Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

argatoga said:
Enough for an excuse for me to post this :p:
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1. Proof that even back then VW Golf drivers were considered to be stereotypically assholes. :mrgreen:
2. That was really overselling Pole Position on the home console. And Sega did better than Atari in the arcades, too. Which is enough of an excuse to post this:

[video=youtube;yHGt4Zy-l6c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHGt4Zy-l6c[/video]
 
We got a bit of good news down here today. Toyota announced that the GT86 will be starting from 29K. Most of us were expecting the usual price gouging of around 40. It also should have the added bonus of causing other makers to take a good look at their own pricing.
 
Rex Luther said:
We got a bit of good news down here today. Toyota announced that the GT86 will be starting from 29K. Most of us were expecting the usual price gouging of around 40. It also should have the added bonus of causing other makers to take a good look at their own pricing.
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This is indeed great news, an entry price that low was the last thing I expected from Toyota. I was honestly preparing myself for it to start at around $45k. Suddenly all my reservations don't matter any more and I want one. Now the biggest problem would be actually getting your hands on one at that price.
 
Leadfoot866 said:
Went to Hersheypark over the weekend (just got back) with my brother and some friends. On our way home, we stopped at a service station for food and gas. As we were parking the car, I noticed a group of Ford Sierras (might have even been Cossies, now that I think about it) leaving the station.
Wondering if there's a Ford Sierra Club somewhere in Pennsylvania.
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There was a Ford show in Carlisle was this weekend.
Also, those were most likely all the US version of the Sierra, the Merkur XR4Ti.
 
Leadfoot866 said:
Went to Hersheypark over the weekend (just got back) with my brother and some friends. On our way home, we stopped at a service station for food and gas. As we were parking the car, I noticed a group of Ford Sierras (might have even been Cossies, now that I think about it) leaving the station.
Wondering if there's a Ford Sierra Club somewhere in Pennsylvania.

Didn't get a chance to take a picture, regretably... :(
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You sure they weren't Merkur XR4Ti's as opposed to proper Ford Sierras? I've seen a handful of them pottering around that area lately.
 
Motherfucker! Apparently there was some sort of Maserati event organized by my company in Beijing this week end and some sort of race was organized... They just forgot to tell the biggest petrolhead of the company (me) that it actually existed...

Now I'm not pissed because I didn't get to see some Maseratis... I'm pissed because they were actually one driver short and I could have taken part into the race like one my colleague did...


:blowup:



The CEO made sure today that I would be made aware of any other event of this kind, so at least there's hope for the future ^^
 
Leadfoot866 said:
Went to Hersheypark over the weekend (just got back) with my brother and some friends. On our way home, we stopped at a service station for food and gas. As we were parking the car, I noticed a group of Ford Sierras (might have even been Cossies, now that I think about it) leaving the station.
Wondering if there's a Ford Sierra Club somewhere in Pennsylvania.

Didn't get a chance to take a picture, regretably... :(
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Lupin_IV said:
There was a Ford show in Carlisle was this weekend.
Also, those were most likely all the US version of the Sierra, the Merkur XR4Ti.
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That explains why they were all there. This was after Carlisle around the time they'd be going home due to the storm.

EyeMWing said:
You sure they weren't Merkur XR4Ti's as opposed to proper Ford Sierras? I've seen a handful of them pottering around that area lately.
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They were Merkurs (at least 3 of the 5 were), I saw the badges.
 
So, I've come across the opportunity to purchase a Peugeot 205 GTI. But obviously I'm not going to find very many parts for it here in Canada. So I was wondering if anyone had any experience with ordering car parts from overseas. How much does shipping tend to cost? Will I have to pay duty fees as well? Am I insane for even considering it? :p
 
Evel said:
So, I've come across the opportunity to purchase a Peugeot 205 GTI. But obviously I'm not going to find very many parts for it here in Canada. So I was wondering if anyone had any experience with ordering car parts from overseas. How much does shipping tend to cost? Will I have to pay duty fees as well? Am I insane for even considering it? :p
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A surprisingly large amount for anything that's not tiny, you can have to pay duty/customs fees, yes you are.

PelicanHazard said:
That explains why they were all there. This was after Carlisle around the time they'd be going home due to the storm.



They were Merkurs (at least 3 of the 5 were), I saw the badges.
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Cosmetic conversions of some of the surviving XR4Tis has become more common (relatively) since the Ford Sierras of Europe started aging out and going to the junkyards over there - which allows parts to do the conversion to be obtained at much lower cost.
 
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Evel said:
While you're still probably right, I appear to have just found a parts supplier here in Ontario. Mind you, they're about 400 km away from Toronto, but progress nonetheless! :p
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Well, if the Euro tanks like it looks like it will, you can probably make off with entire containerloads of parts from Europe cheap at that point. It's what I'm considering doing.
 
Spectre said:
Well, if the Euro tanks like it looks like it will, you can probably make off with entire containerloads of parts from Europe cheap at that point. It's what I'm considering doing.
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Right now the Dollar is diving faster than the Euro. It's a devaluation race, we'll see who of us loses more.

Anyways, let's put politics aside. You know how car rental companies offer you "X or similar" as a car choice when renting? I am hoping for "or similar", whatever it may be, as I just booked a Hertz ICAR class car for my US holiday: "Toyota Corolla or similar".
 
Dr_Grip said:
Right now the Dollar is diving faster than the Euro. It's a devaluation race, we'll see who of us loses more.
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He's in Canada. His dollar isn't tanking and probably won't. As for me, what I'm looking to buy is located in the PIIGS countries, so I may have an opportunity there despite dollar devaluation - i.e., when certain countries re-introduce non-Euro currencies.

Anyways, let's put politics aside. You know how car rental companies offer you "X or similar" as a car choice when renting? I am hoping for "or similar", whatever it may be, as I just booked a Hertz ICAR class car for my US holiday: "Toyota Corolla or similar".
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I wouldn't. Hertz's Corolla class includes such fun things as the Cobalt and Caliber.
 
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Spectre said:
I wouldn't. Hertz's Corolla class includes such fun things as the Cobalt and Caliber.
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So let's hope it's a Corolla. Or that I'll get a free upgrade to a higher class cause they've run out of vehicles in mine, which seems to be pretty common in LAX during the summer.
 
Dr_Grip said:
So let's hope it's a Corolla. Or that I'll get a free upgrade to a higher class cause they've run out of vehicles in mine, which seems to be pretty common in LAX during the summer.
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"Good news, sir! We were unable to get you a Corolla class, so we've upgraded you to a Dodge Avenger!"

Or, worse - Chevrolet Impala base model.
 
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Spectre said:
Or, worse - Chevrolet Impala base model.
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At least that sounds like me driving this car:
chevrolet-impala-1.jpg


I know, I know, could not be farer from the truth.
 
I think I ended up with an Impala a few years ago, I think I posted a rant/review about it.
 
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