Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

oldfarmer50 · December 2016

bwia said:
Merry Christmas to all from the beautiful but wet Caribbean.
Mike, happy to see you posting again. I hope all is well.

My 1999 RAV4 is doing it's daily duty after a major tune-up. Purrs like a kitten, even Oldfarmer would approve.

I do.

abacomike · December 2016

Went up to my Dad's resting place in Lake Worth - about 35 miles north on The Turnpike, this afternoon. The cemetery was beautifully decorated with thousands of wreaths. I believe the wreaths were placed by the vaults and graves by that philanthropic organization that pleaded for donations because there was not enough money to place wreaths at each site and final resting place. Obviously, they achieved their goals.

What amazed me was the fuel economy on the new 740i - 36.3 mpg on the turnpike at a constant 65 mph and a combined 34.2 mpg for the entire trip. The car is rated at 20/29. That is a significant improvement over EPA estimates. Only have 535 miles on the car. Who knows, it might improve a bit.

carnaught · December 2016

Mike, I always got better than EPA mpg on my bimmers, maybe cause I drive like an old librarian.

driver100 · December 2016

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

PF_Flyer said:
When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a driveway filled up with Versas this year:)

My wife's family always had Volvo's.....is this like a family requirement if you are part of the Flyer clan?
It would seem, based upon your family requirements, it's either a Mercedes Benz or nothing!

These days that is true...but at one time my wife's family had Volvos...including her....way back. Our 1995 was a real lemon though...no Volvos since and the rest of the family have all wandered off as well.

For us Mercedes do seem to fit the bill these days. We took the C250 to Port Charlotte about 90 minutes South and it was a pleasure to drive. I could easily live with that as our main car....especially if it had blind spot and rear camera. But, the site lines are good so they aren't absolutely necessary.

driver100 · December 2016

We went for dinner with friends today. This couple is in their 70s, he has been in a wheelchair since birth, she underwent an operation while in university and it went wrong......wheelchair since.

They own a home in Florida and one in Canada, plus a cottage in Northern Ontario. She was a doctor and he had an insurance agency. They adopted two kids who weren't easy to raise. They never complain, and are never bitter...in fact, the opposite - always positive and cheerful. They are an inspiration. Can you imagine doing every day things from a wheelchair, empty and fill a dishwasher, get a meal together, go grocery shopping, go to a movie or a restaurant, take a shower, bring groceries in the house, stop for gas, check into a motel......all the things we take for granted.

He traded in his old clunky 20 year old Ford van for a new Sienna...especially made for the purpose. Nice and neat and handles so much better.

Always leave room on the right side of handicap vehicles so they can put the ramp down...you would be surprised how many people don't do that!

houdini1 · December 2016

Wow, quite a couple. I have no idea how they manage things, and I certainly admire them. I hope everyone is happily winding down from today's festivities and enjoying themselves.

suydam · December 2016

We have friends who have a Sienna equipped that way. I think they are the only ones doing that now. It is such a wonderful vehicle for that purpose.

abacomike · December 2016

carnaught said:

Mike, always got better than EPA mpg on my bimmers, maybe cause I drive like an old librarian.

Ditto here on the old librarian!

oldfarmer50 · December 2016

abacomike said:
Went up to my Dad's resting place in Lake Worth - about 35 miles north on The Turnpike, this afternoon. The cemetery was beautifully decorated with thousands of wreaths. I believe the wreaths were placed by the vaults and graves by that philanthropic organization that pleaded for donations because there was not enough money to place wreaths at each site and final resting place. Obviously, they achieved their goals.

What amazed me was the fuel economy on the new 740i - 36.3 mpg on the turnpike at a constant 65 mph and a combined 34.2 mpg for the entire trip. The car is rated at 20/29. That is a significant improvement over EPA estimates. Only have 535 miles on the car. Who knows, it might improve a bit.

That's great milage Mike. What size is that engine, can it be the 3.0L inline 6 or something newer? Turbos for milage seem to be the standard these days but I'm impressed how car builders have been able to get such great performance along with great gas milage at the same time.

How you drive make a big difference too. I drove my son's Sable and got 26mpg. Next day he averaged 19.

dino001 · December 2016

abacomike said:

Just think, if you win the car, you add the almost $90,000 to your income for tax purposes. That would put most people into another bracket and limit, if not eliminate, many deductible expenses based upon the revised income. Even if you gave the car away to a Charity, it still affects your ability to deduct certain expenses. I wonder if you have to pay sales tax as well on something like that?

I thought lottery win items are subject to a separate tax, as long as you keep it for some minimum time, but I can be totally wrong. Besides, it's what I call a high quality problem. So what you lose the deductions for one year? You get the car, or at worst you sell it, pay the tax man and keep the rest. It's OK to pay taxes, as long as there is real benefit.

graphicguy · December 2016

ab348 said:
Canadian version of Discovery Channel had a Fantom Works marathon last night, so I recorded them on the DVR and have been watching some of them this afternoon. This is a show I liked when I first saw it, but seeing a few back to back has made me cool off on my liking it. Like all so-called reality shows, it suffers from too much fake drama and endless editing to make things seem different from reality, but what I am finding annoying today are some of the rather obvious errors and overstatements that the thing seems to run on. The narration on one last night got the wheelbases on both a Chevelle and a Camaro wrong within about 15 seconds. Another one with a '64 GTO made it sound like it was a Ferrari when it came to parts availability. Another one with a '67 Cougar had them unable to make the sequential taillights work due to the ancient OE controller, when a quick search revealed all that stuff is available repro. I don't understand if they just do this for the show or if they are really this obtuse. Watching a bunch of these has sort of soured me on the show.

AB...agree with you wholeheartedly. That show (like many others in the "reality car" segments) really does like to play up unneeded drama.

The other one I refuse to watch is "Graveyard Cars". The main character in that show couldn't possibly be more irritating. Plus, they only look at MOPARs. That show must not be doing well, however. Seems every commercial break, they're advertising that show. My guess is it's not doing well and they're trying to boost ratings. Not happening with me.

driver100 · December 2016

dino001 said:

abacomike said:

Just think, if you win the car, you add the almost $90,000 to your income for tax purposes. That would put most people into another bracket and limit, if not eliminate, many deductible expenses based upon the revised income. Even if you gave the car away to a Charity, it still affects your ability to deduct certain expenses. I wonder if you have to pay sales tax as well on something like that?
I thought lottery win items are subject to a separate tax, as long as you keep it for some minimum time, but I can be totally wrong. Besides, it's what I call a high quality problem. So what you lose the deductions for one year? You get the car, or at worst you sell it, pay the tax man and keep the rest. It's OK to pay taxes, as long as there is real benefit.

Dino...not sure about lottery wins being taxed but check this newer definition of psychopath:

Definition Maybe Different Than You Thought

sda · December 2016

andres3--can you say orange? I saw this at Best Buy when I was shopping for a present for my daughter last Saturday. I hope everyone had a nice holiday. It was almost 70 deg, here!

jmonroe · December 2016

ab348 said:
Canadian version of Discovery Channel had a Fantom Works marathon last night, so I recorded them on the DVR and have been watching some of them this afternoon. This is a show I liked when I first saw it, but seeing a few back to back has made me cool off on my liking it. Like all so-called reality shows, it suffers from too much fake drama and endless editing to make things seem different from reality, but what I am finding annoying today are some of the rather obvious errors and overstatements that the thing seems to run on. The narration on one last night got the wheelbases on both a Chevelle and a Camaro wrong within about 15 seconds. Another one with a '64 GTO made it sound like it was a Ferrari when it came to parts availability. Another one with a '67 Cougar had them unable to make the sequential taillights work due to the ancient OE controller, when a quick search revealed all that stuff is available repro. I don't understand if they just do this for the show or if they are really this obtuse. Watching a bunch of these has sort of soured me on the show.

I agree that these so-called reality shows is nothing but insulting to me and my IQ ain't the highest so that is a real knock on those shows as far as I'm concerned.

For years now, I have been watching MEtv. A lot of the programming is in black and white but that era was not intentionally trying to insult me like what is on a lot of TV today. Both of my son's have asked me several times why I bought one of the better Samsung 55 inch color jobs a few years ago, if I was going to watch black and white TV? When I mentioned the insulting thingy, they said, "get used to it. Your in a new millennium".

That comment just makes no sense to me. At my age, even if I wanted to change, I'm not sure I have enough time.

jmonroe

jmonroe · December 2016

abacomike said:

bwia said:

Merry Christmas to all from the beautiful but wet Caribbean.
Mike, happy to see you posting again. I hope all is well.

My 1999 RAV4 is doing it's daily duty after a major tune-up. Purrs like a kitten, even Oldfarmer would approve.

The Caribbean is experiencing some of America's best - the daily siting of "bwia" and his immediate family. We have been experiencing above normal temps with the usual passing showers that accompany the winds off the ocean, but mostly sunny.

I hope we are not going to have to put up with daily weather reports from you next year too. It's getting a little old already. :@

jmonroe

ab348 · December 2016

graphicguy said:

The other one I refuse to watch is "Graveyard Cars". The main character in that show couldn't possibly be more irritating. Plus, they only look at MOPARs. That show must not be doing well, however. Seems every commercial break, they're advertising that show. My guess is it's not doing well and they're trying to boost ratings. Not happening with me.

I just began trying to watch it a couple of weeks ago when I began getting Velocity. I figured it would be somewhat enjoyable since I like Mopars of that era. I was quickly disabused of that idea. It is perhaps the worst of these shows I have seen in regard to making up fake conflict and glorifying just downright stupid behavior. Between the host and the arrogant know-it-all sidekick guy it quickly became unwatchable.

It's hard to understand - your audience is going to be car aficionados, you are restoring valuable cars of a certain era using techniques that are specialized and interesting, so you make the focus of the show some made-up hokey behavior? All of these shows seem to follow that same formula to some degree. I guess Chasing Classic Cars might be an exception. I have to wonder why producers so consistently do this. Aside from CCC I cannot think of too many shows that play it straight, so there really seems to be no barometer for what style works best with the audience.

sda · December 2016

I especially enjoy CCC when Roger is in play. He is very knowledgeable, humble and has a great sense of humor.

cdnpinhead · December 2016

Wheeler Dealers I find enjoyable, though the older shows are preferable to the new ones. At least they finally started making reference to the labor time. When the show started I guess the theory was that it was for DIY people who were doing their own work, but the skills of a guy like Edd China aren't to be found very many places.

bwia · December 2016

Happy Boxing Day to those of you who celebrate such things. Could you believe today is a holiday, Christmas Day observance, and tomorrow is a holiday as well--this time Boxing Day observance. What can I say, no decent holiday wasted here.....jmonroe, eat your heart out, it's bright and sunny today. Looks like a good time to go whale watching (insert whale icon here)

abacomike · December 2016

oldfarmer50 said:

abacomike said:
Went up to my Dad's resting place in Lake Worth - about 35 miles north on The Turnpike, this afternoon. The cemetery was beautifully decorated with thousands of wreaths. I believe the wreaths were placed by the vaults and graves by that philanthropic organization that pleaded for donations because there was not enough money to place wreaths at each site and final resting place. Obviously, they achieved their goals.

What amazed me was the fuel economy on the new 740i - 36.3 mpg on the turnpike at a constant 65 mph and a combined 34.2 mpg for the entire trip. The car is rated at 20/29. That is a significant improvement over EPA estimates. Only have 535 miles on the car. Who knows, it might improve a bit.

That's great milage Mike. What size is that engine, can it be the 3.0L inline 6 or something newer? Turbos for milage seem to be the standard these days but I'm impressed how car builders have been able to get such great performance along with great gas milage at the same time.

How you drive make a big difference too. I drove my son's Sable and got 26mpg. Next day he averaged 19.

I am not a fast driver, OF. I don't burn rubber or kick it down hard to be the first one off a traffic light. The only time I push the accelerator down hard is when I am trying to get on the Turnpike or one of the Freeways and it's essential to get up to speed quickly. At 1500 rpm (65 mph), the turbo is not active so fuel economy is good. The engine is the 3.0 L inline 6 with the twin power turbo (320 hp, 334 torque). I was in cruise control for 25 miles up and back on the Turnpike. Economy drops considerably from the 36.3 mpg to the low 20's when I am driving around town.

qbrozen · December 2016

Graveyard is awful. I can't change the channel quick enough.

WD is, I think, my fave ongoing car show. Grand Tour is OK but a bit hit and miss. I am saddened today to have watched the delayed season finale of Fast and Loud to find out Aaron has quit the show. Wonder what will happen to that show.

Mr_Shiftright · December 2016

I think what happens is that you have to add fair market value of the car to your declared income for that year. Also you pay sales tax when you register. Maybe you can get a secured loan on the new car to pay everything off?

Wasn't there a lot of flak about this when Oprah gave her entire audience a new car? They were all happy and jumping up and down until they realized that they, not the show, were liable for taxes. At least that's what I heard about it..

driver100 · December 2016

jmonroe said:

abacomike said:

bwia said:

Merry Christmas to all from the beautiful but wet Caribbean.
Mike, happy to see you posting again. I hope all is well.

My 1999 RAV4 is doing it's daily duty after a major tune-up. Purrs like a kitten, even Oldfarmer would approve.

The Caribbean is experiencing some of America's best - the daily siting of "bwia" and his immediate family. We have been experiencing above normal temps with the usual passing showers that accompany the winds off the ocean, but mostly sunny.

I hope we are not going to have to put up with daily weather reports from you next year too. It's getting a little old already. :@

jmonroe

I don't like to rub it in so I never mention daily weather reports, like saying the rest of the week will be in the 80s in the Tampa area.

driver100 · December 2016

Bwia...thanks for the Boxing Day good wishes, Every year I have to look up the meaning of this holiday - celebrated in British Commonwealth countries.

No definitive answer, but was probably that little gifts or gifts of charity were given to servants or the poor, on the day after Christmas.

oldfarmer50 · December 2016

I found this article interesting from a historical perspective. At one point they mention how a switch was made from SAE gross hp. to SAE net hp. This made the old time hp. ratings seem higher than they would be now. Is there any way to convert the old system to the new system or are the rating differences unique to each vehicle.

Kind of wondered how my Mustang's 435 hp. would rank against those old classics if it was measured the same way.

http://www.caranddriver.com/flipbook/the-chevrolet-corvette-a-history-in-zero-to-60-times?src=nl&mag=cdb&list=nl_dvr_news&date=122316#38

imidazol97 · December 2016

Recovering from the drive on I75 to Knoxville. I didn't realize today would have heavier traffic with lots of northern folk heading out southbound for a week's holiday. I've decided the worst drivers are Indiana folks heading south. Left laners. LLD's. WOW. Best drivers were Audi's.

We were meeting friends in Pigeon Forge. They had to cancel this morning for medical problems, but we came on south. Ohio was the same temperature as it is here in 60s. At least it is not hot like it is in Florida and Bahamas so I don't have to worry about staying cool. LOL

@jmonroe Re weather reports from Caribbean. We can just keep giving them reports on our great snow with low humidity and ski slopes that are working great.

oldfarmer50 · December 2016

ab348 said:

graphicguy said:

The other one I refuse to watch is "Graveyard Cars". The main character in that show couldn't possibly be more irritating. Plus, they only look at MOPARs. That show must not be doing well, however. Seems every commercial break, they're advertising that show. My guess is it's not doing well and they're trying to boost ratings. Not happening with me.
I just began trying to watch it a couple of weeks ago when I began getting Velocity. I figured it would be somewhat enjoyable since I like Mopars of that era. I was quickly disabused of that idea. It is perhaps the worst of these shows I have seen in regard to making up fake conflict and glorifying just downright stupid behavior. Between the host and the arrogant know-it-all sidekick guy it quickly became unwatchable.

It's hard to understand - your audience is going to be car aficionados, you are restoring valuable cars of a certain era using techniques that are specialized and interesting, so you make the focus of the show some made-up hokey behavior? All of these shows seem to follow that same formula to some degree. I guess Chasing Classic Cars might be an exception. I have to wonder why producers so consistently do this. Aside from CCC I cannot think of too many shows that play it straight, so there really seems to be no barometer for what style works best with the audience.

Not to over generalize but maybe they are playing to gender interests. Men might tend to watch the technical stuff while women would be intrigued by the social interactions (drama).

oldfarmer50 · December 2016

qbrozen said:
Graveyard is awful. I can't change the channel quick enough.

WD is, I think, my fave ongoing car show. Grand Tour is OK but a bit hit and miss. I am saddened today to have watched the delayed season finale of Fast and Loud to find out Aaron has quit the show. Wonder what will happen to that show.

Arron quit? I've been waiting forever for some new episodes and all I get is repeats.

Maybe he's going to do his own spin off like the guys who were fired a while back.

oldfarmer50 · December 2016

Need your opinions.

Friend is considering this little gem. Wondering what auction value is on it. Any advice on what would be a reasonable offer for him to make?

http://www.manginochevy.com/VehicleDetails/used-2012-Ford-Mustang-GT_Premium-Amsterdam-NY/2868485363

jmonroe · December 2016

Mr_Shiftright said:
I think what happens is that you have to add fair market value of the car to your declared income for that year. Also you pay sales tax when you register. Maybe you can get a secured loan on the new car to pay everything off?

Wasn't there a lot of flak about this when Oprah gave her entire audience a new car? They were all happy and jumping up and down until they realized that they, not the show, were liable for taxes. At least that's what I heard about it..

That's what I heard too but I didn't confirm it.

If true, it sounds like Oprah was not giving away a totally "free lunch" that day, but then again, who does?

jmonroe

jmonroe · December 2016

driver100 said:
Bwia...thanks for the Boxing Day good wishes, Every year I have to look up the meaning of this holiday - celebrated in British Commonwealth countries.

No definitive answer, but was probably that little gifts or gifts of charity were given to servants or the poor, on the day after Christmas.

Are you saying this day isn't when you guys get to use your rope-a-dope technique?

Really confusing to us Southerners.

jmonroe

jmonroe · December 2016

imidazol97 said:
Recovering from the drive on I75 to Knoxville. I didn't realize today would have heavier traffic with lots of northern folk heading out southbound for a week's holiday. I've decided the worst drivers are Indiana folks heading south. Left laners. LLD's. WOW. Best drivers were Audi's.

We were meeting friends in Pigeon Forge. They had to cancel this morning for medical problems, but we came on south. Ohio was the same temperature as it is here in 60s. At least it is not hot like it is in Florida and Bahamas so I don't have to worry about staying cool. LOL

@jmonroe Re weather reports from Caribbean. We can just keep giving them reports on our great snow with low humidity and ski slopes that are working great.

We could try that but I doubt they'd understand. Probably due to cooked brains.

jmonroe

nyccarguy · December 2016

Aaron Quit? Will this be Richard's "jump the shark" moment? Or is Aaron going to open a competing shop down the block? There there will be a Richard vs Aaron "build off" show?

qbrozen · December 2016

From Aaron's twitter posts I saw in an article, it sounds to me like the TV car thing doesn't sit well with his artistic sensibilities.

abacomike · December 2016

sda said:
andres3--can you say orange? I saw this at Best Buy when I was shopping for a present for my daughter last Saturday. I hope everyone had a nice holiday. It was almost 70 deg, here!

I had a 1974 MGB-GT in almost that same color. I loved it when I saw it on the lot. Sometimes, just the color of a new car on the lot will get my heart athrobbin' - come to think of it, any new car on the lot gets my heart athrobbin' - genetic I think!

abacomike · December 2016

I spoke with my brother a while ago. He said he gets 36+ mpg's on his 740i on the interstate - so it's not just my imagination that I averaged that yesterday. He said he drove to and from Orlando this past weekend in his new X5 and averaged 28 mpg's. I asked him why in the world would he leave the 740i home in the garage and take the X5 on a trip like that. He said he didn't like the neighborhood he was going to be parking the car in so he didn't want to leave the 740i on the street.

Now, his 2017 X5 is no slouch when it comes to MSRP - I think he said his was over $70,000. I would think if he was concerned about parking a nice car on the street for a few days that he would just rent a car to drive down and back in. Between you and me, I think he just likes driving the X5 more than his 740i. I've never driven an X5, but it sure looks substantial on the road when I see one. I believe it has the same engine as the 740i - a 3.0 L inline 6 twin power turbo. I guess it's a matter of preference and needs.

driver100 · December 2016

abacomike said:

sda said:
andres3--can you say orange? I saw this at Best Buy when I was shopping for a present for my daughter last Saturday. I hope everyone had a nice holiday. It was almost 70 deg, here!

I had a 1974 MGB-GT in almost that same color. I loved it when I saw it on the lot. Sometimes, just the color of a new car on the lot will get my heart athrobbin' - come to think of it, any new car on the lot gets my heart athrobbin' - genetic I think!

Good one! Blame it on genetics! I couldn't stop myself from buying a new car, my genes made me do it!

abacomike · December 2016

cdnpinhead said:
Wheeler Dealers I find enjoyable, though the older shows are preferable to the new ones. At least they finally started making reference to the labor time. When the show started I guess the theory was that it was for DIY people who were doing their own work, but the skills of a guy like Edd China aren't to be found very many places.

I agree that Ed China is a very talented mechanic - especially considering he works on just about every conceivable type of car, age and engine. But it's important to realize that there is a staff of mechanics that work with him as he diagnoses the problems and issues with each car they buy and repair. The show is well rehearsed as evidence by several of their newer episodes that show bloopers at the end of the show as they were recording the sequences.

I think the older episodes were less rehearsed while the newer ones are well rehearsed. But I enjoy Mike and Ed's interactions - good show - never miss an episode.

abacomike · December 2016

driver100 said:

abacomike said:

sda said:
andres3--can you say orange? I saw this at Best Buy when I was shopping for a present for my daughter last Saturday. I hope everyone had a nice holiday. It was almost 70 deg, here!

I had a 1974 MGB-GT in almost that same color. I loved it when I saw it on the lot. Sometimes, just the color of a new car on the lot will get my heart athrobbin' - come to think of it, any new car on the lot gets my heart athrobbin' - genetic I think!
Good one! Blame it on genetics! I couldn't stop myself from buying a new car, my genes made me do it!

My Dad used to buy a new car just about every year. My twin brother buys one or two new cars every year, sometimes 3. So, if it's not genetic, it must be environmental!

stever · December 2016

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe said:
It's the fault of you guys in here. It's contagious. :@

I was talking to Son #1 at a social event last night and he tells me his wife hit a deer and ran completely over it. She is OK but his '13 Infinity G37 has some bruises. The car is drivable but he isn't sure how to even guess the extent of the work to fix it. Even the right front inner fender liner was just about knocked off.

She was coming off the PA pike ramp about to get onto a 4 lane road and the thing jumps right out of a hiding spot and into the right front of the car. She wasn't going very fast (maybe 30 MPH) but said she still had no time to react and was very lucky that the car behind her didn't nail her. My Son has to get an estimate but he has the rental already, a 2016 Buick Enclave. He likes the way it drives and would not mind getting one but it won't carry all the hockey stuff for 2 of his sons. So, he knows he can't get rid of the '16 Kia van he bought this past Spring.

TO BE CONTINUED.

jmonroe
Sorry that happened but we expect some pictures so we don't just have to take your word for it like Stever. We think he's having his film developed by Matthew Brady.

Mr. Brady came through - here's the crash scene. Still waiting on getting the van back so I can get an "after" photo. The Chevy was going southwest and he's in the same driving lane he was in when he tagged me. I was headed westward, ~90° to the right in the pic.

driver100 · December 2016

stever said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe said:
It's the fault of you guys in here. It's contagious. :@

I was talking to Son #1 at a social event last night and he tells me his wife hit a deer and ran completely over it. She is OK but his '13 Infinity G37 has some bruises. The car is drivable but he isn't sure how to even guess the extent of the work to fix it. Even the right front inner fender liner was just about knocked off.

She was coming off the PA pike ramp about to get onto a 4 lane road and the thing jumps right out of a hiding spot and into the right front of the car. She wasn't going very fast (maybe 30 MPH) but said she still had no time to react and was very lucky that the car behind her didn't nail her. My Son has to get an estimate but he has the rental already, a 2016 Buick Enclave. He likes the way it drives and would not mind getting one but it won't carry all the hockey stuff for 2 of his sons. So, he knows he can't get rid of the '16 Kia van he bought this past Spring.

TO BE CONTINUED.

jmonroe
Sorry that happened but we expect some pictures so we don't just have to take your word for it like Stever. We think he's having his film developed by Matthew Brady.

Mr. Brady came through - here's the crash scene. Still waiting on getting the van back so I can get an "after" photo. The Chevy was going southwest and he's in the same driving lane he was in when he tagged me. I was headed westward, ~90° to the right in the pic.

It looks like he got the worst of the damage. Your van sure is taking a long time to fix up. Explain ago what you and he were doing that caused the accident.

stever · December 2016

I had stopped for the light. When it turned green, I waited a beat, and then proceeded through the intersection. Got almost half way through when the kid driving the Chevy nailed my rear tire. It had stopped raining about 5 minutes earlier (really just a sprinkle) - I think the oil on the road was slicked up just enough to help spin me a good 110 to 120 degrees, which might have saved a bit of damage.

All I can figure on the repair is that the collision center is soaking the insurance company. Debatable on whether it was a total - the repair bill was ~$5,000. The '09 van has about 165,000 miles on it.

Driver was uninsured and there were two witnesses who saw him run the light. Insurance company turned it over to collections and they'll reimburse my $500 deductible when they collect from him. (lol, I know, collecting $5k from a 16 year old, good luck with that). I did okay though, since my uninsured coverage paid me $500 for my pain and suffering when I reported that my neck was sore. If the van drives like a crab, then it'll be another story.

abacomike · December 2016

@stever:

As long as you are OK, that's really all that matters. Cars and vans are replaceable - Edmunds Moderators are not!

oldfarmer50 · December 2016

stever said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jmonroe said:
It's the fault of you guys in here. It's contagious. :@

I was talking to Son #1 at a social event last night and he tells me his wife hit a deer and ran completely over it. She is OK but his '13 Infinity G37 has some bruises. The car is drivable but he isn't sure how to even guess the extent of the work to fix it. Even the right front inner fender liner was just about knocked off.

She was coming off the PA pike ramp about to get onto a 4 lane road and the thing jumps right out of a hiding spot and into the right front of the car. She wasn't going very fast (maybe 30 MPH) but said she still had no time to react and was very lucky that the car behind her didn't nail her. My Son has to get an estimate but he has the rental already, a 2016 Buick Enclave. He likes the way it drives and would not mind getting one but it won't carry all the hockey stuff for 2 of his sons. So, he knows he can't get rid of the '16 Kia van he bought this past Spring.

TO BE CONTINUED.

jmonroe
Sorry that happened but we expect some pictures so we don't just have to take your word for it like Stever. We think he's having his film developed by Matthew Brady.

Mr. Brady came through - here's the crash scene. Still waiting on getting the van back so I can get an "after" photo. The Chevy was going southwest and he's in the same driving lane he was in when he tagged me. I was headed westward, ~90° to the right in the pic.

Ouch. At least the paint colors were similar so you didn't have a racing stripe.

Are you experiencing any physical after effects?

berri · December 2016

Doesn't look like your side airbags deployed or that would have probably doubled the repair cost.

stever · December 2016

abacomike said:
@stever:

As long as you are OK, that's really all that matters. Cars and vans are replaceable - Edmunds Moderators are not!

lol, we're all interchangeable. I was recruited from here in the first place (thanks Karen!). Parts is parts.

@oldfarmer50, you know, I cashed the check and waived my PI rights by doing so, but my neck is still stiff. But I'm old and maybe I need a better pillow.

oldfarmer50 · December 2016

stever said:
I had stopped for the light. When it turned green, I waited a beat, and then proceeded through the intersection. Got almost half way through when the kid driving the Chevy nailed my rear tire. It had stopped raining about 5 minutes earlier (really just a sprinkle) - I think the oil on the road was slicked up just enough to help spin me a good 110 to 120 degrees, which might have saved a bit of damage.

All I can figure on the repair is that the collision center is soaking the insurance company. Debatable on whether it was a total - the repair bill was ~$5,000. The '09 van has about 165,000 miles on it.

Driver was uninsured and there were two witnesses who saw him run the light. Insurance company turned it over to collections and they'll reimburse my $500 deductible when they collect from him. (lol, I know, collecting $5k from a 16 year old, good luck with that). I did okay though, since my uninsured coverage paid me $500 for my pain and suffering when I reported that my neck was sore. If the van drives like a crab, then it'll be another story.

So how does a 16 yo kid who can't afford insurance get to drive a late model Malibu? (That is what the other car was, right?)

abacomike · December 2016

@stever:

I have found, from experience, that as we age, it takes longer to heal. Sometimes, we don't heal and the pain remains to remind us of past indiscretions and mistakes - whether they be our mistakes or others like that 16 year old!

stever · December 2016

oldfarmer50 said:

stever said:
I had stopped for the light. When it turned green, I waited a beat, and then proceeded through the intersection. Got almost half way through when the kid driving the Chevy nailed my rear tire. It had stopped raining about 5 minutes earlier (really just a sprinkle) - I think the oil on the road was slicked up just enough to help spin me a good 110 to 120 degrees, which might have saved a bit of damage.

All I can figure on the repair is that the collision center is soaking the insurance company. Debatable on whether it was a total - the repair bill was ~$5,000. The '09 van has about 165,000 miles on it.

Driver was uninsured and there were two witnesses who saw him run the light. Insurance company turned it over to collections and they'll reimburse my $500 deductible when they collect from him. (lol, I know, collecting $5k from a 16 year old, good luck with that). I did okay though, since my uninsured coverage paid me $500 for my pain and suffering when I reported that my neck was sore. If the van drives like a crab, then it'll be another story.
So how does a 16 yo kid who can't afford insurance get to drive a late model Malibu? (That is what the other car was, right?)

We're pretty sure it wasn't his car. The "legal" driver was an 18 year old girl/woman riding shotgun. The car probably belongs to her, or her folks. I say legal because the 16 year old had a learner's permit and it was legal for him to be driving because she was licensed. I can't make out the logo on the rear (note the other road rash on their car):

oldfarmer50 · December 2016

stever said:

oldfarmer50 said:

stever said:
I had stopped for the light. When it turned green, I waited a beat, and then proceeded through the intersection. Got almost half way through when the kid driving the Chevy nailed my rear tire. It had stopped raining about 5 minutes earlier (really just a sprinkle) - I think the oil on the road was slicked up just enough to help spin me a good 110 to 120 degrees, which might have saved a bit of damage.

All I can figure on the repair is that the collision center is soaking the insurance company. Debatable on whether it was a total - the repair bill was ~$5,000. The '09 van has about 165,000 miles on it.

Driver was uninsured and there were two witnesses who saw him run the light. Insurance company turned it over to collections and they'll reimburse my $500 deductible when they collect from him. (lol, I know, collecting $5k from a 16 year old, good luck with that). I did okay though, since my uninsured coverage paid me $500 for my pain and suffering when I reported that my neck was sore. If the van drives like a crab, then it'll be another story.
So how does a 16 yo kid who can't afford insurance get to drive a late model Malibu? (That is what the other car was, right?)
We're pretty sure it wasn't his car. The "legal" driver was an 18 year old girl/woman riding shotgun. The car probably belongs to her, or her folks. I say legal because the 16 year old had a learner's permit and it was legal for him to be driving because she was licensed. I can't make out the logo on the rear (note the other road rash on their car):

Hmmmmm, interesting. Probably a moot point since you've been made whole by your insurance but can't help but wonder if the legal owner of the vehicle might be the one on the hook for all this.

Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Your Privacy