Random Thought Thread

[bluemax_1]

Especially with the cost of new vehicles. I read the other day that the average car loan now is around $700 month ( much more for trucks).

Yeah. Prices have gone crazy since 2020.

I got lucky with the timing of getting a new daily driver in 2019. After putting ~55,000 miles on it, I checked the prices out of curiosity. Same make, model and year with about the same mileage, being listed for about the same or more than what I paid when I got it, new.

Admittedly, at the time, I got it for about $2k less than what it was listed for everywhere else, but still; for a used car with 55,000 miles, to be worth the same or more in such a short time, is insane.

Saw a news article talking about how the average price for 1st time buyers for a new vehicle was ~$30k in 2012 vs ~$50k now.

 

[Blues]

First car I ever bought new from a dealer was about $5K in 1981 or so.

 

[toker]

I heard that you can no longer give $1 to prospective doctors and lawyers to remove articles of clothing and dance in front of you. It's at least a few bucks.

But you didn't hear that from me.

 

[Mendoman]

Yeah. There’s a lot of extra stuff on the new trucks. It took me a while to realize that when the truck was honking the horn and flashing the rear passenger side blinker when we got out, was just its way of telling us the rear passenger side tire was low.

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

Yeah. There’s a lot of extra stuff on the new trucks. It took me a while to realize that when the truck was honking the horn and flashing the rear passenger side blinker when we got out, was just its way of telling us the rear passenger side tire was low.

I don't want that

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

I have a late '90s 3/4 ton turbo diesel. It doesn't take diesel exhaust fluid or have a particle filter or exhaust recirculation etc.

If I take my seat belt off, it doesn't care.

It does not have an iPad on the dash. The heat, air, fan controls are all simple and all make sense.

If I want the headlights on I have to turn them on. If I want the windshield wipers to wipe, I have to turn them on.

It makes 350 horsepower, weighs 6500 lb, gets 19 to 20 miles to the gallon on the interstate unloaded and I towed a machining center down from Chicago with it and it only broke down three times.

I do kind of wish it had a backup camera...

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

Ever get frustrated that you can't find your 3 mm Allen key and just rage buy another set?

What about that 3/32" or the 1/4”





Doing some organizing in the shop combining some of my tools with some stuff that has come with auctions over the years.


This is just a metric ones and this isn't even all of them...

 

[Comprehensivist]

I don't want that

That is even more annoying than customers telling you how to run your business…

Phil

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

What I'm finding is that I have lost quite a few 10 mm sockets over the years, but I have accumulated way more 10 mm Allen keys than I can reasonably comprehend a reason for.

 

[bluemax_1]

I have a late '90s 3/4 ton turbo diesel. It doesn't take diesel exhaust fluid or have a particle filter or exhaust recirculation etc.

If I take my seat belt off, it doesn't care.

It does not have an iPad on the dash. The heat, air, fan controls are all simple and all make sense.

If I want the headlights on I have to turn them on. If I want the windshield wipers to wipe, I have to turn them on.

It makes 350 horsepower, weighs 6500 lb, gets 19 to 20 miles to the gallon on the interstate unloaded and I towed a machining center down from Chicago with it and it only broke down three times.

I do kind of wish it had a backup camera...

#1 charting hit for Ford owners



Probably related to the higher rate of regular prayer with Ford owners

 

[Mendoman]

I don't want that

I hear you. I have one 2500 that has no bells or whistles and it’s got over 280000 miles on it that I put there. And often I prefer it to the newer one. But I have to admit I’m not mad at the back up camera for hooking up trailers and heated/cooled seats in the newer one. It seems like I alternate when buying them between I just want the most basic one to maybe I’ll try some of the new amenities. It’s a dangerous game when you’re 80 miles from the closest dealer though.

 

[yoko]

Sometimes..... Monday beers are just as wonderful as Friday beers lol

 

[JJ_Colt45]

I hate all the gadgets and extras on newer vehicles. And the "feature" that shuts a motor off everytime you stop and restarts when you push on the gas pedal ... oh hell nah! I had a loaner car from a dealership last summer for 2 days that did that and if it had been 3 days I may have set it on fire.

That being said a backup camera can be handy especially if you tow anything. You can get fairly inexpensive backup cameras that are as simple as being built into a rear license plate mount for about $55 bucks.

 

[yoko]

It's crazy the amount of things that need to be reprogrammed by dealerships if you replace things these days

 

[jlauffer]

What I'm finding is that I have lost quite a few 10 mm sockets over the years, but I have accumulated way more 10 mm Allen keys than I can reasonably comprehend a reason for.

Spontaneous transformation

 

[carnifex knifeworks]

I hate all the gadgets and extras on newer vehicles. And the "feature" that shuts a motor off everytime you stop and restarts when you push on the gas pedal ... oh hell nah! I had a loaner car from a dealership last summer for 2 days that did that and if it had been 3 days I may have set it on fire.

I freaking hate that! Our highlander has it, but you can shut it off...every....single....flippin...time you get in the car. It only engages if you push pretty hard on the brake when at a stop. Still annoying a hell.

I do like some aspects of the adaptive cruise control, but I hate other parts of it. It's just more crap to go wrong with your car.
I prefer vehicles that don't have that stuff because if something goes wrong, it's much easier to fix.

 

[SpyderPhreak]

I took my Subaru (2013) in for routine service…
A/C was having issues. Apparently it bought the farm.
So what I anticipated about ~$100 service is now close to 2k.

For those of you with memories here… this isn’t the first time this kind of thing happened.
My wife wants me to buy a new car. I am not sure I am at that point yet.

Yeah. Sigh.

As I've recently learned due to issues with the A/C on the 2015 Forester my son bought last month, Subies are known for A/C problems. I was seriously like, "WTF???" How the hell does such a large, mainstream manufacturer have a problem with such a simple system like the A/C, which have been in cars for SO long!!! Seriously???

At least in our case, I can easily see where the leak is at (high side pipe where it goes into the compressor), and that o-ring is the known culprit. A $2 o-ring, vaccuum out the lines (there's zero pressure), and charge with R-134A and a little PAG oil, and should hopefully be good... (knock on wood) I will be pretty pissed off if there's more to it than that!

Yeah. Prices have gone crazy since 2020.

I got lucky with the timing of getting a new daily driver in 2019. After putting ~55,000 miles on it, I checked the prices out of curiosity. Same make, model and year with about the same mileage, being listed for about the same or more than what I paid when I got it, new.

Admittedly, at the time, I got it for about $2k less than what it was listed for everywhere else, but still; for a used car with 55,000 miles, to be worth the same or more in such a short time, is insane.

Saw a news article talking about how the average price for 1st time buyers for a new vehicle was ~$30k in 2012 vs ~$50k now.

They really have gone nuts! The worse part is there's no excuse for them to remain SO dang high! Have you looked at prices on USED PARTS lately??? That's a serious kick in the nads!!! Complete and utter garbage!

 

[kod]

Ever get frustrated that you can't find your 3 mm Allen key and just rage buy another set?

What about that 3/32" or the 1/4”

yup, just did exactly that over the weekend to get my uf2 scales off. Had to settle for whatever home despot had in stock rather than bondhus tho.

 

[Tensegrity]

I miss the days of rummaging through "Pick-n-Pulls" with my dad after spirited Sunday drives/rides, then on my own when older. So effing fun to find relays/acuators, master cylinders/steering racks, fans/motors, plastic trim, all of the bits and bobs, etc.

Alas, the way of the phone booth.

My little girl will only hear of the stories. Kinda sad. (but she's damn well sure going to learn how to wrench)

 

[Blues]

Send all points, condensers and distributor caps to VT.