That has become a toyota forte in this part of the country.
Now that you mention it...I went on a day trip yesterday to an amusement park near Allentown, PA. The one left-lane camper that really stuck out was on I-78 coming back home...Toyota Highlander.
I had stopped off to get lunch and fuel about 10 miles south of Harrisburg, on on the way back home, filled up again in the same general area. Managed to get 29.8 mpg on that leg of the trip. Not bad, I guess, considering the hilly terrain, running the a/c the whole time, having two extra passengers on board, and driving at speeds of up to 85-90 mph in spots (but flow-of-traffic for the most part).
Which makes me wonder...how much weight and a/c use really affect fuel economy? According to the trip computer, driving from that last gas station to home, about 100 miles, I averaged 30.5 mpg with the a/c on and I'd guess with the two passengers maybe an extra 350 lb of weight from what I normally carry. Well, last week coming back from the swap meet in Carlisle, I did the exact same run, just without the a/c and no passengers. Filled up at the same gas station, and when I pulled into my driveway, the trip computer registered around 30.4. Kinda odd that the 350 extra lb and using the a/c seemed to have no effect on mileage.
Well, as you wallow down the road in your Buick and it starts to rain, I'm glad you don't have to go through the effort of having to flip the wiper switch!
On my grandpa's '00 P/A the rain sense wipers could forecast for rain. They'd turn on when it wasn't raining. Annoying as hell, be driving down the road on a sunny day the wipers would turn on.
And, I KNOW when something is behind me!
LOL, I've actually back into more stuff with my Expedition that has rear sensors. I don't look as closely behind me with them. I've backed into the garbage can twice (it was over enough to where the sensors didn't detect it but the handle stuck out and I've hit it). Never did that before w/o having the rear sensors.
Yeah, some of the profit from Japanese cars go's back to Japan but a lot stays right here especially when the bulk of Japanese cars are built in the U.S. Profit go's back into the community when we sell these cars in the U.S.
Absolutely most of it stays here. It's no different with GM. GM's profits in China don't come back here, they stay there for reinvestment. Same with Toy/Hon/Nissan etc. Profits generated here are taxed here, and reinvested here. It certainly all doesn't go back to Japan or South Korea etc.
Were does all of GM's North America profits go? Okay, low blow. We all know it's been a long time since they've made a profit, particularly from selling vehicles.
Which makes me wonder...how much weight and a/c use really affect fuel economy? According to the trip computer, driving from that last gas station to home, about 100 miles, I averaged 30.5 mpg with the a/c on and I'd guess with the two passengers maybe an extra 350 lb of weight from what I normally carry. Well, last week coming back from the swap meet in Carlisle, I did the exact same run, just without the a/c and no passengers. Filled up at the same gas station, and when I pulled into my driveway, the trip computer registered around 30.4. Kinda odd that the 350 extra lb and using the a/c seemed to have no effect on mileage.
A/C doesn't make much difference. Maybe a percent or two, not enough to notice over a tank I'd bet. I read somewhere that every extra 100lbs causes a 1% loss in fuel economy. So 300lbs or 3% of 30.5 would be .9 mpg. But other factors like wind, temp etc all play into to it.
Ex. I have a 10' utility trailer I use to haul our golf cart to our seasonal campground etc. It weighs maybe 800lb or so empty but the ramp sticks up about 6 feet. Pulling that thing behind my Expedition drags my mileage to about 12-13mpg, about the same as pulling my 4500lb boat.
Plus I wouldn't use the fuel economy computer as scientific evidence. My avg fuel economy reported by the computer in my Expedition is routinely .5 to 1 mpg off on the high side. I hand verify with every fill up and over the 2 years I've had it, the computer has never been closer than .5 mpg, it's usually about 1 mpg off, which is a quite a bit when I usually am getting around 14-15.
Yeah, I always do pen-and-paper calculations as well. I've found my trip computer is often a bit optimistic, although on the last fill-up, where I calculated 29.8 mpg, I think it was actually reading something like 28.9 I think. There's always the possibility that I didn't totally top off the tank, too.
Since I've had the car, it's averaged 20.5 mpg, over the course of 3600 miles. Not too hideous, I guess, when you consider the majority of that is local driving, and my <5 mile commute to work doesn't help things much, as the car spends most of that time warming up.
Oops...sorry about that, Lemko! So how long would it take you to get there...maybe an hour? It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment trip, but next time I know I'm going, I'll give you a shout. When it gets closer to Halloween, they have some pretty cool mazes and stuff they set up, too.
I looked up their stats on the roller coaster database, and found this...
2 German: Talon and Wild Maus (Wild Maus broke down while we were there...complicated electronics, maybe? One of the attendants said something about clearing out the faults) 2 Swiss: Hydra and Possessed (Possessed wasn't up and running yet) 2 American: Steel Force (although the designer's name is Steve Okamoto. Hmm, sounds Asian to me!) and Thunderhawk. 3 kiddie coasters that I don't consider "real" coasters.
2 German: Talon and Wild Maus (Wild Maus broke down while we were there...complicated electronics, maybe? One of the attendants said something about clearing out the faults) 2 Swiss: Hydra and Possessed (Possessed wasn't up and running yet) 2 American: Steel Force (although the designer's name is Steve Okamoto. Hmm, sounds Asian to me!) and Thunderhawk. 3 kiddie coasters that I don't consider "real" coasters.
But then all the profits go back to those countries! Shame on them! :P
"......I think that is the first time I've seen the term silky smooth and 3800 in the same sentence. A silky smooth 90 degree OHV v6 doesn't exist. My wife's car has a 3800 Series III. IMO it's far from silky smooth."
At idle, no. That is just the physics behind a 90 degree V-6, even with the counterbalance shaft. But the acceleration under normal circumstances has always been fine. What I always noticed was that around 4000 rpm's the motor felt as though it "ran out of breath" (although not so much with the supercharged versions). Fuel economy on the highway is exceptional, not so much around town. My SIL has a GP like your wife's, and I think it accelerates fine. But what a rough vehicle!!!! Loud and cheap.
".....The mechanics that still remember them will tell you there were garbage."
Simple reason why they "were" junk, and then worked well over the years. GM's was "ALL" aluminum. NO cast iron cylendar sleeves. I believe 2 people could lift a fully dressed 215 by themselves. IIRC it weighed 350 lbs. After 40,000 miles the cylendars would be egg shaped. Sleeeving it made all the difference.
Wrong. You are confusing that engine with the Chevy Vega.
As I recall, the reason they dropped that engine after three years was because they were difficult to cast and teh rejection rate was high.
The definatly used steel sleeves.
Mine ran like a top and used no oil when I sold it at 80,000 plus miles.
Years later, I ran into the guy who I had sold it to in a restauirant. He still had it and still loved it but commented that at 120,000 miles he was having to add a quart of oil between changes.
What I always noticed was that around 4000 rpm's the motor felt as though it "ran out of breath" (although not so much with the supercharged versions). Fuel economy on the highway is exceptional, not so much around town. My SIL has a GP like your wife's, and I think it accelerates fine. But what a rough vehicle!!!! Loud and cheap.
Yeah, it's done after 4k rpm, which obviously isn't an issue most of the time. I'm sure it's more tolerable in a better car than I sample it in. My wife's GP is absolutely pathetic for a car built in 2007. Uncomfortable, poorly built, horribly cheap plastics, loud, rough, and at 65k it's starting to squeak and rattle. So I'd imagine the best v6 in the world would still come across less charming in that torture chamber. I drove the GP to get gas for my wife this morning, I feel sorry for her that she isn't due for a replacement company car for another year.
>But then all the profits go back to those countries!
Oh, of course not. Only a tiniest amount goes back to the countries. The coasters are manufactured here. They are assembled here by US workers only. The People running them live here. In fact almost nothing goes back to the country of orgin. :P
We used to have an OLD wooden roller coaster at a park called Bertrand's Island when I was a kid. The fact that it looked like it would fall apart while you were on it was part of the excitement.
There was a gigantic wooden coaster at Palisades Park.
Unfortunately both parks closed long ago to put up condos.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Wild Maus with complicated electronics? Heck, that ride dates back 60 years easy! Should have all the bugs worked out....
Yeah, but it's German, so you KNOW it has to be needlessly complicated! And they tend to retrofit those old rides with modern electronics...kinda like putting fuel injection on a 1957 DeSoto (and no, I'm not doing that!) Another overly complicated German coaster was those Schwarzkopf Jumbo Jets and Speed Racers of around late 1960's vintage that actually had electric motors built into the cars. Instead of the usual chain that would pull you up the hill, these things had a spiral lift hill with an electrified part. When the motor came into contact with it, it would drive the cars up the hill. Neat concept, but I'm sure they weren't cheap.
I apologize. I didn't realize it needed the zip code for a direct link to the page. I had to enter a zip code when I entered the site. But I checked by clicking the link after posting and it worked without requiring a zip--but then I had already logged into the site.
Hang on. We're ready to go over the top and down the track! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Imidazol, you're near Dayton, right? I guess I probably passed not too far from you back in 2005, when I got my '76 LeMans. I picked it up on the East side of Cincinatti, near where Route 32 intersects 275 (Exit 63).
I'll actually be out in Ohio in a couple months...doing the annual Cedar Point pilgrimage. I'll have to check the dates, but I think I'm out there June 19-22.
I bought the car from a private owner. I met him at his place of business, which was on "Old Route 74", "Cincinatti-Batavia Pike" or something like that. Looking on Google maps, looks like that road is called both. I got off on 32, going west towards Cincinatti, and the made a sharp right at the first light, and it was less than 500 feet on the right after that.
I owned one of those 72 Vegas.. Ran really good and was fun to drive until the engine blew about 52000 miles.
I remember the engine part of the story...........I also know that one other major flaw was that GM had failed to put in a radiator recovery bag like you see now on EVERY vehicle. I was told that that little 5 dollar part omission cost GM dearly. GM replaced the engine just fine and then we moved from NE to NC so that's when I sold it. I just couldn't move 3 vehicles with two drivers and also drive a U Haul. We took our 74 Ford Bronco and 69 Plymouth Fury with us . Go back and look at Consumer Report and their recommendations on the 71-72 VEGA... I have never again subscribed to CR after buying that car.
It takes about an hour and most of that time is just to get out of Philly.I haven't been there in a while. What's admission like? I'm sure you've been to Hershey Park what with it's close proximity to grbeck. Hershey Park is AWESOME!!!
Motor Trend gave the Chevy Vega the Car of the Year Award too.
To be fair, I think Motortrend is between a rock and a hard place sometimes when it comes to those awards. To even be in the running for the award, a car has to be either all-new, or mostly new. And, unfortunately, new designs tend to be more troubleprone their first year or so out.
Plus, a lot of cars that seemed like a good idea at the time, like the 1974 Mustang II, just seem laughable when we look back on them through modern eyes.
To be fair, I think Motortrend is between a rock and a hard place sometimes when it comes to those awards. To even be in the running for the award, a car has to be either all-new, or mostly new. And, unfortunately, new designs tend to be more troubleprone their first year or so out.
True. A few weeks to a few months with a car rarely will tell you it's long term reliability. If you look back at each years MT car of the year, many were duds long term. But their criteria for the award is based on being new and significant to the market it competes. So yeah, a Vega way back when would have fit the bill, how could MT know then it would blow engines and rust quickly.
Ex. My dad's '92 CrownVic had a few teething issues when he got it new in '91. The hood failed to shut (he was showing it off to a co-worker, that be kind of embarrassing as he drove to the dealer with the hood not fully closed) and a starter went out within the first few months, but it went on to provide 230k miles of reliable transportation.
Yeah, they also gave the award to the Renault Alliance.
Yeah, I remember that. A buddy of mine had an Alliance in HS. Poor guy also had a Pontiac T1000. I don't remember which was worse. I don't think it matters as it's similar to deciding which foot would you rather have amputated.
Back in 1971, what else was really new, that would have competed for MT's COTY award, anyway? I can actually see the Vega making sense, at that point in time. The Pinto came out in 1971, but it just seemed more conventional and generic compared to the Vega. Seemed a bit cheaper too, but then the Pinto was mainly just cheap, basic transportation, while the Vega tried to be sporty. Sporty looking, at least! I guess the Vega would've been quicker than a Pinto, as its standard engine was a 2.3 SOHC, while the Pinto was relying on smaller 1.6 and 2.0 engines, which I think were just pushrods.
GM redesigned its big cars in 1971, and Mopar re-did its intermediates, but for the most part these cars were just more of the same...nothing really groundbreaking in their respective fields, except for advancing the concept of space in-efficiency. I think some of the testers of the time found the new GM cars to be quieter and nicer-riding than the 1970 equivalents, but that probably just means they bounced and wallowed more. And I'm sure as they aged, they didn't stay quieter than the previous models for long!
Correct, with the SC it didn't. The '97 GTP was pretty consistent accross the pb with the blower and pulled nice with the 240 hp rating...always looking for more back then.
The interior was extremely cheap. Actually, that car started falling apart at 70K miles...right on the engineering mark!
The resale at the time I bounced it was $4-6K in 2004. GTP - Gone To Pieces!
The interior was extremely cheap. Actually, that car started falling apart at 70K miles...right on the engineering mark!
You must have had a good one, the interior of why wife's 07 GP started deteriorating at 2 years old and 40k miles and it's been going down hill since. Since it hit 60k miles the rattles are getting worse by the month. My 07 Expedition with 66k feels Lexus like by comparison. It's holding up much better in regards to build and material quality. I know they are apples and oranges, but they are the same year and have roughly the same mileage. The Expe feels newer and the GP feels and drives like a 10 year old 150k mile beater.
Plus the GP has been babied. Just my wife driving it. The dog has never been in it and the kids rarely ride in it. The Expe OTOH gets abused. Dog, kids, friends of kids, boat pulling, camper pulling, many miles of driving and towing down rough country roads to the lake.
Yeah, but does their roller coaster break with cars left hanging upside down? This happened in the UK, but ... the coaster builder is a Utah company. Oh well.
Throw away your ponchos - those things are super dangerous canoeing too. The wearer is lucky it didn't choke them.
Thanks for recalling that miserable car, I sold the "Hood Release Assy" to the Fisher Body Div..along with the B-body hood release which had great volume..I remember that the Vega assy was priced about 70% more than B-body..
I have a 2006 Pontiac GPGT w/260 HP, picked it up on the cheap, showing 4300 mi, paid $16,500 on 6/07. sunroof, leather, Monsoon sound w/black ext and tan int..Finally, at around 40k mi, after balance/alignment problems solved,.. the car is glass smooth..On 3rd set of tires, third battery, and 3rd ISS..Anyone who purchased a new GP would be a loser..however after all the problems were solved it's a winner...Not a hi-tech car, just a fun auto that is happy with hi-speed cruising..Enough on this Big3 creation..
Background, 51 Big3 autos to date, and 2 Porsches..I personally don't care if you buy a Asain brand car for much of the production associated with the Big3 in it's present form and it's past were not too great..for all the reasons probably covered on this forum..
I moved to Detroit in 7/68 and was involved with the Automotive Game until 5/2002..Mainly in the Sales/Marketing side, with 7yrs running a OEM parts supplier near Flint, yes, it was a UAW shop..Spent 2yrs as vp of Sales/Marketing for a transplant Japanese parts supplier during the ealry 80's..
Let's go back to the say 1946 thru 1980 when the Big3 supplied roughly 95% of the total auto/truck production..We get into a recession, sales go down, housing pans, few bankrupties, and the economy dips..However we always maintained our industrail base and soon Detroit was humming again, housing would go bonkers, and the "Good Times" rolled along..
Enter the Asians, Big3 volume/percentages steadily drift downward, present scenerio, GM & Chrysler, govt-owned, Ford, the lone survivor is progressing in spite of it's UAW workforce..GM is bleeding money, and Chrysler is a big mystery with it's Italian roots..Our Govt got involved to save the UAW, pure and simple, the private bondholders were fleeced..
Toyota, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, BMW, Nissan, Volkswagon, Subaru, and Mercedes are all located in the USA, non-union assembly workers, no retirement plans except 401s and no retirees.............Existing plants are state of the art, built new from the ground, no 50 yr old plants...given tons of tax breaks to locate in the midwest and south, small town USA setups, financed with tax payer $$$$ training programs..
With our manufacturing gone and the Big3 volume down to maybe 40% of total USA car/truck production, can we really expect our manufacturing to keep us afloat??? How many UAW retirees have their hand for retirement and health benefits??
Our transplant foreign manufacturers will be forced to unionize, yes, it's popular move to fund union activities..and keep Washington DC happy..
Simple question???? Japanese mainland economic conditions are in the gutter, and our economy is in the gutter, so what good is accomplished for our economy when one buys an Asia brand and the all we do is keep the Japanese economy rolling and Detroit dies..These offshore guys first goal is to keep the homeland happy..The European transplants don't really hurt our economy, however our elected officials have gone out of their way to kill Detroit..
It was a fun-time I spent in the auto-game with the last 15 years as a commissioned self-employed rep..I was lucky to have great suppliers in the USA and Canada.. It is sad to witness the state of manufacturing base remaining in the USA with no prospect of returning to it's greatest of yesteryear..
Gotta to love the 2011 Ford Mustang--306hp V-6, and new 5.0 V-8..There's is another Ford in my future!!!!!! Did go the Camaro route twice, 71SS350-awesome, and an 82 Z-28, a dude..The 2010 Camaro is a bloated bunch of sheetmetal, overweight by 350#s, however the sunroof is a plus.
Hope I didn't offend anyone, too long winded I know, but at my age it comes with territory!!!!! Have a good day!!!!!! Venice, Fla is great everyday, and Detroit is a distant memory.
Dare I ask how much longer she is sentenced to the GP? I remember there being some magic number but I've forgotten what it is.
Unfortunately, it looks like another year. Thanks to the economy it went from 2 years or 50k, now to 80k or so. She only had the Ford 500 a year due to her getting relocated. The 500 had to stay in Wichita and she got stuck with the GP at her new location. She would never have picked it.
Dang. Should have made them ship the 500 as part of the deal....
Does she get to pick next go round?
Last I looked a friend of mine was sentenced to an Impala as his company car. Actually his report on it mirrors my experience with rental ones. Nothing terribly wrong with it. Just not my cup of tea.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
I had a friend who drove his 71/72-ish Vega from Atlanta to Knoxville...on his way back, something must have happened, because all I can remember is that he went thru 53 quarts of oil between Knox and Atl on the ride back...worse, he had packed the car to the top with "stuff" so he couldn't buy oil by the case, he could only fit a few quarts at a time in the car...that trip took him forever...and about the funniest thing I ever heard when I overheard "53 quarts of oil"... :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
I am done buying forgein goods and services. As I visit other forums around the net I believe attitudes of Americans are changing. Americans are thinking more about how their purchase is going to affect them and their future economic stability. I vote with my wallet. I was at a store looking for yard tools. I chose the tools made in the USA over the tools made in China. Sure they cost me and extra buck or three but I know the money is going to keep Americans working. I have older teen kids. I sat them down and we had a very good discussion on what it means to buy American goods and services. At one point they had some friends pop over and the discussion was heated and deep. However, in the end they understood what it meant to buy American and how we are all connected economically.
Yeah, I like Dorney Park. It's not as big as a lot of the other parks, but they still pack quite a bit into a small space. Honestly, I'd rather drive the three hours to Dorney, than the two hours it takes to get to Kings Dominion down near Richmond. I think my Buick likes it too, because it was getting near 30 mpg on the Dorney Park trip, but only got around 27 when we went to Kings Dominion on my birthday last month.
Hey, speaking of Hershey, are you going this year, too? If so, let me know, and hopefully we can meet up again. Also, don't forget, the GM show in Carlisle is coming up soon! I'll have my '67 Catalina there, and Lemko will most likely bring his pristine '89 Brougham. It's June 25-27, and you can register at http://www.carsatcarlisle.com if you're planning on putting a car in the show.
Comments
Now that you mention it...I went on a day trip yesterday to an amusement park near Allentown, PA. The one left-lane camper that really stuck out was on I-78 coming back home...Toyota Highlander.
I had stopped off to get lunch and fuel about 10 miles south of Harrisburg, on on the way back home, filled up again in the same general area. Managed to get 29.8 mpg on that leg of the trip. Not bad, I guess, considering the hilly terrain, running the a/c the whole time, having two extra passengers on board, and driving at speeds of up to 85-90 mph in spots (but flow-of-traffic for the most part).
Which makes me wonder...how much weight and a/c use really affect fuel economy? According to the trip computer, driving from that last gas station to home, about 100 miles, I averaged 30.5 mpg with the a/c on and I'd guess with the two passengers maybe an extra 350 lb of weight from what I normally carry. Well, last week coming back from the swap meet in Carlisle, I did the exact same run, just without the a/c and no passengers. Filled up at the same gas station, and when I pulled into my driveway, the trip computer registered around 30.4. Kinda odd that the 350 extra lb and using the a/c seemed to have no effect on mileage.
On my grandpa's '00 P/A the rain sense wipers could forecast for rain. They'd turn on when it wasn't raining. Annoying as hell, be driving down the road on a sunny day the wipers would turn on.
And, I KNOW when something is behind me!
LOL, I've actually back into more stuff with my Expedition that has rear sensors. I don't look as closely behind me with them. I've backed into the garbage can twice (it was over enough to where the sensors didn't detect it but the handle stuck out and I've hit it). Never did that before w/o having the rear sensors.
Yeah, some of the profit from Japanese cars go's back to Japan but a lot stays right here especially when the bulk of Japanese cars are built in the U.S. Profit go's back into the community when we sell these cars in the U.S.
Absolutely most of it stays here. It's no different with GM. GM's profits in China don't come back here, they stay there for reinvestment. Same with Toy/Hon/Nissan etc. Profits generated here are taxed here, and reinvested here. It certainly all doesn't go back to Japan or South Korea etc.
Were does all of GM's North America profits go? Okay, low blow. We all know it's been a long time since they've made a profit, particularly from selling vehicles.
A/C doesn't make much difference. Maybe a percent or two, not enough to notice over a tank I'd bet. I read somewhere that every extra 100lbs causes a 1% loss in fuel economy. So 300lbs or 3% of 30.5 would be .9 mpg. But other factors like wind, temp etc all play into to it.
Ex. I have a 10' utility trailer I use to haul our golf cart to our seasonal campground etc. It weighs maybe 800lb or so empty but the ramp sticks up about 6 feet. Pulling that thing behind my Expedition drags my mileage to about 12-13mpg, about the same as pulling my 4500lb boat.
Plus I wouldn't use the fuel economy computer as scientific evidence. My avg fuel economy reported by the computer in my Expedition is routinely .5 to 1 mpg off on the high side. I hand verify with every fill up and over the 2 years I've had it, the computer has never been closer than .5 mpg, it's usually about 1 mpg off, which is a quite a bit when I usually am getting around 14-15.
Since I've had the car, it's averaged 20.5 mpg, over the course of 3600 miles. Not too hideous, I guess, when you consider the majority of that is local driving, and my <5 mile commute to work doesn't help things much, as the car spends most of that time warming up.
2 German: Talon and Wild Maus (Wild Maus broke down while we were there...complicated electronics, maybe? One of the attendants said something about clearing out the faults)
2 Swiss: Hydra and Possessed (Possessed wasn't up and running yet)
2 American: Steel Force (although the designer's name is Steve Okamoto. Hmm, sounds Asian to me!) and Thunderhawk.
3 kiddie coasters that I don't consider "real" coasters.
2 German: Talon and Wild Maus (Wild Maus broke down while we were there...complicated electronics, maybe? One of the attendants said something about clearing out the faults)
2 Swiss: Hydra and Possessed (Possessed wasn't up and running yet)
2 American: Steel Force (although the designer's name is Steve Okamoto. Hmm, sounds Asian to me!) and Thunderhawk.
3 kiddie coasters that I don't consider "real" coasters.
But then all the profits go back to those countries! Shame on them! :P
At idle, no. That is just the physics behind a 90 degree V-6, even with the counterbalance shaft. But the acceleration under normal circumstances has always been fine. What I always noticed was that around 4000 rpm's the motor felt as though it "ran out of breath" (although not so much with the supercharged versions). Fuel economy on the highway is exceptional, not so much around town. My SIL has a GP like your wife's, and I think it accelerates fine. But what a rough vehicle!!!! Loud and cheap.
Simple reason why they "were" junk, and then worked well over the years. GM's was "ALL" aluminum. NO cast iron cylendar sleeves. I believe 2 people could lift a fully dressed 215 by themselves. IIRC it weighed 350 lbs. After 40,000 miles the cylendars would be egg shaped. Sleeeving it made all the difference.
As I recall, the reason they dropped that engine after three years was because they were difficult to cast and teh rejection rate was high.
The definatly used steel sleeves.
Mine ran like a top and used no oil when I sold it at 80,000 plus miles.
Years later, I ran into the guy who I had sold it to in a restauirant. He still had it and still loved it but commented that at 120,000 miles he was having to add a quart of oil between changes.
In those days that was exceptional!
Yeah, it's done after 4k rpm, which obviously isn't an issue most of the time. I'm sure it's more tolerable in a better car than I sample it in. My wife's GP is absolutely pathetic for a car built in 2007. Uncomfortable, poorly built, horribly cheap plastics, loud, rough, and at 65k it's starting to squeak and rattle. So I'd imagine the best v6 in the world would still come across less charming in that torture chamber. I drove the GP to get gas for my wife this morning, I feel sorry for her that she isn't due for a replacement company car for another year.
Oh, of course not. Only a tiniest amount goes back to the countries. The coasters are manufactured here. They are assembled here by US workers only. The People running them live here. In fact almost nothing goes back to the country of orgin. :P
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
That would be cool - field trip to Dorney!
LOL!
Of course there are no local dealers or advertising. You also don't drive your coaster down to the nearest Intamin dealer for service.
coasters in Ohio.
Ohio Roller coasters
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
That Beast at Kings Island looks great. Maybe we could have a BIG group get together. You can have the front seat.
That brings back fond memories, haven't been there in 15 years.
There was a gigantic wooden coaster at Palisades Park.
Unfortunately both parks closed long ago to put up condos.
Yeah, but it's German, so you KNOW it has to be needlessly complicated! And they tend to retrofit those old rides with modern electronics...kinda like putting fuel injection on a 1957 DeSoto (and no, I'm not doing that!) Another overly complicated German coaster was those Schwarzkopf Jumbo Jets and Speed Racers of around late 1960's vintage that actually had electric motors built into the cars. Instead of the usual chain that would pull you up the hill, these things had a spiral lift hill with an electrified part. When the motor came into contact with it, it would drive the cars up the hill. Neat concept, but I'm sure they weren't cheap.
It had a wooden roller coaster from the 30's called the Cyclone Racer.
It went out over the ocean and it would SCARE the daylights out of you no matter how many times you rode it!
It had a wooden roller coaster from the 30's called the Cyclone Racer.
It went out over the ocean and it would SCARE the daylights out of you no matter how many times you rode it!
I apologize. I didn't realize it needed the zip code for a direct link to the page. I had to enter a zip code when I entered the site. But I checked by clicking the link after posting and it worked without requiring a zip--but then I had already logged into the site.
Hang on. We're ready to go over the top and down the track! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I'll actually be out in Ohio in a couple months...doing the annual Cedar Point pilgrimage. I'll have to check the dates, but I think I'm out there June 19-22.
Used to live two miles east of there in Glen Este. Mt. Carmel is at the intersection. Did you get the car from a deal or private owner?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Wow, small world!
Now I have to get the idea of a Wild Maus with VW electronics out of my head.... We have one of those right on the ocean in Seaside Heights.
I remember the engine part of the story...........I also know that one other major flaw was that GM had failed to put in a radiator recovery bag like you see now on EVERY vehicle. I was told that that little 5 dollar part omission cost GM dearly. GM replaced the engine just fine and then we moved from NE to NC so that's when I sold it. I just couldn't move 3 vehicles with two drivers and also drive a U Haul. We took our 74 Ford Bronco and 69 Plymouth Fury with us . Go back and look at Consumer Report and their recommendations on the 71-72 VEGA... I have never again subscribed to CR after buying that car.
So much for their credibility after that!
To be fair, I think Motortrend is between a rock and a hard place sometimes when it comes to those awards. To even be in the running for the award, a car has to be either all-new, or mostly new. And, unfortunately, new designs tend to be more troubleprone their first year or so out.
Plus, a lot of cars that seemed like a good idea at the time, like the 1974 Mustang II, just seem laughable when we look back on them through modern eyes.
True. A few weeks to a few months with a car rarely will tell you it's long term reliability. If you look back at each years MT car of the year, many were duds long term. But their criteria for the award is based on being new and significant to the market it competes. So yeah, a Vega way back when would have fit the bill, how could MT know then it would blow engines and rust quickly.
Ex. My dad's '92 CrownVic had a few teething issues when he got it new in '91. The hood failed to shut (he was showing it off to a co-worker, that be kind of embarrassing as he drove to the dealer with the hood not fully closed) and a starter went out within the first few months, but it went on to provide 230k miles of reliable transportation.
Yeah, I remember that. A buddy of mine had an Alliance in HS. Poor guy also had a Pontiac T1000. I don't remember which was worse. I don't think it matters as it's similar to deciding which foot would you rather have amputated.
GM redesigned its big cars in 1971, and Mopar re-did its intermediates, but for the most part these cars were just more of the same...nothing really groundbreaking in their respective fields, except for advancing the concept of space in-efficiency. I think some of the testers of the time found the new GM cars to be quieter and nicer-riding than the 1970 equivalents, but that probably just means they bounced and wallowed more. And I'm sure as they aged, they didn't stay quieter than the previous models for long!
The interior was extremely cheap. Actually, that car started falling apart at 70K miles...right on the engineering mark!
The resale at the time I bounced it was $4-6K in 2004. GTP - Gone To Pieces!
Regards,
OW
Of course he changed the transmission and rear end.
He ended up with a car that was scary fast yet it still looked stock.
I was afraid to ride in it. He sold it before he killed himself.
You must have had a good one, the interior of why wife's 07 GP started deteriorating at 2 years old and 40k miles and it's been going down hill since. Since it hit 60k miles the rattles are getting worse by the month. My 07 Expedition with 66k feels Lexus like by comparison. It's holding up much better in regards to build and material quality. I know they are apples and oranges, but they are the same year and have roughly the same mileage. The Expe feels newer and the GP feels and drives like a 10 year old 150k mile beater.
Plus the GP has been babied. Just my wife driving it. The dog has never been in it and the kids rarely ride in it. The Expe OTOH gets abused. Dog, kids, friends of kids, boat pulling, camper pulling, many miles of driving and towing down rough country roads to the lake.
Yeah, but does their roller coaster break with cars left hanging upside down? This happened in the UK, but ... the coaster builder is a Utah company. Oh well.
Throw away your ponchos - those things are super dangerous canoeing too. The wearer is lucky it didn't choke them.
Rollercoaster thrillseekers left dangling upside down 50ft up for 20 minutes after poncho gets stuck in rails (Daily Mail)
In case you missed the sales reports for April:
Asian brands = 46.9% market share
American brands = 45.6%
European brands = 7.5%
Edit: Interesting little tidbit that will make a few of us Subie fans
Subaru - 23,198
Volkswagen - 23,135
Chrysler - 22,386
No longer just a bit player...
:shades:
I have a 2006 Pontiac GPGT w/260 HP, picked it up on the cheap, showing 4300 mi, paid $16,500 on 6/07. sunroof, leather, Monsoon sound w/black ext and tan int..Finally, at around 40k mi, after balance/alignment problems solved,.. the car is glass smooth..On 3rd set of tires, third battery, and 3rd ISS..Anyone who purchased a new GP would be a loser..however after all the problems were solved it's a winner...Not a hi-tech car, just a fun auto that is happy with hi-speed cruising..Enough on this Big3 creation..
Background, 51 Big3 autos to date, and 2 Porsches..I personally don't care if you buy a Asain brand car for much of the production associated with the Big3 in it's present form and it's past were not too great..for all the reasons probably covered on this forum..
I moved to Detroit in 7/68 and was involved with the Automotive Game until 5/2002..Mainly in the Sales/Marketing side, with 7yrs running a OEM parts supplier near Flint, yes, it was a UAW shop..Spent 2yrs as vp of Sales/Marketing for a transplant Japanese parts supplier during the ealry 80's..
Let's go back to the say 1946 thru 1980 when the Big3 supplied roughly 95% of the total auto/truck production..We get into a recession, sales go down, housing pans, few bankrupties, and the economy dips..However we always maintained our industrail base and soon Detroit was humming again, housing would go bonkers, and the "Good Times" rolled along..
Enter the Asians, Big3 volume/percentages steadily drift downward, present scenerio, GM & Chrysler, govt-owned, Ford, the lone survivor is progressing in spite of it's UAW workforce..GM is bleeding money, and Chrysler is a big mystery with it's Italian roots..Our Govt got involved to save the UAW, pure and simple, the private bondholders were fleeced..
Toyota, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, BMW, Nissan, Volkswagon, Subaru, and Mercedes are all located in the USA, non-union assembly workers, no retirement plans except 401s and no retirees.............Existing plants are state of the art, built new from the ground, no 50 yr old plants...given tons of tax breaks to locate in the midwest and south, small town USA setups, financed with tax payer $$$$ training programs..
With our manufacturing gone and the Big3 volume down to maybe 40% of total USA car/truck production, can we really expect our manufacturing to keep us afloat??? How many UAW retirees have their hand for retirement and health benefits??
Our transplant foreign manufacturers will be forced to unionize, yes, it's popular move to fund union activities..and keep Washington DC happy..
Simple question???? Japanese mainland economic conditions are in the gutter, and our economy is in the gutter, so what good is accomplished for our economy when one buys an Asia brand and the all we do is keep the Japanese economy rolling and Detroit dies..These offshore guys first goal is to keep the homeland happy..The European transplants don't really hurt our economy, however our elected officials have gone out of their way to kill Detroit..
It was a fun-time I spent in the auto-game with the last 15 years as a commissioned self-employed rep..I was lucky to have great suppliers in the USA and Canada.. It is sad to witness the state of manufacturing base remaining in the USA with no prospect of returning to it's greatest of yesteryear..
Gotta to love the 2011 Ford Mustang--306hp V-6, and new 5.0 V-8..There's is another Ford in my future!!!!!! Did go the Camaro route twice, 71SS350-awesome, and an 82 Z-28, a dude..The 2010 Camaro is a bloated bunch of sheetmetal, overweight by 350#s, however the sunroof is a plus.
Hope I didn't offend anyone, too long winded I know, but at my age it comes with territory!!!!! Have a good day!!!!!! Venice, Fla is great everyday, and Detroit is a distant memory.
Unfortunately, it looks like another year. Thanks to the economy it went from 2 years or 50k, now to 80k or so. She only had the Ford 500 a year due to her getting relocated. The 500 had to stay in Wichita and she got stuck with the GP at her new location. She would never have picked it.
Does she get to pick next go round?
Last I looked a friend of mine was sentenced to an Impala as his company car. Actually his report on it mirrors my experience with rental ones. Nothing terribly wrong with it. Just not my cup of tea.
Hey, speaking of Hershey, are you going this year, too? If so, let me know, and hopefully we can meet up again. Also, don't forget, the GM show in Carlisle is coming up soon! I'll have my '67 Catalina there, and Lemko will most likely bring his pristine '89 Brougham. It's June 25-27, and you can register at http://www.carsatcarlisle.com if you're planning on putting a car in the show.