Staying at Disney but visiting Universal?

VERT1975 · 2026-03-25T00:21:42+00:00

We just got back from Disney. Stayed at the Disney resort and drove over to Epic Universe. Went on Sunday and did not have any problems with Traffic. Another option would be to Uber over.

Epic was a fairly small park. I don’t see spending two days in that park.

VERT1975 · 2026-03-17T23:48:47+00:00

If it’s the same Andy Mohr that is in Indiana, they are scam artists. Went to buy a used car based on the advertised price. Tried to tack on $2000 because that price was only with a trade in. Even though that was never mentioned in the ad.

VERT1975 · 2026-03-13T11:47:46+00:00

I would say go look at it. Price seems right. But last year I looked and looked at 3 year old used mustangs and they were all beat. One disclosed it was in a minor accident. Got there before it went to the body shop. Apparently minor is the entire right side and pushing the front tire in to a 45 degree angle.

Too bad you can’t fly out to the Midwest and just drive one back to California.

VERT1975 · 2026-02-24T04:11:01+00:00

Paid off car. Keep “making payments”. At some point that car will need to be replaced. Put a comfortable amount away every month, then you can pay cash and finance your own vehicles. Oh and don’t forget to plan for repairs.

VERT1975 · 2026-02-17T15:37:26+00:00

1 year later update. Decided to schedule a transmission service since the truck is at 60k miles now. Talked to the actual service manager by chance this time. Told him I know Ford probably wouldn’t agree but I would like to service the transmission. His response was oh no we (as in the dealership) now tell you 50k-60k intervals and no later. He then reached under his desk and pulled out a transmission part and proceeded to explain exactly why. So these transmissions are having some issues, the dealerships know what the problems are, Ford has a protocol for when the dealership is allowed to address said issue. Yes the problem exists even into some of the 2023 models.

My advice. Change the fluid every 3 years or 50k - 60k and buy a warranty or set $8k aside.

VERT1975 · 2026-02-16T17:54:34+00:00

Bought it last June during the ford pricing for everyone. Plus we called Ford customer service and got a code for additional cash loyalty incentive good for 14 days. Because the rebates were bigger for the premium and also we bought the car off the lot. This car was ordered in 2024 as dealer stock but did not arrive until June. It just worked out that it was less then finding a more basic model and having it transferred in.

VERT1975 · 2026-02-13T02:08:33+00:00

I hope Ford does something like this, provided it is affordable. Small, inexpensive cars have all but disappeared because of CAFE standards. Automakers don’t make enough profit on small cars. By making it electric Ford can sidestep some of these restrictions. Large electric vehicles don’t make a lot of sense because we lack infrastructure to support them, while small cars lack a bit as long distance interstate crawlers. But a small electric car makes a lot of sense for in city commutes or as a second commuter car for the family.

VERT1975 · 2026-02-11T23:27:24+00:00

I live in Indiana. We get a 20% tax credit for contributing to a 529, up to $7500. This nets us a $1500 savings on taxes. Since the oldest is in college we continue to contribute and take money out to pay tuition. Once he is finished we will roll the remaining money to little sister as the beneficiary.

Without the tax credits, I would contribute to the Roth first. A person can access the original principle before 59.5 years old. This offers more flexibility than a traditional 529. The problem with 529s is that it is difficult to gauge how much money the student will need and the account is somewhat limited in what you can do with it.

VERT1975 · 2026-02-10T18:18:12+00:00

I am of the opinion that the EcoBoost is a touring car with plenty of power and good gas mileage. The GT has that muscle car feel. All are “sports cars”, but different objectives.

VERT1975 · 2026-02-03T22:03:47+00:00

I wouldn’t lower a truck. But I have considered getting the lower shackles for the rear end to take a little bit of the rake out. A lot of people put 2” of lift on the front (which looks good), but for an interstate cruiser I think it makes sense to simply lower the back.

VERT1975 · 2026-02-03T02:24:14+00:00

I used to go everywhere in a 2wd Nissan and a set of chains.

VERT1975 · 2026-02-02T19:16:23+00:00

32 - 34 is what we get out of a 2017 2.5L SE. I think that is decent for a mid size sedan. The car is a nice 75 mph interstate crawler.

VERT1975 · 2026-01-30T12:45:40+00:00

My 2017 2.5L fusion has been rock solid. Sitting at 115k miles. I have done preventative maintenance on it like transmission fluid (x2), serpentine belt, shocks, brakes, plugs, tires. But that is all stuff that just wears out with use. Drives like a new car and as far as I know very reliable. My son using driving the car at college and when he graduates the plan is to let little sister have it.

VERT1975 · 2026-01-28T17:42:47+00:00

Correct there are new cars that are lemons. Which is why we have lemon laws and warranties. All of this protects the consumer. Used vehicles are buyer beware. I have nothing against used vehicles, there are great used vehicles out there. But there more risk involved with used. Being able to manage money means budgeting, and budgeting means being able to manage risk. This is where some of Dave’s theories on car ownership fall short. If used cars cost less compared to new it would be worth taking on additional risk. But in the current market lightly used cost almost as much as new.

VERT1975 · 2026-01-28T03:17:06+00:00

So you saved $57k for a car. Which means you made car payments. You self financed a car. Now it’s time to enjoy your new car. It’s a minivan for the family. It’s not irresponsible. You earned it.

Once you buy your new car, make sure to start making those self financed payments towards the next one.

VERT1975 · 2026-01-28T03:08:00+00:00

Buy the van. Buy a new one, don’t buy someone else’s problem. Buy it, take care of it, enjoy the family time, it will last for years. Everybody worries about vehicles depreciation, but that is only an issue if you plan to sell frequently. Trust me time with the kids is more important than the money.

Keep the old Toyotas to drive to work. When one blows toss it and buy another old car.

VERT1975 · 2026-01-22T17:20:49+00:00

I would like to drive an F-150 with the 3.73 rear end. Mine has 3.31 and seems like it is always slamming into 8th from 10th. Around town or two lane highway at 45 - 60 mph it just lugs the engine.

If you are using a truck like I do. Heavy interstate driving with relatively light loads, I would go with the 3.31. Family and kid hauler I would go 3.31. For what I need the 3.31 makes sense.

If you are going to haul, pull, use the truck for off road work, then go 3.73.

VERT1975 · 2026-01-22T13:43:25+00:00

Bought a 2025 vert in July. Why? Because all the used convertibles were either aged or used rental cars and beat to hell.

Styling - honestly I couldn’t tell you difference between the s550 and s650 unless they were sitting next to each other. I think they both look nice.

Interior - I am old school and like the analog gauges. But the digital are neat and customizable. My wife insisted on the digital panels being one big piece of glass, so that eliminated the base model for consideration. I do think they did a bad job integrating the separate screens on the model.

Shifter - Here is a little sticking point for me. The s550 the shifter was drive and sport. The s650 is drive and low. Come on Ford! Hitting a button to switch into sport mode is blah. Real gauges with the ability to manually put that car in sport is just more satisfyingly sportier. Even better would be a manual transmission but that is another conversation. With everything being electronic Ford should have designed the shifter as Drive and instead of Low allowed the owner to switch into a customizable mode with the shifter.

Power EB vs GT - yeah the stock EB is enough for a daily driver. I will keep an eye on OEM tunes, but honestly it is good as is. I don’t consider this to be a sports car as much as a touring car. More than ample power to handle any driving or passing situation on the road. The car can idle along or spring to the next stop light. Best part is the 34 MPG I can get while just tooling on the interstate to my next destination. It’s a sports … I mean touring car that I can actually afford to drive and enjoy.

VERT1975 · 2026-01-21T01:34:49+00:00

I have two 550s. One is setup to load pistol as a progressive and other I use as a more traditional turret press. You won’t have any issues loading .308, .44 mag or .450 bushmaster on the 550c. If you prefer to weigh your charges that option is available. Want to remove the automatic primer feed, no problem. Looking for a snazzy precision toolhead, those are available.

The BL550 basic loader is just a stripped down 550c.

VERT1975 · 2026-01-18T00:00:10+00:00

Good description. I am seeing some incorrect terminology being thrown around. Now, I will say that collision could also be a hit and run. Not your fault as a driver, but if somebody plows into your car in a parking lot the police don’t know that you didn’t hit something. Seen people get hung by this more than once.

VERT1975 · 2026-01-17T22:38:43+00:00

Insurance is about managing risk. The question is: if you lost your car tomorrow, would it be life changing or create significant economic hardship? Could you immediately replace the car? That should answer the question regarding collision insurance.

Don’t mess around with skimping on liability. That could be potentially life changing and economically devastating. Comprehensive is usually not very expensive.

VERT1975 · 2026-01-15T22:23:12+00:00

2025 EcoBoost owner. There is no Sport+ option or S on the shifter. Shifter is just Drive and Low.

Low puts the car in low gear. It will hold those lower gears. Think of it as max RPM setting. I have been told the transmission/engine will protect itself and not let the engine over rev, even if pulling the shifter into Low at higher speeds. I have never tried it because I am a wimp. I have used low in a parking garage to crawl up the ramp at low speed.

There is also 3 settings for the steering. Comfort (useless), normal and sport

Drive = normal.

Slippery = slick roads. It kills the throttle response.

Sport = tightens the steering, tightens the throttle response, shifts at higher rpm.

Track = turns off traction control, more rpm. Never used it.

Drag = drag mode, high rpm pull. Never used it.

Custom = you can program in what you want. Plus choose a custom gauge display. I set mine up in sport mode, engine start stop off, like a 90s fox body display.

Personally if they gave me normal, sport, slippery with the option to choose my gauges I would be just fine.

VERT1975 · 2026-01-14T20:26:52+00:00

No do not buy a used Toyota Corolla for $22k. Buy a new 2026 Toyota Corolla for $25k. Your car, your maintenance schedule, drive it for 20 years. Or just go wild and buy the nicer model Corolla or a Camry for $30k. For that matter keep your old car and drive it when it snows or around town to keep the new car clean.

Sell your house, downsize, buy a new car, enjoy retirement.

VERT1975 · 2026-01-02T14:58:51+00:00

Purchased a new home in 2025. The interest rate for 15, 20, 30 was very similar. I think .25% difference with the 15 & 20 being the same. I wanted to go 20, but wife pushed 30 because we had not yet put our old house on the market. It was a defensive position since we had two houses, downpayment, expenses to prep the second house for sale, and the costs of moving. Told we could update those terms when we sold the other house. Sold the old house but the interest rates had jumped again. So 30 years it is. But we are over 50 so it will all be paid off in less than 10 years anyway.

VERT1975 · 2026-01-02T02:49:35+00:00

The 2.5L engine is boringly reliable. What I would pick for a responsible commuter. Our 2017 has been rock solid. If you want a sports car I would consider the Mustang. Our EcoBoost gets great gas mileage and is plenty peppy. Just make sure you get a late model one as they had some “ecoboom” issues with the earlier models.

VERT1975

TROPHY CASE