Sidelining the 31-year-old Trooper Orphan

[BonzaiDuck]

Time has come today! [Time! Time! tik . . . tok]

"Check Transmission" light went on when I started the car on Friday, stayed on, then went off and I drove away normally. Saturday -- nothing -- no indications. Sunday, I get about two blocks down the hill and it starts flashing. Pulled off the road -- it went off -- then came on again briefly and then off again.

Consulted the Owner's Manual. "You can drive it in 'Manual Mode' [using the shifter] but don't drive extensively" thus avoiding damage to the transmission. There's a suggestion to take it in for "service" . . . or "maintenance" -- whatever.

When I delivered the vehicle to the shop, driving it out of my garage and across town, the light never came on, the tranny was working smoothly.

The repair shop and its owner inspire confidence, even for that old GMC tranny which has served for 90,000 miles since a replacement in 2004. I really expected to get more from it, and there may still be hope. But the repair-shop owner -- as I said -- has no misgivings.

So -- you say -- why not just junk it? It's a "sunk cost" problem which I let fester. Over the last four or five years, if something needed fixing, I had it fixed. No different here.

I'd been planning to acquire a newer vehicle. I'd already made plans with my bank and investment advisor to get pre-qualified for a car loan. I planned on moving $30,000 from my investment portfolio, half of which was earnings over the last 14 months. Put in the orders, and that's all done now -- on both counts.

I'm going for a test-drive Saturday in a RAV4 Hybrid at the Toyota dealership. But I don't like the way they do things. You HAVE to use Toyota Financial Services to get their "speshul Dee-ul". With their interest rate at least 1 to 1.5 points higher than my bank's. They don't include the sales tax in their calculations -- a matter of about $3,000. CARMAX, on the other hand, puts it all together for you. Well, CARMAX is right across the street from Toyota, so . . . there . . .

Meanwhile, I'm going stir-crazy without wheels, stranded at home (mostly) -- my cousin is getting my groceries or ferrying me to the dealership this weekend. This will test my patience and endurance.

I figure the best strategy is to wait until the Trooper comes back. Maybe make my Turkey Day visit to my Bro near Reno. Maybe even RENT a car to make that trip. And -- take my freaking time on this business.

Thoughts anyone? I'm just going to keep the old Trooper as a backup ride. Why not?

 

[sdifox]

 

[Fenixgoon]

Zero. Know the numbers up front. What your budget is, the cost of the vehicle (including taxes), down payments, financing, monthly payments, and total interest paid over the life of the loan. You can calculate all that before you ever set foot in a dealership. And don't budge from it unless there's a really good reason to. I got a base model Mach-E and that's fine. Would i like all the fancy upgrades and stuff? Sure! Am I willing to pay another 20k for it all? Hell no.
Also, I was originally looking at used Mach-Es for 25k (generally 2021-2022 years) but when a brand new Mach-E showed up at 32k I was willing to go outside my initial budget. The life cycle improvements and warranty were worth the extra money for me.

One, you can negotiate on the price of the car, including taxes and fees. Don't want to pay the taxes? Say so. They of course don't want to eat that cost, but it's a negotiation. Worst they can do is say no.

Two, ask them to match the interest rate of your bank. They will likely do so to earn your business. financing with them is extra money for them (versus outside financing).

Three, end of month or other special seasons always helps on negotiations. Don't forget to consider competing offers from other Toyota dealers and dealers of competing models.

Four, I will shill for EVs in general and the Mustang Mach-E specifically, but understand if you're not ready to make the jump

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Zero. Know the numbers up front. What your budget is, the cost of the vehicle (including taxes), down payments, financing, monthly payments, and total interest paid over the life of the loan. You can calculate all that before you ever set foot in a dealership. And don't budge from it unless there's a really good reason to. I got a base model Mach-E and that's fine. Would i like all the fancy upgrades and stuff? Sure! Am I willing to pay another 20k for it all? Hell no.
Also, I was originally looking at used Mach-Es for 25k (generally 2021-2022 years) but when a brand new Mach-E showed up at 32k I was willing to go outside my initial budget. The life cycle improvements and warranty were worth the extra money for me.

One, you can negotiate on the price of the car, including taxes and fees. Don't want to pay the taxes? Say so. They of course don't want to eat that cost, but it's a negotiation. Worst they can do is say no.

Two, ask them to match the interest rate of your bank. They will likely do so to earn your business. financing with them is extra money for them (versus outside financing).

Three, end of month or other special seasons always helps on negotiations. Don't forget to consider competing offers from other Toyota dealers and dealers of competing models.

Four, I will shill for EVs in general and the Mustang Mach-E specifically, but understand if you're not ready to make the jump

I could seem dismissive to say that I'm "on top of the numbers", but I truly appreciate your post here. You've addressed all or most of the essential issues in my mind about it.

On "four", I actually had my eye on the first Mach-E when it was released. I think a base model at that time was MSRP-ed at $40K.

I always saw this as investment decisions during a time of technological rollover. Why did I hang on to an old orphaned Trooper for so long, besides an affection that grew? My friends are asking why I don't buy a recent-year Nissan Pathfinder -- offering the room and similar features as the old 95 Trooper. But that's still an ICE vehicle, and the gas-mileage -- while good for that class of vehicle -- is not much of a selling point.

A BEV or EV would likely require me to invest in garage electrical hardware. How long must the vehicle charge when I need to refresh it on a 400+ mile road-trip to Reno, and then back again?

So I incline toward the Hybrid drive-train option. Of course, returning to the investment-under-rollover perspective, yes -- BEV is a jump too far. The Hybrid is an investment with limited life and return, so not the optimal long-run choice, either.

Three -- this is the beginning of the buyer's season, when dealers and sellers want to get rid of excess inventory. For this, I can wait and investigate through end of the year, but I should probably settle on a purchase before end January.

Two -- good point with that, and I will attempt to exploit it. My underlying strategy in financial matters is to avoid interest and avoid debt with monthly payment obligations. I think the prospective automobile purchase will be an exception. I keep an Excel spreadsheet of a month-by-month annual budget, with row and column totals and a calculator that feeds certain rows with expected portfolio investment returns and other income sources, like my cousin-housemate's shared utility subsidy. Some things are "permanent" income like my retirement and social security, while the cousin may be transitory. But the bottom line is the surplus that I can save each month, as well as expenses which can be cut within the same lifestyle.

So under these circumstances and considerations, and given the gasoline savings which I've estimated carefully, I can handle a $400 car loan without feeling "pinched". And any time I feel like it, I can simply draw more money from the portfolio and pay it off. Or better, I can simply draw off the monthly portfolio earnings to buttress the monthly car mortgage.

and One -- thank you -- good idea about negotiating on the taxes and miscellaneous.

Now I can see that I don't need to abjure the Toyota dealership, having at least politely cultivated the sales rep I've spoken to. I actually want to return half the draw I made to the investment portfolio. I've got a Sweep Account savings as a backup -- also half what I pulled out the other day. I want to keep as much as I can if I can handle the monthly payment on the financed portion.

Ideally, the best outcome as it unfolds would be the Trooper's return to me in tip-top shape. I can easily cover the repair cost with regular bank-account savings deposit after using a credit card -- as I usually do -- by early in the next month. Then I can shop around calmly. You know, I could live without a car when I was working in the DC Metro Area, even for living in a VA suburb -- at one point, my home was three blocks from the Courthouse Road Metro station. But HERE?! In So-Cal!? No subway. No Amtrak nearby. I have to investigate the bus service and senior dial-a-ride, but the bus service cannot compare to the DC area. And I have to download the Uber and Lyft apps, and then get familiar.

Why did I sell my housemate-cousin my old hard-body truck? I should have clung to it. Damn . . . At least there's food in the freezer and canned goods in the pantry. Prescriptions filled. Amazon delivers . . .

 

[Ken g6]

A BEV or EV would likely require me to invest in garage electrical hardware.

Not necessarily. If you drive less than about 40 miles per day most days, you can just plug into any (decent) three-prong outlet. (The other days you can find a DC fast charger, and CA has the most in the US, I think.) If you have a dryer outlet in the garage you can probably use that instead. And it looks like CA has a $2000 discount on installing a charger if you want to do that.

How long must the vehicle charge when I need to refresh it on a 400+ mile road-trip to Reno, and then back again?

Depends on the vehicle, but a decent estimate is 5 charging stops (2 on the way, 1 there, 2 on the way back) for 30-40 minutes each. Edit: Here's a map of chargers:

PlugShare - EV Charging Station Map - Find a place to charge

Find EV charging stations with PlugShare, the most complete map of electric vehicle charging stations in the world!Charging tips reviews and photos from the EV community.

www.plugshare.com

offering the room and similar features as the old 95 Trooper.

If you're specifically looking for a reasonably priced 3-row SUV, you probably want a Kia EV9. Kias and Hyundais charge faster than average, on faster DC chargers.

Other non-3-row options that come to mind are the Tesla Model Y (there is a 3-row version but it's the same size as the 2-row, so avoid it), Kia EV6, maybe Hyundai Ioniq 5 on the small end, or Ford F-150 Lightning on the large end. There's also Rivian on the unaffordable end, and several affordable smaller vehicles.

Edit2: I forgot the Chevy Equinox. Really low price, probably a nice size.

Four, I will shill for EVs in general and the Mustang Mach-E specifically

Yeah, I guess there's the Mach-E too.

I should probably settle on a purchase before end January.

You're too late for federal EV incentives, but your state has some. The ones in Colorado expire or reduce at the end of the year; I'm not sure about CA.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

You are being very helpful. Introducing the other vehicles into my search would extend the search time.

I was just corresponding with some of the 78-ish elders such as myself who are still driving 20 to 25-year-old ICE vehicles. They aren't in any hurry -- a 2001 Nissan Xterra, a 2001 Ford F150, a 2004 Acura MDX, a 2007 Mercedes Benz -- several others. One of my contemporaries had a Prius since maybe 2010 and replaced it with a Hybrid Corolla two years ago.

On the matter of numbers, I've done some work with my 1-year, 12-column spreadsheet, and it seems -- at the moment -- that I could let go of $30,000 in cash while financing another $15,000. I might be able to raise the latter figure by $5K and lower the cash accordingly. The spreadsheet doesn't currently figure the gasoline savings, and I hadn't put in those numbers yet -- so there's more wiggle room left.

Of course, if I really wanted to be thoughtless I could drop $50,000 in any vehicle I like if I could insure it, but I like to see those portfolio earnings roll in with monthly gains between $600 and $1,000. I don't spend that money. I also attempt to save money out of my monthly pension.

I think my biggest mistake was waiting too long or failing to implement belt-tightening discipline for the last 10 years to simply replace this old vehicle of 31 years before it ever got that far. It really caught me by surprise: 5 years ago, I just said "25 years -- pretty good" and didn't count the subsequent years. As a backup ride, it's fine, but I'd best get a newer vehicle that I can be happy with. And taking action earlier would've saved me maybe $10,000 in maintenance and repairs -- applicable to a newer vehicle. Yeah -- that much-- and don't say what I think you'll say. My reply will begin "Well -- it's all about stocks and flows! Stocks and flows!" Most other people want a level of "stock" at the end which will flow back into their pockets or roll over with a trade-in.

Another contemporary had been driving a Dodge Colt for maybe 30 years, and purchased a 2017 Corolla. But I want to avoid that level of "economy". His Corolla has an ICE. He thinks it will last without trouble until he's ready to punch his ticket into the next world.

But the main requirement before me is to just have the old car running again before I make any deals. Otherwise, I could rent, I could Uber, I could Lyft, but I want to get around to the dealerships on my own power.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

There is one issue, however, with some of the EVs. The annual insurance premiums can kill ya.

Did I hear $4,000 or $5,000 annually for a TESLA?!

 

[BonzaiDuck]

A JOURNAL ENTRY

Today I went for a test drive in a 2025 RAV4 Hybrid LE. The Toyota sales rep quoted me a price south of $37,000. I'm going to consider a prior year low-miles vehicle described by the sales rep, but the 2025 seems "do-able". Looking at my Excel "LOAN TRACKER" calculator, inputted with 5.5% bank interest and principal of $20,000, I can easily handle the car payments and shoulder the remaining amount.

Then I took a look at the registration, tax, tags and insurance. This still seems possible without much trouble -- and after all, the sales tax is a one-time charge. I have the annual insurance premium estimate from my insurer based on 2024 RAV4 Hybrid, so I cannot imagine much of a difference for the 2025 model year.

Even so, adding in all the particulars, and considering my 12-column budget spreadsheet, it starts to squeeze just a wee bit. I'm not a tech employee on full salary. I'm a federal retiree who took an early-out. It just looks very feasible without too much discomfort, and as I said -- I haven't yet factored in a reduction in gasoline expense. But the Hybrid boasts a "city" driving MPG of 41. This is more than three times my Trooper's City MPG, so conversely I'd expect a 2/3 reduction in monthly gasoline outlays -- in my case, maybe $135/month.

I was impressed with the car in the test drive. But this is all a bit stressful. I'm going to continue reviewing and tweaking the numbers.

 

[Ken g6]

OK, hybrids. Have you considered a Ford Maverick? Two rows of seating plus lots of storage in the bed, and thousands cheaper than a RAV4. If it needs to be dry or locked you can get a bed cover. If they had ever made a plug-in hybrid version I'm sure I'd own one now, but they didn't.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

With how few miles you drive annually - why are you looking at hybrids?

Pretty sure we had this discussion in another of your posts.

I would buy a CPO off lease Honda Ridgeline: $30K for a RTL -

Autotrader - page unavailable

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Ken and Detroit -- thank you.

I just ran a query on Ford Mavericks, and see that it is a truck. My aversion to trucks gives the reason why I'm without wheels at the moment: I had a Nissan truck as a backup ride and my cousin asked me to sell it to her -- which I did when I had no transportation worries. I should've kept my backup ride, even if I don't like how pickups handle. She got a good deal, I can say that!

Low annual mileage and hybrids. Certainly I wouldn't have a hybrid advantage during my trips up to Nevada to visit my brother on holidays. It's a straight shot up US 395 at an average 70 mph.

I was thinking about my city driving, and how I would get 41 mpg with the RAV4 hybrid. I currently get about 12 mpg with the old Trooper. But we're also talking about a difference of $5,000 in the vehicle price. So I am indeed reconsidering my hybrid ambition. Even so, only the hybrid comes stock with AWD. Am I spoiled? Do I want too much? For the ICE RAV4 option, it seems like a city mileage difference between 27 and 41 is significant, but 27 is more than double what I get at the moment. On the other hand, if I forego the hybrid, only the upper-tier ICE models offer any AWD, and the prices coincide with the hybrid option.

RIGHT NOW . . . the biggest discomfort comes from LACK OF MOBILITY. I can get my cousin to take me here and there, but without unlimited frequency. I meet for lunch with a bedbound friend and our retired high-school classmate, and so Tuesday he's coming to pick me up and then return me home.

My mind inflates infrequent or unfamiliar troubles into stress and worry, which -- my cousin reminds me -- are killers. My repair-shop owner inspires my confidence in my current dilemma. I began to worry about the length of time to troubleshoot and repair or the expense.

My brother told me the other day I could probably just take the "worst-case" repair dollars, buy another used car, and resolve my problem for now. But it would be better -- sunk-cost issue not withstanding -- to consider the repair on the Trooper as "another used car" because I KNOW what's been done to it in more recent times. Helluva lot better than buying somebody else's beater.

OK. So there's a web-site named "Planet Isuzoo" frequented by Trooper owners . This issue with the "Check Transmission" light has been thoroughly discussed -- there are additional links within the one I've linked here. There are all sorts of reasons for the idiot light indication. So if my shop-owner inspires confidence as he does, I'm darn sure he and his techs know about all of them. I should not be so despondent. There is a big chance that the idiot light issue will not need a major rebuild or replacement.

I've also just now looked at the Toyota bZ. Every time I look at EVs and the charging issue, it doesn't inspire me.

If I can limit my anxiety and remain patient, I can also eventually drive around to other dealerships and look at other options.

In general, I need to convince myself that a large cash outlay from my portfolio doesn't leave me penniless. At worst, it would be about 16% of the assets. I had been planning for this eventuality all along. And basically, I never touch the portfolio otherwise -- I treat the annual earnings from it as pure savings, only to be tapped sparingly in real emergencies.

It may well be that I could forego carrying the 5.5% bank auto loan, so the only thing I need to worry about is the increase in annual insurance premium. Then -- just go forward with my life and worry a lot less.

But being old sucks, and the pain-in-the-ass of maintaining an old vehicle also sucks a little bit. It's also worse when an old guy aware of American history sees the work of both the Roosevelts torn down and replaced by a garish ballroom. That's just a symbol for all the other heinous shit. But we're talking about worry added to worry -- not "Politics and News". Worrying makes me nauseous. Anyway, I've created this TLTR post, probably to relieve stress.

 

[Fenixgoon]

There is one issue, however, with some of the EVs. The annual insurance premiums can kill ya.

Did I hear $4,000 or $5,000 annually for a TESLA?!

thats wild. my mach-e is 150/mo for full coverage

 

[Fenixgoon]

what about a lightly used vehicle for < $30k? you miss the major depreciation, and don't have to finance anything.

 

[Hans Gruber]

Here are your best options. All used and they could be 20 years old for all I care. A Lexus RX-300 old or RX-350, a bit newer. Any Acura MDX. Newer stuff Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4. I would even the Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot as larger SUV's.

I would recommend a mid 2000's RX-300 or RX-350.

 

[thedarkwolf]

thats wild. my mach-e is 150/mo for full coverage

I checked when I was looking and any Tesla was double or more compared to my old 13 ford focus, and EV6 was $100 more a year. I bought an EV6.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

A friend in Oceanside with his wife had a 2007 Hyundai Tucson. I'd ridden in it several times, the paint was unmarred and not oxidized, and interior clean. Of course, that's an 18-year-old ride, and they took $1,000 in trade-in value to buy a 2024 Kia Sportage gas-engine for $20,000. They DID get AWD with that.

When the Trooper comes back -- and it will -- I can either exercise pent-up-demand behavior, or take more time to finalize a choice.

My brother doesn't advise buying a BEV. But he is now on board with a Hybrid or even PHEV when he had previously leaned toward exclusively ICE. He also inclines toward AWD, even as my domicile is in So Cal, and I had agreed with that all along. I may continue to consider BEV, but without great enthusiasm at this time.

Back to the RAV4 Hybrid LE -- particularly 2025 models but the 2024 vehicles may have the same or similar paint codes. A real stunner is "Ruby Flare Pearl". Next to that and just a bit brighter and sparkly compared to my 95 Trooper's Bronze Blue Pearl is the "Blueprint". After that, the Magnetic Gray Metallic doesn't inspire a lot of attention, which may be a positive feature. Certainly the Ruby red attracts too much attention from either prospective thieves or the CHP and Sheriff Buford. The Gray is low profile, but I certainly like that Blueprint.

Again, the BEV versus Hybrid choice is still subject to the classic capital budgeting analysis and speculated technical and market lifespan in a comparison to Hybrid. I'm just not sure about that comparison, but logically I might think it better to abjure gasoline altogether. Could I get a good trade-in on an EV, or when would I still be able to do it? There's a question.

 

[Fenixgoon]

What do you like about AWD? It adds cost, weight, complexity, and is a drag on efficiency (no matter if it's gas, electric, or hybrid). If it's a non-negotiable that's fine, but you might find more vehicles and more budget friendly options if you forgo it

 

[BonzaiDuck]

What do you like about AWD? It adds cost, weight, complexity, and is a drag on efficiency (no matter if it's gas, electric, or hybrid). If it's a non-negotiable that's fine, but you might find more vehicles and more budget friendly options if you forgo it

I had 4WD with the Trooper but only seldom had to use it. But when it came to keeping it operable, I justified the repair work as a feature I could use with bad weather between Bishop or Lee Vining and the Nevada border or getting to Gardnerville. I carry what we used to call "chains" but they are cables.

My friends in Oceanside got their 2024 Sportage with AWD from AVIS Rental Cars and for $20K.

I've had correspondence in the last two days with my investment advisor. If I spend $35,000 on a 2025 vehicle, the damage to my investment portfolio is not serious. I'd be moving "value" from the portfolio and putting it into the vehicle. With two cars, my maintenance expense would actually plummet. If the Trooper backup ride needed anything more serious than $500 per year, I could let it sit in the garage until I felt like having it fixed. The insurance premium average for a multi-vehicle policy cross-subsidizes and lowers what I would spend in the new vehicle alone.

Tapping the portfolio for the entire vehicle expense still gives me a 6% return that's only 25% less than previous, but -- also noted by the advisor -- I don't spend any of that money. I don't spend any of the monthly or annual investment returns. The EARNINGS are there to accumulate for emergencies or serious house repairs. Yet -- I'm still saving money from my pension and Social Security deposits.

So I don't need to worry so much whether I spend $20,000 or $35,000 on a newer vehicle. I just have a habit of fine-tuning calculations at the margins. I pinched pennies all my life, denying myself extras thinking it prudent.

 

[sdifox]

dude, don't plan to drive another 20 years. you have maybe 10 years of driving left. Beyond that just get driven.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

dude, don't plan to drive another 20 years. you have maybe 10 years of driving left. Beyond that just get driven.

Yes -- I agree -- it complicates the decision. And it's also the same about my financial resources -- my friend and dentist advised to just "spend all of it". My sense of prudence dictates otherwise.

The best I can say about all of this is that I should probably indulge myself in certain limited ways and just move forward. And when I get the Trooper back -- this or next week, I think -- I have more time to reconsider, investigate and act.

Scary, though. I'm hoping that with more regular exercise, I can stave off the inevitable. I met a Ukrainian-American in his 90s who still drives his car. But I also need to be realistic. I just don't want to live under chronic panic in face of the inevitable.

 

[sdifox]

Yes -- I agree -- it complicates the decision. And it's also the same about my financial resources -- my friend and dentist advised to just "spend all of it". My sense of prudence dictates otherwise.

The best I can say about all of this is that I should probably indulge myself in certain limited ways and just move forward. And when I get the Trooper back -- this or next week, I think -- I have more time to reconsider, investigate and act.

Scary, though. I'm hoping that with more regular exercise, I can stave off the inevitable. I met a Ukrainian-American in his 90s who still drives his car. But I also need to be realistic. I just don't want to live under chronic panic in face of the inevitable.

this says drivers over 70 have second highest accident rate, just behind young male drivers. I personally think they should lose their licence, but the government should provide shuttle service that can be scheduled easily and conveniently as an alternative.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/for-seniors-losing-driver-s-licence-like-having-arm-cut-off-1.1346585

 

[BonzaiDuck]

this says drivers over 70 have second highest accident rate, just behind young male drivers. I personally think they should lose their licence, but the government should provide shuttle service that can be scheduled easily and conveniently as an alternative.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/for-seniors-losing-driver-s-licence-like-having-arm-cut-off-1.1346585

I have a good driving record, although I can understand, for some, what you are saying. In California, they've recently loosened the written test requirement for license renewal, provided the driving record is a good one. But it's a conflict between a one-size-fits-all requirement, and the different capabilities of aging citizens.

I agree with the article as it describes the impact of losing a license from a senior citizen's point of view. My idea was that I'd be able to anticipate any such changes and fold them into my eldercare plans. I'm fine, for now, but just thinking about this stuff increases my underlying anxiety on the given day.

We're all going to die. The worst thing we face is a prospect of being unable to care for ourselves, and part of that involves mobility.

However, despite your very reasonable observations, just about everyone including my financial advisor at Merrill say that I "deserve" the new or newer vehicle. I mildly agree with that, myself.

Recently I made an effort to visit my county's "Office For Aging" to get a jump on this and the related issues. They did an assessment of my health, asking about my current driving experience. They were supposed to get back to me to answer my other questions a month ago, but they haven't done so, probably because they think it's not my time yet. I just wanted to get a head start, ya see . . .

 

[BonzaiDuck]

That linked article featuring Peggy Ellison is really depressing, but at least I'm not there yet. 3 more years until license renewal. Eyesight is still holding up well -- may not need a new eyeglass prescription this year. I don't have problems remembering where I am or navigating the streets.

Friend of mine was discussing his now-departed Moms today, recounting how they had to take her car-keys away. She was 90-something. My sister-in-law told me about her own Moms, who has Parkinsons now. She stopped driving a couple years ago, as it became physically difficult for her. She's 94.

Right now, I don't want to think about this stuff. Did I say that CBC article was depressing? It was Effing Depressing! I'm going for my walk on the hill in another hour. I received news about the Trooper: the damage won't be that bad -- the wallet damage. It won't come back until next week, though. I'm postponing my holiday visit to see my Bro and his wife, and we're going to do it for Christmas instead.

Old age sucks, but we -- I -- still have something left.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

There's an end to all of this. I was going to be stranded at home until maybe next Thursday. Then the rep at the dealership called today, and I said to myself "F*** it!" And I said to him "Seal the Deal on Saturday Noon".

Everything looks good on paper. By "paper" I mean my Excel spreadsheet. Nothing really changes. My investment portfolio shrinks by 20%, but that's not a catastrophe.

This should FREAKING end my stressed-out car crisis. Damn . . .

 

[NutBucket]

this says drivers over 70 have second highest accident rate, just behind young male drivers. I personally think they should lose their licence, but the government should provide shuttle service that can be scheduled easily and conveniently as an alternative.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/for-seniors-losing-driver-s-licence-like-having-arm-cut-off-1.1346585

I don't doubt that. My folks are both over 70 and both continue to drive. I figure if the cars aren't beat up it's probably fine. I can only imagine what it would be like to lose your "mobility".