I don’t have a count with the Isle of Man TT, but I must have gone up there 2 dozen times since the late 70s and never saw an accident (fortunately). They had many years with no accidents. Personally, I think it is a combination of these planes getting faster with pilots blacking out and then going who-knows-where.

Whe…

I have only ridden on a motorcycle twice and actually drove one once. The one I drove was a 70s era Honda 750, and the sensation I had was like trying to sit on top of a spinning top. It didn’t seem to have a low center of gravity.

My most memorable ride as a passenger was years ago in the Army, while stationed in…

I had a Pinto - bought new in 1972. It was a fun little car to drive - had the optional German 2 liter OHC engine (standard was the British Kent OHV 1600 CC) - and a 4 speed. Cost $3 to fill. My only complaint was that the body was a bit flimsy - I could literally push the front fender while washing the car.

Years ago, while in the Army stationed in Germany, a friend bought a Norton 750 Commando. I can remember sitting on the back of that thing as he shifted and my butt started sliding precariously towards the back of the seat. Meanwhile wide-eyed Germans in Fiats and Opels were staring at us as we flew past them.

I can’t…

Reminds me of the Jalopnik story of the seller who wanted to flip a Honda Civic - he paid the dealer MSRP + dealer markup, then wanted to sell it at that inflated price plus his own markup.

Basic economics at work.

Why buy it from this guy when you can get one for a less inflated markup - and it isn’t a “used car”?

As…

What a beautiful engine - F1 technology for a street car and surprisingly, so little maintenance required. Only oil changes?

Only thing this video lacked after such a wonderful “show and tell” was hearing it on a dyno!

Hardly a surprise when you consider depreciation rates and the extended rates of most car loans. That’s why I have always liked used cars. Let someone else pay the depreciation.

If you want some useless trivia, for some years the largest (by volume) GM dealer was in the small Gold Rush town of Jackson, CA. But most of the cars they sold were simply paper transfers to rental fleets.

You guys correct me if I am wrong, but absent the keys wouldn’t they be next to impossible to steal? I know Mercedes makes it that way. 

I was hoping someone would mention Riverside. And for what? A shopping Mall? The history that was there. I met some people who used to race in the early 60s and they mentioned meeting people like Dab Gurney, Ken Miles, Jim Clark...

On mounting the wheel, that was a bit of a revelation for me. Having driven only Mercedes since the early 90s, I thought it was a lug bolt world. Upon reflection, it would be easier if there were studs on the hub with bolts.

Well, my 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 seems to have software that is supposed to protect you from yourself. First on the gripe list - you open the driver’s door to see if you are parking close to the curb - slowly moving - and the thing throws itself into Park. First time this happened, it scared the @#$% out of me. I was…

A remember some years ago here, there was a writer who explained how he taught (his daughter?) how to shift - it was a very Zen like thing and I thought it was brilliant. I would have saved it, but I learned to shift when I was 13 on my uncles jeep, and until 5 years ago, always had a manual transmission car. I…

For me anyway the only 2002 to get is the 68-73, before it got the big bumpers and non-round tail lights. Never saw a VW like that sold in the US...

I think it was a photographer’s paradise, and when the Top Gear trio were filming for The Grand Tour, they went in here and almost got killed by a gang.

Good grief. It’s like the universe is trying to tell him sometinkg. Take it easy for a few months, Jay!

You’d have to ask them. But when they took over the GM - then NUMMI plant it was (under GM alone) the worst performing plant in GM - based on warranty claims. We were told they even had roving prostitutes and drug sales within the floor.

And they were, as of 9 years ago, using 20% of the space. They bought that plant…

Some years ago I took a tour of their Fremont factory - it was pretty interesting. They use only 20% of the massive space that GM built, and of course, very automated. And they make most of their own components, including the screens.

In that factory a Tesla starts out from a massive roll of steel, where they stamp…

I have given this some more thought and a few days ago came to a conclusion. The market (ie, where you can find a buyer willing to pay what the sellers want, IE, +$20,000 over MSRP) has settled. (sidebar they will be feeling stupid if the market ever settles back to “normalcy” - MSRP or less).

Anyway the “flipper”…

“The Bears make money, and the bulls make money, but the pigs never do make money”

—-Old stock market saying

One thing about these people paying $200,000 for a Corvette or $60,000 for a Honda Civic - when the market eventually settles (and it will) they will see depreciation like no other...