Random Thoughts Thread

[Drew Dowdell]

On 8/30/2017 at 9:55 AM, ccap41 said:

From the way you made it sound on your other post it almost sounds like it isn't really a n/a 1.5 but its more electronically opening the throttle beyond what your foot is therefore it's using some turbo but not really by choice.. I'm not sure if that made sense at all.  

Like, you said a 25% press of the pedal was opening the throttle sometimes 55% so it might be creating a little boost but not necessarily by choice..it's forcing a wider throttle opening therefore most boost. 

You are correct that the throttle is opening artificially higher. In the 55% case, that was more spirited driving, but still not 50% of the pedal.     I'll have to get a screen shot or find a way to record the screen of my android while I'm driving the car.

[A Horse With No Name]

 

Edited September 4, 2017 by A Horse With No Name

[ocnblu]

I find it very revealing... and refreshing, and affirming... to verify that the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger sold a combined 13,642 units last month... while the Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Impala sold a combined 10,650 units last month.

Calendar year to date it is Mopar with 93,584 300/Charger units sold v. 58,330 LaCrosse/Impala.

 

As "old" as the RWD/AWD Mopars are... they still outshine the much more "modern" FWD/AWD GM products.

AWESOME.

Edited September 4, 2017 by ocnblu

[daves87rs]

3 hours ago, ocnblu said:

I find it very revealing... and refreshing, and affirming... to verify that the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger sold a combined 13,642 units last month... while the Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Impala sold a combined 10,650 units last month.

Calendar year to date it is Mopar with 93,584 300/Charger units sold v. 58,330 LaCrosse/Impala.

 

As "old" as the RWD/AWD Mopars are... they still outshine the much more "modern" FWD/AWD GM products.

AWESOME.

Discounts help, but agreed.

It's hard not to like the twins....and they may not be very modern-but still damn fun to drive!

[A Horse With No Name]

On 6/7/2015 at 7:37 PM, El Kabong said:

Alberta voted in the NDP. I keep looking out the window for locust plagues.

Insanity...

[oldshurst442]

14 hours ago, daves87rs said:

It's hard not to like the twins....and they may not be very modern-but still damn fun to drive!

Triplets...triplets.

Their 2 door brother would be my favorite!

 

 

 

 

 

[daves87rs]

10 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Triplets...triplets.

Their 2 door brother would be my favorite!

 

 

 

 

 

You can never forget an LX brother........and I agree.....

[G. David Felt]

On 8/28/2017 at 0:46 PM, ccap41 said:

No, because you were arguing for no reason.  

You're trying to defend a Bolt being roomier than a Murano and an Edge when it literally is not true. There isn't more head room, there isn't more shoulder room, there isn't more leg room, and there's less hatch space. 

Depends on the person doing the measuring and on their own body size they feel is standard. Longer body, versus shorter body and the design of the seat and seat mount, the seats in the Murano do not go down flat to the floor, the BOLT seats go down and bottom out on the floor allowing more room.

Every auto company uses the same term, head room, shoulder room, hip room and yet where they measure that and the design of the seat and mounting hardware and how the seat is positioned all makes a difference. 

One can easily make all cars have the same measurements when in fact they do not.

FOR ME, The Murano has far less room when I sit in it than the BOLT. All Auto's I have to put the seat down to the bottom position, all the way back. I AM A LARGE GUY. The BOLT has more Room for me than a Murano especially in the Headroom department.

I get the point of you pointing out the reported measurements, but the real world test of me in each auto proves different.

On 8/29/2017 at 4:58 AM, A Horse With No Name said:

I have been wrong about far more than many posters here....but I have learned and moved on.  I find being wrong kind of liberating, because ti gives me the freedom to learn new things.  There is no shame at all in it.

Oliver machinery just has the look...

Quality American Made equipment was industry and world wide leading and we have lost the art of building quality products.

Sad 

[ccap41]

5 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Every auto company uses the same term, head room, shoulder room, hip room and yet where they measure that and the design of the seat and mounting hardware and how the seat is positioned all makes a difference. 

I sure hope you're joking... Why in the world would they not measure them at the maximum positions? What benefit would there be to giving measurements that are smaller than their capabilities? 

We should call in an expert here.. @Drew Dowdell, You should be able to clarify for us on this subject. 

[G. David Felt]

13 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I sure hope you're joking... Why in the world would they not measure them at the maximum positions? What benefit would there be to giving measurements that are smaller than their capabilities? 

We should call in an expert here.. @Drew Dowdell, You should be able to clarify for us on this subject. 

No Joke, you can take two similar recliners and while they might look the same, depending on the materials used, the padding and the underlying way the seat is designed. Two different people will have two different experiences of comfort and ease in those chairs.

Same goes for the auto industry. two cars with the same seat measurements and yet the design of the chair, side supports, thigh supports, etc. can all affect the comfort and room that is perceived by two different people in the same auto.

Putting both the Bolt and Murano seats all the way down, and all the way back, when I sit in both, the more upright BOLT has more headroom for me. The curving roof of the Murano cuts into the headroom and I end up having my head against the liner. They might supposedly have the same headroom from the center of the seat to the roof, but the way they apply the interior headliner and the over all design of the roof can actually have vary big affect on people especially someone large like me.

[ccap41]

omg.. the raked roof line has zero to do with the driver's head room. That lowers the rear passengers' head room but nothing to do with the driver. 

Personally, I think you're just full of $h! and will do anything to defend a Bolt against any vehicle out there(because that's kind of what you do). It's a great vehicle. I like it as well but I have no clue how you can say there is more space inside of one than a larger Murano. I know there can be packaging differences that tweak some space here and there but a shorter head room is shorter head room. I can see more room that isn't measurable in the hip and knee areas that don't include how tight a center console or foot well may be or even side bolstering on a tight bucket seat. 

[Robert Hall]

I've ridden in the front and back of a current Murano many times, found it had plenty of headroom (I'm normal sized at 6'0", though).   Side and rear visibility isn't the best, though (the backup camera and side parking sensors seem necessary).

Edited September 6, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[ccap41]

Yeah there are a lot of vehicles that their visibility kind of blows now. I think a lot of that is due to styling but also crash ratings.

[balthazar]

Visibility is one unquestionable area where modern vehicles have gone backwards.

[Robert Hall]

15 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Visibility is one unquestionable area where modern vehicles have gone backwards.

My GC has decent side and rear visibility, but I definitely have noticed how much smaller the side and rear windows are compared to my old GC...definitely a noticeable change after 2 generations.  The A-pillars are definitely thicker, realized they block the view of traffic coming from the right at intersections when viewed from some angles. 

Edited September 6, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

omg.. the raked roof line has zero to do with the driver's head room. That lowers the rear passengers' head room but nothing to do with the driver. 

Personally, I think you're just full of $h! and will do anything to defend a Bolt against any vehicle out there(because that's kind of what you do). It's a great vehicle. I like it as well but I have no clue how you can say there is more space inside of one than a larger Murano. I know there can be packaging differences that tweak some space here and there but a shorter head room is shorter head room. I can see more room that isn't measurable in the hip and knee areas that don't include how tight a center console or foot well may be or even side bolstering on a tight bucket seat. 

Having spent plenty of time in a Murano as a car pool buddy and in the Bolt, it is not shit, but how I perceive the visibility of the designed auto with how I can see out of each auto. To each their own. 

You enjoy the Murano and I will enjoy the Bolt.

[surreal1272]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

omg.. the raked roof line has zero to do with the driver's head room. That lowers the rear passengers' head room but nothing to do with the driver. 

Personally, I think you're just full of $h! and will do anything to defend a Bolt against any vehicle out there(because that's kind of what you do). It's a great vehicle. I like it as well but I have no clue how you can say there is more space inside of one than a larger Murano. I know there can be packaging differences that tweak some space here and there but a shorter head room is shorter head room. I can see more room that isn't measurable in the hip and knee areas that don't include how tight a center console or foot well may be or even side bolstering on a tight bucket seat. 

Good grief. Are you still harping on this? He laid, pretty clear, why he fits in the Bolt than the Murano yet you call him "full of $h!". Do you hear yourself?

[ccap41]

45 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Having spent plenty of time in a Murano as a car pool buddy and in the Bolt, it is not $h!, but how I perceive the visibility of the designed auto with how I can see out of each auto. To each their own. 

You enjoy the Murano and I will enjoy the Bolt.

I will not enjoy the Murano. I pretty much despise Nissan's product line but I'm not wearing EV blinders and saying a smaller vehicle has more room. 

I fit great in a Focus, roomiest vehicle on the market and I've driven Range Rovers and G-Wagens. Way roomier. It must just be how I fit in it. 

Edited September 6, 2017 by ccap41

[G. David Felt]

32 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I will not enjoy the Murano. I pretty much despise Nissan's product line but I'm not wearing EV blinders and saying a smaller vehicle has more room. 

I fit great in a Focus, roomiest vehicle on the market and I've driven Range Rovers and G-Wagens. Way roomier. It must just be how I fit in it. 

 EV Blinders? Have you looked at my posted auto's I own? Escalade ESV Platinum, Trailblazer SS AWD, Suburban SLE, Durango 4x4, My son has added a brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee.

No EV Blinders, but just looking at the technology of the auto industry from my computer engineering view of where we are going and having tested and spent considerable time in both auto's what fits me, what clearly gives me more room and allows me to be comfortable.

Being an owner of full and Mid size SUV's I feel I have a good feel for sitting in an auto and saying this is comfy or this is tight.

I am glad you love your Focus and have been in a Range Rover and G-Wagon. Keep in mind at 6'6" tall 280lbs and very muscular as a retired body builder, I am far more bulky than most. Put this up against the average US standards of 5'8" 165lbs for guys and hopefully you can see how I do have to take my bulk into account when I see how roomy one auto is over another.

Enjoy the banter and your contributions CCAP41.

Hanz and Franz are here to PUMP YOU UP!!!  

[ccap41]

The EV blinders are on because you try and convert every thread into a thread where X vehicle should have an EV option or "look what this could do if it had 1200tq motors hooked up to it". "Convert" is the wrong word.. you bring them up in nearly every thread. And that's okay. But that shows you're clearly biased towards them like smk and Euro vehicles and myself towards Ferds. 

[G. David Felt]

3 hours ago, ccap41 said:

The EV blinders are on because you try and convert every thread into a thread where X vehicle should have an EV option or "look what this could do if it had 1200tq motors hooked up to it". "Convert" is the wrong word.. you bring them up in nearly every thread. And that's okay. But that shows you're clearly biased towards them like smk and Euro vehicles and myself towards Ferds. 

Call it what you will, I do not see them as blinders as Moore's law is clearly being applied to battery cell density and way too many reports show that battery density is doing to the EV industry what capacitor density did to the CPU industry.

Every auto company is going to have 1 or more EV auto's out by the end of next year or early part of 2019. The engineering evidence makes one wonder why a company does not apply certain tech to every product line.

So just as I wondered why we were not seeing more CNG auto's, the day of CNG and fuel cell I think is over and the simplicity of an EV auto is here now to become the new norm. Technology and Software is clearly changing how things happen along with Tesla pushing the line.

[oldshurst442]

4 hours ago, dfelt said:

Put this up against the average US standards of 5'8" 165lbs for guys

Maybe those standards need a-changin'

 

Oopsies...

Am I being douchey?

Edited September 6, 2017 by oldshurst442

[G. David Felt]

6 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

Maybe those standards need a-changin'

 

Oopsies...

Am I being douchey?

I always thought it was more like this:

 

[oldshurst442]

Just now, dfelt said:

I always thought it was more like this:

 

Um....the last pic on the left is a Greek dude...OK...an Australian depicting a Greek dude.

Either way...no speako Americano

 

Here is another one for you folk....

 

 

 

[ocnblu]

A pencil neck geek came in today to pick up his other car.  He was driving a BMW i3.  And I came to the horrible realization that the 2018 GMC Terrain and the BMW i3 share the same quarter glass.  Absolutely destroys the GMC in my heart of hearts.  A sad day.

[Drew Dowdell]

For a city so used to hurricanes you'd think they'd be more organized about it. I can to Miami to help my parents prepare. Some things in Miami very well organized other things are pandemonium and panic.

[Drew Dowdell]

On 8/30/2017 at 8:37 AM, lengnert said:

This may in fact be anecdotal, but there is a gentleman that bought a 2.7 F150 (a '16 XTS model) that I work with.  He mainly uses it to tow, as a matter of fact.  By "tow" I am referring to mostly using it to tow with a 12' trailer and hauling scrap metal (a side business for him) and he also uses it for another side business of collecting clothing for a clothing recycling business.  The trailer is attached to his truck more than 50% of the time (if not more than 75%).

With the trailer and the metal or clothing he is usually pulling between 3000 and 5000 lbs total (my guess with the trailer itself and the material on board).

His previous truck was a 10 or 12 year old Nissan Titan that he traded in for the Ford, where the Nissan had over 200,000 miles.

Now to the 'meat' of why this may be germane.....  he definitely drives with a very 'light' go pedal foot.  He does not accelerate fast at all (unless necessary, of course) as he wants to get the mileage and he wants his trucks to hold up long term.  I just asked him what he averages in fuel mileage with this truck and he said in the 18 mpg range.  With the Titan (and he drove very similarly with that truck too which is one of the reasons he was able to make that truck last as long) he said 10 mpg was about the best he could average, with 8-9 mpg being more realistic.

And having experience with the 3.5 motor in the new Ford E vans, as I have used them for the clothing business myself (I volunteer my services as the business is run by a very good friend of mine, and this is how I met the gentleman I am describing).... I know no matter how light on the gas pedal I am with the V8's in the other Ford's I have driven or the GM's, as well, I can never hope to get near the 18-20 mpgs I can get with the 3.5 in the EcoBoost E vans (again, with a very light foot on the gas pedal when accelerating).

That's it.  I know, it is somewhat anecdotal... but, there is no way I would not opt for a smaller displacement turbo V6 as opposed to a bigger V8, in a truck.... unless I knew I was going to be hauling a LOT of weight consistently.

It's not that it's anecdotal, it's that it's not a good comparison. The Titan engine has never been and today is still not competitive on the balance of power and fuel economy compared to anything from Detroit. 

GMs modern direct injected VVT V8s are what you want to compare. They are modern technology to compare to the Ecoboost.  I have gotten equal or better fuel economy in the GMs than in equivalent Fords.

The point I was making earlier was that while your friend might think he is using a light touch on the throttle, the computer could be tricking him and giving more throttle than he thinks he is to use the boost to try and compensate for the lack of displacement. 

[ykX]

So now BMW copies Mazda?

X7 Concept vs CX5

[lengnert]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

It's not that it's anecdotal, it's that it's not a good comparison. The Titan engine has never been and today is still not competitive on the balance of power and fuel economy compared to anything from Detroit. 

GMs modern direct injected VVT V8s are what you want to compare. They are modern technology to compare to the Ecoboost.  I have gotten equal or better fuel economy in the GMs than in equivalent Fords.

The point I was making earlier was that while your friend might think he is using a light touch on the throttle, the computer could be tricking him and giving more throttle than he thinks he is to use the boost to try and compensate for the lack of displacement. 

No worries, DD.  I was not necessarily attempting to refute your assertions about Ford's EcoBoost and throttle application to turbo boost.  The basis for the twin turbos to begin with (from my understanding) was to have at least the smaller turbo 'on' as to minimize lag.  

I suppose I was attempting to say that my 'real world' experience with the EB motor's has been rather good.  And in my own usage I would opt for an EB over even the 5.0 in most cases.

Don't misunderstand me either, I know that if you dig into the gas pedal with the EB's, mileage will suffer dramatically..... maybe even more so than in a V8....?

1 hour ago, ykX said:

So now BMW copies Mazda?

X7 Concept vs CX5

Definitely a lot of influence from the A Pillar forward.

[surreal1272]

16 hours ago, ocnblu said:

A pencil neck geek came in today to pick up his other car.  He was driving a BMW i3.  And I came to the horrible realization that the 2018 GMC Terrain and the BMW i3 share the same quarter glass.  Absolutely destroys the GMC in my heart of hearts.  A sad day.

In fairness, the Terrain is a mess from every angle, as far as the exterior is concerned. A huge letdown. 

[Robert Hall]

27 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

In fairness, the Terrain is a mess from every angle, as far as the exterior is concerned. A huge letdown. 

The Terrain is an example of 'bandwagon styling'..they jumped on the styling trend that Nissan, Lexus, and others jumped on a few years ago..(the pointless black 'floating roof' C-pillar trim)....it's going to look pretty dated once the next faddish styling cue comes out.

The funny thing is, I think GM generally gets the styling on their full size SUVs right... the Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade all look great to me..clean, with minimal gimmickry (though the tabbed side marker lights on theTahoe still look odd to me). 

 

Edited September 7, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[surreal1272]

Just now, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

The Terrain is an example of 'bandwagon styling'..they jumped on the styling trend that Nissan, Lexus, and others jumped on a few years ago....it's going to look pretty dated once the next faddish styling cue comes out.

The really did. There are ten different design elements slapped on it and none of them work. 

[ccap41]

17 hours ago, dfelt said:

Call it what you will, I do not see them as blinders...

lol exactly. No fanboy ever thinks they're blinded by their brand's Kool Aid. They just think their brand is the best. 

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

lol exactly. No fanboy ever thinks they're blinded by their brand's Kool Aid. They just think their brand is the best. 

Nope GM is not the best but then no one is and I have had far too many auto's from Ford, Dodge and GM to be a fanboy of GM only especially when I am a FanMan of American SUV's and Trucks!

I let you keep the Fanboy  label to yourself after all your still what 19 or 20 something compared to my 50?  

[ccap41]

lol I wish I was 19 or 20.. I'll be 29 at the end of the month..

[G. David Felt]

23 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

lol I wish I was 19 or 20.. I'll be 29 at the end of the month..

Still a Fanboy!  

When your 40+ you become a FanMan! 

[lengnert]

HEY I AM A FAN-MAN!!!!!  

Yay!!!! ...................Awww crap!  Wish I was still a fan-Boy!

[Robert Hall]

Friday evening random design observation...went out to pick up some take out..coming out of the restaurant, I happened to look at a variety of late model cars, CUVs and SUVs in the lot and notice how more alike than different they were with respect to how the hood meets the fender.....cars designed in the last 5-10 years seem to have hoods where the seam with the fender starts at the cowl, goes at angle down the vertical or sloped side of the fender, then cutting forward to the nose..  basically, the hoods have a domed center and vertical sloped sides, so in profile the edge of the hood is on the side of the car rather rather than the top of the fender and hood meeting at a straight line on a horizontal surface..

 Noticed variations of this design on cars like a current Jetta, Altima, Camry, Equinox, Edge, Fusion, even my Jeep...Result of a combination of aerodynamics and European pedestrian regulations, maybe?

Edited September 11, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Frisky Dingo]

So I have become quite the tequila connoisseur as of late, and have been picking up new bottles to try as often as possible. Very recently, I have started hitting little shops off the beaten path in hopes of finding discontinued brands, old bottles, etc. In just the last week I have made 3 scores, but last night was by far my biggest. Upon stopping in this little hole-in-the-wall liquor store, I found several uncommon brands of tequila. A few bottles were made at distilleries 2, or even 3 distilleries ago, which go back 5-6 years in some cases.

Not wanting to go overboard, I decided on the single bottle of Herencia Mexicana Blanco they had for $20. Was from a NOM that it hadn't been produced at for some 6 years, so a great score, especially for the price.

Then, on the way out, I see, up behind the register in the top back corner a bottle of Jose Cuervo Reserva De La Familia. It's a 3 yr aged extra anejo, that is blended with a 20 yr aged reserve before bottling. They do a limited 2,500 bottle batch each year, and each year the box is designed by a different artist. I don't recognize the artwork on this one, so I suspect it must be a few years old. As he gets it down, I see it's a wooden box, rather than cardboard. So I know it's at least 5 years old. Open the box, look at the label, and it's a 2009 vintage. 

Bought it for $125, and I could sell it for double that. Not that I'm going to. Plan on cracking her open this weekend.

 

 

 

[Robert Hall]

Speaking of tequila, my favorite old Mexican restaurant in central Phoenix--Via de Los Santos--has over 200 tequilas available.  When walking in, they have a wall of tequila bottles behind the front desk.

[daves87rs]

On 9/7/2017 at 9:08 AM, ykX said:

So now BMW copies Mazda?

X7 Concept vs CX5

Same mean look too....

[G. David Felt]

On 9/9/2017 at 11:12 AM, Frisky Dingo said:

So I have become quite the tequila connoisseur as of late, and have been picking up new bottles to try as often as possible. Very recently, I have started hitting little shops off the beaten path in hopes of finding discontinued brands, old bottles, etc. In just the last week I have made 3 scores, but last night was by far my biggest. Upon stopping in this little hole-in-the-wall liquor store, I found several uncommon brands of tequila. A few bottles were made at distilleries 2, or even 3 distilleries ago, which go back 5-6 years in some cases.

Not wanting to go overboard, I decided on the single bottle of Herencia Mexicana Blanco they had for $20. Was from a NOM that it hadn't been produced at for some 6 years, so a great score, especially for the price.

Then, on the way out, I see, up behind the register in the top back corner a bottle of Jose Cuervo Reserva De La Familia. It's a 3 yr aged extra anejo, that is blended with a 20 yr aged reserve before bottling. They do a limited 2,500 bottle batch each year, and each year the box is designed by a different artist. I don't recognize the artwork on this one, so I suspect it must be a few years old. As he gets it down, I see it's a wooden box, rather than cardboard. So I know it's at least 5 years old. Open the box, look at the label, and it's a 2009 vintage. 

Bought it for $125, and I could sell it for double that. Not that I'm going to. Plan on cracking her open this weekend.

 

 

 

Love Tequila, many do not realize that quality Tequila is usually 100% Agave and aged. Becomes a sipping drink that allows one to enjoy the hints of nut, vanilla, earth tones, etc. Becomes much like a fine cognac or brandy. 

The group I used to be in when I worked at Microsoft was a big Tequila group. Picked up my habit there, enjoy tasting the following two as they are awesome:

Don Julio 1942

Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Silver

One that is very good but also can hit ya hard is the 110 proof Kah. This is a Day of the Dead Tequila. Awesome for making your mixed Tequila drinks.

Now my favorite to drink is what got me hooked in 1993, Porfidio Silver 100% Blue Agave. This is one of the most flavorable and smooth Tequila's I have ever drank and I love that every year they produce a unique bottle for their tequila. Check out this web site as it covers their history.

http://www.tequila.net/tequila-news/latest/the-history-of-porfidio-tequila.html

Sadly Mexico seems to have issue with their tequila and the company has moved to Hong Kong and I do not find their product around here in Seattle.  No matter what the Mexicans say, it was a very smooth and enjoyable product.

[Drew Dowdell]

What a week it's been!  On Tuesday, looking at Irma's track and strength, I made a last minute decision to drive down to Homestead Florida to help my parents prepare for the storm.  At that time, it was looking like an extremely strong Cat 5 hurricane was going to go through their back yard.... looking at the center of the track projection maps, it was literally a line drawn over their house.   On top of that, had she made landfall on that track, they would have been a mere 30 miles from the landfall point. Things just didn't look good.

Adding to this was the complication that they were in the middle of moving to a new house. They've been rebuilding a home for the past 2 years and had just started moving from the house they have been renting for the past 7 or 8 years. While the new house was built to the latest hurricane standards and might survive a direct hit from a cat 5 hurricane, the old house was a slap job rebuild that was put together in a rush after Hurricane Andrew demolished Homestead in 1992. It was already leaking and in a bad state of repair, we had no illusions of it surviving a direct hit. There is only about 10 miles between the two houses.

I loaded up my Honda with the chainsaws, water, vehicle ramps, jack stands, and three 5-gallon gas cans strapped to the hitch mount cargo platform. I drove 19 hours overnight from Pittsburgh to Homestead, arriving mid-afternoon at my parent's house. The gas panic there had already set in with many stations running out of gas. About 15 miles from my parent's house I stopped and filled up one last time. It took over an hour in line to get gas, but I knew it could be my last chance to get gas before I left, and with a range of merely 275 miles per tank, I would need every mile possible to get out of Florida before the storm hit.

We worked until 10:30 that night moving furniture, appliances, and large items in my parents' trucks.


Thursday was spent grabbing smaller stuff that wasn't replaceable and a trip to my parents' business to do computer backups, grab computers out, and cover electronic machinery with plastic.  There was an odd state of both panic and normalcy in the air all of Thursday. People were having fist fights over gasoline. There were hoarders who had bought truckloads of bottled water selling cases for $20 each sitting in otherwise vacant grocery store parking lots.  Yet at the same time, there was this guy mowing his lawn

...and people giving haircuts on front porches. 

 

Friday, my dad went to grab as much as possible out of their boat, remove all the canvas, and secure it as best as possible. On the original track, the storm surge was forecast to be as high as 20 feet. In that situation, we assumed the boat was going to be lost. It is too large of a boat, 45 foot long with a 15 foot beam, to trailer it out. To give you an idea of the devastation a 20 foot storm surge would have caused, Hurricane Andrew's storm surge in Biscayne Bay was 14 feet and Andrew is among of the worst natural disasters to hit the US.  

I spent the day with my sister and mom to get the last of the things they wanted to save out of the old house.  We were down to stuff that could be easily replaced at that point, so it was more like a regular house move.

At 2:30 on friday we finally could stop to catch our breath. Everything that could be done to prepare was done. They had over 35 gallons of gas for their generator, plus all three vehicles filled up.  The fridges and freezers were loaded as much as possible. I noticed on my last few trips around Homestead that the local panic had subsided a bit. Nearly all houses had their windows shuttered or boarded over. Gas stations still had lines, but they were minimal and moving fast.  Even the traffic, which is irritating even under normal circumstances, had greatly subsided. Everyone who was going to leave had left and everyone who was going to stay was done with their preparations.  I took a few hours to just spend some time with my family.  My sister and I walked the avocado orchard that is part of the new property picking avocados to bring back to Pittsburgh with me.  Their trees produce some famously large avocados. 

By Friday afternoon, Irma's projected path had shifted substantially to the west.  Storm surge estimates for where the boat is kept were reduced to under 9 ft max, this meant the boat had a chance. I don't have an update yet on it's status, but as I've been following the storm surge totals, I expect that it has survived.  (An old picture of the boat and my partner helping to get us ready to go out for a day on Biscayne Bay)

 

Friday at 5pm the air changed suddenly. After 3 days of oppressive heat, humidity, and no wind, there was suddenly a cool breeze in the air. That cool breeze that normally would have been a welcome guest, was actually an ominous sign; the outer bands of Irma would be here soon.  I had already packed up the car. I said my goodbyes to my family and started the trek north.  Rather than try for 19 hours direct to Pittsburgh, I aimed for 15 hours to Manassas Virginia where my partner's sister lives. I took it slow, trying to squeak every last drop of miles-per-gallon out of the Honda to get me as far as possible north before needing to fill up again. I waited too long, and due to gas stations as far north as Daytona Florida being out of gas, I got a bit nervous.  I made it into a Wawa just north of Daytona with 325 miles on the trip meter and a very angry looking low fuel light. The rest of the trip was uneventful. 

My parents are still assessing the damage to their properties, but it looks like they escaped with relatively little damage. They still have no power at the house and their generator fried. Five of the avocado trees out of their ninety or so came down, twenty other trees, various tall palms and such also came down. The business did not sustain any damage, and they've emailed the marina where the boat is and they report only superficial damage to the marina and no boats down. 

It's been an exhausting week, but I'm glad I was able to make it down there to help them get ready for what could have been an epic disaster.  I'll probably go back down in a few weeks to help with cleanup, but I'll probably drive to Virginia and take the AutoTrain down instead. For now, I sleep.

[Frisky Dingo]

4 hours ago, dfelt said:

Love Tequila, many do not realize that quality Tequila is usually 100% Agave and aged. Becomes a sipping drink that allows one to enjoy the hints of nut, vanilla, earth tones, etc. Becomes much like a fine cognac or brandy. 

The group I used to be in when I worked at Microsoft was a big Tequila group. Picked up my habit there, enjoy tasting the following two as they are awesome:

Don Julio 1942

Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Silver

One that is very good but also can hit ya hard is the 110 proof Kah. This is a Day of the Dead Tequila. Awesome for making your mixed Tequila drinks.

Now my favorite to drink is what got me hooked in 1993, Porfidio Silver 100% Blue Agave. This is one of the most flavorable and smooth Tequila's I have ever drank and I love that every year they produce a unique bottle for their tequila. Check out this web site as it covers their history.

http://www.tequila.net/tequila-news/latest/the-history-of-porfidio-tequila.html

Sadly Mexico seems to have issue with their tequila and the company has moved to Hong Kong and I do not find their product around here in Seattle.  No matter what the Mexicans say, it was a very smooth and enjoyable product.

 

Good tequila must be 100% agave, there's no debate. That doesn't guarantee a good product, however. The age of the plants and where they come from, the cooking method, the crushing method, the stills they are fermented in, and the yeasts used as catalyst are all critical parts of the process. Not only aged tequila is high quality, or even worth sipping, however. There are phenomenal products being made in the blanco and reposado realms, too.

 

Julio 1942 is some good juice, but I prefer Cuervo RDLF. And even it isn't the last word as far as XA's go. Though it is very, very good. Grand Mayan is another one I enjoy. I recently had Centinela's standard anejo- not extra anejo- and it was incredible. Definitely plan on picking up a bottle of it. Recently had Codigo 1530's anejo as well, and it's another knockout. 

 

Milagro seems to catch a lot of flack from tequila die hards, but I've had their entire Select Barrel Reserve line, and think it's solid, especially the blanco.

 

As far as I can tell, Potifidio's current product seems to be made with a diffuser, which is a turn-off for me. I won't buy any tequila product made with a diffuser. The ratings on their lineup at TequilaMatchMaker are not very favorable, so I certainly wouldn't take my chances on buying a bottle.

 

Haven't tried KAH, but I've heard lots of conflicting reports on it. For a good high-proof blanco, I recommend Tapatio 110.

 

[daves87rs]

On 9/7/2017 at 10:53 AM, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

The Terrain is an example of 'bandwagon styling'..they jumped on the styling trend that Nissan, Lexus, and others jumped on a few years ago..(the pointless black 'floating roof' C-pillar trim)....it's going to look pretty dated once the next faddish styling cue comes out.

The funny thing is, I think GM generally gets the styling on their full size SUVs right... the Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade all look great to me..clean, with minimal gimmickry (though the tabbed side marker lights on theTahoe still look odd to me). 

 

 

I had high hopes for this....as I was not thrillled by the new Nox either....

 

Saw one at my local dealership-my jaw dropped-and not in a good way.

 

It's like a box with really bad angles....

[balthazar]

Was looking forward to working on the '63 Sting Ray currently in my shop, but am a bit disturbed by my conversation tonight with the owner.

ME : "So should I go ahead and start working on it- was going to start with the brake system."
HIM : "I thought we'd put some fluid in and see if the brake pump up."

Recap- the car has been sitting since 1969.
Owner is notoriously 'thrifty'. If I am not going to be able to charge for my time and make it worth my while, he needs to get his car out of my building.

[A Horse With No Name]

On 9/7/2017 at 9:08 AM, ykX said:

So now BMW copies Mazda?

X7 Concept vs CX5

And actually copies them badly....one wonders how the Chinese stylists are adjusting to Beer and bratwurst while they live in Germany and Style BMW's finest.

10 hours ago, balthazar said:

Was looking forward to working on the '63 Sting Ray currently in my shop, but am a bit disturbed by my conversation tonight with the owner.

ME : "So should I go ahead and start working on it- was going to start with the brake system."
HIM : "I thought we'd put some fluid in and see if the brake pump up."

Recap- the car has been sitting since 1969.
Owner is notoriously 'thrifty'. If I am not going to be able to charge for my time and make it worth my while, he needs to get his car out of my building.

Putting idiots in touch with vintage iron almost always ends badly.  I remember a gentlemanly soul wanting to buy a green Boss 302 Mustang that was all original paint...but then wanted to paint it metallic red like the one he had in high school....and leave the green interior...

[ocnblu]

Cadillac disappoints me.  They have some of the richest luxury heritage in the world.  Yet they continue to disrespect that heritage by chasing the likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW.  It just.does.not.work.

 

I prefer Lincoln's take on American luxury, if not their lame naming scheme.  They are not apologizing for being true to their homeland.

 

I would love nothing more for Cadillac to return home.  These articles pointing out the "problem" of the Escalade not "fitting in" with the rest of the lineup really get on my nerves, when it is the only Cadillac that actually adheres to what made them great in the first place.

Edited September 12, 2017 by ocnblu

[Drew Dowdell]

42 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

Cadillac disappoints me.  They have some of the richest luxury heritage in the world.  Yet they continue to disrespect that heritage by chasing the likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW.  It just.does.not.work.

 

I prefer Lincoln's take on American luxury, if not their lame naming scheme.  They are not apologizing for being true to their homeland.

 

I would love nothing more for Cadillac to return home.  These articles pointing out the "problem" of the Escalade not "fitting in" with the rest of the lineup really get on my nerves, when it is the only Cadillac that actually adheres to what made them great in the first place.

Indeed. At least the Escalade stays true to it's roots. I will say that the CT6 is probably an excellent blend of America and Euro. The CTS and ATS are too Euro even for my tastes.

[balthazar]

2 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Cadillac disappoints me.  They have some of the richest luxury heritage in the world.  Yet they continue to disrespect that heritage by chasing the likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW.  It just.does.not.work.

I'm wiling to roll up my sleeves w U on this one, Bill.
Define for me, if you will, specifically how Cadillac is chasing the Germans. What is it the Germans own that is proprietary?