Destructive charities (was: STAPLES STORES...)

From: Richard Erlacher <edick_at_idcomm.com>
Date: Fri Feb 15 09:38:33 2002

Yes, but the REAL problem is that the '86 automobile came from Detroit, where
cars have, since the '60's been designed to become, and to stay, worthless
before the ever-increasing period of the payments expires.

Likewise with the majority of personal computers. They're designed to become
undesirable within the 24-month window from "now" to when "generation after
next" is on the showroom floor.

A few exceptions get swept along under the same umberella, but, for the most
part, if people wanted 'em, they'd not end up in the junk pile. The problem
with the throwaway society is that most people just don't want the hassle of
passing their throwaways to someone who might be able to used them because
they decline to have contact with such individuals.

Dick

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Ford" <mikeford_at_socal.rr.com>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 15, 2002 6:00 AM
Subject: Re: Destructive charities (was: STAPLES STORES...)


> >>The car that can't pass emissions is like the computer that won't run.
It's
> >>of no real use, except maybe for parts.
> >
> >Um... WRONG... the $4,000 Toyota just needs a new cat ($100 in parts and
> >$80 in labor). The guy just felt like buying a new car. But since he
>
> Short answer, my Lincoln dealer wanted a $1000 authorization to even look
> at my smog test failing Mark VII, and if it did prove to have bad cats
> would only replace them with Ford parts which were over a grand. Charity
> looked pretty good, but I EVENTUALLY found a cheapo muffler shop that
> replaced both cats for $187.
>
> Long answer.
> Knowledge is power. 4 years ago my 86 Lincoln Mark VII was running a tad
> funky at emissions testing time, and by a TINY margin failed one element of
> the smog test (HC I think). So I figure bad gas, and run the tank empty and
> fillup with premium, then go back for the free retest. Again it fails, but
> from the opposite too lean (maybe) and I get the first repair quote of $125
> to "clean" the injectors. Well this roasted my chicken, since I was at the
> Mobil station getting the test where I bought all my gas, that was supposed
> to be keeping my engine clean. Anyway I do it, but the pretest still shows
> me failing and now its worse, which the mechanic says means the O2 sensors
> are bad and need $250 of replacing, and much more expensive it could need
> cats for $700.
>
> Gotta be someplace cheaper, so I hunt up a gas station that buys just Mark
> VII cars and fixes and parts them out. For $200 he agrees on the phone to
> sell me the whole front end of the exhaust system, but when I arrive that
> doesn't include the O2 sensors, or a gaurantee they work (ie will pass the
> test). Eventually the guy talks me into $30 worth of trying some
> "adjustments", but he actually runs a "real" smog test to check his
> results, which failed miserably, and due to the hook up of his test rig to
> the DMV my car is permanently classified as a GROSS POLLUTER requiring
> special testing on all future smog tests. <surprizingly the fellow is still
> alive> (mostly due to me not knowing how screwed I was until later)
>
> Finally, after I have well passed the license renewal date and have a
> whopper penalty, I go to a better mechanic and he assures me the next step
> are O2 sensors, then cats, and I pop for the O2, and after that fails to
> fix, I hunt down some cheap cats and ouila, everything is perfect, except
> its a gross polluter on the license for life even though it measures like
> new. The ticket my wife got for expired tags was a real thrill too.
>
>
>
Received on Fri Feb 15 2002 - 09:38:33 GMT