nc211

Well, we made it. After 15 hours and 845 miles, we arrived on Sunday at 10:30pm. At 11:00 pm, we were greeted by the police department! Apparently my appearance after such a drive, and us fumbling around for the keys to the house in the cold, got the attention of the neighbors and they called the cops on us! So, nothing like bail money and free legal advice for a house warming gift!

I've got to hand it to Toyota, they sure can build a car. I use to drive to KC from Wilmington about twice a year, could only make it to Nashville "575 miles" before I was to sore to continue. The 4runner was great to cruise in, and arrived feeling just fine, no stress. It's even easier on the ole' body than the LS400 was. As we were going through the mountains of West Virginia, I was reminded why I love V8 engines! We were loaded down to the ceiling with stuff, including three cats and the fish in the cup holder, and the car performed like it wasn't even challenged. That AWD system made the truck drive itself down the road, all I had to do was rest my hand on the wheel.

Waiting for the furniture to arrive in about 30 minutes, and hopefully the Mazda will show up sometime in the day or two. and then, we're done! I can't wait to sleep in my own bed, as these hardwood floors aren't exactly kind to your back. And, let me tell you, I'm exhausted like never before. Heck, this time last week, I was in San Diego for a confrence, flew home to pack and load the house, then drove here. So, I'm cooked!

DC, YOU ARE THE GREATEST MEMBER ON THIS FORUM! I love your sense of humor! This clip is going to be forwarded to all of my friends and family. Thanks for posting this! I miss the patience of life.

What they should have done was let these businesses fail, re-organize, etc. We had too much expansion on a false dollar. The better move would be to give extended unemployment benifits for 2 years and let the capitalistic economy find its own leveling field. This would only cost us around $50billion, far cheaper than the 800 billion. We built too many homes, apartments, and shopping centers on our credit driven economy. On a side note has anyone seen any news on the 20 states considering sovereignty from the federal government to stop the spending requirements of the feds?

I somewhat agree with you lenore, especially in light of the recent "bonus" activity going on. One thing that I've come to consider in all of this though, is the workforce that is now available to do these "stimulus" based projects, like roads and bridges. 18 months ago, a state couldn't afford to hire a skilled crew to build a bridge "hence the massive influx of illegal immigrants". Now, as a country, we have those people. So, I'm somewhat excited by this opportunity to finally address the decaying infrastructure of our country in a proper way, a lasting way of 50 years+, instead of repaving a 10 mile stretch of road, only to restart at the beginning when you're at the end, due to poor quality forced upon the project by unexperienced yet affordable labor and materials. So, I'm at a double edge sword moment on this....

All I can say is things are "changing".

Just like the Libs want. But of course, they like getting free money and free healthcare and free food and free housing and free life.

What happened to working to better your life? I think welfare should be tossed. FORCING people to go out and get jobs! haha

J', you know I love ya' man, you're my boy. but, you gotta' quit this sh*t. people are in serious trouble right now, from the country club to the soup kitchens. nobody's being forced to get a job to prosper, but rather being forced to find a job to survive. I'm sorry my friend if I'm chewing on your tale a bit. You know it's nothing personal.

Well amigos, the time is upon me now, as I sit here in my boxed up home, waiting for the big rig to show up in the morning and load all of our personal belonging for our new home in the suburban area of Chicago, called Glen Ellyn. The sting of this moment, I must admit, really hurts pretty damn badly. I'm a proud, strong, mid 30's father and husband that has loved the southern living lifestlye for the majority of his life, and my wife knows of no other way. But I must admit, the growing sadness in my heart is getting harder to hide from my social circle. So, it's time to go. But, as I've preached on here in the past to other that a person will never land if they're not willing to take a leap or two, it's time to put my money where my mouth is. And, as a southern gentleman who's wired to face off to a challenge instead of run from one, I will get my family through this, you can bet your Smokey & The Bandit lovin' butt, I will win! I will lead us to a happier time, in a happier place, with a happier lifestyle. But as those on here that have faced similiar challenges in thier life, you know that it stings something pretty awful sometimes. However, in light of all the recent job cuts in this country, especially in my specialty sector, with a lot more to come in 2009, we're going to be ok on Sunday morning when we cross the stateline towards a new and strange place. So, NC211 is on the move. Catcha' when I catcha', mi amigos!

they dont charge me per hour, they just charge me for the job being done, usually about $80 for labor when they r doing regular service. But, by the way the service out here on Long Island is horrible. took them 4 hours just to change 1 flat tire! i told them that i'm never gonna come back for service or get another car from them again.

I'm willing to bet, they're probably not bothered by this, to be honest. Sh*t happens to anyone and everyone. It's how you handle yourself that dictates the reaction to the action of sh*t happening, that either grants you an apology and concessions, or the "don't let the door hit cha', where the good Lord split cha', sucka". Who knows, maybe the three hours spent prior was on a GX470 with defective baby seat anchors, or the like. Or, maybe they were just sitting in your car, jamming some Dennis Lehrey "I'm an as$hole", and having fun watching you on the security monitor pacing back and forth in the waiting room? Either way, with this kind of reaction, you'll never know.

True, these are really scary times, and the numbers are numbingly big. The defecit is approaching $10T. I read an article recently comparing 10 trillion to some interesting facts. 10 trillion seconds equals 32,000 years. I you spent $1m a DAY since the birth of Jesus Christ, you would still have approx 1/4 of $10t left. It's stunning what's going on. But, on the flip side of this, is the staggering US economic engine, which is huge! At the end of the day, we're borrowing approximately 6% of our economic GDP, which is high but managable if done correctly. Basically ladies and gentlemen, we're pinned. We've had 5 years of buy buy buy buy everything with debt, and now we're facing the keep keep keep keep it. The lesson being taught is the one between getting something, and keeping something. It won't let up until folks start needing/wanting again.

But yes, we're playing with a fire a bit. However, we've got to keep the dollars flowing around the economic circle for this country to survive. It's the core foundation of our capitalistic lifestyle. You don't buy, he don't make money and he don't buy either. At the top of that pyramid, is the US Government.

Things will get better though, trust me. It's a cycle, and the next one will be worse than this one, just as this one is worse than the last one. It happens when inflation of values and population base is calculated in. It's also part of the same cycle reflected by consumer confidence levels, which are in the tank right now...because folks are happy with, and trying to keep their 720P Plasmas, not buy 1080P. But, thankfully oil is cheap again, and the opec boys are pinned down too.

my gut is telling me, some spoiled rotten bad apple teenagers with too much time, too little parenting, and just the right amount of disconnect from reality, matched with a Iphone and a www.howto website..

Black because you cant keep it clean, and lexus black has no clearcoat, thus no salt protection

Only suggestion...buy the car in NC. Reason being it won't have seen salt covered roads. That car being in Chicago has seen salt covered roads its whole life.

I agree, but we've pretty much run out of time to spend hunting for one here. I closed down the office last week, have this week to prep the house, in San Diego the first part of next week, then the packers and movers arrive upon my return from CA, and we're outta' here on the 14th. Plus, the car carrier folks arrive next Saturday to pick up the Mazda. So, we're basically set to go. My wife would kill me if I tossed in "hey, lets buy a car" into the mix! But, I certainly agree with your thinking Steve. On the flipside though, prices in Chicago are a lot cheaper than down here "probably for the reason you suggest, and larger market". That GS I linked to above, is approx $15k down here. So the cost savings is significant. Now, I know what you're probably going to say next.....trade value on the Mazda. I'm anticipating a lower trade value on it up there. But I'll haggle my way through it. They're really struggling up there, so I've some room. Granted, I won't be an a$$ or anything, they need to survive too, but certainly won't let them steal it from me either! The 3 is a great car, but just too damn rough riding for those roads. I just had new tires put on it, and when doing my research, the tire with the softest sidewall, was the OEM tire at near $200 a pop. They don't last 25k, and aren't for snow. So I had to go with the next softest sidewall I could find, which has made the car ride like a ton of bricks and track like a needle. So, time to find a replacement, instead of !Removed! around with the tire guy again, which was a waste of my time.

Army: GREAT info on the Q! God knows I don't want to dismantle the engine to get at the plugs. And God knows, I'm going to replace the plugs within the first week of ownership!

No more black cars for me for a while. I like midnight blue though, like the 4runner. Don't care for grey, haven't seen alot of maroon "but like it". So, white will most likely be the color of choice, if possible. I'm not too worried about the snow effect as Army mentioned. I won't be driving it in the snow, thanks to the rear wheel drive. That's 4runner duty, and as substantial as that beast is, you gotta' come at me with a pretty heavy beast to get my attention.

GM-USA needs to file BK, break the union contracts, and start from scratch. I understand some say that's the wrong approach for short term job security. But in the long run, the only way you can survive is with a managable overhead. If the unions won't negotiate, then you've got to topedo them, with bankruptcy. Folks who really add to the value of the process, will most likely be retained under brankruptcy operational protection. Those who don't, will get cut, like the 20 back-up guys playing cards and watching Judge Judy in the breakroom all day due to required staffing levels in the union contracts. Quite honestly, this country has operated under a consumer-driven platform for the past 50 years, which defaults to the golden rule of capitalism = the profit/loss statement, which defaults to the guy who can build a superior product for less money, which for the past 25 years has been the Asian markets..aka..the emerging markets. Quite frankly, if I were CEO of GM, I'd order my top engineers to go out and buy a high mileage Camry and Accord, break it down, study it throughly, understand how it's made, right down to the buttons on the a/c and plastics of the dashboard, and tell them to "make me one of these, now". I would be ashamed if a brand new product I made, was the equivalent of a 100k mile, 10 year old competitors. I would want to know why, and how to fix it, at all costs. If it's worker based passion for excellence, then I'd focus on that first. If at the end of the day, the only way to support your union-based labor staff is to offset the cost with cheap parts, cheap materials, cheap r&d...well...you'll fail fail fail in a consumer driven economy.

How we can put men on the moon, design the stealth fighter/bomber, hit a supersonic missle at any point on the missle in mid-flight with another missle, yet not produce a family sedan that isn't laden with problems...is simply beyond me.

I'm glad Toyota took the top spot from GM. They earned it, they deserve it, and I'll spend my hard earned american money on their products way before I'll buy a GM vehicle. I feel bad for a lot people right now in this economy. Many are innocent victims of this. But, what I do not feel bad about is firing someone who produces crap, and then complains about it. I have to work my butt off to survive, and so should you, Bubba the UAW working watching Judge Judy at $40 an hour. You're fired! I'd tell the union bosses and the rest of the workers that if they have a problem with that...they're fired too! With so many folks out of work these days, they could easily find willing folks that would put in the proper effort to make sure they're work product was done right, not leave it for someone else to deal with...aka...the consumer. Which...ain't dealin' with it anymore, thanks to Toyota!

So, here's what I'm thinking.... I found this one.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u...&cardist=21

And here's what I'm thinking about offering:

Full price, but that will include the following:

New suspension components throughout, all upper, lower control arms, strut rods, struts, strut mounts, rear carrier, motor mounts, transmission mounts, rear differential mounts, new weatherstrip on all doors, the 90k service with the timing belt and water pump, brake rotors and pads, including fitment kits and shims....... Am I missing anything? I'll do the plugs, since I'll pull the throttle body off to clean it, and seafoam the engine. I'll also do the fluids with synthetics. I'll also check the windshield to make sure it isn't pitted, like my LS was.

Basically, walk in with the knowledge we have of what it takes to bring these cars back to new, tell them I'll pay what they're asking, but want a select amount of repairs done. I look at it like this: get the discount on price via haggle, or get the discount on service via preventive maintenance that the knowledge of this site has taught me. In my experiences, the sales guys are only focused on price, not service. They'll almost always agree to the service more so then a lowball offer on the price. If they say yes to my approach, THEN I introduce the Mazda as trade, and walkdown the actual cost of the Lexus via equity in the Mazda. I figure, if I can get out the door with a GS300 that has 81k miles, with new suspension parts, new mounts, new fluids, new timing belt/waterpump, and the rest, for $9,500, I'm in good damn shape. Basically, what I'm thinking is taking the repair list I did on my old LS, and saying "I'll buy it for what you're asking, if you'll match my repairs I did on my other Lexus". Think they'll bite?

What do you guys think?

I'd have to go with the GS. I've had a GS300 as a loaner before, and I really liked the way it drove except for the power. I'm not a racer, but the 6 banger didn't seem to have enough oomph (especially low end) for the car, maybe it is because I regularly drive a 400. I probably wouldn't go for the Q45. The gatling gun headlight projectors are cool, but the rest of the exterior doesn't do too much for me--the interior looks pretty nice though. I have to wonder about the Q45; I wonder what it is about the car that has made it such a sales failure (fewer than 1200 units sold in the year of 2005)? I think I've seen more Ferraris than I have Q45s. Is it a good car but over priced (like the current Acura RL)? Or something else?

I like the updated looks of the Q45 better, but I agree with you Blake, I think it's going to be a GS300. We drove through the autopark this morning while on our way back from Perkins, and they had a 00' on one of the lots for $11k. It wasn't the right one, by a long shot "previous owner had some aftermarket stereo in it, and the car just screamed "abused"". But when I sat it in, I knew. The GS is the right size for us. The Q is in the LS neighborhood, which is too much for our needs, and probably will be tight in the new garage with the 4runner as well. Plus, I know Toyotas so well know - thanks to you and the amigos on here!- that I feel a lot more comfortable taking on a 90k mileage Toyota product, then a 90k mileage Nissan product. I haven't driven the Q45, or reallly had a chance to even sit in one, but the GS just felt "right" for me, and this plan. In terms of the power though, I agree, the V6 is certainly a bit weaker for the car. But two V8's "4runner has 4.7 V8" might be a bit too much for us, if gas spikes up again. Lots of stop n' go "mostly stop" traffic in Chicago, which is where the V8 really hurts the most.

So, now it's just a matter of time to find the right one. Probably won't mess with this here in NC, as we just don't have the time to do it. Eitherway, I do know the Mazda will most likely give me hemroids up there, with it's go-cart suspension, concrete-like sidewall low profile tires, and their horrible roads. Chicago will kill the 3, sadly :(

I know these two dealerships, and know the area pretty well. Our HQ is in Newport Beach, by Fashion Island, and I've spent several weeks out there over the past few years. A few things I'll always remember about NPB: (1) A TV commercial for FJ MB, that had two 15 year old girls walking through the dealership, saying "when I turn 16, I'm getting that one" as she pointed to the $150,000+ SUV. (2) After three weeks out there back in 2006, I found myself walking through the Ritz Carlton parking lot one day, and said to myself "yellow is so ugly on that Ferrari". A split second later, I said to myself "reality check, time to go home now". (3) Walking out of Circuit City at Fashion Island, I noticed a Bently coupe, brown, and noticed it didn't have a sunroof. (4) A local weekend car show at the Star Bucks parking lot in Laguna Beach...need I say more. (5) The 19 year old kid who drove the shuttle van from the hotel to the air port, talking about his dad's new Ferrari, Lambo, and his own 911 Turbo. When I asked him what he was studying in school "assuming he was in college", he said "school is for those who don't have money already". When I asked him why he was working at the hotel as a velet, he said "honestly, there are some seriously hot !Removed! around here that hook up over here". When I asked what his dad did for a living, he said "hedge fund manager". I'd love to see that kid now. (6) and finally.... "metro-sexual". I'm sorry if I offend any of the guys on here from there, if the following applies to you. But, grown men don't get their eyebrows waxed, hair colored, nails polished, laser hair zap their beards, use beauty cream, and for god sakes, get some pants that actually fit! FYI: tight pants went out with Poison, Ratt, Boy George. What's with this new fashion statement where a pair of suit pants look like they're two sizes too small, and suit jackets that look like they're going to bust the buttons when closed? Jeezzz...

Newport Beach... that brings back some great memories!! When I lived there, there was a $70K Mercedes driving around and it's license plate read: NwprtVW

Hahaha! My boss, who spent 10 years in Newport Beach, has a beautiful 320E sedan, 01' I believe. He calls it the "Newport Camry".

When I had my 95' LS400 and would pick him up in the morning from the mechanic's shop, I asked him what he would call a car twice as old, twice as many miles, just as nice, twice as reliable....he said....Taxi!

I know these two dealerships, and know the area pretty well. Our HQ is in Newport Beach, by Fashion Island, and I've spent several weeks out there over the past few years. A few things I'll always remember about NPB: (1) A TV commercial for FJ MB, that had two 15 year old girls walking through the dealership, saying "when I turn 16, I'm getting that one" as she pointed to the $150,000+ SUV. (2) After three weeks out there back in 2006, I found myself walking through the Ritz Carlton parking lot one day, and said to myself "yellow is so ugly on that Ferrari". A split second later, I said to myself "reality check, time to go home now". (3) Walking out of Circuit City at Fashion Island, I noticed a Bently coupe, brown, and noticed it didn't have a sunroof. (4) A local weekend car show at the Star Bucks parking lot in Laguna Beach...need I say more. (5) The 19 year old kid who drove the shuttle van from the hotel to the air port, talking about his dad's new Ferrari, Lambo, and his own 911 Turbo. When I asked him what he was studying in school "assuming he was in college", he said "school is for those who don't have money already". When I asked him why he was working at the hotel as a velet, he said "honestly, there are some seriously hot !Removed! around here that hook up over here". When I asked what his dad did for a living, he said "hedge fund manager". I'd love to see that kid now. (6) and finally.... "metro-sexual". I'm sorry if I offend any of the guys on here from there, if the following applies to you. But, grown men don't get their eyebrows waxed, hair colored, nails polished, laser hair zap their beards, use beauty cream, and for god sakes, get some pants that actually fit! FYI: tight pants went out with Poison, Ratt, Boy George. What's with this new fashion statement where a pair of suit pants look like they're two sizes too small, and suit jackets that look like they're going to bust the buttons when closed? Jeezzz...

Have you thought about the Audi A6 AWD? You can probably get an 00-03 in the same price range. And Saab is very polupar the further north you go!

I have thought about those cars, but am too afraid to take on a high mileage Audi due to mostly VW parts, and the Saab with it's GM parts. I'm not a big fan of their designs either. We're going to stay with the asian built vehicles simply because they're just so darn reliable. I really liked the BMW 5series, thought it would be a great fit, and finally satisfy that itch I've had for decades to own a BMW, at least once. But, my inner voice just won't let me ignore all the owner-review comments in the "cons" section that say "Love the car, but constant constant constant maintenance, and it's not cheap"

After doing some more reading on the Q, I'm leaning more towards the GS300. The Q has great reviews for driving fun, comfort, etc. But it requires premium fuel, has those low profile tires "which are expensive and ride like steel on rough concrete roads", and what sounds like a pretty tricky suspension set up. Plus, I'm leaning towards the GS for the overall size difference. One thing my wife really didn't like about the LS400 was it's sheer size. And in Chicago, I can see where that might be an even more daunting characteristic to get comfortable with. But, still reading reviews!

Many thanks, Tom! You have access to CR online? Do you mind looking up the 99' model year on the Q as well?

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?...leadExists=true

Two things I'm curious about on the Q is if there is a timing belt that needs to be changed "or if it's chain", and that "selective suspension setting" stuff. I know my buddy's 87' 300z turbo had that, and it was way too expensive to mess with "just went normal struts instead". Those are my two main concerns about the Q.

OK fellas, we've all discussed these two cars to great length. But I was hoping for some suggestions between the two. Here is my thinking. As many of you know, we're getting ready to move to Chicago next month. We've got the ducks lined up in a row, and the ball is rolling. Now, when we get up there, I won't have the need for a true "daily driver" beyond two blocks to the train station when the weather is bad. But, we do need two cars, as I don't want my wife to be without the 4runner at any time. Our 07 Mazda 3GT is a fun little car, in the right environment. Chicago, with it's rough concrete roads, no real twisty fun roads, and harsh road salt conditions, isn't the right environment. Plus, it's not really an appropriate "image" car for the times when "image" is important. Additionally, the $320 payment is something that I don't think is appropriate for something that won't get used all that much anymore. If it were a "toy" that I would want to keep for a long time anyway, it wouldn't be a problem. But, it's not. My thinking is to trade the mazda and a check for about $6K on something that will fit the bill of what I need. After looking over the BMW 5 series "declined due to significant cooling issues", MB E series "declined somewhat due to reliability ratings", and Jag's "declined due to wife insisting against them - her dad has one", I'm left with the Lexus and Infiniti brands. I'm amazed to see several GS300 and 03' Q45's in the 75-100k mileage range with asking prices of $11k, which would fit into my plan.

I like both. Infact I originally wanted a GS300 over my old LS400. I'm extremely intrigued by the Q45 though, extremely. Anyone have any experience or insight to the Q45 at those miles? I'm quite familiar with the GS series, and any offer would include a list of repairs I would insist on "strut rods, motor mounts, etc." But I'm a little in the dark about the Q45.

Basically, this car will be the "chicago car". It'll be for Chicago, and we'll leave it in Chicago when we're done there. I'm not going to go to the extremes of repairs like I did with my LS either. It's basically going to be an around town car every now and then, and airport runner.

thanks amigos!

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u...mp;rdpage=thumb

I'm thinking about replacing the Mazda with an 06' M35x. They appear to be coming off lease now, and very reasonably priced. I've seen several in the Chicago area in the low $20's asking price ranges, with 30k on the clock, fully loaded. Here in Raleigh, they're still in the mid to high $20ks.

Anybody have any experience with these lately?

EDIT: scratch that...I'm leaning more towards saving the money and trading in the Mazda for a used GS300. I'm having an internal argument with maintaining the payments of the Mazda, when I won't be driving that much anymore to begin with. But, need a second car. I'm amazed at how cheap cars are becoming now. Several GS's in the Chicago land area with around 75k-100k on the clock, for under $10k ASKING.

RX, in our mazda, I switched over to M1 multi-vehicle transmission fluid approx 12k miles ago (at 18k at the time). The car calls for MV specific fluild. The oem fluid put into the car is crap. Nor does the manual suggest change intervals, at any time. After 18k miles, it was burnt, under normal driving conditions too. I'm posting here, becuase we've discussed the different kinds of M-V fluids on the mazda site as well. Castrol received good comments across the board. But the M1 version receives the best by far. I did a "drian n' fill" about 1k miles ago, assuming the fluid would showing signs of breakdown after 10k miles of more spirited driving. I was stunned when the M1 fluid started flowing out, and was still cherry red and smelling new. The car performs a lot better with the M1 fluid as well, with much smoother shifts "in automatic and manual mode", much quieter, and a general overall improvement. However, it's the most costly of fluids though, at roughly $7 / quart.

... as this is like chum in the water.....

Gee, nc - I'm really not trying to "chum" any sharks, but I've been around for 61 years and spent many years in competitive racing, sand rails, off-roading, and cars and truck as a hobby. I've built a few engines from 2-stroke go-cart engines to big blocks. Back in my early days (when I was still somewhat wet behind the ears), I bought into the marketing hype and TV ads for miracle "oil additives" (I know... Amsoil is NOT an oil additive!) and one day I blew up a $6,000 Toyota Supra engine. I loved that car!! When my engine builder disassembled it and he asked me the question.... "Did you put an oil additive in this engine, by any chance?"... I knew at that moment I had a lot to learn about reality!! That's when I started to do more research to try to separate facts from marketing hype and perpetuated BS. I'm still working on that! :(

So, I'm just offering my worthless opinions B)

Randy, I wasn't barking or flaming you, or anyone. My apologies if it came off that way. I was referring to Mr.B, and the thread's title in general. Back in the day, he and I would go round and round about oils, with neither one of us coming away with anything different than what we believed from the beginning. Usually, he would of been all over a thread like this. That's what I meant by chum in the water.

Me? I'm a M1 fan myself. But must admit, the cost of my oil changes every 5k miles is getting pretty steep with that stuff "around $45 -$50" with new filter and all. I do think an engine runs smoother with full synthetic oil in it. My LS certainly did "if smoother is possible in an LS". But, $50 v. $25 for regular, is certainly starting to make me rethink this.

I'm waiting for someone specific to comment on here, as this is like chum in the water..... You know who you are, as I've been schooled by you in the past too...

EDIT: nevermind, just checked his profile, hasn't been on here in a long time.

Nicely done amigo! My brother has a 92' Jag, with 42k original miles on it, that he calls the lead-sled. He loves it. My father in law has a 01' S Type 4.0 "from Leith Euro" that he likes, but doesn't love. Although, he doesn't drive it that much at all. Although his model year and yours are probably worlds apart in terms of updates and such, his has seen quite a few problems with the a/c unit, and O2' sensors. The security system also kills the battery pretty quickly too, relatively speaking, since he doesn't drive it but maybe once a month. But other than that, it's been good to him. They're not like us though when it comes to car maintenance and upkeep. They buy cars to drive them, period. As where we buy them to enjoy them and maintain them.

I'd be cautious of that ZF transmission being "lifetime" sealed though. BMW put that into their cars too, and many 3 series guys were reporting failures around the 50-60k mark. I think it's pretty much known in the BMW community that 30k is the ceiling for changing out that fluid. Our 05' 4runner has this "sealed" transmission too, and at nearly 70k on the clock now, being who I am about cars, I can tell it's going to need to be changed soon as well. Changing it is no small task either, on any of the sealed transmissions, from what I'm told. I've heard that you have to get the fluid up to operating temp, and do some kind of balancing act to make sure you end up with the proper level. The 4runner requires some kind of wiring bridge in the fuse box to trick the computer into flashing the transmission light when the fluid is at temp. Some kind of morriscode thing. I'd be willing to bet though, the jag forum guys know this stuff front and back. I think my brother is on jaglovers.com "or something similar".

A few months ago I posted a topic about the Flex as well. Foxnews.com had an article about it being "The SUV killer" when gas prices were heading for the $4 range. Oddly enough, the mileage of the Flex wasn't any better than the 4.7 V8 in my 4runner. But, I liked the looks of it then, and still do today, if not more. I think it's pretty cool looking. Kind of a throw-back to the 60's surfer wagons in California. But, it is a Ford, and therefore, I have my "yeah, right" thoughts.

My 07' Mazda 3 GT has FoMoCo stamped all over the mechanicals, from the engine to the mounts. Granted, it's a $21k car, with a little 2.3 I4, which is really a nice engine for what it's meant for, it still shows it's heritage. For instance: the idler tensioner is plastic, and makes a horrible click/clack noise in the mornings. I've had it replaced, the belt replaced twice, even the a/c unit replaced, to try and fix it, but it still comes back. The motor mounts are tiny little things that wear out around 35k miles. They're cheap, oil filled mounts that develop leaks. The clips in the windshield are bad and cause the glass to rattle when under 40 degrees outside, being replaced as well. The intake harness is cheap plastic and rattles (fixable with some foam tape). Some guys with earlier models (05'-06') actually had bolts wiggle loose inside the engine and come off, destroying the engine. Lots of CEL lights reported on the webforum as well. I haven't had any, knock on wood. Also, the transmission is horribly undercooled and very hard on the fluid. After 10k miles, the oem fluid was black and burnt, under normal driving conditions. That sort of stuff is what concerns me the most about Ford. Plus, my neighbors Expidetion has had a leaking front differential for years, with countless replacements done, no fixes. Last I heard, he still had an open lawsuit case going. But, to Ford's credit, he doesn't want to give it up, he just wants some sort of compensation.

The interior of our little Mazda though, is spot-on great! Fit and finish is tight, comfy, and solid, with no rattles what-so-ever. Pretty amazing considering it has those low-profile tires and a suspension that's been known to cause a few hemorroids. We've had no problems with the electronics, computers, fuses, etc. For the most part, the car is mostly Ford. And given our experience with it, I can't complain much. Other than a few minor glitches, it's been a fantastic car. At cruising speed, the mechanicals are dead silent. You can't hear or feel the mechanicals working until around 90mph.

Of the big three, Ford seems to be the one trying the most to change their platform, and succeeding at it too. Outside of the Malibu, I haven't really seen much change from GM. Chrystler, well, we'll see what they come up with under their new ownership structure. I read their business plan that was submitted to congress a few weeks ago. They said they're in the process of HUNDREDS of changes, with a stong focus on electric based automobiling. However, Both GM and Ford's business plans were in the 40 page range, and Chrysler's was only 14 pages. It basically said "give us the money, or we'll fire everyone". So, uh, we'll see. BUT, any automobile maker's claim that "they're the most dependable", will "last forever", type slogan, I think is crap. They might last forever, as my buddy's 1990 4 banger mustang "rustang" did, but so does herpes!

Success!! I forgot to tell Norton to allow the netbook to have access to the machine. I've set the cdrom to "share", and i can see it on the netbook now! BUT, I'm worried the entire internet can see it too. The internet for the desktop is wired. The wireless part is the usb gadget that is suppossed to be communicating to the netbook only. Any suggestions on how I can check to make sure?

I got a Acer Netbook for christmas, and want to set up a network where it can access the files on my desktop. It's wireless, I have a wireless router (Linksys), and bought a USB Linksys wireless adapter for the desktop. They say it's easy, but damn if I haven't wasted the past 6 hours of my life trying to get it to work! I've got the wireless router set to WPA2 security. Acessing the internet with the wireless gadgets in the house isn't a problem (PSP, Wii, Netbook). But I can't seem to figure out how to make the Netbook and Desktop link up so they can see eachother's files. I want to transfer files from the desktop to the netbook, and also piggyback the desktop's cd drive to install software onto the netbook (it doesn't have a cd drive, or any drive for that matter).

Compuwertly challenged member of LOC--NC Duhm-e'-duhmb