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Ralph Nader Appreciation Thread [Cars]

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  • Wicked Uncle ErnieWicked Uncle Ernie Registered User regular
    Contours are terrible cars, that dual cam v6 Ford uses is a piece of garbage. The 4 cylinder ones aren't so bad, but then it's just a boring car. I think they are fairly popular in Europe, but I can't see why, for the life of me.
    krush wrote: »
    Hambrabai wrote: »
    krush wrote: »
    fshavlak wrote: »
    So I rebuilt my starter on Saturday.

    This biggest lie ever told is step 4:
    PrvOq.jpg

    I wound up with a chain of extensions going up and over the lower control arm to the front of the engine to get at the second bolt. The top bolt was almost entirely inaccesible.

    Also, step 5 (getting the damn thing out once it was free) was very far from trivial.

    This image from an online how-to is much closer to true:
    PICT6140.JPG

    I lol'ed at the pic.

    I had a 4-door GMC Jimmy from the fist generation they were offered with 4 doors. The Vortech V6 under the hood required something like that just to replace the two spark plugs on the drivers side closest to the firewall. I managed the middle plug, but ended up taking it to a shop and buying the mechanic a nice lunch just to get that last plug changed.

    I had a 1976 Oldsmobile Regency 98, whoever designed that thing was a real brain king as some parts of the electrical system could only be reached through a small flap in the passenger side inner fender well once you turned the wheels enough to get proper clearance. Otherwise you could stand in the engine bay of the big old boat.

    shit like this is one reason why I've always hated GM cars. Take the A-body cars from the 80's. Wanna install a radio in one? Good luck doing so without carving up your hands, but none was worse than the Buick Century of that era. The dash was designed in such a retarded way that trying to get at the radio required all sorts of digital gymnastics and a wrist-wrenching time trying to get the cigarette lighter disassembled blindly from the rear after taking a bazillion screws out of EVERYWHERE.

    That, and the whole "stick a V6 in it, even if it don't fit!" mentality GM had (still has?) was beyond annoying.


    GM can go jump off a cliff. They are the worst parts bin manufacturer, their designers don't seem to communicate with their engineers, or at least try to design bodies that are actively hostile towards installing things like engines and transmissions into them. When I first got into wrenching, all the old timers would complain about the Japanese/European cars, and how difficult they were to work on, now I would give anything to play with Hondas all day, GMs and Ford, especially Ford trucks, can just go die. Chrysler too, but they have nearly evaporated already anyway.

  • SliderSlider Registered User regular
    edited August 2012
    Here is that RX7 I was looking at.

    I just saw that it's an automatic, so....no thanks.

    Slider on
  • Mmmm... Cocks...Mmmm... Cocks... Registered User regular
    Slider wrote: »
    Here is that RX7 I was looking at.

    I just saw that it's an automatic, so....no thanks.
    I don't mind a lazy v8 hooked up to an auto tranny. But a rotary? That's gotta be just painful.

  • SliderSlider Registered User regular
    I have been communicating with a guy who is selling a Lightning and he seems to know his stuff.

    This is the last email I received. A lot of it is over my head.
    The mileage is 68,800. Engine wise, the engine has never been apart. Fast Specialties of Vancouver added a 6# lower Metco pulley, I added Bassani shortie headers with Bassani mid-pipes, Magnaflow high performance cats, Flowmaster Series 40 mufflers, and 3" stainless out to 3 1/2" stainless tips. I also installed a BBK cold air intake and converted the cooling over to an electric fan setup. I still have the stock clutch fan which I will include.

    I changed out the stock heat exchanger for a bigger Afco aluminum unit. Fast Specialties also did the tune with a new SCT 3 tuner and installed a custom tune when they dynoed the truck. They also replaced the inner cooler pump when they worked on it. The tune is very mild, for normal daily driving and could be retuned if you desired. I had the transmission gone thru with just mild upgrading to keep the shifts firm but not neck snapping.

    The rear suspension is a computer designed roadrace 3-link, fully adjustable for height with QA1 aluminum coil over shocks and a custom Watts linkage setup. I replaced the frame with a stock frame, removing the leaf spring mounts I wasn't going to use. The front has the factory Lightning control arms, Belltech drop coil springs, with Belltech shocks. The brakes are stock Ford with Hawk pads. I replaced the front rotors and bearings about 15,000 miles ago.

    All of the Lightning trim holes were filled, although it still has the SVT badge on the tailgate. The paint is about 4 years old. I usually have the front bumper repainted every year, and it is due. It is so massive that it does tend to get rock chips. The bottom edge has some scrapes along the bottom because it won't clear normal curbs, but no rips or other damage.

    I purchased the leather adjustable seats from a business in Portland that did upgraded interiors on Ford F350 and F450 custom trucks. The wiring says Ford of Mexico. The Navigator console is a stock piece from a 2000 Navigator in factory gray. Guage pod is on the drivers piller and has Autometer guages. The instrument panel is the original SVT Lightning piece.

    When I purchased the truck in Vancouver, the title was not branded as rebuilt. This happened whe I had it inspected in Oregon and, like an idiot, I mentioned the frame swap. But I wanted everything to be truthful and above board. The original accident happened in California when a car salesman crossed the thing up and smacked a curb with the right front tire. This pushed the tire back and bent the frame and, even though the dealership repaired the frame, I wasn't happy with it. I replaced the control arms with the frame swap.

    I'll get some more photos tomorrow when I get home. Not sure how the bank will look at the branded title, they may shy away from it. I had financed it in Vancouver, but, like I said, the title was clear at that point.

  • L Ron HowardL Ron Howard The duck MinnesotaRegistered User regular
    Slider wrote: »
    I have been communicating with a guy who is selling a Lightning and he seems to know his stuff.

    This is the last email I received. A lot of it is over my head.
    The mileage is 68,800. Engine wise, the engine has never been apart. Fast Specialties of Vancouver added a 6# lower Metco pulley, I added Bassani shortie headers with Bassani mid-pipes, Magnaflow high performance cats, Flowmaster Series 40 mufflers, and 3" stainless out to 3 1/2" stainless tips. I also installed a BBK cold air intake and converted the cooling over to an electric fan setup. I still have the stock clutch fan which I will include.

    I changed out the stock heat exchanger for a bigger Afco aluminum unit. Fast Specialties also did the tune with a new SCT 3 tuner and installed a custom tune when they dynoed the truck. They also replaced the inner cooler pump when they worked on it. The tune is very mild, for normal daily driving and could be retuned if you desired. I had the transmission gone thru with just mild upgrading to keep the shifts firm but not neck snapping.

    The rear suspension is a computer designed roadrace 3-link, fully adjustable for height with QA1 aluminum coil over shocks and a custom Watts linkage setup. I replaced the frame with a stock frame, removing the leaf spring mounts I wasn't going to use. The front has the factory Lightning control arms, Belltech drop coil springs, with Belltech shocks. The brakes are stock Ford with Hawk pads. I replaced the front rotors and bearings about 15,000 miles ago.

    All of the Lightning trim holes were filled, although it still has the SVT badge on the tailgate. The paint is about 4 years old. I usually have the front bumper repainted every year, and it is due. It is so massive that it does tend to get rock chips. The bottom edge has some scrapes along the bottom because it won't clear normal curbs, but no rips or other damage.

    I purchased the leather adjustable seats from a business in Portland that did upgraded interiors on Ford F350 and F450 custom trucks. The wiring says Ford of Mexico. The Navigator console is a stock piece from a 2000 Navigator in factory gray. Guage pod is on the drivers piller and has Autometer guages. The instrument panel is the original SVT Lightning piece.

    When I purchased the truck in Vancouver, the title was not branded as rebuilt. This happened whe I had it inspected in Oregon and, like an idiot, I mentioned the frame swap. But I wanted everything to be truthful and above board. The original accident happened in California when a car salesman crossed the thing up and smacked a curb with the right front tire. This pushed the tire back and bent the frame and, even though the dealership repaired the frame, I wasn't happy with it. I replaced the control arms with the frame swap.

    I'll get some more photos tomorrow when I get home. Not sure how the bank will look at the branded title, they may shy away from it. I had financed it in Vancouver, but, like I said, the title was clear at that point.

    Read: I spent a ton of money on it, and I beat the ever loving fucking piss out of it at every opportunity.

    He also "upgraded" the interior to the standards that most every other car (except other American cars) in the world has.
    Since it's Ford SVT, that means that you'll pay an extra two arms and a leg for anything specific to it. And since it's frankensteined together, if something does go wrong, who knows what you'd need to do in order to get it back into working condition. Since you're asking about the terminology, I'd add that as another "don't buy" point, among the other millions from the truck.

  • SliderSlider Registered User regular
    It doesn't look like it's been beat on.

  • krushkrush Registered User regular
    doesn't have to look like it from the outside, it's the engine that counts.

    I can all but assure you that dude has gunned that truck at more stoplights than you can even imagine.

  • ThomamelasThomamelas Only one man can kill this many Russians. Bring his guitar to me! Registered User regular
    Slider wrote: »
    It doesn't look like it's been beat on.

    It looks like it came from a car wash. Which just tells you the guy is bright enough to realize clean cars are more appealing. It's doesn't mean the car hasn't been beat on.

  • SliderSlider Registered User regular
    Are you assuming every fast car/truck has been beat on?

    Anyway, this guy has now dropped the price of his 2003 BMW M3 to $12,300.

    Besides the rebuilt title, why do you think it's so cheap?

  • ThomamelasThomamelas Only one man can kill this many Russians. Bring his guitar to me! Registered User regular
    Slider wrote: »
    Are you assuming every fast car/truck has been beat on?

    Anyway, this guy has now dropped the price of his 2003 BMW M3 to $12,300.

    Besides the rebuilt title, why do you think it's so cheap?

    No, I assume all cars are beat on until I do an inspection.

  • Wicked Uncle ErnieWicked Uncle Ernie Registered User regular
    edited August 2012
    Do you know anyone who doesn't beat on their fast car? I beat the shit out of mine, and its not even fast.

    I didn't look at that bmw, buying a salvage bmw seems brave to me, but just stay away from the SMG Trans.

    Wicked Uncle Ernie on
  • japanjapan Registered User regular
    Contours are terrible cars, that dual cam v6 Ford uses is a piece of garbage. The 4 cylinder ones aren't so bad, but then it's just a boring car. I think they are fairly popular in Europe, but I can't see why, for the life of me.

    Wiki tells me that the Contour is derived from what in Europe would be the first generation Mondeo (aka Mundano).

    They were extremely popular with fleet operators and company car drivers, because Ford would cut incredible deals for large purchases, and as a consequence there are a lot of them about.

    The more recent Mondeo versions are a lot better, though.

  • CormacCormac Registered User regular
    I think the primary thing to keep in mind is to not buy a tuner or a salvage title car. You're taking serious risks with either one (and from most of the cars that have been linked they are both tuned and salvage titled), and if you're really serious about buying any used car that is from an independent seller is to have the car thoroughly inspected my a mechanic/garage you trust.

    Have you tried looking on Ebay Motors and narrowing down the selections to cars that are within a reasonable distance?

    Steam: Gridlynk | PSN: Gridlynk | FFXIV: Jarvellis Mika
  • L Ron HowardL Ron Howard The duck MinnesotaRegistered User regular
    japan wrote: »
    Contours are terrible cars, that dual cam v6 Ford uses is a piece of garbage. The 4 cylinder ones aren't so bad, but then it's just a boring car. I think they are fairly popular in Europe, but I can't see why, for the life of me.

    Wiki tells me that the Contour is derived from what in Europe would be the first generation Mondeo (aka Mundano).

    They were extremely popular with fleet operators and company car drivers, because Ford would cut incredible deals for large purchases, and as a consequence there are a lot of them about.

    The more recent Mondeo versions are a lot better, though.

    The car was built with a 5-year-and-1-day obsolescence plan. It was made to fall apart after 5 years and 1 day, so that you are off the warranty and have so much work that it's just easier to get another car, liek a Brand New Focus!!

  • krushkrush Registered User regular
    I'll always assume an SVT owner will brutalize their vehicles because they believe their cars can beat anything out there.

    Two years ago, I saw a Contour SVT playing tag with a BMW 3-series on I-10 just outside of Phoenix on the way to Palm Springs. I was already at 80mph, and these two were flying like a pair of idiots, weaving in and out of traffic at high speed.

    I don't think I've seen a Cobra that wasn't involved in a race or just peeling out if a guy was behind the wheel.

    Every Focus SVT owner races Civics and 240SX's at the stoplight. It's just what they do.

  • L Ron HowardL Ron Howard The duck MinnesotaRegistered User regular
    That kind of applies to all cars with some performance though.
    I don't often see WRX, Evo, etc. guys just simply driving around at a normal speed in the right lane. It's always flying around traffic, tailgating people in the left lane.
    Corvettes might be the only exception, only because they cost a lot for that midlife crisis, and their elderly owners don't want to lose their garage queen.

  • CommunistCowCommunistCow Abstract Metal ThingyRegistered User regular
    edited August 2012
    That kind of applies to all cars with some performance though.
    I don't often see WRX, Evo, etc. guys just simply driving around at a normal speed in the right lane. It's always flying around traffic, tailgating people in the left lane.
    Corvettes might be the only exception, only because they cost a lot for that midlife crisis, and their elderly owners don't want to lose their garage queen.

    This.

    Slider, its like you aren't paying any attention to anyone on here. I think I can sum up the consensus as "do not buy things out of your price range just because you got a loan" and "don't buy some older sports car because it will probably require lots of expensive maintenance."

    @LRonHoward As a counter anecdote I see WRXes driving at reasonable speeds around here all the time, but I think that might be because WRXes breed like rabbits here in Colorado.

    CommunistCow on
    No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
  • redxredx I(x)=2(x)+1 whole numbersRegistered User regular
    Do you know anyone who doesn't beat on their fast car? I beat the shit out of mine, and its not even fast.

    Rich twats who drive exotics with too much power for them. Unless it is been wrapped around a telephone pole in an attempt to do a burn out, I'd figure most Lambos and higher end Ferrari or Porsche would probably be ok.

    God damned grey hairs driving things with 400+ break horse power, under the speed limit in the fast lane. Arglebargle! Get the hell out of my ford escort's way.

    They moistly come out at night, moistly.
  • L Ron HowardL Ron Howard The duck MinnesotaRegistered User regular
    I've only seen two Lambos driving, ever. And, if they're representative of all Lambo drivers, it was redline-to-redline driving, with so much tailgating that if the guy in front his his brakes the Lambo would coolly slide underneath.

  • Wicked Uncle ErnieWicked Uncle Ernie Registered User regular
    I agree with Cow. What it really sounds like is you need to buy a nice Civic and pay it off. By the time that's done, maybe you can afford a sports car. Is not like any of us know how you feel here, I'm currently resisting a terrible urge to go for this S14 I've been looking at and slap an rb25det into it.

    But I know what owning a car like that really costs, and daily driving something like that would be nuts.

  • redxredx I(x)=2(x)+1 whole numbersRegistered User regular
    I have a couple that live in town, and another I used to see from time to time on my commute.

    Then all sorts of interesting stuff a few times a year for car shows, and just a ridiculous number of Porsches and the odd M3 or Lotus during the weeks before and after the Rolex 24. They have such better taste than the NASCAR crowd.

    They moistly come out at night, moistly.
  • xeroismygodxeroismygod Registered User regular
    Slider wrote: »
    Are you assuming every fast car/truck has been beat on?

    Anyway, this guy has now dropped the price of his 2003 BMW M3 to $12,300.

    Besides the rebuilt title, why do you think it's so cheap?

    The rear Sub Frames of this model year likes to break. Also the Vanos System had ways of grenading itself at this development cycle.

  • ThomamelasThomamelas Only one man can kill this many Russians. Bring his guitar to me! Registered User regular
    I agree with Cow. What it really sounds like is you need to buy a nice Civic and pay it off. By the time that's done, maybe you can afford a sports car. Is not like any of us know how you feel here, I'm currently resisting a terrible urge to go for this S14 I've been looking at and slap an rb25det into it.

    But I know what owning a car like that really costs, and daily driving something like that would be nuts.

    This is the right idea. No one loves driving a Civic. You don't wake up in the morning excited to get behind the wheel of a Civic. But this is offset by knowing that when you turn the key it will start, and if it doesn't then the replacement parts will be cheap and plentiful.

  • L Ron HowardL Ron Howard The duck MinnesotaRegistered User regular
    To keep harping on the point, it's better to spend $12k for a well maintained Civic than some dude's modified vehicle, especially when it's your only mode of transportation.

  • krushkrush Registered User regular
    To keep harping on the point, it's better to spend $12k for a well maintained Civic than some dude's modified vehicle, especially when it's your only mode of transportation.

    this needs to be put on repeat.

  • emp123emp123 Registered User regular
    Thomamelas wrote: »
    I agree with Cow. What it really sounds like is you need to buy a nice Civic and pay it off. By the time that's done, maybe you can afford a sports car. Is not like any of us know how you feel here, I'm currently resisting a terrible urge to go for this S14 I've been looking at and slap an rb25det into it.

    But I know what owning a car like that really costs, and daily driving something like that would be nuts.

    This is the right idea. No one loves driving a Civic. You don't wake up in the morning excited to get behind the wheel of a Civic. But this is offset by knowing that when you turn the key it will start, and if it doesn't then the replacement parts will be cheap and plentiful.

    And for what its worth, I think my Civic is an enjoyable point a to point b car. Its not as fun as my 240, which I would drive just to drive, but its not a bad driving experience either. But really, I think as long as its manual you can probably enjoy driving it.

  • ThomamelasThomamelas Only one man can kill this many Russians. Bring his guitar to me! Registered User regular
    emp123 wrote: »
    Thomamelas wrote: »
    I agree with Cow. What it really sounds like is you need to buy a nice Civic and pay it off. By the time that's done, maybe you can afford a sports car. Is not like any of us know how you feel here, I'm currently resisting a terrible urge to go for this S14 I've been looking at and slap an rb25det into it.

    But I know what owning a car like that really costs, and daily driving something like that would be nuts.

    This is the right idea. No one loves driving a Civic. You don't wake up in the morning excited to get behind the wheel of a Civic. But this is offset by knowing that when you turn the key it will start, and if it doesn't then the replacement parts will be cheap and plentiful.

    And for what its worth, I think my Civic is an enjoyable point a to point b car. Its not as fun as my 240, which I would drive just to drive, but its not a bad driving experience either. But really, I think as long as its manual you can probably enjoy driving it.

    Oh the Civic isn't an awful car to drive. It's just not a car people get excited about driving.

  • japanjapan Registered User regular
    redx wrote: »
    Do you know anyone who doesn't beat on their fast car? I beat the shit out of mine, and its not even fast.

    Rich twats who drive exotics with too much power for them. Unless it is been wrapped around a telephone pole in an attempt to do a burn out, I'd figure most Lambos and higher end Ferrari or Porsche would probably be ok.

    God damned grey hairs driving things with 400+ break horse power, under the speed limit in the fast lane. Arglebargle! Get the hell out of my ford escort's way.

    Interesting titbit from the insurance industry: most of the time, exotica is written off by people other than their owners. It is almost invariably someone that borrowed the car (friend, relative, etc), or mechanics "road testing", etc.

    The company I worked for used to insure a club that was basically a supercar timeshare - you paid money for points and could spend the points to book two weeks with an Enzo or a Murcielago or whatever. They went out of business because those cars got crashed, a lot. Very rarely were they minor accidents. Their insurance quote for their third year of operation turned out be two and a half times their annual turnover.

  • ThomamelasThomamelas Only one man can kill this many Russians. Bring his guitar to me! Registered User regular
    There is a company that does that here in Houston. I never pondered what their insurance must be like.

  • CommunistCowCommunistCow Abstract Metal ThingyRegistered User regular
    I don't know about you guys but I don't think I would be excited to drive any sports car in daily driver traffic.

    It seems like keeping the Gixxer for fun and having a reasonable car for DD would be the best way to go.

    No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
  • CommunistCowCommunistCow Abstract Metal ThingyRegistered User regular
    japan wrote: »
    redx wrote: »
    Do you know anyone who doesn't beat on their fast car? I beat the shit out of mine, and its not even fast.

    Rich twats who drive exotics with too much power for them. Unless it is been wrapped around a telephone pole in an attempt to do a burn out, I'd figure most Lambos and higher end Ferrari or Porsche would probably be ok.

    God damned grey hairs driving things with 400+ break horse power, under the speed limit in the fast lane. Arglebargle! Get the hell out of my ford escort's way.

    Interesting titbit from the insurance industry: most of the time, exotica is written off by people other than their owners. It is almost invariably someone that borrowed the car (friend, relative, etc), or mechanics "road testing", etc.

    The company I worked for used to insure a club that was basically a supercar timeshare - you paid money for points and could spend the points to book two weeks with an Enzo or a Murcielago or whatever. They went out of business because those cars got crashed, a lot. Very rarely were they minor accidents. Their insurance quote for their third year of operation turned out be two and a half times their annual turnover.

    Honestly, I would be super afraid to drive any sports car with 300+hp. Even on a track I would probably baby the thing all the time. I am of the opinion that you'll probably have more fun pushing a cheaper car you turboed than worrying about wrecking a 50k+ car.

    No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
  • japanjapan Registered User regular
    japan wrote: »
    redx wrote: »
    Do you know anyone who doesn't beat on their fast car? I beat the shit out of mine, and its not even fast.

    Rich twats who drive exotics with too much power for them. Unless it is been wrapped around a telephone pole in an attempt to do a burn out, I'd figure most Lambos and higher end Ferrari or Porsche would probably be ok.

    God damned grey hairs driving things with 400+ break horse power, under the speed limit in the fast lane. Arglebargle! Get the hell out of my ford escort's way.

    Interesting titbit from the insurance industry: most of the time, exotica is written off by people other than their owners. It is almost invariably someone that borrowed the car (friend, relative, etc), or mechanics "road testing", etc.

    The company I worked for used to insure a club that was basically a supercar timeshare - you paid money for points and could spend the points to book two weeks with an Enzo or a Murcielago or whatever. They went out of business because those cars got crashed, a lot. Very rarely were they minor accidents. Their insurance quote for their third year of operation turned out be two and a half times their annual turnover.

    Honestly, I would be super afraid to drive any sports car with 300+hp. Even on a track I would probably baby the thing all the time. I am of the opinion that you'll probably have more fun pushing a cheaper car you turboed than worrying about wrecking a 50k+ car.

    It's totally unscientific, but the wrecks I remember from that policy were all on motorway slip roads (I think the US term is "on ramps"?)

    That's probably the circumstance in which people in normal driving accelerate the hardest, so I reckon it was the temptation to just floor it and see what happens that tended to do it.

  • TehSlothTehSloth Hit Or Miss I Guess They Never Miss, HuhRegistered User regular
    I don't know about you guys but I don't think I would be excited to drive any sports car in daily driver traffic.

    It seems like keeping the Gixxer for fun and having a reasonable car for DD would be the best way to go.

    Yeah, that'd definitely be the way I'd go, although I've never owned a motorcycle. Once I've got my main car paid off I'm definitely thinking about either picking up something fun and cheap that I don't need to worry about working or having to drive around in the rain, probably either an old miata, an s13 vert and get something dumb swapped in (1jz!), or a bike.

    FC: 1993-7778-8872 PSN: TehSloth Xbox: SlothTeh
    twitch.tv/tehsloth
  • emp123emp123 Registered User regular
    Thomamelas wrote: »
    emp123 wrote: »
    Thomamelas wrote: »
    I agree with Cow. What it really sounds like is you need to buy a nice Civic and pay it off. By the time that's done, maybe you can afford a sports car. Is not like any of us know how you feel here, I'm currently resisting a terrible urge to go for this S14 I've been looking at and slap an rb25det into it.

    But I know what owning a car like that really costs, and daily driving something like that would be nuts.

    This is the right idea. No one loves driving a Civic. You don't wake up in the morning excited to get behind the wheel of a Civic. But this is offset by knowing that when you turn the key it will start, and if it doesn't then the replacement parts will be cheap and plentiful.

    And for what its worth, I think my Civic is an enjoyable point a to point b car. Its not as fun as my 240, which I would drive just to drive, but its not a bad driving experience either. But really, I think as long as its manual you can probably enjoy driving it.

    Oh the Civic isn't an awful car to drive. It's just not a car people get excited about driving.

    Yeah definitely. I wouldnt put it in the same category as the Camry which really just may be the most boring car on the road, but its probably not going to ignite any passions. I do however think the 8th Gen Civic is much nicer than the previous generation, so I would recommend going for one of those. Although I can only compare a 2011 Civic 4 door to a 200something Civic 2 door (my sisters car). I will say my sisters car reminds me more of the 240 in almost every way but handling and rear seating space (much better in the Civic).

  • matt has a problemmatt has a problem Points to 'off' Points to 'on'Registered User regular
    Honestly, I would be super afraid to drive any sports car with 300+hp. Even on a track I would probably baby the thing all the time. I am of the opinion that you'll probably have more fun pushing a cheaper car you turboed than worrying about wrecking a 50k+ car.

    300hp isn't that much honestly. I mean yes, it's a lot, but it's not like, you smoke the tires just thinking about the gas pedal. Heck, the early 2000's Cadillac Sevilles had a 300hp engine in a front wheel drive car.

    400 is kind of the magic number for losing control when you don't know what you're doing.

    nibXTE7.png
  • matt has a problemmatt has a problem Points to 'off' Points to 'on'Registered User regular
    I guess I should say it really depends on the car. You put 300hp in a Beetle, make sure you have a signed will. The stock 2006 Dodge Charger SXT on the other hand was 250, and that thing drove like a boat.

    nibXTE7.png
  • ThomamelasThomamelas Only one man can kill this many Russians. Bring his guitar to me! Registered User regular
    japan wrote: »
    redx wrote: »
    Do you know anyone who doesn't beat on their fast car? I beat the shit out of mine, and its not even fast.

    Rich twats who drive exotics with too much power for them. Unless it is been wrapped around a telephone pole in an attempt to do a burn out, I'd figure most Lambos and higher end Ferrari or Porsche would probably be ok.

    God damned grey hairs driving things with 400+ break horse power, under the speed limit in the fast lane. Arglebargle! Get the hell out of my ford escort's way.

    Interesting titbit from the insurance industry: most of the time, exotica is written off by people other than their owners. It is almost invariably someone that borrowed the car (friend, relative, etc), or mechanics "road testing", etc.

    The company I worked for used to insure a club that was basically a supercar timeshare - you paid money for points and could spend the points to book two weeks with an Enzo or a Murcielago or whatever. They went out of business because those cars got crashed, a lot. Very rarely were they minor accidents. Their insurance quote for their third year of operation turned out be two and a half times their annual turnover.

    Honestly, I would be super afraid to drive any sports car with 300+hp. Even on a track I would probably baby the thing all the time. I am of the opinion that you'll probably have more fun pushing a cheaper car you turboed than worrying about wrecking a 50k+ car.

    The times I've driven cars in the 300/400+ range, I found I was nervous on the corners, but with access to long straightaways I was more comfortable pushing the cars on them. And I slowly got more comfortable going harder on the corners. I never got comfortable enough to be really aggressive on the corners but I suspect with enough track time I might have gotten to something one might charitably call aggressive.

  • CommunistCowCommunistCow Abstract Metal ThingyRegistered User regular
    I guess I should say it really depends on the car. You put 300hp in a Beetle, make sure you have a signed will. The stock 2006 Dodge Charger SXT on the other hand was 250, and that thing drove like a boat.

    See the key phrase is "sports car with 300+ hp." A lot of the new American "muscle" cars are just heavy as shit with more power output to make up for that weight increase. I wouldn't exactly call them sports cars ;)

    No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
  • MyDcmbrMyDcmbr PEWPEWPEW!!! America's WangRegistered User regular
    I guess I should say it really depends on the car. You put 300hp in a Beetle, make sure you have a signed will. The stock 2006 Dodge Charger SXT on the other hand was 250, and that thing drove like a boat.

    My Beetle was about 260ish HP and it was something else from the stoplights when you got on it. *HummmmmmmmSCREEEEEEEEEEEEEECHHHHHH!!... PSHHT!!... SCREEEEEEEECHHHHHHHHH!!*

    Ahhhh, those were good times.

    Steam
    So we get stiff once in a while. So we have a little fun. What’s wrong with that? This is a free country, isn’t it? I can take my panda any place I want to. And if I wanna buy it a drink, that’s my business.
  • KrieghundKrieghund Registered User regular
    300 hp in something like a Miata might be kinda scary. The 300 hp in my car isn't quite so scary since I think I have about a 1000 pounds over what a Miata weighs. However a friend used to have a GTO and man that thing was fast as hell.

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