trinacriabob

SEdan SEville SExy ... well, sort of Not having sedans around is going to make us crave for them even more. And, at this juncture, on this 3rd of June, I'm craving that free donut.

I'm not on board here. I do not like Krisy Kreme donuts and their oil slick like glazing at all. I will readily stop by Dunkin and I'm okay with Tim Horton's donuts as well. I like the drier cake frosting of the latter two places. These Greek treats sound similar to but look different from loukoumades, which always seem to be available at Greek festivals. As much as I like Greek festivals, they can get pricey for their a la carte pricing. If I have room after the meat, potatoes/fries, and baklava, I might try these. And they are also good. This conversation is useful because it's reminding me not to miss out on National Donut Day!

That was it ... the 4.0 inline 6. I'm sure it would have easily busted past 200K, but you kept it for a good 17 years. Thanks for the info on when these engines were last slotted into these cars. I'm better with these sorts of facts when they apply to GM vehicles that I've been a big fan of!

Jeeps are interesting. Some of them are more attractive than others. They have had a wide variety of engines. I have only ridden in one Jeep and it was a Grand Cherokee (Limited or up-level version) that a boss had. It had the V8, probably 5.8 L if in the 2000s, and probably 360 if measured in c.i. (I'm guessing). On one occasion, I had to drive it somewhere and I actually enjoyed driving it. It rode very well. The funny thing is that they tend to make the "avoid" list some auto journalists put together and I don't know why. When was the last year that a Jeep was fitted with an all cast iron inline 6 or 4? From what I've heard, Jeeps with inline 6s were the vehicles to have ... for the long haul.

Very glad to see you back posting, Cort, and I hope you're doing well.

You can probably make multiple stops ... just like one does during a "Costco lunch."

Random but timely thought: TOMORROW is National Donut Day. Check the chains and the indies for their specials so you can scarf down a donut or two.

Spotted this past weekend in the same parking lot. The owner of this immaculate old Mopar convertible was friendly enough. Those wheels look similar to the long-lived Buick alloys. I forgot which model this was since they made some nameplates that didn't stick around long, even when Mopar was chugging along smoothly. (Remember the short-lived Mirada?) Now, the owner of this vehicle was a different story. He got sort of miffed with me that I thought it was a kit car. He said it's an original 1965. BFD. I wouldn't own one. It was just unusual, so I took some photos.

I did this. I used to pay the GM dealer about $ 40 to do this every few years. This time around, I paid less than $ 25 for this Bosch filter and $ 0 for labor by doing it myself.* It is accessed from the engine bay, even though it is indeed behind the glove box. You get to look straight into the blower motor as you do this! *proof that YouTube is your friend

It's an interesting place, in it's own way. Mostly, I like that one can put in some jaunts to Galveston, which seems to be coming along and, sadly, getting more gentrified and expensive. I can see that about driving there. And would probably agree with that, of the cities listed. This might weave in some politics, but I was miffed watching this. I was in H-town in Feb. of 2020 and it was evening rush hour time, so it was backed up on one of the feeder roads to I-45 south of the city. There was this dark haired bearded guy his 30s in a big white newer raised Ram truck stuck in this traffic. In front of him was this middle aged brunette lady in a VW Jetta. She was going the speed limit and then stopping as the traffic crawled, but he was riding her tail and getting aggressive toward her. There were no political stickers on her car, nor on his truck. I glanced over and he seemed really angry. I'm almost sure that it was because, the month before, the election didn't turn out the way he wanted and he had to channel that anger. Having just been down there again, it's amazing, and stereotypical, what I see on cars, trucks, and properties in white suburbia that's both not very klassy (yes, with a k) and seems to have good disposable income ... probably from working in the trades, working in energy, or working in a higher paying govt. job.

Let's see: "four of these are of the Found On Road yada yada variety while the other vehicle is not?"

Can't peg Bryan Adams' musical style ... it's like an interpolation of that of various other musical artists. I believe he's Canadian. This is one of his better songs.

Cool about the Fiero. "Iron Duke" action! I see this sort of racing about once a month. Except that I don't see a highway patrol car around when one needs to be on hand. I don't find this stuff fun(ny) at all. They dart in between cars with very little distance to spare and it could all end so tragically, especially for the people who drive in a law abiding manner. Texas has its own culture. Here are a few sightings from a few weeks ago: I can't imagine too many V6 Chargers in Texas! And this was no V6. I always get a chuckle out of the Texas edition of the Silverado. It's a both self regarding and a self fulfilling prophecy. - - - - - Speaking of freeway racing, I saw a bit of it in and around Houston in just a matter of days. And I didn't see anyone getting pulled over.

On a short road trip this holiday weekend and this song, albeit the original 3 to 4 minute version, is in my collection. This rendition is a bit long, but the visual effects are very cool. This song is timeless and great on the interstate. I love this song.

The Arteon has a "high" price point. They start in the low $40s. They needed to cover the middle ground between Jetta and Arteon, in the high $20s.

Let's not underestimate sedan trunks. One of my friend's brothers would borrow his parents' full-size Pontiac, stuff a few people in the trunk, and drive up to and through the box office booths at the drive-in. Just one person. In a big Pontiac. And, once this big Pontiac was parked, he opened the trunk and let his friends out. It's not too smart to begin with. But wouldn't it also look weird to nearby parked cars that the trunk of this big car pops open and teenagers start climbing out of it?

Too funny! I'm native to that place and I'm nothing like the stereotype ... and never was! Except for maybe the irreverence and sarcasm that people will let fly there. I feel more at home in your city of Montreal. If only it had a mild winter. I will say that what's likeable about L.A. is the setting and the weather ... and that's really about it. The "culture," the value system, and the edgy people are pretty messed up. I'd say more than half of the people I grew up with have left. Many stayed in the state, but went to far less crowded or rural areas of it, including the desert (where they cannot allow their pets to be outside alone on their properties). Others left the state altogether and went to America's second tier cities. Once you've adjusted to a "second tier" metro area (Denver, Portland, Twin Cities, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, etc.), you will have no desire to go back to L.A. Even visiting L.A. is stressful because you are constantly reminded that it has lost its livability.

I call this the "Santa Monica Blvd. song" and it seems to be the song most readily attributed to Sheryl Crow. At about :55, she mentions DATSUNS and Buicks, so this is a little dated! At least she doesn't want to eat Subarus, as per the lyrics from some other song of about that time.

There is really another big issue here. Most of us here have advanced critical thinking skills and a critical eye when it comes to automobiles. (It's almost to an OCD level, if not already there!) There's a fairly big difference with what can be done stylistically with 3 volumes than with 2 volumes. It's a little harder to adhere to corporate branding and make SUVs/CUVs that are easier to differentiate from each other. That said, automotive designers have quite a bit more stylistic leverage with sedans and coupes. One only needs to think about some of the sedans and coupes that C&Gers love so much.

The coupe scenario is in even worse shape. Large coupes were once popular and, for those who didn't need 4 doors, they functioned much like sedans in terms of mechanics, features, ride, reliability, etc. This isn't about pull, but about push. The consumer is not dictating what the market is putting out. The manufacturer is deciding, and then a person is funneled to whatever is available. As for the remaining sedans, the Malibu will be biting the dust. And so will the Charger. The loss of the Charger will be especially sad, since it's such a nice substantial car and an excellent value in base form. The Camry may stick around but its looks need to be cleaned up, modernized, and/or toned down. I believe the Passat is also gone, based on looking at the VW site. I had come to like the Passat. I was fueling my car a few days ago and was talking to the driver of a 5 year old Passat. He really liked his car and said it has been very reliable. VW continues to offer geared automatic transmissions, which is a big plus. He was astonished to learn that the Passat may have come to the end of its journey. Consumers do want sedans. The manufacturers are not making them available to the extent to which there is a market for them. That's how I read it.

Yesterday, without even thinking of this thread, I thought I was "spotting." Instead, I'll use the photo here. Here's the car that is the subject of this thread, shown in an interesting maroon-cinnamon type metallic color. It looks good in this color This car is growing on me. Not only that, it's built in Germany for Buick.

escargot

WASP

More "Texas Excess" - limos where their owners don't seem to worry too much about gas prices ... A stretched Escalade seen in the "Bay Area," which is south of town, about halfway to Galveston, and close to the NASA complex. A stretched Chrysler 300 seen at the '70s looking Bush Intercontinental (could that be intergalactic) Airport (IAH), the main airport.

Seen along Westheimer (yes, Westheimer) just inside the Inner Loop en route to the Galleria. The license plate frame says "NXCESS." That might be a different way of saying "Poverty Sucks."