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Next summer, Cadillac will introduce two high-performance vehicles to their roster, the 2022 CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing. These sport sedans will be offered with a 6-speed manual transmission as standard, with a 10-speed automatic transmission available at additional cost. While the stick-shift has throwback associations, the Blackwings will be General Motor’s first production vehicles to use 3D-printed parts, including air ducts, an electrical harness bracket, as well as a stylish medallion emblazoning the shift knob. For the uninitiated, manual transmission vehicles are equipped with a third pedal to the left of the brake that’s referred to as the clutch. Depressing the clutch pedal enables different gears to be selected with the shifter, allowing different amounts of power to be allocated to the wheels. While this process takes a little extra practice and coordination, manual gear changes affords a more engaging driving experience and a greater sense of control over the vehicle. Autotrader

On Topic of Alternative Energy Auto's, Lucid has completed their manufacturing plant and posted a video about it. Very cool as we have another EV auto company in production. I will also say that the plant looks more like the original OEM's of Detroit than the mess at Tesla.

Well... let's let it happen before we pop the sham-pog-knee.

Interesting stories today. First is on the top 10 wipers. I use what is rated #1 Bosch wipers and am interested in what others use and why? For me Bosch last about 2 years for me on an auto along with using RainX on the windshields. Just seems to be a superior super clean wipe. 10 best wiper blades for 2020 - Roadshow (cnet.com) The other interesting story is the all new GM 3D printing and Development Center. This is a 15,000 sqft center with 24 3D printers that can produce both metal and polymers 3D parts. One of the biggest questions by people is, is this not just a hobby by computer nerds and how can it hold up to industrial use? Answer is that this process has shown to reduce on average in metal parts by 14 welds and 32% less weight. An example of this is the Aluminum oil tank and inlet assembly on the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette C8 auto. Additional benefit is how fast 3D printing allows prototyping in comparison to hand made prototypes. GM has also installed multiple 3D printers in their Arlington, Texas factory where they have produced Nylon Carbon fiber tools that weight in on average of less than 3lbs to replace tools that used to weight between 10 to 40 lbs. for the assembly of the Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac Full size SUVs and trucks. 3D printing has also been used in the production of the Chevrolet Bolt EV and the Hummer EV Battery pack speeding up the assembly and production of various modules. GM has also confirmed that many of the new parts found in the up coming Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing will be built on 3D printers. GM opens new 3D-printing development center - Roadshow (cnet.com) Interesting in that in this story, while the CT4 & 5 V Blackwing edition will get a manual, it will be one of the last options offered as the auto's with the 10 speed auto will be produced first and other options before a manual will come towards the end of the first year of production. 3D printing helps bring the Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing models to life (cnet.com) SUPERCRUISE is coming to the GMC Sierra 1500 Denali in late 2022. Super Cruise is coming to the GMC Sierra 1500 Denali (cnet.com) For those that love books, some sad news for you in regards to auto repair manuals. Haynes if following the path of many other auto repair manual publishers and moving to Digital versions only. Haynes will continue to print existing manuals but like everyone else starting with 2021 Auto's, repair manuals will only be available in Digital form. Get your Tablet purchased. Haynes to cease printing new repair manuals, moves to online guides (cnet.com)

One of Sicily's most mercurial citizens, going by the name of Mt. Etna, has erupted today. They say that the suburban towns of the island's second largest city situated further down on its slopes are not in any danger. Still, I would not live on the slopes of Mt. Etna. You can live in towns further away and have postcard views of it instead.

Learned my local Cadillac dealer is NOT one of the 150+ that opted out, so they're staying in the game. Salesman was telling me of the some of the upgrades- neither the Chevy-Cadillac dealer, or the Buick-GMC store across the street has chargers right now, so dedicated lines have to be installed, set up the logistics of having cars come in to charge. He said GMC is getting one of the Hummer Edition Ones, and there's a whole register/verify/deposit thing before you can even test drive it. Also said they have to install a stronger lift, because all they have is 8000lb lifts, so apparently the Hummer EV is going to curb well above 8K. Amazing considering a Yukon is what- 6000?

And out of those four redundant articles, name on state legislator or politician that actually sponsored a bill for secession like Texas did. Also, consider the fact that a dozen red states already beat California to the punch in 2008 and 2012. 2020, for reference, https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/529926-texas-gop-chair-appears-to-suggest-secession-after-scotus-rejects 2012 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/states-petition-to-secede-from-union/ https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2012/11/13/white-house-flooded-with-secession-petitions-after-obama-re-election Plenty of others like that but, unlike yourself, I'll save you the redundancy. Point being, two things. One, if you're going to criticize California like that, then you have to include all those red states and especially that hellhole known as Texas which leads to point two which is clearly that the red states were producing snowflakes (or "whiny brats", if you will) eight years before California, all because a black democrat was in office. Pot, meet kettle. SHALL I GO ON?

Kudos to Cadillac for keeping Hi-Po sedans in their catalogue. Going to say it tho; via the above pic, that 3-D button looks kinda crappy in quality. Hopefully just the pic.

I am a Star Trek fan as well, but I prefer to think of my cars as women, like in Gone in 60 seconds ?

cah-NAH-dah :

Today was cookie making day. Tins to be safely dropped off to relatives/family. We made Mexican Wedding cookies, those snow ball looking ones. Gingerbread everything, Snickerdoodles, Chocolate Chip, Candy Can cookies and the final is a White Chocolate / Craisins butter cookie.

Time wears down all things- only so much one can do RE maintaining perfection, esp once the miles add up. Otherwise, you are investing steady money re-doing things in the later years. - - - - - Changed my oil today (awl by mineself!), so as usual I gave things a look-over underneath- something the grease monkeys don't care to do. 203K miles and my truck is getting TERRIBLE below decks. Rockers I knew were bubbling... but there's a major crack from the rocker/floor seam heading toward the door jamb, and at least the 2 body mounts on that side are looking bad. What is someone expected to do- once you see corrosion coming around around the body bushings; pay to have the body lifted off the frame and scrape/repaint all the mounts, then replace the bushings? Who does that on a daily driver?? Answer: no one. Mechanically it's great. Checked the trans fluid and it was down about a half quart- this is the first time I've EVER added fluid to it (other than filter changes). Pan is a little damp on the outside- maybe the gasket is seeping. But the body is getting too rough. Behind the rear axle is super scaly. I'm going to cancel my KBB evaluation for Tuesday. It's about 25 mins north of me, and my regular dealer is 0.8 miles away. I just don't want to waste their time- truck wouldn't even going to a wholesaler. I'll get what I can get for it privately. Meanwhile, the new truck ordering is a GO!

Oh yeah!

Just about finished with my bathroom.

^ So does everyone else.

Forgot to mention, Last Friday I choose to surprise my wife by redoing our bedroom. Happy Wife, Happy Life. So I emptied it out, prepped it, Textured the room and repainted it along with an Accent Wall and then moved everything back in. She was very happy, I got it all done in 6 days and still managed to keep my skiing reservations.

Today was my second time on the Mountain for Ski Season. Awesome, 12 runs made, 21.5 miles skied. Was a Perfect Blue Bird day and more snow comes in tonight! Epic requires total coverage to keep everyone including the employees safe. As such, I am only happy to oblige so that I can enjoy skiing the mountain. Mr. Brooks and Mrs. Daisy Sasquatch are having a good day! Last Saturday was Opening day of Skiing and it was excellent on all the signage and safety they had. Bug Man skiing!

Haha, while ignoring the elephant in the room... CALIFORNIA... the biggest whiny brat in the union.

I just wanted to see if, in addition to all the car geeks, we have Star Trek geeks too? I've always kinda thought about my vehicles as classes of ships from the series. I just wondered if any of you Star Trek (or other Sci Fi series) thought about it in the same way. Like my Toronado is a Constitution Class - Old and out of date, requires a bit of tinkering down in engineering to keep running right, not particularly fast, but be good to her and she'll always get you home. I already have my other two thought out, but I want to see if anyone else participates before I share them.

^^^ Thanx. I re-read my post and the posting style on it sounds...condescending to me. I didnt mean it to be condescending. I wanted the post to come off as a slight debate, while at the same time agreeing with you. Im glad you read it as the way I wanted it to be. Yes...all those luxury brands I mentioned, at least the American ones, co-existed with car companies that wanted to sell higher volumes for the Average Joe. In Europe, the tendency for automobile manufactures was to cater to the rich. One of the Mercedes-Daimler-Benz trio wanted to produce a vehicle for the masses. I forget which one. All three men had their (and Maybach making it 4 men) all had their own company and they all merged together at different times. Very confusing history this company... It was Hitler who had ultimately decided though that Germany needed a people's car. And 'twas Porsche who delivered it for Germany...albeit after the war...as the Bug was made into a Wehrmacht personnel carrier... I do believe Porsche worked at Mercedes in the 1930s... In Italy, Fiat produced cars for the Average Joe. But Alpha Romeo was for the rich. In any case, Europe would never reach the levels of automotive construction and affordability as of that of America in that time. It took Europe up until the 1990s for Average Joe Europeans to afford vehicles the way Americans and Canadians did and continue to do so. I also agree, EVs...for the Average Joe to buy them, and for them to ACTUALLY BECOME mainstream, the prices HAVE to be in the area you mentioned. I do not know if Tesla could ever become a mainstream EV brand, because of what they now have as brand recognition as a top EV brand, or because they wont be enjoying the economies of scale the way General Motors does, but it will take an ICE manufacturer of the likes of GM or VW or Toyota to BE that mainstream EV maker and offer EVs in that lower price bracket as they could offer higher priced EVs with their luxury makes to offset the still expensive batteries and EV tech.

sure. Like Duesenberg, Bentley, Packard, Rolls-Royce, Alfa Romeo, Benz, Cadillac, Buick, Mercedes, Peerless, Pierce-Arrow. (all car companies that were pioneers and at the forefront of automobile making and most of those companies bore the name of their founders and/or engineers) Tesla, Lucid, Rivian all fall inti that category above. These latest, modern companies that happen to produce EVs just fall into that same path that their ICE counterparts did over 100 years ago. Tesla, Lucid, Rivian never once said they'd be producin' EVs for the Average Joe to afford. What IS missing in the EV manufacturing arena IS an EV company like a FoMoCo where the INTIAL business case IS to build for the average Joe. However...how many companies did Ford have to go through to actually achieve this? One of his former companies that he founded actually became a premier luxury company that is still producing luxury vehicles... The 1st Model T was sold in 1908. Duesenberg was founded in 1913. I dont think the Duesenberg brothers cared that much for that part of the market. Ditto for Mr. Rolls and Mr. Royce. Who happened to found their company in 1906. The Dodge Brothers who worked for Henry Ford went on their own way in 1914 wanted to produce cars for the Average Joe. But yeah...Lucid, Tesla, Rivian is for the people who have dough. Lots of it. GMC-HUMMER, Cadillac EVs are for people who have lots of do-re-mi as well. Audi. M-B. But that is a gimme as their ICE counterparts are meant for folks who have money to burn. Chevrolet, VW, Toyota, Ford...those are the manufacturers that are to produce EVs that you and I could afford. But these are not out yet. And how much will these at Chevrolet, VW, Toyota, Ford will cost? Well...we dont know, but the Mustang Mach E from Ford starts at 43 000 and ends at 60 000. So around 52 000 would be the norm I guess. Is that affordable? I dont know...but considering that the F-150 pick-up starts at 30 000 and ends at 75 000 and the Mustang ICE coupe...starts at 23 000 and ends at 53 000, Id say the Mach E's price is right in the middle of Ford's bread and butter model and just above Ford's iconic sports coupe... Not quite in the footsteps of a Model T...but not that far off of a mid 1960s Personal Coupe Thunderbird either...

Oh come on! You dug that ridiculous hole! Why stop now? Why the hesitation to hold states like Texas to the same standard as you apply to California? You claim CA folks are just a bunch of “whiny brats” and then act like you had your “gotcha” moment about secession while ignoring the fact that red states were doing it long before Cali.

Lucid : yet another luxury plaything.

8000 lbs isn't a failure weight, but a safety 'buffer' point. 7000 lbs would be fine on a 8000 lb lift. Hummer has to be over 8000 base weight. My buddy has a shop with (3) 2-post lifts. I helped him install all 3, and I believe one is 12K lbs. 5-6 years later and nothing's broken, came loose or cracked.

DROVE a '21 Silverado High Country Duramax today. Pretty NICE (should be with a sticker of $66K).

Spotted on December 13 "The Germans are coming, the Germans are coming ..." Never mind, they've already left. These "imported for Buick" Regal wagons seem lengthier than how they looked when in the showroom.

^^^ Kwebeck more precisely

@balthazar I think weather (salt breeze by an ocean, dry dry climate with an occasional gust of wind containing sand if near a dessert, humid/damp climates and below freezing temps and salt on road surfaces as an icemelter) are the real killer of cars more than time (itself) and wear and tear. Its when servicing and replacing (parts) and issues become more frequent and less worth it to continue to do so is when cars should be thought of to be disposed of. Of course safety has to be factored in. Weather...just accelerates the time part of that equation. I once said in here that Id rather buy new rather than used. I got chastised for it. Well...potholes, salted roads, below freezing weather wreaking havoc on seals (yup...below freezing weather screw up seals as much as hot dry climates...), engines blocks, sensors...because...at least I start with a new canvas...a new clock that starts at zero and the countdown begins when I first drive it. Buying a used car could be a gamble as one does not know how well the previous driver maintained and utilized the car. If one buys a 3 year old car...in a climate that eats up cars, and that used car was not maintained properly, the amount of money saved on depreciation could very well be EASILY spent and BYPASSED on PROPER repairs. Thus saving nothing and possibly be BEHIND. Its a gamble. To which I dont want to play. I make enough money and have enough cash flow as to not have to bat an eyelash for such a gamble. Not worth the risk for me. I was laughed at by another poster telling me to buy an American vehicle. Well, my awesome government wants to prevent such endeavors so my government puts all kinds of regulatory and financial obstacles to deter such behaviour. Unless we are talking about hobby/toy cars, again, not worth the trouble. Then he suggested I buy from British Columbia. Vancouver area and have it shipped to Montreal... Vancouver is rainy. Rain is just as bad for corrosion as is salt on icy roads... He might not believe so....but what could I tell ya... Again...looking for a daily driver and not a toy...not worth the hassle for me. Shipping and the gamble that the car might get damaged from shipping...Vancouver to Montreal is..well...far. Only to buy a car that comes from that far and realize its in bad shape. Not how it looked in the pictures as we all know how honest fellow human beings could be, ESPECIALLY in the car world... All that just to say to you: CONGRATS ON YOUR NEW CAR PURCHASE!!!

They live in Blythe, CA and don't have a carport? - - - - - Spotted on December 9 - my second favorite color for this car, minus spoiler, after basic white:

As mentioned in other thread- cancelling that KBB appointment. Going to see about stopping in at my local dealer tomm and starting The Talk.

Just sad that anyone would let their auto get in that sad of a state.

I never liked this gen Malibu. Or any of the rest of the A-Body cars that shared this body style. (Buick Century, Olds Cutlass 4 door Salon, Pontiac Bonneville and Lemans 4 door, mind you, the Lemans coupe I liked...) But somehow, in that state, I like.

Can’t effect on what went on 50 years ago, either way. 100 years ago there was NO income tax. I guess one big takeaway is; how does one define the oft-lobbed “fair share”?? If the top 5% pay 53%... should it be 60%? 80%? Where do we put the pin in at? And IF they pay markedly more, is everyone else’s taxes going to go down? At ALL??

I am a Star Trek and Star Wars Fan. Putting my auto's in to either I end up with the following: Star Trek My SS is the Belknap class or strike cruise My Escalade ESV Platinum is the Constellation class cruiser My Suburban is the Constitution class Heavy Cruiser Star Wars My SS is the Millennium Falcon. My Escalade ESV Platinum is the Naboo Royal Starship My Suburban is the Star Freighter

There are 2 categories involved: tax evasion (illegal) and tax avoidance (legal). 'Loopholes' fall under tax avoidance, which is permissible via the IRS. And some evasion dollars are inadvertent errors rather than intentional (and some of that gets corrected via audits / tax owed corrections). The only truly damnable scenario is intentional under-payment; tax evasion. In 2008-2010, Individual tax evasion were 44% of revenue shortfalls, and payroll / self-employment tax evasion came in at 39%. Corporate-level income tax evasion accounted for only 9% of tax revenue in the same period. (~Brookings Institute).

Im not a Star Trek geek, no. Iv seen some original Star Trek episodes on reruns when I was a kid in the '70s, saw the first two movies in the 80s. Was never a fan of the Picard stuff. The rebooted JJ Abrams movies, imo, were great, but Im not a Star Trek geek. Im more of a Star Wars geek. But as not as geeky enough as to think of my car(s) as Star Wars ships. Interesting geeky idea though. 1. I think of my Acura TL as some sort of a US Airforce stealth fighter though as the TL has all kinds of weird angles and triangular shapes, like a stealth fighter would. Plus mine is the charcoal black colour as well. I think that kind of thinking is geeky enough. 2. my imaginations have run wild on me from time to time and I sometimes do dream of what kind of character Id be in a movie. I geek out that way from time to time. If I was living in the period of the 'ole west, Id be a saloon owner. Id be an excellent pistoleer as I would be practicing shooting every day just in case a drunken outlaw would try to get the upper hand in my saloon, or they would get testy playing poker or defend my family, house and property just in case the railway companies would want to take over my land... In Star Wars, Id join the rebels and be an X-Wing fighter pilot. Back home, Id have a Diner of some sort on a planet that the Empire sucked dry. Id leave my wife run it while Id try to free the Galaxy from the clutches of Darth Vader and beyond... Id bump into Han Solo and Jedi Master Luke Skywalker from time to time, but mostly Id go rogue on my own and cause my own havoc on Stormtroopers and the Empire and First Order.

I like ST just fine, but I tend to think of my vintage vehicles like various serial killers. I see a self-proported 'fast' car and I want my vintage iron to rip it apart.

Have an appointment Tuesday at a nearby dealer to have a KBB evaluation on my 2500HD. Prep work for New Truck Time.

It's not 'my' assessment, it comes from the Dept of the Treasury. Here's older info, but not that markedly different than now, I believe. >>"In 2001, the top 5% of taxpayers paid more than one-half (53.3%) of all individual income taxes, but reported roughly one-third (32.0%) of income. Taxpayers who rank in the top 50% of taxpayers by income pay virtually all individual income taxes. In all years since 1990 {to 2001], taxpayers in this group have paid over 90% of all individual income taxes. In 2000 and 2001, this group paid over 96% of the total."<< What that last point leaves you with is, the bottom 50% paid about 4% of all taxes. I love the narrative that 'the rich "don't pay taxes", corporations "don't pay taxes", we KNOW the bottom 50% don't pay taxes... yet somehow the IRS takes in 4 TRILLION / yr. Somebody is lying. Something from Pew Research, if you like their POV :

The guy driving it looked exactly like you are picturing he did.

Please don't.

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-california-secede-20161206-story.html https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/10/us/california-today-secession-trump.html https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/11/26/calexit-just-some-flaky-california-dreamin/ https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/233678/secession-politics-makes-sense-california.aspx Shall I go on?