# What's Your Favorite New/Retro Pony Car?



## El Mahdi (Jul 23, 2009)

(Hey, even game geeks like muscle cars.)


I'd imagine that within the next few years we'll all start switching to Hybrids or completely alternate fuel source vehicles (Hydrogen, Electric, etc.).  So, since this is probably the Last Hurrah for the Muscle Car, (I'd doubt we see any more _"Muscle Cars"_ produced again ... Ever) what's you favorite?

Is it the new Dodge Challenger, the Ford Mustang, or the Chevy Camaro?

Vote Now!


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## El Mahdi (Jul 23, 2009)

With the curb weight of these three cars, it's kind of hard to call any of them _Pony Cars_ anymore (Aprox 3600 lbs for the Challenger and the Mustang, and a relatively svelte 3200 lbs for the Camaro). However, my favorite of the three is the Challenger. Besides, even if it's Hemi in name only (it really doesn't have a whole lot in common with the original Hemi engines), it's just so cool to say you have a Hemi under the hood.

None of them are going to be super fast off the line due to their robust weight (any light car with a turbocharged V6 could probably beat them at 0 to 60), but there's just something about the roar of a big, nasty V8 (as long as you can afford the gas).

The redesigned Mustang is pretty cool, especially if you have the cash to lay down for a GT500. However, even though the Camaro is probably the faster of the three, it looks too much like some kind of spaceship to me (especially in Silver). The Challenger however, especially in SRT8 trim, just looks like the best mix of modern options with throwback styling IMO.


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## nerfherder (Jul 23, 2009)

I'm a big fan of cars, but muscle cars have never done anything for me.  In fact, I had to look each one up to see what they looked like.  So, sell me on muscle cars 

Dodge






Ford





Chevy





[ame=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2286346925315509530]Top Gear - Ford Mustang GT 2005[/ame]


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## Dannyalcatraz (Jul 24, 2009)

Though I'm never going to drive any kind of sports car, I like their aesthetics...and I think this current crop of retro-styled muscle cars looks pretty good all around.

As for seeing the last hurrah of this kind of car, don't count them out just yet!  I've seen some prototype vehicles that are both energy efficient and surprisingly powerful.

There was one fully electric car- a roadster type- that was featured in some tech show I caught on late-night cable a month or so ago.  Due to the way they had it geared, it actually out-accelerated a Formula race car!  And as I recall, the show was a rerun from a couple of years ago.

If that kind of tech becomes commercially viable, you may yet see another "pony car" renaissance.  Only instead of a throaty roar of a V8 (or bigger!), it will be the silent hum of an electric.


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## nerfherder (Jul 24, 2009)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> As for seeing the last hurrah of this kind of car, don't count them out just yet!  I've seen some prototype vehicles that are both energy efficient and surprisingly powerful.
> 
> There was one fully electric car- a roadster type- that was featured in some tech show I caught on late-night cable a month or so ago.  Due to the way they had it geared, it actually out-accelerated a Formula race car!  And as I recall, the show was a rerun from a couple of years ago.
> 
> If that kind of tech becomes commercially viable, you may yet see another "pony car" renaissance.  Only instead of a throaty roar of a V8 (or bigger!), it will be the silent hum of an electric.



Sounds like the Tesla Roadster, based on a Lotus Elise.  It's in production, although the production model wouldn't out accelerate a F1 car!  There's even a company that have produced a prototype engine sound system that sounds like a V8, or whatever engine you want, based on the accelerator inputs.

As an edit to my previous comments in the thread, I do like the sound produced by a muscle car, but I'd rather have a V8 in something like an AMG or Aston Martin.


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## El Mahdi (Jul 24, 2009)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> ...Only instead of a throaty roar of a V8 (or bigger!), it will be the silent hum of an electric.




Do you mean like this?

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_y27chNLas]YouTube - Volkswagen 2009 Jetta TDI- Clean Diesel Sets World Record of 58 mpg vs Hybrid Commercial[/ame]


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## El Mahdi (Jul 24, 2009)

nerfherder said:


> I'm a big fan of cars, but muscle cars have never done anything for me. In fact, I had to look each one up to see what they looked like. So, sell me on muscle cars




Not sure if I can sell you on them.  It may just be a US thing. (or maybe Australia also, you could probably call the cars from _Mad Max_ muscle cars.) Muscle cars aren't always about performance (although their are many with good to very good performance).  Muscle cars are pretty much all about *Horsepower* (well, except for the new/retro muscle cars, they are just as luxury filled as any other modern car, just with a lot of horsepower - although affordable horsepower - not exotic horsepower like a Vette or a Viper).  Thus the old saying: _"There's no replacement for displacement!"_.

They were closely linked with NASCAR in the States.  The idea being you could watch it race on Sunday, and buy it from a dealer on Monday.  Some cars were also designed to run in the Trans Am series, but mostly it was about NASCAR.

The Pony Car was a sub-categoy of muscle cars, smaller and more light weight (not to mention more affordable) than the big muscle cars (like the Dodge Charger or the Plymouth Baricuda).


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## nerfherder (Jul 28, 2009)

El Mahdi said:


> The Pony Car was a sub-categoy of muscle cars, smaller and more light weight (not to mention more affordable) than the big muscle cars (like the Dodge Charger or the Plymouth Baricuda).



Thanks for the explanation - I'd heard of Muscle Cars and Pony Cars before, but hadn't realised that one was a sub-category of another.  Yeah, I like small, lighter cars, although I'm now appreciating the extra torque of a bigger engine.


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## Mustrum_Ridcully (Jul 30, 2009)

nerfherder said:


> I'm a big fan of cars, but muscle cars have never done anything for me.  In fact, I had to look each one up to see what they looked like.  So, sell me on muscle cars
> 
> Dodge
> 
> ...



I think I like the originals better. 

Biggest mistake in Transformers was having Bumblebee turn into an ugly retro instead of keeping the other frame, just because Megan Fox character said something against that. That just really made _no_ sense at all. Even if we do not take Transforming robots as a given and wonder about how that can even be possible. 
[/Car Snobbery]

From the ones here, I like the Dodge most. It reminds me a little of the General Lee from Dukes of Hazard.  [/Nostalgia]


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## El Mahdi (Aug 6, 2009)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> I think I like the originals better.
> 
> ...
> 
> From the ones here, I like the Dodge most. It reminds me a little of the General Lee from Dukes of Hazard.  [/Nostalgia]




Mmmmmm, Daisy Duke!


Yeah, I agree with you 100%.  I prefer the originals also.  But of these, I'd choose the Dodge also (even though the Hemi engine it has is pretty much just a "Hemi" in name only).

Now, if I could choose any muscle car, it would be a 1969 Mercury Cougar XR7 (or if I really had some money to spend, a Cougar Eliminator with a BOSS 302).  Oh, the bittersweet joy of dreaming.


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## ssampier (Aug 9, 2009)

Of classic vehicles, no doubt the Ford Mustang. I love the classic look. The Pontiac Firebird was pretty awesome, too. *

With the current models, in my town, it seems like Ford Mustang is pretty ubiquitous, driven by 30-40 somethings alongside large SUVs and large trucks.

This ubiquitous drops its points quite a bit.

If I had the money, I would probably pick the Chevy Camaro. I have ridden in one from a few years ago and it definitely has power. The Dodge has the nicest look, but reliability of Dodge hasn't not been good, imho.

* I should point out these cars were made long before I was born.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Aug 10, 2009)

Upon further reflection, Detroit will not make a comeback until they realize the world needs a full-sized version of one of these:

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/My-Little-Pony-Scootaloo-RC/dp/B00196Z05Y]Amazon.com: My Little Pony Scootaloo RC On The Go: Toys & Games[/ame]


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## nerfherder (Aug 10, 2009)

I saw an Aston Martin DBS driving past me today.  OK, it's not a muscle car, but it looks and sounds drop-dead _gorgeous_!


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## Pbartender (Aug 10, 2009)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> There was one fully electric car- a roadster type- that was featured in some tech show I caught on late-night cable a month or so ago.  Due to the way they had it geared, it actually out-accelerated a Formula race car!  And as I recall, the show was a rerun from a couple of years ago.




Go to YouTube, and do a search for "electric car drag race", and you'll get oodles of video of homemade electric car conversions out-accelerating sports cars and muscle cars of all sorts.

It has less to do with the gearing, and more to do with the fact that electric motors can provide full torque almost instantly.


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## nerfherder (Aug 10, 2009)

Pbartender said:


> Go to YouTube, and do a search for "electric car drag race", and you'll get oodles of video of homemade electric car conversions out-accelerating sports cars and muscle cars of all sorts.
> 
> It has less to do with the gearing, and more to do with the fact that electric motors can provide full torque almost instantly.



Yeah, that's caused some problems with transmissions - see the problems they had trying to get a two-speed gearbox to cope in the Tesla.

It will be interesting to see how the technology and engineering develop.  Currently you can get nearly as quick acceleration from a Lotus Elise SC, for a fraction of the price.  But, in the future, electric prices should come down.

Of course, their main problem is that they don't sound like a V12


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## Dannyalcatraz (Aug 10, 2009)

Pbartender said:


> Go to YouTube, and do a search for "electric car drag race", and you'll get oodles of video of homemade electric car conversions out-accelerating sports cars and muscle cars of all sorts.
> 
> It has less to do with the gearing, and more to do with the fact that electric motors can provide full torque almost instantly.




It wasn't a mere sports or muscle car it outperformed- this was something you'd see in a Formula One/IRL/CART race.

At any rate, you're probably right about that last part- I'm not a car guy, but what you said rings a bell.  (And while I love the aesthetics of cars, I'm not a real car guy...I know where the gas goes and how to aim the things...)


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## El Mahdi (Aug 10, 2009)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Upon further reflection, Detroit will not make a comeback until they realize the world needs a full-sized version of one of these:
> 
> Amazon.com: My Little Pony Scootaloo RC On The Go: Toys & Games




_Yaahhhhh!  My Eyes!_

That picture just caused me to go blind!  (Hysterical_Blindness)

(I'm typing this by feel!)


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## Wycen (Aug 11, 2009)

Of those pictured, I went with the Mustang because I like the body design.  I would have chosen the Camaro had the body design been more like the 1995-2000 design.  That new body is...not nice?  It looks like something else that I can't put my finger on.


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## Graybeard (Aug 11, 2009)

Out of the three, I vote the Challenger. I just like the looks of it better than the Camaro or the Mustang.


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## nerfherder (Aug 17, 2009)

I saw a RHD Ford Mustang yesterday.  I thought they were only available LHD?


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## Dannyalcatraz (Aug 18, 2009)

After the Judas Priest show I attended recently, I noticed a new Camaro a couple of spaces away from me.

Since there was a huge traffic jam, I decided to hang out a while.  Eventually, the car's owner and some of his buddies showed up, and he started showing off his car.

Apparently, the new Camaro has a remote starter.

Apparently, it does _not_ have a remote turn-off, because Mr Stoner Priest-fan didn't or couldn't turn it off for the half hour he was showing it off before opening the car up.


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## nerfherder (Aug 18, 2009)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Apparently, the new Camaro has a remote starter.



Why on earth would a car need a remote starter?


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## Mustrum_Ridcully (Aug 18, 2009)

nerfherder said:


> Why on earth would a car need a remote starter?



"KITT, meet me at the backyard". "Yes, Micheal".


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## nerfherder (Aug 18, 2009)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> "KITT, meet me at the backyard". "Yes, Micheal".



OK, why on earth would anyone from a country that doesn't obsess over the Hoff need a car with a remote starter?

As an aside, The Gadget Show did a great piece on making a telepresence car.  They added compressed-air actuators, 4 HD video cameras and radio transmitters and receivers to a full-sized Land Rover.  Then they set up a room with a modified gaming chair with steering wheel and pedals, a gear lever and starter button, 4 big LCD screens and transmitter/receivers.  Then they raced the car round a race track, completely remotely, against two cars with real drivers.

You can see it here: FiveFWD - Telepresence Car - Complete Challenge video from The Gadget Show


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## Dannyalcatraz (Aug 19, 2009)

> OK, why on earth would anyone from a country that doesn't obsess over the Hoff need a car with a remote starter?




I can think of 3 reasons:

1) Its hot and you want to cool the car off.

2) Its cold and you want the car warm when you get in.

3) Future Enzyte user.


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## El Mahdi (Aug 19, 2009)

My wife and I went to Key West this weekend and rented a convertible Mustang for the drive. It does drive very nice. It feels really stable and responsive, and that V8 has significant presence when you hit it to pass someone. However, the drive is almost too nice. It definitely does not have the road feel of a sports car. It's very difficult to know your speed by feel, and although it feels very stable, it doesn't communicate the feel of the road at all. And that big hood makes it hard to judge your position when parking. Sports cars want you to see nothing but the road, so their front ends are usually sloped almost out of sight of the driver. It's the exact opposite in the Mustang. It "feels" like a very tame family car, except for being pressed into the seat when you hit the gas (and the resulting low growl from the exhaust).

However, the interior looks incredibly cheap and plastic. Also, the speedometer is hard to read (it's a relatively small, round, "retro" speedometer with jammed up markings showing only 10's and dashes for 5's - no markings or dashes for 1's or even 2's - with the smallness of the gauge it takes longer to figure out your speed - time your eyes are away from the road). It's set off to the right of the steering wheel, instead of centered with where you'd normally be looking (you have to look to the right to "find" the speedometer when you drop your eyes from the road to check your speed - doesn't take a necessarily unsafe amount of time, but it's still significantly more time your eyes aren't on the road). When you're driving a Mustang (an automatic ticket magnet) you want to make sure your speed is exactly in the safe zone. But, with the installed speedometer, that can be a little difficult.

The back seat is more for looks and insurance purposes than anything else. It's too small to use except for significantly small passengers. But, this was a convertible, so that's kind of expected. The non-convertibles probably have a few extra inches in the back seat.

But overall, it was a very fun car to drive, especially with the top down. Nothing cooler than rolling into Key West with the sun shining and the top down.


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## El Mahdi (Aug 19, 2009)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> "KITT, meet me at the backyard". "Yes, Micheal".




Ahhh, Knight Rider. The story of a guy and his car ... a car that's much smarter than him, has a better personality, attracts more woman, doesn't show as much wear from mileage, is better at just about everything and... [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH3JAp7vMuo"]doesn't_have_a_drinking_problem[/ame]


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## El Mahdi (Aug 19, 2009)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> I can think of 3 reasons:
> 
> 1) Its hot and you want to cool the car off.
> 
> ...




4) Helps avoid death by car bomb (that is if you're worried about such things).


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## Mustrum_Ridcully (Aug 19, 2009)

El Mahdi said:


> Ahhh, Knight Rider. The story of a guy and his car ... a car that's much smarter than him, has a better personality, attracts more woman, doesn't show as much wear from mileage, is better at just about everything and... doesn't_have_a_drinking_problem




Fits the original premise: 


			
				IMBDB said:
			
		

> According to Brandon Tartikoff, the head of programming at NBC during the 1980s, the inspiration for the series came about when NBC executives started complaining about the problems of casting handsome leading men in TV series, because many of them couldn't act. Tartikoff and his assistant came up with a concept for a TV show called, "The Man of Six Words". Each show would begin with the leading man getting out of a woman's bed and saying, "Thank you." Occasionally, throughout the show, the leading man would say, "Okay," when receiving orders from his boss. Then he would chase down some villains and say "Freeze!" Finally, when the people he had saved from death would thank him, he would say, "You're welcome." For the rest of the show, the car would do all the talking. Although Tartikoff had meant the pitch to be a joke, the NBC executives liked the idea of a TV show about a man with a talking car, and approved it for development.






And I refuse to watch the video. It's violating my childhood!


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## nerfherder (Aug 19, 2009)

El Mahdi said:


> My wife and I went to Key West this weekend and rented a convertible Mustang for the drive.



I've thought about doing this - I've just not needed to hire a car the last two times I've been in the US.



El Mahdi said:


> However, the interior looks incredibly cheap and plastic. Also, the speedometer is hard to read (it's a relatively small, round, "retro" speedometer with jammed up markings showing only 10's and dashes for 5's - no markings or dashes for 1's or even 2's - with the smallness of the gauge it takes longer to figure out your speed - time your eyes are away from the road). It's set off to the right of the steering wheel, instead of centered with where you'd normally be looking (you have to look to the right to "find" the speedometer when you drop your eyes from the road to check your speed - doesn't take a necessarily unsafe amount of time, but it's still significantly more time your eyes aren't on the road). When you're driving a Mustang (an automatic ticket magnet) you want to make sure your speed is exactly in the safe zone. But, with the installed speedometer, that can be a little difficult.



Yes, my car has a tiny speedo off to the left of centre, marked at 25, 50, 75, etc, with small dashes every 5mph.  Since our speed limits are 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 or 70mph, then only one of them is covered.  Fortunately, they put a digital speedo inside the rev counter, which makes me wonder why they bothered with the tiny analogue one at all.



> But overall, it was a very fun car to drive, especially with the top down. Nothing cooler than rolling into Key West with the sun shining and the top down.



Yeah, this is my first convertible, and I'm loving it


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## El Mahdi (Aug 19, 2009)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> Fits the original premise:
> 
> 
> Originally Posted by *IMBDB*
> ...




Man, you ain't kidding.  That premise was pretty much executed exactly as written.  I know how you feel though.  Despite my bagging on the Hoff, I loved that show when I was a kid.  That and the Dukes of Hazard.  I can't really watch that video through either.  I've seen both in re-runs though and their almost too silly to watch.  I think I'll just leave them alone and leave my childhood memories intact.


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## Mustrum_Ridcully (Aug 19, 2009)

El Mahdi said:


> Man, you ain't kidding.  That premise was pretty much executed exactly as written.  I know how you feel though.  Despite my bagging on the Hoff, I loved that show when I was a kid.  That and the Dukes of Hazard.  I can't really watch that video through either.  I've seen both in re-runs though and their almost too silly to watch.  I think I'll just leave them alone and leave my childhood memories intact.



Dukes of Hazard was also great. Their car couldn't speak, but it still made cool stunts and had a funny horn.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Aug 20, 2009)

> Yes, my car has a tiny speedo off to the left of centre




Man- how does it walk?!?!?!?!


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## nerfherder (Aug 20, 2009)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Man- how does it walk?!?!?!?!




I'm guessing I missed some Americanism....?


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## El Mahdi (Aug 20, 2009)

Speedo:










Now imagine it _"off to the left of center",_ and then try to walk in it.

(I'm trying to keep with the theme and get the Hoff in here too.)


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## Mustrum_Ridcully (Aug 20, 2009)

El Mahdi said:


> (I'm trying to keep with the theme and get the Hoff in here too.)



  Thanks for nothing.


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## Pbartender (Aug 20, 2009)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> "KITT, meet me at the backyard".






El Mahdi said:


>






Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> "Yes, Micheal".


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## El Mahdi (Aug 20, 2009)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> Thanks for nothing.





Sorry.


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## nerfherder (Aug 20, 2009)

Oh, _those_ speedos 

I prefer this pic of the Hoff:


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## El Mahdi (Aug 21, 2009)

nerfherder said:


> Oh, _those_ speedos
> 
> I prefer this pic of the Hoff:




Hoff?  Where's the Hoff!?  All I see is Buffy, and Missy, and Heidi, and Marie, and ...


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## El Mahdi (Aug 21, 2009)

Here's the originals for your perusal:

Out with the New and In with the Old.

1967 Mustang GT






1970 Dodge Challenger RT





1968 Chevy Camaro SS








And, although not one of the three new retro pony cars, here's my favorite:

1968 Cougar XR7





It will be mine!  Oh yes, it will be mine. ... Someday ...


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## Dannyalcatraz (Aug 21, 2009)

nerfherder said:


> Oh, _those_ speedos
> 
> I prefer this pic of the Hoff:





Ah, yessss...the cast photo from "The Thong Remains The Same."


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## Dannyalcatraz (Aug 21, 2009)

El Mahdi said:


> And, although not one of the three new retro pony cars, here's my favorite:
> 
> 1968 Cougar XR7
> 
> ...





What a coincidence!

2009 Cougar Kristen Chenoweth (_born_ 1968)
Kristen chenoweth image by NrllAless on Photobucket

'cause she recently dated Seth Green (born 1974)
Seth Green Photos | Who is Seth Green dating? Girlfriend, Wife

(that makes her a Cougar)


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## El Mahdi (Aug 21, 2009)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> What a coincidence!
> 
> 2009 Cougar Kristen Chenoweth (_born_ 1968)
> Kristen chenoweth image by NrllAless on Photobucket
> ...




Awwww. Bless her little _Cougar_ heart!

(P.S.: You wouldn't believe some of the pictures that come up when you search "cougar" in Google.)


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## Dannyalcatraz (Aug 22, 2009)

Like this?

Hulu - Saturday Night Live: Cougar Den


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## TheNexusGaming (Aug 26, 2009)

Ford mustang all the way, always loved them. Most of the reason why I bought an 02 gt convertible. its amazing, and I will always love it! chevys ok, but working on them is...not so fun.


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## El Mahdi (Aug 26, 2009)

Here's someone who would disagree with you.  Of course, there is a certain amount of sentimentality involved here.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Aug 27, 2009)

Do you know how much he had to make in tips to afford that thing?


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## TheNexusGaming (Aug 27, 2009)

Older muscle will always be easier to work on than modern. Too many electronic things


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## El Mahdi (Aug 27, 2009)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Do you know how much he had to make in tips to afford that thing?




Not to mention the things he may have had to do in order to get those tips!  (IYKWIM)


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## nerfherder (Aug 27, 2009)

El Mahdi said:


> Here's someone who would disagree with you.  Of course, there is a certain amount of sentimentality involved here.



Ah, I once noticed an old car of mine parked up.  I had to go over and have a look.  Checking on the DVLA database, it's been unlicensed since 31/05/2008, so I'm guessing it may have been scrapped   I'm pretty sure my first car is scrap now (1987 Austin Mini Metro) - yes, unlicensed since 27/10/1999.  My 99 Ford Puma is still on the road, and I'm sure my 05 Honda Civic must be, too (unless it's been crashed and written off since February!).


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## El Mahdi (Aug 28, 2009)

Man, I _Know_ the cars I had in England are scrapped now.

I went through 4 cars in the 6 1/2 years I lived there (actually 5*, if you count the American spec car I originally shipped over).

My first car was an '81 Toyota Carina (in '92).  Got rid of it when the brake system crapped out.  Would have cost more to fix it than to just by another used car.

My second was a 1977 Honda Civic (light blue color I might add) that the heater didn't work in.  Probably not too far off in size from your Austin Mini.  After driving that for a winter I sold it as scrap (got £50 for it).

My third was a '84 Subaru GLF5.  This one was my favorite while I was in England.  It only had a 1.8 or 2.0 Liter engine, but it had dual carbs and was the easiest engine I've ever worked on.  I had to change the water pump on it once, and I probably had close to a foot of open space with which to work.  Took me like 15 minutes from beginning to end (including the sealant).  That little car could move quick!  I only scrapped it because the body and frame were rusting out.  It was costing me too much each year for welding to get it to pass it's vehicle inspection.

My fourth was a Mazda 323 hatchback (don't remember what year).  I bought it off of a friend just because I needed a car for the last 6 months I was in country (before I left for Korea).  My friend had blown the head gasket on it when he had it, but it had been repaired.  Problem was they didn't shave it down quite right so it would start to leak and stall when the engine got warm.  It was okay for just driving around town or going to work, but anything over about 10 minutes would become a problem.  Just driving from Mildenhall to Cambridge, it would stall about every 10 minutes and I'd have to coast off to the side of the road and let it cool down for a few minutes.  Then I could start it up and drive another 10 or 15 minutes, and then do it all over again when it would stall again.  The last thing I did before I left the country was drive it to a local scrap yard in Mildenhall, got my £50 for it, and left the next day for Korea.

*Technically my first car in England was an American spec 1987 Toyota Corrolla FX16 Hatchback I shipped over from the states.  That was an awesome, reliable, and fast little car.  Unfortunately, while it was in-transit aboard the ship, or while in the cargo yard, a large crate was dropped on it.  The skids on the bottom of the crate made huge dents on the roof along the length of the car and the hatchback, broke the windshield and blew out the sunroof, then tipped off the roof onto the hood (bonnet) and creased the hood and both front fenders about 2 inches.  Completely totaled the car.

I guess I just didn't have the best of luck with cars while in England.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Aug 28, 2009)

Dude!

If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were my buddy Russ, AKA the God of F-ed Up Cars!

His bad luck with cars is utterly legendary, and certain stretches of his automotive history read like the section of Genesis dealing with Moses and what he had God do to the Egyptians.


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## nerfherder (Aug 31, 2009)

El Mahdi said:


> My third was a '84 Subaru GLF5.  This one was my favorite while I was in England.  It only had a 1.8 or 2.0 Liter engine, but it had dual carbs and was the easiest engine I've ever worked on.



Subarus always seem to be popular with their owners, whenever I read car surveys.  Farmers in particular like them for their 4wd no-nonsense ability to navigate muddy farm tracks.

My Honda Civic was nice and reliable.

Great fun on a race track, too 





El Mahdi said:


> Just driving from Mildenhall to Cambridge,



As an aside, I saw a great airshow at Mildenhall in the early 90's when I lived in Cambridge


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## El Mahdi (Sep 1, 2009)

nerfherder said:


> As an aside, I saw a great airshow at Mildenhall in the early 90's when I lived in Cambridge




Yup, _Air Fete_.  I only saw three of them while I was stationed there, from '90 to '97 (I was deployed during the other three).  Awesome air shows but a lot of work if you're stationed there.  Unless you're on leave or deployed, pretty much every unit had their people working at the show either cooking food at the booths or picking up trash (the units earned a percentage as a fundraiser for squadron activities, such as unit Christmas parties, Thanksgiving dinners, etc.).  And, not to mention the people actually running the show.  The morning after the last day of the show was always a basewide FOD* walk (*FOD stands for Foriegn Object Damage - basically anything an engine could suck up and be damaged by - technically it should be called a FO walk but everyone uses the term FOD).  Everyone on duty lines up across the flightline and the adjacent grassy areas, and walks from one end of the flightline to the other picking up any FOD you come across.  It was a lot of work but they were fun also.

I saw the Red Arrows perform (the French Aero team) and the Thunderbirds.  I was also able to see one of the last flights of a Vulcan bomber before it was retired (although I think there's a group that's currently trying to refurbish one, or already has, for airshows).

It's too bad they discontinued the shows after 9/11.  However, I can understand how it's probably nearly impossible to safegaurd against a terrorist attack with around 100,000 to 150,000 visitors over the course of a weekend.  But it was a seriously cool airshow.


P.S.: If you lived in Cambridge in the early 90's, and if you were roleplaying then, do you remember the game store, _Otherworlds_?  Man, that's still the best game store I've ever been to.  I've heard they're no longer in business though.  Shame.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Sep 1, 2009)

> It's too bad they discontinued the shows after 9/11.




There are still airshows...otherwise, you wouldn't still have the accidents.
airshow accident - Google Search

Or do you mean a particular show?


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## nerfherder (Sep 1, 2009)

El Mahdi said:


> I was also able to see one of the last flights of a Vulcan bomber before it was retired (although I think there's a group that's currently trying to refurbish one, or already has, for airshows).



Vulcan to the Sky Trust have managed to get it flying again, and I saw it last month at [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKSSGhFc6wE"]Sunderland Airshow[/ame], flown by one of the pilots that operated in Black Buck - at the time the longest bombing raid in history, until 1991 when B52s from Mildenhall attacked Iraq.  It was as impressive as I remember.



> It's too bad they discontinued the shows after 9/11.  However, I can understand how it's probably nearly impossible to safegaurd against a terrorist attack with around 100,000 to 150,000 visitors over the course of a weekend.  But it was a seriously cool airshow.



That's a great shame.  As one of the 100,000, thank you.




> P.S.: If you lived in Cambridge in the early 90's, and if you were roleplaying then, do you remember the game store, _Otherworlds_?  Man, that's still the best game store I've ever been to.  I've heard they're no longer in business though.  Shame.



Is that the one that wasn't _right _in the centre, but opened up on the edge of the centre (if you see what I mean)?  I do remember one opening while I was there that had a huge stock of stuff I'd never seen before.


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## El Mahdi (Sep 1, 2009)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> There are still airshows...otherwise, you wouldn't still have the accidents.
> airshow accident - Google Search
> 
> Or do you mean a particular show?




Yeah, I was talking about Air Fete at Mildenhall. Unfortunately, since 9/11 they stopped doing it. When I was stationed there the admin and base housing side of the base was a bit "open" and hard to secure (although I think they have fenced in the open areas and put up secure gates since then). During the first Gulf War they had to bring in local police in order to secure it. The open areas just kind of merged in with the Beck Row area. It was kind of hard to see where the base ended and the local village began. But the security issues of putting on an airshow like that, on the base, I think was something they just decided wasn't feasible to do after 9/11. I would imagine the decision may have also had something to do with the increased ops tempo (significantly more people deployed and a higher amount of transient traffic - tankers and cargo planes stopping through on their way to OEF or OIF). But it's too bad, that was one seriously cool show.

But you are right, there are still quite a few good annual air shows out there. Even when Air Fete was still running, it was only like the second or third biggest Air Show in Europe. I think the other ones are still going strong.



nerfherder said:


> Vulcan to the Sky Trust have managed to get it flying again, and I saw it last month...




Very cool. It's so big (and loud!) that it looks like it's almost just floating in the air (kind of like the effect the C-5 has). Being mostly a big wing that thing is all lift. I'm not sure what the stall speed is on it, but I'd imagine it's probably much lower than most aircraft of similiar size.



nerfherder said:


> Is that the one that wasn't _right _in the centre, but opened up on the edge of the centre (if you see what I mean)? I do remember one opening while I was there that had a huge stock of stuff I'd never seen before.




Sounds right. I think at the time there was only that store and a Games Workshop store. _Otherworlds_ originally had been in an older building on the other side of the "Mall" (can't remember what it was actually named but we always called it the Mall). But about 95/96 they moved over to the other side of the park, near the edge of that little outdoor shopping area. I found a mint condition Oriental Adventures there for only £20. They always had cool stuff like that.


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## nerfherder (Sep 1, 2009)

El Mahdi said:


> Very cool. It's so big (and loud!) that it looks like it's almost just floating in the air (kind of like the effect the C-5 has). Being mostly a big wing that thing is all lift. I'm not sure what the stall speed is on it, but I'd imagine it's probably much lower than most aircraft of similiar size.



Yeah, it is so manouverable for its size.  I remember watching a couple practice just off the coast at Yorkshire in the 80's, and they were turning so tightly - it looked so graceful, then they opened the throttles 



> Sounds right. I think at the time there was only that store and a Games Workshop store. _Otherworlds_ originally had been in an older building on the other side of the "Mall" (can't remember what it was actually named but we always called it the Mall). But about 95/96 they moved over to the other side of the park, near the edge of that little outdoor shopping area. I found a mint condition Oriental Adventures there for only £20. They always had cool stuff like that.




I've just done a little digging.  Puzzles & Games was the one that was there when I arrived - on Green Street, just off Sidney Street, which crossed over Magdalene Bridge.  Apparently, it closed some time after I left.  Other World Games was on King Street, about 0.5km away.


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## olla86 (Sep 9, 2009)

I preffer _Ford Mustang. It is a reliable and smart car
_


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## nerfherder (Sep 9, 2009)

olla86 said:


> I preffer _Ford Mustang. It is a reliable and smart car
> _




No, _this_ is a Smart Car


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## Mustrum_Ridcully (Sep 9, 2009)

nerfherder said:


> No, _this_ is a Smart Car



I wonder how the guys before and after the Smart car feel about that.


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## Pbartender (Sep 10, 2009)

Mustrum_Ridcully said:


> I wonder how the guys before and after the Smart car feel about that.




Probably not that different from anyone else parked there...  Take a look across the street at the van.  

Nobody leaves, unless everyone leaves.



I wonder what it takes to get the parking spots near the street corners?


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## nerfherder (Sep 10, 2009)

Pbartender said:


> Probably not that different from anyone else parked there...  Take a look across the street at the van.
> 
> Nobody leaves, unless everyone leaves.
> 
> ...



I think everyone parks with their parking brake off (and out of gear), so that people wanting to leave simply shunt backwards and forwards until they've made enough space to leave.  At least that's what my dad reports seeing in Paris about 20 years ago.  Of course, that's probably not such a good idea when parking on a slope...


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## Dannyalcatraz (Sep 11, 2009)

Or, if you think like my paternal grandfather (may he rest in peace...PLEASE!) at the wheel of his Caddy, you sidle up to the car in front of you, then gun your engine to gain some room.  Then you back up a little and do the same to the one behind you.

Repeat until you have *made *enough room for you to follow nerfherder's plan.


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## Pbartender (Sep 12, 2009)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Or, if you think like my paternal grandfather (may he rest in peace...PLEASE!) at the wheel of his Caddy, you sidle up to the car in front of you, then gun your engine to gain some room.  Then you back up a little and do the same to the one behind you.
> 
> Repeat until you have *made *enough room for you to follow nerfherder's plan.




"I want to die like my grandfather -- quietly in my sleep -- not terrified and screaming like the passengers in his car."


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## Mustrum_Ridcully (Sep 14, 2009)

nerfherder said:


> I think everyone parks with their parking brake off (and out of gear), so that people wanting to leave simply shunt backwards and forwards until they've made enough space to leave.  At least that's what my dad reports seeing in Paris about 20 years ago.  Of course, that's probably not such a good idea when parking on a slope...



Definitely not a photo from Germany then.  No German could do that to his car.


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