Mercury's Dropping

The latest rumors on the auto industry front is from Jalopnik, and it says there are rumors that Ford is considering terminating the Mercury brand. This would make sense, as the brand is targeted toward women, a gap which Fords new prego-and-estrogen heavy advertising and media blitz fills nicely. With no market segment, no distinct styling and no excitement, the graveyard would seem like an appropriate place for the brand that fills space in dealers that could be room for more profitable Lincolns.

But on the flip side, this could be wrong, who knows, maybe the Grand Marquis is a sleeping giant for sales that solidifies the brand for consumers while on the underpinnings of the super profitable Crown Vic platform.  it would be like making money without even trying.

What will you miss? Will it be the Sable? the Tracer? the Villager, which was touted to hanlde not like a minivan? I think most people will agree that the two things we will miss the most from Mercury will be the 2003 Marauder, and Jill Wagner.



photo courtesy of Edmunds.com

via Jalopnik

http://jalopnik.com/5549458/report-ford-to-kill-mercury

Top 10 List for Metro NY Commuters

I am so freakin’ excited because summer is almost here. I actually hate the heat, and could care less about the beach, but summer means that all little rug rats are out of school and traffic decreases significantly. However, there is one more hurdle to pass, and that is today. The Memorial Day Holiday.

This Thursday is by far one of the most unpredictable traffic days of the year. We just don’t know if everyone is going to be taking Friday off to get a jump on their weekend plans. We don’t know how much extra construction there will be, because crews earn time and a half for working on the holiday. We don’t know how many non-commuters will get into accidents and cause major delays for the rest of us. But I can tell you the tolls will likely be hellish.

Nevertheless, I thought of something the other day. Everyone likes top 10 lists, so I put together a list of the top ways you know you are a hardcore commuter for the NY Metro Area.

1. You can straddle a pothole at 60 mph without breaking a sweat


2. You follow the person with their convertible top down on the CBX, and squeal with delight on the inside when they get the mystery water substance dumped on them that falls from the underpasses


3. 1010Wins and NewsRadio88 are your first two presets


4. Most other places in the world would consider our safe following distance to be tailgating


5. Don’t worry about that NYPD cop, I’m only doing 65 MPH in a 50 zone


6. You know that the word “express” usually means slower. For example, “express” lanes for NJ turnpike, Long Island “Express”way, etc


7. You have a deep appreciation for Jewish holidays, no matter what your faith is


8. You have a favorite toll lane


9. You know the Clearview is where it’s at


10. And finally, you get really annoyed on Fridays when all the slow, non commuters invade your way home.

Broken down:

99 Corolla, 96 BMW 3 series, 2000 Maxima, 96 Grand Marquis, 94 Grand Marquis

Little tiny cars don't belong on the road

In mans quest for improved MPG and cheap transportation, we find ourselves sharing the road with ever smaller automobiles. We usually discover these automobiles accidently during a close call while engaging in a lane change manuever, because they are nigh invisible on the road.

According to Autoblog and the IIHS, some of these cars, most notably of the golf-cart-on-steroids variety are a huge safety hazard even at low speeds. The IIHS did some crash testing against these cars and mini trucks, and discovered catastrophic consequences, which would most likely lead to fatalities in T-bone or sideswipe type collisions. But this makes perfect sense, given the weight differences and small visibility footprint of these cars.

Right now, this doesn't include SMART cars or Mini Coopers, but I can tell you I wouldn't drive one for the benefits of gas savings. They are just too small and you aren't seen. It's like riding a motorcycle without all the benefits. A good example is a friend of mine who drives a mini cooper. One day a pickup truck backed into him and kept going, because the pickup driver never even saw the car.

So one day, when we all are driving these little mini cars on our rides to work, and the LIE looks like downtown New Delhi, then I'll consider buying one.

Broken down: 92 Corolla, 94ish Sable, 90's Grand Marquis, 95 Explorer

LOL

Todays post is more anecdotal - Today some guy in a Prius tried to race me out of the gates on the CBX. I had already beat him by about 4 car lengths before i even realized he was trying to race me. Thats all.

Broken down - 98 Nissan Altima, 93 Nissan Sentra, 93 Ford Explorer, ~2001 Mazda 6, 92 Camry, 94 Taurus

New Brakes!

So its an exciting day for me, because my car actually stops now. Stop and go traffic is absolute murder on any brake system, and my rotors were so warped it felt like I was operating a 30mm machine gun every time I hit the pedal above 35 MPH, with a Ratt-ta-tat-tat shimmy thats so wicked it threatens to shear my axles.

I didn't quite feel like spending $900 or more to get a complete brake overhaul, so instead went online and bought a full new set of rotors and ceramic pads. I went through Ebay and picked up a set of RotorPros. I opted to get blacked out, zinc coated drilled rotors. They sent me slotted and drilled, but whatever. They look damn good, especially after blacking out the calipers.  I spent about $250 on the complete set, and called my buddy Ryan up for some install help. We completed all 4 in about 3 hours.

My new Rotors!

 

 

But here is why I went drilled. Stop and Go traffic heats up Rotors to such excessive heats, warping occurs very easily, and thats what happened to my stock Nissan rotors. Drilled rotors dissipate heat much more effectively, prolonging rotor life and resisting brake fade. they also provide enhanced stopping power, as they bite the pad more effectively than blanks.

But whats the cons to rotors? Drilled rotors are more prone to cracking, especially if they are cheap. Slotted rotors increase stopping power by wiping the pad clean on every pass, but they also eat brake pads. Additionally,  another drawback I'm finding after three days is that the brake dust is excessive. My stock rims are still on, so it is a very subtle addition to the car that no one will notice, which is good for me.

Broken down - 94 Ford Taurus, 95 4-Runner

The Empire Gold has Arrived

Then other day I saw a plate (AKA “tag” to the southerners out there) I didn’t recognize. It was yellow and blue, and not that attractive. It was a NY plate, and I had never seen one, so I assumed it was an official vehicle or a custom job.

And then I start seeing a few more. Now I have seen like 5 or 6 of them. So a search this morning reveals that NY is indeed getting new license plates, and they look something like this:



New plate and old plate, image courtesy NYDMV

The new plate is called the “Empire Gold” and it reminds me of those mid-80’s plates for NYS before the lady liberty white plate came into commission. But there is an interesting story behind this plate.

Initially, NYS was going to make it mandatory for all drivers to get a new set of plates at a cost of $25, which is $10 more than the old price once drivers’ registration expired. It was also another $20 to keep your old plate numbers.  But, in a rarely seen bout of common sense by bureaucracy, this plan has thus been cancelled, and now the DMV is issuing these tags as of April 1^st for new registrations, or if people request them when renewing registrations. The tags will only be available in DMV offices at first.

After May 17^th, 2010 you can order the plates when you do DMV transactions online such as renewing registration, etc.

View the press release here:
http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/press/pr040110.htm

Useful FAQ’s here:
http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/empgold/faq.htm

How do I feel about this? I think it will look good with my black and yellow scheme, so I am optimistic.  But NY, when will you get with the program and abandon the front plate?

Broken Down: 96 Civic, 99 Explorer, 96 Chevy Astro, 93 Camry, early gen Windstar,

Yellow fogs and my sad PIAA story (updated)

About this time last year, I did something stupid. I spent a lot of money on light bulbs. But not just any bulbs, these were super bright, 110 volt Plasma Ion Crystal Yellow Ion PIAA H11 fogs. You know these bulbs when you see them on the road - they are very bright, very yellow, and don't look like anything else out there. They draw attention, but in classy way, yet retain their functionality. I loved the way they looked, and the only other cars with them were F1 and ALMS race cars. I felt unique. I felt cool. They looked really good with a black car and HID's, and they made me very visible to other cars on the road, which made me feel safer.



In the last year, I have also started to get pretty annoyed with the amount of ricers seen rocking the yellow fog set up on their Civics and Corollas. It is like the yellow lights are becoming something of a new trend. I guess since Lexus started putting them as OEM's, they are migrating to the masses. While it’s a classy addition, it pains me to see it on something with a primed body kit and huge wing.

But all of that came crashing down this morning, as I looked at my car and saw that my driver side had burned out. My heart skipped a beat. Will I have to replace one of the bulbs with an off brand and have two different intensities? What’s more white trash, rocking two different bulb brands, or having one side burned out? I searched my mind for answers:  Now I know I didn't mishandle them, because I wore latex gloves when I installed. They aren't installed wrong, because they are in the OEM housings. What could have gone wrong?

Will PIAA honor their warranty? Can I have it submitted before the year deadline is up? Tune in next week for the exciting conclusion.

UPDATE: Wow. In a refreshing bout of effortless customer service, I called PIAA to ask about how to get the warranty process underway, expecting mounds of paperwork and long wait time. The friendly guy on the line just said fax the receipt and they'll send a replacement. I am floored to see customer service of this high caliber in this day and age.   Guess I'll continue to buy PIAA's and recommend them to everyone.