joeytalent
Part of things
ITB Everything.
Posts: 440
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Oct 14, 2016 15:48:00 GMT
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Arrived here for work (more permanent this time) about 3 weeks ago.
Test drove a 2002 Wrangler yesterday. Hoping to do a deal ASAP, as I'm sick of the Toyota Camry I have rented right now.
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Last Edit: Mar 10, 2021 16:33:23 GMT by joeytalent
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Oct 14, 2016 17:06:27 GMT
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I also have a toyota camry rental and it is somewhat lacking. However it is much better the chrysler or chevy equivalent
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'The reason i have pulled you over is to say how incredible and absolutely awesome that is'
Mercedes W109, Mercedes W140 S280 SWB & S320 LWB, W201 cosworth kitted, clk230 Kompressor, w109 300sel, Lincoln Continental 1964, BMW E30 Tech II tourer, MK1 Golf Clipper, BMW E31 840ci sport, JAGUAR XJ40 3.6, Kangoo van, Volvo 740GLE estate, Maserati Quattroporte GTS
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joeytalent
Part of things
ITB Everything.
Posts: 440
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Oct 14, 2016 19:56:29 GMT
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The Chevy equivalent was the Malibu, I didn't mind it. The Android Auto headunit was nice.
I just miss a manual more than anything else.
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Oct 14, 2016 20:47:50 GMT
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In that case i got fobbed off with a cruze
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'The reason i have pulled you over is to say how incredible and absolutely awesome that is'
Mercedes W109, Mercedes W140 S280 SWB & S320 LWB, W201 cosworth kitted, clk230 Kompressor, w109 300sel, Lincoln Continental 1964, BMW E30 Tech II tourer, MK1 Golf Clipper, BMW E31 840ci sport, JAGUAR XJ40 3.6, Kangoo van, Volvo 740GLE estate, Maserati Quattroporte GTS
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joeytalent
Part of things
ITB Everything.
Posts: 440
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Bye-bye Camry.  |
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Oct 18, 2016 21:14:46 GMT
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Minnesota eh? You'll be glad You went 4x4 here shortly!
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joeytalent
Part of things
ITB Everything.
Posts: 440
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Haha! I was here last winter and had a AWD Volvo as a rental. Definitely wasn't going to buy anything 2WD after that.
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joeytalent
Part of things
ITB Everything.
Posts: 440
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Just passed my test today! Definitely a lot easier than the UK...
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Nov 12, 2016 21:09:52 GMT
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Nicely done, I've never taken a driving test; they were going by date of birth when I got my license which means I would have needed to the following year but I moved.
Written one is common sense.
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When I exchanged my UK license here, I had to do the written, for reasons nobody has ever fathomed. Didn't know beforehand so it was straight in. I passed, despite two questions being in Tagalog!
Madam took her test (first license) about three years ago now. She didn't do the practical either, again for reasons nobody has ever fathomed!
Goes a long way to explaining the standard of driving though.
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joeytalent
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ITB Everything.
Posts: 440
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Nov 14, 2016 17:36:31 GMT
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I had to do the written one first about 6 weeks ago. I didn't do any kind of preparation, still passed easily. I have driven here for 9 months out of the last year though, so I'd be pretty curse word if I failed! At least it was all in English  The practical test consisted of driving round for about ten minutes (I elected to do an "live road" test instead of one of the self-contained courses because the wait was only 5 weeks instead of 7). I had to parallel park, and reverse into a space. No highway driving at all. Actual licence should arrive in 3 weeks or so. The examiner said that he used to work on the self-contained courses, and kids would just learn how to pass the course and not really have a clue how to drive on the roads. The standard of driving here isn't too bad, but there's definitely limited lane discipline and merging is haphazard at best. In Jeep news, some rear armour has been ordered to replaced the interesting diamond plate on the rear. I've got a tub of chassis saver paint to slap on the bottom before they start salting the roads. The replacement wing for the front is being painted this week, and I'll hopefully get that fitted one night this week as the current one has a 4" hole in from rust. |
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joeytalent
Part of things
ITB Everything.
Posts: 440
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Dec 13, 2016 15:36:50 GMT
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Bit more progress on the Jeep - I spent a pleasant day on my back underneath the thing scrubbing loose rust off and slapping Chassis Saver on. Looks a lot tidier now, and there was only one area of concern that can wait until it's warmer to be sorted. I picked up the replacement "fender" from the paint shop, and finally got fed up with tripping over it in my apartment. There's 14 bolts that hold it to the body of the car, and every one of them came out easy as pie with a liberal application of what can only be described as magical fluid:  Thankfully I have a heated garage at my apartment. Thankful because of this:  I was told I wasn't allowed to do any work on my car in the garage, but figured it was easiest to claim ignorance rather than freeze my balls off. The apartment manager walked through around 6pm when the Jeep looked like this:  She walked straight past, got into her car and started leaving, and then stopped. I thought I was going to get an earful or a fine - she gets out, walks over to me and says "Oh that looks complicated! Is there anything I can help with?". I'm taking this as a green light for working on my car in there. Got everything mostly fitted:  Waiting for a couple of fasteners for the plastic arch (I absolutely wrecked them during removal), and I need to drill a couple of holes that appear to be missing from the aftermarket panel. Still, for $88 I was very pleased with the fit - all the important bolts lined up and I can live with having to drill 4 myself |
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joeytalent
Part of things
ITB Everything.
Posts: 440
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Jan 10, 2017 16:57:24 GMT
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Jeep has been running absolutely fine, apart from a seized idler pulley. I took it into a shop to get fixed, as it happened on my way to work - needed a new serpentine belt as well.
The snow has finally started to come down here, so I'm getting some use out of the 4WD. First impressions are good, very stable and predictable.
On a more general note, this starts again next week on the frozen lake next to my office:
That was from January last year.
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joeytalent
Part of things
ITB Everything.
Posts: 440
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Jan 11, 2017 13:59:00 GMT
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 Definitely no regrets about my vehicle choice now. We've had two days of snow, and this thing just grips. |
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joeytalent
Part of things
ITB Everything.
Posts: 440
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Feb 22, 2017 19:48:07 GMT
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The Jeep is still chugging along. Unfortunately it sounds like I have a cracked exhaust manifold, so I'm currently weighing up replacing that myself vs. blowing some tax return on it. I also need to do the gearbox oil, coolant and new ARB bushings on the rear - then all the service items are up to date, and the most common problem (cracked manifold) resolved for a few more years! Speaking of the tax return, I got a new ride for the summer:  Went up to Duluth for a long weekend of inspecting breweries (I can confirm they were excellent). Hiked up to Enger Tower before the testing began:  |
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Hiked? You mean you can't drive up there?  |
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Last Edit: Feb 25, 2017 9:38:21 GMT by georgeb
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Feb 25, 2017 12:34:57 GMT
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The Jeep looks very nice! Heated garage must be a blessing too. I've always wanted to move to America, just not sure how to even go about it with no qualifications  |
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Feb 26, 2017 13:09:11 GMT
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What bike is that? I just bought a Big Shot fixie as they were clearing them out at a crazy good price. We average 55" of snow usually and have received....2". Looks like you've done better there!
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joeytalent
Part of things
ITB Everything.
Posts: 440
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Feb 26, 2017 23:55:25 GMT
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Hiked? You mean you can't drive up there? Hah. You could park up there, but it was 12C and glorious sunshine, so we chose to walk the eight mile round trip from the hotel and via a brewery called Bent Paddle. The view was great:  The Jeep looks very nice! Heated garage must be a blessing too. I've always wanted to move to America, just not sure how to even go about it with no qualifications Heated garage is an absolute blessing. I'm not supposed to do car work in there, but I've not got into any trouble yet What bike is that? I just bought a Big Shot fixie as they were clearing them out at a crazy good price. We average 55" of snow usually and have received....2". Looks like you've done better there! That's a Origin8 Fix8 Bullhorn: www.origin8.bike/product-description/?prod_model_uid=12845. I was tempted by the Big Shot as well, but I like my local shop and wanted to get something they stock. We've had a bit of snow, nothing left on the ground now though. If someone had told me I'd be able to go out in shorts and t-shirt for a ride in February in Minnesota, I'd have called them a liar! |
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Hiked? You mean you can't drive up there? Hah. You could park up there, but it was 12C and glorious sunshine, so we chose to walk the eight mile round trip from the hotel and via a brewery called Bent Paddle. The view was great: And I'd be with you every step of the way, until the brewery! |
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