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While at the dealer this morning for some routine service, I strolled around the lot. At the back, i spotted a couple rusty old minivans, a rusty Ram pickup w/ what looked like at outboard motor attached (or maybe it's a salt spreader for plowing), a Jaguar w/ a munched bumper, and a Smart cabriolet 'Passion' trim level...

? Fighting, Stay positive and start shopping your resume. Better to be active while having a job than not at all. Some companies like where I work has frozen hiring, raises, bonuses and the executive staff have given up their pay to insure that the global workforce is not laid off. I appreciate what they are doing for us, but I know other companies that are more service focused, sales focused are starting to belt tighten as people hold off on spending money. Stay positive, stay focused, You will come through this OK, I believe! Based on statistics, we are already in contraction. While the freeways are busy here in the Seattle area, the lay offs by Boeing, Kenworth, Weyerhaeuser, are being felt. Depending on how big their employment rolls are, it will be minimal in many places to heavily noticed in others. One gauge as we learned in statistic class is tax revenue. Clearly when you look at that figure, you see every state has taken a huge hit. Then look at the Fed tax revenue and it also took a huge hit. Contraction in everything even though many states have opened up and then closed back down but trying to keep employment going, I still believe there is worse to come sadly. I hope everyone here is not hit as hard by this depression based on the current pandemic.

Don't be so hasty to throw away old hardware. I knocked over a cordless pod on my desk, it barely tapped the side of my monitor, but didn't detach any of the wiring. I then noticed it wasn't working. At any rate, an HP monitor from 2009 just rescued one that is one or two years old. I've got a smaller screen and I'll examine the newer one when I have time, but at least I'm back and running. Any wonder if I am hanging onto my cast iron block / cast iron block 3800 V6 engine?

At the dealer for some service today, noticed a bird nest in the ‘e’ on the sign.

According to the '77 brochure, the Phoenix had the 231 V6 standard, and the Iron Duke 151, the 305 V8 and 350 V8 as options. Also standard was a 3-spd manual on the column, with a 3 on the floor and a THM optional.

The RWD X body Phoenix did have a base 2.5L Iron Duke some of the years, which I hope this one did not have. The 231 V6 would have been adequate.

Thanks! ? I have been working the two jobs even after I really no longer had to- as I really wanted to build a good sized emergency fund in case something happened. I’ve been unlucky enough to be in an industry as it was on the way down- from the tech bubble to the decline in car sales. Looks like my gut turned out to be right this time..... I least I know my job is trying to keep me while working a plan the company back to work. The second job depends on if we have to close things up again. The good news in this is that my resume was just updated- and it is gandering some nice attention right now. While I am happy where I am at- I have started the search just in case. I am hoping everyone here is doing well, and get to enjoy some family and car time....... ?

You are right that they have the records on the cost of maintenance for a bus in a fleet. Yet NO WHERE do they show adding this to the Purchase price of a Diesel Bus when they compare it to the EV Bus which has always pointed out the reduced maintenance cost. If they did that, I think even on a 12 year comparison they would come out much closer. Started to search around and found a few reports. Many are done outside of the US, India and China where they have already flipped over to more EV than Diesel so I ignored those. Pointes stated in the reports: 528 EV buses with 1yr maintenance records used to compare to diesel buses Diesel bus costs $500,000 versus $750,000 EV bus for Transit. School diesel costs $110,000 versus $230,000 EV bus New Flyer buses for Transit and Schools allowed access to this report of their maintenance costs for both buses. EV Buses save $400,000 in fuel expense and $125,000 in maintenance cost averted over the 12 year life of the bus. Seneca South Carolina shared their records, shows EV Buses are 16.5 mpg equivalent fuel efficiency compared to 3.8 MPG for Diesel. Fuel Per Mile costs was $0.28 for Electric, $0.59 for diesel with maintenance costs of $0.55 permile for EV buses compared to $1.53 per mile for Diesel. Report also states that for those school districts and Cities that used Solar Power Charging where the surplus was sold back to the local grid, this further reduced costs. Another point made was the reductions in EPA certificates and disposal of toxic waste related to gas/diesel buses. Here are US based reports: https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/electric-buses-mass-transit-seen-cost-effective https://uspirg.org/feature/usp/electric-buses-america https://www.govtech.com/workforce/Electric-Buses-Are-Not-Only-Clean-But-Less-Costly-to-Run.html

But the 3800 is GM's best non-V8 engine. It is no wonder you hung onto it.

Took a couple quick trips out and about today, incl. to the dealer this morning for oil change, filter, tire rotation, etc. Was out on the freeway in my Jeep for the first time in 4 months...beautiful sunny day, sunroof open, blasting U2 from their new Sirius XM channel...for 20 min the world felt 'normal' again...maybe take a drive up to the lake this weekend.

It is already looking like it too...many of the local suppliers in Detroit metro have been cutting staff since January. Already had a friend lose a job a few days ago. This whole opening and shutting thing is making it even worse. It has now delayed my return to work. Might even now it could become a permanent job loss. ? Even my second job is in danger now. Hoping I don’t lose both and try to job shop in a soon to be very quiet job market. Local Monster and Linkedin positions have dropped nearly 40 percent in the last week or so......

The "global depression" comes from reading your posts.

I have (illegal) YOM plates on the ‘40, with only a rear legal plate... but as of yet it’s not been seen by Johnny Law. B-59 will run without front plate also, hang the consequences... even tho the front bumper has a dedicated spot for one. All the dailies have front plates. They do look bad on the Sonic LTZ & Malibu.

LOL, some of us are just more REALIST than others Skippy!

Man, this is quite a heat wave......well past 90 degrees at noon.... ?

Right, but GM, Ford, Toyota and Chrysler are professionals. Seems Rivian is not yet there.