the bride and I went to an Alfa/FCA dealer while on vacation in a rented Patriot and we asked the salesman “who buys these things new”

They used to use salt, I lost more than one vehicle to salt up there. I do wish they would use the same stuff AK does in MI, it sticks to your paint like crazy but it washes off easier than rust does.

they did sell a lot of them in Alaska for sure but tinworm feasted upon them and broken timing belts got the rest. 

I love this vehicle and it’s presentation butttt it’s a 21 year old Itsibitshiti and the price is CP. I wouldn’t pay that much for a 21 YO 4Player either, just to be fair.

We rented a Mondeo (Fusion) hatchback  in the UK. It was fab. I’ve believed the reason that we don’t get them here is that they would cut into SUV sales, by having that functionality built into less profitable sedans. Somehow the American car makers have solved the weight, structural integrity and cost issues in car…

Go to the jeep.co.uk site and build yourself that 2 door Diesel Wrangler, of course they have one. On our trip to Ireland, we rented a diesel Santa Fe, with a 5 speed and it did better than 30 MPG on the freeway. GM really hurt diesel with that 5.7 converted SBC and the EPA didn’t help any. 

Nissan always seemed to be #2 behind Toyota, I would now argue that Hyundai/Kia are the new Nissan and Nissan is the new Korean. 

If you have been to the Shambles in York, you’ve observed that the building are all awkward, at funny angles, don’t look like a place you’d want to spend much time and haven’t been updated in centuries, just like Nissans. 

the inside is pretty awful too, like Ikea started to build it but lost the 5mm hex wrench and stopped at that point.

Once we invent that AC battery it’s Teslas golden future!

GM is working on how to screw up the marketing as we speak. Actually given their usual MO they are already selling it here but won’t actually tell us until it’s discontinued for poor sales.

I don’t fit in a Miata with the top up. I’m not super tall but my body is longish and my legs aren’t. Lot’s of headroom on a bike

Or you can always say “fuggit” and go without the gear or the lid if you want. If safety is the consideration go buy a car based on safety ratings. If you like to be in the wind then you buy a bike and roll those bones.

Commercial bush flights in AK are too often an adventure. I love being in a Twin Otter where you can see daylight around the main door, or a Cessna with wires vomiting from a hole in the dashboard while the pilot eats his lunch in the air, to being stuck in the airport in Kotzebue for 8 hours while the maintenance…

However, if you get brake parts with a lifetime warranty and they work OK, and you’ll know pretty quick if they are, you might as well go with what your wallet and your car support. 

I go for the Oktoberfest automotive supplies. Gives me plausible deniability

I never thought of an overlander as the new shaggin wagon but I believe you have nailed it. CP

AK snowmachiner agrees with you, seats out, Arctic Cat Panther goes in the back

Get out the shoehorn. The V6 was a tight swap, doing the spark plugs was murder. IIRC, 5 0f the 6 were not so bad and #6 was pretty much “it seems to be working OK on 5 good ones”

I was wondering where all the Aerostars had gone, haven’t seen one in ages!