I bought a Suzuki Vitara AllGrip back in February, 1.4 turbo. It's our main runabout now, replacing the Volvo XC70 which in turn had replaced the Forester.

It's very fast in Sport mode, does 40+ to the gallon (petrol), has a decently big sunroof and AWD.... but it has the personality of a neurotic child, whinging hysterically - and often too late! - if it senses a possible crash (complete with on-screen animation of two cars smacking each other) or thinks the car is swaying too much, it even turns it's camera off if it's too dark to see (or that's what we think it's doing anyway, I cba to read the manual...). Certainly a personality of sorts, but a far cry from what used to feel like the unflappable-scaredofnothing-reliability of the old Forester (non-turbo) or the hairy-chested tractor-grunt-surge of the Volvo turbodiesel.

Nice... I get my eye drawn to the old Vitaras when they show up, haven't offered them here in a while, and we just had to wish for Volvos with a diesel. I might have beelined for one of those in '23 instead of a Rio, but for their lack of existence over here.

Electruck Did pretty good. But GM is absolute garbage all kinds of glitches. The EV part is amazing though. That part works fine 🤣.

You must have used up all your luck in not getting that particular container wedged across an international seaway. I am hearing that a lot about GM electronics of late, they must be buying them off the shifty dudes on AliExpress. But it looks like you are on a slippery slope there, first it's put 500cfm of fans in your desktop then next you're having to buy air by the container full 🤣

Though for serious, I guess that's your first unit for your cabin thing?

BitWrangler wrote on 2025-09-28, 19:26:

You must have used up all your luck in not getting that particular container wedged across an international seaway. I am hearing that a lot about GM electronics of late, they must be buying them off the shifty dudes on AliExpress. But it looks like you are on a slippery slope there, first it's put 500cfm of fans in your desktop then next you're having to buy air by the container full 🤣

Though for serious, I guess that's your first unit for your cabin thing?

Oh, did I mention it before?

Yes, I am going to make a triple wide container home on wheels so the next time I move, I can just take my house with me 😀

I have a 45 foot one also, but the frame isn’t ready yet.

Air by the Container full you, crack me up dude

how about this one 😉
https://www.reddit.com/r/SweatyPalms/comments … 0m/ev_disaster/

robertmo3 wrote on 2026-02-06, 07:30:

how about this one 😉
https://www.reddit.com/r/SweatyPalms/comments … 0m/ev_disaster/

the way the car just started smoking heavily then caught fully ablaze, so quickly, is disturbing!

I wouldn't get that to daily drive however cheap it is now, it will be branded fire damaged on the title and not be able to be registered here 🤣

But yeah the story might be more to do with the door handles, I think it ripped out the underside of the car as it went through the shallow ditch and bank, which appears to have some rocks on it, one of which a rescuer grabbed. Then the fence post that went under may have impaled something. So I wouldn't bet against a gas powered car having it's gas tank ripped open in same situation. But then something needs to ignite it, and given the car seems to be driven recklessly, that might have been hot exhaust/cat or brakes, though depending how it got ripped up, there was wiring that could have been ripped out and arcing, fuel pump supply is fairly high amp. Safest car to have been in for that one would have been a diesel.

Whatever you are rolling in, this shows the benefit of thinking about an escape plan before you need it, a convenient stranger with rock is super lucky. Electric door handles aside, there's ways you can get trapped, due to impact on the sides, or being stuck up against something. There exist some emergency escape hammers you can keep in glovebox or console. If nothing else available, maybe have to try holding the seatbelt buckle between your knuckles, to punch with, or kick out the front or rear screens. If you have electric handles with no mechanical connection, try to think to drag the seatbelt out with you to stop the door closing again in this sort of scenario where you can get out once before the body electrics fail.

I got 2 points from this:

• Humans drive like morons.
• Humans design crappy cars.

this one is way slower action, but still...
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1409502140658281
go straight to 0:40

Oh man, if only they had had a couple of minutes to warn the train or shove it off with another vehicle.

Texas is Ford Country...

Nice old 1st gen Ranger with supercab, not many left up here in Rustsville. I guess 15 years ago they would have been my compact truck crush, or a D50... or a Nissan Hardbody... but those had similar fates, possibly earlier, hard to tell since they weren't as common in the first place. You could only get a supercab with a V6 right?

BitWrangler wrote on 2026-02-12, 05:30:

You could only get a supercab with a V6 right?

I think that's correct...

I'm actually about to put her in the shop as she is starting to overheat and she needs some exhaust work.

I think there is a sensor problem as opposed to like a water pump or thermostat.

We will soon see.... old trucks always need something.....

I've always had rangers and mustangs... go figure...

I had a vehicle that old, radiator held pressure, looked fine, but wasn't, all the fins had lost contact with the pipes due to corrosion over the years, pressure washing made it obvious when some blew out.... but yeah, looked alright but dissipated no heat.

A 92 Lexus SC400...this was when I took it to where it had been designed. Easily the best car I've ever owned, it's so much fun to drive.

sunkindly wrote on 2026-02-13, 00:32:

A 92 Lexus SC400...this was when I took it to where it had been designed. Easily the best car I've ever owned, it's so much fun to drive.

for a 92 this looks like a really well kept example too!

I drive a 2004 Holden VZ Commodore Lumina.
It has a 3.6L V6 engine.
Made for Australia they are no longer trading so they are slowly dying out.

I also drive a 2012 Volkswagen Caddy SWB van.
It has a 1.2L 4 cylinder turbo engine.

gerry wrote on 2026-02-13, 13:57:

sunkindly wrote on 2026-02-13, 00:32:

A 92 Lexus SC400...this was when I took it to where it had been designed. Easily the best car I've ever owned, it's so much fun to drive.

for a 92 this looks like a really well kept example too!

Thanks, I try my best to keep up with it but a lot of credit definitely has to go to the previous owner!

I drive a beat up 2013 Kia Forte, its better than no car even though it sucks and has seen better days. Couldn't afford any better when I got it, now that I have money my spending priority is retro tech and storage media stockpiling, and only now have I started saving for a new car after the transmission damn near died on the road a few times cause it has very occasional issues that are real bad when they show up.