It's Been a While

"NinetyQ" (NinetyQ)
02/22/2020 at 21:50 • Filed to: None

Long time no see, Oppo! Some of you have noticed me commenting here and there the last couple of days, so I figured I should probably do a little “I’m back” post. Might also serve as an intro post for those who didn’t know me from before. Here goes.

Last time I posted here even slightly regularly was 2015 or 2016, and there’s only been one change to our stable of cars in that time. My wife and I bought our first brand new car, a 2019 Buick Regal TourX. It’s not manual, but it’s a wagon . And a damn good-looking one if I do say so myself. We’ve only had this car a couple of months now, but I love it already. Ours is a “Preferred” model, so it doesn’t have a ton of the bells and whistles (in fact it even has a cloth interior) but it does have a panoramic moonroof, and that’s just cool . Looking forward to keeping it around a long time and using it as our primary family hauler.

The TourX is primarily my wife’s car as she has the regular commute while I freelance and can make due with whatever car we have, so long as it works. It displaces her 2005 Subaru Legacy GT, which we still have. It just needs a bit of work (control arms, brakes, and tires) before it’s really roadworthy again, so I’ll get to that when the weather clears up a bit. And then I get to decide whether I’m going to drive that or stick with my current vehicle which is my...

Trusty 1996 Pontiac Grand Prix SE coupe. Some of you might remember it from the old days even though it was the less noteworthy of the two cars I owned for most of my time here on Oppo. This was my first car and it has been my daily driver for going on 14 years now. It’s starting to show its age in terms of rust on the underside, but the cancer isn’t terminal yet. Though it did eat through the driver-side lower spring seat last year which was obnoxious to replace. But the car runs and drives really well. It doesn’t even have many rattly/creaky plastic bits like one would think of a mid-’90s Pontiac with almost a quarter of a million miles on the odometer. I even personally find it easy to get my kid in and out of the back despite it being a two-door; easier even than the Legacy GT (my wife disagrees though).

Oh, and the ‘52 Buick Super is still kicking around too, though there’s not much new to report with it. Haven’t had it out recently, but maybe later this year when it warms up.

And of course, the car most of you probably remember me by is my 1991 Audi 90 Quattro 20V (hence the NinetyQ name). I sold it in early 2014 (which I definitely talked about here at the time, but just to catch people up) and immediately put the funds to use as a down-payment on the house we live in today. I don’t regret selling it, and it actually ended up in the hands of an awesome owner who has continued fixing it up and using it well. But I am starting to get nostalgic for an old Audi. I’d really like to get my hands on another almost just like it, or perhaps a ‘91 Audi 200 Quattro Avant.

Anyway, as for why I’m coming back to Jalopnik and Oppositelock, well, there’s no place like home. I was originally part of an exodus from Oppo in the fall of 2011 when a bunch of us grew tired of some of the changes being made and were a little concerned about some of the rumors that Oppositelock might just disappear completely. So we jumped ship to Google+. It’s weird now to think that Oppo outlasted Google’s take on Facebook. (Side note: Google+ was absolutely fantastic! At least for us. It had a lot of things that I wish other social networks would adopt, and I miss it terribly. RIP.) Anyway, that community, known as Oppo+ thrived. We had meetups and got to know each other pretty well. But over time, some people fell away and the group started to feel a bit smaller than it used to. And then G+’s fate was announced and we had to jump ship again. Some had already gone to Facebook and decided to stick with that, while others of us went to a platform known as MeWe, where a small part of the group is still active .* But mostly the group is fragmented now, and it’s a little sad. I decided to come back here and give Oppo another shot because I miss just talking about cars with people. What better place could I go to?

It’s good to be back.

*Update: Turns out they’re actually way more active than I thought; I’m just dumb and didn’t realize they were posting to the Oppo+ group on MeWe and that those posts don’t show on my main timeline. Derp.

DISCUSSION (39)

E90M3 > NinetyQ
02/22/2020 at 21:51

Oh, so when you write a post make sure you update the time before you post. Just kinja things. Glad to have you back.

NinetyQ > E90M3
02/22/2020 at 21:53

#WorkingAsIntended

E90M3 > NinetyQ
02/22/2020 at 21:54

Kinja'd!!!

Indeed.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > NinetyQ
02/22/2020 at 21:59

Kinja'd!!!

E90M3 > NinetyQ
02/22/2020 at 22:03

I’m glad you’re back, hopefully we can get feel of pre-kinja back. Maybe it’s nostalgia , but I really miss the oppo of 10 years ago. I do enjoy having an M3, so I don’t want to regress on cars though; in case you didn’t realize I used to call myself e30m3, I do have an E90 M3, so my name is much more fitting now.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > NinetyQ
02/22/2020 at 22:04

Welcome back mate! Glad to see you around! Nice to see you still have the Pontiac and the classic Buick as well! :)

You’ll probably notice a few old school Oppos are no longer here...there was a big scare in the fall that G/O Media was going to shut down all non-money-making user blogs (like Oppo)...still a possibility, but it hasn’t happened yet. A lot of Oppos jumped ship then due to the scare and there are some that didn’t seem to come back...but we’re still here, many of us are still here and our ranks are slowly climbing again :)

NinetyQ > E90M3
02/22/2020 at 22:05

Ohhh, that makes sense. I think I had just assumed you were the same person and thought, “Huh, did he actually have an E90 back then too?” lol. Glad you’re enjoying your E90.

CB > NinetyQ
02/22/2020 at 22:07

As I’ve already said, welcome back!

It's a shame how Oppo has fragmented and been chipped away over the years, but it's grown in equal measure. Can't stop the wheels of time, I guess.

E90M3 > NinetyQ
02/22/2020 at 22:08

I was just a college kid with a dream then, and not very creative with names. Sadly, I didn’t even really have a car back then.

NinetyQ > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
02/22/2020 at 22:09

If there’s one thing that’s always a certainty, it’s that Oppo is always just about to be on the chopping block. It’s been almost a decade since I heard that rumor swirling for the first time. I’m not too worried.

AestheticsInMotion > NinetyQ
02/22/2020 at 22:13

We need a beacon for all old oppos to flock to. Like the bat signal, but... Er... Broken. Because kinja.

There's a whole host of lovely new bugs to get acquainted with. Home sweet home!

Chariotoflove > NinetyQ
02/22/2020 at 22:29

That ‘52 Buick is fantastic. I like the new one well too. You and I should get along just fine.

Welcome home.

NinetyQ > Chariotoflove
02/22/2020 at 22:35

I’m sure we will! :D

Mr. Orlove even did a brief little article about it the ‘52 a while back after I posted some pics of it once. https://jalopnik.com/a-stunning-1952-buick-in-the-fall-5950722

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > NinetyQ
02/22/2020 at 22:42

That Buick. Welcome back!

Chariotoflove > NinetyQ
02/22/2020 at 23:04

Oh, that’s gorgeous. And “Northern Indiana” isn’t that far from Indy where I visit my family. Close enough that I can entertain a fantasy of meeting the ‘52 someday.

shop-teacher > NinetyQ
02/22/2020 at 23:05

Welcome back! This place isn’t perfect, but I think it’s the best place on the ultranets.

Nice addition to the fleet too!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > NinetyQ
02/23/2020 at 01:01

I noticed the new name in the Cruze discussion and discovered it was an old one, far predating me. I’m probably the newest regular poster here, but welcome back!

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > NinetyQ
02/23/2020 at 05:14

Hello from southern Indiana ! That Buick is amazing, I would like to get a ride in it please!!

pip bip - choose Corrour > NinetyQ
02/23/2020 at 05:57

glad to hear i’m not the only one who misses Google+

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > NinetyQ
02/23/2020 at 06:02

True enough! :)

Captain of the Enterprise > NinetyQ
02/23/2020 at 06:54

That’s a very interesting fleet! I’m really impressed by your Grand Prix story. 15 years as a daily is really impressive!

Dusty Ventures > NinetyQ
02/23/2020 at 08:42

Kinja'd!!!

Welcome back, man!

NinetyQ > ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability
02/23/2020 at 09:35

It’s my father-in-law’s car, so I don’t have access to it all the time, but this is probably the closest you can get to a ride in it without actually being in it. Also don’t yell at me for not coming to completely 100% full stops at the stop signs, it’s fine and the wide angle distorts how fast I was actually going.

I own dead car brands only > NinetyQ
02/23/2020 at 09:37

Nice to see another TourX owner. I picked up a brand new 2018 in August with 0 miles. Put 19,000 on it so far. Basic as hell (cloth and moonroof/nav) which is what I wanted. Currently running winter's but will either replace the OEM wheels or put new rubber on oem wheels. The contisilents SUCK.

Kinja'd!!!

NinetyQ > I own dead car brands only
02/23/2020 at 09:43

They are quiet though, haha. But yeah, we’re planning on putting winters on it next winter.

I still can’t decide if I like the “Smoked Metallic Pearl” that we went with more than the Rioja red that you have... I initially wanted to find a Rioja red one, but I like the one we ended up with too and we got a great deal on it. We’ll probably be happy with it very long-term.

NinetyQ > pip bip - choose Corrour
02/23/2020 at 09:46

It was such an underrated/underused platform, even with all the concerns about Big Brother Google that some people had (and yet people flock to Facebook, so...).

MeWe is actually not too bad though. At least now that I’ve figured out that I need to be looking at my Groups tab and not the main feed, lol.

NinetyQ > Captain of the Enterprise
02/23/2020 at 09:54

It’s been there with me for a lot of life events, haha. And despite what it might sound like, I actually had to put a bunch of work into it in the first few years or so with the big points being that the engine immediately died when the head gasket let go a month after I bought it. A lightly used engine and transmission went in at that time. Then I crashed it into some small trees by being a dumb high school kid and going too fast around a wet curve. Later on it needed a lower intake manifold gasket to avert a repeat of the head gasket disaster, and then a couple years later the used transmission needed to be rebuilt.

But it’s been great for the last 8 years! lol

ItalianJobR53 - now with added 'MERICA and unreliability > NinetyQ
02/23/2020 at 15:08

I don’t come to a full drop either so that’s fine by me.

The Buick seems to be quite pleasant to drive.

Captain of the Enterprise > NinetyQ
02/23/2020 at 17:38

Wow it’s been through a lot lol. It’s cool to still have your first car though!

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > I own dead car brands only
02/23/2020 at 20:19

You can get cloth seats? that maroon looks awesome.

Long_Voyager94 > I own dead car brands only
02/24/2020 at 07:09

2 questions.

1. Do the seats get better? We drove a handful of them when we were looking at vehicles and we found the seats terribly stiff/uncomfortable.

2. Do different tires help their clunkiness/noise on the road? All of them we drove rode like lumber wagons and had terrible road noise.

We went in planning on loving them and bringing one home, we left sadly disappointed by the ride/noise/interior quality.

Please don’t take this as disrespect.

Long_Voyager94 > NinetyQ
02/24/2020 at 07:10

2 questions on the Tour X.

1. Do the seats get better? We drove a handful of them when we were looking at vehicles and we found the seats terribly stiff/uncomfortable.

2. Do different tires help their clunkiness/noise on the road? All of them we drove rode like lumber wagons and had terrible road noise.

We went in planning on loving them and bringing one home, we left sadly disappointed by the ride/noise/interior quality.

Please don’t take this as disrespect.

NinetyQ > Long_Voyager94
02/24/2020 at 09:06

If you’re expecting Mercedes S-Class levels of luxury and refinement, you’re bound to be disappointed. We enjoy our TourX and are happy with how quiet the cabin is (it really is dead quiet; so I’m not sure what was up with the ones that left you with that impression. Maybe they didn’t have the ContiSilent tires?).

We also like the seats, but I know some reviews have mentioned that they’re not wide, perhaps as a sign that it was built originally as an Opel in Europe rather than being purpose-built for American preferences. I’m relatively skinny though, so I don’t mind. I find that the seats in most new cars feel uncomfortable at least at first. I imagine they’ll break in , and in the meantime, I think they’re fine.

Long_Voyager94 > NinetyQ
02/24/2020 at 10:03

I’m 5'7", 145lbs, the seats for me and my wife were like sitting on rocks with zero support.

The ones we drove made my 1994 Voyager seem quiet inside, every crack in the road could be heard and felt through the chassis, you could hear passing vehicles inside, it was downright appalling for a brand new car. I guess I was expecting substantially more refinement in a 2019 Buick than the stuff from the 90s I was used to driving.

I own dead car brands only > Long_Voyager94
02/24/2020 at 11:09

Seats are very objective. I find the seats perfect for myself whereas you may find them uncomfortable. I will say this, the leather seats are MUCH more stiff and uncomfortable compared to cloth seats. This is why I refused to have leather seats.

2. Chances are that the examples you drove probably sat for a long time. I know mine wasn’t moved for a year so when I drove it, I felt the clunk clunk for a day or so then it all loosened up. There’s also a TSB on the lower front control arms for something.

3. It probably helps me that I’m Deaf so I can’t hear the noise if there is any. Lol.

I own dead car brands only > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
02/24/2020 at 11:10

Yes, you can get cloth, it was the only thing I wanted. Thank you, I like the color, I didn’t think I would get it but the price was right and it looked nice.

Long_Voyager94 > I own dead car brands only
02/24/2020 at 12:07

Agree on the leather vs cloth in them, the cloth was much better, but we still found them very hard.

I can’t say how long any sat, but we ran about 50 miles on each and none seemed to improve.

We really, really wanted to have one in our driveway. I love the looks of them, IMO they are one of the best looking vehicles on the market, but we just couldn’t get over the shortcomings. The fact that no one was willing to deal on the $40k+ price tags didn’t help either.

I’ll probably check them out again once the new van is paid off next spring, hopefully I can get a low-mile used one on the cheap.

NinetyQ > Long_Voyager94
02/24/2020 at 14:11

It sounds to me like you drove an entirely different car, so I’m not really sure how to address that. As for the seats; I really don’t know. I’m 6'2" and 170lbs, and they’re fine for me. Not as broken in as my ‘96 Grand Prix, whose seats I love, but I wasn’t uncomfortable. Granted ours has the cloth interior; the leather seats might be different structurally too .

Long_Voyager94 > NinetyQ
02/24/2020 at 15:59

We drove 5 of them in total, 3 with cloth, 2 top model with leather. The cloth felt better, but it was still borderline unbearable to sit in.