oldshurst442

On ‎2016‎-‎11‎-‎26 at 9:48 AM, Frisky Dingo said:

For me...I dont know...

The Bentley convertible looks like a blob. Nothing grand about it exterior wise that makes me feel like a king of England...Its a Bentley for Christ's sake...

The Mercedes convertible. Its awright...but it dont make me feel anymore special either. That is why I chose the 4 door sedan version. The 4door Sedan S Class is a grand car. The Bentley Mulsanne is OK too, but if I owned Trump Towers and Trump Plaza along with a casino or two, honestly, with an ego that goes with slapping my name on everything, a Mulsanne wouldnt do either...

There is something about classic luxury American land yachts that exude that necessary elitism that goes with those high price tags but they those big ole land yachts have that certain je ne sais quoi arrogance that I look for.

Mercedes from time to time succeeds in mimicking Classic Cadillacs, Lincolns and Chryslers, but sometimes they dont.

Rolls Royce and Bentley, the modern ones, have too much German DNA in them...VW and BMW have no clue how to channel their arrogant management ways to style their cars.

The old Rolls and Bentleys had the English pompousness and snootiness that worked well in their designs and their marketing... 

'adequate power' levels is just as powerful a marketing tool that seduces me  as much as big fins and huge chromed bumpers or sleek, low, long, straight lines of a Lincoln Continental...

Sure, modern tech and materials beat the crap outta anything the 1960s gave us...

But really, how could that blob Bentley compare to this?

Cars like this you cruise around in....you dont drive fast, you want people to ogle you.

The only reason people ogle the owners of Bentleys is that even regular folk know that Bentleys cost a ton of money to purchase...its the price tag that gets the attention, not the artistry of the lines of the car...

That is why it  was and still is super important that Cadillac gives us this:

In other words. Neither the Bentley nor the Mercedes is majestic to my eyes.

The price tag is certainly majestic, but not the looks.

37 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Because European car makers feel a need for a billion different models and trim levels.  I like how Benz sells two doors, convertibles and wagons....but BMW and Benz are off of the chain when it comes to the number of different models.

It be awesome if it truly were different models...

Its more or less the same bloody model...

A 5 Series BMW is the 4 door.

A 6 Series is the coupe, is based off of the 5 Series and its platform.  Which is cool as the 6 Series looks nothing like the 5 Series...which is cool as odd numbers in the naming scheme equals 4 doors and even numbers constitute 2 doors....but, there is a 6 Series Grande Coupe which has, um, 4 doors...but that too is cool because like I said, the 6 Series looks nothing like the 5 Series, 4 doors or not...

But it would be cooler still if this pleasant anomaly would only exist at the 5/6 Series level.

The same madness happens with the 3 Series. Not cool.

M-B does the same thing, and will get nuttier still if this rumor in the article is correct.

I prefer when GM did it their way. Somehow GM's badge job engineering made more sense than the madness we are witnessing with M-B and BMW...

With GM, we often got 4-5 different names but twas 1 car...yet it seems less mad GM's way..

@Frisky Dingo

That 1st gen CLS is just mind blowin good.

It is also the first of a trend that even mainstream family haulin' sedans are copying,

Trendsetting awesomeness!!!

I loooooove this gen CLS as much as the 1st gen.

I have a feeling I will love the next gen as well.

The W211 E class was the last E Class I liked.

AMG on the CLS and on the S Class is what I lust over at Mercedes Benz.

And that is as far as it goes for me for Mercedes Benz in 2016 for me.

The SLS for me was OK. I liked it. But had I been a billionaire, I dont think Id buy one. Aston Martin or Lamborghini or Ferrari would get my money over the SLS.

 If I understood correctly...1 car, 2 different names...separated by trim level and performance?

Why the need to separate the car into 2 names?

Whatever the case may be...

As we all know, cars more often than not, are a depreciating asset.

When I went to school, in high school even...high school accounting economics class taught us to amortize depreciating assets...

People today dont amortize their stuff properly and its MANDATORY to do it right on cars....

Meaning....

The first step is to not buy toooooo much car than needed or afforded

The second step is to buy second hand if new is not feasible.

The third step is to NEVER EXCEED A MONTH LOAN MORE THAN 48 months.......

And if possible, take advantage of 0.9% or 1.9% financing...

The forth step is to keep that car up until it dies

The fifth step is to properly maintain the car

The sixth step is to keep in mind that cars need fixin and that means it takes  money

The seventh step is to NOT buy other junk when you are tight with money such as upgrading your cell phone every 6 months and to buy the latest fashion trends and to continually buy 6 dollar lattes at Starbucks...

Meaning...

Dont buy/lease Impala when Cruze is what could be afforded. And even then, buy Sonic if even a Cruze is toooo much car...

Cruze and Sonic too small?

Then a USED Impala should do....

OK....there are MANY options today, no need to buy Impala when specials on Accord is available or to even buy used when sooooo many cars from sooooo many manufactures exist but then again, the used  car market is flooded and so forth and so forth....

Bottom line is:

People dont AMORTIZE PROPERLY ANYMORE....

THEREFORE, I might sound self righteous...but I amortize properly.

Back in 2007....I owned 2 restaurants....

In 2005 I bought a $40 000 CDN Impala SS.

In 2007, I bought a 32 000 Ford Edge base model.

In 2009, the current restaurant I own helped in keeping the other restaurant afloat. It was bleeding money and the 1st restaurant's profits were used to pay the 2nd restaurant's bills.

I couldnt afford the 2007 Ford Edge.

I downsized to a 2009 Mazda 3 base model.

I did not have time to amortize the Edge properly but I had put a substantial down payment on it and when I traded it in for the Mazda, all I did was lower my payments to 200 dollars less per month, increased my loan to just 6 months more  than I would have for the Edge, and at that....the loan for the Edge was just a 48 month loan....

People are dumb with their money and they make dumb decisions with their money and while we could blame Corporations and banks that make it all too easy for the fools to part with their money, the REAL problem concerning this upside down thing rest SOLELY on the CONSUMER.

Yes yes.

Life happens and sometimes we have NO CHOICE to end up upside down....

I aint talking about THAT situation....

I am talking about when people DECIDE ALL BY THEMSELVES TO NOT AMORTIZE their purchases properly.....

And in 2016, there are a shtye load of people in that category...

31 minutes ago, Frisky Dingo said:

I don't recall FWD slugs (Buick) or smog-choked barges (Lincoln) being choices. Nice utter lack of attempts at playing, though, thanks. 

LOL.

1. I did answer the question at hand. I truly do prefer the S600 Guard over the Bentley, but...I prefer the older American cars over both...

2. That Lincoln, the smog choked one from the 70s, is probably LS swapped...so...it aint smog choked...

47 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Actually, I find the pic of Reagan more offensive than the eighties cars...anyhow....

Yes, I want stylish cars to continue, but there are very few modern cars I actually like.

Me and you...we are similar in thoughts....its scary.

I was watching a CNN special(s) the other day on the 70s and 80s...

5 or 6 one hour long episodes on each decade....half way through one of those was interrupted to mention Castro's passing...anyway...

Regan...

I was disgusted by him from those episodes...Rest in Peace Mr. Regan non the less...when I heard the documentary kept stressing the fact that HE KEPT STRESSING that the USSR is EVIL...

OK...back then I hated the USSR...but I was naive...but I was also a teenager...

Imagine how regular average Dimitri (Joe) Russians thought of us and our shytty ways everytime Regan called them evil...

Irony...visions of Donald Trump insulting tirades IMMEDIATELY came to my mind...

So yeah...I share your thoughts on that...

Oh...I just realized de-regulation that he made opened up the door for Wallstreet greed that is stll alive and well today...

OK...I dont know if de-regulation was the way to go to get America out of that economic rut, it did work, but a WORSE can of worms opened up...

Sorry for the political post..

Regarding car styling...

The expensive cars, the so-called luxury stuff...well...other than Aston Martin and the odd M-B CLS 4DOOR COUPE  and BMW M6 Grand Coupe, no modern car tugs at my passions.

I actually prefer the mainstream stylings of cars today rather than the expensive cars...BMW, M-B, Audi, Lexus, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Porsche (Panamera), Bugatti...all blah!!!

Here.

Here is another American land yacht Id rather...

If Im gonna spend a ton of money on a ride, I might as well choose something that has style and says to the receiving party that awaits my arrival: "Hey! I'M HERE!"

I want stylish cars to continue...if 4 door coupes is what it takes then HOORAY!!!

I remember a time when this rolling crap roamed the planet of America.

Let us present a VW product also during this same disgusting era of automobiles

Bricks on wheels

This is funny to me as it was during the 1980s that Mr. Ronald Reagan told Mr. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev:

I dont know what all this means, with all that bricks and walls coming down, but I really dont want to go back to the 1980s automotive styling....sure there were some nice cars around, most were FUGLY. I AM FULLY GRATEFUL WITH 4 DOOR COUPES ROAMING AROUND!!! 

Never liked a Bentley. Especially these modern ones.

I would take a 4 door S Class AMG.

Bullet proof and bomb proof version...

The S600 Guard....

But ultimately Id rather a classic restomod American land yacht from Cadillac or Lincoln or Oldsmobile..

While I agree with what Mr. DFELT and  CCAP, I personally will ALWAYS put the onus on the BUYER...

WHY?

Because he/she shoudnt be buying or leasing, especially leasing, new cars regularly if he/she cannot afford them. Leasing is good for some people, for most though, it shoudnt even be a thought let alone an action.

If people PREFER to bite off more than they could chew, let them choke...

Sure, banks and finance people and dealerships want to make money and morally they shoudnt take advantage of these people, but...this still falls under the responsibility of a consumer being responsible of his/her own finances...

Personally, I have some cash saved up in my bank account(s)...I CANNOT wait when interest rates sky rocket again so I could start making money off my hard work and smart consumer choices with my savings...

And no....while I do have some investments going on, I refuse to do heavy "investments" as greed fuels the dudes controlling the investment industry and I dont want any shyster telling me: "yo dude, the market had a hiccup today and poof, your money is gone..."

I remember the crazy '80s all too well...and sure enough, history repeated itself 20 short years later...

If somebody wants to keep up with the Jones-es and they end up hurting...not my problem.....and why do I feel like that?

Because while its great to have low interest rates when I buy big ticket items for myself...at this point in my life, it would be better if high interest rates would be available to me for the money I have earned and saved, high interest rates dont exist because it protects those fools that part with their money easily...

@A Horse With No Name I dont know why the need to change a good working car so often...

Then again I do...

Image and status and shyte...

Vanity is a sin....but then again, who listens to HIM anyway?

Im having a rough time with this.

1.  1974 Pontiac Trans Am

Why 1974. Because she was rated at 290 HP with the 455 SD as the 1973 is rated above the cut off point. The 1977-1979 Trans Ams barely made 200.  Its kind of a blur but I still get to have a 455 big block V8 with 290 horsies...I get the pre-catalytic converter mess too  and while the shaker hood was not functional, I  could remove the back plate easily...

2. 1994-1996 Chevrolet Impala SS. 260 Horsepower.

3. E39 BMW 540i

4.4 V8 rated between 282 and 291 HP. Saw one the other day in mint condition and I wanted it so bad!!! (you did not read that last part)

4. 1st generation Oldsmobile Aurora 4.0 V8 250 HP

5. 1987 Buick Grand National GNX

Rated at 276 HP

Jeep SRT I said...as a joke....

You did say you missed the first 4Runner  you had. I had that 4Runner in my mind when I mentioned the Jeep SRT....

Well good for you for going back to it!!!

2 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I think Acura is slipping from the minds of Honda management just as Lincoln is bringing us a refreshed MKZ, a refreshed/new 'Gator, the Conti....Cadillac is moving Forward....Lexus is moving forward and is #2 behind Benz in sales in the US...

BMW is holding onto and building their market share and Audi is weathering eleventy billion diesel gate scandals well.

Acura is getting a little bit lost in the shuffle. The ILX is not selling well enough to justify its existence as another model....the SUV lineup is as bland as watching a whale take a S#!t in the middle of the ocean....

Actually I take that back, from a marine biology standpoint watching a whale relieve himself might be more interesting than an RDX....

Kind of sad, actually. 

I agree.

There was a purpose for Acura in the 1990s.

It destroyed single handedly (let us not talk about GM's blunders and just praise Acura's raison d'etre in the 1990s) Oldsmobile and Pontiac and even Mercury carving out its own identity and put its own stamp of what a sport luxury doctor's car should be.

Oldsmobile was known for its technology in the past and Acura just ripped into Oldsmobile's reputation big time...

Today though, Acura seems more lost and Honda spinning its wheels with Acura worse than Oldsmobile and GM were in the 1990s.

At least Oldsmobile had some great trends going on to try to compete with Acura in the 1990s but the Acura juggernaut was too big for Oldsmobile to handle...GM had SAAB and FIAT and SATURN on their plate to really give Oldsmobile a boost with Aurora, Northstar and Shortstar but at least Oldsmobile was on the right track with the Aurora 1st gen, Intrigue, Alero, and OK with the last edition of Bravada and Aurora.

Acura's raison d'etre is non-existent in 2016.

Its an also ran brand.

Its a me too car company lost in the shuffle.

I dont like the TLX. Its bland, boring, stale.

An Accord seems like a better buy. Other than the SH-AWD and PAWS techs, there is no other reason to consider an Acura product over a Honda product.

Ditto with the ILX. The Civic is a more livelier product. Fun. Exciting to drive. Just as nice of an interior....

My Acura TL drives like a FWD car. Its heavy...

I dont mind it. Its a fine cruiser. Acura's were never cruisers. They were light on their feet.

Hey....the SH-AWD makes the car dance around corners, but the problem is, the drive itself does not make you want to make the car dance around a corner. The driving dynamics of it does not inspire continual dancing around corners...

Like I said....I....me...myself....I am not a driving around a corner type guy, but that is what Acura's were known for....fun driving dynamics...Acura lost that.

I havent driven the TLX, but I cant stand its looks. So I avoid it in the showroom. In fact. Im bored in the Acura showroom so I dont stay there anymore.

Yeah but....

We Greeks PHILOSOPHIZE EVERYTHING....

40 minutes ago, Wings4Life said:

“mostly the change in relation to our politics or religion” that conservatives tend to oppose

mostly the change...

mostly the change...

As soon as we seen fit that maybe we should change and adapt....we cease to be....um...conservative...

We have delved into the world of...liberal...

And...quite honestly...we HUMANS ALWAYS SEEM TO CHANGE AND ADAPT SOMEHOW...whether religiously or politically...

Im keeping this discussion only between us...we are both Greek. We tend to jab each other's Greekness and I like for us to keep that going...Im having fun with you when we do it. Im not insulted by it and I hope you are not insulted by it either.

I actually do like you Wings...you are Greek after all. We have to stay together....

From a Greek point of view...

From this:

We went to this:

 Like a total 180 degree turn.

Gone were Gods of Lust and Orgies and Gods of War to peace and love and not covet thy neighbors wife....

And we changed overnight as it seems...

The Romans had a harder time letting go of our 12 Gods than we did to become Christians. They even fed us to the lions several centuries after Jesus was Crucified...

The Greek Orthodox Church has accepted divorce.

King Henri VIII had to invent his own religion for that. Yet the Greek Orthodox Church is marching along  quite nicely adapting...even after the Ottoman Empire nearly destroyed us....

In fact, 'twas the Greek Orthodox Church that saved us....minus a few Greek Orthodox religious traitors, they were educated enough to keep our language and culture alive...you could argue conservative for the last part....

But...

When we have philosophized all the negatives and all the positives of EVERY single type of ruler-ship be it democracy or totalitarianism or royalty and we have concluded that each has its benefits and downfalls and depending on what situation we are in...that my friend is LIBERAL thinking.....to adapt to our environment....

Socrates, Plato and Aristotle...and others all have concluded this thousands of years ago....

So...I repeat...Greeks were never, are not, nor will they ever be conservative...it aint in our DNA.

Usually I get a good feel from you prior to your announcement. This time around, I have no clue how your thought process has been because we havent communicated enough.

I have no idea where to begin.

CUV?

SUV?

sports car?

luxury car?

FWD?

RWD?

Porsche Boxter?

You mentioned in a Dream Garage thread that you wouldnt mind owning a base Porsche Boxter...

Boxters are driver's cars and you are a "driver" kinda guy...you tend to look past dumb ass stereotypes and see a car for what it really is....

I go with Porsche Boxter.

But winter time is almost upon us....is a Boxter really in your mindset right about now? For all I know, it could be a Jeep SRT of some sort...

Ill keep the Boxter as my 1st guess and we will go from there.

We kept our family values, from the Ancient times.

We've ALWAYS respected and trusted our divinities. Whether the 12 Gods of Olympus or The Holy Trinity.

So that much is conservative...

Its EVERYTHING else...

We WERE NEVER AFRAID TO CHANGE AND INNOVATE.

In fact, WE CHANGED AND INNOVATED THE WHOLE WESTERN SOCIETY AT ONE POINT IN TIME...

AND WE DID THAT BY SHOWING AND SHARING OUR CULTURE TO OTHERS....MORE TO IT THAN THAT...WE EVEN TOOK OTHER CULTURES AND ADAPTED IT TO OUR OWN!!!

We have VERY LIBERAL ideas of how to govern....We identified and philosophized many aspects of life including love and sex...

Hell, we have written many many books on that several thousand years ago...

And so much more philosophical stuff!!!

Nah! We aint a conservative people!

WE EMBRACE CHANGE...

THAT IS WHY THERE ARE MORE GREEKS LIVING OUTSIDE OF GREECE IN OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE WE HAVE ADAPTED QUITE NICELY!!!

3 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

It's called a joke. Maybe you've heard of it?

He is too conservative to laugh.

Hell, he is sooooooo conservative and tight assed about holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion that he is reluctant to even grin...

Yes Wings....I know what it means....

As per YOUR definition:

holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion.

See where it says RELIGION...

I apologized for displaying such vulgar display of sexuality...you know....sex only for conservative procreation and not for fun....

And you know what is funny?

GREEKS IN THEIR DNA WERE, ARE AND WILL NEVER BE CONSERVATIVE..unless of  course these Greeks want to suppress and forget what we really are...and pretend to be something that we are not...

The Greek Orthodox Church....may be the ONLY place that we are conservative in....

Yet....we know what the sins are, but we also know what our history was all about and we wink wink, nudge nudge our way to Paradise when we die because we also know deep down inside that we have a zest for life....KEFI...

A joke in clown shoes....

I HAPPEN TO LOOOOOOOVE CLOWN SHOES.

Very stylish and  versatile.

I resent a comment like that!

When I go out to eat a couple of burgers Chez Mickey Dee's

when I go out dancin' with the wife

When I play basketball with my homeys

When Im chillin and relaxin'

My  combat boots back in 'Nam

My world's magnetic poles have been reversed.

Back in the day, some of my friends were ricer guys and these guys loooooved a Honda Civic while I hated them and the car for it...

I still talk to some of these guys from time to time and in 2016, they hate today's model while I LOOOOOVE it!!!

They grew up and I did not?

I wouldnt buy one, but I like it.

Honda always marched to a beat of a different drum and it seems they have re-discovered that tune.

Its refreshing.

Now, if only Acura could do the same.

2 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I watched that the other day when it happened. Great respect for the man and it's impressive how stand-up of a guy he is. True team leader. 

You could actually feel what he was saying in his words too. Yes he was reading but it was his own words and you could tell he meant what he was saying. Only a true team leader and captain will accept his role and try and do what he can to better the team. So many players are selfish and greedy and this was VERY SELFLESS of him. 

I always liked him but I gained a new respect for him.

Yes leader..

Yes very selfless of him especially in today's era of athletes in any sport.

I think this strengthens and bonds the team so much more going forward.

I know in hockey, a similar situation would make the team rally itself to win it for their captain. I think this will have the same effect for the Dallas Cowboys.

Im in tears practically.

@ccap41

Tony Romo...

I had many up and down feelings about him over his tenure as QB of the Dallas Cowboys.

I love the Cowboys as you know, and Im extremely thrilled with Prescott. And I was ready to joke to you about Romo in that I wanted to make it sound like I have no idea who this Romo dude is..

This press  conference though gave me chills.

Troy Aikman might be my all time fave QB, and then Joe Montana and Dan Marino...(Ie was lucky to see these men throw the football in their prime) This press conference has propelled Tony Romo to the #2 slot for me.

I have a new found respect for him.

It aint easy letting somebody else take over YOUR driver's seat in what is probably the most prestigious position in all of pro sports: THE Dallas Cowboys quarterback position.

What are your thoughts?

Sorry Wings. That was not for your eyes.

You being conservative and all...you almost saw a boobie and panties....I apologize.

That was for us, the liberal folk.

C-HR

Coupe – High Rider

2 things Id like to say about that:

1. Im fed up with alphanumerics. High Rider sounds a lot better and is more interesting to me than C-HR....and its too similar to Honda's alphanumeric CUV the CR-V....like WTF???!!!

2. Im fed up with motherphoquking fake high riding high riders....when do we start going back to low riders for Christ's sake???!!!

On 2016-11-16 at 0:37 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

Couple of times this week sat down before I started a project and had a cat crawl up into my lap....that was all she wrote....

A pussy cat crawling up into your lap?

You mean like this?

I know right?

Id be done too, in about a minute or two!

(I forwent  a raunchier pic just in case is it be a tad too hot for the website)

7 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

#1. Tesla is irrelevant as the parent company will probably implode financially. Owning one is an astonishingly risky scenario IMHO as owning a car with that much technology with no remaining factory OEM support is the walking definition of living nightmare.

#2. China will pull ahead of the USA in many ways other than electric cars.  It is one of the great ironies of history to me that the twentieth century really could have, should have, and would have been the German century but became the American century instead.

The twenty first Century could have, should have, and would have been another American Century, but will be the Chinese Century instead.

#3. this will IMHO have an impact on Luxury cars when cars like the CT6 and Continental are built for Chinese tastes rather than American expectations.

#4. This will not affect cars like the S class as much because Mercedes already leads in the world luxury market. Sweden, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovenia, Sint Maartin, South Korea, Switzerland, Spain, Serbia Seychelles....go to any of the above and Mercedes will be a top Luxury brand with the wealthy and important.

Points #2, #3, and #4. I agree 100%

Point #1. The bolded point.

That is assuming Tesla will fold. I really don't think Tesla will fold.

There are several reasons why I don't think Tesla will fold.

But then again, those reasons are just as much speculation as some think Tesla will fold...

1. Tesla is near completion of battery super factory. Battery cost will come down enabling Tesla not only to produce current models cheaper and actually yield better profit margins, but help with future engineering endeavors and platforms...

2. Batteries will be sold to other car makers making Tesla more money...

3. Some say Musk is already getting bored with car production, it don't matter, another CEO could take over...and a better one tjhan Musk himself at that...

It really is a  wait and see kinda scenario at this point...