Random Thoughts Thread

[trinacriabob]

Pretty much the southeastern tip of Sicily ... Pozzallo

 

You can see the Mediterranean and maybe the ferry in the distance.  It's probably the ferry to go to Malta ... not very far nor very different from Sicily, I'm told, but they drive on the left because of their historical ties to the UK.  I'll have to put it on the list.

[Robert Hall]

3 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Pretty much the southeastern tip of Sicily ... Pozzallo

 

You can see the Mediterranean and maybe the ferry in the distance.  It's probably the ferry to go to Malta ... not very far nor very different from Sicily, I'm told, but they drive on the left because of their historical ties to the UK.  I'll have to put it on the list.

If you ignore the Mediterranean, it looks kind of southwestern deserty. 

[trinacriabob]

51 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

If you ignore the Mediterranean, it looks kind of southwestern deserty. 

It does. I focused on the cactus in the foreground. The climate is a dry Mediterranean type, but after seeing how parched SoCal is, this climate is a little bit more moist.  The bougainvillea, gelsomine, and orchids  attest to that.  So, it's a little more vegated than the desert and sill suitable for growing citrus. crops.

[balthazar]

1965 ad : 
 

[Drew Dowdell]

I'm sitting at a light last night on the motorcycle. A few guys on Harleys pull up next to me, revving their engines and being loud and obnoxious.

One of them leans over to me and says "You ain't got pipes, but you can do this too!" and revs his engine.

Me with my innocent face on... "Oh.. thanks... no need.. my bike actually runs fine."

Light changes green and I'm off before he can reply.

[trinacriabob]

Today is a sad day.  It's Alitalia's final day of operating as it has been known for slightly over 75 years. 

Tomorrow, it becomes ITA (Italia Trasporto Aereo), which sounds very aseptic.  Alitalia is an evocative name because it combines the 2 words "ali" and "Italia," which mean wings and Italy, respectively.  So, the alliteration means "the wings of Italy" and it rolls off people's tongues.

I'm very glad I've gotten to cross the Atlantic aboard their 747 when they operated them, mostly from Toronto (YYZ).  Those were great flights.

Great logo and livery, too.  Delta heads up SkyTeam and their key European partners are/were Air France, KLM-Royal Dutch, and Alitalia.

Sure, some people have (had) their issues with them.  In the past, they've not been the most punctual.  In recent years, they've been very punctual.  I've enjoyed every flight aboard Alitalia.

Thanks for the memories.

[Drew Dowdell]

3 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Today is a sad day.  It's Alitalia's final day of operating as it has been known for slightly over 75 years. 

Tomorrow, it becomes ITA (Italia Trasporto Aereo), which sounds very aseptic.  Alitalia is an evocative name because it combines the 2 words "ali" and "Italia," which mean wings and Italy, respectively.  So, the alliteration means "the wings of Italy" and it rolls off people's tongues.

I'm very glad I've gotten to cross the Atlantic aboard their 747 when they operated them, mostly from Toronto (YYZ).  Those were great flights.

Great logo and livery, too.  Delta heads up SkyTeam and their key European partners are/were Air France, KLM-Royal Dutch, and Alitalia.

Sure, some people have (had) their issues with them.  In the past, they've not been the most punctual.  In recent years, they've been very punctual.  I've enjoyed every flight aboard Alitalia.

Thanks for the memories.

What is the reason for the re-name? Were they acquired or merged?

[oldshurst442]

@trinacriabob  

I would also like to know why of the name change.   This saddened me.  

 

[oldshurst442]

10 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I'm sitting at a light last night on the motorcycle. A few guys on Harleys pull up next to me, revving their engines and being loud and obnoxious.

One of them leans over to me and says "You ain't got pipes, but you can do this too!" and revs his engine.

Me with my innocent face on... "Oh.. thanks... no need.. my bike actually runs fine."

Light changes green and I'm off before he can reply.

Id say you, with a foreign German Bimmer bike, didnt want to play with your 'paisanos'.  They are the ones with the 'domestic' bike after all doing what Americans ALWAYS do!   Being LOUD! 

Id say, YOU were the obnoxious one for NOT being loud!

You are TOO good to be LOUD are ya???!!!

WEHHLLLLl!    LOOKIE WHO WE HAVE HERE???!!!      An American who thinks he is Canadian.    

 

 

[Robert Hall]

5 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

What is the reason for the re-name? Were they acquired or merged?

Bankrupt. Been in administration the last 4 years, ceased operations and handed over to new government operated carrier.  

[A Horse With No Name]

On 10/8/2021 at 1:44 PM, Robert Hall said:

Last time I was at my CJRD dealer, they had 3 Ram TRXes that had been delivered that morning...they had all been pre-sold.  (Probably all crashed by now). 

I called mine, as I am thinking of a Wrangler to do some off roading. Three months out if I order today, at a minumum. 

19 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Today is a sad day.  It's Alitalia's final day of operating as it has been known for slightly over 75 years. 

Tomorrow, it becomes ITA (Italia Trasporto Aereo), which sounds very aseptic.  Alitalia is an evocative name because it combines the 2 words "ali" and "Italia," which mean wings and Italy, respectively.  So, the alliteration means "the wings of Italy" and it rolls off people's tongues.

I'm very glad I've gotten to cross the Atlantic aboard their 747 when they operated them, mostly from Toronto (YYZ).  Those were great flights.

Great logo and livery, too.  Delta heads up SkyTeam and their key European partners are/were Air France, KLM-Royal Dutch, and Alitalia.

Sure, some people have (had) their issues with them.  In the past, they've not been the most punctual.  In recent years, they've been very punctual.  I've enjoyed every flight aboard Alitalia.

Thanks for the memories.

I love that livery on the 747, that looks amazingly good. 

NYC Baldwin locomotive....now long gone. 

22 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I'm sitting at a light last night on the motorcycle. A few guys on Harleys pull up next to me, revving their engines and being loud and obnoxious.

One of them leans over to me and says "You ain't got pipes, but you can do this too!" and revs his engine.

Me with my innocent face on... "Oh.. thanks... no need.. my bike actually runs fine."

Light changes green and I'm off before he can reply.

I kind of wish I had bought a bike, but I have been so busy that I wouldn't ahve found time to ride it much, sadly. Maybe next year. 

 

22 hours ago, balthazar said:

1965 ad : 
 

We had one like this in my old home town for like forever, they only tore it down a few years ago. Many happy memories. 

On 10/13/2021 at 8:14 PM, trinacriabob said:

Pretty much the southeastern tip of Sicily ... Pozzallo

 

You can see the Mediterranean and maybe the ferry in the distance.  It's probably the ferry to go to Malta ... not very far nor very different from Sicily, I'm told, but they drive on the left because of their historical ties to the UK.  I'll have to put it on the list.

I so want to visit. 

On 10/12/2021 at 5:29 PM, ccap41 said:

Too bad that cash won't fix the reputation of garbage EVs from Chevy. 

No, it won't. 

[A Horse With No Name]

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, A Horse With No Name said:

No, it won't. 

And it sucks because the vehicles themselves aren't actually bad, there was just a MAJOR design flaw that has damaged their image. 

[surreal1272]

On 10/14/2021 at 9:07 AM, Drew Dowdell said:

I'm sitting at a light last night on the motorcycle. A few guys on Harleys pull up next to me, revving their engines and being loud and obnoxious.

One of them leans over to me and says "You ain't got pipes, but you can do this too!" and revs his engine.

Me with my innocent face on... "Oh.. thanks... no need.. my bike actually runs fine."

Light changes green and I'm off before he can reply.

Most Harley owners are like most lifted truck owners. Overcompensating and annoying for no reason other than to puff out their worthless chests..

[ccap41]

6 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

Most Harley owners are like most lifted truck owners. Overcompensating and annoying for no reason other than to puff out their worthless chests..

And I'd actually say it's a few who ride like that, they're just (obviously) the loudest so you only notice those ones being @sshats.

[riviera74]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

And it sucks because the vehicles themselves aren't actually bad, there was just a MAJOR design flaw that has damaged their image. 

Damaged rep because of a major design flaw? Change the Name with the new model. . . . again.

[Robert Hall]

It's too bad they haven't kept the Volt name going...perfect name for an EV.  And the Volt had a good reputation IIRC.  I've known a couple owners and they loved them.  Anecdotally, of course.

[oldshurst442]

They had the Volt Hybrid when they introduced the Bolt BEV.

Seeing that they introduced a slightly bigger EV and named THAT one a Bolt EUV, maybe they could have just NOT used a new name called Bolt in the FIRST place, and JUST build off the positive image and great little car the Volt had done for itself and just named the Bolt a Volt <something or other>

A family of Volts would have given Toyota and the Prius family some (same game) competition. 

But...they could go back to the Volt name with this latest debacle AFTER they fix the problem. 

Volt and Volt EUV.

Sounds good to me! 

Edited October 15, 2021 by oldshurst442

[A Horse With No Name]

One more Olds for Oldshurst...

 

Thinking an affordable used Volt might be cool if they get the battery thing provably uonder control. 

78 Delta 88 Pace car here I think....could be wrong. 

[A Horse With No Name]

One more retro pic, off to West Virginia for the weekend. 

[ccap41]

52 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

It's too bad they haven't kept the Volt name going...perfect name for an EV.  And the Volt had a good reputation IIRC.  I've known a couple owners and they loved them.  Anecdotally, of course.

Yeah, I've known a couple owners and they loved them. They needed that powertrain in something a little larger and I couldn't imagine it wouldn't have taken off in the market. It was such a great combination of EV range with an ICE to cover the longer trips everybody complains about. 

[surreal1272]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

And I'd actually say it's a few who ride like that, they're just (obviously) the loudest so you only notice those ones being @sshats.

I personally used to hang with a bunch of them so it is more accurate and common than you realize lol. 

[ccap41]

17 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

I personally used to hang with a bunch of them so it is more accurate and common than you realize lol. 

Unless you hung out with every Harley rider, that's still a small sample that you were just around. 

[G. David Felt]

Chevy announced their FlagShip ZR2 Silverado bringing to 3 the OEM stock Raised Trucks. Wish I had time to write this up, but an awesome looking truck and the video's and additional pictures at the link below show GM is investing where it counts.

Key Points from the Press Release

• New flagship ZR2 delivers next-level off-road capability right from factory and validated in the grueling Best in the Desert off-road racing series, with front and rear e-lockers and Multimatic DSSV dampers  
• Fully redesigned, new premium interior on LT and above with standard 13.4-inch-diagonal color touchscreen and elevated exterior design refresh across lineup
• New tech, including available Super Cruise¹ driver-assistance technology on High Country with available trailering (late availability) and standard Chevy Safety Assist on all-new enhanced trims
• Enhanced 2.7L Turbo High-Output engine delivers 20 percent more torque and 3.0L Duramax Turbo-Diesel max towing increased by 4,000 pounds to 13,300 

Highlights to the new 2022 Chevrolet Silverado include:

• A fully redesigned interior for LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, ZR2, LTZ and High Country trims featuring a redesigned, sweeping horizontal instrument panel that makes the cabin feel more spacious, along with a new, more functional center console (with available electronic shift control on most trim levels)
• A 13.4-inch-diagonal color touchscreen and new 12.3-inch-diagonal configurable digital instrument cluster standard on models with the new interior
• Standard on trims with the new interior, Google built-in² offers access to Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play right on the infotainment screen. This new experience works with Android Auto^TM3 and Apple CarPlay⁴ capability and offers new levels of customization and flexibility for customers
• Every trim features a new front fascia, which emphasizes the truck’s stability and strength with a wide, planted stance while new daytime running lamps have been programmed with animated walk-up and walk-away functions in addition to swiping turn signal functions on select trims

The robustly refreshed Chevrolet Silverado arrives at dealerships in spring 2022.

ZR2 highlights include:

• Standard 6.2L V-8 engine, delivering 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, mated with a 10-speed automatic transmission
• Silverado-first application of Multimatic 40mm DSSV spool-valve dampers, which feature:
  • Three separate spool valves to control damping
  • Three connected chambers for fluid flow
• Uniquely-tuned springs that, with the Multimatic dampers, increase maximum front and rear suspension travel, compared to the Silverado Trail Boss
• Front and rear e-lockers
• Specific off-road chassis and suspension calibrations, including Terrain Mode, which allows one-pedal⁵ rock crawling
• Specific 33-inch off-road MT tires
• Unique skid plate package
• New high-approach steel front bumper designed for off-road strength, durability and clearance that enables an improved 31.8-degree approach angle compared to other Silverado off-road models

Honestly this is the first time I can say I like the look of this truck. I think they finally have a very competative interior to go up against RAM and Ford. Toyota has nothing on this.

2022 Silverado (chevrolet.com) Chevrolet Introduces Redesigned 2022 Silverado with Major Enhancements

The Lifted Family of Trucks! Silverado High Country, ZR2 and LT.

Full 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Preliminary Specifications can be found here:

Chevrolet Introduces Redesigned 2022 Silverado with Major Enhancements

33 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Unless you hung out with every Harley rider, that's still a small sample that you were just around. 

It is a very general observation that I agree with that it might be a small sample and yet I hear this all the time from people all over and especially in the inner city you hear the roar of the Harley Bikes over everything else. Ear Piercing noise that destroys any tranquil attempt to live life.

My own Nephew bought a Harley and put on open headers saying the louder the better for safety which I totally disagree with that statement on, but it seems to be very common for Harley Riders to Destroy the peace with their open pipe noise.

Rare is the Harley Rider you find with a quiet muffler on their bike.

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, David said:

My own Nephew bought a Harley and put on open headers saying the louder the better for safety which I totally disagree with that statement on, but it seems to be very common for Harley Riders to Destroy the peace with their open pipe noise.

That's because you literally only hear the ones with obnoxious exhaust. You'll never hear the quite ones drive past. 

Also, I don't see how loud pipes wouldn't save some lives as you'll at least hear a vehicle before seeing it.

dEsTrOy tHe pEaCe

All the while... 

[G. David Felt]

2 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

That's because you literally only hear the ones with obnoxious exhaust. You'll never hear the quite ones drive past. 

Also, I don't see how loud pipes wouldn't save some lives as you'll at least hear a vehicle before seeing it.

dEsTrOy tHe pEaCe

All the while... 

Yes an auto roar is very different than ear drum splitting open pipe noise. I still have a very solid muffler with a rumble that you can hear and does not hurt the ears.

Overly Loud Open Pipes I have seen more people get freaked out of when a rider fly's by with that noise and you do not get directionality with it in an inner city where the loud noise bounces off the buildings. 

I have yet to read anything that says open pipes are safer for motorcycle riders.

[ccap41]

I'm also not trying to say "all bikes should have extra loud exhaust.", just to clarify. I'm just saying, that louder pipes likely have saved lives at some point, be it the rider, a driver/passenger in a 4-wheeled vehicle or an individual (think child) from running into the street without looking. 

But to say bikes with loud exhaust are "destroying the peace" and "Ear Piercing noise that destroys any tranquil attempt to live life." while having a V8 with aftermarket exhaust of your own is quite the hypocritical statement. Inner city, EVERY aftermarket exhaust resonates off buildings. I know, I work downtown STL and hear vehicles drive past daily and I'm 6 floors up. 

[Robert Hall]

2 hours ago, David said:

 

It is a very general observation that I agree with that it might be a small sample and yet I hear this all the time from people all over and especially in the inner city you hear the roar of the Harley Bikes over everything else. Ear Piercing noise that destroys any tranquil attempt to live life.

 

Yeah, I hate hearing that shit when I'm outside...and esp. hate hearing it when I'm at home and enjoying my backyard and some graybeard boomer asshat on a Harley rides by making a lot of noise...or when I'm trying to sleep.   Just as bad is the Millenial twit across the street that lives w/ his parents and drives around early in the morning and late at night in his Ecoboost Mustang going BRRRRAAAWWWWPPPPP down the street...

As much as I dislike rural, sometimes I think a few acres on a lake out in NE Ohio would be preferable to all the noise in a supposedly quiet suburb...

Edited October 15, 2021 by Robert Hall

[Drew Dowdell]

3 hours ago, ccap41 said:

Yeah, I've known a couple owners and they loved them. They needed that powertrain in something a little larger and I couldn't imagine it wouldn't have taken off in the market. It was such a great combination of EV range with an ICE to cover the longer trips everybody complains about. 

They did that…sorta. The CT6 Plug In had the Volt battery pack in a different shape, the 2.0t as the gas engine, and an entirely unique transmission that was a combination of a 4 speed auto and 2 CVTs. It could travel at highway speeds in completely electric mode for about 35ish miles. It had all the Volt modes of city, mountains, conserve, and sport.

[Robert Hall]

15 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

They did that…sorta. The CT6 Plug In had the Volt battery pack in a different shape, the 2.0t as the gas engine, and an entirely unique transmission that was a combination of a 4 speed auto and 2 CVTs. It could travel at highway speeds in completely electric mode for about 35ish miles. It had all the Volt modes of city, mountains, conserve, and sport.

Wowza.  I didn’t realize they made a CT6 PHEV. Must have been a blink-and-miss-it model.  I remember the ELR, though. 

[trinacriabob]

On 10/14/2021 at 3:28 PM, Drew Dowdell said:

What is the reason for the re-name? Were they acquired or merged?

Like @Robert Hall said, they were in reorganization under the eye of the Italian government, burning through a lot of cash, and didn't meet the criteria to stay solvent.

20 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

@trinacriabob  

I would also like to know why of the name change.   This saddened me.  

I believe the new entity tried to acquire the name, branding, and all that.  They wanted too much for it.

Yes, it saddens me because they were my first choice for any transatlantic trip.  I grew up with this brand.  I had pizza with a friend (coincidence) yesterday and he said the same thing for him and his family.

All the things I like are going away - good music, first coupes and now sedans, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, 747s ... where does it stop?

The one company that did make a go of an initialed name is T.A.P. - Transportes Aereos Portugueses - and it's known as TAP Air Portugal, or just TAP, to customers.  I flew the outbound with TAP and the return with Alitalia.

Let's see how this big change goes.

8 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I love that livery on the 747, that looks amazingly good. 

They were migrating to this livery on their wide bodies, which I'm not sure I liked.  A lot of carriers, such as Air France, got rid of striping along the fuselage.

This was on a B-777 parked in Rome.

They had also used this livery, with the stripe not going all the way to the nose, as it is shown here on a mock up of the B-747-400s they had intended to purchase ... until 9/11 came along, which caused them to retire all their 747s within the subsequent year.

Edited October 15, 2021 by trinacriabob

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

I'm also not trying to say "all bikes should have extra loud exhaust.", just to clarify. I'm just saying, that louder pipes likely have saved lives at some point, be it the rider, a driver/passenger in a 4-wheeled vehicle or an individual (think child) from running into the street without looking. 

But to say bikes with loud exhaust are "destroying the peace" and "Ear Piercing noise that destroys any tranquil attempt to live life." while having a V8 with aftermarket exhaust of your own is quite the hypocritical statement. Inner city, EVERY aftermarket exhaust resonates off buildings. I know, I work downtown STL and hear vehicles drive past daily and I'm 6 floors up. 

No aftermarket exhaust, the one on there is what came with the SS from the Factory top be clear and I stand by my observation that the noise of open pipes on motorcycles has not saved lives, but probably caused accidents by startled drivers, pedestrians and bike riders alike.

There is a reason for sound decibel laws and the science that has proven how loud can damage your hearing. I find nothing to change that on folks that ignore the science and go with a ear drum damaging open pipe.

We agree to disagree.

[ccap41]

45 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

They did that…sorta. The CT6 Plug In had the Volt battery pack in a different shape, the 2.0t as the gas engine, and an entirely unique transmission that was a combination of a 4 speed auto and 2 CVTs. It could travel at highway speeds in completely electric mode for about 35ish miles. It had all the Volt modes of city, mountains, conserve, and sport.

This is the first moment of my learning the Volt powertrain was in something else, another GM mistake to kill-off after like 3 years. 

Come to think of it though, wasn't the Volt's ICE just used as a generator and not actually used to motivate the vehicle?

Buuuut, I know I didn't specify but a in a vehicle that isn't 76k, is more what I was thinking hahaha. 

[Robert Hall]

1 minute ago, ccap41 said:

This is the first moment of my learning the Volt powertrain was in something else, another GM mistake to kill-off after like 3 years. 

Come to think of it though, wasn't the Volt's ICE just used as a generator and not actually used to motivate the vehicle?

Buuuut, I know I didn't specify but a in a vehicle that isn't 76k, is more what I was thinking hahaha. 

IIRC, the original Fisker Karma also used the Volt power train.  As did the ELR and Opel Ampera (which was a Volt rebadge, sort of). 

[ccap41]

11 minutes ago, David said:

No aftermarket exhaust, the one on there is what came with the SS from the Factory top be clear and I stand by my observation that the noise of open pipes on motorcycles has not saved lives, but probably caused accidents by startled drivers, pedestrians and bike riders alike.

There is a reason for sound decibel laws and the science that has proven how loud can damage your hearing. I find nothing to change that on folks that ignore the science and go with a ear drum damaging open pipe.

We agree to disagree.

I see you're more willing to stay in your own bubble than have a discussion. 

Trailblazer SS's do not come with Borla exhaust from the factory, at least I'm not finding this anywhere on the internet.

AAAAAAAAnd, if your SS actually has Borla exhaust on it, it is certainly exceeding OEM/legal noise requirements, which you're advocating for maintaining. 

[G. David Felt]

2 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

This is the first moment of my learning the Volt powertrain was in something else, another GM mistake to kill-off after like 3 years. 

Come to think of it though, wasn't the Volt's ICE just used as a generator and not actually used to motivate the vehicle?

Buuuut, I know I didn't specify but a in a vehicle that isn't 76k, is more what I was thinking hahaha. 

Yes with the VOLT, the ICE was only a generator is my understanding also. Should have had the power train put into an Equinox size auto.

I totally agree with you that the CT-6 PHEV was a big mistake to make and kill off as it was originally for the Chinese market, but everything I have searched on it now seems to show a very positive attitude about the auto.

Seems the ct6 lives on in China, PHEV died in 2020!

Now they just show the coming Lyriq EV.

The Cadillac CT6 Lives On In China And Has Been Updated With Super Cruise | Carscoops

GM Won’t Import Cadillac CT6 From China | GM Authority

cadillac china website

 

5 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I see you're more willing to stay in your own bubble than have a discussion. 

Trailblazer SS's do not come with Borla exhaust from the factory, at least I'm not finding this anywhere on the internet.

AAAAAAAAnd, if your SS actually has Borla exhaust on it, it is certainly exceeding OEM/legal noise requirements, which you're advocating for maintaining. 

Why is it so hard to understand that the Borla exhaust on the SS is OEM as the SS is a Corvette with a SUV body. As such, the Borla exhaust is the same as found on the Corvette.

I am more than willing to have a discussion on it, not a problem stepping out of the bubble.

I have gone down the discussion path here before with those that think open pipes is a safety feature for motorcycles and there is not enough research to prove it does or does not help. There is plenty of research that shows the open pipes noise level is way above what is science proven to damage ones hearing, so I go with that.

[Drew Dowdell]

38 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

This is the first moment of my learning the Volt powertrain was in something else, another GM mistake to kill-off after like 3 years. 

Come to think of it though, wasn't the Volt's ICE just used as a generator and not actually used to motivate the vehicle?

Buuuut, I know I didn't specify but a in a vehicle that isn't 76k, is more what I was thinking hahaha. 

You are correct about the volt powertrain. The CT6 PHEV used some Bolt components but not the entire powertrain. The transmission was a significantly redesigned concept derived from the 2-Mode hybrid found in the Escalade/Yukon/Tahoe hybrid. It was effectively a 4 mode version and drove like a weird combo of an 8-speed auto and a CVT. And the engine would come on and off as needed, sometimes in a way completely unrelated to the actions of the car. It took some getting used to to drive.

It was capable of full EV driving but unlike the Volt, the 2.0T could help out when call on. They weren’t the fastest cars out there and their engine characteristics were weird, but they could scoot pretty good when you wanted them to… plus tons of low end torque.

The Volt (and rebadged Ampera) and ELR were entirely electric propulsion. There was some controversy at launch because at speeds above 80mph the volt transmission would lock to the generator/motor because their rpm was about the same and they gained some efficiency from it. Jalopnik made a huge stink about it saying the Volt was just a hybrid and not an EV because of this.

35 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

IIRC, the original Fisker Karma also used the Volt power train.  As did the ELR and Opel Ampera (which was a Volt rebadge, sort of). 

no, the Fisker Karma just used the GM 4-cylinder. The rest of the setup was all Fisker.

[surreal1272]

4 hours ago, ccap41 said:

Unless you hung out with every Harley rider, that's still a small sample that you were just around. 

How about this, since you want to wax semantics over it? More often than not, most Harley riders, I’ve come across, are exactly how I described them. Of course there are exceptions but I never said “all” in the first place so I really don’t need to qualify my statement any further if you’re going to put words into my mouth. 

2 hours ago, ccap41 said:

That's because you literally only hear the ones with obnoxious exhaust. You'll never hear the quite ones drive past. 

Also, I don't see how loud pipes wouldn't save some lives as you'll at least hear a vehicle before seeing it.

dEsTrOy tHe pEaCe

All the while... 

Loud pipes are, again, chest puffing accessories. 

[ccap41]

15 minutes ago, David said:

Why is it so hard to understand that the Borla exhaust on the SS is OEM as the SS is a Corvette with a SUV body. As such, the Borla exhaust is the same as found on the Corvette.

Where does it say that Borla made an OEM exhaust for the TBSS? I can't find anything on the internet saying it's a factory system.

Also, that couldn't be further from accurate. It's a Corvette engine in an SUV chassis and body. There's a zero percent chance the exhaust is the same exact system as a Corvette, unless you're speaking solely of the muffler. 

[ccap41]

15 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

Loud pipes are, again, chest puffing accessories. 

Like, say, a Borla exhaust on anything.

[surreal1272]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

Like, say, a Borla exhaust on anything.

Nope. Just on loud ass motorcycles (I am not involved in your discussion with David so leave me out of that). 

[balthazar]

[trinacriabob]

@balthazar I looked at that house to the right and immediately thought stucco ranch in a SoCal neighborhood.  Then, I looked at the door of this car and it says Long Beach, CA.  Bingo.

[balthazar]

[Drew Dowdell]

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

I found a local '96 FWB with 65k miles in near museum quality for $15k.... Albert would murder me, but at least he'd have a car to transport the body in.

[regfootball]

On 10/15/2021 at 3:00 PM, Robert Hall said:

Wowza.  I didn’t realize they made a CT6 PHEV. Must have been a blink-and-miss-it model.  I remember the ELR, though. 

 

CT6 PHEV is actually a pretty sweet ride!!!!   check out my review!

 

[regfootball]

Really been digging and checking out on line the new Jeeps, the new Grand Cherokee 2 row, Grand Cherokee L 3 row, and the new Grand Wagoneer.  That Grand Wagoneer is boss.  Would seriously consider one over an Escalade.  Much nicer seemingly.  Escalade has Super Cruise though.

Losing interest in GM at an alarming rate these days.  At least GM's Silverado updates should help; they improved the interiors.

Many of GM's products seem to be left to rot these days.

Edited October 16, 2021 by regfootball

[balthazar]

Another installment of 'old car recycling' : 

[Drew Dowdell]

16 hours ago, regfootball said:

Really been digging and checking out on line the new Jeeps, the new Grand Cherokee 2 row, Grand Cherokee L 3 row, and the new Grand Wagoneer.  That Grand Wagoneer is boss.  Would seriously consider one over an Escalade.  Much nicer seemingly.  Escalade has Super Cruise though.

Losing interest in GM at an alarming rate these days.  At least GM's Silverado updates should help; they improved the interiors.

Many of GM's products seem to be left to rot these days.

I drove the Grand Wagoneer 2 weeks ago. It’s good on paper but not execution

[Robert Hall]

The Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer interior looks good in photos, haven't seen one in person up close yet.  Too big/expensive for me to be interested in.

I am curious about the new WL Grand Cherokee 2 row... I've seen a few WL GC Ls, not really sold on the new exterior styling yet...rather flat on the sides, missing the center hood crease that GCs have had since the original ZJ, odd C-pillar trim, don't really like the narrow taillights.   The interior looks good in photos.   Would like to sit in one eventually....maybe at the dealer next time I take my '14 in for service I can sit in an L. 

Edited October 17, 2021 by Robert Hall