The End is Near!

The End is Near!

At least, of the Introduction to Personal Computers class that I teach. One more session, during which I will teach them the rudiments of IP addresses, net masks, DNS, how routers translate addresses, and then the final exam. Then I grade the final, enter their grades, and get a bit of my free time back!

The Corvette developed a bit of a leak at the rear differential, so I took it to the Chevrolet dealer. I was expecting this to cost several hundred dollars--but the estimate took my breath away. It would be either $485--or, if they couldn't get the differential off the transmission shaft without dropping the transmission--$1985. At that point, I found myself wondering if it was time to sell it. Unfortunately, you can't just keep adding oil to the rear differential--it's not like it is easy to access, and if it goes dry, it's a major problem.

However, it would be difficult to sell except at a greatly reduced price, because even if a buyer didn't ask me if it had any problems, only a fool would buy a car this expensive without an inspection first, and I haven't meant too many fools buying Corvettes. So I called around a bit, and I found an independent Corvette specialist who said that he could indeed remove the differential without dropping the transmission--and even if he did, his labor is only $55/hour, so it would be about $525 to replace the two leaking differential seals. (The seals, of course, are just a few dollars each--it's almost entirely labor.)

Anyway, the Corvette is in the shop until Wednesday. But I just for amusement looked to see what the used Corvette market is like--and I was surprised! There are some amazing deals, at least in some of the more depressed parts of the Northwest. A 2007 with 12,000 miles and the GM extended warranty out to 70,000 miles--for $34,900. Astonishing.