Posts

Whew, it’s been far, far too long since I’ve written about “Holy Grail” Jeeps, and taken a lashing in the comments from folks annoyed by the fact that, somehow, there appear to be far more Holy Grails than one might expect (apparently there’s only one true grail? I’m not buying it). But if anything, that just furthers my point that these machines are excellent automobiles that never die. For those of you who have somehow missed out on my 2....

Today, Matt Hardigree wrote about the Ford Mustang Mach-E “Etive” hearse that has seemingly divided our office. Resident car designer goth Adrian Clarke thinks it looks all wrong, but it appears that my colleagues disagree. I was looking around at RVs, so I wasn’t here for that discussion. But I’m seeing it now and I have to agree with Adrian. It doesn’t look right to my eyes. With that said, I’d still take it over a standard Mach-E....

Originally sold in Japan, this particular Delta Integrale is an Evoluzione II model, the last and best major model in a long line of rally-bred greats. A new engine management system combined with a new Garrett turbocharger bumped output to 215 horsepower despite the presence of a catalytic converter. Minor touches like fresh 16-inch wheels, an alloy fuel cap, and a new steering wheel updated appearances, the color palette was simplified, but otherwise there wasn’t much to visually indicate the Evo II’s new turn of pace....

Is it because of this kid’s expression? I mean, maybe. I don’t feel comfortable with that kid around. He’s planning something. Just look at him. Those Furies were striking-looking cars, though, The “fuselage” body type Chrysler was using in this era was sleek and modern, and in the right lights and at the right angles you can see the Syd Meade-like look that inspired these cars. The front bumper was a “loop” type, which meant it covered the whole face of the car, with the grille, containing also the hidden headlamps, nestled inside....

The My Ami Buggy II (the “My” there feels a little cloying, but whatever) is a lot like the first iteration: an Ami with the doors replaced by swing-out bars, an opening roof, and what looks like slightly more rugged wheels and tires. The only picture in the press release is the one up there, but I did find this fun little video: Looks good with the tire chains, I think!...

Ford of Britain, hoping to mitigate the error and cost, sent a fleet of Escort vans to collect as many errant brochure pages as possible, as quickly as possibly, resulting in many vans tearing ass around the city, crammed full of reams of paper, knocking over trash cans and side-swiping fences. The public conflated the wicker in the image with the speeding vans, and the expression stuck. If you were rushing to the airport with an armload of overnight bags and carry-ons, you were hauling the wicker, as you were when you rushed home with two full grocery bags, or if you were collecting a dozen rambunctious kittens....

The Mk IV Zephyr is also interesting because it shares some notable traits with an old British car I used to own: the Reliant Scimitar GTE. Like the Scimitar, the Zephyr used an Essex V6 engine (a Ford of Germany Taunus V4 was available, too) and like the Scimitar, the spare tire was shoved in front of the engine, freeing up room in the trunk. Damn, I love this clean, crisp front end!...

That one vehicle, the Astronaut Transfer Van (ATV), is really a very visible symbol of NASA, even if it doesn’t get the attention of, you know, lunar landers and space shuttles. But it’s always there, getting those astronauts from the Operations and Checkout Building to the launchpad nine miles away. The first one wasn’t so much a van as an REO tractor truck pulling a trailer outfitted to be the transfer van....

Welcome to The Morning Dump, bite-sized stories corralled into a single article for your morning perusal. If your morning coffee’s working a little too well, pull up a throne and have a gander at the best of the rest of yesterday. CarMax CEO Fears Buyers Are Locked Out Of Used Cars Entirely: ‘You Have To Go Back To Affordability’ We’ve written a lot about the changes in used car prices and the slow easing of the inventory crunch, but it’s still a challenging time for used car buyers....

The Basics First and foremost, it’s important to establish that a car is not and will never be a reference environment. Think of a recording studio and a picture should readily come to mind: you have a bassist rolling a joint, a guitarist tuning down to drop C, [Editor’s Note: not to be confused with dropsy – JT] but more importantly, excellent soundproofing, low ambient noise levels and freedom to place monitor-grade loudspeakers wherever is best....

As I explained in my last entry on the condition of this trailer, when my family travels, we take a travel trailer with us and stay at a campground rather than in a hotel. Our road trips have taken us just about everywhere from Sandusky, Ohio to Orlando, Florida and various other spots around America. We love being able to bring a piece of home with us, and honestly? I’d take just about any campground over most hotels....

Cars are by some margin the most complex consumer grade products you can buy. Think about it; at least 3000 individual parts made of different materials; various alloys, plastics, rubbers and fabrics make up intricate systems that all have to work together seamlessly to make sure the thing doesn’t rattle itself apart, keeps its occupants safe and comfortable and fulfill its intended function of fitting into your life and enabling you to get shit done with a minimum of fuss....

Details on this particular crash are pretty thin at the moment, but we do have some information. On July 15, an ultralight aircraft was flying through Sint-Andries in Belgium when an emergency occurred, reports news site VRT NWS. At this time it’s unclear what the emergency was, but the pilot deployed a potentially lifesaving device. The plane and its pilot then came to a relatively gentle crash on a road thanks to a whole aircraft rescue parachute system....

That’s right: I’m inviting THE GENERAL PUBLIC to Casa Del Jeep in Troy, Michigan. A bold move, I know, but I’ve been hosting car shows for the formerly-Colonel Mr. Public, and have found him mild-mannered. Proof: I have yet to be murdered. As I hope to keep this streak alive, I won’t be posting my address here publicly. Instead, I’ll ask each of you to email me and describe why it is that you’re unlikely to harvest my organs in your basement....

I had found a $220 Stratus Coupe in “Indy Red” (one of the best colors for that car other than “Deep Evergreen Pearl,” which is a killer green) on Nashville’s Craigslist with a blown head gasket. The vehicle was headed to the crusher and calling my name to be rescued. I raced over to the seller’s trailer park and handed over 11 $20 bills with zest. Not long after that, the Mitsubishi 2....

Since we’ve started we’ve grown both our regular staff and contributors; sadly, today Mercedes and Thomas are out, with Mercedes getting ready for her wedding (Mazel Tov!) and Thomas probably on one of those ayahuasca retreats or some shit. He’s Canadian, who the hell knows what he’s doing? Oh, and David is still in Australia, where I assume by now some determined koala has made him their lifelong mate. But I’m here, Matt’s here, and lots of your favorite contributors are, too!...

sources: wikipedia, wikipedia, and wikipedia I mean, it might be nice to have modern day GTOs or 442s sitting in Pontiac or Oldsmobile showroom, or even see a new Saturn Sky roadster launch. Could a reborn SAAB Sonnett sports car have appeared on retro-modern Darth Vader wheels? Thanks to economic downturns and the financial collapse of 2008, we’ll never know. However, as much as I might miss the what-could-have-been gems of these dead brands surviving, there is one thing to remember: There is a potential dark side to this scenario....

First let’s look at Friday’s results: Seems the once-mighty Camry might be showing some cracks in its armor. I don’t think there is a bad choice between these two, but the Ford does feel like a whole lot more car for the money. But the Camry seller won’t have any trouble moving that one, I’m sure. Speaking of moving cars, today’s choices are somewhat challenged in that department. If you were to find yourself in a horror movie and had to get away from the monster chasing you, and these were your only escape options, well… It’s been nice knowing you....

One odd thing: the Motor Trend story refers to the car as a 2024 model, but notes it’ll be on sale early 2023. Other outlets have been talking about it as a 2023 car. This feels like odd think for Motor Trend to get wrong, which makes me think that for whatever reason, Hyundai wants to call it a 2024. I guess we’ll know for sure tomorrow. The Design First off, the thing just looks fantastic....

Welcome to The Morning Dump, bite-sized stories corralled into a single article for your morning perusal. If your morning coffee’s working a little too well, pull up a throne and have a gander at the best of the rest of yesterday. Renault Gets Scénic Again While the combustion-powered Renault Scénic MPV that has carried so many families around Europe may be out of production, that hasn’t stopped the French automaker from rolling out a brand new concept under the Scénic name....