Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

snakeweasel

ab348 said:

One of the GM dealers here used to do a free-for-all BBQ every Saturday lunchtime and was noted for always having pizza, giant boxes of donuts, etc in the showroom most of the time. So you would wander in to look at a car on the showroom floor and the salesperson's lead after greeting you would be "Feel like some pizza?"

They got sold to a large dealership group a few years ago and now it is no-fun city.

There was a dealership near me that every Saturday they had free hot dogs, chips a drinks. From what I was told they stopped it as they found that they had regulars coming only for a free lunch.

roadburner

fintail said:

Was the Sunbird a forced downgrade? Those haven't been made for over 25 years now. Sounds like a parenting fail, and probably the kind of driver who blindly pulls into traffic or randomly changes lanes and gets mad when honked at.

roadburner said:

It was pretty simple, actually. The parents were relatively well off. Their daughter was in her twenties and had shacked up with her dim witted boyfriend. She hadn’t paid her insurance bill- probably so she could buy more weed.

It happened in 2004, the moron flipped a cigarette out the window and it blew back into the car; the moron was looking for it when he hit the 5er which was stopped at a red light.
At least my wife's car could be driven away, and I could still open the trunk; the Sunbird was smashed up to the A pillar.

imidazol97

Just came across Judge Judy episode about a lady whose car was damaged by a neighbor who put Arm & Hammer brand laundry detergent onto the plaintiff's 11-year old toyota Piius. The detergent changed finish to a matt finish on the white paint. It also left streaks on the black trim pieces around the windows on the door which did not have clearcoat on them.

Does laundry detergent do that to a clearcoat finish? I recall my GM body shop showing how the then new clearcoats could be left with a shop rag with paint remover in it on the finish overnight with no damage. Does laundry detergent damage clearcoats?

oldfarmer50

jipster said:

Hey guys. Thought I'd chime in with an update. First of all, my fleet of 5 vehicles is down to 4. My 2008 Mercury Mariner, my son was driving, was rear ended by a pickup truck back in October. It sustained enough damage that my insurance company declared it totalled. My son was shooken up. Had some whiplash, so taken to the hospital for a cat scan. Had some soft tissue injury, seems to be o.k. But still keeping an eye on things. The 80 year old gentleman didn't have much to say, after my son called and I arrived in the scene...which was the dreaded Gene Synder Expressway for those familiar. Traffic had slowed down, and the guy didn't recognize the situation until he had slammed into the back of my car.
Kentucky is a no fault state, so I settled with my Insurance company for $3,950. Which seemed fair at the time.

My son did a good job of getting the other drivers information. Photos of his truck, licence plate, insurance card and drivers license. But, for some reason my insurance company had a hard time tracking the guy's insurance company down. Finally find out a couple weeks ago that the other drivers insurance company (Dairyland) is saying he does not have insurance with them. So at this point I'm looking at getting an attorney. Any advice?

I miss that 2008 Mariner. It was a nice car, drove well had been in the family since new. Was planning on using it in bad weather, so I could keep the Accord in the garage, and as a back-up to my other vehicles should they need repair.

Sorry to hear about you son and your Mercury. What are you getting a lawyer for? Unreimbursed value for the car? Personal injury?

My experience is that suing for soft tissue injury is a non starter. I even remember attending an insurance seminar where they said you need a broken bone to win a suit, even a pinky finger will do but soft tissue regardless of pain won’t fly. Maybe you need to talk to a lawyer to see if you need one.

So this old guy had no insurance is what I’m hearing. Maybe he had it with Dairyland and let it lapse. Maybe you can get him for filing a false instrument which I assume offering a non valid insurance card would be.

oldfarmer50

jipster said:

abacomike said:

jipster said:

Hey guys. Thought I'd chime in with an update. First of all, my fleet of 5 vehicles is down to 4. My 2008 Mercury Mariner, my son was driving, was rear ended by a pickup truck back in October. It sustained enough damage that my insurance company declared it totalled. My son was shooken up. Had some whiplash, so taken to the hospital for a cat scan. Had some soft tissue injury, seems to be o.k. But still keeping an eye on things. The 80 year old gentleman didn't have much to say, after my son called and I arrived in the scene...which was the dreaded Gene Synder Expressway for those familiar. Traffic had slowed down, and the guy didn't recognize the situation until he had slammed into the back of my car.
Kentucky is a no fault state, so I settled with my Insurance company for $3,950. Which seemed fair at the time.

My son did a good job of getting the other drivers information. Photos of his truck, licence plate, insurance card and drivers license. But, for some reason my insurance company had a hard time tracking the guy's insurance company down. Finally find out a couple weeks ago that the other drivers insurance company (Dairyland) is saying he does not have insurance with them. So at this point I'm looking at getting an attorney. Any advice?

I miss that 2008 Mariner. It was a nice car, drove well had been in the family since new. Was planning on using it in bad weather, so I could keep the Accord in the garage, and as a back-up to my other vehicles should they need repair.

Glad no serious injuries.

Shouldn’t the police or State Troopers be advised that the guy that rear ended your son had no insurance? I thought insurance is required by law in most States, if not all States.

Thanks.
The cops wouldn't even come to the accident site when my son called. They said since both cars had been able to pull off the expressway, and there was no serious injury, they would have to handle the matter themselves. My insurance company had said, on a previous call, that if the other party didn't have insurance they would try to use whatever leverage they could for the guy to reimburse them. So, I'm assuming contacting the police. Not sure how much the police not showing up to write up a report will hurt our case.

Police not showing up for an accident is unconscionable but unfortunately becoming common. So far in my area they always respond to an accident. I think if I thought they wouldn’t come I’d claim to have passed out from a head injury or something to get them out of the donut shop.

jmonroe1

imidazol97 said:

Just came across Judge Judy episode about a lady whose car was damaged by a neighbor who put Arm & Hammer brand laundry detergent onto the plaintiff's 11-year old toyota Piius. The detergent changed finish to a matt finish on the white paint. It also left streaks on the black trim pieces around the windows on the door which did not have clearcoat on them.

Does laundry detergent do that to a clearcoat finish? I recall my GM body shop showing how the then new clearcoats could be left with a shop rag with paint remover in it on the finish overnight with no damage. Does laundry detergent damage clearcoats?

I don’t buy that. Paint remover is paint remover and clear coat is a clear paint so it WILL be removed by paint remover. Now, “paint thinner” is safe on a cars paint. In fact years ago tar remover was primarily paint thinner with perfume, not sure how they might do it today because I just use straight out of the bottle paint thinner for stuff like that. Bourbon would work too but I ain’t wasting my drinking bourbon on that.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

venture said:

fintail said:

$180/hr shop rates and cars where the option load is 35% of base MSRP.

I recall the Lexus dealer where I used to live had an amazing spread of sandwiches and pastries - I'd stop by to "look at cars", which meant get a free light lunch. Eventually they cut it back to fruits and drinks, I think. MB dealer usually had some fruit, muffins or cookies, and drinks.

houdini1 said:

I wonder where they get the money to pay for the free coffee and fine china cups. Maybe they have a sideline business somewhere?

When my Subaru dealer remodeled their entire building, one of the things they did was install a coffee machine where you could request the blend and additives you wanted (or tea or hot chocolate) and watch it grind the beans and make the coffee.

They also had a small refrigerator that had single servings of fruit cocktail, yogurt, and other stuff I don't remember. Of course there were pastries, but usually only in the mornings.

That was about 2 years ago.

When I was in for an oil change a month ago there was a coffee maker like you would have at home sitting on the counter and machines that sell you typical peanut butter-stuffed cheese crackers, etc. The refrigerator was full of trash.

We have one driver who is always lagging behind and holding up the crew. One day they couldn’t find him when they were ready to leave after making deliveries to a dealer. They finally located him in the waiting room munching on free popcorn and watching the big screen TV.

Here’s a question for you captains of industry. How much does an automatic car wash cost?

Seem that one of our guys tried to take a high top (8’4” tall) cargo van through our car wash with disastrous results. The high van got jammed up in the machinery causing it to self destruct and fling metal parts everywhere. According to the boss a large shaft even pierced the body of the van and was left sticking out the side. It was lucky no one was hurt.

We drove through the lot today and several twisted I-beam structures laying out by the fence were all that was left of the whole system. What a mess.

oldfarmer50

imidazol97 said:

Just came across Judge Judy episode about a lady whose car was damaged by a neighbor who put Arm & Hammer brand laundry detergent onto the plaintiff's 11-year old toyota Piius. The detergent changed finish to a matt finish on the white paint. It also left streaks on the black trim pieces around the windows on the door which did not have clearcoat on them.

Does laundry detergent do that to a clearcoat finish? I recall my GM body shop showing how the then new clearcoats could be left with a shop rag with paint remover in it on the finish overnight with no damage. Does laundry detergent damage clearcoats?

Maybe if it was highly alkaline or acid it could fade the clear like bird poop does.

snakeweasel

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

abacomike said:

jipster said:

Hey guys. Thought I'd chime in with an update. First of all, my fleet of 5 vehicles is down to 4. My 2008 Mercury Mariner, my son was driving, was rear ended by a pickup truck back in October. It sustained enough damage that my insurance company declared it totalled. My son was shooken up. Had some whiplash, so taken to the hospital for a cat scan. Had some soft tissue injury, seems to be o.k. But still keeping an eye on things. The 80 year old gentleman didn't have much to say, after my son called and I arrived in the scene...which was the dreaded Gene Synder Expressway for those familiar. Traffic had slowed down, and the guy didn't recognize the situation until he had slammed into the back of my car.
Kentucky is a no fault state, so I settled with my Insurance company for $3,950. Which seemed fair at the time.

My son did a good job of getting the other drivers information. Photos of his truck, licence plate, insurance card and drivers license. But, for some reason my insurance company had a hard time tracking the guy's insurance company down. Finally find out a couple weeks ago that the other drivers insurance company (Dairyland) is saying he does not have insurance with them. So at this point I'm looking at getting an attorney. Any advice?

I miss that 2008 Mariner. It was a nice car, drove well had been in the family since new. Was planning on using it in bad weather, so I could keep the Accord in the garage, and as a back-up to my other vehicles should they need repair.

Glad no serious injuries.

Shouldn’t the police or State Troopers be advised that the guy that rear ended your son had no insurance? I thought insurance is required by law in most States, if not all States.

Thanks.
The cops wouldn't even come to the accident site when my son called. They said since both cars had been able to pull off the expressway, and there was no serious injury, they would have to handle the matter themselves. My insurance company had said, on a previous call, that if the other party didn't have insurance they would try to use whatever leverage they could for the guy to reimburse them. So, I'm assuming contacting the police. Not sure how much the police not showing up to write up a report will hurt our case.

Police not showing up for an accident is unconscionable but unfortunately becoming common. So far in my area they always respond to an accident. I think if I thought they wouldn’t come I’d claim to have passed out from a head injury or something to get them out of the donut shop.

I would think the likelihood of the police showing up to a minor fender bender is inversely proportional to the amount of crime in the area. If the police are very busy then they are going to the more serious calls and leave those in minor accidents fend for themselves.

In short if your police routinely dont show up for minor accidents consider moving.

snakeweasel

jmonroe1 said:

imidazol97 said:

Just came across Judge Judy episode about a lady whose car was damaged by a neighbor who put Arm & Hammer brand laundry detergent onto the plaintiff's 11-year old toyota Piius. The detergent changed finish to a matt finish on the white paint. It also left streaks on the black trim pieces around the windows on the door which did not have clearcoat on them.

Does laundry detergent do that to a clearcoat finish? I recall my GM body shop showing how the then new clearcoats could be left with a shop rag with paint remover in it on the finish overnight with no damage. Does laundry detergent damage clearcoats?

I don’t buy that. Paint remover is paint remover and clear coat is a clear paint so it WILL be removed by paint remover. Now, “paint thinner” is safe on a cars paint. In fact years ago tar remover was primarily paint thinner with perfume, not sure how they might do it today because I just use straight out of the bottle paint thinner for stuff like that. Bourbon would work too but I ain’t wasting my drinking bourbon on that.

jmonroe

I wouldn't buy it either paint thinner will definitely ruin clearcoat. Unless I get my own paint thinner and rag, soak it myself, put it on the car myself and stay with it overnight so I know no tricks are being done I wouldn't trust such a demonstration.

snakeweasel

oldfarmer50 said:

venture said:

fintail said:

$180/hr shop rates and cars where the option load is 35% of base MSRP.

I recall the Lexus dealer where I used to live had an amazing spread of sandwiches and pastries - I'd stop by to "look at cars", which meant get a free light lunch. Eventually they cut it back to fruits and drinks, I think. MB dealer usually had some fruit, muffins or cookies, and drinks.

houdini1 said:

I wonder where they get the money to pay for the free coffee and fine china cups. Maybe they have a sideline business somewhere?

When my Subaru dealer remodeled their entire building, one of the things they did was install a coffee machine where you could request the blend and additives you wanted (or tea or hot chocolate) and watch it grind the beans and make the coffee.

They also had a small refrigerator that had single servings of fruit cocktail, yogurt, and other stuff I don't remember. Of course there were pastries, but usually only in the mornings.

That was about 2 years ago.

When I was in for an oil change a month ago there was a coffee maker like you would have at home sitting on the counter and machines that sell you typical peanut butter-stuffed cheese crackers, etc. The refrigerator was full of trash.

We have one driver who is always lagging behind and holding up the crew. One day they couldn’t find him when they were ready to leave after making deliveries to a dealer. They finally located him in the waiting room munching on free popcorn and watching the big screen TV.

Here’s a question for you captains of industry. How much does an automatic car wash cost?

Seem that one of our guys tried to take a high top (8’4” tall) cargo van through our car wash with disastrous results. The high van got jammed up in the machinery causing it to self destruct and fling metal parts everywhere. According to the boss a large shaft even pierced the body of the van and was left sticking out the side. It was lucky no one was hurt.

We drove through the lot today and several twisted I-beam structures laying out by the fence were all that was left of the whole system. What a mess.

A quick web search says an automated car was costs between $31k to $49k. I'd say that would be a bargain for a story like that if you had pictures, especially of the shaft sticking out of the van.

ab348

oldfarmer50 said:

Police not showing up for an accident is unconscionable but unfortunately becoming common. So far in my area they always respond to an accident. I think if I thought they wouldn’t come I’d claim to have passed out from a head injury or something to get them out of the donut shop.

Up here, if you call 911 for a fender bender the automatic result if you tell them someone might have an injury is 2 fire trucks, a paramedic ambulance and police car(s). I always question the need for fire units to respond in most of the incidents I see.

sda

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

venture said:

fintail said:

$180/hr shop rates and cars where the option load is 35% of base MSRP.

I recall the Lexus dealer where I used to live had an amazing spread of sandwiches and pastries - I'd stop by to "look at cars", which meant get a free light lunch. Eventually they cut it back to fruits and drinks, I think. MB dealer usually had some fruit, muffins or cookies, and drinks.

houdini1 said:

I wonder where they get the money to pay for the free coffee and fine china cups. Maybe they have a sideline business somewhere?

When my Subaru dealer remodeled their entire building, one of the things they did was install a coffee machine where you could request the blend and additives you wanted (or tea or hot chocolate) and watch it grind the beans and make the coffee.

They also had a small refrigerator that had single servings of fruit cocktail, yogurt, and other stuff I don't remember. Of course there were pastries, but usually only in the mornings.

That was about 2 years ago.

When I was in for an oil change a month ago there was a coffee maker like you would have at home sitting on the counter and machines that sell you typical peanut butter-stuffed cheese crackers, etc. The refrigerator was full of trash.

We have one driver who is always lagging behind and holding up the crew. One day they couldn’t find him when they were ready to leave after making deliveries to a dealer. They finally located him in the waiting room munching on free popcorn and watching the big screen TV.

Here’s a question for you captains of industry. How much does an automatic car wash cost?

Seem that one of our guys tried to take a high top (8’4” tall) cargo van through our car wash with disastrous results. The high van got jammed up in the machinery causing it to self destruct and fling metal parts everywhere. According to the boss a large shaft even pierced the body of the van and was left sticking out the side. It was lucky no one was hurt.

We drove through the lot today and several twisted I-beam structures laying out by the fence were all that was left of the whole system. What a mess.

A quick web search says an automated car was costs between $31k to $49k. I'd say that would be a bargain for a story like that if you had pictures, especially of the shaft sticking out of the van.

Yikes. Does he still have a job?

jmonroe1

snakeweasel said:

jmonroe1 said:

imidazol97 said:

Just came across Judge Judy episode about a lady whose car was damaged by a neighbor who put Arm & Hammer brand laundry detergent onto the plaintiff's 11-year old toyota Piius. The detergent changed finish to a matt finish on the white paint. It also left streaks on the black trim pieces around the windows on the door which did not have clearcoat on them.

Does laundry detergent do that to a clearcoat finish? I recall my GM body shop showing how the then new clearcoats could be left with a shop rag with paint remover in it on the finish overnight with no damage. Does laundry detergent damage clearcoats?

I don’t buy that. Paint remover is paint remover and clear coat is a clear paint so it WILL be removed by paint remover. Now, “paint thinner” is safe on a cars paint. In fact years ago tar remover was primarily paint thinner with perfume, not sure how they might do it today because I just use straight out of the bottle paint thinner for stuff like that. Bourbon would work too but I ain’t wasting my drinking bourbon on that.

jmonroe

I wouldn't buy it either paint thinner will definitely ruin clearcoat. Unless I get my own paint thinner and rag, soak it myself, put it on the car myself and stay with it overnight so I know no tricks are being done I wouldn't trust such a demonstration.

A little more on this subject:

Over the years I have had people ask me if acetone is safe for a cars paint. My answer was HELL NO and the same applies to lacquer thinner. That surprised a few folks because the can said, lacquer “thinner”. Mineral spirits and turpentine is pretty much the same as paint thinner but anytime you plan to use a chemical of any kind on you cars paint it should always be tested in an inconspicuous spot. For me that is on the inside of the trunk.

Any time we get carpeting I always test to see if I can safely clean grease or another oily spot with acetone or lacquer thinner. So far none of the carpeting we have bought over our many years of marriage was harmed by either of these chemicals.

Here’s one that really surprised me:

We installed a pre-finished laminate floor in the living room, dining room, hall and kitchen in the first flip house we did (the bedrooms got carpeting). I knew we would surely get a spec or two of paint on the laminate floor when doing the final touch up of the door casings and baseboards so I decided to see how careful we had to be when we would use the blue painters tape for protection during the touch up process. So, I doused a cloth with acetone and rubbed it on the surface...nothing happened and I mean NOTHING. Next I poured the acetone on the finish and still nothing. Finally I soaked a piece over night in acetone and still nothing happened. I’ve been told that laminate floor finishes are durable because they have a finish that is baked on at the factory. Well that made a believer out of me. However, before I’d try that on another laminate floor I’d have to try it on that particular floor because I don’t believe they are all the same. The one we got was very good in that respect and it was not the top of the line floor that was purchased at Home Depot. Good but not top of the line. Maybe we got lucky with our choice.

jmonroe

explorerx4

@jmonroe1,
Most paint is latex based, so just use water to remove it.

jmonroe1

sda said:

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

venture said:

fintail said:

$180/hr shop rates and cars where the option load is 35% of base MSRP.

I recall the Lexus dealer where I used to live had an amazing spread of sandwiches and pastries - I'd stop by to "look at cars", which meant get a free light lunch. Eventually they cut it back to fruits and drinks, I think. MB dealer usually had some fruit, muffins or cookies, and drinks.

houdini1 said:

I wonder where they get the money to pay for the free coffee and fine china cups. Maybe they have a sideline business somewhere?

When my Subaru dealer remodeled their entire building, one of the things they did was install a coffee machine where you could request the blend and additives you wanted (or tea or hot chocolate) and watch it grind the beans and make the coffee.

They also had a small refrigerator that had single servings of fruit cocktail, yogurt, and other stuff I don't remember. Of course there were pastries, but usually only in the mornings.

That was about 2 years ago.

When I was in for an oil change a month ago there was a coffee maker like you would have at home sitting on the counter and machines that sell you typical peanut butter-stuffed cheese crackers, etc. The refrigerator was full of trash.

We have one driver who is always lagging behind and holding up the crew. One day they couldn’t find him when they were ready to leave after making deliveries to a dealer. They finally located him in the waiting room munching on free popcorn and watching the big screen TV.

Here’s a question for you captains of industry. How much does an automatic car wash cost?

Seem that one of our guys tried to take a high top (8’4” tall) cargo van through our car wash with disastrous results. The high van got jammed up in the machinery causing it to self destruct and fling metal parts everywhere. According to the boss a large shaft even pierced the body of the van and was left sticking out the side. It was lucky no one was hurt.

We drove through the lot today and several twisted I-beam structures laying out by the fence were all that was left of the whole system. What a mess.

A quick web search says an automated car was costs between $31k to $49k. I'd say that would be a bargain for a story like that if you had pictures, especially of the shaft sticking out of the van.

Yikes. Does he still have a job?

Not at Enterprise but the crew installing the replacement car wash wants another helper.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

explorerx4 said:

@jmonroe1,
Most paint is latex based, so just use water to remove it.

Once it’s dried, water WILL NOT removed dried on latex paint. Prove it to yourself by trying to remove the paint on your walls and woodwork with a rag soaked with water.

jmonroe

mcdawgg

I saw the remains of a gm acadia smoldering outside of a Target. I read later it was only a year old, so hopefully a warranty claim! The pictures taken from inside Target of the gm on fire were frightening.

qbrozen

mcdawgg said:

I saw the remains of a gm acadia smoldering outside of a Target. I read later it was only a year old, so hopefully a warranty claim! The pictures taken from inside Target of the gm on fire were frightening.

could very well have been owner error, as well. Or vandalism. Any number of reasons.

snakeweasel

jmonroe1 said:

explorerx4 said:

@jmonroe1,
Most paint is latex based, so just use water to remove it.

Once it’s dried, water WILL NOT removed dried on latex paint. Prove it to yourself by trying to remove the paint on your walls and woodwork with a rag soaked with water.

jmonroe

Yes but you can still clean it up as long as it's still wet. Usually during touch up work you can clean spills and splashes quickly. But most people avoid that by using painters tape and drop cloths,

mcdawgg

qbrozen said:

mcdawgg said:

I saw the remains of a gm acadia smoldering outside of a Target. I read later it was only a year old, so hopefully a warranty claim! The pictures taken from inside Target of the gm on fire were frightening.

could very well have been owner error, as well. Or vandalism. Any number of reasons.

I see several recalls due to risk of fire on these gm SUVs, and the fire department report said it wasn't vandalism, etc. Owner said there was a recall on the vehicle, but hadn't taken it in yet. Another reason I don't park next to a gm, Ford, or ANY car when going to Target, Meijer, etc.

jmonroe1

snakeweasel said:

ab348 said:

One of the GM dealers here used to do a free-for-all BBQ every Saturday lunchtime and was noted for always having pizza, giant boxes of donuts, etc in the showroom most of the time. So you would wander in to look at a car on the showroom floor and the salesperson's lead after greeting you would be "Feel like some pizza?"

They got sold to a large dealership group a few years ago and now it is no-fun city.

There was a dealership near me that every Saturday they had free hot dogs, chips a drinks. From what I was told they stopped it as they found that they had regulars coming only for a free lunch.

That reminds me of my working days back in the 70’s and 80’s. I travelled quite a bit to a few suppliers East of LA. When visiting this one suppler in Industry Hills we always stayed at this place that eventually became Embassy Suites. Their claim to fame was a free cooked to order breakfast and free drinks at their hospitality room from 5 to 7 every night. So you know that me and my traveling buddies had to stop by for a drink before going out for dinner. This one night the gal behind the bar comes over and said, “same as usual and I have to see your room key”. I said, “huh, when did that start”. She said, “it’s been a policy for a good while now but tonight I have to ask because one of the district bosses is watching us to insure we ask”. Not thinking I asked why. She said, “there are too many folks that get off the interstate (they were right at an exit) to get a few free drinks then leave. At least they didn’t squelch the whole policy just made a tweek. I sure did like that place. The one I liked best was in @Michaell’s hometown of Oxnard. That was a beautiful Embassy Suites right on the ocean. I’m pretty sure it was called Mandalay Beach Resort. Eventually it was bought by the Sterling Hotel group (early 90s) but they maintained the Embassy Suites breakfast and happy hour policy. Almost makes me want to come out of retirement.

jmonroe

explorerx4

@jmonroe1,
You were talking about laminate flooring.
Are you going driver100 on us?

imidazol97

ab348 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Police not showing up for an accident is unconscionable but unfortunately becoming common. So far in my area they always respond to an accident. I think if I thought they wouldn’t come I’d claim to have passed out from a head injury or something to get them out of the donut shop.

Up here, if you call 911 for a fender bender the automatic result if you tell them someone might have an injury is 2 fire trucks, a paramedic ambulance and police car(s). I always question the need for fire units to respond in most of the incidents I see.

I believe it's financial. I recall a case over where my son used to live about a minor accident on the freeway ramp. Just a bump. That ws clearly stated on the call for police, but they rolled the fire truck and the EMS because they can charge for the "service." I understood that the insurance companies will pay when there's an actual claim and service provided.

In this case everyone just needed a police report written to validate resposibility. But then the person in the accident got a bill for the fire truck response and I believe the EMS. They balked at paying for the guys to have a nice ride out of the firehouse for a while. It made the news, back when news was real.

When my wife hurt her knee on a college class field trip where they took adults down a river bank, we got a bill for the EMS service. We didn't pay. Don't recall the disposition. I believe it was because we lived in an apartment at the time instead of owning property in the district (a fireman lived in one of the apartments and he explained).

stickguy

paint on a hard surface (wood or tile) is easy. Flick it off with your fingernail.

oldfarmer50

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

venture said:

fintail said:

$180/hr shop rates and cars where the option load is 35% of base MSRP.

I recall the Lexus dealer where I used to live had an amazing spread of sandwiches and pastries - I'd stop by to "look at cars", which meant get a free light lunch. Eventually they cut it back to fruits and drinks, I think. MB dealer usually had some fruit, muffins or cookies, and drinks.

houdini1 said:

I wonder where they get the money to pay for the free coffee and fine china cups. Maybe they have a sideline business somewhere?

When my Subaru dealer remodeled their entire building, one of the things they did was install a coffee machine where you could request the blend and additives you wanted (or tea or hot chocolate) and watch it grind the beans and make the coffee.

They also had a small refrigerator that had single servings of fruit cocktail, yogurt, and other stuff I don't remember. Of course there were pastries, but usually only in the mornings.

That was about 2 years ago.

When I was in for an oil change a month ago there was a coffee maker like you would have at home sitting on the counter and machines that sell you typical peanut butter-stuffed cheese crackers, etc. The refrigerator was full of trash.

We have one driver who is always lagging behind and holding up the crew. One day they couldn’t find him when they were ready to leave after making deliveries to a dealer. They finally located him in the waiting room munching on free popcorn and watching the big screen TV.

Here’s a question for you captains of industry. How much does an automatic car wash cost?

Seem that one of our guys tried to take a high top (8’4” tall) cargo van through our car wash with disastrous results. The high van got jammed up in the machinery causing it to self destruct and fling metal parts everywhere. According to the boss a large shaft even pierced the body of the van and was left sticking out the side. It was lucky no one was hurt.

We drove through the lot today and several twisted I-beam structures laying out by the fence were all that was left of the whole system. What a mess.

A quick web search says an automated car was costs between $31k to $49k. I'd say that would be a bargain for a story like that if you had pictures, especially of the shaft sticking out of the van.

The boss showed us pictures of the carnage but unfortunately not of the van. We have a section out back where they keep vehicles wrecked by customers. I’ll have to check that out next time I work.

driver100

dino001 said:

ab348 said:

One of the GM dealers here used to do a free-for-all BBQ every Saturday lunchtime and was noted for always having pizza, giant boxes of donuts, etc in the showroom most of the time. So you would wander in to look at a car on the showroom floor and the salesperson's lead after greeting you would be "Feel like some pizza?"

They got sold to a large dealership group a few years ago and now it is no-fun city.

Pizza and donuts obviously bankrupted them

Efficiency expert came in and found a way they could save a few buck$

oldfarmer50

sda said:

snakeweasel said:

oldfarmer50 said:

venture said:

fintail said:

$180/hr shop rates and cars where the option load is 35% of base MSRP.

I recall the Lexus dealer where I used to live had an amazing spread of sandwiches and pastries - I'd stop by to "look at cars", which meant get a free light lunch. Eventually they cut it back to fruits and drinks, I think. MB dealer usually had some fruit, muffins or cookies, and drinks.

houdini1 said:

I wonder where they get the money to pay for the free coffee and fine china cups. Maybe they have a sideline business somewhere?

When my Subaru dealer remodeled their entire building, one of the things they did was install a coffee machine where you could request the blend and additives you wanted (or tea or hot chocolate) and watch it grind the beans and make the coffee.

They also had a small refrigerator that had single servings of fruit cocktail, yogurt, and other stuff I don't remember. Of course there were pastries, but usually only in the mornings.

That was about 2 years ago.

When I was in for an oil change a month ago there was a coffee maker like you would have at home sitting on the counter and machines that sell you typical peanut butter-stuffed cheese crackers, etc. The refrigerator was full of trash.

We have one driver who is always lagging behind and holding up the crew. One day they couldn’t find him when they were ready to leave after making deliveries to a dealer. They finally located him in the waiting room munching on free popcorn and watching the big screen TV.

Here’s a question for you captains of industry. How much does an automatic car wash cost?

Seem that one of our guys tried to take a high top (8’4” tall) cargo van through our car wash with disastrous results. The high van got jammed up in the machinery causing it to self destruct and fling metal parts everywhere. According to the boss a large shaft even pierced the body of the van and was left sticking out the side. It was lucky no one was hurt.

We drove through the lot today and several twisted I-beam structures laying out by the fence were all that was left of the whole system. What a mess.

A quick web search says an automated car was costs between $31k to $49k. I'd say that would be a bargain for a story like that if you had pictures, especially of the shaft sticking out of the van.

Yikes. Does he still have a job?

As far as I know. You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff that’s been pulled over the years. One thing that WILL get you fired is causing damage and trying to hide it. Even too many screw ups in your own car without informing the company will get you the door.

jmonroe1

explorerx4 said:

@jmonroe1,
You were talking about laminate flooring.
Are you going driver100 on us?

I don’t understand that comment.

jmonroe

driver100

explorerx4 said:

@jmonroe1,
You were talking about laminate flooring.
Are you going driver100 on us?

For the record....I have never had laminate flooring installed and don't have any in my current homes.

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

paint on a hard surface (wood or tile) is easy. Flick it off with your fingernail.

I agree but it’s still a lot easier with a little solvent on a rag.

Flip house #2 has newly sanded, stained and varnished real red oak hardwood floors. To remove a few dried on white latex paint specs I’ve used a plastic putty knife but the solvent thingy would be so much easier but can’t do that on a varnish finish.

jmonroe

fintail

But I bet the target market loved it. You were too young then

houdini1 said:

A couple of guys and I rented one of those back in the early 80's for a golf trip to the Mississippi coast. It literally drove like a boat and wandered all over the road. Had just a few hundred miles on it.

stickguy

Fire trucks also roll if there is injury reported in case an emergency rescue is needed.

Michaell

jmonroe1 said:

The one I liked best was in @Michaell’s hometown of Oxnard. That was a beautiful Embassy Suites right on the ocean. I’m pretty sure it was called Mandalay Beach Resort. Eventually it was bought by the Sterling Hotel group (early 90s) but they maintained the Embassy Suites breakfast and happy hour policy. Almost makes me want to come out of retirement.

jmonroe

That got built after I moved to Colorado, but I've certainly driven past it a number of times on my visits home.

That is a nice stretch of beach, for sure.

Did you do any sightseeing while you were there?

qbrozen

mcdawgg said:

qbrozen said:

mcdawgg said:

I saw the remains of a gm acadia smoldering outside of a Target. I read later it was only a year old, so hopefully a warranty claim! The pictures taken from inside Target of the gm on fire were frightening.

could very well have been owner error, as well. Or vandalism. Any number of reasons.

I see several recalls due to risk of fire on these gm SUVs, and the fire department report said it wasn't vandalism, etc. Owner said there was a recall on the vehicle, but hadn't taken it in yet. Another reason I don't park next to a gm, Ford, or ANY car when going to Target, Meijer, etc.

Huh. I didn’t look long, but did not see a recall for the 2020 Acadia related to fires. Closest is a potential transmission leak, and they always caution that leaking flammable fluids can increase risk of fire, but, in reality, the transmission doesn’t leak on top of any ignition components, so no real threat there. Maybe owner parked on a lit cigarette and it leaked on it. Kind of a “Final Destination” scenario.

roadburner

qbrozen said:

mcdawgg said:

qbrozen said:

mcdawgg said:

I saw the remains of a gm acadia smoldering outside of a Target. I read later it was only a year old, so hopefully a warranty claim! The pictures taken from inside Target of the gm on fire were frightening.

could very well have been owner error, as well. Or vandalism. Any number of reasons.

I see several recalls due to risk of fire on these gm SUVs, and the fire department report said it wasn't vandalism, etc. Owner said there was a recall on the vehicle, but hadn't taken it in yet. Another reason I don't park next to a gm, Ford, or ANY car when going to Target, Meijer, etc.

Huh. I didn’t look long, but did not see a recall for the 2020 Acadia related to fires. Closest is a potential transmission leak, and they always caution that leaking flammable fluids can increase risk of fire, but, in reality, the transmission doesn’t leak on top of any ignition components, so no real threat there. Maybe owner parked on a lit cigarette and it leaked on it. Kind of a “Final Destination” scenario.

I suspect it was caused by the friction of a full coverage insurance policy rubbing up against an auto loan with a large monthly payment

jmonroe1

Michaell said:

jmonroe1 said:

The one I liked best was in @Michaell’s hometown of Oxnard. That was a beautiful Embassy Suites right on the ocean. I’m pretty sure it was called Mandalay Beach Resort. Eventually it was bought by the Sterling Hotel group (early 90s) but they maintained the Embassy Suites breakfast and happy hour policy. Almost makes me want to come out of retirement.

jmonroe

That got built after I moved to Colorado, but I've certainly driven past it a number of times on my visits home.

That is a nice stretch of beach, for sure.

Did you do any sightseeing while you were there?

Funny you should ask. In the late 80’s I did get a chance to do some sightseeing up that way. It was the week before Thanksgiving and Mrs. j came along that time. We stayed at the Oxnard Embassy Suites and while I worked Mrs. j lounged at the beach reading a book. It was not warm enough to go into the ocean but plenty of sun. I always took the week of Thanksgiving off so we drove up the coast the following week to Santa Barbara and a town that was like an old German village, kinda novel place but I can’t remember the name of that place. Even went to a famous place called the Pea Soup Inn which was in a Best Western Motel.

On the way back to LA we stopped off at Pepperdine University. Went to the top of the hill overlooking Malibu. That night we stayed at some place in Malibu then went to a restaurant for breakfast that was quite famous (can’t remember the name of that joint either) it had menu items and booths named after actors and actresses. To this day Mrs. j says she’d like to go back and do that again but so far we haven’t. To be honest, it was nice but it’s not on my bucket list.

EDIT: I just remembered the name of that old German village. I’m almost positive it was Solvang. Still can’t remember the name of the restaurant.

jmonroe

jipster

driver100 said:

@jipster nice to hear from you.
I thought about whether to get an SUV next time. So far getting in and out of a sedan has been fine, but I would consider an SUV if it was a problem for me or Mrs D. I prefer having a closed up storage area (trunk), the handling of a car, and the smaller interior to heat or cool. Generally, I think most cars look nicer than their equivalent SUV counterparts.....Porsche is one where SUVs look better than the car.

With no fault insurance your insurance company would cover any medical expenses. We had a similar rear ender except it was a big garbage truck. The only thing I would advise is your sons injuries may not show up for some time afterwards.....maybe a few years. There can be a limit on the time you can report an incident, usually about 2 years. If he has any pain at all it is best to get it looked at and take physio. If the pain appears 2 or 3 years down the road it is hard to pin it on the accident if he hasn't had treatments. Also, be careful not to sign off too early, insurance companies like to close the books as soon as possible.

Cops don't care about charging the other driver. The guy who hit us should have been charged with dangerous driving....he could kill someone one day....but, the cops didn't want him to lose his license even though he could hardly speak English....his son did all the talking.

Good luck, very unfair, the innocent party is never fairly compensated.

Thanks. Out of all the midsize sedans I text drove last year, only the Accord required a bit of "agility" to get in and out of. It's no big deal, other than when I have to take my wife's car on the days I take my 87 year old father to see the doctor. His legs aren't that strong and he'd have a difficult to impossible time getting in and out of the Accord.

My wife's 2011 Hyundai Veracruz has around 160,000 miles on it. Hoping to get a couple more years out of it. The upper valve cover gasket(?) and alternator have been replaced 3 times due to gasket failure and oil leaking on the alternator. Hyundai has replaced free of charge every time. Just received a letter last week saying that Hyundai is going to put that gasket under recall yet again. If the Sonata had been a better car, would have preferred to buy one as Hyundai has stepped up to the plate for us.

With my son's injuries, yes, worried about any long term effects. I'll see what a lawyer advises some time this week But, if the at fault driver doesn't have insurance on what looked to be an older Toyota pick up, I'm wondering how we could be compensated (pain and suffering) if the guy has little to no money. Or, if we should even try. It does bother me the guy was driving without insurance, and didn't even bother to apologize to my son.

Michaell

jmonroe1 said:

Michaell said:

jmonroe1 said:

The one I liked best was in @Michaell’s hometown of Oxnard. That was a beautiful Embassy Suites right on the ocean. I’m pretty sure it was called Mandalay Beach Resort. Eventually it was bought by the Sterling Hotel group (early 90s) but they maintained the Embassy Suites breakfast and happy hour policy. Almost makes me want to come out of retirement.

jmonroe

That got built after I moved to Colorado, but I've certainly driven past it a number of times on my visits home.

That is a nice stretch of beach, for sure.

Did you do any sightseeing while you were there?

Funny you should ask. In the late 80’s I did get a chance to do some sightseeing up that way. It was the week before Thanksgiving and Mrs. j came along that time. We stayed at the Oxnard Embassy Suites and while I worked Mrs. j lounged at the beach reading a book. It was not warm enough to go into the ocean but plenty of sun. I always took the week of Thanksgiving off so we drove up the coast the following week to Santa Barbara and a town that was like an old German village, kinda novel place but I can’t remember the name of that place. Even went to a famous place called the Pea Soup Inn which was in a Best Western Motel.

On the way back to LA we stopped off at Pepperdine University. Went to the top of the hill overlooking Malibu. That night we stayed at some place in Malibu then went to a restaurant for breakfast that was quite famous (can’t remember the name of that joint either) it had menu items and booths named after actors and actresses. To this day Mrs. j says she’d like to go back and do that again but so far we haven’t. To be honest, it was nice but it’s not on my bucket list.

EDIT: I just remembered the name of that old German village. I’m almost positive it was Solvang. Still can’t remember the name of the restaurant.

jmonroe

Solvang is a Danish village, and its Andersen’s Pea Soup restaurant you’re thinking of.

Late 80’s? I still lived there.

Don’t know the Malibu restaurant you’re referring to.

jipster

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

Hey guys. Thought I'd chime in with an update. First of all, my fleet of 5 vehicles is down to 4. My 2008 Mercury Mariner, my son was driving, was rear ended by a pickup truck back in October. It sustained enough damage that my insurance company declared it totalled. My son was shooken up. Had some whiplash, so taken to the hospital for a cat scan. Had some soft tissue injury, seems to be o.k. But still keeping an eye on things. The 80 year old gentleman didn't have much to say, after my son called and I arrived in the scene...which was the dreaded Gene Synder Expressway for those familiar. Traffic had slowed down, and the guy didn't recognize the situation until he had slammed into the back of my car.
Kentucky is a no fault state, so I settled with my Insurance company for $3,950. Which seemed fair at the time.

My son did a good job of getting the other drivers information. Photos of his truck, licence plate, insurance card and drivers license. But, for some reason my insurance company had a hard time tracking the guy's insurance company down. Finally find out a couple weeks ago that the other drivers insurance company (Dairyland) is saying he does not have insurance with them. So at this point I'm looking at getting an attorney. Any advice?

I miss that 2008 Mariner. It was a nice car, drove well had been in the family since new. Was planning on using it in bad weather, so I could keep the Accord in the garage, and as a back-up to my other vehicles should they need repair.

Sorry to hear about you son and your Mercury. What are you getting a lawyer for? Unreimbursed value for the car? Personal injury?

My experience is that suing for soft tissue injury is a non starter. I even remember attending an insurance seminar where they said you need a broken bone to win a suit, even a pinky finger will do but soft tissue regardless of pain won’t fly. Maybe you need to talk to a lawyer to see if you need one.

So this old guy had no insurance is what I’m hearing. Maybe he had it with Dairyland and let it lapse. Maybe you can get him for filing a false instrument which I assume offering a non valid insurance card would be.

Thanks, and yes... personal injury. My insurance has paid for the value of the Mercury, and medical cost. They were to be going after the at fault drivers insurance company for reimbursement. But, unfortunately the at fault driver does not appear to have insurance. So, I'll be talking to my insurance company.and an attorney on how to proceed. My insurance company said my rates wouldn't rise if the at fault party didn't have insurance. I hope not. Would at the very least like to get my $200 deductible back.

venture

jmonroe1 said:

snakeweasel said:

ab348 said:

One of the GM dealers here used to do a free-for-all BBQ every Saturday lunchtime and was noted for always having pizza, giant boxes of donuts, etc in the showroom most of the time. So you would wander in to look at a car on the showroom floor and the salesperson's lead after greeting you would be "Feel like some pizza?"

They got sold to a large dealership group a few years ago and now it is no-fun city.

There was a dealership near me that every Saturday they had free hot dogs, chips a drinks. From what I was told they stopped it as they found that they had regulars coming only for a free lunch.

Their claim to fame was a free cooked to order breakfast and free drinks at their hospitality room from 5 to 7 every night. So you know that me and my traveling buddies had to stop by for a drink before going out for dinner. This one night the gal behind the bar comes over and said, “same as usual and I have to see your room key”. I said, “huh, when did that start”. She said, “it’s been a policy for a good while now but tonight I have to ask because one of the district bosses is watching us to insure we ask”. Not thinking I asked why. She said, “there are too many folks that get off the interstate (they were right at an exit) to get a few free drinks then leave.

jmonroe

I remember the time that a few friends and I were at the hotel bar in Tuscaloosa on a Friday night before a football game.

They had a free wing buffet on Friday evenings and nickel beer for an hour.

We watched a guy who came in about 10 minutes before the nickel beer started, got a plate of wings, and sat at the bar. I asked the bartendress why he didn't order a drink. She said he comes in every Friday and to watch what happens.

When it came time for the almost free beer he ordered one, got some more wings, then ordered another beer. When he was finished he threw a dime on the bar and left.

jipster

My Mercury Mariner got the better of the Toyota. Thought about buying it from insurance company and having it repaired, but seemed too much of a hassle.

snakeweasel

We had a snowstorm come through yesterday and while out and about I saw a Ural motorcycle taking on the snowstorm. A Ural is a Russian made motorcycle with a side car that has a drive shaft between the rear wheel of the motorcycle and the wheel of the sidecar making it two wheel drive.

ab348

jmonroe1 said:

Funny you should ask. In the late 80’s I did get a chance to do some sightseeing up that way. It was the week before Thanksgiving and Mrs. j came along that time. We stayed at the Oxnard Embassy Suites and while I worked Mrs. j lounged at the beach reading a book. It was not warm enough to go into the ocean but plenty of sun. I always took the week of Thanksgiving off so we drove up the coast the following week to Santa Barbara and a town that was like an old German village, kinda novel place but I can’t remember the name of that place. Even went to a famous place called the Pea Soup Inn which was in a Best Western Motel.

On the way back to LA we stopped off at Pepperdine University. Went to the top of the hill overlooking Malibu. That night we stayed at some place in Malibu then went to a restaurant for breakfast that was quite famous (can’t remember the name of that joint either) it had menu items and booths named after actors and actresses. To this day Mrs. j says she’d like to go back and do that again but so far we haven’t. To be honest, it was nice but it’s not on my bucket list.

EDIT: I just remembered the name of that old German village. I’m almost positive it was Solvang. Still can’t remember the name of the restaurant.

jmonroe

Hey, JM, with your advanced age life experience, you should hang out over in the Mystery Car Pix board on here and regale us with these sort of stories about the places shown.

dino001

driver100 said:

dino001 said:

ab348 said:

One of the GM dealers here used to do a free-for-all BBQ every Saturday lunchtime and was noted for always having pizza, giant boxes of donuts, etc in the showroom most of the time. So you would wander in to look at a car on the showroom floor and the salesperson's lead after greeting you would be "Feel like some pizza?"

They got sold to a large dealership group a few years ago and now it is no-fun city.

Pizza and donuts obviously bankrupted them

Efficiency expert came in and found a way they could save a few buck$

It was probably these two guys...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNuu9CpdjIo

roadburner

jipster said:

driver100 said:

@jipster nice to hear from you.
I thought about whether to get an SUV next time. So far getting in and out of a sedan has been fine, but I would consider an SUV if it was a problem for me or Mrs D. I prefer having a closed up storage area (trunk), the handling of a car, and the smaller interior to heat or cool. Generally, I think most cars look nicer than their equivalent SUV counterparts.....Porsche is one where SUVs look better than the car.

With no fault insurance your insurance company would cover any medical expenses. We had a similar rear ender except it was a big garbage truck. The only thing I would advise is your sons injuries may not show up for some time afterwards.....maybe a few years. There can be a limit on the time you can report an incident, usually about 2 years. If he has any pain at all it is best to get it looked at and take physio. If the pain appears 2 or 3 years down the road it is hard to pin it on the accident if he hasn't had treatments. Also, be careful not to sign off too early, insurance companies like to close the books as soon as possible.

Cops don't care about charging the other driver. The guy who hit us should have been charged with dangerous driving....he could kill someone one day....but, the cops didn't want him to lose his license even though he could hardly speak English....his son did all the talking.

Good luck, very unfair, the innocent party is never fairly compensated.

Thanks. Out of all the midsize sedans I text drove last year, only the Accord required a bit of "agility" to get in and out of. It's no big deal, other than when I have to take my wife's car on the days I take my 87 year old father to see the doctor. His legs aren't that strong and he'd have a difficult to impossible time getting in and out of the Accord.

My wife's 2011 Hyundai Veracruz has around 160,000 miles on it. Hoping to get a couple more years out of it. The upper valve cover gasket(?) and alternator have been replaced 3 times due to gasket failure and oil leaking on the alternator. Hyundai has replaced free of charge every time. Just received a letter last week saying that Hyundai is going to put that gasket under recall yet again. If the Sonata had been a better car, would have preferred to buy one as Hyundai has stepped up to the plate for us.

With my son's injuries, yes, worried about any long term effects. I'll see what a lawyer advises some time this week But, if the at fault driver doesn't have insurance on what looked to be an older Toyota pick up, I'm wondering how we could be compensated (pain and suffering) if the guy has little to no money. Or, if we should even try. It does bother me the guy was driving without insurance, and didn't even bother to apologize to my son.

The imbecile is almost certainly judgement proof. I’d file a criminal complaint for no insurance and at least extract your deductible from him. Unlike a civil judgement, restitution in a criminal case cannot be discharged in bankruptcy, and the deadbeat can be lodged in the Crossbar Hilton if he doesn’t pay.

driver100

dino001 said:

driver100 said:

dino001 said:

ab348 said:

One of the GM dealers here used to do a free-for-all BBQ every Saturday lunchtime and was noted for always having pizza, giant boxes of donuts, etc in the showroom most of the time. So you would wander in to look at a car on the showroom floor and the salesperson's lead after greeting you would be "Feel like some pizza?"

They got sold to a large dealership group a few years ago and now it is no-fun city.

Pizza and donuts obviously bankrupted them

Efficiency expert came in and found a way they could save a few buck$

It was probably these two guys...

I like that....it was always my experience that you hire efficiency experts when management doesn't have a clue....and since these guys know even less that really mess things up!

driver100

ab348 said:

jmonroe1 said:

Funny you should ask. In the late 80’s I did get a chance to do some sightseeing up that way. It was the week before Thanksgiving and Mrs. j came along that time. We stayed at the Oxnard Embassy Suites and while I worked Mrs. j lounged at the beach reading a book. It was not warm enough to go into the ocean but plenty of sun. I always took the week of Thanksgiving off so we drove up the coast the following week to Santa Barbara and a town that was like an old German village, kinda novel place but I can’t remember the name of that place. Even went to a famous place called the Pea Soup Inn which was in a Best Western Motel.

On the way back to LA we stopped off at Pepperdine University. Went to the top of the hill overlooking Malibu. That night we stayed at some place in Malibu then went to a restaurant for breakfast that was quite famous (can’t remember the name of that joint either) it had menu items and booths named after actors and actresses. To this day Mrs. j says she’d like to go back and do that again but so far we haven’t. To be honest, it was nice but it’s not on my bucket list.

EDIT: I just remembered the name of that old German village. I’m almost positive it was Solvang. Still can’t remember the name of the restaurant.

jmonroe

Hey, JM, with your advanced age life experience, you should hang out over in the Mystery Car Pix board on here and regale us with these sort of stories about the places shown.

Yeh, JM's story must have happened about 60 years ago.......a nickel beer!

driver100

snakeweasel said:

We had a snowstorm come through yesterday and while out and about I saw a Ural motorcycle taking on the snowstorm. A Ural is a Russian made motorcycle with a side car that has a drive shaft between the rear wheel of the motorcycle and the wheel of the sidecar making it two wheel drive.

And now you have sent your crappy snowstorm up our way....it just arrived!
(Started near Texas, picked up moisture, and is headed North - East - sometimes it is you guys fault)

graphicguy

Just found some swag in my desk....

qbrozen said:

bwia said:

I clicked on this video to watch the 2022 Infiniti QX55 SUV instead my visual senses were overtaken by my aural senses. Don't know if it is the poet Amanda Gorman effect but this guy's presentation sounds like high brow poetry. What a joy to listen to the marriage of form over function.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLGoW2vOevY

Still a CVT, so ZERO interest from me.
How often does a manufacturer DOWNGRADE a model? I would take an EX37 any day of the week rather than any other CUV from Nissan/Infiniti in the past 9 years. Crazy.

EX37....all day, every day. I came close to buying one a couple of times, but didn’t pull the trigger. Fast “quasi” station wagon that handled really well. Plus, it had all the goodies like leather, wood, etc.

Infiniti seems to have a penchant for “mucking up” their vehicles these days.