Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Dr. Sivana

I had a 64 Dart and a 68 Cadillac Sixty Special and have driven many of the vehicles you mention. In fact, the last of the land yachts is parked out front, a 94 Cadillac Fleetwood that belongs to a friend. All of them could have seasickness induced through driving in modern Dallas traffic; note that the marketplace has basically agreed with this. We retrofitted the Caddy with better shocks, springs, bushings and tires to moderate the boat action.

Also, Jaguar produced superior ride and handling by using stiff sidewall tires and letting the suspension deal with it long before the current era - without nausea, so it not only could be done but was.


48 posted on 09/09/2020 7:00:25 PM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies ]


To: Spktyr
note that the marketplace has basically agreed with this.

Hard to tell what the marketplace would say when the combination of CAFE standards/emissions/NHTSA regulations have basically forced larger families out of sedans and into minivans & SUVs, and cars priced for mortals into smaller vehicles.

Although I love the Darts (and your '64 is a tad larger than my two '66s), they would not qualify for land yacht status because they were light cars, considered a "man-sized compact" in their day. Those Darts were infamous for their awful ball joints, but hardly the kind of thing that creates sea sickness.

I could drool over your '68 Caddy 60 special, though.

Dallas traffic is nasty, but having a stiff ride isn't comfortable in stop and go either. My wife's Toyota Avalon is a very reliable car with plenty of pep, but it is not nearly as comfortable, especially for long car rides as my '94 Roadmaster (that I sold over emissions failures in PHX).

One of the worst riding cars I'd been in was my boss' '91 Mercedes S-Class. Seats were hard as rocks. I was rather shocked, and much preferred driving his 1990 Cadillac Sedan DeVille Brougham.

You certainly have the authority to speak your mind on this. Fascinating that our car usage has been so similar, but such different reactions. My experience includes 1,000+ mile trips nearly non-stop with the '94 Caprice, '89 Grand Marq, '94 Roadmaster, and '65 300 (the 35 year old 300 had a failed alternator in St. Louis 70% there). For comparison I had a bad drive in a 1999 Ford Contour, and a mediocre one in a 1999 Buick Century.

I will admit that Jaguar or anybody else coming up with a new idea like low profile tires is not necessarily a good one. My taste in car developments is piecemeal. I am all for fuel injection and anti-lock brakes. I do NOT like center consoles (though they are popular), bucket seats, and passenger air bags you cannot switch off. I like trunks. Big ones. I like traditional ignitions more than $300 key fobs.

My tastes don't match the taste of much of the car buying public, but for all the jokes against land yachts, I never heard (or experienced) that they made one seasick, only that they didn't lend themselves to sporty driving or feel for the road.
49 posted on 09/09/2020 7:21:18 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson