Robert Hall

There are other places higher...I was in Aspen, Colorado recently...it was $3.58 for regular unleaded (85 octane) there. It's always high in the mountain towns, I've noticed... it's between $2.85 and 2.95 for the most part here in Denver..really hasn't changed much since Labour Day.

One CEO I know drives a 540i, another drives a 750iL, the CEO of my current company drives a Prius, and the previous CEO (before the merger) drove a Caddy Escalade. I have a few coworkers with 3-series, though..

I like it..very clean. I like how the front end is evolved from the Envoy design. I esp. like the sides--very clean and minimalist with only a rub strip and no tacky cladding or other glued-on junk.

Maybe it's bad drivers... I agree... an unusally high percentage of late model Rios, Accents, etc that I see seem to be dented, have broken lights, etc...

Yes, I know..that's why I suggested doing a 2 seat coupe similar to that with the Revell '59 Impala (it's a readily available kit). I have the original AMT '59 & '60 Buick kits..neat models.

Yeah, they were probably no worse that some of the incredibly stupid stuff Ford did like the drop-in gas tanks in '60s Mustangs and Cougars (the top of the gas tank is actually in the trunk!).

You have issues, kid...get lost.

Yep, global economy... I don't know where my iPod was made; I don't care...same for my PowerBook, my Dell desktops, my new Toshiba DLP TV, my Yamaha and Sony home theatre equipment, Weber grille, etc, etc... I know my BMW was made in Germany, my Jeep in Michigan, my Mustang in Michigan... I think my Trek bike was made in the US..don't know about the Shimano brakes, though... My clothes are from all over...shoes from Italy, Denmark, somewhere in Asia... shirts from Sri Lanka to Costa Rica... yada yada yada...a virtual UN in my closet. Manufacturing is distributed all over...companies build stuff where they can get the best quality for the best price.. The biz I work in is distributed...(software engineering)--cubicle dwellers are here, in India, Russia, Israel (my formerly Canadian-owned company is now a subsidiary of an Israeli company) etc...

Though I think the A/G body coupes definitely have some memorable models (Monte SS, Cutlass H/O and 442, GP 2+2, Regal GN, etc---- the sedans were all snoozers, IMHO... dull, dull, dull, except maybe for the '78-79 Grand Am sedan. The only interesting Mavericks and '70s Comets IMHO were the 2dr Grabbers and GTs... I like the crisp lines of the '79-85 Eldos and the Rivs (without the stupid period padded tops), and the neat convertibles... the Toros less so.

Probably a shorter tank-to-bumper distance than the others since the Chevy was the shortest... I remember reading something about the bumper getting pushed into the tank..these car suffered from rusty rear frames as well... Not that it's related, but I've always thought the fuel filler behind the license plate was a dumb, dumb idea... in a vulnerable location and too low to easily reach.

I remember the Malibu law suits a few years ago... I wondered if that problem applied to all the other RWD A- and G- bodies from '78-88 or if only the Malibus were affected... (the '78-81 coupes were clean looking, but the '81-83 sedans were invisibly dull)..

forgettable RWDers: '81-82 Granada and Cougar 4dr/2dr (haven't seen one of these in years), '80s Malibu sedan (beyond bland), '80s Bonneville G (a LeMans in fancier clothes), '80s Plymouth Fury and Dodge Diplomats (another that's beyond bland), '70s Maverick, Comet, Granada, Monarch Keeper FWDers: Buick Riviera '79-85, '94-97, Olds Toronado '67-85, Olds Aurora, Cadillac Seville: '92-97, '98-04, Cadillac Eldorado: '67-85, '92-03, Taurus SHO, Bonneville GXP, late '80s Electra T-type, VW GTI R32, various current Alfas (GT, GTV, 155, 166), Acura Legend coupes, current Acura TL, Chrysler 300M, Dodge Intrepid R/T, Chrysler LHS.. Keeper AWDers: most any Audi... esp. the S and RS models. Subaru WRXes, BMW iXes, Mercs w/ 4-matic. Porsche Carrera 4s, of course. etc, etc, etc

I was out in Aspen the weekend before last and saw a very clean '69 Corvette coupe (dk blue), a clean '73 convertible (silver), a '50s MGA (green), a neat old '60s crew cab Dodge truck, and a clean late '70s Ferrari 308GTB in dk red.

Neat, neat car... though I'm much more of a fan of '60s styling than '50s, I like the Skyliner for the concept and (for the era) relatively clean styling.. Too bad it didn't catch on--there are several '60s cars that I can think of that would have been neat in a retractable ht form. It's interesting how the retractable hardtop idea has caught on again in the last decade... Merc SLK, SL, Lexus SC, Caddy XLR, Pontiac G6, several European models, etc..

Theres an non-running '82 Olds 98 stretch limo on ebay right now...listed as 'demo derby parts car'...

A classy stretch I saw a couple years ago was a mid '90s Caddy STS that had maybe a foot and a half added between the doors.. all black with factory wheels and tires..pretty tasteful, IMHO.

I think it is related to the old-time 'blue laws' which have to do with why in many places you can't buy alcohol on Sundays..

I'm not sure why Chevy sells both the Epica and Malibu in Canada... there doesn't seem to be much price difference..they seem redundant with each other...

The CTS-v is a sweet car, but the lack of a coupe would steer me towards getting another M3.. Of course, a $50k sports coupe/sedan comparison is a lot different that a $35k one..the regular CTS has a lot going for it at $35k, IMHO.

It's a neat car at $30-35k, but in the $50k range, there are many more desirable sports cars, IMHO...

Same here in Colorado...Sundays are a great day to walk around car lots and look at cars without being hassled by salesmen.

Hmmm..that 2-seat Buick would be fun to build in scale.. the same idea could be applied to the Revell '59 Impala ht kit that is currently available. As far as Barris, I've never really gotten into his stuff..I find most of it rather tasteless and overdone..

I don't know about the current models, but IIRC the old Durango and Dakota (which shared a lot) had rather poor crash result records...

A little of everything, but the most common around here (metro Denver area) have to be Hondas, Toyotas, and lots and lots of Subuarus and Audis....(AWD is very popular here), and plenty of BMWs also... at least in the areas I frequent (downtown, Cherry Creek, and the southeast suburbs (Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills, Englewood, Centennial). For SUVs, I see a lot of Toyotas but also a lot of domestics (esp. Jeeps & GM full-sizers (Yukons, Tahoes, 'Burbans).

Interesting..I didn't realize any shoes were made in the USA...I have a couple pairs of New Balances and they are both imported, I believe..