trinacriabob

Hi: When renting cars, Bluetooth and advanced audio systems enable me to play my own music. In my car, I never did because I never looked into it. Buick and Pontiac did not have the MP3 connector in my year, while Chevy did. Okay, so I ask the guy in the electronic department at a (ahem) big box store how to address this and he tells me about an item that goes into your cigarette lighter and might be called an FM transmitter. That's because it works on one FM frequency reserved for this task. Questions: 1. What is this thing called and does it work well? Any features to specifically look for on one I could buy? 2. Does it pull your songs from your phone, recognize which ones you own, recognize which ones are from a subscription to one of the major providers, and use GB of data accordingly? Or, does it not use data? If I recall, when in Bluetooth mode in a rental car, I did not see data usage increase. 3. Do you know of any of these gadgets where I can toggle the steering wheel mounted audio controls to move up or down between songs? Or do I have to tap the device, which would be slotted into my console somewhere, to move up or down between songs? I know this will all be moot on my next car but, for now, let me know about something good and cheap. Happy holidays. Thanks.

Spotted on November 24 while out of town: The front end fascia and Glacier Blue Metallic indicate it's a 2005 to 2007, so a little older than mine. This could be a 12 to 14 year old Buick LaCrosse. Love to see people taking good care of their cars. Also love seeing the heirloom cars that are out there.

I just had a 2019 as a rental. I do not like that dark strip on the C-pillar exterior on the new Sentra, nor on any Nissan. It's a bad signature, as is the Toyota/Lexus shovel nose front grille. The car's exterior lines do look better. Just think what it would look like without that stupid insert. It would look even better. I do not like the interior. Sorry. It looks too much like the interior of the new(er) KIA Stinger. Circular vents are cool when they're subtle and are inserts instead of protrusions which make the car's dash look like it has a case of hyperthyroidism.

Music - YOUR music - is very important when on a road trip. Having music that you've selected for your library coming in through Bluetooth or whatever medium makes a road trip more enjoyable and it's probably even a good thing for your safety because you're less likely to get bored, distracted, or tired.

I had to scratch my head on this one as well. That is one of their better looking cars, especially in its grille a few years back. I don't believe you can use the GM card earnings on these ... but maybe you can. The market is changing so rapidly and I'm not comfortable with making a "next car" decision at this point.

I'm betting it quakes a good bit of money to create those special themed liveries for planes. Wow, even the interior. If it's for advertising, the (other) company pays for it. When Argentina won the cup in soccer and Diego Maradona was thought to walk on water, they put his image kicking a soccer ball on the side of their 747. I wonder who picked up that tab. Alitalia has had 747s painted up in both Baci (those delicious hazelnut chocolates by Perugina) and Bulgari.

Two good one yesterday ... First, during daylight, a pampered 1971 Olds (Cutlass) 442 convertible coupe, that was outpacing me on the freeway. It was silver, had a black convertible top, rally wheels, and was in damn near perfect condition. Of the 1969-1973 fraternal quadruplets, this model was probably a close second to the Pontiac LeMans-GTO as a favorite. As it pulled off the ramp, you realize that it sported good lines and it makes you wonder WTF is wrong with Americans, AND others, as far as their changed tastes in vehicles go. I do not recall what the engine would have been the base engine the 442 that year. Second, at night, a 1975 (or 1976) Olds Ninety Eight Regency coupe with a landau. Those cars were huge. It was copper or bronze and had a white top. I could not make out the wheels but they were not pimpy. Its condition was good, but not excellent. It was nice to see those taillamps resembling the twin spires of a Gothic cathedral as it pulled away from me in the left lane on the interstate. Yep, the days when Olds, and GM, changed their cars a little bit, or a lot, every model year.

A little bit of "freeway music" for me ... and you:

@Robert Hall Wow, to this day?!? I have always liked the unique rear light fascia on this car and the flanks that merged into it. This car looks best from the rear 3/4 view. It's cool to have one ahead of you on the freeway.

Agreed. That last GXP doesn't come to mind that readily. It was a last ditch effort to clean up any clumsiness in the Bonne and, sure enough, the sides are smooth and the rear tail lamps look great. However, one might forget this version because the sticker was a good bit higher and it came with a Northstar V8. The ones that bothered me were some of the SLEs, SSEIs, and blah blahs of the early 2000s. I did not like the cladding and I did not like the lower front fascia scoops and big, circular further inboard fog lights ... too much. The trademark Pontiac twin kidney grille that aligned with the headlamps on simpler models was way better, IMO, as in "less is more." Here's a nice looking Bonne. I guess there was no LE. They started at SE. That amount of ribbed effect is palatable. I could do without the spoiler. The plump seats and crazy dashboard made this an interesting car. It was fairly agile for a full size. I like seeing them on the road when I do.

That does not sound good. I'm amazed at how so many people think modifications away from stock are appealing. I find them pimpy. Most cars look their best in purist form. Just look at the last rendition of the Bonneville, starting in 2000. The more letters got appended to the name, the tackier it got. It took getting a base LE to avoid the much disliked grooved Pontiac cladding of that era. The only problem was that the LE came with wheel covers ... and some type of alloy wheels and a console were necessary to make it credible as a full size sport sedan. Ditto with the Olds Intrigue. I was not a fan of the spoiler. The upward bowed cant of the trunk lid and the crease at its edge were sufficient to make it look good. I found that the Custom Cruiser started you out with cloth seats, so leather must have been an upgrade. I also read that the 5.0 and the 5.7 were produced by Chevrolet. By the 1990s, divisional GM ownership of engines ceased to be; however, most who kept tabs on GM would have known that 305s were made by Chevy and 307s were made by Olds. If I was in the market for this vehicle and my V8 wasn't made by Olds, I don't think I'd buy the vehicle.

I liked these. I didn't love them. So, then, today I saw the last rendition of Olds' Custom Cruiser full size wagon. It was white. Couldn't get a photo. It was in very good condition. This model was only run for 1991 and 1992. That meant I was looking at a 27 or 28 year old RWD vehicle that the years had been kind to. The front end is cool. The rear third is a little on the bloated side. They kept the old school square front fascia all the way through 1990. I was driving and couldn't look at the interior but, wow, this looks like a nicely crafted interior that's quite a few notches above a base GM offering in wagons of that era. There's the vista roof treatment that Olds used to use quite extensively in wagons. I'm guessing V8s of the 5.0 (307) or 5.7 (350) variety, hopefully produced by Oldsmobile Motor Division.

I could see that jumping ship as soon as they knew AWD wasn't available. In a way, it says people DO like sedans. In a way, you're advocating the qualities of a boulevardier type sedan. I'm with you on this. I'd like to see ample leg and head room front and back, a nice usable trunk without a mail slot as a trunk lid, and even more formal (more notchback like) looks, if they can be made to be aerodynamic and fetch the needed mpg. I think today's fastback styling on sedans compromises visibility and, for me, that takes away from both the sense of control and the pleasure of driving.

I didn't like seafood as a kid. Then I learned how good it is for you (certain types are amazingly high in protein and low in fat). My mom would make a baked sole in a tomato/cacciatore type sauce that was delicious. I would definitely eat it and ask for seconds. I'm with you on the shellfish. I'm not sure how it smells different from other fish. What I don't like, though, is the consistency and dealing with the outer shell. I hate clams, crab, mussels, crayfish, and many more. I had calamari within the last 10 years (in Europe), they tasted just okay, and, within hours, I got sick from them. No one else in the party got sick. I don't know what that was all about. I won't eat them again. Surprisingly, I'm okay with scallops and with larger shrimp. I've had lobster about 5 times and it was good. Once was at a seafood buffet on a Good Friday at Harvey's Casino at Lake Tahoe. All the lobster you could eat. What you like is what I call "steak fish." It's presented like a cut of meat or a chicken breast. I agree. I love swordfish, halibut, and, if you get a good cut, shark can also be very tasty. I also like smaller fresh water fish ... flaky and white, wow ... and if the scales have been removed.

"Just say yes" to Chandler's (AZ) IKEA.

Sometimes, one has to "just say no" to specials and coupons. I clipped a handful of Long John Silver coupons on threw them into the console. At midday, I was hungry and the light bulb went on. I used one. I got 2 pieces of fish, 2 sides, and 2 hush puppies. I then regretted it. I didn't get sick or anything. The food was just gross. I threw out the remaining clipped coupons. Perhaps that's why 5 years lapse between visits to LJS. Again, like Nancy Reagan once said, "just say no." The "Tour de Costco" is almost guaranteed to have a better outcome.

All 1974s, it seems, as I don't spot any wraparound glass on the back lite. Big stylistic improvement over the 1970-1973 models. People instinctively seem to take to canted back front fascias and grilles, especially on sports cars. In my opinion, this was the best year for Firebird in terms of appearance. (Never mind that the catalytic converter came onto the scene this year.) Both the inset turn signals and the wrap around back lite add so much to this car. In 1976, the inset lamps went away and the grille got honeycomb-ed. I still prefer the 1975. As a kid with acne, I'd go to the Pontiac dealership and paw these cars. And, as you can imagine, there was sometimes a loss leader in inventory with an inline 6 and NO air ... in SoCal, no less.

Where did Bob Dylan perform? I'll have to check if he is in the cluster of musical artists that perpetually put out songs with dour lyrics. Simon and Garfunkel easily clinch the award for dour lyrics: 'went looking for a job and got no offers ... only a come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue ..." Dour! I'm guessing the Queen of Disco is the late Donna Summer. No other person seems to have held that "title." I agree. As is Joyce Cooling, who was big at about the same time. I think I already posted her song "South of Market."

Dang, it was Drew's birthday ... I'm 3 days late ... happy belated birthday!

I see Kia Sorentos almost daily. How did they get that name? It bugs me. The Nissan Murano is named after the Venetian island of Murano, famous for its glass craftsmanship. As for Sorento, the only place that approximates that name is the Italian coastal resort of SoRRento, with 2 r's.

@dfelt I know that this thread is about car spotting. However, I am amped up about the light rail crossing Lake Washington from the east side suburbs. It will be analogous to BART coming in from the East Bay into S.F. They opened BART in 1972, if I recall.

I'm trying to wrap my head around this. On rare occasions, I took the (articulated) bus from Woodinville into the city and vice-versa as well as the bus that went from the Bellevue Transit Center to the airport and vice versa, meandering down the suburbs on the east side of the lake and taking its sweet a$$ time. It was to save money. It was also like pulling teeth. I hated it. If I had coworkers who lived on the south end, I was able to get a lift to the airport if it my flight was after work. Build that damn rail line to the east side (Bellevue). I thought it was to be operative in 2020. Will it be?

First Avenue South? Near Jackson? South of Pioneer Square? It's been so long, yet I still remember some of the street names. (There's also a mneumonic device for the adjacent named streets with paired first letters.) I very much like the new enamel (non metallic) charcoal gray that Chrysler is featuring. It looks great on a Charger. On that vehicle, NO. Voila:

Under ideal circumstances, it will get 40 mpg on the highway. In the write up, I posted 38.63 mpg on a highway segment with some stops here and there (gas, food, etc.). Not bad. I'm assuming mid to high 20s in all city driving without a lead foot.