trinacriabob

The price is a deterrent. And it's not just the Continental. One has to add the purchase price of such sleds plus all the pricey maintenance and complicated gizmos that could go sideways after the 7 year itch. For one, I'm not sold on 100,000 mile transmission fluid change intervals under optimal conditions that automakers display in their manuals. Cheap insurance: do it about every 30,000 miles instead. I, too, am surprised that there are now FoMoCo and Chrysler products I like. A decade ago, that would have been highly unlikely for me.

We may have discussed this before on the forum, but were there longevity differences in the four divisions' small block 350 V8s of the 70s? I vaguely recall that Chevy had select 305 and 350 units that had camshafts that prematurely needed work. Don't know much about how long the different 350s could go with identical and on schedule maintenance.

RIght. I recall a 425 c.i. on a list somewhere but not a 465 c.i.

I believe that says "Wildcat 465," no? I don't see the clutter created by having a canted distributor up front, per their later V8s. That sure is clean. Not only that, all plugs appear to be accessible to a dilettante. Now, if there's an A/C compressor, it's either tucked down below or just not present in this car. GM 350 "beauty contest" (70s vintage) by division: 1. Oldsmobile 2. Pontiac 3. Chevrolet 4. Buick Let's not forget the very first Cadillac Seville ran with a throttle body fuel injected Olds 350 V8 for about a handful of years, too. That was a real nod to Oldsmobile engineering and durability. It sure is great to see an original Seville in almost mint condition. I loved those cars. Anyone, of almost any size, could now easily drive a Cadillac, thanks to the Seville.

Am I weird for liking to study engine bays? It's interesting how simplistic and solid state or how complex engine compartments can be nowadays. When 350 V8s ruled the roost, I was able to tell whether the engine was built by Chevrolet, Pontiac, Olds, or Buick just by the way it was configured ... no labels or brand of car needed. Olds had the "best" looking 350 V8 while Buick had the "ugliest" looking 350 V8, IMO. Anymore, I just wipe my engine down periodically and take minor amounts of degreasing spray with the more focused pointer feature to areas far, far away from any sensors and electronics.

Just thinking of Tesla makes me want to go Amish horse and buggy. I've got two power door lock transponders (pricey) that I need to eventually fix and keep postponing it. Oftentimes, less is more.

Yes, thank you. I believe every time I've been there is in October. To me, Mont-Tremblant is all about the seasonal change, mostly autumn. I gave up skiing a while back. To those in the states, there are actually Asian groups who charter wide body jets to fly to Quebec to see the leaves at peak color. The funny thing is that Japan also has an impressive changeover into autumn, yet these folks still choose to fly to Quebec. Whether in Canada or in Europe, it's always interesting to watch the demure yet very curious groups of Asian tourists.

I am not exactly a fan of country music. Some of it is sappy, twangy, and either Deep South or flyover zone. And some of it could be my own self imposed limitations toward it. Either way, there are a few gems in this genre and then some. If you've been to Galveston, TX, you might agree it has a good vibe. I've always had a good time at Galveston when I've been to Houston. Galveston This song, "Misty," was composed by Erroll Garner (don't know who he is) as an instrumental romantic jazz standard, also performed by Johnny Mathis, and then given its last facelift by Ray Stevens ... yes ... the same guy who sang that crazy song "The Streak!" His rendition has proved to be by far the most popular, and for good reason. I learned Ray Stevens hails for a northwestern suburb of Atlanta. Misty Good stuff, if I may say so.

I found the MKS to be an attractive car, once trailing one up along the 15 (Autoroute des Laurentides) to Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. All the proportions and angles seemed just right and such an improvement for a marque that generally has never appealed to me compared to GM's Cadillac division. As for this vehicle, I will have to say that it is a beautifully crafted car. Some aspects of it are very nice, such as the imposing and classic grille as well as the nicely finished interior, especially in blue leather.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, folks. I will be having dinner at an Irish tavern I know of.

I came up with a joke ... Q: How does a person learn to fix Toyotas? A: They go to appliance repair school. Feel free to laugh ...

Thanks, bud. Have you ever been behind the wheel of a Hyundai vehicle? I was somewhat impressed. And that good of an automatic trans. in a $15,000 car?

Every once in a while, I check this out for a good laugh: Hot Rot Lincoln by Commander Cody So much SoCal footage. The "Grapevine Hill" was very much a part of my growing up and traveling around SoCal. There are apparently some old school movie stars in it, though the only one I could identify is Robert Mitchum. At about 2:29, I wondered if that footage was from Havana, Cuba for those few seconds.

I once drove the last Sonata ... via a vehicle exchange. Very competent. Nothing quirky or fussy. Also, not exciting. Highway fuel economy was definitely respectable. It was more likable than either an Altima or a Camry.

Thank you. I was surprised by my experience. I also forgot to mention that the seats were a little on the hard side, but not too bad. It was funny that, afterwards, my 10 year old LaCrosse felt almost like a luxury car.

I had always known Hyundai Accents were in the compact category for rentals and I've seen so many on the road, but I had never driven one. I had one of those ridiculously low rental rates for a couple of weekend days, and it was actually for an intermediate. Upon arrival, I was told that this off-airport location had very few cars and that I'd be upgraded ... to a Buick Encore. Well, I really didn't want one. I asked if they had regular cars. I was told they had a smaller car in the way of a Hyundai Accent. I told the agent I'd take it. He seemed sort of surprised. First, the car was not an Accent sedan, but a hatchback. As I got in, I looked around and adjusted things. The dash in this car is one of the easiest to get accustomed to, as are the switches in the door panels. The materials are not high grade but they manage to look respectable and feel durable. The Accent's main panel has two round gauges with an analog tachometer (left) and a speedometer (right). In between are bar type gauges for temperature and fuel. I have to have a temperature gauge and a few economy cars have done away with them. Boohoo. The fuel gauge has twelve bars and, per the specs, the fuel tank has a capacity of 11.9 gallons, which will take you quite a ways in an Accent. Below that is an area where the odometer, temperature, and transmission gear are always displayed while whichever tidbit of info selected from the trip monitor varies (trip A, trip B, instant economy, etc.). Not only that, you can't miss the trip setting button. It's at the right of the main gauges and sits by itself. The center stack is also tidy. This car did not have Bluetooth and did not have steering wheel audio controls. But, hey, it had a CD player. One doesn't see those too often lately. Boz Scaggs, anyone? And, in the center stack, the audio features might take a minor amount to get used to them while the climate control features are easy to work with. None of this setup lacks the cohesion that I found amiss in the driver's area of the Mazda 3, both the last car and last economy car I've had at a rental place. Then, gaining more points with me, was a small release tab on the floor for the fuel door. I also like, and want, this feature, and some more expensive cars I've rented have had a fuel door that you just manually flip open. That doesn't work for me. What the Accent has does. The first thing that one notices about this car is how nimble it is. Sure, one expects this in a small car. However, there is both a lightness in the steering and a connectedness to the road that just works well. Just as with the dash and controls, one quickly adjust to and feels comfortable driving this entry-level Hyundai. The engine is a 1.6 liter 4 cylinder that is not blown. In old school numbers, that's about 100 cubic inches. If a person lifts up the hood, the plastic shroud covers most of the area, so there isn't much to see. However, that's the case with most small cars today. The transmission sure made a good impression on me. You can hear the rpms spool upward and the transmission then marches into the next gear with almost no physical sensation whatsoever. For the price point of the vehicle, I found this to be remarkable. I then figured out the jaunt on which I'd calculate the fuel economy. I set the cruise at 64 mph and still managed to piss some people off ... those wanting to go 70 or more, and I was in the right lane of the interstate. I could do 65 to 70, too. I just like to see a car's fuel economy at its best. While probably accurate enough, I reeled in 43 mpg. I love high mpg numbers, so I was a happy camper. I also once did that same thing with a 6 cylinder base RWD Dodge Charger and pulled in a little over 31 mpg. Both of these numbers were higher than the respective EPA highway estimates. The difference is that the Accent was spinning at about 2,100 rpm at a cruise speed of 64 mph while the Charger's 3.6 liter was practically loafing ... to the tune of about 1,500 rpm at 62/63 mph. The Accent is an econobox, so not everything about it is perfect. Road noise does intrude as would be expected in this category. Lately, the only small(er) car that filters out road noise in an impressive manner is the new Chevy Cruze. However, that's more of a baby Malibu than it is an econobox. The car stays composed on the highway, and does nicely on fresh asphalt, and zips around city streets with confidence. However, bigger road imperfections send some jolts into the cabin. That said, the Accent is nicer to putt around in just about every way than comparable cars like the Chevy Sonic, the Mazda 3, and the Nissan Versa. I have never experienced being behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta or a Toyota Yaris. I will add that the right rear blind spot in the hatchback model was no fun. I exercised additional care when changing lanes because of it. I believe the sedan configuration makes for better visibility. I think this little car is the most likable in its category. The powertrain really impressed me. The warranty Hyundai offers is also impressive. Of course, one has to hold up their end of the bargain and prove that the car was maintained. The Ford Focus is a little more car but it's also up a notch in terms of category. Now, if only Ford could put an automatic transmission that shifts so nicely in their Focuses. Then, getting to the Chevy Cruze, the compact/economy entry level segment cars just can't compete. Entry level compacts are also priced about $5,000 lower. With over 30,000 miles on it, this rental unit was last year's. The 2018 Accent is now on the showroom floors. The site shows it as being a more sophisticated and better equipped small car. And, with that, I'm sure they've even improved the driving experience. It will continue as a sedan, while the hatchback has been shelved. The pricing of the new model is also very competitive and, if I, as a consumer on the street, am in agreement with the professionals who test them and write about them, then the 2018 Accent is likely to be very promising and I'd sure like to take one for a spin. The Hyundai Accent would probably be my current car of choice in this segment and price range.

Euphemism works well in this context! Yes, it's the 2 words translated separately and then said "word+word." I think the owner must have been one hilarious individual and it would have been interesting to know the type of car the plate was attached to. Too funny.

Many states now have linguists on board to help decipher personalized license plate requests. There are even sites showing which plate requests have been rejected. They feature some funny sh!t. In 2008, I was visiting a friend from college in San Diego and we were going through the DMV site to look at plate possibilities. Before the interwebs, we always thought "BREAD 8" would make for a humorous plate and we could have sworn someone in SoCal had dibs on that plate! I might add that he was Mexican-American ... and still is. It turned out to be N/A on the website, as in "you can't have it, yet not taken." It was enough to spit out the morning coffee over.

Interesting on their crossing the 10 million mark. It sure is interesting how GM stock can take bigger hare-like leaps while FoMoCo (F) stock takes leaps that are more tortoise-like. And Opel would be included or excluded from the 10 million number? That said, they're not making a lot of vehicles I would consider buying at this point. At other points in time, trying to figure out which GM car to buy caused major cognitive dissonance.

THANKS! I thought the 1976 Cutty looked better than the 1977. The 1976 had the circular dash vents at the right. I'm guessing sales went up because people warmed up to the 1976 and then made the decision to buy. I could have sworn Buick was second. It probably was in the urban West Coast. I would attribute Chevy coming in second because of loyalty from the country's interior. The Regal, and Century, were better looking than the Malibu, albeit with an odd-firing 231 c.i. V6 engine that many people would prefer not to have in that large of a car. The fin taillights were a definite ode to Cadillac Motor Division, one step up. Also beautiful, but where's the hood ornament? Very innovative rear treatment compared to the year before; almost more interesting than that of the Cutlass - great color combo on first one (from B.C.) / thumbs down on the after-market wheels on the second one: And does anyone the recall the S/R version, in plump (could be) corduroy buckets and trestle shifter, meant to take on the Cutlass Salon concept? This one is from British Columbia. Check out the climate controls. No A/C! I miss the cars from the 70s and 80s. A lot!

I found something. This is for 1976. Paragraph 5 mentions that, through early December, Cutlass sales had gone over 488,000. So, 512,000 seems credible for the whole year. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1977/01/02/cutlass-to-cap-a-5-year-sales-rise-as-1976s-best-selling-model/4fa6ff5b-163e-407b-818d-afdd5c8691e5/?utm_term=.b49067a83029 Does this then mean that this number picks up the 1975 model, which did not have the then jaw dropping waterfall grille and quad lamps but was still a good looking car? If so, how many Cutlasses were sold for MYs 1976 and 1977, their last 2 years configured like this? It mentions that 76-ish Chevy Malibu and Pontiac Lemans sales paled by comparison, and that the Buick Regal/Century also ran behind. I think the Buick was second, while the Pontiac LeMans was last of this quartet. Olds and Buick went for the formal notchback roof in the coupe, with the rear window creased at the midpoint. One only has to look at these photos to see why the Pontiac Grand LeMans lagged. (Monte Carlos and Grand Prixs were on a different wheelbase and a slightly different category from these 4 intermediates) Nice front end - very Pontiac! https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:'76_Pontiac_Grand_LeMans_(Auto_classique_St-Constant_'13).JPG The rear was sort of a fail, even though the light assembly is nice enough. Had it been squarer and more traditional, they would have sold more of them: https://goo.gl/images/6u8w3G The dashboard was incredible, with or without console (this was actually a GP, same dash, and in LJ form ... buckets would be trimmed out much the same way, except that the console merged with the dash): https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2014/07/02/hemmings-find-of-the-day-1976-pontiac-grand-prix/#&gid=1&pid=2 You folks probably know how much central and eastern Europeans are taken with these cars. I have seen so many websites paying tribute to these cars with the suffixes de, pl, ch, cz, ro, etc.

I had completely forgotten about their feeble attempts with both a smaller V8 and a "larger" V6 diesel.

I'll say one thing - I forgot which year the Olds gas-to-diesel (not from scratch) 350 V8 came into being, but that was a serious black eye for Oldsmobile. I don't believe any of those engines could possibly reach 100,000 miles without a major problem. I forgot what exactly went wrong with them, but the compression ratio was too high for an unmodified cast iron block. I do remember over half a million Cutlasses sold in one year, and the number 512,000 sticks in my head. I'll have to look. Sales of all other Olds products dropped sharply in the next two decades, and the only popular car of theirs seemed to be the Supreme coupe, up until about 1985. Sadly, a competent Aurora, Alero, and Intrigue finally showed up, but it was an eleventh hour thing. I still see many of these on the road, some 14 to 16 years later.

I don't believe I have seen any of the movies that were nominated for Oscars. I did see "The Battle of the Sexes," but that didn't make the list. Great casting. Steve Carell is very effective in making a person really dislike Bobby Riggs. It was the first time I'd seen Emma Stone in anything and she did a great job, with Billie Jean King giving her the seal of approval for her rendition of the role. With a name like Emma Stone, I figured she was from England. She's native to Arizona. Also, the movie is supposed to be sort of accurate but also sugarcoats some goings-on that were a lot more contentious. I also saw "Wonder," where Julia Roberts plays a NYC mom to a kid with some outward birth defects that makes the transition from being home schooled to the classroom at a regular school and all the drama and even a little bit of comedy that ensues. It really showcases what a-holes kids can be. But it also has some feel good aspects that are unrealistic vis-a-vis the "real world." Has anyone seen any of the movies in the Oscar race? Any thoughts on those?

Amazing. I don't know any stats like that. The only one I recall is that the Oldsmobile division sold over 1 million cars in 1976, and 512,000 of them were Cutlasses. Those were the days. I could probably better answer how many GM vehicles have resided in the family's driveways. And I'd still have to think about that and do some counting.