Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

snakeweasel said:

fintail said:

Wasn't the power door ideal a thing in the Caddy XLR or maybe a period Corvette? And some guy got locked in it for a long period?

E55 had battery under the rear seat, and when the car was sold at 11 years old, still on the original battery.

Regarding the Omni, your parents made the wise choice out of that group.

stickguy said:

I think there are some cars that have electric openers (trunk or doors?) where if the battery dies, you can't get in to actually get at the battery.

As a college student on a budget I had an Omni, then an GLH and that car was fun to drive.

The 1985 and 1986 Omni GLHs gained an optional 146-bhp turbo 2.2-liter engine, with torque in abundance - 170 lb-ft at just 3,600 rpm. That was a huge difference, making the pedestrian Omni into a hard-charging little car, given its light weight. The performance was accompanied by alloy wheels, tape décor, and ground effects.

With the non-turbocharged engine, the 1985 Omni GLH had a 0-60 time of 8.7 seconds (quick for the time) with a 16.7 second (81 mph) quarter mile. It needed premium gas, with or without turbo; but it beat the image-leading Volkswagen GTI by a full second, zero to sixty.

My 1980 Omni had about 90hp I think. It was cramped, slow and had questionable build quality like many 80s cars. It was the best snow car I ever had though.

oldfarmer50

stickguy said:

I would take one of those for the right price. Definitely a unique spare car!

Getting something weird from back in that day crosses my mind at times, but I have no idea where I would find something decent enough to have it make sense. But a 1980s Corolla SR5 of some sort? Celica GT? Sure.

Basically going back and looking at stuff that I test drove at that time and didn't buy for one reason or another (usually $ of course).

That’s how I ended up with the Corvette, Lincoln and Chrysler. I averaged 10% of original msrp or less.

oldfarmer50

qbrozen said:

wound up down the rabbit hole. Here are a couple that grabbed my interest.

Yeah, it is only a 6-cyl, but a damned reliable and torquey one.

And another manual 6-cyl coupe, but even more rare.

Those are a pair of weird cars. That Hornet is downright ugly though. You should at least look for a Javelin or a real AMX.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

driver100 said:

Call me crazy, The AMC was really nice, and the German Ford was pretty cool although very difficult to get parts for it......but, I would prefer to drive around in one of these.....$25k, 84K miles;

Probably my favorite version of the T-Bird!

Mine too.

ab348

I actually like the Hornet. Too bad that engine is so underpowered.

Sandman6472

Great T-bird I must admit. Also have an huge like of the square bird T-birds, the second generation vehicles. They have just the right look to them!!!

bwia

McIntosh Audio System in the new 2021 $100k Jeep Grand Wagoneer L.

According to Car & Driver the Wagoneer L comes with a "McIntosh audio system, a 10.1 -inch touchscreen with FCA's new Uconnect 5 infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. While the center console is finished in gloss black and features a backlit rotary shift knob similar to the one seen in the Grand Wagoneer concept." Sweet.
https://youtu.be/VI4hdGD0JMQ

bwia

Here is a crisper image that appears to be well integrated into the dash

explorerx4

There's way too many posters on here who would spend too much time watching those audio gauges.

imidazol97

Wasn't there a year of the TBird that had a removable top?

stickguy

well, back in '57 they had the porthole hardtop. But there was also a soft-top. Replicated on the retro model that came out a few years back.

imidazol97

I'll try to dig up a picture of the Bird I'm thinking had that. Maybe it's an aftermarket.
I recall it's one of the years with the fold-a-way steering wheel that moves to the side for
easier entry/exit.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

Wasn't there a year of the TBird that had a removable top?

fintail

55-57 of course, but I think all later ones were soft tops or hardtop coupes, before it became a luxobarge and the convertible was dropped (last year 66, IIRC).

imidazol97 said:

Wasn't there a year of the TBird that had a removable top?

qbrozen

ab348 said:

I actually like the Hornet. Too bad that engine is so underpowered.

I really don’t think it is that bad. That engine has really strong torque, and the car is well under 3k lb. Sure, you’d get whooped by a Corolla, but I think it outclasses a Corolla by a wide margin.

stickguy

I never found the gremlin or hornet underpopwered. Sure, they didn't rev high (well, without a tach, I assume they didn't...) But could probably pull a freight train, and you could pretty much leave the 3 speed in 2nd gear and drive anywhere.

ab348

According tot he listing that version of the 258 has 114 hp. That is underpowered.

tjc78

explorerx4 said:

There's way too many posters on here who would spend too much time watching those audio gauges.

Those audio meters in the Wagoneer are just awesome. I’d love to meet the person who came up with doing that. Looks just like a real McIntosh component.

qbrozen

ab348 said:

According tot he listing that version of the 258 has 114 hp. That is underpowered.

That is about right. I seem to recall 110, but that’s reaching decades back in my memory. But close to 200 lb-ft TQ. Personally, I’d opt for 114hp/195tq over 195hp/114tq.

ab348

qbrozen said:

Personally, I’d opt for 114hp/195tq over 195hp/114tq.

Of course no such engine like that exists. With this one, your 0-30 times will be stellar. After that, not so much.

driver100

fintail said:

55-57 of course, but I think all later ones were soft tops or hardtop coupes, before it became a luxobarge and the convertible was dropped (last year 66, IIRC).

imidazol97 said:

Wasn't there a year of the TBird that had a removable top?

Agreed. The question was whether T-Bird had a hardtop/convertible so I showed the T-Bird that did. It wasn't available in the 4-seater models. By 67 the T-Bird became a bit of a porker (covert no longer available)....though look at the length of that hood!

abacomike

The temperatures down here have been so cool that I have not used my car’s air-conditioner for a few weeks now. After filling up the car with gas yesterday, I made a trip up to Wellington (about 35 miles north of me in Palm Beach County). On the Turnpike, I averaged 38.3 mpg each way. If I had the AC on, it would have been 33.5 mpg. I did not realize how significant the mpg reduction would be compared to no AC.

That 3.0 twin turbo with 9 speed transmission sure delivers great mpg’s considering it produces 362 hp with 370+ torque.

This is the farthest I have driven (90+ miles) in over 8 months.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

The temperatures down here have been so cool that I have not used my car’s air-conditioner for a few weeks now. After filling up the car with gas yesterday, I made a trip up to Wellington (about 35 miles north of me in Palm Beach County). On the Turnpike, I averaged 38.3 mpg each way. If I had the AC on, it would have been 33.5 mpg. I did not realize how significant the mpg reduction would be compared to no AC.

That 3.0 twin turbo with 9 speed transmission sure delivers great mpg’s considering it produces 362 hp with 370+ torque.

This is the farthest I have driven (90+ miles) in over 8 months.

That’s quite a difference AC on vs. off. I always understood that the AC only took a mile or two off gas mileage. That’s pretty good mileage either way.

jmonroe1

tjc78 said:

explorerx4 said:

There's way too many posters on here who would spend too much time watching those audio gauges.

Those audio meters in the Wagoneer are just awesome. I’d love to meet the person who came up with doing that. Looks just like a real McIntosh component.

If you say so. To me that is the epitome of fixing something that wasn’t broken. Only Chrysler would stoop to doing something like this in hopes of gaining sales. It is a conversation thingy though.

jmonroe

graphicguy

Looking at a $100K Jeep.......got me wondering. Chrysler brand has only one car in its lineup, the 300. I can’t even remember the last time that thing was updated. Not sure about this, but is there also a mini-van? If that’s it as far as the brand is concerned, doesn’t it seem like FCAP is just letting it die a slow death?

tjc78

What do you mean broken? If you are into audio you know that McIntosh has a signature look about their equipment. I think it’s great engineering to bring that look to a car optioned with the system. Frivolous? Maybe, but IMO a nice touch.

Volvo has B&W audio and they style the center speaker to look like their Nautilus line.

graphicguy

So, not sure what I should think, if anything, but my Stinger has been in the dealership’s service dept for the potential fire recall for a week. Talked to them Wednesday, and they said they were waiting for Kia corporate to give them the OK to fix it. Huh?

I still have their Telluride, and this a.m., they said they might have it sold. So, they want me to bring it back and put me in another loaner.

I’m getting the feeling this is going to take a while. Y’all know how that sits with me.

stickguy

I smell a punch coming!

jmonroe1

tjc78 said:

What do you mean broken? If you are into audio you know that McIntosh has a signature look about their equipment. I think it’s great engineering to bring that look to a car optioned with the system. Frivolous? Maybe, but IMO a nice touch.

Volvo has B&W audio and they style the center speaker to look like their Nautilus line.

Like I said, “if you say so”.

jmonroe

kyfdx

stickguy said:

I never found the gremlin or hornet underpopwered. Sure, they didn't rev high (well, without a tach, I assume they didn't...) But could probably pull a freight train, and you could pretty much leave the 3 speed in 2nd gear and drive anywhere.

Same with my '76 CJ-5 (same engine.. 258 cid) with a 3-speed.

But, the Hornet was a terrible car, and sucked with the automatic.

jmonroe1

graphicguy said:

So, not sure what I should think, if anything, but my Stinger has been in the dealership’s service dept for the potential fire recall for a week. Talked to them Wednesday, and they said they were waiting for Kia corporate to give them the OK to fix it. Huh?

I still have their Telluride, and this a.m., they said they might have it sold. So, they want me to bring it back and put me in another loaner.

I’m getting the feeling this is going to take a while. Y’all know how that sits with me.

This sounds interesting. Tell them when you talked to Kia they told you to keep the Telly until they fixed yours. Or, you can tell them you had the Telly so long that you thought it was yours and you already sold it for them.

jmonroe

imidazol97

graphicguy said:

So, not sure what I should think, if anything, but my Stinger has been in the dealership’s service dept for the potential fire recall for a week. Talked to them Wednesday, and they said they were waiting for Kia corporate to give them the OK to fix it. Huh?

I still have their Telluride, and this a.m., they said they might have it sold. So, they want me to bring it back and put me in another loaner.

I’m getting the feeling this is going to take a while. Y’all know how that sits with me.

Oh, ohhhhhh.

OTOH, this could be your chance to drive and report on several models of loaners. One of my possibles to replace the Cobalt is the Elantra...

roadburner

graphicguy said:

So, not sure what I should think, if anything, but my Stinger has been in the dealership’s service dept for the potential fire recall for a week. Talked to them Wednesday, and they said they were waiting for Kia corporate to give them the OK to fix it. Huh?

I still have their Telluride, and this a.m., they said they might have it sold. So, they want me to bring it back and put me in another loaner.

I’m getting the feeling this is going to take a while. Y’all know how that sits with me.

What residual enthusiasm I had for a Stinger is evaporating quickly.
I’m virtually certain that my next car will be either an M2 Comp or a Supra 3.0.

ab348

kyfdx said:

stickguy said:

I never found the gremlin or hornet underpopwered. Sure, they didn't rev high (well, without a tach, I assume they didn't...) But could probably pull a freight train, and you could pretty much leave the 3 speed in 2nd gear and drive anywhere.

Same with my '76 CJ-5 (same engine.. 258 cid) with a 3-speed.

But, the Hornet was a terrible car, and sucked with the automatic.

Introduced in 1970, the Hornet competed with the Chevy Nova, Dodge Dart/Plymouth Valiant, and Ford Maverick.

Our family owned both a Hornet and a Maverick from new. The Hornet was head and shoulders a much better car. It might not have been up to the Nova's level but I have no direct experience. I have driven Darts of that era and while they had a reputation for being reliable and tough they were not particularly refined. I suspect it and the Hornet would be at about the same level overall.

The autobox in our Hornet was a TorqueFlite 904 they bought from Chrysler (I think they called it Torque Command) and it was excellent.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

The soft convertible roof did go into the trunk. Then there was a Roadster model with a tonneau cover.

I think I was mixing up the models and years that had the removable top. Also, I had seen 4-seaters with these fiberglass covers over the rear seat at car shows and I thought these had a removable hard top.

ab348

graphicguy said:

So, not sure what I should think, if anything, but my Stinger has been in the dealership’s service dept for the potential fire recall for a week. Talked to them Wednesday, and they said they were waiting for Kia corporate to give them the OK to fix it. Huh?

I still have their Telluride, and this a.m., they said they might have it sold. So, they want me to bring it back and put me in another loaner.

I’m getting the feeling this is going to take a while. Y’all know how that sits with me.

Dig out that lawyer's number from your Cadillac file.

sda

I have a suspicion the Chrysler name is being edged out. Once the 300 is discontinued I would be surprised if they didn't rebadge the Pacifica, no more Chrysler...especially after this next merger is completed.

roadburner

ab348 said:

kyfdx said:

stickguy said:

I never found the gremlin or hornet underpopwered. Sure, they didn't rev high (well, without a tach, I assume they didn't...) But could probably pull a freight train, and you could pretty much leave the 3 speed in 2nd gear and drive anywhere.

Same with my '76 CJ-5 (same engine.. 258 cid) with a 3-speed.

But, the Hornet was a terrible car, and sucked with the automatic.

Introduced in 1970, the Hornet competed with the Chevy Nova, Dodge Dart/Plymouth Valiant, and Ford Maverick.

Our family owned both a Hornet and a Maverick from new. The Hornet was head and shoulders a much better car. It might not have been up to the Nova's level but I have no direct experience. I have driven Darts of that era and while they had a reputation for being reliable and tough they were not particularly refined. I suspect it and the Hornet would be at about the same level overall.

The autobox in our Hornet was a TorqueFlite 904 they bought from Chrysler (I think they called it Torque Command) and it was excellent.

I liked the Hornet S/C 360- one of those Jr. muscle cars like the Rallye 350 and Road Runner 340.

tjc78

sda said:

I have a suspicion the Chrysler name is being edged out. Once the 300 is discontinued I would be surprised if they didn't rebadge the Pacifica, no more Chrysler...especially after this next merger is completed.

Agreed. The Chrysler name plate is not needed.

graphicguy

@roadburner ...I know you’ve always said that the customer service for KIA was your one big barrier (and the fact that they KY KIA dealers seemed to not understand how low demand is for the Stinger) from jumping in.

Fact is, it’s a really good car. And, frankly, it runs well and is a ton of fun to drive. This recall has been handled poorly. First, announcing a fire hazard, but not having a fix. Then, having a fix, but not being able to deliver the fix. Weird!

Not blaming the dealership, as the one I’m working with (Cronin) is worlds better than the dealership I purchased from.

Can’t quite understand what’s going on. Something doesn’t smell right. If I return the Telluride and see a pearl white Stinger GT sitting on some back lot burnt to a crisp, I may get my answer.

jmonroe1

driver100 said:

fintail said:

55-57 of course, but I think all later ones were soft tops or hardtop coupes, before it became a luxobarge and the convertible was dropped (last year 66, IIRC).

imidazol97 said:

Wasn't there a year of the TBird that had a removable top?

Agreed. The question was whether T-Bird had a hardtop/convertible so I showed the T-Bird that did. It wasn't available in the 4-seater models. By 67 the T-Bird became a bit of a porker (covert no longer available)....though look at the length of that hood!

The hood on that T-Bird doesn’t look any longer than the hood on my old ‘75 Gran Prix. One of the nice things about driving that car was, by the time I got to the front of that hood I was almost at my destination. Took almost a whole afternoon to wax just the hood on that beast. 🤨

jmonroe

tjc78

graphicguy said:

So, not sure what I should think, if anything, but my Stinger has been in the dealership’s service dept for the potential fire recall for a week. Talked to them Wednesday, and they said they were waiting for Kia corporate to give them the OK to fix it. Huh?

I still have their Telluride, and this a.m., they said they might have it sold. So, they want me to bring it back and put me in another loaner.

I’m getting the feeling this is going to take a while. Y’all know how that sits with me.

Brutal! If they want the Telluride back I’d tell them to come pick it up and swap you into something else.

explorerx4

I'm pretty sure Chrysler is going to be discontinued. Pacifica can easily be switched to Dodge.

snakeweasel

driver100 said:

Call me crazy,

You're Crazy.

There now do you feel better?

roadburner

graphicguy said:

@roadburner ...I know you’ve always said that the customer service for KIA was your one big barrier (and the fact that they KY KIA dealers seemed to not understand how low demand is for the Stinger) from jumping in.

Fact is, it’s a really good car. And, frankly, it runs well and is a ton of fun to drive. This recall has been handled poorly. First, announcing a fire hazard, but not having a fix. Then, having a fix, but not being able to deliver the fix. Weird!

Not blaming the dealership, as the one I’m working with (Cronin) is worlds better than the dealership I purchased from.

Can’t quite understand what’s going on. Something doesn’t smell right. If I return the Telluride and see a pearl white Stinger GT sitting on some back lot burnt to a crisp, I may get my answer.

I think it is a nice car, I’m just in the situation where I would only want a RWD GT2 in Ceramic Silver with a red interior AND I’d have to find a dealer willing to look for one. Then I’d have to play the Kia service department lottery to find out if any of the local ones are competent.
With my luck I’d wind up with a dealer who would screw up the side skirts lifting the car and I’d likely get the tech who writes the oil sump capacity on the engine cover with a Sharpie.

ab348

explorerx4 said:

I'm pretty sure Chrysler is going to be discontinued. Pacifica can easily be switched to Dodge.

Well, the problem is that Dodge has very little brand recognition or equity left, especially since they switched the truck line to Ram. I read something this week about the introduction of the 3-row Grand Cherokee where a dealer was quoted as saying they could sell a ton of them even though the Dodge Durango already had 3 rows, because it was tough to put customers into a Dodge-brand anything. Apparently the dealers don't want that any more either.

FCA badly bungled their brands by essentially robbing both Chrysler and Dodge of whatever they used to stand for. They probably should have consolidated all their non-Jeep cars under one or the other of those, but it seems all of their chips are in on Jeep and Ram these days.

oldfarmer50

graphicguy said:

Looking at a $100K Jeep.......got me wondering. Chrysler brand has only one car in its lineup, the 300. I can’t even remember the last time that thing was updated. Not sure about this, but is there also a mini-van? If that’s it as far as the brand is concerned, doesn’t it seem like FCAP is just letting it die a slow death?

I thought they discontinued the 300 but maybe they limped it along for another year. I saw some sales figures which said for the last year they only sold about 5000 of those.

They also discontinued the Grand Caravan but replaced it with the Pacifica which is a nice minivan. Can’t attest to the reliability/longevity but I have driven some lease return GCs with 120k miles which ride and shifted fine. I like them better than the Toyota Sienna van.

They still have the Challenger too.

If I’m understanding it right, most Chryslers are really Fiats underneath these days.

sda

tjc78 said:

sda said:

I have a suspicion the Chrysler name is being edged out. Once the 300 is discontinued I would be surprised if they didn't rebadge the Pacifica, no more Chrysler...especially after this next merger is completed.

Agreed. The Chrysler name plate is not needed.

Sadly. Chrysler has a rich history, sorry to see it fade away.

qbrozen

oldfarmer50 said:

If I’m understanding it right, most Chryslers are really Fiats underneath these days.

? No idea what you are referring to. The Pacifica and 300, the only Chrysler vehicles, have nothing from Fiat.

I believe the only Fiat-linked vehicle in the Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram lineup is the Renegade.

driver100

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

Call me crazy,

You're Crazy.

There now do you feel better?

Much better.....I haven't been told that for over half a century!