Recent content by Optimistic Paranoid

I completely agree with the first statement. As for the second, factory limited slips rely on internal clutches that wear.  By the time it has 80,000 miles or so on it, the limited slip is probably no longer functioning.  A shop COULD open it and rebuild it with new clutches, but the cost might...

Was watching coverage of the aftermath on tv.  Saw a number of class A rvs that were laying on their sides.  Wind blew them right over. I don't know if Brad owned a home in the keys, or just rented, but 95% of the housing stock in the keys are just gone.  It's been described as looking like an...

Well, since we all have to drive, and possibly interact with the police, it might be a good idea to review comedian Chris Rock's advice on How Not To Get Your Ass Kicked By The Police. 4 minute Youtube video.  Hilarious.

As far as sleeping bags go, understand that the various ratings, 20, 0, -20, etc. are SURVIVAL ratings. In a -20 bag, you are guaranteed you won't freeze to death.  Nobody said you'd be comfortable at that temperature.

There's a company called Trailer Showroom.  I think maybe they're a broker for different companies.  Their website shows trailer manufacturing plants in GA, TX, IN, and IIRC, OR. The prices on the GA trailers are way cheaper than the ones in the other states.

To get back on topic, the article claimed that about half the impounded units are claimed by their owners, the other half are abandoned.  Me, I'd figure if the owner abandoned it, It's either irreparably broken, or on It's last legs.

Saw something in the paper this weekend that led me to revive this old thread.  Figure Dune Elliot will be particularly interested in it. The remains of a powerful Viking - long thought to be a man - are in fact those of a real life Xena: Warrior Princess, a study released Friday reveals. The...

I am personally not a fan of lithium-ion batteries.  I prefer my technology to be tried and true rather than "cutting edge" which I think is just another way of saying "semi-experimental". Still, you might want to take a look at Technomadia's lithium-ion/solar bus conversion for some...

Basically, the insurance company will "total" a vehicle whenever the cost of repairing it would exceed It's current blue book value. They give you a check, and they take possession of your totaled vehicle.  They will then auction it off, if possible, to recoup some of their money.  Badly...

Tires marked M+S ( or M&S, M/S, MS) are all season tires that are approved for use in mud and light snow.  They can be left on all year around. TRUE snow tires are marked with a graphic mountain and snowflake symbol, and are suitable for use in extreme winter conditions like blizzards. The...

Most people have no idea how huge a battery bank and how many solar panels they would need to match the power they get so easily just by plugging into the electric grid. Gypsy Clipper, you will NOT be able to run all that stuff off of a solar/battery power set up.  You will need to run the...

Approximate 1 minute Youtube video of North Korean military parade with a classic Bee Gees song overlaid on it.  Funny.

Not everyone in Texas will be able to afford a new vehicle.  ESPECIALLY since so many plants and businesses were destroyed by the flooding. I'm going to guess that many people will need to use the insurance money they get for their destroyed vehicles to live on. I expect that many dealers in...

I think the most practical answer is a partial bulkhead behind the driver's seat for protection, and a curtain you can pull across for privacy when needed.  Maybe something like a shower curtain rod that goes from one side to the other.

I saw a news report that they now estimate that as many as 1 million vehicles were destroyed in the flooding. This is going to drive the cost of used vehicles up all over the country, as the law of supply and demand kicks in with a vengeance! People in Texas who've lost their vehicle will need...