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It's not about putting down the fork. It's about changing what that fork picks up.

@Drew Dowdell Thank you for all you do and for letting a bit of RAGE happen as sadly, you nailed it that politics is intertwined with the auto industry due to various view points. @ccap41 @A Horse With No Name @surreal1272 @Robert Hall @trinacriabob @oldshurst442 I think we all would agree that life has been changed by those of the 1% focusing on themselves rather than society. Yes, we have had a fair share of political posting and rage, yet we all do still love auto's in one way or another. In this regards, we all have our favorite auto area and due to inflation costs as well as the 1% pushing prices on old iron up to levels that I would say we all here cannot afford, we have to look at other ways to enjoy life. Yet, the passion for self transportation is still there be it biking, walking or driving and I hope that we can still find that passion to have interesting conversations on the auto industry. Right now, my own job has been extremely busy so that I have not had much time to write for this site, but I do hope to increase in the coming months as things wind down before I get crazy with tradeshow season in January. Expect to see some stories based on the release of new auto's from the LA autoshow. I am excited for some of the releases and that even includes the new Kia Telluride that is expected to be Hybrid and look very much like an EV9. This brings up my own wondering if Kia might retire the EV lineup and with their new Platform that supposedly supports ICE/Hybrid/EV having a Telluride cover all three areas rather than an EV line and an ICE/Hybrid line. LA Autoshow is coming soon. Happy Hump day to all! 🐫 Very interesting read on Regenerative braking. Does Regenerative Braking Wear Down Brake Pads Or Save Them?

You're right. At the time, the forum was more GM-centric and all of the car divisions were around, with Oldsmobile just having exited. The Canadians on here were just like the Americans and they themselves also had a long history with GM cars that they owned or that their families had owned. Some of these folks were interesting, and even funny. One such person was a Torontonian who had held a lot of different jobs, one of which was selling GM cars. He took us back to the Toronto that had a sizable middle class thriving there, unlike the very expensive Toronto of today. He told quite a few ribald stories, sometimes oversharing, but they made for interesting reading. He had a significant other from Brazil, so he began dividing his time between Toronto and Brazil and then participated less and less. But he made some eye opening posts! Yep, it was just normal back and forth car stuff - commenting about mostly ICE coupes and sedans that were still around - or just random daily cartoon strip stuff that was happening in our lives. During this period, I met one of the more understated Canadians on the forum when I was in Canada on vacation and he had recently picked up a babied rust-free Cutlass Supreme colonnade. That meeting was a good experience.

Same. I have no problem with a little auto related politics but most of the last few months here has been basically a bunch of “F America” nonsense with no real substance. Just trolling is all it is and at 52 years old, I have better things to do than to constantly sift through the same nonsense just to read something of actual interest.

It's painful to be an auto enthusiast these days. All of the fighting over stupid political shit is such a turn off. Like what you like and don't yuk other people's yums.

So stop it.

While I agree with your overall position here, you have to accept your role in feeding the troll during all of this.

I miss sedans and big coupes. Sure, there are some left, but what's left isn't great. As much as we all nitpicked about some of the sedan offerings in the final years, most of them were pretty darn good even if they weren't what this crew thought of as "perfect". The Continental, Fusion platform and all, was still a very very nice car to wheel around. The Avalon and Maxima were built to eat up highway, the Crown is just kinda meh. The Buick Lacrosse Avenier was better than most Cadillacs from 10 years prior. Fusion and MKZ hybrids were comfy and efficient. Mazda 6 was a sexy sport sedan. Where are all the Eldorados? Where are the Rivieras? Why are my only two options the 4-series and CLE?

And one of them stayed in the extended family...

I love the M1, was thinking of this from the N and W. https://www.american-rails.com/nwk.html Norfolk and Western K class, right before the J class. I ride slowly and with caution, but sometimes bike on roads with cars. I prefer to ride around as few cars as possible. Need to visit both. I have been biking the Little Miami trail here in Ohio, Lincoln rode on it back in the day when it was a railroad. In Milford junction there is a bike shop with an old PRR schedule still in a ticket window from 1930. https://www.miamivalleytrails.org/trails/little-miami-scenic-trail My son is an absolute beast on a motorcycle, as his dad I am hugely relieved that most of his two wheel time any more is spent on a bicycle, not a motorcycle.

it's painful because former fun things like SCCA racing and autocrossing are also full of political banter, as is the vintage car show scene. If you live your life in a constant state of rage, you have let the evil bastards win. Going to live life to the fullest. I used to be 66 Stang on here....was born in 65. In 1965, Gulf of Tonkin and the Vietnam war was just starting up. Were I to be an enthusiast in 1965/1966, I would just go buy a Mustang Fastback or GTO or something. The problem now is that the interesting stuff is often not available here, or that ideas are dying out. Balthazar, god rest his soul, would tell you the vintage scene is not dying out, it is, slowly but surely as the folks that bought muscle cars new age out. The autocross and sport compact scene also. People are still building cars, but much fewer. For me, interesting means gets me to the hike and bike thing safely and efficiently with a little bit of style.

Unfortunately, it's no longer possible to disconnect politics from automotive. There once was a time when the U.S. government just set safety and efficiency standards and let the rest of automotive go about its day. Now we have an activist government that is breaking apart decades or even century old auto manufacturing supply chains to try and score political points without any contingency plans in place. It has forced our closest trading partners into an "enemy of my enemy is my friend" stance and pushed them to make deals with China instead of us. It has undone progress the prior administration made in bringing manufacturing back to the US via EV regulations, entirely counter to the current admin's stated goals. It's all just so stupid and unnecessary, but there's no way to avoid it anymore. I too long for the days when we could just complain about CAFE standard or the weight gained from improving crash scores.

This works perfectly for me, I have family that I love that is highly religious that I disagree with politically. This shut down worked in my favor.....not buying tickets for the holidays, its unsafe to do so. Good thing Ohio has rail trails to ride, lots of forest to hike, lots of brewpubs to enjoy, and Columbus has one of the best library systems in the country. I am going to have a banging holiday in solitude. Ohhh, and the University I work for pays 2 1/2 times normal rate for boiler room duty when we are shut down over the holidays. Paying for my last trip to Boston/Maine and paying cash for a Ranger Road trip with my wife to the Badlands in South Dakota with my wife in the spring....is a win. My fitness coach always says she would rather I weigh my food than weigh myself. I like you, but you need to bring positive content for me to take you seriously.

And Transportation Secretary Duffy says that if the shutdown continues for much longer, flights will be shut down just in time for Thanksgiving. Ain't it grand? So glad I have no plans on flying any time soon.

That second sentence is all me as well. A lot of workshop and creating time instead of engaging in cesspool conversations with the same s*** stirrers around here..

I have chosen to be positive, but honest. Not sure what the future holds, I am fine with that. Might retire elsewhere, might retire here. Unsure. I chose time in my workshop, time on my bike, time hiking, time reading, time listening to music...spent 5 hours listening to music and doing nothing else after work yesterday. Soul healing. CCAP, I disagree with you on some issues, agree on others. I feel no need to endlessly post burning American flags, it does no good. The Ranger on the other hand, 123,000 miles on it and headed to Roanoke Virginia for a 4 day hiking trip this weekend. It's brilliant for hauling bikes, I just wish they still built the shorter cab/longer bed layout. Peace out, anti psychotic drugs as well if you all wish to use them. I would love for this site to return to an automotive discussion. What I really want to discuss is road trips, not cars so much any more.

There used to be less of the childish political back and forth back then too. The increase in these posts has an effect on overall participation here. Sorry it has come to this @Drew Dowdell.

I miss mid size or larger sedans, coupes and 4 seat convertibles.

@oldshurst442 You should be happy for a car option. 2026 Honda Prelude is getting good press for being a better, faster hybrid than Toyota has. After Driving The New Honda Prelude, I Think Toyota Finally Has A Reason To Worry 2026 Honda Prelude Revealed: Iconic Model Returns with Hybrid-Electric Power, Type R Chassis Hardware and New Honda S+ Shift

Yes, it cleaned up nicely. In early June, Hill Valley Auto (the local shop that restored my '87 Mustang) had hauled all the vehicles to it's shop nearby and got most everything running for the auction in July, except for the V8 Explorer (locked up engine, rusted out frame) and Bronco II (rusted out broken frame).

Another K class mountain.

I sat in her in Roanoke before she was restored to service. One could argue that their were prettier streamlined locomotives, but I would disagree. ...just in time for my next purchase.,...hmmm... Yeah....and in another life where I actually buy a motorcycle, I think owning a Honda 125 dirt bike or the like would serve me well. I try to take everyone's viewpoint into consideration. It will be a badass reef, my friends have dived on the Orinskay in Florida, awesome dive. At sixty, I am living my best life! Feelin grovy! Heck yes.

I'm both surprised and grateful I didn't make that list. 🤣

It's Whopper* Wednesday! Get the app and eat ... eat - - - - - * regular or Impossible

Just for its humor value, the guy that was running for mayor of New York City who had 16 cats in his apartment got 16% of the vote. For being as eccentric as he was, it was surprising to see that he was the GOP candidate. He's got quite the local accent, so the whole kit of parts is really quirky. Probably an interesting guy to talk to.

You're not wrong, at all.

That is what my wife has been doing to lose weight. She tracks everything these days lol.

Both, I find tracking macros, cutting unecessary carbs, eating a lot of veggies, and getting enough protein is huge.

Let's talk about how all of this crap is actually affecting things, Chaos with airlines here. its soul healing, I made something for a co worker, she was sooooo happy to get it. I am more worried about my own legacy when I die, and I want my legacy to be one of positivity and kindness. People who are assholes their whole lives will die without a chance to ever change that. Drew is absolutely a stand up guy, and the world would be an infinitely better place with more guys like him.

Excellent. Again, Hiking and Biking help.

https://1drv.ms/v/c/148803c5cab29553/EWZKva1axEZPuPZ6S_tcyi8BPy_mv9kJedG_3YEZ4rqDOA?e=bPhWAQ

probably maple maga some of them. Phoque them too!!! Phoque maple maga!!! Phoque the usa!!! Phoque americans!!! https://1drv.ms/v/c/148803c5cab29553/EWZKva1axEZPuPZ6S_tcyi8BPy_mv9kJedG_3YEZ4rqDOA?e=bPhWAQ

There used to be a fair number of Canadians on the forum. Things change over time.

That's fantastic. I've heard that 2 pounds a week is the maximum safe amount, so about 8 pounds a month. I just want to lose about 12 pounds. They are stubborn. When they put in my height and weight at the doctor's office, it shows an above optimal BMI. I wear jeans and pants with a 34 inch waist - for at least 2 decades now - and I don't really have a stomach, so these BMI charts don't account for all situations. The holidays really mean about 2 or 3 gluttonous meals. The real problem is when you travel by ship. One guy at the table back on the April crossing said that the 5 to 7 pound weight gain usually comes off on its own because you return to eating much smaller meals like an on-off switch. He was sort of right.

Since making major changes to my diet and walking more, I’ve taken off 10 pounds in the last month. Still got a ways to go, but almost under 200lbs for the first time in 25+ years.

Just a different side of other posters here on this forum previously. Right now, I just spend a lot of time listening to music, a lot of time hiking, and a lot of time up on two wheels cycling. Reading fiction helps also. I need a fictional character with some of the insanity of folks here.

The new Prelude sort of looks like a less sleek coupe version of the latest Prius. I like the styling.

The Honda Civic hybrid is a substantially better hybrid than the Pruis.

I had my eye on that 7-series also, but I was going to be in enough trouble buying the 2-wheel BMW as it was. As I recall, the 7-series did leave the property under its own power.

Yes, Drew bought one of the bikes. A number of interesting autos too you had posted in that thread.

He left behind 12 non-running cars and trucks also. I think I've discussed my 2022 adventure here in past threads..his death left quite a mess for my sister and I to deal with. He was a difficult person. Found the thread, MudFarmLife 2022. By the time of the auction in July 2022, I had driven an extra 10k miles going back and forth from home to the farm (90 miles each way, 4-5 times a week).

She served as an excursion engine alongside 611 in the late 50's, but sadly was not preserved. Its wayyyyy to easy to accumulate wayyy to much stuff in this society. Sorry about the loss of your older brother. Model of a K class... Got to get busy, but I love, love, love this car.

I get the need for rebuilding reefs, but why not recycle this ship and use better environmental materials to build the reef. This just seems like a lazy way of getting rid of a ship.

I've blocked the noisemakers so I see less of it. At 55, I have better things to do also.

Very cool read that some here will find exciting, EV bringing back the excitement of RWD driving. EVs Are Ushering in the Return of Rear-Wheel Drive, and Here's Why

I've never heard that about the S1 and I know a lot about the S1. The S1 had problems, but flex and vibration weren't really it. The problem was really how long the wheelbase was and that on less than perfect track, a drive wheel could lift off the rail ever so slightly and cause wheel slip. I've often wondered if the design of this engine and the PRR T-1 had included gearing between the 2nd and 3rd drive axles to make both engines operate as one, would the problem have been resolved. What is impressive about the Mallard and the entire A4 class is that they are roughly 2/3s the size of the big American streamline steam. Though never officially recorded, both the T-1 and S-1 are said to have beaten the Mallard's record on regular runs, not just a special event. But it really shouldn't be a surprise since their boilers and boiler pressure capacity are so much higher than the A4. Get a T-1 out on the straight track between Cleveland and Chicago and it could do 130 - 140 the whole way, leaving the 126 mph Mallard way behind. This beauty, which still runs, was engineered for a top speed of 140, but only ever maxed out at 100. It's got tiny "legs" though with short drive wheels and it's claim to fame was that it could maintain 100 mph with a heavy train over the mountains. This was the pinnacle of steam technology.

Carbiz had a lot of good to say, last I knew, he moved to Brazil to be with his Boyfriend.

Man this video story shows just how many stupid americans are out on the roads and NOT able to drive. Highway Disaster Driver Cuts Off Semi Truck | Watch Tariff Turd47 actually thinks we are more respected now than at any other time in the history of our country. What a moron. Donald Trump issues Supreme Court warning before tariffs hearing Poor leadership and foot dragging by Stellantis for Ram, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler leads to death of an innovative startup that would have helped it with EV technology. I see Stellantis even farther behind than at the start of this year and do not see it surviving in its current form. Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep partner files Chapter 7 bankruptcy Partner company is dead, but the technology should live on under some other brand that buys the tech.

Toyota 2026 Lineup of Press Kits. Press Kits - Toyota USA Newsroom