LOLS

"Inventor of the Miata Reacts to Tiktok Miatas".


EDIT:

FASCINATING history!

I had a hybrid Sienna as a rental a couple years back and was amazed at the mileage. I was seeing 35 mpg in mixed driving. Also the radar cruise and lane keeping was pretty good.

Last week I had an Equinox rental. It was fine. Not great, not terrible, just fine.

Rented 3 minivans in a row last week on a family vacation. One in Los Angeles (hybrid Sienna), one in Maui Hawaii (Pacifica), and one in Kauai Hawaii (Pacifica). Wanted to get an Odyssey (to check out the three main brands) but they didn't have any on the lot. With 5 people (myself, wife, two kids, and mother in law) wanted 3 rows and especially with luggage, felt the minivan was the way to go. 

Hybrid Sienna - Averaged 30 mpg which to me is amazing for a vehicle shaped like a large refrigerator on wheels. Other than that, I expected to like this car more. It was fine but engine was really loud and coarse when accelerating rapidly. Pain to move the 2nd row forward to get to the third row (had a base model where it was manual).

Chrysler Pacifica - Drove like a 4 cylinder Camry (which I had owned in the past). This is a good thing. Perfectly competent A to B transportation. No problem driving up 10 thousand feet on the side of a volcano with a decent load of passengers.

When we got back, drove home from the airport in our Infiniti QX60. Yeah the Infiniti is a softer quieter ride than the minivans I had rented and the interior is nicer but that's to be expected. 

I'd rent the minivans again over a 3 row SUV if total passengers exceeded 4.

Seems to be an entire industry around salvaging and rebuilding/hot-rodding these old flathead engines.  Many parts are being manufactured either to spec or for performance.

Quote from: Morris Minor on April 22, 2024, 07:32:07 AMDon't know the details (& finding it really difficult to visualize ) - but I remember someone saying exhaust gases in these can cause overheating problems because the exhaust ports for the two middle pistons in each bank of cylinders pass through the cooling jacket in restricted areas. The exhaust ports for the two outside pistons in each bank also pass through the cooling jacket, but on the outside of the cylinders.

Flatheads are definitely limited by their cooling. Most are under 200 hp, supercharged ones can get into the 300 hp range.

Some salt flats racers have gotten up to ~700 hp but obviously not a street engine and those might all be running nitro or other fuels.

They had one in an auto museum near here. Got this shot of it a while back.You cannot view this attachment.

Don't know the details (& finding it really difficult to visualize ) - but I remember someone saying exhaust gases in these can cause overheating problems because the exhaust ports for the two middle pistons in each bank of cylinders pass through the cooling jacket in restricted areas. The exhaust ports for the two outside pistons in each bank also pass through the cooling jacket, but on the outside of the cylinders.

Metcalfe in a base Model 3.

Quote from: cawimmer430 on April 21, 2024, 01:11:31 AMI nearly ran over one of those idiot cyclists a few days ago. He ran a red light, at night and of course had no functioning front/rear light and was dressed in black. The moron had a death wish. Anyway, I saw him and expected him to do this, but I of course went into full drama mode, braked hard, honked my horn and opened my window to curse at him - so that the many people at the crossing would learn something. 

Just be careful, Christian.  I know German laws are pretty strict in regards to "road rudeness" and "offensive gestures."

https://www.dw.com/en/german-drivers-told-to-mind-their-manners-on-the-road/a-2451659


Just giving someone the finger or calling another driver a "dumb cow" can land you a hefty fine.

https://thetravelingovereducatedhousewife.blog/2015/05/06/the-high-price-of-giving-someone-the-finger-in-germany/


You don't want Munich's "Woke" authorities to arrest you, do you?  I'm pretty sure you won't like their soy-based vegan prison food.  Then again, maybe you'll be lucky and the Judge will only make you do community service.  They'll probably have you do outreach work for Munich's local support group for left-handed, transgender, lesbian, Afro-Asian, Midget, Eskimo, Albinos with eating disorders. 

Quote from: SJ_GTI on April 17, 2024, 03:00:31 PMWhenever I see "MBUX" my mind immediately goes to V-Bucks (Fortnite currency that my nephews always want for birthdays and Christmas). So I always want to think that it is money that you can only spend on Mercedes Benz accessories.

The only video game I play is chess on my iPad and maybe SimCity 2000 in a browser when I am really bored.