The Lounge

Spring is here; time for the Spring/Summer Thread! It has been (and, in some ways, continues to be) a LONG, cold, snowy winter, for some of us.... BUT, with spring arriving, I'm looking forward to... ... softball/baseball (Dad's Friday night Elgin city league team; bro-in-law's Tuesday night Elgin city league team). ... warmer temps and SUNSHINE! ... getting my older 4 Monte Carlos out (hopefully earlier than I did last year). ... gatherings, reunions, car cruises and shows (including the July 26 Chicagoland area gathering). ... traveling/road trips, though not as much as I'd like (including Pennsylvania, June 27-29; Indiana / Ohio / Pennsylvania / New Jersey…

In this dream car garage, the rules are very simple. You will bring 5 cars and 5 local restaurants you will drive your choice of car to for an interesting meal. For the restaurants, only rule is no national chains-family owned or small local chain only. Restaurant should be local to where you live...say within 50 miles or so of your home. For the cars, any era any market is allowed, any price-just needs to fit the bill below. Car #1-American Muscle car, American traditional restaurant of some sort. Car #2, Italian car, Italian food-for those who do not like Imports, you may substitute an American car. Car #3. Vintage 4 Door sedan of some sor…

A good buddy at work and fellow pre-war car fan (esp. Buick) got hit by a dumb lady in a Highlander... but he was on his "beater" bike, a late 1970s Honda. Damn near got killed. He said the lady in the Toyota NEVER looked, beeped his horn not once but twice as she ran the stop sign, braced for impact & then 3sec. later he had a bent fork, fu&$ed up hand/wrist/leg/arm not to mention a host of other injuries & damage to the bike. Sooooo fu#%ing typical of a Toyota owner. If you walk into a Toyota dealership chances are you should really be buying a buss pass, economy pack of metemucil &/or extra-absorbent depends. (not to make light …

Dutch Mandel--GM Next: Why it will be around for the coming century By DUTCH MANDEL As General Motors looks toward its centennial celebration in September, today might go down in its history as the moment when its corporate life was saved. That's because its much-maligned chairman, Rick Wagoner, announced massive triage measures aimed at keeping the patient alive. His message should resonate from Wall Street to Main Street. Wagoner and his creditable management team--led by no-nonsense COO Fritz Henderson--addressed all areas of the business. Yes, GM made some "easy" calls. It will hasten to shutter plants it targeted earlier in the year for closure; those facil…

Here's my list for the top 10 boring vehicles of 2008, an absolute snoozefest: 1. Acura RL 2. Mitsubishi Gallant 3. Lincoln MKZ 4. Hyundai Azera 5. Hyundai Genesis 6. Hyundai Sonata 7. Kia Optima 8. Lexus GS 9. Toyota Avalon 10. Toyota Camry

Since you can't see over the Colbalt's dash, perhaps this little number from Volvo is more your speed, plus it can pull a trailer for when those nudist camps pop up on your travels ...

So close to Washington, D.C., so far from God ...

Does anyone watch this show? It's one of my favorites on TV. The season's almost over, but I was curious about anyone's wrapup thoughts (from whoever watches it xD) of it.

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…

Saw a 80ish Riviera today.

Sorny, Panasoanic, they're all here... Japanese knockoffs

(Admin note: I was able to find the 2002 in my local copy of the old C&G database. It is appended on this post - Avant1963) Since CSpec asked for them, here's a redux of the prior years' editions of Cheers and Jeers, the customary end of year summaries of all that is good and well and bad and ugly with GM and C&G. I've deleted all the links to the threads since they're dead anyway. The premier 2002 edition of Cheers and Jeers is lost in cyberspace forever with the old forum boards. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cheers and Jeers for 2004 Time for the third annual list of the best and worst of GM and C…

So, I just found out today that my beloved 5500 and 7500 GMCs were replaced with 2 3500 dodge rams with the ISB cummins in them. I'm really confused how trucks that had GCVWRs of 26,000 and 36,000 lbs can be towed now by 3500 pickup.... and a Dodge too! Why not get a GM or a Ford truck... hummm anybody know anything about the big dodge, i read that they can only tow up to 19500 so thats why im worried, i think our big trailer is over 19500.

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…

You guys all know by now that I'm working on cleaning house(selling all my cars). So, having seen many of my old rides and knowing my current ones, what do you think my next one will be or should be? I'm all over the map. New/old, truck/SUV/Car, classic wagon/El Camino, a Zeta variant, even tempted by Kappa. Even I can't guess what it will be. So make your suggestions/predictions now and we'll see who nails it. Even I don't know what the answer will be.

http://www.levelfieldinstitute.org/

Remember this lovable scamp? Newsflash regarding Cheers and Gears We did fairly well in the poll. I'm impressed.

Mine? Oh not much... ...just a race car...

http://inventory.rk-motors.com/CarDetails_sold_post2010.asp?VIN=131939

Do the 1988-up Regals 2-doors last awhile? I know its FWD and everything but there is one sitting at Orangeville Motors behind some trees. I saw it but never asked how much. It looks in alright shape. I just dont know how reliable they are. If it is the right price and reliable I may just pick it up.

I was looking at the vehicle configurtion tool on GM Canada's web page, and I clicked on "Saved configured cars", which brought me to a login screen. On the top of the screen was a little splash image with the panoramic sunroof from the G6, and... some random guy doing a karate kick? Wha??

Enjoy a real holiday classic. Rusty Chevrolet

This is off of another website, but there are a lot of cool c2 vettes in town for goodguys this weekend...

As my mom walked in the living room last night, she says "Cory, your dad blew my car up." I say "What?!" She tells me "I hope you don't plan on going anywhere tonight, as the Sunfire's blocking the driveway." I didn't really believe her at first, but upon looking out, there it is. It couldn't make it the last 40 feet or so to her spot in the driveway. All, night, I heard my parents talking about it. My mom asking my dad what's wrong with it... Him telling her that he doesnt know, etc, etc. I do go out last night, however, and had to cut through the yard. This morning, I let my mom take my Millenia. I was expecting to since last night, so I left my keys downstairs. She lef…

As if we don't have enough media bias to contend with... I usually listen to NPR (National Public Radio) on Saturdays, and sometimes I tune in to "Car Talk", a very slightly humorous show where people call in with their car problems and these two goofs, "The Tappet Brothers", try to diagnose them. They also use "humor" to convey some serious information and try to shape opinion. I was incensed yesterday to hear one of them mention some emails they received after a listener bragged on his "350,000 mile Lexus". They said they were sure there were no domestic cars that could go that long. One of the responses was from a listener with a '68 Buick Sportwagon with over 700,…

well thats design.... this 308 or a vw rabbit?? well i think its obvious.. http://www.km77.com/00/peugeot/308/gra/001.asp http://www.km77.com/00/peugeot/308/gra/002.asp

I just was wondering, what exactly is your sig? lol...It's been confusing the hell out of me and I've finally given up and had to ask. Should I be seeing something in it that I'm not? lol....Please help.

* From 3 of this week’s “Automotive Daily”s…. Couped-up Monday, 1977 = Dodge Charger (a bit different than the model that was The General Lee) = Ford Thunderbird (1st year of the “mid-sized” birds) = Monte Carlo (last of the 2nd generation, 1973-7) See more: http://www.oldcarsstronghearts.com/2015/03/09/automotive-daily-50/ Wagon Wednesday, 1973 = Dodge Polara (last of the 4th generation, 1969-73) = Ford LTD Country Squire (1st of a new breed, major redesign) = Impala (wait! where’d the back door go?) See more: http://www.oldcarsstronghearts.com/2015/03/11/automotive-daily-52/ 4-door Friday, 1975 = Dodge Dart (a year away from being replaced) = Ford Granada (1st of…

Pretty simple, I'll post a line from a song, whoever figures it out names the song and artist, then they post their own lyrics for someone else to figure out. You don't have to make it crazy easy, but maybe try not to make it something too obscure so people at least have a chance to figure it out. I think that about covers it, so, to get it started: There, are stars, in the southern sky, and if ever, you decide, you should go, there is a taste, of time sweetened honey, down.........

So hey am here because I love cars... um let me introduce myself... my names Diane. Smith am 18 and i drive a 1995 dodge grand caravan (I'm a germen car FANATIC) maybe one day i can afford one ha-ha...um yeah and id just like to say hello to you all...all of you seem very friendly and am glad to be here - Diane. Smith

Daryl Hannah's flat black Biodiesel El Camino.

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 have three goals. I will be VERY dissapointed if at least ONE of them is not realised. 1. Buy Pre-war car (1929-1939 is about the era I'd like) 2. Replace B-59 sedan with a HARDTOP B-59! 3. Save one rotted classic car from the junkyard & make a true RAT ROD. ---- How 'bout u?

Oh man, I had to race today for the first time in my Cobalt. Some kid in a tC was zipping through traffic with his fart can, passing ppl. It just so happened at the next light, I was next to him. When I stopped at the light, I hung back instead of stopping even with him. When the light turned green, I popped the clutch, squealed wheels, and caught second gear, leaving his wheezy little Toyota farting in the breeze. HA! That was fun.

I sure hope he hasn't committed Herikeri, over GM absorbing Chrysler. His real name is Kimura after all. 上傳者 觀看次數

Here's my take on the top 10 most visually captivating cars of 2008: 1. Aston Martin Vantage 2. Audi R8 3. BMW M3 Coupe 4. Cadillac CTS-V 5. Cadillac XLR-V 6. Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 7. Saturn Sky 8. Ferrari F430 9. Lamborghini Murcielago 10. Lamborghini Gallardo

This car used to be parked outside one of my dad's apartment buildings, and although it was an I6, I was always enamoured with it. However, the owner never put it for sale, moved, and I hadn't seen it for the past year. Now it's on Craigslist, and I'm wondering if it's worthwhile checking out, because it'd be a bit of a drive. Last I saw it, it had surface rust, but to what extent escapes me. It's also a two speed auto, so it'll have a hard time keeping up with a Geo Metro. Has anyone had any experience with this powertrain, and if I were to check it out, is there anything I should be aware of in particular with this model? http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/cto/100…

Kicking this off as I saw a brand new Cadillac Escalade sport edition all Matte Black. I suspect a custom paint job as I do not see Matte paint on the option list of the web site. New purchase from my local Cadillac dealership I go too. Plenty of blah appliance auto's today, but one consistent observation, so much body damage on 1 and 2 year old auto's from corners of the bumpers crushed in to side swipes. Very weird especially as I saw a number of subcompacts from Honda Fit to Mini with this kind of damage today as I ran to Costco.

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…

One fast–growing American industry has become a conspicuous beneficiary of the recession: for–profit colleges and trade schools. At institutions that train students for careers in areas like health care, computers and food service, enrollments are soaring as people anxious about weak job prospects borrow aggressively to pay tuition that can exceed $30,000 a year. But the profits have come at substantial taxpayer expense while often delivering dubious benefits to students, according to academics and advocates for greater oversight of financial aid. Critics say many schools exaggerate the value of their degree programs, selling young people on dreams of middle–class wages…

In early August my girlfriend and I will be driving to Florida. Along the way we will be passing through Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia. We'll be heading through Alabama on the way back since we're going to stop and visit her niece near Huntsville. I've been to all mentioned except the deep south states like Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, so it should be a fun trip. How inundated was Nashville with water? I was thinking that would be a great halfway point, but if it was anything like the flooding we had here two years ago, we'll probably stay somewhere else instead. I want to check out Atlanta, but I don't really know what there is to see o…

I bought a PS3. I've had the urge to lately, but wanted to wait until GT5 was finally released. Yesterday, I decided to act upon this urge and purchased one along with the game 'Fallout 3'. I'm hitting up Ebay for more games as I type. I probably should have splurged for the 250 GB model, but I figured I would never really use the extra disc space anyways and went with the cheaper 120 GB model. With my slow internet connection, I can't see myself downloading a bunch of extras. We have a well rounded household line-up now. PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, and even an old Sega Genesis. If I still had my Sega Dreamcast, it'd be even better. I'm looking forward to some fun gaming, …

OK, my Cavy's lease is up exactly one year later, and as to not make an uneducated purchase like my current Cavalier, I'm researching. I might even try to get out early, but the chance is quite slim. Here are the options I'm thinking of: 1) New Pontiac G6 4-cylinder /w ABS + ETS (maybe with sunroof as well B) ) 2) Used Olds Alero GX or GL, preferably 4-cylinder 3) New Chevy Cobalt LS / Pontiac Pursuit SE (Depending on which is a better deal) 4) Buyout my Cavalier for $7000 Option 1 would be the most expensive, but it's my favourite. Option 2 is viable, I always liked that car. My only concern is the mechanics of the car. I'm sure it'll…

Check out this Swedish custom: Pretty Sweet! and you thought I was going to post the Prowler wannabe from a few years back.

Well... what do you think?

While searching through pics, I came across this one. I forgot that my dad had this. My grandpa was in the Vietnam war and sometime when he was in service, they had Marilyn Monroe come to sing at a USO show, basically. He took lots of pics and this is one of them. I just thought it was interesting and I'd share it...

Hey, I figured with all this crazy stuff like Word Association threads and such why not a thread for Haiku poetry. Here's the ground rules for a Haiku poem. I'll start us off. Rear Wheel Drive is pure Like the most absolute truth Yet unappreciated

Go...It's boring in there alone.

In checking another forum, a poster is bemoaning the fact that many new GM products are being, and will continue to be, engineered in places other than America for the U.S. market. Which brings back to memory a recent Lutz statement, who, in so many words said that we wouldn't even recognize GM in 10 years - that, in time, they will once again become the powerhouse that they once were. This begs the question: With GM promoting products that start off as designs for other markets, in other words, as GM cars become fully globalized, thereby ignoring the specific needs of the U.S. consumer, and the U.S. worker, is GM's resurrection worth the price of it's resurrection?…

While on my trip to Ohio for fireworks yesterday, i saw this odd looking SUV. I first saw it about a mile south of the Tech Center, but this was as close as i could get to it, on the on ramp to 696. At first i thought it was a Jeep Commander, but on the sides it had the Hummer name. On the back, the names and logos were covered with black tape. I dont know what it was, but it defanitly wasn't a H2 or H3. Does anyone know anything about this?

There is a 1967 Impala SS fastback sitting at Orangeville Motors. We took a look at it and it is nice. It is a Southern Car and it has 134 miles on it. It has everything original. It is numbers matching. It has the Vinyl top. Disc brakes, Rallye Wheels which was the first year for them. It even has the redline tires. It has bucket seats, a tach and gauge package and shoulder belts. It is also an air conditioned car from the factory. It has the 327 motors with the Turbo 400 auto trans. It is in very good condition and runs well. It is seliling for $16,500 CAN. Would this car be a good investment since it has all the rare options and will it appreciate much in value in comi…

At the beginning of the school year for my kids, my wife was talking to one of the district supervisors and was told that they don't have enough people to take care of the custodial positions within the district. I thought about that for a bit and decided to help out. The idea was that I would work as a substitute custodian doing the 4 hour evening shift and then head up north to work my normal 9 hour graveyard shift working on airplanes. It started out working pretty well, the district substitute coordinator had me working most everyday like that. Then, last week, she called me at home and asked me to work on of the 8 hour shifts at one of the schools. She was pretty…

I'd like to know what everyone's favorite engine is. Pick just one if you can. It doesn't have to be the biggest or the most powerful, just what you like or what you think is the most significant. Mine is, without question the : 350 cubic inch Chevrolet!

Alot of you guys have really cool signatures at the bottom of your threads. How do I get one of those? Thanks.

[...] But those involved hope their ambitious goal of simulating the tangle of neurons and synapses that power our thought processes could offer solutions to tackling conditions such as depression, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's. The Human Brain venture is the next step in a long-running program that has already succeeded in using computers to create a virtual replica of part of a rat's neocortex -- a section of the brain believed to control higher functions such as conscious thought, movement and reasoning. Scientists at its forerunner, the Switzerland-based Blue Brain Project, have been working since 2005 to feed a computer with vast quantities of data and algor…

Probably not smiling now ... Jason Huljich, left, and, right, his sister Rachel, and his sorry looking Maserati after its forklift fiasco. The plot outline: Lady parks brother's Maserati 3200 GT in a construction zone whilst brother overseas Builders decide to move Maserati with a forklift Maserati on forklift decides to fall from a height of 2 metres Maserati ends up on its roof Builder now facing possible charges This all happened in Sydney yesterday ... according to the following article from the Sydney Morning Herald, builders have been moving cars that way for a while now.Oh brother, your Maserati's mashed

Hint #1 - Its well-respected in its circles Hint #2 - Its a 2008 model Hint #3 - Its not a domestic.

To be exact, I bought this kayak. Not the best money can buy, sure, but the color does come close to matching the color of my bike, so thats something. It'll be a good one to get some experience on, since I've only kayaked a couple of times. I wont have a chance to get it out on the lake this weekend, but sometime during the week I am definitely going out, all I need is a paddle, already have a PFD and waterproof iPod holder.

G. David Felt Alternative Fuels & Propulsion writer www.CheersandGears.com 1963 Batmobile for Sales LOT 89068 http://entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv-memorabilia/memorabilia/earliest-known-officially-licensed-1963-batmobile/a/7096-89068.s?ic=ih-entertainment-1963Batmobile-PR-viewHighlightedLot-auction7096-111414 Heritage Auctions has the listing pleasure of selling the earliest official Batmobile to the public. Opening Bid is $90,000 and for this you get the world famous Oldmobile Rocket V8. So would you buy this piece of Auto Comic history?

How many model/nameplates in each GM division appeal to you? I don't mean that you think a given model is a good choice in class, makes sense for you, is financially sensible. I mean which do you look at and say "I'd like to have one of those". How many from each GM division make the cut for you?

First, to the admins, I wasn't sure were to put this as it is a comparison so it isn't just Ram or Toyota.. so move it as necessary. Also, I assume you do not want entire articles copied and pasted so I'll start it and then post a link to the rest of it. To the article. "Ah, the off-road pickup. The niche's profile has really been elevated over the past half-decade even if sub-brands such as Pro-4X, FX4, and Z71 have propped the field up longer. Ford's F-150 SVT Raptor went on sale in 2009, and suddenly it seemed everyone wanted to be an off-road enthusiast. The Raptor was a flared-fender sight to behold, more accessible and generally easier to justify to a spouse…

I would like to announce my future new vehicle now. I have ordered a new GMC Acadia SLT AWD. It will arrive in 6 to 8 weeks. Here are the details. GMC Acadia SLT 4SB Carbon Black Metallic Brick leather appointed interior Audio system control in the rear cargo area Navigation with rear view camera HID Headlights Dealer Accessory 19" 10 spoke chrome wheels Will let everyone know when it arrives.

The first hyperloop test bed is built and ready for it's first run according to this story. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/high-speed-hyperloop-track-ready-for-first-trial-run/ar-BBzziBe?OCID=ansmsnnews11

Hey guys. Haven't been on in a while...life is busy. Sold the Saturn 2 days ago. The guy is coming with the cash on Saturday and picking up the car for $3100. Then in the afternoon I am going To Garden Ciity Chrysler Dodge and Jeep to get my new 08 Dodge Avenger SXT with sport appearence package! WOOHOO! I've already found the right car and thank bejesus for "a new day at chrsyler" because I now get the mygig entertainment system for FREE.

I'm going on a two week vacation starting Friday. I'm going by myself at first, to London then Copenhagen. Meeting a friend in a small town in Sweden for a couple days. Then meeting a different friend for a tour of Berlin, Prague, and Vienna. I'll post some pictures when I get back. ps. The Euro doesn't make things convenient yet. Only Germany and Austria are actually on the Euro of the countries I'm going to. I also had to buy British Pounds, Danish Krona, Swedish Kroners, and Czech Koruny.

If the eye holes in your ski mask allow it, please feel free to post your icy car spots here!

She makes learning words fun ...

Driving the Prototype of the EV Three-Wheeler Wearing a black jacket, she could be a cop, alerted by nosy neighbors to the funny-looking vehicle tearing around the suburban streets. She certainly is staring at us intensely as we pilot the bright-white three-wheeled craft down the street, gingerly depressing the brake pedal to make sure we're under the 30-mph speed limit. Then we're around the corner, she disappears from our rearview mirror and we hit the accelerator. That's the beauty of the 2010 Aptera 2e electric vehicle — you can speed away from the scene and the cops won't know it, with just a quiet hum as the electric motor winds up and a feeling of satisf…

My family and I were in the cincinnati area recently(2017-2021), but now we are in the NW St louis area. Moved to be closer to family in SE MO, we are expecting again (for those that have seen me/facebook friends), and will be working in the chesterfield area.