CARS

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1. Here speeder, speeder
2. A little about Buick
3. Cars & motorcycles I want to buy
4. My family's cars
5. My friend's cars
6. Car & motorcycle wish list
7. Car body work by me

Here Mustang, Mustang

Click for poster
It's the moment every GM fan looks forward to. A Ford Mustang or a compact import racer getting pulled over by a Chevrolet Camaro Police car. I know it will put a smile on my face. Even though they were last produced in 2002, they are still out there. The New York State Police has a bunch of them (hint, hint).

Buick:

BUICK was found on May 19, 1903 by David Dunbar Buick in Flint, Michigan. It was sold and then managed by William C. Durant in 1904, who went on to create General Motors in 1908. In 2003, It was the second American carmaker to reach its 100th birthday. The first American carmaker to reach its 100th birthday was Oldsmobile, back in 1999. It's sad that General Motors killed off Oldsmobile, with the last car produced being an Oldsmobile Alero GL on April 29, 2004. They made a lot of money with Oldsmobile in the early 1980's, when the Cutlass was the best selling car in America for some 5 years in a row. But Oldsmobile was passed its prime, and all the big wigs and beancounters at General Motors only did what's good for their own pockets. Thankfully, now that Bob Lutz is chairman of GM North America, things are turning around, and GM is finally producing cars that are exciting in both performance and design. Just look at the current Cadillac CTS, Pontiac G8, Pontiac Solstice, and Chevrolet Corvette.

These are cars (and motorcycles) that I want to buy in the short run...

	The 2008 Pontiac G8 GT, powered by GM's 6.0-litre Gen IV L76 V-8, making 362 hp @ 5700 rpm, and 391 lb-ft of torque @ 4400rpm. This power is put to the pavement through a Tremec TR-6060 6-speed manual transmission, or a GM 6L80-E 6-speed automatic transmission, by the rear wheels. Yes, the rear wheels. It has been many years since GM had a V-8 power, manual transmission rear-wheel driven 4-dr sedan, except for the Cadillac CTS, for sale in the American market. This is exactly what I've been waiting for. The reason I bought my 1995 BMW 530i is because of it's V-8 engine, 5-speed manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive. The 2008 Pontiac G8 has the exact same configuration! The new G8 is based on the all-new 2007 Holden Commodore (photos below), but it also added hood scoops, and front fender vents to satisfy the American market. Did I memtion the quad dual exhaust system? The G8 is a glimpse into the future of what the next Chevrolet Impala will look like. Pontiac G8 website ....................
Photos courtesy of www.MotorTrend.com
	The 2007 Honda CBR600RR, the completely redesigned middleweight sportbike from Honda. It is powered by a new 599cc DOHC 16-valve I-4, making 118 hp @ 13,500 rpm, and 48.7 lb-ft of torque @ 11,250 rpm. The bike puts out 107 horsepowers at the rear wheel, and this propels the bike from 0-60 mph in 3.07 seconds, 0-100 mph in 6.37 seconds, and it does the quarter mile in 10.57 seconds @ 131.02 mph (Motorcyclist data). Up front the new CBR600RR has a 41mm inverted cartridge fork that is fully adjustable, 310mm brake rotors with four-piston calipers, and a electronic steering damper. The bike weighs in at 412 lbs wet, and 383 lbs dry. It's a perfect competitor to the Yamaha YZF-R6, but with a more comfortable ride.
Photos courtesy of www.Motorcycle-USA.com
Photo courtesy of www.fleet.chrysler.com	A 2007 Dodge Charger Police Vehicle. With the optional 5.7L HEMI V8, that puts out 340 hp @ 5000 rpm, and 390 lb-ft of torque @ 4000 rpm. Mean looking steel rims, and pushbar! You may ask why there is a Dodge on this page, since I'm such a big GM person. But all I have to say is that, until the next rear-wheel drive Impala comes out, the Charger is here to stay.

My (family's) cars: (in the order they were added to the family, the latest one on top)

2000 Volkswagen Jetta GLS
		My sister's "new" car was bought on March 9, 2006. After a lot of looking around, and many test drives later, we found this Jetta, and it's a nice little car. It has the VR6 2.8-liter V-6, making 174 hp, 5-speed manual transaxle, and 92,000 miles. It is fun to drive, relatively quiet, and feels very solid for a little car.

2006 Buick LaCrosse CX
My parent's third new car is this 2006 Buick LaCrosse CX sedan. After searching for a new car for a little over a month, we decided to get this particular LaCrosse, on November 10, 2005. It has a 3.8-liter (231ci) V-6 (Series III), 200 hp @ 5200 rpm, 230 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm, and a 4-speed automatic transaxle. It has this beautiful blue color, and absolutly the quietest interior. It's fairly well equiped for the almost basic Buick, with a leather-wrapped steering wheel radio controls, driver information center, remote starter, and traction control.

1993 Buick LeSabre Custom 90th anniversary
The LeSabre was bought new by my grandparents in July of 1993. It was rarely driven, since my grandparents spent a lot of time in Hong Kong, and it was transferred to my family in October of 2005. Like the Eighty Eight, the LeSabre has a 231ci (3.8-liter) V-6, 170 hp @ 4800 RPM, 225 lb-ft @ ? RPM, 4-speed automatic transaxle, only 67,000 miles. The car is almost brand new, with a few dings and scratches over the years.

2001 Honda Prelude
Stock photo	Stock photo
My brother 2001 Honda Prelude. It has a 2.2-liter I-4, 5-speed manual transmission, 195 hp, 156lb-ft of torque. It's a fun driving "little" car, and the last year for the Prelude.

1989 Honda Prelude SI 2.0
My 1989 Honda Prelude SI 2.0. It has a 2.0-liter DOHC I-4, 5-speed manual transmission, Fuel-injection, making 135hp @ 5200 rpm. It was bought new by my cousin in 1989, my brother got it in May of 2003, drove it for a year, and got a new Prelude. So I got it in May of 2004. It was a fun little car, sits really low to the ground, and stops on a dime, even without ABS.
R.I.P. This was the first car I have to let go of. On February 22, 2005, I was driving on Macedon Center Road, going towards the village of Fairport, when a Chevrolet Trailblazer fishtailed, and crossed into my lane in front of me. Unable to stop due to a fresh layer of snow and the fact that the Trailblazer drove right in front of me, I slammed into the passenger-side front fender of the Trailblazer. The Prelude was totalled. PHOTOS (click thumbnails for larger images): .......... .......... ..........

1995 BMW 530i
		I bought my summer toy in February of 2003, a 1995 BMW 530i (E34). It has a 3.0-liter (183ci) V-8 (M60) engine with VANOS (Variable Nockenwellen Steuerung, or variable camshaft control), with 215 hp @ 5800 RPM, 214 lb-ft @ 4500 RPM, a 5-speed Getrag Type C manual transmission, and 140,000 miles. Even though it's 12 years old and has all these miles, it still drives like a brand new car. The engine purrs all the way to redline, the transmission never misses a shift, and it goes around corners without a sqeak. Car and Driver tested the car in 1994, and it can do 0-60mph in 7.0 seconds.

1999 Buick Regal GSE
My parent's second new car was this 1999 Buick Regal GSE sedan, bought on September 21, 1999. It has a 231ci (3.8-liter) V-6, with an Eaton supercharger pumping out a maximum of 7.8 psi of boost, which pushes horsepower to 240hp @ 5200 RPM, and torque to 280 lb-ft @ 3600 RPM. It has a 4-speed heavy duty automatic transaxle, and had 54,000 miles. It was nicely equiped, with leather seats, a Monsoon CD stereo system, chrome wheels, driver information system, and a dual-zone climate control system. This is the car people would never expect Buick to build. Able to go from 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds, and still achieve a 27 mpg fuel mileage on the highway, This is a combination of both 1960's muscle car power, and modern car fuel economy, achievable by 1990's technology.
R.I.P. The Regal was involved in a crash on November 24, 2005. The cause of the crash was a snow-covered Thruway. In the beginning, it seemed like it was going to get fixed. But upon closer examination, it was revealed that the right rocker panel is damaged, along with the front suspension, and the repair cost was very close to the actual value of the vehicle. The insurance company decided that it would be safer to call it a total loss on December 7, 2005 than to repair it. The Regal served the family well for 6 years, and my sister came out of the accident without even a scratch, which proved that the Regal did its job well in protecting its occupant. This was the fourth loss in 2005, and it doesn't get any easier. PHOTOS: (click thumbnails for larger images): .......... ..........

1992 Oldsmobile Eighty Eight Royale LS
This was my parents first brand new car, a 1992 Oldsmobile Eighty Eight Royale LS sedan, bought on November 6, 1991. It has a 231ci (3.8-liter) V-6 Buick built engine, 170 hp @ 4800 RPM, 220 lb-ft @ 3200 RPM, 4-speed automatic transaxle, and 135,000 miles. 1992 was a new model year, and this Eighty Eight was one of the first built, in mid-1991. A great family car, this car has plenty of space, power, and a traditional American car ride.
Farewell The Eighty Eight was traded-in on November 10, 2005, after the discovery of leaking brake lines, a result of corrosion from 14 years of Rochester salt. The Eighty Eight was my dad's first new car, and we went on numerous family trips in this car. It was very well taken care of, and besides the rust, it was in perfect shape. It will be dearly missed.

1984 Buick Skyhawk Custom
My 1984 Buick Skyhawk Custom sedan. It has a 121ci (2.0-liter) I-4 Chevrolet built engine, 86 hp @ 4900 RPM, 100 lb-ft @ 3000 RPM, 3-sp automatic transaxle, and 207,000 miles. It was bought new by my cousin in September of 1984, and my parents bought it in October of 1990. It ran until February of 2004, when a gas leak forced it off the road. The last 110,000 miles were spent delivering pizza and going to school.
R.I.P. After being parked on the driveway for 1 year and 8 months, the Skyhawk was finally towed away on October 18, 2005, to be a kidney car. It was a sad day. This was the car I learned to drive with. It was my high school and college car, and I drove it for almost 10 years.

My Uncle's cool Italian sport car

1986 Alfa Romeo GTV 6
This 1986 Alfa Romeo GTV 6 2.5 coupe belongs to my uncle. With a 2.5L V-6, making 160 HP @ 5600 rpm, 157 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm of torque, and a 5-speed manual transmission. It has never seen any snow, the paint does start to show its age, but it's still a very cool and unique sports car. Even though it is 21 years old, it is still in great condition.

My friend Zack's sport bike

2002 Yamaha YZF-R1
	<-- This is a picture of the R1 right after its purchase. Completely unmodified. In stock form, its 998cc in-line 4 engine puts out 152 HP @ 10500 rpm. It weights only 382 pounds (dry).

The pictures above were taken in the summer of 2004, shortly before Zack sold the bike. It was heavily modified. The frame, wheels, gas tank, and varies hardware pieces were chrome plated. The exhaust system was modifed, an after-market windshield was installed, and blue xenon headlight bulbs were installed also. The R1 was sold to someone who came all the way from Wisconsin with a trailer.

This 1997 Honda Civic was owned by my friend Shawn Charlton

He was one of the first person around Rochester, NY, to modify his car to look and perform like cars from the import (ricer) culture in southern California. He has a 1999 Acura Integra now, and it's either due to the extreme modification or the slow working pace of the modification shop, that caused the Integra to spend the whole year of 2001 in the shop.

The car wish list:

	The 2007 Chevrolet Corvette ZO6. With an all-new Corvette for the 2005 model year (C-6), Chevrolet took the chance to build a new ZO6 from the ground up, and here is the result. It is powered by a 7.0L Gen IV LS7 V-8 that officially makes 505 hp @ 6300 rpm and 470 lb-ft of torque @ 4800 rpm, but the rating is said to be under-reported by GM. The new ZO6 can go from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds, and it completed Germany's Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7:42.99, driven by Jan Magnussen, which is one of the fastest time on record by a production car. It has a dry-sump oiling system, and titanium connecting rods to reduce engine rotating mass.
photo courtesy of www.motortrend.com
	The 2006 Cadillac STS-v signalifies GM's return to building large, powerful, and luxurious cars. The STS-v is powered by a supercharged 4.4-liter DOHC V-8, developing 469 hp @ 6400 rpm, and 439 lb-ft of torque @ 3800 rpm (ratings are new SAE certified). The power is routed through a 6-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels. With 0-60 time of 4.8 seconds, and quarter mile time of 13.3 seconds @ 105.7 mph, the STS-v, with a base price of $77,090, is a VERY FAST sedan, with all the luxury imaginable to man.
photo courtesy of www.Cadillac.com
	The 2006 Honda CBR600RR is a major competitor to the Yamaha YZF-R6. I'm thinking about getting the CBR600 instead of the R6 for a few reasons: availability, reliability, and streetability. The CBR600RR has a 599cc DOHC I-4 engine, making 115 hp @ 13,000 rpm, 48.7 lb-ft @ 11,000 rpm, and a 6-speed manual transmission.
	The 2005 Yamaha YZF-R6 is pretty much the best middleweight sportbike in 2005. With a fuel-injected, liquid-cooled, 600cc DOHC I-4 engine, making 126 hp @ 13,000 RPM, 50.5 lb-ft @ 12,000 RPM, 6-speed manual transmission with multi-plate clutch, and new from 2004, a new fully adjustable inverted fork with 31mm tubes, and larger 310mm front brakes. Plus the raven edition has the very cool matte black paint scheme, with red pin-strips around the rims. So nice.
	The 2004 GTO is nice, but the 2006 is better. It has the (larger) 6.0-liter Gen IV LS2 V-8 (Corvette) engine, putting out 400 HP @ 5200 RPM, 400 lb-ft @ 4000 RPM, twin hood scoops, split dual chrome exhaust outlets, with a base price of $31,290, and it is going to be the last year... doesn't get any better.
	A 2004 Pontiac GTO. The Australian made muscle car is true to its roots. It has a 5.7-liter LS1 V-8 (Corvette) engine, making 350 horsepower, 6-speed manual transmission, rear wheel drive, and a midsize two-door body style. It's very cool, and at $33,000, not too expensive.
	A 2005 BMW M5. The newest M5 is powered by a 500 horsepower V-10 with double VANOS, and it puts those horses to the ground via a 7-speed sequential manual gearbox. It is very nice to have one, but the price is a little out of reach.
	A 2004 Cadillac CTS-V. An American competitor to the BMW M5, the CTS-V is powered by a Corvette LS-6 V-8 engine, making 400 horsepowers. It also comes with a 6-speed manual transmission.
Image from Holden's official website	A 2002 Holden Monaro, which is what the 2002-04 Pontiac GTO is based, was confirmed by GM vice-chairman Bob Lutz at the New York Auto Show on March 27, 2002. The Monaro CV8 has the Corvette (LS1) 5.7L V-8 engine, with 302 horsepower (225kW) and 339 lb-ft (460Nm) of torque, a 6-speed manual transmission, and 18-inch wheels. The Monaro CV6 has the Buick 3.8L supercharged V-6, with 229 horsepower (171kW) and 277 lb-ft (375Nm) of torque. The Monaro is basically a two-door version of the Commodore mentioned below.
Image from Harley-Davidson's official website	A 2002 Harley-Davidson VRSCA V-Rod. Yes, I know that it is not a car. But it has an engine, makes lots of noise, and best of all, looks very cool. So here it is. Check out that tail pipe, and the water-cooled V-Twin engine, and the anodized aluminum body. Too bad there is a waiting list for these bikes, and that dealers are charging thousands over sticker for them, which means that getting one will be hard.
	A 2002 Holden Commodore SS, which is only sold in Australia and New Zealand. The reason why I include this car in my wish list, is because there are rumors that General Motors may import this car to the United States, and sell it as a Chevrolet Impala SS. If the rumors are true, it will be really cool. The Commodore SS has a Corvette (LS1) 5.7L V-8 engine, making 302 horsepower (225 kW), 339 lb-ft (460 Nm) of torque, transferred to the Rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission, and the car drives like a European sport sedan too. The Commodore S has the Buick 3.8L supercharged V-6, which in the U.S., makes 240 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque.
Images from Holden's Australian official website
photo courtesy of Chevrolet.com	A 2002 Chevrolet Camaro SS. There had been rumors that GM might put the 385 horsepower Corvette Z06 engine in the last Camaro. But GM decided that it is not financial feasible to do so, so I'll probably get one modified by SLP Engineering, which increases the horsepower rating to 345.
photo courtesy of SLP's official website
Image from Cadillac's Official website	1998-2002 Cadillac Seville STS. It's a very nice luxury sedan, and it's the fastest domestic seden. BUT I am going to wait for the production of the next generation of Sevilles. Future Sevilles (renamed to STS) will be built on the Sigma platform, which means that they will be rear-wheel driven. There are also rumors that they will be offered with manual gear boxes. Can't wait, because front-wheel drive and automatic transmissions are just no fun at all.
Image from Buick's Official website	1999 Buick Riviera Silver Arrow, the last coupe produced by Buick. It has a supercharged 3.8 liter V-6, with 240 horsepower.
	1994-96 Chevrolet Impala SS. The last rear-wheel drive large car produced by General Motors. It has a Corvette derived (LT1) 5.7L V-8, making 260 horsepower. The 1996 is actually the best, because they have a floor shifter, and a tachometer. Notice the bottom picture. Nothing scares Mustang GTs, Crown Victorias, and compact import cars like a police version of the Impala SS.
	1987 Buick GNX, the fastest car produced in America in 1987. It has a 245 horsepower, turbocharged and intercooled 3.8 liter V-6, and it was the last true rear-wheel drive American muscle car produced.
	1987 BMW M6, or a nice BMW 633CSi or 635CSi. I can deliver pizza with it, and it is also a nice car to drive around. If I could not find a M6, I would want to get the 635CSi rather than the 633CSi, because it has about 20 more horsepower than the 633CSi, and they consume about the same amount of gas. Now only if I can find one around Rochester, and if a 15-year-old example doesn't cost $20,000...
	1971-73 Buick Riviera, with a Buick 455 cubic inch (7.5 liters) big block V-8, and the classic "boat-tail" styling. For those who remember the TV series "Due South", Ray, the detective in that show, drives a 1971 Buick Riviera.
	1966 Buick Riviera, with a big block 425ci/7.0 liter V-8, or a 1967 Buick Riviera, with a 430ci/7.0 liter V-8. The 430 V-8 is superior in both durability and power.
	1963-1967 Chevrolet Corvette. Many of the most powerful Corvettes were produced during this era.

Here are some pictures of automotive body work I performed

	Pictures taken before the repair. Notice the horizontal dents in the center, and right above the cladding of the driver-side sliding door.
	Pictures taken after the repair. Pretty, huh? The repairs took about three weeks, because I only worked on the Pontiac Montana for like 4 hours a day.

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Modified Wednesday, March 28, 2007. 12:22