe.

One of the most beautiful cars I’ve seen was a 1956 Continental MarkII which they were selling at the Saratoga Museum as few years ago. I think at the time it was one of the most expensive cars sold. (About the same as a contemporary Rolls Royce) That picture doesn’t do it justice.

roadburner

Well, between the Kentucky Governor, the Kentucky Supreme Court, and the Department of Public Advocacy, the criminal justice system is on the verge of going haywire. First off, DPA is working hard not to let this crisis go to waste, and is instructing local offices to make motions to release their clients from pre or post trial detention. One motion was made in another county to release a defendant charged with Capital Murder on an unsecured bond. One DPA office filed 50 bond reduction motions for one day. Fortunately I get along fine with our local DPA office, so they aren't filing insane motions- even though their superiors are leaning on them to do so. Then the Governor is releasing "non-violent" inmates early. Sounds good right? Here's one Commonwealth's Attorney's experience on a few of the people he sent to prison:

"2 are major drug addicts kicked out of drug court and every rehab you can think of. Came blitzed to court. One has felony fleeing evading and DUI 4th. Two have pending Promoting Contraband. All multiple felonies. None with any known health issues. None[considered] high risk."

I have a case where a guy was caught with 11 credit cards where the magnetic strips were overwritten with data from a card skimmer. The guy was using the cards to fill up a truck equipped with multiple diesel fuel tanks and then planned to sell the fuel later. Turns out he had jumped bail 2 years ago from an adjoining county where he was charged with having 23 more fraudulent cards. He's also a Persistent Felony Offender due to a cocaine trafficking conviction 7 years ago. Guess what? According to the guidelines he's non-violent and not a flight risk. Does anyone seriously think we'll see him again if he's released?

corvette and jipster- be on the lookout for all these upstanding citizens on a highway near you.

andres3

fintail said:

200MM? That's probably 125 relatively ordinary houses in my zipcode. How about medium?

Maybe your employer isn't offering enough of a bribe?

This area has red tape too, but the industry in the Seattle area anyway has immense economic and political clout - treated better than most during this crisis. I can't imagine many permits have been unfairly rejected in modern times. However, the Puget Sound affordable housing situation and some of the speculative and illicit elements of the scene here might give me a jaundiced eye. There's so much local demand even with a potential big economic hiccup that I have to believe that sector will recover strongly. I bet you'll be fine.

andres3 said:

Home builders tend to be "big corporate entities." Your mid-size commercial contractor might do 200 million in total revenue a year, would you consider that a small or big business? In CA construction costs are so high a few million doesn't go very far anymore.

I work for an ethical honest company though. We might struggle with City building and permit departments precisely because we don't "buy off" officials. Maybe we are doing it wrong? I do wonder..... there has to be a better way.

Oh, the permit will be granted, eventually, after at least 3 resubmissions generating revenue for both the City and the "3rd party reviewing" engineering firm in on the scam. Doesn't matter how good your architects and engineers are, you'll get one list of comments, address all those comments, then get a whole new list of comments on the 2nd review that somehow failed to get mentioned during the first review.

It's gotten to the point that it's just better if you don't give out any dates for schedule until you have a building permit in hand. Most owners/clients want their projects built and completed yesterday, and 25" of rain in San Diego in the past 5-6 months doesn't change that wish. The drought is definitely over.

snakeweasel

dino001 said:

roadburner said:

Governor Whitmer is just bitter that the Berlin Wall fell and eliminated her opportunity to serve in the upper echelons of the East German secret police- so she's trying to replicate the Stasi all on her own.

I lived under those systems and terms like "Enemy of the people", "Stasi", "[non-permissible content removed]" and like have real and very personal meaning to me and my family, so I'd appreciate some restraint from hyperbole in this particular matter, especially from people with high social standing and those I respect.

It is difficult for those of us who haven't lived in such a system to truly understand it like those who have. Before I met the beautiful and lovely She Who Must Be Obeyed I was dating a lady from mainland China. One day we were watching "Casablanca" and she asked me what was "[non-permissible content removed]" and I casually replied that it was the secret police. The expression on her face when I said that was very telling, you could see the fear in her eyes at the mention of it. Not the reaction someone from the west would have.

andres3

tjc78 said:

Oh come on... it's worth at least $1250

He might need to find that falling tree that I mentioned a few days ago that would be convenient for lemons.

Might be related to Covid-19, but I've noticed no matter where we go no one can get a food order completely right, particularly drive-throughs.

andres3

ab348 said:

Our Chief Public Health doctor up here was quite transparent in stating they are using Google location data to track people's movement. This was in response to a question at a presser about people going for pleasure drives to get out of the house, etc., instead of just doing a once-weekly grocery/supply run. Whether they can drill down to identifying info about individuals he did not say. But it felt somewhat chilling.

Pretty easy to defeat...... Some might call going down I8 to S2 to Yaqui Pass to Borrego Springs to S22 to Julian and back to San Diego a pleasure drive. If push came to shove, there is a grocery store in Borrego Springs. That was the purpose of my trip. Sheesh.

Any good outlaw knows you got to get your story straight before you need to tell it. Unless you are Kevin Spacey in "The Usual Suspects."

Also, it's not good to let a good car sit for too long. Cars need exercise essentially just like humans.

andres3

graphicguy said:

So, I have heard this news for months now, and sort of expected it well before I bought my car. But, I think Kia took a shot at building the best built, most performance focused, highest quality car they could, and the market (aside from me) didn’t respond.

The COVID-19 issue didn’t help.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/33178/the-kia-stinger-might-die-for-being-the-best-car-no-one-is-buying

I love it. Now, it looks like I’m going to have a relatively exclusive car.

I think Kia does have a dealership and Kia Finance problem where they are too used to dealing with deadbeats, and people with good credit are not used to being treated that way. It also didn't help that they were too optimistic with unrealistic sticker pricing.

I hope they decide to make an improved generation 2 model but Kia Finance has really soured me.

fintail

Permitting and similar functions haven't been poster children for efficiency or logic since they were created. They aren't going to go away, the best one can do is know how to play the game. As you say, make work. I suspect no matter who one votes for or what petitions one may start, it won' change. Some parts of the working world are untouchable.

Customers aren't always right. They should (and likely do) know how the game is played, they just want to whine. I have a friend who works in higher end contracting, and the stories he can tell, wow. If they want something from first draft to completion in a few months, probably time to leave the first world.

andres3 said:

Oh, the permit will be granted, eventually, after at least 3 resubmissions generating revenue for both the City and the "3rd party reviewing" engineering firm in on the scam. Doesn't matter how good your architects and engineers are, you'll get one list of comments, address all those comments, then get a whole new list of comments on the 2nd review that somehow failed to get mentioned during the first review.

It's gotten to the point that it's just better if you don't give out any dates for schedule until you have a building permit in hand. Most owners/clients want their projects built and completed yesterday, and 25" of rain in San Diego in the past 5-6 months doesn't change that wish. The drought is definitely over.

fintail

What's up with the blue walls?

Those Continentals and competitor Eldorado Brougham were very elegant for the time, and have presence today. I believe Ford (and GM) lost money on every car, too - a true halo model.

oldfarmer50 said:

One of the most beautiful cars I’ve seen was a 1956 Continental MarkII which they were selling at the Saratoga Museum as few years ago. I think at the time it was one of the most expensive cars sold. (About the same as a contemporary Rolls Royce) That picture doesn’t do it justice.

andres3

roadburner said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

roadburner said:

jipster said:

driver100 said:

Hey Jip, Did you come back from the dealer? What was wrong?

Yes, it was a loose or misplaced pin...or something in the mechanism. Nothing was replaced. So I'm assuming the dome light mechanism was opened up and the pin was put back in place. I was just happy to have my car back. :-)

I tried to set up a meeting with the Honda tech "genius" while I was at the dealership, but she didn't return my call in time. So going to try for sometime later this week.

And I did find a owners manual in the Honda Link app. So can get a head start
on brushing up more on the tech features.

Sounds like just a pin in one of the harness sockets; absolutely no big deal.

Thanks. Had no idea what the fix entailed, other than it sounded simple.

So, looks like you're not getting that deal after all, @oldfarmer. Sorry. ;-)

Not so fast, you didn’t consider how that pin got bent in the first place. Probably got bent when the car rolled over during an off-roading drag race in the Amazon jungle.

I’ll up my offer to $1,100.

Reminds of an OCD dimwit from the old Town Hall days; he spent a couple of months agonizing over how to order his Mustang GT. He finally ordered it and as soon as it arrived he went over the whole car in laborious detail, eventually finding a defect in the paint on the underside of the rear bumper. He posted a picture and someone stated that the only time he had seen that kind of damage was when a car was accidentally dropped 2-3 feet off the ramp while it was being unloaded. The rest of us kept silent and hilarity ensued.

I went OCD on the pre-delivery inspection for my custom ordered waited for 3-months '14 Misano Red S4. I have to tell you, my Audi fan-boyism went through the roof when I couldn't find a single darn thing wrong to list for the dealership to "fix." Talk about "sealing the deal!" I really appreciated that they made a car that could withstand that kind of crazy scrutiny.

ronsteve

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

We go for a drive about 3 times a week, just to get out but still be able to self isolate. A friend said you shouldn't be doing that. btw, the fine for being too close to someone, strolling in a park or on a golf course, being on a public trail, playing basketball, etc is $830. I checked and technically there is no rule against driving around, but, they are hoping you only drive to pick up groceries, or to a drug store...just essentials. For one thing, if you are in an accident, there will be emergency workers exposed, hospital facilities being used, cops coming to do paperwork etc. Can't even take the car out to charge the battery and blow some carbon out of it!

I saw a Canadian news story where they fined an old guy $880 for taking his dog out to the parking lot alone behind his apartment house so she could do her business. The story implied that some nosey neighbor was ratting everybody out.

I would think taking your dog out to do its business or even for a walk would be considered essential.

ronsteve

imidazol97 said:

The idea of a second surge is because the normal, first spread of a virus/flu to which no one has a known immunity has been interrupted by the highly touted "lower the curve." The lower curve at first was needed to reduce deaths. But then after weeks it turns out the total serious cases/deaths will be spread out over a longer period of time; the 'lower the curve" was to reduce the total number of patients hitting the hospitals at one time.

The media likes the idea of warning about a second wave, but that's the natural pattern for the spread. Interrupt the spread and it will increase and subside with more contacts, along with the change in temps and humidity. I recall early on I mentioned somewhere that warmer weather would slow the virus and was criticized for that now fact.

The way that flattening the curve reduces the total number of deaths is specifically that it reduces the number of patients hitting the hospitals at once. Whatever the death rate actually is right now, if the virus was actually allowed to spread freely, a higher percentage of the cases would be fatal because there would be too many seriously ill people for the hospital system to take care of. We saw that happen in Italy, NYC, and New Orleans among other places.

A lot of people like to bring out the Philadelphia vs St Louis comparison from the 1918 influenza pandemic in warning of the 2nd wave. We also see Louisville included in comparisons, because Louisville had a worse first wave than STL but a smaller 2nd wave. I still think that there will be a second wave on reopening, and that the magnitude in any area will be inversely proportional to that of the first wave. Some of the early antibody testing results suggest that in NYC, which was hit so hard, 20-25% of the population has been exposed, while in LA where they "got it right" initially, only 3-5% of the population has been exposed. To put it another way, areas that got it wrong the first time may well be in a better position to reopen, as long as hospital capacity has been freed up again.

If you look at the 1918 curves, it's clear that the quickest way through would have been to "be like Philly" and let it run, build herd immunity, etc. But that would have killed a lot of people, and many of them would have died because they couldn't get medical care. How many millions of lives is your 401k balance worth?

omarman

Tire shop is supposed to scrub off the blue coating that they put on whitewalls before shipping. I remember when my Dad had new tires put on his car and I think he must have rushed the shop so he wouldn't be late picking me up at school that day. I thought it looked kinda cool seeing this big bronze colored Mercury with "blue" sidewall tires.

driver100

ronsteve said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

We go for a drive about 3 times a week, just to get out but still be able to self isolate. A friend said you shouldn't be doing that. btw, the fine for being too close to someone, strolling in a park or on a golf course, being on a public trail, playing basketball, etc is $830. I checked and technically there is no rule against driving around, but, they are hoping you only drive to pick up groceries, or to a drug store...just essentials. For one thing, if you are in an accident, there will be emergency workers exposed, hospital facilities being used, cops coming to do paperwork etc. Can't even take the car out to charge the battery and blow some carbon out of it!

I saw a Canadian news story where they fined an old guy $880 for taking his dog out to the parking lot alone behind his apartment house so she could do her business. The story implied that some nosey neighbor was ratting everybody out.

I would think taking your dog out to do its business or even for a walk would be considered essential.

oldfarmer50 said:

I saw a Canadian news story where they fined an old guy $880 for taking his dog out to the parking lot alone behind his apartment house so she could do her business. The story implied that some nosey neighbor was ratting everybody out.

The story gets worse. The dog is really cute btw...probably weighs 12 pounds. Nice law abiding retired guy too. Police knock on his door the next day after giving him the $880 ticket, and cop says they have good news and bad news for him. The good news is they are rescinding the $880 ticket, and the bad news is they are giving him a ticket for $1255 for a violation of the quarantine act. The news source The Rebel is following the story, and is raising money to pay the poor fellows fines, and to fight the tickets.
P.I. getting crazier.
If you don't believe me;
https://www.rebelnews.com/update_fight_the_fines_case_4_pat_mchenry_ticket_increase?utm_campaign=dm_pat_fines_new_unopened&utm_medium=email&utm_source=therebel

driver100

That picture with blue walls doesn't do it justice;

tjc78

One of my favorite cars ever. Timeless design.

graphicguy

roadburner said:

I hesitate to post this link, and I trust that it will not encourage any reckless behavior. Drive and/or purchase one of these death traps at you own risk:
https://www.autoweek.com/news/sports-cars/g32292604/25-rwd-sedans-instead-of-lexus-gs/

I always liked the GS. I never thought it was worth what Lexus was asking, but liked them nonetheless.

Apparently, the majority feel the same way, as I just don’t see many on the road.

graphicguy

@tjc78 and @fintail ...best wishes for finding your next career. I know it’s tough sledding right now. But, am hoping you find calmer career waters soon.

As my son told me just last night....”you must be smart, you got out of the employment chaos at just the right time.”

I know I’m not smart. So, I am indeed lucky! My official retirement date is June 1.

snakeweasel

ronsteve said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

We go for a drive about 3 times a week, just to get out but still be able to self isolate. A friend said you shouldn't be doing that. btw, the fine for being too close to someone, strolling in a park or on a golf course, being on a public trail, playing basketball, etc is $830. I checked and technically there is no rule against driving around, but, they are hoping you only drive to pick up groceries, or to a drug store...just essentials. For one thing, if you are in an accident, there will be emergency workers exposed, hospital facilities being used, cops coming to do paperwork etc. Can't even take the car out to charge the battery and blow some carbon out of it!

I saw a Canadian news story where they fined an old guy $880 for taking his dog out to the parking lot alone behind his apartment house so she could do her business. The story implied that some nosey neighbor was ratting everybody out.

I would think taking your dog out to do its business or even for a walk would be considered essential.

You would be surprised what would truly be essential. In one of my econ classes we discussed what is needed to make a simple pencil. All the things that need to be done just to make that pencil and getting it to the user is mind boggling. To make the pencil you have to cut down a tree for the wood, but someone has to make the saw, but to make the saw, someone has to mine the more to get the metal and so on.

My point is we have an incredibly complex economy and its impossible to identify every little thing that needs to be done to get a final product. Some company that produces a simple unimportant part, but that part is used to make something insignificant, that might be a component of a critical part of a ventilator.

imidazol97

tjc78 said:

One of my favorite cars ever. Timeless design.

Timeless design is a great description. I loved it when I was a preteen building model cars and pulling it around the house with my parakeet riding it. I love it now.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

That picture with blue walls doesn't do it justice;

I saw one of those being transported on the many car carriers traveling through on I70 that appear to have classic cars being transported, along with some not so class hulks or junk, likely on its way to being restored.

The one I saw was the light cream color. I wonder what the seats were like in those.

explorerx4

Good story about Elizabeth Taylor's Mark II.
You might have to skip the ads at the start
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJq1cbwHdvU

snakeweasel

ronsteve said:

imidazol97 said:

The idea of a second surge is because the normal, first spread of a virus/flu to which no one has a known immunity has been interrupted by the highly touted "lower the curve." The lower curve at first was needed to reduce deaths. But then after weeks it turns out the total serious cases/deaths will be spread out over a longer period of time; the 'lower the curve" was to reduce the total number of patients hitting the hospitals at one time.

The media likes the idea of warning about a second wave, but that's the natural pattern for the spread. Interrupt the spread and it will increase and subside with more contacts, along with the change in temps and humidity. I recall early on I mentioned somewhere that warmer weather would slow the virus and was criticized for that now fact.

The way that flattening the curve reduces the total number of deaths is specifically that it reduces the number of patients hitting the hospitals at once. Whatever the death rate actually is right now, if the virus was actually allowed to spread freely, a higher percentage of the cases would be fatal because there would be too many seriously ill people for the hospital system to take care of. We saw that happen in Italy, NYC, and New Orleans among other places.

A lot of people like to bring out the Philadelphia vs St Louis comparison from the 1918 influenza pandemic in warning of the 2nd wave. We also see Louisville included in comparisons, because Louisville had a worse first wave than STL but a smaller 2nd wave. I still think that there will be a second wave on reopening, and that the magnitude in any area will be inversely proportional to that of the first wave. Some of the early antibody testing results suggest that in NYC, which was hit so hard, 20-25% of the population has been exposed, while in LA where they "got it right" initially, only 3-5% of the population has been exposed. To put it another way, areas that got it wrong the first time may well be in a better position to reopen, as long as hospital capacity has been freed up again.

If you look at the 1918 curves, it's clear that the quickest way through would have been to "be like Philly" and let it run, build herd immunity, etc. But that would have killed a lot of people, and many of them would have died because they couldn't get medical care. How many millions of lives is your 401k balance worth?

It's not only "what my 401k is worth" but what this economic shut down is doing is slowing strangling everything. That is including food supplies. The UN is estimating that due to the economic shut down the number of people facing starvation world wide is going to double due to this virus. If we dont get things going again we are going to see a humanitarian crises.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

ronsteve said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

We go for a drive about 3 times a week, just to get out but still be able to self isolate. A friend said you shouldn't be doing that. btw, the fine for being too close to someone, strolling in a park or on a golf course, being on a public trail, playing basketball, etc is $830. I checked and technically there is no rule against driving around, but, they are hoping you only drive to pick up groceries, or to a drug store...just essentials. For one thing, if you are in an accident, there will be emergency workers exposed, hospital facilities being used, cops coming to do paperwork etc. Can't even take the car out to charge the battery and blow some carbon out of it!

I saw a Canadian news story where they fined an old guy $880 for taking his dog out to the parking lot alone behind his apartment house so she could do her business. The story implied that some nosey neighbor was ratting everybody out.

I would think taking your dog out to do its business or even for a walk would be considered essential.

You would be surprised what would truly be essential. In one of my econ classes we discussed what is needed to make a simple pencil. All the things that need to be done just to make that pencil and getting it to the user is mind boggling. To make the pencil you have to cut down a tree for the wood, but someone has to make the saw, but to make the saw, someone has to mine the more to get the metal and so on.

My point is we have an incredibly complex economy and its impossible to identify every little thing that needs to be done to get a final product. Some company that produces a simple unimportant part, but that part is used to make something insignificant, that might be a component of a critical part of a ventilator.

Yeh but, a dog peeing is still essential

imidazol97

.

explorerx4 said:

Good story about Elizabeth Taylor's Mark II.
You might have to skip the ads at the start
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJq1cbwHdvU

Beautiful special order blue. Elizabeth Taylor's eyes. So sexy.

Thanks for posting that. That's the best 15 minutes of my life I spent lately. The videography and the narration was perfect.

Often videos end up being partly wasted. Every minute--great. Made my day.

graphicguy

andres3 said:

graphicguy said:

So, I have heard this news for months now, and sort of expected it well before I bought my car. But, I think Kia took a shot at building the best built, most performance focused, highest quality car they could, and the market (aside from me) didn’t respond.

The COVID-19 issue didn’t help.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/33178/the-kia-stinger-might-die-for-being-the-best-car-no-one-is-buying

I love it. Now, it looks like I’m going to have a relatively exclusive car.

I think Kia does have a dealership and Kia Finance problem where they are too used to dealing with deadbeats, and people with good credit are not used to being treated that way. It also didn't help that they were too optimistic with unrealistic sticker pricing.

I hope they decide to make an improved generation 2 model but Kia Finance has really soured me.

Can’t comment about Kia finance. Never used them.

So far, the dealership has been fine. But, I haven’t used their service dept for anything, either.

Their sales people are the typical group. Not what you’d find at an Acura, BMW, Audi, etc store. But, probably the equivalent of a Chevy or Ford store. Some are vets, been there a while, but mostly they’re newbies.

Not certain about this as our car sales pros Here have all left us. But, I would imagine the Kia dealerships get the first time sales people and the green peas strictly take ups, demonstrate the cars and turn the “up” over to the sales manager. Those stores, only two things will happen. A) you get the hard sell once the “closer” injects him/her self. Or, you get someone who is more than willing to get into the numbers end of it.

My person was B. He wanted to move a car, last day of the sales year, and didn’t even bother doing the grind with me. That said, I was up front with them too. I told them I was a buyer, right now, if they accepted my offer. If not, “thanks for your time”.

He didn’t mess around trying to bump me. He couldn’t approve my offer. But, he got the GM involved and we made the deal.

Interesting to see how Kia, of all brands, came out with a car as eye opening as the Stinger. Totally against type for them. But, since then, although not a sports car, the rest of their lineup has been elevated. The new Soul looks to be a nice car. The Telluride has been a big hit as best I can tell.

If anyone is in the market for a nice SUV, I’d put the Telluride at the top of the list.

My car...only been 4 months, but everything is fine. No squeaks. No rattles. Everything works the way it’s supposed to. It’s comfortable. It’s very fast. It handles better than any other car I’ve ever owned. Gets approving looks wherever I go with it. And, it is a BLAST to drive.

It really should have been the hatchback edition of the Genesis G70. It would have sold better there. A $40K-$55K car at a Kia dealership will not get the proper foot traffic to sell well. You’ll either get the young guys who want to mod it into stupidity. Or, you’ll get the person who really wants it but is over his/her head at financing a Rio.

Still, I applaud Kia for doing the Stinger. Makes me admire the company more than I ever did previously.

graphicguy

driver100 said:

That picture with blue walls doesn't do it justice;

Mercy...I do love that car!

driver100

explorerx4 said:

Good story about Elizabeth Taylor's Mark II.

Thanks for posting....gave me a greater appreciation for this iconic model. Quick glimpse of the interior at 5 min 30 sec and 6 min 14 sec. I learned it was hand made. The guy loved driving it....and I imagine it would be a great car to drive.

oldfarmer50

fintail said:

What's up with the blue walls?

Those Continentals and competitor Eldorado Brougham were very elegant for the time, and have presence today. I believe Ford (and GM) lost money on every car, too - a true halo model.

oldfarmer50 said:

One of the most beautiful cars I’ve seen was a 1956 Continental MarkII which they were selling at the Saratoga Museum as few years ago. I think at the time it was one of the most expensive cars sold. (About the same as a contemporary Rolls Royce) That picture doesn’t do it justice.

I grabbed the first photo I found off the internet. That’s why I said the picture doesn’t do it justice. I hope the blue washes off. I’d hate to think someone did that deliberately.

oldfarmer50

ronsteve said:

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

We go for a drive about 3 times a week, just to get out but still be able to self isolate. A friend said you shouldn't be doing that. btw, the fine for being too close to someone, strolling in a park or on a golf course, being on a public trail, playing basketball, etc is $830. I checked and technically there is no rule against driving around, but, they are hoping you only drive to pick up groceries, or to a drug store...just essentials. For one thing, if you are in an accident, there will be emergency workers exposed, hospital facilities being used, cops coming to do paperwork etc. Can't even take the car out to charge the battery and blow some carbon out of it!

I saw a Canadian news story where they fined an old guy $880 for taking his dog out to the parking lot alone behind his apartment house so she could do her business. The story implied that some nosey neighbor was ratting everybody out.

I would think taking your dog out to do its business or even for a walk would be considered essential.

I saw a follow up to that story where the local authorities came to the old guy’s door after seeing him on tv and said “good news is we’re dropping the $880 ticket”. Then they handed him a new ticket for $1,200.

EDIT: I see driver100 beat me to that.

Driver, I suspect that Rebel News is considered right-wing up in Canada. Is their reporting considered accurate even if somewhat slanted?

driver100

graphicguy said:

andres3 said:

graphicguy said:

So, I have heard this news for months now, and sort of expected it well before I bought my car. But, I think Kia took a shot at building the best built, most performance focused, highest quality car they could, and the market (aside from me) didn’t respond.

The COVID-19 issue didn’t help.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/33178/the-kia-stinger-might-die-for-being-the-best-car-no-one-is-buying

I love it. Now, it looks like I’m going to have a relatively exclusive car.

I think Kia does have a dealership and Kia Finance problem where they are too used to dealing with deadbeats, and people with good credit are not used to being treated that way. It also didn't help that they were too optimistic with unrealistic sticker pricing.

I hope they decide to make an improved generation 2 model but Kia Finance has really soured me.

Still, I applaud Kia for doing the Stinger. Makes me admire the company more than I ever did previously.

The Stinger reminds me of early BMW 325s...about a 1984. A little smaller than comparable models, built more for performance than luxury....yet that simplicity makes it even more appealing. It isn't trying to be something it isn't.......it is made to perform yet it still looks beautiful because it has honest simple lines. Just MO, but Chargers Challengers and Barracuda are a little over done....Stinger does it softly. I was behind a new Stinger the other day and it made me think it is like quiet elegance, only it is quiet performance.