trinacriabob

This is 2 reviews in one. Like the title of the review says, with a Fiat 500, it depends. Here, I'm not talking about their reliability. That's a big question mark across the board. I'm talking about the driving experience in the 500 and how it varies by the model you have. In this case, a while back, I had 2 back to back Fiats in different places, given to me by the rental car to fulfill the economy car with automatic criteria. Fiat 500 coupe This is the reboot of the old school Fiat 500 coupe of yesteryear that people laughed at, stereotyped as the prototypical Italian car, was once truly ubiquitous, and could be picked up and moved by 2 or 3 strong people. The difference is that the more recent one is bigger, has cleaner sheetmetal, is tech savvy (from digital odometers to check engine systems to connectivity). While it may be cute, the basic Fiat 500 couperis basic transportation. And, even though it has a back seat, it's only meant for 2 people (and 2 small people, such as children) at the very most. This is because of the tight rear leg room and quickly raked roof line of the coupe. The trunk isn't that roomy, either. The driving experience is underwhelming. Power is suitable for most things except tricky passing. The automatic transmission shifts decently enough though it doesn't approximate the more seamless shifts of smaller VW or Citroen automatic econoboxes. You will definitely feel what your tires are doing. Perhaps too much so, as what is transmitted through the steering wheel almost gives you TMI. The ride is a little busy, but it's certainly better than that of older entry-level Fiats. The dashboard is simplistic. Basically, it's one big center oval with all the information arranged in or near it. With the Fiat 500 being simplistic all the way around, infotainment and climate controls are equally so. When it comes to the center stack, that's not such a bad thing. And, if it's a rental, you want to be able to quickly decipher the infotainment and climate control systems and be safely on your way. The one thing I did not like is that the dashboard has metal that was the same color as the car's exterior. In this case, the car was white. Hence, large expanses of the dashboard were of white sheetmetal with black inserts for the functional areas. I didn't mind parting with this car after having it for 3 days. Fortunately, those 3 days were in an area that was not at all demanding in terms of driving requirements. This Fiat 500 coupe reboot is aimed at the same type of buyer that would buy the VW "Bug" reboot ... and who might even put the flower in the vase on the dashboard (was that a hippie thing?). While this Fiat is larger than a Smart (for two), in terms of what it can do, it doesn't seem to be able to do much more. This is the kind of car you buy because you specifically want to ... or want to make some kind of statement by having it as you set of wheels. There are some smaller Euro and Asian automatic vehicles I have actually come to like. The basic Fiat 500 coupe is not one of them. 1. The location was inspiring. The car was less so. 2. Its lines are nicer than the original car from the '60s and '70s that it mimics 3. I forgot - it had a nifty glass roof that was fortunately tinted but required that the A/C be turned on at all times 4. With the sun setting behind me and not knowing Photoshop - yet, I couldn't get my shadow out of the passenger door 5. It's pretty much all here in that one pod. Thank goodness for a decent looking leather stitched wheel and steering wheel remote audio controls. 6. I will have to hand it to them for including a temperature gauge, which has always been important to me. Also, at 3,747 km, this is a young car - that's about 2,400 miles in U.S. terms 7. Kudos for a simple infotainment center and easy to use climate control. A big thumbs down for the white sheetmetal on the dashboard. End of Fiat 500 coupe section.

You learn something new every day, so they say. In reading tidbits about auto care - here, on other forums, and in magazines, I read that it's a good idea to run a tank of the high octane Top Tier fuel (93 octane) every 3,000 miles or so (along with a bottle of fuel system cleaner, though probably not at the exact same time) if your car runs on regular unleaded. For the first time ever, I put the 93 octane in my car, which runs on regular 87 octane. Am I supposed to feel a difference? You tell me. It seems to run, start, and idle great. The premium fuel doesn't come by cheap, so I only plan to do this intermittently.

macabre

I found this photo you might enjoy. It was taken in 2013. The subject is a 1977 vehicle, hence it was 36 years old at that time. Confidently holding its own on a rural stretch of interstate, this Cutlass Supreme (Brougham) sedan was in damn fine shape, with whitewalls, base wheel covers, and most likely an Olds 350 V8 engine under the hood. If it was pampered like that, it has seen at least 40 years of motoring by now.

Just an FYI ... and I was surprised (shocked) to see this. Maybe it's just a blip, but Sunoco is, at this time, not listed in the guide to Top Tier gasoline. https://www.toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/

I happened onto a really tasty pasta sauce flavor - mushroom and green pepper. I recommend it!

GMC/Chevrolet ahead of Ford. That's good. As for the #1 ranked (according to that list) Toyota Tacoma, are dealerships currently delivering them during the current pandemic prepped, sanitized, and disinfected with "the aroma of Tacoma?"

I'm not laughing AT you. I'm laughing WITH you. Since you like Americana and vintage items, you don't need to travel all that much, let alone by air, to enjoy those things.

spliced into this YouTube video "One Tree Hill" by U2 I have seen this exact spectacle - and a spectacle it was - various times over the years ... and was even allowed to ditch school for it, as in, "Yes, you should go!" Adieu, QE2!

If you could go somewhere on an airplane - say a 1.5 to 2.5 hour flight - would you do it? And, if you were able to, what precautions would you take ... that they are not already taking for you?

I liked this car back in the day. The front end was unique but still okay because the grille slats very vertical, without any of that '77 and '78 Firebird stuff. The dash was great. The only issue with '73 to '77 was the strong taper in the back, that almost flattens the trunk. I feel that if the rear part of the car had more (upward) definition, they would have sold more Grand Ams ... and more (Grand) Le Manses. Just a thought. (This is where Photoshop would come in handy.) I knew of ExxonMobil. We had a lot of Exxon stations when we lived in California, but probably more Mobil stations. I don't see as many of them around when I'm there on vacation or visiting. I did not know of Esso and Standard Oil of New York.

So damn easy! Thanks. When I pull up the menu at the left of my screen, it is available under Photos ... and also directly under Video Editor, which is nested under Photos as well. You just name the "new" project and get to work. This is going to get interesting ... and time consuming.

Yes, so there must have been two different companies - Standard Oil of Illinois might have been Amoco, founded by Rockefeller - which is now BP. They occupied what is now the AON Tower in Chicago. The Chicago based entity's stations were always Amoco to customers. They had a big geographic reach, IIRC. I recall Amoco stations around Atlanta. Standard Oil of Ohio is a little trickier. Rockefeller was also at the head of it. However, it showed headquarters in NYC but refining operations mostly in Ohio. The only one that remains sort of unchanged is Chevron, previously Standard Oil of California. Their reach is amazing. From Seattle to San Diego to Miami and then some. My preferred brand of fuel, along with Shell.

This is a nicely done ad, with mostly slick black and white graphics, not to mention that interesting building beyond, except that the verbiage is a little long. Yes, Amoco got the logo. But which Standard Oil was this - of Illinois, Ohio? I ask because Standard stations in California became Chevron, which is headquartered in Concord, CA (in the East Bay) last I knew ... Likewise, Ma Bell broke apart into a bevy of Baby Bells and now they're back in bed together again, so to speak, decades later.

Happy Mother's Day to the Moms in your lives ... and even to the Moms who are C&G members - we've had some on the forum.

I'll have to look. Any specific instructions on where to find it? Thanks!

1) I have the Microsoft Office suite and some other graphics programs on my computer. What I don't have is a video editing program. I would like to edit some videos I've taken with either my cameras or phones during the last 5 years, with one phone being a Windows phone and the others Android. For me, this means taking frames off the front and back to shorten the videos. Any recommendations on software for this? Any free ones that are basic and proven? I'm not looking for anything fancy. 2) Where does a person get instruction in photoshop? Do community colleges offer night classes on this sort of thing on the cheap? Can a person just learn it on their own? I'd appreciate any suggestions on a product package that is good but doesn't have the costlier bells and whistles. I'm guessing Adobe is the known gold standard. Thanks.

Both the pre-cat and post-cat engines had the same fuel delivery, with this engine (4.1 L6) continuing to have a 1 bbl. carburetor. Of course, electronic ignition was added, but that's a peripheral topic. Your last sentence brings up a lot of good points ... and questions. The one I've brought up before (yawn) is why, back in the day, the Olds 260 V8 had a quieter exhaust note than the Olds 350 V8 it was based on and "debored" from. Not only that, its 2 bbl. carb., with larger ports, was always in operation compared to the 4 bbl. carb. of the 350 V8 that ran with 2 smaller ports (barrels), until more throttle caused the extra 2 ports, with much larger diameters, to kick in. On two otherwise identical cars with either of these engines, the muffler and exhaust set-up was seemingly the same, so I'm thinking it was some of the other variables. God, I miss those GM small block V8 engines.

And, after they put a catalytic converter behind it, didn't it go down to about 105 hp? From what I recall, inline 6s were very smooth, especially compared to a V6 or a 4. The thing is that, for some reason, their exhaust note sounded very different than that of a V8, even if we're talking about a larger displacement inline 6 and a smaller displacement V8 of the same year(s).

My idea of beauty, as in "less is more" Those were the days.

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, as they say. For some reason, I'll never forget reading about it from far away - I was not living there at the time - when metro Seattle had an absurd heat wave and the mercury hit 114 F one day, if not more than one day ... I forgot which year that was.

My mom had a friend back in the day (who was an elderly woman who wore cat glasses) who drove one of these. Who can forget that grille? What the heck was this? The light bulb has not yet gone on.

I wonder which airline's '47 that was. That padding at the edge of the headrests with those embedded cushions in the economy cabin was nicer than that of most carriers (of people, that is). This photo has 1973 written all over it. Who can forget when the 747 was more or less new? Times were good.

Someone (who likes cats, as a matter of fact) sent me this yesterday via text. Since it can't be told as a joke, I'll put it here instead of on the joke thread ...

Happy hump day. (Happy belated Cinco de Mayo, too.)