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Late Night: Gas Guzzlers

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 01:30:00 AM EST
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Looks like all we'll be hearing about for the next few days is the cost of gas. Anyone remember when big engines were all the rage?

Little GTO, you're really lookin' fine
Three deuces and a four-speed and a 389
Listen to her tachin' up now, listen to her why-ee-eye-ine
C'mon and turn it on, wind it up, blow it out GTO

What was your first car? Mine was a 1957 Austin Healey 100-6 I bought in 1966 with $300.00 I saved from my after school job. After that it was Mustang convertibles for me.

This is an open thread, see you all tomorrow.

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    Late Night: Gas Guzzlers | 103 comments (103 topical)

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    Never own a car of my own, city dweller (5.00 / 2) (#8)
    by andgarden on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:05:11 AM EST
    than I am.

    I drove my Mom's Saab for a while, though.

    If you're worried about gas prices, I hear that the Honda Fit is a good small option with lots of utility.

    Never got a drivers license ;) (5.00 / 1) (#35)
    by nycstray on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 01:19:08 AM EST
    city dweller that I am. I grew up in the burbs, but moved to city living at 18. Actually did a 2 yr stint in L.A. without a car, lol!~

    Parent
    LA without a car? (5.00 / 1) (#36)
    by Stellaaa on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 01:24:50 AM EST
    That is not LOL, that is wow...how brave.

    Parent
    I didn't do it on purpose! (5.00 / 1) (#37)
    by nycstray on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 01:39:57 AM EST
    Went down to house sit for a friend and started picking up accounts so I stuck around. One of my clients was 20th Century. They had the big gates that you were supposed to drive through after the guard ok'd you. I got to walk through, lol!~

    I only stayed as long as I did because I was born there and kept trying to convince myself I should like it there. Nope, finally got smart and went back to S.F. {grin}

    Parent

    I don't drive either (none / 0) (#50)
    by stillife on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 05:52:34 AM EST
    I have a license but I don't drive.  We don't have a car anymore.  Too much hassle - alternate side parking 4 days a week in our neighborhood.  When we need a car, my husband rents a Zip Car.

    Parent
    when I first came to LA (none / 0) (#75)
    by Capt Howdy on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:17:07 AM EST
    (from Boston) in 94 I had no car.
    so I lived close to work, and the beach in Venice, and walked to, among other things, the supermarket through what seemed like a nice little neighborhood.
    one night while watching local  news I learned the area I had been walking through was called the Oakwood triangle.  highest murder rate in the country.
    I got a car soon after that.

    Parent
    Mine was a bicycle (5.00 / 2) (#14)
    by zyx on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:18:00 AM EST
    I mean, heck, I didn't have a car of my own (that wasn't a boyfriend's, or something my husband kind of mostly decided to buy) for a long time.

    I don't think I really ever cared too much what the wheels were.  Something to get from point A to point B, reliably, and didn't guzzle to much--that was my preference.  The men tended to have more rigid standards.

    50 MPG on my Yamaha motorcycle... (5.00 / 2) (#24)
    by white n az on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:40:07 AM EST
    60 on my Vespa...

    In reality though...I won't drive my car an extra 4 miles to Costco to save 10 cents per gallon on a 15 gallon fill up...it's not worth it.

    Not just your car, it's where you live (5.00 / 1) (#42)
    by Edgar08 on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 02:31:48 AM EST
    And who you are.

    From 1994 to 2001 I lived in San Francisco, and I can say with some confidence I probably stepped inside a car less than 50 times during that entire time period.   45 of those times in cabs.

    People with cars??  Losers, all of them.  Look at them.  Can't get any where.  Can't park anywhere.  Half their money spent on gas.  Insurance.  Registration.  Hours wasted stuck in traffic.  Hours ripped out of their lives.  Hours they would never get back.  In the soulless car.  Probably listening to .... ahem.... talk radio.   I could trace every evil in America back to a car.

    Someone clever once sang "packed like lemmings in their shiny metal boxes."  I believed it.

    Boy oh boy, I was a different person back then.

    pretty much (5.00 / 1) (#46)
    by Nasarius on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 04:09:36 AM EST
    Isn't it great, though, living somewhere with good public transport? I'm about to ditch my first and (hopefully) last car, and go and live in a proper city.

    I'm perhaps not quite as judgmental, but the suburban commuter lifestyle really needs to die. I'm sure it will soon anyway, due to economic pressure. Cities like New York or Munich already have proper rail systems that extend deep into the suburbs. Cars are fine for shopping, etc. but using them to commute for more than, say, 20 minutes each way every day? Insanity.

    Parent

    Commuter lifestyle.... (none / 0) (#95)
    by kdog on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:46:57 PM EST
    is not sustainable...nail on the head there my friend.

    Parent
    Commuter, non-commuter, whatever, lifestyles - (none / 0) (#96)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 01:13:16 PM EST
    none of them will sustain in the long run. No "lifestyle" has ever sustained in the long run in the history of mankind.

    At some point none of us will have access to relatively cheap energy for personal use.

    At that point most of the entire population of the world will find their lifestyles "unsustainable."

    imo, it ain't that point now, and it won't be for a long, long time.

    Parent

    I can only be creative in two places... (none / 0) (#44)
    by reynwrap582 on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 03:25:37 AM EST
    In my car or on the toilet.  I prefer the car.

    Parent
    i live in SF and own a car (none / 0) (#47)
    by boredmpa on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 04:26:35 AM EST
    Why? Because I am under/unemployed.

    Why would an under/unemployed person own a car?  

    Because they need it for potential work, because they've used it for actual work, and because they sure as hell don't have the credit to replace it if they sell it (because then they can't get a low paid job out of the city as a stepping stone).

    I'm not a loser, I'm f'n poor and in a position where the risk analysis has been pretty f'n complicated.  How complicated? If I sell my car it'll be because either a) I get a well paying job at the GAO or SFO or b) because I need to pay for dental work before I join the peace corps or c) i end up doing underpaid research work and have to pay for dental.

    So please check your classism at the door.

    Parent

    FWIW (none / 0) (#94)
    by Edgar08 on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 11:55:31 AM EST
    I was hoping that the sentence that would have jumped out a the reader was this one:

    Boy oh boy, I was a different person back then.

    I was hoping my more recent comments on this blog combined with the hyperbolic nature of the comment might reveal the true intent of the comment.

    There may be a disconnenct between likeminded people, between some who see driving as a necessity and those who primarily see driving as a luxury.

     

    Parent

    I hate to drive. Always have. (5.00 / 2) (#55)
    by magisterludi on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 06:55:31 AM EST
    I got my license at 25 under duress. We moved and I could no longer walk to work (public transportation is  a punch line in TN).

    First car-'66 Dodge Dart station wagon with a slant-6 engine that actually got decent mileage.

    I've always been an energy and resource miser. My grandparents were organic farmers and great examples of people who used everything and wasted little. One did not run water without a short reminder that water wasn't an inexhaustible resource and to be mindful of that fact. Same with gasoline- we were taught to combine all shopping excursions into "missions" and plot our course for the most efficient routes.

    Sorry i got off topic- my mind just went there.

    Always hated driving-- (5.00 / 2) (#78)
    by Arcadianwind on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:25:06 AM EST
    that goes for me too. My first car was a '66 Chrysler 300 convertible. That was in 1970. It was fun for awhile, but I soon realized I just wasn't into cars all that much. A couple years later I got one of those GTOs (like the one in the photo)in a trade for an old van. Had it less than a year and the Oil Embargo hit. I said "screw this", and took up bicycling. Parked the Goat in the driveway, then sold it two years later...

    My favorite car though, was my '84 Mazda 626 hatchback. I bought it used in 1994 for $700, and drove it for 7 years. It got 35 mpg on the highway, and handled better than anything I've ever driven. It would do 500 miles on a tank of gas.

    I still bicycle several times a week--cars suck...

    Parent

    Cars (5.00 / 1) (#62)
    by calugg on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:27:58 AM EST
    First car was a 1973 Chrysler New Yorker, with a 440 4-barrell engine. I had it for student teaching (Dad's loaner), spring term 1985. It got 6 miles a gallon. Once I got the holes in the tank fixed, it got 8-12.

    Second car? A 1977 Pontiac Grand Am, purchased in 1990 for $600. It had a peeling white vinyl top, and was a mottled red/pink. Mag wheels. It got better mileage, but was fairly rusty. When it rained outside, it rained inside.

    Third car? A 1988 Plymouth Horizon, purchased in 1991. It got fabulous mileage compared to the other cars. This got me through grad school.

    Fourth car? A 1995 Honda Civic, purchased in 1998, after the Horizon about fell apart (even the gas pedal fell out). Depending on driving conditions, the mileage was 32-40 mpg.

    Current car? A 2003 Honda Civic hybrid, purchased in 2003 after the Honda (and moi) was run over by a SUV in a hurry. Current mileage 38-53 mpg, depending on weather and city/hwy driving.

    My '61 Plymouth Fury V8 Got Great Gas Mileage (none / 0) (#1)
    by PssttCmere08 on Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 11:54:07 PM EST
    ....and gas was 4 gallons for $1, not $4 for 1 gallon....those were the days.  

    Gas Lines (none / 0) (#2)
    by Stellaaa on Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 11:54:22 PM EST
    Memory flashback: getting up at 4 in the morning to wait in the gas line to fill the car so I could drive 3 family members to work then drive to college.  The gas station would open at 6:00.  Those big engines.  LOL.  

    Yeah, I was really glad I had a VW bug.. (none / 0) (#97)
    by FlaDemFem on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 02:06:04 PM EST
    it could run for a couple of weeks on a tank of gas. It was a '62 with a '64 rebuilt engine. Kept it for years, it a great car. It wasn't pretty, the front fenders were held on with twisted pieces of wire coat hangers since the original rivets or whatever had long since rusted away, leaving just the holes. I kept a muffler repair kit in the back seat..tin cans with the ends cut out and split length-wise and some wire coat hangers. If the tail pipe got a hole in it, I just wrapped a tin can around it and used the wire coat hangers like hose clamps to keep it snug. Worked great. I once got the back wheel in a ditch and went around the back and bounced it out myself. Was 5'1" and 100lbs. at the time. And then there was the time I was working in NJ and we had an ice storm. I won a bet on whether the ice coated VW would start. No other vehicle on the place did. But once I chipped the ice away from the door and got it open, the car started right up. Off we went..hehehe. I sold it in the mid-70's for $500. It had over 500,000 miles on it at the time. I think it was mad that I sold it because it threw a rod a week later.  Damn, I miss that car!!

    Parent
    all we're hearing about is gas? (none / 0) (#3)
    by white n az on Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 11:57:08 PM EST
    Seems like the Wright story won't go away...very little discussion about gas.

    Joy Behar says on Larry King that Reverend Wright would be a perfect guest for The View...

    This story isn't going to go away just because Obama disowned his granny.

    wright will be over by tomorrow (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by Jeralyn on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:06:08 AM EST
    cable news has a short attention span. They will move on to the economy because Indiana is voting Tuesday.

    Parent
    no it won't... (none / 0) (#21)
    by white n az on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:37:48 AM EST
    You don't go from 'I can no more disown Reverend Wright than I can disown my white grandmother who raised me' to disowning Reverend Wright just 5 weeks later without the media figuring out the implication of this.

    BTD has been claiming that Obama is the media darling but that died a couple of weeks ago and this is a biggie...why?

    Because they are sharks on a feeding frenzy and they smell blood.

    Seriously and without the metaphors...

    You don't just toss over someone you call family. If Obama dumps on Wright because of political expediency, he is weak and not presidential material. It's a loser in Muncie.

    Not only did his NC advantage slip away, he just lost IN by double digits.

    Parent

    It was gracious of Hillary to say get over it (none / 0) (#31)
    by thereyougo on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 01:10:22 AM EST
    yesterday. But Obama got some Enquirer front page news about marital infidelity. I was reading at the checkout line that 'someone close'to the obamas said Michelle accused him and threatened to leave his side on the campaign trail. There is probably some truth to it but seems light to me, but there it was in the front page of the rag, the National Enquirer.

    I'm in the bay area and gas is 4.15 premium, 3.92 regular 87.

    Parent

    Gas (none / 0) (#40)
    by Fultron on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 02:29:12 AM EST
    I think it's still a few ticks below $3.90 at QuikStop on Middlefield in Redwood City.

    Then again the price of gas there might be well over $4/gal once you factor in the amount of water you might be buying mixed along with it. :)

    Parent

    My local station has it at over $4 for regular. (none / 0) (#43)
    by OrangeFur on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 03:01:26 AM EST
    I wonder what it'll be for the summer driving season?

    Parent
    Enquirer story (none / 0) (#52)
    by p lukasiak on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 06:36:40 AM EST
    (my mom subscribes -- shoot me)

    As with all enquirer stories, the headline is somewhat deceptive.

    Basically, Michelle demanded to know from Obama if there was anything she didn't know about his past -- or present -- infidelities, before she committed herself to being the wife of the Democratic nominee.  

    But the story itself isn't important -- its the headline that matters, because far more people will see the headline than read the story, and be influenced by it -even if they know that the Enquirer isn't reliable.  For instance, lets say an Obama 'bimbo eruption' email goes viral -- that email will be treated more credibly because people will think they've heard stories about Obama's marital infidelities already.  They haven't -- what they are remembering is the Enquirer headline.  

    Parent

    I thought the same thing (none / 0) (#60)
    by BarnBabe on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:25:01 AM EST
    My neighbor's Mom gets it too. A young 80 years old and loves it. She looks so forward to it and reads it cover to cover. The one I have now is the one with the picture of Wright and BHO that was on this site last night. It mentions all sorts of radical people who Wright is associated with and quotes and dates. Interesting reading if not trustworthy. The difference is, the distribution. As you say, I was in line at the grocery store and there were Obama and Michele on the front page. It made it seem like BHO was the cheating kind. And THAT is what people are looking at. I bet this week will be all Wright. We will see.  

    Parent
    Is Wright going to make any (none / 0) (#4)
    by MarkL on Tue Apr 29, 2008 at 11:58:46 PM EST
    more appearances? I assume so, but I haven't read anything about it yet.

    Parent
    Reminder about Obama as corporate figurehd (none / 0) (#49)
    by andrys on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 05:36:48 AM EST
    That should be one that's paid attention to.

    I see a constant flood of declarations that Obama's money is coming mostly from The Public, because too many people don't know that individual contributions made through bundlers working for companies are not little individual contributions from us little folk.  They don't know that he accepts money from spouses of federal lobbyists and does accept money directly from state lobbyists.  This is because his statements are intentionally misleading. But we've talked about all that before.

      Here's the latest detailing of his corporate support and his centrist positioning on everything in order to get it.  He's to the right of Hillary when voting for the following when Hillary voted against them:

     .  Class Action Fairness Act - a "reform bill" to help
          corporations from 'abuse' by consumers
     .  No cap on consumer interest on credit cards
     .  A thumbs up on the Cheney energy bill

    among other things.  But in addition to the truthdig article from the other day, I keep a reference set for info of this type.  

    Parent

    First car? (none / 0) (#5)
    by kredwyn on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:01:25 AM EST
    Caprice Classic 1980ish. That got turned into a U by a drunk driver.

    Next car was a 1975 Vega...blue (standard shift...no power steering...and a very interesting oil burning issue).

    Ever heard of a Willis? (sp) (none / 0) (#6)
    by MarkL on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:04:36 AM EST
    That is the first car that I rode in, as a young child. What a clunker!

    America Idol... (none / 0) (#7)
    by Stellaaa on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:05:09 AM EST
    West Coast time, so don't tell me, that Castro kid, is rather good.  

    1979 MGB convertible (none / 0) (#9)
    by angie on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:05:35 AM EST
    in English Racing Green -- great car.  

    Ditto (none / 0) (#15)
    by waldenpond on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:21:50 AM EST
    Don't remember the year but, yep, English Racing Green.  I remember driving down our highways amidst all the logging trucks.  Oh yeah...racing up curvy mountain roads in 95 degree weather with the top down to get to the river.  The rain beading on the plastic back window and shivering until the heater got warm enough to overcome the cold that leaked in under the soft top in the winter.  Fun memories. :)

    Parent
    1966 MGB convertible-Black (none / 0) (#63)
    by BarnBabe on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:37:30 AM EST
    My Dad had to sign for me and my Mother was annoyed because she could not drive stick. Ha. She had a pink Thunderbird. I had the MGB 2 months and a drunk driver hit me head on in a Monza (Engine in back). My friend and I walked away from it and I got a brand new MG. My brother had that GTO up there in red. Now THAT car could move. After that it was a 68 Blue Camero with big tires in the back and red racing strip tires. This one my Mom signed for. It got a hole in the muffler and it sounded great. I got stopped a few times for that noise. Cars had character back then. Now, they are look alike except for our own. Remember when the new models came out in September? It was a family thing to go down to the showroom and see the design change and new cool stuff. Yes, good memories indeed.  

    Parent
    67 GTO (none / 0) (#11)
    by DandyTIger on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:07:21 AM EST
    fill it up with oil and check the gas please.... but man that thing could go.

    A (used) 1973 Ford Capri, four cylinder (none / 0) (#12)
    by jerry on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:13:56 AM EST
    Lots of fun that car.  It was so light and easy to drive.  I could literally push start it using one foot stuck out the door, shoving backwards, and popping the clutch.

    A German Ford it had lots of what today is considered quality: almost every single Ford Capri suffered the same problems at about the same time.  By talking to other owners we could very easily diagnose the cars problems, and get ready for the next ones.

    That was the first car I purchased.  From there to an RX-7, to a Saab 900 Convertible, to a Toyota Solara Convertible.

    I've only had one new car, and I've had great success buying used cars out of my league from new car dealers.  If only I could get some used women out of my league.... (did I say that out loud?)

    Capri... (none / 0) (#13)
    by Stellaaa on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:15:35 AM EST
    had a great orange color.  Saw one on the freeway the other day, it was in really good condition.  

    Parent
    It was fun. Perfect car to learn how to fix cars (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by jerry on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:26:10 AM EST
    It had almost no trunk, and the trunk it had was filled with tools and spare parts.  For me and my three or four geek engineering friends we would have to fix the car regularly and it was nice that the engine could fit into a small pail.

    I once replaced an exhaust manifold at lunch, at dinner found out about a launch at Vandenberg at 200 miles away at midnight, and off we went.  Sometime around the coast one of us felt we smelled exhaust in the car.  Too late to stop!  So off we drove with all the windows open around 10 at night.

    Beautiful night.  Cold.  But beautful.  Went through Santa Barbara up through Goleta up the Gaviota Pass and turned the final corner to Vandenburg.

    FOG.  Launch scrubbed.

    So we found a cheap motel, and the next morning fixed the exhaust manifold and drove back to college....  (The satellite was launched that night and went on to become the first satellite fixed by an astronaut during a space walk...)

    Parent

    Wasn't popping that clutch (none / 0) (#65)
    by BarnBabe on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:41:30 AM EST
    a thing of our youth. Our Dads taught us how and us girls were quite proud that we knew how to do that in an emergency. Lots of emergencies. Maybe kept the radio on way too long. BTW, how many use to backfire our cars? That was fun in the MGB too.Dad said it was not a good idea. Dad was not always riding in the car. Ha!

    Parent
    My first car was a (none / 0) (#17)
    by echinopsia on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:28:32 AM EST
    1963 Chevy Nova Supersport Convertible

    Red, with spoke wheels and an automatic on the floor. Bucket seats. It was nine years old when I bought it as a high school senior in 1972.
    I paid $900 for it.

    I loved that car.

    It was totaled by a drunk driver who hit it when it was parked and I was out of town.

    If I'd had the gift of foresight, I would have kept it and restored it - it would be worth at least $30,000 today.

    Obama Wright today: Question (none / 0) (#18)
    by Stellaaa on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:30:41 AM EST
    "I did not vet my pastor before I decided to run for the presidency,"

    Can someone explain how you can retro vet someone?  He already had the relationship with Wright.  This comment struck me as curious.  

    translation (5.00 / 2) (#23)
    by angie on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:39:29 AM EST
    Because I'm the rock star/media darling of Capital Hill, I didn't think Wright would blow up like this, so I'm totally unprepared on how to handle the situation, and this, as lame as it is, is the best excuse I can come up with, but I'm not worried, because I know the msm will buy it hook, line & sinker.  See, it flows much better the way Obama says it -- no wonder everyone is so impressed with his speeches.

    Parent
    Pure BS (5.00 / 3) (#26)
    by white n az on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:42:09 AM EST
    he knew how controversial Reverend Wright was.

    How he says this kind of stuff with a straight face is indicative that he actually expects people will believe it.

    and Jeralyn...this is another reason why this story won't just fade away.

    Parent

    Straight face, almost (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by zyx on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:52:30 AM EST
    but not quite.  He sure didn't seem confident.  Eyes down, moving right, left, "uh, uh"...when things aren't going his way, he's really off of his game.

    The story line is that Obama is an incredibly gifted politician, but when he's thrown off, he doesn't do as well as most incredibly gifted politicians I am familiar with.

    Parent

    I knew him for twenty years (none / 0) (#22)
    by Fabian on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:38:51 AM EST
    but I didn't "vet" him although I put him on my campaign and used him to as proof of my Christianity.

    My take?  It's as close as he'll come to saying "I made a mistake in not walking away from Wright sooner.".

    Parent

    78 Thunderbird (none / 0) (#19)
    by Left of center on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:34:42 AM EST
    When i bought it in 94, it still had the original 8 track player in it and the quadraphonic speaker system.  

    Went from a seventy something Impala (none / 0) (#20)
    by Fabian on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:36:17 AM EST
    with an eight cylinder engine I eventually abused to death to bike'n'bus to a Toyota Corolla.

    It was kind of fun driving a rusty hulk - people tended to steer clear.  Now I wonder how I ever drove that thing - I'm so used to driving a compact little four banger.

    Anyone else notice people driving slower?  I was on the highway doing my usual barely-over-fifty-five and realized people weren't zipping past me like they usually do.  I started paying more attention and decided two out of three lanes were doing 55-60 and only the left most lane was 60+.  Ohio isn't exactly the speeding capital of the world, but we've got our share of gotta-get-there-NOW drivers.  Or used to.

    CSI, oh no! (none / 0) (#25)
    by BrandingIron on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:42:09 AM EST

    Warrick Brown arrested for drugs...for real, this time.
    Sad, because I really liked Warrick (Dourdan's character).  Ack.

    Lurita Doan (none / 0) (#27)
    by eleanora on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:46:26 AM EST
    is finally out at the GSA. She left the hard way too, says "I was asked to submit my resignation", rather than spending more time with her family like most BushCo ex-employees. Maybe she'll get a job baking cookies.

    I'll be glad to see her leave ! finally. (none / 0) (#34)
    by thereyougo on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 01:16:35 AM EST
    it should of happened a while back, but Bush was being the usual enfant terrible. Sure would like to know how that came about. No details just that she's gone, well good

    Parent
    1984 Ford Tempo, named Shirley (none / 0) (#28)
    by Democratic Cat on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 12:47:49 AM EST
    Bought it in 1995 for $400 so that I could move cross-country from DC to SF.  I had to unload and UPS a bunch of boxes when I got near Denver because I didn't think Shirley was going to make it over the Rockies with all that weight. I'd never seen the Rockies before, and I couldn't actually imagine that any car was going to get over them; they are very tall!

    Shirley had an AM radio and no air conditioning, which made driving for five days in August especially memorable.

    I don't really miss that car, but she got me where I needed to go at that time in my life.

    Other cars (none / 0) (#30)
    by echinopsia on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 01:09:25 AM EST
    Second, 1974 Chevy Nova Supersport with a 350 engine. I did not know it was a muscle car. I only knew I kept getting speeding tickets. It was repossessed when I went on unemployment.

    Next, 1965 Chevy 10 longbed fleetside pickup truck. Three on the tree, non-original bucket seats. I was very popular - need to move apartments, haul a motorcycle, go camping? I'm your friend. Or you wish I were.

    Next, Datsun B210. Bought it from a junkyard. Sold it to a junkyard.

    Next, company cars! Plymouth Reliant wagons x2. Pieces of sh*t.

    Next, used 1980 Toyota Corolla wagon. Great little car, took me everywhere. Sold when it was 18 years old. It's probably still running.

    Now, 1998 Subaru Impreza wagon. Best car I have ever owned, and I have owned some good cars. Gets 30 mpg even tho it has AWD. I love my car.

    I must hate the environment... (none / 0) (#32)
    by reynwrap582 on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 01:11:17 AM EST
    3 cars with the Ford 4.6L modular V8:

    1986 Lincoln Town Car
    1999 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
    2000 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor

    I average about 22mpg on the CVPIs (3.55 gear ratio, the least fuel efficient stock ratio available unfortunately), which ain't bad for vehicles that size.  I got about 16mpg on the LTC.

    But I figure, the CVPIs were gonna get bought up by cab companies, run into the ground in 2 years, and then end up in a junk yard.

    Dairy Price controls (none / 0) (#33)
    by nycstray on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 01:14:57 AM EST
    Just wanted to mention, with the rising prices of dairy and other necessities, check with your state AG Dept and see if they have controls on items. We have dairy price control here (I need to check on other things) and they put out price lists for time periods. Our local news just went around and found many places were over the NYS limits. This was for milk. I think I had been aware of this in the past when we had sudden increases for some reason or another, but it really struck me this time. Some of the stores were unaware and adjusted prices accordingly (on a follow up). With all the news saying why prices are rising, it leaves room [opens up] for price gouging I guess :(

    Be sure an look at all your prices when shopping. I know I just kinda get in the habit and don't notice, but the other night I only bought eggs and milk. OY, that hurt!

    Speaking of hurting (none / 0) (#38)
    by zyx on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 01:42:17 AM EST
    My husband is retired and has TIAA/CREF annuities, and some is stock-indexed and adjusted annually.  Sometimes they go up, and sometimes not.  The stock part is adjusted every year in May.

    This year it went down.  We expected it, but it still hurts--prices up, income down.  Ouch.

    Parent

    Always buy a 12 pack of little mushrooms (none / 0) (#67)
    by BarnBabe on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:48:26 AM EST
    At Sams, I went to put the pack of small mushroom cans and Holy S&&T. They doubled in price. Out of the basket for them. They had been like $4.25 and now they were over $8. Yep, you do have to watch the prices. Like Peanut butter, they raised the price a little bit but they made the jars smaller.Like they think we do not notice.

    Parent
    1985 ford escort (none / 0) (#39)
    by snucky on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 01:49:26 AM EST
    that car was a lemon. lasted 7 months.

    My first car (none / 0) (#41)
    by janarchy on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 02:30:25 AM EST
    was a 1969 Chrysler Newport 4-door sedan that I inherited from my aunt in 1981. It's the car in "Love Shack" -- i got me a car, it seats about twenty -- it was as big as a whale and about to set sail. We once fit 10 people in it on the way to a concert. It was big and ugly, had no rear window defroster and had no bucket seats - the front seat was a solid bench and since I am short, I had to let my then boyfriend drive it so we could both sit in the front, otherwise no one over 5 ft 3 could fit in the front with me.

    Later cars included an inherited 1976 Dodge Aspen and then my actual car (which I still own), 1991 Nissan Stanza (now the Altima).

    1965 yellow Mustang convertible (none / 0) (#45)
    by kempis on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 03:58:19 AM EST
    Bought used for $550 in 1972 before it became a classic.

    Named Malvina. Best car I ever had, even if she did have a tendency to fishtail on wet roads. :)

    Aw, the fish tail (none / 0) (#68)
    by BarnBabe on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:51:40 AM EST
    Scared me to death the first time that happened. It belonged to my brother who had just bought it and I was trying it out. But it was a cool car too.

    Parent
    Fishtail solution (none / 0) (#81)
    by themomcat on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:48:22 AM EST
    I have 1987 5.0 Mustang with 5 speed standard trans. and the first thing I did after I got it was put rain tires on it and 100 lbs. of cat litter in the trunk. I have driven in blizzards and down pours and have had little problem with fish tailing.

    Parent
    learning to drive in a Mustang (none / 0) (#100)
    by kempis on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 05:39:19 PM EST
    ....prepared me for being a good snow-and-ice-driver when I moved up nawth. ;)

    I have a friend who had a Mustang in the 70s--and platform shoes. She was hungover and driving to work too fast one morning--wearing her platform shoes. She came up to a four-way stop too fast and abruptly put on the brake, forgetting that she had a few extra inches of sole on the bottom of her foot.

    The brakes jammed and the Mustang went into an end over end spin, with all sides of the car bashing into a guard rail by turns, knocking her over into the passenger's seat. After that wild ride was over, the Mustang rolled into a 7-Eleven parking lot at the bottom of the hill and parked itself next to a cop, who was laughing so hard he was wiping tears out of his eyes. He laughed the whole time he wrote her every ticket imaginable.

    I think Mustangs were aptly named. There's an unbroken, mind-of-their own quality that adds to their charm--and provides some unforgettable tales. :)

    Parent

    My grandfather was a mechanic (none / 0) (#104)
    by themomcat on Thu May 01, 2008 at 01:51:06 AM EST
    and followed the stock car races and worked on the sidelines of dirt tracks. He tough me how to drive siting on his lap going around those dirt racks. He took me to races and made sure I knew how to change a tire and the oil. I knew how to drive before a lot of kids knew how to ride a two wheel bike.
    My first car was a VW bug that I bought in Germany in late 1965. I was 18 years old and driving on the Autobahn was a dream come true. Years later I went back to Germany and picked up a brand new Mercedes SL 450, took it out on the test track in Stuttgart and let it rip. The spirit of my Grandfather was riding shotgun with me that day and he was smiling.
    I am a lot more conservative driver now because I know that in spite of seatbelts and air bags, speed kills. 30 years of Emergency Medicine does that.

    Parent
    great story :) (none / 0) (#105)
    by kempis on Thu May 01, 2008 at 02:58:27 PM EST
    Thanks for telling it.

    Parent
    My First Car... (none / 0) (#48)
    by JerseyBeth on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 05:31:27 AM EST
    was a 1968 Mustang Convertible.  It was my best car ever.

    1972 Nova, then an '84 Mustang convertible (none / 0) (#51)
    by ruffian on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 05:58:02 AM EST
    I still miss that Stang.

    NY Post corroborates story I wrote yesterday (none / 0) (#53)
    by Universal on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 06:37:29 AM EST
    The NY Post has corroborated what I wrote about yesterday -- Wright was acting out of a feeling of betrayal towards the prodigal advisee:

    http://www.villarrealsports.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=481

    Don't think this is over yet. There is a good chance Wright will be looking for more 'getback' after yesterday's events.

    You and I are on the same wavelength (none / 0) (#56)
    by Anne on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 06:57:28 AM EST
    on this.  Yesterday, I posted two comments on the Wright threads and said - in part - this:

    I daresay Wright has managed to harness a lot of support for himself and his church and the black church tradition - and I cannot imagine that millions of blacks who proudly came out to support Obama are not now livid that Obama has completely trashed Wright.  Ooh, this is not going to be pretty.

    and this:

    What ever made Barack Obama think that the Reverend Wright, who had been preaching for 40 years, who brought a promising man into the church, who watched as that man rose through the political ranks to stand on the precipice of historic possibilities, would understand being hidden away on the day of Obama's announcement for president?  Who would understand being described as the crazy uncle in the basement?  Who would be accept being chastised in a public arena for being divisive?

    What was he thinking?

    The moment - the instant - that Obama heard Wright say that "politicians say what they have to say," he should have been on the phone or on a plane to see Wright and find a way for Wright to save face.  Obama shamed Reverend Wright - and in a man with an ego the size of Wright's, that was never, ever going to go unchallenged.

    In my opinion, when Wright told the NPC that "you don't make fun of my momma and her religious tradition, you don't make fun of my daddy and his religious tradition," he was speaking to Obama as much as he was speaking to the media, and how Obama didn't know that, or didn't see it coming reflects a pretty significant problem with judgment.

    And I still don't understand how Obama could not have seen this coming, but maybe that's what happens when ego obliterates everything else.


    Parent

    So maybe Obama was acting like (none / 0) (#71)
    by BarnBabe on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:08:41 AM EST
    the scolded little boy when giving his speech yesterday. Wright will never go away entirely because he will be used against BHO in a GE if it ever comes to that. And Wright was quiet but then he must have been peeve being called the Crazy Old Uncle. BHO would be another GW when it came to talking his thoughts. He should have dealt with Wright back when this all started over a year ago. He made Wright look like a complete fool in his flowery wonderful speech. Wright had to wait for opportunity. To Wright's world, Obama sold out the AA's for the rich white man.

    Parent
    First car (none / 0) (#54)
    by p lukasiak on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 06:42:30 AM EST
    I'm not into cars, so I don't even remember what my first car was -- I do remember that it had been in the family already, but that is about it.

    The first car I remember is the 1975 Pinto I bought brand new...for around $2000 in 1976 (it was a leftover).

    I gave it away to my sister three years later when I moved into a city (philadelphia) -- and didn't own a car again for nearly 25 years.

    My first... (none / 0) (#57)
    by stefystef on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 06:57:29 AM EST
    was a Subaru hatchback I bought in college.  I bought it and then sold it because I was overwhelmed by the responsibility.  But I enjoyed the freedom of having a car.

    Then my parents bought me a Toyota Tercel in my Senior Year.  It was stolen about 3 years later.  It broke my heart for a long time. ~sniff~

    I finally bought a new vehicle, a Jeep Liberty, after 15 years of having no vehicle.  And it drinks gas like water ugh  Love the Jeep, hate the $65-$70 fill-up cost.

    I barely drive my Jeep now.  I have other friends who are having the same problem with gas-guzzling SUVs.  They need the larger vehicle for their families, but the cost is getting to them.

    The summer of '08 is going to be rough.

    My first car was a Ford Pinto (none / 0) (#58)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:00:03 AM EST
    It wasn't the cute small one though.  It was the station wagon version, painted turquoise with fake wood paneling on the sides.  It was an American nightmare but I could get ALL of my friends in it and eventually we all came to appreciate it for that reason.

    New YouTube Obama "campaign ad" (none / 0) (#59)
    by Universal on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:08:51 AM EST
    Devastating new "Political Ad" against Obama which includes footage of his BS speech from yesterday:

    http://www.villarrealsports.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=486

    MG Midget (none / 0) (#61)
    by nellre on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:26:28 AM EST
    1960 I think.

    McCaskill is saying (none / 0) (#64)
    by magisterludi on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:41:27 AM EST
    Obama has the SDs wrapped up (via politico).

    She says, quoting James Brown, "I feel good!".

    This article in Politico (none / 0) (#66)
    by Serene1 on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:41:44 AM EST
    has me really worried. Apparently the Sd's have made up their mind and that most probably it is going to be Obama:

    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0408/9968.html

    How can this happen.

    Yes It Can Happen And Probably Will (none / 0) (#76)
    by MO Blue on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:23:00 AM EST
    This describes the reasoning behind the Dem leadership actions.

    Per Charles Cook:
    One of the most salient arguments made these days by superdelegates is the fear of what would happen to the party if Obama were to be spurned.

    Even if they wanted to nominate Clinton, the fear of damage to the party is sufficient to argue against it. Between the newbies -- the young and new voters who are so enthusiastic for Obama -- and the black community -- who ironically were somewhat late to join the Obama bandwagon after his Iowa win -- the fallout from a spurning of Obama would be profound.
     correntewure

    This has been CW for a while. Definitely tunnel vision by not looking at the polls showing how many Clinton supporters will vote for McCain or stay home. You know how it is. Those pesky women and old geezers will just get over it.


    Parent

    Obama gets the nom now (5.00 / 1) (#92)
    by Molly Pitcher on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 11:16:38 AM EST
    with all his known negatives plus possibly more ready to fall off the tree, and I am outa here.  At this point, I'd not just stay home for the GE, I'd leave the party for its terminal dumbness.

    Parent
    I am totally with you (5.00 / 1) (#93)
    by Capt Howdy on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 11:31:55 AM EST
    I placed a bet yesterday with someone here that will force me to pay 20 bucks to the DNC if Obama wins the nomination.
    as I said then it would be a fitting punishment for ever thinking the democratic party could pull its head out of its rear and win.
    I will pay and then I am gone.
    third party time.

    Parent
    I guess (5.00 / 1) (#101)
    by 0 politico on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:28:45 PM EST
    I may join you if the party SDs are really that short sighted.

    Parent
    political tactic (none / 0) (#79)
    by DandyTIger on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:31:34 AM EST
    If the SD's have decided, they will announce it now. If not, then this is a political tactic. Meant to depress the vote in the upcoming primaries. We've heard this story for the last month or two, that any second now 50 or 100 or whatever SD's are about to announce for Obama. But then it never happens.

    If it happens it happens. But if it doesn't happen yet again today, then it's simply politics as usual.

    Parent

    Check out our OIL GUYS here in NM CD-02...Bill R. (none / 0) (#70)
    by SunnyLC on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:03:29 AM EST
    and his primary pick Harry Teague...

    "Harry T. and the Chamber of Secrets" co-starring Oil and Republicans-Screenplay by Bill Richardson [Subtitle: The Behind-the-Scenes Adventures of Bill R., Harry Teague and the NM CD-02 Democratic Primary]

    http://insightanalytical.wordpress.com/

    PS--My first car was a hand-me-down 1960 Chevy Biscayne, V6...some sort of odd blue...with a smashed up left headlight area covered with aluminum foil.

    a 1954 Ford (none / 0) (#72)
    by Capt Howdy on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:13:14 AM EST
    with a lawn chair for a front seat.
    200 bucks the summer of 1968.
    if that lawn chair could tell you what went on in the existing back seat . . .

    oh yeah (none / 0) (#73)
    by Capt Howdy on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:13:47 AM EST
    gas was 24 cents a gallon that summer

    Parent
    Heh (none / 0) (#74)
    by Steve M on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:15:48 AM EST
    My first car was a 1978 Olds station wagon with wood paneling.  A true classic of the genre.  It met a sad end when I accidentally drove it through the front window of a 7-11.

    1961 Oldsmobile F-85 (none / 0) (#77)
    by scribe on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:24:00 AM EST
    with the 215 aluminum block V-8.  It had been 3 on the column, but a prior owner had converted it to on the floor - you could buy kits to do that back in the 70s.  This was GM's first real venture into (a) something resembling a compact (it shared a basic body design with those early-60s Pontiac Tempests) and (b) aluminum block engines.  IIRC, the same engine was used about 20 yr later in the first Triumph TR7s.
    It had really low compression, burbled along at about 500 rpm at idle, and could be compresion started with a push of about 10 feet.  The last part came in handy, seeing as how its electrical system was pretty well shot by the time I got it.
    The next car - shared between me, my brother and my dad - a 74 Chevy Nova with a 350 V8 and 4-barrel.  Took off like a rocket.

    That was a mean machine (none / 0) (#84)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 09:08:14 AM EST
    But GM's first attempt at a compact the '60 "Unsafe at any speed" Corvair.

    Parent
    If you think the F-85/Tempest (none / 0) (#91)
    by scribe on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 11:10:11 AM EST
    wasn't a compact, that just means you never tried to fit into one....

    The Nova, OTOH, not only was a rocket and a mean machine, but turned out to be a classic.  Go to a "muscle car" sort of gathering, and there will be a lot of those, vintage ~'69-70 thru ~'76.  Easy to work on, common (lots of spare parts roaming around), wildly overpowered once you got the 350 (or bigger) under the hood (though the 327 seemed to have been a fave, too), and just overall a sweet spot in design.

    Not that we have had it since the mid 80s, when my dad decided to trade it in for a K Car.  Something about "when the muffler fell off", the 350 made some serious kinda roar, and 6 foot flames out the pipe (going downhill engine "braking") didn't sit well with my dad.  Though I liked it.

    Parent

    '60 Healey 3000 (none / 0) (#80)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:45:25 AM EST
    Bought it in '81 for $1000 I saved up from mowing my neighbor's lawns.

    1965 VW Bug (none / 0) (#82)
    by themomcat on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 09:01:10 AM EST
    I drove all over Europe in it for 3 years. I brought it home in 1969 and drove it for another 5 years. Now I drive a Civic Hybrid to work as I don't have the option of mass transit and I work the graveyard shift. I fill the tank  every 2 weeks after about 400 miles. It's averaging about 40 mpg and that includes highway and local traffic.
    My husband has a brand new Mercedes 600 SL, I won't discuss what he gets in gas mileage. Lately he has been taking the train or borrowing my Civic. LOL
    I still have my 1987 Mustang but only drive it for pleasure, it's my baby. :-)

    People may laugh but (none / 0) (#83)
    by MikeDitto on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 09:02:17 AM EST
    My first car was a used 1985 Chevy Cavalier. "Boxy yet sleek" was my motto for the car. The original owners were such cheapskates that they special-ordered it from the factory to have a 4-speed transmission instead of a 5-speed because it saved them $100. They also made sure it had no radio, and a fixed steering wheel (no tilt-wheel). The only option it had was air conditioning, and that was an error on GM's part. But it was $1500, looked like it was brand new, and had only 49,000 miles on it.

    The mid-80s J-car was generally considered to be one of the crappiest platforms of all time, and a car that would surely croak at 100,000 miles (but not before several trips to the garage for major repairs). I drove my car trouble-free for 250,000 miles before trading it in. Still ran great, but was starting to rust and a big hail storm really did it in.

    I'm now driving my 3rd Cavalier sedan, and that's all I've ever owned with the exception of an unfortunate stint with a Ford Bronco. I spent more on transmission work for that 10 MPG monstrosity than I had spent to purchase my previous Cavalier.

    But if GM doesn't get a true hybrid out soon, the next car is going to have to be Japanese I'm afraid. I've got a few years to go barring a crash or something (knock on wood) so hopefully we'll see a nice hybrid Chevy (and not a fake hybrid like they're peddling now).

    You youngsters... (none / 0) (#85)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 09:18:13 AM EST
    My first car was a '50 Ford. Flat head V8 with stick shift. Ate clutch throw out bearings like a moocher eating shrimp at a cocktail party.

    Gas was 17 cents. Very cheap until you remember that many folks were making 60 cents, or less, an hour.

    My second car was a co-opt with a bud while in P school. '36 Chevy (I think) that had been brushed painted dark green.. but spotlessly clean.. had mechanical brakes.. took a football field to stop...

    Well technically (none / 0) (#90)
    by MikeDitto on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 11:02:39 AM EST
    my first car was a 1953 Willy's M38-A1 retrofitted with a 1957 Chevy small block 283 which I inherited from my grandfather before I was 16. But my grandmother decided it wasn't safe enough for a teenager, so she sort of forced the Chevy on me. Probably a good decision, as I was able to spend my pocket change on things other than gas, insurance, and maintenance--all of which I'm sure were a lot lower with my little bladeless riding lawnmower of a car.

    Parent
    That 283 (1.00 / 0) (#98)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 02:34:24 PM EST
    changed GM forever. Prior to the '55 Chevy it was strictly MWC...

    BTW - Good to hear from you. Hope all is well.

    Parent

    First car we owned: (none / 0) (#86)
    by Molly Pitcher on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 09:50:38 AM EST
    a used '48 Studebaker, the one that looked the same coming and going.  Loved it, but a sleepy driver wrecked us.  Then a slightly newer Studebaker, followed by a used Ford Falcon w/o ac, which we filled with 3 kids and drove from TN to CA several times.  That one was a loser and was replaced by a 1966 Olds Rocket 88, which I believe had over 400 hp.  Gas milage was pretty good, over 18 mpg, I think; the catalytic converter lowered milage on later cars.  The first Olds Vista Cruiser was such a loser I got myself (when we went to being a 2-car family) the smallest Toyota.  Have stuck with Toyota ever since; I have a '06 Scion A, with which I am in love.  Mileage is 30 mpg around home; the stick shift Toyotas I did have could get up to 40 mpg on the road.

    1968 American Rambler (none / 0) (#88)
    by Cheryl on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 10:26:28 AM EST
    bought in 1976 for $300. Sold in 1978 for $50 to help with the last plane ticket home from college before heading off for Africa with the Peace Corps. Worked in Botswana and Kenya, so I don't appreciate Obama's alleged involvement with Odinga.

    now (none / 0) (#89)
    by Capt Howdy on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 10:44:19 AM EST
    my SECOND car was awsum.  it was a 1960 clean sleek black Impala hard top with red leather interior and a 4 speed Hurst of the floor. it was the model with the slanty cateye tail lights with the eyebrow fins.
    it was sweet.
    man, I wish I still had it.
    Eriposte has Reynolds' Rumor Buster post (none / 0) (#99)
    by jawbone on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 02:49:52 PM EST
    here.

    Longish, citations, quotes.

    Sees this as character assassination of both Reynolds and Clinton.

    Did not get my first car until I was in (none / 0) (#102)
    by 0 politico on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:38:09 PM EST
    the service.  It was a 1981 Toyota Corolla with a hatchback.  It was great for getting into small spaces, had a good suspension, but little pick up.  I had to turn off the A/C in order to get over the San Diego County mountains in the Summer!  But, in a pinch, I could sleep in the back (diagonally as I am over 6 foot).

    I love driving.  Both of us hate commuting up and down I-95!  Public transportation in the outlying D.C. areas is not cost of time effective.  I get spoiled when going on business in Europe where every major area has a public transportation system that puts the US to shame.

    Current wheels are a Toyota Highlander as a daily driver (my wife and I commute together).  Weekend car is a Corvette, which gets decent gas mileage for the performance.

    Miata ... RX-8 (none / 0) (#103)
    by robrecht on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 09:31:59 PM EST
    First car was an old Ford Maverick with racing stripes and mag wheels I bought from my older brother, which he later wrecked.  Drove my dad's Diesel Rabbit for a couple of years in college--it got 45/60 mpg.  

    But now I still have an old 1993 Miata and a newer RX-8 with a rotary engine.  Sports cars are more fun.

    Late Night: Gas Guzzlers | 103 comments (103 topical)

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