trinacriabob

Excellent, sir! This model is much improved. The new front end and rear lights are pleasing and those alloys are a must for this car in LS or LT form. Regarding the interior, those seats are super comfortable and feel durable, the darker color will be easier to keep clean than the light gray I got, the wood insets look awesome and the blue illumination at night (Impy and MC, both) is really pleasing to the eye. Congratulations, it's a value-packed vehicle for the money.

I was still trying to hold out a little longer but I went to the mailbox and opened a letter from GM Card. I'd gotten a "top off" on my usable earnings from slightly over $ 2,000 to $ 3,000. They had to be used by January 31 which meant I couldn't order, so onto the Internet I went to GM web sites to locate the TOP 3 cars everyone knows I craved. Second runner-up: Pontiac Grand Prix This would have been my choice over the LaCrosse because it was a sporty sedan with a kick-ass dash and had the 3800 V6. This car would have been stunning if it wasn't for the following which probably alienated some buyers: - the overstyled front end which could have been handled more cleanly as it was in G6 - the too squashed roofline which could have remained as tall as it was in 1997-2003 - lastly, the not so comfortable bucket seats which could have remained as per 1997-2003 as well First runner-up: Chevrolet Monte Carlo This would have been my choice hands down if some styling quirks they just couldn't part with were cleaned up and the 3800 V6 remained, as it did through 2005. It just need to be "wedgier" and less "undulating." See the sketches I just posted in the sketch sub-forum. Consumer Reports had given the new 3.5 VVT V6 a full red dot for 2006 and 2007, but it was too early. I also spoke with numerous service advisors who actually liked both, but felt that the 3800 was the "golden child." I also had heartburn over the less than optimal fit and finish and the poor hardware to operate the folding forward of the front seats to let in rear seat passengers. Lastly, this is a car that appeals to "gang-bangers," at least in California. I didn't want my car to be eyed too much, as was my 1984 Cutlass Supreme. In lighter colors, the Monte is pleasing to the eye, to be sure, and I thought of ocnblu and bobo who, at various points, expressed that I was a "large personal coupe" type of buyer. Trust me, I got a phenomenal price with the $ 2,500 off cash rebate, the house discount and my increased GM Card contribution, but I just didn't sign on the dotted line. The few dealerships I visited were extremely nice. The winner: Buick LaCrosse I thought of the comments by z28luvr who said "forget the other two cars" and paolino who wondered how I could desert the Buick brand after how good it had been to me. For a spread of about $ 2,800, the LaCrosse is a different ball game. It truly is uptown, so much so, that you almost treat it with kid gloves since everything is so refined, such as the leather accents, the wood inserts and everything else. The ride, compared to my Regal, is more uptown as well. With the quiet controlled ride and the nice weighting of the steering, it feels like a much more expensive car. Then there's the 3800...enough said. Not only that, I was pulling into a gas station in Roseville CA with my friend "Fernando the Cuban" and pointed at a new LaCrosse exiting. He said he liked it, wondering if it was a Lexus or a Jaguar. Kaching! Kaching! Oh, yeah, the numbers: MSRP: about $ 24,500 Less: GM cash back and house discount - $ 3,000 Less: GM card earnings applied: - $ 3,000 Equals: about $ 18,500 I then added the long GM Protection Plan and still came in under $ 20,000...for a car that's an heirloom. Photos: A pleasing and timeless shape The canted profile of the front grille helps tremendously over 2005-2007 MYs Also nice from the rear quarter view...I like the crease across the rear, especially in a lighter metallic color which flatters it A nice looking front end...wasn't looking to do silver again, but it's to best color to neutralize the bolder new grille Everything is tastefully put together and the leather stiched wheel feels great A usable back seat and the sort of "opera window" in the C-pillar makes for a nice feeling once inside...also, visibility isn't bad at all Sidebars: 1. It feels like "mission accomplished" or "full circle!" The way I found C&G was looking for info on the LaCrosse the spring before it was released and information was sketchy. 2. Oh, yeah, its birthday, it turns out, was a "special" day. You guys know I'm a ship freak, too. On its birthday, the three Cunard ships (QE2, QM2 and the new Queen Victoria) were in New York harbor together for the first and only time, saluting each other under fireworks and amidst festivities. That must have been one helluva sight. QE2 bows out at the end of this year. So, I have a benchmark for the car's birthday. 3. The 1992 Regal stays and will continue to be my daily driver, at 242,000 miles. It still doesn't burn a drop of oil and it remains golden in color. Seriously, I think I will aim for 300K instead of 250K, God willing.

Portugal's breathtaking Madeira Island - 600 miles off in the Atlantic: One day, hiking on these trails on a mountain, next photo, I came across these new and abandoned pups which I fed for about 3 days until meeting a neighbor I befriended who stumbled into them as well and promised to take care of them. The pups' mother - abandonded, timid and with an infection/blindness in one eye...she kept her distance, growled but seemed to be ok with the fact that we were bringing food Island hop over to Spain's Canary Islands, specifically to the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Back to Italy .... Sardinia with my cousins: What ruins an Italian beach vacation these days...peddlers selling counterfeit goods that are in the country illegally and pass your towel at the rate of one every 3 minutes, forcing one to look up and say "No, thanks". I told my cousins that would NOT be permissible in Pensacola, South Padre or Santa Barbara where people are looking for a quiet beach experience. Have a blessed Christmas if you celebrate it or, if not, have a great holiday season!

Hey guys: It's been a while and my mind is elsewhere, as I gear up for a new job, a relocation and a lot of unknowns...so my stomach has been kind of knotty. Don't want to say much about the details as I will encounter the obligatory probationary period, but I will post once things settle down. The site was great for me and I was posting a lot as I sat in the library at school at night through last May when I finished a Master's and/or when I sat at work at night at a job and firm I no longer liked, despite being paid fairly well, largely because it didn't hold much in terms of a future. So you guys pulled me through. I've made some good friends here. I've met 3 members in person while on vacation...all of whom are great people. I've also spoken to about 5 others via phone...again, all people very much worth knowing. (I've also sparred with a few people, but then political correctness has never been my strongest point). I came to the site when the LaCrosse was in the works. With so many exciting things going on at GM, I've become boring in that I'm STILL contemplating either a LaCrosse (Allure), a Grand Prix or a Monte Carlo, with the latter 2 harder to get in color schemes I like. With all that's going on in my world, I don't need much more adventure and would be happy to get reliable service from one of these cars. So, that being said, it seems my forte has been posting travel pictorials and demographic analyses of the world around me. In short, I'm not contributing as much in the area of, well, CARS. I'm also trying to simplify things overall, dealing with high blood pressure and some other minor health issues. I've also decided to cut WAY back on travel as it has gotten a little tiresome and hasn't necessarily made me any happier. I'll touch base when my job stabilizes, I buy a car and/or buy a place. In the meantime, if any of you would like to stay in touch, PM me an e-mail or a phone number (I do have flat rate on both the land line and the cell). THANKS for a great tenure on Cheers and Gears! Here are some Europe pictures from summer I never posted, starting with SICILY: The proud Air France 747 at Montreal's airport for the ride across: The treat of sitting upstairs...a first for me: My rented Smart in Sicily seen at quiet Marina di Ragusa on the south side of the island: My favorite Sicilian baroque church - San Giorgio in Modica: View from my hotel in Sicily in the resort of Taormina: Going around a bend in Messina in my Smart, I see this...kind of a time warp: Sicily in the foreground and "The Boot" across the Strait of Messina - a mere 1.5 miles: A quiet beach in the Taormina area of Sicily - warm water and gentle surf: PORTUGAL The beautiful city of Porto with the Douro River meandering through Viana do Castelo - an incredibly relaxing and scenic coastal town in the north of Portugal This really ornate dining room in a "pousada" (exclusive historic hotel) in Viana do Castelo More photos in another post

CONTINUED Quebec City and the QM2 here on October 4 for her Fall Colors cruise from NYC Parliament house and fountain Outside of the city The beautiful QM2 leaving in the evening...I actually also came up on Sept 29 to photograph QE2 in port but that was with my 35mm because my digital camera had given out. Incidentally, QE2 bows out next year as she will become a floating hotel/restaurant in Dubai. This is kind of sad as she has served for almost 40 years and is easily the world's most beloved liner. Illustration I did for my arch. school portfolio admission process: This is obviously dated because they would never build a ship without an absolute maximization of outside cabins at the upper decks....so it's sort of hybrid between the older ships and the newer ships. Drawn in the early 1990s.

I'm a little late doing this, with a lot of personal things going on. However, here are the photos from the fall colors Montreal and Quebec trip. At the end, you'll see pictures of "I Hope GM Rules Again's" mint condition 1977 Cutlass Supreme which I got to see. Hope you enjoy them. Montreal: City skyline taken from Ile Ste-Helene The Customs House Looking back at the city from the waterfront Pont Jacques Cartier Port Clock Tower The Old Town (Customs House again) City Hall Olympic Stadium and Inclined Tower "The" post card view from Parc Mont-Royal terrace and chalet Some kind of Smart promo in Complex Desjardins...saw quite a few Smarts around the area, actually Steve's (I Hope GM Rules Again) 1977 Cutlass Supreme coupe Steve of the site bought his mint condition 1977 Cutlass Supreme in Virginia and brought it back to Canada. We once had a 1976 Cutlass Supreme in the family. He was actually able to locate that brochure for me which I no longer had. He said that, if I ever came to the area, to give him a shout, so I did. We took the car from St. Joseph's Oratory through Mont-Royal into the Plateau neighborhood and down into downtown, where we had something to drink right in front of where the Montreal Jazz Festival takes place in July. (I looked like an idiot when trying to order a Canadian beer, being as I don't drink that much American beer to begin with). Then took it on 720, the AutoRoute Ville Marie, onto the 15(Decarie Expwy) back to the Oratory. The car is in near-perfect condition. Steve said he will fix the minor items as a hobby. It was like memory lane sitting behind that imposing and kind of tall hood, with the hood ornament and the windsplit molding. It was amazing that they budgeted for changes every year...in the color of the seats, in slight modifications of the instrument panel and positions of things, in the rear taillamps and in the segmentation of the front grille. It was great to meet up with "I Hope GM Rules Again." This was the third member of C&G I have met. I hope his car brings him a lot of happiness and he is a very proud owner. It would be fun to dig up a 1975 Cutlass Salon coupe in Persimmon metallic, a white landau, beige cloth bucket seats and rallye wheels....I'll have to keep dreaming. Cutlass Supreme in front of St. Joseph Oratory...third largest domed structure in the world, I believe. A close-up of the near-perfect car.

I could talk your ear off for 1/2 an hour on this conundrum alone. I am going through the exact same decision process, with the Impala being switched for a Monte Carlo LT, however. In this case, I said LaCrosse/Allure because, if you are specifying a 4-door sled, then this is the one. A little bit about the others, from my vantage point, having had an Allure for 7 days in Quebec a month ago and having had a Monte Carlo 3.5 for 7 days in Sac/Northern Cal more recently than that. For overall quality and functionality, the LaCrosse/Allure is it. The car is quite user-friendly and the engine is faultless. In terms of appearance, the rear is appealing and proportioned, as is the side silhouette. I like neither the old front end nor the new one. The old one said Medicare and the new one says bling...they failed to strike a compromise. The dash is also kind of blah, compared to the other 2, though it is sensibly arranged. The seats are nicely shaped but the fabric is so bargain basement. The little extra opera window to the rear of the rear doors creates a little bit more "pillar action" than needed, but it is manageable. The 3800 V6 in my October stay in an Allure wasn't as quiet as others I've rented and I don't know why. The ride is supple and controlled and certainly good enough for everyday maneuvers. The Grand Prix shares the same mechanical underpinnings as the LaCrosse/Allure, so all comments for reliability are ditto. The suspension underpinnings are different, making this one the most fun to drive. The lack of rear pillar for the rear doors makes this one the easiest to see out of. The shape of the dash kicks ass...I love the canted wrap-around effect, though the materials tend toward the cheap. From some vantage points, this is a svelte and appealing vehicle. From others, particularly the front, it appears to be demonic and overstyled. Again, the side and the rear are quite nice. And yes, the new rear is sooooo much nicer than the 97-03 run with the "grafted-on pumpkins," now in season. With all those nice things to say, there are some clear demerits. The seats are not comfortable and the more I test sit those bolstered buckets that knife at you, the less inclined I am to buy this car. I am 5'-10" and have a 33" +/- waist and I feel boxed in like an astronaut...I think that was the intent. The roofline also affects rear seat comfort, as your Dad accurately pointed out. (Sidebar: I look at this vehicle as one that greatly enhanced its styling in the current model run and went overboard on a few things that alienated the upper end of their buying age range: 1) the front end didn't have to be THAT provocative, 2) it could have been just as svelte without as much horizontality in the rear backlite and this would have benefited the comfort in the rear of the cabin as well, and 3) the front buckets could have followed the contours and profile of the 97-03 series, making for more comfort on longer trips and ease of use....but they probably wanted to craft a midsized 4-door GTO, so there you have it). The Impala (and Monte Carlo sibling) are just fine. I love the Monte Carlo and just rented one, though I have rented about 3 Impys over the last 24 months. Both of these cars are competent in virtually every aspect. The ride and handling balance the opposite personalities of the GP and the LaX/Allure. It is certainly quiet. The dashboard is nicely arranged with nicer dials (why, this is a Chevrolet?) and I absolutely love the blue illumination at night. In the Monte, there is a slight cant in the dash while they Impy's is flat, but nicer via its wood grain accents. Again, I don't know why, as a Chevy, this has these more nicely upholstered plump bucket seats that are incredibly comfortable and finished in a richer fabric. I didn't want to get out of my Monte Carlo last week and hand it back for this very reason. Let's talk mechanical bits. The transmission is a known quantity as it probably is the same one that propels the GP and the LaX. The engine is a different story. It's both been around and it's kind of new. First and foremost, the gas mileage is stellar...it is mindboggling that such a heavy and comfortable sled can manage 32-33 mpg at a non air conditioned cruise speed of 60 to 65 mph, so I feel patriotic driving one. The 3.1s and 3.4s of which the 3.5 is derived have exceeded 200,000 miles (320,000 km) for many owners...but the 3800 goes even longer....my current one has 240,000 miles (385,000 km). The new part is the VVT. I have tried to read and ask a lot about this, even talking to service advisors who tried to shed some light on this one. First, unlike other manufacturers, VVT is not accomplished with an extra lobe in the cam...it is accomplished with a "phaser" up in the pulley and above the crank that modifies the cam angle. Thus, it just pulls off when R&R is needed and a new one is installed...but this should not occur under normal use. It would be much like changing a water pump, I think. Also, you can see the electrical attachment for the sensor at its side. This is called the actuator, I think, and would be a "plug and play" type of fix. I think that GM had beaucoup time to think this one through (since others preceded them in this technology) and I hardly doubt they would crank out some 300,000 units annually of their "bread and butter" passenger car with a system that isn't fully worked out...I'd like to think they were smart about this. For your Dad, I'd say LaCrosse/Allure. For me, it will be Monte Carlo LT (if I find one after Christmas and after I move with the stuff and in the colors I want), but, if not, then LaCrosse CX and lastly, the Pontiac Grand Prix base. Good luck with the purchase and many years of happy motoring! PM me if you have any comments or questions.

The rule of thumb, I've been told, is:"If you don't look at it or use it once a year, it's gotta go." Kind of makes sense.

I'm in the process of packing for a move and am getting depressed just looking at all the things I have. With me, it's mostly PRINTED MATTER. I've got: - travel brochures and maps to no end - real estate/housing brochures to no end - books from too much college level education - too many blueprints of plans from places I've worked (and those take a LOT of space) I'm actually doing a pretty good job eliminating them and it feels cathartic. However, neat stuff like old car brochures and ocean liner brochures from when I was a kid will go into a special file...it will be hard to find that stuff again. Do you hoard items, requiring beaucoup storage? Which items specifically?

Great pix, particularly this one...it looks like a 1984 Brougham coupe in the root beer metallic brown with the matching interior, am I right? That year was the best looking of the 1981-1988 RWD crop. I had a Brougham coupe in the Light Royal Blue Metallic and loved it. I miss it and how many times it reliably took me up to Lake Tahoe and "back down the hill" to plop my air mattress into the lake and enjoy the sun.Mazda, what's that?

Can you spell "s-i-l-v-e-r s-p-o-o-n"?

It's very nice. You've got good visual composition skills, that's for sure.

Reg, I often wonder how much better of a clergy we would have if they were allowed to marry (that is, for those so inclined...and also if this would bring people to the priesthood who would have shunned it because of the celibacy requirement).

The Wildman is a cool guy* and a Happy Birthday is in order indeed! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! * he has a dirty mind, still manages to be Catholic, speaks other languages and likes 3800 V6s, what more can I say.

The more I get to know Montreal and Quebec, the less Toronto interests me. Seriously.I used to think that having a nice 3-story all brick townhome in Woodbridge (you know, where all the educated and assimilated kids of Italian immigrants ended up, supposedly) could be kind of cool....but that was a fleeting thought. I love Montreal. Its prices have definitely gone up and, with the dollar at par, its not such a great deal. When you could buy a condo on the Plateau 7 years ago for under $ 100,000 CDN and the dollar was at least 1.4 : 1, I say snatch those babies up. (Hindsight is 20:20). Not only that, the people of Quebec were so damn nice to me. I probably look more like one of them than a Guido, which is ok with me. They all immediately spoke French to me. And I was happy to practice my H.S. French with them. When I told them I was a West Coast of the States type of person, they complimented me on my French and wondered where I picked it up. Every single Quebecois I interacted with during my week there was super friendly and helpful. The problem is that I'm a warm weather critter.

Yes. It's overpowering in its shininess (is that a word?). And afterthought is a good moniker...it certainly doesn't integrate well with the more subdued lines of the rest of the vehicle.

LA is just that...limitless, in more ways than just geography. It "lacks boundaries" on other levels, as well. It IS beautiful, for the most part. The setting of coastline backing up onto a mountain range is truly unique, so I really get pissed when someone from Chicago says "eeewww"....well, do you have that? It also has a lot that is frayed and tacky...the Queen Mary being one of many tacky places....now the Valley is supposed to be really laid-back and cleaner, so you must have caught it on a bad day. Unfortunately, with foresight and good planning, it could have been MORE beautiful and MORE livable.True, it moves its traffic pretty well. The good weather and drivers that are pretty adept at negotiating all of this fuss, as well as the lower density, help make things better. So funny that you would post this just as I get back from a week in Quebec where the colors had NOT yet peaked as it had been too warm. Did you pull any real estate mags? You would have liked it LESS after leafing through one of those. Glad you had a nice time!

Sir: I had problems with calculus, too. Then I retook it as a requirement right before grad arch school and got an A. Why? The first time I could not accept that I could not see what an integral and a derivative were physically doing. It bothered me. The second time, I just decided I would follow the rules given to me without question and I got the grade. The structures classes, where calculus could conceivably come in, are reduced to algebraic formulas and a lot of the information is found in tables in steel and concrete books. Statistics is fun. It intuitively makes more sense, at least for me. We could take in a cheat sheet and people wanted copies of mine because it had everything real small and real neat. At any rate, over several "sheepskins," my GPA went up. The first thing that helped was moving out of the house. LOL. I found that constant fighting with my parents while I commuted to undergrad did not help my GPA, though I barely made it into the Cum Laude fold anyway. Some thoughts: 1. Recopy your class notes - corny, but it lets stuff "steep" like a tea bag after the lecture 2. Sit in front and get involved - if class size permits, ask questions and make comments...I am obnoxious, so I have no problem doing that 3. Read the book and make outlines/flash cards. 4. Set out a bit-by-bit study plan for exams that starts about a week before, so you break it up...with a review the night before, possibly with other students. My last sheepskin exceeded 3.9 and I did this as an adult working during the day. However, I "lived" at B&N, Starbucks and the library in my spare time doing the above things. Best of luck to you. In the end, it really is worth it.

I have a membership to 24 Hour Fitness, which I bought in Northern California in 1996. They charge my bank account, you guessed it, $ 24 a month. They are all over the West and in other states as well, judging from the map. I also belong to Bally's which I bought when I moved to the Seattle area(there are about 10 in Oregon, too). It's such a cheap renewal now that I just pay it because I would spend more in join-up fees if I moved. For example, ATL and FL have Bally's, but not 24 Hour Fitness. OK, the "low cost" gyms have problems of their own...the clientele they attract. In June, before moving up North, I went to 24 Hour Fitness the evening that a friend was going to come over to help me load my rented truck. I didn't particularly like that location, so I wondered how much I should put in the locker, so I kept my keys in the pocket of my shorts. My wallet always stays in a hidden place in my car. After a quick workout and 30 minutes on the elliptical, I came back to find my lock cut, as were 2 others!!! They looked around and didn't take anything because there were no valuables. If they had stolen my keys, I couldn't have gotten into my place and loaded my rental truck with my friend that night. The Ballys in Portland are all fairly nice, by comparison, and the crowd is a little more suburban, but the crowd at some 24 Hour Fitnesses I've seen in Northern Cal/Northern Nev can be a little Do you belong to a gym? Is it a "low cost" one? Are there problems such as this? Be careful.

Now this is one car that, overall, I like a lot. It's really poised. There are a couple of "nips and tucks" I'd do with a pencil but, overall, it's a giant leap from its predecessor. I am really looking forward to test-driving one. It looks like GM is turning out a stable of winners.

Well, I've had to have mine made for me, so kudos to you.I don't know you, but somehow, it's you, judging from your cumulative posting. BTW, K.C., where are you originally from (state in the US or province in Canada)?

Went up to the new LaCrosse/Allure at a dealership and am having trouble digesting the new 2008 grille, and I was really looking forward to a freshening. Looking at nearby Lucernes, I thought the grille would be much nicer and subtler if "blacked out" as it is on the larger vehicle. At the very least, they should offer both versions. I voted for that option in the poll. Your thoughts and comments...

I feel like a salmon swimming upstream, as I am not a big fan of the Enclave and not gushing over the CTS either. Tonight, I went for a ride up toward Vancouver (WA) and back down the Portland side of the river just for the hell of it. I stopped at a Cad/Buick/Pontiac dealer where the salesman was an asshole (I told him I was not local and was moving soon but he kept pushing. I walked away shortly thereafter). I saw the new CTS. The thickness of the rear panels once inside are "blind spot hell" ... OMG. I think that the basic silhouette is fine but it has to many creased edges in the rear, around the taillights and the eye-level lamp. The front grille dives down too low and is way too "sliced and diced" for my taste. Again, the basic shape is fresh, but the execution could have been cleaner. As for the interior, the seats are comfortable and nicely articulated. The center stack and placement of the vents is both visually and functionally pleasing, though the buttons for the A/C and such don't accommodate regular or larger sized fingers. The smallish cowl on the instrument cluster looks almost G-6-ish. I wanted a cowl/instrument unit that looked more substantial. Whatever. It seems to be a popular seller for Caddy, so I'm happy.

It's been a long time since we've seen this. Not long ago, I remember the $ 18.60 +/- stock price. It takes money to make money and one who has spare cash laying around could have bought a chunk of shares, sold them today, and paid Bush's smaller capital gains tax on these (it won't be 15% with the next administration...LOL). In fact, that's what a lot of rich investors have done...they buy strong companies in a down cycle and wait for the upturn. I bought several hundred at $ 21 and sold them at $ 37. Could have done better, but, in less than 2 years, not bad, I guess. Any thoughts on GM stock? Do you see it doing a meteoric rise like Boeing?