Follow-up to my birthday present trip
in [Disney Parks]
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From: Lisa Cubbon on 2 Aug 2010 13:26 On 8/2/2010 11:48 AM, Rudeney wrote: > On 7/30/2010 4:47 PM, Patty Winter wrote: >> In article<i2vgmp$q7o$1(a)rudeney.motzarella.org>, >> Rudeney<rudeney(a)mickeypics.com> wrote: >>> >>> I can't decide >>> between the utility of an SUV or wagon, the convenience and economy of a >>> small/midsized sedan, or the exhilaration of a sports car. >> >> Do what I did: get two. :-) (In my case, a sports car and a >> compact 4WD wagon.) I bought them both used, and I keep cars >> forever, so they really haven't cost me that much more than >> most people spend on one car over 15-20 years. > > Well, we'll soon end up with three cars - mine, Jan's and Katie's. I > hate having a 16yo driving (again!), but at least that gives us some > options. I bought a small 4DR sedan for Katie that I'm driving now > (well, she drives, I ride) and will turn that over to her next year. > Jan's lease is also up next year (October, IIRC). So, I guess next > summer, we'll need to decide what we get. > > The problem is, we have to have an SUV. There is no way we can do > without one. We always end up packed to the gills when we go to the > beach or WDW. Jan has an SUV now (her first) and is not sure if she > wants to get another or go back to a car. My ideal plan would be for her > to get another SUV, and then I will get a sports car (probably a > roadster or at least a convertible). I'm afraid that she's tired of > driving an SUV, although she's the perfect candidate because she only > works 4 miles away so MPG is not a big issue. > > I think WHEN I replace my Volvo, I would like a small Volvo SUV but I like having a real trunk that holds lots of stuff out the the view of prying eyes. I know they have those privacy shades in SUVs but it's not the same as a piece of something sturdier. But I have years before I get a new car, I hope. We had friends with a Murano and that seems nice to me too but I do love Volvos. I think the accident I was in on 285 years ago made me a lifelong Volvo owner. I crawled out the passenger window. Car was totaled but I was fine. Lisa
From: Keane on 2 Aug 2010 14:17 On Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:18:14 -0500, Rudeney <rudeney(a)mickeypics.com> wrote: >On 8/2/2010 5:58 AM, Keane wrote: >> On Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:54:59 -0400, Brian<drmorrisnospam(a)comcast.net> >> wrote: >> >>> On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:02:46 -0500, Keane<keane(a)keanespics.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>> >>>> Nope, I'm only in the market for a full size, stealth sedan. Maybe >>>> another Maxima, but if Nissan think's they're going to get $40K from >>>> me for a Max... Thinking Avalon, too. Maybe a 3.5L Altima. >>> >>> Have you thought about a used car a couple of years old? >> >> Nope. I never know how the car was broken in. Funny thing about >> a lot a people who buy a high horsepower car, they want to use >> all them horsepower, some way too early. > >Actually, there are competing theories on break-in. I subscribe to the >"full-throttle" school. This group believes that being too gentle will >not let the pistons, valves, etc. travel to their extremes during >break-in and thus actually cause more problems down the road than a >"gentle" break in. I subscribe to the theory that you vary speeds and gradually bring up rpm's and let everything seat properly. On dino oil. I don't use synthetics, but if I did, I'd still wait 'till I have say, 10K miles, to make sure all the surfaces like each other... :-) You don't baby the car like you did 20 years ago, but since I'm not only breaking in the engine, but the transmission, the brakes, and my rear end in the seat, I still take things slow until about 3K. (Then you drive the car really fast to see what the limits are, then slow down, but still have people like Lisa tell the world you drive fast.) >> In addition, I'm suspicious on why someone would trade in/sell a car >> after a year or two. Take a huge hit on depreciation, then sell the >> car? Maybe if I could find out why, but you rarely can. > >I've seen enough of it that I'm not too worried. Maybe 5% of the time >it's because of problems. The other 95% it's anything from the person >not being able to afford the car to changing lifestyles to just not >liking the vehicle. Some people just get tired of a vehicle and want a >new one every few years. As long as there is still a warranty and the >car didn't come from a potential flood zone, and it's not a lemon >buyback (all verifiable), then I'm fine with letting someone else eat >the depreciation. You have much more faith in humanity than I... I also fear the 2-year owners. I actually knew someone who only kept his car for two years, so he never put any maintenance into it. No oil changes, nothing, 'cause he was only keeping it two years. >>>> Anyway, it can't scream "I'm going fast" standing still, and it has >>>> to have really good handling credentials, with an engine large >>>> enough to have decent power at 7000 feet. >>> >>> Altitude? >> >> Yes. At more than 7000 feet, I can really tell I'm not generating as >> much horsepower as I am in say, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa or >> Nebraska. :-) When on vacation with another person, and a >> full trunk with the air conditioner on, those real fun mountain roads >> should be fun... > >When driving at higher altitudes, make sure you use *lower* octane fuel. > I know that may sound counter-intuitive, but it's true! It's based on >compression ratios and thinner air means lower compression, for which >lower octane fuel is better suited. On the other hand, it's very difficult to do that, when you've filled up in Nebraska at 3000 ft, and end up at 11000 feet in the Rockies. But in general, it's lowered for you, I've seen a spread of 3-4 octane points depending on elevation through the US. I wonder if the guys with the blowers in say, Glenwood Springs, have to buy a higher grade of gas... Keane -- When stars are born, They possess a gift or two, One of them is this, They have the power to make a wish come true... -- Wishes Visit my site: http://keanespics.com
From: Rudeney on 2 Aug 2010 17:14 On 8/2/2010 1:17 PM, Keane wrote: > On Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:18:14 -0500, Rudeney<rudeney(a)mickeypics.com> > wrote: > > > I subscribe to the theory that you vary speeds and gradually bring up > rpm's and let everything seat properly. The whole reason for varying speeds is the same as what I was saying about wanting the parts to regularly reach their maximums and minimum ranges of travel. This means you have to be a bit "aggressive" at times. > On dino oil. I don't use > synthetics, but if I did, I'd still wait 'till I have say, 10K miles, > to make sure all the surfaces like each other... :-) OK, what do you have against synthetics??? > You don't > baby the car like you did 20 years ago, but since I'm not only > breaking in the engine, but the transmission, the brakes, and my > rear end in the seat, I still take things slow until about 3K. I usually take it slow for the first 500 miles, then I drive like a normally do, which does mean some occasional full-RPM runs. > (Then you drive the car really fast to see what the limits are, > then slow down, but still have people like Lisa tell the world you > drive fast.) She's right - you do. :-) > You have much more faith in humanity than I... I also fear the 2-year > owners. I actually knew someone who only kept his car for two > years, so he never put any maintenance into it. No oil changes, > nothing, 'cause he was only keeping it two years. Well, that's a good point I had never thought of. I've also heard of people not wanting to buy a former rental or fleet car, but those have probably been better maintained than the "random" personally owned used car. >> When driving at higher altitudes, make sure you use *lower* octane fuel. >> I know that may sound counter-intuitive, but it's true! It's based on >> compression ratios and thinner air means lower compression, for which >> lower octane fuel is better suited. > > On the other hand, it's very difficult to do that, when you've filled > up in Nebraska at 3000 ft, and end up at 11000 feet in the Rockies. Planning? > But in general, it's lowered for you, I've seen a spread of 3-4 octane > points depending on elevation through the US. I wonder if the guys > with the blowers in say, Glenwood Springs, have to buy a higher grade > of gas... Around here (700ft) we have 87/89/93 octane. IIRC, Denver usually offers 85/97/89 octane. Most turbo/supercharged engines and anything over a 10.5:1 ratio require minimum 91 octane at sea level, so 89 at 5,000ft mile should be just fine. -- - RODNEY Next WDW Vacation? Who knows! Need to know more about RADP (rec.arts.disney.parks)? http://www.radp.org http://allears.net/btp/radp_bk.htm http://allears.net/tp/abrev.htm Are you still accessing RADP via Google? Why? Get instructions on how to access to the "real" RADP Usenet Group here: http://meets.radp.org/usenet.htm
From: Rudeney on 2 Aug 2010 17:21 On 8/2/2010 12:26 PM, Lisa Cubbon wrote: > > I think WHEN I replace my Volvo, I would like a small Volvo SUV but I > like having a real trunk that holds lots of stuff out the the view of > prying eyes. I know they have those privacy shades in SUVs but it's not > the same as a piece of something sturdier. But I have years before I get > a new car, I hope. We had friends with a Murano and that seems nice to > me too I *HATE* Jan's Murano. It looks nice, and has a lot of fancy features for the price (as compared to say a Lexus RX350) but that's it. The cargo space is totally inadequate for a vehicle its size. The seats are small and uncomfortable. Not only are the controls unintuitive, many things have more than one control for the same function. Worst of all, it handles like to a grapefruit stuck on a pencil. > but I do love Volvos. I think the accident I was in on 285 years > ago made me a lifelong Volvo owner. I crawled out the passenger window. > Car was totaled but I was fine. I have always liked Volvo. I almost bought a 240 years ago. Jan almost bought a 740 back when they came out with the "new" body styles, and we seriously considered the S80, but it lost out to the Audi A6. -- - RODNEY Next WDW Vacation? Who knows! Need to know more about RADP (rec.arts.disney.parks)? http://www.radp.org http://allears.net/btp/radp_bk.htm http://allears.net/tp/abrev.htm Are you still accessing RADP via Google? Why? Get instructions on how to access to the "real" RADP Usenet Group here: http://meets.radp.org/usenet.htm
From: Lisa Cubbon on 2 Aug 2010 19:55
On 8/2/2010 2:17 PM, Keane wrote: > On Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:18:14 -0500, Rudeney<rudeney(a)mickeypics.com> > wrote: > >> On 8/2/2010 5:58 AM, Keane wrote: >>> On Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:54:59 -0400, Brian<drmorrisnospam(a)comcast.net> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> On Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:02:46 -0500, Keane<keane(a)keanespics.com> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>>> Nope, I'm only in the market for a full size, stealth sedan. Maybe >>>>> another Maxima, but if Nissan think's they're going to get $40K from >>>>> me for a Max... Thinking Avalon, too. Maybe a 3.5L Altima. >>>> >>>> Have you thought about a used car a couple of years old? >>> >>> Nope. I never know how the car was broken in. Funny thing about >>> a lot a people who buy a high horsepower car, they want to use >>> all them horsepower, some way too early. >> >> Actually, there are competing theories on break-in. I subscribe to the >> "full-throttle" school. This group believes that being too gentle will >> not let the pistons, valves, etc. travel to their extremes during >> break-in and thus actually cause more problems down the road than a >> "gentle" break in. > > I subscribe to the theory that you vary speeds and gradually bring up > rpm's and let everything seat properly. On dino oil. I don't use > synthetics, but if I did, I'd still wait 'till I have say, 10K miles, > to make sure all the surfaces like each other... :-) You don't > baby the car like you did 20 years ago, but since I'm not only > breaking in the engine, but the transmission, the brakes, and my > rear end in the seat, I still take things slow until about 3K. > > (Then you drive the car really fast to see what the limits are, > then slow down, but still have people like Lisa tell the world you > drive fast.) huh? Me? You? PiC? Lisa > >>> In addition, I'm suspicious on why someone would trade in/sell a car >>> after a year or two. Take a huge hit on depreciation, then sell the >>> car? Maybe if I could find out why, but you rarely can. >> >> I've seen enough of it that I'm not too worried. Maybe 5% of the time >> it's because of problems. The other 95% it's anything from the person >> not being able to afford the car to changing lifestyles to just not >> liking the vehicle. Some people just get tired of a vehicle and want a >> new one every few years. As long as there is still a warranty and the >> car didn't come from a potential flood zone, and it's not a lemon >> buyback (all verifiable), then I'm fine with letting someone else eat >> the depreciation. > > You have much more faith in humanity than I... I also fear the 2-year > owners. I actually knew someone who only kept his car for two > years, so he never put any maintenance into it. No oil changes, > nothing, 'cause he was only keeping it two years. > >>>>> Anyway, it can't scream "I'm going fast" standing still, and it has >>>>> to have really good handling credentials, with an engine large >>>>> enough to have decent power at 7000 feet. >>>> >>>> Altitude? >>> >>> Yes. At more than 7000 feet, I can really tell I'm not generating as >>> much horsepower as I am in say, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa or >>> Nebraska. :-) When on vacation with another person, and a >>> full trunk with the air conditioner on, those real fun mountain roads >>> should be fun... >> >> When driving at higher altitudes, make sure you use *lower* octane fuel. >> I know that may sound counter-intuitive, but it's true! It's based on >> compression ratios and thinner air means lower compression, for which >> lower octane fuel is better suited. > > On the other hand, it's very difficult to do that, when you've filled > up in Nebraska at 3000 ft, and end up at 11000 feet in the Rockies. > > But in general, it's lowered for you, I've seen a spread of 3-4 octane > points depending on elevation through the US. I wonder if the guys > with the blowers in say, Glenwood Springs, have to buy a higher grade > of gas... > > Keane |