The Lounge

Just... blah... Feeling shitty and bored. So here's what a wonderful time I'm having... My GA is already dirty after spending all day Saturday washing and waxing. I can't beleive it. I just wish my car could stay for more than a day. It's ridiculous. Anyways, it's been good to me, lately. No more problems have occured and most that previously did, have fixed themselves. Although, I've noticed that my dash has developed a really bad... noise. Go around a turn or over a rough spot and I hear it. It's like a rattling/creaking sound. It was just there all of a sudden. It's not like I can hear it when I have my music at my prefered volume, thou…

Buying/Selling/Browsing...whatever. Who does it?

In renting small cars overseas, it seems that the French have more mainstream automakers than many European countries. At any rate, the 3 brands I see in rental fleets tend to be Renault, Peugeot, and Citroen. I have driven the Peugeot 107 or 108 (about a decade ago) and, more recently, the Citroen C3. I have a cousin who had a Renault Twingo about 15 to 20 years ago and they still exist, although they've been updated with time. Is there a pecking order as to which French auto brand is better than the other?

So i just got back from this movie, and i have to say it was the best movie i have seen this year!!! Will Ferrel is great, as usual. The racing is really good, and makes the movie almost seem believable. I would recommend this movie for everyone!! Time to unleash the cougar

Here's the Chevrolet K5 concept. GM, I beg you to do something like this again.

A lot of us car enthusiasts remember the answer to that bit of trivia relating to the longest-ever production hood on an automobile... '70-'72 Monte Carlo, right? 6 feet long? Today I went lot-cruising and noticed a Yaris hatch at the local 'yota dealer, so I swung in for a look. The hood is like 2 feet long, no lie. I'm serious. Shorter than most minivans. Odd thing is, I kinda like the little puppydog. In blue with tinted windows, rims and slightly lowered suspension, this little thing could actually be cool, while returning close to 40 mpg. Driving a slow car fast is always fun. One of these with the mods I list above could save so much dough for a couple of y…

Yes, its all a big joke. There are enough publications and magazines out there that do suck up to Toyota that much; we will always offer you our General Motors side for free. Hope someone got a laugh.

First off, I'm loving all the other threads, and the participation!! With that said, this is the third and final DG thread I came up with based on the 4th of July. It's a day in celebration of independence. This installment is based on that, stand alone maker's independence from huge corporate umbrellas. The premise is simple you will only be allowed to choose from vehicles that came from manfacturers that were completely autonomous at the time. That means no Chevys post-GM. No Ferrari's or Chryslers after FCA. No Dodges after ChryCo merger. No post-Audi Lambos. No post-VW Porsches, etc, etc. Rules- 1) Maximum of 10 vehicles, as with o…

Hey, we all know that tipping in America means about 15% and up to 20% +/- for exemplary service. This being said, I almost always tip a hair over 15%, usually to make my total an even .00 or .50 dollar credit card figure. Now, at a buffet in Vegas or Reno or Tahoe, I usually tip 10%, since they don't take the order nor bring you food. I figure 10%, in that scenario, is ok. This past weekend, in Vancouver, I had two eye-opening experiences and I tipped LESS. 1) trendy Mexican restaurant in a run-down Bohemian area. The food was overpriced and late, for an almost empty restaurant. In the process, I consumed the salsa and chips. I pointed to the chip bowl and th…

What would it be? Personally, I'd do something like a double feature, with both movies based on the original Smokey and the Bandit. One movie would be similar in spirit to the original film, but feature a different car, altered plot and storylines, and different characters. This film would be titled Eighteen (for the amount of time the truck full of Coors had to be transported across state lines in Smokey; it would also be the deadline given in this film), and the main character would have to run blocker in a black 2010 Camaro SS RS for a truck containing pounds upon pounds of illegal drugs for a drug lord in Atlanta (hell, why not have Burt Renyolds play that part?) an…

While there is the occasional domestic or foreign model that gets my attention, there has always been at least one GM model available that has suited my needs perfectly. I'll grant that the number of GM models with the power to part me from my money has often been few, it has always been at least one more than the asian manufacturers have ever had to offer. To date, no asian manufacturer has ever built any model that I would actually spend my money on. That's right, nothing past or present from Toyota, Honda or their ilk has ever appealed to me in a meaningful fashion. This is not a case of loyalty, just plain fact. The future looks to remain exactly the same in this reg…

Extremely said day for anyone who has an appreciation of these old warbirds. Apparently there was a fire on engine #2 shortly after takeoff. The pilot found a field and made a successful emergency landing. Everyone on board escaped. At the time teh fire was small and it was thought the plane could be saved. However the firefighters sat and watched it burn, claiming that the ground was too soft for the trucks to drive on. This last part really aggravates me. Last time I checked, an 18 ton plane weighs more than a firetruck. yet they made a successful landing on said field. And to add insult to injury, footage shows the lazy bastards with their trucks on the field half-ass…

:angry: I hate them so much a 700 dollar in crease on PLPD i had a clean record to that brings my bill to 1200 a year i was pissed about 500 but no thats rediculous i have GMAC it was a good deal but i might go shopping soon! also 61 dollars to renew my plates when by brothers camaro is 61 i rather drive a camaro than a caprice if its the same price. o my brother was looking at a GTO for full coverage they wanted 4,250 a year and that was the cheapest he has 1 Not at fault acciedent and one speeding ticket for 5 over wuts the deal with insurance :angry: :angry:

After a pretty harsh winter, I think my cars need a good waxing... Which leads me to an important question: What do you you guys/gals use? I've been a Mothers fan for years(my cav still looks new), but a buddy wants to me to switch to 3M.... He said it offers even more protection from the crappy weather here... Time for the Turtle Wax roll call.... :AH-HA_wink:

The 3rd annual Keeneland carshow was today. These are pictures of everything except the featured make, Corvette, which have their own posts. Enjoy!

Answer the multiple choice questions and it kicks out the city that is best suited for you... Link to Blogthings - American city that's a best fit for you Then there's another one...it's which city you are most like... Link to Blogthings - American city you are most like I've got a problem here. As for the city that's a best fit, I took this quiz (#1) and manipulated the 3 questions which I'm "on the fence" about and still get: 1) Atlanta (duh...I lived there and loved it) 2) Honolulu (no interest in living in Hawaii) 3) Las Vegas (eh...for a weekend) 4) Miami (like the area a lot) 5) Austin (don't know much about it, but I've heard good things) As…

What are some guilty pleasures you're not ashamed to admit? For me, I'm not ashamed to admit that, although I consider myself a "Rear-drive first, front-drive last" enthusiast, there are some front-drive cars that make me stop and pay attention. A brief list would look like... -1966 Olds Toronado and 1990 Olds Trofeo -1994 Olds Aurora -1998 Olds Intrigue -2005 Chevrolet Cobalt -2005 Mazda 3 -1998 Buick Regal GS -2006 Ford Fusion

As I've traveled, I've often wondered why people decide to live and work in the towns/cities in which they live/work. Mostly, I think about this in terms of the small "mom and pop" type stores or shops or service centers that cater to only a small geographical region. Of course, with the internet, in most cases, those same businesses can reach farther than ever before. Yet, I wonder what brought them to set up a brick'n'mortar business and home in the location they have chosen. Was the decision made because of the location of family? The location of friends? Or, was it the cost of living? The cost of doing business? Or, was it due to a particular opportunity? And…

Thanks to the Internet Archive Wayback Maching you can see C&G over the years. Not every thread works, but you can see back to when I objected to the Cobalt name because it seemed like GM just went through a Crayola box. I still feel that way.

Well guys, this morning I had one of those moments where I was about to pull my hair out, and then my little girl (now 1 year old) did just the thing to set my day perfectly all right. I was running late, Amy (the wife) was also running late, which meant I had to pull bath duty with squirt. I'm kinda cursing under my breath, and all in all griping about having to give her a bath when she looks up at me from the tub and points at me and says "Da da". After that I just kinda had to sit in the floor and everything didn't matter from there on.... I just sat there and played with her in her tub with a grin on her face, just watching her splash around and blabber this and t…

I love how parents pick hondas because they think they are so reliable and safe. Last night a young girl couldn't stop in time on wet pavement due to not having ABS. Her brakes locked up and she ended up rear ending the HHR. Had she had the same year Cavalier she would have avoided hitting me because of having ABS. At any rate, she was going about 20 mph and did some decent damage to the honda but very little to the HHR. One of her friends pulled over to see if she was ok and upon inspecting the cars told her that if she had bought a Chevy the damage would not be so bad and with the ABS she would have stopped in time. Funny, I didn't even need to say anything. …

Well, this is not going to help my asma (I know, spelled wrong-stress will do that//) much... Today, my wife's job was part of a surprise cuts at her job...she expected a cut in hours..but this... no job now! Normally, that itself wouln't be a huge issue. I find out next week if my job is gone, as my job has been cutting back people at other stores...and my store is next. I get the bad feeling I'm gone...new management isn't thrilled with most of the people I work with.. as some are already gone...... I have some rainy day money...be we haven't yet recovered from damage done not too long ago... I've been searching like crazy....but nothing yet... H…

Well today I got to thinking... I'm going to buy some steelies and winter/all season tires for the Cobalt come winter time. I'll guess that'll easily be $800-1200, right? Hmmm... This is the new thought: What if I were to store the Cobalt during the coldest months of Michigan? What if, instead of buying steelies and all that, I keep the Cobalt in the garage and buy myself a cheap fixer upper? Beyond that, what if I find a good running vehicle (domestic SUV or truck preferably) for under $1000 (I'm thinking closer to $500-800), fix it, and re-sell it when I'm done for possibly more than what I bought it for? How will I do that? Read on... I know how to restore paint t…

___WHAT___ 3rd Annual MidSummer Chitown Gathering ___WHEN___ SATURDAY ... JULY 24, TwentyTen ~10:30a ... Start! ~11a to ~12:30p ... Drive! (route details to be determined ... maybe a "poker run" of sorts) ~12:30p to ?? ... lunch! ... meet'n'greet! ... dinner! RAIN OR SHINE ___WHERE___ STEAK'n'SHAKE 290 S RANDALL RD ELGIN IL 60123 http://www.mapquest.com/maps/290+S+Randall+Rd+Elgin+IL+60123/ ...just south of US Route 20! ___WHO & WHY___ Everyone ... because meeting people and spending time with friends is AWESOME! THIS IS A FAMILY EVENT. ** WILL YOU JOIN US? ** ___COSTS___ GAS FOOD ... Steak'n'Shake will provide coupons. To save $, try Steak'n'…

I want this. I can almost afford this. One day I will have this. http://detroit.craigslist.org/cto/1021541553.html

Corvette's for Kids This weekend, I was lucky enough to attend a great charity event called Corvette's for Kids Road Tour (http://www.corvettesforkids.com/), which collects money for Camp Oochigeas (http://www.ooch.org/), a camp for kids with cancer. Here are a few picture's I got when I wasn't trying to keep my drool of all these beautiful cars.

4 weeks left or so until I can make a move on replacing the GXP. The leading candidate seems to be this: Thoughts?

I'm looking for a Firebird / Trans Am ad that came out between 1982-1985. I saved a picture of it on my computer a long time ago but can't find it anymore. It was a night pic with the Trans Am's parking lights on and a girl standing next to it with lots of fog. Does anyone have it / know where to find it?

A few months ago things got distant between Marcia & I. We have been together for almost SIX years, & more importantly are tied to each other permanantly through our three year old daughter Sofia.As of this past weekend she has decided to move on & wants to be with an old friend and ex. In some #@%$& up way as these things tend to happenat the exact same time one of my best friends ever whohappens to also be an ex had her heart broken.So I went from having a "separation" with Marcia to what is basically a divorce which made me absolutely miserable to falling back in love with someone that I ever really got over. My head is spinning, bu…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv3Kl0lqAwA If you read some of the comments it shows what a negative view young people have about Buick sadly.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1977-Chevro...1QQcmdZViewItem

I prayed that this day wouldn't happen. I have to sell the electra. I can't find any good prices for bodywork and its too much for me to handle on my own. Its on craigslist for $7000 obo since the engine has less then 15,000 miles on it.

So today around 2pm I gave XP a ride to work after he put the Cutlass on my front lawn with a for sale sign. We notice that there's a '97/'98 Honda Accord in the parking lot at Dounkin Donuts in Drum Hill Chelmsford with what looks like a broken tie-rod, I pulled in to investigate and this is what I saw. I laughed and took the photos as I asked the kid WTF happened, he says "it just let go as I turned the wheel... the axle slipped right out & the suspension just snapped" As I walked away I said lound enough for him to hear... "Gotta love those Hondas, next time go for RWD." Then I got inside my RWD Q45 and drove away laughing my @$$ off as I told …

So it was Monday afternoon and we had gone out to do some errands. When we got home I smelt something funny in the room. Then I noticed that my computer was off. I thought it was strange because it was on when we left (it usually is on). I figured maybe a cat shut it off. I pressed the power button...nothing. I see that everything else has power so the power strip is ok. I pull the computer out and have a look, When I flick the Power Supply switch off then on again I hear a faint humming sound. Then I realize what the smell was...my damn PSU fried itself! I couldn't believe it...and teh day before class starts back up too! Needless to say, I was not in a good mood for the…

Me and 2 "brothers" (really just friends but we call each other family) where in a public place talking about going to see the memorial wall soon. Since Who doesnt know some one on there? and some asshole turned and told us straight to our faces that its a waste of time and we should go see somthing else more entertaining. Im still speachless. Yes, I have been there more than once and its not exciting but Its one of the only things that gets me teary eyed seeing the names of people you knew. It is something every one should see. Just to pay respect to our fallin heros.

IMHO, it is time for a Chicagoland-area gathering. Based on responses to the poll/questions I asked recently, this is an informal gathering. Attendees are welcome to bring their car to show, show up to visit, or both! We may attend a car cruise Saturday night. DATE = Saturday, July 26, 2008 TIME = Start ... ~noon = end ... dusk, when Forest Preserve closes [OR] later, if we attend a cruise night ...Shelter is reserved from noon until dusk, but please feel welcome to stop by for even just a short while to visit, if you want. LOCATION = west of Elgin IL = Burnidge-Paul Wolff Forest Preserve at Big Timber and Coombs Rds: west of Randall Rd, IL RT 31, I…

"I'm walking down the lonely street of dreams" __ Whitesnake __ 'Here I Go Again On My Own' I never thought I'd say or type these words... "My Monte Carlos are sold." That is, they'll be gone by the end of this weekend (last of July 2012), unless a "miracle" happens yet this week (don't see that being the case). I wouldn't have believed it if someone had told me while I was on my 2011 9,000+ mile road trip that, in the next 12+ months, I'd... ...have my 4th open heart surgery 11/11/2011 (will have another CT scan in mid-August) ...lose my job less than 3 weeks after returning to full-time (still searching) ...attend the 2012 MC Nationals & be hospitalized w/pne…

Well, it's cloudy and cool here this a.m. (unbecoming for a July 4th, imo). Still, it's a day to celebrate the anniversary of our great country's birth as a nation. And in that spirit (of '76), what better to do than declare your independence? Is there something holding you down, keeping you from greatness? Kick it! Be free!

Here is the deal I need to select a system/gaming series I want to play. I was going to go with a PS3 and GT5 but frankly I am SICK of waiting, and now it will be until at least end of March 2010 before it is out. I am comparing a PS3 120 GB Slim to a XBOX 360 120 GB Elite just in case anyone was wondering. I DO NOT have any idea of the an updated car list for GT5 except the fact it will have all GT4 cars plus another 200-300 new ones. I am a die-hard Playstation and Gran Turismo fan until... I saw the offical Forza 3 car list which includes lots of good stuff. (more on that later) I am really only buying a system/game for the domestic cars anyways with the exception of a…

C&D has what I believe is the first test of a manual V6 Camaro up. It's a rather glowing review- http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-chevrolet-camaro-lt-rs-v-6-test-review. I decided this would be a great car to use for a new 'WWYBI' piece. Base price- $30,140 As-tested- $35,150 Range to spend- $27,125-38,665 As always, you have the price range allotted above to spend on a similar car that is new, and on sale now. Must use MSRP. Must spend at least $27,125. Cannot spend more than $38,665.

SO heres the story, about a month ago the alternator in my Riviera bit the dust and I had my car brought to a local repair shop which was said to be a good place according to my girlfriend's neighbors....so I figured hell while they have the car, might as well do an inspection, oil change and tranny flush. $655 later, I had my car back, with a new alternator, new belts, tranny service, oil change and inspection sticker.... about 5 minutes after pulling away I notice my car dosen't seem to be right, so I thought well maybe the tranny service really changed the driving dynamics of this car anyway by that night I noticed my lights, both inside the car and my headlights we…

I fly back to Germany this weekend to start my new job @ BMW ... I look forward to starting a new automotive chapter in my life ... I won't be around as much as I was in the past, to some I'm sure that is good news ... Just remember I was only a messenger ... I will miss the good folks @ GM, the bad ones, not so much ... 20 years is a long time at one company these days, but looking back on my career at GM, I had a blast and wouldn't trade my memories for anything ... I will keep my eye on GM, I worry for it's future. I will pop in from time to time on C&G, but will rarely post anymore ... To those of you going to BMW because of Pontiac's shutdown, I'll see you on…

well I just found out my high school sweetheart is pregnent(and no its not mine)... i dont know what to say to her... i still love her, but realistically we've been seperated for almost 4 years now... i just went on to her myspace to see an ultrasonic picture of her baby that will be due sometime in september it seems my world is growing up so much, and sometimes its leaving me behind... i dont know what to say to her... anyone have any suggestions for me?

I was drafted to move a very large item (think boat-sized and boat-shaped) yesterday but didn't do it, so I had to do it this morning. Obviously my Fusion isn't equipped to tow one of these so I had to borrow something. There is at least one Outlook in the fleet, but it was gone today, so I was left with either a Durango (ew!) or one of the dozen or moreTundras sitting there. I'll say this, the Tundra tows easily and rides very well with a trailer in tow.

In the new GQ magazine (with Heath Ledger on the cover and the awesomest Dolce & Gabanna (sp?) ad ever) has a really sick article about weird foods from around the world. I almost choked when I saw the little skinned guinea pig packaged in cellophane. You guys gotta check it out!

[source: MSN] 'Missing link' primate likely to stir debate Scientists announce 47 million-year-old find amid media hoopla A discovery of a 47 million-year-old fossil primate that is said to be a human ancestor was announced and unveiled Tuesday at a press conference in New York City. Known as "Ida," the nearly complete transitional fossil is 20 times older than most fossils that provide evidence for human evolution. It shows characteristics from the very primitive non-human evolutionary line (prosimians, such as lemurs), but is more related to the human evolutionary line (anthropoids, such as monkeys, apes and humans), s…

I just made some dinner and it turned out rather nicely, thought I'd share and see what creative ideas others have come up with. Take one of those packets of chicken noodle soup. Put it in the amount of water the instructions ask for, and begin to boil it. Take a collander (pasta strainer) and empty a package of spinach into it. Place the collander on top of the soup pot. As the soup boils, it will steam the spinach. The spinach will get a bit of chicken noodle flavour. Make sure you turn the spinach and stir the soup so they cook properly. Stick some Garlic Plus on the spinach, spoon out some soup and enjoy. I know steamed spinach is an aquired taste, but I like it. …

My next-door neighbors have a porta potty in their driveway and the cul-de-sac is parked full. Crowds are milling about, in the street, on the sidewalk, they're everywhere. And I have to get up early to head to the mountains. This is not gonna be pretty.

Because I am working on projects and will be away from home a lot of the time, those that may wish too, can follow me on Twitter, to find me just go to http://www.twitter.com/GMEmployee . Many GMers on Twitter.

OK I start a new Job in Germany on September 1st. So I decided to go with a new look, I decided to go with a full beard. So far most of my life I have been clean shaven, but I did have a moustache in my early 30's and a trimmed beard for a while in my 30's too and a goatee for the last 6 months. I've let it grow the last week and it is coming in quite full. Anyone else have a full beard, or had one in the past, any pointers you can give or advice? Let me know.

Look what oil can build you... Burj Dubai Tower Dubai, United Arab Emirates 160-200 floors 2132 ft (705 m) to 3116 ft (950 m) Completion in 2007 Estimated cost to build: $1 billion To get an idea of how tall this thing will be, the Sears Tower is 1,454 feet tall excluding the antennas...this could be anywhere from 700 ft to 1700 ft taller.

Well, I'm not sure if I've mentioned this, but I'm pledging for the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. Anyway, the point of the thread is that a couple of us pledge brothers have spoken to current brothers of the house and we're going to try to get a project car.. an old school muscle car to fix up as a "just for fun" type of project. So, give me some crazy suggestions!

First off, how's everyone doing? I still hang around, but unfortunately don't participate anywhere near the levels I used to. I'm sure I wasn't the only car geek out there that wanted to turn my life's passion into a full-time career. I've been fortunate enough to be involved in this business for quite sometime and have obtained all my auto related positions due mostly to my sheer enthusiasm and understanding vehicles and of the market. Now's here you're chance. There is an opening to work with me (trust me, no big thrill hanging with me) as a forecast analyst for the North American market. If you're interested and preferably live in Michigan and have a strong des…

If you remember this thread and put your name in it, good. If you didn't then you don't belong here. **** Okay, if you want a signature featuring our orgaization's name, leave a photo here and specify if you want "Mobster" or "Godfather" text. If you don't want one, fine with me. Also, make sure to list any kind of modifications you want. Thank you.

Guy out driving his 20 hour old Camaro SS gets rear ended by a punk teenager with no insurance or driver's license. http://jalopnik.com/5247902/this-is-what-a...o-ss-looks-like After learning what a totaled Dodge Challenger looks like, we've now seen what a totaled Camaro SS looks like. Better still, it was only 20 hours old! Ouchgasmic gallery below. Bye, Bye Mr. Camaro According to Camaro5, this brand spankin' new Camaro SS was reduced to a pile of scrap by an uninsured and unlicensed teenager ridin' dirty in a Ford Escape. We're not sure about the owner, but we would have kicked this kid's ass. Twice, for good measure. (Hat Tip To Cameron!) [via Camaro5]

Tonight, I went to Barnes and Noble's cafe' where I study. Yeah, I know, I'm boring. I know the girls who work there and when I was in Montreal for 1 week and came back to town, they asked me "Where have you been?" They told me they notice it when "the regulars" aren't around for a while. At any rate, we started talking about who "the regulars" were and they told me as such. They also told me "the regulars" all have nicknames ...and that we all have quirks! I asked them what mine was. They told me it was "Tea Guy" because I always order tea and it has to be in a mug, not paper. I busted up. Then they told me some other nicknames for other patrons...some were NO…

Maybe it is just me, but I have noticed quite a few rusty Caravans lately... Not the beat up ones from the 80s...I'm talking late 90s early 00s.... And it is not just a bits of rust (like those who never. ever wash the car ) This rusting is everywhere-doors, hood, hatch, front doors, sliding doors.... Now I expect this out of the older cars (80s, early 90s), but some of these vans are barely 10 years old. A good griend of my mom has a 03 Caravan-and the sliding door alreay has a decent amount of rust on it. Makes me sad. I was actually considering a SB caravan to replace the wagon ( More room for friends/family hockey stuff)... Hmmm...Do you guys notice t…

Arkus keeps going through the invisible fence and I have to go find him before he gets hit on the road. I spent 2 hours looking for the furry jerk tonight, I need a solution. I wonder if anyone knows how to hot rod a shock collar, the highest standard setting just isn't enough.

To get crushed. My pic...

As suggested, im gonna take my own advice and revive another less sensitive topic give the line up for the GM brands for 2008 you can have as many brands, cars, and special editions as you deem nessicary go wild have fun dont be afraid, bring back a brand if you want . . .cough . . .olds . . . get going ill get mine in later

Saturday evening we bought a new Truck, 2006 Dodge Ram Mega Cab SLT equipped with a Cummins HO Turbo Diesel. I absoultely love this truck especially leg room compared to our old Quad Cab, I am 5'11' and my brother 6'4 so we had quit the legroom problem. We got the 5/6 thousand dollar employee pricing rebate plus another 2500 for financing with Chryler Financial. (Quit the discount-ing huh?, Not that im complaining ) We got 19500 trade in cash for our 2003 Dodge Ram 3500 Quad Cab CTD (92,000 miles). We got a light khaki color with a khaki interior. Heres some pics......(So the exterior really aint that great...Its the interior) That enough pics? I will r…