Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

jmonroe

I think I found it @houdini1 but I never saw one on a car or bouncing down the road.

https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M8eada9d70bd6bd3e967c7b28418ded81o0&pid=15.1

jmonroe

ab348

I think those were called desert coolers or swamp coolers. You put some cold water in them and it directed the airstream into the car. I guess it helped some.

jmonroe

ab348 said:

I think those were called desert coolers or swamp coolers. You put some cold water in them and it directed the airstream into the car. I guess it helped some.

I'm pretty sure you're right.

I think our desert dweller @stever should be able to tell us more about this. Heck, he might even have one in the rock pile out back hiding right next to his pet rattler.

jmonroe

fintail

Backup cams are a nice toy to have these days now that designers have eliminated rearward vision with high beltlines and thick pillars. BMWs certainly aren't immune from this.

That window mounted cooler reminds me of a cool under dash unit I saw at an estate sale years ago - it operated by putting ice in the unit, and the cool air was circulated in the car. It was new in box, probably from around 1960. I kind of smirked at it, and didn't buy it, but soon realized I wanted it, would have been cool in the fintail. The sale was long over by then, of course.

stickguy

high beltlines, small windows, and giant rear headrests. There are a bunch of cars now where the inside mirror is just about useless, at least for seeing anything within 50 feet of the car. or low. A BU cam really is IMO a must now. If you are too proud to use it, up to you. Just don't look at it, but I want all the info I can possibly get!

otherwise start designing cars like my 2000 TL with great rear visibility again.

fintail

My prior E had surround view, but a supplier issue for MY 2016 cars means it virtually doesn't exist for that year. I miss it a lot, as I am a perfectionist parker, and it helped me a lot. The rear cam is clearer though, it's a must have on a modern car.

The fintail is amazing for vision - thin pillars, wraparound windows, and fins for guides - it might be the easiest to park car I have ever driven.

oldfarmer50

fintail said:

My prior E had surround view, but a supplier issue for MY 2016 cars means it virtually doesn't exist for that year. I miss it a lot, as I am a perfectionist parker, and it helped me a lot. The rear cam is clearer though, it's a must have on a modern car.

The fintail is amazing for vision - thin pillars, wraparound windows, and fins for guides - it might be the easiest to park car I have ever driven.

The back up camera screen on my Mustang is so small that it's not much use for seeing anything smaller than a car. Handy when I pull out of the garage if someone were to be parked behind me but I wouldn't trust it for any other backing.

driver100

js06gv said:

The fact that ANY BMW these days comes without a backup camera is just ridiculous.

Maybe BMW drivers love driving so much they don't want nanny devices...rather do it themselves!

I agree though, if $16000 Kia's have them and every car has them then a bmw should surely have one....it has become a necessity. And you don't realize how much you miss blind spot warnings until you don't have them.
Now if I change lanes I don't have a warning and so I almost assume the lane is next to me is clear - then I remember I really have to look,

nyccarguy

Count me in as a backup cam fan

driver100

fintail said:

My prior E had surround view, but a supplier issue for MY 2016 cars means it virtually doesn't exist for that year. I miss it a lot, as I am a perfectionist parker, and it helped me a lot. The rear cam is clearer though, it's a must have on a modern car.

The fintail is amazing for vision - thin pillars, wraparound windows, and fins for guides - it might be the easiest to park car I have ever driven.

For my 2017 I ordered the Tech Package, includes the 360 degree camera with the top view, and LED headlights, auto high beam and heads up window display - the first 3 were all on my 2015, but they tried to say I shouldn't get that $2600 package. The 360 camera which gives a view from directly above the car lets you see how close to a curb you are, where a driveway ends, all kinds of things....don't use it too often but it is nice to have in certain situations.

jmonroe

driver100 said:

fintail said:

My prior E had surround view, but a supplier issue for MY 2016 cars means it virtually doesn't exist for that year. I miss it a lot, as I am a perfectionist parker, and it helped me a lot. The rear cam is clearer though, it's a must have on a modern car.

The fintail is amazing for vision - thin pillars, wraparound windows, and fins for guides - it might be the easiest to park car I have ever driven.

For my 2017 I ordered the Tech Package, includes the 360 degree camera with the top view, and LED headlights, auto high beam and heads up window display - the first 3 were all on my 2015, but they tried to say I shouldn't get that $2600 package. The 360 camera which gives a view from directly above the car lets you see how close to a curb you are, where a driveway ends, all kinds of things....don't use it too often but it is nice to have in certain situations.

Like you I have the top view thingy on my '15 Genny (didn't have it on the '09) and also like you I rarely use it but I have forced myself to use it a few times. While the basic backup camera is useful that top view thing is getting a little too cute IMO.

jmonroe

stever

jmonroe said:

ab348 said:

I think those were called desert coolers or swamp coolers. You put some cold water in them and it directed the airstream into the car. I guess it helped some.

I'm pretty sure you're right.

I think our desert dweller @stever should be able to tell us more about this. Heck, he might even have one in the rock pile out back hiding right next to his pet rattler.

jmonroe

Haven't spotted one of those yet. When I was a kid I used to see those canvas water bags that people would tie to the front of their cars. Guess that was to help cool the radiator down. I remember home swamp coolers growing up as well, and they are still relatively common out here. Seem to work pretty well and they are cheaper to run than AC units.

roadburner

I'd definitely want a backup camera if I had an X5, 6er, or 7er, but it's totally unnecessary on a 2er. Ditto for blind spot monitoring. It's much like Parking Assistant on a Mini Cooper; how poor a driver must you be if you require an electronic aid to parallel park a 152" long car?

graphicguy

You guys are bringing back a lot of memories for me. There's a picture floating around of my Dad's first new car. I don't remember it much because I was still probably only 3 or 4 years old. But, we have pictures that I recall.

At one point, my Father loved Chryslers and Chryco products (before he loved Lincolns). I suppose they had a pretty good reputation in the 60's and 70's (vs today where they've been bounced around from Mercedes to some idiotic finance company to Fiat).

Not sure of the year, but guessing late 60s my Dad had an Imperial.....power windows and A/C. The power windows provided hours of entertainment for me while riding in back......until my Father pur a very unceremonious stop to my fascination.

Don't remember them giving him any problems. Either I was very small, or the car was very large, but it seemed like an apartment to me.

ab348

A late '60s Imperial would have enough room inside for HGTV to do a renovation series about the interior.

henryn

stever said:

jmonroe said:

ab348 said:

I think those were called desert coolers or swamp coolers. You put some cold water in them and it directed the airstream into the car. I guess it helped some.

I'm pretty sure you're right.

I think our desert dweller @stever should be able to tell us more about this. Heck, he might even have one in the rock pile out back hiding right next to his pet rattler.

jmonroe

Haven't spotted one of those yet. When I was a kid I used to see those canvas water bags that people would tie to the front of their cars. Guess that was to help cool the radiator down. I remember home swamp coolers growing up as well, and they are still relatively common out here. Seem to work pretty well and they are cheaper to run than AC units.

That canvas water bag allowed a very small amount of water to seep through (osmosis, whatever). And if you had a high speed air flow around the bag, then you had evaporative cooling. So you had cool water to drink, without ice. My father would tie the canvas water bag to the door handle, not to the front end of the car. Back in the 1950's, if you traveled certain highways in West Texas or New Mexico, it was a very good idea to have a water supply in case of breakdown. Kind of like the way people up in the frozen northern wastelands have emergency rations in the trunks of their cars.

stickguy

Driver, if a backup cam is a "nanny" feature, so is your rear view mirror! Actually, I just look at it as an advancement to mirror technology.

hey, in the old days, a BMW didn't have a Right side outside mirror either. Should get rid of that too, right?

stever

henryn said:

stever said:

jmonroe said:

ab348 said:

I think those were called desert coolers or swamp coolers. You put some cold water in them and it directed the airstream into the car. I guess it helped some.

I'm pretty sure you're right.

I think our desert dweller @stever should be able to tell us more about this. Heck, he might even have one in the rock pile out back hiding right next to his pet rattler.

jmonroe

Haven't spotted one of those yet. When I was a kid I used to see those canvas water bags that people would tie to the front of their cars. Guess that was to help cool the radiator down. I remember home swamp coolers growing up as well, and they are still relatively common out here. Seem to work pretty well and they are cheaper to run than AC units.

That canvas water bag allowed a very small amount of water to seep through (osmosis, whatever). And if you had a high speed air flow around the bag, then you had evaporative cooling. So you had cool water to drink, without ice. My father would tie the canvas water bag to the door handle, not to the front end of the car. Back in the 1950's, if you traveled certain highways in West Texas or New Mexico, it was a very good idea to have a water supply in case of breakdown. Kind of like the way people up in the frozen northern wastelands have emergency rations in the trunks of their cars.

Yeah, seems like tying it to the front of the car would be a good way to block the radiator and insure that your car would overheat. But at least you'd have some cool water to drink while broken down out in the wastelands.

jmonroe

stever said:

jmonroe said:

ab348 said:

I think those were called desert coolers or swamp coolers. You put some cold water in them and it directed the airstream into the car. I guess it helped some.

I'm pretty sure you're right.

I think our desert dweller @stever should be able to tell us more about this. Heck, he might even have one in the rock pile out back hiding right next to his pet rattler.

jmonroe

Haven't spotted one of those yet. When I was a kid I used to see those canvas water bags that people would tie to the front of their cars. Guess that was to help cool the radiator down. I remember home swamp coolers growing up as well, and they are still relatively common out here. Seem to work pretty well and they are cheaper to run than AC units.

I never saw one of those either. I'm beginning to think I lived a sheltered life as a typical brat growing up in South Western PA.

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright

oldfarmer50 said:

Some bedtime reading. Pleasant dreams.

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/mclaren/570/2016/2016-motor-trend-best-drivers-car/?wc_mid=4035:3474&wc_rid=4035:1116404&_wcsid=803D36F0164E42D5126522EAB2C8C7A98135065E0AC9FD2F

How interesting. The 2 cars costing 1/4 million dollars came in first and last respectively.

driver100

roadburner said:

I'd definitely want a backup camera if I had an X5, 6er, or 7er, but it's totally unnecessary on a 2er. Ditto for blind spot monitoring. It's much like Parking Assistant on a Mini Cooper; how poor a driver must you be if you require an electronic aid to parallel park a 152" long car?

It is necessary on all cars...it isn't just to tell where the car behind you is. The original purpose was to see a little kid who could be behind a car, when the driver gets in and backs up. It happens a lot, many kids are killed this way every year. But oh no, bmw drivers only think of themselves!!! - Just a little satire there, but, the back up camera is more than a nany device.

I don't think too many Mini drivers would want or need parallel parking feature. If one wanted it they should consider packing in having a license.

driver100

stickguy said:

Driver, if a backup cam is a "nanny" feature, so is your rear view mirror! Actually, I just look at it as an advancement to mirror technology.

hey, in the old days, a BMW didn't have a Right side outside mirror either. Should get rid of that too, right?

Anything that helps is good. I agree, a back up camera is just one extra thing that could prevent a large or small accident. Similarly, the 360 degree camera (view from the top) has limited use, but there are a few times when it can actually come in handy. I guess in my case, I want the LED headlights, I suppose I want the hi beam feature whatever it does, I have to take the 360 degree camera to get the other two.....I wouldn't buy it on it's own, but, I have to and it does have some use.

driver100

stever said:

henryn said:

stever said:

jmonroe said:

ab348 said:

I think those were called desert coolers or swamp coolers. You put some cold water in them and it directed the airstream into the car. I guess it helped some.

I'm pretty sure you're right.

I think our desert dweller @stever should be able to tell us more about this. Heck, he might even have one in the rock pile out back hiding right next to his pet rattler.

jmonroe

Haven't spotted one of those yet. When I was a kid I used to see those canvas water bags that people would tie to the front of their cars. Guess that was to help cool the radiator down. I remember home swamp coolers growing up as well, and they are still relatively common out here. Seem to work pretty well and they are cheaper to run than AC units.

That canvas water bag allowed a very small amount of water to seep through (osmosis, whatever). And if you had a high speed air flow around the bag, then you had evaporative cooling. So you had cool water to drink, without ice. My father would tie the canvas water bag to the door handle, not to the front end of the car. Back in the 1950's, if you traveled certain highways in West Texas or New Mexico, it was a very good idea to have a water supply in case of breakdown. Kind of like the way people up in the frozen northern wastelands have emergency rations in the trunks of their cars.

Yeah, seems like tying it to the front of the car would be a good way to block the radiator and insure that your car would overheat. But at least you'd have some cool water to drink while broken down out in the wastelands.

People used to travel across the desert for days, weeks, months, years.....with a canteen! No cooling feature! Are we becoming such sissies we can't drink warm water if we are stranded in the desert. Seems like OCD to carry around a special water bag on your door handle just in case.......

driver100

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

fintail said:

My prior E had surround view, but a supplier issue for MY 2016 cars means it virtually doesn't exist for that year. I miss it a lot, as I am a perfectionist parker, and it helped me a lot. The rear cam is clearer though, it's a must have on a modern car.

The fintail is amazing for vision - thin pillars, wraparound windows, and fins for guides - it might be the easiest to park car I have ever driven.

For my 2017 I ordered the Tech Package, includes the 360 degree camera with the top view, and LED headlights, auto high beam and heads up window display - the first 3 were all on my 2015, but they tried to say I shouldn't get that $2600 package. The 360 camera which gives a view from directly above the car lets you see how close to a curb you are, where a driveway ends, all kinds of things....don't use it too often but it is nice to have in certain situations.

Like you I have the top view thingy on my '15 Genny (didn't have it on the '09) and also like you I rarely use it but I have forced myself to use it a few times. While the basic backup camera is useful that top view thing is getting a little too cute IMO.

jmonroe

I say the same, I wouldn't pay for that overhead camera view, but, it can be useful in certain situations. I guess I could live without it.

The heads up instruments are also part of the tech package. What do you think about that? It sounds to me like it is in the same category as the overhead camera.

Mr_Shiftright

lol...I actually scraped a wheel on my Mini parking it the other day--but I was swinging a U-turn into the space and the curb was quite irregular (broken)..I wonder if a parking assistant could have spotted a jagged piece of curb like that? (I don't mean on a u-turn maneuver..I meant if you were just backing to a space).

Seems to me it would depend on what "spot" the parking assist was using for distance.

jmonroe

stickguy said:

Driver, if a backup cam is a "nanny" feature, so is your rear view mirror! Actually, I just look at it as an advancement to mirror technology.

hey, in the old days, a BMW didn't have a Right side outside mirror either. Should get rid of that too, right?

It's funny that you mention a right side mirror. They are standard equipment today but not years ago. Heck, back in the day a lot of cars didn't even have a left side mirror although all of my Father's cars had one. I couldn't drive a car without one.

When I was in the Navy going to school in Jacksonville FLA in 1960, a classmate and I decided to buy a used car since we were going to be in school for about 8 months rather than take the bus every time we wanted to go somewhere and be limited by the bus schedule. We bought a '51 Chevy 2 door stick six from an older guy for $70. That car didn't even have a left side mirror and I could not get used to that. So, about a week after struggling without one I decided to go to Western Auto and buy a mirror to clamp onto the left door frame. My classmate was from somewhere in Kansas and he almost had a fit. He said something like, "does everyone back where you come from do that? Only people from the ghetto do that where I come from". I told him since the car was half mine, if he didn't like it don't use it. His retort was, "it's staring me right in the damn face so how am I supposed to ignore it". After about a week he said, "that thing is really helpful when you want to change lanes and here I always thought they were just for decoration".

People out in Kansas at that time were even more sheltered than me.

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright

I equate "nanny" gadgets with the level of imprecision. If for instance the back up camera gave you distance in inches, I'd find that useful...but these vague red lines and grids are just a nuisance to me and on rental cars I don't even use it. I'd find an audible sound much more useful.

Yeah, I know, maybe you could see a little dog or something with the camera but I've never come across a use for such a thing in many decades.

ab348

Mr_Shiftright said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Some bedtime reading. Pleasant dreams.

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/mclaren/570/2016/2016-motor-trend-best-drivers-car/?wc_mid=4035:3474&wc_rid=4035:1116404&_wcsid=803D36F0164E42D5126522EAB2C8C7A98135065E0AC9FD2F

How interesting. The 2 cars costing 1/4 million dollars came in first and last respectively.

Even more interesting is how well the Camaro and Mustang did compared to some of the expensive and REALLY expensive stuff. I wonder why they didn't include a Corvette though?

fintail

My prior E had that same system, very cool - I was disappointed it wasn't available later. As parking is often tight in my area, it allowed me to easily optimize my space (park near a wall to maximize distance from the adjacent car, etc). The current system has an outline of the car that becomes highlighted when a given section is near an obstacle - kind of like the older BMW "radar" parking assist, but not the precision of 360 view.

Even with a 5er, I would want it. It's handy in densely populated environments.

driver100 said:

For my 2017 I ordered the Tech Package, includes the 360 degree camera with the top view, and LED headlights, auto high beam and heads up window display - the first 3 were all on my 2015, but they tried to say I shouldn't get that $2600 package. The 360 camera which gives a view from directly above the car lets you see how close to a curb you are, where a driveway ends, all kinds of things....don't use it too often but it is nice to have in certain situations.

Mr_Shiftright

Write 'em and ask! I've heard rumors that it overheats too quickly on the track. Maybe GM is working out some bugs and doesn't want it in a comparo of this type just yet?

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

berri said:

Driver, I think the 300 has drive by wire, so you smart to get out of it since it could be warning of a computer system failure. Incidentally, a United Airbus had an issue like that which ran it off the taxiway in Denver the other day.

I forgot about that. It did go through my mind that if it was ps fluid, it would be more constant. I thought at one point I should call and have them pick up the car....if I hit a car or someone because of this steering it could be my fault for driving it knowing it wasn't right.....and I would have to prove there was a malfunction.

Another thought was, I don't know how much this car is worth, say $38k, I think I would rather pay say $45k for a 328, A4 or C Class that I know has a much better chance of being designed right. I have heard people balk at paying $45k for a car....but, at least you aren't throwing away $38k on something not really made right.

When you mass produce anything there will be the occasional product that gets through that doesn't perform right. Paying more doesn't make that go away. If anything when you pay more you are getting a more complected product so you could very well have a better chance of some type of failure.

I think there is truth to that, but, although you pay more, and it is more complicated so it may break down - think power windows as an example - you are getting more substance and a more enjoyable product for your money.

If my brother is buying a camera he will check four makes, then choose the cheapest. If he is buying a car he will check 2 or 3 and buy the cheapest. His research consists of finding the cheapest possible product. He chooses restaurant meals the same way. I choose what I really like and want, but, that I can still afford. Food, cameras, cars anything are more than getting my moneys worth...they are also how much enjoyment I will get from it.

If a really nice car costs $6000 more, I would try to buy it and pay the extra $2000 a year to buy it, and get maximum enjoyment from it. Life is limited, enjoy it to the max!

That's another thing about cars; there is a diminishing rate of return when you spend more on a car. If you look at the typical $15K car then look at the typical $30K car (doubling the price) there is a big improvement in the $30K cars over the $15K cars. Now if you look at the typical $60K car (again doubling the price) you will see a big improvement in the $60K car over the $30K car, but not to the degree that you had comparing the $15K car to the $30K car.

Now using your example, you can get more enjoyment spending an extra $6K on the car but spending another $6K on the car won't double the additional enjoyment.

Now there comes a time when you would get more enjoyment out of life by not spending that extra $6K on the car and spending it somewhere else. Now for everyone that point and what else you spend the money on differs but the concept stays the same.

Now while you might get the most enjoyment out of say $60K by spending it on a Benz and driving it, someone might get the most enjoyment out of it by buying a $25K Ford and using the other $35K somewhere else.

As for me the amount of driving that I do and some of the other things I do going from a nice car to a nicer car for $6K might not give me the maximum enjoyment due to the fact that there are other things I really like to do that I may not be able to do if I spend an extra two grand a year on a car.

jmonroe

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

fintail said:

My prior E had surround view, but a supplier issue for MY 2016 cars means it virtually doesn't exist for that year. I miss it a lot, as I am a perfectionist parker, and it helped me a lot. The rear cam is clearer though, it's a must have on a modern car.

The fintail is amazing for vision - thin pillars, wraparound windows, and fins for guides - it might be the easiest to park car I have ever driven.

For my 2017 I ordered the Tech Package, includes the 360 degree camera with the top view, and LED headlights, auto high beam and heads up window display - the first 3 were all on my 2015, but they tried to say I shouldn't get that $2600 package. The 360 camera which gives a view from directly above the car lets you see how close to a curb you are, where a driveway ends, all kinds of things....don't use it too often but it is nice to have in certain situations.

Like you I have the top view thingy on my '15 Genny (didn't have it on the '09) and also like you I rarely use it but I have forced myself to use it a few times. While the basic backup camera is useful that top view thing is getting a little too cute IMO.

jmonroe

I say the same, I wouldn't pay for that overhead camera view, but, it can be useful in certain situations. I guess I could live without it.

The heads up instruments are also part of the tech package. What do you think about that? It sounds to me like it is in the same category as the overhead camera.

My car has HUD and I like it. What I can't understand is, why when it can display so much info, it doesn't have turn signal indication. I'm sure MB has it. I guess that is the difference between a true luxo and a wannabe.

You mentioned in an earlier post something about what is the high beam feature? I have that on my '15 Genny and if MB is the same, once you set it to auto by pulling on the high beam lever at night, when the lights go on automatically, then when the car senses oncoming traffic it automatically switches to low beam. However, my car does get confused by street lights and especially lights that people have at the edge of their driveway and when it senses that it goes to low beam. Maybe your real luxo won't do that.

When I was a kid back in the early fifties the upscale cars had the auto high beam feature and you could easily tell which cars had it because there was a small pod shaped gizmo that sat on the dash in the left corner that was the sensor. Then the auto high beam feature went away but now it's back.

Some of these new car designers today probably think they invented the wheel but us senior types know they haven't. But I'll give them credit for eliminating the pod thingy.

jmonroe

snakeweasel

houdini1 said:

Air conditioning. I'm old, but years ago one of my old bosses was telling me about some of his exploits when he was younger. His company car had one of those units that you hung on the outside of your window, rolled the window up on a flange and held it in place. He had a few drinks one night in Phoenix and forgot and rolled the window down. Crash! He said the last time he saw the "air conditioner", it was bouncing down the road behind him.

The last car I had without A/C was my early 80's Mustang, one hot humid day here in Chicago with my mom in the car she asked my why I bought a car without A/C. My response was that I didn't think it was necessary seeing I was living in Alaska when I bought it.

Today my kids don't know what 4/40 A/C means.

With the ragtop I rarely use the A/C.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

berri said:

Driver, I think the 300 has drive by wire, so you smart to get out of it since it could be warning of a computer system failure. Incidentally, a United Airbus had an issue like that which ran it off the taxiway in Denver the other day.

I forgot about that. It did go through my mind that if it was ps fluid, it would be more constant. I thought at one point I should call and have them pick up the car....if I hit a car or someone because of this steering it could be my fault for driving it knowing it wasn't right.....and I would have to prove there was a malfunction.

Another thought was, I don't know how much this car is worth, say $38k, I think I would rather pay say $45k for a 328, A4 or C Class that I know has a much better chance of being designed right. I have heard people balk at paying $45k for a car....but, at least you aren't throwing away $38k on something not really made right.

When you mass produce anything there will be the occasional product that gets through that doesn't perform right. Paying more doesn't make that go away. If anything when you pay more you are getting a more complected product so you could very well have a better chance of some type of failure.

I think there is truth to that, but, although you pay more, and it is more complicated so it may break down - think power windows as an example - you are getting more substance and a more enjoyable product for your money.

If my brother is buying a camera he will check four makes, then choose the cheapest. If he is buying a car he will check 2 or 3 and buy the cheapest. His research consists of finding the cheapest possible product. He chooses restaurant meals the same way. I choose what I really like and want, but, that I can still afford. Food, cameras, cars anything are more than getting my moneys worth...they are also how much enjoyment I will get from it.

If a really nice car costs $6000 more, I would try to buy it and pay the extra $2000 a year to buy it, and get maximum enjoyment from it. Life is limited, enjoy it to the max!

As for me the amount of driving that I do and some of the other things I do going from a nice car to a nicer car for $6K might not give me the maximum enjoyment due to the fact that there are other things I really like to do that I may not be able to do if I spend an extra two grand a year on a car.

With my luck the extra $6000 would go to my SIL as part of inheritance, so I get more enjoyment out of spending it on what I want to buy.

btw....snake have all those fancy watches. Why not just buy a Timex and spend your money on something else.

imidazol97

In a couple of months neighbors from the north, Michigan and Canada, will be travelling I75 southward to synthetically control their climate and avoid "winter." Good news and something unusual. The current construction through the Dayton area has finished a year early and $1000000 under budget.

So smooth sailing as the snowbirds fly south through Dayton. Now if only Driver100 can have his new car by then....

driver100

JM, Yes, that is what the high beam feature must do. I don't drive too much at night but sometimes I do, especially to and from Florida, it is nice if it turns off the high beams automatically.

Good to hear you like HUD, maybe I will actually like it once I have it.

I remember those pods....that was very impressive in it's day. Mostly I remember they were on Caddies and high level Buicks.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

In a couple of months neighbors from the north, Michigan and Canada, will be travelling I75 southward to synthetically control their climate and avoid "winter." Good news and something unusual. The current construction through the Dayton area has finished a year early and $1000000 under budget.

So smooth sailing as the snowbirds fly south through Dayton. Now if only Driver100 can have his new car by then....

What great news! How is Cincinnati doing or has it just moved down the road?

fintail

On a MB, you push the stalk back, and just leave it there 100% of the time. It is supposed to handle everything from there. I have had it on 3 cars now - MB introduced the feature several years ago. It works pretty well, but to me seems to react slowly to oncoming cars, maybe because I am considerate and dip my lights asap.

I think the innovative old GM system was called "Autronic eye". The pods look like something from the old War of the Worlds movie.

jmonroe said:

You mentioned in an earlier post something about what is the high beam feature? I have that on my '15 Genny and if MB is the same, once you set it to auto by pulling on the high beam lever at night, when the lights go on automatically, then when the car senses oncoming traffic it automatically switches to low beam. However, my car does get confused by street lights and especially lights that people have at the edge of their driveway and when it senses that it goes to low beam. Maybe your real luxo won't do that.

When I was a kid back in the early fifties the upscale cars had the auto high beam feature and you could easily tell which cars had it because there was a small pod shaped gizmo that sat on the dash in the left corner that was the sensor. Then the auto high beam feature went away but now it's back.

Some of these new car designers today probably think they invented the wheel but us senior types know they haven't. But I'll give them credit for eliminating the pod thingy.

jmonroe

qbrozen

fintail said:

On a MB, you push the stalk back, and just leave it there 100% of the time. It is supposed to handle everything from there. I have had it on 3 cars now - MB introduced the feature several years ago. It works pretty well, but to me seems to react slowly to oncoming cars, maybe because I am considerate and dip my lights asap.

Same on our Chrysler. I just don't use it. My own reactions are much quicker, not to mention the false reactions to things like particularly bright driveway lights near the road, etc. And, oddly enough, I almost never use the highbeams on the van anyway since the HIDs work so well.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

What great news! How is Cincinnati doing or has it just moved down the road?

Cincy is still under construction. I went to two car shows a couple weeks ago on successive Sundays.

Of course with Dayton, since the construction has finished early, that means the next reconstruction can start early. It seems like some part of I75 has been under construction since I moved back in 1981.

jmonroe

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:

In a couple of months neighbors from the north, Michigan and Canada, will be travelling I75 southward to synthetically control their climate and avoid "winter." Good news and something unusual. The current construction through the Dayton area has finished a year early and $1000000 under budget.

So smooth sailing as the snowbirds fly south through Dayton. Now if only Driver100 can have his new car by then....

What great news! How is Cincinnati doing or has it just moved down the road?

They are planning on allowing Cincy to move on down the road to Kentucky since they are about to revolt because their taxes are too high.

jmonroe

driver100

Snake, I am not sure about that theory about expensive cars not getting that much better once you reach a certain limit. Just guessing the X1 and the Chryco 300 are probably about $30k - $35k cars. If the E400 is twice as much it is worth every penny of it. I would say the $20k Cruze is closer to the $30k Fusion than the others compared to the E400. I don't know how a $70k E400 would compare to a $400k Bentley? I think most people have a price in mind they don't want to go over......a car is worth a certain amount but not any more than that.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

What great news! How is Cincinnati doing or has it just moved down the road?

Cincy is still under construction. I went to two car shows a couple weeks ago on successive Sundays.

Of course with Dayton, since the construction has finished early, that means the next reconstruction can start early. It seems like some part of I75 has been under construction since I moved back in 1981.

They should take a break for a few years just so we can get through once during our snowbird years.

I-75 is kind of a mess in Michigan too.....lots of garbage along the sides of the highway.......glass fragments, old tires - whole and in parts, dead animals, etc. If it can be left on a highway you will find it in Michigan, though, I guess there are other priorities to work on. Lots of empty deteriorating warehouses and factories too as you drive along I-75.....very sad

houdini1

jmonroe said:

houdini1 said:

Air conditioning. I'm old, but years ago one of my old bosses was telling me about some of his exploits when he was younger. His company car had one of those units that you hung on the outside of your window, rolled the window up on a flange and held it in place. He had a few drinks one night in Phoenix and forgot and rolled the window down. Crash! He said the last time he saw the "air conditioner", it was bouncing down the road behind him.

I never heard of a window A/C in a car. That must have been a real sight.

I appoint @driver100 to go fetch a pic of this.

jmonroe

It was more like an evaporative cooler I think. Thanks for finding that picture. That's it.

oldfarmer50

stever said:

jmonroe said:

ab348 said:

I think those were called desert coolers or swamp coolers. You put some cold water in them and it directed the airstream into the car. I guess it helped some.

I'm pretty sure you're right.

I think our desert dweller @stever should be able to tell us more about this. Heck, he might even have one in the rock pile out back hiding right next to his pet rattler.

jmonroe

stever said:

jmonroe said:

ab348 said:

I think those were called desert coolers or swamp coolers. You put some cold water in them and it directed the airstream into the car. I guess it helped some.

I'm pretty sure you're right.

I think our desert dweller @stever should be able to tell us more about this. Heck, he might even have one in the rock pile out back hiding right next to his pet rattler.

jmonroe

Haven't spotted one of those yet. When I was a kid I used to see those canvas water bags that people would tie to the front of their cars. Guess that was to help cool the radiator down. I remember home swamp coolers growing up as well, and they are still relatively common out here. Seem to work pretty well and they are cheaper to run than AC units.

Had something similar at Boy Scout camp for drinking water. Remembered that it was cooled by evaporation.

oldfarmer50

Mr_Shiftright said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Some bedtime reading. Pleasant dreams.

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/mclaren/570/2016/2016-motor-trend-best-drivers-car/?wc_mid=4035:3474&wc_rid=4035:1116404&_wcsid=803D36F0164E42D5126522EAB2C8C7A98135065E0AC9FD2F

How interesting. The 2 cars costing 1/4 million dollars came in first and last respectively.

I found that interesting too. How would you like the guy who just spent $250k on the last place loser? More interesting is how the American muscle finished 4th ((Camaro) and 2nd (Shelby Mustang).

oldfarmer50

Ok I have a tax question.

In 2014 I started taking Social security. By early 2015 I realized i would be giving most of it back because I was making too much at work. Took advantage of a rule that alllows you to cancel your benefit within the first 12 months and pay back all the money which I did. Now comes 2015 taxes and my social security statement says I have a negative net payment for 2015 because of the payback. I use that figure to compute mine and my wife's combined taxable portion of our social security.

Now the IRS is saying I have to pay tax on the full amount recieved even though I gave it all back. Does that make sense?

To keep it car related I plan on driving to the mailbox to file an appeal.

explorerx4

@oldfarmer,
I would call the IRS. I did that this year and they reversed everything in question.

My kid went to look at a new car today. They lowballed her trade in(5900). When she was leaving, she said the used car person ran out and offered 7500.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

Ok I have a tax question.

In 2014 I started taking Social security. By early 2015 I realized i would be giving most of it back because I was making too much at work. Took advantage of a rule that alllows you to cancel your benefit within the first 12 months and pay back all the money which I did. Now comes 2015 taxes and my social security statement says I have a negative net payment for 2015 because of the payback. I use that figure to compute mine and my wife's combined taxable portion of our social security.

Now the IRS is saying I have to pay tax on the full amount recieved even though I gave it all back. Does that make sense?

To keep it car related I plan on driving to the mailbox to file an appeal.

When it comes to the IRS (in Canada they call it Revenue Canada) assume that if you do something to help yourself, they will find a way to mess it up and you will spend your valuable time trying to convince them you are in the right.

In Canada we have a savings plan where you can put up to $5000 a year away, and it grows without any tax on that money, when you withdraw one day you still don't pay tax on it.

Unfortunately our financial people misunderstood our instructions and they put $5000 in, and we put $5000 in. We discovered the error right away and filled out forms to try to fix the problems, we still got charged a few $100 for over payment. If they make a mistake you will be lucky to collect, if we make a mistake there is all hell to pay!

driver100

JMonroe, I did find the outside air conditioner unit but you found it yourself....good work, I am proud of you boy!
Don't want you to think I was ignoring you.....