A Horse With No Name

I checked out the Routan at a local VW dealer after reading this thread. regfootball, you are right, it does outclass the Honda and the Toyota by a pretty fair margin. However, I still would like a crossever better I think. Although a Chrysler/Routan minivan would tow a small race car or a small camping trailer with ease I think. Chris

Don't underestimate going to NHL Hockey games either. Hockey really wasn't my thing until I went to a few games. Now I'm hooked, and the Penguins (Pittsburg) have a very large and loyal following. Enjoy Pittsburg if you move there! Chris

The people who designed the Nissan CVT should be shot, IMHO. Even if they are dead, dig them up and shoot them just because of the principle of the thing. But seriously, the Accord is a decent, pretty much bulletproof car. They do nothing for me from a visual standpoint, but your talking about your wife buying a commuter car. It should blend in just dandy with the Escorts, Kia's, Hyundia's and Calibers at the local Wal-Mart. Which isn't a bad thing...sometimes for a daily driver it's good to blend in. Personally, while I know a lot of guys who work for Honda here in central Ohio, and know a lot of guys who race Hondas...I'd rather be bitten by a rabid dog than drive a modern Accord. Chris

Methinks reg...get a GTI 4 door, gently used. About as close as your going to come in your eternal quest for the perfect small car. Either that or crap can the small car idea keep the aztek and get a weekend warrior of some sort. Go four wheeling, go autocrossing, go DO something... Or get an older but modern Mustang or Camaro Convertible with a 5 speed to tool around in. Fox body ragtops are at givaway prices, and 5K will buy you a damn fine example of either car. The Camaro/Firebird may have 100K on it, but if you drive it 5K a year you've got twenty years to enjoy it. Just my two cents, Chris

Sucks that people are trash sometimes... Good luck, DF! Chris

Went out with my family to eat, and not one but two C6 Z06's pulled up next to us. Kind of cool! Also saw an SRT-4 Caliber in the wild...wonder how many of these will be around in ten years. Chris

...and it's a good looking city! Chris

I like DF's idea of a 300, actually. And on VW-Audi-Don't even dream about one in your worst nightmare if you want an autotrajic tranny. I am a huge fan of VW as well as GM, and I would tell you... GM builds the best automatic transmissions on the planet, bar none. VW builds the worst automatic transmissions on the planet, bar none. I would stay away from the Acura you mentioned, as it is about as ugly as a Corolla. Just my two cents. Chris

+1 Chris

...and WOW...that house in Hazelwood...for 40K...seriously??? Here in Columbus 40K buys you a SHACK covered with graffiti. Even in Chillicothe, where I work, which is a depressed city an hour south of Columbus... that house would sell for $85,000 in a bad part of town. And about $150,000 in a decent part of town. A nearly identical house to that sold in a good neighborhood here in columbus for almost $300,000...and Pittsburg is a better looking city than Columbus! Wow. Chris

Which is why I was hoping that Paulino would move to Columbus if he moved out of long island. We have a large gay male population and more good looking men than Pittsburg. Columbus is also a very gay friendly city... Chris

Actually I love a lot of Pontiacs but I've never owned one. Wish I could buy a car like Balthazars Grand Prix off of the showroom floor. Now THAT was a Pontiac. Chris

...trust me...road trip Pittsburg. Methinks you'll be happy! You may want to do it sometime other than the middle of winter, however. Chris

I'm thinking build a turbo V6 motor from the block up at some point in the future. Glad your keeping it... Also...really hope you get a Firebird. I've wanted one since I was a kid (my uncle bought one when I was 7, a 1972 IIRC it was a Formula). Really more of a fan of the 67-68 Convertibles than any other 'bird... And a 69 First year TA would be nice. Chris

Take a little time off. I wish I would have...I went right from high school to college, which for me personally was a big mistake. You've got a BIG plus one from me on getting your head in the game before you tackle college. Chris

I can second the whole Pittsburg thing. My son and I went over last weekend to meet with Z06 and Oldsmoboi. We got there early and ended up driving around for about 4 hours with the convertible top down on a nice fall day. Having been all over the US, from New England to Florida to the south to LA to Seattle...all I can say is...I think Oldsmoboi is right. If I had it all to do over again, I would think really hard about Pittsburg. Also, Pittsburg for some reason seems to have a really high number of very attractive females on a per capita basis. Something else to consider! Chris

This is really odd...I almost bought a 68, not 69 Olds 442 that was damn near identical to this when I bought my 55 Chevy. And the 68 was also from around Massilon, Ohio. This is just too odd. The 68 had the original 400 though...and it was a one owner car. Chris

Let's turn this around to a positive. I could almost see you building it up into a turbo Buick with a thumpin Turbo V6 in a few years. I like your car, knight....which is why I'm fighting for you to keep it. I remember these cars from when they were new, and I am a BIG fan of them. Good Luck! Chris

You and me both! Chris

This is going to sound prfoundly stupid but... Sometimes bad things happen to good people that bring about better things. But right now...going through a little frustration of my own. However...woman I know from the SCCA, Cincinnati region...has Lou gehrigs disease/als...she just lost the ability to speak...attractive gal...about our age...and about to die. Co worker of my wife's, early 20s, wonderful woman...ovarian cancer, has spread to her intestines and stomach, already had her uteris removed, she wanted to eventually have children just soooo badly....and it doesn't look like she is going to make it through 2010. 33 year old daughter of friends of mine from the Miata club...put herself through med school...married a great guy...mother of a 6 month old and a three year old....great doctor...great person...rare invasive form of breast cancer, she has a great attitude but is pretty much hosed. 15 year old daughter of very close friends of mine...beautiful girl...she modeled clothes of JC Penny's..the Limited...etc...has Lupis and several other muscular diseases. Right now the muscles in her back and buttocks have atrophied where she is having problems standing up unassisted...and the doctors only diagnosed her about a month ago. NOT good... One of my 19 year old daughters good friends...is 17...great kid...plays sports...honor roll...getting kicked out of the house because she got her ears pierced twice. Go figure. One of the teenagers who died of the swine flu was a close friend of a friend of mine...he was only 14. Another one of my daughters friends came out as a lesbian...is also getting kicked out of her house...she is also 17. Feel so sorry for her. On the positive side, looks like the girl/parents putting the rape charges against my sons friend are about to drop all charges and let everything die. So sometimes there is hope. Not saying this to hijack your thread...but man...there is just sooo much misery all around right now it seems. IIRC Dave 87rs is laid off, Dodgefan is laid off/looking for work, Paulino is out of work, your out of work, I'm working about 30 hours a week...other guys on the site are out of work. We need a Cheers and Gears get together so we can escape reality for awhile, methinks! Anything I can do to help? If so, please let me know! Chris

Sweet Mary Mother Of Jesus...of Nazareth...WOW. Car looks GREAT in that color. Waxed and detailed...WOW! Glad you got the new tires... Chris

Happy Birthday, Guys! Chris

...and the pricing sounds just dead spot on! Co worker almost sold a Z71 with 150K on it for 5 grand...so at 2K the Blazer is a bargain! Chris

Even if you were a millionare, I think this is the healthiest thing that you could do. Hoping that you hold onto the wagon until things get a little bit better for me... How far along is the Camino? Chris

Can I be real honest bro... Whtienight...been thinking about you and your situation. I have a suggestion, and feel free to tell me to take a flying leap. Here goes...I would go to Berea College. I love the school, think it is top notch in a lot of ways. Plus...my wife works with financial aid for students. You would not believe the number of 20 year olds $40,000 in debt for just an associates degree. A lot of people are never going to be able to pay back their school loans in a million years. Next idea. Instead of buying a Trans Am...buy an original Jeep Cherokee with the inline six or a previous generation Wrangler. Do a very mild build on it...31" Tires...shocks...springs...very mild lift... Find a four wheeling club near you and Join it. Guys that wheel in my experience are almost always a great bunch of people. If you join one group and don't like it...find another. Like I said, I work an hour south of Columbus...I know lots of guys that wheel...my wife has a few second cousins that have gotten their Jeeps in magazines. The other thing to think about...wheeling is very family freindly. If you get a girlfriend...which I am assuming you will...wheeling groups can be very inclusive. This is why I own a Miata and belong to a Miata club...they are a very family friendly group. Don't underestimate the positive impact this might have with the fair sex. Sorry to hijack your thread.... Chris