Random Thoughts Thread

[Drew Dowdell]

6 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Summer 2007... Not the greatest sign of things to come. 

Get ready to invest when things bottom out! 

The catch is when do you know when it's the bottom.

[balthazar]

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

The catch is when do you know when it's the bottom.

As long as you're not looking for a quick flip, it doesn't matter too much. 

[G. David Felt]

4 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

My new wheel barrel is on point with the blackout trim and wheel package fad seen on current utility vehicles...

Does this picture signal the investment potential in Amazon?  

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

The catch is when do you know when it's the bottom.

Watch Mad Money!  He has for the last few weeks been talking about the impending recession / correction.

He does talk about some real bargains and the potential consolidation in the auto industry.

[Drew Dowdell]

If you're at all inclined, this may also be a great time to refinance your house. 

[Robert Hall]

9 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Does this picture signal the investment potential in Amazon?   

Heh heh..just a pile of a few weeks of Prime delivery boxes, need to recycle...

[A Horse With No Name]

17 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I like all of the railroad stuff you've been posting lately @balthazar

I will second that...

 

2 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

If you're at all inclined, this may also be a great time to refinance your house. 

Getting reasonably close to paying mine off...

[Drew Dowdell]

1 minute ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I will second that...

 

Getting reasonably close to paying mine off...

I have 14 years to go, but 15 year mortgages have much lower interest rates than I'm paying right now, so I'm getting tempted. 

[ykX]

2 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

If you're at all inclined, this may also be a great time to refinance your house. 

Almost completed my refinancing. The percentage might drop even more but I had to do it now.

Edited August 14, 2019 by ykX

[A Horse With No Name]

2 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I have 14 years to go, but 15 year mortgages have much lower interest rates than I'm paying right now, so I'm getting tempted. 

Making extra payments on a 30...

[Robert Hall]

I've made a extra payments to get my 30 to 26 years now (2 1/2 years into it)...may look into a 15 year.    But I may be getting another mortgage for a vacation home sooner than later...

[ykX]

18 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

I've made a extra payments to get my 30 to 26 years now (2 1/2 years into it)...may look into a 15 year.    But I may be getting another mortgage for a vacation home sooner than later...

As somebody told me, if you in the beginning of the mortgage payment period, it is easier to make extra payments to pay it off faster when you can, than take a 15 year mortgage for a few extra points of percentage and to have much higher monthly payment.  If something changes in your life, much easier to go back to a lower payment on 30 year mortgage.

[Robert Hall]

15 minutes ago, ykX said:

As somebody told me, if you in the beginning of the mortgage payment period, it is easier to make extra payments to pay it off faster when you can, than take a 15 year mortgage for a few extra points of percentage and to have much higher monthly payment.  If something changes in your life, much easier to go back to a lower payment on 30 year mortgage.

Yeah, by making extra payments I've knocked off almost a year so far.  My goal is to pay off the 30 year in 15-20 years, which is doable, though I may move before then. 

[Drew Dowdell]

4 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Yeah, by making extra payments I've knocked off almost a year so far.  My goal is to pay off the 30 year in 15-20 years, which is doable, though I may move before then. 

Yeah, but you'll have all that extra equity even if you do move. 

[balthazar]

I cut my 30-yr (actually 22-yr; a bi-weekly) to 11 years. Havent had a mortgage payment since 2004.

[balthazar]

1 hour ago, ykX said:

As somebody told me, if you in the beginning of the mortgage payment period, it is easier to make extra payments to pay it off faster when you can, than take a 15 year mortgage for a few extra points of percentage and to have much higher monthly payment.  If something changes in your life, much easier to go back to a lower payment on 30 year mortgage.

Point of clarification: early mortgage payments on a 30-yr are typically 100% interest for the first year and a half or thereabouts. You pay it down faster the later in the schedule you are. Get an amortization schedule from your lender.

That said I agree with the above - pay down debt whenever you are able. 

[frogger]

We've been trying to pay down our place pretty aggressively, but not easy when it has needed so much work (original cast iron main plumbing stack, pathetic galvanized original water supply line, knob and tube, some asbestos, covering dirt floor in crawl space so rats can not burrow in, 30 year old boiler died, original hardwood almost worn through, never mind more cosmetic stuff I've worked on) and we bought an investment property along the way.. Hoping we can have it done in 15 years max at which point I'm aiming to be ready to retire or do contracts once in a while.

 

[ocnblu]

11 hours ago, balthazar said:

Here I thought Richard Petty was an oval track guy.  Lookie there, he's spectatin'!

[balthazar]

[ykX]

14 hours ago, balthazar said:

Point of clarification: early mortgage payments on a 30-yr are typically 100% interest for the first year and a half or thereabouts. You pay it down faster the later in the schedule you are. Get an amortization schedule from your lender.

That said I agree with the above - pay down debt whenever you are able. 

That's almost true (not 100%, more like 70-80%), but than all your extra payment goes directly toward paying the principal.  So early on extra payments are very beneficial. 

[balthazar]

Correct; just did a amortization schedule online: $250,000 @ 4.5% for 30 yrs: first payment broke down as $329 principal / $839 interest. I know I saw it different years ago; mine initially was 8.25%- maybe it calculated differently @ higher rates.

Plus; make sure you indicate any extra payments go to principal only.

[balthazar]

Really like this pic. Fleetwood Series 60 Special in the background- note the vinyl roof. Cadillac started this feature on the '56 Eldorado Seville… and when NOT padded / using small back windows or enlarged C-Pillars, it looks really classy / luxurious IMO.

[Drew Dowdell]

12 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Really like this pic. Fleetwood Series 60 Special in the background- note the vinyl roof. Cadillac started this feature on the '56 Eldorado Seville… and when NOT padded / using small back windows or enlarged C-Pillars, it looks really classy / luxurious IMO.

What are the air scoops on the back of the front car? Air conditioning? 

Also.... Happy Birthday @NINETY EIGHT REGENCY

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

2 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

What are the air scoops on the back of the front car? Air conditioning? 

Also.... Happy Birthday @NINETY EIGHT REGENCY

Thank you for the birthday wishes!  I appreciate it!

[A Horse With No Name]

On 8/13/2019 at 10:09 PM, balthazar said:

trainz iz cool. ?

 

Corners like it is on rails. 

[Robert Hall]

7 hours ago, balthazar said:

Really like this pic. Fleetwood Series 60 Special in the background- note the vinyl roof. Cadillac started this feature on the '56 Eldorado Seville… and when NOT padded / using small back windows or enlarged C-Pillars, it looks really classy / luxurious IMO.

Interesting how the trim below the decklid/above the rear bumper differs between the 60S and the 75..

Edited August 15, 2019 by Robert Hall

[balthazar]

^ Ya; the scoops are intakes for A/C.

Pic might be pre-production: that looks like the GM Styling courtyard hexagonal pavers. Production S75's are basically trimmed like deVilles (rear cove & side trim) and that cove is filled with ribbed aluminum trim (here it looks painted). Eldorados & the Series 60 Special got the rear grillework and either full (E) or partial (S60S) side trim.

I ? '60 Cadillacs.

[ocnblu]

The limo does have ribbed rear cove trim in the photo.

[G. David Felt]

Seems the 2019 eCOPO Chevrolet Camaro Dragster is going to auction with a $425,000 to $525,000 expected auction price.

There are some other lovely old auto's as well.

https://russoandsteele.com/featured-vehicles/?tsauction_id=203&search_text=&run_day=&caryear=&caryearto=&showpage=1

[ocnblu]

23 minutes ago, dfelt said:

eCOPO

What a bitchass travesty, to use the legendary COPO designation with an "e" in front of it.

[surreal1272]

1 hour ago, ocnblu said:

What a bitchass travesty, to use the legendary COPO designation with an "e" in front of it.

And playing just for you and those out of date ways,

Edited August 16, 2019 by surreal1272

[ocnblu]

Thanks man.  A lovely serenade.

[balthazar]

[Drew Dowdell]

How.... almost Cadillac..

[surreal1272]

5 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Thanks man.  A lovely serenade.

It’s a special song for folks who complain about progress and change. 

[balthazar]

7 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

How.... almost Cadillac..

Yeah- this is one of the historic red flags for me and the downturn of GM; when Chevrolet moved toward offering a 'poor man's Cadillac' stylistically. One can point to the '58 Impala (tho the Impy quickly got toned down), but in the early '70s, the big Chevys started to look too upscale from their station.  

[ocnblu]

8 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

progress

Easily debatable when it comes to crappy electric cars and their ilk.

10 hours ago, balthazar said:

I'm seeing much more Oldsmobile than Cadillac in this.  With Pontiac headlights.  A mishmash of all things GM at the time... but mostly it looks like the '71 Oldsmobile Delta 88.

8 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

It’s a special song for folks who complain about progress and change. 

A little out of tune, but we're not singers around these here parts.

[surreal1272]

17 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

Easily debatable when it comes to crappy electric cars and their ilk.

I'm seeing much more Oldsmobile than Cadillac in this.  With Pontiac headlights.  A mishmash of all things GM at the time... but mostly it looks like the '71 Oldsmobile Delta 88.

A little out of tune, but we're not singers around these here parts.

Only debatable to folks with out of date thinking and afraid to accept change ways. The rest of us know what’s coming and don’t have a problem with it. Good thing that little violin is still playing. 

[balthazar]

[trinacriabob]

The Boeing 737-Max situation is so dire.  It's as if we've forgotten.  This makes the teething problems of other commercial aircraft seem like child's play.

Thinking back, I've actually flown on one.  It was on a Southwest leg from Denver to L.A.  It even had to be deiced.  Once it got going, it majestically climbed up over the Front Range with negligible turbulence and continued on for a smooth flight to L.A.

I thought this was a joke, but it's true.  Southwest Airlines will soon cease flights to EWR (Newark).  They will consolidate their New York flights into LGA (LaGuardia).  I didn't read whether or not Islip (Long Island) would be affected but their dropping out of Newark does not make me happy.  It's easier to use than are LGA or JFK if you are only flying domestically.

13 hours ago, balthazar said:

I see part first-gen Riviera and part early 70s Olds 88.  I don't see any Pontiac in the mix and I certainly don't see any Chevrolet.

[balthazar]

^ Has the fender blisters the '69 big Chevys had. 

Other than Cadillac, Pontiac pretty much owned stacked headlights in the '60s- Chevy didn't get them until they were stacked rectangular units in the '70s.

Edited August 17, 2019 by balthazar

[balthazar]

Such a refreshing pleasure to see deep-dish rims after decades of 'flush-faced' alloys: 

[balthazar]

 

Edited August 17, 2019 by balthazar

[ocnblu]

I see Pontiac in the intersection of bumper to stacked headlight, a recycling of '66.

[ocnblu]

8 hours ago, balthazar said:

 

[daves87rs]

Some great cars there...

Makes me very excited about the upcoming dream cruise.....

[regfootball]

Test driving 2020 explorer and ascent today. Also, reconsidering looking at Equinox, Blazer, Traverse. May be falling victim to crossover disease

[ocnblu]

[daves87rs]

13 minutes ago, regfootball said:

Test driving 2020 explorer and ascent today. Also, reconsidering looking at Equinox, Blazer, Traverse. May be falling victim to crossover disease

Well, besides the stop/start stuff (hate that on my equinox) they should be good drives....

 

Have fun!

[surreal1272]

Currently sitting at a Kia service center getting my wife’s Soul dealt with. 30k miles on it and the alternator took a dump on me last night.  Not how I want to spend my Saturday.