George's Garage

[George]

Fun facts about George’s Garage:

- Elevation 5982 feet (1823 meters) above sea level
- Insulated, painted, and drywalled by yours truly
- Workbench designed, painted, and installed with my Dad :up:
- Houses boring cars chosen for utility, dependability, and longevity

I used to be quite the VW Beetle mechanic in the 1980s, but I’ve realized that was out of necessity rather than “hey, I think I’ll go adjust the valves just for the sheer enjoyment of it”. And I remember being a bachelor with lots more time than money and rotating tires on my pickup truck with the stock scissors jack – just one jack, so I had to lift each corner of the vehicle at least twice. Man, that took forever. But these days I seldom do more than check fluid levels and tire pressure, and I seek out cars accordingly. Accordingly. Get it? Yeah, I know… :smh:

I've decided it's time to get a newer car. I bought my current car (’99 Honda Accord 4-cylinder automatic) with 139,000 miles and an unknown maintenance history. Of course I got a CarFax report and had it checked by an independent shop prior to purchase, but I don't know when (or if!) the timing belt was changed before I bought the car. It now has 215,xxx miles and runs perfectly, but I've never had the timing belt and water pump changed and whatever else is done during that service. The car now needs a bunch of other maintenance as well, I'm sure. I don't think the transmission or radiator or brake fluids have ever been changed while I've owned the car, for example. It's easy not to think about that stuff with a Honda that runs so well all the time.

The car is starting to show rust under the rear doors, has a cracked windshield, a dented hood where a pickup truck with a receiver hitch backed into it, and various scrapes and dings that come with long service. About a third of the interior dash lights don't work at night. The interior is in "good shape for its age" as the ads say, but no better than that. The rear defroster has never worked since I've owned it (seven years), and the driver's side exterior mirror is held in place with a carefully trimmed zip-tie thanks to a garage accident that I guess broke the "break-away" setup of the mirror, so the mirror now swings freely if not zip-tied in place. Oh, and it burns and/or leaks about two quarts of oil between changes. I have a piece of plywood on the garage floor to catch the oil. It doesn’t drip much, as it’s usually low on oil :p, but I don't need that in my life. The stock CD player skips and jumps. I've thought the speakers sucked since the day I sold my Camry and bought the Accord - it was like an instant sound quality downgrade. Plus, my kids say the car smells and that it's too small. :lol:

It is nice to have a car that you can park anywhere without worry, or lean a bicycle against in the garage without worry about scratches from cantilever brakes or metal pedals. I hate putting the strap-on bike rack on the trunk, but I enjoy not worrying if I scratch the paint a little when I do. I'll miss that, but it will come around again on my next car sometime in the future.

My wife agrees that buying another used Japanese Appliance-Mobile is the way to go before we get a whopping repair bill and then are faced with paying to fix an old car, or dumping it for peanuts as I did with my 220K-mile Camry V6 for $500 in four hours on craigslist. I rather put major maintenance money toward a newer (sigh...I guess) car. However, I'm always very interested in low-mileage older sedans like those owned by the elderly and I'd love to score a 25-year-old Whatever that looks and drives like new.

I'm also going to do it right this time and get the windows tinted (legally) in whatever I buy. I've always enjoyed riding in cars with tinted windows but haven't had a car with tint since 1998. I'm going to get a receiver hitch so I can haul four bicycles on a hitch-mounted carrier., and I'm going to buy a set of snow tires and cheap wheels so I can change them out myself whenever I want - and train my kids in how to change a tire at the same time - instead of having to pay $20 twice a year to get them swapped out at the tire shop.

If anyone wants to make suggestions - serious or hilarious - about replacement vehicles, please feel free. Right now I think my list looks something like this, barring some unknown old low-mileage beauty from an estate sale.

- Honda Accord - my wife an I have owned three Accords so far

- Honda CR-V - these look pretty useful and if I must have an automatic, I like that these have the lever where it belongs - on the column!

- Honda Element - at the top of my list to test drive and learn more about. They look like the ultimate non-truck utility vehicle, but I don’t know much more about them than they have a vinyl floor, which is an immediate turn-on. (I’ll skip my usual rant about carpet in vehicles)

- Toyota Avalon (yes, I realize I have a CR-V and an Avalon on the same list - go figure)

- Toyota Camry - I owned a V6 and LOVED it. It was much more comfortable than Accords for me.

- Toyota RAV4 - I hear the V6 versions kick ass. My concern with the RAV4 is the same as the CR-V: can a 6’2” man actually fit inside? I’ll have to find out.

- Others: American cars, maybe? I'm a life-long skeptic after watching others replace their American cars two or three times sooner than Japanese car owners have to, but I'd consider one, maybe. Minivan? Sure, but they're expensive and usually look beat to hell by the time they're in my price range. Station wagon? Yes, certainly, but I just don't see many these days, other than the "chopped-off" variety like the Subaru Impreza wagon. Pickups and Jeeps and sporty cars are fun but not what I need right now.

I’m also thinking about going back to a manual transmission. I haven’t had once since 1998. Has anyone else done without for many years and then gone back to shifting gears in your daily driver? What did you think? Was it “Ahhh, it’s fun to drive again” or “Damn, this sucks! What was I thinking?”

I must say the transmission in the Accord is remarkably like a manual. Going downhill in the mountains it has good engine braking, whereas my older Camry just kicked into freewheel like a big American highway cruiser and dropped like a stone while the brakes did all the work. The Accord is really great about slowing down for corners by letting off the gas while going downhill, by comparison. I notice that around town on flatter ground when I have snow tires on, too. I don't know if that's a Honda vs. Toyota thing with automatic transmissions, or if automatics simply got that much better between 1994 (my Camry) and 1999 (the Accord).

[Random]

I thought it was a legal requirement for CO residents to own a Subaru wagon?

[George]

Shhh. We've made it ten years without one. :lol:

I'd consider one, but after discovering snow tires so late in life, I don't think I need to pay a premium for AWD.

I may have told this story before, but one night this winter I was driving my family home in a snowstorm in the Honda Pilot with AWD and regular tires. We tiptoed our way home safely enough, but I felt a little concerned at times. Minutes after we got home, I had to run out alone to get a gallon of milk or something, and having the choice between AWD or FWD and snow tires, I hopped in the Accord and took the long way to the store and back, through unplowed neighborhood streets and came home with an ear-to-ear grin in a car that looked like it has run the Iditarod.

I had heard people say they'd rather have FWD & snow tires than AWD & all-season tires and I can now say I agree from experience.

[thesameguy]

There was a lot going on in the '90s - new tech, new expectations, and new government mandates. What happened in the early '90s was leftover from the '80s, and what happened in the late '90s was all in preparation for the early '00s. I'd definitely expect to find a pretty big gap in the '94 and '99 - but also remember Toyota's mainstream lineup and Honda's mainstream lineup were opposite ends of design spectrum. Although "Camcord" is a saying, a Camry really was an appliance and the Accord had a lot of heart. Stuff has changed over the last ten years and everything has moved more towards the middle - I doubt those gaps really exist these days. And I think you'll find all the transmissions do fancy stuff. :)

The only person I know who went from manual to automatic to manual was my dad. He had nothing but manuals until '87, when he traded his '83 Saab 900T on an '87 Accord LXi. He had nothing but automatics until 1999 or so when the Accord got totaled and I loaned him initially my '89 SHO and then my '88 9000T for around two years. He enjoyed shifting his own gears again, but it wasn't all that long before he went back to an automatic. I think age was catching up to him, and there were some, um, external forces driving him back to an automatic in 2002. Everyone else I know who switched (which is just about everyone I know!) did it because they have a wife who can't drive a manual or think it's too much of a handful in traffic. I am most disappointed in my Mustang-owning friend - I was sure he'd get that Ecoboost like his TurboCoupe and XR4Ti, but he got an automatic. No fun. :(

It sounds like you're looking to spend $5k-$8k - does that seem right?

I hate to say it, but have you considered a lease? There are some VERY favorable deals right now and it might not be an entirely bad idea to not invest in something as hybrids and AFVs get sorted out a little better. My coworker is leasing a Focus SE for $69/mo ($2k or $3k up front). It's not a bad way to spend three years until the Model S or whatever floats your boat comes out.

[George]

You're dead on with my price range. I'm thinking $7500, but I don't want to spend much more than that. I won't make car payments, and that includes leasing. I also don't want to worry about driving a car that I don't own, obessing about it getting damaged, watching every mile, and so forth. I appreciate the suggestion and example of a lease, but that's not for me.

Right now I'm cruising Avalons on CL and wondering if they made any with cloth seats. I loathe leather seats and ought to know, as my wife's last two cars (Hondas) had/have leather and it's awful. Too hot in the summer, and too cold in the winter. Why anyone consider leather an upgrade over cloth upholstery is beyond me.

I'm looking at Mazda 6s, also. I had forgotten about those. I believe they made a few as wagons, too.

[Random]

Mazda6 Wagon gets you instant internet car forum cred. ;)

[George]

This is interesting - V6, manual, and 4WD? Too many miles on this one for my taste (and especially since Kia quality is unknown to me and this is a used car dealer - like, RUN, Scoob!), but searching by price on CL is showing me a bunch of vehicles like this one that I've just never given a second glance.

2006 Kia Sorento LX 4dr SUV 4WD (3.5L V6 5A) JUST IN RUNS GREAT SAVE@@ - $4999 (http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/4981784365.html)

Nice plain Jane appearance. I like a nearly invisible car for all the Grand Theft Auto type missions I do in real life. Can't be too memorable when you're a high-rollin' playa like me!

http://images.craigslist.org/00q0q_k2SgMeT9zTA_600x450.jpg

Funny that I want a receiver hitch to haul bikes but have long believed you never buy a vehicle with a trailer hitch on it, especially one that looks well-used, or in this case, is wired for trailer lights and has a trailer tongue dent in the bumper.

http://images.craigslist.org/00E0E_5LKWhfRjt7V_600x450.jpg

And you know you're a boring old fart when you see a huge cargo area and think, "Yeah, that's for me!". I wonder if I could get two BMX bikes in there...

http://images.craigslist.org/00808_FC0VTuX7ej_600x450.jpg

Hmmm, I'll have to look more closely at small SUVs.

[Random]

RAV4 and the CRV are pretty much the easy button in that category.

That said, you already have a Pilot, so do you need to double up?

[George]

Mazda6 Wagon gets you instant internet car forum cred. ;)

As we all know, that's The Most Important Thing. Any reason for that? Sports car in sheep's clothing, I'm guessing? Will search for more edutainment on this vehicle!

Interestingly, searches for "Mazda 6 wagon" or "Mazda6 wagon" on my local CL found no wagons, but removing wagon from the search found just one, and it's an automatic with one of those freaky shift gates that would annoy the hell out of me every day, I'm sure.

2004 Mazda 6 s w/ 83175 miles - $6990 (http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/4982253576.html)

http://images.craigslist.org/00r0r_dBI6Ml8DdPq_600x450.jpg

Interior design looks great, minus the shift pattern. I just want to pull the lever straight back and go, man. No maze-like sobriety tests for me! :lol:

http://images.craigslist.org/00202_4Uf8RJ4zSH1_600x450.jpg

[thesameguy]

I know the first-gen Avalon had cloth seats - my friend has a grandma-owned beige-on-beige with cloth seats. He is on the list of "I'll die with a manual transmission!" who gave up and went automatic. Asshole. It seems like something that would have disappeared on later, nicer versions.

I would run the hell away from that Kia. through 2007 or 2008 were the deceptive years for Kia/Hyundai, when their vehicle quality, safety and styling went way up but were still light years behind everyone else. The reason why I have my Santa Fe (same as the Sorento) is because this happened:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/othercars/deadhyundai.jpg

After looking at a few more of them up close in junkyards trying to grab a few parts, they all end up in sad shape. Not. Safe.

$7500 on tap is a solid ~2005 car and maybe something as new as 2007 or 2008 if you don't mind some abnormal wear. Slide newer for domestic, slide older for Asian or European. Slide away from Korean in these years.

[Random]

One of the few wagons available at the time, other than the Subarus and German$ + sporty Mazda reputation = instant internet success.

Got a few demerits for not being available with a manual (IIRC), but some bonus points for having the manual mode on the automatic shift the "correct" way (forward = downshift, back = upshift).

[George]

Did an elephant sit on that car? :lol:

As you guys know I watch CL all the time but doing it for real is a different thing. I might not get much work done today...

2004 Mazda MAZDA6 Sport Wagon s - Need An Affordable Used Car? - $6600 (http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/4984817553.html)

Dual exhast looks cool.

http://images.craigslist.org/00808_gQTpf7RaXWw_600x450.jpg

Small receiver hitch doesn't look like it towed yachts up and over the Rocky Mountains its whole life. No dents or trailer lights visible, either.

http://images.craigslist.org/00H0H_k6eK0mdkHb0_600x450.jpg

Is it just me or is this an extra-small sunroof?

http://images.craigslist.org/00h0h_2OIJoZzdnLh_600x450.jpg

This looks awesome for Mr. Suburban Dad to haul around stuff. And Random, you bring up a good point about doubling-up on SUV-type vehicles. That's why I figured I'd stick with an inexpensive sedan as a simple commuter car. But, it's fun to look around.

http://images.craigslist.org/00U0U_8PtcrbZWcC_600x450.jpg

To me, the only thing worse than a leather interior is a BLACK leather interior.

http://images.craigslist.org/00606_bUahI7rSfXQ_600x450.jpg

We have a CarMax in the area now. I might have to ride over there and look around at these and other cars I just don't know much about.

[thesameguy]

Not that you care, but I adore the 6 - though I probably wouldn't buy one personally. Too much meh to justify the cost to me. But I'd take one over any Japanese cute ute because those make me angry on a lot of levels. I sort of like the Element, but as a coworker who bought one for his wife put it, the number of times they used Element stuff (washed out the car, or stored ice in the back, or had a picnic) did not justify driving a box the rest of the time. It could be VERY different if you're more active, or because you live in a place where car interiors get messed up from snow & ice. That's obviously not a concern around here. :)

I've mentioned it before and I'll mention it again - I'd look strongly as domestic sedans. They are cheap and good. A ~2007+ Fusion or Milan or a Malibu or Impala is right in your price range and they are big, safe, totally ok vehicles. I'd probably also look at the Vibe & Matrix - you can get the 140hp version with AWD and a manual - though I don't think both at the same time! If you really want a cute ute, I think I'd probably look at a Jeep Liberty - they are also available with a manual. Morally reprehensible fuel economy, but real offroad cred.

Or go find one of these:

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/4934041585.html

and mix your desire for a cute ute with orphaned brand price adjustments and Honda power! :D

[George]

Hmmm. That redline thing is interesting, but I can't see ever buying a GM vehicle. I'm unreasonably biased, probably.

2009 Chevrolet Impala low miles - super clean & below blue book - $7300 (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4987324117.html)

This thing has 92,000 miles, which would make me say Perfect! on a Honda or Toyota but makes me nervous on a Chevy. How are American cars at 150,000 miles and beyond these days? All my life I've heard people say, "American cars are so much better these days" but I see my neighbors who drive American cars replacing them as often as ever.

http://images.craigslist.org/00N0N_gTarvRWwYMd_600x450.jpg

Looks like a police car to me. :cool:

But if I'm going to drive an American car, I want a sofa-sized bench seat, column shifter, and no legroom-robbing console in the way. See also "Stickshifts And Safety Belts" by Cake.

http://images.craigslist.org/00F0F_emBFDhWq8eq_600x450.jpg

Of course, I might get in one of these and find it the most comfortable car ever. I remember having a Dodge Intrepid as a rental car once and, while stretched out in American full-size splendor, sighing contentedly and thinking, "Man, I gotta get one of these luxury boats!"

[thesameguy]

I used to love those Intrepids. A friend of mine had the Eagle Vision version (remember Eagle???) and it was, how do they say, so choice. I rented an Intrepid with 100 miles on it back in the day for a road trip and broke it in at a buck twenty for four hours, three up in the front seat for no good reason except to weird people out by staring at them in unison as we passed. So much fun. I always thought I'd buy one, but they just didn't age very well.

My opinion is that by the mid-1990s the big quality issues with most American cars had been largely worked out and they were mostly working on their presentation. There are definitely several examples of things just not working right for very long, but it wasn't like '80s domestics that were just waiting til you got off the lot to totally fall apart. Comparing my '89 SHO to my friend's '98 Taurus at the same point in time - 9 years later with 100k on them - was just unreal. The '89 was literally falling apart, and the '98 was actually a pretty reasonable car still! I'd *personally* give GM the nod in this era, because their powertrain department was doing very good things. The Ecotec fours are just damned good motors, and the High Value V6 as close to bulletproof as you could want. Ford's Duratec motors are a little more hassle. Let's not even talk about Chrysler. I suspect that the domestics will have some dumb things go wrong - like power locks or windows or something - that an Asian equivalent would not, but you save money up front and you save money on maintenance/parts and I think even after a few trips to the dealership you're probably still coming out ahead. Consider the same mid-grade Centric rotor for a 2006 Camry is $45, versus $25 for a Malibu. Things like that. :D

I find those particular Impalas to be pretty dope. They are SO BLAND but mechanically quite good. They were pretty successful as police cars, and I think that speaks volumes about general long-term durability. I don't really understand anyone's car buying habits these days, but I suspect nobody keeps anything more than a few years regardless of what it is. There is a remarkably rigid system in place that governs most people: Buy new, pay off, trade in for peanuts, rinse, repeat. Everybody drank the koolaid, everybody thinks a car payment is part of life. We are outnumbered.

[thesameguy]

Also, I don't think I'd plan on an LTR with anything you're talking about. All cars are more complex and more costly to repair than they have been in the past and even with big leaps in reliability, eventually they gotta go away. Couple that with modern improvements in safety and economy and I really think the best plan of action is a 3-4 year relationship then move on. The numbers involved just don't work otherwise IMHO.

[George]

I didn't notice this in the ad for that blue Impala at first: "rear receiver hitch for bike rack" :up:


...'80s domestics that were just waiting til you got off the lot to totally fall apart.

My parents had an '83 Oldsmobile Diesel. :eek: I remember following my Dad to the dealership in my VW as the Olds spewed a cloud of white smoke so thick and large that we got pulled over by police on the way. Dad explained we were trying to get it directly to the dealership and the cop let him go. That car was only a couple/few years old when it died. They had a bunch of other shit-mobiles, too - Slant 6 mopars, a few Ford LTD variants, etc. But still Dad kept buying American. Now, at ages 82 and 78, they have just one car, and it's a late model Mercury Milan with AWD and a V6. I've driven it and thought it was okay - nothing special, but plenty of power to those WIDE tires, and my parents really like it. They've driven it all over the country in recent years and I can tell Dad is very pleased with it, and that's the most important thing.

Oh, and another GM story: Once back in NC I was taking a sales trip with my boss and a man who turned out to be a very important mentor to me in my 20s. One day he was griping about his GM car in which the air conditioning had quit working for the zillionth time. We were driving from Charlotte to Raleigh in the summer time (that means hot and VERY humid) and he suggested we count cars with windows rolled down, indicating the A/C did not work. We discounted commercial vehicles and focused on passenger cars going the other direction on the Interstate. I forget the quantity or ratio of cars with windows down, but it was overwhelmingly GM vehicles with sweaty elbows resting on open window sills.

I never forgot that, and I always notice at stop lights in traffic or on a quiet street when you hear a really shitty-sounding rattle-trap engine that's just clanging and banging and sounding past half-dead, it's ALWAYS a GM or Chrysler product. My Honda is about as quiet as a Prius and just runs and runs and runs and runs. My Camry was so quiet I'd have to check the tach to see if it was running sometimes.

I'd never hear the end of it from my Dad if I bought something American, seeing as how I've been badmouthing his since I started learning about cars (about the time their Olds Diesel was made and I was full-on into car enthusiasm and Driver's Ed classes).


They are SO BLAND but mechanically quite good. They were pretty successful as police cars, and I think that speaks volumes about general long-term durability

I'm used to bland. And I confess I'm a fan of Ford Crown Vics for that same reaso n - apparently parts are cheap and plentiful and police and taxi garages seem to run these things forever. I'd look at them more seriously if they weren't RWD for snow considerations, although the police seem to get around in them okay with snow tires.

My Dad would be envious if I bought this. He had a couple and loved 'em. I've driven his and one my mother-in-law used to own and found them supremely comfortable.

Normally I don't like non-stock wheels, but these look good.

2004 Mercury Grand Marquis LS Ultimate Edition - $6900 (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4959532730.html)

"Car has 2006 Mustang GT wheels"

http://images.craigslist.org/00p0p_gPVxDRZLWUC_600x450.jpg

[George]

Hmmm...

2004 Ford Crown Victoria - $4000 (http://fortcollins.craigslist.org/cto/4970135979.html)

I imagine you can drive as fast as you want on the highway in one of these.

http://images.craigslist.org/00u0u_96osfmhawOx_600x450.jpg

Hey! I could listen to all my old cassettes in this baby.

http://images.craigslist.org/00M0M_fPo6MrkvmcP_600x450.jpg

Four grand, eh? Very interesting. The only problem other than RWD is one of these would kill the room we now have between cars in the garage. It would probably become door-ding city in there, especially with the kids.

[George]

Sorry to keep going on here, but I will probably post more than less here until I buy something.

Maybe I should offer to sell my current car to this guy:

"Honda Technician purchase and resell, no better way to get a mechanically sound car. Bought car with need of a clutch and T-Belt package and a laundry list of other concerns, please read list below. It has been gone through, head to toe."

'99 Honda Accord EX 4dr Manual-$3900 OBO - $3900 (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4961972413.html)

My current car's twin, except for the transmission.

http://images.craigslist.org/01111_9fBiLgZ9uiU_600x450.jpg

[thesameguy]

Those Olds diesels were about the worst. GM had no idea how to make a diesel and man did it show. Quite possibly the worst engine GM ever made - and that's saying a LOT.

But, car design is so good these days that I don't think you really have to worry much about major systems failures in cars in a normal service lifetime. Things like engines, transmission, brakes, and HVAC are all very well sorted. I really can't think of anything made in the last ten years that has a major known defect like cars used to have... like early Northstars crapping out head gaskets or Ford's awful AXOD transmissions. I think to a large degree the Underdesign vs. Warranty Concern balance has been struck, and a lucrative CPO market helps ensure cars remain reliable much longer than they used to. IME, the things that tend to have problems are dumb things, and things that aren't really expensive to fix - the Suburban's transfer case output shaft bearing or Jag's ABS module come to mind. Annoying, but not cripplingly expensive. I mean, even the POS Hyundai with its POS Mitsubishi transmission is going great at 160k. Sure it's a death trap, but it's a reasonably reliable death trap! What has changed is the cost of repairs when those systems do fail - $1000 AC systems or $5000 transmissions. Those are things you do not want, things you should expect at around 200k (200k is the new 100k!), and things to avoid. I wouldn't worry one iota about driving pretty much any ten year old car, but I would not want that same car in another 10 years.

Crap, just thought of one. The electrical system in '06 PT Cruiser got cost cut and was horrible. Crap. Don't buy an '06+ PT Cruiser.

[George]

Honestly, the thought of buying a PT Cruiser never entered my mind. Now, a HHR panel-wagon is another story, just because they look so retro-cool, but I think my kids would insist on being able to see out from the back seat. :lol:

http://www.picsauto.com/images250_/chevrolet-hhr-panel-ls-06.jpg

If I were a single guy and/or didn't have kids, my choice of cars would be so much different, like this Camry, for example:

Classic-Collector Toyota/2.0-EFI-Rebuilt.Runs GR8.Senior Owned.5 spd. - $2500 (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4984790794.html)

That's got to be some hip senior to say it runs GR8!

http://images.craigslist.org/00j0j_7QFlpSgmT63_600x450.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/00u0u_iUvl4UazuAa_600x450.jpg

1991 Honda Accord Wagon Ex 5 speed Rare! - $2950 (http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/4952313998.html)

http://images.craigslist.org/00v0v_9fdeB5ODQy2_600x450.jpg

[George]

2007 Subaru Legacy Outback 5 speed Wagon - $6800 (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4977897071.html)

"Excellent condition, 5speed manual transmission. New headgaskets, timingbelt, waterpump, clutch, battery, windsheild, tires and brakes. Ready to go."

http://images.craigslist.org/00o0o_73LqSl4WhdT_600x450.jpg

I worry about older Subarus being fussy and expensive to maintain, however. Maybe I'm stuck in the '80s and early '90s when a close friend got two hand-me-down Subies from his mother that were kind of "iffy" as they aged. As long as we're telling road trip tales, he and I took turns driving his '81 GL two-door from Charlotte to Montreal and back one summer and (he, not me!) even managed to get a speeding ticket in it in New York state. :lol:

My next door neighbor has a WRX and when I hear that thing fire up and back out of the garage in some mornings, my first split-second thought is, "oh, no, it's trash/recycling day, I haven't wheeled out the containers to the sidewalk, and here comes the trash or recycling truck now." Really. Another guy down the street has a turbo Outback and I think the same thing, only it's not as loud due to being a few houses away. Why can't these guys drive something quieter, like a Harley-Davidson?

Random is right that you can't swing a dead cat in Colorado without hitting a Subaru wagon, though, so there must be something to them besides AWD.

[George]

That said, you already have a Pilot, so do you need to double up?

YOU'RE RIGHT!

Honey, kids, come out to the garage and dig my new ride. It's much less than I said I might spend! Which ONE of you wants to go for a ride? :lol:

2000 Mazda Miata Touring Edition - $4850 (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4971039588.html)

http://images.craigslist.org/00j0j_lMb6g5EQz3Z_600x450.jpg

Aww man, under $5K, and in my favorite color, too? Sheesh.

[Random]

The answer is always Miata. :D

[Random]

In all seriousness, though it is fun to browse craigslist with intent-to-buy, I think the "right" answer might just be to find the nicest mid-00s Accord sedan you can.

[George]

Yeah, I agree. Sorry if I've been blowing up the forum today, but I go a long time between car purchases, so I'm having fun looking around for what will be only my sixth car in 31 years of car ownership:

'74 VW SuperBeetle - 2 years
'71 VW SuperBeetle - 6 years
'91 Mitsubishi Mighty Max - 7 years
'94 Camry V6 - 9 years and hated to see it go
'99 Accord - 7 years and counting

I've known I should replace the Accord for a while now, and this weekend my wife said, "Just go do it. Get whatever makes you happy.", or words to that effect. Funny, it doesn't take much encouragement to get this "I'll just do without" penny-pincher fired up and ready to cough up thousands of dollars that should be going into my kids' college funds or my 401K or something like that.

Thanks for playing along, gents. Part of the reason I've posted all this is because I've learned many times over the years that there is SOLID advice dispensed here, and at affordable membership rates, too. :up:

I think all I ever did to help anyone here was identify the Optima typeface for someone once, in all of 3 seconds after glancing at it.

-- a former low-rent graphic designer/pre-press kind of guy back in the days of counting GM cars on the highway with broken AC systems.

[thesameguy]

... as long as it's not a V6 IIRC. I think the 7th gen V6 autos were about as bad as the 6th gen V6 autos. I don't think I would do that. May not be a concern, I don't think you can get a V6 Accord you'd actually want to own in that price range anyway on account of sheeple. :P

[Random]

VTEC I4 LYFE!

[George]

I4 + 5-speed = mo' bettah fun than I4 + auto...or at least so thinks the guy who hasn't pushed in a clutch in seventeen years.

Funny ad title, and from a dealer, no less:

DRIVERS ONLY PLEASE ALL ELSE WHO CANNOT DRIVE A 5 SPEED PLEASE GO AWAY - $4500 (http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/4978890785.html)

http://images.craigslist.org/00Z0Z_ibTO0Lv6Lvr_600x450.jpg

[Random]

:up:

[George]

Wait, these came with V8s? :eek:

I did not know that. Sure, I remember the huge '90s Impala SS, but I don't think I've ever noticed one of these. Chevies are invisible to me, except for old classics.

2008 impala ss - $6500 (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4967578468.html)

http://images.craigslist.org/00e0e_bMrSu4phvux_600x450.jpg

[thesameguy]

Hells yeah, one 300hp LS4. A cam and an intake and you'll make nearly 400hp. That car was actually "featured" in the movie Drive. I thought it was a nice touch.

You could do a lot worse for $6500 - the LS4 is a great motor and the 4T65E a stout transmission. No idea how it actually drives, though. :D

I think you should buy that car, enjoy it for a little while, then I will buy it from you and put the engine in the Fiero. :up:

[TheBenior]

I don't know about the 9th gen Impala SS models, by I can tell you that the V6 models were not adequate for urban police duty. It wasn't unusual to go through at least one transmission by 60k.

The only reasons any police departments bought them is because they were the cheapest vehicle available that had any durability upgrades for police duty.

[George]

This is how I feel right now. :(

https://i.imgflip.com/kfxci.jpg (https://imgflip.com/i/kfxci)via Imgflip Meme Maker (https://imgflip.com/memegenerator)

Yet I just fired up the lawnmower for the first time in 2015, since the snow finally melted away today, and I got some gasoline and Gumout carb cleaner on my hands, so I feel a little more manly than I might otherwise right now.

Yeah, that's right...I'm rockin' vintage 2014 gasoline in the Briggs & Stratton. :hard:

This is my garage thread, so I can talk about lawnmowers, right? :lol:

[neanderthal]

I'd be all over that Subaru if I were you.

Closely followed by the Accord; known quantity.

My E320 (1995, 198k miles) is still running as smooth as the day I bought it, with occasional hiccups. It's eating rear coils now (fires cyliners 1 and 6) every 5 months or so, but otherwise perfect.

No harm in buying anything Japanese from the nineties, or domestic from the mid noughties. Anything after than first gen Ford Fusion should be good. Prior tothat, I think they were still lazy and under developing their cars.

[George]

That Subaru does look good, but there are tons of those around here, so I can probably find one like that anytime.

This one's not for me with a salvage title, I guess, but I'm glad to see a Mazda6 wagon with a manual transmission. Bonus points for cloth seats instead of leather.

05 MAZDA6 wagon 50k original miles - $4300 (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4961238900.html)

http://images.craigslist.org/00101_8gdx4n9qKWr_600x450.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/00f0f_YvjLXgOVYy_600x450.jpg

These Mazda6 wagons look similar to a Suburu Legacy/Outback wagon, size-wize.

[Kchrpm]

Don't be this guy

http://static.someecards.com/someecards/usercards/1327369075476_936128.png

[KillerB]

I dunno, a V6 5-speed Mazda6 wagon is a pretty sweet haul.

Only issue is the short hearing on them - they pull close to 3,000 rpm at freeway speeds, which makes them very responsive but fuel guzzlers. My parents' 2013 T&C gets better mileage than their Mazda6 sedan did.

[George]

I bet the 50-series tires on Mazda6s are pricey.

You guys will think I've lost it, but at the moment I really like this van. It's so cheap that so I could happily pay to get the windows tinted and a set of wheels and snow tires and still have piles of money left over from what I thought I might spend...and get whatever maintenance this thing might need done too.

Talk me down from the ledge, fellas.

LOW MILE VAN **55K** 1994 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER, one owner - $2650 (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4984113697.html)

It doesn't look all that ugly. Those white scrape marks ont the bumper might "buff right out" as they say, or a touch-up pen from Pep Boys might do the trick otherwise, if those are still made these days.

http://images.craigslist.org/00F0F_1I0iUCKT9GH_600x450.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/00d0d_b7Pps555so0_600x450.jpg

Hey, there's an actual exterior lock on the rear! I bet there's one on the passenger side door(s), too. What a concept! :up:

I'd have that dealer sticker off, Goo-Gone'd, and waxed in a matter of seconds after getting this home.

http://images.craigslist.org/00707_76dMF4pquw8_600x450.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/00X0X_kDaQcKvaswj_600x450.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/00U0U_dGwPUW4bQ16_600x450.jpg

Simple instruments are good. I don't need a video game dashboard, and I especially don't need a tire pressure idiot light that's always on, regardless of how recently and perfectly I topped off the tire pressure at the local free-air car wash & gas station.

http://images.craigslist.org/00k0k_l5gTJtKdl1M_600x450.jpg

Automatic shifter is on the column, where it belongs. I bet if I pushed in that ashtray or whatever is sticking out from the lower part of the center of the dash, someone from the front seats could even move to the back of the van - that's not necessary but a noticeable change from our Pilot. Roominess > Claustrophibia. The cloth interior is preferable to leather or vinyl and can't be in terrible shape with only 55K miles...if that's accurate.

http://images.craigslist.org/00b0b_dmlI7v4EpEE_600x450.jpg

I could really use a van. I know the kids would enjoy it too. I'm not too sure what my wife would think, however.

http://images.craigslist.org/00i0i_2h0XffjpdVD_600x450.jpg

What's the story on these, besides having been popular? Are they decently reliable or would buying something like this be a money pit?

And would I really want to be seen parking this before a job interview? That's something I may be doing later in 2015. Would people who might report to me think I was loser if I drove a 20+ year old minivan to work every day? Aw hell, they probably would think that the first time I showed up on a bicycle! Should I strap some ladders to the top and become a house painter instead?

Like most of my cases of instant lust, this feeling will probably pass soon, but right now after just seeing this ad, I'm thinking that this would be a smart buy...if it runs like a Honda, which is probably doesn't in terms of maintenance and longevity.

[George]

Ha! I just got fooled. I was looking at this, wondering how in the hell anything from 2010 can be this cheap, until I saw the rear interior pic.

2010 Dodge Grand Caravan C / V 4dr Mini Van WE FINANCE EVERYONE - $6500 (http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/5000118838.html)

No, I wouldn't buy from a We Finance Everyone place, but this looks like a fine family truckster, right?

http://images.craigslist.org/00w0w_lXfWWwimi7G_600x450.jpg

Wrong. :lol:

http://images.craigslist.org/00u0u_32kWwyjiKuF_600x450.jpg

What's wrong with this for only $2K?

2001 Town and Country Van Chrysler $2000 OR BEST OFFER CALL NOW - $2000 (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4991191941.html)

http://images.craigslist.org/00o0o_5E89ku22mlU_600x450.jpg

Maybe it's cheap because it smells like old wet dog or worse inside. Note air freshener. I'm reminded of a Nissan Maxima I saw at CarMax back in '98 when I was shopping for a car just before buying my Camry. It was perfect - great color, beautiful interior, and priced right! But when the salesman unlocked the door, I knew they'd never sell that car. It was like the Seinfeld episode when someone with horrible body odor rode in Jerry's car and ruined it for him :p

http://images.craigslist.org/01616_4npdHU93YwQ_600x450.jpg

But seriously, part of me wants to ride my bike to the ATM and then to this guy's place after work, get a bill of sale and the title, toss my bike in, and drive it home. I could probably get a grand for my Accord on CL, which would make this van almost free, as far as cars go.

I gotta learn more about mini-vans. :up:

[thesameguy]

The '94 not be a smart buy. They're aren't especially reliable (certainly not Honda reliable), they get piss-poor gas mileage and most important for a family man they are death traps. Poor safety for front passengers and death sentences for rear passengers. In the '90s you had an excuse, but today I wouldn't put anyone I loved in something like that. And, no, you don't want to be seen in that. At best people will think you sold ambition on ebay, but more likely they'll think it's all your capable of. I don't think you wanna be that guy.

If you like the concept, look at a newer one. The 3rd gens had a lot of improvements including a second sliding door an AWD on some models - and they look reasonably modern instead of an '80s artifact. :)

WRT to the smell, try this stuff:

http://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-SPI10416-Freshener-Eliminator/dp/B001TJ3L2U/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1430335136&sr=8-3&keywords=chemical+guys+odor

It's amazing, no joke. Got what I think was cat pee smell out of the Santa Fe with ease, and subsequently mildew out of a coworker's Focus (she left the window down in the rain). Best stuff I have ever used.

[George]

...they'll think it's all your capable of.

I'd be lying if I said that didn't bother me, and it's a consideration for any vehicle. I love saving money, sure, but I don't want to look like a bum or the poorest Dad in the neighborhood. That's why quietly replacing the '99 Accord in our garage with something like an '05 model is a good option. Few are likely to notice, and if they do, they'll just think we're economy-minded Honda fans, which of course is true. It's sort of the opposite of a roommate I had it college. His father was a small town lawyer and state senator who apparently bought a new top-of-the-line Cadillac every year, but always in a light blue metallic color so his constituents wouldn't notice. That's how my roomate told the tale, anyway.

I don't obsess over what the neighbors/co-workers/future employers would think if I brought home a funky old Something Else, but I admit I consider it. It's one thing to OWN an old car, and have owned it for years, but it's another thing to BUY an old run-of-the-mill car that's not a classic or a special-purpose vehicle.

It's funny that I, a guy who consistently tell the year of VW Beetles within a year or two - which wasn't all that simple - can't tell what looks new or old these days. For example, this looks perfectly modern to me, despite being fourteen years old. I like it.

2001 Toyota Sienna, Super Clean, 3.0L V6, 2 Owner! - $4999 (http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/4980256110.html)

http://images.craigslist.org/01111_bcRHkTXW2NU_600x450.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/00c0c_j89vommuyv4_600x450.jpg

The interior looks great, too.

http://images.craigslist.org/00e0e_ffIbJCqZUqn_600x450.jpg

Frankly, I don't find mini-vans any less exciting than Accords. They're both boring as hell, just like me.

[thesameguy]

I don't mind minivans, either. I'd personally rather have a wagon of some type, but minivans certainly have value. I'm always irked when someone goes out and buys an SUV as their family hauler when a minivan would be more economical and probably safer to boot. If you live in a place where an SUV makes sense, or do things where an SUV makes sense, sure that's fine - but for every person I know who bought an SUV because they are routinely up in Tahoe are four people who bought an SUV because they simply refuse to buy a minivan. I don't really get it (says the guy who was admiring his XR4Ti, Fiero, and Saab just this very AM).

I don't know anything about Ford or Toyota minivans. I've always considered them second fiddle to Chrysler and Honda - with the sole exception of the Toyota Previa, which I adore. Could be because the Ford Aerostar and Toyota Spacevan were *so bad* they put me off for life, dunno. But the Sienna shares mechanicals with the Camry, and for that reason I'd be cautious - those 3.0 V6s were subject to the same sludge issues that plagued the Camry (and other brands). Chances are if it's made it this far it's fine, but be cautious. I have never even touched a Sienna, though, so I've got nothing other than Beware Sludge. :D

Not that you necessarily should, but have you considered a Mazda MPV or Mazda5? A friend had a c2003 MPV and I thought it was great.

eg: http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/5000599558.html

or http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4995945208.html (plus, it's a manual!)

Edit: Just saw the sliding door on that last one... ick. But that general idea. :)

[George]

Whoa...that Mazda MPV looks great, has relatively low mileage, the wheels aren't dinged up, the body looks fine, interior's great, and it looks as new as anything else (to me). Wow. A+. Will view ad again! I just emailed a link to my wife, too. I sent her the '94 Voyager earlier and she replied, "fine with me." Tee hee. :up:

I've seen a couple of those Mazda5 cars/vans on the road, but not many. They seem to be pretty rare around here. I like the concept, and the size, and the manual trans, but they just look strange to me, somehow. The rubber band tires are part of that, I think. They look like they'd tip over in a strong wind from a styling standpoint. However, I wouldn't rule them out, except maybe for this user agreement. I am not clicking on AGREE every time I want to start my car.

http://images.craigslist.org/00x0x_egMwAfuPu2f_600x450.jpg

I need to get ready to pounce on something like that MPV, instead of just talking about it, which probably starts with me cleaning up my Accord and getting ready to sell it instead of just sitting here and dreaming about my next vehicle.

TSG, if I'm not driving you and everyone else reading this insane with constant questions, am I correct in thinking replacing a cracked windshield for $200-ish and a $40 detail job won't give me a good ROI on a '99 vehicle with 215K miles? I'm thinking I shouldn't try to polish a turd here, but as you know I tend to let two presidential elections go by between vehicle replacement so I'm out of practice.

[George]

I'm surprised.

Book value on my car, self-rated as Fair conditon even though it probably qualifies for Good, is $1954! Rated as Good, www.kbb.com says $2198. I thought I had a $1000 car, at best.

Of course, I might, if some guy is standing in front of me peeling hundred dollar bills off his roll. Now I'm thinking I should get a windshield and break out the Shop-Vac and Armor-All this weekend like I used to do as a young punk with lots of free time and an enjoyment of detailing cars. Truly the car is a reliable vehicle and it would do fine for someone "as is" with just a new windshield and a cleaning. And it comes with all-season tires that are like new and snow tires that have only seen one season.

I'm officially smitten with that Mazda MPV. My wife likes it too, but then again she liked the V8 Impala as well. Her agreeability is probably payback from me saying Not One Word the last times she has bought cars. As she has driven Hondas exclusively since 1988, it's probably not surprising that she has replaced her car only twice in over seventeen years of marriage, and the second time was to get a larger vehicle after having kids, not because her Accord was worn out. I said nothing because I wanted the freedom to get something with a manual or a big engine or otherwise enjoyable to me without worry about whether or not she would approve (much).

The timing probably isn't right for me to grab that specific MPV, but I figure if you can go find one with that condition, mileage, and price on any random day on craigslist, there must be others out there that are similar.

[George]

2006 Mazda MPV LX-SV 4dr - $5995 with 99,000 miles (http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/4972978755.html)

2005 Mazda MPV Minivan - $8000 with 80,000 miles (http://rockies.craigslist.org/cto/4981765301.html)

I still like the one TSG posted with the Michelins the best. Dang. $4600?!!

[thesameguy]

I don't think I'd spent eight grand on an '05 MPV, but those are definitely in the right vein. I suspect that there are so few MPVs out there that people don't feel pressured to a certain pricepoint - with 1,000 Caravans for sale you know what your price has to look like, but with five MPVs for sale you can always justify your ridiculous high price with imaginary reasons. ;)

In any case, I'd definitely go test drive before getting too emotionally invested - in my limited experience there is wild variation on minivan tuning. The Mazda is probably the most way out there. It appeals to me, but it may not appeal to everyone. ;)

IME, cleaning up a car is absolutely worth the effect, but I'd think twice about replacing the windshield. If you can call up a glass shop and get it done for two bills, so can anyone. I think you're better off acknowledging the flaw and taking two hundred bucks off the price rather than fronting the money. Maybe have an estimate on hand to show a potential buyer. Some people would rather save the money - for some it could be the difference between being able to afford the car and not. I would get it as clean as possible. People like clean cars, people assume a clean car is owned by a responsible person. I'd round up the fams and make them help. I don't know CO, but I think your window is probably $1600 to $2500. $1600 you could sell it this afternoon, $2500 will take several months and require a lot of cleaning. :)

On the same note, unless you absolutely cannot financially swing it, I'd buy the new car with cash and plan on hanging onto the old one for a few weeks. You never fully know what needs a new used car will have and not putting yourself in a position where you might have to get a rental is a good idea. It also prevents new car buying pressure (I sold the old one, need a new one stat!) which can result in very bad decisions being made. :)

P.S. The Impala will probably get better gas mileage than an MPV. :P

[George]

Here's one at a Nissan dealer that I could easily visit after work on day when I drive my car to work instead of the bicycle.

2005 Mazda MPV - dealer asking $6990 with 125,000 miles (http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=80130&endYear=2016&modelCode1=MPV&showcaseOwnerId=65004999&startYear=1981&makeCode1=MAZDA&searchRadius=25&maxPrice=8000&mmt=%5BMAZDA%5BMPV%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&listingId=398907591&Log=0)

I drove a Toyota Sienna once a couple years back but can't say I remember it one way or another. I suppose my wife's Pilot is close enough to a minivan, too. I can't imagine what "way out there" means with regard to mini-van driving, but I look forward to finding out. Tire-boiling acceleration, maybe? Oh, wait, there I go again with the Impala SS.

Maybe I'll decide MPVs suck and move on. Maybe I'll wake up tomorrow morning and decide I want something else. Maybe the $4600 MPV won't sell for several days and he'll lower the price. :lol: Well, it could happen.

What's the deal with test-driving cars at car dealerships these days? Lemme guess...it's the same as ever:

1. Hand over drivers license and insurance card to be Xeroxed...or probably in this day, be scanned into Act! or similar sales prospect software

2. Go on test drive while salesman who smells of cigarettes runs his mouth the whole time to try to establish rapport prior to closing the deal

3. Return to dealership and re-enact Cornel Wilde's role in "The Naked Prey" movie to exit the property without buying anything

4. Walk back to car carefully parked off the lot to avoid having it blocked in place by other salesmen while we're driving, to give their buddy more time to close the deal while he "sends someone out to find the person with the keys to that unfortunately parked car"

5. Enjoy a lifetime of sales calls from dealership since they now have my contact information (we're in the phone book :()

Oh well, gotta play the game if I want the test drive, I guess.

For what it's worth, apparently CarMax has not one MPV at any of their locations.

And, yes, I'd take $1600 for my car this afternoon. Just don't tell the Denver craigslist that when I list it at $1995 after a quaility detail job of the kind seldom seen from me in recent decades this weekend :rawk:

[thesameguy]

IME, it really depends on the dealership. Pressure on sales people is so high these days it seems most don't want to waste their time with someone who isn't going to be a big sale. I'd expect to walk in, tell someone you want a minivan to drive into the ground - but you've got a killer deal on something else somewhere else and are just looking at the MPV because you like to be thorough. I'd expect a quick license photocopy (never had anyone ask for insurance!) and some keys. Regardless of what you think tell them you liked another car elsewhere better and thank them for their time. Easy peasy. ;)

[George]

Actual Mazda MPV sightings in the wild since last posting here - and I'm been on the lookout for 'em, too: zero.

Man, car shopping for real just plain sucks, especially in my price range. Was it Groucho Marx who said he wouldn't belong to any club that would have him as a member? Well, my version of that is I don't want anything I can afford. I guess I need to save up another couple grand before I get serious.

Or I could just buy an Impala SS and be done with it, like this one from (where else?) TSG Auto. :lol::up:

2006 Chevrolet Impala SS 5.3L V8 W/Leather SunRoof - $7499 (http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/4969105304.html)

A leather sunroof, eh? :erm:

http://images.craigslist.org/00H0H_7uVcOVhG8Fw_600x450.jpg

[George]

And every time I see something older, in great shape, and with low mileage, I think, "nah, I really shouldn't." Some of you may remember I tried to go down this road once before with another green Accord in stellar shape owned by my neighbors. If I bought this car, I could keep my snow tires since they're the same size. Heck, it's the same car except for color, one year newer, but with 130,000 fewer miles. :eek:

2000 Honda Accord in Great Condition (Only 85k miles!) - $4500 (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4997985604.html)

"Super low mileage Honda Accord EX (only 85k miles) in very good condition - regular maintenance, no accidents, new tires... Garage kept - used just for local trips to supermarket, etc. A wonderful car! Only parting with it due to upcoming overseas assignment."

http://images.craigslist.org/00H0H_8FOYwbWwdjq_600x450.jpg

[speedpimp]

That's a lot better of a deal than that Imp SS.

[George]

Something like this in this similar color to my current one would be a good stealth purchase.

Neighbor: "Hey, did you get a new car?"

"Who, me?"

2004 Honda Accord 110K miles - $5000 (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/5009186370.html)

http://images.craigslist.org/01313_UQ74ZOW52B_600x450.jpg

Let's see how I do in reading between the lines of the ad:

"I have a 2004 Honda Accord
Has 4 Cylinder engine
Has the K24
original engine
Original everything
passes emissions
Everything works perfect
Reason i'm selling is because I bought a new car."

Translation of text that I bolded: The timing belt has not been changed.

[thesameguy]

That's a lot better of a deal than that Imp SS.

Shut your mouth.

[George]

I saw not one but two of the elusive MPV vans in the wild in as many days. They don't appeal to me in person. The pics of that first one TSG posted looked pretty cool and even a bit sporty, but they're kind of bulbous in person and rather feminine looking, I think. And, after driving my wife's lumbering Pilot yesterday, I think vans are out, unless it's a short wheelbase full-size American van from the 1970s with plaid bench seats and skull bustin' plain chrome armrests and so forth. And a 3-on-the-tree, as long as I'm being choosy.

One thing about the Pilot, though - that thing GOES when you tromp on the gas pedal. I'd love that same V6 in a little bitty Accord.

Is this an amazing deal or con artist trying to unload a POS?

Nice Car ***sale*** - $2800 (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/5012401643.html)

http://images.craigslist.org/00R0R_IQe89Td52Z_600x450.jpg

"-I'm selling my car CHEAP due to check engine light is on, need new oxygen sensor and wiper is not working well since yesterday I don't know what happen, I'm not a mechanic and I got my new car just right now and ready to let go my favorite car since brand new :-( :-( :-( . If you know to fix car, this car is VERY GOOD for you for a very cheap price!!!!! Incase you don't know to fix car or you don't understand the oxygen sensor, this car is not for you.

Otherwise here's the GOOD side of my car:
***SALE***SALE***SALE***
-Just for today only!!! First $2800cash will get the car!!
-Runs very good. NO any mechanical problem. 2003 Honda Accord 4cyl LX AT. 128Kmiles
-Very SPECIAL engine i-VTEC TIMING CHAIN engine!!! All stock -All original car.
-Brand new tires!! AC/Heater work excellent. Original stock car stereo."

Seems to me a fellow with my budget could buy this for probably $2500 cash and pay his local independent shop to fix 'er up right and still come out way ahead, with lots of money left over for things like snow tires & wheels and maybe some sweet WeatherTech floormats and maybe an All-City Space Horse, too. Oh, wait, did I say that?

[thesameguy]

Gut tells me he knows something is up, but who knows? Take it your trustworthy mechanic for a prepurchase inspection if you're interested but hesitant.

It is none of my business, but I am a little hung up on the nature of trading one car for a very similar car, when the one you have you know and the other is a total mystery. If you are going to go through the pain of buying a used car, it seems you should win something in the process. Earning five years and 100k and losing ??? doesn't feel much like a net positive to me... But, admittedly, that's just me. More speed, more economy, more drive wheels, more features, more room, I can get that, but this particular deal I can't wrap my head around. :)

[George]

Don't mind me - I just have more time to web-surf than I should at work, and I'm looking at everything under $8000 on CL every day now.

I'll pay for a pre-purchase checkup, no matter what I buy. The last one saved me from a rotten Maxima that looked great on the dealer's lot before it went up on a lift in "my" shop.

Yes, I know the car I have now, and even if I paid to have a major service done and the timing belt changed, I'd be out probably $1500, and then I'd still have a car with a dented hood, one of the exterior mirrors held in place with a zip-tie, non-working dashboard lights at night (some, not all), the chintzy plastic fan knob broken and the temperature knob almost broken so it has to be turned s-l-o-w-l-y, and so forth. I've been here before with other cars with over 200K miles, and it's the sum of all the little things that makes me want something else. If my current car was in great shape and looked nice, I'd pay to keep it running well for a few more years. I have no desire for more features, but I want something I'm not embarassed to be seen in.

The only thing my current Accord has going for it is the paint still has a nice shine, so it looks okay at a glance, and it hasn't settled down low on its suspension like a lot of old Hondas seem to do as teenagers. Buying five years and 100K to get another car that's practically guaranteed to run as long as I care to drive it makes sense to me, if I can do it cheaply.

Apparently, my next-door neighbor has sold his Ford minivan. I haven't seen it in several days and I don't think it's in his garage. I didn't really want it, but I had hoped to ask him about it. I thought that might be an easy deal if he wanted to sell it for cheap with no strange buyer/seller games, and also a good excuse for me to try out minivan if the deal was too good to pass up.

My father says I should buy a Ford Focus. He had a 3-door version a few years back that he says was very fun to drive. I remember when he bought it - it was the UGLIEST yellow color ever, and he said it sat on a car lot forever and no one wanted it because of the color, so he got it cheap.

Like father, like son, I guess.

[thesameguy]

Buying five years and 100K to get another car that's practically guaranteed to run as long as I care to drive it makes sense to me, if I can do it cheaply.

This right here might be my hang up - while these things aren't impossible, they're hardly slam dunks either. There isn't a single car on the road that is practically guaranteed to do anything but need maintenance, and when you're talking 10 years and 100,000 miles, that's a lot of time for neglect or abuse to add up. Grabbing the reigns at that point means you're signing up for whatever the PO left behind. If it's a car you really want or a car you really need then fair enough, that's what you have to do. But volunteering to be in the hot seat just for a change of pace gives me heartburn. ;) I think you would be *far* better served to just stop maintaining your current car and drive it straight into the ground, save some cash while you do it, and be prepared to start in a better position when your Accord finally dies. I think shopping anything between, say, 6-7 years old and 25 years old puts in roughly the same financial position... on the hook for expensive repairs. I believe cars of the last ~20 years to be broadly reliable and generally quite good, but unless you're 100% DIY even stupid stuff can *kill* you when it comes to labor.


My father says I should buy a Ford Focus. He had a 3-door version a few years back that he says was very fun to drive. I remember when he bought it - it was the UGLIEST yellow color ever, and he said it sat on a car lot forever and no one wanted it because of the color, so he got it cheap.

I always liked that yellow color... My friend Janai had one. Can't hate on the Focus, and there is DEFINITELY something to be said for shopping econoboxes rather than mainstream sedans. Simpler cars with simpler needs and simpler costs is all win as far as I'm concerned.

But I'd seriously consider aiming at $8k-$10k and buying a 5-7 year old $25,000 car. I personally think you will be far better served.

[George]

****

I'm coming back much later to add this:

OH, NOW I GET IT! I thought you meant putting $10K down on a 5-7 year old car that is selling for $25,000 total as a used car. What you really meant was I should buy a 5-7 year old car that sold for $25K WHEN NEW. Yes, I think I get it now. That's doable if it comes to that.

Okay, now below is my original reply, thinking you were suggesting I come up from ~$7500 to $25,000 out of pocket.

****

Yeah, that would be great, but hard to do on my income alone with a family of four. I'm no doctor, lawyer, or robber-baron, and it's almost a done deal that my group at work is being outsourced to India in late 2015, so I really want to stay debt-free. I have no doubt that I can find another similar job right away, and hopefully one a step up the ladder at that, but it's a time of uncertainty nonetheless. Maybe I'll ride my bicycle to work as much as I can as summer approaches - which I plan to do anyway - and just sit tight and save. I excel at endless research but no buying decision, and every day I don't drive my car is one more day that I don't have to buy a replacement.

Lately my wife suggests the newest possible whatever I can afford and high mileage be damned if it's a Honda. I'm obviously more attracted to older cars with relatively low mileage, but I think she has a point if Hondas run as well at 300K as they do at 200K. It would be nice to have a car with all the interior stuff working as it should and without yellowed headlights and other signs of old age caused by sitting out in the elements, etc. Time-based wear vs. mileage-based wear, you might say.

She probably has the better idea to look like we're keeping up with the Joneses, too, although I know for a fact she's not like that. But she knows her friend across the street better than just about anyone else and I'm sure she notices what he can provide compared to me. They have a 1-year old Buick Hugemobile SUV/van contraption and they just replaced their crew cab 4x4 pickup with a brand new one because, after all, it was seven years old. :thppt:

But at least I got to say, "Yeah, but that's 'cause Dodges SUCK!"

They also keep an older (but newer than both our cars, I think) Chrysler to leave parked at the airport when they travel. It must be nice to have a whole Unified Fleet on hand.

Signed,

A poor, petty, bitter, broken man :D

P.S. He rides a department store bicycle. Tee hee hee.

[George]

This looks kinda cool...

2005 Toyota Matrix XRS 6 Speed Manual - $5999 (shady used car lot, mileage not listed or pictured) (http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/5006283191.html)

http://images.craigslist.org/00l0l_3MBg6EqhBk7_600x450.jpg

This has my attention. It looks fast and fun and wouldn't take up much room in the garage, I'll bet. This one also wins in the quirky/strange/semi-car-enthusiast category of "why did you buy such an old car?"

2003 FORD FOCUS SVT - LOW Miles....Great Commuter....6 Speed!!!! - $6900 (http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/4972568501.html)

http://images.craigslist.org/00j0j_d05TsK2juof_600x450.jpg

[George]

I know not a thing about Focus SVTs other than from these ads today, but they look pretty cool. Too bad this one doesn't have four doors or I'd have my panties in quite a twist about 44K miles!

2002 Ford Focus SVT 44k Actual Miles 1 Owner - $5500 (http://fortcollins.craigslist.org/ctd/5002008013.html)

Ahh! My eyes! Needs some quiet plaid seat covers, stat!

http://images.craigslist.org/00w0w_7ciHXwcY1qR_600x450.jpg

My kids can fit in the back seat until they graduate high school, right? :lol:

http://images.craigslist.org/00b0b_9nYTvgEkLi_600x450.jpg

Me: "But honey, it's an ECONOMY car!"

This one looks okay, but they're asking Honda money for a Ford. :p

2004 Ford Focus SVT European Package - $7200 (http://cosprings.craigslist.org/cto/4975532173.html)

Me, leaning back in heated "Ricaro" seat and explaining huge tire bill for 45-series tires: "But honey, it's an ECONOMY car!"

http://images.craigslist.org/00I0I_lwIUIrLAulK_600x450.jpg

Holy smokes - I may have found the Holy Grail of Luddite-Mobiles in the 21st Century!

2008 Ford Focus - $6000 (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/5011926794.html)

"This is the base model and has no power seats or power windows." :up:

http://images.craigslist.org/00R0R_djCkzQnbLIl_600x450.jpg

"Daddy, what are these things on the doors?"

No, no - look at the window crank in this pic, not the stain!

http://images.craigslist.org/00T0T_70WaaJuysri_600x450.jpg

If anyone was surprised by my unwillingness to increase my budget from $7500 to $10,000, please go back the previous page (Post #59) and read my update in red text. I was replying as if TSG was suggesting I spend $25,000 on a used car. I'm not very bright sometimes. :smh:

[thesameguy]

FSVTs are fanfuckingtastic, highly recommended. Fun engine, nice gearbox, superb suspension tuning, and comfy seats. If I can make the one hour journey to SF in the back of a Focus, any reasonably sized person can. That 44k one looks clean, but I have reservations about the breather on the PCV system. Maybe not a big deal, but I would fully require putting that back to stock ASAP. The second one also looks pretty darned nice and I like the 5-doors from a utility perspective but I'd recommend a long test drive - I found the b-pillar placement in the 5-doors to be unbearable.

I love these cars, but same cautions about buying a ten year old+ car. But, at least an FSVT is a super fun way to endure used car pain. :)

[George]

Wow, this looks like an old lady's car next to those SVTs, but doesn't any wagon with a manual transmission get the coveted GTXF Stamp Of Approval? Hmmm. I believe I'll start watching for Focuses (Foci?) on CL and on the road.

2007 Ford Focus 4dr Wgn SE with manual transmission but no interior pictures - 100K miles - $6740 (http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/4990966420.html)

http://images.craigslist.org/00I0I_f7XMbqL5VmO_600x450.jpg

[thesameguy]

An '07 will be the Duratec 2.0l, which is a totally decent motor. :up:

[KillerB]

I forget why I never owned an SVT Focus. Maybe because I got into VTEC Hondas right around the time I would have bought something like this.

If I still lived back east, I'd be flying out to CO to get that 44k mile one for a winter car. As it stands, while I technically have parking for one more car, I prefer to use it for guest parking than a toy, especially since it's not covered parking.

EDIT: I just remembered - when these were fairly new, insurance companies saw "SVT" and treated these things like the SVT Cobra Mustangs. The insurance rates were insane; higher than a WRX STI, RX-8, Honda S2000, Civic Si, or almost anything else I was interested in at the time. I'm sure they rectified that later, but by then I'd moved on to my RX-8.

[Random]

Data point: I shuttled our LeMons team to and from the track in my Focus, and everyone who sat in the backseat, including the guy that is a beefy 6'2" or so, commented on how much more space there was back there than they expected. If the kids are in booster seats and can do their own buckles, then even a 2-dr Focus HB will likely work for you.

[Godson]

I love the ZX3 focus. Great handling cars.

[neanderthal]

Baller.https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4970826916.html

[Random]

I love the ZX3 focus. Great handling cars.

...assuming the bushings are all in good shape. *ahem*

[Godson]

True. In my defense, I remember how they drove when they were all brand new....

[George]

I love the ZX3 focus. Great handling cars.

Is that true for ZX4 cars as well, or are those something else entirely? I'm not entirely sold on a Focus yet, but I want to give them fair consideration because they're cheap and you guys seem to take them somewhat seriously. And, my father is (or was) taller than me, and he says his Focus was plenty roomy and comfortable, which seems hard to believe given the tiny size of these things.

I could imagine myself enjoying one with a manual transmission and manual windows, seats, door locks, etc. and a sporty handling package (ZX3/ZX4?) but not necessarily the SVT option. And it would have to be a wagon or 5-door hatchback. Two-door cars aren't right for me with two kids, and the four-door sedan versions do not appeal to me, visually. They look too much like Ford Escorts from the '80s & '90s with four doors and a trunk. The body style of the bright blue SVT above looks good, though, and the wagon looks good too...well, for what it is.

It would be fun remove the Focus badge and put a Pinto badge on the tailgate of one of these. :D

neanderthal, that's a great-looking car, and it's nice to see someone like me who's not afraid of antiques. I've always heard Mercedes are very expensive to keep running, however, and if true, I don't think they're for me. Plus, I've been ranting for years about the utter stupidity of power seats with their extra weight, cost, and complexity, and how if a person can't reach down between their legs and ease the seat back with a simple spring-loaded lever, they probably shouldn't be operating a motor vehicle in the first place.

I would be the ultimate hypocrite with that Mercedes! Is that a power HEADREST button I see there? Groan...

http://images.craigslist.org/00W0W_9FPjkzlJggT_600x450.jpg

And what the heck are all these extra buttons for? Does one of them call the stewardess? :lol:

http://images.craigslist.org/01616_lES6mbBLXQA_600x450.jpg

And it definitely needs more buttons here, too.

http://images.craigslist.org/00d0d_3ceDOIvnx2T_600x450.jpg

But, aside from me poking fun at it, that's a gorgeous car. If it had a title, I might take it a bit more seriously. The mileage is great and I bet it has exterior locks on more than just the driver's door so one can actually enter the car if locked from another side! :angry:

[Random]

Nomenclature: the four-door door hatchback version of the Focus was the ZX5. I think the high-po (ish) sedan was the ZTS or something.

[George]

Thanks Random. Now that I consult CL again, I see the ZX5 are hatchbacks and the ZX4 are sedans. I'm starting to notice the pattern here. On a whim, I just typed ZXW into the search box, hoping to find the sporty(ish) version of the wagon, and guess what?!

Too bad it doesn't have a standard transmission. I'm thinking a car this small and with just a 2.0l engine would be a whole lot more fun with a manual trans.

2005 Ford Focus Wagon ZXW SES Automatic - $5995 (http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/4994379890.html)

http://images.craigslist.org/00u0u_iLsupXRUMXG_600x450.jpg

And, logic follows that a ZTS is a sedan, but how is that different from a ZT4? No, don't answer. I bet there's a website out there that lists all the various versions. I'll find it and edumacate myself.

2002 Ford Focus ZTS - $4999 (http://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/4995615021.html)

I don't get this one. Five grand for an '02 with 132K? It has a five speed, but still, that seems like big money for an '02. Is the rear spoiler worth that much? :p

http://images.craigslist.org/01616_bx9SGr7ReBD_600x450.jpg

2002 Ford Focus ZTS wth 5-speed, A/C, new tires & windshield - $1950 (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/5005162659.html)

Just nineteen-fiddy! :cool:

http://images.craigslist.org/00l0l_8k0s33EnSjl_600x450.jpg

[thesameguy]

The naming conventions on the Focus are screwy. Originally the "Z" meant the car had the DOHC Zetec motor, as opposed to the crappy SOHC SPI motor. The hatchbacks only came with Zetecs, so the hatches were ZX3 or ZX5, and sedans were ZTS or SE, and the wagons ZTW or SE. With the refresh in '05, the Zetec and SPI both went away and got replaced by the Duratec DOHC motor, and Ford decided to capitalize on the good names of the ZX3/ZX5 and replace the ZTS with the ZX4.

Things you don't want: A non-DOHC Focus, or a pre-2005 than isn't a hatchback. The early long wheelbase (sedan/wagon) cars had issues and some argue were designed to a lower standard since they were US-only designs. In 2005 they addressed most of those issues because Ford intended to drag the 1st gen Focus on for another seven years - Europe got a whole new Focus in '05 that we didn't. That said, the good ones are the hatchbacks. The long wheelbase cars just aren't as well engineered and they aren't as sharp. They're totally fine, but they aren't the wonderful Focus that people love so much as plenty good inexpensive cars.

There are lots of trim package special editions, like the Kona, Street, Sony, etc., but the only two of any consequence are the 1st gen SVTs (all hatches) and the 2nd gen STs (all sedans). Those are the tuned ones.

I don't think there were ever any DOHC Zetec cars with non-power accessories. I think only the crappy base model SPI cars got manual accessories. I think manual accessories were probably dropped with the '05 refresh, but I don't know for certain. I could see Ford still cranking out some really cheap ones, but it sort of seems at odds with the mission.

FWIW, the Zetec is a fine motor but a bit buzzy and has maybe disappointing power delivery. It does the job, but it never feels particularly refined. The Duratec powered cars are much uglier, but I think mechanically speaking the better option.

Don't be weirded out by prices. It's just that nobody knows how to price a good domestic compact. They can't decided if it should be Neon cheap or Honda expensive. :)

[speedpimp]

'04 SVT, rebuilt title, no mileage or price listed (http://southbend.craigslist.org/cto/4976717487.html)
http://images.craigslist.org/00x0x_luBiXdEiywB_600x450.jpg

[George]

Thanks. That's a ton of good info.

It occurs to me that if I'm going to look at cars even smaller than an Accord - which I'm surprised I'm considering, I should probably check out Mazda 3s as well. They seem to be pretty popular around here, and second only to Subaru wagons as cars most likely to be have ski & bike roof racks, so I guess they're popular with the younger, more active set than, say, Toyota Avalons.

RE: "no mileage or price listed" - I can understand why used car dealers play those games, but come on, Mr. Private Seller, give us the damn mileage and asking price in your ad! I'm seeing this far too frequently in By Owner ads.

[thesameguy]

The Mazda 3 and Volvo S4/V50 are the same car as the 2005+ Focus that we didn't get here. Basically. Same chassis, lots of the same parts. Being newer than the 1st gen Focus, they are also bigger. That may be a good thing for you. :) They're a good sized car, probably not all that far off from your current Accord.

[neanderthal]

While there are ton of electrical toys (and potential gremlins) in that Mercedes, you'll find that there is atreasure trove of information to be had about them and if you're willing to do the work, you can do most of the work yourself fairly inexpensively. TSG can attest.

I am on my 3rd W124 (the smaller E320 to that S320.) It is far simpler. Powertrain is the same. It's hardly ever the powertrain that goes out. It's all the gubbins that "make it a luxury car."

Since mine is driven primarily by me with only me in it, i don't futz with all the stuff. Sunroof stays closed. windows stay closed. The fan only ever on low or auto. It has 197k miles on it now, 60 put on by me, and it has cost me a radiator in repairs. Other stuff was normal wear and tear, normal maintenance stuff; plugs, coils, flex discs, brakes, etc. I regularly get mid 20s fuel economy. I intend to drive it into the ground.

There is nothing better to cover long distances in serene quiet and comfort. My brother and I are going to Indianapolis in July for a wedding. Nine days we're taking to visit my sister in Cincinatti. The combined air tickets and rental car for both of us might be $1000. Fuel there and back would probably be less than that. I am not averse to such a drive. Both he and I have done many a 20 hour drive and he used to be a long haul trucker.

A rudimentary calculation puts fuel cost at about $700. Distance divided by EPA highway efficiency multiplied by current fuel price. One could rent a car (I just paid ~$400 for a weeks rental of a Kia Optima. 31mpg over the entire week, but a marvelous 37mpg from New York to Port Hope Canada and back over two days.) Turns out it would be about the same cost if I got 34mpg.

[pl8ster]

I was going to say if you were considering another Accord, you could consider the European Accord that was sold here as the Acura TSX, but damn if I can't find a decent one for you. This one is the only one that wasn't super expensive that also looked decent, but it's a bit high and there is virtually no info on it except for the picture:

http://cosprings.craigslist.org/ctd/5009301670.html

This one comes with VT plates...but it's located in Burlington VT :lol: Still, prices seem to be cheaper in New England, which baffles me.

http://burlington.craigslist.org/cto/5005135411.html

[neanderthal]

The first gen Lexus LS400 is another over engineered car. Mat Farrah has one with nearly a million miles. http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4994968609.html

[KillerB]

Oh yes. I would like to own an LS400 at some point, though getting a more modern stereo is going to be a challenge. Maybe you can hijack the old CD changer interface to patch in an AUX input or something?

[neanderthal]

I think I might be looking at that for my next car instead of a W124 wagon. i love my W124s, don't get me wrong, but it's been 13 years driving the same car. Time for a change.


I only wish the quality of their leather/ stitching/ whatever, was as good as Mercedes. They get torn up real quick.

[Godson]

Aftermarket is your friend.

[thesameguy]

I had a '94 LS400 in 1994 for about three months. I never felt like it was anything more than a fancy Camry. Can't rightly say I'd ever want to actually own one.

[George]

I parked my car in the garage at work this morning and this caught my eye. Dang, the dash doesn't look this dirty with the naked eye. I did do a nice clean-up on it last weekend, but it's not detailed "to sell" just yet.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/DSC00178_zpsssxkshhs.jpg

[thesameguy]

Such a wee baby!

The Suburban just cracked 330k, the XR cracked 280k, and the Saab 250k. 216k is *so* 2002.

[George]

Yeah, but you're MacGyver. I just pump gas.

Dig this beaut for under two grand!

>> REDUCED << 2000 Lincoln Continental // Immaculate In & Out - $1950 (http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/5019693661.html)

"2000 Lincoln Continental
P0wer Everything, Leather.
Classy, Comfortable & Clean.
Drives Great, only 190k, FWD.
Clean Title & Emissions.

This is a pretty rare find considering the Condition Inside & Out.
This would be a perfect UBER car or an inexpensive step Up
for a young executive or Family."

Hey, I'm a young executive with a family! Uh, except for the part about being young and an executive...

But wait, did he say FWD?! :?

http://images.craigslist.org/00c0c_4wbOB7Z43zQ_600x450.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/00v0v_11iXweEfwtn_600x450.jpg

Needs more tiny buttons to press!

http://images.craigslist.org/00e0e_5EEscZVxgLa_600x450.jpg

[thesameguy]

Yep, the Continental went FWD in '88, when it switched to the Taurus platform. A friend's dad in high school had a '90 or so one in red. It wasn't all that exciting, but it was pretty comfy and would cruise along at 80 or 90 without complaint.

[George]

Really?

REALLY?

Wow. I had no idea. I would have sworn that was a RWD Crown Vic underneath the Lincoln styling, just like a Town Car. I tried to go back to the ad just now for engine pics or whatever but the ad is gone, which isn't surprising at that price if the car is as claimed.

Well, that just makes it better in the snow!

/learned something today

[thesameguy]

I think all the Continentals had the pushrod 3.8l, the biggest motor that was available in the Taurus body. It's really not a bad combo, and the later ones should not have the transmission problems the early cars had.

[George]

From the thread about the Chevy Sonic I recently had as a rental car:


I loved the brakes. The first time I hit them my wife slammed forward in her seatbelt, as I am apparently used to stomping on the brakes in my car to get them to do anything. I quickly got used to the stop-on-a-dime brakes in the Sonic, and when we all piled into my old Accord at the airport yesterday, I was actually scared driving home because my brakes are so weak by comparison. I’m going to take my Accord to the shop for some LONG-overdue service and to get the brakes checked. That will happen this week. My brakes don’t feel spongy or make noise or anything, but they do take a long time to stop the car, and I’ve been driving it for so long I guess I haven’t noticed they have gotten so bad.


WRT the Accord, just do the brakes yourself. It's incredibly easy, and the money you'll save on labor you can funnel right back into higher quality components. :up:

I know I should, but I'm just not ready to tackle a brake job at home, especially when the shop I've been using for years is a short walk from my office. It's a lack of free time more than anything else. I just called the shop to see if tomorrow's good for some maintenance I need done and will drop it off on the way in tomorrow.

This was unexpected, or maybe I just have a crappy memory: the lady who answered the phone pulled up my history to review notes for what they said would need doing next the last time I had the car in, and she told me this: "Okay, the last time your car was in, we flushed the brake lines and installed new brake pads..."

I had forgotten that, although to be fair, it was probably close to a year ago. Maybe the difference between the Sonic's brakes and my brakes is simply sixteen years of technology? Either way, I'll ask them to check the brakes tomorrow and I'll mention they feel a little weak to me. Maybe it's just a different feel in different cars. I haven't driven another car except my wife's in a long time.

Assuming the shop says I don't have lots of serious problems, I have decided to replace the very cracked windshield and drive this thing another year or two while I save up for whatever's next. The lady on the phone, while reviewing my file while I was on the phone, said, "it looks like the only problem we've identified with your car is an oil leak at the rear of the engine. It sounds like it's in pretty good shape." I'll keep feeding it its 5W-30 habit if it means I can $ave mo' money toward a car that doesn't need a piece of plywood underneath it on the garage floor.

If only my car looked a little nicer, I'd be a lot more excited about keeping it. Oh well, maybe I can make it into a rat rod someday, with dog-dish hubcaps and wide whitewalls. Either that, or just stick a ski/bike rack on the roof, which seems to make any old car look cooler.


What's funny about this to me is that you are my dad. :P

Now put away those tools, clean up that garage, and get busy with your homework! :lol:

[Godson]

Pad material is a huge factor in the feel and performance of the braking system

[thesameguy]

For realz, and typically "the shop down the street" doesn't use anything approaching high-end stuff. They mostly sell high markup stuff, low-end house-brand parts that leave big room for profit. Investing in some nice high-carbon rotors and reasonable Akebono et al (aka "good") ceramic pads would probably yield a very different daily driving experience. Brakes are a 30-minute per side engagement, something you can do instead of one TV show.

[George]

Anyone wanna play Guess That Problem?

1999 Honda Accord 4-cyl auto. 232,XXX miles. A couple months ago a ball joint broke and I had to have it towed to my regular shop, where they fixed that, the one on the other side, and both axles. There might have been some related items replaced also. I have all the paperwork, but I'm at work now and don't have it nor do I remember all the details right now.

A few days ago, once, when perhaps a mile from home, I hit the gas to pull out into traffic and the car hesitated. The engine revved as usual, but I almost felt a grinding noise in my foot on the gas pedal, if that makes sense.' For a split-second, I thought "flat tire!", but no, the tires are fine.

It happened again the next day, and the next, and I think every day since for perhaps a week now. It happens more often when cold than after the car has been running for a while. It's fine 95% of the time, but it is probably getting worse.

If this were an older car, I'd hope the answer was a carburetor rebuild, but I'm afraid what I'm feeling is the transmission slipping. I'm thinking this might be the old story of the two tired boxers who can keep fighting each other a long time, but as soon as a fresh fighter steps in the ring (new parts installed in old car), the one who's exhausted is going down, and fast.

I'll take it to the shop soon - hopefully under its own power - but just wondered if anyone had ideas, opinions, guesstimates, I-told-you-so's, etc. Could it be anything other than the trans? Can I just buy a $4.99 jug of Transmission Rebuild In A Can at Pep Boys or something like that? :lol:

Thanks as always.

[thesameguy]

Hmmm... hard to correlate your foot feeling to mechanical situation, but it's good information. Couple questions:

1. When you say "hesitated but revved as usual" do you mean your foot turned into engine speed but not road speed, or something else?
2. Does the behavior change depending on how quickly you move the pedal or the angle of the steering wheel?

FWIW, generally speaking, automatic transmission issues will present themselves more often when hot than cold so it doesn't immediately sound like a transmission problem. That said, if it feels like a transmission problem to you one possible explanation would be that when the shop changed the axles they lost fluid from the axle seals and did not fully replace the loss - the result would be low fluid and weird behavior when cold that is alleviated as the transmission warms up and the fluid expands. Could also be they damaged the seals (or did not replace them as they should) and you have lost a small amount of fluid. I think '99s would still have a dip stick - have you checked the fluid for color/smell/fill?

[George]

1. When you say "hesitated but revved as usual" do you mean your foot turned into engine speed but not road speed, or something else?

Yes. Car revved, but didn't move...or moved more slowly than expected for X amount of foot pressing down on pedal. It seems like there was some "roughness" in sound and feel each time, too. I can't tell if that's transmission or engine, however.


2. Does the behavior change depending on how quickly you move the pedal or the angle of the steering wheel?

Both are possible, but I haven't noticed this.


I think '99s would still have a dip stick - have you checked the fluid for color/smell/fill?

No, and shame on me. I kept meaning to this weekend but here I am back at work on Monday. I'll check it tonight.

[thesameguy]

Definitely check the fluid - a lot of what you describe sounds like fluid level. However, it could be something on the engine side - off idle hesitation or lack of power could be a engine issue - bad A:F or ignition. If you're feeling it through the pedal that suggests engine side (vs. transmission) but it's certainly not conclusive. Are there any other signs like poor idle quality or fuel economy? Do you have a maintenance history on plugs/wires/coil/cap/rotor? Maybe just a tank of bad gas?

Remember transmission fluid gets checked hot, with the engine running. If it's dark or smells burnt or is low or high you may have an explanation.

[George]

Thanks TSG. I don't think I've checked automatic transmission fluid since auto mechanics class in high school.

Edited to add this for my own future reference: https://www.carcarekiosk.com/video/2000_Honda_Accord_EX_2.3L_4_Cyl._Sedan_(4_Door)/transmission_fluid/check_fluid_level


If you are having problems with the transmission in your Accord, such as clunky shifting or hesitation, check the fluid level first - it is amazing how many drivers pay thousands of dollars for transmission work when a half quart of transmission fluid would have fixed the problem.

[George]

2. Does the behavior change depending on how quickly you move the pedal or the angle of the steering wheel?

No. It also happens in reverse, which I didn't know until recently.


Are there any other signs like poor idle quality or fuel economy?

No, it runs fine other than this. Well, except for something it has done since I've owned it, and my wife's two 4-cyl Accords have done also - sometimes at a red light while stopped in Drive with a foot on the brake, the car will hum and vibrate a bit more than seems normal. Shifting to Neutral or Park quiets things down, but this hasn't gotten any worse lately than it has ever been. I mention it only because it could be related, maybe?


Do you have a maintenance history on plugs/wires/coil/cap/rotor?

Nope. I don't think they've been changed since I've owned the car. Now that is work I know how to do without having to consult Chilton or YouTube.


Maybe just a tank of bad gas?

I finally ran out since my last post and filled up again. No change. I realize that doesn't entirely rule out bad gas, but it's at the bottom of my suspect list.


Remember transmission fluid gets checked hot, with the engine running. If it's dark or smells burnt or is low or high you may have an explanation.

It doesn't look or smell burned. It looks pinkish-clear (as it should, IIRC what Dexron II was like from high school days), and if anything there's too much rather than too little. I assume my shop keeps the fluids topped off when it's in a couple times a year for routine stuff.


Remember transmission fluid gets checked hot, with the engine running. If it's dark or smells burnt or is low or high you may have an explanation.

I also bought a small bottle of transmission fix-it fluid, which, among other things, claims to eliminate "torque converter shudder". However, the fluid level seems high enough that I don't think I want to pour more in when I don't know what I'm doing.

I'm tempted to change plugs, wires, etc., but I'm also thinking if it is the transmission and this is going to cost $$$$ to fix, this might be the time to move along to the next vehicle.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/IMG_0646_zpsx8advxrv.jpg

[thesameguy]

That fluid looks great. I really doubt you have a transmission problem - the core symptom would be a very unusual early sign of failure, and the fact the fluid looks good means it's more than likely a-ok.

I would definitely look at a general tuneup - plugs wires cap rotor and if you don't have a service history on the fuel filter, that too. It's probably $100 or less in parts, all doable from the comfort of a cold concrete slab under foot. :up:

[George]

Thanks, TSG, for about the eleventy-millionth time.

I'll post another update when I have more to report.

[George]

...plugs wires cap rotor and if you don't have a service history on the fuel filter, that too. It's probably $100 or less in parts...

About $80 in parts, except for a fuel filter, which my nearest auto parts store didn't have in stock when I was there, and I haven't been back or to another one yet.

I changed plugs and wires yesterday. I would have changed the distributor cap and rotor too, but unlike the ones I remember that had two pop-off metal tabs securing the cap that could be changed in about thirty seconds, this cap is bolted on and one of the bolts is sort of underneath and hard to see and reach. I'll swap it for sure, and maybe later today (it's early Sunday morning now), but I took it for a test drive after changing the plugs and wires and I'm going to go ahead and say this problem is solved!

Thank you, TSG.

Here are three old and one new for comparison:

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/craigslistuser/IMG_1081_zps9bbchsdj.jpg

[Godson]

Yeah, you needed them bad. You can see the electrode is almost even with the ceramic.

My 1995 BMW m3 likely had the original plugs, I had no electrode left on any of them. Swapping those out, along with a new tune, and rebuilding the vanos, I netted 5mpg

[thesameguy]

Wow, those plugs are used up. Nice that they are in good shape other than being worn. Suggests the engine is in good condition.

I don't remember on the Accord whether the bolts for the distributor cap are Philips head or hex head, but either way easy enough to change. You should be able to stick your hand under there and guide the tool home. Every man should be good at that.

[George]

I bought my '99 Accord with 139,xxx miles on December 31, 2007.

After ten years of ownership:

https://s19.postimg.org/z9rmsn8k1/IMG_3017.jpg

According to the internet, 239,425 miles = 385,317 kilometers. :cool:

[dodint]

425 on the odo, too. Nice!

[Cam]

:cool::up:

[George]

I bought my '99 Accord with 139,xxx miles on December 31, 2007.

After ten years of ownership:



According to the internet, 239,425 miles = 385,317 kilometers. :cool:

^^^ The original picture was lost in the shifting sands of the internet.

Here we are on another December 31. I bought this car eleven years ago today.

Current mileage is 251,542 miles or 404,818 kilometers.

Yes, I need to clean the "glass" in front of the gauges.

https://i.postimg.cc/RvKvJb5S/IMG-6495.jpg

[dodint]

:up:

[speedpimp]

Congrats George. The brand new work truck I got in July '15 now has 205k miles.

[CudaMan]

Quarter mil - not bad at all! Can't say I've had a car of my own with more than 200, although I'm sure I'll get there with the MR2 in 5 or 10 years.

[George]

speedpimp is the true Road Warrior. :rawk:

I never planned to keep this car more than a couple years before getting something larger, more comfortable, better for a growing family, etc., but it just won't die. It helps that we have kids and therefore little extra money to buy cars with. There's always something more important, and that's okay.

I actually went shopping for cars in the last couple weeks for the first time since 2007. Sure, I watch craigslist all the time, but that's more for fun when it's slow in the office and I look for classics and fun cars that I wouldn't actually buy in my current situation.

Had some weekdays off around Christmas and actually visited a few Honda and Toyota and larger used-car dealers (CarMax and a couple independents) to see what they had for used cars.

That wasn't any more fun than it ever is, except cars are now unbelievably expensive and full of standard features that I don't want (and don't want to pay extra for). I decided I don't like any car/truck/van enough to get excited about buying anything else at this time, except maybe a first-generation Honda Ridgeline or cars that aren't more practical family cars (old cars, mostly, or sedans similar to what I already have.)

I've never even sat in a Ridgeline, so I find them interesting based only on photos, specs, and Honda's reputation for building long-lasting vehicles. In all my driving around I only found two of them for sale, and they were at the same Honda dealership. They were way in the back and when an employee came by in a golf cart, he said those had just been taken in on trade and weren't ready to test drive yet. He wouldn't even let me sit in one of them to get an idea of the interior size, driving position, etc. in case I'd like to come back after they had been prepped for sale.

What I learned is that many dealers show a Ridgeline in stock on their website and/or the various site like autotrader, edmunds, cars dot com, craigslist, etc. but when you arrive and ask to see it, they claim to have "just sold it!" (or them, in the case of one place who claimed to have two of them for sale).

That's probably the oldest trick in the book, but I've just never been a victim of it before.

I also noticed autotrader magazines are no longer in the racks of free magazines you see near the doors in grocery and convenience stores. Makes sense, I suppose. I guess one still has to pound the pavement in person to find out what's really for sale and what is simply bait on a hook.

[dodint]

My Dad is on his second Ridgeline and he really likes it. Big enough cab to carry around four people and a carseat for the grandkid. But it's small enough to actually use in city traffic. We went to the salvage yard the other day and bought a motor for my brother's Jeep, was super easy to just drop it in the bed and drive home. I've moved some reasonable sized of furniture in it as well.
The under the bed locking storage is neat, too.

[Godson]

Having worked at a dealership in the get ready area, you didn't want to look at the vehicles in question until they had been gone through. Trust me.

People are fucking gross.

[George]

Yeah, I get it. I didn't argue with the guy or anything, just asked, "Any chance I could just sit in one of these? I've never been inside one" or something like that.

I worked a pretty big Oldsmobile/AMC/Jeep/Renault dealership one summer in high school moving customer cars from the service entrance around back to where they waited to be worked on and then ran to get them when customers came to pick them up. You're right - people are gross.

It was summer in the North Carolina, a major tobacco-growing state where smoking was so common and accepted that even students were allowed to use tobacco on campus in high school.

I remember customers' Oldsmobiles, especially, with their overstuffed cloth seats, velour headliners, and thick carpet that absorbed all that smoke. Smoke-saturated cars that had been sitting in the sun in July with the windows up smelled horrible inside. Sometimes ashtrays would be overflowing. But then I'd switch the glorious air conditioning to high and forget my troubles for the time it took me to move the car.

I also washed the new and used cars for sale and moved them around as necessary. Every car for sale had the keys in a lockbox on the driver's window and I had a key that opened them all.

The worst part about this job was emptying the trash in the service departments. There were two - one for Oldsmobile and a newer building on the AMC/Jeep/Renault side of the property. Every mechanic had a steel 55-gallon drum, into which they threw all their trash, discarded auto parts oozing oil and goo, and dumped the cat litter-type stuff we'd spread over spills and then sweep up.

The "trash truck" was a decrepit blue 1973 Chevy C-10 with a straight six and a missing rear window. It had a three-on-the-tree in better days but had been converted to forward (one gear only) and reverse with a hole cut in the floor of the cab and a lever bolted or welded into place below. Shifting was done by pushing or kicking the lever forward or back when the truck was stopped.

I'd drive the beast into the service bay and go down the line, hoisting the filthy, heavy barrels into the bed of the truck. Then I'd rattle around to a big dumpster in the back of the lot that had a raised platform to stand on that was about the same height as the top of the bed. I'd lift the barrels to the platform and tip the contents of each over the side into the dumpster, before making the return trip with the empties.

That was a pretty cool job to have at 17 years old. I got to drive all kinds of cars and for the most part got to work by myself without being micro-managed. And, the guys who weren't much older than me who worked in the detail shop prepping cars for sale would buy me beer. :cool: :toast:

[George]

But it's small enough to actually use in city traffic.

And fit in my garage.


The under the bed locking storage is neat, too.

Yeah. That is very cool, from the pictures I've seen. I read that they come with a mini-spare but a full-size spare will fit in there. The wikipedia page for Ridgelines is incredibly detailed and even has animated gifs!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4b/2012-2014_Honda_Ridgeline_Sport-Dual-Action_Tailgate_and_In-Bed_Trunk.gif/241px-2012-2014_Honda_Ridgeline_Sport-Dual-Action_Tailgate_and_In-Bed_Trunk.gif

[George]

I'm over 255K miles (410K kilometres) on the Accord now but starting to look around again. I'd still like a first-generation Honda Ridgeline but they're so rare and relatively expensive that I'm weary of waiting and watching.

I just stumbled upon a local place called Japanese Car Connection (https://www.japanesecarconnection.com/) from a craigslist ad and, for once, I'm actually impressed with what I see at their site - sensible cars for sensible prices and 3-month/3000-mile warranties. A short warranty isn't that important to me, but the fact that they offer them on all cars says something...or am I being naive?

Scrolling through their inventory (https://www.japanesecarconnection.com/cars-for-sale?PageNumber=1&BodyStyle=&Make=&MaxPrice=&Condition=&SoldStatus=AllVehicles&Mileage=&Sort=MakeAsc&StockNumber=&PageSize=25) makes me think I could do okay for $10K or less, which would make me happy.

I might go over there on Saturday. It could be fun to check out several cars I'd consider and could afford all in one place instead of one here and one way across town...and who knows if those cars are actually for sale anyway, or just online sucker bait?

[Godson]

Ummm, if they don't offer a basic warranty, they don't have even basically decent cars.

[George]

Posted this earlier, asking if anyone had personal experience with Elements, and then deleted it because I figured my wife would hate it, so why bother. I sent her a link and she says she kind of likes it.

Any experience with these, anyone? I can read reviews all day but it's always nice to hear from people I sort of know...

This one looks about as nice as any I've seen, but I'm thinking it might be too wimpy to drive in the mountains, from what I've read.

https://www.japanesecarconnection.com/details/used-2004-honda-element/55176742

Only 126K miles, which to me is practically new.

https://cdn04.carsforsale.com/3/1010273/30640543/1399182092.jpg

It's surely not my dream car, nor do I need her permission for everything I do, but it's nice to have a consensus for big purchases. You guys who've stayed married a while know what I mean.

[TheBenior]

AFAIK, it's basically a heavier, boxier CR-V. The KA24 that made a manual Civic Si hatch or a base model RSX sort of quick for that era (0-60 in mid to high 7s) doesn't let an AWD automatic, 800-1000 lb heavier Element be anything close to quick (0-60 in high 9s). Boxiness also makes it more susceptible to strong cross breezes. Those two things may make it less than ideal for Colorado.

The suicide doors have an inherent issue that suicide doors have in general: they're a pain in parking lots if you use the back seats regularly.

[George]

Thanks, TB. Interesting about the suicide doors. They look like they wouldn't swing open as far as regular doors and therefore be easier to use in tight spots, but I don't have any experience with them.

I've read a bunch of Element reviews since yesterday. People seem to either love them or hate 'em, like anything else on the internet, I guess. Reviews are either "This is the greatest vehicle ever made" or "I'll never buy a Honda again!" I might go test drive one, just to satisfy my curiosity. I'd also like to check out the Toyota Venza and Honda Accord Crosstour.

I've just about eliminated a Ridgeline from consideration due to initial cost, poor gas mileage, and the size of the beasts. They are bigger than I thought. I measured in the garage last night and marked it with painter's tape to see how much room one would require. A Ridgeline will fit, but would take up floor space that we're currently using for other things (trash & recycling bins, bicycles, lawnmower, etc.). That's too bad, as they're one of only a few modern cars that really appeal to me, rather than just being some bland appliance I should settle for as sensible transportation and nothing more.

[George]

Anyone knowledgeable in modern automotive bodywork?

If so, I'm curious how difficult and expensive is it to re-align modern plastic bumpers that have been bumped out of place. I'm imagining there are plastic spacers in between the bumpers and the frame that I could order from RockAuto and replace myself from underneath the car. Or is there a lot more to it than that?

Here's a slightly blurry example on my current car.

https://i.postimg.cc/63Nm3H6j/IMG-7810.jpg

And here's what makes me ask this question. This is on a Honda Ridgeline I looked at yesterday (yeah, I know I said I woudn't, but I still might). I'm not as concerned about the paint scratch as I am the alignment of the body panels. Is something like this cheap and/or easy to fix, or is this an expensive repair best done by a professional body repair shop?

https://i.postimg.cc/k5SH7rCR/IMG-7805.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/g2Q59zCP/IMG-7809.jpg

[TheBenior]

Provided whatever the fasteners/clips are attached to aren't broken and you don't have seized metal screws (both are big ifs in older cars), it's generally not that difficult to remove and reattach a bumper. It definitely helps to have a second set of hands, however.

[George]

Thanks. Good to know. I'm tempted, but will probably pass on that one, despite how few of them there are for sale around here.

[George]

Today's first world problem: car shopping sucks! No wonder I do it so seldom. I am staggered by sticker shock and disappointed that all the cars that appeal to me were seemingly the manufacturer's weirdo models that they only made in small numbers, and/or are being hoarded because people like them (I hope that's why). And some cars that I used to think I might want to own someday have "gone by" - the Honda Element is one of those. They seemed so cool when they came out, and now they just don't for some reason.

There seems to be a ledge from which to fall in terms of price and mileage where you go from too new and nice to too old and too many miles to bother "starting over" with. There are a lot of three and four year old vehicles with well under 100K miles for YUGE money and then very little in between those and the 10-12 year old ones with 150K - 200K miles. I must like older ones better, as I keep finding myself reading ads on craigslist where sellers say it would be a good first car for teenagers, or worse - that it was their teen's (or teens' car :eek:) before they left for college or the Navy or whatever. Is this as far as I've gotten in life so far? I guess so.

And screw all car dealers who put "call for price" in your ads. Really. They NEVER can give me a price without wanting my name and phone number first.

"No thanks, I'll hold while you look up your asking price."

"I'll have to call you back. I'm with a customer now."

Bullshit. And they know it. And same with the "click here to chat" feature on their websites. All they want to do is harvest names, phone numbers, and anything else they can get out of me. They give NO information and only ask for mine.

And what sorcery (or software) is this? I turned off my caller ID and called the local Honda dealer a while back to ask about a vehicle on their website. I got three calls back in the next couple of days, all from different people at that dealership. How did they get my number if I turned it off in the iPhone settings?

Oh well, none of this is all that important, but it's more fun than the data entry I'm supposed to be doing now.

Here's my latest interest - not this specific car, but the Ford Flex in general. Love the white roof and dual exhaust on these...sort of like when Dodge offered a "Sport" minivan with stripes and sporty wheels. They're not fooling anyone except us Clark Griswolds who just want to retain just a tiny part of our joie de vivre.

2010 Ford Flex Limited w/Ecoboost AWD All Wheel Drive SKU:ABA70618 - $9187 (https://denver.craigslist.org/ctd/d/littleton-2010-ford-flex-limited/6927829495.html)

https://images.craigslist.org/00S0S_fd3Wc1BL4O6_600x450.jpg

What I ought to buy if I had any sense:

Spotless 2005 Honda Accord - 52,000 original miles! Just serviced - $6950 (https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/spotless-2005-honda-accord-original/6929616577.html)

https://images.craigslist.org/00Y0Y_eXYBESCRS1C_600x450.jpg

[dodint]

I have a similar issue with my credit union car buying service. You get a discount and get to see exactly what the document fees are, but to get that far the CU gives the dealer your name, number, and e-mail. So I have been deflecting calls from various dealers in the southeast because I was trying to get a feel for the market down there. Oh well.

[George]

At least you know how they got your number. I'm still perplexed about them still getting my number even with caller ID off on my phone. I was in sales (not cars or anything direct to consumers, business-to-business only) for several years so I understand why they want to fill the prospect sheets and look like they're busy, even if they're not selling anything that day, but I don't want to play that game. Fortunately, all the constant spam calls we get these days makes it easy to ignore the car salesmen along with everyone else.

Earlier today I spotted a vehicle I like on a dealer's site that's probably too old and has too many miles, but it's a hard-to-find vehicle. The last time I saw one of similar age and mileage, it was a Saturday morning and I drove right there (it's not far away) as soon as I saw the ad. They said there was already a deposit on it by the time I got there, and I believed them because they didn't even ask my name or anything and just watched me walk away without trying to stop me. So I clicked on their Chat feature this morning. Then, three choices - Parts, Service, or Sales. Of course I clicked Sales. I got a person who said they couldn't discuss the vehicle over chat and would need to get my information to have someone in SALES contact me!

Of course I can call or visit in person, but it just pisses me off that they have to play all those games, and this at a dealership who claims to be above all that. I can only imagine how they do things at some of the more obviously sleazy new car dealers. There's one near me that only puts TRUSTED VALUE PRICING! in every single ad title and Call For Price inside the ad. Yeah, right.

And I say all this quite humbly and in good humor. I'm damn lucky to even be in a position to think about getting something else to drive, but it sure is a chore.

[dodint]

My guess on the iPhone deal is that the Caller ID masking done by your phone did not make it through the jump from wireless carrier to the landline trunking system. My presumption is *67 would be a more surefire way of doing that because it is 'universally' recognized by the landline system as the way to mask a call. Just a wild ass guess, though.

[George]

I remember *67! I figured it wouldn't work these days. Might have to try it and see...

[speedpimp]

The Flex with a black roof and maroon everywhere else is a stunning looking vehicle.

[George]

Well, it only took me more than four years since I started this thread about buying a newer car to actually get the job done.

My Accord now has 256,869 miles, and it won't be mine much longer.

My Ridgeline has 83,051. :D

https://i.postimg.cc/zBb47ZLT/IMG-8009.jpg

[dodint]

Wow, awesome. I thought you had sworn off hunting for those because of the high market. Very nice. Hope you like yours as much as my Dad likes his.

[George]

Thank you. Yeah, I bitched and moaned forever about the cost of these things, but I finally realized I didn't want anything else, and I'm getting to the age where I probably shouldn't wait for years to pass before making decisions. I hope it lives up to the hype (and I think it will).

Next: Weathertech floor mats (very soon) and a second set of wheels with snow tires (later in the year).

[TheBenior]

Nice!

[speedpimp]

Very nice. Congrats.

[CudaMan]

Good stuff George! Congrats! What kind of newfangled unneccessary tech/features does this car have? :D [You would loathe the complexity of my BMW :lol:]

[George]

Thanks for the kind words, gents. My wife likes it and our kids are absolutely nuts about it. And it fits in the garage better than I thought it would - it didn't take every last inch of space in there as I thought it might when I first measured. I confess that I have hit a couple curbs with the rear tires at low speed in parking lots due to the longer wheelbase, but I'll get used to it.

The kids have enjoyed rummaging through the interior and checking out all the "secret compartments" and the fold-up seats in the back. They were also surprised by the sliding rear window. Last night my son actually volunteered to go to his sister's softball game, to which we usually have to drag him kicking and screaming, just so he could ride home with me (I came directly from work and met them there). She did too, and Mom drove home all alone. The kids also tried to squeeze themselves - both at the same time - into the trunk under the bed. They both fit, but they couldn't quite get the lid closed on themselves. :lol:

This is what I'm talking about. Just today I noticed there are vertical slots in the trunk that would allow me to install partitions cut from perhaps 1/4" plywood or similar to separate things or keep stuff from rolling around too much. There's also a drain plug at the bottom for washing out the trunk or using it as a cooler filled with ice. :D :toast:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/2006-2014_Honda_Ridgeline_In-Bed_Trunk.jpg/385px-2006-2014_Honda_Ridgeline_In-Bed_Trunk.jpg

The whole package just seems so clever. It's full of interesting things that I'm still discovering that I haven't seen before, such as not one but FOUR cargo lights in the bed, and two are located so they shine down into the trunk when it's open. Rear seats fold up in a 60/40 pattern and the back seat area is huge with both sides folded up.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Honda_Ridgeline_Rear_Seat.jpg/230px-Honda_Ridgeline_Rear_Seat.jpg

There are a bunch of compartments up front and the center console is large and yet it doesn't go all the way to the dashboard, so it avoids that "cramped cockpit" feeling I get in cars with a huge center console completely separating the driver and passenger sides. I stole all these picture from wikipedia, by the way.

Animated .gif of the center console:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/2006-2014_Honda_Ridgeline_multi-function_center_console-animation.gif/280px-2006-2014_Honda_Ridgeline_multi-function_center_console-animation.gif


What kind of newfangled unnecessary tech/features does this car have?

I guess I've been a luddite since I bought my first VW Beetle in the '80s, when everyone else had air conditioning, digital dashboards, unleaded gas, and disc brakes - with anti-lock brakes and airbags soon to follow. Later I bought a brand new Mitsubishi pickup that was the ultimate "stripper" - vinyl bench seat, manual windows, manual transmission, no rear bumper, and no radio! After scoffing about such luxuries on cars I couldn't afford for so long now, I guess it has become a habit and a persona.

This particular Ridgeline has surprisingly few things that make me want to get on my soapbox and preach a sermon on austerity, other than the advances in technology that are unavoidable when buying a car this new, such as tire pressure monitors, daytime running lights, and no exterior lock on the passenger side door (which isn't a technological advance but just an annoying cost-cutting measure, or so it seems to me). There are several airbags inside as well, similar to my wife's Pilot. I suppose I shouldn't complain about those.

The only thing that strikes me as being completely unnecessary is the power driver's seat. I've long been opposed to power seats in cars. If you can't reach down between your legs and ease the seat back with a simple spring-loaded lever, I question your ability to operate a motor vehicle in the first place. Seems to me it's just extra cost and extra weight and something else to break down later on. The passenger seat and rear seats are manually adjustable.

It doesn't have some things modern cars have. There's no bluetooth, satellite radio, backup camera, no compass built into the rearview mirror as there is on my wife's Pilot, and no indicators on the side mirrors that there's a car in the blind spot (and the mirrors on this thing are yuge, like they should be).

The headlight switch (a rotating knob) is down on the dashboard on the left side of the steering column instead of on a stalk, which I assume is to make those used to American pickups feel right at home. I assume Detroit still puts them there like they used to. I really like the automatic shifter on the column instead of on the console. That's another retro-Americana thing, or so it seems to me. The column tilts with a manual lever, and the glove compartment door just falls down when opened, rather than being "damped", as one online reviewer had the audacity to gripe about. Jeez, does he have a crew of white-gloved servants to feed him grapes and wipe his backside, too? I never knew there was any other kind of glovebox door.

The stereo kicks major ass compared to anything I've ever had before, when the air conditioner fan isn't blowing too hard (it's 100 degrees F here today). 160 watts, six speakers, a subwoofer behind the rear seat, and The Best Feature Ever - an auxiliary input! That's probably considered old technology today, but I use an mp3 player almost every day for music, podcasts, audiobooks, and old time radio. It's a real treat to be able to hear anything I want to through the car stereo, and the aux in sounds good, too - much better than a mp3 player I once had that plugged into the lighter and broadcast a signal to whatever unused FM station I chose.

So far, so good. No buyer's remorse yet, but that may change as I have to keep filling the fuel tank. I don't yet know what a full tank will cost, or more importantly, how often I'll have to fill it. And I've slowly been "un-detailing" it with a couple of old towels. Seems the car dealership detail boys must get paid by the gallon of how much Armor-All and New Car Smell they spray into these things. It was everywhere - even in puddles in some places, and they even put inside grab handles and underneath seat adjustment levers. I've opened all the windows the last two nights at home in the hopes that it will dry out, but now my garage smells like new tires and perfume.

Life is good. :cool:

[CudaMan]

Nice. :lol: That's old school "detailing" right there. The new stuff gives a matte (or slightly satin if you prefer) finish that isn't at all greasy or slick. But of course, that depends on it not being pooled up...

Ze Germans, too, have been putting the headlight switch on the dash to the left of the wheel for a long time. I always thought some American/Japanese car manufacturers started doing this to make their cars more appealing to those coming from European vehicles. :shrug:

I have to laugh at the glovebox damping thing. My new (to me) BMW has a damped glovebox door and I hate it. :lol: I pull the lever and it feels like I have to wait 20 seconds for it to open wide enough for me to get my hand in there.

Some of the little thoughtful features you describe in the Ridgy seem like those things that should be in more cars. It seems extremely practical. Glad you and the family like it!

[dodint]

Huh. The headlight switch has always been, to me, normal on the dash to the left. The BMWs have all had it there, the MINI does, our Dodges have, and the van does. The only car I've had that I can readily think of that doesn't is the DMC, which is a bizarro push-button under the radio in the center of the car.

[George]

Oh well, I guess I'm out of the loop with where things are in cars these days. I've had headlight switches on stalks since 1992. They were all Japanese vehicles - a Mitsubushi, a Toyota, and four Hondas (including my wife's three Hondas), before this one.

[dodint]

At least the high beams are not on the floor. ;)

[George]

Well, not yet. I just ordered the Floor Mount Dimmer Switch, Honda part number RTS593-3...

Nah, just kidding. :lol:

Was cleaning out my phone earlier and found more foolishness that you guys might like. Now, I had that Accord for eleven and a half years. Every year I get a sticker for the next year to put on the license plate when I renew the registration. Weirdo that I am, I like to remove the license plate to clean it, front and back, and clean the area behind the plate that seldom sees the light of day. Then I carefully remove the old sticker and apply the new one. When I was younger and had more free time, I even waxed all the surfaces involved.

Well, a few years ago, it became apparent that the screws were seized in place. I gave up on removing the plate and just removed and applied stickers each year without removing the plate. That worked fine until it was time to take my plates off the Accord.

https://i.postimg.cc/J7ffqvfJ/IMG-8116.jpg

The screw on the right snapped in half. Sorry, future owner! And I never did get the left one off. I ended up twisting the plate around enough to enlarge the hole in the plate by bending the metal a little bit. I think I can flatten it back out when it's time to install these on the Ridgeline. If not, I'll get new plates, I suppose.

https://i.postimg.cc/3J2Pb9hq/IMG-8017.jpg

Do people grease the screws to prevent this? That's standard in bicycle repair but it never occurred to me to grease license plate screws/bolts.

[George]

This Saturday will mark four months of Ridgeline ownership. I've put around 3000 miles on it, installed fresh wiper blades, wiper fluid, and Weathertech floor mats (front mats are great but the rear ones are just okay). Also bought what I think is a better tire gauge than the old "stick in a tube" I've probably had since the eighties.

I haven't washed it yet. :eek: Hoping CudaMan might drop by and give it some elbow grease. :lol:

But, it lives in a garage at home and in a parking garage when I'm at work and it rains so seldom here that it looked clean for months, except for brake dust on the front wheels. Then I drove it to the airport in a snowstorm a couple weeks ago. That plus more snow since then has it looking pretty filthy now. You know when you open the door to get in and then need to wash your hands that it's time to wash the car. :lol:

Have a road trip coming up in about ten days, but not in the Ridgeline. Will be driving from South Carolina to Colorado. Maybe will have some items of interest to share afterwards. Haven't decided on a route yet and am hoping to just drive until I'm tired and then find a room each night - maybe two nights? We'll see. I could eat one of those free 72-ounce steaks at The Big Texan (https://www.bigtexan.com/) restaurant in Amarillo, or perhaps I'll go the northern route and see things I haven't seen before, such as the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and scenic Kansas. Wish I had more time so I could maybe see some live music in Nashville or whatever else I might stumble upon in this huge land. But that's life, right? If only I had more time...

Oh yeah, Ridgeline stuff...

Old license plates pictured above worked just fine. The rear one straightened out very well after I "stretched" one of the holes a bit getting it off the Accord.

Damn seatbelt alarm drives me nuts, and I'm not smart enough to have changed my habits yet. I never noticed it in decades of driving, but apparently I do not reach for the seatbelt until after I start rolling forward. At home, I back out of the garage into the street, and that alarm goes off the second I put it in Drive and touch the gas. I also dislike the automatic door locks. All four doors lock automatically about the same time the seatbelt alarm starts blaring and then I find myself locked in later on when I want to get out. Pulling the interior door handle doesn't unlock the door. And, the Unlock button only unlocks the driver's door unless you press it twice. I now park with the driver's side nearest the garage wall, so I'm often trying to get in from the passenger side to load or unload things and the passenger side doors are always locked. Naturally, at these times, the key is always upstairs in my bedroom. :smh: :lol:

Other than these very minor gripes, I'm quite happy with it. Our old washing machine died the first weekend I had it. The appliance salesman at Home Depot couldn't seem to understand why I didn't want their FREE home delivery in only FIVE DAYS. I brought the new one home that day, installed it, and then drove the old one down to a used appliance store that took it off my hands. I found a nice hitch-mounted 4-bicycle rack from craigslist and a free - yes FREE - Honda bed extender that I haven't installed yet. Not sure I will unless there's a need for it, but I bought the inexpensive installation kit from Honda so I can if I want to.

Now that it's dark here by 5:00 PM, I love being up above the death-ray of modern headlights that used to blind me from behind at stop lights in the Accord. I can't decide if I like the daytime running lights or not. I prefer to be in control of such things, but I guess they might help people see me and therefore not crash into me. I also think it's fun to get in or out through the passenger door sometimes in the garage. Couldn't do that in the Accord or the Camry I had before that without dislocating a hip due to the center consoles.

Oh, and I was wrong about the dampened glove box door. It doesn't matter, but mine is dampened, and I think there's a light in there too at night. Fancy! I saw the snooty remark about un-dampened glove box doors (oh, the horror!) in a YouTube video about Ridgelines, but that must have been for the 2006 - 2008 models. 2009 and later models had a bunch of improvements (or at least changes). One such change is same-size wiper blades, which I noticed while checking the wiper blade book at the auto parts store. The earlier models had two different sizes of wiper blades, as did my Accord.

I read a lot about these trucks before buying one (except about TMPS; more on that below) and one thing I kept seeing in comments was that people keep finding new and cool things about the vehicle long after they bought it. Here's one of mine: the rear floor is flat and there are hooks near near the top of the back of the center console. These are perfect for hooking grocery bags on so the bagged groceries don't go rolling around or fall off seats in case of sudden braking.

I'm still hoping to get the windows tinted when I have a little "mad money" and snow tires and a set of spare wheels also. I like the stock Honda steel wheels the base model came with better than any aftermarket ones I've seen, and there are two sets of those on my local craigslist right now, but I need to educate myself on TPMS monitors. I haven't taken the time yet.

Are these something I should buy in case I need them for a second set of wheels or if one of mine dies, etc.? If anyone feels like commenting on why or why not, I'd be grateful. Yeah, I know I can (and should) google it. This ad has been up since I bought the car in July and is reposted every few weeks. I don't know if that means this isn't a smart buy or maybe people just don't go looking for these on craigslist.

4 Honda Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensor (4) TPMS - $45 (https://denver.craigslist.org/wto/d/castle-rock-4-honda-tire-pressure/7007577659.html)

"Honda Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensor (4) TPMS
they were on a 2012 Honda Ridgeline i sold the truck
have no need for them
should work on all Honda models but not 100% sure
all 4 worked as they should when installed
Asking 45.00 for the set of 4"

https://images.craigslist.org/00Z0Z_l1n5ghyJfB5_600x450.jpg

https://images.craigslist.org/00N0N_19BRVmf3EBW_600x450.jpg

[CudaMan]

I haven't washed it yet. :eek:

You can probably see me cringing from there. ;) But something about it being a truck makes it seem more okay...

I would guess you could get the dealer to code the locks to not come on automatically, or to automatically unlock when you put the vehicle in Park. Or, perhaps, there might be a secret menu or cheat code to change that yourself. Anything in this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3xZbmhHi5Q) help? Anything in your manual or quick start guide? I'm with you on locks being weird these days. I thought my BMW's on-trunk trunk release button was faulty. It turned out that by design it won't release the trunk from the outside unless all the door locks are unlocked. Having only the driver door unlocked (one click of the remote) isn't enough.

And I hear ya on modern headlights. I feel like the industry or lawmakers should look at this and start testing for glare, visibility when oncoming, or vision issues from these newer lights. They improve visibility at night for the drivers of them, but for oncoming traffic or using mirrors to merge, they make things more difficult. I need a job -- how to I appoint myself head of lighting safety research to solve this problem? :lol:

I know next to nothing about TPMS...

[dodint]

TPMS sensors use Lithium Ion batteries that have an operational life of 5-10 years. The 45,000 miles thing isn't really a factor. Those are 7 years old. Buying them to shelve them wouldn't really be the best move as they may fail soon after installing them. If you needed one now, yeah, it's a decent deal. They cost ~$50 new each, maybe more if our local shop wants to gouge you.

Do what I do and run vehicles old enough not to have TPMS. ;)

[George]

You can probably see me cringing from there. ;)

Yeah, I figured you'd fall out of your chair when you read that. I used to be a detailin' fool when I was younger and had more time but there's usually something more important to do these days.


Anything in this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3xZbmhHi5Q) help?

Cool! Will watch that in full later. Thanks.


Buying [7-year-old TPMS sensors] to shelve them wouldn't really be the best move as they may fail soon after installing them.

Thanks!


Do what I do and run vehicles old enough not to have TPMS.

I held out as long as I reasonably could. Maybe in the future I can get myself an old squarebody Suburban or something.

[CudaMan]

Electrical tape over the TPMS light also works. :lol:

[George]

^ sounds like something that Click & Clack, the Tappet brothers, would suggest. :up:

I assume not having TPMS sensors in such a modern car would cause other problems, somehow. I got that idea from reading about the seatbelt alarm and other stuff online. Someone said you could stick a metal paper clip in the seat belt receiver somewhere to keep the alarm from going off for just moving cars around on one's own property, driving in a parking lot, etc. Someone else said you could remove a fuse to prevent the daytime running lights from being on all the time.

Then the replies came in along the lines of "modern cars have all the different systems connected, so the airbags might fail to deploy because it thinks there's no one in the seat if you mess with the seatbelt latches" or something like that. I'm not going to bypass my seatbelt alarm or DRLs anyway, but just relating what I've read. And we all know everything on the internet is true, right?

Speaking of modern cars, here's another angry old man rant. Had a Nissan Altima rental car a couple days ago. Locked the doors. Came back to the car and opened the driver's door with the key. The alarm went off. WTF? I used the key! It's not like I broke a window or something. Sigh...

Well, I'm in South Carolina and soon to be the owner of a 2016 Subaru Forester with 22,8xx miles. I just put gas in it and saw this on the left right/passenger-side rear tire. Good thing the fuel door is on the "wrong" side of the car.

https://i.postimg.cc/xQtp01H5/IMG-1031.jpg

Here's the left right/passenger-side front for comparison. There's a big scratch on fender above the tire. :(

https://i.postimg.cc/7hz1ZM5n/IMG-1032.jpg

Looks like I'll be buying tires. Just got a quote for $508.72 for a set of four Hankooks.

I'm guessing these were rotated and the bald edge came from the front originally, but I'm amazed this kind of wear could have happened in only 23K miles. The car was definitely not autocrossed or otherwise abused. Maybe AWD cars eat tires even more quickly than FWD ones? I guess I'll find out in time. Or, it just dawned on me that maybe original equipment tires are the cheapest available to maximize profit. That's probably it, now that I think about it.

For what it's worth, the Forester's alarm goes off if I use the key to open the driver's door also. Well, I figured out how to get around that when I got gas today - I left the driver's door unlocked. Hah! Beat 'em at their own game, old-school style!

Nope. When I opened the door, the alarm went off. I don't really care, as nobody pays attention to car alarms these days (if they ever did), but why the hell does the alarm go off if the door is unlocked? Rhetorical question - not asking for answers, but I don't like it. It seems worse than having no alarm at all (which I'd certainly prefer).

Oh, and one last grumpy old man rant: In both the rental car and the Forester, if I plug in my iPhone to charge, it turns off the radio I was listening to and gives me a menu of crap I don't want. I just want to charge my phone while listening to the radio. Is that so much to ask for? Another rhetorical - don't bother; but if I can't beef about this stuff here, then where? :)

https://www.thewrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/simpsons-memes-old-man-yells-at-cloud.jpg

Edited 'coz I doesn't know me lefts from me rights sometimes...

[CudaMan]

We got you George. :)

In modern cars physical keys are just for emergency use only, for when the battery in the car or in the remote is completely dead. So I am not surprised at the alarm reaction. I *am* surprised that the Forester alarm went off when you returned to open an unlocked door. I can't figure that one out. My parents have a '14 Forester that seems pretty normal. It even has a metal key that permanently protrudes from the fob, rather than a hide-a-key inside the fob. ;) My parents still haven't figured out how to cycle through the status screens on the little display at the top of the dashboard. :lol: Oh, and just wait until you have to set the clock in the Forester. :evil laugh:

That tire wear does look like autocross wear. :lol: If the tire was recently flipped on the wheel, and that wear occurred when that part of the tire was on the inside, it's probably from the toe being off. But usually the wear wouldn't be confined that much to the inner edge of the tire - there'd be some wear nearer the middle, too, given how little camber the Forester should have (in other words, the wheels and tires are straight up and down). Is there wear on the other side of the bad tire, too? If so that could indicate very low tire pressure used for a long time, but that'd surprise me with TPMS these days...

Some cars will do things like force TC/VSC/ESC on when TPMS sensors are missing or reading low. I don't know what else they would do, I'm sure they wouldn't disable ABS or anything like that. My 350Z just blinked the dash light at you. It didn't care otherwise. None of my wheels for that car had sensors. While we're ranting, my BMW does the silliest thing: when I turn on DTC (Dynamic Traction Control - which allows just a little more play before intervening), it will not allow cruise control to be engaged. Twice I thought my cruise switch was broken for a second, until I realized what I had done, BMW assuming I'm a numbskull who forgets how to steer or use the throttle if I voluntarily turn off the more aggressive TC default. Modern vehicles shame us all into believing we can't handle anything.

On charging your phone - put one of these (https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Charger-PowerDrive-Adapter-iPhone/dp/B07PGT7LSR/) in the car and use it instead of the built-in USB. :) [Look at you all fancy with your modern tech - USB in a car!]

[George]

Thanks. :)


Oh, and just wait until you have to set the clock in the Forester. :evil laugh:

Funny you mention that. The clock is still on Daylight Savings Time and I have no idea how to change it. I pressed the Menu button and looked through all the stuff on the screen, but there was nothing about Clock or Time or anything similar that I could see. The clock in the Accord had little buttons for hour and minute. That was so simple that even a caveman could do it! I think the Ridgeline has a Clock button on the radio and I just pressed that and then turned the dial to set the clock when we went back to Standard Time.

Why do they have to make things so damn complicated?! Ain't NO way however they have it rigged up now is better than a manually-adjustable clock.

[scroll back up to picture of Abe Simpson] :lol:

Oh, by the way, I had convinced myself the Forester didn't have a USB port and only a lighter/power-port. Then I found it later by accident. It's down inside the between-seats console. There are little notches under the armrest to allow cables to come out with the console closed. Not a bad design, once I discovered it.

[Phil_SS]

My 2013 Impreza had buttons on the dash for hour and minute. I'm surprised the Forester is much different. My Wife's VW, you set the time in the LCD Menu between the speedo and RPM gauge. It even has a daylights savings time check box. So you only have to check or uncheck the box in the LCD Menu.

And yes, an AWD car will chew up tires. Make sure you get an alignment while putting on the new tires.

And I agree with Cuda, just get a USB adapter for the 12V plug. The only time I ever use the built in USB is if I want to listen to music on my phone.

[CudaMan]

Forester time hint: Look for the Date submenu. Logical, isn't it?

It took me several road trips to find out the Forester had Bluetooth audio streaming, too. It's poorly executed but it's there.

[dodint]

The E46 BMW time change might be the least intuitive I've ever seen. You have to use the BC button to bring up the time in the gauge cluster, then reach up and twist the odometer reset stalk clockwise or counterclockwise depending on which way you want to go. It's nuts, I'd never grab an odometer stalk in a car and forcibly twist it.

[Cam]

Near Columbia, G? Send me a PM if you have the time to visit.

I recently noticed our Forester's tires like that as well. I neglected to check the tire pressures in the past few months. They were at 25 psi. However, it is much colder now than in the summer. The pressure sensors do not warn you of a low tire until it is below about 20 psi. I know because it has happened to us when we got a slow leak. We've had a few slow leaks, so I am sure that would account for the unusual wear.

I've noticed the menu options in the onboard dashboard computer thingy are different depending on if the car is actually running/moving or not. I am pretty sure there is a "Date and Time" option in there somewhere. You can even put a birthday and anniversary reminder in there. :lol:

My wife uses the Bluetooth feature all the time. I never bothered to connect my phone to the car.

[George]

Thanks for all the comments, gents. Cam, it won't be for a few days yet but I'll PM you if it's possible. Thanks for the offer, either way! I've driven through Columbia a few times lately and wished for more time for fun things.

I found a video of how to set the clock on YT. Seems like the steering wheel controls are involved. I never paid any attention to those. Oops. Will take the phone out to the car when I get a chance to follow along with all the play-by-play action (and the one CudaMan linked to me for the Ridgeline too, when I get home).

I might not have noticed the clock being wrong, except I had to go to an office yesterday where I didn't have an appointment. I saw the clock said 11:58 AM when I got out of the car. I said something like, "sorry to bother you at lunchtime." Then I went to the post office where the line was long. I figured, "I guess it's crowded because all these people are here on their lunch hour." When I looked at my iPhone to kill some time while waiting and saw what time it is, I realized I had just gained an hour in my day! To add to my confusion, I'm working on my laptop and it's still on Mountain Time (can't figure out how to change that either - sigh...) so I don't know whether it's time to fish or cut bait.

New tires go on tomorrow morning.

[CudaMan]

All this time I figured you wore a wind-up wristwatch, George. ;)

[George]

Ha. No. I mostly stopped wearing a watch when I got one of those fat, rubber-covered Nokia cell phones in the early 2000s, perhaps. "What? No dial tone?! How do you use this thing?"

But, now that you mention it, I recently got a good laugh from my Dad when someone asked if someplace had just returned from was busy. Maybe he was picking up pizzas. Or getting an oil change. Whatever. Doesn't matter. His reply:

"No, they were standing around winding their watches."

[Cam]

:lol:

I sent you a PM.

[George]

You can even put a birthday and anniversary reminder in there. :lol:

:lol:

Serious-sounding remarks like that, so obviously impossible but funny to consider for a few seconds, are a big part of why I like this forum so much.

Well, I figured it out, once I found the right buttons to press. I also fixed my Aunt's Honda CRV which had the same problem. The Honda was a bit easier to figure out.

The Forester was pretty simple too, once I found these switches in the 7 - 8 o'clock position. The arrows let you scroll through screens such as mileage, which wheels are doing the driving, and trip odometer functions. Maybe more. Didn't spend too much time studying the screens while barreling down windy country roads at night in a typically deep, dark east-coast forest.

https://i.postimg.cc/2SdzNxWY/IMG-1037.jpg

Yup, was quite simple. Then I saw them... :eek:

https://i.postimg.cc/GmncffHz/IMG-1041.jpg

[Cam]

You thought I was kidding? :lol:

[George]

No. Of course not.

Just another lame attempt at humor on my part.

[George]

I looks like my road trip will start this Wednesday. It's not as interesting and relatively rare on the roads as first-generation Ridgelines, but at just three years old and with fewer than 23,000 miles, this seems like a new car to me. And 23 mpg average (per the in-car display) sure beats the 16 mpg displayed in the Ridgeline.

Keeping in mind I've always driven mundane cars, this has downright shocking acceleration for what it is. I would have guessed it had a six-cylinder engine, but the window sticker and other original paperwork says it's a Forester 2.5i with Option Package 02, a "lineartronic" CVT, 17" alloy wheels, and roof rails. I have the roof crossbars also, but they're not currently on the car.

Here's a picture I took yesterday here in South Carolina.

https://i.postimg.cc/Zq0nnnmc/CA9-E33-DF-4-E08-4-B62-BAD0-0-A5-A91-D38-FFD.jpg


And yes, an AWD car will chew up tires. Make sure you get an alignment while putting on the new tires

I didn't, but I will. The car tracks straight and true with no hands on the wheel, both before and after getting new tires installed, so I'm going to roll the dice and wait to get an alignment when I get home. Penny wise and pound foolish? Possibly, but I was able to get tires at a shop right next door to where I'm working here. They didn't offer alignments and I didn't think I had the time then to go elsewhere. I'm still on a pretty tight schedule, so I'll take it to my regular shop in Colorado. That should coincide with it needing an oil change.

[Cam]

Almost identical to ours. :cool: Happy motoring!

[TheBenior]

Keeping in mind I've always driven mundane cars, this has downright shocking acceleration for what it is. I would have guessed it had a six-cylinder engine, but the window sticker and other original paperwork says it's a Forester 2.5i with Option Package 02, a "lineartronic" CVT, 17" alloy wheels, and roof rails. I have the roof crossbars also, but they're not currently on the car.

If your frame of reference is older 1990s cars, that Forester is about as quick as a 1990s Ford Taurus with the Vulcan V6 was (high 16s in the quarter mile). When I ride my Ducati Monster 696 or drove my Mazdaspeed3 for a week and got back to our Mazda CX-5, the CX-5 felt really slow, but I have to remind myself that the CX-5 is just about as quick as Japanese V6 sedans in the mid to late 1990s (~16 second quarter with the automatics).

Modern cars tend to be pretty good these days. Just about all of them accelerate, brake, and handle competently, and protect their occupants far better in crashes. Anecdotally, more people walk away from some pretty spectacular crashes these days compared to when I was a new officer almost 13 years ago and there were more 1980s and 1990s cars left on the roads around Chicago.

[George]

If your frame of reference is older 1990s cars...

Yes, that's exactly it. Until July of this year, I drove a 1999 Accord for eleven and a half years. Before that I had a 1994 Toyota Camry for nine years. Before that, I had a 1991 Mitsubishi pickup for seven years.

And before that, I drove 1970s VWs. :D

Signing off from the future,

Captain John Christopher, USAF. ;)

[George]

Way too many cross-country driving pictures and some commentary below, hidden below the spoiler tag so they won't have to be scrolled past from now until eternity, or whenever another page starts itself in this thread.

I made a slide show for the family and it was no more trouble to upload and post 'em here as well.

Posting mostly because I enjoy this kind of content from others. Taking pictures made the trip a lot more interesting than it might have been otherwise.



Can't read the sign from the glare from the rental car dashboard, but the sign says Welcome To Georgia or Hey, Y'all or something like that.

https://i.postimg.cc/RCG5rXd8/IMG-1025.jpg

Starting my return trip home in the Subaru a few days later from North Carolina. Chilly, cloudy, and about to rain.

The Bar-B-Q King Lincolnton, NC. I should have stopped for a sammich but was eager to get going.

https://i.postimg.cc/sX4FgcrM/IMG-1145.jpg

I like independent BBQ shacks in the south. Colorado is cool and all, but we don't have any good Carolina-style BBQ here.

I did manage to grab a Big Joe Sandwich at Maurice's Piggy Park in Cam's part of the world. It was okay, but not as good I remembered from my college days.

https://i.postimg.cc/fbGKrtJ5/OUSI4762.jpg

I took a lot of pictures of signs and not many of just scenery in the east. I guess that's because everything looks pretty much the same once you get a few miles inland from the Atlantic until you get to Texas on I-40, when the trees give way to interesting landscapes.

https://i.postimg.cc/Qt3GDzRL/IMG-1146.jpg

Western North Carolina - the Appalachian Mountains.

https://i.postimg.cc/02HTjjL0/IMG-1151.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/kGYp2Yhg/IMG-1159.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/FRmq8LLN/IMG-1163.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/T13sYv0s/IMG-1168.jpg

Welcome to Tennessee.

https://i.postimg.cc/7Z2WLV1q/IMG-1173.jpg

Watch out for the East Tennessee Ninjas.

https://i.postimg.cc/C1NtgxGD/IMG-1178.jpg

Conveniently placed Krystal restaurant just when I needed gas. Krystal burgers are tasty once in a while, and we don't have them (or White Castle restaurants) where I live.

https://i.postimg.cc/y6L5pWYC/IMG-1181.jpg

No picture, but the Sunsphere (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunsphere) is still standing in Knoxville, TN. It reminded me of a Simpsons episode. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_on_the_Road)

https://i.postimg.cc/tC7cKyYZ/IMG-1194.jpg

Leaving Nashville, TN early in the morning. Tennessee takes a long time to drive through and there were state troopers every five miles or so it seemed. I was using a radar detector of unknown vintage that alerted me to some, but I'm sure not all. I didn't speed much and didn't have to with high speed limits most of the way.

https://i.postimg.cc/fb7qcRgF/IMG-1200.jpg

Part of the Cumberland River. I learned that goes through Nashville from a Todd Snider song.

https://i.postimg.cc/j5sgZYpj/IMG-1201.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/yYwL2ZMt/IMG-1205.jpg

I was standing here pumping gas just east of Memphis and wondering where I might get some good BBQ when my wife texted a picture of her and the kids watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade on TV. I sent this in answer to her not-yet-asked question of where are you?

https://i.postimg.cc/nrX1PF0n/IMG-1205-5-1.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/Jn6qxD3T/IMG-1206.jpg

The bridge over the Mississippi River on I-40, between Memphis, Tennessee and West Memphis, Arkansas.

Time to finish the Yuengling and switch over to Coors.

*burp*

https://i.postimg.cc/pTXCKYjh/IMG-1207.jpg

Looking north:

https://i.postimg.cc/52LsJt10/IMG-1209.jpg

Looking south:

https://i.postimg.cc/FKxGfnYX/IMG-1211.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/0jhCgTBD/IMG-1214.jpg

As soon as I entered Arkansas, I started seeing crappy old cars towing other crappy old cars, and all with what looked like temporary license plates. Most were small sedans with the rear bumper covers removed and makeshift towing hitches installed, I guess. I looked over at one of the drivers as I passed and he gave me the meanest "what are YOU lookin' at?!" glare I've ever seen. He probably couldn't see me anyway through the Subaru's dark tinted windows.

Can a three-car highway train like this be legal? Maybe so in Arkansas.

https://i.postimg.cc/Nfr480K4/IMG-1222.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/YC6zVyfL/IMG-1229.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/g0GHPqNS/IMG-1233.jpg

I think I saw three police cars in all of Arkansas. On to Oklahoma, where I saw one, I think. The radar detector went off and I saw a black Dodge Magnum with tinted windows go by in the other direction.

https://i.postimg.cc/V669JsyX/IMG-1243.jpg

This reminded me of two good songs...

https://i.postimg.cc/MTF7VkxN/IMG-1249.jpg

Stopped for gas in Checotah, Oklahoma and took these pictures of the motel next door. I stayed in OKC that night but I texted these pics to my wife to show her my accommodations for the evening. She said, "That looks like a sh!thole!" My wife is a classy broad, huh? :lol:

https://i.postimg.cc/qBWYHSn1/IMG-1252.jpg

This parking lot would be the perfect setting for Jack Reacher to beat up a few bad guys single-handedly, as he does in most of the novels.

https://i.postimg.cc/ryDbbMdd/IMG-1250.jpg

Ready to leave Friday morning for the final run home. Parked in a corner spot, of course. :D

https://i.postimg.cc/vZsNcn09/IMG-1256.jpg

A good preview of the weather for the day:

https://i.postimg.cc/NfTnsDkB/IMG-1263.jpg

Not snow. Cotton. I haven't seen cotton fields in a long time.

https://i.postimg.cc/SsJZwfK0/IMG-1274.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/TP2Nc6M3/IMG-1276.jpg

Foggy.

https://i.postimg.cc/nhGw7LWW/IMG-1279.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/xTKsDC9d/IMG-1301.jpg

Signs can be fun on long boring drives. Tennessee had changeable-message illuminated signs above the highway saying "Gobble, Gobble - Watch the Throttle" (readers of the future, it was Thanksgiving) and also "I-40 Challenge - Troopers Every 20 Miles". I'm sticking with my original estimate of every five miles. I felt safe in case of a breakdown - not so much in the lower-budget states.

This one says

WATCH OUT
Don't Hit Our Workers
Avoid $10,000 Fine

https://i.postimg.cc/Dwnx2TzP/IMG-1302.jpg

And I liked these signs throughout Oklahoma: DO NOT IMPEDE LEFT LANE. I was pleased to see very few clueless left-lane cruisers out on the highway away from cities. People drive very well out in the middle of nowhere.

https://i.postimg.cc/ydtfB3JD/IMG-1287.jpg

Taking a shortcut on what would become Texas state route 152. I might have eaten lunch at The Big Texan (https://www.bigtexan.com/), but I exited I-40 east of Amarillo.

https://i.postimg.cc/MZfP554V/IMG-1293.jpg

Did I mention it was foggy?

https://i.postimg.cc/KvX9HLSV/IMG-1297.jpg

The dude in front is hauling a bale/roll of hay.

https://i.postimg.cc/LXYTy4y2/IMG-1306.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/bJ7R4XMb/IMG-1310.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/gj3KWSF7/IMG-1315.jpg

Welcome to Texas
Drive Friendly - The Texas Way

And I did.

https://i.postimg.cc/ZYNHpRBL/IMG-1323.jpg

And no sooner than that sign went by came another - the first 75 mph speed limit of my trip so far.

Great picture, huh? The sign coming up had some harsh and threatening words for anyone foolish enough to text and drive in Texas. If it weren't so damn hot, I think I could live in Texas.

https://i.postimg.cc/jdQh3Fhw/IMG-1324.jpg

Yup, 75 mph (and then some) on roads like this. :up:

https://i.postimg.cc/fThKKNYQ/IMG-1325.jpg

Below is one of a few places on my trip that reminded me of the town in Kris Kristofferson's song "Best Of All Possible Worlds".

This was across the street where I got gas and coffee and realized I might have the only non-American branded vehicle for miles around. This is pickup truck and cowboy hat country, both of which I was sadly lacking. I took this picture in anticipation of my wife's next "Where are you now?" text. :cool:

https://i.postimg.cc/jjCQ5dYP/IMG-1333-1.jpg

:sing: Westbound and down, loaded up and truckin'...

https://i.postimg.cc/6pMft4gB/IMG-1335.jpg

75 miles per hour here, with oncoming traffic okay to pass? :lol:

https://i.postimg.cc/nhFGyGdd/IMG-1336.jpg

What's under all those tires? After rolling the window back up, I had my answer. Manure. Lots and lots of manure. You might even say it was a Texas-sized pile of manure.

https://i.postimg.cc/tJdFfsFQ/IMG-1340.jpg

Bales of cotton, rolled up in yellow plastic (or some kind of material).

https://i.postimg.cc/brfQ3xD9/IMG-1343.jpg

Not cotton. Snow.

https://i.postimg.cc/DygqPb21/IMG-1350.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/FHC325kR/IMG-1351.jpg

Too bad this place was closed...

https://i.postimg.cc/YS4Y7nQx/IMG-1352.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/43rtx65R/IMG-1360.jpg

Texas patrol car:

https://i.postimg.cc/6qKvdBgH/IMG-1365.jpg

That's the end of Part One due to forum post length restrictions.

You'd think I'd take the hint...

[George]

Part Two

(groan)



Guess where?

https://i.postimg.cc/DZLGJSjJ/IMG-1370-1.jpg

That's right, Dalhart, Texas. Waiting for the mens room inside the Stop N'Rob.

https://i.postimg.cc/wjMs5f4d/IMG-1371.jpg

And here's a Texas-sized train on the left.

https://i.postimg.cc/1R06yNVb/IMG-1376.jpg

Welcome to New Mexico.

https://i.postimg.cc/zX0ggZjj/IMG-1383.jpg

Foggy.

https://i.postimg.cc/2yTVhh46/IMG-1393.jpg

Ahh - blue skies ahead. Looking forward to clear weather the rest of the way home.

https://i.postimg.cc/qBGtPV9T/IMG-1394.jpg

Maybe not...

https://i.postimg.cc/YqnvSNrD/IMG-1397.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/YSg08J1T/IMG-1408.jpg

Ski New Mexico - and a fine day for it.

https://i.postimg.cc/htXfQJhD/IMG-1415.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/W3w3cgYn/IMG-1422.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/brYvyrKj/IMG-1432.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/HsxLFJww/IMG-1435.jpg

I was glad to have new tires.

https://i.postimg.cc/TY4PxR0Z/IMG-1436.jpg

This is at the top of Raton Pass (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raton_Pass) at the New Mexico/Colorado border.

https://i.postimg.cc/6p4p5D1T/IMG-1439.jpg

Welcome to Colorado.

https://i.postimg.cc/R0rV3Xjd/IMG-1440.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/j5txcCqJ/IMG-1446.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/BvxZ2230/IMG-1448.jpg

Coming into Trinidad, CO.

https://i.postimg.cc/sx2VF8hj/IMG-1460.jpg

Pot shop next to Wal-Mart. Yup, I must be home.

https://i.postimg.cc/x16zdY4K/IMG-1458.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/gjBGGDVv/IMG-1462.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/TYpRCzxQ/IMG-1466.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/sXjzS8KY/IMG-1470.jpg

Then it REALLY started raining.

https://i.postimg.cc/RVyv8gVm/IMG-1492.jpg

These wind turbines sort of looked like the gate to Hell. Really windy and just pouring rain as hard as rain can come down.

https://i.postimg.cc/7LywPb2Q/IMG-1494.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/sXTrJc0t/IMG-1503.jpg

Got off highway just after Pueblo at what I thought was a restaurant from afar. Figured I'd skip all the crowded fast food joints at interstate exits in the city. I'll go hungry rather than be tenth or fifteenth in line at a drive-through. I don't know who has that kind of free time, but apparently many do.

It wasn't a restaurant after all.

https://i.postimg.cc/v87DBb1c/IMG-1518.jpg

Getting back on the HIGHway...

https://i.postimg.cc/W4tJFKBx/IMG-1520.jpg

Coming into Colorado Springs. Surely it won't rain anymore, will it?

https://i.postimg.cc/sx8Ck2zm/IMG-1540.jpg

Pfft. Dream on.

https://i.postimg.cc/jqkTwMff/IMG-1547.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/vHgsW-57N/IMG-1551.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/nhqfWZPK/IMG-1552.jpg

So much fog. I felt like I was in a Stephen King short story or something...

https://i.postimg.cc/KYFhSV66/IMG-1562.jpg

Back in my neighborhood. Mission accomplished. And I've now put more miles on the Subaru than the Ridgeline, I think.

https://i.postimg.cc/jdprvCZd/IMG-1564.jpg

I listened to about half of the audiobook Ready Player One on my mp3 player, thanks to the Subaru's AUX IN jack. The stereo in the car may be the nicest and most powerful stock setup I've ever heard. I didn't really notice it until I hit play on Quiet Riot's Metal Health album I got from the library recently and pumped up the volume for some high-speed head-banging somewhere near that Trump billboard in Arkansas.

Nice car. Goes as fast as any sane person would want to on the highway and gets good mileage while doing so. And it's like a van inside with the back seats down. I can see why these are so popular.

Just before getting a much-needed car wash the next day:

https://i.postimg.cc/HnkzV3tx/IMG-1572.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/YCW3GvQ1/IMG-1571.jpg

Gonna have to make some decisions pretty soon, as we now have three vehicles. The two newest get to sleep indoors.

https://i.postimg.cc/KzNQGCBw/IMG-1569.jpg

That's all. Thanks for coming along for the ride, if anyone made it this far.

Here's your reward. Turn it up.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMEz4cFMlZE

[CudaMan]

Fun! Road trips are great. You get to see so much, and so much variety in nature/culture. I took that same Arkansas bridge picture in 2014 when I brought home an NC from... NC. :)

Subaru seems to be killing it on the standard stereo sound quality. The BRZ stock stereo is surprisingly good, even in terms of imaging, something car stereos usually suck at. My Dad's Forester impressed me, too, when I borrowed it for road trips. And like you say it moves just fine, get good mileage for a big/tall vehicle, and is pretty practical. I also appreciated the ride height for the randomly harsh speed bumps and driveways I'd encounter outside my hometown. Borrowing it with reasonable frequency for a couple years was a contributing factor in me selling the 350Z for the 328i.

Here's to years of faithful service! :toast:

[dodint]

Dude, you lost me at "Texas...interesting landscape." :lol:

[JoshInKC]

There's some very nice landscape... it's just hell and gone from anywhere else - You've got to get into the Transpecos (Chihuahua desert/Davis mtns/Chisos mtns/Big Bend nat'l park) region, all of which are hours and hours from anything including medium-sized population centers, let alone real cities.

Unfortunately, it's still full of Texans. :lol:

[dodint]

I will say that driving across Texas on a clear night with the top down was awesome. You could see the Milky Way while driving provided nobody was coming the other direction.

[George]

https://i.postimg.cc/9XxVGGtf/49589-E88-D428-495-E-820-D-77-EFCC4-E87-AD.jpg

Tire experts, does this nail in my tire look fixable? It is close to the edge.

Found it this morning before work after noticing a TPMS light. At the tire store now waiting for my turn but the guy who inspected it said they won’t know for sure until they attempt the repair.

Suddenly I’m remembering stories from others with AWD vehicles saying they bought four new tires after tire store salesmen told them it’s not safe to replace just one.

Wondered if anyone has any experience with this sort of thing. Thanks.

[dodint]

I am not a tire tech, but that looks far enough into the tread to be pluggable. But you're right, it's close.

The article I got this illustration from seems to imply it won't be repairable:

https://www.sullivantire.com/-/media/subcontent/sullivanretail/callout-photos/punture-repair-area_650x400.ashx

https://www.sullivantire.com/learn/tire-classroom/proper-tire-repair

[Godson]

My previous professional recommendation is to not plug it.

[George]

Thanks gents. Always nice to have a second and third opinion. Turns out those weren't new tires as the car dealer said when I bought it. A car dealer lying? What a shock! They looked new, and even smelled new in the garage at home, but it was probably the gallon of Armor-All on each one at the time. But that is consistent with other details of the car's history - relatively low mileage and great condition for its age due to having been kept at a vacation home up in the mountains. That checked out when I got the title with the previous owner's address.

My tires had 80% tread left, according to the tire guy, but they were old and are now discontinued, so I couldn't just buy one tire to match the other three. And he said it wouldn't be safe to plug that tire, which wasn't a huge surprise. I've had a few tires plugged in the past. So, for the second time in three months, I unexpectedly bought a set of tires. Strange how life works sometimes, but I'm finally at a point in life where I'm not driving an old car on mismatched tires, so I won't complain.

[dodint]

Not trying to be a jag, just giving you some information for life:

https://images.tirebuyer.com/visual-aids/pages/education/how-to-determine-the-age-of-your-tires/determine-age-of-tires-2.jpg

This is coming from a guy that bought two different collector cars that turned out to have ancient tires on them. One of which I took to the track and managed to form cracks around the tire inside the tread lines.

[George]

Thanks. I knew tires had date codes on them but hadn't taken the time to look for them or learn how to read them.

[George]

Anyone ever owned three sets of wheels for one vehicle? I bet so, at this forum.

Well, add me to the list, at least for now. Come along for a long and boring tale of my quest on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, if you're really desperate for a story about nothin'.

After watching Craigslist for a long time for a set of OEM steel wheels from the base model Ridgeline, I finally found this set and gladly paid the asking price of $40 for all four back in 2020. Other sets had been much more expensive or were too far away or whatever else - set of three, only one, or whatever.

https://i.postimg.cc/rstczrNB/wheels.png

I ended up paying more for center caps online than I had for the wheels. But I knew that going in. What I didn't know was that I'd need different lug nuts. Twenty of those from the Honda dealer weren't cheap, but by then I was "all in". The Discount Tire shop I've been going to for about 17 years now installed TPMS monitors and Bridgestone Blizzak tires. I finally had a separate set of tires & wheels I can change myself, rather than having the shop switch tires on the same set of wheels as I did for far too many years with my old Accord.

A couple weeks ago, after seeing the weather forecast, I did a quick switch in my garage one day and stacked my all-season tires on the original aluminum wheels in the corner of the garage until April or so.

The next day, the front passenger tire caught my eye in the garage. Something didn't look right. I bent down and realized I had forgotten these snow tires are directional. The driver's side rear tire was also on the wrong side. So, I got out my floor jack and one of the summer tires to use as a temporary, since I don't own jack stands. Lifted driver's side rear, took off winter tire, put on summer tire, lowered car. Lifted passenger's front, took off one winter tire, put on the other in the correct direction, lowered car. Back to driver's side, etc.

A ridiculous waste of time, but lesson learned. It reminded me of when I used to rotate the tires on my Mistubishi pickup in the parking lot of my apartment complex in my twenties with only the stock scissor jack and the spare tire. Took forever, but it was free, back when I was young and had much more time than money.

Well, fast-forward to Thanksgiving day. My TPMS light came on for the driver's side front tire. Odd. I had just topped off the air on the snow tires when I installed them. I pulled over before leaving the neighborhood and saw the tire pressure was at about 22 PSI, down from 32 or 33 PSI a few days ago. I did that thing where you roll forward a few inches at a time and keep getting out to look for a nail in the tire. I didn't see anything in the tire, but I assumed something was or had been in that tire.

Since no tire stores were open on Thanksgiving, I backed into the garage so that tire was accessible, pulled my air compressor over to it, and checked it throughout the day, before bed, and in the morning. It went back down to about 22 PSI every few hours and I kept pumping it back up to 32 or 33.

Friday morning, my quest began.

I got to the tire shop early. The diagnosis surprised me. I had been expecting either "we patched the hole, no charge" or "that nail was in a really bad spot, so, um, you need, like, four new tires, man!"

Instead, after the tech checked it out, the service writer told me the wheel had been cracked and welded previously. He said the weld had failed and that's why the tire is leaking. He said they were going to install the spare for me but it was too old to be safe, so they just inflated my tire again. I'm glad they didn't install the spare - it just would have made more work for me later on.

He started talking about selling me a wheel, but after all the effort to get a set of OEM steelies, I wasn't about to add one of their generic black steel wheels or anything else to the set. I thanked him and said I'd go home and install one of my all-season tires for now and consider my options. Even though they had my car in the shop for some time, there was no charge for this visit. That is typical of how I've been treated at this shop and it's why I keep going back there. It helps that's it's close to home, too.

And now, here's a quick back story. :D

About two years ago, I got a nail in one of my all-season tires that couldn't be fixed. No, not the one in the old tires that the car came with in post #172 above. This was in the set I bought to replace those. The guy at the same shop made a half-hearted attempt to sell me four new ones, but we both knew they were only a year old at the time. I bought a pair instead of four and the guy suggested I keep the undamaged one they took off to use as a full-size spare tire. He knew that Ridgelines came with a small "donut" spare tire but they can fit a full-sized spare and he asked me if I had one. I did not.

That lone all-season tire, without a wheel, has been in my garage ever since. I've been meaning to get around to finding a wheel for it and replacing the donut spare that I assume is original equipment from 2009, but it just hadn't come to the top of my to-do list until this happened.

I made the short drive home on my cracked wheel with the leaking tire and swapped it for one of the all-season tires on an aluminum wheel that I took off two weeks ago. It seems like all I do these days is change tires in my garage! :lol:

Then I went to craigslist, knowing how long I had waited to find decent and affordable Ridgeline steelies before, and wondering if I'd have to order one from eBay instead. The last time I had checked eBay, they were selling for $100 - $150 per wheel, plus time in transit and probably shipping costs too.

Behold what craigslist had for me!

https://i.postimg.cc/HsMGhhJy/W.png

After checking with my wife to see if she could stand another crazy craigslist trip instead of me continuing the Basement Blitz of cleaning and organizing and bringing up Christmas decorations that I had previously committed to, I sent the guy a message. He replied immediately. "Come anytime; I work ten minutes from my house. Tell me when you pass Exit [whatever] on your way here and I'll leave work."

Nice weather. Surprisingly light traffic on the highway, except near one outlet mall. It was Black Friday, though. Met the guy and mentioned my need for two of these four wheels and that I had been told one of my others apparently had been welded. He seemed as surprised as I was about the welding. He said these had been his snow tire wheels on his 2007 Ridgeline and hadn't been welded or in an accident.

Is it time for another tangent? Probably.

Now I'm driving north through Colorado Springs with the new-to-me wheels and remembering that Christmas is coming and that a couple packs of baseball cards would make a great stocking stuffer for my daughter. She has been interested in cards since we went to our first Rocky Mountain Vibes minor-league baseball game this summer and afterward stopped at the largest sporting goods store we had ever seen: Scheels (https://www.scheels.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4Yr2_a7R-wIVsWpvBB2d9QcjEAAYASAAEgI2DPD_BwE). You guys ever been to a Scheels? I hadn't. I had never even heard of them. We just saw the enormity of it all lit up in the night sky and were drawn to it like moths.

Their stores are HUGE. Think Cabela's or Bass Pro Shops huge. Big footprint and two large floors. Both of the ones I've been two have working Ferris wheels in them that are more than two stories tall! They have everything from casual clothing to home furnishings to stuff for every sport, guns and ammo, and even bike shops with service departments in their stores that sell "real" bicycles like Trek instead of the usual department store cheapies. These stores sell everything, and lots of it. No, I'm not a stockholder or anything like that.

The first time we went there, we picked up a couple packs of Topps baseball cards on whim. When we got home, I pulled out my cards from mostly 1977 - 1979 and we had fun looking at big moustaches and sideburns flapping in the breeze like Joe Namath's on that Simpsons episode. Now it's tattoos and beards, I guess. Another time, after a Northern Colorado Owlz game, we happened upon the Greeley store and bought a couple more packs of cards. Now, it seems like a tradition.

Anyway, the Scheels store is right off the interstate, so I decided to brave a large retail store in the middle of the day on Black Friday. I finally found a parking spot and tried not to let the crowds pouring in and out of the place deter me. Let me say that in this time of everyone being so short-staffed that you can't any help from anyone, anywhere, ever, this place was packed to the gills with employees. I elbowed my way past hordes of slack-jawed yokels and extended family groups blocking entire aisles, snatched some cards from the shelf, and bolted for the cash registers like Indiana Jones with the big rock rolling behind him.

Every cash register in the place was manned (unlike grocery stores and Home Depot these days where you're lucky to find one surly human actually taking people's money) with not one by two employees - a cashier and a bagger. And, get this: they were enthusiastically waving! "Come here! Right over here! We'll check you out right now!" I was out of that store in about three minutes on Black Friday! Astonishing. They must be paying people enough to not only show up but really play the game and act as if they enjoy working there. What a concept!

[George]

Back on the road again, having decided not to push my luck with Black Friday crowds by visiting the new Whataburger restaurant in the same parking lot, I decided to go straight back to the tire shop and see if they'd swap out the bad wheel for me. In their parking lot, I labeled my confusing situation with painters tape and a sharpie and explained it all to the same service writer again. I said, "Remember me? I was here this morning with the Ridgeline with a cracked wheel. I just bought some wheels on craigslist." He seemed impressed, or maybe I was just pretty damn pleased with how things had worked out.

I explained all this and he acted like they do stuff like this all the time.

Top left tire in picture: Mount spare tire on this wheel with no TMPS sensor.

Top right tire: bad wheel. Move TPMS sensor and this tire to the wheel in the lower right.

Lower right tire: these are the lug nuts for the steel wheel. I should have added something like "aluminum wheels have different lug nuts" but didn't think of it.

Finally, install new wheel with TPMS sensor and snow tire on driver's side front and return all-season tire on aluminum wheel to the truck bed.

https://i.postimg.cc/YCN5pLz2/IMG-0810.jpg

I had to wait more than two hours because by now it was early afternoon and the joint was jumpin'. It seems like this place is always busy, and not just when people are rushing the place for snow tire changes before a big storm.

They got it all right except the lug nuts. I jacked up the car one more time when I got home and switched them out. No TPMS lights came on, so I assume they moved the sensor from the bad wheel to the good one.

And now I finally have a full-size spare tire. I just need to wrestle the old one out of its hiding spot and jam this one in there. Might be time to look at a better portable jack too. I've never used the stock one but read on the Ridgeline forum that it's not all that great for such a heavy vehicle. And I need to put the other wheel with the aluminum wheel back on the stack until Spring.

https://i.postimg.cc/76PKNNhC/IMG-0832.jpg

In writing this ridiculously long post, I noticed one of those craigslist ads said the wheels were 7.5" wide and the other was 8" wide. I checked. They're the same width, although there are minor cosmetic differences between "old" and "new" sets.

And, finally a question, please, if anyone actually read all this:

What is the proper way to dispose of a steel wheel? Can I just put it in my recycling bin?

[Random]

Scrap metal bin at your local dump or recycling center.

[Crazed_Insanity]

Turn them into a planter if you like gardening? ;)

https://www.craftylittlegnome.com/how-to-make-inside-out-tire-planters/

[CudaMan]

Or a garden hose reel?

[George]

Time to talk about the important stuff: a cool clock for my garage!


I'm in the market for another garage clock to replace a cheap plastic one I bought when we bought our current house. It finally quit working. Thinking I might hit the local antique mall and find an old kitchen clock from the 1970s, perhaps. Don't want one that's too "garagey" like every other guy has.

And...


Hey, I know this is way off topic from Yeti's Weedmobile and garage so bright he's gotta wear shades, but just wanted to mention that finding a used battery-powered clock to replace the one that died in my own garage is proving to be quite the challenge. Sure, Target and Wal-Mart sell clocks all day long, and the local IKEA monstrosity has enough clocks to put one in every office in the Pentagon, probably. I've been to two large antique stores and yesterday I hit two thrift shops on the way home from work. I guess people just don't get rid of working clocks, no matter how ugly and out of style they may be. More to follow in my own garage thread, I guess.

Who knew that finding an old clock would be so much work?

The contenders so far:

Way too large, but only $7.99. Briefly considered it, but moved on.

https://i.postimg.cc/nhNKRcgB/IMG-0569.jpg

Still too large, but I might have brought it home it if that was a thermometer instead of a second hand at the bottom. $12.99.

https://i.postimg.cc/mgPNyFXT/IMG-0571.jpg

Almost grabbed this one for $3.99, but it's just not my style. The '80s (I'm guessing) look is okay, but somehow it's not right. Made in USA.

https://i.postimg.cc/gJHv2yJH/IMG-0570.jpg

This one is $25 at an antique store. Sheesh! I like the thrift store prices above better. Passed on this one because it's hard to read at a glance. The helmet blocks most of the hands.

https://i.postimg.cc/qRTsrDk7/IMG-0518.jpg

Kind of wish I had grabbed this for $15. It's easy to read and the right size. But, I started thinking I'd rather have a baseball clock than a hockey clock (that's the Colorado Avalanche hockey team's logo, for those who don't know). And it's way across town. It would cost me as much in gas as the clock to go back and get it now.

https://i.postimg.cc/yYQyRTTf/NQMM3501.jpg

I liked this one a lot, but there were extra batteries in the back for the light in the twelve o'clock position and I think there are smaller lights at each of the other hours. Plus, there was a small speaker in back. What's that for? Hourly chimes, maybe? It seemed too complicated and likely not 100% working if someone got rid of this beauty. I showed my wife and kids and they all hated it. :lol:

https://i.postimg.cc/1z6GL11T/AFQG8509.jpg

I might go back for it. :cool:

[CudaMan]

Not an Amazon shopper? They have tons to choose from (https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Wall-Clocks/zgbs/home-garden/3734871).

[George]

Not usually, and I'm not really a thrift store shopper either, unless I'm looking for something specific, like now. It's fun. It's something different to do on my way home from the office once in a while rather than going straight home to my list of chores.

I do like antique "malls" once in a while, where sellers rent booths and display all kinds cool things old junk. I see stuff just like my parents and aunts and uncles and grandparents had that I haven't seen in decades. I've been on the hunt for a large wooden cutting board like my parents had with grooves it in to catch the juices and four small metal spikes to hold a ham, turkey, or a roast while using an electric carving knife. One day, I'll see one. I've seen so much stuff that was exactly like my parents had, such as a metal Ritz crackers can, to name just one thing. It made me stop dead in my tracks the other day and think about my Mom.

Sometimes it's a little sad because you can tell someone cleaned out Dad's closet and workshop and put it all up for sale. The booth that had the Avs clock looked like an entire man's life, with tools and framed paintings and old clothes and quality leather belts and a few pairs of expensive-looking polished cowboy boots (all my size, too) and a sort of sameness in style to it all that told me it was all one guy's stuff, not just a random collection of things.

Other times you can tell someone was a collector. Old radios, stereo equipment, tons and tons of vinyl records, neon beer lights, Hot Wheels cars still in the original packaging, watches, baseball cards, and whatever else you can think of. I quickly learned that old guitars at antique shops are garbage. I don't even pick them up anymore. All the good guitars are probably purchased immediately, or never even make it to the antique store in the first place.

There are some cool clocks at your link, and I especially like silent clocks they have there. A ticking clock drives me nuts in a quiet room, but it was never a problem in the garage. I never realized how much I looked at the clock in the garage until the other one died. I keep glancing up to see a blank wall with sort of a dusty halo showing where it had been. I like this one, but would rather find an old one with some character, I think.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81pX3-YBcTL._AC_SX466_.jpg

[dodint]

I would not have passed on the Deere clock.

[George]

Still looking for the right clock.

Probably about to make a bad financial decision.

<picture removed>

[dodint]

Oh my. Jealous. ix?

[George]

Yes.

<pictures removed>

[Leon]

Looks like a fun toy :)

[dodint]

My '87 BMW had a very heavy clutch.

If it happens to have the owner manual in the glove box, your CODE is in there. But I suspect that radio goes away soon anyway and is replaced with something that has Bluetooth, or even something with a flip-up screen.

[Phil_SS]

That looks super clean underneath. Would have been swiss cheese around here.

[George]

If it happens to have the owner manual in the glove box, your CODE is in there.

Yeah, it's probably there. It comes with (supposedly) all service records too. I saw a thick folder in the back seat but didn't look inside. Owner's manual was in a door pocket in a vinyl folder also.

<details removed>

[dodint]

I wanted to keep a 'stock look' in my '87 BMW and planned to put in a radio from a late 90s BMW, right before they phased out of single DIN. Then I realized that companies make subdued head units that add basic aux input and Bluetooth functionality without looking garish and I went with that. I don't know if they still make them, but Blaupunkt was the go-to.

I have a code reader that fits the diagnostic connector on those, you're welcome to have it. It's a simple device that plugs in and has a two-digit readout. You cross reference the codes to a piece of paper. Might be old school enough for you to like it. ;)

Looks like this, was 14 or 20 pin, I can't remember:

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/SEQAAOSwk4NkEV-N/s-l1600.jpg

[George]

Perhaps. Thanks!

(unrelated - check your PMs)

[George]

<details removed>

[dodint]

Tough state, tailpipe sniffing a 30+ year old car.

[George]

Yeah. I'm hearing all kinds of ways around that, including somehow registering it in Montana, but I don't think I would try to beat the system. I don't want to have legal problems and I would want the car to actually pass emissions. The tests are required every two years here.

I pulled my pictures above early this morning before I may have been fully awake after realizing the internet can be a really small place. Someone I know told me they saw my post somewhere else about this car, which really startled me after all these years rambling on hobby forums in relative anonymity.

The car is back on craigslist here, if anyone wants a last look: https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/denver-1989-bmw-325ix/7643160145.html

[dodint]

The good thing about those cars is there were about a billion of them and millions of people love them, so it's relatively easy to find both parts and support. There are dozens of BMW forums to ask questions.

[George]

I've found a few - bimmerforums, bimmerpost, bimmerfest, etc. I posted on one of them the other day and have been reading all of them. Apparently there's even some animosity between them, as I saw at one - "People at that other forum are a bunch of snobs" and that sort of thing. :lol:

[Phil_SS]

Kinda like us and GTPlanet. GTByTheNumbersandGranTurismo.com4LYFE

[George]

Well, I tried to walk away, but not convincingly, I guess. After two and half months since it first appeared on craigslist and we made contact, the seller made us an offer we couldn't refuse, as they say in the movies.

The funny thing is the seller is selling this car to buy a first-generation Ridgeline, he says. We could have just traded! :lol: I'm going to give him one of my extra steel wheels so he can install a full-size spare and I'll have one less wheel in my stack o' wheels & tires in the garage.

I guess now that it's ours, I can post pictures. I just got spooked when I realized the only browser my company allows on their laptops now has a feature where if I click on a picture to view it, there's a link to click to find other sites that contain the same picture. I didn't stop to think that pictures I took on our test drive wouldn't be the same as the seller's pictures, which I only posted in the craigslist thread but have since deleted. I just didn't want the seller seeing what I was saying about his car (and how much we liked it). I thought spoiler tags would help, but I don't really know.

Here are a couple shots from this morning.



Before we could go meet the seller at our bank, my Ridgeline had its first mechanical problem in four years of ownership: a dead battery.

https://i.postimg.cc/SR3wsCQh/IMG-0805.jpg

I assume my new dual-dashcam setup drained the old battery, kind of like the tired boxer analogy. Turns out the battery was from 2015. Batteries ain't cheap these days, and now my son has removed and installed one.

https://i.postimg.cc/HLzRMfW3/IMG-0802.jpg

Now, of course, my radio is giving me the CODE error, just like the BMW. I know how to fix that.

Here's our small fleet, ranging in age from fourteen to thirty-four. My son likes the rear pop-out windows. He thought he opened one, but I showed him how to push it even more so the "elbow" locks in place. It's so much fun to discover things like this together.

https://i.postimg.cc/GpDJwDVD/IMG-0804.jpg

As I was leaving home to come to the office, my son was having the time of his life emptying the trunk. We got a BMW-branded bra, a grey car cover, and even a whole FLOOR JACK :eek:, and more. As I pulled out, his best friend from down the street showed up - running, not walking! :lol:

At the top right of this picture, you can see two steel Ridgeline wheels that I don't need. I think I told a long, boring story about how I obtained a second set of OEM steelies from craigslist a while back.

https://i.postimg.cc/43FCMDCy/IMG-0812.jpg

It just kept coming, including what I assume is the stock jack, with a circular crank like my old VWs, hubcap wrenches, and more, such as a never-installed sunroof...uh...spoiler? It's a piece of dark tinted plastic that sticks to the roof in front of the sunroof, which I don't think we'll install, but it's cool to have a bunch of extra stuff.

https://i.postimg.cc/JzLR5CmW/IMG-0817.jpg

I figure all the stuff he unloaded from the trunk ought to cut a second or two from its zero-to-sixty time.

We also got some kind of Airsoft scope mount (that my son recognized; I wouldn't have known), an old tee shirt, a beige blanket that covered the back and top of the rear seat and shelf between the rear seat and window, and even the nine-iron that rode up top to hold the blanket in place.

My Camry and both our Accords had a little fold-down door behind the rear seat armrest so we could put a pair or two of skis in the trunk and have them come into the passenger area. Old news, right? I bet most sedans have something like that.

He was amazed to find this - a sleeve to put wet skis in, I guess! Pretty fancy. I used to (and still do) just wrap my skis in an old blanket, which did the job fine and didn't retain water like this would. I've never seen such a thing in a car. The fact that he's a skier and he discovered this thing himself makes it all the more fun.

https://i.postimg.cc/3NkbGNWF/IMG-0815.jpg

There's the blanket and the shirt, too. I guess the nine iron wandered off.

https://i.postimg.cc/1Xb7rSqh/IMG-0816.jpg

One of the best things is how little room it takes up in the garage compared to the Ridgeline. Cleaning the garage out and getting the mess o' crap off my workbench will be a priority this weekend.

https://i.postimg.cc/jSmQFcgK/IMG-0811.jpg

Yes, that's a 2020 registration sticker, but I can legally drive it for 36 hours as is if purchased from a private party per state law. So, it's legal for a couple more days. We'll still have to make it pass emissions before we can register it.

This evening before dark, I'm going to take the family out for a drive. It'll be cooler then, too. The A/C is weak to say the least. When he and I got home with the car, with the sunroof and all windows open, we both had big sweat stains on the backs of our shirts. That took me right back to air-cooled VW ownership in the summer.

Our daughter hasn't had much to say about this pending purchase, but even she grudgingly gave in after a walk-around in which she pointed out several things that were wrong with it. "Yeah, there's a lot that needs work on this car," he said. She then said, "Okay, I gotta admit, this is pretty cool!"

And it is. He's going to teach her how to drive it, once I teach him. He's quite the video game driver, but pushing this manly-man clutch will take some practice.

Thanks for reading. It has been a very good day, so far.



As they say in the movies, the adventure is just beginning.

[JoshInKC]

Cool, man!
Good job getting your kid a (relatively) safe car that's also neat (if you're bmw nerd).

[dodint]

Very cool, George. Love that you two are sharing this adventure together.

[dodint]

I liked this one a lot, but there were extra batteries in the back for the light in the twelve o'clock position and I think there are smaller lights at each of the other hours. Plus, there was a small speaker in back. What's that for? Hourly chimes, maybe? It seemed too complicated and likely not 100% working if someone got rid of this beauty. I showed my wife and kids and they all hated it. :lol:

https://i.postimg.cc/1z6GL11T/AFQG8509.jpg

I might go back for it. :cool:



I would not have passed on the Deere clock.

I hope George isn't embarrassed by me saying this publicly, but he went back and picked up the Deere clock and sent it to me as a surprise. Ashley and I opened it last night and we love it. I'm not sure if it's clear from the picture or not but it seems that every hour when the hour hand passes a new tractor it plays the sound of the depicted tractor starting and idling. Very cool. I'll snap a picture of it when I get it hung in the garage, I have to hang the walls first. :lol:

Very sweet of you to think of us, George. Thanks.

[CudaMan]

So much awesomeness in this thread recently! Surrounded by negativity and troubles, it's refreshing to see some joy and some wins. :)

That is one well preserved E30! Lucky kid and it sounds like he will really enjoy it.

[George]

Thanks gents. We have troubles too, but it's nice to be able to do fun stuff some of the time.

The car is bringing some funny, if expensive moments, such as when I gently touched one of the trunk badges it fell off! My son said, "Oh, yeah - I touched that yesterday and noticed it was loose."

Then, we dropped a spark plug socket under the hood on the passenger side, but it didn't go all the way through and land on the floor. My son reached down and pulled it up and it was literally dripping with gooey, black oil. Apparently the socket wrench it landed on a CV joint boot that is especially juicy. :lol:

And, my son and his friend somehow bent the hinge that helps hold the hood up. We have another on order, along with new 325 ix badges. We happened to have a piece of thick wooden dowel in the corner of the garage that's just the right size to prop open the hood in the meantime.

But, we still can't find any rust, unless these muffler straps count:

https://i.postimg.cc/DyVknBZD/IMG-0620.jpg

Doesn't anyone recognize this part? It also broke when touched. :D

https://i.postimg.cc/BbKr21hM/IMG-0629.jpg


...it seems that every hour when the hour hand passes a new tractor it plays the sound of the depicted tractor starting and idling

Yes. You can press a button on the back to advance the sequence. If you manually turn the minute hand to the next hour, you can hear the next engine sound. I assume the most vintage-sounding one will be the twelve o'clock one, and I assumed you'd enjoy figuring it out. I'm sure you've noticed the sounds are thin and tinny if you hold the clock in your hands, but if you hang it on a wall, the wall helps provide some bass so they sound more like engines. It was my great pleasure to send that your way.

[dodint]

That looks like an adjustable steering column lever. My E46 has one just like it.

Yeah, I don't know enough about Deere to match up the sounds, lol. I just like the brand from my time in Wisconsin.

[George]

Doesn't anyone recognize this part?

Of course I meant to say Does and not Doesn't. I'm seeing more errors like this in my forum posts and business emails lately, upon later re-reading. Don't know if it's failing eyesight, going senile, always hurrying to get stuff done, or auto-correct happening in the background that I don't know about.


That looks like an adjustable steering column lever.

Maybe the same lever; I'd be the last to know in this crowd. No, it's the hood release lever. :( We have a new one of those and the cable that does the job at the other end on order also.

Thank goodness my son has a good-paying summer job or we'd be in the poor house already after less than a week of ownership.

Colorado minimum wage is $13.65. At first I was like :eek: but now I'm all :rawk:!

An O2 sensor and an air filter cost $100 yesterday at Auto Zone. He was ready with his debit card. :up:

Here's a question if I may: As he is (still) trying to get the O2 sensor to thread into where it goes, he says we should buy some jackstands (and I agree) so we can get under the car and clean off all the oil and grease from the bottom half of the engine bay on down and back. The car doesn't seem to be leaking, but it does seem leaky, if that makes sense. There's just a lot of accumulated drips and drops who knows what-all underneath it.

Is there a smart way to do this so we don't just move the goo from the car to our garage floor? Maybe a Rent-A-Bay kind of business? We have those around here.

Edited to add: After posting this, I searched on YouTube and I see I have much watching to do.

[CudaMan]

I did it in my driveway which is gently sloped. Degreaser, a brush, a hose (partially to keep cleaning the brush out), and shop towels aplenty. Remember to cover the alternator if it's anywhere near where you'll be spraying, and same for any torn CV boots - you don't want water or degreaser getting in there.

[George]

Center caps for the 15" ix wheels are shockingly expensive, and apparently only available used, as far as I've found up until now. We need - well, want - just one. Anyone have a drawer full of 'em that you're not using? :lol:

https://i.postimg.cc/28dJmYgb/IMG-0635.jpg

My son installed the O2 sensor by himself yesterday while I was at work. Not a huge project, obviously, but I'm proud of him. He says it's running a little better, but still a little rough at idle, which makes me think there's [a whole lot] more to replace before our emissions test.

I dropped my daughter off at school today (for an extra-curricular activity starting two weeks before school does) and then just happened to pass the local emissions testing place at five minutes to eight on my quest for a breakfast burrito. Now, the last time I went there, they had stopped putting everyone's car on rollers with the tailpipe sniffers and just plugged right into my ODBII port. I was outta there in just a couple of minutes the most recent time, unlike in previous years when I've spent time in line in the car and then time in a little booth watching them test my car. I've been thinking they must be really fast now and I won't have to wait in line for an hour or more for a test.

Nope. The line was long (fifteen or twenty cars, I'd guess) and right out to the street, so there wasn't even room for one more car to pull into the parking lot from the street. If I can work from home tomorrow also, I might roll by at around 9:30 or 10:00 AM and see if it's still that bad.

In the meantime, allow me to share our awesome hood-propping-up dowel, the old O2 sensor and air filter, some metric wrenches I bought a long time ago, and the temporarily de-badged trunk lid. There are still "ghost" marks from the old badges, even after cleaning and waxing the area, so I'm confident we'll get the new badges back in place exactly where they go. I'm occasionally often cursed with an inability to see "the big picture", but my eyes have always been drawn to little details, such as mis-mounted badges indicating cheap repaints (which this car has had) and making assumptions about sloppy owners who aren't overly concerned with such trivialities. :erm: :lol:

https://i.postimg.cc/63k1mW40/IMG-0844.jpg

You can see the "chrome" is peeling off the two and the five. The "chrome" grille of my Ridgeline that's twenty years newer than this car has the same problem, ever since I had to drive it on a cold December 2022 morning when it was -15 F (-26 C) outside. Sourcing a new 2009 - 2014 Ridgeline grille with "chrome" trim is looking like Mission Impossible so far.

https://i.postimg.cc/prK1NwDt/IMG-0843.jpg

The radio works, and least two of the four speakers do also. Just like the power antenna on my '94 Camry, this one has been hit and is bent and doesn't go all the way up or down. That's kind of how most things on this car are - they work, but they aren't right, as we knew going into this project.

https://i.postimg.cc/9MRnbR00/IMG-0845.jpg

[George]

It could be worse, though.

I don't know how to make this video appear here, but hopefully the link works. It is short and cute.

https://www.reddit.com/r/E30/comments/15a9zr1/thought_yall_might_get_a_kick_out_of_this/

[CudaMan]

LOL that's very cute. :)

Your son's car looks like a real solid base! The paint looks pretty good too, just some swirls and contamination that the detailer in me wants to take care of. :lol: (I'm a sucker for red). IronX, clay, gentle machine polish (it might be single stage paint?) and a sealant, and some trim restorer on the black stuff, and it'll look a million bucks.

[pl8ster]

Nice! This is awesome.

[George]

Your son's car looks like a real solid base! The paint looks pretty good too, just some swirls and contamination that the detailer in me wants to take care of. :lol: (I'm a sucker for red). IronX, clay, gentle machine polish (it might be single stage paint?) and a sealant, and some trim restorer on the black stuff, and it'll look a million bucks.

Thanks. My son has read all the receipts going back to September 1988 that came in a fat folder. He said it was a $500 paint job with clearcoat from Maaco in 2018. Seller told me it was a Maaco paintjob beforehand.

Speaking of the lad, he has been working on this car in the garage almost every day. He, by himself, replaced the hood hinge, hood release lever (that I broke) and cable, the odometer gears (so the odometer works now), and a bunch of bulbs behind the gauges so far. The stock water temperature gauge still doesn't work, although the aftermarket one does, and the fuel gauge needle seems to wander about a bit.

Here it is with the dash cover removed, showing the original cracked dash. The instrument cluster is the blue thing on the passenger floor.

https://i.postimg.cc/yYqtNchv/IMG-0955.jpg

The dash cover seems like a cheesy idea, but it actually looks fine at a glance.

https://i.postimg.cc/7YgcJhmD/IMG-0957.jpg

Here it is on the car last night. He was driving.

https://i.postimg.cc/8zzHkzYZ/IMG-0983.jpg

We received the new trunk badges also, but are waiting for this weekend so we can really take our time and get them perfectly mounted. I think I like the de-badged look in the meantime:

https://i.postimg.cc/HWtXJCXR/IMG-0980.jpg

Yesterday evening we went out for a sunset drive after rush hour had settled down and there were fewer cars on the road. I couldn't resist whipping out my phone to record the occasion of his first time driving a manual transmission. This parking lot was too small, but I saw it and pulled in anyway. He just needed a couple tries to get it rolling from a stop. After that, I jumped in the passenger seat and he drove it home - the long way. :)


https://youtu.be/yuZE8wDKI0c

[dodint]

My E24 M6 had a dash cover too. Dash was probably made of the same material.

Very cool, happy to see he's so excited about it. From the video I assume he's on a NASCAR path? ;)

[George]

Apparently so.

:lol: :up:

[Yeti]

That's a nice E30!

[George]

Many thanks to dodint for the cool, vintage code reader! I'd post a picture, but my son has it packed away with his tools at the moment. He said it showed no codes, but I didn't witness it in operation. I did see where it plugs in under the hood though. Neat.

In the last few days, we (but mostly he) installed a tune up kit, which included new spark plugs and wires, distributor cap, valve cover gasket, and maybe a couple other things. Haven't installed the fuel filter yet but learned how so fuel (supposedly) won't spray all over place when we remove it. Will probably install a new coil while we're at it, just so the whole ignition system is refreshed, but there aren't any available nearby and we haven't ordered one yet.

https://i.postimg.cc/pLvYfvRz/IMG-1002.jpg

I'm thinking we should adjust the valves now that we know how easy they are to get at. Still haven't tried an emissions test yet, but I figure all this stuff needs to be done anyway and can't hurt its chances. I haven't adjusted valves since the early '90s when I switched from German to Japanese cars, but I still have my feeler gauges and, of course, YouTube, and a son who loves working on this car even more than video games. :eek:

We took it out for some neighborhood sneaking around yesterday evening before dark and I'm pleased to report it is running much more smoothly than before. We were getting some "chugging" while accelerating through first and especially second gear, but now it sounds and feels more like it should. It still seems to idle a little rough, but I'm no expert in how these should sound.

My son managed to accidentally start from a stop three times in third gear instead of first, and it never stalled. This thing pulls pretty strong, even in third! :lol:

My son also volunteered to change my oil and filter yesterday. He even reset the dashboard code for me afterwards. He has certainly hit the ground running in learning about and working on cars. :up:

I really thought I had another picture to share, but maybe I didn't press the "shutter" button after lining up the shot the first day we saw the car. I'll get another, if only because it's kind of funny and apparently not expensive to fix.

It is something this car has that Neil Young mentions twice in one of his songs from the 1970s. Neil Young fan(s), place your wagers now on what it might be. :)

[dodint]

"Vintage"

I bought that new in 2007 for my E24 M6. :lol:

Though they don't make it anymore. Maybe they have an app for cars that old now, I don't know. Glad it's getting used though. I don't have anything that old anymore and I can't see buying anything pre-OBD in the near future.

[George]

"Vintage"

I bought that new in 2007 for my E24 M6. :lol:

Though they don't make it anymore. Maybe they have an app for cars that old now, I don't know. Glad it's getting used though. I don't have anything that old anymore and I can't see buying anything pre-OBD in the near future.

Well, you could almost fill a book with what I don't know about old BMWs. ;)

You stay in the sweet spot between OBD and TPMS, I assume.

I considered writing a scathing review of the pile o' crap rental car I had last weekend back east but figured you guys have read it all before from me about ridiculously unnecessary and ANNOYING AS HELL electronics, so I have refrained.

So far.

[Phil_SS]

It is something this car has that Neil Young mentions twice in one of his songs from the 1970s. Neil Young fan(s), place your wagers now on what it might be. :)

Picture of a southern man?




I considered writing a scathing review of the pile o' crap rental car I had last weekend back east but figured you guys have read it all before from me about ridiculously unnecessary and ANNOYING AS HELL electronics, so I have refrained.

Tease.

[dodint]

I rented what ended up being a very lackluster Jeep earlier this year. But I will say that adaptive cruise control might be the feature that lures me into late model car ownership.

[George]

Picture of a southern man?

Nope. The song is more of a "deep cut". I doubt it was ever played on the radio, unless some FM station back then played the whole album.

The lyrics of the song were the very first thought I had when I saw the, um, "feature" on this car.

It is car-specific. It's not like I parked the car near a river, took a picture, and then thought of Neil Young's "Down By The River".

[George]

Sorry to keep going about this car, but having a cool old car in the garage and getting to drive a manual again has injected some much-needed joie de vivre into the jaded relic I have become.

When we were test-driving the car, I thought to myself, "Hell, I should sell my Honda and get one of these for myself!" Four wheel drive and something larger than a two-seater is all I really want, especially if my wife has an SUV.

Then I measured my son's car and realized we could fit three E30s side-by-side in our two-car garage. :D

But where to get another one?

Of course, I'm not serious; just goofing off online when I should be doing more productive things.

However...

1991 BMW 325ix E30 Touring - $20,000 (https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/d/denver-1991-bmw-325ix-e30-touring/7651213957.html)

https://images.craigslist.org/00n0n_e6Yu1YeMSLZ_0CI0t2_600x450.jpg

Maybe I could go test-drive it and swipe a hubcap when he's not looking. :lol:

[dodint]

Ah, yes, addiction...

[CudaMan]

I mean, it's hard to beat the BMW Touring when it comes to maximizing both practicality and driving fun...

... as long as it's a good one you can keep on the road more than in the shop.

[George]

Woo hoo! It passed emissions today! And, not just barely, but with flying colors.

Here's some groovy all-wheel-drive action, too.


https://youtu.be/wGU2gRkrdqc

The Subaru on the left was right-hand-drive. The guy was behind me in line, where I noticed he was sitting on the "wrong" side.

https://i.postimg.cc/gj736fsL/IMG-1048.jpg

[dodint]

Congrats!

It has a more highly functioning emissions system that my X5, lol.

[George]

It has a more highly functioning emissions system that my X5, lol.

Perhaps. Dig these numbers...

https://i.postimg.cc/rFyMzh21/8-14-2023-emissions-test.jpg

...as compared to these about a month ago!

https://i.postimg.cc/66fB9kg6/7-10-2023-emissions-test.jpg

We installed a "tune up kit" from FCP Euro but I also read practically everywhere online lately that emissions tests should be done with a hot engine. So, I went highway driving yesterday. I put about 75 miles on the car before the test, and most of that at highway speeds. This car runs really well on the open road, even with no hands on the wheel. The radio works. The clock works. The cassette deck works! :rawk:

I am pleased to report that only one part (that I know of) fell off the car and disappeared during the drive. :erm: It is the part that Neil Young sang about, and I'll share that if Josh doesn't wander in here soon and give us the correct answer.

This afternoon we're going to the DMV to pay sales tax, register the vehicle, get a temporary tag, and order new plates. I guess they'll mail us the plates along with the new title in a few weeks.

Sadly, Colorado no longer lets owners register a car with old plates, so the original green ones will go on the wall of the garage, I guess. I assume the state figured they were losing revenue when they could be selling new license plates instead of letting people use plates from decades ago. Sad. I've always enjoyed seeing new cars with old plates (but current stickers) around here. :smh:

[dodint]

If the car is old enough (pre-1978 I think) you can run the plate from the year the car was made, here in PA. Fun program. I wish they had made it a rolling age (all cars over 30 years, etc.) instead of writing the statute to cutoff at a set year. Would've loved a blue keystone plate on the Delorean. Alas.

[pl8ster]

If the car is old enough (pre-1978 I think) you can run the plate from the year the car was made, here in PA. Fun program. I wish they had made it a rolling age (all cars over 30 years, etc.) instead of writing the statute to cutoff at a set year. Would've loved a blue keystone plate on the Delorean. Alas.

Thankfully, they do that in a lot of states now. Maine is so lax that they don't even specify that the plate type has to match the vehicle or even has to be from Maine, as long as you have it registered in Maine as an Antique Auto (>25 years old) and have those plates in the vehicle. I saw a great one a couple of months ago, I'll jump on my phone and post the pic shortly.

[pl8ster]

4139

[George]

That is a cool license plate! :up:

[Kchrpm]

Whoa that's nice!

[George]

Maybe someday I'll share the story about another NWT plate. I'm not sure if the statute of limitations has passed. :eek:

Speaking of license plates, the BWM is now registered and is sporting the same old plate on the front but a shiny new temporary tag on the back.

Our son chose this new style, which thankfully costs no more than the green-on-white standard plates.

It was designed by a girl under thirteen years old. Here's the story: https://dmv.colorado.gov/historiccolorado

https://dmv.colorado.gov/sites/dmv/files/styles/original_size/public/u13-hico-winner_0.jpg.webp

[JoshInKC]

That's a pretty nice looking plate.
Clicked through to the link and found that the other winner was this (https://dmv.colorado.gov/sites/dmv/files/styles/basic_card_crop_is/public/hico%20o13%20-%20hi%20res.png.webp).
Which is pretty funny: "The Centennial State" "1876-2026", especially when the other tag mentions the sesquicentennial.

[George]

Josh! Nice to see you. Got an answer for my Neil Young "Final Jeopardy" question above? If not, I'll spill the beans. It's nothing important but it is a kind of unique car "feature" that Neil mentioned in one of his songs.

[JoshInKC]

I have no specific guess off the top of my head, but is it something from 'Sedan Delivery'?

[George]

I have no specific guess off the top of my head, but is it something from 'Sedan Delivery'?

No, but thanks for playing. I figured if anyone here could guess, it would have been you.

It's an obscure track from an artist with a huge catalog, and therefore unlikely that anyone might guess it, especially with almost no hints from me. I first heard it on his compilation album Decade, but it was originally on Tonight's The Night, a classic I didn't discover until years later as its own album. The album is bleak and depressing and Neil sounds kinda messed up on a lot of it.

From wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonight%27s_the_Night_(Neil_Young_album)): "Tonight's the Night is a direct expression of grief. Crazy Horse guitarist Danny Whitten and Young's friend and roadie Bruce Berry had both died of drug overdoses in the months before the songs were written. The title track mentions Berry by name, while Whitten's guitar and vocal work highlight "Come on Baby Let's Go Downtown"; the latter was recorded live in 1970. The song would later appear, unedited, on a live album from the same concerts, Live at the Fillmore East, with Whitten credited as the sole author."

"Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown" is probably the most peppy and upbeat song on the album, possibly because it's about going downtown to score drugs. Neil later wrote "The Needle And The Damage Done" about Whitten's overdose. And of course the title track is about Bruce Berry, who died "out on the mainline."

The song I instantly thought of the first time I saw the car is called "Tired Eyes." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tired_Eyes_(Neil_Young_song)) "It is based on a true story that occurred in Topanga Canyon in 1972. According to Young, "That actually happened to a friend of mine. My friend was the one who shot the other guys. It was just one of those deals that went bad."

Here's a link to the whole album as a playlist on YouTube for those who want to sit in a dark room with a bottle or whatever and feel bad for a while.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTGjVvQPVWg&list=OLAK5uy_n7FPJTfkbKccxYcTo0MKOfonAhT3UeZnU

And here's "Tired Eyes", a slow, sad song that mentions something the BWM has one of. Or had.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPoIRVSLJ2o&list=RDiPoIRVSLJ2o&start_radio=1

"Well he shot four men in a cocaine deal
And he left them lyin' in an open field
Full of old cars with bullet holes in the mirrors"

And, later in the song...

"Well tell me more, tell me more, tell me more
I mean was he a heavy doper or
Was he just a loser?
He was a friend of yours
What do you mean he had bullet holes in his mirrors?"

https://i.postimg.cc/GhsDshbt/IMG-0695.jpg

But, it's not a problem anymore. :lol:


I am pleased to report that only one part (that I know of) fell off the car and disappeared during the drive. It is the part that Neil Young sang about, and I'll share that if Josh doesn't wander in here soon and give us the correct answer.

https://i.postimg.cc/yYTVX4YD/IMG-1056.jpg

I was out driving it on the highway at 70+ mph to get it nice and hot for the emissions test. At one point, I looked over and the mirror was just gone!

[JoshInKC]

Nice- I would never have come up with that as a possible answer!
And that streak of On the Beach, Tonight's the Night, & Zuma is my favorite Young era. If you haven't heard it, Homegrown which came out in 2020 is a "lost" album from that timeframe and is also great.
I'm glad you and your son are having fun with the car.

[George]

And that streak of On the Beach, Tonight's the Night, & Zuma is my favorite Young era. If you haven't heard it, Homegrown which came out in 2020 is a "lost" album from that timeframe and is also great.

Good album! Thanks for the reminder. I remember that album cover as one I borrowed from the library on CD a while back. I listened to the whole thing on YouTube yesterday. I'm on a big Neil Young kick right now, which won't last more than a few days probably, but it's fun to revisit old favorites and "new" music. There is so much never-released material out now and older stuff I never heard the first time around.

[pl8ster]

Maybe someday I'll share the story about another NWT plate. I'm not sure if the statute of limitations has passed. :eek:


Is it the one in my collection? If it is, I'll post a pic. I'm sure the SOL is up, it's been ages :D

[George]

Well, if you'd care to share another plate from your ample collection, who am I to say no? The story of my brief involvement with it is more about working for a huge corporation on multiple floors of high-rise office building than license plates, as you may remember.

I'm getting ready to repaint a couple walls in my garage and finally hang a few old plates on the wall where they belong, including the green ones that came with the BMW. My wife had a cool plate when we first met - I'll post a picture once I get my hands on it again. Not sure where my short stack of old plates is at the moment. I've always been meaning to hang them up in neat rows "someday".

[pl8ster]

Here's the plate. Now it's story time!
4164

[George]

Okay. But first, a BMW update.

Before:

https://i.postimg.cc/rmtnH2Sp/IMG-0641.jpg

After:

This was easy. The bulb was hanging from wires just inside the hole.

https://i.postimg.cc/br7WFhJB/IMG-1263.jpg

Before:

https://i.postimg.cc/GhsDshbt/IMG-0695.jpg

During:

https://i.postimg.cc/yYTVX4YD/IMG-1056.jpg

After:

https://i.postimg.cc/0Qr4kQK4/IMG-1257.jpg

Before:

1. Bent antenna that went neither all the way down nor all the way up with a mostly disintegrated old rubber grommet that had red overspray on it

2. Original (we assume) late-1988 license plate with years of registration stickers applied by Mary-Anne With The Shaky Hand, apparently...

https://i.postimg.cc/9MRnbR00/IMG-0845.jpg

After:

Okay, you can't see it, but it's all the way up and straight. :up:

https://i.postimg.cc/nz5PCJvh/IMG-1252.jpg

Smooth! Now we can put on the car cover without it looking excited to see everyone.

https://i.postimg.cc/L510PbTB/IMG-1254.jpg

New plates came in just a couple weeks. They, not we, applied the stickers with the crooked 8 on the left side. I haven't mentioned it to my son and I hope he never notices.

https://i.postimg.cc/HWcNFrgc/IMG-1256.jpg

We tried installing a new temperature sensor as well to fix the stock gauge, but I guess he ordered the wrong one. It physically didn't fit, and it's going back today.

Still lots more to come, but my son did almost all of this by himself, including ordering and paying for almost all of it, including some things not pictured. :up:

About all I did was hold the new rearview mirror in place as he tightened it into position and then enjoy him chauffeuring me around in a twilight neighborhood drive yesterday.

Next up: installing new trunk badges, buying one or more center caps for the wheels (it's missing one) from a local (wow!) supplier who my son found, and then the scary mechanical stuff starts. :eek:

Finally, here's the license plate story. I don't know if I should be proud or ashamed of how I obtained it. I'm far from perfect but usually do not break our social contract in this manner. All I know is I'm really happy it's in pl8ster's collection now instead of in its former bleak surroundings.



This is mostly plagiarized from the PM I sent to pl8 in January of 2015 while I still worked at this corporate leviathan. That's how I know how many people and which floors of which buildings all these years later.

I started a new job in 2012 at the corporate headquarters of a very large company that has locations in multiple countries and continents, including one in Canada's Northwest Territories. The first day I was shown to my seat in the cube farm, I noticed a bear-shaped license plate displayed on someone's wall. It was just thumb-tacked to a bulletin board along with the usual post-it notes and general office clutter. I immediately thought of the only guy I know who collects license plates.

At the time, this company had six floors of a high-rise office building - the 6th through the 12th. A few times I asked people, "so how many people work here?" No one ever had an answer, but it was clearly hundreds of people. The company was in a contant state of change. Layoffs happened, then there was a rush to hire contractors and temps, then layoffs again the next year, and so forth. It was the kind of place where the advice from pilots in the world wars came to mind: don't get to know anyone too well because they'll be gone soon.

Three people sat in that cube with the license plate on the 7th floor of that building while I worked there for most of 2012. I kept an eye on it but never said a word to anyone about it.

In 2013, my department moved to the second floor of an adjacent office building and a guy - the third guy, I guess - brought it with him to the new building. But, of course, he got laid off or fired or quit not long afterwards. Another guy was hired and inherited the license plate.

This fourth person brought it back to the other building in early 2014 when we all moved to the 8th floor there. Whereas previously the license plate was always visible to me in a nearby cubicle, the caretaker of the plate was now in a different group than I. Now I only saw the plate if I had to go over there to talk to someone, rather than every time I looked in that direction from my seat in open office awfulness.

Then his group moved to the 9th floor and the office/facilities folks cleaned out the cubes. They were good at that, and the need was frequent at this company. We were here today and gone tomorrow, but the cart-pushing ghouls who cleaned out cubicles remained. I rarely saw the plate for a while, but I still had hope I would someday come to temporarily possess it, by hook or by crook.

Some time passed and I remained on the 8th floor.

After the the next round of layoffs or whatever other corporate upheaval occurred, the company moved everyone from the 6th floor to higher floors. The sixth was mostly abandoned and was used for two purposes: large meetings, because there was a huge open area where a few hundred people could get into all at once; and consolidation of office supplies. The cubicle cleanout crew used the 6th floor to dump everything that people left behind. There was an enormous collection of office chairs, staplers, letter-openers, pens and pencils, and what I was sure at the time was the world's largest supply of dry-erase markers and erasers. I told pl8ster in my original PM that I could have filled a barrel with dry-erase markers alone.

More time passed.

One day, my rectractable badge clip-on-a-wire thing broke and I asked the receptionist for a new one. She showed me a box of well-worn badge holders and said all she had were used ones. I took the newest-looking one, but the very next day I pulled out the cord to swipe my badge and the clear plastic clip strap broke. Now, as this company was pretty particular about everyone visibly displaying a badge - to the point that several people asked me when I started carrying it in my pocket, I figured I'd better find another rectractable belt-clip or maybe try a lanyard this time. But where to find such a thing?

Why, the 6th floor, of course!

And there it was, leaning up against a wall at the corner of a countertop. I found a badge clip, and a couple of the mechanical pencils I like, and I grabbed a legal pad to insert the plate into the middle of for the nonchalant walk back upstairs to my desk like an inmate smuggling contraband. A later trip to the 6th floor yielded me padded envelopes and tape. I took it to the post office and mailed it to pl8ster.

So I stole it, yes, but I never lost a minute of sleep over that. It needs to be with someone who will enjoy it and show it off, rather than decorating the cubes of sad-faced office drones who have one eye on the clock while web-surfing and updating their resumes and wondering when the axe will fall on them.

Finis

[dodint]

If that little 8 bothers you I imagine having one front seat headrest fully extended and the other all the way down must really drive you nuts. ;)

[George]

Nope. They're adjustable. License plate stickers are not.

Actually, I've been impressed with the speed and efficiency of the CO DMV as long as we've lived here. I suppose I can forgive this one minor transgression, but then what am I going to complain about? :(

[Godson]

Nope. They're adjustable. License plate stickers are not.

Actually, I've been impressed with the speed and efficiency of the CO DMV as long as we've lived here. I suppose I can forgive this one minor transgression, but then what am I going to complain about? :(

The kids walking across the lawn?

;)

[George]

I need to get some new material.