This may help you to avoid a future problem. A couple of months ago, in Denver, I had a flat tire. I changed the tire to the spare, and went to a nearby tire store which happened to be a Goodyear dealer. I like Goodyear tires. The tire was about 3/4 gone, so I decided to buy a new one, and as a matter of fact two new ones, so they would match. Rear tires only, as the front ones still had more than 50% of tread life left. I didn’t want to be 275 miles from home without a spare tire. A week ago, I was in Silverton, showing friends around this little mountain town. I noticed that the car was steering a bit strangely, and was near a place to park anyway, so I did. A tire was low, and went flat eventually. One of the new tires. After changing the tire, I figured that the tire had been run awfully low, and it might have been damaged. I took it to the local Goodyear dealer, and he said “I am not a company store, and I won’t honor your guarantee.” After much protesting, I realized that it was useless. I will never deal there again, and of course will spread the word. He is a fool, but that’s his problem. I called the store in Denver where I bought the tire, and he said the guy was a fool also. He told me to buy a new tire, send him the bill, and he will send me a check. But he also said that the local fool was technically within his rights. This made me realize that if you buy a tire from a local outfit, even though it may be a well known brand, and even if you purchase a roadworthy guarantee or if it comes with the tire, if you are away from home and you have tire problems, (this was the first tire trouble I have had in probably 30 years!) ,you may be in for trouble. If you bought the tires from a good guy, local dealer, and you have a problem, you might have to buy a new tire because the local guy’s guarantee might be good only locally.
I therefore, as much as I hate it, bought four new Goodyear tires for the 190 Mercedes from Sam’s Club, plus the replacement Goodyear for the 300 Mercedes. No matter where I go, there will be a Wal Mart or Sam’s Club somewhere around, which will honor the guarantee. In the west, there is an outfit called “Big O” tires. About three years ago, my wife bought four new tires for her small pickup from them, and one blew out. They said that “We don’t honor our guarantee on that “Big O” tire. She was driving on a smooth highway, and the tires probably had but a couple of thousand miles on them. Beware of “Big O” tire stores, as well as non “company owned” stores.
A couple of years ago, I wrote about a new tankless hot water heater I installed in my house. Last month, my gas bill was $13.53. That heated water, cooking, clothes washing. showers, etc. for two people for a month, plus dog baths, and guests for a few days. The heater is made of brass and copper, and can’t ever rust out. It requires a space about 1 foot by 1 foot, by 8 inches thick. It makes hot water as fast as you use it and stores nothing. It is at least 75% cheaper to operate than a conventional hot water heater, requires little space, and weighs about ten pounds. They have been using them in Europe for a long time I understand. You never run out of hot water, and save a bundle. I equipped my entire home with those little spiral fluorescent bulbs and it saves about $20 a month on my electric bill. Am I a cheapskate? Perhaps, but I consider myself smart at least, and don’t want to waste anything, including money. Oh yes, the 190 diesel Mercedes gets from 33 to 36 miles per gallon on diesel fuel, and that car will probably never wear out. Look for a good used one. The 300 turbo gets 26 MPG, weighs 4700 pounds, rides like it, currently has 278,000 miles on it, and never uses a drop of oil. The engine has never been touched. Unfortunately, the new Mercedes look like Pontiacs to me, and have none of the distinguishing appearance of the older models. I’ll keep the older ones. Anything to be ’different.’ I hate to be like everyone else.
Don’t kid yourself, the dollar is ’stronger’ against all the other pieces of paper, and has no ’strength.’ Also, the financial troubles are NOT over, even though Greenspan II has printed hundreds of billions, as has everyone else.