What have you done to your square lately??

Travlr · May 11, 2026

Dejure said:
Had a brother in law with the same problem (many accidents, and ALWAYS the other guy's/gal's fault. At some point, I put it on him. Starting with learning about defensive driving.

For example, parked at a red light on the four lane an hour from home, and because I actually use my mirrors, I had to jump into the fray (cars turning left in front of me) because a big tractor trailer didn't slow for the stop. As I shot between turning cars, I glanced back to see I couldn't. It was nothing but blue tire smoke with the truck where I was.

Then the very same thing happened about three weeks later.

One of my greatest fears is, I'll let myself get distracted and not notice that car/truck stopped in the middle of the highway, whether because of dead turn signals or just a dead car.

Yeah, we had that discussion. And she's a great driver and was when she first started to drive. But seriously, how do you drive defensively when you are in a line of cars waiting to enter a parking garage, curbs on either side, and a Jeep decides to back up?
It was like she had a target on her for those first months and people must have thought they were at the rifle range.

Camar068 · May 11, 2026

Soundmound said:
Yup she ready. @Camar068 good advice. I had to put a cheap aluminum unit in, but kept the original to have rebuilt later. I just did the heater core, brass OE style replacement too.

heater core went out today. Lifetime warranty, but we'll see what it is and go from there. Local shop is cheap. I really need to stock up on a radiator or 3 while he's still in business. If what I have is copper, I'll take it to him for $45 or so to keep him in business over the warranty. BFE rad shops are hard to find.

Dejure · May 11, 2026

Travlr said:
Yeah, we had that discussion. And she's a great driver and was when she first started to drive. But seriously, how do you drive defensively when you are in a line of cars waiting to enter a parking garage, curbs on either side, and a Jeep decides to back up?
It was like she had a target on her for those first months and people must have thought they were at the rifle range.

True. But that was just that one incident. How about the others?

I was waiting to take a left. I watched a POS invader on the other side of the five lanes and intersection shoot around [via the wrong lane] a VERY long line of cars waiting to turn left, running from the cops. I knew he could not, at the speed he was going, swing back into his lane, and through the red light. . . .

I stomped on the throttle, taking the left early. He slammed into the big 4x behind where I was.

That and the other things I described are not the stuff of the average driver. Most are just focused on their phone, or the light.

The greatest thing we could teach oUr kid(s) is, beyond what the experts teach. It is life [and wallet] saving situational awareness, AND acting on things when they see them go out of focus.

Dejure · May 11, 2026

ON THE OTHER HAND, there is the guy who got hit by lightening twice. The last one killed him. My attention was caught by his headstone. It was blown to bits, by a lightning strike.

chief_shotts · May 11, 2026

Well I found that I was leaking coolant from the rear of the engine. I immediately assumed the worst and thought it was a blown head gasket or atleast seapage from the head gasket. I carefully examined the engine with a flashlight, clean paper towels, and a Little mirror. I was sure it was seaping from the rear head to block seal. My first plan of action was to retorque the heads. I did that. It was a pain. Had to pull the headers to get to the head bolts.

Started it up... still leaked... then I looked closer and realized it was leaking from the intake seal at rear coolant passage of the head. The liquid was dripping down the back of the head and then flowing on the underside of the head where it slightly hangs over the block (hidden from sight). So when looking at the engine from below the coolant appeared to be coming from the rear bottom corner of the head. My next plan of action was to redo the intake gasket. I immediately started pulling it apart until I got to the intake bolts at the point of the leak... to my suprise they were both loose...( no wonder it was leaking. Probably just needed to tighten them).

Moral of the story is if I did everything in reverse order I would've saved myself the headache and fixed the leak easily.

IPB13 · May 12, 2026

Dejure said:
DMV and I battled a few times. I LOVE administrative law. It's an opportunity to slap around arrogant, power absorbed public agents who, as often as not, do not know the laws controlling their day to day activities.

The first time was a bill they sent me for a Ford van, saying it was worth more than I reported.

I had fun. Told them to bring a check for $800.00 cash and it was theirs. Incorporate into that response was a declaration laying out every minute detail about the van, and calling BS on the "[a]ll 1981 Ford vans are were X amount of dollars. I cited the condition of the frozen brake cylinder, the slice all the way through the upper back of the body, the very tired paint, the bent value cylinder push rods. . . .

Never heard from them on that again.

Years later, when I was REALLY getting into administrative law, they refused to tab a Pontiac, unless I admitted it was worth 3k. Affidavit/Declaration time again.

I went home, assembled another declaration and accompanied that with a public records request demanding records: by which I could identify all involved DMV agents for purposes of suits in their private capacity; documents DMV would rely on to support its claim. . . .

I got my tabs based on my 800 dollar valuation.

I honestly can't wait for an appraiser to look at it so I can prove they are crazy. I am tempted to not fix it until after I get it done.

Chevrolado · May 12, 2026

IPB13 said:
I honestly can't wait for an appraiser to look at it so I can prove they are crazy. I am tempted to not fix it until after I get it done.

To get my title situation figured out, I had to get an official appraisal as well. The truck was not in running condition and before I cleaned and painted anything.. Appraiser man looked it over for a bit and then asked me "So what do YOU think its worth?" and I said.. "Idk.. $2500-3000?" And he said.. I was going to say closer to $4000.. but yeah, if we were here haggling for a sale price, we could meet at 3500. I'll put that down.

Crazy to hear what the offices "appraised" yours at for tax purposes. They must have google searched some Mecum auction price or something and decided yours was the same.

Dejure · May 12, 2026

One of the tricks to dealing with agents fabricating facts is, look into the state codes. Often, there is no basis for agent's demands. Then, you can make it personal. VERY personal (as in, the agent acting outside the scope of their authority cannot look to the public to defray the cost of defending an action against them).

There may be actual codes citing laws requiring appraisals (hell, genius agents impose millionaire /billionaire taxes, so. . . ). If so, consider delivering the declaration laying out the facts to the appraiser.

My declaration would state every relative detail: Missing wires, dead wipers, rust, rust, rust, tires, missing engine, bad paint, actual purchase price,. . . .

In the end, a sale is a sale, so if the money paid is less than what the agents claim, a basis to challenge mere agency/agent presumptions exists. And if challenged, a burden develops by which the agency has to overcome the bill of sale and relative declarations.

xm20k · May 12, 2026

I'm glad I only pay tax on the price listed on the bill of sale or the title when it was notarized.

Ignore the fact we fill that out ourselves when doing owner to owner sales it's always the price we paid for it I swear. :emotions33:

DoubleDingo · May 12, 2026

xm20k said:
I'm glad I only pay tax on the price listed on the bill of sale or the title when it was notarized.

Ignore the fact we fill that out ourselves when doing owner to owner sales it's always the price we paid for it I swear.

Yep, sure is, smoking deal of $50

78C10BigTen · May 12, 2026

xm20k said:
I'm glad I only pay tax on the price listed on the bill of sale or the title when it was notarized.

Ignore the fact we fill that out ourselves when doing owner to owner sales it's always the price we paid for it I swear.

Last time i bought a car i got a 2010 trailblazer for the gf... No lie the lady asked what i paid and i told her $1500. She looked at me for a few minutes and says.... NAH its almost 20 years old, you paid $500! Lol Saved my almost $100!

IPB13 · May 13, 2026

It was the same when I got my GT350 here in RI, I paid $63k for it, and the state said they don't go my the bill of sale for cars like that, its a collectible performance car, and they valued it at $72k so I had to pay taxes on that.

legopnuematic · May 13, 2026

xm20k said:
I'm glad I only pay tax on the price listed on the bill of sale or the title when it was notarized.

Ignore the fact we fill that out ourselves when doing owner to owner sales it's always the price we paid for it I swear.

Same here in Missouri, although the way I buy vehicles (fully depreciated) I don’t have to lie about the price much or at all :anitoof:

gilby959798 · May 13, 2026

IPB13 said:
It was the same when I got my GT350 here in RI, I paid $63k for it, and the state said they don't go my the bill of sale for cars like that, its a collectible performance car, and they valued it at $72k so I had to pay taxes on that.

What spec GT350? Here is my 16 Tech Pack... It was an unfortunate mistake buying the tech pack but I still enjoy the car.

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TotalyHucked · May 13, 2026

IPB13 said:
It was the same when I got my GT350 here in RI, I paid $63k for it, and the state said they don't go my the bill of sale for cars like that, its a collectible performance car, and they valued it at $72k so I had to pay taxes on that.

That's what Ga changed to about 15yrs ago. It used to be paying taxes on whatever the bill of sale said you bought it for but too many people were taking advantage, so now they have a master book of values they go by. In ~2015 I got a '70 C10 for $1 from a family member cuz they wanted to see someone do something with it. This was long before trucks got popular, it was a shortbed 2wd 6cyl/3OTT. Pretty straight and mostly rust free but it was rough around the edges.

Back then, I considered this a "rough" truck lol. Today I look at it and go "that thing was cherry!". Anyway, the lady at the tag office said it was worth $18k

I showed her some pictures and said "does that look like $18k to you? It barely runs and the brakes are locked up". She called her manager over, they started brain storming and let me help with looking through the book. Turns out, they didn't even have a listing for a shortbed light duty truck in there for 1970. I don't remember where the $18k came from but we finally came to a middle ground by classifying it as a '70 panel truck that had a $6500 value.

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What have you done to your square lately??

Travlr

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Camar068

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Dejure

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Dejure

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chief_shotts

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IPB13

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Chevrolado

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Dejure

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xm20k

Runs on 93 octane, caffeine, and spite

DoubleDingo

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78C10BigTen

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IPB13

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legopnuematic

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gilby959798

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TotalyHucked

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