Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

Operation: Tape Measure Assault has successfully annoyed a Subaru, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai and Ford dealer. I also measured a Dodge Caravan because there was one handy.

Conclusion: WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN IT'S TOO BIG FOR A DODGE CARAVAN!? (The Caravan is SUBSTANTIALLY shorter in usable height than the crossovers. I don't get it either.)

Finalists come down to the Ascent and Flex.

The Ascent is almost PRECISELY the correct height in the vertical axis (it's so tight I actually have to go back and measure the curvature of the hatch opening more precisely) and approximately 3 inches too short (I haven't DQ'd it because I forgot to check to see if the second row seats have sliders or recline that can make that up). It does, however, have the distinction of being the only thing besides a minivan that leaves space for the second crate AND still has room for a couple of carryon size bags. Seriously. It is stand-out cavernous once you get inside the hatchway.

The Flex is actually smaller than it looks. It's rear hatch is big enough (and weirdly almost a perfect square). It is substantially narrower than the Ascent, however, and will not fit both crates, meaning the second row passenger seat gets a big metal box bolted into it, making it a less safe place for childrenz.

Advantage (assuming the clearance issues can be resolved): Ascent.

I have also inquired with the crate manufacturer about a custom size that trims off inches to make it fit an Ascent. They build the things to order anyway, I wouldn't think a custom size would be too big a deal.

I've really wanted to like the Flex but it falls short in a lot of aspects. It's also quite old as the last update it saw was 2013 or so. Looks like fun this work...
 
Drove my Mustang to work for the first time in a long time.... I missed big naturally aspirated power.
 
I went on a little errand last night in mine, I forgot how easily speeds are achieved when highway is nice and empty
 
Ugh oh.

Email from insurance auction website.... "One or more vehicles from your watch list are now scheduled for sale and are available to bid."

But boooo, public can't bid on this one.
https://www.iaai.com/vehicle?itemid=31860621
 
The dealer might be able to look up your credit score or history, but they are not getting a loan approved on a Saturday or Sunday. This video will explain it better than I can. Skip to the 3:20 mark.

Just got word back from my friend at Banco Santander/Santander Consumer, who is one of the largest auto financers in the country (among other things, they run Chrysler Capital). Not only do they originate, process and approve loans on Saturday, he believes from the last time he looked at the stats, Saturday was their best day of the week for originating and approving loans and it’s the same for their competitors as far as he knows.

So, yeah, Lehto’s either relying on some weird state restrictions/traditions and assuming it applies to the whole country or he’s just full of crap. I was pretty sure that it was the case before, but I just wanted to be sure.
 
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Could be that he's relying on old info too. Very plausible that in the not-too-distant past, banks did not process loans on Saturdays but now they do.
 
Could be that he's relying on old info too. Very plausible that in the not-too-distant past, banks did not process loans on Saturdays but now they do.

Have to be quite a while in the past; at least some lenders were open and originating/approving on Saturdays as long as I’ve known about the process, so that puts it at least 25 years back.
 
A full size van
Just got word back from my friend at Banco Santander/Santander Consumer, who is one of the largest auto financers in the country (among other things, they run Chrysler Capital). Not only do they originate, process and approve loans on Saturday, he believes from the last time he looked at the stats, Saturday was their best day of the week for originating and approving loans and it’s the same for their competitors as far as he knows.

So, yeah, Lehto’s either relying on some weird state restrictions/traditions and assuming it applies to the whole country or he’s just full of crap. I was pretty sure that it was the case before, but I just wanted to be sure.


How late do they approve loans? I know i have seen a form very much like he describes after banking hours when I have gone with friends.
 
Since I have been gone forever here are my best two entertaining stories (which also can be summarized as "why I am using the dealership while looking for a new mechanic")

Story one:

I have a friend who lives a few towns over, I go to pick her up, the first time I have had a passanger in months.

She goes to buckle the seatbelt "I cannot find the thing". So we get out of the car I look at the seatbelt. There is no buckle on it. Only a fabric loop. Where did it go???

I get a flashlight to shine in the opening it comes out of, poke around with a screwdriver, compare to the other side, no it does not seem to be there. It was metal!! How could it just be GONE. We stand there and I am like. Oh god what do I do how do I solve this. I stare at the car. I finally notice that the left and right side seat belts come out from different places. The passanger side it comes from higher up near the seat.

I pull the seat up, no, not there. Then I remember, the most common Beetle Malfunction? Rear passanger side window getting stuck. I pry off the side panel. The fucking seatbelt was INSIDE THE TRIM.

We were just going to accept that the seatbelt was gone. This is the beetle, sounds legit. The seatbelt disappeared into the void. Normal. Sometimes you just cease to have a seatbelt.

____

Story two aka, why the beetle is somehow a representation of me:

my brakes felt wrong. It bothered me for months. I had other people drive the car, took to mechanic. "It's stopping fine" everyone says. The car is fine.

The car is not fine.

I get in it to drive somewhere, I live on a VERY steep hill. A "it literally hurts your ankles to walk up/down it" steep hill. And I hit the brakes to stop at the end of the street and nothing happens. I throw on the e brake, force the tiptronic into park in hope it slows me down and pray.

The bottom of the street is not the bottom of the hill, just an intersection. There are three cars on the road the intersection is with, I have to dodge them on my way down. I take a right, down a dead end I know ends in a metal barrier ready to say goodbye to my car.

6" from the barrier the car stops.

It arrives at the dealer and I am told ghe brakepads were bare. The brakes themselves severely damaged. The front arms, too. Damage total: 2x the value of the car. It's totalled.

But it still stopped. Months of falling apart, me bringing it in worried "something is wrong with my car". They didn't actually check. It was preforming fine with it's dead brakes. I spent the good part of a decade, in that same place with health care. Begging for tests for 5 years until they came back as "oops this isn't reversable" even though I asked for help back when it was.

The beetle will be a project car and if I cannot be a doctor for myself I damn well will learn how to be one for my car. Letting it die feels too wrong.
 
How late do they approve loans? I know i have seen a form very much like he describes after banking hours when I have gone with friends.


For what its worth, TD Auto FiSTed me at 3pm on a Saturday.


Wait..... what?
 
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tenor.gif
 
Since I have been gone forever here are my best two entertaining stories (which also can be summarized as "why I am using the dealership while looking for a new mechanic")

Story one:

I have a friend who lives a few towns over, I go to pick her up, the first time I have had a passanger in months.

She goes to buckle the seatbelt "I cannot find the thing". So we get out of the car I look at the seatbelt. There is no buckle on it. Only a fabric loop. Where did it go???

I get a flashlight to shine in the opening it comes out of, poke around with a screwdriver, compare to the other side, no it does not seem to be there. It was metal!! How could it just be GONE. We stand there and I am like. Oh god what do I do how do I solve this. I stare at the car. I finally notice that the left and right side seat belts come out from different places. The passanger side it comes from higher up near the seat.

I pull the seat up, no, not there. Then I remember, the most common Beetle Malfunction? Rear passanger side window getting stuck. I pry off the side panel. The fucking seatbelt was INSIDE THE TRIM.

We were just going to accept that the seatbelt was gone. This is the beetle, sounds legit. The seatbelt disappeared into the void. Normal. Sometimes you just cease to have a seatbelt.

____

Story two aka, why the beetle is somehow a representation of me:

my brakes felt wrong. It bothered me for months. I had other people drive the car, took to mechanic. "It's stopping fine" everyone says. The car is fine.

The car is not fine.

I get in it to drive somewhere, I live on a VERY steep hill. A "it literally hurts your ankles to walk up/down it" steep hill. And I hit the brakes to stop at the end of the street and nothing happens. I throw on the e brake, force the tiptronic into park in hope it slows me down and pray.

The bottom of the street is not the bottom of the hill, just an intersection. There are three cars on the road the intersection is with, I have to dodge them on my way down. I take a right, down a dead end I know ends in a metal barrier ready to say goodbye to my car.

6" from the barrier the car stops.

It arrives at the dealer and I am told ghe brakepads were bare. The brakes themselves severely damaged. The front arms, too. Damage total: 2x the value of the car. It's totalled.

But it still stopped. Months of falling apart, me bringing it in worried "something is wrong with my car". They didn't actually check. It was preforming fine with it's dead brakes. I spent the good part of a decade, in that same place with health care. Begging for tests for 5 years until they came back as "oops this isn't reversable" even though I asked for help back when it was.

The beetle will be a project car and if I cannot be a doctor for myself I damn well will learn how to be one for my car. Letting it die feels too wrong.

Ugh, I have this with my Mercury wagon. Currently in the process of replacing all hardware in the back. Last time I did drum brake work was on my 93 flareside pick up. If the drums aren’t adjust right, the whole system feels crap with a ton of pedal travel. I’ve had many people drive the wagon and say “oh the brakes are fine!” They aren’t. They just aren’t. With my company cars, the Jeep dealer did the same thing when I complained of suspension clunking.
 
For what its worth, TD Auto FiSTed me at 3pm on a Saturday.


Wait..... what?
1kdDpjx.jpg


In other news, the Holden of Fail has allegedly been fixed. My mechanic said it passed a compression test, as well as a block test, so there shouldn't be a head gasket issue. He did however find, a bunch of air in the cooling system, and that the oil was 3 quarts low. I dunno where that's going, since there aren't really any visible leaks other than some valve cover seepage and it doesn't smoke at startup.
 
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