Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations

graphicguy · August 2015

oldfarmer50 said:
Hey driver100:

Didn't you say you wanted a '58 Thunderbird?

Just happen to find one for you.

http://albany.craigslist.org/cto/5184265148.html

OldFarmer....I really like that T-Bird. Wish I was more attune to the worth of these types of classic cars. i might be tempted to make a trip out east to buy that car.

imidazol97 · August 2015

I see a pink Thunderbird in the background.

driver100 · August 2015

imidazol97 said:
I cleaned up the link that Mr. Driver was posting. It didn't work right in my
browser from his post.

http://www.americantorque.com/game/tailfins/

Thanks for reposting Imid. I got 48 out of 56. If anyone beats it they get one years free subscription to Buying and Selling Cars.

driver100 · August 2015

graphicguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:
Hey driver100:

Didn't you say you wanted a '58 Thunderbird?

Just happen to find one for you.

http://albany.craigslist.org/cto/5184265148.html

OldFarmer....I really like that T-Bird. Wish I was more attune to the worth of these types of classic cars. i might be tempted to make a trip out east to buy that car.

I do like those, and I like the pink one in the background of the one imid found...though, not necessarily in pink.

Those cars had some pizzaz. They didn't all have the same bubbly rounded look, and if you didn't like your favorite make just wait one year...they looked totally different when the next years came out.

BMW may have lost me as a customer because of that fact. When I traded in the 2012 535 I didn't even try a 2015 model. It wouldn't be much fun getting the same car - though I would have if it was my best option. I was very skeptical when we went to look at the E400, but as soon as we sat in it, we were sold. So, BMW lost a customer because they didn't do a complete change in 3 years....which is when quite a few people trade cars.

I still say GM headquarters is the major one at fault. If the dealer can't satisfy you then head office should be there to make sure you are completely satisfied. The dealer selects the franchisee and they have to comply with the manufacturers rules. If they can't there is something wrong, and the manufacturer has to be there to make it right.

isellhondas · August 2015

imidazol97 said:

isellhondas said:
It lost all of my favorites which I finally recovered. It dumped all of my auto fill passwords and it forces you to use Bing which I despise.
What kind of machine were you upgrading? Some of the problematic machines have been
Dells and some others not in the mainstream. I upgraded an HP G7 and have an HP G6 lined
up for the upgrade.

I'm listening to a computer call in program right now and they were saying
something about Dell and some others. They don't do podcasts or I would
wait til that's posted and verify what they were saying.

I do remember it tried, like so many things try to do, to make Bing the default. I just
piddled around and found how to add other search engines to the choices and make
Google the default.

As I said earlier, the only problem I had was Win10 chose the wrong screen size
for my laptop. I found the settings for the display and found there was a 1600 x
something available and clicked and that was the one needed.

Nope, not a Dell. It's an HP, don't know the model number.

I found no way to recover my Edmunds password and I had resigned myself to leaving forever.

I kept kicking myself for trying to "upgrade" when Windows 7 had been flawless.

isellhondas · August 2015

imidazol97 said:
I see a pink Thunderbird in the background.

That 58 T-Bird looks like Earl Scheib or Maaco painted it. White paint on the inner wheel wells etc.

And it appears not to have tinted glass so it's probably a stripper.

1958's are the least desirable of that series. thay had a one year only rear suspension and a couple other things that got changed in '59. Still, I do like the squarebirds.

oldfarmer50 · August 2015

isellhondas said:

imidazol97 said:
I see a pink Thunderbird in the background.

That 58 T-Bird looks like Earl Scheib or Maaco painted it. White paint on the inner wheel wells etc.

And it appears not to have tinted glass so it's probably a stripper.

1958's are the least desirable of that series. thay had a one year only rear suspension and a couple other things that got changed in '59. Still, I do like the squarebirds.

That's probably the reason for the relatively low price. Classic cars are a tough buy since one non numbers matching part or missing option can dramatically effect their value. You have to wonder who decides which model is desirable and which isn't.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2015

If it's a budget-painted car with few options (the photos do show it to be a bit tired), then $8K is more than enough for it. Interior looks dirty and wrinkled up, overspray underneath---not too optimistic about this one.

berri · August 2015

I remember there was some controversy when Ford went from a two-seater Thunderbird to the Squarebird. It's not a Corvette anymore - but it never really was. The 58 sales trumped the prior 3 years and brought it's styling cues over to the 59 Galaxie which gave Ford a banner year for full size 59's.

I'd guess that classic car prices bounce around a lot for many of them.

driver100 · August 2015

If I was to buy something like a 58 T-Bird it would be for my own fun. I think the dollar value could really drop off as an investment - I doubt the next generation will be interested in 50s and 60s type cars.

My wife was executor for friends and she sent their furniture to an auction. Big problem is everything sells, even if you only get $1 for it. Other problem is younger people don't want china, crystal, silverware or old furniture. They do like really old toys and those old thermometers that advertised Orange Crush or Quaker State oil.

driver100 · August 2015

berri said:
I remember there was some controversy when Ford went from a two-seater Thunderbird to the Squarebird. It's not a Corvette anymore - but it never really was. The 58 sales trumped the prior 3 years and brought it's styling cues over to the 59 Galaxie which gave Ford a banner year for full size 59's.

I'd guess that classic car prices bounce around a lot for many of them.

They finally decided to call the 2 seater T-Birds "personal cars" because they weren't really sports cars. 2 seaters have very limited sales. 4 seaters really opens up the market. And Ford did outsell Chev in 57 and 59, glory years for Ford.

carnaught · August 2015

driver100 said:

imidazol97 said:
I cleaned up the link that Mr. Driver was posting. It didn't work right in my
browser from his post.

http://www.americantorque.com/game/tailfins/

Thanks for reposting Imid. I got 48 out of 56. If anyone beats it they get one years free subscription to Buying and Selling Cars.

Got 100%. Thanks Imid., fun stuff!

houdini1 · August 2015

driver100 said:
If I was to buy something like a 58 T-Bird it would be for my own fun. I think the dollar value could really drop off as an investment - I doubt the next generation will be interested in 50s and 60s type cars.

My wife was executor for friends and she sent their furniture to an auction. Big problem is everything sells, even if you only get $1 for it. Other problem is younger people don't want china, crystal, silverware or old furniture. They do like really old toys and those old thermometers that advertised Orange Crush or Quaker State oil.

That has pretty much been my experience with garage sales also. Most people want the junk that I thought would never sell.

imidazol97 · August 2015

I found the perfect car for the people in Florida at the car show I visited today.
The blue one comes with a paddle so you're never up salt creek without a paddle. LOL

roadburner · August 2015

A guy in my county has a red Amphicar; he bought it decades ago and still drives it.

stickguy · August 2015

I took the quiz, which I knew was a mistake. got a whopping 34. Not my area of expertise!

explorerx4 · August 2015

@oldfarmer50,
Just in case you see something unusual while walking the north 40.
http://gizmodo.com/the-army-wants-its-missing-missile-back-1727591780

isellhondas · August 2015

Mr_Shiftright said:
If it's a budget-painted car with few options (the photos do show it to be a bit tired), then $8K is more than enough for it. Interior looks dirty and wrinkled up, overspray underneath---not too optimistic about this one.

I hadn't clicked on the Craigslist ad until now and I totally agree with you. The interior is ratty and it's a stripper without power windows or A/C. Nothing like a budget paint job to kill the prospective buyers.

And that engine? The stampings on the (chrome?) valve covers look like they came off a newer engine maybe a 390.

28firefighter · August 2015

I have a sales story to report....not car related though.

My wife and I have been on a family plan with my BIL and SIL, totalling 5 lines, on AT&T. We pay about $49 a month for the plan for each line to share 30 GB of data. My BIL and I are heavy data users because of work requirements for tethering. The customer service experience has been atrocious on every occasion we have needed them.

Recently we we decided to give T-Mobile a try and yesterday made the final switch. We now pay $28/line for 50 GB of data, coverage into Canada and Mexico, and free music streaming. Was also able to snag iPhones for two of the lines for $15/month vs $28/month with AT&T.

The the data speeds, customer service and overall experience making the switch is ultimately what sold us - it took an hour and a half to port all 5 lines over and to process the early termination fee reimbursements. T-Mobile seems to be the only client focused wireless carrier in the space right now and I can see why.

Pretty pleased so far and with how little we are spending.

driver100 · August 2015

imidazol97 said:
I found the perfect car for the people in Florida at the car show I visited today.
The blue one comes with a paddle so you're never up salt creek without a paddle. LOL

It is surprising, those Amphi cars were such poor quality, they aren't a very good car and they aren't a very good boat, yet it seems every one ever built is still on the road....or err water.

What is the purple car behind the Amphis. My guess is with that big glass hatch roof it is a Camaro. The only thing throwing me off is the trunk line seems fairly high.

Thanks for the comments regarding the 58 T-Bird. It just doesn't look right to me. You guys noticed peculiar engine parts and a cheap paint job. To me it looks very distorted, like fenders aren't quite right.

driver100 · August 2015

stickguy said:
I took the quiz, which I knew was a mistake. got a whopping 34. Not my area of expertise!

I think you failed at 50s and 60s cars

Me, I know lots of useless information that doesn't do me much good, except scoring big on a silly computer game. I don't think it will make me rich or famous.

imidazol97 · August 2015

driver100 said:
What is the purple car behind the Amphis. My guess is with that big glass hatch roof it is a Camaro. The only thing throwing me off is the trunk line seems fairly high.

IIRC it's a bastardized Camaro made to look like a 57 Chevy with fins/fenders like a 57. I don't remember what the front looks like. I don't like customized/modified cars. That one I've seen other years and I didn't even notice it--blanked it out.

But here's a picture of its rear '57 taillight and fin on the left side of this picture.

BTW the car show I chose today was downtown sponsored by Shriners at their building. Cars are usually sharp and clean that show up there.

driver100 · August 2015

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:
What is the purple car behind the Amphis. My guess is with that big glass hatch roof it is a Camaro. The only thing throwing me off is the trunk line seems fairly high.
IIRC it's a bastardized Camaro made to look like a 57 Chevy with fins/fenders like a 57. I don't remember what the front looks like. I don't like customized/modified cars. That one I've seen other years and I didn't even notice it--blanked it out.

But here's a picture of its rear '57 taillight and fin on the left side of this picture.

BTW the car show I chose today was downtown sponsored by Shriners at their building. Cars are usually sharp and clean that show up there.

Thanks for the info....looked like a Camaro rear window, but the trunk didn't look right. I'm with you, I like my classic cars straight up.

That engine compartment hood opening sideways is interesting. I am sure they had a reason for doing that, when opening from the back like a trunk would seem more logical.

driver100 · August 2015

There's a Chevy Trucks commercial on TV these days that shows a big bear and a guy gets into a steel cage and he feels safe because the cage is made out of steel.

https://youtu.be/vIC7Fw1rFF4

I assume Chevy is trying to get the idea across that steel is stronger than aluminum....like what is used in the #1 selling Ford F150. It will be interesting to see what happens when Chev starts using aluminum for their trucks.

Lies lies and more lies. Not quite a lie, but advertising can be so dishonest, or at least self-serving.

stickguy · August 2015

my guess on the hood is that it is related to boating (so you can get access when it is docked and you have to go at it from the side?)

fezo · August 2015

I called a guy about the Ampho-car he was selling. The probably goes back to the mid-70s. Jis advice (I never did get to the car) was if you don't know how to fix it all don't buy it and don't even think of it as a daily driver.

Saw one driving on a lake on time. That was cool.

roadburner · August 2015

A lot of people think that the Amphicar had a VW motor, but it actually uses the motor from a Triumph Herald.

stickguy · August 2015

The boys on wheeler dealers did a Amphicar recently. That was enough to confirm I would never want to go near one!

oldfarmer50 · August 2015

stickguy said:
The boys on wheeler dealers did a Amphicar recently. That was enough to confirm I would never want to go near one!

The crew on Fast & Loud flipped one to a group of characters who owned a resort with a number of them. As part of the deal Richard had them give him a ride in one of their restored cars in the lake behind his bar.

abacomike · August 2015

We only got 2" of rain up here in Northern Broward County the last 24 hours. Miami-Dade got quite a bit more. We did not experience any heavy winds associated with the storm. It seems that the storm moved much further west than originally forecast. The west coast of Florida experienced significant amounts of rainfall.

I guess we once again dodged a bullet.

When people ask me (newcomers to the State) what it's like living through a hurricane, I always respond that I would rather live through a 6.5 magnitude earthquake than have to deal with 7 days of uncertainty as the hurricane approaches, 1-2 days of rain and damaging winds, and then 5 days without electricity and 2 months dealing with the aftermath.

I've lived through both natural disasters including a tornado on the western suburbs of Chicago - I'll take the earthquake over any of the other disasters.

abacomike · August 2015

My son arrives Thursday afternoon with his SO. They will be here for 4 nights. I am so looking forward to hugging my kid. He has lived through a tough year last year with his malignant tumor in his brain and the many months of proton radiation that eventually shrunk the tumor out of existence.

The major side effects of all that radiation appear to be mainly a slight loss of his short term memory. He has learned to compensate by keeping notes and reminders on his iPhone that alert him when he has an appointment or several tasks to accomplish.

He's been through a lot and now I get to spoil him a little.

graphicguy · August 2015

isellhondas said:

imidazol97 said:
I see a pink Thunderbird in the background.

That 58 T-Bird looks like Earl Scheib or Maaco painted it. White paint on the inner wheel wells etc.

And it appears not to have tinted glass so it's probably a stripper.

1958's are the least desirable of that series. thay had a one year only rear suspension and a couple other things that got changed in '59. Still, I do like the squarebirds.

You guys have good eyes. I couldn't tell any overspray. Good eye on the "non-tinted" windows, too. I do like the square birds, though.

Michaell · August 2015

abacomike said:
We only got 2" of rain up here in Northern Broward County the last 24 hours. Miami-Dade got quite a bit more. We did not experience any heavy winds associated with the storm. It seems that the storm moved much further west than originally forecast. The west coast of Florida experienced significant amounts of rainfall.

I guess we once again dodged a bullet.

When people ask me (newcomers to the State) what it's like living through a hurricane, I always respond that I would rather live through a 6.5 magnitude earthquake than have to deal with 7 days of uncertainty as the hurricane approaches, 1-2 days of rain and damaging winds, and then 5 days without electricity and 2 months dealing with the aftermath.

I've lived through both natural disasters including a tornado on the western suburbs of Chicago - I'll take the earthquake over any of the other disasters.

Mike, having grown up in SoCal as well, I heartily agree with you. By the time you realize what's going on, the earthquake is over.

I remember the Loma Prieta quake of '89 - the one that devastated San Francisco and interrupted the World Series. I was on the 11th floor of an office building 300+ miles away and that building - as it is supposed to - swayed back and forth a bit during the quake. Driving home, I learned that the epicenter was quite a distance from me and I remember thinking how bad it would have been to be closer to the center of the quake.

Never had to deal with a hurricane, but did ride out a tornado warning once while on business in Milwaukee. Did not like that one bit.

We don't get a lot in the way of natural disasters here in Colorado - the occasional snow storm that paralyzes the city and a couple of tornados that have touched down within 10 miles of the house.

Michaell · August 2015

abacomike said:
My son arrives Thursday afternoon with his SO. They will be here for 4 nights. I am so looking forward to hugging my kid. He has lived through a tough year last year with his malignant tumor in his brain and the many months of proton radiation that eventually shrunk the tumor out of existence.

The major side effects of all that radiation appear to be mainly a slight loss of his short term memory. He has learned to compensate by keeping notes and reminders on his iPhone that alert him when he has an appointment or several tasks to accomplish.

He's been through a lot and now I get to spoil him a little.

Mike, I'm so happy you'll be able to spend some quality time with your son and his SO. I'm hoping to get to CA in October to see my folks - my dad is in poor health and has been in and out of the hospital a few times in the past month.

Anyway, you've both earned the right to spoil him silly. Hope you get a steak at the casino!

driver100 · August 2015

stickguy said:
my guess on the hood is that it is related to boating (so you can get access when it is docked and you have to go at it from the side?)

Good thinking. I guess it saves one from having to get in the water and be at the back of the boat/car to get at the engine.

driver100 · August 2015

graphicguy said:

isellhondas said:

imidazol97 said:
I see a pink Thunderbird in the background.

That 58 T-Bird looks like Earl Scheib or Maaco painted it. White paint on the inner wheel wells etc.

And it appears not to have tinted glass so it's probably a stripper.

1958's are the least desirable of that series. thay had a one year only rear suspension and a couple other things that got changed in '59. Still, I do like the squarebirds.
You guys have good eyes. I couldn't tell any overspray. Good eye on the "non-tinted" windows, too. I do like the square birds, though.

The whole car just doesn't look right to me...fenders seem sagging or out of alignment. This one looks like one worth owning:

abacomike · August 2015

@Michaell said:

"Anyway, you've both earned the right to spoil him silly. Hope you get a steak at the casino!"

After I pick them up at FLL, we are going straight there for dinner. I was there for dinner Friday evening. Instead of steak or lobster, I had a double rib veal chop with their new house sauce. It was the best meal I've had in many years. Actually, the chop was too big for the average person - but I managed. I had a side of skillet potatoes with onions.

I don't know if any of you guys out there have ever eaten at NYY Steakhouse on Yankee Stadium or in Mid-town Manhattan. I think it surpasses Morton's and Ruth's Crist.

On Sunday morning I am taking them back to NYY for their Sunday Brunch. It's the most awesome brunch I have ever attended. Champagne and Bloody Mary's non-stop. In fact, you can order anything you want to drink. They have bagels, smoked salmon, lobster bisque, fresh fruits, all kinds of cheeses, white fish, huge shrimp cocktails, king crab legs, oysters, pancakes and omelets, a huge dessert bar, and in the center, they have a carving station with prime rib, smoked turkey, a scallop dish and a shrimp dish (varies week to week), lamb chops, etc., etc., etc.

Truly an amazing brunch!!!

imidazol97 · August 2015

stickguy said:
my guess on the hood is that it is related to boating (so you can get access when it is docked and you have to go at it from the side?)

Very logical. I wondered when I saw the "trunk" up with the fulcrums at the left side. BTW,
the engine in there is smaller than most Harley's that go by me. It's not large at all. I
should'a 'took' a picture.

graphicguy · August 2015

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

isellhondas said:

imidazol97 said:
I see a pink Thunderbird in the background.

That 58 T-Bird looks like Earl Scheib or Maaco painted it. White paint on the inner wheel wells etc.

And it appears not to have tinted glass so it's probably a stripper.

1958's are the least desirable of that series. thay had a one year only rear suspension and a couple other things that got changed in '59. Still, I do like the squarebirds.
You guys have good eyes. I couldn't tell any overspray. Good eye on the "non-tinted" windows, too. I do like the square birds, though.
The whole car just doesn't look right to me...fenders seem sagging or out of alignment. This one looks like one worth owning:

You're right. I think if I saw the car in person, it would be more obvious that it was a less than "good" job of trying to make that 'bird look good.

https://news.classiccars.com/pick-week-1960-ford-thunderbird-custom-coupe

While I do like the late '50s versions, I like the early-mid '60s birds better.

driver100 · August 2015

graphicguy said:

driver100 said:

graphicguy said:

isellhondas said:

imidazol97 said:
I see a pink Thunderbird in the background.

That 58 T-Bird looks like Earl Scheib or Maaco painted it. White paint on the inner wheel wells etc.

And it appears not to have tinted glass so it's probably a stripper.

1958's are the least desirable of that series. thay had a one year only rear suspension and a couple other things that got changed in '59. Still, I do like the squarebirds.
You guys have good eyes. I couldn't tell any overspray. Good eye on the "non-tinted" windows, too. I do like the square birds, though.
The whole car just doesn't look right to me...fenders seem sagging or out of alignment. This one looks like one worth owning:

You're right. I think if I saw the car in person, it would be more obvious that it was a less than "good" job of trying to make that 'bird look good.

https://news.classiccars.com/pick-week-1960-ford-thunderbird-custom-coupe

While I do like the late '50s versions, I like the early-mid '60s birds better.

I would agree.....I like this 65. Check the proportions, long hood and trunk, huge windows:

Interior was pretty nice too. Too bad about those large thin steering wheels though:

andres3 · August 2015

stickguy said:
we need rain up in NJ too. My lawn is sucking wind.

as to cars, definitely seems that Caddy (GM) has bought into the "stale until they give up and go away" program. Probably easier to do with cars, because most people can't afford to just park a lemon that they are paying for, and probably need for transportation. So the war of attrition is in their favor.

I'm sure they hope that owners just give up, and go trade it in (at another brand!) to be rid of it, making it easier to ignore the problem since the new owners won't be original.

GG is probably in the minority that can, if they want, fight to the bitter end even if they never see the car again.

Someone brought up an interesting point, what if GG's situation was a lease deal? I would think that you could legally stop making the lease payments since the other end of the bargain isn't being provided, but I'm no lawyer. This is based on renting an apartment where the landlord fails to do repairs (deduct from rent allowed in CA with notice and reasonable time frame).

stickguy · August 2015

Oh I imagine the finance company would not go for that. But maybe they could get sucked into the legal proceedings!

andres3 · August 2015

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:

Just a couple of links to show you the stuff I say isn't made up or some regurgitated insurance-backed & perpetuated myth as you wrote above, some which is blatantly plainly false.
Interesting that the links are newspaper articles and not the actual studies.

Fact is that going faster is more risky, you may wish to deny that to justify your need to speed, but the facts are still the facts.

The links provided have links to the actual studies cited in the article on the front page; not hard to find and not hidden.

The fact is you are ignoring that higher speeds are reserved for roads in which those higher speeds result in reduced risk of collision. That reduced risk greatly outweighs the added risk of increased speed which is only a factor if, and only if, you have a collision.

isellhondas · August 2015

The looks of that 65 T Bird have been ruined by whoever installed those hokey side mouldings.

These were popular in the 60's and 70's and the intent was to protect the car against door dings. They were usually installed with screws in to the sides of the cars. Horrible thing to do!

andres3 · August 2015

dino001 said:

graphicguy said:

henryn said:
On the subject of GG’s Cadillac woes:

I strongly suspect that Cadillac (the corporation, not the local dealers) still don’t believe his car is really “broken”. “Not showing a code” is a really big deal to them. And the car is (mostly) drivable.

I think both of the service departments he has dealt with are not truly presenting his side of the case to the higher levels (regional manager, zone manager, whatever).

When you start dealing with huge corporations, internal communications are often terrible at best. And in this case, the dealerships and Cadillac corporation are two entirely separate entities, with completely different interests.

I have stated before, here in these forums, eventually dealerships are going to be owned / run by the car companies. I think that HAS to happen, eventually.
Henry...I also think that the Cadillac service depts are somehow rated/funded by how well they fix the new cars they sell. Can't fix it? Don't know what's wrong? Tell Cadillac corporate that it's operating "as designed".

Although, I don't know how you can ignore the power steering going out.
It's all based on assumption that customer has no credibility when reporting a problem, so you can forget about compensation without a code. The relationsgip between GM and its dealers must be absolutely awful, if they don't give them enough goodwill to allow investigations without those codes. It is also clear that avoiding short term loss is still much more important to them than building a brand position. Everybody knows that one very unhappy customer usually spills into multiple losses of business, but they seem to simply not care. There are people out there that impossible to satisfy, no matter what, they'll always find something to be unhappy about, so sometimes it may be only course of action to cut them off and fight them. However, based on available information, I don't think yours is that case. It is GM and its dealers who don't deserve a benefit of the doubt here.

"Operating as designed" is a very good concise manifestation their of culture.

I think "operating as designed" is another way of saying "Parts just break down." The latter being what a Dodge Dealer service manager once told me in response to an inquiry of why the car kept breaking down regularly and repeatedly.

Thank goodness I never ran into an irreparable problem with the Dodge, though no repair kept future breakdowns from happening within the next few months once it was past the 3 year mark. All of the repairs seem to have been done competently.

graphicguy · August 2015

andres3 said:

stickguy said:
we need rain up in NJ too. My lawn is sucking wind.

as to cars, definitely seems that Caddy (GM) has bought into the "stale until they give up and go away" program. Probably easier to do with cars, because most people can't afford to just park a lemon that they are paying for, and probably need for transportation. So the war of attrition is in their favor.

I'm sure they hope that owners just give up, and go trade it in (at another brand!) to be rid of it, making it easier to ignore the problem since the new owners won't be original.

GG is probably in the minority that can, if they want, fight to the bitter end even if they never see the car again.
Someone brought up an interesting point, what if GG's situation was a lease deal? I would think that you could legally stop making the lease payments since the other end of the bargain isn't being provided, but I'm no lawyer. This is based on renting an apartment where the landlord fails to do repairs (deduct from rent allowed in CA with notice and reasonable time frame).

Interesting thought, Andres. I guess I could take out a loan on it and get the loan assignor to help me in this battle....LOL!

I don't think any financial institution cares one iota whether a car they loaned money on is a lemon or not. I would think the person who signed for the loan is on the hook until (in this case) any given car company sends them a check for the lemon.

You guys keep reminding me of some things the dealer has said to me during this Cadillac fiasco.

This in regards to CUE all of a sudden becoming unusable, dealer said at one point..."you have to expect that these things won't work at times as they are high tech....."

The infamous intermittent power steering failure...."we contacted Cadillac engineering and this happens on occasion with their power steering systems. They do that because they were designed that way." Uhhh---huhhhh!

BTW.....car is still sitting at the dealer service dept. It's now been a full month. And, that's just the most recent time it's been there. In total, it's been in the dealer service dept for 7 weeks+ That figures out to be almost 1 week a month during the time I've had it.

driver100 · August 2015

graphicguy said:

andres3 said:

stickguy said:
we need rain up in NJ too. My lawn is sucking wind.

as to cars, definitely seems that Caddy (GM) has bought into the "stale until they give up and go away" program. Probably easier to do with cars, because most people can't afford to just park a lemon that they are paying for, and probably need for transportation. So the war of attrition is in their favor.

I'm sure they hope that owners just give up, and go trade it in (at another brand!) to be rid of it, making it easier to ignore the problem since the new owners won't be original.

GG is probably in the minority that can, if they want, fight to the bitter end even if they never see the car again.
Someone brought up an interesting point, what if GG's situation was a lease deal? I would think that you could legally stop making the lease payments since the other end of the bargain isn't being provided, but I'm no lawyer. This is based on renting an apartment where the landlord fails to do repairs (deduct from rent allowed in CA with notice and reasonable time frame).

You guys keep reminding me of some things the dealer has said to me during this Cadillac fiasco.

This in regards to CUE all of a sudden becoming unusable, dealer said at one point..."you have to expect that these things won't work at times as they are high tech....."

The infamous intermittent power steering failure...."we contacted Cadillac engineering and this happens on occasion with their power steering systems. They do that because they were designed that way." Uhhh---huhhhh!

Lease won't make one bit of difference. You are on the hook....for those purposes the car is yours.

What the dealer has said to you is meaningless garbage....they should be in Yogi's book of Yogi Berraisms:

You can observe a lot by just watching.

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

It's like déjà vu all over again.

It ain't over till it's over

No one goes there nowadays, it’s too crowded.

Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours.

We made too many wrong mistakes.

Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.

A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore.

Congratulations. I knew the record would stand until it was broken.

oldfarmer50 · August 2015

graphicguy said:

andres3 said:

stickguy said:
we need rain up in NJ too. My lawn is sucking wind.

as to cars, definitely seems that Caddy (GM) has bought into the "stale until they give up and go away" program. Probably easier to do with cars, because most people can't afford to just park a lemon that they are paying for, and probably need for transportation. So the war of attrition is in their favor.

I'm sure they hope that owners just give up, and go trade it in (at another brand!) to be rid of it, making it easier to ignore the problem since the new owners won't be original.

GG is probably in the minority that can, if they want, fight to the bitter end even if they never see the car again.
Someone brought up an interesting point, what if GG's situation was a lease deal? I would think that you could legally stop making the lease payments since the other end of the bargain isn't being provided, but I'm no lawyer. This is based on renting an apartment where the landlord fails to do repairs (deduct from rent allowed in CA with notice and reasonable time frame).
Interesting thought, Andres. I guess I could take out a loan on it and get the loan assignor to help me in this battle....LOL!

I don't think any financial institution cares one iota whether a car they loaned money on is a lemon or not. I would think the person who signed for the loan is on the hook until (in this case) any given car company sends them a check for the lemon.

You guys keep reminding me of some things the dealer has said to me during this Cadillac fiasco.

This in regards to CUE all of a sudden becoming unusable, dealer said at one point..."you have to expect that these things won't work at times as they are high tech....."

The infamous intermittent power steering failure...."we contacted Cadillac engineering and this happens on occasion with their power steering systems. They do that because they were designed that way." Uhhh---huhhhh!

BTW.....car is still sitting at the dealer service dept. It's now been a full month. And, that's just the most recent time it's been there. In total, it's been in the dealer service dept for 7 weeks+ That figures out to be almost 1 week a month during the time I've had it.

GG, the lemon law must have kicked in by now even if they fix it 100% your lawyer should be able to force a buy back. Do you have a court date yet? Seems open and shut. I hope you had your cell phone on record when that service guy said that about expecting high tech not to work. Play that to a judge and you'll get double.

abacomike · August 2015

@graphicguy said:

"This in regards to CUE all of a sudden becoming unusable, dealer said at one point..."you have to expect that these things won't work at times as they are high tech....."

The infamous intermittent power steering failure...."we contacted Cadillac engineering and this happens on occasion with their power steering systems. They do that because they were designed that way." Uhhh---huhhhh!"

These comments are classic language and syntax that service writers, technicians and service managers are trained to use as generic responses to potential "lemon-law" customers. "...no code means the car is performing as designed and engineered...!" Loved the generic response to technology - kinda like a leaking pipe! "...of course it leaks - what do you expect from a vessel that transports water from one place to another? If it didn't leak, water pressure would rise to dangerous levels!"

GG, let's face it - this is Cadillac telling the servicing dealer what to do and what to say.

Remember the first E 400 that was built for me? They blamed the dealership instead of fessing up to a snafu!!!

explorerx4 · August 2015

Driver, Thanks for the Yogi-isms. Made my day!

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