trinacriabob

That would have been interesting...that was the first year for the Pontiac 4.9 L V8 (or 301 cubic inch). If I'm not mistaken, the base Catalina might have even come with a 3.8 V6 as standard. Do you remember those 3.8s shoved against the firewall, with enough room for a picnic in front of them?! Saw the weirdest car, but I'll save that for when I get it off my camera. However, in terms of more conventional cars, I saw a dark green Subaru Forester wagon with the oval LL Bean logo and a personalized plate that said: "4EST WMN," or "Forest Woman" Well, she looked more like a plump Rod Stewart. But I was driving, so I couldn't take a picture.

The South

I couldn't imagine having anything other than a white car if one lived in the desert.

Yep, +1, and draftsmanlike printing as well. A couple of things: (1) the nuns made sure you practiced your handwriting, and (2) in Europe (well, I can speak for Italy) there is little, if any, gender-stereotype association made with penmanship as is idiotically done in America. I've stumbled onto foreign letters written to my parents from a wide cross-section of people and their handwriting is excellent, if not fairly uniform in appearance (it looks "European"). So, then, handwriting, in that culture, is indicative of good-breeding and education, from what I can see. Also, look at the Declaration of Independence, what a showcase of good penmanship!

smell

Well, she was a unique ship that passed in the night here on C&G, so there were TWO reasons (no pun intended) which "required" a birthday post: (1) it harkens back to the ridiculous jug shots as her claim to fame, and (2) if someone really cared, they could let her know we are still fond of her

smokescreen

Since it has McPherson struts (I assume) like my car, pushing down on the car should give virtually no bounce-back, making it almost seem stiff. Even though it might appear stiff, the ride is fine...it feels planted. Pushing down on the car and being able to get a rocking momentum going (albeit a mild one) means the struts may be gone, from what I've experienced. This kind of stuff is tricky since one never wants to "volunteer" stuff to service writers or repair salespeople. Rather, one wants to let them do the talking, then let them show you what is going on, and then you can decide if the fix they are suggesting is reasonable.

chain

Ouch!

The vinyl on the dashboard has begun to separate at the bottom of the dashboard...i.e. above the emergency brake pedal on the driver's side and, on the passenger side, below the glove box, where it sweeps back into the area where the lower a/c ducts are located. I can tell there was some old glue between the vinyl and the dash because I can feel the bumps with my fingers. It's only noticeable to me, since most people wouldn't look at the bottom edge of the dashboard...and the car is 17.5 years old. A few questions: How do I reattach the vinyl that is beginning to separate? What is the name of the type of adhesive that is used? Where do I get it? Any tips on the preparation for, and actually doing, this procedure... Thanks!

The 1992 Regal has had a slight shimmy for quite a while. By rotating the tires often, they are wearing exceptionally well despite the shimmy (6/32 after almost 40,000 miles). The shimmy was weird in that it was really noticeable between 55 and 65 mph, and then, by minute adjustments of the steering wheel, it might go away. A long time ago, I told a West Coast chain about this and they identified the tie rods as the probable culprits. They fixed these, when I had front struts put in, and everything seemed better...but not perfect. Within the last couple of weeks, there was a popping sound in the front passenger side, accompanied by too much bounce by pushing down. The struts were under warranty, so I got new ones today. They also replaced these strut mounts (about $25 each), which is a rubbed/metal cup the top of the strut goes into. They were worn, and the one on the passenger side was the worst of the two. With the new struts and the new strut mounts (the most likely culprit), the shimmy has gone away, the car tracks beautifully and the ride is as smooth as glass. From looking at an exhibit they have, shimmy on FRONT WHEEL DRIVE cars is caused by: (a ) struts (b ) strut mounts (c ) tie rods, and (d ) bushings, at various places These and/or OTHER components might cause the wandering or the uneven wear. For me, the answer to a long-standing shimmy problem was (b), which was probably overlooked.

courtroom

I think she had a Honda del Sol and lived in an earthy-crunchy place in NC like Asheville. She had cleavage shots in BOTH her avatar AND her signature. Then, when the testosterone on the site would rear its ugly head every now and then, she barked at us and disappeared. Wait, and she had cleavage shots in BOTH her avatar AND her signature? Happy birthday! If I could bake, I'm make you a great granola-chocolate birthday cake!

brake fluid

nose

Happy Birthday, Mr. Monte Carlo!

nappy

twin

On the way home this p.m., I saw another brand new Mustang...it was white...a GT, I believe...again, with dealer advertisement plates only at this point. (Are these mechanically any good? How much is the most basic of Mustangs with their 4.0 L V6? The ones I've seen at the dealer seem too optioned-up and not what I would ever pay). I do not like the Challenger at all, so those don't "make me or break me." BTW, I also saw an ElCamino parked at a meter this morning...it had the stacked rectangular headlamps, making it a '76 or '77. I took a picture of it with my phone so, once I learn how to download this from a phone, it should be in the October spotting thread.

No. I don't like that landscape and, if I don't like the inland Calif. landscape with its brown hills and oaks, I definitely would not like the SW landscape. There is a great deal of transiency in the SW, especially in NV. A friend of mine ended up in Las Vegas, beaming at the new house that could be bought with SoCal money. However, I think that my friend's "honeymoon" with the area is ending and a move wouldn't surprise me. One of the best things to do with an area one is considering is "the Starbucks test." Hang out in a Starbucks (or insert name of chain coffeehouse) and see if the locals resonate with you. Every single time I've sat in a Starbucks anywhere in the Las Vegas metro area, I was fairly turned off. They know where they can stuff all their new houses.

Some neat info I like to look up on BLS's site and track. On the mainland, after Michigan, skanky Nevada is posting upwards of 13%. Only 5 years ago, Nevada was clamoring for workers in every field. California has climbed over 12%, to 12.2% For the Southeast, FL and GA are still pretty high. However, the Carolinas and Virginia have been inching down, though slowly. It's unbelievable, but Virginia is posting a 6.5% unemployment rate. I wonder if that's from all the stimulus money in the DC Beltway suburbs. Check out the stats. The tabulation for the states is on the right...and you can "drill down" for each state's historical trends. It appears that June/July is when it all peaked for many states. Link to BLS state unemployment data

revenge (classic movie: "Revenge of the Nerds")

dragon

dominatrix