Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

pensfan83 · August 2017

I have found Facebook Market and Craigslist to be utterly useless for my needs, or maybe my target audience of Pittsburghers only yielded cheapskates. I sold, or tried to sell, a few of my Stanley Cup playoff games this past spring and got low ballers, ticket kickers, and was reported for having a modest markup compared to what was being sold on the Ticketmaster managed exchange.

For the games I did sell off it was out of town fans that snapped them up and thought they were getting a deal.

graphicguy · August 2017

@abacomike, no disgruntle. I meant the meal was a rarity. I guess we define the "atypical" differently.

You should try a cruise, given you don't have to fly to the terminals. I was what was supposed to be the largest cruise ship in the world (Harmony of the Seas). I don't know enough to refute their claim. What that means is a lot of walking to get around. I found myself taking stairs rather than waiting for an elevator. So, that's something to consider, too. The ship had 17 decks.

Considering you like going to the casino and you like good meals, you'd like a cruise as they offer both. Plus, you can wake up and have either Caribbean blue waters outside your veranda, or a different port from the day before you can see.

tjc78 · August 2017

Cruising is the best vacation there is IMO. Until my kids are older we can't go any (I would, wife won't) so I'm patiently waiting.....

andres3 · August 2017

venture said:
Since 2 Subaru's are on my very short list to replace my Fusion (the WRX and the Legacy 3.6R), just for giggles I called Subaru of America today and asked if they had any kind of loyalty offer. The guy on the phone put me on hold to talk to his supervisor (like talking to the sales manager?).

When he came back on the phone after a minute or two he said they are going to send a coupon for $1,000 off on a new Subaru lease or purchase. He said to negotiate my best deal the give then coupon to the dealer for an additional $1,000 off.

I just looked at my email and there it is.

Nice.

Most manufacturer's seem to have $1,000 rebates for "loyalty" and for "conquest" which means it is just a rebate for everyone. I have noticed Subaru likes their secret undercover promotions as they also have a $500 Ambassador coupon program. Of course, on the best selling high demand low supply models, they are often excluded from these deals and programs (Golf R for example).

jmonroe · August 2017

oldfarmer50 said:

graphicguy said:
Before I left for vacation, I mentioned I was selling the '98 Mustang Cobra due to some issues with my detached retina (and having poor peripheral vision out of my left eye). I intend to have it repaired (if it can be repaired). But, in the interim, I was getting plenty of "honks" for drifting into the left lane. My TLX has lane keep. Although I hate "driving nannies", in this case, it's useful.

Anyway, by word of mouth, I put out the word the Cobra was for sale. My Acura dealer let me put it on his lot the weekend before I left for vacation. Plus, I had a sign in it offering it for sale with my phone number. Given my phone was off during my vacation (except while I was in FL), I came home with my phone mail box full of messages....mostly about the Cobra.

One by one I sifted through them. There were a lot of "would you take $5k-$7k cash?". All low balls and didn't even bother to return those phone calls. Some wanted to see it, which was understandable.

There was a car show (and Blues Festival) this past Saturday in Lebanon, OH (home of the famous Golden Lamb Inn). A friend of mine was showing his '64 Chevy II. He had an end of row position and I slid my Cobra right around the corner next to him.

Again, got a lot of "nice car....how much you want for it ($13,500), can I drive it? (Mostly teens and 20-something's, which were met with an answer of 'how will you pay for it?' From me"). A lot of "is it an automatic? I can't drive a stick." Don't even bother me with silly questions like that.

After all that, Sunday I started receiving more calls. A couple of people, one from seeing it at my Acura dealership, and one from the car show, wanted to see it again.

The guy who saw it at Acura acted like a "dealer"....mentioning chips in the paint on the hood, some worn areas on the top, leather needs to be reconditioned....he was really nit picking. As I told him as nicely as I could, if he didn't like the car, no harm no foul. He kept walking around it, we took it for a drive, together, he kept looking underneath. Finally, he said he'd pay $10K CASH. I thanked him for stopping by and told him he wasn't close. He reiterated he had cash. I told him any sale of the car would be cash only to begin with. Back and forth for a bit and he said he would give $11K. I rejected it. He slowly left stating "you're letting me leave for a few hundred?". I chuckled and waived goodbye to him.

The other guy, late 20s/early 30s maybe, who looked at it pretty closely, took it for a brief test drive together, said he'd give $13K for it. After thinking a minute or two, I accepted. He was going to write a personal check. I told him cash or cashier's check were the only things I'd accept. He asked if I'd give him 12 months to pay (NO!). He said he had to go to the bank to get a cashier's check. I told him $250 deposit to hold it. He said he'd be right back. Never heard from him again.

Monday, a co-worker of a friend of mine, contacted me said he heard I had a low mileage Cobra Convertible for sale and wanted to come by to see it. After work, he and I met at a local golf course (still not fond of strangers knowing where I live). We drove it...a little nit-picking but not much (it does have a few small paint chips, but nothing that would require new paint). He was kind of like me, not looking for anything except a fun weekend car with panache. Cobra fits the bill. I told him the price and told him I had already rejected $10K. He offered $11K on the spot. I respectfully rejected his offer telling him I really didn't have to sell it and would be OK with sitting on it until next spring. It's not going down in value. We shook hands and he said he'd think about it. I thought he was gone for good.

Surpringly yesterday, while I was in a restaurant eating lunch, he calls me and asks if I'd take $12K....nope! He asked if I would move at all. I told him $13K cash would do it. Pleading the "all the money I have" bit, he offered a final $12.5K. I pleaded how it pained me to do so (for effect), but accepted it....all while eating soup while talking to him on the phone. He said he'd be by after work. I told him to meet me at my bank and it would be a one stop shopping deal. I still didn't expect him to show, but sure enough, he did. Cashier's check issued, title signed over in front of the notary, I pulled my tags off, he put his on. Done. I did need him to give me a ride home, though....which he did. He was thrilled with the car.

Fun car. Once I have my eye surgery, I'll probably look again. Even though I only had it a little over a year, I had a lot of great memories in it (it actually put me back into the dating scene again). Really was conflicted about selling it. After tallying up what I bought it for, what I put into it, and what I sold it for, I made a few hundred....not a lot. But, had a ton of smiles with it.

Onto something else, probably next spring.
How'd I miss that you were selling it? How'd I miss that you had eye problems?

I would have offered you $5k cash sight unseen.

Good luck with your surgery. The guy got a bargain at $12.5. I see them listed for $15k all day long.

I didn't know any of that either. I live a lot closer to him than you do and I'd have given him $15K unseen because I know he keeps his cars in good shape.

Holding out on his poster buddies cost him this time.

FWIW, I used to be so so about cruises, now I like them. Going to Myrtle Beach on Friday for a week with Son #1 and his family. We are thinking about a cruise sometime after that. Just don't know when but it's not going to be during hurricane season that's for sure.

jmonroe

stickguy · August 2017

my wife has a serious mental block about big cruise ships. I am working on her to do a small river cruise at some point. Those are really cool.

oldfarmer50 · August 2017

pensfan83 said:
I have found Facebook Market and Craigslist to be utterly useless for my needs, or maybe my target audience of Pittsburghers only yielded cheapskates. I sold, or tried to sell, a few of my Stanley Cup playoff games this past spring and got low ballers, ticket kickers, and was reported for having a modest markup compared to what was being sold on the Ticketmaster managed exchange.

For the games I did sell off it was out of town fans that snapped them up and thought they were getting a deal.

For a few misc. items that I just wanted to get rid of CL proved satisfactory.. For cars i never got a nibble except on a $500 car that they offered $400.

fintail · August 2017

I have an aversion to cruises, the idea of being stuck on the boat with people, and food poisoning epidemics, make me leery. That being said, the longest cruise I have been on was a couple hour sightseeing thing in Miami several years ago. Some of the Alaska cruises out of Seattle look scenic, but I would probably gain 20 pounds on the trip

I sold my uncle's old Buick on CL earlier this year (he's not too internet-savvy) - listed it at $1900, he took $1600 for it within a week, no issues. I've bought and sold a few collectible items there too, but would go elsewhere to deal with high cost things.

stickguy · August 2017

I managed to sell a few over CL, but thankfully it has been a few years (2 years ago, the Volvo) since I had one to sell. Not looking to ever do it again if can help it. Even looking on occasion for something to be my next buy, gives me the willies.

jmonroe · August 2017

pensfan83 said:
I have found Facebook Market and Craigslist to be utterly useless for my needs, or maybe my target audience of Pittsburghers only yielded cheapskates. I sold, or tried to sell, a few of my Stanley Cup playoff games this past spring and got low ballers, ticket kickers, and was reported for having a modest markup compared to what was being sold on the Ticketmaster managed exchange.

For the games I did sell off it was out of town fans that snapped them up and thought they were getting a deal.

Hey @pensfan83, if you are a true pensfan, how come you were selling some of your playoff tickets.

I think I know the answer. The ones you sold could pay for the ones you kept and you'd still have a couple bucks leftover.

That is what my sons have done with Steelers tickets for many years now. In fact, the last few years, because they don't want to put up with the hassle of going to any Steelers games anymore, they sell the whole seasons worth before the preseason starts. That's part of the deal, you have to take the preseason tickets to get the season tickets. And they throw in the bonus of offering the post season tickets, should the Steelers get that far, at a modest bump in price compared to what the scalpers and internet guys want for them at playoff time. They don't want to just turn in their season tickets because they will never get them back when their kids want to buy them when they get older.

I turned over my Steelers tickets (3 seats) to my sons when I moved to South Carolina in 1992, that I originally bought in 1972. So, they have control of them now. But they don't have the stamina of their father. When their father was their age he went to ALL of the games and froze his tushie off sitting through some pretty cold games and he never complained (well, not a lot anyway). The kids today are too soft.

FWIW I was one of the 50,350 people that went to the Immaculate Reception game at Three Rivers Stadium back in 1972. I am not one of the 400,000 Pittsburghers that CLAIM they went to that game but didn't. Of course I can't prove I went because I never kept my ticket stub to prove it (just never thought of it). So my sons keep telling me that until I can prove it with a ticket stub, I'm just one of the big yappers around here.

I wonder how much a ticket stub for that game is going for on eBay.

jmonroe

graphicguy · August 2017

J....nothing against you, my friend. But, a bird in the hand....and all that. I got the check deposited. I bet you would have tried to "grind me"...

I'm happy with the deals I make....otherwise I wouldn't make them!

pensfan83 · August 2017

@jmonroe, you are correct. For the games I did sell I made enough to just about break even on postseason tickets. Some I sold for that purpose, others I sold because I was out of town on business and the rest of my family did not want them.

My father has been a Steelers season ticket holder for a number of years though not as long as you! Starting about 5 years ago he stopped going to every game and usually just went to the home opener and maybe one other game. I declined to buy them as going to the games just doesn't appeal to me to be honest. We have so much more fun rotating watch parties around to our house and our group of friends. There's good food, adult beverages that aren't double digits, and all of the kids play together while the adults watch the game. My dad holds a game or two for my younger brother and sells of the rest, including playoff tickets if they make it. He's holding onto the tickets for now because like you he wants to keep them in the family as long as possible but did mention if none of the 3 kids want them once my brother graduates from college in 2 years he's probably going to sell his seat license.

driver100 · August 2017

stickguy said:
my wife has a serious mental block about big cruise ships. I am working on her to do a small river cruise at some point. Those are really cool.

I understand your wife's mental block. Boarding and off boarding with 4, 5, or 6000 or more people. If she isn't that interested in the casinos, being by the pool, reading a book, walking around the deck.....stopping at bars, eating obscene amounts of food (saw a guy at the buffet who came away with 2 full plates of food - for himself), islands to buy straw made hats etc., then a cruise might not be for her.

cdnpinhead · August 2017

driver100 said:
Boarding and off boarding with 4, 5, or 6000 or more people. If she isn't that interested in the casinos, being by the pool, reading a book, walking around the deck.....stopping at bars, eating obscene amounts of food (saw a guy at the buffet who came away with 2 full plates of food - for himself), islands to buy straw made hats etc., then a cruise might not be for her.

Sounds like an excellent description of hell, well presented. If you enjoy being one in a mob, all is well. Otherwise, seek an alternative.

roadburner · August 2017

cdnpinhead said:

driver100 said:
Boarding and off boarding with 4, 5, or 6000 or more people. If she isn't that interested in the casinos, being by the pool, reading a book, walking around the deck.....stopping at bars, eating obscene amounts of food (saw a guy at the buffet who came away with 2 full plates of food - for himself), islands to buy straw made hats etc., then a cruise might not be for her.
Sounds like an excellent description of hell, well presented. If you enjoy being one in a mob, all is well. Otherwise, seek an alternative.

Precisely; we like to rent a condo on Seabrook Island or Kiawah Island and just relax. It's an easy drive into Charleston if we want a taste of city life. Also, I like to choose who I share my dinner table with...

stickguy · August 2017

Most of that stuff, especially throngs of people, is not our thing. I don't see us ever doing one of those big boats.

tjc78 · August 2017

roadburner said:

Boarding and off boarding with 4, 5, or 6000 or more people. If she isn't that interested in the casinos, being by the pool, reading a book, walking around the deck.....stopping at bars, eating obscene amounts of food (saw a guy at the buffet who came away with 2 full plates of food - for himself), islands to buy straw made hats etc., then a cruise might not be for her.
Sounds like an excellent description of hell, well presented. If you enjoy being one in a mob, all is well. Otherwise, seek an alternative.
Precisely; we like to rent a condo on Seabrook Island or Kiawah Island and just relax. It's an easy drive into Charleston if we want a taste of city life. Also, I like to choose who I share my dinner table with...

On NCL you don't have to share your table with anyone and can eat whenever you want. I couldn't do that assigned dining thing either.

explorerx4 · August 2017

Glad to see I was not the only one who missed GG's car going up for sale.
BTW, congrats on the sale.
I think I'm done paying the bills for my daughter's wedding, but you never know.
Putting shopping on the back burner until next month, not that I need anything.

Regarding cruises, not a fan although the wife wants to go on one(everyone else does).
Give me some sand, warm water, popup shelter, cooler and some books, I'm good.

andres3 · August 2017

driver100 said:

stickguy said:
Driver, the image is (was?) in theory rugged, active, stuff like that. Think of how many people have needs that fit perfectly with a minivan, but would never, ever get one because of what it "said" about them.
Stick, I agree with you....there is definitely a rugged, active, tough kind of image associated with SUVs. I think it makes people feel more powerful too....as in don't mess with me, I have a big SUV. Then there are the Jeep drivers who think they are indestructable....they go out in the first snowfall and think they can't skid off the road, and they forget even though they have AWD, the center of gravity is not the same as in a car.....they end up in the ditch!

Not to mention with a higher center of gravity, you are more rollover prone, and rollovers are one of the most dangerous types of accidents you can have. SUV's are safer for people that like rear-ending other objects while they are distracted by their phone or something else. They just need to remember not to swerve right before impact.

explorerx4 · August 2017

Regarding the PIU's an carbon monoxide, the exhaust manifold issue is still TBD.
A town near Boston had the carbon monoxide issue and it ruined out to be due to aftermarket taillights.

stickguy · August 2017

I don't think that is much of a concern these days, with the current crop of CUVs that are loaded with electronic controls and are car based. Not many left like old school Explorers. You don't tend to see many minivans on their roofs either, and those are definitely tall.

andres3 · August 2017

abacomike said:

driver100 said:

tjc78">
They consider is a chore, like cleaning or something. Seriously ... all they want (with two little kids like me) is something safe and reliable. I think they put more effort into picking a washing machine.

Believe it or not, some people think of a car only as a necessary appliance to get from point A to point B. They get no joy out of the driving experience, the appreciation for what man has created, a joy for the technology, an appreciation of the design of what we call cars. It is sad, very sad

Sad for the dealership - not much profit in a "cheapie"! As for the owners, they have more money to spend on more important things - like food, clothing, rent/mortgage payments, retirement investments, grandkids, etc.!

But the cheap models sell fast and furiously; no need to make much money on each individual sale.

andres3 · August 2017

tjc78 said:
Ugh... don't ignore a cough. I had been coughing for almost a month. Just a cough, but no other symptoms and I felt fine. I guess finally it caught up to me, because Thursday morning I felt like my head was gonna explode, trouble breathing and my ears were clogged and killing me. Went to the doc ... double ear infection, sinus infection and Bronchitis. Go me.

Minor stuff compared to what many of you have gone through, but probably could have been avoided if I went to the doc sooner.

then again you could of had my situation where there's a lot of 100 day coughs going around and the Doc just says all you need is a couple more weeks of the same. Waste of a co-pay.

andres3 · August 2017

fintail said:
Letters and numbers - everyone wants to be German, they just won't admit it

Centurion is another goodie. Caddy names were also good, the DeVilles, Fleetwood, etc, they were classy at a time when Caddy was still the high class brand.

I always liked the Acura Legend. For both the name and the car. Saw a nice example on the freeway just the other day. Integra was also good, but most have a coffee can exhaust and huge rear wing these days.

andres3 · August 2017

imidazol97 said:

ab348 said:
I think we miss the cars themselves more than the names. Lots of chrome inside and out, colorful interiors and exteriors, big V-8s, lots of glass, jet-smooth ride. We still have names like Mustang, Camaro, Malibu, Impala, and Charger but people don't tend to romanticize those models much.
I feel lost because an A4 and A7 both come from the company with an S4? and S6? Then there is the 3 numberal listings like the 126 and 123 which I don't understand nor do I associate them with specific models. Sometimes I look them up on Wiki. And the W23 and other names like that which I believe are BMW groups of models.

Audi's system is pretty easy to figure out:

1) A = Car and Number = size of car (higher is bigger)
2) S = Sports version of that same car if the same number
3) Q = SUV version and Number still = size of car (higher is bigger)
4) RS = Racing Sport version of that same car if the same number

Examples:

A4 is bigger than A3.
S6 is faster than A6.
RS7 is faster than S7.
SQ5 is bigger and faster than Q3

houdini1 · August 2017

graphicguy said:

houdini1 said:
I've been toying with the idea of a battery assist bike. You could ride until you were pooped and the use the battery to cruise home. Anyone here have one?

I do!

I was on the "Kickstarter" campaign for one of these last year.

https://flx.bike/

Big fun! There are others out there. But, depending on your weight and terrain, I've gone 35 miles at about 15-20 MPH on mine without pedaling, at all! But, the real fun is pedaling and using electric assist. You can get a pretty good head of steam up.

In nice weather, I use it to go to the grocery to get small items. And, I take off the front wheel and load it in my car to really explore a lot of Cincinnati's Parks. You can see a lot more of them if you can go 20-30 miles at a time exploring them.

I looked at these pretty seriously, but they're just a bit clunky and heavy.

https://www.radpowerbikes.com

GG and FF, thanks guys for the info on the ebikes, etc. I like the looks of both of them. Compared to a regular bike, I just can't get my head around the cost of these things. Apparently most of the cost is due to the battery.

I am pretty sure that old farmer would invest his $2,000. in a hooptie instead of a 2 wheel bicycle !

Growing up, both our sons had what was called a Honda Express with a 50cc gas engine. Those darn things were great, and bullet proof. Wish they still made those things. The 50cc available today are more like scooters, with very small wheels, etc. That Express was more like a bicycle, with good sized tires and very stable. Half a gal of gas and you were good for all day, quiet too.

Mr_Shiftright · August 2017

cdnpinhead said:

driver100 said:
Boarding and off boarding with 4, 5, or 6000 or more people. If she isn't that interested in the casinos, being by the pool, reading a book, walking around the deck.....stopping at bars, eating obscene amounts of food (saw a guy at the buffet who came away with 2 full plates of food - for himself), islands to buy straw made hats etc., then a cruise might not be for her.
Sounds like an excellent description of hell, well presented. If you enjoy being one in a mob, all is well. Otherwise, seek an alternative.

A cruise ship is like being in jail for me, with the added benefit of possibly drowning.

oldfarmer50 · August 2017

"I'm pretty sure old farmer would invest his $2,000. in a hooptie instead of a 2 wheel bicycle"

And with $200 to spare.

stickguy · August 2017

that one at least looks a whole lot nicer than the old one.

fintail · August 2017

Legend and Integra were good cars, but I thought the Legend name was maybe presumptuous, and the Integra maybe appealed to calculus enthusiasts

I suppose starting around 1995, Acura too fell for an alphanumeric system, gotta be Euro and all.

andres3 said:

I always liked the Acura Legend. For both the name and the car. Saw a nice example on the freeway just the other day. Integra was also good, but most have a coffee can exhaust and huge rear wing these days.

fintail · August 2017

That looks like my uncle's old Buick:

oldfarmer50 said:

And with $200 to spare.

tbirdmarco · August 2017

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Q2VgJI-GE

oldfarmer50 · August 2017

fintail said:
That looks like my uncle's old Buick:

oldfarmer50 said:

And with $200 to spare.

That was the back end of my son's 98' LaSabre now doing church work for the daughter of a minister who lives down the road. It was in a lot rougher shape than the one in your picture.

driver100 · August 2017

roadburner said:

cdnpinhead said:

driver100 said:
Boarding and off boarding with 4, 5, or 6000 or more people. If she isn't that interested in the casinos, being by the pool, reading a book, walking around the deck.....stopping at bars, eating obscene amounts of food (saw a guy at the buffet who came away with 2 full plates of food - for himself), islands to buy straw made hats etc., then a cruise might not be for her.
Sounds like an excellent description of hell, well presented. If you enjoy being one in a mob, all is well. Otherwise, seek an alternative.

Precisely; we like to rent a condo on Seabrook Island or Kiawah Island and just relax. It's an easy drive into Charleston if we want a taste of city life. Also, I like to choose who I share my dinner table with...

Interesting point! On our first cruise (been on 3) we sat next to other people at breakfast. One of the ladies asked my wife what her name was, one minute later she asked again, a few moments later asked a 3rd time!!!!
Next time we sat with people who had absolutely nothing they could talk about. After that we sat on our own....much better but we did meet a great couple who sat next to us, and they had come to the same conclusion....we did enjoy their company.

driver100 · August 2017

One thing about cruises.......there is a type of cruise that I highly recommend. If you can see several cities in one trip it is a great way to do it. One cruise to Turkey, Egypt (pyramids), Athens etc was excellent. Another cruise, Baltic, was good Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, and the most interesting city - St Petersburg Russia. Another cruise covered Rome, Florence, Pompeii, Venice,.........you can see several cities and sights, all from one room, and without working out logistics. I have heard good things about Alaskan cruise and Panama canal.

That is about it, Carribean cruises are just for R&R, not a whole lot to see. Just a break if you need it from a busy routine.

suydam · August 2017

You can really only see Russia easily on a cruise because they procure all the documentation for you. I've had several people tell me that for a multi generational trip such as a family reunion, cruises work really well.

fintail · August 2017

Yeah, cars of that age don't really rust here, this car had no rust at all. It had a dent on the other side, but some people don't care about that. The car had the dexcool/intake issue taken care of at a significant cost, but he liked the car, and kept it maintained. However, the miles piled up, and my grandma effectively gave him a very low miles 03 Taurus, so the Buick was let go.

oldfarmer50 said:
<

That was the back end of my son's 98' LaSabre now doing church work for the daughter of a minister who lives down the road. It was in a lot rougher shape than the one in your picture.

oldfarmer50 · August 2017

fintail said:
Yeah, cars of that age don't really rust here, this car had no rust at all. It had a dent on the other side, but some people don't care about that. The car had the dexcool/intake issue taken care of at a significant cost, but he liked the car, and kept it maintained. However, the miles piled up, and my grandma effectively gave him a very low miles 03 Taurus, so the Buick was let go.

oldfarmer50 said:
<

That was the back end of my son's 98' LaSabre now doing church work for the daughter of a minister who lives down the road. It was in a lot rougher shape than the one in your picture.

Son's LaSabre wasn't that rusted (for a NY car) but it had been banged up pretty good and was making expensive sounding noises.

Funny that your relative transitioned into a Taurus. My son went to a Sable (in the background).

driver100 · August 2017

suydam said:
You can really only see Russia easily on a cruise because they procure all the documentation for you. I've had several people tell me that for a multi generational trip such as a family reunion, cruises work really well.

If you want to go to Russia you are allowed to be there for 72 hours, if you come on a cruise ship. Any other way you need a Visa, which will take hours to fill out....and lots of work.

Families may like a Caribbean Cruise.....just for fun...Disney or Carnaval ship.

tjc78 · August 2017

oldfarmer50 said:

Yeah, cars of that age don't really rust here, this car had no rust at all. It had a dent on the other side, but some people don't care about that. The car had the dexcool/intake issue taken care of at a significant cost, but he liked the car, and kept it maintained. However, the miles piled up, and my grandma effectively gave him a very low miles 03 Taurus, so the Buick was let go.
< That was the back end of my son's 98' LaSabre now doing church work for the daughter of a minister who lives down the road. It was in a lot rougher shape than the one in your picture.

Son's LaSabre wasn't that rusted (for a NY car) but it had been banged up pretty good and was making expensive sounding noises. Funny that your relative transitioned into a Taurus. My son went to a Sable (in the background).

Good 'ol cheap American iron. I'll tell you one thing that generation of Lesabre would be in my top 2 choices for a beater vehicle. Aside from neglect from Deathcool they are very good cars. In case anyone cares my first choice would be a whale body Panther (98+).

fintail · August 2017

Funny, the dent in my uncle's LeSabre was very similar, but on the driver's side. His had a dark red cloth interior, and I think he bought it as a retired rental car. It served him well, but wasn't maintenance-free by any means.

It seems those old Taurus can be pretty solid if they are maintained, and they certainly aren't expensive.

oldfarmer50 said:

Son's LaSabre wasn't that rusted (for a NY car) but it had been banged up pretty good and was making expensive sounding noises.

Funny that your relative transitioned into a Taurus. My son went to a Sable (in the background).

abacomike · August 2017

graphicguy said:

@abacomike, no disgruntle. I meant the meal was a rarity. I guess we define the "atypical" differently. You should try a cruise, given you don't have to fly to the terminals. I was what was supposed to be the largest cruise ship in the world (Harmony of the Seas). I don't know enough to refute their claim. What that means is a lot of walking to get around. I found myself taking stairs rather than waiting for an elevator. So, that's something to consider, too. The ship had 17 decks. Considering you like going to the casino and you like good meals, you'd like a cruise as they offer both. Plus, you can wake up and have either Caribbean blue waters outside your veranda, or a different port from the day before you can see.

Gotcha! That makes more sense - atypical I mean.

Yes, "Harmony of the Seas" is currently the largest ship, but they already have a bigger ship in production. Those ships are humongous. They keep having to dredge the inlets to FLL and MIA to enable those monsters to access both ports.

fintail · August 2017

I've heard horror stories about the Russian visa process, and that was before 45 came on board and brought along new drama. Maybe best to have one of the legwork companies do it for you, it'd be worth the $200 to save the time and ire. I was thinking of visiting there this year, but the visa hassles and current political situation had me change my mind.

driver100 said:

If you want to go to Russia you are allowed to be there for 72 hours, if you come on a cruise ship. Any other way you need a Visa, which will take hours to fill out....and lots of work.

Families may like a Caribbean Cruise.....just for fun...Disney or Carnaval ship.

graphicguy · August 2017

houdini1 said:

graphicguy said:

houdini1 said:
I've been toying with the idea of a battery assist bike. You could ride until you were pooped and the use the battery to cruise home. Anyone here have one?

I do!

I was on the "Kickstarter" campaign for one of these last year.

https://flx.bike/

Big fun! There are others out there. But, depending on your weight and terrain, I've gone 35 miles at about 15-20 MPH on mine without pedaling, at all! But, the real fun is pedaling and using electric assist. You can get a pretty good head of steam up.

In nice weather, I use it to go to the grocery to get small items. And, I take off the front wheel and load it in my car to really explore a lot of Cincinnati's Parks. You can see a lot more of them if you can go 20-30 miles at a time exploring them.

I looked at these pretty seriously, but they're just a bit clunky and heavy.

https://www.radpowerbikes.com
GG and FF, thanks guys for the info on the ebikes, etc. I like the looks of both of them. Compared to a regular bike, I just can't get my head around the cost of these things. Apparently most of the cost is due to the battery.

I am pretty sure that old farmer would invest his $2,000. in a hooptie instead of a 2 wheel bicycle !

Growing up, both our sons had what was called a Honda Express with a 50cc gas engine. Those darn things were great, and bullet proof. Wish they still made those things. The 50cc available today are more like scooters, with very small wheels, etc. That Express was more like a bicycle, with good sized tires and very stable. Half a gal of gas and you were good for all day, quiet too.

@houdini1....yeah, the electric bikes aren't cheap. That said, have you priced a good, regular bike recently? You can easily drop $1,500-$2,000 on one of those, too.

Money is in the battery (my battery is a Li On. Supposedly, it's made the same way and in the same place Tesla's batteries are. The motor is made to be light and small (mine fits in the hub). Gears are Shimano on mine. So, they're top notch. That said, for $1,500 you can get into a "hoopty". But, the bike will be more reliable (and might even go faster).

Realized I posted my toying with selling the Cobra in CCBA thread, and not here. Sorry about that.

Cruises....if you think of them as a resort, only one that goes to different places, you'd be pretty close.

graphicguy · August 2017

Can't do the link, but here's my post from July 25 in CCBA.....

graphicguy said:
Q...I'm going to shop my Cobra a little. What's the number?

'98 Mustang Cobra Convertible-2 owner
-32K miles
-5-speed manual trans
-A/C, Cruise, Power Top, Leather, CD (Ford Mach Stereo), Cassette, AM/FM, dual airbags, PW/PL, power trunk
-Air blows cold, windows and top go up and down, no seat tears, top doesn't leak
-All original and all stock
-no runs, no rips, no errors
-Paint is shiny, a few chips but nothing that would even remotely require a respray

It's all there, and it all works!

jmonroe · August 2017

graphicguy said:
Can't do the link, but here's my post from July 25 in CCBA.....

graphicguy said:
Q...I'm going to shop my Cobra a little. What's the number?

'98 Mustang Cobra Convertible-2 owner
-32K miles
-5-speed manual trans
-A/C, Cruise, Power Top, Leather, CD (Ford Mach Stereo), Cassette, AM/FM, dual airbags, PW/PL, power trunk
-Air blows cold, windows and top go up and down, no seat tears, top doesn't leak
-All original and all stock
-no runs, no rips, no errors
-Paint is shiny, a few chips but nothing that would even remotely require a respray

It's all there, and it all works!

Oh, so it wasn't us after all.

Don't know what your buddies over in CCBA told you about what you should get for your Cobra but if you asked that question in here the experts would have told you that if you took anything less than $16K for it you would have run into a pretty good grinder.

jmonroe

qbrozen · August 2017

Maybe GG should remind those "experts" how long the previous owner was trying to unload the car before he finally relented.

pensfan83 · August 2017

Received the paperwork outlining the end of lease process for the Audi. I wasn't aware a 3rd party inspection was required.

suydam · August 2017

It's only worth what someone will pay you.

oldfarmer50 · August 2017

pensfan83 said:
Received the paperwork outlining the end of lease process for the Audi. I wasn't aware a 3rd party inspection was required.

How else are they going to nick you for excessive wear?

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