Hi Sajeev,   Thanks for replying. For the oil leak, my instinct is telling me to remove the beauty cover, conduct a steam clean and spot check for leaks. Or would you recommend a different approach and to just try and reseal whatever I can Google or find in a  Youtube video for my chassis? With steam cleaning, the hiccup I've encountered is in my area steam cleaning engines are becoming a rare service provided because of the environmental hazards it presents and the added expense the shop has to properly dispose of the waste.   As for the A/C issue, do you have a recommended A/C Recovery tool I can look into or do you think I can easily find one if I rented a garage to repair my vehicle inside of. Don't they usually have tools? Maybe a CarCierge question?   I simulated an invoice replacing a few parts and I came up with roughly $500 in parts for the A/C if need be. This would be an aftermarket condenser, an OEM A/C Hose, a new Receiver Drier, and an OEM A/C Compressor, and new filters in and out. On my end, replacing parts seems easier than diagnosing the old parts but I have fairly limited knowledge in this.   What's your take if I diagnosed the issue and evacuated a plug v. replacing parts? Would it be more cost efficient? Is there a likelihood I would damage my own vehicle? Could there be another hose that's plugged up? I really wouldn't know. I just googled A/C Hoses compatible with my car and added them to the cart to see how it would look. ... View more

Hi Bryan,   Have your heard of Cars and Bids? Like CarsandBids.com   I would reach out to them and inquire if they would accept your vehicle for auction. I recall their business model is a transaction fee that is charged to both buyer and seller at an amount of anywhere between 4-5% of the transaction with a limit imposed at $4,500. However the reviews I'm seeing from other sellers is the process took them about 1 month to prepare the listing for auction.   I will admit, I look through their platform all the time. Here and there I have made a few bids realizing the purchase was at or near Level 1 and 2 values sight unseen. There's just something about auctions that make a product much more desirable.   I think auctions are fun because it's not only a purchase it really brings on a competition. I try not to buy my cars from auctions for that matter, but I would probably bid farewell to my cars in that manner ... if ever ... View more

In your experience with different automakers don't these usually have lifetime warranties? My seatbelt reels a bit too slow that it gets caught in the door jam sometimes. I know with Honda they had a Lifetime Warranty but not sure how other companies proceed. ... View more

Hey Sam,   I just joined but wanted to make an effort to respond because your story is just so relatable I feel nostalgic. As for your circumstances, you're in the right place don't worry about it! You have quite a bit of time to get things sorted out and plan your dreams. I was in the same exact boat about 11 years ago as I just turned 25.   I found Hagerty because I have two cars that I love like my own children and Hagerty is the only place I can insure them for agreed value until I turn 26 or with other companies until I turn 30 ... Technically there's Grundy so don't misquote me on that but I wasn't impressed with their onboarding process and customer service when I applied.   When I was your age, I was drawing out a checklist of what I needed. This would include the basics like a Driver's License, Insurance, and of course means to secure a car. Personally a License is probably the most important because it plays a big role when you're looking at insurance policies. The most common question is how long have you had a Driver's License and the policy premium you are assigned is based on points awarded in accordance to your driving experience. I assure you that you would most likely want to find every legal loophole in your state or county to get one as soon as humanly possible. A Driver's License may even give you an edge when you're trying to get a job as some employers like mine require it.   The next thing to build would be well ... credit. This requires a heavy amount of discipline as not everyone knows how to use credit effectively and life does get in the way sometimes. I find credit to be important as well because it not only determines how you pay for your cars and large purchases but if you live in a state where underwriters look at your credit to calculate your risk factor, you'll want the best credit score humanly possible. Now I can't tell you how to build credit properly because anything I say could be a bit tone deaf as I don't know your circumstances. What I can say is I skipped a stage of my adult life partying, hanging out with friends, being 20, being old enough to drink.   But I think all of it paid off. I currently have a 2020 Jaguar F-Type, a 2000 Mercedes Benz e320 Station Wagon, and my daily driver is a 2017 BMW i3, and I bought all of these cars under my own name.   Oh, and my first job too was at McDonald's! ... View more

I'm 25 years old, but I don't wait 22 years to trim the ones inside my station wagon but I use an all-season floor mat in my other cars because it has a black interior. To get the job done, I just use a fabric shaver that's typically meant for sweaters, and other garments.   Fabric Shavers meant for garments don't take out too much fabric in my experience and they hold the bits together in a container.   BTW, how do you go about cleaning light-colored seatbelts? I haven't found a reliable technique to that yet. ... View more