Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

sda

@ab348 Greg, Wishing you a quick and full recovery.

stickguy

Hope all goes smoothly Greg. Medical tech can do crazy stuff these days. A few years back, at age 52, my best friend had heart issues and needed valve replacement of some kind. They put in IIRC one from a pig. Sounded weird, but it works fine.

andre1969

Good luck, Greg! Wishing you a successful procedure and a quick recovery. We'll definitely be thinking about you!

imidazol97

Now we've got @ab348 and @abacomike both to root for quick easy recovery in each case.

fintail

Fingers crossed you are back here in no time!

ab348 said:

I have been keeping quiet about my medical situation but it is time to give the group an update. Tomorrow I am scheduled for a TAVI procedure to replace my heart's mitral valve. TAVI is where they go in through the femoral artery in your leg and with some sort of medical science miracle, insert a new valve inside the existing one . I had this done 3 years ago for my aortic valve and it was a breeze to get over. The mitral is apparently more difficult to do but they believe it is my best option as compared to conventional surgery in my case, because of both my overall health and the complications I had after my open-heart in 2009.

I just got back from a couple of hours at the hospital for pre-surgery work and the signing of forms. It is always disquieting when they ask you what you want to happen if things do not go according to plan. They say that those sort of things happen only in 2%-3% of TAVI procedures but the mitral version is still somewhat new for them. Anyway, I gave them my wishes on that question and will be passing them on to my family members who are the emergency contacts. I'm feeling positive and think it will go well, but who knows.

It is likely I will be out of commission for a few days even if all goes well so don't fret if you don't hear from me for a while.

Thanks in advance.

Greg

andres3

tjc78 said:

@bwia said:

But why were you driving at 70 mph on 295 in rush hour? Thank God you made it in one piece but putting oneself and family in jeopardy to arrive one minute early is not worth it.

Why are you judging? Do I judge your posts? That was the flow of traffic and I had time to stop. Is this a particular road you know well?

100% agreed, and besides, if there's anything to judge, it's your chosen following distance; not your speed. STILL, as you mentioned, you were able to stop. Learning from close calls and near-misses is how you avoid having wrecks.

jmonroe1

@ab348, we’re all rooting for a successful outcome and you’ll be pestering us again very soon. Oh wait, I got you confused with that other Canadian that hangs out in here; sorry about that.

Good luck.

jmonroe

driver100

@ab348
Very best wishes for things to go as well as possible Greg.

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

@ab348, we’re all rooting for a successful outcome and you’ll be pestering us again very soon. Oh wait, I got you confused with that other Canadian that hangs out in here; sorry about that.

Good luck.

jmonroe

Watch it...I am still around :@

explorerx4

@ab348,
Best of luck and expect to hear form you soon.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

@ab348, we’re all rooting for a successful outcome and you’ll be pestering us again very soon. Oh wait, I got you confused with that other Canadian that hangs out in here; sorry about that.

Good luck.

jmonroe

Watch it...I am still around :@

I thought you were a square.

jmonroe

andres3

ab348 said:

So the annual Consumer Reports reliability assessment is out.

Discuss.

Reading that you get the impression everyone is abysmal except Lexus.

bwia

@ab348 said:
I have been keeping quiet about my medical situation but it is time to give the group an update. Tomorrow I am scheduled for a TAVI procedure to replace my heart's mitral valve. TAVI is where they go in through the femoral artery in your leg and with some sort of medical science miracle, insert a new valve inside the existing one . I had this done 3 years ago for my aortic valve and it was a breeze to get over. The mitral is apparently more difficult to do but they believe it is my best option as compared to conventional surgery in my case, because of both my overall health and the complications I had after my open-heart in 2009.

I just got back from a couple of hours at the hospital for pre-surgery work and the signing of forms. It is always disquieting when they ask you what you want to happen if things do not go according to plan. They say that those sort of things happen only in 2%-3% of TAVI procedures but the mitral version is still somewhat new for them. Anyway, I gave them my wishes on that question and will be passing them on to my family members who are the emergency contacts. I'm feeling positive and think it will go well, but who knows.

It is likely I will be out of commission for a few days even if all goes well so don't fret if you don't hear from me for a while.

Thanks in advance.

Greg

@ab348, wishing you all the best on your medical procedure. Since this is not your first rodeo you pretty much know what to expect. Good luck and we hope to hear from you soon.

carnaught

@ab348, wishing you all the best for a swift recovery and successful outcome.

tjc78

@ab348
Let me add to the well wishes. Prayers for a quick recovery.

roadburner

graphicguy said:

@ab348 …praying for a swift and successful recovery!!!!!!!

Ditto!

snakeweasel

Think Gas Prices Are Too High? In This California County, a Gallon Costs $6 Mono County, Calif., has the highest gasoline prices in the state with the country’s top prices as costs soar across the U.S.

Go to gas buddy and look at prices in Needles, CA and then look at the prices just across the river in Arizona there is over a $2.00 difference.

snakeweasel

@ab348 good luck, I hope you have a speedy recovery.

Michaell

Not sure if this qualifies as good news or bad news:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/11/22/denver-snow-record-dry/

driver100

I watched this lady leaving her condo unit yesterday in an approx 2006 Caddie DTS, with a vinyl roof. She stopped for her mail and had to get out to do it...she has to be in her mid 90s. I never saw a car go through the community so slowly. She had to turn left onto a busy street, and she somehow did it...I was relieved.

I used this one as an example because it has the same vinyl roof.......but what a weird parking position, probably normal for this particular car. btw, hers was silk green.

driver100

Michaell said:

Not sure if this qualifies as good news or bad news:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/11/22/denver-snow-record-dry/

I think I get the idea but I have to subscribe to read the article.....they could give you 5 free ones or something.

graphicguy

Had lunch a few weeks ago with a friend of my late Father’s. Guy had always been a “Cadillac” person, as long as I can recall. And, that’s over decades. I was relaying my Cadillac woes from the past. His response?

“You bought all the ‘new’ ones. You have to buy the ones that have been in production for a while”.

He was driving a Brougham which I think was an early ‘90s vintage? It had the vinyl roof, chrome trim around the wheel wells, leather tufted interior, etc. Pretty car, in a throw back kind of way. Lots of metal. Lots of chrome. ~40K miles on the odo.

Upon leaving the restaurant, he wanted to look inside my TLX. He laughed and said he wouldn’t even know how to start it. His parting words….”do you fly home in it?”

Speaking of “chromed Cadillacs”, I watch this dealership’s videos a lot, as they have some pretty nice muscle cars for sale fairly often.

Here’s a chrome beauty……

https://youtu.be/wNFyFLvJVzE

jmonroe1

@driver100 said:
I watched this lady leaving her condo unit yesterday in an approx 2006 Caddie DTS, with a vinyl roof. She stopped for her mail and had to get out to do it...she has to be in her mid 90s. I never saw a car go through the community so slowly. She had to turn left onto a busy street, and she somehow did it...I was relieved.

I used this one as an example because it has the same vinyl roof.......but what a weird parking position, probably normal for this particular car. btw, hers was silk green.

That parking lot needs painted again.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

@graphicguy said:
Had lunch a few weeks ago with a friend of my late Father’s. Guy had always been a “Cadillac” person, as long as I can recall. And, that’s over decades. I was relaying my Cadillac woes from the past. His response?

“You bought all the ‘new’ ones. You have to buy the ones that have been in production for a while”.

He was driving a Brougham which I think was an early ‘90s vintage? It had the vinyl roof, chrome trim around the wheel wells, leather tufted interior, etc. Pretty car, in a throw back kind of way. Lots of metal. Lots of chrome. ~40K miles on the odo.

Upon leaving the restaurant, he wanted to look inside my TLX. He laughed and said he wouldn’t even know how to start it. His parting words….”do you fly home in it?”

Speaking of “chromed Cadillacs”, I watch this dealership’s videos a lot, as they have some pretty nice muscle cars for sale fairly often.

Here’s a chrome beauty……

https://youtu.be/wNFyFLvJVzE.

Now those are real bumpers and back then people used them as such. Today people are afraid to heavily wax bumpers for fear they’ll hurt them.

jmonroe

snakeweasel

Got to the gas station and put in 15.75 gallons in a tank that's supposed to hold 15.8.

I really need to talk to her about these things.

sda

jmonroe1 said:

@graphicguy said:

Had lunch a few weeks ago with a friend of my late Father’s. Guy had always been a “Cadillac” person, as long as I can recall. And, that’s over decades. I was relaying my Cadillac woes from the past. His response?

“You bought all the ‘new’ ones. You have to buy the ones that have been in production for a while”.

He was driving a Brougham which I think was an early ‘90s vintage? It had the vinyl roof, chrome trim around the wheel wells, leather tufted interior, etc. Pretty car, in a throw back kind of way. Lots of metal. Lots of chrome. ~40K miles on the odo.

Upon leaving the restaurant, he wanted to look inside my TLX. He laughed and said he wouldn’t even know how to start it. His parting words….”do you fly home in it?”

Speaking of “chromed Cadillacs”, I watch this dealership’s videos a lot, as they have some pretty nice muscle cars for sale fairly often.

Here’s a chrome beauty……

Now those are real bumpers and back then people used them as such. Today people are afraid to heavily wax bumpers for fear they’ll hurt them.

jmonroe

And worse yet, don't bump them!

venture

Carmax offered $33,800 for my Legacy. The insanity continues.

graphicguy

Have been trimming back my YouTube car related videos I watch.

HOOVIE “Schtick” has become way stale. Don’t watch much of his stuff anymore.
WIZARD seems to be caught up in his new found YouTube fame, which I find irritating.
SAMCRAC went off the deep end when he started including a stripper, who he claims is his step Mom, bankrolls his car buying.
TFLC lost me when they started expanding their roster of reviewers to some pretty bad personnel (one of them was the main reviewer’s son)


Still enjoy Sarah-N-Tune. She’s currently refurbing an Audi Rallye coupe, and doing a frame off restoration of her Aunt’s Ford Ranger. Sounds mundane but she obviously has some emotional ties to it.

Still watch JRGO.

DRIVEN Reviewer Tom Voelk, who used to be with the NEw York Times, does a really good job.

Like the Canadians MOTORMOUTH and THE STRAIGHT PIPES, too.

Dennis Collins (GaS Monkee) has a good channel about finding and refurbing mostly Jeeps and muscle cars.

oldfarmer50

We had an interesting outing up in Vermont yesterday.

Having been loaned out to the Burlington headquarters we were doing a number of shop runs to dealerships (dropping off cars and picking up others). We got to one dealer and the Jeep Cherokee we picked up had police evidence seals across every door, the hood, rear hatch and even the gas cap. Inquiries revealed that the car had been seized from a customer for transporting drugs and they had proceeded to tear the interior apart looking for same. The Jeep was at the dealer being put back together.

As luck would have it we needed this car as a chase vehicle to do our other errands so we rode all over town for much of the day in a car covered in evidence stickers. We got some interesting looks from other motorists.

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

jmonroe1 said:

stickguy said:

at some point supply will ramp back up. hopefully normalizes (or close to) by the spring. when it does, prices will crash. Particularly used cars, new probably just settles back to MSRP without ADMs is my guess. But the absurd overpays on used inventory, the bottom could fall out of that quickly.

my only worry about buying something this year, with potentially planning to trade it in next spring when the next ordered car arrives! But I guess worst case, just keep the first one.

I have a solution to that problem. When you move be sure you have your house built and buy the lot next door. Then use that lot as a car lot until the township comes after you for doing that. You know the price of land ain’t going to go down so when you sell that lot you’ll be rolling in money and then you can build another house and get at least a 4 car garage and that lift you’ve always wanted.

jmonroe

Actually, the price of land could go down, and sometimes it does, like it did around 2008 or 9. When we bought in 2011-12 prices were about 40% lower than the peak, and today they recovered to about the peak.
I'm not saying I'm a genius (even if I am), I was lucky because it was a good time for us to buy. But, prices can go down, and with high inflation, high mortgage rates, lack of jobs, possible recession etc., it can happen again.

When we bought our land in 1981 it was $3,000/acre. Now it’s worth $55k/acre. Location, location, location.

jmonroe1

@sda said:
And worse yet, don't bump them!

Yep and they should be re-named, “you better not touch these”. 😫😫😫

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

I have been keeping quiet about my medical situation but it is time to give the group an update. Tomorrow I am scheduled for a TAVI procedure to replace my heart's mitral valve. TAVI is where they go in through the femoral artery in your leg and with some sort of medical science miracle, insert a new valve inside the existing one . I had this done 3 years ago for my aortic valve and it was a breeze to get over. The mitral is apparently more difficult to do but they believe it is my best option as compared to conventional surgery in my case, because of both my overall health and the complications I had after my open-heart in 2009.

I just got back from a couple of hours at the hospital for pre-surgery work and the signing of forms. It is always disquieting when they ask you what you want to happen if things do not go according to plan. They say that those sort of things happen only in 2%-3% of TAVI procedures but the mitral version is still somewhat new for them. Anyway, I gave them my wishes on that question and will be passing them on to my family members who are the emergency contacts. I'm feeling positive and think it will go well, but who knows.

It is likely I will be out of commission for a few days even if all goes well so don't fret if you don't hear from me for a while.

Thanks in advance.

Greg

Good luck and on the “what if” form ask for the doctor’s address because you intend to haunt him. That should keep him focused on doing a good job.

jmonroe1

@venture said:
Carmax offered $33,800 for my Legacy. The insanity continues.

If I could get that for Mrs. j’s 2018 Legacy she’ll be walking to the grocery store but then I’ll running around the dining room table. Let me think about this again.

jmonroe

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

Michaell said:

Not sure if this qualifies as good news or bad news:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/11/22/denver-snow-record-dry/

I think I get the idea but I have to subscribe to read the article.....they could give you 5 free ones or something.

That’s funny, I usually run into a pay wall too but this article was fine.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

Have been trimming back my YouTube car related videos I watch.

HOOVIE “Schtick” has become way stale. Don’t watch much of his stuff anymore.
WIZARD seems to be caught up in his new found YouTube fame, which I find irritating.
SAMCRAC went off the deep end when he started including a stripper, who he claims is his step Mom, bankrolls his car buying.
TFLC lost me when they started expanding their roster of reviewers to some pretty bad personnel (one of them was the main reviewer’s son)


Still enjoy Sarah-N-Tune. She’s currently refurbing an Audi Rallye coupe, and doing a frame off restoration of her Aunt’s Ford Ranger. Sounds mundane but she obviously has some emotional ties to it.

Still watch JRGO.

DRIVEN Reviewer Tom Voelk, who used to be with the NEw York Times, does a really good job.

Like the Canadians MOTORMOUTH and THE STRAIGHT PIPES, too.

Dennis Collins (GaS Monkee) has a good channel about finding and refurbing mostly Jeeps and muscle cars.

I still like the ones you mention but I have cut back on some of them too. I like Sarah’s Ranger project since I can relate to old trucks. I like JRgo when he does everyday cars. I also like Weird Beard.

BTW, the Samcrac MIL is a porn star not a stripper.

jmonroe1

@oldfarmer50 said:
I still like the ones you mention but I have cut back on some of them too. I like Sarah’s Ranger project since I can relate to old trucks. I like JRgo when he does everyday cars. I also like Weird Beard.

BTW, the Samcrac MIL is a porn star not a stripper.

I guess that’s another way of saying she’s been around the block a few more times.

jmonroe

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

@graphicguy said:

Had lunch a few weeks ago with a friend of my late Father’s. Guy had always been a “Cadillac” person, as long as I can recall. And, that’s over decades. I was relaying my Cadillac woes from the past. His response?

“You bought all the ‘new’ ones. You have to buy the ones that have been in production for a while”.

He was driving a Brougham which I think was an early ‘90s vintage? It had the vinyl roof, chrome trim around the wheel wells, leather tufted interior, etc. Pretty car, in a throw back kind of way. Lots of metal. Lots of chrome. ~40K miles on the odo.

Upon leaving the restaurant, he wanted to look inside my TLX. He laughed and said he wouldn’t even know how to start it. His parting words….”do you fly home in it?”

Speaking of “chromed Cadillacs”, I watch this dealership’s videos a lot, as they have some pretty nice muscle cars for sale fairly often.

Here’s a chrome beauty……

Now those are real bumpers and back then people used them as such. Today people are afraid to heavily wax bumpers for fear they’ll hurt them.

jmonroe

Those were the days when bumpers were made to protect your car. Today they are expensive places to hide airbag sensors and cameras.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

Have been trimming back my YouTube car related videos I watch.

HOOVIE “Schtick” has become way stale. Don’t watch much of his stuff anymore.
WIZARD seems to be caught up in his new found YouTube fame, which I find irritating.
SAMCRAC went off the deep end when he started including a stripper, who he claims is his step Mom, bankrolls his car buying.
TFLC lost me when they started expanding their roster of reviewers to some pretty bad personnel (one of them was the main reviewer’s son)


Still enjoy Sarah-N-Tune. She’s currently refurbing an Audi Rallye coupe, and doing a frame off restoration of her Aunt’s Ford Ranger. Sounds mundane but she obviously has some emotional ties to it.

Still watch JRGO.

DRIVEN Reviewer Tom Voelk, who used to be with the NEw York Times, does a really good job.

Like the Canadians MOTORMOUTH and THE STRAIGHT PIPES, too.

Dennis Collins (GaS Monkee) has a good channel about finding and refurbing mostly Jeeps and muscle cars.

BTW, the Samcrac MIL is a porn star not a stripper.

Easy to get mixed up....especially for seniors!

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

@venture said:

Carmax offered $33,800 for my Legacy. The insanity continues.

If I could get that for Mrs. j’s 2018 Legacy she’ll be walking to the grocery store but then I’ll running around the dining room table. Let me think about this again.

jmonroe

One article I read said 2 or 3 year old cars can be worth more than a new car of the same model, because they don't have any new ones!

ab348

I’m alive! A bit of a miracle to the nurses in CICU. More later.

imidazol97

ab348 said:

I’m alive! A bit of a miracle to the nurses in CICU. More later.

Glad to hear it! Keep going.
Looking forward to the rest of the story.

carnaught

ab348 said:

I’m alive! A bit of a miracle to the nurses in CICU. More later.

Excellent! Keep up the good work!

carnaught

Follow-up: my neighbor with the 2020 GMC truck eating through at least 4 batteries has had it at the dealership for 2 days apparently trying to do what @roadburner suggested. You know what they have communicated to him? zippo, zilch, nada….😵‍💫

driver100

@carnaught
Yesterday ab mentioned the CR survey about reliability. One thing that stood out for me was:
the Tahoe:
the redesigned Tahoe is well below average. The Tahoe has multiple reports of major engine and transmission problems, both requiring a rebuild or replacement.( A Tahoe may not be a GMC but I think it is the equivalent or similar)
Maybe electrical problems are another issue.
You would think they have been building these things for so long they would get better each year....and shouldn't that be a fairly easy thing to locate. I mean, I am no technician or mechanic but don't they have voltage meters or things like that these days?

tjc78

Driver, yes the new Tahoe and its stablemates seemingly have not been great. Lots of social media posts with failed power train components early on.

Now.. it is social media and it could be a very small sample size, but I was surprised to see it as often as I have.

imidazol97

Those MB just don't hold up well in accidents. I like the way the 3-pointed star is still proudly
standing above the wreck.

Of course, there's more to the story. The driver was on 4 rims before this accident occured. The
car didn't even need tires. Driver was being pursued by officers, driving a friend's Mercedes!!!
She is shown as from California: he lives near Dayton.

graphicguy

driver100 said:

@carnaught
Yesterday ab mentioned the CR survey about reliability. One thing that stood out for me was:
the Tahoe:
the redesigned Tahoe is well below average. The Tahoe has multiple reports of major engine and transmission problems, both requiring a rebuild or replacement.( A Tahoe may not be a GMC but I think it is the equivalent or similar)
Maybe electrical problems are another issue.
You would think they have been building these things for so long they would get better each year....and shouldn't that be a fairly easy thing to locate. I mean, I am no technician or mechanic but don't they have voltage meters or things like that these days?

Two issues with the new Tahoe (or an GM with the cylinder deactivation V8). Allegedly, in GM’s quest to improve fuel economy, they keep coming back to cylinder deactivation. They aren’t very good at that technology, and never have been, for decades. Yet, they keep doing it.

Moreover, the change in torque from cylinder deactivation creates chaos with the computer controlled transmission, too.

This info comes from a Chevrolet tech at my local dealer.

qbrozen

Not sure if I mentioned it here, but the cylinder deactivation (MDS) was acting up on my Charger. Apparently it is common. Kept throwing a CEL. Code pointed to an MDS sensor of some sort. I had plans to get a tuner anyway, so I got one and, among other things, used it to turn off MDS. No more CEL.

jmonroe1

@imidazol97 said:
Those MB just don't hold up well in accidents. I like the way the 3-pointed star is still proudly
standing above the wreck.

Of course, there's more to the story. The driver was on 4 rims before this accident occured. The
car didn't even need tires. Driver was being pursued by officers, driving a friend's Mercedes!!!
She is shown as from California: he lives near Dayton.

Where can I get a star like that and don’t tell me to buy a Benz? I want something I can trust that won’t be overly expensive when something breaks when it’s out of warranty.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

@graphicguy said:
Two issues with the new Tahoe (or an GM with the cylinder deactivation V8). Allegedly, in GM’s quest to improve fuel economy, they keep coming back to cylinder deactivation. They aren’t very good at that technology, and never have been, for decades. Yet, they keep doing it.

Moreover, the change in torque from cylinder deactivation creates chaos with the computer controlled transmission, too.

This info comes from a Chevrolet tech at my local dealer.

I just looked up insanity in the dictionary. Low and behold there was a picture of a GM V8 that had cylinder deactivation. Some things never change.

jmonroe