Best of Oppositelock: August 8, 2013

"DasWauto" (DasWauto) 08/08/2013 at 17:30 • Filed to: Best of Oppositelock

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Gathered here are the Oppositelock posts that people have put a good deal of effort into writing from the last 24 hours. Today it includes an OG Mini shop in Japan, welding art, American cars not sold in Europe and more.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - Supercharger-Heaven

Japanese culture is known for devotion. People devoted to their jobs or hobbies without so much as a single complaint voiced. Masashi Ando is one such man with a devotion to the original Mini. About 30 years ago, Ando bought his first Mini (he still owns it). He began tinkering with it in his family's sideyard. Ando also began some amateur racing in Saijo. His friends and acquaintances brought their Minis over to work on. Soon he needed a real garage.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - TheSupremeLou

We all know too well that this planet’s fossil fuel deposits are limited. We also know that scarcity drives increases in demand and price, and yet drivers in the U.S. still seem content to drive the same gas guzzling cars, trucks, and SUVs that they always have. That’s because the U.S. government has sought to mitigate massive price increases on crude oil and gas by extending fuel subsidies to keep the price low. The idea is a simple one: the cost of gas goes up and the price of almost all consumer goods also rises, so the government looks to minimize and spread the cost of rising fuel prices across the population. The problem is that artificially low fuel prices could be holding us back in areas such as alternative fuels.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - BrownDogWelding

I love talking welding. Process, technique, philosophy. At car shows, work, online... whatever the case, I dig it. I like soaking up knowledge from those with more experience, and I really enjoy sharing my skills and experience with anyone who asks. But ask me a question about art, how I made a certain piece, or if I could show you how to put a certain sculpture together; you'll probably get a blank stare or unanswered email.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - Dan Mosqueda

Elon Musk isn't the only guy in the car industry to be celebrating brisk sales and even profits. Munich's BMW is reporting stellar results as well across the its corporate stables. The purveyors of the Utlimate Driving Machine and Mini (Rolls-Royce numbers weren't touted in the report from Munich's number crunchers) reported its best ever July with 152,349 vehicles delivered worldwide, an increase of 12.3% over the same month last year. Year to date BMW has sold 1,106,876 globally.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - Borsuq

American cars are generally underrepresented in Europe. While they're not that rare in my country, in most other places they're an uncommon sight. The reasons are obvious. American cars that were designed to compete in the American car market will often not fulfill the expectations of a European customer. Of course, many companies attempted to "adjust" their American products and bring them here, usually with terrible results. Disastrous VM diesel powered Chryslers and Jeeps instantly spring to mind.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - 505 Morphine

So we all know, that with the European market ailing, and with Opel/Vauhxall landlocked here, the European division of GM has been in the red for a decade or so now. This despite the fact, that even though not my cup of tea, their cars stand the comparison with others of the respective segments, and despite the fact, that these cars get sold on other continents too - not least the lucrative USDM, as Buicks. People on here and on the front page talked about simply shuttering the whole operation, but as others, and me too pointed out, a lot of GM development goes on at the Opel HQ - not just the badge-engineer Buicks, but also modern, small-displacement engines for Chevy, etc.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - Dukie

Not the snail in your garden, or that Disney snail. Although, that one might be close. I'm talking the snail you slap on a Yamaha Nytro motor and make it squeeze 35 pounds of boost into those cylinders. What's that? How much horsepower would that make? The guys at Xtreme Motorworks near Seattle said the same thing. So the crazy bastards built it and stuffed it into a custom chassis.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - His Stigness

It’s very typical for people that I know, but generally, its people I don’t who find out that I’m an auto technician and tell me about how they recently failed smog. They then hand me the smog report, or vehicle inspection report (VID) as it’s known in California, and ask me to tell them what’s wrong with their car. Sorry, but I may be good in certain areas, but there is no tech in the industry, no matter how long he’s been doing it, that can diagnose a car off the smog report.

Car Spotting, Picture Threads

POD !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! event in edmonton. PowderHound showed us !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , a very cool rally car piece. EssExTee shared !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! belonging to a friend of his stepdad. Aloha Milkyway !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on his e39. Xxstitch666xx took !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that arrived at his dealership. Magman007 !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! with his STI.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - boxrocket

So as many of us has read earlier, Ford is pulling support for one of its NHRA series. Not a huge deal, all things considered, but it got me pondering about where Ford - and, by extension, other OEMs - could best invest its marketing and racing dollars. Obviously it would remain in NASCAR, because of the installed base, and it's done well in drag racing, the Craftsman Truck series, V8 Supercars (although with Ford AU going down the tubes, who knows what'll happen there), and they have some support in SCCA and a few other smaller series. But what about rally cross?

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - jus1029

As a fifteen-year-old petrolhead, I always want to plan ahead on what will be my first car. Earlier today, my father and I had that type of conversation, and I said, "I wanna have an E30 BMW 3-series!" However, my dad, being a stereotypical father, disagrees, and I should instead have a common man's Toyota, Honda or Nissan. Reason? So that I won't show off, and people won't give me negative judgements. That is rubbish.

In one of Oppositelock's common theme days, today was !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! so click the link and grab some laughs.

As always, If I've missed something and you would like me to include it, let me know.

Fun Discussions

There were several posts that asked questions and sparked some good discussion over the last day. Take a peek and chime in on some of them listed below:

Used RWD Manual Wagons in the US

Has starting a family affected your interest in cars?

Song Hunt: Find a song that tells an interesting story as long as it's NOT a love story

Automotive T-Shirts

What is the Worst "Performance" version of a normally mundane car?

How Well Do You Know Your Ferraris?

Non-conventional Driving Music

My buddy's looking to buy a new car

Odometer Issues: Any Advice?

Fixed Or Movable Flappy Paddles, What's Best?

Best sporty winterable cars under $3500

3 cars for 15 years

Craigslist Hunt: $35000 Fast Grocery Getter

Just the #tips

Model X Will See Life in 2014

Toyota Recalls 342,000 Trucks For Seat Belt Issue

Wheel or Track? Round or Square? Watch as it Screws With Your Mind!

Bring a Trailer has posted what is claimed to be Ayrton Senna's NSX....

It's a REALLY bad idea to back up a bus on a highway

Here, Have This Drive Shaft Through Your Windshield

Walk Around the New WRX

Stereotypical Mercedes Driver is Stereotypical

Honourable Mentions

These posts have already been shared with Jalopnik directly but deserve to be mentioned again because they were first posted in Oppositelock:

I supercharged my Viper today

Race strategy circa 2001

Worst movie accident scene ever

Sparf > DasWauto 08/08/2013 at 17:50

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Damnit, I was hoping you'd post this a bit later, I've got a big photodump cookin' (although I don't know if photodumps are Best of Oppo material?).

6cyl > DasWauto 08/08/2013 at 17:52

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You should add section with a link to the days tag(s)

DasWauto > 6cyl 08/08/2013 at 17:55

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The bad joke thursday thing? Hmmm, ok, Ill add something. One sec.

DasWauto > Sparf 08/08/2013 at 17:56

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If they're your own photos I'll consider them, either for a feature or in the picture threads section. The 'best of' posts now cover from 5pm - 5pm the next day (EST time zone of course) so it's not really dependent on when I make each post.

6cyl > DasWauto 08/08/2013 at 18:02

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It doesn't even have to be for today I have just been thinking in general it would be cool to have a link to that days or the previous days tag. Like this or this .

DasWauto > 6cyl 08/08/2013 at 18:04

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It's a solid idea so I added it in like this:

and I'll likely do something similar for future theme days. Thanks for the suggestion.

Sparf > DasWauto 08/08/2013 at 18:07

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Not a single one of them is mine, but I did format the image credits pretty nicely if I do say so myself.

#notsmugatallwhatareyoutalkingabout

6cyl > DasWauto 08/08/2013 at 18:07

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Cool I think it will be a nice addition to an always excellent post.

DasWauto > Sparf 08/08/2013 at 18:12

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Haha, I'll be sure to check it out when you post it and consider it for the picture threads section tomorrow if it lives up to your claims. ;)

. . > DasWauto 08/08/2013 at 18:20

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I'm the author of the " American cars that would work in Europe " post and my username is Borsuq, not Bursuq. I'd appreciate it if you could correct it. Cheers.

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Thanks for the feature.

DasWauto > . . 08/08/2013 at 18:21

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Woops, sorry. Fixed.

. . > DasWauto 08/08/2013 at 18:21

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No problem. Thank you. :)

POD > Sparf 08/08/2013 at 18:42

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There is photography on kinja as well that has several guys and gals from oppo. I'm pretty sure they would be happy to have your photos posted there as well.

Sparf > POD 08/08/2013 at 18:43

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They're not mine though, since I'm neither much of a photographer nor do I have the money to buy a proper camera.

POD > DasWauto 08/08/2013 at 18:49

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Thank you for the mention on best of!

Mazarin > DasWauto 08/08/2013 at 18:56

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Woohoo! Made it to BoO!

JRapp: now as good as new again > DasWauto 08/08/2013 at 19:40

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How does one get rights to post to Oppo?

Edit: Or how does one become a regular commenter on Oppo for that matter? I have it on the main page..

DasWauto > JRapp: now as good as new again 08/08/2013 at 19:45

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By asking like you just did. I've made you an author on Oppo and I'm going to share your downhill go-karting post there as well. Enjoy.

JRapp: now as good as new again > DasWauto 08/08/2013 at 19:48

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Schweeet! I appreciate it. I won't let you down..

twinturbobmw > DasWauto 08/08/2013 at 20:04

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Please?
http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/how-well-do-yo…

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DasWauto > twinturbobmw 08/08/2013 at 20:08

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Done. Slotted in the appropriate (time) place in the discussions section.

xxstich666xx > DasWauto 08/08/2013 at 20:48

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Aww no nod to the first XTS-V that showed up at the dealership I work at?

DasWauto > xxstich666xx 08/08/2013 at 20:59

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Since only two pictures actually showed up in your original post, this reply might actually be better. If you want to add the pictures to the original post, I'll be happy to add it to the pictures/carspotting section though.

xxstich666xx > DasWauto 08/08/2013 at 21:16

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Sure thing! Thanks! Just updated it.

DasWauto > xxstich666xx 08/08/2013 at 21:21

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Added it in.

xxstich666xx > DasWauto 08/08/2013 at 21:24

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Thanks man!

Mandy > DasWauto 08/08/2013 at 21:24

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Can I be made an author for Oppo Lock as well? I've been using #oppositelock lately, as I wasn't sure. Just wrote a great article, and I'd love to post it there.

DasWauto > Mandy 08/08/2013 at 21:31

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Done. Enjoy.

Justin Young > DasWauto 08/09/2013 at 02:21

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Question: Do rants feature here?

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DasWauto > Justin Young 08/09/2013 at 07:19

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Sometimes; I felt like you got told what you needed to in the comments already but I'll add it in because I like your lead image.

PelicanHazard > xxstich666xx 08/09/2013 at 11:03

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It's a Vsport, not a V. Cadillac has explicitly said there will not be an XTS-V, and the Vsport is it in terms of performance XTS. The V badge in the back might fool people, but Vsport and true -V designation is the difference between the M Sport package on a BMW and a true M model.

xxstich666xx > PelicanHazard 08/09/2013 at 11:13

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Well yeah but we all still refer to it as the XTS-V at work.

Victorious Secret > xxstich666xx 08/09/2013 at 11:48

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And you'd be sadly, hilariously wrong.

No one at BMW refers to the 335i M-Sport as the M3. No one.

Why do you refer to a V-Sport as a V?

Big difference, in model positioning and mentality.

PatBateman > xxstich666xx 08/09/2013 at 12:30

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I LIKE IT!!!

Stef Schrader > Victorious Secret 08/09/2013 at 12:57

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Cadillac. I am disappoint.

Y U NO MAKE -V LAND BARGE?!

Actually...

Y U NO MAKE -V LAND BARGE WAGON?!?

JRapp: now as good as new again > DasWauto 08/09/2013 at 13:33

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Oh man, why didn't you warn me? I have like a hundred Notifications now...

DasWauto > JRapp: now as good as new again 08/09/2013 at 13:37

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Haha, sorry, I couldn't predict that Matt would share it to Jalopnik.

His Stigness > DasWauto 08/09/2013 at 13:45

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Whoo hoo!! Another hat tip! Thanks dude!!

JRapp: now as good as new again > DasWauto 08/09/2013 at 13:58

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Oh no need to apologize. You guys made my day(s)!

xxstich666xx > Victorious Secret 08/09/2013 at 14:20

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Because there is no regular v series so there's no sense calling it the v sport. We call the cts v-sport by its name because there's an actual v version.

Victorious Secret > xxstich666xx 08/09/2013 at 14:22

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The 760i M-sport has no M7, yet no one calls it the M7...

That is just flawed logic.

You're calling it something it isn't! No one calls the Ralliart an Evo because there is a fundamental difference between the two.

There is no reason to call the V-Sport a proper V because it isn't!

xxstich666xx > Victorious Secret 08/09/2013 at 17:56

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That's not what I'm saying at all. We just shorten the name at work.....