Random Thoughts Thread

[balthazar]

But they couldn't give them away. A more expensive variant of the same formula is going to sell in double digits/month. What's the pay-off?

[G. David Felt]

21 minutes ago, balthazar said:

But they couldn't give them away. A more expensive variant of the same formula is going to sell in double digits/month. What's the pay-off?

Maybe the company write off against profits to reduce their tax bill? 

[balthazar]

I'm puzzled, yet not displeased. Mostly puzzled.
 

[G. David Felt]

15 minutes ago, balthazar said:

I'm puzzled, yet not displeased. Mostly puzzled.
 

I take this over every car BMW makes.  

[ocnblu]

Is that a home job?  Now I want to know if GM sold this car badged as a Pontiac in some distant, obscure off-shore market like Kenya, or Canada.

[Robert Hall]

Could be from the mirror universe, like in Star Trek. 

[balthazar]

2 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Is that a home job?  Now I want to know if GM sold this car badged as a Pontiac in some distant, obscure off-shore market like Kenya, or Canada.

Yes- owner custom. Interesting cross-pollination.

[balthazar]

[G. David Felt]

Very Cool, Jaguar i-Pace is faster and stops faster than the Tesla X P100D

FYI, Jaguar at 10AM PST will be revealing the production version of the i-Pace EV CUV.

Reveal started at 10am PST. really cool watching on the race track and offroad.

I am pumped.

[G. David Felt]

Very cool CUV!  

WOW, Autoblog says the Honda CR-V is getting a 3rd seat row. Talk about making a butt ugly CUV cramped.

https://www.autoblog.com/2018/03/01/honda-cr-v-third-row-hybrid-geneva/

Crazy, 

[G. David Felt]

Totally cool Snow Drifting Lambos!  

[balthazar]

I've seen pics of the I-Pace and MAN is it an awkward, stubby, ungraceful lump. I've read that some folk love it, but some folk love anything ever built as a motor vehicle, I guess. Jaguar used to instill a (very fitting) feline gracefulness in their cars, I guess that's out the window.

[daves87rs]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

Totally cool Snow Drifting Lambos!  

Guy is kinda annoying though....

[balthazar]

"I didn't have time to change (not me; I can barely pour a cup of coffee) the summer tires on my RS6, so I didn't have it airlifted to a frozen mountain lake in another country. I was too busy staring at my watch."

[balthazar]

[A Horse With No Name]

Internal combustion Friday...!

 

[daves87rs]

1 hour ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Internal combustion Friday...!

 

Need some more of this today!!!

[G. David Felt]

Latest from the crazy mind of Weird Al Yankovic!

 

[G. David Felt]

Saw this and a first rate job, wish for better looking rims / tire combo.

Cadillac really needs to get back into having a pickup truck.

[balthazar]

I dunno about 'first rate' with the mismatched fenders...
People have been building these for years now. Not sure if there is a market for a factory one tho; I'd hold off if I were calling the shot.

[ocnblu]

After seeing the teaser commercial, I think the Cadillac XT4 is going to be hella cool!

 

[daves87rs]

5 hours ago, dfelt said:

Saw this and a first rate job, wish for better looking rims / tire combo.

Cadillac really needs to get back into having a pickup truck.

 

No no....

[G. David Felt]

Got an email from Cadillac saying to tune in this sunday. I think they will show the XT4 early at the Oscars!

[ocnblu]

21 hours ago, balthazar said:

Please take clear note of the absolute purity of design, coupled with the permanence of genuine materials.  Real metals with durable surfaces... no second-rate plastics.  An icon of American industrial excellence.

[balthazar]

what do you see?
 

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

what do you see?
 

WOW, Very cool Engine design of 8 carbs on the sides with center exhaust straight up, open pipe. Never seen an engine layout like this before. Bet it is loud.

[Robert Hall]

Very strange...it's like the location of the intake(s) and exhaust are reversed...wonder what the purpose of such  a configuration is. 

[G. David Felt]

2 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

Very strange...it's like the location of the intake(s) and exhaust are reversed...wonder what the purpose of such  a configuration is. 

Look at where the distributor is, in a place you usually find a water pump? This motor has me very confused.

[Robert Hall]

And where is the fan and radiator? 

[G. David Felt]

1 minute ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

And where is the fan and radiator? 

Seems to have plumbing on the front of the block going underneath to the back. I see the piping for where coolant would go in and it seems to go in under the cab to some place else.

[balthazar]

Distributor on Ford flathead is in the same location, BTW.
I think this engine was built just to showcase a very non-conventional re-engineering. Revised cam allows it to breath 'in reverse'.

[balthazar]

Chrome cheesecake ~

[balthazar]

Chrome Cheesecake 2 ~
 

[G. David Felt]

Cadillac had this commercial on the Oscars tonight and posted to their Youtube Channel.

 

[daves87rs]

3 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Seems Cadillac commercial at the oscars show plenty of the XT4, but nothing on You Tube officially yet other than other peoples posts.

 

Seems a Dealership caught the full commercial just as is, posted it with their on ending of call them to reserve one now.

 

Liking the looks of it....

[G. David Felt]

Gotta Love the SuperCruise Commercial

 

[balthazar]

[G. David Felt]

39 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Very cool and different AWD system.

[balthazar]

 

35-in rims. Packard, I believe '21.

Edited March 5, 2018 by balthazar

[Drew Dowdell]

54 minutes ago, balthazar said:

 

35-in rims. Packard, I believe '21.

Wonder what the approach and departure angles are on that!?

11 hours ago, dfelt said:

Cadillac had this commercial on the Oscars tonight and posted to their Youtube Channel.

 

I like that the Escala look is being put into production. I wish it had debuted on an updated CT6 first.   I had the same objection with the Continental nose actually being released for sale on the MKZ before the Continental was out. 

[ocnblu]

9 hours ago, balthazar said:

Is that a Chevy/GMC van with a 4WD conversion?  It's gotta be a van but I can't tell the make from here... guessing by the license plate cut-out on the front bumple.

[Robert Hall]

Very strange how the driveshafts come from the black trapezoid (transfer case?) and connect to thingys behind each wheel..never seen a driveline like that.. 

Googling turned up this--Vemco V-drive 4x4 conversion..

The Vehicle Engineering and Manufacturing Company of Fort Wayne Indiana offered Ford and Chevy van conversions from approximately 1976-1980, and went out of business soon thereafter.

Same picture of the van on it's side w/ rust..
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2017/06/a-full-size-chevy-van-with-vemco-v.html

This article is linked from the above link, refers to it as a Dana system.  Has that same strange picture.

http://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-outtake-1980-dana-v-drive-4wd-gmc-school-van-a-rarity-indeed/

Edited March 6, 2018 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Robert Hall]

I'd heard of Quigley 4x4 conversions, usually with Ford Econolines.   But had not heard of Mowag---Swiss Dodge van 4x4 conversions.

http://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/reader-ride-dodge-mowag-4x4-b350-van-swiss-rarity/

[frogger]

A former poster here would love the title of this one..

 

[A Horse With No Name]

2 hours ago, frogger said:

A former poster here would love the title of this one..

 

Sylvester is still around on Facebook....68 Lives!

[G. David Felt]

@ocnblu @balthazar @A Horse With No Name

Thought you all would get a kick out of this Driving Manifesto!

http://www.thedrive.com/opinion/18952/this-is-the-human-driving-manifesto

Have to admit, I agree with a number of points he makes.

[G. David Felt]

Crazy Rich kid gets to race Dubai Police car on the streets.

 

[G. David Felt]

@ocnblu Perfect next Auto for you!

www.sherp.ru

[balthazar]

Factory-built supercharged '53 'E' ~

[daves87rs]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

@ocnblu Perfect next Auto for you!

www.sherp.ru

Come in handy for the traffic around here.....