We’ve renamed the series Shift Happens, because it’s just better. Credit goes to Josh Ostrander for that one.
In this episode, I take the W114 Benz to a shop to have it given a proper look over. This is something I should’ve done before I bought it… but I have no patience, and I’m dumb. So it’s off to the shop for a full looking over and then we’ll create a list to work through as time and money allow.
After that, Josh Ostrander picks me up from the shop and I get him to tell a crazy story. He once briefly owned a Skyline… an R34 Skyline to be specific!
Hit play to learn more about that.
Shift Happens: Benz drop off and a story about an R34 Skyline
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23 responses to “Shift Happens: Benz drop off and a story about an R34 Skyline”
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Since there is no Last Call anymore, writing this from PHX:
I’ve been to AZ in one of its worse weeks, temperature-wise: I saw 119F indicated.
I got a Ford Escape rental to get me to/from work, and for tours to both Sedona (Raceway Park, of course) and to Pima Air and Space Museum (great place, but the best are the people: mostly veterans and ex-pilots eager to chat you up, and with a full bag of side stories).
The car had awful mileage (lifetime avg. was 25.4, which I raised by 0.1 due to my soothing style, averaging myself at 32mpg), and a strange handling, as acknowledged by the manufacturer:
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I heard this morning that temps across much of the desert Southwest will break 120 this week. Can your Escape’s A/C and cooling system keep up?
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These temps are quite the extreme this summer – Southwest is getting record highs, yet for us, today will be the first time we’ve gotten into the 60’s in 4 or 5 days. Our low this morning was 39. This is not normal.
Regarding the Escape – my folks absolutely LOVE theirs. Curious what motor is in your rental. Guessing it’s the non Ecoboost I4. Theirs is AWD with the 2.0L Ecoboost, and a lifetime avg of 28mpg and have approached 40mpg highway. I’d say that’s pretty respectable. (Personally, I don’t like the seating position and haven’t particularly enjoyed driving it) -
For what it’s worth, that works out to roughly 9.3L/100 kms, and is pretty typical for the smallish SUVs we get.
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When did Canada go away from hogsheads/furlong as the standard measure?
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It’s all that Trudeau’s fault, I tells ya. Not Pierre or Justin, mind you, Garry.
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Yes, I blame him for what has happened here as well.
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You are probably right, I am just not used to “compact SUVXovers” or whatever the classification is. Overall it was a rather introvert car, comfy, and easy to maneuver around the trucks.
The AC was doing fine, but I am still impressed with the heat radiating from the dash/oven when you shut it off.
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I always liked “Arrested Development”‘s take on the naming of that Ford. Seeing one always reminds me of the sketch.
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http://0.media.dorkly.cvcdn.com/66/45/ebb23ae333f280bf2fb5836ed2bb135a.jpg
I always preferred its Mazda sibling’s (inadvertent) pop culture reference.
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Going from Norway (I think?) to a hot-even-for-Phoenix heat wave must be a shock to the system. While I live in somewhat Scandinavian-climate-analogue Seattle, spending time in hot/humid/biting-insect-ridden Vermont in the summer this year is a decision I’m still judging as a possible mistake. And it’s nowhere near the difference you’re experiencing!
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Considering insects, AZ was much less bitey than, say, any Swedish lake. But hell are the reptiles vivid!
I never understood the American love for iced drinks, but I get it now a little bit: a habit induced by extremes, and once the infrastructure is set up, why drop it at “just warm” temperatures?-
For the most part (in my admittedly limited experience), very hot/dry areas don’t have as many biting insects as the just regular-hot but also humid areas. However, the stuff that does bite in the arid, too hot Southwest is also often armored & more aggressively poisonous. I’m not sold on the need to add ice to every beverage imaginable, but I also enjoy most beer at traditional British serving temps, don’t drink soda, and am perfectly happy with such pedestrian fare as tap water vs the bottled bullshit.
I may have been a very young curmudgeon, now no longer even moderately young.-
In my opinion, the fill-the-glass-with-ice-cubes habit has always been a way of watering down the sodas to enhance profit.
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Since there is no Last Call anymore…. When has Hooniverse become trademarked by Hoonigan? Has it been sold? Also, 2017.
[Looking at the bottom of this page] “Copyright 2016 Hooniverse
Hooniverse is a trademark of Hoonigan used with permission”-
It’s been that way for a bit. Lots of behind the scenes stuff going on stay tuned.
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Another Last-Call style post here…
I fear that, with the exit of Robert Emslie, there will begin the slow erosion and eventual death of this beloved blog. I’ve seen it happen to other favorite blogs. It looks like the blogosphere is beginning to fade away. Here’s hoping that other contributors can take up the slack. If there’s anything I can do let me know.-
Not going away just reworking some things on our end. We’ll be slow with content as that happens but we’re not dying yet
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Wait, aren’t we all dying as we live?!?
As much as this is one of my favorite-est places in all of the intertubes, I do worry that it’s a bit too small a community to be sustainable, long term. While there’s a solid core of regular commenters & amazing contributors, it seems like we’re a mighty small collection of folks. Obviously I have no insight regarding page views or any other relevant metrics, and I don’t want the ‘verse to turn into a Jalopnik-esque mess, but sometimes it feels a little like a small town that got left behind when the interstate diverted traffic away from Main Street.
This is one of the few sites for which I shut off all my ad-blocking & most anti-tracking browser widgets, if that’s any small comfort.-
“Wait, aren’t we all dying as we live?!?”
Life is usually fatal… 😉
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What a great tale… and finally someone who knows the difference between going to Jail and going to Prison. They are not interchangeable.
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That was never subject of my English courses. Prison involves a judge, and jail an angry sherrif? (just guessing)
Please shine light on this! -
Then you have Jail, Gaol, Remand, Correctional Facility, Remand and Penitentiary to name a few more. That’s leaving out the slang terms.
English is delightful sometimes.
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