in addition to the other great restaurant recommendations, i would stop here if you have a rental car and are looking for a burger type meal ed debevics scroll down to read the reviews.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
...between people recommending swapping out perfectly good 5 year old car batteries...
Now, Now, I don't remember anyone saying that. I do remember posters saying when a car battery is 5/6 years old you should be aware of its age and not ignore the signs of a battery that is acting up.
'You know who' has accused me of selective hearing but my reading comprehension is as good as it ever was.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I am so old that when I was growing up in the western suburbs Portillo's had one small carry out location on St Charles Road in Villa Park. They have sure grown! I would die to taste their Italian beef again but $70 is too much for delivery to Colorado.
Actually we moved from Cleveland to Elmhurst in the early 50s. Played a lot of baseball and golf up near Wood Dale. In the late 50s parents built a bigger home in Villa Park then moved back to Elmhurst about the time I graduated from college in 66. So howdy neighbor!
We’ve almost beaten this issue to death but since everyone here has probably jump started a car at least once has anyone ever encountered this:
When Son #1 was in High School he came out of a local theater with his friends and his Olds Omega wouldn’t start. This was back in the late 80's. A couple of his friends offered to jump his car but they didn’t have jumper cables. No problem, because I always made sure all of the family cars had them in the trunk and made sure they were good ones with good clamps. Not more than 12 feet long and at least number 6 gauge copper wire, preferably number 4.
So my Son knew his cables were good and that his friend’s car had a good battery and that his battery was dead (and not some other problem) but he couldn’t get his car jumped and he double checked everything again and again. He was totally surprised because he was always the one in his group of friends that knew how to do this stuff. Finally he gave up and called home (pre cell phone days so he had to go to the pay phone in the theater). He tells me his problem and I said, “did you disconnect the battery in your car and try that, like I told you when you ran into something like this”? No, he didn’t do that and he didn’t remember me telling him about this.
Rather than trying to explain it over the phone I went to the theater and showed him. I said, “now look at what I’m doing and don’t forget this. You don’t know everything about jump starting a car, at least not yet”. What I suspected was that his battery was shorted enough that the jumping battery couldn’t overcome this heavy load. It turned out that I guessed right about this.
The way you overcome this is to disconnect either the positive or negative cable from the bad battery. For this example let’s disconnect the negative cable from the post of the car with the bad battery. Then you put one jumper cable on the good batteries positive post and the other end of this jumper cable on the positive post of the bad battery. You then put a jumper cable on the good batteries negative post and you connect the other end of this jumper cable to the negative cable of the car with the bad battery (remember this is the cable that was disconnected from the bad battery). Buy doing this the battery of the car that won’t start is no longer in the circuit and since it was shorted and that short is no longer there the car should be able to be jump started from the good battery just like a normal jump start. You leave the negative cable of the bad battery disconnected after you remove both jumper cables from both cars and you make sure it doesn’t touch the negative post. Tie a rag around it or tape it, do something, just make sure it doesn’t touch the negative terminal of the bad battery again.
The car is now running off of the alternator of the car. The only down side to this is that you have to make sure that the car doesn’t stall on the drive home or you’ll have to repeat the process again. I have done this so many times I can count them all so I know this worked back in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. What I don’t know is if this works today with computer controlled cars because I haven’t had to do this on one of them. Maybe someone out there can tell me/us if they have done this on newer computer controlled car.
My Son swears up and down that I never told him about this but I know I did. He learned another lesson that night and since then he says he has done it a couple of times himself. Even did it for and old girlfriend’s father. He got some points that time I’m sure.
Sorry if I bored anyone.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
RIchard....although I'm not a Chitown native either, I'll 2nd what kyfdx said. Personally, I like Shedd Aquarium, but understand why some may not. Science and Industry Museum is cool (they have the only [non-permissible content removed] sub ever captured on display there). Adler Planetarium is cool only because I did work there while with a former company.
Grant Park is always worth a visit. As kyfdx recommends, a tour on the Chicago River is worthwhile, plus take a boat from Navy Pier out on the Lake. IF you have a car, a drive along the Gold Coast on Lake Shore Drive is a treat.
Bentley/Lambo Gold Coast on Rush St is always a treat. As you might expect, they sell Rolls, Lambos, Bentleys, Ferraris, etc. They usually park some on the street out front. If not, ask them if you can wander around the showroom (where you look, but don't touch) to get close to some of the most expensive, exotic, highest performing cars on the planet.
Restaurants....as kyfdx says, Rosebud is good. Nor, will I wait an hour to get deep dish pizza. It's good. Just not "think I'll wait an hour" good.
I'll throw in Ed Debevics...a short cab ride from the heart of Chicago on Wells St. Some really good burgers, and a show by the wait staff to boot. I also like the WEBBER GRILL (restaurant where they prepare everything on a WEBBER grill. Try the pork chops. They're really good.
Accommodations....anywhere near Michigan Ave is going to be pricey. Depending on what you want to do (shopping? theater district?), look at the hotels around the area where you'll spend most of your time. If you're in a cab going to where you want to be, you're only adding to your expenses.
Parking is $45/night. Be prepared for that, in addition to the high hotel rates. An alternative is to stay in the 'burbs and drive in every day. I've actually stayed in Merriville (about a 60 minute drive into the city) and saved a few bucks on hotel rates.
Depending on when you're going, go to kayak.com, hotels.com, etc and see which hotels charge in the vicinity you want to be in. There are some "boutique" hotels (Kimpton Hotels come to mind) that are remakes of old hotels. Generally speaking, I like the boutique hotels. They've got some style and class about them. Then, there are those which are just old, and show it. Chains like Sheraton, Intercontinental, Marriott, Hyatt, all close to Michigan Ave are good bets. Truth is, everytime I've booked through an on-line site like Hotwire (where you don't know the hotel's name), they always put me in the Sheraton, which is a nice hotel and is a bit cheaper than the norm.
An alternative is to stay in the 'burbs and drive in every day. I've actually stayed in Merriville (about a 60 minute drive into the city) and saved a few bucks on hotel rates.
If you are going to do that I would find a hotel in the burbs near a Metra station and take the train in each day. Not sure where Richard lives but Chicago traffic is not an easy drive, especially during weekdays.
As kyfdx recommends, a tour on the Chicago River is worthwhile, plus take a boat from Navy Pier out on the Lake.
Many, not all, river boat trips go out onto the lake. But make sure that the Dave Mathews band isn't in town.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
that they forgot to place the horn emblem on the steering wheel.
My mom had an 86 Dodge charger (very similar to the Omni) and I remember that the steering wheel had no markings on it for the horn. It's still better than the early 80s Fords with the horn on the wiper stalk (just brilliant).
Technically these are arcs, not sparks. When metal contacts are close to making contact and a charge is present, the electricity will literally jump across the gap. This happens in switches when they are opened or close and can happen when you plug or unplug something from a wall outlet without first turning it off. It's actually the same as it is with lightning; the electrical buildup in the clouds is high enough that it arcs to the closest grounded contact point - lightning rod, tall tree, building - in an attempt to close the circuit and discharge the electricity.
BTW, that's why if you smell natural gas in a house and suspect a leak you shouldn't turn the lights - or anything else - on or off; leave it as-is and open a door or window to vent.
BTW again .. Natural gas is only explosive at concentrations levels between about 4 & 20%. My father was a gas utility safety inspector for the Illinois Commerce Commission before he retired. He mostly audited the utility's books but also investigated explosions that were thought to have occurred due to gas leaks.
How many of you know--within 100 lbs--the load carrying capacity of what you drive or own? I realize that we fat Americans are continually pushing the occupant and cargo limits, still...
Well, I looked it up for my Outlander a few weeks ago. I was making a run to Menard's for decorative rocks, top soil, etc. and needed to know the cargo limit. IIRC it's 1175 pounds. Subtract a bit over 200 for me and I knew I'd be OK with up to around 950 pounds of cargo. But I stopped at about 840 pounds to leave a comfortable margin.
Honestly, if our visitor's are only going around downtown and maybe running to the museum campus, I'd recommend they skip the rental car altogether. You'll pay not only for the car but a lot of out-of-pocket money for parking. Sure, Millennium Park Garage is $17 for up to 12 hours (the best bargain in downtown parking IMHO), but there are also places that are, I kid you not, $22 for the first 30 minutes. Hotels can easily run $30+ a day for parking (plus valet tips).
Take the Blue Line from O'Hare or a cab from Midway. Walk, use cabs, or take buses to move around downtown. http://www.metra.com/ and http://www.transitchicago.com/ have good info. If you're mostly hitting tourist attractions and staying downtown itself, taxi availability is never a problem.
Rent a car for just a single day if you want to head out to a suburb, the land Beyond the Cheddar Curtain (Wisconsin), or there's-more-than-corn-in Indiana.
For hotels, I'd suggest staying a few blocks away from Michigan Ave. Even if that means you take a taxi instead of walking, I'd be willing to bet you'll save plenty of money.
Example: I live in the suburbs. A couple of weeks ago I attended a class downtown. I was the only "local"; several of the other attendees were staying at a La Quinta Inn that had a negotiated room rate of about $140 per night. None of my classmates had cars.
All that said, an alternative is to stay in the suburbs, rent a car (suburban hotels generally have cheaper room rates and won't charge for parking), drive in to the city, park for $20ish for the day, and take taxis/buses around downtown when distances are too far to walk. Just be warned that morning rush "hour" runs about 5:30AM-8:30 and the afternoon crush starts as early as 2:30-3 and runs 'til after 6PM.
Chicago pizza to try includes Gino's, Pizzaria Uno, and Giordano's. If you don't want to wait during the dinner hour, I'd suggest hitting them for lunch instead of dinner. You'll be competing with the worker crowd but if you go a little early (11:30) or late (after 1) the places will be vacant. Lots of places to got for Italian Beef. Portillos is good but there are plenty of others.
Hit the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) for a sky-high view of the city. They installed step-out boxes with glass bottoms so you can literally step out and feel like there's nothing under your feet but the ground .. far away.
The museums are very good. Field Museum of Natural History features Sue the most complete T. Rex ever uncovered + other special exhibits. Shedd Aquarium is not a favorite of mine but many people like it. The Adler is a good planetarium. Museum of Science & Industry is usually interesting. And there's always the Art Institute if you want to feel cultured. Check their web sites for special exhibits.
Millennium Park and Grant Park are both good; I like MP better. The obelisks are entertaining and it's fun to people-watch around them. Maybe catch a free concert at the amphitheater.
Shop the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue. Window shop only unless you have deep pockets.
Rent a car, cross the border into Wisconsin, and get medieval at the Bristol Renaissance Faire: http://www.renfair.com/bristol/ (July - September). Watch the Mud Show. Or, if you've younger kids, do medieval-lite at Schaumburg's http://www.medievaltimes.com/.
I recommend seeing Sue at the Field History museum. Their website says her bones are there.
The Science and Industry museum doesn't seem to have an exciting special show right now. We saw the Titanic recovered paraphanalia the last time we were there IIRC. The German sub is a terrific adventure.
I recommend the open-sided trolleys that take you around the city with talking hosts to give the info on things. I don't recommend getting off and on unless you know your plan. We did get off and go up the Sears Tower. I wouldn't do that again because I have this fear of heights and the idea of an airplane going into the building under me like happened to the people in the World Trade Tower's viewing area gives me the willies. I didn't like the building's movement in the wind the time we went up.
I rented a car in downtown Chicago - ONCE. Totally not worth the money, given the parking rates, and not worth the frustration of moving at a snail's pace in downtown traffic. Plus, if you're not familiar with the streets, you can find yourself shuffled off on a one-way street or suddenly on Lakeshore Drive when you aren't intending to be there. If it's nice, it's a very walkable area anyway.
I'd also add a swing by Ed Debevic's, and House of Blues. Gino's pizza, which you recommended, is one of my favorites, but don't over-order if you're not used to Chicago-style pizza. I'm a good eater, and I can never down more than 2 pieces. And, for whatever reason, I like Hancock Tower better than the tower formerly known as Sears. But I'd definitely put the water tour down as a must do!
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
Yes, “technically” you are correct. But non-technically, sparks and arcs are used interchangeably and you have to know who we’re talking to here on these boards. I didn’t want to overload anyone, you know.
When metal contacts are close to making contact and a charge is present, the electricity will literally jump across the gap.
You probably know this so this is directed to the other posters here. Because of the above, this is why there are metal devices installed in circuit breaker so these arcs don’t jump randomly within the breaker. These devices are called “arc chutes” and their job is to contain these arcs. I think they got this name because the arcs slide along them until they have dissipated. Does anyone really care about this? :confuse:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
But, that doesn't mean that the posts shouldn't be made .. I just skip over them and onto more captivating material - like what to do when you're in Chicago.
Isn't anybody buying or selling cars on this forum?
Actually I do. Just went nuts trying to find a circuit breaker that fit in my circuit panel box about a month ago... as it kept buzzing and triggering off. Finally found one. Turned out if wasn't a bad breaker, but an outside outlet or light that was causing the short.... we had had a lot of rain. Flicked the switch (to off) in my garage, (that went to light over bbq grill, and outlet for water fountain), and problem solved. So, I'm guessing the rain got in an outlet and caused the breaker to trip. When it dries out it should be okay?
Isn't anybody buying or selling cars on this forum
Actually I'm in the process of buying... a house! :shades: What a whopper of a sales story that would be. We've looked at two in the last week. If I could combine my favorite features of both, eliminating those I dislike, I would have "pulled the trigger".
One agent was telling us the house we were looking at was about $20k overpriced. It has been on the market for about 8 months... don't think the seller would appreciate him telling us that though.
Just went nuts trying to find a circuit breaker that fit in my circuit panel box about a month ago... as it kept buzzing and triggering off. Finally found one. Turned out if wasn't a bad breaker, but an outside outlet or light that was causing the short.... we had had a lot of rain. Flicked the switch (to off) in my garage, (that went to light over bbq grill, and outlet for water fountain), and problem solved. So, I'm guessing the rain got in an outlet and caused the breaker to trip. When it dries out it should be okay?
You gotta be kidding me. It’s a conspiracy. That’s the only way to explain what’s happened to two of Edmunds finest. I had something very similar happen to me in February but I didn’t put 2 and 2 together when it happened. It took until March till I found the problem.
I walked into the kitchen one Saturday (in February) and when I tried to turn on the light it didn’t work and I noticed another light didn’t work either. Being the genius that I am, I went to the breaker panel and sure enough the breaker was tripped. I thought the ballast in the light was going bad. I reset it and went back to the kitchen and everything was fine. About 30 minutes later the light went out again. I go back to the breaker panel and this time when I reset the breaker it tripped immediately. I reset it again and this time I heard arcing (not sparking but arcing, one of our posters buddies doesn’t like it when I don’t say this right ). I figured the breaker was going bad but then everything was fine and I forgot about this whole episode.
Like I said I never put 2 and 2 together even when the quartz light that I have adjusted to light up my grill didn’t work. Along comes a nice Saturday in March so I decided to replace the lamp. I grill out all year long and I’ve shoveled a path on my deck to get to the grill many times and that ain’t nothing new for me but using a flashlight so that I don’t burn my cooking is new for me. So, I jumped on that nice Saturday to replace the lamp. Yeah, you guessed it. It wasn’t the lamp; the fixture wasn’t getting any juice. Right below the fixture (about 4 feet) is a receptacle and when I flipped the caps on it I could see a lot of smoke stains. Now it hits me, we had lots of snow in February (around 30 inches) and it must have built up along the house and shorted out the receptacle and I didn’t notice the snow build up when I was out there grilling. I removed the cover, pull out the receptacle and a wire is burned off the receptacle.
I’ve been promising myself that I’d replace that receptacle with a GFCI outlet, so before this summer is over I’m going to do it. If we ever get that much snow again and it gets past the GFCI watertight cover the GFCI will still trip but it won’t cause the breaker to trip and turn off the kitchen lights.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I suspect ole tidester and kristie playing tricks on us again. The nerve sneaking around our houses in the middle of the night. We are up to date on our dues aren't we? :surprise:
I haven't looked yet, but I suspect the reseptactle by the outside water fountain. Over the years I've piled mulch upon mulch around the fountain and flower bed till it's pretty much disappeared underneath the mess. Bet I had a bunch of standing water finally caused it to short out.
I like Hancock Tower better than the tower formerly known as Sears.
You do have much better views from the Hancock than the tower formerly known as Sears. When we have friends in town and go to the loop we usually stop at the Hancock and go to the signature room (which is just under the observation deck) and have a drink, Same views, costs less plus we have a drink.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
It had the old style fuse box with the glass fuses. He found pennies behind tow of them!
When I was a kid we lived in a house that had been built in the 1930's. Maybe '35 or around then. Beautiful old woodwork, lovely tile work, etc. And those old fuse-boxes. I remember my dad putting a penny behind a fuse once or twice.
The house is still standing, still occupied (not by my family, of course). I wonder if it's ever been re-wired.
I agree.... if you are flying in, skip the car, take mass transit (or even a taxi) and stay downtown..
If you are driving in, look for the best hotel deals including the parking... But, bite the bullet and stay downtown... I couldn't make financial or time sense of staying in the burbs and commuting, since almost everything we were doing was downtown (or a train to the ballpark).. Unlike where I live... there are just no decent places to stay within 5-10 miles of town... Any place I could find was an easy one hour commute, by the time you got to the train station and got downtown.. I'm pretty anal about vacation costs.. just wasn't worth it.. Plus, I put a value on being able to get back to my room for a quick nap, if needed...
We had a great time... definitely not cheap for a quick "city trip" vacation, though...
Well, you might be but when they jacked up the dues like they did at the beginning of the year, I asked for a payment plan. Never heard back on that request.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
One reason that I love this site is because the posters just jump in and help with any situation---cars, vacations, electrical problems, medical conditions, etc. You're a great bunch!
To: Snake, GG, Kyfdx, Fushigi, and Imidazol97: Thanks so much for all of your suggestions. My sister and I have made a list. She and her husband will be in Chicago for their last medical convention before retiring next fall. They wanted us to join them. Coco will be five months old by then, and our vet has agreed to keep him for that week. My sister and her husband will fly to Chicago. My wife and I will drive because the four of us are going on to Wisconsin and Michigan when we leave Chicago. At any rate, here is the list so far:
1. John Hancock (We'll do the Signature Room that Snake mentioned.) 2. Navy Pier with harbor boat tour 3. River tour 4. Frank Lloyd Wright's house in Oak Park (My special request) 5. Cubs game Sunday afternoon 6. Art Institute (Wife's special request) 7. Science and Industry Museum 8. Museum of Natural History 9. Water Tower Place and Magnificent Mile (Girls want to shop.) 10. Chicago Opera House (If there is a summer concert)
Restaurants: 1. One North (My friend's son is the manager.) 2. Rosebud 3. Nick's Fish Market 4. Harry Caray's Italian Steak House 5. Bandera's (Got to have that corn bread and jazz) 6. Ed Debevic's
Hotel: I'm still working on it. I got Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights at the Hyatt Regency for $189 per night, but couldn't get Saturday night due to the medical convention. I'm trying to get something for Saturday night or another place for all four nights. The real problem is that both my wife and I smoke. That limits your options. We need to stay down town. We want to park the car and just take cabs or walk...mostly cabs unless my orthopedic surgeon or chiropractor gets my hip in better shape by then.
Again, thanks for all of the wonderful suggesitons.
"Isn't anybody buying or selling cars on this forum?"
We still do that at times, between the important topics. :P
I will have a buying story for you by September. We're raising a puppy and working on the house right now. The potty training is worse than working on the house.
I read this from a car salesmens column on another auto site. Have any of you salesmen here found this to be true?
Buyers need to be careful what they say during a test drive. Because you're distracted by your driving, you're more likely to tell the truth. Going for a test drive is like administering truth serum.
In my experience, customers would tell you the truth every time on the test drive! I always asked them a lot of questions and I would store what I had learned for later use
Believe it or not, $189/night isn't all that expensive for downtown Chicago.
Look at Holiday Inn Express on Michigan. Not going to be one of those places with chandeliers in the lobby. But, close to where you want to be and clean.
I think the last time I stayed there about 6 months ago, it was $108/night. Considering its location, that's really good.
Everything else about your trip sounds great. You're going to have a lot of fun.
jipster....as a customer, I've never wanted to sales person to lie to me, so I'd never lie to them. They can ask away during the test drive. Sometimes if they get too inquisitive, I politely ask them to cease so I can concentrate on the noise levels in the car. Usually, they honor my request. On rare occasions, the ignore my request and continue their verbal barrage, which usually results in a "no sale".
The dialog ordinarily goes like this...
Salesperson (SP)-So, how do you like the car, this/that feature, acceleration, braking (pick one or all)? GG-Like it just fine. But, it's a brand new car. I should like it. If not, this is going to be a short visit to your store (said with a chuckle).
SP-Are you buying today? GG-Perhaps. Depends on if you've got the options and colors I want. Also depends on if I like the car during this test drive.
SP-Will you be financing? GG-I dunno....any specials you got going on?
SP-Will this car be in your name? GG-yes....it's the only name I have.
I don't see how telling a salesperson anything different from above benefits anyone....the buyer or the seller. So, why bother making something up?
Most customers will tell the truth before, during and after the demo drive. A good salesperson must qualify so he can help lead the customer to a car that fits his wants, needs and budget. I get a kick out of people who do not want to disclose their trade payoff. It can only help a salesman to lead them in the right direction.
After awhile I got so used to customers lying to me that I got jaded.
Sometimes, during a test drive they would say things that I knew would result in a no sale.
If they had bad credit or were seriously under water on their trade, I just wish they would let me know these things before wasting my time on a test drive.
I believe we've been down this path before, some months ago. Everybody and their brother who posts to this board tried to bully, plead and beg Richard to give up smoking. We all told stories of those who got sick and/or died, and those who were successful in giving up their habit.
Richard is a big boy who understands what he's doing. Growing up in NC, I can imagine that the pressure to smoke as a young adult was even greater, given the strength of the tobacco industry there.
We know that it will make it tougher to find a hotel, or sell a used car, or get a good seat in a restaurant.
I was reading about the dissolution of the Mercury brand by Ford Motor Co.
The article mentioned the "Mercury Bobcat", a twin of the Ford Pinto for which I have no recollection--probably with good reason.
The most entertaining segment was about Ford/Mercury's foray into the "luxurious" and quirky Merkur line (which I do remember). An auto historian, talking about the line, called the Merkur project "a horrible mistake, ill-suited to what he calls the 'full Cleveland--white belt, white shoes--customer' typical then in Mercury showrooms."
Are Richard--and now isell--our forum representatives of the "full Cleveland" look and will Richard be wearing the white belt and shoes to Chicago or at least to the dealership when he buys his next car?
I did like the 1967 Mercury Cougar with the rotatable "grill" headlamps--very Green Hornet Black Beautyish. Does anyone else remember the Cougar (Cat) that was ubiquitous in their commercials of that time period? The cat's growl was even part of their radio spots.
My brother in law and his wife had a Bobcat which was nothing more than a Pinto with different trim.. Never popular and only sold for a couple of years.
The whole Mercur project was a disaster. The XR4ti's were junk and the Scorpios weren't much better.
I remember staying in Chicago a few years ago. The Hancock Tower was right across the street from our hotel. We were on the 18th floor of the hotel and I threw open the curtains to take a look. That thing just towered above our hotel and it looked like we would be about the mezzanine level of the Hancock. Quite a sight for an ol' country boy like me.
I used to really like Mercury's....bought a new 65 Cyclone, a 66 Cyclone GT, and a 67 Cougar XR7 GT.......nice cars in the day. Course, then I got married, and my days of a new car every year were pretty much over......as were many things.....
The most entertaining segment was about Ford/Mercury's foray into the "luxurious" and quirky Merkur line (which I do remember). An auto historian, talking about the line, called the Merkur project "a horrible mistake, ill-suited to what he calls the 'full Cleveland--white belt, white shoes--customer' typical then in Mercury showrooms."
The Merkur (Mare-koor) brand was meant to provide Euro-sourced Fords to the US market. I think the problem was aligning the product in L/M dealers, as they didn't know how to sell that type of product, nor deal with the customer base, which, I dare say, was much, much younger than most L/M customers.
Does anyone else remember the Cougar (Cat) that was ubiquitous in their commercials of that time period? The cat's growl was even part of their radio spots.
I do remember those ads back in the 70's. They often had the cougar draped on the Lincoln / Mercury sign and had the growl at the end of the ad.
Didn't Farrah Fawcett hawk L/M for a while? I seem to remember her in some ads - and, the Bobcat was used as one of the cars in "Charlie's Angels".
Comments
Now, Now, I don't remember anyone saying that. I do remember posters saying when a car battery is 5/6 years old you should be aware of its age and not ignore the signs of a battery that is acting up.
'You know who' has accused me of selective hearing but my reading comprehension is as good as it ever was.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
When Son #1 was in High School he came out of a local theater with his friends and his Olds Omega wouldn’t start. This was back in the late 80's. A couple of his friends offered to jump his car but they didn’t have jumper cables. No problem, because I always made sure all of the family cars had them in the trunk and made sure they were good ones with good clamps. Not more than 12 feet long and at least number 6 gauge copper wire, preferably number 4.
So my Son knew his cables were good and that his friend’s car had a good battery and that his battery was dead (and not some other problem) but he couldn’t get his car jumped and he double checked everything again and again. He was totally surprised because he was always the one in his group of friends that knew how to do this stuff. Finally he gave up and called home (pre cell phone days so he had to go to the pay phone in the theater). He tells me his problem and I said, “did you disconnect the battery in your car and try that, like I told you when you ran into something like this”? No, he didn’t do that and he didn’t remember me telling him about this.
Rather than trying to explain it over the phone I went to the theater and showed him. I said, “now look at what I’m doing and don’t forget this. You don’t know everything about jump starting a car, at least not yet”. What I suspected was that his battery was shorted enough that the jumping battery couldn’t overcome this heavy load. It turned out that I guessed right about this.
The way you overcome this is to disconnect either the positive or negative cable from the bad battery. For this example let’s disconnect the negative cable from the post of the car with the bad battery. Then you put one jumper cable on the good batteries positive post and the other end of this jumper cable on the positive post of the bad battery. You then put a jumper cable on the good batteries negative post and you connect the other end of this jumper cable to the negative cable of the car with the bad battery (remember this is the cable that was disconnected from the bad battery). Buy doing this the battery of the car that won’t start is no longer in the circuit and since it was shorted and that short is no longer there the car should be able to be jump started from the good battery just like a normal jump start. You leave the negative cable of the bad battery disconnected after you remove both jumper cables from both cars and you make sure it doesn’t touch the negative post. Tie a rag around it or tape it, do something, just make sure it doesn’t touch the negative terminal of the bad battery again.
The car is now running off of the alternator of the car. The only down side to this is that you have to make sure that the car doesn’t stall on the drive home or you’ll have to repeat the process again. I have done this so many times I can count them all so I know this worked back in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. What I don’t know is if this works today with computer controlled cars because I haven’t had to do this on one of them. Maybe someone out there can tell me/us if they have done this on newer computer controlled car.
My Son swears up and down that I never told him about this but I know I did. He learned another lesson that night and since then he says he has done it a couple of times himself. Even did it for and old girlfriend’s father. He got some points that time I’m sure.
Sorry if I bored anyone.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Not to mention the end of Mercury. You are having a bad week!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Grant Park is always worth a visit. As kyfdx recommends, a tour on the Chicago River is worthwhile, plus take a boat from Navy Pier out on the Lake. IF you have a car, a drive along the Gold Coast on Lake Shore Drive is a treat.
Bentley/Lambo Gold Coast on Rush St is always a treat. As you might expect, they sell Rolls, Lambos, Bentleys, Ferraris, etc. They usually park some on the street out front. If not, ask them if you can wander around the showroom (where you look, but don't touch) to get close to some of the most expensive, exotic, highest performing cars on the planet.
Restaurants....as kyfdx says, Rosebud is good. Nor, will I wait an hour to get deep dish pizza. It's good. Just not "think I'll wait an hour" good.
I'll throw in Ed Debevics...a short cab ride from the heart of Chicago on Wells St. Some really good burgers, and a show by the wait staff to boot. I also like the WEBBER GRILL (restaurant where they prepare everything on a WEBBER grill. Try the pork chops. They're really good.
Accommodations....anywhere near Michigan Ave is going to be pricey. Depending on what you want to do (shopping? theater district?), look at the hotels around the area where you'll spend most of your time. If you're in a cab going to where you want to be, you're only adding to your expenses.
Parking is $45/night. Be prepared for that, in addition to the high hotel rates. An alternative is to stay in the 'burbs and drive in every day. I've actually stayed in Merriville (about a 60 minute drive into the city) and saved a few bucks on hotel rates.
Depending on when you're going, go to kayak.com, hotels.com, etc and see which hotels charge in the vicinity you want to be in. There are some "boutique" hotels (Kimpton Hotels come to mind) that are remakes of old hotels. Generally speaking, I like the boutique hotels. They've got some style and class about them. Then, there are those which are just old, and show it. Chains like Sheraton, Intercontinental, Marriott, Hyatt, all close to Michigan Ave are good bets. Truth is, everytime I've booked through an on-line site like Hotwire (where you don't know the hotel's name), they always put me in the Sheraton, which is a nice hotel and is a bit cheaper than the norm.
Good luck!
If you are going to do that I would find a hotel in the burbs near a Metra station and take the train in each day. Not sure where Richard lives but Chicago traffic is not an easy drive, especially during weekdays.
As kyfdx recommends, a tour on the Chicago River is worthwhile, plus take a boat from Navy Pier out on the Lake.
Many, not all, river boat trips go out onto the lake. But make sure that the Dave Mathews band isn't in town.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
My mom had an 86 Dodge charger (very similar to the Omni) and I remember that the steering wheel had no markings on it for the horn. It's still better than the early 80s Fords with the horn on the wiper stalk (just brilliant).
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
BTW, that's why if you smell natural gas in a house and suspect a leak you shouldn't turn the lights - or anything else - on or off; leave it as-is and open a door or window to vent.
BTW again .. Natural gas is only explosive at concentrations levels between about 4 & 20%. My father was a gas utility safety inspector for the Illinois Commerce Commission before he retired. He mostly audited the utility's books but also investigated explosions that were thought to have occurred due to gas leaks.
Well, I looked it up for my Outlander a few weeks ago. I was making a run to Menard's for decorative rocks, top soil, etc. and needed to know the cargo limit. IIRC it's 1175 pounds. Subtract a bit over 200 for me and I knew I'd be OK with up to around 950 pounds of cargo. But I stopped at about 840 pounds to leave a comfortable margin.
Take the Blue Line from O'Hare or a cab from Midway. Walk, use cabs, or take buses to move around downtown. http://www.metra.com/ and http://www.transitchicago.com/ have good info. If you're mostly hitting tourist attractions and staying downtown itself, taxi availability is never a problem.
Rent a car for just a single day if you want to head out to a suburb, the land Beyond the Cheddar Curtain (Wisconsin), or there's-more-than-corn-in Indiana.
For hotels, I'd suggest staying a few blocks away from Michigan Ave. Even if that means you take a taxi instead of walking, I'd be willing to bet you'll save plenty of money.
Example: I live in the suburbs. A couple of weeks ago I attended a class downtown. I was the only "local"; several of the other attendees were staying at a La Quinta Inn that had a negotiated room rate of about $140 per night. None of my classmates had cars.
All that said, an alternative is to stay in the suburbs, rent a car (suburban hotels generally have cheaper room rates and won't charge for parking), drive in to the city, park for $20ish for the day, and take taxis/buses around downtown when distances are too far to walk. Just be warned that morning rush "hour" runs about 5:30AM-8:30 and the afternoon crush starts as early as 2:30-3 and runs 'til after 6PM.
Chicago pizza to try includes Gino's, Pizzaria Uno, and Giordano's. If you don't want to wait during the dinner hour, I'd suggest hitting them for lunch instead of dinner. You'll be competing with the worker crowd but if you go a little early (11:30) or late (after 1) the places will be vacant. Lots of places to got for Italian Beef. Portillos is good but there are plenty of others.
Hit the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) for a sky-high view of the city. They installed step-out boxes with glass bottoms so you can literally step out and feel like there's nothing under your feet but the ground .. far away.
The museums are very good. Field Museum of Natural History features Sue the most complete T. Rex ever uncovered + other special exhibits. Shedd Aquarium is not a favorite of mine but many people like it. The Adler is a good planetarium. Museum of Science & Industry is usually interesting. And there's always the Art Institute if you want to feel cultured. Check their web sites for special exhibits.
Millennium Park and Grant Park are both good; I like MP better. The obelisks are entertaining and it's fun to people-watch around them. Maybe catch a free concert at the amphitheater.
Shop the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue. Window shop only unless you have deep pockets.
Take a boat off Navy Pier ( http://www.navypier.com/ ). I like the Tall Ships ( http://www.tallshipadventuresofchicago.com/ ) myself. You can also relax and take in an IMAX movie, ride the ferrous wheel, or just enjoy walking around.
Take a cab north and see the Blue Man Group.
Rent a car, cross the border into Wisconsin, and get medieval at the Bristol Renaissance Faire: http://www.renfair.com/bristol/ (July - September). Watch the Mud Show. Or, if you've younger kids, do medieval-lite at Schaumburg's http://www.medievaltimes.com/.
I'll be at Smith & Wollensky ( http://www.smithandwollensky.com/locations/chicago_steakhouse.htm ) this afternoon for a meeting.
The Science and Industry museum doesn't seem to have an exciting special show right now. We saw the Titanic recovered paraphanalia the last time we were there IIRC. The German sub is a terrific adventure.
I recommend the open-sided trolleys that take you around the city with talking hosts to give the info on things. I don't recommend getting off and on unless you know your plan. We did get off and go up the Sears Tower. I wouldn't do that again because I have this fear of heights and the idea of an airplane going into the building under me like happened to the people in the World Trade Tower's viewing area gives me the willies. I didn't like the building's movement in the wind the time we went up.
Are you driving?
Flying?
Visiting Harpo Studios?
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/sue/index.html#index
http://www.msichicago.org/
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I'd also add a swing by Ed Debevic's, and House of Blues. Gino's pizza, which you recommended, is one of my favorites, but don't over-order if you're not used to Chicago-style pizza. I'm a good eater, and I can never down more than 2 pieces. And, for whatever reason, I like Hancock Tower better than the tower formerly known as Sears.
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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Yes, “technically” you are correct. But non-technically, sparks and arcs are used interchangeably and you have to know who we’re talking to here on these boards. I didn’t want to overload anyone, you know.
When metal contacts are close to making contact and a charge is present, the electricity will literally jump across the gap.
You probably know this so this is directed to the other posters here. Because of the above, this is why there are metal devices installed in circuit breaker so these arcs don’t jump randomly within the breaker. These devices are called “arc chutes” and their job is to contain these arcs. I think they got this name because the arcs slide along them until they have dissipated. Does anyone really care about this? :confuse:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I, for one, don't.
But, that doesn't mean that the posts shouldn't be made .. I just skip over them and onto more captivating material - like what to do when you're in Chicago.
Isn't anybody buying or selling cars on this forum?
Actually I do. Just went nuts trying to find a circuit breaker that fit in my circuit panel box about a month ago... as it kept buzzing and triggering off. Finally found one. Turned out if wasn't a bad breaker, but an outside outlet or light that was causing the short.... we had had a lot of rain. Flicked the switch (to off) in my garage, (that went to light over bbq grill, and outlet for water fountain), and problem solved. So, I'm guessing the rain got in an outlet and caused the breaker to trip. When it dries out it should be okay?
Actually I'm in the process of buying... a house! :shades: What a whopper of a sales story that would be. We've looked at two in the last week. If I could combine my favorite features of both, eliminating those I dislike, I would have "pulled the trigger".
One agent was telling us the house we were looking at was about $20k overpriced. It has been on the market for about 8 months... don't think the seller would appreciate him telling us that though.
You gotta be kidding me. It’s a conspiracy. That’s the only way to explain what’s happened to two of Edmunds finest. I had something very similar happen to me in February but I didn’t put 2 and 2 together when it happened. It took until March till I found the problem.
I walked into the kitchen one Saturday (in February) and when I tried to turn on the light it didn’t work and I noticed another light didn’t work either. Being the genius that I am, I went to the breaker panel and sure enough the breaker was tripped. I thought the ballast in the light was going bad. I reset it and went back to the kitchen and everything was fine. About 30 minutes later the light went out again. I go back to the breaker panel and this time when I reset the breaker it tripped immediately. I reset it again and this time I heard arcing (not sparking but arcing, one of our posters buddies doesn’t like it when I don’t say this right
Like I said I never put 2 and 2 together even when the quartz light that I have adjusted to light up my grill didn’t work. Along comes a nice Saturday in March so I decided to replace the lamp. I grill out all year long and I’ve shoveled a path on my deck to get to the grill many times and that ain’t nothing new for me but using a flashlight so that I don’t burn my cooking is new for me. So, I jumped on that nice Saturday to replace the lamp. Yeah, you guessed it. It wasn’t the lamp; the fixture wasn’t getting any juice. Right below the fixture (about 4 feet) is a receptacle and when I flipped the caps on it I could see a lot of smoke stains. Now it hits me, we had lots of snow in February (around 30 inches) and it must have built up along the house and shorted out the receptacle and I didn’t notice the snow build up when I was out there grilling. I removed the cover, pull out the receptacle and a wire is burned off the receptacle.
I’ve been promising myself that I’d replace that receptacle with a GFCI outlet, so before this summer is over I’m going to do it. If we ever get that much snow again and it gets past the GFCI watertight cover the GFCI will still trip but it won’t cause the breaker to trip and turn off the kitchen lights.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
It was a fixer but he planned to live in for a few years, sell it and maybe make a profit.
It had the old style fuse box with the glass fuses. He found pennies behind tow of them!
I suspect ole tidester and kristie playing tricks on us again. The nerve sneaking around our houses in the middle of the night. We are up to date on our dues aren't we? :surprise:
I haven't looked yet, but I suspect the reseptactle by the outside water fountain. Over the years I've piled mulch upon mulch around the fountain and flower bed till it's pretty much disappeared underneath the mess. Bet I had a bunch of standing water finally caused it to short out.
We spotted a huge electrical box with a master throw switch that would cut off all of the power to the whole strip mall.
Did we pull it? Take a guess.
You do have much better views from the Hancock than the tower formerly known as Sears. When we have friends in town and go to the loop we usually stop at the Hancock and go to the signature room (which is just under the observation deck) and have a drink, Same views, costs less plus we have a drink.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
When I was a kid we lived in a house that had been built in the 1930's. Maybe '35 or around then. Beautiful old woodwork, lovely tile work, etc. And those old fuse-boxes. I remember my dad putting a penny behind a fuse once or twice.
The house is still standing, still occupied (not by my family, of course). I wonder if it's ever been re-wired.
If you are driving in, look for the best hotel deals including the parking... But, bite the bullet and stay downtown... I couldn't make financial or time sense of staying in the burbs and commuting, since almost everything we were doing was downtown (or a train to the ballpark).. Unlike where I live... there are just no decent places to stay within 5-10 miles of town... Any place I could find was an easy one hour commute, by the time you got to the train station and got downtown.. I'm pretty anal about vacation costs.. just wasn't worth it.. Plus, I put a value on being able to get back to my room for a quick nap, if needed...
We had a great time... definitely not cheap for a quick "city trip" vacation, though...
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Well, you might be but when they jacked up the dues like they did at the beginning of the year, I asked for a payment plan. Never heard back on that request.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
To: Snake, GG, Kyfdx, Fushigi, and Imidazol97: Thanks so much for all of your suggestions. My sister and I have made a list. She and her husband will be in Chicago for their last medical convention before retiring next fall. They wanted us to join them. Coco will be five months old by then, and our vet has agreed to keep him for that week. My sister and her husband will fly to Chicago. My wife and I will drive because the four of us are going on to Wisconsin and Michigan when we leave Chicago. At any rate, here is the list so far:
1. John Hancock (We'll do the Signature Room that Snake mentioned.)
2. Navy Pier with harbor boat tour
3. River tour
4. Frank Lloyd Wright's house in Oak Park (My special request)
5. Cubs game Sunday afternoon
6. Art Institute (Wife's special request)
7. Science and Industry Museum
8. Museum of Natural History
9. Water Tower Place and Magnificent Mile (Girls want to shop.)
10. Chicago Opera House (If there is a summer concert)
Restaurants:
1. One North (My friend's son is the manager.)
2. Rosebud
3. Nick's Fish Market
4. Harry Caray's Italian Steak House
5. Bandera's (Got to have that corn bread and jazz)
6. Ed Debevic's
Hotel: I'm still working on it. I got Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights at the Hyatt Regency for $189 per night, but couldn't get Saturday night due to the medical convention. I'm trying to get something for Saturday night or another place for all four nights. The real problem is that both my wife and I smoke. That limits your options. We need to stay down town. We want to park the car and just take cabs or walk...mostly cabs unless my orthopedic surgeon or chiropractor gets my hip in better shape by then.
Again, thanks for all of the wonderful suggesitons.
Richard
I'm still waiting on the cap and tee shirt since our dues went up. :P
Richard
We still do that at times, between the important topics. :P
I will have a buying story for you by September. We're raising a puppy and working on the house right now. The potty training is worse than working on the house.
Richard
That's a nice list of attractions & restaurants. There will be plenty to keep you busy.
Here's one of the water taxis:
Buyers need to be careful what they say during a test drive. Because you're distracted by your driving, you're more likely to tell the truth. Going for a test drive is like administering truth serum.
In my experience, customers would tell you the truth every time on the test drive! I always asked them a lot of questions and I would store what I had learned for later use
Believe it or not, $189/night isn't all that expensive for downtown Chicago.
Look at Holiday Inn Express on Michigan. Not going to be one of those places with chandeliers in the lobby. But, close to where you want to be and clean.
I think the last time I stayed there about 6 months ago, it was $108/night. Considering its location, that's really good.
Everything else about your trip sounds great. You're going to have a lot of fun.
The dialog ordinarily goes like this...
Salesperson (SP)-So, how do you like the car, this/that feature, acceleration, braking (pick one or all)?
GG-Like it just fine. But, it's a brand new car. I should like it. If not, this is going to be a short visit to your store (said with a chuckle).
SP-Are you buying today?
GG-Perhaps. Depends on if you've got the options and colors I want. Also depends on if I like the car during this test drive.
SP-Will you be financing?
GG-I dunno....any specials you got going on?
SP-Will this car be in your name?
GG-yes....it's the only name I have.
I don't see how telling a salesperson anything different from above benefits anyone....the buyer or the seller. So, why bother making something up?
GG, thanks for the tip. I'll try them.
Richard
As smart as you are and you SMOKE?
Say it ain't so!
Sometimes, during a test drive they would say things that I knew would result in a no sale.
If they had bad credit or were seriously under water on their trade, I just wish they would let me know these things before wasting my time on a test drive.
As smart as you are and you SMOKE?
Say it ain't so!
I believe we've been down this path before, some months ago. Everybody and their brother who posts to this board tried to bully, plead and beg Richard to give up smoking. We all told stories of those who got sick and/or died, and those who were successful in giving up their habit.
Richard is a big boy who understands what he's doing. Growing up in NC, I can imagine that the pressure to smoke as a young adult was even greater, given the strength of the tobacco industry there.
We know that it will make it tougher to find a hotel, or sell a used car, or get a good seat in a restaurant.
As long as he picks on us for spelling errors we can badger him for smoking.
The article mentioned the "Mercury Bobcat", a twin of the Ford Pinto for which I have no recollection--probably with good reason.
The most entertaining segment was about Ford/Mercury's foray into the "luxurious" and quirky Merkur line (which I do remember). An auto historian, talking about the line, called the Merkur project "a horrible mistake, ill-suited to what he calls the 'full Cleveland--white belt, white shoes--customer' typical then in Mercury showrooms."
Are Richard--and now isell--our forum representatives of the "full Cleveland" look and will Richard be wearing the white belt and shoes to Chicago or at least to the dealership when he buys his next car?
I did like the 1967 Mercury Cougar with the rotatable "grill" headlamps--very Green Hornet Black Beautyish. Does anyone else remember the Cougar (Cat) that was ubiquitous in their commercials of that time period? The cat's growl was even part of their radio spots.
Gogiboy
The whole Mercur project was a disaster. The XR4ti's were junk and the Scorpios weren't much better.
The tool company that I worked for was a sponser for the XR4ti's that they raced.
It was a short lived relationship.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
The Merkur (Mare-koor) brand was meant to provide Euro-sourced Fords to the US market. I think the problem was aligning the product in L/M dealers, as they didn't know how to sell that type of product, nor deal with the customer base, which, I dare say, was much, much younger than most L/M customers.
Link to Merkur History
Does anyone else remember the Cougar (Cat) that was ubiquitous in their commercials of that time period? The cat's growl was even part of their radio spots.
I do remember those ads back in the 70's. They often had the cougar draped on the Lincoln / Mercury sign and had the growl at the end of the ad.
Didn't Farrah Fawcett hawk L/M for a while? I seem to remember her in some ads - and, the Bobcat was used as one of the cars in "Charlie's Angels".
Perhaps a precursor to Jill Wagner: