Among Friends

[viva923]

hey all

not much going on here

heavy duty rain squalls all night long, still showery this morn

bring in car tonight for a diagnoistic stuff on it all day friday testing, it is 18 yrs old and making more noise than usual. am i being para noide or is it something serious.rather safe than sorry. car is a good car, comfortable i like my baby.

not much else guys ,later

[Bird mama]

@viva923   I hope that whatever is making noise in your car is easily remedied by a competent mechanic.  When my husband died I took over ownership of his 1999 Camaro.  I would drive the car around the neighborhood and for short errands for the first year because I had a Nissan that was still under lease that I drove to work.  When the lease was up I drove that Camaro 12 months of the year.  I knew how to put the winter tires on and you wouldn't think a sporty type of car could travel easily in Michigan snow but the Cricket did.  Cricket was the name of that car.  There was something in the car that made the sound of a cricket.  I had the dealer replace all of the belts and check all of the whatever those wheelie things are that belts wrap around (hahaha) to find out what was chirping.  Lord that car was lubed up and yet she chirped like a Cricket. 

I even went to an upholstery place and said, hey if you look at the back bucket seats of this car, can you fabricate something that turns bucket seats into a bench seat so my dog could travel more comfortably in this car?  They did it and made washable covers for it.  

I know what it's like to be attached to a car.  That seems to be a lost thing among younger people.  They don't have relationships with their cars like we do.

[Bird mama]

I forgot to mention that I reached out to the heating and cooling company that installed the furnace and A/C in this house (before I bought it) yesterday.  Much better to speak in person than deal with some anonymous person on the other side of a chat.  Don is coming out Monday to discuss what I would like and give me an estimate for a new furnace A/C.

[viva923]

hey bird mama,

got my car in, it 18 yr old 2003 toyota, 93,500 for mileage. the service tech it could be just plain worn out parts. struts,or what ever, he said after 18 yrs parts just plum wear out, a lot cheaper than a new car, going to keep my sweet one for as long as i can. they are going to replace my sparks, dh says he can't remember when they replaced them last, he thinks they may be original sparks, a fuel jet clean was another service. if i want my baby to go for another 100 hundred thousand miles have to keep replacing parts as i need them. don't know how long repair will take, 

not much else tonight, later guys

[Bird mama]

I think they get a little creaky in old age like we do @viva923  

[viva923]

hey all

birdmama, no word on car as of yet, hope they are giving it a good going over. the longer the wait am getting anxious what they are finding wrong.

yup the older the i get the creakier and crabbier i get LOL.

did chores

did walk

hung clothes out today, great breezy day but lousy day for drying still much dampness in air.

not much else,later guys

[viva923]

hey birdmama

got quote on car, $5000.00 for repairs. the suspension system (ball joints/struts, and what ever else connected with suspension totally shot. brakes front rotors,pads bad, some kind of heat shield under car broken. after 18 years, I guess the car just needed new parts, same old dress every day for 18 yrs, i guess my little Two needed a new wardrobe.

ok later.

PS I asked the service tech at toyota place (this is where we get all our service done since 1990), if this was the best way to go. He told me point blank, the cost of new cars/used cars are astronomical right now, this is the cheapest way to go. Glad dh and I have been saving and saving for any emergency like this.

[Bird mama]

When I was driving the Cricket (1999 Camaro) it needed a transmission in 2009.  Everything else was sound on the car and I paid for an OEM (new) transmission to be installed @viva923   

[viva923]

hey guys

birdmama, got car back it was done by 10am. dh and i beat feet up there (a good 45 minute one way drive) to toyota place. oh my car is quiet, no more bone jarring bumpies. now tinkle,tinkle,tinkle. awww quiet at last

ok guys later cost us $3500.00 they did recalulating on parts and gave us a huge break. can't afford a new car or used car to much $$$$$$$$$ for them, so you make do and fix the old.

ok later guys

[Bird mama]

@viva923   You know what?  You and your beloved did good on those car repairs considering all of the things they needed to replace.  I'm just happy that they had the parts... and I'm not referring to the age of your car.  The pandemic threw a wrench (hahaha I made a joke) into getting car parts, especially anything like computer chips.  

I have no idea where the furnace brand I am considering makes their furnaces and air conditioners.  When I talked to Dave earlier in the week and floated out there that I had some ideas of which way I wanted to go he asked me what I was looking at and let me tell you - I gave him the name and part numbers that Carrier had on their website.  Now when it comes to the actual furnace part number I know the last couple of digits can be different dependending on the BTU I am buying.  Then again this company has installed and maintained the current furnace I got now so they know how many BTUs this Lennox has.

It was music to my ears when Dave said that everything I was interested in happened to be product they had in stock.  Now in my city they will have to pull all kinds of permits (I assume mechanical, maybe electrical and hey for the humidifier maybe plumbing too).  These things can be done online which should speed the process up.  Also helps it's a company that speaks the same language as the permit dept of my city.  I got a feeling that once the temps dip here they are gonna stay low and you know I get cold.

I acted casual on the phone when me and Dave were talking because you don't want them to think you are hard-up and they have you by the short hairs.  That said, I'm hoping this goes relatively fast.