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My MIL is over right now asking for help with her car - 2012 Focus, w/Titanium package - and it sounds like hot garbage.

There's a buzzing type noise from the front right at pretty much all times, but is most pronounced when the wheel is clocked left. My MIL claims that the dealer was telling her her motor mounts were done and needing replacement and that was almost 2yrs ago she says. I'll start with that. It has the transmission issues that the focus has so there's that too. It also has a fuel leak from where the fuel hose meets the fuel tank. The plastic connection joint thing is cracked there.

All I know is that I hate working on this car because of how cramped everything is in it if it requires me to go into the engine bay.

All she knows is that she hates the car and wants a new / replaced vehicle.
 
CDsDontBurn said:
My MIL is over right now asking for help with her car - 2012 Focus, w/Titanium package - and it sounds like hot garbage.

There's a buzzing type noise from the front right at pretty much all times, but is most pronounced when the wheel is clocked left. My MIL claims that the dealer was telling her her motor mounts were done and needing replacement and that was almost 2yrs ago she says. I'll start with that. It has the transmission issues that the focus has so there's that too. It also has a fuel leak from where the fuel hose meets the fuel tank. The plastic connection joint thing is cracked there.

All I know is that I hate working on this car because of how cramped everything is in it if it requires me to go into the engine bay.

All she knows is that she hates the car and wants a new / replaced vehicle.
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Put the minimum amount of effort into getting it sale ready and get rid of the shit box.
 
Forget high egg prices, I was looking to buy some steaks for the holiday weekend and was blown away by the prices. Two basic choice steaks were like $35 😲

No way am I paying that. That steak can rot on the shelf before I'll pay that much for it.

It looks like beef prices are at or near an all time high right now. The national average, according to my research, is almost $11.50 a pound! Unreal!

Has anyone else noticed this where you live either in the store or in restaurants?

WhatsUpWithTheBeef.png
 
Trunk Monkey said:
Put the minimum amount of effort into getting it sale ready and get rid of the shit box.
Click to expand...

She plans to get rid of it, but needs to wait a little longer to save more for a better down payment on something new(er). I told her about selling it, but she's one of those that doesn't want to put any effort into things that take work to maximize returns.

That said, her car is pretty thrashed because of all the sun damage over the last 13 years with her living in Palm Desert. Her summer months typically range from April to November where 100° days isn't uncommon just about daily. During actual summer, June - September, the daily average out there is 113°.

Where this is all leading into is her car's interior and why I said what I said above. Over the last 13 years of ownership, her car has succumbed to the following bits of sun / UV related damage:
  • Cracked dashboard
  • Eyeglasses holder
  • Plastic chrome peeling
  • Broken door panel
  • Deteriorated rubber trim
  • Yellowed headlights
  • Failed plastic tabs that hold up the rear deck
  • Other things I can't remember
That said, my MIL is fed up with the car both mechanically and cosmetically and she would send it straight to the crusher. She was one of the first to sue Ford over the transmission issues and won.

Ford paid her out for the car and she decided to keep the car instead of getting rid of it, mainly because she was free and clear of a car payment after winning the lawsuit.

So yeah, she has a real bad taste with this car and is adamant that her next car isn't going to be an American car because of her experiences with this car specifically.

Trunk Monkey said:
Forget high egg prices, I was looking to buy some steaks for the holiday weekend and was blown away by the prices. Two basic choice steaks were like $35 😲

No way am I paying that. That steak can rot on the shelf before I'll pay that much for it.

It looks like beef prices are at or near an all time high right now. The national average, according to my research, is almost $11.50 a pound! Unreal!

Has anyone else noticed this where you live either in the store or in restaurants?

View attachment 14250
Click to expand...

Beef has always been a bougie thing in my household meant only for special occasions, so I've been a largely insulted from this. We typically eat chicken and fish.

The only beef I buy is primarily from burgers and taco joints already cooked and ready for me to eat, lol. That said, In-N-Out has been steadily increasing their prices over the past year or so. What we usually order right now comes out to $40.32. just a few months ago it used to be $38.xx, and before that, it was $36.xx.
 
Trunk Monkey said:
Forget high egg prices, I was looking to buy some steaks for the holiday weekend and was blown away by the prices. Two basic choice steaks were like $35 😲

No way am I paying that. That steak can rot on the shelf before I'll pay that much for it.

It looks like beef prices are at or near an all time high right now. The national average, according to my research, is almost $11.50 a pound! Unreal!

Has anyone else noticed this where you live either in the store or in restaurants?

View attachment 14250
Click to expand...
I read an article on it. I haven't been buying steaks for nearly 2 years unless it's a crazy sale. But the basics of it are that in 2019 we had 35 million cattle and today we have 29 million (I'm estimating about what I heard). So that plus the fact we basically have 2 packers controlling the market, is why we have the mess we do. I'm amazed people still buy any, TBH.
 
Zep5.0 said:
A V-8 Couldn't Save Ford's Directionless MN12 Platform - Hagerty Media https://share.google/yf39W5M4iaOrW98e8.

Interesting read. Can't remember if this was shared yet or not.
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I always liked Sajeev, he actually was in the club in the good old days and I used to read his articles on The Truth About Cars back when that place was tolerable, he does good research without much hyperbole like most automotive bloggers, didnt know he moved to Hagerty, good for him!. He has a really sweet 88 XR7 too,

a1 (41).jpg
 
Zep5.0 said:
A V-8 Couldn't Save Ford's Directionless MN12 Platform - Hagerty Media https://share.google/yf39W5M4iaOrW98e8.

Interesting read. Can't remember if this was shared yet or not.
Click to expand...
Kind of harsh. It has been many years, but from what I recall the T-Bird/Cougar more than held its own in the market it was competing in sales-wise. I guess I don't really care? I love all of the 89-98 T-Birds/Cougars/Marks.
 
KevinVarnes said:
Kind of harsh. It has been many years, but from what I recall the T-Bird/Cougar more than held its own in the market it was competing in sales-wise. I guess I don't really care? I love all of the 89-98 T-Birds/Cougars/Marks.
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The whole coupe market as a whole was retracting in the 90s, be it Personal luxury coupes, sports cars pony cars etc. MN12s held their own against the competition fine but compared to their namesakes in the 70s they were definitely struggling.

My attitude is who cares? The normal happiness flowchart of capitalism is Business>shareholder>consumer. The MN12 was a rare win where the consumer actually got a great product at the latter’s expense :boohoo:
 
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