balthazar

No doubt there's a whole WORLD of knowledge about these we have little idea about. Of course, there were styling trends & multiple models there, just as in cars / trucks.

I believe that first bus Moltar posted is a Flxible; they had those 'Fiero GT' over-the-roof air intakes. Turns out I do have a (crappy-esque) pic of the bus I recalled above, tho I see now that the 'number placard' was lower, on some of the venting screening : This one is also a Flxible. This bus, and every car you see in this shot perished circa 1998. Car to the left with the hood up was a '58 Buick Limited Cnvert, one of 839 cars, worth in the neighborhood of $95K restored.

>>"I do have some fear Government will go after classic cars, that get bad fuel economy, that are fun to drive and have big V8's. Nothing is stopping them, plenty of "green" people on booth sides of the political specturm to support this. "<< Never happen : far too insigificant in numbers, and most run much cleaner than assumed. Besides, they have yet to pass a retro-active law RE older cars that I'm aware of. IE: if they were legal when new, they're still legal today. Overturning that is a dangerous road...

I like the streamlined buses of the '40s. Used to be one in a junkyard near me; whole assend rounded down to the bumper and there was a flat disc projecting otward at roof level, kind of like a locomotive lamp, assumedly a number placard went there. There were no rear windows, only screened cooling vents for the engine. Wish I had a pic... But I need a hearse and a flower car.

The idea presented here that job specs, education level, income level or anything else is always or even often intentionally reflected in a particular car purchase.... and likewise that a particular car purchase is a reflection in reverse of the buyer is amazingly naive. As enthusiasts, I would expect the collective 'we' would have seen thru that while just 'car babies'.

Interesting piece to read, but I'm (not) surprised there's not a meandering overview of toyota's historical rot problems, casting all sorts of dispersions on the brand 'going back 30 or 40 years' and such... like we've all read the equivalent (EX: mentioning of the Cimarron in CTS articles). My '40 Ford has never been restored, has nary a flake of paint on it's frame, and it doesn't have a thin or soft spot on it. So damned much for "modern metallurical progress"... :rotflmao:

Worked: replacement kitchen window for an original from '17 and some misc fabricated bits, and picked up greenboard & a tub surround for a partial bathroom demo on Monday. Out from 10AM to 7PM. Buddy's son getting christened tomm- plus job estimate paperwork in the evening. No play for Balthy, and no Buick work. Tues/Wed : back on machines after almost 3 years (track hoe, skid steer). Have to clean out Bay #3 for a '65 Riviera to bunk there sometime next month. Wish I had plenty of other space to store my COE fenders, engine hoist, and 2 disassembled Chrysler Hemis.

Nothing subjective about that droopy diaper out back!

RE : "2 Year's Supply of EXCITEMENT!!!!!!!!" .... VW has a 2.5 year (27.7 month) supply of the rebadged Chrysler minivans on hand.

>>"So, $$$ is wasted on marketing, instead of engineering, pushing the same basic car, but it is supposedly "better" since it has a different name. The distinction worked from 1926 to 1979"<< Ironically, Pontiac was created to spread the cost of Chevrolet over a 2nd line. But soon after, Pontiac became another autonomous division, engineering a very different car from Chevrolet. What was perhaps the first catalyst in the Decline was GM's Corporate decision --at the whining of Chevrolet-- to forbid the unique Banshee from being built, and tossing PMD the Firebird package... tho this example should be stricken because of the overwhelming success of the Firebird line thru the '60s & '70s. But otherwise, throughout the '30s, the '40s, the '50s and the '60s - Pontiacs were nothing remotely resembling "the same basic" Chevy. The real first torpedo was the X-body of '71. These were just effortless offerings that started the whole "all GMs are alike' BS.

Never had shims come with pads- indeed- perhaps this is a HD thing. BTW- I see no reason not to reuse them as you did.

The 'vine pergola' is still quite the focal point, and it's different. Very neat.

Nice! What's the vine? Full pergola not in the budget ? Wall looks great!

Pontiac sold 3.8 million Catalinas- that has to be on a longer quantity list somewhere. I have always prefered the full-size cars- my eye always notes how the intermediates were de-engineered from their big brothers, plus you got magical cube numbers (421, 428) not available from the siblings until '70. Plenty to love in Pontiac's past- my pic of those posted above is the '63 SD.

close-ups on the hyundai are revealing- maybe it's the light but looks like some sloppy fit-n-finish on the outside, lots of exposed rubber gasketing, and that black rubber diaper at the rear looks tremendously cheap. hyundai ads by me explain the sales uptick- outrageous deals: ("buy a leftover '08 and get a free '09!!!" "We'll make your payments for a year!!!" "40% off sticker price" - that's be nearly $13K off a genesis). Guess cash on the hood talks the loudest. Whole front end looks like it's really melting- so droopy. Interior looks mildly schizo. Not that I was expecting anything impressive, but it sure looks like a real dud from all I've seen so far. -- -- -- -- -- Haven't seen much interesting, been buried in work. One thing tho: prius inching thru gridlock, clouds of cigar smoke billowing out from inside. So much for the environment. :rotflmao:

Decent fan instrumental cover of My Friend of Misery:

My CD player sometimes kicks an inserted CD back out; you have to 'snap' it in, but that's a minor annoyance at best. No other sound system complaints.

honda sales are comparatively low. toyota is neck & neck with GM (this disasterous year aside). toyoota is about as generically-insipid & appliance-like as they come- I fail to see how the general public could care anymore about toyota or honda- there is a plethora of choice in each segment any modern mainstream buyer could flip to with little adjustment or lament. The general public cares VERY little for any mainstream manufacturer living or dieing, but this is the nature of modern consumerism.

Well.. leessee... >>"GM has failed miserably to get Cadillac anywhere on the same plane as BMW and Mercedes in terms of prestige."<< Cadillac's segment sales share in the 3-series segment in 2000 : 0% What is it's segment penetration as of '08? CTS is very much so "on the same plane" as B & M. CTS-V destroys it's competition. >>"Sigma has been a disappointment sales-wise..."<< What were the official projections ?? >>"...and probably profits too."<< Conjecture. >>"It just didn't deliver like they thought it would."<< Conjecture. >>"The large sedan market is rapidly contracting so cars like the DTS are doomed."<< Pathetic-selling S-Series & 7-Class :wink: doomed, too, or will the S-Series :wink: just continue to be the fleet monster it is ?? >>"Chevy-based Escalade has been the most successful Cadillac image-builder lately..."< It's not "Chevy-based" as this generation was developed con-currently. It's GM-platform based, but not other-division based. >>"...the second GM division's future is tied heavily to Chevrolet. Probably an easier and more cost-effective mission for Buick."<< Conjecture. If a bankruptcy goes thru, the crushing debt obligation should be at least greatly reduced, if not eliminated. Money saved from the expected 'good GM / bad GM' split should finally free up more than enough cash to develop a 2-division Corp more effectively than it's been for years... but admittedly that's conjecture on MY part; I don't have any numbers to base that statement on. Do you?

>>"WHAT model year is the POS?"<< Who gives a flying rat's ass ? Is it even ID-able to one year ??

>>"...the Volt is simply the wrong car at the wrong time."<< Not neccessarily. Everyone is pretty sure gas is going to skyrocket again, but with it at 1.79 - 1.89 here for the near future, Prius inventory has rocketed from a few days to over 6 months. Volt would likewise sit right now. If gas climbs, say next year, it may just coincide with the Volt's arrival nicely, but yes; that would be but a happy accident on GM's part.

Agreed, Camino- badge-slapping may work for hyperv6, it would not for me. G8 / Impala switcheroo would not interest me in the least. And BTW hyper- not much built ANYWHERE in the '80s looks 'good' now ! The '80s; when the BMW 3-series was slower than a Beretta GTZ. Bad times, bad times.

>>"Cheaper oil and air filters (gotta love private brands-both are made by Wix)"<< While the buy-in price may be lower, WIX quality is excellent, so there- it's not 'cheaper' at all. Haven't cut back on anything, and I continue to do what work I can & have time for. Last weekend; wife's GP - new rear rotors. Oil & trans fluid change due on the 2500HD- no time right now.

A '37 Plymouth, a '55 Olds, a POS.

>>"if someone wants to be critical, keep it objective and policy-based. Starting off making personal insults shows the inherent biases and lack of respect toward the office holder of the writer, and kills whatever credibility they could have had with me."<< Are you saying writers should only write on subjects & individuals they respect ? Can one reasonably render opinion on a person they disrespect... with respect ? Yea- I guess that's possible, but respect is still earned, not guaranteed, in most instances. Inherant respect for the POTUS's office has been eroding as long as GM's marketshare. That said- I too generally abhor smarmy 'journalism', but there are still some interesting points in the op-ed.