Topic: Back from Newfoundland, did you miss me?

[Trainman]

Well, my trip to Newfoundland is done.

I ended up with a Pontiac Grand Prix



First, if you have never been to NF, try to go.  It is amazing, the scenery, the history and the people.  I wish I had a week longer than I did.  Made it to Dildo!   

Only one moose, and it was on a logging road.

My thoughts on the GP (it had 23,000 km on it and I put 1,100 km on it over 7 days):

Bad:
Engine/transmission combo.  Needed lots of gas to get up the steep, short hills on the TCH.  It would then shift down and take off, so I back off the gas, the trannie shifts back up and we do the dance again.  Ended up manually downshifting.

Handling.  I had a choice between the GP and a Malibu so I took what I thought would be the “drivers” car.  It understeeers worse than the Sienna and even the Pathfinder.  Typical front heavy, front drive American car.  Not fun to drive at all.

Ergonomics.  Despite having tilt steering and a drivers seat that could be adjusted for height, I could not find a comfortable driving position and ended up quite sore (wrists and back).  The high window line does not help.

Good:
Very quite, no rattles or squeaks or noticeable wind noise.
Good fuel economy, 38 mpg on the one full tank I got.

Weirdness:
How not to baby your driver:  2 large bumps on the steering wheel, very comfortable to hold but at the wrong spots for me; red dash/instrumentation illumination was quite nice but why a bright red indicator light for kph?  I always thought that red dash lights indicated a serious problem (low oil pressure, etc) so that took a bit of getting used to.  Not a very intuitive cruise control set up, only found it after I was half back to St. John’s.

Overall: Not my cup of tea.

[mrthompson]

Hey, welcome back.  Thanks for the brief trip/rental report.  Sorry to hear your rental mule was a POS.   

[initial_D]

Tea? Aren't you a Timmie's Coffee drinker?  

For the record, I voted YES (somebody has to play nice!   ) I don't think this is a wasted of a POLL. But a review on a GM Product, that is a different story ...  

Hey, welcome back.  Thanks for the brief trip/rental report.  Sorry to hear your rental mule was a POS.   

AH, Mr.T, don't call it that, it is an expensive higher end GM product.  Some fancier as$ name? 

[Trainman]

Thanks for the brief trip/rental report. 

You want a longer one    

I can say lots of good things about the trip, not much more about the car.

[UmroAyyar]

Thanks for the brief trip/rental report. 

You want a longer one    

I can say lots of good things about the trip, not much more about the car.

What about my request? did you take the picture of that moose? 

BTW, welcome back, glad you enjoyed your trip.

[ovr50]

Welcome back, Trainman. 

Don't care to hear more about the Pontiac; but would like to hear/see more about Nfld. Wifey thinks she wants to visit it, and I'm not so sure. Convince me, one way or the other? 

[Snowman]

  Who is this Choo Choo guy and why did he go to Nefie Scotia? 
Welcome back and keep posting, must off-set other posts from some other retuning member fomr the penalty box.

[Trainman]

Thanks for the brief trip/rental report. 

You want a longer one    

I can say lots of good things about the trip, not much more about the car.

What about my request? did you take the picture of that moose? 

BTW, welcome back, glad you enjoyed your trip.

I got the moose, just need to do some blowing up.  Will be a test of the new 6 mgp camera I took with me.

[UmroAyyar]

Thanks for the brief trip/rental report. 

You want a longer one    

I can say lots of good things about the trip, not much more about the car.

What about my request? did you take the picture of that moose? 

BTW, welcome back, glad you enjoyed your trip.

I got the moose, just need to do some blowing up.  Will be a test of the new 6 mgp camera I took with me.

Cool, I have seen two moose, one in china town and one outside Loblaws. They're not real. 
Which Camera?

[Trainman]

Thanks for the brief trip/rental report. 

You want a longer one    

I can say lots of good things about the trip, not much more about the car.

What about my request? did you take the picture of that moose? 

BTW, welcome back, glad you enjoyed your trip.

I got the moose, just need to do some blowing up.  Will be a test of the new 6 mgp camera I took with me.

Cool, I have seen two moose, one in china town and one outside Loblaws. They're not real. 
Which Camera?

Canon A540, nice and small, easy to carry.  I use a Canon AE1 as my main camera but decided to go digital for trips like this.

The moose was a way down the road but looks good when I blow it up on the screen so hopefully it will be good as a real photo too.

[Trainman]

Welcome back, Trainman. 

Don't care to hear more about the Pontiac; but would like to hear/see more about Nfld. Wifey thinks she wants to visit it, and I'm not so sure. Convince me, one way or the other? 

I do not need convicing, I want to take my family back some day.  I will post up some pictures and thoughts a bit later but I felt it was well worth the trip.

Of course, depends on what you like.  If you are looking for night life and fast food and plays and other stuff like that, then you will be confined to St. John's.  But if you like history, scenery and just driving around looking at the sights, then its a good place to go.

And the Newfoundlanders drive FAST but not crazy like Albertans.  And thier TCH makes the part in BC look like a secondary road.

[Scaerio]

Made it to Dildo! 

Here's a deal.  I won't tell any Dildo stories if you don't. 

Glad to hear you had a good time in my homeland.

[safristi]

If yer THE REAL Trained Man.....ye'll share yer Lobster POT wif US.....Mmmm SMOKIN!!!!

[AVToller]

Welcome back. Screw the car, just fill us in on the good stuff.

I had to say that the poll was a waste because missing you was too obvious an answer. 

[Trainman]

Made it to Dildo!

Here's a deal.  I won't tell any Dildo stories if you don't. 

Glad to hear you had a good time in my homeland.

For you, Scaerio (all at Whitbourn, west (inland) of Dildo):

[dr_spock]

Welcome back, Trainman.   I honeymooned in Newfoundland.   I made it to Dildo and South Dildo.  There wasn't much to see there except the post office and a whale statue.  I believe Heart's Content and Heart's Delight is around there too. 

[Julie]

Welcome back Trainman!

I have visited Newfoundland too, went there for a conference. St-John's. I liked my stay.

Newfoundlanders were very nice.

[tenpenny]

Welcome back, Trainman.   I honeymooned in Newfoundland.   I made it to Dildo and South Dildo.  There wasn't much to see there except the post office and a whale statue.  I believe Heart's Content and Heart's Delight is around there too. 

Honeymoon...Dildo.....yup, there's a whole world of bad jokes right there.....going to Dildo keeps you away from Conception Bay, but it's close to Come By Chance, of course.  And you have to watch out for Joe Batt's Arm, and careful about Snakes Bight.

[kelli]

I voted yes!

Welcome back, trainman.. congrats on the dildo =)

[Trainman]

I voted yes!

Welcome back, trainman.. congrats on the dildo =)

Thanks.

Dildo was my wife's idea 

So she got one.






A post card, complete with a Dildo postmark