tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5429197454576425211.post7746469433160321683..comments2023-06-23T08:23:34.894-04:00Comments on The Pipe and Grumble: Were the Mid 1990s the Final Era of Quality Car Construction?Winstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17975027530244662003noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5429197454576425211.post-41931549965934301972012-06-24T09:03:41.700-04:002012-06-24T09:03:41.700-04:00Jeff, I totally forgot about those little triangul...Jeff, I totally forgot about those little triangular windows! Now I remember riding around in pickup trucks in the summer heat as a kid with my step-dad, and how you turned those backwards so they blew the air straight on your face. Thanks for that.<br /><br />That was back when a kid could ride in the front seat and feel important and special. Now we have to lock them in the back and wrap them in child safety seats (marshmallows within marshmallows) until they're practically through puberty!Winstonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17975027530244662003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5429197454576425211.post-58049171945657665692012-06-23T21:06:01.617-04:002012-06-23T21:06:01.617-04:00Unfortunately, I can't do the work myself. In ...Unfortunately, I can't do the work myself. In decades past I could change the oil, replace a gasket, or do a simple tune-up. A complete rebuild or installation is beyond me, so it would have to be hired out. That's OK as long as I'm not held hostage to computer diagnostics and an esoteric priesthood of mechanics to do the simplest maintenence.<br /><br />It's silly, but one thing I really miss is the little triangular windows that pivot in for ventilation. They always seemed so practical and effective.<br /><br />Sorry I can't offer any advice.<br /><br />Jeff The BearAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5429197454576425211.post-30621169707810382732012-06-23T19:06:50.458-04:002012-06-23T19:06:50.458-04:00Rant away, Jeff! Rant away!
Do you have any expe...Rant away, Jeff! Rant away! <br /><br />Do you have any experience with car modifications/repairs/rebuilds? Or are you planning to just jump in and figure it out as you go along like I am? Any advice for someone planning to fake it for the first time?Winstonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17975027530244662003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5429197454576425211.post-9473500918185151202012-06-22T22:35:33.210-04:002012-06-22T22:35:33.210-04:00Oh boy, did you ever nail it. We have a 10 year ol...Oh boy, did you ever nail it. We have a 10 year old Yukon and with luck it will last another ten or more. It does NOT have that damn center console that bisects the front seat. Even so, the leg room is marginal. I'm bigger than many NFL linemen, and a lot older. Finding a new or recent car or even a bloody truck that has enough leg and head room is almost impossible. I don't need to sink into cloud-soft upholstery or be enveloped(swallowed?) by consoles and gadgets. I just want to be able to drive without cramping my legs or pressing into the roof with my head. An AM/FM radio would be sufficient. <br /><br />If we ever need a second vehicle or to replace the current one, I plan to find an old car with a decent, roomy body. Then I'll have a new/rebuilt engine and transmission installed. It would fit me and the cost would be a third or less of a new car. Or I may just find a 1974 VW Superbeetle. It has enough room and I can do simple repairs on the engine.<br /><br />Thanks for letting me rant.<br /><br />Jeff The BearAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com