The Lounge

Star (England), 1897-1912 Star (Italy), 1908-1921 Star (U.S.), 1922-1928 : Pontiac Star Chief, 1954-1966 : Nissan Pulsar, 1978-2000 Sun (Germany), 1906-1908 Sun (U.S.), 1921-1924 Sunbeam (England), 1899-1976 : Moon (U.S.),1905-1931 Mercury (U.S.), 1939-2011 : Mercury Comet, 1961-1969, 1971, 1977 Saturn (U.S.), 1991-2010 Olds Jetstar 1, 1964-1965 : Olds Starfire, 1954-1956, 1961-1966, 1974-1980 : Olds Aurora, 1994-2003

1963 Chevrolet Corvette StingRay : 1964-74 Plymouth Barracuda : 1965-67 Rambler Marlin : 1967 AMT Pihrana (circa 12 built) : 1970-88 Opel Manta : 1976 Chevrolet Nova Shark (circa 300 built) : 1996-2008 Hyundai Tiburon ('shark' in Spanish) :

1934 Studebaker Land Cruiser: 1954 toyota land cruiser: 1957 Merc Turnpike Cruiser: 1963 Studebaker Cruiser: 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser: 2008 Chevrolet Cruze:

Happy Birthday to our BMOC. Have a good one, sir.

Discuss

But, somehow, it's happened. I hit a black bear. Literally right outside of Dubois, barely beyond a residential area. Most unexpected incident of my life. Hit it hard enough to completely disable the vehicle. It wouldn't start or turn over afterwards. Now I just need Allstate to hurry the hell up and send an adjuster.

Daylight hours grow short, but if we're quick with a spotlight, maybe we can get a good Spotters thread going this month. So... spot away, right here!

I am very careful in the presence of automotive journalists to not describe myself as such. I feel it is somewhat disrespectful to those who do this job as their main career when I do it as more of a hobby that barely makes enough money to cover costs. There is a running joke amongst the automotive journalist crowd that any car, no matter what it is, could be made better if it was made available in a wagon, with all-wheel-drive, a diesel, and a manual transmission... all in one package. This week, my rental car was a new VW Passat. Driving between Pittsburgh and Columbus, I glanced down at the computer generated average mpg... I was pulling about 37mpg. The rest of t…

Have a good one!

Hopefully you've had a good day, sir.

Halloween is nearing... and my front porch has been adorned fittingly.

Oops... I sort of forgot about this place until Drew sparked my memory. So yeah, I suppose an update is in order for those who don't follow me on Facebook. After Detroit, the $h! sort of hit the fan for my life. Finances became tight as I sought to pay down my debts (a.k.a. reduce the amount owned on my Avalon due to its not-so-sterling depreciation) and suddenly my job turned into a living hell. I managed to put up with it until the middle of summer when I finally had enough and quit. Needless to say, the experience has soured my views on ever working in a pharmacy again. Once I was out of that place, I had a gracious offer from a well-known friend to …

I saw a new diamond white XTS the other day with a fake convertible top on it. I was appalled. I would have taken a photo, but the geezers who owned it were hanging out in there and I was afraid they would call the cops. The must have been trying to figure out CUE.

Discussing with some friends lately new vehicles. Many are sticking to the type of vehicle that they currently have now (CUVs, pickups, sedans, etc). So we got on the topic of what vehicle would interest you that is outside of your norm but would be an appropriate daily driver to replace the type of vehicle that you currently own. This is not a "what ultimate vehicle would you choose if money were no issue" scenario. It's a scenario where you don't get the vehicle you prefer; for me that means no pickup or SUV. So I'll start this off. If I were buying a vehicle today outside of a pickup or SUV, I would choose: 1) 2014 Chevrolet Impala - I'm smitten by this new Impa…

What did you see in October 2013?

Impressive Porsche crash video!

Happy Birthday William and thank you for all the help you provide around here!

This should be easy. There are tons of great car movies to choose from - Fast and Furious, Death Race, Smokey and the Bandit, Christine. I'm going to go for an obscure, GenX horror flick a la Spielberg's Dual. The name of the movie, fittingly, is simply "The Car." James Brolin starred as a Western sheriff tasked with protecting his community from a possessed, driverless car. Very cool flick. What's your favorite?

Not that I'm ready to be in the market for a new truck right now, but two Sundays ago the wife and I went to a GMC dealership so I could look at some of the new 2014 Sierras they had. While I was driving around the lot soaking up the new '14s, my wife was more impressed with the 2013 2500HD Sierra crew cab models. Not that I need the capabilities of a 3/4 ton truck (nor really the 1/2 ton either), but I've always admired this generation of 2500HD/3500HD Sierra. I am more impressed with the ride & interior of the new 2014 models, but can you provide me with reasons/opinions on why I shouldn't consider a 2500HD? For $hits and giggles, here are two I've looked at onl…

Let's say you had the chance to have a late model (circa 2005) car with under 85,000 miles completely paid for in 18 months, would you do it?

Over the course of the next 3 weeks I will be attending a few Media Drives. I cannot possibly drive and review every vehicle offered at these events and unfortunately, I will not know which vehicles will be available for drives until I actually get to the event (with the exception of Buick, I happen to know that their entire lineup will be available). At these drives, all but the most exotic brands will be there. (Though Rolls and Bentley have attended in the past.) Please list the most important recent releases that you feel we should focus on if they are available for a drive that have not yet visited C&G for a review. Once we have a list, we will pick the top 15…

I engineered this birthday thread just for you, sir. Have a good one.

This is the revised "Bumblebee" Camaro for the next (horrifically underwhelming) installment of Michael Bay's Transformers franchise. Notice the revised front fascia and lack of rear side glass. Hmmm ...

The dog days of summer are dwindling. Fall approacheth. But there's still plenty of good weather left for getting out there and spotting some cool rides. Here's the place!

Hopefully you'll have a chance to take a drive in that sweet Corvette today. Have a good one, sir.

1: DIGITAL DEATH MANAGER "Life-logging" will be a way of life, affecting how we record and remember what we do. Young sees a role for someone who can take the mass of life-logged material, and make stories out of it. That could be useful during our lives (for personal-brand purposes) but also in death. "Today, it happens only with important people. Andy Warhol has a foundation, and so on. We're imagining this is going to ladder down to other people who want to shape what their legacy means," Young says. 2: UN-SCHOOLING COUNSELOR The concept of education as a four-year box-ticking exercise will be over. The future will be more diverse. People will plug in a year of educ…

I am about ready to buy a new car, and have narrowed the search down to a previous generation E-class, 2007-2009, or a used Hyundai Genesis 4.6. I am looking for rwd, and not really a fan of the 300C or the CTS, and don't want a BMW either. So that leaves me with these two, first up is a 43,000 mile Genesis 4.6 and it is under a 2 hour drive to the dealer. http://www.ncautoauction.com/detail-2009-hyundai-genesis-4dr_sdn_4_6l_v8-used-10629235.html The other option is a 2008, 69,000 mile E550 with AMG sport package and Designo interior package, so it is fully loaded, with a good carfax report, but I would be buying it without seeing it in person and have to spend $750 t…

Not sure if you're still getting that facial, and I don't want to interrupt your fun, but have a good one, number 26.

I may use comments from this thread as quotes in an article and by posting in this thread you grant your consent for me to do so. Thought/Reasons why E85/Ethanol hasn't taken off?

How can there be 26 Control Specimens? There can be only one. Have a good birthday, sir.

Happy Birthday to you, sir. I hope you can celebrate in style.

So this week I have seen some really crazy driving from both local license plated auto's and out of state auto's along with auto's that have had front headlights out and it is way before predawn and they are using fog lights only to partial tail lights, brake lights where only one works and the middle and one of the outside is burnt out. With the stated above, it got me to thinking about our current drivers licenses and safety standards for auto's. I understand each state wants to keep control, yet the whole idea of the Federal gov was to have a set of standards that keeps a level playing field for this country. What would it take and or what would you feel should be th…

The dog days... perfect for lifting your leg to mediocrity. Let us lap up some good Spots this month. Don't make me beg!

Haven't seen you around, lately, sir. Maybe you'll see this. Happy Birthday.

I don't think we need a new thread each month for this one, but I though a place to post pics of neat/interesting motorcycles would be fun. I spotted this at the local AdvanceAuto. I like the boxes he has on the side.

TOWER OF POWER

My father's looking for a new car and is choosing between the 320i xDrive, A4 Quattro, and ATS4. All three have a turbo 2.0 L i4 and AWD. It's interesting to see how different the numbers are for the output, however... BMW 320i xDrive city l/100km 8.9 highway l/100km 5.6 hp 181 tq 199 Audi A4 Quattro 2.0T city l/100km 9.5 highway l/100km 6.3 hp 211 tq 258 Cadillac ATS4 2.0T city l/100km 10.3 highway l/100km 6.6 hp 272 tq 260 Optioned up this way, they are also very very close in price. ($41-42k after fees, tax, and trade) We went out and drove all three back to back to back. I wasn't very impressed by the touch screen on the ATS vs. the wheel navigation of the…

Been seeing a Tesla or two lately, and this morning I spotted a Fisker Karma out for a cruise. Really a striking car in person, too bad about their situation.

Let's get this party started! Have a good one, sir.

just saw this article on banshift.com and thought it was pretty cool. never knew gmc made a v12. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We know that these things are basically two V6 engines hitched together (in a common block) and that they are lazy and aren’t really all that hot rod-able. Used in firetrucks, big rigs, to run pumps, and other mundane applications, these behemoth engines made 275hp and 630 lb/ft at about 2,000 RPM when new and we think that they’re all kinds of neat. Sure, sticking one in a car or old truck wouldn’t be for creating some sort of insane running hot rod, but shoehorning one into a light enough car would result in something that should burn tires for miles if se…

Well after looking at, sitting in, driving cars for over a year I forced myself to go look at the 2013 KIA Forte before I bought. One 2013 to be found, but they did have a truckload 2014's. Looked at it, sat in it, drove it, bought it. 2014 Forte EX sedan 2.0L 173hp Auto trans (not ctv, or vti, or ggnp or any other unwanted odd ball trans) Silver over black With a few added options stickered at $20,790 Got free tint, and locking lug nuts (told them they could take that stuff off so they left it.) Got 2K in discounts This car caught me by surprise, lots of standard equipment, and I got an auto dimming mirror without having to buy a $2 or 3K package. This one happen…

It was like overnight, June walked in and took over the calendar. It says in the fine print that cool and unusual vehicles must be on full display this month, so post your spots here in this thread, if you've got 'em!

You have a good one, sir.

Justin Bieber's new leopard print Audi R8. Edit: Chris, I see a new line of work for you as a Helicopter Paparazzi..... the writer of the article identified the car as a Porsche... which... and I'm no expert... would appear to be incorrect.

Well, the lease on the Malibu is coming to an end in a month. I started looking for a replacement, but it has been interesteing so far. Not really a fan of anything smaller than my previous gen Malibu. So I visit the Chevy dealer and the only things they offer are a Silverado or possibly a Volt in the equipment/price range I'd like. Went to the Buick/GMC/Cadillac dealer and looked at Regal & LaCrosse. The offerings are pretty pricey even for a mid-level vehicle of either. So, I visited a Dodge dealer and looked at a Charger R/T that was nicely loaded and reasonably priced. Is it time to own my first new Dodge?

So, with some life changes coming up, I am car shopping. I'm looking in the $25k range +/- a grand. Since the number of miles could potentially swing wildly opposite of what I do now (Less than 5k a year on my own car), I'm looking at high(er) mpg options, but a lower priced car that doesn't get the best mpg but has other convincing options is on the table too. I don't really want to go any smaller than Cruze/Verano Here's what I'm looking at so far: Passat TDI/DSG/Sunroof - about $25k after current incentives Cruze Diesel - $26k Verano Leather Group + sunroof - $26k 200 V6 + sunroof and upper UConnect - $20k after current incentives (Used) 300 V6 + 8speed + UConne…

Noticed that the green paint is starting to come off my Eco badge today. Would removing the badges from the car impact resale value in any way?

I've kinda sorta kept up with the new car market and sadly, I'm seeing nary a thing that appeals to me. Everything seems to have gotten fat, heavy and grotesque-looking. Another symptom of my old-guyness, I suppose. Anyhoo, this has made me think about what an ideal vehicle would be for my weird tastes. Here's what I came up with: Something on the order of the original Caravan/Voyager in a (compact) external footprint AND internal dimensions--including height and seating position (the Mazda 5 was heralded as the successor to the original Mopar minivans, but it really wasn't--didn't have the height to stash taller items in the back for one thing, and the seating position…

I wanted to know if anyone here knows where official production numbers can be found? I looking for a particular year for GMC Trucks. Thanks!

Yeah, screw teasers. Here's the whole Jeep. Here's the shakedown: This is a 1991 Jeep Cherokee Laredo with four-wheel drive (no, it doesn't smell like a steak and it can't seat thirty-five). It's green. Some of the clearcoat has faded and some of the paint is oxidized. It has the good old 4.0L AMC inline six with 190 horses since this was the first year for the Chrysler-sourced fuel system (thank GOD it isn't a Renix-equipped XJ). It has 216,000 miles, so it's just finally broken in. I found this Heep on Craigslist for a whopping $850. Someone pawned it off, and judging from the massive stack of papers that I found in the horrifically disgusting glovebox, I'd say tha…

http://www.engineswapdepot.com/?p=2673 Is it really this simple?

"We've been hurting one another & now the pain has cut too deep" __ Annie Lennox __ 'Walking On Broken Glass' Life IS mostly good, but am I the only 1 nerve-wracked? I'm contemplating whether or not to appeal the disability denial; need to receive more of my medical records & speak with a lawyer...ugh. I have time for a road trip, but no $$. [best road trip moments begin when you say "hello"...!] A couple weeks ago, we had flooding rains 1 day; accumulating snow the next. Bombing at the Boston Marathon; explosions in TX & OK. A friend of 20+ years wrote me a scathing note about how bad of a friend/person I am.... Yet, someone I rec…

Here's my current dilemma... since we went "window shopping" at some new car lots last weekend, I've been thinking a lot about the 2013 Chevy Avalanche I saw. Now I'm not currently "in market" for a new vehicle, as I was waiting until next spring to get a 2014 or order a 2015 GMC Sierra Crew Cab pickup (which I'm in love with). But thinking about it the Avalanche offers me everything I'm looking for in a "crew cab" truck - LT-trimmed model gives me most of the features I was looking for on my next truck (rearview camera, heated leather seats, hard tonneau cover, power folding/heated/turn signal exterior mirrors), and the All-Star Edition gives me the upgraded 20" polish…

I've started looking at options for my wife's next commuter car. Looking for some input on options I might not have thought of. She currently drives a '99 Saturn SC1. Requirements: - near or better than 40mpg highway - manual trans - 2000 or newer (newer preferred) - not a hybrid (we buy vehicles for long-term, I'm not interested in replacing a $5k+ battery one or twice in the timespan we expect to own the car) - reasonable to expect to be able to buy with under 50k miles for about $10k or less in a couple years Options so far: - Chevy Cruze Eco - Chevy Sonic - Chevy Spark - Ford Focus - Ford Fiesta

To our esteemed founder... have a good one sir.