Random Thoughts Thread

[ccap41]

17 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Question:  If a new car is equipped or delivered with a spoiler, can it (easily) be removed by the dealership?  What would be involved?

It probably varies greatly from 3M tape to actual holes drilled. The taped on ones are probably relatively simple to remove but likely time consuming. The ones where there are drilled holes, would obviously be a much greater adventure and likely costing thousands because you'd be filling and painting. 

You could probably find a parts diagram online and see how they're attached. 

[trinacriabob]

15 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

I recall some cars in years past with spoiler delete options.   No idea if anyone has such an option anymore.  

I think there was more flexibility, if I recall.

15 hours ago, balthazar said:

I assume (with no evidence either way), that's it's basically impossible to order any non-standard / non-optional change.

I just read that at GM in the '60s, there were tiers of color options.
1. Regular factory colors by brand.
2. Any colors used at other corporate brands.
3. Any colors made by the paint company supplier.
4. Custom-mixed colors.

Wow, they really went all out to customize it for the buyer.  Someone with a sharp pencil has obviously peeled back on this stuff ... and peeled back ... and peeled back.  It might have been doable if and when there were some upcharges for it and there was a lot of volume in terms of units built.  

14 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Think about it, Robert.  The water that you witnessed and possibly touched yesterday, I could potentially see and touch the same water a day or two later.  If you leave a note in a bottle, I WILL receive it eventually as I literally live on the banks of the Saint Lawrence.  

Not only do we have an internet connection, we also have a water way connection.  Aint that cool?  

Greeks - and Italians - can be so melodramatic and poetic about their perceptions and life experiences.  Classic!

[trinacriabob]

14 hours ago, balthazar said:

Classic.  Yep, there was such a indeed such a brand and I've seen the label inside a coat or a jacket that my parents may have had around the house when I was a kid.  Not sure if it was purchased in CA, or they bought it in Bergen County, NJ and it made the westward journey with them.  Life used to be so much more fun, and, dare I say, even more wholesome.  You'd find the dumbest things to be amused by, or, said another way, you didn't need anywhere as much to be amused. 

[Robert Hall]

15 hours ago, balthazar said:

I remember that chain.  They were shutting down in the late 70s, when I was still a little kid..but I can remember seeing one in WIntersville, Oh near where I lived then...

I don't know if my Dad bought any thing from them, he wore suits and ties to work every day (school superintendent) and had his suits custom made at a local small town tailor. 

Back when I worked in a cubicle, I shopped at JC Penney and The Men's Warehouse for business casual/business formal wear.   Haven't dressed up to go anywhere in almost 2 years of pandemic staying at home...I miss getting dressed up to go to a nice restaurant or the symphony or other things I did in the before time...

Edited December 15, 2021 by Robert Hall

[David]

7 hours ago, ccap41 said:

What would you wear to a wedding? You had to have gone to a wedding in the last 20 years. 

I wouldn't go spend a bunch of money for a one-time party but you could go and grab a pair of dressier pants. I think a true formal dress attire is a little much to a party but that's neither here nor there, that's already been decided. 

Personally, I wouldn't worry about the pandemic part of it. You're vaccinated so you can get back to normal life, right? 

LOL, I actually have NOT been to a wedding since my own wedding in 1991. I switched from Computer sales to engineering in 1994 and donated all my formal wear in 2000 to Goodwill. I have had no reason to have any dress pants or any other formal attire since then.

The few people who got married that I know that are close to my kids ended up going to a justice of the peace and skipping the whole marriage thing due to the pandemic and as such are planning a celebration party in 2022.

FYI, I did end up going to the party in blue jeans and a polo shirt. Most were in cocktail dresses for the ladies except my wife who wore nice slacks and a sparkly cocktail shirt. All the guys were in what I call the old business casual of dress slacks, dress shoes and a dress shirt with no tie.

All of the guys said they should have followed my post and just come comfy as everything was fitting snug due to pandemic weight.

21st century, comfy is the new formal.  

[ccap41]

8 minutes ago, David said:

LOL, I actually have NOT been to a wedding since my own wedding in 1991. I switched from Computer sales to engineering in 1994 and donated all my formal wear in 2000 to Goodwill. I have had no reason to have any dress pants or any other formal attire since then.

The few people who got married that I know that are close to my kids ended up going to a justice of the peace and skipping the whole marriage thing due to the pandemic and as such are planning a celebration party in 2022.

FYI, I did end up going to the party in blue jeans and a polo shirt. Most were in cocktail dresses for the ladies except my wife who wore nice slacks and a sparkly cocktail shirt. All the guys were in what I call the old business casual of dress slacks, dress shoes and a dress shirt with no tie.

All of the guys said they should have followed my post and just come comfy as everything was fitting snug due to pandemic weight.

21st century, comfy is the new formal.  

Say whaaaaaaa?!? You haven't been to a  wedding since your own in '91?!?! That's actually just kind of impressive. Hahaha

Understandable to get rid of it all, if you're not using it. 

What they ended up wearing seems more appropriate and I'd actually rather wear dress pants, dress shoes, button up shirt, and a jacket but without a tie. I like that look more and ties seem a little over the top, imo. I understand where they're appropriate and not but I'm just not as much of a fan of that look. 

Glad ya went! So how was it? Did you enjoy your time out? 

[oldshurst442]

3 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Greeks - and Italians - can be so melodramatic and poetic about their perceptions and life experiences.  Classic!

LOL

You are absolutely right about that!

 

[David]

RIP. Hemi V8 is officially canceled and the Hellcats and everything else V8 is dead after 2023 model year.
Dodge Is Cancelling The Hemi V8 (msn.com)

[David]

33 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Say whaaaaaaa?!? You haven't been to a  wedding since your own in '91?!?! That's actually just kind of impressive. Hahaha

Understandable to get rid of it all, if you're not using it. 

What they ended up wearing seems more appropriate and I'd actually rather wear dress pants, dress shoes, button up shirt, and a jacket but without a tie. I like that look more and ties seem a little over the top, imo. I understand where they're appropriate and not but I'm just not as much of a fan of that look. 

Glad ya went! So how was it? Did you enjoy your time out? 

Thank you, yup, no need to be at anyone's wedding, I guess. LOL

Party was good, at the Golden Breeders second home on Camano Island up north in the San Juan Islands area. Here are some pics. FYI, there were 10 humans and 13 goldens. LOL

As the evening wore on, everyone got pretty comfy. Mark and His wife who are the dog breeders and home owner changed cloths as Mark broke out his latest batches of Whisky that he makes for Tast testing.

Overall ended up being a good night.

Dogs were having a blast playing.

Seems my Cadillac dealership is doing a major remodel to the 21st century from the existing 1960's building it was.

[oldshurst442]

12 minutes ago, David said:

RIP. Hemi V8 is officially canceled and the Hellcats and everything else V8 is dead after 2023 model year.
Dodge Is Cancelling The Hemi V8 (msn.com)

Yeah...

I knew this was going to happen. I just didnt expect it to happen that quickly.  

Question for me is this.

How will Chevrolet handle the Corvette?

Let me explain.

We all know the LT5 Z06 Vette is out next year as a late 2021 or early 2022 model.  But will the Z06 be the LAST V8 Corvette and the LAST 100% ICE Corvette?  Will Chevrolet nix the ZR1 as a 100% ICE vehicle and the preceding Corvettes going forward will either be hybrids (E-Ray and Zora?) or 100% EV after 2023?  Will GM accelerate the EV process concerning the Vette knowing that Dodge is NOT afraid nixing their V8s?

Or will GM soldier on and capture the stranded Hellcat clientele?   But if GM will do a move like that will it damage their EV image since GM wants to go all EV? 

Im kinda sad with this news, but I was expecting it.  

Im kinda happy with this. But Im kinda mad at this too.  

Bizarre is how I feelz for this. 

[oldshurst442]

31 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

as a late 2021 or early 2022 model. 

I meant to say as a late 2022 model or an early 2023 model for the Z06.

[balthazar]

Corvette's not competing with anything at Dodge, so; irrelevant. 

And we'll see about 2023. That's a mere 8 months away (by rough model year), and everything coming out next Sept needs to already be finalized TODAY. We've only seen one CGI render to date. 😆

[oldshurst442]

Its not about the cars, Corvette and Challenger/Charger, or brands competing with each other.  Its about the evident demise of the V8 engine and ultimately the end of the ICE age.

That also means RAM will not be offering the Hemi.   That also means that the TRX is also at a cross roads. Will that mean that the TRX will get a twin turbo 6 like the Raptor's last generation?

Was Ford on the right track with the ecoboost V6 all along?

How will GM respond to this?

Its not only about Camaros and Corvettes.  Its also about Silverados, Sierras, Tahoes,  Yukons and Escalades...

The electric F150 is about to be launched.  Ford already has an ecoboosted 6 and Ford's pick-up truck market is used to not having V8s under the hoods of their trucks...

Stellantis is not afraid of letting go of the V8 teat. 

How will GM respond?

GM wants to be all electric.  They will have to let go of their V8s too sometime soon...   And THAT includes the Corvette... 

 

 

[oldshurst442]

https://www.musclecarsandtrucks.com/next-generation-dodge-challenger-gme-t6-twin-turbo-engine-2023-2024/

 

This is an article that states that the next Hellcat will be a TTV6 producing 500 horsepower without electric assist. 

This could be the way for a new TRX.

Im not saying the Corvette will be a TTV6 Hybrid.  But I AM saying that maybe the Z06 will be the LAST V8 Corvette that will be 100% internal combustion.  Maybe Chevrolet will ONLY offer Hybrid V8 electric and 100% BE Corvettes after the Z06 launch. 

[balthazar]

Who knows- GM has stated they will be ‘mostly’ BE by 2035; that leaves a LOT of ‘time room’. 

All these articles, political posturing and OEM futurism are sidestepping one thing- getting consumers to buy them. 

[riviera74]

While the (second) demise of the Hemi is sad, it wasn't like they were selling quite as much as a V6 (or an I4) equipped crossover these days.

Those who want a Hemi MAY switch to a Camaro rather than a Corvette, since that is the closest competitor to all those Hemi-engined cars.  The trucks will probably stay, albeit with a TT v6. 

One question: How reliable are the HEMI engines compared to the Chrysler 3.5 v6?  I may be wrong, but it seems that a lot of owners would rev the HEMIs so hard that the engine (or something related like the transmission) might wear out prematurely.

[David]

10 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

While the (second) demise of the Hemi is sad, it wasn't like they were selling quite as much as a V6 (or an I4) equipped crossover these days.

Those who want a Hemi MAY switch to a Camaro rather than a Corvette, since that is the closest competitor to all those Hemi-engined cars.  The trucks will probably stay, albeit with a TT v6. 

One question: How reliable are the HEMI engines compared to the Chrysler 3.5 v6?  I may be wrong, but it seems that a lot of owners would rev the HEMIs so hard that the engine (or something related like the transmission) might wear out prematurely.

Interesting thought about the revving. It will be interesting to see how their TTV6 holds up under the LEAD FEET of a Hellcat or TRX owner.

[trinacriabob]

4 hours ago, David said:

 

Overall ended up being a good night.

Glad to hear you had a good time.  Nice house and views. 

I'm all about the food ... all about the food.  Which looks so damn tasty.  I have almost no use for the alcohol ... expensive and not worth it.

Also, I dig that hutch with the rounded top.  I like wood furniture, cabinetry, and all that, as opposed to the tech or painted look.  Makes a home feel more inviting.  These people obviously have good taste all the way around.

[balthazar]

I saw a pic of some bacon-wrapped stag beetles; interesting.

[ccap41]

I thought FCA/Stelantis was working on an inline-6 and not a V6. That could easily replace the 5.7 at least. 

[David]

14 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I thought FCA/Stelantis was working on an inline-6 and not a V6. That could easily replace the 5.7 at least. 

I think allot of this is still up in the air. We could see a TTI6 or a TTV6. Might be easier for them to beef up their existing V6 than clean sheet an I6.

[A Horse With No Name]

23 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

 

Greeks - and Italians - can be so melodramatic and poetic about their perceptions and life experiences.  Classic!

Why I love them both passionately. 

[Robert Hall]

6 hours ago, David said:

I think allot of this is still up in the air. We could see a TTI6 or a TTV6. Might be easier for them to beef up their existing V6 than clean sheet an I6.

I had heard a while back about a new I6 planned for the GC and Wrangler...if they are doing away w/ V8s they will need a beefier V6 or I6 for Ram and the Wag/GWag.  I'd love to see a modern I6 for Jeep, always liked the old 4.0 my WJ had.   It will be interesting to see what they do, the powertrains in the new WL GC and the Wag/GWag are carryover..

2 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Why I love them both passionately. 

And the food..I love Greek and Italian cuisine...it's hard to beat Italian for cold weather comfort food... 

Edited December 16, 2021 by Robert Hall

[trinacriabob]

2 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

And the food..I love Greek and Italian cuisine...

I almost feel like a redneck (is that possible?) for saying I could be perfectly content to eat only American, Italian, and Greek food, and ignore all the other foods.  It's these three ... and then a steep drop to the other types of cuisines that cut it with me.

[David]

32 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

I almost feel like a redneck (is that possible?) for saying I could be perfectly content to eat only American, Italian, and Greek food, and ignore all the other foods.  It's these three ... and then a steep drop to the other types of cuisines that cut it with me.

I love it all, Multi-Cultural Food Fest! 🤤

[Robert Hall]

My big 3 mainstay cuisines are American, Italian and Mexican. But there are plenty other cuisines I enjoy, esp Asian cuisines such as Indian, Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese.  And other European such as French, German (too many sausages, though) and Spanish…

[trinacriabob]

I also like Mexican and Cuban food. I had a Cuban sandwich tonight. Definitely add Portuguese food to the list for me.  Casual French, if there is such a thing, is so hard to find that French food is almost like an anomaly to me.  What I've had has been delicious.

Of the Asian cuisines, only Cantonese and Japanese for me. 

But these stack up quite a ways away from the ones I've mentioned. 

@Robert Hall  I'm swapping out Greek for Mexican on my list compared to yours, so I'm not that far off. I never tire of my Top 3.

[A Horse With No Name]

22 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

 

And the food..I love Greek and Italian cuisine...it's hard to beat Italian for cold weather comfort food... 

I would fit into those miatas I love so well had I not discovered Italian food during Ohio winters. '

Thankfully most Greek food is quite healthy. 

Merry Christmas...

 

[A Horse With No Name]

15 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

 

@Robert Hall  I'm swapping out Greek for Mexican on my list compared to yours, so I'm not that far off. I never tire of my Top 3.

Mexican is awesome. 

[David]

5 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Mexican is awesome. 

Ultimate Gas Production food!  

[regfootball]

this is interesting and goes to show how tough it is to make any advancements at GM 

 

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2021-chevy-tahoe-engineer-puts-job-line-independent-rear-suspension/

Edited December 20, 2021 by regfootball

[balthazar]

And yet GM has made literally countless advancements, despite claims of rampant ignorance and stupidity. Howbow dah?

 

It's called 'management & engineers & design working together'.

[trinacriabob]

Random, and irritating, thought:

I always get ad banners for cars.  How is it that Kia Rios of 2018 vintage, with about 30,000 to 50,000 miles, are being sold for about $ 17K to $ 18K asking price?  That's what they cost when they were new. 

Does this mean new cars of that type require a market adjustment (up) and that people are paying it?

[Robert Hall]

On 12/20/2021 at 11:36 AM, trinacriabob said:

Random, and irritating, thought:

I always get ad banners for cars.  How is it that Kia Rios of 2018 vintage, with about 30,000 to 50,000 miles, are being sold for about $ 17K to $ 18K asking price?  That's what they cost when they were new. 

Does this mean new cars of that type require a market adjustment (up) and that people are paying it?

It's been going on a while, but the used car market is hot.  Late model low mileage cars are commanding a premium.  

It's interesting, I did a search in NE Ohio on Auto Trader and found several 2014-2016 Grand Cherokee Limiteds with under 60k miles all priced within 2-3k of what I paid for my 2014 with 25k in March 2017...

one example--a 2014 w/ 57k miles (more miles than I have now and a slightly lower spec) is within $1000 of what I paid for my 2014 in 2017 w/ 25k miles... depreciation seems to have been slowed...

Edited December 22, 2021 by Robert Hall

[balthazar]

[trinacriabob]

So, I wake up today and look at my homepage:  stocks are up, California is dealing with all these lootings and follow home robberies (for which the videos are disturbing) as well as a 6.2 earthquake (on its less populated North Coast), and Jane Fonda just turned 84.

[trinacriabob]

I found this photo and it was incorrectly captioned as the "Andrea Doria."  It is not.  It was the replacement for the "Doria," the "Leonardo da VincI," upon seeing a few lounges with picture windows all across the lower part of the forecastle.

This might even be its maiden arrival to New York, with the fireboats spraying water and other watercraft remaining downriver by the Statue of Liberty.  There are also more tugs than needed and a helicopter circling above.

It served from 1960 to 1978.  And it got repainted with the new white Italian Line livery, with the green stripe and hull, after about 5 or 6 years of being in service.

And I was on it as a toddler on an eastbound crossing out of NYC.   I don't remember a thing.  But those were the days.

[balthazar]

Commemorative pistons given to employees in Plant 9, following the discontinuation of Pontiac V8 production.

14 million+ Pontiac V8s. 

[oldshurst442]

@surreal1272

Happy Birthday!!!

You are 1 day younger than my cousin...   2 and a half months older than me.

 

[trinacriabob]

32 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

@surreal1272

Happy Birthday!!!

You are 1 day younger than my cousin...   2 and a half months older than me.

Ditto on the birthday greetings @surreal1272 ! Just in time to be photographed in your bassinet under the Christmas tree, if your folks took such a photo.

6 hours ago, balthazar said:

Commemorative pistons given to employees in Plant 9, following the discontinuation of Pontiac V8 production.

14 million+ Pontiac V8s. 

What was the last PMD engine that rolled off the line ... a 265, a 301, another one?

[surreal1272]

53 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

@surreal1272

Happy Birthday!!!

You are 1 day younger than my cousin...   2 and a half months older than me.

 

Thanks. Will be 49 tomorrow and yeah, feels weird to be one year from the half century mark. 

[balthazar]

20 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

What was the last PMD engine that rolled off the line ... a 265, a 301, another one?

301 I believe... too bad they didn't keep the 400 rolling thru '81. 

 

3 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

Thanks. Will be 49 tomorrow and yeah, feels weird to be one year from the half century mark. 

You old codger. HBD.

[surreal1272]

21 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

Ditto on the birthday greetings @surreal1272 ! Just in time to be photographed in your bassinet under the Christmas tree, if your folks took such a photo

No bassinet photo but there was the fat baby under a tree photo lol. 

Just now, balthazar said:

You old codger. HBD.

Thanks. Nothing like 49, going on 70 (if you ask my sore body right now) lol. 

7 hours ago, balthazar said:

Commemorative pistons given to employees in Plant 9, following the discontinuation of Pontiac V8 production.

14 million+ Pontiac V8s. 

Very cool!

[balthazar]

Despite the 'evidence' that C&G says I am 40, I am a handful of years ahead of you, and often feel like trampled death. 

You know you're getting old when you open your eyes in the morning and think "OK, what's going to hurt today?'

[David]

@surreal1272 Happy B-Day Old Man, I got ya beat by 5 years. 54 isn't bad, Like @balthazar I do wake up and wonder what body parts are gonna hurt, but today was day 5 of ski season, nailed 16 miles of skiing, so not too bad on this old body. 

For you, a young 49, Keep Rocking life to the fullest, have a great drink, dinner and after dinner drink and enjoy the perks of another year of Life on this big blue marble!  

[ForzaJersey]

Happy Birthday! @surreal1272 I hope it's a great one!

 

[surreal1272]

9 hours ago, balthazar said:

Despite the 'evidence' that C&G says I am 40, I am a handful of years ahead of you, and often feel like trampled death. 

100% the same! As recently as two months ago, I was diagnosed with two herniated discs in the L3 to L5 area, a small "normal" fracture in my L2, and discovered that I have congenital spinal stenosis, which explains a whole lot lol. That was from just one MRI and thats just for starters. That is the result of being the most rigid person on earth (my fingers have never been able to bend back like just about everyone else) and having no regard for body for the first 46 years of my life. Just told someone that yes, I am 49 today but 50 is looking at me like...

[surreal1272]

9 hours ago, David said:

For you, a young 49, Keep Rocking life to the fullest, have a great drink, dinner and after dinner drink and enjoy the perks of another year of Life on this big blue marble!

Thanks. For the record, there is a bottle of Patron Silver in the freezer with my name on it tonight. There is also the option of some sweet tea moonshine (not the strong stuff lol). Both were early birthday presents and will probably last two or three years because I rarely drink. I will enjoy some samples today though because that's what you're supposed to do. Besides, its a tradition and...

(apologies in advance for the "language" but it's funny as "F")

Edited December 22, 2021 by surreal1272

[A Horse With No Name]

22 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

I found this photo and it was incorrectly captioned as the "Andrea Doria."  It is not.  It was the replacement for the "Doria," the "Leonardo da VincI," upon seeing a few lounges with picture windows all across the lower part of the forecastle.

This might even be its maiden arrival to New York, with the fireboats spraying water and other watercraft remaining downriver by the Statue of Liberty.  There are also more tugs than needed and a helicopter circling above.

It served from 1960 to 1978.  And it got repainted with the new white Italian Line livery, with the green stripe and hull, after about 5 or 6 years of being in service.

And I was on it as a toddler on an eastbound crossing out of NYC.   I don't remember a thing.  But those were the days.

Would love to have travelled on it. 

Happy Birthday Surreal!

 

[ccap41]

Happy Birthday @surreal1272! Hopefully today is stress-free (may need to stay off here! 🤣) and relaxing!