Well it's officially been two weeks I've had my Corvette (my first ever) and I must admit that life has been pretty good, save for a few insurance policy lessons. Outside of being cheap (wanting the best value) when it comes to insurance, I am otherwise totally the opposite when it comes to everything to do with the Corvette. Premium only, expensive wax, washed 5-6 days out of the week and spray waxed twice.
I've also noticed some changes in other people (not just myself). Seems everyone thinks for some reason I'm loaded. Feels like any sympathy I used to get for drive a 26 year old $80,000 Mercedes is out the window! What I mean is, even though my Corvette retailed for half the value of my old reliable DD, people seem to think I am twice as well off. Go figure!
Of course I was driving it excessively at first, I could not stop driving it! I mean, I would literally go for a ride at 3am in the morning with the top down, not a sole on the road. The wife took issue with this sort of behavior and the next morning I found this little note on the Corvette
Sign reads "For Sale by Wife" LOL!
So, now I'm not allowed to go cruising in the wee hours of the morning unattended anymore. So what do I do? Well, sometime around 3am, 72 hours ago; I got this bright idea that I should clean out my garage to make room for the Corvette. To be honest, I was just sick of the little sap specs the tree in our yard deposits on anything within a 10 foot radius. Now cleaning out the garage to some might not sound like a big job, but keep in mind I'm a mechanic and shop owner, and one heck of a pack-rat. Little did I know that I would be spending 72 hours, 30 of them straight back to back, just to make room for my Corvette.
First order of business was extermination.
I'm sure this guy has seen better days, but to be honest, if he got in my car I probably would have bitten his head off like Ozzy does with bats. This extermination period is still ongoing as I seen one survivor in the 72 hour span of cleaning the garage... The bold little b@stard had the brass to run right out in front of me! I've got my eyes peeled for him and about 10 traps at every possible entry point! LOL
Next up was to deal with all the extra parts, equipment and other things that I have collected in this garage the past 4 years, and trust me when I tell you there was more stuff than you could shake a stick at!
This give you an "idea" of the magnitude, but just know there is another side partitioned off by a wall that was even worse! Smaller parts (engines, accessories, ect) but 1000's more in pieces that had to be sorted and organized. I finally got a clearing for the car, but that was only half the battle!
Now at this point were at about the 28-30 hour mark, and although you might think it looks clean, the entire outside of the garage is surrounded with all my pack-ratted items. It was so bad that at the 48 hour mark the Township officer come by to remind me about the 48 hour limitation for having garage sales! To which my wife told her, were not having a garage sale, my husband is just cleaning out the garage!
Finally, in the end, it was all worth it. Although I am open to any suggestions with regards to rodent control. I am restoring an old 1975 Stingray because of a serious rodent infestation right now, and while it didn't happen in my garage, I'm still nervous when it comes to leaving the car in the garage with wild vermin running about.
So now I don't have to worry about sap droplets, sun fade, rain or snow... But them moles still weigh heavy on the mind! Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Those little critters will only nest in your car once they learn your patterns of movement...They like to live in the engine-bay where it's nice & warm after a drive...My guess is that you'll be fine with them until winter - ( since you're using it all the time ), & then I'd suspend the car on jack-stands so they can't climb in & make a home.
People will always be a little jealous when something new & highly desirable is acquired by someone they know. This feeling will pass in a short while, so don't let it deter your enjoyment of that awesome beast.
Even Stoma is lost-for-words LOL ! Suprisingly, he's got nothing to say....
Cheers,
Rastus
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
The car is defiantly impractical in every way, but man do I love driving it. Totally did not see this coming either, I don't think the shock has worn off as I still find myself going out there to look at it from time to time. It's just so...... RED!
The scary part is I'm considering storing the beast inside the house over winter, as I have a 6 foot double door. I could drive it in, put it on wheel dollies and push it all the way back to the wall and have it be the backdrop to my desk. Of course next spring Ill have to move my desk again to get my car out but how cool would that be!? The scary part is that I'm serious! LOL
That would keep it climate controlled, out of rodent reach, and most of all I could look at it every day and rub it with a baby diaper.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
As long as your wife doesn't kick-you-out-of-the-house or have you Certified, I'd say go for it ! But what about all that work you just did in the garage making room ?...
Rastus
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
It's not like I don't have the room in the house, and it's not like it would look out of place.. To me anyway. LOL, but we are talking about my man cave. Upon purchase of the house I stated specifically that this area known as "the man cave" was mine! So technically I could store whatever I want down here! Even a car!
You got a good point about the work to clean the garage, but really the garage and the two areas beside it needed cleaning out to perform sand blasting and painting sorts of tasks. For now it works good to keep the car out of the sun and the sap off the paint. I have another side to the garage which is like a bull pen and one of them bubble tents, it should be interesting.
Still trying to decide if I should keep the project 420 around, but honestly, after getting the Corvette I'm thinking making a convertible W126 Sedan might not see any action for a few years and I have even mulled parting it just so it don't take up the space anymore. But who knows... The way I see it is you can never have enough W126's! Even if you do drive a Corvette in the summer!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Thanks PowerStroker, but remember... The Mercedes is a 1991 and the summer ride is a 1996 so basically you'd have to be a mechanic to get away with that.
I'm still trying to figure out a way to bring down my auto insurance. Seems I really messed up by telling them the Corvette was my daily driver, as I should be getting collectors insurance that cost literally a hundred dollars less a month.
Then there is the odd fact that I really just wanted to remortgage my homes land contract, and despite having almost 70% equity in the house, the banks felt it was a better investment to loan me nearly half what I was asking for a mortgage for a Corvette! Now I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong... But I am scratching my head in disbelief! I can assure you, about this time last month I had no idea I'd be getting behind the wheel of a Corvette... Sure, I nosed around craigslist a little but I never figured I'd get one, and if I did, I figured it was going to be a $500-$1000 fixer upper.
Nice avatar by the way! Is that Hillary Clinton with only her underwear on?
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
At least he's not scaring too many people away, & there's nothing wrong with the naked-truth is there...
I'd have to say though, that the real Trump would "rise to the occasion" for that cute blonde on the 2nd photo in lol ! What a cutie !
Rastus
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
I'm pretty sure that most of the Presidents of the US-of-A that have ever been, were Free-Masons or very closely associated...There's only been a couple that weren't, most notably the dearly missed JFK who was Christian.
(I wonder what the world would be like today if JFK was left alone to do his thing) ?...
Even though Mrs.Clinton by default cannot be a Mason ( she's female ), she has been very closely associated with the Masons, the "Bilderberg Group", & "Illuminati" for her entire life. For better or worse, there's a pretty good chance that she'll be the next leader of the US-of-A, unless Mr.Trump has rubbed shoulders & made deals with the same folks she has.
Cheers,
Rastus
NB. I wonder if she likes your Little Red Corvette SELLC ?
-- Edited by Rastus on Thursday 25th of August 2016 08:36:21 AM
-- Edited by Rastus on Thursday 25th of August 2016 08:37:02 AM
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
Trump is going to win it in 2016 Rastus... But you never know, Hillary might be able to strategically cheat her way into the White House, it's not like she doesn't have that skill set and connections.
But I honestly think Hillary is going to be the Democrat version of Mitt Romney, meaning she is qualified and well connected, but has already lost once in the primary to Obama in 2008. If she could not garner the support from her fellow Democrats in 2008, I don't think she will pull it off in a national election with such a household name like Trump.
I could be wrong, but I just don't "feel the love" when it comes to the Clinton family. Everything is about them and their charity. At least with Trump we know where we stand.
Oh, and by the way... I might regret asking but what is your profile photo of? Can't really make it out.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
I tried my best to find a good-clear-shot, but old photo's & shrinkage to avatar-size don't work well....
The photo is of both, the late, & very great Presidents, Eisenhower & Nixon, when they were running-mates together...
I honestly think that Mr. Eisenhower is the single most important person, in at least the last 100-years, to have walked on the planet. I would have really liked to have met him.
Mr. Nixon, for all his faults, is arguably the bravest President in your history... To be able to take all-that-heat, & accept his administrations faults & failures, by then surrendering his leadership. He also introduced SALT ( Strategic Arms Limitation Talks with the then USSR ), Social Security, EPA standards, & a great many number of important things that have actually made American citizens more comfortable.
Nixon had courage. He was left all alone, & it seemed the whole world hated him.
When you consider what he went through for "wire-tapping", against what politicians do & get away with now, it's a shame to have treated any person, President or other in such a way.
Ciao,
Rastus
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
1. REX BEING THE CHEAP ASS MUTHAFUCKKA HE IS GETTING 1-800 GENERAL/SAFE AUTO OR SOME OTHER 3RD WORLD INSURANCE CARRIER
2. KILLED OFF A RAT THAT WAS NOT PAYING RENT BUT ENDED UP GETTING FOOD FOR THE KIDS.
3. THINKS HE'S DA SHIT IN DRIVING IN AN OLD CAR.
4. SHOWS US HOW HIS DOUBLE-WIDE TRAILER HOME'S GARAGE LOOKS...... COMPLETE WITH UNFINISHED WALLS, STAINS, WEEDS, CRACKS IN FOUNDATION AND RODENT INFESTATIONS.
PURE CLASS!!!!!!!!!!! LISTEN HERE, BUD.......... THAT SHIT MAY BE A STATUS SYMBOL IN YOUR THIRD WORLD COUNTRY BUT HERE IN THIS GREAT NATION..... WE CALL THAT A SHIT HOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PACK UP YOUR SHIT AND GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY COUNTRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TAKE RAST-ANUS WITH YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-- Edited by stoma on Saturday 1st of October 2016 09:25:06 AM
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LIKE A PHOENIX RISING FROM THE ASHES.................... HERE TO SHIT ON REX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You do see things from a unique perspective Stoma, I'll give you that ! But here's where you got it wrong...
1. Who cares where the insurance comes from, as long as it's covering the car, contents & 3rd-party ?...
2. Rats & mice are the animals that come 2nd in the food-chain to man. They're everywhere, & gather all the stuff we leave around for themselves. They're kind-of pets that are naturally attached to us, though like yourself, we have little love for them. Feed your children what you want, but I doubt rats are on the menu at SELLC's.
3. That's an awesome car ! Age with these babies matter little, except that they'll increase in value & rarity sooner than later. The same basic ingrediants have been used in Corvettes since their inception LOL !
4. That garage is a work area that happens to be paying for itself, the house, the car & puts food on the table....This makes it a valuable resource. How mush $$$ does your garage earn you ?...
5. Your country has sadly been nuked by Japan, & regretfully continues to be nuked everyday by around 1 x Hiiroshima-sized atom-bombs every 3-hours, of everyday...This is a grand total of over 14,000-bombs so far, & counting...I'd probably want to leave too, but there's no where to go, because the shit spreads everywhere, it's just you get it first...
Cheers,
Rastus
-- Edited by Rastus on Saturday 1st of October 2016 10:29:33 PM
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
Thanks Rastus, I'd have to agree with most of what you said and add the following-
1. The car is covered by the same insurance company that covers the house, naturally, and cost a small fortune as a daily driver. That will end towards the end of the month when it goes into deep storage.
2. No rats on the menu here, but it looked more like a mole to me. Didn't really have any eyes. And no, there aren't any moles on the menu here either.
3. Thanks Rastus, and yes the Corvettes have improved thru the generations and I am told that V12's and mid engine configurations may be in store for the C8.
4. Technically that garage shown is not really a work area, it's more or less a storage area for my parts stash and now my Corvette. The slab is about 50 years old and really the entire garage is so antiquated that it should just be torn down and rebuilt, BIGGER. But that's not something I am going to spend much time with in the immediate future. My work garage is next door. This is the garage where the money is made,
5. I just seen a report about how badly the Japan radiation has spread! Check this out
Not surprisingly the link to the article has been removed in under 12 hours of it's publishing. Doesn't Stoma live in California of the Pacific coast?
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Too bad summer went-by all-too-quick !...But I'm sure there's a little bit of excitement there for the 560...Just stick the boot-in whilst you still can, so as to remind you that there's 342-odd-cubes living under the bonnet lol ! And once you put the Euro-logs on, it might really impress you once again.
That's a great fitting cover BTW.
Cheers,
Rastus
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
Well, as fate would have it... Transferred the plate from the Corvette onto the Mercedes and the same day the transmission went out, the alternator burnt up as a result of having to drive home at rather high RPM's and the right rear hydraulic shock popped! All in the same day! She was pissed! LOL
So I had to pull the Corvette out of her hibernation and rely on her daily for the past few weeks! It's beed difficult... LOL... I know, I know.. Sounds bad.
Got that 75 stingray in mid-resto mode, no hoist as a result and my own daily driver Mercedes decides she isn't going any further without some attention. Guess all them evenings and weekends giving the Corvette a few hours really pissed off the Benz. I'm trying to figure out what to do, but of course I'm going to fix her! I have all the parts X2 even! It's just that I feel it might be best to buy another more "family" car with 4 wheel drive. I like the looks of them new X class Mercedes trucks but they don't come out until next year! And I looked at a new 100k mile W126's to find they have gone WAY up in price! Even for a rough one you're going to spend upwards of $15k and that's with just under 100k examples that probably need all new rubber and guide rails anyway.
Thinking about a 2006 or later Cadillac Escalade. Something I can buy outright and not have to carry full coverage insurance on, or at least a less expensive insurance. If I don't like it, or it's not working out I can always sell it when the Mercedes has a new paint job and all her needs addressed but I'd like to be able to pull a trailer with various attachments. The fact I am really wanting to get the Corvette off the road ASAP is making this decision somewhat time sensitive.
Thanks for the complement on the car cover fitment. The dealership threw it in with the car so I'd imagine it's a GM cover made just for the C4 Corvette. Looking forward to putting it back on the car as soon as possible! LOL
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Fix the 560 SELLC !!! There's only maybe 8-10 hours work there, (though fitting up the EURO-LOGS may take a little more time)....That's really only a little over a days labor, & at least 126's have a reasonable amount of room to work with.
That Aero-Shell is expensive oil for the hydraulic suspension, I hope you didn't lose too much LOL. I'd investigate the pump too, as the relief-valve should have saved the shock from blowing-out...
If you get yourself another car, it may well spell the end for your 560, so fix her up !
Cheers,
Rastus
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
We'll see how it plays out, rolling with the blows at the moment. I highly doubt I would forget about the Mercedes in any case because I have too many of them and too many parts. I'd much rather get my F250 going and the Mercedes than to buy anything else. I'd literally have to shut down until next year to accomplish that, and pretty much drive the Corvette thru the beginning of December. I don't know how much longer the weather is going to hold out!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Parts of Europe have already had a large dose of snow ( Sweden ), so it may be coming your way sooner than expected !
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
Well according to the wether man I have at least a week before anything makes it way over from Europe. Really I just need to fix a few things to get it operational again, then hammer a few things out a week on the fly. The Corvette should be able to take us wherever we need to go in the mean time, but the second salt hits the road it's over. If that happens before I get the Mercedes roadworthy my hand would be forced.
I enjoy driving the Corvette so much I am half tempted to buy a 150,000+ mile Vette and run it thru the winter! LOL, funny part is I went to look at an older Cadillac SLS at a deanship the other day ($2000 beater), and the new Cadillacs they had sit lower than the Corvette!! I had a good laugh with the salesman about it. The beater had been sold, and there was no way I was buying a newer Cadillac for the winter when the bumpers sat lower than the Corvette I drove up in! I could only imagine the sound of that plastic breaking in the ice ruts that form in some of our back roads!
The Benz always did well in the snow with a good set of tires... Heck one year when money was tight she got me thru the winter with bald tires! She's been a good car! And even the Vette has been pulling her own weight since Goldilocks got sick.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
You can read more at this link in the W126 section - http://www.autotrend.activeboard.com/forum.spark#comment-62904934
I saved myself a boat load of money, and you know what? I couldn't be happier! Now I can store the Corvette for the winter, drive my new 420 SEL during the winter and fix up Goldilocks (Smoke Silver 1991 560).
Great day indeed! I literally spent almost 15 hours straight on Craigslist looking at $500-$32,000 vehicles. I am so glad I come across this 420 because I was honestly on a mission to get a new daily driver today, even if it meant taking out a loan! The best part about the 420? No car payment! Winter better look out!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
She's all cleaned, vacuumed, waxed and I even cleaned and detailed the engine compartment. She's back under her cover and let me tell you... What a relief! I swear that so long as that car was in play 20% of my attention span was thinking about it... The other 80% spent thinking about sex, so you can see the level of distraction this car has had since August. LOL!
Now that I have 20% of my attention span back things are moving right along... Well except for the holiday rush that always happens, but man does it feel good knowing it's tucked away!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
THIS IS WHY TRUMP HAS TO START DEPORTING THESE ILLEGALS OUTTA HERE NOW................ CROATIAN REX HAS SET UP A CHOP SHOP AT HIS SECTION 8 HOUSING AND SHAMELESSLY POSTS HIS SHIT FOR ALL TO SEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ICE IS ONTO YOU!!!!!!!! ONCE THAT WALL IS BUILT................. GOOD LUCK TRYIN TO GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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LIKE A PHOENIX RISING FROM THE ASHES.................... HERE TO SHIT ON REX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, yes I do try my best to keep the wax on it. I also store it in the garage over the winter under a cover.
In addition to all that I try to keep it out of the sunlight, and although I am not the original owner I have grown attached and treat it as if I will be the last owner.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
