Automotive

Briefest car ownership.

14 Comments

What has been your shortest period of car ownership?
I was studying the automotive market for Pony Cars yesterday, and I was reminded of a Mustang that I had briefly.  I don’t remember the year and I don’t think I have a photo of it… but it was blue and had a V-6.  It had a 5 speed manual, nice stereo, and every upgrade known to man to get more power out of the V-6… which was rated from the factory at only 210 horse powers and I don’t think it had any torques.  Exhaust and cold air intakes, this V-6 was actually pretty energetic.  It might have had upwards of 250 horses.  I had it a day.  I bought the car in Provo and then thought better of it as I brought it back the next day and traded it for a Subaru Legacy.  And then a couple days after that, I drove it to Virginia and back, through some serious snow storms.  I don’t think the Mustang would have allowed me to survive that. Thinking that was my shortest ownership of a car, I then remembered my Saab 900 Turbo.  It was black with some rust and cheap wheels and the interior smelled like bubblegum.  Back when I was working in IT in Salt Lake City, I found a guy selling a very nice SAAB 900 Turbo.  It was low miles and then engine was great.  Asking 1500 for it, it was probably worth that, but he was desperate to sell it.  I only had 900 dollars, and said, I have this much cash so take it or leave it.

He took it.  He filled out the Title and handed it to me, along with the keys, and I was off.  I drove it around Salt Lake and started to really like it.  I found myself flying south to Lehi, and then west… heading out to the West Desert.  Where I wrecked it.

I was doing power slides and larking about like a jackass.  It was in the middle of a pendulum turn, the car sliding sideways at full opposite lock when something happened.  I’m not sure exactly what it was.  Maybe a tire lost it’s bead and the wheel hit the ground.  Maybe something broke. Or maybe Heaven’s Office Manager said that I can’t have a Saab.  Which is fine, and I’ll explain why later.  So anyways, there I was, sliding sideways around a curve… when all the sudden the horizon flipped over.  And continued to flip about 9 more times.  Maybe 11 more times.  I don’t know.  I wasn’t exactly counting.  The Saab came to rest on it’s wheels.  Or where the wheels should have been.  One of them was just gone.  I think it ended up in Nevada.  The others were hiding up in the wheel wells.  Out of the top of the hood protruded what I think used to be the struts.  I was very lucky and pretty much unhurt.  I was mostly scared of telling my bride that I just blew 900 bucks cash on a roller coaster ride.

I was contemplating how my wife was going to kill me, when another motorist who had a cell phone stopped and asked what happened.  I said, “I don’t know, but I think I broke it.”

About an hour later the tow truck arrived.  It was of course a flat bed wrecker driven by a man who was almost brought to tears by the site of the ruined Saab.  He was a Saab fanatic and was rebuilding one of his own.  One with a blown engine.  As the story goes and luck would have it, by the time we reached I-15, he agreed to pay me 900 bucks for the remains of the car so he could take out the engine and use it in his car… and maybe any other useful bits that I didn’t destroy.  Like the shift knob.  He was happy. I was happy I wasn’t killed or going to get killed.

I’ve decided after that instance, that I hate Saabs.  Total time of ownership… just over 2 hours.

Uncategorized

Utah

29 Comments

Both the gun bills at the Utah State Capitol have been defeated.
Utah has decided not to back up its own Sheriffs. And even though the Constitutional Carry Bill flew threw the House and Senate, the Governor decided to Veto it. And its not looking like they are going to bother trying to override the veto, even though the bill had more than enough support.
I’m disappointed and saddened by Utah.
Utah does not know how to look ahead.  Utah can not see the possibilities of the future and prepare for it.  I’m at the point now with Utah, that I really could just leave it.  Not just for these issues, but for a great many others that I’ve not mentioned before here on this site.
If I had a good job offer some place else, I could probably just move out of this sad sack state.
Better yet, if the Uintah Basin could become its own State, that would be great.

Government

A good point…

23 Comments

Last week on Armed American Radio, during the Round Table, we talked about possible civil unrest and Police and Federal Agents coming down hard on US Citizens all Jackboot Style.
I said that I have a lot of friends who are law enforcement officers, and agents of Homeland Security that I’ve met are all on our side.  Rob Pincus was also in agreement and doesn’t believe we are heading into Civil War.  Rob is a very level headed guy, a real “Stay Calm and Think” person.
Then the other guest on the Round Table, from Oregon Firearms Federation,  Kevin Starrett, made a good point.  “I remember Wacko and Ruby Ridge.”

That’s been bugging me ever since.  Under my skin.  Clawing at the back of my brain.

Wacko.

Ruby Ridge.

I want to live in an America where I can trust my Government. I don’t know when exactly it all changed… But that 50’s America where we just came through a dark time and everything was Light and Achievement. I believe that was our Golden Age. And it’s all lost. Now we are back in darkness… but we are not fighting Nazis “Over there”. The dark shadow over us is our own Government… A boot that’s coming down on our face…

Government

AWB2 Dropped

9 Comments

Harry Reid dropped the AWB. But don’t break out the party favors yet. For Harry Reid to do this, he has his reasons and its not for the love of the Constitution.  It’s mostly his love for his Seat.  If they moved forward with the AWB, the Mid Term Elections would not go his way.  He would lose his seat as Senate Majority Leader.  He’s smart enough to reflect on what happened last time they passed an AWB.

This also gives Harry Reid the ability to show that he’s compromised on this issue, so the Republicans need to compromise on the Magazine Limitations.   He’s playing Chess here.  Sacrificing one thing to advance another for a greater position later.

Don’t trust Harry Reid.  Don’t trust the Government as a whole.  Buy ammo, buy magazines, use cash as much as possible for this.  If you don’t have an AR-15, go ahead and get one.  Here’s why.

The AR-15 is America’s Rifle.  It’s modeled after the M-16/M-4, our Nation’s fighting rifle.  The AR-15 is our Liberty’s Teeth.  And it scares the shit out of the Libtards.  There are mags out there… Lancers and Troys are great mags, just because Pmags are hard to get, you can still get good mags.  Ammo is out there too.  It’s more spendy than it used to be, but it’s still less than .308 in the same quantities.

Weapons

1115

18 Comments

I’m switching up my carry ammo for my Beretta.    According to Hornady my previous carry load, their XTP Custom 115 grain load, zips out at 1155 FPS.   I used to really like the XTP’s, and the Winchester SXT’s, which were about the same.  With the ammo drought going on, the load I wanted to get for my Beretta 92FS was the PDX1’s, were just not available.  I’ve actually been waiting for those suckers to come in since I got the 92!
Today, we did get in some 9mm defense stuff.  1 case.  Just one.  So I snagged some.  Hornady’s new Critical Duty 135 grain +P.  These suckers are stepping out at a very respectible 1115 FPS.  Only 40 FPS slower, but a lot heavier.   Felt recoil is increased some… I feel more push, but not as sharp of a kick as I was expecting.  Accuracy is spot on.  I dig that.  And the fact that’s as heavy as my old favorite .40 cal loads.  This is a comfortable load for me and a comfortable load for the big full sized Battle Handgun Beretta 92FS.
Accuracy and Reliability are there, and according to all the reports I’ve read, the Terminal Ballistics are there too.  I hope I never have to find out though.

Training

My left hand

22 Comments

You know what sucks?  Gout.  Gout sucks.  I’ve been dealing with it for years and years in my legs.  But a week ago, it hit me in my left hand.  I woke up to a hand that was swollen and felt like it was crushed with a sledge hammer.
I can not articulate just how much it hurt.  This was truly the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life.  I’ve had gunshots, stabs, and broken bones that did not hurt nearly this bad.
Here I am a week later, and with proper meds, the hand is no longer swollen.  Well, it’s almost back to normal.  But the movement in the index finger has not fully returned.  I have some movement, but it’s still very restricted.  Typing is is a 9 fingered affair right now.  The pain is mostly gone too… Unless I move my finger or bump it or look at it wrong.  The main joint in the hand that works that index finger, it’s still a bit swollen and painful… it feels like there is some serious damage in there.

Anyone giving me Gout Advice – I’ll bitchslap you next time I see you.  Just sayin.

So why am I bringing this up?

Guns.
Manipulating guns one handed has taught me a lot.  Even just “Strong Hand Only”.  Sounds easy… It’s not.  Not without some practice.  Not without some serious practice.  Handguns.  AR-15’s.  Lever Actions.  Surprisingly, what I had the most problems with… my 870’s.  I need more practice with this.
Say you catch a bullet in your hand.  Or some other injury that renders your off hand useless… a burn or something.  If you don’t know what to do before… hand… sorry… You are going to be stumbling.  You need to know what to do before it happens.
So this weekend, your Training Assignment.   All weekend long.  One Hand Manipulations Handling.  If you have to, tape all your fingers together to remind you.  No cheating.  For me, cheating felt like someone hit my hand with a baseball bat.  Easy for me to remember not to cheat.  For you guys – Honor Code.
Admin Loading.
Reloading.
Press Check.
Holstering.
With all your main line fighting guns.

Report back with what you learned.

 

Automotive

Dear Ford

19 Comments

Please bring back the Ranger pickup truck.  Other companies still have small pickups in their line up and they are selling well.  The Toyota Tacoma, the Chevy Colorado… What happened to the Ranger?  They didn’t sell?
Did you actually look at the Ranger?  It looked like the front end of an Escort… it didn’t look like a truck.  It looked like a little bitch trucklette.  Now go look at the Tacoma and Colorado.  The look cool.  Look mean and threatening.  That’s what guys want.  Guys spend their money on Sex and Violence and the Ranger had none of that.
Here’s what you do.  Draw a pissed off Ford Raptor.  Shrink it a bit to Ranger size – but somewhat larger, because the Ranger was too damn small.  Drop in your Ecoboost V-6 and give it some serious off road hardware.  Give it a good diesel option.  Give it a V-8 option with an optional 6 speed manual transmission.  Paint it Murder Black. 

Okay, now that you’ve done that – Make an SUV out of it, call it the new fucking Explorer and then Fire the asshole who made the 2012 “Explorer”.  And then hire someone to kick his ass.  And then apologize to America for making the Mother of SUV’s into a little bitch-wagon.

That is all.

Automotive

Top SUV’s

20 Comments

As I said before, I have a Top 3 list of SUV’s.  I’ve studied the current market in detail, and compared all the vehicles in this segment.  I’ve dismissed the Cross-Utes out of hand as they are not true SUV’s.  This does not mean that I’ve dismisses a Unibody construction, but vehicles bases on car platforms and then swollen into a taller hatchback.   So here is my top 3, but not in any specific order.

Number 3:  The Toyota 4Runner.
2012-Toyota-4Runner-Trail-Front-Angle

This is one of the last true Truck based SUV’s in it’s class.  This is a real Body On Frame rig here, and that gives it some some advantages over the rest.  Towing, off roading, and otherwise not being ever mistaken for a Girly-Ute.  Just look at it… It looks pissed.
4.0 Liter V-6, 270 Horses, room for 5, and rolling 17 City/ 21 Highway.
While the 4Runner is under powered, it’s high degree of off roading chops give it an advantage.  But it loses points for not being made in the US when Toyota is making other vehicles here.

Number 2.  Dodge Durango.
2012_dodge_durango

The new Durangos look awesome.  Aggressiveness personified.  A lot of the stuff under the skin is actually Mercedes developed.  This gives it some advantage over the older Durangos.  In fact, the new Durango shares nothing more than the name with the older rigs.  These are now unibody rigs, which is not a bad thing.  Dont call them a cross-ute though, as the platform is shared with the Jeep Grand Cherokee.  In fact, they are coming out of the same factory.  Unlike the JGC, the Durango doesn’t pretend to be an Off-Road Warrior.   These are build for streets, with occasional Soft-Roads.  Most SUV’s live on pavement only anyways.   I didn’t pay the new Durangos any mind because of this… at first.  Then I saw one in person.  A local LEO friend drives one now, and It is 100% Bad Ass.  His is the R/T version.  I really love the looks.  It makes me question just how often I would go off road… the answer is probably more than the Durango would be comfortable with.

Number 1.  Jeep Grand Cherokee
2012-Jeep-Grand-Cherokee

The new JGC is that guy you always hated… You know that guy, the one that is good looking with the trophy wife and everything always falls into place for him and he always wins everything… that guy.  The JGC is that guy in automotive form.  It does everything pretty damn well, and it looks great.  The V6 version does good on gas too, for a vehicle in this class.  The V-8 version can tow 7400 pounds…. enough to pull a Senator’s arrogance.  And it can off-road very well.  Not really Moab rock-crawling, but you can easily go trail exploring.  The SRT version though, it goes around taking lunch money from sports cars… sports cars built in Italy.  But the one I like the best is the upcoming diesel variant.  That gives you over 700 miles range per tank.  That’s amazing to me.  The only problem I have with it, is I like the looks of it the least.  And there are a million of them around town.

All three have solid good points.  All three have downsides… well… except for the JGC.  I’m still trying to find actual faults.

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