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HNNGGH. '20 Silverado 1500 RST Crew Cab / Standard Bed, inline 6 turbo-diesel / 10-spd. Rated 23/29 MPG. • Sunroof (don't want), • leather seating (don't want), • 22-in rims (would prefer 20s, tho these do look awesome), • Trailer brake controller (yes), • NO 'safety Group (YES!), • Convenience Package II [Universal Home Remote, rear sliding power window, 120-V power outlet, 120-V bed-mounted power outlet, Chevrolet Infotainment System with 8" touch-screen, SiriusXM Radio, HD radio/ HD Rear Vision Camera, Bose Premium Sound System] • All Star package [ includes Convenience Package I [dual-zone automatic climate control, 10-way power driver seat including power lumbar, heated driver / passenger seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated steering wheel, manual tilt/telescoping steering column, Rear Seat with Storage Package) ] PLUS locking rear differential & trailering package. $52,700.

Over Labor Day weekend I went to Deep Creek Maryland and rented a cottage on a farm away from the main resort area. Had a nice restful vacation with some hiking and a lot of sleeping in. But we also went to the nearby town of Oakland which has a small transportation museum in it.

So it occurred to me that I never told you guys about my new job. If you hadn't been watching last season, I lost my job with Direct Energy in 2019, my last day was December 18th. I was told at the beginning of November that it was coming, just didn't have an exact date. Direct Energy paid me a healthy severance of 7 months of salary, plus bonus, plus a medical stipend. After 13 years, I was ready to go and I can't be mad at them for laying me off. In the ensuing months, Direct Energy laid off another 6,000 in June and then another 7,000 in August. They've also been sold out to a competitor. So I think I got out just in time. My initial plan when I found out I was being laid off was that I would take January and February off just to recuperate from 13 years of burn-out. Well, you know what happened at the end of February. But I had already started job hunting and was starting to get calls for interviews. At the beginning of March, I was hearing about this weird virus and places like Italy were shutting down. I decided that since I hadn't seen my parents in 18 months, I should make a trip down. I jumped on National's app and got a car for the next day and drove down to Miami the next day. I stayed with them for a week and every day I was getting 5 to 6 calls a day and setting up interviews for my return. By the end of the week all hell was breaking loose, NYC was shutting down. By the time I got home to Pittsburgh, all of my interviews had been canceled. I got back and we hunkered down for the next few months, but I kept applying to places. Thankfully, I was also getting unemployment and the extra $600 during this time. End of May, I got a call about a project manager job for a local municipality. After a few rounds of video interviews I got the job as Acting Director of I.T. and Project Manager for the Municipality of Bethel Park PA. My job is to update and bring they Municipality up to date and move their technology into the cloud. I'm enjoying it and they're keeping me quite busy. They never really had an I.T. presence prior to me and there is a lot of fixing that needs to happen. I finally get to build an I.T. department the way I think it should be built. Right now the position is a contract to hire (hence the "Acting" part of my title) and I have a strong reason to believe they will make me full time in January. So yeah, things are pretty secure for me now.

Someone in dispatched effd up. That's not the engineer's fault.

No, @balthazar's son must have had the Colorado. In the Camaro it makes 335 hp and 284 lb-ft of torque.

Two same year, same model pickups that are also very different, but beauties all the same. I'd take either in a heartbeat. '56 Chevrolet 3100 4x4 NapCo '56 Chevrolet 3100

Just came back from a night time test drive with them. So much better than oem so I’m going to order a set for the Encore also. But I definitely need to do the fogs as well. Don’t like the differing light color.

When I was in the Philly area last weekend and driving around at night, I was noticing my headlights were pretty dim. Since halogens can dim with age and these are most likely the originals, I decided to upgrade to LED. One set in. Both in

@David No apologies for being a carnivore. Have a tough time with ribs. Strange consistency and aftertaste. Better than most lamb, though. Have never ordered them. Will accept them upon entering and exiting a supermarket when they will give out free samples (going forward, that'll be the day). Great photos, by the way. For meat, I'm all about the types they serve at Brazilian steakhouses (the different sirloins and the filet mignon) but that's a quarterly event, at best. I'm learning to eat more poultry and I now enjoy fish a lot, which I detested as a kid.

Chef @David would you expect that a Cadillac, Mercedes, Ferrari... Be greasy I think not most mechanic's would be incensed to be called or referred to as greasy or heaven forbid a "grease monkey" we can make 100k a year with our hands, tools and brain. Just think about the education and continuing education he or she puts in to their careers.

It's okay, I'm filling up with corn.

Buddy's shop. Upper L to R: '70 Chevelle SS (customer's) '77 Malibu, now a 454/TH400 '72 Cutlass S converted to 4-4-2, 455/4-spd '79 Firebird, Chevy 350/TH350 '74 Camaro, 350/TH350

Wait- so it still has 60% of IC maintenance?? I've been misled up til now! :P

I like the color, looks great with black rims and black grill.

Ribs ??? Pork ???

Being that I buy many auto's for my extended family, one thing I have always felt strongly about is setting the ground rules with the sales person. When I go on a lot, greeted by the sales person, I stop and set the rules of how, what and why I am there. If just window shopping, I let them know to not waste their time. If shopping seriously, I usually have a set idea of what I want to look at and specifics I am interested in such as their best interest rates they have compared to my own bank or the bank that my family member is able to use. I always am very clear on what I am looking at and want to see and that I am not there to look at other options as they will be working with me as the representative for said family member. I will be honest that in how I approach auto buying has shocked and thrown off the sales person. I have had more than one walk away crying as I did not play their game for monthly auto payment, sales process that they were trained on. Experienced quality sales people know to roll with the flow and can get a sale when I am there to do a serious look and possible buy. I always sit down and in a sense qualify my own family member on what they are looking for, wanting and minimum to maximum dollar range. Making them write up a list of what they want helps to narrow down the auto they should look at. Not gonna waste my time, theirs or the sales person. So far seems to make a solid auto buying experience. Hope this helps on how I do it for the future.

Random thought ... ... a very random thought.

Actually this discussion is helpful to me as I am learning something about myself as a car buyer and will do it smarter the next time. When I have a bad experience at a dealership, even a dealership I trust, time to try another dealership. Byers has always been good to me, but they kind of let me down this car buying cycle. Had a less than stellar experience with Byers Toyota when I looked at the Tacoma and a dismal experience with Byers Chevrolet when I looked at the Colorado. Both dealers really pushed hard to sell me a crew cab 4wd instead of an extended cab 2wd, and were just not that productive to deal with in terms of checking out the vehicle. Not sure some of the subjective in my mind here is not just my particular experience and not the powerplant. That being said, we have a Traverse as a company vehicle at work that I drive on a fairly regualr basis and an not terribly impressed with it. I really need to get a rental with a 3600 in a RWD configuration and spend some quality time with it when I am not looking at a vehicle to come up with an intelligent opinion I think.

Manual transmission is confirmed.

That article seems primarily about Wranglers, but some is definitely applicable to my experience w/ 20 years of driving GCs...they are great all-weather vehicles, solid, and have good HVAC systems. I wouldn't say they are simple--lots of complex electronics esp. on the newer ones. And unlike Wranglers, GCs are very good on long road trips.

When it rains, it pours ... within 5 minutes at each other, and on the same major street, 2 very cool older Buicks. Here's a '76 Buick Regal S/R. The badging is gone and modified (the S/R badge is gone and a 350 badge was added where they used to put a V6 badge, but this was a V8.) The guy (in the car) told me he picked it up for between $3K and $4K. That is amazing. I pulled out my phone and explained to him that S/Rs were fairly rare and Buick's late answer to the upscale Cutlasses with buckets of those same years. He didn't know about the S/R designation, but knew of Salon and Calais trims for Olds. When they took the Regal from horizontal to "baby Eldorado" tail lamp treatment, it took the appeal of this coupe way, way up. I asked him if I could take photos. He was cool with it. The Superman floor mats have to go, but check out the trestle shifter on the console. We will never see these kinds of automotive interiors again. Sad. Then, a few blocks away, I see this. A '91 or '92 Riviera. This was the best color for it, IMO, and for its sibling, the Toronado. Olds called it Light Driftwood Metallic. Either car looked great in it, provided it had alloy wheels and not wire wheel covers. I'm probably partial to the Toro. With this rear pillar and the rounder rear fenders, along with the notchback rear window and long trunk, this run of Rivieras was unmistakable. As the Riviera downsized, so did its "Parthenon" grille. Amazing sights, within just 5 minutes.

Most auto loans don't end up costing you much at all in interest- you stand to save untold 10s of thousands on one's mortgage tho. I did just that, but when I looked at the amortization schedule for a car loan, it just wasn't worth waiting X number of years to save the relatively piddling amount of interest.

You would think that Nissan has forgotten about the 370Z, considering not much has been done to it in some time. But the Japanese automaker wants to make it clear they haven't forgotten about their sports car. They have been quietly working on the next-generation model. Last night, Nissan introduced the Z Proto which is a thinly-veiled concept of the next-generation model, possibly named 400Z due out within the next few years. You will instantly recognize the Z Proto as being part of the Z family. Nissan's designers draw quite heavily from the original 240Z up front as evidenced by the hood, teardrop-shaped LED headlamps (only available on Japanese-market 240), and square lower grille. The side profile also has another nod to the 240Z with the cabin pushed far back. In the back, echoes of the 90's 300ZX with a sloping roofline and rear light treatment. The interior looks production ready with a digital gauge cluster, dished steering wheel, sport seats with yellow contrasts, and a six-speed manual. The only callback to older Z models is a three-gauge binnacle sitting on top of the dash. Nissan is keeping mum on the two important parts of the Z Proto - engine and chassis. On the former, Nissan says the concept uses a twin-turbo V6 - possibly being the 3.0L used in the Q50 and Q60. This engine produces either 300 or 400 horsepower depending on the version. We may see a smaller engine option being available on the production model. According to Nissan, "work is now underway to synchronize the power with the grace and control that has defined the Z for the past 50 years." Hopefully, more details begin to spill out before its debut. Source: Nissan Press Release is on Page 2 New Nissan Z Proto looks to the future, inspired by its past NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The new Z is coming. Nissan has unveiled the Z Proto, signalling the company's intent to launch a new generation of the legendary Z sports car. Shown at an event beamed around the world from the Nissan Pavilion in Yokohama, Japan, the prototype features new design inside and out, as well as an upgraded powertrain with a manual transmission. In Franklin, just south of Nashville, hundreds of Z owners and enthusiasts watched the Z Proto's Yokohama debut on big screens from their vehicles in a socially distanced event– part of a weeklong schedule of activities during the 33rd annual International Z Convention (ZCON). First hinted at in a brand teaser video, "Nissan A-Z," shown in May, the Nissan Z Proto pays full respect to 50 years of Z heritage. At the same time, it's a thoroughly modern sports car. "The Z represents the joy of driving in its purest form and has helped shape Nissan's DNA as a passionate, innovative challenger," said Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida. "Ever since the first generation, it has captured the hearts of car enthusiasts all over the world. That's why we're so excited today to be able to say to them: Yes, the next one is coming!" Z Proto is one of 10 new vehicles that Nissan is showing for the U.S. in 20 months, along with top-sellers like Sentra and Rogue, and innovative new models like the all-electric Ariya crossover. "The United States is home to one of the most devoted and enthusiastic Z communities in the world, with nearly 1.35 million total sales over the model's 50-year history," said Mike Colleran, senior vice president, Nissan U.S. Marketing and Sales. "With new models like Sentra and Rogue opening new eyes to our brand, Z Proto is our loudest statement yet that Nissan will continue to bring vehicles that thrill to U.S. showrooms." Z Proto exterior: past meets future Sporting a bright yellow pearlescent paint – a tribute to a popular paint scheme on both the first-generation 240Z and the 300ZX – the Z Proto boasts a fresh, attractive exterior design with a silhouette that communicates respect to the original model. Using a theme that combines elements of previous generations while also projecting futurism was challenging, said Alfonso Albaisa, head of design at Nissan. "Our designers made countless studies and sketches as we researched each generation and what made them a success," Albaisa said. "Ultimately, we decided the Z Proto should travel between the decades, including the future." The shape of the hood and the canted, teardrop-shaped LED headlights are both unmistakable reminders of the original Z. The rectangular grille dimensions are similar to the current model, although the grille fins nod to the past. The form continues to exude both sportiness and elegance. "The LED headlights have two half-circles that hark back to the Japan market-only 240ZG of the 70s," Albaisa explained. "The ZG has clear dome lenses over the headlight buckets, which under light give off two circular reflections over each headlight. We liked that unique characteristic and discovered that it naturally fit with the Z's identity." The link to the original Z is most striking when viewing the Z Proto from the side. The roofline flows from the nose to the squared-off rear to create a distinctive first-generation Z profile whose rear edge was slightly lower than the front fender height giving the Z its unique posture. The signature transition from the rear quarter glass to the low-slung position of the rear tail adds to the effect. The rear takes inspiration from the 300ZX taillights, reinterpreted for the modern world. Set within a rectangular black section that runs across the rear and wraps around the outer edges, the LED taillights convey a sharp glow. Lightweight carbon fiber treatments on the side skirts, front lower lip and rear valance ensure nimble performance. 19-inch alloy wheels and dual exhausts complete the Z Proto's striking road presence. Z Proto interior: modern tech with a vintage touch Designed to fit driver and passenger like a glove, the Z Proto's cabin seamlessly blends modern technology with vintage Z touches. The interior design team sought advice from professional motorsports legends to give the Z Proto an ideal sports car cabin, both for road and track. This can be seen in the Z's instrumentation. All vital information is found in the 12.3-inch digital meter display and arranged to help the driver grasp it at a glance, such as the redline shift point at the twelve o-clock position. The new, deep dish steering wheel offers the driver quick access controls without losing its vintage aesthetic. Yellow accents are found throughout the cabin, including stitching on the instrument panel. The seats feature special accent piping and layered seat material to create depth. Sports car joy: an exhilarating, dynamic performer The original Z was built to bring the joy and excitement of sports car ownership to as many people as possible. "The Z has always been a strong dynamic performer, making it easy for customers to enjoy its capabilities and feel as connected as possible to the car," said Hiroshi Tamura, chief product specialist of the Z Proto. "This has been true through all its generations, and this is what drives our passion to innovate and challenge the norm." Each new generation had a more powerful engine, although the Z is about more than power increases. "Z is more than just powerful and agile," Tamura continued. "It is designed to create a connection with the driver, for the car to be a 'dance partner' for their on-road adventures." Make no mistake though, the Z Proto packs a powerful punch. Under the elongated hood is an enhanced V6 twin-turbocharged engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. As a prototype, work is now underway to synchronize the power with the grace and control that has defined the Z for the past 50 years. "Nissan is transforming its business," said Uchida. "This summer, we unveiled the ground breaking all-electric Nissan Ariya crossover, which represents the future of mobility. Even as we open this new chapter, the Z, its heritage and passion, express who we are and has been shaping our DNA for over fifty years." Nissan Z Proto Specifications Z Proto specifications* Engine V6 twin turbo Transmission 6-speed manual (an automatic option is also in development) Length 172.5 inches Width 72.8 inches Height 51.6 inches Wheel and tire size Front: 255/40R19 Rear: 285/35R19 View full article

Dude, that's a pretty well equipped new truck though. So $50k+ that isn't bad when the new Sierra Denali's are $68k-$75k. 22's are still spendy wheels and if factory 22's you can basically double the price of aftermarket ones.

'63 Studebaker Lark R-2. Rare machine, factory supercharged, full factory spec verified via engine teardown, runs a best of 12.2 @ 114 MPH.

Yeah, but, that doesn't mean it looks good.

This thing is a monkey, and I like monkeys.

Did you miss the part where the price begins with a '5'? Ugh. Guess what the 72-monthly is WITH my trade in? That also begins with a '5'. Ugh, again.

You have to read press releases defensively; all OEM-sourced info is run thru a marketing department before you read it. Every piece is carefully worded to create the bottom line- new potential buyers. Journalism is the same way from a different angle; they'll pump anything new because they want buzz to create readership (potential buyers). EVs have to attempt to conquer the 97.4% of the market that hasn't chosen their game. Sure; a lot of it is pricing... but there's other, numerous, tangible obstacles. With the upside down fiscal yoke EVs carry from the start, you can bet the marketing is going to pump whatever vague advantage they can get away with. Reminds me of the noise aspect : EVs are being legislated to produce artificial noise up to 18-some MPH, because ALL vehicles above that make the same noise; tire and wind noise. There's no discernible engine noise from a Malibu at 30 MPH. You can barely hear it idling standing right in front of it. Yet the EV press trumpets 'SILENCE!!' How often are you driving under 18 MPH on a given day?? It's an intangible. Bottom line IMO; the advantages of EVs over IC are a laboratory best-case scenario that many buyers will never come close to. And that's just the nature of commercial products.

Speaking of the electric F150.... I love that Ford is doing this. And a bit of ICE love, adore this old Chevy!

I was also surprised by that info, not sure why the maintenance is still so high. Be interesting to learn what they have on the truck that is requiring so much maintenance.

debatable, example...https://www.autoblog.com/2018/03/21/2019-ford-fusion-complexity-build-combinations/

I'd say it's a "mainstream/non-luxury" thing. The only brands that truly have ala carte optioning are the Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Porsche, etc. of the world. American trucks get kind of close with it but definitely not like the above luxury brands.

FORD Expanding Michigan Factory for Electric F-150 production. $700 million expansion at Rouge plant comes with 300 additional jobs. This is good news, sadly they have stated mid 2022 when the Electric F-150 will start rolling off the assembly line going to dealerships. Ford has stated that the Electric F-150 will be faster, stronger and higher pulling capability than and ICE F-150. Ford also has stated that the Electric F-150 will have 40% less maintenance than a comparable ICE unit. https://www.wsj.com/articles/ford-to-expand-michigan-factory-for-electric-f-150-11600345800

I wonder if the programming in the Truck is slow and delayed compared to the Camaro for shift points and throttle response. I have seen this in two totally different GM auto's with the same engine and it really does suck when GM does this as I felt it gave a great experience in one auto and a sucky one in the other and unless you had driven the better programmed one, you would leave with a bad taste about the motor. Sad that GM does that as where I noticed it was in a comparison of Cadillac to Chevrolet auto with the same engine/transmission. Sucks that they do that.

Yes I do. I have no problem with the DOHC, just was less impressed with the 3600 when I drove it. For most of the country, not just Tesla. Would love to see Ford build an electric Super Duty for heavyduty use....these people could use a good EV.

I am not loving it but neither hating it, it is kind of cool but something is missing for me. In any case would take it over the Supra without any doubt.

Nice Regal and Riviera...haven't seen one of those Regals in ages. There is a Riviera of that vintage I see occasionally around here, same color...in a driveway w/ a white Regal 4dr from around 2000 and a silver '96-99 Riviera.

An airdam that probably only saves 0.25 mpg. Took the one off of my '17 Colorado Z71 that I had right away, it does look MUCH better and gives it a lot better front-end ground clearance. It has approx. 15 or 16 freakin' screws in it that screw in from the top down so it's kind of a b!tch to get your hands and arms up in there from a creeper on the floor, but it pays off in the end.

OMG, what they hell is up with taking Miata headlights and putting them on this butt ugly auto. Hell that is a pathetic attempt at an update.

A blunt rectangular grille on an otherwise 'swoopy' design always looks like a drunken mistake.

Not calling it a negative at all, just adding some clarity RE Rivian being in regular production right now. According to what was presented here, they are not, yet. Hopefully Rivian DOES insure the best product they can build come out of the gate- that has not unilaterally been the case over at Tesla.

You know your Ranger is DOHC, right?

Exactly. I said something positive about the Venue, which was largely off topic and could have been passed over, but someone had to go there. So the comment on 9/14/20 at 9:37 a.m. is what started the descent. A challenge like that deserves an answer. So my on topic comment is this: Everyone is going crazy, overstyling their sedans to try to grab a dwindling customer base. It is still worth it to develop sedans, but the base of buyers is shrinking by the day, so every sedan has to "stand out", and crazy styling (in the age of oppressive regulations) is the popular way to do so.

Traditionally, we've put down as much down payment necessary to get the payment to no more than 2.5% of monthly income. That's just where we're comfortable being. Which means by financial guidance methods - I should be fine at 4 times that payment. Hmmmm...

As an auto enthusiast, I would say it is not about the financial. For me, I saved for 5yrs and then bought my Escalade ESV Platinum. I CHOOSE to not have auto payments and as such have no problem buying a new auto that I know I will have for 10 plus years. I think when it comes to auto enthusiasts, it really is about what they want long term. Is it a new $100,000 auto or is it a classic in mint condition or a classic that needs a complete restore project? I know that I fall into two camps, auto project and new. That is just my preference. So for me, I agree with the financial sites that one should not spend more than 10% of their yearly income on an auto payment, but the exception is when it comes to being an Enthusiast and where you find yourself. Classic Classic restore project Classic rat project CPO Luxury CPO Performance New Luxury New Performance There really is many different areas of where one falls into for Vehicle and the money it will cost as an Auto Enthusiast. I do not think this is a Money vs Vehicle question. IMHO

Is there an age where you more seriously consider ‘splurging’ on a vehicular purchase? Say, your mortgage is long done and any kids are on their own; do you ever think ‘it’s my turn now’?

Super clean :

The vertical slots on each side of the grille is why I thought it was the '40. A couple other spotting from that trip---a black '62 Falcon convertible, no top, sitting in a yard along w/ a couple mid 60s Ford F-series pickups and a couple old 60s-70s IH fronted schoolbuses, and along I-77 in Canton spotted a classic car dealer w/ a yellow '56-57 Corvette on top of the building on a sign.