mustang84

Yeah, I knew it was a LeSabre....but I really did mean I've always been a fan of T-type G-body Regals. Bad choice of wording....

Records, what are those? I have an old portable record player from when I was a little kid, but the only records I have are Care Bears, something that I got with a Happy Meal, and other random assorted kids records. My dad has a pretty decent vinyl collection though.

Great thread, thanks for the heads up. I am becoming more pessimistic of what lies ahead for the U.S. economy...it's too bad our politicians in Washington are letting it happen.

They need to start up Echoholics Anonymous for people who actually enjoy driving an Echo.

Sometimes I love looking through Ebay motors and just seeing what's there. Today, I stumbled over this '86 T-Type and not only is it mint, but the guy is a great photographer and has really captured this car. Now I've got some new desktop wallpapers! Link with all pics: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1986-BUICK-...1QQcmdZViewItem

I was driving home today from Des Moines to go to some high school graduations and stopped in Stuart to get something to eat. Parked at the McDonald's was this Celebrity Eurosport coupe in pristine shape...I don't think I've ever seen one of these cars without some sort of fatal rust holes in the door. Either this was formerly a grandma car or the owner is just gave it a lot of TLC, but it's something you don't see very often...a Celebrity that actually looks good!

Damn dude, nice car! I've always been a fan of T-Type Regals...from certain angles it almost does look like a Grand National, especially since it's a dark color. I agree, keep it stock...these puppies are rare.

Same here...I remember mistaking Acclaims for Spirits, Voyagers for Caravans, and Aries for Reliants. It was literally a grill swap and maybe different tailights...you pretty much have to be a die-hard MOPAR enthusiast to easily tell the two apart on the street.

Yeah, I briefly remember our text book said something like "With the growing popularity of power steering, you do not have to continually correct the wheel like seen in TV and movies"...okaaaay. It was 1999 at that time I took driver's ed. I remember a picture of a kid in there with feathered hair, so it was probably another 80s relic that the high school saved a few bucks by reusing for two decades.Oh yeah, and our driver's ed car was a Plymouth Breeze with burlap cloth seats and a missing wheel cover.

Check out the wild sound effects. Looks like somebody had too much fun with a keyboard. This reminds me of the video we watched in driver's ed about the dangers of semi trucks....really boring, drawn out, and old (the kids in the movie had mullets if that says anything). I think 3/4 of the driver's ed class slept through that one.

These are two big ones for me...maybe it's because I myself am thin, but if there's a beefiness to the arms or hips, I'm not that interested. Also, if they have a nice body but an homely face, instant no. I like girls that are fit or at least try to stay healthy, but I'm not a fan of the ones that are healthfood nuts or extremely athletic. And they have to be a "girly" girl...no tomboys. Also not a fan of the really independent ones...the types that are single and pissed all they time because they "don't need a man." But I also don't like the ones that cling to you 24/7 and don't give you any room to breathe or get emotional easily, especially the "look at me" attention-seeking types that you see on myspace.But they have to have a personality too...if they're just a good looking shell with nothing inside, see ya.

Chrysler needs to dig into the 90s concept bin...they had some good stuff like the Chronos that would make a great Imperial. I miss the swoopey Chryslers...the 300C was a breath of fresh air, but everything since then has been blocky and trucky looking. Even the Sebring looks kinda pigish. Mopar used to have some real style back in the 60s and early 70s. The great thing about Chrysler today is that they really have a tendency to surprise...unlike Ford where I've been waiting for eons for an updated RWD full-size and ANYTHING at all to happen to Mercury. Chrysler surprised me with both the Challenger and the Imperial...and even though the Imperial is kinda ugly, at least it's getting built unlike Lincoln's concepts over the last 5 years. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they brought Plymouth back from the dead...ChryCo tends to do the unexpected. I wish Ford had the product push like Chrysler does...Chrysler just gets things done, even if they aren't done perfectly all the time. They have a knack for make a hit when it is needed (300C).

The pentastar brings back memories of riding to work with my uncle when I was 15 in his 1983 Aries coupe ...rattling dash, clunky motor, drooping headliner, and it had to be coasted down the hill a couple times because the engine died. I'm sure thousands of Americans have had similar experiences. I hope it is used as a corporate logo only, because the current Chrysler logo is very attractive, IMO.

That's why I don't watch American Idol...it's become nothing but a popularity contest. The people that should win and actually have talent don't....and people vote based on how "hot" the singer is. The sad thing is, the music biz is pretty much the same way.

Apparently Westboro Baptist Church will be picketing the funeral of Falwell. Oh, the irony!

Congrats Bob, as you're getting out of the world of architecture as I'm starting to enter into it! I have a year left of school before I graduate and then it's IDP and exams for me. I still haven't decided if I want to stick around Des Moines or go out to Chicago to look for a job after I graduate. The place I'm at right now is starting to get a lot of big projects and Des Moines is going through a major growth spurt right now, but the city kid in me is calling for life in a larger metropolitan area. I guess I still have a year to decide. Today, our firm went to an Iowa Cubs baseball game followed by a German bar afterward, so it was only a 1/2 day. They do fun stuff like that pretty often...usually a couple baseball games a year, a company architecture "retreat" in the fall, cookouts a couple weekends in the summer, etc. Most of the people there are in their 20s and 30s so it's a young workplace and everyone gets along with each other really well...if I don't make it to Chicago, I wouldn't mind working there after I graduate. But anyway, best of luck to you and your new degree! It's good that you've found something you really like doing and it will give you some more free time...that's one thing I kinda regret about getting into architecture, the lack of free time.

I like quite a bit of 70s rock too...sometimes it's a nice switch up from my 80s collection. I'm a big Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, Skynyrd, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Thin Lizzy, Blue Oyster Cult, Eric Clapton, KISS, Foreigner, and Boston. Also, I have a decent collection of early Judas Priest before they made it big with British Steel. I'd say my favorite period of music is 1983-90 though...a lot of good stuff came out during that time. Sometimes I wish I was born 15 years earlier.

I don't know how many here have ever seen the movie "Tommy," but I'm sure many have heard The Who song Pinball Wizard. My dad has this movie on VHS and I remember watching it once when I was probably 5 years old. Today I looked up some of the clips on YouTube and it's still as weird as ever. My dad loves this movie though...him and his 70s rock operas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BTj4dKCQc8...ted&search= Also, I don't know how many know of Manfred Mann's Earth Band, but I've always loved this song of theirs and I found a couple clips on YouTube. This song was featured in the movie "Blow" and it's another one in my dad's collection. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6AFCJ1dLdg

Today I was driving home from work getting off at Jordan Creek Parkway, which runs through the heart of upper-middle class suburbia in West Des Moines. I was in the lane to the left and zooming up beside me was a gouge-my-eyes-out bright orange Honda Civic, with white American Racing wheels, body kit, small wing, tint, altezza headlights, fart can...the whole works. His car sounded like a weedwacker on steroids. But the best part was that the guy had orange vinyl graphics covering the width of the window that boldly said "All Show, No Go." At least the guy was honest! ------------------ While I was looking for a good rice picture, I came across this....nice 1987 Honda...that's the Civic with the 5.0, right?

Yet another car with a Nissan-inspired dog leg C-pillar. I swear those things are multiplying like a disease.

Ten best: Mazda RX-8 Mazdaspeed 6 Mazda CX-9 Nissan 350Z Nissan Maxima Infiniti G35 Coupe Mitsubishi Galant Lexus IS350 Hyundai Santa Fe (new one) Acura TL Ten Worst: Toyota Prius Toyota Yaris Toyota Sienna Scion xA Scion xB Honda Ridgeline Honda Element Honda CR-V Kia Amanti Hyundai XG350 Suzuki Aerio And who can forget our dearly departed, awkward-looking friend...the Toyota Echo Rollin' on 11's

Your route through Missouri and Iowa is a little wacky...there aren't really any diagonal roads like that unless you take US 24 from Kansas City to Hannibal, MO and then head straight north following the Mississippi River into Iowa. US 61 in Iowa is called the Great River Road and has some very scenic views and bluffs along the Mississippi, following the journey of Lewis & Clark. It'll take you through Keokuk and Burlington up to Davenport and then you can hop on I-88 in Illinois and take that straight to Chicago. If you're looking for a faster route with no small towns to slow you down, take I-35 from Kansas City up to Des Moines and then get on I-80 and take that eastward. Stuff to see along the way include the covered bridges of Madison County (near Winterset, IA), the gold-domed capitol of Iowa in Des Moines, the Amana Colonies in Iowa County near Iowa City (Amish settlements), and Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in West Branch (right by Iowa City). Here's some pics: Madison County covered bridges Des Moines Iowa capitol Iowa Amish Herbert Hoover birthplace and museum Davenport, IA Hope this helps some! Sounds like an awesome trip...take some pics of the Plymouth and post them here!

Yeah, I've actually visited Toyota message boards where that way of thinking is pretty predominant. Anything that comes out of Japan gets the utmost praise from them, but if it's made anywhere in America it's garbage. They blame all of Toyota's recent recalls on the American built cars...even though a large percentage of them occurred overseas. Some even complained when Jim Press was promoted onto the Toyota Board of Directors because he is an "American" and it might hurt Toyota in the long run because he doesn't understand the "Toyota Way" like the Japanese. It's disturbing to think that these people live on the same soil as us.

Mine's still there...I haven't updated it since 2004 (on there I say it has 83,000 miles...well, now she's got 118K) http://www.cardomain.com/ride/472993