Random Thoughts Thread

[A Horse With No Name]

From Camaro nationals...

 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

[G. David Felt]

Have to agree that Genesis is better than BMW or Mercedes. They are the new luxury level of mass made autos.

The King of Small Luxury SUVs Is a Genesis, Not A BMW or Mercedes-Benz (motorbiscuit.com)

[daves87rs]

On 7/18/2023 at 9:30 AM, A Horse With No Name said:

NIce!

[trinacriabob]

On 7/19/2023 at 11:55 AM, A Horse With No Name said:

My grandfather had a Hudson Hornet, fantastic car. 

In a Kathleen Turner movie (1986) where she was time tunneled back to the '50s, her dad bought an Edsel ... I don't know how they'd compare ... some scenes of a younger Kathleen Turner.

 

[trinacriabob]

Random thoughts and random visuals along these lines are going through my stream of consciousness these days ...

[A Horse With No Name]

20 hours ago, David said:

Have to agree that Genesis is better than BMW or Mercedes. They are the new luxury level of mass made autos.

The King of Small Luxury SUVs Is a Genesis, Not A BMW or Mercedes-Benz (motorbiscuit.com)

Reliability and cost wise also. 

Interesting cars here...lots of good stuff...Ramchargers Dodge at 24;31 is killer. 

 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

[G. David Felt]

Have to say that the comments on this story speak volumes.

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/lincoln-toyota-heading-down-same-dark-path-2023/

[G. David Felt]

I like this Turbine Truck.

 

[trinacriabob]

July 25 - the day that the SS "Andrea Doria" was impaled and sunk by the SS "Stockholm" at 11 p.m. off the coast of Nantucket the evening before she was due in New York harbor the following morning.

They were having an exhibit or something and I saw this poster at the Staten Island Ferry terminal when in New York last October.

And, while on the Staten Island Ferry, looking toward Brooklyn showed the QM 2 (in the distance) moored at the cruise terminal.  There's a new high rise in Brooklyn (surprise), which now has become fairly expensive because of the spillover from Manhattan and other people moving to NYC choosing it because it's a "little less" expensive.  

That's a light fog, as you look at another Staten Island Ferry going the other way inside the harbor.  It was very heavy fog that also affected and contributed to the "Andrea Doria" disaster. 

[riviera74]

On 7/24/2023 at 12:48 AM, David said:

Have to say that the comments on this story speak volumes.

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/lincoln-toyota-heading-down-same-dark-path-2023/

Sad that those comments imply that Toyota is resting on their laurels and that QC no longer matters like it once did.  Hopefully Ford and GM are learning from Toyota's errors.

[G. David Felt]

very cool read

Policy Brief: Powering the EV Market: How Electricity Providers are Planning for the Future (zeta2030.org)

ZETA-Utility Policy Brief 7_21.pdf

[A Horse With No Name]

4 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

July 25 - the day that the SS "Andrea Doria" was impaled and sunk by the SS "Stockholm" at 11 p.m. off the coast of Nantucket the evening before she was due in New York harbor the following morning.

They were having an exhibit or something and I saw this poster at the Staten Island Ferry terminal when in New York last October.

And, while on the Staten Island Ferry, looking toward Brooklyn showed the QM 2 (in the distance) moored at the cruise terminal.  There's a new high rise in Brooklyn (surprise), which now has become fairly expensive because of the spillover from Manhattan and other people moving to NYC choosing it because it's a "little less" expensive.  

That's a light fog, as you look at another Staten Island Ferry going the other way inside the harbor.  It was very heavy fog that also affected and contributed to the "Andrea Doria" disaster. 

I have read some fantastic books on diving on the Doria. She is quite decomposed at this point. 

This car is a work of art. 

[A Horse With No Name]

Corvette race car pulled from its grave

 

https://www.corvsport.com/check-out-this-1963-corvette-race-car/?fbclid=IwAR0jB7BtyfmsdSxp9cMYklSCGa_68XQHXNlUappa4Mf_1SEw_8ZMwbRK2pQ

[A Horse With No Name]

[G. David Felt]

4 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Banksy, a criminal through and through who loves to tag and deface public property all in the name of so-called ART. 

As one that has seen Seattle go from the Emerald city to the Graffiti tagged dirty trashed city, I would say LOCK HIM UP!

Not a fan of tagging and the defacing of public property that is supposed to be enjoyed by all. 

While he feels he has a right to tag and spray paint everything in his vision, I also have a right to have a clean nice park, roads, freeways, etc. that are not a mess of spray painted tags.

[trinacriabob]

22 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I have read some fantastic books on diving on the Doria. She is quite decomposed at this point. 

I have not read books on diving on the "Doria;" however, I have watched some documentaries of exploration with mini-subs or equipment done on the "Doria."  It was long thought that her safes contained all this money and all these valuables and, when they opened them, it turned out to be false.

I've read a book and some accounts on what happened between 11 pm on July 25, 1956 and 10 am on July 26, 1956 when she rolled over and gave her last gasp.  Everyone blamed the Swedes because their ship rammed the "Doria."  Realistically, both sides were at fault.  The Swedes had an unseasoned officer driving the ship through heavy fog in a heavily trafficked maritime lane, the radar was set at a scale that was 3x bigger, or smaller, than the true distance, and there was possibly some alcohol involved.  On the Italian side, there was a breach of maritime protocols in which way you are supposed to turn (left or right) when you confront an event like this and they panicked.  (To think that a sharp turn in the other direction would have avoided the collision is something that must have haunted many people for years.)

As far as diving goes, she's on the shelf of the Atlantic before the edge of a big "canyon," so she sits in about 240 feet of water.  Sharks are also a major problem in this area, as if we don't know that from the news.  Some say that the "Doria" is considered the "Mt. Everest of dives."

She was not a big ship.  It was more about what she meant to a nation which had typically had good rapport with the U.S. healing from the ravages of WW2 and embarking on a rebuilding campaign that went for some 20 years, which Italians call the "boom."  And how that nation would transport its people moving to the U.S., and back, including American tourists crossing the Atlantic that way instead of via the not as prevalent long haul jet.  That said, while not big, they lavished a good bit of attention on the cuisine, the creature comforts, and how she was decked out. For Italians, when it comes to their transatlantics, it's the "Andrea Doria" and the "Michelangelo" - their very last and quite a bit bigger flagship (1965-1977, in my background photo; to 1991 under another country's flag) - that they more vividly remember.

* I'm off my soapbox now *

[Drew Dowdell]

Twitter as a login method is being removed from this site. I can tell from the admin panel that I'm the only one that ever set it up.

Unfortunately, Elon has made the Twitter API too unstable to be able to rely on it as a logon method. I don't want someone setting it up and then Elon changes things, and then that user can't log in anymore.

You can still set up your account to log in with Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Linked-In by going to your Account Settings.

[ccap41]

22 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Twitter as a login method is being removed from this site. I can tell from the admin panel that I'm the only one that ever set it up.

Unfortunately, Elon has made the Twitter API too unstable to be able to rely on it as a logon method. I don't want someone setting it up and then Elon changes things, and then that user can't log in anymore.

You can still set up your account to log in with Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Linked-In by going to your Account Settings.

Yeah, I don't even have the ole Twitter. I've resisted getting anymore social media than just boomer Facebook. I don't need more BS to mindlessly scroll through. 

I do need to get the app though. I keep forgetting when I'm at home to download it. 

[Drew Dowdell]

3 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Yeah, I don't even have the ole Twitter. I've resisted getting anymore social media than just boomer Facebook. I don't need more BS to mindlessly scroll through. 

I do need to get the app though. I keep forgetting when I'm at home to download it. 

Years ago, "Log In with <Social Media Account" was sold as a way to get people to sign up without having them fill out a long sign up form. And that was fine until the social media networks got unstable with that function.

The first to go was Google+ which then went to just Google.  It was transparent to the end users, but for me, I had to rip it out and install new.  Then Facebook got really strict with verification.  I'm still in limbo-land with them and have to deal with that by the end of August. They need to "verify" the website, but they won't tell me what country they are verifying from and I block most non-english speaking countries in Asia and Russia because we've had hacking attempts, and that's where 99% of the spam posts come from.

Elon has made Twitter... I mean.... ?.... so unstable that we're one of the few sites that use this software that the Twitter ... ?....login actually functions properly for. But I am reading about other site owners in the support forums for this software who are having user issues and the Twitter login doesn't work for them anymore.  So since I'm the only one who set it up, I removed it so no one can get caught in the future without being able to log in. I have all of them set up just for testing purposes.

I'll set up Log In with Apple in the future, but that's $100 a year to implement, so not a huge priority.   I'm in beta testing with the software company for something that will potentially bring a nice influx of new users to the site. I've been trying it for a few days and I'm really excited for it, and it will be interesting for you guys too.

 

[G. David Felt]

LOL X is going to be a porn social media site is my gut feeling for idiot Musk.

[G. David Felt]

RIP
Sinéad O’Connor, provocative Irish singer, dies at 56 | AP News

[G. David Felt]

Be interesting to see how Tesla deals with this bit of news. Course for the Fanbois it will not matter.

Tesla’s secret team to suppress thousands of driving range complaints (reuters.com)

[A Horse With No Name]

20 minutes ago, David said:

Be interesting to see how Tesla deals with this bit of news. Course for the Fanbois it will not matter.

Tesla’s secret team to suppress thousands of driving range complaints (reuters.com)

No desire to own one, actually. 

Educational

 

Timely

 

Full sized muscle getting it...

 

Ford action

 

[A Horse With No Name]

She is amazing

Bonneville is a bucket list thing for me...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgpwlwlmqxY 

[G. David Felt]

Very cool to read that GM might be considering an EV Compact Pickup.

General Motors is investigating small EV “party” trucks | Ars Technica

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GM Design (@generalmotorsdesign)

Seems like others think GM is wise to do an EV compact Pickup too.

How GM’s Small Electric Pickup Could Outsell The Toyota Stout And Ford Maverick (hotcars.com)

[trinacriabob]

Wow, if you want to be bewildered, consider the seemingly limitless permutations of craziness and weirdness who just can't keep things simple and straightforward that you will come across at a flea market and through Craigslist.

[trinacriabob]

On 7/27/2023 at 11:23 AM, A Horse With No Name said:

Bonneville is a bucket list thing for me...

I hope you're talking Pontiac, because the very last Bonneville was probably one of the nicest vehicles among GM's last full-size cars ... and a huge improvement over the "upside down boat"/"jellybean" Bonneville that preceded it.

Front angled view

Rear angled view

 

They really did something right with these rear taillamps 

The dashboard was a bit much, and they could have simplified things, but this cabin was comfortable and the dash had all these goofy things going on

[riviera74]

5 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

I hope you're talking Pontiac, because the very last Bonneville was probably one of the nicest vehicles among GM's last full-size cars ... and a huge improvement over the "upside down boat"/"jellybean" Bonneville that preceded it.

Front angled view

Rear angled view

 

They really did something right with these rear taillamps 

The dashboard was a bit much, and they could have simplified things, but this cabin was comfortable and the dash had all these goofy things going on

I respect the last Bonneville.  It should have been RWD, like the G8 that Pontiac sold until BK.

Personally, I would rather have a first-generation Aurora instead of this one.  But I understand why you like this.

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

Hmmmmm......

Or this...

 

I missed out responding to the photos of the downsized Oldsmobile Ninety Eight the other day. That was a 1989-1990 model. They stopped using the script "Ninety Eight" after 1988 model year. People liked the downsized Ninety Eight Touring Sedan. It did not have the name Ninety Eight on the Touring Sedan until 1991. 

 

[regfootball]

6 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

I hope you're talking Pontiac, because the very last Bonneville was probably one of the nicest vehicles among GM's last full-size cars ... and a huge improvement over the "upside down boat"/"jellybean" Bonneville that preceded it.

Front angled view

Rear angled view

 

They really did something right with these rear taillamps 

The dashboard was a bit much, and they could have simplified things, but this cabin was comfortable and the dash had all these goofy things going on

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOVE LOVE LOVE THE EXCITEMENT !!!!!! of those style Pontiac interiors.

still would be very desirable today, IMO.  that and the Olds Aurora interiors.

 

Plenty of good ventilation as well!

 

 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2023 by regfootball

[regfootball]

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2023/07/images-of-next-gen-2025-chevy-equinox-activ-leaked-in-china/

 

REALLY liking this new potential Equinox.  HUGE upgrade in styling.  More rugged, some same cues as new Traverse.  Put the 2.0 engine in it and i might actually be jiggy for it as consideration as next vehicle.....depending on interior

[G. David Felt]

Very cool to see what gets shown @ detroit auto show.

https://gmauthority-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/gmauthority.com/blog/2023/07/gm-to-reveal-new-products-at-upcoming-detroit-auto-show/amp/

[trinacriabob]

3 hours ago, regfootball said:

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2023/07/images-of-next-gen-2025-chevy-equinox-activ-leaked-in-china/

 

REALLY liking this new potential Equinox.  HUGE upgrade in styling.  More rugged, some same cues as new Traverse.  Put the 2.0 engine in it and i might actually be jiggy for it as consideration as next vehicle.....depending on interior

Thanks for posting.  Everything about it is nicer than the current one!  Let's just hope they don't go 1.5T with this one.  It looks like it needs more than those "90 cubic inches."

4 hours ago, NINETY EIGHT REGENCY said:

I missed out responding to the photos of the downsized Oldsmobile Ninety Eight the other day. That was a 1989-1990 model. They stopped using the script "Ninety Eight" after 1988 model year. People liked the downsized Ninety Eight Touring Sedan. It did not have the name Ninety Eight on the Touring Sedan until 1991. 

 

Thanks, @NINETY EIGHT REGENCY  That is a sweet looking interior, with a console and more bells and whistles to make this version of the 98 even more interesting.  While I don't like leather interiors, they're easier on the eyes when they're burgundy or tan.  You're right - I remember the transition from cursive to lower case letters with no serifs.  Oldsmobile sure loved their cursive badging at one time - and their cursive has been in my parents' driveways a time or two.  "Cutlass Supreme" was always scripted in the same manner for a long time!

4 hours ago, riviera74 said:

I respect the last Bonneville.  It should have been RWD, like the G8 that Pontiac sold until BK.

Personally, I would rather have a first-generation Aurora instead of this one.  But I understand why you like this.

I can't say how I feel about the Aurora since I've never driven one, and don't remember if I've sat in one for any length of time.  (Maybe at an auto show.)  I recall that I really liked the dash on the first-gen.

While I can't say that the GM full-sizes were dowdy, Pontiac was always the farthest away from dowdy in any segment they touched - be it Bonneville, Grand Prix, etc.  At that time, I was thinking Intrigue and then shifted over to LaCrosse.  That said, I'm pretty sure I would have enjoyed owning the last-gen Bonne in purist form.

[riviera74]

22 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Thanks for posting.  Everything about it is nicer than the current one!  Let's just hope they don't go 1.5T with this one.  It looks like it needs more than those "90 cubic inches."

Thanks, @NINETY EIGHT REGENCY  That is a sweet looking interior, with a console and more bells and whistles to make this version of the 98 even more interesting.  While I don't like leather interiors, they're easier on the eyes when they're burgundy or tan.  You're right - I remember the transition from cursive to lower case letters with no serifs.  Oldsmobile sure loved their cursive badging at one time - and their cursive has been in my parents' driveways a time or two.  "Cutlass Supreme" was always scripted in the same manner for a long time!

I can't say how I feel about the Aurora since I've never driven one, and don't remember if I've sat in one for any length of time.  (Maybe at an auto show.)  I recall that I really liked the dash on the first-gen.

While I can't say that the GM full-sizes were dowdy, Pontiac was always the farthest away from dowdy in any segment they touched - be it Bonneville, Grand Prix, etc.  At that time, I was thinking Intrigue and then shifted over to LaCrosse.  That said, I'm pretty sure I would have enjoyed owning the last-gen Bonne in purist form.

I have had both the Intrigue and the first-generation LaCrosse.  I liked them both, but I do NOT miss the cheap interior of the former.

[trinacriabob]

13 hours ago, riviera74 said:

I have had both the Intrigue and the first-generation LaCrosse.  I liked them both, but I do NOT miss the cheap interior of the former.

Interesting.

Which year/model acronym (GL, CX)/color/engine did you have with both of these cars?

I could see the Intrigue's interior cheapening up over time.  It was very similar to that of the Alero. 

If you want cheap interiors in later W-bodies, it would have been the interior of the '04-'08 GP.  One can just tap on the sides on the console at its sides in the footwells and get rat-tat-tat.  Sad.

[riviera74]

12 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Interesting.

Which year/model acronym (GL, CX)/color/engine did you have with both of these cars?

I could see the Intrigue's interior cheapening up over time.  It was very similar to that of the Alero. 

If you want cheap interiors in later W-bodies, it would have been the interior of the '04-'08 GP.  One can just tap on the sides on the console at its sides in the footwells and get rat-tat-tat.  Sad.

1998 Olds Intrigue GL.  The LaCrosse was a 2005 base model (i.e. the CX).  That LaCrosse had the GM black tie interior, which was miles better than the previous one, which occupied the Intrigue and its Buick cousin, the Regal/Century.  I suspect that if Pontiac did survive past 2008, the black tie interior would have been included in the next GP refresh.

[A Horse With No Name]

On 7/28/2023 at 12:02 PM, trinacriabob said:

I hope you're talking Pontiac, because the very last Bonneville was probably one of the nicest vehicles among GM's last full-size cars ... and a huge improvement over the "upside down boat"/"jellybean" Bonneville that preceded it.

Front angled view

Rear angled view

 

They really did something right with these rear taillamps 

The dashboard was a bit much, and they could have simplified things, but this cabin was comfortable and the dash had all these goofy things going on

I am talking about the races on the salt flat. Love the Ranger, want to keep driving a pickup truck. 

On 7/28/2023 at 6:13 PM, regfootball said:

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2023/07/images-of-next-gen-2025-chevy-equinox-activ-leaked-in-china/

 

REALLY liking this new potential Equinox.  HUGE upgrade in styling.  More rugged, some same cues as new Traverse.  Put the 2.0 engine in it and i might actually be jiggy for it as consideration as next vehicle.....depending on interior

GM is on a roll. I really like the new Colorado and Canyon. Probably the only GM product I would buy right now. 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

I love her reviews. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

[trinacriabob]

On 7/30/2023 at 9:32 PM, riviera74 said:

1998 Olds Intrigue GL.  The LaCrosse was a 2005 base model (i.e. the CX).  That LaCrosse had the GM black tie interior, which was miles better than the previous one, which occupied the Intrigue and its Buick cousin, the Regal/Century.  I suspect that if Pontiac did survive past 2008, the black tie interior would have been included in the next GP refresh.

Nice.  So, on both occasions, you bought the first year of the releases, albeit continuing on the W platform and both using the 3800 V6 - Series II (1998) and Series III (2005).

As a side note, I'm seeing many LaCrosses on the road and in very good shape.  Their owners like them.  I now appreciate the 2005-2007 model with the smaller oval - but blacked out - grille.  I like the grille on my 2008 just fine, given they sloped it back, but there's too much bling there.  They could have toned it down and blacked it out to some degree as they did on the more recent Verano.

On 7/31/2023 at 3:33 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

I am talking about the races on the salt flat. Love the Ranger, want to keep driving a pickup truck. 

Got it.  Yes, I have a general idea where they are - to the west of Salt Lake City, UT heading toward Nevada.  Apparently, they are smooth enough that they also run conventional cars on them to show how tough they are.  And, maybe, they might have done a TV or print ad where a Bonneville was shown zooming around on the Bonneville Salt Flat(s).  Not 100% sure.

[G. David Felt]

4 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Nice.  So, on both occasions, you bought the first year of the releases, albeit continuing on the W platform and both using the 3800 V6 - Series II (1998) and Series III (2005).

As a side note, I'm seeing many LaCrosses on the road and in very good shape.  Their owners like them.  I now appreciate the 2005-2007 model with the smaller oval - but blacked out - grille.  I like the grille on my 2008 just fine, given they sloped it back, but there's too much bling there.  They could have toned it down and blacked it out to some degree as they did on the more recent Verano.

Got it.  Yes, I have a general idea where they are - to the west of Salt Lake City, UT heading toward Nevada.  Apparently, they are smooth enough that they also run conventional cars on them to show how tough they are.  And, maybe, they might have done a TV or print ad where a Bonneville was shown zooming around on the Bonneville Salt Flat(s).  Not 100% sure.

Buicks have always raced the Salt flats.

 

 

[G. David Felt]

Very cool to see that Hyundai is having EV sales back to back months increases.

US: Hyundai BEV Sales Surged Again In July 2023 (msn.com)

[trinacriabob]

@David Yep, there it is ... a 1990 Bonneville on the Bonneville Salt Flats.  That's a funny name for salt flats in a desolate part of Utah given that "bonne ville" means good or beautiful city (or town) in French.

- - - - -

What I was going to say:

I am often at a light and the car in front of me - often newer and often a SUV - doesn't pull away when the light turns green.  This has been happening on the regular lately.  After about 5 seconds, you honk at the horn.  What's the situation?  Typically it's a woman, more often a Karen or a younger woman, texting away.  *sorry, I hate to bother you*

[G. David Felt]

5 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

@David Yep, there it is ... a 1990 Bonneville on the Bonneville Salt Flats.  That's a funny name for salt flats in a desolate part of Utah given that "bonne ville" means good or beautiful city (or town) in French.

- - - - -

What I was going to say:

I am often at a light and the car in front of me - often newer and often a SUV - doesn't pull away when the light turns green.  This has been happening on the regular lately.  After about 5 seconds, you honk at the horn.  What's the situation?  Typically it's a woman, more often a Karen or a younger woman, texting away.  *sorry, I hate to bother you*

Lately I have seen a growing trend of worse offenders in not paying attention to driving and holding up traffic. Pretty much Tesla, Prius, BMW and Mercedes drivers are the worst at focusing on their only responsibility in that they are driving, pay attention to the road, not your phone.

[G. David Felt]

Cool to see that the Ford F150 Lighting EV truck production line is back up and running with a 300% increase in production and a 3rd shift coming to the plant.

Ford Restarts Expanded Rouge Electric Vehicle Center; F-150 Lightning Production Capacity Tripled by this Fall | Ford Media Center

Seems since Fords price cuts, F150 Lighting EV Truck has seen a surge in XLT trim level reservations.

[trinacriabob]

I have found that I have to get money orders when I make a donation.  These are to bona fide charities everyone knows. 

The problem:  you might just get onto their mailing list and on mailing lists that they share.  With the money order, I just scribble a signature real fast, which is not the way I usually sign. 

The bottom line: they get their money, because I track the money order.

It's offensive that, even here, "no good deed goes unpunished."

- - - - -

When my mom was around, she gave money to about 4 Catholic charities and a major research hospital.  Eventually, she was getting stuff with pre-addressed prepaid envelopes from about 25 different charities - most of them still Catholic.  They'd put little trinkets or mailing labels in their mail outs to make you feel guilty or obligated.  She still continued to give to the 5 or so charities.  However, after she passed away, I had to call those 25 charities, tell them she had passed, and to STOP!

* something to think about for when and how you make donations *