Me, reading an ad that says, "Needs work. Does not run.":
Oh wow! That's a bargain. I can make that work! I have engines... I think... I don't know... I should probably look in the barn...
Me, reading an ad that says, "Needs work. Does not run.":
Oh wow! That's a bargain. I can make that work! I have engines... I think... I don't know... I should probably look in the barn...
Years ago I was at an autocross and and a guy showed up in a little hatchback, lowered with nice wheels. He got out and was gray haired, clearly in his 60's, and stuck out like a sore thumb. People were saying, look at the old guy having fun with his little hatch, that's pretty cool. I spoke to him and he was just there to watch, see what's going on. There's a road course close to me having a lapping day this afternoon. I plan on going to have a look.
Today I am that guy
Datsun310Guy said:In reply to Streetwiseguy :
When looking at new cars sunroofs are always pointed out with excitement. It's got a SUNROOF!
Boooo - I'm 6'4" tall and it cuts into my headroom. I have to tilt the seat way back and some cars I can't fit. BUT I do like convertibles! Go figure.
I steer clear of sunroofs whenever possible. It's just one more thing to break or start leaking. We had one in our Sienna and rarely used it. Our Explorer has one and we never open it. When we were looking at new trucks Ford has a panoramic sunroof for the F-150. NFW I'm buying a new truck with a sunroof. Thankfully I found the truck I wanted without the sunroof option.
Peabody said:Years ago I was at an autocross and and a guy showed up in a little hatchback, lowered with nice wheels. He got out and was gray haired, clearly in his 60's, and stuck out like a sore thumb. People were saying, look at the old guy having fun with his little hatch, that's pretty cool. I spoke to him and he was just there to watch, see what's going on. There's a road course close to me having a lapping day this afternoon. I plan on going to have a look.
Today I am that guy
There is a guy named John Hafner from Vancouver who just set FTD at the National Slalom Day event. He's 82 years old.
In reply to Streetwiseguy :
That's me at the motocross track...
Honestly, some days I feel silly in a lowered Spark on 16's, driving like an idiot, running it through the gears. I just hope people are laughing with me and not at me
Datsun310Guy said:In reply to Streetwiseguy :
When looking at new cars sunroofs are always pointed out with excitement. It's got a SUNROOF!
Boooo - I'm 6'4" tall and it cuts into my headroom. I have to tilt the seat way back and some cars I can't fit. BUT I do like convertibles! Go figure.
Right there with you. Last two cars i've sold both had sunroofs. Buyer:
"Ooooooo....does the sunroof work???"
No idea, let's find out (whirrrrr). Apparently yes.
"When was the last time you used it?"
Ten years ago when i bought the car, doing the same check.
My confession: I've been stranded overnight three times this year, all flying american airlines. Tonight is on track to be number four, and I have meetings in another city at 9am tomorrow.
They're a "preferred vendor" for our company, and i plan to stop booking with them moving forward. I know its going to result in a call from our audit group, "hey you spent $100 more to fly direct on a reliable carrier (delta), knock it off"......"No."
Flynlow (FS) said:My confession: I've been stranded overnight three times this year, all flying american airlines. Tonight is on track to be number four, and I have meetings in another city at 9am tomorrow.
They're a "preferred vendor" for our company, and i plan to stop booking with them moving forward. I know its going to result in a call from our audit group, "hey you spent $100 more to fly direct on a reliable carrier (delta), knock it off"......"No."
How much money does it cost the company every time you've been stranded? You should book a 4 star hotel for the night. Tell the company that was the only place you could find on short notice.
In reply to CAinCA :
They don't care, I'm assuming because of the classic corporate excuse, "That's a separate budget"
In reply to Flynlow (FS) :
My condolences, that sucks especially when it's happened multiple times.
We flew to Jamaica on AA back in March. We'd done a similar trip back in 2016 on Jet Blue and it was a smooth trip down and back. I wasn't impressed with AA. Stopping in Charlotte on the way back to clear US Customs was the icing on the cake. Jet Blue had us do that at our destination (Boston) instead of having to stop, unload the plane, recheck our bags and then go through security again. Yeah that was all kinds of fun. Hour and half layover in Charlotte and we barely had time to grab sandwiches before getting back on for the final leg.
Lapping day was awesome. Aside from the cost it really was my kind of event. Run what you brung, not really any rules to speak of, everybody was respectful. And the bonus was I knew the guy running it, and hung out with him the whole time.
Confession du jour: I'm scheming to get out on that track and put some serious laps in.
Streetwiseguy said:Not putting it in the minor rant thread, because it's not a rant. Confession doesn't seem right, since I've held this opinion for over 40 years, but...
What the hell do people get out of driving a convertible? I had to take one on a test drive with the owner, so I couldn't put the roof up. The sun was glaring in my eyes, the wind was buffeting me, it was hot, and the cowl shake was pretty bad. I know I'm in the minority, but sweet gentle flying spaghetti monster, what a stupid thing to do to a car.
I dunno but once I drove with the top down, i've never really wwanted to go back. You'll catch me in the snow with the top down, side windows up, heat cranked, or in the summertime doing the same thing with AC.
It sucks in stop & go with sun beating down on you but otherwise - you hear and smell everything and have no blind spots. It brings much more visceral goy of driving to me and is probably the reason some people love motorcycles.
Now I'll take your role: what do people get out of driving a motorcycle? Hot protective gear, higher potential for real injury (especially from 'the other guy')
Also - what car did you drive? All convertibles are NOT equal. Cars that were designed from the ground up as a convertible are FAR better than any conversion. I daily a NC Miata and it's very doable. I've done it in a NA as well and would not choose to go back to that as a daily now that I'm older.
I think a lot of your concerns is what has driven the retractable hardtop designs because (while they lose cargo space) they have a lot of the pluses of hardtops and of convertibles.
I saw the original 1986 Top Gun for the first time ever tonight. Yes, I know. Not sure how I avoided it either.
What a terrible, terrible movie. What the hell was up with the weird color filters on half the cameras? The flying was mostly boring. The dialogue was laughable. The homoeroticism was ridiculously overt. It didn't even reflect terribly well on the Navy, for Bob's sake!
Why was this movie ever popular?
I had a few drinks while watching the World Time Attack steam and decided to go back and stir up a mess with the old Mighty Car Mods forum. Turns out their forum is dead now. I'm extremely disappointed.
In reply to Greg Smith (Forum Supporter) :
C70. Most of the things you described as liking, are what I hate. And, as to visibility, the most important bit of visibility you need for not dying stupidly is blocked by the massive A pillars required to keep you from dying when the car falls over.
I have found myself no longer enjoying close-ratio gearboxes and firm suspensions. My DD Outback has a close-ratio gearbox and fifth gear is nowhere near tall enough; at 60 mph the engine is turning nearly 3,000 rpm. It seems like I'm constantly shifting. The suspension is nice and compliant but, it definitely needs some taller gears.
In reply to Duke :
That's all technology we had. It was the best of the day.
Watch The Ten Commandments movie as Moses transitions with his beard then parting the Red Sea - today it's awful but for 1956 it was awesome.
Duke said:I saw the original 1986 Top Gun for the first time ever tonight. Yes, I know. Not sure how I avoided it either.
What a terrible, terrible movie. What the hell was up with the weird color filters on half the cameras? The flying was mostly boring. The dialogue was laughable. The homoeroticism was ridiculously overt. It didn't even reflect terribly well on the Navy, for Bob's sake!
Why was this movie ever popular?
Because Kenny loggins writes berkeleyin BANGERS.
Because watching an F-14 Tomcat on the big screen is enough for aviators. We get an airplane move about once every 10 years.
I may have just started a thing. VWR 13s class...
My Cousin's Husband from HI.
Appleseed said:Because watching an F-14 Tomcat on the big screen is enough for aviators. We get an airplane move about once every 10 years.
Surely you can't be serious.
Mndsm said:Duke said:Why was this movie ever popular?
Because Kenny loggins writes berkeleyin BANGERS.
Whatever. The music was the lamest part. Highway To The Danger Zone? Might as well be Eye Of The Tiger.
I couldn't wait for Charlie and Maverick to finally do it so they could stop fading in that stupid Take My Breath Away song.
Duke said:Mndsm said:Duke said:Why was this movie ever popular?
Because Kenny loggins writes berkeleyin BANGERS.
Whatever. The music was the lamest part. Highway To The Danger Zone? Might as well be Eye Of The Tiger.
I couldn't wait for Charlie and Maverick to finally do it so they could stop fading in that stupid Take My Breath Away song.
The irony is that the romantic subplot was added at a very late date because original test screenings had people thinking it had a gay romance subtext between Mav and Iceman (with even further irony in that Kelly McGillis later came out as a lesbian)
But, I agree, original Top Gun is inferior to Top Gun: Maverick and it's not just the technological advancements in cinematography. The original is kind of clunky in terms of the plot, and the "mission" at the end feels oddly tacked on
In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
Don't call me Shirley...
A few months ago I worked an event where somebody brought out a 911 Cup car for time attack and I heard them use the pit lane speed limiter. Ever since I've felt like I need that on one of my terrible cars.
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