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Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554
On the topic of cars, which will definitely be a small obstacle to retiring early since I like 'em:



I know I've posted about this before. Relevant bits from my perspective:

- PHEV Wrangler
- PHEV Renegade
- BEV Jeep Grand Commander (what is this? maybe China-market only? signs point to yes)

Harrumph. I would like a PHEV, and not a crappy Mitsubishi one, for cost savings if nothing else over Audi/Tesla/etc. Maybe the Tesla Model Y will arrive on time and be impressive.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554


Called Discount Tire and had them ship some Nokians to their store so that they're in stock by Black Friday. Those would be the latest and greatest Hakkapeliitta R3 SUV--no more R2s, in with the new hotness. These are for the Volvo. Minivan already has its Nokians from last winter in our still-crowded-for-now garage.

Black Friday in turn will likely bring $100 off tires + $100 more off if using store card promotions, thus me laying the groundwork.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554
New 12.9” iPad Pro, Pencil, and Keyboard Folio now in my paws. They are quite nice indeed. I’d post a pic but too large for RM.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554
Bridges may freeze before road. Shit's true, yo


Not much drama evident in the video but note that I aimed to the right in case traction proved more iffy yet than on first braking. In retrospect I should have been more wary a few seconds earlier when the wet road transitioned to ice visibly.
 

Nick

My name is Nick
Sep 21, 2001
23,928
14,450
where the trails are

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554
To be fair I didn't read the whole thing. Just looked at the pretty slider pictures and gleaned this quotable passage:

Here’s how the Chicago Tribune described the area in 1949, the year construction started:

“Today it harbors a haphazard mixture of industries and residences. … Nearly half its families have lived there more than a generation and in homes built for the most part before 1900. … Today the community population of 50,000 includes chiefly persons of Italian, Mexican, Greek, Jewish, and Negro ancestry.”
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554
Discount Tire sold the Nokian R3 SUVs I'd ordered out from under me. It was a mistake they made on Wednesday: someone had ordered Hakka 8 (non-studded--didn't know they came this way!) in the exact same size as the Hakka R3 SUVs I'd ordered. When they came to get them mounted on Wednesday they pulled the wrong set so had none for me. (As a side note, this other customer coming in Wednesday instead of Thursday-Sunday cost 'em ~$100, but their loss. Maybe it was worth it to them to wait a bit less.)

I had them put the Hakka 8s on instead (with the price difference + a goodwill gesture of $13/tire refunded) but immediately regretted this decision on the drive home. They are quite a bit louder than my memory of R2 SUVs on the RAV4 EV. Discount Tire does do returns and exchanges, thankfully: https://www.discounttire.com/customer-service/return-policy .

Therefore I'm going to further my reputation as a picky consumer and have them swap these out for Hakka R3 SUVs as I'd originally ordered. As we've established in this thread road noise is something I care about…
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,379
12,533
In a van.... down by the river
<snip>
Therefore I'm going to further my reputation as a picky consumer and have them swap these out for Hakka R3 SUVs as I'd originally ordered. As we've established in this thread road noise is something I care about…
I've got new X-Ice rubber for the van inbound to Costco. They were a hair over $100 each - which to those keeping track, is about the price of Schwalbe bike tires these days. :D
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,192
19,158
Canaderp
The Evoque is still a stupid car, but this is cool tech:

The 2020 Range Rover Evoque Lets You See Through the Hood

I assume that's just a few cameras being stitched together. Awe, no real xray vision :(

Technology is cool, but damn its no wonder a lot of people are such shitty drivers these days. I watched a guy on Saturday attempt to backup his pickup trucks into a parking spot; trucks usually have pretty good sight lines and it wasn't a very tight spot. Regardless, dude took forever, partly due to the fact that is stopped, got out of his truck to wipe the rear view camera off and then proceeded to inch into the spot.....eyes focused on the center console.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554
Our two vehicles have 360 surround view cameras, stitched from front, back, and under-mirror cameras. That's not new--our 2013 LEAF had it.

What is new is that there's a camera under the front axle, apparently, allowing for a view between the wheels and under the front bumper. That's pretty sweet.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554


2019 on image left. 2018 on image right, in need of a car wash and vacuum that it'll get tonight after my shift. Identical save for lack of the useless Open Dots wireless charging mat, a stupid dealer logo on the 2019 that I forgot to ask them to omit, and memory seats on the 2019. Guest appearance by Thing 3, tentatively named Aya.

The 2018 will be sold tomorrow night. Buyer flying in from Arizona.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,192
19,158
Canaderp
Those are nice minivans, they look smart on the road.

Whats with the skid mark? Did someone leave the e-brake on or do a one wheel peelout? :busted:
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554
The Land Cruiser used to lock up a back tire if I'd take it to the car wash then put it in the garage with the parking brake on, especially if I'd leave it that way for a day or five while bike commuting.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554
Gettin' closer... :D
I dumped the minivan proceeds (ex what I need for the second half of paying for the yard upgrades) into my conventional Betterment account. Half into a 35% stock goal, half into 75% stocks. BTC will wait, and perhaps its slide will continue slowly yet, plus I'm gambling that yesterday's stock market slide was a temporary thing due to investor nerves.

Buy low and hope it doesn't go lower... although that'd be fine due to tax loss harvesting anyway.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,037
7,554
EVERY single one of those resorts that is reporting "powder" with 4" of new snow or less get a swift kick in the nuts. :mad:
Heh, true. I'm thinking it'll be a day for my 100 mm underfoot Mantras (with new ptex repairs!) on Sunday.