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Vehicles / bikes 🏍 Car Talk

23 years of driving Jeeps and one of these showed up on my door handle for the first time the other day in the parking lot of the Mackinac Island Ferry:

349944359_10105676617355496_5881730227520417225_n.jpg


I only started hearing about Jeeps and rubber ducks in the past few years but apparently it's been going on for a long time. I thought it was a sort of stupid thing but now I love it and I think I might order a bunch of ducks to distribute myself! :rofl:

My daughter was really enjoying the little duckie and she decided we should name it "Captain Tom Foolery" after the captain of the "Pirate Ship" we took back from the island.

347598302_10105676617345516_5442651657804312552_n.jpg
 
^^So, is that why I keep seeing Jeeps with rubber ducks lining the dashboard? (I'm too damn old to look it up ...)
 
Gedunker said:
^^So, is that why I keep seeing Jeeps with rubber ducks lining the dashboard? (I'm too damn old to look it up ...)
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I've observed its a thing, but still not sure why.

www.rd.com

What Is the Jeep Ducking Trend, and How Can You Join In?

A lowdown on the Jeep ducking trend and how you can join this community of drivers by playing the lighthearted Jeep duck game in 2025.
www.rd.com www.rd.com

^This explains, I guess its only been a thing for three years.
 
jsk1983 said:
I've observed its a thing, but still not sure why.

www.rd.com

What Is the Jeep Ducking Trend, and How Can You Join In?

A lowdown on the Jeep ducking trend and how you can join this community of drivers by playing the lighthearted Jeep duck game in 2025.
www.rd.com www.rd.com

^This explains, I guess its only been a thing for three years.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the article. I had thought it was going on for a long time but that I was just slow to see or hear about it. I don't feel so out of it now seeing that it only began a few years back.
 
After spending a good bit of time looking at vehicles for my daughter's first car, we purchased a 2011 Toyota Camry. It's mechanical sound and it looks good from 25' away. She's happy with it and has named it "Chad". Chad has a new set of michelins but he is going to need a new battery before winter.
 
Inspection time. Rotate the tires and change the oil while you're at it.



I never named my car, but both Mrs. P and The Girl named theirs (Sue & Lizzie respectively).
 
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I had a Jeep CJ-5 years ago, but there was no rubber duck thing back then. I think it would have been fun.
 
My '72 Beetle was called Moby, because he spouted water inside the passenger compartment when I drove through a puddle at fairly high speed one day. The floor was rusting away (which I would find to be much more urgent soon after Moby got his name) and the water bounced off the ceiling and drenched me. My date, fortunately, was only sprinkled.

My child calls their car Heather, after the movie. You'd have to speak with them about the specific reasons. :cool:
 
I like the Duck Duck Jeep thing; it's cute and friendly. Unfortunately, I don't drive a Jeep.

I do, however, own a few vehicles that are somewhat known for drivers giving a wave to other vehicles of the same make. Both MINI and Porsche are distinct and with both brands, I try to wave when I notice the other vehicle (and I'm into cars so I'm fairly observant). But some drivers are just totally oblivious and don't wave. (And I'll admit that I waived at a MINI driver once in the Porsche and I then laughed at myself.)

Motorcycles do it pretty consistently. Friends that owned Wranglers always waved to other Wranglers.

Do you wave when you spot someone driving your vehicle? How often does the other driver wave back?
 
RandomPlanner said:
I like the Duck Duck Jeep thing; it's cute and friendly. Unfortunately, I don't drive a Jeep.

I do, however, own a few vehicles that are somewhat known for drivers giving a wave to other vehicles of the same make. Both MINI and Porsche are distinct and with both brands, I try to wave when I notice the other vehicle (and I'm into cars so I'm fairly observant). But some drivers are just totally oblivious and don't wave. (And I'll admit that I waived at a MINI driver once in the Porsche and I then laughed at myself.)

Motorcycles do it pretty consistently. Friends that owned Wranglers always waved to other Wranglers.

Do you wave when you spot someone driving your vehicle? How often does the other driver wave back?
Click to expand...

Yes - The MINI wave works about 75% of the time.
 
RandomPlanner said:
I like the Duck Duck Jeep thing; it's cute and friendly. Unfortunately, I don't drive a Jeep.

I do, however, own a few vehicles that are somewhat known for drivers giving a wave to other vehicles of the same make. Both MINI and Porsche are distinct and with both brands, I try to wave when I notice the other vehicle (and I'm into cars so I'm fairly observant). But some drivers are just totally oblivious and don't wave. (And I'll admit that I waived at a MINI driver once in the Porsche and I then laughed at myself.)

Motorcycles do it pretty consistently. Friends that owned Wranglers always waved to other Wranglers.

Do you wave when you spot someone driving your vehicle? How often does the other driver wave back?
Click to expand...

I wave at probably 80% of the other Wranglers and Gladiators I see on the road and I always wave back if they wave first.

When I'm driving my wife's Traverse I often find myself waiving at Jeeps. It's like a reflex at this point. Sometimes I wonder if other Jeep drivers find themselves waiving when driving a non-Jeep as well...
 
RandomPlanner said:
waving snip waving

Do you wave when you spot someone driving your vehicle? How often does the other driver wave back?
Click to expand...
When I drove for Bekins and later for United Van Lines, we typically waved at other company drivers on the Interstates. We didn't have a CB and were trying to make sure they didn't think we were snobs. I'd say better than 85% waved back.
 
I rode a Buell motorcycle for a while. The tradition there was to flip each other off. I do generally miss the acknowledgement tradition in motorcycles--there's really nothing like it.

In Mustang culture, it varies based on the model--there's a pecking order of acknowledgement with Cobras & Shelbys sitting at the top. The main thing is parking next to each other when you don't really have to. Older mustangs always get respect. Classy emerging classics like my 2001 and the fox bodies get a lot of respect if they're clean, mainly because others interpret that as being "a real car enthusiast."
 
Suburb Repairman said:
I rode a Buell motorcycle for a while. The tradition there was to flip each other off. I do generally miss the acknowledgement tradition in motorcycles--there's really nothing like it.

In Mustang culture, it varies based on the model--there's a pecking order of acknowledgement with Cobras & Shelbys sitting at the top. The main thing is parking next to each other when you don't really have to. Older mustangs always get respect. Classy emerging classics like my 2001 and the fox bodies get a lot of respect if they're clean, mainly because others interpret that as being "a real car enthusiast."
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I can only speak for myself but as the owner of a 1st generation mustang, 2nd -> 6th Generation mustang owners can get off my lawn.
 
Big Owl said:
I can only speak for myself but as the owner of a 1st generation mustang, 2nd -> 6th Generation mustang owners can get off my lawn.
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My FIL has a collection of old cars, primarily Model A and Model T Fords but he also has a '65 Mustang (as well as a 50th Anniversary 2015 GT that he no longer drives). He keeps telling my wife and me that all these cars will be ours someday and we keep telling him that we don't care and don't want the headaches so he may as well sell them or give them away to others while he's alive... except for the 1965 Mustang. That one we've already got a space in the garage cleared away for if he wanted to send it our way now! :rofl:

All that said, the Fox Body generation is definitely my favorite era of Mustangs. Picture stolen from Wikipedia but this would be the ideal one for me:

1989 LX Coupe
1689174430055.png
 
Big Owl said:
I can only speak for myself but as the owner of a 1st generation mustang, 2nd -> 6th Generation mustang owners can get off my lawn.
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As someone that knows the build quality history of all mustang gens up to the current one...hah, retconning is a strong drug.

;)
 
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mendelman said:
As someone that knows the build quality history of all mustangs gens up to the current one...hah, retconning is a strong drug.

;)
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Are you implying we don't see so many 2nd and 3rd generation Mustangs out and about isn't because they're hiding away in garages and living as trailer queens but instead they rusted away into nothingness or fell apart decades ago? Hogwash!
 
WSU MUP Student said:
Are you implying we don't see so many 2nd and 3rd generation Mustangs out and about isn't because they're hiding away in garages and living as trailer queens but instead they rusted away into nothingness or fell apart decades ago? Hogwash!
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My parents had a 1966 convertible with the manual 3sp and the straight 6 they bought new when they married in April 1966. They ditched it in 1969.

My brother had a 1977 Mustang II with an aftermarket 302 V8 dropped in. No posi traction, so always one bald rear tire. It was parked, undriveable for the majority of the time he owned it. He also had a red 1982 with T-tops with regular intermittent running (granted he owned it in 1993-1995, so..)

My wife's college roommate had a ~1998 base model with the 4cyl and RWD in Ann Arbor. In the winter she regularly borrowed my wife's 1998 Mercury Tracer instead.

In about 2005, my mother had a 2001 convertible that was a rattle trap mess.

:smokingcigar: :scotch:
 
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mendelman said:
In about 2005, my mother had a 2001 convertible that was a rattle trap mess.
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Oh the rattles... one of the most difficult things to eliminate in a convertible! Especially if you've stiffened and lowered the car for improved handling.

My brother is currently evaluating a Porsche Cayman S... he has two identified, with one being a manual. I would typically point him towards the manual, but that car is setup for the track while he really wants a daily driver. One is a 2006 while the other is a 2008. I actually like the Porsche automatic from that era a lot
 
mendelman said:
My parents had a 1966 convertible with the manual 3sp and the straight 6 they bought new when they married in April 1966. They ditched it in 1969.

My brother had a 1977 Mustang II with an aftermarket 302 V8 dropped in. No posi traction, so always one bald rear tire. It was parked, undriveable for the majority of the time he owned it. He also had a red 1982 with T-tops with regular intermittent running (granted he owned it in 1993-1995, so..)

My wife's college roommate had a ~1998 base model with the 4cyl and RWD in Ann Arbor. In the winter she regularly borrowed my wife's 1998 Mercury Tracer instead.

In about 2005, my mother had a 2001 convertible that was a rattle trap mess.

:smokingcigar: :scotch:
Click to expand...

My dad had a '66 fastback that he bought off the truck (they were so hot that the dealerships couldn't even get them unloaded from the trucks before people would pull into the lot to buy them!). He really liked the car but traded it in for a '69 Country Squire wagon because they needed a lot more space with two kids and another on the way. I like when I would ask him about that trade and he says he really misses that car and it was the best he ever owned. And by "It" he's talking about the Country Squire. :rofl:

Before my dad retired he had an assistant at work who had just moved up here from Mississippi or Alabama and was big guy who played college football and was built like a tank. Once arriving in Detroit in March or April he went out and bought a new Mustang GT (must have been around 1993 or 1994) and my dad warned him that it was going to be horrible in the winter. Sure enough, come the first icy day, my dad comes out of the office to see the guy spinning the tires in the parking lot trying to get some traction and after a few inches of snow overnight he was taking the bus to work the next day. A few weeks later the guy traded in the Mustang for a Jeep Cherokee. My dad still keeps in touch with him and he stops by to visit my parents on occasion. Last time I saw him a few years ago I brought up that Mustang and he still claims he traded it in because he was too big for it but we all know it was because he didn't know how to drive in the winter!

And speaking of your brothers '82 with T-tops... I was out on a walk a few weeks ago and somebody around the corner from me was outside washing a 4th generation Camaro or Firebird with T-tops. I think that was the first time I've seen a car with T-tops in a very long time. Does anybody still make a car with T-tops?
 
WSU MUP Student said:
And speaking of your brothers '82 with T-tops... I was out on a walk a few weeks ago and somebody around the corner from me was outside washing a 4th generation Camaro or Firebird with T-tops. I think that was the first time I've seen a car with T-tops in a very long time. Does anybody still make a car with T-tops?
Click to expand...
I don't think anyone does--so prone to leaks, though I've always liked them. About the only I can think of are the targa tops on Corvettes and Porsches. Of current models, I know you can get a targa on a Corvette, and the Mazda Miata RF has a targa top.
 
I love t-tops. We must bring these back. We also must bring back wing windows. Especially in trucks. I also think someone needs to redo the old Bel-Air style sedan. Doesn't have to be Chevy, but that style is just awesome. This is not progress

1689183412921.png
 
DVD said:
I love t-tops. We must bring these back. We also must bring back wing windows. Especially in trucks. I also think someone needs to redo the old Bel-Air style sedan. Doesn't have to be Chevy, but that style is just awesome. This is not progress

View attachment 60508
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I definitely miss the little vent/wing windows that my Jeep Grand Wagoneer had. They were great for getting some airflow without turning on the AC.

I'm always surprised that nobody seems to have those on a vehicle anymore.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
I definitely miss the little vent/wing windows that my Jeep Grand Wagoneer had. They were great for getting some airflow without turning on the AC.

I'm always surprised that nobody seems to have those on a vehicle anymore.
Click to expand...
I think those met their demise with AC becoming a heavily standard feature, coupled with automatic/electric side mirror adjustment becoming a standard.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
I definitely miss the little vent/wing windows that my Jeep Grand Wagoneer had. They were great for getting some airflow without turning on the AC.

I'm always surprised that nobody seems to have those on a vehicle anymore.
Click to expand...
The last gen of the Chrysler Town & Counrty minivan has the 3rd row vent windows. I'll have to check to see if the current Chrysler Pacifica minivan does though.
 
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Big Owl said:
The fresh air vent under the dash was a nice feature as well.
Click to expand...

My Grand Waggy had two of those as well!

Open the vent windows, open the under dash vent, lift the sunroof, and lower the rear tailgate window (if it was working that day) and you had plenty of fresh air. I rarely ever had to bother with AC.
 
mendelman said:
The last gen of the Chrysler Town & Counrty minivan has the 3rd row vent windows. I'll have to check to see if the current Chrysler Pacifica minivan does though.
Click to expand...
The base model Pacifica we rented earlier this week did not have the 3rd row vent windows.

Sad....and cheap, really.
 
mendelman said:
What If Americans Say 'No' To An EV Revolution?

Allowing the "free market" to decide if EVs take-off seems a little risky

This article reiterates the need for the US government and States to really step into heavily subsidizing the needed infrastructure implementation.
Click to expand...
Actually I like the pace it's going. There are a LOT of people who do not have the money to buy EVs or put in the infrastructure at their home to accommodate them. There's also the little matter of figuring out how to get that much more juice to all those chargers. . I've worked in the electric transmission field. You have to get it from the source to the demand. Ever try to permit and build new transmission line? It ain't easy, it ain't cheap and it definitely ain't popular. There is also the whole issue with the significant environmental impacts of producing and disposing of batteries. 2035 isn't that far away for the states that have banned the sale of new ICE vehicles. Something tells me there will be a lot of used vehicles in those states. EVs will happen but it should be phased. I think a much smarter approach would have been to focus more on plug-in hybrids as a transition.
 
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MD Planner said:
I think a much smarter approach would have been to focus more on plug-in hybrids as a transition.
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Agreed. This hopefully will be our next vehicle purchase(s), which I hope to be nearly our last given that we like to hold onto cars as long as possible, our current cars' ages and our current ages.

A nice hybrid AWD Corolla (for example) may be just right.
 
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We are encouraging Level II chargers be included on each lot in all new subdivisions.

I would like to see the vast majority of public-owned over-the-road fleets transition to EV (cars, light trucks, multi-passenger vehicles, etc- I get off-road and construction vehicles aren't there yet and might not be for a long, long time).
 
I would love to drive the Gotthard Pass & Stelvio Pass one day.
There's a couple other roads in those parts that would be fun too.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
23 years of driving Jeeps and one of these showed up on my door handle for the first time the other day in the parking lot of the Mackinac Island Ferry:

349944359_10105676617355496_5881730227520417225_n.jpg


I only started hearing about Jeeps and rubber ducks in the past few years but apparently it's been going on for a long time. I thought it was a sort of stupid thing but now I love it and I think I might order a bunch of ducks to distribute myself! :rofl:

My daughter was really enjoying the little duckie and she decided we should name it "Captain Tom Foolery" after the captain of the "Pirate Ship" we took back from the island.

347598302_10105676617345516_5442651657804312552_n.jpg
Click to expand...
You should get a manual 84-01 XJ Cherokee with an AMC derived Straight 6 now, and put it on ice 🧊. Than, when the girls are old enough to drive, they not only know stick but have an XJ to use! With a bag of Rubber Ducks to leave on other Jeeps, but only other XJs and OG Grand Wagoneers.

1690667939020.png
 
Gedunker said:
...
I would like to see the vast majority of public-owned over-the-road fleets transition to EV (cars, light trucks, multi-passenger vehicles, etc- I get off-road and construction vehicles aren't there yet and might not be for a long, long time).
Click to expand...
We're just not there yet in public transportation either:

Yes, EV buses exist. But once you need heat or A/C, your charge almost cuts in half. And, of course, a bus that should be running 18 hours per day can't sit for a few hours to charge. So now public transportation will need 1.5 EV vehicles to replace every 1 vehicle they own now. Then add in the strict FTA rules on spare ratios and you're put in an impossible situation. Some folks are putting diesel heat/ air in their buses to keep the EV charge up ... which then makes the vehicle no longer zero emission.

I'm voting for hydrogen fuel cells for public transportation. Or CNG -- but they're not zero emission either.
 
RandomPlanner said:
I like the Duck Duck Jeep thing; it's cute and friendly. Unfortunately, I don't drive a Jeep.

I do, however, own a few vehicles that are somewhat known for drivers giving a wave to other vehicles of the same make. Both MINI and Porsche are distinct and with both brands, I try to wave when I notice the other vehicle (and I'm into cars so I'm fairly observant). But some drivers are just totally oblivious and don't wave. (And I'll admit that I waived at a MINI driver once in the Porsche and I then laughed at myself.)

Motorcycles do it pretty consistently. Friends that owned Wranglers always waved to other Wranglers.

Do you wave when you spot someone driving your vehicle? How often does the other driver wave back?
Click to expand...

I generally feel like the wave happens with individuals that have older Porsches rather than new ones when I drive mine. And in the Wrangler, I'll get a Jeep wave from anyone driving a generation or older Jeep. For some reason, newer Jeep owners do not care for my square light one.

The Terminator said:
You should get a manual 84-01 XJ Cherokee with an AMC derived Straight 6 now, and put it on ice 🧊.
Click to expand...
4.0, yes. 4.2, no. (though I have the low output 2.5 AMC I4, so what do I know)
 
RandomPlanner said:
Do you wave when you spot someone driving your vehicle? How often does the other driver wave back?
Click to expand...
I drive a Jeep Cherokee, and the answer to your first question is no, which makes the second question irrelevant to me. However, I did spend couple of weeks about a decade ago TDY on Wake Island, and part of the safety in-brief was "always wave when passing an approaching vehicle" - it's an actual thing out there.
 
dw914er said:
I generally feel like the wave happens with individuals that have older Porsches rather than new ones when I drive mine. And in the Wrangler, I'll get a Jeep wave from anyone driving a generation or older Jeep. For some reason, newer Jeep owners do not care for my square light one.
Click to expand...
Elitist "newer" drivers!

In the Porsche, I ALWAYS wave when the vehicle is exactly the same (in color and model) as mine. It confuses me that people don't always reciprocate. Don't you recognize when YOUR car is driving toward you?

Speaking of older vehicles, I almost always get acknowledgement from someone when driving the truck -- either a wave or a thumbs up. A couple times, folks have screamed out their windows that they love the truck. And it's not unusual for people to roll down their window at stop lights to chat with me. Once, a guy asked me about parts and I gave him my husband's phone number -- at a stop light. They chatted for a few weeks and made the connections to get him what he needed.

Oh and gas stations -- people always strike up a conversation when I take the truck get gas!
 
After a recent nasty hailstorm 'totaled' my sister's 2015 Volvo S60 (shattered rear window and extensive body damage) she's decided to take her $14,000 insurance payout coupled with additional savings to buy a 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid.

Like this:
dsc00620-1677186777.jpg


It should be pretty cool for her and I'm sort of jealous because this is something I'd like to get soon too, but my 2015 Civic is actually perfect right now as a commuter/secondary household car and cheap to own and run.
 
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RandomPlanner said:
Elitist "newer" drivers!

In the Porsche, I ALWAYS wave when the vehicle is exactly the same (in color and model) as mine. It confuses me that people don't always reciprocate. Don't you recognize when YOUR car is driving toward you?

Speaking of older vehicles, I almost always get acknowledgement from someone when driving the truck -- either a wave or a thumbs up. A couple times, folks have screamed out their windows that they love the truck. And it's not unusual for people to roll down their window at stop lights to chat with me. Once, a guy asked me about parts and I gave him my husband's phone number -- at a stop light. They chatted for a few weeks and made the connections to get him what he needed.

Oh and gas stations -- people always strike up a conversation when I take the truck get gas!
Click to expand...
We call that car twins.
 
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