The FORD Lounge

[ArdWrknTrk]

OK I'll ignore this example. Maybe journalistic sensationalism.

It is however my guess that these EVs will only have a service life of 15 years before they are recycled. Once the battery is dead, high replacement cost will total them out. If they engineered it such that the battery can be swapped out with less labor, how nice would that be. Why bury the battery deep inside, like these smartphones.

Don't ignore ANY example.

It's all a data point.

Just take it in context, like understanding the high VAT in Canada, not to mention the exchange rate.

Cory/Rembrandt has shocked me a few times with the cost of things up there.

It's not far from the whole "EV's catch fire, and you can't put them out" BS.

I spend the whole night dealing with accidents 30ish% of the time.(the rest are police calls and tow away' s)

Do you have any idea how many gasoline fires there are per X miles traveled v/s EV?

I can tell you that battery packs have way less actual energy stored than a fuel tank (remember, 65+ percent of an ICE power becomes waste heat) and I've never seen anyone immolated by being drenched in batteries.

They also don't run down the gutter catching other cars in the accident on fire.

Reduce, reuse, recycle...

A 75% car battery is about perfect for storage of a residential solar system, and probably costs far less than a Powerwall or whatever other flavour you choose.

If the average home uses 10kwh per day you can do the math on what an EOL EV battery @ 75% of rated capacity will hold.(depending on the vehicle)

And, of course, you can run directly off' the panels, if the sun is shining.

[viven44]

Don't ignore ANY example.

It's all a data point.

Just take it in context, like understanding the high VAT in Canada, not to mention the exchange rate.

Cory/Rembrandt has shocked me a few times with the cost of things up there.

It's not far from the whole "EV's catch fire, and you can't put them out" BS.

I spend the whole night dealing with accidents 30ish% of the time.(the rest are police calls and tow away' s)

Do you have any idea how many gasoline fires there are per X miles traveled v/s EV?

I can tell you that battery packs have way less actual energy stored than a fuel tank (remember, 65+ percent of an ICE power becomes waste heat) and I've never seen anyone immolated by being drenched in batteries.

They also don't run down the gutter catching other cars in the accident on fire.

Reduce, reuse, recycle...

A 75% car battery is about perfect for storage of a residential solar system, and probably costs far less than a Powerwall or whatever other flavour you choose.

If the average home uses 10kwh per day you can do the math on what an EOL EV battery @ 75% of rated capacity will hold.(depending on the vehicle)

And, of course, you can run directly off' the panels, if the sun is shining.

Another topic in the Ford lounge. Family.

Certain things were discussed yesterday including mostly the fact that Mrs. said I pay more attention to the vehicles than anything else. I told her "that's not a bad thing right.. you know what I am up to always".. Well that didn't go well. Jokes aside... she is very understanding being the daughter of a car guy (but a hardcore Chevy guy who has never owned a Ford ). Mrs. says I'm doing exactly the same thing her dad did, and my dad as well in his own way. I said "sounds like a dude thing?"... again didn't go well.

I do feel guilt a lot from time to time that when I'm not at my job, I am messing with something in the garage. I try to do most of the work on time or days-off from work when kids are in school. I like solving problems, its almost an addiction. When children are older I'm sure we can do things together. But I'm in the odd place where kids are too young to join and learn. The bronco project has been my largest so far, but collectively i'm less busy in the garage this year as I am working on only 1 vehicle so I guess that is a good thing.

What else do you guys do to ensure the family time doesn't suffer while working your own projects ?

[BigBrother-84]

Another topic in the Ford lounge. Family.

Certain things were discussed yesterday including mostly the fact that Mrs. said I pay more attention to the vehicles than anything else. I told her "that's not a bad thing right.. you know what I am up to always".. Well that didn't go well. Jokes aside... she is very understanding being the daughter of a car guy (but a hardcore Chevy guy who has never owned a Ford ). Mrs. says I'm doing exactly the same thing her dad did, and my dad as well in his own way. I said "sounds like a dude thing?"... again didn't go well.

I do feel guilt a lot from time to time that when I'm not at my job, I am messing with something in the garage. I try to do most of the work on time or days-off from work when kids are in school. I like solving problems, its almost an addiction. When children are older I'm sure we can do things together. But I'm in the odd place where kids are too young to join and learn. The bronco project has been my largest so far, but collectively i'm less busy in the garage this year as I am working on only 1 vehicle so I guess that is a good thing.

What else do you guys do to ensure the family time doesn't suffer while working your own projects ?

All of us here could sit in circle and begin with «hi, my name is bullnose addict» than all others answering together «hi, bullnose addict».

Joke aside, it’s tough to put a mechanic project aside, but think about the fact that your tools will calmly wait for you, no matter the time you take to come back.

You’ll find your project the exact way you left it (although with some little dust covering it).

But kids and family are « time stamped ». And time goes really fast. Leave your kids for too much long, and you’ll discover a completely changed universe when coming back. And this lost time that will never come back.

You’ll never regret time spent away from a project, there will always be a moment to come back to it, in the exact same state you left it. This is not possible with the kids.

When I had such moment in my life (for job, or projects), I asked myself «hey, at your very last minute, what memories will you want to take away with you» and the answer was always the same «memories of my people».

Not my truck.

 

[viven44]

All of us here could sit in circle and begin with «hi, my name is bullnose addict» than all others answering together «hi, bullnose addict».

Joke aside, it’s tough to put a mechanic project aside, but think about the fact that your tools will calmly wait for you, no matter the time you take to come back.

You’ll find your project the exact way you left it (although with some little dust covering it).

But kids and family are « time stamped ». And time goes really fast. Leave your kids for too much long, and you’ll discover a completely changed universe when coming back. And this lost time that will never come back.

You’ll never regret time spent away from a project, there will always be a moment to come back to it, in the exact same state you left it. This is not possible with the kids.

When I had such moment in my life (for job, or projects), I asked myself «hey, at your very last minute, what memories will you want to take away with you» and the answer was always the same «memories of my people».

Not my truck.

I really like your thoughts on projects waiting for you vs. family. I totally agree with you on that

 

[Nothing Special]

I really like your thoughts on projects waiting for you vs. family. I totally agree with you on that

In addition to my vehicles I also played hockey, and I bird hunt and train my own bird dogs. But you've got to prioritize family. I probably didn't do that enough when the kids were really young. But as they got into elementary school I started into Cub Scouts with them, being a den leader and committee chair, and then assistant scoutmaster and eventually scoutmaster when they got into Boy Scouts. That took a lot of time, but it was mostly time with them.

Of course that made it all the harder to spend time with my wife, and I probably didn't do as much of that as I should have for a while.

While the boys were still in Cub Scouts I had a "career ending" shoulder injury, so hockey stopped taking time. And the dog I was supposed to be training then ended up being more of a house pet than a bird dog.

But vehicle-wise I made a bad choice. As a family we always did 'wheeling vacations. We started with the Jeep CJ5 I had bought when I was single and rebuilt before the kids were born. The boys were outgrowing the back seat of the Jeep, so I sold it and bought the Bronco I have now. Not that I'm at all sorry that I have the Bronco, but that was a mistake. I couldn't prioritize it so we missed several years of 'wheeling vacations.

But still, my folks have a cabin and we did other trips, so we still did family vacations.

Now that my kids are grown and moved out Lesley and I have been able to spend more time together which has been great. I've done a better job with my current dog. But I still need to budget the time I put into my vehicles.

I don't have any real point to this. I guess just to agree that you need to prioritize family, but it's not always easy.

[mat in tn]

Another topic in the Ford lounge. Family.

Certain things were discussed yesterday including mostly the fact that Mrs. said I pay more attention to the vehicles than anything else. I told her "that's not a bad thing right.. you know what I am up to always".. Well that didn't go well. Jokes aside... she is very understanding being the daughter of a car guy (but a hardcore Chevy guy who has never owned a Ford ). Mrs. says I'm doing exactly the same thing her dad did, and my dad as well in his own way. I said "sounds like a dude thing?"... again didn't go well.

I do feel guilt a lot from time to time that when I'm not at my job, I am messing with something in the garage. I try to do most of the work on time or days-off from work when kids are in school. I like solving problems, its almost an addiction. When children are older I'm sure we can do things together. But I'm in the odd place where kids are too young to join and learn. The bronco project has been my largest so far, but collectively i'm less busy in the garage this year as I am working on only 1 vehicle so I guess that is a good thing.

What else do you guys do to ensure the family time doesn't suffer while working your own projects ?

it is an interesting topic. it is real for anyone with family. my wife loves that she knows where I am. I keep busy as much as when I was working. on days that I go to the shop I often come home excited and rambling on about what I get to do. on the days in my home shop, I'm busy doing all the automotive that I can unless grass needs cutting. my kids are all grown though. fourth grandchild due in a few months. I did not always get it right though hence wife number two. I closed my business which did not always have me coming home so happy. too many people are chasing the wrong dream! doing what society says that they should do. to put it simply, we do not need all that we think we do. live simply. within your means. and save all that you can. this way you are available to them. ironically, as I say this, I catch myself saying often that I have too much. I am a very rich man. I just don't have the money.

[viven44]

it is an interesting topic. it is real for anyone with family. my wife loves that she knows where I am. I keep busy as much as when I was working. on days that I go to the shop I often come home excited and rambling on about what I get to do. on the days in my home shop, I'm busy doing all the automotive that I can unless grass needs cutting. my kids are all grown though. fourth grandchild due in a few months. I did not always get it right though hence wife number two. I closed my business which did not always have me coming home so happy. too many people are chasing the wrong dream! doing what society says that they should do. to put it simply, we do not need all that we think we do. live simply. within your means. and save all that you can. this way you are available to them. ironically, as I say this, I catch myself saying often that I have too much. I am a very rich man. I just don't have the money.

Thanks Bob and Matt for sharing your experiences. You have definitely already been through everything that I am probably 15 years behind.

[BigBrother-84]

I am a very rich man. I just don't have the money.

I love that!

[ArdWrknTrk]

Gary is griping about how electric pickups don't have the range he wants to drag a load of stuff to his kids house in SC or FL.

Or to drive the trails of Ouray. (?)

BTW I towed a Maybach the other night.

They really are luxury incarnate!

Not that I would want one,

It's peak commuter traffic and I'm just getting off.

Here I am at the last rest stop on 95, before NJ.

There's a single car on the chargers...

People have this ingrained idea that you have to stop to fuel up.

The 50 or so Tesla's I've seen on the road this morning woke up refreshed, just like their owners. 💡

 

[viven44]

It's peak commuter traffic and I'm just getting off.

Here I am at the last rest stop on 95, before NJ.

There's a single car on the chargers...

People have this ingrained idea that you have to stop to fuel up.

The 50 or so Tesla's I've seen on the road this morning woke up refreshed, just like their owners. 💡

I doubt those garages with those 50 Teslas had nary a tool in it and spotless. I’m sure some of us here live in a tool and parts jungle, one that a Tesla would not want to be near.