Get the Brillo and Lysol

Yesterday, I went to a dealership and drove an F150 with an eight-foot bed. I was pleasantly surprised. The truck was slow compared to the Thunderbird, which is not a big shock, but the ride was very pleasant. Not like a truck at all. I instinctively slowed down for the speed bumps in the parking lot, being used to the Thunderbird (bottoming out), motorcycles (jumping in the air), and Explorer (jumping then rocking), but when I hit the bumps, nothing happened. The length of the truck doesn’t seem to be a problem. It’s 18″ longer than the next size down. That’s not a real burden when you drive, but it would be a big help at Home Depot. They had extended-cab versions that were the same length, but you lose some payload.

This truck was an XLT which means “cheap but not scary-cheap.” It had cloth seats and power windows. I thought it was fairly luxurious for a truck. In the showroom, they had a $43,000 truck that had rain-sensing windshield wipers and–you may think I’m kidding–motorized running boards that extend when you touch the door handles. I like nice stuff. No doubt about it. But when you’re too lame to turn on the windshield wipers or get into a truck without a boost, you need to be euthanized. It would be humiliating to be seen getting into that atrocity.

The guts of the truck seemed very good. The base V8 plus the towing stuff. This means a better suspension and more cooling capacity. That might mean the air conditioner works better, now that I think about it. I guess it depends on whether the radiator limits the air conditioner’s cooling capacity. I assume that is not the case, since cars don’t run hot in Miami with the air conditioning on. The air conditioner worked very well, and if it cooled on August 7 in Miami, with no clouds, it will cool in hell.

The truck was not much to look at. I didn’t realize it from the photos, but white pickups are somewhat better looking than silver ones. I don’t like these “colors,” but anything else will be a heat magnet.

The dealership was empty. Do not believe the Cash for Clunkers PR storm. There were maybe two other customers there. Ford sales have increased 2%, which means they are still in the process of going out of business.

They had a funny sales setup. The first Internet sales contact was a man. Then they palmed me off to a Latin girl with lots of cleavage and tight pants. When I showed up, she came out to greet me. All I can say is, I doubt she was hired for her LSAT score. Very spicy addition to the showroom decor. I don’t think she was Cuban. She seemed South American. Cubans will be mad when I say this, but South American girls tend to run a little hotter. But she handed me off to a third guy, who was a regular floor salesman. So it’s not the same deal I got when I got the Thunderbird. The other dealership, owned by the same conglomerate, had a separate Internet crowd, and they were much nicer to do business with. I think I’m going to contact them. They may be able to get me this same truck. I hate to do that to the guy who rode with me today, but his boss was very pushy, and he added $1500 to the price they quoted me, so they’ve had their chance. His behavior was not respectful. I realize they’re supposed to try to make money, but I’ve done some negotiating myself, and I know something he doesn’t: being obnoxious doesn’t help. You can be polite and take someone to the cleaners.

My dad has finally concluded he doesn’t want to go the Obama route, so I don’t have that option to worry me now.

I think I finally…FINALLY…have a viable milling project. Enco wants $15 for a proper set of nuts and studs to mount my vise. I used stuff from my clamping set, but I would rather have a separate setup. Today I realized I had enough stuff to make my own T nuts and studs. I don’t think I can make a flange nut, but life isn’t perfect.

I figured I would make a bar shaped like a T nut and bore and tap holes in it and then slice it into nuts. Then I realized I didn’t need to slice it. I can make a single bar a little wider than the vise and put a hole in each end. A T nut can be a hundred feet long and still work. There is no reason you do it this way, and it would save time.

A guy on the Chaski forum made an incredible ball cutter for his lathe. The ones you see for sale are very simple. U-shaped tool holders that pivot on steel bases. This baby has a table on ball bearings. Totally unnecessary, I’m sure, but who cares? He’s selling plans. I might take a whack at it. I would probably end up spending fifty bucks on materials, but a premade cutter would cost something in that neighborhood anyway.

I don’t have a lot to say about other matters that are going on in my life; don’t expect to read much about that in the near future.

Two things:

1. Dan Howell’s sister is not doing well, so keep her in your prayers:

Steve, will be Praying for your sister. God is control of everything and we just have to let him have His way. We need to let go and let God work. My sister, Mary Ellen has been put back into Hospice House and is her last days of the beast, cancer. Thank you for your Prayers on her behalf, we will miss her, but I will not judge God for not healing her in my way. She will be Healed and we will see each other again when I am healed of this world. Touch her now God and make Steve’s sister whole.

2. Heather’s mom is in the hospital.

Praying for your sister.
My mom was admitted to the hospital last night.