Robert Hall

I like rail, having ridden trains extensively in Europe and in the Chicago area. But beyond a certain distance, rail isn't competitive with air travel within the US in many areas. For example, when I want to go to the West Coast, I can get a flight for $100-200 round trip that takes less than 2 hrs from Phoenix to San Diego, Orange County, or LA. There isn't even rail service from Phoenix to the West Coast (nearest Amtrak station is 50 miles away, can take a bus there from the city). Even if there was a direct line through Phoenix to LA or SD it would still take a lot longer than a flight. Or when I go to Ohio, I can get there in under 4 hrs by air...it would take days to get there by rail..

I live in a city of 1.5 million in a sprawling metro area of 3.5 million people. Jobs are decentralized and are all over the valley, from downtown to distant suburban office parks. There are buses and light rail, neither get me where I need to go..so I have a commute of 50 miles a day round trip from the city to a suburban office park. A car is the only practical solution for me.

My Mom and brother told me about this restaurant near home. I will have to check it out on my next trip back to Ohio...looks like fun--a lot of automobilia, gas station signs, gas pumps, car dealer signs, some 1:1 cars on display ('68 Biscayne, 56 Chevy 2dr wagon, '62 Biscayne or Bel Air, etc). Hot Rod City

Yeah, probably came from the Buick store near my house..they always have a few 'grandpa' trimmed LaCrosse and Lucernes on the lot..I think they even had a coach-roofed and gold trimmed Enclave a while back.

Saw a Chrysler 300C w/ a mesh aftermarket grille with a big chrome 'Superman' 'S' emblem in the centre of the grille. Wierd. Saw a white '11 Regal w/ a tan coach roof, tinted windows, whitewalls, chrome wheels, gold custom grille w/ chrome cap, gold badging. Ick.

My first car was a FWD diesel 5dr hatchback...but since then, I've only had RWD cars and RWD/4WD SUVs.

That's why old high mileage used cars make bad daily drivers. Old cars will break, break your wallet, let you down. Living w/ an old car as a DD can be a world of pain and misery.

Maybe try and use lots of high temp duct tape to seal the oil pan to the block?

Maybe they have been abducted by aliens.

I wonder if this techology is history w/ the demise of the Viper..haven't read anything about it migrating to their Hemi V8s.

Big Ed probably couldn't take another brutal Michigan winter...missed Texas. Odd timing for such an announcement, though, relative to the upcoming IPO..

Depreciation.

Saw a red Dodge Attitude today...never seen one before. (a rebadged Hyundai Accent from Mexico).

Looks very clean and straight. Any rust?

I've thought about moving back to Ohio, but it's such a depressing thought. As the song lyrics go, 'Nothing but the dead and dying back in my little town'. No future, only the past to cling to.

Long commutes are just part of life in many metro areas..can't exactly sell your house and move every time you change jobs...in Phoenix, my commute has varied from 6 miles each way up to 27 miles each way over the last two years...I've stuck w/ my 18mpg SUV w/ no complaints for those commutes. I'm sure if I were in So Cal my commute would be the same or longer, and I'd have the same SUV or a bigger one (or a full size car).

Every time I visit So Cal I don't want to go home. But then again, I have to come home to AZ..

Yeah, I live in AZ, and have never heard of 'Arizona Express News'...the Arizona Republic is the big paper here.

Saw a really clean bright red '70 Malibu 350 2dr yesterday, had '68-69 style Rally wheels w/ dog dish style center caps. Today on the freeway, saw an unusual matte dark red Chrysler 300C wagon w/ blacked out chrome, large black wheels...sinister looking. Saw a solid '69 Mustang sportsroof in dark primer gray on the freeway, looked very straight, a resto project in progress I assume.

Interesting...I thought the Sorento was about the size of the Equinox. Isn't the Sportage much smaller?

'Ugly' is probably a better description than 'plain'.

Saw a 1st gen Infiniti G35 in silver w/ faded/peeling paint, one front fender primered, scuffed plastic bumpers..odd to see a car that recent so worn out looking. Saw 3 Lucernes in traffic last evening, incl. one w/ a rooftop ski/bike rack and a driver that appeared to be no more than 30. Shocking.

ah...I'm used to putting my initial (R for Rob) at the end of my emails, text messages, etc. Force of habit thing, I guess.. R

Reminds me of a couple of 'em here at work, one a '91-92 and another a '94-96..both white Caprices, likely ex-cop cars w/ spotlights, no door side moldings. One has steelies w/ DDs, the other '90s style directial mags (that one has aftermarket gauges on the dash and a rear wing). R

Interesting... don't think I've lived in a state that does safety inspections. I do remember road side ones (horn, tires, lights, wipers) in Ohio back in the '70s, though. I don't know about Michigan, Illinois, or Florida (lived there, never registered a car there) but I've had emissions every two year inspections in Colorado and Arizona.