General Auto Chat

Discussion in 'Cars, Motorcycles, Boats, Airplanes Talk' started by Maxvla, Sep 26, 2015.

  1. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    Google "lamborghini" and "catching fire." It is a Lamborghini thing to this day.
     
  2. Maxvla

    Maxvla Friend

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    Saw a 2016 Civic locally yesterday that was all blacked out. It looked fantastic. First 2016 I'd seen and it was already modded. Mixed reviews so far on driving performance, but the car seems a good value. Most complaints are the turbo lag being magnified by the CVT. The 2.0 seems to run well. Still waiting to see what the Si looks like.
     
  3. Whatup69

    Whatup69 New

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    Anyone else here into AW11s? I've had 3, my current one is the wee red beast in my avatar. Pretty standard apart from having a small port 'red top' 16v 4age swap from a '91 AE92 Levin since the old blue top gave up the ghost. Such fun wee cars!
     
  4. Sqveak

    Sqveak Friend

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    I'd love an AW11 but can't find one that's affordable.

    Over the last year or so they seem to have become scarce. At least more so than they already were.

    Have an SW20 though. 1990 with 3S-GE.
     
  5. Maxvla

    Maxvla Friend

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    Watched the first couple hours and the last 3 hours of the 24 Hours at Daytona yesterday/today. Pretty good race. Glad to see the Vettes get 1-2 in GTLM and a good win for the Honda powerplant in the P2. Was hoping to see more from the Ford GTs, but early problems. Those Lambos were crazy on straights, but sucked bad in cornering. Audi picks up a win in GTD with some late laps fuel drama.

    Speaking of finishing the race, it's remarkable how every single Vette finished the race in good condition and all in competitive spots.

    Haven't watched this series in a while, but I'm going to try to watch this season.
     
  6. Maxvla

    Maxvla Friend

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    Big snafu in Honda land. Missing piston pin snap rings in the 2.0 liter NA engines for new Civics leads to a stop sale on affected models and eventual recall announcing next month. Going to be a major job fixing those. Thinking now I'll stay away from a brand new model in its first year.

    And with that, I'm out of options in my original path. Smaller, new, adult-usable back seat, fuel efficient, decent looking... just not happening. I guess if I have to be in a bigger car I might as well look at some used low end luxo barges. My friend had a 2012 Hyundai Genesis sedan that worked well for him til someone removed a stop sign and he ended up in a head-on collision that totaled it. Something like that might be nice. Looked at a Lexus IS250 way back when and didn't like it so much. Maybe a different Lexus, one not trying to be sporty would be better?
     
  7. evanft

    evanft Acquaintance

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    Buy a Honda Fit.
     
  8. AKMike

    AKMike New

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    Great comparison review!
     
  9. Maxvla

    Maxvla Friend

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    So my 2006 Grand Prix is getting older and the headlights have been hazy for 4-5 years now. I tried the restoration kits from 3M and such, but mine are bad from the inside. The only choice then is to replace them. I found these OEM-identical replacements on Amazon for $77 for the pair, including bulbs, and the replacement procedure was 1 bolt on each side that took all of 10 minutes to completely disassemble and reassemble.

    Here they are, old and new, out of the car.

    [​IMG]

    And here is the view from inside the car -

    Old:

    [​IMG]

    New:

    [​IMG]

    The light on the old units was so diffused, you could actually read my house number above the garage door in the picture (cropped out). With the new units, the light is focused where it should be and is brighter in those areas. I noticed a massive difference on the road when I went to the store for a test run.

    More reasons to replace your headlights include; your car looks years newer; your car looks better maintained (better sale price/trade in); the light from your car is focused on the road, not diffused into other drivers' vision.

    My co-worker's car has similarly priced replacement lights and a nearly identical installation procedure, so I would imagine most cars' headlights are affordable and easy to replace. If your lights are hazy, and the polishing kits aren't doing the job (or you don't want to bother doing the work), check Amazon for new ones and watch a YouTube video for the installation procedure.
     
  10. shipsupt

    shipsupt Admin

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    Thanks. That's pretty helpful. I need to do something about the headlights on my sons Prius and was considering a restoration kit. I think I'll skip it after your experience.
     
  11. Maxvla

    Maxvla Friend

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    Replaced my fog light/turn signals and tail lights tonight as well. One tail light was cracked from a previous parking lot smack when I wasn't at my car, the other had a big scratch. The fog lights had lots of rock chips and were starting to get hazy. The headlights of course were the big difference maker and the car looks 8 years younger. Going to find a good detailer to get the paint and interior really clean and try to maintain it myself afterwards. My car is generally pretty clean, but I used to eat fast food in it daily, and I don't wash the outside often, just a touchless auto wash every month or two. No oxidation or paint fading so I think it will wash and wax to nearly new, just the usual hairline scratches from dust/sand/etc.

    Despite all this, I'm still keeping an eye out for something to move to, and to that effect I'm going to the Dallas/FT. Worth auto show this Sunday to get some stationary seat time in a lot of vehicles without a salesman breathing down my neck. There will be lots of exotics there I'll admire while walking by, but they generally don't interest me.

    Also, 12 Hours of Sebring is this Saturday starting at 10:30AM EDT if anyone is interested. Looking forward to better runs from the Ford GTs and Deltawing (cool and unusual car).
     
  12. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    Replacing the whole assembly for the xenons on the prius will be expensive as all hell.
     
  13. Maxvla

    Maxvla Friend

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    Yeah if your car has upgraded lights it will be better to get a kit and do it yourself or have someone professionally refinish them.

    Thinking about the Gen 1 Volt again. For the last couple months (and probably for the foreseeable future) my adult comfortable back seat requirement hasn't been needed at all. Prices are reasonable on 2013/2014 models coming off lease ($12-16k), some certified (6 year 100k power train) towards the upper end of that range, and the use case fits my driving pattern perfectly.
     
  14. xLn

    xLn Acquaintance

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    Any other Subaru fans?

    Went from muscle cars to Subaru years back and can't talk myself into going american again. Had a full bolt on and camshaft z28 then a supercharged cobra and made the switch to a 2006 sti, stupidly traded for a 2011 sti, then went back to a blue and gold 2006 sti that's the garage queen right now. picked up a brz for daily driver, thinking about going e85 fuel on both this year.
     
  15. evanft

    evanft Acquaintance

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    The FerzzBerz and my WRX are the best handling cars I've ever driven. American performance cars just generally have a numbness/disconnection to them that I don't like. They're also all too fat.
     
  16. Maxvla

    Maxvla Friend

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    Went to the Dallas Auto Show today, and on the way back a bad wheel bearing made itself known. Thinking back, I did notice the first signs of this on my trip a few weeks ago when I noticed some very light brake wobble under sustained (downhill) braking. It was a pretty nasty grinding sound for the last 60 miles but I made it home safely. It is going in the shop tomorrow morning. It must be getting jealous finally (or just 11 years old) that I drove 6 hours round trip to shop for its replacement. So, with unusual items starting to fail, I'm truly seeing the need for some haste.

    Which brings me to the auto show. Sat in just about anything I was remotely interested in, and they had just about every make and model on display, from a Chevy Spark to a McLaren and Pagani (the latter two were cordoned off, of course!).

    Chevy was right at the door, so I started with them, saw the new Volt and really liked it. The back is still a little tight, and for them to call that back seat a 3 person seat... is stretching it. I like the console and center stack better on this one than the old one for sure. Exterior is much better as well, though less distinct. They had one in a dark silver which looked kinda plain, and one in a dark red that looked fantastic. These are way out of my price range to buy, but I'll be checking into lease deals. They did lease the old ones low, so perhaps. I didn't really like anything else at the Chevy spot, but I'll mention the Camaro SS and holy crap, everyone is totally right about the mail-slot windows, so small. Visibility is a joke.

    Next was Kia. I don't like any of their cars visually except the Soul. It's funky, and still likable despite there being one every 5th car around here. The solar yellow on the color bar display for the Soul looked awesome. I'd never sat in one before, but despite it being higher and more upright, I didn't feel like I was driving a tank like I do most SUVs. The interior was cheaper than the Volt of course, but didn't seem bad, just not premium (this was a ! model, the top of the line). They had the Soul EV there too and the interior was of similar quality as the !. I wish they had it powered so I could hear the entertainment system, it is supposed to be rather good. Back seat had plenty of room for me (6'1") and I liked the hatch area.

    Next was a raised area where all the luxury car makes were located (literally raised.. I know right?) Most of that was just blah, but I enjoyed the classic cars they had behind the luxury section on the same platform. 50s plymouths, caddies, fords. Who thought it was a good idea to make a 12 foot car with 2 doors?? 1970-2000 nissan coupes, mustangs and vettes of all years. Cool stuff.

    The next area I was interested in was Mazda, and particularly the 3 up close and personal. I'd seen pictures of the gauge cluster of the 3 and thought it looked awful, enough to turn me from the car by itself. In real life... yeah it was bad. Not only that, but the proportions of both the sedan and hatch were off. The 6 nearby looked a lot better, and the interior was nicer too, but both interiors weren't that great IMO. Seats weren't very comfortable either. Tried sitting in a new Miata, and laughed when I could barely squeeze my legs in, and then I pulled the seat adjustment, only to find it was already as far back as it would go. That's a no.

    Similarly when arriving in soon-to-be-no-more Scion land (and Subbie land next door), I tried a FRS. The seat would go back enough (barely), but it still felt tight in all proportions. Seat back of the driver's seat was like an inch from the back seat, so yeah those aren't ever usable.

    Since I was in Scion land, Toyota was next door, and while the new Prius is making a run for ugliest car ever made, I still respect the purity of purpose and efficiency it manages. So I checked it out, and found it was still very ugly, but not AS bad as the pictures make it, and the interior is really not bad, I'd put it a step below the Mazdas, however this is a larger and more sophisticated car than those, and with respect to the 6, the Prius is in the same price range, so I'm not expecting world beater interior. The flying bridge console of the previous Prius was enough to take it off my interest list permanently. There are better ways to do this (as I'll explain later), but a huge bridge between you and the passenger is very isolating and feels weird. So the new Prius is not in my cards, but I don't hate it as much as I thought.

    With the current Mitsubishi Mirage on its way out, there is a $3500 rebate on 2015s, so I wanted to check that car out, especially since that meant you could buy one brand new for as little as $7200 (in some cases) in base trim (well equipped actually), or around $10k for a top model with a surprising amount of features. OK so it's a bargain basement car, lets get that out of the way first. It will be loud due to a lack of deadening material, and thus light weight, and thus easily buffeted by winds on the highway. However, the interior is quite OK for the price of the car, even the back seat has ample room and is pretty comfortable. I don't think I could be happy with it long-term, but I can recommend it for someone needing a cheap ride with good mpg and a 10 year 100k powertrain warranty.

    Seems like all the Asian makes were together as Honda was next up. You all know I've been following the new Civic since the first spy shots, so this was one of the main cars I drove down to see. First though, I'd like to say how awful the HRV is, like really bad. OK, so new Civic looks pretty good in person. The rear doesn't look like it is giving birth as badly as in pictures. The base steelies w/covers look a LOT worse in person than in pictures, and the upgraded alloys look merely OK. I don't think there's a single stock Honda wheel that actually looks great right now, so no surprise. There was no coupe there, but I wouldn't be interested in that, it looks funny too (more rear birth action). Sat down in the base LX and was surprised how comfortable everything was. It felt like I'd daily driven it for years. The Civic does the (not-so) flying bridge right here. There is a little bit of the bridge up next to the center stack, but it is short, and the rest of the console is flat and elevated (compared to most cars). It was in perfect line with my arm resting on the armrest and the padding surrounding the gear selector. The console itself is really neat with everything slideable so you can customize how you want your stuff arranged. This console was better than most of the luxury makes I looked at. The instrument cluster was an area I worried about in the pictures due to it being split into three sections by seemingly large dividers. In person it is really not that bad, and the sharpness of the screens (even the base with the analog speedo) made it really pop. The base entertainment screen is laughably small, like my phone has a larger screen, I think. The EX screen is bigger and well proportioned in the dash, its' touch sensitivity/response is impressive too. The back seat was almost as roomy as my Grand Prix, and more comfortable, I was very surprised to see at least an inch, maybe two, of space between my knees and the driver seat (in a good position for me to drive). People online complained about the coupe style of the sedan making the trunk opening too small, but it seemed alright to me. Only slightly less tall than my Grand Prix, and the trunk itself was deep and tall. The seat fold pulls in the trunk were easy to operate and the seat folded down without a problem. Overall I was extremely impressed with the Civic, especially the Touring model which was the only one powered up (and with a probably great sounding stereo too, needed some EQ tweaking to bring down mid bass a bit). The Touring model is quite pricey so we'll see where I land if I go new Civic.

    Is it me or are all the Nissan cars just totally uninteresting? The only one I looked at was the Juke (having a similar setup as the Soul), but since the driver's seat was full, I tried sitting in the back and could not make it in. How do you make a SUV without a usable back seat, what is this a 2+2 SUV (it was the Nismo version at least)?

    Looked at the MK7 Golf in VW land next door, and thought it was nice, but where this was great before, the competition has caught up. I'd say the Mazda 3 is pretty close on the interior and the Civic is well past. Also, the Golf exterior didn't resonate as well with me as in the past.

    After that it was FCA's umbrella of brands, easily the largest section of the show, even housing a stunt course with Rams driving over obstacles and up high incline ramps, and the like. It was all a little too much. I sat in a Dart and didn't like one bit of it, no wonder they don't sell well. Charger was slightly better, but not great. After ignoring the Alfas that were cordoned off, I saw the new Pacifica van that people are raving out. It looked nice, but not the type of vehicle I'd be interested in. Then it was Jeep territory of which I had little interest. The little interest I did have, was the cute ute, the Renegade, a perhaps more off road capable Soul while still being cute? Well, it seemed kinda neat and was pretty similar to the Soul of course, but the interior was a clear setup down. Materials, design, colors, all were worse. I still like it, but I'd get a Soul over it for less money, and the Soul would be more reliable.

    The last stop was Ford, the second largest exhibitor. There were several Mustangs from the Ecoboost up to a Shelby (I think) so I sat in one just cause I was curious. Certainly a better place to be than the Camaro, but not my kind of car. I saw a Focus ST and started to sit down in it, when I felt the seat doing a little extra curricular activiity on my buns. The bolstering on those seats is ridiculous and it surprised me going down into the seat. I didn't like the interior at all. Awful. They had a locked Focus RS next to it that looked pretty neat (and made 350HP). Further on was the Fiesta ST, another I'd considered, but never seen in person. The seats behaved themselves this time, and the interior seemed better, but it just didn't feel right to me. I guess I don't mesh well with Ford interiors. The back seat was unusable.

    In the end, I probably sat in about 50 cars, took about 10 of them seriously, and from all of that I'm left looking at the new Civic, the new Volt, the current Soul, or perhaps a used old Volt (wish there would have been one there to refresh my memory, but knew it was unlikely).
     
  17. Maxvla

    Maxvla Friend

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    Well it wasn't a wheel bearing after all, but a steel rod I picked up on the road somehow. Found a hole to go up into, then another hole to go down from and was dragging the concrete. Glad I didn't have to pay for a repair.
     
  18. Smitty

    Smitty Too good for bad vodka - Friend

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    Holy shit, that's lucky.
     
  19. shipsupt

    shipsupt Admin

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    Old prius (2005) = no xenons. The assemblies are pretty cheap.

    The only trick is that you need to (nearly) remove the front bumper to change them out on the Prius!
     
  20. Maxvla

    Maxvla Friend

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    Found this spreadsheet someone drew up that illustrates why you should never get into the routine of buying a new car all the time.

    [​IMG]
     

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