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spdrun
ParticipantWowsers! A redesign that’s not fuglier than the outgoing model!
This being said, the high beltline and small side windows of almost all modern cars still make me want to hawk a loogie in Ralph Nader’s face.
ParticipantCA Renter is forgetting that the interest-rate incentive is only available to those who either have:
(a) rock-steady credit, a very steady income, and a moderate down payment available
(b) a much larger amount of cash in order to create a steady income using that cash, and then cash-out refiParticipantThose rates also apply for used cars, though. I often get 2yr/2% balance transfer offers up to $10k or so. PayPal a private seller a payment for a used car using one card. Pay it off using the 2% deal, and use that card for NOTHING ELSE, being very careful to make payments well in advance.
ParticipantActually, quite a lot of US-market cars still offer transmissions that aren’t designed for the lame and stupid.
Off the top of my head:
Quite a few Nissan cars (Versa?), smaller Toyotas, some BMWs, 4-cyl Subarus, Honda Civic/Accord, Chevy Cruze, Ford Fusion (4-cyl) and Fiesta, Dodge Dart, almost all Mazdas, bunch of small Hyundais and Kias, almost all Porsches (of course), VW Jetta and Golf, Buick Regal, even an SLK Mercedes.Problem is that you practically have to grab a dealer by the b@lls and start twisting to get them to special order one.
ParticipantFind an ugly color or a demo with a REAL transmission (read, not a 2-pedal sissymatic) and negotiate, negotiate, negotiate.
ParticipantA – it would take a really f**king bizarre chain of events to pressurize a domestic water system enough to force water back into the mains. Yeah, pressure will drop after a main break, possibly causing backflow, but that’s why you’re supposed to run your water to flush the system after an event of that type.
Toxic contamination is also very unlikely if you’re using parts approved for domestic water use.
B – I’m very conscious of that. That’s why I’m buying enough rental property to support myself in addition to my regular business within the next two years, then possibly dumping the business and going to grad school.
C – I’ve seen work done by Eastern Europeans in London. On par with good quality work by union/licensed tradesmen in the US. And IMHO, both new and renovated construction are better there than in the US.
Conversely, I’ve seen horrific electrical work by union/licensed electricians in NYC. Things like stuffing a J-box so full of wires that the lid couldn’t be installed, not bonding grounds where needed, and installing BX cable without bushings. Not to mention low-voltage abominations, like FORGETTING to run an audio feed, only discovered after the wall was closed up.
Another common example: installing an A/C unit in an A/C closet and entirely neglecting to install air return ducting or grilles. Door of A/C closet SLAMMED whenever the A/C was running, followed by a strained whistling sound. Needless to say, not much cooling was obtained.
D – as far as my personality, I speak my mind and have ZERO qualms about doing so. Don’t like it? Go talk to someone else who’ll tell you the fairy tale you want to hear 🙂
ParticipantBook value on an LS in good condition seems to be about $3000-$3300, which comes closer to $4k. Especially if you can part out the totaled car after buying it back.
When my car was totaled, I got book value, which was a few grand greater than the purchase price, less $250 for scrap value of the car. Plus a 10-day rental voucher. So this works both ways.
Insurance companies tend to go by book rather than purchase price, since making an aggrieved party whole means giving them the actual value of a destroyed item. Whether book value = actual value is another open question 🙂
ParticipantPlenty of old German cars down to 10% of value as well. Yeah, they get a bad rap, but if you buy the right one, it can be very trouble-free.
i.e. the default state of old VW and Merc diesels is “running”, no electrical system needed 🙂 Combined with a manual transmission, the drivetrains are very close to impossible to kill.
ParticipantI’m not convinced that price dictates what’s *inside* the walls of a new house, unless it’s custom built. Builders are in it for the profit, and after the warranty and statute of limitations on suits expire, as long as it’s to code, it’s Not Their Problem.
ParticipantSome people still prefer supporting American tradesmen rather than megacorps in enemy countries to the extreme east of the US.
ParticipantDon’t have a back yard since I live in an apartment 😉
Ain’t mobile devices grand?ParticipantConsidering I spent the past week camping, hiking, and partying at my friends’ house upstate, then had a long drive back, staying in on Sat. night was about right 🙂
ParticipantConstruction quality also has to do with execution, not just initial design, you know. That’s where all of the mass-produced-box builders fall down. If code only requires a 4″ slab, then the problem is with the code!
ParticipantSimple solution to the water heater: put it out in front of an annoying neighbor’s house. Wearing gloves. At 2 am 🙂
Yep, the trades are part of a boom-and-bust cycle. If the tradespeople didn’t have the good sense to save during the boom … F*** ’em.
As far as disease, unless the homeowner is doing work to the OUTSIDE sewer line, it’s vanishingly unlikely that it will affect other homes. It’s also very unlikely that sewage will enter the potable system unless something incredibly bizarre happens.
Despite your protestations to the contrary, your comments smack of a tradesman trying to stay relevant during a down economy. Display some adaptability, rather than advocating forcing people to use your services.
Regarding the test, why not allow ANYONE to sit a comprehensive test, regardless of experience? Seems like the experience requirement in many states is essentially perpetuating a guild, keeping foreigners with just as much ability and talent out of the business.
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