Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

andres3

breld said:

Speaking of VWs, I've recently noticed a wide availability of Alltracks with the manual trannie. I knew they were made, but there's a large inventory of them at my local dealers.

This one dealer has 57 Alltracks with the manual!

https://www.emichvw.com/new-vehicles/#action=im_ajax_call&perform=get_results&model[]=Golf+Alltrack&page=1&transmission_description[]=6-Speed+Manual

And what I didn't realize is the availability of the stick on the top of the line SEL trim.

It caught my wife's attention while we were browsing recently - gotta give VW credit for offering a nicely optioned AWD wagon with a stick.

Speaking of the Alltrack, here's a white one with the new wheels and tires:

stickguy

pretty sharp looking, but I am not really a fan of that open a spoke wheel.

venture

Mr_Shiftright said:

There are many Corvette enthusiasts who would not object to doing that. It's a very controversial styling features in the Corvette World, to this day.

You're kidding, right?

Not kidding. Gas gauge didn’t work and they didn’t tell me

That the gas gage didn't work I totally believe. I was referring to the statement that some enthusiasts wouldn't object to changing the back window. The quote thingy was (is) messed up.

@venture -- I didn't mean that a '63 Corvette owner would do that (that would be silly, because a '63 is worth considerably more than a '64)---I meant that many Corvette enthusiasts didn't like the split window when it came out and many don't like it now. Even the "father of the Corvette" objected to it, but he was overruled.

The issue is rearward visibility.

I personally am on the "yea" side. I like the split window.

I misunderstood your comment. I agree. I am on the side of those who love the split window too.

marcogallo1986

I do persanally. Like  the above. To!

marcogallo1986

Happy friday. All!

qbrozen

corvette said:

So, the new 330i is basically a RWD/AWD Jetta GLI with a nicer interior and slightly better 0-60 time, for twice the price? 

But leases for half the price. Go figure.

qbrozen

Just for fun, I built a Gladiator on the Jeep website. $49k. ouch.

qbrozen

Does a $3500 lawn mower count as a punch? If so, mark it down. It is even financed and registered to me.

Red with grey seat. Has a cupholder, too.

https://www.gravely.com/en-us/zero-turn-mowers/gravely-zt-x

tjc78

That thing is awesome.  

Ive paid less than that for cars, so I say it counts.  

xwesx

qbrozen said:

Does a $3500 lawn mower count as a punch? If so, mark it down. It is even financed and registered to me.

Red with grey seat. Has a cupholder, too.

https://www.gravely.com/en-us/zero-turn-mowers/gravely-zt-x

You're getting serious about your mowing! How much acreage do you have in grass?!

carnaught

Well, if a mower counts as a punch so will the scooters we get to replace our wheelchairs when we’re in our mid 90’s...dang it.

omarman

qbrozen said:

Does a $3500 lawn mower count as a punch? If so, mark it down. It is even financed and registered to me.

Red with grey seat. Has a cupholder, too.

https://www.gravely.com/en-us/zero-turn-mowers/gravely-zt-x

Lawn mowers count by George!

ab348

qbrozen said:

Does a $3500 lawn mower count as a punch? If so, mark it down. It is even financed and registered to me.

Red with grey seat. Has a cupholder, too.

https://www.gravely.com/en-us/zero-turn-mowers/gravely-zt-x

Geez, even lawnmowers are saddled with gray interiors now!

Looks like the kind they use on golf courses.

qbrozen

xwesx said:

You're getting serious about your mowing! How much acreage do you have in grass?!

How much in grass? hmmm... I guess about 3.5

Been paying roughly $2k per season to landscapers the past 3 years.

marcogallo1986

QB nice on the punch. Of the new moer yes it is counted as ann punch!

marcogallo1986

QB  wow that jeep gladiator you build is expensive ouch out of the budget here. I would never spend that much on any car even if I could. 

marcogallo1986

 That’s why I would lease something new 99% of the time, and not buy it over. Or buy used, quite a few years old. 

marcogallo1986

 Anyone local gonna get to go to the auto show starting a week from today at the Javits Center in New York City. Not sure what day I’m going just yet. 

marcogallo1986

 Trying to get my dad to narrow down his shortlist and what interests him this year when he goes to the auto show. So we shall see. He was talking about some Cadillac he likes small SUV. I told him you’re not getting any younger if that’s what you want to lease go for it. 

Mr_Shiftright

qbrozen said:

Just for fun, I built a Gladiator on the Jeep website. $49k. ouch.

I hear rumors that Renault wants to buy Chrysler. What could possibly go wrong?

ab348

Mr_Shiftright said:

qbrozen said:

Just for fun, I built a Gladiator on the Jeep website. $49k. ouch.

I hear rumors that Renault wants to buy Chrysler. What could possibly go wrong?

I guess everyone who was there at the time of their AMC debacle must have retired and took the corporate memory with them.

qbrozen

Mr_Shiftright said:

I hear rumors that Renault wants to buy Chrysler. What could possibly go wrong?

Eh. What's yet another owner?

stickguy

Mr_Shiftright said:

qbrozen said:

Just for fun, I built a Gladiator on the Jeep website. $49k. ouch.

I hear rumors that Renault wants to buy Chrysler. What could possibly go wrong?

French cars, Italian cars. Much difference these days?

omarman

qbrozen said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

I hear rumors that Renault wants to buy Chrysler. What could possibly go wrong?

Eh. What's yet another owner?

“The logic is very high for a Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot tie-up and has been for some time,” Philippe Houchois, Jefferies Equity Research Analyst told CNBC Thursday.

sda

Mr_Shiftright said:

qbrozen said:

Just for fun, I built a Gladiator on the Jeep website. $49k. ouch.

I hear rumors that Renault wants to buy Chrysler. What could possibly go wrong?

The reverse of Chrysler buying AMC from Renault? Go figure.

xwesx

qbrozen said:

xwesx said:

You're getting serious about your mowing! How much acreage do you have in grass?!

How much in grass? hmmm... I guess about 3.5

Been paying roughly $2k per season to landscapers the past 3 years.

Wow! That's a whole lot of mowing. I might get something like this as well (if I had that much to mow)!

xwesx

Stage 2?

stickguy

stage 2 is when you drop a hemi into it

xwesx

stickguy said:

stage 2 is when you drop a hemi into it

LOL, yeah.... AND ADD A ROLL CAGE!

Mr_Shiftright

What's the side car for? First aid kit?

stickguy

beer cart,

qbrozen

Already pondering a canopy and stereo. 

carnaught

A riding mower and our future scooters do not count as punches as they are not street worthy, period.
If not, what's next, push mowers?

qbrozen

carnaught said:

A riding mower and our future scooters do not count as punches as they are not street worthy, period.
If not, what's next, push mowers?

curmudgeon. ha!
So a dedicated racecar wouldn't count.
I don't really care, of course, just wanted to share the purchase news. haha

corvette

qbrozen said:

Does a $3500 lawn mower count as a punch? If so, mark it down. It is even financed and registered to me.

Red with grey seat. Has a cupholder, too.

https://www.gravely.com/en-us/zero-turn-mowers/gravely-zt-x

Very nice! My parents mow about two acres and have a 20 year old John Deere 455 diesel. It's not a zero turn, but it's been extremely reliable.

corvette

qbrozen said:

Been paying roughly $2k per season to landscapers the past 3 years.

My old place, I was paying $40-$45 a cut to the landscapers to mow about half an acre, plus whatever they charged to fertilize. Ended up being about $1,000 a year. Finally, I decided to buy my own riding mower for about $2,000. Used it a year, and then got a job here in Louisville and sold both the house and the riding mower (for about $1,000), so, should've pulled the trigger on DIY lawn mowing a lot sooner.

stickguy

I have a 1/3 acre and mow it myself, with a push mower. Not even self propelled. And I am old.

you guys, are wimps.

corvette

carnaught said:

If not, what's next, push mowers?

I have a punch to report there... My four year old cheapo Bolens wouldn't start last Friday. Keep in mind I waited until the last possible day to mow for the first time. Eventually the pull cord busted through the handle and fell into the innards of the fan housing.

I decided the yard was getting mowed that night, come heck or high water. I texted my neighbor, who normally responds very quickly to texts, and asked to borrow her mower. Crickets. Her front door was closed, and it's normally open with just the storm door closed when the weather is good, so I assumed she's not at home.

Run to Lowe's. As I'm loading the new mower into the cart, the neighbor texts back. I come home with a new mower (upgraded version of my old Bolens, with easy height adjustment, and will cut slightly higher than my old one), set it up, and mow the yard.

Fixed the pull cord on the old one. Looks like I overfilled the oil in my old one, it fouled the spark plug, and now won't start, so I ordered a new spark plug from Amazon. I still want to keep the new one. If I can get the old one running, I figure I can sell it for $50-100 on Craigslist.

qbrozen

stickguy said:

I have a 1/3 acre and mow it myself, with a push mower. Not even self propelled. And I am old.

you guys, are wimps.

1/3 acre? Hell, I'd do that with a non-motorized push mower!

breld

I won’t have much grass to mow at all when we finally move.  But I did sell all my lawn equipment when we moved last.  

I’m thinking of going electric for the small area I’ll have. 

corvette

One of my neighbors has a corded electric and seems to do fine.

I'm not sold on the lithium ion electrics. I considered them four years ago and again this time, and I'm not convinced that the battery longevity makes them economical. The included battery is supposed to be good for 40 minutes of mowing time. Let's say I need 25 minutes. If the battery is no longer good for 25 minutes after 3 years use, I'm out $150 for a new battery, or toss the mower entirely and buy a new one.

I will say that I have both a Black & Decker cordless weed trimmer and a leaf blower, with interchangeable batteries, and have had no issues with battery longevity, so perhaps, like other consumer electronics, they've improved.

Michaell

corvette said:

One of my neighbors has a corded electric and seems to do fine.

I'm not sold on the lithium ion electrics. I considered them four years ago and again this time, and I'm not convinced that the battery longevity makes them economical. The included battery is supposed to be good for 40 minutes of mowing time. Let's say I need 25 minutes. If the battery is no longer good for 25 minutes after 3 years use, I'm out $150 for a new battery, or toss the mower entirely and buy a new one.

I will say that I have both a Black & Decker cordless weed trimmer and a leaf blower, with interchangeable batteries, and have had no issues with battery longevity, so perhaps, like other consumer electronics, they've improved.

I've got a corded electric. But, I've got a really small yard, front and back. I picked up a corded snow blow blower this past winter.

roadburner

qbrozen said:

Does a $3500 lawn mower count as a punch? If so, mark it down. It is even financed and registered to me.

Red with grey seat. Has a cupholder, too.

https://www.gravely.com/en-us/zero-turn-mowers/gravely-zt-x

I have a 54" Cub Cadet Commercial ZTR. You can't beat a ZTR mower.

corvette

A corded electric mower would probably cost more and cause more pollution in my hands, because I'd ruin several 100' extension cords every year.

Michaell

corvette said:

A corded electric mower would probably cost more and cause more pollution in my hands, because I'd ruin several 100' extension cords every year.

It took a couple of tries before I figured out the pattern for both front and back yards to minimize the chance of that happening. Wife thought I'd ruin the extension cord within the first month.

Ha!

kyfdx

0.175 acres. Of course only about 2/3 of that is grass (because I have a house).

Self-propelled Honda. Takes me about 25 minutes in mulch mode. Which is about my limit for grass mowing.

Bought this one 2.5 years ago. The last Honda lasted for 25 years. My wife made me get a new one, it was still going strong.

marcogallo1986

Love all of the above  all!

marcogallo1986

I did here those romers. To!

ab348

Michaell said:

I've got a corded electric. But, I've got a really small yard, front and back. I picked up a corded snow blow blower this past winter.

Same for me on both fronts. I was amazed at the corded electric snow blower, it does a great job. The mower is a bit more of a hassle because you need to cover much more area but once you get used to it all is well. I have avoided the battery mowers because they are heavier, more difficult to maneuver as a result, and I have never had great luck with battery-powered tools over the long term due to batteries declining or failing prematurely.

tjc78

I keep going back and forth with lawn equipment. Always have a gas mower, but I’ve had both gas and electric blowers and trimmers.

Right now I’m using electric for both my gas units died and I gave them away to someone who has the patience to mess with them. They were both Home Depot cheapies anyway. For my small property electric is fine, especially after the addition and 500 sq ft patio last year. I’ve got outlets on three sides of my house so I’m never at a need for power.