Car warranty

If it is just to renew the tags, we can do that in NC. Just send in a few more dollars for postage and credit card charge.

We can now renew the drivers license every other time by internet if there have not been any accidents. Not sure about if there were any tickets.

Many of the saftey inspections are bogus anyway. Now they do have to plug in the computer if the car has one.

Before that If you knew the inspection place and just wanted a sticker, that is about all you got. One place I went to the man said it was raining and his garage was full of other work. He filled out the paper work and told me to scrape the sticker off and put on the new one. He only saw my car out the window if he even looked.

I went to a place one year with a car about 5 years old. They really went over that on. Told me that it would not pass as it did not have the catalytic converter. I told him I bought the car new and it never had the exhaust system worked on and it better have the conveter or me and the dealer were going to have it out. Another told the first one that the converter was under the hood just after the engine.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery
Loading thread data ...

I do mine by mail. Send them a check and an extra buck for postage and they mail the sticker back. The years when they issue a new physical plate iirc it's two bucks postage.

Out of five vehicles only one goes through the annual rites. The pickup is older than 11 years so I went for permanent plates. The bikes all are a one shot deal. Pay the registration once and the plates are permanent for as long as you own it.

The last time I went to the DMV was when I bought a bike. They didn't have any motorcycle plates so they photocopied a temp, told me to tape it to something, and they would send me a real plate some day.

Reply to
rbowman

  We already do that out here in the woods . In fact , I renewed the SUV online for 3 years at one whack . They just mail me the stickers every year the month before the last one expires . It does take more than 10 seconds though ...
Reply to
Terry Coombs

How fast do you have to be going for that to make any difference at all? The average overall speed of the US fleet is around 30 MPH, when the car is moving and that includes the people who use the interstate. They are overtaken by the daily commuter and home makers that spend most of their drive time going fairly slow in urban/suburban environments.. I was really surprised on our 3 week Dakota trip, where we were covering both states on roads with 70 MPH speed limits that when I looked at my average speed near the end of the 3 weeks, it was 34.5. (I had a rented Suburban with the fancy computer). We were going slow a lot more than we were going fast.

There is also no reason why a new sealed beam needs to be that 7" or even 5" deal. It can easily be a 3" bullet light like you see on some high end cars now. Just standardize it and let the designers figure out how to get air flowing over it. They seem to be able to do it now. One little 3" bump is not going to change the air flow at any reasonable speed.

Reply to
gfretwell

They're sort of pricey but I keep looking at those Denali DOTs for the Sporty but I'll probably try the JNS drop in for the rectangular light on the DR since it's about a third of the price. The V-Strom is okay and really shows up the inadequacies of the 1990's state of the art lighting on the other two.

Reply to
rbowman

I actually weighed a 7" sealed beam today and it is less than 20 ounces. If you have a large coffee in your cup holder it will weigh more than that.

Reply to
gfretwell

Our tax collector lets you do pretty much all of that car business online. You can also renew your driver's license remotely (mail or online). They just send you one identical to the one you have with the expiration date changed. It used to be a sticker you put on the back. They are honest, as long as your credit card charge goes through, they have all they want from you.

Reply to
gfretwell

Lower unsprung weight also helps handling. The tires stay stuck to the pavement better.

Reply to
gfretwell

Ooh, I like it. I can build my own Messerschmitt KR200 out of balsa and MonoKote. Screw that Fitchell & Sachs though. There's got to be some way to get a SV650 in the mix.

In the '60s Mechanix Illustrated had plans for a number of DIY cars with bodywork of urethane foam and fiberglas. I assume the technique is still around.

formatting link

Reply to
rbowman

That problem was solved with my '82 Firebird. What percentage of the time do you need headlights hung out in the breeze? It had a 0.33 Cd that they eventually got down to 0.29 by '85. A Prius has a 0.25. My Yaris has a 0.29 but it sure is uglier than a TransAm.

Reply to
rbowman

In the '70s we subcontracted a headlight assembly job for GTE Sylvania. We would get the glass separately, lens and reflector. One interesting step was depositing the aluminum on the reflector. A small strip of aluminum foil was placed in a vacuum jig with the reflector clamped over it. Pull a vacuum, vaporize the aluminum with current, and voila, a reflector. Then the capsule was solder onto the pins and the lens epoxied on.

It was primitive and they weren't really sealed beams other than the form factor.

Reply to
rbowman

On 12/15/2019 5:39 PM, Clare Snyder wrote: ...

I've never had one that didn't craze and cloud over...after a few years they're like a bad case of cataracts...

I'd think something that would polish out relatively easily a miracle from what I've experienced.

Reply to
dpb

Can't get much more coarse for starting to polish than 200(!) grit. I put it on a rotary tool as well and took off noticeable amount of material...still no joy. Perhaps a minor improvement but that was over two hours effort for about 2" square in a corner. Take full day or more for two complete and absolutely no likelihood of real success based on observed characteristics.

The 3M kit product info includes "... process involving lightly sanding and polishing the lenses with a series of 3M™ Trizact™ abrasive discs from P800 - P3000". P120 looks like boulders compared to P800. Starting w/ P400 was getting nowhere at all.

Reply to
dpb

On 12/15/2019 5:27 PM, Clare Snyder wrote: ...

As the previous comment said, covering the sealed beam with the lens of whatever shape desired is a trivial exercise.

Reply to
dpb

On 12/15/2019 4:33 PM, Clare Snyder wrote: ...

Which I have been noting should've been the solution from the git-go--or at least very shortly after it became apparent the plastics suck--which didn't take but a couple of years to illustrate conclusively.

Unless of course designing in headlights suffering from cataracts is the objective.

Reply to
dpb

That's exactly what I do. What third-world hellhole do you live in that your DMV doesn't have online tag renewal?

Cindy Hamilton

Reply to
Cindy Hamilton

Yah, Michigan's tag renewal tax is quick and easy to pay...if their website is working.

However, paying the driver's Real ID license tax or Enhanced license tax can require a visit to the DMV slowfice for every other renewal.

Reply to
Tax Grab

Granted, I only go there once a year, but it always seems to be there when I need it.

Ah. I don't need any of that; I'm just a simple commuter. So my experience with going in is limited to the (IIRC) every five years when they want to take a new picture.

Cindy Hamilton

Reply to
Cindy Hamilton

Well then, you are in for a real treat should you decide to travel by air or visit Canaduh.

Reply to
Tax Grab

I haven't been on a plane since 1997 and don't see any reason to get on one ever again. I've been to Canada more times than I can count. I think I've had enough.

Cindy Hamilton

Reply to
Cindy Hamilton

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.