Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

abacomike

oldfarmer50 said:

So that's how the rich folk live!

Nope!  The rich folk would have a maid and a butler working in the kitchen!

driver100

jmonroe said:

'driver' said:

A few things:
*Makes sense to have the Econoline if he is buying stuff in bulk. But, how many have ever driven one of those? I rented one from U-Haul and it is about as opposite to "feel of the road" as you can get. No fun driving one of those.
_______________________________________________________________________________

I hope you are just being a little humorous about that "feel of the road" comment.

Why would anyone expect to have fun while driving a truck. Plus, the last thing I'd want from an employee is for them to try joy riding my truck while delivering deli trays.

C'mon man.

jmonroe

When you get your quote button working properly you can then question me JM
I rented the Econoline van for just a few hours and I don't know how somebody can drive around in one of those all day long. The steering is loosey goosey, it hasn't got a very good suspension system...you feel every bump. Since it is really a sardine can on wheels there isn't a lot of structure, doesn't feel solid at all, It is also pretty big, so you just get the minimal air conditioning unit to crank out some cool air and it is time to stop and start the process all over again. Gear changes were jarring, and it is underpowered. Not much of a view out the side. The seats are uncomfortable and the driving position is awkward.

I honestly felt sorry for workmen who would have to live with one of these for a full day, every day. I also thought, look how far the automobile has come in the last century, yet this is the best engineering possible for making a van.

It sounds like you think people would be more productive if they aren't very comfortable......I think they do better work if they are treated like humans.

Just joking around a bit, but, what I said about the vans is true.

coldinohio

nice kitchen; love 'mud room' for kids
what faucet/sink since youre in the biz?
tom

henryn

Someone here in the forums warned me about Caliber Collision, and he (whomever it was) was correct.

They called me this afternoon, said my Cadillac was ready, I took off and drove down to their shop. They bring the car around, and from 10 feet away I can see a piece of trim hanging loose. Only about a quarter inch, maybe three/eighths, but definitely not right, and apparent from a distance.

I point this out, the body shop employee says, “I’ll just run this around back and fix that.” As he backed up, I spotted that the passenger side headlight assembly was not working. (Parking light on for drivers side, not for passengers side.) I stopped him, and we checked the lights. That entire headlight assembly on the passenger front was replaced, and nothing works. Parking light, headlight, turn signal, nothing.

At this point I’m getting a little hot under the collar. A loose trim piece should never have passed inspection, but it’s not that big of a deal. Trying to put me on the road in an unsafe car, putting my life in danger, that IS a big deal.

I went back to work in the rental car, and called my insurance company. They are going to implement a review to see if Caliber Collision should be on their approved list. This “little mistake” may wind up costing them a lot of money.

isellhondas

28firefighter said:

isellhondas said:

nyccarguy said:

Here's a sales story:

My best friend owns 2 Kosher Style Delis.  One in Stamford, CT where I live & another in Rye Brook, NY (Westchester County).  His delivery vehicles used to be Ford Econolines.  Then when gas 1st started getting expensive, he replaced the big, gas guzzling Fords with Chevy HHRs.  They were cheaper than the Ford Vans, plus (at the time) used $40 per week in gas as opposed to the $200 per week the Fords were using.  The HHRs didn't stand up well to being used as delivery vehicles.  He ditched them both within 3 years.  In 2009 he buys 2 Honda Fit Sports.  Fast forward to earlier this year when one of the Fits starts giving him some trouble.  He replaces it with another Fit.  He got a 2015 EX w/ Navigation in 2016 as a leftover.  2009 Fit #2 strands his driver last week & it's back to the dealer for another new Fit.

To be continued

Ask your friend to PLEASE open up a deli in the Seattle area! We need a good old fashioned Jewish deli!

Oh man, yes. The first thing I do when I get back to Philadelphia or Cleveland to see family is head to a deli and stuff my face with pastrami.</blockquote

You would think an area like this that has a pretty large Jewish community would have a couple of great delis but we don't!

abacomike

henryn said:

Someone here in the forums warned me about Caliber Collision, and he (whomever it was) was correct. They called me this afternoon, said my Cadillac was ready, I took off and drove down to their shop. They bring the car around, and from 10 feet away I can see a piece of trim hanging loose. Only about a quarter inch, maybe three/eighths, but definitely not right, and apparent from a distance. I point this out, the body shop employee says, “I’ll just run this around back and fix that.” As he backed up, I spotted that the passenger side headlight assembly was not working. (Parking light on for drivers side, not for passengers side.) I stopped him, and we checked the lights. That entire headlight assembly on the passenger front was replaced, and nothing works. Parking light, headlight, turn signal, nothing. At this point I’m getting a little hot under the collar. A loose trim piece should never have passed inspection, but it’s not that big of a deal. Trying to put me on the road in an unsafe car, putting my life in danger, that IS a big deal. I went back to work in the rental car, and called my insurance company. They are going to implement a review to see if Caliber Collision should be on their approved list. This “little mistake” may wind up costing them a lot of money.

That's CRIMINAL

Truly pathetic!

isellhondas

Years ago I had a QUALITY paint job done and they forgot to reconnect my headlights!

I took the car out to dinner and when we got out it was dark and I had no headlights!

Luckilly I figured it out quickly and plugged them in!

andres3

houdini1 said:

Ever try to shop carpet on price. Impossible !!

henryn said:

Someone here in the forums warned me about Caliber Collision, and he (whomever it was) was correct.

They called me this afternoon, said my Cadillac was ready, I took off and drove down to their shop. They bring the car around, and from 10 feet away I can see a piece of trim hanging loose. Only about a quarter inch, maybe three/eighths, but definitely not right, and apparent from a distance.

I point this out, the body shop employee says, “I’ll just run this around back and fix that.” As he backed up, I spotted that the passenger side headlight assembly was not working. (Parking light on for drivers side, not for passengers side.) I stopped him, and we checked the lights. That entire headlight assembly on the passenger front was replaced, and nothing works. Parking light, headlight, turn signal, nothing.

At this point I’m getting a little hot under the collar. A loose trim piece should never have passed inspection, but it’s not that big of a deal. Trying to put me on the road in an unsafe car, putting my life in danger, that IS a big deal.

I went back to work in the rental car, and called my insurance company. They are going to implement a review to see if Caliber Collision should be on their approved list. This “little mistake” may wind up costing them a lot of money.

I warned about them. I pretty much assume my experience was average and par for the course with them, not having a large sample size.

They have zero quality control, but they don't really need it because they have little quality to begin with to be controlling. When you find a 6" piece of masking tape on your car after it is returned, it is hard to believe anyone looked over the car or did any sort of detailing type car wash prior to return.

snakeweasel

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

A Ford Van seems like overkill for delivering corned beef sandwiches.

That's what I was going to say. Must have been making up some massive sandwich trays.

I don't see any Fits being used here as commercial vehicles (I barely see any on the road here at all). I see a surprising number of the small Ford Transits everywhere though. They strike me as a penalty box just based on looks and size but maybe I'm wrong.

If you do any serious catering you would want a van, especially if you want to set up tables.

snakeweasel

abacomike said:

@nyccarguy:

Your new kitchen looks great, Bradd. What's extra special about its construction is that you took your time to do it right instead of getting a contractor who would have skimped on the remod. Just enjoy it with your family.

Speaking of Jewish Deli's, I don't know if I mentioned this before, but when my Dad passed away last July and my brother came down for all the financial stuff, he took me to a real Jewish Deli in Boca Raton called "Ben's Deli". I understand they have several stores in NYC. There are "wannabe" Jewish Deli's all over south Florida, but this one is just like the Deli's we had in the neighborhoods of NYC. When I opened the menu and saw "kreplach soup" and "sauteed/fried kreplach" with onions, I knew for sure I had died and gone to heaven!

BTW, for those of you who are not New Yorkers, kreplachs are very similar to Polish Perogies (not sure of spelling, sorry). But these are bigger, starchier, and after three or four of them, you can't eat another thing! But I try hard at that!

This place was kosher because they didn't have reubens on the menu - because they don't serve cheese with meat which is a kosher "no-no"! I wanted pastrami and what was nice about this place is that you could order pastrami, lean pastrami or extra lean pastrami - each upgrade was $1.00 more, which was no problem. The one I ordered was extra lean and it was like manna from heaven. Their coleslaw is to die for - which is a trade mark of an outstanding Jewish Deli - they had two kinds - vinegary and creamy. I, of course, love the creamy style.

I go there once in a while when I go up to visit my Dad's resting place (about 6 miles north of the Deli).

Speaking of reuden sandwiches a while back I went to a local place and ordered a reuben. I was asked if I wanted sauerkraut on it. I said "uh yeah, it's a rueben". She said that some people don't want the sauerkraut, my only reply was "then it's just a corned beef sandwich". Next thing you know they'll be putting ketchup on hotdogs.

isellhondas

I tend to judge delis by their brisket although corned beef takes a slim second place.

There was once a wonderful deli in Hollywood called Greenblatts that was wonderful. The old lady would yell at people who were hesitant when they were placing their orders. And even better one in the Fairfax district of L.A. I can't remember the name of it now. Yum!

isellhondas

Body is required? What have I done now?

snakeweasel

Would have hated to come back to this;

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

abacomike

isellhondas said:

I tend to judge delis by their brisket although corned beef takes a slim second place. There was once a wonderful deli in Hollywood called Greenblatts that was wonderful. The old lady would yell at people who were hesitant when they were placing their orders. And even better one in the Fairfax district of L.A. I can't remember the name of it now. Yum!

When I lived in the San Fernando Valley in Chatsworth, I used to eat at the Country Deli on Topanga Canyon Drive.  Great food, but no kreplach! 

stever

isellhondas said:

Body is required? What have I done now?

I do that now and then - just means you tried to post in an empty comment box.

ab348

What do the Reuben sandwich purists insist on: Thousand Island or Russian dressings?

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

Fezo...the CTS....it jars me too! Still a little wary of it, though. I'm hyper critical with it given my past experience. So far, the only complaint is I can catch the trans between gear changes every once in a great while, and the downshift becomes a "bang-bang" affair. I leave it in sport mode all the time. In "touring" mode, it's much more docile. But, who in their right mind likes "docile".

Bradd....nice renovation. I like it...a lot!

Side note....my neighbor owns a business selling and installing home solar panels. He seems to be doing quite well, given he just bought a new Lexus LS (what are those? Like $85K?) for himself, and a new RS350 for his wife.

He keeps bugging me to install solar panels and makes a compelling argument. 12 panels generate on average 3kwH earch/day That's 36kwH produced each day. He says on an annual basis, with selling unused power back to the local power company (Duke Energy), my electricity bill should be more or less $0 over 12 months (some winter months I'd have to pay a small amount, some summer months I would get a credit from the power company). Panels, with installation and power converter would cost about $8K. He'd discount his labor since we're neighbors, bringing the total spend to about $7K. This year, the Fed Gov't is giving 30% back for green power (which solar is), bringing the install total to a little over $5K.

I spend about $1K for electricity every year. So, payback is 5 years, at which time, my electricity will be essentially, free.

The downside? Those panels are ugly. And, I'd have to get the HOA to approve letting me do it. He installed his on the 10'x20' wooden tool shed he has in his back yard. So, you can't see the solar panels from the street. I don't have a shed.

Still, compelling project that I'm quite interested in!

OK explain it to me. Let's say your electric bill from the grid is $200. Your solar panels generate $200 worth of electricity. That would seem to net out.

But what is the monthly cost of your system? If your lease or loan payment is $200 or more (as in this example) you are still paying the same or more for your power.

Or am I missing something?

abacomike

ab348 said:

What do the Reuben sandwich purists insist on: Thousand Island or Russian dressings?

Russian - strictly Russian!  Thousand Island is not pure - it has relish in it - which disqualifies it as an acceptable dressing for a Reuben. 

stickguy

I absolutely love good pastrami. Provolone and deli mustard on rye, perfect.

No Reubens though. I dislike corned beef (really dislike!), russian and Slaw. Other than that, the rye bread is fine!

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

'driver' said:

A few things:
*Makes sense to have the Econoline if he is buying stuff in bulk. But, how many have ever driven one of those? I rented one from U-Haul and it is about as opposite to "feel of the road" as you can get. No fun driving one of those.
_______________________________________________________________________________

I hope you are just being a little humorous about that "feel of the road" comment.

Why would anyone expect to have fun while driving a truck. Plus, the last thing I'd want from an employee is for them to try joy riding my truck while delivering deli trays.

C'mon man.

jmonroe

When you get your quote button working properly you can then question me JM
I rented the Econoline van for just a few hours and I don't know how somebody can drive around in one of those all day long. The steering is loosey goosey, it hasn't got a very good suspension system...you feel every bump. Since it is really a sardine can on wheels there isn't a lot of structure, doesn't feel solid at all, It is also pretty big, so you just get the minimal air conditioning unit to crank out some cool air and it is time to stop and start the process all over again. Gear changes were jarring, and it is underpowered. Not much of a view out the side. The seats are uncomfortable and the driving position is awkward.

I honestly felt sorry for workmen who would have to live with one of these for a full day, every day. I also thought, look how far the automobile has come in the last century, yet this is the best engineering possible for making a van.

It sounds like you think people would be more productive if they aren't very comfortable......I think they do better work if they are treated like humans.

Just joking around a bit, but, what I said about the vans is true.

I have the GM equivilant of an Econoline and I'll tell you from a business point of view I want only one thing from that vehicle...cheap. Every feel of the road costs me money so I'm willing to accept poor ride and handling in return for it increasing my profit.

That's all that matters.

oldfarmer50

henryn said:

Someone here in the forums warned me about Caliber Collision, and he (whomever it was) was correct.

They called me this afternoon, said my Cadillac was ready, I took off and drove down to their shop. They bring the car around, and from 10 feet away I can see a piece of trim hanging loose. Only about a quarter inch, maybe three/eighths, but definitely not right, and apparent from a distance.

I point this out, the body shop employee says, “I’ll just run this around back and fix that.” As he backed up, I spotted that the passenger side headlight assembly was not working. (Parking light on for drivers side, not for passengers side.) I stopped him, and we checked the lights. That entire headlight assembly on the passenger front was replaced, and nothing works. Parking light, headlight, turn signal, nothing.

At this point I’m getting a little hot under the collar. A loose trim piece should never have passed inspection, but it’s not that big of a deal. Trying to put me on the road in an unsafe car, putting my life in danger, that IS a big deal.

I went back to work in the rental car, and called my insurance company. They are going to implement a review to see if Caliber Collision should be on their approved list. This “little mistake” may wind up costing them a lot of money.

If you're willing to drive to NY I've got a little mom & pop body shop that does good work cheap. If the job comes out right maybe I'll throw an offer at you.

Seriously though, that shop sounds like a low bid slap-dash operation. I'd be miffed.

abacomike

I've been watching "Blue Bloods" all day on ion TV (cable).  Never followed the series, but it's a great show.  Luckily, I haven't seen the series so every re-run is new to me.  Acting is great and they have some great actors. I am now a follower! 

Michaell

abacomike said:

I've been watching "Blue Bloods" all day on ion TV (cable).  Never followed the series, but it's a great show.  Luckily, I haven't seen the series so every re-run is new to me.  Acting is great and they have some great actors. I am now a follower! 

Mike, I've spent most of the day in my hotel room doing job search stuff .. I too have "Blue Bloods" on the TV here.

I saw the first 3 or 4 seasons live, but I don't mind the repeats. They've now starting showing season 5 in syndication, so I'm getting caught up when I can.

abacomike

Michaell said:

I've been watching "Blue Bloods" all day on ion TV (cable).  Never followed the series, but it's a great show.  Luckily, I haven't seen the series so every re-run is new to me.  Acting is great and they have some great actors. I am now a follower! 

Mike, I've spent most of the day in my hotel room doing job search stuff .. I too have "Blue Bloods" on the TV here. I saw the first 3 or 4 seasons live, but I don't mind the repeats. They've now starting showing season 5 in syndication, so I'm getting caught up when I can.

I'm enjoying every episode.  Love the concept of a police family with patriarch and sons and grandsons (and grand-daughter).  Will Estes and Donnie Wahlberg and Tom Selleck, etc.  Great acting!

driver100

henryn said:

Someone here in the forums warned me about Caliber Collision, and he (whomever it was) was correct.


I went back to work in the rental car, and called my insurance company. They are going to implement a review to see if Caliber Collision should be on their approved list. This “little mistake” may wind up costing them a lot of money.

My guess is they are the lowest bidder for that insurance companies business. Probably most of their "work" is acceptable, but every once in awhile someone notices a problem. One day the complaints will pile up...in the meantime they will make as much as they can.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

'driver' said:

A few things:
*Makes sense to have the Econoline if he is buying stuff in bulk. But, how many have ever driven one of those? I rented one from U-Haul and it is about as opposite to "feel of the road" as you can get. No fun driving one of those.
_______________________________________________________________________________

I hope you are just being a little humorous about that "feel of the road" comment.

Why would anyone expect to have fun while driving a truck. Plus, the last thing I'd want from an employee is for them to try joy riding my truck while delivering deli trays.

C'mon man.

jmonroe

When you get your quote button working properly you can then question me JM
I rented the Econoline van for just a few hours and I don't know how somebody can drive around in one of those all day long. The steering is loosey goosey, it hasn't got a very good suspension system...you feel every bump. Since it is really a sardine can on wheels there isn't a lot of structure, doesn't feel solid at all, It is also pretty big, so you just get the minimal air conditioning unit to crank out some cool air and it is time to stop and start the process all over again. Gear changes were jarring, and it is underpowered. Not much of a view out the side. The seats are uncomfortable and the driving position is awkward.

I honestly felt sorry for workmen who would have to live with one of these for a full day, every day. I also thought, look how far the automobile has come in the last century, yet this is the best engineering possible for making a van.

It sounds like you think people would be more productive if they aren't very comfortable......I think they do better work if they are treated like humans.

Just joking around a bit, but, what I said about the vans is true.

I have the GM equivilant of an Econoline and I'll tell you from a business point of view I want only one thing from that vehicle...cheap. Every feel of the road costs me money so I'm willing to accept poor ride and handling in return for it increasing my profit.

That's all that matters.

That's probably the reason vans are so minimal. Gets equipment from point A to B as cheap as possible.
They have Lincoln and Cadillac SUVs, those brands should make vans for those of us who need a few creature comforts.

abacomike

driver100 said:

Someone here in the forums warned me about Caliber Collision, and he (whomever it was) was correct. I went back to work in the rental car, and called my insurance company. They are going to implement a review to see if Caliber Collision should be on their approved list. This “little mistake” may wind up costing them a lot of money.

My guess is they are the lowest bidder for that insurance companies business. Probably most of their "work" is acceptable, but every once in awhile someone notices a problem. One day the complaints will pile up...in the meantime they will make as much as they can.

AutoNation did right by me when they replaced my rear bumper.  The car was delivered back to me in pristine condition.  The paint match was perfect considering it was a an iridescent white.  They detailed the whole car as well.  

They do do all their Broward County dealerships' body work here in my area.  

stickguy

last year helping my Dad move to his retirement place, I rented a U haul straight van to take the last of his stuff to the retirement apartment. Turned out to be a GMC, and not particularly old. Drove OK for a van. Kinda bouncy over potholes.

next week I have another one reserved down in NC to get my daughter and her roommate from this years apartment to next years at college. Easier to pack everything up the night before and make one trip. I'm hoping that it is one of the new style Ford Transit full size vans. I see a lot of them at my local U Haul place up in NJ, so maybe I get lucky!

abacomike

stickguy said:

last year helping my Dad move to his retirement place, I rented a U haul straight van to take the last of his stuff to the retirement apartment. Turned out to be a GMC, and not particularly old. Drove OK for a van. Kinda bouncy over potholes. next week I have another one reserved down in NC to get my daughter and her roommate from this years apartment to next years at college. Easier to pack everything up the night before and make one trip. I'm hoping that it is one of the new style Ford Transit full size vans. I see a lot of them at my local U Haul place up in NJ, so maybe I get lucky!

Been there, done that.  College and kids - what a fun exercise in pure futility.  But I was there and moved them from home to college, back home, back to college, to their apartments, etc.  But the best part was paying my mortgage, their rents and car payments - not to mention the "Dear Dad Letters" begging for money.  Those sure were the days! 

snakeweasel

ab348 said:

What do the Reuben sandwich purists insist on: Thousand Island or Russian dressings?

Thousand island, original and still the best

Russian dressing is used by those who put ketchup on hot dogs.

abacomike

snakeweasel said:

What do the Reuben sandwich purists insist on: Thousand Island or Russian dressings?

Thousand island, original and still the best Russian dressing is used by those who put ketchup on hot dogs.

Hey, it's a matter of taste!

driver100

stickguy said:

last year helping my Dad move to his retirement place, I rented a U haul straight van to take the last of his stuff to the retirement apartment. Turned out to be a GMC, and not particularly old. Drove OK for a van. Kinda bouncy over potholes.

next week I have another one reserved down in NC to get my daughter and her roommate from this years apartment to next years at college. Easier to pack everything up the night before and make one trip. I'm hoping that it is one of the new style Ford Transit full size vans. I see a lot of them at my local U Haul place up in NJ, so maybe I get lucky!

The daily rate is really good...I think it was $19.99.
The extras add up a bit......mainly the mileage, but, make sure it goes back with a full tank or you will really get dinged!

Good luck getting a new Ford Transit, I don't think the odds are great!

stickguy

19.99 for 24 hours. But $.59/mile. Good thing it is close. Should not be more than 20, tops. So probably have to throw in 2 gallons of gas too. And I wimped out and took the $10 for CDW protection. so total, somewhere between $40 and $50 to save me a ton of hassle, time and banging up the RDX.

I have my own hand truck at least to bring!

graphicguy

stever said:

@graphicguy, check out (if your roof permits), the panel holders that rest on your roof with just a concrete paver holding them down. No roof penetrations required. That was a big issue with my wife, yet no one here has heard of them. Panel tech keeps improving but today's panels should retain at least 80% of their claimed efficiency by year 20.

Thanks for the insight, Stever and Stick. Appreciate the advice!

graphicguy

henryn said:

Someone here in the forums warned me about Caliber Collision, and he (whomever it was) was correct.

They called me this afternoon, said my Cadillac was ready, I took off and drove down to their shop. They bring the car around, and from 10 feet away I can see a piece of trim hanging loose. Only about a quarter inch, maybe three/eighths, but definitely not right, and apparent from a distance.

I point this out, the body shop employee says, “I’ll just run this around back and fix that.” As he backed up, I spotted that the passenger side headlight assembly was not working. (Parking light on for drivers side, not for passengers side.) I stopped him, and we checked the lights. That entire headlight assembly on the passenger front was replaced, and nothing works. Parking light, headlight, turn signal, nothing.

At this point I’m getting a little hot under the collar. A loose trim piece should never have passed inspection, but it’s not that big of a deal. Trying to put me on the road in an unsafe car, putting my life in danger, that IS a big deal.

I went back to work in the rental car, and called my insurance company. They are going to implement a review to see if Caliber Collision should be on their approved list. This “little mistake” may wind up costing them a lot of money.

WOW...have another shop check all of the rest of their work, perhaps?

graphicguy

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

Fezo...the CTS....it jars me too! Still a little wary of it, though. I'm hyper critical with it given my past experience. So far, the only complaint is I can catch the trans between gear changes every once in a great while, and the downshift becomes a "bang-bang" affair. I leave it in sport mode all the time. In "touring" mode, it's much more docile. But, who in their right mind likes "docile".

Bradd....nice renovation. I like it...a lot!

Side note....my neighbor owns a business selling and installing home solar panels. He seems to be doing quite well, given he just bought a new Lexus LS (what are those? Like $85K?) for himself, and a new RS350 for his wife.

He keeps bugging me to install solar panels and makes a compelling argument. 12 panels generate on average 3kwH earch/day That's 36kwH produced each day. He says on an annual basis, with selling unused power back to the local power company (Duke Energy), my electricity bill should be more or less $0 over 12 months (some winter months I'd have to pay a small amount, some summer months I would get a credit from the power company). Panels, with installation and power converter would cost about $8K. He'd discount his labor since we're neighbors, bringing the total spend to about $7K. This year, the Fed Gov't is giving 30% back for green power (which solar is), bringing the install total to a little over $5K.

I spend about $1K for electricity every year. So, payback is 5 years, at which time, my electricity will be essentially, free.

The downside? Those panels are ugly. And, I'd have to get the HOA to approve letting me do it. He installed his on the 10'x20' wooden tool shed he has in his back yard. So, you can't see the solar panels from the street. I don't have a shed.

Still, compelling project that I'm quite interested in!

OK explain it to me. Let's say your electric bill from the grid is $200. Your solar panels generate $200 worth of electricity. That would seem to net out.

But what is the monthly cost of your system? If your lease or loan payment is $200 or more (as in this example) you are still paying the same or more for your power.

Or am I missing something?

OF...no monthly cost. You pay for the panels and installation up front. Our power company actually puts in a new meter that measures the power coming from the solar panels. So, once installed, there is supposedly no operating, nor maintenance costs involved.

roadburner

nyccarguy said:

Thanks guys.  There are 5 of us at dinner every night, 6 on Monday nights when my wife's Mom comes to watch the kids & Thursday nights when my Mom watches the kids.

It used to be a kitchen & a dining room.  About 4 years ago, we were visiting my wife's cousin in Charlotte who has a knack for decorating.  We were talking about ripping up the floor, replacing the cabinets, & counter tops.  Now our house isn't that big.  It is a 1432 square foot ranch.  She suggested we knock down the wall inbetween the kitchen & dining room because our dining room is a big portion of the house to only be used a handful of times every year.  We saved up for a few years and are thrilled with the results.

When we remodeled our kitchen we knocked out the wall between the kitchen and family room and added a breakfast bar. Like your remodel, not cheap but worth every penny.

Before:



After:

roadburner

Well, RB Jr. is happy; he landed two summer jobs- two days per week he works on commission selling tickets for a local sports team and three days per week he washes and valets cars at the BMW dealer.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

Fezo...the CTS....it jars me too! Still a little wary of it, though. I'm hyper critical with it given my past experience. So far, the only complaint is I can catch the trans between gear changes every once in a great while, and the downshift becomes a "bang-bang" affair. I leave it in sport mode all the time. In "touring" mode, it's much more docile. But, who in their right mind likes "docile".

Bradd....nice renovation. I like it...a lot!

Side note....my neighbor owns a business selling and installing home solar panels. He seems to be doing quite well, given he just bought a new Lexus LS (what are those? Like $85K?) for himself, and a new RS350 for his wife.

He keeps bugging me to install solar panels and makes a compelling argument. 12 panels generate on average 3kwH earch/day That's 36kwH produced each day. He says on an annual basis, with selling unused power back to the local power company (Duke Energy), my electricity bill should be more or less $0 over 12 months (some winter months I'd have to pay a small amount, some summer months I would get a credit from the power company). Panels, with installation and power converter would cost about $8K. He'd discount his labor since we're neighbors, bringing the total spend to about $7K. This year, the Fed Gov't is giving 30% back for green power (which solar is), bringing the install total to a little over $5K.

I spend about $1K for electricity every year. So, payback is 5 years, at which time, my electricity will be essentially, free.

The downside? Those panels are ugly. And, I'd have to get the HOA to approve letting me do it. He installed his on the 10'x20' wooden tool shed he has in his back yard. So, you can't see the solar panels from the street. I don't have a shed.

Still, compelling project that I'm quite interested in!

OK explain it to me. Let's say your electric bill from the grid is $200. Your solar panels generate $200 worth of electricity. That would seem to net out.

But what is the monthly cost of your system? If your lease or loan payment is $200 or more (as in this example) you are still paying the same or more for your power.

Or am I missing something?

OF...no monthly cost. You pay for the panels and installation up front. Our power company actually puts in a new meter that measures the power coming from the solar panels. So, once installed, there is supposedly no operating, nor maintenance costs involved.

Maybe I'm dense but even if you pay cash for your system there is the missed opportunity cost of that cash being spent on solar rather than being invested or spent elsewhere? I mean you could invest that $8k and make money on it. The solar panels would have to offset both your grid power cost plus any money you could have made on your capital elsewhere.

What am I missing?

nyccarguy

Looks fantastic @roadburner!

oldfarmer50

roadburner said:

Well, RB Jr. is happy; he landed two summer jobs- two days per week he works on commission selling tickets for a local sports team and three days per week he washes and valets cars at the BMW dealer.

I wouldn't mind that second job if I was able to air dry the cars on the highway.

driver100

graphicguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

Fezo...the CTS....it jars me too! Still a little wary of it, though. I'm hyper critical with it given my past experience. So far, the only complaint is I can catch the trans between gear changes every once in a great while, and the downshift becomes a "bang-bang" affair. I leave it in sport mode all the time. In "touring" mode, it's much more docile. But, who in their right mind likes "docile".

Bradd....nice renovation. I like it...a lot!

Side note....my neighbor owns a business selling and installing home solar panels. He seems to be doing quite well, given he just bought a new Lexus LS (what are those? Like $85K?) for himself, and a new RS350 for his wife.

He keeps bugging me to install solar panels and makes a compelling argument. 12 panels generate on average 3kwH earch/day That's 36kwH produced each day. He says on an annual basis, with selling unused power back to the local power company (Duke Energy), my electricity bill should be more or less $0 over 12 months (some winter months I'd have to pay a small amount, some summer months I would get a credit from the power company). Panels, with installation and power converter would cost about $8K. He'd discount his labor since we're neighbors, bringing the total spend to about $7K. This year, the Fed Gov't is giving 30% back for green power (which solar is), bringing the install total to a little over $5K.

I spend about $1K for electricity every year. So, payback is 5 years, at which time, my electricity will be essentially, free.

The downside? Those panels are ugly. And, I'd have to get the HOA to approve letting me do it. He installed his on the 10'x20' wooden tool shed he has in his back yard. So, you can't see the solar panels from the street. I don't have a shed.

Still, compelling project that I'm quite interested in!

OK explain it to me. Let's say your electric bill from the grid is $200. Your solar panels generate $200 worth of electricity. That would seem to net out.

But what is the monthly cost of your system? If your lease or loan payment is $200 or more (as in this example) you are still paying the same or more for your power.

Or am I missing something?

OF...no monthly cost. You pay for the panels and installation up front. Our power company actually puts in a new meter that measures the power coming from the solar panels. So, once installed, there is supposedly no operating, nor maintenance costs involved.

FAMOUS LAST WORDS!

driver100

roadburner said:

Well, RB Jr. is happy; he landed two summer jobs- two days per week he works on commission selling tickets for a local sports team and three days per week he washes and valets cars at the BMW dealer.

I love to hear about young people who are entrepreneurs....nice to hear.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

Fezo...the CTS....it jars me too! Still a little wary of it, though. I'm hyper critical with it given my past experience. So far, the only complaint is I can catch the trans between gear changes every once in a great while, and the downshift becomes a "bang-bang" affair. I leave it in sport mode all the time. In "touring" mode, it's much more docile. But, who in their right mind likes "docile".

Bradd....nice renovation. I like it...a lot!

Side note....my neighbor owns a business selling and installing home solar panels. He seems to be doing quite well, given he just bought a new Lexus LS (what are those? Like $85K?) for himself, and a new RS350 for his wife.

He keeps bugging me to install solar panels and makes a compelling argument. 12 panels generate on average 3kwH earch/day That's 36kwH produced each day. He says on an annual basis, with selling unused power back to the local power company (Duke Energy), my electricity bill should be more or less $0 over 12 months (some winter months I'd have to pay a small amount, some summer months I would get a credit from the power company). Panels, with installation and power converter would cost about $8K. He'd discount his labor since we're neighbors, bringing the total spend to about $7K. This year, the Fed Gov't is giving 30% back for green power (which solar is), bringing the install total to a little over $5K.

I spend about $1K for electricity every year. So, payback is 5 years, at which time, my electricity will be essentially, free.

The downside? Those panels are ugly. And, I'd have to get the HOA to approve letting me do it. He installed his on the 10'x20' wooden tool shed he has in his back yard. So, you can't see the solar panels from the street. I don't have a shed.

Still, compelling project that I'm quite interested in!

OK explain it to me. Let's say your electric bill from the grid is $200. Your solar panels generate $200 worth of electricity. That would seem to net out.

But what is the monthly cost of your system? If your lease or loan payment is $200 or more (as in this example) you are still paying the same or more for your power.

Or am I missing something?

OF...no monthly cost. You pay for the panels and installation up front. Our power company actually puts in a new meter that measures the power coming from the solar panels. So, once installed, there is supposedly no operating, nor maintenance costs involved.

Maybe I'm dense but even if you pay cash for your system there is the missed opportunity cost of that cash being spent on solar rather than being invested or spent elsewhere? I mean you could invest that $8k and make money on it. The solar panels would have to offset both your grid power cost plus any money you could have made on your capital elsewhere.

What am I missing?

I hope you get an answer OF. My simple answer would be how much can you make from $8000, maybe invested wisely $800 a year. Does that cover your cost of electricity? It would for us in Florida where electricity is relatively cheap, here in Canada it would cover about half the cost.

Just idle thoughts.....this is not my field of expertise.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

Fezo...the CTS....it jars me too! Still a little wary of it, though. I'm hyper critical with it given my past experience. So far, the only complaint is I can catch the trans between gear changes every once in a great while, and the downshift becomes a "bang-bang" affair. I leave it in sport mode all the time. In "touring" mode, it's much more docile. But, who in their right mind likes "docile".

Bradd....nice renovation. I like it...a lot!

Side note....my neighbor owns a business selling and installing home solar panels. He seems to be doing quite well, given he just bought a new Lexus LS (what are those? Like $85K?) for himself, and a new RS350 for his wife.

He keeps bugging me to install solar panels and makes a compelling argument. 12 panels generate on average 3kwH earch/day That's 36kwH produced each day. He says on an annual basis, with selling unused power back to the local power company (Duke Energy), my electricity bill should be more or less $0 over 12 months (some winter months I'd have to pay a small amount, some summer months I would get a credit from the power company). Panels, with installation and power converter would cost about $8K. He'd discount his labor since we're neighbors, bringing the total spend to about $7K. This year, the Fed Gov't is giving 30% back for green power (which solar is), bringing the install total to a little over $5K.

I spend about $1K for electricity every year. So, payback is 5 years, at which time, my electricity will be essentially, free.

The downside? Those panels are ugly. And, I'd have to get the HOA to approve letting me do it. He installed his on the 10'x20' wooden tool shed he has in his back yard. So, you can't see the solar panels from the street. I don't have a shed.

Still, compelling project that I'm quite interested in!

OK explain it to me. Let's say your electric bill from the grid is $200. Your solar panels generate $200 worth of electricity. That would seem to net out.

But what is the monthly cost of your system? If your lease or loan payment is $200 or more (as in this example) you are still paying the same or more for your power.

Or am I missing something?

OF...no monthly cost. You pay for the panels and installation up front. Our power company actually puts in a new meter that measures the power coming from the solar panels. So, once installed, there is supposedly no operating, nor maintenance costs involved.

Maybe I'm dense but even if you pay cash for your system there is the missed opportunity cost of that cash being spent on solar rather than being invested or spent elsewhere? I mean you could invest that $8k and make money on it. The solar panels would have to offset both your grid power cost plus any money you could have made on your capital elsewhere.

What am I missing?

I hope you get an answer OF. My simple answer would be how much can you make from $8000, maybe invested wisely $800 a year. Does that cover your cost of electricity? It would for us in Florida where electricity is relatively cheap, here in Canada it would cover about half the cost.

Just idle thoughts.....this is not my field of expertise.

$800 a year from $8,000 is a 10% return, even more if we are talking net of taxes. That's a high rate of return these days which would require some rather risky investments to achieve.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

My guess is they are the lowest bidder for that insurance companies business. Probably most of their "work" is acceptable, but every once in awhile someone notices a problem. One day the complaints will pile up...in the meantime they will make as much as they can.

And the insurance company will have made as much money as they can by shorting the customer on the quality of the repair through their "preferred" shop arrangement.

imidazol97

stickguy said:

19.99 for 24 hours. But $.59/mile. Good thing it is close. Should not be more than 20, tops. So probably have to throw in 2 gallons of gas too. And I wimped out and took the $10 for CDW protection. so total, somewhere between $40 and $50 to save me a ton of hassle, time and banging up the RDX.

I have my own hand truck at least to bring!

The mileage charge for the UHaul is deceiving. The low $19 per diem carries the high mile charge. But the charge switches over at 100 miles to $.29/mi, IIRC. But the per day goes to $59? For longer hauls that means the mileage charge does not overwhelm you. E.g., moving Imid, Jr., from his alma mater to a new apartment was about 190 miles total. But the charge was only in the $150 range or so. I was clued into this because one of the scout troop parents was manager when I did a first rental to move Jr between apartments in Columbus.

On the driving characteristics of rentals, I had an Econoline van, then a short box van with the "Mom's attic" over the passenger cab. Box van did NOT have CRUISE CONTROL on the Ford. Both Fords drove like, well, much bigger trucks with a rough ride and poor straightline control, even the Econoline type van.

Last rental was at a local hardware store which had the regular vans without the box. They had a Ford and GMC. I specifically asked for the GMC. It was like driving a much smoother vehicle, loaded or unloaded. To me it was like going from a Forte where every bump was amplified to a Buick with good shocks engineered for that vehicle.

The GMC got better gas mileage on the regular vans. The box van was dismal on fuel with no cruise control. The company, UHaul, explanation was they didn't want people to fall asleep so they omitted cruise control.

imidazol97

@henryn

I'm with GG on having another shop check it out completely before signing off on the work from the insurnace company--probably when you cash their check with the release on it?

In fact, I'd ask the insurance company to pay a quality shop that YOU choose in your area, to inspect it--why should you have to pay to verify the level of work is competent from their "preferred shop" arrangement. You paid insurance assuming work would be done by competent repair shops.

I'd couch it to the adjuster/agent that this is to help them check on the quality of the "preferred shop" they are funneling business to.

I had a problem long ago in Cincy area with a cheap, cheap windshield replacement at a Blue Ash shop which the _agent_ steered me to. Then the replacement windshield for that led to damage on the dash pad. The insurance company even offered to replace the dash pad, but I didn't want a mismatch of colors on a 1-year old Oldsmobile. I made it clear the agent had said he had been golfing with his buddies who had opened a shop and I should go there for replacement windshield work.

graphicguy

re Solar Power......the payback is no more electric bills for the rest of my life. Let's say I live another 25 years. Just for round numbers, let's say my electric bill is $100/mo.x12 mos=$1,200/yr.

$1,200 x 25=$30,000

Personally, I don't think I can come up with an iron clad way to make a 10% ROI on $8,000.

But, even being aggressive and saying an annual ROI of $400 on that $8K. $400x25=$10,000. But, that's also assumng I never take that money and use if for anything...just watch it accumulate interest.

Simple math
-Solar Panels net $30,000 less $8,000 for cost of installation=$22,000
-$8,000 investment nets $10,000 over 25 years, but in the end, I'm not alive to use the money.

Fed Gov't is rebating 30% of the cost of the solar, too.

There's the math.

Not saying I'll do it. But, the numbers make sense in favor of solar.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:

Fezo...the CTS....it jars me too! Still a little wary of it, though. I'm hyper critical with it given my past experience. So far, the only complaint is I can catch the trans between gear changes every once in a great while, and the downshift becomes a "bang-bang" affair. I leave it in sport mode all the time. In "touring" mode, it's much more docile. But, who in their right mind likes "docile".

Bradd....nice renovation. I like it...a lot!

Side note....my neighbor owns a business selling and installing home solar panels. He seems to be doing quite well, given he just bought a new Lexus LS (what are those? Like $85K?) for himself, and a new RS350 for his wife.

He keeps bugging me to install solar panels and makes a compelling argument. 12 panels generate on average 3kwH earch/day That's 36kwH produced each day. He says on an annual basis, with selling unused power back to the local power company (Duke Energy), my electricity bill should be more or less $0 over 12 months (some winter months I'd have to pay a small amount, some summer months I would get a credit from the power company). Panels, with installation and power converter would cost about $8K. He'd discount his labor since we're neighbors, bringing the total spend to about $7K. This year, the Fed Gov't is giving 30% back for green power (which solar is), bringing the install total to a little over $5K.

I spend about $1K for electricity every year. So, payback is 5 years, at which time, my electricity will be essentially, free.

The downside? Those panels are ugly. And, I'd have to get the HOA to approve letting me do it. He installed his on the 10'x20' wooden tool shed he has in his back yard. So, you can't see the solar panels from the street. I don't have a shed.

Still, compelling project that I'm quite interested in!

OK explain it to me. Let's say your electric bill from the grid is $200. Your solar panels generate $200 worth of electricity. That would seem to net out.

But what is the monthly cost of your system? If your lease or loan payment is $200 or more (as in this example) you are still paying the same or more for your power.

Or am I missing something?

OF...no monthly cost. You pay for the panels and installation up front. Our power company actually puts in a new meter that measures the power coming from the solar panels. So, once installed, there is supposedly no operating, nor maintenance costs involved.

Maybe I'm dense but even if you pay cash for your system there is the missed opportunity cost of that cash being spent on solar rather than being invested or spent elsewhere? I mean you could invest that $8k and make money on it. The solar panels would have to offset both your grid power cost plus any money you could have made on your capital elsewhere.

What am I missing?

I hope you get an answer OF. My simple answer would be how much can you make from $8000, maybe invested wisely $800 a year. Does that cover your cost of electricity? It would for us in Florida where electricity is relatively cheap, here in Canada it would cover about half the cost.

Just idle thoughts.....this is not my field of expertise.

$800 a year from $8,000 is a 10% return, even more if we are talking net of taxes. That's a high rate of return these days which would require some rather risky investments to achieve.

I was stretching it by making it a 10% return, just to give a best case scenario. If your return is less, and electricity cost is more, then the solar panels seem to be more attractive.

I am leery of things like solar panels though....I always think someone is going to invent something even better and solar panels will become the Betamax of electrical supply.