Camino LS6

Some really good lines on this, too bad that they are ruined by the really bad ones. That prow of a nose is horrible, and the lower flanks are typical bloated Toyota.

Eh, not really. Blinded by rage is more like it, my sense of self-preservation goes by the wayside when fury takes over. Fortunately, the shock of it all has protected me from getting my butt kicked when I've done things like this. The adversaries have been dumbfounded in each case - and I'm told that I'm scary when angry. :AH-HA_wink:

I wouldn't call it a dead end, the panel and SS versions have kept it fresh. And the potential for personalisation is huge. The panel especially is a blank canvas for commercial buyers as well as customizers. Give the next gen AWD, and you have one interesting and versatile product.

Right now, it isn't going at all. It's been way too cold in the barn and I've been dealing with a hundred more pressing things. Tomorrow I plan to buy a new wick for the kerosene heater and see what I can do to warm it up to a workable temp. Once I get some other things under control, and get enough heat in there, look out for a frenzy of activity on the project. I'm hoping to spend a huge chunk of the winter out there, completeing the wagon (except paint) and the Mothertruck as well. Wish me luck.

I'm a patient guy usually (except on the road), and I'll put up with a lot of crap. But, it isn't wise to push me beyond my tolerance level. Bully types don't understand the risk they run by hassling someone who seems tolerant. I was always small and skinny in school and some fools thought that that made me an easy target. They weren't ready for the verbal abuse I could and would throw at them. The more persistant (read stupid) ones would get mad and try to make it physical on occassion - that was a mistake. Little guys don't fight for sport or social status - they fight for survival. Fighting for survival makes all the BS about "fighting fair" go right out the window. You attack a little guy - be prepared to get hurt, because if he can't get away he is going to attempt to disable you anyway possible. Your eyes, ears and balls are in jeopardy whether or not you know it, and if you really push him to far he may attempt to kill you. He won't just stand there and trade punches with you - he'll kick you in the nuts and throw hot coffee in your face in an instant. Bullies are a bit slow to learn this reality - but they don't soon forget the lesson. Ages ago, when I was in high school, a group of bully types decided that haslling me would be great fun. Lots of stupid barbs were thrown at me and I retaliated in kind. No big deal. One day, one of the "lesser" members of this crowd (who sat in front of me in class) made a big mistake. He turned in his seat AND SPIT IN MY FACE! Well. I grabbed him around the neck and dragged him backward out of his seat and over my desk to the floor. The class erupted and the teacher freaked out. This distracted me enough that I paused a second. When I looked down at this kid's face, he was turning blue! That's when I got scared and dropped him on the floor. After he caught his breath, I could see abject terror in his face. I wasn't hassled again. Don't F-with little guys, it's dangerous.

A fine-looking family you have there.

Just off idle is all we'll need, be it your truck or mine. :AH-HA_wink:

Happy Birthday BV!

Once again the Vseries forces me to like a car that otherwise I'm not a fan of.

Open the hood, find the horn, detach the electrical connector - problem solved. Have it fixed properly soon.

These are godawful hideous piles of nothing with zero style. The HHR is infinitely more creative stylistically than these. God, they are bad.

Let's just hope that you don't have your wings on backwards.

You could put the seats back in, but trust me when I say no one would want to sit in them long. :AH-HA_wink:

Where I live things are a bit strange. Rather than the split being along brand lines, it is more about price/trim level. If it's high end in its class, we have plenty around. If it is entry level, it is a rare sight. I'd say the brand mix is fairly even with a few models here in mass quantitiy. The best example is likely GM full size SUVs from base Tahoe to loaded Escalade, there seems to be at least one in every driveway. The lambdas seem to be taking over as well. The other car you will see all day everyday is BMW (of every type). Common as dirt.

HB, SG!

I'll take you at your word on this, as I've never attempted to live with the HHR. I do find it curious that my impression and your own are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Being the sort of vehicle I would normally not give a second glance, it has managed to impress me nonetheless. As to the sales issue, perhaps local tastes are behind the disparity as the HHR is nearly ubiquitous here. Not a day goes by that I don't see at least a dozen on the road, and they don't stay on the local lot very long. The Trailblazer, on the other hand, is too large outside, too small inside, and too expensive. Thus it sits while the Equinox and Tahoe take the sales at opposing ends of the market. It just doesn't do much very well as compared to the other options. Agreed on the Malibu.

I have to confess, I scoffed at the HHR when it was introduced - but it has since grown on me (a feat rarely accomplished by any FWD). It just seems so 'right-sized" and well thought out. Additonally, I find the interior to be especially nice. The late additon of the panel version (and SS) gave it a new level of interest as well. All in all, I'd call the management of the HHR excellent and a fine example of GM doing it the right way. It's a cool little vehicle that I have a hard time finding fault with despite my strong preference for RWD performance cars and full-size trucks. The local Chevy dealer sells a ton of them, while the polar-opposite (wrong-sized and ill-conceived) Trailblazer languishes on the lot.

Shhh! Be quiet until I get mine. :AH-HA_wink:

For that matter, why pick 1965? Or neglect to mention the increased power and performance each of the successive five years leading to the 1970 LS6 454 with an underrated 450HP. That car tested at a 13.8 1/4 in a much heavier car also running on crap bias ply tires. Come to think of it, why mention Chevelle at all? It has absolutely nothing to do with any recent Malibu.

I've won, have I? I didn't realize we were competing. I could have countered your arguments about fleeting and sales, and the fortunes of GM these days. But the fact is that I never addressed these issues in this thread at all. Had I done so, the net result of such a discussion is easy to predict: I would have seen the positives and you would have seen the negatives, so why bother? You know what the point was, I know what the point was, as does everyone else who has read this thread. I'll just leave it at that.

Sad. I hope that it goes to a new owner before it gets so bad that it can't be saved. Let us know if you hear about it.

Had GM never existed we might still have Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Chevrolet and Buick. The history would be entirely different, but all of those brands existed without GM. So, who knows? The automotive landscape would be so different we'd hardly recognize it. Most likely, another grouping of brands would have happened in a fashion similar to the formation of GM and we would all be fans of that grouping.

Any update on the fate of the Z28?

I haven't missed your point, in fact I haven't addressed it at all. I have merely pointed out an error and the fact that you refuse to aknowledge it. You should be a lawyer or a politician, obfuscation seems to be a strong suit for you. Have a nice day.