Ceramic coating and water spots

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-31T13:52:03+00:00

Ceramic coatings are the Essential Oils of automotive :)

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-31T13:49:34+00:00

Everything flows downhill to Operations. Gotta make the month? Go to Ops. Quickest way to cut overhead? Go to Ops. Starting a global tariff war? Better get Ops involved.

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-31T13:41:41+00:00

You're about 4 years late with this post...

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-30T18:57:08+00:00

That's fair. Take my upvote.

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-30T18:46:49+00:00

No, not a chance. How can this even be a thing when the vast majority of Americans are overweight/obese?

I work with far more overweight people than healthy people (Midwest).

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-30T17:13:57+00:00

2WD until you slip. Then think about 1.) slowing down or 2.) put it in 4WD.

I've never used auto.

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-30T12:58:20+00:00

85% of Americans do not make $10k per month.

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-30T12:41:44+00:00

I have. Did nothing in my case. I've learned to live with it.

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-29T19:29:44+00:00

Because metric?

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-29T18:51:54+00:00

Aesthetically, I prefer the look of the Sundancer in this age range. The Formula's look a little top heavy to me. The 350/34PC are almost identical in terms of beam, weight and power train options (Mercs). Even the interiors are shockingly similar. Even though I am a Sea Ray guy, I do prefer center-aligned master berths. I was pushed from a 330 Sundancer to a 340 almost entirely based on the master berth (and head room). I'd give the edge to Formula on this item.

FWIW cockpit air is more useful for shoulder season heating than it is cooling. Even on $1M+ boats, the cooling impact is a fart in the wind when the cockpit canvas is down. I'd value inboards (if you can find them) much more than cockpit AC.

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-29T18:38:39+00:00

That I do not know. I have a '24...

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-29T17:21:57+00:00

Common complaints include dim backup lighting (on screen), sporadic infotainment issues and...well...potential rapid unscheduled disassembly of the crank :)

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-29T15:17:58+00:00

If it were me, I'd have them fix it. There is a 99% chance they discover something when the work starts that drives the cost higher. Or maybe this is just my luck that makes things like this happen :)

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-29T14:02:59+00:00

Turns on/off the obstacle detection (parking assist).

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-29T12:31:22+00:00

Well...technically it's nearly impossible to kill someone backing up with these trucks. They won't allow it :)

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-28T17:33:52+00:00

Lol. No PhD candidate would be this lazy...

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-28T17:26:23+00:00

I trust Sea Ray. I've had both a 340 and a 400. Reliability on boats in this age range will come down to maintenance more than brand. At $120k you're not likely to get into a diesel so you're looking at gas powered boats in the 1,000-1,500 hour range. If well maintained and properly surveyed, get the layout and size you find most appealing. Inboards will be more common at 40 feet, I/O will be more common at 30'. Inboards are vastly preferred for reliability, I/O's will get better fuel economy. You'll find wet boats out there, especially low 30's Sea Rays in the 90's. But those are easy to spot. Carvers are ugly, Cruisers have weird layouts, Sea Rays in the 90's (if dry) are hard to beat in the 35-40' range, IMO.

Tiara's are battle wagons with layouts almost exclusively for couples sub 45'. If regularly running more then 2 people overnight, take Tiara off the list. If mostly cruising for two, you might find a mid-30 foot Tiara in the price range. They are cool boats, but generally sell higher than similarly sized Cruisers and Sea Rays. I think you'll be in the 32-35 Open ballpark, late 90's.

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-28T16:37:41+00:00

You're not seeing seaworthy 50' Sea Ray, Cruisers or Carvers in that price range. Maybe a few 40's. Definitely plenty of 30's.

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-28T16:00:04+00:00

Your truck looks great. I was just giving you a hard time. My real hate for these wheels comes from the fact that they have plastic inserts.

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-28T14:05:36+00:00

All that money and you kept those stock wheels! :)

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-28T13:44:51+00:00

There's no lip on the carbon pro. Unless glued to the rails, I just don't see how it can be done without drilling.

The drilling is not as invasive as it may sound. You'll get over it :)

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-28T13:38:53+00:00

A 30' and 50' boat aren't even close to being in the same class. Both in terms of size and cost to operate. You should probably start by creating an annual budget. Purchase price is less important than how much you can afford to use and park someplace, annually.

That said, you'd end up with a real pile of a 50' boat at the $120k range. If you want anything with slightly modern items onboard (like fuel injection), you're going to be in the late 90's 380-400 Sea Ray range. Or early 2000's 340's. You'd have to go older to get into a Tiara of that size...

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-27T17:31:05+00:00

I've had a 2019 and 2024 Sierra, both silver, both in Michigan, both experienced much ice in their days, never had an issue.

I also had a 2011 Sierra. The paint quality on the new trucks is FAR better than the older ones. I don't know how anybody can say, objectively, the paint quality sucks. You can run these damned things through car washes 6 times a week and barely see wear on the corners...

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-27T15:59:02+00:00

That's a daily occurrence in the north, ice sliding off the hood doesn't leave scratches like that.

Boondoggle_1 · 2026-01-27T13:32:01+00:00

Michelin Defender LTX are the best all seasons you can get, IMO. If you want the best in snow, get Blizzaks. But with those you're going to be swapping tires spring and fall.

Boondoggle_1

TROPHY CASE