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from the random-and-intermittent-failures dept.
https://qz.com/1066966/how-many-cars-were-destroyed-by-hurricane-harvey/ and also at other news outlets.
For Harvey victims, it's going to be rough if they lost their car, Houston is a very car-dependent city. Like many states, Texas only requires liability insurance — only those that bought comprehensive coverage will be able to claim the loss on insurance.
Ideally most of these flooded cars will be scrapped, as it's very likely water damage to electrical systems and other parts are not cost effective to repair professionally. However, there will be "new" and used cars on the market that have been underwater (to a greater or lesser extent). Many will be sold "as is" and some of them will be cleaned up and sold fraudulently as if they were not damaged. Buyer beware, these cars will be shipped all over in search of buyers (marks?)
After Katrina, friends of mine with time on their hands bought several new-flooded Honda Civics (which they were familiar with from building "street stock" race cars). They pulled out the interior and then the full wiring harness. Bought new harness from Honda and replaced everything, and had perfectly good near-new cars for pennies on the dollar (and a few days of hard labor).
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Monday September 04 2017, @09:58AM (1 child)
Too true. I know gas is far more expensive in Europe, but most of my fellow Americans haven't a clue. US prices peaked at a bit over $4/gallon in 2008, and people were trading in their SUVs for economy cars in droves.
It's sad the simple gas saving measures that aren't being used. For instance, automobile manufacturers do not smooth the undersides of their cars. It's like driving around without the hood. Sure the car still works, but there are all these components sticking out and causing drag. When they have added wheel skirts, their moronic customers whine that the skirts are "ugly" and take them off.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Grishnakh on Monday September 04 2017, @01:43PM
US prices peaked at a bit over $4/gallon in 2008, and people were trading in their SUVs for economy cars in droves.
Yep, but lately they've all been in a rush to trade those in on big-ass SUVs. Americans are so stupid. Gas was over $4/gallon as recently as 2012 in Connecticut, IIRC.
For instance, automobile manufacturers do not smooth the undersides of their cars.
That's wrong. When was the last time you looked under a car? My Mazda has smooth paneling covering almost the entire underside, and it's not a high-end car.
When they have added wheel skirts, their moronic customers whine that the skirts are "ugly" and take them off.
The main problem with wheel skirts is that they *are* ugly, because they're assymetrical: the skirts are only used on the rear wheels, and not the front. If they could figure out how to fix that, they'd be more accepted. I'm not an aerodynamicist, but I do wonder how much difference rear wheel skirts really make, compared to other things, like underbody paneling, mirrors, etc. Have you ever noticed that in the latest cars, the headlights are specifically designed so they're not smooth? I'm told that's done to help aerodynamics over the mirrors. But before too long, mirrors should become a thing of the past, replaced by cameras.