balthazar

Sun Valley ~

• The 'e-COPO' Camaro is neat, because it's a dedicated track-only car built to do one thing (and it works). • The C-10 is basically a 'show cruiser for 2', so the fact the bed no longer functions probably isn't a deal breaker. • But the Blazer is a beater with off-road capability and the conversion destroys the cargo space. Sucks you'd have to either rig a plywood platform over the battery packs or heft your belongings onto a roof rack to get any utility out of it. That's a fail in my book.

Well... Jersey is lousy with BMWs. XT6 volume was slightly ahead of the XT4 in '20, despite the higher ticket. I think it's moving pretty well.

Cadillac sold 7100+ units in Q4 2020 and Q4 2019.

Saw an XT6 tonight, driving home in the dark. Recognized the blade lights and the reflection off the fine-toothed grillework. I see nothing on the exterior or interior that says 'rush job' whatsoever.

It's priced where it's slotted- between the XT5 and Escalade. And closer to the XT5 than the E, which is logical. What's 'out of whack' about it? Tho the pre-production buzz was that this was going to be an 'XT8' (with the Escalade being a 'XT10'), all the reviews I've watched on the XT6 seem to really like it. I've seen a few driving around by me.

The planned obsolescence in software FAR outstrips anything automakers have done... but watch them ante’ up soon.

Paris, TX ~

^ Direct your comments to : Daimler AG 70546 Stuttgart Germany

Sounds like either really poor quality control, really poor planning, or raging planned obsolescence.

The beauty of the GE logo RE cursive is- you don't actually READ it, you just recognize it. That's why companies bother with logos- to instill recognition. Mad kudos to Ford for retaining it's founder's signature logo for 117 years.

8 years and 22 versions = 3 versions PER YEAR, plus howevermany updates in between. That's nutty.

#notmyGM - - - - -

^ I was being facetious. - - - - - Speaking of which tho- this is how you do Corporate ID :

Typo?

Graphically, lower case lettering is generally view as 'weak' or submissive. It's not remotely 'inclusive', no matter how the designer chooses to define that. I knew they were trying to force something with the 'm', but it doesn't come across. What GM should do is fork over a billion or so, and swap corporate ID's with General Electric.

I saw this elsewhere- what’s unclear to me is if this is a 2ndary logo, or a replacement. If it’s a replacement- how utterly tragic and stupid. The ‘zero crashes’ goal is moronically out-of-touch. No one alive today will ever see that come to pass.

Worked this week on starting the truck. Ran the charger - was at 4.9V before, got it up to 5.9, but upon pressing the starter button, no cranky. On the meter, with the charger on, cranking it dropped the volts to like 2.9 - dat ain’t going to work. Looks like the battery (Optima Redtop) has lost it’s capacity to hold the juice. It’s just under 4 years old, has never been down to lower than the upper 4’s, but apparently she needs a new one. 36 month warranty is over, too. EDIT :: snagged another red top from my buddy; a leftover when he was working on a ‘54 Ford truck.

A bedliner ‘painted’ car would be a bit too ‘Alabama’ for me. Wraps are what- $1500 and last like 3 years (regular use)? Maybe just leave it in primer. Nah. - - - - - Apparently this is a brand new Goodyear feature. Why not until 2020??

My father is talking about shopping soon. He'd like a mid-sized CUV this time around, and he's had Buicks for decades. Envision is the perfect size he's looking for but he will NOT consider a built-in-China vehicle... so he's angling toward the Equinox (Encore too small, Enclave too large).

Municipalities should not be spending taxpayer money on foreign products. - - - - - Read a story online somewhere that a police detective department just took delivery of a Model Y outfitted with (inside the passenger department) light package... and there was a considerable degree of backlash. Department said it was trying to 'go green' and the Model Y was expected to save $8500 in fuel costs over 5 years (the in-service life limit?) and also cited unspecified lower maintenance (but we've seen that one police case study showing the opposite there) ... but the Model Y cost $27,000 MORE than a police Charger. With near unilateral budget shortfalls everywhere, perhaps now's not the time to blow an extraneous $18 grand on one vehicle over other choices.

No; that’s been tossed around here. Still no decision made. I’d seen a black B-59 in person but didn’t like the presentation. Then I see cars like this:

I've never been to Rob Ida's shop, it's only about a half hour away. He does incredible, tier 1 work. That '40 Merc is amazing, exactly the detail level I would put into a custom build. When I have my custom torpedo coupe built, I'll go to him. I've thought about contacting him RE painting the B-59; I don't know if he does 'small' jobs like painting a car or not, nor do I have any idea what sort of prices he'd charge. Will have to check into it- the guy who did the bodywork/put my car into epoxy primer had a bad accident and lost a bunch of his fingers (electrocution)- he used to work in bodywork professionally but I doubt he's painting anymore.

Boo is a good boy. He's not a lap-sitter, but he does sleep on our bed at night and in the winter, frequently comes under the covers between us for a bit. Has his own rigid routines; likes to spend the morning/early afternoon in the basement, likes to look out my study window late at night. He has a 'compound' I made him in the backyard; about 3' wide x 12' long, and has an 'upstairs' block with shelves- he loves hanging out in it in the spring-fall. There's also these two girls in the mix, but they & Boo have to be separated; Boo's not ready to share the same space with them, even after 11 months of being under the same roof.