I like FIATs

I like FIATs.

Not too long ago I could picture this article being written by Torch, only it would have been lighthearted, upbeat, funny, appreciative of the quirky nexus of multimodal transportation this represents. Instead, we get dystopian negativity and hatred for anyone who could possibly afford something more expensive than…

After seeing the Monster at the NY MC show in 93, I went and purchased a brand new one in Red in March of 94. Rode it for 12,600 miles before selling it 6 yrs after buying it. Loved that bike. If yours is in generally good shape you paid a fair price. The Corbin seat and the carbon cans are excellent upgrades. I…

It needs a belt service and some tires in the near future

Definitely weight.  As for temp I’d guess they have metallurgy to determine the best trade off of weight vs temp resistance vs reliability.  The mission on the surface was only supposed to last for two years but was extended.  The design lasted 6X longer than expected, pretty good.

Rolls Royce is a company that has perfected the art of being almost-but-not-quite gaudy with their designs. They toe that line perfectly.

Hindsight tells me I should have sold everything I owned and lived in a tent. Worked 80-90hrs a week and buy on of these brand new.

Honestly, I think this is the best looking version of the Civic available now. The Si is just a hot mess. I also like that the dash — if you squint enough — harkens back to the simplicity of the very first little CVCC models.

Perkins diesel CJ5 in 1961

Even prior to that, there was a diesel-powered XJ early in its life, although it also came from Europe (via Renault)

You know the interior of that car reeks of cigarettes, McDonalds fries, and musty old man farts. One of those car interior cleaning YouTube channels is the only logical buyer for this stank ass old turd. 

Huh, did not know any of that. Was just a windshield sticker as far as I knew. 

Hoonigan, prior to the merger, was a promotional agency masquerading as a t-shirt/youtube brand. They made millions on deals with big companies like General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, FCP Euro, Kubota, Black Rifle Coffee, etc.

Post-merger they wrapped the Hoonigan name around the company formerly known as Wheel Pros, so…

I honestly didn’t know that Hoonigan was anything other than a slogan or name. I associated it with Ken Block but that’s as far as it went for me. To discover it’s an actual business with $1.2 billion in debt blows my mind as much as those gymkhana videos. This might be part of their business problem.

I’m a fan of 5-spoke wheels, especially clean designs like those. The absolute first thing I did to my SRT-4 when I bought it new in 2003 was get a set of forged aluminum Centerline Storm wheels, which I’m still running today. They’ve been powder coated a couple of times since then, and currently match the subtle strip…

In 2022 half the Buyback/Consumer Retention purchases of Stellantis were 4XE’s. Wrangler and Grand Cherokee customers often didn’t know how the vehicles normal operating procedures were and thus the ‘BuyBacks’ we see in the market. That and the post Covid soft hybrid market have made them very cheap. Look for $12k+…

That’s the perfect use-case for a 4xe, imo. Though I’d add that you’ll want a convenient place to charge it at home. Even the default lvl 1 is fine. You’ll probably only buy gas when doing those adventure trips, lol.

My wife has 2,981 miles on her BMW eDrive 40i (or whatever the hell it is called). After down payment, monthly payments, and insurance increase, she is paying $4.28 to drive a mile. I have great solar, so fuel is free.
Still, $4.28/mile..... Since December.
I hate this thing. It is not bankrupting us, as we do okay, but…