Author Topic: Anything related to automobiles  (Read 100670 times)

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Online El Barto

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #140 on: September 26, 2013, 10:44:56 PM »
I got into a heated exchange with the Service manager last time (Pep Boys) and told him, he shouldn't call his employees mechanics but rather techs..since all they seem to be able to do is pull a  code.  Told him REAL mechanics don't exist anymore, before cars became computerized a real mechanic could test drive or hell even listen to a noise and pin-point the problem, these guys seem to be clueless
Interesting choice of terminology. In BMW world, all the service folk I deal with are considered techs, and they tend to be the most qualified mechanics you'll ever come across. I used to have my work done by a guy who was absolutely Godlike in his mechanical abilities, and he considered himself a BMW tech. I think from their perspective it just sounds a lot cooler to be a tech than a mechanic; probably easier to get laid.
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Offline Perpetual Change

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #141 on: September 27, 2013, 04:33:27 AM »
My defrost is not working and the autoshop is (perhaps bogusly) tracing it back to radiator and water pump... which they want 1800 to fix.

Not sure it's gonna happen.

I drive a '04 Lincoln LS with 92k that always seems to need expensive repairs, even though it runs perfectly fine. Thinking of just getting a toyota or something jsut for the better mileage.
« Last Edit: October 09, 2013, 06:12:05 AM by Perpetual Change »

Offline wkiml

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #142 on: September 27, 2013, 07:28:01 AM »
Just hoping to get this thing to last until spring (Annual Bonus) than looking into a smaller SUV/JEEP

Kids are older, one is driving and the second will be soon (permit) so no need for the minivan anymore

Any suggestions?
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Offline Octawakeimages

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #143 on: September 27, 2013, 07:46:53 AM »
Saw this last night at the Thursday night cruise in... always loved these.


Offline ReaperKK

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #144 on: September 27, 2013, 08:15:46 AM »
Gorgeous, apparently a pain to own, especially the first lot that came off production. Many issues.

Offline Perpetual Change

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #145 on: September 27, 2013, 09:37:48 AM »
Well, I don't have kids or a mortage. Hmm... Think I'll trade my gas gusling lincoln in toward a compact hybrid that gets 40-50 MPG.

Anyone have any experience with these compact hybrids, like Honda Insight or Toyota Prius c?

Offline ReaperKK

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #146 on: September 27, 2013, 12:29:30 PM »
I don't have much experience personally with them. My dad did drive a prius for a long time, he went through two of them before getting his lexus hybrid.

The one thing that really sucked was driving on the highway, the road noise was nuts, even in the newer models they were pretty bad. Really they are best as city cars.

Offline carl320

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #147 on: October 08, 2013, 08:14:09 PM »
My car's in the shop, getting a new radiator and heater coil.  That's not going to be cheap  :|
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Online El Barto

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #148 on: October 08, 2013, 10:24:14 PM »
I suspect you mean heater core, and those things really suck terribly. I suspect mechanics double the price just because they're such a PITA to do.
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Online Chino

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #149 on: October 09, 2013, 12:41:36 PM »
Well, I don't have kids or a mortage. Hmm... Think I'll trade my gas gusling lincoln in toward a compact hybrid that gets 40-50 MPG.

Anyone have any experience with these compact hybrids, like Honda Insight or Toyota Prius c?

Huge fan of the Prius. I've had one as a rental for 21 days. I loved it. It's no sports car, but for someone who commutes 80-100 miles a day, it was fantastic.

Offline Perpetual Change

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #150 on: October 09, 2013, 04:14:41 PM »
Wound up getting a Civic. Was going to go for the Prius or Insight, but the hybrid prices seem pretty set in stone around here. I had an easier time negotiating with the other cars. Civic's still nice. Great fuel economy still, too.

Offline carl320

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #151 on: October 13, 2013, 01:57:11 PM »
Dear my car,

This is strike two.

After getting it back thursday for the earlier mentioned expensive repair, the clutch decides to fail today on my was home from a friends house  >:(
In high school my buddies and I built a Van Der Graaf generator.  You know, to get girls.

Online El Barto

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #152 on: October 13, 2013, 02:05:02 PM »
Dear my car,

This is strike two.

After getting it back thursday for the earlier mentioned expensive repair, the clutch decides to fail today on my was home from a friends house  >:(
Clutches don't just fail all of a sudden. They almost always go gradually. Clutch cylinders fail suddenly, but they're not all that expensive. Your pedal go all the way to the floor with no resistance?
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Offline carl320

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #153 on: October 13, 2013, 02:21:26 PM »
It's been making a bit of noise recently... with hindsight I believe that was it failing.  Today I was driving and I started hearing rattling like there was something loose.  I was hoping to make it home but then I was going up a hill and it got to be too much and I stopped.

I hope it's a clutch.  If it's something else I'll be in the market for a car since a transmission rebuild is not something I want to have to deal with, especially a week before I move.
In high school my buddies and I built a Van Der Graaf generator.  You know, to get girls.

Online El Barto

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #154 on: October 13, 2013, 02:26:29 PM »
How many miles are on it (the clutch, not the car)?
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Offline carl320

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #155 on: October 13, 2013, 02:28:17 PM »
I got the car with 129k (I think) and it now has 155k.  I don't know if it's been replaced before, but with my last standard the clutch went around this time (in the more traditional pedal to the floor but cant shift way).
In high school my buddies and I built a Van Der Graaf generator.  You know, to get girls.

Online El Barto

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #156 on: October 13, 2013, 02:37:31 PM »
If that's the original clutch, you've definitely gotten your money's worth. I normally expect 100-120k out of a clutch. Seems a little young to have a second one fail, unless you're driving a Ford Focus or something.
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Offline carl320

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #157 on: October 17, 2013, 12:06:46 PM »
An update since I've been posting about my car.

It wasn't the clutch.  It was the transmission.  No words at this point, still in shock  :|
In high school my buddies and I built a Van Der Graaf generator.  You know, to get girls.

Online El Barto

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #158 on: October 17, 2013, 12:20:01 PM »
Don't know if they gave you a quote or not, but standard transmissions usually aren't that expensive to deal with; certainly nothing like automatics. I know I had to replace them on both a Toyota and a Mazda and in both cases they ran about the same as a clutch job. Another consideration, depending on how you feel about the car, is putting a used on one on there. If you're not looking at keeping the car for the long haul, then it's a perfectly viable thing to do.

You never mentioned what kind of car it is, but you might check eBay and see what a used tranny is running for your car.
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Offline carl320

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #159 on: October 17, 2013, 01:15:29 PM »
It's an 01 Saturn SL2.  I'm looking into what my options are.  The shop is calling around trying to find a used transmission.  When they find one they'll be able to give me an estimate.  This is just the worst possible time for this to happen, on the heels of another large repair and three days before I make a pretty big move  >:(
In high school my buddies and I built a Van Der Graaf generator.  You know, to get girls.

Online El Barto

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #160 on: October 17, 2013, 02:07:03 PM »
eBay is full of those things. Seem to run about $350-400 shipped. And, though it's hard to find out, labor time looks like it might be quite a bit less than the clutch job (unless you opt to have both jobs done).
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Offline carl320

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #161 on: October 17, 2013, 04:12:16 PM »
I'm going to have it repaired.  $400 is about right.  And since it's all apart (and old clutch is old) he's going to replace that as well.  Might as well have both done when it's all in pieces now than have to tear it apart again in the future.

Also, no wonder the labor is so expensive for this car... there were parts all over that had to be taken out to get to the clutch.
In high school my buddies and I built a Van Der Graaf generator.  You know, to get girls.

Online El Barto

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #162 on: October 18, 2013, 08:27:16 AM »
Yeah, clutch jobs are notoriously expensive. A rebuild kit only runs you a couple of bills, but you're inevitably looking at 6-8 hours to replace the silly thing. In your case, I'm surprised that there's so much overlap in labor. A transmission swap shouldn't take anywhere near as long as a clutch job. I would agree that there's enough overlap that it'd be best to do both, but I'd guess that you're looking at 4 vs 8 hours or so.

BTW, if you've never driven a car with a brand spanking new clutch, it'll really blow your mind.  :lol
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Offline carl320

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #163 on: October 18, 2013, 08:44:56 AM »
BTW, if you've never driven a car with a brand spanking new clutch, it'll really blow your mind.  :lol

It's nice but there is a learning curve.  A new clutch always takes some getting used to  :lol

The transmission had to come out to get to the clutch.  Which is kind of nice, since now the labor doesn't go up really any.  All they have to do extra is put the new one on the stand.
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Offline MrBoom_shack-a-lack

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #164 on: October 18, 2013, 05:39:59 PM »
Koenigsegg new Agera R showing off it's new stability control system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SywqgH7n-5g

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Online El Barto

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #165 on: October 18, 2013, 06:01:09 PM »
Koenigsegg new Agera R showing off it's new stability control system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SywqgH7n-5g
I guess that's neat, but all he's really doing is demonstrating that the car won't let you oversteer. I would have liked to see him hold one of those swerves, as if he were actually trying to dodge something in the road. I do recognize that the ESC can only be a benefit in that situation, but I'd still like to see how it plays out.
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Offline MrBoom_shack-a-lack

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #166 on: October 19, 2013, 03:22:55 AM »
Koenigsegg new Agera R showing off it's new stability control system: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SywqgH7n-5g
I guess that's neat, but all he's really doing is demonstrating that the car won't let you oversteer. I would have liked to see him hold one of those swerves, as if he were actually trying to dodge something in the road. I do recognize that the ESC can only be a benefit in that situation, but I'd still like to see how it plays out.
Yea I guess this was more for show and proof that it won't oversteer. Besides I don't think you wanna risk flippin a Koenigsegg right in front of the press although that would have been entertaining.  :lol
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Online Chino

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #167 on: November 13, 2013, 07:34:14 AM »

Musk's next target for Tesla: Its own 'F150' pickup



" "If you're trying to replace the most gasoline miles driven, you have to look at what people are buying," he said after an appearance at a Business Insider conference. "That's the best selling car in America. If people are voting that's their car, then that's the car we have to deliver."

Musk cautioned it's probably five years before Tesla will offer a pickup.

Ford sold 560,000 of the F series pickups in the United States through the first nine months of this year -- a period when Tesla sold just 14,000 of the Model S.

https://money.cnn.com/2013/11/12/autos/musk-tesla-f150-pickup/index.html?iid=Lead

Online El Barto

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #168 on: November 13, 2013, 08:17:56 AM »
It'll never fly. The people who buy F series trucks want no part of anything green. Plenty of them drive these things specifically to thumb their noses at anybody who would drive a hybrid/electric car. The only hope Tesla has is that they actually build something rugged enough to interest the contractors and ranchers who buy these things for their actual intended purpose. The high torque provided by electric motors would actually offer them an advantage, but there's still more to it than that.
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Online Chino

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #169 on: November 13, 2013, 08:31:14 AM »
It'll never fly. The people who buy F series trucks want no part of anything green. Plenty of them drive these things specifically to thumb their noses at anybody who would drive a hybrid/electric car. The only hope Tesla has is that they actually build something rugged enough to interest the contractors and ranchers who buy these things for their actual intended purpose. The high torque provided by electric motors would actually offer them an advantage, but there's still more to it than that.

I agree, if we're talking about stupid rednecks. However, I am sure you could win over the construction market if you could suddenly save contractors $1000+ a week in fuel costs (on top of government incentives). And I disagree about the torque. I think that would actually be one of the few things that could actually change peoples' minds. Also, hunters might be interested in a vehicle that doesn't scare the shit out of all wooded wildlife within a mile radius. I say to myself all the time "I wish I could own a truck that gets 30+mpg".

Online El Barto

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #170 on: November 13, 2013, 09:26:48 AM »
I said torque would actually be an advantage with the electric trucks. I just meant that there's a lot more to it than that. If you're going to use all of that torque you need to construct a vehicle that's incredibly rugged.

edit: Oh, and I'm not so sure about hunters. They have a tendency to drive way the hell out into the boonies, and I don't think people have all that much confidence driving a car with limited range that far out into the Styx. It'd certainly make me nervous.
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Offline JayOctavarium

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #171 on: November 16, 2013, 04:35:50 PM »
BMW i8 "test vehicle" at my work. I usually don't go for the supercarish look but I think this thing is beautiful

I just don't understand what they were trying to achieve with any part of the song, either individually or as a whole. You know what? It's the Platypus of Dream Theater songs. That bill doesn't go with that tail, or that strange little furry body, or those webbed feet, and oh god why does it have venomous spurs!? And then you find out it lays eggs too. The difference is that the Platypus is somehow functional despite being a crazy mishmash or leftover animal pieces

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Offline Dublagent66

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #172 on: November 18, 2013, 01:18:41 PM »
I've been driving a Civic EX for about 14 years now.  Seriously thinking about a new 2014 Camaro SS.  Tired of rice burners, although I'm also considering a 2014 Nissan 370Z.  However, not as many options as the Camaro.  We shall see.
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Online El Barto

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #173 on: November 18, 2013, 02:44:01 PM »
I've been driving a Civic EX for about 14 years now.  Seriously thinking about a new 2014 Camaro SS.  Tired of rice burners, although I'm also considering a 2014 Nissan 370Z.  However, not as many options as the Camaro.  We shall see.
Nah, keep burning rice (or better still kraut). Japanese sports cars are reasonably fast, reasonably agile and reasonably dependable. American muscle cars move up to stupidly fast at the expense of handling and reliability. Great for showing off at stoplights, but not much good for anything else (unless you're a dealership).

For the record, I wont discount the classic and now retro styling. Some of the throwback cars look really cool, and the new Camaros aren't bad. Americans muscle cars are just antithetical to everything I want in a car.
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Online Chino

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Re: Anything related to automobiles
« Reply #174 on: November 18, 2013, 04:08:33 PM »
I've been driving a Civic EX for about 14 years now.  Seriously thinking about a new 2014 Camaro SS.  Tired of rice burners, although I'm also considering a 2014 Nissan 370Z.  However, not as many options as the Camaro.  We shall see.

For what a Camaro SS costs, I'd prefer to get the Mini Cooper John Cooper Works hardtop. I'm assuming you wouldn't be using the back seats anyway.