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Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to all of Applianceville, Your like an extended family, and great therapy too. alr2903
 
Happy Holidays/Happy Snow in Texas & wherever else it snowed

It finally snowed here last night in Western CT. It was the leftover storm that hit Texas & the Midwest, which ended up as a Nor'easter & came up the coast. Eastern CT/RI, Boston was supposed to get 6", but here we only got about 2" of powder. No ice! Yeah! Hopefully, everyone had a great Christmas, and yes you guys & gals are great therapy. Get out there and enjoy the white stuff, especially you Texas people. If you haven't driven in it, get out & try it, it's a blast. Just watch out for other people who don't have a clue in winter driving techniques.
Jerry
 
I'm a little late!

Merry X-mas everybody! Hope everyone had a good one! As you all know we got pelted with snow around here. Same old stuff! You would think by now people in Indiana would know how to drive in it! BUT! They don't! I've seen more people in the ditch than ever before. Let's see 10 inches of snow how's about doing 50mph down the street!Ditch time! All's I can do is drive by and shake my head. Hope they have full coverage!
Anyway enough babbling, Happy Holidays to everyone!
 
Michigan was NO better....And it depends on what you drive..

I feel that it depends on the type of vehicle you drive, how you react and how you drive in general....Rear wheel drive here in Mich is the pits no matter what...I have had many of them..

I have had 4 Lincoln Towncars since I started to drive 12 years ago... which in the spring/summer/fall months were excellent...I have listed them in unison:

I started out with my largest my silver blue/ dark blue roof 1979.( best winter handler of all)SUPRISINGLY!!!

My second was my white/ brown roof 84.(not at all good even w/ new tires and an alignment..this one was kept exactly 4 months all of them winter monts BTW).

My third was my dark blue/ dark blue top 89.(Best of my 80's era cars, and handled the best of all of them).

My fourth was a dark blue/dark blue top 86.(About the same handling as my 89, but had less power and no traction loc axle like my 89 had).

All of them handled "ok" in Michigan winters, but rear wheel drive is just innane here. I would never own a full time rea-wheel drive again...their usefullness up here is just totally gone when you have more than a dusting....Have you ever spun a complete 360 while trying to get going from a stoplight in a old rear drive monster? It happens more than you think....

I now have my brandywine color 1997 Lincoln Continental FWD with traction control, ABS, and skid assist. I stayed in the dark WAAAY too long.

And my mate has a Black 1997 Oldsmobile LSS with the same features described in the Conti. It handles the same no matter what condition as my Linky, but he likes GM cars so.

And I have to agee with you Bethann; poeple even here are stupid, brainless, daring and drive super innappropriatly, doing 50-70 down a totally ice/snow covered interstate. Which is just ginormously wrong.

On my way to work day before Christmas Eve on I-496 I saw no less than 7 cars in the ditch. But me doing 45 and having that traction control kept me right on humming along with NO problems.

Ironically the peeps who were ditchbound were all in SUV'sand 4by 4's?

I thought that they were the can do all vehicles?

Bull@#$%

I love winter, but have to agree with partscounterman where shoveling is concerned... I only hate shoveling in the winter...but my mate decided to do something about this and bought us a present about the end of November.

This year I need not to fret as a Toro's in my garage and I let the Roto-Blade w/ self-propel do the work!!!

We had it white here too on X-mas day...but only an inch or so...maybe at most 3-4 depending on area...

Chad
 
I drive a 4x4 truck. But I still drive safe. I wouldn't drive anything else. My Puppy goes everywhere with me when possible. So really I guess I bought it for the dog! I love all kinds of cars but this was the most practital for me. Plus I can see better being off the ground.
My friend has a Lexus. Riding in that thing is terrible! Did it once, won't do it again! Don't get me wrong it's a great car but not for me. I felt like I was riding around in a cardboard box with aluminum foil wrapped around it.
 
On driving and cars we drive.....Part II

Bethann,

I wasn't implying that your choice was bad, quite the opposite. In fact most people in my fam have 4 wheel drive and love them. My mom has a Lincoln Navigator, my stepfather a Ford F350 quadcab 4WD, and love the hell out of them. And I do agree about the sight thing in them. They are the tops.

The only reason that I have not purchased one as of yet, is becasue of the gas mileage thing. I did the poor gas mileage before ( see the upper half of this posting by me), and I cannot, or more technically "will not" afford/pay for the under 20 mpg thing in a vehicle. My mom fills up her Navi' once a week, then pays $50.00 to fill the tank.

But I love my Lincoln Continental, and love it when it's all clean and parked agains Michigan's wintry backdrop...looks like a huge red bow sitting out in the drive.

And...I do take my Lucydog with me whenever I go someplace and she has her perch in the backseat on her blankie. She is the best backseat driver I have ever had....curls up...snorts a few times then falls asleep until the car stops...Then she's right up between the seats licking my face....

I also have wanted to tell you that I love the pic's of your kitchen....it's absolutly beautiful. AND your applinaces...whoo hoo, what a sight.

Well that's all for now...

Chad
 
Gas Mileage

Chad,

I have to disagree with your statement about the poor gas mileage in trucks. I drive an F-150 and since it is a 5-speed I get around 20 MPG (not so with an automatic). I was looking towards the Rangers since I thought it the full-sized pickups had enormously large tanks and were going to guzzle...being a high school kid that's not something I wanted, even for the short-distance driving I do. I was actually in for quite a surprise...

While the rate at which I have to refill differs from everyone else's, it usually costs me $30/tank on regular...not bad for a truck if you ask me.

--Austin
 
LOL, the cost to fill up a tank from empty to full is the same -- X number of gallons @ $xx.xx per gallon -- no matter what is the MPG of the vehicle. It's how often one must fill that makes the difference, of course.

My I30t typically gets between 18 and 21 MPG depending on the mix of highway/city and summer (air conditioning) vs. non-summer (I do run the auto climate system on Economy some of the time). Generally averaging right at 20 MPG (I track it on every fill-up). I normally can go about two weeks between fill-ups.

By the way, I didn't have any trouble driving around town in the snow Friday night, or getting to Bay City with my sister in her Cherokee Saturday afternoon.
 
My '65 Rambler american goes like a jeep in snow, and gets 21 city 30 highway (with a Nash flathead six that came out in 1941). It will also push most modern economy cars sideways.

Ken D.

Remember, it causes more pollution to manufacture one new car, than a typical 1960s car will produce in 300,000 miles.
 
Wow ...stumbled (once again) onto a sensitive topic I see...

Okay everyone,

I'm sorry that I have offended some with my remarks. Apparently I have been finding myself on this site differing with may who think otherwise of MY statements. Im just stating my opinion as you state yours.

Im going to do a bit of explaining here:

1.I agree with Ken about the OLDER cars being better, as we all pretty much agree that OLDER washers are better. Once upon a time we American's all built quality things, that did a puroseful job, and lasted until we were long gone. BTW Ken good car the Rambler...That Nash 6 was the bomb considering that at one point Nash waa able to advertise the Statesman 400 I believe as getting 400 miles to a tankful of gas.

2. I was speaking Austin of course to two of the most fuel thirsty vehicles that FoMoCo makes right now. My mom's Navigator gets somewhere between 12 and 18 MPG, and has a built in indicator to tell you just what is going on in the MPG dept.It also has to haul around a 2500 lb body and had a huge V-8 and an automatic transimission of the 4 speed variety. She cannot keep HER foot out of it, therfore getting the not so hot MPT (miles per tank)figure of about 320 miles.

My stepfathers F350 is a quadcab three quarterton dually with a fifthwheel hitch. It uses Fords LARGEST V-8 made in 1999 when he bought it. Four wheel drive, a four speed automatic transmission and a toolbox that goes along the back window. His get anywahers between 9-15 mpg.

Your F150 prob weighs about 2500 lbs has probably a 300 flat six or a 302 V-8, the five speed transmission does help you out to give you the better figures.I agree that not all large vehicles ar BAD but some are..read on.

I however get about roughly 23-24 mpg on the interstate with the cruise set at 75 and at VERY worse gets about 16 mpg in my Continental. It handles very well for not being a four wheel drive vehicle and Im content with it. I was simpy stating that from what I have OWNED, and what I have curently, I feel that I have made progress and some vehicles simply have not.

My partner Martin's Olds gets "slightly" less mpg than my Conti, but his has a supercharger bolted to a 3800 II series v-6 and he like my mother always has to have his foot way up in it. His MPG figures are usually anywhere from 15-20.

I know jack about foreign cars but I do know that my brothers Honda Accord gets like 28 on the freeway and like 18-19 in town. It serves him and his wife well for their kids and she drives a Chrysler Town And Country from about 1995 with all the wood trim and garishness and she even gets about 22mpg on the hwy's this has a V-6 and an automatic four speed gearbox.

My oldest sister has a Toyota Prius that gets like anywhere from 28-60 mpg depending on how you drive. It handles well and suits her powerchick mentality just fine. Her husband also has one and they love them. This is the new hybrid cars that I also know jack about but I have driven it and wasn't terribly impressed. Except for the fuel economy.

My youngest sister has a 1991 Mercury Colony Park Station Wagon 9 pass. She gets what I used to in my Towncars..anywahere from 9-18 mpg depending on conditions driving habits ( which in Mich SOME people are deplorable at as I have stated elsewhere) and her husband has...a truck just like Austins and has reported to me that he gets about what he has stated: Of 20 mpg on the fwy. But Jerry never goes over 65 BTW.

My dad however...he drives a 1995 Cadillac Fleetwood and also has a Chevrolet Caprice Classic from the same year. Both are about the same in MPG as my Continental. But when it's bad weather he has a much harder time starting out then as I do.

It's all about what WE like. That's what makes us individuals.

I just stated that I have driven alot of vehicles in my time...more than some peole do in the entire lives,and there are just ones that I wouldn't have..and ones that I would...such as my Continental. It's puropseful, doesn't rape me at the pump and it handles beautifully. Therefore I am... happy.

Best Regards

Chad
 
We all drive trucks here except mom who has a 99 Buick Park Ave. I had to drive her to her hair appt. about 7 mi. on this ice and it never slipped once, but I also drive very careful as no one I know wants their Insurance premium going up. The key I think is going slow no matter what you drive. Drive safley!
 
Car talk

I've recently acquired a 1988 T-Bird with the 3/8 liter V6 and 4 speed Overdrive automatic (but NO lockup, would you believe, onthe Turbo 4 model had lockup that year). It gets around 17 city/25 highway, which is the best mileage I've EVER gotten in a car except for my 1987 Escort (33 highway), but then, it was an Escort with all the shortcomings thereof (noisy, lousy ride, not much power, boring) and it REFUSED to run on regular gas, would ping like crazy unless I used at least the middle grade). In L.A. stick shifts are out of the question, at least for me. Though I can drive a stick, the traffic makes it VERY irritating after ten minutes for me, so I really hate them. Plus, I'm a very logical person, and a stickshift in a newer car makes as much sense to me as building a new kitchen and then putting in a wood stove to cook on or replacing your refrigerator with an icebox. As much as I like old things, there's a point where it doesn't make sense and becomes a pain in the butt. Manual transmissons fall right into that category. I imagine could deal with it if I lied out in Montana somewhere.
 
Hey Louis:

Some company whose name escapes me is actually thinking of importing Smart to America, and in a country of 300 million souls, someone will buy one.

How do you fit in that thing? As I recall, youre a bit on the tall side, my friend.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!! I for one am glad to see '04 go - it was one *crapburger* of a year.
 
Prius's aren't any better....

Hi Again,

I drove my sis's Prius about 40 miles over Thanksgiving, and I had to adjust the seat all the way back and tilt the seatback some to fit in there. Im weighing in recently at about 270 and am 6'2. The comfort is virtually nil,, and feels like im driving an oversized golfcart with a old fashioned wood wagon suspension.

I guess the thing that creeped me out the most is how when you need additional power the small gas motor screams like Janet Leigh in Psycho, and when you come to a stop in the city the call falls dead silent. Thankfully she was with me so she could quickly explain that I need NOT restart the vehicle...LOL because I was reaching for the ignition key.

Another thing was the joystick control that operates the CVT style tranny. Looking very much like a 1955 Chrysler product or a few Honda models, this "control wand" pops out of the dash and looks like it shold be on a control for the original Atari, not the main control in a vehicle. And the dash is weird too. Instead of being where we normally would see it, it was smack in the middle of the dash deep set near the window. It does however have a cool information center where one would normally find the radio, and it tells you exactly what it's doing.

I apologize to all of you for overreacting, or overstating. I have a habit of having to prove myself and it's all from conditioning. No worries tho....

On that note:

Happy New Year Everyone, and Best Wishes for 2005

Chad
 
Chris,

I'm 6'1 so not that tall. The space for the driver is actually quite big for such a car. The problem is on the passenger's side. That chair is a bit higher due to the fact that the battery is under the floor on that side. I wonder if Jetcone will fit into that thing when he comes over LOL. Perhaps with a shoe-horn...
 
Hi Louis,I love that car!Looks like it would be great around town. Is this a hybrid type? Heres a pic of a 1979 camaro I ordered new without A/C and with 4speed trans.after a while I hotrodded it a bit, but it would still get 18 to 20mpg hwy.The corner pic is a 1969 camaro I restored from the ground up and was my last!Well those were my crazy younger days!
 
DADoES,

Yes, my car is easy to wash, but unfortunately I have to pay the full price at the carwash LOL.

drmitch,

No, my car is not a hybrid, no space for two systems in that thing. This car was designed by Mercedes and Swatch, but Mercedes took over the Swatch shares. The motor is a 3 cylinder 0.6 litres engine with turbo and produces 55 HP. I use it outside town as well, it's my only car. But then again this bijou country is nothing but one big city with a few big parks I guess! BTW, I love that 1969 Camaro.

cadman,

I think overhere we make smilometres per litre!
 
Smart

Louis, 55hp in a car that small must be impressive! I hope they decide to sell them over here!
 
Wow Louis, interesting little car!! Must turn a lot of heads! And I agree with Don; 55 HP must be fast!

Is this a front, rear, or mid-engine model?
 
Ah, I wanted to say that, the engine is in the back, under the small trunk. It doesn't turn heads as often anymore as it did because you see them a lot and in many versions. It's not all positive, the car is not very comfortable because the suspension is very hard. Also the topspeed is limited by the electronics, it doesn't go faster than 85 miles, due to fear it will tumble over at higher speeds.

There is also a convertible version. After this model (now called Fortwo) more models were introduced, a sportscar called Roadster and a small family car called Forfour. Smart is going to appear in 2006 in the US and the rumours are they are going to sell an SUV in the US.

Here's the link to the UK website where all the information is about the current models

http://www.thesmart.co.uk/
 
Kewl, Louis. The Smart will be quite a novelty when it finally arrives over here.

Bob: Hyundai's *are* surprisingly easy to sit in. My 6'2 frame used to fit well in my buddy's '86.

I kinda liked my girlfriend's Prius first and only time I drove it, but I agree that nothing Consumer Reports warned me about prepared me for how eerily silent the car is when the petro burner is off.

Hey drmitch: you still got the '79 Camaro? How many offers do you get from folk wanting to buy it off ya?
 
Odd cars

Oh, how I wish I had the $ to restore my '76 AMC Pacer that's in storage. It doesn't look so weird now!
 
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