Random Thoughts Thread

[ocnblu]

You're pretty high off the ground

[balthazar]

6:08, I guess, depends on the terrain. [6:24]

5th floor. Checked to see if we were in Wild Bill’s neck of the woods, but fairly north of you (Wilkes-Barre).

Edited August 11, 2019 by balthazar

[ocnblu]

[balthazar]

In da Pennsyltucky woods...

[trinacriabob]

No one saying anything about the Jeffrey Epstein thing?  What a thing to wake up to upon turning on the computer.

But it doesn't surprise me.  He was living beyond large for too long a time and it caught up with him.

Now, of course, they have to do an inquest as to what happened to him and the protocols around that.  It looks fairly obvious to me.

At any rate, this circus will continue as many will now come forward, perhaps with more ease and it will get a lot of air and media time, which I will not be watching or following.

Within the last 20 years, Trump, in his glad handing and glib style, said Epstein was a 'great guy' and that they had similar tastes in women, and he even mentioned that he tended to like them on the young side.  This would all still be bad.  I just wonder how much "less bad" it would be if this dude hadn't dipped below the age of majority.

In a couple of photos of him I saw, he looked suitable to be cast for the role of a turtle neck wearing, wife swapping husband from some bad 70's movie filmed in, you guessed it, the Hollywood Hills.

What a horrendous week - El Paso, Dayton, Epstein, and God knows what else.  How am I supposed to even think about cars?

[balthazar]

I don't spend much of my time at all getting bogged down on the news cycle. Tragedies happen daily; some we hear about for weeks, some we never hear about, some touch our circle of life and we can never forget them.

When multi-millionaires become engrossed in my circle's downturns, I might give some time to theirs.

[daves87rs]

On 8/10/2019 at 4:06 PM, dfelt said:

I wonder if the world is not pushing towards a government system much like that in the Movie Starship troopers.

You have a cast system of the rich and not being citizens is OK with them as they have the money and everyone else that must serve the global gov to get citizenship and basic benefits.

Agree with much of what everyone here thinks about the lack of respect for the constitution.

In other random thoughts, I think China will ignor and join Russian in full normal relations with Iran and take all their oil negating the idiots in DC of our country.

Within 50 years, you will have to have a special permit to own and drive an ICE auto.

Electric auto's with Solid state batteries are our future.

Well, the upside in 50 years is that I’ll be too old to see straight to drive an ICE by then.... ? 

[trinacriabob]

On a better note, these were the days!

Oh yes they were!

One of Detroit's finest moments ... and so perfectly timed for our bicentennial year.

Haha ... from the UK?  I think NOT.

Edited August 12, 2019 by trinacriabob

[balthazar]

105 HP 3.8L V6, 110 HP 4.3L V6, 170 HP 350CI V8. 

ugh. They still look good, but they have no moxie.

[daves87rs]

8 minutes ago, balthazar said:

105 HP 3.8L V6, 110 HP 4.3L V6, 170 HP 350CI V8. 

ugh. They still look good, but they have no moxie.

Like  buying a large lawnmower with those engines......

[balthazar]

[A Horse With No Name]

On 8/10/2019 at 9:16 AM, balthazar said:

Government is not your friend and is not ‘in your corner’.

In life one has very few real friends...

[frogger]

11 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

On a better note, these were the days!

Oh yes they were!

One of Detroit's finest moments ... and so perfectly timed for our bicentennial year.

Haha ... from the UK?  I think NOT.

We had this car in darker blue with the 3.8L. Once it was given to my older brother he rented an engine hoist and put the v8 powertrain in when he was 19. Too bad rust took its toll so quickly, was good to us otherwise.

 

[Drew Dowdell]

 

[balthazar]

?
- - - - - 

Edited August 12, 2019 by balthazar

[G. David Felt]

Outstanding read on the question of how to make money on a $20 cheeseburger and how to apply this to auto companies like Lyft and Uber.

Startups And The $20 Cheeseburger Problem

http://flip.it/XgCors

3 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

 

First Mary K car? ?

[Drew Dowdell]

Finally!

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/812-Westbury-Rd_North-Versailles_PA_15137_M48187-74081

 

[ocnblu]

8 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

 

Balthy would like this more if the greenhouse were over the FRONT whills.

[balthazar]

? 

[Robert Hall]

Saw a neat pic today of a custom Green Buick of that era w a chopped 3 window roof on the FB.  Will post if I can find it again.  

[balthazar]

[balthazar]

[Robert Hall]

7 hours ago, dfelt said:

 

http://flip.it/XgCors

First Mary K car? ?

Wonder if it has 2 V8s under the hood...I've toyed around w/ building something like that in 1/25th scale w/ a couple Revell models. 

[balthazar]

Falconer V-16.

[daves87rs]

16 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

In life one has very few real friends...

I think it is how you look at it.  In this day and age-it’s easy  to fall in line to the crowd. IN my school days a opinion wasn’t the whole person. It’s why I consider myself among friends here. I’ve gotten to know people here over the years.....and see the big picture-not just who someone voted for.

Being someone who nearly died in their youth a few times from Asthma, I try to enjoy life and those around me-and accept those for who they are..... ? 

And my love for cars and good topics and folks bring me back here...

 

So to summarize, I think it is what one makes of it. And I consider you a good friend, so I hope that helps.....

[balthazar]

Interesting to see MPG rating sticker for 455 CI '76 Trans Am : 

[ocnblu]

[A Horse With No Name]

21 hours ago, balthazar said:

?
- - - - - 

I can't upvote this far enough or fast enough...

 

2 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Your automotive content is always first rate, thanks for making my day. 

5 hours ago, balthazar said:

Interesting to see MPG rating sticker for 455 CI '76 Trans Am : 

Worth every ounce of dead dino juice...

On 8/12/2019 at 12:09 AM, balthazar said:

Once again, I love this. 

[trinacriabob]

23 hours ago, frogger said:

We had this car in darker blue with the 3.8L. Once it was given to my older brother he rented an engine hoist and put the v8 powertrain in when he was 19. Too bad rust took its toll so quickly, was good to us otherwise.

Here's my trivia on this.  The '75s and 76s came standard with the 4.1 liter 250 ci L6.  I've seen a couple.  Mostly in the '75s.  Advertised for $3,999 and with no air.  I'd have taken one off their hands.  Just for '77, the 3.8 liter 231 ci V6 was standard.  It was odd firing and I wish they had never put them in there.  Just say I came across the big Cutty like these with the inline 6, I'd gladly have kept it.  How can you destroy a Chevy inline 6?  It's not easy.  On the other hand, Regal/Century used the odd firing 3.8 liter 231 V6 in '75, '76,  and '77.  And it was unfortunate to see a rare and beautiful Regal S/R coupe with the trestle shifter between the buckets sometimes powered by one.  I didn't have a problem with 3.8s from 1978 on, when the crankshaft revision made for smooth idling and an inherently more durable engine.  I also feel that the Regal/Century should have always had the 260 V8 option if the LeMans/Grand LeMans always had it in those same years.  That made no sense.  Pontiac had something like 5 engine choices for the slower selling vehicle among GM's opera windowed coupes.

[balthazar]

Would make for a killer sleeper if one LS'd it: 

[regfootball]

Is this a subtle hint from c&g???

[Drew Dowdell]

I didn't think it was particularly subtle @regfootball

[G. David Felt]

Guess they want me to buy Asian.

[Drew Dowdell]

^^^ Those aren't bad prices for a CX-5

[A Horse With No Name]

 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

This thing is just kind of killer...

 

[balthazar]

8.97@156

can't get the power down without AWD!

[balthazar]

[balthazar]

Bet these women hate pumping their own gas. 

[Drew Dowdell]

I like all of the railroad stuff you've been posting lately @balthazar

[balthazar]

trainz iz cool. ?

 

[regfootball]

6 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

^^^ Those aren't bad prices for a CX-5

I was thinking the same thing!

[balthazar]

circa '71 Mustang hood scoops, looks pretty damned good ~ 

[Robert Hall]

9 hours ago, balthazar said:

trainz iz cool. ?

 

An early 'donk'... heh-heh... 

[balthazar]

[Robert Hall]

My new wheel barrel is on point with the blackout trim and wheel package fad seen on current utility vehicles...

[Drew Dowdell]

Hold on to your butts.... big signal that the recession is starting happened today. 

[ccap41]

44 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Hold on to your butts.... big signal that the recession is starting happened today. 

What was that? 

[Drew Dowdell]

1 minute ago, ccap41 said:

What was that? 

The interest yield on the 10-year treasury note fell below the interest rate on the 2-year treasury note. This is called a yield inversion and when it happens it is a strong signal of a coming recession. The last time it happened was summer 2007. 

If you want to read more into it, there is a better explanation here:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/explainer-countdown-recession-inverted-yield-134605584.html

 

[ccap41]

Summer 2007... Not the greatest sign of things to come. 

Get ready to invest when things bottom out!