trinacriabob

I believe one of the later models of this coupe had the circular air conditioning outlets on the passenger side that surely inspired the same in the Pontiac Grand Prix of 2004 to 2007. (When I first drove the last gen Grand Prix, it was deja vu.) That very last Grand Prix could have been just a hair better in styling and creature comforts, but I sure miss it. There are MANY teenage Grand Prixs still on the road, meaning 2006 and slightly older. They seem to be doing fine.

I agree. I recently had a Hyundai Sonata for a couple of days. It doesn't price out much higher than a Chevy Cruze (LT), yet it's a larger car. I will say that the Japanese full sizes (for rental fleet classification - they're more like mid-sizes to me) don't feel that great (solid) when scrutinized, such as by simply closing their doors. Not long after this rental, a friend of mine gave me a ride in his retired mom's newer Cruze LT. The build quality in it is better than that of larger Japanese sedans and it rides more quietly. So, while there is value in the foreign competition's cars (let's include the German Passat), I'm still not convinced they're what they're cracked up to be or that I'd like owning one long-term.

Believe it or not, Javelins had decent looking dashboards for being products of funky AMC. As did the Firebird and Camaro, the base engine for the Javelin was an inline six, though not many were ordered for any of these pony cars. Then they went up to the usual V8 numbers that AMC put out, such as their 360 V8. Any more, seeing any AMC vehicle on the road makes me laugh ... or at least chuckle. I don't know how they lasted so long with so many ugly cars such as the Gremlin, the Pacer, and the Ambassador. Yet, now, we're sitting with a GM that only offers 5 passenger CARS (sedans and/or coupes, excluding niche coupes) that normally sticker out somewhere between $20,000 and $40,000 MSRP. I'm less and less optimistic about the future of the automobile as we know and love it.

As long as their new vehicle is not anything analogous to the Cimarron in terms of quality. Whoever remembers the Cimarron, raise their hands. "Dare greatly" is a fairly lame campaign slogan. It's not quite as bad as "not your father's Oldsmobile," but it's bad. I tend to find numbers or letters assigned to models tedious. I am also thinking they need to roll out a new styling vernacular, though I don't have any ideas or opinions on what that should be. I'm liking that CT6 photo at the top of the thread, though.

I parenthetically referred to this car in car spotting, but this would be "random." Monte Carlo refresh with the best alloy wheel design This is a HUGE improvement in terms of an upgrade compared to the downsized 1978. The chassis on this was the same. The sheet metal was different. Love those wheels. You didn't see them often.

On Thursday, I saw two identical black Cadillac CT6s. One was in a valet situation at the curb and the other one was driving by. Both had 3.6s and the one at the curb had AWD. I will say that the rear lights which slope slightly outward are one of its best features. It's a departure from the always too vertical Cadillac finned look. I like the CT6 from the side and the rear. The front is okay but that long extension of the front lamps into the fender is a little odd. Today, I saw a black Range Rover. Never mind the vehicle. The driver, an Italian looking heavy set thuggish type, had a small white poodle in his lap while driving and with its tiny head out the window. In addition to being an atypical sight, it's not a good situation for the dog. What grade did this guy get in driver's ed? I wish dog owners would let them look out other windows in the car and not sit in the drivers' laps. He was perpendicular to me at an intersection. Had I been walking in the intersection, I would have told him something. As for the OP, I think it was hit and miss as to which '76 to '77 GM full size conversions I liked. I know that I liked the smaller Pontiacs and Cadillacs better after that refresh. Probably the Buicks, too, with that Riv hatched from the LeSabre platform and for which its grille was referred to as the Parthenon. I will always love the '75 and '76 Bonnevilles and Grand Villes in big coupe form, though, with a landau roof and base Pontiac rally wheels. They were the only division that could pull off the big coupe. I would love to know what driving one of those would feel like. I once saw one in Yosemite in November back in the day and it was beautiful. So was Yosemite! I think that the '77 to '78 refresh of the GM intermediates was sort of lame. The GP and MC needed to shrink, with the GP looking okay and MC looking cheap afterwards. The Cutlass Supreme and Regal were so-so, with the fastback sedans being a total styling disaster. It wasn't until 1981 that all 4 of those were fine tuned and looked a lot better ... a lot better. Even the entry division MC looked great when outfitted in buckets/console or with the 60-40 LS seating, full instrumentation, and the unusual "racing flag" alloy wheels.

I believe it. Especially since the leeward side of the Cascades is so wide open and sparsely populated ... and "red." However, I'm past my "into skiing" phase.

I never skied there when I lived in the general area. I had gotten sort of bored with it while living in Northern California (fighting the crowds up the narrow roads to Lake Tahoe, snowboarder punks, etc.). But, looking at the video, it looked like there was a good choice of runs, with some people creating their very own through the trees (not my thing!).

This was sort of funny. I got it. You probably don't want me to list all the countries in which Spanish is spoken.

Autumn is here and it's apparent more and more every day. I like beaches and summer but autumn is my favorite season: yellow stands of aspen in the West and orange stands of maple in the East, at the very least.

Happy belated. Better late than never.

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.