The car thread ...

[neoplacebo]

My problem with Nader's book isn't his data. It's that his book was based on the '59 model, and by the time the book came out, the Corvair was a much different car. "Unsafe at Any Speed" just wasn't an applicable term for the '61's and later.

Hell, any car is "unsafe at any speed" if the driver is a dubmass; the wreck described by billy. pilgrim above is such a case; if the engine of the Corvair was dislodged, went through the front of the car, and then went another 80 feet, well, that there is a not able to drive successfully dubmass.

[O Really]

My problem with Nader's book isn't his data. It's that his book was based on the '59 model, and by the time the book came out, the Corvair was a much different car. "Unsafe at Any Speed" just wasn't an applicable term for the '61's and later.

Hell, any car is "unsafe at any speed" if the driver is a dubmass; the wreck described by billy. pilgrim above is such a case; if the engine of the Corvair was dislodged, went through the front of the car, and then went another 80 feet, well, that there is a not able to drive successfully dubmass.

And it's not like front engines haven't gone through the passenger compartments back then, either. But it is interesting to think about a lot of the differences in how cars could be back in the day and still be legal to drive. The early 60's version of the Healey Sprite didn't have real windows or even inside door panels. Thin piece of steel between you and that truck wheel that's taller than you are. The windows were plastic in aluminum frame and bolted to the door. I guess that's not so different from some Jeeps now, though. Sprite here... http://www.mgexp.com/registry/HAN611389
Look at what passes for rear "bumpers."

[O Really]

Renault, some old station wagon, a couple of old pickups, Datsun wagon, '96 Ford Taurus wagon (virginal white), Saturn hybrid SUV, Escort wagon.

Hand me downs, utilitarian, cheap - that's been my boring style.

I can understand why some of those would be "hand me downs.
You're not getting any younger, m'friend. Better add a menopausemobile to your bucket list.

[neoplacebo]

Opps! I posted the wrong photo of my old Pontiac!

What I had was a '52, not a 53. I did once own a '53 Buick though, that had a similar body style as in the first photo.
Got the two confused; but I guess that can be allowed since it was almost 50 years ago since I owned it.



Mine was this color with a white top, no sun shield.

Note the orange head of the hood ornament....that had a light in it.

I have a picture of myself as a baby, sitting cross legged like a little Buddha, on the hood of a Pontiac with the light up Chief ornament visible in the photo. My grandfather is also in it but he's standing on the ground.

[O Really]

Renault, some old station wagon, a couple of old pickups, Datsun wagon, '96 Ford Taurus wagon (virginal white), Saturn hybrid SUV, Escort wagon.

Hand me downs, utilitarian, cheap - that's been my boring style.

Can't do much about the hand me downs, but for the utilitarian and cheap criteria that's also actually fun, I'd suggest a 2008 or later Jeep Liberty.

[Mr.B]

"I have a picture of myself as a baby, sitting cross legged like a little Buddha, on the hood of a Pontiac with the light up Chief ornament visible in the photo. My grandfather is also in it but he's standing on the ground."

I imagine seeing that photo brought back some good memories then, huh? <sigh>

I thought back to when I first got the Pontiac when I was a teen living in East Flat Rock; bought it from an old man who lived around the corner on Lamplighter Lane. It had been sitting in his garage for a number of years, but he cranked 'er up about every week or so because he could no longer drive. Bought it for $150; washed, waxed, cleaned 'er up, and drove it proudly! Had a slight knock in the engine that eventually sent a rod through the engine....I was heartbroken!

I made a few phone calls around and found someone who said they pay me $200 for it and would come and get it. I parked it on the street in front of my house with the windows down to let it air out some, and some anal orifice walked by and flipped a cigarette in it. I came home to find the FD dumping a million gallons of water into my car!

[neoplacebo]

Renault, some old station wagon, a couple of old pickups, Datsun wagon, '96 Ford Taurus wagon (virginal white), Saturn hybrid SUV, Escort wagon.

Hand me downs, utilitarian, cheap - that's been my boring style.

Can't do much about the hand me downs, but for the utilitarian and cheap criteria that's also actually fun, I'd suggest a 2008 or later Jeep Liberty.

I recommend a rental car with the insurance; those things will go anywhere and suffer any abuse without breaking down.

[neoplacebo]

"I have a picture of myself as a baby, sitting cross legged like a little Buddha, on the hood of a Pontiac with the light up Chief ornament visible in the photo. My grandfather is also in it but he's standing on the ground."

I imagine seeing that photo brought back some good memories then, huh? <sigh>

I thought back to when I first got the Pontiac when I was a teen living in East Flat Rock; bought it from an old man who lived around the corner on Lamplighter Lane. It had been sitting in his garage for a number of years, but he cranked 'er up about every week or so because he could no longer drive. Bought it for $150; washed, waxed, cleaned 'er up, and drove it proudly! Had a slight knock in the engine that eventually sent a rod through the engine....I was heartbroken!

I made a few phone calls around and found someone who said they pay me $200 for it and would come and get it. I parked it on the street in front of my house with the windows down to let it air out some, and some anal orifice walked by and flipped a cigarette in it. I came home to find the FD dumping a million gallons of water into my car!

Yeah, makes me wish I was a baby again. Too bad about the rod and the fire department. But it does make you proud to wash and wax and shine up your own first car; nothing like it except maybe your first girlfriend in the car.

[O Really]

The term "monopausemobile" is used to describe the Corvette (or whatever) that some men buy when they're 50ish or so and feeling old. Might just be a Florida expression since there are so many of them around here. Like Q-tips - meaning a small white-haired lady driving along with the only thing visible being the white tip of her head.

[Mr.B]

"The term "monopausemobile" is used to describe the Corvette (or whatever) that some men buy when they're 50ish or so and feeling old. Might just be a Florida expression since there are so many of them around here. Like Q-tips - meaning a small white-haired lady driving along with the only thing visible being the white tip of her head."

HaHa! I knew what you meant in both cases...

I've a friend who is the same age as myself who just bought a 2015 Shelby GT; 627 h.p., massive muscle car. He was telling me the performance values, how fast in a quarter, h.p., etc...... I asked him what was the point; he can drive only so fast on the highways, he couldn't use it to pick up women 'cause he's 'done married'....... I've yet to get a reply!

...and I see a lot of Q-tips...male and female....mostly female.

[rstrong]

Around the time I got a little econo-box car - and was very happy with it - my mom got a Camaro with a big V8.

Granted, taking medical samples to a lab, she's had the pleasure of racing through the city with a police escort.

[Mr.B]

"I think I need need to grow up first."

As well as proof proof read read.

[Mr.B]

One word - proofread proofread.

I like my way better.

[Mr.B]

That's fine, but in that case proofreading won't won't do you any good.

No...but it helps me point out your flubs flubs.

[neoplacebo]

It would really be cool if the drivers were wearing suits that looked like sharks. Imagine the reaction of other folks when they pull up to the pier and get out.

[Mr.B]

This would be cool:

"What the hell are the others saying to sharks to provoke them?"

Think maybe this might do it?

[O Really]

I've loved cars for as long as I can remember. I could recognize pretty much every car on the road by the age of 8 or so. Absolutely could not wait to get a license. Didn't, as a matter of fact. Took advantage of my folks being away for the weekend and at the age of 15 "borrowed" my mom's Galaxy for a cruise with the girlfriend to Ocean City. Got caught. Got grounded, but no harm done. Great adventure in my teenybopper mind. I've driven gymkhanas, road rallies, countless road trips, and even Dale Earnhart's "show" (not the one he really drove in races) car on laps at Rockingham. I love going into a hard corner with a car with impeccable steering and suspension, letting the back end get just a little loose and driving hard out the other side. And I love car features that have nothing to do with performance - just make driving fun. I may drive a car for what I need to do with it, like the former Land Rover, but I'll never drive something that's not fun.

[neoplacebo]

I've loved cars for as long as I can remember. I could recognize pretty much every car on the road by the age of 8 or so. Absolutely could not wait to get a license. Didn't, as a matter of fact. Took advantage of my folks being away for the weekend and at the age of 15 "borrowed" my mom's Galaxy for a cruise with the girlfriend to Ocean City. Got caught. Got grounded, but no harm done. Great adventure in my teenybopper mind. I've driven gymkhanas, road rallies, countless road trips, and even Dale Earnhart's "show" (not the one he really drove in races) car on laps at Rockingham. I love going into a hard corner with a car with impeccable steering and suspension, letting the back end get just a little loose and driving hard out the other side. And I love car features that have nothing to do with performance - just make driving fun. I may drive a car for what I need to do with it, like the former Land Rover, but I'll never drive something that's not fun.

Yeah, there's nothing else like a fun car. The trick is to not get fun and dangerous mixed up. I remember heading to work one morning getting onto I-26 at the Fletcher ramp going toward Asheville. It had been raining during the night but not at the time, but the roads were still damp. Anyway, heading down the ramp to get on the highway, I saw a big rig coming but I judged it to be far enough back that I could accelerate and get on; well, my car was in 3rd gear and I floored it to get ahead of the big truck and I started going sideways, lost my acceleration, and had to wait. It was scary but fun, too. And I would have made it if the road hadn't been wet.

[Mr.B]

This would be cool:

"What the hell are the others saying to sharks to provoke them?"

Think maybe this might do it?

Where'd my picture go?

[O Really]

Yeah, there's always that. When I went off to "not really war" my pop kept my Healey 3000, supposedly until I returned. But he was out on a cold day, probably driving too fast, and hit a black ice spot on an exit ramp. Cleaned off guard rails on both sides all the way down the ramp, left the Healey looking like a crumpled beer can, and himself with some broken ribs and a bit of a scare. He sent me a pic of the car and the insurance check.