The Lounge

It saddens me to have to post this, but Richard Wright, keyboardist for Pink Floyd died today. I just saw this video. RIP.

What does everyone think of the job Rick Wagoner has done so far, and of the plans he has made known? Why do you feel this way? Who could be better? In the past few weeks of watching the news and reading the papers, GM has been mentioned a lot. None of it good. While all of the other automakers are in a financial mess, and no one can argue that Chrysler and Ford are in trouble as well, GM seems to be the worst off. I see Chrysler teaming up with Nissan (Titan/Ram, and Dodge/Versa) to get a better hold on the market. I also see that slow sellers (PT Convertible, Aspen Hybrid, etc) are getting cut. Over at ford there is a beautiful new Lincoln MKS, other products in the p…

What does a poor man have, that a content man wants, and that every man takes to his grave?

As I sit here at the dealership in the main showroom full of Chevrolet & Cadillacs I think to myself, whatever the heck happened to the DEATH of the V8? We've got about 28 cars here and more than HALF of them are powered by a V8s. Silverado, Trailblazer, two STS V8s, one STS-V, SRX-V8, XLR, XLR-V, 3 Escalades, 2 DTS, Impala SS, Trailblazer SS, Avalanche, 'Burban, Monte Carlo SS, not to mention upstairs on the second floor showroom we have seven Corvettes, 2 of them Z06s powered by the 7.0 liter LS7! And before you ask how many V8s are actually on the lot I'll jump the gun and tell you the "over half are V8s" rule applies. We've got rows & rows of…

http://www.cqmag.com/ The whine from the supercharger and that exhaust note are so unbelievable! I have to go take a cold shower!!!

Well today was the Bearing Burner Associations annual car show and it was at the GM Tech Center. $10 per Car to enter. massive swap meet used car section and car show. i forgot a camera, so I'm sorry guys. well what really caught my eye was GM had a Ride and Drive booth set up with a couple of warren cops that i knew. went to go talk to them. Well they had a bunch of GM cars. Silverado LTZ, Equinox sport, Silverado HD Durmax, HHR LT, HHR SS, Malibu LTZ, Tahoe hybrid, Trailblazer SS, and Impala SS. Well i sign up why the hell not, right? I took the breathalzer from warren PD. And first take out the HHR LT. go around a roundabout and theres about a 1/2 mile straight and …

The Silverado is ready to go- not so sure about myself. Time to eat and take a nap. I'll be heading out once it gets to 2 inches and be out until it's all over.

Our house was "vandalized" at around 3 this morning. When my dad left for work he noticed that one of the gates to our backyard was wide open and some kid was riding his bike down the street. Well, as it turns out we were the victims of the world's lamest idea of vandalism: -The lid of our grill was taken off and the tin grease trap was thrown into the pool. -A small tray of golf balls we had sitting outside was also thrown into the pool. -A potted plant was moved off a table and set in the lawn. -The hose was turned on. -A dog brush was stolen. What. The. Hell. To be honest, I'm actually kind of amused that someone actually wasted their time trespassing…

Today, I saw a silver Tracker 4 door LT V6 in silver with altezzas and a ridiculous fart can exhaust. They belong on clapped-out old Civics. What is the most ridiculous application of the Fart Can you've seen lately?

If you are at all interested in model railroading (HO scale, etc.) or railroad museums in general, check out the following links.... Valley Model Railroad Club, S Elgin IL: http://www.trainweb.org/vmrr/index.htm ...My parents used to take my sister and I here at least once a year. Each time, we'd see a slightly different layout. It was always a fun time and one that we eagerly anticipated. The drive to get there seemed to take FOREVER. Now, we know just how CLOSE it really is! Fox River Trolley Museum, S Elgin IL: http://www.foxtrolley.org/ ...I've been here a couple times ... not much lately ... but, as with the VMR noted above, is very very close. Illinois Ra…

I was sitting here watching a car race (Bullrun) on Spike TV, they kept showing this Right Guard Commercial where the dude goes up to the deer and it's eyes turn red and attacks the dude, It's funny as sh*t. Have you seen it?

I swear that I can see a UFO right now. My mom, sister, and I have been watching the East sky for about a half hour now and there is a bright light up there, it looks like a star. Well, occassionally it hops back and forth. It's between two trees by where we live, and it's gone over and above the tree to the right now. We see a green and red light flicker around it, and like I said, we can sometimes see it literally blink then jump spots. Seriously, go look and confirm this for yourself!

Obviously unless you've been living under a rock you are well aware of the riots going on in Paris, France due to a new law being passed. It would allow companies to fire young workers for no reason at all. It's clear to see the global economy is set to wreak havoc on people 18-30 over the next two to three years as more countries pass such laws.

So many movies that I like that he was in....

you were president in independence day and you'll always be president of our hearts.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21978302/?GT1=10547 LOS ANGELES - Kevin DuBrow, lead singer of the popular 1980s heavy metal band Quiet Riot, has been found dead from unknown causes at his home in Las Vegas, authorities said on Monday. DuBrow, 52, was found dead at about 5:20 p.m. on Sunday, a spokeswoman for the Clark County Coroner’s Office said. She said an autopsy would be conducted to determine the cause of death. “I can’t even find the words to say,” Quiet Riot bandmate Frankie Banali said on his Web site. “Please respect my privacy as I mourn the passing and honor the memory of my dearest friend, Kevin DuBrow.” Quiet Riot, which was founded in the mid-1970s, topp…

Mac had been going down hill for sometime from cancer, losing weight, no energy, going blind. He was a shadow of his former, fiesty self. He will be missed.

We had to put our elderly Westie to sleep today, 14 yrs old. She was a great companion. Lost 4 dogs in 2 years due to old age and health issues.

We had to euthanize our 14 yr old Australian Terrier, Nauti (aka Bitey Beast) this morning after a long battle w/ cancer. I really bonded w/ this feisty little dog and will miss her deeply. Poured a stiff glass of Jameson to have a toast to her.

We had to put one of dogs to sleep today...our Australian Terrier rescue, Nauti (there is a long story behind the name), which we rescued 2 1/2 years ago on my sister's birthday (got her from the county shelter, was a stray due to be euthnanized), had a bad seizure this morning..she'd been undergoing chemo treatement for almost a year and her quality of life had been diminishing. As an aside, I think adopting dogs w/ my sister from local rescues and doing volunteer work w/ the rescues has made me a better person.

Sir Christopher Lee, whose death at the age of 93 was announced on June 11, was an actor who used the modern art of cinema to evoke ancient feelings. Standing at six foot five and with a voice like chilled silver, Lee was a druid capable of inspiring deep terror, a conjuror whose skills belonged just as much to the bards of some long forgotten land as they did to the studios of Hammer. Sir Christopher Lee, a man of grand performances and operatic portrayals, brought something unique and ancient to our screens.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20349888-2,00.html That dude was awesome.

We had to put another dog to sleep today, Tinkerbell aka Tinky, a 15.5 yr old puppy mill rescue Silky Terrier... she was a sweet, timid little dog that struggled w/ cancer and and enlarged heart the last few years...she'd been losing weight and had no appetite lately.

CNN.com: Rita Could Equal $5 Gas

Happy Birthday RJB, I hope you read this.

http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=i8t24zp9qx quite a few LOL moments.

In much the same vein as Mt's Best Driver's Car- R&T- Performance Car OTY Thoughts?

In September 2009, I road tripped along the Illinois portion of the Lincoln Highway and Route 66 from Illinois to California. That trip increased my awareness of "old routes" in general, including others like the Dixie Highway and US Route 6. Last year's journey also increased my awareness of the "road ahead". Whether the road is "less traveled" or filled with traffic, looking ahead is most-often fun, in more ways than one. Around the Elgin area, I "exercise" my Monte Carlos on the same "old" roads west of Elgin, including US Route 20: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_20 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_20_in_Illinois Some of those roads, particularly…

So I ran out to get some errands done. Here is what happened on the freeway and my understanding of the lanes here in Washington State. Far left lane for passing and those wanting to go a bit faster than the posted limit. Middle lane is for going at least the speed limit. Far right lane is for going speed limit or slower and exiting the freeway. I got onto the freeway, traffic moving below the posted 60 so moved over into the middle lane and ended up behind a lazy person going 10 under the speed limit. Full traffic behind and besides me in the left lane, so just stayed where I was at. The traffic in front of the person clears out so this person could speed up t…

Since 2003, I've done at least one "major" road trip each year to various areas of the United States to meet people and see family/friends.... October 2004, west: http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/0410/0410.html August 2005, east: http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/0508/0508.html October 2006, west: http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/1106/1106.html November 2007, southeast: http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/200711/200711.html August 2008, east: http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/200808/2008rt.html My 2009 ROAD TRIP will be to the southwest United States, along Route 66, from Illinois to California, September 5-16: http://www.cheersandgears.com/index.php?sh...c=…

* I road tripped at least once a year, 2002-2011, to meet people & see family-friends. September 2009, I journeyed along Route 66 (starting out at the Lincoln Highway National Headquarters, Franklin Grove IL), meeting a lot of people & seeing a lot of sights. I made the most of the 2-week timeframe I had. I snapped this photo at the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook AZ, 09/13/2009. http://www.oldcarsstronghearts.com/2015/03/17/tuesday-trip-9/ Cort www.oldcarsstronghearts.com 1979 & 1989 Caprice Classics | pigValve, paceMaker, cowValve "I can feel it in my bones" __ Kenny Rogers __ 'Good Friend'

* This past Saturday, 05/02/2015, my cousin & I road tripped from northeastern IL to southwestern IL & back. The deal: my cousin covered gas & food; I provided the tunes & itinerary. Read more about the day (including some pics)…: http://www.oldcarsstronghearts.com/2015/05/05/tuesday-trip-16/ Speaking of road trips, of these 4 trailers, I think the Pacemaker would be most appropriate for me…. http://www.oldcarsstronghearts.com/2015/05/05/automotive-daily-107/ Cort www.oldcarsstronghearts.com 1979 & 1989 Caprice Classics | pigValve, paceMaker, cowValve "I don't have time" __ Dido __ 'Sand In My Shoes'

Since I do not have vacation until October this year, I've missed out on several events ... Monte Carlo- and heart-related. I'm also not at our family reunion this weekend in Pennsylvania (Holsopple/Johnstown/Pittsburgh area), a trip that usually includes stops in Ohio (Akron area), Michigan (Detroit area), New Jersey (east of Philadelphia PA), Maryland (Baltimore), and Virginia (Alexandria) ... all to see auto-enthusiast friends, heart-related friends, college friends, and, of course, family. Ssssooo...I'm hoping I will be able to take this trip, my 2007 Road Trip.... Below is my TENTATIVE itinerary...including traveling through/stops in Indiana, Kentucky, North Caro…

I'm preparing for this year's road trips, despite some new health issues ("mass" on liver, left arm/elbow pain, jaw pain, reoccurrence of irregular/too fast heart beat) and looking for a new job (etc).... Ironically, I haven't been to a cruise night in this area (Elgin, etc., IL) yet or gone to any dirt track races ... nor am I very organized at getting plans together for 2006 ... including a list of IL-IN-WI-IA-MI car shows/events, etc..... Hmmm...would also love to organize a gathering to see the movie "Cars" ... I've seen it, but would love to see it again, considering it features a '76/'77 MC as one of the announcers, has a great commentary on RT 66's "demise" after…

This weekend I'll be heading out to the mountain biking mecca Moab, Utah. Driving to Detroit, flying from there to Denver, then doing this in a rental "Premium SUV" (Suburban or Expedition EL) Spending a week biking and whitewater rafting there in Moab, then one day in Fruita, CO on the way back to Denver.

According to my estimates, in order for me to travel the 3200 miles from my house in Massachusetts to Tulsa, Oklahoma & back in my Super-88, taking into account premium fuel, lead substitute, tolls/food etc. I'll need just about $800. If I can split the gas bill with a friend... (XP715 you reading this?) then my cost drops down to about $450. Now why the hell, you ask would make my one vacation of the summer a roadtrip to a not-so exciting town in Oklahoma, 1598 miles away? First, I've been saying for a long time now that I want to meet up with my buddy Duffy at some halfway point in the USA this year. He lives in Phoenix AZ and just sold his steel-roof …

Drunken posting instead of drunken dialing... had 1/2 bottle of Pinot Grigio with some steak & pork loin I grilled...lif e is good (had a few Harps before the vino...back in my 20s, I was notorious for drunken dialing...leaving 'Rob druk' fone messages for friends, ex-girlfriends, professors..even a buddy in Sweden a few timez.. Hot AZ sun ...sitting by pool and drinking away the afternooooon

'67 Cutlass. Band reminds me of ASG. Good song.

Found this on autoblog while at work today.pretty sweet. http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/18/buck-ro...truck-is-ready/ The company that built this is located in my hometown of Madison, AL. In fact, my H.S. chemistry teacher is married to the president of the company.

Weird question but... A while back seeing a Rockford Fosgate system in a car seemed like it was a good sign. Now seeing that system in a car seems more of a joke? Correct or no?

Obviously, it's gotta be MiG. He's got the name, got the looks, and he's got the theatrics. He's no MICHAEL HUTCHENCE, or BO BICE even....(kidding, Bo has nothing on even the worst Rockstar contestant) "i.............wannabeinsideyourho-even" "i'm your VEE-HICK-YULE babay" Ah, you gotta get on Brooke's good side if you wanna win it all. Wait, that's not Brooke's best side he's working on! TURN AROUND, BROOKIE!!!! I did like Marty for awhile, and he's got THE LOOK, but he's kind of a BIG DULL DUD. Brandon was strange. JD is Canadian, so that's just wrong. Plus, he butchered suspicious minds. Only Elvis and Dwight Yoakam can do that song. …

The Double-3! Have a good one, sir!

I hope your day has been filled with visions of Professional Grade trucks, sir.

What roller coasters have you been on?...do you have pics of yourself with arms in the air or vomiting? Here is the xcelerator at Knottsberry Farm. Dig the '57 Chevy lead car and it has flames!

I ask because I saw yet another one today - white, with chrome wheels - just cruising down to the beach. I pass it and just observe it as I do and I could shake the feeling I had that this was likely the single ugliest automobile I have ever seen on the road. Seriously. The rear is too tapered and contorted. The car is too tall and way too narrow for being so tall. And the headlamps are so small they look just plain stupid. I would say this looks like one of those cheesy Zimmer kitcars but some Zimmers look damn nice. Is something wrong with me? Shouldn't I be appreciating this rolling hunk of what's left of stout British pride? I like pretty much every other Roll…

Channel 2 news here in Detroit is reporting that the pioneer of the civil rights movement has passed on at the age of 92 years old.

I'll be at BW3s watching it on the big screen. Am I the only one who cares? LOL

Lesbian spokeswomyn Rosie O'Donnell has accused Oprah & her friend Gayle as being "a little bit gay". Ok, Oprah is 52 and has never married, hmmm, maybe she has something there. Not that here is anything wrong with that. She outs Oprah & Gayle and then Clay. Has Rosie O become the official gay outer now? And, what does a person like Rosie O, drive? I'll bet it's not a GM vehicle. Prius?..most likely...although it is a little bit on the small side.

Rosie

I can hardly believe it has been TWO MONTHS since I traveled along Route 66 in September. It was an AWESOME trip filled with lots of cool people, places and surprises along the way. I started Route 66 in Pontiac IL and ended in Rialto CA (last night on Route 66 I stayed at the WigWam motel) ... and stopped at MANY places along the way in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. On the way home, I drove through Colorado, Nebraska and Iowa. I started and ended the trip with Lincoln Highway places (Franklin Grove IL and Kearney NE). Route 66 (as well as the Lincoln Highway) is most-certainly alive and well! While I still would ra…

When both my aunt and I first saw the G35 coupe, we knew it would drive like a dream, so we were afraisd to drive it becasue it was expensive. The salesman tok us out in a test drive. To reach into the rear seats, on the back of the front seat is a handle you pull up, and a black button is underneath it. Press it, and the seat slides forward gracefully and silently. The light sand-colored leather was incredible and comfortable! The dash had a sliver outline, which was gorgeous! The features the salesman explained were like what one would find in a Bentley! When the salesman allowed my aunt to kick it into gear, she did, and the experience was unforgettable! When the car t…

More idle blather from my 'commuting home' brain... An average motorist (let's call him 'Randy'), not particularly an 'enthusiast', has a choice of two to make for his new midsize sedan. Nearly everything else is equal and the prices are right. But one is advertised and in fact has a high-revving 6-cylinder with a redline of 8000. The other is a torquey 6 with a redline of 5500. Since our man Randy is a bleeding heart ecologist, he asks himself: Given the same owner, roads traveled and driving techniques, would the car that requires on average 1500 more RPM to deliver the same level of performance... that extra RPM would have to in …

I admit it ... I'm fascinated by how lives are intertwined, especially when people don't even realize it, and I'm fascinated by nostalgia (as you may remember from some of my posts). Put those two together ... and you have one helk of a combination. Case in point ... the former Meadowdale International Raceway. In its heyday (1959-1969), the raceway featured many races along its 12-turn, 3.27 mile road course, situated NW of Chicago, in Carpentersville IL, north of the then new I-90 tollway. In recent years, it has been turned into what is now known as Raceway Woods ... a forest preserve that features a path that follows the old raceway concrete. I recently became aw…

The shop I work at will close on May 30th permanently after many decades in business and an excellent reputation earned well before I was born, due to lack of business. I was just promoted to co-manager in February. We were all caught off-guard. Not sure what to do next, I've called several people I know in the business to put out feelers. Hopefully something will come my way soon. When I first started there in 2006, there were 14 bodyshop employees. We're ending up with 9.

Bad luck omen? Car display today: "13C 131313km"

* Have you ridden in a rumble seat? I have not! http://www.oldcarsstronghearts.com/2015/06/03/wednesday-wrap-20/ I do not need a 7-car garage anymore, but still would love to have this place, ya know, in case that changes again. http://www.oldcarsstronghearts.com/2015/06/04/daily-dose-theory-thu-20/ B&W photo of Metro City, in the 1960s: http://www.oldcarsstronghearts.com/2015/06/03/wednesday-ratio-20/ Cort www.oldcarsstronghearts.com 1979 & 1989 Caprice Classics | pigValve, paceMaker, cowValve "Sometimes love comes and goes away" __ George Strait __ 'Marina Del Ray'

Source: Left Lane News Sounds pretty damn sweet if you ask me. I'm really excited to see if they really are using an LS9 and see what the specs and stats are on this car...

Where to begin, well simply at the beginning, this trip had been planned for quite a while. We left Delaware and headed south on I-81 picking it up in West Virginia. Drove the 1st day to Knoxville, TN where my wife's sister lives and where the PCS 1st gave us trouble with the key locking or being grabbed by the ignition. Had AAA come and get the key out, on to Texas the next day. Always like to see those warning signs on I-10, for alligators. Stayed a few days at my mother's in Texas, we had a great visit with her. I seem to miss Texas a little more as time goes by. But wouldn't you know it the key issue reared it's ugly head again in Texas the night before we left, this …

Well boys and girls, I haven't had my truck running very well for quite some time. I tore the carburetor off, tore it apart, and well, the power valve was blown out. So I replaced it, put the carb back together, snotted it back onto the truck, got the adjustments back together, and cranked it up. It ran like a bloody top! It feels so wonderful to have my truck back in proper working order. It runs, purrs, roars, snorts, and well, I have to curse it every now and again, but it works GREAT! I'm going to be driving it to the local cruise in this Saturday night (by the way, also my birthday), so y'all wish me luck, I should have lots of pictures of the event, and of cou…

Having lived both I prefer urban. I hate having to drive into the next county over for good places to eat and to shop :angry: ..can't wait tell i'm back home in Fort Worth. :)

That's what my car sounded like when it started this morning. Here's why:

Slightly old, but timelessly funny yet scary. http://trueslant.com/juliaioffe/2010/05/04/nuke-that-slick/

Gallery: http://auto.lenta.ru/photo/2007/08/29/siber/06.htm Another article: http://jalopnik.com/cars/moscow-auto-show/...show-294709.php

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/11/...lUpperPromoArea A small-town Chevrolet dealership is told to close, and the town it calls home will probably go with it. Another piece of America's past is gone forever. I bet everyone in town has at least one of this dealership's cars in their driveways.

Story I think they got the story wrong, but you be the judge... If you ask me, the pelican distracted him from his phone. It was the phone that made the dim-bulb veer off the road. What a dork.

While the show is dumb, the Fail they're discussing is so epic that it's Win.

This is about as cool as a 1950 Mercury will ever get while still retaining its Ford Flathead. http://www.goldenrod-garage.com/DETAIL.ASP...UI=13&MI=1&DH=0

This guy lives down the block from me, and I have never heard the truck on the road, so I don't know if he put a 350 in it, but here's a blurry pic of a ~1988 Chevy S10 Dualy. I'm sure it is more of a "just because" conversion than for any real hauling purpose, but it still looks cool.

If you have the aluminum wheels with the simple center cap (just a round cap with the bowtie), I could really use the measurements of the cap and a pic of the back of the cap. Thanks in advance.

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/bv/3cyl_saab.htm

So Wednesday after work my girlfriend and I had a nice lunch at the park and decided that it would be fun to go to the Interstate Auto Auction...no intentions of buying, just a chance to check out and drive a bunch of cars. We arrived and registered, the went car browsing...we ended up looking at several cars and test driving a few too. Here are some Highlights: Dodge Stealth My this was the first car we test drove, which my girlfriend pointed out shortly after we started looking at cars. This one was Silver, with the stupid Dodge spoiler (I like the Mitsubishi one much better), upgraded brakes, and performance exhaust, and...blue trimmed black interior. Now, I have…