I was notified via e-mail that my car would be arriving soon, and the Tesla contact gave me the choice of a couple days in September 2018 to take delivery. I replied, providing the first day he listed, and as early in the morning as I think I could make it to the Tesla service center.
But then I didn't hear anything back. I let this slide for a couple days, then sent a follow up email asking if they received my email about scheduling my delivery. Still nothing. About a week after my first reply I posted something on the Denver Tesla Club Facebook page about this poor communications. To my amazement this guy, Tracy, replied to my post. He works at the Denver Service Center and reached out to help.
Tracy found that this other guy totally screwed things up. It also sounds like there was a series of screw ups that ended up getting him fired. Tracy was not taking charge of my delivery, and I couldn't be happier. We exchanged cell phone numbers and he said he would keep me in the loop. I was hoping to take delivery by the end of the month so it would be counted in that quarter's sales report for Tesla. Tracy thought that it would probably make it on time.
Another person contacted me about getting all my paperwork moving, and we discussed doing the financing through Tesla. I was getting closer.
I got a text from Tracy that the car was on a truck in California, and should be here on time, barring any weather causing the driver to slow down. Tracy said he is specifically tracking my car's signal. I was like, "You can do that?", this was so cool.
The next day would be my delivery day, so I took the day off of work, and made plans for my brother to drive me to the Littleton Service Center to get my car.
Wednesday, 24 July 2019
Configuring my Model 3
News from across the country was getting me excited. People were taking delivery, and absolutely loving the car. There are some odd things about its design that take getting used to, but people were saying that it didn't take long to get used to it. Having all the controls on the center screen instead of on a dashboard was the main change. Some don't like the lack of a grill, but if you don't need a radiator to help cool an engine, make it smooth and aerodynamic.
Sometime around April of 2018 I finally saw that they opened up orders for the "Dual Motor" or all-wheel drive version of the Model 3. The reality of this finally happening made me nervous. I had to put more money down on top of what I had already deposited, but I would not know when the car would actually be built and shipped. The price was higher than I was hoping. There was no indication of the standard range car even being available yet, and I had no idea if they would even offer the dual motor configuration on the standard configuration.
I bit the bullet and placed my order.
Now more waiting... and learning
Sometime around April of 2018 I finally saw that they opened up orders for the "Dual Motor" or all-wheel drive version of the Model 3. The reality of this finally happening made me nervous. I had to put more money down on top of what I had already deposited, but I would not know when the car would actually be built and shipped. The price was higher than I was hoping. There was no indication of the standard range car even being available yet, and I had no idea if they would even offer the dual motor configuration on the standard configuration.
I bit the bullet and placed my order.
Now more waiting... and learning
Tuesday, 4 June 2019
FUD
Telsa was not just changing the car to being electric, they were pushing the boundaries of what a car can do. The technology they've been developing if disrupting the entire automobile industry. But like other upstarts, the big boys are going to fight you.
Do you remember the story about the Tucker Corporation. Back way before I was born this company emerged after the end of World War 2, wanting to develop a new, better automobile. They were the first to add safety features as standard equipment (seat belts, padded dashboard, safety glass windshield), as well as disc brakes, 4 wheel independent suspension, fuel injection. It even had a center headlamp that turned with the front wheels so you could see what is coming as you turn.
The 1988 movie, Tucker: The Man And His Dream tells the story. You should watch it. As you can guess, the big three (GM, Ford and Chrysler) had many politicians in their pockets, and made it extremely difficult for this company to succeed. They tried to have Preston Tucker arrested on grounds of fraud. He was acquitted, but it basically ruined the company. There were 50 of the car made, but ultimately the negative press of the fraud suit made investors run away. Apparently 47 of them are still around, but go for big bucks at auction.
The same thing is happening to Tesla, except instead of suing for fraud, many in the auto industry, oil industry, and even the government are spreading what is now called FUD, which stands for Fear Uncertainty and Doubt. This pisses me off to no end, but I know this company is doing the right thing, and Elon Musk is a genius.
The financial institutions are adding to the FUD buy giving lots of false equivalencies and just downplaying the importance of these cars. They continue to outsell almost all other cars, but according to the analysts, they can't sustain this. It is all very aggravating, because I know a lot of the analysts are "shorting" the stock, betting that they will fail. I have learned over the years not to trust those that say they are the experts. Most of them have an agenda that they are working toward. I am in this for the long haul, so I can see right through the bullshit on these people. Tesla has its problems, but the goal and product are simply amazing. Since the 2012 Model S's introduction, no other car company has been able to produce a car that can match the Model S in range, performance, or charging convenience.
Do you remember the story about the Tucker Corporation. Back way before I was born this company emerged after the end of World War 2, wanting to develop a new, better automobile. They were the first to add safety features as standard equipment (seat belts, padded dashboard, safety glass windshield), as well as disc brakes, 4 wheel independent suspension, fuel injection. It even had a center headlamp that turned with the front wheels so you could see what is coming as you turn.
The 1988 movie, Tucker: The Man And His Dream tells the story. You should watch it. As you can guess, the big three (GM, Ford and Chrysler) had many politicians in their pockets, and made it extremely difficult for this company to succeed. They tried to have Preston Tucker arrested on grounds of fraud. He was acquitted, but it basically ruined the company. There were 50 of the car made, but ultimately the negative press of the fraud suit made investors run away. Apparently 47 of them are still around, but go for big bucks at auction.
The same thing is happening to Tesla, except instead of suing for fraud, many in the auto industry, oil industry, and even the government are spreading what is now called FUD, which stands for Fear Uncertainty and Doubt. This pisses me off to no end, but I know this company is doing the right thing, and Elon Musk is a genius.
The financial institutions are adding to the FUD buy giving lots of false equivalencies and just downplaying the importance of these cars. They continue to outsell almost all other cars, but according to the analysts, they can't sustain this. It is all very aggravating, because I know a lot of the analysts are "shorting" the stock, betting that they will fail. I have learned over the years not to trust those that say they are the experts. Most of them have an agenda that they are working toward. I am in this for the long haul, so I can see right through the bullshit on these people. Tesla has its problems, but the goal and product are simply amazing. Since the 2012 Model S's introduction, no other car company has been able to produce a car that can match the Model S in range, performance, or charging convenience.
Wednesday, 12 December 2018
More waiting... and new information fills my brain
The number of new electric vehicles coming onto the market is getting hard to keep track of. Sometime in late 2017 I wanted to find some news resources for the EV market. I asked in my Tesla Facebook group, and a number of people recommended a YouTube channel called Fully Charged. This show is BRILLIANT! It not only dives into the EV industy, but also alternative power in general. This includes solar or course, but they also have done episodes on wind turbines, tidal wave power generation, as well as battery technologies in general. On top of the geeky info I get out of it, the guys running the show are also pretty entertaining/funny.
Through this show I have expanded my knowledge of all of these areas, and was hoping for a time when it made sense for me to invest in solar panels for my house (more on that later in this blog). The episodes where they covered various efforts to use tidal power for electricity generation reminded me of a tour I took in Eastport, Maine, that talked of a tidal power project that began back in 1920. This was called the Passamaquoddy Tidal Project. Plans were made, and work had begun. The stock market crash of 1929 almost killed the project, but FDR was then elected, and backed the project with the "New Deal". It was later determined to be too expensive for the area. It's a shame because the tidal forces in that particular area are supposedly the greatest on the planet. Work stopped on the project in 1936.
Interestingly enough, 70 years later, in 2006, new interest in a tidal project was started back up. The new project is called the Cobscook Bay Tidal Energy Project. The system came on line in 2012. The new design is really nothing like the system in the 1920s, but people knew that this was the perfect spot to start this off for the nation.
Eastport happens to be the home town of my mother. I still go there from time to time. I was not aware that the system was online, so now I have a reason to go back and take a look.
Through this show I have expanded my knowledge of all of these areas, and was hoping for a time when it made sense for me to invest in solar panels for my house (more on that later in this blog). The episodes where they covered various efforts to use tidal power for electricity generation reminded me of a tour I took in Eastport, Maine, that talked of a tidal power project that began back in 1920. This was called the Passamaquoddy Tidal Project. Plans were made, and work had begun. The stock market crash of 1929 almost killed the project, but FDR was then elected, and backed the project with the "New Deal". It was later determined to be too expensive for the area. It's a shame because the tidal forces in that particular area are supposedly the greatest on the planet. Work stopped on the project in 1936.
Interestingly enough, 70 years later, in 2006, new interest in a tidal project was started back up. The new project is called the Cobscook Bay Tidal Energy Project. The system came on line in 2012. The new design is really nothing like the system in the 1920s, but people knew that this was the perfect spot to start this off for the nation.
Eastport happens to be the home town of my mother. I still go there from time to time. I was not aware that the system was online, so now I have a reason to go back and take a look.
The long wait... and the negative press
I have signed up for some of the Motley Fool reports over the past 12-15 years. I felt they had a pretty good take on how to determine if a company was going to be a good investment or not. Sometime around 2012 they listed Tesla as being one of their top picks. They were so certain that it was an excellent investment that I decided I should buy some stock. The price of the stock was pretty high, which made me a bit nervous, but I was not investing a lot of money. I think I paid around $106 a share.
Some people, including my sister that worked for GM at the time, thought I was crazy for diving head first into a company that is relatively new. Plus the Model 3, which would not even be available to even see up close, wouldn't not see the rubber hit any roads until July of 2017. Test drives? Who needs test drives? What I saw happening with this company was so different than how any other company operated. Some people fear this. I felt it made them a disruptive force in the industry.
Elon Musk made many promises about this car, and although they have yet to produce the $35,000 220 mile range version, it has exceeded most peoples expectations. I joined Tesla group on Facebook, and found the Electric Vehicle Club of Colorado Springs. I watched what these folks were saying, and noticed that most of them had the same thoughts I did about the company.
Why have they been so slow to produce that $35,000 car? Well, the answer is all in technology development and economics. This car simplifies so many things that existing car makers insist on making complex. But in developing the technology there are R&D costs that cause the car to cost a bit too much.
One of the things that surprised me is that the car starts off being a REAR wheel drive car. I am not sure what the thinking was there, but it made me hold off on my actual configuration order until the all-wheel drive version was available. I live in Colorado, so I know that driving a rear wheel drive vehicle can have troubles with the rolling hills along the front range of the Rockies. Unfortunately that meant I needed to pay more than I was originally planning.
Another thing that bothered me on this journey was all the negative articles about Tesla. It seems every time a Tesla got into an accident it made the news. One of the reasons for the magnified focus was that Tesla cars are supposed to be the most safest cars on the planet. The accidents that were occurring had more to do with bad drivers, than a bad car, but the finely focused eyes on the Tesla cars meant that people were going to hear more about them in the good areas, and the bad. It didn't seem to matter that people were just being stupid. The blame was partially being put on Tesla's lap. Then I found that some if not most of these articles were being written by people that were shorting the Tesla stock. This started to irritate me beyond belief.
Regardless, the stock price kept going up.
Some people, including my sister that worked for GM at the time, thought I was crazy for diving head first into a company that is relatively new. Plus the Model 3, which would not even be available to even see up close, wouldn't not see the rubber hit any roads until July of 2017. Test drives? Who needs test drives? What I saw happening with this company was so different than how any other company operated. Some people fear this. I felt it made them a disruptive force in the industry.
Elon Musk made many promises about this car, and although they have yet to produce the $35,000 220 mile range version, it has exceeded most peoples expectations. I joined Tesla group on Facebook, and found the Electric Vehicle Club of Colorado Springs. I watched what these folks were saying, and noticed that most of them had the same thoughts I did about the company.
Why have they been so slow to produce that $35,000 car? Well, the answer is all in technology development and economics. This car simplifies so many things that existing car makers insist on making complex. But in developing the technology there are R&D costs that cause the car to cost a bit too much.
One of the things that surprised me is that the car starts off being a REAR wheel drive car. I am not sure what the thinking was there, but it made me hold off on my actual configuration order until the all-wheel drive version was available. I live in Colorado, so I know that driving a rear wheel drive vehicle can have troubles with the rolling hills along the front range of the Rockies. Unfortunately that meant I needed to pay more than I was originally planning.
Another thing that bothered me on this journey was all the negative articles about Tesla. It seems every time a Tesla got into an accident it made the news. One of the reasons for the magnified focus was that Tesla cars are supposed to be the most safest cars on the planet. The accidents that were occurring had more to do with bad drivers, than a bad car, but the finely focused eyes on the Tesla cars meant that people were going to hear more about them in the good areas, and the bad. It didn't seem to matter that people were just being stupid. The blame was partially being put on Tesla's lap. Then I found that some if not most of these articles were being written by people that were shorting the Tesla stock. This started to irritate me beyond belief.
Regardless, the stock price kept going up.
Thursday, 15 November 2018
Moving to EVs
Back in 2010 - 2011 I started becoming interested in the development of electric vehicles. My sister worked for General Motors at the time. I had heard a little about the long dead EV1, developed by GM. Even though GM killed the EV1 (see the movie "Who Killed The Electric Car"), they were developing a new "extended range" electric vehicle called the Volt. In essence this is an electric car that once the charge drops below a certain threshold, a gas powered generator kicks in to charge the batteries until you can plug it in for a full charge.
The idea of the Volt kind of blew my mind. It sounded like the perfect mix of electric and gas. I thought that this was going to be my next car purchase, but I was only a couple years into owning my Chevy Malibu, so I decided it would be best to wait a few years. I was also hoping that given time, the battery and electric range would be improved.
This began my research and fascination with electric vehicles.
So I started googling information about the Volt, hoping to find what the future hold for such a concept. At the time there was a lot of speculation about fuel cell cars, and that it was going to be more efficient and cleaner than electric vehicles. I didn't understand how they could say that since there were so few true electric vehicles in development. This was when I started hearing about Tesla Motors.
I saw that they had this car called the Roadster that had been around for a couple years. Apparently only a few thousand were planned to be made. Plus that car was just way too expensive and impractical to even consider, but holy shit it was very fast.
About a year or so later I heard about the Tesla Model S. There was a lot of excitement about this car. It was still pretty expensive (for me anyway), but it clearly showed the potential for the affordability of electric vehicles moving forward. The S was eventually being sold to the public in June of 2012. People were paying thousands of dollars way before they would be getting their car, but the excitement made it feel like this company was going to be a game changer. I started watching Tesla very closely from this point forward.
The Model S is a sports sedan, but "sport" was putting it mildly. Some of the early versions were fast, but as things progressed Tesla released software update directly to the cars that improved their performance. Pretty soon there were high end Model S versions beating the best of the fast sports cars on the track.
My interest in Tesla wasn't really with how they are making these really fast cars, but I was actually more interested in the technology and where things were going. Will they make a car that normal people like me can afford? Will Tesla be able to withstand the pressures and negative attacks that are coming from the other big car makers?
In 2015 Tesla announced the Model 3. The car would be affordable, and would at a minimum would have a 220 mile range. I got really excited and started watching everything I could about Tesla. When they finally started taking deposits I was in line the first day (March 31, 2016). Telsa hadn't even shown pictures of this car. They took close to 150,000 deposits of $1000 that first day. I was not the only person that was exited by this car.
The idea of the Volt kind of blew my mind. It sounded like the perfect mix of electric and gas. I thought that this was going to be my next car purchase, but I was only a couple years into owning my Chevy Malibu, so I decided it would be best to wait a few years. I was also hoping that given time, the battery and electric range would be improved.
This began my research and fascination with electric vehicles.
So I started googling information about the Volt, hoping to find what the future hold for such a concept. At the time there was a lot of speculation about fuel cell cars, and that it was going to be more efficient and cleaner than electric vehicles. I didn't understand how they could say that since there were so few true electric vehicles in development. This was when I started hearing about Tesla Motors.
I saw that they had this car called the Roadster that had been around for a couple years. Apparently only a few thousand were planned to be made. Plus that car was just way too expensive and impractical to even consider, but holy shit it was very fast.
About a year or so later I heard about the Tesla Model S. There was a lot of excitement about this car. It was still pretty expensive (for me anyway), but it clearly showed the potential for the affordability of electric vehicles moving forward. The S was eventually being sold to the public in June of 2012. People were paying thousands of dollars way before they would be getting their car, but the excitement made it feel like this company was going to be a game changer. I started watching Tesla very closely from this point forward.
The Model S is a sports sedan, but "sport" was putting it mildly. Some of the early versions were fast, but as things progressed Tesla released software update directly to the cars that improved their performance. Pretty soon there were high end Model S versions beating the best of the fast sports cars on the track.
My interest in Tesla wasn't really with how they are making these really fast cars, but I was actually more interested in the technology and where things were going. Will they make a car that normal people like me can afford? Will Tesla be able to withstand the pressures and negative attacks that are coming from the other big car makers?
In 2015 Tesla announced the Model 3. The car would be affordable, and would at a minimum would have a 220 mile range. I got really excited and started watching everything I could about Tesla. When they finally started taking deposits I was in line the first day (March 31, 2016). Telsa hadn't even shown pictures of this car. They took close to 150,000 deposits of $1000 that first day. I was not the only person that was exited by this car.
Thursday, 11 October 2018
My Relatively Ancient Automobile History
I've always had an interest in cars. Not like most guys. I was not a gear head, always wanting to go fast. My interest was more along the lines of the history and efficiency gains that have happened over the years. I am originally from the Detroit area, and have family that had been in the industry for years. I have owned a number of cars in my lifetime, and each of my cars affected me in some way.
'71 Datsun 1200 - 1983
My very first car that I owned was a 1971 Datsun 1200 that I borrowed money from my sister to buy while I was off at college in 1983. It was nothing special, but it forced me to learn how to drive a stick in a hurry. It gave me some freedom, and it was super easy to learn the basic workings of a car of that era. A friend, who was a gear head, showed me how to rebuild the carburetor. Then after I move back to Colorado another friend helped me to change out the transmission.
'76 Mercury Comet - 1985
A little while after I moved back home I realized that my mother HATED that car. She thought it was a death trap. It was a bit of a tin can, but it ran great. Regardless, I folded under mom's pressure to trade cars with her. She gave me her 1976 Mercury Comet, and she sold my Datsun 1200. To this day I still have fond memories of that car.
One of the things that didn't make sense to me when comparing the 1200 to the Comet was how a car 5 years newer (the Comet), yet no bigger inside could be almost half as efficient. I hated the Comet. My mom bought it when I was 11, and it was a piece of shit from day one. I resented being forced to take this thing. I held onto the Comet for a couple years until I just couldn't stand it anymore.
'83 Ford EXP - 1987
I bought a 1983 Ford EXP, a 2 seater version of the Ford Escort. It was a fun little car, and had some nice features. It wasn't much more efficient than the Comet, but it felt a little nicer. Unfortunately I slammed it into a curb when the road was shear ice. I had it repaired, which was my first time having to deal with a major suspension issue. I remember it costing me about $650 for all the repairs. For me at the time, that was expensive. Not too long after that I found that the power steering fluid was leaking. Not wanting to dump more money into this car, it was time to sell it after owning it for maybe a year.
'85 Ford Ranger - 1988
It probably was not a good time for me to be buying a vehicle, but after discussing it with my then fiance, we figure it was needed. This was 1988 and we were to be married that fall. We went down to a dealership and bought a 3 year old Ford Ranger 4x4. My first 4 wheel drive vehicle.
The Ranger was a departure for me. I never saw myself as a truck guy, but having a truck became very handy. I hauled wood for the fireplace down from the mountains. I went 4 wheeling with my wife once, but I don't think she enjoyed it that much. I learned and started big game hunting. This truck came in very handy for that. My friends called me the bush hunter because I could get my Ranger up 4 wheel trails that their trucks were too big to fit.
'90 Mazda Protege` - 1990
But now there were 2 adults dealing with vehicles in the house. My wife had an old Subaru GL that she had since just out of high school. We sold that and bough our first brand new car, a 1990 Mazda Protege. We intentionally got a 4 door because at some point we were going to have kids. That eventuality came in 1992 when our 1st son was born. But that was "her car" and I had the truck.
That truck surprisingly kept me happy for about 10 years. Repairs were getting harder and harder to deal with when it would break down, and we were making pretty good money by the late 90s.
'97 Chevy 1500
I took my sister up on her family discount for a new GM vehicle. We bought a 1997 Chevy 1500 4x4 pickup. It was a nice truck, but not great for the gas mileage. It was the first time I went into some expense on a nice car stereo. Once of my good friends also helped me install sub-woofers. It was quite the thump-er.
'01 Chevy Tahoe
I changed career paths in the late 90s, and a few years later my wife was needing to get a different vehicle. I was resigned us to the eventuality of getting a minivan, but she wasn't having it. She pressured me into a 2001 Chevy Tahoe. Luckily we could afford it with my sister's family discount. This thing was so comfortable. Clearly the nicest vehicle I had ever dreamed of owning.
The problem came when my wife and I started having issues, which eventually lead to getting a divorce. I was fine with keeping the 97 truck for a few more years, but she could not afford the Tahoe payments, so we had to sell it. It was only a year old, and we kept it clean. Some time in early to mid 2002 I sold it by putting signs in the windows and parking it at the grocery store. It sold in a week for exactly what I asked for it. It was a fair price, but since I got the family discount I made a bit more than what we owed on it.
'96 Honda Accord - 2002
I decided to take a contract job in Denver, and driving the truck to Denver daily was not very affordable. I kept the truck, but bought the Honda Account as a commuter. Buy this car was a bit odd. I don't recall how I found it, but bought it from a "reseller", and it had a salvage title. This was due to a lot of hail damage. This car was in great shape otherwise. I figured I could keep this car for a few years as a commuter.
I put a really great stereo in this car, with an amplifier and sub-woofer. It kept me entertained on the daily drive to Denver. It kept me very happy until late 2004 when it became obvious that the brake system was failing miserably. The first hint was when I tapped a lady driving a BMW on I-25 because I was unable to stop in time. My friend Evans was with me. He was sitting in the car on the shoulder, and was cracking up when I was talking to the very pretty lady that was driving the BMW. He was sure I was hitting on her because we were both laughing. The reason for the laughter was because I found out she is a lawyer, and I had a tiny panic attack. She was actually really great. We couldn't see any damage. I gave her my number and said if they have it checked out and find a problem, to contact me.
A few weeks later I was in the drive thru at the McDonalds near my house and as I was sitting there with the brakes on, waiting for the people in front of me to move, my foot slowly went to the floor. I suddenly started moving forward. Luckily I noticed in time before I hit the car in front of me.
I started thinking about working on the Honda's brakes, but decided I should probably just buy a new car. I contacted my sister to find out what GM was making that was good. She recommended the Pontiac Vibe. This Honda was the first trade in I had ever done. Usually I sell my own cars. Used car dealers are vultures.
'03 Pontiac Vibe GT - 2003
I started looking for one, but was wanting to test drive the standard Vibe and the Vibe GT. Once I test drove the GT I knew there was no way I would be satisfied with the standard. Then within the first 6 months of owning the Vibe, my sister and my niece both bought Vibes (they got the automatic transmission). All three of them were silver. When we were all together at Christmas it was really confusing.
The Vibe GT was a champ. It was such a great performer, and I was planning to keep it for a long time. Unfortunately I was hit on my way to work, totaling my Vibe. I started looking for a replacement Vibe GT, and found that Pontiac stopped making the GT version. I was so frustrated. I probably should have tested a standard Vibe, but started discussing other cars. My sister told me about all the awards the new Malibu was receiving...
'08 Plymouth PT Cruiser (rental) - 2008
While I was looking for a replacement vehicle, I was given a rental. This was the PT Cruiser. All I can say is... WHAT A PIECE OF SHIT. I had to drive this thing to Michigan for Christmas. I was appalled at the horrific gas mileage this thing got. I didn't even get 20 MPG on the highway, in a 4 cylinder with no guts. On top of that, this thing didn't have cruise control. Yes, I said the PT Cruiser did not have cruise control.
'08 Chevy Malibu LTZ - 2008
I went into a search for a Malibu. In 2008 the economy took a major negative turn, so people were not buying vehicles. The only exception to the poor sales was the Malibu. I guess all the awards made it the only Chevy that was selling. I looked at dealerships in Colorado Springs and Denver. I again wanted to look at the top of the line version, LTZ. I found one in Denver, and went to take a test drive. I loved the car, but the color combination of the LTZ I test drove was not good. A week later I found one in Colorado Springs.
I drove the hell out of this car for the next 8 years. I drove to Denver 3 or 4 times a week, and crossed the country once or twice a year. It had power, comfort, and looks. The only thing I didn't like about it was the driver's seat frame. It broke twice in 8 years. Also, it was the first car that I did not replace the stereo, although it was a pretty good stereo for a factory.
On March 31, 2016 Tesla starting taking deposits for their new and cheaper all electric car. I stood in line that day to put down my deposit.
I decided at 270,000 miles that I should replace the Malibu. I wasn't sure how it would do if I kept driving it until my Tesla was made, so I bought a Subaru.
'04 Ford Ranger - 2013
I had a dilemma... I had a lot of things I needed to do to the house. Hauling wood and dirt in the Malibu was not a good option. On top of this, my youngest son was turning 16 soon. I decided to buy a truck for my projects, then when the time came, Erik could use it for driving to school and eventually work.
I contacted Rick. He is a guy that was dating a friend of mine and worked at Phil Long Ford. I asked him to be on the look out for a used truck that wouldn't cost much, but was in decent shape. A week later he called me with one. He warned me that the 4 wheel drive was out, but other than that it ran really good. I usually hate buying from used car dealerships, but he was being up front with me, and said that due to the 4WD problem they would usually sell it off to a wholesaler. He said they would sell it to me at the wholesale price. It was a very fair deal.
I got my projects done and taught my son to drive a stick in this thing. Then it started showing its age. The clutch was needing to be fixed, so I also had my shop diagnose the 4WD issue. They said the transfer case was shot. I asked them to find a used transfer case. It is now pretty solid. We keep having issues, but fixing these things are easier and cheaper than buying my son a new vehicle.
We still have the truck, and Erik has it up at college. I doubt I will ever buy a Ranger again, but it hasn't been a terrible experience. Erik is tired of all the minor issues that come up, but its a good vehicle for him to learn things on. They are relatively easy to work on.
'16 Subaru Crosstrek - 2016
My sister had retired from GM, I had a final family discount I could use, but the only car GM was making that I cared anything about was the Volt. I had been following the development and news about the Volt for years. I was trying to use my family discount to get one, but apparently GM wasn't allowing it. This pissed me off, so I went to my Consumer Reports Buyer's Guide and looked up their ratings on small SUVs. The Crosstrek was at the top of their list, and the bonus was that it was cheaper than any other in its class. I then researched resale value, and saw that the Subarus, and specifically Crosstreks hold onto their value very well. I put a list of 3 compact SUVs on a list to test drive. This included the Subaru Crosstrek, Chevy Trax, and Honda HR-V.
None of these 3 cars has spectacular speed. I thought the HR-V was too noisy, and the Trax was ok, but I didn't see it holding its value. Chevy's never really do. The Crosstrek was a nicely equipped car. I have been really happy with it. Now it's it time to sell it, because I have taken possession of my Tesla.
'18 Tesla Model 3 - Dual Motor - 2018
The name sake of this blog is finally here, and the rest of this blog will be about the experiences of ordering and enjoying this vehicle (knock on wood).
'71 Datsun 1200 - 1983
My very first car that I owned was a 1971 Datsun 1200 that I borrowed money from my sister to buy while I was off at college in 1983. It was nothing special, but it forced me to learn how to drive a stick in a hurry. It gave me some freedom, and it was super easy to learn the basic workings of a car of that era. A friend, who was a gear head, showed me how to rebuild the carburetor. Then after I move back to Colorado another friend helped me to change out the transmission.
'76 Mercury Comet - 1985
A little while after I moved back home I realized that my mother HATED that car. She thought it was a death trap. It was a bit of a tin can, but it ran great. Regardless, I folded under mom's pressure to trade cars with her. She gave me her 1976 Mercury Comet, and she sold my Datsun 1200. To this day I still have fond memories of that car.
One of the things that didn't make sense to me when comparing the 1200 to the Comet was how a car 5 years newer (the Comet), yet no bigger inside could be almost half as efficient. I hated the Comet. My mom bought it when I was 11, and it was a piece of shit from day one. I resented being forced to take this thing. I held onto the Comet for a couple years until I just couldn't stand it anymore.
'83 Ford EXP - 1987
I bought a 1983 Ford EXP, a 2 seater version of the Ford Escort. It was a fun little car, and had some nice features. It wasn't much more efficient than the Comet, but it felt a little nicer. Unfortunately I slammed it into a curb when the road was shear ice. I had it repaired, which was my first time having to deal with a major suspension issue. I remember it costing me about $650 for all the repairs. For me at the time, that was expensive. Not too long after that I found that the power steering fluid was leaking. Not wanting to dump more money into this car, it was time to sell it after owning it for maybe a year.
'85 Ford Ranger - 1988
It probably was not a good time for me to be buying a vehicle, but after discussing it with my then fiance, we figure it was needed. This was 1988 and we were to be married that fall. We went down to a dealership and bought a 3 year old Ford Ranger 4x4. My first 4 wheel drive vehicle.
The Ranger was a departure for me. I never saw myself as a truck guy, but having a truck became very handy. I hauled wood for the fireplace down from the mountains. I went 4 wheeling with my wife once, but I don't think she enjoyed it that much. I learned and started big game hunting. This truck came in very handy for that. My friends called me the bush hunter because I could get my Ranger up 4 wheel trails that their trucks were too big to fit.
'90 Mazda Protege` - 1990
But now there were 2 adults dealing with vehicles in the house. My wife had an old Subaru GL that she had since just out of high school. We sold that and bough our first brand new car, a 1990 Mazda Protege. We intentionally got a 4 door because at some point we were going to have kids. That eventuality came in 1992 when our 1st son was born. But that was "her car" and I had the truck.
That truck surprisingly kept me happy for about 10 years. Repairs were getting harder and harder to deal with when it would break down, and we were making pretty good money by the late 90s.
'97 Chevy 1500
I took my sister up on her family discount for a new GM vehicle. We bought a 1997 Chevy 1500 4x4 pickup. It was a nice truck, but not great for the gas mileage. It was the first time I went into some expense on a nice car stereo. Once of my good friends also helped me install sub-woofers. It was quite the thump-er.
'01 Chevy Tahoe
I changed career paths in the late 90s, and a few years later my wife was needing to get a different vehicle. I was resigned us to the eventuality of getting a minivan, but she wasn't having it. She pressured me into a 2001 Chevy Tahoe. Luckily we could afford it with my sister's family discount. This thing was so comfortable. Clearly the nicest vehicle I had ever dreamed of owning.
The problem came when my wife and I started having issues, which eventually lead to getting a divorce. I was fine with keeping the 97 truck for a few more years, but she could not afford the Tahoe payments, so we had to sell it. It was only a year old, and we kept it clean. Some time in early to mid 2002 I sold it by putting signs in the windows and parking it at the grocery store. It sold in a week for exactly what I asked for it. It was a fair price, but since I got the family discount I made a bit more than what we owed on it.
'96 Honda Accord - 2002
I decided to take a contract job in Denver, and driving the truck to Denver daily was not very affordable. I kept the truck, but bought the Honda Account as a commuter. Buy this car was a bit odd. I don't recall how I found it, but bought it from a "reseller", and it had a salvage title. This was due to a lot of hail damage. This car was in great shape otherwise. I figured I could keep this car for a few years as a commuter.
I put a really great stereo in this car, with an amplifier and sub-woofer. It kept me entertained on the daily drive to Denver. It kept me very happy until late 2004 when it became obvious that the brake system was failing miserably. The first hint was when I tapped a lady driving a BMW on I-25 because I was unable to stop in time. My friend Evans was with me. He was sitting in the car on the shoulder, and was cracking up when I was talking to the very pretty lady that was driving the BMW. He was sure I was hitting on her because we were both laughing. The reason for the laughter was because I found out she is a lawyer, and I had a tiny panic attack. She was actually really great. We couldn't see any damage. I gave her my number and said if they have it checked out and find a problem, to contact me.
A few weeks later I was in the drive thru at the McDonalds near my house and as I was sitting there with the brakes on, waiting for the people in front of me to move, my foot slowly went to the floor. I suddenly started moving forward. Luckily I noticed in time before I hit the car in front of me.
I started thinking about working on the Honda's brakes, but decided I should probably just buy a new car. I contacted my sister to find out what GM was making that was good. She recommended the Pontiac Vibe. This Honda was the first trade in I had ever done. Usually I sell my own cars. Used car dealers are vultures.
'03 Pontiac Vibe GT - 2003
The Vibe GT was a champ. It was such a great performer, and I was planning to keep it for a long time. Unfortunately I was hit on my way to work, totaling my Vibe. I started looking for a replacement Vibe GT, and found that Pontiac stopped making the GT version. I was so frustrated. I probably should have tested a standard Vibe, but started discussing other cars. My sister told me about all the awards the new Malibu was receiving...
'08 Plymouth PT Cruiser (rental) - 2008
While I was looking for a replacement vehicle, I was given a rental. This was the PT Cruiser. All I can say is... WHAT A PIECE OF SHIT. I had to drive this thing to Michigan for Christmas. I was appalled at the horrific gas mileage this thing got. I didn't even get 20 MPG on the highway, in a 4 cylinder with no guts. On top of that, this thing didn't have cruise control. Yes, I said the PT Cruiser did not have cruise control.
'08 Chevy Malibu LTZ - 2008
I went into a search for a Malibu. In 2008 the economy took a major negative turn, so people were not buying vehicles. The only exception to the poor sales was the Malibu. I guess all the awards made it the only Chevy that was selling. I looked at dealerships in Colorado Springs and Denver. I again wanted to look at the top of the line version, LTZ. I found one in Denver, and went to take a test drive. I loved the car, but the color combination of the LTZ I test drove was not good. A week later I found one in Colorado Springs.
I drove the hell out of this car for the next 8 years. I drove to Denver 3 or 4 times a week, and crossed the country once or twice a year. It had power, comfort, and looks. The only thing I didn't like about it was the driver's seat frame. It broke twice in 8 years. Also, it was the first car that I did not replace the stereo, although it was a pretty good stereo for a factory.
On March 31, 2016 Tesla starting taking deposits for their new and cheaper all electric car. I stood in line that day to put down my deposit.
I decided at 270,000 miles that I should replace the Malibu. I wasn't sure how it would do if I kept driving it until my Tesla was made, so I bought a Subaru.
'04 Ford Ranger - 2013
I had a dilemma... I had a lot of things I needed to do to the house. Hauling wood and dirt in the Malibu was not a good option. On top of this, my youngest son was turning 16 soon. I decided to buy a truck for my projects, then when the time came, Erik could use it for driving to school and eventually work.
I contacted Rick. He is a guy that was dating a friend of mine and worked at Phil Long Ford. I asked him to be on the look out for a used truck that wouldn't cost much, but was in decent shape. A week later he called me with one. He warned me that the 4 wheel drive was out, but other than that it ran really good. I usually hate buying from used car dealerships, but he was being up front with me, and said that due to the 4WD problem they would usually sell it off to a wholesaler. He said they would sell it to me at the wholesale price. It was a very fair deal.
I got my projects done and taught my son to drive a stick in this thing. Then it started showing its age. The clutch was needing to be fixed, so I also had my shop diagnose the 4WD issue. They said the transfer case was shot. I asked them to find a used transfer case. It is now pretty solid. We keep having issues, but fixing these things are easier and cheaper than buying my son a new vehicle.
We still have the truck, and Erik has it up at college. I doubt I will ever buy a Ranger again, but it hasn't been a terrible experience. Erik is tired of all the minor issues that come up, but its a good vehicle for him to learn things on. They are relatively easy to work on.
'16 Subaru Crosstrek - 2016
My sister had retired from GM, I had a final family discount I could use, but the only car GM was making that I cared anything about was the Volt. I had been following the development and news about the Volt for years. I was trying to use my family discount to get one, but apparently GM wasn't allowing it. This pissed me off, so I went to my Consumer Reports Buyer's Guide and looked up their ratings on small SUVs. The Crosstrek was at the top of their list, and the bonus was that it was cheaper than any other in its class. I then researched resale value, and saw that the Subarus, and specifically Crosstreks hold onto their value very well. I put a list of 3 compact SUVs on a list to test drive. This included the Subaru Crosstrek, Chevy Trax, and Honda HR-V.
None of these 3 cars has spectacular speed. I thought the HR-V was too noisy, and the Trax was ok, but I didn't see it holding its value. Chevy's never really do. The Crosstrek was a nicely equipped car. I have been really happy with it. Now it's it time to sell it, because I have taken possession of my Tesla.
'18 Tesla Model 3 - Dual Motor - 2018
The name sake of this blog is finally here, and the rest of this blog will be about the experiences of ordering and enjoying this vehicle (knock on wood).
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