i am hoping you guys can help me find a great book to read. i loved bill bryson's "a walk in the woods." do you know of one that would be in that vein (travel/ humor) but dealing with car camping, or national parks, or maybe even driving with your family cross country? alternately, how about something similar to Annie dillard's "pilgrim at tinker creek" but more specific to the canyonlands area? thank you!
posted by orangemacky
on Feb 13, 2012 -
14 answers
How to remove water from my car, specifically the carpets - they squish!
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posted by bendy
on Feb 9, 2012 -
13 answers
I had a high credit score, no inquiries and no late debt. I bought a car and refinanced my house with the low interest rates. But I am considering starting a small business and may want to borrow for that.
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posted by CollectiveMind
on Feb 6, 2012 -
2 answers
My car was hit while parked on the street. No witnesses, but I suspect a snow plow. I have no experience with body damage - what am I looking at?
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posted by analog
on Jan 14, 2012 -
6 answers
Got in a car accident two years; car rental, uninsured. Complicated situation, car rental company wants $35K from me. What to do?
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 14, 2012 -
27 answers
I need some parts for my car, a 1984 Nissan Skyline hatchback, and the wrecker is asking if it's a S1 or S2. How do I tell?
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posted by Piroska
on Jan 11, 2012 -
4 answers
Got in a car accident, car is damaged on the driver side door so that I can't open it or roll down the window. I need to roll down the window to swipe a parking pass to get into a garage, so what should I do?
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posted by symbollocks
on Jan 10, 2012 -
22 answers
Interested in BMW 3-series station wagon. Torn between new ($46,000) vs used ($26,000, 2006, 90,000 km). Which is better value in the long term? I intend to drive it for 10+ years, if not into the ground.
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posted by wutangclan
on Jan 10, 2012 -
19 answers
I need a car for a daily 6-mile each way commute. There are no public transportation alternatives and carpooling is not an option. Cycling is also not much of an option. I'd like to buy the cheapest car possible ($5000 or less, preferably much less), use it for a couple of years and then sell it or just donate it to charity.
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posted by falameufilho
on Jan 10, 2012 -
22 answers
Sentimental old
crouton car filter: 1985 Pontiac Parisienne, north Delaware area. Stored in garage, but hasn't run for years. I'd like to see it go to a better use than junked so that a random non-profit can make a few bucks selling it to be squished at a junk yard.
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posted by joyceanmachine
on Jan 9, 2012 -
7 answers
Hey!
So i am about to buy my very first vehicle and am pretty excited about the whole deal. My budget is no more than 5k and I am looking to get me a used small pickup truck. It seems like my best options are either a T100, Tacoma, frontier or a b2500. Are those considered reliable used pick ups? What kind of year/mileage y'all think 5k could bring? I am thinking a 2000 with about 120000 miles. Does that seems reasonable?
The truck should be very reliable and could take some abuse, I don't really care about towing much because it will be used mainly for tools.
I know VERY little about cars and mechanics and wouldn't even know the first thing to look out for when looking at a potential truck... I've been told to insist on a clean title, see that the engine and transmission are in good order, and pass it by a reliable mechanic. Anything else?
Thank you for your time!
posted by Sentus
on Jan 3, 2012 -
17 answers
How do I sell this car? Special s--tflake details, I can't drive it, it doesn't run, it is a green 1997 mg, and it was written off on insurance due to a bonnet dent which was never fixed. Oh also nasty ex b.s.
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posted by By The Grace of God
on Dec 30, 2011 -
11 answers
Question about jump-starting a car: why did my neighbor absolutely insist I ground the negative clamp... to the battery? That seems unwise.
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posted by subject_verb_remainder
on Dec 29, 2011 -
27 answers
Battery died in a Volkswagen Golf. New battery connected and now whenever the car door is opened the alarm goes off, which came as a shock because we didn't know the car had an alarm! Disconnecting a thin blue wire on the negative battery terminal disables the alarm but the car won't start -- dash lights come on, radio plays fine, but the engine doesn't even make a sound. Just dead. Presumably an immobiliser. Help!
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posted by humblepigeon
on Dec 13, 2011 -
14 answers
Straightforward question: How do I go about getting the best deal on a used Ford Econoline cargo van?
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posted by lore
on Dec 12, 2011 -
3 answers
No lawyer wants to touch this, so how do I negotiate a settlement with an insurance company on my injury claim for a motor vehicle accident?
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posted by loquat
on Dec 9, 2011 -
21 answers
A friend is wondering whether her '06 Honda Civic is to blame for 2 highway spin-outs over the past 5 years. She's experiencing a lot of anxiety driving on the highway after spinning 360 degrees in both instances, and is unsure whether a mechanical issue may have caused her to lose control of the car. I assume she would be less likely to spin out with a larger, heavier car? Mechanics haven't found anything wrong with it, but is it possible that this particular model has a tendency to spin out?
Also, is there a technical term for "spin-out" that I can Google? Because searching "06 honda civic spin out" ain't workin' for me.
posted by tatiana wishbone
on Dec 5, 2011 -
45 answers
A friend who is in the midst of a serious study cram moved his car in Brooklyn and now cannot find it. Can anyone think of a way to go about finding it?
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posted by quine's_gavagai
on Dec 4, 2011 -
10 answers
We have a Ford E150 van (2005) and are driving from Utah to Oregon. The last time we made this trip in we had to put on chains when crossing the blue mountains around 2003 (via I-84).
Should we get dedicated snow tires this time around?
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posted by craniac
on Dec 3, 2011 -
15 answers
I am looking for a new Aux-In Cable (3.5mm, male to male) to use my mp3 player in my car. I had a couple of cheaper retractable ones, but they usually break after a short period of use. I live in a cold climate and the cord gets cold in the car for long periods of time and I think this has an affect on its life.
I have seen some people with thicker aux-in cables in their car and I have searched, but I can't seem to locate one for a decent price.
Does anyone know where I might be able to buy a thick (preferably white, but not critical) 3.5mm Aux-in cable?
posted by dbirchum
on Nov 29, 2011 -
13 answers
Catastrophefilter. Auto shop just called, say Subaru has seized engine. Baffling, because no warning signs. ~$5,000 for new one. Options?
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posted by Alaska Jack
on Nov 28, 2011 -
27 answers
I live in Portland, OR and my grandpa in Minnesota gave me his old car which I drove out to Portland in September. Because of money issues (starting school, less work hours, etc) I did not get around to registering my car in Oregon within 30 days. I have some questions now that it's almost December and my grandpa just received a tab renewal notice in the mail.
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posted by Corduroy
on Nov 28, 2011 -
8 answers
Hello MetaFilter, I am a marine sciences graduate student in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. I will be moving to Morehead City next Fall for the second half of my masters program, and will need a car. I am not sure how I will be able to do this. (more inside)
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posted by oceanjesse
on Nov 27, 2011 -
10 answers
Buying a car from my mom in NJ for a token (i.e. far less than blue book) amount. What's the best (cheapest) way to get it legally registered/insured in Chicago, IL. Any pitfalls I should look out for?
posted by Oktober
on Nov 27, 2011 -
6 answers
Looking for a cool, tech friendly, roomy, family car. Help us find perfection, oh hive mind...
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posted by neurodoc
on Nov 23, 2011 -
12 answers
We hope to take our daughter home early next year, but she will likely be only 4lbs plus then. We've been given a Phil & Ted stroller, but we'd like initially to use something that detaches into a car seat. We don't drive, but use a lot of cabs, walking etc. in Singapore. The reviews online seem more for people with cars or bigger babies. Any advice or recommendations for a light stroller that will detach into a carseat that can be used easily in a cab?
posted by viggorlijah
on Nov 21, 2011 -
11 answers
