Random Thoughts Thread

[oldshurst442]

24 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

Being high-line Germanic and relying on its storied heritage will get it to be billed that way, though.

Id say those days are over.

Cadillac did that very same thing and it hasnt worked...

Mercedes sells waaaay to many low level, low priced cars in North America that folks will not remember those high line cars that defined Mercedes Benz in the 1990s. 

And even then, in '90s, Mercedes also peddled waaaaay too many, low level cars in North America ...

One could argue this one...but it was not very luxurious... 

It sold...BECAUSE it wasnt that expensive to buy.  And at the start of the SUV/CUV craze...And this is when Mercedes was riding high on its so called luxury image. 

But not very luxurious... (look at those ugly grey plastic bumpers...)

If Cadillac gets shat on for the 1st gen Escalade (nd for some hardcore GM haters for the 2nd gen) and GM gets shat on for the Hummer H1 and H2 for shoddy builds...then M-B should get shyte for that crap as well...

Edited April 4, 2020 by oldshurst442

[riviera74]

When it comes to Mercedes Benz, I actively wonder why they insist on selling the C-class AND the CLA-class to begin with.  Too many badge snobs wanting a subsidized lease I guess.

Yes, the original Escalade was little more than a badge job from a same-year Tahoe. . . . . . in 1999.  In the last 15 years, Escalade has exceeded anything the Yukon Denali provides in amenities galore by comparison.  At least Cadillac has learned to NOT cheapen its brand anymore (unlike the pitiful Cimarron era!) and offer real luxury options for customers.  The MB CLA is little more than a 21st century version of a Cimarron. That is awful.

[balthazar]

Watching TV reporters brings home this question.
If a remote reporter is covering -say- a train derailment or building fire, it makes sense to be 'on the scene'; there's something to see.

But in a pandemic, if you are doing a story on -say- numbers of hospital patients checked in ... WTF are you doing going to stand on the hospital grounds?
Their talking head fills 85% of the screen and the background has (almost ) zero to do with what they're commonly talking about.

[Robert Hall]

19 hours ago, riviera74 said:

When it comes to Mercedes Benz, I actively wonder why they insist on selling the C-class AND the CLA-class to begin with.  Too many badge snobs wanting a subsidized lease I guess.

 

The CLA seems redundant with the A-class sedan, since they are essentially the same thing.   The C-class at least is RWD.

[ocnblu]

https://www.autoweek.com/news/trucks/a32005732/lingenfelter-720-hp-chevrolet-colorado-zr2/?utm_campaign=socialflowFBAW&utm_medium=social-media&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0AgDuXt3UZgewHPhYXi3JHimne-yqM471f2HmQRQKP5lht59hthAx28DY

[G. David Felt]

3 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

https://www.autoweek.com/news/trucks/a32005732/lingenfelter-720-hp-chevrolet-colorado-zr2/?utm_campaign=socialflowFBAW&utm_medium=social-media&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0AgDuXt3UZgewHPhYXi3JHimne-yqM471f2HmQRQKP5lht59hthAx28DY

Crazy Cool that a Blown LT4 V8 can fit in there. Not sure how many are willing to spend that amount of money on a truck like this but I will say it is a very cool build. Hopefully GM will realize they are missing a segment.

Thanks for posting Blu, That is cool!

[balthazar]

[A Horse With No Name]

On 3/16/2020 at 7:41 PM, dfelt said:

Who knows how this will work out, but Washington State is now at 48 deaths, 904 infected individuals and they have stopped stating how many are in testing or have tested negative.

Over all, weird world to be living in when you do not seem to see anyone.

Was in quarantine for 14 days after getting tested, got wildly ill. Tested negative...but not seeing people is odd. First day back to work, essential personnel so I can work. 

If someone would have told us three moths ago that this was going to happen, few would have believed it. 

17 hours ago, balthazar said:

Watching TV reporters brings home this question.
If a remote reporter is covering -say- a train derailment or building fire, it makes sense to be 'on the scene'; there's something to see.

But in a pandemic, if you are doing a story on -say- numbers of hospital patients checked in ... WTF are you doing going to stand on the hospital grounds?
Their talking head fills 85% of the screen and the background has (almost ) zero to do with what they're commonly talking about.

Agree completely. 

 

Neat old truck!

[G. David Felt]

Great to see you back and posting @A Horse With No Name

[trinacriabob]

Saw this photo and thought it was funny.  Don't know why.  It's the central square (more of a rotunda) with Sofia, Bulgaria's Orthodox cathedral in the middle of it.  Don't remember what brand of car that is.  I can almost hear one of those French sounding ambulances somewhere in the background.

[balthazar]

Well hell-ooooo there!

[Robert Hall]

26 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

Saw this photo and thought it was funny.  Don't know why.  It's the central square (more of a rotunda) with Sofia, Bulgaria's Orthodox cathedral in the middle of it.  Don't remember what brand of car that is.  I can almost hear one of those French sounding ambulances somewhere in the background.

I think that's a '60s German Ford Taunus...

[A Horse With No Name]

 

A bit too rusty for a restoration....

[G. David Felt]

59 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

 

A bit too rusty for a restoration....

At least they are getting it out of the waterway to clean it up.  

[ocnblu]

Any fluids have probably already been disbursed though.

[trinacriabob]

4 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

I think that's a '60s German Ford Taunus...

I recall there being a Cortina years ago, most likely a Ford product for the foreign market.  

- - - - -

About the current downer subject, I was looking at the global caseload map ... the shaded one.  The Southern Hemisphere caseload is a lot smaller.  There are cases but, for the numbers of people, they aren't as high as in the Northern Hemisphere.  This makes me wonder if what they say about UV rays and higher temperature (over 30C/86F) is helping the fight.  In Brazil, which has over 200 million people, there are about 12,000 cases ... at this time.  Our April is their October.  It's hard to look away even if you try.

[Robert Hall]

43 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

I recall there being a Cortina years ago, most likely a Ford product for the foreign market.  

 

Yeah, the Cortina was an English Ford.  Later replaced by the Sierra then the Mondeo. 

[G. David Felt]

More Auto Lay offs as Nissan will lay off their 10,000 US workers due to Covid-19 at the Tennessee and Mississippi facilities. This also goes for their 6,000 strong work force in UK and 3,000 in Spain. Global production comes to a halt for Nissan.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/topstocks/nissan-to-lay-off-10000-us-workers-at-tennessee-and-mississippi-facilities-nikkei/ar-BB12gpmO?li=BBnb7Kz

 

[daves87rs]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

More Auto Lay offs as Nissan will lay off their 10,000 US workers due to Covid-19 at the Tennessee and Mississippi facilities. This also goes for their 6,000 strong work force in UK and 3,000 in Spain. Global production comes to a halt for Nissan.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/topstocks/nissan-to-lay-off-10000-us-workers-at-tennessee-and-mississippi-facilities-nikkei/ar-BB12gpmO?li=BBnb7Kz

 

Sucks...but I’m not expecting sales to even start moving until June or July......

[Robert Hall]

FedEx is still delivering efficiently...just got two bags of grass seed and fertilizer from Home Depot along w/ 3 bottles of Patron...got to put the Margarita mix to use. 

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, daves87rs said:

Sucks...but I’m not expecting sales to even start moving until June or July......

Thinking on this, if they sell what inventory there is now, sales might not pickup till September or later as they have to get the factories going again, then transport and finally on the lot and prepped to sell. Gonna be an interesting year.

[A Horse With No Name]

 

The dude that wrecked this Mustang walked away...literally....Built Ford Tough!

[daves87rs]

8 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

 

The dude that wrecked this Mustang walked away...literally....Built Ford Tough!

Yikes!!

[G. David Felt]

7 hours ago, dfelt said:

More Auto Lay offs as Nissan will lay off their 10,000 US workers due to Covid-19 at the Tennessee and Mississippi facilities. This also goes for their 6,000 strong work force in UK and 3,000 in Spain. Global production comes to a halt for Nissan.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/topstocks/nissan-to-lay-off-10000-us-workers-at-tennessee-and-mississippi-facilities-nikkei/ar-BB12gpmO?li=BBnb7Kz

 

 

6 hours ago, daves87rs said:

Sucks...but I’m not expecting sales to even start moving until June or July......

Updated News, we now have Honda and BMW closing down and laying off pretty much everyone that cannot work from home.

https://www.autonews.com/manufacturing/nissan-honda-bmw-take-rare-step-unpaid-furloughs

OUCH, this is gonna hurt major!

[G. David Felt]

WOW, Crazy when you look at the drop in China Sales for auto's.

https://tradingeconomics.com/china/total-vehicle-sales

Clearly this is going to hurt everyone big time.

Time to look at stock investing for the recovery period.

[riviera74]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

WOW, Crazy when you look at the drop in China Sales for auto's.

https://tradingeconomics.com/china/total-vehicle-sales

Clearly this is going to hurt everyone big time.

Time to look at stock investing for the recovery period.

I wonder if sales stayed that bad in China for March 2020.

[G. David Felt]

@riviera74 Seems GM sales for Jan to March are down 7% while Nissan sales are down 30%. As the numbers come in I think we will see a clearer picture.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-auto-sales-sink-in-q1-due-to-coronavirus-2020-04-01

Here is US sales for the last 4 months.

https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/total-vehicle-sales

China Details are not in for march yet. but I changed it to just the last 4 months.

https://tradingeconomics.com/china/total-vehicle-sales

[balthazar]

^ 17 million per MONTH?? That's 200 million vehicles per year. Something's wrong there.

[USA-1]

On 4/5/2020 at 4:48 PM, ocnblu said:

https://www.autoweek.com/news/trucks/a32005732/lingenfelter-720-hp-chevrolet-colorado-zr2/?utm_campaign=socialflowFBAW&utm_medium=social-media&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0AgDuXt3UZgewHPhYXi3JHimne-yqM471f2HmQRQKP5lht59hthAx28DY

Saw this write-up and vid the other day. Pretty insane-ly bad@ss. Definitely needs some traction bars or larger overload springs, you can watch significant axle wrap in the rear when at peak output on the dyno from the fire breather LT4. 

[Robert Hall]

33 minutes ago, balthazar said:

^ 17 million per MONTH?? That's 200 million vehicles per year. Something's wrong there.

Total US new car sales for 2019 w 17.1 million ( Automotive News)...something's off in that chart above.

[USA-1]

56 minutes ago, dfelt said:

@riviera74 Seems GM sales for Jan to March are down 7% while Nissan sales are down 30%. As the numbers come in I think we will see a clearer picture.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-auto-sales-sink-in-q1-due-to-coronavirus-2020-04-01

Here is US sales for the last 4 months.

https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/total-vehicle-sales

China Details are not in for march yet. but I changed it to just the last 4 months.

https://tradingeconomics.com/china/total-vehicle-sales

Actually, pretty good Q1 2020 for GM full-size trucks when production was ramped up to full steam before this damn pandemic. Not bad after the nasty 40 day UAW strike second half of last year killed sales. Ram's second place late last year was short lived as most could of guessed. GM twins handily beat F Series like usual and New Silverado line has them in the cross-hairs Ford includes the F450 and F550 as will GM with the new Silverado Medium Duty 4500HD and 5500HD line. Not surprising the Japanese full-sizers are losing even more ground as well. Sounds ugly for Nissan across the board.

 

Go away Chinese Coronavirus we have important business to tend to!

 

MODEL	Q1 20 / Q1 19	Q1 20	Q1 19	Q1 20 SHARE	Q1 19 SHARE
TOTAL	+3.09%	540,500	524,279
FORD F-SERIES	-13.07%	186,562	214,611	35%	41%
CHEVROLET SILVERADO	+26.61%	144,734	114,313	27%	22%
RAM RAM PICKUP	+7.31%	128,805	120,026	24%	23%
GMC SIERRA	+30.74%	53,009	40,546	10%	8%
TOYOTA TUNDRA	-13.71%	21,658	25,100	4%	5%
NISSAN TITAN	-40.80%	5,732	9,683	1%	2%

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2020/04/gm-sold-more-full-size-trucks-than-ford-ram-in-first-quarter-2020/

Edited April 8, 2020 by USA-1

[oldshurst442]

 

[USA-1]

9 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

 

YEOUCH!! Ah the Carrera GT with the known steering wobble and the driver was obviously inebriated to drive off like that after it was toast. At least it didn't burst into flames like Paul's buddy's. Dangerous car...

Edited April 8, 2020 by USA-1

[oldshurst442]

7 minutes ago, USA-1 said:

YEOUCH!! Another Carrera GT got the known steering wobble apparently. At least it didn't burst into flames like Paul's buddy's. Dangerous car...

As dangerous as any other car being driven fast, recklessly and apparently high on drugs. 

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a32067039/gemballa-mirage-gt-wrecked-in-manhattan/

 

Edited April 8, 2020 by oldshurst442

[USA-1]

15 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

As dangerous as any other car being driven fast, recklessly and apparently high on drugs. 

 

Right, but those are known to handle like driving on the edge of a knife. One wrong move of steering wheel at speed and you'll instantly lose it. Just ask Jay Leno about spinning out in one on Talladega Superspeedway in 2005 and he's actually a really good driver. It's a deathtrap.

Main question is, why was he not instantly cuffed by police after driving off?! "Leaving the Scene of an Accident" is against the law last I checked...

Edited April 8, 2020 by USA-1

[oldshurst442]

9 minutes ago, USA-1 said:

Yeah those are known to handle like driving on the edge of a knife though. One wrong move of steering wheel at speed and you'll instantly lose it. Just ask Jay Leno about spinning out in one on Talladega Superspeedway in 2005 and he's actually a really good driver. It's a deathtrap.

Main question is, why was he not instantly cuffed by police after driving off?! "Leaving the Scene of an Accident" is against the law last I checked...

Yeah...I saw that with Jay and I was afraid for him.  I love Jay.  Not as a late night TV host. I only liked him in that gig. But as a car ambassador,  he is top notch.

I do not know why he wasnt dragged to his feet, kicked a coupla times in the head and then cuffed. 

Maybe they didnt want to get too close to him....he is of the Asian Persuasion  and NYC  has been hit by hard by the Chinese Virus,  um...Wuhan,  um... Covid 19. Yeah. Covid 19 Novel virus. yeah. 

 (a little bit of dark, racist humour on my side...but not really meant as a joke either...) 

(Is that wrong of me?) 

(Im sorry if I have offended anybody)

(I truly am sorry...) 

 

 

[USA-1]

10 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

Yeah...I saw that with Jay and I was afraid for him.  I love Jay.  Not as a late night TV host. I only liked him in that gig. But as a car ambassador,  he is top notch.

I do not know why he wasnt dragged to his feet, kicked a coupla times in the head and then cuffed. 

Maybe they didnt want to get too close to him....he is of the Asian Persuasion  and NYC  has been hit by hard by the Chinese Virus,  um...Wuhan,  um... Covid 19. Yeah. Covid 19 Novel virus. yeah. 

 (a little bit of dark, racist humour on my side...but not really meant as a joke either...) 

(Is that wrong of me?) 

(Im sorry if I have offended anybody)

(I truly am sorry...) 

 

 

Not offended. Somewhat true for any race right now really, but yes if Chinese and visiting from there RUN FOREST RUN!!! But he was DWA and caught DWI.  

First question from police..."do you have a fever sir?!" 

Edited April 8, 2020 by USA-1

[daves87rs]

Getting some loud storms tonight....

[Robert Hall]

12 hours ago, daves87rs said:

Getting some loud storms tonight....

Got them here also last night...the evening was great, up to 72 in Cleveland yesterday..sat on the patio until 11 enjoying the weather, some adult beverages and music.   Then went to bed and heavy thunderstorms and wind...some branches down in the yard this morning.  Read there are tornado sightings to the south and west of here.. 

[trinacriabob]

15 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Yeah...I saw that with Jay and I was afraid for him.  I love Jay.  Not as a late night TV host. I only liked him in that gig. But as a car ambassador,  he is top notch.

I do not know why he wasnt dragged to his feet, kicked a coupla times in the head and then cuffed. 

Maybe they didnt want to get too close to him....he is of the Asian Persuasion  and NYC  has been hit by hard by the Chinese Virus,  um...Wuhan,  um... Covid 19. Yeah. Covid 19 Novel virus. yeah. 

 (a little bit of dark, racist humour on my side...but not really meant as a joke either...) 

(Is that wrong of me?) 

(Im sorry if I have offended anybody)

(I truly am sorry...) 

Stop being so Canadian and apologizing!  I, for one, am rarely offended.  It's hard to separate humor from political correctness, so let it roll (laissez les bon temps rouler).

So it goes like this:  

the virus started in China, so it was a Chinese virus

it then got transported to Italy in 2 ways - 1 person from Wuhan repatriating to Italy (Lombardy, in the north) and 2 tourists from China staying near the Colosseum (Rome, in the center)

* there rea also contact traces where there was some movement between Germany and Italy related to work and that caused it to spread *

so, it is now an Italian virus and the EU hates them

the south of the country got its first cases a month later - 1 person, a mother, returning to the east coast of Sicily after visiting the kids in Lombardy and 1 person in Palermo, on the northwest coast, who was vacationing from Lombardy

so, to the south, it's a northern Italian virus ... and southern Italians think northern Italians are cold and structured while the northern Italians think the southern Italians are unruly and unfiltered

then, somebody who may have been in China returns to the Seattle area and WA state is at the center of the spotlight

so, in the U.S., it's a Pacific Northwest virus

the West Coast puts a lid of sorts on it, but cases in tri-state NYC skyrocket

so, in the U.S., it's now a New York virus and, to the world, it's now an American virus

- - - - -

To put some humor into this, I can only think of the commercial for Pace picante sauce.  Some dude is getting food in what might be a diner in Texas and gets a hot sauce that looks odd.  They are probably thinking it's Tex-Mex or from across the border.  Then, together, they examine the label on the Pace picante sauce and it comes from a company headquartered in New York.  So, in unison, they exclaim with a twang: "New York City?!?"   You know some rednecks in the U.S. are thinking that exact same thing right now.

Edited April 8, 2020 by trinacriabob

[G. David Felt]

15 hours ago, daves87rs said:

Getting some loud storms tonight....

That is just the Neighbors sound system.  

[USA-1]

17 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

 

Update: "Crazy Rich Asian" Ben Chen gets cuffed.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/32927/driver-annihilates-ultra-rare-gemballa-mirage-gt-in-manhattan-hit-and-run-rampage

Edited April 8, 2020 by USA-1

[USA-1]

1 hour ago, trinacriabob said:

Stop being so Canadian and apologizing!  I, for one, am rarely offended.  It's hard to separate humor from political correctness, so let it roll (laissez les bon temps rouler).

So it goes like this:  

the virus started in China, so it was a Chinese virus

it then got transported to Italy in 2 ways - 1 person from Wuhan repatriating to Italy (Lombardy, in the north) and 2 tourists from China staying near the Colosseum (Rome, in the center)

* there rea also contact traces where there was some movement between Germany and Italy related to work and that caused it to spread *

so, it is now an Italian virus and the EU hates them

the south of the country got its first cases a month later - 1 person, a mother, returning to the east coast of Sicily after visiting the kids in Lombardy and 1 person in Palermo, on the northwest coast, who was vacationing from Lombardy

so, to the south, it's a northern Italian virus ... and southern Italians think northern Italians are cold and structured while the northern Italians think the southern Italians are unruly and unfiltered

then, somebody who may have been in China returns to the Seattle area and WA state is at the center of the spotlight

so, in the U.S., it's a Pacific Northwest virus

the West Coast puts a lid of sorts on it, but cases in tri-state NYC skyrocket

so, in the U.S., it's now a New York virus and, to the world, it's now an American virus

- - - - -

To put some humor into this, I can only think of the commercial for Pace picante sauce.  Some dude is getting food in what might be a diner in Texas and gets a hot sauce that looks odd.  They are probably thinking it's Tex-Mex or from across the border.  Then, together, they examine the label on the Pace picante sauce and it comes from a company headquartered in New York.  So, in unison, they exclaim with a twang: "New York City?!?"   You know some rednecks in the U.S. are thinking that exact same thing right now.

I believe it was, "New York City?!"..."Get a rope." ?

[ocnblu]

3 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

so, in the U.S., it's now a New York virus and, to the world, it's now an American virus

So, by your logic, if I travel to, say, Ethiopia, I would become Ethiopian?  Not how things work, I'm afraid.

[ocnblu]

[trinacriabob]

1 hour ago, ocnblu said:

So, by your logic, if I travel to, say, Ethiopia, I would become Ethiopian?  Not how things work, I'm afraid.

I'm talking about the perception of the virus rather than reality.  Your imbecile president, with an Ivy League pedigree from Penn, hastily called it the Chinese virus.

Edited April 8, 2020 by trinacriabob
I had to be BOLD in my response; I had forgotten to do so

[ocnblu]

2 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

I'm talking about the perception of the virus rather than reality.  Your imbecile president, with an Ivy League pedigree from Penn, hastily called it the Chinese virus.

Not hasty at all.  It's the truth.  Zip it.

[balthazar]

Most everyone was calling it that in the beginning, TCB.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eZtCq1aj2g&feature=emb_logo

 

[trinacriabob]

CNN is my point of reference.  I looked it up in Wiki and the article said that, while the perception is that they lean left, the reality is that they present a balanced viewpoint.

[ocnblu]

12 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

CNN is my point of reference.  I looked it up in Wiki and the article said that, while the perception is that they lean left, the reality is that they present a balanced viewpoint.

Pure comedy gold, right there...