Last Call: Why Are You Looking Up There? Edition

By Robert Emslie May 20, 2016
23 thoughts on “Last Call: Why Are You Looking Up There? Edition”
  1. Maybe there’s a Gullwing coming in for landing?
    Anyhow, I have to do the internet commenters walk of shame. I joined the chorus of lambasting the new Prius for its ugliness based on photos. On thursday, I saw it in the wild. I’m not really there yet to have done a thorough inspection, but I found the rear design to actually be quite…nice. It’s engaging and creative and not half as ugly as it comes across in photos. I might even say that the front design is a bit of a letdown considering how daring the back end comes across.
    http://www.automobilesreview.com/uploads/2015/12/2015-TOMs-Racing-Toyota-Prius-910-2.jpg
    I may also need some help.

    1. http://www.madchrome.com/Images/1958-ford-edsel-round-up-2-door-wagon-812-t.jpg
      It’s a bold choice, taking design inspiration from the Edsel.
      That said, I took one for a quick spin last weekend (Toyota had a display set up at a local mall), and it’s not bad. A little loud, but otherwise a perfectly fine automobile for the non-enthusiast. Still, I find it unquestionably ugly – I’m not offended by that (I appreciate something so weird on the road), but still.
      I am intrigued by a Tom’s-tweaked Prius though.

      1. I’ve actually never driven a Prius, just an Auris hybrid – quite awful. But a manual, non-hybrid Prius+ seven seater could work as a replacement for my Stream, if they had it.
        That Tom’s Prius looks extremely stiff, doesn’t seem to have any room for wheel travel. How big might the marked for tweaked Prii be?

    2. cars have a tendency to look less awful in person than in real life.
      witness cars like the E60 5-Series, which turned out to be way less hideous in meatspace than in pictures….but even in person, put one next to an E39 and one cannot help but feel a great sense of loss.

  2. “Sir! A squadron of airborne Wartburgs, coming in from the East, 11 o’clock!”

  3. So how has the timing chain replacement on my 9-5 been going? Allow me to show you a photo essay, comprised of photos taken on my phone. Warning that a couple of the following photos involve me flipping the bird at parts of my car out of indignation.

    View post on imgur.com

    View post on imgur.com


    https://i.imgur.com/WyJ2rvI.jpg

    View post on imgur.com

    View post on imgur.com

    View post on imgur.com


    I’m still not done working on the car, btw.

      1. I’ve been trying to keep myself from getting so frustrated that I hurl profanities, haha. That’s one reason why it’s taken so long to finish disassembly. It’s a lot less stressful when you only work on the car for 4-5 hours at a time, max.

  4. Have you ever looked at a car and though “Hey, that might be fun to own,” but then had some interaction with it that makes you completely opposed to ownership of it? That’s kind of how I feel about TJ Wranglers right now. I’ve worked on exactly two of them (and driven one) and I haven’t been very impressed with either of them.
    Also, I think I’ve learned a truism: Never buy a Chrysler product with an engine capacity of less than 3.9 liters.

    1. Agreed.

      I find the 2.5L in my dad’s YJ completely useless at anything approaching road speeds, but I actively search for 4.0L Comanches online.

      1. I support, endorse, and enable your 4.0 MJ obsession. It’d be hypocritical of me not to since I do the same.

    2. I’ve driven an Avenger, a Caravan & a Wrangler with the “Pentastar” 3.6L and it seemed fine in all three. The Avenger was almost musclecar-like; the Caravan got up & went just fine; the Wrangler was more of a burden, but no worse than my 230 HP 4.7L in my Dakota. I’d be willing to consider the 3.0 VM diesel if it was available in a vehicle that both fit my garage (which rules out the Ram) and was affordable after adding all the other options that are required with the diesel (which rules out the Grand Cherokee.)

    3. I have come to accept that seeing the Pontiac Fiero’s instrument panel in the flesh will always kill any interest in ownership I may display for those vehicles.
      Having driven them several times with the intention of purchasing and then looking one last time at the completely uninspired, circles-in-a-square gauge cluster, it’s always been enough to turn me cold on the car. It’s something I just can’t see living with.

    4. I love my TJ, but it has a 4.0, 5 speed & 3.73 gears. It ain’t fast, but it’s fun.
      And parked in the driveway with scored rotors…

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