Ferrari Mailing List: Re: German Cars

(continued)

Michael sez "If the heater and A/C work, and there's a radio, I'm pretty 

happy"

Dang Michael - that's 3 for 3.  Our 308 gets a 0 for 3 score.  That and one 

side of the electric windows needs a lookin' into heh heh.  Ahhhhh, but that 

sound, eh?

onward
DOUG

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "Michael James" <cavallino_rapante [at] yahoo.com>

To: "DOUG" <dnt [at] dock.net>
Cc: "The FerrariList" <ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 7:46 AM
Subject: Re: [Ferrari] German Cars

I was hoping of getting-into a German car in the next month or two - I 

actually like the MB C280 4Matic or a 5-speed manual 3-Series BMW. I think 

either car would be practical and a good 'snow-car' with Blizzacks on the 

rims. I'm not looking to 'make statements' per se, or drive a land-yaht (I 

don't know any fat people who need seat-space defined in cubic yards) - I 

just want a 4-door car that is well-built, great in the snow, some Cache', 

some modern/modest luxury, and can run for 100K miles trouble-free. I'm 

finding LOTS of C280s and 3-Series BMWs with sub-30K miles for around $20K, 

cars that would appear to be leased vehicles that were gently-used.

Keep in mind, my 'current' car is a 1996 stripped Ford Ranger with 250,000+ 

miles on it. A five-year-old Honda would be luxurious in comparison - I'm 

not a 'bells-and-whistles' guy. If the heater and A/C work, and there's a 

radio, I'm pretty happy.

M

P.S. - the Head work on my 308 is going well, I should have those finished 

in January. The Transfer Case and associated bearings will also be done by 

spring. Having a great deal of difficulty finding the correct Cylinder 

Liners at an affordable price, though.

--- On Wed, 12/23/09, TheMightyToe <themightytoe [at] gmail.com> wrote:

From: TheMightyToe <themightytoe [at] gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Ferrari] Michael Schumacher
To: "Michael" <Cavallino_Rapante [at] yahoo.com>
Cc: "The FerrariList" <ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com>
Date: Wednesday, December 23, 2009, 10:02 AM

KR says:

But fear not; the German cars have video cameras to use backing up until 

mirrors are invented. They have vibrators in the steering wheel that chide 

you when you prove incapable of staying in your lane. They have 

forward-looking xray lasers to part the waters when the road floods. And the 

tires are good for 10,000 miles. Unless you get the run-flat option which 

rides like Flintstone Rocktreads and cannot be fixed when punctured.

Ken, you do realize that these exact "advances" are specifically
targetting the Houston area driver? Flat perfect roads, occasional
floods mixed with year round perfect conditions, and the worst
collective driving ability on the planet? Seriously last time I drove
there I saw some poor bastard on a Harley get taken out by a lady in an
SUV on her cell phone, leaving a tollbooth. Last time I saw something
that horrible was on trip to India (where I imagine driver training is
marginally better than Houston's).

But on BMW's I agree, that company jumped the Shark back in 2000. My
E46 M3 was probably my last BMW, they just don't make a cool car
anymore. MB has never appealed to me in any way, not even their
"classics" which are below any standard set by their contemporaries in
both looks and performance. Who wants a car that lasts forever if its
hideous and you have to look at it forever? They drive very solidly,
but have no soul whatsoever and really belong only in the hands of a
retiree. Porsche and Audi are about the only German car companies
making interesting rides these days (I do like my VW GTI a lot, but it
is a standout for VW's line of cars I think).

Now here is something I pondered a few nights ago at the movie
theaters... They played an add for Kia, and the ad was not for a car
but for the company. The pitch was how great and modern their
manufacturing plant in the southern US was and how it provided jobs for
American workers... So if I analyze this? What they are actually
saying is it is cheaper for them to make cars in the deep south of the
US than in Korea? Wow. Just wow and how sad for us to be practically a
third world country in many respects...

That said, a neighbor of mine has a Hyundai Genesis Sedan, and it is
every bit as nice as a Merc S class. Even looks like one a bit.

Now what I really do not get, is how ANY car company could link F1 to
their product line? When have we seen any F1 tech in a Mercedes if
ever? Or a Renault, or a Toyota road car?

BR,
Mike

Ken Rentiers wrote:

Fellippe always enjoy your messages, but I have to disagree with this one.

It's certainly true that many of the old garden variety Benz's were slow, 

and about as exciting to drive as, well, a bank vault which is what they 

were built like. It is also true that many of the latest iteration of MB 

and BMW products are crap.

Due to the pressures of the Deutschland greenies much of the current BMW 

line is now made of recycled plastic. This includes the radiator. Given 

enough heat/cool cycles (oh say 50,000 miles worth) the eco-plastic 

becomes as brittle as the peanut variety of same, and cracks. Usually at 

the most inopportune time, giving you about 30 seconds to shut down before 

the head warps.

Did I mention they were as ugly as moose butts? Did I mention they had no 

dipsticks? Onliest way you can check the oil level is to drain it out and 

measure it!

Crap. Idiocy. Obergruppenarrogance!

But fear not; the German cars have video cameras to use backing up until 

mirrors are invented. They have vibrators in the steering wheel that chide 

you when you prove incapable of staying in your lane. They have 

forward-looking xray lasers to part the waters when the road floods. And 

the tires are good for 10,000 miles. Unless you get the run-flat option 

which rides like Flintstone Rocktreads and cannot be fixed when punctured.

Crap!!! - gimme the older, simpler cars that you drove instead of rode in. 

The ones without bulbous snouts to meet new Euro-regs about not hitting 

below the pedestrians' knees. Like the ugly new 5 series. Don't cry for me 

Pininfarina - I got some nice old iron I shall keep forever.

Screw progress and while I'm at it HUMBUG!

Except for you Fellippe - you're a good guy even if you do latch on to a 

little misdirected opinion at times. My best to you and yours and have a 

wonderful Christmas. All the rest of you too, except those taken in by the 

Hollywood crap machine now showing "Eco-smurfs v The US Marines" (Avatar). 

##$%^&* tree-hugging commies every one of them.

:-)
love and kisses
the kenverine

On Dec 22, 2009, at 10:14 PM, Fellippe Galletta wrote:

On Tue, Dec 22, 2009 at 8:46 AM, LS <lashdeep [at] yahoo.com> wrote:

Roger that...before they became plastic toasters?

I'll take a 190E 2.3 16v and an AMG Hammer.

LS

Oh man.

With some of you guys on here, it's like every civilian brand needs to
maintain a 250 GTO like aura around their cars....ugh.

Sure, MB of new isn't quite like MB of old but who seriously wants a 190E
over a new E, S, CL, CLK, SL or CLS? LOL.

A vintage Gullwing is a different story of course, and a genuine AMG 

Hammer

or Porsche built E500 is worthy of consideration, but not all garden

variety Benzes made between 1980-1999. You seriously want bulletproof, 

buy a

new Japanese car...done, end of story.

I'll play along and be a good sport and say the '90s S Class was the last 

of

the uber Mercedes Benz elite class. When comparing each respective
generation of S, this was easily the best, from the look, the armored car

like construction, those dual pane windows, and the first big HP V12 in 

the

600...the quintessential Benz.

Still wouldn't get it over the newer S's. You're buying an
expensive prestige sedan for the cachet/style/keeping up with the

joneses/etc first, everything else comes second. Anyone who says 

otherwise

is clearly lying to himself or others!

The '90s S or Miami Vice era S's no longer fit the bill....so no point in

owning these maintenance nightmares unless it's for the novelty factor 

and

short term. For that LS, you did it right with those BMWs!

It's time to expose the (forty) 800 pound gorilla for what it is! I don't
hate those older Benzes...still respect them....but to act like they were
the only good cars from the factory is silly.

FG
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Re: German Cars	<– Date –> <– Thread –>
From: Doug and Terri Anderson (dntdock.net)
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 2009 06:16:36 -0800 (PST)