Nine for Random Chatter, doomed to die

[Marduk]

Wow, you just named three of the most expensive places to have anything done. I personally would never go to any of those places.

[Dragon Lady]

Wow, you just named three of the most expensive places to have anything done. I personally would never go to any of those places.

Well, we're filthy rich, why shouldn't we pay the big bucks? </sarcasm> As for the dealership, I didn't actually intend to take it there. They actually told me to take it somewhere else and I wrote it all down on a post it and forgot it for months. I found it again and decided to get it taken care of, so I just called the number on the post it, got the part ordered set up the appt, realized I had no idea who I was even working with, so I asked for directions and the directions took me to the dealership. Oops. Oh well. Jiffy Lube we use off and on, largely because it's close and thus convenient. Big O Tires is largely the same. It's close and convenient. Like, I could walk there without batting an eye. And they knocked several hundred dollars off the estimate for my car repairs (compared to the dealer's) so if you know someone who can replace CV valves and maybe even an axle for cheaper, I'd be happy to hear it. Or replace tires for that matter. Cuz I'm really not excited about spending several hundreds of dollars more. Especially as we just spent a few hundred. And our car savings is quickly dwindling. Which is a shame, cuz we'd much rather use it to save up for a new car in the future. Not spend it all on our old cars now.

As for Yellow's car, we actually took it to a nice little ma and pa shop that had been recommended to us, but they didn't do exhaust. So they referred us somewhere else and we went there.

Yellow and I just aren't car folk. We know about as much about how a car runs as my parents do about how a computer works. We know enough to know that when we turn it on, we can drive. And certain sounds should be checked out. Which means we're at the mercy of the car folk. Which means we're sure we pay too much here and there. But we're ok with paying people for what they are experts in. But we don't know enough to know who is good and who will rip us off. So if we get referred by someone we trust to a ma and pa shop, we'll do it. Otherwise, we'll go name brand.

And for what it's worth, I've had some excellent interaction with dealers. Though, that was largely Saturn. I'm so sad that they're gone, because I would have given them my business for life, based solely on the experiences I had with them in the past.

[Marduk]

Dealers will give you great service, great repairs, and an exhorbitant price tag. If you're having exhaust issues, like a catalytic converter going bad, the best place in this area is called JR's Custom Muffler and Brake, and it is just west of the freeway on 4th south in Orem. They will come in hundreds less than anyone else, and the work is just fine. For tires, Sam's Club is actually the cheapest you'll find, and they stock good tires. The main way to determine the quality of a tire is by the mileage rating, and tires are pro-rated, meaning a 60,000 mile tire that gets replaced at 30,000 miles will have half covered by the warranty. Sam's usually only has 60,000 plus, and they are usually 15-20$ cheaper than a 40,000 rated tire elsewhere, so on a set of 4, expect to spend 60-80$ less.

Big O Tires is moderately expensive, but moreso than that is that they'll constantly try to upsell you, which irritates me significantly. If you're looking for a CV joint (which is what I'm guessing you meant by CV valve) I'd check Harman's Certified Collision. It is just up the road from JR's, on the other side of the road. It is a collision repair place, but he's done CV joints for me in the past, for a very reasonable price. He also runs the shop himself, and only has one other woman there who occasionally helps out with phones and such, so overhead isn't much (which means he can afford to be cheap!)

Lessee, I think that's all you asked me about, but that should be good. Working for pizza delivery places, with a bunch of people needing a bunch of repairs off and on, plus talking to the people at these shops as well as comparative shopping will actually get you a long way in knowing who is good, and who has good prices, and who has both.

Edited because I'm terrible at remembering names. I got them mostly right, but had to go back and look up the exact name.

[Dragon Lady]

Heh. Well, we got it all taken care of today, before you replied, so oh well for now. But next time we need repairs, I'll certainly ask for advice. For what it's worth, we got our exhaust fixed at Rick's Muffler just north of Macey's in Orem. He was very nice. I can't tell you much about if it was a good price or not, because, well, I have no idea what's a good price.

Thanks for the help, though!

[Marduk]

Out of curiosity, what was wrong with the exhaust?

[Dragon Lady]

Out of curiosity, what was wrong with the exhaust?

It had a leak. As in, I watched the guy poke a hole in my exhaust by touching it with his finger. It was pretty bad. I guess that's what we get for owning a refurbished car. (I will never buy a refurbished car. (I didn't buy this one. Yellow had it when we got married.) So not worth it.)

[Laser Jock]

It had a leak. As in, I watched the guy poke a hole in my exhaust by touching it with his finger. It was pretty bad. I guess that's what we get for owning a refurbished car. (I will never buy a refurbished car. (I didn't buy this one. Yellow had it when we got married.) So not worth it.)

So you'd rather buy a new car and watch thousands of dollars go down the drain in depreciation? (Or was this just a complaint about refurbished cars in general? On that note, I don't even know what a "refurbished" car is: that's not a term I've ever heard applied to cars before...)

[Marduk]

I'm guessing she may mean "salvaged." For those who don't know, when a car is in an accident and the damages exceed the value of the car, the insurance company will total the car, essentially buying it and giving the value of the car to the client. They then take the car, and either scrap it for parts, or sometimes sell it to a third party who will then perform all necessary repairs and then sell the car again. However, since it has already been totalled, the title must now identify the vehicle as a "salvage." Salvaged cars are a crap shoot; and often have problems unrelated to their original accident, since such a huge accident is very traumatic damage that affects a lot of the car. However, they aren't always bad. The car I drive now is a salvaged title, but it was hit from behind, and I haven't had any more issues than normal with it.

[thebigcheese]

We bought a car this weekend! It's a 2007 Honda CR-V. My husband was insisting that we get something with all-wheel drive, and I was insisting that we get a small SUV. So that was our car of choice.

[Dragon Lady]

I'm guessing she may mean "salvaged."

Right again. Told you I'm no good with cars.

[NerdGirl]

We bought a car this weekend! It's a 2007 Honda CR-V. My husband was insisting that we get something with all-wheel drive, and I was insisting that we get a small SUV. So that was our car of choice.

My parents bought a Honda CR-V last fall, and it's a great car! Much better on icy roads than their old Honda Civic is.

[krebscout]

All of my sisters, my mother, and one of my sisters-in-law came to visit this weekend, and it was amazing. I really like my family, guys.

[Whistler]

awesome!

[Whistler]

um I got some of those shoes that are like foot-gloves... and I know they are kind of dorky... but I like them?

[Imogen]

i got a thing in the mail today from the nissan dealership saying i could trade in my car for a new car...i didn't quite understand it, but since i HATE my car, i may look into it.

[Marduk]

Why does Bob hate playing Miles Bones with me? She says that she will "never, never, never, never play with (me) again." Sheesh. Just because the last round was 3200 to 0.

[thebigcheese]

Miles Bones? Is that like...Mille Bornes?

[Marduk]

Yeah, just in English.

[Dead Cat]

Yeah, just in English.

If you're going to translate everything into English, you might as well say you love the Italian composer, Joe Green.

[bobtheenchantedone]

He always says Miles Bones no matter what I tell him.

Also, he won the last round with something more like 2700 to 25. He claims I cheated to get the 25 and deprive him of easy win points. In actuality, he was just unobservant.