If you are advertising a truck as a part out you might want to disclose which parts are no longer salvageable. If all you say is "ran great a few years ago, has significant underbody rust" I will assume the engine was the part that ran great.
When I don't respond back after you inform me that the engine has chucked a rod, please don't continue to ask if I want any other parts, because I'll likely be vindictive and setup a time to "take a look at the interior to see what kind of shape it's in".
We'll see how much of your time I can waste.
wae
UberDork
7/18/21 7:27 a.m.
Rant number one: About 45 minutes into the weekend road trip to rallycross and see the out-laws, the left front caliper on the truck seized up. Fortunately we were only on the north side of town by that time and only had to limp it about 2 miles to an AutoZone. Thankfully easideTim didn't have much going on and showed up with some tools and a jack stand. AutoZone had a caliper in stock and also threw in a free roll of shop towels and a 10% discount. Two hours later, we were back on the road.
Rant two: I started the rallycross yesterday morning with a low grade sinus headache. By lunchtime my headache had grown and by the time the afternoon was over I classified it as "debilitating". I left before any trophies or anything and actually had to pull over on the way back to my in-laws because I thought I was going to puke. I slept for 4 hours, woke up and watched the f1 sprint not-a-race, went back to bed, and didn't wake up again until 0600 today. I hated being anti-social yesterday - I was just absolutely crushed with nauseating pain.
jh36
HalfDork
7/18/21 7:40 a.m.
The public has been trained to move to the left when they see the authorities on the shoulder.
so the public can be trained.
They do it even when they cause other accidents.
I suppose because it is heavily enforced and fined.
we need a movement that similarly imbeds the notion of a passing lane.
Passing lane. So weary.
RevRico
UltimaDork
7/19/21 7:56 a.m.
I can't find the source of the smell. Anywhere. It just appeared out of nowhere yesterday. But I'm damn sure tired of hearing about it.
For some reason, my house smells like fresh oil based paint.
Nobody has painted anything. Its strongest in the basement living room, where there is a dehumidifier, 1950s fridge, and axolotl tank, but nothing painty or paint related.
"It smells like gas, is the house going to blow up? Are we going to suffocate?"
No drama queen, it smells like paint. No fuels are visibly leaking and it would stink a lot worse in Thing 1s bedroom if it was fuel.
stanger_mussle said:
In me experience, when the first thing some one says to you is "I'm not trying to sell you anything", they are trying to sell you something.
I was out in the garage, organizing my work bench when a beat up first gen Tundra stops in front of my house. I ignore it until I hear "Sir!". I turn around and there is a guy trying to get my attention. Thinking he's looking for an address in the neighborhood, I walk down the driveway.
"Sir."
"Yes?"
"I'm not trying to sell you anything, well, I am with [insert local roofing company that leaves notes and cards all over my neighborhood] but, uh, do own or rent your home?"
"Rent."
"Oh, Ok. Sorry to disturb you." and he speeds off.
I'm sure my face said "BERK OFF".
I ALWAYS reply with "rent". I mean technically I don't rent, I live rent-free with the parents saving up for a down payment on a home, but even when I do get the home I will always reply with "rent". Shuts a lot of solicitors down easily.
I had one call me and when I told him I rented, he said "I'm sorry to hear that. Have a good day." Gave me a good laugh for sure.
NickD
MegaDork
7/19/21 10:54 a.m.
I had a great vacation but there was one theme I saw repeatedly that drove me nuts. Over and over I saw instances where a kid was enjoying themselves and the parents would repeatedly call their name over and over and yank them away from whatever they were enjoying watching/doing so that they could get them to pose for a picture. People, stop with this obsession with getting the perfect berkeleying picture, and just let the kid enjoy the moment and derive your own joy from theirs. The kid would just want to watch the damn train go by and the parents would be turning them around and making them face the camera so that they could get the perfect photo and then the kid didn't actually get to watch it go by.
Rodan
SuperDork
7/19/21 11:19 a.m.
Apparently the Bro-Dozer virus has infected imports as well... the driving behavior is what you would expect from the pics...
My turbo Miata has been in the shop for the best part of 3 months. I was under the impression it would be done today so we drove the 1.5 hours over there.
It wasn't ready and the "drivable but untuned" base map is far worse than I thought it would be. Car is going to need to be trailered to a professional tuner for a full work up and perfecting the tune.
More $$ and time.
Falling down a short flight of stairs at damn near 40 sucks way worse than it used to.
REVRico said:
I can't find the source of the smell. Anywhere. It just appeared out of nowhere yesterday. But I'm damn sure tired of hearing about it.
For some reason, my house smells like fresh oil based paint.
Nobody has painted anything. Its strongest in the basement living room, where there is a dehumidifier, 1950s fridge, and axolotl tank, but nothing painty or paint related.
"It smells like gas, is the house going to blow up? Are we going to suffocate?"
No drama queen, it smells like paint. No fuels are visibly leaking and it would stink a lot worse in Thing 1s bedroom if it was fuel.
Basements usually have florescent light fixtures. The older designed ballasts have this nasty tar like stuff in them and when the ballast is failing, it overheats and oozes this smelly stuff out. If you have them take a look.
NickD
MegaDork
7/19/21 8:10 p.m.
Scott_H said:
NickD said:
I had a great vacation but there was one theme I saw repeatedly that drove me nuts. Over and over I saw instances where a kid was enjoying themselves and the parents would repeatedly call their name over and over and yank them away from whatever they were enjoying watching/doing so that they could get them to pose for a picture. People, stop with this obsession with getting the perfect berkeleying picture, and just let the kid enjoy the moment and derive your own joy from theirs. The kid would just want to watch the damn train go by and the parents would be turning them around and making them face the camera so that they could get the perfect photo and then the kid didn't actually get to watch it go by.
Basements usually have florescent light fixtures. The older designed ballasts have this nasty tar like stuff in them and when the ballast is failing, it overheats and oozes this smelly stuff out. If you have them take a look.
Uhhhhhh, okay. Is this some sort of metaphor?
In reply to NickD :
I think Scott was replying to Rev's mystery funk rant.
Damn kidney stones. Not for me but for my wife. Gonna be a long night. At the ER waiting for CT results.
NickD
MegaDork
7/20/21 10:03 a.m.
I have a Cadillac with a rear camera that isn't working and it has some previous wiring "repairs" present that make me scratch my head and go "What the berkeley were you trying to accomplish? And why were you trying to do to it to begin with?"
PMRacing said:
Damn kidney stones. Not for me but for my wife. Gonna be a long night. At the ER waiting for CT results.
Confirmed 3mm stone that is almost out. Just need to wait and let pain meds do their thing.
In reply to NickD :
Yep, Appleseed has it. RevRico's basement odor is what I was trying to reply to... Maybe I was smelling something...
Dusterbd13-michael said:
Falling down a short flight of stairs at damn near 40 sucks way worse than it used to.
To be fair , it sucks at any age really
Antihero (Forum Supporter) said:
Dusterbd13-michael said:
Falling down a short flight of stairs at damn near 40 sucks way worse than it used to.
To be fair , it sucks at any age really
No, it really sucks once over 35-40 or so. At twenty it's something you laugh and hope nobody saw. At 38 it's you walk funny for a few months.
Pete. (l33t FS) said:
Antihero (Forum Supporter) said:
Dusterbd13-michael said:
Falling down a short flight of stairs at damn near 40 sucks way worse than it used to.
To be fair , it sucks at any age really
No, it really sucks once over 35-40 or so. At twenty it's something you laugh and hope nobody saw. At 38 it's you walk funny for a few months.
I'm 38, I agree, but falling down stairs has never really been a leisure activity either
Antihero (Forum Supporter) said:
Pete. (l33t FS) said:
Antihero (Forum Supporter) said:
Dusterbd13-michael said:
Falling down a short flight of stairs at damn near 40 sucks way worse than it used to.
To be fair , it sucks at any age really
No, it really sucks once over 35-40 or so. At twenty it's something you laugh and hope nobody saw. At 38 it's you walk funny for a few months.
I'm 38, I agree, but falling down stairs has never really been a leisure activity either
By this statement I infer that you have not spent acres of time on a mountain bike or BMX.
The trail network I used to ride all the time had some stairs that we would try to ride down without dabbing. (Taking your feet off the pedals and touching the ground. I guess that term means something different now?) And then there was all the urban biking we did. I'm shocked now that we got away with as much stuff as we did...
Pete. (l33t FS) said:
Antihero (Forum Supporter) said:
Dusterbd13-michael said:
Falling down a short flight of stairs at damn near 40 sucks way worse than it used to.
To be fair , it sucks at any age really
No, it really sucks once over 35-40 or so. At twenty it's something you laugh and hope nobody saw. At 38 it's you walk funny for a few months.
Agreed. I tried a new shower cleaner a few months ago and the next day it was like I had effectively greased the shower, leading me to attempt an impromptu split.
It still hurts to bend.
NickD
MegaDork
7/21/21 10:04 a.m.
NickD said:
I have a Cadillac with a rear camera that isn't working and it has some previous wiring "repairs" present that make me scratch my head and go "What the berkeley were you trying to accomplish? And why were you trying to do to it to begin with?"
That one got interesting. The original complaint was that the camera had gotten blurry and then stopped working altogether, which is textbook camera failure, so I had ordered a camera. It came back for the camera while I was on vacation and a coworker went to replace it and found a bunch of hacked-up wiring in the decklid and so he told the writer to reschedule it back for a day when I was in. When he put the car back together, the camera started working again, although the image was very blurry.
So it came in yesterday, the camera was still working but the image was very blurry. I installed the new camera and repaired the most butchered of the wiring. Put the car in reverse, now the camera doesn't work at all. Start doing all the diagnostic procedures and all the wiring is testing out fine. Plug the camera back in, now it works and the image is crystal clear. Oooookay. I ended up putting it back together, everything stayed working and I sent it on its merry way.
I'm still not as happy as everyone tells me I should be, I also don't put on as good a show as I did. I also don't expect a new toy to suddenly make me happy, it's probably just going to be a nicer place to hate things. I'd love to be able to say when I'll be normal again but I kinda forgot what normal was.
NickD
MegaDork
7/22/21 6:21 p.m.
I went to a local cruise night with the Miata. A guy walks up and the conversation goes as follows.
Random dude: "Oh, you put a different spoiler on it." (I have one of those Blackbird Fabworx lexan spoilers)
Me: "Nooo? This is the same one its had for 3 years."
Random Dude: "No, it had a different one, this is new."
Me: "No, its had this one for three years and before that it had none."
Random Dude: "I'm certain it had a different spoiler."
Me: (Trying to give him an out.) "Maybe you are thinking of a different car?"
Random Dude: (Getting irritated) "No, it was definitely this car. Its pretty distinctive."
Me: "I don't know what to tell you, man."
Really, you're gonna come up to the owner of a car and then argue that he's wrong about what's been changed? Ooookay.