Have a little car with your motor...
@Scandinavian Flick: Who can resist the allure of the mystery box!? It could have anything inside...even another mystery box!!!
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@Axel-Ripper: Squeaking styrofoam. (shudder) Ugh.
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Although the axiom generally holds true, we finally have proof that not every car is better as a truck.
El Crackstormino.
El Crackstormino.
@Motor_Yakuza: Damnit! First a Ferrari and now a fricken Jet! Who keeps giving TwitchyKun these wonderful toys!?
Holy Hell! This could be a boon for chiropracters treating all the spectator whiplash!
[www.mercurynews.com]
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[www.mercurynews.com]
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@Scandinavian Flick: I'm pretty sure it's healthy to be a little scared of women...well, at least my wife.
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@Scandinavian Flick: [Rimshot] Nice!
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@Turbolence88: Color me jealous! Congrats and have fun!
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The initial design was apparently developed when Tom Wallace and Russ Clark spent a weekend locked in a hotel room tripping on mushrooms and watching, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" on a continuous loop. Furthermore, to acheive it's mediocre performance (by sports car standards) it gives up nearly all of it's truck like attributes. When ford set out to create sport trucks, with the SVT Lightning, they kept the truckness intact. Hell, even GM new what it took to make a fast truck, without too much compromise (GMC Typhoon and Chevy Syclone). Was it the retro-image that fouled things up? Certainly, such gimmickry can lead to a focus on aesthetic over substance, but Ford, GM, and to a lesser extent Chrysler have all shown with their most recent Pony Cars that it's possible to combine classic styling with modern performance. The only think I can think of when I see these on the road is that GM execs were beginning to see the writing on the wall. Just as in the waning days of WWII, when Germany's Luftwaffe began to implement wilder and more experimental aircraft designs in a last ditch effort to turn the tide, perhaps so too was General Motor's pursuing their wildest options in an attempt to prevent their demise.
Bibendum? It nearly killed 'im!
You know, there was a time when a cop could drive well over the speed limit - even in his personal car, and simply flash his badge at any patrol cars that were attracted to his speeding. There was a time when a cop could enjoy a cold beer in a foam can cozy while driving around off duty without fear of being subjected to open container or DUI laws. Sadly, by holding our law enforcement officials to the same standard as ordinary citizens, we are sending a message that their professional courtesies and fringe benefits are no longer acceptable. Add to that the fact that their average compensation package, relative to inflation has been dramatically reduced over the last 25 years.
What is it you people want!? If this trend continues we're going to end up with uncorruptible, helpful and efficient law enforcement agencies...but at what cost!? At what cost I ask you!? Oh wait...
What is it you people want!? If this trend continues we're going to end up with uncorruptible, helpful and efficient law enforcement agencies...but at what cost!? At what cost I ask you!? Oh wait...
@Shadow-Lurker: Well, disc brakes often squeak under normal operation, so it doesn't necessarily indicate something is wrong. The wear indicator, if equipped, will make a near constant and horrendous sound. But as you note, it's not a bad idea to check it out or have it checked out. Amazon is a good place to look for shop manuals and I personally prefer Haynes, but other jalops may have different suggestions/preferences.
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@Shadow-Lurker: In normal driving most brake systems should have enough pressure to keep the pedal feeling firm, even when the braking material is completely worn away. If you notice your pedal feel changing significantly, feeling soft or spongy and going all the way to the floor under constant pressure, it doesn't necessarily indicatet hat your pads are worn out. Still you should have your braking system looked at, because this is an indication of a problem with the hydraulic component of the brakes (it could be as cheap and simple as having some air in the brake lines). Notably, I would guess that your father's "method" of pushing the pedal all the way to the floor did not cause a broken line, but rather a broken line led to your father's pedal going all the way to the floor.
Aside from any concerns with the pedal feel, if you have disc brakes you can usually (with the wheel off) look down on the top of the caliper assembly and see how much brake pad is left. Many pads also include an indicator, which is a little peice of metal that will begin scraping the rotor when your pad material is close to being worn away. This will cause a tremendous amount of squeaking/friction noise. If you're not familiar with the components and what it is you are looking for, I think most shops will take a look at your brakes when the do an oil change. You can also check the level of fluid in the reservoir, which is typically mounted on the firewall in front of the driver.
Good luck! Also, it's never a bad idea to look into getting a shop manual for your car, such as those published by Haynes, which will include detailed descriptions of how to perform such procedures.
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Aside from any concerns with the pedal feel, if you have disc brakes you can usually (with the wheel off) look down on the top of the caliper assembly and see how much brake pad is left. Many pads also include an indicator, which is a little peice of metal that will begin scraping the rotor when your pad material is close to being worn away. This will cause a tremendous amount of squeaking/friction noise. If you're not familiar with the components and what it is you are looking for, I think most shops will take a look at your brakes when the do an oil change. You can also check the level of fluid in the reservoir, which is typically mounted on the firewall in front of the driver.
Good luck! Also, it's never a bad idea to look into getting a shop manual for your car, such as those published by Haynes, which will include detailed descriptions of how to perform such procedures.
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@SlowMo: I don't see why we can't love both! Twiggy looked great in her Mini Cooper and her mini-skirts.
So, I finally caved to pressure from Mrs. HammSammich. My Volvo wagon, project has finally come to an unsuccessful end. This started last October when a friend of the family gave me two 1974 Volvo 145 wagons. Both had been sitting in a field at his farm for for a long time (one since 1994, the other since 1996). His own wife had been pushing him to get rid of some of his cars (he has a graveyard of about 8 or 9 old volvos) and he convinced me that I could take the two in the best shape and use the parts from one to fix up the other, and so I hauled them back to my house and began work. After several weekends of pulling and changing parts, cleaning the fuel system and the purchase of about $300 in new parts, I got one of them turning over, but I'm still not getting fuel or spark (despite going through most of the ignition and fuel system components).
I feel like a bit of a failure, but this was never intended to be a restoration project, rather just a cheap/beater second car, so I've cut my losses and the Pull&Save lot is going to come pick them up for me tomorrow. I'm almost getting the money I've spent on the project back, and I'll probably start looking for a running beater Volvo in September (there's a Bertone 262c, I've seen for sale around here for $800 - I'm hoping that'll still be available).
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I feel like a bit of a failure, but this was never intended to be a restoration project, rather just a cheap/beater second car, so I've cut my losses and the Pull&Save lot is going to come pick them up for me tomorrow. I'm almost getting the money I've spent on the project back, and I'll probably start looking for a running beater Volvo in September (there's a Bertone 262c, I've seen for sale around here for $800 - I'm hoping that'll still be available).
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@The Stig's American Cousin:
Well, I know that anecdotal evidence doesn't prove much and there are still plenty of jerks in corvettes driving around, but I actually had a good experience with a 'vette driver this weekend. I was out on a motorcycle ride on a really well paved, twisty country road, and came up behind an older couple in a C6 convertible that were out for a Saturday cruise in the nice weather. The speed limit on the road is around 45mph, and he was going right around that. Since there was no safe passing, I just hung back and waited. After about a half mile, there was a small turnout in the shoulder and the Corvette driver graciously pulled off and waved me by. I wasn't riding agressively, too close, or giving any indication that I wanted to get around him, but he could obviously tell that I wanted to enjoy the road. I waved as I went by and sped off. I find that most soccer mom's in their mom-mobiles of choice are far less accomodating than this gentleman. So, there's at leas one cool Corvette driver story for you.
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Well, I know that anecdotal evidence doesn't prove much and there are still plenty of jerks in corvettes driving around, but I actually had a good experience with a 'vette driver this weekend. I was out on a motorcycle ride on a really well paved, twisty country road, and came up behind an older couple in a C6 convertible that were out for a Saturday cruise in the nice weather. The speed limit on the road is around 45mph, and he was going right around that. Since there was no safe passing, I just hung back and waited. After about a half mile, there was a small turnout in the shoulder and the Corvette driver graciously pulled off and waved me by. I wasn't riding agressively, too close, or giving any indication that I wanted to get around him, but he could obviously tell that I wanted to enjoy the road. I waved as I went by and sped off. I find that most soccer mom's in their mom-mobiles of choice are far less accomodating than this gentleman. So, there's at leas one cool Corvette driver story for you.
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I'm glad the dealer is finally acting reasonably, and for the car owner this matter will soon be dealt with, but the dealer (or their insurance) will still likely end up having to pay for all of the damages to the car, when Mr. Lee's auto insurance subrogates against them. From an insurance perspective, the dealer's responsibility to protect their customer's property in their possession is unquestionable.
@Ash78, surf psycho: This would be perfect if Audi made an El Camino type truck car...
