offTheHill » car http://www.offthehill.org tech, motorsports, and the occasional artwork Wed, 05 May 2010 23:39:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 2006-2007 josh@offthehill.org (offTheHill) josh@offthehill.org (offTheHill) posts Babbling my way across the Internet offTheHill offTheHill josh@offthehill.org No no http://www.offthehill.org/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg offTheHill http://www.offthehill.org 144 144 An open letter to the Massachusetts RMV http://www.offthehill.org/articles/2009/01/13/an-open-letter-to-the-massachusetts-rmv/ http://www.offthehill.org/articles/2009/01/13/an-open-letter-to-the-massachusetts-rmv/#comments Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:35:38 +0000 pardsbane http://www.offthehill.org/?p=107 Today (January 13, 2009) I went to the Wilmington RMV at 4:30 pm to register a new car. Upon arrival, I asked for registration, and without waiting I was called to Booth 12. “This is going well” I though, “no waiting!”.

As soon as I reached booth 12 however, the clerk behind the counter took and immediately aggressive tone with me. She told me I couldn’t register my car without a bill of sale, then asked, “Didn’t the insurance company tell you that?”. What sort of passive aggressive interrogation is that? Obviously not, or I would have brought my bill of sale. She then asked, “How else will we know how much you paid for it?”


I then had the temerity to suggesting that I thought the sale price was written on the title. “Do you see a place for the price?” she asked. 


At no point was I aggressive, rude, or even insistent, however, I was treated as if I had been wasting hours of the clerks time. Tail between my legs, I had no choice but to drive the 30 minutes back to work. 


Only after arriving back at work did I realize:


1) The title DOES have a spot for sale price. In fact, its the first field on the back of the title.

2) I had the bill of sale for the new car in the glove box of my current car. Perhaps if I hadn’t been so abused, I would have remembered that, and I could have saved my self AND THE RMV some time and money.


So I’m left wondering:



  1. What is it about the RMV that requires the clerks to abuse their customers? 
  2. Why don’t the RMV registration clerks, who work with titles all day long, not know the back of the Mass Title form has a place for price of sale? 
  3. Do I actually need a bill of sale? 
  4. What have the drivers of Massachusetts done that they must be treated like complete idiots? 
  5. What was so important that the clerks in Wilmington couldn’t spend a few minutes at the end of a long day being a wee bit nicer?




Shame on me for not thinking faster on my feet or remembering to get the clerks name.


Shame on the RMV for being such an inhospitable hell hole; Its reputation is well deserved.


Thanks for your time and I look forward to your response.

]]> http://www.offthehill.org/articles/2009/01/13/an-open-letter-to-the-massachusetts-rmv/feed/ 1 Parting out My Corrado http://www.offthehill.org/articles/2007/08/30/parting-out-my-corrado/ http://www.offthehill.org/articles/2007/08/30/parting-out-my-corrado/#comments Thu, 30 Aug 2007 20:19:34 +0000 pardsbane 1290343768 Update: My Corrado is now gone, off to a new home. I don’t have many Corrado specific parts left. Sorry, and thanks for the interest!

I’m sorry to say, but I’ve got to throw in the towel. I’ve spent to
much money and time on my Corrado and could never get it running, and
its distracted me from my real toy, my Saab Sonett. I loved the
Corrado when I could drive it, but its just too much now to work on.

I’ve put ads up on the VW Vortex,
Bay State Dubs and Maine Vw Scene

Its basically a complete ’91 G60 Corrado with a 2.0 liter 9A block
turbo engine swapped in. I have the full interior including both a B3
glass sun roof, manual seat belts from Germany (including all the
trim pieces), as well as the original sunroof and belts.

If you’d like anything, please let me know, I’ll take best and first
offers. On interior OEM stuff, I’ll be very reasonable. On the go
fast parts, well, I know what I spent on them, and I know how little
they are used, so please be reasonable.

For pictures, check here, interior pictures are on page 2.

  • 16 valve 9A Block Turbo
  • Garrett T25 Disco Potato Turbo (water cooled, less than 500 miles on it, always treated well) I have the receipt for this where I paid over $1200, reasonable offers please!)
  • Near-Equal length exhaust manifold, custom, stainless steel (I’ll pull it for picts if you are really interested) Cost $500.
  • Glass Sunroof recently cleaned and greased
  • Manual Seatbelts from Germany, including all trim peices.
  • Spearco FMIC
  • Eurospeed intake manifold
  • 2.5 TT/Custom exhaust, including custom downpipe for T25 turbo
  • New Silicone hoses
  • Stainless Steel Piping
  • OBD1 vr6 TB
  • 350cc injectors
  • Aeromotive FPR
  • 83 mm JE pistons
  • polished crank
  • port polish head
  • new lifter, valve springs
  • Peloquin LSD
  • 3 puck cluch vr6 PP

Also available:

  • Neuspeed racing springs not installed in the car (I don’t think
    • they were ever installed)
  • Brand new Eurospeed rear brace
  • Neuspeed front strut tower brace (but without mounting hardware).
  • Garrett T3/T4 Turbo .57cold, .48 hot
  • ‘standard’ log-style turbo manifold with a T3 flange.
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