Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

imidazol97

carnaught said:

Banana splits at soda fountains were the best as were malts and shakes served in a tall glass and the rest in it's stainless steel mixer.

I can't remember when I last had a milkshake that was full sized from the large steel
mixing container and then part of it poured into the glass with the rest waiting in the
steel container like a bonus after I finished the part in the glass. 18 years maybe? At
a privately-owned restaurant in a small town near here. I could watch them pour the
Hersheys syrup out of the can into the shake as they mixed it on the back counter above
the ice cream dip area. This is all making me crave a real milk shake.

Now so many "shakes" are some soybean-based food product as a thickener with
flavorings to simulate a flavor made from milk with chocolate of other artificial
flavorings added.

imidazol97

houdini1 said:

Our favorite place for shakes is Chick-Fil-A.

Peppermint stick, seasonal flavor.

tjc78

Yes, Chick Fil A's milkshakes are awesome, but I recently had the best I've ever had at a small chain burger place called Zin Burger.

+1 on those who mentioned Capital Grille, I honestly think they are better than Ruth's Chris.

stickguy

Red Robin has pretty tasty ones too.

I have not been to Zin yet. I know it is in the area, though forget where at the moment!

tjc78

Wegman's plaza 70 and Haddonfield road. It's a great burger joint, but you pay for it.

Michaell

berri said:

As for the soft stuff, the custard joints aren't bad shakes. There is a chain called Culver's in the middle of the country that has decent ones. But I still prefer real ice cream.

 there is a culvers in my new hometown. Haven't yet had the chance to try it, but I've heard it's pretty good 

berri

Steak 'n Shakes are kind of neat and do have great "real ice cream" shakes. They originated in central Illinois, but I was first introduced to them in St. Louis. Ironically, they don't seem all that popular in Chicago. They have one near the U of Iowa and one of my kids introduced me to their dark chocolate shake - excellent!!!

[Deleted User]

Mmmmmm. Miiilllkshaaaakes. Great discussion and now I have an urge to whirl one at home with chocolate ice cream and some peanut butter added towards the end. No ice cream at home, though, blast it.

The better half came home from a business trip this week and some lovely motorist hit the driver's door without leaving a note while she was parked at Denver International. Cute.

stever

Might ask the parking lot "authority" if they video the lot.

I guess y'all know about using frozen ripe bananas for "healthy ice cream." Guess that sounds like "clean diesel" lol.

suydam

Your new Outback? Ouch!

tjc78

My wife tried the frozen banana "ice cream" not too bad.  

stever

If you don't tell people what you're serving them, usually they have no idea it's a non-dairy scoop they're eating.

oldfarmer50

Watching the Mecum Collector's auction on TV and a 1970 Cuda went for $75k. Not that unusual as these seem to be the hot collector car these days. What interested me is that they sold an unusual 1998 Buick Riviera for only $10k. It was unusual because it was evidently liquidated by GM itself during the bankruptcy from the company's private collection. It had a factory Northstar v8 instead of the 3.8 v6 and it had special paint which changed color depending on the angle.

The Baracuda was probably a faster car but I wonder if the Riviera might have been rarer and a better collector's investment considering the back story. I found this story on line and it seem to be a one of a kind.

Northstar-powered 1998 Buick Riviera prototype - Click above for high-res image gallery

As we approach the big SEMA show in Las Vegas next week, it's time to look back at a previous star of the show. Sometime back in the mid-80s the decision was made that Buick would abandon V8 engines and instead be the home of the V6. Even for top models like Riviera and Park Avenue, turbocharged and supercharged versions of the long-lived 3.8-liter V6 would serve propulsive duties. Needless to say, not everyone in the bowels of the Warren Tech Center agreed with this approach.

In 1998 a group of GM engineers felt the Riviera should be powered by no fewer than eight cylinders and knew full well it was possible. The Riv of that era shared its platform with other models like the Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Aurora, which of course were powered by the still contemporary Northstar V8. A single Northstar Riviera example was built as concept and trotted out at the 1998 SEMA Show.

Upper management did not agree with the premise and only a year later the whole Riviera program was euthanized. Somehow, that one V8 powered Riv survived and managed to get sold outside of GM on a salvage title. If the styling of that last Riviera doesn't give you convulsions, the car only has 10,200 miles on it and the Buy It Now price is $20K. The current bid of $3,550 hasn't yet hit the reserve so it's anyone's guess what this will go for – if it goes at all.

tjc78

I always liked those Rivieras, but they always looked better in dark colors.  Those wheels are gross on the picture you posted.  

robr2

Here in my part of New England, milkshakes are called frappes. I get one about once a month in the summer from a local ice cream place. Those are great.

I will admit I've gotten hooked on McDonald's chocolate chip frappes (with an accent mark over the e). Not the same as the traditional frappes I'm used to. But on the long drives home from Burlington, VT or Stamford, they hit the spot.

berri

Mickey D's iced mocha's aren't bad either and cost less than a of places.

abacomike

robr2 said:

Here in my part of New England, milkshakes are called frappes. I get one about once a month in the summer from a local ice cream place. Those are great.

I will admit I've gotten hooked on McDonald's chocolate chip frappes (with an accent mark over the e). Not the same as the traditional frappes I'm used to. But on the long drives home from Burlington, VT or Stamford, they hit the spot.

Robr2 - Do you remember the "Awful-Awfuls" from Friendly's? That was some awesome milk shake. I could never seem to finish them. I remember getting them in Pittsfield MA when I was a counselor in summer camp. We would take the campers by bus to a Friendly's (IIRC) for their Awful Awfuls. Always would get a brain freeze from them. But were they goooooood!!!

roadburner

My father-in-law was a "Buick Man" and had one of those last Rivieras. Aways offered to let me drive it. I was extremely underwhelmed. I much, MUCH prefer the 1966-1967 GS and the 1971 "boat-tail" GS.

houdini1

I had one of those 71 boat tails back in 1972. Big honking 455 V8, two bucket seats in front that were so big you could have put 2 smallish people in each seat. Dark brown vinyl top over tan with beautiful glossy tan leather. Got about 10 mpg on premium. Talk about a highway cruising road car.

abacomike

houdini1 said:

I had one of those 71 boat tails back in 1972. Big honking 455 V8, two bucket seats in front that were so big you could have put 2 smallish people in each seat. Dark brown vinyl top over tan with beautiful glossy tan leather. Got about 10 mpg on premium. Talk about a highway cruising road car.

I bought a 1971 (IIRC) Buick LeSabre 455 2 door coupe.  Big car with lots of room and a V8 that was faster than one would think.  That 455 was a powerful engine and burned gas like a sieve.  Brown vinyl roof with tan body and beige vinyl seats.

oldfarmer50

tjc78 said:

I always liked those Rivieras, but they always looked better in dark colors.  Those wheels are gross on the picture you posted.  

If I remember correctly it looked just like that going across the Mecum block. If it had the Northstar it had about 300hp vs 260 for the supercharged 3.8l 6. Pretty or ugly it must be collectable being the only one.

My favorite Rivieras were the boat tailed styles.

robr2

abacomike said:

Robr2 - Do you remember the "Awful-Awfuls" from Friendly's? That was some awesome milk shake. I could never seem to finish them. I remember getting them in Pittsfield MA when I was a counselor in summer camp. We would take the campers by bus to a Friendly's (IIRC) for their Awful Awfuls. Always would get a brain freeze from them. But were they goooooood!!!

I've heard of Aweful Awefuls but never had one. It looks like they use ice milk instead of ice cream. Friendly's doesn't serve them anymore - it was replaced by the Fribble. BTW, Friendly's restaurants have some of the worst service around. We stopped going years ago after two horrific trips in a row. It really shouldn't take 90 minutes to make a couple of burgers and chicken fingers!!

oldfarmer50

robr2 said:

abacomike said:

Robr2 - Do you remember the "Awful-Awfuls" from Friendly's? That was some awesome milk shake. I could never seem to finish them. I remember getting them in Pittsfield MA when I was a counselor in summer camp. We would take the campers by bus to a Friendly's (IIRC) for their Awful Awfuls. Always would get a brain freeze from them. But were they goooooood!!!

I've heard of Aweful Awefuls but never had one. It looks like they use ice milk instead of ice cream. Friendly's doesn't serve them anymore - it was replaced by the Fribble. BTW, Friendly's restaurants have some of the worst service around. We stopped going years ago after two horrific trips in a row. It really shouldn't take 90 minutes to make a couple of burgers and chicken fingers!!

robr2 said:

abacomike said:

Robr2 - Do you remember the "Awful-Awfuls" from Friendly's? That was some awesome milk shake. I could never seem to finish them. I remember getting them in Pittsfield MA when I was a counselor in summer camp. We would take the campers by bus to a Friendly's (IIRC) for their Awful Awfuls. Always would get a brain freeze from them. But were they goooooood!!!

I've heard of Aweful Awefuls but never had one. It looks like they use ice milk instead of ice cream. Friendly's doesn't serve them anymore - it was replaced by the Fribble. BTW, Friendly's restaurants have some of the worst service around. We stopped going years ago after two horrific trips in a row. It really shouldn't take 90 minutes to make a couple of burgers and chicken fingers!!

Friendly' went bust and closed a bunch of restaurants in my area. The few times I ate there the service was ok. They were like Howard Johnsons where I had my first job after retiring from the news delivery game. I think both chains suffered from bad management and changing tastes.

suydam

Friendlys -- worst service ever! The ice cream was good but not worth it once better ice cream places started showing up. Closed in my area.

abacomike

suydam said:

Friendlys -- worst service ever! The ice cream was good but not worth it once better ice cream places started showing up. Closed in my area.

I never ate at Friendly's - never even sat down at a table.  Remember, I am going back 44 years ago.  Friendly's had a service window where you would walk up and place your order for take-out.  Most of the customers, way back when, would order Awful-Awfuls, hamburgers, hotdogs, fries, etc.  Then you would take your cardboard tray back to the car and drink your thick Awful-Awful (basically an iced milk shake) and your take out food.  So I don't know much about their table service.

suydam

Yes they had a walk up window too where you could get ice cream in the summer. It was better than table service, but still dragged. I mean, how long does it take to scoop ice cream? Ours just closed a couple of years ago.

houdini1

Here is a new subject that I don't remember ever being discussed here. Composite decking. I have this type deck and have been plagued for years with what I call leopard spot mold. A few years ago I bought some deck cleaner from Walmart that removed this stuff by just spraying it on and it worked great. It must have worked too well because Walmart stopped selling it. Does anyone know of a good product or some way to get rid of this mold.

abacomike

houdini1 said:

Here is a new subject that I don't remember ever being discussed here. Composite decking. I have this type deck and have been plagued for years with what I call leopard spot mold. A few years ago I bought some deck cleaner from Walmart that removed this stuff by just spraying it on and it worked great. It must have worked too well because Walmart stopped selling it. Does anyone know of a good product or some way to get rid of this mold.

Destroying the mold is step 1.  Step 2 is sealing the composite with a bonding stain that soaks right through to protect mold regrowth.  A good carpenter would know what, where and when.

[Deleted User]

suydam said:

Your new Outback? Ouch!

I suppose if there's any good news, it's that the Impreza was the one hit. Tuesday the Impreza will go into a dent removal shop to work out the sheet metal damage as best as possible without body filler or painting, and then I'll do what I can to compound out most of the paint rub. There will still be a small scar where to base coat was abraded away, but if I keep the area glossy enough the light reflections will make it harder to see.

[Deleted User]

stever said:

Might ask the parking lot "authority" if they video the lot.

I guess y'all know about using frozen ripe bananas for "healthy ice cream." Guess that sounds like "clean diesel" lol.

Good point, Stever, and we're hoping that is so. She'll call them in the morning tomorrow to see if the area has camera coverage. Crossing our fingers just so we can hold the person accountable for a hit and run.

abacomike

Had a scare yesterday.  I was in Ponte Vedra with my brother when I was informed the door to my condo unit was unlocked.  I was told there was no evidence of forced entry but I know my door was double locked when I left for my brother's place.

So I quickly packed the car and drove straight through to my condo with no stops (just over 4 hours at 75 mph all the way).  When I got to my door, it had been already secured by security (they have keys to all condo units).  I had called them before I left to inform them I would be away for the week - they usually check the units in cases like that.

My guess is that it was checked but they left it unsecured - some new guy checked it Thursday.  Boy, I was beside myself.  Ruined my birthday, that's for sure.

driver100

tyguy said:

suydam said:

Your new Outback? Ouch!

I suppose if there's any good news, it's that the Impreza was the one hit. Tuesday the Impreza will go into a dent removal shop to work out the sheet metal damage as best as possible without body filler or painting, and then I'll do what I can to compound out most of the paint rub. There will still be a small scar where to base coat was abraded away, but if I keep the area glossy enough the light reflections will make it harder to see.

What a relief, glad it was the 2012 and not the new one!

driver100

abacomike said:

Had a scare yesterday.  I was in Ponte VedraMy guess is that it was checked but they left it unsecured - some new guy checked it Thursday.  Boy, I was beside myself.  Ruined my birthday, that's for sure.

That's one of those cases where you try to do the right thing and it turns out to work against you. The new security guy checked the apartment...and then forgot to lock it.

It's like the business teacher said...if you want a letter to get to a destination quickly send it by regular mail. If you send it express or something the delivery guy will take special care of it and leave it on the instrument panel, or put it in a door panel to keep it safe....and he'll forget about it. If it is handled with the regular mail it will get there with the rest.

Once you do something out of the ordinary it will get messed up.

abacomike

@driver100:

Maybe Canadian mail is more reliable, but I only use the USPS when there is no choice.  I use FedEx or UPS if I have important documents or packages that need to go out.  I just don't trust the US Mail.  Every other letter or bill I get has a torn edge on it like someone wanted to know what was in the envelope.  That never happens with FedEx or UPS - but all the time with the US Mail.

oldfarmer50

houdini1 said:

Here is a new subject that I don't remember ever being discussed here. Composite decking. I have this type deck and have been plagued for years with what I call leopard spot mold. A few years ago I bought some deck cleaner from Walmart that removed this stuff by just spraying it on and it worked great. It must have worked too well because Walmart stopped selling it. Does anyone know of a good product or some way to get rid of this mold.

Bleach with a little soap added. Scrub with a stiff brush. Next time you stain mix in some fine sand for traction.

Oh wait, you said composite. Forget the sand because you don't have to stain.

oldfarmer50

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving.

Thank you.....nice of you to think of us.

We should be in Florida soon so we can celebrate U.S. Thanksgiving too. Another benefit of being a Canadian Snowbird.

(btw....cute post with the eh. Now that you know how to copy and paste we've created a monster)

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

@driver100:

Maybe Canadian mail is more reliable, but I only use the USPS when there is no choice.  I use FedEx or UPS if I have important documents or packages that need to go out.  I just don't trust the US Mail.  Every other letter or bill I get has a torn edge on it like someone wanted to know what was in the envelope.  That never happens with FedEx or UPS - but all the time with the US Mail.

Maybe it's just the area you live in. Just saw on the news where a waterspout near Tampa destroyed this US Mail truck and scattered thousands of letters.

suydam

I've never had a problem with the mail.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

abacomike said:

@driver100:

Maybe Canadian mail is more reliable, but I only use the USPS when there is no choice.  I use FedEx or UPS if I have important documents or packages that need to go out.  I just don't trust the US Mail.  Every other letter or bill I get has a torn edge on it like someone wanted to know what was in the envelope.  That never happens with FedEx or UPS - but all the time with the US Mail.

Maybe it's just the area you live in. Just saw on the news where a waterspout near Tampa destroyed this US Mail truck and scattered thousands of letters.

I did see that on the news. I think that is one case where using the mail could have been a problem....from what I could see all the mail got pushed into the air and flew all over the place.

I love that bridge though...The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, ....well worth the $1.50 toll.

oldfarmer50

A pending sales story. I hope.

Selling my son's Deville. It got a fatal diagnosis of frame cancer so I slapped it on CL for $500 as a parts car. Still runs and drives ok but didn't want to mislead anyone.

So far have received 3 inquiries. One email with a phone number that's been disconnected. One email from someone not familiar with the English language who wanted me to email back if it was ok for him to see if it was in good condition (it's a parts car) and he would pay me cash. Never mentioned that he was responding to a car ad (red flag) so no go. Also got one phone call from the sign I put on the windshield. Old Caddy lover who sounded heartbroken when he found out a $500 car had something wrong with it.

To be continued...

Just had another drive-by looker. No go once they heard about the frame. Lot of old Caddy fans out there.

https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/5262420002.html

henryn

Nice looking car (the 93 Deville). Shame about the rust. I owned a 92 Deville back many years ago, and really liked the car. It was a great highway car, and not bad around town.

suydam

I'd take out the Best for Parts language. It's a $500 car. It runs. It's 22 years old. End of story.

ab348

driver100 said:

I love that bridge though...The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, ....well worth the $1.50 toll.

In 1982 I visited Florida for the first time. We flew into Tampa and stayed with a friend of the family in St. Pete's the first couple of days. I remember when we took our rental car over the original Sunshine Skyway. It was terrifying, with the sharp up-and-down contour and the open grate deck, and seeing the abandoned section next to it with the center part missing after the ship disaster of a couple of years earlier. I have never been on the new one. It's funny because I usually have no issue with traversing large bridges (we have two locally) but this one just scared the heck out of me.

andres3

nyccarguy said:

Sorry I'm a few days late to the car company pride & prejudices discussion. There was a time where I would have considered myself severely brand loyal (fanboy is the term used online I believe) and would ONLY consider vehicles produced by Honda, Acura, & BMW. On the other side I was severely prejudiced against American vehicles (specifically GM) and Toyota/Lexus. As I've grown up and become wiser (I'm 39 now) about cars anyway, I appreciate more cars and would absolutely consider buying a much broader spectrum of cars than I would have back when I joined edmunds back in the late 1990s.

Every car company has had way more than its fair share of problems, recalls, & TSBs. None of companies are perfect.

I hear this argument from time to time and I'm not buying it at all. The culture, expectations, and attitudes one might find at certain automaker's and corresponding dealerships I've found to be a complete 180 from other cultures, attitudes, and expectations I've found at other car dealerships and automaker's. My experiences with multiple other vehicles (now VW, Audi, & Honda) are a direct opposite kind of experience from that I incurred at Chrysler. Hearing GG's stories and saga with Cadillac it brings back unpleasant memories from dealing with companies like Dodge, AT&T, & Circuit City. Company's that have disappeared or would have disappeared without bailouts (AT&T excluded). I'm particularly bothered by AT&T purchasing Direct TV, as that puts Direct TV on my blacklist, and I have one less competitor to shop against cable.

No company is perfect, but that doesn't mean these companies play the same sport in the same ballpark!

abacomike

OK!  I stopped off at my local Ford dealer and test drove an Explorer - loaded.  Certainly not the ride of a car but, considering its size, not bad.  But I just don't see myself in an SUV.  But something else caught my eye!!!

I saw this Competition Orange Mustang GT Premium with Dark Saddle leather interior.  It had voice activated GPS, adaptive cruise control, rear park assist, 6-speed manual transmission, spoiler and hot 20" wheels and performance tires.  When the salesman saw my eyes pop out of their sockets, he quickly grabbed the keys and off we went.

It was truly breathtaking.  They said they would give me back $3500 cash and take my Mercedes in trade.  It did not sound like a great deal (too little for my car) but after considering my needs, my age, my back, my knees, my love handles and my psyche, not to mention how long it took me to get out of the car, it was not worth negotiating a more equitable deal.

But...if I was back in my 20's or 30's, I would have driven that sucker home with me.  What torque - what power - what color - what an exquisite interior - great handling!  

isellhondas

I've owned two 1965 Rivieras and one 1969. What great cars they were!

My favorite was my yellow 1965 with it's black vinyl top. I believe it had every option available. Power vent windows Twlight Sentinal, cruise, reverb and other stuff I can't remember.

It could lay rubber for half a block and go through a quarter tank of gas doing that.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

OK!  I stopped off at my local Ford dealer and test drove an Explorer - loaded.  Certainly not the ride of a car but, considering its size, not bad.  But I just don't see myself in an SUV.  But something else caught my eye!!!

I saw this Competition Orange Mustang GT Premium with Dark Saddle leather interior.  It had voice activated GPS, adaptive cruise control, rear park assist, 6-speed manual transmission, spoiler and hot 20" wheels and performance tires.  When the salesman saw my eyes pop out of their sockets, he quickly grabbed the keys and off we went.

It was truly breathtaking.  They said they would give me back $3500 cash and take my Mercedes in trade.  It did not sound like a great deal (too little for my car) but after considering my needs, my age, my back, my knees, my love handles and my psyche, not to mention how long it took me to get out of the car, it was not worth negotiating a more equitable deal.

But...if I was back in my 20's or 30's, I would have driven that sucker home with me.  What torque - what power - what color - what an exquisite interior - great handling!  

LOL glad you could find your inner teenager. Now on the Orange color, of all the selections that was my least favorite. As they say a fanny for every seat.

abacomike

@oldfarmer50 said:

"As they say a fanny for every seat."

If my fanny fit the seat correctly and comfortably, I'd be driving that GT PREMIUM now!!!  

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

A pending sales story. I hope.

Selling my son's Deville. It got a fatal diagnosis of frame cancer so I slapped it on CL for $500 as a parts car. Still runs and drives ok but didn't want to mislead anyone.

So far have received 3 inquiries. One email with a phone number that's been disconnected. One email from someone not familiar with the English language who wanted me to email back if it was ok for him to see if it was in good condition (it's a parts car) and he would pay me cash. Never mentioned that he was responding to a car ad (red flag) so no go. Also got one phone call from the sign I put on the windshield. Old Caddy lover who sounded heartbroken when he found out a $500 car had something wrong with it.

To be continued...

Just had another drive-by looker. No go once they heard about the frame. Lot of old Caddy fans out there.

https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/5262420002.html

I love the design of that particular Cadillac. Squared off design with big windows. I had a rental car once like that....they offered a premium car for the regular price and I really enjoyed driving that baby. For $500, maybe I should buy it and just keep it in my yard and pretend I am driving it..........I think there was a John Grisham story where the guy used to do that with his old Ford - when he could no longer drive.

http://images.craigslist.org/00F0F_i96C9tcXPWM_600x450.jpg