What's under your lip/in your nose right now? - Part 2

[hittman]

That doesn't sound much different from ours except ours stopped around 7 last night. I took an emergency snow route to work this morning but it was terrible. For some reason, they plowed and didn't put down any salt or sand. Hopefully the drive home will be better but I don't think it's supposed to get above freezing today.

 

[Waho]

We've only got about 3" so far, expected to top out around 7" when it's all said and done.

Debating whether to blow my driveway now or wait until noon and let some more fall. One of the few minor upshots of 2nd shift.

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[hittman]

I waited to do mine last night. I knew it was supposed to stop before too late so I waited it out. It snowed from about 10am until 7pm.

 

[rothenbj]

Sounds like a Nor-easterner which is very similar to what we got earlier in the month. Drifting is one thing I don't miss. My mom's house had a problem with that as she sat on the middle of a hill with no trees to diffuse the winds. I still remember how my dad would clear it and the next day he was doing it again. That would sometimes take three days till it was over. I only had to deal with it once when it got really bad but all I had was two Toro thrower- the old and a new one and by the time I got thru the 20 yards or so drive portion the old one wasn't working and the new one couldn't throw the weight.

I had to hand shovel the last 10 feet or so plus an area to get to and from her back door. I was dead and there was no way to clear her parking area which was big enough for six cars. I still remember how upset she was the next day because that area was not opened up, as if she was going to drive anywhere and since it was a late season storm, the whole mess was going to melt in 3 or 4 days. Oh those old memories.

 

[rothenbj]

Yeah, just saw a weather forecast. The rain we're seeing is the eastern edge of the storm. The'll get some of it in the northwestern corner of the state and up into New England, but other than the rain nothing.

 

[Waho]

Ended up being pandemonium at work with the call ins despite the roads being fine. Makes for an easy day with inexperienced folks shutting the line down every other truck.

The news the GM is potentially shuttering 6 plants and cutting almost 15k jobs had my phone blowing up yesterday. Thankfully we're booming in Flint and I can't be booted to the street by someone with more seniority. Safe for now.

The only downside for myself is the 800 jobs we're adding will now most likely be higher seniority folks, which pushes me ever farther away from getting on to day shift. It also screwed any chance our long term temps had to get converted to seniority. I feel for them as I was stuck as a temp for over 3 years with life essentially on pause not being able to confidently make any large/long term purchases.

On the flip side, there's always some news like this in the run up to the contract negotiations. Forces the UAW into fighting to get product back into America and take concessions elsewhere.

 

[hittman]

I'm glad your job is safe Waho. That's some pretty scary stuff. I saw the article you mentioned about GM cutting back.

 

[rothenbj]

Yeah, I wonder about this news. I know trucks and SUVs are popular and bigger profit items but I don't see regular cars going away. Not everyone wants or can afford the bigger vehicles.

 

[Waho]

I think a lot of car buyers are moving into crossovers now. More cargo room and comparable gas mileage while still handling more like a car than larger SUV/trucks.

Of my immediate neighbors I'm the only one who still owns a traditional car with my Buick. I'm also the only one who doesn't own a Chevy Equinox. The parking lot at work is solidly half Equinox's as well.

I remember hearing at one point that the profit margins on the American assembled Cruze's was around $1000. Between the wage/benefit increases we got with the 2015 contract and these steel/aluminium tariffs, I could see how GM could potentially be losing money on them now.

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[Jingles]

I think a lot of car buyers are moving into crossovers now. More cargo room and comparable gas mileage while still handling more like a car than larger SUV/trucks.

Of my immediate neighbors I'm the only one who still owns a traditional car with my Buick. I'm also the only one who doesn't own a Chevy Equinox. The parking lot at work is solidly half Equinox's as well.

I remember hearing at one point that the profit margins on the American assembled Cruze's was around $1000. Between the wage/benefit increases we got with the 2015 contract and these steel/aluminium tariffs, I could see how GM could potentially be losing money on them now.

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Happy Chevy Equinox (2014) owner here. My husband did buy a new Cruze this past summer though. We tried to keep them afloat!


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[Waho]

Happy Chevy Equinox (2014) owner here. My husband did buy a new Cruze this past summer though. We tried to keep them afloat!


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My brother bought a Cruze hatchback earlier this year also!

The hatchback models are assembled in Mexico though.

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[The Rebel]

Wife drives a Suburban so she's supporting GM but mostly OPEC. I drive a Volkswagen. I have no brand loyalty, drive whatever appeals to me, but I did when I was a UAW member. Drove mostly GM back then. They'd put a knife in your tire if you showed up in the lot in anything that wasn't American made. Was a fun bunch to work with. First time in my life I ever saw a guy head into the shop restroom with a newspaper and a sandwich...

 

[hittman]

My company sells to a lot of union businesses so any company vehicles are required to be American made. No particular brand and the folks with company cars get to pick as long as it's in a certain price range. It's a small company so the owner is pretty lenient.

 

[Waho]

They'd put a knife in your tire if you showed up in the lot in anything that wasn't American made. Was a fun bunch to work with. First time in my life I ever saw a guy head into the shop restroom with a newspaper and a sandwich...

Flint has a foreign car parking lot that was moderately enforced a few years back. Security would just put a "ticket" on your windshield to say park over there a few times before they'd tow your car. Between the influx of "off the street" temp hires, the contractors building the new shops, and the actual foreign car lot being ripped up to install a bunch of stuff under it, they understandably haven't been enforcing it.

In Saginaw someone would absolutely slash a tire or roll your Kia Rio onto its roof with a fork truck. It was also a common sight to see someone walk into the bathroom with their lunchbox...

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[rothenbj]

All the talk about GM and a look into Equinoxs on the net got me walking into a Chevy dealership that had a 2016 LTZ with a 6 cyl. and about 22k on it. The vehicle is so clean but considering how I generally use it and how little I'd get on the trade in that I just put $1k in, I have a real leap of faith to pull the trigger. I'd be a lot more comfortable if I could find some reviews where people were towing with them. They're supposed to be able to handle 3,500 lbs which should be plenty for my trailer with a half cord of wood on it (if I ever need it for that anymore). However, I'd really like to read something from someone that used them for towing. It would certainly be nic for traveling though.

 

[hittman]

My sister has an older one but I don’t think she has used it for towing.

 

[Waho]

One of my neighbors pulls a tow low camper with their Equinox. I'll ask him about it next chance I get.

I've seen folks towing ~14' campers, small bass boats, and trailers with lawn equipment or dirt bikes/quads.

That 3.6L V6 is a pretty strong engine, I would think towing ability is more restricted by the hitch receiver.

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[hittman]

We took my youngest on a college visit today to Wichita State University. It’s a little over three hours away in Kansas. We live in Missouri. We are less than excited about having her that far away and we’re hoping she would pick a school that she visited in Missouri that was only 1.5 hours away. It’s not a done deal yet but she’s really excited about the one in Kansas and they have a great nursing program. We have to see if she can get scholarships and crunch the numbers.

 

[rothenbj]

Waho, you're correct and the Equinox is off the table, as much as I liked the vehicle. I might be able to get a third party hitch with a 2" receiver but the salesman said it comes with a class 1 and you can get an adapter. However, from what I read, that reduces the tongue weight limit by half. Not happening.

In addition, I could see me pushing the 3,500lb payload very easily. I really haven't moved much wood the last couple years between the trees I've had around here and the pallet ends I buy, but if I get to the point I need to, I want top feel safe. The Escape always was fine with whatever I put on it. I'm just concerned about a 100k and the wear and tear I've already put on it.

I just found a Cherokee locally with the towing package on it already with 30.5k on it and one owner. It's black, not my ideal color on a gravel road in the woods, but it might be the right deal. It's the Limited edition so it has all the bells and whistles. There's also a red Latitude which is $3k less with 13k more miles on it so we'll see.

 

[The Rebel]

I don't envy you Hitt. College ain't cheap and it certainly isn't going get any cheaper when my boys are ready. I told my wife that we'll need to get divorced and one of us lose our jobs and then the boys will be able to go to college for free. Sad that the working class gets penalized for doing the majority of the support to the economy. But people who are able to work but chose not to get a free ride. Thanks LBJ...