balthazar

Now sure of the quantity, but I would think a great portion of truck drivers are fairly competant in the snow, so if they indeed went to a FWD econobox, they may not be happy with the traction, but they shouldn't be running up telephone poles to a huge extent. I drove a RWD truck for 13-some years- never a problem. On the Right Coast, it's been miserably wet this summer- if this continues into the winter, yes; a LOT of ex-truckers are going to get back into trucks, IMO. Meanwhile, I'll be plowing in one of my buddy's 28 plow trucks and raking in the cashmoney.

"Novamad" - luv it!

Cool, truthful article. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/currents/57578817.html Some of us 'hands-on' types aren't quite so eloquent in explaining this very same thing; this gentleman did a pretty good job.

>>"Riviera has always "fit" as a convertible."<< Interesting: I assume you mean it's position in the heirarchy, and I would agree w/ that. Jest pointing out that in a 35-40 yr lifespan, it was a convert all of 6 years (or am I missing a later droptop??) >>"North America needs a personal luxury coupe that will, like the first Riviera and the Cutlass Supreme, win the car-buying public's heart."<< The first gen Riv won hearts via design, and that has held true thru today & tomm. Look @ the '66-67, relatively forgotten in comparison, tho easily as striking and befitting the 'Riv rep'. The Cutlass Supreme I would not put into the same category- it sold extremely well, but was it nearly as iconic ?? Just my :twocents: .

A Riv coupe could share the front clip & platform, but feature a unique rear quarter design to further separate it. Velite-ish, perhaps. But IMO, a Riv should wait to debut a bit after the others are settled. Would like to see the top-line, long wheelbase cars have extended decks, too. Otherwise, +1 on ocn's proposal.

Being the wellspring for most of GM's first 50 years of engineering, no doubt Cadillac also examined FI, but it was never an option in the '50s, same for Olds. Experimental only. -- -- -- -- -- In what may seem counter to the traditional hierarchy of the Divisions, Buick & Olds got 4-dr hardtops for '55 : Buick only in the 'Tier 2' Century, but not the 'higher up' Super or Roadmaster. Chevrolet, Pontiac & Cadillac got theirs for '56. There may have been a pilot or factory custom '55 Pontiac 4-dr hardtop - this sort of thing was not unheard of then- but I've not heard of it, to my recollection. It's NOT RPO for '55 PMD, tho. -- -- -- -- -- I have no available numbers for the late-model manual trans cars you asked about, Chris. Keep looking for those B-59 pics! No recent B-59 progress here, sadly.... tho I am working on a plan to facillitate a return to productivity.

Found while poking around (via the GM Photo Store). I had not heard of this previously, but there's been so much experimental stuff over the decades, who can say they've seen it all? That plenum is markedly different than either Chevy's or Pontiac's, yet again proof of the autonomous operation of the Divisions in this era.

Hmmm. Power could be suggested via flares fenders, a domed hood, a front fascia that leans forward, larger grille area, some degree of venting/ scoops, larger wheels, exhaust pipes. The now-typical fodder. That said, you can accomplish a large portion of all that with the right stance, ride height/angle, and how well the wheels fit the wheel openings.

Not into anything mentioned above, or anything else new. Would have to be a full-boat custom for this level of money; I could not take the cheapness vs. the dollar cost of the new stuff.

I've had my Lincoln SP125 (MIG) since '96. Worth every penny IMO and U.S. made by a U.S. company. It's never even hiccuped. Great machine. Most of the newer welders have 'stepped' voltage, which sucks for fine tuning. Thankfully, mine doesn't. My Buick has a few miles of welds on it... :wink:

Omlets gave me trouble for a while. After trial & error, I'm now pretty happy with how they turn out. Prior to that, they overcooked on the bottom, or just shy of that, I folded it when it was too undercooked on top. Now I heat the pan on med-high, pour in the egg, and cover it. The lid reflects heat back & helps cook the top so when it's ready to fold, it doesn't run out the sides. BTW- I put milk in both scrambled & omlets- no problems there. I do like the thin omlets most restaurants/diners serve, but the 'fluffed' milk omlets are like 'beefsteak omlets', IMO. I also tend to add any toppings/cheese right before folding, and right after folding, reduce the heat to low/med. Been wranglin' the Sunday breakfast for 4 for maybe 5 years running now; get good reviews here.

Saw AND enjoyed this today. Tough to get pics, what with the people circling it. I hung for a good 5 minutes, didn;t hear a single disparaging comment (puzzlement; yes). I tried to explain the attraction to my son: people can sense a vision was behind it.... they're just trying to figure out what vision. It's different and it has a ton of attitude, so I liked it... tho I would've liked to see it a teensy bit 'cleaner'. BTW, I believe he widened the whole cab/nose to better match the bed. Interesting.

What type of welder do you have, S ?

How could anyone with access to a welder, weld so sh!ttily, then take & post pictures?? Forget to turn on the gas, much?

Some may call it 'anal', but to me, what's right is right and what's wrong is wrong. Proper names are important to me personally, esp when the opportunity to misrepresent history arises. It's no longe topical, but that doesn;t mean it should go uncorrected. To put it in modern terms, saying 'Chrysler DeSoto' is exactly like saying 'toyota lexus'. But yes- laziness is generally catching....

Out on the highway: an Eclipse, eclipsing an Eclipse. '46-47 Chevy pickup, primer black, rough, in parking lot. '63 Ford Fairlane 2-dr sedan, black, mags, clean & poised, parked, for sale. Pickin's lately, have been slim. I see those toyota-engined lotuses all over- there's a dealer about 20 minutes from me.

So when someone holds up a valve cover with a 'Corvette' script in raised relief on it, asks you what it is, you tell them it goes on a "GM Chevy" ?? It's fine to say "Chrysler Corporation's DeSoto Division", but it's incorrect to say "Chrysler DeSoto".

I love that car- tons of thought & unique parts involved. Nice to see someone not beholden to 'tradition' in a big way. BTW- what the hell is a "Chrysler DeSoto" ??

I have no use for or interest in any Jeeps, but a solid F-150 is a great co-worker waiting for an introduction.

>>"...the CTS isn't good enough. CTS is just over a year old and already selling only 2500 units a month. "<< Only if BMW also kills the 6-series, which sold 252 units in July. Or the X3, which sold 472 units in July. Or the Z4, which sold 614 units in July. Or the X6, which sold 634 units in July. Or the 1-series, which sold 908 units in July. Or the 7-series, which is down to 11xx units in July. Or the 5-series, which is down to 24xx units in July. Perhaps it just isn't "good enough". Or maybe sale #s aren't & shouldn't be the prime criteria for evaluating expensive lux cars.

ooooOOOOOOooooo!! Congrats, really cool you were able to swing a custom 'phantom' vintage vehicle. Looking forward to more pics.

I would do the trans change closer to 275K, esp if the fluid appears fine.

American car makers will never experience an increase of sales ?? And if they do, they won't hire more workers to accomplish raised production ?? toyota is floundering mightily in recent years- that could all melt away... or it could continue to compound upon itself. If the latter, the void in volume will have to be filled by others.

>>"You have to at some point, beacuse American jobs are still a stake."<< American car makers would gladly absorb some of those jobs provided a disproportionate deflation of toyota's sales volume were to occur.

I would strongly vote AGAINST direct comparisons. First off : this requires 1 car review to encompass many car reviews to even be 'published'... but primarily; 2nd : incessant comparisons in general are a trap most of the rags have fallen into over the years, and it's majorly misleading. Car 1 wins, therefore cars 2-5 are 'losers'. It is mostly the verbage used: sensationalistic to attempt to increase sales AND to help support point differences, even tho they are not infrequently by margins of 1%. It's greatly reduced their credibility over the years, and it'd be refreshing to see the trend broken. Describe & analyse the vehicle, it's specs, it details, let it stand on it's own merits, and avoid confusing the picture with 2 dozen subjective comparisons to a slew of other vehicles. Cars should be a whole, not merely a collection of parts.