Weekend Photos - January 2023

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Who buys cars from companies with no experience in building cars?

Apparently a lot of people do; Tesla has been in business nearly 20 years and reported over $81 billion in revenue for 2022.

Rivian is selling trucks. Lucid is selling higher end cars targeting a niche market.

Not sure GM will ever catch up to Tesla despite once again claiming that they will in 2 years time.

And, given my experience with GM products, I'm unconvinced that GM knows how to build cars.

[healey36]

Long-time GM guy and remain so. The wife drives an ‘09 Saturn Vue from new, currently with 174K on the clock with little more than routine maintenance. Had a hand-brake issue at one point, and the tire-pressure sensors seem to crap out prematurely. Before that, a 1997 Olds Silhouette mini-van that she ran for 156K which she got bored with (I loved that thing). Pontiac Vibe and Geo Prism we’re both GM/Toyota JVs, run out to 227K and 157K respectively.

Fords, on the other hand, were problematic. Lots of electrical issues with a ‘79 Mercury Capri (Ford Mustang) and an ‘84 Escort (died prematurely in a head-on with a drunk). An ‘87 VW Jetta in there later, a blast to drive.

First car was a 1970 Opel GT (sold by Buick in the US). Damn near killed myself a number of times in that thing...dearly loved.

Never owned a Chrysler, but I’ve been tempted. Now that the Charger and the Challenger are going electric, I’ll likely pass with a wait and see. I figure I’m only gonna buy one more car, so it’ll require some thought.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Long-time GM guy and remain so. The wife drives an ‘09 Saturn Vue from new, currently with 174K on the clock with little more than routine maintenance. Had a hand-brake issue at one point, and the tire-pressure sensors seem to crap out prematurely. Before that, a 1997 Olds Silhouette mini-van that she ran for 156K which she got bored with (I loved that thing). Pontiac Vibe and Geo Prism we’re both GM/Toyota JVs, run out to 227K and 157K respectively.

My Buick Skylark was a great car until the transmission failed....and then the power steering.....and then the Olds and then the transmission failed....300 miles after I bought it.

Ford.......my F250 rotted off the frame, the wife's car lost the head gasket 2 times; same engine as her father's Ford which also lost the head gasket right at the same mileage......hers also lost power steering and the water pump repeatedly all while under warrantee to point that the mechanics were using it to train people on how to repair that configuration.

Got 14 years from the 5 year used Benz 450SE until it lost the ring gear; 10 years from the Saab 9.5 before it blew out the radiator and the gas tank line cracked; 11 years from the Outback.....

[robert.]

Drove the tires of a diesel rabbit. Tire brakes shocks and struts all replaced. along with muffler. Cv joints went a few times. That was back when the had crappy rubber boots. When the alternator broke that was the last straw. Alternator cost more than i paid for the car. I bought it of a friends aunt. she hated. She had it for three years from new. 84-87. I paid $850 for it with 57,000 miles on it. I also replaced the fuse box. VW fuse boxes crumble. I drove it for 6 months with most of the wires twisted together minus a fuse. If i could buy another for $850 with less than 60,000 i'd buy it in a heartbeat. I ran that car on heating oil @ 75 cents a gallon or a little more. Our local oil guy would fill 2 55 gallon drums for me. Then i would hand pump it out into the Rabbit. That was a dirty task. I smelled like heating oil for years. My friends called me " Diesel rob" After the Rabbit I bought a Delta 88 diesel olds. What a piece of sheet. Injector pump would crap out every 50,000 like clock work

[healey36]

The CV joints failed on the ‘87 Jetta too, but fortunately three months before the 36-month warranty expired. It always seemed to run hot, but I swapped out the thermostat for a faster-opening version and it ran nice and cool thereafter. I think we put about 100K on it before buying the minivan.

I bought the daughter a used ‘08 New Beetle while she was at university. A fun little car, basically a Golf with different sheet-metal, but went through igniters every 30K and eventually suffered an issue with the torque-converter. She traded it in on a new Tiguan. We’ll have to see how long her affection for VW holds up.

The best VW we ever had was a early 1970s Super Beetle The Old Man drug home for me and my brothers. The thing was a tank that my brothers drove forever. We eventually sold it to a guy for half again what it was purchased for.