Random Thoughts Thread

[ocnblu]

Dwight was right... the 2.7L 4 is versatile.  That CT4-V is a jewel.  Cannot wait to see the green color mentioned.

[oldshurst442]

3 hours ago, dfelt said:

Working out at 24hr fitness, Ellen show is on, young couple just won a new blazer RS. GM is giving 1 a week away over the summer on the show in a random drawing at the end. 

Best GM marketing I have seen in a while. Reminds me of the Oprah G6 car give away to the whole audience years ago. Should drive traffic into Chevrolet show rooms.

Ummmm...Pontiac died a few years after that...

You sure its a good idea???

 

[balthazar]

Working out at 24hr fitness, Ellen show is on...

That's like a triple workout.
- - - - - 
 

[ocnblu]

5 hours ago, balthazar said:

 

 

That's like a triple workout.
- - - - - 
 

 

[balthazar]

[Robert Hall]

This came up the Hemmings newsletter today, pretty interesting read...not familiar w/ the Fageol Supersonic.  (though I'd heard of the truck and bus company).

 

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2019/05/31/split-apart-stolen-and-misidentified-fageols-supersonic-pataray-led-a-tortured-existence/?refer=news

[G. David Felt]

Canadian province will prohibit sale of gas-powered cars by 2040

http://flip.it/L2LUxX

Future is EV!

[balthazar]

13 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

This came up the Hemmings newsletter today, pretty interesting read...not familiar w/ the Fageol Supersonic.

Yes you were ~

On May 7, 2019 at 8:53 AM, balthazar said:

Fageol Super Sonic ~ 

https://kustomrama.com/wiki/Fageol_Supersonic
 

Edited June 1, 2019 by balthazar

[balthazar]

[ocnblu]

My Jeepiat center armrest has turnt creaky.  Peeves me.  If I wanted a Mercedes, I would have leased one.

[balthazar]

Make unknown ~ [EDIT :: Detroit Electric]

Edited June 1, 2019 by balthazar

[ocnblu]

Maybe you can "put the make" on her?

[Robert Hall]

7 hours ago, ocnblu said:

My Jeepiat center armrest has turnt creaky.  Peeves me.  If I wanted a Mercedes, I would have leased one.

LoL...I get some squeaks and creaks from my Jeep armrest and dash...rough potholed roads around here...

[balthazar]

This business is still in business, right near me. I doubt this truck is still in service ~

Another classy, attractive dame with great taste in cars ~ 

 

7 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Maybe you can "put the make" on her?

Happily. Oh, and; cherries.  I guess they could be tomatoes, but she's a tomato, so it's all still good.

Edited June 1, 2019 by balthazar

[oldshurst442]

Yeah...cherries...

They way she's lookin' at the camera, her cherry has been p...let's just say that she fooled many at the alter by wearing white...

[balthazar]

She's a smoke show in my book.
- - - - - 

[Drew Dowdell]

18 hours ago, balthazar said:

 

 

 

Imagine a derailment. 

[oldshurst442]

Im gonna telll you a story, a little story about Gloria. 

Down by the river, there was a girl named Gloria.

Gloria seems like she is always on the run. Running after somebody thinking that she'll get him somehow. She needs to slow down because she will start to blow it.  She is definitely  heading for a breakdown.  

Gloria is one frustrated woman....she MUST be from Boston!!!

 

 

 

 

[daves87rs]

4 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Imagine a derailment. 

Ouch

[balthazar]

See- volvo made a solid effort to compete in the US market, but couldn't pull the trigger. Instead they've been scratching & clawing for measly sales, building butt-ugly lunch boxes no one wanted / never was cool for DECADES afterward. 

[ocnblu]

Volkswagen has the same problem.  U.S. superfans want VW to sell their Euro models here, all of them, without modification... but would that translate into sales beyond those "superfans"?  There is an argument to be made about carmakers staying true to spirit and letting that truth find a customer base, however limited.  The infamous, dumbed down Pennsylvania Rabbits come to mind, and since then, VW has sort of lost its mojo... by trying to Americanize itself.  Quite the conundrum, imo.

 

That Volvo does look like a Kaiser, it is appealing in an American sort of way... but is it a VOLVO that stays true?

[balthazar]

'Staying true' - business doesn't commonly survive long term doing whatever that is. VW was always a dirt cheap, static, air-cooled product- where's that / who wants that?
- - - - -

 

Edited June 2, 2019 by balthazar

[Robert Hall]

3 minutes ago, balthazar said:

'Staying true' - business doesn't commonly survive long term doing whatever that is. VW was always a dirt cheap, static, air-cooled product- where's that / who wants that? 

VW hasn't had air-cooled models in the US in 40 years...that's a very dated image. 

[oldshurst442]

Volvo's brand identity in the US is safety?  Coming at a time when folk like Ralph Nader are making headlines?  

Would that be an accurate statement?  I would think so.   

Volvo was a pioneer in safety.  Volvo made a huge name for itself because of safety.  

Yes, their cars were dull also at a time when Detroit was selling style at a time when folk like Nader was voicing a loud...voice. At a time when the automobile was just starting to be seen as an evil entity...at a time when world politics was at fever pitch.

This is when VW also started to become popular with a subset of Americans opposing world stage politics...

Is THAT a fair assessment?

 

Anyway...

I would never buy a Volvo...but there are a couple of models in their history that I think are cool that do an excellent job of being...Swedish.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[balthazar]

45 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

VW hasn't had air-cooled models in the US in 40 years...that's a very dated image. 

OK- strike the air-cooled part. Now tell me how the Phaeton worked with the rest & how it worked out.

[Robert Hall]

18 minutes ago, balthazar said:

OK- strike the air-cooled part. Now tell me how the Phaeton worked with the rest & how it worked out.

That one never made much sense... muddied the brand positioning. 

[balthazar]

When she appreciates a 'trigger-quick bundle of vitality' to bow to her will ~

 

Not as classy… but maybe some wouldn't mind that ~

Edited June 2, 2019 by balthazar

[oldshurst442]

5 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

That one never made much sense... muddied the brand positioning. 

In all fairness, the Passat, and especially the 2nd generation Passat, along with the Corrado did push Volkswagen into a different brand position. Those pushed VW a tad more upscale to where they once were.  

The Corrado was expensive for what it was. It was faster than anything VW had put out and was quite desirable.

The 1st generation Passat introduced North Americans to what VW aspires to be.

Both the Corrado and 1st generation Passat showed North Americans that VW need not be hippie inspired, peace loving transportation pods.  They both introduced North Americans to an image that VW need not be your daughter's graduation convertible present either.

Both the Corrado and 1st generation Passat helped VW get out of that teenager image they had with Herbie the Love Bug, Bumblebee the Transformer, VW Rabbit Cabriolet/Rabbit GTi/Golf Gti/Diesel and matured the brand to where adults other than pot smoking, peace loving, muscle car hatin' hippies could buy a mature automobile.

The Corrado was a much more refined, more upscale slightly faster and more importanly, a more mature Scirocco. 

The 2nd generation Passat just cemented that idea where VW is not only mature, more upscale, but dare VW say premium? 

Premium and more upscale, European (German luxury) at lesser prices than an Audi, Mercedes and BMW...

Because, the 2nd generation Passat really was THAT good of a car. It was Oldsmobile/Buick (for 1990s Olds and Buick images). It was Acura. It was Audi. (It literally WAS Audi as it was a stretched Audi A4...and THAT is when Audi took off as well...) 

It was a good looking sedan with great luxury features for a car priced the way it was. Which was high for VW but people accepted it and bought into it. So much so, that the VW CC was a very successful, sporty AND luxurious Passat a few generations after the mid 1990s...

Where the Phaeton failed, the CC succeeded, only for VW to let it wither on the vine too long...

The Phaeton just went too far upscale too fast.  But in all honesty, VW at that point in time, really was on an upward swing. 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2019 by oldshurst442

[ocnblu]

I believe VW should not go upscale, by the very definition of its name.

[balthazar]

[riviera74]

2 hours ago, ocnblu said:

I believe VW should not go upscale, by the very definition of its name.

I agree. A few years back when the Phaeton was being sold, the prices on a Phaeton I saw was $68K.  An Audi A8 could get away with such pricing, but not a VW Phaeton.  The Phaeton should have started at $38K instead.

[G. David Felt]

4 hours ago, balthazar said:

Not as classy… but maybe some wouldn't mind that ~

I have never understood the tattoo thing, just not attractive to me at all.

[balthazar]

^ It's funny: I don't mind them when discreet, like on the ankle/foot or the hand/ wrist/ arm, but it needs to stay in the 5% coverage range. The worst are big, dark thigh tattoos. My brother's girlfriend has some sort of huge dragon from the shoulder down her back onto her leg, from my understanding. Thousands of dollars, huge piece of art, never shown publicly and you can't see it yourself = Crazy Town.
I also don't get written tattoos beyond names/dates. 

Edited June 3, 2019 by balthazar

[oldshurst442]

54 minutes ago, dfelt said:

I have never understood the tattoo thing, just not attractive to me at all.

Polynesian culture I believe, right?  

Not for me either. But I do find it interesting.  But Ill be honest and tell you that Im shallow!  If ugly human beings have tattoos, male or female, I HATE them.

If attractive humans have tattoos, or if the tattoos fit their physique and personality...I find that to be HOT!    Quite contradictory, right?

But yeah!

Forgetting that this dude IS Polynesian, I think he is hot and badass for his tattoos.

 

If George Clooney was a criminal and had this type of tattoo, Id think he would be hot hot hot for having this tattoo. It works for me!

Here...a regular dude with a similar motif.

 

I would NEVER cheat on my wife...but Ill tell you one thing though, if I was in my 20s or 30s...man-o-man I would soooooo try to be her one night stand

and hers

 

And hers...

She has a certain look that she wants to portray and her hair colour and colour and style  of tats, just works for her...and I have great lust...

 

But this...NO PHOQUING WAY. Like hit the gym dude, like shave your face, do something...because...it aint working. And that tattoo..

DUDE???!!! 

WTF???!!!

Edited June 3, 2019 by oldshurst442

[oldshurst442]

52 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Thousands of dollars, huge piece of art, never shown publicly and you can't see it yourself = Crazy Town.

Crazy Town...Butterfly

Your post made me think of this song. 

And look...beaucoup tats and piercings. 

 

 

Edited June 3, 2019 by oldshurst442

[G. David Felt]

Tesla Pickup truck to cost less than $50,000, ‘be better than F150’, says Elon Musk

http://flip.it/O9lTLK

[balthazar]

^ So the newest, most capable, highest range vehicle is going to be the 2nd cheapest??? Whatevs you say, Elon.

- - - - -

[balthazar]

[G. David Felt]

 

Mack Electric Garbage truck for NY City.

Battery capacity update:

In March 2019, 9.76 GWh of passenger EV battery capacity was deployed globally, an increase of 94% year-over-year, according to Adamas Intelligence’s monthly report “EV Battery Capacity Monthly.”

Adamas says this increase in battery capacity is especially remarkable considering that global EV sales increased by a mere 25% over the same period, showing that a far greater number of high-capacity EVs, like the Tesla Model 3, were sold this March than in March 2018.

Corroborating the trend, Adamas also reported that the sales-weighted average passenger EV battery capacity deployed in March 2019 was 55% higher than in March 2018.

Source: Adamas Intelligence

[balthazar]

Buick & Tucker, 1948 ~

 

Industrial dryer transport, 1930 ~ 

Edited June 3, 2019 by balthazar

[G. David Felt]

@ocnblu

Burn baby burn all the peteo you want, humanity is dead after 2050.

New Report Suggests ‘High Likelihood of Human Civilization Coming to an End’ in 2050

http://flip.it/-UDbyv

[balthazar]

^ Add that to the Great Predictive Book of the End of Times.

Edited June 4, 2019 by balthazar

[balthazar]

Local water tower got repainted, this is the scaffolding coming down. Googling around, this is apparently in the neighborhood of a $1.25 million dollar job.

[Drew Dowdell]

On 6/2/2019 at 9:18 AM, Robert Hall said:

VW hasn't had air-cooled models in the US in 40 years...that's a very dated image. 

I think that was his point.

[G. David Felt]

@Drew Dowdell For $26,900 you can become the proud owner of an all Original Buick Regal with 9,000 original miles of this ultra rare, more so than a Grand National GX. 1 of only 1,547 built with 245hp Turbo 3.8L V6 with 355 lb-ft of torque.

https://www.showdownauto.com/vehicles/480/1987-buick-t-type?utm_source=motorious.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=motorious#next-image

[G. David Felt]

@ocnblu Alright young man, please explain the down vote on the Electric Mack Garbage Truck post? ?

Downvoting is your right, yet it would also be professional to then respond with why you downvote it so that we can all understand what you are downvoting?

Is this just continuation of your hatred for all things electric?

Hatred for NY trying to improve the air quality by removing toxic Diesel trucks?

Hatred for MACK who sees the need for a better garbage truck and has built it?

Hatred for the fact that Battery production is increasing nicely that should allow more auto companies to produce and release a larger variety of electric auto's?

I am patiently waiting to understand! ???

[balthazar]

38 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Original Buick Regal with 9,000 original miles of this ultra rare, more so than a Grand National GX. 1 of only 1,547 built with 245hp Turbo 3.8L V6 with 355 lb-ft of torque.

This is a GN. Last year special GNX was 547 units.
- - - - -
Stow-n-Go seating, '65 Ford ~

Edited June 4, 2019 by balthazar

[oldshurst442]

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

Local water tower got repainted, this is the scaffolding coming down. Googling around, this is apparently in the neighborhood of a $1.25 million dollar job.

This is Québec level government spending.

Im impressed...that we arent the only ones being hosed this way...

 

[balthazar]

Well, it’s Govt that made it that expensive. Site I got the $1.2M number said the last time it was done it was $600K, but you see; lead paint. Not only was it required to tarp the ENTIRE scaffolding, it had to be sandblasted to bare metal, then painted.

[Drew Dowdell]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

@Drew Dowdell For $26,900 you can become the proud owner of an all Original Buick Regal with 9,000 original miles of this ultra rare, more so than a Grand National GX. 1 of only 1,547 built with 245hp Turbo 3.8L V6 with 355 lb-ft of torque.

https://www.showdownauto.com/vehicles/480/1987-buick-t-type?utm_source=motorious.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=motorious#next-image

unpopular opinion about a popular car...... I never really got the love for these either.   Even in Olds form, the G-Bodies don't do much for me.  The interiors are sh!t.  Give me that same powertrain in a Riviera or even an Electra coupe and you might have something for me.