Covid19 Spare time

[Grumpy Bear]

23 hours ago, Donstar said:

We recently went through a period of planning for an addition to our attached garage.  After receiving quotes, we considered a new house. Our logic was that if you add the value of our home to the cost of a renovation, we're in the price range of a significantly more substantial home!  However, all of the houses on the market are enjoying inflated sale prices and our logic is out the window!   Then, the reality about being house rich and cash poor takes over the discussion.  Basically, we can have the space for toys but we wont  be able to afford the toys!  We truly appreciate what we have but it's a great pastime to explore options!  

I hate home debt more than car debt. We took a 30 year and paid it off in 7. That saved 2/3 of the mortgage cost if let run it's course. When the Mrs. gets the itch to move to a place with lower taxes I mention that we can pay allot of taxes with a quarter million dollars. She got snoopy once anyway and talked to an agent. Lord the money they want you spend as anything over three years old as it's 'dated' and out of style.

 

I wouldn't outlive a new 15 year mortgage, I'm outdated and out of style. Fix that with money.

 

[OnTheReel]

Tell ya what I’m not doing in my spare time anymore...wrenching on my old JD rider. Just couldn’t handle the constant failures of a 40 year old mower. The deck I booger welded together a few years ago was failing again and probably unsafe at this point. Pulling the Briggs flathead I put in a few years ago and scrapping the rest.

So instead I spent the afternoon ceramic coating every inch of the new Cub with Adam’s Graphene and putting PPF on the high wear areas and bumpers. People must think I’m insane.

They finally started putting proper engines in these for 2021 so I signed on. I won’t touch their Chinese house brand engine, or even a Kohler at this point.

[Grumpy Bear]

We did our first ZOOM with my dad and stepmother today. We had only used it for remote services previously so first use of it for personal reasons. Made dads day....mine to  

[KARNUT]

Tell ya what I’m not doing in my spare time anymore...wrenching on my old JD rider. Just couldn’t handle the constant failures of a 40 year old mower. The deck I booger welded together a few years ago was failing again and probably unsafe at this point. Pulling the Briggs flathead I put in a few years ago and scrapping the rest.

 

So instead I spent the afternoon ceramic coating every inch of the new Cub with Adam’s Graphene and putting PPF on the high wear areas and bumpers. People must think I’m insane.

They finally started putting proper engines in these for 2021 so I signed on. I won’t touch their Chinese house brand engine, or even a Kohler at this point.

I don’t sweat mowers. I mow in the morning when there’s dew on the ground. My decks usually rust through in 10 years. My allergies don’t tolerate dust. My brother likes to tinker he has my old mowers. My latest is 4 years old. I buy 48 inch hydrostatic. This time ariens. Husqvarna before that. Kohler engines. No problem. I don’t change the oil every year. The ariens just had it first. Synthetic of course. I had a snapper high wheel self propelled walk behind for trimming. After 18 years I gave it to my daughter. Can’t kill that one. 3 oil changes Amsoil. Same air filter. Pluses of mowing wet. The Husqvarna is still going 20 years later after deck repair. My brother mows dry. Too hot in Texas to mess with mowers. Plus I’m no spring chicken. I did change a mower belt once. Only once. Another plus of a new mower every ten years. And I mow at the highest setting saves on blades. Nope don’t change them either. I hate, hate mowing. I ain’t paying someone else to do it. It’s already mowing season. Damn I hate it. So there it is. Mowing by Stan.

 

 

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[OnTheReel]

Hehe, yeah, mowing is definitely not my favorite. Took a lot to get me to stick the money into a new one for that reason. But I do everything I can to keep the ones I have going until they totally fall apart. Even run Amsoil in them. 
 

Would rather spend the time and money on the boat or the car but it is what it is. Have two properties to maintain and nothing makes it take longer to do than having broken down equipment all the time. Both of my MTD snowblowers are from the mid 90s and they have each had some kind of failure at least once every winter for the past 4 years. They are next on the chopping block. 

[RyanbabZ71]

Car show/cruise season is ramping up. Booked my tickets for camarofest in July and will be back again running NCM




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[Donstar]

On 3/29/2021 at 8:52 AM, RyanbabZ71 said:

Car show/cruise season is ramping up. Booked my tickets for camarofest in July and will be back again running NCM




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Yes, one of the early signs of spring around here is the old and/or custom vehicles emerging from hibernation.  This past week I watched three evenings of Barrett-Jackson with an eye to what I'd choose if money wasn't an obstacle.  The problem would occur if I had to choose only one!  I truly understand why some celebrities and/or wealthy people have personal warehouses full of classic and custom cars.  I usually gravitate to pristine versions of vehicles I owned or coveted in the past.  I know that five minutes after I sell my current truck, I'll be wishing for one just like it!

[Donstar]

On 3/28/2021 at 3:36 PM, Grumpy Bear said:

We did our first ZOOM with my dad and stepmother today. We had only used it for remote services previously so first use of it for personal reasons. Made dads day....mine to  

You, like me, are of the age where Zoom seems to be the next best thing to being there!  We remember when isolation by living far away was on a whole different level!  I organize a regular group meeting on Zoom with all of my grandkids.  When we are together again in person, there will not be the gamut of surprises previously associated with earlier forms of "long distance" communication.  I miss them terribly but I'm now a significantly bigger part of their daily lives than I was with my long distance grand parents.  The  obligatory letter exchange with nana and grandpa didn't keep maintain the same level of closeness!

[garagerog]

Donstar, it's a good thing I'm not one of those wealthy people that can afford one of those collector cars only to warehouse them. I'm from the muscle car era and I would love to thrash the ever loving SNOT out of every one I could get my hands on. I'm not talking about smokey burnouts or donuts which I think are childish, I'm talking about redline shifts in every gear and pushing the limits on cornering in twistys, but that's just me

[KARNUT]

Donstar, it's a good thing I'm not one of those wealthy people that can afford one of those collector cars only to warehouse them. I'm from the muscle car era and I would love to thrash the ever loving SNOT out of every one I could get my hands on. I'm not talking about smokey burnouts or donuts which I think are childish, I'm talking about redline shifts in every gear and pushing the limits on cornering in twistys, but that's just me

I’ve had a few, some new. I like them better as drivers. Never a trailer queen. Only one now and it’s the wife’s. Just out of luck. She wanted an Acura intagra . We got a Type R. I insisted. If I was going to have to drive it somewhere. I wanted decent performance. We had no idea it would be a collector. At the time we had a Z-28, impala ss and a Mustang GT and my work truck. My last burn out was last year. Showing off my 92 stroked, blown Chevy truck to the new owner. Scared him silly.


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[Grumpy Bear]

2 hours ago, garagerog said:

Donstar, it's a good thing I'm not one of those wealthy people that can afford one of those collector cars only to warehouse them. I'm from the muscle car era and I would love to thrash the ever loving SNOT out of every one I could get my hands on. I'm not talking about smokey burnouts or donuts which I think are childish, I'm talking about redline shifts in every gear and pushing the limits on cornering in twistys, but that's just me

It is fun. WHAT!! Grumpy likes to bang a gear? Lord. 

[Donstar]

I also would only buy a collector car that I intended to use and I'd visit car museums to see the others.  However, I'm delighted that some choose to preserve these antiques for future generations.  I have always loved to drive and the pandemic has found me increasing the frequency and length of a favorite pastime, "going for a drive".  One of the appeals of older vehicles for me is the opportunity to be more of a participant in the driving process.  I am fine with features like power steering and air conditioning but a truck with an inline 6 and 4spd manual (1st gear stump puller) is on my bucket list.   During our decluttering last week we stumbled upon this picture of my new 1980 F150 SuperCab.  It was my first truck with an automatic transmission, didn't like it,  and I went back to manuals until '00.

 

 

[KARNUT]

I also would only buy a collector car that I intended to use and I'd visit car museums to see the others.  However, I'm delighted that some choose to preserve these antiques for future generations.  I have always loved to drive and the pandemic has found me increasing the frequency and length of a favorite pastime, "going for a drive".  One of the appeals of older vehicles for me is the opportunity to be more of a participant in the driving process.  I am fine with features like power steering and air conditioning but a truck with an inline 6 and 4spd manual (1st gear stump puller) is on my bucket list.   During our decluttering last week we stumbled upon this picture of my new 1980 F150 SuperCab.  It was my first truck with an automatic transmission, didn't like it,  and I went back to manuals until '00.

 
 

My last stick shift truck was a 99 Ford sport extended cab. The door handles,mirrors, wheels had color matching. Bumpers too. It came with a 4.6 dog for a engine. My first truck that I added a S/C. It’s was the only way it would keep up with a Chevy truck. GMs after, never another Ford. The dealer sucked. If I had my way every one of my rides would be stick. Nothing beats rowing your own gears.


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[garagerog]

1 hour ago, Donstar said:

I also would only buy a collector car that I intended to use and I'd visit car museums to see the others.  However, I'm delighted that some choose to preserve these antiques for future generations.  I have always loved to drive and the pandemic has found me increasing the frequency and length of a favorite pastime, "going for a drive".  One of the appeals of older vehicles for me is the opportunity to be more of a participant in the driving process.  I am fine with features like power steering and air conditioning but a truck with an inline 6 and 4spd manual (1st gear stump puller) is on my bucket list.   During our decluttering last week we stumbled upon this picture of my new 1980 F150 SuperCab.  It was my first truck with an automatic transmission, didn't like it,  and I went back to manuals until '00.

 

 

Donstar, either a chev with the 292 or ford with the 300 and a compound low or granny gear would fit your bucket list wish nicely. Not sure about the ford 300, but the chev's 292's peak torque came in at basically high idle of around 1700 to 1800 for that stump pulling power. Ford used the 300 six for a lot longer than chev used the 292, so your chances of finding a newer and nicer p/u with that setup rest with the blue oval.

[Grumpy Bear]

2 hours ago, garagerog said:

Donstar, either a chev with the 292 or ford with the 300 and a compound low or granny gear would fit your bucket list wish nicely. Not sure about the ford 300, but the chev's 292's peak torque came in at basically high idle of around 1700 to 1800 for that stump pulling power. Ford used the 300 six for a lot longer than chev used the 292, so your chances of finding a newer and nicer p/u with that setup rest with the blue oval.

Ford 300 torque peak came in at 1600 rpm and peak power around 3800 rpm. 90% of its torque available to around 3000 rpm. Stump puller. About a foot pound per cubic inch. Almost diesel like. Wonderful motor that would run forever and a day. To tall for a car but it's little brother the 240 was in allot of cars. Also a nice motor. 

 

Edited April 1, 2021 by Grumpy Bear