trinacriabob

Welcome back. I don't know you that well, but, what I do remember is you going to a club in LA where you had to dress in latex...or something like that...that is no longer in existence. Selective perception, I guess.

So am I. However, certain "demographics" within humankind are higher on my offend (or just "make fun of") list than others.

Thank you. Well said. I don't mind fastback styling. It's kind of cool. It's just that, in this one, it's kind of clunky.

I can't wait for the backlash to hit on political correctness, but I don't think it's coming anytime soon. I tend NOT to be politically correct. It's a form of censorship. Europeans, for example, are nowhere near as politically correct. They stereotype their "neighbors" all the time. South Americans...they are even worse in this regard. I will say that I am diplomatic around clients and there are some that are fairly casual so you can be the same way - heck, some of our clients are salt-of-the-earth builders. At work, I tend to hang around people with whom I don't have to be politically correct. Socially, I prefer to be around people with whom I don't have to walk on eggshells. Life is too short. LET ME GUESS: I know which way Satty and razoredge will vote. I know which way Akwan would vote (remember the dude who was supposedly an MD whose wife forbade him to do this and that?)

I was looking at this car at the auto show. It rubbed me the wrong way. Camry Solara coupe revisited. My apologies to anyone I may have offended.

I just went to the auto show. As some of you know, I am looking at the LaCrosse and the Grand Prix. I am somewhat pissed off with the poor visibility in both. I then sit in a Malibu. The cabin is so user-friendly and the greenhouse is awesome. I have rented about 5 of these. They are nice enough, though I have more confidence in a GM V6 than I do in a 4 cylinder. I went over to a Saturn salesman and he said they inagurated this engine. He told me of clients who have put beaucoup miles on these without a tear down. Any bits of information or stories on how Eco-tec 2.2 litre 4 cylinder fares over the long run?

Wrong on the planes - they are about 2.5 miles south of you and their roar is somewhat relaxing -- at least for me Right on the choice - I think it leads to better connections over the long haul

I just read that this Australian girl was killed a mere 50 feet offshore and that the culprit(s) was/were (a) bull shark(s). This species is actually more aggressive and less discriminant than the great white. It is also more likely to keep coming back at you if you spar with it. Remember the summer of the shark? That was 2001. Before the WTC disaster, the Florida Gulf Coast was hit with a rash of shark attacks. The panhandle was also hard hit this way. In fact, in 1999, I went swimming near Pensacola quite a ways from shore where my feet couldn't touch and it was approaching dusk. I will NEVER do that again. I always think about this danger when I go into the water. As a result, I rarely swim in the ocean anymore. Some key facts: Pacific Coast - mostly great whites, but further out, more intelligent and thus more discriminating - really prefer blubbery stuff to bony humans Gulf Coast - mostly bull sharks, said to have their young near the Mississippi delta - actually the most lethal for humans Atlantic Coast - both bulls and great whites - the former was treated in the Matawan NJ calamity and the latter was the focal point of the "Jaws" series Hawaiian Islands - tiger sharks, they often attack surfers there because of how they perceive their boards from underneath

And you passed up on a promontory with palm trees replete with priests and penguins and a panorama over the Pacific? Say that 3x real fast.

Never have done drugs. (I'm a geek, what can I say.) My alcohol consumption is pretty weak, too. I would have to say it's sleep. I work a lot of hours and I tend to be tired...so I sleep. When I was in college, I used to sleep a lot (maybe a depressive symptom of some sort, who knows).

It should be a Bonneville derivative...a little bit smaller. Certainly not as garish in the dashboard department. It should not be as low slung as a GP (look at all the reviews that criticize the usable space issue) nor as thick as a Charger or Chrysler 300 - where's that barf icon when you need it? Just a larger sport sedan with timeless fluid lines that distinguishes itself from the GP and shows that the Bonneville has grown up. If you want a name, that's another story. Have fun at the Auto Show! Wish I could make it.

I don't think your "approach" is going to win you much cooperation. :P

I read some of the above lists. First, I don't consider normal maintenance (oil changes, tune ups) and replacement of items that have a predictable wear pattern (tires, batteries, serpentine belt) as something you should list because you have to, or should, do that anyway. That being said: Buick Regal 1992 coupe with 3800 V6 - now has over 220,000 miles Aside from the above stuff, the following repairs were needed: 0 to 100,000 a- exhaust donut between manifold and tailpipe 100,000 to 150,000 a- water pump b- alternator c- radio tuning bar 150,000 to 200,000 a- passenger side front hub wheel assembly replaced due to bearing noise b- thermostat bypass assembly leak c- turn-signal stalk had to be held manually to blink 200,000 and upward a- M.A.F. sensor b- drain plug at bottom of radiator failed NOT BAD. This has been a great car and it will soon be 14 years old.

I'm an L.A. native. The list is endless. Celebrities do not impress me whatsoever. My dad always used to say that they have "to wipe" like the rest of us.

Let's leave the "crush on whomever" and Harry stuff out of this and have some people post more pictures.

I just gave the posti 2 above this one a better look. I think that the front lamps also look goofy with that pulled-back teardrop shape. If the grille was sloped inward (a la Lucerne), the overhang so many complain about would not be as pronounced. (I do think it that the overhang has something to do with crumple zone and the like).

Agreed. Zoomtm, you are earmarked for the 2006 Cheers and Jeers edition! This is pretty weird.

Perception is indeed a big issue. You live on the (North) West Coast. How many upwardly mobile Eastsiders excitedly run down to a GM dealership to pick out a new car (unless, maybe, it's an SUV)? Yes, GM is making strides, but these strides are not perceived to be in lockstep with those of foreign automakers. It will take a lot for certain demographic groups to accept that having a GM car, or truck, (or another domestic car) is acceptable. Look at the JD Power list. Japanese brands are at the top and eventually Buick shows up. Now, I don't want a Japanese car so I would opt for the Buick. However, most people wouldn't follow suit. Again, in my first post, I note the Consumer Reports rating system. I'd like to think those are accurate. If they are, then too many expensive brands in recent years still have bugs that haven't been worked out. One relatively recent business concept is "benchmarking." GM, as well as the other domestic manufacturers, ought to do that more fervently, particularly in the QC department. Sometimes the convictions of the people on C&G fall on deaf ears. Most of us are GM loyalists and will stick by The General. However, others, for whatever reason, are more apt to be swayed into foreign brands...like virtually ALL of my friends. They claim that "GM doesn't get it," most of them cite being burned in a domestic purchase and now rave about the dependability and excellent service obtained from their foreign vehicle. The perception issue may be at the forefront of all this. But I think it is rooted in the horrendously negative experiences with the actual cars that some buyers had during the 80's and possibly even into the 90's.

I had to be somewhat cheap when I was in grad school. I think that spilled over into my post school life. I would say conservative. Look for coupons and good sales. Not into toys (electronic type stuff) very much. The reason I am hanging on to my car isn't so much the money, but an upcoming transition that I don't want a new car in the midst of. Where I do spend money is on travel. But that's once a year and then the filler short-haul trips in between.

No way. You ran over somebody with a moped. :P

I love GM and their cars or I wouldn't be here. As well as they have treated me and my parents, I doubt I am going elsewhere. Needless to say, all of the bad press has left me in a funk, feeling a little perplexed...and analytical. So, one has to think of what may be going south at GM. I voted for QC but think it is both this and cost control. I read Consumer Reports. I look at how Toyota steals the show with an uninterrupted parade of "red dots" for the various systems in their cars over the years (Buyer's Guide, et al.). I then look at Cadillac and will see either a partial or a full black dot for some components...and in recent years, no less. That is what pisses people off. It's simply not acceptable...especially for the kind of money one shells out for a premium brand. GM isn't doing the math. If you have a car that is fantastic 10 years from when you bought it, you will buy another...and another. So, in 30 years, you will have bought 3 cars from GM. Now, if GM sells a car that, due to planned obsolence and mechanical mishaps, causes the buyer to dispose of it in 5 to 7 years, then, over 30 years, you will have sold them 1 car. It's not hard to figure out. I, myself, have landed on mostly "red dot" vehicles, like some mainline Buicks, so I am exempt from this. Other cars make for a poor showing. The other is cost control. GM is kind of a big elephant. It's not svelte in its maneuvers. It needs to avoid too much duplication and reel in costs (thank God Roger Smith is no longer around...that could be scary). They can work on this. In fact, this is probably an easier thing to turn around then the number 1 item I refer to in the preceding paragraph. It would be interesting to hear what others interpret to be GM's shortcomings that have led to its current situation.

Again, since I started the thread, the only reason I love the 3800 is that it powers the most reliable car I have ever had...now at over 220,000 on the original (complete) powertrain. The Regal's only issues have been some minor electrical items going south, a couple of cooling system issues and one suspension/front end issue. This car has done better than a Cutlass Supreme with an Olds Rocket 350 V8 I had in college and I thought THAT was supposed to be the best engine ever. (It was smoother though and had that characteristic Rocket V8 whoosh...I can hear it now). Now, as for me, I will make my next purchase opting for the 3800 V6. I seriously want GM to have success with newer OHV and HF engines, it's just that, in marketing parlance, I'm a "late adopter."

Coming into the office this AM, I thought about this. Now, today I am moving my office (a swap with a neighbor) to get away from this chick who talks way too much...to others, to me...and needs lots of attention. I need to get my work done. Other than this and a couple of others, everybody is amazingly pretty cool. There are few cliques to speak of. There are about 35 people in the office. I think it comes down from the partners in the firm...they are very casual and even do rotating kitchen duties. Some people here are insanely funny. At the last firm I worked, in 2003, the partners were absolute jerks...they thought they were better than middle management and the staff employees, didn't roll up their sleeves and only looked for the negative (who and what wasn't keeping them in the chips) ... and they got fired in a shake-up. C'est la vie. At any rate, I feel pretty lucky to work with a cool bunch of people. As long as I am left to work fairly independently and I can periodically be my obnoxious self, I am pretty happy. What's your work situation like?

This thread should be dedicated to Intrigued. The dude probably refers to alcohol more than anybody on the site! (That's ok, I make a good counterpoint...I probably have consumed the least amount of alcohol than anybody on this site given that I come from a religious background where you CAN drink ). Intrigued, we want a report on your consumption for our entertainment. As for the pecker problem, that would come more from a cold ocean (no, not YOU Ocn) than from drinking, though the play on words just occurred to me.

That's ALL it takes to get to NYC from where you are? Man, I have to remember that the states are much more compact over on that side. Or, is it just the way you drive? Glad you had fun!