Intrepidation

The Caliber has been a good sales success for them...so hatches can be popular. bet teh styling fools people into thinking it's a small SUV so that's why they buy it. I hate how this country can't get over our big, stupid SUVs and refuses to except more economical hatches because it's "not cool".

Mhmm. Exactly, it's damn shame when someone junks a car because the engine or transmission goes. I mean, especially if you bought the car new. Sure, it's frustrating to put a sizeable chunk of money into a new engine, but you're throwing away a car that's still worth 6+ grand not to mention the money you paid for when it was new! That white one had 87,000 miles on it. I once saw a first gen Aurora at that yard, it was black. It was a shame to see it there, although I don't feel as bad because I don't own one. If I did I'd feel a lot worse. Oh if only I had money to spend, I'd pick up those 4 and put new engines in them and sell them for a profit to caring owners...maybe keep the white one.

So today I made a trip to my favorite junkyard for the Shadow. I was hoping to find one with a 2.5L so I could see how the vacuum hoses by the throttle body hooked up. here were a few disconnected and I couldn't figure out where they went, and neither could Sixty8. As you may know, I finally replaced the value cover gasket...so there should no longer be any major oil leaks. My first real work on an engine, and it was very rewarding to it myself. Anyway, all they had was a 3.0 V6 Duster, and a 2.5 Spirit, but the Spirit had different vacuum hose routing. With that attempt failed, I decided to wonder around and see what else they had. There was a Mercury Meteor for $1,000 which has a cencet body from what I can tell but I don't know if it runs or not. There was also an old Nova intact by the front too...that's where they lump relatively new arrivals. There was also a dark pruple Prizm from which I can grab the necessary parts from whenever my settlement is finally...settled. Shadows and Prizms don't really bother me...they are old cars so I expect a few to be in the junkyard. But there were no fewer than 5 2nd gen Intrepid in there...of them only one was a 3.2 and was there because it was totaled. There's a blue one like mine towards the corner next to a red one. The blue makes me sad because it looks so much like mine...although it has a front bench. The real sad part though was a white Intrepid nearby a silver one. This one was missing it's rear bumper, passenger rear wheel and had a flat tire on the driver's rear side. I opened the door to peer inside and discovered the light still came on...and the keys were in the ignition. I do the same thing I always do when I find a car like tis...I try to start it. Sure enough, after a couple seconds the engine fired up...which told me why it was here: it had a horrible knock in the engine. This isn't like the sound I have...it's much, much louder and can be heard over the A/C...which worked! (and very well, much better than mine ). It really hurt inside to see this particular car here, still alive but dying a painful death and only to end up in the crusher soon enough. I sat in it for a little while and cooled off from the 93 degree heat...listened to the radio too. After 10 minutes or so I shut the car off...perhaps for the last time, and also rolled the windows up out of respect, and then took the key fob and locked it...although I unlocked the driver's door so someone could get in to take parts without having to brake the window. The guy at the front desk, who knows me pretty well by now, let me take it for free...so now I don't have to pay $50 for a 2nd one for my car, just to have it programed. I'm a sentimental fool, I know. The worst part is 4 of the 5 cars shouldn't be there. Actually, the worst part may be the sound I heard. While the sound itself sounds nothing like the noise I hear, it does speed up as the rpm increases...like how mine does. It's much, much worse though...I don't know if the source of the sound is one and the same, but it scares me a bit. Mine will not end in the scrap yard though. Is it stupid to feel this way?

I'm very sorry to hear about you problems...it's a sad state of affairs when brand loyalty seems to mean nothing to one of these companies, especially when they need all of the loyalty and good word they can get. As ocn said, the Charger and Mustang are fine cars, but for your sake and perhaps GM's too, it would be nice if you could find someone at GM who actually cared and made you feel like a valued customer, so you stayed with them.

Mid 20's and my Cobalt won't even make it to 25 mpg?!

Bite me.

T/A all the way dude.

I like potholes, I really do...especially the ones on the Lucerne..in fact I wouldn't even mind a set and I don't mind if people do it to there cars if done right. A dark blue 300C with 4 ventiports on each side that looked like arrow heads is cool. But this...is just stupid. Those round aftermarket ones...I see them everywhere. 4 on each side of a 4-banger 90's Accord, 3 on each side of a new 4-banger Camry..and the worst by far... 4 of them on each side of a 90's A4 and another 4 on the rear lower bumper. Do people even know what they mean when they slap these things on? According to this guy his older A4 was packing a W12 or something.

Older people buy the Camry, so he should wait until his like 60 and then he'll be right in line with the Camry's age demographic.

FTW!

I must confess...I like that one!

I love the G8 and I love the new emblem. It's sleek and a bit conservative but refreshingly handsome next to the hideous G6...don't make me bust out the GXP photos.

Sorry Oldsmoboi, but the fact that you think the Taurus, with it's knock-off last gen Passat or Audi greenhouse, slab sides, and "let's shove a Gillette in the front grill to make it look more original and add Altezza tail lights" styling is more original and/or better looking than this makes me think you're on some of the strongest kool-aid ever...probably stole it from Toyota's PR department.

Love those headlights, very complex and expensive looking. The front looks very elegant yet bold at the same time...I can't wait to see it.

Sounds a lot like teh strategy Toyota uses for many of its hybrids.

Looks like you'll be needing those anyway!

Yes because who wants to face the rear passengers and actually carry a conversation with them, or play game on the table or eat off of a table? Yes, totally dumb. But if you don't like them than get Stow `n Go...good luck finding either feature from teh competition...and good luck finding a minivan from the other Doemstics...unless you count thegiant $h!-brick Ford Fux.

That and you can pick one up with a Saturn badge at your local Saturn dealer. To me Opel offers GM NA their knowhow in European ride and handling, which the new Vue is being praised for, and they also gave Saturn styling that didn't suck for the first time in its life. It's not the godsend that PCS makes it out to be, but it is a valuable devision that will help GM NA out here just like Holden is a valuable devision for different reasons.

It looks like it's sneaking up to and ready to pounce on the Mazda and eat it for parts! Must have sheetmetal...mmm.

Ouch, that's some bad rust, but sides that it looks ok...and if you can get the body panels it'll look pretty decent and maybe be the best running vehicle you guys have!

Six or seven is less than half of what they've got. And judging by the names these people gave their kids and the fact that they are hoome skoold by these very parents, tells me they won't go on to become productive member of society.

Indeed, they have a lot of neat features in their cars...it's just too bad they don't wrap them in better interior materials. But as said, they aren't the worst...in fact I find teh Compass' materials and texturing better than the Cobalt's...at least the one I have.

Powder Coating is much more durable than paint.