Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

jpp75

nyccarguy said:

roadburner said:

Hang in there Mike!!!

+1

+2

Mr_Shiftright

Hey, watch it, that's an American tradition!

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

Just heard an ad on TV...new Toyota dealer. We don't get a car for you based on monthly payments...we get you the car you want and will make your payments fit the car. We can get you into the car you want if you have a credit score of 398!

Not sure what that means but assume it isn't great!

398 means you're Bernie Maddoff's cell mate .

henryn

nyccarguy said:

Lincoln

MKC is based off the Escape (which is a really nice alternative to a CRV if you've ever driven one)

I have a problem with the new Escape. I don't fit. Needs about 3 inches more headroom. The older models, no problem, I actually owned a 2005 Mazda Tribute, and I fit just fine. The Honda CRV fits quite nicely (at least, without the sunroof). And the console is rather unobtrusive as well, which really helps. One of these days I may actually own a CR-V.

henryn

jpp5862 said:

nyccarguy said:

roadburner said:

Hang in there Mike!!!

+1

+2

+3

mako1a

Needs about 3 inches more headroom.
I noticed you're in Texas. Could it be you need to remove your hat?

berri

Patience Aba - you'll get this resolved in time, but I know it's frustrating.

berri

And they are still voting in Chicago.

Takes time to canvass all the Cook County cemeteries.

graphicguy

henryn said:

jpp5862 said:

nyccarguy said:

roadburner said:

Hang in there Mike!!!

+1

+2

+3

+4

driver100

iluvmysephia1 said:

If I were you iluv, I would keep that picture on the wall and never use the word "purchase" in relation to the 68 Datsun.

Because I'd be in trouble with my wife or you don't like the orange 4-door, driver100?

I really like the little orange Datsun, so you can deduce from that, where I am coming from

driver100

graphicguy said:

henryn said:

jpp5862 said:

nyccarguy said:

roadburner said:

Hang in there Mike!!!

+1

+2

+3

+4

+5 (I think that is what we are up to, my math isn't that good remember)

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

Just heard an ad on TV...new Toyota dealer. We don't get a car for you based on monthly payments...we get you the car you want and will make your payments fit the car. We can get you into the car you want if you have a credit score of 398!

Not sure what that means but assume it isn't great!

398 means you're Bernie Maddoff's cell mate .

They must have a reason to cut off at 398. I mean, I would be pretty upset if my score was 397 and they wouldn't sell me a car.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

henryn said:

jpp5862 said:

nyccarguy said:

roadburner said:

Hang in there Mike!!!

+1

+2

+3

+4

+5 (I think that is what we are up to, my math isn't that good remember)

+6

Michaell

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

henryn said:

jpp5862 said:

nyccarguy said:

roadburner said:

Hang in there Mike!!!

+1

+2

+3

+4

+5 (I think that is what we are up to, my math isn't that good remember)

+6

+7

suydam

+8

ab348

graphicguy said:

I pulled all my credit cards from Chase. Not that I had all that much with them anyway, and I always pay off monthly. They couldn't get out of their own way with a magnifying glass. They are the most inept bank I've ever dealt with. I still get mailers from them every week wanting me to finance a mortgage, take out another credit card, or the latest, deposit $5K and get a $200 VISA Debit Card. For me to turn down $200 for nothing means I must really dislike/mistrust them.

I have a Chase Amazon Visa card that I applied for a couple of years ago to get something free from Amazon, I forget what. I almost never use it for anything. My main Chase story is about them and Sears Canada. Just like in the US, Sears up here has been struggling. I have had a Sears credit card since the early 80s - I think it was one of the first cards I applied for after starting to work. A number of years ago, Sears Canada divested their credit operation to Chase. You could keep the existing Sears Card or take a Chase Sears MasterCard. I already had a MasterCard, so I didn't do anything.

I used the card occasionally up to about 3 years ago. I hadn't bought anything from Sears since sometime in 2012. This past summer I saw a couple of furniture pieces in one of their Home Stores here that were on sale so I bought them. I presented my card to the clerk and it was refused. He asked me a question or two and then let out a sigh, saying Chase was suspending all accounts that hadn't been used in 24 months. I had to get on the phone with someone there while in the store and go through what amounted to a new application process. PITA. Anyway, this fall I get a letter form them saying that they are no longer going to be the credit provider for Sears. As things played out, Sears Canada now no longer has an in-house credit card at all. Apparently Chase sold the outstanding receivables to Scotiabank. Not sure what all happened, but it was handled quite badly. And to top it off, the Sears Home Store I bought my stuff from, which was by far the nicest Sears store I had ever been in, shut down at the end of 2015 as they try to keep afloat. Sad.

abacomike

Thanks all for your "+'s".  I've just been getting accustomed to having another go-round in the Corony Catheterization OR at my local hospital (it's a brand new wing there).  I will be in ICU for one day and then in a step down unit for one day.

The two coronary arteries in question are each 50% blocked which normally would not require stents - in fact the rule of thumb is to not do the procedure and insurance would normally not approve that.  But with persistent chest pain, being short of breath, edema in my legs, and elevated blood pressures coupled with stress test results showing that the two arteries "contract" during stress rather than dilate during stress as they are supposed to, the cardiologist said he needs to insert 2 more stents to protect the heart.  

The cause of the blockages was diabetes, not cholesterol.  He said that long-term diabetes creates a sort of gravel in the arteries.  Sometimes a piece of plaque dislodges and gets into the coronary arteries causing a blockage.  My cholesterol is in the low 90's, which is excellent.

So, as a precaution to prevent another heart attack, the stents are needed. 

Just another bit of calamity in my life over the past 12-18 months. 

henryn

Back in the day, I had an account with Texas Commerce Bank. They had a really good online bill paying system, the first one I ever used. It was done in-house, they had an 800 number you could call with questions, and it all worked very smoothly.

One day, out of the blue, I get a call from Exxon, why hadn’t I paid my bill? What in the H___ are you talking about, haven’t paid my bill, of course I paid my bill! Turns out Chase bought up Texas Commerce Bank, got rid of their in-house online bill paying group, and outsourced it to India. Without telling their customers.

Before I got all of this sorted out, my credit score took a huge nose dive. Texas Commerce Bank (now owned by Chase) offered to pay any late charges that I incurred, but never actually gave me a dime despite me showing them the charges. As for the lowered credit score, all they offered was sympathy.

I knew a woman who worked as a reporter for the business section of the Houston Chronicle newspaper. I called her up, and asked her if she was interested in using this as a story for the paper. She told me that she was well aware of it, but her bosses would not let her print any of it, as Chase spent too much on advertising with the paper.

venture

abacomike said:

Thanks all for your "+'s".  I've just been getting accustomed to having another go-round in the Corony Catheterization OR at my local hospital (it's a brand new wing there).  I will be in ICU for one day and then in a step down unit for one day.

The two coronary arteries in question are each 50% blocked which normally would not require stents - in fact the rule of thumb is to not do the procedure and insurance would normally not approve that.  But with persistent chest pain, being short of breath, edema in my legs, and elevated blood pressures coupled with stress test results showing that the two arteries "contract" during stress rather than dilate during stress as they are supposed to, the cardiologist said he needs to insert 2 more stents to protect the heart.  

The cause of the blockages was diabetes, not cholesterol.  He said that long-term diabetes creates a sort of gravel in the arteries.  Sometimes a piece of plaque dislodges and gets into the coronary arteries causing a blockage.  My cholesterol is in the low 90's, which is excellent.

So, as a precaution to prevent another heart attack, the stents are needed. 

Just another bit of calamity in my life over the past 12-18 months. 

Thinking of you Mike. I'm sure everything will be OK. Best of luck.

carnaught

abacomike said:

Thanks all for your "+'s"........"

The cause of the blockages was diabetes, not cholesterol.  He said that long-term diabetes creates a sort of gravel in the arteries.  Sometimes a piece of plaque dislodges and gets into the coronary arteries causing a blockage.  My cholesterol is in the low 90's, which is excellent.

So, as a precaution to prevent another heart attack, the stents are needed. 

Just another bit of calamity in my life over the past 12-18 months. 

Mike, and this too you will successfully weather. Just keep the Diabetes and weight in check, and keep a positive attitude. You will emerge from this stronger and better to enjoy life including those present and future cars.

explorerx4

Hey Mike,
Hang in there spring is on the way.
Everyone I know who has had heart blockages cleared up, has felt a lot better, although maybe immediately.
I've been putting in a good word for you every Sunday.

carnaught

My Chase story: not long ago I went to a local Chase bank with a check written from my business account to deposit in my personal checking account. Despite the fact that I had the funds to cover the check, and both accounts were Chase, they wouldn't let me do it for some #^**£'n reason?? I left there incensed (only showing it minimally), telling them I would like the branch manager to call me the next day to discuss the situation (wasn't present at the time I was there). I subsequently told her, after all of a sudden they could make the deposit, that if this ever happened again, both accounts would be gone, and that they should be very happy I was giving them another chance. Never experienced, or even heard of anything so ridiculous before.

abacomike

explorerx4 said:

Hey Mike, Hang in there spring is on the way. Everyone I know who has had heart blockages cleared up, has felt a lot better, although maybe immediately. I've been putting in a good word for you every Sunday.

Thanks, explorer.  I had thought when they put the first stent in back in November that it solved the problem.  Guess not.  But your kind words are very much appreciated.

abacomike

@carnaught:

I do my best.  Thanks for your concern - much appreciated.

imidazol97

@abacomike Just be sure the doctor is not Dr Robinson or Dr Love that I just saw busted on ABC News for
practicing without a license in Palm Beach. 18 years old. He had been roaming the halls of a
St Mary hospital claiming to be a doctor earlier. Never arrested. Til now. LOL

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/crime-law/make-believe-teen-doctor-released-from-jail-to-app/nqRTB/



http://abcnews.go.com/US/florida-teen-arrested-allegedly-posing-doctor/story?id=36994422

abacomike

imidazol97 said:

@abacomike Just be sure the doctor is Dr Robinson that I just saw busted on ABC News for practicing without a license in Palm Beach. 18 years old. He had been roaming the halls of a St Mary hospital claiming to be a doctor earlier. Never arrested. Til now. LOL Can't find a link to the story.

I read about that teenager on the front page of our newspaper this morning.  What can I say?  We have all kinds down here. 

As for my doctor, all he does is stents, pacemakers and general cardiology.  I just hope I can get this done quickly as I am expecting some family to arrive for a couple of days March 1-3.

driver100

Mike:
So, as a precaution to prevent another heart attack, the stents are needed

Nothing wrong with a bit of preventable maintenance....for cars and body.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

Thanks all for your "+'s".  I've just been getting accustomed to having another go-round in the Corony Catheterization OR at my local hospital (it's a brand new wing there).  I will be in ICU for one day and then in a step down unit for one day.

The two coronary arteries in question are each 50% blocked which normally would not require stents - in fact the rule of thumb is to not do the procedure and insurance would normally not approve that.  But with persistent chest pain, being short of breath, edema in my legs, and elevated blood pressures coupled with stress test results showing that the two arteries "contract" during stress rather than dilate during stress as they are supposed to, the cardiologist said he needs to insert 2 more stents to protect the heart.  

The cause of the blockages was diabetes, not cholesterol.  He said that long-term diabetes creates a sort of gravel in the arteries.  Sometimes a piece of plaque dislodges and gets into the coronary arteries causing a blockage.  My cholesterol is in the low 90's, which is excellent.

So, as a precaution to prevent another heart attack, the stents are needed. 

Just another bit of calamity in my life over the past 12-18 months. 

And yet yesterday you were buying $150,000 cars. If that's what you can do sick I'd hate to see you wheel and deal when you're well. Hope it goes ok for you.

abacomike

oldfarmer50 said:

Thanks all for your "+'s".  I've just been getting accustomed to having another go-round in the Corony Catheterization OR at my local hospital (it's a brand new wing there).  I will be in ICU for one day and then in a step down unit for one day.

The two coronary arteries in question are each 50% blocked which normally would not require stents - in fact the rule of thumb is to not do the procedure and insurance would normally not approve that.  But with persistent chest pain, being short of breath, edema in my legs, and elevated blood pressures coupled with stress test results showing that the two arteries "contract" during stress rather than dilate during stress as they are supposed to, the cardiologist said he needs to insert 2 more stents to protect the heart.  

The cause of the blockages was diabetes, not cholesterol.  He said that long-term diabetes creates a sort of gravel in the arteries.  Sometimes a piece of plaque dislodges and gets into the coronary arteries causing a blockage.  My cholesterol is in the low 90's, which is excellent.

So, as a precaution to prevent another heart attack, the stents are needed. 

Just another bit of calamity in my life over the past 12-18 months. 

And yet yesterday you were buying $150,000 cars. If that's what you can do sick I'd hate to see you wheel and deal when you're well. Hope it goes ok for you.

Thanks, OF.  My Dad taught me well!

oldfarmer50

carnaught said:

My Chase story: not long ago I went to a local Chase bank with a check written from my business account to deposit in my personal checking account. Despite the fact that I had the funds to cover the check, and both accounts were Chase, they wouldn't let me do it for some #^**£'n reason?? I left there incensed (only showing it minimally), telling them I would like the branch manager to call me the next day to discuss the situation (wasn't present at the time I was there). I subsequently told her, after all of a sudden they could make the deposit, that if this ever happened again, both accounts would be gone, and that they should be very happy I was giving them another chance. Never experienced, or even heard of anything so ridiculous before.

No love lost for Chase. After years of offering to lower my MasterCard interest rate from around 12% (didn't care since I never carry a balance) they suddenly jumped it to 21%. No explanation. That irked me so I got a Visa from credit union at a third of rate. Didn't charge anything on the Chase card for years to punish them. Then with no notice they switched my MasterCard to a Visa just as I was about to use it to buy tires at Sam's Club (they don't take Visa). The only thing that stopped me from cutting it up was that I had had the card for over 30 years and didn't want it to affect my credit score.

Fortunately about the same time my credit union switched their Visa to a MasterCard and I got my tires.

Chase seems indifferent to customers and at every juncture I was told "well if you don't like it you can cancel". You would think they would treat long time, good credit risk customers a little better.

cdnpinhead

You would think they would treat long time, good credit risk customers a little better.

That's a sweet way to look at the world. You're a better man than I.

I know, I know, a very low bar.

stickguy

Farmer, they don't want people like you. and you gave the reason. You don't charge it up and carry a balance. So basically you are less than useless to them. Buy a houseful of furniture, and make the minimum every month (heck, be late every month too!) and they will love you to death.

roadburner

My BMW dealer was running a special on a full detail, so I took my wife's X3 in to get it cleaned up- after a couple of years of usage by my son it was due. The result? Not bad for 12 years and 184,000 miles:

stickguy

I'm afraid to see the Jetta after a winter at college. I know it got salty, and heard today about bird poop. Hopefully it gets rained on, since the kid hasn't quite worked up the enthusiasm to figure out how the DIY car wash works.

berri

Banks are for business. Unless you have a great small local bank, you are usually better off with a credit union I think.

nyccarguy

@roadburner - looks fantastic!

henryn

Another vote for the credit union. Especially if you are eligible to join one whose expenses are paid for by the company you work for. On the detail for the X3, might I inquire what that ran you? The last time I asked someone at a dealership about that, they were paying $280 for a detail job on used cars that they were going to sell.

roadburner

henryn said:

On the detail for the X3, might I inquire what that ran you? The last time I asked someone at a dealership about that, they were paying $280 for a detail job on used cars that they were going to sell.

$225 including tax.

driver100

roadburner said:

henryn said:

On the detail for the X3, might I inquire what that ran you? The last time I asked someone at a dealership about that, they were paying $280 for a detail job on used cars that they were going to sell.

$225 including tax.

The X3 looks great....looks like a brand new one!

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

My BMW dealer was running a special on a full detail, so I took my wife's X3 in to get it cleaned up- after a couple of years of usage by my son it was due. The result? Not bad for 12 years and 184,000 miles:

Boy that's nice for 184k. No rust, no dents, not even any scratches. Do you drive it encased in bubble wrap?

oldfarmer50

henryn said:

Another vote for the credit union. Especially if you are eligible to join one whose expenses are paid for by the company you work for. On the detail for the X3, might I inquire what that ran you? The last time I asked someone at a dealership about that, they were paying $280 for a detail job on used cars that they were going to sell.

Paying or charging $280? A guy at work moonlights as a detailer for a car dealership and he gets paid $30 per unit to detail. Takes him about an hour.

oldfarmer50

I'm watching some cheesy 1950s si-fi movie called 'Creature with the atomic brain'. Only keeping my interest because of all the neat old cars. Believe it or not there is a web site that identifies cars in old movies. In this movie they used mainy Fords and Mercs.

I like that Sunliner in the first picture.

iluvmysephia1

I really like the little orange Datsun, so you can deduce from that, where I am coming from

driver100 - yeah, but that Datsun 411 Bluebird just flat out rocks. I've seen nice Datsun 510's, like the blue one from the guy who visited Jay Leno, but I've never seen a 411 Bluebird that looks anywhere near as cool as this orange 1968 411. The video on their website does it justice.

nyccarguy

@roadburner - I like how you can see the reflection of the tree branches on the hood!

qbrozen

Got the Rover back. It isn't perfect as far as I'm concerned, but I'm trying hard to not look at it with my critical eye, but it ain't easy. Guess I should have various people look at it during the next family gathering and see if they can figure out what was done to it.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

roadburner said:

My BMW dealer was running a special on a full detail, so I took my wife's X3 in to get it cleaned up- after a couple of years of usage by my son it was due. The result? Not bad for 12 years and 184,000 miles:

Boy that's nice for 184k. No rust, no dents, not even any scratches. Do you drive it encased in bubble wrap?

One thing I forgot to mention....I love that color, Tomato Soup Red. I think that is what it is listed as in the BMW buying guide. (btw...not making fun, I really do like that color.)

stickguy

Iluv, I think if you actually drove that Datsun, you might change your mind somewhat. Certainly abandon any idea of making it a DD!

[Deleted User]

qbrozen said:

Got the Rover back. It isn't perfect as far as I'm concerned, but I'm trying hard to not look at it with my critical eye, but it ain't easy. Guess I should have various people look at it during the next family gathering and see if they can figure out what was done to it.

Sorry to hear that, qbrozen. Auto body shops don't like me much, but in self defense, I do warn them upfront of what I'll be inspecting at job completion. Color match, metal flake match, fish eyes, sand marks, paint texture, sags/drips, panel gap, etc. If it's not perfect, they do it over. They always agree upfront before starting the work and then role their eyes when I send it back. One shop had to work my Hyundai 4 times.

iluvmysephia1

Iluv, I think if you actually drove that Datsun, you might change your mind somewhat. Certainly abandon any idea of making it a DD!

If I could get it for a song at the auction..that would work. For a very driveable 2nd car. I thought the Bluebird line ran well, good competent underpinnings, tossable. Same theory - lightweight so that the 1.3L 4-cyl. 86 hp engine can wind it out and pick it up and get it going.

0-60 in 14.2 seconds fast. I'm not addicted to speed - that oughta be pretty obvious!

henryn

oldfarmer50 said:

henryn said:

Another vote for the credit union. Especially if you are eligible to join one whose expenses are paid for by the company you work for. On the detail for the X3, might I inquire what that ran you? The last time I asked someone at a dealership about that, they were paying $280 for a detail job on used cars that they were going to sell.

Paying or charging $280? A guy at work moonlights as a detailer for a car dealership and he gets paid $30 per unit to detail. Takes him about an hour.

The term "detail" gets thrown around a lot. The definition that I adhere to, and the one used most often at a new car dealership, cannot possibly be done in one hour. The conversation I had was with the used car sales manager at a Jaguar / Land Rover dealership. I was in the process of buying a used Tahoe that they had taken in trade. I mentioned that their "detailer" had not done a very good job. He replied, "We pay $280 for a full detail. That only happens with top of the line used cars. The Tahoe you're looking at just got a thorough car wash."

A few years back, when I owned that 2001 Mustang GT convertible, there was a young man who was a member of one of the Mustang clubs around town. He would spend an entire weekend doing a detail, including clay bar, polishing, waxing, shampooing the carpets, etc, etc. He charged $300, and would only work on Mustangs. And he had a LONG waiting list.