Search results

Some y’all really have costly-to-own/insure beaters. My vehicles with just liability are maybe $200/year to insure and $81/year to register/inspect. When I lived in the rust belt, I had sub-$1000 economy cars as winter beaters. They served me well and lasted 3-5 years each, protecting my ‘84...

1/23/2023 2003 Toyota Corolla LE, 205,067 miles, 5k OCI Out: Mobil 1 5w-30, K&N oil filter (Camry V6 upsized) In: Mobil 1 5w-30, STP Extended Life oil filter (3600XL)

In your shoes, I’d consider Lubbock, Texas and the surrounding areas. If you live outside the city, some of the towns have dirt cheap home prices. Texas Tech is right there, so there’s going to be some jobs and things to do for fun. There’s no state income tax, very pro 2A. State sales tax is a...

AM: classic country (680 San Antonio) Tejano/conjunto music (1540 San Antonio, 1600 Austin) FM: country, variety music stations Sometimes I’ll play a CD or cassette Sometimes I’ll use a cassette adapter connected to my iPhone to play music from YouTube, however skipping songs is too distracting...

Blue stuff by the gallon at Dollar… err… $1.25 Tree. I live near Austin so few hard freezes.

Newly inherited 2013 Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi, 85,994 miles Out: unknown 5w20 synthetic (possibly Pennzoil), Mopar oil filter, last OC was done at dealership In: Pennzoil Platinum 5w20, Motorcraft FL-820S oil filter.

I eat cereal for breakfast about half the time. Since my type 2 diabetes diagnosis last year, I tend to eat only low carb cereal if I’m not eating eggs/meats. It’s expensive, but so are obesity and liver transplants. I’ve lost about 20 lbs since October...

12/28/2022 Vehicle: recently inherited 2013 Ram 1500 Crew cab Laramie 5.7 Hemi with 84,512 miles Out: (dead) Clarios battery with very little labeling and no date sticker In: Duracell branded H7/94R battery, $109 ($20 off at Sam’s Club)

Yes! That’s it.

I can’t speak for long-term durability, but I received a Stanley jump box with inflator. I don’t remember the model, but it has a digital display, usb, and came from Costco or Sam’s. I like that I can set the psi I want and it will automatically stop. It also screws onto the valve stem vs using...

Texas has a different salvage title vs. Salvage rebuilt title. In late 2019, my well-preserved 2000 Town Car had a deer-related accident. Insurance totaled the car. I chose to keep the car and got to keep the check minus the deductible and scrap value. In order to re-register the car, I had to...

The farmhouse I grew up in had what I believe to be Concord grapes growing in the backyard. My great grandfather owned the place from 1943-85, and mostly grew apples, but also asparagus, grapes, and blackberries. He also kept beehives for the apple pollination. To my knowledge, he didn’t need...

My dad’s friend saved up and ordered a new ‘79 Camaro… silver with a maroon interior 350/4 speed. Upon delivery, he noticed it had a black cigarette lighter door, as opposed to the maroon it should have been. A few hundred miles later, he noticed it was down on oil, but he couldn’t add any...

In Texas, the charge for a state safety inspection is $7 in a non-smog county. The shops don’t make much (if any?) money at that price. There has been discussion of eliminating the inspection requirement, which I’d be fine with.

2000 Lincoln Town Car, 145,048 miles, 5k OCI Out: Mobil 1 5w-30 HM, Fram Extra Guard filter In: Mobil 1 5w-30 HM, Motorcraft FL-820S (older style)

I have a 2016 or so 75” Samsung LCD TV that was demoted to the guest cabin because a bunch of diffusers fell off around 2019-2020. It still works, but with excessively bright spots throughout. The living room TV that replaced it was an expensive (but hopefully worth it) 77” LG OLED that caught...

1976 AMC Gremlin, 19,820 miles (likely rolled over once) I changed the oil due to it looking dark, thin, and smelling like gasoline. Out: (recently acquired) unknown oil, Purolator “red” oil filter In: 4 qts. Mystik JT-8 15w50 synthetic blend HDEO, 1 qt. Mobil 1 10w-30, Mobil 1 M1-203 oil...

Cars that don’t/won’t pass the strict PA inspection often get shuffled to neighboring states.

The brakes pulling to one side sounds like sticking calipers to me. It’s good that there’s no body rust, but check under the car. My wife has an ‘03 Corolla, purchased new and maintained by me since 40k. No major mechanicals have gone bad beside the starter (174k) and the a/c clutch and relay...

Biggest car: 1976 Cadillac Coupe DeVille Smallest car: 1988 Plymouth Horizon (smallest interior: 1976 AMC Gremlin)