I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today!

ab348 · February 2021

stickguy said:
it is the same studio. They just don't have an audience. The contestants are now up on the corner of the stage instead of down on the floor. Definitely different, but you get used to it!

Apparently we now know why you like working from home.

stickguy · February 2021

I sometimes take a morning break/early lunch to use the exercise machine in the basement. Often while price is right is on. But yes, that is a perk of WFH.

uplanderguy · February 2021

I loved it as a teenager, in its hour-long 11 a.m. slot. Just seemed like everyone was having fun, and that normal people could get on the show. I noticed in the credits it mentioned contestants having to meet eligibility requirements (probably about paying taxes on winnings? I don't know). Would everyone in the audience have had to do that?

uplanderguy · February 2021

I worked at home before Covid too. Everyone thought back then that it must be great, but there are downsides. I'm planning on retiring in June; my concentration level for what I do for a living is largely shot, LOL. I bet everybody else misses the opportunity to bounce an idea off a co-worker in person, just not on the phone or in an email, like I miss.

I think one probably-negative thing from my working at home for several years now is that when I go into a place where there's a lot of conversation (e.g., where I get my hair cut--lots of women yakking there)--or when my two brothers-in-law get together at holidays and are just short of doing comedy skits together--I can hardly stand it.

uplanderguy · February 2021

RE.: Lancaster--I grew up on the other side of the state from Lancaster, PA, but there were Lebanon and Lancaster Avenues in our neighborhood. Everybody always said "LAN-cast-er", as opposed to "LAN-kis-ter".

andre1969 · February 2021

"Lebanon"...that's another one. I think most people pronounce it as "Lebinin", but the closer you get to Lebanon, PA, the less prominent that middle syllable becomes, eventually disappearing altogether!

uplanderguy · February 2021

Yeah, we always said "Lebinin"; I always figured somewhere, some people probably said "Leb-a-non" (short 'o').

explorerx4 · February 2021

Pittsburgh Stillers.

Tim Allen has a '62 Chevy bubbletop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYu5vRpsGhg

andre1969 · February 2021

uplanderguy said:
I worked at home before Covid too. Everyone thought back then that it must be great, but there are downsides. I'm planning on retiring in June; my concentration level for what I do for a living is largely shot, LOL. I bet everybody else misses the opportunity to bounce an idea off a co-worker in person, just not on the phone or in an email, like I miss.

I think one probably-negative thing from my working at home for several years now is that when I go into a place where there's a lot of conversation (e.g., where I get my hair cut--lots of women yakking there)--or when my two brothers-in-law get together at holidays and are just short of doing comedy skits together--I can hardly stand it.

I used to fantasize about working from home, but then when they sent me home, roughly 49 weeks ago, it honestly wasn't all I thought it would be. I think it's just that it seemed like it would be a luxury, but then once I got used to it, it just seemed "normal". About the best way I can describe it, is thinking about the first time I had a car with power windows Technically, it was a '69 Bonneville 4-door hardtop I bought from my cousin for $400, back in 1992, but that thing didn't run enough to count. So, my "first" was an '89 Gran Fury ex police car, that I bought in 1998. It had been a sheriff's car, so it was rather well-equipped, with power windows, locks, tilt wheel (I think Chrysler may have been the first in the industry to offer a tilt wheel with an airbag), nice stereo, nice (for a police car) interior, etc. At first it seemed like a real luxury, having those power windows. But then, once you get used to it, it's like "meh."

Another thing I've noticed is that all the days more or less seem the same now. When I had been working, for awhile I started taking Wednesdays off, to mix it up a bit, and working a bit later the other days to make up for it some, and using leave to make the workweek total out to 40 hours. That was a nice balance, because Tuesday now felt like a Friday. Wednesday, rather than having those "Sunday blahs", felt more like a special day off. And then Thursday/Friday didn't feel so bad. At some point, I switched it to where I worked a half day on Wednesday and Friday, and even though I still went into work each day, just knowing it was a short day, and I got it over with early, made that time off feel more special. I still do that taking off early on Wednesday/Friday thing, even though I work from home, but it just doesn't really feel the same, because I'm already home, to begin with!

However, I got used to working from home, and even though it might not be as magical as I thought it would be, I still wouldn't go back to the office if they paid me! Actually at the rate things are going, I don't think we're returning to the office anytime soon. At least, not on a full-time basis. The last "general guideline" I heard was maybe July 1. And I'm sure that's going to change as we get closer to it.

uplanderguy · February 2021

Wow, Tim has a 409 in his bubbletop? And dog dish caps? And it's red? Who'da thunk it? LOL

I still like it though.

andre...I never did a lot of things socially and working at home has made it even more so (despite Covid). I don't watch a stitch of sports of any kind and as you can imagine, in a guy that's unusual. I used to try and hide that a bit but I don't anymore, LOL.

I find that I miss our Ohio Region Studebaker club get-togethers more than I thought I would. Three of the guys I'm in touch with by phone, monthly I'd say, but the other folks I don't keep in touch with in-between. We had our last meet in March of 2020--the last day Ohio restaurants could be open for dine-in. One of the widows of the club (she drives a 'Benz as a daily driver; don't ask me the model fin!) did bring a box of her homemade fudge before Christmas to our house. She made me and one other guy some every year, to the consternation of some of the other guys, LOL.

I never went to every meeting--most revolve around dining someplace, or potluck suppers--hence, the gag "Studebaker Diners' Club"--but I find I miss the camaraderie, even among people I really don't have much in common with other than owning a Studebaker.

I've lost a 40-year friend due to my responding to a mutual friend's question on the latter's Facebook page, in a way that was quite benign and apolitical, that the former friend (a college prof) blew up about, read me the riot act instead of replying to any specific point, and told me we could no longer be friends if I held that specific opinion on that one question. It was with this friend and his Dad and brother that I usually attended Hershey with. Shaking my head. Unfriended me. So juvenile for a 60-year old with a doctorate.

fintail · February 2021

IIRC it was always on at 10am here, and another channel would have a couple of half hour game shows in the 11am slot.

TPiR, July 1976, 2 days before America's big birthday. This was also the 1000th show - I was hoping for some wild cars, but only 2 cars in this one. First, another Buick - this paint color seems to be a thing for TPiR GM cars. MSRP $4232:

And a 'Vette. MSRP $3805. Fun color, maybe didn't age well, but it suits the car:

Maybe some more MSRP shenanigans? Seems like for $400 more than the Chevette, the Skylark was a bargain.

Funny thing about these episodes, some are taken from Game Show Network airings in the mid-late 90s - the commercials on the reruns are old enough to be "vintage" now, too.

uplanderguy said:
I loved it as a teenager, in its hour-long 11 a.m. slot. Just seemed like everyone was having fun, and that normal people could get on the show. I noticed in the credits it mentioned contestants having to meet eligibility requirements (probably about paying taxes on winnings? I don't know). Would everyone in the audience have had to do that?

uplanderguy · February 2021

Again, my steel-trap memory about dumb stuff--I lusted after a maroon new '75 Nova Custom coupe, 262 V8, THM, PS, PDB, AM radio, Rally Wheels, whitewalls, side moldings, Exterior Decor Group, optional really nice vinyl interior, at our local dealer, and they had it awhile--probably not equipped much-unlike that Skylark. Bottom of the sticker was $4,163. So whatever was powering that Skylark, I could see that sticker being for-real.

When the Chevette was introduced, the hatchback's base price was identical to the Vega's that year ($2,895). Then and now, I'd have so-taken the Vega, even with the quality reputation diminished from earlier model years. The '76 was the Vega that the '71 should've been. I always thought of the Chevette as a girl's car. I did know a girl with a Scooter--she thought the glovebox door had broken off. I told her they were built that way! My wife was driving a '78 four-door Chevette 4-door when we got married (1989). I bought her a new 5-speed Corsica in April '90 and you'd have thought she got an Eldorado or something.

roadburner · February 2021

A girl I ran around with in law school had a Chevette; I preferred my father's Cub 154 Lo Boy tractor, it had a equivalent level of mechanical sophistication, plus you could use it to mow the lawn.
By 1976 the Vega was actually a decent car; too bad the early problems were too much to overcome.

sda · February 2021

As you know I had a 71 Vega GT. It was well worn when I bought it in 78 for $495. I liked that car. Other than using a lot of oil it was reasonably fun to drive, comfortable and I liked the styling. It was replaced with my much nicer 76 Sunbird. A good friend had a light baby blue 77 Vega hatchback. It was fairly basic, 4sp, base vinyl interior, AM radio. Whatever changes Chevy did between 71-77 was evident. It was a much better car all around. He drove it 130k with minimal issues. Many trips from Knoxville to Cincinnati to see his folks. Not an easy drive with many hills. No rust or oil burning. He traded it for an 84 Cavalier wagon which was nicer but blew its transmission around 60k.

fintail · February 2021

The Skylark was mentioned as having an "economical" (read: slow) V6. Not a lot of options, but still, looks like a deal compared to the Chevette, I bet it was a heck of a lot more comfortable.

The Vega Kammback was a genuinely good looking vehicle.

I've seen the Chevette referred to as a "mechanical cockroach". Now and then around here they can still be found in roadworthy condition.

uplanderguy said:
Again, my steel-trap memory about dumb stuff--I lusted after a maroon new '75 Nova Custom coupe, 262 V8, THM, PS, PDB, AM radio, Rally Wheels, whitewalls, side moldings, Exterior Decor Group, optional really nice vinyl interior, at our local dealer, and they had it awhile--probably not equipped much-unlike that Skylark. Bottom of the sticker was $4,163. So whatever was powering that Skylark, I could see that sticker being for-real.

When the Chevette was introduced, the hatchback's base price was identical to the Vega's that year ($2,895). Then and now, I'd have so-taken the Vega, even with the quality reputation diminished from earlier model years. The '76 was the Vega that the '71 should've been. I always thought of the Chevette as a girl's car. I did know a girl with a Scooter--she thought the glovebox door had broken off. I told her they were built that way! My wife was driving a '78 four-door Chevette 4-door when we got married (1989). I bought her a new 5-speed Corsica in April '90 and you'd have thought she got an Eldorado or something.

ab348 · February 2021

Speaking of Vegas, on a very early episode of the NEW Price is Right from January of '73, this Vega was offered:

Priced at $2562, it was won by a young lady in the Money Game.

These YouTube episodes are interesting because they start with an unaired shot of the show slate with date and episode number, voiced by Johnny Olsen. Bob Barker is very young here.

https://youtu.be/2oSQvLZwSnw

andre1969 · February 2021

According to my old car book, a '76 Chevette started at $3098 for the 2-door hatchback, $2899 for the cheapened Scooter version. Wasn't the Scooter so cheap it didn't even have a back seat? They didn't come out with a 4-door Chevette until 1978.

A '76 Skylark was $3435 for something called an "S coupe". Plain old "coupe" was $3549. There was an S/R coupe that was $4281.

The Chevette honestly wasn't that cheap, for what it was. That same a Vega started at $2984 for the 2-door "sedan". A Nova coupe started at $3248, and even the 4-door sedan, if you wanted the practicality of the extra doors and larger back seat, was only $3283. Even a Malibu 4-door with a 6-cyl was only $3671, and a 4-door Impala "S" (basically a replacement for the '75 Bel Air), with standard automatic and 350-2bbl V8 was only $4507.

I think these costs show why it took so long to wean Americans off of bigger cars. It turns out the domestics were just so good at building them, and to a fairly decent price, that they often had to cut corners and find other ways to cheapen the smaller cars, to get a lower price. And, as long as the fuel was flowing, it probably wasn't hard to talk buyers into a bigger car for not much more money. Heck, even today that seems to be the case. Notice how it's not small cars or even midsized cars anymore that are the hot sellers. I think it's the compact and midsized crossovers. And, I believe the three most popular vehicles in the United States are still full-sized pickups, most of them in configurations that rival even the biggest cars of the 70's when it comes to size and weight. So much, I guess, for getting the masses into smaller cars.

uplanderguy · February 2021

I feel nearly certain in remembering $2,895 as the base price for both Chevette and Vega. Perhaps at the beginning of the model year. I'm the guy in my HS class and family everybody else asks questions because I remember, LOL.

On this I'm not sure without looking at the brochure--I THINK the Scooter had a back seat unless you delete-optioned it.

I think Chevettes were reliable, and a guy I know through Studebaker circles said he sold a bunch of them in the '90's with very little 'make ready' for sale. I just hate the feel and look of the car, etc.

That Vega "Notchback" (called "Sedan" in '71 and 72) was nothing to write home about style-wise, but they were a practical use of space. I THINK the rear seat had 33 and something inches of legroom, which was better than a '73 Monte Carlo, LOL! The trunk cu. feet was 8. something, bigger than a Camaro by a sizeable amount. Good headroom in the backseat. But dumpy styling, LOL.

I've mentioned that my local grandparents bought the very first Vega our hometown dealer got in, in Sept. '70. It was a deep green sedan, one-barrel, 3-speed, AM radio, white-stripe tires. This I absolutely, positively, 100% remember--bottom of window sticker was $2,257. Base price was $2,091. Destination and the radio and whitewalls were responsible for the difference. Very early build (obviously). It had black rubber around the quarter windows. Very shortly after, there was painted metal there. I only ever saw one other with the rubber and that's on a Vega FB page I used to belong to. The guy who runs the page considers himself an expert and he wasn't aware of that feature, but there is one commercial where one family has four Vegas in one garage and the lime green sedan has the rubber quarter window surround. Looked really cheap. It's on YouTube.

uplanderguy · February 2021

At Chevy, starting mid-year in '75, the Nova 'S' meant bias-ply tires instead of radials which were standard at the beginning of the model year on regular Novas. I'll guess Buick did the same and called it the same.

uplanderguy · February 2021

I'll say this about the '76 Impala S--it had the same Impala interior seating and trim. The outside was Bel Air-level, with no side moldings and no side window reveal moldings. Really, that put the exterior trim at about the base-Catalina level. It also did not come with radial tires, really cheap for a big '76 car IMHO. Funny thing, wait a year or two and a regular Impala lost its glue-on moldings and ended up looking much like an S!

uplanderguy · February 2021

I looked online for Vega interior dimensions. I used to own the '73 showroom album, which had all that stuff even if the brochures didn't. The '76 brochure shows the dimensions at quite a bit less than the 1972 GM Heritage Center information on the cars. Well, so much for that.

I do believe the rear seat of a notchback Vega was a bit happier place to be than a hatchback or even the wagon. And especially more so than the panel express, which had no second-row seating!

sda · February 2021

uplanderguy said:
I feel nearly certain in remembering $2,895 as the base price for both Chevette and Vega. Perhaps at the beginning of the model year. I'm the guy in my HS class and family everybody else asks questions because I remember, LOL.

On this I'm not sure without looking at the brochure--I THINK the Scooter had a back seat unless you delete-optioned it.

I think Chevettes were reliable, and a guy I know through Studebaker circles said he sold a bunch of them in the '90's with very little 'make ready' for sale. I just hate the feel and look of the car, etc.

That Vega "Notchback" (called "Sedan" in '71 and 72) was nothing to write home about style-wise, but they were a practical use of space. I THINK the rear seat had 33 and something inches of legroom, which was better than a '73 Monte Carlo, LOL! The trunk cu. feet was 8. something, bigger than a Camaro by a sizeable amount. Good headroom in the backseat. But dumpy styling, LOL.

I've mentioned that my local grandparents bought the very first Vega our hometown dealer got in, in Sept. '70. It was a deep green sedan, one-barrel, 3-speed, AM radio, white-stripe tires. This I absolutely, positively, 100% remember--bottom of window sticker was $2,257. Base price was $2,091. Destination and the radio and whitewalls were responsible for the difference. Very early build (obviously). It had black rubber around the quarter windows. Very shortly after, there was painted metal there. I only ever saw one other with the rubber and that's on a Vega FB page I used to belong to. The guy who runs the page considers himself an expert and he wasn't aware of that feature, but there is one commercial where one family has four Vegas in one garage and the lime green sedan has the rubber quarter window surround. Looked really cheap.

I rode in the back of a base Vega sedan once, not sure if it was a 71 or 72. I know the 72 had a glove box, the 71 didn’t. It also was a 3 sp, green color, rubber floor mats. I’m only 5’8” and at the time about 140 lbs. I did not find the rear seat comfortable or roomy and the driver, she was about 5’ and petite. It was some type of high school after hours function we were going to but don’t remember what. I do remember she was quite cute but already spoken for.

uplanderguy · February 2021

Well, not roomy, but better than one might've expected the back seat of a car with a 97 inch wheelbase, LOL.

Yeah, the glovebox (really deep) was new for '72. Why they'd leave that out for '71, who knows? I wish they'd have left the cubbyhole in the dash in '72 and later too (they did in GT and Cosworth panels).

My grandparents' '71 sedan was such a strippo, the right front passenger seat DID NOT ADJUST FORWARD OR BACKWARD. Seriously!

uplanderguy · February 2021

The '76 Camaro brochure shows 6.4 cu. ft. usable trunk space....sheesh. I had thought 6.7. For a car of that exterior size....!

fintail · February 2021

Those small bumper Vegas also look good, I can see Camaro DNA in the design. That half hour show is before my time, I kind of like the slightly different music, and the clothing/hairstyles show there was still a little late 60s left right before the 70s took over - decades always seem to take a few years to get going, so to speak.

I don't think I've ever ridden in a Vega. I remember when I was a little kid, the family who also had an RX7 and a big Blazer had a white Vega wagon, but I don't think I ever rode in it. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever been in a Chevette either. I remember my grandpa actually had one for a short time, I think a company car. IIRC, timing belt failed and it was replaced by a NUMMI Nova.

ab348 said:
Speaking of Vegas, on a very early episode of the NEW Price is Right from January of '73, this Vega was offered:

These YouTube episodes are interesting because they start with an unaired shot of the show slate with date and episode number, voiced by Johnny Olsen. Bob Barker is very young here.

uplanderguy · February 2021

You sat low in a Vega. The handling was supposedly almost totally neutral. I know one of the mags said a Cosworth cornered flatter than the same year Corvette with radials. (I know, they cost about the same, LOL.)

Ironically, I don't care all that much for the small bumper Vegas. I always thought the bumpers and taillights and outside mirror looked dollhouse-small! My favorite styling overall is the '74-75 but I'd want a '76 or '77 wagon to own. I hate on the '76 and '77 non-wagons, they have a yellow section of taillight. Luckily the wagons never changed.

andre1969 · February 2021

I just looked up a few legroom specs of random cars, and here's what I found:

1977 Vega: 42.9" front/29.1" rear
1973 Maverick 2-door: 41.1"/31.8"
1975 Dart Sport: 41.5"/29.8"
1975 Dart Swinger: 41.4"/31.7"

So, on paper at least, the Vega sounds pretty roomy for its external dimension, especially that front legroom number. However, one thing the Vega, and Maverick do, is push the back seat really far back between the wheel openings, and that cuts into hiproom.

I can't remember ever riding in a Vega (or Monza or any of those clones, so I can't comment on comfort. However, I did sit in a Maverick 4-door once, in the late 90's. That thing was cramped and miserable.

The Dart Sport and Swinger sound like they'd be miserable places to be as well, but I drove a '69 and then a '68 Dart, both hardtops, from like 1989 until 2001 or so. Even though the legroom looks like it wouldn't make much difference, less than a half inch, it just seemed like a world of difference to me. The steering wheel, while close by modern standards, still wasn't nearly as bad as that Maverick. One thing the Dart coupes did differently from the smaller cars is that they were a bit more old-fashioned, with the seatback actually in front of the rear wheel openings There was no wheel well intrusion at all in the back. So, you had a little less published legroom, but larger, wider seats. I can't vouch for a Sport/Duster/Demon, as I've never been in the back. But I sat in the back of both of my two Dart hardtops a few times, and they actually didn't seem as bad as those dimensions would suggest.

ab348 · February 2021

I only remember one Vega, a slant nose large bumper model from around 1974 or 75. We had it as a rental for some reason and I drove it to university for a couple of days. It was a green metallic hatchback with white bucket seat interior. I thought it was a pretty nice little car TBH. I would have been driving our 6-cylinder Maverick most of the time back then so I suspect they were about as equally quick. This Vega must have had the deluxe interior because the seats reminded me of Camaro seats with a good stitching pattern. It was rather low as I recall but that didn't bother me then like it would now.

xwesx · February 2021

uplanderguy said:
Yeah, we always said "Lebinin"; I always figured somewhere, some people probably said "Leb-a-non" (short 'o').

The like location in Oregon ( Lebanon) is pronounced by the locals something like "Leb'nun."

I suppose that's not a surprise, though, considering that strangers call Oregon, "O-RE-gone" versus the vernacular of "Or-gun." Or, "Willa-Met" versus the 'correct' pronunciation of "will-AM-et."

xwesx · February 2021

uplanderguy said:
I've lost a 40-year friend due to my responding to a mutual friend's question on the latter's Facebook page, in a way that was quite benign and apolitical, that the former friend (a college prof) blew up about, read me the riot act instead of replying to any specific point, and told me we could no longer be friends if I held that specific opinion on that one question. It was with this friend and his Dad and brother that I usually attended Hershey with. Shaking my head. Unfriended me. So juvenile for a 60-year old with a doctorate.

Wow. That's really sad; I'm sorry that he held your friendship in such low regard.

I had a similar thing happen a few years ago when that whole "me too" movement thing got started. I posted something that was thoughtful on the topic, and my brother responded with something a little off the wall, to which I replied in like thoughtfulness. Somebody on our friend list from our youth (both my brother's and mine) jumped in expressing shock over my opinions, and then later I find unfriended me. Which I simply found funny. Later, I discovered that this same person also blocked me such that they could not see anything I posted on my brother's page.

Some people are just so scared of discourse that they cannot see the bigger picture.

uplanderguy · February 2021

What's especially sad is good mutual friends of ours (husband and wife) said to me, "Well, you know ****." He has always gotten away with being uber-opinionated--smartest guy in the room type, about all subjects. His Dad passed away afterwards. My friend's wife, who's a sweetheart, messaged me to tell me. I replied I was sorry to hear it; I always liked his Dad. She said "**** would love to hear from you". I did call him and he thanked me. We only talked a couple minutes about his Dad, as he was on his way someplace and my wife was trying to call me at the same time. But I have not heard from him in any way since.

ab348 · February 2021

There is a type of mass insanity that seems fuelled by social media. It seems to me that a shockingly large percentage of people are incapable of original thought or reasoning and so they just follow whatever movement or idea is the latest cause du jour. Social media makes some people behave in a very nasty way that most would never dare to do in person and so when it becomes an echo chamber it gets very risky to post anything contrary to the prevailing groupthink, even accidentally. It is quite sad and dangerous as well. As an example, up here in Canada right now it is safer to post positively about the CCP than it is about the federal Conservative party on most of the big platforms like Twitter.

fintail · February 2021

I have a solution for all that: no social media. My only real online interaction of that type is a few car forums. I have fb, but none of the others, and fb is just for hobbies and similar, I don't post personal updates or blab with people. If someone starts bleating whiny political slop or conspiracy theories, blocked and done. Fortunately, most of my family is sane, and don't broadcast any such issues for all to see.

roadburner · February 2021

xwesx said:

uplanderguy said:
I've lost a 40-year friend due to my responding to a mutual friend's question on the latter's Facebook page, in a way that was quite benign and apolitical, that the former friend (a college prof) blew up about, read me the riot act instead of replying to any specific point, and told me we could no longer be friends if I held that specific opinion on that one question. It was with this friend and his Dad and brother that I usually attended Hershey with. Shaking my head. Unfriended me. So juvenile for a 60-year old with a doctorate.
Wow. That's really sad; I'm sorry that he held your friendship in such low regard.

I had a similar thing happen a few years ago when that whole "me too" movement thing got started. I posted something that was thoughtful on the topic, and my brother responded with something a little off the wall, to which I replied in like thoughtfulness. Somebody on our friend list from our youth (both my brother's and mine) jumped in expressing shock over my opinions, and then later I find unfriended me. Which I simply found funny. Later, I discovered that this same person also blocked me such that they could not see anything I posted on my brother's page.

Some people are just so scared of discourse that they cannot see the bigger picture.

I've unfriended several people who wanted to interject political opinions on my home page- it's reserved primarily for car topics. I'm members of a couple of political pages; one nitwit didn't like one of my comments and told me I should resign my office and further that she was going to file a complain with the KY Bar Association. I just laughed.

xwesx · February 2021

fintail said:
I have a solution for all that: no social media. My only real online interaction of that type is a few car forums. I have fb, but none of the others, and fb is just for hobbies and similar, I don't post personal updates or blab with people. If someone starts bleating whiny political slop or conspiracy theories, blocked and done. Fortunately, most of my family is sane, and don't broadcast any such issues for all to see.

Same here, except for the blocked and done bit; I have that stuff for kinda/sorta keeping in contact with people that otherwise would be 100% off the radar, so I'm highly tolerant of that stuff. Plus, most of my family is exactly the group of nut jobs that you wrote about, so the more tolerant I am online, the more tolerant I can be in the real world. I'll spend weeks not even opening FB, and sometimes years without posting anything of my own (i.e., stuff that is not comments on others' posts).

I think the only thing I do on FB with any regularity is participate in Subaru Crew, which used to be right here on Edmunds.

xwesx · February 2021

roadburner said:
I'm members of a couple of political pages; one nitwit didn't like one of my comments and told me I should resign my office and further that she was going to file a complain with the KY Bar Association. I just laughed.

Well, sure! You're an elected official; how dare you have political opinions!

fintail · February 2021

Eastern OR people?

Some of my east of the mountains family members can be a bit out there - fortunately, they keep it mostly offline. But when the lizard people/racist dogwhistle type drivel starts popping up, snoozed for a month if I like you, worse if not. Support your beloved candidate all you want, but sometimes it just gets embarrassing.

Many of the older time message boards/make-specific forum type discussion seems to have migrated to fb - huge MB communities there, and only a couple older forum type sites seem to have a lot of traffic.

xwesx said:

Same here, except for the blocked and done bit; I have that stuff for kinda/sorta keeping in contact with people that otherwise would be 100% off the radar, so I'm highly tolerant of that stuff. Plus, most of my family is exactly the group of nut jobs that you wrote about, so the more tolerant I am online, the more tolerant I can be in the real world. I'll spend weeks not even opening FB, and sometimes years without posting anything of my own (i.e., stuff that is not comments on others' posts).

I think the only thing I do on FB with any regularity is participate in Subaru Crew, which used to be right here on Edmunds.

xwesx · February 2021

fintail said:
Eastern OR people? Some of my east of the mountains family members can be a bit out there - fortunately, they keep it mostly offline. But when the lizard people/racist dogwhistle type drivel starts popping up, snoozed for a month if I like you, worse if not. Support your beloved candidate all you want, but sometimes it just gets embarrassing.

Many of the older time message boards/make-specific forum type discussion seems to have migrated to fb - huge MB communities there, and only a couple older forum type sites seem to have a lot of traffic.

Correct, correct, correct, and, yeah... you pretty much nailed it.

uplanderguy · February 2021

I have to say, I'm on Facebook and enjoy it a lot. I have kept in touch with friends whom I don't otherwise see or talk on the phone with; many old friends from my hometown (largely, old classmates). I don't post politics on my page and haven't for years. I do sometimes get roped into commenting on someone else's page but I try to even avoid that.

The Studebaker Drivers' Club forum I've enjoyed for years, IMHO is a lot better than the various Stude Facebook pages I frequent. The most ridiculous opinions and demonstrably incorrect "facts" get posted there and while I'm not necessarily for much moderation, people get away with stuff there unchallenged while they wouldn't on the SDC forum...real BS.

I had to unfollow my sister-in-law on Facebook--she drops the 'f' bomb and paints all voters in her head with a very broad brush. Real tolerant for her young kids to be around, sheesh. She sees herself as enlightened, ugh.

uplanderguy · February 2021

Politically, I would never allow a sign to be posted in our yard. I'd fear physical damage to my house. Really. That is insane by any yardstick.

ab348 · February 2021

I'm on FB for most of the same reasons, in my case Olds and Caddys, but even there my patience has worn thin. After a while as those groups turn over you get some really dumb comments and questions that have been posted dozens of times before. And there are occasional political storms that aren't always dealt with, along with spammers. Then there are the crazy distant relatives you haven't seen/spoken to in decades that find you and suddenly want to be your best friend. Yikes. FB has an interface that seems designed to frustrate you, and the more I've read about how the company shapes what you see the less inclined I am to visit.

sda · February 2021

Even though I have a profile sans picture on fb, I rarely, rarely post anything. If I do it is very brief, generally congratulating or wishing someone well. Edmunds is my primary source where I post and browse (and enjoy), AcuraZine, AudiWorld, VWVortex I browse for general information for specific models but haven’t posted in ages. I get very tired of all the complaining, my car is a piece of xx, or my dealer, whine, whine, whine. I tip my hat to the moderators at Edmunds keeping conversations pleasant and on topic.

omarman · February 2021

I thought FB fee free marketplace had some real possibilities. But that mix turned out to be awfully good in the worst way. FB platform and philosophy is not built for actual selling/buying.

imidazol97 · February 2021

With all the info about big tech gleaning my information from using their software items, I
read that FB is tracking even if FB is not being used on the computer at the time.

I frequently run Ccleaner and Cleanup! to clear cookies and other stuff. I can't tell if
that stops FB from tracking after I've closed the FB.

I use FB primarily to track my old home area where I grew up on a page or two
and for the car cruise-in and show information from about 15 groups.

I prefer to follow these cruise-ins with webpages, but not all operate that way.

andre1969 · February 2021

It's hardly obscure, but I think it's amusing that my car is common enough that, for something that turns 19 years old in June, I can still be driving around in it, and spot something that looks almost like it...

Okay, so it's a Century and not a Regal, but eh, close enough

uplanderguy · February 2021

I always thought that was a basic, pleasant-enough styling job.

My Stude dealer friend's wife drove one until they bought an HHR, which as of a year ago she was still driving.

uplanderguy · February 2021

RE.: '62 Bel Air bubbletops--got my new Hemmings Classic Car and on the first page inside the front cover was a Coker tire ad where they featured a--you guessed it--red 409 dog-dish capped '62 Bel Air bubbletop.

ab348 · February 2021

uplanderguy said:
RE.: '62 Bel Air bubbletops--got my new Hemmings Classic Car and on the first page inside the front cover was a Coker tire ad where they featured a--you guessed it--red 409 dog-dish capped '62 Bel Air bubbletop.

Of course, aren’t they all?

Speaking of HCC, yesterday I went down a rabbit hole after reading an article that talked about former Ford and Chrysler designer Elwood Engel. One of the articles had a bibliography at the end referring to a Michael Lamm article on him in the August 1996 SIA, the HCC predecessor. I have my copies organized on a bookshelf here so I sought it out without success. I have editions prior to that and later but not that one. It is available to buy on eBay and elsewhere if I want to spend $25-$30 for it, but not for a 3 or 4 page article. Looking at the cover pic and TOC online I don’t think I ever had it and must have missed that one at the newsstand where I bought it before I became a subscriber.

uplanderguy · February 2021

Didn't Engel do the '61 Continental? I think he was responsible for the conservative, elegant '65 Chryslers and I think the '64-66 Imperials, one of the only times I'd have had a hard time choosing between a Cadillac and an Imperial in that price class!

I'd love a '66 Imperial LeBaron--never seen in my town; only the Crown models.

ab348 · February 2021

Fin also sent me down the TPIR rabbit hole. An episode taped in Sept/73 had this on offer. Was not won; price was $64xx.

https://youtu.be/ZtNIuXHgRlM

I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today!

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