Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

stickguy · January 2021

qbrozen said:
Hey, @stickguy , you can get a Leaf SV Tech In NJ, 24/10k, for $137 with $137 DAS. Just thought I’d share.

thanks. That is a good deal. I assume that is a # that has been done, but will require a lot of working on the dealer, not something I would just get offered if I walked in? I also have never actually sat in one.

still don't technically need a car, but at least for my current (and likely over the next couple years) usage needs, would probably be a perfectly fine option for us.

Sandman6472 · January 2021

Had to go to another holding area in Miami yesterday to pick up some vehicles that Enterprise had sold. Just made me think about all the logistics that the company goes through to put our fleet together and then to keep it all running. Can not imagine the amount of money that the company sends to rent space to put all these vehicles all over the country, pay for plates on them all, pay the tolls when they go on toll roads, buying new vehicles and then selling them. Then, my boss is in charge of his drivers, their hours and getting all the vehicles we move to where they have to go. Really, I can't even imagine it all, be it the amount of money involved and the logistics of making sure each vehicle ends up where they need to be. Simply amazing really!
I was hired to move the sold vehicles, and now we're down to about 100 folks doing these moves just in our area. But we also have to deliver vehicles to the rental facilities that are to be rented as well as taking those away that are to be sold. And I'd say most days, we have enough runs to keep us very busy with not much waiting time. And we cover an area from Sebastian in the north down to Key West and west over to Okeechobee City. Have never gone to Ft. Myers yet but wouldn't be surprised if we go there to. And from what OF tells us, they seem to go from New York to Vermont to Connecticut and New Jersey...basically the tri-state area in the northeast. So we do do a lot of driving when working...have never calculated the miles we drive though could be as high as 400 to 500 on some days.
All I know is that I'm enjoying every day of it! And at Enterprise, get to drive a bigger selection of vehicles than I did at Hertz. For a car guy like me, I'm super happy just going into work as we never know where we're going to go each day. Driving some fun vehicles and they pay for the petrol...what could be better?

tjc78 · January 2021

qbrozen said:
Hey, @stickguy , you can get a Leaf SV Tech In NJ, 24/10k, for $137 with $137 DAS. Just thought I’d share.

If my wife ever goes back to the office that would be a perfect vehicle to drive back and forth to the speed line. Crazy cheap. I’d assume they aren’t expensive to insure either.

ab348 · January 2021

Sandman6472 said:
And we cover an area from Sebastian in the north down to Key West and west over to Okeechobee City. Have never gone to Ft. Myers yet but wouldn't be surprised if we go there to.

Have you ever done the Key West run? That can't be much fun. I went there once, in the '80s, and the drive from south Florida to there seemed to take forever and was not much fun once you got over being surrounded by the ocean.

graphicguy · January 2021

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:
I thought BMW made you get the transfer signed off on by the prior owner? I watched a TFL piece not long ago where they got a used i3 and ran into this (I think it was maintenance, maybe it was warranty? There was something). Dealer wanted them to pay OOP until they could track down the prior person to approve the transfer.

one nice thing about Acura. Normal maintenance (actually probably more frequent oil changes) but dealers are all quick, efficient and reasonable. Most don't even require an appointment. And the cars are mostly the same mechanically, so not a bit concern about not getting the right esoteric oil.

I used to take the old RDX to the further away dealer (down near TJC) but had the TLX at the one nearer to me and liked them. Also where I bought the new RDX so will be taking it up there. Probably in a couple weeks if we use the car much. Still surprised that I might hit the service now notice before 12 months. either that, or it is tracking days in service too but down to 0% (wrench icon comes on at 15% to tell you to get it done soon).

Actually, this might be right on time. If it starts counting when it is manufactured (our car was actually very fresh on the lot so probably right about 1 YO now if you count the day it was born, not sold to us!)
I was behind an Acura today that had a custom plate that said 1SLOWTLX. Was he disappointed in the performance?

I know mine, with the 3.5L V6 was a mid 5 second 0-60. The new one is bigger, heavier and has a turbo 4 cyl. Less HP but more torque, supposedly.

All the tests I’ve seen has the 0-60 at 6 sec. So, while not a slug, not a scorcher either.

The TL and the TLX were never stop light racers. Anyone who owns one, or has owned one, or has test driven one, in the past should know that going in.

qbrozen · January 2021

stickguy said:

qbrozen said:
Hey, @stickguy , you can get a Leaf SV Tech In NJ, 24/10k, for $137 with $137 DAS. Just thought I’d share.
thanks. That is a good deal. I assume that is a # that has been done, but will require a lot of working on the dealer, not something I would just get offered if I walked in? I also have never actually sat in one.

still don't technically need a car, but at least for my current (and likely over the next couple years) usage needs, would probably be a perfectly fine option for us.

through a broker, so no work needed.

explorerx4 · January 2021

Was poking around and found a nice 2017 Explorer Limited with only 19k miles.
Carfax looks good. Contacted the dealer to see if it was a CPO, seems like a great candidate for it.
Salesperson called me back and once we confirmed we were talking about the same vehicle and I asked my question about it being a CPO, he said "We can do that at that price, January's a slow month. Do you want to put a deposit on it?'
I said I'd test drive it, so that's at 1pm tomorrow.
CPO gives you a 12/12 bumper to bumper and 84/100 powertrain coverage.
https://www.familyfordinc.net/used/Ford/2017-Ford-Explorer-fd0f6a190a0e0ae8739e089bb1948baa.htm

corvette · January 2021

Looks very nice! I think the power transfer units are a weak point on those, but if you have a powertrain warranty, shouldn't have to worry about it for a while.

xwesx · January 2021

stickguy said:

qbrozen said:
Hey, @stickguy , you can get a Leaf SV Tech In NJ, 24/10k, for $137 with $137 DAS. Just thought I’d share.
thanks. That is a good deal. I assume that is a # that has been done, but will require a lot of working on the dealer, not something I would just get offered if I walked in? I also have never actually sat in one.

still don't technically need a car, but at least for my current (and likely over the next couple years) usage needs, would probably be a perfectly fine option for us.

For current usage needs, an electric car is an excellent way to go.

xwesx · January 2021

explorerx4 said:
Was poking around and found a nice 2017 Explorer Limited with only 19k miles.
Carfax looks good. Contacted the dealer to see if it was a CPO, seems like a great candidate for it.
Salesperson called me back and once we confirmed we were talking about the same vehicle and I asked my question about it being a CPO, he said "We can do that at that price, January's a slow month. Do you want to put a deposit on it?'
I said I'd test drive it, so that's at 1pm tomorrow.
CPO gives you a 12/12 bumper to bumper and 84/100 powertrain coverage.
https://www.familyfordinc.net/used/Ford/2017-Ford-Explorer-fd0f6a190a0e0ae8739e089bb1948baa.htm

CPO at that price? I think that's WAY more bang for the buck than the leftover used (red) one from the other dealer.

stickguy · January 2021

too big for me, but nice looking unit.

tjc78 · January 2021

If I was going Explorer I think I’d want a 2020+ for the RWD layout.

explorerx4 · January 2021

Thanks for the comments.
The 2020 is new but a lot more money. Deal is not dead yet.
I do like the RWD feel of the 2020, plus a big fan of the 10 speed.
PTU was redesigned in 2018 to be serviceable, but warranty is a plus.
I'd have to get a hitch put on the back but Uhaul has a pretty reasonable option.
Never liked the procedure for folding the 3rd row in the last gen(2011-2019), but this one has power folding seats.

sda · January 2021

graphicguy said:

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:
I thought BMW made you get the transfer signed off on by the prior owner? I watched a TFL piece not long ago where they got a used i3 and ran into this (I think it was maintenance, maybe it was warranty? There was something). Dealer wanted them to pay OOP until they could track down the prior person to approve the transfer.

one nice thing about Acura. Normal maintenance (actually probably more frequent oil changes) but dealers are all quick, efficient and reasonable. Most don't even require an appointment. And the cars are mostly the same mechanically, so not a bit concern about not getting the right esoteric oil.

I used to take the old RDX to the further away dealer (down near TJC) but had the TLX at the one nearer to me and liked them. Also where I bought the new RDX so will be taking it up there. Probably in a couple weeks if we use the car much. Still surprised that I might hit the service now notice before 12 months. either that, or it is tracking days in service too but down to 0% (wrench icon comes on at 15% to tell you to get it done soon).

Actually, this might be right on time. If it starts counting when it is manufactured (our car was actually very fresh on the lot so probably right about 1 YO now if you count the day it was born, not sold to us!)
I was behind an Acura today that had a custom plate that said 1SLOWTLX. Was he disappointed in the performance?
I know mine, with the 3.5L V6 was a mid 5 second 0-60. The new one is bigger, heavier and has a turbo 4 cyl. Less HP but more torque, supposedly.

All the tests I’ve seen has the 0-60 at 6 sec. So, while not a slug, not a scorcher either.

The TL and the TLX were never stop light racers. Anyone who owns one, or has owned one, or has test driven one, in the past should know that going in.

Our 06 TL is quicker than either the Q5 or Passat and gives a satisfying growl under hard acceleration. Given its age, its driven conservatively (most of the time).

qbrozen · January 2021

2020 supposedly has way worse build quality and fit n finish, yes? That’s what I have heard, anyway.

For that 2017, it did not go through Manheim, but those that did averaged $28k. So $5k markup, even CPO, is a tad stiff for me, personally. I’d probably want $1k-$1500 off, with CPO.

stickguy · January 2021

looking at the Leaf, really think I would need at least an SV plus for the much bigger battery, but not sure what the real world range delta is. At minimum the tech package for power seats, and on the SV, the higher speed charge cable.

I saw this in the features. Is this a unique thing? If I am reading it right, you just need a 240 volt outlet, but no charging station unit? That would save me a bunch, since the car would be parked about 5 feet from the main panel, so putting an outlet in, that would be real easy.

Portable charge cable (120 V/240 V): Plug into 240-V wall outlet – no charging box required

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

explorerx4 said:
Was poking around and found a nice 2017 Explorer Limited with only 19k miles.
Carfax looks good. Contacted the dealer to see if it was a CPO, seems like a great candidate for it.
Salesperson called me back and once we confirmed we were talking about the same vehicle and I asked my question about it being a CPO, he said "We can do that at that price, January's a slow month. Do you want to put a deposit on it?'
I said I'd test drive it, so that's at 1pm tomorrow.
CPO gives you a 12/12 bumper to bumper and 84/100 powertrain coverage.
https://www.familyfordinc.net/used/Ford/2017-Ford-Explorer-fd0f6a190a0e0ae8739e089bb1948baa.htm

Not bad, can’t argue with the mileage. Somebody didn’t get the benefit of their lease allowance. That magnetic color looks black in the pictures but it’s really cool in person. If that’s the 3.5L with the internal water pump it might hurt resale value when you go to sell it. A power train CPO is a good idea. Do you know how much it will cost? A water pump job on that car is about $2700.

stickguy · January 2021

what kind of fools would design a mass market car with an engine design like that? It's bad enough when a company like Bentley or Lamborghini does it.

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

corvette said:
Looks very nice! I think the power transfer units are a weak point on those, but if you have a powertrain warranty, shouldn't have to worry about it for a while.

I think I’ve read that changing the fluid at 30k intervals helps with that.

rny421 · January 2021

I drove a Model 3 today and loveddd it. I was surprised how quiet it was, and how solid it felt. There are so many settings to tweak, it's legitimately like an iPad on wheels, and felt like the future. I probably should've started with driving something like a Mitsubishi iMiEV so it wouldn't have gotten me as excited about a potential new car.

The hurdles are cost and my concern of Tesla's reliability. Has Tesla come a long way? I remember when the Model S came out, people were having powertrain failures and all sorts of quality issues. The Model X and Model 3 rollout both were plagued with their own issues as well. I believe someone on here has two Teslas - any thoughts?

Regarding cost, I was initially thinking of doing a lease takeover as a way to try out an EV, but that could be difficult as it sounds like Tesla is restricting transfers between certain states due to COVID. Looking at used Model 3's, they seem to hold their value too well such that buying a year or two old doesn't make sense. That should mean that if I end up buying new, hopefully wouldn't get burned too bad on depreciation if I only kept it 3-4 years.

I still want to test driven an e-tron and maybe a Mini SE. My current train of thought is to wait a little bit to see if the $7,500 EV rebate is reinstated as it is rumored to be for the new Biden administration. Any CPAs or Accounting folks on here want to wager a guess if I bought a new 2021 Model 3 and the EV rebate was brought back to life later in the year, would my purchase earlier in 2021 be eligible?

Michaell · January 2021

Help with buying a used Volvo

explorerx4 · January 2021

Early 2020 Explorers had a lot of build quality issues. Later one's are a lot better.
The one I looked was excellent as far as I could tell, inside and out.
A lot of them have interior trim fitment issues.
The 2018 has a great maintenance history, but still need to drive it.
We have experience with PTU equipped vehicles up to 90/100k miles.
No problems with either, but some others do seem to cook them.

ab348 · January 2021

stickguy said:
what kind of fools would design a mass market car with an engine design like that?

Have you driven a Ford lately? Though many others are just as bad.

Michaell · January 2021

Took the Outback to get washed today. In front of me was a recent vintage WRX that had temporary tags on it. When the wash was finished, I was still behind it when getting dried, and noticed the tag was gone.

Tapped on the window and told the driver (a cute young blond) about the issue - she had the staff go back into the wash to retrieve it.

Felt like that was my good deed for the day.

xwesx · January 2021

Michaell said:
Took the Outback to get washed today. In front of me was a recent vintage WRX that had temporary tags on it. When the wash was finished, I was still behind it when getting dried, and noticed the tag was gone.

Tapped on the window and told the driver (a cute young blond) about the issue - she had the staff go back into the wash to retrieve it.

Felt like that was my good deed for the day.

That's pretty funny - I'm surprised that the staff were able to find something like that in there!

I guess my good deed for the day was picking up a fairly substantial amount of trash in the Home Depot parking lot as I walked from my car to the front door. HD has pretty good service in this regard... they have a huge trash can adjacent to the entry door! Not surprising, the stuff I dropped in there looked to be the only thing in it.

breld · January 2021

stickguy said:
looking at the Leaf, really think I would need at least an SV plus for the much bigger battery, but not sure what the real world range delta is. At minimum the tech package for power seats, and on the SV, the higher speed charge cable.

I saw this in the features. Is this a unique thing? If I am reading it right, you just need a 240 volt outlet, but no charging station unit? That would save me a bunch, since the car would be parked about 5 feet from the main panel, so putting an outlet in, that would be real easy.

Portable charge cable (120 V/240 V): Plug into 240-V wall outlet – no charging box required

An SV Plus would certainly give a nice cushion for range anxiety - the regular Leaf has a 150 mile range and the Plus gets 215. Not a huge difference for daily use.

Mine is an SV w/Tech and All Weather. Nice package.

Yes, that portable charge cable option is a nice option if you don’t already have a Level 2 charger - that’s exactly what it is...a Level 2 charger that can be plugged directly into a 240v outlet.

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

stickguy said:
what kind of fools would design a mass market car with an engine design like that? It's bad enough when a company like Bentley or Lamborghini does it.

It’s not just Ford, Chrysler and Nissan have them too. Ford designed then to last the service life of the engine but when neglected the bearing can fail and dump coolant into the oil. Supposedly changing coolant with the right Ford spec every three years can prevent most failures.

It’s like a lot of engine designs these days. Poor maintenance is not tolerated.

stickguy · January 2021

bad combination. Engines that had complicated design and were hard to service with fatal flaw features that needed meticulous service to last, at the same time they extended service intervals and made a lot of stuff lifetime.

Almost as good as using plastic for stuff like time gears.

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

xwesx said:

Michaell said:
Took the Outback to get washed today. In front of me was a recent vintage WRX that had temporary tags on it. When the wash was finished, I was still behind it when getting dried, and noticed the tag was gone.

Tapped on the window and told the driver (a cute young blond) about the issue - she had the staff go back into the wash to retrieve it.

Felt like that was my good deed for the day.
That's pretty funny - I'm surprised that the staff were able to find something like that in there!

I guess my good deed for the day was picking up a fairly substantial amount of trash in the Home Depot parking lot as I walked from my car to the front door. HD has pretty good service in this regard... they have a huge trash can adjacent to the entry door! Not surprising, the stuff I dropped in there looked to be the only thing in it.

Good for you, people seem to be almost deliberate slobs these days. When I go to the store I usually grab one of the many shopping carts strewn about the lot and bring it in to use for myself. Half the time it’s filled with somebody’s trash.

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

stickguy said:
bad combination. Engines that had complicated design and were hard to service with fatal flaw features that needed meticulous service to last, at the same time they extended service intervals and made a lot of stuff lifetime.

Almost as good as using plastic for stuff like time gears.

Combine that with the general dumbing down of the motoring public.my son was telling me today about the time his friend called him for help because his car broke down. My son who knows nothing about cars said “did you check the oil?”

The friend answered “you have to put oil in a car?”

xwesx · January 2021

oldfarmer50 said:

xwesx said:

Michaell said:
Took the Outback to get washed today. In front of me was a recent vintage WRX that had temporary tags on it. When the wash was finished, I was still behind it when getting dried, and noticed the tag was gone.

Tapped on the window and told the driver (a cute young blond) about the issue - she had the staff go back into the wash to retrieve it.

Felt like that was my good deed for the day.
That's pretty funny - I'm surprised that the staff were able to find something like that in there!

I guess my good deed for the day was picking up a fairly substantial amount of trash in the Home Depot parking lot as I walked from my car to the front door. HD has pretty good service in this regard... they have a huge trash can adjacent to the entry door! Not surprising, the stuff I dropped in there looked to be the only thing in it.
Good for you, people seem to be almost deliberate slobs these days. When I go to the store I usually grab one of the many shopping carts strewn about the lot and bring it in to use for myself. Half the time it’s filled with somebody’s trash.

Yes, precisely!

On the way out, I was walking down the row when I spotted a man with one arm trying to wrestle his cart over the knobby ground (buildup of packed snow) to put it in the cart return. I happened to be parked immediately adjacent to the nearest return, so I offered to take it for him. I put it away, hopped into my car, and was waiting to back out as his pickup drove up the isle behind me, and I saw him and his wife offer a brief wave as they passed.

Little things.

xwesx · January 2021

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:
bad combination. Engines that had complicated design and were hard to service with fatal flaw features that needed meticulous service to last, at the same time they extended service intervals and made a lot of stuff lifetime.

Almost as good as using plastic for stuff like time gears.
Combine that with the general dumbing down of the motoring public.my son was telling me today about the time his friend called him for help because his car broke down. My son who knows nothing about cars said “did you check the oil?”

The friend answered “you have to put oil in a car?”

Hahhahahahaha!

That reminds me of many, many moons ago (summer of 1999, if I recall correctly, and I probably recounted this before) when I was driving home from work near Anchorage. At my exit, there was a Bronco II sitting on the shoulder with the hood up. I stopped and asked if he needed help. A young guy (probably ~18), he said he didn't know what happened... he was just on his way to visit his girlfriend (about a 40 mile drive for him, with nearly 30 miles left to go), and the car just started "squeaking" louder and louder, so he pulled over and shut it off. He said it sounded like the engine, because it didn't stop squeaking until he turned it off.

I pulled the dipstick.... and there was no residue on the dipstick (I didn't even wipe it yet!). NONE. I asked, "when is the last time you added oil?" He looked confused and said, "I bought this car last summer, and I've never done a thing to it." I was shocked, but gave him a quick tutorial on changing the oil, filters, and other basic maintenance. Afterward, I got into the back of my truck, pulled out four quarts, and added all four to the engine, at which point the dipstick was reading a little under full. Seriously... FOUR quarts. I put a breaker bar on the crank pulley and turned the engine a few times, and it went from a horrendous squeak to quiet fairly fast.

I told him that he probably did some serious damage to the truck, but no way of knowing without a teardown or wait for it to throw a rod. He expressed his undying gratitude, jumped in, and drove off toward his original destination.

stickguy · January 2021

Do new cars all have low oil warning lights now? Seems like something that really should be standard. Obviously BMW must since they don't have dipsticks! Yes, people should check their oil more often but we all know that is a lost art. Plus, if something happens leading to a sudden drop, you may catch it too late. I check mine based on how fast it uses (after getting a baseline), so if that is normally say 3K miles or more, probably would not catch it if the car suddenly dropped a bunch in only 1,000 miles.

sda · January 2021

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:
bad combination. Engines that had complicated design and were hard to service with fatal flaw features that needed meticulous service to last, at the same time they extended service intervals and made a lot of stuff lifetime.

Almost as good as using plastic for stuff like time gears.
Combine that with the general dumbing down of the motoring public.my son was telling me today about the time his friend called him for help because his car broke down. My son who knows nothing about cars said “did you check the oil?”

The friend answered “you have to put oil in a car?”

As much as I try to teach my 19 year old daughter about driving and her car I believe most falls on deaf ears. Some months ago she was driving the TL and a friend was riding with her. My daughter noticed an orange light glowing and called me asking what to do. I asked her what it looked like and her friend interjected it’s the CEL. Was it blinking, car running fine? How’s the engine temp? What? Where do I find that? Oh my.

roadburner · January 2021

xwesx said:

oldfarmer50 said:

xwesx said:

Michaell said:
Took the Outback to get washed today. In front of me was a recent vintage WRX that had temporary tags on it. When the wash was finished, I was still behind it when getting dried, and noticed the tag was gone.

Tapped on the window and told the driver (a cute young blond) about the issue - she had the staff go back into the wash to retrieve it.

Felt like that was my good deed for the day.
That's pretty funny - I'm surprised that the staff were able to find something like that in there!

I guess my good deed for the day was picking up a fairly substantial amount of trash in the Home Depot parking lot as I walked from my car to the front door. HD has pretty good service in this regard... they have a huge trash can adjacent to the entry door! Not surprising, the stuff I dropped in there looked to be the only thing in it.
Good for you, people seem to be almost deliberate slobs these days. When I go to the store I usually grab one of the many shopping carts strewn about the lot and bring it in to use for myself. Half the time it’s filled with somebody’s trash.
Yes, precisely!

On the way out, I was walking down the row when I spotted a man with one arm trying to wrestle his cart over the knobby ground (buildup of packed snow) to put it in the cart return. I happened to be parked immediately adjacent to the nearest return, so I offered to take it for him. I put it away, hopped into my car, and was waiting to back out as his pickup drove up the isle behind me, and I saw him and his wife offer a brief wave as they passed.

Little things.

At a gas station I noticed a lady having problems airing up the tires on her car. I offered to help. I got out my tire gauge and she had inflated one tire to I’ve 80 psi. I’m surprised she didn’t have one let go on her.

kyfdx · January 2021

stickguy said:
Do new cars all have low oil warning lights now? Seems like something that really should be standard. Obviously BMW must since they don't have dipsticks! Yes, people should check their oil more often but we all know that is a lost art. Plus, if something happens leading to a sudden drop, you may catch it too late. I check mine based on how fast it uses (after getting a baseline), so if that is normally say 3K miles or more, probably would not catch it if the car suddenly dropped a bunch in only 1,000 miles.

Most cars only have low oil pressure lights. By the time that one comes on, you are screwed.

au1994 · January 2021

xwesx said:

oldfarmer50 said:

xwesx said:

Michaell said:
Took the Outback to get washed today. In front of me was a recent vintage WRX that had temporary tags on it. When the wash was finished, I was still behind it when getting dried, and noticed the tag was gone.

Tapped on the window and told the driver (a cute young blond) about the issue - she had the staff go back into the wash to retrieve it.

Felt like that was my good deed for the day.
That's pretty funny - I'm surprised that the staff were able to find something like that in there!

I guess my good deed for the day was picking up a fairly substantial amount of trash in the Home Depot parking lot as I walked from my car to the front door. HD has pretty good service in this regard... they have a huge trash can adjacent to the entry door! Not surprising, the stuff I dropped in there looked to be the only thing in it.
Good for you, people seem to be almost deliberate slobs these days. When I go to the store I usually grab one of the many shopping carts strewn about the lot and bring it in to use for myself. Half the time it’s filled with somebody’s trash.
Yes, precisely!

On the way out, I was walking down the row when I spotted a man with one arm trying to wrestle his cart over the knobby ground (buildup of packed snow) to put it in the cart return. I happened to be parked immediately adjacent to the nearest return, so I offered to take it for him. I put it away, hopped into my car, and was waiting to back out as his pickup drove up the isle behind me, and I saw him and his wife offer a brief wave as they passed.

Little things.

We must have all been feeling the same vibe. I was at the grocery store getting deli meat and noticed an elderly guy getting soup. He clearly was struggling to find the lids, looking up, down and all around with nobody from the store offering a hand. I walked over and found the correct size for him and got him on his way. He was very grateful. Little things indeed.

stickguy · January 2021

I like helping old people. Good way of pretending that I am not one of them.

ab348 · January 2021

stickguy said:
I like helping old people. Good way of pretending that I am not one of them.

Tell me about it. I woke up this AM and when I started to get out of bed, I felt something in my right shoulder. Once I stood up I tried moving it, and OUCH! Really painful, felt almost like it was out of place.Tried to move it around and at first it still really hurt but it eventually lessened and now there is just a dull ache. Didn't do anything to it except sleep on that side. Criminy.

explorerx4 · January 2021

The previous Explorer 3.5 V6 was rated @ 290HP and 259FT/LB of torque.
The 202 and up 2.3 I4 is rated @ 300HP and 310FT/LB of torque.

corvette · January 2021

I read that the IRS is delaying accepting filing of 2020 tax returns. Could delay the typical "tax refund" bump in used car prices. I don't keep my finger on the pulse as much as some others here--are prices returning to pre-COVID levels yet?

fintail · January 2021

I remember Christmas 1992, my 16 year old cousin drove his car to our house, the car being a 1986 Camry gifted to him by my aunt. He mentioned the oil light came on, asked if it meant anything, my dad snarked something to the effect that it's probably too late. My cousin had zero mechanical aptitude, so my dad and I went to inspect the car. Dry dipstick. My dad always had oil on hand, so he refilled it. Not sure what happened to the Camry after that, but my cousin later turned up in a new Civic.

xwesx said:

I told him that he probably did some serious damage to the truck, but no way of knowing without a teardown or wait for it to throw a rod. He expressed his undying gratitude, jumped in, and drove off toward his original destination.

kyfdx · January 2021

corvette said:
I read that the IRS is delaying accepting filing of 2020 tax returns. Could delay the typical "tax refund" bump in used car prices. I don't keep my finger on the pulse as much as some others here--are prices returning to pre-COVID levels yet?

Generally, you can't get a return accepted through TurboTax until close to February 1st. They are always updating the forms, right up until the last minute.

stickguy · January 2021

I never have all my forms until late January/early February anyway, so usually get the taxes done around 2/15. But got a notice from Vanguard that they would possibly be issuing 2 statements because they consolidated/changed how they handled the brokerage account, so might get 1 before and one after. And the after would not be out until late February. And I really don't want to have to do an amended filing again.

explorerx4 · January 2021

Took the 2017 Explorer Limited for a test drive today.
It looks great and has a lot of good features.
It did not ride well, has non original Kelly tires.
Hated the running boards, got in my way stepping out.
Brakes seemed a bit squishy.
These are all fixable.
However, the seat was worn in in a way that was not comfortable, so probably can't be fixed.
Dealership was great, vehicle was out front when I arrived, although salesman I talked to originally wasn't there.
They didn't even ask for any ID before letting me drive it(had a full tank of gas!).
Also, they offered to let me take it overnight, if I wanted to.

stickguy · January 2021

sounds like too many concerns to want to get into bed with it. especially if it isn't an absolute killer deal.

Plenty of other fish in the sea!

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

stickguy said:
Do new cars all have low oil warning lights now? Seems like something that really should be standard. Obviously BMW must since they don't have dipsticks! Yes, people should check their oil more often but we all know that is a lost art. Plus, if something happens leading to a sudden drop, you may catch it too late. I check mine based on how fast it uses (after getting a baseline), so if that is normally say 3K miles or more, probably would not catch it if the car suddenly dropped a bunch in only 1,000 miles.

If the oil gets low enough in any car the oil light should come on.

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

stickguy said:
I like helping old people. Good way of pretending that I am not one of them.

I like helping young people too. Friday I was trying to order pizza and the girl taking the order was obviously brand new and wasn’t sure how to take the order. I had to repeat things two or three times. She finally said almost tearfully “this is my first day and I’m having a terrible time”. I assured her she was doing fine.

When I got my order I tipped her $50 and told her we all have tough days and that things would get better. Her eyes lit up and she said “this just turned into my best day ever!”.

I wish somebody had done that for me when I was 16 at my first job.

tjc78 · January 2021

oldfarmer50 said:

stickguy said:
I like helping old people. Good way of pretending that I am not one of them.
I like helping young people too. Friday I was trying to order pizza and the girl taking the order was obviously brand new and wasn’t sure how to take the order. I had to repeat things two or three times. She finally said almost tearfully “this is my first day and I’m having a terrible time”. I assured her she was doing fine.

When I got my order I tipped her $50 and told her we all have tough days and that things would get better. Her eyes lit up and she said “this just turned into my best day ever!”.

I wish somebody had done that for me when I was 16 at my first job.

Wow what a nice gesture.

oldfarmer50 · January 2021

explorerx4 said:
Took the 2017 Explorer Limited for a test drive today.
It looks great and has a lot of good features.
It did not ride well, has non original Kelly tires.
Hated the running boards, got in my way stepping out.
Brakes seemed a bit squishy.
These are all fixable.
However, the seat was worn in in a way that was not comfortable, so probably can't be fixed.
Dealership was great, vehicle was out front when I arrived, although salesman I talked to originally wasn't there.
They didn't even ask for any ID before letting me drive it(had a full tank of gas!).
Also, they offered to let me take it overnight, if I wanted to.

Worn seat on a car that new doesn’t sound good.

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