Toshi's thread
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Old Vics are qute popular im these parts. You can fit huge wheels (rims) on them.
Someone on NASIOC suggested I look into the 1st gen Insight. I was wary of old hybrids, Hondas in particular, because of battery issues, but then found this:
http://www.hybrid-battery-repair.com
It's a Staten Island company that rebuilds 1st gen IMA batteries, replacing failed "sticks" in the multi-stick pack. Average cost would be $1200, max cost $1450. This opens up the possibility of picking up a dead-battery Insight and having its battery refurbed Hmm.
http://www.hybrid-battery-repair.com
It's a Staten Island company that rebuilds 1st gen IMA batteries, replacing failed "sticks" in the multi-stick pack. Average cost would be $1200, max cost $1450. This opens up the possibility of picking up a dead-battery Insight and having its battery refurbed Hmm.
I rode this route this morning. Just me, the road, a malfunctioning GPS app (gah), and random music in my helmet via Bluetooth.
Route: http://tinyurl.com/2exzcu2
Terminus, Long Beach Town Park (on the north shore, not near the town of Long Beach!):
Route: http://tinyurl.com/2exzcu2
Terminus, Long Beach Town Park (on the north shore, not near the town of Long Beach!):
Life here on Long Island is expensive, at least after one decides that living in filth in the subsidized housing on the hospital grounds isn't worth the money saved. Jessica and I just informally sealed the deal on the house about which I gushed two posts down, so we're going to be officially poor starting in a few weeks. (We'd have signed the lease then and there except that it's not ready due to the landlord leaving for a weeklong sailing excursion tomorrow. Tough life, eh?)
The house itself is going to need some elbow grease: lots of yardwork, repainting much of everything save for the wood inside, throw rugs here and there, replacing all lightbulbs with CFLs, cleaning this and that… I guess that's where my free days are going for the foreseeable future! Despite this and the probable diminishment of my desire to ride my motorcycle everywhere by virtue of having to be on it for an hour each day in the commute, I'm psyched.
It's like trying on home ownership for a few years: the landlord is a hands-off type, we're told, and our lease will run for at least two years, and most likely until June 30, 2013, which is not coincidentally my final day as a resident! As implied above, this house isn't coming cheap, although I do feel that we're getting a decent deal given that this is Long Island. However, I'm wagering that it'll be worth it for the residents-only town beach and park nearby; for having a big backyard in which to lounge; for gaining a shed to store my bicycle and skis; for the luxury of having two full bathrooms; and, for possibly the most important reason, for not having any walls, ceilings, or floors shared with annoying neighbors.
The house itself is going to need some elbow grease: lots of yardwork, repainting much of everything save for the wood inside, throw rugs here and there, replacing all lightbulbs with CFLs, cleaning this and that… I guess that's where my free days are going for the foreseeable future! Despite this and the probable diminishment of my desire to ride my motorcycle everywhere by virtue of having to be on it for an hour each day in the commute, I'm psyched.
It's like trying on home ownership for a few years: the landlord is a hands-off type, we're told, and our lease will run for at least two years, and most likely until June 30, 2013, which is not coincidentally my final day as a resident! As implied above, this house isn't coming cheap, although I do feel that we're getting a decent deal given that this is Long Island. However, I'm wagering that it'll be worth it for the residents-only town beach and park nearby; for having a big backyard in which to lounge; for gaining a shed to store my bicycle and skis; for the luxury of having two full bathrooms; and, for possibly the most important reason, for not having any walls, ceilings, or floors shared with annoying neighbors.
The P3 Lights and Photon Blasters arrived today, or at the very least were in the mailbox when I got around to checking it today.In addition to the above I think I'll add these once life settles down (find place to move to, first off):
Photon Blaster (flickering amber LEDs for fork legs):
P3 Lights (flickering + 4x modulating red LEDs for license plate frame):
I'll bust out the multimeter and install them after work tomorrow while there's good light, and will then post up to youtube a video of them in action. I think that the video quality should be better than that of the existing review.
Some cheap used-car options that I'll be following up on:
1996 Chevy Astro passenger van. AWD. 133k miles, $2000 asking price. http://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/1933907711.html
1993 Jeep Grand Wagoneer (but not the old style, basically a Grand Cherokee with fake wood). AWD. 112k miles, $2700 asking price, looks like it's being sold by a private party with a nice driveway! http://newyork.craigslist.org/fct/cto/1943883063.html
1991 Mercedes-Benz 300TE 4-Matic wagon. 171k miles, but supposedly with a new cylinder head and slushbox at 150k. Asking $2200. http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/cto/1941814395.html
1996 Chevy Astro passenger van. AWD. 133k miles, $2000 asking price. http://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/1933907711.html
1993 Jeep Grand Wagoneer (but not the old style, basically a Grand Cherokee with fake wood). AWD. 112k miles, $2700 asking price, looks like it's being sold by a private party with a nice driveway! http://newyork.craigslist.org/fct/cto/1943883063.html
1991 Mercedes-Benz 300TE 4-Matic wagon. 171k miles, but supposedly with a new cylinder head and slushbox at 150k. Asking $2200. http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/cto/1941814395.html
I've owned 2 W124 wagons (93 and 95). Great cars but $$ to fix when things go wrong. That's 1st gen 4matic and I would stay away, repair is $5k. Other issue is wiring harness (the insulation cracks and they short out) @ $1200. Look for a rwd 94/95 e320, they are much nicer cars. We have a 98 e320 now with 140k that is a great car.
e: we live north of boston and our RWD benz's are unstoppable with snow tires thanks to traction control. The only issue is ground clearance when things get deep, but we have the diesel penis as back-up for the gnar.
e: we live north of boston and our RWD benz's are unstoppable with snow tires thanks to traction control. The only issue is ground clearance when things get deep, but we have the diesel penis as back-up for the gnar.
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lol have you not seen Mmikes thread about the jeep?
Pull the back seats out and that chevy might fit your motorbike?
Handy as a breakdown vehicle and a way to take the bike and wife on long weekend trips.
Handy as a breakdown vehicle and a way to take the bike and wife on long weekend trips.
JBP indeed did love his Astro, but then he wrecked it, replaced it with a Fit, wrecked that Fit, and replaced it with yet another Fit.
Some people on the internet do claim that a motorcycle will fit in the back of an Astro, but they're talking about sportbikes. I bet the Versys would fit if I pulled off the topcase and unbolted the windscreen. Getting it in there (and out) would be a bear and a half, though!
Some people on the internet do claim that a motorcycle will fit in the back of an Astro, but they're talking about sportbikes. I bet the Versys would fit if I pulled off the topcase and unbolted the windscreen. Getting it in there (and out) would be a bear and a half, though!
Bummer 
Was worth checking though.
Was worth checking though.
The Astro van was kind of a bust. I rode out to Lynbrook, braving rush hour traffic, and the guy who answered the door probably had a Gran Torino in his garage. Looking at the outside it was immediately apparent that the Astro had lived a hard life: missing corner light on the right front and a ton of scratches on both front and rear bumpers.Some cheap used-car options that I'll be following up on:
1996 Chevy Astro passenger van. AWD. 133k miles, $2000 asking price. http://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/1933907711.html
After we hopped in for a test ride (I let him drive) I found out that at least some of the scratches are probably his fault, as he proceeded to back up at a goodly rate right into the front bumper of his neighbor's late-model Audi A6! Wham. Whoops. No visible damage to the Audi as best as we could tell, at least.
He then revealed that on a test drive earlier this week the idiot lights had lit up, and his mechanic said that the van needs a new catalytic converter and an ABS wheelspeed sensor. Given these problems and his lack of money to fix them he said he'd give me the van for $1000 as-is.
I'm not quite sure whether to get it checked out by a mechanic or not. It is rough, but the price isn't bad and the guy seems legit--selling it because his presumably also-elderly wife developed a "condition" and can't drive any more.
Thoughts from the peanut gallery? KBB in "fair" condition with the options and miles this one had is $2300, so even if it costs $500 to fix and with the condition of the exterior I could probably flip it for no net loss in 3 years.
I just talked with the lady for this one and it sounds MUCH more promising. KBB for the stated condition (good in KBB terms) is $2900. One owner (her parents) since new, and they drove it for a few years then kept it around so that their boat captain (!) could use a car when their boat was in CT. Half the year the boat stays in FL, you see.Toshi said:1993 Jeep Grand Wagoneer (but not the old style, basically a Grand Cherokee with fake wood). AWD. 112k miles, $2700 asking price, looks like it's being sold by a private party with a nice driveway! http://newyork.craigslist.org/fct/cto/1943883063.html
In any case, they're selling the boat and want some garage space back for their other cars--and the address she gave me fits the lifestyle description, NICE area.
I'm going to head north on the bike early tomorrow morning and check it out. If it looks as good as it sounds then I'll go to the local bank and make up a cashier's check then and there to claim it, and head back north on Sunday with Jessica, in the car, to pick it up.
Jeep looks the better bet.
Here's hoping it doesn't MmmmMMmike you around.
Here's hoping it doesn't MmmmMMmike you around.
Real photo, underneath Chicago, actually. http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/artificial-caverns-expanding-beneath.html
Those tunnel boring machines would be cool to see in action up close.
The Grand Wagoneer didn't end up looking as good as it sounded. There was some peeling of the fake wood siding, fine. The speedometer was out, which although not ideal was acceptable since the odometer was still ticking over and I could just use a GPS for speed--we agreed on $400 less due to this fault.
As we were about to leave for the bank, however, I did my "pre-flight inspection" and found that all three brake lights didn't light up! They lit up halfway as running lights when the headlights were turned on but nothing with the brake pedal. There was a minor nest of wires under the dash and I saw a trailer brake light controller in the back so I'm sure someone fouled up a connection.
I wasn't about to drive from Connecticut to Long Island over a busy bridge and on the Long Island Expressway with no lights, however, and I wasn't overly keen on making troubleshooting them my problem, either, so I walked away empty handed.
http://www.lights.skenedesign.com/
(720p HD version if you click through to youtube itself.)
I installed Skene Design's P3 Lights and Photon Blasters yesterday. The P3 Lights are auxiliary red LED tail and brake lights that have brake light modulator and hazard light functionality built in. There's also an optional P3+ version that I didn't spring for that adds a voltmeter. The Photon Blasters are auxiliary amber LEDs that mount to one's bike's caliper bolts or fender bolts.
Installation of both of these lights was straightforward: I used the multimeter to locate a switched power source for the Photon Blasters (front left running light) and figured out which wire was ground, tail light, and brake light for the P3 Lights; mounted the small, weatherproof control units for each; hooked up the wiring using included Positap connectors; and mounted the LED units using the bike-specific (PB) and universal (P3) included hardware.
Both the P3 Lights and the Photon Blaster seem quite conspicuous subjectively, and I hope that the video that I made illustrates this without quite as much sensor artifact as the earlier video review of these products that someone made.
(720p HD version if you click through to youtube itself.)
I installed Skene Design's P3 Lights and Photon Blasters yesterday. The P3 Lights are auxiliary red LED tail and brake lights that have brake light modulator and hazard light functionality built in. There's also an optional P3+ version that I didn't spring for that adds a voltmeter. The Photon Blasters are auxiliary amber LEDs that mount to one's bike's caliper bolts or fender bolts.
Installation of both of these lights was straightforward: I used the multimeter to locate a switched power source for the Photon Blasters (front left running light) and figured out which wire was ground, tail light, and brake light for the P3 Lights; mounted the small, weatherproof control units for each; hooked up the wiring using included Positap connectors; and mounted the LED units using the bike-specific (PB) and universal (P3) included hardware.
Both the P3 Lights and the Photon Blaster seem quite conspicuous subjectively, and I hope that the video that I made illustrates this without quite as much sensor artifact as the earlier video review of these products that someone made.
After all this buildup it's suddenly apparent that this deal with the Huntington house may fall through after all. What happened? Last night our real estate agent emailed us to schedule the lease signing, and casually mentioned that the broker fee will be two months rent, supposedly because the lease term is for two years.
What?!
First off, unique to the NYC-metro area is that those seeking to rent a place cover the brokers fee. Second, 1 month is de rigeur, and quite a few of the brokers that showed us places mentioned even during the showing that they would be willing to lower their fee. It's a buyer's (er, renter's) market, as everyone is starving. No one does two months.
Secondly, the possibility of a two month fee was never mentioned. When we did the official walk-around of the place with both the buying and selling agents present they mentioned that the brokers fee would be split between the two of them, and nodded in agreement when I said that half a month would go to each of them. To go from this, our assumption and the common (NYC-area) practice of one month's fee, to two, literally on the eve of possible lease signing, leaves a very foul taste in my mouth. I feel that the listing agent and our buyer's agent are colluding to increase their fee, thinking that we'll blindly go along with it, not knowing any better due to our inexperience in this market.
Thirdly, it's a lot of money. It'd work out to over $100/month in brokers fees alone spread out over the total time we'd be there, bumping our effective rent into a range that we didn't want or expect to pay. It's money that we will never get back, unlike the unfortunate but understandable 2 month security deposits that are all the rage here. It's money that I'd much rather put into getting a decent car for me instead of some rattling, smoking POS.
I'm not going to stand for this. We countered over email with a 1 month fee offer, noting that there was a verbal agreement to a 1 month fee. We haven't signed anything at this point so aren't contractually tied down. If worse comes to worse we'll cancel the uncashed check that we mailed directly to the listing realtor to "reserve" to the place prior to signing the lease and we'll walk. It's a nice place, and we'd already mentally planned to paint each room this or that color, but it's not worth being trampled upon, especially since we are doing the landlord a favor by (proposing to) sign(ing) a two year lease.
What?!
First off, unique to the NYC-metro area is that those seeking to rent a place cover the brokers fee. Second, 1 month is de rigeur, and quite a few of the brokers that showed us places mentioned even during the showing that they would be willing to lower their fee. It's a buyer's (er, renter's) market, as everyone is starving. No one does two months.
Secondly, the possibility of a two month fee was never mentioned. When we did the official walk-around of the place with both the buying and selling agents present they mentioned that the brokers fee would be split between the two of them, and nodded in agreement when I said that half a month would go to each of them. To go from this, our assumption and the common (NYC-area) practice of one month's fee, to two, literally on the eve of possible lease signing, leaves a very foul taste in my mouth. I feel that the listing agent and our buyer's agent are colluding to increase their fee, thinking that we'll blindly go along with it, not knowing any better due to our inexperience in this market.
Thirdly, it's a lot of money. It'd work out to over $100/month in brokers fees alone spread out over the total time we'd be there, bumping our effective rent into a range that we didn't want or expect to pay. It's money that we will never get back, unlike the unfortunate but understandable 2 month security deposits that are all the rage here. It's money that I'd much rather put into getting a decent car for me instead of some rattling, smoking POS.
I'm not going to stand for this. We countered over email with a 1 month fee offer, noting that there was a verbal agreement to a 1 month fee. We haven't signed anything at this point so aren't contractually tied down. If worse comes to worse we'll cancel the uncashed check that we mailed directly to the listing realtor to "reserve" to the place prior to signing the lease and we'll walk. It's a nice place, and we'd already mentally planned to paint each room this or that color, but it's not worth being trampled upon, especially since we are doing the landlord a favor by (proposing to) sign(ing) a two year lease.
The buyers agent countered with 1.5 months brokers fee. I replied with "1 month or we walk." Scummy bastards!
Also, what's the peanut gallery's impression of this used car?
'96 Miata on the Jersey Shore for $2750 with just shy of 100k miles.
Also, what's the peanut gallery's impression of this used car?
'96 Miata on the Jersey Shore for $2750 with just shy of 100k miles.
Fun lil cars on the track and not too bad in the reliability stakes.
My only concern would be the image...... Don't know bout in the US but down here a 20-30 something male driving one = teh ghey...... Republican level gay even!
You would be giving out at LEAST two handjobs a day if you were driving that around.
Keep shopping!
Only two? I can live with that, heh
I'm actually ok with the homosexual stigma associated with the Miata. I'd rather the brotatos drive their XJs and lust after Raptors instead. As I've evidenced so clearly with my motorcycle riding gear, I'm not in it for the image.
I'm actually ok with the homosexual stigma associated with the Miata. I'd rather the brotatos drive their XJs and lust after Raptors instead. As I've evidenced so clearly with my motorcycle riding gear, I'm not in it for the image.
The latest host of vehicles that I thought were interesting enough to bookmark. The chances that I'll actually end up with any particular one are slim, but I found them amusing for one reason or another. In chronological order:
1984 Mercedes-Benz 380SL. Back from the days when Mercedes was run by engineers, not marketing men and bean-counters. The price seems ok on this one, it's close enough to check out, it has a hard top for winter, and fixing it wouldn't be that bad right?
1994 Ford Mustang Cobra. In reality, a Cobra is probably beat to hell by this point, but this one is really close by so I might check it out anyway.
1996 Miata. The same one I posted above. I'm ok with the stigma.
1999 VW Golf TDI GLS. 5-speed, high miles but it's a diesel! Just north of Manhattan.
2000 Miata. Extra wheels and winter tires, already set up suspension and the like, one owner, 43k miles! Unfortunately this auction will end up pricey, I fear, plus the car's in Virginia. Nice car, in any case.
2001 Prius. I'm not entirely sure if buying a high-mileage hybrid is a better idea than buying a high-mileage diesel, especially since the diesel is a stick (positive in my mind). I do like this car, however, and the price is good.
2001 Outback. Has a hell of a lot of miles on it. Stick shift, AWD, and the newer-gen body style are nice, though.
2002 Outback Sport (ie, Impreza, not Legacy-based like the Outback above). "New engine" 75k miles ago is somewhat sketchy. Stick shift is a plus, as is AWD, and the car is close by.
1984 Mercedes-Benz 380SL. Back from the days when Mercedes was run by engineers, not marketing men and bean-counters. The price seems ok on this one, it's close enough to check out, it has a hard top for winter, and fixing it wouldn't be that bad right?
1994 Ford Mustang Cobra. In reality, a Cobra is probably beat to hell by this point, but this one is really close by so I might check it out anyway.
1996 Miata. The same one I posted above. I'm ok with the stigma.
1999 VW Golf TDI GLS. 5-speed, high miles but it's a diesel! Just north of Manhattan.
2000 Miata. Extra wheels and winter tires, already set up suspension and the like, one owner, 43k miles! Unfortunately this auction will end up pricey, I fear, plus the car's in Virginia. Nice car, in any case.
2001 Prius. I'm not entirely sure if buying a high-mileage hybrid is a better idea than buying a high-mileage diesel, especially since the diesel is a stick (positive in my mind). I do like this car, however, and the price is good.
2001 Outback. Has a hell of a lot of miles on it. Stick shift, AWD, and the newer-gen body style are nice, though.
2002 Outback Sport (ie, Impreza, not Legacy-based like the Outback above). "New engine" 75k miles ago is somewhat sketchy. Stick shift is a plus, as is AWD, and the car is close by.
My comments about W124 benzes apply to the 380SL. Everything up to 95 was hand-built/old school. Solid but $$$ when things go awry. The key to buying a used benz is buying from somebody that had the money and inclination to maintain as needed. The older ones often were bought as 'budget' luxury and then unmaintained due to costs. These are ALWAYS money pits.
e: get the tdi. my euro 98 passat tdi was a great car.
e: get the tdi. my euro 98 passat tdi was a great car.
Yeah, I remember from the early days of the alt pers trans thread that you liked that Passat TDI. I emailed the local Golf TDI guy but found out that someone else has put a deposit down and is supposed to pick it up on Saturday. If that falls through then I'm in line, but it's probably gone. Oh well, there'll be others, and I like the Jetta wagon/Passat wagon bodystyle better than the Golf anyway.
The agent countered with 1.5 months, I said 1 month or we walk, she came back with 1 month, grudgingly, and then I just told her that we're walking anyway.
No paycheck for her!
(We found another house in the meantime rented by a guy in the scooter club--$100 cheaper per month, 1/2 the security deposit, closer to work and a shorter commute on the train for Jessica, garage, central air, and no brokers fees.)
I'd go for the Pirus personally, cheapest to run and 81k miles is not so bad.
The Subaru's my 2nd pic are nice, but are also surprising gas guzzlers for the engine size, lower reliability plus expensive to fix compared to a Toyota.
The Subaru's my 2nd pic are nice, but are also surprising gas guzzlers for the engine size, lower reliability plus expensive to fix compared to a Toyota.
I agree about the Subarus being surprisingly inefficient for their size. In a rare moment of car-sanity I just lodged a $4500 bid on this 2000 Accord sedan:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Only-61-800-plus-miles-rare-5-speed-/280561670595?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item4152c759c3
Only 61800 miles! Not bad for a 10 year old car. 5-speed, 4-banger, maintenance records, comes with a set of winter tires, too.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Only-61-800-plus-miles-rare-5-speed-/280561670595?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item4152c759c3
Only 61800 miles! Not bad for a 10 year old car. 5-speed, 4-banger, maintenance records, comes with a set of winter tires, too.
I took the day off sick, actually legitimately so, but fought through the wooziness to drive an hour or three and see two cars that I initially thought were promising. Both ended up being dogs.
The first was a 2003 Escape XLS 4x4 at a used car dealership out east in Medford. Former fleet car (railroad?), 120k miles, 4x4, V6, slushbox, good price. However, when I got there I smelled (and saw the cigarette burn proof) that it was a smoker's car, the steel wheels were rusted, there were a bunch of small dings everywhere, and the whole vehicle just wasn't attractive at all. No thanks.
Here's one of the wheels, for instance:
The second was a 2001 Prius being sold by a Russian Orthodox couple in Briarwood. 81k miles, reasonable price, and "some paint imperfection on the doors and right front panels."
I'll say there was "some paint imperfection": these (two of them, he had an '03 and an '01) were NY municipal cars bought at an auction and they apparently not only lived a rough life but had a rough time at the hands of the people who pulled off the livery from their sides.
All body panels were beat up like this. Again, no thanks, not for anywhere near book value.
Therefore the search continues. Due to not having to budget for 2 months' security deposit and 1 month realtor fee I have a little looser budget to work with, and the car that we'll be seeing tomorrow is at the top of the range:
2003 Passat 4Motion wagon. Being sold by a family in Northport because the wife bought a newer Passat. Sounds nice: unknown mileage but an '03, leather, upgraded stereo, AWD ("4Motion"), V6. With any luck it'll be a lot less beat up than the ones I saw today…
The first was a 2003 Escape XLS 4x4 at a used car dealership out east in Medford. Former fleet car (railroad?), 120k miles, 4x4, V6, slushbox, good price. However, when I got there I smelled (and saw the cigarette burn proof) that it was a smoker's car, the steel wheels were rusted, there were a bunch of small dings everywhere, and the whole vehicle just wasn't attractive at all. No thanks.
Here's one of the wheels, for instance:
The second was a 2001 Prius being sold by a Russian Orthodox couple in Briarwood. 81k miles, reasonable price, and "some paint imperfection on the doors and right front panels."
I'll say there was "some paint imperfection": these (two of them, he had an '03 and an '01) were NY municipal cars bought at an auction and they apparently not only lived a rough life but had a rough time at the hands of the people who pulled off the livery from their sides.
All body panels were beat up like this. Again, no thanks, not for anywhere near book value.
Therefore the search continues. Due to not having to budget for 2 months' security deposit and 1 month realtor fee I have a little looser budget to work with, and the car that we'll be seeing tomorrow is at the top of the range:
2003 Passat 4Motion wagon. Being sold by a family in Northport because the wife bought a newer Passat. Sounds nice: unknown mileage but an '03, leather, upgraded stereo, AWD ("4Motion"), V6. With any luck it'll be a lot less beat up than the ones I saw today…
Ah, after doing some reading on how eBay works (about time--I've been using it since, what, 2001?
) I see that my $4500 bid is below reserve because it didn't ratchet the price up to that point but instead left it $50 higher than the last guy, at $3750 or whatever it is. Therefore I am in no danger of winning this one unless I want to, and re-bid, so can make an offer on the Passat tomorrow if it's attractive. Sweet.