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Vehicles / bikes 🏍 Car Talk

Planit said:
Broncos can't swim

www.thedrive.com

There's a Ford Bronco Floating in a Bay in Maine Because Some Fool Drove Too Far Out [UPDATE: It's Out]

This Ford Bronco has been stuck in a Maine bay for two days after getting caught in high tide.
www.thedrive.com www.thedrive.com

I wonder if LP knows anything about this?
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When I lived in NC I would take my Jeep out on to the sand on Onslow Beach on the Marine Corps base. We also had the option of going onto the beach on Topsail Island, which was just south of Onslow Beach, across the New River. I went onto Topsail one time but didn't care for it as the way the river emptied into the ocean made the beach much less stable, especially as you got closer and closer to the river.

Topsail is on the left of this photo, and Onslow Beach and Camp Lejeune are on the right
1650380162656.png


One day in '03 or '04 a couple friends and I had driven down quite a ways on Onslow Beach and were enjoying the sun and the water and noticed a lot of people venturing even further down the beach and then watched a 6x6 MK36 wrecker head down there as well. We decided to leave our Jeeps and walk over to see what was up. When we got to where the beach ends at the river we could see across to the other side and some a55hat in a lifted red Chevy Silverado had gotten their truck stuck in the middle of the river and there were a couple of tow trucks on the far side that had obviously failed in their attempt to winch him back to shore. Apparently the driver was on the Onslow Beach side and noticed what seemed like an exceptionally low tide and decided his truck on 37" flotation tires could make it across. He wasn't wrong! Unfortunately he was unable to make it back (I don't know why he had to tempt fate and didn't just drive the long way around instead, but hey...) and his truck got stuck in the slowly rising tide and just dug itself deeper and deeper in.

The MK36 was able to drive quite a ways out into the water and got the truck out pretty easily. Just in time for PMO to arrive on the beach and arrest the driver of the truck.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
Jeep actually lost a court case about the iconic 7-slot grill maybe 10 years ago or so. IIRC, Jeep (nor AMC or Chrysler or Daimler or FCA) never registered that as an actual and American General/GM put a similar grill on one of their Hummer models. Jeep sued but lost the case because of the lack of an official registered trademark and because of the shared corporate history of American General and Jeep (both of which could trace their roots to Kaiser Jeep.
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Seeing old Grand Cherokees that had the 8 slot grill always feels unsettling.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
When I lived in NC I would take my Jeep out on to the sand on Onslow Beach on the Marine Corps base. We also had the option of going onto the beach on Topsail Island, which was just south of Onslow Beach, across the New River. I went onto Topsail one time but didn't care for it as the way the river emptied into the ocean made the beach much less stable, especially as you got closer and closer to the river.

Topsail is on the left of this photo, and Onslow Beach and Camp Lejeune are on the right
View attachment 57044

One day in '03 or '04 a couple friends and I had driven down quite a ways on Onslow Beach and were enjoying the sun and the water and noticed a lot of people venturing even further down the beach and then watched a 6x6 MK36 wrecker head down there as well. We decided to leave our Jeeps and walk over to see what was up. When we got to where the beach ends at the river we could see across to the other side and some a55hat in a lifted red Chevy Silverado had gotten their truck stuck in the middle of the river and there were a couple of tow trucks on the far side that had obviously failed in their attempt to winch him back to shore. Apparently the driver was on the Onslow Beach side and noticed what seemed like an exceptionally low tide and decided his truck on 37" flotation tires could make it across. He wasn't wrong! Unfortunately he was unable to make it back (I don't know why he had to tempt fate and didn't just drive the long way around instead, but hey...) and his truck got stuck in the slowly rising tide and just dug itself deeper and deeper in.

The MK36 was able to drive quite a ways out into the water and got the truck out pretty easily. Just in time for PMO to arrive on the beach and arrest the driver of the truck.
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One of my favorite spots to fish is in that picture. I always see someone get stuck out there. I am not sure exactly what happens across the New River but I enjoy seeing the occasional Osprey and other marine aircraft fly over and hearing the occasional explosion.
 
@Planit - I had never even heard of the Lucid Air until a friend said something about them last week. I looked them up and they look nice enough but I'm starting to sense a real generic aesthetic between the various EVs. I would say that I have been yet to see one here in Metro Detroit, but they're so generic looking that I cannot really be sure.

I will say that I've been seeing a bunch of Rivian trucks on the road up here lately and they do look to be pretty good. If they can ramp up their production, I think they can be a force, but we shall see...


Big Owl said:
One of my favorite spots to fish is in that picture. I always see someone get stuck out there. I am not sure exactly what happens across the New River but I enjoy seeing the occasional Osprey and other marine aircraft fly over and hearing the occasional explosion.
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It used to be fun to go to Onslow Beach and be able to enjoy the sun and the sand while watching Marines practice amphibious landings or jumping out of helicopters into the water further down the beach. There is a spot on Onslow Beach where you're not allowed to venture further north/east because of possible unexploded ordinance. They don't use the island that Onslow Beach is on for those purposes but the next island up, Browns Island, is adjacent to a bunch of ranges on the mainland and I believe is/was occasionally used for shelling from naval gunfire.
 
mendelman said:
Uh oh...found an intriguing classic Toyota for sale in my region - 1990 Camry wagon for $4,999

image_323782_dsc06958.jpg

@RandomPlanner @The Terminator @Planit @dw914er @Doohickie
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Oooh, interesting!

It looks like it's been sitting there for a minute unless your town is still covered in snow. This car needs a very specific buyer. Looks like it's in great shape!

I spent about the same on a Mercedes wagon a few years back and drove it for over a year, replaced 2 tires (only because one blew), and sold it for about $1000 more than I paid.
 
RandomPlanner said:
It looks like it's been sitting there for a minute unless your town is still covered in snow.
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This dealer is on my commute, so as I drove by this morning I craned my head to see if I could stop this particular longroof, but alas I didn't see it from that vantage point.
 
I just want to say that Subaru designed the worst headlight assembly possible to replace a burnt out bulb yourself in a 2014 Outback. You can't disassemble it from the front, you can't disassemble it from the top portion that is covered by the hood. Nope, nope, nope. Turn your wheel inward, unfasten the plastic wheel well cover (good luck with those plastic grommet things), pull back and hold the cover while sliding your arm through the gap to reach the back of the headlight assembly, turn the circular cover with a rubber gasket a quarter turn to the left to remove, unhook the paperclip doohickie that keeps the bulb and it's wires in place and then pull the bulb out and replace it. The dealer mechanic has to do the same thing-no other way. Thankfully the rear tail light assembly is a snap.
 
kjel said:
I just want to say that Subaru designed the worst headlight assembly possible to replace a burnt out bulb yourself in a 2014 Outback. You can't disassemble it from the front, you can't disassemble it from the top portion that is covered by the hood. Nope, nope, nope. Turn your wheel inward, unfasten the plastic wheel well cover (good luck with those plastic grommet things), pull back and hold the cover while sliding your arm through the gap to reach the back of the headlight assembly, turn the circular cover with a rubber gasket a quarter turn to the left to remove, unhook the paperclip doohickie that keeps the bulb and it's wires in place and then pull the bulb out and replace it. The dealer mechanic has to do the same thing-no other way. Thankfully the rear tail light assembly is a snap.
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I bought a new Ford Escape in 2001 and less than a year in, one of the running lamps blew. I replaced it and it blew again, immediately. So I took it to the dealership. But since the Escape was brand new to the world, they didn't have an easy fix to this problem. They gave me an $1100 estimate to replace the entire front clip of the vehicle in order to stop the bulb from blowing -- and that wouldn't be covered under warranty.

Yup, thanks Ford. Great idea!
 
kjel said:
I just want to say that Subaru designed the worst headlight assembly possible to replace a burnt out bulb yourself in a 2014 Outback. You can't disassemble it from the front, you can't disassemble it from the top portion that is covered by the hood. Nope, nope, nope. Turn your wheel inward, unfasten the plastic wheel well cover (good luck with those plastic grommet things), pull back and hold the cover while sliding your arm through the gap to reach the back of the headlight assembly, turn the circular cover with a rubber gasket a quarter turn to the left to remove, unhook the paperclip doohickie that keeps the bulb and it's wires in place and then pull the bulb out and replace it. The dealer mechanic has to do the same thing-no other way. Thankfully the rear tail light assembly is a snap.
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My wife's Chevy Traverse has the same type of headlamp assembly. It really bugs me because when you pop the hood, there is clearly enough space that they could have made it possible to reach in, twist the bulb to pop it out, and quickly inset the new one.

I remember when I first had to change one in her vehicle a few years back I posted a short rant about the ordeal on my Facebook page with the gist of it being something about me wanting to punch the responsible designer or engineer in the throat. I only have about 50 Facebook friends, but this being Detroit, it only took about 20 minutes for one of my friends to link my post to one of their friends who was friends with one of the actual designers. I thought that was pretty funny.

Two further notes:
  • GM had a significant stake in Subaru before selling it off to Toyota about 10 or 15 years ago. For a while there was quite a bit of shared design and components on some of the vehicles so it's possible your crappy Subaru design is one of those remnants. (Thankfully though the Traverse uses torx head screws to hold the wheel well covers in place and not the plastic grommets which can break so easily.)
  • Too late now, but if you ever have to do it again, one tip is to grab a bungee cord, feed it through one of the spokes on the wheel, and then hook the ends to the plastic wheel well cover to hold it back while you work.
 
on my MINI, you have to access the fog lamp through the wheel well, but you have to replace the entire headlamp assembly if they go out & not just the bulb - that's easy to get to however.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
My wife's Chevy Traverse has the same type of headlamp assembly. It really bugs me because when you pop the hood, there is clearly enough space that they could have made it possible to reach in, twist the bulb to pop it out, and quickly inset the new one.

I remember when I first had to change one in her vehicle a few years back I posted a short rant about the ordeal on my Facebook page with the gist of it being something about me wanting to punch the responsible designer or engineer in the throat. I only have about 50 Facebook friends, but this being Detroit, it only took about 20 minutes for one of my friends to link my post to one of their friends who was friends with one of the actual designers. I thought that was pretty funny.

Two further notes:
  • GM had a significant stake in Subaru before selling it off to Toyota about 10 or 15 years ago. For a while there was quite a bit of shared design and components on some of the vehicles so it's possible your crappy Subaru design is one of those remnants. (Thankfully though the Traverse uses torx head screws to hold the wheel well covers in place and not the plastic grommets which can break so easily.)
  • Too late now, but if you ever have to do it again, one tip is to grab a bungee cord, feed it through one of the spokes on the wheel, and then hook the ends to the plastic wheel well cover to hold it back while you work.
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That's the crazy thing, there's enough space that they could have designed it with easy access at least on the driver's side. From what I understand they changed this design in 2015 with the 5th generation model; mine was the last year of the 4th gen. I've loved the car, it's easy to drive and apart from the pesky headlight bulb changes it's been trouble free for the 8 years I've owned it. I wish it got a bit better gas mileage but it's certainly not bad.
 
DVD said:
Never buy the first generation of a car. Let other people figure out the problems and then buy a model a couple years later. Fewer problems.
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Exactly this. This is why I bought a 15 year platform in my 2021 Tundra, rather than the redesigned 2022.
 
Yep. I bought a 1984 Ford Tempo. Now the Tempo was never a great car, but 1984 was the first full model year (they started as a 1983.5 with limited production). I wish I'd gone with the tried-and-true, if slightly smaller, Escort. (The Tempo was eventually replaced by an Escort wagon.)
 
Doohickie said:
Yep. I bought a 1984 Ford Tempo. Now the Tempo was never a great car, but 1984 was the first full model year (they started as a 1983.5 with limited production). I wish I'd gone with the tried-and-true, if slightly smaller, Escort. (The Tempo was eventually replaced by an Escort wagon.)
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Had a 1985 Tempo GL in high school (dad's car but I drove it often) and mine was not bad. Had the 5 speed and two-door "Sport" package. Thankfully, this model did not have the door mirrors in the middle of the door but at the front corner where a mirror is supposed to be located.

d7d6d87d2290a17553c5cf703fff7236.jpg


1985 Ford Tempo-12 amp 13.jpg
 
SlaveToTheGrind said:
Had a 1985 Tempo GL in high school (dad's car but I drove it often) and mine was not bad. Had the 5 speed and two-door "Sport" package. Thankfully, this model did not have the door mirrors in the middle of the door but at the front corner where a mirror is supposed to be located.

View attachment 57664

View attachment 57665
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Mine looked almost exactly like the bottom picture, although it wasn't a GLX, just a GL, so no body molding and stuff. That looks like a tan metallic; might was a lighter tan and not metallic.
 
I've been looking for an older model Tacoma with 4WD and manual tranny. Found one about an hour away Friday night - price was perfect, mileage a little high, but okay. Thought about texting the dealer to see if it was still available, but thought, nah, they'll just pollute my phone with texts. I'll drive over there and, if I like it, buy it outright. So I head out into a wicked rainstorm (wipers on high and I could still barely see) and, after a little unplanned tourism, I locate the dealer. Walk inside and a salesman is on me like stink on sh!t, and I ask to see the truck. Oh, that was a typo, it's an automatic.

So, so, freaking bummed.
 
Gedunker said:
I've been looking for an older model Tacoma with 4WD and manual tranny. Found one about an hour away Friday night - price was perfect, mileage a little high, but okay. Thought about texting the dealer to see if it was still available, but thought, nah, they'll just pollute my phone with texts. I'll drive over there and, if I like it, buy it outright. So I head out into a wicked rainstorm (wipers on high and I could still barely see) and, after a little unplanned tourism, I locate the dealer. Walk inside and a salesman is on me like stink on sh!t, and I ask to see the truck. Oh, that was a typo, it's an automatic.

So, so, freaking bummed.
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there go your algorithms too

I really miss the small truck options - those F150's are crazy - the only new small truck out there right now is the Jeep one
 
luckless pedestrian said:
there go your algorithms too

I really miss the small truck options - those F150's are crazy - the only new small truck out there right now is the Jeep one
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I hate trucks these days. My favorite was an older '90s dodge I had. No extended king crew cab crap. Bench seat, stick shift, extra long bed. The only downside was manual crank windows. It's hard to reach that passenger window. That and I love those triangle windows. Trucks these days can't even fit half a sheet of drywall in them anymore. What's the point?

Also, my socks live in pairs. They know better than to separate themselves. Then again, my socks don't last long. They live a hard life and come apart at the heel. From walking on them. I only walk on them. I'm not a teenage you sick people.
 
Gedunker said:
I've been looking for an older model Tacoma with 4WD and manual tranny. Found one about an hour away Friday night - price was perfect, mileage a little high, but okay. Thought about texting the dealer to see if it was still available, but thought, nah, they'll just pollute my phone with texts. I'll drive over there and, if I like it, buy it outright. So I head out into a wicked rainstorm (wipers on high and I could still barely see) and, after a little unplanned tourism, I locate the dealer. Walk inside and a salesman is on me like stink on sh!t, and I ask to see the truck. Oh, that was a typo, it's an automatic.

So, so, freaking bummed.
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Watch out for the fatal frame rust problem on the 2005-2010 Tacomas.

You don't want to walk into that mess. My brother had to deal with this ~3 years ago on his 2007. He fixed the fatal rust, but dumped it right away after the repair and bought a new 2019 Tacoma instead.

maxresdefault.jpg
 
mendelman said:
Watch out for the fatal frame rust out problem on the 2005-2010 Tacomas. You don't want to walk into that mess. My brother had to deal with this ~2 years ago on his 2007. He fixed the fatal rust, but dumped it right away after the repair and bought a new 2019 Tacoma instead.
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Thanks for the heads-up - I wasn't aware of this issue. I was indeed looking at a 2009. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say.
 
Planit said:
The Lucid Air - 1st one I've seen out in the wild
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Nice! I had my first Lucid Air sighting in the wild a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't here in town, but still, I was excited to see it.

lucid_air.jpg


There's an olive green Rivian R1T I've seen a couple of times this past week.

rivian.jpg


I saw a Polestar 2 on that same stretch of road a while back. I assume it's local, considering its New York plates, and Volvo's popularity around here.

Teslas are common enough around here to the point where I'll sometimes see two next to each other in traffic. The Tesla Supercharger next to Trader Joe's is often full. I see Kia Niro and Chevy Bolt EVs around town all the time. There's also a goofy little Mitsubishi i-MiEV I often see parked at a trailhead about a mile from our house.

My wife commutes to The Town Next Door, about 35 minutes away. She says she almost never sees EVs on the roads there. Ram 2500/3500 trucks tailgating and rolling coal, on the other hand ... :gc:

Students are slowly making their way back here, and that means exotic sightings. At least for a few weeks, until their owners learn how bad city streets are around here.
 
I drive the Garden State Parkway and NJ Turnpike every day for 60 miles each way. Teslas are pretty common, I've seen a few Polestars, and most recently two Rivian trucks. I see plenty of other things too, this morning I was behind a Lamborghini Huracan.
 
Planit said:
Hey Terminator, I found something for you!

www.thedrive.com

The LS-Swapped Drift 1989 Volvo 240 DL of Your Dreams Is on Craigslist

V8 manual sedans are a dying breed, unless you go make your own.
www.thedrive.com www.thedrive.com
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I REALLY can't stand when people relocate the mirrors to the hood on 240s. Its TACKY. Were talking Swedish Bricks not a JDM Toyota Crown or a 70s Datsun. The stock mirror locations are just fine, on the hood it looks silly.

I hope that car does not have a Welded Diff, although that seller seems to know what he was doing with a proper V8 Swap, Ford Rear End Swap and more powerful Aislin transmission (the stock M47 5 speed would get grenaded if any power north of 150 horses was sent through it). 9900 isnt the worst price for a build like that, although Id rather spend that on a clean, stock 240 Wagon than a drift missle lol
 
The Terminator said:
I REALLY can't stand when people relocate the mirrors to the hood on 240s. Its TACKY. Were talking Swedish Bricks not a JDM Toyota Crown or a 70s Datsun. The stock mirror locations are just fine, on the hood it looks silly.
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TRUE!
 
My wife's car was getting increasingly worse road noise. I noticed when I parked it that the inside portion of the left front wheel was bald. So Friday I put some new tires on- Bridgestone Turanzas which are billed as having very low road noise. So far they live up to the billing; it feels like a new car again. :D

By the way: we got 73,000 miles on the original set :wow:
 
Doohickie said:
My wife's car was getting increasingly worse road noise. I noticed when I parked it that the inside portion of the left front wheel was bald. So Friday I put some new tires on- Bridgestone Turanzas which are billed as having very low road noise. So far they live up to the billing; it feels like a new car again. :D

By the way: we got 73,000 miles on the original set :wow:
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Schedule a front end alignment or your new tires will be ruined in short order.
 
Doohickie said:
My wife's car was getting increasingly worse road noise. I noticed when I parked it that the inside portion of the left front wheel was bald. So Friday I put some new tires on- Bridgestone Turanzas which are billed as having very low road noise. So far they live up to the billing; it feels like a new car again. :D

By the way: we got 73,000 miles on the original set :wow:
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estromberg said:
Schedule a front end alignment or your new tires will be ruined in short order.
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^This.

If just one tire was particularly worn, it sounds like there may be an alignment issue.
 
I don't know why but I'm planning to replace my front rotors and pads tomorrow evening. This is a job best left to the weekend but for some reason I have it in my head that I can bang it out after work tomorrow. And I just KNOW something is going to go wrong and I'll have to run back to the parts store and be out there using a work light but I'm doing it anyway. Why would I put this kind of pressure on myself?
 
MD Planner said:
I don't know why but I'm planning to replace my front rotors and pads tomorrow evening. This is a job best left to the weekend but for some reason I have it in my head that I can bang it out after work tomorrow. And I just KNOW something is going to go wrong and I'll have to run back to the parts store and be out there using a work light but I'm doing it anyway. Why would I put this kind of pressure on myself?
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Over The Top Madman GIF by Immofanten
 
MD Planner said:
I don't know why but I'm planning to replace my front rotors and pads tomorrow evening. This is a job best left to the weekend but for some reason I have it in my head that I can bang it out after work tomorrow. And I just KNOW something is going to go wrong and I'll have to run back to the parts store and be out there using a work light but I'm doing it anyway. Why would I put this kind of pressure on myself?
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If you've done it yourself on that car before, no problem, 30 minute job.
 
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