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Apparently NTH is the first brand to do a collab with Watch Gecko. Even I didn't know...

Yep! Also snagged the white

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Showed up a day early. Thank you USPS!

Watch Analog watch Clock Finger Watch accessory


A little smaller than most watches of mine but it's looks good on my 7.5+" wrist.
 
20mi ride? On an Electra 8-Ball Cruiser?

View attachment 16122646
Well, it's a bit modified. 30mm setback seatpost and Ergon SC Core Prime "back saver" saddle. My Trek Dual Sport 3 in shop getting tires replaced. Oddly enough, I find the Straight 8 Cruiser more comfortable to ride. BUT, I have a new stem and handlebars sitting here for when I get the DS3 back, so hope to remedy that!

Font Screenshot Darkness Multimedia Software
 
I think it's a perfect fit. I might be a little biased.

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Maybe, but it is a good fit and a very nice watch. Dial is perfect. Great aesthetic. Glad I was able to get one despite my procrastination.
 
Well, it's a bit modified. 30mm setback seatpost and Ergon SC Core Prime "back saver" saddle. My Trek Dual Sport 3 in shop getting tires replaced. Oddly enough, I find the Straight 8 Cruiser more comfortable to ride. BUT, I have a new stem and handlebars sitting here for when I get the DS3 back, so hope to remedy that!

View attachment 16122673
Arm Sleeve Gesture Art T-shirt
 
Yep. It's been a pain in the balls.

Nah.

The timing belt tensioner doo-hickey broke, which broke the timing belt, which in turn wreaked havoc with valves or some other engine parts.

The shop is a small mom-and-pop operation. Just two bays / lifts. Run by a husband (mechanic) and his wife (shop manager). They told us it would be an expensive repair, and it would take a few weeks...

So, a lot's happened since then. It's been a bit of a tragic comedy. I can't even be sure I remember all the events in the correct order, but here goes...

They said they'd give us a loaner car, one of the cars that they owned, an Infiniti G35 they bought from a customer who didn't think it was worth fixing. They just needed to get the title transferred, get it registered with the state, get it running again, and get it inspected. It was actually one of the cars we considered buying for my son, before we bought the one they're supposed to be fixing.

But then, they had some big marital spat, he moved out for a couple days, and she wasn't coming into the shop. So that slowed things down for about a week.

Then, his mom, who has Parkinsons, went into the hospital. It's a long story, but his brother was supposed to be taking care of the mom, but instead he just took all her money and left her alone to die, so that was a big problem that started eating up a lot of the mechanic's time for about a month.

She finally gets around to transferring the title and registering the Infiniti, and he can't get it running. It seems like the car sat so long that the battery drained so low that the computer died, and some major component (a chip?) needed to be replaced. They bought two chips, one after another, but neither worked, so the car still isn't running. This is the LOANER, not even my son's car.

Meanwhile, my son's car has just been sitting there. They finally got around to tearing into the engine to see what parts it needed, and ordered those parts, but it took forever to get them.

They've had the parts for 2-3 weeks. They keep saying they'll have the car fixed soon, but every week, it's something else slowing things down. One of their other customers has had a newer BMW 6 series in one of their bays for at least 3 weeks. They couldn't fix it, but he refuses to let them send it to the dealership.

Now they're saying they'll give us a different loaner car, which we should have by the end of the week. She's supposed to have the registration updated tomorrow, and swears the car is running, and doesn't need any work done on it.

I know what you're thinking - they're stringing us along. We should have the car towed somewhere else to be fixed.

The thing is, I know from my friend the service manager at a local dealership that it has been crazy-hard to get some factory parts lately. If we have the car towed somewhere else, we're back to square one. We're already four months into this. I just want the damned car fixed.

I had a line on another used car I wanted to buy, from another guy I know, but he decided to keep it.

It's been really frustrating. I waited until the last minute to have my car in for inspection, oil change and brake job, because, A) it's hard enough for us to just have 2 cars for 3 drivers in the house, and B) I wasn't convinced they could get it in and out in one day. But, they did, so we were only down to 1 car for 1 day, yesterday.

Ordinarily, I'd be more skeptical, and not nearly as trusting of what they've been telling us, but we've been taking our cars there for over a year. It's a husband and wife team with kids, nice people, not rich people, who live locally, Coptic Christians who fled persecution in the Middle East. The other guy I was going to buy the other car from has been taking his cars there for years. I don't think they're BS'ing me. This feels more like small-biz blues than anything else.

One of my other friends is a business consultant to auto repair shops. He once told me that the typical neighborhood 2-bay garage with a single owner-operator barely breaks even as a business. I totally see it now. If I'd taken the car to the local VW dealership, we'd have had it back months ago, maybe, but it probably would have cost us double whatever this couple is going to charge us.
I'm a little late to this party, but years ago, like 14ish, I had a VW Passat. Every option but the AWD. It was fun as hell. And I dealt with the exact issue you and your son are. Driving back to college in Tulsa from Texas one night the car just craps out. Boom, done. Stranded 45min outside Tulsa.

A couple days later I get it towed up to a local VW specialist in the area, he asks me to turn it over real quick for him. So I do, and before I can even get out and close the door he goes "threw your timing belt. Hate to say it, but it ain't gonna be cheap". I go on to learn all about (what I consider)the moronically designed interference motors. Throw the timing belt, that piston shoots on up and smacks the sh*t out the the valves. When all was said and done, I drove off with pretty much a whole new top end, and $4k lighter in my broke college student wallet. I did get a cool key chain out of it. One of my old valves, in the rough shape of a "Z". About six months later, catalytic converter replacement. Another $1200.

I'm glad that I crashed that lemon. The payout put the down payment on my Silverado, which I still drive today. Getting close to 200k miles, and it has never, not once*, been into the shop for anything other brakes, tires or oil. Hell, the AC is still ice cold in the Texas summer.

*knock on wood
 
Well, it's a bit modified. 30mm setback seatpost and Ergon SC Core Prime "back saver" saddle. My Trek Dual Sport 3 in shop getting tires replaced. Oddly enough, I find the Straight 8 Cruiser more comfortable to ride. BUT, I have a new stem and handlebars sitting here for when I get the DS3 back, so hope to remedy that!

View attachment 16122673
Taking this further off topic…

What app you using for tracking cycling? You using any device other than the phone? 0:00 stopped time?! Jealous, my rides feel like 50% traffic lights.

I use Strava + phone, but it doesn't track stopped time, and is generally just not a great app.

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I'm a little late to this party, but years ago, like 14ish, I had a VW Passat. Every option but the AWD. It was fun as hell. And I dealt with the exact issue you and your son are. Driving back to college in Tulsa from Texas one night the car just craps out. Boom, done. Stranded 45min outside Tulsa.

A couple days later I get it towed up to a local VW specialist in the area, he asks me to turn it over real quick for him. So I do, and before I can even get out and close the door he goes "threw your timing belt. Hate to say it, but it ain't gonna be cheap". I go on to learn all about (what I consider)the moronically designed interference motors. Throw the timing belt, that piston shoots on up and smacks the sh*t out the the valves. When all was said and done, I drove off with pretty much a whole new top end, and $4k lighter in my broke college student wallet. I did get a cool key chain out of it. One of my old valves, in the rough shape of a "Z". About six months later, catalytic converter replacement. Another $1200.

I'm glad that I crashed that lemon. The payout put the down payment on my Silverado, which I still drive today. Getting close to 200k miles, and it has never, not once*, been into the shop for anything other brakes, tires or oil. Hell, the AC is still ice cold in the Texas summer.

*knock on wood
What year Silverado you have? I had a 2004 Silverado 2500HD with the 6litre gas engine and 4.3 rearend rated for 10,000 pounds on single rear tires with 16ply.

The problem for Chevy and Toyota and other car companies who used the drive by wire computer system from 2001-2008 was the dreaded "reduced engine power" syndrome.

2008 they changed something in the system to try to fix it, but it still surfaced from time to time. In 2012 they scrapped it and went with a totally different throttle body/ computer setup as I recall.

So id like to think they fixed that nightmare. Nothing sucks your nuts up into your throat than running down the NJ Turnpike doing 80 in the truck lanes going for a pass on the left with a truck riding your ass then with no warning have the CEL come on with "reduced engine power" limp mode become engaged. You hit the flashers and steer immediately for the shoulder yelling profanities all the way.

When this started happening I researched the crap out of it and was surprised at how big of a dark hidden secret this was. Chevy had no idea how to fix it. They said it was ground connections, a bad connector harness at the throttle body, a bad throttle body step motor, bad this bad that. Then the replacements were bad, and on and on. After replacing nearly everything that could be replaced I finally got rid of the truck last year after 16 years and only 92,000 miles on it.

Im a Chevy guy but that soured me on Chevy. Wont own a Ford, and Dodge wont build decent transmissions. Doesn't leave many options.
 
@Peteagus - I just started using cyclemeter ‎Cyclemeter Cycling Tracker a couple of months ago. Used Apple Watch for several years, then nothing for a while, other than a tucked away phone for music (and emergencies). I got the cyclemeter suggestion from one of those "best xxxx of 2021" articles. There is a one week free trial and then a $9.99 per YEAR fee, which was a big seller for me. Tons of stuff in app I'll probably never use, but who knows.

Back on topic:

Watch Analog watch Product Azure Clock
 
What year Silverado you have? I had a 2004 Silverado 2500HD with the 6litre gas engine and 4.3 rearend rated for 10,000 pounds on single rear tires with 16ply.

The problem for Chevy and Toyota and other car companies who used the drive by wire computer system from 2001-2008 was the dreaded "reduced engine power" syndrome.

2008 they changed something in the system to try to fix it, but it still surfaced from time to time. In 2012 they scrapped it and went with a totally different throttle body/ computer setup as I recall.

So id like to think they fixed that nightmare. Nothing sucks your nuts up into your throat than running down the NJ Turnpike doing 80 in the truck lanes going for a pass on the left with a truck riding your ass then with no warning have the CEL come on with "reduced engine power" limp mode become engaged. You hit the flashers and steer immediately for the shoulder yelling profanities all the way.

When this started happening I researched the crap out of it and was surprised at how big of a dark hidden secret this was. Chevy had no idea how to fix it. They said it was ground connections, a bad connector harness at the throttle body, a bad throttle body step motor, bad this bad that. Then the replacements were bad, and on and on. After replacing nearly everything that could be replaced I finally got rid of the truck last year after 16 years and only 92,000 miles on it.

Im a Chevy guy but that soured me on Chevy. Wont own a Ford, and Dodge wont build decent transmissions. Doesn't leave many options.
'08 Silverado 1500 with the 4.8L V8. I had one issue with it long, long ago. Slapped the OBD2 on it, replaced a $15 little plastic part and went on my way. It's been so long I cant even remember what the issue was, tbh.
 
Discussion starter · #9,799 ·
What year Silverado you have? I had a 2004 Silverado 2500HD with the 6litre gas engine and 4.3 rearend rated for 10,000 pounds on single rear tires with 16ply.

The problem for Chevy and Toyota and other car companies who used the drive by wire computer system from 2001-2008 was the dreaded "reduced engine power" syndrome.

2008 they changed something in the system to try to fix it, but it still surfaced from time to time. In 2012 they scrapped it and went with a totally different throttle body/ computer setup as I recall.

So id like to think they fixed that nightmare. Nothing sucks your nuts up into your throat than running down the NJ Turnpike doing 80 in the truck lanes going for a pass on the left with a truck riding your ass then with no warning have the CEL come on with "reduced engine power" limp mode become engaged. You hit the flashers and steer immediately for the shoulder yelling profanities all the way.

When this started happening I researched the crap out of it and was surprised at how big of a dark hidden secret this was. Chevy had no idea how to fix it. They said it was ground connections, a bad connector harness at the throttle body, a bad throttle body step motor, bad this bad that. Then the replacements were bad, and on and on. After replacing nearly everything that could be replaced I finally got rid of the truck last year after 16 years and only 92,000 miles on it.

Im a Chevy guy but that soured me on Chevy. Wont own a Ford, and Dodge wont build decent transmissions. Doesn't leave many options.
I miss "CARS".

You know - engine, transmission, battery, steering linkage, four wheels, a radio with 6 pre-sets for AM/FM and a tape-deck, no computer anything.

In 1992, after I fell asleep behind the wheel and wrecked my early-'80's Datsun 200sx, my Dad bought me a sort-of-blue-but-mostly-primer-gray '76 Chevy Nova with a 305ci V8, automatic 4-speed, with vinyl interior, a half-rotten dashboard, and no sound insulation.

It was an in-progress "project car" that my Dad's mechanic had been working on for some time, and he only wanted $500 for it. It's the car Schwarzenegger drove into the police station in "Terminator". It was a tank. When my Jewish uncle saw it, he said (and I quote), "I think Hltl3r invaded Poland in one of these..."

It was terrible in the rain, worse in the snow, deafening on the highway, nothing to look at inside or out, had zero fuel economy, and the engine growl would scare small children as it passed, but it was one of the best cars I've ever owned.

It never broke down, had stump-pulling torque, and was an absolute hoot to drive. I drove the hell out of it for a year or two before I foolishly sold it for exactly what my Dad paid for it.

After this whole discussion about all the problems with newer cars the last couple days, I really miss older cars with simpler mechanics.
 
I miss "CARS".

You know - engine, transmission, battery, steering linkage, four wheels, a radio with 6 pre-sets for AM/FM and a tape-deck, no computer anything.

In 1992, after I fell asleep behind the wheel and wrecked my early-'80's Datsun 200sx, my Dad bought me a sort-of-blue-but-mostly-primer-gray '76 Chevy Nova with a 305ci V8, automatic 4-speed, with vinyl interior, a half-rotten dashboard, and no sound insulation.

It was an in-progress "project car" that my Dad's mechanic had been working on for some time, and he only wanted $500 for it. It's the car Schwarzenegger drove into the police station in "Terminator". It was a tank. When my Jewish uncle saw it, he said (and I quote), "I think Hltl3r invaded Poland in one of these..."

It was terrible in the rain, worse in the snow, deafening on the highway, nothing to look at inside or out, had zero fuel economy, and the engine growl would scare small children as it passed, but it was one of the best cars I've ever owned.

It never broke down, had stump-pulling torque, and was an absolute hoot to drive. I drove the hell out of it for a year or two before I foolishly sold it for exactly what my Dad paid for it.

After this whole discussion about all the problems with newer cars the last couple days, I really miss older cars with simpler mechanics.
Funny story. One day long ago my now ex calls me and says "it's too hard for me to turn my steering wheel all of a sudden". She's parked in a church parking lot, I tell her I'm on my way.

I show up thinking what everyone else would, power steering pump crapped out, little or no fluid, something along those lines. Imagine my surprise when I popped the hood looking for the reservoir and it doesnt exist.

Chevy had used(is using?) an electric power steering motor in some of their vehicles. Located in the cab, requiring me to get under and into her steering column. That was news to me, man.

I'm a big dude, her Chevy Cobalt is a little car. Horrible experience.
 
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