Father of my sons best friend from HS was there when it happened. Son interviewed him for a history class project. I believe he was close by in a dining hall when the shooting started. Must have been surreal experience for those kids.
I know. I'm old-enough to remember it, but lived an hour-and-a-half away from here then. I remember talking about it in sixth-grade 'Current Events'. Living here since 1991, and being a twentieth-century history buff, I've become more-interested in it. When friends visit, I've taken them over there. It's not morbid; it is indeed history that had serious consequences.
Here's a link to the pic from a small paper in northwest OH:
I know I lean cranky, but I roll my eyes at people who won't go to see something like this as "it's too sad". I know people who lived near Dallas for years and never once went to Dealey Plaza or the Sixth Floor Museum. Hard for me to imagine. I also know two adults who were in Dallas and didn't go there, but did go to see Southfork, LOL.
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Just saw something on FB that reminded me of my old theory that years have a way of making the bad seem worse, and the good seem better, than they actually were. Someone posted a pic of a very nice '76 Cordoba. Somebody underneath it wrote, "My Dad wanted one bad, but he test-drove three of them and each broke down on the way". Sorry, I don't buy it, LOL.
Maybe his dad test-drove them in the late '90s. :laughing:
Was out early this AM for a grocery shopping trip and encountered a late-run squarebody Caprice Estate wagon, complete with aero headlights, full woodgrain, wire wheel covers, and the brushed bright accent applique on the C-pillar. Looked to be in fine condition, driven by a 30-40-something guy. Maybe his parents car, who knows. Been a while since I've seen one; for some reason I see the Oldsmobile versions more often, but even then that is rare in these parts. I have always liked those big GM wagons.
I always liked those Caprice wagons, especially when they had the cornering lights mounted low and almost hidden, in the lower molding ahead of the front wheel openings.
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IIRC, ironically those Caprice wagons got the Olds 307 under the hood like all the other B-body wagons. Flipping the script from the "unhappy Olds owners find Chevy engines under the hood of their Delta 88s" headlines of a decade previous.
I had forgotten , but was recently reminded that UK here in Lexington did not have a spring graduation in 1970 due to violent protests that burned the ROTC building. I was just out of Army basic and AIT in November and my military haircut stood out in January on a campus full of long haired students. Got a lot of name calling and spit in my direction. National Guard was on campus but my Reserve unit was not called up.
IIRC, ironically those Caprice wagons got the Olds 307 under the hood like all the other B-body wagons. Flipping the script from the "unhappy Olds owners find Chevy engines under the hood of their Delta 88s" headlines of a decade previous.
Yep, all B-body wagons went to the Olds 307, starting in 1987 I believe.
While most of the "engine-gate" controversy surrounded a Chevy 350 being substituted for an Olds 350, and usually in a Delta 88, I wonder if anybody ever griped about the Pontiac 301? Olds wouldn't have their own engine in the 5-liter range until the 307 came out in 1980, so in the '77-79 timeframe, the Delta 88 used Pontiac 301s to bridge the gap between the 231 and 260, and the bigger engines. I think they tried Chevy 305's one of those three years.
For 1980, the 307 finally came out, but apparently wasn't certified for California. At least, on the EPA's website, in California the Delta 88 only offers the 231, 350 Olds, and 350 Diesel.
Visiting at my mom's, I notice her neighbors have started a little junkyard behind their house (surprised the town hasn't cracked down yet). I spot the partial shells of a 90s Civic and an A4, along with a Duster and maybe a Plymouth Satellite or similar mid 60s Mopar - the older cars appear more complete. They also have an Allroad and a couple other older Audis parked in front of the house, apparently runners.
I had forgotten , but was recently reminded that UK here in Lexington did not have a spring graduation in 1970 due to violent protests that burned the ROTC building. I was just out of Army basic and AIT in November and my military haircut stood out in January on a campus full of long haired students. Got a lot of name calling and spit in my direction. National Guard was on campus but my Reserve unit was not called up.
We lived in Lexington and my sister was a freshman at UK, that year. Scary times.
RE.: Caprice wagons--again, the dopey stuff I remember--not long after the '77's came out, my parents bought that red Impala coupe, and a family on the other side of town bought a black Caprice Classic (not Estate) wagon--black, red pinstripe which included the tailgate, just the regular Caprice full wheelcovers and whitewalls, and red vinyl interior. It was sharp. Up 'til then, all a Caprice wagon meant was generally an Impala wagon with woodgrain. In '77, you actually got all the Caprice Classic trim inside and out on the wagon, just like the sedans and coupes, and the Estate was a separate model. (And, you could get a choice of cloth trim inside if you wanted, not-often-seen on Chevy wagons before then.)
Even my Dad said, "Man, that's a sharp wagon".
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Another comment or two on GM's making the big wagons more similar as the model years went by--right from the start, in '77, the Olds wagons' front wheel openings were round like Chevy's, bearing no resemblance to the Delta 88's squarish front wheel openings. The other makes mimicked the passenger cars' front wheel openings. But I think with the '80 redesign, Buick as well as Olds went to the round front wheel openings, and when Pontiac started the U.S.-sold Parisienne wagons, they too of course had the Chevy's styling.
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Just saw something on FB that reminded me of my old theory that years have a way of making the bad seem worse, and the good seem better, than they actually were. Someone posted a pic of a very nice '76 Cordoba. Somebody underneath it wrote, "My Dad wanted one bad, but he test-drove three of them and each broke down on the way". Sorry, I don't buy it, LOL.
Back in 1974 I was looking a new Chevrolets. My dad and I went to the one dealer in town that had a new Monza V8. It was sitting steaming on the showroom floor as it had overheated on its first five minute test drive.
Our local Chrysler dealer's first Dodge 600 also boiled over; the factory had installed a water pump sans impeller.
My father in law was a Buick man, so he encouraged her to look at a Buick in 1984 when she was car shopping. I went with her. We first drove a Skyhawk; once it had warmed up the unmistakable aroma of burning oil permeated the interior. Next up was a Century; GM had clearly failed to "Sweat the Details" as they liked to claim at the time: the three piece hood molding was misaligned to the extent that none of the pieces libed up with each other. The Skylark was just typically soft and uninvolving.
She really wanted an Accord, but they were in short supply and the Cincy dealers all wanted to play games. We ended up with a Skylark T Type; even with the "High Output" V6 it was hardly a ball of fire, but it was a nice car. That was my last domestic car until I bought my friend's T-Bird Turbo Coupe in 1993 to use as a work beater.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
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Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Monza 2+2 was a '75 model year introduction; I never saw one until Feb. '75 at our dealer in town as I believe the ramp-up was slow. Actually, two of my high school friends got new '75 Monza 2+2 V8's so I was well-aware of them, riding and driving in both many times. No overheating in either. Under-braked, both of them were. I belong to an H-body Facebook forum, and the biggest complaint all these years later is that fussy spark plug in back, but I've yet to read anything about overheating in them.
I must walk between the raindrops.
I saw someone on some Edmunds forums once, describing rustout areas in a twelve-month-old Vega. If I didn't see it where I lived, salt-central, it didn't happen...and I studied those cars. Between two and three years, yes I saw and heard of that. I'm the guy classmates and relatives ask for dates of things others can't recall, LOL. As the wife says, "Now you'd be considered on-the-spectrum".
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I didn't say all Monzas overheated; it was just an observation about what passed for QC with a lot of domestic automakers of that era. As for brakes, I always remember what I heard a European auto engineer say,
"European drivers don't care if the brakes squeal- just as long as they stop the car. American drivers don't care if the brakes stop the car- just as long as they don't squeal."
I remember when Road & Track tested a late '70s Skyhawk; during the brake fade test a couple of the plastic wheel covers actually melted.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
The biggest QC goofs I remember seeing on Chevys and Cadillacs at our hometown dealer:
1) '75 Cosworth Vega had no "Cosworth Twin Cam" decal as it sat in the showroom. I noticed that immediately, having pored through the brochure. An acquaintance owns the car now and at 13K miles, still doesn't have it. (Vega forum master on FB group told me someone had to have removed the decal before it was displayed in the showroom. Yeah, right.)
2) '73 Cadillac Sedan deVille delivered with the window sticker affixed for a Fleetwood Brougham! At age 15, I had to point this out to a salesman, who was like "Huh? Yeah, OK".
3) '76 Nova Concours with narrow body side molding on one side and the upmarket wide molding down the other side
4) Dark green '77 Impala sedan in the showroom (!), with a Caprice Classic rear seat and cushion! (Yes, at least it was the same color as the front seat.)
But not aware of cars not surviving a test drive.
At a dealer near where I live now, I saw a Lumina Sedan with the bright side molding down one side and the red 'Euro' molding down the other side.
None of the many cars we bought from both of those dealers had anything of this nature. I wouldn't have accepted delivery.
Imports were less-likely to have this kind of thing in general I think, largely because they were available with far-less variation in trim levels, etc.
I still long for the days of many choices in colors, in and out, trim levels, and individual options, sigh. The imports forced the domestics to go the new route.
Other than the C8, it's been back to the all-new '14 Impala that I've been excited about something new at Chevrolet. Both have been very well-reviewed.
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The only bad test drive experience I can think of, was in October 1984, when my grandparent's bought their '85 LeSabre. The first one they looked at was a light blue one that caught Grandmom's eye. But, it wouldn't start. Probably just a dead battery, but it gave Grandmom enough of a vibe, that they ended up picking a dark gray one instead. It ended up being one of the best cars they ever owned.
Now years ago, in college, I went with a friend on a test drive of a new Hyundai, Elantra. I forget the exact year, but he ended up with a '91 or '92 Corolla, so that should give you the timeframe. I remember the car sounded like crap, and after the test drive it smelled like something was burning, so that put him off. And, in '03, when my Dad was car shopping, before he bought the used '03 Regal, we took a new '03 Dodge Stratus sedan out for a test drive. While it didn't break down, it just felt like a cheap, somewhat crude car, and not something that you'd want to live with, long term.
As for cars breaking in what I'd call a premature manner, I have these examples: 1975 Dart Swinger 225 slant six. Paternal grandparents bought it new, and it developed a stalling problem very quickly. Dealer never could get it fixed, so they gave up on it and traded it in on a... 1977 Granada, 250-6. That car needed a new transmission within a year, but it was covered under warranty. 1982 Malibu Classic wagon, 229. Maternal grandparents bought it new. ECU fried as soon as the warranty was up, so I'd guess around the 13th month? It was a $450 fix, I remember that much. ECU #2 started to go bad, and that was when they got fed up, and after about 2 1/2 years of ownership, traded it on their '85 LeSabre. 1999 Nissan Altima. Mom and stepdad bought it new. Needed a new transmission at 30,000, which would have been less than a year at the rate they were driving. Covered under warranty, and after that the car was pretty reliable for the rest of its life. 2000 Dodge Intrepid 2.7. I bought it new. Power lock actuator went bad around 14 months, but 35,000 miles. That's back when I was still delivering pizzas, so I was racking up the miles fast. I also remember needing the thermostat housing replaced, but in checking my records, that was around 22 months and 51,000 miles, so it was a bit later in the car's life than I had remembered.
My worst car was my '85 Celebrity Eurosport--4-speed automatic (which I had to order) had no 3rd or 4th gears at 37K miles. Powertrain warranty was 2/24K but dealer replaced for $100 deductible. Didn't leave me stranded, thankfully.
Back in 1980, when I got my first job, in NE OH, I knew only one person with a Toyota...a '77 Corolla. It would just stop running at random times, and his dealer could never figure it out, yet act like he cared all that much. It got traded on a new Escort wagon.
I'm a world-class cheapskate, but I've had cheap and reliable service out of all of my other Chevys. Even our PT hasn't been terrible as media would have you think, in the 92K miles we put on it (on top of the 45K it had when we bought it). Nobody takes you very seriously when you climb out of it, but I have no concerns whatsoever about where I park it or who opens their door into it.
Probably the best service at lowest cost I got out of Chevy, were both my new Cavaliers--'97 and '02. The '02 was that one-year-only deep forest green metallic, with 15 inch aluminum wheels and a very subtle, flat spoiler. It was a coupe. It looked nice but my kids were getting older and moaning about getting in and out of the back seat. My '97 was a four-door. I remember I loaned it to my B-I-L for something at 105K miles and he said "Hmmm...I expected it to be a POS; not bad at all", LOL.
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Car defect stories - my dad had a 97 (I think) T&C that puked a transmission at ~6 months old. No issues after that. I want to say my mom's 93 Taurus had a creaky strut or something when it was really new, in the first month or two - I recall the local dealer fixed it without hesitation, and the car had no real issues until the head gasket went (3.8). Her subsequent Toyotas have had zero issues. The Tempo didn't develop driveability quirks until it was getting old. I want to say my dad's Horizon had no real issues when new, and even the S10 Blazer never stranded him, although it was not a poster child for build quality , and I remember exhaust manifold issues at around 5 years old. I've had 4 new MBs now, no real issues apart from creaking interior plastic in one (design flaw, they mostly fixed it with felt) and the "comfort access" tilt wheel setting froze, but the dealer fixed it. The past 2 cars have been virtually flawless.
Thinking back before my time, I know the fuselage Chrysler that replaced my grandpa's 65 had driveability issues, especially hard starting and stalling. I recall one fun story about the car refusing to start on the morning of a long-planned trip to Hawaii, and they had to get a ride to the airport from a neighbor.
I'm having trouble remember when the last time was that a car left me stranded. Oh, wait, yes I do. It was my '57 DeSoto, August 2018, the day I brought it home from the mechanic. The gas gauge had gotten stuck around the half-tank mark, and I didn't realize that...I don't remember it doing it before it went to the mechanic. Anyway, the mechanic let me take it with almost no gas in it, and it ran out about 4 miles from home. But, I wouldn't consider that a breakdown, or the car's fault.
I do remember my '76 LeMans leaving me stranded one hot day, at the liquor store, in late summer 2009. I had driven it to work, and just sitting out in the parking lot, it gave me a fit trying to start it that evening. Instead of driving straight home though, I went to the liquor store, and it refused to re-start. I called home and had one of my house mates come and get me. Ironically enough, the new issue of "Collectible Automobile" was in the mail that day, and one of the articles was on the '73-77 LeMans...talk about rubbing salt in a wound! One of my house mates drove me back to the liquor store around 9 pm, and the car started right up.
Soon after that, I had some work done on the carburetor, intake and ignition, and that got rid of a lot of the hot-start issues. Eventually, I had a new starter put in, and after that it would usually start about as well as any car from the mid-70's was capable of doing.
I wouldn't normally write off a new car just because the battery needed to be charged up. But, I might also be apprehensive, wondering if there was some other issue, such as with the alternator, wiring, electronics, etc.
In my grandparents' case, I think they were so fed up with that Malibu, they were just overly paranoid about getting into something else that had the potential to be even more troublesome.
That just got me thinking...how long do batteries usually last these days? Is 5-6 years still the norm? It just hit me that it'll be 8 years on September 23rd since I bought the Ram, and it's still on its original battery. I don't know how old the battery is in my Dad's '03 Regal. I can't see the spot where they normally punch out the month and year. I've had the car almost 3 years now. I was sort of hoping to be rid of the car before it came time to change the battery, because it does look like it'll be a bit of a knuckle-scraper to get out, but if the car continues to behave itself, I might give it a stay of execution.
My 2000 Intrepid was a real PITA to change the battery. I did it myself, when the car was about 5 1/2 years old. It was still working fine, but I was about to go on a trip to Florida, and thought I'd change it as a precaution. It was a pain! Supposedly you can do it from inside the engine bay, but I couldn't figure it out. I ended up jacking it up, taking off the right front wheel, removing an access panel, and taking it out through there. I swore that by the next time it needed a new battery, I'd either pay to have it done, or be rid of the car before it needed another replacement. And as luck would have it, it got totaled out around the 10 year mark.
I haven't been stranded in a car since a rental Ford Fairmont, so I'm probably riding on borrowed time.
Well, I will say I ran out of gas probably 20 years ago in my '63 Studebaker. I had driven it a couple hours to an event at the restoration shop that did the car, and I was probably ten miles from my parents' house when it quit. I walked to a stranger's house and he didn't have any gas but drove me to my parents' house and wouldn't take a dollar for it. Big guy with lots of tattoos but was a saint to me that day!
Two Studebakers later, I was driving to the international meet in South Bend on a hot summer day, taking non-interstate roads across Ohio, which I thoroughly enjoy. I was way out in the country west of Toledo and I came across a gas station and thought I'd better fill up--gauge said half-full. It took all but three gallons of a full tank. There's a running joke about how inaccurate Lark fuel gauges are. I lucked out this last day.
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The only car that actually stranded me in recent memory was my '79 Buick Park Avenue, both in 2002, so I suppose it can be forgiven. The first time was the worst. I was driving to work one morning and crossing one of our harbour bridges, the 4-lane one, which was quite busy of course. About halfway up the section over ground leading to the main span, it just quit. No place to pull over so I put on the 4-ways and tried to restart it with no luck until the bridge police showed up with their 4x4. It had a pushbar on it and the guy wanted to push me across. I could understand his wish to clear me out of there at rush hour but really didn't want to have him do that and likely damage the bumper. Luckily, just as he was about to do that a tow truck pulled up and I had him take me to the garage I used at the time with the Buick in tow. I left it there and went to the office.
A few hours later they called and said they couldn't find anything wrong with it and it was running fine. After work I picked it up and nervously drive it home. That evening it occurred to me that I had bought but never installed a new fuel filter for it, one of the inline ones that are internal to the carburetor that GM used. Easy job, so I removed the old one and tried to blow through it. No go. The new one could be blown through easily and that problem never returned after I replaced it.
A while later I was driving in it with a couple of buddies when it just quit for a second then restarted, then quit again. This felt different to me somehow. This time I was able to pull over and after a short while it started up again and ran without issue. I figured ignition system woes. That weekend I pulled the distributor cap and rotor and could see inside the HEI distributor that one of the very tiny thin wires that ran to the module in the top of the distributor from the pickup relay lower down inside was actually broken but still making contact. As the advance moved things around it flexed and eventually gave out. I ordered the new part from the dealer and had my first experience pulling a distributor and taking it apart. Amazingly, it all went smoothly and I even got it all back in at the right spot so it ran fine without needed to be re-timed, though I had that done not long after.
Reading about fin's mom's Toyotas having zero issues--this isn't an issue, but ever drive behind a Camry of I'd say ten-years-ago vintage? I don't know how they handle a speed bump. The tailpipe looks like it's almost on the ground in one place.
We've talked about this before, but I hate timing belts. I've never owned a single car with them until this PT. If you had a car that required a repair this expensive, most people would be P.O.'d, but if it's part of maintenance, it's "Oh, well", LOL.
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"I'm a homebody, but geez, I do like to go to one or two places!"
My hometown car show in July, which I love as in good weather it has 700 cars usually, has been cancelled. It's really old-home week for me when I go there. Lots of my classmates come back for the Heritage Days Festival that weekend, and I always bump into old family friends too.
My friend in Baltimore told me this morning he has entered his very nice '63 Riviera to be judged at Hershey's Fall AACA meet in October, for the first time. I'm happy for him as he has worked very hard on the car and made very nice improvements and I'd love to go myself, but I'm wondering if even that will come off.
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I remember when GM's warranty went to 1 yr./12K, from 3/36, in the '71 model year, but the powertrain warranty was longer--at least in the eighties when I was buying cars.
BTW, if I had a dead battery when the car was nearly-new, or a recall due to something stupid a supplier did, I'd be not happy. The manufacturer chose and I'll assume tested that part, and no matter if the part was made by a supplier or not, you had downtime because of it. In my mind, the manufacturer is ultimately responsible. It's part of the complete car. I've always felt that way.
Of course, a defective battery caused you less downtime than had the dealer had to tear into something.
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I've noticed that low-hook exhaust yeah, I can't recall if her car has that. The biggest issues 11 years later are a squeak in the steering wheel (not a belt or similar - it is coming from inside the passenger comoartnent) - especially when cold, and the AC barely cools anymore. It's a timing chain engine too - I think Honda was/is the king of timing belts.
My brother has a 1995 S-10. extended cab basic 4cyl/5-speed. First owner lived a block from where my brother lives, it runs and drives fine at 250K miles, no rust as it is local. I think as he gets older, the "basic" part has grown tiresome for my brother, and he is looking to upgrade. He does landscaping work, so it is fine for that.
Reading about fin's mom's Toyotas having zero issues--this isn't an issue, but ever drive behind a Camry of I'd say ten-years-ago vintage? I don't know how they handle a speed bump. The tailpipe looks like it's almost on the ground in one place.
We've talked about this before, but I hate timing belts. I've never owned a single car with them until this PT. If you had a car that required a repair this expensive, most people would be P.O.'d, but if it's part of maintenance, it's "Oh, well", LOL.
The battery bugged me but sometimes a fluke manufacturing defect happens. At least roadside came quick and jumped it. I drove straight to the dealer, no appointment, and they took it right in. Gave me a loaner and probably 1-1.5 hours later they called to say checked it all out, determined battery bad but no other issue, and had a new one in and car washed. So minor hassle, but time from dead to back home, maybe 3 hours.
I seem to recall the low-hanging tailpipe being a "feature" of either the '97-02 Camry, the '03-06, or perhaps both? I think that bend was roughly in line with the rear axle (or where the axle would be on an old-fashioned, RWD live axle car), so I don't think a speed bump would be too much of an issue, as that part of the car would rise up as you went over the speed bump. Now if you hit the bump fast enough that the rear wheels hopped up, but not the whole car, that might be another story!
However, if you hit a big pothole, where one rear wheel dropped suddenly, or there was road debris, you'd probably run into trouble.
The only car I ever had with a timing belt was the '88 LeBaron turbo coupe that I bought from my uncle, and then let my ex-wife have in the divorce. I think you were supposed to have it changed every 60,000 miles, but we went way over. Had it done around 90,000 miles. Fortunately, the 2.2 was designed to be somewhat easy maintenance, so it wasn't too expensive. To do the belt and I think the cranskshaft and camshaft seals, was under $300. Now, that was also in 1996, so I'd imagine prices have gone up a bit. We split up about a month or two after that. In retrospect, I should have held off on the timing belt, so that it would have been the ex-wife's problem!
My PT was $700-some, a couple years ago, at a local garage. My buddy said the Honda dealer was $1,600 for an Odyssey. That's some heavy-duty maintenance!
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Out for a drive in small town world today, saw a Bronco II, 2nd gen Accord hatch, early 50s Chevy sedan delivery, a gaggle of Beetles at a repair shop, and maybe the highlight, a Citicar (obviously not running).
I actually did see a Citicar once, at the "Das Awkscht Fescht" car show I usually go to in August, in Macungie PA. It wasn't in the showfield though, but in the vendor area, and pretty much just a shell.
For some reason, Citicar reminds me of the "Dale". I know I'm older than some here but it was featured in mainstream car mags of the early '70's. I found the attached summary of it. What is not mentioned is that I remember "Elizabeth Carmichael" was actually a man. I guess that's too hot to address in today's world, sigh.
A fun Citicar connection for me, my aunt won one in a shopping mall raffle when I was 4 or 5 years old. She sold it quickly, but had it for a short time, and I remember going for a ride in it. Of course, the form factor alone made it fascinating to a little kid.
A fun Citicar connection for me, my aunt won one in a shopping mall raffle when I was 4 or 5 years old. She sold it quickly, but had it for a short time, and I remember going for a ride in it. Of course, the form factor alone made it fascinating to a little kid.
Those things are just strange to behold. There are still running examples around. Simone Giertz periodically features one she owns in Youtube vids. She is the creator of the hilariously hacked "Truckla."
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
I bet with so many recent improvements in battery tech, restoring one wouldn't be too hard - a financial labor of love, but doable. Maybe vintage EVs will be a thing, too.
Those things are just strange to behold. There are still running examples around. Simone Giertz periodically features one she owns in Youtube vids. She is the creator of the hilariously hacked "Truckla."
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2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Here's a link to the pic from a small paper in northwest OH:
https://thevillagereporter.com/kent-state-shooting-50th-anniversary/?fbclid=IwAR1jM2DCHSy58br_e0pHnqZZ7BypxxvfCB3XU1gjJDHPqfRI3auefTYWMgI
I know I lean cranky, but I roll my eyes at people who won't go to see something like this as "it's too sad". I know people who lived near Dallas for years and never once went to Dealey Plaza or the Sixth Floor Museum. Hard for me to imagine. I also know two adults who were in Dallas and didn't go there, but did go to see Southfork, LOL.
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2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
National Guard was on campus but my Reserve unit was not called up.
While most of the "engine-gate" controversy surrounded a Chevy 350 being substituted for an Olds 350, and usually in a Delta 88, I wonder if anybody ever griped about the Pontiac 301? Olds wouldn't have their own engine in the 5-liter range until the 307 came out in 1980, so in the '77-79 timeframe, the Delta 88 used Pontiac 301s to bridge the gap between the 231 and 260, and the bigger engines. I think they tried Chevy 305's one of those three years.
For 1980, the 307 finally came out, but apparently wasn't certified for California. At least, on the EPA's website, in California the Delta 88 only offers the 231, 350 Olds, and 350 Diesel.
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Even my Dad said, "Man, that's a sharp wagon".
Our local Chrysler dealer's first Dodge 600 also boiled over; the factory had installed a water pump sans impeller.
My father in law was a Buick man, so he encouraged her to look at a Buick in 1984 when she was car shopping. I went with her. We first drove a Skyhawk; once it had warmed up the unmistakable aroma of burning oil permeated the interior. Next up was a Century; GM had clearly failed to "Sweat the Details" as they liked to claim at the time: the three piece hood molding was misaligned to the extent that none of the pieces libed up with each other. The Skylark was just typically soft and uninvolving.
She really wanted an Accord, but they were in short supply and the Cincy dealers all wanted to play games. We ended up with a Skylark T Type; even with the "High Output" V6 it was hardly a ball of fire, but it was a nice car. That was my last domestic car until I bought my friend's T-Bird Turbo Coupe in 1993 to use as a work beater.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I must walk between the raindrops.
I saw someone on some Edmunds forums once, describing rustout areas in a twelve-month-old Vega. If I didn't see it where I lived, salt-central, it didn't happen...and I studied those cars. Between two and three years, yes I saw and heard of that. I'm the guy classmates and relatives ask for dates of things others can't recall, LOL. As the wife says, "Now you'd be considered on-the-spectrum".
"European drivers don't care if the brakes squeal- just as long as they stop the car.
American drivers don't care if the brakes stop the car- just as long as they don't squeal."
I remember when Road & Track tested a late '70s Skyhawk; during the brake fade test a couple of the plastic wheel covers actually melted.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
1) '75 Cosworth Vega had no "Cosworth Twin Cam" decal as it sat in the showroom. I noticed that immediately, having pored through the brochure. An acquaintance owns the car now and at 13K miles, still doesn't have it. (Vega forum master on FB group told me someone had to have removed the decal before it was displayed in the showroom. Yeah, right.)
2) '73 Cadillac Sedan deVille delivered with the window sticker affixed for a Fleetwood Brougham! At age 15, I had to point this out to a salesman, who was like "Huh? Yeah, OK".
3) '76 Nova Concours with narrow body side molding on one side and the upmarket wide molding down the other side
4) Dark green '77 Impala sedan in the showroom (!), with a Caprice Classic rear seat and cushion! (Yes, at least it was the same color as the front seat.)
But not aware of cars not surviving a test drive.
At a dealer near where I live now, I saw a Lumina Sedan with the bright side molding down one side and the red 'Euro' molding down the other side.
None of the many cars we bought from both of those dealers had anything of this nature. I wouldn't have accepted delivery.
Imports were less-likely to have this kind of thing in general I think, largely because they were available with far-less variation in trim levels, etc.
I still long for the days of many choices in colors, in and out, trim levels, and individual options, sigh. The imports forced the domestics to go the new route.
Other than the C8, it's been back to the all-new '14 Impala that I've been excited about something new at Chevrolet. Both have been very well-reviewed.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I will say, what I witnessed was over years' time and looking at hundreds of new cars.
Now years ago, in college, I went with a friend on a test drive of a new Hyundai, Elantra. I forget the exact year, but he ended up with a '91 or '92 Corolla, so that should give you the timeframe. I remember the car sounded like crap, and after the test drive it smelled like something was burning, so that put him off. And, in '03, when my Dad was car shopping, before he bought the used '03 Regal, we took a new '03 Dodge Stratus sedan out for a test drive. While it didn't break down, it just felt like a cheap, somewhat crude car, and not something that you'd want to live with, long term.
As for cars breaking in what I'd call a premature manner, I have these examples:
1975 Dart Swinger 225 slant six. Paternal grandparents bought it new, and it developed a stalling problem very quickly. Dealer never could get it fixed, so they gave up on it and traded it in on a...
1977 Granada, 250-6. That car needed a new transmission within a year, but it was covered under warranty.
1982 Malibu Classic wagon, 229. Maternal grandparents bought it new. ECU fried as soon as the warranty was up, so I'd guess around the 13th month? It was a $450 fix, I remember that much. ECU #2 started to go bad, and that was when they got fed up, and after about 2 1/2 years of ownership, traded it on their '85 LeSabre.
1999 Nissan Altima. Mom and stepdad bought it new. Needed a new transmission at 30,000, which would have been less than a year at the rate they were driving. Covered under warranty, and after that the car was pretty reliable for the rest of its life.
2000 Dodge Intrepid 2.7. I bought it new. Power lock actuator went bad around 14 months, but 35,000 miles. That's back when I was still delivering pizzas, so I was racking up the miles fast. I also remember needing the thermostat housing replaced, but in checking my records, that was around 22 months and 51,000 miles, so it was a bit later in the car's life than I had remembered.
Back in 1980, when I got my first job, in NE OH, I knew only one person with a Toyota...a '77 Corolla. It would just stop running at random times, and his dealer could never figure it out, yet act like he cared all that much. It got traded on a new Escort wagon.
I'm a world-class cheapskate, but I've had cheap and reliable service out of all of my other Chevys. Even our PT hasn't been terrible as media would have you think, in the 92K miles we put on it (on top of the 45K it had when we bought it). Nobody takes you very seriously when you climb out of it, but I have no concerns whatsoever about where I park it or who opens their door into it.
Probably the best service at lowest cost I got out of Chevy, were both my new Cavaliers--'97 and '02. The '02 was that one-year-only deep forest green metallic, with 15 inch aluminum wheels and a very subtle, flat spoiler. It was a coupe. It looked nice but my kids were getting older and moaning about getting in and out of the back seat. My '97 was a four-door. I remember I loaned it to my B-I-L for something at 105K miles and he said "Hmmm...I expected it to be a POS; not bad at all", LOL.
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Thinking back before my time, I know the fuselage Chrysler that replaced my grandpa's 65 had driveability issues, especially hard starting and stalling. I recall one fun story about the car refusing to start on the morning of a long-planned trip to Hawaii, and they had to get a ride to the airport from a neighbor.
I do remember my '76 LeMans leaving me stranded one hot day, at the liquor store, in late summer 2009. I had driven it to work, and just sitting out in the parking lot, it gave me a fit trying to start it that evening. Instead of driving straight home though, I went to the liquor store, and it refused to re-start. I called home and had one of my house mates come and get me. Ironically enough, the new issue of "Collectible Automobile" was in the mail that day, and one of the articles was on the '73-77 LeMans...talk about rubbing salt in a wound! One of my house mates drove me back to the liquor store around 9 pm, and the car started right up.
Soon after that, I had some work done on the carburetor, intake and ignition, and that got rid of a lot of the hot-start issues. Eventually, I had a new starter put in, and after that it would usually start about as well as any car from the mid-70's was capable of doing.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
In my grandparents' case, I think they were so fed up with that Malibu, they were just overly paranoid about getting into something else that had the potential to be even more troublesome.
That just got me thinking...how long do batteries usually last these days? Is 5-6 years still the norm? It just hit me that it'll be 8 years on September 23rd since I bought the Ram, and it's still on its original battery. I don't know how old the battery is in my Dad's '03 Regal. I can't see the spot where they normally punch out the month and year. I've had the car almost 3 years now. I was sort of hoping to be rid of the car before it came time to change the battery, because it does look like it'll be a bit of a knuckle-scraper to get out, but if the car continues to behave itself, I might give it a stay of execution.
My 2000 Intrepid was a real PITA to change the battery. I did it myself, when the car was about 5 1/2 years old. It was still working fine, but I was about to go on a trip to Florida, and thought I'd change it as a precaution. It was a pain! Supposedly you can do it from inside the engine bay, but I couldn't figure it out. I ended up jacking it up, taking off the right front wheel, removing an access panel, and taking it out through there. I swore that by the next time it needed a new battery, I'd either pay to have it done, or be rid of the car before it needed another replacement. And as luck would have it, it got totaled out around the 10 year mark.
Well, I will say I ran out of gas probably 20 years ago in my '63 Studebaker. I had driven it a couple hours to an event at the restoration shop that did the car, and I was probably ten miles from my parents' house when it quit. I walked to a stranger's house and he didn't have any gas but drove me to my parents' house and wouldn't take a dollar for it. Big guy with lots of tattoos but was a saint to me that day!
Two Studebakers later, I was driving to the international meet in South Bend on a hot summer day, taking non-interstate roads across Ohio, which I thoroughly enjoy. I was way out in the country west of Toledo and I came across a gas station and thought I'd better fill up--gauge said half-full. It took all but three gallons of a full tank. There's a running joke about how inaccurate Lark fuel gauges are. I lucked out this last day.
I think 5 years in normal conditions still seems about right.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
A few hours later they called and said they couldn't find anything wrong with it and it was running fine. After work I picked it up and nervously drive it home. That evening it occurred to me that I had bought but never installed a new fuel filter for it, one of the inline ones that are internal to the carburetor that GM used. Easy job, so I removed the old one and tried to blow through it. No go. The new one could be blown through easily and that problem never returned after I replaced it.
A while later I was driving in it with a couple of buddies when it just quit for a second then restarted, then quit again. This felt different to me somehow. This time I was able to pull over and after a short while it started up again and ran without issue. I figured ignition system woes. That weekend I pulled the distributor cap and rotor and could see inside the HEI distributor that one of the very tiny thin wires that ran to the module in the top of the distributor from the pickup relay lower down inside was actually broken but still making contact. As the advance moved things around it flexed and eventually gave out. I ordered the new part from the dealer and had my first experience pulling a distributor and taking it apart. Amazingly, it all went smoothly and I even got it all back in at the right spot so it ran fine without needed to be re-timed, though I had that done not long after.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
We've talked about this before, but I hate timing belts. I've never owned a single car with them until this PT. If you had a car that required a repair this expensive, most people would be P.O.'d, but if it's part of maintenance, it's "Oh, well", LOL.
"I'm a homebody, but geez, I do like to go to one or two places!"
My hometown car show in July, which I love as in good weather it has 700 cars usually, has been cancelled. It's really old-home week for me when I go there. Lots of my classmates come back for the Heritage Days Festival that weekend, and I always bump into old family friends too.
My friend in Baltimore told me this morning he has entered his very nice '63 Riviera to be judged at Hershey's Fall AACA meet in October, for the first time. I'm happy for him as he has worked very hard on the car and made very nice improvements and I'd love to go myself, but I'm wondering if even that will come off.
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I remember when GM's warranty went to 1 yr./12K, from 3/36, in the '71 model year, but the powertrain warranty was longer--at least in the eighties when I was buying cars.
BTW, if I had a dead battery when the car was nearly-new, or a recall due to something stupid a supplier did, I'd be not happy. The manufacturer chose and I'll assume tested that part, and no matter if the part was made by a supplier or not, you had downtime because of it. In my mind, the manufacturer is ultimately responsible. It's part of the complete car. I've always felt that way.
Of course, a defective battery caused you less downtime than had the dealer had to tear into something.
My brother has a 1995 S-10. extended cab basic 4cyl/5-speed. First owner lived a block from where my brother lives, it runs and drives fine at 250K miles, no rust as it is local. I think as he gets older, the "basic" part has grown tiresome for my brother, and he is looking to upgrade. He does landscaping work, so it is fine for that.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
However, if you hit a big pothole, where one rear wheel dropped suddenly, or there was road debris, you'd probably run into trouble.
The only car I ever had with a timing belt was the '88 LeBaron turbo coupe that I bought from my uncle, and then let my ex-wife have in the divorce. I think you were supposed to have it changed every 60,000 miles, but we went way over. Had it done around 90,000 miles. Fortunately, the 2.2 was designed to be somewhat easy maintenance, so it wasn't too expensive. To do the belt and I think the cranskshaft and camshaft seals, was under $300. Now, that was also in 1996, so I'd imagine prices have gone up a bit. We split up about a month or two after that. In retrospect, I should have held off on the timing belt, so that it would have been the ex-wife's problem!
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
https://www.museumofamericanspeed.com/thedalecar.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_(electric_car)
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
Scroll down to the comments to see how crazy offered and sold pricing has been over a period of time.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1969-mercury-cougar-10/
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive