Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

One of the centercaps from the Focus' stock alloys has gone MIA.

I knew it was only a matter of time, I caught some fucks in a tire shop popping the centercaps off and letting them fall all the way to the floor. Asshat forgot he was standing right in front of a window. Anyway, some of the plastic tabs that hold the things on broke.

Worst part is that I can't find the centercaps ANYWHERE. Even people on eBay with the centercap *IN THE PHOTOGRAPH WITH THE WHEEL* say they aren't going to include it.

To make matters worse, there are actually 2 variants on this centercap - one with the Ford logo colored in, and one without. Naturally I want the plain one.
 
I know it would probably be the expensive route... but if it really matters to you, I'm sure the dealer would have some. (If not, just sneak by afer closing with some pliers and jack them off one of the lot cars) :p
 
Well, due to my extreme boredom, I just worked out that my 94 Honda Accord has done, roughly, 657,000,000 revs in it's entire life.

...

*blink*
 
congrats you are now James May :p
 
Well, due to my extreme boredom, I just worked out that my 94 Honda Accord has done, roughly, 657,000,000 revs in it's entire life.

...

*blink*

What did you average the revs out to? 3000?
 
What did you average the revs out to? 3000?

Yeah I was just gonna ask how the hell can you calculate this... you may know the average revs, but how do you know how long the engine has been running?
 
My father sneakily put hubcaps on the Volvo today, I have a very strong urge to take a sledgehammer to them..
 
I'm doing my best to avoid road salt trucks on my daily commute, but they seem to sneak upon me and spread the corroding crap in front of me.
 
I'm doing my best to avoid road salt trucks on my daily commute, but they seem to sneak upon me and spread the corroding crap in front of me.

Agree wholeheartedly, salt trucks should be destroyed on sight. They rust the hell out of our cars, and ruin the road surface (;)) In the summer I try to scout out for gravel trucks though. A nice windy gravel road is perfect for a few runs after one of them has renewed the road surface :D
 
I'm doing my best to avoid road salt trucks on my daily commute, but they seem to sneak upon me and spread the corroding crap in front of me.

Fear of salt trucks is for people with nice cars! I even freely belt past them when I come up them on the freeway.

By the end of winter my Focus is a nice shade of road salt white, and it wears that with pride.
 
Fear of salt trucks is for people with nice cars! I even freely belt past them when I come up them on the freeway.

By the end of winter my Focus is a nice shade of road salt white, and it wears that with pride.

After a couple of years the nice white shade will have turned into a nice brown shade..:(
 
Especially on a Focus, which at least around here seem to rust even without the help of salt.
 
I caused the second scratch in my car today.

Agh... the 1st and second scratches are always the worst.
My tip : buy a second hand car, that way it usually comes pre-scratched. Subsequent scratches are not so bad anymore

By the end of winter my Focus is a nice shade of road salt white, and it wears that with pride.

I usually wash + polish the car before winter first, then let it get real dirty, and only wash it again after winter/salty junk is over. I do like the coat of white stuff on the car, it looks so much better when it's absolutely filthy
 
True that, I love a filthy car too. The only times I hate it is when you get a covering of dirt on it, then it lightly sprinkles with rain. This doesn't wash the dirt off, it just causes it to pool in the raindrops until they evaporate, leaving these dirt spots all over the car.
 
I just checked the tire pressures on my filthy car, a task which was most handily done after removing the wheel covers. I promptly got filthy hands.
 
I was standing at the gas station, fueling the Fuckus, when up to the adjacent pump pulls a glorious, immaculately clean black XJR. Talked to the guy who got out, and found out he's a salesman at the dealership across the street, and they're just putting that car out. I went over there IMMEDIATELY, and straight off test drove the thing.

Oh. My. God. I'm IN LOVE. I thought the Focus and I had something on that first drive - but THIS. OH GOD.

Essentially, I was ready to buy it straight away, screw all reason - until I asked how much.

$17,999. For a 1995 XJR. Immaculate, but still worth at an absolute maximum half that. Bastard wouldn't come down AT ALL.

I'm, quite frankly, heartbroken.
 
$17,999. For a 1995 XJR. Immaculate, but still worth at an absolute maximum half that. Bastard wouldn't come down AT ALL.

:blink: What an idiot. In a year's time go back and laugh at him still failing to sell it, or laugh at however low a price he's had to drop it to.
 
I drive by this dealership every day. They do brisk business with idiots who don't know what a car is worth. I can't blame them for pricing it that high if they know they can get rid of it at that price, but it's just wrong to not have let the petrolhead who already CLEARLY knows all about the bloody car, and thus how much it should cost drive it before pointing out just how much of a ripoff you're trying to pull.
 
I was standing at the gas station, fueling the Fuckus, when up to the adjacent pump pulls a glorious, immaculately clean black XJR. Talked to the guy who got out, and found out he's a salesman at the dealership across the street, and they're just putting that car out. I went over there IMMEDIATELY, and straight off test drove the thing.

Oh. My. God. I'm IN LOVE. I thought the Focus and I had something on that first drive - but THIS. OH GOD.

Essentially, I was ready to buy it straight away, screw all reason - until I asked how much.

$17,999. For a 1995 XJR. Immaculate, but still worth at an absolute maximum half that. Bastard wouldn't come down AT ALL.

I'm, quite frankly, heartbroken.

I'm guessing I don't have to explain to you why I own Jaguars, then. :D

Despair not, for there are others out there. The I6 R-model isn't that common as they were limited production cars - but they're still running around out there.

If you would have a V8 model, there are a couple to look at:

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/ctd/1461600440.html - with that mileage it almost certainly has to have the non-Nikasil engine (and I can check it via the VIN). You'd want to have the timing chain assembly replaced at $750-1000 as a matter of making sure you've got that problem killed dead.

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/cto/1470007652.html - same comments as above.

Of course, if you want to go out to LA and bring one back, the selection is even greater.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/1470002752.html

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/ctd/1469261603.html

Could also have someone out there look at it and have the car shipped to you.

:blink: What an idiot. In a year's time go back and laugh at him still failing to sell it, or laugh at however low a price he's had to drop it to.

I drive by this dealership every day. They do brisk business with idiots who don't know what a car is worth. I can't blame them for pricing it that high if they know they can get rid of it at that price, but it's just wrong to not have let the petrolhead who already CLEARLY knows all about the bloody car, and thus how much it should cost drive it before pointing out just how much of a ripoff you're trying to pull.

You could go back to them with a printout of this and see what they do: http://www.kbb.com/KBB/UsedCars/Pri...=50000&SelectionHistory=7953|31838|17101|0|0|

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people in the car business (and even just private sellers) who think that Jaguar + a few years of age = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ just because of the badge. That's just not so. Especially in this market, where you often can't sell most large luxury sedans for anything near their KBB retail value.
 
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