Oh what fun it is to ride...

I got a car for Christmas. We already kind of had the car; it's been sitting out back for a month or so, awaiting nicer weather so Hub can put the new gear box on it. But Dad made a deal... we "officially" got that one and my sister got the mint-green Cougar she's been using. It'll save him some money on insurance and "thin the herd" a bit.

So yeah. Remember that blue '73 Buick Electra 4-door that's been featured on here before? That's the one. The blue whale. The tuna boat. Bo the Buick. I almost wish we could drive it today... going after-Christmas shopping and that thing would hold a LOT of half-price gift wrap. Enough for several future holidays. Could hold the entire family, all their bags, three cups of coffee and a box of Dunkin Donuts, with room in the trunk for groceries, all without squishing the gift wrap. And with plenty of legroom for everyone.

I want a bumper sticker that says "My other car got eaten by this one."

More Accessories

I need to get a new picture of the Impala on here. That means I have to wash it... been waiting for a day when it's not raining, sleeting, or snowing, with a night temp above freezing... it may well be April before that happens, but we'll see. It rained the other evening, turning into freezing rain when the temp dropped after dark, which left icy roads and a nice shiny hardshell finish on the Imp. I couldn't get the doors open. This year I had the presence of mind to NOT store the de-icer inside the car, though. Yay me!

The other day, upon seeing my car for the first time, someone immediately mentioned the non-stock Buick-style portholes on the fenders. *grin* So far he's been the only one to notice. I can't say anything though... Hubby got me a set of smoke-tinted wind deflectors for the windows and put them on yesterday, and I didn't notice till this morning... but they look great, like they came with the car (as they should have). They work great too. I like being warm in the car, but I hate breathing heated air, so I usually have a window cracked regardless of the weather. It was raining on the way home and the deflectors did their job. (One of the very few things I didn't like about the Imp was that rain and washer fluid came off the windshield and straight in the window, dripping directly onto the power window and lock buttons. No more!)

Midnight blue is hard as heck to keep clean... been running it through the hand-wash with the big hot-air dryer at the end, so it won't freeze shut with me in it (had that happen with the Bronco once, felt like an idiot, trapped in my own vehicle in the grocery-store parking lot) but haven't made it there since the winter weather kicked it up a notch.

Other news: just sold my nearly-new set of snow tires from Buick #2 (gone). Buick #3 (still for sale!) just got a new power steering gear box, but the install will have to wait until it's nicer outside. We've determined that the Imp is actually Buick #4 in disguise. Brother slid on bad road and wrecked his car... apparently Subaru parts ain't cheap, and Subies with AWD are NOT impervious to slippery roads. Motor oil costs too dang much these days; I remember when the cheap stuff was 88 cents a quart, and that wasn't too long ago. My preferred Castrol is almost 3 bucks a quart now. Gas here is "down" to $2.99/gallon, from $3.29. Why can't I find citrus-scented car fresheners anymore? What's with all these weird scents? I do not want my car smelling like green tea, or musk, or tahitian sunset or whatever. I just. want. orange.

Out and About

Random cars seen recently:

This one kills me every time I see it. Spied near Numidia, PA.

Camaros were my first muscle-car love, and I've never gotten over it.

Somewhere west of here en route to elk country.

For this one, hubby sat at the stop sign while I jumped out for the pic and to eyeball the interior. I'm a sucker for the brocade seats from the 70s, and this one had very nice gold-embroidered upholstery. 1972, 28k original, no price listed... seen in Lock Haven at (as I recall) Bob McCormick Ford.

As usual, if any of these vehicles are yours, feel free to drop me a line so I can properly credit you as the owner (or remove the photo, if you prefer).

In other car news...

• Y'all remember my dad's big blue '73 Electra? It's sitting out back, our foster child for the time being. Dad's been attempting to convince us that we really need another ginormous Buick... we don't... so if anyone out there wishes to purchase one, it's for sale. Cheap!
• I couldn't be more pleased with the Impala we bought at Bill Crawford Motors in Bloomsburg. I normally hate shilling for a dealership by keeping their advertising tag and whatnot on a car after buying it, but in this case it's warranted. After all the hassles we encountered at larger dealerships, including high-pressure sales tactics, haggling, and in one case, outright lies, it was nice to encounter none of that from Mr. Crawford. Just like our experience buying our Bronco elsewhere, the whole transaction was smooth and the car is top-notch. FYI: he often has restored classics in the showroom for sale, and I'm sure I've posted pics from his lot here before.
  
• 'Tis the season for static electricity! I have to remember NOT to buy fuzzy seat covers. I've gotten zapped every time I get out of the car... hubby, bless his heart, always waits for me to get out first, then laughs at me when the sparks fly and I jump. I'm going to take a cling-free dryer sheet down and rub it on the seats and see if it helps. Any other ideas?
  

Quick Fall Carlisle slideshow

Camera wasn't cooperating, there's some blurry ones in here...

FC Slideshow

He's So Fine

My husband, thoughtful and attentive person that he is, bought me a set of chrome portholes (for the car fenders) for my birthday. That's love, y'all. *grin*

Vacation's Over

Ugh... I may be short, but that doesn't make a 12-year-old Toyota Tercel any more comfortable for me than anyone else. Except my poor hubby, whose 6'4" self did most of the driving. On one occasion, he commented: "I wonder if people see me getting out of this car and just laugh?" My guess: probably! Thinking of the money we saved on a rental car and gasoline, however, was enough to justify using the Tercel for a week. I just had to talk louder... hubby couldn't hear very well with his knees in his ears.

There was one day we had to rent a car. I didn't think the Tercel could keep up with city traffic and/or highway speeds, having an acceleration/clutch issue, so we called the friendly local way-overpriced Budget branch. (It was the only one in the area except for an alleged rental place way out on one of the islands; their phone was disconnected.) The Budget website listed Dodge Chargers as rental options, so I asked for that first. Nope, didn't have any. I then asked what they DID have. The gentleman hemmed and hawed and said I could pick when I arrived, but couldn't give me anything specific; he only guaranteed availability of at least one vehicle in my rental class.

My rental experience might be limited, but I've never encountered one that couldn't even tell a customer what kind of car would be available at a given point in the future. Granted, if Joe Tourist neglected to return his Aveo on time, it wouldn't be there for the next customer to abuse, but a rental agent should be able to say what vehicles are *expected* to be on the lot. I like knowing this so I can book something I haven't driven before.

As it turned out, the only one my agent would admit to having was the one I got: a white Pontiac G6. My other option was a Ford Taurus, which I steadfastly refused. I hate Tauruses. (Taurii?) Just a personal opinion, don't send me hate mail. So I got the Pontiac and it turned out to be zippy, reasonably comfortable, and quite capable of both highway driving and stop-and-go city traffic. Hub enjoyed it more than I did, though we were both disappointed that we didn't get a Charger for the day. I would never consider the G6 for my personal car. It's just not visually appealing to me, but for anyone looking for economic yet sporty transportation it could be just the thing.

One morning we Tercel'd to a flea/farm market, where there was no shortage of "vintage" (read: beat to heck) 80's and 90's transportation to look at. I know I saw a Pontiac Phoenix, beaucoup Olds Cutlasses and three El Caminos. But the one I just had to photograph was this impressive repair job- probably State Farm subsidized- that just screamed "redneck."*

Yes, that's duct tape wrapped around the smashed-up bed, and what appeared to be household wall primer on the cab. Add the donut tire and a handicapped parking spot and it just becomes a work of art...

*There are ways to tell if you are one, and I are one.

All-Ford Nats, Carlisle, PA 2007

Ask me what I remember most about the show this past weekend, and two things come immediately to mind:
1. It was HOT.
2. The BBQ was excellent as usual. (If you ever have the opportunity to try Road Hawg pulled-pork BBQ, do it! It's heaven on a bun.)

Of course, the cars (and trucks) were great. I was happy to see more Rancheros turn out than in recent memory, including a custom Mustang Ranchero "Pony Pickup." Around the Car Corral, asking prices for many of the vehicles were astronomical. As much as I love Barrett-Jackson auctions, I believe they're helping to inflate classic-car prices right out of the average enthusiast's range.

The latest selling-point gimmick seems to be the "One of..." designation. A few years back it was "Barn-fresh! Unrestored survivor!" Now, folks are researching the options on their cars, regardless of how desirable said cars or options might be, and labeling them like "One of 12 in rare salmon/olive color code with optional cigarette lighter sold from the Podunk, IL dealer on a rainy Tuesday in March of 1968..." etc etc. And this is supposed to make the car worth more? Sure, I understand certain codes and options being highly collectible... say, a one-of-14 Yenko Chevelle with a 4-speed... but if you dig down far enough, every car is a one-of-something that makes it (dubiously) unique. How far are people willing to accept that as a selling point? I suppose, if I really had to have a car sold in Podunk on a Tuesday for whatever reason, I'd appreciate the designation, but whether I'd be willing to pay more for it is questionable.

Anyway... the show, in spite of the heat, was worth it. The nice ladies running the lemonade stand should be halfway to being millionaires if the lines were any indication. I know we were there twice in half an hour. The vehicle turnout was impressive, although we saw quite a few empty areas. I assume there was more space allotted for certain models and it wound up unused. The view from the hill was spectacular... photos don't do it justice. We enjoyed the show very much, but after being in the sun all day we opted out of returning on Sunday like we usually do. No idea who won the Cougar giveaway car or if any announcements were made... check www.carsatcarlisle.com if you're so inclined.

Photos: Slideshow 1
Slideshow 2
Slideshow 3

Video: Walk-around of a custom F350

FINALLY!!!

Car Hunt 2006-2007 is over!

An indigo Impala found me. Yes, an Impala! Not a fuel-efficient Toyota or AWD Subaru. We were making our weekly cruise through the car lots one evening, and I saw the shape of the car and a little of the color. Standard comment ensued: "Hey, there's a nice-looking Impala... is that '68 Mustang still here?" i.e. I saw it, mentioned it, and (typically) would forget about it shortly thereafter.
Later that night, after he'd gotten on the computer, Hubby said, "You know that Impala?"
"Which one?"
"The dark blue one."
"Which one?"
"The one with the spoiler."
"Which-"
"At the place with the Mustang!!!"
"Oh. Yeah, what about it?"
Then he rattled off a bunch of available options and wondered if that particular one had heated seats (it doesn't) or XM radio (it does) and basically just rambled on a bit. We both like to look up specs and reviews and so forth. I know this had to be the fourth or fifth time one of us had checked out Impala specs, though. I listened, mostly, then proceeded to forget about it again.

Well, I was in town the next day and something compelled me to go back to that lot, even though it wasn't near where I had to be. That car popped into my mind and I thought I'd go take a look in the daylight. The owner of the lot gave me the keys, I drove it around the block, then called Hubby. "Hey honey, whatcha doin'?"
"Nothing... ummm, why?"
"I just bought a car. Can you come sign for it?"
"..."
"Honey? You still there?"
"Which car?"
"The Impala."
"Which one?"
"The dark blue one."
"Which-"
"I'll pick you up."

Ironically, I said I didn't want another Buick, but loved the way they rode... this one reminds me of everything I liked about the Buicks (and a few things I didn't!) It gets up to "too fast" on the odometer before I know it, and the dang thing is a behemoth compared to the little Corolla S we test-drove. I ended up with a big car in spite of my best intentions. And... that's okay. It gets halfway decent mileage and cost considerably less than we planned to spend, has all the bells and whistles I wanted and then some, and a bonus power sunroof. W00t!

When I remember to bring the camera upstairs, I'll post a picture. But you all know what a new(er) Impala looks like, right? Just watch the cars go by... one in ten will be an Impala. :-D

And they're ugly, too

Found a funny item on PCJM about the difficulty of pronouncing Prius (as in Toyota) with a link to another article on the same subject. The second one appears to be from 2000, when the Prius was introduced.

Name aside, this car has never interested me in any way, shape, or form. Especially shape. *ew*

It's T-Day

The time has come, the husband said, to talk of many things,
Of sales and slips and purchase tax, of tags and warranties...
And why not buy a car today-
A Toyota, please!

(with apologies to Lewis Carroll)

Update:

That Corolla S mentioned in a previous post was our goal. We drove out of town, in the rain and dark, to go meet up with the salesguy. I'm not getting into his tactics because anyone who's ever dealt with a car salesman knows what that's like. I am a bit peeved that I told him if the offer I made over the phone wasn't going to be accepted, I didn't want to waste the trip... and we wasted the trip. We used gas we didn't need to use and spent money on dinner that we didn't need to spend. And we took my dad along... his job was to sit and glare at the salesman and make pointed remarks, which he did quite well. :-) On the flip side, we wasted an hour and a half of the salesman's time and he isn't getting a commission tonight. That's small consolation though... I came home cold, wet, tired, and with no car.

Oh well. Learning experience noted. This car wasn't meant to be ours... maybe the next one will be!

Midseason Report

Hi everyone! All two of you, that is!
It's supposedly the middle of winter, the season of no car shows and not much traveling or photos or sightings. But winter hasn't hit yet, so I thought I'd post something in the interim.

I'm not complaining, of course. As much as I love snow, I don't want to drive in it. Mountains without guiderails + curves + snow = clench factor 7.5. Add in idiots who haven't learned not to hit their brakes while going downhill, especially in front of people like me who drive big heavy trucks and do not brake for ANYthing, plus the one genius who believes that all road snow with no tire tracks is his own personal passing lane simply because he owns a 4x4 SUV, and the CF increases to 9.

I've done the Buick Ballet on ice before... slid around in the snow... slid backwards downhill in a truck once, lacking enough traction to climb until we put an old fridge in the back... and I've gone back after the snow melted to retrieve parts of that same truck after one of the aforementioned idiots braked in front of my husband and he ran the beast up the side of a mountain instead of over the other car. Not kidding... when spring finally rolled around in April, we were driving through the Narrows... I hollered at Hubby to stop. He did, and I ran back to pick up my missing mudflap, two spare belts and a radiator hose that were in the bed, and one Chevy hubcap. They'd been there along the road since December.

The Buick and Frankentruck are both gone now. One became a parts donor to two other trucks and the other sits down the road at the service station with a for sale sign on it. I traded it for a new set of tires for Hubby's truck. I now drive our baby, beautiful Bruce the Bronco, who just turned 11 and still turns heads. He's getting a little broken in, finally... got a gouge down the right quarter panel from a metal pipe sticking out of the ground and a few stone chips along the bottom of the body. I do love looking at that truck, though.

You may recall my Great Car Hunt of 2006... with Hubby's job change, this has been extended to 2007. We found "my" Toyota this past weekend... Hub has liked the new-style Corolla S (for me, not for him) since he first saw one, and there is a zippy indigo blue one at the Yota dealer with a sunroof, CD player, and a stick-shift. Of course, the price is a couple grand over our budget. And of course we went home past the Subie dealer whereupon I remembered I also wanted a Baja. Let's not even get started on the Impala SS at the third lot we passed... obviously, the indecisiveness of '06 came along for the ride too. *Sigh*

Remember the obnoxiously-minty-green Cougar I was waffling about? My step-sister moved here and absconded with it. Good for her... a car got ME to stay here, maybe it will work for her! Then again, she isn't the fanatic that I am. A car (or in my case, a man who likes cars) is a nice incentive all the same. I hope she sticks around.

SIGHtings: Few and far between. A GM dealer out in Lewisburg had a '65 Buick LeSabre out front, with a note on the dash saying "clean for show." Nice... it looked like an original survivor. And there was this one for sale down the road from the Buick:
See? The weather isn't even threatening enough to tuck the beauties in the garage for the winter. And this one is a beauty!

Till next time!