C R U Z E

[WhoIsTheLeader]

My car got a very thorough bath and a wax. Looks so good!

Look at that shine! Too bad the paint I was working with has so many very noticeable rough patches. Like that big chunk out of the bumper or the entire bottom half of the car.

With a fresh oil change plus new engine and cabin air filters I'm in a pretty decent place with this car. It's still got the somewhat bald hard economy tires it came with three years ago so that would be the obvious next upgrade.

I ran out of my usual plastic restorer and this was taken on the way to get more so I still have a long way to go in massaging the sunburned plastics to turn back the right color.

I still suck at taking photos of cars though. Maybe I just chose a crappy background with the imposing giant mass of an industrial building. So I tried a different one by driving to the Confederate Cemetery. It's beautiful inside but the parking lot isn't. I have a question for y'all: is it rude to drive your car into a cemetery? No one has been buried there in 100 years and there wasn't anyone there. Would a car photo backdrop be an acceptable use for the cemetery?

[CB]

@whoistheleader To me, a cemetery is off limits for photo shoots. It just feels a little wrong, no matter how long ago the last body was buried.

[WhoIsTheLeader]

@cb Exactly why I didn't take any photos inside. It is beautiful though.

[Chariotoflove]

@whoistheleader
So you like your Cruze? Good car? I see a fair number around for decent prices.

[WhoIsTheLeader]

@chariotoflove it's been nothing but good to me in the 3 years and 30,000 miles I've had it. It's more engaging to drive than you expect and it's a nice comfortable place to be. Smooth, quiet, and handles well but also isn't boring to drive.

The only problem with most of them have the unfortunate 1.4T engine. Mine is a base trim with the 1.8 liter NA. That's the one you want because it doesn't break. But also the transmissions are known to not hold up well over time if you don't service them.

[StreetsofPerth]

@whoistheleader The Cruze is looking good. I wouldn't use a cemetary as a backdrop for photos, but I would take photos of a historic cemetary for the cemetary itself, if it was interesting enough. Ever seen photos of the monuments at Staglieno Cemetary in Italy? Astonishingly beautiful. Personally, I have this weird thing about not taking photos in churches. It somehow feels disrespectful to me and I'm not even religious. I figure the dead would like to be remembered, so they probably don't mind so much.

[WhoIsTheLeader]

@streetsofperth I've got similar thoughts. I think you only drive your car actually into the cemetery if you're going to a specific grave. Though the National Cemetery (Union soldiers mostly) nearby only has parking inside and it's very limited.

That place it Italy is striking. Those statues are so expressive! The most beautiful cemetery I've been to is Atlanta's Oakland Cemetery, the city's oldest public park. It's well known for having very interesting graves that reflect the personality of the owners.

For instance, this guy was obsessed with having his grave exactly how he wanted it while he was still living. This chair faces the entrance so he can see people coming in.

You've got everyone from unknown beggars to celebrities like Margaret Mitchell buried here. Massive crypts next to humble markers. It's a fun place to wander around.

[Taylor Martin]

@whoistheleader Well, this certainly answers the question as to whether or not your car is orange or red.

Regardless, it's clean! Well done! It's the little things that keep us going (and our cars)

[WhoIsTheLeader]

@taylor-martin said in C R U Z E:

Well, this certainly answers the question as to whether or not your car is orange or red.

On an overcast evening such as that one, it definitely looks red. In sunlight, it's less clear cut.

[Taylor Martin]

@whoistheleader It looks orange to me, especially in the last photo. Squeaky clean!

[WhoIsTheLeader]

@taylor-martin And your car is p u r p l e, fight me.

[Taylor Martin]

@whoistheleader R E D

Not my car but close enough.