Yearly Archives: 2011

Less Congestion, Longer Commutes?

St Louis enjoys low traffic congestion, ranked 3rd best among 31 metro areas, but Herbie Markwort of Next STL notes that while congestion is indeed low, St Louisans spend more time driving than ever, partly due to urban sprawl.

Markwort writes, “A closer look at the data in the Urban Mobility Report reveals a puzzling fact: despite reduced congestion on the region’s roads, commutes in St. Louis are getting longer than ever before. Peak hour commuters spent an average of 289 hours behind the wheel in 2009, 36 hours more than in 1999 when congestion was significantly worse.”

Rust belt cities share a similar profile: the urban core is underutilized, impoverished, and partly abandoned while lush, new suburbs sprawl outward, filled with large homes, wide boulevards, Olive Gardens, and Best Buys. Urban renewal advocates and environmentalists primarily blame the proliferation of highways and cheap fuel.

They often overlook the social and economic factors at play.

It takes more than plentiful single family housing and the growth of the auto industry to spur an outward migration of the magnitude seen in cities like St Louis.

Markwort goes on to say, “The answer to the puzzle, of course, lies in the sprawling nature of St. Louis’s suburbs. Between 1950 and 2000, St. Louis’s urban population grew 48% while urban land area grew over 260%.”

Conditions for white flight were favorable, but undesirable city conditions and mismanagement gave Americans a strong reason to pack up and relocate — cheap gas was only a means to an end.

Detroit peaked after St Louis and suffered from rising crime and damaging riots as a result of social unrest, questionable police practices, and inequitable access to education and human services. Those who had the means were the first to leave, and who could blame them? When your communication fails you, your primary obligation is to your safety, your livelihood, and the education of your children.

NextSTL (known formerly as UrbanSTL) is a blog primarily advocating urban renewal, occasionally looking on the suburban lifestyle with a bit of disdain. Still, commenters have noted that while their commutes are indeed long, they aren’t always driving into the city every morning as suburbanites traditionally have done. They’re driving from the city or midtown where they live to the suburbs where they now work.

This turns the primary argument of urban advocates on its head.

Employers since the 1960s have been moving to the suburbs to save money, to be closer to an educated population, to retain existing employees, and to have better access to airports. Lambert St Louis International is northwest of the city, just 15 minutes away from the suburbs of St Charles and Chesterfield, while Chesterfield’s suburban airport almost exclusively serves corporate charters.

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Here’s a snapshot comparison of crime and education from city-data.com

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Above: Education attainment in Chesterfield MO.

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Above. Education attainment in St Louis MO.

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Above: Crime in Chesterfield MO.

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Above: Crime in St Louis MO.

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The city of St Louis tried and failed at luring Centene Corporation out of Chesterfield and into the city. Rawlings, Savvis, Enterprise, Energizer, and other large firms have chosen to remain out west.

This isn’t a trend exclusive to shrinking midsize cities. Chicago, America’s third most populated metropolitan area, struggles with an exodus of major employers. Though Chicago has recently gained Boeing, the number of employees actually working in Boeing’s headquarters in Chicago are few enough to fit into a room. Sears Holdings, known internationally for the Sears Tower in Chicago, left its skyscraper and relocated to Hoffman Estates in 1992.

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Parking is free in Hoffman Estates.

If people with education and/or professional experience are living in the suburbs, and their employers are moving to the suburbs, wouldn’t that eventually reduce their commute time? Of course, it isn’t that simple. Suburban areas are sprawling in all directions, so someone living in the east side of the metro area may have to drive all the way to the west for work. Wide highways and spider web-shaped interstates have alleviated congestion, but have the unintended consequence of keeping people on the road longer.

There are real problems that come as a consequence of sprawl and deconcentration.

From USA Today, April 2001:

“Wim Wiewel, dean of the College of Business Administration, and Joseph Persky, professor of economics, University of Illinois at Chicago, authors of When Corporations Leave Town, have developed a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of employment deconcentration, focusing on central cities and their suburbs.”
[..]
“Suburban development, for example, imposes much of its primary cost (such as housing subsidies) on the public sector, with a range of secondary or add-on costs (such as traffic congestion and air pollution) affecting the metropolitan population at large. Yet, the same development offers most of its benefits (such as lower land prices relative to the city and better job opportunities) to the businesses and higher-income households that relocate to the outer suburbs.”

The solution isn’t to raise gas taxes, ban SUVs, inhibit freedom and choice, tax people out of their lifestyles, or end highway development. Cities need to become cleaner, more efficiently run, and more cost-competitive. Responsible management requires discipline, something seriously lacking in major cities. [Mayor Francis Slay of St Louis does deserve some credit for St Louis’s recent comeback, but important projects are bafflingly stalled and buried in conflict and red tape.]

We should have a reasonable discussion on how to address the issue, but I get the feeling that some won’t be satisfied until we’re all living in shoe boxes eating rations of celery, wallowing in misery together.

References:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_2671_129/ai_73236084/

http://nextstl.com/transportation/less-congestion-more-sprawl-a-lot-more-time-in-the-car-in-st-louis

http://www.city-data.com/city/St.-Louis-Missouri.html

http://www.city-data.com/city/Chesterfield-Missouri.html

50 MPG, Spokane to Portland, 1992 Honda Civic Hatchback

This is a re-review of a car I took on a road trip back in 2005.

A decade ago, my dad bought a white 1992 Honda Civic Vx. The miserly man that he was, he sought out the Vx hatchback for its VTEC-E, a version of Honda’s variable lift and timing, intended to enhance fuel economy rather than performance. This was an unusual time for Honda to sell a 55mpg economy car since gas prices were 95 cents a gallon in the early 90s and falling (relative to inflation).

He paid $4000 for it in 2000 and sold it for $4000 in 2007. If you recall, oil prices rose dramatically through the end of 2008, sending the prices of economy cars into space. Busted Geo Metros suddenly shot up from $900 to $3000. Owners of small hatcbacks were getting offers in excess of what they were asking as people frantically (and foolishly) abandoned their Ford Explorers for a pittance.

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I neglected to take pictures of the actual car six years ago so all I have is this photo I found of a similar one in someone’s driveway. His was a white hatchback with standard wheels, little cooper tires with white lettering, and clear corner lights.

His Civic was originally from California so it had no air conditioning, but the paint and dark blue interior were immaculate. The windows were manual rollups and the only additional feature was an aftermarket remote entry system that was only installed on the driver’s door.

I came up to Washington to look after his dogs while he was in Thailand, and I had the keys to his Honda (unfortunately, I didn’t have the keys to his black Mercedes). At 50mpg with fuel at $2.10 a gallon, my visit to Portland would only cost me $32. That’s right, round trip was only thirty two bucks, cheaper than flying, cheaper than the train, and once you add the cost of water and food that’s even cheaper than walking.

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I was supposed to go south somewhere after Kennewick to get on I-84. Because of Washington’s distractingly beautiful scenery, I failed to pay attention to road signs and found myself wandering toward Yakima. Without GPS and with too much pride to pull over and ask for directions, I randomly took an exit in the town of Mabton WA and headed south through barley fields toward Bickleton just to see what would happen. Getting lost is (usually) half the joy of an adventure.

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Central Washington is an unusual piece of landscape. Rolling hills and midwest-style agricultural areas are within spitting distance of desert and mountains. Some sections were flat while others twisted and turned through cliff edges. Imagine California without the redwoods.

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Barley is the money maker here. This is what goes into the Pacific Northwest’s highly regarded beers. You can see tall hills off in the distance which I would be climbing later.

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This is the peak where I stopped to take photos of the barley fields behind me.

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The Civic hatchback, known as the “EG” chassis by Honda enthusiasts, weighs only 2100lbs, which I believe includes air conditioning. Subtract another 50lbs to delete the compressor and related equipment and this car comes in at a hair over 2000lbs, balancing the scales against a 1990 Miata, but with ample cargo space and room for four adults.

Mabton-Bickleton Road is spaghetti-shaped, with pavement switching to gravel and back to pavement in some stretches and sections of road as narrow as an alley. There were only a handful of services along the route. Eventually, the road trickled into I-84 where it met up with the clean and robust Columbia River.

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Luxury car guys like me are inclined to believe that a small Honda would do fine in the twisties but rattle and shake at 70mph, but that wasn’t the case. I don’t know how Honda’s engineers did it, but the Civic hatch cruises smoothly and steadily. Getting up to speed in the city is a chore, but on the highway there is more than sufficient 45-70mph passing power.

Wind noise is muted thanks to the car’s excellent aerodynamics, the ride is pleasingly forgiving, and it tracks down the road as straight as a ruler, mostly undisturbed by wind gusts. This so-called city car was, to my surprise, far more pleasing on the open road than in town.

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Portland Oregon is a jewel, an overlooked piece of urban heaven where the air is clean, natural beauty is abundant, the ambitious enjoy wealth and prosperity, and the locals are friendly. It hasn’t yet been ruined by Californians. Compared to Seattle a few hours north, it’s laid back, peaceful, and moderately paced. You could come here from anywhere and feel right at home.

Unfortunately, you can’t pump your own gas in Oregon. Owning a car is about control and freedom, and being told I couldn’t fill my own gas tank was like the state of Oregon telling me I couldn’t eat soup without someone holding the spoon for me. It’s an absurd and antiquated law.

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Above: From fueleconomy.gov, old MPG rating method vs new MPG rating method.

With mostly highway driving, I achieved 50mpg, only 5mpg short of the original EPA figure of 55mpg (later revised to 49).

With a few modifications and some thrifty driving techniques, people are seeing as much as 70mpg!

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After a night in the city, I took the Columbia River Highway, a route that predates I-84. This used to be the primary method of travel along the Columbia River. Its a narrow two-lane that twists and turns and if you can imagine it, big trucks used to crawl through here before the interstate was built.

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Stunning scenery. It makes you sigh just looking at it.

After returning home, I spent a couple weeks driving the Civic in the city. Spokane has lots of steep hills and stop and go traffic along its north-south drag, Division Street. I saw a low of 27mpg with VERY aggressive driving and full throttle as often as possible and averaged 39mpg driving normally. So, you can hoon it and still come in at just under 30mpg.

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Here’s an overview of how it drove:

Ride: 7/10
Shocking, isn’t it? I expected the highway ride to be jittery and rough, but it cruised effortlessly on the highway. In town, its roller skate wheels and short wheelbase were a bit harsh over potholes and ruts.

Powertrain: 8/10
Going from light to light with adequate speed required abusive use of the throttle and aggressive shifting. The transmission was geared to favor fuel economy, so there was hardly any action until you were near redline.
On the highway, passing power was more than adequate. Because of how the super-economical Vx is geared and the way VTEC-E is tuned, the feel on the open road is like having a small turbo.

The Civic’s 5-speed manual transmission was notchy but precise. Compared to Mazda’s Miata, arguably the holy grail of manual shifters, the Civic required too much effort to change gears. Instead of going snickety snick you got a hard thunk-thunk between gears. Clutch takeup was precise and pedal effort was light, but the linkage felt somewhat unnatural due to the required effort. On the highway, it felt much lighter and easier to drop into fourth for passing.
I’d normally give it a 7/10, but it gets an extra point for achieving 50mpg on the interstate [without hypermiling!].

Steering/Handling: 8.8/10
A thick steering wheel and thimble-like weight make the Civic Vx an absolute joy around corners. Highway tracking is steady and precise without being twitchy, and there’s enough weight in the steering to swifty carve your way around ramps and twisties. This did not have power steering, which is unnecessary for a car this size.

Audio/Accessories: 8/10
Interior: 8/10
Comfort: 8/10
I usually drive and review luxury cars, so it seems unfair to use standard criteria. I’ll instead focus on the Civic’s very precisely assembled interior. The doors and dashboard use soft padded materials that would look appropriate in an Acura Legend.

Front seating is superb, as evidenced by my comfortable five hour drive. Side bolsters are thick with a wide range of adjustments. The high-quality cloth material feels rich and pleasing. It doesn’t feel at all cheap or economical inside. From the driver’s seat, its as pleasing and spacious as an Accord.

Ahh, but the back seat! You’re probably thinking, “That has to be a joke for adults, right?” Wrong. I’ve been back there a few times and had no trouble going across town. A smaller person would even find it suitable over long distances. I don’t know if the same is true of the Civic sedan, but the hatchback’s flat roof gives ample head room. I’ll admit, getting in and out was a bit of a chore due to the car’s height, but if a chubby Cadillac owner like me can find reasonable comfort in the back of a Honda hatchback, so can the general public.

As an added bonus, the hatch opens in two sections (like the Buick Roadmaster or Range Rover), so you can use the bottom of the hatch door as a seat for tailgating.

The audio system was an aftermarket Sony CD player with some aftermarket speakers, so I can’t tell you anything about the factory radio. The hatchback’s shape was nice for acoustics. Switchgear felt substantial and precise, with a chunky, satisfying feel accompanying every knob rotation, lever movement, and button press.

Climate and radio controls are easy to reach with big knobs and sliders, mounted high to maintain a view of the road. See the gallery at the bottom for interior photos.

Quality/Reliability: 10/10 (More like 11/10)
Nothing breaks! This is the generation of Hondas that put the company on top, the era of the Acura Legend, Civic Si, and NSX. The paint is superbly finished and the interior is assembled with precision using high-quality vinyls, cloths, and plastics. With 150,000 miles, not ONE flaw was present.

Overall: 9/10
As I reach the end of this review, recalling my experiences from six years ago, I’ve grown more and more fond of this car. As a city car its more than adequate, easily the best of its class, but as a long distance cruiser, its impressive. Honda is known these days for killing the NSX and farting out bulbous heaps like the Crosstour sport-androgyny-wagon. The new CRZ, the successor to this car and the plucky CRX, is a complicated hybrid with a face only a mother could love and loud interior designed for people with ADHD.
If GM’s golden era was the 1960s, Honda’s was the 1990s.

If you run across a Civic like this and have any hesitation about buying it, do yourself a favor and fork over the cash, immediately. I wish I bought it from my dad before he sold it to a coworker. Between his Mercedes for leisure and his company car for cheap daily driving, he rarely drove the Honda. Then again, its pretty miserable to have a car without air conditioning here in the midwest.

Expect to spend $2500-$4500 depending on the condition. Most examples have been badly abused and thrashed to hell by urban drag racers. Get the manual; don’t bother with an automatic.

Specifications:
Curb weight: 2100lbs
1.5L I4 VTEC-E, 92hp, 97lb-ft
5-speed manual transmission
Observed fuel economy: 30-50mpg

Saab dealers now selling Spyker

According to Saab Central, a few Saab dealers are now operating as combined Saab-Spyker franchises. When you’re tired of replacing ignition cassettes on your 900, you can trade it in for a $230,000 Spyker C8 Spyder. That should leave you a balance due of only $227,000.

After GM sold the Saab brand to Spyker Cars last year, a clause in the agreement prevented existing GM franchises for sharing showrooms with Saab. As a result, several Saab dealers have closed or switched brands. The handful of standalone US Saab outlets remain. Are Saab dealers ready to take on a supercar brand?

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In case you’re an eccentric millionaire, here’s a list of current Spyker dealers:

Spyker of Pembroke Pines
Spyker of Manhattan
Spyker of Troy
Spyker of Newport Beach
Spyker of the Desert
Spyker of Atlanta
Spyker of Seattle
Spyker of Tampa Bay
Spyker of Chicago
Spyker of Houston
Spyker of Utah
Spyker of San Francisco
Spyker of Los Angeles
Spyker of Louisville
Spyker of Austin

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Visit Saab Central for more details.

Video and Review: 1991 Saab 900 Turbo Convertible

Designed in Sweden.

Made in Finland.

Driven by weirdos and architects.


Fast Tube by Casper

Video: Saab 900 driving footage and review.

Last year I got the itch for another convertible. I once had a 2004 BMW 325i convertible that was totaled when an old woman in a Kia Rondo ran a red light and t-boned me.

The accident left me with a small settlement for knee injuries, and Saab was fresh in my mind due to GM’s decision to kill the brand (Saab was later purchased by Spyker), and there was something kind of cool about owning a vehicle produced by a manufacturer that no longer existed.

So, off to Craigslist I went, where I stumbled on a 1991 900 turbo  convertible for $1100, a little over an hour away in Cape Girardeau. I called the seller and asked a few questions but didn’t think much about it after that. It was a strange car and I figured the repair costs would bury me.

I also decided that if I was going to buy another convertible, it would have to be a Miata. I longed for one ever since I was 12 — I was at Auffenberg Mazda in Illinois where my parents were buying a new Mazda MPV. A salesman asked me to back away from the Miata in the showroom because the metal buttons on my jacket were scratching it. From that moment on, I was hooked on them.

I forgot about the Saab after a few days and decided to hold on to my money but Mike, the seller, called me again to see if I was still interested. A third car was hard to justify, but I wanted to see it anyway.

It was a rough-running vehicle with shoddy brakes that took the weight of God’s foot to bring it to a stop. The turbo spun wildly, activating the wastegate prematurely. It also had some water in the trunk and a rusty hood. But, the moment I got in and took it around the block, I fell for it. I can’t really explain why I fell so hard (see video) — maybe it was the funny looking shape of the body, the smooth buzz of the turbo 4, or the fact that I’d been suffering from convertible withdrawal since the BMW was wrecked in 2008.

Whatever it was that compelled me, I knew I had to have it. I went inside to discuss the price with Mike, a college student who was in over his head with the repairs that it would take to make this old heap a safe and reliable everyday car. While it presented itself well with a new top and reasonable looking interior, everything about how it ran showed signs of neglect.

He paid about two grand but wanted out of it. I told him I’d give him $960 on the spot and take it home that night.

Not bad inside at all!

The majority of the body was straight and clean. It had been repainted probably a half dozen times before.

Despite two blown speakers, a malfunctioning turbo, bad brakes, and a complete lack of interior lights, I hadn’t had this much fun since losing my BMW. My first night with the Saab was more new and exciting than any car I’d purchased in years. If your face doesn’t occasionally look like this when you drive, then you’re not driving.

—

Smitten with infatuation, I went overboard on repairs.

I found a guy named Kurt who owned a shop called Absolute Swedish. He was an hour away but did free pickup and delivery, and he worked exclusively on Saabs and Volvos.

Here’s what it cost for my first round of service:

Oil pressure switch
Crank pulley
Outer CV boot
Ball joint
Reseal trans hoses
Trans filter
Trans fluid
Trans gasket
Alternator bushing
Heater control valve
Oil pump o-ring
Front crank seal
A few belts
Voltage regulator
Tension arm bushing
Vacuum lines
Oil/filter
Air filter
Spark plugs
Spark plug wires
New coolant
Reattach door panel
Reconnect hose for turbo
Power steering leak
Repair dash lights/bypass rheostat
Distributor o-ring
Total: $2956.39 including tax.Labor hours: 20.5Bonus: It has a recently replaced radiator.

I know, I probably could have saved thousands doing it myself, but I dont have a garage and it was cold outside (though not too cold to drive with the top down), so I deferred to Kurt for all service and repairs. And to be honest, DIY stopped being fun a while ago. Once you learn the ins and outs of a car and do enough wrenching, it stops being new and starts feeling like work. I also had that accident settlement to draw from for expenses.

There’s Kurt my mechanic standing next to my 900, which I’ve named Ducky after its long nose (beak) and duck tail spoiler. Later on I had the starter replaced and I have a new AC compressor ready to install. I  also found a paint guy to repair and paint the hood and the ding on the passenger door.

Since then, I’ve upgraded to three-spoke wheels, replaced the broken power seats with cloth manual seats, and replaced the rear bumper (girl at school rear-ended me).

Here’s what it looks like now:

Specifications:

3-speed Borg-Warner automatic transmission (Mounted in front of the engine!)
2.0L I4 turbo, 160hp
2950 lbs
Made in Finland (Same plant owned by Valmut that builds the Porsche Boxster)
Fuel economy: 19 city / 23 higway  (I get 17 city, 21 highway @ 70mph)
Front-wheel drive

How does it drive?

Ride: 5/10
Turbo 900s are firm and rough on harsh pavement but smooth out beautifully on the highway. It doesn’t help that mine has six year old Dayton tires. I’m sure replacing them would make a world of difference.
Powertrain: 8/10
Its a slug around town, but once you get used to spooling up the turbo it rewards you with pleasing acceleration that comes on like a wave.  0-60 happens in about 8 seconds, which was great in 1991 and still entertaining now. It seems faster than it is because of the smooth buzz  of the 4-cylinder motor, the woosh of the turbo, and the low growl of the exhaust.

Braking: 4/10
Saab no longer makes the Bosch ABS brake pump assembly for this car, which shares its parts with several Buick and Mercury models. I found a used one on eBay for $200 and had it installed, but even reviews of the 900 when it was new complain that it requires too much pedal effort to bring the car to a stop. You get used to it, sure, but it takes a moment of adjustment. A lot of 900 owners have converted their ABS systems to non-ABS for better feel and modulation. After a few deer encounters, I’ve found it to stop admirably.

Steering/Handling: 6/10
Steering needs more communication. It also seems a bit heavy in parking maneuvers, but on the highway it tracks beautifully and goes down the road as straight as a ruler. Handling is a mixed bag. Yes, the firmer suspension does prevent body roll, but putting the transmission in front of the engine makes it terribly nose-heavy, which it already is due to being front-wheel drive, which means it wants to understeer quite a bit and never feels very balanced. In everyday driving there’s enough comfort and straight line performance to make up for anything it lacks in cornering.

Even with suspension and chassis upgrades and modifications, it will never feel as natural or direct as a Miata or 3-series, and it doesn’t matter. The sounds and sensations give the impression of non-serious, lighthearted joy. Like Ace of Base or Abba, its about capturing the moment, thriving on optimism, and soaking in the two weeks of sunshine they enjoy each year in Sweden. That, right there, may be the classic 900’s greatest trait — it doesn’t take itself so god damned seriously.

Audio/Accessories: 7/10
Climate controls are terribly illogical. There’s several settings with cryptic symbols. Thankfully I was able to download an owners manual and figure it out. Because the HVAC system uses a heater valve rather than a fan flap, the temp adjustment can be touchy.

Okay, so maybe it isn’t that bad, but the knob on the far right doesn’t make a lick of sense to me.

The car comes with power seats, a power top (undo two latches, hit the button), courtesy lights, power locks, and just about anything else you might expect from an entry-luxury car that was made in the early 90s.

Music in the Saab sounds amazing. A lot of this has to do with the high quality speakers Saab installed in the top of the dashboard. Because the sides of the windshield are curved inward like you might see on aircraft, sound goes directly into your ears rather than up and out of the cabin. This means that without  an additional amplifier, I can listen to music at a very loud, satisfying volume with the top down at 70mph and it won’t sound like the wind is carrying all the sound away. In the BMW, I sometimes didn’t even bother listening to music unless I was going below 40mph, and even at a stoplight with the top up the sound system in the BMW was just awful.

Interior: 7/10
The quality of materials is superb, at least for its time. Other than a crack in the dash, everything held up well after 20 years of neglect. Unfortunately, the car was originally designed in the 70s which meant that as more and more accessories became available, buttons and switches were haphazardly crammed into the dashboard and placed in awkward locations. The driving position is perfect but ergonomics are otherwise very odd. I do like the central location of the ignition.  It feels natural after a while and it keeps my key chains from rubbing my knee.

Comfort: 10/10
Saab first invented heated seats when a fellow engineer was suffering from back problems. The seats are orthopedically designed and I have never been in a car so comfortable over long distances. The upright driving position and scoop-shaped seats keep you in place around corners without feeling confining. I wish every car seat was this good.

Heating and air conditioning, once you figure out the silly controls, are by far the best I’ve ever experienced. Athough my 2001 Cadillac Seville has a mainframe’s worth of computing power to keep it safe on icy and snowy roads, it doesn’t have the Saab’s instant furnace-like heating system. And in the summer, the AC blows ice cold almost instantly. I sometimes have to turn the AC down because it gets shiveringly cold (it needs a new compressor though, the old one bit the dust).

Quality/Reliability: 8/10
The 900 classic is almost legendary for its reliability, but you have to measure that against cars from the same era. Over time, the car gained maintenance-free timing chains and updates to the turbo for improved reliability. The rule of thumb is, the newer the better.
Remember that a number of years, neglect becomes an issue.


Overall Value: 6/10
Any 900 you find on Craigslist will need a couple thousand dollars worth of work (maybe less if you do it yourself) unless it comes with a  documented service history, and if it does you can expect the seller to want over three grand, even more if its an SPG model. Parts are known to last decades, but neglect takes its toll. So, if you’re in it to make a profit, you  won’t. And despite my affection for this car, I can’t tell strangers to go out and buy an old Saab — they’re too unique for mainstream consumption. We live in a Camry/Corolla world, a world full of people for whom driving is a burden. Fuck those guys.

Styling is subjective, but some people find the 900 “classic” to be quite ugly. It isn’t modeled after a phallus, a woman’s curves, or a rocket ship as sporty cars often are. Its design was influenced by Saab aircraft but comparing it to a Viggen fighter jet would be a stretch. The best word I’ve heard to describe the look is “Smugly” — just ugly enough that you can be smug and take pride in its uniqueness.

I wanted to give it a 10/10 for overall value, but that wouldn’t be entirely honest. What’s a 10 for me, in the case of this car, probably won’t translate into a 10 for most drivers. This is probably true of most Saab enthusiasts, who embrace the personalities and quirks of their cars so strongly that major flaws become non-issues.

Every car stimulates a different part of the body, heart, and mind. A Cadillac satisfies comfort and prestige. A BMW 335 corresponds to male libido. A Mercedes-Benz makes you feel safe and powerful. If you have a Nissan 350Z you’re probably a douchebag — throw an Ed Hardy shirt on and embrace it.

A Saab, on the other hand, stimulates the analytical part of the brain. Studying economics causes a corner of my head to tingle with pleasure, and driving the 900 reproduces that sensation. I can’t think of any other car on the road that does that. Fittingly, Saab’s slogan at the moment is “Move Your Mind.”

I won’t to try to convert you. Religion is, after all, a very personal thing, but if you’ve managed to read this entire article, you might be a potential Saab fan.

Things to watch out for:

Reverse gear problems in manuals

Oil leak at distributor

Rust on bottom edge of doors

Power seat issues

Turbo problems, going too quickly into boost or blowing smoke

Check Saab Central for additional buying advice.

Through Saab Central I’ve had the chance to meet several local Saab owners. They have to be the friendliest and most down to earth group of car owners I’ve ever encountered. I also picked up a membership to Saab Club North America which includes discounts and a print magazine every two months.

What were road trips like in the 1940s?

Did you have to shoot buffalo for food? Did you have to float across the river? Did people die of dysentery? Okay, so it was nothing like the Oregon Trail computer game (remember having to write your own epitaph?), but it was still interesting.

In 1947 there wasn’t yet a fully mature interstate system, fewer gas stations, no 24-hour Wal-Marts, no cell phones, and cars were less dependable and required more maintenance. “Orconn” from CadillacOwners.com recalls his childhood, detailing a trip he took from New Jersey to Pasadena in his father’s 1940 Packard 120.

I asked him, “What was cross-country travel like in those cars? Were there more concerns over breakdowns in the middle of nowhere?” The details most noteworthy to those of us younger than 35 are in bold, but you’ll want to read the whole thing to get a feel for the time.

The entire discussion can be viewed here.

This was his wonderfully thorough response:

I can only speak from a four year old’s recollection of the trip from New Jersey to Pasadena, CA in the 1940 Packard 120, in 1947, which if I remember took about ten days because we stopped in Illinois and Wisconsin to see my mother’s family members.
I am sure my dad had the car well prepared for the trans-continental journey with all potential problem areas refreshed and taken care of. If I remember correctly oil changes and lubrication was required every 1000 miles on that vintage car (correct me on that if I am wrong). Tires were good for less than 10,000 miles. I don’t remember what the interval between tuneups would have been.

I don’t remember any break downs along the way, but I do remember carrying canvas water bags on the front fenders to have somewhat cool water to replenish the radiator going through mountains and the western desert. I also remember at times it was hot as hell and that we always had the windows open wide to catch the wind. Remember most of the way the speed limit was 45 mph and there were speed traps (15 and 25 mph speed limits) almost at every small town you passed through.

The roads by and large were two or occasionally four lanes either undivided or with cement dividers the size of today’s parking lot tire stops. The only limited access highway was the Pennsylvania Turnpike and you didn’t follow it to its’ end but turned off at Washington, PA to go by two lane highway to Wheeling, West Virginia where you picked Interstate 40 which alternated between two, four and three (one each way with the middle lane for passing in either direction) lanes onward to Chicago. There you picked up Route 66 for the rest of your trip to California. Route 66 was a non limited access highway made up of segments of different numbers of lanes with local traffic entering and leaving the roadway from businesses and side roads. Traffic involving slow moving cars and trucks was the norm and it was only when you got past Missouri that things really opened up and higher speeds could be maintained.

Of course seat belts weren’t even thought of for passenger cars at that time. My favorite place to ride was to stand in the wide space between the back seat and the back of the front seat, about where the ashtray was located with my hands on the front seat back, so I could see between my parent’s shoulders and out the windshield. My Dad and I had a game we played almost all day in which each of us would name the year, make and model of the cars coming toward us. Both of us were pretty good at it so it was a fun game to pass the time as we churned away across the United States.

One of the big differences between these kinds of roads and the interstates of today was all the interesting sights to be seen along the way as terrain and road side attractions changed with the different regions of the country that you passed through. Route 66 was also a local highway and didn’t bypass any of the towns and cities along its way. So you slowly made your way through city traffic in the bigger cities and were kept moving slowly through each little town you came to as the local citizens went about their business.

Then there were the mom and pop motels and the small town hotels you had use for accommodation when you stopped for the night. There was no air conditioning, and you were lucky if you stopped at a place that was clean and fairly quiet from the highway traffic.

I remember the trip as a great adventure, but then that is my nature, I think my sister hated the ride and hated moving to new places. People did make the trip across country. My mother’s parents came out California several times in there 1938 Chrysler New Yorker and in the 1950’s all 11 of my mother’s sisters and brothers made the trip from the Mid-West. And of course there were the great migrations to new work locations during the Second World War.

I am glad I still have the memories of traveling the U.S. at that time and regret my son never experienced the country in the way those old roads made possible. Today you can easily make it by interstate from L.A. to N.Y.C. in three and a half days, but the isolation of the interstates means you will miss all the color and excitement of seeing the various parts of the country up close and personal. The same goes for air travel, but that’s another story!

The discussion covers all kinds of cars from before World War II, especially luxury brands.

I strongly suggest reading it.

How NOT to park your car in a blizzard.

A caption contest over at NICOClub explains how a Mercury Milan found itself pointed face down, ass up. Feel free to join in and get creative. Top contenders:

“MERCURY MILAN NAMED “OFFICIAL CAR OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL”

Al Gore’s Environmental Stimulus Package: “In this picture you can see how global warming is having a profound effect on the ederly. That’s why for every car they wreck, we pledge to plant another.”

“NO NO NO.. I said Parallel…. not vertical… Parallel!!!!”

“Now with air brakes!”

I’d say the winner is a photo of NICO’s “naladude911” standing next to the wreckage. Naladude, known by his parents as Stephen, is infamous for his poorly designed homemade snow plow.

Click here for more lulz at at NICO.

Poor man’s “Wood”?

If you’re like me, you find that one of the simplest yet most enjoyable additions to any luxury car is the inclusion of a wood and leather steering wheel. Retrofits are expensive and those cheesy Wal-Mart wraps scream “pick me up at my trailer”… until now…

Wood and leather wheels not only enhance the appearance of what can otherwise be a rather bland interior, but also add a cool, smooth silkiness to the wheel. While doing a search for a TRUE factory wood and leather wheel out of a Navigator to retrofit into an Expedition (something that unfortunately doesn’t work well since the Navigator has digital controls on the wheel), I came across this rather novel new product.

These are faux-wood “cap” pieces that while still a tad tacky, appear to be FAR less so than the annoying vinyl and rubber wraps sold at your favorite big box discounter. More importantly, they don’t ruin the factory thickness of the most used parts of the wheel. Installation appears to be a simple matter of double-sided tape and placement depends on whether your wheel is 2, 3 or 4 spokes. Note that even if you hate the idea of a wood wheel but have a rather grody and worn out steering wheel otherwise, this would be a great way to cover up most of the blemishes. My interest is piqued and I may just have to order one of these “eBay wonders” to test.

Flip This Car! $500 1998 Mustang

Originally written September 2009:

A friend of Ian’s decided to pack his things, buy a new Jeep, and move to Puerto Rico. As a result, he abandoned a bed, a few items, and offered his bruised and neglected 1998 Mustang coupe for $500.

The good: Mechanically sound two-owner car, 85,000 miles, oil changed every 3k, no leaks and no issues.

The bad: Crunched fender (SUV bumper hit it at a slow speed), nasty interior, never been washed so there’s a layer of crust, bald front tires.

I had to fly to Tampa to pick it up, so here’s some road trip photos with captions:

[I forgot my Kodak, so all I had was my Blackberry.]

Taking the taxi in Tampa. The driver kept bitching about his job.

When I first picked it up, it was quite hideous. What you’re seeing isn’t faded paint, its dirt. There was a layer of crust on the whole car. I got dirty just walking around and being in it.

The interior is in tact but full of dirt and coffee stains. I’m paying the kids at the car wash to deal with this mess tomorrow.

The crunched fender and crust-covered paint. Some buffing should bring back the shine, at least enough so that I don’t look like a meth addict driving around the county.

Headlights are foggy too.

That’s NOT a cracked window. There’s some nasty cheap tint all over the car that has to be removed. It shrank in the heat and looks horrible. From inside, it looks like its constantly raining.

Its shocking how dirty this car is, because the guy who owned it was a very clean, very organized guy.

Eww.

The odometer stopped working I believe at the same time I tried to reset the trip meter. I thought I felt a crunch when I pressed it, and it took a few tries to get it to reset.

At least the back is clean.

Stopped at Miami Tire to pick up a used pair to replace the balding ones.
Almost no pads left, front rotors need a turn.

A couple years ago, some stupid addict tried to break into the car with a screw driver. Both locks were damaged but the drivers side was left with a gaping hole. I might fill it with bondo and spray it over.

The keyless entry works fine after replacing the batteries for $10.

The first wash this car has had in eight years.

CompUSA! Still open in TX and FL, owned by TigerDirect.

Went to J. Alexanders for some rare tuna, slaw, and mashers.

A billboard for Dew Motors, carrying Rolls, Bentley, Lotus, and even Cadillac.

This is Jason’s old and now-empty apartment where I slept, lol. I felt like a crack addict breaking into a foreclosed home.

I bought a shirt. I’m not sure what the deal is with the sock situation.

The light bulb in the hallway was so old that it cracked and fell out of the socket.

After two washes. Much better.

It seems impossible to drive anywhere in Florida without seeing a wreck. This one involved four cars.

New toy, $199 Acer netbook, an open box deal at CompUSA. Came with a 3-cell battery (need to upgrade that), 120GB HD, 9” LCD, 1GB RAM, WinXP.

Calculating fuel economy. 31.7 mpg!!!! Go Mustang!

Booked a room at Staybridge Suites in Atlanta for $29. Priceline rocks.

I ate a cup of fruit and felt compelled to share it with you.

Just outside Chattanooga, a nasty accident on I-24 forced a detour.

Booting up, mapping out a new route.

Best detour ever! Lakefront property here is ridiculously cheap, some under $200k with a decent house. Tennessee is gorgeous.

Looks good if you stand far enough away in dim light.

Stopped in the city of Metropolis to visit Superman.

An Oldsmobile sign still standing at a Chevy dealer in Southern Illinois.

I made it home without any issues at all, easily exceeding 30mpg. The car itself was surprisingly good. I usually enjoy clean late-model luxury cars, but this busted old thing was actually a lot of fun to drive.

Overview:

3.8L V6, 150hp, 210lb-ft

5-speed manual transmission

Two-door coupe

Power windows, locks, mirrors

Weighs about 3000lbs without the driver.

Comparable: Camaro V6, Nissan 240SX, Ford Probe, Mazda MX-6

Steering/Handling: 3.9/5

Steering was reasonably accurate but it had some of the usual on-center highway sponginess associated with Fords.

Handling shocked me, in a good way, flying around ramps like a sporty car ought to, securely gripping and moving predictably. Somehow, the suspension in this badly neglected car was still in tact.

It doesn’t have the lively feeling that a Nissan or Mazda offers where you can feel the road sizzling in your hands, but it communicated adequately enough to know what was going on.

Braking: 3.7/5

Despite low pads and warped rotors, it bit hard and stopped with authority. Didn’t expect that.

Styling: 2.5/5

The bubble body is probably the least-favored modern Mustang body style. There’s a couple vents in the hood and a nice curve along the side. The rear wheels look too sunken in.

Interior: 3/5

The door panels had soft surfaces and the switchgear was precise, but the black border around the center stack was poorly painted, which looked terrible. 
All the controls were easy to reach and the gauges were basic and clear including temperature, oil pressure, fuel, and battery voltage. The steering wheel buttons and window switches were not lighted, but they were easy to find and use at night.

There isn’t much wind or road noise, feeling like a somewhat more expensive car.

The cupholder is in a stupid location, right behind the shifter. No wonder there’s coffee stains everywhere.

Audio/Accessories: 4/5

This is another pleasant surprise. With a Philips tape adapter connected to my Blackberry, the Ford radio sounded reasonably clean and powerful for a cheap factory radio. There was little distortion, some thumping bass, and a decent bit of power. Again, a total shocker. This one had a CD player as well, located right in front of the shifter (a stupid location) — I didn’t bring any CDs.

The windshield wipers are unusually quiet, and all the power accessories still work.

Suspension: 3.6/5

The base coupe is softly sprung and cruises along the highway quietly. Like a Jeep, it crashes hard over large bumps, probably due to the solid rear axle and crap tires. Overall, it cruises around much more like a quiet sedan than a cheap economy car ($16k MSRP in 1998).

Comfort/Climate: 5/5

Brutally cold AC and simple controls. Couldn’t ask for more.

The seats are perfectly shaped, with lots of padding and plenty of thigh and back support. Power seat switches are located on the front of the seat, which is actually a little easier to reach than on the side. I felt absolutely NO fatigue after 1000 miles of driving.

Acceleration/Engine/Transmission: 3/5

The shifter takes some muscle, but the clutch is reasonably light. Movement is reasonably precise but a strong arm is required for spirited driving, taking some of the fun out of it. The engine doesn’t sound like anything special, humming along like a bland “pile of motor”, but its so quiet I don’t really notice it. There’s enough room under the hood to repair anything with a screwdriver and hammer on the side of the road.

It moves nicely enough, all the way up to 80mph where it runs out of steam.

There isn’t enough power to spin the rear tires, not even close, so traction in the rain wasn’t much of a problem. I don’t know how quick it is to 60, but it didn’t feel painfully slow (or pleasingly fast).

Quality/Reliability: 7/10

I‘ve heard some stories about 3.8L head gasket failures, but unlike the Ford Windstar (which needs its engine removed), its only a few hundred dollars to fix. Stupid little things like lights and door sensors will go wrong, and a few interior pieces may degrade over time. Ford’s reputation for automatics is mixed. Otherwise, expect solid dependability from the V6 engine and manual transmission. The Mustang’s high production count and means the used market will have a large selection of heavily depreciated cars in reasonable condition.

Overall: 4/5 (wtf?)

Everything about this car behaves like a midsize sedan, but with a manual transmission and sharper handling. Nothing sticks out as really impressive but comfort is high, fuel economy is very reasonable (30mpg highway), and repair costs are low.

Because it was a cheap and economical sporty car for high school girls and secretaries, I came in with very low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised. When it comes down to specifics, it seems as if I had mixed feelings about this car, but I assure you, I greatly enjoyed taking it across the country.

In all, its the best $500 I’ve ever spent on a car. If this crude and neglected ‘98 was this good, I can only imagine how great the 2010 Mustang is.

—

Followup:

Took it to the local Waterway car wash and paid $50 for an interior clean. The poor kid… it was hot outside and I kept having him go over every filthy crevice.

I said “Is this the filthiest car you’ve ever seen?”

He replied, ‘Uhh… yeah.’

Much improved. Carpets were deep cleaned but didn’t pay for seat cleaning.

No more crud!

I can see the gauges now.

We removed the crunched fender, a reasonably easy job.

No pain, no gain.

My TV now has a Cadillac Northstar badge as well as a Mustang badge.

My five year old brother was excited to see a real live Mustang. He drives a little red one.

Some sloppy Bondo for the hole where the key slot was.

Drove up to Quincy IL/Hannibal MO to buy a replacement fender for $75. The dealer said this gorgeous Seville STS was part of the clunkers program. 🙁

Our donor car, a 96 V6 auto with nice clean panels and a clean interior.

Quincy riverfront.

Quincy Illinois. My GPS said there was a Schlotzky’s, but when we arrived it was gone. 🙁

Loaded up the fender and skirt in my roommate’s 2006 F-150 and headed home.

Fender installed.

Keyhole crudely sealed up.

Later on….

“DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING!”

That’s all I heard going down the road. I tried WD40 on the door latch which only helped a bit. I tried cutting the black/pink wire, but the headlight chime remained even with the vehicle running. Frustrated, I finally dug around underneath the dash, pulled the connector, and ripped out the chime.

Looks fine inside I guess, so whatever was causing the problem was elsewhere. I don’t have any airbag errors or anything. I just have to remember to not leave my headlights on or leave my keys in the ignition. Every damn Ford does this.

Bought pads and rotors but someone replaced the standard hex bolt on the caliper with a star shaped one. I couldn’t get enough bite on it so I’m letting a shop do the brakes. :/

Took it out to dinner tonight. [Did NOT valet park. :P] And I discovered recently that yes, you can shove two full size Canon copiers into a Mustang coupe with enough lube and pushing.

Costs:

Flight to Tampa – $120 incl tax

Car – $500

Cab fare from TPA airport – $32 incl tip

Gas from Tampa – $85

Lodging – $45 incl tax

Batteries for keyless – $10

Two used tires – $50+$15 tip

Fender – $81 incl tax

Lodging – $45 incl tax

Gas to/from Quincy – $46

Bondo/Paint/Clearcoat/Polish – $20

Interior cleaning – $75 incl tip

Smiles – Priceless!

Total spent: $1124

Sale price: $1400

Conclusion:

This was a great car. I eventually replaced the spark plugs and a few fluids, but I never really drove it, so after six months I sold it on Craigslist to a local kid for $1400.

I basically got paid a couple hundred bucks to take a trip to Florida and drive a free car. Not a bad deal at all.

My first “car.”

This driving simulator is, I believe, made by Tomy. I came across this 1988 Sears catalog scan at Wishbook, an index of selected Sears, Wards, Penny, and Spiegel catalogs. As a child of the 80s, I longed for a Power Wheels, and this was the next best thing.

The way this worked was a scrolling film would simulate a moving road. A light in the background gave the impression of night driving while the steering wheel moved the car icon left and right. The ignition key turned on the toy and the speedometer was functional. BONUS: The headlights popped up when you turned them on!

We didn’t have a whole lot of money when I was a kid, and I remember begging for it at the KB Toy store at the mall. Mom made it sound like it cost more than a week’s wages. In today’s money, its still under $30. To make matters worse we didn’t celebrate Christmas, but my brother and I did receive one large gift for New Years. I had a massive collection of 50-cent Matchbox cars to tide me over and made roads and drew buildings with a pencil and some printer paper, which I got yelled at for wasting.


Fast Tube by Casper


Some other gems:

I’ll be in my garage building a time machine.

SPRING BREAK! In Detroit?

I’m not entirely sure what kind of person packs their bags for spring break and heads to Detroit. Most people align their sense of adventure with beaches, sunshine, and scenery. I, however, felt compelled to see America’s fastest-shrinking city. While there, I drove Woodward at night, visited the Chrysler Museum, saw the Ford Rouge factory where they build the F-150, and enjoyed a coney at Lafeyette’s.

—

Originally written March 2010:

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I packed my bags and took my 1992 Seville STS, a fitting car since it was born in Hamtramck.

24mpg!

Gas station food. Red Bull Cola has a nice spice.

The vanity plate on this Chevy Venture says “MAGGOT”

Gary, Indiana. The most run-down gas pump I’ve ever seen. I probably pumped ten gallons of sludge into my Seville.

Fancy rest area has a lighthouse.

More gas station food.

Mariott in Southfield MI. I had a family discount authorization form that my cousin gave me but the Mariott representative on the phone tried to charge me $100 for it. I asked her to tell me which Mariott location was in the safest neighborhood but she revealed that she was at a call center. At that point, I decided to score a deal with William Shatner’s help. Five minutes of bidding on Priceline got me a room at this Mariott for $40.

Even the artwork in the room is car related.

Awful, terrible Detroit roads. I’m in the median because there’s fewer ruts and holes.

I didn’t have time for the Henry Ford museum, but enjoyed the F150 factory tour. The whole operation was VERY clean, smooth, and well-organized. Photos in the factory were not permitted but the tour was self-guided, allowing you to move around the factory at your own pace. Most importantly, they were working on a Saturday which seems to indicate strong demand for Ford trucks.

New Raptor

Classic Fords on display

Bought a scale model of Reagan’s Presidential Limousine and an F-150.

F150 chassis

The elaborate theater presentation involved a 7-screen 360-degree film that used wind, heat, vibration, and water to simulate manufacturing activities. On the upper level was an observation deck. The rooftops at the Rouge plant have gardens that collect and filter water used for plumbing and irrigation. It was surprisingly honest, displaying the violence inflicted on employees by management during unionization attempts. I’ll be returning in 2011 to see the rest of the museum.

Approaching downtown Detroit

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A dog show was taking place at Cobo Hall

Downtown

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GM Renaissance Center (Additional photos linked above)

The Ren Cen was impressive outside, but unfortunate inside. Despite being what should have been a busy Saturday afternoon for shopping, most of the stores inside were closed. GM also decided to close and fence off their “GM World” vehicle display. Its not like I can’t go to a Buick dealer to see a Lucerne. There was an atmosphere of sadness all over.

The only place open was the liquor store where I purchased a GM mug.

Disappointment.

Classy.

Went to Lafeyette’s for a coney dog. It was as good as it looked on the travel channel with lightning fast service, spanish onions, and spicy chili for $2.40.

The bald guy back there is the owner, seen on “Man Vs Food”.
Outside, a guy asked me for change. During his shpeel I interrupted and said “Take care of yourself!” and walked away. He replied, “Yeah okay man whatever”.

Did my own Woodward Dream Cruise out to the suburbs, a one-man parade. While much of Detroit was run-down with the poorer areas quite vast, it wasn’t desolate and spooky at night like North or East St Louis. There were people out and about and several busy shops.

Downtown, overall, was attractive though mysteriously uncongested.

Ate at Xochimilco, located in a shady-looking neighborhood called Mexicantown. I parked in a well-lit area. There were several Mexican restaurants and lots of people. Great food!

As I left the restaurant, another homeless guy asked me for money so he could “get me a decent meal.” I offered him my chimichanga in a styrofoam container which I had not yet touched. He quickly declined it and said he already had food. He started to make up another excuse to have my money but I spoke over him, said “God bless”, and got the hell out of there.

Tim Horton’s is one of those Canadian chains, and the coffee and doughnuts were excellent.

The next day, I headed to Auburn Hills to visit the Walter P Chrysler museum. There was no security apparent.

ITS A TRAP! I got stuck in the parking garage at the Chrysler center. It allowed me to enter but did not allow me to leave. The exit signs kept leading me to a gate that was closed. I finally exited through the entrance, driving over a stop sign and chain, going the wrong way through the driveway, and getting the hell out as fast as I could.

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Finally found the museum, a beautiful structure.

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The artwork in front is supposed to symbolize progress. It looks more like a chewed up tire that went flat at a high speed — symbolism indeed.

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Walter Chrysler got started working on trains.

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His first job in the auto industry was for Buick, but he got into a fight with Mr Durant of General Motors and left. To learn about automobiles, he bought a car and disassembled and reassembled it several times.

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The displays frequently mentioned cab forward design, even in this display dated 1934. “Cab forward” is something Chrysler hasn’t advertised in a decade. This “stuck in the 90s” theme repeats itself throughout entire museum.

Below are various museum exhibits:
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Click to View Image — Interesting way to wash a car.
Click to View Image — Manned stoplight.
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Click to View Image — Aircraft engine, 2500hp
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Click to View Image — Tank engine
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Click to View Image — Packard spark plug wires
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Click to View Image — Dodge Power Wagon
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Click to View Image — Suspension comparison
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Click to View Image — Autolite starter

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Tire technology display

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Click to View Image — Town and Country convertible
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Not sure what the thing in the middle is for. Ventilation? Heat?

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Lebaron convertible looks much like the Cord 810

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Click to View Image — Chrysler Atlantic concept car
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Chrysler Special by Ghia

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An homage to Nash/Hudson, Willys-Overland/Kaiser, AMC, and Jeep.

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Click to View Image — Powerflite transmission
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They didn’t show any of the cab-forward LH cars they kept talking about, yet they had three K-cars on display (plus the K-based minivan).

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The closest they did have to an LH sedan was this wiring harness from a 300M, compared to a 1951 Newport wire harness.

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They had a couple classic “Letter Cars” and Imperials.

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I have nothing good to say about this Cordoba, equipped with gaudy silver upholstery.

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Early 1970s gas pump

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Lee Iacocca-era memorabilia

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Click to View Image — A miniature of the monument outside.
Click to View Image — Someone showed up!

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Click to View Image — The microprocessor controlled AM/FM radio, the same one they seemed to use for 20 years.

Notice how the list of innovations ends here at 1992.

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Walked down the stairs to the basement…

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The HIGHLIGHT of my visit to Auburn Hills, the ME-412! I bought a poster. V12, four turbos. It also appears to have a Nakamichi head unit.

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Tomahawk V10 motorcycle. There was no security and almost no other guests, so of course I touched it.

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The vending area was designed to look like a dealership. On display was the movie that was supposed to play upstairs in the non-functioning theater.

A local Detroit drink.

Various basement exhibits:
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A “game” that lets you design a car and print it out. It criticizes you for exceeding costs or being too dramatic with your design. To “win” the game and get your team’s approval, you have to churn out something bland that looks like a Dodge Intrepid. It certainly explains how the Sebring happened. This is the worst idea for an exhibit, ever.

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Click to View Image — Hemi bbq grill

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Click to View Image — Chrysler airflow. A beautiful design that sold poorly. I bought a die cast model.

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Click to View Image — Exposed screws
Click to View Image — Steering wheel out of the parts bin
Click to View Image — 20″ rear wheels
Click to View Image — Popped the hood. The 3.5L V6 barely fits
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They had a Prowler you could get into and play with. The interior was nasty, far worse than I remembered. The rest of the car seemed well made. I’d have one.

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AMC AMX

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Actual testing facility control panel from the 1950s

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The museum is overall poorly maintained. There’s a box out front asking for donations (entry was $8 per person) and the staff are mostly volunteers. This seemed strange for a company-owned facility.
Most of the displays, like the one above, were so dim they were unreadable. Cars suffered from cracking paint. The elevator wasn’t working nor were some of the interactive exhibits. The movie theater was down, probably because the projector was broken, so they ran the video on a TV in the basement.
The gift shop was playing music on a CD recorded in 1999 (Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, NSync) on a boombox that came from 1999. The volunteer woman working in the shop was very… umm… strange. The whole place was quite barren and like the rest of the Chrysler complex, seemed depressing and sad.

Ann Arbor

Road food.

Home.

Detroit was nowhere near as bad as I’ve heard. Of course, I was there as a tourist, not a resident. I didn’t have to find a job, start a business, or deal with the poorly run school system.

The bad neighborhoods were suffering and widespread, but it was hardly a ghost town. There were still plenty of people and shops everywhere, unlike North and East St Louis which can be frighteningly empty at night.

Thanks to the small crowds from lacking tourism, I’ll definitely be going back.

I missed out on anything music related. The Motown Museum supposedly has all of the original recording equipment used by Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, etc on display as well as Berry Gordy’s apartment upstairs.
I got the impression that Ford was more revered in Detroit than GM or Chrysler, with the Ford name plastered on streets, bridges, and buildings. The Ford plants and museums were packed, so much that parking was scarce.
I still need to visit the Henry Ford Museum, Village Park, Flint (to see the misery described by Michael Moore), Edsel Ford mansion, Hamtramck where my Seville was built, the MGM Grand, and Ontario.

I took some videos as well:


Fast Tube by Casper


Fast Tube by Casper

Video: Chrysler Design Team Game

Video: Plymouth Prowler Walkaround

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