Drew Dowdell

I had my eye on that 7-series also, but I was going to be in enough trouble buying the 2-wheel BMW as it was. As I recall, the 7-series did leave the property under its own power.

And one of them stayed in the extended family...

Do you mean the PRR M1? They were absolute beasts. Not purdy, but all muscle. Even when diesels were coming online, the heaviest trains were still given to the M1. One M1b has been saved and is in storage, though it will never run again. The tender from another M1 has been saved and will be the tender for the new PRR T-1 5550 that is being constructed by the T-1 Trust

The Telluride details will be out on 11/10. I have them already, but they're embargoed.

I've never heard that about the S1 and I know a lot about the S1. The S1 had problems, but flex and vibration weren't really it. The problem was really how long the wheelbase was and that on less than perfect track, a drive wheel could lift off the rail ever so slightly and cause wheel slip. I've often wondered if the design of this engine and the PRR T-1 had included gearing between the 2nd and 3rd drive axles to make both engines operate as one, would the problem have been resolved. What is impressive about the Mallard and the entire A4 class is that they are roughly 2/3s the size of the big American streamline steam. Though never officially recorded, both the T-1 and S-1 are said to have beaten the Mallard's record on regular runs, not just a special event. But it really shouldn't be a surprise since their boilers and boiler pressure capacity are so much higher than the A4. Get a T-1 out on the straight track between Cleveland and Chicago and it could do 130 - 140 the whole way, leaving the 126 mph Mallard way behind. This beauty, which still runs, was engineered for a top speed of 140, but only ever maxed out at 100. It's got tiny "legs" though with short drive wheels and it's claim to fame was that it could maintain 100 mph with a heavy train over the mountains. This was the pinnacle of steam technology.

It's painful to be an auto enthusiast these days. All of the fighting over stupid political shit is such a turn off. Like what you like and don't yuk other people's yums.

So stop it.

Unfortunately, it's no longer possible to disconnect politics from automotive. There once was a time when the U.S. government just set safety and efficiency standards and let the rest of automotive go about its day. Now we have an activist government that is breaking apart decades or even century old auto manufacturing supply chains to try and score political points without any contingency plans in place. It has forced our closest trading partners into an "enemy of my enemy is my friend" stance and pushed them to make deals with China instead of us. It has undone progress the prior administration made in bringing manufacturing back to the US via EV regulations, entirely counter to the current admin's stated goals. It's all just so stupid and unnecessary, but there's no way to avoid it anymore. I too long for the days when we could just complain about CAFE standard or the weight gained from improving crash scores.

Different account. You're thinking of @VenSeattle. All of the accounts were new signups that got through 2 layers of spam filters. I pay for an extra layer of spam security for this site, that's why incidents like this are relatively rare compared to other sites. The first line spam firewall has blocked over 5,400 attacks over the last 7 days, and it's like that every week. So 11 getting through once every few months is still fantastic results. There's a second layer of spam filter as well. These spammers were reported to both.

And by '94 they had the LT-1 which made the 4,500 lb Fleetwood an 8.5 second car, and the Roadmaster 4,250 lb sedan an 8 second car. That sounds pokey by today's standards, but this was 30+ years ago and an 8.5 second Fleetwood is still way faster than most people need to be driving.

The 2.8 liter V6. Very complex 30 valve engines. Not the most powerful at a modest 190 hp, but buuuutter smooth and surprising low end torque.

2001 - 2004

Extreeeeeemly rare. There was a guy near me that had one in black. Wild machines.

I think its an appropriate update to keep with the times. I don't think they'll keep it in production long. Maybe 3 years and then a new platform. Being the cheapest non-Nissan EV, having pretty fast charging, and available super cruise makes it a compelling entry.

Before anyone complains that there isn't an increase in range, they switched to LFP batteries that have a lower energy density but a much better fast charge resilience profile. LFPs last a lot longer without degradation, they are cheaper and more environmentally friendly, and can fast charge better and without long term damage.

That's because the blundering idiot did tariffs wrong. Tariffs should only be used to protect existing or newly emerging industries, or in cases where a country is dumping products (like China did with solar panels and wind turbine equipment, and will do with batteries). Biden got the tariffs on Chinese EVs right because it paired that with domestic incentives to build those battery factories here. Obama reacted to the Chinese economic threat too late on solar panels and the entire domestic solar panel manufacturing industry got wiped out. Tariffs can be a useful tool when used with some precision. This is just a big senile orange elephant swinging a wrecking ball. The catch there is that they're both made in china. Those on the lower end of the economic ladder who are on the right do have a valid grievance with the way the economy is set up. While they are wrong about its cause, ignoring their needs has clearly resulted in suffering for the rest of us.

You wanna have Chinese wages in the US too? One of my clients outsources their helpdesk to the Philippines. I've been involved in the hiring process and what they're paying the outsourcing company (who takes a cut) for a month salary is half what someone would make working in the US at federal minimum wage. I'm sure China is similar.

I always liked that face too. My post earlier today has me looking at W210 diesels as my business vehicle... because I'm like on day 1 of no more car payment of course. lol

Yeah, my mom probably found it on sale. My parents liked Sears, Sears Surplus, and BeST (A chain that is nearly impossible to google). It's funny, in my family that you can tell who bought something by where it was bought. My grandmother who just passed last year was a Bloomingdales and Strawbridge & Clothier lady. My great grandparents on the other side were Wannamakers. Other grandmother was JC Penny and Sears. Albert's family was all Kaufmann's and Horn's.

Stephen Miller 10/6/2025: “A district court judge has no conceivable authority whatsoever to restrict the President…” Hitler, Reichstag speech (1933): “The German nation will no longer tolerate that its will be nullified by judges of a corrupt system.” Miller: “The President has undisputed authority under both statute and the Constitution to deploy troops… to defend a federal facility.” Hitler Speech, Berlin 1934: “The Führer alone is the bearer of the will of the nation; his authority is the highest law.” Miller: “This large-scale political violence is domestic terrorism.” Hitler, Munich 1923: “Whoever resists us is not a political opponent but an enemy of the nation, deserving no mercy.” Miller: “The Portland Police have refused to render aid and assistance to ICE officers… The attacks on ICE are violent armed resistance designed to incapacitate the federal government.” Goebbels, 1934: “Whoever obstructs the work of the state, whoever aids its enemies, commits treason against the nation.” Miller: “We’re going to liberate this city from the criminal element that has plagued it for generations.” Hitler, Reichstag speech, 1933: “We will liberate Germany from the poison that has corroded it from within for generations.” Stephen miller, Memphis speech to LEOs: “I see the guns and badges in this room. You are unleashed. The handcuffs you’re carrying—they’re not on you anymore, they’re on the criminals.” Hitler, Speech to SA and SS, 1934: “You are the soldiers of a new Germany. You are released from the weakness of the past—your duty is to act, not to hesitate.” They're not even hiding the plagiarism.

Back when I was first driving, I was firmly in the GM and Lincoln camp. Import cars did not really attract me, but there was one. I much prefer the split headlight versions, but the peanut headlight CLK Cabrio is not something I'd say no to. I do still keep an eye out for a late-run W210 sedan with a diesel.

I had one of those Nissan Zs as a really large plastic car as a kid, it was a favorite. I think I'm going to treat myself to a nice vintage turntable this Christmas. My old El'Cheapo turntable from when I was 16 bit the dust a few years ago and I just dropped it off for recycling last week. I bought it new at Bradlees circa 1994 if anyone remembers that place.

Anyone working a Fairfax who is surprised by this hasn't been paying attention. The plant keeps losing product, first the Malibu and then the XT4. The next gen Bolt isn't ready yet. It really doesn't have anything to do with tariffs though, it should be getting more product due to tariffs, not less. They should move Envision production there because it is mechanically similar to the XT4, and then make some Buick EVs off of Bolt.

no, but this month is 18 years together.

eh, I'm mean yeah there's gonna be some issues in automotive finance, but I'm not sure that a 10 year old Cruze with bad transmission and the owner still owes $1900 is really evidence of that. I took over the loan on my father-in-law's Cruze after he couldn't drive anymore, and aside from it not having cruise-control, it was a perfectly fine little car. It ran nicely, rode nicely, and could tickle 40mpg on highway trips. Every once in a while I see an LTZ in that dark green and they were handsome in that setup.