balthazar

Oh yea, I also saw Rob Ida's blue repro @ Lead East a number of years ago, so that's 3, but only 1 of the 51. Really eager to see Ida's prototype model finished up!

'40 Ford Tudor, custom pearl white paint with pinkish flames, hot rod, cruisin' 1st gen Corvair Monza coupe, white, solid, flying down U.S. Rt 1.

Right there with you on the T-48, Roger; love it. Have only seen one in person (would have to dig to determine the car number), plus the phantom convertible. No. 1041 ~

It's the 'cube', in my experience. It's a soul-sucker. I was in one for 10 years, the last 3 I would walk into work with my head hanging. Been free since 2000 and never regretted it.

Escalade is not quite 1% of GM's CAFE score; it's not moving the needle even a tenth. - - - - - At this point, with both mercedes & BMW doing replacement models people are going to have a tough time telling if it's the new one or the last gen, the 7 & S are really starting to just look…. 10 years old. In the above pics, the CT6 has a tighter tire/body gap on much nicer rims, and the angularity is refreshing after 20 years of the 'worn soap' approach. QUestion I have is, why are the German brands afraid of stylistic change??

^ BMW seems to have cared the 7series was pushing 4500 lbs for years… The CT6 weight advantage is not an advertising campaign, it's 'enthusiast press' talking up the upcoming model as more than just a larger sedan. Engineering prowess can go just as far as techy bits in creating a positive upscale image for a model. It's like MB talking about 'hand built' AMG engines- do the AMG buyers really care about that, either? S-class to me is bland. The nose of the car has 2 problems for me; the grille is very close to decades-old versions, and the overall nose is nearly identical to the bottom dwelling CLA's. It could be a LOT more expressive...

Everything and anything can fly.

That black vette up top is sick, and I'm not even a Corvette guy.

Define 'good'. They actually use words? Actually, no. In my experience, most written directions are translations I-don't-know-how-many-times-over. Weber has unquestionable, picture-only directions. Just put together the Spirit E-310, zero stumbles.

Two products that actually have 'good' assembly instructions: Anderson doors and Weber grilles.

^ Yea, yer right. That means both I spotted were '69s. I get spotty on non full-size Chevys sometimes…

Chevy Chunday : Interesting, fast-moving pack of exotics in a convoy: ferrari, lambo, C7 Corvette, porsche, aston-marton. Magazine test, or playboy outing? '68 Chevelle, dark blue with long fender top stripe, filthy, on trailer, MUST'VE been freshly pulled from barn 'nuther '68, rumbling : '68 Camaro SS, sure looked like Synergy Green, purty, rollin'. '64 Impy hardtop, parked at tire shop/junkyard (not a runner) :

But a 'skilled', entrenched politician can too easily spin away sheer incompetence, whereas a beheading (today) would be harder to argue, caught on a dozen cell phone cameras. - - - - - Blog… or book??

Got the differential cover & gasket back on, tightened down the rear brakes lines, and pumped 13 pints of gear oil in. There's still some minor amount of rust bits inside, but thankfully there's a drain plug at the bottom- I can run it some then change out the fluid- let it self clean. I think all I have brake-wise is to connect/tighten up the front lines, install the master cylinder and get bleedin'. Stopped at a small old-time junkyard I've passed numerous times before. I know they have some early '50s trucks because I'd previously been in from the backside. He's going to check his bolt selection and supposedly call me. Still waiting on an online connection to see what he has. April and into May was mad busy, hopefully I can get back on the COE regularly now.

Correct; the build 'quality' is FINE for a military vehicle, but there's no military vehicle sold at MB dealers. And by "U.S. military", it's like 50 modified vehicles mostly mothballed from overseas operations. MB slapped some leather & chrome on the equivalent of a Pinto and SOMEHOW convinced a few folk to buy it. Product-wise however, it's embarrassing.

^ Look at it this way, where, in any industry, can you find a public approval rating about 9%, and a re-election percentage north of 90%?? - - - - - Came to a decision NOT to sell off my first car ever (which I obviously still have). For one thing, it's worth about double the number I tossed out to the young guy who has called me 3 times in a week about it. Hmmmm...

Just think how many MORE MB could move if they used building techniques and standards newer than 1965.

It's not a military vehicle now, and they never go off road, so those claims are immaterial. And anyone can stick a big HP motor under the hood of a -say- AMC Pacer and outrun cars at the strip- BFD. MB could finally do a new generation and fix all these glaring quality & build issues, retain the HP & 4WD capabilities, and have a vehicle they could actually be proud of, that fits with the rest of their catalog (well, CLA aside :snark:) and it would finally be remotely comparable to… anything else built this century. 4WD capability (immaterial) in no way, shape or form dictates such sloppy build quality. The issue is this is positioned as a 'co-flagship', or the 'truck flagship' of MB. It's like if a Ford Maverick was fast and cost $100K. <--- Impressed? I didn't think so.

Amazing how, tho they protest so, that some folks "principals' boil right down to just plain old money.

The pic of this BMW earlier here at eye level shows obvious inspiration, with the giant grilles, from the Pontiac G6 GXP. Nice!

It's far too fat to be geared for performance.

I don't think so, Tim. And I CAN still be a chooser.

FINALLY a woman answers the door to me in a bra….. but she's NINETY. A cute 90, but still….

What year is that Gran Prix balthy? '64. 56K, PS, PB, PW, AM-FM/PAnt, cruise, tilt, A/C, triple black.

No relation. No sure if the fact they live like 10 minutes from me is a good thing… or too much like 'salt in the wound'.