Car Thread

[tjcaustin]

Waiting for the bank's final approval, but should have some pics of the first car buy in a decade for me soon.

[absyrd]

Waiting for the bank's final approval, but should have some pics of the first car buy in a decade for me soon.

Nice, tj! What car did you keep running for so long before this new buy?

[tjcaustin]

Waiting for the bank's final approval, but should have some pics of the first car buy in a decade for me soon.

Nice, tj! What car did you keep running for so long before this new buy?

96 nissan maxima that I gave up on 11 months ago.  Too many miles, too many 100, 200, 500 etc. repairs to justify continuing it.

[C5Allroad]

B9 S4 is finally going back to turbo. Weighs as much as the b5 s4, but I doubt it'll come in manual

[Joey Quinn]

B9 S4 is finally going back to turbo. Weighs as much as the b5 s4, but I doubt it'll come in manual

This is one of the reasons the 25 year import is stupid. You know there will be a manual overseas that we'll never see.

[C5Allroad]

B9 S4 is finally going back to turbo. Weighs as much as the b5 s4, but I doubt it'll come in manual

This is one of the reasons the 25 year import is stupid. You know there will be a manual overseas that we'll never see.

Actually.... Not really
The b8 s4 overseas already isn't available in manual, audi is killing the manual swiftly, and unmercifully.
BMW however, had a "bring the manual" moment a few years ago.

[Joey Quinn]

B9 S4 is finally going back to turbo. Weighs as much as the b5 s4, but I doubt it'll come in manual

This is one of the reasons the 25 year import is stupid. You know there will be a manual overseas that we'll never see.

Actually.... Not really
The b8 s4 overseas already isn't available in manual, audi is killing the manual swiftly, and unmercifully.
BMW however, had a "bring the manual" moment a few years ago.

It kills me that it's dying, even porsche is phasing it out and ferrari dropped it a few years ago.

Honestly who the hell cares if paddles shave off a fraction of a second, it's not like most drivers are actually fast enough for it to matter.

[C5Allroad]

B9 S4 is finally going back to turbo. Weighs as much as the b5 s4, but I doubt it'll come in manual

This is one of the reasons the 25 year import is stupid. You know there will be a manual overseas that we'll never see.

Actually.... Not really
The b8 s4 overseas already isn't available in manual, audi is killing the manual swiftly, and unmercifully.
BMW however, had a "bring the manual" moment a few years ago.

It kills me that it's dying, even porsche is phasing it out and ferrari dropped it a few years ago.

Honestly who the hell cares if paddles shave off a fraction of a second, it's not like most drivers are actually fast enough for it to matter.

I don't think anyone actually enjoys cars anymore. Well normal people.

[hwood34]

hawt

[dante]

I used to be pro manual transmission; but the truth of it is - even when they were common only a small handful of manufacturers made decent ones.  And when I mean decent I mean the complete package - perfect clutch weighting, perfect short shifts, good shifter weight, good transmission ratios.

Now manufacturers don't seem to give a crap.  Wimpy clutches with no weight, rubbery long shift action, annoying rev hang, extremely linear vague clutch disengagement points.

To me, manual transmissions have been dead since the mid 2000's.

[blueangel2323]

Waiting for the bank's final approval, but should have some pics of the first car buy in a decade for me soon.

Nice, tj! What car did you keep running for so long before this new buy?

96 nissan maxima that I gave up on 11 months ago.  Too many miles, too many 100, 200, 500 etc. repairs to justify continuing it.

I have a '92 Maxima and it's still going strong! Mileage is pretty low for the age though (160,000 km or so?).

My next car will probably be a BMW 328i/335i cabriolet, 2007 or newer. The new 4 series looks pretty sweet but new cars are a terrible value.

I'm also a fan of Tesla. Too bad their only convertible is the 2-seat roadster. I was really looking forward to the Sunset edition of the Fisker Karma but Fisker went out of business and the Sunset remained a concept

[blueangel2323]

I mean, look at that hotness!!!


(Fisker Karma Sunset Concept)

[SamirD]

It kills me that it's dying, even porsche is phasing it out and ferrari dropped it a few years ago.

Honestly who the hell cares if paddles shave off a fraction of a second, it's not like most drivers are actually fast enough for it to matter.

Having rented a Turbo 997 when it just came out years ago, I can tell you it's more about the car than the driver.  I don't care if I was an ultra proficient shifter in a manual, there's no way I could have shifted fast enough to keep up with that engine and transmission.  When floored, it would go through 3 gears in less than a few seconds.  I would be at 90mph in under 6-7 seconds.  Without an automatic (tiptronic in this case), I would have hit the redline and missed the shift every time going from 1-2 and 2-3.  And with all the added gears now (8 gears in one of the newest Mercs), how are you going to shift that much?  And with traffic getting worse, the clutch becomes a bane for everyday driving.

My Boxster is an automatic even though manual was an option.  Why?  Because a good automatic is just that--automatic.  This transmission downshifts automatically when I dive into a corner and then holds it until redline as I accelerate out.  It anticipates spirited driving and automatically adjusts.  Every time I thought about even shifting manually (which I can do in the tiptronic), the car was already there.  I'm sure the Ferrari must be like that on steroids.

But I can vouch that there can be horrible automatics as well.  Don't get me started on the Audi R8 I drove--tossed them back the keys and told them I wasn't interested anymore even though the car was sexy as hell.

I mean, look at that hotness!!!

Show Image

(Fisker Karma Sunset Concept)

God, that would have been such an awesome car.  One of my site members has a Signature Edition Karma.  The Fisker concept was better that Telsa's imo--Telsa's useless mileage limitations make it a second car, not a primary.  And the Karma handled so well too!  I was waiting for some professional drifter to get their hands on it and the 960 ft-lbs of torque in the rear tires.  That coupled with the 50/50 weight balance would have made a phenomenally different drift car.

[Oobly]

It kills me that it's dying, even porsche is phasing it out and ferrari dropped it a few years ago.

Honestly who the hell cares if paddles shave off a fraction of a second, it's not like most drivers are actually fast enough for it to matter.

Having rented a Turbo 997 when it just came out years ago, I can tell you it's more about the car than the driver.  I don't care if I was an ultra proficient shifter in a manual, there's no way I could have shifted fast enough to keep up with that engine and transmission.  When floored, it would go through 3 gears in less than a few seconds.  I would be at 90mph in under 6-7 seconds.  Without an automatic (tiptronic in this case), I would have hit the redline and missed the shift every time going from 1-2 and 2-3.  And with all the added gears now (8 gears in one of the newest Mercs), how are you going to shift that much?  And with traffic getting worse, the clutch becomes a bane for everyday driving.

My Boxster is an automatic even though manual was an option.  Why?  Because a good automatic is just that--automatic.  This transmission downshifts automatically when I dive into a corner and then holds it until redline as I accelerate out.  It anticipates spirited driving and automatically adjusts.  Every time I thought about even shifting manually (which I can do in the tiptronic), the car was already there.  I'm sure the Ferrari must be like that on steroids.

But I can vouch that there can be horrible automatics as well.  Don't get me started on the Audi R8 I drove--tossed them back the keys and told them I wasn't interested anymore even though the car was sexy as hell.

I mean, look at that hotness!!!

Show Image

(Fisker Karma Sunset Concept)

God, that would have been such an awesome car.  One of my site members has a Signature Edition Karma.  The Fisker concept was better that Telsa's imo--Telsa's useless mileage limitations make it a second car, not a primary.  And the Karma handled so well too!  I was waiting for some professional drifter to get their hands on it and the 960 ft-lbs of torque in the rear tires.  That coupled with the 50/50 weight balance would have made a phenomenally different drift car.

IMHO, the feeling as you slot home a gear with a well-designed 'box and mechanism is a big part of driver enjoyment. The involvement is part of the fun. I don't care if an auto 'box shifts exactly when it should, I want to actually be involved to the point of making that decision myself and executing it in a way that connects me to the machine. If I can't do that, I lose a part of the feeling of symbiosis you should get when driving. I don't like to be a just a passenger. Manual all the way.

Interestingly enough, one of my favourite cars has an awful shift, the original Mini. Like stirring toffee. But it's still better than any automatic and that car is so much fun to drive.

[SamirD]

IMHO, the feeling as you slot home a gear with a well-designed 'box and mechanism is a big part of driver enjoyment. The involvement is part of the fun. I don't care if an auto 'box shifts exactly when it should, I want to actually be involved to the point of making that decision myself and executing it in a way that connects me to the machine. If I can't do that, I lose a part of the feeling of symbiosis you should get when driving. I don't like to be a just a passenger. Manual all the way.

Interestingly enough, one of my favourite cars has an awful shift, the original Mini. Like stirring toffee. But it's still better than any automatic and that car is so much fun to drive.

I definitely agree with you on manual for the 'connected to the car' feeling.  There's nothing else like it than to feel the torque that you're controlling via the clutch and driveline.  Probably why some of the older British cars and whatnot are still so fun to drive (I haven't driven one, so I'm just guessing).

[SL89]

SO I may have found an AE86, and an S2000 drivetrain for my dream swap all at the same time... 

[keshley]

I used to be pro manual transmission; but the truth of it is - even when they were common only a small handful of manufacturers made decent ones.  And when I mean decent I mean the complete package - perfect clutch weighting, perfect short shifts, good shifter weight, good transmission ratios.

Now manufacturers don't seem to give a crap.  Wimpy clutches with no weight, rubbery long shift action, annoying rev hang, extremely linear vague clutch disengagement points.

To me, manual transmissions have been dead since the mid 2000's.

With a bushing change, the 86/FRS/BRZ transmission is pretty nice. Can also remove the assist spring in about 30 seconds on the clutch to give it more feel/heavier. There's still some great manual transmissions out there in stock vehicles, just have to search them out.

[SamirD]

With a bushing change, the 86/FRS/BRZ transmission is pretty nice. Can also remove the assist spring in about 30 seconds on the clutch to give it more feel/heavier. There's still some great manual transmissions out there in stock vehicles, just have to search them out.

I've always wondered how good the manual was on the frs/brz.  With all the other great driver oriented design thoughts, it doesn't surprise me that it can be made quite nice.

SO I may have found an AE86, and an S2000 drivetrain for my dream swap all at the same time... 

That would be killer!  A user on my site imported an ae86 from Japan and then took it out to an autocross shortly after:

Here's a thread on a full detail on the car with more pics:
http://www.huntsvillecarscene.com/showthread.php?t=4402

[SL89]

Very cool Samir, I never ever see Levins in my area. They are all Truenos and they all are needlessly expensive. I'm going to see this one today.

[SamirD]

Very cool Samir, I never ever see Levins in my area. They are all Truenos and they all are needlessly expensive. I'm going to see this one today.

This car was a beauty.  It even had a sticker on it stating it was radiation free since he got it shortly after 3-11.

[Oobly]

Mazda MX-5 (Miata) has always had a great gearbox and apparently that tradition has continued with the latest incarnation. So yes, you can still find new cars with good 'boxes.

What I love about the MX-5 (particularly the NA and ND, the NC is my least favourite) and original Minis is that you can have serious fun at legal speeds. They're just great to drive.

Hehe- found this after typing the above: https://www.carthrottle.com/post/10-manual-gear-shifts-weve-fallen-in-love-with/

[SamirD]

Mazda MX-5 (Miata) has always had a great gearbox and apparently that tradition has continued with the latest incarnation. So yes, you can still find new cars with good 'boxes.

What I love about the MX-5 (particularly the NA and ND, the NC is my least favourite) and original Minis is that you can have serious fun at legal speeds. They're just great to drive.

Hehe- found this after typing the above: https://www.carthrottle.com/post/10-manual-gear-shifts-weve-fallen-in-love-with/

So true!  The Miata is an autocross favorite.  I just saw a pristine 1989 (is that the year of the pop-up headlights) on the street the other day when the weather was gorgeous.

[tjcaustin]

Want some new car pics?

Sure you do:






I need to l2 picture better.  Too high iso, so much grit in photo.  Though, a 35mm prime lens might not have been the best choice, either.

[Sent]

Woah, missed so much discussion in this thread.  O_o

Want some new car pics?

Sure you do:

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I need to l2 picture better.  Too high iso, so much grit in photo.  Though, a 35mm prime lens might not have been the best choice, either.

Grats, man.  How you liking it?  I always did fancy the looks of these.

[tjcaustin]

Woah, missed so much discussion in this thread.  O_o

Want some new car pics?

Sure you do:

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I need to l2 picture better.  Too high iso, so much grit in photo.  Though, a 35mm prime lens might not have been the best choice, either.

Grats, man.  How you liking it?  I always did fancy the looks of these.

So far, I love it.  Rides good, nice feedback while driving, has good grunt and is surprisingly well build/featured.

Save swapping the speakers/amp and wheels, there's not much I plan on doing with this.

[SamirD]

I need to l2 picture better.  Too high iso, so much grit in photo.  Though, a 35mm prime lens might not have been the best choice, either.

Nah, the grain didn't bother me and the 35mm was fine too.  Just watch for your composition and framing and try to use a tripod and long exposures.

Here's some ones from a similar environment--all with a camera that's only $100 now:

[Badwrench]

Woah, missed so much discussion in this thread.  O_o

Want some new car pics?

Sure you do:

Show Image

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I need to l2 picture better.  Too high iso, so much grit in photo.  Though, a 35mm prime lens might not have been the best choice, either.

Grats, man.  How you liking it?  I always did fancy the looks of these.

So far, I love it.  Rides good, nice feedback while driving, has good grunt and is surprisingly well build/featured.

Save swapping the speakers/amp and wheels, there's not much I plan on doing with this.

Congrats buddy.  My Dad had the Hyundai version and loves it.  I have done a few trips in it and I have to agree with you, very nice.  I much prefer the looks of the Optima over the Sonata. 

Also, yours has the least offensive of the stock wheels they offer on those.  Much better with some proper wheels though (and a slight drop  ;D ).


A little more aggressive?


Or full stance:

[Sent]

So far, I love it.  Rides good, nice feedback while driving, has good grunt and is surprisingly well build/featured.

Save swapping the speakers/amp and wheels, there's not much I plan on doing with this.

Yeah, those things come so damn well equipped.  It's awesome.  I've been a big proponent of the company for a while now even though a lot of people still dismiss it because of the price point and/or other silly reasons.  I just wish they came standard as RWD.

Congrats buddy.  My Dad had the Hyundai version and loves it.  I have done a few trips in it and I have to agree with you, very nice.  I much prefer the looks of the Optima over the Sonata. 

Also, yours has the least offensive of the stock wheels they offer on those.  Much better with some proper wheels though (and a slight drop  ).

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A little more aggressive?

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Or full stance:

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Mmmm...that black one.  I might just be drooling over the wheels, though.

[tjcaustin]

I need to l2 picture better.  Too high iso, so much grit in photo.  Though, a 35mm prime lens might not have been the best choice, either.

Nah, the grain didn't bother me and the 35mm was fine too.  Just watch for your composition and framing and try to use a tripod and long exposures.

Here's some ones from a similar environment--all with a camera that's only $100 now:

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That's a good point, too.  I should have had my tripod with me

[Joey Quinn]

SO I may have found an AE86, and an S2000 drivetrain for my dream swap all at the same time... 

Do it!!!


Then give it to me...

[Karura]

[tjcaustin]

So far, I love it.  Rides good, nice feedback while driving, has good grunt and is surprisingly well build/featured.

Save swapping the speakers/amp and wheels, there's not much I plan on doing with this.

Yeah, those things come so damn well equipped.  It's awesome.  I've been a big proponent of the company for a while now even though a lot of people still dismiss it because of the price point and/or other silly reasons.  I just wish they came standard as RWD.

Congrats buddy.  My Dad had the Hyundai version and loves it.  I have done a few trips in it and I have to agree with you, very nice.  I much prefer the looks of the Optima over the Sonata. 

Also, yours has the least offensive of the stock wheels they offer on those.  Much better with some proper wheels though (and a slight drop  ).

Show Image

A little more aggressive?

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Or full stance:

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Mmmm...that black one.  I might just be drooling over the wheels, though.

Everyone wants me to bag it.  I have some wheels I need to see how they look on it tomorrow.  Pics soonish

[Oobly]

Want some new car pics?

Sure you do:

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I need to l2 picture better.  Too high iso, so much grit in photo.  Though, a 35mm prime lens might not have been the best choice, either.

Nice!  :thumb:

That's a good machine. Korea is becoming the new Japan. Remember back in the '80s when Japanese was cheap, but good? The quality was better than most other countries, but they were still trying to beat the old reputation of poor quality, so the prices were low. Great time to buy Korean now. Top quality, low price and 7 year warranty on some cars. Win all the way. <also no emissions scandals - hehehe>

[Evo_Spec]

Want some new car pics?

Sure you do:

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I need to l2 picture better.  Too high iso, so much grit in photo.  Though, a 35mm prime lens might not have been the best choice, either.

Nice purchase man, i was actually really close to getting myself a blue one but i ended up backing out because i didn't feel like taking debt if i didn't have to. Good thing i didn't because i ended up moving to Japan.

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Nice picture man!

[SamirD]

That's a good machine. Korea is becoming the new Japan. Remember back in the '80s when Japanese was cheap, but good? The quality was better than most other countries, but they were still trying to beat the old reputation of poor quality, so the prices were low. Great time to buy Korean now. Top quality, low price and 7 year warranty on some cars. Win all the way. <also no emissions scandals - hehehe>

Seriously!  I rented a Hyundai Elantra  hatch for a trip and it reminded me of the classic Civic hatch from 1988.  It was super-fun to drive!  Haven't had that type of fun in too many modern Japanese cars.  I'm glad too, the Japanese cars were just become big American cars since the American quality has come up quite a bit.

[tjcaustin]

What do you think about this wheel on the new car?

[Badwrench]

What do you think about this wheel on the new car?

Looks good to me.  I have always been a fan of mesh style wheels.   

My old setup before I decided that heavy wheels with almost no sidewalls on the tires makes for a bad 100 mile daily commute. 

[Oobly]

What do you think about this wheel on the new car?

Hmm... just a personal preference, but I prefer the stock ones. But I'm a sucker for a nice, simple 5 or 6 spoke design. My favourites (although I'm not sure they'd suit that car) are these:



VOLK TE37 forged. Lighter than light. It's nice to have a low unsprung weight on a car, especially important the lighter the actual car is.

I think Volvo actually have some nice wheels in a style that suits:

[Sent]

TE's are timeless.  You can almost put them on anything.

[SamirD]

What do you think about this wheel on the new car?

Looks good to me.  I have always been a fan of mesh style wheels.   

My old setup before I decided that heavy wheels with almost no sidewalls on the tires makes for a bad 100 mile daily commute. 

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I like the choice over stock, but something is still missing for them to be 'perfect' for the car imo.

That's a killer look on the Fit!  A local had a similar setup with a turbo going in and another local autocrossed his Fit regularly.  Apparently very fun cars.  Makes me wonder how the Suzuki Aerio SX they copied must have been like.

Volks are always a great wheel.  I like 5-6 spoke designs as well since they show off the brakes which I tend to always upgrade first.

It's amazing what some manufacturers have done with their wheel designs.  And the killer part is if you research the bolt pattern, offset, and center bore, you can find wheels like this to fit your car at a salvage yard for much less than brand new.  And I prefer OEM construction as most cheaper aftermarket wheels don't have the durability testing like the oem ones.

[radio_killah]

Just picked this up on Thursday. Absolutely worth it.

[Sniping]

 

[Sent]

Just picked this up on Thursday. Absolutely worth it.

(Attachment Link)

Dat color. Looks great, brah. Love it. Congrats on the purchase. 

[Evo_Spec]

Just picked this up on Thursday. Absolutely worth it.

(Attachment Link)

Pfft, you got nothing on my hyper blue. 658cc's of raw power baby. (not actually mine)

[Oobly]

Just picked this up on Thursday. Absolutely worth it.

(Attachment Link)

Congrats! I love it 

 

Nice to look at AND great to drive I bet!

[dante]

Looks good to me.  I have always been a fan of mesh style wheels.   

My old setup before I decided that heavy wheels with almost no sidewalls on the tires makes for a bad 100 mile daily commute. 

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I've always loved the Honda Fit.  I've come close several times to buying one but ended up backing out because of rampant wheel theft. I really wish Honda changed the bolt pattern to something less desirable on the recent revision.

[Badwrench]

Looks good to me.  I have always been a fan of mesh style wheels.   

My old setup before I decided that heavy wheels with almost no sidewalls on the tires makes for a bad 100 mile daily commute. 

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I've always loved the Honda Fit.  I've come close several times to buying one but ended up backing out because of rampant wheel theft. I really wish Honda changed the bolt pattern to something less desirable on the recent revision.

That is exactly why I run reps.  I had real wheels in the past, but was laways worried they would dissapear.  I even had 2 different sets of lug nuts (splined tuner and a set of factory wheel locks).  Only thing I overlooked was the center caps - my rays center caps dissapeared one day.  Left the wheels with no center caps after that - even center caps are pricey. 

[katushkin]

That colour is really nice. I think the black rims actually go really well with it as well.

[SamirD]

Just picked this up on Thursday. Absolutely worth it.

(Attachment Link)

Sweet ride!  I've not had a chance to test drive one, but have been wondering about them since they came out.  Must be fantastic fun!

That is exactly why I run reps.  I had real wheels in the past, but was laways worried they would dissapear.  I even had 2 different sets of lug nuts (splined tuner and a set of factory wheel locks).  Only thing I overlooked was the center caps - my rays center caps dissapeared one day.  Left the wheels with no center caps after that - even center caps are pricey. 

It sucks that we live in a day and age that if something it's bolted down, somebody will steal it.  I blame the illegals as they seem to take anything as if this is Mexico.

[HoffmanMyster]

Just picked this up on Thursday. Absolutely worth it.

(Attachment Link)

Gahhhhh, that color...!

Car's cool too.