Running Bear's September 2022 Coffee Shop

[montanan]

Good afternoon.

Interesting Todd. Manufacturers are trying to make cars lighter in order to increase fuel mileage. I watch a few sites on YouTube that make me laugh at the problems the not the "Cheap Cars" have, but the expensive ones. BMW, Mercedes, Land Rover, Audi and I can go on. Years ago when very few people knew what BMW's were, I had a 1968 2002 and a 1970 Bavaria. They were almost indistructable. German engineering, mechanically at it's finest. Now, unless you sell a BMW, Mercedes as soon as the warantee is up, you better have pockets all the way down to your ankles. Not only are they prone to having problems, but the parts a lot more expensive. As we get closer to the present day, a major problem is the technology that is being put into new cars. Countless microchips to monitor or control everything. That's why I prefer my classic and older vehicles. I can open the hood and work on them. I used to but a new car every few years but gave that up years ago when manufacturers only offered option packages instead of letting you choose an individual feature and new with so many features, such as touch screens, lane departure, automatic breaking and such that I don't need and don't want to pay for.

You guys are scaring the crap out of me with this medical stuff. Got a call yesterday and I have to change my surgery date and now have a number of appointments that have to be made and a few 90 pile trips before the surgery.

Have to go, the doctors office called.

Later

 

[Espeefan]

Good afternoon.

Interesting Todd. Manufacturers are trying to make cars lighter in order to increase fuel mileage. I watch a few sites on YouTube that make me laugh at the problems the not the "Cheap Cars" have, but the expensive ones. BMW, Mercedes, Land Rover, Audi and I can go on. Years ago when very few people knew what BMW's were, I had a 1968 2002 and a 1970 Bavaria. They were almost indistructable. German engineering, mechanically at it's finest. Now, unless you sell a BMW, Mercedes as soon as the warantee is up, you better have pockets all the way down to your ankles. Not only are they prone to having problems, but the parts a lot more expensive. As we get closer to the present day, a major problem is the technology that is being put into new cars. Countless microchips to monitor or control everything. That's why I prefer my classic and older vehicles. I can open the hood and work on them. I used to but a new car every few years but gave that up years ago when manufacturers only offered option packages instead of letting you choose an individual feature and new with so many features, such as touch screens, lane departure, automatic breaking and such that I don't need and don't want to pay for.

You guys are scaring the crap out of me with this medical stuff. Got a call yesterday and I have to change my surgery date and now have a number of appointments that have to be made and a few 90 pile trips before the surgery.

Have to go, the doctors office called.

Later

I had an ‘85 325. Nice little car. Not indestructible, and not cheap to maintain, but over the years I owned it it did ok. Modern ones? No way. Same with Mercedes. Money pit cars. If ya gotta have one, lease it, then turn it in before it starts to show its age. Especially with BMW’s. The whole “Ultimate Driving Machine” concept has fallen by the wayside. Now it’s all technology. Making your car an extension of your smart phone.

 

[McLeod]

Guy: is it 106,000 miles or Kilometers? Either way that is a fairly low mileage rig, roughly 10K miles per year. You get much rust from salt on the roads? That would be your biggest vehicle killer.

Patrick - That would be 106,000miles (170,000km) on a 13 Ram 1500. Very little rust; Alberta is known for using less salt. There is some bumper damage and the plastic skirt is somewhere in the mud on a fishing hole access road.

 

[santafewillie]

SoCal will be running their AC a lot. Or camping out in Sherrel's train room since he's got solar.

Good luck with that! The cars and tools already have that area staked out.

 

[logandsawman]

I enjoy doing maintenance on my vehicles. Disc brake rotors & pads are very simple to do yourself. Even fixing a bad wheel bearing these days is simple... On most modern cars, you replace the whole hub. Other than fluids, modern cars need brakes fixed more often than anything else.

Jeff - I love putzing with the suburban. If I had deeper pockets it would be one of those "rat rods", maybe not all the way, but part way.

The old 350 cc motor only went through 1 qt of oil in the last 3k miles, it has low miles at 143,000.

The engine purrs, but needs some injector cleaner ever so often or begins to sound like a John Deere 2 cylinder tractor.

Dave

 

[NYC_George]

Finished up my slump pump pit today. It was a pain to get done. I had to make a cardboard template first before making the final plywood form, being the drainage pipes were in the way.
George

 

[PRR Modeler]

Afternoon All,

Did some chores then finished the two sections I have been working on the layout. I think on the last large section will be in static grass. Tomorrow I'm going up to see my buddy Jon. He has 2 loco's he repaired for me.

Patrick- You definitely have a huge project there.

Hughie- Neat photo.

Joe- I've had some very frustrating interactions with the IRS back in the 80's.

Guy- Strange to see it in wood. I think I've only seen metal ones. Great photos.

Willie- I walk at your pace.

George- Another great home repair.





I hope everyone has a good night.

 

[Patrick]

I enjoy doing maintenance on my vehicles. Disc brake rotors & pads are very simple to do yourself. Even fixing a bad wheel bearing these days is simple... On most modern cars, you replace the whole hub. Other than fluids, modern cars need brakes fixed more often than anything else.

Unless you own an '04-'12 Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon or '04-'08 Isuzu i- series. Brake rotors are captive and you have to remove the front hubs as well....

 

[Patrick]

Good afternoon.

Interesting Todd. Manufacturers are trying to make cars lighter in order to increase fuel mileage. I watch a few sites on YouTube that make me laugh at the problems the not the "Cheap Cars" have, but the expensive ones. BMW, Mercedes, Land Rover, Audi and I can go on. Years ago when very few people knew what BMW's were, I had a 1968 2002 and a 1970 Bavaria. They were almost indistructable. German engineering, mechanically at it's finest. Now, unless you sell a BMW, Mercedes as soon as the warantee is up, you better have pockets all the way down to your ankles. Not only are they prone to having problems, but the parts a lot more expensive. As we get closer to the present day, a major problem is the technology that is being put into new cars. Countless microchips to monitor or control everything. That's why I prefer my classic and older vehicles. I can open the hood and work on them. I used to but a new car every few years but gave that up years ago when manufacturers only offered option packages instead of letting you choose an individual feature and new with so many features, such as touch screens, lane departure, automatic breaking and such that I don't need and don't want to pay for.

You guys are scaring the crap out of me with this medical stuff. Got a call yesterday and I have to change my surgery date and now have a number of appointments that have to be made and a few 90 pile trips before the surgery.

Have to go, the doctors office called.

Later

I agree with you on the dumping of the BMW and Mercedes, along with the Jaguars, Range Rovers, Fiats, and anything else from Europe as soon as the warrantee is out. Parts ain't cheap. I like the 3 guys on The Grand Tour (formerly from Top Gear) and their huge like of the European cars. Ok, Richard Hammond has a thing for American Muscle), but Clarkson's picks are crap when they are here.

 

[Bruette]

Orioles call up top prospect infielder (3B) Gunnar Henderson. He is considered by many to be the best hitting prospect in the minor leagues.

 

[MilwRoader_Steve]

Day 1 not even in the books and already 4 pages.

 

[bnsf971]

Good evening.
I just spent most of the day out of work, seeing the dentist, and have an appointment for Tuesday to get a tooth removed (hopefully). The left side of my face is pretty swollen.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Day 1 not even in the books and already 4 pages.

Yeah, I noticed that too.

 

[Patrick]

Let's try for page 5....

Earlier when I said I was sending a box of crap, I was literally sending a box of crap. I sent back my Cologard test.

 

[santafewillie]

Let's try for page 5....

Earlier when I said I was sending a box of crap, I was literally sending a box of crap. I sent back my Cologard test.

I'm sure that by now, most UPS store managers know what's in that box! Mine came back as inconclusive so I had a colonoscopy anyway which while having polyps removed, all came back as benign. Wife's first one was negative, no results yet for the one last week. Other than the prep, the colonoscopy wasn't all that bad.

 

[bnsf971]

Other than the prep, the colonoscopy wasn't all that bad.

Yeah, the prep really blows...

 

[TLOC]

Going after anything good?

Anything I bring home from a Train Shop is good. I will post in the morning the items I came home with!

 

[bnsf971]

The dentist gave me a Rx for some mouthwash he wants me to rinse with, twice daily.
I just tried it, and it tastes like a bad batch of moonshine with quinine added. "Yuck"...

 

[MikeInHubCity]

Troy, I like this time traveling!

Wow, to match Mel’s price increases I gave myself a 25% raise. Terry, Thanks for opening the door early

Mikeinhubcity. I like your phone booth better, more Character. Your though was left in the August diner.
View attachment 151020

I think that was Guy’s changing room for Clark Kent, not mine.

 

[CambriaArea51]

Day 1 not even in the books and already 4 pages.

We started a day early, so that's why so many.