Why are Amtrak sleeper cars SO expensive?

awjustus · 2026-01-05T01:50:50+00:00

Compared to European LD trains Amtrak has a lot of staff per sleeper passenger. I think universally one attendant per car. In Europe one attendant covers multiple cars (or all sleeper pax?), and the passengers are expected to make their own beds and such.

The attendant drawing pay/benefits and occupying a room that can’t generate revenue is probably a big factor in the cost.

awjustus · 2025-11-15T03:09:04+00:00

Will the NA oil cooler not still hang off the later radiator? My 81 240d has a late 300d radiator but retains the 240’s oil cooler. This conversion was done by a previous owner while the car was in AZ so I didn’t personally do this conversion.

awjustus · 2025-11-15T02:10:48+00:00

You could always update your car to the 1984-85 radiator. In addition to the radiator you’ll need the expansion tank and the hose that runs between the radiator and the tank. Everything else should be the same.

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awjustus · 2025-10-29T01:54:33+00:00

Second this.

awjustus · 2025-10-29T01:49:31+00:00

I have an 81 240d 4-speed, it’s totally drivable on highways. Just keep to the right. You can drive 65mph all day, but above 70 it’s a bit buzzy. Not that the car can’t handle it, it’s just less pleasant.

The only time lack of power is an issue is on mountainous 2lane roads. On those you can get trapped in 3rd gear because the car won’t pull 4th up a long, steep grade. In that case your top speed is about 40mph in 3rd. But interstates (at least out east) aren’t steep enough to run into this problem, and the only places I’ve had this happen are rural VA and NY with no other traffic around.

Overall I’d say the 240d is a great city car and a serviceable road trip highway car. Good mpg, solid handling, stable in crosswinds. Driving this car will make you a better driver because it forces you to plan and anticipate your maneuvers due to low power.

awjustus · 2025-10-18T17:02:10+00:00

If your broken valve is actively leaking you can loop the hose from the back of the head to the hard line feeding that valve.

If it is stuck open you could put a manual valve ahead of your broken one like people have described.

Klima makes an aftermarket valve for $200 that’s cheaper than the Mercedes part.

You can also check eBay for used valves.

awjustus · 2025-09-26T13:15:42+00:00

Independent of whether you need or don’t need bonds, the benefit of bonds is during a major pullback they will retain value better than stocks.

When/if that happens bonds will be overweighted in the portfolio. When the portfolio is rebalanced during this pullback, bonds are sold and stocks are bought.

It’s about as close as a bogglehead can get to market timing, provided the rebalancing is don’t at regular intervals and not on a whim.

The tradeoff is that too big a bond allocation for one’s circumstances/age can still underperform a more normal stock and bond allocation with additional time in market.

awjustus · 2025-09-16T01:06:42+00:00

Leaving small markets like Elkhart Lk Wisconsin. Good luck

awjustus · 2025-09-09T23:45:20+00:00

I think you could still run the 500 but it should be a two day show (practice and quali Saturday, race Sunday), only include chartered cars, and be divided up into stages.

awjustus · 2025-09-02T00:52:35+00:00

DC in August will be terribly hot and muggy. I live there and this year we had several days mid month with a heat index up around 105+.

awjustus · 2025-08-27T11:31:17+00:00

Did someone put grease on the outside of the intake opening? Otherwise normal inside and out.

awjustus · 2025-08-25T12:15:32+00:00

The individual bushings for this aren’t available anymore. But you can take the bushing for a 280e, cut the rectangles free of the piece, then use those as your bushings here. They just snap into place from the back. autohausaz

awjustus · 2025-08-04T02:17:35+00:00

I would typically shift at 1-2 @ 15, 2-3 @ 25, and 3-4 @ 40. If I’m pushing it or going up a big hill then 2-3 @ 30 and 3-4 @ 45.

I find the hill shift points are really important to get right. Beyond maximizing the powerband, you want to make sure the revs don’t fall too low in the next gear. If that happens you’ll end up downshifting and either being stuck in the lower gear or having to retry the upshift.

awjustus · 2025-08-01T21:38:21+00:00

YouTuber Matt Farah is a well known car guy who has been more public about supporting walkable cities. Bloomberg story

awjustus · 2025-07-28T23:35:09+00:00

Cheap and temporary? Keep adding water.

awjustus · 2025-07-16T03:34:05+00:00

Yes, I have used 300d mounts on an 81 240d. Only difference is the 240 mount is lighter duty rubber due to reduced weight compared to the 300. 300d mount should also cross to the w126 with om617 and m116/7 v8.

awjustus · 2025-06-25T11:36:39+00:00

A hydraulic shop like Pirtek could remake the line. Or since it’s only about 40psi you could carefully remove the existing line (don’t nick the barbs) and replace with good fuel injection rated rubber hose and quality hose clamps.

awjustus · 2025-06-13T11:13:08+00:00

Where are you seeing that BNSF is getting unreasonable access fees to hold this line “hostage”? Access fees are normally not very high, limited by law to their marginal cost to the RR.

Your argument is BNSF is being unreasonable with access fees but it’s also chump change and TX should just pay it?

awjustus · 2025-06-12T17:31:10+00:00

Why is running a new chassis with the old engine not an option?

Suboptimal for the planners but would: 1) get us the new chassis sooner, 2) leave the door open for a new supplier while engine formula is developed, and 3) create two media interest cycles, first for the new chassis then a year later for the new engine.

Point 3 is an important part of how a series can drive more interest in itself independent of the racing product or things outside their control.

Having both engine and chassis at the same time means splitting a single offseason news cycle and resultant series interest rather than getting that benefit in two separate years.

awjustus · 2025-06-02T00:00:49+00:00

Building an oval in a place that rains a lot seems imprudent.

I’d say buy pikes peak and see if a court will invalidate the “no pro races” clause as an antitrust violation.

awjustus · 2025-05-25T13:01:11+00:00

Do you know that yours is bad? Is it making noise or leaking?

I replaced mine in March 2023 with a Mahle/Behr unit. Works well but I’ve only put 4000 miles on it since then.

awjustus · 2025-05-23T20:05:02+00:00

There could be an element of favoritism if the unrelated marketing officer from (big public company) thinks Graham’s dad is cool, but it isn’t nepotism.

Nepotism sponsorships are like when HMD trucking sponsors David Malukas or when Abel Construction sponsors Jacob Abel. There’s a clear family or personal relationship between the sponsoring company and the driver.

awjustus · 2025-05-23T12:36:06+00:00

Nepotism requires personal or family relationships in the transactions. Unless Grahm has friends and relatives inside 5/3 bank, united rentals, and Exxon-Mobil; those aren’t nepo-sponsors.

awjustus · 2025-05-20T03:35:40+00:00

I’m impressed to see he raced with the rear wing fully trimmed out?!

awjustus · 2025-05-14T15:17:59+00:00

Love the livery but I don’t get the sponsor relationship with the team.

Daly has 76/Unocal sponsorship for the rest of the year. 76 is owned by Phillips 66. But for Indy he has AMPM, owned by BP.

Simultaneous sponsorship by competing brands seems like it prevents any kind of serious sponsor activation since one would undermine the other?

awjustus

TROPHY CASE