Drew Dowdell

They'd probably appear slightly different here. You see all kinds of Mercedes vehicles like that in Europe... it's not just a luxury brand there. BLASPHEMER!

not sure how that happened, but the thread is back

Well it wouldn't be a near future purchase.

I should take a picture of the lineup of Sprinter vans that clearly didn't "run forever" down near the waterfront.

If I find the "perfect" 85 for me, then I'd sell my '81 for it. Otherwise, I have my sights set on a '66 or '67 next.

He is saying the doors don't sag, which is a common problem on two door cars this large from this era.

DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!

Chrysler Group LLC Completes Refinancing and Repays U.S. and Canadian Government Loans in Full More than six years ahead of schedule, Chrysler Group fulfills promise to taxpayers and repays original government loans totaling $6.7 billion, in addition to $1.8 billion of interest and other consideration Intervention by U.S. and Canadian governments and strategic alliance with Fiat leads to 16 all-new or significantly refreshed vehicles currently in dealerships; more than $3 billion in facility upgrades; and increased employment with the hiring of 6,000 Chrysler Group employees Company's return to profitability and double-digit worldwide sales increases show new product lineup gaining momentum in marketplace May 24, 2011 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - <br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Chrysler Group LLC today announced the repayment of $7.6 billion in outstanding U.S. and Canadian government loans following the completion of new refinancing transactions. The original loans were repaid in full, more than six years ahead of schedule, along with the payment of accrued interest and additional consideration.<br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Today, the Company made payments of $5.9 billion to the U.S. Treasury (UST) and $1.7 billion to Export Development Canada (EDC) to retire the loans granted when Chrysler Group began operations in June 2009. EDC is the holding company through which the Canadian federal and Ontario provincial governments extended loans to Chrysler Group. <br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">The Company borrowed $5.1 billion from the UST and $1.6 billion from the Canadian governments in June 2009 ($2.6 billion from the original loan facilities was undrawn and the facilities will be canceled). In total, Chrysler Group has paid the UST $6.5 billion and the EDC $2.0 billion, including $1.8 billion in interest and additional consideration.<br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">“Less than two years ago, we made a commitment to repay the U.S. and Canadian taxpayers in full and today we made good on that promise,” said Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer, Chrysler Group LLC. “The loans gave us a rare second chance to demonstrate what the people of this Company can deliver and we owe a debt of gratitude to those whose intervention allowed Chrysler Group to re-establish itself as a strong and viable carmaker.<br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">“Paying back the loans, along with the financial community’s investment in our refinancing packages, marks another step in the Company returning as a competitive force in the global automotive industry.”<br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Chrysler Group confirmed the completion of new financing transactions consisting of a term loan totaling $3.0 billion, debt securities totaling $3.2 billion and a revolving credit facility of $1.3 billion. The new financing will save Chrysler Group an estimated $350 million a year in interest expenses.<br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">The Company used the net proceeds from the term loan and bonds, together with $1.3 billion from an equity call option exercised by Fiat for an incremental 16 percent fully diluted ownership interest, to repay the government loans. The revolving credit facility remains undrawn.<br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Chrysler Group continues to have more than $10 billion in liquidity after the refinancing and loan payoffs, which includes the undrawn revolving credit facility.<br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">“Everyone in the extended Chrysler Group family, from employees to union partners to dealers and suppliers, have worked tirelessly to deliver on our promises and to win back public trust in the Company and our products," said Marchionne. "There is more work to be done as we remain focused on fulfilling the goals outlined in our 2010-2014 business plan.” <br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Goldman, Sachs Co. advised Chrysler Group on structuring the financings and Evercore Partners advised the Company's Finance Committee.

I still don't think it was a miscalculation on their part. Something failed for the wheels to be pushed up like that....it could have been mechanical or computer... but something crashed before the car did.

I think division specific tunes of "base" GM engines is a great idea!

No, I don't think it was a mechanical failure, I think a safety or defensive system got tripped.... basically it got activated when it shouldn't have.

GM has really nailed down electric power steering in terms of feel.

If BMW is disappointed with the 5-series GT sales, imagine what Acura is thinking. The ZDX is the worst selling model in production of all mainstream luxury nameplates. Even some out of production luxury nameplates are outselling it! (STS, Town Car)

How much?

You guys are right, that's not Obama's normal "Limo 1", that must be the travel one. That's the one built for George W. Bush. Limo 1 built for Obama Limo 1 built for George W. Bush.

If a collision is unavoidable, you want to hit the other vehicle with the beefiest parts... the bumpers, not relatively flimsy sheetmetal above it, regardless of the armor added. Typically going high works better, assuming you are trying to avoid flipping it. Going low suffers risking the other vehicle hitting the cage directly and also having some crush damage... could the attacked vehicle continue driving if the attacking vehicle was parked on top of it? In any case, crouching while driving would cause the vehicle to drag on the ground, risking losing control. Crouching would not stop a forklift or bulldozer from getting under the vehicle, as the seal would never be complete. I imagine plenty of things could still be thrown under a crouched car... it is simply better to drive away from threats like that. Which brings my to the first rule of car security: keep moving... crouching is not moving. A vehicle stopped will eventually be compromised regardless of armor. My final point about crouching is that it is hardly a good security feature if it can't be immediately uncrouched... but that's just my armchair quarterback's opinion of the situation. I'm going to stop there before the black helicopters are dispatched. It's not a forktruck that Limo 1 is concerned about., it can outrun even the fastest of fork trucks. It's propelled explosives getting under there that they want to avoid. Crouch, survive rocket attack, un-crouch, run. The car can withstand a rocket attack, but I'm sure that it's underbelly it it's weakest point and is also a way for an explosive to flip the car (then it really can't run). I doubt it uses air shocks... too vulnerable to failure. Most likely it's hydraulics. It can be raised or lowered in either direction, and fairly quickly at that.

Crouching is to prevent something from getting under it from the side or the front. Also provides better safety (because of the cage around the occupants) if someone is intent on ramming it and a collision is unavoidable.

Failing air suspensions don't "suck" wheels up.

I watched that second video again and I think it was actually a security mechanism that accidentally went off and the limo went into crouch mode at exactly the wrong time. It looks like it dived onto the concrete rather then getting high centered.

If you're really OCD about it, you can disassemble the hubcap completely (give it a good cleaning when you do) fill the hollow area around the lock bolt with that expanding insulation foam, allow to dry, use a flexible hacksaw blade to cut off any excess, gently drill a hole for the lock bolt to pass through, reassemble. 99.9% of the creaking will be gone.

Another View:

Mazda 3, Scion TC, Ford Focus, Mini-Cooper, even Dodge Caliber as crappy as it is.....

I'm shocked. SHOCKED.

So I guess I get to keep this R/C Escalade? It arrived on Friday.