Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

Another question on dealer advertising

Leases are 24 months with $2500 cap reduction plus first payment, taxes,tag,state and local fee's and bank fee. 10500 miles per year and includes all possible and future rebates.

How can the price include future rebates if those are not known yet? Am I misunderstanding something there?
 
Another question on dealer advertising



How can the price include future rebates if those are not known yet? Am I misunderstanding something there?

No, it can go a couple ways.

One way is that this is just a CYA disclaimer and if a future (from the point of view of the date and time the disclaimer was written) rebate appears, you get it. That's fine.

Unfortunately, the other meaning is more common - you will be assigning any rebates, present or future, *to the dealer* and you'll never see a dime of them.
 
I just returned from a vacation in Colorado. I didn't take the Volvo, instead drove my girlfriend's 2006 Ford Escape V6 (200hp, 4-speed slushbox), and while there drove a 2006 Toyota RAV4 2.4 (~150hp?, 4-speed sluxhbox). Both were very bland, and the RAV4 felt very underpowered (especially at the top of Mt. Evans at 14,000ft). Basically, I got a taste of what a great deal of the population drives on a daily basis (those RAV4s are everywhere!).

Today I got back in the Volvo and just couldn't stop smiling every time I pressed the loud pedal and hit boost.
 
I just returned from a vacation in Colorado. I didn't take the Volvo, instead drove my girlfriend's 2006 Ford Escape V6 (200hp, 4-speed slushbox), and while there drove a 2006 Toyota RAV4 2.4 (~150hp?, 4-speed sluxhbox). Both were very bland, and the RAV4 felt very underpowered (especially at the top of Mt. Evans at 14,000ft). Basically, I got a taste of what a great deal of the population drives on a daily basis (those RAV4s are everywhere!).

Today I got back in the Volvo and just couldn't stop smiling every time I pressed the loud pedal and hit boost.

Given the elevations in CO, that's what most naturally aspirated engines feel like there. :p Have to be forced induction to feel even vaguely normal.
 
I don't know, the Nissan Altimas I've rented around there fair well.
 
I don't know, the Nissan Altimas I've rented around there fair well.

The RAV4 couldn't maintain 75mph on a slight hill without downshifting to 3rd and releasing a nasty sound of a 4-cylinder struggling hard.
 
I don't know, the Nissan Altimas I've rented around there fair well.

Most of your cars have pretty bad power:weight ratios, so you may not be properly calibrated. :p Even my little black rocket ship of a daily driver will feel like it lost a cylinder up there.
 
Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

I've never driven to CO so, I've never felt the degradation of power loss from elevation. Only flown. But everything feels faster than a Patriot so, I'm satisfied.
 
I don't know, My K5 felt fine when I was driving it around Rocky Mountain National Park.






... I doubt it makes more than 125 raging horsepower even at sealevel anymore though, so "fine" just means it was slower than dog shit, just like always. :lol:



The Fairlane feels mostly the same though at higher elevations... Of course, it makes actual power and doesn't weigh as much as you might think, so loosing a little bit of power can be hard to notice. It also sounds like the god of thunder, gargling volcanoes, and is about as loud, so the theater of power is always there, even when there isn't enough air to make quite as much power as usual. :cool:


The Saaaab, despite being boosted, isn't actually very quick, and while it feels rapid enough at 5000ft, at 10,000, it feels as fast as it actually is, IE: Slow.
 
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I just returned from a vacation in Colorado. I didn't take the Volvo, instead drove my girlfriend's 2006 Ford Escape V6 (200hp, 4-speed slushbox), and while there drove a 2006 Toyota RAV4 2.4 (~150hp?, 4-speed sluxhbox). Both were very bland, and the RAV4 felt very underpowered (especially at the top of Mt. Evans at 14,000ft). Basically, I got a taste of what a great deal of the population drives on a daily basis (those RAV4s are everywhere!).

Today I got back in the Volvo and just couldn't stop smiling every time I pressed the loud pedal and hit boost.

Now imagine how great a honking big V8 would feel
 
Everyone needs to experience a proper V8 at least once in their life.
 
Yesterday I had the opportunity to hitch a ride in a Tesla Model S P75D - just a few minutes around the block, but nevertheless.

That car is magnificient. While the interior indeed doesn't feel special - especially not for the price tag - the way the car moves in near total silence is superb. What impressed me most wasn't even the brutal acceleration, but the braking power of the recuperation.

What a shame that I don't have the option of owning one.
 
Yesterday I had the opportunity to hitch a ride in a Tesla Model S P75D - just a few minutes around the block, but nevertheless.

That car is magnificient. While the interior indeed doesn't feel special - especially not for the price tag - the way the car moves in near total silence is superb. What impressed me most wasn't even the brutal acceleration, but the braking power of the recuperation.

What a shame that I don't have the option of owning one.

Completely agree. Having driven a 75d and a 90d back to back, the 90 is just a whole lot more insane.
 
Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

On this episode of roadkill....

I put brakes on the mustang last year. Only today, while driving from Nashville to Chicago, did I find out that one of the caliper bolts was not tightened down all the way. While taking the curves and bumpy bridges in Louisville, I heard a thump thinking I ran another chunk of tire over. Apparently it was the bolt falling out because, as I was slowing down on the ramp to get gas outside of Indianapolis did the brakes make an awful metal on metal noise. Find a quiet parking lot and jacked the car up. Only then did I find the mustang's provided jack is almost useless. The arm is maybe 12" long so you get no leverage and it's a affixed to the jack so you cannot remove it to get a better angle. Thankfully, O'reilly's had the bolts and socket because, why pack tools for a caliper service on a road trip? What made the noise was the whole caliper rocking forward and it was rubbing the edge of the rotor.

Then, I ran over a softball sized rock on the road at the Indy/IL boarder(cars on either side, very little room to avoid it). I thought I would clear it by going over it. Instead, a massive clunk was felt by my feet as if I crashed the car. Made it home but, what the fuck? Somebody didn't want me to make it home for some reason.
 
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Torque wrenches are your friends. :p

Also, my truck/car toolboxes generally do have the tools to do that sort of work.
 
It has been a long time since I have seen a really useful Jack come factory equipped. Then it was still cheaply made and could only be used a few times.
 
Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

The one provided for Jeep Patriots is tolerable because you're using the wrench that has a hinged lug nut socket on the end which gives more leverage. If that doesn't work, since you're using the lug nut wrench, you can attach a ratchet and socket to it for better leverage. There's also ears on it to spin by hand so you can get it in place. The mustang one doesn't have either of those things. So, you're sliding the jack around until you can get enough weight on it for it stay in place. I wasn't feeling confident about it at all.

It's not about properly torquing the bolt, rather it's about just checking all bolts before putting the wheels on. For the past year I've had a small clicking noise when braking from the drivers front brake and I just chalked it up to not greasing the pad guides all that well. So, the bolts been loose from day 1 and it just finally walked itself out.
 
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Hertz counter people: "You don't want the upgrade to the Mustang GT convertible? Well you'll get the small sedan you reserved."
Actual "small sedan":
DDNCvekV0AAysTr.jpg


Thanks Wyoming. This is the perfect car for this part of the country.
 
Tried to drop the gas tank on the Yukon today. It didnt go so well.

When undoing one of the bolts for a tank strap, the threaded nut inside the frame broke free and now the bolt just spins. Cant take it out or tighten it back up.

Went to the hardware store for a new bolt and nut to replace it all and some bolt cutters, since i figured cutting it off wasn't a good idea.

Bolt cutters are too big and the bolt is too far recessed to cut it off. As a last ditch effort, i soaked the tank and underbody in water to dilute and prevent gas fumes and tried to cut it off with my dremel. Nothing caught fire but it was just polishing the bolt and eating away at the cutting disc.

Tomorrow im going to get a hardened drill bit and try to drill it out. Maybe then i can see whats leaking and fix it.
 
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