Ontopic The new car-seching thread

I see it as a vehicle that someone could use as a daily driver and pick up their lawn mower from the repair shop on the way home and not worry about vacuuming (and shampooing) the “bed” out afterward.

My last new car was a 1995 4Runner. It was $33,000 new. It had every luxury item available at the time, and anytime I put a gas can or something in the “way back”, I fretted over every turn or bump I hit. That wouldn’t had happened in a Brat-like vehicle like that.

Hence the description “niche filler”. It’s not for everyone, and it’s not aimed to sway true truck owners away from their trucks either.
I saw a Santa Cruz last weekend and the proportions aren't as wonky in person as they somewhat look in pictures.
 
Daughter was a natural with the hammer and dolly straightening the things that needed attention:
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Cut off the bent fender well and grill:
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Welded the new one in:
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(not pictured, fitting the fish plate between the old and new "frame rails" on the body, even though there's actually a fuckin' frame right below it)

A grinder and paint makes the boy the welder he ain't.
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I put some brake pads on today.
Even managed to do it before they started carving up the rotors.

In other news the Buick now also has thumbtacks in the ceiling.

Thus concludes this transmission.
 
I finished up the tilt/telescope steering column install in the GTO. No more welding or cutting required on the no-weld/no-cut install.

Also finished reinstalling the fuel injection after the warranty service and it is running sah-weet.
 
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I don’t know if I mentioned it already but my son passed his test for his drivers license and is now driving to and from work, on perhaps the shittiest Highway in our metro area. There have been days where he has chosen to park and ride mass transit, partly due to having rides left on his card but also to remind himself how much freer he is driving himself.

Man, I’m proud of him.
 
The power button on @AppleTurkey's radio in the VW is also the volume control, and when you change the volume, it changes the orientation of the power icon on the power button, and IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY.

Every time I get in, I have to re-orient the button, and then only use the volume controls on the steering wheel.

I think she's just doing it to sprinkle beach sand in the ass-crack of my man-kini, because she knows it bothers me.
 
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The power button on @AppleTurkey's radio in the VW is also the volume control, and when you change the volume, it changes the orientation of the power icon on the power button, and IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY.

Every time I get in, I have to re-orient the button, and then only use the volume controls on the steering wheel.

I think she's just doing it to sprinkle beach sand in the ass-crack of my man-kini, because she knows it bothers me.

By coincidence, I saw this and thought of you driving a VW.
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The power button on @AppleTurkey's radio in the VW is also the volume control, and when you change the volume, it changes the orientation of the power icon on the power button, and IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY.

Every time I get in, I have to re-orient the button, and then only use the volume controls on the steering wheel.

I think she's just doing it to sprinkle beach sand in the ass-crack of my man-kini, because she knows it bothers me.
I once braked so hard a similar radio turned off. Only thing I could figure is the knob bounced?
 
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The power button on @AppleTurkey's radio in the VW is also the volume control, and when you change the volume, it changes the orientation of the power icon on the power button, and IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY.

Every time I get in, I have to re-orient the button, and then only use the volume controls on the steering wheel.

I think she's just doing it to sprinkle beach sand in the ass-crack of my man-kini, because she knows it bothers me.
Sure just 3D print another knob and put it on.

Share the design for meatspin.stl on thingiverse when you're done.
 
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So there ends my foray into EV driving (so far). I bought my 2020 Bolt last October for $25,200 (after lots of incentives and after TTL). I loved driving my car, but shortly after GM recalled the batteries that were made in Korea. They were starting fires from overcharging. My car’s battery, however, was build in MI so I was originally out of the recall. But last month, GM expanded the recall to all Bolts, even the brand new ones of the redesign they did. But because of the global manufacturing and electronics shortages, and how long it took them to identify the issues, they haven’t started making new batteries yet to replace, and it would be a full replace. The recommendations were to limit charging to 90% max, and drain only to 70 miles left (30%) making the effective range very short. They also recommend not to park in a garage and recent recommendations were to park 50 ft away from anything and at the top of car parks. A lot of parking lots are starting to ban the car actually.

Since I didn’t know when I would get a replacement battery, I went to go bo a buyback. That was going to take a month to get as well. Just on A whim I went to Texas Direct Auto and they offered $22k. Not bad, but I went to Carmax and they offered $24k so I took it.

Was I too stupid for taking that deal? Technically the car cost me $1200 to run it for almost a year. Should I have waited for GM’s price? But then there are reports that places like Carvana are becoming saturated with Bolts and they aren’t offering more than $18K because they can’t shift them. I think I got lucky getting $24k.
 
Unloading a piece of shit that could burn your house down and kill your family for $24k seems like a good deal to me.
 
The problem is everything else is too much to buy to replace it because the current car market is insane
 
Yeah so when what you got could potentially burn your family to death I wouldn't be too worried about a few bucks this way or that. Your number one responsibility in life is to take care of your loved ones, which means pushing that thing over a cliff and eating a total loss is being Far more responsible than playing money guy and waffling over a few bucks this way or that.
In other words get your head out of your ass.
 
The rate of fires is half of conventional car fires. These ones just don’t extinguish very easily and happen while parked, not driving
 
You mean they're not easily extinguished and happen while parked, like in your garage?
Yes. That’s why the recall recommended parking outside (and later to park 50 ft away from anything) until they replace the batteries