Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

stickguy

When is Jeep due in? Would you take that to flip in option 2, or just pass on it?

I would vote option 1, but option 2 I assume saves money, depending on delta between the teslas. Though I would also keep the BMW so what do I know?

stickguy

Speaking of EVs, I was thinking it would be nice to have for my weekend road trip, leaving tonight. An Ioniq 5 or Mach E. Except, I would likely have to stop at night (9-10 pm) at some random point along the NY thruway in the boonies to try and charge. No way to do it at my sons house, and have a lot of running around tomorrow morning. And don’t feel like running out of electrons before I arrive (almost a given).

So sitting for an hour(?) at least in the dark, wife would love that, and get in much later. Then have to find some charging up there (not an EV centric area either), and stop again Sunday on the way home, but at least in daylight.

Really can’t see that working for us!

28firefighter

stickguy said:

When is Jeep due in? Would you take that to flip in option 2, or just pass on it?

I would vote option 1, but option 2 I assume saves money, depending on delta between the teslas. Though I would also keep the BMW so what do I know?

No clue when the Jeep is due in. It's been in "gathering parts" for the last 10 weeks with no end in sight or ETA.

Option 2 overall saves money because I'd go from two car payments to one even with the delta between the 3 and Y, I'd still win.

kyfdx

corvette

The G35 should serve you well. The brakes tended to warp on those, and I think the valve cover gaskets are also a weak point, but I haven’t heard of many widespread issues.

28firefighter

corvette said:

The G35 should serve you well. The brakes tended to warp on those, and I think the valve cover gaskets are also a weak point, but I haven’t heard of many widespread issues.

Valve Cover Gasket seemed to be more on the VQ37 early editions from 09-10 - not so much on the G35.

kyfdx

You should do pretty well selling the ZHP, considering the market.

28firefighter

kyfdx said:

You should do pretty well selling the ZHP, considering the market.

We'll see! I also paid above market when I bought it because of the service history (which was worthwhile, IMO).

explorerx4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUmI4A7VKyk

qbrozen

@28firefighter said:
Basically - having a second car my wife can't drive is a non-starter.

Been there. The solution, however, is not to sell yours but to buy another for her.

28firefighter

qbrozen said:

@28firefighter said:

Basically - having a second car my wife can't drive is a non-starter.

Been there. The solution, however, is not to sell yours but to buy another for her.

Haha. See above about third car storage logistics.

qbrozen

28firefighter said:

Haha. See above about third car storage logistics.

That's why they invented car covers.

henryn

qbrozen said:

28firefighter said:

Haha. See above about third car storage logistics.

That's why they invented car covers.

I thought car covers tended to rub the paint off?

28firefighter

They also require sufficient outdoor parking. It’s not impossible but it’s becoming a friction point.

qbrozen

@henryn said:
I thought car covers tended to rub the paint off?

Pretty sure if it is properly fitting and soft material, it will be fine. I got one for the Charger that was made for it, so it fits very snug and has a strap that clips together underneath the car. When I’ve pulled it off to start the car, the paint still looks perfectly waxed.

jmonroe1

qbrozen said:

@henryn said:

I thought car covers tended to rub the paint off?

Pretty sure if it is properly fitting and soft material, it will be fine. I got one for the Charger that was made for it, so it fits very snug and has a strap that clips together underneath the car. When I’ve pulled it off to start the car, the paint still looks perfectly waxed.

If you had remote start you wouldn’t have had to do that.

jmonroe

mjfloyd1

@28firefighter said:
They also require sufficient outdoor parking. It’s not impossible but it’s becoming a friction point.

That’s why they invented car lifts for the garage.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

I’m thinking about putting a greenhouse in our basement. Because… why not? Is it still a greenhouse if it doesn’t get natural light? But, no, not THAT kind of greenery. It occurred to me that the wife might prefer growing her veggies there rather than outside where we are fending off critters all the time. There is a bathroom rough-in down there that we will never use for its intended purpose, so it could make for a good place to set up a watering system. Was considering surprising her for Mothers Day. I have ZERO clue what I’m doing, though. But I guess that has never stopped me before.

It takes a lot of artificial light to make up for natural sunshine. To grow any veggies you’ll need hi intensity lamps. Also if you go with the kind of lighting I think you’ll need your utility will rat you out to the feds because of the usage spike.

She must really like lettuce.

jpp75

@28firefighter I'll echo what others have said about the G35/G37. I leased one back in 2012 and found it to be a great car all around, a perfect blend of sport and premium/luxury.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

Speaking of EVs, I was thinking it would be nice to have for my weekend road trip, leaving tonight. An Ioniq 5 or Mach E. Except, I would likely have to stop at night (9-10 pm) at some random point along the NY thruway in the boonies to try and charge. No way to do it at my sons house, and have a lot of running around tomorrow morning. And don’t feel like running out of electrons before I arrive (almost a given).

So sitting for an hour(?) at least in the dark, wife would love that, and get in much later. Then have to find some charging up there (not an EV centric area either), and stop again Sunday on the way home, but at least in daylight.

Really can’t see that working for us!

Don’t worry, I’m sure some friendly rural upstate residents will be willing to keep you company.

Michaell

BMW buys Alpina.

Will we see a proliferation of new models?

qbrozen

jmonroe1 said:

If you had remote start you wouldn’t have had to do that.

jmonroe

Charger has it. But starting her up with a fabric cover over the tail pipes wouldn't be the smartest move.

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

Also if you go with the kind of lighting I think you’ll need your utility will rat you out to the feds because of the usage spike.

... and ... they raid her tomatoes? Can't say that concerns me in the slightest.

jmonroe1

qbrozen said:

jmonroe1 said:

If you had remote start you wouldn’t have had to do that.

jmonroe

Charger has it. But starting her up with a fabric cover over the tail pipes wouldn't be the smartest move.

With all the tools you have don’t you have a pair of scissors? Even one scissor would work.

jmonroe

explorerx4

@oldfarmer50,
You are the guy on the left?

ab348

qbrozen said:

... and ... they raid her tomatoes? Can't say that concerns me in the slightest.

Having a “former grow-op” notation on the listing when you eventually go to sell your property could be an issue, even if it was just tomatoes. I expect the cost of running those grow lights will mean some very expensive salads.

28firefighter

4.89 at Costco for premium.

qbrozen

@jmonroe1 said:
With all the tools you have don’t you have a pair of scissors? Even one scissor would work.

jmonroe

And cut up my semi-custom fit cover? C’mon now.

qbrozen

@ab348 said:
Having a “former grow-op” notation on the listing when you eventually go to sell your property could be an issue, even if it was just tomatoes. I expect the cost of running those grow lights will mean some very expensive salads.

Have you seen the price of groceries these days?!
Plus, hey, I got solar.

corvette

I tried growing my own cilantro in a window at the office a few years back. It was $5 or $10 for the kit including a couple of different herbs. They sprouted and died within a few weeks, ending my career as a gardener. I've been paying the man at the grocery ever since.

roadburner

qbrozen said:

@28firefighter said:

Basically - having a second car my wife can't drive is a non-starter.

Been there. The solution, however, is not to sell yours but to buy another for her.

That's what worked for me as well.

roadburner

Michaell said:

BMW buys Alpina.

Will we see a proliferation of new models?

Alpinas are much more prevalent in Europe. You can buy Alpina versions of most every BMW model at almost any dealer. BMW NA only offered the most expensive Alpina models- B6, B7, and B8...

stickguy

250 miles tonight on the Maverick. Bed full and stuff in back seat. First leg averaged 32mpg. Overall right at 30. Last half is overall uphill and kept finding the Speedo up over 80. This little truck, got some legs on it. Deceptively fast. Smooth, stable and quiet at that speed. And seats very comfy over a 4 hour trip.

Very glad to have BLIS. at night on highway, with salt spray and limited view out back, really hard to place cars off the right flank. So great to have an “extra set of eyes”. Also need to remove the right rear headrest. Creates a large blind spot.

corvette

I keep the rear headrests on the Tundra flipped down. My doggo doesn't use them. Those are good MPGs. I think I'm at 14-15 on this tank in the Tundra. I have a little less than 6,000 miles to burn on the lease between now and the end of August, and will probably use them, regardless of gas prices.

sda

My wife is spending the weekend with her parents. She called me to say she left her company computer at home. I offered to meet her about halfway to get the computer to her. Traffic on I85 near Gaffney was horrible due to construction. What should have been less than 3 hours round trip became 4.5. Incredibly the Passat shows 43.4 mpg for 170 mi, avg speed 45mph. Glad to have that type economy with today’s gas prices. Just got home and wide awake.

xwesx

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Also if you go with the kind of lighting I think you’ll need your utility will rat you out to the feds because of the usage spike.

... and ... they raid her tomatoes? Can't say that concerns me in the slightest.

All the growing lamps these days are LED, and they don't spike your electric usage like the old sodium vapors did. a 200W LED cluster puts out a whole lotta light! They look crazy, though, because they tend to be a very specific combination of red and blue spectrum lighting (at least, the good grow lamps are), which is extremely efficient for growing in terms of the light usable to plants.

xwesx

Honestly, lighting for an indoor garden is probably the least complicated or expensive part of it (ongoing). And, once you set it up, it's good to go for a long time. What takes more time and effort is nutrient regimes, support, water, and, of course, the humidity issue I mentioned earlier. But, do it right, and you can get good greens (lettuce, spinach, kale, etc), tomatoes, and peppers, for sure. Just depends on what you're going for as to how you gotta set it up and how complicated it becomes.

stickguy

Q for the price of all that you can buy out a produce junction.

au1994

28firefighter said:

4.89 at Costco for premium.

Ouch.

And from the Completely Tone Deaf Department, we got a note at the end of the day yesterday that the Corp office would officially reopen April 4 and all employee’s with an assigned workspace were expected to be in the office that week. No acknowledgment of the past 25 months of supporting the business through major projects and a record year, no acknowledgement of 40 year high inflation, no mention of record high gas prices.

They also didn’t bother to check and notice that is Spring Break week for all of the school districts around the office. Or maybe they did and don’t care.

BTW, I was in Tuesday of this week for a meeting with an attorney about a contract so when necessary, we can go in and get it done in person.

Sorry for the rant…

qbrozen

On the topic of mpg, the WRX does far better than I assumed. Over 28 (per OBC) on a trip that was 80/20 highway/rural. And I run usually 74+ on the highway. For strictly short local driving, it shows 22-23.

sda

au1994 said:

28firefighter said:

4.89 at Costco for premium.

Ouch.

And from the Completely Tone Deaf Department, we got a note at the end of the day yesterday that the Corp office would officially reopen April 4 and all employee’s with an assigned workspace were expected to be in the office that week. No acknowledgment of the past 25 months of supporting the business through major projects and a record year, no acknowledgement of 40 year high inflation, no mention of record high gas prices.

They also didn’t bother to check and notice that is Spring Break week for all of the school districts around the office. Or maybe they did and don’t care.

BTW, I was in Tuesday of this week for a meeting with an attorney about a contract so when necessary, we can go in and get it done in person.

Sorry for the rant…

Sorry to learn. I'm in a similar situation. I think the firm I work for is being heavy handed in the RTO and is trying to convince everyone that returning to the office is great for this or that reason. Take out your company Hymnal and turn to page XX, let's all sing...

tjc78

@stickguy said:
Q for the price of all that you can buy out a produce junction.

I miss being so close to PJ. Any of them are a bit of a hike now.

oldfarmer50

explorerx4 said:

@oldfarmer50,
You are the guy on the left?

Depending on my mood, I could be any one of them.

benjaminh

My parents owned a 1969 VW Bus from 1970 to 1985. Nice to see the idea come back as an EV for 2024. This is the video report from Edmunds on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQpn0f1G9Wg

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

250 miles tonight on the Maverick. Bed full and stuff in back seat. First leg averaged 32mpg. Overall right at 30. Last half is overall uphill and kept finding the Speedo up over 80. This little truck, got some legs on it. Deceptively fast. Smooth, stable and quiet at that speed. And seats very comfy over a 4 hour trip.

Very glad to have BLIS. at night on highway, with salt spray and limited view out back, really hard to place cars off the right flank. So great to have an “extra set of eyes”. Also need to remove the right rear headrest. Creates a large blind spot.

I just realized that there is a solution for your potential EV charging in the dark problem. There is a chain of convenience stores in eastern NY and VT that have installed multiple superchargers in their parking lots. They even have basic indoor sit down and hot food.

Ask your kid about Stewart’s when you see him.

qbrozen

benjaminh said:

My parents owned a 1969 VW Bus from 1970 to 1985. Nice to see the idea come back as an EV for 2024. This is the video report from Edmunds on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQpn0f1G9Wg

They showed a concept bus way way back in 2001 that looked the same. Never produced, obviously. Glad to see them saving money by just wheeling that back out and throwing in an EV powertrain. lol.

au1994

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:

250 miles tonight on the Maverick. Bed full and stuff in back seat. First leg averaged 32mpg. Overall right at 30. Last half is overall uphill and kept finding the Speedo up over 80. This little truck, got some legs on it. Deceptively fast. Smooth, stable and quiet at that speed. And seats very comfy over a 4 hour trip.

Very glad to have BLIS. at night on highway, with salt spray and limited view out back, really hard to place cars off the right flank. So great to have an “extra set of eyes”. Also need to remove the right rear headrest. Creates a large blind spot.

I just realized that there is a solution for your potential EV charging in the dark problem. There is a chain of convenience stores in eastern NY and VT that have installed multiple superchargers in their parking lots. They even have basic indoor sit down and hot food.

Ask your kid about Stewart’s when you see him.

That’s brilliant marketing right there…

28firefighter

@au1994 said:
Ouch.

And from the Completely Tone Deaf Department, we got a note at the end of the day yesterday that the Corp office would officially reopen April 4 and all employee’s with an assigned workspace were expected to be in the office that week. No acknowledgment of the past 25 months of supporting the business through major projects and a record year, no acknowledgement of 40 year high inflation, no mention of record high gas prices.

They also didn’t bother to check and notice that is Spring Break week for all of the school districts around the office. Or maybe they did and don’t care.

BTW, I was in Tuesday of this week for a meeting with an attorney about a contract so when necessary, we can go in and get it done in person.

Sorry for the rant…

Sorry to hear that. That’s really bad. I don’t know what the job market is there, but around here an announcement like that would send attrition rates through the roof.

Michaell

@benjaminh - the problem with the ID Buzz they "revealed" this week is that is the short wheelbase version which likely won't come to the US.

They are also going to be making a long wheelbase version with 3 rows for us. I'd have to see the proportions on it to say if I like it, or not.

I do like the 2 row version. What I don't like, however, is that the inside will be identical to the ID.4 already on the market, with a user interface that includes zero physical knobs. Want to change the fan speed? Use the screen. Volume? Same thing.

jmonroe1

xwesx said:

qbrozen said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Also if you go with the kind of lighting I think you’ll need your utility will rat you out to the feds because of the usage spike.

... and ... they raid her tomatoes? Can't say that concerns me in the slightest.

All the growing lamps these days are LED, and they don't spike your electric usage like the old sodium vapors did. a 200W LED cluster puts out a whole lotta light! They look crazy, though, because they tend to be a very specific combination of red and blue spectrum lighting (at least, the good grow lamps are), which is extremely efficient for growing in terms of the light usable to plants.

How long do you think it will take for reports to surface that artificial light used to grow veggies is bad for our health? It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.

jmonroe