Sixty8panther

Well, I will agree that paying a few grand more for a Fit over an Aveo is worth it. Either way I'd never spend that kind of money on a car the size of a sardine can.

My parents have had great luck with their '05 Cobalt, they drive it quite conservatively but put on like 22K miles a year... Their 2001 Grand Am GT1 is the backup car these days. The Cobalt averages 28+ mile per gallon, mostly highway but that includes some rush hour traffic, and it's an automatic.

On a somewhat related note, I should have bought that diesel Chevette that XP found on craigslist last year... it was in Maine, short change. That kid is like the king of craigslist finds. Whenever my phone goes off and I'm with my wife and it's XP she's always "what now?" cause so many times it's something wild like: "Datsun 310 hatchy 4-speed on CL Conn."

Well, for you that works, cause you don't have kids.... I'm pretty sure a b-body wagon with the middle seats folded down could swallow an entire Fit, if only slightly compacted by a forklift.

That would be a good granny car/beater. And yes, a 1980s Malibu Classic with the 229-cu.in. V6 could average 20 mpg. That's right about what O'Shea's old Malibu averaged. (his was a 2-door 3.8 V6 & he later dropped in a 383 sbc V8) After the V8 swap the car's MPGs dropped down a LOT which is why he sold it.

The cheap body kit front bumper cover is a dead giveaway that this is not a production (based/bound) vehicle.

Even if (the sky is falling, the sky is falling!) a world wide depression is eminent, the ZR1 will sell. Cadillac V16s & Dusenbergs did in the 1930s.

When my 1993 Olds Achieva was repaired after a frontal collision in 1999 the body-shop put the Olds logo on upside down, and one time in traffic I saw another Achieva with an upside down nose emblem... WTF?

Nothing except the FWD proportions and cheap C-pillar molding offends me on the Cruze... but the Toyota looks like a Chinese knock off of an already awkward car. I agree about the headlights, but it does not stop there.

@ O.B. 1960 Buicks are AT LEAST one model year too new for me. XP: Got your text msg. about your Dad's Packard! It's been a long time coming. You know I will demand that ride I was promised. Tell him congrats, what an amazing car that eloquent Packard is, one of the finest in the Merrimac Valley.

Audi R8 up close at a parking lot in front of a hardware store. Sky blue/silver tt. Bronze Metallic 1960 Oldsmobile 4-door hardtop (I think it was a Dynamic 88) 1948? DeSoto, awesome patina, looked like a barn-find. Sitting in a driveway in Middleton, MA and (saved best for last!) 1963/4 Corvair Greenbriar passenger van, MINT!!! orange with the two-tone-paint; off-white inside the belt line. Te guy driving it, a gentleman in his late 40s... looked like he was piloting a Ferrari F40by the look on his face.

The Cruze is attractive, this Toyota is awkward and /or ugly depending on the angle.

Cool stuff Hudson, some o the photos only open half way though. That Cadillac Model B was delicious. Your friend's DeSoto is very nice as well.... but a Porsche 928 w/out Frog Eyes, that aint right.

Holy Bovine Burgers Batman! I'm assuming the guy in the Chevy pickup is alright...? I hope the guy in the Caravan was ticketed for SPEED and running a red.

Are you serious?He specifically said he 1. was next to a jackass who was fast and furious-ing through traffic 2. gave the opponent a slight advantage (I too do this when I'm confident of a win)

Phuk Yeah! One of the most exciting cat-n-mouse games I ever played was in the 'ol Sixty8 (Camaro) through a series of red lights against some middle eastern looking kids in a BMW M3. I blew their doors off and at the next light when they caught up they gave ME the thumbs up.... even though my Panther was at this point in very poor cosmetic shape, hence XP's nickname for it: The "Mad Max Camaro"

Balthy: I wish I had access to 500 members in my family tree...my relatives in Slovakia prob. do. O.B. Thanks.

Hot diggaty! I thought all along that the connection to the Aviator was an interesting one, I had not thought beyond that, sounds like I a few years from now there will be a roadtrip to the sunshine state.

I'm on the fence 'bout the political talk. But I have to be honest, it IS interesting where people's political opinion/feelings are. Some I could have predicted very easily, others shocked me.

Good stuff. As far as the name Amelia both Julie and I love it, there were about two dozen in the running at one point, and every single one had an objection from at least one relative or close friend. So in the end, we decided to go with OUR favorite, after all, you can please some of the people SOME of the time, but never everyone all the time.

When exactly, other than a "robot alien attack/invasion through the toilet" is it okay/appropriate to use this emoticon?: ---- Inquiring minds want to know.

O.B. & ZL-1: Thank You for the kind thoughts. Julie and I both agreed on Amelia because it's both unique & classic. Sure, sounds good to me. BTW: knock sensor in my ex's Infiniti Q45's V8 set me back bout $90 IIRC, but I did the installation myself.

happy-happy-HAPPY-birthday! Welcome to T.G.I. Friday's.