Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

mjfloyd1 · July 1

@nyccarguy said:
Oh, so you did go for the Hybrid! Nice!

They only had the portobello interior with the hybrid incoming where I purchased so my choice was hybrid or hybrid.

graphicguy · July 1

mjfloyd1 said:
Punch pending. Shocker

At port waiting for new bolts for the air dam because those have been falling off😂. Supposed to arrive in 20-ish days. Trade on Jeep was as expected.

Should look just like this

Oooooooo.....ahhhhhh....very nice! Congrats on the punch!

kyfdx · July 1

2000 miles on the Cayman in two years. Porsche recommends oil changes every two years, regardless of mileage. So, that's what it got.

Also, my car isn't "stored" over the winter. I can usually get it out, at least every two weeks, given dry weather.

oldfarmer50 · July 1

explorerx4 said:
@oldfarmer50,
I'll give you my opinion.
Change the oil before winter storage. That way you are driving on new oil in the spring.
Gas is the same thing. Run it down, put in some preservative when you put it away.
In the spring, fill it up with fresh fuel.

Interesting take, thanks. So you are not of the opinion that oil goes “bad” just sitting? Thanks all for the input.

ab348 · July 1

stickguy said:
I can't imagine driving a Kicks on a regular basis now.

But you don't hardly drive at all.

ab348 · July 1

mjfloyd1 said:
Punch pending. Shocker

At port waiting for new bolts for the air dam because those have been falling off😂. Supposed to arrive in 20-ish days. Trade on Jeep was as expected.

Nice colors on that.

ab348 · July 1

Michaell said:
The Sportage needed a new tire. $133 all in.

Not sure what happened to the $185 price I saw on line, but I’ll take it.

Might be worthwhile convincing her to get a roadside assistance package instead of calling Dad.

ab348 · July 1

explorerx4 said:
Speaking of old school audio tech, I have a bunch of CD's but none of my vehicles have a CD player.
Does anyone have a Bluetooth or USB CD player?

Isn't that why iTunes exists?

My former 2014 ATS came with a factory CD player. It was mounted in the glovebox which meant that to change CDs you had to stop (hopefully), open the glovebox, and mess around with changing discs. I never used it, not even once. The 2017 I have now also came with a CD player, but it was apparently ordered as an option after the fact. Why, I do not know, unless the dealership had a bunch of them taking up space in the parts department they wanted to be rid of. It is in the cardboard box from the factory in the glove compartment awaiting installation. I don't think it is going to get installed.

tjc78 · July 1

I love to listen to CD’s at home since it is the best sound compared to compressed MP3s or streaming … but $12.99 a month for Apple Music (or Pandora Premium, Amazon unlimited etc) the convenience is well worth it.

Any album you want they most likely have and all you have to do is ask Siri to play it for you. No commercials and they also have stations and playlists. Another nice feature is say you listen to The Eagles Hotel CA album.. when it’s over it just starts playing similar artist and songs. Apple also has very good sound quality when set to Lossless

In other news … after I blasted the GM of the dealer my trade was paid off. Now to collect the overpayment they owe me

Michaell · July 1

@ab348 said:
Might be worthwhile convincing her to get a roadside assistance package instead of calling Dad.

We have a AAA membership. They needed to get to work so I brought them the Subaru and I waited for the guy to show up and put on the donut.

breld · July 1

The CD player talk makes me nostalgic, thinking back to my 1993 Prelude. Like many cars of that era, it was prewired to have a CD changer installed in the trunk, which I took advantage of. It had those cartridges where you could load up six CDs, so I had a few of those cartridges so I could just swap them out for different mixes.

That was the coolest setup. I also had a Sony 100-disc changer at home...I mean seriously - all that music just ready to be accessed so easily! How could it get any better than that!

jmonroe1 · July 1

roadburner said:

corvette said:

jmonroe1 said:
Any well optioned new car should be able to sleep one person easily.
Q: What's yellow, slow, and sleeps three men?
A: A DOT truck!
Hey- from 1975 to 1978 the State Highway Department was my summer job. Do I have stories. Summer help weren't supposed to even drive the pickups and I ended up driving dump trucks, a water truck, an oil distributor, a grader, and a roller- as well as pickups and mowers. Another college kid and I would drag race the pickups at lunch.

————————————————
No wonder Kentucky had so much trouble re-working the roads you and your college buddy worked on back in those days.

jmonroe

roadburner · July 1

breld said:
The CD player talk makes me nostalgic, thinking back to my 1993 Prelude. Like many cars of that era, it was prewired to have a CD changer installed in the trunk, which I took advantage of. It had those cartridges where you could load up six CDs, so I had a few of those cartridges so I could just swap them out for different mixes.

That was the coolest setup. I also had a Sony 100-disc changer at home...I mean seriously - all that music just ready to be accessed so easily! How could it get any better than that!

I installed an OEM CD changer in the Club Sport. It's still there and working.

xwesx · July 1

Michaell said:

Yeah, but I know how you guys think...

(trust me, I had the same thoughts myself, but I'm sure the wife would say what I posted earlier)

Don't worry, Michael! I can drive my van down to you. You're welcome to keep it as long as needed as your third vehicle!

sda · July 1

@xwesx, refresh my memory. What Subie does your son drive? Was he able to complete the engine/transmission transplant?

xwesx · July 1

explorerx4 said:
@oldfarmer50,
I'll give you my opinion.
Change the oil before winter storage. That way you are driving on new oil in the spring.
Gas is the same thing. Run it down, put in some preservative when you put it away.
In the spring, fill it up with fresh fuel.

Really depends on conditions for me. I change my old rigs every other year and only put non-ethanol fuel in them. That way, no old fuel issues (as long as you run through a tank every couple years or so). They get their oil changes during AMW, just like everything else. The harder fluids to remember are coolant and brakes. Power steering (if present) and driveline lubricants are every ten years.

Oh, and @oldfarmer50 , I think you mentioned something about whether oil cares about just aging in an engine. The short answer is 'yes', it does. But, the longer answer is that how long it remains effective is very much a function of the conditions. Basically, the oil only protects as long as it can buffer acids, and humidity in the air will slowly deplete that buffering capacity while the car is in storage.

If you want to maximize the oil life for your specific conditions, then get used oil analyses and tweak your habits until you find a good balance. Otherwise, just go with every other year.

xwesx · July 1

explorerx4 said:
Speaking of old school audio tech, I have a bunch of CD's but none of my vehicles have a CD player.
Does anyone have a Bluetooth or USB CD player?

I gave up on using the actual discs a long time ago.... such a pain! I put all of my collection through my computer, burned them to MP3, then either put the files on a compatible memory stick or something like an iPod (or phone in most recent times).

I enjoyed the process of burning them all; it gave me an excuse to revisit a lot of music that I had not heard in many, many years. Definitely a good way to ride the way-back machine for a couple of rounds!

xwesx · July 1

sda said:
@xwesx, refresh my memory. What Subie does your son drive? Was he able to complete the engine/transmission transplant?

He has a 2009 Forester. And... no, he has yet to start that project. I *think* he is going to do it this weekend for AMW. Either that, or I'm going to pester him about doing it for the ENTIRE FOUR DAYS while I'm working on the rest of the cars!

I got the Crosstrek done early because, well, my wife. I need to re-replace the clutch in my Forester because I think I screwed up on the original replacement by not replacing the flywheel, and the Q7 needs an axle replaced along with the turbo, which is most definitely going south in a hurry.

Oh, and my old rigs need their biennial oil changes.

stickguy · July 1

you make me feel like a slacker. I'm happy if I have enough energy over the weekend to get the lawn mowed, and one load of yard stuff over to the transfer station.

Though I am old I guess.

sda · July 1

xwesx said:

sda said:
@xwesx, refresh my memory. What Subie does your son drive? Was he able to complete the engine/transmission transplant?
He has a 2009 Forester. And... no, he has yet to start that project. I *think* he is going to do it this weekend for AMW. Either that, or I'm going to pester him about doing it for the ENTIRE FOUR DAYS while I'm working on the rest of the cars!

I got the Crosstrek done early because, well, my wife. I need to re-replace the clutch in my Forester because I think I screwed up on the original replacement by not replacing the flywheel, and the Q7 needs an axle replaced along with the turbo, which is most definitely going south in a hurry.

Oh, and my old rigs need their biennial oil changes.

I admire your willingness and skill to make those repairs.

xwesx · July 1

@sda

I think about that sometimes....

Living in interior Alaska, the topic of hunting is a regular one. People are shocked when I tell them that I've never done it. Not that I am not inclined to do so or have an aversion to it, but it was just not something that I ever did growing up (oddly, my father regularly hunted, but he never, not once, took any of us kids with him or taught us how to shoot. My first experience with shooting a firearm was when I was at USMA). As such, I've always been a little hesitant to just go out and do it, and I've never managed to find someone willing to take me under their wing. Now that I am an old man myself, I don't even bother with contemplating it anymore... Given how expensive it can be to take up that particular passion, I decided to just stick with the automotive vice.

However, cars were a whole different thing. I spent a lot of my childhood in a rural setting, and self-sufficiency was a thing. We learned about most basic repairs the hard way: By breaking down or getting a flat way out in the middle of nowhere! And, oil/filter/fluid changes were something we always did at home, so I just took it in stride. Once I was out on my own, there flat wasn't a choice in the matter anymore. If I didn't do my own work, I wasn't going to have a car because I *surely* didn't have the money to pay someone to do it. No matter how complicated or intimidating, it was just something that had to get done.

The older I get, the more I see (from those aforementioned logs) just how much money I spend on maintenance. And, if I take those numbers and multiply them by five, that's about what it would have cost me at a shop. Not. A. Chance.

explorerx4 · July 1

@xwesx,
Your story reminds me of the one time I used a firearm.
I was working for a friend of my dad's as a framer.
On a hot Friday, we knocked off early and went over the boss's house.
He set up some cans on a log so we could do some 'plicking'.
I had never used any type of firearm before, so when it was my turn, I used a 2 handed grip like I had seen in those Dirty Harry movies. I couldn't hit anything.
After a couple of misses, I decided to use the cowboy method, arm straight out using one hand and hit the can.
It must have been a 22 or 38 because there wasn't much kickback.
Anyways, I hit the can and he says "You can't do that again".
I hit the next can and he says " Ok we're done".
That was my one and only experience.

jmonroe1 · July 1

xwesx said:

Michaell said:

Yeah, but I know how you guys think...

(trust me, I had the same thoughts myself, but I'm sure the wife would say what I posted earlier)
Don't worry, Michael! I can drive my van down to you. You're welcome to keep it as long as needed as your third vehicle!

————————————————
@Michaell, I’d be wary of offerings that appear to be free. The first thing I do when I see something that is advertised as being free, is to grab my wallet.

jmonroe

jmonroe1 · July 1

xwesx said:

explorerx4 said:
@oldfarmer50,
I'll give you my opinion.
Change the oil before winter storage. That way you are driving on new oil in the spring.
Gas is the same thing. Run it down, put in some preservative when you put it away.
In the spring, fill it up with fresh fuel.
Really depends on conditions for me. I change my old rigs every other year and only put non-ethanol fuel in them. That way, no old fuel issues (as long as you run through a tank every couple years or so). They get their oil changes during AMW, just like everything else. The harder fluids to remember are coolant and brakes. Power steering (if present) and driveline lubricants are every ten years.

Oh, and @oldfarmer50 , I think you mentioned something about whether oil cares about just aging in an engine. The short answer is 'yes', it does. But, the longer answer is that how long it remains effective is very much a function of the conditions. Basically, the oil only protects as long as it can buffer acids, and humidity in the air will slowly deplete that buffering capacity while the car is in storage.

If you want to maximize the oil life for your specific conditions, then get used oil analyses and tweak your habits until you find a good balance. Otherwise, just go with every other year.

————————————————
Why is it that we’ve never heard @breld join in on these oil life discussions?

jmonroe

Michaell · July 1

jmonroe1 said:

xwesx said:

explorerx4 said:
@oldfarmer50,
I'll give you my opinion.
Change the oil before winter storage. That way you are driving on new oil in the spring.
Gas is the same thing. Run it down, put in some preservative when you put it away.
In the spring, fill it up with fresh fuel.
Really depends on conditions for me. I change my old rigs every other year and only put non-ethanol fuel in them. That way, no old fuel issues (as long as you run through a tank every couple years or so). They get their oil changes during AMW, just like everything else. The harder fluids to remember are coolant and brakes. Power steering (if present) and driveline lubricants are every ten years.

Oh, and @oldfarmer50 , I think you mentioned something about whether oil cares about just aging in an engine. The short answer is 'yes', it does. But, the longer answer is that how long it remains effective is very much a function of the conditions. Basically, the oil only protects as long as it can buffer acids, and humidity in the air will slowly deplete that buffering capacity while the car is in storage.

If you want to maximize the oil life for your specific conditions, then get used oil analyses and tweak your habits until you find a good balance. Otherwise, just go with every other year.
————————————————
Why is it that we’ve never heard @breld join in on these oil life discussions?

jmonroe

Because EVs don’t need oil changes!

(Truth be told, I’m aware of a number of times where he’s had the oil changed in his personal cars. Admittedly, it doesn’t happen often…)

mjfloyd1 · July 2

@Michaell said:
Because EVs don’t need oil changes!

(Truth be told, I’m aware of a number of times where he’s had the oil changed in his personal cars. Admittedly, it doesn’t happen often…)

He usually trades before he needs an oil change😳

au1994 · July 2

explorerx4 said:
@xwesx,
Your story reminds me of the one time I used a firearm.
I was working for a friend of my dad's as a framer.
On a hot Friday, we knocked off early and went over the boss's house.
He set up some cans on a log so we could do some 'plicking'.
I had never used any type of firearm before, so when it was my turn, I used a 2 handed grip like I had seen in those Dirty Harry movies. I couldn't hit anything.
After a couple of misses, I decided to use the cowboy method, arm straight out using one hand and hit the can.
It must have been a 22 or 38 because there wasn't much kickback.
Anyways, I hit the can and he says "You can't do that again".
I hit the next can and he says " Ok we're done".
That was my one and only experience.

.22 sounds like, You’d know you fired a .38. Its not unmanageable but you know its there.

nyccarguy · July 2

Not that I'm in the market for one, but I saw someone in a comment somewhere mention that there are "Employee Pricing" lightly optioned Mustang GTs out there for at or around $40K.

kyfdx · July 2

That would be a good replacement for the Cayman

nyccarguy · July 2

@kyfdx said:
That would be a good replacement for the Cayman

The problem being that to get a Mustang GT that handles well-ish, it’s not going to be $40K. It’s going to be a lot more.

Michaell · July 2

nyccarguy said:

@kyfdx said:

That would be a good replacement for the Cayman

The problem being that to get a Mustang GT that handles well-ish, it’s not going to be $40K. It’s going to be a lot more.

Couldn't you go aftermarket and customize it just the way you want?

kyfdx · July 2

nyccarguy said:

@kyfdx said:

That would be a good replacement for the Cayman

The problem being that to get a Mustang GT that handles well-ish, it’s not going to be $40K. It’s going to be a lot more.

I wouldn't be getting it to carve canyons... Just for the big growly noises when I push the GO pedal.

nyccarguy · July 2

kyfdx said:

nyccarguy said:

@kyfdx said:

That would be a good replacement for the Cayman

The problem being that to get a Mustang GT that handles well-ish, it’s not going to be $40K. It’s going to be a lot more.

I wouldn't be getting it to carve canyons... Just for the big growly noises when I push the GO pedal.

Then it would be perfect! Around here, the only canyons are the potholes.

Michaell · July 2

kyfdx said:

nyccarguy said:

@kyfdx said:

That would be a good replacement for the Cayman

The problem being that to get a Mustang GT that handles well-ish, it’s not going to be $40K. It’s going to be a lot more.

I wouldn't be getting it to carve canyons... Just for the big growly noises when I push the GO pedal.

No canyons in NKy, for sure. Twisty roads, yes.

oldfarmer50 · July 2

kyfdx said:

nyccarguy said:

@kyfdx said:

That would be a good replacement for the Cayman

The problem being that to get a Mustang GT that handles well-ish, it’s not going to be $40K. It’s going to be a lot more.

I wouldn't be getting it to carve canyons... Just for the big growly noises when I push the GO pedal.

Getting rid of the OEM tires for some Michelin pilot sports made a big difference on mine without any modifications.

kyfdx · July 2

oldfarmer50 said:

kyfdx said:

nyccarguy said:

@kyfdx said:

That would be a good replacement for the Cayman

The problem being that to get a Mustang GT that handles well-ish, it’s not going to be $40K. It’s going to be a lot more.

I wouldn't be getting it to carve canyons... Just for the big growly noises when I push the GO pedal.

Getting rid of the OEM tires for some Michelin pilot sports made a big difference on mine without any modifications.

Those are the tires I have on the Cayman

roadburner · July 2

I feel the same way about the new Mustang as I do about the new M240i/M2. The exterior isn't as attractive as its predecessor and the interior is a dog's breakfast.
If I wanted a Mustang I'd get either a Bullitt or a Mach 1.

xwesx · July 2

A Mustang is a monster, size wise, compared to a Cayman!

xwesx · July 2

There was some discussion about electric vehicles..... and I just wanted to note that most electrics do have a planetary gear set on each drive axle (may not be true for those with a motor attached directly to a single wheel). That planetary gear set requires lubricant, and that lubricant does need changing!

Totally uneducated, I'd estimate about 30,000 miles for the original drain/fill, and 50,000 miles thereafter with a high-quality replacement oil. There are those that have more complicated transmissions for their drive train, and those will often have filters (many times an external spin on, like an ICE has) as well.

Surely doesn't apply to this group, but the more you know!

kyfdx · July 2

xwesx said:
A Mustang is a monster, size wise, compared to a Cayman!

Two extra seats!

I'm pretty sure I can drive any size vehicle...

roadburner · July 2

I see that BMW NA is now offering 2.99% for 60 months on the new X3. I wonder if that will be a sufficient incentive to move an SUV that resembles an orthopedic shoe.

Sandman6472 · July 2

Another punch for 2025 everyone!
Finally folks, the Sandman has bought a new vehicle!!! They're bringing it to the house as I type this. Details to follow. Got the odometer up to 79,996...never made it to 80K! But hey, that's life. Lots for me to learn these next few days!!!

laurasdada · July 2

I gotta say, while lookey-looing around the BMW lot yesterday, nothing save for the Z4 caught my eye as attractive. Well, maybe the 3 series, but the 2 looks too Lego/Mr. Roboto. The 5 is just awkward, and the new X3 seems to come from the same committee that designed the new 2.

explorerx4 · July 2

@sandman6472,
Congrats on the new vehicle! I'm guessing the Golf you mentioned earlier?
We'll need pics.

stickguy · July 2

Wow. I thought I was going to buy a car before Sandy at this point.

roadburner · July 2

laurasdada said:
I gotta say, while lookey-looing around the BMW lot yesterday, nothing save for the Z4 caught my eye as attractive. Well, maybe the 3 series, but the 2 looks to Lego/Mr. Roboto. The 5 is just awkward, and the new X3 seems to come from the same committee that designed the new 2.

The latest 3er has been uglied up as well- particularly the front fascia. And of course the digital dash is an ergonomic fiasco.

xwesx · July 2

Sandman6472 said:
Another punch for 2025 everyone!
Finally folks, the Sandman has bought a new vehicle!!! They're bringing it to the house as I type this. Details to follow. Got the odometer up to 79,996...never made it to 80K! But hey, that's life. Lots for me to learn these next few days!!!

Oh, shoot. That calls for a drive "around the block," at least, just to hit that last minor milestone...

Congrats on the mysterious buy, at any rate!

stickguy · July 2

now I am curious. need to stop at the BMW store (have not been to one in many years) just to see what the new models look like!

nyccarguy · July 2

@Sandman6472 said:
Another punch for 2025 everyone!
Finally folks, the Sandman has bought a new vehicle!!! They're bringing it to the house as I type this. Details to follow. Got the odometer up to 79,996...never made it to 80K! But hey, that's life. Lots for me to learn these next few days!!!

YES! That’s so awesome Sandy! We cannot wait to hear all the details! Mazel-Tov my friend!

imidazol97 · July 2

Great Sandy.
I'm glad you found what you wanted.

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