avant1963

The Nano's significance will NOT be its simplistic model, but how it will quickly shift the rest of the world off oil. Once everyone in India and China are able to afford a car and replace their moped or bicycle, the demand for oil will out-strip production, forcing the rest of the world to quickly find alternatives. The Nano is significant... It makes me long for the glory days, hopeful for the future, but completely F'd for us that are stuck in these middle years of finding what the future will hold. Plays RUSH's "Red Barchetta" knowing that that future is not too far away... for better or for worse

I can see the dash "pod" is here for a reason. Where TOYota puts the Scion gauges in the middle to make left and right-hand drive cars use the same dashboard, by putting the gauges on a pod that attaches to the steering column, the same dash can be used but you don't have to look at the middle of the dash like an idiot (and yes I know the ION had it too and it was stupid.)

Hate the front bumper (looks like some of the home-made ricer kits I see around here on Civics - does it have 5 holes drilled out of the back bumper?) but love the return of the red and black bowtie. Gold bowties on SS's suck.

If GM built vehicles like this, I would have never been a GM owner. I'd rather them dead then relegated to build junk like this. Ford Fiesta, yes. Scion, no.

I think this is what GM wanted by floating the death rumors. Two local NJ dealers closing up, pissing off customers and killing Saturn's footprint in NJ. http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/200...310/1003/NEWS01 And earlier this month, an 80 year old Chevy dealership (was Chevy/Olds), and the place that I bought my Camaro and Malibu closed. Laffin Chevrolet is no more. Not much left for me to care about new cars anymore. Just buy a Camaro SS and a G8 GT and keep them for the next 20 years I guess.

Here's all the "Weird Wheels" stickers. I think I have them all, but they are stuck in an album. http://www.bubblegum-cards.com/Weird-Wheels/ I always loved the Zom. B. Zee:

Do you remember the wacky car stickers (I think they were done by TOPPS also). I have a bunch of those (along with my Wacky Packages). I still remember "FRANKEN-STUDE" and I know there was a "GOLDEN HAWK". My problem was that I was about 5 at the time and stuck all the stickers into an album. I still have the album, but the stickers aren't worth anything now that they are used.

This didn't work for Chrysler... let see if the judge allows GM to get their stuff back: GM Sues for Access to Parts for Camaro http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123032162988835835.html

Scanned. Saw "FWD" and "Delta" and stopped reading.

Read it: http://washingtonindependent.com/22236/cars

Loki - good call:

Mitch McConnell # Voted YES on promoting free trade with Peru. (Dec 2007) # Voted YES on free trade agreement with Oman. (Jun 2006) # Voted YES on implementing CAFTA for Central America free-trade. (Jul 2005) # Voted YES on establishing free trade between US & Singapore. (Jul 2003) # Voted YES on establishing free trade between the US and Chile. (Jul 2003) # Voted YES on extending free trade to Andean nations. (May 2002) "In an interview with the Louisville Courier-Journal, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) noted that despite the economic turmoil in Detroit, Toyota plants in Kentucky are sitting pretty: “We also have other auto manufacturers who are doing quite well,” McConnell said, naming Toyota’s Georgetown, Ky., operation. “It happens not to be American companies and that is sad. But it’s not like we don’t have success in the auto industry. We do.” " "It is difficult to ascertain the exact amount of tax subsidies provided to the foreign automakers because they are provided by so many localities and in different ways, including property tax breaks and corporate tax abatements. One study found that the total subsidies to foreign automakers exceeded $2 billion." Dick Shelby "Shelby represents the views of many members of Congress who say they oppose a taxpayer bailout and plan to join him in trying to defeat the measure. In an interview yesterday, he defended his support for tax breaks for foreign auto companies, which he praised for offering cars that the public wants. "They know what they are doing running efficient plants," said Shelby, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, which held hearings on the bailout last week." Also realize that the bill would have passed (52 votes for), but because the Republicans can't let a bill go through to a vote (basically last night was a vote for cloture, a vote to see if we should vote) without filibustering - requiring 60 yes votes to vote on a bill. Back in 2005, the Republicans were "appalled" that the Democrats would ever think of using this "subversion to justice" but in the past two years the Republicans have used it more that any sitting Senate in history. If the RePUGS would have let it go to a real vote, it would have passed.

Also realize that the bill would have passed (52 votes for), but because the Republicans can't let a bill go through to a vote (basically last night was a vote for cloture, a vote to see if we should vote) without filibustering - requiring 60 yes votes to vote on a bill. Back in 2005, the Republicans were "appalled" that the Democrats would ever think of using this "subversion to justice" but in the past two years the Republicans have used it more that any sitting Senate in history. If the RePUGS would have let it go to a real vote, it would have passed.

You put the blame on the wrong people. It's the workers fault, not the management or politicians playing games? Very authoritarian of you. If management would have pushed the government in the 90's for single payer healthcare, there would be parity. But that's "socialized" medicine. How England doesn't fall to the communists, I'll never know!!! If politicians (both Dems and Repubs) didn't play games with this bill and let it fly through like AIG, Citi and the big bailout, we wouldn't be here. In the United States, we should never ask anyone working full-time to give up their healthcare, no matter if they are part of a union or not. Get rid of the job bank? Yes. Looks like I'll be buying used for the rest of my life. P.S. - Mitch McConnell is a c**t. # Voted YES on promoting free trade with Peru. (Dec 2007) # Voted YES on free trade agreement with Oman. (Jun 2006) # Voted YES on implementing CAFTA for Central America free-trade. (Jul 2005) # Voted YES on establishing free trade between US & Singapore. (Jul 2003) # Voted YES on establishing free trade between the US and Chile. (Jul 2003) # Voted YES on extending free trade to Andean nations. (May 2002) "In an interview with the Louisville Courier-Journal, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) noted that despite the economic turmoil in Detroit, Toyota plants in Kentucky are sitting pretty: “We also have other auto manufacturers who are doing quite well,” McConnell said, naming Toyota’s Georgetown, Ky., operation. “It happens not to be American companies and that is sad. But it’s not like we don’t have success in the auto industry. We do.” " "It is difficult to ascertain the exact amount of tax subsidies provided to the foreign automakers because they are provided by so many localities and in different ways, including property tax breaks and corporate tax abatements. One study found that the total subsidies to foreign automakers exceeded $2 billion." Dick Shelby is a c**t. "Shelby represents the views of many members of Congress who say they oppose a taxpayer bailout and plan to join him in trying to defeat the measure. In an interview yesterday, he defended his support for tax breaks for foreign auto companies, which he praised for offering cars that the public wants. "They know what they are doing running efficient plants," said Shelby, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, which held hearings on the bailout last week."

He never quite mentioned which country.

And you do realize that the Republican stronghold is down south, and do they have a lot of there? Transplant factories. F GM, we got Hyundai.

The RePUGs give their final FU to the middle class, unions, and US manufacturing. If you are not white, male and WEALTHY, you ain't Americun in their eyes. Wear a suit? Here's a trillion dollars. Wear a uniform or get a little dirty? FU.

So by the time the new Aura gets to us, now badged as a Buick and another nail in the coffin for Saturn, it will be a 3+ year old design. Sorry, I can't get excited for a sedan that is slated for 4th quarter 2011 that I already know what it looks like. If the Aura and G6 are left to languish for 3 years as is and the Malibu stays status quo, then much like the Cruze, GM needs this vehicle now, not 2012.

Not that Avanti - It's a 63 and all Studebaker. Not until 1966 when the Avanti II debuted was there GM part sharing. Now they are Mustangs. Nice to see Hot Wheels finally recognize this iconic car. I'll be on the look out for my collection.

Keep in perspective that there are A LOT of middle class people that work for Citigroup. Not everyone there is a useless money pusher. Some of us feed our family designing and supporting software/hardware to support trillions of dollars in transactions. Make sure you keep you anger to the CEOs, upper management and the jackasses that authorized putting so much money into the risky loans, not the poor schmucks that do the normal work around there. The same way you don't blame the blue collar worker on the assembly line for some bone-headed decision by the CEO of GM, Ford, or Chrysler.

Too Fn happy. Looks like a fish. The previous gen looks better. One of the few Mazdas I actually liked in 5-door SPORT trim. Cross that one off the list.

Like everything except the taillights and the strange rear bumper.

Inside and out that is the ugliest MF'n piece of garbage I've even seen. You have to be "special" to find that the least bit attractive. The dashboard looks like a mix between Playskool and a Chinese knock-off BOSE Wave Radio. GM's going under but this $h! is coming to our shores. "hangs head"

Helen Keller likes it. I'd rather walk.

What started out as a simple "replace the oil pan gasket" became a two year project. Not that we worked on the car for two years, just that it took that long. See, to drop the oil pan on this Stude, you really need to either pull the engine or take the whole damn undercarriage apart. Guess which one we did? Since the starter was in the way, I went to remove the starter. But the exhaust is in the way. Since the exhaust was in really bad shape and there was no way to get it apart normally, I used a sawsall. Exhaust out of the way. Back to the starter. The grommet on the starter wire broke apart when removing, causing the need to have someone take apart the starter and might as well have it rebuilt while it is out. Since I could not brake the bolts from the exhaust to the manifolds, decided it would be a good idea to take the manifolds off and clean them as get new gaskets. Dropped the oil pan, but steering is in the way. I ran out of time and the car sat for awhile. My dad came to the rescue and worked to tear apart the tie rods and steering to finally drop the oil pan. Cleaned the pan up. Replaced oil pan gaskets. Put oil pan back. Put steering back. Put exhaust manifolds back. No money for new exhaust, so dad created makeshift straight pipes. After much charging and priming, the Avanti awakens after a two year nap... if only for a few seconds: Then finally success. The car is alive and stayed at idle perfectly. No oil leaks so far, and the exhaust manifolds seem solid. Now to get that damn exhaust - though it sounds good as it is: So just in time for winter, the Avanti is alive.