Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

imidazol97

Our Lennox heat pump is 23 years old. I have replaced the condenser fan (had a squeak) and the evaporator fan inside. Works great. Wish I could get gas as main heat and use heat pump when more economical for heating. No gas lines on our street. Our little abode was built during a natual gas freeze in the 70s.

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

A Continental flower car, odd duck for sure.  

Speaking of odd ducks I found this 2001 Grand Marquis in NJ. $4k with 35,000 miles. Maintaince seems obsessive or the dealer was scamming the owner. Wish there was a picture. Maybe one of you Jersey boys could run over there and take a photo for me. Could this be the legendary "cream puff" salesmen like to talk about?

CARFAX

2001 MERCURY GRAND MARQUIS GS
VIN: 2MEFM74WX1X691383
Follow CARFAX:


Year purchased 2001
Type of owner CARFAX One Owner Vehicle History Personal
Estimated length of ownership 14 yrs. 7 mo.
Owned in the following states/provinces New Jersey
Estimated miles driven per year 2,428/yr
Last reported odometer reading 35,470
Title History



Owner 1
Purchased: 2001
Type: Personal
Where: New Jersey
Est. miles/year: 2,428/yr
Est. length owned: 8/9/01 -
3/13/16
(14 yrs. 7 mo.)


Low mileage! This owner drove less than the industry average of 15,000 miles per year.

Date: Mileage: Source: Comments:
05/07/2001 NICB Vehicle manufactured
and shipped to original dealer
05/29/2001 5 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Pre-delivery inspection completed
08/04/2001 6 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com New key(s) cut
08/09/2001 20 New Jersey
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Maplewood, NJ
Title #DB20012210175 Title issued or updated
Registration issued or renewed
First owner reported
Titled or registered as
personal vehicle
10/02/2001 641 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Oil and filter changed
10/24/2001 970 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Oil and filter changed
01/17/2002 2,155 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Oil and filter changed
11/15/2002 5,175 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Oil and filter changed
Tires rotated
Doors checked
09/18/2003 8,901 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Maintenance inspection completed
Brakes checked
Tire condition and pressure checked
Tires rotated
Oil and filter changed
06/23/2004 11,044 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Oil and filter changed
Tires rotated
12/22/2004 12,524 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Maintenance inspection completed
Oil and filter changed
Cooling system checked
07/15/2005 13,746 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Oil and filter changed
Tire(s) balanced
Tires rotated
Emissions or safety inspection performed
03/02/2006 16,563 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Maintenance inspection completed
Oil and filter changed
10/09/2006 17,500 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Tires rotated
Battery replaced
Oil and filter changed
07/11/2007 19,812 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Maintenance inspection completed
Antifreeze/coolant flushed/changed
Oil and filter changed
Transmission fluid flushed
Emissions or safety inspection performed
03/19/2009 21,921 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Maintenance inspection completed
Differential fluid flushed/changed
Tires rotated
Oil and filter changed
07/10/2009 22,311 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Maintenance inspection completed
Oil and filter changed
Tires rotated
Front brakes replaced
Battery/charging system checked
Tire condition and pressure checked
Emissions or safety inspection performed
08/10/2009 22,702 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Maintenance inspection completed
Battery/charging system checked
Tire condition and pressure checked
Brakes checked
One tire mounted
One tire balanced
12/07/2010 24,960 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Maintenance inspection completed
Tire condition and pressure checked
Brakes checked
Battery/charging system checked
Oil and filter changed
07/26/2011 26,193 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Maintenance inspection completed
Tire condition and pressure checked
Brakes checked
Battery/charging system checked
Oil and filter changed
Tires rotated
Wiper(s) replaced
Emissions or safety inspection performed
12/06/2011 27,000 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Vehicle serviced
03/30/2012 27,976 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestautogroup.
com Maintenance inspection completed
Brakes checked
Transmission tailshaft seal replaced
Tire condition and pressure checked
Rear differential fluid flushed/changed
Air filter replaced
Fuel filter replaced
PCV valve replaced
Battery/charging system checked
Differential fluid flushed/changed
11/10/2012 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestcars.com Vehicle serviced
05/15/2013 32,515 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestcars.com Brakes replaced
A/C compressor replaced
Engine serviced
Battery/charging system checked
Brakes checked
Idler arm replaced
Oil and filter changed
Washed/detailed
Tire condition and pressure checked
Transmission fluid flushed
08/30/2013 New Jersey
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Maplewood, NJ Registration issued or renewed
10/24/2013 33,184 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestcars.com Maintenance inspection completed
Battery replaced
Battery/charging system checked
Cooling system checked
Brakes checked
Tire condition and pressure checked
Wiper(s) replaced
Oil and filter changed
Tires rotated
02/26/2014 33,722 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestcars.com Vehicle serviced
08/20/2014 34,375 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestcars.com Maintenance inspection completed
Battery/charging system checked
Brakes checked
Tire condition and pressure checked
Oil and filter changed
01/23/2015 34,988 Maplecrest Lincoln-Mercury
Vauxhall, NJ
908-964-7700
maplecrestcars.com Vehicle serviced
06/30/2015 New Jersey
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Maplewood, NJ Registration issued or renewed
03/13/2016 35,470 Dealer Inventory Vehicle offered for sale
03/20/2016 myCARFAX Manufacturer Recommended Maintenance Schedules

ab348

cdnpinhead said:

Given the snow in your part of the world this weekend, A/C is about the last thing you need. I'm going to be up near Ottawa for the next few days and there's likely to be a few inches, but that's it.

What snow?




It is a lovely sunny day here today, though a bit chilly. They are calling for a little bit of mixed precip tomorrow but I don't expect it to amount to much. This winter has been pretty good, especially compared to last year. In the summer we get the typical humid warmth that I find very uncomfortable, so the A/C will be welcomed. And the unit will take care of the majority of the heating as well come winter.

stickguy

Farmer, post a link to the actual car for sale. Would help to know where it actually is if you want to look at it!

But the carfax does look like the classic old man just going to the dealer way too often, and overmaintaining his car.

isellhondas

stickguy said:

so, follow-up on my journey into the world of solar. I let the nice girl at Lowes talk me into having the dude come out for a pitch session. Figured, got nothing to lose. And a very boring life. So, he shows up today.

Good presentation. Really nice people (the district manager came too). They are with Sungevity (partly owned by Lowes) - anyone ever deal with them? Already had a design and analysis done in advance (I had sent them a picture of my usage bargraph, and they had the shot of the house from google maps). So I was looking at an overhead shot of my house, with the panel design laid on top. Looked real and everything!

anyway, made a strong case by the #s. We apparently are a perfect candidate, because you couldn't orient the house any better if you tried, and perfect roof pitch, and no obstructions. explains why my attic fan runs so much in the summer. So they estimate an 89% replacement value (called something like that) which seems to be about as high as it can go on a residential install like this.

went through various options, basically buy or lease. for a number of reasons, we would only be looking at the lease. basically "sign and drive" on a 20 year deal, so no investment by us. We talked a lot about what if we want to move, and that doesn't cost anything but the new owner would just assume the lease.

given the $ savings calculated, wanting to assume it should not be an issue I don't think. They calculate that with our generating capacity, even with high usage, we would average less than $100 month in bills (to them and AC electric, AKA the Devil). So we would be saving, on average, $150/month OOP (and that is probably conservative).

still mulling it over, and need to talk to a few people (so Ty, feel free to weigh in again please!), but I'm having trouble seeing the downside. In effect, this is just like changing to a different energy provider, though we do get snazzy panels on the roof out of it!

I know the lease gives them all the credits, but they also get the privilege of maintaining and insuring them, and supposedly no change to our property taxes. Plus I don't want to have to finance 20K right now to likely save even more down the line (plus I can't see us being in the house for even 7 years at this point).

As long as I am comfortable that if we do sell, the solar will increase (or at least not decrease) what I can sell it for, and won't make it harder to sell, we might surprise ourselves and go for it!

So, what happens three years later when you get a leak in your roof and you get informed you need a new roof?

I would imagine a real hassle and expense to remove and re install the panels?

henryn

jmonroe said:

the 'judge' said:

ab348 nailed it; the primary and secondary fuel well plugs can leak. The solution is to clean them and coat them with epoxy.

I guess you can say I was lucky. I never had to do that.

The problems I encountered in addition to needing a general cleaning were:

(1) bad gaskets causing leaks between the different carb sections
(2) choke lever needing adjustment
(3) fuel bowl float level needing adjustment and the needle valve and seat being bad that caused gas to spew from the top of the carb
(4) and most of the time a bad accelerator pump that caused a delay when trying to accelerate from a full stop

jmonroe

I rebuilt a few carburetors in my day. The four items you mentioned were fairly common across the different makes and models. The one that stands out in my mind is the Thermoquad, that plastic body could really give you problems.

henryn

tjc78 said:

On a car note, the Enclave is a royal PITA to fill up. The pump has to be restarted a few times to get a full tank. Oil monitor is down to 20% so hopefully next oil change they can do something about it.

Just how close to full is it when the pump starts to turn itself off? I know that you are not supposed to "force fill" or "top off" these newer cars, which can possibly cause damage. But I have encountered cars which were just too restrictive, and you had to fill the tank at a slower rate. If that's the case here, I doubt there's anything that can be done about it.

And by the way, I do believe I was the first to remark on the Lincoln MKT reminding me of a hearse, and I stand by that comment.

stever

isellhondas said:

So, what happens three years later when you get a leak in your roof and you get informed you need a new roof?

I would imagine a real hassle and expense to remove and re install the panels?

My wife was leery of putting 15 panels on our roof and adding all those perforations to the roof. We could do panels in the side yard but you're adding a bit of expense running the copper to the meter doing that.

This is the woman who insists that our next car must have a panoramic sun roof, and we already have five skylights in a 1,700 sq. ft. house, plus the furnace/AC on the roof, in addition to the usual plumbing vents and a leftover sat dish.

tjc78

driver100 said:

On a car note, the Enclave is a royal PITA to fill up. The pump has to be restarted a few times to get a full tank. Oil monitor is down to 20% so hopefully next oil change they can do something about it.

Other than that how do you like the Enclave? I thought you were completely satisfied. Will you be considering another one?

I hate the Enclave because I hate SUVs in general.  It's technically the wife's vehicle but since we work in the same office I drive it nearly everyday.  It does everything well and as quiet as any luxury car on the highway.   Gas mileage is hovering in 16 ish range which I don't have a problem with considering its near 300hp and heavy as hell.  

Would I buy another?  Yes probably unless there was another SUV the wife liked better.  I'd like to get a sedan for DD duties again (something like an ES350 or another Lacrosse) and get a 4 door pickup as my car and weekend excursions.  

tjc78

henryn said:

On a car note, the Enclave is a royal PITA to fill up. The pump has to be restarted a few times to get a full tank. Oil monitor is down to 20% so hopefully next oil change they can do something about it.

Just how close to full is it when the pump starts to turn itself off? I know that you are not supposed to "force fill" or "top off" these newer cars, which can possibly cause damage. But I have encountered cars which were just too restrictive, and you had to fill the tank at a slower rate. If that's the case here, I doubt there's anything that can be done about it. And by the way, I do believe I was the first to remark on the Lincoln MKT reminding me of a hearse, and I stand by that comment.

It's completely unpredicable.  There are times it cuts off after a few gallons and then continues the rest no problem.  Other times it takes 5-6 times to get a full tank even on slower speed.  Frustrating since we arent allowed to pump our own here and the guys end up pulling the nozzle out and closing the sale before its full.  

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

I had a strange dream last night. My wife, loves European cars, she has had Volvos, MG, bmw, Mercedes, Audi, and currently has a GLK. She has never even considered or looked at a D3 car. In my dream she said she wants a car with a lot of horsepower, something like a Buick! I tried to talk her into getting a Mustang or a Hellcat so I could have some fun.

Any ideas what this dream means?

I think it means you want a fast impractical toy and you're wondering if your wife will give you permission.

I'm sure she will but will be shaking her head and thinking she'll have to watch for other signs of dementia.


PS I just mentioned your post to my wife and she says your dream means you should buy a Mustang.

Mr_Shiftright

jmonroe said:

isellhondas said:

I seem to recall that the Q-Jet had a couple of brass plugs underneath that looked like tiny freeze plugs. I believe these could fall out and get sucked into the engine doing huge damage. Am I dreaming about this?

I don't remember anything like that.

IIRC there were a couple of brass jets INSIDE the carb that had to be screwed in place tight enough not to come lose. Maybe this is what you are referring to. I can't remember if they were to fall out if they could get sucked into the intake manifold. I know one thing for sure, it never happened to one that I rebuilt.

Maybe the 'judge' or Shifty can help here.

jmonroe

Yes, these guys =======>



You can coat them in epoxy and re-install them but the best way is to install a screw-in type of plug, which requires tapping, but then you're done with it forever.

Merely dabbing them with epoxy while they are still in there is not a good solution. I think after the late 60s you won't see these plugs anymore in a Quad.

So if you're rebuilding an old Quad, replacing these plugs is absolutely mandatory.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

Farmer, post a link to the actual car for sale. Would help to know where it actually is if you want to look at it!

But the carfax does look like the classic old man just going to the dealer way too often, and overmaintaining his car.

There's no specific mention of what dealer it's at but I'm pretty sure it's at the dealer whose name appears in the CarFax about a hundred times. If you did every oil change and maintaince for 15 years wouldn't you want it on your lot?

BTW I wouldn't expect you to actually run over there. Indulging my car fantasies could be a full time job.

http://www.listingallcars.com/details/2001-Mercury-Grand-Marquis-Used/7737338878290430855

explorerx4

@oldfarmer50,
I went to their website after your first post and the car is not listed there.

PF_Flyer

berri said:

I remember the yo-yo kick in the 60's after things like Hula hoops in the late 50's. I remember that Duncan's were the big brand with TV ads. They weren't cheap either. I think a top of the line Imperial was over a buck - a lot of mullah when allowances were often a quarter a week or less. Marbles were a lot cheaper, even cat's-eyes.

Lionel trains were neat too, but unless you had a professional layout they had that middle third rail in the tracks. HO became a lot more popular I think because they took up less space. I recall American Flyer's being kind of in between in size with two rails.

Don't forget Tonka trucks. Strong, durable and realistic looking unlike those Buddy L's.

Heh... I remember trying to do all the tricks I saw with a regular Duncan. Now I know better and all my yoyos have ball bearings and spin FOREVER so there's time to do REALLY elaborate stuff.

ab348

I'm watching the Arnold Palmer Invitational on TV. Wow, Arnie has really declined. The look around his eyes is one I have seen in others. Sad. Arnie has been one of my heroes forever.

stickguy

I had to look up where the heck Vauxhall NJ was. wrong end of the state for me! If it was local, of course I would go snoop.

nice color. Don't like the cloth seats in this one. And needs tires (those might be the originals on there I think).

http://www.usedcarsmagnolia.com/1996-Chevrolet-Corvette/Used-Car/Magnolia-NJ,SouthJersey,PA,DE/3316411/Details.aspx

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright said:

jmonroe said:

isellhondas said:

Yes, these guys =======>



You can coat them in epoxy and re-install them but the best way is to install a screw-in type of plug, which requires tapping, but then you're done with it forever.

Merely dabbing them with epoxy while they are still in there is not a good solution. I think after the late 60s you won't see these plugs anymore in a Quad.

So if you're rebuilding an old Quad, replacing these plugs is absolutely mandatory.

'Shufty'

I think the first time I rebuilt a Quadrajet was on a friends '76 Grand Prix in the late 70's. So if these plugs were gone by the late 60's then that explains why I don't remember seeing them. My first new car was a '66 Bonneville 2 door hardtop with a 389 eight cylinder that had a Quadrajet but I only had that car for 2 years so I never had to do a rebuild on that carb. Maybe if I did I would have seen these infamous leaking plugs.

After I did my first rebuild and my friend mentioned it to the guys we worked with who had GM 8 cylinders they came to me thinking I was on call whenever a carb needed rebuilt. I didn't mind. It was not nearly as tough as some garages made it out to be. If you talked to those guys they made it sound like heart surgery with prices to match. Eventually (around the early 80's) my '75 Grand Prix needed a rebuild so I was damn near an expert by then. I'm pretty sure the last time I rebuild a Quadrajet was in the late 80's, by then I must have done a dozen of them. FWIW, I remember the rebuild kits I used were made by Borg Warner. I never had a problem with any of them.

In the early 2000's when I took my car to the garage for a PA state inspection, I got to talking with the guy and we got onto the subject of carburetors and I mention that I rebuild a few back in the day. So, I asked him how much he would charge to do a rebuild then and he said he never rebuilds those things anymore. He said he can't justify spending the time doing it so when a customer needs a carb replaced he buys them already rebuilt from the auto parts store.

Sounds like that is a dying art today especially with fuel injection and direct injection. I'm sure some of the young techs out there today can barely remember seeing a car with a carburetor.

jmonroe

imidazol97

oldfarmer50 said:

There's no specific mention of what dealer it's at but I'm pretty sure it's at the dealer whose name appears in the CarFax about a hundred times. If you did every oil change and maintaince for 15 years wouldn't you want it on your lot?

BTW I wouldn't expect you to actually run over there. Indulging my car fantasies could be a full time job.

http://www.listingallcars.com/details/2001-Mercury-Grand-Marquis-Used/7737338878290430855

Here's Oldfarmer's car. The pictures don't match the description of gray exterior and medium
parchment-tan interior.

http://maplecrestfordlincolnunion.com/Union-NJ/For-Sale/Used/Mercury/Grand-Marquis/2001-GS-Gray-Car/46590760/

ab348

I'd be tempted to offer $3500, throw a set of tires on it, and take my chances for a few years. So odd to see a factory radio with just a cassette player.

Mr_Shiftright

That's quite a bit of car for chump change, really. Try shopping ads used Toyotas or Hondas for $3900 and you'll find yourself pulling up to the Ace Wrecking "2nd chance" lot.

imidazol97

Mr_Shiftright said:

That's quite a bit of car for chump change, really. Try shopping ads used Toyotas or Hondas for $3900 and you'll find yourself pulling up to the Ace Wrecking "2nd chance" lot.

I'm wondering if there's something wrong with it that it's priced there with the low mileage it has. I'd want an independent inspection unless they want to CPO it for 2 years, LOL.

Otherwise there's a lot of use in an easy to repair car there if something does go wrong--lots
of parts car in recycling yards.

jmonroe

ab348 said:

I'd be tempted to offer $3500, throw a set of tires on it, and take my chances for a few years. So odd to see a factory radio with just a cassette player.

Given the way that dealer went to town on the poor guy with all the maintenance work, I'm sure he stole it from the poor guy at the end too so I'd offer $2950. The dealer would probably still be making $1600 on it.

jmonroe

explorerx4

That picture looks like it was photoshopped.

PF_Flyer

ab348 said:

I'm watching the Arnold Palmer Invitational on TV. Wow, Arnie has really declined. The look around his eyes is one I have seen in others. Sad. Arnie has been one of my heroes forever.

Arnie IS getting up there at 86.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

I had a strange dream last night. My wife, loves European cars, she has had Volvos, MG, bmw, Mercedes, Audi, and currently has a GLK. She has never even considered or looked at a D3 car. In my dream she said she wants a car with a lot of horsepower, something like a Buick! I tried to talk her into getting a Mustang or a Hellcat so I could have some fun.

Any ideas what this dream means?

Sometimes a dream is just a dream.

suydam

Arnie said he isn't up to the ceremonial tee shot at the Masters this year. End of an era.

nelsonf

explorerx4 said:

That picture looks like it was photoshopped.

Shadows are all wrong, unless someone stuck a spotlight on a pole shining straight down on the car.

stickguy

that looks like a night/wet/parking lot lights picture. there are other ones in more natural light where the car looks a lot "flatter"

tjc78

Unless that Marquis is a late build 01, you wouldn't want it. Plastic intake crossovers love to fail.  $800 ish repair.  Having said that even if you did it as precaution under 5k with new shoes that's a lot of car 

ab348

tjc78 said:

Unless that Marquis is a late build 01, you wouldn't want it. Plastic intake crossovers love to fail.  $800 ish repair.  Having said that even if you did it as precaution under 5k with new shoes that's a lot of car 

Carfax says it was built first week of May, 2001. That late enough?

abacomike

ab348 said:

Unless that Marquis is a late build 01, you wouldn't want it. Plastic intake crossovers love to fail.  $800 ish repair.  Having said that even if you did it as precaution under 5k with new shoes that's a lot of car 

Carfax says it was built first week of May, 2001. That late enough?

Gestation period seems about right - so long as it didn't need an incubator!

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

@oldfarmer50,
I went to their website after your first post and the car is not listed there.

I see stick beat me to it but for what it's worth.

http://maplecrestlincoln.com/Union-NJ/For-Sale/Used/Mercury/Grand-Marquis/2001-GS-Gray-Car/46590760/

Their ad says it's worth $6300 so why are they selling it for $4000? Maybe the tires? Maybe mice nested in the dash while it was sitting which it must have done a lot. If the stars all aligned I'd consider buying it.

driver100

henryn said:

tjc78 said:

On a car note, the Enclave is a royal PITA to fill up. The pump has to be restarted a few times to get a full tank. Oil monitor is down to 20% so hopefully next oil change they can do something about it.

Just how close to full is it when the pump starts to turn itself off? I know that you are not supposed to "force fill" or "top off" these newer cars, which can possibly cause damage. But I have encountered cars which were just too restrictive, and you had to fill the tank at a slower rate. If that's the case here, I doubt there's anything that can be done about it.

And by the way, I do believe I was the first to remark on the Lincoln MKT reminding me of a hearse, and I stand by that comment.

I recall you did and I agree completely.....but Mike doesn't see it.

I think the car looks like a hearse, and my wife made the same comment without me saying it...so that makes 3 of us, additionally I think the front end looks like a cowcatcher.

stickguy

My wife always refers to one of those as a hearse too. Especially one in black!

driver100

tjc78 said:

driver100 said:

tjc78 said:

On a car note, the Enclave is a royal PITA to fill up. The pump has to be restarted a few times to get a full tank. Oil monitor is down to 20% so hopefully next oil change they can do something about it.

Other than that how do you like the Enclave? I thought you were completely satisfied. Will you be considering another one?

I hate the Enclave because I hate SUVs in general.  It's technically the wife's vehicle but since we work in the same office I drive it nearly everyday.  It does everything well and as quiet as any luxury car on the highway.   Gas mileage is hovering in 16 ish range which I don't have a problem with considering its near 300hp and heavy as hell.  

Would I buy another?  Yes probably unless there was another SUV the wife liked better.  I'd like to get a sedan for DD duties again (something like an ES350 or another Lacrosse) and get a 4 door pickup as my car and weekend excursions.  

My last SUVs were work vehicles so I don't get much real pleasure from driving them....compared to a car. But people love them, they like being higher, the extra room inside, and I think they feel they are safer with more steel around them. IMHO they don't corner and handle as well as a car.

The E400 has 330 hp and is pretty heavy, I easily get 27 or 28 mpg, all highway 30mpg.

driver100

I had my first Yuengling Draft beer today and man was that good!

I am not much of a beer or anything drinker, but once in awhile you have a beer that is extra special and this one is extra special.
Cheers!

cdnpinhead

ab348 said:

It is a lovely sunny day here today, though a bit chilly.

Wow -- beautiful. Guess I was misinformed, though as I was driving up today they did say that portions of Nova Scotia were going to be okay.

abacomike

driver100 said:

I had my first Yuengling Draft beer today and man was that good! I am not much of a beer or anything drinker, but once in awhile you have a beer that is extra special and this one is extra special. Cheers!

Glad you took our advice and tried one.  Yes, definitely a satisfying brew.  Since they built the expansion brewery in Tampa, it has enabled a more widespread geographic mix of beer lovers to experience a truly GOOD TASTING beer.

I believe Yuengling is the oldest, if not one of the oldest, beers brewed in the United States.  Thank goodness we can get that beer here in Florida.

When I was younger, I had been told by friends that Coors was the best brewed beer in the U.S. Because of the water they use in Colorado.  I was jealous that we could not get the beer in the east or Midwest for a long time.  Then, when Coors was made available, I tried it and found it a bit watery.  Then, I was introduced to Yuengling beer.  No other beer has that distinctive flavor and satisfying taste.

Driver, you now know what a good beer tastes like.  Welcome to the club! 

Mr_Shiftright

We had a name for Coors when I was living in Colorado but unfortunately I cannot post it as this site maintains a strict adherence to a "G" rating.

stickguy

Yuengling light lager is our "house beer". usually have some sort of craft stuff in the fridge too for variety.

Michaell

stickguy said:

Yuengling light lager is our "house beer". usually have some sort of craft stuff in the fridge too for variety.

 You guys are making me thirsty! Unfortunately, I am delivering at the moment.  I do have some Stella in the fridge at home, however  

tjc78

ab348 said:

tjc78 said:

Unless that Marquis is a late build 01, you wouldn't want it. Plastic intake crossovers love to fail.  $800 ish repair.  Having said that even if you did it as precaution under 5k with new shoes that's a lot of car 

Carfax says it was built first week of May, 2001. That late enough?

There isn't much to go on from what I've read. "very late builds" is the most common answer.

tjc78

driver100 said:

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The E400 has 330 hp and is pretty heavy, I easily get 27 or 28 mpg, all highway 30mpg.

Yeah, but much more aerodynamic. That figure is also a 50/50 city/highway and a good bit of idling dropping and picking up the kids everyday.

It will pull low 20s on the highway if you keep the speed around 70.

GM's 3.6 is a nice engine, but not the best on FE compared to similar size/HP engines.

stever

Back in the early 70s Coors wasn't pasteurized and so wasn't shipped all that far. It was a big deal to get some in the South. When I was in college, there was a guy in the dorm whose mother owned a liquor store in Texas and he'd bring a U-Haul back with him after every visit home. Sales paid for his tuition and books.

Of course, since it was a dry county, you could just about sell deodorant squeezings and make some cash.

I had a Coors pocket protector in high school and only one English teacher (the cool one that I unfortunately didn't have) ever noticed. She passed me in the hall one day and mentioned that she wasn't going to squeal on me.

Once Coors started shipping everywhere, the mystique disappeared.

28firefighter

Back from the Bay Area. After a 2.5 hour trip to Ikea and 4 hours building the finest particle board money can buy, I'm back in Seattle and absolutely exhausted. 

Avis gave me a 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport AWD with 7800 miles. Very comfortable and roomy, though not particularly well equipped. No backup camera and no automatic lights - not even an audible alert to let you know you left them on. Bluetooth was very wonky and never paired with my personal iPhone or work Nexus 5X. Without a doubt, it was the most underpowered vehicle I've driven in quite a while.  On moderate hills on 680 driving into and out of the IKEA in Emeryville, the pedal was to the floor and the truck was struggling to maintain 65. I expect the turbo engine is a much better match.  Met my needs for the trip, but nothing super impressive. Was not well maintained either - car was filthy inside and out and reeked of cigarette smoke. 

abacomike

stever said:

Back in the early 70s Coors wasn't pasteurized and so wasn't shipped all that far. It was a big deal to get some in the South. When I was in college, there was a guy in the dorm whose mother owned a liquor store in Texas and he'd bring a U-Haul back with him after every visit home. Sales paid for his tuition and books. Of course, since it was a dry county, you could just about sell deodorant squeezings and make some cash. I had a Coors pocket protector in high school and only one English teacher (the cool one that I unfortunately didn't have) ever noticed. She passed me in the hall one day and mentioned that she wasn't going to squeal on me. Once Coors started shipping everywhere, the mystique disappeared.

I seem to recall that history about Coors and pasteurization.  I first tasted Coors when I visited my best friend when he moved to Dallas, TX.  I was not impressed with their beer - tasted like any other beer I had had.  But when I moved to PA and tasted Yuengling, I was truly awed by the flavor, smoothness and how well it held up after I opened the bottle.  Good thing my job in PA did not last more than 18 months or I would have become an alcoholic because of Yuengling!

stever

I keep trying but never have developed a taste for beer. I'd be happy to dip into your 100 year old Jack though.

@28firefighter, I've been checking TMV prices on CR-Vs for people logging from MD and the Bay Area. There's about a $1,000 to $1,500 "surcharge" if you buy a Honda in, say, San Jose. Still about $500 than Seattle TMV though.

But I'm confused - isn't there an IKEA in Seattle? I distinctly remember hauling a Malm platform bed and some other junk back to Boise one year.

28firefighter

@stever oh there is one in Seattle. I was down in the Bay Area helping my sister move into a new apartment.  IKEA is what I imagine my version of hell would look like, and this one outside SF was a special kind of torture - you would think the stuff was free it was so crowded. 

abacomike

stever said:

I keep trying but never have developed a taste for beer. I'd be happy to dip into your 100 year old Jack though.

I wish it was 100 years old!  That was 25 year old Sinatra 100 (Sinatra had turned 100 years old - this the reason for the "100").  That bottle is long gone.  No way I would pay $179 for a bottle of bourbon - but it sure was stupendous.  Quite frankly, I'd settle for a cold bottle of Yuengling right now!