The Vent and Rant Thread

[DMcCunney]

[QUOTE=Katsunami;3360501]

It goes without saying that this person wasn't too pleased when he came home, as we've heard rants about it around the neighborhood for months afterward

<snicker>

Along those lines, another chap I heard about got a fuel efficient European model, and drove everyone to distraction with his tales of his marvelous gas mileage.

Irritated co-workers decided to play with his head. Every day, one would sneak out to the company parking lot and siphon gas into his tank. He went for weeks without needing to get gas, and raved to the dealer he bought the car from about how wonderful the mileage was. The dealer knew it couldn't be that good, but wasn't about to bust a happy customer's bubble.

Then the co-workers reversed their strategy and starting siphoning gas out of the tank. His gas mileage rapidly became measurable in negative numbers, and he drove the dealer crazy with "Fix it!" demands, when there was nothing they could fix.

The co-workers finally confessed what they had done and why. Whether the chap they did it to learned from the experience wasn't reported.
______
Dennis

[badgoodDeb]

I believe a VW beetle (older kind) was put onto the chapel stage at my college. Before my time (or at least, not during).

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by wodin

When I was in high school the Principal bought a VW beetle, the old rear engine kind (yes I really am that old). As a prank, the football team carried it to the second floor of the school and deposited it in the hallway outside of his office.

It took the entire faculty (including the football coach) to get it back down.

The worst thing I ever saw happen to a car was the car was first shoe polished so the guy had to get a new paint job. Then some of the older students turned it upside down on a street during a rainstorm. Totally wrecked the paint job. It was the vice principal's car.

The really sad part was some of the parents just laughed.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Sometimes smoke detectors beep because the UNIT is too old, tho the battery may be fine. They have a built in expiration, these days ..... I guess the (whatever) that does the detecting can age, and no longer do the proper function.

I'm just relieved it was a low battery. The last thing I need is my landlady in here with a sick cat I haven't had time for anything else. I'm lucky if I get 3 hours a night of uninterrupted sleep. Housecleaning is having to wait.

Sent from my XT1528 using Tapatalk

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by wodin

Oh, but they smell SO good.

You know, here's the thing. I'm NOT immune to the allure of a new car. Something with nice lines, sweet leather...I'm not. I'm just NOT willing to finance a depreciating asset. Ixnay on that. I did it once--in 1985, and never again since. Every vehicle we've bought since then, new or used--we pay all cash. If I can't afford it, I can't have it. Period.

After all: I mean, really, what is the actual difference between, say, a Mustang and a Jag? Other than, what, $30K? They are both CARS. They both depreciate. They are vehicles that take you from A to B in relative comfort. After that, you're paying for snob factor. (And...I confess, even more: I like expensive cars. I do. I'd take an R8 in a heartbeat.) But my left-brain just won't let that right brain splurge on a silly thing like a bloody CAR.

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

There are Volvos on the road that are part of the Million Mile club. It's a point of pride with Volvo that they build to last, and some really do.

Yes. And even everyday cars can last a remarkably long time, IF you take care of them.

Most cars won't achieve that, but in general, reliability has increased over the decades as manufacturers have learned that customers will pay for quality. Detroit's "planned obsolescence" of the 50's is a thing of the past.

Every car I've had has lasted not a day less than 25 years. Some have gone on to other family members, or whatever, but, bygod, they last.

And service on current cars is a much different matter than it once was. The car has a raft of sensors and microprocessors communicating over a local network, and when a service call is required, the mechanic can plug a computer into a diagnostic port, and the car will say what it's problem is.

Well, yes, but that also means that Gus can't fix his own car, either.

It's a far cry from the days of the "Gus Wilson's Model Garage" feature in Popular Mechanics magazine, where crafty old mechanic Gus used experience and cute tricks to determine just what the car's problem was before he went in to make a fix.

Yeah, I kinda miss that.

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

Technically, the smell is out gassing, and the volatiles that comprise it are toxic. It might smell nice coming off the lot, but there's a limit to how much of that smell you want to inhale.
______
Dennis

GREAT. You've convinced me not to inhale. LOL.

(It figures, you would be the one to know that.)


Hitch

[CRussel]

I've had the same car (2000 Honda S2000) for 16 years. If I'm really, really lucky, I'll never have to buy another. I'm prepared to do what it takes to keep this thing running, since my budget will never stretch to anything 1/10 as much fun.

Fortunately, I don't live where there's much snow or salt. And it IS a Honda. Though somehow, I suspect that a Honda that has a red-line of 9000 RPM can't be quite as reliable as a regular Honda.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Hitch

You know, here's the thing. I'm NOT immune to the allure of a new car. Something with nice lines, sweet leather...I'm not. I'm just NOT willing to finance a depreciating asset. Ixnay on that. I did it once--in 1985, and never again since. Every vehicle we've bought since then, new or used--we pay all cash. If I can't afford it, I can't have it. Period.

And that sort of thing bemuses me about leasing. Effectively, you are renting, not buying, so you pay the same sort of charges but don't actually own the asset when the lease expires.

A late friend of mine recounted getting an Amex card decades back. He went out and bought a Mercedes with it. He already had the money saved, so he simply paid the charge in full when the statement arrived. He got a fawning letter from Amex telling him they were upgrading his account.

After all: I mean, really, what is the actual difference between, say, a Mustang and a Jag? Other than, what, $30K? They are both CARS. They both depreciate. They are vehicles that take you from A to B in relative comfort. After that, you're paying for snob factor. (And...I confess, even more: I like expensive cars. I do. I'd take an R8 in a heartbeat.) But my left-brain just won't let that right brain splurge on a silly thing like a bloody CAR.

Depending on the car, it can be more than snob appeal. Really high priced cars tend to have special things you pay for, like speed. Consider the Bugatti Veyron, whose first model would cost you over a million dollars. But it had a 1,200 horsepower engine and could do 0-60 in an eyeblink.

A friend who was a hot car fan drooled over the Veyron, and was startled when I told him VW owned the marque and it was a VW product. He'd managed to miss that, and granted, it's not what you expect from VW. He owns a lovingly restored 1967 427 Corvette. When he got it to the point where he could drive it, he discovered he had to reacquire his hot car driving reflexes, because he popped a wheelie stomping on the accelerator.

(Along those lines, Ford had a race car called the Ford GT back in the 70's. To be legal under USAC rules, it had to technically be a "production" car, so British Ford Special Products division made 50 for sale to the public. A GT in full race tuning could do over 200mph. How much over was uncertain, because it might take off and fly at that speed, and Ford lost a couple of test drivers finding that out. So someone thought about drivers trying to open it up on unlimited speed highways, and the version sold to the public was detuned to give it a maximum speed of only 160mph...)

Yes. And even everyday cars can last a remarkably long time, IF you take care of them.

And if you do your homework and buy a good model in the first place.

Every car I've had has lasted not a day less than 25 years. Some have gone on to other family members, or whatever, but, bygod, they last.

Maintain them properly, and they will.

Well, yes, but that also means that Gus can't fix his own car, either.

If he has a computer with the right software to plug into the car's diagnostic port he can. And even if he doesn't - it will simply take longer to diagnose what the problem is.

Yeah, I kinda miss that.

The techniques have changed, but the process stays the same. I have friends who are network engineers who do things like hook logic analyzers to the car's internal network bus to capture and decode message packets being passed around. (It's not Ethernet and TCPIP - autos have their own networking standard called CANBUS)

GREAT. You've convinced me not to inhale. LOL.

Depends on what you are inhaling.

In the case of "new car smell", you won't be inhaling enough to do damage. There are various air freshener products for autos intended to give that new car smell, but to the best of my knowledge, none of them really nail it. That's likely because they have to leave out the toxins to legally make and sell the stuff.

(It figures, you would be the one to know that.)

I have a magpie mind, read incessantly, remember what I read, and am interested in pretty much everything. My SO commissioned a mutual friend to create a calligraphic button for me with the legend "Ohhh! Shiny facts!" after watching me spend a couple of hours chasing down Google rat holes.

So I wind up with all manner of curious mental flotsam and jetsam, and most of it comes in handy at some point. I don't pretend to know everything, but I do tend to know more about things being discussed than those I'm talking to.
______
Dennis

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Though somehow, I suspect that a Honda that has a red-line of 9000 RPM can't be quite as reliable as a regular Honda.

Depends on how often you red-line it...
______
Dennis

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

And that sort of thing bemuses me about leasing. Effectively, you are renting, not buying, so you pay the same sort of charges but don't actually own the asset when the lease expires.

I confess. I don't understand why anyone leases, (excluding companies/tax reasons therefor) but...horses, courses, and all that.

A late friend of mine recounted getting an Amex card decades back. He went out and bought a Mercedes with it. He already had the money saved, so he simply paid the charge in full when the statement arrived. He got a fawning letter from Amex telling him they were upgrading his account.

Yeah...I remember when that was the end-all, be-all. I recall the Gold card, the black card, the platinum card, the Optima, the...it never ends. I mean..snob appeal around a credit card. Mother of heaven.

(n.b.: full disclosure: at one point I was contracted to Amex, back in the "day," when they were REALLY rolling in it. When the daily float off of Traveler's Cheques was 8 Billion--yes, billion with a "b"--dollars. I mean. yowza.)

Depending on the car, it can be more than snob appeal. Really high priced cars tend to have special things you pay for, like speed. Consider the Bugatti Veyron, whose first model would cost you over a million dollars. But it had a 1,200 horsepower engine and could do 0-60 in an eyeblink.

A friend who was a hot car fan drooled over the Veyron, and was startled when I told him VW owned the marque and it was a VW product. He'd managed to miss that, and granted, it's not what you expect from VW. He owns a lovingly restored 1967 427 Corvette. When he got it to the point where he could drive it, he discovered he had to reacquire his hot car driving reflexes, because he popped a wheelie stomping on the accelerator.

The Veyron is indeed special. So are many others. And, yeah...speed. Lovely. And Rollers, of course--made by hand. Yes, there are some cars--few--that have specialty aspects that make the price tag go up. But the cars that most average folks--even those with bigger incomes--can afford? Nah.

(Along those lines, Ford had a race car called the Ford GT back in the 70's. To be legal under USAC rules, it had to technically be a "production" car, so British Ford Special Products division made 50 for sale to the public. A GT in full race tuning could do over 200mph. How much over was uncertain, because it might take off and fly at that speed, and Ford lost a couple of test drivers finding that out. So someone thought about drivers trying to open it up on unlimited speed highways, and the version sold to the public was detuned to give it a maximum speed of only 160mph...)

I remember the GT. Ah, the good old days, when you could make them as fast as you wanted, pretty much depending only on your budget. :-) I'm still a sentimental sucker for that paint job.

And if you do your homework and buy a good model in the first place.

Maintain them properly, and they will.

Yes--both go without saying. If you buy the modern-day equivalent of the Pinto or the Gremlin...well, I wouldn't expect those to last very long. I keep seeing those mooshed cars--the new small Fiats--zooming around up here in the desert, and I wonder how long those suckers will last. Of course, by and large, that car, and the MiniCooper, tend to appeal to young people who mayn't have the same love of NOT buying new cars as some of we old farts.

I have a magpie mind, read incessantly, remember what I read, and am interested in pretty much everything. My SO commissioned a mutual friend to create a calligraphic button for me with the legend "Ohhh! Shiny facts!" after watching me spend a couple of hours chasing down Google rat holes.

So I wind up with all manner of curious mental flotsam and jetsam, and most of it comes in handy at some point. I don't pretend to know everything, but I do tend to know more about things being discussed than those I'm talking to.
______
Dennis

I'll bet that you are in high demand for cocktail parties, particularly in your location...an environment always ripe with the Illumi-NOT-eh and that sort of social event. Not to mention, the Dread Trivia King of Kings County, I should think?

:-)

Hitch

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Lord. I confess, I'm too cheap. My current car is 18, going on 19, and if it lasts another 5 years, good. I refuse to be sucked into the whole gotta-have-a-new-car thing. Buy very good ones to start with, maintain the hell out of 'em, and just...drive 'em until they literally fall apart.

Just..a different viewpoint.

Hitch

I'm of the same mindset. My 16 yo car has finally gone to the great scrapyard in the sky after being run into the ground (too expensive to fix after failing the MOT).

Now have a recent pre-registered (read "used") hybrid automatic, which I'm very happy with and hope to be for the many years to come.

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by orlok

I'm of the same mindset. My 16 yo car has finally gone to the great scrapyard in the sky after being run into the ground (too expensive to fix after failing the MOT).

Now have a recent pre-registered (read "used") hybrid automatic, which I'm very happy with and hope to be for the many years to come.

That's awesome. I don't seem to be able to keep a car more than 5 years. My 2009 Kia Rio died in 2015 (a year and a month ago, R.I.P.). Unfortunately, I was driving it when it overheated and died. Despite being a relatively young car, I used to have to drive over 200 miles a day and it had about 160k miles on it.

Also calamitous, I had bought a house much, much closer to work the year before and also put $1000 worth of work into the Rio when it died. I didn't have the money to fix it. However, due to the house purchase, I can bus and/or bike to work easily (I'm 3.5 miles away, a mile of that through a park). Also, my mother, who has been retired for awhile, moved in with me after my stepfather died and she has a car (a 2007 Corolla) that I can use when I need, which isn't often. I like biking to work, more or less, and Mom does most of the grocery shopping, anyway.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by covingtoncat73

That's awesome. I don't seem to be able to keep a car more than 5 years. My 2009 Kia Rio died in 2015 (a year and a month ago, R.I.P.). Unfortunately, I was driving it when it overheated and died. Despite being a relatively young car, I used to have to drive over 200 miles a day and it had about 160k miles on it.

Also calamitous, I had bought a house much, much closer to work the year before and also put $1000 worth of work into the Rio when it died. I didn't have the money to fix it. However, due to the house purchase, I can bus and/or bike to work easily (I'm 3.5 miles away, a mile of that through a park). Also, my mother, who has been retired for awhile, moved in with me after my stepfather died and she has a car (a 2007 Corolla) that I can use when I need, which isn't often. I like biking to work, more or less, and Mom does most of the grocery shopping, anyway.

That's not a great endorsement of the Kia, I have to say, though the mileage was pretty high for its age - mine was about 190k when I gave it up. It still drove fine, but we have a yearly motoring test here which every car over three years old has to pass, and it was just not going to be economical to fix the problems with it (main one being an internal oil leak in the engine).

Biking to work has to be the best option. I'm home based, and our head office (which I visit a couple of times a week) is 180 mile round trip, so I'd have to set off on my bike 2 days before the meetings to get there in time .

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by orlok

...Biking to work has to be the best option. I'm home based, and our head office (which I visit a couple of times a week) is 180 mile round trip, so I'd have to set off on my bike 2 days before the meetings to get there in time .

[Toxaris]

Doesn't KIA have a 7 year warranty? It has over here which is very uncommon for a car. We recently had say goodbye to our Citroen C4 Grand Picasso (quite a mouthful). Of course it was a stick shift car and the clutch broke down while driving with the family on the highway. Looking at the age (11 yrs), the mileage and expected repair costs (it was also due to its yearly maintenance) it was not economical to repair it.
So, I just bought a used Prius with great mileage and it is in prime condition. I used to have a company car for many, many yrs before I bought my first car (the mentioned C4), so I have been spoiled for quite some years.

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

Doesn't KIA have a 7 year warranty? It has over here which is very uncommon for a car. We recently had say goodbye to our Citroen C4 Grand Picasso (quite a mouthful). Of course it was a stick shift car and the clutch broke down while driving with the family on the highway. Looking at the age (11 yrs), the mileage and expected repair costs (it was also due to its yearly maintenance) it was not economical to repair it.
So, I just bought a used Prius with great mileage and it is in prime condition. I used to have a company car for many, many yrs before I bought my first car (the mentioned C4), so I have been spoiled for quite some years.

7 years or 100k miles...