My New Gear Hauler

[PhilT]

I'm not knocking Ford drivers. I'm knocking Escort drivers!

In the end you Germans did win the war. BMW bought (Land) Rover and kept the good parts (Mini, 4 wheel drive systems) and sold the rest back to disappear. Fortunately Land Rover is doing well.

Volkswagen and BMW bought Bentley and Rolls-Royce.. You're infiltrated in Dutch and English Royalty....

So, is this a good time to mention DAF?

[Chris P.]

Do mention DAF!!!

A couple of years ago Williams tried their transmission in a Formula 1 car and it was so fast the FIA banned it. Now you have to have like between 2 and 7 gears, while the VanDoorne (*) transmission has 1 or infinite, just how you see it.
More and more modern cars and manufacturers use it! So we're proud!

And of course the truck division ist still going strong, with modern trucks. There was even a little riot in Holland. They were so busy they didn't had time to make trucks for the Dutch Army. Scania makes them now, but there's a Scania plant in Zwolle, Holland. 

(*) DAF. Van Doorne's Automobiel Fabriek.

[PhilT]

The cars got sold to Volvo. I thought the transmission had disappeared. Who uses it?

[Chris P.]

When Daf was sold to Volvo, they made the new DAF the Volvo 340. We already talked about the Dutch designs vor the 440 and Uwe's 480 coupe.

The transmission company went on on its own as Van Doorne Transmission or VDT. The transmission is called CVT. Continuously Variable Transmission. They also make some versions with 'gears'. You can stuk it in some fixed positions.
At this moment everybody's using the ECVT, which is an electronic controlled version.

Audi, Suzuki and Subaru have their own versions. I believe the hybrid Lexus uses it.

[OldManC]

Where in Utah was the pic taken George?....Nice new wagon too!

South East Utah, about 1/2 hour outside of Kanab. Beautiful area! The dirt and rocks are really that red!

Here's my son on the rocks:



I'm back at a motel after 4 days in the mountains of northern Arizona. Now that I'm almost home from my vacation, I need a rest!

[bobyoung]

I have a 95 Buick Roadmaster LT Estate Wagon, LT-1 350 engine, dual exhaust, all options, it's like a hotrod Cadillac station wagon, they only put this engine in big Buicks from 94-96. I bought it (seriously) from an old ladie's estate a few years ago. I have fit an upright, two SVT cabs, two SVT heads, a couple of basses, my wife and still had room to spare in this monster, haha! I got 22 MPG going 75-80 with the AC on full blast and my wife and in laws in it on the way to Niagara falls a few summers ago.  I'll try to post a picture sometime this week.

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

Bitchen Beamer & that's a fine looking young man there, George!!
Coool that someone I know is havin' a nice vacation this Summer too.
I haven't even been to the beach yet.

[Barklessdog]

South East Utah, about 1/2 hour outside of Kanab. Beautiful area! The dirt and rocks are really that red!

Here's my son on the rocks:



I'm back at a motel after 4 days in the mountains of northern Arizona. Now that I'm almost home from my vacation, I need a rest!

You have a really handsome son George.

I love Arizona. It's lovely up north.

[chromium]

I have a 95 Buick Roadmaster LT Estate Wagon, LT-1 350 engine, dual exhaust, all options, it's like a hotrod Cadillac station wagon, they only put this engine in big Buicks from 94-96. I bought it (seriously) from an old ladie's estate a few years ago. I have fit an upright, two SVT cabs, two SVT heads, a couple of basses, my wife and still had room to spare in this monster, haha! I got 22 MPG going 75-80 with the AC on full blast and my wife and in laws in it on the way to Niagara falls a few summers ago.  I'll try to post a picture sometime this week.

Ha - that's awesome.  My wife drives one of those.  It's like a living room sectional, but much faster.  The ship of the desert. 

I bought this one off Ebay about five years ago.  It was in great shape, and I somehow managed to find one without the faux wood paneling 

Here it is vacationing in Flagstaff, AZ last winter:


(note the plate she got for it - my five year old son had christened it "big mama")

[TBird1958]

That's a whole lotta car ya gots there!!!!

Great pic of your son George, he's how old now?

[Pilgrim]

I just get by with my good old 1999 Blazer.  Gets 20-22 MPG hiway, has 130K miles on it and I've never even had to change the spark plugs yet.

Boring, I know.  But it holds the gear and runs like a watch.

[OldManC]

That's a whole lotta car ya gots there!!!!

Great pic of your son George, he's how old now?

You have a really handsome son George.

I love Arizona. It's lovely up north.

Thanks guys. We were in Tuscon earlier in the week and then headed up to Northern Az for a family reunion up in the mountains. It's amazing what a few thousand feet of elevation will do for your surroundings!

My son in 3 now and anxiously awaiting his brother's impending ability to walk. They already wrestle around the floor quite a bit, but the younger one can't walk with him yet, which prevents wholesale destruction around the house. Joseph has plans you see, and he intends on using his younger brother to carry them out!

[Chris P.]

I love those cars, which are like Caprice Classics. There's a woody station driving around here, and that's a very pretty car! I love Woodies!

[Pilgrim]

Those wagons are one of the few car models in which the wagons look better than the sedans.  The styling on the Impala sedans of that period is definitely not one of Chevy's high points.

[bobyoung]

Ha - that's awesome.  My wife drives one of those.  It's like a living room sectional, but much faster.  The ship of the desert. 

I bought this one off Ebay about five years ago.  It was in great shape, and I somehow managed to find one without the faux wood paneling 

Here it is vacationing in Flagstaff, AZ last winter:


(note the plate she got for it - my five year old son had christened it "big mama")

Yup, that's mine except I got the cool fake wood on the side and have the more modern alloy wheels on it. I have a 95 Maroon sedan too, great cars. Now I'll have to put a picture in. The sedan is my daily driver, I get close to 18-19 mpg in them, good enough for me. They call the LT-1 Roadmasters: Grandma's hotrods.  I don't think I'll ever drive a Prius.
I've seen some pretty nice Chevy's of those years around here too. I get compliments on both cars often.
Great license plate BTW. My boss calls them The Road Hog (s) but I know he's just jealous, I wonder if that one's available here in MA?