Half our cars are gone!

Michael Z

Michael Z

Senior Member
Location
Northern Wisconsin
Just like that, we go from 4 working vehicles to 2. We hit a deer and totaled one last week and our old rusty 99 Toyota Camry had its rusty brake lines leak two days ago and upon closer look I smell gas perhaps leaking, with a $1700 repair estimate, not including other probably needed repairs totaling over $500.

Time to do the unpleasant task of car shopping for us and my daughter. Probably go down to one of the Luther dealers in the twin cities (MN) for at least one of the cars. Luther dealers only sell repaired safe and well-running cars that they get as trade-ins, in contrast to the mostly dishonest used car shops.
 

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Michael Z said:
Just like that, we go from 4 working vehicles to 2. We hit a deer and totaled one last week and our old rusty 99 Toyota Camry had its rusty brake lines leak two days ago and upon closer look I smell gas perhaps leaking, with a $1700 repair estimate, not including other probably needed repairs totaling over $500.

Time to do the unpleasant task of car shopping for us and my daughter. Probably go down to one of the Luther dealers in the twin cities (MN) for at least one of the cars. Luther dealers only sell repaired safe and well-running cars that they get as trade-ins, in contrast to the mostly dishonest used car shops.
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I wish we had something like Luther Dealers here...
 
Our 4 vehicles consisted of a 99 Camry, rusted to the hilt, a 99 chev Suburban, the 2009 Matrix that was totaled, and our “good” car consisting of a 2008 Toyota Corolla. The AWD Matrix was our winter car, the 99 Camry my daughter drove to work, the 99 Suburban is for hauling building materials for me and other friends and family, rescuing my kids out of ditches in the winter, and an occasional fishing trip. We had over 13 feet of snow last winter!
 
Our local guy patched up the old car, both brakes and gas line for $150 plus my $20 tip! So we have that car back. These old-school guys don’t fix everything, but they have saved me many times and do good work. Have to make sure and drop off a nice Christmas platter of sausage and cheese for them.

Almost bought another AWD yesterday but it wasn’t quite the stellar condition described.
 
It's a tough car market right now, but used car prices are beginning to drop. Sucks for new car buyers with a trade-in though. They were being low-balled terribly for the last 18 months and now you get offered even less.
 
Decided to get the totaled car repaired as my settlement, even reduced for me to keep the car, will almost cover it. The very reputable shop doing the repair is owned by a friend from church and he assured me it can be done. So now we are on the lookout for a car that either will replace the old 99 Camry (near 300k mi) my daughter drives, or one we can use and then sell the repaired car to my daughter. Thanks to some wonderful people in our area, we are in a much better situation now. And thankful for the very mild snow-free winter we are having this year!
 
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Well that MG might be worth learning the new procedures just for all the dropped jaws we would see as we drove it around! I am sure the price tag might be out of our reach though!
 
When you have a gearbox like the MG's, changing gear going up as the car increases speed, you depress the clutch bring the gear lever into neutral come off the clutch. You then depress the clutch and select the next gear. When you need to slow the car the way you change down can be quite convoluted. You depress the clutch pedal put the car into neutral release the clutch pedal. Whilst the car is in neutral you press down on the accelerator so that the engine spins over. Come off the accelerator, depress the clutch and change down to the next lower gear then come off the clutch.

That was the method everyone had to do before the invention of synchromesh. The reason for spinning the engine over when changing down is so that you line up both clutch plates to the same speed. Google clutch plates images and you will see why it's so convoluted.
 
horseless carriage said:
When you have a gearbox like the MG's, changing gear going up as the car increases speed, you depress the clutch bring the gear lever into neutral come off the clutch. You then depress the clutch and select the next gear. When you need to slow the car the way you change down can be quite convoluted. You depress the clutch pedal put the car into neutral release the clutch pedal. Whilst the car is in neutral you press down on the accelerator so that the engine spins over. Come off the accelerator, depress the clutch and change down to the next lower gear then come off the clutch.

That was the method everyone had to do before the invention of synchromesh. The reason for spinning the engine over when changing down is so that you line up both clutch plates to the same speed. Google clutch plates images and you will see why it's so convoluted.
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That sounds similar to driving a manual transmission without the clutch, which I had to do once many years ago. As I remember, you get up a little past the correct RPMs, ease up, go to neutral, and make the shift. It worked. These days I would probably call the tow truck!
 
Michael Z said:
Decided to get the totaled car repaired as my settlement, even reduced for me to keep the car, will almost cover it. The very reputable shop doing the repair is owned by a friend from church and he assured me it can be done. So now we are on the lookout for a car that either will replace the old 99 Camry (near 300k mi) my daughter drives, or one we can use and then sell the repaired car to my daughter. Thanks to some wonderful people in our area, we are in a much better situation now. And thankful for the very mild snow-free winter we are having this year!
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Would you consider an EV for your daughter? Prices are really good for those right now. I looked at some small 2-door sedans in the $6-$8K range, new.
 
Nathan said:
If you want to get rid of that, I know a guy[me] who would give it a good home.
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Nathan, I am flattered, but the car is staying in my garage. Back when I was a penniless student I came across two "must haves" that were out of my pocket. The MG sports car knows as the MG TD, nowadays with a shekel or two in the bank, I still hankered after that MG. My lady, who didn't object in principle to the acquisition of such a vintage MG, did point out that open top cars and asthma, from which she suffers, are not exactly bed-fellows. My MG is a sedan version of the TD, it helps keep the pollen at bay.

Materialism, when you reach a stage in life where sensible investments of earlier decades in life, produce the funds for indulgence. Along with the MG, I could never part with my record player. Not just any old record player and certainly not one that's portable, I have never grown out of the novelty of just pressing buttons to request a record of choice. My second student "must have," was a record player: 422746823.JPG
It's a Wurlitzer Jukebox, known as a model:
"One More Time." The novelty has never
worn off.
 

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