Mach5GTP

Not mad, but... uh... puzzled? :blink: Puzzled and ready to get re-aquainted with today's lunch. Anyone who thinks 90's Pontiacs had a lot of body cladding should look at some of the cars in that link. They make my GTP look positively minimalist by comparison! :P EDIT- by way of saving the day, there are some nice American rides here: http://tanetane92.web.infoseek.co.jp/20050626ncs.html A few nicely customized, too- check out the beautiful chopped white Continental! Plus some cool Japanese rides further down the page (a 75-76ish Civic similar to mine!), and still more car-aziness as in Bimmer's link. :rolleyes:

Ditto the above for the screeching sound, but don't count on the WD-40 to be a permanent fix, it's just for diagnosis. If it is a belt, the noise might change when you turn the steering while the car's stopped; does it do that? If you don't hear this sound when the car is stopped, it could be worn brake pads, possibly even bare steel backing plates chewing into the rotor- ouch! :o As for the hard starting, it could be the fuel injection or fuel pump. You might have an injector that is leaking slightly; upon shutting off the car, the pressure that remains in the fuel rail will force fuel into a cylinder, causing a rich condition upon restarting. Only once that excess fuel is pushed out and/or burned will the car start and run normally (the Mach 5 is doing this these days :( ). IIRC there is a check valve in the fuel pump which keeps fuel from draining back into the tank and out of the fuel lines. If it is leaking, then there is not enough fuel "at the ready" to start the engine, it must be brought back up from the tank instead of already being in the lines. The injector leaking issue usually only happens upon hot restarting; if the car sits long enough, that excess dribbled fuel in the cylinder evaporates and the engine will start normally; you should also see excess smoke out the tailpipe once it restarts and runs while still hot. Holding the gas pedal wide open will also helpp start easier if a leaking injector is at fault. The fuel pump check valve issue won't show you any excess smoke, and gas pedal position should not make a difference. HTH; BTW, this is all from personal experience, YMMV. http://www.cheersandgears.com/public/style_emoticons//AH-HA_wink.gif

I hate having to do anything w/ engine coolant, be it a simple drain/fill or radiator replacement. The stuff just stinks to high heaven, and once it's on you it seems like it takes all day to get it off, even after multiple hand washings. Bleagh! A close second is trans fluid/filter changes. I only have a jack and stands at my parents' garage, so the car is never quite high enough to make it comfortable. Since I don't trust those DIY trans pan drain plugs they sell, it's a very messy and long job to loosen the pan and catch the trans fluid, or at least some of it. Then that damn little steel/rubber filter bushing always gives me grief to come out. A few months ago I had to do my mom's 02 Impala and my wife's Aztek- same trans, same headaches. The Mach 5 is overdue for this service too but she'll have to wait until I can recover. :rolleyes: This one's my own fault, but every year (sometimes twice a year) I need to repaint my brake calipers. The particular shade of candy apple blue that I like isn't made in a true caliper paint kit, so the spray I use only lasts a few months. I *love* the results, and so do other people who've complemented me on the look, but it's a drag having to redo them. And thx for the suggestion, but I don't think they make powder coat in that shade, and I couldn't afford it if they did anyway. http://www.cheersandgears.com/public/style_emoticons//AH-HA_wink.gif

I think I have plans for one of those weekends, but even if I'm free, it might be hard to get away, w/ the baby and all. :( Please post your starting point when you decide on one, maybe I can send you off at least. I used to do this exact sort of thing when I first started to drive, I'd just wander off on Friday nights in my 78 Civic, and come back home at 1am or so, where my dad and his buddies would still be in the garage drinking and BSing. I think they all found my wanderlust amusing... :rolleyes:

I did, and believe it or not, nothing! I've had good luck Googling for lyrics in teh past, but this one has me stumped. I think if I could remember more of the lyrics I might have better Google luck.

It's a song from the late 80s or early 90s IIRC, about a guy comparing his GF to a female praying mantis, referring to her predatory nature (FYI female praying mantises decapitate their mates during intercourse- yeah, you thought bleeding scratches on your back were bad! :o :P ). Here are some lyrics: "She bit off his head so he could not feel the pain. She wanted his body so much she ate his brain. But I survived, it was on TV She had 6 strong legs and it frightened me. She had insect eyes, but I could still see That the look she gave him you give to me. I feel like a praying mantis <something-something>..." Don't even know the title, but apparently it's not "Praying Mantis". I love this song, but I don't know all the lyrics and Google has proven useless. Help a brother out! :blink:

I was just about to post about this article, just got the issue in my mailbox here at work. Nice article, intersting tech info. I love the cover shot on the magazine, an x-ray view of sorts showing the inner workings. :) That's a cool shot of the bare chassis, too. If I could get just that much of a Solstice, I could prop a milk crate in there and pretend... :(

Ah. OK. :blink: I'm married, I don't need this kind of stimulation. Did anyone else notice that her bikini bottom appears to be added into the pic, i.e. photochopped? Note esp. where it crosses her fingers, and along her... right... thigh. <sigh> Strangely, her top does seem to be genuine, at least to me. Hmmm...

Gah! Doesn't it seem like C&D does the same sports sedan comparison several times a year? Enough already! Is the $30-40k sport sedan market really that big? It is? Crap. <_<

Wow, does this thread bring back memories... I too ahve been down "the one-sided road"- hell, I practically "adopted" a stretch of that road, like the Boy Scouts do! :P My advice, speaking as a straight, married 34y.o. male, is as follows: don't be blinded so much by what you want that you miss other opportunities. In college, I was mad about a girl, I'll call her M. She lived near me (I still lived w/ my parents), so I would drive her to school and home most days. We shared a few classes, so we hung out a lot at school, and even afterwards to study. We were pretty close, but our relationship was purely platonic, since she had a BF and didn't (sigh) "think of me that way". But I convinced myself that if I stayed close to her, someday she would see (ugh) what a great catch I was and she would be mine. I became so obsessed w/ her, that I totally ignored other girls I knew who, in hindsight, seemed pretty interested in me. One was M's roommate, J, a fun-loving, kick-boxing free spirit. She would find me studying alone in the science library, and proceed to push my materials aside and sprawl herself, half seductively, half jokingly, across the table. She would hint at wanting me to go back to her hometown with her to meet her family and friends. We even went out a few times on what might have been "dates". We were pretty close, too, but I was thick as 5 posts and couldn't see what could have been. And oh, what could have been! :booyah: There was another girl, and the story is similar; she was more shy but always sat next to me in class and such. Sometimes I would sit with my foot on the seat, knee raised up, and she would tickle my knee, sending a very strong sensation straight to a certain male region. :omfg: And I never did a thing because I was waiting for "the big one". Which of course never happened. My point (and I do have one) is that you should not limit yourself to this friend who makes you feel so good- keep your eyes open, don't shut out others who may look at you the same way you look at this friend, for in a few years, the butt you kick may be your own. Good luck and for God's sake have some fun!

HOLY CRAP, are those real?!! L! O! L! :lol: Right-click, "Save As"... http://www.cheersandgears.com/public/style_emoticons//AH-HA_wink.gif

:omfg: that Hurst/Olds is AWESOME!! Yeah, the deck is too short, but I'll take it! I might ahve to weasel my way into a Hobby Lobby today at lunch, the H/O is one of my top 5 fave Olds's's's's. :P I've seen that Toronado, too, it's nice. I shoulda bought it. Seems to me that the wheels on many 1/64th die-cast cars are tucked too far into the wheelwell, esp. the 76 Olds and the Chevelle in your pic. That's probably a physical limitation, based on the thickness of the fender lip at that scale. Thanks for sharing!

Good tips. Also, and for the love of God, don't have things "growing" from your car, like trees or lightposts behind it or in the background; nothing ruins a nice shot like a flagpole appearing to jut prominently from your sunroof. An example from personal experience: I wouldn't say it's "ruined", but the cement lightpole behind my car distracts. I really wanted that angle, and the post was a necessary evil. (That's a friend's GORgeous 69 GP LJ, BTW. :bowdown: ) Here's a fave of mine: I wish the other car weren't back there, but it was a spur-of-the-moment shot. I used to call this one "The Jesus Prix", because of the "light from on high"-style effect, until I decided it was a little blasphemous. :o :P Also, and this may just be me, but I am not fond of people in car pics, unless they're posing with it. Again, nothing dumber than a nice shot of a cool car, and somebody watering his lawn in the background. :blink:

You mean a hubcap. I have to wonder what the long-term surface durability is like, not to mention possible noise and up-close appearance. Those Ferrari-bodied Fiero kit cars "look" like Ferraris, too, but they're not. I'll take my chances w/ my white alloys, thanks...

And he appears to be self-flagellating, too! FWIW, I have a new avatar. I drew that in MS Paintbrush years ago, by hand and totally eyeballed, i.e. no measurements, etc. Since then I've seen the same drawing modified and used by other people, which is a pretty cool feeling. BTW, can someone please tell me what this means: I never know when I can use it!

<single tear rolls slowly down cheek>

I'm a huge Pontiac fan, but if I couldn't be for some reason, I'd be an Olds man. A good family friend bought, brand new, a 1987 Cutlass Supreme, very much like the one in mustang84's post above. I was absolutely in *LUST* with that car! Just gorgeous from every angle, very possibly even better looking than that era's Grand Prix- and I happen to *love* those GPs. One of the classiest cars in GM's recent history IMHO. In the 90s I liked the Calais and Cutlass coupes, esp. the convertible. And the mighty Hurst Olds from 83 and 84, I can't remember which was black and which was silver. It may not have been truly *fast*, but it was cooler than hell. And the big 88s and 98s from the 90s, esp. the SC'd ones. Sweet. Several Olds in my family history, now that I think about it. One of the first cars my parents had after coming to this country in 1971 was an Olds Delmont 88. And my brother's been holding on to his 70 Cutlass S for over 20 years now- he'll restore it one of these days. :rolleyes: Our dad even got hold of a 2nd 70 Cutlass, red w/ black vinyl top, and kept that for a few months. If I'd had my license at that time I might in fact be an Olds guy right now! :rolleyes: :P My favorite Olds of all time: our 76 Custom Cruiser Aircraft Carrier- I mean, wagon. The perfect car for our family of 4 kids- so big inside that while on car trips we had to exchange insults and teases thru the Post Office. :blink: The disappearing tailgate and backlight were just the cat's pajamas. Such a beautiful vehicle. It was only a year old when we got it, and my dad surprised us by bringing it home one night, telling us he was borrowing it from a friend and customer- then my brother found the sale papers in the glovebox while we oohed and ahhed over it. :omfg:

The "parking lot" behind my apt. building. The alley behind the bldg is gravel, not paved or even concrete, so there's a constant haze of gravel dust in the air- and on my paint- except when it's wet out, in which case it's mud. There's a nasty old tree overhead that is constantly dropping either leaves, seeds, or sap. It's far enough away to look like the stuff won't get my car, but nature is very resourceful in that respect. And for some reason, the space I was assigned has this huge depression just to the left of the car, half-ass filled in w/ golf-ball-sized rocks but which nonetheless fills with water when it rains, causing me to drag dirty water into my car for a full day after it rains. A fun game is trying not to twist my ankle navigating the damn pit... :rolleyes: It's not easy being me... :(

Kiss it? Hell, I'll bow down, kiss it, and then go on from there!! :bowdown: :wub: :metal:

How about a trivia game where we are to guess the car by its silhouette alone? Or another game, where we guess by the car's frontal light arrangement? Maybe someone can start this- me, I'm just an idea man... ;)

Probably what's left of the sonar array, I imagine quite classified in nature. I'm actually a little surprise they showed these pics at all. FWIW, I don't believe they run active sonar while cruising submerged, since it would give away their location. IIRC they rely mostly on underwater charts that are (supposed to be) ultra-accurate. I'm just a landlubber, tho... :)

LOL, I agree! (Except possibly about the "brilliant" part... :P ) It's just not an attractive vehicle- it's trying to be modern, yet "classic", while trying (and failing) to avoid looking like a PT Cruiser. :rolleyes:

I love that diecast!! I mean, I *lUv* it, almost inappropriately... :blink: Could be the only way I'll ever get my grubby mitts on a Solstice. I wonder, tho: I've seen 2 diff brands of Solstice diecasts on eBay, one by Yat Ming and one by Road-something. Anybody familiar w/ these? They look the same, hard to tell in a few little pics. Both dirt cheap tho, less than this Solstice site IIRC.

All this discussion is interesting, but we're missing the important point here: what's with all the cats under the red Cobalt? :lol:

I haven't been able to decipher what this one means, exactly: Also, I couldn't figure out what that "right snapback" line in quoting replies meant until just now- it's the code for that little arrow on the right of the post, isn't it? I am so smart! S-M-R-T- I mean S-M-A-R-R-T!