WAY OT: test drive

[losinit@usa.net (Cathy Boyko)]

Test drive:
Well, unlike others who test drive NICE cars so they can lust after them =
even
if they can't afford them, I took the other route, driving something that=

would assure me that I already owned the right cars.

The victim? The mighty, awe inspiring Pontiac Firefly...come on., you all=
 know
you want to drive one.

(Hit delete now if you're gonna gripe)

Impressions:

Appearance: It was dark, and the car was black, so it looked okay. Neon w=
asher
nozzles added a bit of interest. =

Steering: Well, the steering wheel had that "grip free", big enough for a=
 bus
feel, and the manual steering effectively aimed the car about where you w=
anted
it, most of the time, sort of. =

Suspension: sing along: rolling, rolling, rolling...keep that Firefly
rolling...
Tin can rating: about .0005 % above that of the original Austin Mini. I
actually had a few moments when "I'm gonna die" DIDN'T cross my mind.
Shift linkage: Acceptable, but naturally, reverse is wrongly located.
Power: With the mighty Singer engine under there (at least it reminded me=
 of
the sewing machine, I didn't look to see if in fact it is a team of gerbi=
ls),
it slipped forward effortlessly, and actually moved along fairly well. Go=
d
alone knows where the power is in the rpm band, no tach was provided by t=
he
General. It will remain one of those great automotive mysteries to ponder=
 when
roaring down open roads. No, change that, I doubt I'll give it another
thought.
Brakes: Yep,it brakes just like any large car should, step on it, wait a
while, you slow down. Hard to comment on fade, there wasn't much grip to =
start
with.
Lights: Unlike my projection beams which often turn street lights out, th=
is
one actually turned one ON. Worse than my NA quads in the Rocc with bad
grounds and a few bulbs out.
Engine sound: Enhanced by some sort of leak and a big exhaust tip, it sti=
ll
didn't sound good.

It was a blast to drive and laugh that hard. Sad part is, I could actuall=
y
drive one if I had to, better than driving a land yacht. It was sort of f=
un.
No I'm not considering one, but the thought of what could be stuffed unde=
r the
hood did cross my mind, the thing must weigh about two pounds. And it'd b=
e fun
to really rice one out.

Sorry to have wasted your time. I'll have some Rocco stuff shortly!
Cathy