On Fri, 04 Aug 2006 15:35:16 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

If their engines are as badly designed as those in Chrysler minivans, they
should be blowing blue smoke by 50K miles, thereby making them candidates
for the junkyard at an early age.


"Tim" wrote in message
ups.com...
Our local FEDEX terminal bout a few Sprinters, and have had bad luck
with them. But I can imagine that. Not due to poor quality or
engineering. But the "Cowboy" or "Loose nuts behind the wheel"
syndrome,


Don White wrote:
Eisboch wrote:
"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...


JohnH wrote:

The wife will retire in Jan '08. We'll probably doing some serious
traveling then. She's not seen much of this country, and I've some
favorite
spots I want to show her - not by air!
--


John, if I were shopping for a car in that price range and were
planning a
lot of driving, I'd sure take a new BMW 530x for a test ride. Of all
the
cars I've driven in the last five years, the BMW was the most "driver's
car."


The Caddy *is* a nice car, as is the BMW, both the 5 and 7 series. My
wife
drives a 750il and it's probably the best touring car I've ever driven.
I
won't comment on the M5 - it's just too crazy.

However John, if traveling the country is in your future, you might
want to
consider something else.
Mrs.E. and I just returned from a very pleasant trip to Norfolk in our
Dodge
Sprinter mini-RV. I've tried big class "A" motorhomes and Fifth-wheel
trailers and didn't like either for a number of reasons. We got the
little
Sprinter last summer and it's perfect for two. It's easy to drive ...
not
tiring (I did 582 miles in one day and didn't feel exhausted from
driving)
and has a number of advantages over big RVs. They include:

Small size (21 feet) allows parking anywhere you could park a pickup.
Little Mercedes diesel delivered 17-18 mpg on our trip, pulling a 13'
Haulmark trailer.
You can stay at campsites, or stay at a hotel without worrying about
where
to park.
The power sofa easily opens at the touch of a button into either a
king-sized bed or two singles.
(The bed is bigger than any of the beds in our other RVs)
It has all the amenities of a big RV - stovetop, refrig, microwave, LCD
TV,
bathroom and shower.
Mrs.E. has no problem driving it. On our last trip she sat on the rear
sofa
for a while watching a DVD while I drove. On the way back we left the
bed
set up and she took a long nap during part of the trip.

For trips of 3 or 4 days there's enough storage space for clothes, food
etc.
within the RV. I bought a small Haulmark trailer and set it up to
carry
extra stuff in the event we want to travel further. The rig will tow
up to
5000 lbs. The Haulmark trailer we got is one size up from the smallest
and
has a GVW of 3000 lbs.

The Sprinter is actually made by Mercedes and is marketed in the US
under
the Dodge, Freightliner and Mercedes badges. Most of the major RV
conversion manufacturers are introducing their RV versions based on
this
chassis due to it's popularity and relatively high fuel mileage. Ours
was
built by Pleasure-Way, but there are several others available.

Pics at:

www.eisboch.com/sprinter

Eisboch



When the Sprinters were introduced here a few years ago, they all seemed
to be cargo type vans available in two or three roof height models.
A number of them are used as delivery vehicles here in the city. I was
interested right away...but thought they were a bit pricey.
http://www-5.dodge.ca/vehsuite/dispatch.do



Their engine has a good reputation in Europe.
--
******************************************
***** Have a Spectacular Day! *****
******************************************

John

JohnH wrote:
The extra $30K spent
on an RV would buy a lot of motel rooms!

That's my thought on the same subject. It will also help fill the tank
too!

In Europe we camped everywhere we went, almost always on two motorcycles.
Now she thinks she deserves a motel. Sheeesh!


Been there too!

On Fri, 04 Aug 2006 18:34:33 GMT, Jack Goff wrote:

On Fri, 04 Aug 2006 11:20:45 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 22:46:27 GMT, Jack Goff wrote:

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 19:23:49 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 11:13:43 GMT, Jack Goff wrote:

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 10:35:58 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 01:39:01 GMT, Jack Goff wrote:

On Wed, 02 Aug 2006 14:20:24 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

On 2 Aug 2006 06:11:49 -0700, "basskisser" wrote:


Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
Slow steady wins the race.

I don't think John Force would buy into that.

John Force is an idiot.

And drag racing sucks - unless it's on the street and it's a Mustang
or some crappy rice burner.

That's when the 'Vette teaches 'em a lesson. :)

You got a C6R? Anthing less and the new Mustang Cobra will show the
'vette the door! :-)

Highly unlikely. 645 hp before the NOX. :)

Ahhh... traction is your problem.

Um....I don't have a problem.

Not with traction? It's tubbed?

As Jack Burton said "Like I told my last wife, I said, "Honey, I never
drive faster than I can see, and besides... it's all in the reflexes."

Especially with Mustangs. :)

Yeah... well, only little boys wear bowties.

Careful there - I'm a blue oval guy from way back. :)

I just don't like Mustangs.

You did see the smilie I put after the bowtie comment, right? Anyway,
I like the new Mustangs, and briefly considered one, but then a friend
told me that I'd regret it. I'd soon see them everywhere, and mostly
with kids driving them. I listened, and ended up with the Boxster.
No regrets. :-)

Strange thing about classic/muscle cars...

GM lovers seem to like anything GM. A guy with a Camaro will look at
and appreciate an old Malibu, or whatever.

Ford guys seeem to divided into two camps. The Mustang guys, and
everything else. The Mustang guys will hardly even glance at an old
Torino, and act like everything else Ford is less than their precious
pony car. Kind of sickening.

Mopar guys are just crazy.

Myself, I like 'em all, pretty much. Old Mopar, Ford and even GM
products. I draw the line at Chevelles, though. Fat-fendered, ugly,
and everybody and his brother who doesn't have a Mustang has, or lusts
after, a Chevelle. Yech.

The Mustang GT is a fun car. You're right about Mustang owners thoughts
about other Ford products. I wouldn't consider one.

Your friend was correct, at least in my opinion. I enjoy the hell out of
driving the car in the country, or for short (100 mile) trips on the
interstate. But, after about five hours, I got very butt-sore in the thing.
Perhaps I should have stopped more, or adjusted the seat differently. I
took only one quick pee-stop during the trip from Alexandria to
Winston-Salem. I think I'd be happier with a Boxter also.

Why the hell couldn't Porsche splurge and put a Porsche emblem on the rear
end of the Boxter?
--
******************************************
***** Have a Spectacular Day! *****
******************************************

John

My favorite "fun" car is my '92 Lincoln Mk VII LSC It's in the garage
I haven't licensed it in 4 years. I didn't mind 500 mile trips in it at
all. Odd car. it's easiet to get out of then get in. hmmm. On the road
locked in at 70 it would still get 24 mpg. and for being a sport coupe,
it floats pretty good.

I don't know why I'm saving it back. I ought to license it again.


JohnH wrote:
On Fri, 04 Aug 2006 18:34:33 GMT, Jack Goff wrote:

On Fri, 04 Aug 2006 11:20:45 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 22:46:27 GMT, Jack Goff wrote:

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 19:23:49 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 11:13:43 GMT, Jack Goff wrote:

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 10:35:58 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 01:39:01 GMT, Jack Goff wrote:

On Wed, 02 Aug 2006 14:20:24 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

On 2 Aug 2006 06:11:49 -0700, "basskisser" wrote:


Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
Slow steady wins the race.

I don't think John Force would buy into that.

John Force is an idiot.

And drag racing sucks - unless it's on the street and it's a Mustang
or some crappy rice burner.

That's when the 'Vette teaches 'em a lesson. :)

You got a C6R? Anthing less and the new Mustang Cobra will show the
'vette the door! :-)

Highly unlikely. 645 hp before the NOX. :)

Ahhh... traction is your problem.

Um....I don't have a problem.

Not with traction? It's tubbed?

As Jack Burton said "Like I told my last wife, I said, "Honey, I never
drive faster than I can see, and besides... it's all in the reflexes."

Especially with Mustangs. :)

Yeah... well, only little boys wear bowties.

Careful there - I'm a blue oval guy from way back. :)

I just don't like Mustangs.

You did see the smilie I put after the bowtie comment, right? Anyway,
I like the new Mustangs, and briefly considered one, but then a friend
told me that I'd regret it. I'd soon see them everywhere, and mostly
with kids driving them. I listened, and ended up with the Boxster.
No regrets. :-)

Strange thing about classic/muscle cars...

GM lovers seem to like anything GM. A guy with a Camaro will look at
and appreciate an old Malibu, or whatever.

Ford guys seeem to divided into two camps. The Mustang guys, and
everything else. The Mustang guys will hardly even glance at an old
Torino, and act like everything else Ford is less than their precious
pony car. Kind of sickening.

Mopar guys are just crazy.

Myself, I like 'em all, pretty much. Old Mopar, Ford and even GM
products. I draw the line at Chevelles, though. Fat-fendered, ugly,
and everybody and his brother who doesn't have a Mustang has, or lusts
after, a Chevelle. Yech.

The Mustang GT is a fun car. You're right about Mustang owners thoughts
about other Ford products. I wouldn't consider one.

Your friend was correct, at least in my opinion. I enjoy the hell out of
driving the car in the country, or for short (100 mile) trips on the
interstate. But, after about five hours, I got very butt-sore in the thing.
Perhaps I should have stopped more, or adjusted the seat differently. I
took only one quick pee-stop during the trip from Alexandria to
Winston-Salem. I think I'd be happier with a Boxter also.

Why the hell couldn't Porsche splurge and put a Porsche emblem on the rear
end of the Boxter?
--
******************************************
***** Have a Spectacular Day! *****
******************************************

John

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Bert Robbins" wrote in message
...

Anyway...back to the oil subject: Oil is a product too important to
be fiddled with by monkeys. Would you agree that when the price
increases by 50%, it affects parts of the economy in negative ways?
Develop another source of usable energy that is more cost effective
than oil is and you could be rich. Otherwise, shut up and pay before
you pump.

Irrelevant. Would you agree that when the price increases by 50%, it
affects parts of the economy in negative ways?
Why is it irrelevant? Is it that you don't want to discuss
alternatives because it will spoil you current activity of slamming
the Bush Administration?

How many people have been laid off due to the increase in oil costs?
How many people have gone bankrupt due to the increase in oil costs?

The more interesting piece of economic news of late is the potential
increase in the forclosure rate due to the variable interest rate
mortgages rising considerably over the next two years. The general,
pre oil price rise, trend over the last two years that is predicted by
the FRBS is more troubling. Shouldn't the FRBS be lowering the rate to
keep the current variable rate mortgage payers in paying rather than
being forclosed on?

He says sitting on a 5.75% 30 year fixed interest rate mortgage.
You're drinking again. What's Bush got to do with the futures market,
which has been around since before he was scraped out of his petri
dish?
Who said anything about Bush? FRBS = Federal Reserve Banking System. You
know they guys that are independent of the three branches of government
and who set monitary policy in the US.

You're right about oil though. Its cost is only important to the cars
we drive, and anything that needs to be shipped. That's not much. Every
now and then, I push a button and see a graph of the per mile trucking
costs my company and ALL others have paid over the years. It's a steep
curve over the last 40 months or so. But, it must be wrong, even though
the figures come directly from our invoices. Maybe I need my glasses
checked.
What have you stopped doing due to the increase in oil? Have you stopped
eating? Have you lost your house? Have you given up driving your car or
boat? Have you reduced the number of movies you go to? Have you stoped
funding your 401k or your IRA? How has the increase in oil price
materially affected you?
You must be stoned. Or, somebody else does the shopping in your house.
Typical Doug non-answer and an attempt at shifting the conversation.

***ME*** shift the conversation? You're talking about mortgage rates while
I'm telling that freight rates have increased 30% in 40-ish months*, and
you're making like it's a non-event.

*A number of months which is not a coincidence, by the way.

How much has the cost of groceries gone up at your local grocery store
in the last two years?

On Sat, 05 Aug 2006 00:48:39 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:



If I had my druthers, and really - really - wanted my "dream" car, it
would be a Torino or a Ranchero. I had a Ranchero which was basically
a Torino withe a pickup body when I was working for Texaco in the
early '70s - it was a great little car/truck/whatever.

I had a '71 Torino in high school/college. I always wanted another,
and bought a solid '70 a couple of years ago. It's a fastback GT,
351C 4V auto, with power steering, power disc brakes, and
(non-functioning) AC. I drive it weekly, but am almost finished
building my shop, where I will tear it apart and restore it. I figure
a couple of years, and it will be back on the road. I'm thinking a
stroker 408 Cleveland, built C4, 2800 stall, with 3.73 posi. Fun.

I like the Rancheros, but my wife can't stand them. Hey, she'll
actually ride with me when I go do some smokey burnouts, so she's not
all bad! :-)

I'm kind of like you - I love the older muscle cars. The "Vette has
been with me since I bought it in '70 when I was in the service. I
had a 440 GTX also that I sold recently for an astonishing sum which
only proves that MOPAR types are just plain nuts. :)

Muscle cars are going for crazy money these days. Mopars were the
worst built cars back then, and few were sold, but everybody *loves*
them now. Torinos didn't have huge sales numbers and aren't nearly as
popular as as many of the other period cars, but you can still pick
one up for a reasonable price. Their value is on the rise... fully
restored #1 drag pack super cobra jets are hitting 100K now.
Unfortunately, you can't build one out of a catalog like you can a
Mustang, Camaro, etc. You have to work for anything you need. Rear
window louvers... $1200. Hide-aways headlight grills... $800+.
Shaker setups? Don't ask.

It's pretty cool to still have the 'vette you bought back in the 70's.
Can you say "memories"? Oh yeah... :-)

" JimH" jimhUNDERSCOREosudad@yahooDOTcom wrote in message
. ..

"Jack Goff" wrote in message
...

Myself, I like 'em all, pretty much. Old Mopar, Ford and even GM
products. I draw the line at Chevelles, though. Fat-fendered, ugly,
and everybody and his brother who doesn't have a Mustang has, or lusts
after, a Chevelle. Yech.



http://www.seriouswheels.com/classif...5000_220_1.jpg

Drool ;-)


I've never understood the fascination with '70s vintage Chevelles. To me,
they are not in any way a "classic", they handle terribly and they're a dime
a dozen.

Eisboch

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

" JimH" jimhUNDERSCOREosudad@yahooDOTcom wrote in message
. ..

"Jack Goff" wrote in message
...

Myself, I like 'em all, pretty much. Old Mopar, Ford and even GM
products. I draw the line at Chevelles, though. Fat-fendered, ugly,
and everybody and his brother who doesn't have a Mustang has, or lusts
after, a Chevelle. Yech.



http://www.seriouswheels.com/classif...5000_220_1.jpg

Drool ;-)


I've never understood the fascination with '70s vintage Chevelles. To me,
they are not in any way a "classic", they handle terribly and they're a
dime a dozen.

Eisboch


Ain't it grand that we can all share different opinions in life? I would
love to own a 1970 396 Chevelle SS.

"Bert Robbins" wrote in message
. ..


***ME*** shift the conversation? You're talking about mortgage rates
while I'm telling that freight rates have increased 30% in 40-ish
months*, and you're making like it's a non-event.

*A number of months which is not a coincidence, by the way.

How much has the cost of groceries gone up at your local grocery store in
the last two years?

On which products in particular? An average would be meaningless.

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Bert Robbins" wrote in message
. ..

***ME*** shift the conversation? You're talking about mortgage rates
while I'm telling that freight rates have increased 30% in 40-ish
months*, and you're making like it's a non-event.

*A number of months which is not a coincidence, by the way.
How much has the cost of groceries gone up at your local grocery store in
the last two years?

On which products in particular? An average would be meaningless.



You really are a difficult prick, which provides great insight into your
current situation and condition.

Has your weekly grocery bill gone up by 2% or 10% over the last year or
two? Itemize it if you want. If an average is good enough for the CPI
then it is good enough for you.