November Car Sales Could Hit Pace Not Seen Since 2008

[John F Kennedy III]

I hear you on that. I'm driving my car until it dies.

At any rate, if you ever have the time, you should check out all the goodies on new car lots nowadays. Some killer cars out there at very affordable prices with rockin' MPG ratings. The next few years are going to be great for new car shoppers. Ford's got a new 999cc engine it will bring stateside - word is that it can do 50mpg with 123hp using the EcoBoost tech they have.

I've been going for pleasure recently. Fun to see how the industry is changing.

Most cars the past 15-20 years are tin can death traps. I'd rather have a 60s-early 70s muscle car with steel frame and body and a motor anybody can work on. If I get in a head on collission with a new car I know which one of us is walking away...probably even driving home still.

[Tod]

There are many older cars that I would say are superior to newer cars, even in the same model sometimes. That's not just my opinion, but there are plenty of car experts who would say the same thing. Something being newer doesn't make it superior, either.

Unfortunately, when a new design comes out the builder frequently tosses out the baby with the bathwater. Take "wings" for example. Those were a GREAT feature for ventilation, but nobody offers them any more. Why? I suspect because the builder is able to save money by not offering them.

And modern pickups no longer have a real bench seat. I liked the bench seat in my first pickup because my dogs could stretch out comfortably on them. Modern pickup seats don't cut it. They suck.

[angelatc]

Most cars the past 15-20 years are tin can death traps. I'd rather have a 60s-early 70s muscle car with steel frame and body and a motor anybody can work on. If I get in a head on collission with a new car I know which one of us is walking away...probably even driving home still.

As much as I would desperatly like to agree with you, I think the highway fatality rates indicate that the crash engineering in new cars is indeed effective.

But I don't care. I have an aversion to safety.

Plus - one time, in Florida, I was driving my '74 VW bus, which went from 0 - 60 in about 5 minutes. There was no jack-rabbit starting to that thing, so it took a little bigger-than-most-people-need traffic gap to cross intersections. One day, the guy behind me thought I was going to go, and he rammed into the back of me, from a dead stop.

His car was barely driveable, while my bumper was only scratched because it was painted. I suggested we not file a report, because he had nothing to gain. He concurred.

[angelatc]

I'd love to have a '74 beetle, if I had the money for a second vehicle and knew of one that wasn't rusted out. Great cars, simple to work on, reliable, fun to drive, decent fuel economy, etc.

Colder than hell in the winter.

[angelatc]

And that's why muscle cars continue to drop in value and folks are willing to pay more than list for the new "hot rods"..

And make no mistake - when I'm finished with it, any vintage car I drive will be worth a lot less than it was when I bought it. I am going to drive the hell out of it.

[NorfolkPCSolutions]

Oh, so it's ok for you to insult me and my tastes, but not ok when I turn the tables? Poor baby.

Here's a hint - I like books, camping, baking, food, gardening and sex. And old cars. Sex in old cars, with big back seats. You might say that I can heat my own seats.

Thanks for asking.

Posting in an epic thread. This is gettin' good...pix or it didn't happen! j/k :-)

[angelatc]

And modern pickups no longer have a real bench seat. I liked the bench seat in my first pickup because my dogs could stretch out comfortably on them. Modern pickup seats don't cut it. They suck.

Yeah. dogs like big back seats. That's what I tell people, too.

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

Unfortunately, when a new design comes out the builder frequently tosses out the baby with the bathwater. Take "wings" for example. Those were a GREAT feature for ventilation, but nobody offers them any more. Why? I suspect because the builder is able to save money by not offering them.

Yes. They'll make newer models worse by cutting costs, losing features, adding unreliable technology, sourcing crappier parts, and probably all kinds of other ways. It might be 5-6 years before people can figure out that an older model was better, but if you're looking for a car that is 5-8 years old and start reading owner reviews or forums around the internet, there have been plenty of times where I've seen a 2004 model something being judged superior to the same 2006 model, etc. A lot of times, you'll find people who can tell you exactly why.

[John F Kennedy III]

I'm not inclined to trust those numbers. Let's just say I'd feel much safer in an old muscle car. Almost any car 50ish thru 73 actually.

[John F Kennedy III]

Yeah. dogs like big back seats. That's what I tell people, too.

Dogs hate compact cars...