The New Car Fanatic Thread

[HOOKEM4 5,151]

1 hour ago, CHIEF said:

The ones on the Escalades either have too fine of threads on the screws that hold them in, or they break off. It is a true "they don't make them like they used to" situation. If they were an old "push button" or "pull up" plastic design, it probably wouldn't be a problem, but "pulling out" stresses the rear two screws of the assembly and either strips the threads, or breaks the plastic screw protrusion off, which remains on the end of the screw. People naturally use the handle to pull the door the test of the way open all the way to the door stop. When you have 500 different people ride in your vehicle over time, they end up breaking the handles.

CHIEF

One would think the first thing the engineers would key in on is getting in the vehicle as the starting point of design. Of course my last few experiences with gm they clearly didn't give a fuck about "the truck needs to move to be a vehicle" so I am not holding out hope they give a fuck whether you can get in or not. 

 

Edited March 2, 2021 by HOOKEM4
Stuck on the side of the road in a rental gm

[Anton Chigurh 3,332]

It’s like on the Foxbody Mustang. You had to know how to open the door the right way with those handles.

[fattyflattie 4,640]

1 hour ago, Okie State said:

Do any cars have metal door handles these days? Can't remember the last time I noticed one that did.

Me either. I know my 2000 is plastic. My 94 Cherokee had metal handles iirc. 

[conVINCEd 21,477]

44 minutes ago, Anton Chigurh said:

It’s like on the Foxbody Mustang. You had to know how to open the door the right way with those handles.

A little finesse was needed.  Up and a little to the left. 

[fattyflattie 4,640]

2 hours ago, CHIEF said:

The ones on the Escalades either have too fine of threads on the screws that hold them in, or they break off. It is a true "they don't make them like they used to" situation. If they were an old "push button" or "pull up" plastic design, it probably wouldn't be a problem, but "pulling out" stresses the rear two screws of the assembly and either strips the threads, or breaks the plastic screw protrusion off, which remains on the end of the screw. People naturally use the handle to pull the door the test of the way open all the way to the door stop. When you have 500 different people ride in your vehicle over time, they end up breaking the handles.

CHIEF

God I’ll consider myself lucky then. The kids rip at them because they aren’t strong enough to just pull with their hand. It looks terrible but they’ve held on so far (that ones an ‘08).  But the new one has similar handles iirc. Hell I don’t even remember. I was out of state when she bought it and only back for the freeze before I left again. 

[Sandman 3,427]

20 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

What in the fuck are y’all doing with your door handles?  I’ve got 3/4 million miles on plastic GM door handles back to my 2000 and haven’t broken anything but the tailgate once when I had a roundbale stuck between the tailgate and tool box. That one actually left a nice little gash in my hand.  I don’t like they way the Tahoe/Yukon handles feel, but we haven’t broken one yet. We=wife and 3 kids.  

I bought my kid a '17 Hyundai Elantra last year and 3 of the fucking door handle actuators broke in about 3-4 months. Fucking ridiculous. 

[TwiceHorn 31,987]

Door handle talk not going away.

Funny, when I was in hs or a freshman ME, my dream job would have been working for one of the Big Three.  As time passed, I realized that my career arc there would probably include being chief door handle engineer on the Caprice Classic rather than something cool or sexy.  That really was something that was said aloud during career discussions.

Between that and doubt about my bona fides as a door handle engineer, I went to law school.

Edited March 2, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[ChickenSandwich 9,918]

every silverado from like 89-95 could be broken into with a flat head.  Just pry up the door handle rectangle, pull the cord running the length of the door in side and wallah!

Twice at shithole Camino Real.

[MadBurgerMaker 404]

I did a dumb thing and bought an 80th Anniversary Gladiator on Sunday....despite swearing off Jeeps forever after a couple of fucked up JKs ('12 U Sahara and '14 Sport S).

It's so fuckin cool.  Goddammit.

[Pablo 500]

On 1/13/2021 at 2:35 PM, BabaYaga said:

Selling old truck.  Buying "new" used truck.  Finally tired of Ford.  Going over to a big, gas sucking monster that hopefully lasts a ridiculously long time.  

What model is this, looks mean from this view?   I'm in the market for something new and this looks like something I could get down with.

[ChickenSandwich 9,918]

Looks like the TRD Pro trim level. 

[Goofyboy 3,428]

Tundra TRD Pro. I have one and love it. That said - it’s pretty basic as far as the interior goes, which is what I wanted. I get roughly 15 to the gallon. This looks to be a newer model. I have a 2017.

[smuggs 9,394]

10 hours ago, MadBurgerMaker said:

I did a dumb thing and bought an 80th Anniversary Gladiator on Sunday....despite swearing off Jeeps forever after a couple of fucked up JKs ('12 U Sahara and '14 Sport S).

It's so fuckin cool.  Goddammit.

I fucking love my Gladiator. It's quickly becoming my favorite vehicle that I've ever owned. Fingers crossed it doesn't explode, implode, or anything in between.

[fattyflattie 4,640]

18 hours ago, ChickenSandwich said:

wallah!

Bruh. 

[tbone_ 14,410]

What do you guys like about the Gladiators?

[Bozo_Casanova 26,773]

1 hour ago, tbone_ said:

What do you guys like about the Gladiators?

It's a jeep and a it's a pickup truck. 

[smuggs 9,394]

44 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

What do you guys like about the Gladiators?

^^^ What Bozo said. It will go anywhere and haul/tow some gear at the same time. I have a locking Diamondback tonneau cover that creates locked waterproof storage which was key for me with a soft top. The Diamondback has tie-down cleats and can support 1600 lbs. of weight so it's like having a flatbed on top of a standard bed. It's surprisingly comfortable, handles/rides well enough and the Uconnect system is a pleasure to use (vs the Ford Sync system I was accustomed to). And the soft top is miles beyond that of the JK just a few year models back. It's quiet, no flapping, no leaking and I can pull the rear window and two small rear corner pieces out and be rolling safari style in 3 minutes.

It's FCA so I know that long term I'm in for some headaches. But they hit a home run as far as building a handy vehicle that is a blast to drive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ChickenSandwich 9,918]

5 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

Bruh. 

[MadBurgerMaker 404]

10 hours ago, tbone_ said:

What do you guys like about the Gladiators?

Everything they said, except the soft top and tonneau cover parts since I don't have those.  Yet.  

Hey @smuggs and @Bozo_Casanova, what do you do for more storage in the front seat?  Right now all I've gotten is a little tray to go in the center console, but I kinda don't have anywhere to put my phone.  There's a slot between the cup holders, but the wife and I have metal water bottles, so when we both have those with us it results in the screen bouncing off of one or the other on a regular basis...so...not great.  

My side steps will be here tomorrow, which is nice.

Spoilering in case it doesn't auto resize:

Spoiler

Side note:  Night sight is great.  It's a little grainy, sure, but still looks pretty good for how dark it was out there.  My driveway lights are all screwed up, but I'm busy buying Jeep stuff again, so that's never getting fixed.

Edited March 4, 2021 by MadBurgerMaker

[smuggs 9,394]

8 hours ago, MadBurgerMaker said:

Hey @smuggs and @Bozo_Casanova, what do you do for more storage in the front seat? 

Let's take it to the Jeep thread so we don't muck-up the New Car Fanatics.

[Bozo_Casanova 26,773]

12 hours ago, MadBurgerMaker said:

Everything they said, except the soft top and tonneau cover parts since I don't have those.  Yet.  

Hey @smuggs and @Bozo_Casanova, what do you do for more storage in the front seat?  Right now all I've gotten is a little tray to go in the center console, but I kinda don't have anywhere to put my phone.  There's a slot between the cup holders, but the wife and I have metal water bottles, so when we both have those with us it results in the screen bouncing off of one or the other on a regular basis...so...not great.  

 

Just to be clear, I don't have one, but I get the appeal.  I'm kind of mulling over getting either a Gladiator, Tacoma or a Ranger FX4.  Was considering a new Bronco, both those will be impossible to buy for a couple years. 

Edited March 4, 2021 by Bozo_Casanova

[52-80 19,379]

why???

 

 

 

 

[The Royal We 3,090]

Almost looks like a Taurus station wagon from the 80's

[Anton Chigurh 3,332]

why???
 

 
 
 

I think that is awesome as hell.

[Chewbacca 7,827]

why???
 

 
 
 

I want one. Bad.

[Prepuce of Doom 21,260]

#teamwagon

[52-80 19,379]

2 hours ago, Prepuce of Doom said:

#teamwagon

The normal height, non-fender cladded version though. Not the Volvo XC all-country imitation 

[TwiceHorn 31,987]

3 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

5 hours ago, 52-80 said:

why???
 

 
 
 

I want one. Bad.

There's no objective reason why I should like that so much more than the S/CUVs that are overgrown cars (as opposed to shrunken unibody trucks).

But I do.  A whole lot more.

[Chewbacca 7,827]

3 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

There's no objective reason why I should like that so much more than the S/CUVs that are overgrown cars (as opposed to shrunken unibody trucks).

But I do.  A whole lot more.

Yep.  This is right there with the RS6 for me in terms of looks.  Love, love, love it.

[TwiceHorn 31,987]

So today I saw two vehicles painted or wrapped flat, matte black.  I can kind of dig that on something street racer-y, like a Mustang or Camaro, or an off-roader, but this was on a Range Rover and Tesla SUV.  Both driven by soccer mom/milfy types, one unloading kids from the back.

I suppose it's pretty contrived any way you slice it, but it was incredibly  . . . awkward   . . . on both those vehicles.

[G650 14,421]

54 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

So today I saw two vehicles painted or wrapped flat, matte black.  I can kind of dig that on something street racer-y, like a Mustang or Camaro, or an off-roader, but this was on a Range Rover and Tesla SUV.  Both driven by soccer mom/milfy types, one unloading kids from the back.

I suppose it's pretty contrived any way you slice it, but it was incredibly  . . . awkward   . . . on both those vehicles.

I dunno man. Matte black is pretty fucking rad on basically anything.

[ChiTownDoc 21,324]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

So today I saw two vehicles painted or wrapped flat, matte black.  I can kind of dig that on something street racer-y, like a Mustang or Camaro, or an off-roader, but this was on a Range Rover and Tesla SUV.  Both driven by soccer mom/milfy types, one unloading kids from the back.

I suppose it's pretty contrived any way you slice it, but it was incredibly  . . . awkward   . . . on both those vehicles.

Murdered out mommy wagons make me laugh.  They can be decent if done right but that's pretty fucking rare - and probably impossible on a Tesla SUV.  Also 'Murdered Out Mommy Wagons' would be a kickass band name. 

[ChiTownDoc 21,324]

On 3/1/2021 at 1:40 PM, Chewbacca said:

I can't believe how many people in here let their wives buy vehicles without being present.  Holy shit, talk about setting yourself up for failure.

You misspelled blow job.  

Edit:  and I do NOT condone the move, there's much better ways to go about getting those...

Edited March 6, 2021 by ChiTownDoc

[TwiceHorn 31,987]

1 hour ago, G650 said:

I dunno man. Matte black is pretty fucking rad on basically anything.

Like an A-M DBX?

Didn't think so.

[G650 14,421]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

Like an A-M DBX?

Didn't think so.

100%. The matte black ones I've seen are hot as donut grease

[Chewbacca 7,827]

You misspelled blow job.  
Edit:  and I do NOT condone the move, there's much better ways to go about getting those...

Blow job? You have a girlfriend?

[Chewbacca 7,827]

Murdered out mommy wagons make me laugh.  They can be decent if done right but that's pretty fucking rare - and probably impossible on a Tesla SUV.  Also 'Murdered Out Mommy Wagons' would be a kickass band name. 

Only good looking matte black or gray wagons I've ever seen are AMGs.

[Brew 3,049]

Not a matte black fan on much of anything, but I’m on white truck #6 or 7 so take that for what it‘s worth.

[TwiceHorn 31,987]

7 minutes ago, Brew said:

Not a matte black fan on much of anything, but I’m on white truck #6 or 7 so take that for what it‘s worth.

White is a good color.  My first new-to-me car was a white Cutlass Calais (the old school Cutlass, not the FWD atrocity).  I had been hunting for one with a V8 and bucket seats and console for months, found it and it was white.  I was kind of bleh, but I wound up liking it and have had three white vehicles since.  Holds up well and seems to keep relatively cool in Texas heat.

It doesn't look as dirty (from a distance) as you might think.  

That brings up a little oddity I have noticed.  When I drive my car in the rain or in wet conditions so it gets dirty, it is dirtiest on the rear end, by far.  Something about the aerodynamics seem to make the dirty wetness stagnate on the near-vertical surfaces at the rear.  I have noticed this on a number of later-model cars lately, especially after icemageddon:  relatively clean up front, but really filthy and dingy on the rear end.

I think in the quest for moar mileage out of everything, cars are much more aerodynamic than in the past, even if they don't "look it."  I'm not sure why reduced Cd would cause that dirty rear end, but it seems to.  I guess maybe they reduce turbulence in the space behind the car so it just drips down off the trunk lid and dries there.

[G650 14,421]

Yeah, I'm basically the opposite, I can't stand white. Probably only color I would never get.

 

The only company to remotely pull off white is Range Rover imo. And don't get me started on the Bro-package Toyota white truck with black rims. Rage inducing

[fattyflattie 4,640]

3 hours ago, Brew said:

Not a matte black fan on much of anything, but I’m on white truck #6 or 7 so take that for what it‘s worth.

I’m a fan of both. I own white trucks.  Not against (most) other colors, but it always comes back to white (or variant whites).  I do not, however, appoint them with black rims/lights/badges. 

[fattyflattie 4,640]

14 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

17 hours ago, ChiTownDoc said:

You misspelled blow job.  
Edit:  and I do NOT condone the move, there's much better ways to go about getting those...

Blow job? You have a girlfriend?

Better. A whole pile of money, which I assume changes the rules. 

[Brew 3,049]

1 hour ago, G650 said:

Yeah, I'm basically the opposite, I can't stand white. Probably only color I would never get.

 

The only company to remotely pull off white is Range Rover imo. And don't get me started on the Bro-package Toyota white truck with black rims. Rage inducing

White is simple and works well. It doesn’t show dirt, it doesn’t show door dings, it doesn’t show scratches, etc, so it works well for my use. Dark colors are too much trouble. There are plenty of vehicles I wouldn’t buy white in, but I’m not buying them anyways. 

My wife refuses to even look at white. I had a white Escalade lined up and she balked. My kid picked out a white Escape though, so at least she has reasonable taste in colors.

[Okie State 3,887]

My last car was silver and my current is white. In hindsight I like the silver a little better, but both are good for daily drivers. I was very close to driving to Austin to buy a silver SS, but the white one was local and I had already driven it. They also had a really nice green/gray color that I would have bought had I been able to find one.

I think black cars are extremely overrated and I'd never own one.

[G650 14,421]

12 minutes ago, Brew said:

White is simple and works well. It doesn’t show dirt, it doesn’t show door dings, it doesn’t show scratches, etc, so it works well for my use. Dark colors are too much trouble. There are plenty of vehicles I wouldn’t buy white in, but I’m not buying them anyways. 

My wife refuses to even look at white. I had a white Escalade lined up and she balked. My kid picked out a white Escape though, so at least she has reasonable taste in colors.

Everything you just listed are practical reasons though,  not aesthetic ones. I buy all white trucks for the basic work trucks, because thats generally what they come in, and frankly my guys get what they get and like it. I do let my supers pick their colors. But personally, no way.

 

I'm an old tattooed punk rocking hot rodder. I'd paint my house flat black if my wife would let me.

Matte black is straight evil, and everyone knows the devil is the root of all style anyway

 

1 minute ago, Okie State said:

My last car was silver and my current is white. In hindsight I like the silver a little better. I was very close to driving to Austin to buy a silver SS, but the white one was local and I had already driven it. They also had a really nice green/gray color that I would have bought had I been able to find one.

I think black cars are extremely overrated and I'd never own one.

I have had one gloss black truck, still have it actually, and I would definitely never consider one again. If you clean it, by the time you get to the back, the front is dirty again

[Anton Chigurh 3,332]

I think black cars are extremely overrated and I'd never own one.

Agree. I’ve owned a few in the past but they weren’t my first choice. Never again.

[Chewbacca 7,827]

My last car was silver and my current is white. In hindsight I like the silver a little better, but both are good for daily drivers. I was very close to driving to Austin to buy a silver SS, but the white one was local and I had already driven it. They also had a really nice green/gray color that I would have bought had I been able to find one.

I think black cars are extremely overrated and I'd never own one.

Yep, can't stand black. I've owned one and never again. Showing every speck of dirt, every swirl in the clear coat. No, thanks.

[Brew 3,049]

19 minutes ago, G650 said:

Everything you just listed are practical reasons though,  not aesthetic ones. I buy all white trucks for the basic work trucks, because thats generally what they come in, and frankly my guys get what they get and like it. I do let my supers pick their colors. But personally, no way.

 

I'm an old tattooed punk rocking hot rodder. I'd paint my house flat black if my wife would let me.

Matte black is straight evil, and everyone knows the devil is the root of all style anyway

 

I have had one gloss black truck, still have it actually, and I would definitely never consider one again. If you clean it, by the time you get to the back, the front is dirty again

My interior designer on my office had the exterior of my building painted black. She knew we wouldn’t sign off on it, so she had it painted to try it out. She’s the wife of probably my largest client, so I just shake my head every time I pull in the parking lot at this point counting down the days until it needs a repaint.

[Brew 3,049]

Quote

double post.

Edited March 6, 2021 by Brew

[G650 14,421]

2 minutes ago, Brew said:

My interior designer on my office had the exterior of my building painted black. She knew we wouldn’t sign off on it, so she had it painted to try it out. She’s the wife of probably my largest client, so I just shake my head every time I pull in the parking lot at this point counting down the days until it needs a repaint.

That is phenomenal lol