Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

roadburner

xwesx said:

Rode my bike to work this morning... First ride of the season! It is still a bit wintery out there, but the temperature this morning was just under freezing (water was dripping off the roof, but there was a thin layer of ice over everything on the ground) and most of the roads are completely dry, so I figured it was time to scratch that itch.

Overall, it went very well! My body didn't fail, which was a big plus, and there was only one time I had to backtrack because one of the paths was not plowed out, so it still had about 18" of heavy/icy snow covering it. Aside from a few patches of ice due to overflow and/or drainage, it was smooth sailing. 14 miles, 55 minutes. It felt really good to be out there again, but I am "feeling it" in other ways now.

I am bumping up my goal for this year to 1,500 miles (up from 1,000 last summer, which I exceeded by 39 miles).

I still have to get my bike and my wife's bike out. I'm still terminally old school- riding the Raleigh Grand Prix I bought new in 1973- only now updated with Suntour Derailleurs.

qbrozen

mjfloyd1 said:

qbrozen said:

kyfdx said:

Fit update: both front calipers seized. Rebuilt calipers, pads and rotors, labor: $600

Ouch. That's pricey. But I guess that makes sense retail-wise. Figure $80/caliper, $50/rotor, $50 pads = $310. 2 hrs labor at $120 ea. $240+$270=$550+tax.

Of course, it would have cost me maybe $250 and an afternoon. It is sometimes amazing to think how much I have saved over the years thanks to dad's training.

Where did the $270 come from?

whoops. missed it during my editing.

oldfarmer50

andres3 said:

Speaking of do-it yourself work, I've been in the car washing business the last 2 afternoons:

That black one will be the best looking car on the road......for the first 10 minutes.

oldfarmer50

suydam said:

20 mpg is terrible gas mileage! I had no idea they were that bad.

My V8 gets 20 mpg in the city.

sda

jmonroe1 said:

28firefighter said:

Michaell said:

andres3 said:

Michaell said:

Ditto the comments above on our 2015 Outback Limited with the 3.6 engine. 35,000 miles in just over 5 years.

The 3.6 is a very good engine as I test drove both the 2.5 and 3.6 Subaru's with the crappy CVT transmission that I'm in the "hate it" camp with. The 2.5 fails to mask the CVT. The 3.6 succeeds at masking the CVT's shortcoming which is high praise indeed.

Indeed, I believe the only knock on the 3.6 from Subaru could be fuel economy.

We get pretty much the EPA mileage - 20 or so around town, 26-28 on the highway.

Same here.

Guys, I don't know how you get 20 MPG around town with a 3.6 Subie engine. I must be a lead foot. As I was getting out of the car just now coming home from flip house #2, my mileage showed 15.1 MPG and that has been all local driving. And that is for a full tank of gas because the low fuel warning popped up about 7 houses from my driveway.

jmonroe

With all the hills, curvy roads, stop signs, stop lights the burgh is not the best area to get good mpg.

sda

roadburner said:

xwesx said:

Rode my bike to work this morning... First ride of the season! It is still a bit wintery out there, but the temperature this morning was just under freezing (water was dripping off the roof, but there was a thin layer of ice over everything on the ground) and most of the roads are completely dry, so I figured it was time to scratch that itch.

Overall, it went very well! My body didn't fail, which was a big plus, and there was only one time I had to backtrack because one of the paths was not plowed out, so it still had about 18" of heavy/icy snow covering it. Aside from a few patches of ice due to overflow and/or drainage, it was smooth sailing. 14 miles, 55 minutes. It felt really good to be out there again, but I am "feeling it" in other ways now.

I am bumping up my goal for this year to 1,500 miles (up from 1,000 last summer, which I exceeded by 39 miles).

I still have to get my bike and my wife's bike out. I'm still terminally old school- riding the Raleigh Grand Prix I bought new in 1973- only now updated with Suntour Derailleurs.

I still have my orange Schwinn Varsity complete with book rack, speedometer, generator light and full chrome fenders that I bought in 1974. Fenders were a must as I rode the bike to school and it rained often in New Orleans. I also have a Diamondback that my wife bought me. Sadly, with the traffic around here, I don’t ride very often.

jmonroe1

28firefighter said:

I need to find my quadratic equation notes.

Don't bother. Spend your time wisely, just find your wallet.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

sda said:

jmonroe1 said:

28firefighter said:

Michaell said:

andres3 said:

Michaell said:

Ditto the comments above on our 2015 Outback Limited with the 3.6 engine. 35,000 miles in just over 5 years.

The 3.6 is a very good engine as I test drove both the 2.5 and 3.6 Subaru's with the crappy CVT transmission that I'm in the "hate it" camp with. The 2.5 fails to mask the CVT. The 3.6 succeeds at masking the CVT's shortcoming which is high praise indeed.

Indeed, I believe the only knock on the 3.6 from Subaru could be fuel economy.

We get pretty much the EPA mileage - 20 or so around town, 26-28 on the highway.

Same here.

Guys, I don't know how you get 20 MPG around town with a 3.6 Subie engine. I must be a lead foot. As I was getting out of the car just now coming home from flip house #2, my mileage showed 15.1 MPG and that has been all local driving. And that is for a full tank of gas because the low fuel warning popped up about 7 houses from my driveway.

jmonroe

With all the hills, curvy roads, stop signs, stop lights the burgh is not the best area to get good mpg.

C'mon man, with talk like that you're gonna have the folks in here thinking I'm a complainer.

jmonroe

stickguy

city means much different things to different people. Better term is probably "local" which can be lots of stop and go short hops, or more rural with longer stretches of open road. Highway at least is reasonably comparable!

stickguy

doing the DIY math is fine. Assuming you have the tools, space, and knowledge to do it yourself. If you don't have that to start with, it pretty much isn't even an option. I used to be reasonably handy, and have a fair number of tools, but no way I am unearthing a fuel pump out of the gas tank. Nor do I have the knowledge to trace of bunch of wiring and relays. Brakes, that at least you can see the parts, but without a floor jack, jack stands, etc. still not happening. Which is why everyone should have a home post lift in the garage!

at this point, I am probably like most people. reduced to changing air and cabin filters, light bulbs, and putting air in the tires!

Sandman6472

Yes, went to college in New Orleans and it did rain a lot. Even though I shared a vehicle my last 3 years with a sibling, glad I had my bike to ride to class. Lived in the Garden District senior year and worked downtown in the afternoons, so a car was a must! Looking back, was four years that I should've skipped to be honest. College and all additional classes were just a waste as G-d obviously had other plans for me. Just wish they had revealed themselves mush earlier!

Sandman6472

Today was the first day I was particularly bored. And since they keep telling us to stay home if you don't need to go out, am doing that. But there's only so much t v I want to watch and so many hours I can sit and play on the computer. But after three full weeks, think I've hit that wall. Sleeping a lot though.
I need to go back to work and a schedule, even after awhile, a vacation can become a bore!

ronsteve

I'm essential so still coming into the office most days so far, but I know I'll have quite a few telework days in May. The wife has been working from home for a month now, so until I took her Jetta for my night shifts this week, it had only been driven twice since mid-March. Total of 540 miles since I got it serviced back in February. Even the RDX is racking up noticeably less mileage.

ronsteve

BaT sure is a rabbit hole sometimes... https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1996-volvo-850-4/

tjc78

I’m only getting 20.5 in the Volvo in mostly city/local driving. I figure for over 300HP, AWD and my heavy foot I’ll take it. I have start/stop disabled too.

stickguy

ronsteve said:

BaT sure is a rabbit hole sometimes... https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1996-volvo-850-4/

I really liked those back in the day. But by then we had moved into the minivan era. That definitely would be better on the stock wheels/tires. Lots of engine upgrades but still seems to have some needs, and something underneath is rusted out. Too bad it isn't a 5 speed though!

ronsteve

This one is going into 5 figures, isn't it? https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2008-mercedes-benz-e-23/

graphicguy

Getting about 20 MPG on the twin turbo V6 in the Stinger.

stickguy

not a bad looking MB wagon.

roadburner

suydam said:

20 mpg is terrible gas mileage! I had no idea they were that bad.

Not if your car runs the quarter in the high twelves/low tthirteens. You have to pay to play.

roadburner

graphicguy said:

Getting about 20 MPG on the twin turbo V6 in the Stinger.

Sounds good to me- I sure wouldn't whine about it.

kyfdx

Fit: Updated repair cost

$225 (2 calipers)
$69 (front pads)
$112 (2 rotors)
$13 (brake fluid)
$160 (2 hours labor at $80/hr)

$579 total
+ tax

graphicguy

roadburner said:

graphicguy said:

Getting about 20 MPG on the twin turbo V6 in the Stinger.

Sounds good to me- I sure wouldn't whine about it.

Actually, pleasantly surprised given I spool up the turbos as often as I can.

corvette

ronsteve said:

BaT sure is a rabbit hole sometimes... https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1996-volvo-850-4/

I really liked the 850 R wagons they made in bright yellow.

explorerx4

My truck is averaging 18.5 making 375-400 HP depending on fuel and riding on 22 inch wheels with mid range axle ratio.
10 speed trans and stop/start help with that.

fintail

High 4 figures I hope you meant

Wagons seem to cost 25-30% more than sedans, but their depreciation floor is probably 50%+ more.

ronsteve said:

This one is going into 5 figures, isn't it? https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2008-mercedes-benz-e-23/

nyccarguy

corvette said:

ronsteve said:

BaT sure is a rabbit hole sometimes... https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1996-volvo-850-4/

I really liked the 850 R wagons they made in bright yellow.

I seriously couldn’t stand that yellow. Looked pale and faded from the factory. I see a decent amount of Volvo “R” wagons from various years. It seems the driver always needs to prove to everyone else on the road that he has a sleeper. Driving excessively fast, tailgating, weaving...

kyfdx

explorerx4 said:

My truck is averaging 18.5 making 375-400 HP depending on fuel and riding on 22 inch wheels with mid range axle ratio.
10 speed trans and stop/start help with that.

That's really good.

My friend's 2013 F-150 SuperCab with 2WD and NA V6 engine only does about 16-17 mpg.

xwesx

andres3 said:

Speaking of do-it yourself work, I've been in the car washing business the last 2 afternoons:

Where is the pic of your wife's car, clean? Wait, don't tell me you didn't wash hers, too!

xwesx

stickguy said:

doing the DIY math is fine. Assuming you have the tools, space, and knowledge to do it yourself. If you don't have that to start with, it pretty much isn't even an option. I used to be reasonably handy, and have a fair number of tools, but no way I am unearthing a fuel pump out of the gas tank. Nor do I have the knowledge to trace of bunch of wiring and relays. Brakes, that at least you can see the parts, but without a floor jack, jack stands, etc. still not happening. Which is why everyone should have a home post lift in the garage!

at this point, I am probably like most people. reduced to changing air and cabin filters, light bulbs, and putting air in the tires!

I would love to have a lift. It would be such a wonderful tool! Unfortunately, even if lifts were more widespread, most home garages do not have the clearance to reasonably allow such a contraption. Those quick lifts that Costco carries are really nice, though. Not quite the same thing as a full lift, but much faster (and often more stable) than any sort of jack and stand combo.

xwesx

roadburner said:

I still have to get my bike and my wife's bike out. I'm still terminally old school- riding the Raleigh Grand Prix I bought new in 1973- only now updated with Suntour Derailleurs.

Nothing wrong with that! For casual riding, there's no reason to spend money on something newer when it serves the same function. If I did not switch to an ebike last year, I would still be commuting on a nearly twenty-year-old bike.

However, for commuting purposes, I'll never go back to a regular bike. I still get substantial exercise, and even more, as I can ride daily without the exhaustion factor that was at play on the old bike. If I want more challenge on a casual ride, I can have the bike give me less assist, or none at all, and if fatigue sets in or I need to pull a hill faster, I can bump the assist up to compensate.

The stock tires on my new bike are nearly worn out, so I ordered a new set yesterday that are "semi-slicks" in the same size as stock. I'm hoping that these will wear better and offer less resistance than the knobby mountain bike tires that came on it.

And, I'm incredibly tired from my first rides of the season yesterday! I even got to ride home in a constant drizzle. That was fun (not really).

stickguy

my BIL has one of those scissor floor lifts that he uses with his Cobra kit car. Pretty slick that it slides under easily and can hoist the whole car off the ground to get access to underneath. Though I think the tires sit on it so won't help for brakes!

check that. Maybe he has something like this one: https://www.quickjack.com/

28firefighter

I’ve heard great things about quickjacks.

xwesx

stickguy said:

my BIL has one of those scissor floor lifts that he uses with his Cobra kit car. Pretty slick that it slides under easily and can hoist the whole car off the ground to get access to underneath. Though I think the tires sit on it so won't help for brakes!

check that. Maybe he has something like this one: https://www.quickjack.com/

Yes, that's the one I meant. They have limitations, as you can't really use the same lift for both sports cars with 3" of ground clearance and SUVs with 9", and I think they require a solid (concrete or pavement) floor under them. I'm not sure my gravel driveway would work so well. Maybe better than a floor jack does on it, though.

ab348

When my buddy moved deep into the countryside and built his big garage c/w lift he made a big deal about the need for proper footings for the lift supports. According to him you couldn’t just install one on a typical garage floor slab.

jmonroe1

nyccarguy said:

corvette said:

ronsteve said:

BaT sure is a rabbit hole sometimes... https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1996-volvo-850-4/

I really liked the 850 R wagons they made in bright yellow.

I seriously couldn’t stand that yellow. Looked pale and faded from the factory. I see a decent amount of Volvo “R” wagons from various years. It seems the driver always needs to prove to everyone else on the road that he has a sleeper. Driving excessively fast, tailgating, weaving...

Typical Volvo driver. Lately they think they're driving BMW's.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

kyfdx said:

Fit: Updated repair cost

$225 (2 calipers)
$69 (front pads)
$112 (2 rotors)
$13 (brake fluid)
$160 (2 hours labor at $80/hr)

$579 total
+ tax

They sure saw you coming.

jmonroe

tjc78

jmonroe1 said:

nyccarguy said:

corvette said:

ronsteve said:

BaT sure is a rabbit hole sometimes... https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1996-volvo-850-4/

I really liked the 850 R wagons they made in bright yellow.

I seriously couldn’t stand that yellow. Looked pale and faded from the factory. I see a decent amount of Volvo “R” wagons from various years. It seems the driver always needs to prove to everyone else on the road that he has a sleeper. Driving excessively fast, tailgating, weaving...

Typical Volvo driver. Lately they think they're driving BMW's.

jmonroe

Whatcha trying to say.... wannabe driver LOL

suydam

jmonroe1 said:

kyfdx said:

Fit: Updated repair cost

$225 (2 calipers)
$69 (front pads)
$112 (2 rotors)
$13 (brake fluid)
$160 (2 hours labor at $80/hr)

$579 total
+ tax

They sure saw you coming.

jmonroe

Ah, nothing like the snarkiness of the DIYer.

xwesx

ab348 said:

When my buddy moved deep into the countryside and built his big garage c/w lift he made a big deal about the need for proper footings for the lift supports. According to him you couldn’t just install one on a typical garage floor slab.

Depends on the slab, the lift, and what it is lifting. Generally, though, that's true. I have a good friend that built his own place several years ago. He is also a structural engineer, and he also made a point to mention that the slab required special modifications at the point of the lift mounts. However, he also had a two-point lift, intended to lift vehicles as large as ex-military deuce-and-a-half trucks!

jmonroe1

suydam said:

jmonroe1 said:

kyfdx said:

Fit: Updated repair cost

$225 (2 calipers)
$69 (front pads)
$112 (2 rotors)
$13 (brake fluid)
$160 (2 hours labor at $80/hr)

$579 total
+ tax

They sure saw you coming.

jmonroe

Ah, nothing like the snarkiness of the DIYer.

Actually, for a BMW, those prices don't sound so bad. In fact, @kyfdx may have even gotten an Edmunds preferred host discount. What's hard for me to swallow is a brake grease monkey makes almost as much per hour as I did before I retired.

jmonroe

stickguy

except it was on a Honda fit. still, for new parts and installed, not an exorbitant price. Basically just paid for the labor since would have had to get the parts anyway.

jmonroe1

xwesx said:

ab348 said:

When my buddy moved deep into the countryside and built his big garage c/w lift he made a big deal about the need for proper footings for the lift supports. According to him you couldn’t just install one on a typical garage floor slab.

Depends on the slab, the lift, and what it is lifting. Generally, though, that's true. I have a good friend that built his own place several years ago. He is also a structural engineer, and he also made a point to mention that the slab required special modifications at the point of the lift mounts. However, he also had a two-point lift, intended to lift vehicles as large as ex-military deuce-and-a-half trucks!

I also have a friend who is a structural engineer. We worked at the same place for many years. He's an avid all around DIYer and he doesn't like the idea of placing jack stands on the concrete floor of his garage. Says the corners of the jack stands resting on the concrete floor places too much concentrated load at the points of contact on a typical concrete floor found in houses which can lead to hairline cracking that will grow over time. So, one day at lunchtime he got one of the welders at our place to weld 1/4 inch steel plates to the bottom of his jack stands. He says it's all about load distribution. I say it's overkill. Nice job but you better eat your Wheaties when you plan to use those beasts.

jmonroe

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

except it was on a Honda fit. still, for new parts and installed, not an exorbitant price. Basically just paid for the labor since would have had to get the parts anyway.

Oh, my mistake. Maybe he got screwed afterall.

jmonroe

kyfdx

Member needs advice:
https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/60967/chevrolet/s-10/should-i-buy-an-s10-with-170k-miles#latest

(but, not from @jmonroe1 )

stickguy

I'll go with "probably Not". but I would if it was cheap enough and someone else had already spent a fortune repairing it!

graphicguy

@kyfdx ...was looking at houses in Covington and Newport yesterday. Pretty seriously thinking of moving to your side of the River.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

I'll go with "probably Not". but I would if it was cheap enough and someone else had already spent a fortune repairing it!

I’ve got a van of the same vintage that I could sell you. What did that kid say he was spending $5k? For you with the poster’s discount only $4995.

I was just remembering how bad it was to be 16 with hot pants for my first car. The only thing that could break that spell was a 16 year old girl.

kyfdx

graphicguy said:

@kyfdx ...was looking at houses in Covington and Newport yesterday. Pretty seriously thinking of moving to your side of the River.

Older stuff? Mansion Hill District?

corvette

Did a little garage organizing this morning and was able to get enough stuff off the floor that I can fit the Tundra inside. It’s a tight fit. The extra two feet of length versus the Tahoe really make it tough, and I also have a wheelbarrow that I have to move out of the way to make it fit. Fortunately, I can just put the wheelbarrow in the bed of the truck.