Tango Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Arrived at George Bush International Airport on Monday and Hertz had decided to give me a 'City' car....not to bore you with details, but it was a sedan the size of a bungalow and would have had me arrested as a pimp/drug dealer or with the addition of a small flag on the front I'd probably have been offered a police motorcycle escort everywhere. So asked if they had anything else with a Satnav "Mustang maybe?"..."No...if you want satnav the only other car we have is a Chevy Impala' ...so as it was a lot smaller than the other option that's what I drove away with. Looked fairly harmless, but if I wasn't very gentle on the loud pedal it left rubber everywhere. Wasn't until I parked up and looked under the bonnet that I realised it had a 5.3 litre V8 hiding under there Good job petrol is cheap here.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suprash Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Petrol cheap in the UK, where is this South Cotswolds place lol ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Posted September 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Petrol cheap in the UK, where is this South Cotswolds place lol ??? I wish...Geoge Bush International Airport is in Houston, Texas You don't think I'm really typing this at 3 o'clock in the morning do you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Obviously you are a man of much status in the states Tango ..... or was the police escort to ensure you don't get out of the car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Posted September 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Obviously you are a man of much status in the states Tango ..... or was the police escort to ensure you don't get out of the car That would have been the car that I turned down...it looked like an armour plated presidential limo. The Chevy Impala SS (Super Sport) I'm currently driving is just insane...a 5.3 litre V8 FRONT WHEEL DRIVE, with no traction control or other nanny aids. Saying that it's only supposedly 303 bhp which is pretty miserable from a 5.3, even compared to the 3.5 litre Lexus V6 IS350 which pushes out 306 bhp, or the 4.7 litre V8 IS-F which has 416 bhp, and they're all normally aspirated. The Impala SS in the UK would give Black Boots a fair bit of trade... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CIH Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 About right for a Yank. Bet that lexus doesn't have 100k mile service intervals. Surprised they made a FWD Impala though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Looks a nice motor and a V8 How much is petrol over there then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 how much is car tax over there do they even have car tax ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Tango you are sooo lucky.... Presidential V32 nine wheel drive ozone melting, no tax, cheap fuel little run around..... Spoose it's warm and sunny there to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted September 24, 2008 Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 Tango you are sooo lucky.... Presidential V32 nine wheel drive ozone melting, no tax, cheap fuel little run around..... Spoose it's warm and sunny there to erm Texas ........think its been a tad wet there lately Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Posted September 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2008 .... Spoose it's warm and sunny there to Tis very hot, it's true, and humid, but Hurricane IKE damage from the weekend before last is still evident in Houston and Galveston just down the road on the coast has been mostly wiped out, with boats as big as fishing trawlers left in the middle of the freeway. Galveston was closed until they opened the road at 6 o'clock this morning to let all the evacuees in to check whether they had a house left to live in etc. If you lived inside the sea wall then you also have to get out before 6 o'clock this evening (half an hours time) as there's a curfew. Most of the Houston police force has been sent to handle the traffic and impose the curfew, so maybe I can play with the Impala without being arrested...but knowing my luck mugged and/or shot. Bazza, they're really suffering from the increased oil prices too.....petrol is over $3.25 a gallon No car tax apart from the 6% Texas tax when you buy a car, but most of the 'freeways' are misnamed as you have to pay a toll to use them....usually a couple of dollars for every 5 miles or so near and in the city limits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Posted September 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 Bazza, they're really suffering from the increased oil prices too.....petrol is over $3.25 a gallon No car tax apart from the 6% Texas tax when you buy a car, but most of the 'freeways' are misnamed as you have to pay a toll to use them....usually a couple of dollars for every 5 miles or so near and in the city limits. Latest update..I was wrong (so nothing new there then!). Our American cousins do pay car tax on an annual basis, but it's called 'Registration Tax' and cost can vary depending on which State you live in, and what weight your vehicle is....it's still about a third of what we pay though They also have to get the car 'certificated', which is same as our MOT test, and is required for a car over 2 years old. ... just learned never to take the pi$$ out of 'Snowjob Squareglasses' or Ms Palin as she is better known. Obama doesn't seem very popular in Texas as peeps here are convinced he intends to rob the rich to give to the poor. Can see Texas fighting for independence again if he gets in....there's certainly enough firearms around to start one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 25, 2008 Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 Reads like your getting the whole nine yards on this trip Tango..... I am really curious the 'certificated' mot in the states, how involved is this test?.... kick the tyre and cheap or a full blown inspection? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Posted September 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2008 I am really curious the 'certificated' mot in the states, how involved is this test?.... kick the tyre and cheap or a full blown inspection? It's all here Interesting it also includes window tinting...Windows immediately to the right and left of the driver, which open, if they have less than 20% light transmittance are not legal. http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi/inspection/item_insp.asp This will keep you amused for hours Tony Seems very similar to ours doesn't it...see the one on tyres, sorry tires h. Any tire without tread wear indicators worn so that less than 2/32 (1/16) of an inch of tread design depth remains when measured (with a tread depth gauge) at the lowest points in any two adjacent major grooves in the center or middle of the tire. i. Any tire with tread wear indicators worn so that the tread wear indicators contact the road in any two adjacent major grooves in the center or middle of the tire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 26, 2008 Report Share Posted September 26, 2008 Blimey it's a bit long winded..... but an interesting read nevertheless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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