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Shelby warns of filibuster of auto bailout
Politico ^ | 12/7/08 1:19 PM EST | JOHN BRESNAHAN

Posted on 12/07/2008 7:53:28 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach

With job losses mounting and Detroit’s Big Three automakers facing a battle on Capitol Hill over emergency federal aid, President-elect Barack Obama on Sunday predicted more hard times for the U.S. economy before it starts to turn around, and Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) threatened a potential filibuster of any attempt to bail out the automakers.

”This is a big problem. It’s gonna get worse,” Obama warned on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“Things are going to get worse before they get better,” he added.

Obama’s comments came on a busy Sunday morning that saw Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice making stops on three talk shows to talk about the fallout from the Mumbai terrorist attacks, and lawmakers clashed over whether a $15 billion “bridge loan” to American automakers should be approved.

Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), a staunch ally of the U.S. carmakers, and Shelby, who has emerged as the leading opponent of any aid package for the Big Three, sparred over the whether the American government should rescue U.S. automakers during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.”

Levin said he was “confident” that Congress would consider a bailout bill for the auto industry, but stopped short of predicting whether it would pass. Democratic leaders in the House and Senate are considering a $15 billion “bridge loan” to help out the automakers.


"I think they're very close to a deal, I think there will be a deal and that will happen in 24 hours," Levin told host Chris Wallace. “Obviously, that's a much more complicated question of whether the votes are there. What I'm confident of is that a bill will be introduced."


(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 110th; autobailout; automakers; bailout; bailoutnation; detroitauto; economy; shelby
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To: Sir Francis Dashwood
After several friend recommendations on the new models, I balked and got a clean, old '69 pick-up

I had a 69 3/4 T 4x4 GMC for years. Man, I loved that truck. It would go absolutely anywhere.

The only thing I would suggest, if yours is 4x4, replace the front diff with a '70s diff. the full-floating '69 is awesome for bearing life, but the ball-and-socket is a bugger to keep seals in, and the '70s diff will give you disk brakes in front... well worth the switch...

And headers/dual exhaust (2 1/2" pipe) for power and gas mileage as with all Chevy small blocks... :D

61 posted on 12/08/2008 4:54:20 AM PST by roamer_1 (Proud 1%er... Reagan Conservatism is the only way forward.)
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To: truthguy
What I cannot understand if the wish of so many for the death of an industry that has had an enormous impact on our country.

Adolf Hitler had an enormous impact on Germany in the 1930's. Should he have been allowed to survive and his policies embraced?

And yes, I realize the the UAW hasn't caused quite as much damage to the country as Hitler did to Germany, but the premise is the same - why save that which is detrimental?

62 posted on 12/08/2008 4:59:57 AM PST by meyer (We are all John Galt)
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To: Spktyr
You’re carrying a spare module? Okay, it still doesn’t work. What now?

If I've narrowed it down to secondary spark and it is a universal problem, it can only be the rotor, HEI Mod, or the coil, or supply to the distributor. Everything else would be a miss in a cylinder, not a dead stop.

It has to have air, gas, spark, and time, so it is just a matter of elimination. There really isn't much need for meters at all.

Either way, without a meter, you’re still walking out.

The only "meter" I carry is a test light.

And, strangely enough, you can get a multimeter that runs off your car battery. If your car battery isn’t working, you’re screwed anyway.

The LED on a multimeter will not work in cold weather. The gauge may work better (if you can still find one), but will not be accurate or trustworthy. Automotive gauges are better because the workings are less delicate, but even they may not work well until the cab heats up.

63 posted on 12/08/2008 5:14:23 AM PST by roamer_1 (Proud 1%er... Reagan Conservatism is the only way forward.)
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To: Spktyr
(PICTURE: It still only goes 155 mph...) ...most of these “old tech” 350s don’t make more than 300 horsepower, while that’s where most of the new-tech engines *start*.

This is true. However, horsepower does not equal speed or torque. My old BMW M-5, inline 6 dohc with the standard Bosch injection is pumping a healthy 315hp without a turbo, tops 180mph, actually takes 20 mph corners at 90 mph thanks to TRX tires, Bilstein competiton shocks and shaved down 7 series ball joints. The Dinan chip replacement and 7 series turbo will adjust those numbers a bit upward.

600hp is useless if you only use 300. Now, as with the new Corvette, you are absolutely right, except the chip limits the car to 155 mph. Makes you want to cry.

64 posted on 12/08/2008 5:16:03 AM PST by Sir Francis Dashwood (Arjuna, why have you have dropped your bow???)
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To: roamer_1

The ‘69 is a 350, 4 bbl, 4 speed, 2wd, split rims.


65 posted on 12/08/2008 5:22:24 AM PST by Sir Francis Dashwood (Arjuna, why have you have dropped your bow???)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Senator Shelby picked a great way to celebrate Pearl Harbor Day. By relentlessly attacking a vital American industry and advocating a course of action that would cause that industry and the technological base it supports to disappear, as well as ensuring the domination of the American and indeed global auto market by Japan for decades to come, he has no doubt caused much rejoicing in the Land of the Rising Sun. It’s only a shame Hirohito and Tojo weren’t around to see Shelby attacking an industry that was instrumental in helping to defeat them. They would have been so proud of him.


66 posted on 12/08/2008 5:23:04 AM PST by Thorin ("I won't be reconstructed, and I do not give a damn.")
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To: Sir Francis Dashwood

The only Vette with a speed limiter is the base car. The Z06 and ZR1 do not have limiters. The reason is insurance costs and the tires.

By the way, it takes about 60 seconds to remove the limiter on a standard C6 if you have a programming tool.

Bleah, TRX tires. Gah. Go fit some later wheels already, you have no idea of all the traction you’re missing out on.


67 posted on 12/08/2008 5:25:59 AM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: roamer_1

You forgot something - the wiring harness. Have fun taking that apart looking for the break in the line without a meter. Or maybe it’s not a dead short, maybe it’s resistance somewhere that’s keeping voltage below the critical volts for the HEI module. I’ve seen that more than once.

Yeah, LCDs might not work so well. But there are still the old analog units (some are still made, you can get them at Sears cheap) and even LED units.


68 posted on 12/08/2008 5:28:39 AM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Sir Francis Dashwood

Oh, and NO, that Viper is a hell of a lot faster than 155mph. I haven’t tracked him for a while, but if memory serves when last I looked at his stats, he’s one of the members of the 200mph Viper Club.


69 posted on 12/08/2008 5:29:55 AM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Spktyr
I didn't hear it. I see it, at the dyno days I attend. Most old school 350s won't turn over 300 on the dyno. The best I've seen for a pre-LS1 street-legal normally-aspirated carbed 350, so far, was 405, and that was a loping monstrosity that the guy could barely keep running at a stoplight.

*shrugs* I dunno about on the ground, but I built them for a living in the '80s, and it is no problem to bench a 350 at over 400 horse. Your probably not even talking about very serious compression yet. Any flattop motor with any cam at all, decent heads, intake, carb and headers is well into the 325-350 hp range. Another 50 horses isn't that hard to get.

70 posted on 12/08/2008 5:36:58 AM PST by roamer_1 (Proud 1%er... Reagan Conservatism is the only way forward.)
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To: Spktyr
Bleah, TRX tires. Gah. Go fit some later wheels already, you have no idea of all the traction you’re missing out on.

It has an all stock exterior/interior and is show car (except the unobtrusive Supersprint stingers coming out of the tail end).

Now, for actual racing, the four cylinder e30 M3 is totally stripped of weight, has a few minor changes for wheels, tires, and cut out fenders, but is truly the only real race ready production car ever built coming right off the assembly line.

Unfortunately, the difference between a road car and a race car is lost on most people. The real Ferrari guys kind of laugh when they say: "Oh, you like the road cars."

71 posted on 12/08/2008 5:49:49 AM PST by Sir Francis Dashwood (Arjuna, why have you have dropped your bow???)
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To: Spktyr

No limiter on that Viper???

Warranty voided?


72 posted on 12/08/2008 5:51:39 AM PST by Sir Francis Dashwood (Arjuna, why have you have dropped your bow???)
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To: Sir Francis Dashwood

You don’t think the twin turbos, the 250 shot of nitrous to spin up those turbos, or the breathing modifications would have left the warranty intact, do you? :P


73 posted on 12/08/2008 5:55:30 AM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Spktyr
You forgot something - the wiring harness.

No I didn't: [...] or supply to the distributor.

Have fun taking that apart looking for the break in the line without a meter.

It goes from the distributor to the key, from the key to the fuse box, from the fusebox to a junction on the firewall from the junction to the inside pole on the starter solenoid, through the solenoid to the battery...

Gee, I think I can handle that with my handy-dandy test light.

Or maybe it’s not a dead short, maybe it’s resistance somewhere that’s keeping voltage below the critical volts for the HEI module. I’ve seen that more than once.

Then the light doesn't light up so bright- This isn't rocket science. Worst case scenario, run a jumper past all that from the batt to the distributor You can do that when you don't have a computer in the way...

Yeah, LCDs might not work so well. But there are still the old analog units (some are still made, you can get them at Sears cheap) and even LED units.

As I said, analog gauges are unreliable in cold weather too. This is certainly turning into a PIA, finding a car battery operated analog multimeter when all I need is a damn test light.

74 posted on 12/08/2008 5:56:02 AM PST by roamer_1 (Proud 1%er... Reagan Conservatism is the only way forward.)
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To: roamer_1

And yet that number is what an LS1 starts out with, stock.

Adding cam, i/e, and a chip tune will get you to 450-plus on the LS1. At the rear wheels. Honest to God numbers.


75 posted on 12/08/2008 5:57:20 AM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: roamer_1

My project Jag runs the same HEI system as a 77 Impala (right down to the GM part numbers). Trust me, a test light does NOT suffice for troubleshooting it. Can you “see” the difference in your test light between 9.4V and 9.5V? The module will work at 9.5, won’t work at 9.4.

If you’re carrying a spare HEI module, you could also carry a crank position sensor. Same criticality, same ease of replacement. Greater, actually, because most CPS units only have one bolt and are easily accessible.

If you did so, you would learn that most computerized cars can actually limp home if anything BUT the CPS fails.


76 posted on 12/08/2008 6:01:39 AM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Spktyr
You don’t think the twin turbos, the 250 shot of nitrous to spin up those turbos, or the breathing modifications would have left the warranty intact, do you? :P

You didn't mention them previously! But, I DO LOVE THEM!

77 posted on 12/08/2008 6:06:46 AM PST by Sir Francis Dashwood (Arjuna, why have you have dropped your bow???)
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To: Sir Francis Dashwood

Look closely at his license plate. :D


78 posted on 12/08/2008 6:07:47 AM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Sir Francis Dashwood

By the way, apparently the Viper guys are having a competition - who can get to a 2000hp streetable Viper first.


79 posted on 12/08/2008 6:08:59 AM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Spktyr
Adding cam, i/e, and a chip tune will get you to 450-plus on the LS1. At the rear wheels. Honest to God numbers.

Yet my pore ol' 65 Chevelle granny-mobile ate that crap for lunch. Go figger.

And so will the '69 Camino when I get done with it. :D

Sorry, I hear how I should be shaking in my boots all the time. so whatever d00d. I'll just keep running my poor ol crap and taking folks money from them.

I heard the same thing at the mud hole too, but it was always me pulling folks out at the end of the day.

80 posted on 12/08/2008 6:14:15 AM PST by roamer_1 (Proud 1%er... Reagan Conservatism is the only way forward.)
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