I sure would hope so, Michael. They sure haven't learned much from replacing 3 wheels and refinishing one of them. You see, usually I have the same detailer wash my car by hand every time I come in. If he is out sick or on vacation, the car is flagged for his son to do the washing. I tip them $10.00 every time I come in for a wash, which is only fair. But when I made an appointment for a "complete detail of the car" with the Valet Supervisor, she was the one who handled taking the car back to detail. I reminded her that the car "had to be hand washed" because every time they put it through the automatic car wash machine, they ruin my wheels. But obviously she lied to me or the detailer who did the car was to darn lazy to hand wash it and lied to the supervisor. But in any case, one of them lied, PERIOD!
I sure would hope so, Michael. They sure haven't learned much from replacing 3 wheels and refinishing one of them. You see, usually I have the same detailer wash my car by hand every time I come in. If he is out sick or on vacation, the car is flagged for his son to do the washing. I tip them $10.00 every time I come in for a wash, which is only fair. But when I made an appointment for a "complete detail of the car" with the Valet Supervisor, she was the one who handled taking the car back to detail. I reminded her that the car "had to be hand washed" because every time they put it through the automatic car wash machine, they ruin my wheels. But obviously she lied to me or the detailer who did the car was to darn lazy to hand wash it and lied to the supervisor. But in any case, one of them lied, PERIOD!
They list for $2500 on the MBUSA Website as the optional 19" wheels for the E 400. Then, there is balancing, installation, reprogramming the Tire Pressure Monitors, etc. I would think there is a 15-20% mark-up on the wheels, but the labor is costly. It takes 2 hours of shop time for installation, balancing and programming (which is the most time consuming).
They list for $2500 on the MBUSA Website as the optional 19" wheels for the E 400. Then, there is balancing, installation, reprogramming the Tire Pressure Monitors, etc. I would think there is a 15-20% mark-up on the wheels, but the labor is costly. It takes 2 hours of shop time for installation, balancing and programming (which is the most time consuming).
That's for a set of 4 (I hope), so $625 per wheel.
They list for $2500 on the MBUSA Website as the optional 19" wheels for the E 400. Then, there is balancing, installation, reprogramming the Tire Pressure Monitors, etc. I would think there is a 15-20% mark-up on the wheels, but the labor is costly. It takes 2 hours of shop time for installation, balancing and programming (which is the most time consuming).
That's for a set of 4 (I hope), so $625 per wheel.
Speaking of the Camaro, here is a full length National Geographic video showing the complete assembly of the Camaro in Canada. With so many robots involved in all facets of the assembly process I can understand why the UAW has lost its influence of yesteryear. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd8f-5XGmN0
The 2016 Camaro is not as handsome. As Automobile Magazine quipped, "the outgoing [2015] Camaro was like an early Mathew McConaughey character: handsome, hulking and dumb as a rock. The new sixth generation wants to be like McConaughey is today--still dashing but slimmed down and more sophisticated."
The 2016 Camaro is not as handsome. As Automobile Magazine quipped, "the outgoing [2015] Camaro was like an early Mathew McConaughey character: handsome, hulking and dumb as a rock. The new sixth generation wants to be like McConaughey is today--still dashing but slimmed down and more sophisticated."
I'm not sure you can tell them apart based on a picture. Some friends and I were talking about this on the weekend and the new one looks exactly like the old one, just at maybe 90% of the size. I do not understand GM. The old car was roundly criticized for having awful visibility and the styling was starting to be old hat based upon the declining sales, so you roll out an all-new car that looks identical? I just don't get it.
Back to my pet peeve - the price of gasoline. A barrel of oil has dropped $13 a barrel over the past 6 weeks ($47.00 a barrel right now) and a gallon of gasoline has not dropped a penny here in South Florida during that same time period (6 weeks). When I was paying $2.37 a gallon for PUG, oil was priced at $42.00 a barrel, but as soon as oil went up $1-$2 a barrel, PUG jumped 40-50 cents a gallon and continued rising consistently.
So someone tell me there is no manipulation of gasoline prices now!!!!
I don't know the specifics in this instance but I have to wonder if that number is like the supposed 124 deaths associated with the GM ignition switch debacle. Didn't matter if you were drunk out of your mind, drugged to unconsciousness, driving 100mph around a corner in the dark with 4 flat tires... it was the ignition switch's fault.
Back to my pet peeve - the price of gasoline. A barrel of oil has dropped $13 a barrel over the past 6 weeks ($47.00 a barrel right now) and a gallon of gasoline has not dropped a penny here in South Florida during that same time period (6 weeks). When I was paying $2.37 a gallon for PUG, oil was priced at $42.00 a barrel, but as soon as oil went up $1-$2 a barrel, PUG jumped 40-50 cents a gallon and continued rising consistently.
So someone tell me there is no manipulation of gasoline prices now!!!!
Mike, I've told you over and over - there is no correlation between the price of oil and the price of gasoline.
Now go outside and oogle some mature women. It'll make you feel better.
Back to my pet peeve - the price of gasoline. A barrel of oil has dropped $13 a barrel over the past 6 weeks ($47.00 a barrel right now) and a gallon of gasoline has not dropped a penny here in South Florida during that same time period (6 weeks). When I was paying $2.37 a gallon for PUG, oil was priced at $42.00 a barrel, but as soon as oil went up $1-$2 a barrel, PUG jumped 40-50 cents a gallon and continued rising consistently.
So someone tell me there is no manipulation of gasoline prices now!!!!
It is almost a done deal that the gas tax will be increased shortly. Presumably to repair infrastructure, but will probably be used by politicians to upgrade their offices and hire more assistants.
One for @oldfarmer50 - makes you want to go rent or test drive a Mustang, even if you can't get to Highway 1 anytime soon. (and OF's wheels are better)
Back to my pet peeve - the price of gasoline. A barrel of oil has dropped $13 a barrel over the past 6 weeks ($47.00 a barrel right now) and a gallon of gasoline has not dropped a penny here in South Florida during that same time period (6 weeks). When I was paying $2.37 a gallon for PUG, oil was priced at $42.00 a barrel, but as soon as oil went up $1-$2 a barrel, PUG jumped 40-50 cents a gallon and continued rising consistently.
So someone tell me there is no manipulation of gasoline prices now!!!!
Mike, I've told you over and over - there is no correlation between the price of oil and the price of gasoline.
Now go outside and oogle some mature women. It'll make you feel better.
I think you meant to say "ogle", not "oogle"! I "'oogle" to look things up on the Internet, but I have been known to "ogle" as well.
Back to my pet peeve - the price of gasoline. A barrel of oil has dropped $13 a barrel over the past 6 weeks ($47.00 a barrel right now) and a gallon of gasoline has not dropped a penny here in South Florida during that same time period (6 weeks). When I was paying $2.37 a gallon for PUG, oil was priced at $42.00 a barrel, but as soon as oil went up $1-$2 a barrel, PUG jumped 40-50 cents a gallon and continued rising consistently.
So someone tell me there is no manipulation of gasoline prices now!!!!
Mike, I've told you over and over - there is no correlation between the price of oil and the price of gasoline.
Now go outside and oogle some mature women. It'll make you feel better.
I think you meant to say "ogle", not "oogle"! I "'oogle" to look things up on the Internet, but I have been known to "ogle" as well.
Tomato, tomatoe - just get outside and chase the ladies.
Back to my pet peeve - the price of gasoline. A barrel of oil has dropped $13 a barrel over the past 6 weeks ($47.00 a barrel right now) and a gallon of gasoline has not dropped a penny here in South Florida during that same time period (6 weeks). When I was paying $2.37 a gallon for PUG, oil was priced at $42.00 a barrel, but as soon as oil went up $1-$2 a barrel, PUG jumped 40-50 cents a gallon and continued rising consistently.
So someone tell me there is no manipulation of gasoline prices now!!!!
Mike, I've told you over and over - there is no correlation between the price of oil and the price of gasoline.
Now go outside and oogle some mature women. It'll make you feel better.
I think you meant to say "ogle", not "oogle"! I "'oogle" to look things up on the Internet, but I have been known to "ogle" as well.
Tomato, tomatoe - just get outside and chase the ladies. :
I understand that there was a styling proposal that was based on the gorgeous second generation Camaro, but the Powers That Be wanted another first generation design. I never thought that the 1967-1969 cars were all that attractive to begin with.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
One for @oldfarmer50 - makes you want to go rent or test drive a Mustang, even if you can't get to Highway 1 anytime soon. (and OF's wheels are better)
Just read that before seeing your post. Makes me want to go out and buy one. I do regret not being able to afford the performance pack.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
When I went to the dealer to pick up the garage door remote I left in the old car I saw the dealer had tarted up the twin to mine with some stripes. I have to admit I was toying with the idea of doing something to my own.
What do you think of this? (My wife already nixed the idea so feel free to be honest)
The rear splash/bumper looks like an applique off an Aztek. It looks like something one might see on a less expensive car.
Is that the 2016? I think I saw one in someone's driveway today. They look like they are trying to break up the massive slab that the back ends of cars have become.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
When I was buying my Mustang in Aug, 2012 there was a Boss and a Shelby in the same showroom. The Boss was $7k more and the Shelby was $27k more than my GT. I thought about the Boss as money was no object, but turned it down as it was stick only. I thought maybe I could 2, 4 and 6 it as I hate shifting but the real turn off was the color. Lime Green with fat black Boss stripes. Happy with what I got. ps got an airbag recall today. They said they'll send another notice when drivers side bags become available.
When I went to the dealer to pick up the garage door remote I left in the old car I saw the dealer had tarted up the twin to mine with some stripes. I have to admit I was toying with the idea of doing something to my own.
What do you think of this? (My wife already nixed the idea so feel free to be honest)
Is it really a twin? It has the wheels you liked better so why didn't you get that one?
Also nix on the stripes. That's boy racer stuff, and besides, in my opinion, it hurts resale or trade-in, or at least reduces your buyer base. Why? Because customization is like jewelry---it's very personal as to what someone wants to "wear". Maybe when the car is 5-6 years old, it wouldn't matter so much.
When I went to the dealer to pick up the garage door remote I left in the old car I saw the dealer had tarted up the twin to mine with some stripes. I have to admit I was toying with the idea of doing something to my own.
What do you think of this? (My wife already nixed the idea so feel free to be honest)
Is it really a twin? It has the wheels you liked better so why didn't you get that one?
It had standard shift and the dreaded black interior. The wheels almost convinced me but my knees overruled us.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Back to my pet peeve - the price of gasoline. A barrel of oil has dropped $13 a barrel over the past 6 weeks ($47.00 a barrel right now) and a gallon of gasoline has not dropped a penny here in South Florida during that same time period (6 weeks). When I was paying $2.37 a gallon for PUG, oil was priced at $42.00 a barrel, but as soon as oil went up $1-$2 a barrel, PUG jumped 40-50 cents a gallon and continued rising consistently.
So someone tell me there is no manipulation of gasoline prices now!!!!
Been saying it all along. There is NO GOOD fundamental reason for gas prices to be where they are. Excuses aside, the world demand for oil has either plateaued or is falling. Oil storage facilities are stocked to the brim, to the point we don't have anywhere else to put it. With current efficiencies in place, vehicles that use gas have made tremendous MPG gains and alternative fuel vehicles have been, and will continue to be, on the rise.
Iran is getting ready to put all of their oil in the market on top of all that.
And, the U.S. is oil independent.
I wished we had a politician(s) who would stand up and start prosecuting manipulators and those who are in collusion on gas prices. It would tremendously benefit the economy to get gas prices back in line to where the economic fundamentals say they should be. We wouldn't need any more U.S. citizens in harms way to protect our oil interests. It would be better for everyone.
I don't see many, if any, moves to raise gas taxes...at least not around these parts. That would be political suicide. Any politician around here that would try would have their career truncated.
When I went to the dealer to pick up the garage door remote I left in the old car I saw the dealer had tarted up the twin to mine with some stripes. I have to admit I was toying with the idea of doing something to my own.
What do you think of this? (My wife already nixed the idea so feel free to be honest)
Well, I never got around to it, but I wanted to add stripes to my stang. Granted, mine was more to tone down the obnoxious blue rather than "tart it up." Your color doesn't really demand the stripes, IMHO. Anyway, if I had done it, I would have mixed and matched. I wanted Shelby twin stripes down the center and a half-Boss hockey stick up the sides (just up to the 5.0, not past it. I also wanted the hockey stick solid, sans the tiny stripes top and bottom. All would have been flat black.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I wished we had a politician(s) who would stand up and start prosecuting manipulators and those who are in collusion on gas prices. It would tremendously benefit the economy to get gas prices back in line to where the economic fundamentals say they should be. We wouldn't need any more U.S. citizens in harms way to protect our oil interests. It would be better for everyone.
I don't see many, if any, moves to raise gas taxes...at least not around these parts. That would be political suicide. Any politician around here that would try would have their career truncated.
Manipulators equal, to some degree, market speculators. And that is not illegal, nor do I know how it ever could be. I agree, it isn't good. But how can you stop trading in futures and the like?
Plasti-Dip stripes could work. Peel it off after a few years if you tire of it. Wonder if it would leave the "protected" paint underneath visible afterward though?
Re gas price manipulation, be careful what you wish for. If you think traffic is bad now....
Exactly. Futures markets are not regulated like trading stocks. You can make a profit merely by starting rumors, creating fake "business report" websites, and the best one---creating fear, paranoia and panic. Fear is great for the gasoline and milk business If and when the American empire crumbles, it'll be easy for historians to figure out why----Human GREED. (alas, was it ever otherwise?)
The problem for the car biz is that high gas prices sells gas-thrifty cars, but there's not as much profit in those.
I wished we had a politician(s) who would stand up and start prosecuting manipulators and those who are in collusion on gas prices. It would tremendously benefit the economy to get gas prices back in line to where the economic fundamentals say they should be. We wouldn't need any more U.S. citizens in harms way to protect our oil interests. It would be better for everyone.
I don't see many, if any, moves to raise gas taxes...at least not around these parts. That would be political suicide. Any politician around here that would try would have their career truncated.
Manipulators equal, to some degree, market speculators. And that is not illegal, nor do I know how it ever could be. I agree, it isn't good. But how can you stop trading in futures and the like?
Exactly. Futures markets are not regulated like trading stocks. You can make a profit merely by starting rumors, creating fake "business report" websites, and the best one---creating fear, paranoia and panic. Fear is great for the gasoline and milk business If and when the American empire crumbles, it'll be easy for historians to figure out why----Human GREED. (alas, was it ever otherwise?)
The problem for the car biz is that high gas prices sells gas-thrifty cars, but there's not as much profit in those.
I was just noticing the other day, driving my Mini around San Francisco, how HUGE many vehicles are now...sometimes I feel like I'm driving down a narrow street lined with skyscrapers.
I can't imagine what the driver of a Fiat 600 feels like...aside from very vulnerable. At least my car is well built with multiple air bags.
I wished we had a politician(s) who would stand up and start prosecuting manipulators and those who are in collusion on gas prices. It would tremendously benefit the economy to get gas prices back in line to where the economic fundamentals say they should be. We wouldn't need any more U.S. citizens in harms way to protect our oil interests. It would be better for everyone.
I don't see many, if any, moves to raise gas taxes...at least not around these parts. That would be political suicide. Any politician around here that would try would have their career truncated.
Manipulators equal, to some degree, market speculators. And that is not illegal, nor do I know how it ever could be. I agree, it isn't good. But how can you stop trading in futures and the like?
I don't know the specifics in this instance but I have to wonder if that number is like the supposed 124 deaths associated with the GM ignition switch debacle. Didn't matter if you were drunk out of your mind, drugged to unconsciousness, driving 100mph around a corner in the dark with 4 flat tires... it was the ignition switch's fault.
That's a pet peeve of mine in regards to gov't agencies like the NHTSA and insurance agencies like the IIHS that profit from proliferating the myth that SPEED KILLS!
It's the same idea as you describe above. They blame speeding for everything, so that they can say speed kills. They will blame speeding even if there are 10 degrees of separation, and perhaps say it was a "speed-related" crash. They'll take a drunk driver who blows 3 times the legal limit, who rear-ends someone at 65 MPH where the speed limit was 55 MPH, and say it was caused by speeding. Never mind that he never hit the brakes at all and crashed at full speed (indicating he would have crashed whether he was going 1 MPH or 100 MPH). Never mind that he was drunk. Never mind that he drove into the car where he had options to avoid it. He was speeding and therefore the crash is deemed the fault of speeding, even though they are not remotely related, and the speeding was just a byproduct.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
Well "speed kills" is a deceptive statement I think. If in fact you hit something at 75 mph rather than 55, I suspect you have a greater chance of being killed, but there's not much evidence to prove that going 75 mph in the real world causes more people to hit more things. Sure, if you say "going 110 mph while drunk" kills--that's probably a fair statement.
Manipulators equal, to some degree, market speculators. And that is not illegal, nor do I know how it ever could be. I agree, it isn't good. But how can you stop trading in futures and the like?
My problem with all those cries against the evil manipulators are always one-sided. When oil market went bust last year, I didn't hear people crying about investors losing their shirts in stocks they own (some well-respected companies went down by 80 percent, those stocks are in many portfolios of regular people, either directly or through mutual funds). How about all those layoffs happening in Texas, Dakota because the wells get shut down? The cries are always one way. Gas is too expensive, do something about it, make them (the evil oil companies) pay. We should be paying half as much (who decides that, BTW - I honestly don't know how much gas "should" cost, all I know the marginal cost of new barrel varies from $10 to $75, depending on the source of that barrel - then there are exploration costs, cleanup, etc. I honestly don't know how much is a "fair" price). I have a position that I oil companies are not my friends and I don't cry over lost investor's money when their stock is down, but in reciprocity I don't call for their heads when markets allow them make more bucks than they "should", because I don't know how much they actually "should" make. Apple's gross profit margin is well over 50%, Intel's is over 60%, Microsoft's I think has margins over 70%. How is that "fair"? But of course, those guys can be taken out by the next big thing, so they need a lot of cash just to keep up. I don't know what the cost structure of an oil company is - how much of that big oil margin goes to new exploration.
The cries over oil and gasoline market manipulation by some evil market overlords remind me gold bugs, who repeat the same mantra every time and ounce of gold goes down by another 50 bucks - it's JP Morgan, Fed, or whoever else "manipulating" the market. When gold goes up by 50 bucks, no, that a "natural" move, because, as we all know, gold "always" goes up, it is its natural state to go up. Any move down is unnatural, thus in itself constitutes evidence of manipulations. Same thing gasoline - when it goes down, there not even a peep from consumers, they pump it, only complaining it's not "enough". When it's up, oh - that must be a conspiracy, we have to do something about it.
There is an obvious excessive speculation in oil and all other commodities, aided by lax regulation of derivatives. It has to do with margin requirements that are too lax and too easy to work around by leveraged ETFs. In essence, small amount of capital can sometimes control large amount of the commodity due to huge levers (borrowed money). When those things go the way predicted, there is a lot of money to be made, but when they turn, the losses are immense. Those rogue players can cause huge swings in the market, as the price is always controlled by the "last barrel".
From what I all read, a supply balance price of oil is really hard to calculate, the numbers go between 50 and 75 bucks. That number would allow current "frackers" make some money, while of course those who are fortunate to have cheap reserves (like Saudis) would make large amounts per barrel. The problem is when you bankrupt those frackers, the remaining supply is not enough. The technology is getting cheaper, so the line moves, I read it moved by 20 bucks already in last couple of years - don't know if it's true. The deep ocean drillers also require certain minimum price to stay profitable. Recent cancellations of long term contracts (with large penalties) suggest that current price range is too low for them - and they don't make such decisions litely. More of those plus couple of bankruptcies of overlevered frackers and we suddenly lose that "last barrel".
All I'm saying, the worlds in not simple, there is no one-sentence explanation, or correction. I get scared when politicians promise to "fix" those problems - it will likely mean they're going to tax and take bribes and choose winners and losers on their own for our good. It terrifies me. As much as I don't like paying high price for gas and don't think oil and gas complex and financial overlords in the commodities markets are "good guys", I think politicians much much worse. All I want politicians do is to limit volatility by limiting margin allowance and non-user trades in derivatives. It's not even high prices that's so destructive, it's the volatility. It is not healthy, when barrel can cost $100+ one week, $50 two months later, then again $100 another three months later. Limiting those margin allowances could help a lot. The long term trends up or down can't be changed, but short term gyrations could be limited.
Politicians don't control the economy. As Bush once famously said when asked why he didn't make greater demands of the oil industry: "Nobody tells those guys what to do".
Well "speed kills" is a deceptive statement I think. If in fact you hit something at 75 mph rather than 55, I suspect you have a greater chance of being killed, but there's not much evidence to prove that going 75 mph in the real world causes more people to hit more things. Sure, if you say "going 110 mph while drunk" kills--that's probably a fair statement.
"Speed kills" is a lazy logic. There are many more factors. When you go long distance, say 500 miles, when are you more likely to have a fatal accident - going for 10 hours with average of 50 mph, or say 8 hours with average of 62.5 mph, or 7 hours with average of 71.5 mph? What are statistics for long trips like that? What is the driver's fatigue threshold? How does density of traffic factor in? Relative speed to other vehicles on the same road?
"Speed kills" is a politician's mantra, so they can put a sign up, claim credit and even get more money from fines.
Yes, when one steps back and looks at the new Audi A4/S4's, it's hard for me to fathom how a car this substantial can be called TOO small by many. Previous generations, maybe, but not the latest one.
'18 Porsche Macan Turbo, '16 Audi TTS, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
Well Americans are a ....ahem...."large" people, so maybe that accounts for it. I know my friend Bill was railing about the Fiat 600 because "I can't fit in the damn thing"---is this really the car's fault entirely?
Got results from my blood tests from last week. Hepatitis C Virus is no longer detectable in my blood. Last Wednesday when I had the tests was only 3-1/2 weeks into the regimen of a total of 12 weeks. The drug is called Harvoni.
Just 7-1/2 more weeks from today and I will be off the drug (lots of side effects - but who cares so long as it's working).
If you know of anyone with Hep C, give them the name of the drug - it really is a miracle after suffering for 35 years with this from a blood transfusion.
Well Americans are a ....ahem...."large" people, so maybe that accounts for it. I know my friend Bill was railing about the Fiat 600 because "I can't fit in the damn thing"---is this really the car's fault entirely?
I love the size of my ATS for driving. It is the smallest car I've owned since my '90 GTI and I had forgotten how nice it is to easily parallel park, fit into parking spaces, etc. Now, I wish sometimes the back seat had a bit more room (though the only time anyone has been back there is me, to clean it) and I wish sometimes the trunk was a little bigger (though I bought a new lawnmower last week and the box just fit fine), but really, it isn't a bad size at all and I and a passenger fit very nicely up front. All I need to do is find the right lady to carry alongside.
Comments
I sure would hope so, Michael. They sure haven't learned much from replacing 3 wheels and refinishing one of them. You see, usually I have the same detailer wash my car by hand every time I come in. If he is out sick or on vacation, the car is flagged for his son to do the washing. I tip them $10.00 every time I come in for a wash, which is only fair. But when I made an appointment for a "complete detail of the car" with the Valet Supervisor, she was the one who handled taking the car back to detail. I reminded her that the car "had to be hand washed" because every time they put it through the automatic car wash machine, they ruin my wheels. But obviously she lied to me or the detailer who did the car was to darn lazy to hand wash it and lied to the supervisor. But in any case, one of them lied, PERIOD!
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
They list for $2500 on the MBUSA Website as the optional 19" wheels for the E 400. Then, there is balancing, installation, reprogramming the Tire Pressure Monitors, etc. I would think there is a 15-20% mark-up on the wheels, but the labor is costly. It takes 2 hours of shop time for installation, balancing and programming (which is the most time consuming).
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2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I hope you're right Ray.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
So someone tell me there is no manipulation of gasoline prices now!!!!
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Yes, I rose to the bait.
Imagine.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Now go outside and oogle some mature women. It'll make you feel better.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Tomato, tomatoe - just get outside and chase the ladies.
2024 Genesis G90 Super-Charger
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
What do you think of this? (My wife already nixed the idea so feel free to be honest)
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
(I'd skip the stripes)
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
ps got an airbag recall today. They said they'll send another notice when drivers side bags become available.
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
Is it really a twin? It has the wheels you liked better so why didn't you get that one?
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I think without stripes it will remain a classic....with stripes you will get tired of it after a few years.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Iran is getting ready to put all of their oil in the market on top of all that.
And, the U.S. is oil independent.
I wished we had a politician(s) who would stand up and start prosecuting manipulators and those who are in collusion on gas prices. It would tremendously benefit the economy to get gas prices back in line to where the economic fundamentals say they should be. We wouldn't need any more U.S. citizens in harms way to protect our oil interests. It would be better for everyone.
I don't see many, if any, moves to raise gas taxes...at least not around these parts. That would be political suicide. Any politician around here that would try would have their career truncated.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
Do you have the "ceramic" interior? How about a pic of that?
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Re gas price manipulation, be careful what you wish for. If you think traffic is bad now....
The problem for the car biz is that high gas prices sells gas-thrifty cars, but there's not as much profit in those.
The problem for the car biz is that high gas prices sells gas-thrifty cars, but there's not as much profit in those.
I was just noticing the other day, driving my Mini around San Francisco, how HUGE many vehicles are now...sometimes I feel like I'm driving down a narrow street lined with skyscrapers.
I can't imagine what the driver of a Fiat 600 feels like...aside from very vulnerable. At least my car is well built with multiple air bags.
It's the same idea as you describe above. They blame speeding for everything, so that they can say speed kills. They will blame speeding even if there are 10 degrees of separation, and perhaps say it was a "speed-related" crash. They'll take a drunk driver who blows 3 times the legal limit, who rear-ends someone at 65 MPH where the speed limit was 55 MPH, and say it was caused by speeding. Never mind that he never hit the brakes at all and crashed at full speed (indicating he would have crashed whether he was going 1 MPH or 100 MPH). Never mind that he was drunk. Never mind that he drove into the car where he had options to avoid it. He was speeding and therefore the crash is deemed the fault of speeding, even though they are not remotely related, and the speeding was just a byproduct.
I have a position that I oil companies are not my friends and I don't cry over lost investor's money when their stock is down, but in reciprocity I don't call for their heads when markets allow them make more bucks than they "should", because I don't know how much they actually "should" make. Apple's gross profit margin is well over 50%, Intel's is over 60%, Microsoft's I think has margins over 70%. How is that "fair"? But of course, those guys can be taken out by the next big thing, so they need a lot of cash just to keep up. I don't know what the cost structure of an oil company is - how much of that big oil margin goes to new exploration.
The cries over oil and gasoline market manipulation by some evil market overlords remind me gold bugs, who repeat the same mantra every time and ounce of gold goes down by another 50 bucks - it's JP Morgan, Fed, or whoever else "manipulating" the market. When gold goes up by 50 bucks, no, that a "natural" move, because, as we all know, gold "always" goes up, it is its natural state to go up. Any move down is unnatural, thus in itself constitutes evidence of manipulations. Same thing gasoline - when it goes down, there not even a peep from consumers, they pump it, only complaining it's not "enough". When it's up, oh - that must be a conspiracy, we have to do something about it.
There is an obvious excessive speculation in oil and all other commodities, aided by lax regulation of derivatives. It has to do with margin requirements that are too lax and too easy to work around by leveraged ETFs. In essence, small amount of capital can sometimes control large amount of the commodity due to huge levers (borrowed money). When those things go the way predicted, there is a lot of money to be made, but when they turn, the losses are immense. Those rogue players can cause huge swings in the market, as the price is always controlled by the "last barrel".
From what I all read, a supply balance price of oil is really hard to calculate, the numbers go between 50 and 75 bucks. That number would allow current "frackers" make some money, while of course those who are fortunate to have cheap reserves (like Saudis) would make large amounts per barrel. The problem is when you bankrupt those frackers, the remaining supply is not enough. The technology is getting cheaper, so the line moves, I read it moved by 20 bucks already in last couple of years - don't know if it's true. The deep ocean drillers also require certain minimum price to stay profitable. Recent cancellations of long term contracts (with large penalties) suggest that current price range is too low for them - and they don't make such decisions litely. More of those plus couple of bankruptcies of overlevered frackers and we suddenly lose that "last barrel".
All I'm saying, the worlds in not simple, there is no one-sentence explanation, or correction. I get scared when politicians promise to "fix" those problems - it will likely mean they're going to tax and take bribes and choose winners and losers on their own for our good. It terrifies me. As much as I don't like paying high price for gas and don't think oil and gas complex and financial overlords in the commodities markets are "good guys", I think politicians much much worse. All I want politicians do is to limit volatility by limiting margin allowance and non-user trades in derivatives. It's not even high prices that's so destructive, it's the volatility. It is not healthy, when barrel can cost $100+ one week, $50 two months later, then again $100 another three months later. Limiting those margin allowances could help a lot. The long term trends up or down can't be changed, but short term gyrations could be limited.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
"Speed kills" is a politician's mantra, so they can put a sign up, claim credit and even get more money from fines.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6