OT - For Car Lovers: Some Recent Exotic Spottings

Ozzie_Isaac

JohnInCarolina said:

Not strictly on topic I know, but I thought folks here would appreciate this in light of some of the recent comments around EVs:

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/01/mercedes-benz-to-build-an-ev-fast-charging-network-starting-in-the-us/

These are exciting times.  Excited to see a real company with real engineering talent, real management expertise, and real capital investing like this.

Elon plowed the way, and good for his chutzpah for showing the possibility.  Now time for the visionary to move into the dustbin of history and let executioner class takeover.

lousubcap

JohnInCarolina said:

Not strictly on topic I know, but I thought folks here would appreciate this in light of some of the recent comments around EVs:

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/01/mercedes-benz-to-build-an-ev-fast-charging-network-starting-in-the-us/

There is the big difference between ICE's and EV's.  The fuel companies built the infrastructure to support the IGE's (profits-and any vehicle could use any gasoline) and here the car manufacturers are building their own infrastructure to support the EV's.  Just an opinion on a Friday...
Edit for spelling-

Botch

Yup.  How many different brand "pumps" will there be at tomorrow's "refueling" stations?  

lousubcap

He!! of a secondary market for strap-on adaptors...could rival other popular strap-on market places.  
Edit since I'm on a roll-Think of what the roadside assistance response vehicles will look like?  Never mind the battery pack(s) they will carry.  

HeavyG

Botch said:

Yup.  How many different brand "pumps" will there be at tomorrow's "refueling" stations?  

I'm planning on opening a franchise convenience store chain called "AC/DC" - will be just like 7/11 or WaWa (or whatever regional variant one has) convenience stores except instead of paying "Big Oil" you'll be paying "BigCurrent".

Ozzie_Isaac

lousubcap said:

He!! of a secondary market for strap-on adaptors...could rival other popular strap-on market places.  
Edit since I'm on a roll-Think of what the roadside assistance response vehicles will look like?  Never mind the battery pack(s) they will carry.  

That market already exists.  However, I do not think it is the market you think it is.

lousubcap

You may be right but clearly the strap-on market has penetration.  

Ozzie_Isaac

@lousubcap , that sir almost killed me.

Saw this gem today, the car was cool, but the bumper sticker took it up a notch.

kl8ton

1988 Mercury Grand Marquis?

Ozzie_Isaac

kl8ton said:

1988 Mercury Grand Marquis?

Mercury Grand Marquis yes, year no idea.  Late '80s early '90s all look the same to me.

kl8ton

Ozzie_Isaac said:

kl8ton said:

1988 Mercury Grand Marquis?

Mercury Grand Marquis yes, year no idea.  Late '80s early '90s all look the same to me.

I had an 89 and I think those wheels were a year prior.

kl8ton

Edit:Please try to contain your jealousy.

WeberWho

My buddy had almost an identical Grand Marquis but in blue in high school. His Dad worked at a transmission shop. I can't tell you how many times we had that thing airborne. The corner of that front bumper caught and wedged under my other friends Dodge sh*t-hundred (600) front wheel well. They dragged each other around as their cars became locked together until the Grand Marquis eventually ripped a chunk out of Dodge sh*t-hundred. That old Grand Marquis went through hell and back. It even had a bumper sticker on the back bumper that said, "Official Pimp Mobile". Fun times and great memories in that car.

kl8ton

WeberWho said:

My buddy had almost an identical Grand Marquis but in blue in high school. His Dad worked at a transmission shop. I can't tell you how many times we had that thing airborne. The corner of that front bumper caught and wedged under my other friends Dodge sh*t-hundred (600) front wheel well. They dragged each other around as their cars became locked together until the Grand Marquis eventually ripped a chunk out of Dodge sh*t-hundred. That old Grand Marquis went through hell and back. It even had a bumper sticker on the back bumper that said, "Official Pimp Mobile". Fun times and great memories in that car.

It's a living room with a steering wheel.  

GrateEggspectations

The most bad-a$$ Mercury in my books….

(Photo from Google)

WeberWho

Another Grand Marquis story.....

One summer when I was younger I had a job where I would drive senior citizens around. Usually to some type of appointment. The senior living apartments had a few year old Grand Marquis that I drove around. I loved driving that big boat. Anyways, I had to bring a gentlemen just a few miles down the road to the bank. He was vision impaired and had a working dog that traveled with him. So I drop him off at the bank and he conducts his business and eventually comes back out and I help him get back into the car. We roll up to the stop sign to leave the bank and I reach up through the steering wheel to flip on my blinker to make a right. (It was a big steering wheel and I want to say my left elbow was resting on the driver's side door and my left hand on the wheel) In that split second as I'm flipping on my blinker with my right hand though the steering wheel I notice that I need to merge quickly into traffic or I'm going to be stuck waiting. So I put that Grand Marquis V8 to work and jump out into traffic but I somehow manage to get my right arm jammed up in the steering while putting on the blinker. We go hard right and jump the curb and then we go bouncing back down the curb as I get my d*mn arm unstuck. (In reality this probably wasn't more than 2-3 seconds but it felt like an eternity) Next thing I hear is, "What just happened?" from my visually impaired client who can't see. Just out of instinct I say, "Deer. They just ran right in front of us." 

What was I supposed to say, "Your idiot driver just got his arm stuck in the steering wheel?". Moral of this story.......Watch out for deer when merging! 

kl8ton

GrateEggspectations said:

The most bad-a$$ Mercury in my books….

(Photo from Google)

The marauder!

alaskanassasin

My buddies little brother Ben had a late 80s or so retired Caprice Classic Police Interceptor. Still painted black and white it wasn't even cool then but, it had brown leather seats, the back doors only open from the outside and there was plywood in the backs of the front seats to prevent stabbing, spot light and a huge engine I think it was a 400 cubic inch.

Anyway we wanted to get some ice cream from Safeway four or five of us so I told Ben, I am going to show you how to drive your car.... And I did.

As soon as I parked at the grocery store a local cop blocks me in and hits the lights.  The conversation went something like this.

Cop- "What in the hell do you guys think you are doing?" 

Me- What do you mean officer, were just out getting some ice cream.

Cop- "Whos car is this?"

Ben-mine

Cop- "why is he driving it?"

Ben- "He said he wanted to drive it, ill take the keys back now"

Me- Staring daggers at him.

Cop- takes registration and my license "ill be right back"

Me- Ben please don't ask for your keys back in front of the cop!

Cop- comes back, "We have had several calls across town, a black and white car doing doughnuts in the church parking lot and was speeding through town, cutting through peoples yards. That wasn't you guys?"

Me- No sir

Cop- "you sure?"

Me- Yes sir

Cop- "Why does he want his keys back?"

Ben- "I don't know i'm just ready to drive now"

Cop- "There is only one other black and white within 100 miles and it is owned by a 70 year old man who is probably sleeping right now, I could charge you with reckless driving, yada yada yada (he had a whole list), you sure your not lying to me? I give everyone a second chance as long as they aren't lying."

Me- No sir not lying just getting some ice cream.

 Honestly it scared the crap out of me and I took the shenanigans out of town after that, mostly.

alaskanassasin

GrateEggspectations said:

The most bad-a$$ Mercury in my books….

(Photo from Google)

 I don't think your HOA would allow that.

JohnInCarolina

alaskanassasin said:

My buddies little brother Ben had a late 80s or so retired Caprice Classic Police Interceptor. Still painted black and white it wasn't even cool then but, it had brown leather seats, the back doors only open from the outside and there was plywood in the backs of the front seats to prevent stabbing, spot light and a huge engine I think it was a 400 cubic inch.

Anyway we wanted to get some ice cream from Safeway four or five of us so I told Ben, I am going to show you how to drive your car.... And I did.

As soon as I parked at the grocery store a local cop blocks me in and hits the lights.  The conversation went something like this.

Cop- "What in the hell do you guys think you are doing?" 

Me- What do you mean officer, were just out getting some ice cream.

Cop- "Whos car is this?"

Ben-mine

Cop- "why is he driving it?"

Ben- "He said he wanted to drive it, ill take the keys back now"

Me- Staring daggers at him.

Cop- takes registration and my license "ill be right back"

Me- Ben please don't ask for your keys back in front of the cop!

Cop- comes back, "We have had several calls across town, a black and white car doing doughnuts in the church parking lot and was speeding through town, cutting through peoples yards. That wasn't you guys?"

Me- No sir

Cop- "you sure?"

Me- Yes sir

Cop- "Why does he want his keys back?"

Ben- "I don't know i'm just ready to drive now"

Cop- "There is only one other black and white within 100 miles and it is owned by a 70 year old man who is probably sleeping right now, I could charge you with reckless driving, yada yada yada (he had a whole list), you sure your not lying to me? I give everyone a second chance as long as they aren't lying."

Me- No sir not lying just getting some ice cream.

 Honestly it scared the crap out of me and I took the shenanigans out of town after that, mostly.

Love this man, lol.  “Officer it must have been that 70 year old man doing donuts in the church parking lot, because no sir it definitely wasn’t us!” 😂

GrateEggspectations

alaskanassasin said:

GrateEggspectations said:

The most bad-a$$ Mercury in my books….

(Photo from Google)

 I don't think your HOA would allow that.

I’m HOA-free. And yes, I’m shopping for a bass boat. 

alaskanassasin

@JohnInCarolina it was definitely a reality check, you can imagine what proceeds a ice cream run too.

JohnInCarolina

alaskanassasin said:

@JohnInCarolina it was definitely a reality check, you can imagine what proceeds a ice cream run too.

Man I did more than my fair share of stupid sh!t driving cars around as a teenager, so yes, I can absolutely imagine.

Ozzie_Isaac

We had a neighborhood near us that had roads paved and curbs put in.  Probably 3 or 4 miles of streets.  Company went bust or paused, pre-internet so I don't know.  Well, the company fenced off all the entrances.  There was a back way in that we found through another private gated community that we had the code for.

This lead to many parties and late night races.  It was like our own private go-kart track.  We raced the snot out of our collection of rag tag cars and trucks.

One time, we had the party up near the main gates and were all sitting on top of the guard shack when the Po-Po showed up.  They snuck up and popped the lights just as they rolled up.  Funny thing, they were on the outside and we were on the inside.  We all took off and got the coolers and cars all gone before they made it to our side.  There was lots of sirens and yelling trailing into the distance.

From then on, we decided to keep the parties at the back.

Ozzie_Isaac

Love a VMAX.

Botch

Owch.  

Langner91

Owner will have to run Inner Tubes now.

Ozzie_Isaac

Not a pretty car, but never seen one before (Mercedes EQS 450+):

lousubcap

Hard to believe the impact angle on that spike resulted in going thru the rim...
Never have heard of that before, but there is a first for everything or photo shopped?

Botch

lousubcap said:

Hard to believe the impact angle on that spike resulted in going thru the rim...
Never have heard of that before, but there is a first for everything or photo shopped?

Looked like it could've hit an inside angle, inside the wheel (and I don't know what the inside contour of that wheel would be).
If it's a 'chop, it's a good one (the light angles and color temp are spot-on).