Nonsense Thread

[Northern]

Someone must've thought about trying to tax EV electricity usage but saw that it would be too difficult/expensive to implement and would be unpopular with basically everyone. I'm more or less happy with that.

Engineering just isn't what it used to be, regardless of the field. I'm a desk jockey though, so no carcinogens here.

Agree, I don't feel like I do "real engineering" and no idea how someone came up with half the shit I work on, how they decided "yeah this is how we're doing this", or why it's my job to keep it alive.
I spend 90% of time at my desk now, so the remaining 10% is at least weighted much less.

[varg]

99 percent of people who hold a license don't even know what an oil pan is and that it used to be made from metal

they want an egg shaped car with an ipad and 50 different "drivers aids"

give them 6 different cameras, ipad, radar, auto high beam, wifi ect ect

that shit costs money and they keep the cost of the car down by making the shit that keep it running out of plastic and ducktape

I don't know man, half of that stuff, egg shape (aero and pedestrian crash standards), cameras, radar (auto braking), auto lights, is required by law and people probably wouldn't know any better if it didn't exist let alone want it. They probably want screens, maybe? But even normal people I've talked to about cars seem to agree that they look tacky and will not last.

100%. I remember Formula North 2017(?) where our paddock was next to uPitt. One of their former team (Not sure if they were a faculty advisor, judge, or what) was talking about their work at Ford, basically that they design different christmas tree clips, that the money wasn't spectacular, and most people were hesitant to get their P.Eng (or whatever it's called down there) because you ended up pencil whipping all the design work, and the bump in pay wasn't worth the liability of signing off on all kinds of shit you weren't involved in.

I always thought automotive would drain me of my love of cars - hence the aviation trade, and again staying away from automotive after going back to school.
Some regrets on the aviation thing due to pay/lack of viable career path, and exposure to carcinogens, but like most jobs, it is what it is.

Engineering just isn't what it used to be, regardless of the field. I'm a desk jockey though, so no carcinogens here.

My province introduced new permit fees on hybrids and EVs: $250/2 years for Hybrids, $500/2 years for EVs.
This sent the EV nerds off the deep end. The usual social media platforms are full torch-and-pitchfork over it.

I'm surprised it took them that long to do that. I was just hoping the solution to EV adoption decreasing fuel tax revenue wouldn't be:

• increase the fuel tax even more
• put a tax on home power usage

[Panici]

I resisted bidding on a 1984 Jetta GLI. It sold for $5100... I'm glad I was able to resist.

Looks interesting, I would be tempted too for that price!

[MrBurgundy]

theres a monster inside simon that needs a 250k mile VW in the driveway

we all got our demons

[2mAn]

I resisted bidding on a 1984 Jetta GLI. It sold for $5100... I'm glad I was able to resist.

[MrBurgundy]

People don't want plastic oil pans, it's cheaper.
People don't want a wet oil pump belt, it's cheaper.
People don't want a 4cyl AMG C63, it's cheaper.
People don't want a dash that looks like the same plastic ipad knockoff in a $30k hyundai in their $200,000 luxury car, it's cheaper.

99 percent of people who hold a license don't even know what an oil pan is and that it used to be made from metal

they want an egg shaped car with an ipad and 50 different "drivers aids"

give them 6 different cameras, ipad, radar, auto high beam, wifi ect ect

that shit costs money and they keep the cost of the car down by making the shit that keep it running out of plastic and ducktape

[Northern]

Also some hilarious local nonsense:

My province introduced new permit fees on hybrids and EVs: $250/2 years for Hybrids, $500/2 years for EVs.
This sent the EV nerds off the deep end. The usual social media platforms are full torch-and-pitchfork over it.

But like:
Our gas/diesel tax is something like 45% of fuel cost, so they need to make that revenue up somewhere (and in a place that targets those missed by this tax).
So what do you do? Charge a tax on electricity that goes toward charging EVs? That sounds insane. I don't see how this could go any other way.
Not sure what people thought would happen? Did they think the government would just be fine with the continually reduced revenue?
Makes it ever so slightly harder to brag about how cheap it is to operate an EV, which seems to be the primary concern of most owners...

[Northern]

I avoided the automotive industry because I can't think of an engineering job more soul crushing than taking part in modern cars. I wasn't about to put up with working every day to make cars less interesting in the hope that I might be able to make it to a motorsport division or aftermarket performance company.

100%. I remember Formula North 2017(?) where our paddock was next to uPitt. One of their former team (Not sure if they were a faculty advisor, judge, or what) was talking about their work at Ford, basically that they design different christmas tree clips, that the money wasn't spectacular, and most people were hesitant to get their P.Eng (or whatever it's called down there) because you ended up pencil whipping all the design work, and the bump in pay wasn't worth the liability of signing off on all kinds of shit you weren't involved in.

I always thought automotive would drain me of my love of cars - hence the aviation trade, and again staying away from automotive after going back to school.
Some regrets on the aviation thing due to pay/lack of viable career path, and exposure to carcinogens, but like most jobs, it is what it is.

I also forgot about the whole panjo thing...

[DEV0 E30]

the goated daily is a ct200h

my buddy had one. great car.

worth a look

That's what I was looking for years ago for myself for a good daily.

Something a little bigger than the 2015 civic that gets about 30mpg, something a little newer than a ct200h, etc. We will drive it into the ground or till the world ends etc. Recently did a trip in a venza, also an option now, that wasn't bad. Soul? No. But decent enough on a 6 hour trip. Also 500+ miles to a tank and hybrid 40mpg is just impossible to disregard these days. Something for comfortable road tripping to retire my 100 series from that role and something that becomes the main people mover is the goal.

This forum software is broken, multi quote doesn't work. I do it manually by replying to one post, moving the reply into notepad, then replying to another post. It's a pain in the ass. Between broken multi quote and round avatars, I hate this version of vBulletin more than the failed panjo integration.

I normally do that method too, but last reply I was multitasking via the phone or didn't have the time. Or I single quote - write my reply, then copy my whole message, then repeat. Like just now. Downside is I've lost a few replies and rage quit/said ohwell and walked away in the past.

Agreed on the bulk of automotive world, very little excites me. If I was looking at a daily/do more than one thang car - again the FL5/DE5 or even Elantra N because some fizz are cool. But again, yeah - I would rather have cheap cars and my vehicle history shows that.

Sold my E30 vert, can feel my hairline improving already.

Trying to aim for a 60 series Land Cruiser as a replacement. Might have a rush of blood and buy a hopped up jap skid box though, who's to say. The self-destruction will continue until morale improves.

As a LC nerd, I love all cruisers... and that's a solid replacement - drive plenty of them though. It's a truck on leaf springs that doesn't have the same sort of fizz an e30 has obviously. 80's are great too, but expensive (not that a solid 60/62 isn't) and doesn't quite have the same vibe. Still an old truck though and 80 series suspension is miles ahead. It's "the one" if you want to do stuff off road still. I still have my 100, she needs cosmetic care but not a priority and honestly I can't replace it with anything aside from a 200 in my mind, but that's too much $ for me right now. Again, main focus is something good on the mpgs and reliable for the main family mover. Still, saying it for years - we remain not in a rush to get one, but sooner rather than later at this point I think.

[econti]

Sold my E30 vert, can feel my hairline improving already.

Trying to aim for a 60 series Land Cruiser as a replacement. Might have a rush of blood and buy a hopped up jap skid box though, who's to say. The self-destruction will continue until morale improves.

[varg]

The engineers now are forced to make what the majority of people want- what they want sucks.

Imagine engineering a car for someone w a room temp IQ

I have seen those videos and what's crazy is even people in the industry are getting fucked lol

Here in socal u see some broccoli haired gen Z kid driving a g80 making a 1600 dollar payment for 102 months

It's crazy like people will get a 9% rate on a 8 year loan just to bring the payments down so they can "afford it"

like my guy u just cant afford it.

At the carmakers, nobody in charge gives a crap about the engineering as anything but a tool to cut costs, engineers in automotive are endlessly optimizing to cut costs while satisfying regulations, it's like the entirety of the job.
People don't want plastic oil pans, it's cheaper.
People don't want a wet oil pump belt, it's cheaper.
People don't want a 4cyl AMG C63, it's cheaper.
People don't want a dash that looks like the same plastic ipad knockoff in a $30k hyundai in their $200,000 luxury car, it's cheaper.

I avoided the automotive industry because I can't think of an engineering job more soul crushing than taking part in modern cars. I wasn't about to put up with working every day to make cars less interesting in the hope that I might be able to make it to a motorsport division or aftermarket performance company.

I agree all that has been said since the multi quote never works for me.

Next car for wifey is for sure some sort of Toyota hybrid but as new and as cheap as possible at some point somewhat soon.

This forum software is broken, multi quote doesn't work. I do it manually by replying to one post, moving the reply into notepad, then replying to another post. It's a pain in the ass. Between broken multi quote and round avatars, I hate this version of vBulletin more than the failed panjo integration.

[MrBurgundy]

the goated daily is a ct200h

my buddy had one. great car.

worth a look

[DEV0 E30]

I agree all that has been said since the multi quote never works for me.

Next car for wifey is for sure some sort of Toyota hybrid but as new and as cheap as possible at some point somewhat soon.

[MrBurgundy]

The engineers now are forced to make what the majority of people want- what they want sucks.

Imagine engineering a car for someone w a room temp IQ

I have seen those videos and what's crazy is even people in the industry are getting fucked lol

Here in socal u see some broccoli haired gen Z kid driving a g80 making a 1600 dollar payment for 102 months

It's crazy like people will get a 9% rate on a 8 year loan just to bring the payments down so they can "afford it"

like my guy u just cant afford it.

[varg]

Have you guys seen those short form videos that were going around of dealership employees saying what they drive and what the monthly payment is? Between poor financial literacy impacting people's ability to understand how much a monthly payment adds up to vs sticker price and low saving meaning many don't have a lot for down payments, a lot of customers may as well have EASY MARK written on their foreheads. Selling cars is a finance business now and people are paying way more than their cars are worth with financing costs. Walking around the lots at work I don't see many expensive new cars, now engineers aren't exactly raking in stacks of cash in the first place, but higher than average baseline math skills probably have something to do with engineers being cheap.