by "fintail" (fintail)
Published 05/21/2017 at 20:00
by "fintail" (fintail)
Published 05/21/2017 at 20:00
No Tags
STARS: 6
Not what I expected to see this morning, parked between an Optima and a 94-96 Impala SS (which never seems to move):
Ibiza/Ibitha. No plates, but had some registration/tax sticker type material at rear which appeared to be from Mexico. That’s a long drive to Bellevue.
Also in a parking lot, saw a Monte Carlo convertible, which of course was never a thing:
But I foiled them, and was the oldest car in the lot/on the road:
"Svend" (svend)
05/21/2017 at 20:17, STARS: 1
Nice old SEAT there.
"fintail" (fintail)
05/21/2017 at 20:28, STARS: 0
Turn of the century era, maybe? I’ve seen a few around here over the years, always on Mexico plates.
"Svend" (svend)
05/21/2017 at 21:16, STARS: 0
It’s a Mk3 SEAT Ibiza so 2003-8.
Ye’, they could only be on Mexican plates.
Looks like someone just removed the plates and returned them to Mexico and abandoned the car. The owners could be anywhere.
"someassemblyrequired" (someassemblyrequired)
05/21/2017 at 21:31, STARS: 0
You’re the blue fintail I see around Bellevue? Props for driving that thing on 405.
"fintail" (fintail)
05/21/2017 at 21:35, STARS: 0
If it is blue with wide whites, it is probably me, I am not aware of any similar cars on the road. I generally stick to surface streets, but go on the highway several times a year.
"fintail" (fintail)
05/21/2017 at 21:37, STARS: 0
They got it across the border somehow, but not legal here for a long time. I guess if it is never registered, that doesn’t matter so much. There’s a lot of people from everywhere here, but I can’t imagine this car being a special sentimental object. It was far from pristine, too.
"Svend" (svend)
05/21/2017 at 22:09, STARS: 0
Chances are they entered the country as tourists or visiting family ‘as a means to get where they want to be’.
"fintail" (fintail)
05/21/2017 at 23:21, STARS: 0
That sounds right - claim of a short stay that might not be short. Best of luck to them - it’s not exactly a low rent area, so they must have a plan.
"someassemblyrequired" (someassemblyrequired)
05/21/2017 at 23:45, STARS: 0
Yeah I’ve seen one green diesel fintail around Eastgate a couple of times but it’s umm definitely driver quality. Runs like a top though.
"Svend" (svend)
05/21/2017 at 23:48, STARS: 0
With the way things are at present I wish them all the best.
"fintail" (fintail)
05/22/2017 at 00:02, STARS: 1
There are definitely places in the US I wouldn’t want to be as a member of certain groups right now. The Seattle area is generally among the more progressive however, and if someone ended up in this exact location, they likely aren’t penniless, so they might be able to play the game.
Those stories were big here a few months ago, too. I think Canada is more generous about refugees in terms of numbers and benefits, although it might not be saying much. Canada has its own problems, and as it kind of lags, I wonder who their Trump equivalent will be - O’Leary, possibly. Just like in the US, go outside of certain cities, and the land in-between isn’t always the most with-it.
"fintail" (fintail)
05/22/2017 at 00:10, STARS: 0
My car is a driver too, maybe a 10-15 footer - not a restored car, and I can say it has patina. Runs fine though, and is fun to drive. I’ve had the car since I was 18, and it is a sentimental object now.
I have seen a nice silver W111 fintail a couple times in DT Bellevue, but rarely see others of any type on the eastside. I know of a few via the MB club in other areas, but none near me.
"someassemblyrequired" (someassemblyrequired)
05/22/2017 at 00:52, STARS: 0
Well it definitely looks good from the 10-15 ft range I saw it from. No red primer spots like the green one. Other than being slow, they look like fun cars. I’m envious you grabbed one at 18.
"Svend" (svend)
05/22/2017 at 01:18, STARS: 0
I edited my reply as I didn’t want to make it political as it wasn’t my thread to do so.
From an outsider what we see in the news and the BBC, Channel 4, etc... documentaries that are broadcast it’s really shocking and really scary for everyone right now.
I hope your taking care of yourself also mate.
"Jobjoris" (Jobjoris)
05/22/2017 at 04:46, STARS: 2
Oh... Good memories to these. 130 or 160hp diesels with over 300Nm of gorgeous torque! We even had an endurance cup for these diesels!
Good lord, that Fintail is gorgeous as well...
"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
05/22/2017 at 05:32, STARS: 0
good luck to whoever owns the Seat to get unique Seat parts.
"fintail" (fintail)
05/22/2017 at 09:23, STARS: 0
In this neck of the woods, it will all be internet based no doubt. I suspect you can’t pop into the local NAPA and find anything for this car.
"fintail" (fintail)
05/22/2017 at 09:25, STARS: 1
From what I have seen with Mexico, this is a gasser, probably a 1.2 “Siesta” (I made that up) model. No power, no torque, but economical.
The fintail is quite photogenic, perfect from far but far from perfect :) It runs well and is fun to drive, which is key. The looks are a big bonus.
"fintail" (fintail)
05/22/2017 at 09:29, STARS: 1
I keep it clean, which helps too. People sometimes ask me if it is restored...LOL, no. It is solid, few fintails are 100% rust free, this one has just a little, hard to see from the outside.
This one is a 220SE, one of the (relatively) hot ones. It’s slow compared to modern cars, but faster than many older cars, and can keep up with traffic, especially where people are so slow and timid like in this area. I bought it a little over 20 years now, cheaper then but money was worth more. Fintails are still generally cheap and maybe undervalued.
"fintail" (fintail)
05/22/2017 at 09:33, STARS: 1
No worries. These are absurd times, which lend naturally to political discourse. We can only hope things are able to regain some idea of progress - on both sides of the pond. No place is perfect, and some European decisions can look pretty wacky too.
I wouldn’t call it scary for most citizens just yet, but there’s a definite idiocracy vibe in the air.
"Svend" (svend)
05/22/2017 at 09:43, STARS: 0
It’s hard to not think the genie is out the bottle with religious politicians trying to dictate what people can and can’t do with their bodies, racists harrassing people where ever they are, etc... even if it can be undone, it’ll take years but with everything else going on in the world it’s hard to focus on one element.
With the E.U. Some countries think it’s wanting too much too fast without full support of it’s people and with a certain amount of inflexibility from the E.U. Parliament, it lead to a referendum and the stupid situation we have with Brexit. Nobody really knowing what’s going on, no body wants to punish the other for it because we are so tightly bound it only hurts ourselves also, but the E.U. can’t be seen to be lenient or others may follow.
"fintail" (fintail)
05/22/2017 at 12:04, STARS: 1
I think the US tends to be a trendsetter when it comes to idiocy, I would expect this to grow elsewhere in time - as the basis appears to exist everywhere. A person can be smart, people are stupid.
I don’t know if I can say I believe the EU has an infinite future. Too much groupthink, too much guilt, too many levels of bureaucracy and waste. There are a few areas where I believe it has gone too far too fast, and it is possible to be too generous with immigration just as it is possible to be too restrictive. Europe in another generation might have some pains, with the EU or without it.
"Jobjoris" (Jobjoris)
05/22/2017 at 12:30, STARS: 1
I do prefer the Siesta edition over the mañana, mañana ...
"fintail" (fintail)
05/22/2017 at 13:04, STARS: 1
And don’t ask about the Montezuma’s Revenge special edition :)