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There is another reason or two as well. Engines of the past were not reliable. Birds ramming them or high altitude where air was scarce or frozen temps would wreak havoc, etc, it was mandated that trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific crossings would be safer if the airplanes had 3 or more as safeguards just in case 1 engine or two would fail, the airplane would have the other engines to fly with. Remember, crossing the Pacific and Atlantic, no land available for the plane to land. The Boeing 747 could actually fly and land with 1 engine. It has to land immediately, but one engine has enough thrust to safely land the Queen of the Skies. Its engineered that way. As jet engine tech has evolved, more powerful and more economical engines exist today. And more importantly, more reliable and more fail proof. It is no longer required/mandated for airplanes to fly over the Atlantic and Pacific with a 4 engined airplane . 2 is sufficient as the engines today are almost bullet proof. 1 engine could do the job, if the other fails, but today, its almost impossible for 1 engine failure to happen. 2 engines failing is really really impossible. Therefore, 4 engined airplanes are just unnecessarily guzzling expensive jet fuel for nothing. Im not into bikes, but Ive got some faves. British bike for me is this Triumph. T100 Steve McQueen and the Great Escape introduced me to this bike and the retro version this past decade...

My truck project is 100% factory original. OK; I gave it dual exhaust and replaced the pre-existing electric fuel pump. Other than that, it's as modern as the late 1940s. Even the tires are literally from the 1960s. My other car project (the P-64) is likewise all original. I don't have to "hunt for ways to make it work" other that some unbolting, rebuilding and re-bolting. That's ALSO a vintage car that no EV crate motor kit will ever bolt to it's trans (exactly the same scenario as the Ford truck). Hard to imagine, but there's a hundred million non-Chevy project cars out there.

I'm a political atheist. The problem as I see it is a lack of respect & willingness to listen / compromise, coupled with a terminal media functionality cancer. Media as a journalistic 'Hippocratic oath', is basically dead. There is SO MUCH ROOM for a new objective information entity... but the populous at large is so hyper-partisan now, I doubt it would survive economically.

When there is false rhetoric, and blind mice follow a corrupt leader...whether at gun point or with brain washing lies, a leader of a country, has ALL the power at his/her disposal to persuade how it goes down... Look at your elections tonight. 1. wearing a mask has become politicized... 2. shut downs for Covid have become politicized... 3. SPORTS...have become politized. This last one is funny to me... Americans NEVER wanted their entertainment to have minds of their own and for them to show their political sways, yet somehow, in this era, sports are very political... Maybe you SHOULD leave your Amish country more often...

Because it is more profitable for airlines to fly direct than to hubs. Also...demand for air travels down. Thirdly...ETOPS which stands for extended twin operations procedures and standards...allows much longer operation over water than previously.

I Have a fetish for anbything British... https://www.rideapart.com/car-lists/1970-bsa-441-victor-special-for-sale/#:~:text=The BSA 441 Victor Special,twisties and across the highways.&text=The bike has a clean California title. Throw in the groovy looking clean white F series behind it and I would be in heven. Another similar bike.. Vintage pic...

Ford(on road dead)

A non-Chevy project I'd love to do would be to take an older Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer (70s-80s vintage) and update w/ a modern Hemi (not a Hellcat, a 5.7 would be sufficient), 8spd auto, updated suspension, light off roading capability, modern GC seats and interior upgrades... Basically a similar kind of project that my buddy in AZ did with his '84 FJ 60 Land Cruiser--he put in a GM E-Rod crate LS, suspension upgrades for off roading, Lexus LX seats, etc... he'd had it for 25 years and done a lot of off-roading, but got tired of the fiddly carburetor and timing settings every two years to pass emissions tests...

^ Wild..looks like it started as an early 70s Citroen DS Safari wagon and was stretched and widened..

This is one of the most cool stories I have seen and read about how Michelin tests their tires. It has since been retired to their Museum. The special built car also had dual 23 gallon fuel tanks. This car would travel at 111 miles per hour and powered by duel Corvette C3 5.7L V8 engines. Car is 23ft long. Good read of all the details at the link below. https://www.thedrive.com/news/37188/michelin-built-this-freakish-10-wheeled-citroen-to-test-truck-tires-at-110-mph

Ford CEO Jim Farley in an interview said FORD will be moving forward with Making EV's affordable to the masses. As such, expect to see sooner rather than later Ford Electric Commercial vehicles as well as mass appeal affordable EVs. Ford on their Q3 results call said to not expect Ford to come out with a $100,000 plus off roader as they have that covered for now. Ford plans to make an even bigger impact with our EV strategy by ensuring our Ford Electric Transit Van family and F-150 work truck appeal to everyone from Businesses to retail users. Their Mach -E SUV went into full production last week and will ship by the end of the year to customers. Farley went on to state that Ford does not want to be just another auto company that transitions to EV's but wants to lead and right now to lead and support our commitment to the Paris Climate accord and in standing with California on CARB requirements, Ford will be moving to ensure everyone can afford an EV. Farley says this is not a propulsion story but an investment in the digitization of our business. Ford has stated to use a baseball analogy, that Ford is NOT in the first inning of electric transformation due to the cost challenges as they prepare to support the needs of affordable EV's with battery pack production as they are building in Canada. The second inning is where Ford will be seen as they expand the offerings in the commercial sector with di-directional charging, job site charging, connected servies, supporting roles for EV's that will help to lower ownership costs of EVs. Farley did not get into any other details of their business plan but did state that expect Hybrids across all product lines to come out next year and the future of SUVs is electric which will start with assembly at the Ford's Oakville, Ontario Plant. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1130166_ford-is-betting-on-commercial-electric-vehicles-affordable-evs-says-ceo

If change is inevitable, then obviously some Gov’t existing policies are going to change. Fighting inevitability is futile, no? There was all manner of fearmongering thrown around in 2016... on major issues that never even came to the ‘table’. Same as always.

Blue skies, no clouds, some fall color remains. Supposed to be dry, sunny and in the 60s the rest of the week. Nice change from the cool, rainy gray weather of the last week.

Do not forget the spin that Religion also plays in attempts for power and control. I wonder how many here ( The WHOLE US ) have really read our constitution and understand the rights we have as people.

That might be true, but those states (CA in particular) can aid the transition by replacing their public fleet of vehicles with appropriate BEV substitutes. As they would say in a different industry, eat their own dog food.

Ohhhhhhhh...my Wood lathe and Table saw spin very nicely, thank you very much. Not tired of that spin at all. Time to talk smack...just saw this and found it funny! More smack... Candy drop with social distancing. Betty did this, she was a bridesmaid when Kim and I got married.

You are no longer permitted to your own opinion or to ‘sit back’. Now you MUST be involved in every social /political issue, because your ‘life/soul/very existence’ depends on it (yet AGAIN). Sick of the lies and the spin.

Agreed. I’ve always remembered having political arguments that ended in everyone going out for pizza afterwards. I miss folks with an open mind! I think my biggest issue is that we are lead to divide, when we are more like each other than we think. I also think we are being taught to hate and divide, which tends to happen when money and greed are involved.... That said- I wish everyone the best, and hope you get the chance to vote for your canidate!

That's a comment about me. I'm talking about comments about current conditions and situations. It seems people who get upset about stereotyping are usually defensive or ridiculously progressive. Stereotypes exist because people observe them. Companies and organizations need to stereotype so they can focus on where to put their marketing dollars. Automakers know exactly who their demographic is, which is stereotyping. And it's all validated by social psychology and marketing research studies. Before I embark on travel, I read travel books. These bohemian a.f. travel writers stereotype away, telling you how the people will be, the dynamics to expect, scams and typical prey, and all that. And, having traveled on 4 continents, it was mostly all true. Get out of Amish country more. The Boeing thing has been disturbing. So has their stock price (BA). The stock price kept rocketing upward despite previous problems with 787 batteries and then the lengthy 737 Max grounding. I think reality finally caught up with the whole situation. The Europeans seem to be more loyal to Airbus, for obvious reasons. Airbus has shelved the entire 380 program. For as grandiose as it was/is, the program was not very long lived. But their volume for short-range and mid-range aircraft is healthy, it seems. I only like their Airbus 340, which has lost favor because of its fuel consumption. OTOH, I like every other Boeing airplane more than the Airbus equivalent. Once flew on one of these Iberia Airbus 340-600s (^) from Chicago-O'Hare to Madrid and it's an incredible machine.

Well...yeah. I agree. But... The leader of the free world surely profited and often goaded a certain demographic to continue the political charade. And he used that as a tool to try to get himself re-elected tonight.

I miss you too! ?

Not really. He is PROPERLY informed as to why the two could co-exist as how he put it... Na... Ill be gone again. Got better things to do than talk to you... I just miss a couple of folks in here. (not you)

Confused? Get yourself properly informed, you might not be so confused and look like a moron when you post your shyte trolly posts...

I would love this build also. Want to do this as my next round of fun with cars.

My idea of the ideal non Chevy project car is a Wrangler from 2012 to 2020. Bolt on a hitch, Winch, and BF Goodrich KO2's and go drive the damn thing. I love the COE! Battery powered Transit Connect might be a great vehicle for Camping.

My bad, I made an assumption here and should have clarified, battery packs that get usually attached between the wheels under the auto are sealed but use a cooling system to optimize the performance during hot or cold weather. As such, attached with the Electric Motor is an Electric Heat Pump that is used to both heat or cool the cabin plus regulate the battery pack. I disagree with you as your Buick project is a cool project but your modding various things to make them work just as you did with your truck. Same is to be said for any auto project whether you use an ICE or EV power train. Changes have to be made to allow a modern power train to work with an old auto.

This is no different than your current auto project. For those that choose to go this way, you have the bulk of the parts and working components. Unlike keeping an old auto, to that old spec and trying to hunt and find ways to make it work, this comes with a long list of already working parts including the cooling system which is already mounted on the motor that goes in the existing engine bay. One of the benefits of connect and cruise is that it does limit how much you have to hunt down or create yourself as in regards to mounting brackets. Like the ICE connect and cruise packages you can buy, the EV connect and cruise will as with all auto projects have some modifications and custom making brackets, etc. if you go that route and do not do which lots of folks have in regards to using existing mounting holes. That extra cost is all up to the individual and if your doing this yourself, at least GM has already covered how to make the motor, controllers, wiring, cooling and battery pack connect and work together. How professional looking is up to you. Since these EV packages will connect to existing transmissions, there is no change in drive train components or brakes That is the benefit of a Connect and Cruise is a working powertrain that will take minimal effort for the auto enthusiast to install and make functional. One could take an existing auto, pull the engine and install the EV crate power train following their directions or one can go the complete way you are doing with your cool Buick and redo everything paying attention to details and taking years. Your right it is all about the money you want to spend, but this is no different than buying an ICE GM Performance Powertrain. ICE is just as expensive or even more so depending on the performance you want. Currently on sale, but normally $30,000 roughly for the Motor, Transmission, Wire harness, controllers, o2 sensors, etc. and if this is going into anything but a corvette, you have the same mod costs so this could if say you were putting it into a 1986 Monte Carlo SS, you still have plenty of modifications to do including hooking up the cooling, AC, etc. that you mention. One interesting observation is the Connect and Cruise Engines with Manual Transmission are anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands more over the engine with Automatic transmission. Example: https://www.gmperformancemotor.com/parts/CPSLT4DT56.html

There is a problem in the US with religious fanatics (such as the Dominionists) that want to do away with the separation of church and state and impose their views on the rest of society. These people would prefer the US be a Christian theocracy rather than a representative democracy. They have worked for decades to get their people elected at all levels of government and now have the Supreme Court infested with their filth.

A difference between "projects I would like to do" and "projects I will do." Right now...as is where is....I want to travel and camp. Bronco, Wrangler, Colroado Z-71 or ZR2, or something of the like that can pull a trailer and go off road. But given time and money (two things not in infinite supply) I would love to do a Factory 5 kit Cobra also....as well as a few other projects. As it is, it's all I can do to go home and take care of my house after work some days. So in reality, making extra payments on the Ranger so I am in position to buy the next vehicle when the time comes is probably the smartest move for me. But I do think building an Electric hot rod would be awesome. And I have a serious Fetish for 73-87 Gm trucks. So the project has infinite appeal to me.

There's going to be numerous misc materials / components costs. Heavy cooling system mods (fabrication / plumbing) to cool batteries, conversion to electric power steering, conversion to an electric-driven A/C compressor... LOTS of ancillary costs beyond just the kit. And, of course, LABOR to install. I'd double that price...

I am with you. Escapism and thinking about trvel and woodworking is how I survive. Social media is a huge negative force in this country.

When CAFE was instituted in '78, the goal was to raise the average from 18 to 27.5 by 1985. Except for a dip to 26.0 in '86-88, it remained 27.5 thru 2010. Because it takes YEARS to effect an average change on a scale like that. And I point out that MPG in '78 wasn't ONE MPG; passenger cars had a significant numeric jump on '27.5' already under their belts; it was 18.0 in 1978, so that was a 50% increase in 8 years. A tall order from a manufacturer's POV, but since not that much focus had been executed to that point, there was ample 'room' for improvement. The highest peak (cars and light trucks) in that era reached 26.2 in 1987. In 2004, the CAFE was 24.6, as average vehicle weights increased from 3200 lbs to 4000 lbs- mostly as a result in the increasing market share march of light trucks. In 2007, the EISA bill was passed, raising the CAFE bar to 35 by 2020. In 2012, the Obama Administration proposed to raise the CAFE to 54.5 MPG by 2025, a straight up arbitrary doubling with no consideration or knowledge of the feasibility of doing such. That was a 100% increase in 13 years. While manufacturers had already started gearing for that change (and DID accomplish a significant fleet rise since '78), it was rescinded by the Trump Administration in 2016. There is some degree of 'law of diminishing returns' in play at this point; CAFE isn't a result of simply turning a dial. In contrast, some local politicians are --likewise with no consideration or knowledge of the industry-- proposing to take nearly the same time interval (14 years) and increasing the EV market by around 5000% (2% > 100%). [I think I have that math right.] This, despite the obvious- increasing the MPG of passenger cars was only projected to cost the consumer something like $500-$1000, vs. the current EV consumer cost increase of $10,000-$25,000. These proposals and talks of mandated bans are NOT remotely workable in this time frame.

Very cool, in Russia, air brushing one's auto for custom look is exploding. Have to say, some pretty cool art work. https://jalopnik.com/russias-airbrushed-car-scene-is-out-of-control-1843107995

This is beyond abhorent....Farmers equipment torched in Nebraska, probable arson. Trump flags on the equipment. So terribly sad. Neighbors coming to help. America is a good country, despite our differences. Country is out of control....metal fence in Washington DC, bracing for riots. Very sad.

Hurricane ehaded for Nicaragua, a lot of sympathy for people in the path of this thing. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/03/world/americas/hurricane-eta-live-updates.html?action=click&module=Latest&pgtype=Homepage

I sort of agree in a way. The Free market, not political forces, will determine the success of EV vehicles. Still think that there should be a mandate for eV's though, and a phase out of ICE on a fairly rapid basis. That being said, I really want a Rivian if they are ever affordable used.

I have nothing further, your honor.

I'm going to liquidate some vintage stuff I've had for years & don't need. I picked up this '52 Pontiac light-up hood ornament from a junkyard I used to frequent heavily- I'm sure I've owned this since the late '80s. Hope to get $275 for it as is.

In other thoughts...Covid will be with us for a good long while. India and Pakistan have a huge surge in cases. And in places like Nepal...which get most of thier foreign income from tourism...they are having a fire economic crunch. Which is making financing thier overburdened health system even more difficult.

We are going to play hell when we start running short of the stuff On the contrary we are all blinded by our own biases and cultural upbringing. Are you saying you are without bias or presuppositions?

Exactly. Not helped much by celebrities who are more accessible through the media and pitch their points of view, which stupid people buy, yet these celebrities are in no way qualified to opine professionally on much of anything other than their occupations. And, as usual, I get a downvote on my comment ... which would be fine if it was accompanied by a cogent argument. It never is. Instead, it's a lob and run.

Ashtray from Belgium celebrating teh anniversary of a GM plant there.

I remember getting passed by one on an off ramp by a guy doing like 90.....he bit the concrete wall and the Escort came apart spectacularly. Guy was OK but I bet his insurance went way up. https://www.trucks.com/2020/10/27/waymo-daimler-self-driving-truck-partnership/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=popup&utm_content=ram

I just saw two Ford Escorts this morning.....like late 80s ones-threw me off a bit....

One word: OMG, Genesis GV70!