The Car Obsession Thread

[Halcyon Times]

Pfft, all you fancy shmancy car guys:

My dad had a ‘55 Chevy, baby blue 4-door. Gave island drunk a ride home and he left a cigar in the back seat. Woke up to smoke billowing out of the windows. Answer: pull what was left of the back seat out and throw two old tires for seats and a milk crate for trash in the back. Rode that way to RFK across the Bay Bridge many times. Seat belts?, pfft. A deer and a ditch finally put it out of its misery.

Late 60s Barracuda: baby shit brown with white leather interior. Slant 6 console automatic. Pops ran snow tires 365 days a year. Idk why but it was torquey enough that neutral drops would burn tires down to the cords. Put an 8 track in it for pops so he and mom could go down to the point, listen to Elvis and have “quiet time”. I’m pretty sure my brother was conceived in that car. I put it out on a rip rap bulkhead doing circle spins. Just dragged it off and kept rolling.

My grandpops loved Pontiacs. I loved the wide speedometers. The needle would spin all the way around, get buried and the back end would come up and go across. Same w Delta 98s. Don’t ask how I know but damn they were smooth and fast. And what a back seat in those bastards.

Friend had a Datsun 510(?) wagon. Great little car and fold the seats down booty wagon. Put it in a golf course water hazard. Again, drag it out and keep rolling. Those little shitboxes go for some pretty good money these days.

 

[Ashburn Dave]

Loved my 8-tracks. That was the first mod we did with a new car. Had to install the 8-track player with the biggest speakers you could fit in the rear.

My very first car that I bought was a $200 Pinto that lasted about a month.

 

[riggins44]

I bought my wife a Ranger two years ago. The more get to drive it the more impressed I am. I am in and out a lot of cars and trucks. It takes a lot to impress me. We ordered ours and I let her pick color and options. Due to covid and chips I wasn't able to get a tow package or factory spray-in liner. Both of these would have delayed production.

 

[purbeast]

So some asshole hit my car either at my gym or while at Safeway. I didn't even notice it at all but my wife gets home and asks me when I hit my car and I'm like WTF you talking about?

Then I went outside and saw it...

I was so pissed because today has sucked and this just made it even worse.

I guess at least it is only on the plastic parts and it is not dented, just scratched. I do think the plastic around the wheel well will have to be replaced because it's textured but I don't know really.

I have zero experience with body shops.

Anyone have any guesses at how much this would cost to replace and/or have a body shop they recommend around Rockville?

I am so pissed though. I had my last car 12 years and nothing like this happened to it. I've had this 4 months and have that and then a huge ding on that same side on the passenger door.

 

[Chris]

Damn that sucks. Reason #1,212 why I don’t park anywhere near other cars. People just don’t give a shit.

 

[purbeast]

Damn that sucks. Reason #1,212 why I don’t park anywhere near other cars. People just don’t give a shit.

I wasn't parked near anyone. I always park far away. That is what makes it even more mind boggling.

The thing is though, at both of these places, there are stores on both sides of the lot. But I know the areas where it's most vacant at both lots because I go to both of these places very frequently.

 

[Mickalino]

Maybe one of the stores has security cameras ?
But if it's parked that far away, it may not be in range of the camera or have enough high definition to identify it

 

[Miles Monroe]

So some asshole hit my car either at my gym or while at Safeway. I didn't even notice it at all but my wife gets home and asks me when I hit my car and I'm like WTF you talking about?

Then I went outside and saw it...

I was so pissed because today has sucked and this just made it even worse.

I guess at least it is only on the plastic parts and it is not dented, just scratched. I do think the plastic around the wheel well will have to be replaced because it's textured but I don't know really.

I have zero experience with body shops.

Anyone have any guesses at how much this would cost to replace and/or have a body shop they recommend around Rockville?

I am so pissed though. I had my last car 12 years and nothing like this happened to it. I've had this 4 months and have that and then a huge ding on that same side on the passenger door.Repair

So some asshole hit my car either at my gym or while at Safeway. I didn't even notice it at all but my wife gets home and asks me when I hit my car and I'm like WTF you talking about?

Then I went outside and saw it...

I was so pissed because today has sucked and this just made it even worse.

I guess at least it is only on the plastic parts and it is not dented, just scratched. I do think the plastic around the wheel well will have to be replaced because it's textured but I don't know really.

I have zero experience with body shops.

Anyone have any guesses at how much this would cost to replace and/or have a body shop they recommend around Rockville?

I am so pissed though. I had my last car 12 years and nothing like this happened to it. I've had this 4 months and have that and then a huge ding on that same side on the passenger door.

Body can expensive. It's likely more then your deductible. Cant tell from the photo if the skin can be repaired or has to be replaced. Bumper skins can go for big bucks on some vehicles. What's the year model ?

 

[purbeast]

It's a 2025 Telluride. I've had it for less almost 4 months at this point.

Well at least some good news I guess, or the best possible scenario.

I called Geico just to talk to them about it and turns out the UMPD coverage I have will cover a hit and run, and my deductible is only $250.

So I got a claim started already and am going to start shopping around this week for a body shop to repair it. They also said the ceramic coating that will have to be reapplied will be covered by it as well.

So yah, it really sucks that my first brand new car got hit less than 4 months into owning it, but I definitely feel a lot better knowing I'm only spending $250 on repairing it.

 

[Miles Monroe]

It's a 2025 Telluride. I've had it for less almost 4 months at this point.

Well at least some good news I guess, or the best possible scenario.

I called Geico just to talk to them about it and turns out the UMPD coverage I have will cover a hit and run, and my deductible is only $250.

So I got a claim started already and am going to start shopping around this week for a body shop to repair it. They also said the ceramic coating that will have to be reapplied will be covered by it as well.

So yah, it really sucks that my first brand new car got hit less than 4 months into owning it, but I definitely feel a lot better knowing I'm only spending $250 on repairing it.

Good deal, sounds like you're on the right track.

 

[Ashburn Dave]

Duck duck go! Our first jeep. The Mojave is designed for fast beach driving so the OBX better be ready next Spring.

Bought it used 2021 w/60k miles for less than half of what news ones go for.

Now I need to buy me some ducks which is a jeep thing that I never heard of before. Apparently, jeep owners pass ducks around.

 

[prodigy]

Duck duck go! Our first jeep. The Mojave is designed for fast beach driving so the OBX better be ready next Spring.

Bought it used 2021 w/60k miles for less than half of what news ones go for.

Now I need to buy me some ducks which is a jeep thing that I never heard of before. Apparently, jeep owners pass ducks around.

View attachment 13582

View attachment 13581

ooooh i've seen a few jeeps with ducks. never connected the dots to think that was a thing till now.

 

[skinsmarydu]

Duck duck go! Our first jeep. The Mojave is designed for fast beach driving so the OBX better be ready next Spring.

Bought it used 2021 w/60k miles for less than half of what news ones go for.

Now I need to buy me some ducks which is a jeep thing that I never heard of before. Apparently, jeep owners pass ducks around.

View attachment 13582

View attachment 13581

I really like that! It has a covered bed in the back, that's great.

That's what I'm pricing now, bed covers for my '04 Canyon. Tired of blowing pine straw out of it every week.

 

[Ashburn Dave]

I have to have a hard cover. A lot of folks say soft or hard doesn't matter to a determined thief but my stuff just feels safer under a hard one. My jeep has a soft cover with a tear, so I'll replace that this spring with a hard one.

I currently have a BakFlip on my F-350 which has been solid for five years.

I'll also check out the Tonneau hard covers. Everyone in the Jeep forums swear by Tonneau and they have a hard cover that rolls up which sounds cool.

 

[skinsmarydu]

I have to have a hard cover. A lot of folks say soft or hard doesn't matter to a determined thief but my stuff just feels safer under a hard one. My jeep has a soft cover with a tear, so I'll replace that this spring with a hard one.

I currently have a BakFlip on my F-350 which has been solid for five years.
View attachment 13624

I'll also check out the Tonneau hard covers. Everyone in the Jeep forums swear by Tonneau and they have a hard cover that rolls up which sounds cool.
View attachment 13625

Yeah, I've got the shorter bed, (big cabin, seats 5 easily, like 8 cupholders ), and I want the rollover because it would be easier on me physically. Thanks!!!

 

[Miskinske]

Most beatiful color for a vehicle imho! Lol

 

[Ashburn Dave]

Sweet color!

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

I bought my wife a Ranger two years ago. The more get to drive it the more impressed I am. I am in and out a lot of cars and trucks. It takes a lot to impress me. We ordered ours and I let her pick color and options. Due to covid and chips I wasn't able to get a tow package or factory spray-in liner. Both of these would have delayed production.

I'm on my 2nd Ranger but it's 21 years old and the bed is rusting out in parts. I only drive it 4,000 miles a year but it's essential. I know I need to replace it eventually and I won't get anything but a Ranger but it's hard to justify the expense for a truck so little used. On top of that they stopped making them from I believe 2012 until the new version in 2020. So either I buy a truck that in 7 years will leave me where I am now or spend way too much money on a vehicle that's hardly ever driven.

 

[Miles Monroe]

I'm on my 2nd Ranger but it's 21 years old and the bed is rusting out in parts. I only drive it 4,000 miles a year but it's essential.

If it's mechanically sound, fix the bed. They make all sorts of repair panels for truck beds. If it's the decking, that's a pretty simple fix, and extends the life of the truck for your limited use. If you did it yourself, it likely cost under 500.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

If it's mechanically sound, fix the bed. They make all sorts of repair panels for truck beds. If it's the decking, that's a pretty simple fix, and extends the life of the truck for your limited use. If you did it yourself, it likely cost under 500.

There is another issue. A year or 2 ago the computer was malfunctioning. It would read the truck was misfiring and tell the transmission to not shift out of 1st to avoid stalling. First time I limped it directly to the auto shop where new plug wires were installed and I was informed of the problem, I thought I needed a tranny. Then it did it again on the way home from the dog park, the next morning it was shifting fine. A third time I just pulled over and turned it off for 15 seconds. This reset the computer and it hasn't happened since. Still because of this I am limited to local driving, I don't trust it to take to Harpers Ferry.

Originally I called a body shop and he said they can't the bed. Then I called a junk yard and they had no dark grey beds, it's a common color and I figured it was only a matter of time but then I stopped calling. The rust is on the deck, a few holes that I cut away the rust and spray painted. Then are now about the size of my fist and close together. Then I found another one a few feet away, I could put my finger through the deck. I got a steal plate about 2' x 4' that I put over the compromised section. It's fine for trips to the dump or yard waste, but I can't load it with gravel or firewood, I had to put the wood around the area.

So given all of this would you fix this truck? Shops can cut away the rust area and patch the deck of a truck bed? Now it's loud, I just prey it's a muffler and not the cat. Not sure I even want to invest in a muffler.