Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

corvette

stickguy said:

Covered under Moen warranty, but they are on reduced hours and who knows how long it will take. Will call plumbing supply house I got it from in case they stock the part. Though of course will have to likely pay for that!

@nyccarguy , you don't happen to have a secret phone number or something that he can call to get VIP treatment?

corvette

stickguy said:

If I had to do it over again, I would do our patio in stamped concrete. Not sure though how that compares cost wise.

Stamped concrete estimate was about half the price of Trex, but I wasn't at all confident that the finished product would look the way I wanted, and I think it might interfere with septic tank maintenance.

28firefighter

corvette said:

stickguy said:

Covered under Moen warranty, but they are on reduced hours and who knows how long it will take. Will call plumbing supply house I got it from in case they stock the part. Though of course will have to likely pay for that!

@nyccarguy , you don't happen to have a secret phone number or something that he can call to get VIP treatment?

Maybe he has it and can just ship it...

breld

Quick Home Depot run for some fence pickets and other supplies. Figured I didn’t need the wagon for 6’ pickets, so took the 2-series out for some fun.

Worked out fine, though for a second there I couldn’t find the seat release and wasn’t entirely sure if I had the folding rear seats since that’s generally an option on BMWs. I was picturing the pickets sticking out the sunroof!

abacomike

This is a copy of my post on "Members and Conversations" thread:

Well, I went ahead and did it!

2020 Mercedes Benz E450 4MATIC
Selenite Gray with beige leather interior and brown ash wood
Driver's Assistance Pkg (Distronic)
Parking Assistance Pkg.
Exterior Lighting Pkg.
Night Pkg: High-Gloss Black Elements (front splitter & grille)
AMG Line Exterior Pkg.
Premium Pkg. w/12.3 digital instrument cluster
Rear Spoiler
LED Logo Projectors
19" AMG 5-spoke wheels with black accents
All Season Tires
Heated and Ventilated front seats
Panorama Sunroof
Heated Steering Wheel
Burmeister Surround Sound System

Total MSRP $74,950 Selling Price $64,000

72 month financing at 2.99% with $15,000 down

The 2018 S450 will be a lease return with no payments due because they have a 5 month pull ahead program going on now, which worked out great!

I decided to buy the car because I figured this might be my last car. The financing rate (2.9%) is actually a better interest rate than they have on their E class leases. This way, I own the car.

The car is being brought in from Gainsville and will arrive by Thursday. So I guess I will take delivery on Friday. As long as they show the car

nyccarguy

corvette said:

stickguy said:

Covered under Moen warranty, but they are on reduced hours and who knows how long it will take. Will call plumbing supply house I got it from in case they stock the part. Though of course will have to likely pay for that!

@nyccarguy , you don't happen to have a secret phone number or something that he can call to get VIP treatment?

No. But I just happen to know a major moen distributor in New York City. If you send me some info with pics, I can see what I can do.

nyccarguy

@abacomike - way to go! You deserve it! Mazel-Tov

qbrozen

The automatic REALLY hurts, but I still want this for some silly reason. If cheap enough, that is. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-mitsubishi-pajero-mini/

stickguy

kinda cute little thing. but pretty sure 659CC running through a slush box is not going to pass the Roadburner go-fast test.

xwesx

28firefighter said:

stickguy said:

I am not a huge paver fan. have to worry about fading, moving, and weeds in the cracks. If I had to do it over again, I would do our patio in stamped concrete. Not sure though how that compares cost wise.

We can't do stamped concrete for two reasons:
(1) Our yard does not have the ideal accessibility for pouring concrete - no way to get a truck back there, so the labor would be crazy high.

(2) Concrete is impervious and we are already at our cap, so need something that allows water to pass through.

Interesting. That second one is a curious restriction, but that makes sense.... gotta have the land absorb some water! For access, concrete companies have pumps that will take the material from the truck and direct it back to wherever you need it. I'm sure access would not be a problem, as it is just a small hose (maybe 2" or 3"?) that could snake through any small openings.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

That could be a problem if they managed to get signed up for UI.

Both of them are current school bus drivers sitting home on full boat. In NY your UI is reduced by 25% for every day you work in a given week.

BTW, happy birthday. Just how old are you?

xwesx

stickguy said:

electirc tape not doing much. maybe duct tape will work better. need to see what I got downstairs.

If it is a goner anyway, just cut the hose off near the sprayer and plug/clamp it. If you don't have something that will work for that, you can take a hose clamp, bend the hose over, and tightly clamp the bend, or use the vice grips, or tape, etc. If there is any small leaking left, just leave it hanging in the sink to go down the drain. But, it shouldn't leak with a tightly held bend.

xwesx

abacomike said:

This is a copy of my post on "Members and Conversations" thread:

Well, I went ahead and did it!

2020 Mercedes Benz E450 4MATIC

The 2018 S450 will be a lease return with no payments due because they have a 5 month pull ahead program going on now, which worked out great!

I decided to buy the car because I figured this might be my last car. The financing rate (2.9%) is actually a better interest rate than they have on their E class leases. This way, I own the car.

The car is being brought in from Gainsville and will arrive by Thursday. So I guess I will take delivery on Friday. As long as they show the car

Whew! That should be a fine machine, Mike! Congrats!

stickguy

nyccarguy said:

corvette said:

stickguy said:

Covered under Moen warranty, but they are on reduced hours and who knows how long it will take. Will call plumbing supply house I got it from in case they stock the part. Though of course will have to likely pay for that!

@nyccarguy , you don't happen to have a secret phone number or something that he can call to get VIP treatment?

No. But I just happen to know a major moen distributor in New York City. If you send me some info with pics, I can see what I can do.

Thanks to the pandemic Moen's help line hours were cut back so I need to call them early tomorrow. hopefully they can get one quick since that is free. I also will call the place I bought the faucet from. they have a nice fancy showroom, but also have a parts department that is pretty well stocked. The hose is probably a pretty standard item and likely stocked since it is a wear item.

but if there is a problem I will let you know!

xwesx

stickguy said:

kinda cute little thing. but pretty sure 659CC running through a slush box is not going to pass the Roadburner go-fast test.

I'm not sure that would even pass the sleeping sloth test. /cry

stickguy

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

That could be a problem if they managed to get signed up for UI.

Both of them are current school bus drivers sitting home on full boat. In NY your UI is reduced by 25% for every day you work in a given week.

BTW, happy birthday. Just how old are you?

old but not as old as you!

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

The automatic REALLY hurts, but I still want this for some silly reason. If cheap enough, that is. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-mitsubishi-pajero-mini/

Love to know more of the history. How does it only have 18k miles after 25 years. After all it’s not a Ferrari.

qbrozen

stickguy said:

kinda cute little thing. but pretty sure 659CC running through a slush box is not going to pass the Roadburner go-fast test.

63hp but only weighs 2000 lb, supposedly. 0-60 in about 13 secs.

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

qbrozen said:

The automatic REALLY hurts, but I still want this for some silly reason. If cheap enough, that is. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-mitsubishi-pajero-mini/

Love to know more of the history. How does it only have 18k miles after 25 years. After all it’s not a Ferrari.

Because they didn't WANT to drive it more.(?) haha.

fintail

Congrats! I hope it meets expectations. Next year has a facelift with some design elements I don't care for vs the current car. My car has many similar features, if anything comes up, I might be able to help.

abacomike said:

This is a copy of my post on "Members and Conversations" thread:

Well, I went ahead and did it!


The car is being brought in from Gainsville and will arrive by Thursday. So I guess I will take delivery on Friday. As long as they show the car

stickguy

xwesx said:

stickguy said:

electirc tape not doing much. maybe duct tape will work better. need to see what I got downstairs.

If it is a goner anyway, just cut the hose off near the sprayer and plug/clamp it. If you don't have something that will work for that, you can take a hose clamp, bend the hose over, and tightly clamp the bend, or use the vice grips, or tape, etc. If there is any small leaking left, just leave it hanging in the sink to go down the drain. But, it shouldn't leak with a tightly held bend.

the leak is far enough down that if I pull the nozzle out, it sprays out into the room not down the spout into the cabinet. the double wrap now of pipe tape and duct tape stops the spray (it just seeps out). ugly but we can at least use the water for now.

corvette

abacomike said:

This is a copy of my post on "Members and Conversations" thread...

Congrats! That sounds like a very nice punch.

fintail

Never buy the cheapest old MB one can find. I think those wagons have some suspension complexity that can't help - I can't recall what his car needed. Thankfully he has money anyway and the YT revenue more than covers his money pits.

28firefighter said:

That isn't terrible, other than it being an old Mercedes - anyone see Tyler Hoovers E63 wagon video series? That car was a never ending disaster.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

electirc tape not doing much. maybe duct tape will work better. need to see what I got downstairs.

stickguy said:

electirc tape not doing much. maybe duct tape will work better. need to see what I got downstairs.

Try something like this:

stickguy

not a bad idea. depending on what I learn tomorrow, if the new part is going to take a while I might try some of this.

28firefighter

fintail said:

Never buy the cheapest old MB one can find. I think those wagons have some suspension complexity that can't help - I can't recall what his car needed. Thankfully he has money anyway and the YT revenue more than covers his money pits.

28firefighter said:

That isn't terrible, other than it being an old Mercedes - anyone see Tyler Hoovers E63 wagon video series? That car was a never ending disaster.

For the record, they’re all money pits. It’s the whole point of the show. Haha

fintail

Probably why he dumped the Imperial so quickly - not enough to go wrong. He knows what gets the views, and I prefer him to several other personalities anyway.

28firefighter said:

fintail said:

For the record, they’re all money pits. It’s the whole point of the show. Haha

pensfan83

Enjoy the car @abacomike! Sounds beautiful!

abacomike

fintail said:

Congrats! I hope it meets expectations. Next year has a facelift with some design elements I don't care for vs the current car. My car has many similar features, if anything comes up, I might be able to help.

abacomike said:

This is a copy of my post on "Members and Conversations" thread:

Well, I went ahead and did it!


The car is being brought in from Gainsville and will arrive by Thursday. So I guess I will take delivery on Friday. As long as they show the car

Thanks fintail. I know you are the Mercedes maven here on these forums and it's been about 5 years since I had an E class. At least all the tires on the car are the same size so I can rotate them for better wear.

corvette

abacomike said:

At least all the tires on the car are the same size so I can rotate them for better wear.

LOL... I am a big fan of cross-rotation for non-directional tires, as it can even out "sawtooth" wear patterns along the edge. Unfortunately, that is not the pattern prescribed by Toyota for the included maintenance on the Tundra. Fortunately, I doubt it will be an issue during the 24-month lease term.

nyccarguy

@roadburner - as a true BMW enthusiast as well as someone with very particular tastes in how a car performs, there is only one answer for your next car. It took me reading the story of when you went to test drive your beloved 1988 ///M6 (Black, even better). I knew, but never put 2 & 2 together. You haven’t owned an ///M car since that ///M6. Your time has come my friend. You’ve worked hard, you put your son through school, and have kept your 318ti Club Sport in near concours condition. Order an ///M2 Competition to your specifications. Just my $.02

roadburner

You read my mind; actually, I'm looking at a Long beach Blue 2018 M2 with just 1375 miles on it. Executive Package, No sunroof. M DCT, but I can live with it; my SA says that they are trouble-free if you ignore the US "Lifetime Fluid" and service the DCT every 40k as done in Europe. Also, the 2018 is an LCI(facelift) model. That said, my wife found an 2016 Azurite Black/Amaro Brown M4 droptop for a few grand less and is quite enamored with it.

kyfdx

@28firefighter AZEK decking with powder coated aluminum railing. It will be worth every penny.

kyfdx

I wrapped the support post and faced the outside joists with AZEK material, when we replaced our yellow pine decking/rails. No pictures of the actual decking.. sorry

xwesx

@kyfdx - What is the bush on the left side of the frame? I like it!

kyfdx

xwesx said:

@kyfdx - What is the bush on the left side of the frame? I like it!

Hydrangea. There are three of them. They grow like crazy, and are flowering. (obviously, that picture is at their peak) If they get out of hand, and you don't like the shape, you can cut them completely back, and within a year they are back to a nice size. They run up the side of the house. We planted them when we built the house in 1998. (we, as in the landscaper)

Thanks!

abacomike

corvette said:

abacomike said:

At least all the tires on the car are the same size so I can rotate them for better wear.

LOL... I am a big fan of cross-rotation for non-directional tires, as it can even out "sawtooth" wear patterns along the edge. Unfortunately, that is not the pattern prescribed by Toyota for the included maintenance on the Tundra. Fortunately, I doubt it will be an issue during the 24-month lease term.

The last three Mercedes I have owned (leased the last one) had different sized tires front and rear so they could not be rotated. On this last car (S450) I had to replace the front tires twice - every 9000 miles. Rear tires are still the originals.

tjc78

I would literally have a heart attack if I had to replace tires in 9000 miles.

I've told it before but my 2006 Avalon was equipped with Bridgestone Turanza EL400 tires. They were garbage and had to be replaced at 27,000 miles. I was not happy.

I understand performance tires wear out faster and you have to pay to play so to speak, but seriously 9000 miles is a disgrace IMO. I'm sure you paid over $250 each too.

explorerx4

Coupe of deck pics. Azek with Composite railings.

kyfdx

@explorerx4 Nice! Those railings are a good fit for your style house. (and trim color)

nyccarguy

kyfdx said:

@explorerx4 Nice! Those railings are a good fit for your style house. (and trim color)

+1 looks incredible @explorerx4

28firefighter

That is awesome looking - thanks for the feedback @kyfdx and @explorerx4 ! I'll post a few photos later today of what our starting point is.

We had one other idea. On the "grassy" side of the yard (about 405 sq feet), excavating the grass and putting down turf. Then on the remaining, building a walk out deck that steps down to the turf on one side and down to the access down the side of our house. It would cost roughly the same as doing a full 750 sq foot deck.

graphicguy

explorerx4 said:

Coupe of deck pics. Azek with Composite railings.

Liking that!

corvette

abacomike said:

corvette said:

abacomike said:

At least all the tires on the car are the same size so I can rotate them for better wear.

LOL... I am a big fan of cross-rotation for non-directional tires, as it can even out "sawtooth" wear patterns along the edge. Unfortunately, that is not the pattern prescribed by Toyota for the included maintenance on the Tundra. Fortunately, I doubt it will be an issue during the 24-month lease term.

The last three Mercedes I have owned (leased the last one) had different sized tires front and rear so they could not be rotated. On this last car (S450) I had to replace the front tires twice - every 9000 miles. Rear tires are still the originals.

With staggered fitments, if they’re non-directional, you can rotate them right to left on the same axle. Do you need to if they’re going to wear out in 9,000 miles? Probably not.

(I did this once on the 540i I had to even out the wear pattern and prevent the tires from becoming noisy.)

pensfan83

The ZHP has a staggered setup as well but with the minimal mileage I don't see any obvious benefit to rotating side to side for me.

stickguy

our deck could use an upgrade like that after almost 30 years. But I know the cost estimate, even with keeping all the under structure, will give me a heart attack! so I will just nurse it along. Due for another stripping and staining job this year (usually stretch that to every 3rd year. We have a large, 2 tier, octagonal design deck so a lot of material and labor involved.

pensfan83

Wood, wood, everywhere not a spot left unstained. Other than the powder coated pillars and rails of course.

kyfdx

@pensfan83 Beautiful!

nyccarguy

@pensfan83 - Stunning

kyfdx

pensfan83 said:

The ZHP has a staggered setup as well but with the minimal mileage I don't see any obvious benefit to rotating side to side for me.

This car is really sensitive to air pressure and rotation. The only tires I ever rotated were the winters, because it was a square set-up, and I always forgot to mark them.

I would never rotate the summer tires. Your right rear might wear slightly faster than the left rear, but it sure isn't worth the 1000-2000 miles to get them to even out, after rotation. Don't fix what isn't broken.