Ed pitched a perfect no-hitter yesterday, with the clue to his hot new love object. And I struck out, once again: the 2002’s distinctive rear tail light trim was instantly identified by vermontwalton, a former owner. I should know better: if you’ve ever washed and waxed a car repeatedly, every detail becomes intimately familiar. So how many out there have rubbed your hands over this detail: does it feel familiar?
We spent Labor Day doing what we like best: driving into the mountains and hiking to a remote lake. The wild huckleberries and blueberries at Vivian Lake were ripe, and there was a hint of fall in the crisp dry air and brilliant blue sky. And on the way back, we made the obligatory refreshment stop in Oakridge. For years, that was at the DQ, right on Hwy. 58. Now that the kids are gone and our tastes have changed, we meander into the mostly boarded-up downtown to the recently-opened Brewer’s Union Local 180, for authentic English-style beer from their own casks and excellent food. And of course, the Curbside Classics that line the side streets.
Would you pre-pay $25 in order to drive at ninety for twenty-four hours on Nevada’s highway’s? Nonpartisan Nevada gubernatorial candidate Eugene “Gino” DiSimone thinks so. According to his projections, his so called “free (fee?) limit plan” would generate $1.3 billion per year, helping solve Nevada’s budget crisis. The math seems a little sketchy, but here it is: (Read More…)
There’s a wise old saying that warns not to propose marriage to a woman until you’ve met her mother. What if potential MIL is out of the country for an extended period, and you’re in a hurry? You could do what I did in 1977: look in the garage to see what she drives. There I found a BMW 2002 stashed securely away. And it wasn’t an automatic either. It’s all I needed to know: “Stephanie, will you marry me?” (Read More…)
Well, my attempt at slowing you down was totally futile. And (to my knowledge), we have a double winner: tklockau won for the second time in a row. Must try harder…but I wouldn’t be surprised if I’ve failed again.
Instead of a “screaming chicken”, the 1979 Firebird Trans Am should have a pterodactyl on the hood. This is truly a living dinosaur, the very last direct descendant of the the original big block/hi-po pony car. Once a thriving species during the golden performance car era, it was all but wiped out by that great natural calamity, the 1974 energy crisis. Challenger, Barracuda, Mustang, Javelin; even its stablemate the Camaro Z28; by 1975 they were all extinct or in deep hibernation. Only the Trans Am hung in there, and then just by a whisker, or a feather, in this case.
But Pontiac’s risky gamble to press on against the odds had a huge payoff: not only did Trans Am sales explode by the end of the decade, but it came to symbolize the whole genre. Rarely has one car so dominated the American public’s awareness: in the second half of the seventies, the Trans Am became the icon of the American performance car, for better or for worse. (Read More…)
Sorry about the small photo, but I’m desperate to slow you guys down. The winner of the Celica Clue was tklockau, who’s guess of a “small bumper (pre-Fed bumper) Celica was close enough, since it appears that the same grille was used through the ’74 models.
Too many cars shot, not enough time to write them all up. Here’s a few outtakes whose names are (hopefully) worth sharing. (Read More…)
Fifty years old, and this venerable Ford is still working hard, hauling construction supplies and debris for its young owner who traded it for “some drywall work”. But in addition to just still being on the job, this F-600 caught me eye for another reason: (Read More…)
Nature abhors a vacuum, and so does journalism. GM has been trumpeting the Volt’s 40 mile target AER (all electric range) since it was first announced on January 7, 2007. From that very day three years and eight months ago, journalists and enthusiasts have been asking The Big Volt Question: what is its fuel economy in CSM (charge sustaining mode)? There has never been an answer, except that at the 2007 announcement Bob Lutz “reasoned that…(after the battery was depleted) the engine sipping fuel at a rate of 50 m.p.g.” An early target or a Lutzian wild speculation that GM soon refused to verify or qualify. Ever.
Fast forward to August 24, 2010: gm-volt announces that an astute reader has made a screen capture of an Aol Volt test drive promo video, that indicated that the Volt traveled 16.1 miles after the battery depleted and used .59 gallons, equaling 27.3 mpg. Did anyone really think that was a truly representative fuel economy for the Volt, not knowing precisely the conditions under which it occurred? Note the word “Hints” prominently in TTAC’s story. So far, it’s been the only shred of evidence to The Big Volt Question. But rather than use this fantastic PR opportunity to state a target CSM mileage figure, which could only (presumably) look good compared to that 27 mpg number; GM’s Volt Communications person Phil Colley (pictured above) states it delicately:
Yours (plugincars,com) and the other stories yesterday and today show a complete lack of understanding of the process and are quite frankly, lazy reporting.
Today’s Curbside Classic is a precautionary tale; a lesson in how difficult it is to predict the future, and how humbling it can be to bet on the wrong pony (car). (Read More…)
Well, the ’61 Lark was called a ’64 Lark by mikey on the first guess. That gives him a share in the honors, but since the ’64 had a fairly different front fender, we’re going to give the win to SOF in training. I’m guessing this one will take at least a wee bit longer, but you guys are amazing.
I happen to like the Juke, in about the same way I like the Datsun F10. Even though the F10 was a CC competitor for the world’s ugliest car, I’m all for anything that makes our streets less boring; bring it on! And the Juke certainly does that. And you can’t deny there’s more than a few similarities, right down to protuberances on their front fender tops:
In case you’ve ever wondered why CC got started in Eugene, this may help: a typical; street scene not far from where I live. And just for fun, let’s step across the street and turn the camera 180 degrees and see what that captures: (Read More…)
I’ve had a long held fantasy since 1971, when GM’s mega-barges appeared: to take a cutting torch to a Caddy, and make a clean slice across the front and rear, just ahead of and behind the wheels, resulting in something like this (sorry, I don’t Photoshop). The result would be hundreds of pounds lighter, easier parking, better performance, economy, handling and braking, but without any loss from that roomy interior. Turns out that Studebaker designer Duncan McRae beat me to it, by some thirteen years. (Read More…)
Recent Comments