Ford Employee Pricing

For the month of August Ford has their employee pricing event on which is supposed to be the best deals of the year. I decided to do some research to see how good the savings are right now with my test vehicle being the Ford F-150 because it looked like this is where the big savings were to be found.  If you are not familiar with ford, their pricing schemes are easily the most complex in existence.  They often switch between low rates with low discounts and high rates with big discounts, even from month to month you can see dramatic changes in their discounting methods.  I am guessing they are trying to hit a larger audience, since older buyers probably like the discounts but younger buyers like the low rates, so they try and hit both markets by switching back and forth.

That's just the start of it, lets say for instance you like the F-150 XLT.  You get 4 engine choices, 4 box length choices and 11 axel ratios..... all those are not exclusive since one type often goes with another but it is a LOT of options.  Each configuration has a different discount applied so considering they have 9 different models to apply a multitude of configurations it's safe to say there are probably over 100 different pricing models for the F-150.

I didn't have a week to put this together so I figured I would stick to base configurations of each model to look at the discounting.  The details on savings are below but suffice to say there are some really good deals on the F-150 right now.  The XLT and FX2 seem like really good deals and the rates are not bad now either with 3.49% for five years and 4.49% for seven years.  The other striking thing from looking at the F-150 is the wide margin of prices!  You can go from under $20 k to just over $50 k.

I'd say if you are in the market for a new pick-up the F-150 is a great deal!



Here is a summary:

MODEL	PRICE	DISCOUNT	NET	% OFF
XL	19,999	1,985	18,014	10%
STX	27,299	7,688	19,611	28%
XLT	30,199	8,913	21,286	30%
FX2	39,899	11,771	28,128	30%
FX4	45,799	12,597	33,202	28%
Lariat	45,299	12,527	32,772	28%
King Ranch	60,499	14,655	45,844	24%
Platinum	61,099	14,739	46,360	24%
Limited	64,799	14,757	50,042	23%

Insurance Savings - Unbelievable

I was off this week and one of my chores was to call around to see if I could get any less expensive insurance for our house and car.  I noticed that my monthly insurance payment from Johnson's Insurance had crept up to $450 which covered my Optima with son as second driver and our house.  Do the math and that comes to about $5,400 a year.... which seemed like a LOT.  My initial investigation showed I was paying $2,088 for the house insurance, $1,369 for my car insurance and $1,486 for son plus a 3% fee for monthly deductions which actually only comes to $5,100.  Maybe where son got on my policy late they had to bump up the monthly deductions.

In any event, recently having viewed a nice Anthony Insurance commercial about savings I decided to give them a call.  After giving some info to the very friendly sales consultant she gave me a quote of $1,034 for house insurance.......... my initial reaction is that she must have missed something or I forgot to tell her about something so I read her the coverage right off my existing house insurance.  Sure enough her quote was accurate, and less than half what I was currently paying for house insurance.

We were off to a good start, then we were on to the car insurance. After about five minutes of answering questions she came back with a quote of $1,084 for me and $782 for son.  Which means I would save $989 a year on car insurance.  Again I found this difficult to believe so I checked my current policy to make sure I wasn't missing anything.... and I wasn't.

After getting both these quotes I had to call somewhere else to see if either Johnson's was extremely high or Anthony was extremely low. I called Steer's insurance and their quote was very similar to Anthony so it seems like Johnson's is very high.

One of the things I liked about Anthony is that if you give them your drivers license numbers and home policy numbers they do your claims history check for you, Steer's wanted me to get my own claims history and drivers report which would have cost me $30.  This little extra is what made me decide to definitely go with Anthony.  Anthony also don't charge for monthly deductions whereas Johnson's just started charging 3% extra for that service.

There was a minor snag with our wood pellet stove but once I sent them pictures and certificate of installation everything was good on that end.  Other than that it was smooth sailing.  I called Johnson's to give them a chance to lower my rates but they just said they checked my policy and there was nothing they could do.  They had always provided me with good service but for $2,000 a year there is no way I could not switch!  I had to pay a penalty of $60 to end my policy early but it was well worth it.

So my new policy is in the mail, when it gets here I will provide an update if there is anything noteworthy.  If you are currently insured with Johnson's or if you just seem to be paying too much it does pay to call around!  I saved $2000 a year for a 15 minute call!

Meguiar's Compound Ultimate Test

You may have previously read my post about my nasty rear bumper damage, which I have no idea where it came from.  The top two pictures here are the before shots from the back and side.  As you can see there is a lot of abrasion and deep scratches.  I didn't expect to get nearly all of them out because most of them are very deep but I figured I would give it a go with the new DA Polisher and Meguiar's Ultimate Compound.

I used two applications of about a tablespoon of compound, each time going over the area with 4 to five passes and then wiping with a microfibre towel.  After two thorough applications I applied Once a Year car polish and Poor Boys EXP Sealant.  As I figured all the scratches did not come out but I was extremely impressed with the results which you can see for yourself below.

Meguiar's Ultimate Compound in Action

The first four pictures show the area under my driver side doors which are significantly scratched and scuffed.  The plan was to use the Meguiar's Ultimate Compound with my new DA Dual Action Polisher to at least reduce if not get rid of the scuffs altogether.  The scuffs are more noticeable on the first and third pictures but you can see them on all four.



I applied about a teaspoon amount of compound to the polisher and went back over half the area three or four times.  I then reapplied another teaspoon size amount and polished the other half.  I wiped the excess away with a microfiber towel and you can see the results in the bottom four pictures.

When I was done only the deeper scratches were visible but even those were not as visible as before.  All the scuff marks were gone and after an application of polish and sealant the area looked as good as new with the exception of two or three deeper scratches.  I am very pleased with the results from using the compound with the DA Polisher.  If you have an older car or neglected paint you could bring it back to a like new finish with a couple hours work and three or four rechargeable batteries (or just use a corded drill!)

Meguiar's DA Polisher System

I couldn't hold out any longer, I have had my eye on this Dual Action (DA) Polisher for some time now and finally took the plunge.  Canadian Tire have them for $65, I looked around online and this seemed like a reasonable price.  It is a dual action polisher that attaches to your drill, they recommend a corded drill so the rpm's stay constant, I only had a cordless drill and it worked fine as long as you have a back-up battery on hand.  For a decent dual action polisher, you are looking at about $200 or slightly over so for the 5 or 6 times I will use this to polish our cars I figured this would do the trick.  Also, if I decide never to polish our cars again, I am only out $65, as opposed to $250.  I had read some reviews and most of them were positive noting that if you only polish a few times a year it would be the best way to go.

So off to Canadian Tire I went, got the polisher home, ripped it open and went to work.  My guinea pig would be my better half's Mazda 3 since I had polished mine by hand only a couple of weeks ago..... and it was agonizing to do by hand.  I also bought some Meguiar's Ultimate Compound while I was there to see if I could fix some of the clear coat scratches on my car, I'll give a few more details on that in a later post.

I washed the Mazda 3, broke out the polisher and Once a Year Car Polish (which I am now using for the second time this year).  The polisher fit nicely into the cordless drill, I gave it a couple of test spins and it held together just fine.  I applied about a tablespoon of polish to the polisher and started on the car hood.  It was easy to apply, but difficult to know how hard to push on the polisher and at times it was also a bit difficult to keep the pad flat on the car surface, like when reaching up by the wind-shield.

I made my way all around the car in about 45 minutes, the first battery died on me about 1/2 way through so I used less pressure after that to make sure I could finish the car.  The pad held up well, I have since used it on my fathers car and washed it, it is still in good shape.  Replacement pads with a small bottle of polish are $15 so it will be good if I can get a lot of use out of it, they are just attached to the polisher with Velcro so removal is a snap.

Overall the polisher did a good job, it never really removed any scratches but it did make the lighter ones less visible.  I think I will try it with the compound on some of the more trouble scratch spots on my car and see how it goes.  The polisher definitely saves a lot of time when it comes to polishing the car.  The wax and sealant I use just wipes on and off so I don't think I would use it for those.  I would recommend this product for someone looking for a safe, less expensive alternative to a full blown dual action polisher.  Also, if you are thinking about buying one of those useless rotary buffers just buy this instead.

Thanks.

Cabin Air Filter Replacement

I'm not exactly sure how I got to thinking about replacing my cabin air filter but Sunday it dawned on me that I should check it out.  Off to Google I went to see how to replace it and sure enough there were some detailed instructions which can be found here:
http://www.optimaforums.com/forum/67-diy-maintenance/6704-replacing-your-cabin-air-filter.html

I followed the instructions and two minutes later I had the old filter out for inspection.  It was extremely dirty and had a few flies and dandelion seeds stuck to it as well.  Those dandelions will try to grow anywhere......

Since it looked like it could use some replacing my next step was to find a replacement filter.  I emailed Kia to ask them how much a replacement filter was, they told me $53, I emailed back saying this seemed expensive and I would check around and let them know.  My second call was to NAPA Auto Parts, where the replacement filter was $32, much cheaper but it still seemed expensive for a flimsy 9" X 10" filter.  My third call was to Canadian Tire and they told me they had one for $15 but might have a hard time finding it since it was the last one in stock.

So of course I headed off to Canadian Tire and figured I would browse while they tried to find my air filter.  Much to my surprise however they found it in about 2 minutes, a nice Fram Freshbreeze like the picture above and I had just saved myself $40 on the filter.  I'm not sure how much Kia would have charged me to replace the filter but I did it myself in a minute.

The moral of the story..... never buy dealer parts or ask them to replace anything you can easily do yourself.  Google it and you may be surprised!

Beware the Finance Manager!

Excellent article on the Globe and Mail today in relation to dealing with the finance manager at the end of the car buying process, it can be found here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/car-life/how-a-fast-talking-finance-manager-almost-bamboozled-me-into-spending-way-more-on-my-new-car/article12633603/

Everyone that has ever bought a car has been there, you are all excited about your new purchase and in many cases have already agreed to a bunch of add ons whether you realize it or not.  BUT just in case you haven't they bring you too the normally above averagely attractive female or slick buttoned down fast talking finance guy to wring every last cent out of you.  My experience the past couple of times has been the former, which makes saying "no" even more difficult!

I probably mentioned it in a previous post but the finance lady at Kia told me 99% of customers buy the rim warranty because the rims are so expensive to replace.  I just told her I have not damaged a rim beyond repair in 20+ years of driving so I'd take my chances, not only that I don't know a single person that has, just think about it.

You have to be prepared to politely say no to everything they offer.  Some people like to go for the extended warranty up front but you have lots of time to buy that up until your regular warranty expires, there is a 50% chance you will get rid of your car before it even kicks in so it's just as well to at least wait before buying it.

Rustproofing..... theft deterrent..... scotch guarding..... yadda yadda.... all money makers for the dealership.  With lower car margins due to the high volume of information available to buyers the up-sell items get pushed harder than ever these days... want bacon and cheese on that $2 burger, your total is $4.50 thank you!

Rental Vehicle - Hyundai Elantra GL

On our recent trip to Myrtle Beach we had a Hyundai Elantra as our rental..... short side bar on car rental agencies....

So you go in with visions of $15 a day rental spinning in your head only to come out paying $300 for a week, how does that happen?  Well, here's how it happens..... Right up front you get charged airport fees, rental levi, sales tax and some mysterious miscellaneous fee to bring you up to about $180 for a $110 rental. (You can avoid some of this by renting away from the airport if you have some way to get from said airport to rental location, which we did not.)

So obviously I declined every other possible charge but here is where you get nailed:

#1 - Insurance - They will make it seem like the world will end if you don't get whatever super insurance they are peddling, save yourself the trouble and cost by getting a cheap rider on your own insurance if you are concerned about accidents, or just drive safely and save yourself all around.  The insurance can be more expensive than the car if you get the premium package.

#2 - Upgrades - No matter what you are renting, they will have something much better for just a little bit more .... per day..... $5 a day doesn't sound like much but for a week that's $40.  They wanted me to "upgrade" from an Elantra to a Corolla for $4 a day.  I would rather pay not to upgrade to a Corolla for $4 a day, obviously I passed on the opportunity!

#3 - Gas fill up whatever fee.... You can pay up front not to have to bring your car back full of gas, you also pay extra for the gas but the fee saves you the trouble of filling up.... getting gas is not that difficult.

#4 - Pre pay toll booth fee - You can pay to use the pass through toll booths rather than stopping to pay, it takes all of 20 seconds to stop and pay so just keep some change in the car and stop and pay.

#5 - Extra drivers - If you have someone with you as a second driver and you are not married, tell them you are married, then you don't have to pay for second driver.

So that's enough about the dollars and cents.... The car itself was fine for the two of us, never had the get up and go of the Optima but it was good for driving on well paved, flat roads, unlike those of Newfoundland.  Got about 30 MPG on average or 8 L per 100 KM.  It was good gas mileage, over the span of a week with constant moving including a 200 mile round trip to the race track we spent a whopping $35 on gas.  The seats were comfortable enough, the brakes and handling were fine for our tourist trips, AC worked well in the hot climate, overall no complaints.  I wouldn`t run out and buy one myself but I sure as heck would buy one over a Corolla if I was looking for a compact sedan,  and save myself $4 a day!

It seemed like a good solid compact sedan, currently going for $23,000 including taxes and fees on the Hyundai site.

Nu Finish Car Polish - Spring Cleaning

Ok, so it was time for spring cleaning, got a few scratches from the harsh winter and my baby needed good spruce up.  I decided to go with the wash, clay bar, polish and paint sealant routine.  The only problem was that I didn't have any car polish.  I was also trying to decide if I would by a DA polisher to apply the polish but in the end I cheaped out and decided to go with the hand application method.

I noticed from a prior washing that my car's paint was peppered with those annoying yellow spots from salt and other residue from our hard on paint winter.  I gave it a couple of shots of TRIX which was covered in a previous post but that stuff is just difficult to work with and smells horrible, although it does get rid of most yellow spots.  I thought I would try a different approach.

So I gave it a good washing, applied the clay bar and then started on the polishing using Nu Finish.  I was going over all the polish options at Crappy Tire but settled on Nu Finish for two reasons.... the price was actually on the high end so I thought it would be good and a customer there said he uses it all the time and it works great.  I applied it to one section and started rubbing to see if I could get out the yellow spots and sure enough they started vanishing.  The only thing I will say is that this took a LOT of elbow grease, two hours worth of rubbing in a circular motion, but the results were great.  I also got rid of several surface clear coat scratches with this product.

I followed up the polish with a good application of my Poor Boys Sealant and the car was looking as good as new (except for the bumper damage).  Although I used up the better part of a full afternoon I removed almost all the yellow spots, got rid of several surface scratches and shined up my Optima beautifully.  Next time I may buy a DA Polisher just to make it a bit easier for the polish application.  I also have to do my better half's car.

2013 Nascar Bojangles 500 LIVE!

So we were in Myrtle Beach on vacation last week and decided to take in the Nascar Bojangles 500 from Darlington Raceway.  We were staying on the beach and decided we would rent a room in Florenceville which was only 15 minutes from the raceway and about an hour and a half from Myrtle Beach so we wouldn't have to drive back in heavy traffic late at night.  The Bojangles 500 starts at 7 so I figured it wouldn't be over until close to 11.  

On a side note we stayed at Sandy beach resort in Myrtle Beach which was really nice and only about $100 a night this time of year with a full kitchen included.  Also, side note #2 beer is only $16 for a 24 at Walmart in South Carolina as opposed to $13 for a six pack here in Newfoundland.... life can be cruel at times.

So we left for Florenceville around noon, had a snack and got to the Comfort Inn around 2.  The place seemed ok from the outside but not great, the desk guy checked us in and spoke broken engish, I thought it was strange but moved on.  Unfortunately he forgot to check if our room was cleaned and as a result we walked into a small, hot, dirty, dingy, crappiest hotel room I have even seen (and ranked it accordingly on tripadvisor).  Seriously, the toilet looked like a public washroom at the end of a metallica concert.  I chased down the closest room cleaning lady and she said the guy shouldn't have checked us in but she would be right down to clean it, and she did come down right away.

At this point it was around 3 so I figured we would head down to the raceway to check on the parking situation and whatnot. I had been reading up and there is a large grassy field for parking but I hate crowds so that wasn't going to work for me.  We saw the local PTA were offering their school lot to park in for $10 and we took them up on it.  They said it was only about 1/2 mile to the track, as it turned out it was even less than that.  A good thing considering we had a cooler to drag packed with beer, water and snacks.  The locals showed us a short cut and in about 5 minutes we were in through the gates.  All along the way people were offering their driveways to park in for $20..... yes the USA is the land of opportunity.

So at about 4 we were at the raceway, went around to some of the booths, got a demo of the new Meguiars DA polisher that you use on the drill, got and freebies that were available (toy cars, bbq sauce, ponchos, shirts etc...) got some pictures signed by the Jeff Burton pit crew and made our way to our seats at about 5:30.  We were seated in Tyler Tower row 19, the seats seemed pretty good.

So a concert was followed by driver intros, multiple other niceties, anthem etc....  I have to tell you about the people sitting next to us.  There was a guy to our right who looked like an Italian mob guy.  At one point another guy got in his way trying to find his seat and he told him to sit the F%^$ down.  The other guy lipped back a bit and the italian like guy says "what the F%$# are you gonna do, we both know you ain't gonna do s&*^ so sit the F^&* down..... and he sat."  It was intense but fun none the less.  There also was a 12 year old in front of us who knew everything there was to know about Nascar, he was annoying but bothering other people so I didn't really care.

Anyway as it turns out this was the most boring race in Nascar history, we watched 300 laps and there was only one yellow flag for debris on the track..... ONE YELLOW FLAG IN 300 LAPS!!!  It was like a parade with Kyle Bush leading the way the entire time.  So we had an important decision to make.....

1) Stay till the end of the race (360 laps) and fight traffic back to the roach motel or
2) leave this boring race and go back to our nice room at Myrtle Beach

Since my better half said she would drive back to Myrtle Beach we left..... we never spent one single minute at our crappy hotel in Florenceville and felt great in our decision, even through we got gouged on the rate for a room we never used.  We had some fun, watched 90% of a Nascar race and had a good nights sleep.....

Here is the video evidence....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQLckXgrm8Q&feature=youtu.be