balthazar

Right: those are hardly mere "subtle differences in styling"...

A lot of production pieces came from the aftermarket, but I am not up on the story RE OHC conversion heads for Chevy V-8s.

I didn't care for the Avant, nor the Riviera concepts. Right diretion, but not there yet.

Granted, but it is not a 'new direction' for the F-150, just a 24-month 'blip'.

>>"The F150 gets a V6 this year"<< After only some months waiting for a new one; the F-series has had a 6 since day 1. Nothing new there. Standard vs. optional is quite secondary to the fact that both are still offered.

Anyone have a link (or the info) on the breakdown for the '09 Malibu (I'll take other years- same generation) that shows how many built with the 2.4L and with the V6 ??

Inner Harbor was always nice the many many times I was there. My sons got a kick out of the street performers there we saw in '07. But I remember the 'red light' district a number of blocks north of the IH- that's been long gone, too. I wonder how it truly stacks up: 1990 vs today in the 'serious trouble areas'. It felt creepy to me (I'm NOT a city person), but I never had any trouble in 3 years, and I wandered all over.

When I went to school there a few decades ago, it was worse, IMO. I came home to my apartment one night and there was a man wedged under a parked car. I called 911 and within minutes about 7 cruisers responded. Guy has escaped from prison- they were looking for his ass alright. This was in the northern section of the city. I used to walk around a lot, but I developed a 'crazy man' walk that I hoped would make me less approachable. There was the coolest original porcelin-paneled White Castle there- no dining room, just a walk-up window. Must've been from the '40s. I hope it got preserved, but I never did find out what happened to it. Went back around '07 and it was much nicer overall, most of the rack-n-ruin has been bulldozed... and that time we hung around the harbor / Federal Hill area. That area seems nice from a cursory observation. Not at all like the creepy dark vibes I used to get in Bolton Hill.

smk ~ >>"Mercedes makes 2 FWD cars"<< They are planning ((future tense)) a total of 5 FWD models- that was reported right here via C&G- you must have missed it. The End Is Coming. >>"Mercedes brand has to sell it all."<< Then why is there maybach, frieghtliner & smart? Why aren't they under the tri-quartered circle ? But that statement is a fallacy; mercedes does NOT have to sell it all. They can remain in the upper echelon of upper segments of passenger conveyance and avoid moving downmarket to circa $20K vehicles with cloth upholstery & anemic 4-cyl engines. OR they can create another brand, 'Daimler' perhaps, and sell the cheapies there. For God's sake- they sell a minivan- and one that is particularly unspectacular in engineering (no sliding doors ??) Distractions to the company and eventually; distractions to the consumer. Watch & see. cubitar ~ >>"Ok, change 'my lifetime' to 'last 40 years'..makes the same point...semi-recent history, esp. the last 20...how Mercedes or Cadillac was perceived in markets 50-60 years ago or more isn't relevant."<< Neither is 40 years ago to today, or 30, OR 20. But the point is, the irrelevancy is TO YOU, not to everyone else. I was addressing SMK, so your opinion of the timespan is what's irrelevant, not the timespan itself.

Cubitar ~ >>"'followed'? Cadillac has been doing the following... Mercedes had their AMG sports sedans long before Cadillac had their V-series models. As far as 'non-luxury', maybe true 50 years ago, but in my lifetime..."<< Pretty sure I've NEVER replied to another in the context of YOUR life experience. You DO realize there are other... wait; haven't we been thru this exact point before ?? :brick: >>"I assume they are going for the FWD/AWD subcompact and compact premium market where BMW is going and Audi already is...these models are primarily for Europe and other markets w/ high fuel prices."<< Why not build them in RWD? But BMW is already there in the compact segment with the 1 series.... yet another, smaller FWD model is coming. Why isn't that one RWD ?? CONFUSING !! >>"No...aspiring to build the highest performing luxury sports sedans is consistent w/ the goal of building the best engineered cars available."<< Not in smk's world- not narrow enough of a definition. Besides, 'mercedes was never about building a sports sedan'.

Mercedes is likely selling a LOT of taxis there, too.

smk4565 ~ >>"Mercedes is not now, and was never about building a sports sedan. Since 1886 it has been about engineering and innovation, and to a degree, safety. And they have one FWD platform that 2 cars share, plus the Smart platform, compared to how many rear drive platforms."<< But what does mercedes want to be with these new FWD cars??? mercedes is planning FIVE FWD models- how is that fitting with their 'definition' ?? And if they are not about building handling/performance sedans, why do you grouse on so about AMG-this and V-12 that - are those not high performance options? Aren't THOSE outside of 'engineering, innovation & some safety' ?? Confusing !! Mercedes USED to be about building quality, non-luxury cars, later they followed Cadillac in upping performance & luxury until they got to where they are in recent times with their sedans. But then they go and add 8 or 10 SUVs, and with nowhere up to go, they shoot downmarket, WAY downmarket. >>"I am not interested in one trick pony divisions, but Chevrolet should be middle of the road, low to medium priced vehicles, Buick/GMC should be more luxurious versions of Chevy with more dramatic styling, then Cadillac should be rear drive performance luxury. If Buick is making sports cars, Chevy is making luxury cars, and Cadillac is making pastel, slush-mobiles that float down I95 in Florida, GM has a problem. GM needs to focus and spend its money wisely on the right products."<< Overly simplistic, as usual. And I did not say "one trick pony divisions", I said "one trick pony division DEFINITIONS". See your post for a shining example of this. You blind yourself to anything outside a singular purpose vehicle. Again I return to mercedes.

A lot of the MoPars were marketed that way- beginning with the '68 Road Runner. Hemi wasn't a cheap option. I have not seen much of this 'trend', but agree that it harkens back to drag racing/ musclecars - it's become mildly synonymous. I find I have the habit of removing the center caps on my 2 trucks.... bothers everyone else but I like it.

mercedes was meant to be a sporty sedan and now they want a multitude of small mushy FWD econoboxes?? Get the one trick pony definition of the divisions out of your mind, you are unable to objectively judge anything hampered by them.

So increase the distinction between marques ... but that doesn't mean Buick cannot build a performance-oriented car in the least, hence my '65 example. It's not like they have no track record of success here. What if a 'GS Super' Regal with 400 HP shows up- what are you afraid it'll do- step on the Camaro's toes merely because both are circa 400-HP but MOSTLY because they come from the same parent corporation ?? Chevy buyers will be confused about 'Buick's message' because they do not want to see performance cars anywhere else at another GM-corporate dealer ?? Wait- Buick & Chevy buyers cross-shop 98% of the time ?? In slower typing; what Chevy or other GM car is "too similar" to the Regal in the U.S. ? Cripes, in one post you whine about the Regals' power numbers (too low), and in this one you whine it'll be a real performance car (too high). The whining gets real F'ing boring after a short while, in case you didn't realize it...

>>"I thought Buick was supposed to be luxury, and Chevy Camaro/Corvette/SS models and Cadillac were supposed to bring the performance. "<< You, along with a quantity of other like-minded confused people, get entirely too wrapped up in the GM hierarchy and the marque's individual "definition" to see things clearly. If this were 1965, you'd be saying "I thought Pontiac & Chevy SSs were performance, and Buick was entry-level luxury, and I don't know what Olds is, but how can we be getting a GTO, a GS, an SS AND a 442 ??? GM is all mismashed, even with only 5 to worry about."

Also have seen 3 different lambos in the past week- junk. Highly jealous of all your quality PMD sightings, stang!

No 'for sale' sign, wonder what's up. Amazingly solid (except the eyebrows- even wearing Impy 'caps.

I am liking that '64 Cat, cletus. That's a '65 or so emblem on the front fender, and the 389 must likewise be a retro-fit, as only GTOs & GPs had the block-mounted starter that would allow a THM400 retro-fit. Bumper's tweaked. The A/C removal IS a puzzler- PMD had such a smartly-engineered system back then, including the under-steering-column 'crotch cooler' vent. Condition gripes aside, still some fantastic lines, one of the best ever.

Ahh- the smell of model cement !! I spent some time as a kid building plastic models- if any of us hasn't, I'd be surprised. I built maybe 15. When I moved out, my mom tossed 'em all off my 3-tier shelf- I wasn't really upset I suppose. I do have a half dozen of the boxes, as they were usually packed with odds-n-ends; them, I still have. I don't think we've done a thread on this, so perhaps some pics of some favorites would be interesting. Some of mine I built (via Google): The Tom Daniels stuff was fantastic. Others were mostly classics- '30s-40s stuff, nothing from the '50s/60s. Anyone else?

Good questions. BBBs were a nice bright red- I am 95% likely going with that. There'd be no fooling anyone who knew nailhead Buicks were 'Buick green'... that this was a nailhead, so little point there. And I hate AL engine components left natural- so the heads & intake will be painted, too. In fact, from happy associations building model cars in my youth; the transmission is going to be red, also.

{tee-hee} This is the engine bay of the B-59 : It's Buick Motor Division's 1972 455 (7.4L) V-8, which will be bored .030, giving it a final displacement of 462 CI. Block has been hot tanked & deburred (externally & the lifter galley). Stock power figures (gross) were 315 HP @ 4600, 510 TRQ @ 2800. Those are T/A Performance's aluminum Buick Stage II SE heads. She'll likely run a big Demon carb. Build goal is high 10s in the quarter, which will require around 550 HP & 575 TRQ for a 4200lb car + driver; straightforward & formulaic when working with a BBB.

You seem to have fantastic amounts of free time, DF. Not faulting; just saying.

These trucks are terrifically simple and of so few parts- you'd have to start gold plating pieces to approach $30K. There's no chrome, the front bench is the only soft trim and the rest is just an engine/trans, frame/suspension & the cab. That restored cab/chassis is a beaut! I love cab/chassis trucks- that's what my '40 is currently. This is pretty interesting, Roger- if you do end up bringing it up here, I would be willing to help remove the dump body as long as I could scrap it.

I'm an hour away, but you could store in at my house, Roger, I have room.