Dueling Photos

Fun:

Forwarded by a reader

And not so much - friend in Missouri had a bad Friday:

Rain-slick roads & no shoulders ...

He walked away without a scratch.

In Which I Fuss About

used truck prices.

I took Older Daughter shopping for a used pickup again, yesterday. We visited most of the non-dealer lots in town (and there are quite a few), hoping for better prices.

After visiting many, and exiting the same, it has confirmed what I'd noticed before: 4x4 pickups cost more than SUVs of the same year, make & model. This is not logical.

On the other hand, whoever said that car prices are logical?

I suppose it's a response to market forces, insofar as gummint regulations allow any segment of the market to drive itself (no puns intended).

For example: at one place we saw a 2004 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4, with over 91,000 miles, for which they were asking $11K. Next to it was a 2010 Ford Ranger XLT 2wd, marked $10K.

This being Alaska, I can understand why 4WDs are in greater demand, but still ... the price differential is jaw-dropping.

We saw this repeated time and again, everywhere we went. But you remember the old phrase, "Cash is king?"

We found an older model with low mileage, marked $8275, then marked down to $7850. Daughter offered them $6000 cash & they took it without haggling.

Blue Book price for that model is less than $5K, but given the market here, she did good. And it's exactly what she wanted.

The whole pricing structure sticks in my craw a bit, but whatcha gonna do?

Advice Wanted

Just returned from completing the biennial emissions test on my truck. The new sticker will survive my ownership of the beast; my plan is to sell it, come Springtime, and purchase something newer ... and perhaps a shade smaller.

While the current hauling capacity - both inside and behind - is truly impressive, my daughters are grown and discussing possibilities of moving into a place of their own within the next year. I probably won't need a 6,000 lb. truck that seats 7 and tows 10,000 lbs. (Update: it's a Ford Expedition)

I'm gonna miss her, though. Best 4x4 I've ever owned ... just point in the direction you want to go & give 'er some gas, and she goes there. No muss, no grab & growl, no slippage. It's driven through a fresh 28" snowfall on numerous occasions, carried us on our 3,850-mile move to Alaska while pulling a second car and all we owned, and recently pulled the "new" little car on a flat-bed (totaling some 7,000 lbs) across town.  Not bad for a 13-year-old truck nearing 140,000 miles.

On-demand 4WD, and still purrs like a kitten, too. Some lucky buyer is going to get a really, really good truck in a few months.

But it's time to downsize, and I'm kinda leaning toward a Nissan Xterra, or something similar. I'm 6'2" with long legs, wife is 5'8", and we have no intention of squeezing ourselves into a peanut car (or truck).

My readers are some smart cookies ... so any suggestions on a mid-size SUV?

A Nice Surprise

The price of gasoline has been slowly ... very, very slowly ... coming down. Yesterday, most of the stations in Anchorage were in the $3.67 to $3.69 range. I decided to wait one more day, because the station I use typically lowers it price (if there's to be a reduction) on Mondays.

Today, many of the stations are back up to $3.75, but mine was still at $3.69, at drive-time. But that's not the nicest surprise. Due to purchases at the affiliated supermarket, we were entitled to a 50-cent discount. $3.19/gallon sure did make me smile.

And Ol' Green was grateful, too.

This will be its last winter ferrying us around southcentral Alaska; we'll be shopping for a replacement, come Spring.

Update: The New Alternator, Part 1

I picked up an alternator for a pretty good price, after calling around. Spent about three hours removing the old unit & replacing it with new/shiny/better. This, of course, required removing the air breather & duct assembly, the oxygen sensor, the upper radiator hose, a wiring harness routing five unidentified wires, a throttle cable, and a palm-shaped gizmo that supports the radiator hose.

Got the unit in place, pried it into location with a tire iron & replaced the bolts; started putting pieces back in reverse order from above ... and can't get the belt back on the pulley. This is not my first rodeo - more on that farther down - and I know generally how to do this.

After climbing a stepladder - srsly - to lean farther over the radiator (I'm just shy of 6'2" ... I haven't needed a stool to reach anything in a very long time), I finally located the tension arm/pulley assembly for creating slack in the serpentine belt.

By this time, it was already noon, and I decided I'd had enough for that session. Cleaned up, changed clothes, and toodled back to work. I'll work on the belt tonight.

Ya know, I was a pretty fair shade-tree mechanic, back in the day. I've replaced everything on a '67 Ford truck except for the engine block. Rebuilt axles, replaced u-joints, adjusted clutches, replaced leaf & coil spring suspensions. I've replaced alternators, pumps, starters, and just about every other component there is ... rebuilt carburetors, you name it.

Now I remember why I stopped working on the blankety-blank cars. The manufacturers don't want you to, and they've dang near made it impossible. I have very little skin left on my knuckles & forearms this afternoon, as a result of squeezing adult-sized arms through spaces made too small and too crooked to allow such passage.

Update: ... and after I go buy a 1/2" to 3/4" adapter so I can use a socket wrench as a breaker bar, to move the spring-loaded tension arm. {sigh} It's always something.

The heck with it. I'll get the belt back on, but I'm done. Give me a '67 Bronco, and I'm good.

New car? Not so much.

Wednesday, June 3rd

Good morning! It's a lovely 46 degrees, with overcast skies and a forecast calling for a high in the mid- to upper-60s today. AccuHunch also guesses that we'll get some rain, later this week. If it's as accurate as usual, we'll have dust storms.

It sprinkled last night, just enough to dapple the dust on the cars. "Hurrah! The drought is finally over!" Not. On the other hand, we're not having a drought, either. Just having a moment there; I'm better now. (/snark)

The alternator on my truck, which I thought to be the culprit in last week's dead battery episode, died for real yesterday. This, some $500+ later in the saga. Today I'll start making calls to find out if anyone has one in stock.

It's startling to watch the voltage guage go 'downhill' while one is tooling down the highway. In case you don't know (and in this day of idiot lights on dashboards, you may not), that gauge reports the amperage in the battery/charging circuit. If the engine is off, it should show approx. 12 volts available - normal battery power. When the engine is running, the available current should be somewhat in excess of 14 volts.

By the time I got home after work yesterday, it was showing 8 volts. It had dropped from 12 in only six miles, which means that I've been running the truck on battery power alone the last 30 miles or so. The alternator must have begun its death spiral shortly after I left the repair shop last week. Yay.

Oh, well, it's not that hard to replace the alternator on a full-size vehicle. The last one I did was on a Ford ZX-2, which required two people: one under the car, and the other holding the device from above. The fit was so tight that I lost skin off both sides of the one arm I could insert from below, to loosen/retighten bolts.

Today will be MUCH easier. All I have to do is remove the air breather assembly & loosen the serpentine belt - both of which can be done from above, at front center of the engine compartment.

* * * * *

My parents celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary yesterday - so happy happy to them!

* * * * *

An oil tanker ran into & killed a humpback whale, earlier this week. It's sad, but it happens about once a year. The carcass will be towed out to sea today. Update: the whale may have already been dead when the ship struck it. We'll never know.

I mentioned, a few weeks ago, how interesting it is that our morning traffic reports include moose warnings. On Monday, it included a caution to avoid an intersection in mid-town because there was a large bear, feeding on something. Drivers were encouraged to detour.

I love this place!

Active Tuesday, Part 2

So to put a cap on the day, I stopped after work at the Sallie Ann Thrift Store (Salvation Army, for the uninitiated) and dropped off some donations.

I noticed on the way that the fan didn't seem to be pushing much air through the vents in the truck, but thought maybe I was imagining things.

As I turned in the driveway at the store, the radio (which was on) started turning itself off and back on again.

When I parked, the windows wouldn't go up or down, nor would the truck start again.

It appears the alternator died a few days ago, and thanks to our lovely modern automotive technology, there was no warning. I've been running on the battery for several days, it seems.

So ... a tow truck and a repair. But you know what? God's in His heaven, and I had a pretty good (if hectic) day.

It's all good!

Saturday A.M.

Good morning, out there!

We got up at 6:15, and at 6:30 I was standing in line, outside the Sam's Club. I was eighth, waiting to get the tires changed on my truck. They finally opened the doors at 7:05, and let us in.

A few were starting to shiver, by then; there were 10 more folks behind me, when the doors opened. It was 33 degrees, and I regret that I didn't stop for a cup of coffee on the way.

So I checked in at 7:32, and now I'm awaiting the call to let me know the summer tires are installed.

* * * * *

The puddles were a bit crunchy, but there wasn't any frost on the windows. It's been light since 5 a.m., and sun finally made it over the mountains around 7:15.

Sunrise was "official" at 6:04 this morning, and we have 17 hours and 38 minutes between the rising and setting. We gain 5 minutes and 37 seconds of daylight every 24 hours, at this point in the spring.

* * * * *

We haven't made any plans for the day, but now that my wife & I have had our coffee and breakfast, in that order (got to have priorities, don'tcha know), we'll think of something.

The battery in my company cell phone has given up the ghost, and won't hold a charge longer than about 18 hours. I'll need to remedy that, today - there's a battery store near the airport.

UPDATE: the battery is one they normally carry, BUT it's out of stock. They ordered more, BUT they're on back order. The company that makes the batteries is good, BUT they can't say when the next batteries will arrive.

That's life in Alaska, folks.

Just for the record, Radio Shack also lists that battery as one that's available, BUT only in the Lower 48. They won't ship it here BECAUSE WE'RE OVERSEAS. (Really? We drove here, and didn't even get a flooded engine.)

My wife & I have long since stopped doing business with any company that can't figure out where Alaska is. Some companies will ship here, but only by 2nd Day Air, thereby tripling (or quadrupling) the shipping fees ... OR they don't ship to Alaska at all "because of the increased cost to get it there."

I have taken to asking friends in the Midwest to pick up certain things for me, and mail them here. Strangely enough, 1st class postage gets here just like anywhere else. <sigh...>

* * * * *

I finally installed a webcam on my PC, as friends back in the Midwest keep insisting they would rather talk than correspond by instant message. It seems I type too fast or something...

For whatever reason, they seem to think they need to see my ugly mug, and no amount of warning from me keeps them from wanting it.

* * * * *

Brigid mentions that it's Turkey season, down at her home on the range. Here, black, brown, and grizzly bears are in season. I haven't looked up the smaller critter dates & seasons, but haven't been tempted to go hunting lately. I get a tickle of that old feeling, every once in awhile, but then I get distracted by family or work and it goes away.

Besides, just hiking in the city parks here provides a possibility of an encounter with bear and/or moose ...

* * * * *

It's bright & sunny, with clear skies and 37 degrees. I'm going to pick up my truck & get a cell phone battery. After that, who knows?

Afternoon Update

It's 2 degrees at my place; I think it got up to 5 above at the airport (usually the warmest place in town).

No eruption yet, although the experts continue to insist that an ash-and-smoke belch is the most likely scenario.

My truck will be in the shop, tomorrow. I tugged once or twice too many, during the cold spell a month ago, when the doors were frozen shut. The driver's door handle is permanently sprung.

I figgered they could get inside & make things right ... and sho' nuff, they can ... for only $265 American. New parts & levers; the whole shootin' match has to be replaced.

Sheesh.