Uncle Flo (imported) wrote: Thu Dec 01, 2016 5:22 pm It seems the Moskvitch 2140 is a reworked Fiat body. As unbelievable as it may be I saw a Pontiac Aztec on the road today. It looked to be in good condition too. --FLO--

As far as I know, it was Lada 2101 that had Fiat 124 roots. Moskvitch was more local design.

There are a few Aztecs left around here.

There's also an AMC Spirit in town.

As far as I know, there are 2 Pontiac Fieros, one of which I almost bought a year ago from a collector - until I found out the block was 60-over-bored.

Something even rarer, even though it was a total debacle, was the Mustang SVO, circa 1986. I think it's still around, haven't seen it in a while. The grand-daddy of the modern EcoBoost, or as I call it, the EcoBoob system now.

I much prefer the vehicle I have now. Not much to look at, drug over to the US from Europe for it's specific application. Though oddly, the drivetrain in it has never been used by Ford in Europe. A plug-in Hybrid. I've driven about 800 miles so far on this tank of fuel, and I still have 3/4 of a tank left.

I love watching the fuel prices go up real high. I simply don't care, unless I take a long trip somewhere which is not very often.

I love my current vehicle, too. 2007 Silverado with 280,00 miles, many on jeep trails and loaded to the gunnels on dirt or worse roads or doing 10 over the speed limit on freeways. In what I do, my longest walk for help was a dawn to night 32 mile hike. (You ever walked until night and then had someone not stop for you in middle of nowhere?). Reliability is absolutely the only thing that matters. I have learned over my career that you can count on a very few things to get you home alive: horses, DC-3s, VW beetles and old Silverados. Everything else is crap in my book. As the country song says, "You can roll my truck down a hill and set it on fire and I still wouldn't trade it for a Coupe Deville." The great thing is my wife used to bitch bitterly about how I took my new pickup and added desert detailling (ocotillo, etc. scratching the paint). Then she wiped out one side going around a really sharp back corner at local Mexican market when someone backed out unexpectedly in front of her. She was horribly embarrased. I have had 3 or 4 guys who do body work ask me if I want them to give me a good deal. Hell no. It adds to the character of the truck. (note - it did not stop the bitching, only changed the subject).

I'm with Arab Nights on this one.

I recently looked to trade my 04 Explorer in, but with the price of new cars, I decided not to.

Other than atrocious gas mileage, which I didn't buy it for good mpg, it's everything I want in a vehicle.

Given that they don't plow our rural roads in winter, the 4wd comes in handy.

I recently had the hood and upper front fenders repainted due to "Ford 10 year peel," but other than minor aggravating breakdowns, only 1 of which stranded me, it's worth keeping, I think.

That, and all the tech in these new cars scares the hell out of me!

Son is doing auto mechanic training. That has opened a whole new world for me. I use a mechanic that all the 4X gear heads use. He says it is still to early to judge the reliability of the newer Silverados and I have heard an uncomplimentary thing or two from owners of newer ones. He offered the idea of consideriing mine as a "platform" which you repair as needed with parts that exceed factory specs. I do not get parts from the cheaper chains now. My hope is that I can double my current miles. By that time I probably will be dead or iin a nursing home, so what the heck.

Godson2 now works for a nearby Chevy dealer, and he's told me horror stories.

Apparently, the new 1.5L turbo engine (? size) is prone to explode about three minutes after getting the cars off the truck to move them around the lot.

Many of them come off the semi and go right into the shop with about 1-2 miles on them.

That touch screen gizmo in the dash? It's wired into EVERYTHING. If they try and sell you an extended warranty on the tech aspect, his advice is to TAKE IT.

They did indeed roll a new Silverado off about a year ago, and while on test drive, the "big screen high def TV in the dash", ,which is FAR more than a radio and GPS, blew up.

Almost literally.

The truck instantly died. It was a brand new, pretty, $38k brick sitting in the road. The service guys, of course, are good at replacing these. If you're "lucky", it's pull it out like a conventional radio, and shove a new one in. Connected to the shop computer, and Big Brother tells it that it's OK to work in this truck.

The bill, if not under warranty? About $7,000.

One of the more aggravating things about my 04 is the chip-key, which costs about $400 from the dealer to replace and has to be programmed. Luckily, it came with 3 of them.

But back to Aztecs ... I saw a red one yesterday!

Goodness, I think someone in this town has gotten one.

Is this a Sign? An Omen?!

Mysterion needs to investigate!!! --FLO--

Out of nowhere comes this sound

This melody that keeps spinning 'round and 'round

Pyramidal locomotion

From a mystic unknown zone

Hearin' the twilight

Hearing' the twilight, twilight tone

The official video:

Losethem (imported) wrote: Mon Nov 28, 2016 8:13 pm [quote="Arab Nights (imported)"

time=1480320480]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
[/quote]
MTyhycwZMa4

And that voice at the beginning is not Rod Serling but is Tim Hauser