Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

suydam

"But I couldn't drive a second condo."

graphicguy

explorerx4 said:

@graphicguy,
If you start the lemon law paperwork, they may take your loaner away.

Yeah....I know. My office is in my home. So, no daily commute. For the normally short distances I need to drive (grocery, church, airport), I can slap some snows on the Mustang, my son can ferry me, push comes to shove, there's always uber. I have friends willing to loan me their extra vehicles until things would be resolved.

stickguy

that all sounds complicated. Ride out the loaner for another couple of weeks at least. If you are well into the 2nd month, then push it.

qbrozen

graphicguy said:

@graphicguy, If you start the lemon law paperwork, they may take your loaner away.

Yeah....I know. My office is in my home. So, no daily commute. For the normally short distances I need to drive (grocery, church, airport), I can slap some snows on the Mustang, my son can ferry me, push comes to shove, there's always uber. I have friends willing to loan me their extra vehicles until things would be resolved.

Nah. If they ask for the loaner back, just tell them its on back order and you'll keep them updated on its status.

fordfool

abacomike said:

Had my annual eye exam this morning. What I hate most about going in there is when they dilate your pupils and can't see worth a darn for 10-15 hours.

Eye doctors previously used Dapiprazole to reverse the effects of pupil dilation but it is expensive, slow-acting, and has side effects, so it was banned in 2012.

I had an eye exam earlier this week and it seems to me that the dilation now is not as wide and wears off in a few hours instead of the previous half-day. And I could drive myself home without being blinded by glare.

driver100

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

Been there, done that!
They never make things easy.
Why not have a base you wire in once, then when the alarm expires in 7 years or whatever, you just take the old one off and screw a new one in.
I may not know DIY but I know how to make life simpler.

But if you were a manufacture, you'd be out of business in 2 years. Plus, as you have pointed out, technology changes and there are plenty of people who want the latest.

jmonroe

I changed about 4 CO2 detectors too, about a year ago. They didn't make the same model so I got the new replacement model. They could have made it so the new model...which is much improved, could still fit on the old base....but oh no, I had to remove the base and put on the new base....which has nothing to do with function.

It is like bathrooms.....if something goes wrong behind the walls you tear out the drywall and tiles, to get at the pipes. About 30 years ago I was in this nice but moderately priced hotel in Israel, and the walls and ceiling were all finished with this blue marbly affect panels, all removable. It looked beautiful, and if you ever needed to fix anything the panels came off.

I know nothing about DIY stuff, but, I know that makes a lot of sense.

driver100

graphicguy said:

explorerx4 said:

@graphicguy,
If you start the lemon law paperwork, they may take your loaner away.

Yeah....I know. My office is in my home. So, no daily commute. For the normally short distances I need to drive (grocery, church, airport), I can slap some snows on the Mustang, my son can ferry me, push comes to shove, there's always uber. I have friends willing to loan me their extra vehicles until things would be resolved.

Start the paperwork while you still have the loaner. Tell them if they want the loaner back they have to break into your house and take the keys. :@

driver100

fordfool said:

PF_Flyer said:

If you're gonna be in a movie and have a truck, have a TRUCK



'88 GMC Sierra, slightly modified

But there's no room to carry anything but the spare tire!

Yeh, that truck guy needs run flats!

graphicguy

qbrozen said:

graphicguy said:

explorerx4 said:

@graphicguy,
If you start the lemon law paperwork, they may take your loaner away.

Yeah....I know. My office is in my home. So, no daily commute. For the normally short distances I need to drive (grocery, church, airport), I can slap some snows on the Mustang, my son can ferry me, push comes to shove, there's always uber. I have friends willing to loan me their extra vehicles until things would be resolved.

Nah. If they ask for the loaner back, just tell them its on back order and you'll keep them updated on its status.

Love it! Excellent idea!

graphicguy

PF_Flyer said:

From the Singapore Motorshow. I know it may be "for the show", but what do you think of the finish of the Toyota Harrier?

That "chrome" paint was popular over here for about a minute. There's a Hyundai dealership I used to pass all the time on the way to the grocery. They had a "pimped" out WRX painted chrome on their used lot. They actually put it on a pedestal. I know it sat there for what seemed like 4-5 months, then they put it on the front line of used cars for another month or two. Then, there was a what looked like another WRX, this time in black, that looked similar on their front line, then it disappeared. They either took a bath on it to get rid of it. Or, they repainted it.

To me, that paint job makes the car cheap.

imidazol97

With all the remodeling/repair talk here, I'm posting some plumbers mistakes that are on the 2016 Plumbers of the Year Award site going around as an email. These are NOT my mistakes from my own home.











https://yougottobekidding.wordpress.com/2014/07/24/plumber-of-the-year-award-finalists/

ab348

fordfool said:

PF_Flyer said:

If you're gonna be in a movie and have a truck, have a TRUCK



'88 GMC Sierra, slightly modified

But there's no room to carry anything but the spare tire!

Good luck changing one of those on the side of the road.

PF_Flyer

Might be a little on-demand binge watching going on

This might have been a dream sequence in the show, not sure it's a dream ride...heh

qbrozen

graphicguy said:

That "chrome" paint was popular over here for about a minute. There's a Hyundai dealership I used to pass all the time on the way to the grocery. They had a "pimped" out WRX painted chrome on their used lot. They actually put it on a pedestal. I know it sat there for what seemed like 4-5 months, then they put it on the front line of used cars for another month or two. Then, there was a what looked like another WRX, this time in black, that looked similar on their front line, then it disappeared. They either took a bath on it to get rid of it. Or, they repainted it.

a wrap job is more likely than a repaint, I would think.

PF_Flyer

Hmm... maybe that "chrome paint" is designed to be wrapped. Sort of mute the chrome or let it show through the wrap. We have vanity plates, why not vanity finishes??

houdini1

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

28firefighter said:

Well, I have a sales story but it definitely isn't vehicle related.

Made a decision on the ductless mini-split system for our home. Ended up going with 3 zone Mitsubishi FH Ductless System - total of 30,000 BTUs. Gave them the deposit for the installation today and they'll be out in 2 weeks to do the installation (hopefully before baby arrives).

It is definitely not a cheap solution - if we had a furnace and central heat, it probably would have been roughly half of the cost to add AC. However, because our homes are not zoned or sized for centralized heat or A/C, these ductless systems are our only choice. I shopped the exact same setup across 4 vendors here in Seattle, the one I chose was not just the best price but also the best regarded by both customers and Mitsubishi for the installation.

If you'll excuse me now, I need to go douse the flames shooting from my American Express card.

If I may ask, what kind of heat do you have? We have all electric heat but no central AC so there's no ductwork. I've wondered about those Mitsu systems. How do they circulate conditioned air without ducts?

We had a house that had no duct work, and it was in the country so no gas heating. We had electic heating and in the large livingroom/dining area we had electric grid built in the ceiling. Good until there is a break somewhere. For a/c we had a roof unit....very efficient.

Doesn't anser your question but there are ways it can be done.

I saw on a diy tv segment where they put some type of insulated flexible tubing (looked like those dryer vents only larger) in the attic of a house that had no existing vent system. All the vents and returns were in the ceiling. I thought that was kind of a smart way to do it.

houdini1

graphicguy said:

explorerx4 said:

@graphicguy,
If you start the lemon law paperwork, they may take your loaner away.

Yeah....I know. My office is in my home. So, no daily commute. For the normally short distances I need to drive (grocery, church, airport), I can slap some snows on the Mustang, my son can ferry me, push comes to shove, there's always uber. I have friends willing to loan me their extra vehicles until things would be resolved.

I am trying to think of how they could justify taking your loaner until after they "fix" and return your car, lemon law paperwork or not. After all, they will still have your car that they can't fix. If they do, it would be showing "bad faith", etc. IMO.

abacomike

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

imidazol97 said:

abacomike said:

*We bought our Florida place 5 years ago and I get more mail for the past owner than I get for myself. The thing is, he died a year ago, and was in prison for 6 years before that happened.

There's gotta be a story about what he did to end up in prison...?

Yeah, he probably hid a few $100 bill somewhere and the law couldn't find them in the garage.

Now it's up to @driver100 to find them. He can use two of those for the overpriced C 250

jmonroe

I can see it now....I start tearing out a few walls and Mrs Driver comes in and says what are you doing?

And I say my imaginary cyberspace pals told me to do this.

That's it, blame it on your friends - boo!!!

qbrozen

houdini1 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

28firefighter said:

Well, I have a sales story but it definitely isn't vehicle related.

Made a decision on the ductless mini-split system for our home. Ended up going with 3 zone Mitsubishi FH Ductless System - total of 30,000 BTUs. Gave them the deposit for the installation today and they'll be out in 2 weeks to do the installation (hopefully before baby arrives).

It is definitely not a cheap solution - if we had a furnace and central heat, it probably would have been roughly half of the cost to add AC. However, because our homes are not zoned or sized for centralized heat or A/C, these ductless systems are our only choice. I shopped the exact same setup across 4 vendors here in Seattle, the one I chose was not just the best price but also the best regarded by both customers and Mitsubishi for the installation.

If you'll excuse me now, I need to go douse the flames shooting from my American Express card.

If I may ask, what kind of heat do you have? We have all electric heat but no central AC so there's no ductwork. I've wondered about those Mitsu systems. How do they circulate conditioned air without ducts?

We had a house that had no duct work, and it was in the country so no gas heating. We had electic heating and in the large livingroom/dining area we had electric grid built in the ceiling. Good until there is a break somewhere. For a/c we had a roof unit....very efficient.

Doesn't anser your question but there are ways it can be done.

I saw on a diy tv segment where they put some type of insulated flexible tubing (looked like those dryer vents only larger) in the attic of a house that had no existing vent system. All the vents and returns were in the ceiling. I thought that was kind of a smart way to do it.

The flexible ducts are pretty popular these days in general. My previous house, built in 1996, had those throughout. Problem is they sometimes develop holes or kinks.

houdini1

qbrozen said:

houdini1 said:

driver100 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

28firefighter said:

Well, I have a sales story but it definitely isn't vehicle related.

Made a decision on the ductless mini-split system for our home. Ended up going with 3 zone Mitsubishi FH Ductless System - total of 30,000 BTUs. Gave them the deposit for the installation today and they'll be out in 2 weeks to do the installation (hopefully before baby arrives).

It is definitely not a cheap solution - if we had a furnace and central heat, it probably would have been roughly half of the cost to add AC. However, because our homes are not zoned or sized for centralized heat or A/C, these ductless systems are our only choice. I shopped the exact same setup across 4 vendors here in Seattle, the one I chose was not just the best price but also the best regarded by both customers and Mitsubishi for the installation.

If you'll excuse me now, I need to go douse the flames shooting from my American Express card.

If I may ask, what kind of heat do you have? We have all electric heat but no central AC so there's no ductwork. I've wondered about those Mitsu systems. How do they circulate conditioned air without ducts?

We had a house that had no duct work, and it was in the country so no gas heating. We had electic heating and in the large livingroom/dining area we had electric grid built in the ceiling. Good until there is a break somewhere. For a/c we had a roof unit....very efficient.

Doesn't anser your question but there are ways it can be done.

I saw on a diy tv segment where they put some type of insulated flexible tubing (looked like those dryer vents only larger) in the attic of a house that had no existing vent system. All the vents and returns were in the ceiling. I thought that was kind of a smart way to do it.

The flexible ducts are pretty popular these days in general. My previous house, built in 1996, had those throughout. Problem is they sometimes develop holes or kinks.

Duct tape. And of course, some houses don't have an attic. In that case you could go the exposed duct industrial look.

jipster

imidazol97 said:

With all the remodeling/repair talk here, I'm posting some plumbers mistakes that are on the 2016 Plumbers of the Year Award site going around as an email. These are NOT my mistakes from my own home. https://yougottobekidding.wordpress.com/2014/07/24/plumber-of-the-year-award-finalists/

Hilarious. The "short faucet" and cut out door tops. :-)

stickguy

Aren't those hoses the high velocity systems, where the vents in the ceiling are smaller round ones?

houdini1

LOL. I guess you could cut out a little trough from a plastic milk carton and duct tape it to the short faucet....if you were a bachelor, that is.

abacomike

henryn said:

abacomike said:

I'm in my bedroom watching my new TV (good grief, it covers a good percentage of my entire south wall) and I hear what sounds like a bird tweeting in the hallway. I go into the foyer/hallway and I hear nothing. I go back into my bedroom and I hear the tweeting again. I go back to the hallway and I hear nothing. So now, this is starting to get on my nerves, so to speak, so I go into my "Sherlock Holmes" mindset and think about this situation or, as driver would say, "...dilemNa..." and I decide to put down some pillows and a blanket on the hallway floor and wait for it to "tweet" again so at least I can identify the source of this bird.

About 10 minutes later, again the tweet! Low and behold, it's coming from the smoke detector which is connected to the building's alarm system. I look up, and there is a light flashing orange instead of the usual green. I don't think I have ever had to deal with this situation before, but I somehow remember that my Dad once told me that if I ever hear a strange sound coming form the hallway, it's the smoke detector's battery. So now, it begins to make sense to me. I try to think back to the day he told me about this and I remember something else - he told me to call security because they are the ones responsible for changing the batter - we are not supposed to do it ourselves.

So I pick up the phone and call the security office. They said they would put me on the list to have security come by and change the battery. I asked how long it would be and she responded that it will be sometime today, before midnight. I made the call at 4:00 PM. At 7:00 PM, I hear a knock at the door. It's the security guy - he must have been 6'6" tall, at the minimum. He told me he was here to replace the battery in the main smoke detector in the condo unit. He opened up the detector and replaced the "dying" battery with another 9 volt battery. Just as he was about to leave, he turned to me and said that he liked my new car! He said he was admiring it with his partner just before he came up to my unit. I thanked him for his kind words. He then says to me, "...you know something - you could have bought a condo in one of the older buildings for what you probably paid for that 740i!" I must have turned red as he turned around an left. But he was right - the 2 bedroom condos in the two story buildings (the first ones built) go for around $85,000. Luckily, I did not need another Condo - what I did need was a car that was easy to get in and out of.

End of Story!

I think I understand your feelings there, Mike. But it's your money, you worked hard all of your life, and it's time to enjoy some of the rewards. The most I ever spent on a car (or truck) was $32k on this last Ford pickup. But I'm thinking this time I may go a little higher.

I only paid $50k for this house I'm living in, well $60k counting the repairs. And I'm not going that high. But I am thinking about $35k to $40k. Which is something I never thought I would do, but I have the money, I earned it, and why not?

After all of the scares you've had recently, with your own doctor surprised you pulled through this last round, definitely do what makes you happy. All of your friends here are pulling for you, and we're all very glad that you're back with us posting once again.

Thanks henry. I will never spend that much money on a car again - mainly because I just don't have it! I just felt pressured to get something I could get in an out of easily - and there isn't much on the market left that's high enough and roomy enough to accommodate me. With the movement toward more efficiency, lower and sleeker are the buzz words with lower drag coefficients.

As I mentioned before in a post, I did not realize BMW no longer made the standard wheelbase model in the 7 series, just the "L" or long wheel base - that's why there was no "L" on the back of the car. I would have kept looking at cars if I knew the car I was buying was the long wheelbase version. It is a tremendously long and wide vehicle compared to most anything out there right now.\

I understand that BMW is going to add the "L" to the 740i emblems in the back of the car because many people who are looking at a 7 series just look at the rear to determine the wheelbase - this was relayed to me by the GM of the BMW dealership. He mentioned to me that he loses customers who come in to buy a 7 series if the salesperson is not sharp enough to explain to the customer that the car only comes in the long wheelbase version in the U.S.

abacomike

stickguy said:

I hate those beeps. Too infrequent to easily narrow down, since I have about 11 in the house. Mine are hard wired, so the battery is really redundant but does last a long time.

last year, one started going off, and would not stop. Had to keep pulling them down to isolate the bad unit. Since they were at that point all past their due date, I ended up having to buy a whole new set and swap out brackets and units. That was tedious, and tough on the arms working over my head like that. But, new ones are much more stylish, and quiet!

I have 2 battery only CO2 units too. the one near the furnace started moaning a few months back. Yup. Hit expiration date, and had a message to replace since it was too old. Back to the store for a replacement.

Yes, mine is also hardwired - the battery is merely a back-up in case of a black-out.

abacomike

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

"abacomike"

Once on a mailing list, even after you pass away, mailings to your name will continue.  I still get loads of mailing addressed to my Dad and he's been gone 19 months

*We bought our Florida place 5 years ago and I get more mail for the past owner than I get for myself. The thing is, he died a year ago, and was in prison for 6 years before that happened.

Check the hollow walls in your Condo for an "Al Capone" type stash of $100 bills.  Ya never know what the jailbird may have used that Condo for! 

Why didn't I think of that. I am going to get right on it.

Driver, I can see you now coming out of your condo unit covered in white dust from the plasterboard walls. I must say, it becomes you - you are a true DIY kinda guy!

I don't fix too much, but I heard the same tweeting sound as you did about a week ago....only I got up on a ladder and replaced the battery myself. btw...they now have 5 year and even 10 year (I believe...but 5 year for sure) batteries, that can save you doing it every year.

*We must have gone through 4 pages today. Probably 25 posts a page, except JMonroes are about 1/2 a page, that's about 100 posts....how am I supposed to get anything done around here?

I dunno, driver, it seems to me you are getting a lot more done than any of us. You are tearing walls apart looking for hundred dollar bills, replacing batteries in sensors, posting the heck out of us and reading 4 pages of posts.

sda

With the exception of a few mid-priced cars such as the Accord, it is hard to find a car that doesn't have swoopy styling that makes getting in and out difficult. I think that is why smaller SUVs like the CR-V, RAV-4, etc. have become so popular. They are easy to get in and out of. Mom had hip replacement surgery about 5 years ago and getting in and out of her Aurora was painful. She doesn't have that issue with her CR-V, though she misses her Olds.

stickguy

After driving the RDX for a bit, I really notice how low the sonata is. I do prefer something that sits a bit higher. I don't want be be climbing up, but sliding in is good. Something like an X1 is just fine.

ab348

Got my mailed invoice for Sirius XM this week, a year at the full rate, over $250Cdn with taxes, etc. I don't use it any more so I called them to cancel. I told them a white lie in hopes of avoiding the sales pressure to keep it, told them it was leased (true) and the car had gone back (not). The guy immediately offered me a $99 annual rate anyway. I stuck to my story and said why would I do that? He said well, if you had another car or a radio...

I just kept saying no until he went away and came back with the news it was all over.

roadburner

abacomike said:

henryn said:

abacomike said:

I'm in my bedroom watching my new TV (good grief, it covers a good percentage of my entire south wall) and I hear what sounds like a bird tweeting in the hallway. I go into the foyer/hallway and I hear nothing. I go back into my bedroom and I hear the tweeting again. I go back to the hallway and I hear nothing. So now, this is starting to get on my nerves, so to speak, so I go into my "Sherlock Holmes" mindset and think about this situation or, as driver would say, "...dilemNa..." and I decide to put down some pillows and a blanket on the hallway floor and wait for it to "tweet" again so at least I can identify the source of this bird.

About 10 minutes later, again the tweet! Low and behold, it's coming from the smoke detector which is connected to the building's alarm system. I look up, and there is a light flashing orange instead of the usual green. I don't think I have ever had to deal with this situation before, but I somehow remember that my Dad once told me that if I ever hear a strange sound coming form the hallway, it's the smoke detector's battery. So now, it begins to make sense to me. I try to think back to the day he told me about this and I remember something else - he told me to call security because they are the ones responsible for changing the batter - we are not supposed to do it ourselves.

So I pick up the phone and call the security office. They said they would put me on the list to have security come by and change the battery. I asked how long it would be and she responded that it will be sometime today, before midnight. I made the call at 4:00 PM. At 7:00 PM, I hear a knock at the door. It's the security guy - he must have been 6'6" tall, at the minimum. He told me he was here to replace the battery in the main smoke detector in the condo unit. He opened up the detector and replaced the "dying" battery with another 9 volt battery. Just as he was about to leave, he turned to me and said that he liked my new car! He said he was admiring it with his partner just before he came up to my unit. I thanked him for his kind words. He then says to me, "...you know something - you could have bought a condo in one of the older buildings for what you probably paid for that 740i!" I must have turned red as he turned around an left. But he was right - the 2 bedroom condos in the two story buildings (the first ones built) go for around $85,000. Luckily, I did not need another Condo - what I did need was a car that was easy to get in and out of.

End of Story!

I think I understand your feelings there, Mike. But it's your money, you worked hard all of your life, and it's time to enjoy some of the rewards. The most I ever spent on a car (or truck) was $32k on this last Ford pickup. But I'm thinking this time I may go a little higher.

I only paid $50k for this house I'm living in, well $60k counting the repairs. And I'm not going that high. But I am thinking about $35k to $40k. Which is something I never thought I would do, but I have the money, I earned it, and why not?

After all of the scares you've had recently, with your own doctor surprised you pulled through this last round, definitely do what makes you happy. All of your friends here are pulling for you, and we're all very glad that you're back with us posting once again.

Thanks henry. I will never spend that much money on a car again - mainly because I just don't have it! I just felt pressured to get something I could get in an out of easily - and there isn't much on the market left that's high enough and roomy enough to accommodate me. With the movement toward more efficiency, lower and sleeker are the buzz words with lower drag coefficients.

As I mentioned before in a post, I did not realize BMW no longer made the standard wheelbase model in the 7 series, just the "L" or long wheel base - that's why there was no "L" on the back of the car. I would have kept looking at cars if I knew the car I was buying was the long wheelbase version. It is a tremendously long and wide vehicle compared to most anything out there right now.\

I understand that BMW is going to add the "L" to the 740i emblems in the back of the car because many people who are looking at a 7 series just look at the rear to determine the wheelbase - this was relayed to me by the GM of the BMW dealership. He mentioned to me that he loses customers who come in to buy a 7 series if the salesperson is not sharp enough to explain to the customer that the car only comes in the long wheelbase version in the U.S.

BMW still builds a standard wheelbase 7er(G11); it just isn't sold in North America. And in Europe and elsewhere the LWB 7 Series(G12) has always worn the L designation.

sda

abacomike said:

stickguy said:

I hate those beeps. Too infrequent to easily narrow down, since I have about 11 in the house. Mine are hard wired, so the battery is really redundant but does last a long time.

last year, one started going off, and would not stop. Had to keep pulling them down to isolate the bad unit. Since they were at that point all past their due date, I ended up having to buy a whole new set and swap out brackets and units. That was tedious, and tough on the arms working over my head like that. But, new ones are much more stylish, and quiet!

I have 2 battery only CO2 units too. the one near the furnace started moaning a few months back. Yup. Hit expiration date, and had a message to replace since it was too old. Back to the store for a replacement.

Yes, mine is also hardwired - the battery is merely a back-up in case of a black-out.

A friendly reminder: CO2 units and smoke detectors have a limited life span (expiration date) and need to be replaced every 10 years or so. I was aware the CO2 unit needed to be replaced periodically but not the smoke detectors. I have replaced all in the past year.

driver100

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

imidazol97 said:

abacomike said:

*We bought our Florida place 5 years ago and I get more mail for the past owner than I get for myself. The thing is, he died a year ago, and was in prison for 6 years before that happened.

There's gotta be a story about what he did to end up in prison...?

Yeah, he probably hid a few $100 bill somewhere and the law couldn't find them in the garage.

Now it's up to @driver100 to find them. He can use two of those for the overpriced C 250

jmonroe

I can see it now....I start tearing out a few walls and Mrs Driver comes in and says what are you doing?

And I say my imaginary cyberspace pals told me to do this.

That's it, blame it on your friends - boo!!!

Yeh but, If I find a few $million in the walls I am sure my cyber pals will be asking for their share since it was their suggestion :@

driver100

So, I get this email from my Sarasota MB Dealer today.

Do wiper blades really have to be replaced every 6 to 12 months?

And where's the deal, $9.99 for one, and $19.98 for two?

28firefighter

I've heard mixed feedback on wipers. I have friends and family that swear they can make wiper blades last 3-4 years - I have no idea how that is possible short of living somewhere it never rains (they don't).

My experience living here in the PNW and the misty rain we see in winter is that I can maybe stretch them to 18 months, but I usually replace every 12 months.

qbrozen

houdini1 said:

Duct tape. And of course, some houses don't have an attic. In that case you could go the exposed duct industrial look.

Of course I taped up the holes.

jipster

sda said:

With the exception of a few mid-priced cars such as the Accord, it is hard to find a car that doesn't have swoopy styling that makes getting in and out difficult. I think that is why smaller SUVs like the CR-V, RAV-4, etc. have become so popular. They are easy to get in and out of. Mom had hip replacement surgery about 5 years ago and getting in and out of her Aurora was painful. She doesn't have that issue with her CR-V, though she misses her Olds.

My 83 year old dad has been in 2 accidents, in the past couple of years, in his 2003 Toyota Camry. (Only 80k something miles, excellent condition. Reliable.) One accident was backing up and hitting a post. So have been trying to convince mom (dad too frugal) to buy a new car with all of the latest safty features.Something with higher seating position and better visibility, easy to get in and out of. Mentioned the Rav 4. Says she doesn't want a SUV. 

houdini1

qbrozen said:

houdini1 said:

Duct tape. And of course, some houses don't have an attic. In that case you could go the exposed duct industrial look.

Of course I taped up the holes.

As much as I like good 'ol duct tape, it has been my experience that it works pretty well on most everything except ducts. I think the constant heating and cooling degrades the adhesive. For those jobs a good heavy duty strapping tape works best for me. I always had trouble using duct tape to tape the drain hose from humidifer to the side of my furnace, on its way to the floor drain. Switched to strapping tape, problem solved.

suydam

jipster said:

sda said:

With the exception of a few mid-priced cars such as the Accord, it is hard to find a car that doesn't have swoopy styling that makes getting in and out difficult. I think that is why smaller SUVs like the CR-V, RAV-4, etc. have become so popular. They are easy to get in and out of. Mom had hip replacement surgery about 5 years ago and getting in and out of her Aurora was painful. She doesn't have that issue with her CR-V, though she misses her Olds.

My 83 year old dad has been in 2 accidents, in the past couple of years, in his 2003 Toyota Camry. (Only 80k something miles, excellent condition. Reliable.) One accident was backing up and hitting a post. So have been trying to convince mom (dad too frugal) to buy a new car with all of the latest safty features.Something with higher seating position and better visibility, easy to get in and out of. Mentioned the Rav 4. Says she doesn't want a SUV. 

Then they could get a sedan with rear camera, cross traffic alert, and parking sensors. That's pretty common now. I'll bet the new Camry will have them.

jmonroe

imidazol97 said:

With all the remodeling/repair talk here, I'm posting some plumbers mistakes that are on the 2016 Plumbers of the Year Award site going around as an email. These are NOT my mistakes from my own home.











https://yougottobekidding.wordpress.com/2014/07/24/plumber-of-the-year-award-finalists/

I can believe the first and second photos but the rest have to be staged.

Just ask our poster buddy @nyccarguy if he sells to or knows any dopes that do work like photos 3, 4 and 5.

jmonroe

qbrozen

houdini1 said:

qbrozen said:

houdini1 said:

Duct tape. And of course, some houses don't have an attic. In that case you could go the exposed duct industrial look.

Of course I taped up the holes.

As much as I like good 'ol duct tape, it has been my experience that it works pretty well on most everything except ducts. I think the constant heating and cooling degrades the adhesive. For those jobs a good heavy duty strapping tape works best for me. I always had trouble using duct tape to tape the drain hose from humidifer to the side of my furnace, on its way to the floor drain. Switched to strapping tape, problem solved.

not sure what strapping tape is, but on actual metal ducts, I have had great results with aluminum foil tape. It forms much better to imperfections, gaps, etc.

jmonroe

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

imidazol97 said:

abacomike said:

*We bought our Florida place 5 years ago and I get more mail for the past owner than I get for myself. The thing is, he died a year ago, and was in prison for 6 years before that happened.

There's gotta be a story about what he did to end up in prison...?

Yeah, he probably hid a few $100 bill somewhere and the law couldn't find them in the garage.

Now it's up to @driver100 to find them. He can use two of those for the overpriced C 250

jmonroe

I can see it now....I start tearing out a few walls and Mrs Driver comes in and says what are you doing?

And I say my imaginary cyberspace pals told me to do this.

That's it, blame it on your friends - boo!!!

Yeh but, If I find a few $million in the walls I am sure my cyber pals will be asking for their share since it was their suggestion :@

Hey @abacomike, it looks like he has us figured out.

I guess he has left us no other option than to get his address and rob him.

jmonroe

nyccarguy

@jmonroe - The last 3 ARE NOT staged. I've heard the stories. Toilet didn't fit so they cut a notch in the door or even cut the door in half.

fintail

That's a heck of a deal. At least on the prior W212, OEM Valeo blades could be $50 a set. If my local dealer (also part of the AutoNation monopoly) has that offer, I'll pick up a set.

Edit: I notice it says "conventional", and has an illustration with the old style blade holder. Might not work for modern MBs.

driver100 said:

So, I get this email from my Sarasota MB Dealer today.

Do wiper blades really have to be replaced every 6 to 12 months?

And where's the deal, $9.99 for one, and $19.98 for two?

fintail

My grandma scraped something with her car when she was 86, I think. It was enough for her to doubt herself, and not renew her license. Luckily, my uncle is nearby and doesn't mind driving her around. She's in very good shape for her age - still does her own housework and yardwork, but she didn't feel right driving. Maybe for the best, I applaud her having the sense to know it might be time.

My mom has a Camry of that generation, with about 75K on it. It's been 100% reliable, but I think she'll eventually want something higher too, and maybe with side airbags and modern safety stuff.

suydam said:

My 83 year old dad has been in 2 accidents, in the past couple of years, in his 2003 Toyota Camry. (Only 80k something miles, excellent condition. Reliable.) One accident was backing up and hitting a post. So have been trying to convince mom (dad too frugal) to buy a new car with all of the latest safty features.Something with higher seating position and better visibility, easy to get in and out of. Mentioned the Rav 4. Says she doesn't want a SUV. 

Then they could get a sedan with rear camera, cross traffic alert, and parking sensors. That's pretty common now. I'll bet the new Camry will have them.

jmonroe

houdini1 said:

qbrozen said:

houdini1 said:

Duct tape. And of course, some houses don't have an attic. In that case you could go the exposed duct industrial look.

Of course I taped up the holes.

As much as I like good 'ol duct tape, it has been my experience that it works pretty well on most everything except ducts. I think the constant heating and cooling degrades the adhesive. For those jobs a good heavy duty strapping tape works best for me. I always had trouble using duct tape to tape the drain hose from humidifer to the side of my furnace, on its way to the floor drain. Switched to strapping tape, problem solved.

For duct work, I like the shinny aluminum tape with the peel off backing. Lasts almost forever because it can take the heat/cooling cycles. The down side is that Mrs. j saw me use it a few years ago and wanted it to "accent" some of her gift wrapping. I told her it wasn't made for that. She said, "just get it, I'll decide how it should be used".

jmonroe

jmonroe

nyccarguy said:

@jmonroe - The last 3 ARE NOT staged. I've heard the stories. Toilet didn't fit so they cut a notch in the door or even cut the door in half.

OK if you say so. Don't know what part of the country they do work like that but even around me, and I have seen some poor work, I have never seen anything close to those pics.

Don't want to argue about this but you said you "heard the stories", I have "heard" them too and all of us here have seen the pics which IMO doesn't prove anything. So, I still think it makes for good internet posting.

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright

I used to work for some contractor friends and they took me in to show me a plumbing job---the toilet flushed hot water

28firefighter

Mr_Shiftright said:

I used to work for some contractor friends and they took me in to show me a plumbing job---the toilet flushed hot water

I stayed in a hotel recently that was flushing hot water. Every time that you flushed, you could see the steam rise from the toilet as it refilled.

murphydog

ab348 said:

Got my mailed invoice for Sirius XM this week, a year at the full rate, over $250Cdn with taxes, etc. I don't use it any more so I called them to cancel. I told them a white lie in hopes of avoiding the sales pressure to keep it, told them it was leased (true) and the car had gone back (not). The guy immediately offered me a $99 annual rate anyway. I stuck to my story and said why would I do that? He said well, if you had another car or a radio...

I just kept saying no until he went away and came back with the news it was all over.

I am curious how this goes for you, I canceled ~ a year ago, and they continue to stalk my like a jilted ex! Junk mail, email and for a while phone calls. The rate has finally slowed down, but just last week got another offer from them in my mailbox.

jmonroe

Mr_Shiftright said:

I used to work for some contractor friends and they took me in to show me a plumbing job---the toilet flushed hot water

That I believe and even saw it on a house being built when I lived in SC back in the early to late '90's. The thing that surprised me most is that the home construction in the area where I lived in SC was by far better than a lot of the home construction where I live now.

jmonroe