Harry P.

Remember, don't post any hints or answers here. PM me with year, make, and model (need all three for credit). The answer: 1932 Marmon Sixteen Victoria

That guy is good, no doubt about it. Just a bit too theatrical and ornate in his playing style for my taste. Like those singers that add all the extra notes to the word "brave" when they sing the last line of the National Anthem... "and the home... of the... braaaaaaa-AAAA-aaa-AAAAAA-aaaaave." But no denying he knows his stuff.

Supposed to be in the mid 90s early next week, they're talking about breaking records. The dog days are here! Hard to believe that I posted this shot of my mailbox just six months ago...

Ditto. If you want to obey the speed limit (and there's nothing wrong with that), please stay out of the left lane.

Pretty sure they come with a power cord, don't they? And if not... http://www.bosch-home.com/us/store/product/DishwashwerPowerCord/00747210

As far as buying music, I stopped doing that years ago. Back when Napster and Limewire were still working and the music police hadn't shut them down yet, let's just say that I managed to "find" all the music I ever wanted. As far as new music these days... for an old fart like me, there's very little I care to spend my money on to "own." I'll listen to music online for free, and I always have my very extensive collection of "homemade" CDs as backup. And in the very rare case where I hear something new that I like, I'll buy it on itunes. No need to go to any store for me. But that's what works for me. Your mileage may vary.

Maybe "lamp" wasn't the best example. But you get my drift. Rob... I agree I'd like to hear speakers live before I buy, because the sound of speakers is such a subjective thing... but there are so many things you buy that just don't really need an in-person look. And most appliances, like dishwashers and clothes washers and microwaves and refrigerators and toasters, etc., can't be taken for a real "test drive" in person anyway.

You can only touch, taste and smell so many products in person. Let's say you're shopping for a new lamp. Every store only has a limited inventory. Say you look at 5-10 lamps in person. That leaves hundreds others that you've never seen and know nothing about. Or take a dishwasher. It's not like the store will let you run it through a cycle so you can see for yourself. You may see the thing "in person," but what does that prove? You can check out all the lamps online. And all the dishwashers. And read the reviews from people who already one one, and professionals who review products for a living.

You saw an IMG?

I can see that. But for a guy like me who can (and does) do his own installs, like a dishwasher, I prefer shopping online. Better prices almost in every case. Even shopping for something like a new camera, which doesn't require any installation, you can't beat checking the reviews, checking the prices, and shopping online. No camera store on Earth will have all the cameras in stock that the internet does. I could spend an entire weekend driving around from one store to another compared to what I can do in just minutes online. I can get tons more information online on any given product than I can get in any brick-and-mortar store.

Easy. The left lane is for people who know where they're going and want to get there on time. The center lane is for people who are running ahead of schedule and want to kill some time. And the right lane is for the clueless.

I do my own installation. Home remodeling and "This Old House" sort of stuff is a hobby of mine. Huh?

It seems that Sears is caught in an unenviable "Catch-22" situation... their business has been dropping steadily, so to shore up the company they have sold off various assets like Land's End, for example. Also, remember when Sears had rental cars? And portrait studios? I do. For a long time, they have been keeping themselves alive by selling off bits and pieces of themselves in order to fund the company and offset their losses... sort of like a guy stranded on a desert island eating his own arm to keep himself alive. Obviously that strategy can only work for so long.... I don't really understand where Sears went wrong. When I was a kid, Sears was the place to shop. Somehow they lost their way... not sure if it was bad marketing, a slowness to react to new competitors, or what. Also... as far as you guys who won't buy online because the info you want isn't reliable (or available)... I strongly disagree. If you go to a brick-and-mortar store, you're relying on one salesperson's "expertise" to guide you. That "expertise" may be genuine, or they may just be pushing the product(s) they were told to push. Just because a "sales associate" tells you that the Trashmaster 2000 is the world's best trash compacter doesn't necessarily make it so. I shop online and I rely on the tons of reviews available, both from "professionals" and consumers who already own the product. By shopping online I can get many reviews from many sources, and see an average rating for a product based on many reviews, not just the opinion of one store clerk who may or may not know what the heck he/she is talking about! I bought a new dishwasher online, sight unseen. First I did a search for dishwashers in my price range, then refined those results by placing them in order from the highest reviewed models down to the lowest. Same when I bought my digital camera. First a search to find a model in my price range (and with the features I needed or wanted), then refine that search by reviews. In the case of the camera, reviews from a leading photo magazine. Try doing that the next time you're shopping in a "brick-and-mortar" store. Not only can I get a very thorough sampling of product reviews, but once I settle on the exact item I want, I can then do a price search and find that product at the lowest price available in the entire country (or world, for that matter). I don't see how shopping "in person" can compete with that. Not for me, at least.

Earlier today I saw a '69(?) Olds 442. Sort of a copper/bronze color with twin white stripes. Didn't get a photo, but it looked just like this one I found online. Pretty sharp looking car...

Very classy Galaxie.

When I was a kid I really looked forward to the Sears Christmas "Wish Book" catalog. A real pleasant memory...

No, it was a sealed brand-new kit when I bought it. Maybe just a happy accident.

As you can see, the overall length of the body is pretty close. Several key points line up pretty well... but the rear glass ends too far forward on the model.

I have the convertible version of that kit, unbuilt, and strangely enough it has two identical chrome trees, parts-wise... but one of them has a satin finish.

Is it safe to assume you didn't get those PE hood hinges to work?

On October 5, 1967 Jaguar announced a revised E-type (that we now call the Series "1½") in order to meet impending US emissions legislation due to come into force on January 1, 1968. The most obvious revision to the Series 1½ was the removal of the headlight covers and the moving forward of the headlights by 2.5in. The more research you do, the more confusing it gets! I have two Jaguar restoration guides, and they say that there are discrepancies and contradictions even in "official" Jaguar records. If Jaguar couldn't keep it straight, how can we?

And fast. Top Ten US Retailers 2008: Wal-Mart Home Depot CVS Kroger Costco Target Walgreen's Sears Lowe's SuperValu Top Ten US Retailers 2013: Wal-Mart Kroger Costco Target Home Depot Walgreen's CVS Lowe's Amazon Safeway In only five years, Sears has fallen out of the Top Ten. And the real news... in 2013, for the first time ever, an online-only retailer (Amazon) made the Top Ten. A sure sign of things to come.

Same here. My parents always shopped at Sears, but the only time I ever set foot in one is if I go to the mall, because there's always plenty of parking available on the "Sears side," and I walk through the Sears store to get to the rest of the mall. They have been losing money and slowly dying for years. They've tried several ad campaigns and shakeups in corporate, but nothing seems to work. The Sears Hardware store near me closed quite some time ago, the big anchor store in downtown Chicago on State Street closed years ago... even the Sears Tower isn't the Sears Tower anymore (Sears moved corporate HQ out of there years ago).

Pretty sure that Sean builds his models as curbsides.