The Lounge

After another brief vacation from the forums, I might be back to posting. Maybe... You never know with me, afterall. For now, though, I'm here after a few months of hell getting ready for a move, working overtime, and dealing with an awful dealership. For those who don't know, I'm moved back to Michigan to do the same job I did the last time. I'm even literally just down the street from where I was last time. Hopefully, I'll make this move a little more permanent than the last try. If you weren't aware of what I was doing previously, it probably isn't very hard to figure out if you search. So, I'll be doing that as well as a few other side projects involving the indus…

Here's the next installment. This one opens up a lot of supercar choices, so we should see some good lists here. Rules- 1)Maximum of 5 choices 2)Production cars only 3)Any era and market is allowed 4)These are your only cars 5)Engines MUST have displacements ranging from 3.0 liters to 3.9 liters. Nothing that rounds up. Have fun.

So, moving on, we will now use cars that 2.0-2.9 liters of displacement. So all of you people dropping 2.0's in the last thread, here ya go. Rules- *Production cars only. *Any era and market are allowed. *These are your only vehicles. *Maximum of 5 choices. *Choices must have engine displacement ranging from 2.0 to 2.9 liters. Lots of awesome choices available here, so there should be some good lists.

Another 'WYR' installment comes courtesy of MT, this one I think more in line with the kind of cars that have big fans around here. Here is the MT piece- http://www.motortrend.com/news/totd-chevrolet-camaro-zl1-dodge-challenger-srt-hellcat/ So it's simple, would you rather have.... The new ZL1 Camaro Or the Challenger Hellcat?

So our newest 'WWYBI' installment comes courtesy of C&D once again, with their test of the updated 2016 GS350 F Sport. Here is the review for those interested- http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-lexus-gs350-f-sport-test-review As always, you have a 10% range on either side of the test car to spend on a fairly similar car. In this case, we'll call it a sport or luxury sedan of some sort. As always, your selection must be a new and current MY car on sale now. Base price here is $55,700. As tested was $61,690. Therefore, you must spend no less than $50,130. You also cannot spend more than $67,680. That opens a lot of options up, and I look forward to seeing…

So since the others have gone fairly well so far, I figured it was time to roll out the Dream Garage Threads. These were always very popular over at MT, and I hope they get a lot of posts and stir up discussion here, too. I'm going to start with a series that will have many installments, but there will be a variety of different themes in the future. The basic rules are largely the same so, this is an easy one to participate in. Here they are- 1)You have 5 choices maximum. And preferably minimum. 2)They must be production vehicles. 3)Cars from any era and market are allowed. 4)These are your ONLY vehicles. For the displacement-specific threads like…

G. David Felt Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.CheersandGears.com BBQ Best Ideas for 2016 Sitting here in San Diego, high 70's, low 80's today got me thinking about BBQ. What I love best to cook, the way it brings family and friends together and in a Salute to Sauviloquent I start the BBQ thread for us to post what we love, what we think others will love, etc. Post your foodie love and tell about it.

Hello all, CadillacKing3 AKA James Bond AKA now Justin Bimmer checking in. I have been a member of this site for over 10 years. I have had a few bumps in my life with my law career and now I am an Internet Sales Manager at a BMW dealership in California. I hope in the future to share with all of you some of the stories of eccentric purchasers and also answer questions you may have about the car buying process. It's great to be back. Special thanks to FAPTurbo and Lord_Tourettes for getting me back in the fray. I have to say I am really enjoying my job and my 528i M Sport. I'm trying to get a photo of it in my signature, but I think I may need some help. …

Sometimes a song lyric fits the moment so well.. "I got the call today, I didn't want to hear but I knew that it would come" Though technically it was yesterday... got to head back to Ohio this week and plan a funeral...and I just feel numb...

So, in the interest of spicing things up around here, I'm bringing over one of my thread ideas from MT. The premise of this is I take a review of a new model, and then give you roughly the same amount of money to either buy that car, or something else, so long as it exists in roughly the same realm. In other words, if it's a sports car in question, you can't chose a Jeep. Similarly, if it's a truck, you can't take a luxury sedan. So today we'll focus on the new Audi TTS. Car & Driver just posted up their review here- http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-audi-tts-test-review- for those interested. Seems like a pretty sweet package, though the TT has never been …

For those of you who knew her, we lost GMPartsGirl last week. Details are slim, but it was apparently sudden.

It's been a rainy, cool cloudy week here in the desert...nice change from the usual. This afternoon on one block in Scottsdale I saw an eclectic mix of cars parked on and off the street. A battered late model white Bentley Continental GT, a worn, tattered red LaForza SUV (haven't seen one of those in ages), a new Chevy City Express van in HVAC repair livery, a black Audi A8, a clean brown and tan mid '80s Ford Bronco, and a sharp silver '65 Olds Jetstar 1 coupe I've seen around for years...

I am fearing our 3rd car, a Taurus wagon, has transaxle issues, as a filter/fluid change today did not remedy shifting issues it intermittently has. Trans has no adjustment capabilities; it was suggested that a cracked filter may suck air; old filter showed no signs (it's plastic, floating in a sea of liquid- how's it going to crack?)… but pan gasket was fairly weepy anyway. It's a '95, bought it cheap a year & a half ago (from a friend) with 70K on it, now has 86K. Not worth rebuilding the transaxle. Not worth it as a 'local only' car, either. Haven't yet determined a budget, but would like to get something with actual cargo space. I know that's not easy to …

At the beginning of the year, in the sports world, the New England Patriots were deemed cheaters with quarterback Tom Brady allegedly throwing underinflated balls in a playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts. Two weeks later the Super Bowl closed with perhaps the worst call in the history of the game by the losing Seahawks. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that denying same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk, was made a hero by some marriage traditionalists by refusing to do her job in issuing same-sex marriages licenses and was sent to jail for it. Lots of people got sick eating at Chipotle from an E.coli outbreak in July…

Wishing everyone a safe and happy 2016. If you're going out tonight, please drive safe or have a driver.

I'll be the first guinea pig... take your shot!

Pretty simple, only cars that can be bought NEW in 2015-2016 and are AMERICAN! Few categories to meet. 1 Truck 1 Sedan 1 Coupe 1 SUV/CUV 1 Wild Card! aka..toy! Could be any form of automobile just as long as it's made in America(or the company is). Doesn't have to be a car, truck, or suv. Could be a motorcycle, 4 wheeler, plane, I don't care as long as it is American! Whatcha got?

By Drew Dowdell

From 1957 through 1991, the Mercury Colony Park reigned supreme as the biggest and sometimes most expensive vehicle in the Mercury lineup. During the early years it was a hybrid of sorts, often sharing its platform with whatever full-size Ford sedan was in production at the time while occasionally plucking engines or suspensions from the Lincoln catalog. After 1978, the Colony Park's fate was forever tied to its Marquis sedan brother and the Ford cousins, no longer did it have equipment ties to Lincoln. For 1992, the big Ford and Mercury sedans were redesigned to the new Aero look introduced ten years earlier on the Tempo/Topaz and made into a best seller with the 198…

We've all seen car crash tests, so here is a video of locomotive crash tests. Turn your volume down if you don't wish to hear cheesy disco music These locomotive crash tests were performed in the 1980s after a series of fatal (to the engineer) crashes. The DOT wanted to see how different cab designs reacted in various crash scenarios. They were also testing for something called "climbing"... that is when the impacting vehicle climbs up and over the impacted vehicle. one of the results of these tests where the "safety cabs" we see on virtually all modern freight locomotives. Apparently it made such a difference to the safety of the crew, that when older locomotive…

Take off from the thread about Tesla fighting Michigan Dealership laws Tell your tale of dealership bad behavior or poor service. One experience that stands out in my mind - When cross-shopping the 2004 CTS, I visited a Chrysler dealership to look at a 300M (this was before the RWD 300C came out). I had a salesman that didn't know his product at all. He was trying to tell me that the 300M was engineered by Mercedes, and that it at a 3.5 liter supercharged engine. After our test drive, I popped the hood, got out, and made him point to the super charger on the engine. He pointed to the H.O. sticker on the cover and said that meant it was supercharged. After …

A few of us remember your Grand Am. Have a good one.

The Nova seems more current in thinking. Recent cars have smaller turbo engines for emissions and economy, plus better handling with less weight in the nose. The old school way was more displacement and don't worry about the understeer! Would anyone put a turbo 4 into a classic musclecar? SEMA Nova 2.0T e12 LS7 V8 e12 3.5L Gremlin 401-XR

I realized we were still posting in the November thread (though really months have little meaning). Saw a very clean bronze '69 Olds 88 convertible today, top down. And did a double take when I saw a gray Pontiac Torrent in a parking lot..forgot that vehicle even existed. Looked like a 1st gen Equinox.

I know almost all of us have vehicles that need their oil changed and as enthusiasts most of us do them on our own, I would assume. Well let's post our oil changes as we go, just for the heck of it. Discuss oil, filters, intervals, anything oil change related. I used to work in the oil change and tire industry and I grew a weird passion for the topics so they're fun to talk about for me. Well, Let's hear it! Here's kind of a general format(and my most recent oil change): 2013 Ford Escape 2.0T AWD 08/17/15 Out: Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 5w-30 Filter: Purolator Synthetic 4950 miles on oil. In: Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 5w-30 Filter: Bosch 'Premium' 330…

We still love ya, even when you get a little gassy. Have a good one!

Hey everybody, Well, my first car(1995 Chevy Beretta Z26!! - It was purple) that was handed down to my brother has been sitting a lot the last year and when running something new is wrong almost all of the time. Well, my brother has been in college and he will still be for the next couple of years but now he will be bringing his car with him as he has an apartment and lives a little further from campus next year. Well, my dad is looking for a car for him in the 5-7k price range. Nothing fancy, special, literally just something cheap and reliable and hopefully less than 100k miles. That's the hard part,,miles and price..(as with any used car purchase). Now, I know he d…

Happy Birthday, Drew. I was the member who posted Happy Birthday threads all the time, but that tradition kind of fell by the wayside. But anyway, enough of being nostalgic. Drew turns 57 today!

I have a 2013 Buick LaCrosse. I've used both iPhones and Android phones paired to my car, no problem. I always "voice dial" which ridiculously requires me to turn the radio on before it accepts commands, but in the past several months, I'd say 50+% of the time, I get the "Dialing failed" comment. Let me break it down. Previously what would happen: 1) Press voice command button and hear, "Please say your command." 2) I say, "Call Melinda on cell." 3) "Dialing".... and call goes through. Now, more than half the time: 1) Press voice command button and hear, "Please say your command." 2) I say, "Call Melinda on cell." 3) *long pause* 4) "Dialing failed." 5)…

I think the detail on this thing is amazing! Shannon Goff was born in Detroit, a trigger for her lifelong interest in the evolution of transportation. Captivated by her grandfather’s 1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V, she had considered making the car many times, but shied away due its massive size. “Miles to Empty” brings this longtime dream to reality, a sculpture that is her most ambitious project to date. The work pays homage to her grandfather and hometown while dually reexamining themes inherent to the Motor City like the American obsessions of luxury and convenience. Read the full story:http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/11/a-vintage-linco…

So came across this since the thread on forgotten autos and I posted one site that covered top auto's. This one is about auto's that consumers avoid and it shows in their sales. Pretty interesting These top 9: http://www.cheatsheet.com/automobiles/9-automobiles-consumers-avoid-like-the-plague.html/ Acura ZDX Mitubishi i MiEV Volvo C30 Hyundia Veracruz Nissan Cube VW Eos Land Rover LR2 Lincoln MKT Subaru Tribeca

Does anyone here have any interest in manufacturer press kits? I have certain ones I will not be parting with (Stingray, NSX) but most others I need to get rid of. If you cover the shipping I would be happy to send them to you. Most come with a catalog type information kit and a USB drive. I have 2015 Challenger/Charger (unopened) - Claimed 2014 Jeep Cherokee (unopened) 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee (opened, complete) 2014 Jeep Kit with books on the lineup and a small safety kit (very heavy metal box, have USB drive but I've used it so it is blank) 2014 Dodge Durango - large book with USB inside. (open, complete) Kia Soul - USB drive only....blank, in the shap…

So I found tonight this write up on what some writers think are embarrassing Black Sheep of Automotive Companies. http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/autos-midsize/black-sheep-embarrassing-offspring-from-otherwise-upstanding-automotive-families/ss-BBmgcb1?ocid=UP94DHP Check out the reasons these auto's are listed as black sheep and sound off on what you think about these choices? Short list of auto's is as follows: Jaguar X Type BMW 318TI Ford Mustang II 1990 Lotus Elan Ferrari 400I Cadillac Cimarron Porsche 914 Triumph Stag Subaru 360 Dodge Shelby Lancer Maserati BiTurbo Aston Martin Cygnet

http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/autos-luxury/10-luxury-car-brands-that-time-forgot/ss-AAfhCnL?ocid=UP94DHP Have to say the pictures are awesome, but also a bit surprising to learn about some beautiful auto's that the industry seemed to forget about and leave behind. Will admit that I did not know the Continental was an actual division of Ford, I always thought it was part of Lincoln.

Hi everybody I am new on this forum but recently i found an article about toyota's interesting facts. Hope you will enjoy reading it as i did. P.S. It is not a spam. 1) Who’s The Greenest Of Them All? Toyota Is! It’s official, folks. Toyota managed to outrun all the fierce rivals in the industry and is crowned as the number one Global Green Brand. Yep, the company really does care for the environment. Remember their campaign with the Prius in 2004, when Orlando Bloom and half of the Hollywood celebrities arrived at the Oscars in a Toyota Prius? Well, that made a very big impact on the society, believe it or not, and since then the number of environ…

Most car people have pretty strong allegiances. The theme of this thread is... which one vehicle from "the enemy" would you choose to own? It could be something you really like, that stands out in an otherwise crappy lineup, or just the lesser of evils, something you would tolerate while gritting your teeth.

Yokohama working on tires designed to move the air Tire design is typically focused on how the rubber interacts with the road, but what about the atmosphere? Yokohama has been developing a new concept tire that can improve both a car’s efficiency and handling by redirecting the air around it. The design involves small fin-like protuberances built into the outside of the tire near its shoulder, where the sidewall meets the tread. (Yokohama) Mounted at alternating angles, when they reach the top of the tire’s rotation they help to reduce aerodynamic drag, which improves high speed fuel economy and, potentially, the top speed of the vehicle. At the bottom,…

So that we're not flooded with a bunch of supercars that even William and I haven't been able to drive, lets try to keep it to makes/models that are accessible to most of the population: What car have you always wanted to drive, even as just an extended test drive, but have never had the chance? I mentioned one in the "Cars from your soul year?" thread, the Mazda RX7 I've also never been behind the wheel of an old Air-Cooled Beetle.... and while not fast, I still think it would be neat. I also would want to "return to my roots" and drive one of the old Old 350 Diesel power GM cars on a long drive.... just to experience it.

OK, so how much per Kilowatt hr? Washington state which is 100% Hyrdo powered and they just built a couple of huge wind farms on the Columbia river so do not know how that factors in, but we have always had almost the cheapest electric cost in the nation. One reason the aluminum plants all came here. Our Home rate is 6.94 cents per Kilowatt hr. Only 2 other states are cheaper than us at 6.90 and 6.92. http://www.eia.gov/electricity/state/ Course on this Gov web site they show us as the cheapest in the nation. http://www.neo.ne.gov/statshtml/204.htm So what is your rate?

Xmas is coming. What automotive-related gift would you like to receive? One hundred dollar limit. Name it here!

I've been itching to get a hold of an older Simplicity snowblower for a year+ now, as I think they look really neat and really sturdily made. Well one finally popped up close to home for $50 so I had to get it. It's not the two stage paddle style snowblower I also want, but the single stage S4. This is easily the beefiest single stage snowblower I've ever come across. It weighs probably double what the Craftsman we have weighs and for good reason: its built to last. Thick steel, metal guards for everything, chains, greaseable parts, gear drive transmission. What's not to love? Well old gas that rusted out the fuel tank and gummed up the carburetor. I was a afraid t…

Since it was pointed out that I might have a strong bias towards GM products, it made me think about what my first choice for each of the respective vehicle segments would be and how many of those segments GM might win. B-Segment (subcompacts, super mini, city car) - None of the above really since the VW Up! isn't here, I haven't driven the new Spark yet, I didn't like the current Spark. Sonic if that counts in this segment and I'm forced to pick. C-Segment (compacts) - Mazda 3 C-Segment (Luxury Compact) - C-Class D-Segment (mid-size) - Chrysler 200c (I know it's not the journalists favorite, but I like the powertrain and interior) D-Segment (Luxury Mid-size) -…

In companion with the 'Birth Year' thread, it might be interesting to see where your 'soul' points, automotively. In my observations, it seems most car people have a fondness for cars they grew up with, or vehicles that were common when they were in their teens. Never took a scientific poll or anything, but I never fell into that category; I've always been drawn to the '57-64 American era primarily, whereas I 'grew up' around late '70s, mid 80s junk (I'm a '66 model year). My topic, my rule; if you post multiples, they have to stay within an 8-yr span of time. In my top 5 of all time :

With the switch to much smaller turbocharged engines, how many here are displacement snobs? I admit, I am a bit of one. I rather drive a DI 3.6L V6 than a turbo 4, even if the 4 had slightly better fuel economy and equal power.

If tasked to choose a single car from the year you were born, what would you choose? For me, 1988 is an interesting year. With its arrival, the U.S. saw the first George Bush become president, while George Micheal ended the year with the best selling album and number one single. The Young and the Restless began its streak as the number 1 daytime drama in television as Rain Man finished the year as the highest grossing film. It is also the year in which Enzo Ferrari passed away, singers Adele and Rihanna were born, and Sega introduced its Mega-Drive (later called the Genesis in the U.S.). Going back to the automotive industry, Volkswagen closed its Westmoreland pla…

"The oil change may be about to endure a change of its own. A big motor-oil maker plans to announce Thursday that it has achieved a breakthrough in engine-lubrication design that makes it easy to change the oil in a vehicle in as little as 90 seconds, Castrol, a division of BP, says the modification over current designs also lowers carbon emissions and fosters recycling. The new system, which Castrol has dubbed Nexcel, must be integrated into vehicle engines at the design stage. That means it won't hit mainstream cars for another five years — about the length of time between major model changes for many automakers. Castrol said it's in discussions with…

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2015/09/top-10-cheapest-vehicles-with-400-hp.html Do you know whats cooler than 300 horsepower? 400! Here’s a list of the cheapest ways to get 400 or more ponies rocking under your hood. Note that the list starts with our most expensive of the top ten, and goes all the way down to the most affordable. All prices include destination fees. Spoiler alert, it is me who posted the link, so you can all guess who made it to #1 Spot

Minicars have stepped up their game in recent years. If you were looking at this class for your next new vehicle, which one would you choose? Fiat 500? Scion iQ? (done after the '15 model year) Chevy Spark? Ford Fiesta? Honda Fit? Smart FourTwo? Any others you can think of in this class? I think I would have to go with the 2016 Chevy Spark 2LT, with manual transmission, in Titanium or Kalamata. The new Spark has grown up big time, with a more mature look inside and out, and some unexpected features for this class. I expect some will say "buy something bigger that is a few years old", or "I'd rather walk than drive any minicar", but just for the sak…

Put down your pumpkin spice everything (PLEASE) get out there and scare up some cool or unusual vehicle spots... then post them here, in the October 2015 Car Spotters Thread!

http://www.motortrend.com/features/performance/2015_motor_trend_best_drivers_car/ I won't ruin or spoil anything for anybody. I'll just give you guys a list of the cars and you can read it from there. Edit: Come to think of it.. once you click on the link they are placed in order so I might as well just put that here as well. DNF: Corvette Z06 Z07 Package 1.38.60 9th: Volkswagen Golf R 1.46.95 8th: Lexus RC F 1.43.20 7th: Cadillac ATS-V 1.40.18 6th: Cadillac CTS-V 1.38.52 5th: Bentley Continental GT3-R 1.43.51 4th: Mercedes-AMG C63 S 1.40.50 3rd: Mazda MX-5 1.50.68 2nd: Porsche Cayman GT4 1.37.43 1st: Mercedes-AMG GT S 1.35.57