Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

qbrozen

@greg128 said:
From a dashcam on a New Jersey parkway last week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kkCeyRiUeA

What Parkway? Not the Garden State.

Michaell

qbrozen said:

@greg128 said:

From a dashcam on a New Jersey parkway last week.

What Parkway? Not the Garden State.

I think it's the Palisades Parkway.

qbrozen

I think I found it. Pallisades. Not sure if that part NY or NJ but both have NY plates.

graphicguy

stickguy said:

Explorer, if you like that you would likely enjoy Post Modern jukebox. They do this type of cover from all sorts of genres, and have some amazing singers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB6HY8r983c

Love them!

graphicguy

greg128 said:

From a dashcam on a New Jersey parkway last week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kkCeyRiUeA

No known cure for stupidity.

graphicguy

Long video. I found it fascinating. Skip to the end if you want to see what it’s like to drive a hotted up Escalade.

https://youtu.be/IXmkNh52Lf4

carnaught

I thought that the prep for ceramic coating is similar to Zaino - removal of the clear coat. For the price I would also go for frequent waxing/details and forgo the ceramic and pocket the savings. The fact that some dealers utilize it in their “mop ‘n glow” packages dissuades me.

imidazol97

abacomike said:

Actually, we have budget surpluses here in Florida. It’s the tourists that make up the difference between an income tax and no income tax. Between the taxes on the cruise industry and the hotel/motel industry coupled with the major Park attractions (Disney, Universal, Sea World) and the boat and car rental industries, the State does just fine.

Also, the contract between Seminole Tribe (6 gambling properties) and the State nets billions in additional revenues. Add to the above the healthy Florida Lottery and proceeds from Powerball, and you end up a cornucopia of cash inflow.

Finally, with the continuous increase in population from people moving to Florida to escape cold weather and high taxes, the need for building homes and condos and apartment buildings is huge which produces other sources of revenues for State, County and local governments.

But there are negatives to this windfall, too. Insurance for cars, boats and homes/condos is one of the highest in the US. My condo insurance has almost doubled in the last 3 years and I pay $2000+ for auto insurance here in South Florida - twice what my brother pays just south of Jacksonville in Ponte Vedra, Florida.

So when you add it all up, the lack of an income tax is offset by the high cost of insurance (in South Florida where the population is extremely dense). But in Southwest and North/Northwest Florida, insurance rates are much lower for auto and property, especially away from the coastline.

What is the sales tax rate in FL on food. And on other purchases such as sundries at Walmart. new cars, furniture, usw. I recall that TN has variable sales tax on different categories.

Are local political entities able to add on their own sales tax, i.e., additional 1/2% to the city or the county that applies to everything.

I am sure they have targeted specific sales/use taxes at scalping the tourists, but I'm curious how the rest of the taxing is arranged.

I agree with having sales/use taxes instead of income taxes, which can be escaped by those who work "off the books."

mjfloyd1

carnaught said:

I thought that the prep for ceramic coating is similar to Zaino - removal of the clear coat. For the price I would also go for frequent waxing/details and forgo the ceramic and pocket the savings. The fact that some dealers utilize it in their “mop ‘n glow” packages dissuades me.

Zaino and any paint coatings that I know of call for polishing the clear coat to remove scratches and swirls before you apply the coating so that the finish looks ideal. I don’t know of any that ask you to remove the clear coat as that would remove a layer of protection.

jmonroe1

@abacomike said:
I’ve checked around at 4 different suppliers and they are all between $900 and $1400. It’s a 2-3 day process for the ceramic coating that lasts 2+ years and includes yearly applications to bolster the coating. This guy includes 3 year warranty and 2 yearly follow-up applications.

@Mike, I think those prices are way too much for a glorified wax job. Warranties are nice but what is being warranted and how do you prove your dissatisfaction? And another question, how long has this guy been in business? All this hype about ceramic coatings reeks of snake oil to me.

jmonroe

Michaell

imidazol97 said:

abacomike said:

Actually, we have budget surpluses here in Florida. It’s the tourists that make up the difference between an income tax and no income tax. Between the taxes on the cruise industry and the hotel/motel industry coupled with the major Park attractions (Disney, Universal, Sea World) and the boat and car rental industries, the State does just fine.

Also, the contract between Seminole Tribe (6 gambling properties) and the State nets billions in additional revenues. Add to the above the healthy Florida Lottery and proceeds from Powerball, and you end up a cornucopia of cash inflow.

Finally, with the continuous increase in population from people moving to Florida to escape cold weather and high taxes, the need for building homes and condos and apartment buildings is huge which produces other sources of revenues for State, County and local governments.

But there are negatives to this windfall, too. Insurance for cars, boats and homes/condos is one of the highest in the US. My condo insurance has almost doubled in the last 3 years and I pay $2000+ for auto insurance here in South Florida - twice what my brother pays just south of Jacksonville in Ponte Vedra, Florida.

So when you add it all up, the lack of an income tax is offset by the high cost of insurance (in South Florida where the population is extremely dense). But in Southwest and North/Northwest Florida, insurance rates are much lower for auto and property, especially away from the coastline.

What is the sales tax rate in FL on food. And on other purchases such as sundries at Walmart. new cars, furniture, usw. I recall that TN has variable sales tax on different categories.

Are local political entities able to add on their own sales tax, i.e., additional 1/2% to the city or the county that applies to everything.

I am sure they have targeted specific sales/use taxes at scalping the tourists, but I'm curious how the rest of the taxing is arranged.

I agree with having sales/use taxes instead of income taxes, which can be escaped by those who work "off the books."


6% at the state level. There are some county specific additions - 1% for Dade County, 1.5% for Duval County, etc..

abacomike

@imidazol97 said:
What is the sales tax rate in FL on food. And on other purchases such as sundries at Walmart. new cars, furniture, usw. I recall that TN has variable sales tax on different categories.

Are local political entities able to add on their own sales tax, i.e., additional 1/2% to the city or the county that applies to everything.

I am sure they have targeted specific sales/use taxes at scalping the tourists, but I'm curious how the rest of the taxing is arranged.

I agree with having sales/use taxes instead of income taxes, which can be escaped by those who work "off the books."

No sales tax on food purchased at a grocer or discount pricing clubs. The sales tax rate varies by county - it averages about 7%. When you buy a car or boat, the rate is 6% + $50.00 - the State sales tax is 6% but the counties can, by vote of the registered voters raise the rate.

Broward and Palm Beach Counties are 7%. Miami/Dade is 7-1/2%.

abacomike

Need to clarify the rate for boat and vehicle taxes - the state regulates dealers of cars and boats that they cannot charge more than $50 over the 6% sales tax rates.

Even though I live in a 7% sales tax county, my sales tax on my car purchase is 6% + $50.

On leases, the full 7% is added to the monthly payment. If I were to lease a car in Miami-Dade County, my monthly payment is taxed based upon the vehicles registration address and county - I.e., instead of 7-1/2%, the sales tax would be 7% which is my county’s tax rate.

roadburner

oldfarmer50 said:

abacomike said:

I stopped in to get an estimate on having a ceramic coating applied to my car. His first price was $1200. After some discussion, he said he would check his schedule for next week and call me on Monday if he can meet my price of $800, which is what my brother paid for his SUV. The ceramic application is warranted for 2 years with yearly reapplication of the ceramic coating. It’s the preparation of the paint finish that is the critical step.

He said he would provide me with a loaner for the 24-36 hours needed to complete the cleaning and application of the ceramic and coating. I checked online and it is a labor intensive process - about 3-4 hours if done properly. I’ll know more shortly.

Wow, for $1200 or even $800 you could hire some kid to wax it once a month for as long as you own it.

And the odds are that 99% of the kids you could hire would screw up the paint six ways from Sunday.

roadburner

graphicguy said:

greg128 said:

From a dashcam on a New Jersey parkway last week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kkCeyRiUeA

No known cure for stupidity.

Two comments:
1. If I was driving the car with the dashcam I would NOT have stopped unless my car was damaged by debris from the crash- and I would have erased the video immediately.
2. A friend of mine was driving his 3 Series one night on the interstate when a nut began riding his bumper. My friend took the next exit ramp at close to double the advisory speed and had the pleasure of checking his rear view mirror and watching the whack job spin out.

tjc78

@qbrozen said:

@greg128 said:
From a dashcam on a New Jersey parkway last week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kkCeyRiUeA

What Parkway? Not the Garden State.

I was just going to say the same thing. Exit 4 is Wildwood and that’s not it!

As for the clip. The Accord and the truck and both idiots. The Accord probably more so….

I would bet if the officer saw the footage the Accord would get charged with the accident… but the truck could get something like racing/reckless driving

tjc78

Also .. while the Accord did get some “justice” cheering about was pretty messed up.

explorerx4

I hope driver(and if any passengers) of the Accord was/were not seriously injured.
Didn't look good though.

tjc78

@roadburner said:
Two comments:
1. If I was driving the car with the dashcam I would NOT have stopped unless my car was damaged by debris from the crash- and I would have erased the video immediately.
2. A friend of mine was driving his 3 Series one night on the interstate when a nut began riding his bumper. My friend took the next exit ramp at close to double the advisory speed and had the pleasure of checking his rear view mirror and watching the whack job spin out.

That brings up a very interesting discussion. I would have stopped and made sure they were out of the vehicle and safe… then as soon as the police came I wouldn’t offer a thing about the accident other than I saw the Accord in the ditch.

No reason to get in the middle of that.

qbrozen

Interesting comments. I’d feel obligated to surrender the footage. Would you also look the other way if you were a murder witness? What about a bank robbery? Where is the line between being a responsible and caring human and putting on the blinders?

stickguy

I was actually on that exact stretch of the Palisades parkway last Monday. Thankfully there was no traffic. That road can be nuts with people driving way too fast, and at rush hour well more traffic than it was designed for. It can be a free for all.

also very few spots where the shoulder is even close to being usable as a lane. And as that guy found out, lots of rock walls along there.

stickguy

that is also close to the state line where it crosses from NJ into NY. So you get lots of NY plates out of NYC heading north along there.

I don't know if I would have stopped but would certainly have dialed 911. Probably would have turned over the footage if I had it and talked to the cops but it definitely would have taken a chunk of time.

both those guys acted recklessly and should be ticketed for what they did, but since both cars were hit (the Accord of course a lot more severely) it seems that justice got them both.

carnaught

I think relatively speaking that Florida’s taxes are not the worst. I do know that in many States, Florida included, they get you on property taxes, Illinois being one of the worst. In AZ, some municipalities have up to 9% sales tax and yearly state car registrations are priced on the value of the car - that’s where get hosed. On the other hand, the property taxes are a fraction of what they are in other States including Fl.

snakeweasel

@roadburner said:
Two comments:
1. If I was driving the car with the dashcam I would NOT have stopped unless my car was damaged by debris from the crash- and I would have erased the video immediately.
2. A friend of mine was driving his 3 Series one night on the interstate when a nut began riding his bumper. My friend took the next exit ramp at close to double the advisory speed and had the pleasure of checking his rear view mirror and watching the whack job spin out.

If you stopped because you were hit by debris do not erase the dash cam footage. Never erase dash cam footage. If you do the courts will automatically presume the footage implicated you and use it against you. You may be able to explain away what's on the footage but you can never explain deleting it.

carnaught

mjfloyd1 said:

carnaught said:

I thought that the prep for ceramic coating is similar to Zaino - removal of the clear coat. For the price I would also go for frequent waxing/details and forgo the ceramic and pocket the savings. The fact that some dealers utilize it in their “mop ‘n glow” packages dissuades me.

Zaino and any paint coatings that I know of call for polishing the clear coat to remove scratches and swirls before you apply the coating so that the finish looks ideal. I don’t know of any that ask you to remove the clear coat as that would remove a layer of protection.

I’ve seen on various car forums that before applying Zaino for the first time, they use Dawn to wash the car first. That strips the clear coat rather than polishing it, then the Zaino is applied and it becomes the layer of protection.

Any Zaino uses here?

mjfloyd1

Dawn strips wax off of the clear coat. It does not strip the clear coat off…

https://www.zainostore.com/applic_tips.html

sda

We’ve had a break in the weather which enabled me to wash the three cars today and yesterday. I discovered the Q5 had black spots all down the driver’s side of a grease consistency. I am out of bug and tar remover, WD-40 to the rescue. It was a task. I noted the paint on the hood didn’t feel smooth. A clay and wax is in my future. Nice to have the cars clean again, at least for the moment.

henryn

carnaught said:

mjfloyd1 said:

carnaught said:

I thought that the prep for ceramic coating is similar to Zaino - removal of the clear coat. For the price I would also go for frequent waxing/details and forgo the ceramic and pocket the savings. The fact that some dealers utilize it in their “mop ‘n glow” packages dissuades me.

Zaino and any paint coatings that I know of call for polishing the clear coat to remove scratches and swirls before you apply the coating so that the finish looks ideal. I don’t know of any that ask you to remove the clear coat as that would remove a layer of protection.

I’ve seen on various car forums that before applying Zaino for the first time, they use Dawn to wash the car first. That strips the clear coat rather than polishing it, then the Zaino is applied and it becomes the layer of protection.

Any Zaino uses here?

Supposedly the Dawn dishwashing detergent will remove all of the wax, but not affect the clear coat. This is why all of the "experts" recommend against using dishwashing liquid on your car. But I did see one interesting video on Youtube where the guy put on a fresh coat of wax, and then washed the car twice with dishwashing liquid. After that, water was still beading on the car, indicating the presence of wax. No not beading as well as with the fresh coat of wax, but clearly the dishwashing liquid did not strip off all of the wax.

I myself pay a neighborhood kid $25 to wash and wax each of my vehicles. Using my supplies, in my driveway. The first time through, I showed him exactly what I wanted, and how I wanted it done. He does a good job, and is happy with making $50 for an afternoon's work.

Hand wash, including cleaning the wheels, applying shine to the tires, and buffing the front and rear windows with windex and paper towels. Then hand wax, and buff with microfiber towels. I normally let him use the artificial wax, which is much easier to apply and buff out. Occasionally I have him use a good carnauba wax, but I pay a little extra for that, as it is quite a bit more tedious.

Nothing on the inside normally, I clean that myself when it needs it. Which isn't often now that I'm living in the city and no longer track in mud.

stickguy

the Meguires cleaner wax I assume it "artificial". But it is super easy, since you put the wax on the entire car then let it dry before wiping it off. Does a very good job too, for us lazy people that don't feel like using multiple products and spending all day doing it! Unless the car really has a lot of stuff stuck on it, the wax gets pretty close to the results of a clay bar job (at least I don't notice much difference).

roadburner

@snakeweasel said:

@roadburner said:
Two comments:
1. If I was driving the car with the dashcam I would NOT have stopped unless my car was damaged by debris from the crash- and I would have erased the video immediately.
2. A friend of mine was driving his 3 Series one night on the interstate when a nut began riding his bumper. My friend took the next exit ramp at close to double the advisory speed and had the pleasure of checking his rear view mirror and watching the whack job spin out.

If you stopped because you were hit by debris do not erase the dash cam footage. Never erase dash cam footage. If you do the courts will automatically presume the footage implicated you and use it against you. You may be able to explain away what's on the footage but you can never explain deleting it.

That goes without saying; my purpose in not stopping and deleting the dash cam would be to insure that I would not end up being a witness in any subsequent legal proceedings.
In those types of situations I want to be Sergeant Schultz- “I see NOTHING!”

roadburner

@qbrozen said:
Interesting comments. I’d feel obligated to surrender the footage. Would you also look the other way if you were a murder witness? What about a bank robbery? Where is the line between being a responsible and caring human and putting on the blinders?

A bank robbery or a murder is a different matter. I’m guessing that if you stopped you’ve totally wasted at least 1 or 2 hours on the side of the road- then you are talking a few more days for depositions and possibly criminal and civil trials. My time is much too valuable to be wasted sorting out the legal consequences of a couple of hot-headed imbeciles trading paint.

carnaught

Blip

mjfloyd1

I didn’t say dawn polishes clear coat. You wash with dawn, clay the car, iron decontaminate ,then polish (with polish of your liking), then wax or ceramic coat

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

oldfarmer50 said:

abacomike said:

I stopped in to get an estimate on having a ceramic coating applied to my car. His first price was $1200. After some discussion, he said he would check his schedule for next week and call me on Monday if he can meet my price of $800, which is what my brother paid for his SUV. The ceramic application is warranted for 2 years with yearly reapplication of the ceramic coating. It’s the preparation of the paint finish that is the critical step.

He said he would provide me with a loaner for the 24-36 hours needed to complete the cleaning and application of the ceramic and coating. I checked online and it is a labor intensive process - about 3-4 hours if done properly. I’ll know more shortly.

Wow, for $1200 or even $800 you could hire some kid to wax it once a month for as long as you own it.

And the odds are that 99% of the kids you could hire would screw up the paint six ways from Sunday.

Who do you think would be doing the prep work at the ceramic coating shop?

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

I hope driver(and if any passengers) of the Accord was/were not seriously injured.
Didn't look good though.

I’ve seen that video from a number of sources and I believe they said the Honda driver was ok.

tjc78

@roadburner said:

@qbrozen said:
Interesting comments. I’d feel obligated to surrender the footage. Would you also look the other way if you were a murder witness? What about a bank robbery? Where is the line between being a responsible and caring human and putting on the blinders?

A bank robbery or a murder is a different matter. I’m guessing thatif you stopped you’ve lost 1-2 hours- then you are talking a few days for depositions and possibly multiple trials. My time is much too valuable to be wasted sorting out the legal consequences of a couple of hot-headed imbeciles trading paint.

That was kinda my point. I would stop and make sure they were OK, but because of the stupidity involved would not want to put myself in a situation where I had to testify.

oldfarmer50

carnaught said:

mjfloyd1 said:

carnaught said:

I thought that the prep for ceramic coating is similar to Zaino - removal of the clear coat. For the price I would also go for frequent waxing/details and forgo the ceramic and pocket the savings. The fact that some dealers utilize it in their “mop ‘n glow” packages dissuades me.

Zaino and any paint coatings that I know of call for polishing the clear coat to remove scratches and swirls before you apply the coating so that the finish looks ideal. I don’t know of any that ask you to remove the clear coat as that would remove a layer of protection.

I’ve seen on various car forums that before applying Zaino for the first time, they use Dawn to wash the car first. That strips the clear coat rather than polishing it, then the Zaino is applied and it becomes the layer of protection.

Any Zaino uses here?

I use Meguire’s Ultimate Fast Finish which is described as a “ceramic like” product. I wash with Dawn first to get deep dirt and the residue from the last application. I probably should clay it first but haven’t worked up the nerve yet.

kyfdx

Florida taxes:

Start drawing SSA, and taking RMDs, and no state income tax becomes a bigger issue.

stickguy

clay is easy. Just don't ever drop it!

I almost bought a clay mitt but never got around to it. Some fabric (almost like very fine sand paper I guess) that you just put on your hand and use like clay. With no need to keep kneading the clay, and you can wash it clean.

this one is a little more aggressive than normal clay, but I think there are other versions that are more gentle.

https://smile.amazon.com/Adams-Premium-Clay-Mitt-Contamination/dp/B079Y8R62J/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=27VYPJPPT51PW&keywords=adam's+clay+mitt&qid=1644184209&s=automotive&sprefix=adam's+clay,automotive,90&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A1VBNNXVDKAOR1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE4MktYQ1NNSkxNM0kmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTEwMjU1MTVWTjZJUkpSTVRCUFYmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDQzOTY4MzNBUThHQlFHSlZWWjkmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

kyfdx

If you think the pickup driver has no responsibility here, then you might be part of the problem.

mjfloyd1

It is starting to look like no one gives two forks about spoons

tjc78

@kyfdx said:
If you think the pickup driver has no responsibility here, then you might be part of the problem.

100% was. I said earlier if an officer saw that footage he would be ticketed.

roadburner

It’s nothing new, back in the early ‘80s my future wife and I were driving south on I-71 a bit north of Cincinnati when two 280Zs flew past. They were cutting in and out of traffic when one of the idiots suddenly encountered TTO and slid into the guardrail.

henryn

stickguy said:

clay is easy. Just don't ever drop it!

I have clay barred a couple of cars, and it is definitely not what I would call easy. Granted that it doesn't require much thinking, and it is not as strenuous as say digging a ditch. But compared to just washing and waxing, yes, I would call it "difficult".

henryn

I have witnessed a few bad car accidents during my many decades of driving. And I always stopped to see if there was anything I could do. And I always gave a description of what I saw to the investigating officer. In some cases I was asked to call into the station at a later time and give a full description of what I saw while being recorded. I have never yet been called into court to testify, but I would do so if required. I have never considered my time to be more important than other people's lives.

abacomike

@kyfdx said:
Florida taxes:

Start drawing SSA, and taking RMDs, and no state income tax becomes a bigger issue.

If we had a State income tax here in Florida, say 4% or 5% net after possible deductions, it would mean about an additional expense of $300 a month, which is manageable given current conditions. But if inflation and cost of living continue to increase at 7-8 percent per year, it would put a dent in the way I budget.

mjfloyd1

@henryn said:
I have clay barred a couple of cars, and it is definitely not what I would call easy. Granted that it doesn't require much thinking, and it is not as strenuous as say digging a ditch. But compared to just washing and waxing, yes, I would call it "difficult".

Now they make clay “mitts” that make it easier along with some lubricant

roadburner

@oldfarmer50 said:
Who do you think would be doing the prep work at the ceramic coating shop?

Depends on the detail shop. I’d pick a shop that required all employees to have opposable thumbs.

tjc78

@roadburner said:
It’s nothing new, back in the early ‘80s my future wife and I were driving south on I-71 a bit north of Cincinnati when two 280Zs flew past. They were cutting in and out of traffic when one of the idiots suddenly encountered TTO and slid into the guardrail.

Please everyone tell me I wasn’t the only one who had to Google TTO ….

roadburner

Sorry, lapsed into track geek mode.