trinacriabob

I'm going to assume that this vehicle does NOT have platinum plugs then. My last car had conventional plugs and each tune up (30,000) showed them to still be in great shape. I still did a tune up every 30,000 miles. I watched a YouTube on throttle body (TB) cleaning (it was either a Bonneville or a GP) and the inside was gunked up pretty bad. I'm thinking it had to have been neglected or high mileage. The video said that a person has to be careful with the throttle body flap and that you had better be very careful with your fingers! Isn't a good air filter one of the first lines of defense for the TB?

Cool to get some consensus on the Techron. Some already know, but the small bottle is only intended for cars with smaller fuel tank capacities. I don't go to Costco that much anymore but keep my membership up. It's about tire rotations, large electronics purchases now and then, and jeans (great prices on some name brands). So, then, I need to make use of "Cafe 150" and the "sample lunch" to make it worth my while. LOL. Yes, I would imagine they bundle Techron at a good price. At the auto parts stores, I tend to see STP bundled in 2s for about $9.99. I have bought that before. I guess I like the double protection of top tier gasoline and fuel injector cleaner. I started this regimen beginning with the last car I owned. I didn't do any of this stuff with the '84 Supreme Brougham coupe, since it was a carbureted 3.8. At what point or place does one insert the throttle body cleaner? I just put in a new Fram higher end air filter every 10,000 miles. If a person has pulled off the air filter assembly to slide in the air filter and they see the outward side of the throttle body flap and it's really clean, does that mean that the inboard side would be clean, too? No driveability issues thus far.

It was interesting how, when first released, everything about the Seville was very purist. It was a clean looking "little" car! Within a few years, they felt compelled to make it more complicated ... busier grille, etc. Then, when it came down the combining the bustle back Seville with a V8-6-4 and/or a somewhat unreliable 4100 aluminum V8, the Seville became downright frightening. Have not seen a bustle back Seville IRL in at least 5 years. But I do see first-gen ones from time to time. Did anyone remember when the entry level Cadillacs of that era could be had with cloth (plaid) seats? I believe they were a "credit" option. Sevilles either had mono-color leather or velour seats. I know that the 252 Buick V6 was a "credit" option when it was offered.

Yesterday, I saw a 1975* (maybe 1974) Olds Delta 88 convertible at a light that was perpendicular to me. It was red, with a white top and a white interior. It had whitewalls and wire wheel covers. It was spotless. It was a retired guy driving it and his wife (probably) was in the passenger seat. She had a scarf or whatever it was around her head. I'm guessing they were channeling National Geographic and the World's Fair of 1964 in Flushing, NY. * round lamps up front - IIRC, it was only the Olds 98 that received quad rectangular lamps up front that year.

I get the sense that a few of the regulars on this forum are sort of taken by Mavericks ... possibly for their humorous qualities.

Do you routinely use a fuel injector cleaner or fuel system additive? I do. I add a bottle to the tank about every 5,000 miles, in addition to using the better detergent gasoline brands. Which ones do you use, like, and/or know have a good reputation? I've heard Techron is the best. Others mention brands like Lucas and Seafoam. I don't know much about these, so I don't use them. I have also used STP and Valvoline fuel system cleaner. You need to read the label on the Techron bottle. The one that is nicely priced only treats 12 gallons of gasoline. The one in the larger plastic bottle treats up to 21 gallons. My tank holds about 17 gallons. Any ideas on fuel injector/fuel system cleaner brands and frequency?

Yesterday, the car received a new transmission fitting where the line comes in (or out) to being cooled. There was a small leak that had been there for a while. No more drips. Keeping my fingers crossed. I like a clean concrete parking apron.

I like this. I've heard it said that French is the language of love ... and diplomacy I've heard it said that Italian is that language of art and music ... and, as you say, food. I'd buy that English is now the language of commerce. I know that I couldn't get into a groove with those taking Latin in high school. I will own my fairly high nerdy quotient. That of those taking Latin was more than I could relate to.

Q: How do you stop an Italian person from talking? A: You tie their hands behind their back.

The second thing I learned in German, and from an Austrian, is: "die Italiener sind lusting, die Spanier sind leidenschaftlich, und die Deutschen sind grundlich" (Italians are entertaining, Spaniards are passionate, and Germans are exacting) I cannot discuss the first thing I learned in German ... here. I once told a German lady on a Lufthansa flight after landing in Portland when they had the nonstop service about the second thing I learned and she laughed and added, "Eess not only the Spaniards that are leidenschaftlich." Too much!

When you're a kid and want to piss someone off, you might toilet paper their car or house. When you're an adult and want to do the same, you can't be quite so juvenile. One time I was sitting in a tavern that had good happy hour food specials and some steak Saturdays and the crowd tilted toward blue collar and biker. I ate and left. That was about it. They had a jukebox. I thought this could be funny. You go over to the jukebox as you are about to finish your food and program the following songs ... Donna Summer - "McArthur Park" Andrea True Connection - "More, More, More" Odyssey - "Native New Yorker" ... and get the hell out of the place. I'm sure most of the people inside would be steamed.

I don't sense there's a full set of teeth in the expanse of this photo ...

I have been telling this joke to some people and they like it!

In some cases, those adjectives don't apply. They are just lacking the je ne sais quoi they used to have. What's funny is when the ones who weren't very pleasant to most people because they lookED good (past tense) are now "nice." And you're thinking, "Save it ... I think I'll pass." We had a lady who worked on a different floor of this building in which I rode the elevators ... up and down ... every damn day. She was blonde, thin, late middle age, and had kept all her curves. She had somewhat of a stronger nose, but it looked o.k. on her. With a couple of guys on our floor who joked around, we nicknamed her "Reunion," because she may have NOT been cool in her younger years but was now routinely pleasant to everyone, based on observing her. She also had a shiny rock, so I think she was a (happily) married woman. I'd rather have a free Slurpee than a free doughnut. Perhaps not AS bad for you.

Thorough review ... I rented one on the heels of a Nissan Altima for a few days after an exchange and liked it much better than the Altima. I was able to get over 41 mpg (after converting kilometers and liters) on a jaunt from Quebec City back to Montreal in an Altima and thought they were great. Then, the Sonata told me how much more definition there is with a step-gear transmission. And, like you said, it shifted beautifully. I believe the highway mileage may have been about 35 or 36 mpg. I think they worked wonders with the mid-cycle refresh. The placement of "Sonata" in slanted letters across the rear has worked wonders for the car, albeit a small change. Usually, I don't like that. I also know that the current vernacular is to slope the rear back lite to the point of almost eliminating the trunk lid. I wish it wasn't as sloped, but it works with the car. I have test sat in the new model at both the auto show and in show rooms and, while Hyundai dashboards tend to be very practical, I can't say I like how horizontal the buttons are laid out in the center stack. I believe one salesperson referred to it as the "piano key" design/layout. That's a good way to put it. I prefer things a little more compact in the center stack. However, if I was buying in this segment and buying foreign, the Sonata and the Passat would be the only ones I'd consider. The price point of the Limited is too high. In lower grade trim, they are a good value. I would pass on the Camry and the Altima. Hopefully, GM can amp up its game in this segment.

I saw this yesterday. I notice(d) them because they are a "minority." Most late '80s and early '90s Cutlass Cieras and Centurys were sedans ... or even wagons. Only a few were coupes. Here's a Buick Century coupe. The color ought to provide clues to the year, but I'm guessing it's 1990 to 1993 ... a car that is over a quarter of a century old and still ticking. It either ran with a 3300 V6 or a 4 cylinder - 2.5 or 2.2. These two 4 bangers also powered W-body Luminas at different points in time. When I spotted it, a chick who evidently worked in big box retail was sitting in it. I couldn't photograph it. When I left the store, no one was in the car at that point. I get a kick out of this body style ... very "retro" in its own way.

To see 4 unusual Pontiacs in one day and within hours was weird ... as in good weird. Got it: 400! I would have been very happy with just a 350 ... plenty to pull around a GTO and a smaller block. But I accept that these were meant to be muscle cars, with 400s and 455s. What an era and so glad I actually got to see those more frequently when I was young.

Yesterday was an eerily Pontiac sort of day. I saw 4 of them, from bad to stellar, and in that order. 1. A fire hydrant yellow Pontiac Aztek - frightening 2. A navy blue 1964 Pontiac GTO +/- ... it was smaller and squarish than later ones 3. A light metallic gold Pontiac LeMans, maybe 1966 or 1967, with the fins on each side of the rear backlite. It was not a GTO, nor any other type of special named model. I'm going to assume it ran with a 326 c.i. V8 or something like that, prior to the days of the 350 V8. 4. A veritable jaw dropper - a light mint green metallic GTO - 1969, 1970, ? (help) - the front and rear treatment ought to provide those clues. I could not figure out which engine it had ... there was no badge. It had no power equipment (not a problem at all). It had no air conditioning, either (based on the dash climate control module - easy to work on!). And I realized that an operating console that tapers down on the center tunnel without reaching up and touching the dash was sort of cool and minimalistic after all. It really told me that Pontiac should have never been offed. It was GM's most provocatively styled brand across its lineup and there was a place for it, even as a small niche brand marketed together with others at GM dealerships. They caught my eye more than any other GM brand in most cases. Photos:

Has anyone noticed that you just can't pick up the phone and call anyone (a person) anymore? Texts are used as appointment methods to do just that. And I'm talking about friends/peers from decades ago who you just used to pick up the phone and call. How times have changed ... at least as far as communication tools go.

I wrote a review or two of the last Accent based on rentals and find the 2018 more attractive and a step up. The IP and the exterior refresh show that, to some degree. Here, we get to see the written results of a test drive, which I haven't yet taken. (A visit to a nearby Hyundai dealership proved to be too melodramatic and "redundant" - my T.O. thread.) At any rate, I'm glad to hear what you have to say under ride and handling ... that the steering is light yet the road feel is still good. That's what I experienced in the 2017. Hopefully, it's even a tad better. Also, the sedan part doesn't bother me. That's exactly the model I'd want. I prefer the traditional shape. I think the Accent is a competent little car and one seriously worth considering unless stepping up one category into something like a Cruze, for example.

Very mid-'70s. There's a '74 Cutlass wagon across the street ... and in bad shape. She bears a slight resemblance to Andrea True. That's neutral - it can be construed as a positive or a negative. While sort of a one hit wonder, music experts consider Andrea True's landmark song the disco era's most important and true-to-form song. - - - - - Did you all hear Southwest Airlines will no longer hand out packs of peanuts in the cabin? They cite allergy issues. I have been on flights where they did hold off on the peanuts because someone reported an allergy issue in advance. I think it's really cost control issues. People are way more likely to ask for additional bags of peanuts than they are for additional bags of pretzels or cookies. In a way, I feel a little "responsible." I've done just that. However, I much prefer their luggage allowance to free peanuts. I can always snag a bottle of store brand salted peanuts for $2.50 or so.

I remember those. One word: awful. Look at how the 1980 and onward Cutlass and Regal/Century sedan then "righted" this mistake - with a notchback rear window that was a delight to look out of while driving. My dad had one of these. It was in that enamel dove gray with the tufted gray velour interior. Mechanically, it was good, but not great. It was very early in the life cycle of CCC (Computer Command Control) and it had its quirks. It ran with a 3.8 2 bbl V6. It may have even had a Turbo 350 trans. I don't believe it was the POS Turbo 200 trans. Right. I figured that, in a state that loves its foreign cars, a car named after its principal icon might have some chance of selling there. I believe that they ran with the same inline 6 (aluminum?) that powered the Chevy Trailblazer of the same year(s). Those 6s were quiet. A friend had one and it lasted for a long time. They were horrible in terms of fuel consumption. I was once given one (Trailblazer) at RNO and took it back to exchange it because it was obvious in no time flat that it was too thirsty.

My dad's car, among others. In coupe form. Yes, "Bimini Blue," as it was called. 250 L6 engine by Chevrolet, 3 speed automatic, and no air conditioning. Attractive enough dash (meaning circles instead rectangles). A dream to work on. By far, our family's most reliable car, even though it was a "second car" and the only one the dog could ride in because it had vinyl seats. - - - - - Saw a Maverick coupe coming toward me. Couldn't photograph it. It was anything from a '70 to a '73. I knew someone who had a used one with a 170 L6, a 3 on the tree manual, plaid seats, no carpeting, and no cigar(ette) lighter. Mavericks were the consummate toads. They do look like toads to me, but it was a guy with a big 'fro (he was white) studying to be a history teacher who called my friend's car a "toad." It's always worth a chuckle. And the dude did become a history teacher rather than go live in a commune.

A bear market will be cyclical, as are bull markets. How long each lasts is the unknown variable. They are predicting a recession for 2019 or 2010. So far, I don't see many of the makings of one. There are labor shortages, for one. I do see your point about the governmental funding aspect of this whole thing and the big bell shaped curve of boomers. Unless silver spooned, boomers need to learn how to live less extravagantly as time goes by. It's great to be cheap! Sadly, they are also a preyed upon segment of society. Being indoctrinated in critical matters, either through past schooling or by taking it upon themselves to learn about "modern life," could help them protect themselves.