Random Thoughts Thread

[G. David Felt]

Have to say, I really like this Daytona package on the current Challenger.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/29016/abomination-or-brilliance-check-out-this-modern-dodge-challenger-daytona-recreation

Ricers have nothing on this Fin!

[surreal1272]

53 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

That's because they axed the sedan. The coupe price stayed the same(basically).

2018 ATS Sedan: $35,500

2018 ATS Coupe: $38,500

2019 ATS Coupe: $39,000

IT. LOOKS. LIKE. TRASH. 

I think anybody who likes it has an irrational love for it as a GM or Caddy fanboy because I genuinely do not see what about that rear 1/4 of car looks remotely attractive. 

The worst part, it I disagree with that. I just cannot stand the rear of that car so much.. lol 

I can respect your wrong opinion about my right opinion. ?

They made a 2019 sedan and it was $38,995. They just pulled it a few months ago but there was a 2019 model and it was priced higher than the 2018 model. That’s the point here. 

 

And my liking the CTS Coupe has not one single thing to do with fandom of GM or Cadillac. That’s just cop out logic on your part. If I never said anything about it yet stated that I hated the ATS, would I be a GM or Cadillac hater? No. It’s called having an opinion about ONE car, regardless who made it. You don’t like it? Fine. That’s your right. It’s also my right to have a differing opinion of it. 

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

See this shows your own Fanboi love of what you think are better auto's. The CTS Coupe stands apart from the rest of the Cadillac family unlike the Germans Generic all look the same. From top to bottom, from coupe to sedan, they just all blend in together.

What?  What "faboi love" ? Because I think one Cadillac is fckn atrocious? 

[Drew Dowdell]

4 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

What?  What "faboi love" ? Because I think one Cadillac is fckn atrocious? 

Two.... you hate the XTS too. 

[G. David Felt]

This is freakin crazy cool.

Rear Demon Powered Challenger.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/27584/behold-a-demon-powered-dodge-challenger-hellcat-rendered-as-hurst-under-glass-plymouth-barracuda

 

[ccap41]

17 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

They made a 2019 sedan and it was $38,995. They just pulled it a few months ago but there was a 2019 model and it was priced higher than the 2018 model. That’s the point here. 

@Drew Dowdell there was never a 2019 ATS sedan, was there? I can't find anything on them whether it is a review, writeup, or any for sale new or used. 

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/general-motors/2018/05/09/cadillac-cuts-ats-sedan/34731067/

 

Just now, Drew Dowdell said:

Two.... you hate the XTS too. 

Well.. That's a little different because that's a blend of hatred for the Impala as well. 

It isn't like I'm a blind fanboi who thinks Ford can do no wrong. I'm also started that the MKT was up there with the ugliest of vehicles in the modern era as well. 

2 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Two.... you hate the XTS too. 

One at a time.  LOL 

JKJK, I assume they were both built at the same time as the XTS has been around for awhile. 

20 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

That’s just cop out logic on your part.

It was a joke because I think it is the "kind of ugly only a mother could love". 

[Drew Dowdell]

2 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

@Drew Dowdell there was never a 2019 ATS sedan, was there? I can't find anything on them whether it is a review, writeup, or any for sale new or used. 

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/general-motors/2018/05/09/cadillac-cuts-ats-sedan/34731067/

Yup, we had our own article on it here.  No Model Year 2019 sedan

 

[G. David Felt]

Have to say this custom Chevelle is HOT HOT HOTz Sexy as Hell!

GM is selling the ZR1 755HP motor as a crate motor and GM decided to refresh a Chevrolet Chevelle with this motor.

https://www.gmperformancemotor.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=NEW-LT5-ZR1-CRATE-ENGINE

WOW, very sexy and will be on display at SEMA this fall. They also have done a K10 and C10 based on Performance Crate Motors that will be shown off too.

[G. David Felt]

@Drew Dowdell @William Maley Seems Corvette 2020 stuff is leaking.

 

WOW talk about a lot of buttons on this interior.  Just on the center dash, I count 23 buttons not including the touch screen.

 

[G. David Felt]

2020 Ford Police Interceptor anyone? Gotta think it has the twin turbo V6 or NA V8?

[ccap41]

20 minutes ago, dfelt said:

@Drew Dowdell @William Maley Seems Corvette 2020 stuff is leaking.

 

WOW talk about a lot of buttons on this interior.  Just on the center dash, I count 23 buttons not including the touch screen.

 

That line of buttons is a joke.

The rest looks pretty sharp. a squared off steering wheel is a little awkward but nothing drastically bad outside of that row of buttons. 

16 minutes ago, dfelt said:

2020 Ford Police Interceptor anyone? Gotta think it has the twin turbo V6 or NA V8?

I'm surprised that you of all people didn't know...

https://www.ford.com/police-vehicles/hybrid-utility/

 

[Drew Dowdell]

@dfelt It's not like it doesn't say hybrid on the side..... oh wait! It does!

[surreal1272]

44 minutes ago, dfelt said:

@Drew Dowdell @William Maley Seems Corvette 2020 stuff is leaking.

 

WOW talk about a lot of buttons on this interior.  Just on the center dash, I count 23 buttons not including the touch screen.

 

Yeah, I’m with you on the buttons! Holy hell! You have to memorize that layout by feel because trying to look down for a particular button would hazardous to ones health! To be honest, I have to question the legitimacy of this pic. Maybe I’m wrong but I just don’t see them using that button layout down the side like that. Guess we’ll know soon. 

Edited July 18, 2019 by surreal1272

[Drew Dowdell]

3 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

Yeah, I’m with you on the buttons! Holy hell! You have to memorize that layout by feel because trying to look down for a particular button would hazardous to ones health! To be honest, I have to question the legitimacy of this pic. Maybe I’m wrong but I just don’t see them using that button layout down the side like that. Guess we’ll know soon. 

Yeah, it's released tonight at 10:00pm my time.

[surreal1272]

55 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Yeah, it's released tonight at 10:00pm my time.

Then I repeat the “holy hell” remark regarding the river on buttons. Why GM? Why?

[balthazar]

The materials look pretty excellent, but stylilistically I don’t like it. Then again, I feel the move to mid-engine is wrong for the Corvette.

[trinacriabob]

Twizzlers are "dangerous."

Twizzlers on sale are even more so.

[riviera74]

40 minutes ago, balthazar said:

The materials look pretty excellent, but stylilistically I don’t like it. Then again, I feel the move to mid-engine is wrong for the Corvette.

Why is a mid-engine Corvette bad/wrong?

[trinacriabob]

3 hours ago, dfelt said:

 

 

"Laptop left open" look ... nah.  And the ridge segregating the only other passenger in the car is too much.

I can only hope that the "laptop left open" look does not appear on the 2021 Charger.  It's everywhere these days.

Edited July 19, 2019 by trinacriabob

[balthazar]

1 hour ago, riviera74 said:

Why is a mid-engine Corvette bad/wrong?

2 reasons IMO. It's not what the Corvette 'is', and the C7 is such an incredible design, increasingly standing out as more and more brands go to / offer a mid-engined car… to me ME is boring by now. In dim light they all look the same and they seem even more constrained in design by the engineering. 

[balthazar]

[balthazar]

Picked this up, thought it might be cool on the B-59 key chain. 

[ocnblu]

12 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

@dfelt It's not like it doesn't say hybrid on the side..... oh wait! It does!

Should have been like a beacon in the night lol

8 hours ago, balthazar said:

Haha... somebody's fired.  That is not the hierarchy we are looking for!

[G. David Felt]

17 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

@dfelt It's not like it doesn't say hybrid on the side..... oh wait! It does!

Yea, Saw that but questioned if it was legit since Ford has never led like that, but then on hind sight, I guess they are leap frogging the luxury auto's with Lincoln. ?

11 hours ago, balthazar said:

Picked this up, thought it might be cool on the B-59 key chain. 

Dedicated Spark plug gap tool? ?

[ccap41]

13 hours ago, balthazar said:

It's not what the Corvette 'is'

Such an old white guy thing to say...

[G. David Felt]

15 hours ago, balthazar said:

The materials look pretty excellent, but stylilistically I don’t like it. Then again, I feel the move to mid-engine is wrong for the Corvette.

GM should have done this before all the Italian garbage auto's did it and everyone else. They could have been leading in this segment 40 plus years ago. Now I think due to Marketing, it is a requirement that the Corvette goes mid engine, yet this could also be a testing as they are still making the traditional last gen corvette for a while too.

Be interesting to monitor corvette sales and see which one comes out on top.

1 minute ago, ccap41 said:

Such an old white guy thing to say...

Yes and your comment is such a Millennial thing to say!  

[balthazar]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

Dedicated Spark plug gap tool? ?

Souvenir key chain trinket.

[balthazar]

[balthazar]

[G. David Felt]

Rivian has started stamping metal for production.

 

[balthazar]

Would be cool if the whole vehicle was made out of post-consumer plastics.

[ocnblu]

Or water vapor.  Heavy duty water vapor.  That would rock.

[Robert Hall]

 Yesterday was my sister's birthday, so I took her out to dinner tonight at our favorite seafood restaurant, Pier W.  

Took Uber Black to get there and back...on the way there, the driver had a 2016 Escalade ESV...very comfortable, loads of leg and headroom in the 2nd row.   On the way back, the driver had a 2016 Lincoln MKS.   Had an interesting conversation w/ the driver, said he bought it new but at 25k and 50k miles the engine had to be replaced each time under warranty due to some failure.  had 70k on it now.   Comfortable ride.  He's planning on trading it on a Navigator in the next year, for the new Uber Black SUV series (currently there is Uber Black and Uber Select for the more premium rides, sounds like the SUVs in Uber Black will get their own categorization as Uber Black SUV). 

View from our table

Edited July 21, 2019 by Robert Hall

[ocnblu]

God I hate sitting down on a public toilet when the water is too high.  *dipped*  UGH

[balthazar]

Another pic of ocnblu as a tyke.  He would stand defiantly in the driveway for hours in his chauffeur's cap, because his father would inexplicably not allow him to drive the family Chevrolet. Ultimately, a chrome push bar was affixed to the front bumper, to very gently nudge him out of the way when it was time for dad to go to work. 

Edited July 21, 2019 by balthazar

[ocnblu]

As you can see, I was a stylish young man.  But I have push bar scars.

[balthazar]

In light of recent F1 engine talk, I thought this ad topical.

F1 participants today all build identical engines: 1.6L V6s with single turbos. They output about 900 HP.

Here's a Ford ad from the Balthy Collection- pretty positive this ad was 1980. They took their 1.7L Fiesta 4-banger, turbo'd it and got 560 HP. Again: just about 40 years ago. Sure : 900>560, but down 2 cylinders and 40 years.  Not too shabby (plus spanking porsches).

Edited July 21, 2019 by balthazar

[Robert Hall]

And of course a long time ago Ford had an engine that was very successful in Indy Car and Formula 1, the Cosworth-Ford DFV.

[ocnblu]

Multitasking:  best time to clean the shower is while you're taking one.

[G. David Felt]

3 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Multitasking:  best time to clean the shower is while you're taking one.

Best time to clean the bathroom is just before taking a shower, then you end up with a clean bathroom and shower.

[ocnblu]

49 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Best time to clean the bathroom is just before taking a shower, then you end up with a clean bathroom and shower.

Waste of water.  Get out of the shower, spray it down with cleaner.   Next time you're dirty enough to need another one, jump in with your scrubber.  The warm water melts the crap and makes it super easy to clean.  You and your shower end up squeaky.

[balthazar]

Unknown 5-Division dealer ~ 

[daves87rs]

Thank goodness the heatwave is over...no internet or power just sucks......

[balthazar]

98-ish here the last 2 days, supposed to be 82-ish tomm.

[G. David Felt]

Yes, heat sucks, was 84 here today, supposed to be the same tomorrow, not till Tuesday do we get an on shore push of air to cool us into the 70's and that is still too hot for me. ?

[balthazar]

[Robert Hall]

The last few days were pretty hot and so humid here...high as 96 on Saturday.   My glasses would fog over when I stepped onto the back patio.   Not quite as gross as 115-120 in Phoenix summers, but bad enough.    Supposed to be 70s-80s this week.

64 and rainy at 10 am now...loving it

Edited July 22, 2019 by Robert Hall

[ykX]

Started watching new Top Gear Season 27 with two new guys and Chris Harris.  The new guys are not too bad or awkward for their first time but their accents are so thick I can't understand most of the stuff the are saying.  

Kind of looks like a school locker, they kind of abuse Chris Harris like some frat boys even though I think he is older than they are and 100 times better driver, but he seems not to mind it.  Will see where it will go.

 

[balthazar]

A bit of marketing white-washing in the ad; Cadillac developed the HM, Olds did the testing & initial offering. 1945 ad ~ 

[daves87rs]

12 hours ago, balthazar said:

98-ish here the last 2 days, supposed to be 82-ish tomm.

Yeah, we were close to that too......

11 hours ago, dfelt said:

Yes, heat sucks, was 84 here today, supposed to be the same tomorrow, not till Tuesday do we get an on shore push of air to cool us into the 70's and that is still too hot for me. ?

Mid 70s are good enough to me!! ?