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Comments
The engine has a very interesting story which I will hope to relate briefly... I seem to remember my grandpa telling me it started out with an inline 6 but that doesn't make sense but he could have swapped motors later? When I got a hold of it, it had a 350 with quadrajet 4 barrel carb with a propane conversion on top of that. The fuel pump had been removed several years before and for most of it's life it ran on propane. I installed an electric pump, but the carb internals were so dried out it never ran right. Also the motor leaked oil and burned it. Probably a couple of quarts a week. I was told to make sure I kept oil in it, but failed to do so and burned the motor up. When we pulled the motor, it was so covered in dirt and old oil you couldn't even make out the firing order engraved on the manifold. The oil pan was so banged up I am surprised it held oil at all. A couple of buddies and I installed a 350 out of a '77 blazer. By the time we got done with the install the truck which was an '82 had a 77' block, 82 exhaust manifolds, '86 heads and intake and carb. But it ran (barley, because we had the vacumn lines hooked up wrong and the carb still had yet to be rebuilt properly) and when I finally spent the money to have the carb properly rebuilt and the vacumns hooked up right it ran beautifully. I have no idea how many miles were on it.
But the speedo was inaccurate, probably due to the fact I had 4 different tires of varying sizes on it, the transmission had lost overdrive before I had even started driving it and it had a sagging rear leaf. That was in addition to the bumper abuse I had done to the truck. Oh yeah, it also had no exhaust system since the mufflers had blown out and I wrapped the remains of them around the rear axle while being a dumb teenager. I had cut them off and left the tail pipes in the desert somewhere. You could hear me coming and going. Try sneaking home at 2 am
I have pictures somewhere, I'll have to see if I can find them and post them.
Oh yeah -- I also forgot about the diesel fuel in the driver's side tank that is another Doh!! moment. Accidently put 10 dollars worth of diesel in it one night (when it was still less than 1.50 a gallon) and made it about 3 miles before it started chugging, blew white smoke out the underside (no pipes or cat), and died. When I finally figured out what I did, I ended up cleaning plugs and flushing the fuel lines on the side of the road. I switched to the passenger tank and never bothered to drop the other tank and drain the diesel.
Almost there!
I suspect that you over estimate your self control. If some big redneck was in your face yelling obscenities, could you "choose" not to become agitated? If so, you're a better man than I, Gunga Din. :P
People DO need to take responsibility for the effect of their actions on others. I'm with fintail on this one!
jamez
I'm not sure how some of these comments turned into a statement about aggressive drivers. There are times when someone wants to go fast for whatever reason. They may not be tailgating but they may be stuck behind someone who is trying to control the speed by traveling in the left lane at the speed limit. Or by someone who is just oblivious to the law.
Heck, there are aggressive drivers who will tailgate someone in the RIGHT lane. I hope I am not giving the impression that I condone that sort of thing.
I've used the example before, and others have recently posted, that no one has any idea why someone wants to go fast. If I get a call that my son got hurt at school or that my daughter is waiting alone after practice in the dark... you bet I'm going to push the speed limit. If I'm concerned about them, you bet I won't be too happy about someone trying to make me go slow. Will I yell at them or pull a gun? Uh, no... not my style. Will someone else? Who knows??
In the prison television series "Lock Up..." the instigator is held at just a high level of responsibility as the guy who threw the first punch. You keeping pushing and pushing on somebody (verbally), and I don't care if they are Ghandi, eventually they will push back (physically).
Oh wait...
All reactions are choice made which separates us from the animals of the jungle.
The animals have instinct & humans have reason.
When giving way to instinct rather than reason, you are closer to the animal of the jungle.
Do you mean like the Toyota gasbuster Highlander tailgating me in the right lane on the limited access road a mile back from the I675 ramp. The one who eventually gunned it around myself and the two cars whom I was following as an assured clear distance? She ended up a quarter mile ahead on the ramps to the 675 interstate...
Do you mean n the return home from the cruisein when the 20s something lady driving a small, low foreign car from the 90s talking on the cellphone was 8 feet of my bumper? I was cruising behind other car in the right lane of 3 at the 55 speed limit in a construction zone with double fines (like the city of Dayton ever has a police car around unless there's a donut shop or an accident already there).
I believe some people just have it in their blood to tailgate. As for the example of someone on the way to a hospital I doubt they cruise up and sit on your bumper. That's what we have 911 and emergency crews for--taking people to the hospital. Otherwise it's not a dire emergency.
Or maybe the white Jeep brand SUV that jumped around 3 cars driving through the white striped area narrowly missing my lane as I merged over into the newly formed left lane that goes to the light for the left entrance onto the interstate in our fair city? Perhaps he was on his way to the hospital? Or his son was late for a soccer game? Naaaah. Most likely hurrying to get to a movie at the theater located a few miles away or to get to Tattoe being put on by WPAFB at the Air Force Museum on the east side of town with special performers and flyovers by various aircraft.
A radio talk guy was commenting how much more polite drivers used to be. He was talking about that and other violations. Has anyone noticed the car/truck brands seem to match the personality of the tailgater demanding their right to their lane at above the speed limit? I recall 60 Minutes interviewing the European psychologist who advises car designers on the effect of their designs on the Old Brain, primitive brain, of the buyers evoking primal instincts. That program was several years back, but it still applies today.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I don't disagree with this. Where I have difficulty is with what appears to be your definition of "innocent" and "provoker."
If you look at someone who gets into the left lane and says to themself "I'm going fast enough, and anyone who wants to pass me is SOL," are they innocent, or somewhat of a provoker?
Depends. If it is done intentionally, then they are inconsidete, selfish and immature. If they appear to be in a trance as you pass by on the right and steel a look, then they are just clueless.
Maybe we need more public service messages on tv similar to smokey the bear years ago that give tips such as staying to the right, don't tailgate, etc. Could help some.
Humans have reason? Where?
The animals have instinct & humans have reason.
Umm, last time I checked, humans were still animals, certainly capable of reason, but animals none the less. The crocodile brain is lurking in there, just waiting to snap at someone who does you wrong. :surprise:
jamez
Beware of Drivers Whose Cars Wear Bumper Stickers
Guess that means me.
I actually got cut off by another Mercedes today. Appalling...
Okay, then.... just let an LLC get in my way now!!
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
It would be surprising if he owned a car. Bikes don't have much room for bumper stickers. :sick:
We used to have a "License plates bumper stickers etc." discussion around here but it got lost in the archives years ago and never got restarted. Just posting some of the slogans got people in a rage.
LLC's: Irritants to be sure. Forgive them, for they know not what they do. Amazing that after I squirt around them on the right (after fair opportunity to move over), I see them change lanes behind me.
I tend to cruise at about 5 over, and most of the places I drive over here on the dry side of the state have nowhere near the congestion of western Washington, so I can do 5-7 over most of the time. I'll stay left lane often, if for no other reason than the lane grooves in the right lane, but I gladly & promptly move right for anybody coming from my 6 o'clock. Heck, having radar bait ahead of me isn't a bad thing at all!
Unmarked cars: There's a couple of Malibus around here, very well disguised, and I saw a Suburban the other day, equally well hidden. IIRC they were originally brought into service to combat aggressive/road rage driving.
Gas woes: perhaps it's just my perception, but it seems there a lot more people driving a bit slower on I-90 lately trying to improve MPG. To their credit, most of them are in the right lane
Cheers!
Paul
PS: Steve: Still snow on the Hiawatha trail, but finally most of it off the hill!
Ohio needs to have unmarked cars for traffic enforcement! That would get rid of some of the aggressive drivers. They do have unmarked cars, but long ago the legislators passed a law that they can't be used for traffic enforcement. I guess it's okay to have red light cameras that covertly send you a bill, but it's not okay to catch the bad drivers by having unmarked cars for them to zoom in and around and tailgate.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Just got back from that side of the state. Folks always seem to stay right around the speed limit (70 mph) on I-82 between Tri-Cities and Yakima. There were still a number of LLCs though. Sigh.
I agree that sometimes folks space out and stay in the left lane. When they get passed on the right, they tend to wake up and move over because they know they should be there. We all make mistakes so I can cut those people some slack, even though it might be irritating. It's the oblivious ones who don't have a clue that they are wrong that should get tickets.
How presumptuous and selfish of you! Who are you to decide what is and isn't an emergency??? :mad: What if it's a young couple, pregnant with their first baby and her water breaks unexpectedly? Should he just pull over and wait for an ambulance?? What if it was a family out at the park with a couple of hyper boys horse playing and one slams the other's finger in the door, thereby seriously breaking or cutting the tip off a finger? Should they just sit there and let their son bleed while waiting for an ambulance to arrive??
You're unbelievable! :sick: Again, IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS WHY THEY'RE IN A HURRY!!! Just get the heck out of the way!!!!!
How do you know what the other driver's intentions are anyway?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
That might be in Great Britain.
One of the interstates I use frequently is 3 lanes each way. Depending on my mood, frame of mind, I sometimes drive in the right lane in heavy to semi-heavy moving traffic, but still above the limit. I don't hold up other right lane users.
Usually left lane is moving fastest, then middle lane next fast, and right lane slowest. From time-to-time, some drivers will try to use right lane to even get ahead of left lane traffic by jumping from lane-to-lane (as seen in my rear view mirror). They will rush up to my bumper and try to intimidate me to go faster so that they may get in a middle lane slot, then jump to left lane. As others have pointed out, cannot know if they have a predicament and need to get somewhere fast. Maybe it is something as simple as having to go to the restroom.
I agree... and think it shoud be removed. A personal attack like that is uncalled for.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
All the interstates that I use the vast majority of the time have 3 or more (one has 7) lanes in each direction. I usually stay out of the right lane though, to much entering and leaving from that lane, at times several exits/entrances per mile. Much of this is 4 lanes so just staying to the lane next to the right means there are two lanes to my left.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Was referring to I90, Northwest Tollway, now Jane Adams. Who the heck was Jane Adams and who responsible for renaming? Might have made more sense to rename Northwest as Hitchcock, for Alfred Hitchcock. Realistically, why not rename Northwest for a past President such as Johnson, Carter or Clinton, given that Illinois is Democrat controlled state. They certainly were more influential then somebody named Jane Adams.
Amount of entrances on Northwest much less than free interstates, so not as much of a hassle with cars entering from ramps onto right lane. Now that I recall, lots of drivers getting on Tollway from ramps don't bother with the right lane. They just shoot across diagonally to get to the left lane. These are very inconsiderate and dangerous and they can affect you whether you are in right, middle or left lane.
Laura Jane Addams (September 6, 1860 – May 21, 1935) was a founder of the U.S. Settlement House movement, and the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. :shades:
What personal attack? :confuse: