Re: Car guys?

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Yup - in a "cornering ability is more than power" European mini-car kinda way.

Drive a Fiat 500 Sport which only has 101 hp, but will out-corner a lot of more-powerful cars.

"Drag racers see the straights between the bends - rally guys see each straight as the lead-in to the next corner...." :)
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo.
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Re: Car guys?

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I went through a phase where my cars were typically odd, old, quirky. Then I got a regular job and I will never have a car I can't start without opening the hood. I have a '56 Bel Aire I bought 40 years ago. I last drove it 30 years ago. It's a time machine I can't let go of.
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Puffing up is no substitute for smarts but it's a common home remedy

Re: Car guys?

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Ah yes.. My 1st love is air cooled VW. Currently have a '64 "hatch top" Westfalia, a '73 Type 181, and water-cooled '87 Syncro Vanagon Westfalia which I covertd to Subaru EZ30d power (6cyl, 220hp).
My daily driver though is a Fiat 500 Abarth, which is just completely bonkers. Really, I mean way more fun than any car has a right to be. And it still gets 30+ mpg's.
Brian in StL

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Re: Car guys?

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stl303 wrote:Ah yes.. My 1st love is air cooled VW. Currently have a '64 "hatch top" Westfalia, a '73 Type 181, and water-cooled '87 Syncro Vanagon Westfalia which I covertd to Subaru EZ30d power (6cyl, 220hp).
My daily driver though is a Fiat 500 Abarth, which is just completely bonkers. Really, I mean way more fun than any car has a right to be. And it still gets 30+ mpg's.
I wasn't quite in the right market fr the Abarth when i bought.... One day. :)
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo.
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Re: Car guys?

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I almost was deep into a few restorations but then I found firearms.

I do try to limit myself to one wallet destroying hobby at a time.
In a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich the chicken and cow are involved while the pig is committed.

Re: Car guys?

12
i currently own a 93 geo metro xfi and a 93 chevy lumina APV van, both for utilitarian purposes. the metro is for not spending money on gas, and the van is for camping and hauling stuff. just recycled my other metro, a '90. blown head gasket, warped head. ordinarily not a big deal, but it had serious body rot and i just wanted it gone.

i paid $400 for the metro 5 or 6 years ago, immediately replaced the clutch($100) and a cv axle(another $100), since then it's just been routine maintenance.
the van i got 2 years ago for $1500. got the fluids changed, then blew $800 getting the AC fixed. now i'm contemplating replacing a sticking tcc solenoid, a 30 dollar part, and a noisy hub assembly, a $90 part. meanwhile, it drives.

i do the vast majority of my own repairs. before i buy a car i look it up on the net, read the reviews, identify common problems, then check the car for anything not straight, listen for noises, look underneath for drips. check the fluids, it'll tell you about how it's been cared for and current condition. listen to the radio presets. if it's thrash metal, it's likely been thrashed. etc. if i see the engine compartment has been pressure washed, i become wary. i very much prefer private sales. no dealer prep to conceal problems, prices are better and more negotiable, might get some history of the car.

after i buy the car i change the fluids and filters, then buy a shop manual. and seat covers and a steering wheel cover, just to make it "mine".
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: Car guys?

13
Glockster19 wrote:No love for Japan tuner cars? Or even a Toyota Prius?
Priuses (Prii?) have a larger carbon footprint than most cars if taken over the first 10 years (all the battery manufacture), and are more epxensive to run for the first 5 years of ownership due to the WAY higher cost than, say, a Yaris which does all the same things....

JDM Tuner cars? Not impressed, really, although they're fun in a Fast&Furious kind ot=f way. Anything dropped here in the NE is useless in the snow, and I can't afford two cars AND firearms... :)
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo.
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Re: Car guys?

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Depends on when you catch me.

I no longer do SCCA, but used to. Kind of miss it, but not enough to go back to a car for competition. Previously had a Scooby Legacy GT turbo, mostly stock, but was fun, Mazda Protege- all NA with bolt on mods, 88 Acura Integra that was pretty modded out, Eagle Talon TSI- just a catback, boost controller, and intake, and probably another car or two at one point or another. Cornering is more fun than just straight line, but I'll admit peaking out that tsi was a lot of fun at the edges of control.

These days I drive a truck for practicalities sake. I also drive like less of a maniac, but still enjoy wrenching a bit from time to time.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
- Maya Angelou

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Re: Car guys?

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I like technology but can't like cars anymore. I drive mine as little as possible. They're ruining our planet, our health and our society.
'Sorry stupid people but there are some definite disadvantages to being stupid."

-John Cleese

Re: Car guys?

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I'm a big diesel truck kind of guy. I love the sound of a diesel engine, the whine of the turbocharger, and torque, torque, and more torque. I'm currently running a 2013 Ford F-350 Super Duty. Can't wait for the warranty to expire so I can start modding it...more fuel, more air, more power. :evil:

Re: Car guys?

18
I've owned Japanese cars my whole life. Many well over 200k miles. Though, I've had Chevys a few times as rentals, but I've had good luck with longevity in foreign cars.

I'm also a sucker for obscure turbo cars from the 80s and 90s.

Re: Car guys?

19
Car Gal gearhead.

Cars previously owned at the same time:

'70 Ford Torino with 351 Cleveland etc.
'65 El Camino with 327 etc.
'68 Chevelle Malibu with Z16 balanced and blue printed, Muncie rock crusher, fresh air hood. Cragars, Hurst competition plus shifter etc.---Totaled by drunk driver.

Sold Ford and El Camino.

Bought a house:

Market crashed lost employment due to downsizing.
Gained employment was downsized yet again.

Was driving a broken down Saturn.

Currently without car and job.

Will never own another money pit unless I win the Lotto and become filthy rich.
Still love them.

Wish list:
John Cooper Works Mini Cooper.
But if someone has a gun and is trying to kill you ... it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.
Dalai Lama

A system of licensing and registration is the perfect device to deny gun ownership to the bourgeoisie.

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

Re: Car guys?

20
LadyEBR wrote:Car Gal gearhead.

Cars previously owned at the same time:

'70 Ford Torino with 351 Cleveland etc.
'65 El Camino with 327 etc.
'68 Chevelle Malibu with Z16 balanced and blue printed, Muncie rock crusher, fresh air hood. Cragars, Hurst competition plus shifter etc.---Totaled by drunk driver.

Sold Ford and El Camino.

Bought a house:

Market crashed lost employment due to downsizing.
Gained employment was downsized yet again.

Was driving a broken down Saturn.

Currently without car and job.

Will never own another money pit unless I win the Lotto and become filthy rich.
Still love them.

Wish list:
John Cooper Works Mini Cooper.
Cars? "Land-yachts" ... :)

Ouch! on the crash/downsizing/job-loss. I was lucky in that era, but lots of friends weren't. Will keep fingers crossed for you.
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo.
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Re: Car guys?

21
My father and I rebuilt and repainted (back to original paint code color) my 1965 VW Beetle -> "Conrad" when I lived at home. We also worked on his 67 Camero RS SS.

We have always done as much work as possible on our own vehicles -> cars, boats, motorcycles.

Right now it is a 2010 VW Jetta SportsWagen TDI with 6-speed manual in white -> "Beluga" that gets me from point A to point B. It serves as good gas mileage and decent junk hauling mobile.

Previous to this was a 2012 Toyota Prius (owned briefly) and before that a 2000 BMW 323i with ~230k miles.
Texan Liberal interested in guns

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Re: Car guys?

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Yeah! Grew up in the Motor City and have been taught to do most of my own maintenance since owning my first car.

I got really into 4runners since moving to Colorado and picking up a nice 97 Limited w/ a factory locker. I have done a few mods myself (lift kit, CVs, etc.), but it's still may daily driver so I don't mess with it more than maintenance. She has 217k and I'm hoping to hit 300k! I love taking it off-road to get to secluded campsites or trailheads, and it's perfect for the job.

Eventually when I get a decent paying job I'll retire the 4runner to weekend/mountain use and get an older IS300 for a city car and mod it up right.

Keep on wrenchin', friends!

Re: Car guys?

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I'm late to this thread, but I'm a new member. I'm something of a car guy; this is my current ride, a 2016 Challenger R/T. I had a Whipple (supercharger) installed last summer and now get about 570 crank hp. I've also got a Borla cat-back system and Arrington CAI on it. Lots of fun.

Not a big fan of the Japanese tuner cars (although I don't think I'd want to see Godzilla next to me at a stop light - lol).
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Re: Car guys?

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I'm an old car guy. Been working on them since I was a teenager even worked in a shop doing everything from routine to full restoration work; mechanical, electrical, body work and painting. Currently I tinker around with my 1996 Ford Thunderbird and my 2009 MINI JCW both I bought new. I still do my own mechanical work from routine maintenance to clutch jobs and engine repairs. And with the MINI I love to drive it fast on curvy country roads! I also belong to a local Houston MINI car club. So yes, I'm a car nut as well as a gun nut. :beer2:
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"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" Loquacious of many. Texas Chapter Chief Cat Herder.

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