Jules Jurgensen 14K

I inherited a gold watch from my father.  I remember how excited he was when he purchased the watch.  However, I rarely remember him wearing it.  It has a very slim profile and leather band. 

The paperwork I received with it has a few clues.  

First a tag saying 

6108 

14KT CAL 

$775.00

Second a tag saying 

9572.045.4 

399.97

Mtl 14K

Rnd Cal

Swp

Brn S

My interpretation is that $775 was the retail price and it was listed for $400 when my father purchased it.  I wanted to wear it so decided to have a battery put in.  I ventured to  Jewelry and Watch Specialists at 8601 W Cross Dr f7, Denver and they originally said an hour ($16) and then let me know that Mark (the owner) would have to take it to his watch maker on Monday who could install a battery for a little bit more.  The issue is that it is a one piece case with an acrylic face that is pressed into the watch.  It is a very robust case, but requires more care to maintain.  I asked Mark about the value for insurance purposes and he could not really provide me a ballpark.  He suggested looking at completed listings on eBay which he estimated could be between $1000 and $3000.

Jules Jurgensen has a history going back to 1740, but the company was sold in the 1974 to Mort Clayman who passed away in 2010 and his family closed the business.  In 2011 Dr Helmut Crott acquired the rights from the Clayman Family.

While at Jewelry and Watch Specialists, I spied a Rolex Submariner in his case.  I inquired and he had it listed for $9,500 which he acknowledged was inline with online retailers, but that Rolex is in a bubble.  If I really want a new dress watch, it may be time to pursue an Omega Seamaster.  Retail pricing is $5900, but the secondary market is half that.

On a final note, Jewelry and Watch Specialists will be closing their doors at the end of October.  Mark is retiring and the couple has been looking for a buyer, but will likely just shutter the operation.

Family in Town

We were very fortunate to have family visit this past week.  

9/20/2024 - Arrived Friday afternoon and we hung out and got settled.  My mom cooked aloo-gobi and it was really tasty.

9/21/2024 - Saturday - Thornton Outlet Malls, Red Rocks, dinner at Hacienda

9/22/2024 - Sunday - Colorado Mills, The Golden Mill, Italian for dinner

9/23/2024 - Flew out early Monday morning

2012 Subaru Legacy

Let's try this again.  This car is heads and tails better than the car I purchased for $3300.  Hopefully, I can sell the 2007 Subaru Impreza for close to purchase price and eat the $3K I put into fixing it up.

This car handles well, 2 owners, all maintenance records, better mechanical shape, all known issue addressed in the last 2 years, and the seller was also a state employee who is unfortunately selling due to health issues which make it difficult to drive a manual transmission.

Well maintained low mileage Subaru Legacy 2.5i Premium with hard to find manual transmission (stick shift NOT cvt). 2 owner car with clear title (Carfax available). Vehicle is in very good mechanical condition with paint and interior also in good condition (see photos).

Recent maintenance includes:

** Regular oil changes

** Head gaskets replaced, crankshaft, oil pan, oil pump, rear engine and block plug all resealed, throttle body cleaned/serviced, and spark plug wires replaced, at 78,000 miles

** Under 12K on new clutch

Minor damage documented on last picture. Vehicle has been thoroughly cleaned but not detailed.

$6750 obo

UPDATE:  9/26/2024

I ended up purchasing this and have been enjoying it.  The hood shock strut supports are supposedly easy to replace and I will order those with the next oil change.  The rear window tint is bubbling.  I got a quote for $89 removal plus $325 to tint all five windows.  This morning, I made the amateur error of catching a curb and ripped the driver side rocker panel off the car.  No major damage, but frustrating.  I will see about getting it replaced down the road as well.

Shady Brook YMCA Family Camp

Our family has been fortunate to enjoy YMCA camp a couple of times and this year's trip lived up to the high expectations we have of camp.

Shady Brook is near Deckers, Colorado and has a history dating back to 1948.  It is well maintained and has several new buildings constructed in the last 20 years including the Loo Lodge where we stayed for 2 nights.

Overall the food was pretty good.  They can accommodate any and all dietary restrictions.

• Friday dinner - Pasta
• Saturday breakfast - Pancakes
• Saturday lunch - BLT sandwiches
• Saturday dinner - Pork tenderloin, portobella mushrooms, chicken nuggets
• Sunday breakfast - French toast

The activities are always the highlight of the trip

• Opening Campfire - Two camp songs and smores.  The perfect amount of activity.
• Climbing Wall - While only about 25 feet high, this was challenging and Diya was the only one to complete both routes
• Tomahawk Throwing and Sling Shot - This was new to all of us, but very entertaining.  It was really difficult to aim the sling shot, but I still managed to hit the long distance target
• Boating and Swimming - We skipped the canoe, but enjoyed kayaks and stand up paddleboards.  The swimming lane was chilly, but refreshing.
• Archery - This was fun for me on a 10 yard range.  I did well and the bows were brand new.  I wish I would have brought a finger tab.
• High Ropes - This was very challenging for everybody except Diya who made all of the lengths seem like a cake walk.  I was excited to complete 4 of the 6 lengths and thought they were difficult.
• Saturday Campfire - I skipped this one, but they did smores again
• Nature Hike - We skipped this, but took advantage of the disc golf course instead.

Overall it was a lot of fun.  The only thing that was missing was arts and crafts which are usually fun.  The activities were just right for our family, but a little much for families with younger kids.

2007 Subaru Impreza

After a lot of debate, we found ourselves back in the market for a vehicle for my daughter to drive to the school.  We originally planned on driving her everywhere for 6 months.  Then we started to consider letting her drive the 2024 Subaru CrossTrek, but we were not ready to have that car in the school parking lot.  Finally it was a debate between a sub $5K beater and and reasonable $10K car that should have a 5 year life span.

We took a look at a hail damaged car Subaru, an older Mazda that the current owner did not feel comfortable driving on the interstate and finally an older Subaru with high miles, some body damage, but overall seemed fine.

Mark McDowell fixes and flips Subarus.  He had (4) on his property in various states of prep.  He listed the 2007 Subaru Impreza with 165,000 miles for $3300.  The description read "Nice condition, AWD, automatic, 165000 miles, cold AC, aftermarket sterio, new tires, new timing belt and seals. Just serviced."  He talked us through the car about what to look for and what to feel for on a test drive.  It does have a REBUILT FROM SALVAGE title and is ineligible for collision coverage.

I noticed the tires had tread and the battery was dated 12/22  which should be good.  Cosmetic issues galore.  The front bumper has been replaced.  Lower end model without heated seats, etc.  Rear wiper blade needs to be replaced.  Front windshield is cracked.  No working key fob and only 1 set of manual keys.  It drove fine and we decided to take a chance.

Picking it up, I accidentally had it in 3rd gear the whole drive and the oil pressure overheated and the check engine light came on a the emissions testing place.  It did pass emissions and I drove it home.  We cleaned up the interior a little bit.  Hopefully the check engine light P0506 resolves.  If it does not, we may pay Mark or the dealership to fix it.

We need to get another set of keys and ideally a couple of key fobs programmed.  I have an appointment to get license plates tomorrow.  Then the plan is to drive it around town in non-essential situations before clearing it for my daughter to drive to and from school.  I fully expect to put another $1,000 into it over the next two years for minor repairs and will be relieved if the total is under that number.

Everything else we have seen in this price range has had higher mile or is significantly older.  This may not be a gem, but it will hopefully be a gem to us.  If we had to resell quickly, we might take a $1000 loss plus the cost of plates and title (~$200).

As I am still pretty new to used cars, I still feel like half treasure hunter/half test pilot.  I am searching for features and clues as to how the car operates.  I am also trying to gage acceleration, braking, cornering and every little sound is cause for alarm.

The win for today was understanding the Kenwood KDX-138 aftermarket stereo and included "Tragic Kingdom" CD by No Doubt.  Released in 1995, it features Spiderwebs, Just a Girl and Don't Speak among it's (14) tracks.

Atrezzo Salium SH408 tires (cheap modern all season tires 55,000 mile warranty) - Manufactured 11/23 - Should be good to 200,000 miles with rotations

I am seriously considering getting the CARFAX report.  It supposedly has reported flood damage among 48 other entries.  It does not have airbag deployment or evidence of odometer tampering.  It also has one open recall.

• Front Wiper Blades - 22 & 17
• Rear Wiper Blade - Rear 14-B
• Cabin Air Filter - Behind Glove Box
• Tire Pressure
• Oil Level
• Car Keys Made - Locksmith Pro (David, 303-489-0123) by appt only, meet at 12354 W Alameda Pkwy
• Deactivate Alarm
• 10W-30 (5W-30 per owners manual, but can use higher viscosity with higher mileage)
• MOA by BG Auto add 6 oz for up to 4 Liters of oil and 11 oz for 4-6 Liters of oil (additive for higher mileage engines).  $15/can from Amazon.

Piecing together the CARFAX

• Owner 1 - Purchased new in 2007, sold in 2009 to Mark Miller Subaru (Utah) with 33,383 miles
• Owner 2 - Purchased in 2009, sold in 2014, with 77,723 miles
• Owner 3 - Purchased in 2014, sold in 2014 passed emissions
• Owner 4 - Purchased in 2014, maintained at Amina Motors, totaled in 2017 (Water Damage) 122,000ish miles, salvage title issued, sold to dealer, rebuilt title issued, passed emissions in January 2018
• Owner 5 - Purchased in 2018, maintained at Grease Monkey, sold in 2021 with 146,000ish miles
• Owner 6 - Purchased in 2021, passed emissions in 2023 with 152,403 miles (battery dated 12/22)
• Owner 7 - Purchased in 2023, Rebuilt Title Issued weeks after emissions testing, likely drove it for 15,000 miles between April 2023 and summer 2024 (tires dated 11/23)
• Mark McDowell - Took possession of vehicle, fixed it up with timing belt, front end, oil change, full inspection, never titled the car and listed it for sale for $3300
• Sanjiv Gupta - Purchased the car in 2024 with 165,700 miles and intend to drive and maintain it for the foreseeable future.

Programming Key Fobs

• Unlock, open and close all doors including the trunk
• Get into the drivers seat, close the door
• Open and close drivers door
• Turn Original start key to ON and OFF 10 times
• Open and close drivers door - SHOULD HEAR TONE
• Program 8 digits using lock key to toggle 1, 2, 3, etc and unlock key to enter (For example 5 would be LOCK, LOCK, LOCK, LOCK, LOCK, UNLOCK) after the 8th entry TONE will sound and repeat, after keying in a second time TONE will sound
• Test Key Fob

We were able to program both new key fobs successfully, the car is not super happy when you switch back and forth, but otherwise fine.  I tried programming the original fob.  The Lock/Panic button works fine, but the Unlock button was not working.  We will keep it simply for posterity.

The MOSAFE gizmo is the mounting end of a magnetic phone holder.  Of 248 reviews it had 68% positive reviews.  Not sure what it originally sold for, but I decided to get some plates to give it a whirl with my phone.  The thin steel plates were $3.99 from Amazon.

Registration - I arrived at the DMV (8/7/2024) with the title, proof of insurance, ID and what I thought was DR 2710 the Branded Title Disclosure Form.  As it turns out, I had the incorrect form for a different car that was not filled out in its entirety.  Lesson learned to match VIN number on Title and Branded Title Disclosure Form and to get ID of seller as verification of address if there is any confusion.  Was able to complete title and license plate work at my next DMV visit (8/13/2024).  I should get the title in the mail.

Firestone - I have liked having routine maintenance done at Firestone and after successfully registering the car, I took it over there to have the tires rotated and fluids topped off (8/15/2024).  As expected, they found a laundry list of required/suggested repairs that would be $4,702.48 to have all done, but my plan is to pick them off over the next two years, barring a more serious issue presenting itself.

• Valve Gasket Leak - $600 - Authorized
• Brakes - $600 - Do Soon
• Ball Joints - $900 - Do Later
• Struts - $1200 - Do Later
• 60K Service - $1,100 - May do this at Dealership or Subaru Specialty Place
• Oil Change & Wiper Blades - $100 - Pre-Paid at Dealership

Lesson learned to look more closely for leaks and inspect the brakes.  Apparently the brakes were "pad slapped" meaning new brake pads were put on without replacing the rotors.  This is not the right way to do a brake job.  Regarding the suspension, it felt soft, but appropriate for an older car.  I kind of expected the 60K service and planned to put $1500 into the car over the next year taking my all in price to $5000.  Based on the estimate, my true all in price is closer to $7000 to have a highway capable strong runner for the next 30,000 miles.

Upon picking up the car, I had a chance to talk to the mechanic that worked on it and he was most concerned with the rack (rack and pinon steering system) that was in bad shape and likely a $1500 fix.  He said this was his top priority and even showed me how to check the power steering fluid level.  He recommended Shop Pro Power Steering fluid and said to avoid the Subaru recommended synthetic fluid.  With this knowledge the car is for sure mechanically totaled (in addition to being previously totaled for water damage in 2017).  I will keep an eye on the power steering fluid and will either walk away from this car if we can find a better one or repair the suspension for $2000 and try to sell it for $3300.  The rack was not included in the work estimate, because Firestone would have to source a rack and then charge for labor.

To make matters worse I was having a hard time putting the car into drive later that evening.  Is the automatic transmission fluid just low or will it need a new transmission as well?  Automatic Transmission Fluid is $10/quart.  A rebuilt transmission would be several thousand dollars.

Honest-1 Auto Care - I happened to run into Vanessa while in the Walmart automotive department and she mentioned that she works at a mechanics shop.  I decided to call after the visit to Firestone to get a second opinion and prioritize the work.  If they can do the suspension work in the neighborhood of $1500, I may just authorize it.

I got the estimate back from Honest-1 and they confirmed much of what Firestone had mentioned.  There were some discrepancies.

Misc

• Wiper Blades - recommended by Firestone, Honest-1 says they are fine

Suspension

• Rack & Pinon, Ball Joints, Struts, Differential Service recommended by Firestone.  
• Honest-1 also suggested the Differential Service
• Honest-1 also suggested Rack & Pinon, but said the Ball Joints and Struts are fine.  
• Honest-1 said the Constant Velocity Axle Assembly on the Front Left needed to be replaced.

Brakes

• Brake Fluid - Both Firestone and Honest-1 said the brake fluid was dirty and should be flushed
• Rotors - recommended by Firestone, Honest-1 was not concerned

Engine

• Spark Plugs - recommended by Firestone, not mentioned by Honest-1
• Engine Air Filter - recommended by Firestone and Honest-1
• Cabin Air Filter - recommended by Firestone, Honest-1 says it is fine
• Fuel System Cleaning - recommended by Firestone, not mentioned by Honest-1
• Timing Belt - recommended by Honest-1 based on mileage, not mentioned by Firestone
• Coolant Fluid Exchange - recommended by both Firestone and Honest-1

Costs were similar for the suspension so I went ahead and authorized the work.  At subsequent oil changes it will be important to pick off  (1) Engine Air Filter (2) Brake Fluid Flush (3) Front Differential (4) Rear Differential (5) Cooling Fluid Exchange more or less in that order.

Honest-1 also noticed it difficult to get the car into gear.  They thought it was not likely the transmission, but more likely the neutral engine cutoff.  They could diagnose it for $154 and then the cost of repairs.  I went ahead and authorized this on Monday morning.

UPDATE 9/13/2024:  

On September 2nd was stuck in PARK and had to be towed to Honest-1 for repair under warranty.  They ordered and replaced the shift assembly twice and ultimately decided to refund my repair cost and recommend I take it to the dealer or a Subaru specialist.  He did show me how to override the neutral safety and I was able to drive the car home.

I finally did talk to the technician (Clint) and asked if I should just walk away from the car.  He said that the car is not that bad.  It does have a small transmission fluid leak between the differential and the transmission that is near the front of the transmission.  It is likely the oil pump, but would defer to a transmission shop.  It is safe to drive and he showed me how to check the transmission fluid level.

Finally, he said regular oil changes would go a long way to preserving the vehicle as long as I choose to own it.  His advice was to "run it into the ground" which he clarified to mean keep driving it unless the transmission leak gets worse or some other expensive ($1500+) repair comes up in which case it is time to walk away.

I made an appointment at SubieSmith for Monday and they are going to take a look.

UPDATE 9/19/2024:

SubieSmith charged $240 for a diagnostic and isolated the issue to the Body Integration Unit (BIU).  This is an unusual failure, but often found in flood damaged vehicles.  They found a used BIU and replaced it for an additional $120.  

Throttle body clean and reset was $80 and completely fixed the low idling speed.

Final approved service was $100 undercarriage pressure wash and adding dye to engine oil and transmission to find the leak.  Will bring it back in after 300-400 miles to evaluate.

I did list the vehicle for sale for $3500 and have had a few nibbles.  "D" test drove it on Wednesday 9/25 but did not make an offer.  "Pelucha Dos" is coming to look at it 9/26, no offer.  Brendan was supposed to look at it 10/12, but changed his mind.

Mercier Kilo WT

Ever since spotting a single speed at Goodwill a couple of weeks ago, I have been on the lookout to add one to my stable of bicycles.  The bike at Goodwill was unbranded but had pegs for racks and accessories.  It was listed for a very reasonable $45.

Since then I have been trolling Facebook Marketplace and keeping an eye out in the $50-$150 range.  This Mercier popped up a few days ago in Golden for $50 and I had to take a look.  It was beat up with spots of rust all over the place.  The tires were flat and the handlebar tape was unraveling.  However, the size felt good and despite being a little sluggish all signs pointed towards purchase.

Getting it home, I gave it a good once over.  I washed it, lubricated the drivetrain and tightened the brake cables.  I removed the rear flashing light that was no longer operational.  Finally, I patched up the handlebar tape as best as I could.  I do not want to clean it up too much as I do not want it to be a target for theft if I ride it around town.

No upgrades are necessary for the intended function.  I did order some new handlebar tape ($2.50 Temu).  I may still order ferrules ($7)  to clean up the cable ends.  The tires are the big wild card.  They are mismatched and the rear tire has an odd hump in it.  New tires would cost more than I paid for the bicycle, but are probably the most important maintenance item.  They range from $20-$40 each.  I am leaning towards the Schwalbe CX Comp 700c Wire Cyclocross Tire for $20 each.  Continental and Surly also have reasonably priced tires.

The Mercier Kilo WT currently retails for $600.  It comes in 49, 53, 56, 59 and 62 cm frame sizes.  It comes partially assembled, but still requires installing brake cables and handlebars.

I went ahead and measured the frame confirming it is a 53 cm frame size, 165 mm cranks.  Front chain ring is 44t and the rear is 18t.  Considering they currently ship with a 48/16 (3:1), I am somewhat relieved to have a 44/18 (2.4).

Cycles Mercier is a French brand with a long history.  I am not sure about fabrication of the current models, but they still using Reynolds 520 tubing and traditional geometry.  Starship Investments owns the brand and may return production to France.

UPDATE 7/28/2024:  The cable ferrules arrived and were installed with some effort and cursing onto the old cables.  They were easy to crimp with standard needle nose pliers.  New grip tape is on its way.  A new tire (Schwalbe CX Comp 700 Wire Cyclocross Tire; Black 38c K-Guard) has been ordered from Cambria Bike ($20 marked down to $18.60 less $1.86 10% off code plus $7.00 shipping and $1.25 tax = $24.99 delivered).

UPDATE 8/11/2024:  Tire installation and handlebar tape was pretty easy to install.  Ready to ride!

HVAC

One of the downsides of living in a 4000+ square foot home and having temperatures hovering in the 100 F range is that it is increasingly difficult to stay comfortable.

I am not sure if it is a function of more frequent extreme weather or if people just have a lower tolerance for discomfort, but more and more homes in Colorado tend to have air conditioning.

We bought our house in 2021 and in 2022 we decided to replace the furnace and primary air conditioning.  The furnace was original (1994) and though well maintained, was getting increasingly expensive to repair.  We opted for a equivalent units to what were installed and ended up with XX BTU Furnace (xx% efficiency) and a 5 Ton Air Conditioning unit.

The air conditioning unit was struggling to keep up.  Part of the problem was air flow.  Apparently return air needs to be coming through on the order of 400 cubic feet per minute (CFM) per ton for the air conditioner to work.  Our 5 ton unit was essentially starved at roughly 1000 CFM.  One fix was to add an additional return in the basement which got us to 1400 CFM.  This return air would have been sufficient for a 3 ton unit.  The 5 ton unit was overkill.  

Costs from Alpine Home Air for condenser (air conditioning) unit show:

1.5 ton - $1668

2.5 ton - $1710

3.5 ton - $2392

4.0 ton - $2350

5.0 ton - $2883

So while there is not a big price difference, it would have been better to size the unit correctly for the returns.

As a stop gap, we borrowed room air conditioners from a neighbor.  These worked remarkably well and we were tempted to purchase (4) of them from Costco for around $500 each.  It is a similar solution to getting space heaters rather than trying to heat the whole house in the winter.  This was working fine.  One potential issue was having to drain the condenser reservoir periodically.

Ultimately we opted to get a second air conditioning unit.  Rather than get a second furnace, we went with an air handler and a 2.5 ton unit.  The upstairs (4) bedrooms each have (2) registers/vents and there is a central return in the hallway.  So far it has made an incredible difference and will hopefully be more energy efficient to cool the upstairs at night and the downstairs during the daytime rather than trying to cool the whole house.