Just A Nice Sunday Drive

The wife has taken to working some overtime so I drove her in this morning, like a good husband should!

On the way back, I decided to stop by the local classic/antique/luxury car dealership, Daniel Schmitt & Co. and found quite a few gems in the rough of usual older, luxury and classic cars.

To follow my last couple of posts, the following pictures were taken with the 5 megapixel camera on the Droid. Pretty good pics from a phone, eh?

The first car that caught my eye was this 1980 slope-nose Porsche. I always liked the look and thought this was one of the coolest iterations of the 911.

The next “thing” that caught my eye…was this 1973 VW Thing. You have to love it when there’s a sticker on the dash that tell you to turn off the heater before you pump gas!

The gem of the day was this 1974 Jensen Interceptor. With an Italian-styled body and American V8, this British import was probably a whole lot of fun to drive…and practical too with that big hatch in back!With the light package on this one, it’s easy to imagine this as a rally car or maybe a 24-hour endurance racer.

Schmitt usually has quite a few older American cars, including many muscle cars and usually a big ‘ol bunch of Mercedes SLs. But today, they had three different pickups from a bygone era. First up is a 1950 Ford in a really nice red. I dig this truck because of the face…it looks like it came right out of the Cars movie!

There were also two Studebakers! One was hidden away form the rest of the vehicles for some repair work. But this 1962 Champ was right next to the Thing and looks ready for some work.

On another part of the property, I found this American Automotive icon…made famous last decade from its work in the movie Wayne’s World. It’s a a 1975 AMC Pacer wagon and, thankfully, when my dad worked for American Motors, he never brought one of these home. At least not that I remember. We did have a Gremlin and an Ambassador but that’s it. Now if I can only figure out a way to convince the wife that we need this…

Lastly, There was this 1966 Mustang convertible. There were quite a few Mustangs on the lot but this one stood out because it’s got the 289 V8 and a really cool interior. The best part? It has factory air! From 1966! But, at $33k, it’s a toss up between this and a brand new one with Sync, no miles and better reliability…Let me know which you’d choose!

Now for the “But wait there’s more” car. It’s a 1977 Oldsmobile Barris 70-X Toronado, made by world-renowned car customizer George Barris (Who created the original 60s Batmobile, KITT from Knight Rider, the Moneymobile form the series, the General Lee, … the list goes on!!!!). I couldn’t get a real good picture since it was in the middle of a closed showroom, so go here for more views. It’s the gold one in the pics below…and hurry in because this one is $20k off as of this writing…for the low, low price of $230k!!!!

I always love window shopping at Schmitt’s. Especially when they have such great gems! Stop by their home on the web and look around. You never know what kind of gem you’ll find!

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And now, today’s Retro Review:

2002 Chevy Trailblazer

Chevy's New SUV is Ready to Rumble

by James E. Bryson

As the SUV war heats up, with at least 20 new models waiting to be introduced over the next year, automakers are trying to outdo each other with each new launch by making their respective vehicles bigger, better, stronger and safer than the other guys' products.

At General Motors, that mantra holds especially true for their all-new mid-size SUVs: the Chevy TrailBlazer, the GMC Envoy and the soon-to-be-defunct Oldsmobile Bravada. We had a chance to drive a two-wheel-drive TrailBlazer LT at a recent junket to Branson, Missouri, and we were quite impressed with the entire vehicle.

Inside, TrailBlazer is larger than the Blazer it replaces by leaps and bounds in every area. We found the seats to be comfortable, with plenty of leg and shoulder room for all passengers. The controls were stock GM, while not bad, we were hoping for a change in the GM corporate paradigm.

During our stay in Branson, we were treated to a couple of presentations on the new vehicle and some of the goodies the designers and engineers had put in to it:

The engine in the TrailBlazer is worth a note of praise. GM engineers have resurrected the domestic inline six-cylinder and have made it fuel efficient, quiet and powerful. The engine has 90 percent of its peak toque available from 1600 to 5600 rpm, it uses variable valve timing and throttle-by-wire to help achieve national LEV standards and it is extremely quiet. The idle is so smooth that even senior engineers tried to restart it. Because of this, there is a starter lock on the production model to prevent damage to the starter and flywheel.

The 4.2-liter inline-six in the TrailBlazer delivers 270 horsepower and 275 lb.-ft. of torque. For comparison, the 2002 Explorer V8 makes 240 horsepower and 280 lb.-ft. of torque; a difference of 30 horsepower and 5 lb.-ft. in Chevy's favor. The TrailBlazer should beat the Explorer at mileage as well. The estimated mpg for the TrailBlazer is 16 city and 20 highway, whereas the Explorer V8 is rated at 14 city and 19 highway. Not a really big difference but it's enough of one for Chevy to proclaim superiority.

The maximum oil change interval for the new engine has been extended to about 15,000 miles or just about double what every other manufacturer specifies. The engineering team was able to do this by using new oil temperature control technology. Another instance where Chevy can claim the upper hand against the competition.

Innovations abound with these new SUVs. Engineers decided to mount the engine lower in the engine bay for a lower center of gravity and better stability. To do this, a pass-through was made in the oil pan for the front drive shaft to go through, and at no cost to drivability.

The good thing about a straight engine configuration is that one side is hot (exhaust) and one side is cool (intake), making packaging decisions easy. They put all the electronics and temperature sensitive equipment on the cool side and everything else was positioned on the hot side. This extends the life of the components and aides in accuracy of the computer equipment, which is extremely sensitive to heat.

The hood on the TrailBlazer is made of bake-hardened steel. The hood hardens in the paint booth under the baking lights to help in crash worthiness and durability. The newest rallying cry at GM is the use of hydroforming on structural pieces and frame rails. This process produces superior integrity and strength to the molded pieces and helps suspension engineers by giving them a stronger structure on which to mount the suspension pieces.

To make the frame rails, a piece of steel is put into a die and water, compressed to 50,000 psi, is shot at the steel to force it into the shape of the die. The end product comes out of the die better than with any other technology. Hydroformed rails can be found on newer GM cars and trucks, including the Corvette and the recently redesigned Silverado and Sierra trucks. The engineers claim that the entire TrailBlazer structure is as strong as a European sedan because of this new technology.

The 4X2 TrailBlazer LT performed flawlessly on a drive through the hills and valleys of the Ozark Mountains, which is probably why the staff picked those roads for us. We were quite impressed with the comfort level and drivability of this new vehicle. We were even impressed with the off road ruggedness of the two-wheel-drive model we were driving. The staff led us onto an old logging road just before lunch. The terrain led us up and down through the hills and the rocky road gave us an appreciation of the new chassis and suspension. Not once were we afraid of getting stuck; though one group just ahead of us got caught on a tree limb. Luckily, they were in a 4X4 and were able to clear the obstacle and warn the rest of us about it.

As you read this, GM will be offering an optional DVD player with a 7 in. drop-down screen for those long rides with the kiddies…or those times you need peace and quiet and have to go out to your vehicle to find it. It is the first DVD in a mid-size SUV offered as original equipment.

You can get a two-wheel-drive TrailBlazer LS for just $25,155.00, while the top-of-the-line four-wheel-drive LTZ will start at $33,730.00. Expect a large amount of standard items on the base models and high-end bits like the aforementioned DVD player to be available for you to customize the vehicle as you see fit.

Since the TrailBlazer and its cousins are such new models, there have been no crash tests performed by the regular agencies. In an interesting turn of events, the Blazer, which the TrailBlazer will eventually replace, will be sold through the 2003 model year, because of strong sales, according to GM press materials.

The 2002 Chevy TrailBlazer is an exciting entry in the SUV market because it is one of the most capable, comfortable and powerful vehicles in its category. GMC can be proud of itself for finally having a competitor worthy enough to take on the Explorer. We can't wait to see how the battle unfolds.

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Once again, thanks for stopping by!

Another Sunday In "The Lou"

Testing this blog program I got for Droid. I'm not sure I'll post from it too much as typing with only two digits (god-given opposable thumbs) is not nearly as fast and easy as using a real keyboard. And I don't think there's a way to upload pictures or even spell check!

On a lighter note, we had a great dinner the Sandra Lee would be proud of! (look her up if you don't get it) And, much to Vikki's surprise, we had mixed veggies with snap peas potato wedges and red pepper chunks and it was delicious!

So there!

Mom would be so proud!

More next time!!!

This IS The Droid I’ve Been Looking For!

If you’re not living under a rock, or in an Afghani cave, then you may have heard about the newest “smart” phone offered by Verizon; The Motorola Droid (name use officially licensed by Lucas himself…or, at least, his company.)

For the last 18 months, I’ve had a pretty decent experience with the LG EnV, eve though I’m currently on handset numero three! You see, these EnVs have a problem with the connection through the hinge and the screens sometimes don’t come on and the phone locks up badly at other times. Number three, though, has been really good…until a couple days ago when the interior screen stopped working and I had to power it off then back on. No too terrible, but there was also a problem with the outside lights coming on when you grab it from an off angle.

So it was time for a new phone. And luckily for me, the stars aligned: The Droid came out and I was able to get permission from the boss!

Some of the standout features of the Droid are a 3.7 in. (diagonal) touch screen with 440X854 pixels, compared with 320X480 for the iPhone. It has a slide out qwerty keyboard that has some convenient keys like “@” and “?” that you don’t need to hit “alt.'” for, which is really nice.The Droid has built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, along with an included(!) 16 Gb micro SD card and a very easy to use voice search feature that works really well! Find full reviews here and here.

After a few days with Droid, I can say it’s pretty awesome! The phone works great! I called my buddy in Michigan and he said it sounded like I was on a landline. And the other “smart” stuff is totally awesome!

Since this phone is based on the Android operating system made by Google, the Droid seamlessly syncs with all my gmail contacts and is another way to see my Google Calendar, read through Google Docs and basically not have a reason to not keep in touch!

There are also apps you can get through the Android Marketplace for everything from Facebook and MySpace to Amazon and so much more. I got an app for my bank, a barcode scanner for easy price comparison shopping on the fly and even a level!!! I know what you’re saying now, though, “but it doesn’t have nearly as many apps as the Apple App Store”. My answer to that?? It’s been practically proven that 95% of the apps in the Apple App Store are worthless and just a waste of time. ‘Nuff said!!

Is the Droid worth the money? That’s up to you. Once I found out my corporate discount applied to the data plan for “smart” phones, I was there! And the Droid, with the rebate and my new every two credit, came out to be about $50 more than the Samsung Rogue I was looking at. And for the greater functionality and paying about the same per month, the Droid it was!

Hopefully I will be this enchanted with Droid in another six months…

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And now for today’s Retro Review:

2003 Mercury Marauder

Ford's Answer to the Impala SS…A Few Years Too Late

by James E. Bryson

It's the adrenaline rush of knowing the officer is behind you. That is the reality hitting us square in the head when we're out on the open road. That rush can make you feel cranky, agitated, or worse. The relief comes when the officer passes you and goes on to someone else.

Now imagine having that power all to yourself.

This is not what Mercury engineers were thinking, at least not that we know of, when the made a few changes to the venerable Grand Marquis that transformed it into the ultimate cop car look-alike. Or, maybe they wanted to make a new Bluesmobile. Whatever the case, the 2003 Mercury Marauder is one bad machine that, with a bit more oomph down low, could be the ultimate sleeper car for late night street racers.

The Marauder is a blacked-out Grand Marquis with little chrome, except for the wheels and a few trim pieces, and not much flash. But that's the point. Stealth performance could be the tagline for the Marauder ad campaign. Even the grill is all black, with an elegant chrome Mercury moniker in its center.

Inside, the Marauder is all business with comfortable, supportive seats covered in fine gray "Nudo" leather, a legible gauge cluster with satellite gauges in the full-length center console and a fitting floor-mounted shifter that belies the performance attributes of the Marauder more than the monochromatic color scheme (take your proof in some of GM's offerings of late). The totally fake carbon fiber treatment on the doors and dash are forgivable in this car because of its sporty nature, though wood accents would have lent a more luxurious air to the vehicle.

We really liked the seats, front and rear. The nice aspect of such a large car is the room it affords to all passengers. We also found the driver's seat to be comfy and somewhat suited to spirited driving. These weren't Mustang quality, mind you, but they performed better in most ways than the standard Grand Marquis seats would have.

One small complaint about the front seats, for this price range at least, was the lack of seat heaters. It's a small complaint, but for a car that can be beaten by a Honda Civic to 60 mph, a warm tush might give us a little solace.

The rest of the interior is packaged well. The instruments are easy to read and have a sporty flair to them. We also liked the bright "Marauder" that lights up at night in the speedometer.
In the trunk, we found a nice little surprise: a plastic trunk organizer that was functional, if a bit bulky. The bulk comes from the organizer taking up the depth of the trunk. Thankfully, the spare tire was placed on a shelf and out of the way for most of what you'd put in there. When we needed a little extra space, the organizer came out easily and freed up the deeper part of the trunk entirely.

Under the hood is Ford's potent 4.6-liter V8 making 302 horsepower and 318 pound-feet of torque. While this seems like a lot on paper, the reality of the Merc's high weight and the lack of low-end grunt (peak torque comes at a high 4300 rpm) means slow straight-line acceleration, for a muscle-bound brute. But don't get the message wrong, the Marauder will hit 60 in a respectable time, just not what we were expecting.

Mid-range traipses to passing speed are adequate, but there is always that want for more power.

And, the lack of low-end torque severely limits burnouts because they are nearly impossible without some water on the road to loosen grip.

Speaking of which, cornering traction and ride control are excellent in the Marauder. Mercury's engineers should pat themselves on the back for a job well done with the suspension settings and the amount of control the Marauder commands. Compared with the old-person ride of the Grand Marquis, the Marauder is a powerful European sedan looking for its next victim.

We found ourselves hitting corners faster than in other "family" sedans and a few more sporty cars. The Marauder should be the benchmark for Ford performance sedans in the future.

The only time the suspension was not appreciated was over particularly harsh bumps and imperfections in the road. Though, those experiences were not overly bad, just reminders that this is a performance-oriented cruiser, not your daddy's Grand Marquis.

By now, you're probably asking yourself, "What's it cost?" Well, get ready for this one: Our test Marauder, with only $550 in options, stickered at $35,045.00, including the obligatory destination charge (which was $705 for this Merc).

The real question then becomes, "Is it worth it?"

Well, we'll leave that up to you. Just remember that for similar money , there are plenty of little rockets out there, though they won't give the people around you on the highway a scare thinking you're Smokey on the prowl for his next revenue raising interlude.

With what this car represents, it's a shame that it couldn't directly compete with the old Chevy Impala SS. Lord Vader, you could have had two choices.

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And today’s Car Of The Day:

Say hello to the Aluminum bodied Ford Shelby GR1 concept shown at the 2005 North American International Auto Show. The GR1 had a 6.4-liter V10 with over 600 horsepower and over 500 pound-feet of torque feeding the rear wheels and was reportedly good for 0-60 in under four seconds. The jury is still out if this was better than the GT…but the GT didn’t have a sleek aluminum body!