Random Thoughts Thread

[ocnblu]

[surreal1272]

3 hours ago, ocnblu said:

The "For Sale" sign on America's front lawn was taken down for a brief time.

It never came down. It was on the market for at least half a dozen other nations. 

16 hours ago, balthazar said:

 

toyoters in general are junk. They used to be very good, then Corporate dropped the ball. 4-runner is probably the best of them. Of course; it's 11 years old currently; last 10 years has had 1 engine, 1 transmission, 1 wheelbase. If an OEM can't get that right after a decade...

That would be a solid argument if it weren’t for two things.

1. They (4Runners) were just as solid in 2009 as they are now.

 

2. Again, forty years of reliability.

[ykX]

@surreal1272 Don't bother, @balthazar as much anti-Toyota as @ocnblu against EVs

 

[surreal1272]

21 minutes ago, ykX said:

@surreal1272 Don't bother, @balthazar as much anti-Toyota as @ocnblu against EVs

 

He is not even close to that bad lol. At least Balth will engage in a meaningful discussion. He is right about Toyota to a point. Some of their models are just "blah" and have some issues the days that Toyotas are not normally known for (looking at the cheapness of the RAV 4 here) but there is literally not one SUV that hold a candle to the 4Runner and the LC in terms of long term reliability plus killer resale. Could they use a real update? Sure but by the same token, why fix what isn't broken? The 4Runner continues to sell well.                    

[balthazar]

33 minutes ago, ykX said:

@surreal1272 Don't bother, @balthazar as much anti-Toyota as @ocnblu against EVs

?

Edited December 21, 2020 by balthazar

[ykX]

19 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

Some of their models are just "blah"

Most of their models are just "blah".  Nevertheless their overall reliability is way above average (and has been for years now) and much better than American brands.

Edited December 21, 2020 by ykX

[oldshurst442]

Looks at the survey...sees that Chevrolet and Buick are very close to Toyoter and Lexus....

Sees Subaru...a Toyoter owned company and its at bottom...   (Yeah...I see where GMC is at...)

Also...

The gentleman (and his inlaws) that talks a biiiig game about Toyota's reliabilty and holds GM responsible for shyttyness 30-40 years ago...and cant in his heart seem to forget about it...also seems to turn a blind eye for Toyoter's more recent shyttyness and does NOT hold Toyoter to the same level of hatred...

This gentleman also likes Acura I believe...same like me....sees Honda and Acura...another Japanese legendary awesome company known for...cough cough...reliabilty...and sees that they are far worse than Chevrolet and Buick...

Known fact for Honda and Acura: 

Its been DECADES that Honda and Acura have had engine, transmission and steering problems...  DECADES...

 

But lets continue banging on that same ole tired rant of how American car companies lag behind Japanese ones...

 

Edited December 21, 2020 by oldshurst442

[ykX]

@oldshurst442 I haven't said ONE thing about Honda, the discussion was about Toyota.  Toyota has been consistently on top, you can argue as much as you want but it is a fact.

2017 - Toyota/Lexus still on top , GM/Ford much lower

2015 - Toyota/Lexus still on top GM/ Ford lower

2014

[Robert Hall]

Jeep is hanging in there, pretty consistent...woo hoo!    Anyway, no doubt that Toyota and Honda are pretty consistent on the short- and long- term reliability...some on here complain about Toyota and Honda probably out of xenophobia rather than any actual facts, I suspect... 

[oldshurst442]

This discussion about reliability is tired and old...

Ive done it.  Im retired from it. 

I dont give a shyte about it.

When oil sludge problems are being ignored by folk like you, when rusted truck frames dont matter to folk like you, when accelerator pedals getting stuck just get swept under the rug and folk like you just shrug, and you keep on pointing the fingers atb GM and say well...GM is worse...

I tend to not give a shyte about what folk like yourself has to say.. 

And I guess this kind of posting style you dont like about me...and say I make it personal....

Well...I dont give a shyte about that either... 

 

[Robert Hall]

15 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

 

When oil sludge problems are being ignored by folk like you, when rusted truck frames dont matter to folk like you, when accelerator pedals getting stuck just get swept under the rug and folk like you just shrug, and you keep on pointing the fingers atb GM and say well...GM is worse...

 

 

Those issues were like, what 10-15 years ago?  GM had their long running ignition problem then also...all automakers have issues, some more than others.

Anyway, banter on C&G is typical of the internet, just a lot of people blathering...none of it means anything, nothing to get stressed about (aboot?). ..  just stay entertained and don't take it too seriously...peace out..

Edited December 21, 2020 by Robert Hall

[surreal1272]

2 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Looks at the survey...sees that Chevrolet and Buick are very close to Toyoter and Lexus....

Sees Subaru...a Toyoter owned company and its at bottom...   (Yeah...I see where GMC is at...)

Also...

The gentleman (and his inlaws) that talks a biiiig game about Toyota's reliabilty and holds GM responsible for shyttyness 30-40 years ago...and cant in his heart seem to forget about it...also seems to turn a blind eye for Toyoter's more recent shyttyness and does NOT hold Toyoter to the same level of hatred...

This gentleman also likes Acura I believe...same like me....sees Honda and Acura...another Japanese legendary awesome company known for...cough cough...reliabilty...and sees that they are far worse than Chevrolet and Buick...

Known fact for Honda and Acura: 

Its been DECADES that Honda and Acura have had engine, transmission and steering problems...  DECADES...

 

But lets continue banging on that same ole tired rant of how American car companies lag behind Japanese ones...

 

I am just going to say this. Toyota’s ownership of Subaru wasn’t made official until ten months ago so trying to connect one to the other, in terms of reliability, would be an incorrect assessment. 
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.torquenews.com/1084/subaru-officially-joins-toyota-group-what-it-means-new-outback-and-forester-models/amp

 

[oldshurst442]

1 hour ago, Robert Hall said:

Those issues were like, what 10-15 years ago?  GM had their long running ignition problem then also...all automakers have issues, some more than others.

Anyway, banter on C&G is typical of the internet, just a lot of people blathering...none of it means anything, nothing to get stressed about (aboot?). ..  just stay entertained and don't take it too seriously...peace out..

 

11 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

I am just going to say this. Toyota’s ownership of Subaru wasn’t made official until ten months ago so trying to connect one to the other, in terms of reliability, would be an incorrect assessment. 
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.torquenews.com/1084/subaru-officially-joins-toyota-group-what-it-means-new-outback-and-forester-models/amp

 

fair enough to both posts.

 

and both points duly noted and taken into consideration with respect.

[surreal1272]

27 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

 

fair enough to both posts.

 

and both points duly noted and taken into consideration with respect.

It's all good my Canadian friend.

[daves87rs]

 

[G. David Felt]

9 hours ago, ykX said:

Most of their models are just "blah".  Nevertheless their overall reliability is way above average (and has been for years now) and much better than American brands.

Yet Buick for the last Decade plus has constantly beaten Toyota which is very interesting! The only American Chinese brand around I guess..

6 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

I am just going to say this. Toyota’s ownership of Subaru wasn’t made official until ten months ago so trying to connect one to the other, in terms of reliability, would be an incorrect assessment. 
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.torquenews.com/1084/subaru-officially-joins-toyota-group-what-it-means-new-outback-and-forester-models/amp

 

This is interesting considering Toyota bought Subaru from GM at the Bankruptcy stage of GM.

[ocnblu]

10 hours ago, ykX said:

@surreal1272 Don't bother, @balthazar as much anti-Toyota as @ocnblu against EVs

 

I had no idear Balthy was so committed! 

[ocnblu]

My cousin has a 4-year old Forester, it's her first Subaru and it was bought new.  On Saturday at a family breakfast, she said it is her last Subaru.  I found that interesting, but now that I see those multi-year reliability rankings I am not surprised.  She traded a second-gen Liberty in on the Forester.

[ocnblu]

I've owned one Asian brand vehicle, an '86.5 Nissan Hardbody.  It was dead reliable for the 3 yerrs I had it from new, but the paint job/corrosion protection was crappy.  Every stone chip on the hood led to peelback from poor adhesion (they grew to approx 3 inches or more in diameter), which then ushered in surface rust.  Same along the lower perimeter.  The mechanicals were rock solid, however.

I am amazed that after all these yerrs and all the complaints/issues with CVT, Nissan has not gone back to conventional automatics.

All of my Volkswagens ('92 Golf, TWO '98 Beetles, '00 GTi and '13 Beetle TDi) were bought new, and all of them had issues.  They're wonderful cars to drive, but they're a pain in the butt to live with.

My Chevrolets have been overall very reliable.  Now of course I don't keep any vehicle for a long long time (longest was my '94 S-10, at 4 years and 125k miles) but the bowtie has treated me pretty well.

My Patriot (except for CVT driving feel) and Compass were admirable too, and reliability was contradictory to all the naysayers.  I'd own another Jeep.

Edited December 22, 2020 by ocnblu

[oldshurst442]

New: Ive owned 2 Fords, 1 Oldsmobile, I Chevy, 1 Pontiac,  1 Acura, 1 Nissan, 1 Mazda.  All bought new either by by my wife before we got married (Nissan) or when I was single (Oldsmobile, Pontiac) or when I got married. And not one car was unreliable. Not one.   Every single one of these cars were driven. Hard. Taken care of. But driven hard. By me. And not one was problematic. Some had issues. But these issues were more of symptoms of their environment more than anything else.  The Nissan leaked oil and on occasion on really really cold days, it wouldnt start.  The Oldsmobile had ball joint issues. Id blame potholes more than Id blame GM.  The Acura has had 2 recalls and the Ford has had...plenty.   But none were a problem for my wife and I to go about our daily business with owing these cars. 

Ive heard horror stories though.  From my circle of family and friends from when I was a kid to today regarding all kinds of cars and all kinds of brands through-out my 47 years of life. 

Ive witnessed people I associate with overreact to  some pretty stupid shyte regarding "reliability".  Like replacing an alternator after 8 years of owning a car and how its GM's fault for allowing such a thing to falter.

To some folk blatantly accuse Chrysler products of breaking down when oil changes arent even being made to flat out ignoring glaring defaults like its no big deal because Honda and Nissan just replaced the transmission (Honda) and engine (Nissan) for free.   

Or waiting for a window motor for 5 months to be shipped from Germany (no big deal driving in the winter with a garbage bag over the window but impatient when a dealership overbooked and she couldnt get her VW on time. Got it at 3:00 instead of at 2:00. 

In other words...

People's perception of "reliability" and how grave a problem really is is totally whack.

Truth be told, maybe even MY perception could be totally whacked. 

But Ill tell ya one thing, I have NEVER been stranded with one of my cars. Well once. The Nissan. It was a New Years Eve one year. A very cold one. And the stupid thing didnt want to start that night.  My wife and I were newly weds, no kids yet and we were celebrating New Years aat my Best Man's home. He drove us home that night.  In the morning, my wife and I took my Alero to his home to see what may be the problem and the phoquing thing started on the first try. The thing is, it was COLDER in the day than it was during the night. Strange thing...

That 1999 Nissan Sentra was a strange little car.  I beat the phoque out of it because I hated it. But it never died. I went through potholes, I revved the phoque out of it. Nothing could kill it.  The Alero by contrast had ball joint issues when I hit a couple of pot holes...  Byt that little Sentra... It didnt want to start on occasion but it was a tough little warrior.  

 

 

 

[trinacriabob]

14 hours ago, ykX said:

@surreal1272 Don't bother, @balthazar as much anti-Toyota as @ocnblu against EVs

By living in my own bubble of now departed GM W-bodies, colonnade coupes, and cast iron block/cast iron head engines, I just stay out of this $h!+.

[daves87rs]

7 hours ago, ocnblu said:

My cousin has a 4-year old Forester, it's her first Subaru and it was bought new.  On Saturday at a family breakfast, she said it is her last Subaru.  I found that interesting, but now that I see those multi-year reliability rankings I am not surprised.  She traded a second-gen Liberty in on the Forester.

 

Seems like I have heard both good and bad about the newer Subies. We had a 19 Outback rental that took us from Michigan to Florida and back without a hitch. We loved the car! Actually considered one for a while. Also have friends an coworkers with 18-20 model year Outback’s that love them too. I find it interesting that the few folks I know that have the Forester were not happy with them.

Strange one would think.....

4 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

New: Ive owned 2 Fords, 1 Oldsmobile, I Chevy, 1 Pontiac,  1 Acura, 1 Nissan, 1 Mazda.  All bought new either by by my wife before we got married (Nissan) or when I was single (Oldsmobile, Pontiac) or when I got married. And not one car was unreliable. Not one.   Every single one of these cars were driven. Hard. Taken care of. But driven hard. By me. And not one was problematic. Some had issues. But these issues were more of symptoms of their environment more than anything else.  The Nissan leaked oil and on occasion on really really cold days, it wouldnt start.  The Oldsmobile had ball joint issues. Id blame potholes more than Id blame GM.  The Acura has had 2 recalls and the Ford has had...plenty.   But none were a problem for my wife and I to go about our daily business with owing these cars. 

Ive heard horror stories though.  From my circle of family and friends from when I was a kid to today regarding all kinds of cars and all kinds of brands through-out my 47 years of life. 

Ive witnessed people I associate with overreact to  some pretty stupid shyte regarding "reliability".  Like replacing an alternator after 8 years of owning a car and how its GM's fault for allowing such a thing to falter.

To some folk blatantly accuse Chrysler products of breaking down when oil changes arent even being made to flat out ignoring glaring defaults like its no big deal because Honda and Nissan just replaced the transmission (Honda) and engine (Nissan) for free.   

Or waiting for a window motor for 5 months to be shipped from Germany (no big deal driving in the winter with a garbage bag over the window but impatient when a dealership overbooked and she couldnt get her VW on time. Got it at 3:00 instead of at 2:00. 

In other words...

People's perception of "reliability" and how grave a problem really is is totally whack.

Truth be told, maybe even MY perception could be totally whacked. 

But Ill tell ya one thing, I have NEVER been stranded with one of my cars. Well once. The Nissan. It was a New Years Eve one year. A very cold one. And the stupid thing didnt want to start that night.  My wife and I were newly weds, no kids yet and we were celebrating New Years aat my Best Man's home. He drove us home that night.  In the morning, my wife and I took my Alero to his home to see what may be the problem and the phoquing thing started on the first try. The thing is, it was COLDER in the day than it was during the night. Strange thing...

That 1999 Nissan Sentra was a strange little car.  I beat the phoque out of it because I hated it. But it never died. I went through potholes, I revved the phoque out of it. Nothing could kill it.  The Alero by contrast had ball joint issues when I hit a couple of pot holes...  Byt that little Sentra... It didnt want to start on occasion but it was a tough little warrior.  

 

 

 

 

That sounds a lot like my wife’s 95 Plymouth Neon.:-) Car was very fun to drive, and great on gas. It’s one major downfall was that it ate head gaskets like candy! We were heading for a 4th one when it finally was traded in for her Cavalier. And her Cavalier gave us also no issues for 17 years.......

 

 

[ocnblu]

I was left sit once IIRC in all my driving life where it was the fault of the vehicle (been stuck in mud and snow several times in my 4WD pickups).  I was in Delaware a good hour from home when the clutch linkage fell apart in my '92 Golf.  Luckily it was just a broken plastic clip under the dash at the pedal.  I was able to MacGyver a paper clip in there and get home with it.  This was the same car I later drove on a cross-country trip to Colorado from Maryland with no issues.  Fun times.

[ocnblu]

I do like the new Rogue, even the base model looks fine and has a lot of stuff.  The interior looks really nice too.  The dark gray 17" alloys (with taller sidewall tires, signaling the potential for a cushier ride) and black door handles and mirrors only signal a lower maintenance life for the vehicle.

Over onto the YouTube, a kid reviewed the base model Bronco Sport with zero options, and aside from a lack of foglights (if I'm real they're a vanity item) it is kitted just fine.

If in the future I go back to a CUV, it must be compact, cavernous for its size, and it must have a capable AWD system.  Would be awful to just SIT THERE while the computer kills the power and I get nowhere just because of 10" of snow or mud I decide to navigate on the spur of the moment.

[Robert Hall]

10 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

 

But Ill tell ya one thing, I have NEVER been stranded with one of my cars. Well once.  

 

I've can only think of 1/2 dozen times I've been stranded (i.e. required calling AAA for a tow) in 34 years of driving... and they were all vehicles w/ high mileage (and all coincidentally in Arizona within a 3 yr period).    I have learned my lesson, though...no more high mileage vehicles, no more Arizona. 

Edited December 22, 2020 by Robert Hall

[A Horse With No Name]

On 12/19/2020 at 8:55 PM, ocnblu said:

The Bronco Sport is getting excellent reviews, whether 3- or 4-cylinder powered.  While I haven't seen/felt up an example in the flesh yet, they look like a daggone nice little CUV.  One feature that makes me swoon:  the separate liftglass in the gate.  I just don't understand why everyone doesn't do that.

I love it, but like the full size Bronco a lot more. 

thinking motorcycle will be my next buy though. I want something like a KLR 650 as a first bike....I like the Honda Africa Twin...but Olds/Drew is thinking of getting a BMw...I like those also. 

KLR:

On 12/21/2020 at 4:39 AM, ocnblu said:

Beautiful. 

On 12/21/2020 at 8:05 AM, surreal1272 said:

It never came down. It was on the market for at least half a dozen other nations. 

That would be a solid argument if it weren’t for two things.

1. They (4Runners) were just as solid in 2009 as they are now.

 

2. Again, forty years of reliability.

The off road and overlanding community loves them, so I will take the ownership experience of actual owners who paid big bucks for them over Balthazars opinion. 

That being said, I didn't buy a Tacoma partially because it felt really dated next to the Ranger.

Good friend has a four runner and loves it.They have gotten this one right. I need something 4WD I can take off road without worrying about scratiching it. If a cheper decent older four runner came up, I might be all over it. 

[A Horse With No Name]

Older land Cruiser rather than a 4 runner....but this should show just how long alsting and capable these vehicles are. 

 

And no, that's not the actual north pole. 

On 12/21/2020 at 8:20 AM, ykX said:

@surreal1272 Don't bother, @balthazar as much anti-Toyota as @ocnblu against EVs

 

Balthazar is somewhat open minded though, which I respect. He wished Ford well with the Mach E program in the EV random thread. 

23 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

He is not even close to that bad lol. At least Balth will engage in a meaningful discussion. He is right about Toyota to a point. Some of their models are just "blah" and have some issues the days that Toyotas are not normally known for (looking at the cheapness of the RAV 4 here) but there is literally not one SUV that hold a candle to the 4Runner and the LC in terms of long term reliability plus killer resale. Could they use a real update? Sure but by the same token, why fix what isn't broken? The 4Runner continues to sell well.                    

Indeed. RAV 4 is hideous visually but sells a ton, has a competent plug in hybrid and regular Hybrid variant, and has excellent resale. Just enough to make me feel guilty for not buying it when I drive past the Toyota dealer to my Jeep dealer or my Ford dealer to buy a Wrangler or Bronco. 

[A Horse With No Name]

23 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Looks at the survey...sees that Chevrolet and Buick are very close to Toyoter and Lexus....

Sees Subaru...a Toyoter owned company and its at bottom...   (Yeah...I see where GMC is at...)

Also...

The gentleman (and his inlaws) that talks a biiiig game about Toyota's reliabilty and holds GM responsible for shyttyness 30-40 years ago...and cant in his heart seem to forget about it...also seems to turn a blind eye for Toyoter's more recent shyttyness and does NOT hold Toyoter to the same level of hatred...

This gentleman also likes Acura I believe...same like me....sees Honda and Acura...another Japanese legendary awesome company known for...cough cough...reliabilty...and sees that they are far worse than Chevrolet and Buick...

Known fact for Honda and Acura: 

Its been DECADES that Honda and Acura have had engine, transmission and steering problems...  DECADES...

 

But lets continue banging on that same ole tired rant of how American car companies lag behind Japanese ones...

 

Agreed. My sons 2003 Chevy Impala chugs on withg 250,000 miles on the clock. 

[balthazar]

Ada, Oklahoma ~

 

Ironically in light of dealer charger install discussions, a huge portion of mid-century dealers were also fuel stations.

Edited December 22, 2020 by balthazar

[A Horse With No Name]

23 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Jeep is hanging in there, pretty consistent...woo hoo!    Anyway, no doubt that Toyota and Honda are pretty consistent on the short- and long- term reliability...some on here complain about Toyota and Honda probably out of xenophobia rather than any actual facts, I suspect... 

Depends a lot on the actual vehicle. With something like a Wrangler you have a huge enthusaist community to help you overcome issues. With a renegade, not so much. That being said, my buddies renegade has been rouble free for almost 100 K miles. 

13 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Ada, Oklahoma ~

 

Ironically in light of dealer charger install discussions, a huge portion of mid-century dealers were also fuel stations.

I love vintage Brick buildings, this is fantastic. 

23 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

This discussion about reliability is tired and old...

Ive done it.  Im retired from it. 

I dont give a shyte about it.

When oil sludge problems are being ignored by folk like you, when rusted truck frames dont matter to folk like you, when accelerator pedals getting stuck just get swept under the rug and folk like you just shrug, and you keep on pointing the fingers atb GM and say well...GM is worse...

I tend to not give a shyte about what folk like yourself has to say.. 

And I guess this kind of posting style you dont like about me...and say I make it personal....

Well...I dont give a shyte about that either... 

 

Let's get together for something cold to drink when Covid is over, and we can not give a shyte about everything together. 

23 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Those issues were like, what 10-15 years ago?  GM had their long running ignition problem then also...all automakers have issues, some more than others.

Anyway, banter on C&G is typical of the internet, just a lot of people blathering...none of it means anything, nothing to get stressed about (aboot?). ..  just stay entertained and don't take it too seriously...peace out..

Agreed.

14 hours ago, ocnblu said:

I had no idear Balthy was so committed! 

Everyone here needs to be commited...not sure many mental health professionals could help us...which is what makes us such an interesting group. 

[A Horse With No Name]

14 hours ago, ocnblu said:

My cousin has a 4-year old Forester, it's her first Subaru and it was bought new.  On Saturday at a family breakfast, she said it is her last Subaru.  I found that interesting, but now that I see those multi-year reliability rankings I am not surprised.  She traded a second-gen Liberty in on the Forester.

Everything but the WRX is kind of a pentalty box to drive. I do like their AWD system though. 

[A Horse With No Name]

10 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

By living in my own bubble of now departed GM W-bodies, colonnade coupes, and cast iron block/cast iron head engines, I just stay out of this $h!+.

Excellent cars all of them. Took one of my kids to a junk yard for the first time yesterday....Lucerne that had stood up well to a collision was there. It had protected it's occupants well...had a moment of silence in memory of the car and thought of you. 

Shame because it was a nice car before it got hit....well maintained 07 IIRC. 

6 hours ago, daves87rs said:

 

Seems like I have heard both good and bad about the newer Subies. We had a 19 Outback rental that took us from Michigan to Florida and back without a hitch. We loved the car! Actually considered one for a while. Also have friends an coworkers with 18-20 model year Outback’s that love them too. I find it interesting that the few folks I know that have the Forester were not happy with them.

Strange one would think.....

 

That sounds a lot like my wife’s 95 Plymouth Neon.:-) Car was very fun to drive, and great on gas. It’s one major downfall was that it ate head gaskets like candy! We were heading for a 4th one when it finally was traded in for her Cavalier. And her Cavalier gave us also no issues for 17 years.......

 

 

Neons handled extremely well, but all of them seemed to die young. Lots of fond memories of track days and autocrosses watching them race or racing against them. 

4 hours ago, ocnblu said:

I was left sit once IIRC in all my driving life where it was the fault of the vehicle (been stuck in mud and snow several times in my 4WD pickups).  I was in Delaware a good hour from home when the clutch linkage fell apart in my '92 Golf.  Luckily it was just a broken plastic clip under the dash at the pedal.  I was able to MacGyver a paper clip in there and get home with it.  This was the same car I later drove on a cross-country trip to Colorado from Maryland with no issues.  Fun times.

Again, good handling cars that seemed to die before their appointed times. I need to road trip a good bit this coming year. Maybe I will come to Lancaster. 

[balthazar]

Packard-Pontiac dealer ~

 

 

Edited December 22, 2020 by balthazar

[A Horse With No Name]

4 hours ago, ocnblu said:

I do like the new Rogue, even the base model looks fine and has a lot of stuff.  The interior looks really nice too.  The dark gray 17" alloys (with taller sidewall tires, signaling the potential for a cushier ride) and black door handles and mirrors only signal a lower maintenance life for the vehicle.

Over onto the YouTube, a kid reviewed the base model Bronco Sport with zero options, and aside from a lack of foglights (if I'm real they're a vanity item) it is kitted just fine.

If in the future I go back to a CUV, it must be compact, cavernous for its size, and it must have a capable AWD system.  Would be awful to just SIT THERE while the computer kills the power and I get nowhere just because of 10" of snow or mud I decide to navigate on the spur of the moment.

I like the Bronco Sport much better than the Rouge, but the new Rouge looks good in its own way. 

1 minute ago, balthazar said:

Packard-Pontiac dealer ~

 

 

I am developing quite the fetish for Pre War Packards. 

On 12/18/2020 at 7:38 PM, ocnblu said:

I'd like to get a tankless one next time.  No need to keep a whole big tank of water hot over time, plus it saves space.  It would require discipline when taking a shower though, and my water is hard, so I understand it would need yearly flushing or whatev.

 

Those are really nice. I ahve travelled a bunch in Japan, a huge number of those in use there. 

On 12/19/2020 at 7:37 AM, ocnblu said:

Recent statements by Toyota's CEO (and GM's CEO) have me changing my mind about buying a Toyota product in the future.  Maybe a RAV4 Adventure?

It's a decent product but you can do better. 

[A Horse With No Name]

On 12/20/2020 at 9:33 PM, trinacriabob said:

One more month to go ...

Watching the crap show has at least been entertaining. 

On 12/21/2020 at 12:34 AM, balthazar said:

Sylvania; inventor of the fluorescent tube light (and the fixtures) - first shown at the '39 World's Fair.  2nd largest radio tube manufacturer, 3rd largest light bulb manufacturer.  Emporium, Pennsylvania.

Now a label belonging to a Chinese consortium.

Yep....we have been selling out the country for 40 years....

The Who wrote a song that is apropriate. 

Meet the new Boss, same as the old boss....seems to sum it up pretty damn well. 

On 12/19/2020 at 7:44 AM, balthazar said:

All junk. 

Or at the very least a bunch fo them are pentalty boxes. Corolla is a serious pentalty box to drive. 

[balthazar]

'Out of the liar pan, into the liar'.

[A Horse With No Name]

On 12/18/2020 at 2:14 PM, balthazar said:

Cadillac paced Indy in ‘73; I can’t think of a reason they had wagons built for Indy for ‘69.

Festival cars. they built a few wagons specifically for VIP transport during the race. Just like Chevy provided a bunch of pickups for track use, etc...for the race. 

[A Horse With No Name]

Linky....5 built not three. I ahd a chance to buy one....didn't buy it, bought my 55 Chevy instead. Unique car. 

http://www.stationwagonfinder.com/2017/01/1969-cadillac-deville/

http://www.stationwagonfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/caddy1.jpeg

Mad Max replica

58 Chevy with lots of patina from loca FB marketplace. 

Vintage NHRA record holder for sale here in Ohio, runs great, eight grand, not bad...

[A Horse With No Name]

Wicked cool...

Not sure what to buy yourself for Christmas in 2020? Hell why not end the year with a bang and buy this 1960 VW single cab? It has some awesome St. Paul Minnesota logos from long ago. 1960 vw Singlecab Runs drives 70mph easy and stops great. 1915 dual Weber 40s 110cam 9:1 comp. Complete Mallory ignition Beetle trans long axle type 3 brakes 4 narrowed adjustable beam Dual treasure chest Copper plated wheels and bumpers USA safaris Seltbelts installed All metal is in good shape and repairable except bottom 2” of the rockers. A couple of the gates need work on the bottoms around hinges. Comes with a lot of extras Csp disk brakes and res. Original gearboxes and trans 1600dp long block 2276 with drd racing heads, forged pistons Porsche rods 82mm crank 120cam and lifters and complete turbo setup ready to build And a few more boxes of stuff

15 minutes ago, balthazar said:

'Out of the liar pan, into the liar'.

Yep.

Not sure I am down with the mods, but still Pontiac powered with a 389....

[A Horse With No Name]

For our Boldest member....you could cruise the streets of Lancaster PA in this....Crosley...

[A Horse With No Name]

I love this Westphalia....

[A Horse With No Name]

Prices on these ahve gone through the roof, this is an 83 and it's 28 Grand with 150K on the clock. More than I paid for a new ranger. 

Last British Airways 747 flight...Sad. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

More Mad Max...

Always wanted a Dune buggy, never bought one...but this one looks cool. 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

Britian has serious new Covid crisis...

He makes some really good points. 

More Mad Max...

Engine failure on takeoff...

 

Can't wait for the new Bronco...

 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

This is a really awesome build, I invite you al to follow allong...

 

 

More 70 Challenger love

 

[A Horse With No Name]

Neat quick lathe project....

 

Neat picture...

Oak and plywood bowl, kind of wild...

[Robert Hall]

Those Vanagon Westphalia campers are neat. I still remember looking at one in the used RV section of an RV dealer lot in Canton, Ohio in 1985 when I was with my Dad looking at Winnebagos.  He ended up buying a new 33 foot Winnebago Chieftain that day. 

 

Was doing some random Google Street view and spotted this '68 Chevy panel truck and matching Chevy HHR. 

Edited December 22, 2020 by Robert Hall

[A Horse With No Name]

1 minute ago, Robert Hall said:

Those Vanagon Westphalia campers are neat. I still remember looking at one in the used RV section of an RV dealer lot in Canton, Ohio in 1985 when I was with my Dad looking at Winnebagos.  He ended up buying a new 33" Winnebago Chieftain that day. 

 

Was doing some random Google Street view and spotted this '68 Chevy panel truck and matching Chevy HHR. 

Very cool. 

Skip ahead to the 44 second mark...my friend Nicholas painted the back wall of the church, and also does icons like the ones found in the church. 

 

Very beautiful piece of Maple another wood turner is getting ready to make into a bowl...once piece of wood 22 inches across. 

[A Horse With No Name]

Segmented vase....not my work but cool. 

Really nice turned vessil....again...not my work. 

[A Horse With No Name]

Segmented vessil....not my work but cool. 

Again, not my work but I really love this.