Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

JM, I had collonite 412 (some number like that) written down on a post it under my desk blotter for years because of you. Never actually bought it. But last year when I had the new truck detailed, that is the brand he used. One thing he said that I liked was that it was (I think) clear, so didn't turn the black trim white if you got wax on it.

I like the meguires since it is a cleaner/wax combo. easy to me to put on, and take off (no power tools involved) and makes the car look real nice and very smooth. and seems to protect nicely from water and dirt and easy to wash off.

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@stickguy, this is what I use, Collinite 845. I don’t know why the pic won’t pull in so you’ll have to open the link. As you can see, the material is a beige colored cream. I don’t even bother considering anything else anymore, since I know this stuff works.

https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjL1ICXyNGGAxU0WkcBHcLvChsYABANGgJxdQ&ae=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy9SAl8jRhgMVNFpHAR3C7wobEAQYAiABEgKkHvD_BwE&sph=&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASJORo4Nev7Y02AIXbfaTA8rGMXMM2bPUMJVt2g3MGpkoZGutmAw&sig=AOD64_2Xxi1B7hAFiHSbk7HhIgNvjyj_Nw&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjfgvuWyNGGAxXikIkEHWqrBwIQwg8oAHoECAUQEA&nis=8&dct=1&adurl=

jmonroe

explorerx4

@qbeozen,
Asking for a friend. DO you have to Federalize the over 25 year old cars you import?
TIA.

roadburner

No.

qbrozen

@explorerx4 said:
@qbeozen,
Asking for a friend. DO you have to Federalize the over 25 year old cars you import?
TIA.

Can vary by state. Most vehicles are fine to title in 49 states. Kei-class vehicles are hit or miss, however. There are several states that won’t allow them on public roads. Not that this is related to federalizing. Just letting you know in case you are trying to consider getting one. Best bet for folks who just want one for themselves is to buy one with a US title already.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

@explorerx4 said:
@qbeozen,

Asking for a friend. DO you have to Federalize the over 25 year old cars you import?

TIA.

Can vary by state. Most vehicles are fine to title in 49 states. Kei-class vehicles are hit or miss, however. There are several states that won’t allow them on public roads. Not that this is related to federalizing. Just letting you know in case you are trying to consider getting one. Best bet for folks who just want one for themselves is to buy one with a US title already.

And yet I see E bikes zooming around in every city street.

Sandman6472

Will need to look into my Schwab account about taking out a couple of CD's. Have one due with Edward Jones, a local place, but having them on my Schwab account seems easier. Usually take out one for the property taxes due in November plus another for the hurricane insurance we just paid...it starts on July 1st of each year. This way, I know the funds are there when needed. Right now, I've been out of work going on a month so have to plan ahead. Luckily my work funds go into a separate account, my new vehicle/investment account, so doesn't effect the daily stuff but still, missing out on it makes me unhappy. I actually really enjoy my job and miss when it when I'm not there. But, my health has to come first so it is what it is!

andres3

Hurricane insurance sounds expensive for someone living in FL.

Not a single house has burned down in my zip code from fire storms in CA in the last 25 years yet my home insurance has gone up drastically nonetheless.

If I ever become Dictator insurance company employees will be the first to the gallows!

oldfarmer50

I just made a thousand dollars…at least on paper.

Carvana sends me a new offer every month on the Mustang and I noticed that they are assuming about 10k more miles than I actually have. I adjusted the mileage and the offer went from $25,400 to $26,400.

I still can’t believe how some cars hold their values. I certainly wouldn’t get that kind of offer on a Fusion. I kind of get trucks holding value because at least you can earn a living with one but sports cars to my mind should depreciate faster since you have to assume they get beat on.

Sandman6472

Truthfully, every part of the country has some issues they need insurance for be it hurricanes, earthquakes, tornado's...whatever, so why can't there be one national insurance to cover these kinds of things. The prices would probably be lower overall because right now, many folks can't really afford it. I tend to be a planner so make sure I have the funds put away a year before I need them, I won't scrimp here so we give up doing some things during the year to have the funds. Maybe that's why we drive our vehicles for 9 to 10 years and live below our means. Not being able to pay my bills each month is someplace I never want to be!

explorerx4

I just looked it up. Ohio's last hurricane was in 2008(Ike).

ab348

This article is paywalled, but the headline is pretty interesting:

https://www.autonews.com/mobility-report/40-us-ev-owners-want-return-combustion-engine-cars#

It is based on a McKinsey & Co. study, so that might be available elsewhere. Having 40% of EV owners wanting to return to IC cars is a pretty strong rate of rejection.

stickguy

Capitalism sandy. Every man for himself.

suydam

ab348 said:

This article is paywalled, but the headline is pretty interesting:

https://www.autonews.com/mobility-report/40-us-ev-owners-want-return-combustion-engine-cars#

It is based on a McKinsey & Co. study, so that might be available elsewhere. Having 40% of EV owners wanting to return to IC cars is a pretty strong rate of rejection.

I believe they had to retract that number. EVs are very popular here in California. And I know folks in Ohio who have them too. There’s a steep curve to the adoption rate of new tech. Once it gets to a certain level the adoption rate tends to accelerate very rapidly. Looks like we are approaching that cusp. It will be interesting to see how the new Equinox EV is received.

driver100

To my fans....sorry, I have been busy lately, my brother is in the hospital and we have been looking for a long term care home for him, and my tennis/pickleball schedule has been full.
The Gordie Howe bridge linking Windsor Canada to Detroit should be ready in 2025. They built from the U.S. side and from the Canadian side, and they have to build the 4 foot gap in the middle.

I just hope that the two ends actually meet, or there could be a sharp S curve in the middle.

Michaell

I’ll bet the Maroun family is furious with that bridge being built.

jmonroe1

@driver100, we hope your brother rebounds quickly and that you get him into a place that will help him.

jmonroe

snakeweasel

explorerx4 said:

I just looked it up. Ohio's last hurricane was in 2008(Ike).

Ah no, what they got was a wet couple of days from a low pressure system that was long before a hurricane.

snakeweasel

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

@explorerx4 said:
@qbeozen,

Asking for a friend. DO you have to Federalize the over 25 year old cars you import?

TIA.

Can vary by state. Most vehicles are fine to title in 49 states. Kei-class vehicles are hit or miss, however. There are several states that won’t allow them on public roads. Not that this is related to federalizing. Just letting you know in case you are trying to consider getting one. Best bet for folks who just want one for themselves is to buy one with a US title already.

And yet I see E bikes zooming around in every city street.

E bikes are usually low speed bikes. IIRC the max speed an E bike can go on power alone legally is 20 MPH, a typical biker pedal only on a road bike could do 17 or 18 MPH on a flat road while a pro could easily break 25 MPH.

carnaught

jmonroe1 said:

@driver100, we hope your brother rebounds quickly and that you get him into a place that will help him.

jmonroe

@driver100, ditto

andres3

oldfarmer50 said:

I just made a thousand dollars…at least on paper.

Carvana sends me a new offer every month on the Mustang and I noticed that they are assuming about 10k more miles than I actually have. I adjusted the mileage and the offer went from $25,400 to $26,400.

I still can’t believe how some cars hold their values. I certainly wouldn’t get that kind of offer on a Fusion. I kind of get trucks holding value because at least you can earn a living with one but sports cars to my mind should depreciate faster since you have to assume they get beat on.

The difference is sports cars are actually desired and wanted, and now, even rarer and rarer to find.

I've noticed a similar problem looking at Macans. Porsche sold a billion of these and is the reason they are in business still. However, most of those billion were base model and S model versions, not GTS' and Turbo trimlines.

andres3

stickguy said:

Capitalism sandy. Every man for himself.

Or just go into debt and charge it, and sooner or later the Gov't might forgive that debt....maybe.

imidazol97

snakeweasel said:

explorerx4 said:

I just looked it up. Ohio's last hurricane was in 2008(Ike).

Ah no, what they got was a wet couple of days from a low pressure system that was long before a hurricane.

As I remember Hurricane Ike here, we got winds, but no moisture. At least not any heavy rain.

I recall sitting under a tree at a friend's house and the buckeyes started falling from the tree, hitting us on the head, because the winds were getting so gusty and high. Lots of power lines were broken by winds and from trees falling onto power lines. Some in the area were without electric power for almost 2 weeks because the repair crews had so much to do. Of course, crews came in from many other companies that weren't affected and from what seem to be commercial companies that supply lift trucks and workers to electric companies needing help.

driver100

@carnaught @jmonroe1 Thanks guys. We are making progress.

driver100

Michaell said:

I’ll bet the Maroun family is furious with that bridge being built.

Marouns collected an estimated $60 million US a year in tolls and revenue from the duty free business the Morouns control.
The bridge looked like a slum area, potholes all over, cones to keep traffic on the pavement......the new bridge should be a big improvement.

Michaell

@driver100 said:
Marouns collected an estimated $60 million US a year in tolls and revenue from the duty free business the Morouns control.
The bridge looked like a slum area, potholes all over, cones to keep traffic on the pavement......the new bridge should be a big improvement.

I’ve driven across the Ambassador Bridge once or twice, and I 100% concur with your assessment.

I understand they are also extending the highways around the Gordie Howe bridge to keep people off the surface streets.

ronsteve

@snakeweasel said:
Ah no, what they got was a wet couple of days from a low pressure system that was long before a hurricane.

Not entirely sure about how the remnants of Ike unfolded in Ohio, but in Kentucky it was when the rain stopped and the sun came out that the crap really hit the fan. Lots of wind. We’re talking 70-80 mph in spots and a bunch of downed trees and power lines.

suydam

ronsteve said:

@snakeweasel said:

Ah no, what they got was a wet couple of days from a low pressure system that was long before a hurricane.

Not entirely sure about how the remnants of Ike unfolded in Ohio, but in Kentucky it was when the rain stopped and the sun came out that the crap really hit the fan. Lots of wind. We’re talking 70-80 mph in spots and a bunch of downed trees and power lines.

We had 2 large trees that fell near our house. Power outages too. They called it straight line winds. Never seen anything like it.

stickguy

not sure if I mentioned this oddity, but for the last month, 3 of the houses we have owned were all on the market at the same time. This one obviously. and while we have been under contract, the house we sold to move here got listed (mid-may) and went under contract quickly. then a few weeks ago, the condo that we bought as our first house went on the market. I just found it freaky that 3 of the 4 places we owned over our almost 40 were all on the market together.

Should have stayed in Jersey. It went for an obscene price. 2 years later, $150k more. I have regerts.

roadburner

After the first two C43s got away I wasn't going to make the same mistake when the third one popped up. I didn't even haggle on the price; I liked the color combination as well as the option set- and sure there wasn't anything new I wanted at anywhere close to that price.

stickguy

another question for all the experts (and anyone that wants to play one on the internet). If you have a gas fireplace, do you turn it off in the summer or just leave it on (with the pilot going, so a small flame and some amount of heat)? And if you turn it off, how does it work normally, a shutoff behind the lower grill where the hose comes in? I am not quite sure if you do turn the gas off, how it relights. I also haven't tried to pull the grill off (it seems to be on pretty tight) without a plan of attack!

mjfloyd1

I just had our gas fireplaces cleaned / serviced. Two are instant on with no pilot light. Two have pilot lights and are left “on” year round. I was shocked when they only charged $119 for all. I did have to order a new module for the outside unit but got it online and installed it myself.

stickguy

Thanks. Based on the constant flame I have a leave on version. Or there is an unknown soldier buried under my family room.

mjfloyd1

I have turned the fireplaces with the pilot lights off in the past but it turned out poorly when we wanted to use them and I couldn’t remember how to get it re-lit😂. Just not worth the hassle vs flipping a switch and it comes on.

laurasdada

stickguy said:

not sure if I mentioned this oddity, but for the last month, 3 of the houses we have owned were all on the market at the same time. This one obviously. and while we have been under contract, the house we sold to move here got listed (mid-may) and went under contract quickly. then a few weeks ago, the condo that we bought as our first house went on the market. I just found it freaky that 3 of the 4 places we owned over our almost 40 were all on the market together.

Should have stayed in Jersey. It went for an obscene price. 2 years later, $150k more. I have regerts.

Similar to my little condo I sold in '21, semi-shocked at recent sales prices; I'm pretty sure I left $ on the table (shouldn't have listened to the realtor so much, instead priced at what I thought fair. An expected bidding war, but at a lower asking price than I had wanted). But, of course, it's a housing rising tide...

laurasdada

stickguy said:

another question for all the experts (and anyone that wants to play one on the internet). If you have a gas fireplace, do you turn it off in the summer or just leave it on (with the pilot going, so a small flame and some amount of heat)? And if you turn it off, how does it work normally, a shutoff behind the lower grill where the hose comes in? I am not quite sure if you do turn the gas off, how it relights. I also haven't tried to pull the grill off (it seems to be on pretty tight) without a plan of attack!

Second home with a gas fp, always have left the pilot on.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

not sure if I mentioned this oddity, but for the last month, 3 of the houses we have owned were all on the market at the same time. This one obviously. and while we have been under contract, the house we sold to move here got listed (mid-may) and went under contract quickly. then a few weeks ago, the condo that we bought as our first house went on the market. I just found it freaky that 3 of the 4 places we owned over our almost 40 were all on the market together.

Should have stayed in Jersey. It went for an obscene price. 2 years later, $150k more. I have regerts.

3 houses? Who are you, Bernie Sanders? Strange that NJ houses went up that much considering the property taxes. Must be people fleeing the cities.

As an aside I had a “made my day” moment this morning. I took the convertible to the store and as I was navigating the parking lot an old guy in a Prius coming the other way stopped along side and shouted “beautiful car, just beautiful”. Maybe he was nostalgic for the good old days.😊

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

another question for all the experts (and anyone that wants to play one on the internet). If you have a gas fireplace, do you turn it off in the summer or just leave it on (with the pilot going, so a small flame and some amount of heat)? And if you turn it off, how does it work normally, a shutoff behind the lower grill where the hose comes in? I am not quite sure if you do turn the gas off, how it relights. I also haven't tried to pull the grill off (it seems to be on pretty tight) without a plan of attack!

My greenhouse propane heater had a pilot light and I left in on one year but it burned up a lot of gas so in subsequent years I just turned off the gas valve to shut it off. The only problem I had was when I relit it months later it would take a while for the thermocouple to heat up enough to allow gas to flow. Also, occasionally a spider would nest in the pilot light and screw up flow there too.

I’m surprised they still have pilot lights in indoor appliances of any kind. I couldn’t buy anything but electric start commercial heaters for the last 20 years.

driver100

stickguy said:

another question for all the experts (and anyone that wants to play one on the internet). If you have a gas fireplace, do you turn it off in the summer or just leave it on (with the pilot going, so a small flame and some amount of heat)? And if you turn it off, how does it work normally, a shutoff behind the lower grill where the hose comes in? I am not quite sure if you do turn the gas off, how it relights. I also haven't tried to pull the grill off (it seems to be on pretty tight) without a plan of attack!

I am not an expert but we have been in this house for 16 years, and we have never turned the pilot light off. And, we are away for 5 months with it going. I wouldn't want to have to restart it again, might blow up the whole house!

ab348

stickguy said:

Should have stayed in Jersey. It went for an obscene price. 2 years later, $150k more. I have regerts.

Not as much snow there either.

explorerx4

Walked around downtown Cleveland with some friends yesterday.
A Heinen's grocery store in a converted bank and Hyatt Hotel.

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

Walked around downtown Cleveland with some friends yesterday.
A Heinen's grocery store in a converted bank and Hyatt Hotel.

That’s a beautiful building. There don’t seem to be too many shoppers there, was it open?

ab348

stickguy said:

another question for all the experts (and anyone that wants to play one on the internet). If you have a gas fireplace, do you turn it off in the summer or just leave it on (with the pilot going, so a small flame and some amount of heat)? And if you turn it off, how does it work normally, a shutoff behind the lower grill where the hose comes in? I am not quite sure if you do turn the gas off, how it relights. I also haven't tried to pull the grill off (it seems to be on pretty tight) without a plan of attack!

Thanks for bringing back one of my earliest memories. This was from 1960 when I was 3 or 4 years old. Mom, Dad and myself went on a summer adventure, driving from Halifax to London, Ont where Mom’s sister and her family lived. They decided to go up by car since Dad had bought his ‘59 Ford new just a year earlier, driving via New England and NY state on the way up. We were not rich so Mom packed a cooler and picnic stuff for lunches on the road and we stayed overnight in places where she could cook dinner too. Not much of a holiday for her.

I remember we stayed one night in a place in/near Troy, NY, that had tourist cabins which Mom liked for some reason, maybe because they usually had cooking facilities. This one had a gas stove which Mom hated as I soon learned. It had a pilot light but when she tried using the stove it didn’t work. Dad, being an old Navy man who thought he could fix anything, announced that the pilot was out and he needed to relight it, which caused much anxiety for my mother. After some back and forth he said not to worry, but she hustled herself and me out of there. I remember the two of us standing outside some distance away from the door when we heard a “whoosh!” sound, not quite a boom but not far off, before seeing him stagger out the door rubbing his forearm. I gather he was a bit slow getting it lit, and enough gas accumulated in the oven for it to flash when the flame arrived and it burned all the hair off his forearm. He was fine but that must have smarted. At my age I found it hilarious. It became an oft-repeated story for years at family gatherings.

driver100

The successful car companies are listening to my suggestions. 2025 Forester, Boxy with big windows, that's how a car should be designed;

driver100

@ab348
That reminds me, when I was 14 a friend and I applied to work at a lodge in Northern Ontario for the summer. There were little cottages as well, and one of the first jobs I was given was to show people their cottage, and light the stove pilot light for them. Since I didn't want to get blown up I gave them instructions on what to do, and handed the matches to them....I wasn't going to do it!

Also, I went out on a canoe for the first time with my friend. We saw some young ladies in another canoe and I thought it would be fun to splash them with a paddle. I didn't know a canoe tipped over that easily. I had to hang my wallet and paper money up on the clothes line.

explorerx4

@oldfarmer50,
The grocery store pic was the food court in the middle of the afternoon. The ice cream station was very busy.

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

another question for all the experts (and anyone that wants to play one on the internet). If you have a gas fireplace, do you turn it off in the summer or just leave it on (with the pilot going, so a small flame and some amount of heat)? And if you turn it off, how does it work normally, a shutoff behind the lower grill where the hose comes in? I am not quite sure if you do turn the gas off, how it relights. I also haven't tried to pull the grill off (it seems to be on pretty tight) without a plan of attack!

————————————————-
Long story short, leave the pilot on. Consider it like a water heater pilot light. Just a negligible amount of gas used continuously.

Now for some of the long story:

I have a shut off valve close to the fireplace. It sits flush to the floor which requires a doodad T-handle wrench to reach the stem of the valve body that sits below the floor. You should ALWAYS have a shut off somewhere ahead of the fireplace even if it’s at the tap off in the basement or wherever the line run starts for the fireplace. I even have one there too. I can’t remember the last time I used the fireplace so I shut off the gas at the floor shut off valve. Easy peasy.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

explorerx4 said:

Walked around downtown Cleveland with some friends yesterday.
A Heinen's grocery store in a converted bank and Hyatt Hotel.

————————————————-
I’ll bet you can buy some outrageously good peach raspberry ice cream at that place.

jmonroe

driver100

jmonroe1 said:

stickguy said:

another question for all the experts (and anyone that wants to play one on the internet). If you have a gas fireplace, do you turn it off in the summer or just leave it on (with the pilot going, so a small flame and some amount of heat)? And if you turn it off, how does it work normally, a shutoff behind the lower grill where the hose comes in? I am not quite sure if you do turn the gas off, how it relights. I also haven't tried to pull the grill off (it seems to be on pretty tight) without a plan of attack!

————————————————-
Long story short, leave the pilot on. Consider it like a water heater pilot light. Just a negligible amount of gas used continuously.

jmonroe

The way I see it, if they can keep these babies burning I don't care about leaving my fireplace pilot flame going all year long.

stickguy

ab348 said:

stickguy said:

Should have stayed in Jersey. It went for an obscene price. 2 years later, $150k more. I have regerts.

Not as much snow there either.

that hurt me.

stickguy

driver100 said:

The successful car companies are listening to my suggestions. 2025 Forester, Boxy with big windows, that's how a car should be designed;

it looks exactly like the boxy with big windows 2024 Forester.