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Really ?

Not just recently. Ever take a look at an early/mid 70's Corvette intake manifold? The runners go down, then back up to get into the heads. Designers said, we need the low hood, engineers said, then we need to make to lowest performance intake manifold known to mankind.
Corvette and Cadillac designers must share some training with architects. The more asinine and outrageous the can make something the more "prestigious " it seems to be.
 
Don’t get me started on the automotive output after the designers were set upon by the engineers and bean counters. I saw the troubles and the fixes we were handling on those poor 70s to 90s cars.
 
Other examples. My father had a 77 Mercury Monarch, fully loaded, black, red leather interior. Basic pimpmobile. He and a friend took my mom and my two younger brothers on a road trip from Vancouver BC to Oakland California. My dad is asleep, friend is driving over the Siskiyou Pass between Oregon & California. Six miles of 6% grade, with every lane filled with transport trucks. Friend has gas pedal to the floor, desperately trying to stay ahead of the trucks. Big red light on the dash comes on, friend is terrified to stop or pull over, just keeps on. Won’t tell my dad, doesn’t want to get blamed for frying dad’s car. Friend gets through the pass, light goes out. My dad had all the mechanical skill of a Dachshund, so he waits until he gets back to Vancouver to ask me about the red light. Red light means <POOR FUEL ECONOMY>. Not surprising in a 3200 lb car with a smog-choked 120hp 302. Hauling five adults over a 4000 ft mountain.

Dad dumps the Monarch and buys a 85 Fiat 128. It has serious electrical issues, battery stops charging whenever it rains. Perhaps not the best car for Vancouver. Turns out Fiat engineers thought placing the alternator below the block, in front of the passenger side inner fender would be a good idea. Every time dad drove through a puddle, the alternator shorted out and fried the regulator.
 
I used to tear up the roads around here in a 47 Fargo 1/4 ton truck. Foot starter was the norm in a lot of the old trucks.
 
Other examples. My father had a 77 Mercury Monarch, fully loaded, black, red leather interior. Basic pimpmobile. He and a friend took my mom and my two younger brothers on a road trip from Vancouver BC to Oakland California. My dad is asleep, friend is driving over the Siskiyou Pass between Oregon & California. Six miles of 6% grade, with every lane filled with transport trucks. Friend has gas pedal to the floor, desperately trying to stay ahead of the trucks. Big red light on the dash comes on, friend is terrified to stop or pull over, just keeps on. Won’t tell my dad, doesn’t want to get blamed for frying dad’s car. Friend gets through the pass, light goes out. My dad had all the mechanical skill of a Dachshund, so he waits until he gets back to Vancouver to ask me about the red light. Red light means <POOR FUEL ECONOMY>. Not surprising in a 3200 lb car with a smog-choked 120hp 302. Hauling five adults over a 4000 ft mountain.

Dad dumps the Monarch and buys a 85 Fiat 128. It has serious electrical issues, battery stops charging whenever it rains. Perhaps not the best car for Vancouver. Turns out Fiat engineers thought placing the alternator below the block, in front of the passenger side inner fender would be a good idea. Every time dad drove through a puddle, the alternator shorted out and fried the regulator.
Did he buy the Fiat for the luxury or the power?😀
 
Rant of the day Panasonic microwave. Door latch not working. Google search, common problem across many different versions over many years. Piss poor design that you can be sure the bean counters had a hand in. The metalwork that supports the opening button is so flimsy and I mean flimsy that when you push the button the metal deflects. Over time the tinfoil like structure deflects too much and the mechanism fails.

I was under the impression that Panasonic made quality microwave ovens.

If you’re thinking of buying one, might want to compare the opening “feel” to a competing brand. If it feels a bit clunky when new you know what awaits you.

This was not the economy model, it was the super duper walking on water prestige elite Monte Carlo model or whatever they call it.
 
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Rant of the day Panasonic microwave. Door latch not working.
I just went through this about a month ago. Panasonic commercial grade microwave. Fuse kept blowing when closing the door. The plastic bracket that secures the 3 switches was the issue. I had to adjust it so that the timing of when the switches are activated was correct. People slamming the door was the likely reason for the bracket getting knocked out of place.
 
screenshot-2026-02-03-182158-e1770164565235.png

"The truck pulled over by police on Sunday appeared to have had its passenger door duct-taped. (Corman Park Police Service/Facebook)

Sask. Trucking Association alarmed by duct-taped semi"​

"In a Facebook post, Corman Park police said the semi’s driver and passenger side windows were broken and covered in tape, as was its driver-side mirror. The post also claimed that the truck’s damaged windshield was obstructing the driver’s view."




Despite years of teaching Canadians how to make repairs apparently there are still some who doubt Red Green.

And driving to work with a partially obstructed windshield is standard for a lot of winter drivers in Saskatchewan. Who needs to brush snow off a windshield when a wiper blade will do 30% of the work for you? Afterall, all you need is enough view of the road ahead to navigate the Tim's drive thru.
 
And driving to work with a partially obstructed windshield is standard for a lot of winter drivers in Saskatchewan. Who needs to brush snow off a windshield when a wiper blade will do 30% of the work for you? Afterall, all you need is enough view of the road ahead to navigate the Tim's drive thru
yup...tanks have proved for years that all you need is a small hole to see thru and your in business.
 
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