OASIS FORUM Post by the Golden Rule. GoldTent Oasis is not responsible for content or accuracy of posts. DYODD.

This is exactly what my van looks like except the custom wheels, mine are original rally wheels. I don’t have side pipes either. I have side and rear door class. Plush interior with removable rear bed for work or play. The Astro is 111″ W/B but can’t accept a 4X8 foot sheets of plywood. My 110″ DOES. They went backwards with the Astro, but were probably trying to make a gas saver van.

I would be HAPPY to spend $40,000 for a new one like this. Mine has 210,000 on it and she runs smooth a sewing machine. Seven feet high and seven feet wide but short and fun and easy to drive. Great visibility too. We used to go into NYC, Manhattan and park in tight spaces. Have lunch and or rest in the van.

Take the wife shopping? I’d go in the back and take a nap. Since 1969 even at work. I had a ’77 before the ’89. Real cozy inside. Especially on a rainy day. You fall asleep in a minute.

That’s a lot to digest for a non mechanic. I speak Latin but not Greek.
When we drove the prior models we get used to them and with time ” fixing them” we at least know what it was we were fixing and sometimes even fixing it ourselves. The other problem with the econo van was that when big trucks went by or a lot of wind it was as like driving a boat is moved and had to keep it steady. Big trucks I passed it was like the truck was trying to suck the van under it. It didn’t have stabilizers in it.
Now I have a three seater so can convert for travel if I want. I mean three rows.
One thing about newer cars is they handle better than the older cars.
The warrantee isn’t insurance no extra costs. You might be right on the amount of time they take to fix it so asked about options and said I can take it to any mechanic but if I take it to one outside there’s I’ll have to pay a 100 deductible. On warentees you have to watch the deductible that’s where they can get you. I know one nurse who bought a used Toyota Pris electric and the battery went out. These batteries are mucho expensive. Then she got a mini coupe used and had mucho problems but got pushed by a couple of us to get a warrantee this time, she did and every time she went to get it fixed which was a few times right after she got it she had to pay a 300 deductible. She finally gave them hell and got the next deductible taken off.
If they want to play taking time L have another car anyways.
The sales guy young was tired so took forever he kept having to ask me questions over and over again. Then I was in a hurry after so long I didn’t read the first part it seemed a bit irrevelant but it wasn’t. It was the model I bought.
He put the wrong model. I called him, no answer then asked for his supervisor and they said in a meeting. I’m thinking okay they wanna play it that way. If some reason I don’t pay they will have a hard time getting the model they said they sold me. Lol

The Astro replaced the short bed 110″ wheelbase G-Van  I have. The 4.3 liter will tow 5,000 lbs. I think when people look in their owners manual these days they’ll see 1,200 lbs towing cap. I have seen plenty of 4.3s with 250k miles. Its the 350 cube V-8 with two front cylinders removed. My Chevy has a 305 V-8. I don’t care about 12 mpg. I’m used to that since I was entry level in 1962. Why should I lower my “standard” and save gas?  Because “they” shame me and want me to?

They had rear anti-sway bars. A custom louver behind the windows. A different color striping. A nice looking van. Rare because not many were made and of them very few survived.

http://www.astrosafari.com/viewtopic.php?t=14790#p158034

Did you have to pay for the 10 years insurance? More unneeded spending. Watch out for insurance on repairs. My daughter-in-law had that on her car. The Tranny went, she brings it in and it sat there a long long time. They’ll cover it but not obligated to do it right away. Insurance companies HATE to pay.

I have a fussy mechanic, his scanner was $40,000, and the scanner for components cots him $18,000. The Chevy dealers have better scanners. Any scanner you buy in an auto store for cheap money can’t be that good.

The other mechanic I know, transmissions, recently paid $4,000 for upgrades. Btw transmission rebuilds on those cars are $6,000 and up. Some they can’t rebuild, and have to swap bad ones for factory rebuilt units.

All I’m saying is these cars are fine below 60,000 miles. If you have problems with them later on, paying an American to fix them is very expensive. I have a 2001 GMC Jimmy and my other mechanic had big problems (hours) trying to “bleed the brakes” after changing a hydraulic line.

The effing “computer” would not let him do it, because the ABS lite was on and the fuse removed prior. Even though ABS does not have to work to pass inspection. He had to install a NEW master cylinder to half ass bleed the brakes. I still ended up with a “low pedal” and $600 bill.

Then I went to the other mechanic to install new pads, so the thicker pads would give me a better pedal, more money. Look at all the call backs on new cars these days. They are constantly in a research and development stage.

Cars were perfected by 1970, and after all the new “create more work, more hours” regulations they were still in experimental mode on my “01 GMC.  Perhaps the new 2018s are perfected??? I’ve heard many complaints unhappy customers with new cars.

I had a ford Econoline before. It got me around pretty good and good for camping. I had to get things fixed here or there. I had a good mechanic for it but he kept trying to date me so had to go somewhere else. The gas meter wasn’t working and didn’t like guessing so he took the gas tank off under the car was under with it and had some gas left. He was holding a cigarette while doing it. Good thing I was there. The tank spilled over and gas was spilling. He threw his cigarette and gas was heading straight for it so ran kicked it out of the way then put it out. One thing was dangerous is the inside engine cover didn’t fit tight and knew I was getting affected from it on long trips. Got tired of the fix and Repsir daily thing.
Enjoy your trip sounds like fun

i love chevvy astro vans.  chevvy stopped making them about ten years ago.  i think it was because they didn’t wear out and customers just got one and kept it.  they’re usually good for about a quarter million miles before they start having problems.  ~bad for continuing new car sales.  they are all over craigslist.  i got this one, a ’95 with 120k miles on it a couple years ago for $850.00

seen here last summer at lemhi pass on the montana/idaho state line where lewis and clark first crossed the  continental divide and left u.s. territory.

astros are not glamorous, but they are super dependable.  they have a 4.3 litre vortec engine which is more than it needs most of the time.  this results in it never having to work hard, which makes it last next to forever and give decent fuel economy.

i ripped the back seats out and rigged mine with a bed in the back for long rambling roadtrips.  next up in a couple months, kayaking the rio grande in new mexico.

What gets me is these people who lease cars. For one you got to worry about mileage two if something happens get laid off hurt or sick and can’t work any more and can’t keep up those payments you’ll have no car. Then every few years have to get another one. I suppose it’s okay if you have a option to buy it later at a cheaper price if the cheaper price levels out the money you already spent. Only thing about newer cars and the gadgets is just more to fix if they go haywire. I saw a video once of a check engine light go on and he had one of those gadgets to check what it was to find out the gas door wasn’t closed all the way. He said everyone should have one so you know what it is or some places could take advantage of you. My mechanic probably wouldn’t but it would still cost to find out what it was. You can get them at auto parts stores.

I just bought a new car yesterday haven’t had time to pick it up yet. I thought about all that as far as so much computers but my mechanic has all the upgraded computer things needed so hope they work on these cars. I have a 10 year bumper to bumper warrantee on it so have 10 years not to worry about that anyways. After about 20 years my Toyota Rav seeming to not like going up big long mountains, it will but not as fast as it should and won’t crank it and tear up the engine decided it’s time. Gotta keep up with traffic plus don’t want it breaking down in the mountains where some places can’t even get cell phone service for someone to come get it it’s just time. But a good car so keeping it cuz it’s paid for anyways.

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Appetite For Self-Destruction

The old age home has finally cornered itself with dumbfuck ideas. I suggest there is no way out…

It appears that wave ‘3’ down is beginning, as today was an 88% down day…

It’s all coming together now. The fatal collision between America’s dumbest Ponzinomic ideas all taken to level ’11’ full retard. Amid record fake confidence and over-allocation to risk. Standard Fed policy is to keep hiking until something breaks, and then jump in the time machine and go back a few days. It never seems to work as seamlessly as described…

This is the headline that greeted gamblers this morning. The casino, which is one year overbought (see below), did not take kindly to the news

Here is a better way of looking at the Warren Buffet all-stocks-all-the-time trade:

This is the Tech / bond appetite for destruction ratio. A casino held aloft by a handful of big cap tech names, even as reflation reverses, sucking liquidity out of stocks back into bonds. 

Narrow exit in a crowded theater. Every tick lower in this ratio will mean less liquidity for sellers:

As of yesterday, the market is 15 months overbought, compliments of the turbo FOMO rally

http://ponziworld.blogspot.com

Wow sounds like you have a full plate!

Good luck with the financing. Would be a travesty not to get the funds to finish when you are so close.

Sounds like a good strategy …

“too much electronics” Can’t agree more!

They are way too complicated (on purpose) for even highly experienced mechanics, who are not, and never wanted, to be computer engineers. And you will NEVER see computer engineers working on dirty greasy cars because they like clean work.

Its all welfare to me. The entire green movement. Its all for job creation. Create more HOURS. Create more PARTS. Create more LABOR. More unneeded parts to be made installed and replaced.

Fuel pumps in gas tanks? Mass air flow sensors? NINE SPEED transmission?? On and on. If I’m right about everything in reverse after that crash in ’08 that proved that the past 50 years was a mistake, including environmental welfare jobs, and nit picking car producers for more gas mileage?

A new “peoples car” will be coming out. Cheap, simple and so easy to fix even a “cave man” could do it. In the back yard under a shade tree. Back to the two speed automatic, rubber flooring, crank windows, nothing under the hood that does NOT need to be there.

I would love to by a new car, but it won’t be any better than my 1989 Chevy short bed van. My son won’t own anything newer than 1979. Remember, every time we pay to fix these cars its like another invisible income tax paid on the system. Tricking and screwing the public, making them spend for unneeded things, on TOP of taxes, for decades, resulted in the ’08 crash.

My next truck will be 2nd hand diesel…….giving ’em away soon.

That’s the problem with modern cars, too much electronics…I hate ’em.

Good luck in solving the problem…sounds a nightmare.

Platinum price crashes through $1,000 after German diesel ban

Platinum group metals were the hardest hit on generally weak precious metals markets Tuesday after a German court ruled that cities in Europe’s largest economy and world’s fourth largest automaker have the right to ban diesel cars.

The price of platinum were back in triple digit territory on New York futures markets on Wednesday falling 2% to a low of $983 an ounce. Palladium was also weaker at $1,033 an ounce as it continues to retreat from record highs of $1,138 an ounce hit in January.

“We’re witnessing the creeping death of diesel,” Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany told Bloomberg News.

The technology will still survive in some segments like trucks, but “if you’re a private car buyer, it’s very hard to pick diesel. The insecurity is growing.”

cont. http://www.mining.com/platinum-price-crashes-1000-german-diesel-ban/

Say … how’s the construction going? You getting near done?

Yep. Same old story. Now the SM goes up when the 10 yr rallies and rates dip a bit.

For the last few years the SM went up with rates

Conclusion: the SM goes up no matter what happens, pm’s go nowhere

Teranga Gold Announces Additional High-Grade Gold Results at Golden Hill’s Jackhammer Hill Discovery

https://ceo.ca/@nasdaq/teranga-gold-announces-additional-high-grade-gold-results

Buy a Toyota!

PS Mr. Copper … I’d rather buy a Toyota built in the USA than a Ford built in Mexico.

looking shiite.

Another scumtastic day dawns, as Powells next dollop of bollox is awaited.

James Mc in late with an encore…

Silver leverage ramps up, again

Forgot to mention== I don’t know what to make of this sudden “juice”. With OI still WAY up there extending leverage further makes no sense. And why now, after 7 years of virtual leverage lockdown? Could the cartel be setting themselves up for a run to the upside? If so the Crimex has just made it incredibly easy for them to finance the operation.

scum did a grand job painting Powells appearance….same playbook as ever…..now they have to ram the SM all day to get a great monthly close, while sitting on PM’s.

Silver Hits Key Support Amid Hedge Fund Exodus

Hedge funds cut their long position in silver futures and options for a sixth straight week in the longest string of declines since August 2014.

One more point on TD…the last Co that I knew off, that acted like TD, buying up rivals for the client list, because they can’t get clients any other way, due to their crap service, was MFGlobal.

Which prior to Corzine was run by a total prick called Kevin Davies, who the whole world rightly hated….no-one would trade with him, so he had to buy Co’s for the clients, most of whom he pissed off….then Corzine turned up and of course it all went tits up….it would have anyway even without Corzine, so bad was it’s reputation.