Depoe Bay Oregon, 2023.

I've posed with many different vehicles in this same spot.

I was really looking forward to driving my Navigator on this trip. I'd already put almost 3,000 miles on it since I bought it last November. I've taken it on a few shorter trips, to Pismo beach, and Windsor, besides quite a few of those 100 mile plus round trips for errands and trips visiting family. 

This was a great drive because it combined so many different kinds of roadways; freeways, county highways, county byways, and even twisty mountain two lane roads. Up and down steep inclines, climbing to over 5,000 ft. of elevation, there was even a bit of snow still on the ground! This gave me the opportunity to become better acquainted with how the Navigator handles. Experience makes all the difference. I've got lots of experience with my F150, and have supreme confidence in how it will handle it in every situation. 

The Navigator didn't disappoint me. It tracks straight, steers accurately, and can go around curves as well as most cars. I found that I could maintain a very good clip up and down the mountains, I was never holding anyone up. My tactic is to let all the locals pass me, I make it easy to pass me in the passing lanes. I will even pull off onto the shoulder occasionally if a line of locals builds up behind me. If I'm driving at the speed limit I don't rush to do that, but sometimes this courtesy goes a long way. 

As you might expect the Nav is extremely comfortable to drive, it's spacious, quiet, and is very smooth riding. It has plenty of power whenever you need it. Driven in the manner for which it was designed, it is a quite relaxing place to pass the hours. 

On this trip I thought that I'd use mid grade instead of regular gas in the Navigator. Although premium is recommended, it seemed to run fine on regular. I wondered if maybe the engine control system didn't retard the spark a bit. With mid grade it could advance the spark a bit, making the engine run more efficiently. Maybe. When I reached Newport and turned onto n/b US101, I checked the mileage and found 20.5 mpg. 

That's over 2 mpg. better than the EPA  highway estimate of 18 mpg. I'm not saying that's great, but it's as good as it will ever get. Honestly it's right in line, or better, than many other full size or even mid size SUVs. 

Fuel economy was just below 20 mpg. (19.8) for the fill up from Newport to Klamath Falls. The final leg of the trip from Klamath Falls to the Bay Area  recorded 18.9 mpg. What's kind of amazing is seeing the "miles to empty" readout register at 500 miles. I arrived home with an estimated 110 miles left in the tank. 

I usually get pretty good gas mileage, mostly due to my feather foot.

Of course the tank holds a lot of gas, 27 gallons! It costs quite a bit to fill it, luckily we had three fill ups in Oregon where gas is cheaper. By taking the Navigator we were at a 3-5 mpg. disadvantage, comparing it to the Flex. 

I know that this kind of mileage won't make any Prius drivers envious, but considering that my other vehicle options might only return a best of 25-26 mpg. it isn't that bad. MyFlex usually gets 22-24 mpg. on long trips to keep things in perspective. 

I've been doing a lot of internet research and it appears that none of the Lincoln models gets very good mileage. There is only a two mile per gallon difference between the different models.  The new Navigator gets 20 mpg. the Aviator 22 mpg. The Nautilus, 24 mpg. The little Corsair might get up to 30 mpg.  So there really isn't much of a penalty if you pick the two largest models. 

I really enjoyed driving the Navigator, it has such a nice interior, and it's bright Ruby Red metallic with chrome wheels.  I like the way it looks, it's a classic Nav, with the original chrome Continental style grille, but with simplified bumpers and body side claddings, and with retractable running boards. Overall, a very classy looking rig, and I take great pride and enjoyment in driving it.

It is in many ways a continuation of the great Land Yachts of the 1950's and 1960's. I consciously chose this car over a vintage model. For me, it combines that classic American style with real practicality and everyday driveability. It's "Vintage Lite" at its best. 

My Son's model 3 is also blue.

During this trip I got to experience my first long ride in my Son's new Tesla. It is the compact model 3. He and his Wife joined us up in Oregon. 

He invited us to see the Multnomah Falls just out of Portland. My Wife and I rode in the back seat.

First of all, the car was finished and detailed like a quality car, the upholstery, interior fittings and all were nice, like in a real production car, there was no kit car vibe. This was just my prejudice going in. This is the smaller model, but rear seat leg room and headroom were fine for my 5'10'' frame, the glass roof sits a few inches higher than the exterior roof rail. The slanted roof opening took a bit of getting used to. It made my initial entries and exits a bit difficult, as it was easy to hit my head. Once I got used to bending my neck and ducking, getting in and out, it wasn't a problem. 

The a/c and ventilation worked great, and the ride was very smooth. It was equipped with 18'' wheels which give plenty of sidewall, and rolled smoothly over the broken and potholed sections of the roadway. As you might have expected, it was very quiet, but any ICE car with stock exhaust is also quiet. It was also pretty quick.

We stopped once for a quick top off charge, east of McMinville. The charging station was in a parking lot that had a nearby Starbucks, of course. After a 15 minute bathroom and coffee break, we were ready to continue. Tesla charging stations are going up everywhere and of course with the phone app it's easy to plan your stops to coincide with breaks and meal stops. 

Actually all the info that you need, and more, is available from the car's information systems. This is part of the appeal to young and first adopter type folks. They love all the tech, like hands free driving. I got to see that demonstrated, I guess that it is impressive. I can't say that I want my car to drive itself, I don't even like being a passenger!

My Son and his Wife found that the car could carry them and a weeks vacation worth of stuff in the front and rear trunks. With more passengers, or a kid or two, it would be a real tight fit. They drove home from Depoe Bay straight through, a distance of 600 miles. Having two drivers and being young, makes this much easier. Two years ago I drove home in one day, I even took a detour to see the coastal route. I was the only driver and it was tiresome and unnecessary. I won't be repeating that trip!

Overall I thought that the Tesla was fine, but as an old man, I wonder about the reliability and longevity of all that expensive, complicated technology. In response to anyone that says that electronics are more reliable and longer lived than mechanical systems I would respond,"How many laptops and phones have you gone through? Remember how your old phone was no longer supported when everything went to 5G?"

When they are new, and nearly new I suppose that they will hold up fine, but how long a lifespan will they have? There are mechanical systems in the Tesla, there are cooling and lubrication systems and things like wheel bearings and brake pads. But the electronic controls, on board computer systems, and the software that run them are the question. 

I suppose that for any original buyer that trades cars in three or four years, this isn't a real concern. Even with today's more complex ICE powered vehicles. Twin turbos, and hybrid drives are complex. I think that with new cars, I might decide that it is a better idea to lease, than to buy and expect to get a long service life from a vehicle. 

That also brings up the next problem, especially to old cheapskates like me. Cost. Playing in the electric car field is going to be more costly. A new EV that costs in the 30's and 40's thousands is much more expensive than picking up something 5-10 years old for fifteen grand or less. You may save on "fuel" but you will be paying more for  vehicle payments.

I spent a lot for gas on my trip, even with about 20 mpg. the Nav used almost four tankfuls of gas for the 1,400 miles with a bit over a hundred left on the tank when I got home. Three of those fill ups were in Oregon, where the gas was a bit cheaper, and altogether cost me approx 300.00. That may sound like a lot, but my other vehicle choices wouldn't have done much better than 25 mpg, or even less. And, the Navigator is bought and paid for, so no monthly payment.

I've put a trouble free 4,000 miles on the Navigator since I bought it last November. It turned over 113,000 miles on the way back. It is certainly an older used car, and that's always a risk, even with low miles. So far it's turned out well, and realistically I could double the current mileage! That is one strategy for car ownership!

Isn't my carbon footprint bigger than it should be? Who can say at this point. The Tesla itself doesn't emit hydrocarbons, but the electricity generating infrastructure, still mostly natural gas burning, and it's total manufacturing process does. While operating costs are lower, for a retired person that doesn't have a commute, or do much daily driving, the equation is unclear in my eyes. 

There are a couple of special parking slots in front of our local library reserved for "low emission" vehicles. I once used that spot to quickly return a book to the automated return kiosk. I told my Wife, that when I turn off my car, it's a zero emission vehicle!

I'm not going to get into the whole argument, electric cars are here, and they have their place. I don't hate them. ICE cars will remain available for a long time, and of course, there will be plenty of existing cars still on the market. 

                                            -------------------------------------------------------------------------

So what's my final verdict, is the Navigator "too much?" 

My conclusion is that the Navigator is not too much, but it is... a lot!

If it's more than you need, you can give it a pass. But if it will fill all your needs, then it's just right. I found it to be a satisfying luxury vehicle, all of it's added capabilities, are just icing on the cake. 

You make the call.

 Is a Navigator really too much? Part Two. 

That's a Navigator on the right,
Don't forget that a semi truck is bigger than both!

As I explored in the last post, a person that chooses to travel by large SUV is going to be spending more money than a traveller in a compact car.

If that person chooses a luxury SUV, they are going to spend a lot more, especially if they are buying new. But either way, there are higher fuel costs involved. Yes, they are going to have a larger carbon footprint, right?

The greater the number of passengers in a vehicle, the more efficient it is for the fuel consumed. The SUV has a great potential to be efficient in a passenger per mile consideration. Just like a bus.

It really all boils down to your needs. I used to ride a motorcycle all over the place. Usually by myself, but my Wife did ride behind me on one trip. Though I rode "solo," most of my trips were made with my buddy Rick riding his own bike alongside mine. Couldn't we have doubled up?  It would have saved gas!

Yeah, sure.

Two seat sports cars are great for singles, or young couples, two bucket seats are all you need. It's when you start adding kids, as in a family, that things get more complicated. 

It also boils down to your preferences. There are people that like taking their friends along, that calls for a larger vehicle.

Among the commentariat, there are those that will always stand in judgement, no matter what you choose. As if anyone cared what they think!

Sounds like good advice to me!

Of course we are all entitled to our opinions, like the Winston cigarette ad stated, "Judge me all you want, just keep the verdict to yourself!  

So my post here is just my observations and opinions, your results and conclusions may vary.

A Cougar like this was our first new car.

In the early years of my marriage, we had one kid and a Mercury Cougar. It was a nice car that did the job. After we added a second child, and there was the prospect of at least one more, my Wife wondered if we should get a bigger car, or at least one with four doors.

I immediately thought of a Taurus wagon. We visited the dealer. It was nice, but it felt kind of like a four door Cougar.

My Wife was actually thinking of a minivan, I wasn't, but we also went to the Dodge dealer. My Son, who was only a few years old, scampered into an open van and sat contentedly in the middle seat. I guess the choice had been made. It wasn't like I wanted a minivan, but it sure looked like something that we could use. 

These were extremely popular, for a good reason.

We took a lot of road trips in that '90 Dodge Caravan. It was an immense improvement over the Cougar, we couldn't have even used the Cougar once the third kid showed up. That Dodge served us faithfully for ten years.

Then we traded for a newer, used '97 Chrysler Town and Country LXI. The Dodge had been a base model, but it still had all the important stuff. Over the years I thought about all the things that would make our travels even more pleasant. The Town and Country had all that stuff; long wheelbase, four doors, second row Capt's chairs, rear air, leather seats, power everything, plus an Infiniti sound system with 16 speakers! It even had a joystick fader control!

This vehicle provided us with a plush way to travel, I nicknamed it the "Luxury Liner" I imagined it to be our own private railway car. 

While minivans are very practical, they no longer incited any envy, they were already being derided as "soccer mom" cars. SUVs like the new Ford Explorer, were becoming the hot set up. "Who needs an SUV?" I used to ask myself, I sure didn't, didn't they use even more gas than the minivans? 

My '90 Dodge had the 3.0 mitsubishi V6 with a three speed automatic. My '97 T&C had a slightly bigger 3.8 V6 with a four speed transmission, but fuel mileage was almost identical, between 20-22 mpg. on highway trips. 

We also had a Cadillac sedan which was comfortable when our oldest moved out and only two kids were left, neither needing a car seat. Fuel mileage on this was around 25 mpg. however premium gas was required.

Our '07 Mustang V6 was also used for frequent family trips, I suppose that it was a bit crowded for the kids, but as I stated before, they didn't get a vote! Gas mileage was a bit better at 25-27  mpg. on regular. 

Recently my Wife and I have taken a lot of road trips by ourselves. I've used my F150 to go up to Oregon, and even on our trip to South Dakota, Phoenix Az, and several trips to LA. For the two of us it was extremely comfortable with a huge potential for luggage. In fact we filled it up with swap meet and antique faire finds during our South Dakota trip. Driven at the 65 mph. speed limit, it would return a dependable 20 mpg. 

I had a few years with a V8 Explorer, my first SUV. I really grew to like it, we took some trips. It was useful for our cargo needs, but it's fuel economy was not too good. It got around 17 mpg. on our trip to Indio.

You can think of it as a lower, front wheel drive Expedition.

It's as spacious as it looks.

Of course as ol' Einstein has said many a time, Everything is relative." At least that was his theory.

Realistically, anyone that bought a big SUV wasn't cross shopping Nissan Versas or Toyota Prius'. So the difference in mileage comes down to 3-5 mpg. Not that big a difference. 

If you consider that my Navigator is one of my hobby cars it looks even better. My old Rivieras only got 12 mpg. at best. My '70 Mustang got 15 mpg. I don't think that my '56 Cadillac would do even close to those. 

So as an alternative to a vintage car, my Nav seems to makes a lot of sense.

Plus it has much cleaner exhaust emissions than any pre '75 car. 

The "family car" of the new Millenium.

Crew cab pick ups are one of Today's most popular family vehicles, and their fuel economy is pretty close to any of the big Suvs. I've scoured my magazine collection as well as the Internet and concluded that gas mileage is pretty consistent between, American, Asian and European trucks and SUVs.

So why are some people so down on Navigators and their cross town sibling, the Cadillac Escalade?  Probably for the same reason that people were down on BMWs in the 90's, they just see these automotive choices as a way of showing off, as blatant conspicuous consumption. They are quite expensive when new, and I suppose that many do buy them as status symbols. But many choose them because they are as capable as any Tahoe, Suburban, Big truck or Expedition. They choose the function combined with the comfort and the pizazz. 

To some people, these luxury SUVs aren't just seen as fancy trucks, they're seen as symbols of the destruction of the environment, the decline of Western civilization, excessive consumerism, elitism, and who knows what else!

I think that I'll just drive my old Navigator on my upcoming vacation trip. Then I'll know whether or not it suits my needs.

 Nostalgia, Again.

You'd have to have a heart of stone to resist this beauty.

Recently there was a post on Curbside Classic that featured a '57 Chevy Bel Air.

The writer confessed to having a decades long love affair with this model, and he admitted to his long term desire to own one for himself.

Several commenters made the point that it is sometimes better to enjoy the wishing, instead of actually buying the actual car.

There was less of an opportunity for disappointment.

photo soutce: mindworks.

Someone even referenced the Thomas Wolfe short story, The Far and Near. In this story, the protagonist is an engineer on a railway that passes by what appears to be a pleasant little farm and home. He has spent decades daydreaming about a little cottage and it's inhabitants. It's a harmless diversion, the little house seems so cozy and inviting, and there is a woman that lives there that waves at his train as it passes. The engineer decides one day, to actually get off the train and visit the town, and introduce himself to the lady.

Of course things do not go as he had imagined, and he leaves in disappointment. 

The commenter warns that this will likely happen if the writer buys that '57 Chevy.

image from the 1960 movie.

I made a comment that buying an old car can be done for different reasons. One is to try to recreate a past that has been imagined and fantasized, and the car is supposed to function as a time machine. Transporting the owner back in time, where he will be able to live out his heroic dreams.

The other, is to see the car as an artifact from this past era, and it will help recall events of that time. Or the car is something that the buyer has admired and wanted for a very long time. Maybe even an automotive  Holy Grail quest. 

Of course, a car is just a car, and an old car is likely to provide a lot of challenges to it's new owner.

Especially if the buyer has never had any experience with old cars.

I had a friend that had been planning on taking a trip down the length of Route 66. He felt that it would be more enjoyable behind the wheel of a car that he had wanted for years, a 65 Mustang. He didn't currently own a Mustang, so he set out to buy one for the trip. He found a pretty nice example, according to the seller it had received a lot of maintenance and repairs besides the cosmetic work. It did look good, but as soon as he started to drive it, the problems began making themselves known. The dash lights were dim, so were the headlights. The horn didn't work. The brakes squeaked and pulled to the side. It would overheat after driving on the freeway.  It certainly wasn't ready for the trip. 

He knew that I was an old car guy and asked for advice. I told him that even a good car needs to be sorted out, and that can only come from driving it. Then he needed to find a good mechanic, a Holy Grail quest of it's own, (!) that could work out all the bugs. The process would take some time, especially if he was depending on a mechanic, instead of fixing things himself. 

Unfortunately, the Mustang couldn't be sorted out in time, and the trip was made in his newer Ford Escape.

At least he had good a/c in his newer Ford!

I have mentioned that Thomas Murray has written many stories that were published in Car Collector magazine over the years that follow this exact theme. Murray is very heavy into personalized nostalgia. Most of his musings deal with the regrets of lost youth, and unrequited love, the typical pains of growing up.

I can't say that I share his view of vintage car ownership.

This year I plan to attend my 50th. high school reunion. I attended my 10th. and 20th. anniversary year events.  Those were enough for me! High school was not the happiest time for me. I wasn't popular, or cool, so I found a few buddies that also didn't fit in, and we rode out the years. So much insecurity! There is a lot of misery that a lot of youngsters endure during this period. It seems like everything is so important during these years, and that it will never pass. But after four years we go on to discover our lives as young adults, experiencing a level of independence and freedom that we couldn't have imagined. Once we are more in command of our choices and our fate, we find that many of the restrictions of our adolescence were largely self imposed. 

Okay, what does this have to do with old cars? 

As I stated, you can consider a car a time machine or an artifact. It depends on your motivation when you set out to buy an older car. There isn't a wrong reason, but you should proceed with your eyes open.

Because every old car, no matter how good it looks, is likely to have some problems that you'll have to sort out, no matter how much you pay. It's the sorting out that makes the difference. Rebuilt engines will need to be tuned up, adjustments made to drum brakes, clutches, transmissions, electrical accessories may have to be fiddled with, minor dings, scratches and rust spots will have to be dealt with. Cars are fairly complex systems, even brand new cars can have their teething problems, so don't be surprised. The only way to get the car right, is to drive it enough to flush out all the problems. 

Having a car from the years of your family childhood, or from high school, or college, or young adult years may help relive some memories, but it isn't likely to let you re-experience the times. Or change the past. Much like the actions of someone experiencing a stereotypical mid life crisis isn't going to turn them into a young person again! That bald head and paunch isn't going to disappear after you take possession of the Corvette!

If the car is something that you've admired, and have wanted for years it can seem like you have finally achieved your heart's desire. But remember how disappointed Dorothy was after traipsing all over Oz.

The old saying that you should never meet your heroes also comes to mind. You have to be realistic. My favorite vintage Mustangs are the '69 -'70 Mach One models. I think that they are the best looking Mustangs of all time.

Truthfully, though, they are not very good cars, at least  in comparison to modern models. The biggest area that fail to measure up is in occupant safety. Leaving that aside, (which is actually quite important) they are lacking in handling, braking, steering, and fuel economy. Their creature comforts and ergonomics are also usually pretty poor. I found that my '70 Mustang was lacking in many areas, the amount of horsepower wasn't even a consideration. Chances are you won't enjoy driving the car as much as you thought you would, and it will spend a lot of time in storage.

In the end, the writer admitted that for every opportunity that had become available, the time was not right for him to make the purchase. When he was younger he didn't have the money. Later, he didn't have the time to invest. Even later he was raising a family and again the old car wouldn't fit into his current life. Valid reasons all. It takes a real die hard to actually take the plunge. 

I hate to be the bearer of the buzz kill, I've bought a lot of different old cars, many which didn't make much sense. Financially none of them did! However, I don't regret my decisions. Life is too short to be practical all the time.

Sometimes you have to take the plunge, other times you should stay on the safety of that cliff. The choice is up to you, just consider how the rough landing could be. 

 Is the Navigator really too much? Part One.

I've never had an Aviator, but I had a '97 Explorer,
which was the same size.  The Navigator is the big one in the picture!

I suppose that it depends on what you mean by too much.

At the time that I was looking for a replacement for my Explorer, I didn't even consider a used Navigator. It would have to have been a recent model with low mileage, as I was looking for a long term, reliable, family vehicle. Not another hobby car. That would have been pretty expensive. At the time I was considering another Explorer, or the Lincoln version, the MKT. The MKT may have been a bit unusual looking, but I really liked the interior. MKTs aren't very common, and the ones that I found all had too high mileage. I also considered the Flex, another somewhat uncommon choice, but I thought that they were attractive and useful. 

Maybe I should have held out for one of these. I actually like the looks.
Of all the Baleen whale Lincolns, I think this is the best looking.

Remember that this was in the middle of the pandemic, so the supply of used cars was pretty tight. 

Like most people, I thought that the Navigator was just a gussied up big truck that got terrible gas mileage. Which is probably exactly what it is. Just kidding! It didn't occur to me at the time that I might find them attractive or useful. While I'd always been a fan of big, old time American luxury cars from the '50's and '60's, I hadn't toyed with the idea of buying another one. 

Instead we ended up with a nice Ford Flex as our family car.

After selling off my old Jaguars, the idea of a big vintage luxury car seemed like a plausible idea. But they are now expensive and old, not something that I would be likely to use very much. I also considered a DeVille from the 2000s, and then it occurred to me that a big luxury SUV is the direct descendant of the Fabulous Fifties land yachts. 

I wrote a post last year about a certain green Navigator. I didn't get that one, so the search went on until I found my red '05 Navigator. This turned out to be a pretty good example, it was in good shape, ran great, and had very low mileage for it's age, only 109,000 miles. The price was in the right range. It was a completely usable vehicle. I rapidly put on another couple of thousand miles and found that I enjoyed driving it. This Nav was purchased as a hobby vehicle. That brings me up to today. 

Is the Navigator too much because some people see it as ostentatious? They are quite expensive when new, the fanciest examples are over 100K. Are they just driven as status symbols? 

Is it because they are so large? Of course, there are larger half ton and more trucks, like the Ford Super Duties. Or consider all the big motorhomes and rec vans out there.

A lot of people see all SUVs as ostentatious. I wonder if these people have ever driven one on a vacation road trip? Probably not, but they happily deplete the ozone layer as they fly their family to a distant vacation spot, then rent a car when they arrive! Or maybe they prefer ocean cruise vacations. Do you know how much fuel a cruise ship uses? 

Let's explore some of the prejudices that the general public and even some car aficionados harbor against SUVs in general.

If you are going to drive a long distance on a vacation, and you are planning to carry a large number of passengers and their luggage, it makes sense to drive something big enough to hold everything and everyone and that can keep them comfortable while doing it. 

What about if you want to tow a trailer or a boat?

There has never been a car big enough to comfortably seat six adult passengers three across. I know that some of you were crammed into cars like that as children, but I'd bet you remember that you didn't like it.  But the adults didn't care, they weren't the ones seated in the center, getting elbows to the ribs or worse. It didn't matter that you didn't like it, you didn't get a vote!  

Either way, what is the point in being uncomfortable?

Station wagons were the first improvement over a sedan, especially the three row models. They certainly could hold more luggage crammed in the back. Much better than adding a luggage rack to the trunk lid of a sedan, or a carrier to the roof. All the stuff that stayed inside stayed clean, dry, and secure from curious eyes and prying fingers. Of course, if your family needed a three row wagon for all the kids. some stuff would end up being strapped to the roof. As kids we travelled pretty light. My family took several long road trips in wagons, my Dad was a wagon guy. Mom and Dad in front, myself and my two brothers in the back seat.

Then there were minivans. These were what I drove when my three kids were growing up. The oldest in the back, the two younger kids in the middle seat, Stuff in the back and crammed around them if needed. Unlike my childhood experiences of travelling in non air conditioned cars, my kids got to ride in cool comfort. 

Then there is the combination of these two vehicles, the large SUV. 

The large SUV is all about having extra, excess capability. It can seat between 6 and 8 passengers. It can securely hold an enormous amount of stuff. It can tow a large trailer or boat. It can easily cruise comfortably at high speeds. 4WD models can navigate securely through snow, slush, and heavy rain. And it can do all of these things at the same time! That's versatility.

Or it can just carry the driver to the mall or Starbucks.

These abilities require a large, heavy duty vehicle, with a large powerful engine and rugged drivetrain. Vehicles like these are necessarily more expensive than the average passenger car. A lot of folks will have to make do with what they have, crowding in passengers and gear as best they can. But if you have the choice...

Even regular large SUVs are seen as a status symbol, the high end models even more so.  They are expensive vehicles, either way.

So anyone who buys one of these vehicles is going to spend a lot more money than the average motorist. More for the vehicle itself, and certainly more for fuel. A lot of the people who drive these vehicles lead very active lives filled with various types of leisure activities. They are shuttling kids and their gear to school and sports activities. Or on camping trips, or other outdoor activities. Or they have boats, horses, dirt bikes, ATVs, mountain bikes, kayaks, jet skis, big dogs, camp trailers, or antique cars.

We don't really notice the family on their way to the airport for their European vacation, or cruise, but we notice the fully loaded SUV on the highway ahead of us. We can see what they've got going on; they're on their way somewhere to have a good time! It's a clear case of conspicuous consumption.

Some people don't like that! On various forums I've heard from people that are quite self righteous in letting other people know exactly what they SHOULD be enjoying, and then, only in moderation, of course! Maybe there's a little of the green eyed monster involved with these social media Puritans?

I know that I have to pay my own bills, I assume that others do also. We all make our choices and priorities. Finding a way to enjoy family activities is a choice. It's none of my business how you do it, unless someone expects me to pay your bills.

My folks didn't like camping, fishing, hiking, or other outdoor activities. Luckily I  got some exposure to these things through the Boy Scouts. 

Though I had an Uncle that liked fishing, camping, and even hunting. He had a cab over camper on his truck. 

I'll bet he would have bought an SUV, if they had been available back then.

 Taking a look at what the Navigator might need.

Nice and new from Amazon.

I've already covered the cosmetic work that I did on the Navigator, repainting the front bumper being the primary thing.

While I was cleaning up the exhaust pipes I took a look underneath. I found that the muffler support brackets had broken, at least the left side one.  I used a long, thick tie wrap to secure the broken support. A month or two later I looked under there again and found that now the right side was also broken. I used another tie down and this time I backed it up with a couple of wraps of picture hanging wire. In the old Days we used to use a piece of wire coat hanger, but try to find a wire coat hanger today! That wire wasn't very strong and it would usually break in a short time. My picture hanger repair might be cheesy, but I'd bet that it would last for years!

It was this short mounting strap that broke.

Both brackets had broken between the two mounting holes. I ordered a couple of replacement hangers off the internet. I was hoping that I could press the hanger out of the rubber cushion and use the existing hanger that is welded to the exhaust pipe. Since I don't have a welder available to me, I was hoping that I could make my plan work. 

That wasn't going to happen. There's no way to push the expanded end through the rubber isolator.

It looked like I would need to find a muffler shop to handle the job.

An internet search introduced me to Abuelo mufflers in San Jose. I took the new hangers with me when I went to the shop. The tech wasn't busy and had me drive the Nav onto the four post lift. When I showed him the hangers he asked how much I paid for them. I told him that I paid 11.00 dollars apiece, he told me that he would have done the job, including the replacement hangers plus labor for twenty bucks! 

I initially wanted the brackets to be bolted on, but the tech recommended that they be welded on, but he would bolt them on if I really wanted it done that way. I told him that he's the expert, so go ahead and weld them on. 

Very artistically done.

The charge for the job was still 20.00 just for the labor. I guess that he felt that the job wasn't worth doing for less than twenty bucks!  Still, I had no problem with the cost.

I also checked out the spare, it was properly inflated. I checked the jack and tire changing equipment. It was all accounted for. Lot's of times used cars are missing the jack, or even the spare tire! Better to find out now, then out in the boonies on the side of the road!

I'd noticed that the gas mileage has seemed to drop a bit since I bought the car. It could be that I'm not as light on the pedal as I once was. I wondered if I could improve it by cleaning the MAF sensor, and checking the condition of the air filter. 

I looked under the hood and couldn't find the MAF sensor out in the open. I removed the engine cover, which exposed the throttle body and I spied the MAF sensor on the left side of the throttle body. These sensors are easy to remove, and easy to clean. I found that the intake tube was loose and maybe this had an effect on the fuel metering. We'll see. 

I got this at Harbor Freight Tools.

This driver set comes in really handy. It has several different driver bits including Poziforce screw bits, which look like Phillips screws, but are actually different. The MAF sensor was held on by a couple of Torx screws.

It was very easy to remove.

The air cleaner element is held in a sliding "drawer" at the front of the throttle body assembly. It's really easy to check and replace. Mine looked like new. 

One thing that might be affecting the mileage might be my use of regular grade gas, usually the cheapest that I can find. I know that premium gas is recommended, and the car seems to run fine on regular. It may well be that the engine management controls might be retarding the spark and other settings. These retarded settings might result in the engine running at less than peak efficiency. Pay more for gas, get better mileage? Would this be a viable trade off? 

I think that I'll try that after I see if the clean MAF sensor will improve things.

The battery is clearly visible. The first thing that I noted was that the date sticker on the battery read 1/20, so the battery is three years old at this time. If I'm lucky I might still get another couple of years more service out of it. I also found that the positive terminal was encrusted in blue deposits. If  I want to get the maximum service out of this battery I better clean all these connections off! 

After a thorough cleaning, I checked the water level, which was fine. I figure that I can stop worrying about the battery for at least a year.

Next, it was time for the first oil change of my ownership. I'm a regular customer at Oil Changers on Monterey Highway. They have a special service card where you get four oil changes for the price of three. That's a savings of around fifty bucks, and I've got four vehicles. I generally only have to  change the oil in each vehicle once a year. 

All the fluids looked good, but I decided to replace the brake fluid in the reservoir. I used a turkey baster to suck out the old fluid. I stopped just before the reservoir was completely empty, preventing any air from entering the system. I'll have the system flushed and filled completely with new fluid when it needs the brakes done.

So far I've put 3,000 miles on the car without any problems. It's good to check everything before setting out on a long vacation road trip.

I'm really looking forward to driving the Navigator on some Summer road trips.