The Jaguar XJS V-12 (1989) Transported To Storage In Laconia For At Least A Year.
Had to make room for the Volvo. We only have room in the garage & driveway for so many cars — for now 6. The Volvo would be seven. Don’t want to start parking cars in the yard. So, at least one had to go into storage. Had thought about putting BOTH Jags in storage BUT had trouble finding a place for one let alone two. So, decided to store the XJS. The XJ8 will get moved to the driveway with a fancy cover. But, I plan to continue driving the XJ8 when the weather is good. Since the Volvo is leased, & as such does carry a mileage allocation, having the XJ8 around will help.
Hoping that the Volvo XC60 will get delivered next week.
Related posts:
Search ‘Jaguar‘.
Fuji Camera Rental Program (U.S.) — All The Available Models & Prices.
Click to ENLARGE and read here. Use link below to access original from the Fujifilm USA website.
Click here to access the original from the Fujifilm USA website.
The notion of renting cameras is really beginning to appeal to me. I am now thinking of renting a X-T1 for a week when we next go to Acadia National Park. It will be the perfect way for me to try out a X-T1 ahead of the X-T2 becoming available — most likely in August or September of this year.
I have found another place to rent Fujis — which might be a tad cheaper. But the above is directly from Fuji USA. So there is, in theory, some guarantee of satisfaction, of not quality. I will keep you appraised.
Related posts:
++++ Search ‘Fuji’ and/or ‘images’ for other posts >>>>
++++ Check Category ‘Six Images’ >>>>
Renting A Fuji X-Pro2 (Body) From Fujifilm U.S. For 28 Days Costs $275.
Amazon listing for a new Fuji X-Pro2 (from Fuji). Click to access listing if you must.
I had NO idea how much renting a camera would be. Suffice to say I have never done it. So I had no clue or expectations. Kind of knew, viscerally, that it would not be ‘cheap’.
Called Fujifilm, U.S., in Edison, NJ, on their standard 1-800-800-3854 phone number and punched ‘3’ for ‘Pro Rental’. An extremely pleasant and helpful lady, ‘Brittany’, answered on the second ring.
They have pre-set time periods like 28 days, 50 days etc.
28 days for the X-Pro2 was $275.
I have to say that was LESS than I had expected. I am NOT considering renting a X-Pro2 and told her that upfront. As always there was ‘method to my madness’.
I was using the X-Pro2 to determine some parameters.
Remember that my dream camera, the X-T2, is said to be announced this week! SMILE.
Funnily enough ‘Brittany’ claims that she had not even heard that there was a X-T2 coming!
She has 2 to 3 X-Pro2s in stock and I could rent one today.
$275 is 16% of the list price — for a month. 50 days was in the $420 mark (though I wasn’t paying much attention to that).
But it has got me thinking.
I love to lease cars. I wonder IF I can start LEASING cameras. I used to be very good friends, 20-years ago, in Chicago, with a father/son team that owned a very successful, multimillion dollar leasing company out of Chicago. They used me as a business consultant on networking stuff. As was the norm those days we did all of our business discussions over a meal. One night they invited me to dinner at a ‘private club’ at the legendary ‘Drake Hotel‘ in Chicago. It was a revelation to I. The club with its very post dining room was hidden behind a wall. No sign, whatsoever, from outside. I had, as I had been told, gone to the front desk to ask to be taken to the club. They opened this wall to let me in! Anywho … They used to tell me this all the time: ‘any item, as long as it has a residual value, can be leased’. They, those days, used to lease Rolex watches and yachts.
Ah! If I can only get them to lease me cameras. That would work out.
Related posts:
++++ Search ‘Fuji’ and/or ‘images’ for other posts >>>>
++++ Check Category ‘Six Images’ >>>>
We Bought A ‘Nissan Quest’ From ‘Somersworth Nissan’ On Sunday, May 29, 2016.
Click pictures to ENLARGE.
Taken with my Fuji X-E2s.
This to be fair has to be classed as a somewhat impetuous, impulsive purchase (something that I have been known to do when it comes to large-ticket purchases). We sure did not set out on Sunday to buy a Nissan Quest, a minivan or for that matter any vehicle. I would also have to confess I had never (really) heard of the ‘Quest’. I actually had to ask the salesman as to what minivans Nissan had!
We had been looking for a Nissan Pathfinder. In April, when we were in California, we had rented a Pathfinder, from Budget. We drove close to 1,700 miles and I loved the performance and handling of that SUV. For a year we had talked about getting another 7-seater vehicle to replace our 2002 Chrysler van in June 2016 — when it was next due for its inspection. I was getting fed up paying the increasingly expensive repair bills. I thought we were going to get a Pathfinder. On Sunday morning I confirmed that with Deanna. Yes, we were going to lease a Pathfinder.
On Sunday we were once again headed towards Portsmouth. We were passing ‘Somersworth Nissan‘ and stopped to feel out the lease prices. We looked at a Pathfinder and got lease prices. They were not as attractive as I had wished. Then Deanna and Tesichan started talking about getting a minivan. The salesman volunteered that they had a very tempting ‘dealership rental’ Quest with 4,000 miles. Deanna wanted to look. That one with 4,000 miles had been sold. Then they had this one with 2,400 miles! 2015 with 2,400 miles.
Deanna took it for a test drive. She and Teischan loved it. Devanee and I would still have preferred a Pathfinder. We spent 90 minutes thrashing out a price. In my old age I no longer try to beat salesman down as much as I can. I prefer to go for a win-win deal, even if I leave some money on the table. We finally agreed on a price with the Finance VP. The they offered us 100,000 miles, 7 year bumper-to-bumper coverage. That jacked up the price a bit — Nissan’s typically only having 100,000/7 year power-train warranties. Anywho … we ended up driving it home without parting with a cent. No money changed hands. I insisted that it be strictly ‘zero-down’ in every way. Second ‘zero-down’ purchase in the last 4 years. I like them. First payment on June 28.
It is nice enough. Devanee thinks it has 16 cupholders. That might be right. It is not ultra-fancy but it is nice enough.
Impressed with the folks at Somersworth Nissan. They were very decent and if they screwed us they did it very discreetly without flaunting it. I hope it was win-win. The salesman told me he made $60 on the sale. Well that is more than I got.
I will keep you posted.
Related posts:
++++ Search on ‘cars‘, ‘Jaguar‘ & ‘MGB‘ >>>>
Amazon Rather Than Leasing More Cargo Planes Should Buy UPS, Possibly FedEx.
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by Anura Guruge
Related posts:
>> AMZN stock split?
>> Amazon Hoverboards ….
>> Prime TV subscription prices.
>> Amazon Prime is worth it.
>> “Downton Abbey”.
>> “Mr. Selfridge”.
++++ Search on ‘Amazon’ for other related posts >>>>
Click to access “MarketWatch.com” original.
Though I have always, as for as long as I can recall, been a huge fan of Amazon, and as of 2011 used them for ALL of my book publishing, it is only this year, as a fully-paid up Amazon Prime member and an AMZN stockholder that I truly started to see that Amazon is invincible — at least over the next few years. These days I am just in total awe of Amazon. Like Google they really are at the top of their game.
Click to ENLARGE. Guess what line is UPS and what is AMZN.
Given the amount of online shopping that I do with Amazon, 88 orders in the last 6 months (i.e., 14 orders a month), I know their shipping habits pretty well and, moreover, I keep them honest. IF they miss the 2-day shipping on a Prime item I call them up. So far I have had 2 months of FREE Prime and $10 of gift credit. While they do quite well with UPS outside of the Christmas window, Christmas is always a challenge — as is the number of items now getting shipped directly from China, outside of Prime. I know that AMZN dearly wants to fix that.
That they are thinking of doing some of their own shipping has been an open secret for months. Makes a lot of sense.
But to me what would make sense is for them to buy (or merge with) UPS or FedEx. I am sure UPS shareholders would LOVE IT. Their shares have been going nowhere while AMZN keeps on defying gravity. Also in terms of Market Cap AMZN is 4 times that of UPS and 8 times that of FedEx.
There will be synergies PLUS Amazon can get a piece of the eBay action! Sweet. Talking of which I am surprised that AMZN hasn’t started offering auctions. They could kill eBay (and I own eBay shares too).
So just a thought.
The Best Auto Repair In Alton, N.H. “B-Boys” In Barnstead.
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by Anura Guruge
Related posts:
>> Black, 1989 Jaguar XJS.
>> Burgundy 2002 red Jaguar XJ8.
>> 2015: Green 1968 MGB breaks hibernation.
>> MGB: Dec. 30, 2014 in 18°F.
>> ‘The B Hive’ for MGB parts.
>> MGB gets Steve Barlow treatment.
>> “Brit Bits” in Rye, N.H.
>> Jaguar Association, Andover, MA.
++++ Search ‘MGB’ many other posts >>>>
Click to ENLARGE and read.
I wish somebody had told me about “B-Boys” years ago when we first moved to Alton 8 years ago. It would have saved me a LOT of grief, time and MONEY!
“B-Boys”, run in the main by ‘Dad’, Paul Bousquet (70), is everything I want from an auto repair shop: accommodating, forthright, comprehensive and reasonable. Paul over the last 2 weeks has been a revelation to me. I, even with my gift of gab, can’t say enough good words about him. There are some people on earth that as soon as you deal with them that you know that they are ‘salt of the earth’. Paul is one of them. He impressed me, no end, the first time around BUT I didn’t want to sing his praises until I had a second encounter. Well that was on Wednesday, June 10, 2015. He inspected my XJ8. He charged me $39.95 for the NH State Inspection and for putting on my front number plate. That was a fair price. Like I told him as I was leaving, having made an appointment next week for the XJS to be inspected, he HAS ME! I am not taking my cars and the van anywhere else. He can have all our business.
I only have one concern. Though he looks in much better shape than me and I assumed me was roughly my age he is 70 years old. I want Paul around for a LONG time. I know I will never find anybody as good as him. Yes, I have met his son, Jeff, but it has been Paul who has done all the work for us so far. I ardently hope that Jeff, in time, will step into some mighty big shoes.
I found “B-Boys” in the phone book. I was in desperate need of someone to do a ton of work on our 2002 Chrysler van and get it through an inspection. “VAIN” in Alton let us down. The KIA Sportage whose lease was coming due had to be returned to KIA before June 1. Deanna had made an appointment with “VAIN” to get an estimate on Wednesday, May 27th so that I could determine whether we keep the van or get something else. We dropped the van off on Tuesday so that they would have plenty of time. Did not matter. 4pm Wednesday and they hadn’t even looked at the van! I really needed to make a decision by the weekend. I started dialing numbers. Told Deanna to bring the van home. I was not leaving it there till the next day. 24 hours was enough.
Amazes me the number of ‘shops’ in Alton that refuse to handle rust work! Vehicles in New England rust. How can you claim to be an auto repair shop in New Hampshire if you refuse to touch any rust work. That is like saying you are a dentist but are incapable of extracting a tooth. We knew the van needed some rust work attended in order to pass inspection. I wasn’t going to take it to two shops for that — one for the rust and the other for the mechanical work.
B-Boys, the name a play on their French surname ‘Bousquet’, was the fifth number I called. It was nearly 4:30 in the afternoon Wednesday. Paul answered. He said he was a full-service shop. Yes, he could take care of the rust. Told me to bring the van over. He said he will get me a price the next day and try to have it all done, if the price was acceptable, by Saturday, maybe Friday. We got the van to him by 5pm! He was true to his word. His prices were not bad. I was impressed.
He knew Jags. He knew and had worked with British cars. Unlike Alton mechanics he is willing to work on any car — personally order and get hold of any required part. My type of shop.
I only had one request with the XJ8. He had to make sure his hands were squeaky clean. And when I took the Jag over he had made sure his hands were clean.
So, if you haven’t figured it out as yet, I am recommending, HIGHLY RECOMMENDING, Paul Bousquet of “B-Boys” as one heck of a mechanic and owner of a full-service, no nonsense auto repair shop. If you are within 30 miles of Barnstead do yourself a favor. Go to B-Boys. You will thank ME for this tip.
We Got Our Second Jaguar — A 1989 V-12 XJS Convertible To Complement The XJ8.
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by Anura Guruge
Related posts:
>> Burgundy 2002 red Jaguar XJ8.
>> 2015: Green 1968 MGB breaks hibernation.
>> MGB: Dec. 30, 2014 in 18°F.
>> ‘The B Hive’ for MGB parts.
>> MGB gets Steve Barlow treatment.
>> “Brit Bits” in Rye, N.H.
>> Jaguar Association, Andover, MA.
++++ Search ‘MGB’ many other posts >>>>
This is all per the ‘master plan’. The the lease on the KIA Sportage was expiring ‘now’. Around February/March Devanee and I agreed that we will replace the KIA with two (2) Jags. The lease on the KIA was $222/month. I worked out I could get two OLD Jags for way less than that. And that is what we did.
We returned the KIA last week. We picked up a very nice, but very affordable, Jaguar XJ8, in Philadelphia, from “European-Cars” (eBay), two-weeks earlier.
Today, we had the XJS hand delivered by a very nice gentleman from Burlington, Vt. I had found it on Craigslist. We agreed on a good price. There was no point me driving 3 hours (one way) to Burlington to pick it up. I was buying it ‘as is’ and ‘as is’ was not bad. So I convinced him to drive it down (for the same price). He did. We have the XJS. We are pleased. 75,000 miles.
Devanee wanted an XJ8 and an XJS. The 12 cylinders and convertible were negotiable BUT she wanted it black. Well, I got her what she wanted.
KIA Sportage 3 Year Lease — We ‘Grounded’ SUV with 27 Days To Spare & 7K Miles Under.
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by Anura Guruge
A Few Related posts:
>> AutoServ KIA Belmont, NH.
>> KIA (USA): Duplicitous.
>> KIA Sedona: Do NOT lease.
>> KIA lies about milage.
++++ Search ‘KIA’ for the many, many other posts >>>>
This, the last weekend of May, has been quite the weekend for us — by design. June, with June 27 Deanna’s birthday, tends to be a ‘landmark’ month for us. As it happened, couple of key things were coming to their expiration in June 2015.
One was the detested DirecTV two-year contract that was coming to an end on June 21, 2015. The other was the 3-year, 36,000 mile KIA Sportage lease which we signed for on Deanna’s birthday 3 years ago and as such was terminating on June 27, 2015.
With BOTH DirecTV and KIA I wanted to terminate AHEAD of the expiration, albeit for different reasons. I just detested DirecTV and wanted OUT as soon as possible. And that I managed after 4 phone calls and one chat session.
Leased vehicles in New Hampshire have arbitrary registration ‘months’ independent of the birthday of the leasee — whereas with vehicles you purchase the registration month is keyed to the owner’s birthday. The KIA Lease registration month — which also ties into the State inspection month — is May. So the KIA registration/inspection were both expiring today, May 31.
I was in no mood to register the KIA for 3 weeks and go through an inspection. Just was not worth it. Was easier and cheaper just to return it 3 weeks early. The KIA lease terms permit this. you can return a lease 28 days ahead of expiration. So that is what I did.
All worked out.
Returning the KIA, to Autoserv Belmont, was a pleasure and joy.
The Sales manager at KIA Autoserv Belmont, Tim Paradis, is ‘A-OK’!
IF I had met him before I might have leased another KIA. He was good. Very personable, likeable … HONEST guy. Trust me. I, in my old age, an impeccable judge of character. Tim Paradis was good. We liked him (even before we discovered that he likes Jaguars and has owned some). IF you want a car go see Tim at Autoserv Belmont.
I have nothing against KIA (or for that matter Hyundai) vehicles. Mechanically and functionally they are ultra-reliable and rugged. Never had a single problem with the KIA — but we also only drove it for 28,500 miles. Very reliable and dependable. All of my issues are with the people and the Company. Tim Paradis was a pleasant exception. I guess KIA folks are under huge pressure to perform and as such end up acting weird — and that is being polite.
As I suspected would happen (I knowing how leasing works) Autoserv promptly BOUGHT the car from KIA Lease when we returned it. That was a given with the low milage. To be fair they got a bargain. Even I toyed with the idea of buying from KIA and then trying to sell. But, with my luck I would have lost money.
So that is the end of the KIA. Doubt whether KIA will figure in our lives anytime soon. But ANOTHER Jag might!.
We Join “British Cars Of New Hampshire”.
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by Anura Guruge
Related posts:
>> MGB: 1st 2015 ride.
>> MGB: Dec. 30, 2014 in 18°F.
++++ Search ‘MGB‘ and ‘cars’ for many other posts >>>>
Now that we yet again have, after over a decade hiatus, a British car — the Green 1968 MGB — we had no choice but to join the “British Cars of New Hampshire” club.
They were no strangers to us as we have been to a number of their shows — most recently the “Show of Dreams” in 2013, in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.
A number of the members had also been extremely helpful to me when I posted on “The MG Experience” forum. They urged me to join — though in reality no urging was required per se. I always intended to join. Now we have — and by we I mean Devanee & I, since the MGB is going to be Devanee’s car and she plans to start driving it in about 10 months.
Another British car seems to be in our future. I have already started making phone calls about handing in our leased KIA Sportage in May — a month ahead of its lease end. Appears that that is permitted. I can return it any time after May 28, though the lease doesn’t end till June 27 (Deanna’s birthday). No, no … not a question of miles. It is a 36,000 lease and it hasn’t even done 30,000 yet. Doubt whether we can put 7,000 in the next 4 weeks. I just had it with KIA. Just want to see the back of it and get a British car.
The next British car will more than likely be an OLD Jaguar. Inexplicably I have never owned a Jag. How could that be. Yes, I came within 90% of owning an E-Type in 2001 — but that was when I lived a different life. E-Type are now beyond my dreams. Over the years I have owned (or had given to me as company cars) Triumphs (x4), Rover (x2) and MGs (x2) but never a Jag. Going to rectify that. Stay tuned.
AutoServ KIA Belmont, N.H. Showroom — Badly In Need Of Top-to-Bottom Housekeeping And Major Refurbishing.
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.by Anura Guruge
Related posts:
>> KIA (USA) duplicity — Feb. 28, 2014.
>> KIA leasing stupidity — Dec. 31, 2013.
>> Hyundai & Kia Get Caught Overstating Expected Mileage.
>> Oh, Oh! … — Nov. 2, 2012.
>> KIA updated milage — post flap — Nov. 3, 2012.
++++ Search ‘KIA‘ for other posts, good ones about dealership >>>>
From Google Maps — street view. This had to be from a few years ago.
Given how uncooperative TEAM KIA Concord was in getting us the Gas Milage Rebate Card that we were due, and how they jerked us around when we wanted to lease a KIA Sedona earlier this year, we decided it was time to find another KIA dealership for our service needs.
We know AutoServ in Tilton. We even have two friends that work there. So we decided to try AutoServ KIA. What I had not realized is that they are in Belmont and not in Tilton — moreover they are on Rte 106 as opposed to the strip across from the Belmont Mall.
We took out Sportage there yesterday for its 15,000 oil change.
Let me say up front, very nice, very pleasant, very helpful folks and I had two good conversations with two of the salesman — one of them who I knew by reputation given that he had been involved in a number of Lakes Region ventures in the past.
The building, which is the old McGreevy dealership (that I used to visit and returned a leased Cadillac STL to in 2004), is a mess. It is so sorely in need of major, major refurbishing. It is dingy and dirty!
Given that the Service Area waiting room is small, loud and claustrophobic, I talked to a very nice salesman and got ‘permission’ to sit in the sales area (showroom) and read my book. Deanna joined a few minutes later.
The showroom was shabby. Ripped, stained and unmatched seats. But this is what floored me. I looked at one of the rolling office seats provided for the salesman. As is the norm it had a base with castors on it. The base was COATED in dust! Caked on dust! Yes, there was mud too — but I can buy that because this is mud season. Caked on dust means that nobody had cleaned this chair in months, if not years.
What gives?
The Tilton facility is all glitz and very fancy. They even have a gym!
I have been to used car places that were nicer than this.
I really felt bad for the salespeople. Can’t be fun working in a place like that.
We were there for nearly two hours. They were having computer woes too! That delayed check-in by 20 minutes. Not amused.
We did not see a single customer walk in — though to be fair it was a Wednesday morning.
I would NOT buy a car from there! If they are so cheap about maintaining their showroom I have to assume that they will nickel and dime me for every cent and more.
PLUS, doesn’t KIA (USA) demand certain standards?
Obviously NOT.
This was the last straw when it comes to KIA/Hyundai.
We have had either a Hyundai or a KIA since June 2008. Yes, I liked the pricing and the warranty. But, I guess you get what you pay for.
We still have 15 months left on this lease.
I am just going to dump it the DAY the lease expires and run as fast as I can from KIA.
Yes, it was a mistake to go with Hyundai/KIA.
I should stick with American even IF it will cost me more.
Maybe it is time to go and pester my friends at Cantin in Laconia. I know that they ‘just’ redid their facility — and it was never as bad as KIA Belmont.
Amazing. Amazing. Amazing.
Oh … they said that there was coffee. Yes, they had a coffee maker, but NO cups or coffee. I went an got my travelling mug from the car. But then the whole area was so grungy that I decided that I will wait.
Deanna came back and complained that the sink in the ladies was dirty.
I think that was what is REALLY missing at this dealership. I did not see any females. They would NOT permit a place to get so shabby.
Amazing. Amazing. Amazing.
Shame.
Plus they don’t have a car wash! I can’t remember the last time I had a car serviced without getting a car wash.
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