Bubo

Couple of years ago a friend asked me the difference in systems So I played the same Sheryl Crow song for him Youtube quality on my Klipsch desk top speakers, he loved it Moved to Heresys youtube version, then CD he loved it more Moved to my LR set up and ran the DTS version over my MCIntosh and the LaScalas and told him to close his eyes How does it sound now ? "Like she is sitting on my lap blowing in my ear" For a moment, I thought I might to pull him off the TV..... Best female vocals in a speaker to my ears is LaScala PS My Yamaha amps sound better, but I like the blue glow .....

My uncle (Repair shop owner extraordinaire) years ago told me to buy a used Merc 300SD 1982 I found a Certified car with 30K mi on it and pulled the trigger for $15K Frame rails rotted out, or I would still be driving it Same repair costs as a Chevy for lots of stuff Intelligent parts shopping yielded 75% parts discounts for German parts, no star on them When it was time for a new car Uncle told me no Merc Cars My $300 water pump repair on a new model would be $2,500 on a 300E You have to remove the front bumper Told me Camry, 2003 so I pulled the trigger on a new one So did my mother and brother All had a great experience with superb reliability and few repairs.

I'm still driving my 2003 4 cylinder Camry only 105K mi on it Sadly the rockers have terminal rust, not worth fixing $6K est Brother purchased approx 2010, two lemon engine changes later it works OK Not the same car as the 2003-2006 models 2 Years ago I walked into a Toyota Dealer to purchase a new Camry and leave Materials have been cheapened and leg room reduced with the absurd Island the manufactures have installed to prevent man spreading, no other identifiable purpose. The island in the Taurus was even worse, taller longer giant empty cavity to take space away. The large TV screen in the middle of the dash is a giant distraction, should be banned. So sadly, it's not your father's Toyota, it went downhill Honda Accord seems to win top spot I still haven't looked at it...... Hoping to land a gas hog since I drive so few miles per year and now have 2 cars and motorcycle Hyundai Sonata non turbo 190 HP, gets the highest marks in the Camry Accord space from friends with repair shops and shop managers I know. Layout under the hood is superb as is the warranty. Yesterday's Camry ?

10 bay German car repair shop I visited West of Chicago Burbs to look at a Cayman they had in the lot. Owner, younger guy, told me Porsch was the most reliable of the German cars nowdays reliability being a relative term. Cayman 6 cylinder is like 7-1 weight to horse power not quite motorcycle, but getting there Latest Corvette is also in this range. PS My Infinity G-37 IPL Coupe is also in the 10-1 range I can barly control it if I start pushing it guessing 0-100 mph in 2 blocks

Same highly rated body shop I took the T-bone Taurus cop car too I also mentioned Audi to him when he finished laughing at the T-bone "If the factory warranty is finished, don't buy it" ... too expensive to repair

4 wheel drive is an attraction $8K repair bills are a repellent ....

They should buy engines from Ford or Chevy to get some reliability

I haven't given up on police cars but thought I would look for other gas hogs that may be a good deal with the current gas prices. A6 Audi A6 Supercharged and A8 caught my eye Full time 4 wheel drive for Midwest winters I thought the supercharged A6 was a good work around for turbo failures that take out both the exhaust system and air intake and fuel systems. The most popular videos, lots of them, are timing chain replacements After watching around a dozen of them I concluded the A6 was a lemon Timing chain is on the rear of the engine So both the trans and engine have to be removed to get at it. Cost $7-8,000 every 50-100K miles if you are lucky A8 Quatro Next I thought non turbo, non Supercharged ? V-8 also has the timing chain on the rear which fails after 50-100K miles $8,000 or more depending on other known engine problems. Around 2010 Audi switched to a turbo V8 A-8 Top 5 failures did not list timing chain, interesting Clogged oil tube is most common failure - symptom is a failed turbo charger that takes out the exhaust and air and fuel system $8-10,000 repair A-8 Air suspension is also good for 50K mi Repair is around $6-8K, but may never really be reliable Coil over kits for $1,200 are a popular replacement from a NC company If I really had to have an Audi, it would have to be new and sell or trade it before the factory warranty expired. Pass on all Audis

Everyone I have encountered that was riding an e-bike seemed to like theirs All of them told me they were no longer able to ride a regular bike. I suspect that one was no longer allowed to drive a car, but happy never the less Fortunately I can still ride 10 miles a day on my mountain bike weather permitting. Which in Chicago is 6 months a year.

Gene Autry; Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer 50 cent find in a resale a couple of years ago Surprisingly good audio quality

Suggest you decide on prices and post the list I suspect they will go fast. M

Nice town of Civil War fame Great Santini was a great movie

Update One of the nearby Ford Dealers is dabbling in used Interceptors So I went for my first evaluations and test drives Asking Price $15,500 The 23Kmi Clean CarFax Taurus I went to view hadn't been made ready for sale yet, "just in" - Passenger's side t-bone, pushed in at least 6-8 inches - Every Body panel crooked inc driver's side doors - Back seat cushions tossed in the back of the car - No spare, water in the Trunk well - 4in round Hole in the Driver's side dash between dash and door - With the seat out, the A-frame suspension reinforcement of box Steel was clearly visible. I believe the rear seat cushion is closely shaved to make room for the box steel underneath. - Roof antennae mount in place, 1in hole in roof - 3 1/4 in holes above front doors, where lights bar were mounted. - Giant stock island between front seats to prevent man spreading - Terrible rear visibility - Side mirrors worked flawlessly With the salesman, I test drove it to a local body shop I know, and asked the estimator to take a look. He burst out in laughter, and kept looking OVER at the straight faced salesman as he quickly went through the car. "$5K minimum to get started" They had two other Taurus Interceptors on the lot I passed on both, which had been made ready for sale. I moved on to the one Explorer Police Utility they had on the lot - Body panels lined up properly, probably no accidents - Inside clean and in tact, missing island with unfinished hole in between seats - Hands free stopped and accelerated straight - low speed slalom, vehicle was stable and no rolling. I'm pretty sure there are vehicles I can flip at 5-10 mph, others just wallow side to side - Acceleration from stop was quick - Acceleration from road speed, 2-3 gear downshift and lots of exhaust system tuned growling, not sure it actually accelerated. But it sounded really fast. - Engine had a miss, or broken mount or both - Cabin Heat system farted on us when I changed the temp, probably coolant leak in core ($1500-2500). - Terrible rear visibility - Side mirrors worked flawlessly Pre used car inflation, the SUV for $3- 5K might have been worth taking to round 2 The Taurus was purchased at Auction, probably for it's full value, $600 - Which if you bought 2 and pieced them together, may have been a good deal, if you could do all of the work. Wild Card Engine Idle hours - If multiplied by 60 as suggested by a fleet manager, SUV had approx = 500,000 miles on engine - If multiplied to match engine operation hours/miles the SUV had 130,000 miles on it Used car market is bleak

Here you will find Ford Police Interceptor Utility sales numbers for the United States. Sales Results - USA - Police Interceptor Utility Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total 2019 2,872 2,872 2,872 1,509 1,509 1,509 803 803 803 0 0 0 15,551 2018 2,984 2,754 2,935 2,971 3,206 3,051 2,539 2,436 2,578 2,901 2,777 2,707 33,839 2017 2,356 2,551 3,192 3,093 2,917 2,981 2,766 2,622 2,309 2,507 2,590 3,191 33,075 2016 2,348 2,375 2,807 3,263 2,977 3,000 2,577 2,686 2,479 2,491 2,383 2,827 32,213 2015 2,041 1,586 2,293 2,259 2,549 2,172 2,020 2,013 1,710 1,975 1,549 2,775 24,942 2014 1,114 1,003 1,583 1,850 2,277 1,645 2,209 1,643 2,025 2,041 1,433 1,832 20,655

Ford 3.7L Duratec 37 Engine https://fordauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Ford-3.7L-Duratec-37-009.jpg The Duratec 37 is a naturally aspirated V6 engine from Ford Motor used to power midsize and full-size sedans, sports cars, pickup trucks and utility vehicles, or more commonly known as SUVs. Featuring a dual overhead cam (DOHC) design, in a V configuration, the Ford 3.7L Duratec architecture has been part of the Ford Cyclone engine family since 2008. Sharing many of its internal components with the Ford 3.5L Duratec 35 Engine, the Duratec 37 was initially intended to power heavier or premium vehicles within the Ford, Lincoln and Mazda lineup. As a matter of fact, the first iteration of this engine was in the 2008 Mazda CX-9, where the engine was built in Hiroshima, Japan under the MZI 3.7 name. It was then used for the 2009 Lincoln MKS. Just like the rest of the Cyclone engine family, the Ford 3.7L Duratec 37 engine utilizes a twin independent variable cam timing (Ti-VCT) system for optimal performance deliver and fuel economy. The engine powers the following vehicles: Ford Edge Ford F-150 Ford Mustang Ford Police Interceptor Sedan Ford Transit Lincoln Continental Lincoln MKS Lincoln MKT Lincoln MKX Lincoln MKZ Mazda CX-9 Mazda 6 Overview Metric Value Engine family Cyclone Displacement 3.7 liters Aspiration Atmospheric Configuration & cylinders V configuration, six cylinders Vehicle engine orientation Longitudinal / Transverse Valve configuration Dual overhead cam (DOHC) Assembly sites Lima, Ohio Predecessor Ford Duratec V6 Successor Currently none Specifications Metric Value Bore 95.5 mm Stroke 87.6 mm Compression ratio 10.5:1 Max power @ RPM 302 hp @ 6,500 rpm Max torque @ RPM 278 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm Cylinder head Aluminum Cylinder block Aluminum Camshaft drive Chain Vehicle Applications Vehicle Transmission Drive Wheels Power@ RPM Torque (lb-ft) @ RPM Ford Edge Sport (2011 - 2014) Six-speed automatic AWD 305 @ 6,500 rpm 280 @ 4,250 rpm Ford F-150 (2011 - 2014) Six-speed automatic RWD / 4WD 302 @ 6,500 rpm 278 @ 4,000 rpm Ford Mustang (2011 - 2014) Six-speed automatic / Six-speed manual RWD 305 @ 6,500 rpm 280 @ 4,250 rpm Ford Mustang (2014 - 2017) Six-speed automatic / Six-speed manual RWD 300 @ 6,500 rpm 270 @ 4,000 rpm Ford Police Interceptor Sedan (2013 +) Six-speed automatic AWD 305 @ 6.500 rpm 280 @ 4,250 rpm Ford Transit (2015 - 2019) Six-speed automatic RWD 275 @ 6,000 rpm 260 @ 4,000 rpm Lincoln Continental (2017 +) Six-speed automatic FWD 305 @ 6,500 rpm 280 @ 4,000 rpm Lincoln MKS (2009 - 2012) Six-speed automatic FWD / AWD 275 @ 6,250 rpm 276 @ 4,250 rpm Lincoln MKS (2013 - 2016) Six-speed automatic FWD / AWD 304 @ 6,500 rpm 279 @ 4,000 rpm Lincoln MKT (2010 - 2012) Six-speed automatic FWD / AWD 268 @ 6,250 rpm 267 @ 4,250 rpm Lincoln MKT (2013 +) Six-speed automatic FWD / AWD 300 @ 6,500 rpm 275 @ 4,000 rpm Lincoln MKX (2011 - 2015) Six-speed automatic FWD / AWD 305 @ 6,500 rpm 280 @ 4,250 rpm Lincoln MKX (2016 - 2018) Six-speed automatic FWD / AWD 303 @ 6,500 rpm 278 @ 4,000 rpm Lincoln MKZ (2013 - 2016) Six-speed automatic FWD / AWD 300 @ 6,500 rpm 277 @ 4,000 rpm Mazda CX-9 (2008 - 2015) Six-speed automatic FWD / AWD 273 @ 6,250 rpm 270 @ 4,250 rpm Mazda 6 (2009 - 2013) Six-speed automatic FWD 272 @ 6,250 rpm 269 @ 4,250 rpm https://fordauthority.com/fmc/ford-motor-company-engines/ford-cyclone-engine-family/ford-3-7l-duratec-37-engine/

I'm guessing the Vette mills had better metals and stronger design requirements When I followed it, years ago, Merc Benz SLs would sell for next to zero when their engines failed. There was a cottage industry that made conversion kits to drop rebuilt Vette engines and 4-5 speed manual transmissions into them Better, faster, lighter, way more reliable and more affordable I believe it was a shop in NC that Engineered and manufactured the kits for the conversion I think it was the awesome Pontiac G8 from Australia that had a heavy duty truck engine short block with vette heads, cams etc

JJ How much weight did the aluminum drive shaft take off ? The vette mill was iron block ?

If I do go this way For example Taurus, I was thinking "try to find a SHO Junker" and strip the interior for a few hundred. Explorer also seems interesting. Again, strip a junker Durango and Blazer-Yukon not so much Charger Hemi is a head turner, probably the wheels too.

Good intel One of the Explorers on the auction site, I read the service records Mostly $50 oil change and check everything, top up fluids Then break pads and machine rotors Next $500-700 for front end parts, rotors etc 3 in this range, and up for sale with 75kmi

Looks like they are 2x to 3x the price of the Interceptors that's a lot of oil changes Also looks like they have the dreaded Turbo a $5,000 repair that takes out the exhaust and throttle body and sensors when it fails.

Yes there are a lot of complaints about ringing and Wifi I too am hesitant with the metal drivers. Has anyone measured the frequency spectrum and range on metal drivers ?

This is the question, how beat are they if at all Some appear to be in quite good condition, the idle hours being the wild card. Every 3K on the oil changes from what I have seen reading the records on the auction sites.

Have to take a look I wonder what I can score a used Bradley for .....

Both have smoking performance, Hemi may be a little faster But yes the $10K premium for the Hemi does cover a lot of tires, brakes and oil changes in the Taurus.

Looking at used vehicles and ran across used Police Vehicles Pros Lower cost than similar civilian Performance tuning and suspension, better brakes Regular oil changes and brakes Everyone slams on the brakes when you are passing by Cons Engine idle hours are very high Have seen idle hours equated to 10x up to 60x The Fleet argument being that the cooling sitting still is ineffective Water accumulation in the engine etc Police are believed to drive the vehicles hard for various reasons Rubberized floors are slippery - good for vomit, blood, urine etc ... In the cars Charger Hemi full time rear drive, 4 wheel when needed Taurus 3.7 smoking performance, 3x parts costs due to patents Full time front drive, 4 wheel when needed 4-6 mpg better than charger Taurus is half the price of the Hemis, due to demand ? In the SUVs It's explorer vs Durango vs Tahoe and a few suburbans Any thoughts or comments ?