OMG, a car problem so simple it eluded me! by chrisisall

the human body has an amazing ability to adapt to harsh environments... think of this as advancing your "physical toughness"

screw the heater - put the top down!!

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 7:03 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by deadlockvictim:

the human body has an amazing ability to adapt to harsh environments... think of this as advancing your "physical toughness"

Yesterday it was six degrees here, I think I passed my Conan test.

I removed the blower & tightened the leads just to make sure, tested it & re-installed it. It's perfect now. I'm off to a new career as an auto mechanic.

The laughing Chrisisall

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 7:05 AM

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT

A fix Kaylee Frye would be proud of...

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 7:08 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Geezer:
Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
What a moron I've been...

Yes, I can be like that; try not to faint.

The laughing Chrisisall

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 7:09 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by NewOldBrownCoat:
A fix Kaylee Frye would be proud of...

The website I visited just spoke to me

The six months ago Chrisisall

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 7:34 AM

And you never thought to ask me, either ?

In order - Fuse, Connectors (BOTH ends), Switch, Power Supply, Fan unit.

If "percussive maintainence" has a positive effect, it's almost certainly a loose connector or switch.

Be real glad you didn't have to pull the fan unit and replace it, that's a real bitch.

-F

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 8:08 AM

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

Frem: Don't forget "relay" - On Hondas, typically what happens is one or two of the fan settings will quit working; say, it will work fine on "1" and "4" fan speeds, but not on "2" or "3". That's a really, 100% of the time. There's a relay pack attached to the blower unit; replace it (or remove it and resolder the connections on the circuit inside, if you're handy like that. I ain't, so I replace) and you're good to go. If you try replacing the entire blower motor and squirrel-cage, you'll be very sorry you tried it!

And yes, ALWAYS start with the simplest, cheapest stuff first. Take it from someone who learned the espensive way, several times! Eventually, I learned.

Mike

"It is complete now; the hands of time are neatly tied."

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 8:25 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:

Be real glad you didn't have to pull the fan unit and replace it, that's a real bitch.

But I did have to pull it, to see why the connection was not being made properly. Half an hour upside-down ain't so bad...well, yes it is....

The laughing Chrisisall

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 8:35 AM

Relay would be covered by switch/switches, but yeah.

And you think replacing the squirrel cage is a nightmare, try replacing the heater core of a 96 Kia Sportage, given that there is NO manual available from anyone, and that some of the "fasteners" are actually welds, or are of such poor quality that to get it back together is gonna take one holy hell of a lot of improvising - coupled to the fact that you must remove the ENTIRE dash all the way to the firewall including most of the electrical system and wiring harnesses, and you REALLY don't wanna screw up putting it back together as concerns the airbag for some painfully obvious (pun intended) reasons.

And have to get under the hood and remove the whole damn intake system and then somehow replace the hoses with 2" of clearance since they're dead-center behind the main block and you can't even get to it from underneath cause the transmission's in the way.

Seriously, there's auto shops that won't do that one cause it's such a freakin nightmare - and one of the final blowup points with the ex was her continued automatic assumption of mechanical incompetence AFTER I pulled that off perfectly despite inadequate tools, poor light and freezing rain.

Whatever happened to engineering cars so that repair was actually an option ?

I mean, you can swap a bad starter in a Ford Fairmount in six minutes flat with naught more than a box end, pair of pliers and a cardboard box, and Ray's old Mercury Zephyr wasn't any harder.

-Frem

It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 8:39 AM

SICKDUDE

Big mistake, Cisall. You should have waited to fix the heater until June. That way you wouldn't have to be upside for a half-hour in the cold....

"Your gratuitous jello awaits." - Dr. Helen Magnus, Sanctuary

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 8:46 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:

Whatever happened to engineering cars so that repair was actually an option ?

Intricate, time-consuming & costly repairs help drive the economy.

The broke Chrisisall

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 9:28 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:
In order - Fuse, Connectors (BOTH ends), Switch, Power Supply, Fan unit.

Yep. Electric motors rarely break. It's usually the components getting the electricity to them that's the problem. The same goes for computer peripherals. Fiddle with the wires first.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 9:34 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
Yep. Electric motors rarely break.

Any reasonably-priced electric cars on the horizon? she asked wistfully.

---------------------------------
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 9:35 AM

WASHNWEAR

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
Quote:
Originally posted by NewOldBrownCoat:
A fix Kaylee Frye would be proud of...
The website I visited just spoke to me

Good onya! Been there, done that (metaphorically, anyway).

As for Kaylee's opinion, I dunno...she'd likely give you kudos on the fix, but I think maybe she'd also give you cute, folksy shit from here to Persephone about how long it took to catch it.

That's assuming she likes you, of course...

It was like that when we got here!

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 1:33 PM

Quote:
Half an hour upside-down ain't so bad...well, yes it is....

Yeah, but is it torture?

Snarkisall.

Mike

"It is complete now; the hands of time are neatly tied."

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 1:36 PM

Frem, you're a brave soul.

I could never get behind the idea of a Kia just because I always associate the name with the acronym for "Killed In Action". :)

Mike

"It is complete now; the hands of time are neatly tied."

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 1:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kwicko:
Quote:
Half an hour upside-down ain't so bad...well, yes it is....

Yeah, but is it torture?

All things being equal, I'd rather have been in Philadelphia.

The laughing Chrisisall

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 2:55 PM

Mikey, after that incident I honestly wonder if KIA isn't south korean for "sucker" - they're built on the cheap with NO thought towards ever repairing them, and some of the way that's built makes NO sense, like a seperate coil on each plug wire, for example...

I know you couldn't pay me to take one, that's for sure - the only two cars right now in common use I think are decently engineered are Honda and Volkswagen, and the older ones are far better designed cause they're not needlessly overcomplicated.

I wanna get a closeup look at a Smartcar too, but damned if imma pay no $12,000.00 USD for one.

EDIT: The only reason I pulled that repair, btw, since the vehicle is falling to pieces due to the previous owners lack of maintainence is because of it's extreme sentimental value - the coolant system was riddled with cracks, it was leaking oil onto the plugs, the rear hatch is permajammed shut and it's currently leaking transmission fluid.

Oh yeah, and I had to replace the two springs which hold the rear end off the axle, from a wreck so fresh is was still smoking and do it in less than a day with a freakin rusty scissor jack from another car and two adjustable wrenches.

One amusing bit was that this auto salvage company that I bought the springs from was the same place I came back to for a heater core, and the guy sounded like he was being marched to the gallows when he realized that in order to sell it to me... he had to get it out.

My response was don't bitch to me, you only have to pull one, I gotta pull one, install that one and put all that crap back together without making a mess of the interior, so suck it up man!

-F

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 6:46 PM

Quote:
...the only two cars right now in common use I think are decently engineered are Honda and Volkswagen, and the older ones are far better designed cause they're not needlessly overcomplicated.

Gotta *kind of* agree, although I'm not too keen on the VWs of the last 12 years or so. They did indeed get over-complicated (German over-engineering, we call it). I've got some friends who are VW freaks, and we have a good time knocking each other's cars. "Hey, at least I don't have to pull the damned engine to change the plugs!" "Oh yeah? At least VW makes the front clip easy to remove so you CAN pull the engine quickly!" "Yeah, but that's 'cause they EXPECT you to have to pull it and replace it at regular intervals!" And so on, and so on...

I used to gripe that Honda went cheapo on the suspension parts with the '92-and-later models. Prior to that, they used cast suspension members, which looked (and in fact WERE) quite beefy and very tough. With the '92 Civic and '94 Accord, they switched to stamped pieces, which look and feel... cheap.

Then I hit a curb with my '88 Civic Si. Blew two tires, bent the rims, and TWISTED THE CHASSIS! The suspension bits were fine, of course, being cast iron pieces - but they were bolted to a stamped-steel chassis, so all of the impact was transmitted through the chassis. I put it on stands set at equal heights, and you could rock the thing diagonally about 2 inches. The doors and hatch never closed right after that. So now I see why they use the simpler stamped pieces - you'll mangle the suspension if you hit a curb hard enough, but you won't mangle the chassis - and the suspension bits can be replaced!

I do rather enjoy the simple-but-effective ECU of the older Hondas, too. They're easy enough to hack and re-chip, so you can drop in performance chips that give you more aggressive fuel maps, you can do an electronic "drag launch" feature that will let you hold the gas pedal floored when you have the launch control activated, but will hold the revs at a pre-set RPM (say, 4000rpm), so you push the button, floor the gas, and sidestep the clutch for a good launch with minimal wheelspin while NOT having to feather the clutch and throttle to get off the line without a huge burnout or lugging the engine. And being that it's a pretty simple code (or so I'm told by the guy who wrote the program for it) that's only evident when it's being used, it does absolutely nothing to mess with your emissions come inspection time. :)

The Smart Car scares me, for the same reasons the Mini scares me: German over-engineering. Smart is a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and (of all people) Swatch, the Swiss watchmaker. But seeing as Benz is responsible for the vast majority of it, it tends to be way too complicated, as well as too heavy. And it doesn't even get good mileage, really.

I say the Mini scares me as well, and here's why: BMW. They own it, they designed it (the new one, not the original Alec Issoginis design that set the blueprint for front-engined front-wheel-drive cars that's still followed today), and when you have to get it worked on (which is, like, FREQUENTLY), they charge you BMW mechanic rates for it. It's cute, it's ENORMOUSLY entertaining to fling around, but it sure as hell ain't cheap, in any sense of the word.

Mike

"It is complete now; the hands of time are neatly tied."

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 7:41 PM

PIRATENEWS

John Lee, conspiracy therapist at Hollywood award-winner History Channel-mocked SNL-spoofed PirateNew.org wooHOO!!!!!!

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
I've been driving for 2 winters now with no real heat available, except what gets pushed into the cab at high speeds, or what dribble the fan allotted to me at the odd moment, and while searching sites for how to install a new blower, I came across this
http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/showthread.php?s=36a02dd6c4f100014957
9ab7e5274da3&t=61281
where it suggested you test switches & power supplies.
The gorram connection to the blower was loose is all. What a moron I've been, it took a piece of PAPER jammed behind the plastic plug to push it into a good connection, that's IT!!!!!

Heat, glorious heat.

In USAF, we used to work on jet aircraft with a HAMMER.

We used portable jet engines as power generators. One mechanic parked it under the wing of a supersonic F111, and melted the wing off.

Faking the electrical checks of the nuke weapons system was our speciality (while breathing deadly exhaust fumes).

Now when I install an electric fan in a house window, I forget to open the window.

Does that make you feel any better?

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 8:05 PM

DREAMTROVE

Just going to throw this out there. Cheapest electric would be to buy a prius and mod it, add some batteries. I'd like to put a luggage rack on top, load it with solar cells, so it's recharging, esp. when parked. The mods are pretty easy I hear.

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Tuesday, January 27, 2009 8:05 PM

DREAMTROVE

2xpost

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009 1:24 AM

Well, I had a 1987 VW Fox I
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Gol
(bottom of page)
You could literally remove any part of that thing in a couple minutes if you had to - my only complaints were that the hot lead from the alternator was of a wire gauge too thin and would burn through, something we learned replacing the second alternator at the parts store when some smart guy thought to check it before replacement.

And the other was the eight freakin sensors for various minor gigs which all did the same thing, shut off the fuel pump - and they would fail so regularly that since it was a CIS instead of regulated flow, I just ran a hot lead on an override switch to the damn fuel pump and ignore em thereafter.

As for Honda, good stuff, but one of their best bits of engineering EVER wasn't even a car, it was the Honda NQ50 Spree Scooter.

I swear they're more indestructible than VW beetles, and that's sayin something - had one that wound up with bits of metal all in the trans and a hosed cylinder from some nitwit at a "professional" shop installing the piston backwards, and that wasn't all that was wrong with it, alas...

So the guy who wanted it fixed for his kid, goes back to his salvage yard and brings back two more wrecked up Sprees, and asks me if I could mix n match a runner for the kid - bear in mind I have a hefty rep for downright miracle works in the 50cc community so this wasn't an unusual request.

He comes back three days later, and there she is, solid full compression well tuned and ready to rumble, good as new.

He asks me what I want for the work and I walk over to one of the other 'wrecks' and start it up.
"How bout this one, then ?"

Three wrecks, two running Sprees, just that easy.

Or course, Motobecane or Peugot 50cc's - you'll be pulling your hair out screaming in frustration just trying to TUNE one, much less fix it since all the bolts are oddball sizes and some have bizarre threading cause they're french and gotta be *different*....

And they're cars ain't no better in my experience.

Oh, and the reason the US model SmartCar gets such shitty mileage, is because the original ones had a six speed bump shifter, and the US model has a three speed.

They had any sense they woulda gone with a damn torque converter instead.

-Frem

It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009 4:04 AM

GEEZER

Keep the Shiny side up

Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
Any reasonably-priced electric cars on the horizon? she asked wistfully.

http://venturebeat.com/2008/01/10/27-electric-cars-companies-ready-to-
take-over-the-road/

Here's a list of 30. Some seem like pretty solid companies and some - not so much.

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009 4:42 AM

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

Ok, so I bought a 99 Mustang at a steal..

48,000 miles for 5 grand.

Not too shabby considering all it needed at the time was a new paint job.

Fast forward 2 years...the paint REALLY needs to be done, the rear tire is shot, and I have to replace the battery.

Im also smelling a strange burnt rubber scent from the back right rear tire wall.

Other than that. no problems.

As to Hondas:

I have an 04 Accord. The radio is a piece of sh*t. Honda knew this, and stopped shipping cars with them. The v6 transmission completely blew. (I had it replaced at no cost). The brakes wear out pretty damn fast, and the fit and finish is falling apart.

But other than that, its been pretty good.

I miss my 94 Toyota Corrola station wagon tho. THAT thing was all but bullet proof.

Now, Im wondering, are there any cars out there that are worth the money? Im still a Toyota fan, and I do like Hondas... Im thinki9ng even the Mazda 3. But its a toss up.

I like the fuel economy of a 4 cyl. but want the power of a 6.

Any suggestions?

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009 9:04 AM

Mazda 3: Good car. No, scratch that. GREAT car. Lots of my old "Honda buddies" are moving on, simply because they want something newer, and they aren't finding what they want in Honda showrooms. Several have moved on to the Subaru WRX/STi, and a few have gone the route of the Mazda3. The Mazda owners are happier with their cars, because they cost so damn little to keep running.

If you want more power than the 3 offers, go for the MazdaSpeed3, with 260hp out of the turbocharged 4-banger. They're hellacious. Not great for gas mileage, though.

I've never quite trusted Honda's 6-cylinder engines, with one exception: the Acura NSX. It's the same basic V6 that several other Hondas and Acuras use, but something went RIGHT with it, because those cars are damn near bulletproof. Seeing as you can pick up a '90-'91 NSX (look it up if you're not sure which car I'm talking about; it was designed to go up against Ferrari's 348 and the Porsche 911) in great shape for about $25k, and it's been selling for that same $25k for about 8 years now, it seems a pretty safe investment.

By the way, if you think I'm confusing Acura and Honda, I'm not. Acura only exists in North America; everywhere else in the world, their cars have been sold as Honda NSX, Honda Integra, Honda Legend, etc. Hell, the Acura TL is nothing but a Euro-market Accord with a new grille! Well, that and the European version gets a turbocharger...

Mike

"It is complete now; the hands of time are neatly tied."

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009 9:41 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Ha ha! You needlessly went with out heat in your car for 2 years !!

I once had a Oldsmobuick,err.... a Delta 88. It was dad's old company car I got when he got a new one. Sadly, the AC compressor died. That wasn't a big deal as I left it in and just disconnected the hookup. Later on, I noticed a loud rattle/ knocking in the engine develop. It was older car at this time, and as I wasn't of financial means to get a new(er) ride, I ignored the noise. Time went on, the rattle remained. Finally, I took it in to one garage, and the " mechanic " said the drive shaft bearings were worn, or some such, and I'd need a whole new engine. Cost = more than the car was worth. No thanks. I left , wondering when the engine would freeze up on me. Fast Forward , and I took the car into another garage, and THIS guy found the problem. That useless AC compressor ? It rested on a metal bracket, and there was a large bolt, holding nothing of value what so ever in its place, which was loose. We removed the bolt and the car drove as smooth and quiet as it did out of the dealership. I was THRILLED, it was like I had a brand new car, for the cost of NOTHING. Well, I did tip the mechanic.

It is not those who use the term "Islamo-Fascism" who are sullying the name of Islam; it is the Islamo-Fascists. - Dennis Prager

" They don't like it when you shoot at 'em. I worked that out myself. "

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009 10:00 AM

my ride...

Triumph Rocket III Touring (stock photo)

not so much about ambient heat, as layers of clothing...

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009 10:12 AM

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

Um...that wont fly when its 25 degrees and snowy...

although it IS a nice bike.

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009 10:34 AM

Wulf, there are about 3 or 4 weeks out of the year that i don't ride my bike here in texas - actually July and August are the worst - way hot

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009 10:39 AM

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

Lol Didn't know you were from Texas.

So, what is Austin like? My wife and I are planning to move in a year or so and we've been trying to find people who could tell us about the city.

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009 10:42 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by AURaptor:

Ha ha! You needlessly went with out heat in your car for 2 years !!

Yeah, rub it in, whydoncha?

The laughing Chrisisall

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009 12:22 PM

What is it you were wanting to know about Austin, Wulf?

It's the blue dot in the center of a red state. It's what passes for "liberal" in Texas. It's crowded and expensive, traffic is a nightmare (they started building real freeways about 10 years AFTER they decided they needed 'em, and have never caught up). Housing tends to be ridiculously overpriced.

If you don't have allergies now, you will within two years. That's an ironclad guarantee, I shit you not. Right now it's cedar. In the spring, it's mold. Summer? Ragweed and mold. Fall? Pecan, oak, mold, cedar again...

I've been here going on 20 years, and wouldn't mind leaving, except I love my job. If the job goes away during the current downtimes, so do I.

There's some fun stuff to do, but I tend to get annoyed with the crowds.

'Course, I did step on Stevie Ray Vaughan's foot one night back in '85, at a club called The Back Room. I apologized and bought him a beer. So it ain't ALL bad.

Mike

"It is complete now; the hands of time are neatly tied."

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009 4:45 PM

Wulf - Austin is (was) the greatest little city in the state - up until the dotcom boom, or even before - it is still my favorite city in the lone star, but now it's a fairly typical, overcrowded, fast-paced, over commercialized metroplex. The borders are expanding into what was fertile farmland and some of the most unique geological area of the state. From San Marcos to Round Rock, with Austin in the middle, it is looking more and more like one long strip mall and the freeways have become parking lots -

There is still a lot of beauty there, just getting harder to find. I spent time there in the '70's & 80's and have friends there that I enjoy visiting, but I'm not sure I would live there now.

The old part of town, around Barton Springs is great - Zilker park and even South Congress are still favorites.

Mike, can fill you in better than I can - Hey Mike, a friend who lives out near City Park - out 2222, told me that the cedar pollen count hit 3000 recently - yikes...

Oh, i remember a popular bumper sticker in Austin several years ago that said simply, No Vacancy.....

at least the Springs are still fairly clear....

ETA: Played shuffleboard with Jimmy Vaughan (Stevie's brother) one night at Shady Grove - small world..

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009 6:03 PM

Quote:
Um...that wont fly when its 25 degrees and snowy...

This will.

Capable of operation at down to -24F, and is virtually unstoppable by snow and ice given that I have a set of custom tire chains for it besides.

The ground pressure, split between the three wheels, is so low that it can skim the top of compacted snow and won't sink unless you come to a full stop, neither.

And yes, that's a cupholder with a drink bottle in it, shaddap - it's to wash down the bugs, bwa ha ha.

-Frem

It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009 7:01 PM

DLV: Cedar count of 3000 would be a pretty mild day some years...

I'm in the middle of moving right now, back to the West Side (Brodie/Wm Cannon area), and I love that the new place has lots of trees. I *don't* love that one of them is a big ol' cedar... :(

The cedar doesn't hit me like it does some - my worst days with it are punctuated by a stabbing pain behind the eyes and a feeling like someone just hit me at the base of the skull with a 2x4. And I'm one of the few who are only MILDLY allergic to it!

Shady Grove - that brings back memories! I used to live just up the hill, on Kinney Avenue. I ate there the week it opened. Good stuff, especially their Hatch Chile Festival, where you get chiles on EVERYTHING, including the fries!

But yeah, what's doing Austin in is the dot-commers and the condo developers. Makes it look and act just like everywhere else.

I remember going to the Bob Marley Fest back in '94, I think it was. I don't smoke pot, but many of my friends do and did, and I've developed a keen nose for the stuff. I found it amazing that I could stand in one spot at the MarleyFest and turn slowly around a full 360 degrees, and pick out no less than 8 different strains of pot. What was REALLY funny, though, was that there were off-duty sheriffs working security, walking through the crowd, and they were just pointing and joking about it all. There was a group with a giant five-foot-long bong, and these two sheriffs just stopped, staring slack-jawed at the thing being passed around the group. Finally, one of the cops spoke up, telling them, "You better be careful with that - you don't want to break it!" And then they laughed and went on their way.

It was a whole different vibe there; if you weren't being a complete ass, you absolutely weren't going to get hassled. Something changed not long after that, and city police were actually starting riots on Sixth Street. Innocence lost, as it were...

Mike

"It is complete now; the hands of time are neatly tied."

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Thursday, January 29, 2009 8:22 AM

good times.....

added: ohmygodtheykilled Kinney Avenue.... whoa, my good, best bud lives up on Kinney... we walk down to ACL fest....

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Thursday, January 29, 2009 8:29 AM

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

Austin...

Is it as Hell-Hot as Houston? People keep telling me that Houston is "hotter cus its near the Coast"...ok...

The last time I was in Houston, I got a a "heat-headache". Its the first stage of heat exhaustion...and I had only been outside for 5 minutes...

Im on the East Coast now, and while I don't LOVE the cold, its damn sure better than passing out from the heat before I make it to my car, knowhatImsayin?

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Thursday, January 29, 2009 8:47 AM

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

Frem, I totally see you as 'real" version of Spider Jerusalem...

lol

You riding around on this little trike just adds to that.

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Thursday, January 29, 2009 8:48 AM

the humidity is much worse in Houston - you can almost squeeze water out of the air.... but i ain't gonna lie to you... all of Texas can be very hot in the summer - (spring, fall & sometimes winter).

Right now we're having a really bad drought, without much rain on the horizon... hell, we are just a tad north of Mexico. But if you like warm winters and lots of sun, Texas may be just the place you're looking for - plus, bonus - no state income tax and the price of living is probably far less than the east coast.

I live in north central texas, almost in the piney woods. It's nice and quiet here. Dallas/Ft Worth is a nice place to visit (they have a hockey team..!!), I try to avoid Houston, even though I was born there - west texas is pretty desolate and east texas is, well a tad close to Louisiana for my taste.

I do like the coastal bend area - Corpus Christi, Rockport, Port Aransas - if i retire in texas, that's probably where i'll go...

eta: ah, Frem.... wanna race??

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Thursday, January 29, 2009 8:54 AM

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

A few words on the cost of living on the East Coast (apart from the soul crushing evil that is part of the society itself)...

A condo (2 bedrooms) is $300,000.

Rent, in a livable neighborhood, is 1250/month.

I hate it here. So goddamn much.

But where else can I get paid as much as I do?

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Thursday, January 29, 2009 9:23 AM

i guess it's relative - you might not earn as much in texas, but the cost of living is reasonable (most places) -

i think the unemployment rate in texas is around 6% now - but there are still jobs that pay well - a lot in the oil and natural gas industry, of course - but it's not hard to find work in just about any field.

Wulf, I've traveled round most of the country. Spent some time in PA and NC - but the pace of life in texas just seems slower. For me anyways - it is a fairly stress-free environment.

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Thursday, January 29, 2009 9:27 AM