DaveW needs YOU!

[DaveW]

Hi guys. Well, I'll get straight to the point. This is a shameless abuse of my powers as Admin, but I'm asking you guys for help.

I have a job this summer in the USA, working at a summer camp in PA that I'm not going to mention by name. I'm going to have 30 days at the end of this period in which to travel, with a few days off and a hectic return flight for a wedding halfway though all this. America being such a big place, I decided I would have a lot more fun (and less stress) with a car.

I got a rough quote for the period I'd want a car, probably ~1st June to 10-20th September. The cheapest quote was for £2,050. For those of you unaware of the current exchange rate, that's ~$4,100.

Suffice to say I can't afford that. So I looked at the alternatives in the camp info sheet. You can `buy, rent, or borrow a car, or use the driveaway service'. Driveaway is pretty cool but I don't think anyone would be happy with a 3 month delivery period for their car.

So, I'm asking you, the TBCS community, to help me get some wheels while in the US. I'll need a vehicle that I can use within those dates, to travel around the country and see the sights. Not to mention meeting up with a few of my buddies from TBCS.

Now, I'm not asking someone to give me a car, but I am hoping you can help me smooth the process of getting a car, and then getting it to me in the USA. I doubt any one person could solve all the problems in this, so here's a list of the information concerning the car. You might find there's something here could help out with. :)

1) First, my stats; I have a full clean manual licence in the UK, that was issued in 2006. I am 21 and a full British passport holder, working under a J-1 Visa with no criminal record. I have never made an insurance claim. I drive a manual right hand drive car.

2) I am looking for a reliable vehicle for use during the dates above. I don't know entirely how the insurance will work; if buying, I know I'll have to pay a registration fee and such. The insurance I'll figure out once I've established a possible solution. If anyone in here is mad enough to actually loan me a car for that long, then I might be covered in your insurance policy unless the car is uninsured and in that case I'd sort it out myself.

3) The vehicle doesn't need to be pretty or fast. It does need to be reasonably comfortable, but most importantly, it needs to be reliable. I'm not bothered about assisted steering or manual gearboxes; the cheaper, the cheerier, as long as it keeps running.

4) At the end of my holiday, I'll have to get rid of the car. If buying a car, I'll have to sell it, or most likely donate it to a charity/scrap it in New York. I won't have time to run around selling the car at the end of my time, so I won't get much/any money back. So if you have a car that you can loan/give me, then we'll need to discuss how I'm going to get that car back to you. I could drive to your location, return the car, then make my way back to NY. Alternatively, I could find a driver to return the car for me (I don't really expect this to happen, I'm not that naive...).

5) Obviously, the possibility that I could be in a crash and wreck the car is very real. I won't accept any offers that involve a car that isn't 100% replaceable/disposable, so please lie to me if you are offering me such a car. Tell me you were keeping that Mustang for spares. :p

6) I have very little money money to spend on the car itself. I won't get paid till the end of my placement and my money will be stretched thin on the ground. I cannot afford to buy an expensive car, spend a lot on insurance, or pay for repairs to an old car to make it roadworthy (unless we're talking cheap parts here).

7) I'm flying into and out of New York, I think it's JFK International. Exact dates won't be known for me till much later, possible the end of this month.

8 ) It must be a 4 wheeled car of some sort. No motorcycles, heavy vehicles, quads, or any other kind of unusual transport. Other than that, I don't really care. 4 seats would probably be best, in case I make friends at camp, but I'm not bothered if it's only 2. If it's a single seat vehicle, I'm likely not interested, but try me anyway.

What I'm trying to say is; do you have an old car that you're considering getting rid of, yet it seems a waste to scrap it? Do you know someone in this situation? Do you have a car sitting around that's perfect for a guy to travel the US in, that you don't need for the dates above? Are you willing to act as a proxy, to scour second-hand car advertisements, to help a fellow TBCS member get some cheap wheels?

My understanding is I'll be spending a night in NYC before heading out to camp. That's when I'll be looking to collect the car; somewhere between JFK and the border of PA. The camp is pretty much bang on the border, and I'd rather not say more than that at the moment. I'll probably need to get all this sorted out by the end of this month, to notify my employer of my intention to get a car.

As a side note, I'd like to apologise about he obvious exploitation of the kindness of TBCS members. I'm honestly not asking for a free car here, although it might look like that. If you can help me out in any way, please do.

I've seen some amazing community efforts from TBCS in my time, so I'm really hoping you can help me get mobile!

-Dave

[noopypoop]

You could use my bike?

[Ap1thy]

I have a sentra project car thats been sitting for a year. It needs a fair amount of work (Lines, Brakes, Tires, Wheel Bearings, Exhaust). I was going to fix it up this summer but if you cant find anything else the engine and transmission are rock solid. I might suggest having a look at craigslist close to jfk

[SgtM]

I'll check around with a couple of my buddies. What part of PA are you going to be in? East, West? I'm in Ohio, right next door. It would be awesome to meet you and buy you a brew or 12.

[DaveW]

You could use my bike?

Thanks for the offer, but I wouldn't feel comfortable on a bike.


I have a sentra project car thats been sitting for a year. It needs a fair amount of work (Lines, Brakes, Tires, Wheel Bearings, Exhaust). I was going to fix it up this summer but if you cant find anything else the engine and transmission are rock solid. I might suggest having a look at craigslist close to jfk

Thanks again, but that sounds expensive to insure and I really don't want something that's gonna be missed in the unlikely (but possible) event that I crash it. I don't know what craigslist is, i'll google that and take a look...


I'll check around with a couple of my buddies. What part of PA are you going to be in? East, West? I'm in Ohio, right next door. It would be awesome to meet you and buy you a brew or 12.

I'm not right sure...from the last map I looked at, i'm 2 miles from the border with New York, but my placement letter claims: "The closest major city to camp is Scranton, PA, which is 50 miles away." According to the map I looked at, NYC is also roughly 50 miles away. Scranton sounds familiar, I'm certain that a current or past TBCS member lives there...

As I understand it, my plan goes something like this:

Fly in day before due to arrive.
Night is mine.
Early morning orientation.
Travel to camp.

I don't know exact times for those, but the most likely times to pick up the vehicle would be the day I arrive, in which case i'd have time to chat, or when i'm at camp, in which case I wouldn't. Any help on this is really appreciated guys, i'll hit up this graigslist thing and see what I can see. :)

-Dave

[DaveW]

Had a look at craigslist, and this is the sort of thing that i'm looking for. (http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/car/630615998.html)

I don't mean that specific car, but that sort of price and description, i.e. runs well and is cheap.

-Dave

[SgtM]

Yeah, that'd be the Eastern part of the state. I'm about 30 minutes from the Western border. ~5 hours from Scranton. Very cool area though. I'm sure you'll dig it.

http://maps.google.com/maps?daddr=Scranton,+PA&geocode=&dirflg=&saddr=niles,+oh&f=d&sll=41.412351,-75.655975&sspn=0.27396,0.54245&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=7

[chaksq]

I don't have a spare car but if you do buy something cheap I'd be interested in possibly buying it off of you when you leave. Especially if it is a Ford Escort/Tracer or basically any late 80's through late 90's Mazda. I'll keep an eye out for any good deals. I live in both northern NY near Canada and Connecticut near the NY border (school/house).

Good luck and enjoy your time here when you come visit.

Also just to let you know all cars you find here are left hand drive, I'm guessing you know that but just letting you know. Also pretty much anything decent (1990+) will have power steering and whatnot. A lot of people are lazy here and a lot of cars are made accordingly with automatic transmissions.

[Ichbin]

Whats your budget like?

[jdbnsn]

Hey Dave,

How close to Philadelphia will you be? Reason being, I can help you settle in quite a bit by picking you up from the airport and getting you oriented until your fat camp starts. Plus, for driving around this area you are free to use my car. I work directly across the street and everything I need is within walking distance so save yourself the money and trouble if possible and just use my car.

Jon

[DaveW]

I'm not sure about budget to be honest. It really depends on if I can figure out insurance prices. I'm hoping to spend no more than $600 on the car, the less the better-i'm hoping I can get something around the $400 mark.

I'm not worried if the car comes with mirrors as an optional extra-as long as it has seats and an engine, i'm good.


I don't have a spare car but if you do buy something cheap I'd be interested in possibly buying it off of you when you leave. Especially if it is a Ford Escort/Tracer or basically any late 80's through late 90's Mazda. I'll keep an eye out for any good deals. I live in both northern NY near Canada and Connecticut near the NY border (school/house).

In that situation I'd consider coming to an agreement where the car is registered in your name when it's bought and I use if for the summer. I'm really hoping that through TBCS I can get my hands on a car that doesn't need registered, that I could simply insure and drive.

If you guys come up with something, please let me know!

-Dave

[DaveW]

How close to Philadelphia will you be? Reason being, I can help you settle in quite a bit by picking you up from the airport and getting you oriented until your fat camp starts. Plus, for driving around this area you are free to use my car. I work directly across the street and everything I need is within walking distance so save yourself the money and trouble if possible and just use my car.


Thanks for the offer John, but I wouldn't feel comfortable taking your main mode of transportation! Plus, you really think you can live without it for 3 and a half months? :)

I think i'm going to have to leave all the socializing and sightseeing till the end of the holiday, although I'm supposed to get one day a week off. I'm far from Philadelphia, but not too far.

-Dave

[Ichbin]

400 bucks wont get you anything SAFE AT ALL.

Mirrors are required (Cept rearview)

400$ will get you a car that will break down in them middle of the highway. DO NOT go for that kinda car.

[xRyokenx]

400 bucks wont get you anything SAFE AT ALL.

Mirrors are required (Cept rearview)

400$ will get you a car that will break down in them middle of the highway. DO NOT go for that kinda car.

Sadly that's the kind of car I can afford... lol. Ah well...

If I weren't looking for a car myself I'd help you out dude. I live just a little ways from PA in NY, just so you know.

[Ichbin]

You should try craigslist in the area that your heading, or possibly even EBAY. You sometimes get good deals.

[Omega]

If Top Gear has taught me anything

it's that cheap cars (1500 pounds or 1500 dollars) break down. A lot.

If you can, get a Volvo 240 or a Toyota Tacoma (Hilux). Those cars are pretty much indestructible. Keep a set of wrenches in case you need them though.


But yeah. Any car you pick up for sub-600 probably won't work very well or very long.

But yeah. Volvos and Toyotas. The only two cars that I can think of that if you turn the key, it WILL start.

As for motoring: I'm pretty sure you shouldn't have a hard time passing the tests but I don't know if you'll be allowed to take them (not a US Citizen and all). Insurance probably won't like you since, well, you're not a US Citizen. Though if you buy your car on the public market (people selling their cars vs. dealerships), you should still be able to buy.

[chaksq]

Mirrors are required (Cept rearview)That is a lie, several base model cars were sold with only a driver side mirror and a blank plate on the passenger side. I am specifically thinking of early 90's Ford Escort Pony and base model Mazda 323s, I'm sure there were other cars like this as well.


cheap cars (1500 pounds or 1500 dollars) break down. A lot.
My car was less than $1500Us and it is in great shape. I probably did get lucky and something for $600 probably won't be though.

Anyways before we get off topic. I'll keep an eye out. Need to check into some stuff. Yea your budget isn't great. With a $1000US you are way better off. I spent just over that on my car and probably could have gotten away with minimal maintaining for 3 months and it would have been fine. Although if you are planning on driving a lot (say all over the country) then that could change. Not to mention insurance is going to be expensive. Each year I pay more than I paid for my car just to keep it insured.

Oh and I know you've got a good license back at your home but you need to make sure you can drive with it in every state you plan on traveling through. Just make sure you've double checked with everything. Oh and a lot of insurance companies here place liability on the owners of the car not just who happens to be driving.

[Omega]

That is a lie, several base model cars were sold with only a driver side mirror and a blank plate on the passenger side. I am specifically thinking of early 90's Ford Escort Pony and base model Mazda 323s, I'm sure there were other cars like this as well.

Laws can change considerably in ~20 years.



My car was less than $1500Us and it is in great shape. I probably did get lucky and something for $600 probably won't be though.

Depends on a lot of factors but let's just play it safe and say you probably won't get a good deal for under 1k.



Oh and I know you've got a good license back at your home but you need to make sure you can drive with it in every state you plan on traveling through. Just make sure you've double checked with everything. Oh and a lot of insurance companies here place liability on the owners of the car not just who happens to be driving.

If he gets US Registration in one state he is permitted to, if I recall correctly, live in another state for two weeks without having to go to that state's DMV. Since he probably won't be living and just visiting, should be no worries. And since he's over 18, he can get a full license... night driving, all states, passengers, etc. (Yes, the US does restrict those things if you're under 18 )

The problem with insurance is I'm sure he won't have a set address, nor does he have a credit score in the states I'm sure. of course, if he gets a well maintained econobox or other safe, small car, he could insure it for ~100/mo or so. Depends on the car and region though. No points on your UK license is good, but I don't know if US Insurance companies will care. I do know they want to know how long you've had a US License or permit. that will probably drive up the cost, too. They'll assume you're a new driver.

Oh, and Insurance is the law here anyways so you pretty much need it.

[DaveW]

I'm going to ask about insurance at the embassy when I go there. I really don't know if my budget would stretch that far, I'm really hoping to nab a good deal on a second hand/loaner car. I'll definitely get insurance.

If anyone knows about a cheaper car hire than the ones i'm looking at, one that maybe does hire by the month, then let me know. :)

-Dave

[DaveW]

People do this all the time, so there must be some way of doing it. The only thing that's different in this scenario is that I'm hoping to have the car available when I arrive in the US instead of sorting it out while I'm there, if you know what I mean.

I'm still hoping that someone her could find me a cheap but reliable car loan/hire, but if nothing comes up, is there anyone who'd be willing to help me get a car by going to buy it and holding it for me? I know it's a pain in the ass, but as far as I'm concerned anyone who helps me out with this can keep the car when I'm done with it.

If anyone here knows of an insurer who's willing to insure a foreign driver on a monthly/quarterly contract, let me know. I don't need to apply for an American Licence, the UK test is notoriously difficult to pass.

For the UK test, mistakes come in 3 categories: Serious, Major, and Minor. A serious is something like not looking at a junction. A major is something like brushing the kerb when parking. A minor is something like missing one of the 9+ mirror checks we're supposed to do when using a roundabout. Do you call them that in the US?

Basically, get a Serious or Major, and it's an instant fail. Because minors are so easy to get, you're allowed 15 minors before you fail, but if you get more than 10 you're likely going to get a major somewhere anyway.

I had to sit my test 3 times; first time I was so nervous I put the car in reverse when parked, and when I tried to drive away I went flying backwards. I couldn't really complain about that. Second time, I got some chick who marked me down for 2 minors and and a major, said I didn't indicate to go around parked cars. In the area we're talking about it's a parking bay, and the road curves out around the bays. I tried to argue the point with her, but she just got out the car and walked away from me mid-sentence, bitch.

Third time, I got the same chick again, so I thought `christ, waste of time & money...'. I thought she would just fail me again, but she passed me with 3 minors. She asked me why I looked familiar, and I looked in her eyes and said "You failed me last time for not indicating to go around `parked cars'". I swear to god, I saw guilt flash in her eyes, she remembered it. It's a bad idea to give these guys fail quotas, but they do.

Ok, so technically this is a shameless bump...but you get a semi-interesting story out of it.

Anyway, please dig deep guys, I haven't a lot to offer in ways of cash but I'll find a way to pay you back somehow. I vehemently believe that what goes around comes around.

Anyway, I got to get back to work. It's 5:05am here, I'm still working on that damn report...

-Dave

[Omega]

we don't have roundabouts here in the states. Just intersections.

[chaksq]

Actually there are roundabouts here, if you travel to Massachusetts the place is loaded with them. Also a few on my college campus. Not trying to argue with you but just want to get the facts straight. It is true that in most places here in the US they don't use roundabouts, and most of the time you will find intersections with traffic lights and whatnot.

[Omega]

I live in California and have most of my life.

I've never seen a roundabout in person.

=p

[simon275]

We have roundabouts down under but we don't have many of the crazy huge ones you get in europe.

[DaveW]

The thing about the UK is, we have these town planners. The UK isn't small but we're packed in tight, so town planners basically managed to pseudo-perfect the road infrastructure in about 1980. In other words, some junctions had lights, some had roundabouts, and some had none.

Then, terror. The planners realized that they couldn't keep their jobs is all that was needed in future was optimization and fine-tuning. So they turned their attention to deliberately sabotaging the system. This is NOT a lie. Allow me to demonstrate.

A roundabout, as you probably realise is designed so that traffic `flows' instead of stopping and starting as you would at lights. As such, they were placed where a heavy road intersected a light road; the heavy road would be able to move fast without stopping, and the poor folks travelling the light road would just nip into breaks in the traffic. So far, so good. When the town planners realized they were doomed, they came up with a whole new abomination; traffic-light-roundabouts. Why not just have a junction, you ask? Because that would be too simply. The unspeakable horror. I literally cannot talk about these any more.

Instead, i'll move on to other things. Such as double roundabouts. These pointless little bastids exist purely to destroy the soul of any driver. UK drivers pray that they don't get these on their tests; one roundabout is difficult enough, but in this case, you have to navigate from one roundabout to another in a single, fluent move. Imagine you're in a spaceship in orbit around earth. Now, you orbit earth till you catch up with the moon, then quickly switch to orbit the moon. Sounds simple enough, right? Except now imagine that both earth and the moon's orbits are filled with confused spaceships.

You're almost there. Now for the real kicker. These double roundabouts are only ever found in the mini-variety. You might never have come across a mini roundabout in the US. In the UK, it's a roundabout that's just pained on the street, usually about 6 foot wide or so. They are almost impossible to actually drive around normally, but in a double roundabout, you have two in a goddamn binary orbit.

Allow me to demonstrate.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/documents/digitalasset/dg_070541.jpg

And finally, my Coup de grâce: the Glasgow bypass. From wikipedia:


Construction of the roads began in 1965, and half of its circumference was completed by 1972, but no subsequent construction was made and the remaining plans were formally abandoned in 1980.

Now they're trying to get the whole project back on track. Whoops. The photo below shows the `start' of the bypass, also known as the glasgow ring-road. What you can't see from the photo is that directly in front of the intended path of the motorway is a listed building; in other words, a building that's protected and cannot be demolished.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/07/M8WestStreetRamps.jpg

In order to finish the job, the entire ring-road thing has been completely re-planned, involving buying a number of businesses simply to level their buildings in order to build the road. It's a joke.

I'd like to say this is the worst, but these 3 examples are the easiest way to make my point without going off on a rant. Yes, i've seen the huge interchanges on the US highways, and yes they do look nasty to navigate, but that's something you get in an area of high volume traffic. The things i'm talking about are on each and every god damn corner you come to, sometimes right in the middle of a road with no point at all.

It's said that in the US you can just drive on a straight road for miles with nothing to see. You know what though? That sounds frickin awsome.

-Dave

PS: Sorry for the rant, hope it was at least a little entertaining.

[jdbnsn]

LMAO! Entertaining and educational! If like like driving with little to look at you simply must drive through western Kansas. You can set the cruise control, duct-tape the steering wheel in place, and sleep through without missing a thing.

[Omega]

It's said that in the US you can just drive on a straight road for miles with nothing to see. You know what though? That sounds frickin awsome.

It is pretty cool most of the time. I'll admit that after the 600th mile of nothingness it gets kind of boring, though. And from my understanding, that's only really here in the west.

Though I'm pretty sure we don't have screwups as hard as you guys do =p

I think the worst that happens over here really is a section of road gets damaged and needs to be shut down, but if you're in the bay area especially there's like 15 routes to anything so you're pretty much set.

[Airbozo]

Few notes;
License; Dave, check with your embassy, but I am almost positive you can apply for an "International Drivers License", that will allow you to drive in pretty much any country. Nothing more than paying a small fee and signing a paper (I am also pretty sure you do not need one in the states, nor would you need to take any tests since you can drive on your local license for up to 12 months in the states). They give you a stamp on the back of your current license and will add the "Official" tick mark when you get you new one. When Kathy and I rented the car in Scotland, they accepted our Cali license with no questions _and_ our normal insurance covered any accidents (not that we had any, but there was a little less paint on the passenger side...). I will also check with my Brother-in-law (from the UK) to see what he did when he first got here.

Mirrors; Depends on the state but drivers and passenger mirrors are required in _most_ states. Not that it matters since cars don't have to go through a safety check anymore in most locations.

Roundabouts; Very few in the states, mostly in the East, but they are becoming more popular due to traffic and gas prices (yes roundabouts have been proven to also save gas). I have seen a few in California and the first one I ever had to deal with was in Long Beach. It was built in 1930 by a German engineer.

There are many roads in the US that go straight for a very long time and yes Omega most of them are in the western US. One of my favorites is HWY 50 east of Reno to HWY 70, dubbed "The Loneliest Highway In America". You can drive that road for hours without seeing another vehicle, human or even signs of humans. You crest one hill and look across the expanse to the next hill that will take you a couple hours to reach... It follows part of the original trail of the Pony Express and there are even the ruins of some Pony Express stops. A must drive for anyone!

[Bopher]

Ha, roundabouts. My wife gets mad when I call them that. There is on in Portsmouth, NH on route 1 that is huge. Even in Cheyenne they were thinking about putting one in where there is a particular difficult intersection. When I saw the paper telling about it I said, "Hey look. They want to put a roundabout there." She looked at me and said, "It's a rotary" lol.

Anyway. Wish you had this going a few years back I had 2 cars then. My wife doesn't see the point now considering I'm the only one who drives. I'll keep an ear out toward the east coast. Maybe one of my family will have something out there. Only problem would be you'd have to get to South east NH.

[Drum Thumper]

It's said that in the US you can just drive on a straight road for miles with nothing to see. You know what though? That sounds frickin awsome.



To the tourists, yes, it can be a nice change. As a Montanan though, it is nice to go back every once in a while and drive Montana Highway 200, it gets old real quick--especially east of the Rockies.

Actually, lemme elaborate a bit: I grew up in Central Montana literally right next to Montana Highway 200 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana_Highway_200), 10 miles away from Grass Range, MT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass_Range%2C_Montana). I only bring Grass Range up due to the fact that Tom Siebel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Siebel) is a part time resident (and no, I haven't had the opportunity to meet him...yet). Anyways; going from Grass Range MT to Jordan MT is roughly 123 miles of some of the most desolate highway in the United States. It's also very rugged and beautiful in its own way. It is also not a road that you wish to break down on, especially once you get east of Winnett MT--there's literally no one there.



Unless, of course, it is hunting season. Then the whole area is full of out of state hunters.

[BigJohnson]

ZIP CAR! (http://www.zipcar.com/) I knew I've heard of this somewhere. Its a timeshare car. I dont know what it costs or anything about it, but its exactly what you need.

[Aero]

Few notes;
License; Dave, check with your embassy, but I am almost positive you can apply for an "International Drivers License", that will allow you to drive in pretty much any country. Nothing more than paying a small fee and signing a paper (I am also pretty sure you do not need one in the states, nor would you need to take any tests since you can drive on your local license for up to 12 months in the states). They give you a stamp on the back of your current license and will add the "Official" tick mark when you get you new one.

But be careful, theres more than one scam based on this. Some companies claim to give you an international license (for a fee of course), and do squat. I think that if you have a license in your country of origin, its valid in others, but check with the embassy.

[DaveW]

ZIP CAR! I knew I've heard of this somewhere. Its a timeshare car. I dont know what it costs or anything about it, but its exactly what you need.

I thought that was looking pretty good till I saw the part where they charge $49 dollars a day...It seemed to me that you hire the car for $50 a month, then when you use up $50 worth of car time, you start paying for it? I don't really understand how this works, am I missing something?

I'm going to phone the camp people tonight about car info and flights. I'm pretty sure my standard licence will be OK in the US, my dad hired a car in the US before and I don't think he needed an international licence.

I'll check back in soon folks, and let you know what I've found out. Then we can get some serious planning done! Thanks everyone who's popped in to help so far.

-Dave

[Airbozo]

.....
I'm going to phone the camp people tonight about car info and flights. I'm pretty sure my standard licence will be OK in the US, my dad hired a car in the US before and I don't think he needed an international licence.
....
-Dave

This is correct Dave. I called the DMV here in Cali and they told me that certain countries do not need any special license for 90 days. It is only when you pass that 90 days that they want you to take the tests and pay them money. This is true across the US, not just here. There are very few countries that require an international drivers license (I had to get one when I went to Japan).

[IndyRacer27]

It's said that in the US you can just drive on a straight road for miles with nothing to see. You know what though? That sounds frickin awsome.
I don't remember which highway it was, but it was somewhere near the Nevada/Utah border near the Bonnyville salt flats. The highway was perfectly flat and straight. We watched in the rear view mirror as a town we had passed, disappeared because of the curvature of the earth.

[Airbozo]

Indy, that would be HWY 80 or I-80. It goes all the way from San Francisco, CA to Teaneck, NJ. (second longest hwy next to I-90)

[IndyRacer27]

Thanks AB, I knew someone would recongnize my description. That was 20+ years ago, but it made quite an impression on me.

[Omega]

I actually plan on taking a road trip on I-80

When you enter sacramento it has a sign that says "Ocean City, MD X Miles". I want to see if there's a sign in Ocean City, MD that says "Sacramento, CA X Miles".

also, 80 has a lot of daughter interstates (I-580, I-880, etc) in the CA Bay Area that are used in conjunction with CA-101 to get pretty much anywhere in the bay area.

[DaveW]

I'm still waiting to hear about insurers at the moment. Any updates from you guys? Discovered anyone with a car to loan, decided to get a new car and don't need the old one for a while? A spare car over the summer? Please, let me know.

I'm kind of peeved, I won't find out if I can get a Visa till 14 days before I'm due to leave. Even then, I don't know how it's going to work. What a royal pain in the ass.

Anyway, I'll figure something out. Keep me posted with any news guys!

-Dave

[FuzzyPlushroom]

Only problem would be you'd have to get to South east NH.

(Yes, I know that roundabout - big sucker. They're popping up elsewhere as well, one in Keene, for instance.)

If he ends up in New Hampshire anyway, I have an '89 Volvo that's a bit of brake work and a new battery shy of "reliable", if it comes to that.

[DaveW]

If he ends up in New Hampshire anyway, I have an '89 Volvo that's a bit of brake work and a new battery shy of "reliable", if it comes to that.

That's the sort of thing I'm looking to hear! Lemme see now, New Hampshire...Wow, that's actually pretty close in terms of every other car so far. I can provide money for the brake work and battery if you're willing to let me have the car for the summer. I'll do my best to return it to you in one piece. :D

If you think that's cool, PM me your phone number and your time difference to GMT and I'll phone you to talk about it. That means I'd just need to get the car to NYC, I won't have the time to come to the car...gotta think of something.

If that sounds cool Fuzzy, let me know.

-Dave

[DaveW]

I've been in touch with John, because Fuzzy's folks don't want me to take the car. Fuzzy gets an A+ for effort though, and a +Rep from me for his help.

I'm talking to Jon just now about getting a car. Jon will be pretty close to where I am, so I'm considering sending him my money and have him acting as a Proxy. If he agrees, then we've got the car sorted. Which means I need to look at the final hurdle just now; insurance.

So, does anyone here work for an insurance company? Do your folks? Can you make a phone call and ask about insurance for someone with an international licence? I'm getting my International Licence here, because as Airbozo pointed out I'll be driving for over 90 days and will need it.

So here's what I'm needing at this stage from you guys:


Advice on insurance, and maybe some quotes if possible. The names of the biggest and best insurers in the USA would help. Finding out this info in the UK is nearly impossible; all the biggest insurers check your IP and direct you to the UK site. I could use a proxy to fool them into thinking i'm in the USA, but that's such a pain in the ass.
Anyone in the Philadelphia area,who knows someone who needs to shift a car, please let me know as soon as you can. If you can help out with getting a car, please do. Jon is a really busy guy, and I don't want to inconvenience him. By `help out' I mean things like inspecting the car, helping with registration and so on. I'll ty and compensate people for time, but I won't be able to do that till i'm in the States in Summer.
Car advice. People in the TBCS chat room have been shocked that I've been in there the last few days to talk about cars. US cars are different from the UK cars, so any car folk who can offer advice on which car to get should jump into the chat when my name's up there.


Thanks guys. I'll +Rep anyone who can give me a hand with the above.

-Dave

[DaveW]

C'mon guys, I need your help here!

Let me know which of these cars you think sounds good. I like the Chevy Nova, looks nice, even if it is an old brown car. But I like all these cars. Just let me know if there's one in particular you think I should snatch up, and I'll phone the owners.

Chevy Nova, $500 (http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/car/643111032.html)

1993 Toyota Corolla $600 (http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/car/649714083.html)

1998 Ford Contour $500 (http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/car/648580380.html)

1987 Chevy S10 $500 (http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/car/644747264.html)

91 Crown Vic Wagon $550 (http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/car/642704613.html)

1987 olds cutlass siera $600 (http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/car/633680507.html)

Anyway, I know all the cars are bordering on the edge of scrap but I'm certain there's a good deal in there somewhere.

I'll check back tomorrow, let me know what you think. Jon, if any of these cars are out of range, let me know-the search is supposed to be limited to Philadelphia, but I know it's a big place.

Thanks guys, half-looking forward to hearing your replies, try not to crush my hopes and dreams! Just tell me: can I travel in this car? Will it get me around for 2 months of light and one month of hard use?

I don't care much about aesthetics, and I have limited mechanical skills. So I'm looking for a cheap, old, and semi-decent car, preferably with a simple yet reliable engine under the hood.

-Dave

[Omega]

I say the Corolla. It's a toyota and they're known for starting when you tell them to.

[Bopher]

I would have to cay the corolla or the contour. Like Omega said toyota are good and ford haven't let me down yet. Only reason mine stopped was a teenager pulled out in front of me.

[DaveW]

I was thinking the Toyota too. Let me see...I'll phone the guy tonight, see if the car's still available, ask him/her how it drives. Then i'll get his/her address and see if I can send Jon over.

What do you think Jon?

Also, Is guy a Unisex term in the USA? In Scotland it's pretty much unisex, although it usually means a male. I thought it was an Americanism, which is what we call picking up American bastardizations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_%28linguistics%29)of the English language. Apologies to anyone who's offended by the term, but that's the only correct description of an Americanism in the UK-they're considered a social Faux Pas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faux_Pas).

I don't even know why I brought it up. I'll phone the dude tonight about the car.

-Dave

PS: Dude is usually a male in the UK, whereas the Plural is Unisex. Do you guys have `British-isms?'

PSS: As Firefox's spell-check contains Americanism, but not Britishism, perhaps that answers the question...

[weazel6265]

Well, seeing as how we stole the entire language from Britain, I think it would be a bit hard to have british-isms, or on the flip side the entire language is a british-ism. Anything that is considered "correct" was probably decided that way because of the british origins.

But in response to your actual question I think it is pretty standard to call an unknown person a guy i.e. some guy cut me off today on the highway.
At least the way I use it, once you know someone is female, you generally don't call her a guy, but if there are multiple people I generally just go with guys, even if it is an all female group i.e. how you guys doing?

It just seems easier, even if it is less politically correct

[armadilloben]

ive had the exact same conversation before with someone weasel and i completly agree with you


but dave i would help except im only 14 so i dont have a car sorry:(

[DaveW]

Hmm...no reply from the person so far. I don't want to wait too long, so what would be your second choice, and I'll contact them as well?

-Dave

[DaveW]

Ok, I spoke to Jon today. He has my money, and we made some phone calls. This came on (http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/car/655928006.html), and we jumped it there and then, but the guy claimed that 5 other people were racing across town at that very moment to hand him cash. So Jon called his bluff and we're waiting to see how that pans out.

This means that Jon has the ball folks. If you are in his area and can help him out, please do so! If you know of a deal in the area, let him know ASAP!

Also, I'm still trying to sort out insurance, so anyone with information about this, please help me. :)

-Dave

[jdbnsn]

I bought you a car today Dave.

[Omega]

what is it

we want pics

oh, and put the TBCS logo real big on the sides. Yeah.

=D

[jdbnsn]

oh, and put the TBCS logo real big on the sides. Yeah.

=D

OMG that would be so funny, a HUGE TBCS logo on the hood, doors, roof, custom plates, and keychain! hahahahaha

[Drum Thumper]

LOL...start up a paypal to pay for it! Hell, I'd kick in $5!!!

[DaveW]

Hahaha...nice! I haven't got a clue what he's got, if it was one of the million we looked at or something else...can't wait to find out what I got :p

-Dave

[simon275]

Dave's new ride in the US. :D

http://www.thekidswindow.co.uk/images/CMScontent/Image/57194.jpg:D

[DaveW]

Actually, Jon told me what it is. I can't believe it. It's better than the car I currently drive, about 3 times better.

Sorting out the paperwork at the moment, trying to figure out how this works. Jon might be able to post pictures later.

-Dave

[armadilloben]

dave dont forget to drive on the right side of the road ;-)

mazel tov btw


MODMOBILE FTW!!!

[Durrthock]

Well what is it? lol
:pics:

[DaveW]

Me and Jon are still sorting out the money. Paypal stopped my transfer for security reasons, and we need that to clear so Jon can pick up the car. When he has it, I'm sure he'll post a pic.

-Dave

[DaveW]

Ok, quick update:

Jon has registered and received the car. All I need to do now is insure it.

I'm probably going to disappear now for a while, exams to do and all that.

-Dave

[jdbnsn]

You should check back here soon, there may be pics coming ;)

[XcOM]

good, and for a key chain i can get a tbcs key chain made up for about $10 i think

EDIT:

YEs i can have a TBCS key chain made for $10 plus shipping, i will cover the shipping but thats all i can afford atm.

Any takers?

[jdbnsn]

hmmm....I might want one of these, what would it be made from/look like?

[XcOM]

It is made from durable plastic,

and the rep i deal with said this:


Our key rings are printed using a technique called dye sublimation. The print penetrates the surface of the key ring at high temperature and is cooled quickly leaving a permanent and vibrant image. This printing process allows images to be printed at high resolution and in full colour making it possible to reproduce both photographic and solid colour images faithfully. We have selected the most colour stable inks and accurate colour profiling software to help ensure you receive highest quality product available.


Also if we get an order larger than 10 he will give me a discount, this is where i got my mouse mat and mug from.

[Omega]

I'd be up for that.

[simon275]

Hell if you can get one out to this end of the world I would be up for one.

[Dilphat]

I am still waiting in anticipation of what Dave is gonna roll up in. ooo, and keychains i might want one. =)

[XcOM]

i can order as meny as you need, there $10 each, plus what it would cost to ship to you,

shipping to aus and USA would be:
£1.64 for 5 day delivery (ISH) or
£0.81 for 56 day delivery (ISH)

so the total price would be $14.00(USD)/$15.00(AUD) including shipping to US

I know theres alot of germans here so:

Shipping to germany is:
£1.24 for 3 day delivery and
£0.81 for 14 days delivery

so total inc shipping in europe is $9.00(EUROs)

[XcOM]

What they would look like:

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/1363/keysvb3.jpg

oviously the image would be a bit cleaner when i make it

[simon275]

awesome! Lets place a order.

[XcOM]

im ordering mine at the end of the month, and im getting dave one for his car!