#Midsize Trucks

[autosguide]

Best 2023 Midsize Trucks

Picture this – the open road, the wind in your hair, and the perfect midsize truck to carry you through the adventures that await. Choosing the best midsize truck for 2023 is not just about finding a vehicle; it's about discovering a companion for the roads less traveled. In this guide, we'll navigate the terrain of midsize trucks, exploring factors like vehicle type, fuel efficiency, safety features, technology, cargo space, and maintenance costs. So, buckle up and join us on this journey to find the perfect set of wheels that resonates with your spirit of adventure.

Factors to Consider:

1. Vehicle Type:

Best 2023 Midsize Trucks come in various flavors, each catering to different preferences. Are you after the ruggedness of a true off-roader, or does a versatile daily driver better suit your needs? Consider options like the Toyota Tacoma for off-road prowess, or the Honda Ridgeline for a more car-like ride.

2. Fuel Efficiency:

A journey worth taking should also be fuel-efficient. Options like the Ford Ranger and Chevrolet Colorado strike a balance between power and efficiency, making them ideal for both city commutes and highway escapades.

3. Safety Features:

Safety is paramount on any journey. Look for trucks equipped with advanced safety features. The Nissan Frontier, for instance, has made strides in this area, providing a secure ride for you and your passengers.

4. Technology:

In the digital age, technology is a vital companion on the road. Trucks like the Jeep Gladiator and its innovative convertible top option add a dash of modernity to the driving experience.

5. Cargo Space:

Whether you're hauling camping gear or groceries, cargo space is crucial. The Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon offer versatile bed configurations, ensuring you're ready for whatever adventure comes your way.

6. Maintenance Costs:

A journey's success depends on reliability. Consider maintenance costs when choosing your midsize truck. The Toyota Tacoma, known for its legendary reliability, may be a cost-effective choice in the long run.

Emotional Aspects:

Driving Experience:

Beyond the specs, it's about the feeling of hitting the road. The Ram 1500 Classic, with its comfortable ride and various trim options, brings an element of luxury to your driving experience.

Design Appeal:

Design matters, and the Honda Ridgeline, with its unique bed features and refreshed interior, combines practicality with a touch of elegance.

Exploring Your Options:

1. Research:

Dive into the wealth of information available online. Read reviews, compare specifications, and understand the unique selling points of each midsize truck. Utilize keywords such as "2023 midsize truck reviews" for targeted results.

2. Test Driving:

The true test comes behind the wheel. Schedule test drives to feel the handling, comfort, and overall driving dynamics. This hands-on experience is invaluable in finding the truck that resonates with you.

3. Negotiation and Financing:

As you narrow down your choices, navigate the negotiation and financing process responsibly. Consider factors like trade-ins and financing options. Utilize online tools to estimate monthly payments and compare interest rates.

SUVS FOR SALE

HATCHBACKS FOR SALE

Empowering Your Decision:

In conclusion, your ideal midsize truck is not just a vehicle – it's a companion for the adventures that lie ahead. Whether you're drawn to the ruggedness of a Toyota Tacoma, the efficiency of a Ford Ranger, or the versatility of a Chevrolet Colorado, your journey begins with the perfect set of wheels. Empowered with knowledge and guided by your unique needs, you're now ready to confidently choose the midsize truck that aligns with your spirit of adventure. Here's to the road ahead – may it be as thrilling as the truck you choose to navigate it with!

[flmboyz]

Cool 😎 Ford Truck

[nsharks]

bleeding blue | apocalypse au

part twenty-four —other parts

pairing: Simon “Ghost” Riley x fem!reader words: 3k tags: death. blood. cannibalism mention. zombies of course. AFAB reader. single dad ghost. there will be sex but it isn’t here yet. slow burn!!! enemies to lovers. summary: After losing your companions, you run into a skull-masked man and his daughter. They are your last hope for survival. a/n: ily

England passes in beautiful shades of green, the last time you'll see it, so you soak it in. Rolling hills streak the landscape like scars. In the distance, you glimpse faded architecture, imagining people living and working there. An ivy-covered university appears, and you picture yourself dozing off in a lecture. These little fantasies entertain you for the next two hours, but Blue isn't distracted by the same game. When you look at her arm, you notice pink scratches just below where the friendship bracelet hugs her wrist, made by her nails mindlessly.

You tear your eyes from the window and nudge your shoulder against hers. "Hey. What do you call a cow with no legs?"

Her lips twitch at the broken silence and she lifts her azure eyes to yours, a bead of sunlight catching in them. "What?"

"Ground beef."

Those eyes roll. "That's stupid."

Nereida smiles from the other side of her. "Oh, I've got one. What did the ocean say to the beach?"

Blue sighs. "Ghost said that one before. Nothing—it just 'waved'."

A recoil passes over Nereid's kind eyes. "I apologize. That's the only one I know."

Quiet air fills the space again, and when you notice Blue's nails dig back into her wrist, you gently lace your fingers through hers and pull her hand to your lap, allowing her to scratch your thigh, instead. 

When an old theme park erects from the grass, Blue's interest piques. "Woah. What is that?"

"None of it works anymore," Ghost mutters, one hand on the wheel.

"It looks cool, though. I have to pee, anyway. Can we stop here?"

"I could use a little stretch for my legs," Nereida adds.

The pitstop is brief enough to allow Blue the chance to curiously look through the decrepit bumper cars, carousel, and even a small rollercoaster that still has the car sitting mid-track. She grabs Ari's hand to show him, but he doesn't seem as intrigued given the pale look on his face. He ends up rushing to a bush and keeling over.

"The back gets a bit bumpy," Kyle says when he notices your expression. "He'll be fine."

"I'll switch with him for the rest of the way."

"You don't have to."

"It's fine. He can probably entertain Blue better than I can."

Everyone uses the small break to eat a little lunch. You already had some of the beans Ghost packed, so you feel uncertain whether you should eat anymore of his food. You haven't even discussed sharing. Rather, you ration the jerky you made and save the rest. 

It is a small meal, so you eat it slowly to trick your stomach into feeling full. Just before getting back to the truck, you spot a tree by the entrance to Kettering Kastle. Hickory. Paul told you once they make for great arrows, a softer hardwood. Pliable yet strong. This excites you. Your sheath is only half-full, so you grab your serrated knife and cut a few midsized branches to take with you.

Sitting in the truck bed is far from pleasant. The tail wind makes it hard to breathe, and you have to grab the side of the truck to keep yourself from flying out. Kyle notices your struggle and seems amused, but reaches an arm over in offering. You hold onto him and it does some to keep you stable. 

The motorway passes through Kettering, which is a smaller city. The smell is retched, though the only Greys you spot don't take notice to you, trapped between buildings and toppled telephone poles. You make out a sign that reads A14 and figure it is headed to Cambridge. If you continue this pace, you'll reach the coastline by sundown.

Of course, things don't work out that way. The road becomes more obstructed with abandoned vehicles. Ghost has to weave through them like a maze, wasting time and fuel. The sun crawls higher in the sky. Finally, there are a few kilometers of straight road. Speed ticks up only to come to an abrupt halt when he reaches an underpass. You let go of Kyle and stand up to see what has caused the stop—a semi truck completely blocks the way through it.

"Jesus," you mutter.

Consecutive slams of the fronts doors indicate Price and Ghost are checking it out. Kyle hops out with them. After a few minutes, he returns and explains with a sigh, "We'll have to backtrack and find a side street that will lead to another motorway ramp."

"That's going to eat time. The sun will set soon."

He offers his arm again as Ghost begins reversing. "I know. It's fine, we'll just get to the water tomorrow. No rush, yeah?"

It adds an extra hour and a half. The sky turns a remarkable orange that would've had you gawking if not for your irritation of having to stop again. Ghost pulls over just before it gets too dark to set up the tents in a small market town called Haverhill. There's hardly anything here except fields of bright, yellow flowers and little shops with slanted CLOSED signs. It is actually pleasant and well-preserved, until you catch the distinguishable shape of a corpse hanging from one of the telephone poles, a black trash bag over its head.

"Don't look at it."

"Nothing I haven't seen before," you dismiss under your breath. 

A more forested patch of land at the edge of the town is where you make camp for the night.

They eat canned goods and you finish your last pieces of jerky. This means you'll have to find more food for yourself tomorrow, or ask Ghost for some. The thought makes you anxious. The last thing you want is to seem like an extra burden. Dead weight that they'd be better off leaving behind. But he also didn't comment when you ate the beans. The uncertainty of where you stand means you need to make yourself useful.

The men need rest, so you offer to keep watch.

Prices dismisses you. "You don't have to, Twix. The three of us can take turns."

"No, really. I'll keep watch and you guys can all get more sleep. I've just been sitting in a car all day, anyway."

He gives in, visibly fatigued after being up over twenty-four hours.

Ghost and Price sleep first.

That leaves you sitting with Kyle when the stars begin to flicker like bright, little heartbeats against the black night.

You pull out your smoother knife—the one you found back at that base—to carve the sticks you found, careful of your bandaged thumb. 

Kyle lays his rifle across his lap. "First time I am seeing you smile today and it's while carving sticks." 

"Arrows," you correct, holding one up and tapping your index lightly against the sharpened point. "And it's good wood. Hickory."

"You're an easy woman to please," he teases.

"My tastes have changed over the years."

"Really? I can't imagine you as one of those people who cared too much about nice things."

You flash him a raised brow. "Are you saying I was cheap?"

He nudges your knee. "Not what I'm saying. You just seem like someone who would prefer a little movie date over a fancy dinner."

"I liked sushi. Is that fancy?"

He hums. "There were some good cheap sushi spots in London—hole in the wall type places. When there was some kid doing their homework at one of the booths, that's when you knew it'd be good shit."

"You're making me hungry."

"Well, you should've eaten more." He looks at you knowingly. "You're scared to ask anyone for food, aren't you?"

Are you really that easy to read? You place the half-finish arrow across your knees and look at the ground, brushing your fingers absentmindedly through the soft grass. "I just—I am aware of my place here."

"Your place?"

Your hands tightens the grass into a fistful. "I am at the bottom."

"The bottom," he repeats slowly, and his voice lowers. "You really think that?"

You rip the grass and sprinkle it over your boot, glancing up at him. His eyes have darkened, or maybe they are simply mirroring the sky. "I am not complaining. I understand that everyone here has others who they would prefer to keep alive over me, that's all. I just don't want to stick out anymore than I already do."

He reels in your words. "You're forgetting that everyone here has their own perspective, their own wants. It is not as simple as you're making it seem." In a change of topic, he reaches for the arrow on your lap. "Here—let me help."

You hand him the knife and he begins carving expertly as a few minutes of silence ensue. You are lost in your thoughts, keeping your eyes on the surroundings, when he suddenly stops in his handiwork, holding up the knife. You watch him study the leather handle carefully, shake his head to himself, then look at you.

"Where did you get this?"

"Huh? Oh—I found it. At a military base actually."

Your answer seems to strike him, and he releases a disbelieving exhale. "The one near Manchester?"

You nod. 

"It was my brother's."

What?

Reading your expression, he shows you the handle and rubs his thumb over a small etching at the bottom that you can barely make out in the moonlight: PG.

"Patrick Garrick," he explains in a murmur, and your chest tightens. "I didn't even notice it at first. It's been years since I had it. The last time...the last time was when shit happened, and I lent it to a friend of mine at the base."

"Who?"

"Soap," he says, a memory taking over his expression as he rubs his jaw. "He was the other member of our spec ops unit."

"You... Someone mentioned him before. Ghost—he asked you guys about him when you arrived. You don't know what happened to him, right?"

Kyles nods. "He stayed back at the base to keep helping even when Price and I jumped ship. That was the Scottish in him—stubborn as hell. Soap was just his codename, of course. Like mine was Gaz." He looks up at you with a faint dimple. "And yours is Twix, huh?"

"I guess." You press your tongue to your teeth and grab the knife, frowning at it as you try to recall exactly where you grabbed it from. "What was his real name, then?"

"John MacTavish."

"I think—I think your friend is dead. I'm sorry." You gaze at him. "I remember now. I found it in one of the rooms, and there was a skeleton with that name. He... he had it quick, though."

The expression on his typically warm eyes turns unreadable and his shoulders stiffen in the slightest. You wonder if you should have bothered sharing this, but then he shrugs it off with a sigh. "It's okay. Figured as much. Many people have died. He's just another name to the list."

Instinct draws your hand to his shoulder, and the muscles softens beneath your touch. "I'm still sorry."

His eyes find yours. 

He smiles solemnly.

Then, somewhere in it all, he leans over and closes the gap. The sudden, foreign feel of lips pressed against your own stuns you. His lips move gently, cold and soft against yours, and only when he threads a hand through your hair to pull you closer do you fully register what he is doing. Your eyes fly open and you break away, leaping to your feet.

"Why did you—what was that?"

He stands up with you. "It felt right in the moment."

He tries to touch your shoulder but you flinch away. "I'm sorry. I just—I was just trying to comfort you."

"I misread the moment." His eyes are clouded. "So you didn't want it?"

Did you? Your mind feels fuzzy. "I don't know. I need to...I want to be alone right now."

You grab your knife and sticks, rushing around the tents to find solace by the truck, needing to process what just happened. As you move, you bump into a hard chest—Ghost. Somehow you failed to hear the jagged teeth of the tent's zipper. Avoiding his gaze, you try to slip past, but he grips your elbow, holding you in place.

"What is it?"

The lie wedges out of your lips. "Nothing. I just—thought I saw something so I am going to sit over there and keep an eye out."

The difference in height leads to his stare burning into your scalp. "What did you see?" 

"I don't know. Something. Maybe just an animal."

His hold doesn't soften. Stoicism forces itself on your face as you press your lips into a line.

You're easy to ready.

He finally lets go. "I'll take over now. You can sleep."

You find yourself nodding soundlessly, internally glad to be relieved of this duty. 

Sleep offers peace of mind, at least until morning. 

Dawn breaks over the small town in a quiet clatter of spoons against cans and the shuffling of bags being packed up. The dream you wake up from was one of an old life—the last kiss you experienced. But it fizzles quickly from the recesses of your brain the moment your lids shutter open. 

Both you and Kyle seem keen on acting as though nothing happened. More than anything, you are confused. You try to search inside that box of yours for how you feel, but all you find is fear. You've barely been able to keep up with the fear. You busy yourself with helping get everything back in the truck, fitting the supplies like a jigsaw puzzle. You have nothing to eat. A day or two without food is doable until you can properly hunt for something—

"Here."

It is Nereida who catches you by the truck before leaving. She practically shoves a can of tuna into your hands and you look up at her in hesitant gratitude.

"We're all sharing food," she says. "That is how it should be."

"Thank you. Really, this is—"

"Don't thank me. There is plenty for everyone."

For now, your mind chides, but you swallow the thought while scarfing down the meal you pretend is London's finest sushi. 

Once everyone is ready, you head to the back of the truck, expecting an awkward encounter with Kyle, only to find Ghost sitting there beside the kayak, hands relaxed behind his head.

"What are you doing?"

"Needed a break from driving."

You glance at the front to see that Price is behind the wheel, and Kyle is in the passenger side. In a way, you're relieved. You breathe through your nose and hoist yourself up. The bumpy ride is quiet at first. His body takes up space so that each pothole nudges your shoulder or knee against his. The morning ages. You swear you can see there coast at one point, but it must be your imagination, because the passing sign reads Halstead. 

"You really need to work on lying better."

The brash accent registers low against the hum of the engine, and his eyes are closed when you look over. He is leaned back, one leg straight and one bent, seeming to enjoy the seat more than you are. 

"Fine. I'm bad at lying."

"Care to share the truth, then?"

He needn't elaborate for you to know what he is referring to. "I was...I was upset because I found out my knife—the one I took from the base—belonged to Kyle's brother."

His brow ticks.

You continue, "But he actually gave it to Soap, and I—I found his dog tag on a skeleton. John MacTavish. You were friends with him, weren't you?"

His eyes open, but they are too murky to decipher from just his profile. His jaw flexes. "I wasn't a man with friends, Twix."

"You know what I mean."

There is a pause, and then, "He was a sergeant under my command. A good man. Grating, at times. But good."

"Well, I'm sorry he didn't make it. If you of all people say he was a good guy, then he really must've been."

He hums in agreement. Thoughtful. Then—two gloved fingers touch your jaw, turning your eyes to his. "You are still lying, and still bad at it."

You wet your lips. "I wasn't—"

"Help!"

Ghost drops your chin and grabs the gun from his waist.

Your eyes flash around at the sound of a second plea. There is a man at the side of the road, leg draped in bloodied bandages, but there isn't a chance for you to register more of him when the truck takes a sudden, sharp left down a side street and you brace yourself by grabbing the edge with both arms. The small city-scape whirls by in a blur. Ghost swears under his breath, scanning the area as he bends on one knee and keeps the gun secure in his grip. Confused, you grab his arm.

"That man was injured."

His voice is harsh and alert. "He has fucking friends somewhere here. He was just trying to—"

A shattering sound. An audible pop. You're thrown against the truck bed even harder this time as it skids across the street, nearly slamming into a flipped-over car. Ghost covers you, the weight of him keeping you from flying out. The truck swerves to a halt. Everything is black until his weight lifts. He barks an order, jumps out, and pulls you with him.

Pressed against the side of the truck, the world becomes consumed by loud sounds and the distinct smell of gunpowder. Ghost rips open the passenger door and urgently pulls Blue, Ari, and Nereida out, ordering them to keep low. From the other side, you hear Price and Kyle shouting, followed by another series of gunshots.

[ralfmaximus]

This week, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stunned safety advocates by proposing new vehicle rules that it says will help reduce pedestrian deaths in America. The new rules appear aimed directly at the trend of increasingly massive SUVs and trucks, which have been shown to be more deadly to pedestrians than smaller and midsize vehicles.

FINALLY we're doing something about these fuckoff huge pickups & SUVs. Guess what happens if Trump gets back in office?

[angryisokay]

Hm. I want to say “no one is pulling pussy with a 5ft bed” but if you’ve got a crew cab with a 5ft bed, you wanted/needed a family vehicle that can haul recreational stuff/has cargo space you can spray down with a hose.

So like. Obviously you pulled enough pussy at some point to make kids.

This kei truck shit is so annoying. Now do payload capacity of those beds, let alone towing capacity, range, number of occupants, etc

[punkeropercyjackson]

as someone who selfships with astrid (wuh luh wuh) and has Hiccup as a familial f/o, you are so real for hicpip !!! lore dump about your s/i sometime -🪓🐑

Okay,i will!!!!

Pip's full name is Pipsqueak Undergo Reidun(hideous names given to ward off monsters etc)and his title pre-series is Pipsqueak The Worthless

He's the son of a berkian woman named Gertrud Reidun and an african/'eastern archipeligo' man named Osmund who was raised nordic to help fit into his setting.Osmund is ambigiously black because 1.i don't know which african country my ancestors came from </3 and 2.he's long dead by the time the story starts and so is Gertrud.They were killed under mysterious circumstances when Pipsqueak was 9 so Pipsqueak lived alone in their house but didn't quite raise himself as Gobber helped him out very often with things he couldn't do and taught him how to do ones he could at that age

Since he's black/white mixed,he has black hair,brown eyes,light brown skin,a big nose and plump lips.His color motif in his outfits is purple but his actual favorite color is pink and in Httyd1,he has twin braids and bangs that mostly cover his eyes,in Rtte he has goddess braids with gold accesories and Httyd2 he has an afro with a gold metal headband.He's also almost as scrawny as Hiccup(underweight from lack of care)but like Hiccup too,puberty hits bro like a truck and he's still flatchested and short but ends up midsized and grew into his looks big time

Hiccup and Pipsqueak met when they were 4 years old and their parents were having a meeting so they brought them along and Hiccup offered Pipsqueak the last slice of his milk and cookies pie and Pipsqueak told Hiccup his freckles are cool and they were best friends ever since.Hiccup's egg cracked when he was 6 and he came out to Pipsqueak first,who accepted him happily with open arms and Pipsqueak realized he's bigender and genderfluid when he was 9 shortly after his parents' death and told only Hiccup to avoid even further isolation from Berk.The Berkians had a feeling though,with how deliberately androgynous he is

Valka like Osmund is from 'the eastern archipeligo' but a different part,being from what was The Philipines at the time so Hiccup is biracial/wasian and his facial features are notably different from fully white berkians,as is his hair texture and he has a (very) light brown tone to his skin

Pipsqueak was a shrinking violet who kept quiet most of the time due to the bullying he faced and it only got worse upon his orphaning.He's always been a real yapper around Hiccup though and this is because that's what he's actually like and he's also very in touch with femininity and loves adrenaline and causing chaos and but holds it back to not make everyone hate him.He's also an artist,adores cooking and gardening and collects pretty and weird things he finds.He's a premordial earthy black girl tbh

Httyd1-Pipsqueak is introduced in the opening intro narration by Hiccup as he runs up to a water filled barrel to knock it over to take out the fire the other teens ignored to to do the slomo walk and goes to the forge to tell Gobber to leave Hiccup alone.Gobber teases them about their closeness and when he exits,Pip tells Hiccup he'll prove everyone wrong one day and that they know he will and he feels happy they believe in him and it boosts his self-eestem and he tells him he knows too and thanks him.Pipsqueak spends the movie mainly as Hiccup's supportive and understanding best friend but has his own mini arc in learning to stand up for himself and becoming best friends with Astrid as they learn they're not as opposite as they think they are and have more reasons to love eachother and be there for one another than to hate eachother and stand divided.It's kicked off by them saying 'A shield!' at the same time during the first dragon training session and being shocked over it

Pipsqueak had a semi-intense dislike of her,seeing her as just a shallow mean girl with no issues that Hiccup was crazy to crush on(there was some jealousy there too but they didn't know that at the time),and Astrid started thinking over what she actually knew of Pipsqueak and not everyone's opinion and gained an interest in befriending another girl her age who wasn't Ruffnut(and they ain't exactly friends and Astrid dosen't want them to be.Lesbian flag emoji).She's very socially awkward and actually has autism + ocd and is trans too but she knew she's a girl so young nobody remembers or knows she's not cis.So it took her a bit to get the hang of showing it to him in a way he'd get it but she did and Pipsqueak reciprocated her efforts before he even got what she was going for.Pipsqueak fought back early on against Snotlout and the twins' torment and it only grew as part 1 of the story went on.By the end,he was Snotlout's bully than he his but in a friends and even siblings way and Fishlegs and him are hinted to geek out together a lot in the future,shown onscreen in the sequels

He knows about Toothless since the beginning as Hiccup's confidant and is really distressed at the strong posibility he'd be hurt or even killed trying to train him but encouraged him nonetheless to pursue what makes him happy and gives him a chance at acceptance,knowing how much it means to him and not telling him his fears so he could give it his all.He admits to them near the climax and Hiccup feels guilty and apologizes and makes it up to him by being a lot more attentive-which is saying a lot comsidering how he treated Pipsqueak beforehand-from that point on through the whole franchise,including the games and comics.Pip is the only dragon rider to not gain his own dragon in Httyd1 and just rides Toothless and Stormfly with Hiccup and Astrid but he gets one in Rob

Rob-Okay so much happens since it's a fulllength show so i won't do details but he's an mc in most episodes and gets a few of his own,most significantly his dragon's introduction:Cloudy Skies,a Rose Fury aka the pink and chlorokinetic Night Fury subtype.The series starts with Pipsqueak feeling leftout on not having a dragon and he encounters Cloudy Skies out on the beach and this happens multiple times throught the episode,over the course of a few days.By episode 2,he convinces her to meet the Dragon Riders and her fellow dragons and her and Toothless instantly jump on eachother on Fury connection.It's a lighthearted comedic episode until the ending,when Pipsqueak wakes up to Cloudy Skies missing.Episode 3 is the finale to the mini arc and it's revealed Rose Furys need enrichment to survive by spending time surrounded by nature and Pipsqueak dubs her with her name as it rained on the day they met but they stayed together on the beach anyway.As a twist on the Toothless x female Night Fury Variant trope ever present in Httyd self-insert fics,Cloudy Skies and Stormfly are love interests

Hiccup,Pipsqueak and Astrid are the Nightrosenadder trio and Hiccup is over Astrid by Httyd1 to establish a healthy platonic m/f bond and avoid love triangles.Platonic Hiccstrid is as close as it's canon romantic counterpart despite the no romance and Pipstrid is one of the closest relathionships to ever come out of Dreamworks tv but is queerplatonic in a sapphic way and maybe even sisterly but they don't put a label on it until adulthood,which is when their feelings fully settle and Astrid calls Pipsqueak the sister she always wanted and Pipsqueak calls Astrid everything he's not but not out of resentment anymore-He means she completes him🩵🩷🫶🏽

Rtte-Pipsqueak has earned the new title Pipsqueak The Worthy for his boundless,nonstop and near impossible heroism based on his pure selflessness and refusal to stand down when someone needs help and it's played for laughs sometimes of him acting like a fussy mother,cemmenting his team mom status in his friend group and to kids they meet on their adventures too and even to some dragon babies.His cooking skills are even better and so's his artistry and his collections now come in hoards from all the items and he's fully open with his snark and silly troublemaker tendencies now and his garden is in bloom and strong as he is.Hicpip is still slowburning but Fishlout and Ruffstrid are canonized in this run and so is aroace Tuffnut.Ironically enough,Fishlegs,Snotlout,Ruffnut,Astrid and him all assumed they were already a couple pre-befriending them and Hiccup is on default team dad mode

Pipsqueak becomes an Ormar,a half human/dragon hybrid,the first of his kind.Rtte has seven seasons instead of six and one is dedicated to this journey/Pipsqueakcentric.This includes uncovering what happened to his parents and he dedicated all his time to the mystery,to the point Hiccup has to force him to eat and sleep(once the other Dragon Riders walked in on Hiccup pining Pipsqueak down to Pip's bed to make him sleep when he was refusing to because he 'almost had it' and came to the natural romantic/shippy joke 'it's not what it looks like!!!' conclusion and teased them for a week straight).The leadup is Pipsqueak and Cloudy Skies getting kidnapped by a gang of sorcerers who worship Furys in the same way christians worship the bible i.e they ain't know jackshit and just lie and use them as an excuse to be bad people,to the point they're a cult.They perform a ritual on them to transfer Cloudy Skies' soul into Pipsqueak's body but thanks to their lack of actual Fury knowledge,it turns him into basically Cloudy Skies' twin/kid with her dna greatly in him and thus granting him powers.I'm dragonkin so there's not any angst for him upon his new species and he's happier than ever in fact

The Cult of Furies(a hint to their poserisms that aren't revealed until a bit later is they don't know the plural of the Fury species is 'Furys',not 'Furies'.They're norse,not greek)targeted Gertrud and Osmund for their extensive research of legit Fury facts,knowing them sharing it to the world as they'd announced they'd do would destroy their credability,and assasinated them at the crack of dawn.Pipsqueak can't bring himself to kill but he does throughly punish them upon busting the case:Forcing them to work as servants to the needy for the rest of their lives,placing a spell upon them with their own 'holy book' that gives them the uncontrollable compulsion to.He uses it to do spells on Hiccup and Astrid too but to give them their 'dream bodies',that is to say magic testosterone and estrogen respectively and essentially non-medical surgeries to remove Hiccup's boobs and give them their desired private parts

Dagur has a one-sided weird obsessive entitled crush on Hiccup(seriously what the fuck was up with this nigga towards him in Rtte?????Giving booktok boyfriend and not in the Katara way)and is thus extremely hostile to Pipsqueak and tries to hurt him or force him away so him and Hiccup 'can date at long last'.Hiccup is still in denial over being in love with Pipsqueak atp but tells him he'd pick them over him even if he held his axe to his throat and is found by Pipsqueak themself just as this happens,leading to Pip kicking Dagur's ass so hard he's scared of him now

Httyd 2-Hicpip is canon at last!!Like Pipverse Httyd1,this is mostly a play by play of canon but with a few add-ons and adjustments.Fishlegs and Snotlout's dragon racing attempts to impress are trying to one up eachother as boyfriends to flirt and Pipsqueak is the one in Astrid's place in the iconic Hiccstrid scenes in this,they're too good to remove!!No actually they're not actually dating yet <3 Pipsqueak comes along with Hiccup on the Valka journey and Valka figures out they're in love literally 3 convos in,including their first (re)meeting.Pipsqueak hopefully asks Valka for info on Osmund and Gertrud and she tells her stories of them on their younger days and how excited they were to have him,bringing him to a short burst of happy tears and Hiccup wraps an arm around him in comfort.While the five of them(Cloudy Skies is there too,since she's Pipsqueak dragon)are having a fun lighthearted adventure and Valka even introduces them to ube food during it,Astrid is trying to keep things in place as she helps out Stoick with the Drago situation and with Ruffnut's secretive nature recently as she can easily tell she's hiding from her despite otherwise acting normal,Ruffpuff normal way and yes,Astrid does call Ruffnut her Ruffpuff.Only in private and Gobber laughs when she accidentally lets it slip in front of him,to her embarrassment as she tells him at least she has someone to be gay with(he gets offended and says he could be gay with anyone he wanted to.....if he wanted to)

Hiccup admits his feelings for Pipsqueak outloud for the first time in his life,as he muses over his fear of the future and who he is and who he wants to be.It's not until it's said word for word by him that he fully believes it and he tries to plan out an elaborate confession he keeps fumbling and changing his mind on until we get a 'Hiccstrid but it's Hicpip' moment again,the 'Still doing that one.That's hilarious.Come here,you' kiss scene when Hiccup pulls in Pipsqueak by his waist for a kiss,only this is their first kiss,and Pipsqueak had zero confidence Hiccup loves him back but kisses back on instinct inspite of his shock.And to replace Stoick dying as a major core event of the movie,Pipsqueak uses his Ormar/Rose Fury status to train The Dark Alpha as his friend,wanting to save it upon finding out it's being mindcontrolled by Drago and severely abused by him for who knows how long and it eats him in the final battle.Pipsqueak remames his second dragon 'Lightscratch',Hiccup becomes chief because finally ending up together with Pipsqueak gave him what he needed to accept his deserved and earned role in the world,Valka returns to Berk with her and Stoick's 'future daughter in law' as enthutiastically shouted by him in front of the entire village and Ruffnut reveals the secret she was keeping from Astrid in front of the entire village too:A proposal.Astrid of course says yes in unrestrained joy and pulls her up into her arms bridal style to kiss her passionately and Snotlout comments snarkily it looks like it's makeout day now to which Fishlegs shyly asks if they can participate.Snotlout thinks about it for exactly three seconds and plants one on him

There's an after credits short about the Hicpip wedding day and a timeskip showing them and everybody else as middle-aged,with the Hicpip kids(or 'Milk and Cookies Pie Kids' as i like to call them /silly)consisting of identical twin girls named Bronwyn and Stone,an eldest son named Isagani and a toddler girl named Mark and Cloudy Skies and Stormfly have a litter of hybrid dragon babies of varying ages

And a little bonus:Pipsqueak is voiced by Estelle☺️

[myloveforhergoeson]

Online Songs - Chapter 3

Find me on wattpad + ao3!

Chapter 3: Can't Take It

“Ugh! Mr. Harris’ chem lab assignment next week is so stupid!”

From the moment Daisy-Mae opened the red door of Makana’s Toyota Camry and slid into the passenger seat, the complaining began. Though there had been plenty of time for her to say something about it as the two left the main doors of Clear Creek High School, Kana was too busy waving goodbye to everyone and anyone, while leading her best friend to her assigned parking spot.

“For starters, we have to wear long pants and close-toed shoes - Yuck! - and he said we’re going to have to wear these shitty plastic goggles that, like, every single student in the history of the school has ever touched. And they’re totally going to leave a mark on my face too, so I’ll be heading to English looking like some alien creature was sucking on my face…”

It was quite hard for Daisy to listen to her friend’s ailments over the blaring pop music that started up from the stereo, so she reached to turn it down, missing the last few words of Kana’s statement. Brown backpack settling at her feet, Daisy shifted her long legs to the side to try and find a bit more room while she settled her sketchbook on her lap.

In the driver’s seat, her friend spoke with so much animation, her long, wavy black hair flying this way and that, hands gesticulating wildly, tone bobbing up and down to emphasize different words… Sometimes it was exhausting listening to her speak, from Daisy’s introverted perspective, but there was no one else on Earth she’d rather spend her time with than her best friend - Especially after a long, long first week of school had finally come to a close. 

As per the routine the two of them had built last semester when Kana had gotten her driver’s license and brand new car on her 16th birthday, they’d brave the long line of cars to get out of the one exit to the school parking lot together and then head down the main road to their favorite donut shop to reward themselves for surviving that week. 

Kana had put the car in reverse and hit the gas pedal before Daisy could even get her seatbelt on, attempting to cut in front of a few other people to try and get a spot farther up in the line. Even though Chester was a midsize city with a healthy population, Clear Creek was the only high school on their side of town, making it one of the biggest in the county. 

Clicking her seatbelt in once, then undoing it and clicking it again, Daisy tugged on the rough material to make sure it was stable before she addressed her friend’s concerns. “Bring a change of clothes?”

“Oh!” Kana brought her palms down onto the steering wheel with a bang! Brown eyes growing wide despite the sun shining directly into them, she grinned. “That’s brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that… But, I still hate Harris for trying to cramp my style!”

A very distinct style at that… Daisy thought to herself, gaze flickering from the black truck’s brake lights ahead of them to her friend. 

Having moved to Chester, Virginia with her family from Kapa’a, Hawaii, a few years ago, most of her wardrobe conflicted with that of most other people they went to school with. Kana favored loose, airy clothing that made it look like she was ready to hit the beach at any given moment. Typically, minimalistic in color, sticking to earth tones, she rocked it as though it were the clothing featured on the cover of the teen magazines she was always sticking into Daisy’s backpack. 

Long ago, she said the clothing reminded her of home too much to let go and blend in with the rest of her peers, even in the cold of the winter. It was then she’d make her way over to Daisy’s and borrow from her “grandma-esque” wardrobe, packed full of warm sweaters and cardigans to layer on top. 

“It’s just to keep you safe,” Daisy added, picking at the faded cover of the sketchbook in her lap. “And only for one period.”

The sigh that rolled out of Kana as they finally made it to the stop light at the parking lot exit made it seem like the lab situation was the end of the world. “Maybe I’m just worried about the actual chemical mixing part - How can that be safe for a bunch of people who have never encountered ‘sucrose’ and ‘sodium bicarbonate’ or whatever.”

Daisy couldn’t contain the chuckle that passed her lips, “You mean sugar and baking soda?” 

“See! This is why I wish you were in my class, Daisy! Your counselor was so wrong to put you in environmental science instead.”

Thinking back to course selection at the end of last semester, the girl shuddered as she recalled her solo meeting with her guidance counselor. It had taken a lot of courage and worrying about the conversation for a week straight for her to ask to edit the schedule he’d come up with for her junior year.

“Fighting for that course was hard.”

As the car turned, Kana took her hand from the wheel and placed it on Daisy’s shoulder. “I know, girl, and the way you connect with and understand nature is almost straight-up magical. Are you blowing all the seniors away yet?”

Simply shaking her head as she stared out the window, watching as the small town center their high school was in slowly began to fade into farmland, Daisy figured that was enough of a response. 

Kana knew how hard it was for Daisy to connect with others, the intense anxiety and panic she felt when having to interact with people. 

It wasn’t anything Daisy ever really shared with anyone, besides her therapist, but they’d met each other while the Southerner had been in the middle of a panic attack in Clear Creek’s second-floor bathroom.

Completely overcome by her emotions on the first day of her freshman year, she had run out of her math class when the teacher suggested Daisy start them off with an icebreaker game. It just so happened that Kana slipped out of her class at the same time, and they’d ended up in the same place. 

And she stayed, sitting next to Daisy as the other girl crumpled to the floor, clutching at her chest because she could barely breathe. 

“It’s alright, you’re going to make it through this, even if it’s scary,” Kana assured her, voice perfectly calm and soothing. She didn’t look at the girl directly, touch her, or do anything to heighten her anxiety, simply saying, “Let’s breathe together, okay? In… and out… In… and out…”

Though it took more than a few rounds, Kana’s technique had eventually worked, and for the first time in her life, Daisy had someone she was comfortable around who wasn’t a member of her family. 

When she was finally grounded again, Daisy used the sleeves of her navy blue sweater to dry away the tears streaming down her face, throat still choking up as she asked, “...How?”

“My girlfriend’s sister has anxiety attacks, too. She says it can feel impossible to get through them alone sometimes.”

Since then, the two were nearly inseparable. 

As Daisy recalled the distant memory, she hadn’t even noticed Kana pull into the parking lot of the donut place, until the car had completely stopped and she was stepping out of the vehicle. Scrambling to follow, the crisp fall air hit her face, causing her blonde curls to blow off her shoulders as she gathered her backpack and books, following behind her friend.

Donut “shop” might not have been the right word, as Hole-y Roller was just a house the owner, Mrs. Matthews, had gutted and turned into a business on the first floor and abode on the second, but it was one of Kana and Daisy’s favorite spaces in all of Chester. No matter what time of day they went, the treats were always fresh, the coffee was always hot, and the atmosphere was just bright enough for Kana and chill enough for Daisy; Everything about the place was perfect…

Except for the name. But Daisy was willing to look past the slight act of sacrilege as long as she remembered to ask for forgiveness and cleansing in her nightly prayers. She figured even God would be able to look past the name of the joint if He were able to sink his teeth into one of Mrs. Matthew’s mouth-watering creations. 

Hole-y Roller had the potential to be quite busy with donuts so good they attracted a line halfway around the block in the mornings, but the afternoons, as the girls had found after much trial and error, were far less busy. Regardless, Kana looked over her shoulder on the way in - silently asking Daisy if she was comfortable. 

The background chatter among patrons was moderate, there were plenty of open tables, and she didn’t see anyone they knew from school.

When the other girl nodded, Kana’s smile lit up as bright as the neon sign out front and she gently grabbed Daisy’s hand to lead them to their usual table in the corner. “What new flavor should I try today?”

Falling into one side of the squeaky blue vinyl booth, Daisy put her bag up against the wall and her book in front of her. “I saw a poster in the window for a pineapple upside-down donut.” 

“Ooh, yummy! We’ll see if Mrs. M could find the best fruit in the mainland then… Do you want your usual?”

Daisy nodded, bangs falling into her eyes and over the lens of her glasses before she quickly brushed them away. “Yes, please.”

At times, she worried that Kana would think her childish for ordering in her place, but their first week of school had been so long, that Daisy’s social battery was nearly zero. There was no time to worry about such things, especially when Kana had assured her a million times she didn’t mind and when a sugar rush was on the line. 

“Coming right up!” Kana beamed, hopping out of the other side of the booth and falling into line among the other customers. 

In the meantime, Daisy grabbed one of her pencils out of her bag and popped her sketchbook open, so she had something to do while Kana was ordering. The last thing she needed was for someone to think she was a loser for sitting at a table all alone; Drawing in the meantime would help take her mind off of it. 

Flipping to the double-page spread of the Chesterfield State Forest instantly transported Daisy to her seat in history class next to the window. She’d spent much of Mrs. Gruben’s lecture today perfecting the rough outline of the sketch and only needed to draw in a few more trees on the right side before she went in for a second layer with color. 

While she’d originally thought oil pastels would fit the scene best, as she examined her drawing now, she figured watercolors might be better for blending the layers of the forest with her favorite greens, browns, and blacks; If she didn’t overload the paper with water like she had last time, the painting would come out perfectly. 

The next time she visited the art studio with her grandfather, she’d get his opinion and go from there. 

When am I free next? Nana and I are going to the library tomorrow, church and assisting Jay-Jay with dinner on Sunday… After school on Monday? If I can figure out the pre-calc assignment-

“Whatcha workin’ on?” Kana asked, startling Daisy so much she accidentally knocked her book off of the white granite table top. “Shit! Sorry, Daisy…”

As the girl tried to calm her now pounding heart, Kana quickly set the small red basket containing one pineapple upside-down donut and one maple bar and the cardboard tray with two piping hot coffees down on the table. In a flash, she bent down to pick up her friend’s sketchbook, before freezing halfway down, eyes narrowing as she scrutinized one of the pages the book had fallen open to. 

Laid out in black and white, a boy she’d never seen before stared back at her.

“Who’s this?” She asked, gently reaching for the book as she stood back up and slid into the booth, holding the page open. “Why does he look like he belongs in some sort of boyband?”

Donut all but forgotten, Kana made a big show of holding the page right up to her face, then pulling it back and placing the drawing in the path of the sunlight pouring in through the window beside her, turning the book to the right and the left, examining the drawing from every possible angle she could before Daisy worked up the courage to pull it out of her hands.

“Nothing. No one,” She spat, feeling the back of her neck grow hot and itchy under her turtleneck. 

The discovery of Kendall K’s YouTube video earlier in the week hadn’t left Daisy’s head since she’d been caught watching it in the Clear Creek library. Since she didn’t own a phone or computer of her own and she was too embarrassed to go back to the scene of the crime, she hadn’t been able to watch the video again. Despite that, “Check Yes, Juliet” had been stuck in her head for days, and she couldn’t get his face out of her mind, so she’d taken every single detail she could remember from watching the video over and over, and had drawn him as best she could. 

Kana blinked, wisps of steam from her coffee swirling up the jaw she’d dropped. “No one my ass, Daisy-Mae! You’re blushing! Did you meet someone in class this week? I’ve never seen this guy before…”

Hoping it would stall the conversation for at least a few more seconds, Daisy reached for her donut and stuffed about half of it in her mouth, making a big display of chewing very, very slowly, while pushing the tray over toward her friend. 

“I’m going on a hunger strike until you spill, so tell me now or you’re going to kill me! At least tell me his name so I can see if anyone we know follows him-”

“They won’t,” Daisy mumbled, though it was very hard to decipher with her cheeks stuffed full of perfectly sweet, fried dough. “At least… I don’t think he’s from here.”

Bringing her hands to her mouth, Kana let out an exasperated, muffled scream. “Then how’d you meet him?!”

“I didn’t!” Daisy fought back, finally washing everything down with a sip of her coffee. Kana had put extra cream and sugar in there, just the way her best friend liked it. “I… found him… on the internet.”

The girl across the booth let out a laugh so boisterous, that it turned the heads of people around them as she nearly doubled over in her seat. “Oh, good one, Daisy! Like I believe you, my sweet technophobe, managed to navigate the world wide web.”

Running a finger inside the neck of her turtleneck, Daisy pulled it to the side to give her flushed skin a taste of fresh air. “Really, Kana. On YouTube. He’s a singer.”

That pulled her friend out of her laughing fit, eyes snapping to meet Daisy’s as a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. In a heartbeat, her smartphone was pulled from her pocket, unlocked, and slid across the table. The YouTube app was open with the search bar ready to be typed in.“Pull it up then! I need to see this video to… understand your artistic representation?”

Clearly a lie, Kana was just nosy, but Daisy was so desperate to hear Kendall’s song again, that she punched in the title of the video that was practically burned into her memory as she explained, “I was looking for a history documentary, but I must’ve typed the link in wrong. Brought this video up instead and-”

Using the pad of her thumb, Daisy touched the first video that popped up, her brain going haywire when the thumbnail picture of Kendall popped up next to it.

“Hey, this is Kendall…”

Kana snatched the phone from Daisy’s hands, making the video full screen and placing it down on the white table between them. It was hard to miss the way she turned her phone to almost full volume. 

For the next three minutes, both girls were entranced, one taking in the music and vocals for the first time, while the other searched the frame for any new crumb of information she could pull about the boy she’d had trapped inside her daydreams for the last few days. Maybe she could calculate the angle of his jawline when his head turned or determine which shade of green fit his eyes perfectly. 

A few beats passed before Daisy spotted something, a logo on his beanie that looked like a forest landscape. Not one she recognized at all, but now she’d been on the lookout for anything similar; Anything that gave her more clues into the life of this boy.

“You think he’s cute?” Kana interrupted him just as he got to the second verse, and Daisy almost shushed her. 

“Don’t you?”

Not denial, perse, but not confirmation.

“I’ve only got eyes for Mai,” her friend shared solemnly, before smacking her hand down on the table. “Wait! Did you check and see if he has a MySpace?”

Daisy cocked her head to the side and Kana continued, “That answers my question… Just give me a moment.”

When she took the phone off the table before the song had ended, Daisy mourned for a split second. The sound of relentless typing pinged out of Kana’s phone for what felt like ages, as different colors lit up her face. 

Whatever she was doing, clearly wasn’t important enough to show her friend, so Daisy assumed the search had come up empty and took another bite of her donut. Then, she pulled her sketchbook from the table and placed it in her backpack. That thing was a weapon now, blasting her in the chest with the ray of embarrassment, so away it would go until Daisy felt another creative spark that needed to be unleashed over the creamy beige paper. 

“Daisy! I forgot to tell you - You look so pretty today!” Kana called, and the other girl whipped her head her way only to be blinded by a bright, white flash. “Thanks!”

“What was that for?” Daisy might not have been as technologically advanced as her peers, but she sure did know what the flash of a camera meant. “You don’t need to torture me with a picture right now…”

“It’s for your MySpace page.”

“My what?”

“So you can message Kendall K.”

“Message?” The sound of typing erupted from the phone speakers once more, and Daisy’s chest constricted. “Put your phone down.” 

Click, click, click.

“I’m serious, Kana, please.”

Click, click, click.

“I’m worried.”

Instantly, the sound stopped. Kana put her phone down on the table. “There is nothing to be worried about, Daisy. I wouldn’t do anything if I knew it was bad for you.”

“Right. I know,” Daisy breathed. Her palms were growing sweaty from where she had them tucked in the long sleeves of her top. “It’s hard for me to be out of the loop though.” With a nudge, Kana pushed her phone screen Daisy’s way, “So, let me fill you in then. oopsydaisy just sent her first message to kendallk.”

--

thanks for reading! i appreciate your support :)

be sure to let me know what you think!

[antimony-medusa]

MCYT on Ao3, October '24

It's time for fandom stats! What has everyone been up to in the last month?

Some Notes:

A full 3 new fandoms this month, which is Parkour Civilization, Scenario SMP, and Skyblock Kingdoms SMP. That brings it up to 68 fandoms I'd consider MCYT, and also Video Blogging!

Fics are still primarily in english, but we have three exceptions with significant spanish fics. Karmaland (815 of 947 are in spanish, which is up from 801 last month), Tortillaland (123 of 129 are in spanish, from 117 last month), and QSMP (1,167 of 10,889 are in spanish, from 1,139 last month)

QSMP also shows 55 works in French, the same as last month, and 740 works in Brazilian Portuguese, up from 680 las month.

In the small and micro fandoms, everything was blown out of the water by the explosion of Parkour Civilization. Skybound SMP showed an increase of 27 fics, which would be impressive in any other month, but Parkour Civilization showed an increase of 135 fics, which means 95.74% of the current tag got posted in the last month, or an increase of 2250% of last month, so y'know. That fandom went crazy.

In the midsize fandoms, Mystreet is back to being the standout, with an increase of 51 fics. At 975 fics currently I expect to see it having broken over the 1000-fic mark by next month! Yandere High School and Evolution SMP both showed significant gains, at 31 fics and 23 fics respectively.

In the larger fandoms, Hermitcraft is back to being the one with the greatest increase! They showed an increase of 771, which handily beats last month's 593 and the month before's 665. 3rd Life stayed remarkably steady, with 454 new fics to last month's 456 (notably less than the previous month's 493, but with the rumours of a new season on the horizon, that could change pretty fast). QSMP was back to decreasing, showing 239 fics against last month's 328 after the previous month's 318— that fandom hasn't quite found its footing in the post-canon world. Lifesteal was pretty increased, showing 208 fics this month against last month's 141 and the previous month's 155. Empires continued to keep trucking, showing 177 fics against last month's 192 and the previous month's 160. And finally, DSMP showed a still-respectable increase of 600 against last month's 671, still in the window of the previous month's 612.

The overall Video Blogging RPF increase of 3,010 was comparable to last month's 2,851, though still down from 4,702 at this time last year.

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

10 Forgotten Muscle Cars That Deserve to Be Restored

by James Derek Sapienza 

Source: General Motors We all know the story; it started in 1964 with the Ford Mustang. No, wait — I mean the Plymouth Barracuda. Or the Pontiac GTO. Or was it earlier with the Pontiac Catalina SD? The ’50s Dodge D-500 maybe? Debating the origin of the muscle car is like debating over the first rock and roll record; everyone you talk to has a different opinion, and no one is exactly wrong. Let’s just say that by the early ’60s, a generation coming of age fell in love with high-performance midsize cars coming out of Detroit, and for a few brief years, performance ruled the day. Naturally, the good old days seem to look better with each passing year, and as the book was written on the muscle car, a fair amount of contenders fell by the wayside.

1. 1964 Studebaker Avanti R3

Source: Auctions America The Avanti isn’t generally counted among muscle cars, but then, Studebaker was never exactly considered a performance powerhouse to begin with. But the fiberglass Avanti had a long hood, short rear deck, and 289-cubic-inch V8 a full two years before the Ford Mustang did. In 1964 (after production officially ended), Studebaker bored out nine V8s to 304 cubic inches, slapped a Paxton supercharger on them, and dropped them into remaining Avantis. The result was a 171-mile-per-hour rocket, which the company claimed made it the fastest production car in America. This R3 was sold by Auctions America in 2010 for $96,250. With the collector market being what it is today, good luck finding one this cheap ever again.

2. 1965 Pontiac 2+2

Source: General Motors As far as classic muscle cars go, the ’65-’67 GTO is remembered to be about as big as they came. But with the success of the GTO, Pontiac wanted to take its go-fast formula to an even bigger car, which became the ’65-’67 2+2. Based on the full-size Catalina two-door, the 2+2 had its own unique 338-horsepower 421-cubic-inch V8, and in High Output guise, power jumped to 376 ponies, which when tuned right could rocket from zero to 60 in a mind-bending 3.9 seconds. Bigger, plusher, and often faster than its smaller stablemate, the 2+2 deserves a lot more love from speed freaks. 

3. 1964 Mercury Comet Cyclone

Source: Ford For ’60s Ford products, the Mercury Comet was about as basic as they came. Closely based on the Ford Falcon, the ’64-’65 Comet could be livened up with Ford’s famous 289-cubic-inch V8. But for those who wanted more from their Mercurys, Ford built 50 Comet Cyclones for the dragstrip, complete with fiberglass hood, fenders, doors and front bumper, plexiglass windows, and the same 425-horsepower 427 V8 found in the Shelby Cobra. In ’66, Mercury introduced the production Comet GT with the 390 V8, and while they’re capable compact muscle cars, they couldn’t hope to match the insanity of their big block predecessor.

4. 1968 Ford Ranchero 500

Source: Ford It’s been long overshadowed by Chevy’s iconic El Camino, but the Ford Ranchero was America’s first car-based Ute. And while Chevy was offering the 396 V8 in its muscle trucks, Ford upped the ante in ’68 and made its restyled Ranchero available with a 335-horsepower Cobra Jet 428 V8. Unfortunately, a lack of weight over the rear wheels made the hot Rancheros a handful to drive, so very few were built with Ford’s biggest motor. While it seems like every surviving El Camino happens to be an SS model, we can’t remember the last time we’ve seen a Cobra Jet Ranchero. Come to think of it, we can’t remember the last time we’ve seen any Ranchero.

5. 1969 Chevy Kingswood 427

Source: General Motors Back in the ’60s, you could order virtually any option you wanted on a car, and companies would actually build it for you. So imagine you’ve got a growing family, and your Corvette just can’t handle them. What to do? Buy a Chevy Kingswood station wagon with Rally wheels, hideaway headlights, seating for seven, and the same 390-horsepower V8 found in your ‘Vette. Only 546 buyers opted for the big V8 in ’69, but a number of 427 Kingswoods spent the next decade making their mark on the drag strip.

6. 1969 Oldsmobile Rallye 350

Source: General Motors When gearheads think of outrageous muscle cars from 1969, the Pontiac GTO Judge easily sits at the top of the list. But while the Judge has gone on to become a legend, Oldsmobile’s analog, the Rallye 350, is all but forgotten. Like the Judge (at least at first) it was offered in one outrageous color (Sebring Yellow), had color-matched wheels and bumpers, a spoiler, and a fiberglass hood. And compared to Olds’s top-dog 442, the car’s 310-horsepower 350-cubic-inch V8 made it significantly lighter, allowing it to scramble from zero to 60 in seven seconds and run the quarter mile in a respectable 15.27 seconds at 97 miles per hour. Just 3,500 Rallye 350s were built, making it one of the more obscure muscle cars to ever come from GM.

7. 1969 Ford Torino Talladega

Source: Ford Half a century on, the Plymouth Roadrunner Superbird and Dodge Daytona get all the love when it comes to NASCAR homologation specials. But in 1969, Ford tried its hand at aerodynamics too and built the Torino Talladega. Starting with a Torino Sportsroof, Ford worked with the Holman-Moody race shop to design a sleeker, longer front clip and rear fascia for the car. The Talladega was honed in the wind tunnel — a relative novelty for the era — and powered by the 429-cubic-inch V8 found in the Boss Mustang. Production was over by March; Ford only built 754 of them and they were barely advertised, but the slippery cars dominated during the ’69 season, winning 29 races. In 1970, however, the 200-mile-per-hour Superbird ruled NASCAR, and the Talladega’s time in the spotlight was over. Today, the Talladega (and near-identical Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II) are bargains on the collector market compared to the beak-nosed Mopars.

8. 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ

Source: General Motors The second-generation Grand Prix is largely remembered for its role in popularizing the Personal Luxury Coupe segment, but in its early days, it was one of the hottest cars on the street. With a long hood (the longest hood of any production car in ’69, in fact) and short deck, the Grand Prix was available with Pontiac’s 390-horsepower 428-cubic-inch V8, allowing it to scramble from zero to 60 in 6.5 seconds and run the quarter mile in 15 seconds at 97 miles per hour. Its combination of luxury and power made it the Grand Prix massive hit for Pontiac; within a few years, any semblance of performance would be gone.

9. 1970 Chrysler Hurst 300

Source: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles As early as 1970, Chrysler die-hards were feeling nostalgic for the 300-letter series, which ended in 1965. The 300-series carried on, but performance had taken a back seat as mid-sized muscle cars had picked up the go-fast mantle. Chrysler tried to recapture the magic for ’70 by outfitting a 300 coupe with the interior from an Imperial, a fiberglass hood and decklid, a 375-horsepower 440-cubic-inch V8, and a Torque-Flite automatic to handle all that power. At 18.5 feet long and 4,400 pounds, the big Chrysler could still make zero to 60 in 7.1 seconds and run the quarter mile in 15.3 seconds. With just 500 built, the Hurst 300s rank as one of the rarest Mopar muscle cars of all time. 

10. 1971 AMC SC/360 Hornet

Source: Chris Andrews Productions via YouTube In the ’60s, AMC’s red, white, and blue Rebel Machine and SC/Rambler muscle cars failed to move the sales needle for America’s last independent automaker, but they sure caused a scene wherever they went. For 1970, the company had introduced the compact Hornet and Gremlin to replace the Rambler, and with them came the SC/360 Hornet. With an available 285-horsepower 360-cubic-inch V8 under the hood, the small Hornet could hit 60 from a standstill in 6.7 seconds, and run the quarter mile in 14.9 seconds at 97 miles per hour. But in 1970, displacement still ruled the day, and despite being cheaper than a Plymouth Duster 340, AMC found just 784 buyers for its smallest muscle car. We think it’s aged remarkably well, and would love to take one of these ’70s-era sleepers to the drag strip.

[flmboyz]

1957 Mercury Colony Park

[kylestfs]

Starting something, finally !

Hey everybody - here to start a (small) series of short TFs, similar to my past airplane seat series.

(This will not be a long series, as I do not have enough time to post daily and have a lot of submissions, so I really apologise in advance if you do not get the chance to participate due to slots being taken)

Now for the subject ;

I’ve came up with an idea : a parking lot. I’ve put vehicles that you guys will choose from in order to be transformed into a new body. Each slot can and will only be used one, thus making it hard for everybody that will submit to get a story.

RULES :

Just pick the vehicle that you want, add a little text (personalise it, but not precise or any specifications on your future body. Only on your previous, actual one or other stuff) and send it to me in my Inbox!

For the people who don’t know a lot about cars & bikes, I’ve created a little sum-up.

CARS :

Ford F-150 : Big pickup-truck.

Nissan Sentra : Small, economical sedan.

Mercedes-Benz S-class : Big, luxurious prestigious sedan.

Ford Mustang : Sporty, powerful American coupe.

Chevrolet Tahoe : Big SUV…with a little twist.

BMW M3 : Sporty, sleek sedan.

Tesla model X : Big, electric full-of-tech SUV.

Toyota Camry : Midsize, average sedan.

Dodge charger : Powerful Sedan. (With a twist)

Porsche 911 : Sporty, luxurious coupe.

Toyota Prius : Hybrid economical small sedan.

MOTORCYCLES :

Kawasaki Ninja : Powerful sports bike

BMW GS : Big, touring motorcycle (long trips)

Yamaha R1 : Excessively quick sporty motorcycle.

Yamaha MT-07 : Average, sporty motorcycle.

EXTRA :

Trek bicycle : Expensive long distance professional bicycle.

[automotivealchemy]

Mitsubishi Strada Midsize Pickup Concept

What if...Mitsubishi returned a midsize pickup truck to the United States to compete with the Canyon and Colorado? With the return of this name, it would certainly cause quite a stir in the truck market. It would have a 2.4L turbo inline 4 cylinder motor for the 2-door cab lower trims and a return of a modified more efficient 3.0L V6 for the upper trim levels and 4-door models and the sport models offering a 2.4L twin turbo motor. A manual and automatic transmission would be offered for all models and trims along with the choice of rear wheel drive or all wheel drive.

[anthropologist-on-the-loose]

I was driving home from work in my little midsized car and drove by a group of about 7 kids playing outside who looked at me and started giving the "blow the horn" gesture people give to semi-trucks so I honked my car horn a couple times and they all cheered wildly. They'll never know just how much they brightened my day. And it made me wonder if I ever had that effect on a stranger as a kid. I sure hope so. In fact, I hope I still occasionally bring little bits of joy into people's lives without realizing it even as an adult.

[sideshow-tornado]

The car I have been driving the last year and a half was my mom’s 2009 Honda CRV, it was totaled after my accident with a big fucking deer earlier today. I cleaned it out this evening, and also cleaned what was left in my former vehicle - a 2017 Ford Focus - which has been sitting mostly idle in the driveway since March 2023 when it started having transmission problems.

So now I’m making plans to haul both vehicles off to a salvage yard for auction, as they are each popular/common makes & models in this area and can be used for replacement parts.

Won’t get a lot of money for them, but better than nothing. And then I will be hoping to find a new car with a great end of year sale. Most likely looking for a crossover SUV or midsize truck.

While cleaning out the glove box of my Focus, discovered this treasure trove of items. Not pictured is a few surgical and N95 masks and hand sanitizer. But there was also three pairs of non-prescription sunglasses, a pocket knife, a white handkerchief, some Apple EarPods, a fold out hair comb, a tiny FunkoPop figure of late WWE wrestler The Ultimate Warrior, a Star Wars multicolored pen, a mini USB cord.

The camo Harris/Walz hat was not in the glove box but is just there because I was wearing it, and will continue to wear it for as long as I feel like*

*until 2028 Gavin Newsome/AOC hats are available. Or Warren/Buttigieg. Or anyone sane and not a nightmarish fascist scumbag.

[pinene]

Long shot but do any of y’all drive a newer (~2013+) pickup truck? especially midsize ones… I’m saving up for one and I’m kinda torn between a Colorado or a ranger but im open but don’t really know anyone who drives any