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What they actually mean is "machined from billet", so as to differentiate from cast or forged components. "Billet" has been (auto) industry standard shorthand for "machined from billet" when referring to finished goods for long enough that "billet" as an adjective, as in "billet spacer", is distinct and different from "billet" as a noun.

Wait, "...anti custom van bias..."? What fresh hell is this? I must be in the wrong place.

That said, I don't want this particular custom van.

As soon as you write anything in the plate number, you run the risk of someone having that license plate number (too many characters notwithstanding). Perhaps if they just added a check box to the ticket that denoted there were no plates rather than actually writing it into the space.

Writing "no plate" instead of "no tags" would solve this guys issue, but what about the poor schmuck with "NO PLATES" as their vanity plate?

The LeMons Fiero started its life as 2 of the 3 Fieros that I claimed ownership of. The '84 I had leaked oil like a sieve, so in tearing it apart to fix the leak, I noticed just how bad the frame was (rust), so I bought an '87 from a co-worker which had a decent frame, but a slipping automatic. The plan was to put the '84 4-speed into the '87 and drive it for a while. Then I found a good deal on an '86 GT, and the 2 4-cylinder Fieros were brushed aside. Then the lure of LeMons caught me, and the '87 with the '84 trans, and the '84 front bumper grafted onto the back became the Double Jeopardy race car.

It wasn't a great car on the track, but that was more that particular car than Fieros, in general.

I've actually given up on the Fiero race car. This year, I'll be racing a Jaguar XJS with the original V12 backed by the 5-speed out of a 4-cylinder S10. What could possibly go wrong?

Since I've owned 2 MR2s and 3 Fieros, I feel that it is my obligation to weigh in.

4 cylinder Fiero < NA SW20 < NA AW11 < V6 Fiero < Supercharged AW11 < Turbo SW20

With only 90hp (or so) on tap, the 4 cylinder Fieros will leave you wanting a lot more.
A Naturally aspirated SW20 looks cool, but the performance is nearly as underwhelming.
A Naturally aspirated AW11 is incredibly fun to toss around, but is still slightly underwhelming with all of 114hp
A V6 Fiero (GT, Formula, or 2M6) doesn't feel as connected to the road as the AW11, but having 26 more horsepower than the AW11 more than makes up for the modest weight penalty.
A supercharged AW11 will cost you dearly, but will outgun the V6 Fiero, and still handles like its lesser NA sibling.
And the Turbo SW20 is a beautiful car, and has the power to back up those looks. It will also cost you a pretty penny.

If you are slender of build, the MR2 will have the more supportive seats, but the bolsters don't accommodate wider persons very well (they hug my 6'1" 170lb frame quite nicely). The shifter in the AW11 is incredible. The shifter in the Fiero is adequate. Neither interior has aged well, having both been designed in the '80s, but the MR2 is a sportier place in which to spend your time.

Both were offered with t-tops, hard top, or a removable sunroof. The Fiero is far more difficult to find with t-tops, since they started as a coach built dealer option, and weren't a factory option until the final year of production.

I stand by my ordered list above, which with the exception of the non-turbo SW20 also corresponds with the prices of the cars on the used market. The V6 Fiero would be my choice, since the price point jumps pretty drastically when you start looking for a force-fed MR2.

Honestly, I wouldn't begrudge anyone purchasing any of the aforementioned cars, but on a fun/dollar ratio, I haven't been able to do better than my '86 Fiero GT.

Cool, concept but ultimately disappointing. I just wish that they would have gone all out and built a permanent road course. Elevation changes, off camber corners, etc. Painting a curvy course on airport tarmac isn’t really making a race track.

Ursa Major is also known as the Great Bear (#corrections), and owning an old Italian exotic would be just that. With that being said, the prices of the entry-level exotics have been creeping up in the past years. You can no longer find a decent 308 at a low twenties price point. Time was that you could find a Pantera for that kind of money, but they’ve nearly doubled in price in the last decade. A Lamborghini Jalpa used to swim in the shallow end of exotic car prices as well, but good luck finding one now for under $40k.

No, for around $20k, if you are looking for an exotic car, your options are an Esprit, or a high mileage NSX. My personal choice would be an early S4 Esprit, but this Maserati is a fair bit more scarce than either the Lotus or the Acura.
I’ll give it a nice price nod, even if I won’t be the buyer.

The notable difference between the Checker version and the others is that the Checker Aerobus was a factory offering.

Well, he didn't come in second...

I understand the term "drop" in recording industry parlance, but when I read "Audi drops R8 GT Spyder pricing", it reads as a price reduction. I shouldn't be halfway through the blurb before I realize, "oh, he means Audi is releasing the price."

Come on, Ray. Using "drop" doesn't make the headline more hip. It just makes it less concise.

You don't advance timing to avoid knocks, you retard it, but I guess "retarded" wouldn't have fit the meter. We'll call it poetic license. Well done, and congrats on the COTD.

At only around $500 under NADA retail, it might be a little overpriced for the current market, but certainly not into crack pipe territory. The asking price is about right, assuming that they are willing to sell it for slightly less.

I was impressed with their double chocolate stout. That doesn't make me want to try bacon maple ale.

And now that I notice the wink there at the end, I'm up to speed.

Ms.? Have we forgotten the Patrick Dempsey situation already?

[jalopnik.com]

Oh, there is nothing irrational about a fear of crows pecking out your eyes while you sleep. A guy that I went to school with used to camp a lot with his uncle, and one night, his uncle told him this story about a guy that he once knew that said that such a thing happened to his cousin.

It's the government or nobody. You are absolutely correct. Given the choice, I'll pick nobody. Thanks for playing.

I'm not going to take sides on the proposal, because that would overlook the bigger issue. You're petitioning the wrong people. You should be petitioning the manufacturers, not the government. Would I expect a manufacturer to incorporate such a readout to appease a vocal minority, many of whom probably own their own scan tools already? Of course not, but if it is truly a good idea, make a business case for it, and pitch it to them. Let the market decide whether it is something that "we" as consumers want in our cars. Another government mandate isn't the answer.

You can build a mid year 'Vette pretty much from scratch using OEM and after market parts, so replacing all of the damaged components shouldn't be a problem. $13k is a pretty hefty starting point to start adding dollars to eventually have a car that will forever be branded.

There doesn't appear to be $13k worth of parts left, and the resultant car will have a hard time reaching a value to rival the parts cost to get it back together. This is going to be a really expensive Corvette when it's done, and the title will, at best, always be rebuilt.

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