A Horse With No Name

That's one thing I like about the US and due process laws. We have at least some level of protection against our cars being crushed... Guy needs to go to jail for a long, long time... Chris

...and another sad one, I always hate to see cars die. Went to scrap out some copper and some old electrical motors at a local salvage/scrap metal yard. Lots of CFC cars and some other decent looking cars, all getting flattened intact. They were getting ready to flatten a seemingly undamaged Chrysler Concorde that looked to be in pretty good shape. Not sure if the 3.5 Concorde was eligible for CFC, but the Concorde looked Wayyy to nice to crush... Chris

Back to cars...this is kind of a sad one, and sorry if I seem to post so much sad stuff but... I usually buy gas at the station right by the Ross County fairgrounds on my way home on Thursdays. Several times, I have run into a very friendly older guy with an immaculate red HHR. His kids are grown and we have often talked of how much fun he and his wife were having driving the HHR around on trips, just the two of them and how happy he was with his HHR. Wednesday, about a mile past the station, I saw a flatbed truck with what I am pretty sure was his HHR and a nearly brand new black Malibu. Looked like someone had rear ended the HHR and pushed it into the 'bu. From what I could see the rear wheels no longer lined up in the wheel wells of the HHR and the bags looked to be blown. I'd say for sure it and probably the 'bu are a gonner. Worried about the guy I talk to, hope he and his wife are OK. Chris

The daughter of a friend of mine, who was about 16 at the time, made a comment that has always stayed with me. She said .."I wish I was a guy. Guys can take it out in the parking lot, knock each other down in a fight, get up, shake hands, and its over and they are friends again. Girls can say one wrong thing and a four year friendship is over forever." I find a LOT of truth to what she said. Chris

Happy birthday! Chris

Damn, I'd be tempted just to leave it as a V6 survivor. NICE car... Chris

As a "hands on" guy myself I thought it was a great read. Thanks, balthazar. Chris

Cool! I'll bet some people at Toyota were pissed about THAT! Chris

Like Rob, I've flown in 747's across both the Atlantic and the Pacific. Wonderful experience.

That guy just got buried in his Pontiac in Saluda. Saluda South Carolina is right down the road a piece from where my parents live. Nice little BBQ resteraunt down there, enjhoy going there with my dad. Saluda SC is also the site of the steepest railraod grade in the USA IIRC, although they don't use the tracks much there, if at all anymore. Some interesting train wrecks happened there way back when... Chris

I have seen frieght '47's but I am pretty damn sure that it was a passenger '47 that passed over me. Pretty impressive when your driving a 2300# car! Chris

Had a 747 pass over me while I was driving top down near Columbus airport. They are a sweet looking aircraft indeed! Chris

Took a sunset cruise in the Miata with my 13 year old daughter Joanna tonight. We saw a beautiful red Cobalt SS TC, a beautiful red HHR, and a nice, sweetly detailed new Cadillac CTS in a wine red color that was just wonderful. Chris

If it's going to be British and expensive, along with being "complicated" I would take an original E type Jag. Chris

As for me, I love the Ford lineup but to me the Malibu edges out the Fords. But it would be very close were I to be in the market for a midsized car. I would probably let my wife and children decide, as they are so close in quality and design. Chris

I like Trinicriabob's idea. Think he pretty much nailed it. Would like to see a classy fullsize convertible with the Buick name, but that's more a "Chris fantasy' than a "market reality" Chris

I eat out alone a fair bit, so I usually tip 20% and sometimes feel it's not quie enough. Frequently I will enjoy food at family style resteraunts where the whole bill is five or six bucks, so I tip a buck. I feel cheap but that's about twenty percent. Also, I eat out frequently with the TDI VW Club and the Miata club. With the Miata club we will usually sit for two hours or so, and the wait staff usually keep my drinks full. So if I sit there awhile I'll tip more. Although there is a good mexican resteraunt here in Columbus one of my SCCA friends and I eat at a lot. We always get the same asshole middle aged male aiter, who is not real friendly. He usually get's ten percent. Those are my thoughts... Chris

There are parts of living in Atlanta that I really miss. However, I'm with Camino...the more people I can avoid living around... Chris

It might well indeed, although an LS6 Chevelle vert might find its way to the dragstrip in my hands. Chris

Thanks...trying to find the advert for the 55 Poncho, it could have been a 56. Will continue to search for B-59 pics! Chris

I like the old CJ Scramblers/CJ8's as well. Anything you can pull the top off of or the top and doors is okay with me. NOTHING beats a Jeep with the doors and top off on a warm summer day. Chris

But Rob, look at all of the great cultural conservatives you could have as neighbors if you lived in Georgia. You could sit out on the deck and listen to Glenn Beck and Hannity with your new friends. What more could you wish for to be in paradise? Seriously, there is a reason I moved out of Georgia and back to Ohio. Chris

Cool! My grandfather had a 57 Olds ragtop before he bought the 59 buick, and he had a 53 Hudson Hornet before that (two door, looked just like Doc from the movie Cars.) Balthy...off topic but... Couldn't find pics of the B-59 last time I saw mom, will keep looking. Couldn't find that 33-34 Plymouth again when I went back to the one yard. Did find a B-59 (blue fourdoor) in a yard. It's gone as far as anything other than a vin # goes...rusted pretty badly. Didn't have my camera when I went to that yard, will try to get pics next time I am out that way. Found another 60 Cadillac ragtop in a yard, fairly intact, will try to get pics of THAT. Also saw a 64 fullsize Pontiac ragtop at a local show, it was leaving as I was arriving so I didn't get a good look but it looked pretty primo. Also need the "Balthazar 4-1-1" on a couple of vehicles. We had a GM guy join our Miata club. He owned a 55 Olds 4 door pillarless hardtop. I know Chev came out with the moredoor hardtop in 56, were olds and pontiac a year ahead? Methinks I remember seeing a 55 Pontiac 4 door "true hardtop" for sale, but I can't find the advert. Nice l,ooking car, I've always had a thing for 55 Pontiacs. There are times I think 55 was the best postwar year for Pontiac styling. Also, guy who joined the Miata club bought a Grand Am (I think it was a Grand AM) new in 79 and it was a 4 speed car. Any #'s on 4 speed grand AM's and Grand Prix's from the late 70's? That had to be a not common option for those cars. Sorry to go off topic... How is progress on the Buick? Chris

The problem isn't age, it's the fact that she was drunk and is saying that she was unwilling to ahve sex. But thanks for looking that up for me. As the father of three teenagers I wonder about what kind of stunts they are going to pull. Chris

Wrangler Rubicon is an object of utter vehicular lust for me. So long as it is the prev. Gen of Jeep and not the rolling abortion Chryco now calls the Jeep Wrangler. But yeah, my wife has a couple of second cousins who got their Jeeps into Jeep magazine. Those guys have invited me to come wheel with them a few times. Autocrossing and going to Miata club functions is an expensive enough addiction. Methinks Jeep stands for Just Empty Every Pocket for a reason. But damn would I love a Wrangler. Chris