NeonLX

That sure didn't take long. 1956 DeSoto Firedome & Fireflite models used the 330 CID version of DeSoto's Hemi, while the Adventurer got a hopped up 341 CID version.

OK, you axed for it...the gate was closed into the yard where the old beast is parked, so I had to take a pic through the chain link fence (and it's spelled "conventional"...I'm a dumbass):

Oldsmobile's new "small block" V8 for 1964 displaced 330 CID, right? It eventually morphed into 350, 260 and 403 CID versions as well (there may have been more iterations, but those be the only ones I can remember). Another (U.S.) domestic car brand had a 330 CID V8, but it only lasted one model year. Do y'all know which brand that was, and the model year?

Wow. I'd forgotten about that version of the Clot...those picnic goers seem to be impressed with it. Guess I was thinking of this Clot, with its twin stick tranny:

Glad someone noticed.

Believe it or not, I haven't been in one yet. I have seen a couple on the road; they certainly look nice. I dearly love the Maxx but I sure wish the front suspension was a bit sturdier. Say, before I forget--the lastest issue of Collectible Automobile Magazine has the Malibu Maxx SS as its "Cheap Wheels" feature! How cool is that?

1970 Chevrolet C60 convential with "427" badges on the hood.

Whee! MCA-Jet! Test drove a new one and thought it was kinda cool at the time. The styling was sort of appealing, for me anyway. Can't remember if these things had that twin stick setup, or if that was just found in the Mitsu-sourced Dodge Clot.

Studio recording dubbed over the live appearance, but fairly nicely done: http://youtu.be/Yd5BNLt4r4c

Sorry to be a year out of date with my dissing of the Enema and Ridgeline. Sux to be old.

That's not dead yet? They sell bazillions of them around here. That, and the Ridgeline.

How could I forget: The Honda Enema...er, Element?

...Oh yeah, and the Smart car.

I'm also not a fan of hybrids. Again, it's just me being old school. But contrary to the self-righteous attitude of some people who drive 'em, those things don't save the world--streets still need to be paved for the car to be driven in, parking lots still need to be built, tons of plastic needs to be molded to fit the interiors, all kinds of nasty metals go into the battery pack--and in the grand scheme of things, they really don't "save fossil fuels" at all. But at least they are more complex than a vehicle with a regular powertrain, and you have the added benefit of spending several thousand dollars more to purchase all that complexityin the first place. Sorry I blew up.

Somebody already took mine--the Toyota FJ Cruiser. Just looking at that thing pisses me off. But they sell like crazy around here. So it's probably just me.

Oops, never mind.

I don't even pay attention to modern pickups anymore...they kind of gross me out.

I'm getting pretty damned old so my car jones has been acting up a lot more lately. I started a list of cars I'd like to have before it's too late. You'll notice my choices ain't particularly exotic or even necessarily pricey. I've never been a fan of the hoity-toity, high-priced machinery that only the execs of fortune 500 companies can afford...anyway, here's my first crack at the bucket list. Laugh if you want. In no particular order: 1956-’57 Corvette (doesn’t need to be FI or even dual quad; these were simply gorgeous cars) 1956 Plymouth Fury ('nuff said) 1956 Mercury Montclair (had the looks, performance & handling of its “Mexican Road Race” Lincoln cousins from a few years before). 1957 Rambler Rebel (one of the ultimate sleepers) 1961 Impala SS (rare first year model; I've always been a fan of the '61 Chevy in general) 1965 Dodge Monaco (426 wedge & Torqueflite, please) 1972 Olds 98 Regency (I kick myself everytime I think that I sold mine back in 1978) 1974 AMC Gremlin X w/ Rallye package (had one of these) 1976 AMC Pacer D/L (had one of these as well; one of the nicest riding cars I ever drove) Soon as I post this, I'll probably think of more. F'rinstance, I didn't include any pickups, though I'd dearly love a mid 1950s GMC.

Guess I'd go with that GMC...the torque of the 305 V6 is the clincher for me. The Jeep Gladiator would be way cool but the Kaiser OHC six had some issues.

I'm a Mopar fan from way, way back but I never took a liking to the Caliber. My biggest beef was that the interior made me feel claustrophobic...and I'd been driving Neons for years! Haven't been in a Dart yet; hope to get some time to poke around in one soon.

Heh. Didn't even notice. Was more interested in that monster air cleaner.

Yeah, We will give the Focus a whirl. I'm old school enough that I'd rather not buy a Japanese or German brand. I wish the Cruze weighed about 300-lbs less than it does; I'd like it a lot more. The engine feels pretty taxed to me, though the ride is pretty quiet. All these decades and I've never actually owned a Ford. Took my driver's test in a '71 Mercury Marquis Brougham though (my granny's car; it was a beauty), and my dad had a nifty '64 Ford Galaxie convert for a number of years.Also had a '56 Mercury Montclair that was one of the prettiest cars ever, in my opinion. I should add that we really love the Maxx, but that front end is giving me fits.

Friggin "mini"vans have turned into such PIGS. I bought a maxed out Dodge Grand Caravan LE back in '89 and it weighed 3250-lbs. Had loads of interior space and the rear cargo floor was flat. Loved that car. At 4500-lbs., The Quest is probably on the low end of current minivan weights. Think I saw that the Odyssey is up around 4800 lbs, as are the Mopars and undoubtedly the Toyota. This is as much as--or more than--my '72 Olds 98 Regency weighed!!! That thing had a wheelbase of 127", was 225" long and 80" wide. Guess the new crop of "mini"vans aren't that far off from those dimensions...

Yeah, the CVT in the Sentra behaved very nicely. Most of the time, it felt like an auto tranny with the torque convertor locked up to keep slippage & revs down. But if you needed a quick burst of power or started up a long hill, the revs would gradually climb until you reached that "just right" level of power. No jerkiness or weirdness that I could detect. I drove both a Compass and a Caliber back in '07 and wasn't impressed--engines were noisy and the interior design was pretty awful in both. I sat in a newer Compass (probably an '11) and the interior was much improved (so was the exterior). Didn't drive it though so can't tell if that part had improved. I'm afraid if my wife had driven the Sentra, we'd probably be looking to trade our "domestic" auto. The front end is starting to make noises AGAIN, just a year after we sunk $1600 into it...

Had to zip over to my dad's funeral last week and rented a Nissan Sentra S to make the trip. This one had the CVT tranny. I was far more impressed than I thought I'd be. The car is a great cruiser--at 70 MPH, the tach showed about 2000 RPM. No engine noise at all and the ride was quite serene as well. Very little tire/road noise. Drove into some fairly strong headwinds and no wind noise to speak of. Sound system was very nice. Peppy acceleration, at least on par with my dear, departed Neon. Ride was pretty good as well; everything seemed decently damped. Drove 800 miles round trip and averaged over 35 MPG, in spite of some sustained speeds of 75+ MPH. Nice car.