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I read it. You know where I stand.
Dad once said, “some people want something for nothing, no matter what it costs”. That stuck with me, precisely because it is so very true.
shocking
Having owned retail sales and service businesses, (start ups that turned into ongoing profitable businesses,) and working for major global corporations, and for regional manufacturers and distributors throughout my life, I can only agree.
The most amazing thing to me is that, "buyers" or "purchasing agents" incentives are to prove some cost savings. Our typical American Wallymart shopper is no different. Where the initial cost has nothing to do with cost in use, return on investment or, durability or practicality of the services that go with a purchase. From common goods to major purchases, it is the norm to look at the bottom line of the quote/estimate and not read the details.
This is no joke, but I have been looking at Karmann Ghias to drive as my, "winter car" when I cannot take the Speedster on the road. Often, I ride my BMW K1600GTL motorcycle on business trips as the mileage and enjoyability of the trip make it worthwhile. Granted, the motorbike trips limit me in several ways including cost per mile. But, that is my personal choice.. As is the time I spend wrenching and updating my Speedster. As info, I cover more than 40K miles per year for work. And, I cover about 10K per year on my BMW bikes.
At the time of the build, I was the, "where can I get it the cheapest" guy. Now, I am the, "where is the best solution" guy. And, the car and I are both better off for it! Sorry for the drift! Occasionally i just have to dump in 2 sense.....
These cars are teachers.
I was talking to a friend about this article his immediate response was...
It doesn’t surprise me plus they don’t make that nice growling sound like a gas powered engine 8-)))
""This is no joke, but I have been looking at Karmann Ghias to drive as my, "winter car""
Your in Buffalo? There is enough snow to challenge you and you would need a gas heater never mind being able to keep the windows clear.
Having had a 1969 VW beetle with gas heater, a 1971 GHia without it and a 1974 Bug without one... no thank you... Also the front end just makes winter driving, a madness.
A nice Golf or better yet a Jetta or Passat both of the which I have work really nicely.
Thanks for the advice Ray. It is appreciated and understood. The water cooled V-dubs just don’t do t for me.
Just as info, I’ve owned an aircooled beetle car from the early 70’s. The Speedster has lasted me since the early 80’s. Yup, a “new beetle” the first year of iteration came in 98. And, I had a 75 convertible, fuel injected, auto stick which was one of only a few thousand made that year. I drove the 75 as a daily driver work car for nearly 5 years. That was winter and summer in the 90’s. I am an aircooled bug lover. And, I get the heating and venting working to it’s designed optimum. (Not to brag.). But, I know the shortfalls and have added Jeeps, Subarus and currently a Mazda CX3 all wheel drive to back us up during the winter crapatola, which happens to be descending from our sky as I speak. So, a Karmann Ghia, which I owned for about a year in 1973 would be a fun car to cruise in the spring and fall season as it is unlike the Speedster in that you can seal out most of the H2O. I have owned a 66, 69, 71 (which became the base of the Speedster) and a 75 Beetle. A 69 Ghia, a Porsche 914 and a 98 New Beetle. All have been great buys and brought the cost of ownership down to incredibly low annual bucks. Here’s to basic, simple, manageable maintenance & service costs. (Lifting a glass of Jim Beam on the rocks.) Those days are long gone with today’s new cars. My wife just spent $600 to have her oil, tranny fluid and coolant changed on her 2012 Hyundai Sonata. Yikes! I could rebuild a VW engine for a little more than that...
By the way, every single car except the New Beetle (which was bought new) sold for more than I bought it for. All of the West Coast VW parts vendors and a few in Florida love me! ;-)
Onward to completing the wiring update on the Speedster. Soon to be ready for the NY State money grab. I mean NY State inspection. ;-(
No Advice really, just my experience travelling to Uni, in a bug in the winter from Northern Ontario and getting into snow banks when you can't turn was more than no fun at times.
I see you have other vehicles to choose from when winter assaults so your good especially with the subaru x drive to keep you warm. I was looking at a ghia but some days the guys owning them think their gold so I have yet to jump on one... I nearly went to see a 2002 1973 all original but I knew the madness to make it like new would drive me so I passed on it. Good luck with your search.
Safety Jim posted:Thanks for the advice Ray. It is appreciated and understood. The water cooled V-dubs just don’t do t for me.
Just as info, I’ve owned an aircooled beetle car from the early 70’s. The Speedster has lasted me since the early 80’s. Yup, a “new beetle” the first year of iteration came in 98. And, I had a 75 convertible, fuel injected, auto stick which was one of only a few thousand made that year. I drove the 75 as a daily driver work car for nearly 5 years. That was winter and summer in the 90’s. I am an aircooled bug lover. And, I get the heating and venting working to it’s designed optimum. (Not to brag.). But, I know the shortfalls and have added Jeeps, Subarus and currently a Mazda CX3 all wheel drive to back us up during the winter crapatola, which happens to be descending from our sky as I speak. So, a Karmann Ghia, which I owned for about a year in 1973 would be a fun car to cruise in the spring and fall season as it is unlike the Speedster in that you can seal out most of the H2O. I have owned a 66, 69, 71 (which became the base of the Speedster) and a 75 Beetle. A 69 Ghia, a Porsche 914 and a 98 New Beetle. All have been great buys and brought the cost of ownership down to incredibly low annual bucks. Here’s to basic, simple, manageable maintenance & service costs. (Lifting a glass of Jim Beam on the rocks.) Those days are long gone with today’s new cars. My wife just spent $600 to have her oil, tranny fluid and coolant changed on her 2012 Hyundai Sonata. Yikes! I could rebuild a VW engine for a little more than that...
By the way, every single car except the New Beetle (which was bought new) sold for more than I bought it for. All of the West Coast VW parts vendors and a few in Florida love me! ;-)
Onward to completing the wiring update on the Speedster. Soon to be ready for the NY State money grab. I mean NY State inspection. ;-(
Why not change your wife's fluids yourself?
Good question!
Started out as a 29.95 oil change. I was not with her when she dropped it off. Ugh!
She does her own thing.. The 600 bucks included new wiper blades too! Yeah!
You forgot the cabinet air filter, oil all the door hinges the hood etc
Interiorcleaning and a wash and wash 
............My wife just spent $600 to have her oil, tranny fluid and coolant changed on her 2012 Hyundai Sonata. IMHO she didn't spend $600, she got robbed to the tune of $600
I'm President of the small FL condo where I live. (Unpaid position that no one really wants). Recently the last 2 developer foreclosed units went up for sale. A women with a new Tesla (and supposedly President of FL Tesla Club) came by with her realtor asking that association install an outlet for her to use to charge her $100k Tesla. When pressed she said she would pay $300 for outlet to be installed and $3 a month for electricity! She said she charged it 3 times a week. I checked Tesla site and avg electrical cost for 15k miles is $550/yr and charging on 110v takes ~9 hrs so a 220v plug was recommended. When I presented that info to realtor and asked her to make a written proposal, she said it was as simple as plugging in Christmas lights and we ought to let her have free electricity. Add to this also that we don't have reserved parking spaces and, of course, she wanted that too. I told her I fill my Miata maybe once a month and get 36 mpg and that might be a better solution. She said she would never own an internal combustion engine car ever again. I said well if you ever want to drive to Atlanta (6 hr drive) you would. I guess she was unaware that the electric used to charge the Tesla was from coal fired electric generating stations. Both condos were on market for $50k under current market. One sold same day she was here and other is under contract. (We did have more costly units with garages with electricity available at same time).
All I could picture in back of my mind during discussion was -
That sounds about right.
Curious, do you still get the full tax credit if you lease?
Bill Prout ...Why not change your wife's fluids yourself?
Holy cow... I would like to take a moment the thank all of you for not taking the bait on that one. Oh the thread drift we could have seen.
Stay classy, gents.
Marty Grzynkowicz posted:Curious, do you still get the full tax credit if you lease?
It's my understanding that the credit is built into the lease payment.
Wolfgang, think of it ... the whole electrical network is being setup to overload because the E-Cars are coming... yet they give it away at most places when will the governments start to charge the owners is the real question.
Ha and in Europe it costs you .5 to .7 Euros just to pee!
Yeah... Euro-Pee-An
IaM-Ray posted:Wolfgang, think of it ... the whole electrical network is being setup to overload because the E-Cars are coming
Solution: build more (coal fired) plants.
Electric cars: the least efficient means possible of propelling a vehicle using coal.
I'm struck with the 5% that constitute the "renewables" darlings (wind/solar). I live in the Saudi Arabia of windfarms. They are universally hated by those who live near them, and the health risks are just now becoming known. The idea that we can have a reliable grid with solar as a key component belies a total ignorance of how the grid actually works, given that it's dark at least 50% of the time (even in the most sunny spots in America). In my part of the world, we haven't seen the sun during the day for a couple of months, and won't for a couple more.
If we really want a "zero-emissions" power supply that doesn't burn anything, we need to dump more, not less, into the nuclear bucket. Given current environmental hurdles, there will never be another large-scale hydro project. There is a limit to how many windfarms can be tolerated. Biomass requires feedlots or garbage dumps. Solar is a joke. Unless we figure out how to store energy for use later (like, I don't know... in a carbon?), we're stuck with either burning or splitting atoms.
The truth is really inconvenient, no?
Eglin AFB just build a 240 acre solar farm. Of course they cleared land of pines and now red clay run off is flowing freely in Chattahoochee Bay killing off oysters and mullet fry. Solar might be good in FL - offsetting AC usage during summer! Nada wind turbine to be seen - we always have shore breeze. Check out one at FT Drum NY - gotta shovel snow off panels.
IaM-Ray posted:Yeah... Euro-Pee-An
And if your a poo-pin it cost double.
The secret is to enter a cafe and buy another beer and use their "free" rest room. Unfortunately it is never ending process! At least the pay rest rooms are kept clean and it does create jobs. Might be a good idea to implement in the states?
thats a hell of a seat to lift
Ray, when doing your business, did they give you a copy of the Aphrodite's palace to read.
No but the souvenir shop was full or hedonistic items including statues of their God Pryapus.