trinacriabob

Yesterday, last day of September. Saw a white last gen Monte Carlo LT or LTZ, making it 2006 or 2007. It had the vertical spoiler instead of the ugly flat one. The windows were slightly tinted, so I couldn't see the interior. It had the five spoke star alloy wheels instead of the more common alloy wheels on possibly 17" wheels. There was nothing pimpy about it. I'm thinking it could have been a 3.9 V6 just as likely as it could have been a 3.5 V6. It was in near perfect condition. After what some mechanics and owners have told me, I'm glad I bought what I bought instead of the MC. I still like them, though. My relatives in northern NJ once had a '71 Dart sedan ... with blackwalls, hubcaps, and everything else downmarket that came with the standard model. They still had it in the mid '90s! It had very low mileage on the odometer. It had the base slant 6 engine. (I think those were reliable.) Driving it on the more "challenging" northern NJ streets made for a horrible motoring experience. It may not have even had power steering, if that's possible. - - - - - Adding this comment since I had reserved post 8,000 for something more comical, so here goes: Roses are red Violets are blue Post 8,000 had been intended to say "How ya doin'?" to ocnblu - - - - -

For the most part, I like it. Getting cars styled just right often comes down to millimeters. I like the rear tail lamps, trunk lid, notchback/backlite, and turning indicators in the wheel wells. I don't like the busy chain link grille. Also, the size of the rear side window, belt line, and placement of the Eldorado badge could use some fine tuning, but are definitely a step in the right direction. I'm all for grand coupes like this returning and, yes, they'd be better than the fastback jelly bean ones. I currently own the first sedan I've ever owned because of the absence of GM coupes.

I have been seeing last iteration (last grilled) Mercury Milans all around, almost every day. Most of them are badged Premier yet none of them are badged V6. Evidently, that base 4 cylinder in these cars is in it for the long haul. They go whizzing by me on the freeway at 70 mph all the time. Wasn't this engine borrowed from or developed by Mazda? I'm trying to remember if it was 2.5 or 2.0. I've test driven its sibling Ford Fusion with this engine when the car was squarer and, other than being slightly grainy, the 4 cylinder was up to the task. Basically, it was a very logically laid out car.

Yes, the one used by Cadillac looks somewhat integral. The thin upright ones look misplaced and like they would break. It's an immediate turn-off. I thought the Mazda 6 was a decent looking vehicle. Then I sat inside one at the auto show and thought "no thanks."

It just occurred to me that the concept front end was similar to that on old school Intrepids and Stratuses (should be "strata" to avoid red). I like the concept 20 years later better than the designs conjured up by the designer. I'm sure that the next car will intend to interest both consumers and law enforcement alike, especially if the Chrysler 300 is shelved, which I'm hoping isn't the case. I like those, too.

I actually like that dash. That center screen seems to retract. I like the old school chronometer - a la Chrysler 300 - nice touch.

I am a little frustrated with GM's limited sedan and lack of coupe offerings. Right now, I'd probably buy a Cruze LT and call it a day. However, if I didn't get a GM car, I'd opt for a Dodge Charger with the base V6. I like my current car but I still like looking at the crystal ball ... "just because I'm on a diet doesn't mean I can't read the menu." I looked up 2020 Dodge Charger and see this: Concept 1 Next-gen Charger front view Next-gen Charger rear view Then I see this - Concept 2 Next-gen Charger front view Next-gen Charger rear view What will it be? What's with the extreme variation? Concept 1 is provocative. The front end hearkens to another Chrysler product. The shape is slick but it doesn't speak much to visibility out the rear. The rear is real sporty. The only demerits are the visibility issues and the lack of front fascia protection up front - the current Charger has a better clip up front compared to the preceding one with the bulbous grilles akin to the Ram trucks. Concept 2 is really tame. The belt line is so damn sedate. The rear lights ... I won't touch that one. The front grille has protection built into it. Is this a person's interpretation or something that Chrysler inspired? I could go for concept 1 if it was tamed down and more functional for the ordinary driver. Chrysler has to make a big whopping statement with the next Charger to keep the market engaged. There is no doubt about that. Thoughts?

The branded fuel system cleaner via the gas tank or one of their products for the TB and aimed right at it?

Many brands are now featuring what I call the "laptop left open" look atop the center stack of newer vehicles. Mazda is doing this, and some German marques are doing this, too. It appears that the new Ford Focus will also feature it. Mazda 6 (?) BMW 3 series 2019 Ford Focus The Malibu has it, sort of, but it looks fairly well integrated. Latest Malibu I do not like most of them. I can handle it on the Malibu. It may be convenient but, in most cases, it looks ugly ... to me.

Yes, before they fling the doors wide open and strip it of its character.

Within 12 hours of each other: Last night - a 1997 to 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix - it was a sedan - it was a 1997, per the owner pumping in some gas. It was badged with the 3800. He said it ran great but also mentioned how it looked like hell on the outside. His dad had given it to him. It was a 22 year old vehicle! This morning - a 1997 to 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix - it was a coupe. It was turning in front of me. It was in o.k. shape. I'm guessing it was in the latter part of that span of the years listed. It's always a pleasure to see these in coupe form, at least for me.

Makes me think of the great movie named "Hidden Figures." You should see the cars in that movie. Sometimes, it seems like IT is relegated to the back office and flashy sales people, who I tend to dislike, are front and center. That tells me of a corporate culture that's a little off. I was never the biggest fan of marketing majors, fwiw ... way different from the number crunching types who thought in practical ways. And, hey, since we all like cars, it's proof that people can be creative and practical at the same time.

You fix one thing and break another with this one. It would be like "Green Acres." You might get fresh air, scenery, and piece and quiet. You will give up access to culture, gain neighbors who lost half of their teeth to meth, and not be liked by hicks for being a city slicker. Add bears and mountain lions. Pick a side of this equation. I find that the best solution is a good suburb of an urban area. In my world, hipsters gentrifying older neighborhoods does not mean culture. What they generally change is increasing the availability of nifty coffeehouses and bistros. Which is fine. Rents and prices also go up on account of that niftiness.

I know that Tommy Bahama exists but I don't know what their stuff is all about. Is it even slightly Jimmy Buffett like? I've just passed it by. My suits are gone or, should I say, I'm down to 4 that I like. They were bargains on good brands from the Nordstrom Rack. I love to find bargains in ties, too. I have both maroon and pale green mono-color ties in bas relief paisley that look sharp. However, these days, I dress casual and feel too dressed up when I have the suit and tie on. I certainly wouldn't walk into a car dealer's service department to have a service order written up looking like that.

Randy Newman fell short with his stupid song "Short People" but this one is epic, IMO. It's hilarious that he rolls in some of the more banal streets in this humongous city ... Victory Boulevard, Imperial Highway? WTF? Also, the L.A. of the New Millennium is a lot less happier place than the L.A. of circa 1984. Can't believe I was born and spent 21 of my first 25 years here. Thought I'd always go back there to live someday. That never happened. I got cold feet every time. And it doesn't look like it ever will happen. For one, every one of my childhood friends has moved out of the city and even out of state. So I listen to this song to channel the L.A. that I knew and once loved.

I don't either. Toilet paper was a nuisance, but it could be cleaned up. Eggs damaged the pigmentation of the paint or the siding of a house. Then, kids did some interesting things with dog turds. I think that a lot of this stuff was instigated by comedies of the '70s and '80s, like "Porky's" and others. Kids in L.A. would constantly talk about a prank they saw in the latest TV show or movie.

My mom knew an elderly lady who had one of these. She had the cat glasses, too. My dad and her husband knew each other through their work. Her car was a cream or metallic bronze color. She was from the East Coast, was a widow, and lived in a one story stucco ranch house. A lot of the stucco ranch homes out West were built with mailboxes and their chutes wedged in between the studs so that the mail carrier could drop your mall in the flap in the wall outside and you could retrieve the mail from inside the house. We all know kids can be a-holes. I don't think she was nasty to anyone in her neighborhood. She sure liked talking to me. At any rate, she went out of town to visit family and some neighborhood kids had put her garden hose into the mailbox and left it turned on. She came home to find this. It caused a lot of damage. I can't see this car or think of that lady without thinking of that horrible prank. It surpasses the horse laxative prank in "The Pope of Greenwich Village."

First sighting this evening: A dark blue Corvette with the roof hatches off going down a major street. It was one of the first model years without a metal bumper, yet without bumper rub strips ('74, '75, '76?). I couldn't read the badging to see if it was a 350 or a 454. A shaved head, Italian looking Mr. Klean type was at the wheel so it was no surprise that the exhaust was modified to be obnoxious. Also, while this feature generally irritates me, the car had that ground lighting effect in light blue. It was o.k. Sidebar: A friend of a friend once bought a new Corvette in the late '80s. He let me drive it. I limited my driving it to an enormous empty parking lot. What surprised me is how light it felt and that it didn't communicate as much road feel as I would have expected. Corvettes are interesting but, if I had oodles of money for a second/sporty car, I'd pick the current Chevy SS in a flash. Second sighting this evening: A car identical to mine in every which way. The driver and his wife/gf were getting out of it to go into Starbucks and were pointing to my car as I was walking out. He said that he basically liked his and has had some issues, though nothing major.

But there will always be consumers who are car people. I think GM's sales slump in cars is because of their car designs and the (lack of) variety they offer. True, the Asians have the mid-size car market cornered (Camry, Accord, Altima, Sonata, etc.) I think a good design and a solid car would bring the buyers over - "if you build it, they will come." When the Olds Intrigue appeared on the scene, people snatched them up in no time flat. Why drive a Camry when you can drive that? That car quickly and quietly stole some market share from the Japanese. Also, people like those earnings on their GM Buypower credit card. Right now, my eye wanders over to non-pimpy Dodge Chargers when driving around. That's my sort of sled, among current car offerings. I know about the profit margins on trucks. I was once given a Traverse as a rental (I reviewed it) and it's very commanding and surprisingly smooth and quiet, but it's not my cup of tea at all. I'd like to remain optimistic that GM is committed to anchoring their car product lines as well. Stiff competition for the Camry back in the day ...

I'm lost when I look at this trend. What happened? Only 3 divisions of GM offer vehicles. Among these 3 divisions, there are only 5 fossil fuel burning vehicles that mostly fall between MSRPs of $20,000 and $45,000. These five are: Buick: (1) LaCrosse, (2) Regal Chevrolet: (1) Impala, (2) Malibu, and (3) Cruze I'm talking about where normally equipped models usually land in terms of MSRP. (I know there might be a Cadillac model that might start at $41,000 or so before options and freight and that some Cruzes start in the high teens before options and freight.) This is ridiculous. I don't like most of these cars. I think a lot of people don't much care for them. Maybe they're not selling many because they're not interesting or value laden cars.

Random thought of the day: Humidification of the cabin and aircraft. I had the opportunity to fly on the Boeing 747-8i, the last rendition of this beautiful aircraft. It was meant to be Boeing's answer to the Airbus 380. Its main features are more length (and passenger capacity), better noise suppression, better fuel economy, better bin space, and better humidification and illumination in the cabin. I can't say that it delivered on quiet, and one passenger told me the A380 is the quieter of the two, but it must have delivered on humidification ... never have I gotten off the plane after the more arduous westbound trip and not felt like a wet noodle. The overhead bins in steerage are really spacious. Very few airlines have opted to order and operate it in pax form. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner preceded it and has some of the very same features. You can sample the 787 domestically and on fairly short hauls. I'd sure like to know if the 787 makes for a better flight experience than the 767 it replaces.

I'm waiting for pumpkin pie, and even pumpkin pancakes. I try to limit myself to 1 slice of Key lime pie when it's in season. Unbelievable!

The numbers speak for themselves. The overwhelming sales figures for those cars spoke to what Americans liked ... at that point in time. GM's mess ups in the '80s (think V-8-6-4, CCC that wasn't totally debugged, and general sloppiness) didn't help them even though their cars got much better by the next decade. On top of that, throw in that it then became cool to drive European and Asian cars (reinforced by both media and peer pressure) and the pendulum swung further away from cars like GM coupes. Since I've never been disappointed by any of the domestic (GM) cars I've bought, I will keep driving them and lament the slow disappearance of the memorable ones I teethed on.

Wow, the top one was a '77 color? I remember that, in '75, Olds carried it as Persimmon Metallic and it looked fantastic on the Cutlass Supreme/Salon coupes with opera windows, landau vinyl tops, and color keyed rally wheels. My dad bought one the next year, though. What a hoot as to photo 2. Love that inconspicuous V6 badge. Just think how nifty these '75 to '77 coupes would have been if the base V6 engine had already been converted over to an "even firing" offset crankshaft configuration. The niftiest of these were a few levels up, in the upmarket cloth 60-40 seat in the Regal and in the bucket seat S/R Regal (very rare) with the trestle shifter. I only wish that these cars offered the Olds 260 V8. Olds shared it with Pontiac in the (Grand)LeMans, but not with Buick for their mid-sizes. Thank you, reg.