Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

bwia

Visually, the car does not look too bad with the exception of body rashes of course. The front plate shows an expiry date of 2014. If that is the case it probably hasn't been on the road for a while. Go ahead, make them an offer they can't refuse.

nyccarguy

OMG? What happened? Are you ok?

fintail

Reminds me of that local estate car from several months ago. One owner, 69K miles, pristine, probably could have got it for $4500:

tjc78 said:

Talk about ridden hard and put away wet. That has to be the hardest 17k I’ve seen. The silver wasn’t prone to peeling, so that makes me wonder as well. If it was white, then maybe.

Low line GS with bad paint. Pass.

You can find pristine 50k mile LS models all day long.

28firefighter

We’re fine. Someone came through our side gate and tried to come in through our patio slider. Unsuccessfully. But i realized I have very little lighting or way to see what’s happening out back, so I’d like to fix that.

Even suburbia can have issues...

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Would you take a chance on this:

https://westernmass.craigslist.org/cto/d/blandford-2008-mercury-grand-marquis/7190946670.html

Talk about ridden hard and put away wet. That has to be the hardest 17k I’ve seen. The silver wasn’t prone to peeling, so that makes me wonder as well. If it was white, then maybe.

Low line GS with bad paint. Pass.

You can find pristine 50k mile LS models all day long.

I think you’re right. As a winter beater it would be ok but with mileage like that I’d want to keep it awhile and that paint would drive me crazy.

For less additional money than it would take to sort that first one out I could get this:

https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/huntington-2005-mercury-grand-marquis/7190077180.html

I have absolutely no need, or even place to park another car but those old GMs keep calling to me.

oldfarmer50

28firefighter said:

Ok hive mind. Do any of you have experience with home surveillance? Either a hardwired system or something like Ring spotlight cameras? Thoughts or recommendations appreciated.

We had an attempted break-in this morning and I’m realizing we have some gaps...

Can’t help on security as I usually don’t even lock my doors. Maybe one of those wireless cameras that transmit to your phone? I see some at Sam’s Club mixed in with the wireless window alarms.

suydam

The problem is, who are you transmitting your data to? Maybe install some lighting on the side. That’s probably enough to deter most. I used to say a barking dog, but my current dog doesn’t bark. And my previous one would happily allow anyone in.

qbrozen

28firefighter said:

We’re fine. Someone came through our side gate and tried to come in through our patio slider. Unsuccessfully. But i realized I have very little lighting or way to see what’s happening out back, so I’d like to fix that.

Even suburbia can have issues...

Issues in our town, too. Honestly, there is not a whole lot to be done. Everyone wearing masks now make cameras useless. That said, I have several wi-fi motion cams both inside and outside, as well as a security system. Motion lights where the cameras point are helpful, too. These are all merely deterrents though. I think our dogs are the most effective. The lab sounds VICIOUS when someone comes she doesn’t know. Everyone who doesn’t know her is scared of her.

kyfdx

Our street is just 37 houses. My wife is on an e-mail group with most of the neighborhood. Every month, someone in the neighborhood sends a Ring video of someone coming on to their front porch in the 2 am - 4 am range.

28firefighter

I have no expectation that it’ll deter or even help me identify. I want to be able to lay in bed and get a 360 of what’s happening if I get startled awake.

Our dog, who sounds vicious during the day to every delivery driver, slept through the whole thing.

fintail

Get a pet bear/tiger, or use the Home Alone method - rig up the house to make it look like someone is always there, or boobytraps.

ab348

Motion detector lights are probably the easiest first line of defense. Motion-activated cameras next though obvs more expensive. Some sort of ability to announce someone is watching when those go on is also good.

tjc78

@28firefighter
Wow! Thank goodness you and the family are OK!

tjc78

fintail said:

Reminds me of that local estate car from several months ago. One owner, 69K miles, pristine, probably could have got it for $4500:

tjc78 said:

Talk about ridden hard and put away wet. That has to be the hardest 17k I’ve seen. The silver wasn’t prone to peeling, so that makes me wonder as well. If it was white, then maybe.

Low line GS with bad paint. Pass.

You can find pristine 50k mile LS models all day long.

That's not my favorite whale Panther color, but that one is so nice. Retail spec, hard loaded with the HPP package. I'd rock it. Without seeing more of the interior I can't tell if it's an 03 or 04. No antenna on the rear fender so it's not an 05.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

tjc78 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Would you take a chance on this:

https://westernmass.craigslist.org/cto/d/blandford-2008-mercury-grand-marquis/7190946670.html

Talk about ridden hard and put away wet. That has to be the hardest 17k I’ve seen. The silver wasn’t prone to peeling, so that makes me wonder as well. If it was white, then maybe.

Low line GS with bad paint. Pass.

You can find pristine 50k mile LS models all day long.

I think you’re right. As a winter beater it would be ok but with mileage like that I’d want to keep it awhile and that paint would drive me crazy.

For less additional money than it would take to sort that first one out I could get this:

https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/huntington-2005-mercury-grand-marquis/7190077180.html

I have absolutely no need, or even place to park another car but those old GMs keep calling to me.

This one looks like it is worth $1000 more....nice paint job and a nice color. Is it more of a deluxe model?
How come it has all the wheel discs in some pictures and one is missing in one picture?

That kind of makes me wonder..........

driver100

Home security! We have an alarm system and they only charge $12 a month. What I like is that if I am sleeping, and there is a weird noise in the house (furnace or something expanding) I can see the alarm is set and didn't go off - I can just go back to sleep. Also, the alarm company sticker is a bit of a deterrent.

Slider window doors should have one of those dead bolts put in....they are a weak spot that thieves love and look for first. That and cameras I guess....not a lot of real protection.

fintail

I remember the ad, it was an 04. Someone got a deal, who knows how little it could have been bought for if it didn't move by the end of the sale - those companies are motivated to clear the premises, and will have bargains on cars if the timing is right,.

tjc78 said:

That's not my favorite whale Panther color, but that one is so nice. Retail spec, hard loaded with the HPP package. I'd rock it. Without seeing more of the interior I can't tell if it's an 03 or 04. No antenna on the rear fender so it's not an 05.

snakeweasel

fintail said:

Get a pet bear/tiger, or use the Home Alone method - rig up the house to make it look like someone is always there, or boobytraps.

FYI Boobytraping your home is illegal and well get you in trouble.

fintail

It's only illegal if you get caught and/or don't have a good lawyer/judge

snakeweasel said:

FYI Boobytraping your home is illegal and well get you in trouble.

explorerx4

I must not have been fully awake when I was posting thinking the car from Blanford was a Crown Vic instead of a GM.

oldfarmer50

suydam said:

The problem is, who are you transmitting your data to? Maybe install some lighting on the side. That’s probably enough to deter most. I used to say a barking dog, but my current dog doesn’t bark. And my previous one would happily allow anyone in.

Get some acreage behind your house. Plenty of space to bury stuff.

omarman

Sometimes thieves familiar with the home/neighborhood will test the known weak spots to break into like the patio slider. Long time ago after my parents bought their 2nd retirement home they found motion detection security lights mounted on 1 side of the house with only 2 bedroom windows and no exit doors. So they had the lights disconnected and within a month, somebody tried to force entry through a back bedroom window. They had a little lap dog which barked like a hound and scared the would-be intruder away. Good boy! They called to tell me that they decided to have the security lights hooked up again. The previous owner must have had similar issues.

I understand that despite breed selection, some dogs won't hunt. I like the pet bear suggestion. Need a really short leash though.

sb55

oldfarmer50 said:

28firefighter said:

Ok hive mind. Do any of you have experience with home surveillance? Either a hardwired system or something like Ring spotlight cameras? Thoughts or recommendations appreciated.

We had an attempted break-in this morning and I’m realizing we have some gaps...

Can’t help on security as I usually don’t even lock my doors. Maybe one of those wireless cameras that transmit to your phone? I see some at Sam’s Club mixed in with the wireless window alarms.

What's a house key? Our rental cottages have the original skeleton keys. 1 per cottage. I have attached a very large piece of wood or metal to each one for the guests who insist on them. If they get lost, I'm screwed!

venture

Burglars/prowlers hate light. I have motion detector lights on three side of the house and a 60 watt equivalent LED in the front which is on all night.

Occasionally one of the lights in the back or side of the house comes on. So far it has only been a critter - as far as I know.

My son has Ring (or Nest, I forget) cameras at his doors. He gets an alert on his phone when someone approaches and he can see what's going on.

I guess it all depends on how far you want to go.

28firefighter

Well. I replaced the gate latch and the patio door now has a safety bar.

I have an electrician coming out this week to quote me to install flood lights outside and I’ll ask about cameras. I’d do it myself, but my handy-husband home repair skills ends at electrical wiring.

driver100

We moved into this house almost 12 years ago. We were still tired from moving in and we had a barbecue for family one night. I forgot to lock the slider.
We were in bed and at 11:45 the alarm went off.......loud siren noise.
I got out of bed, the alarm company called, they could tell it was the slider.
I said, what do I do now.......like, what if the guy has a gun?
They said take the phone and walk toward the back slider door.
The door was open but the guy must have taken off when the alarm went off.
Our 12 pound Bichon dog slept between us on the bed, she was on her back and slept through the whole thing.
We were told to get bolt lock added, sliders are pretty easy to get past. The ones in our Florida place have keys in them, even better and more secure.

explorerx4

The cutoff broomstick at the bottom of the slider is the go-to security measure.

omarman

Car-vs-building crash statistics keep rolling in Columbus. Yesterday afternoon a driver was killed in a single car accident after hitting a home on Parsons Ave. Today a driver crashed into a White House Black Market shop which was closed at the time. "According to police, a person driving a white Lexus SUV was trying to back into a parking spot but instead backed into the store." Park assist not activated because it was a "person" driving?

Nothing new to see here. Last year there was a list published, "Ranking recent Columbus vehicle-building crashes." Sort of a greatest hits piece I guess. The most interesting one is #1 listed at the bottom of the article.

The most frustrating one for me and my friend was ranked #3 which took out Massey's Pizza on Dublin Granville. "No word on whether it was a Toyota RAVioli4 or perhaps a Toyota Pielander." Massey's is known as the Cadillac of pizza. Nobody hurt and the shop able to resume operations during part of reconstruction. But that car-versus-building hit list seems to be growing this year.

driver100

explorerx4 said:

The cutoff broomstick at the bottom of the slider is the go-to security measure.

We did that for awhile but it isn't aesthetically pleasing.....and you have to bend over and put it in place and take it out......and you have a broomstick lying around.
One of those dead bolt locks is nice and neat, and you can apply it while standing.....when you have to let Trixie out 10 times a day - it is much easier.

suydam

Flood lights annoy your neighbors because they’re on all the time. Motion detectors only go on when someone moves.

jmonroe1

carnaught said:

explorerx4 said:

The cutoff broomstick at the bottom of the slider is the go-to security measure.

Or, a trip to Home Depot for a custom cut piece of dowel - low tech but effective.

Or you could go a little high tech like a friend of mine did in the late ‘70’s. Went to Radio Shack and bought one of those hobby boxes and wired up a few led’s that just turned on and off randomly. The box was powered by a battery charger. He then mounted the box across from the patio door and left the curtains open at night so that a would be intruder could see the dancing lights. He never had a problem like his neighbor did. That intruder took two slugs from a 45 in the leg when he opened the patio door and walked in early one morning. I guess some neighbors are very protective of their homes.

There is more to this story but you get the idea.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

omarman said:

Car-vs-building crash statistics keep rolling in Columbus. Yesterday afternoon a driver was killed in a single car accident after hitting a home on Parsons Ave. Today a driver crashed into a White House Black Market shop which was closed at the time. "According to police, a person driving a white Lexus SUV was trying to back into a parking spot but instead backed into the store." Park assist not activated because it was a "person" driving?

Nothing new to see here. Last year there was a list published, "Ranking recent Columbus vehicle-building crashes." Sort of a greatest hits piece I guess. The most interesting one is #1 listed at the bottom of the article.

The most frustrating one for me and my friend was ranked #3 which took out Massey's Pizza on Dublin Granville. "No word on whether it was a Toyota RAVioli4 or perhaps a Toyota Pielander." Massey's is known as the Cadillac of pizza. Nobody hurt and the shop able to resume operations during part of reconstruction. But that car-versus-building hit list seems to be growing this year.

Drivers that try to take out a good pizza shop should be put away. :@

jmonroe

ab348

Hey @28firefighter here’s an interesting way to implement some cheap security camera coverage if you have some old phones kicking around the house.

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-turn-your-old-phone-into-a-home-security-camera-for-free/

roadburner

28firefighter said:

We’re fine. Someone came through our side gate and tried to come in through our patio slider. Unsuccessfully. But i realized I have very little lighting or way to see what’s happening out back, so I’d like to fix that.

Even suburbia can have issues...

Glad you are okay. We live @1 mile from the nearest house, so a Doberman or German Shepherd backed up with a 9mm semi auto has worked for me. A simpler solution is a 12 gauge tactical shotgun such as the Mossberg 500 or Remington 870. You still need hands-on training from a professional but accuracy is not as critical.

28firefighter

I have a pretty firm no guns policy in the house, but the thought crossed my mind this morning.

roadburner

28firefighter said:

I have a pretty firm no guns policy in the house, but the thought crossed my mind this morning.

That's the dilemma; you may never need a gun, but if you do need it you will REALLY need it. 20 years ago a Commonwealth's Attorney was shot and killed by a child molester he was prosecuting. He still managed to protect the rest of his family by killing the slimeball.
I hope I never have to use any of my firearms to kill someone, but if someone breaks into my house all bets are off.

venture

roadburner said:

28firefighter said:

I have a pretty firm no guns policy in the house, but the thought crossed my mind this morning.

That's the dilemma; you may never need a gun, but if you do need it you will REALLY need it. 20 years ago a Commonwealth's Attorney was shot and killed by a child molester he was prosecuting. He still managed to protect the rest of his family by killing the slimeball.
I hope I never have to use any of my firearms to kill someone, but if someone breaks into my house all bets are off.

Yep.

All my outside motion lights are only a warning to not come inside.

oldfarmer50

28firefighter said:

I have a pretty firm no guns policy in the house, but the thought crossed my mind this morning.

Unless you practice with it regularly, a gun might be more dangerous than going unarmed. Also a lot of people can’t bring themselves to actually fire at a human.

venture

oldfarmer50 said:

28firefighter said:

I have a pretty firm no guns policy in the house, but the thought crossed my mind this morning.

Unless you practice with it regularly, a gun might be more dangerous than going unarmed. Also a lot of people can’t bring themselves to actually fire at a human.

Absolutely. Your whole life changes the second you pull that trigger. You have to be prepared for that.

bwia

Wow! Kia is on fire with the introduction of the sub-compact Kia Sonet. It is another tastefully designed CUV that looks like it will have wide appeal to the young and old.

qbrozen

I asked my wife once if I could get a shotgun. Nope. Probably for the best. We do have a number of martial arts weapons, and I have done a fair bit of disarming training. So I’ll just have to hope the person with the gun gets real close to me. Haha

stickguy

bwia said:

Wow! Kia is on fire with the introduction of the sub-compact Kia Sonet. It is another tastefully designed CUV that looks like it will have wide appeal to the young and old.

kinda cute. wonder which one of the other platforms that is based on? Maybe the Kona?

though after a quick google, seems that it is designed for the India market. I assume we get something comparable here (Seltos?)

stickguy

qbrozen said:

I asked my wife once if I could get a shotgun. Nope. Probably for the best. We do have a number of martial arts weapons, and I have done a fair bit of disarming training. So I’ll just have to hope the person with the gun gets real close to me. Haha

My wife would never shoot anyone, and if she did without her contacts in, would probably be me. So not arming her. I would either shoot my daughter for coming home unannounced or (more likely) put a big hole in the wall that I would have to fix.

we have a big Lab. Useless as a guard dog, but he is a tripping hazard. That would probably bark after the burglar stepped on him.

tjc78

Yeah, I’m legally blind without correction... so a gun would be useless. By the time I get my glasses on and fumble for the weapon I would be a goner.

Wife and I spent all day yesterday purging and packing the basement. 80% filled a 20 yard dumpster. We are both pretty sore this morning.

That includes a sofa and loveseat we had down there and a bunch of ancient cabinets the previous owners had. Basement is so clean!

stickguy

lot cheaper to toss or sell most of it than it is to move it!

bwia

stickguy said:

bwia said:

Wow! Kia is on fire with the introduction of the sub-compact Kia Sonet. It is another tastefully designed CUV that looks like it will have wide appeal to the young and old.

kinda cute. wonder which one of the other platforms that is based on? Maybe the Kona?

though after a quick google, seems that it is designed for the India market. I assume we get something comparable here (Seltos?)

I believe the Sonet is a smaller version of the Seltos. Yes, it is true that the Seltos was designed for the Indian market. That vehicle was so successful in India that Kia expanded sales outside of India, even to the US.

The Sonet, however is not limited to Indian market. It has created a buzz in Malaysia and other sub-continent countries that Kia expects it to be even more successful than Seltos.

roadburner

oldfarmer50 said:

Unless you practice with it regularly, a gun might be more dangerous than going unarmed. Also a lot of people can’t bring themselves to actually fire at a human.

I agree 100% regarding training and practice; I have set up a target range behind the detached garage. My son was learning and practicing with my handguns by his early teens. His friends also came out to use the range. By his senior year I didn’t even need to supervise them.
Training is essential.

nyccarguy

stickguy said:

qbrozen said:

I asked my wife once if I could get a shotgun. Nope. Probably for the best. We do have a number of martial arts weapons, and I have done a fair bit of disarming training. So I’ll just have to hope the person with the gun gets real close to me. Haha

My wife would never shoot anyone, and if she did without her contacts in, would probably be me. So not arming her. I would either shoot my daughter for coming home unannounced or (more likely) put a big hole in the wall that I would have to fix.

we have a big Lab. Useless as a guard dog, but he is a tripping hazard. That would probably bark after the burglar stepped on him.

I literally almost spit the coffee out reading this! Ha!

graphicguy

I’ve got a 12 gauge and a Ruger. Both were inherited. I take the Ruger to the range for target shooting a couple of times/year. I’ve only shot the 12 gauge once. I clean them both yearly. Mostly, they sit in my closet.

Would I use them during a break in? I’d like to say yes, but never really sure unless it actually happens. I would hope the sound of the 12 gauge pump would be enough to scare off any attackers.

kyfdx

I would hope the sound of the 12 gauge pump would be enough to scare off any attackers.

Just put a recording of it on your phone, and play it for the burglar. No chance of shooting your girlfriend, that way.