balthazar

Typical modern SUV is in the .35-45 .cd range. A 1959 Impala 4-dr hardtop was tested at .44 .cd, so the below car should be in the same ballpark. Yet it did 145 MPH with a 3-speed automatic. The number of gears below the top gear are immaterial in a top speed run, IE: you could have the exact same top speed in the same vehicle with a 4-spd as you would with a 10-spd if the top gear is the same. But what's really surprising is the number of people above, on a car enthusiast site, who never considered that dfelt's vehicle was modified. I would bet these same folk would be really shocked if they took a V6 Camry and went out & found a '69 GTO to race, and LOST.

• Budget is a good question, of course. I don't know the budget yet. • In my defense, the Multipla knows it's an uncool ostrich egg, the Ecosport thinks it's 'thporty' and good-looking. • Funny, was just talking with the wife the other day, suggesting she get another Mustang- she really liked the one she had before. It's possible.

Model S wheelbase : 116.5", total legroom: 78.1" CTS wheelbase : 114.6", total legroom: 81.1"

I'd use that repeatedly. - - - - - Trinacriabob- have you read any of the preposterous talk about preserving/ performing minor restoration on the Titanic?? It's 12,500 feet down, BTW.

I'll check one out, but my initial reaction is one of repulsion.

Kinda surprised Kia didn't grab the shape first- it echoes their grille outline. Cladding : (see Subaru, Mercedes, Pontiac)

I enjoy counting how many times 'cladding' (which the TourX happens to NOT have) gets worked into any reviews of the TourX. It's like a mini drinking game (without the alcohol).

Original print ad, 1923 Buick ~

I started collecting original automotive print ads when I was in 7th grade (a few thousand moons ago). At that point in time magazines were the thing and recycling wasn't mandated yet, and I may have spent a grand total of only $15-20 on some splashy late '50s GM ads. The little town I lived in had a 'recycling center'- a bunch of semi trailers you'd climb wodden steps and toss your paper grocery bags of magazine in, that they didn't clean out with any frequency. I would crawl thru them and load up my trunk with 'withdrawals', later returned what I didn't want. I have them sorted by make, then year, then model hierarchy. Just idly took a look at eBay sold listings, picked a nice boring, non-collectible, like 1976 Chevrolet. These 2 popped up first: This is kinda amazing to me- I would NEVER have thought anyone would spend even a nickel for a Chevette ad. That's $7.87 averaged between the 2. A few years ago, I did a collection recount; I have inventory sheets by brand. While I have no illusions I could sell them all, or even half probably (just the way things would go), I do currently have right about 6,500 print ads.

Pontiac sketch likely intended for '61 ~

• We bought our '11 Jeep Liberty in Feb of 2016, with 53K miles. Not a single problem to date, not a fancy vehicle, but everyone here likes driving it fine. Now has 80K. Going to keep it, my one son is it's regular driver. • Wife's 2009 Malibu LT was bought new. Between GM card cash, sale discount (1500), and a Cash for Clunker trade (4600), the $25K sticker came down to the low $17K's. It's been a very good little sedan, a few very minor things plus the normal maintenance. Currently has 127K on it. Other than a few dings and some curb rash on the pass-side alloys, it's in good physical shape. Mechanically it could use front struts. On to this morning... checked the oil and noticed a touch of pale tan goopy residue on the dip'cable' & it's end. Uh-oh: water in the oil. So it's planned 4-hr drive to upstate NY today was cancelled and the Jeep filled in. I topped off the oil (it's also losing oil between changes) and only ran it less than a half mile tonight to grab a pizza. Going to run it around tomm some, and check the oil & coolant again. I like to keep her cars under 100-110K, but this car is obviously over that. I looked at the KBB trade-in value, a depressing $2200. If it needs a head gasket, I can only imagine that would be at least $1500. I don't like the metrics on putting $1500 into a $2500 vehicle... • I still need to get another vehicle for my other son (who's about 110 miles away at school) for May. Had a lead on a minty '08 Passat - even tho all I've read about VWs say 'run' - the hope was it would be an extremely good deal thru a friend, but just heard back from him this week; he's keeping the car for now. •• Bottom line, I need to obtain 2 vehicles; 1 immediately and one in the next few months. Meanwhile my 14-year old truck keeps plugging along with 177K. As before, when we ended up with the Jeep, I have little in the way of parameters. Son 2's car is going to be a used, cheapy, but reliability & service near him is paramount. My wife really liked driving the Jeep before it morphed into Son 1's regular whip, so she'd be fine with a CUV or a sedan. Just edumacating ouselves on leasing, since that's not something we've done before. Anyway, feel free to voice some opinions, either general or specific.

'68 Cadillac proposal ~

Godspeed AME, my friend. Your work here is done, but your impact will never fade. - - - - -

Jumping back in here. Since getting my all-original COE driving again, and becoming a member of a few COE-based groups, I have come to HATE these re-chassis'd trucks (such as the 'COE Suburban' above) because the tiny wheels are completely out of proportion. That alone now earns me a huge 'jeer' for the Suburban here.

How the hell is a company losing nearly 700 million per quarter (and worsening all the time), making a mere $3B in revenue, be ranked #2 in value behind a company pulling down $150B in revenue? Are there only 2 US auto companies??

Dirt wipes off. Besides, the whole 'barn find' mystic often loosens people's checkbooks just a bit more.

I believe the only Chrysler that went down was the '56 Norseman. I was just reading some interweb chatter about it & went off trying to find a dive pic, but the Andrea Doria is a notoriously difficult dive and I never found any interior pics. Did find this account: In the mid-1990s, David Bright, a leading underwater researcher and explorer, wrote on his website about finding the remains of the car. "While looking for a lost diver, I had an opportunity to see the Norseman for myself in the cargo hold," he wrote. "Normally, all passenger cars were placed in the garage section of the Andrea Doria that is slightly aft of the collision point where the Stockholm impaled the Doria underneath the bow wing bridge. These cars would have been placed onto the Doria by use of a crane and meticulously parked in the garage and arranged strategically for stability. However, the Norseman was no passenger vehicle and was specially packed and treated with extra care. The Norseman was put into a wooden crate and placed in the number 2 cargo area. "The crate had disintegrated and the car was in very, very poor condition. The ocean's salt water invaded the Norseman's metal and most of the car is rust, corrosion and a heap of indistinguishable junk. The tires are still there and have assisted to [sic] its identification.

There were 2 wheelbases in total: LeSabre & Invicta : 123", Electra / Electra 225 : 126.3" WB. But unlike the Cadillac example, the Electra was of 'standard' body length, and the 225 was lo-onger. - - - - - - Cadillac's experiment with shorter version sedans was not successful. • In '58, the Series 62 sedan was 216.8" (13K sold), and the Sedan de Ville was 225" (24K sold). • Thankfully, this idea was (temporarily) dropped for '59-60. • In '61, the Series 63 Town Sedan was 215", the Sedan DeVille was 222". Supposedly the Town Sedan was for "rich San Fransisco dowagers with small parking stalls in their luxury apartment houses". Town Sedan sales; 3,756. • In '62, the short deck was moved to the Series 62 and renamed Park Avenue. Same dimensional differences. Sales: 2,600 vs. 34K Series 62 sedans. • One more go in '63; Series 63 Park Avenue, 215" vs. 223". 1,575 sold.

Man, is that thread full of wild garbage. 1959 saw the intro of the Electra AND the Electra 225. Electra was 220.6" long, Electra 225 was 225.4 inches long. The 'Electra 225' name stuck even tho the overall length would vary both longer & shorter over the years ('61: 219.2", '73: 229.8") That's it. Everything since has been derived from the extra long Electra 225 name.

I like the 'N' because it's halfway to 'NO'.

The '57 'A' is one of my top 5 favs. The 2 do suggest each other, but note where the 'A' brings details & continuity the 400 lacks. Such as- look at the angled line off the rear of the fenderwells, the headlights cut-out, the C-Pillar, the lower drop of the side spear and the (flipped) angle of the fin. Nice harmony. Now look at those same area on the 400- all over the place.

The sibling of the Diablo, the Dual Ghia 400, has been in NJ since 1977, owned by the Kanter Brothers (auto resto parts biz). I like the Chrysler Special cars a lot, but these 'darty' cars don't do anything for me. The front ends are especially weak, IMO.