It isn’t just “the latter half of this column’s title” that fits “in the proverbial dumpster”. Here’s a line from the article almost as good as misidentifying the whole car:
Apparently, just to seal the fate of the Slant-Six, they cast the exhaust manifold as part of the cylinder head!! Even TODAY, it’s rare to see any manufacturer attempting such a thing! Which is why this find is so incredible!
Incredible indeed.
Update: The author (Phil Caconis) finally responded to numerous comments at TTAC pointing out that this is a Valiant, not a Volare. Here is his response:
Well guys, the outline left by the missing front quarter panel emblems left an outline that clearly read “Volare”. Unfortunately, the photos I took of that outline was not fit to print.
I’ll see if I can find the vehicle next time I’m back in LA.
Until then, this is my story, and I’m sticking to it!
Hope it turns out better for me than for L. Armstrong…
And to the issue of the slant six never having had an integral exhaust manifold:
Saw the integrated head/manifold with my own two eyes! Maybe it was a California-only thing. It was no doubt, short lived–on all fronts! P.S. Thanks for all the literary “Venom”. It’s kind of like publicity: as in “There is no such thing as BAD publicity” (although, the way people are pushing the envelope these days, there may be additional exceptions to that rule)
It’s the perfect response: There is no such thing as bad publicity. And I guess we’ve given him his 15 minutes of fame here. Unfortunately, there are bad facts.
How do we know it isn’t satire of the “dark and stormy night” variety?
I suppose we could ask that about anything that’s been mangled and mutilated. If only it had been satirical.
Yes, the article was a little snarky. However the comments that followed were pretty good and made for an entertaining morning read. If that article had been posted here, the after comments would have been really entertaining. Would it have been taken down?
It wouldn’t ever have gone up. Not unless it was April 1.
“WWPW”
What would Paul write?
That article is…unfortunate.
I’m gonna go grab my Strunk & White.
I’m gonna go grab my Smith & Wesson.
Geez, is TTAC that desperate for articles? Is Bertel (or anyone else) over there even looking at the articles before they get posted?
I thought the whole ‘bodacious beaters’ concept was kind of hokey to begin with (a blatant rip-off of curbside classics designed as filler material to fill the void) but even I can write better than that.
Definitely April 1 material.
He’s too busy ferreting out the Top Trolls.
FWIW, Bertel wouldn’t know a Valiant from a Volare if his life depended on it.
The Top Troll contest would be pretty interesting if Bertel put himself in the running…
No kidding. Do as I say, not as I do…
How objective.
I think it’s telling that many nominated him, and the contest has never come to a conclusion.
“The truth hurts, doesn’t it Hapsburg? Oh sure, maybe not as much as jumping on a bicycle with the seat missing, but it hurts!”
-Frank Drebin, The Naked Gun 2 1/2
Tell me about it. The silence is deafening.
I find it telling that the best writers (Baruth, Lang, and Martin) don’t seem to write so much anymore.
I tried to do that, and got branded a troll.
I think TTAC is THAT desperate. I still read it, but it’s no longer a daily must.
This whole thing was a like a perfect three point landing in the wrong airport. A five minute Google images search would have sorted out which model this is…
Wow three Rick Perry moments in one article. Oops indeed.
It’s like messing up on a CC Clue when they spot you the whole car.
> It’s like messing up on a CC Clue when they spot you the whole car.
Ha ha, good one.
+1
Please keep politics out of CC unless you want it to become a TTAC clone.
I can beat that. By a country mile.
http://seattle.cbslocal.com/photo-galleries/2013/02/11/top-10-rides-of-the-50s/#photo-81731
Four out of ten picks are sound…’55 Porsche Speedster, ’56 Mercury Montclair, ’59 Caddy convertible and at #1, ’57 T-Bird.
10) ’55 “Chrysler Crown Imperial”? I can forgive overlooking that Imperial was a separate make that year…but why not the obvious choice…a Chrysler C-300?
9) ’56 Chevrolet Impala? Wasn’t that a GM Autorama show car, never produced for public consumption?
8) ’53 Dodge “Cornet” (sic)…why? because of the Red Ram Hemi? The caption never explains…and as Aaron Severson points out…these MoPars were considered downright dowdy even when new.
http://ateupwithmotor.com/family-cars/303-chrysler-forward-look-part-1.html
6) ’51 Ford Coupe…um, that’s a ’49. The “F O R D” over the single center-gunsight gives it away, as do the parking lights. But at least with the correct pic, a ’51 Ford Hardtop would be an ideal candidate for a “Top 10 Fifties” list.
3) ’55 DeSoto Fireflite? Couldn’t you get an original pic? And again…this over a 300?
2) ’58 Buick “Rivera” (sic)?? Couldn’t find a ’53 Skylark?
At least the ’57 T-Bird at #1 shows some credibility.
But wait…there’s MORE!
“Runner-up #1 – ’58 Ford Fairlane” No mention that it’s the Sunliner, which would be my reason for its inclusion…but as a Top 10, not a runner-up.
But it gets better!
“Runner-up #2 – ’55 Chevrolet BelAir”…where do I begin?
To do a ’50’s Top 10 Rides and NOT include a Tri-Five is, well, criminal as far as I’m concerned. Maybe that was the reason for doing a runner-up list.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1955-chevrolet-the-icar/
Annnnnd finally, runner up #3…drum roll please:
’58 Packard Hawk.
Not the ’53 Studebaker on which it was based…
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1953-1954-studebaker-commander-starliner-coupe-star-light-star-bright/
…or one of the lovely Stude Hawk variants that followed. Did they ever fix the frame issues that made the original so fragile?
Maybe I’m nit-picky, or just plain spoiled…after all I come to CC almost daily and when Aaron posts something new on AUWM, I’m there too.
This photo gallery has all the feel of something prepared by someone best left doing “10 best wedding dresses” or “10 best abs”…or “10 best cocktails”. Since I know absolutely nothing about any of those topics (except my wife’s wedding dress of course!)…I’d turn to someone who actually knew about them before writing even one sentence.
As for Phil Coconis, I’m surprised the Valiant pic got by him and the TTAC editors.
Didn’t you know there was a rare “Geraldo Rivera” edition ’58 Buick? Granted, he was only in high school at the time, but apparently he had a talk show in his treehouse, and a friend’s dad was Harlow Curtice…
After the infamous “Al Capone’s Vault” episode, all Rivera edition Rivieras were tracked down and crushed, and GM denies the car ever existed, much like the Chevette-derived Cadette.
Not to mention having 13 cars in the top 10! Didn’t anybody check what the work experience kid had done?
Tom, LOL!
John, I’m guessing no. And considering how easy the facts are to come by…I’ll assume they threw it together, posted it and got back to Facebook.
Chas108, I bet you would get a kick out of this top-10 list too….
http://musclecars.howstuffworks.com/classic-muscle-cars/10-most-wanted-classic-muscle-cars.htm#page=4
I’ve cut down on my TTAC visits: the only reason I go there anymore is for Junkyard Finds and anything else by Murilee Martin. Some of the reviews are OK, but most of the “opinion” pieces that litter the front pages (cough – “Generation Why” – cough) are nonsensical.
It’s not “Generation Why”, it’s “Generation Whine”. A bunch of drivel about how people Derek’s age hates being marketed to.
No kidding.
Everybody hates being marketed to, but his generation seems to b!tch about it the most, while doing the same thing that every generation before (and soon, after) has been doing, lapping up the kool-aid. I really don’t believe this guy understands what he’s writing about; but I don’t care enough to call him out on it, either.
That “Generation Why” stuff is absolute garbage. Derek thinks his experiences and those of his fellow tragically hip, carless urbanite Canadian friends constitute the attitudes of everyone under 30.
I’m only a few years older than him, but I live in the suburbs, drive a new car and own a home. Same thing goes for most of my friends and colleagues. We’re not all glued to Facebook and Twitter. Maybe I’m in the minority, but Derek’s certainly not in the majority. Maybe if he ever set foot outside Toronto, he’d understand that.
I don’t think he has a clue, either, and I actually did call him out on it. For my efforts, he threatened to ban me. What a narcissist.
He seems to handily ignore the political trolling if it agrees with his worldview.
MM’s Junkyard Finds are pretty much why I go there, too.
Yes, plenty of nonsense, repetitive nonsense at that. To wit, certainly there are many on these shores with more than a passing interest in the fate of Opel, but…yeah.
Come to think of it, not that much different from the current crop of buff books.
Agreed, Murilee & Sajeev are the only reasons I still read TTAC.
Now that Michael Karesh is gone, Alex Dykes is the only reviewer of substance on the site – and his work is consistently excellent. I enjoy Murilee Martin, Sajeev Mehta, and Steve Lang. Baruth’s repetitive, narcissistic, self-indulgent prose is no longer of interest. Derek is a Brendan McAleer (now there is a writer) wannabe but he’ll never get there – strictly amateur, throw-away stuff though I think his intentions are good. Agree with Paul that the B&B are the best part of TTAC and Pch101 is one of the best though he’s often throwing pearls at swine.
I find myself going back to Edmund’s to read road tests/car reviews, something I never imagined would happen. Oh, and I get a kick out of the kids at 2theRedlineLLC who do so much with so few resources. I hope their new site flourishes. And CC is a daily, enjoyable read, despite the fact that I’m not much of a fan of brougham-era cars:-).
I have to agree. Too much snarkiness there. Anti-electric/hybrid, Anti-progress, etc.
Murilee is the only reason I still go there. Wish he could post here instead.
I havent been to TTAC for a while now once Paul jumped ship and hung out his shingle there seemed little point only Murilee’s junkyard and Chevy series were worth the bandwidth. I feel vindicated.
Agreed.
since PN left i’ve not looked back–
Between morons like this guy and smarmy Baruth it has been addition by subtraction !
I’ve gone from a few-times-a-day TTAC checker to maybe-once-a-week. Baruth and Martin are still good. I’ll stop there.
Yup, me too Bryce. Not because I had or have anything against TTAC (life’s too short for politics), but because I don’t have that much time to spend on the interwebs, so I choose a very small handful of quality sites to follow. When Paul started CC, it was quickly obvious that it was going to be a high quality site with fascinating articles. So many interesting articles to learn from here means little time left for other sites like TTAC.
I still go to TTAC but I don’t spend nearly as much time there as I do CC. Love Murilee and I’ll read Sajeev and Jack Baruth.
Michael Karesh bolted last week. His reviews will be now be on his True Delta website.
Every once in a while, even a blind hog will find an acorn.
It’s just that today was not Coconis’s day to find one. Nor is it his day to keep aiming for the Pulitzer Prize.
Yeah, we all have an off day – goodness knows I’ve had a few pieces I would rather not think about – but, this one was truly painful to read.
I’m just sitting here, shaking my head.
Oh, my.
I’ll echo a lot of the above comments, but I must say I enjoy the vast majority of Steven Lang’s articles. He’s still there, right?
Technically, yes. But I think he’d like to be elsewhere.
Interesting. I guess Michael Karesh went ahead and left (writing reviews on his TrueDelta website).
Seems like Murilee has much more talent than he can display on TTAC (I loved the “Impala from Hell” series).
He freelances for quite a few sites. If you are able, befriend him on facebook—he posts links to all of his articles on various platforms.
If not for Murilee and Steven, I would not have any reason to visit the site any more. Just not my style of reading material, by and large.
“Having been well familiar with the Dodge Dart / Plymouth Valiant models……in addition to all of the units I serviced……” Doesn’t that require a basis of fact? Where did he service them, at a Toyota Dealership (a joke, but it’s not) THAT is his expertise?
Somehow, sometime ago I’ve become immune to hyperbole and exclamation points. Really! Seriously!
*sigh*
I feel obligated to make a few points here:
1) Nobody here has run TTAC, or knows what it takes to keep the content quality high, the writers getting along, the community civil and the discourse constructive. If you did, you’d be more forgiving of a little inconsistency.
2) Nobody here understands the situation that TTAC’s ownership has put the staff in. I won’t elaborate on that (for the moment), but if you knew what I do you’d understand why TTAC is where it is right now (not to mention why I left).
3) Do you guys feel like you’re not getting your money’s worth? Because last I checked, TTAC is free. Y’all are neck deep in a gift horse’s mouth.
4) You want behind-the-scenes dirt? When I edited TTAC, I spent as much time putting out spats between writers over stuff like this as I did writing or researching… or at least that’s what it felt like. I love that the internet gives everyone their own voice, but I hate how it kills all sense of zusammenhangung and turbocharges the tiniest dramas.
6) If there’s hay to be made here by calling out bad auto writing, there are far worse offenders than TTAC. I’m not defending the piece in question, but there’s so much false and poorly-written pap about classic cars on the web that attacking a site that doesn’t specialize in classic car writing and has very solid content on-balance just doesn’t add up to me.
I’m not here to blindly defend TTAC… if anything, I have more reason to want to see that place burn than anyone. All I’m asking for is a little perspective…
Thanks for your perspective. I too echo what others have said in that since you left things have gone downhill.
Imitation is supposedly the most sincere form of flattery, but this mess? Do they think you guys pound out your CC articles like an email sent during your smoke break? Man, most of the comments that I post here are better-researched than this article on the “Volare.”
I’m no genius and not much of a mechanic, but even I know that the bit about the exhaust manifold isn’t true. I guess that’s because I’ve actually looked under the hood of a car with a slant six.
Okay, I better stop, starting to rant…
‘Do they think you guys pound out your CC articles like an email sent during your smoke break? Man, most of the comments that I post here are better-researched than this article on the “Volare.”’
Bingo.
The alliterative story category is just a little too shameless. If you say this isn’t a weak attempt at satire, I guess I have to believe you, but…ugh.
I was tempted to read the article, but it’s sunny and warm here today. Didn’t need a downer. I quit reading TTAC when CC became its own website. Who cares what the most popular car in Backpakistan is anyway?
TTAC sometimes is quicker with news than Autoblog but I’m with everyone else on this, I’ve cut back majorly. Something about the site seems so negative and snarky, and a lot of the new weekly features suck. You do get more coherent commenters than on Autoblog though
This “Volare” article was just begging to be made fun of. I read it this morning and was shaking my head going WTF. Perhaps the article itself was bait to catch clueless people? It seems they only caught one, the first person that commented and just threw verbal rocks at it because it reminded him of a Ford Granada.
TTAC is mostly ‘gloom and doom’ stories for nearly all car makes, not just GM.
To me it’s former 90’s teen tuners whining about no cheap new ‘tuner cars’ like Acura Integra or coupes that they are ‘entitled to own’.
I really don’t care to read articles about how young people are buying more smartphones than cars or the 1,000th article on how lame/outdated/inefficient hybrid electric vehicles are. I prefer to keep an open mind on that as I have an appreciation of cars from many makes.
TTAC has gone down hill. I still really enjoy Murilee and Jack Baruth’s stuff, but the rest is drivel.
Agreed.
The thing that did it for me, though, was the reading membership. Lot of insightful commentators, true enough…but there was an anti-car pro-government pro-regulation pro-mass-transit faction, and it was a loud faction. And they were ALWAYS horning in with their opinion…which was along the lines of, cars are great, it’s just too damn bad we have to use them instead of relying on cablecar trolleys and steam trains….
After a while, it just chaps my ‘nads.
So…with readership like that, and a lot of the original talent over here…something like that gets tossed over the transom, and up it goes. He saw a “Volare” badge on that Valiant, and so he’s sticking to his story that it’s a Volare? He knows less about cars, that one and in general, than your average Girl Scout troop.
A shame…a shame. Paul should do something but I don’t know what. Take Eddie out behind the woodshed, maybe…
Um, you do know that Ed left TTAC well over a year ago?
Actually I didn’t.
Except for a couple of quick surveys, I haven’t been over there since…a year ago, yeah.
That does explain the depths to which it’s plummeting. I’ve seen several themed websites die; when they’re centered around the “star quality” of a prolific writer or strong personality and that personality burns out (as he always will, I know, I know!) down goes the web traffic. And soon comes the banner THIS WEBSITE IS AVAILABLE!
No offense intended, Paul.
That’s always bothered me too.
I like reading a car blog because (shock!) I like cars!
I like reading about old cars because I like old cars. I don’t want to hear about how wonderful your Prius is and how I’m scum because I like old stuff.
Actually, I’ve seen plenty of Prius criticism on TTAC. Never seen much pro-Prius or pro-hybrid/electric anything.
Hell, one of the most well known trolls there is “VoltsonFire”, though to be fair, those posts are pretty humorous, intentional or not.
I think lots of people end up with chapped ‘nads over there because of the politicised nature of the content. Some of it now seems intended primarily to bait argument, and that’s only enjoyable if you enjoy arguing.
While this site surely has posters and commenters from all over the political and ideological spectrum, I appreciate that they have the manners to focus on their common interests instead. After all, you come to sites like this because you want to relax.
Keeping a blog fed to keep one’s audience interested can be tough. I’m sure Paul can testify that no one is getting rich off of special-interest blogs. I work in a newsroom where we actually get paid for our writing and editing, and the quality & volume of CC’s output boggles my mind.
That just makes me appreciate CC (and Ate Up With Motor and many other true gems) even more. I wish I had the knowledge and energy to contribute. CC has brightened many days when I needed a break from more serious reading.
I hope Paul won’t mind my saying this: There’s a donate button on the right-hand side of the page. As they say in the music business, “Drive home safely, and don’t forget to tip your bartender.”
For fun, I glanced at some previous “Bodacious Beaters” articles. Mr.Coconis mistook a 1970 Pontiac as a 1968, and couldn’t tell whether his featured Polara wagon was a ’63 or ’64. Even if you can’t ID them from memory, that’s what Google image search is for!
The best part is his evident outrage at the flawed manufacturing process of what must be the most bulletproof engine ever made.
This has to be satire. I don’t see any obvious grammatical errors and one would assume that someone writing for a website about cars might know enough about them that when they don’t see a Volare badge it would probably be a good starting assumption that it’s not a Volare.
Then again, you never know. Half the people here at CC think that an apostrophe means “here comes an “S” at the end of the word” instead of what it really means, so it could be that the guy is dumber than a bag of hammers.
Or an asassanation:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/the-opel-kadett-asassination-by-car-and-driver/
It would have been funnier if it had the “Valiant” script on the front fender–would it still have been ID’d as a Volare?
If you don’t know anything about cars, don’t write about cars. I don’t write about gardening–for the same reason.
The thing is the writer is billed as having run a successful automotive repair shop for many years.
Well, maybe it WAS meant ironically. It doesn’t really read that way, though.
It wasn’t. All of his posts have been weak, and he’s misidentified several cars.
Oy vey. I was skeptical when I saw this series, and luckily for me, I didn’t read it. Looks like I made the right decision.
The editors here are real car guys sharing their enthusiasm, not writers trying to outwit themselves and their perceived competition. This site is a Classic itself.
To be fair…Writing is a craft. We could say that what makes this site work is that many people who like cars also like the English language.
My post was incomplete…you are so right… you wrote what I was trying to say. Thanks Cap’n. I hate writing because it’s so difficult for me. It’s a real treat to come here and read stuff penned by “real writers”.
No sweat, brother. And your thoughtful comments don’t suggest that writing is difficult for you! 🙂
I’m still a TTAC fan. I’ve stuck by them for years, and they’d have to do something pretty crazy to get me to leave now.
And no one here is a Sajeev fan? He seems to be the only TTAC writer that really enjoys old cars (maybe MM although sometimes he seems to view the past with gloom-tinted glasses)
Oh sure, Sajeev’s posts are pretty good, but I don’t visit the site enough to see his posts. I loved his writeup on the triple-black Grand Marquis coupe.
That car. Good lord I loved that thing. I still bring it up in the comments sometimes at TTAC.
It was a lovely car! I haven’t seen a two-door GM since I was a kid.
And in triple-black? Well!
Sanjeev is awesome! I love his Vellum Venom Vignette series. I wish he would write more, but surely he’s a busy man.
I am. I correspond with Sajeev every once in a while about various car-related things. I even gifted him a Dashmat that once belonged to my late father for his Ranger.
We may not agree on everything, but I like his style.
And, believe it or not, there is something, though I can’t quite put my finger on it, that I like about Bertel. Yeah, he can be a bit of a dictator, but I just chalk that up to his background.
I started reading TTAC about seven years ago during the thick of the Deathwatch series. RF really opened my eyes to what was really going on in Detroit.
Sajeev, Michael, Murliee, Jack and Steve still give TTAC staying power (well, Michael did till last week).
TTAC is not the same without the Niedermeyers, that is for sure. But because I am such an avid reader (I’d rather read than watch television) I will continue to visit there. I believe that reading stimulates the mind, and seeing how many on my father’s side have succumbed to Dementia, I plan to do all I can to keep it from attacking me.
In regards to this post though, it does have to be said that the story Mr. Coconis shared here does not do much for his credibility.
I have much respect for Sajeev’s love of the Panther platform.
I stopped regularly going to TTAC months ago. Just not enough good content anymore. It was never the same after Paul left, but Ed leaving killed it.
I stumbled onto a link to a TTAC article a couple of weeks ago, though, and have been trolling ever since. It’s like watching a train wreck. It’s gotten laughably bad.
Murilee/Baruth/Sajeev/Lang posts have become sporadic and Karesh just posted his last piece the other day. The writer and “Top Troll” contests are the kind of things Jalopnik pulled right before people stopped going to Jalopnik. Oh, and Derek’s narcissistic editorials are just awful.
This blatant, lazy ripoff of Curbside Classic might be a new low. That place is circling the drain fast.
Thanks for mentioning me multiple times. It says a lot. I love you too, man.
You know, back when Baruth and Ed would call out Jalopnik for bad journalism, Ray Wert and Hardigree used to come over to TTAC and snipe at former Jalopnik commenters. Sorta like you just did.
What’s next, is Bertel going to put me on the list of Top Trolls?
It’s uncanny how much like Jalopnik you guys have become, and I mean that in the most derogatory, insulting way possible.
Yup. TTAC is now gone from my speed dial after ten years or so.
I am mostly amused that you mentioned me such with hate and vitriol so many times. We’ve never met. We will likely never cross paths. I forgot your screen name even existed until Paul linked me to this article and I saw my name brought up multiple times by you.
You can never articulate what it is that bothers you about me without spastic ad hominem attacks, while posturing about how superior you are. You even used the same phrasing for your “insults” as you did on my Fusion article.
Meanwhile, your anger and need to brag about owning a car and a home is a lot more revealing about your own character and state of mind than my own. Nobody with a fulfilling life spends time writing vitriol about someone they’ve never met, and likely never will.
“Nobody with a fulfilling life spends time writing vitriol about someone they’ve never met, and likely never will.”
Says the guy who researched my old posts, attacked my grammar and accused me of having a crappy life. The irony is delicious.
You aren’t worth responding to any further. Enjoy the rest of your career as a second-rate Matt Hardigree.
This comment thread is now closed; please. Don’t make me channel my inner Bertel. Thanks.
I vaguely remember TTAC trolling Jalopnik in a few articles. Unprofessional.
Jeez, y’all, can you ease up on the hating a little bit? Yes, this post made me do a big forehead-slap (really, it was embarrassing) but I still think TTAC is a pretty good site that brings something of its own to the car-news-blog playing field. I’m skeptical of a lot of the new stuff, but I do think the analytical pieces are decent (Derek doesn’t represent everyone in his age cohort in North America? Gee, I never knew! Who does?) Steve Lang brings a lot of good insight on his business, Murilee is Murilee, Jack Baruth is entertaining and is obviously better-read than most automotive writers, and while I am not the biggest fan of Sajeev’s writing style, he is a great guy and he really is a hard-core car guy. Maybe they’re struggling – I have no idea – but it’s a big tent and there’s room for everybody. Everyone can give everyone else a hard time but why not keep it good-natured?
I think some of the response is not so much hating on this particular author/post (I’ve certainly misidentified my own share of CCs), but a general bitterness at TTAC lately. I’ve followed that site for years and contributed reviews while I was in grad school, and I remember it being a real high-quality, tight-knit community back then. The ‘Deathwatch’ stuff was always a bit sensationalist, but at least it was focused sensationlism. It’s been disheartening to see it lose that – but as always, YMMV.
Young age is no excuse for poor automotive knowledge.
I was born in 1985 and I can tell that is a Valiant.
Of course, I was driven to school in a ’72 Scamp for a few years, so my car experience hasn’t been typical for someone of my age.
To be honest, I never heard of TTAC before. Heck some of the abbreviations here had me stumped,: COAL for example being one! Just the other day in a write up did I finally learn that one. As far as classic and near classic automobile essays, for me it is here and Ate Up With Motor. However I am open minded and will check out TTAC’s archives. But really, this here is my auto enthusiast stop for the day and I am so appreciative of the efforts by all on a daily basis to bring it to life.
The “Volare” write up was most unfortunate for the author.
If anyone is interested in more accurate Valiant posts:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-outtake-19687-plymouth-valiant-the-drug-runner/
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/cohort-classic-1976-plymouth-valiant-brougham-least-likely-brougham/
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1971-plymouth-valiant-edna-gets-her-car-tuned-up/
Still insists it is a Volare? Here’s a ’76 Valiant Brougham and Scamp.
“He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.”
I still read TTAC, and still think there is some excellent writing over there, but the thing that gets to me is the mean spirited arrogance that seems to come through in some of the posts.
The atmosphere over here at CC seems much better. Enthusiasts of anything from Baroque Brougham Boats to Kei cars all seem welcome here, and Paul’s self deprecating humour helps keep things light.
I saw the “Volare” post first thing this morning, and pointed out the error, along with many others. I’m surprised the author is sticking to his story after having his errors pointed out – it would be much better to admit the mistake and move on.
I also thought the Volare hate was a bit over done – while the Volare was obviously rushed to market without being fully developed (a Chrysler tradition since 1957), it eventually evolved into a reasonably solid car. And the closely related M-Body cars that followed were even more stout, although dated by the time they were introduced.
A quick google search revealed nothing referring to any integral intakes on Slant-6s.
A poster by the handle Moparman426 already set him straight on all known Slant-6 head configs. I can’t remember if the gentleman posts here or not.
That’s because there really, truly weren’t any. I have no idea what he thought he was looking at to come up with that. Or what he was smoking.
Maybe confused by the fact that the intake and exhaust manifolds bolted together?
To be fair, I really enjoyed Steven’s “morning calls” post back in January:
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/01/hammer-time-morning-calls/
I enjoy Steven’s articles, too, especially his “no-bull” writing style.
I had a ’75 Valiant, and still wish that the offending article was about something else!
While it’s true that TTAC is on something of a downward trajectory, it’s certainly no worse than when Farago was running it. But this Valiant/Volaré thing is really bizarre.
Plus, besides Steven Lang, I’m rather surprised no one’s mentioned Alex Dykes’ reviews. They’re not bad, and I would anticipate him moving on to bigger things in short order.
I am a frequent/daily reader of Curbside, Jalopnik & TTAC. Let me just say that even though some of you may suggest that TTAC is on a “downward spiral” they have articles that Jalopnik & Hooniverse have not covered. They still produce solid coverage.
The guy made a mistake. People make mistakes. Stop bagging on the dude & simply enjoy that someone made the effort to document such a cool car. Leave it at that.
I check out Jalopnik, TTAC, CC, Hooniverse, Hemmings Blog and Car Lust almost every single day.
I have to admit, it makes me wish that I had time to write about cars. I love cars, Can’t get enough and I often get disappointed when there’s a lapse in new material at any of those sites.
Also, I don’t like the new Jalopnik format. They’ve messed it up even more!
“I check out Jalopnik, TTAC, CC, Hooniverse, Hemmings Blog and Car Lust almost every single day.”
Wow, my entire automotive blog reading list (minus Junkyard Life).
There has to be more as well.
I also read Autoholics, Ate Up With Motor and Japanese Nostalgic Car.
>>The guy made a mistake. People make mistakes. Stop bagging on the dude & simply enjoy that someone made the effort to document such a cool car.<<
I've got no particular issues with TTAC, and I wouldn't have commented previously because, as you say, people make mistakes. What has happened in this case, however, is that when the writer's fairly elementary mistake was pointed out, rather than do five minutes' research to learn the difference between a Valiant and Volare, he basically doubles down, citing nothing more than a supposedly missing stick-on emblem. Not sensible, not responsible journalism, IMO, and worthy of derision.
TTAC struck a chord with Farago’s “GM Death Watch” series, and has been riding it ever since. Of course, Farago’s personality eventually got the better of him.
Most ironic about all this is that should you dare call a spade a spade and label Mr. Coconis for what he is, Bertel will ban you for life. God forbid you call him out or any of his thin-skinned writers.
Paul, you know I’ve done just that with them and while there’s some good stuff on the site, I’ve always thought Farago’s and Bertel’s attitudes would hold them back.
Seems I was right.
Exactly. Sensible writers shouldn’t be getting in arguments with commenters. It just makes them look petty and unprofessional.
Given that CC effectively grew out of TTAC I can understand why people have expressed such strong feelings. I also have great respect for Farago’s courage — and I do think that’s the right word — in questioning GM’s financial sustainability back at a point when that was heretical among automotive journalists. I ultimately stopped reading TTAC because Farago became increasingly shrill in his commentaries and thin-skinned in his moderation.
Farago needed to leave but TTAC has, at least in my view, drifted editorially since then. I’m glad CC spun off because it clearly has plenty of material to fill its own website . . . and didn’t fit the TTAC culture anyway, e.g., as presently illustrated by Bertel’s harsh moderation style.
One of the things I most like about CC is its commentariat has an unusually high intelligence-to-noise ratio. I hope this thread proves to be both cathartic and rare.
Dare I argue that Murilee’s junkyard series doesn’t fit the culture of TTAC as well.
Ever wonder where former curbside classics go? THE JUNKYARD!
What better way to chronicle the “cradle-to-grave” of such vehicles by having such a series here at CC?
As I said before, Murilee’s extraordinary talents are no longer allowed to shine through at TTAC, for reasons that baffle me. Maybe he should make the move to CC!
210: I think it’s more a case of MM not being inspired. Writers aren’t told what to write; they just put up their posts. MM has a quota of so many posts per week, and he’s phoning them in.
Dr. Lemming, It is cathartic and it will be rare. There was much more to my leaving TTAC than anyone will know publicly, and I have no desire to pick at those wounds, but there is a certain vindication in how things are turning out. One time like this is more than enough, and I already have certain regrets. I’m not interested in becoming a TTAC troller.
I invested much of myself in TTAC, and loved much that went on there. And much good still does go on; ironically, mostly in the comment threads. I’ve learned a huge amount from the better commenters there, like PCH101. But the fact that he and others typically have to prove TTAC wrong is sad.
I have a strong need to learn and pursue truth, since there is much to learn in the world of cars and otherwise. But when I see too many articles presented with an obvious disregard of the truth (not just political bias, but purposeful manipulation), often done for the sole purpose of generating controversy, it is hard to stomach.
But I’m done with that, and hopefully, this will be the last time I find the need to do this. But I will say this: the example I picked is egregious, and clearly shows the lack of editorial standards.
I also agree with you about Farago, and it’s taken me some time to realize how extensive his manipulation of both the writers and readers was. Let’s not forget he was a professional hypnotist in his previous career.
I was banninated from TTAC a few years ago. After lurking to await the ending of Murilee’s series on the chevy from hell, I never went back.
PCH101 has been banned from TTAC.
Seriously? Then maybe it’s time to start the TTAC Death Watch 🙂
Are you sure? He was nominated to be banned in that silly contest, but there’s been no announcement of any “winners.”
He of all people should not be banned.
Wow Paul, that made me chuckle. Pass some behind-the-scenes gossip my way and I’ll do an anonymous hit-piece.
*cough*
As of February 15, 2013 at 1:57PM PCH101 has been banned by Bertel.
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/02/eu-us-free-trade-deal-begins-completion-expected-in-2015/#comment-2006792
Sorry to learn of this development. I perused most of the industry articles only to read his informed, well-written responses. Given the number of nonsense-filled balloons Pch101 was puncturing on a regular basis, the banning was inevitable.
You’re kidding. His comments were better than most of the articles on there. Yes, he was rude and dismissive, but most of his targets richly deserved it.
He must have picked Bertel apart one too many times. Their site moderation is a joke.
PCH does not suffer fools easily and his criteria for someone to be a fool is rather low. But he is amazingly smart and knowledgeable, in my opinion the best TTAC contributor counting authors as well.
Besides, he was also a great balance to the very right wing leanings of majority of TTAC authors and commenters. He used to do that without starting flame wars since the comments were so rational and to the point. This is important because TTAC is a blog about car industry and its political implications, cars have always been secondary. CC on the other hand is a car blog with the industry much less important.
While I like cars I am interested in automobile industry and politics as well thus CC can never replace TTAC for me and if TTAC becomes so very politically one sided my interest will totally diminish which is now very likely.
Paul,
I really like you and CC. I really dislike the other guy. I keep going back for Murlee, reviews from Michael Karesh and Alex Dykes, and even some of the articles from Ronnie. Much of the commentary is excellent. That said, the site really has gone downhill since Schmitt and Kreindler took over. The banning of PCH is the straw that broke the camels back, so to speak. He kept the site a little more balanced, and often was the only “truth” to the article.
So how about taking CC to the next level? I know that would go beyond your original scope, but this really does seem like the best place to do it. Make it a sub-site, called Future Curbside Classics! Post some reviews from Karesh? Poach Murilee and Alex? You already have some great contributors here; adding a few more with expanded focus could make the site even better. Like TTAC, the B&B here is civil and adult.
I click on ads here often. I’m going to hit the Donate button now. Who’s in??
Yes, this is an easy one to pick on. Especially so when the author doesn’t retract, in spite of being so overwhelmingly proven wrong. Why the piece haven’t been lifted yet boggles my mind, it doesn’t even pass the threshold of originality, in my mind.
However, I don’t really think it’s appropriate for this site to pick on others, can’t we stand above petty things like that? Aren’t this place about being the bigger man? Somebody has to hold the standard high, and I, for one, feel that we should stand above that…
Good point; please see my longer comment above.
Time to move on.
Wow. After reading all these posts, “CC” has turned into, albeit briefly, of what many think “TTAC” has become!
These are the only two auto-related sites I read and comment on. Each has their strong and weak points, and have and will continue to go through changes. That being said, I think things do need some tightening up on TTAC and it appears Bertel is pretty busy with his day job – perhaps? I don’t know, but the writers – ANY writer, whether here or over there needs to research what they’re writing about and to minimize errors to the extent possible.
That is his “day job”. And one that pays reasonably well, especially if you live in China.
I really don’t care for Coconis’ articles on TTAC (even if his last name is remarkably similar to mine)! His writing, including simple grammar, isn’t the greatest. This Valiant/Volare mashup is just icing on the cake.
And who uses the word “bodacious” anymore? People pretending to be 1970s CB users?
On the other hand, did anyone catch the excellent article on batteries by Alex Dykes on TTAC yesterday? It’s a great primer on the subject and explains clearly the recent travails of the Tesla Model S and the earlier problems of the Nissan Leaf in the desert Southwest. This is a prime example of what TTAC should be doing, instead of “name that troll.”
On top of everything else that has been mentioned, the rarity of actual car reviews keeps me away. Only Alex Dykes and Baruth do them with any regularity. One cannot but wonder whether the mean-spiritedness of the site leads to reduced access to press cars.
Finally, their steadfast refusal to set up a mobile version of the site means that most of my browsing time goes to other sites – especially this one – since I don’t browse from my computer much anymore. It’s almost all from my phone. Making matters worse is the site regularly makes the iOS browser choke.
That said, content trumps all. AUWM could use a mobile version – some of the older articles are difficult to view on an iPhone as the text goes off the side of the screen – but I read it religiously anyway because it’s just so damned good.
Perhaps our complaints are being heard. This Thursday morning, I read two articles by DK that actually played it straight, factual and without verbal malice– even though they covered favorite targets like VW and the Chinese carmakers. Not what I was expecting over there, but I’ll take it.
Meanwhile, my own disappointment with TTAC has led me to find other blogs, such as Amazon’s “Car Lust” and “Hooniverse.” Those guys write like they’re having a good time, with a spirit of discovery regarding a subject they enjoy. How refreshing!
NSU1000TTS
Aside from classic cars, what would you like to see covered? I’m asking you in good faith as a serious question. There is plenty of criticism, but little of it is constructive. Personally, I am not equipped to cover classic cars so that’s out. If you want to, you can email editors at ttac dot com
From my end, I have tried to pick a few stories and run with them; the rise of low-cost cars, the ups and downs of PSA, the increasing localization of production/the exodus from Japan (and the Gen Why columns). Past TTAC writers had the GM Death Watch and the bailout for example. Events have changed, and the narratives are less dramatic and playing out in slow motion. It is not the bombastic, screaming headlines of TTAC’s past, nor is it relevant or interesting to everybody. But not only do I find these topics compelling, but also underreported.
Derek, if it is true, as stated above, that PCH101 was banned, then you really need to get him back. He’s one of the key reasons why I haven’t stopped reading TTAC altogether. To ban a commentator of his caliber displays remarkably myopic editorial judgment.
Now, perhaps the above information is either wrong or out of date. If so, why not reach out to PCH101 and see if you can elevate his participation in TTAC, e.g., by writing a weekly column?
I don’t have time to read all 125 comments before mine. I’ll be amazed if no one has said it yet, but just in case:
Paul, TTAC has gone to hell without you.
And it’s actually gotten worse in the past couple of weeks.
Paul,
I really like you and CC. I really dislike the other guy. I keep going back for Murlee, reviews from Michael Karesh and Alex Dykes, and even some of the articles from Ronnie. Much of the commentary is excellent. That said, the site really has gone downhill since Schmitt and Kreindler took over. The banning of PCH is the straw that broke the camels back, so to speak. He kept the site a little more balanced, and often was the only “truth” to the article.
So how about taking CC to the next level? I know that would go beyond your original scope, but this really does seem like the best place to do it. Make it a sub-site, called Future Curbside Classics! Post some reviews from Karesh? Poach Murilee and Alex? You already have some great contributors here; adding a few more with expanded focus could make the site even better. Like TTAC, the B&B here is civil and adult.
I click on ads here often. I’m going to hit the Donate button now. Who’s in??
Not speaking for Paul.
We had a CC get together last week (thanks for the beer or nine!) and discussed, among many other things, CC and the future. Currently the site is monetized only by ad revenue (click them, please) and the paypal donate button. So thank you, kentzer.
However, I am quite convinced that this site must remain voluntary, as in the contributors write because they want to, not because a suit at some comblogerate demands it. The pressure to pay authors, while understandable, would be the end for CC, just like so many great websites before it. Fortunately Paul worked his ass off long enough to attract many very high-quality contributors, and myself, so there is a steady stream of well-thought and well-researched pieces going up daily.
So while I don’t disagree that MM and others would contribute quality content, if they want a paycheck my hope is they look elsewhere.
Again, not speaking for Paul.
kenzter: Karesh left last month. His name’s still on the staff list on the home page, but if you click through, his bio’s gone. He mentioned on Facebook that Jan. 31 would be his last day at TTAC.,
At least we can all agree – that’s a spectacular looking Dart.