Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

driver100

Ab, good info about the micro-breweries and the big guys. When we were in Pittsburg to see Fallingwater I had a Yuengling because so many of you liked it....and I can see why. It is special.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

kyfdx said:

stever said:

driver100 said:

Thanks for the Canada Day wishes. To celebrate Canada Day we went to ......you guessed it, the USA, specifically Buffalo N.Y. to see the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Martin House and 30 minutes away, a separate tour, the Martin Family Cottage on Lake Erie.

Wonderful tour....if you are into architecture and the genius of F L Wright.

BTW....lots of Tim Horton's in Buffalo area....and they are packed, lots of people seem to like them in the US too.

We did the Martin House tour, oh, seems like 6 or 8 years ago.

Some genius - who builds a flat roof house in Buffalo LOL. Ah Timmys - could use a cup now with two on the side.

We did that tour, as well. I think about 10 years ago?

We have the only municipal building ever designed by Wright, in Marin county.

Leaked like a sieve from day one.

Weatherproofing does not seem to have been among his considerable skills.

I guess he was a better designer than an engineer. I seem to remember one of his more famous houses (Falling Water?) had to be seriously rebuilt because the various cantilevers caused stress cracks everywhere and they were afraid it might collapse.

Wright took one year of engineering, and he really started out as a draftsman. He didn't take architecture at all, so you are absolutely correct OF....really he was a designer, and though he wasn't a nice person in a lot of ways, many people loved him and he sure was a genius when it came to design.

One of the things I liked most was the way he would hide those ugly water radiators. He would put them at the back of a built in desk and he would have louver type vents for the heat to come out. He didn't want the mechanical stuff showing. He would hide stairways behind walls, and he even hid front doors so they wouldn't show. Absolute genius, and this was from about 1900 to 1959 when he died. He made clean flowing lines that you don't get tired of. He probably could have designed a great car.

roadburner

nelsonf said:

I found this picture online. I believe the gold calipers are part of the Competition Package, which I didn't order, so mine should be blue. Otherwise, it looks like what I ordered.

Great choice! Your car will get iDrive 5.0, which is basically the same layout as the G12 7 Series except that it won't have the 7er's touch screen.

nelsonf

Thanks everyone, it should be fun!

sb55

Up here in Vermont there are the most micro-breweries per capita than anywhere else in the USA. One beer up here is in such high demand that lines form hours before a "drop" is done by the store once per week. It's called Heady Topper and is brewed by the Alchemist brewery. My daughter lives in Brooklyn and every time we visit we have to endure the lines to get her some. And, all they give you the privilege to buy are two 4-packs. Funny thing is, most times that I have been on line, it's older folks buying it for relatives or wives for husbands.

driver100

sb55 said:

Up here in Vermont there are the most micro-breweries per capita than anywhere else in the USA. One beer up here is in such high demand that lines form hours before a "drop" is done by the store. It's called Heady Topper and is brewed by the Alchemist brewery. My daughter lives in Brooklyn and every time we visit we have to endure the lines to get her some. And, all the let you buy are two 4-packs. Funny thing is, most times that I have been on line, it's older folks buying it for relatives or wives for husbands.

Please get me two cases so I can try it

bwia

ab348 said:

snakeweasel said:

Any craft brewery that is doing anywhere near decent sales is targeted by big beer for buyout. Now while craft beer may be a small percentage of all beer sales it is the only segment that is actually growing and the profits from a 12 pack of Goose Island is a lot more than the profits from a 12 pack of Bud. So big beer is interested in any craft brewery that is established and has any type of following, it's the only path they have for growth.

I was in the booze business for over a decade, so I know a bit about how this all works. You would be astounded at how little it costs InBev to manufacture a case of Bud or Busch. Literally, it is next to nothing on a unit volume basis. The packaging costs more than the beer. The profit margins for commercial brewers are huge because of their massive scale. That is offset by marketing and distribution costs, but on product itself, the margins are huge. No craft brewer could even come close.

The thing about craft beer is that once you get bought, the beer geeks find out about it and immediately start moving on to the next independent brewer. A lot of owners want to get bought out, as they get tired of the headaches associated with growth and competition and having to make the same thing all the time. But there is no shortage of others who want to move in, and the cycle continues. Up here in Canada they never even tried to pass off Blue Moon as craft beer. It was packaged as a Molson's "Rickards" branded product for a while, and now has morphed into "Belgian Moon" for trademark reasons I presume, but nobody mistakes it for craft beer. Something similar happened to Shock Top and is now happening again for Goose Island. The list of "used-to-be-craft" beers is growing, but there are all kinds of others moving in to take their place.

The big brewers aren't built to manage little craft operations. They just aren't, and InBev in particular is run by a fairly ruthless bunch out of Brazil who really do not understand the phenomenon very well. They are buying these things without any real plan, and as soon as the corporate culture develops one, the value of those acquisitions will spiral down as corporate management imposes itself upon the operators. All the big commercial guys understand is volume, and that is the antithesis to craft brewing.

Nice dissertation on the beer biz. I thorough enjoyed reading it--thanks for sharing.

bwia

I sat in the 2016 Buick Envision yesterday but the $46,000 price tag was a turnoff. They had only one copy and it was in the showroom, so no opportunity for a test drive.

Nice vehicle overall, with all the tech gizmos, but unfortunately it is just another mid-size SUV. Nothing stood out except the huge 19-inch wheels and the back seat that was plenty spacious. The 18-year old salesman knew nothing about the Envision except to exclaim, every 30 seconds, that it was a nice car.

Not sure which vehicles are direct competitors or who is the intended audience for the Envision but based upon it's looks (bland) and price (insane) this vehicle will be an extremely slow seller.

bwia

Way, way off topic but let me indulge for a minute.

I am an airplane enthusiast and I stumbled upon a story about a $400 million British funded airport that is officially opened but not operational because of excessive wind shear. How could this happen you may ask, well someone did the wind studies and measurements away from the airport site. **it happens.

This airport happens to be on the island of St. Helena in the southern Atlantic, the most remote inhabited place on the planet. And here are two interesting facts that I learned. Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to St. Helena where he died in 1815. The other fact I learned is that the world's oldest living creature, a tortoise, named "Jonathan" lives on the island. He is estimated to be 184 years old.

cdnpinhead

isellhondas said:

Well...actually the 1966 VW Beetles had a one year only 1300 engine that produced 50 horsepower.

As I recall, the oldest VWs had 36 hp for decades; don't know when they started getting more power.

sda

A friend of mine was given his grandmother's '68 beetle auto stick shift. This was around 1979. It was a solid dark green with white interior. It had 3 forward speeds and was not fully automatic. There was a low gear, 1 and 2, low to be used when starting up hill. He quickly learned to get any semblance of acceleration it was a must to start out in low and then shift 1-2. We had a blast in that slow car.

isellhondas

cdnpinhead said:

isellhondas said:

Well...actually the 1966 VW Beetles had a one year only 1300 engine that produced 50 horsepower.

As I recall, the oldest VWs had 36 hp for decades; don't know when they started getting more power.

In 1961 VW raised the horsepower from 36 to 40 where it remained through 1965.

My 1964 Beetle would top out at 72 MPH. When I had the engine rebuilt they put in a Big Bore kit that upped the top speed to 75 MPH. Crosswinds were not fun to deal with!

oldfarmer50

P

bwia said:

Way, way off topic but let me indulge for a minute.

I am an airplane enthusiast and I stumbled upon a story about a $400 million British funded airport that is officially opened but not operational because of excessive wind shear. How could this happen you may ask, well someone did the wind studies and measurements away from the airport site. **it happens.

This airport happens to be on the island of St. Helena in the southern Atlantic, the most remote inhabited place on the planet. And here are two interesting facts that I learned. Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to St. Helena where he died in 1815. The other fact I learned is that the world's oldest living creature, a tortoise, named "Jonathan" lives on the island. He is estimated to be 184 years old.

Maybe being so isolated they had to put the airport where ever there was room regardless of wind shear.

Napoleon was banished there after he escaped from Elba Island and got into mischief again. Rumor has it that the isolation made it possible to poison him there without witnesses.

oldfarmer50

sda said:

A friend of mine was given his grandmother's '68 beetle auto stick shift. This was around 1979. It was a solid dark green with white interior. It had 3 forward speeds and was not fully automatic. There was a low gear, 1 and 2, low to be used when starting up hill. He quickly learned to get any semblance of acceleration it was a must to start out in low and then shift 1-2. We had a blast in that slow car.

My brother's 74 Beatle was a torture to drive but I learned to drive stick on it (the hard way) if you took the driver's seat out and drove from the back there still wouldn't have been enough leg room.

oldfarmer50

Hey here's a question.

When you get your car back from the Takada airbag recall or accident repair how do you know it works? Is the dash light when you turn the key a foolproof indicator? I've heard of shady repair shops and car flippers putting non functional bags in before sale. I've wondered if an overwhelmed dealer might try something similar. How would you know until it was too late?

driver100

Bwia....I loved this line, and I know it happens...but, shouldn't;

The 18-year old salesman knew nothing about the Envision except to exclaim, every 30 seconds, that it was a nice car.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

Hey here's a question.

When you get your car back from the Takada airbag recall or accident repair how do you know it works? Is the dash light when you turn the key a foolproof indicator? I've heard of shady repair shops and car flippers putting non functional bags in before sale. I've wondered if an overwhelmed dealer might try something similar. How would you know until it was too late?

I understand a lot of reassembled used cars have old airbags stuffed back again. I doubt if a franchised new car dealer would risk lawsuits using old airbags....besides, they are paid by the manufacturer to perform the work, so no point in doing it themselves.

stickguy

you should see the airbag light go on for a few seconds when you start the car, then go off. if you don't see it at all, someone could have messed around. I'm sure there are ways to bypass the system if you leave the bag out.

only way to tell for sure, drive into a wall!

fordfool

sb55 said:

Up here in Vermont there are the most micro-breweries per capita than anywhere else in the USA. One beer up here is in such high demand that lines form hours before a "drop" is done by the store once per week. It's called Heady Topper and is brewed by the Alchemist brewery. My daughter lives in Brooklyn and every time we visit we have to endure the lines to get her some. And, all they give you the privilege to buy are two 4-packs. Funny thing is, most times that I have been on line, it's older folks buying it for relatives or wives for husbands.

I remember locals sending or taking cases of Coors to friends back east when I lived in Wyoming (early seventies). Eventually Coors went national through agreements with Miller and Molson.

Beer and gasoline are both heavy and cheap (relatively speaking compared to other liquids), therefore they cannot be shipped long distances economically. Consequently, every area has its own breweries (eight for Coors) and refineries. And you can find local brands of both beer and gas, a once common trend that is disappearing with globalization.

nelsonf

sb55 said:

Up here in Vermont there are the most micro-breweries per capita than anywhere else in the USA. One beer up here is in such high demand that lines form hours before a "drop" is done by the store once per week. It's called Heady Topper and is brewed by the Alchemist brewery. My daughter lives in Brooklyn and every time we visit we have to endure the lines to get her some. And, all they give you the privilege to buy are two 4-packs. Funny thing is, most times that I have been on line, it's older folks buying it for relatives or wives for husbands.

My brother-in-law lives in NH and loves Heady Topper. I think he's been in line a few times to get some.

stickguy

my son (in Albany) went out a couple of times and scored some. He had it at Christmas one year, and I tried it. did not care for it much.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

my son (in Albany) went out a couple of times and scored some. He had it at Christmas one year, and I tried it. did not care for it much.

He should go over to Troy and visit Brown's Brewing Company. I like their Brown Ale but I hear their IPA is good too.

stickguy

will have to ask if he is familiar with that one.

dino001

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

Silly to require navi to get CarPlay. That is one of the best things about it, not needing nav built in!

It looks like my aversion to Nav systems has finally come in handy. Because you can get everything on a phone now the onboard Nav system is becoming obsolete. I just had to wait it out.

It's true, except in areas without cell coverage. Not many places lack it, but I just experienced one - Banff/Jasper/Kootenay/Yoho National Parks in Canadian Rockies. Your cell phone based GPS won't work, as it won't load the map on route, only in select points, over 60 miles apart from each other. But it isn't big deal, admittedly, the signage for point of interest was good enough and there wasn't anynway to get lost there. One big road north-south and couple east-west.

BTW, the views are just fantastic. I think it may beat Yellowstone, Grand Teton, or American Rockies, which I liked very much. Not by much, but the peaks and valleys are just phenomenal, more dramatic and vaster. The awesome impression of endlessness is more prononunced. As I understand, it's because the glacier persisted for longer, so it did a "bigger" job. I think only Grand and Bryce Canyons are "better" (for lack of a better term).

driver100

Quite a trip Dino.....Lake Louise is pretty nice too.

What gets me these days is all the people at these tourist sights. When we saw the Pyramids a few years ago I expected there to be about 500 people wandering around.........instead there was about 500 buses and about 5000 people and about 1000 cars.

I have seen Banff and Jasper about 40 years ago and you would be one of the few people on the small two lane road that takes you there, when I returned 20 years ago it was hard to find a parking spot, and if you did it was no longer free.

dino001

Yeah, when I was leaving the park area yesterday, at Banff/Canmore gate there was a mile (!) long car line. Lake Louise exit was closed, there was an overflow parking available with a shuttle. Fortunately, I was passing by at that point, coming back from Jasper. I saw Banff/LL first thing last week. It is clear Calgary's proximity and larger infrastrucutre make Banff choice for short getaways, i.e. It gets insanely busy over weekends. You need to commit more time for Jasper, or the other parks, making those highways less busy. Anyway, I made 3000 km in 11 days, from and back to Calgary, distances certainly add up quickly there. Flying back home tomorrow morning.

Definitely recommend the experience, but it needs to be planned well, with crowds factored into the route.

BTW, I find both Canadian and American names for toilets (washroom vs. restroom) humorous, especially when those field units with no plumbing are concerned. :laughing: I guess it's all about finding a proper eupheemism.

driver100

dino001 said:

BTW, I find both Canadian and American names for toilets (washroom vs. restroom) humorous, especially when those field units with no plumbing are concerned. :laughing: I guess it's all about finding a proper eupheemism.

Well, better than the British "Water Closet". Washroom and restroom sound a little softer than toilets, as in I am going to the restroom rather than I am going to sit on the toilet.

sda

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

ab348

driver100 said:

dino001 said:

BTW, I find both Canadian and American names for toilets (washroom vs. restroom) humorous, especially when those field units with no plumbing are concerned. :laughing: I guess it's all about finding a proper eupheemism.

Well, better than the British "Water Closet". Washroom and restroom sound a little softer than toilets, as in I am going to the restroom rather than I am going to sit on the toilet.

What about "Comfort Station"? I remember the first time I saw that on a door, I expected to see a sofa and recliner inside.

driver100

sda said:

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

+1

driver100

ab348 said:

driver100 said:

dino001 said:

BTW, I find both Canadian and American names for toilets (washroom vs. restroom) humorous, especially when those field units with no plumbing are concerned. :laughing: I guess it's all about finding a proper eupheemism.

Well, better than the British "Water Closet". Washroom and restroom sound a little softer than toilets, as in I am going to the restroom rather than I am going to sit on the toilet.

What about "Comfort Station"? I remember the first time I saw that on a door, I expected to see a sofa and recliner inside.

Speaking of which.......I love those Dyson hand dryers....they really work.

Not like the old kind;

Michaell

Remembering my dad today. This was always the busiest day of the year for him. He would cruise the beaches and confiscate illegal fireworks. Then, a few months later, they would destroy them, along with other seized explosive contraband.

I was lucky enough to attend one of these. A large pit was dug out at Camarillo airport, and the materials put into it. A length of chain link fence was put over the top to prevent things from getting out of hand.

The year I went, it took a while to get the party started, but it was quite a sight once it did.

And then, a length of det cord went off. Blew the chain link fence about 50' from the pit. Fortunately, away from where we were all standing.

To this day, I still struggle with fire. Candles, BBQ grilles - you name it, I've got a healthy respect for it.

Everyone have a happy and safe Independence Day!

stever

@driver100, it's fun to read the new study blurbs that come out every couple of years about hand driers - the naysayers claim that all the Dyson's do is spread your germs all over every conceivable surface in the washroom (even though they have air filters). Others says no one uses them correctly and damp hands are a magnet for germs.

The sickliest person in my family uses alcohol wipes non-stop. My sister is a bigger slob than me and she beat AML 6 years ago.

Another good reason not to change your oil too often. Dirt really is good for you.

(Congrats @Michaell - our 32nd is in three days)

roadburner

oldfarmer50

stever said:

@driver100, it's fun to read the new study blurbs that come out every couple of years about hand driers - the naysayers claim that all the Dyson's do is spread your germs all over every conceivable surface in the washroom (even though they have air filters). Others says no one uses them correctly and damp hands are a magnet for germs.

The sickliest person in my family uses alcohol wipes non-stop. My sister is a bigger slob than me and she beat AML 6 years ago.

Another good reason not to change your oil too often. Dirt really is good for you.

(Congrats @Michaell - our 32nd is in three days)

Show your germophobe relative this:

Bacterial cells outnumber human cells 10 to 1, she says, but because they are much smaller than human cells, they account for only about 1 to 2 percent of our body mass—though they do make up about half of our body's waste.Sep 12, 2013
Fact: You Carry Around Enough Bacteria To Fill A Large Soup Can ...
www.popsci.com › science › article › fyi...

stever

C'mon, you know you can't convince other people about "science" (or much of anything else).

Otherwise the 3,000 mile oil change joints would all fold.

imidazol97

stever said:

Others says no one uses them correctly and damp hands are a magnet for germs.

I prefer a soap dispenser that's got an infrared sensor so I don't have to press the handle to dispense. Same for the faucet. Then a paper towel dispenser and a trash can close to the door so I can use the paper towel to open the door if it opens inward and toss the paper. If door opens out I use my elbow to open it.

oldfarmer50

stever said:

C'mon, you know you can't convince other people about "science" (or much of anything else).

Otherwise the 3,000 mile oil change joints would all fold.

I'd eat dirt before I give up my 3000 mile Dino oil changes.

houdini1

dino001 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

Silly to require navi to get CarPlay. That is one of the best things about it, not needing nav built in!

It looks like my aversion to Nav systems has finally come in handy. Because you can get everything on a phone now the onboard Nav system is becoming obsolete. I just had to wait it out.

It's true, except in areas without cell coverage. Not many places lack it, but I just experienced one - Banff/Jasper/Kootenay/Yoho National Parks in Canadian Rockies. Your cell phone based GPS won't work, as it won't load the map on route, only in select points, over 60 miles apart from each other. But it isn't big deal, admittedly, the signage for point of interest was good enough and there wasn't anynway to get lost there. One big road north-south and couple east-west.

BTW, the views are just fantastic. I think it may beat Yellowstone, Grand Teton, or American Rockies, which I liked very much. Not by much, but the peaks and valleys are just phenomenal, more dramatic and vaster. The awesome impression of endlessness is more prononunced. As I understand, it's because the glacier persisted for longer, so it did a "bigger" job. I think only Grand and Bryce Canyons are "better" (for lack of a better term).

I was there about 20 years ago. Simply stunning, and then, no big crowds. I don't know if they still have the cable cars that go up the mountain near Banff, but it was an amazing ride. That whole area of Canada is awesome with much more sweeping vistas than the U.S. Rockies.

stever

oldfarmer50 said:

stever said:

C'mon, you know you can't convince other people about "science" (or much of anything else).

Otherwise the 3,000 mile oil change joints would all fold.

I'd eat dirt before I give up my 3000 mile Dino oil changes.

Do that and you'll outlive your car.

What's nice about the Banff/Jasper drive is that you are on the flats looking up at all the Rockies. Mt. Robson is fun too. First time we went there we'd been living in Anchorage for a few years. Going up the trail people were passing us left and right anxious to get to the end so they could hang out by the glacier. We kept lollygagging gawking at the big trees. We'd seen ice.

bwia

Speaking of lavatories ... I just bought a new toilet seat with blue LED lighting.

Pretty neat I must say, but unfortunately I created a monster for myself as my wife says I have no excuse to spray the floor with my nocturnal emissions. So now, I have to mop the floor myself, but when the batteries go I will just have to pee in the dark.

suydam

imidazol97 said:

stever said:

Others says no one uses them correctly and damp hands are a magnet for germs.

I prefer a soap dispenser that's got an infrared sensor so I don't have to press the handle to dispense. Same for the faucet. Then a paper towel dispenser and a trash can close to the door so I can use the paper towel to open the door if it opens inward and toss the paper. If door opens out I use my elbow to open it.

I do those things too but mainly because I'm a transplant recipient and have a somewhat compromised immune system.

explorerx4

Ababomike hasn't posted anything since June 13th. Did I miss something?

Mr_Shiftright

bwia said:

Way, way off topic but let me indulge for a minute.

I am an airplane enthusiast and I stumbled upon a story about a $400 million British funded airport that is officially opened but not operational because of excessive wind shear. How could this happen you may ask, well someone did the wind studies and measurements away from the airport site. **it happens.

This airport happens to be on the island of St. Helena in the southern Atlantic, the most remote inhabited place on the planet. And here are two interesting facts that I learned. Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to St. Helena where he died in 1815. The other fact I learned is that the world's oldest living creature, a tortoise, named "Jonathan" lives on the island. He is estimated to be 184 years old.

The French say that Bonaparte died there of English cooking.....'jes sayin'.......

Mr_Shiftright

oldfarmer50 said:

stever said:

C'mon, you know you can't convince other people about "science" (or much of anything else).

Otherwise the 3,000 mile oil change joints would all fold.

I'd eat dirt before I give up my 3000 mile Dino oil changes.

I don't want to shatter your illusions, but the oil comes from plants, not dinosaurs. Aw, you knew that! So it should be your "veggie" oil changes

stever

Ah, so that's why I've been seeing "Extra-Virgin First Pressing" on jugs of dexos.

28firefighter

explorerx4 said:

Ababomike hasn't posted anything since June 13th. Did I miss something?

There was some commotion over the use of the "abuse" flag and I think he was unhappy about that. Not sure if he is still lurking and not posting. 

explorerx4

@28firefighter,
Thanks. If that's true, I hope he decides to come back.

28firefighter

explorerx4 said:

@28firefighter, Thanks. If that's true, I hope he decides to come back.

100% agree. 

driver100

28firefighter said:

explorerx4 said:

Ababomike hasn't posted anything since June 13th. Did I miss something?

There was some commotion over the use of the "abuse" flag and I think he was unhappy about that. Not sure if he is still lurking and not posting. 

I don't think Mike will be back unfortunately, and it was because of the flagging. On top of that he has some serious health issues to contend with, and a big test coming up later this week. Mike added a lot to our forum, hope he will be back, but not counting on it.