Official Off Topic Discussion Thread #1

[esoxlucius]

A few days late to the conversation but if you haven't named the rabbit yet esoxlucius might I suggest Stew?
I think it's a good rabbit name.

Stew is a great name for a rabbit, though the irony won't be lost on my son!!

Or maybe it will because he's decided to call it Muffin!! Lol.

 

[Ogertron3000]

No, I don't like Oasis, one little bit!

Yes , i am starting to get the impression you dont.....
I didnt mind them back in the day but i dont understand the hype for this reunion, i guess a bunch of guys in their 40s and 50s want to relive their younger days. Really only the first 2 albums were any good then it was a long slow decline that was sad to see but inevitable, you mentioned Blur, they kept going but changing their style and havent aged as poorly.
If i was considering buying a ticket my concern would be, are they any good now and can they hold it together and not have a bust up between now and the end of the run of concerts.

Hello; Mustangs like almost all cars have gone too digital is a minor thing. The big thing is they are the only such type of car left so no deals. The Charger deal is sweet in terms of price. I wanted a Challenger with the 5.7 V8 and six speed manual but found they require 91-93 octane gas. Around me that is a 70 cents/gallon premium in cost per gallon. A Challenger with the auto trans can use 87 octane. I am too picky sometimes.

There is an electric mustang on the market here in australia, it looks appalling, more like a weird SUV than a mustang. I dont know why they had to change the body shape so much An electric motor in the classic body might work but not this,.in my mind its not a mustang. Are these available in the U.S?

 

[skjl47]

Yes , i am starting to get the impression you dont.....
I didnt mind them back in the day but i dont understand the hype for this reunion, i guess a bunch of guys in their 40s and 50s want to relive their younger days. Really only the first 2 albums were any good then it was a long slow decline that was sad to see but inevitable, you mentioned Blur, they kept going but changing their style and havent aged as poorly.
If i was considering buying a ticket my concern would be, are they any good now and can they hold it together and not have a bust up between now and the end of the run of concerts.




There is an electric mustang on the market here in australia, it looks appalling, more like a weird SUV than a mustang. I dont know why they had to change the body shape so much An electric motor in the classic body might work but not this,.in my mind its not a mustang. Are these available in the U.S?

View attachment 1548189

Hello; I have seen them in showrooms and on the street. A Mustang in name only. Some similar taillight and front facia treatments to a real Mustang. Not clear to me why ford gave it the name. Latest reports I have seen show Ford losing something around $50,000 dollars on each EV they make. Ford has also cancelled plans for a new EV plant. I think it will make an ICE but do not recall which. Maybe Broncos.

Do not know why this bothered me so much but Ford put a digital dash screen in the Mustangs. Replaced the traditional speedo & tach. This is what i was referencing about too much electronics tech a few post back. But I agree the Mustang EV is an abomination of the name.

Let me be clear. I do not oppose someone having an EV. For those for whom an EV can work out such is fine. People with private homes who can have a level II charger can do OK. People in apartments or places where they cannot have such a charger have a steep energy (fuel) cost. To charge at a for profit public charger turns out to actually cost more than filling up with gasoline several have reported.

I do oppose the no ICE sale mandates looming. I also oppose taking dollars from taxpayers to help others buy an EV. Let the EV's prove themselves on their own merit. If they are superior folks will want them.

 

[krichardson]

Hello; I have seen them in showrooms and on the street. A Mustang in name only. Some similar taillight and front facia treatments to a real Mustang. Not clear to me why ford gave it the name.

It seeems to be along the lines of the Dodge Hornet,and rather than a Mustang they should have called it a Pinto,a guy at work has one.

 

[fishhead0103666]

The young people in the US don't care about high gas prices lol. Chrysler was smart to produce those fast ass vehicles because the youth love speed and recklessness.

I disagree, I miss my $1.99 gas and have been complaining about it ever since it hit $2. It doesn’t hit my wallet that much harder but I want my $1.99 gas back and I’ll die on this hill.

 

[esoxlucius]

Yes , i am starting to get the impression you dont...

Was I that blatant in my dismissal of them, lol.

Incidentally, I caught the back end of a report on the news yesterday that hotel prices are already starting to soar as the Oasis concert goers try to secure early digs.

Can you believe that some unscrupulous hoteliers are emailing people who booked under the normal prices, telling them that due to a computer glitch, their booking has had to be cancelled!!!

This is to make room for the gig goers who will be paying a much higher premium!!! Like I said, I only caught the arse end of the piece so I'm not 100% sure of the full details.

If it's true though that is scandalous.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; I learned something the other day about the free lifetime or extended warranties car dealers so often offer. These comments will, of course, be about one specific experience. I was about to buy a car. Was going thru the paperwork I had to sign. Got to the page about what they called a lifetime warranty. A main thing stood out, that being I would have to take the car to their shop and have the inspections cited in the owner's manual done. Went to the car and read about the required inspections. A list of yearly things to do extending across two pages. Not sure but went out close to twenty years, I think.

So went to the service department to ask the main service person about the inspections. The inspections themselves are free but there was a catch. I would have to pay for the services. Oil change at $140. Tire rotation $230. Air filter engine $90. Cabin air filter $89. Those were all i asked a price for. There were more things on the list, but the conversation was sidetracked.

I asked what happens if I do my own oil & filter change or rotate my own tires. Was told the lifetime warranty will be voided. Asked if I put a K&N on the engine. That also will void that extra warranty. So, it boiled down to I would have to bring the car in each year and let them do an inspection to keep that "free" warranty.
I do not begrudge them a money maker plan. The cost of repairs and maintenance will add up over the years. I asked about what if they suggest a repair or job i do not agree with. If I do not let them do it the warranty is voided.

Last bit. I asked if I could have this done somewhere else since I live 100 miles away. Yes, at a Dodge dealer. I asked about a private shop. Yes, if it is at an ASE certified shop. I went to my favored shop and checked. Shop owner tells me his mechanics have different and varied ASE certifications so he could not be sure if any one could satisfy the rules. I sent an e-mail asking about this but three days later do not have an answer.

For me that free lifetime warranty is of little to no use. I do my own ordinary work. Thought my experience might be of value.

 

[esoxlucius]

For me that free lifetime warranty is of little to no use. I do my own ordinary work. Thought my experience might be of value.

The situation you describe is pretty much standard practice is it not when buying a vehicle from a dealer. As well as the original price of the vehicle they like an on going "trickle" of money coming in from the vehicle even after it's left the showroom.

Like you say, you can't begrudge them this extra money making venture because it actually suits some people to do it that way. Some people don't have a clue about even basic car maintenance and I suspect these after care packages are aimed primarily at those types.

Their attitude will be, "well, they can't do the work themselves, so we'll do it for them, at garages of our choosing, and at a cost that we set". And anything outside that set criteria they threaten you with an invalid warranty.

So what do you do to prevent that?

Well, anyone who knows a thing or two about cars, as you obviously do, doesn't go to a dealer. They buy privately. You check the car out, and knowing a thing or two about cars means you'll probably pick up on anything dodgy with the vehicle on a test run for example.

If the car passes your "checks", then you have a privately bought car minus the warranty and can subsequently make whatever arrangements you want regarding ongoing maintenance and services.

I don't see the need for anyone who knows their way around cars to get themselves lumbered with the whole scenario you describe, and then whine about it!!

 

[jjohnwm]

I spent about a decade in the car industry, starting as a new car salesman, quickly graduating to a used car salesman (much more challenging game; if new car sales were deer hunting, then used car sales would be polar bear hunting with a spear...) and ending up spending the last few years as a business manager; that's the guy who hangs you upside-down in his office after you have bought the car and who then beats you with a stick to dislodge any loose change still clinging to the inside of your pockets or purse. These are all commissioned sales jobs...just like the service advisor who urges you to spend more money on your vehicle when you bring it in for service. Everyone got his "cut" and it all hinged on getting you to pay as much as possible.

The service department was always where the real money was made by the dealership. Back then (1980's) very few vehicle sales departments actually turned a profit on the cars themselves; it was the after-sale stuff like warranties, financing, finance insurance, rust-proofing, etc. that actually made the money, along with the ongoing service you were urged to practice. The customer was steered towards a mind-set that made you feel that your life, your job, your family and all your other interests were sidelines that must take a position secondary to...The New Car.

I entered the business of automotive retailing as a confirmed car nut; I belonged to clubs and ran rallies and slaloms and could recite the performance specs of every new car on the market. A decade in that industry left me with the conviction that buying a new car was about the dumbest thing a person could do, right up there with going over Niagara Falls in a barrel if that experience was something that you needed to finance over 4 years, but without the adrenaline rush. I haven't bought a new vehicle since then, and still feel the same way.

 

[jjohnwm]

I don't see the need for anyone who knows their way around cars to get themselves lumbered with the whole scenario you describe, and then whine about it!!

This ^, absolutely. It's like people who complain incessantly about the government...but who can't be bothered to vote...