The Love Affair is Over???!!!

[knightfan26917]

Is the love affair with the automobile over? Say it ain't so! Well, I don't think it is...I wouldn't have my Monte Carlos otherwise.... But, the owner of a couple area car washes (1 in S Elgin; 1 in Elgin) seems to think so....

[Mark Bohne] said he first noticed the beginning of the current economic decline in 2003 when gas was more than $2 a gallon. His car wash business was down about 3 to 5 percent that year and it's gone down every year since.

"Plus, the love affair with cars is over," he said.

Eh, what?!

The full article is here:

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/courier...WASH_S1.article

SIDE NOTE #1:

I'm disappointed that South Elgin wants to do something else with the land because that is the car wash I most-frequent during the winter months. It has the shortest driveway/waiting area, so the shortest waits.... Though, if I get a winter beater, I won't have to worry about that so much...eh?

SIDE NOTE #2:

I'm a bit intrigued with the business itself; it might be an interesting opportunity....

Anyway ... do you agree with businessman Mark?

Cort | 35swm | "Mr Monte Carlo"."Mr Road Trip" | pig valve.pacemaker ...Chitown #2 = 07/25/09

WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"All the water in the ocean couldn't put out the fire this time" ... Atlanta ... 'Atlanta Burned Again Last Night'

[ocnblu]

I still run my car through the wash once a week, and then towel it off. I can't imagine not keeping it clean.

[daves87rs]

Sad, but I think it is true.....

You just don't see the same pride with cars anymore....

I just saw an 08 Malibu-which looks like it had not been washed since new, and already had a beat up front fender.....

Then again, when you can barely afford to keep your house-how can you afford to keep up your car?

[A Horse With No Name]

It isn't the party that it was say in the 50's or the 60's...most people buy cars for comfort rather than say styling now.

Which is indeed a shame. I would love for it to be like the 1950's again where people are actually excited by the styles of cars.

Chris

[balthazar]

Problem as I see it from here, Chris, is that design progression is pretty much dead. Everything's flush, shrink-wrapped and downsized; where else stylistically is there to go ??? We're left with reshuffled taillight/headlight elements and a crease or edge here or there. Car design has been pretty stagnant since the mid '80s...

[A Horse With No Name]

Sadly, I would pretty much agree. It is intersting talking to women of my mothers era. They fondly remember going on dates in cars back in the 50's and 60's, and they can tell you fondly about what "he" drove. But their current husbands Camry/Accord/Malibu/Sebring or whatever has about the same level of affection as the washing machine or the clothes dryer.

If Detroit wants to win back market share, it would be cool if it could do so by winning back the hearts and minds of the fair sex. But that's just my opinion. After all, now she will be working as well to make those 60 low, monthly payments. Might as well get her something she is really happy with and proud of.

Just my two cents.

Although there are several modern cars that I do like.

Chris

[Robert Hall]

I used to work w/ a guy that had an '05 Accord that already had 50k miles in early '07...never washed it... asked why he never cleaned it, said 'it's just a Honda..will replace it in a couple years with another one"...

[A Horse With No Name]

Exactly.

Chris

[Lamar]

I used to work w/ a guy that had an '05 Accord that already had 50k miles in early '07...never washed it... asked why he never cleaned it, said 'it's just a Honda..will replace it in a couple years with another one"...

Good thing you *used* to work with him.

How can people attest to the longevity of cars if they don't keep them up?

[Robert Hall]

Good thing you *used* to work with him.

How can people attest to the longevity of cars if they don't keep them up?

I think he kept it maintained, just not clean. He had a hellacious commute..about 160 miles a day, 4 days a week, worked from home 1 day a week..was my boss (the chief architect of my development team).

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Problem as I see it from here, Chris, is that design progression is pretty much dead. Everything's flush, shrink-wrapped and downsized; where else stylistically is there to go ??? We're left with reshuffled taillight/headlight elements and a crease or edge here or there. Car design has been pretty stagnant since the mid '80s...

+1

You can thank the japanese for the death of that.

Everyone wanted form to follow function and our companies were (and still are) crucified when they deviated from"homogeny"

I think the 80s-00s had some great designs, but from what I've seen this year (even from GM) good design is a thing of the past.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Sadly, I would pretty much agree. It is intersting talking to women of my mothers era. They fondly remember going on dates in cars back in the 50's and 60's, and they can tell you fondly about what "he" drove. But their current husbands Camry/Accord/Malibu/Sebring or whatever has about the same level of affection as the washing machine or the clothes dryer.

If Detroit wants to win back market share, it would be cool if it could do so by winning back the hearts and minds of the fair sex. But that's just my opinion. After all, now she will be working as well to make those 60 low, monthly payments. Might as well get her something she is really happy with and proud of.

Just my two cents.

Although there are several modern cars that I do like.

Chris

Not to self promote or anything, but this is precisely why I think Detroit could gain back HUGE share if they appealed to the EMOTIONS of buyers. (As I've referenced here in the lounge and in the Buick section.

[Robert Hall]

Sadly, I would pretty much agree. It is intersting talking to women of my mothers era. They fondly remember going on dates in cars back in the 50's and 60's, and they can tell you fondly about what "he" drove. But their current husbands Camry/Accord/Malibu/Sebring or whatever has about the same level of affection as the washing machine or the clothes dryer.

If Detroit wants to win back market share, it would be cool if it could do so by winning back the hearts and minds of the fair sex. But that's just my opinion. After all, now she will be working as well to make those 60 low, monthly payments. Might as well get her something she is really happy with and proud of.

Just my two cents.

Although there are several modern cars that I do like.

Chris

Yes... it is interesting...my Mom has always had a keen interest in cars...she's told me in detail about the cars she drove before I was born ( my folks were married in '48, I came along 22 years later). My father drove a '39 Packard coupe when they were dating, their first new car together was a '49 Ford Fordor. Interestingly, they only had one wagon over the years ('63 Fairlane) but mostly drove full size Fords, Mercurys, and later Lincolns...in the '60s, she drove a black on black '65 Mustang 289 'hi-po' coupe (which my older brother later totalled)....

Most people today--men and women--seem to have about as much emotional connection w/ their cars as with their washers, dryers, refrigerators..

Edited November 19, 2008 by moltar

[Sixty8panther]

NEW cars have sucked for a couple decades now...

There are some fantastic cars out there today but

the average car is garbage.... just lame, "personal

commuter bus" transport pods.

[A Horse With No Name]

Yes... it is interesting...my Mom has always had a keen interest in cars...she's told me in detail about the cars she drove before I was born ( my folks were married in '48, I came along 22 years later). My father drove a '39 Packard coupe when they were dating, their first new car together was a '49 Ford Fordor. Interestingly, they only had one wagon over the years ('63 Fairlane) but mostly drove full size Fords, Mercurys, and later Lincolns...in the '60s, she drove a black on black '65 Mustang 289 'hi-po' coupe (which my older brother later totalled)....

Most people today--men and women--seem to have about as much emotional connection w/ their cars as with their washers, dryers, refrigerators..

Shame about that Mustang.

Chris

[Satty]

The

, bringing back America's love affair with the automobile.

[A Horse With No Name]

Nice link, Satty.

Chris

[Sixty8panther]

That was some great SNL.... that's one of a few I've downloaded.

It's from the "Your mother was a whore, Trebeck!" era.

[Satty]

That was some great SNL.... that's one of a few I've downloaded.

It's from the "Your mother was a whore, Trebeck!" era.

Celebrity Jeopardy was awesome.

[Robert Hall]

Shame about that Mustang.

Chris

Yeah, both the Mustangs he had at Ohio State got totalled..my folks bought him a new '66 GT convertible for HS graduation, after a couple years at Ohio State a drunk driver hit him head on, totalilng it. Then he took the '66 hi-po coupe, and it got rear ended at a stoplight on Broad Street in 1970.

About 10 years later, he had a rusty '65 Mustang coupe, 289...it caught on fire outside Pittsburgh due to a leaky carby. He's had better luck w/ the 3 Fox Mustangs he's had since then ('79 Indy Pace Car, '82 GT, '86 GT).

Never had an accident w/ the '69 Mustang (which my Dad bought new) or my '87 GT (which I got for HS graduation), but my '86 LX was rear-ended and totalled the week after I moved to Ann Arbor, Mi in '94.

I think my sister always felt slighted--she got a new '76 Pinto Runabout for HS graduation

[Robert Hall]

Celebrity Jeopardy was awesome.

Two words: Turd Ferguson.

[A Horse With No Name]

The guy who bought my 66 Fastback had a 66 GT convertible and was also hit head on by a drunk, totaling the convertible. He rebuilt it though, and has it to this day.

79 Indy Pace car was one of my favorite Fox bodies.

Chris

[Robert Hall]

The guy who bought my 66 Fastback had a 66 GT convertible and was also hit head on by a drunk, totaling the convertible. He rebuilt it though, and has it to this day.

79 Indy Pace car was one of my favorite Fox bodies.

Chris

The convertible actually did get rebuilt eventually... it sat in my folks' barn until '82, when my brother sold it to a Mustang fan from Pittsburgh, who was going to restore it...it may still be out there...dark green w/ a black interior.

My brother's IPC is an interesting car..he has a lot of documentation, it's apparently not one of the regular replicas but actually one of a number of cars that were used at Indy at the '79 Indy 500. It's in very clean, original condition.

[Satty]

Two words: Turd Ferguson.

I'll take "whore semen" for 800 Alex.

[Satty]

Thats "An album cover" not anal bum cover.

[A Horse With No Name]

The convertible actually did get rebuilt eventually... it sat in my folks' barn until '82, when my brother sold it to a Mustang fan from Pittsburgh, who was going to restore it...it may still be out there...dark green w/ a black interior.

My brother's IPC is an interesting car..he has a lot of documentation, it's apparently not one of the regular replicas but actually one of a number of cars that were used at Indy at the '79 Indy 500. It's in very clean, original condition.

Dark Green with a black interior is one of the best color combo's for that car. Glad to hear the IPC is in good, original condition.

When I had the 66 Fastback, I had a chance to trade it even up for a red 66 Mercury Cyclone GT390 IPC. VERY rare car.

Chris

[knightfan26917]

I can't imagine not keeping it clean.

Same here. And, with all the cars that keep lining up at the Elgin facility, I can't imagine business is slow for them. I know the South Elgin one doesn't get much business, but that's because of the short driveway and somewhat awkward location.

*shrugs*

I also agree...today's cars just don't have the same soul. They MAY be better, but they don't have the soul........

Cort | 35swm | "Mr Monte Carlo"."Mr Road Trip" | pig valve.pacemaker ...& now an uncle!

WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"I think I finally know just what it means" ... Mac Davis ... 'Texas In My Rearview Mirror'

[2005 EquinoxLS]

They are able to make new cars perfect enough to where I guess I do agree there could be ten of the same cars and they would drive the same. People ask me why I have 2 b-bodies that since they are basiclly the same that they drive the same. I tell them "You drive them and tell me if they are the same". They sure are not. Each one of the 2 drive,ride and are just quite different than another. That would be like telling Cort that the '79,81,and 87 should drive the same because they are on the same frame and are basiclly the same. I am sure he will tell you otherwise.

[Sixty8panther]

SC: Knock knock!

AT: ehhh... Who's there

SC: I forget the rest... but... YOUR MOTHER'S A WHORE!

[A Horse With No Name]

Same here. And, with all the cars that keep lining up at the Elgin facility, I can't imagine business is slow for them. I know the South Elgin one doesn't get much business, but that's because of the short driveway and somewhat awkward location.

*shrugs*

I also agree...today's cars just don't have the same soul. They MAY be better, but they don't have the soul........

Cort | 35swm | "Mr Monte Carlo"."Mr Road Trip" | pig valve.pacemaker ...& now an uncle!

WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"I think I finally know just what it means" ... Mac Davis ... 'Texas In My Rearview Mirror'

+ 1 on the soul thing...

Chris

[knightfan26917]

Each one of the 2 drive,ride and are just quite different than another. That would be like telling Cort that the '79,81,and 87 should drive the same because they are on the same frame and are basiclly the same. I am sure he will tell you otherwise.

*nods*

Yes, absolutely!