[ChrisPlatt]

I don't want another gizmo to block my view of the road, and another device to fiddle with.
Remember, I am a film photographer. I prefer keeping it simple when possible.

Offensive, yes. It is another unnecessary technological intrusion into our daily lives.
Not to mention a seemingly willing embrace of Big Brother and a Surveillance Society...

Chris

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Last edited by ChrisPlatt; 04-11-2019 at 04:38 PM.

[Turbotak]

Another thing I like about buying used -- I've always been into collecting vintage stuff, whether it's cameras or guitars or motorcycles -- or cars. They're just more fun than the new stuff and they have more personality -- to me, at any rate.

Agreed! I won't buy an automatic transmission. Has to be manual! Older is better (to me). I do extensive research on the vehicles I buy and make sure the mechanics are bulletproof.

I don't want another gizmo to block my view of the road, and another device to fiddle with.
Remember, I am a film photographer. I prefer keeping it simple when possible.

Offensive, yes. It is another unnecessary technological intrusion into our daily lives.
Not to mention a seemingly willing embrace of Big Brother and a Surveillance Society...

Chris

They are completely automatic and sit behind your review mirror, you barely know they are there. You never have to touch it.
Also it's your own personal insurance, nobody has access to it except for you.

Try saying it's unnecessary when the motorist who cut you off and sideswiped you when merging and tells the cops you ran into them. By the way, this motorist happens to be much more attractive than you are...XD

To each their own...I understand not wanting more gadgets in a car, but it really does help you.

[Racer X 69]

So I just bought another vehicle.



Not my first Ford.



Not a new Ford.

But the price was right, cheaper than renting a car, and it satisfies a temporary need.

Since I can't use my right foot at the moment, I can't work three pedals, and all my vehicles have three pedals. This pickup only has two pedals. It belonged to my grandson, and he wanted a newer car, something that gets better gas mileage. So we made a deal, and now it is mine.'

It starts, runs and drives well, considering it has 172,000 miles on it. Powerful. Been too long since I had V8 power under me. 5.8/351/automatic, 4 wheel drive. Air conditioning, tilt column, premium bucket seats with console/jump seat.



Next year I can get collector car (read permanent registration) plates for it.



And considering the lack of respect my 40,000 coworkers have for other people's vehicles in the parking lot at work, the rough condition of the exterior is a plus. Been commuting with it for a week or so now, driving with my left foot.

[lesmore49]

So I just bought another vehicle.



Not my first Ford.



Not a new Ford.

But the price was right, cheaper than renting a car, and it satisfies a temporary need.

Since I can't use my right foot at the moment, I can't work three pedals, and all my vehicles have three pedals. This pickup only has two pedals. It belonged to my grandson, and he wanted a newer car, something that gets better gas mileage. So we made a deal, and now it is mine.'

It starts, runs and drives well, considering it has 172,000 miles on it. Powerful. Been too long since I had V8 power under me. 5.8/351/automatic, 4 wheel drive. Air conditioning, tilt column, premium bucket seats with console/jump seat.



Next year I can get collector car (read permanent registration) plates for it.



And considering the lack of respect my 40,000 coworkers have for other people's vehicles in the parking lot at work, the rough condition of the exterior is a plus. Been commuting with it for a week or so now, driving with my left foot.

Looks like a nice truck. I had an opportunity to buy a '95 F 250 with an automatic (C6 I'm guessing ?) and 351 V8 around 1998 or so. It was an extra cab and had a cap on the box, 4WD. Nice truck, great deal, but we had two vehicles at the time and no room to park it. Think had low miles, very well maintained and never really off road.

I notice your F 150 has the Eddie Bauer package. Years ago a story circulated that a guy, who had just bought a used Ford Bronco , called the Ford help line in Detroit with a question. He indicated that while he liked the truck, some previous owner had 'customized' his Bronco and had his name...Eddie Bauer...on decals, embossed in the seats, etc...all over the Bronco. He asked the Ford help line if they call the local Ford dealer to have the new owner's name...his...embossed on the seats and the decals changed.

[aslyfox]

this came to mind in when I read a post in the " are we that rare " thread which mentioned Audis:

This reminds me of my latest meeting at work it is like when I turn up to a meeting for work and the car park is full of our company cars, Audi (Canon), BMW (Nikon), Jaguar (Sony), and then one Lexus (Pentax).

So the Audi's nice Heffers of a car very well engineered does everything well but not very exciting, . . . .

I sprang to the defense of my 2015 Audi A 5 coupe 2.0 turbo which I got in December of 2014


the response was quite nice:

. . . The A5 is different and with its odd 4 seat configuration and more sporty saloon /coupe styling would probably be the Pentax in the Audi model range . . . .

and it reminded me of the mistake I think Audi made in changing the design for the 2018 model year

yeah, the design was about 10 years old at the time of the change but I think it looks like a classic

the original designer refused to include a true sun roof, he thought it ruined his concept but would sign off on the tilting sun roof

[Just1MoreDave]

My truck has the same corner dent (photo 2) as the Ford. The Ford is from that period before everything was a crewcab. The trouble is going to come when your foot gets better, and you start to think of excuses to have two pickups. Maybe that's just what I'd do.

The Mercedes is resting in a quiet corner of the body shop while parts are being custom made for it in Germany. Then they will be rush-shipped here with their own factory-trained installer who will work tirelessly to install them to micron tolerances. On a positive note, maybe it'll stop snowing by the time it's ready, and I can swap tires.

[ChrisPlatt]

My driver's license expires tomorrow (my birthday), so I went to NYS DMV today to renew.
I opted for the "enhanced" license, which allows you to use it as ID to board a plane for domestic travel
and to cross the border with Canada or Mexico. They charge an additional $30.00 for the upgrade.
A passport can be used for either purpose but I don't have one, so the choice was a no-brainer.

Time spent at DMV was under two hours and the total was $110.
IMO not bad since I won't have to do it again for another 8 years...

Chris

[Racer X 69]

My driver's license expires tomorrow (my birthday), so I went to NYS DMV today to renew.
I opted for the "enhanced" license, which allows you to use it as ID to board a plane for domestic travel
and to cross the border with Canada or Mexico. They charge an additional $30.00 for the upgrade.
A passport can be used for either purpose but I don't have one, so the choice was a no-brainer.

Time spent at DMV was under two hours and the total was $110.
IMO not bad since I won't have to do it again for another 8 years...

Chris

I've had a Washington state enhanced ID/Commercial driver's license for about 10 years now. Makes crossing into Canada and back to the US a breeze.

I renewed my Commercial driver's license last year. It cost just over $300. If I wanted to drop the CDL and the enhanced thing it would be cheaper, about what yours cost, but if I let the CDL go, it won't be as easy to get back as it was to get it over 45 years ago. Back then it was an endorsement, not an actual commercial driver's license. You passed the written test, and got a skills wavier from someone who had the endorsement already, and there you go, you're licensed to drive big trucks.

Today, you have to go to an accredited school, then take the written test, and then hire a person who is licensed to administer the skills test to do the driving test. And there are a zillion things to know, and go over during the pre trip. If you don't actually touch each item during the pre trip inspection, and call it out loud, the examiner will take points off. Miss too many things and you fail.

[Racer X 69]

My truck has the same corner dent (photo 2) as the Ford. The Ford is from that period before everything was a crewcab. The trouble is going to come when your foot gets better, and you start to think of excuses to have two pickups. Maybe that's just what I'd do.

Most of the body damage on that pickup came from the grandson, as he learned to handle such a large vehicle.

And some of the damage came from two owners before him, his other grandpa.

I have yet to put a single scratch on it.

As for what to do with it after my foot heals, I dunno. I am warming up to the idea that it would make a great beater and work commuter. Sure, it only gets 14 to 16 mpg, but I'm earning enough to absorb the cost. And the traffic going to, and coming home from, the Big Shed is brutal. I call it the Boeing Grand Prix. Those jerks drive like it is a race. There are wrecks every day.

Wouldn't hurt my feelings at all if some dope caused a wreck that damaged it. In fact, since it is a full sized pickup, it would probably win against all those idiots in their econoboxes.

And the parking lot is another place that is rife with hit and run damage. My Subaru has taken a couple of hits there.

[ChrisPlatt]

My license was automatically downgraded a couple years ago
when I failed to get the yearly physical required for the CDL.

Chris

[Racer X 69]

My license was automatically downgraded a couple years ago
when I failed to get the yearly physical required for the CDL.

Chris

When I changed from driving to building airplanes, I no longer am employed as a driver. I tel them that at the DMV, and that I want to keep the CDL. If I should get a job requiring a CDL again, I simply see my doctor, get the physical, stop by the DMV and give them a copy of the CDL physical document, and I'm good to go.

[lesmore49]

Many years ago, in my province I had a commercial driver's license. I was a university student and paying my way through school by driving commercial trucks. At that time...'70-'71...one had to get a Chauffeurs License...which would enable you to drive commercial trucks, etc. I left the industry a few years later and by that time the province had set up different, modernized classifications of licenses...with testing. If I had continued in the trucking industry I would of been required to qualify under the new system.

I believe the Chauffeurs' license went way back , probably '20's/'30's at least.

Now my license allows me to drive regular vehicles, light trucks and I also have a motorcycle license.

My first driver's license which I got in 1965, in my (prairies) province, was a standard transmission license. Back then there were two 'regular' licenses...one was the 'standard' license which referred to standard or manual licenses and with this you could drive...standards...cars, light trucks, motorcycles. The other license was the 'automatic' license...with this you could only drive automatic transmission equipped , vehicles...no motorcycles, no other manual transmission vehicles.

My father encouraged me to get a 'standard' license at the time, as he figured it would give me more opportunity for employment (driving trucks, etc.) , also he knew I wanted to have a motorcycle...so this was the way to go for me. When I look back from age 16 to 30..all the vehicles I owned had manual transmissions.

I still prefer driving a manual, but have generally had automatics...for the most part..since I was 30-31. Now ...in North America...I would be hard pressed to find a new, manual transmission vehicle...other than a motorcycle.

[cooltouch]

I learned to drive trucks in the US Army. Two schools, the first taught us how to drive the ubiquitous 10-wheelers: Duece-and-a-halfs and the occasional 5-ton. Second course was tractor-trailer 5-tons. I liked those 5-tons with their big Cummins engines. A few years after I got out, I got a job working for Schlumberger in the oil patch as a wireline operator. We had big cabover 10-wheelers and I had to get a license to drive them. All I had to do was pass the written test, which was a good deal more involved than the standard test, but not really hard, and then one of our engineers had me do a road test with one of our trucks for the driver's test. Piece of cake. Pretty easy to get the CDL back then, and that was California in 1978. I wonder what one has to do now.

[Racer X 69]

I wonder what one has to do now.

Pretty much the same thing one had to know then, they just test a bit more thoroughly. Like I mentioned, during the skills test, the diver has to perform a pre trip inspection before getting behind the wheel, and must physically touch and call out each item to the examiner. Fail to do so and fail the test.

Then there is the post trip inspection. Same as the pre trip, touch and say, or fail.


The hours of service regs have evolved some since then, too.

[Ratmagiclady]

My driver's license expires tomorrow (my birthday), so I went to NYS DMV today to renew.
I opted for the "enhanced" license, which allows you to use it as ID to board a plane for domestic travel
and to cross the border with Canada or Mexico. They charge an additional $30.00 for the upgrade.
A passport can be used for either purpose but I don't have one, so the choice was a no-brainer.

Time spent at DMV was under two hours and the total was $110.
IMO not bad since I won't have to do it again for another 8 years...

Chris

Hrm. I never knew about those, to my recollection. Of course, I'm really far from any borders just lately.

---------- Post added 04-17-19 at 07:39 PM ----------

In 2014 I made the switch from Opel (or 'Vauxhall') to Gazelle

I'm 25kg lighter for it

That actually looks like something my ex might really like. (Personally, I always liked drop bars and skinny tires, but said ex preferred more upright postures.

Also, Racer, yay for old Ford truck. I always liked mine, which was an 87, extra-cab and short bed. (And 2wd Also kinda stripped down edition, but I added a few things. My customary gauges and a tach and some budget car stereo that actually was pretty nice. Also one of those square-tube aftermarket tailgates cause the original was quite bashed in when we got it. )

One accessory that's really great, btw, (especially if you aren't too tall) and they still make em, is an over -the windshield parcel shelf. (screws into where the visors are attached, has more holes for the visors underneath. I think I got mine from JC Whitney but I saw some on ...maybe Amazon while I was saying similar things to a friend last year. We haven't put one in the S10 yet but may do eventually.