Driving Miss Daisy 🌼….. I’m in Love.. ❤️‍🔥

ultane

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After the all too common, and significant waiting period, and then problems with my bank (KeyBank) not letting me access my own money, I finally picked Miss Daisy up on 7/29/2024. LC FE, Heritage Blue, 18” with Michelins. I love her.

This winter, I will most likely switch over to Toyo Open Country AT3’s, in the stock size, avoiding the E rated Toyo’s. Just because… If I am going to drive the penultimate off road vehicle, I really need something a little more aggressive than the Michelins (though I have NO complaints about them) for that once or twice a year time when I ‘might’ (or might not) need them, or wish I had them. I am told that the winter time triple peak snow/ice rating will be needed in NC, on occasion.

I bought Miss Daisy from Milton Martin Toyota, in Gainesville, Ga. I was having NO LUCK finding any LC online, and my girlfriend suggested that I check the Milton Martin dealership, since she had bought two vehicles from them in the past, and she knew that they didn’t charge an extra $5,000 for doing business with them. I checked their website, and as soon as I saw Miss Daisy, I instantly knew that I wanted her, instead of a 1958, or LC LC. Miss Daisy will pass to my youngest daughter when I am gone, and I know that she would rather have the FE, than a 1958, or LC LC. Mark Doyle was the Salesman that I worked with. I am sure he got tired of my repeated texts checking on the arrival date of my big girl.

The first aftermarket mod that I made, was ceramic window tint (at my youngest daughter’s insistence), on ALL glass surfaces. She and her husband had it put on their Honda Odyssey minivan, and they love it, mainly for the heat rejection. It significantly darkened the rear of the LC, totally negating the need of one of those cargo covers, which eventually get in the way, and end up in a lonely corner of the garage (2012 Subaru Outback Limited 3.6R 💗). Miss daisy stays a lot cooler when it is sunny and 90+ degrees outside driving down the highway, and the AC can run less.

Thus far, I have put ~900 miles on her, mostly on 2 lane country roads/highways. Averaging 24+ mpg (93 octane, ethanol free), thanks mainly due to The Car Care Nut’s video, explaining how to drive the newer Toyota hybrids for maximum fuel economy, which I posted elsewhere on this forum. It takes a little bit of effort, but can be done. Somewhere, there is a display that shows that info. Twice, I have ‘punched it’, and Miss Daisy has more power than I will ever need. Certainly enough to pull ‘StickyFingers’, the wooden boat that my kids and I built in ‘93-‘94.

I finally spent about an hour sitting in the drivers seat, while parked, figuring out some of the electronic gizmos that are on it. I still have a ways to go before I figure out what configuration that I want. Miss Daisy will be parked for a significant amount of time while in NC, which is why I have used ethanol free gasoline (no phase separation), while I complete my move from Florida. I WILL be delving into the owners manuals very soon.

When I picked up Miss Daisy, the salesman had me download the Toyota app, and set up Apple Car Play for me. I have enjoyed it, on that big screen in the center of the dash, but no matter what I do, the Toyota software keeps kicking me out of Apple Car Play, sometimes several times in a five minute span. Yesterday, on a 100 mile jaunt to East Tennessee for a lunch date with my GF, Miss Daisy kicked me off of Apple Car Play forty eleven times. Whether or not I am using Bluetooth, or plugged into the USB C data port, it doesn’t matter. It seems that Toyota doesn’t want me to use it. I hope there is a way to ‘fix’ this. I kinda like it.

I bought a Fumoto valve the other day, at one of the local auto parts shops. I was going to wait until I took advantage of the two free oil changes at the dealership, but decided to do it now. I am sure the mechanics at the Toyota dealership will figure out how to drain the oil without removing it. It will be installed during Miss Daisy’s first oil change, when I get back from Florida with another load of my belongings. I already have two Toyota oil filters, and will pick up some Mobil 1 from Costco the next time I pass one in my travels. A sample of the oil that comes out of Miss Daisy will be sent to SPEEDiagnostix dot com. I have used Blackstone since 2012, but recently, the turn around time on samples sent to them is usually 4-6 weeks, making them useless for detecting issues that might need to be addressed, sooner rather than later. The turn around time with SPEEDdiagnostix is much faster, and if I get alarming results from the first drain at ~1000 miles, I can easily use the Fumoto valve to collect another 3 ounce sample, for a follow up test at 1500 or 2000 miles, depending on what Lake Speed Jr recommends (without draining the entire oil pan).

Yesterday, while backing up, and turning the steering wheel to the left, I heard a horrible high pitch metal on metal squealing noise as I was coming to a stop. Others have also reported the same noise, and one inmate here said that the dealership ended up replacing his brake pads. I hope the rotors haven’t suffered. Since Miss Daisy will need to be parked for a while during my move from Florida, the 85 mile trip through the mountains (YaY) to the dealership will have to wait until I return to NC.

TBC
 

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I think after I had driven my car a little bit I posted something very similar… I am so in love… I get it!
 
If so I’m a wack a doodle .. Dnt care
 
Great write-up, your disdain for the far superior 1958 trim notwithstanding 🧐
I was going to get a 1958, but my girlfriend told me I couldn’t get white, or black… because those colors are on every car in the parking lot.. she picked the blue, and I was instantly hooked.

My plan was to get a 1958, which would do everything that I needed, and more, and have Katskinz do their magic. I still might.. I really like the brown colored leather seats. I just saw a post where that could be done for ~ $1,800(?) IIRC..

I also knew that my daughter, who will get this truck someday, would like the FE better, that the comparatively spartan 1958.
 
I was going to get a 1958, but my girlfriend told me I couldn’t get white, or black… because those colors are on every car in the parking lot.. she picked the blue, and I was instantly hooked.

My plan was to get a 1958, which would do everything that I needed, and more, and have Katskinz do their magic. I still might.. I really like the brown colored leather seats. I just saw a post where that could be done for ~ $1,800(?) IIRC..

I also knew that my daughter, who will get this truck someday, would like the FE better, that the comparatively spartan 1958.
I was just bustin’ balls; to love one 250 is to love all 250s
 
I was just bustin’ balls; to love one 250 is to love all 250s
No worries.. at all. I was just explaining my reasoning, since I neglected to do that in the first post above.
 
This winter, I will most likely switch over to Toyo Open Country AT3’s, in the stock size, avoiding the E rated Toyo’s. Just because… If I am going to drive the penultimate off road vehicle, I really need something a little more aggressive than the Michelins (though I have NO complaints about them) for that once or twice a year time when I ‘might’ (or might not) need them, or wish I had them. I am told that the winter time triple peak snow/ice rating will be needed in NC, on occasion
Nothing wrong with the Toyo AT3s at all. Wanted to point out that my research keeps pointing me to Nokian Outpost nATs. My use case is perhaps similar to yours - tons of highway driving with an occasional trailhead road. I’m in Colorado and commute back and forth over Vail Pass between homes, so 3 peak certification is important.

I put a set of Wildpeaks on my Tahoe last year. They look cool for sure but they are probably the wrong tire for most of the driving I do in that truck. Reviews make it sound like the Nokians back off the off-road just a bit but bring great all weather performance. No personal experience, yet.
 
Nothing wrong with the Toyo AT3s at all. Wanted to point out that my research keeps pointing me to Nokian Outpost nATs.
Thanks for that info! Another data point to consider! I DO NOT WANT to go to an E rated, larger tire, and with more poke. I just don’t need or want that. Dave, from AutomotivePress, in another post where he responded to me, recommended the Falken equivalent to the Toyo ATIII’s,. So I still have to do more research before I make up my mind..
 
Just a thought......... I'm pretty sure the only USB port that will support the "Apple Car Play" is the "USB data port" (which is the largest port, left most one) and you will have to use the USB to USB-C cable.
 
Just a thought......... I'm pretty sure the only USB port that will support the "Apple Car Play" is the "USB data port" (which is the largest port, left most one) and you will have to use the USB to USB-C cable.
Yeeup.. BTDT..
 
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