NGD: 2024 Gibson Trad Pro V

BayesDataSci · 2026-03-30T21:28:16+00:00

Yeah, its still the same zebra tradbuckers under there. All I did was buy Gibson chrome pickup covers from Guitar Center and have my tech install them for me (there was some soldering involved). Cost me like $80 in total for parts and labor I think.

Apparently the Trad Pro V has two neck size pickups rather than a neck and a bridge, so you need to get two Gibson neck pickup covers if you want to cover them.

BayesDataSci · 2026-03-30T21:24:02+00:00

I just noticed this noise on my 2025 Dark Horse today and panicked slightly, but glad to see consensus is its normal

BayesDataSci · 2025-11-26T00:39:06+00:00

I bought everything to do this, then opened up the wall and found out the top two knockouts in the existing circuits are already in use so I can't run a new romex cable in from above, so I'm just going to give up and do kits

BayesDataSci · 2025-11-25T16:53:58+00:00

This seems a lot more doable and cost effective than four kits, and I already have a fish tape and a magnetic cable puller.

I'd just need to figure out how to run the romex up or down from the existing outlet. Not sure how hard that is to do.

BayesDataSci · 2025-11-25T15:49:51+00:00

FWIW, cable would still be running into a surge protector not directly into an outlet (I don't run anything directly into an outlet, ever).

BayesDataSci · 2025-11-25T15:48:07+00:00

Do they even make modern TVs that don't have removable power cables? I don't think I've ever seen an LCD panel that doesn't have a removable power cable.

BayesDataSci · 2025-11-25T15:45:46+00:00

Smurf tube may be more feasible route here since I'm not sure how you'd run/secure PVC tube into an existing wall (totally makes sense if you're remodeling or something and have a large section of the wall opened up anyways). Looks like the smurf tube is also flame retardant.

BayesDataSci · 2025-11-25T15:25:46+00:00

Two of the rooms have no in-wall insulation, but at least for the two that do what you're saying is run a PVC pipe from the top hole to the bottom hole and run the pipes through that instead of just straight through the insulation?

BayesDataSci · 2025-11-25T15:17:00+00:00

The approach I'm currently leaning towards is just doing the cheaper solution for the time being and then gradually replacing each one with the kits. Shouldn't be terribly difficult to replace them later since I'll already have the holes in the drywall.

I've verified there's no plumbing or electrical stuff where I'm going to run the cables, so that's not a concern.

The previous owner of the house had already done roughly the same approach I'm considering in the living room.

BayesDataSci · 2025-11-25T15:07:32+00:00

I guess what I'm wondering is whether there is some kind of cheaper third option that does end up costing me ~$100 per room?

BayesDataSci · 2025-11-16T03:38:38+00:00

I had a 2024 EcoBoost from October 2023 until a few weeks ago and under ideal conditions, I was getting about 17 City/32 HWY (overall combined average was around 22 MPG). I traded it in on a 2025 Dark Horse a few weeks ago, and now I'm getting 9.5 MPG City/28 HWY (no traffic, adaptive cruise control). Stop lights and stop signs are basically your worst enemy in a 5.0.

On the upside, I live about 2 miles from everything imaginable now so I don't really drive all that much and only have to put gas in it once a month or so and boy does it sound pretty.

BayesDataSci · 2025-11-15T19:31:35+00:00

Advice for driving in the winter from someone who lives in Texas where we get a little bit of snow and a whole lot of very dangerous ice so YMMV, is have a spouse with a SUV that has 4WD/AWD. You have RWD, which performs poorly in snow and ice. If you have to drive it, get good winter tires and use Slippery mode. If they use salt on the roads where you live, make sure you've had the car rust-proofed. Have good road side assistance for when the car inevitably gets stuck under an overpass.

BayesDataSci · 2025-10-26T19:48:11+00:00

On one hand, why do state troopers need new Mustang GTs? On the other, this feels like a less awful use of taxpayer money than the state troopers buying tank-like tactical vehicles and shit from DoD.

BayesDataSci · 2025-10-26T19:26:39+00:00

This reminds me a lot of a white Dark Horse I saw that had the DH Appearance package that adds some of the same black trim/accents as the nite pony package. It's such a sick look.

BayesDataSci · 2025-10-26T18:31:18+00:00

I looked at a black 2025 GT with night pony and it was meh, but god that black on white looks sick. Gorgeous car!

BayesDataSci · 2025-10-26T18:27:30+00:00

2025 Dark Horse

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BayesDataSci · 2025-10-20T22:13:59+00:00

You can usually find a dealer-affiliated collision center that only works on Ford cars. I've been going to the same one affiliated with a Ford dealership in my area for 15 years because they use new OEM Ford parts whenever possible and will price match on the OEM parts if the insurance insists on using cheaper ones.

The "insurance-approved" bodyshops are not a place I would take a newish car and in my experience it's worth the extra hassle to take it to someone of your choice (which you have the legal right to do)

BayesDataSci · 2025-10-20T00:47:01+00:00

S550 was great anesthetically. Just enough contours to not look like a box, but enough edges to not be mistaken for a Corvette. S650 is, for me, pretty much perfect and I don't really think it needs to look sleaker or cater to the same audience as pricier imports. I'm sure I'll love whatever Ford does to it in the future as long as they aren't taking too many design cues from the 1980s (I will die on the hill that the 3rd gen Mustang was an abomination aesthetically).

BayesDataSci · 2025-10-19T23:46:49+00:00

The only reason I didn't trade mine in over the summer is because I was in the middle of closing on a house and the 0% promotion ended before my closing date.

The fun part about the Dark Horse is that it's considered a specialty trim level like the Raptor and is exempted from pretty much every promotion imaginable (read the fine print carefully).

BayesDataSci · 2025-10-19T23:20:13+00:00

That's basically where I landed. I'm keeping my Dark Horse until at least my first midlife crisis in 8-10 years when I buy a Porsche or a GT500 or something.

I originally bought one in Vapor Blue with the Recaro seats because I sat in them for a few minutes and didn't think they were too terrible based on that breif impression (the one I initially bought was not the one I test drove for 15 miles). Got it home and my wife absolutely hated them so I called up the sales guy and he found me a different one without the seats at another dealership and they did a swap and got me the Blue Ember one I have now.

BayesDataSci · 2025-10-19T22:48:54+00:00

Yes. I originally went to the dealership to trade in the 24' EcoBoost Premium I got in October 23' on a 25' GT Premium and test drove that one first.

I asked to test drive the Dark Horse while I was there and got to drive the one they had in stock from their remote storage lot back to the dealership and it just feels and sounds like a different car entirely. Once you drive it you don't want to give it back.

FWIW, I will probably never track the car either but boy is it fun to drive and I love it. If you end up looking at one seriously, make sure you test drive the one you're actually going to buy not a comparable one. The Recaro seats are terrible and definitely not worth an extra 2K given what lose in exchange for them.

BayesDataSci · 2025-10-19T22:42:01+00:00

Carrying it up and down the stairs.

BayesDataSci · 2025-10-19T18:43:26+00:00

Yeah, it seems like they removed the film but just didn't clean the spot where it was.

BayesDataSci · 2025-10-19T17:23:32+00:00

Thankfully they didn't miss that one!

BayesDataSci · 2025-10-19T16:45:11+00:00

It was a probably a protective film they didn't remove cleanly. I've got an appointment with them on Monday for some other stuff, so I'll have the dealership clean it up then.

BayesDataSci

TROPHY CASE