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CAR TALK (Read 12981 times)

Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #150 - May 27^th, 2015 at 6:43pm	Print Post
	He is at work and he didn't take a detour. That will come later. He's really feeling drawn to the '06 but wants to look at both of them. I think I know what we'll be doing on Saturday before he goes to work....


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #151 - May 29^th, 2015 at 5:37pm	Print Post
	We drove the Windstar into town for what is likely the last time today. Skywise felt we needed to make one last "regular" trip in it. Then we came home, took out EVERYTHING except the current registration and cleaned it out. I've started the process of getting Spirit ready to accept the change. She agrees that she'll like the new van better once it is painted red so THAT will be an extremely high priority once we have it. Skywise left for work a little early so he can drive by the dealership and get a look at the business. This is a picture of what we'll buy if everything checks out. I told Spirit that "everything white will be painted red and the black parts will stay black." She seemed to approve. Once it is painted, I'll put on the bumper stickers and window decals.

	1471d484108b42f29fd36620c07e1575.jpg ( 56 KB \| Downloads )
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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #152 - May 29^th, 2015 at 6:25pm	Print Post
	Skywise called. He found the dealership and knows how to get to it. It will be our first stop in the morning. They open at 10 so we'll have to get up only a little earlier than usual.


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #153 - May 30^th, 2015 at 6:38pm	Print Post
	We have taken our leave of the Windstar and the Freestar is sitting in the driveway being eyed suspiciously by the cats. Skywise says we'll be using the Freestar for our trip to Louisville in September which means a MUCH MORE comfortable trip for us!


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #154 - May 30^th, 2015 at 8:28pm	Print Post
	There are some "unusual" things about our new ride that leads Skywise to think that it was originally a police vehicle. According to CarFax, it was owned by "the Government" in a nearby town, some sort of "unit" was removed from the dashboard (a radio, we think), there is an extra antenna on the roof and some "extra" wiring under the passenger seat. Skywise will take a look at it tomorrow and that will give us a better idea of what it was for. The antenna makes me think it was for some kind of radio unit. Most interesting is that of the van's four passenger doors and the liftgate on the back, only the driver's side door can be opened with a key. There are NO keyholes anywhere else which is unusual to say the least!


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #155 - May 30^th, 2015 at 11:58pm	Print Post
	I went out and poked around the van before dark. I discovered where they hid the cup holders for the second row of seats AND how those seats fold up (hint: FORCEFULLY!). I also determined that a half sheet of plywood should fit in the back with the 3rd row seat folded down and that there are a number of "cigarette lighters" where adapters can be plugged in so we'll have to get a few of those. I found a place where the paint has been worn or dinged off down to the primer but no rust outside that I can find although I found a few spots inside. From the locations, I'd stay the water that caused them was tracked in by passengers. We will be getting a complete set of floor mats directly. Skywise intends to contact the paint guy tomorrow so hopefully we can get that done pretty quickly. And I'm still thinking about what to call this new member of the fleet...


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #156 - Jun 3^rd, 2015 at 7:22pm	Print Post
	Just ordered a self-programmable keyfob from amazon. It is supposed to be compatible with the Freestar (and I checked the numbers on the back of the fob we have) and if it works as advertised, I'll get two more. We have enough ignition keys (3) but only one fob which we gave to Spirit. Not having fobs and only able to open the driver's side door with the keys is rather unhandy so... MORE FOBS! I'm working on the "tote/bin" that will go in between the front seats. I've already got a small wastebasket installed where we can all reach it. And since the girls are known to sleep while we go places, I'm going to need to get some pillows in there along with the blankets we already have. The Chilton Repair manual came yesterday. Now all I need to do is confer with Skywise about an emergency kit and tool box and we should be all set.


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #157 - Jun 4^th, 2015 at 6:05pm	Print Post
	We are about 95% sure that our little unremarkable Freestar is a former "undercover" vehicle for the Indiana University police department which we've learned is the 12th largest in the United States. For one thing, the "owner" listed in the front of the owner's manual is "IU Trustees" rather than a person. Something about the size of a police scanner, GPS unit or CB unit was mounted on the dashboard. Something else about the size of a "mike" mount was mounted on the passenger side of the console and something was mounted on the driver's side down and to the right of the steering column -- no idea what but there is a hole with a screw in it with a round "thingie" to keep it from falling out. There is a small "after market" antenna on the roof which supports the "scanner/GPS/CB" idea. The back passenger side window (not on the sliding door) has a "defogger" but not the other side and as far as we can find out (so far), that isn't an option. But what is really interesting is the handful of cables with connectors on them that is secured with zip-ties and stashed under the front passenger seat. They go down through the floor and Skywise says that at least some of the connectors would be for a monitor of some kind. So yeah, I'm sitting here grinning at the possibility that our new little van was used for college town "covert ops."�


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #158 - Jun 4^th, 2015 at 6:25pm	Print Post
	Skywise and I were talking before he left and I think I'm going to put the hunt for an E-150 permanently to bed. The idea was to replace the Windstar (which was on its last legs) with something that could haul "people and stuff." So I was looking for a full-sized van. When Skywise suggested that two vans instead of a van and a car would better suit our needs once he retires, we found the Freestar pretty much immediately. Since the 3rd row seat can be folded down quickly and easily, it is much better for hauling than the Windstar. I did a quick and dirty measurement of the back cargo area and I'm confident that a 4 x 4 sheet of plywood would fit back there. Anything much bigger than that would have to be delivered anyway. From what I've seen of the E-150s, they only have decent cargo space if the 3rd and maybe the 2nd row of seats are removed which kinda kills the "haul people" thing. So an E-150 wouldn't be an improvement over the Freestar. We have a few years -- at least 2 or 3 -- before he retires so we have time to make a decision about it. Right now, a crossover or an SUV is a possibility -- Skywise would like something with 4 wheel drive and the way the winters have been the last couple of years, I have to agree. I intend to pay off the Freestar as quickly as possible and go back to building up the "Vehicle Fund" so when we're ready to go shopping we'll have a good down payment in hand. � �


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #159 - Jun 6^th, 2015 at 12:56am	Print Post
	Skywise and I were talking about our next vehicle (that will replace the car) last night and during lunch today and we've pretty much decided that it will be an Explorer or an Expedition. The crossovers weren't impressing me and Skywise wants 4 wheel/all wheel drive on at least one vehicle given how the roads can get out here and both the Explorer and the Expedition have that. The particulars, which one, what year and the trim level will be decided when we start shopping for an "All-Terrain Troop Transport" or AT3.... It will, of course, be red....


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #160 - Jun 8^th, 2015 at 6:41pm	Print Post
	Skywise followed the programming instructions in the Firestar's owner's manual and we now have TWO keyfobs for the van. I've ordered two more and since the seller uses 2-Day Priority mail we should have them by the end of the week at the absolute latest. We're getting a bit annoyed though. We bought the van over a week ago and the paperwork that we need to take to the license branch to get the registration and such done hasn't come yet. We also need to get the auto insurance changed. We want to get all that done before we take the van in for painting since we have NO idea how long that is going to take. Skywise has found lots of little spots that will quickly turn into rust if not dealt with and we want to get that done immediately if not sooner. So my Taurean is getting impatient which does not bode well for neglectful sellers of used cars. If there isn't anything in today's mail, Skywise may be paying the dealership a visit tomorrow on his way to work!
	« Last Edit: Jun 8^th, 2015 at 6:42pm by Penthesilea »

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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #161 - Jun 9^th, 2015 at 2:12am	Print Post
	I've been playing around with some printouts of an '06 Freestar and some red Sharpies and I must say I approve of the result even if it is a bit crude. Fortunately, Skywise shares my somewhat "unusual" taste in most things......


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #162 - Jun 13^th, 2015 at 5:05pm	Print Post
	Skywise tells me that he expects/hopes to get another year, maybe a little more, of use out of the Taurus. That means two things: first, I need to get the van paid off as quickly as possible and second, I need to nail down what we'll be looking for to replace it. Right now, it looks like that will be a JEEP Grand Cherokee 4 x 4. I still have research to do but two things we MUST HAVE in our second vehicle is 4 wheel/all wheel drive and a reasonably sized gas tank which the Grand Cherokee has and the Ford SUVs/Crossovers don't. A towing package would be great too. Since we live "out in the boonies" for all intents and purposes, we require something with a fuel tank that won't need refilling every time we leave the driveway! The Grand Cherokee is about the same size as the Freestar and the gas tank is only a couple of gallons smaller so it's definitely leading the pack right now. Between the two vehicles we would have adequate cargo room and seating to transport 12 people using both of them if we needed to so the E-150s are out of the running. Time to make up new vehicle comparison tables!


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #163 - Jun 13^th, 2015 at 5:58pm	Print Post
	Research underway. It looks like everything before the 2011 model year is out of the running.


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #164 - Jun 16^th, 2015 at 10:27pm	Print Post
	I finished the bin for the van today and the dealership called to tell us that they've processed the paper work for it. We'll be getting it registered probably on Friday if the town isn't shut down due to flooding. [Which could happen. See the Weather thread....]


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #165 - Jun 17^th, 2015 at 4:24pm	Print Post
	The bin is in the van and it works perfectly. Skywise is pleased and so am I. I'm currently looking at a Cobra 29 LX 40-Channel CB Radio with NOAA Weather Stations on amazon with lust in my heart. I can think of a couple of times when having a cb/NOAA radio would have been VERY useful during our annual trips to Louisville and I'm sure Skywise remembers those same incidents....


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #166 - Jun 17^th, 2015 at 4:42pm	Print Post
	.....just ordered it......


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #167 - Jun 17^th, 2015 at 5:13pm	Print Post
	I'm also thinking that if this one works out I'll order another one for the next new vehicle and, after testing, store it until we need it.


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #168 - Jun 20^th, 2015 at 1:54am	Print Post
	Skywise has realized that we need a carport -- one of the freestanding steel ones since having one attached to the house is NOT possible. It would look something like this and would be 21 feet from side to side and 18 feet front to back. The only question now is WHERE TO PUT IT? This section of the real estate isn't very flat and the parts that are are either next to the Guest House -- too far from THIS house -- or downhill from a slope and therefore has water draining across it when it rains. Once it dries out a bit, I'm going to have to get out there with stakes, string and my fifty foot tape measure and see where it might fit.
	« Last Edit: Jun 20^th, 2015 at 1:55am by Penthesilea »
	21_ft__wide_x_18_ft_deep_carport2-lg.jpg ( 88 KB \| Downloads )
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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #169 - Jun 21^st, 2015 at 4:58am	Print Post
	Skywise has firm ideas about where the carport should be and how he wants the driveway reconfigured to accommodate it so I'm gonna let him do the measuring, diagram drawing and such!


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #170 - Jun 21^st, 2015 at 4:11pm	Print Post
	I've finished the preliminary "fact finding" for JEEP Grand Cherokees. A "Limited" or "Laredo" looks to be our best bet. The Overland has two many "bells and whistles" that don't have anything to do with performance and not that much to do with comfort. Most of them are just things that can go wrong and need pricey repairs. As far as size, performance, etc, all three models are the same the only difference between them being the number and kinds of bells and whistles.


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #171 - Jun 21^st, 2015 at 10:42pm	Print Post
	While we were in town today, I discovered that the Indiana based steel carport company has a dealer here. That makes things a LOT easier!


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #172 - Jun 22^nd, 2015 at 7:28pm	Print Post
	The cb has arrived. A quick and dirty inspection by me seems to indicate that the existing wiring under the van's passenger seat won't work with it but I'll leave the finally determination to Skywise since HE is the one who studied electronics, not me! It's obvious that some kind of radio was installed in the Freestar but probably not a cb. Police radio maybe.......


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #173 - Jun 23^rd, 2015 at 1:40pm	Print Post
	Skywise has been crawling over and around the van this morning following the existing wires and figuring out how to install the cb. I was right in that the current setup wasn't for a cb radio and may have been put in when the car was built -- special order.


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Penthesilea Forum Administrator Offline Warrior Queen, DarkLady, Phoenix, Ghostbuster Posts: 47422 Location: The Castle..... Joined: Jun 21^st, 2006 Gender:	Re: CAR TALK Reply #174 - Jun 24^th, 2015 at 4:44pm	Print Post
	I finally got out with a long enough tape measure and the carport we want will definitely fit where we want to put it with room to spare. Properly placed, it won't even interfere with the path up to the Guest House, which is cool since that path is well worn! I also got a sunscreen for the van. I'm not entirely pleased with it but it will do until I can find EXACTLY what I want which I hope will not require "modifications".


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