Random Thoughts Thread

[Drew Dowdell]

Well the house is clearly blight. Time to bulldoze it.

[ocnblu]

6 hours ago, daves87rs said:

Is it like and older garage? My aunt's house has a garage that is pretty low (house built in 1922) and barely fit the minivan she had....

House built in 1986.  Width-wise, I would have about 3 inches on either side to squeeze it in, according to Ford's specs with mirrors in normal position.  Height-wise though,  I measured to the steel beam and I would have about 2.5", but the motor hangs down about 4" below that.  I actually measured on a bit of a slant though because the Jeep was nestled.  I will measure again with the Jeep out.

[G. David Felt]

10 hours ago, daves87rs said:

Is it like and older garage? My aunt's house has a garage that is pretty low (house built in 1922) and barely fit the minivan she had....

So in other words, a House built for a Model A auto rather than anything after that. Course you just about hit the same problem with homes built in the late 80's and forward where they seem to think in these tight live on top of each other neighbourhoods with 6 feet between homes that all you need is a sub compact. 

I hate that it is hard to find a new modern home that can handle an Escalade ESV or any other full size SUV / Truck in the garage. They just do not want to make them a proper 26 feet deep unless it is a tandem garage.

This is why I like the homes built in the 50 to 60's when they used to build them 24 feet long plus another 6 feet for what was considered normal of having a work bench and space. 

[Robert Hall]

For a suburban tract house built in 1967, my two car garage is rather small.... my Jeep fits in, I haven't tried getting my sister's Trax in also...probably would have to fold up the mirrors on both.   When I think 1967 suburbia, I think Country Squire wagons and other full size cars of the day, but this builder must have been thinking two Beetles in the garage. 

[G. David Felt]

23 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

For a suburban tract house built in 1967, my two car garage is rather small.... my Jeep fits in, I haven't tried getting my sister's Trax in also...probably would have to fold up the mirrors on both.   When I think 1967 suburbia, I think Country Squire wagons and other full size cars of the day, but this builder must have been thinking two Beetles in the garage. 

Yea, that does seem weirdly small considering that we had 22ft long station wagons then.

[Robert Hall]

7 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Yea, that does seem weirdly small considering that we had 22ft long station wagons then.

Actually, the biggest wagons of the 60s-70s were only about 19.x feet long. (a '71 Pontiac Grand Safari was 230.x long, which is just over 19 feet, for example).   22 feet would be longer than a Cadillac 75 ambulance/hearse.  20 feet is 240 inches, don't think any regular production non-limo was that long back then. 

I need to measure my garage inside or check and see if the dimensions are somewhere in the paperwork. 

Edited December 18, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[G. David Felt]

19 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Actually, the biggest wagons of the 60s-70s were only about 19.x feet long. (a '71 Pontiac Grand Safari was 230.x long, which is just over 19 feet, for example).   22 feet would be longer than a Cadillac 75 ambulance/hearse.  20 feet is 240 inches, don't think any regular production non-limo was that long back then. 

I need to measure my garage inside or check and see if the dimensions are somewhere in the paperwork. 

Your probably right as I remember my parents Lincoln Station wagon and the last one they owned as a 1977 Olds 98 station wagon and I just remember my dad always saying station wagons were right up there with suburbans for 22 foot long auto's, he just liked being lower compared to me liking being taller.

Now to go and find out just how long that 98 really was.

Found it, 231.8" as it was the longest of it's day before they down sized with the Oil Embargo. OK, so my dad was off as this is just 20 feet long. Still a long big auto.  

[Robert Hall]

Just now, dfelt said:

Your probably right as I remember my parents Lincoln Station wagon and the last one they owned as a 1977 Olds 98 station wagon and I just remember my dad always saying station wagons were right up there with suburbans for 22 foot long auto's, he just liked being lower compared to me liking being taller.

Now to go and find out just how long that 98 really was.

Things always seem bigger than they are...the longest American cars were about 235 inches in the mid 70s--Imperials, Cadillac Fleetwoods, Lincoln Continentals..still under 20 feet.  Suburbans are in that length range also.  Crew cab pickups are longer of course...

[frogger]

No garages in my area big enough to fit anything larger than a midsize car, unless the house was rebuilt.   I suspect the small garages/large sheds house more raccoons than cars overall at this point.

 

 

[daves87rs]

8 hours ago, dfelt said:

So in other words, a House built for a Model A auto rather than anything after that. Course you just about hit the same problem with homes built in the late 80's and forward where they seem to think in these tight live on top of each other neighbourhoods with 6 feet between homes that all you need is a sub compact. 

I hate that it is hard to find a new modern home that can handle an Escalade ESV or any other full size SUV / Truck in the garage. They just do not want to make them a proper 26 feet deep unless it is a tandem garage.

This is why I like the homes built in the 50 to 60's when they used to build them 24 feet long plus another 6 feet for what was considered normal of having a work bench and space. 

I have a two and a half car garage myself, and I can barely fit a full size truck in there....though my house was built in the 50s....

[balthazar]

9 hours ago, dfelt said:

Yea, that does seem weirdly small considering that we had 22ft long station wagons then.

Uhhh; no.
- - - - -
My house was built in '92 (tho I designed it). I did park my 'Escalade ESV' inside; '65 Bonneville : 222" x 80".

I have a bunch of '50-60s house plan books, and the few garages with 'work bench space' were never full-width, just 'notches' you couldn't push a car nose into, width-wise. I think via those books and direct observation, the 24-ft deep garage only exists on purpose rather than by default. You're lucky to get a true 20-footer at random.

EDIT: just checked my house garage : 19'10" deep from door to block, 18'8" wide due to 2 steps down into garage. I could have gone larger, but I was putting up a 24x48 shop at the same time.

Edited December 19, 2017 by balthazar

[Robert Hall]

I did like the sizable 3 car garages I saw in suburban Denver, though the tract houses were so bland and generic 1990s-2000s...3 feet from the house next door, 3000 sq ft house on a 4000sq ft lot, 3 car garage, $450k (10 years ago, more now).   Those garages were designed to fit Tahoes, Suburbans and other typical family trucksters of the day..

Edited December 19, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[ocnblu]

WAIT, dfelt's dad had a Lincoln station wagon?  Tell us more!

[ocnblu]

[Robert Hall]

11 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

WAIT, dfelt's dad had a Lincoln station wagon?  Tell us more!

Saw that..maybe meant a Mercury Colony Park?  My Dad had Lincoln Continental and Town Car sedans when I was growing up.. 

[balthazar]

This last generation board software update takes you to your last read post- very annoying IMO. Is there a preference for that?

[G. David Felt]

37 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Uhhh; no.
- - - - -
My house was built in '92 (tho I designed it). I did park my 'Escalade ESV' inside; '65 Bonneville : 222" x 80".

I have a bunch of '50-60s house plan books, and the few garages with 'work bench space' were never full-width, just 'notches' you couldn't push a car nose into, width-wise. I think via those books and direct observation, the 24-ft deep garage only exists on purpose rather than by default. You're lucky to get a true 20-footer at random.

EDIT: just checked my house garage : 19'10" deep from door to block, 18'8" wide due to 2 steps down into garage. I could have gone larger, but I was putting up a 24x48 shop at the same time.

Weird, Maybe this is a west versus East thing as I just measured my garage as my Split Level house was built in 1952, 2 car garage and the inside dimensions from the Garage door to the foundation on the other side is 29', 30 feet if I go foundation to foundation in the garage, but the auto cannot take advantage of that last foot as the garage door is recessed.

So having never lived in a house on the east coast maybe this is just a difference in type of homes built. 

[G. David Felt]

@ocnblu @Cubical-aka-Moltar @balthazar

I will have to go to my parents to dig out some photo's and scan them in. My dad always said it was a rare auto, he had it painted tan, so not sure what the original color was but it was an early to mid 60's Lincoln Station wagon that looked like this one I found online.

I could be wrong since I was a small kid growing up till it was replaced with the Olds 98 station wagon.

I have included our master of all things old to help me out, but I do remember the long rear glass and the suicide doors, so pretty sure it was a Lincoln.

 

[Robert Hall]

Just now, dfelt said:

@ocnblu @Cubical-aka-Moltar @balthazar

I will have to go to my parents to dig out some photo's and scan them in. My dad always said it was a rare auto, he had it painted tan, so not sure what the original color was but it was an early to mid 60's Lincoln Station wagon that looked like this one I found online.

I could be wrong since I was a small kid growing up till it was replaced with the Olds 98 station wagon.

I have included our master of all things old to help me out, but I do remember the long rear glass and the suicide doors, so pretty sure it was a Lincoln.

 

 

That's definitely a custom, there were no factory Lincoln wagons that I know of..interesting..

[G. David Felt]

2 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

That's definitely a custom, there were no factory Lincoln wagons that I know of..interesting..

The station wagon he bought new in southern california before moving up to washington so maybe it was a custom job as they did allot of stuff like that in California.

[Robert Hall]

Found a pic of a beige one on Pinterest, but no information..may be a Photoshop (looks like a '65-68 Ford or Mercury rear roof). I've seen plenty of custom coach built Cadillac wagons over the years in magazines and at Barrett-Jackson, etc so I'm sure there were a few similarly custom built Lincoln wagons over the years...

Edited December 19, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[ocnblu]

?  photoshop

[balthazar]

I concur on the Lincoln wagon- NOT factory. I've never seen that pic of the white car (the one Moltar posted definitely looks PS'd), or any other '60s Lincoln wagon. David must be correct- the car must have been altered when new in Crazyfornia.

There were coachbuilt Cadillac wagons from the '40s up thru the '90s, and some were commissioned by Cadillac, just not built by them. There was a small demand over the decades, and in that time period- those demands got met.

David- REALLY looking forward to those pics if you can find them!

EDIT :: found more pics of that same white wagon :

So it's not photoshopped... but the rear definitely looks the part of the license plate's claim.

Lincoln or a professional coachbuilder would never leave the rear facade that plain & unadorned. There's also no tailgate handle.

Edited December 19, 2017 by balthazar

[Drew Dowdell]

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

This last generation board software update takes you to your last read post- very annoying IMO. Is there a preference for that?

What would your preference be?

[Robert Hall]

I have seen this '56 Lincoln wagon in Scottsdale (it's an Arizona car)..don't know the provenance, I assume built by a coach builder 60+ years ago.  Never seen a '60s one, nor any hearses..don't think I've ever seen a '70s Lincoln wagon or hearse either. 

http://www.misterw.com/Lincoln/56LincolnWagon04.html

Edited December 19, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[balthazar]

8 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

What would your preference be?

go to the last post in the thread by default.
I find numerous times I'm answering a post that's buried 8 or 12 posts ago, and if you don't quote what you're addressing, it looks... awkward.

[ocnblu]

Car sales people prey on old ladies. 

[G. David Felt]

5 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Car sales people prey on old ladies. 

And old men, salespeople are sleeze in that regards of praying on the easily manipulated. 

Did something happen to your mom? 

[A Horse With No Name]

10 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Car sales people prey on old ladies. 

I really despise most car sales people.

5 hours ago, dfelt said:

And old men, salespeople are sleeze in that regards of praying on the easily manipulated. 

Did something happen to your mom? 

Seems likely....

[ccap41]

52 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I really despise most car sales people.

[Drew Dowdell]

21 hours ago, balthazar said:

go to the last post in the thread by default.
I find numerous times I'm answering a post that's buried 8 or 12 posts ago, and if you don't quote what you're addressing, it looks... awkward.

It's not an adjustable setting as near as I can find.

[oldshurst442]

I literally can do anything...Im GOD! 

Bitterness is sweet!

 

[balthazar]

[ocnblu]

5 hours ago, balthazar said:

"Well I made it to the end of the block.  Can someone give me a push?  This is GREAT!" 

Edited December 20, 2017 by ocnblu

[G. David Felt]

4 hours ago, ocnblu said:

"Well I made it to the end of the block.  Can someone give me a push?  This is GREAT!" 

Or she could be thinking, what a sad little blu boy walking in the snow. I bet he wishes he was in a nice warm Waverly EV auto.  

[Robert Hall]

We even had our own electric car here in Cleveland back in the day, the Baker.  It  had cab forward/tall cab design, was of course available in the trendy black color, with blackwall tires and flashy gold panel pin striping..

Edited December 20, 2017 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[ykX]

Watched "The Last Jedi" yesterday.  Not sure why it had rave reviews, it s@cks.

[Frisky Dingo]

On 12/19/2017 at 3:06 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

I really despise most car sales people.

Seems likely....

Most sales people really despise customers. It's a 2-way street.

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, Frisky Dingo said:

Most sales people really despise customers. It's a 2-way street.

And they should.  Most buyers are rude and unethical with dismal credit.

[Frisky Dingo]

6 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

And they should.  Most buyers are rude and unethical with dismal credit.

Really just boils down to a lot of people are insufferable assholes. No matter what their profession or role in a buyer's market is.

[balthazar]

1916 :

Edited December 23, 2017 by balthazar

[G. David Felt]

On 12/22/2017 at 7:49 AM, ykX said:

Watched "The Last Jedi" yesterday.  Not sure why it had rave reviews, it s@cks.

I would disagree, it was enjoyable and a true handing off to the young generation for future movies. What more were you expecting? They had to hand off the mantel to someone.

[ocnblu]

Mom got her present.  2018 Kia Forte LX in Garnet Red.  Thanks Lancaster Kia for making it relatively painless.

Edited December 23, 2017 by ocnblu

[G. David Felt]

19 minutes ago, ocnblu said:

Mom got her present.  2018 Kia Forte LX in Garnet Red.  Thanks Lancaster Kia for making it relatively painless.

Awesome!

[ocnblu]

Thanks dfelt.  I think it will suit her well.  Decently equipped while not going overboard on features she'll never use.  Plus it is a safer vehicle than her Versa Note.  I tried to help her get into a Hyundai, but the lease terms just were not as favorable, even with my employee discount.  As far as the dealerships we shopped, the local Chevy dealer is advertising the Trax for 20% off MSRP, so she got herself excited about a base LS FWD Trax.  She went in to talk to them about possibly leasing one, but there was no program available.  The saleskid tried to put her in a '17 Cruze LS, which would have had to have been DX'd in.  Then where I work, the sales manager put together 3 scenarios, all 2018 model year... Elantra SE (base) for $3k down and $158/mo on a 10k/yr lease 36 munts.  Elantra Value Edition (a lot of features for the price... possibly too many features for a 73-year old lady) for $3300 down and the same payment.  Also a Mazda 3 Sport (base) hatch and Elantra GT, which both required over $4k down to get to her required payment.  Then I went to Kia's website and saw what seemed like the perfect deal:  $2600 down and $139/munt for 36 munts, 10k/year.  So that is the deal she got.  She was upside down (negative equity) by about $1600 on the Versa, so she was stuck unable to trade it in, and the amount of money required down to transfer it to a purchase contract would have been prohibitive to keep her payments in her required range, over $4k per the Nissan dealer.  She really liked her 2012 Soul, but again, the lease terms stunk on those.  So, Kia it is. 

 

Edited December 25, 2017 by ocnblu

[ocnblu]

[daves87rs]

While not the most exciting car, the Forte is a solid choice. Know folks with them, and they say some pretty good things about them.

Best part is you can't beat the price......

On 12/23/2017 at 5:20 PM, dfelt said:

I would disagree, it was enjoyable and a true handing off to the young generation for future movies. What more were you expecting? They had to hand off the mantel to someone.

For the most part, I liked it. But boy did things go everywhere in it...was easy to get lost at times.....

[G. David Felt]

Laugh of the day,

New neighbors, 5 inches of snow on xmas day, kids outside playing and wife sees husband leaving, Yells be careful, it looks slick. Husband response, that is why we bought a 4x4, it knows how to drive in the snow and drives off with a if we were in the city we would not need this.

Amazing the people that grow up in the city are clueless about the suburbs.

[Frisky Dingo]

Well, Christmas is gone (thankfully!) and although my gifts mostly sucked, I got about as good of a Christmas present as I could ask for Friday when I got to take out the new Civic Type R, the BMW M4 GTS, and the new M550 X Drive that we just got in. When I get a chance, I may post up mini reviews of them.

[Robert Hall]

Fascinating how the Lake Effect snow bands and patterns lead to light dustings in some areas and big snows in other areas, often very close together.    Had only 2-3 inches or so here in the south west Cleveland suburbs, just cold today.   Up the coast to the east--maybe 25-30 miles away--they've had 8-10 inches so far with another foot coming...and 2 hours up the coast in Erie, Pa they had 53 inches in 2 days!