What's the most fun car you've ever owned? [Archive]

piece-it pete

08-25-2004, 09:31 AM

dean_martin

08-25-2004, 09:53 AM

Until recently (3 weeks ago to be exact), I had never owned a "fun" car. My previous rides had all been need-based due to things like money, interior size, etc. About the closest thing to fun I had owned was a little Jeep Comanche pickup with 4sp manual, but it was bought based on the need to haul stuff.

But 3wks ago I got a new Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart w/5sp manual. I took delivery on Sat. and that Monday my wife and I drove it from here in South West Ala. to Austin, TX. We did it in 12 hrs. (I drove all the way and if it wasn't for her bladder and the need to gas up we wouldn't have stopped.) No driver fatigue, great in curves and turns, smooth at high speeds. I've finally realized that I've simply been too pratical in my adult life. Rural, bumpy backroads that I used to dread in my grandma car (2000 Mitsu Galant) are now my favorite routes. My teenage boys can't believe I got a version of the car first seen in the US on a video game.

piece-it pete

08-25-2004, 11:36 AM

Dean,

That is supposed to be fun!!

Pete

For the unwashed, a pic:

topspeed

08-25-2004, 02:13 PM

I'd have to say our Mazda Miata 5 spd. I've had cars that were faster (the one I'm driving now, for one), had more horsepower, stuck better, etc. but brother, the Miata just puts it all together like no other car save a Porsche Boxster. It is only moderately fast and isn't the stickiest car, but that's part of the charm. In fact, one of the Miata's most endearing qualities is its complete controllability even when executing a luscious 4 wheel drift. You can drive looking out your side windows all day long without fear that it will come back and bite you. While this isn't the fastest way around a track, it sure is the most fun :D! The icing on the cake is that Miata's are darn near indestructible. The bottom end on the engine is so overbuilt you can hang a supercharger on it and still not need a major overhaul until 200k! You gotta love that!

Now, ask me this question in about 4 months and I (hopefully) will have a different answer.

How did you get a picture I can only get a link?

piece-it pete

08-26-2004, 07:11 AM

Hey, TS, I was hoping you'd stop in!

That's not the first time I've heard praises about the Miata. And as it fits with: Spouse approval, Budget approval, and the class of car I've been happiest with realistic-wise I think I'm going to get one for the SO when my current work car expires.

Which BTW is a Geo Metro!! Notice it did NOT make the "fun to drive" list, although it does have go-cart characteristics, if a go-cart handles poorly and goes slow. I have written this tongue-in-cheek review:

As the owner of a 1996 Geo Metro I can assure you that we know all there is to know about Ferraris.

The original Metro was actually secretly designed by Enzo, and shares many components, as you can tell immediately from the high performance 52 hp inline three. He needed a mule to work out the bugs before he could "go public".

It's a good thing, too. The shifter has a certain "feel", some would call it - rubbery? limp-noodlely? downright crappy? The torque band is about 3 rpms' wide, while the HP peak comes immediately after engaging the 1 oz. clutch. The sensation of no acceleration when stomping the gas pedal is exhilerating.

Of course, it's loaded with options, like a starter, brakes, and openable doors. Mine has the optional heater, 3" front discs and roll-down windows. I added an aftermarket steering wheel, this is a big improvement I strongly recommend, for driving.

When I changed my tires I upgraded to a $20.00 tire, this bumbed up the skidpad g's to a whopping .3 before showing its' remarkably predictable, and absolute, understeer.

The phenomenal durability is amazing, the headliner stays on for at least 15,000 miles and the transmission is relatively easy to change, which is good, as is the 2 pint radiator.

_______________________

I felt bad about slamming it so hard, so I wrote a "real" review:

It's funny, once I started writing that review I couldn't stop!

But the "real" truth:

I drive a 1996 Metro back and forth to work, it now keeps the miles off the big Mercury (my "good" car). I've owned it since '97, I bought it with 10k on it, in almost perfect condition for $7600, still under factory warranty. It's theoretically a Chevy, bought & rebadged from Suzuki, but the doorjam sticker says "Built by Cami Automotive" - in Canada. Who knows??

It's a four door sedan that has the (as I tell the parts store guys) "big" engine, the 76 hp I4, 1.3 liter, mated to a 5 speed that really is "limp-noodley". The little all-aluminum engine I consider something of a marvel, though, and I know they use them in airplanes due to power to weight ratios.

It's not THAT bad, better than I thought when I bought it (a bad time, you can imagine, I'm a big car guy), particularly for the money. Consider the twin pocketbook fatteners of the original price and an actual 39+ mpg, me driving combined. Although in '99 when gas here hit $.89/gl I felt a little silly! $5-6 fillups.

And overall it's been reliable. I drive cars pretty hard (partic. the Metro, 'cause it's easy to push such a small envelope) but also maintain them well, very well.

The a/c never worked right (the dealer changed EVERY SINGLE main component including the compressor under warr.) but the car has done 117k miles now with only these issues (outside of routine maint.):

Headliner, down at 70K (left off).

Radiator, inside of end caps "peeled" and plugged, 75K (replaced rad, still needs heater core, only blows "warm", not hot) Note: a hillbilly friend of mine, we go WAY back, while looking in the engine compartment says: "Gawd d_mn, Peyt, if'n you ever need watter you could jus' piss 'n fill it up" lol.

Transmission, 100K, primary drive gear stripped a full third around. This was the only time it stranded me.

Has always had a tick, lifter?, I call the car "the tic". Chevy said: "Normal valvetrain noise" :rolleyes: .

The body has held up well but is rusting in the back wheel wells, can't see it yet but by this winter it will be BAD.

Overall a good car, I had to set the record straight out of fairness.

Although you WON'T be picking up any chicks in this car, unless you're into young chickens.

BTW, it came LOADED, PS, PB, A/C, Rear window defrost and am/fm radio!

_____________________________

Sorry for the long-windedness.

You mentioned in an earlier post that your dad had a E-Type Jag. Did you get to drive it? Was it the V-12?

Have you ever driven a car like Deans?

How did you get a picture I can only get a link?

I'm just that good lol. I don't know, did you try just posting one?

Pete

piece-it pete

08-26-2004, 07:13 AM

Hey that's not a Miata!

Resident Loser

08-26-2004, 07:52 AM

...rolled over and died(literally) my '81 Jeep CJ-7 was the cat's @$$ to me and the missus...take off the hard top and the doors...ab-so-lute-ly nothing like it on four wheels...we still miss that sucker.

jimHJJ(...the newer extended version of the "Rubicon" TJ looks promising...)

topspeed

08-26-2004, 09:41 AM

Pete, you're killin' me! That was the funniest review I've read since C/D did a review of the Trabant (remember that POS from the Cold War?). 76 hp, huh? I hate to tell you this, but my old bike had 115 and only had to push around 400lbs of machine! Of course, current iterations have 185 hp and weigh around 360lbs. Yeek! :eek:

We had our XK-E when I was far too young to drive (damn, I'm not that old!) but I remember that car fondly. It was a V12 roadster and made the most delicious noises when at full chat. I'm tellin' you Pete, that sweetheart sounded like it was going 100 mph at 35 mph. The Jag was the first car that I hand waxed, which in my estimation is the only true way to appreciate a car's design. You have to touch it and rub your hands over it, not unlike a woman's body..seriously. This is especially true when you consider the unquestioned beauty of the E-type, undoubtedly one of the finest designs of all time. This is important because as an owner of a Jag, you had ample opportunities to gaze at it as it sat there.

Again :rolleyes:.

Still, both my dad and I lament the day he sold that honey. Boy, would I love to have that in the stable today.

I've never driven the Lancer or specifically the Evo VIII but I did take a spin in my buddies WRX STi. Lemme tell you something, that thing is a rocket! About as raw as a Viper and only 1/3 as expensive. This car will put the most ridiculous grin on your face! The gear whine, turbo whistle, shift light (a godsend), and buck board ride make sure you're aware that you're not piloting some 4 door economy car. It's not the same sensation as a Miata where everything just flows from one corner to the next. This is more like Banzai "Oh-Dear-God!" drive it like you hate it thrills. You just beat the life out of it. Ahhh, good times.

You could definitely do worse than a Miata. Just make sure you get the 6 speed. Trust me on this one.

BTW, the pic is the car I'm ordering next month. Should be here in January or so. And you're right, it's no Miata :p.

OK, seriously now. How the hell did you post that pic??? I use the Upload/Manage Photos button and uploaded them from my folder but didn't get a picture like you did. What am I doing wrong here?

topspeed

08-26-2004, 09:49 AM

Hey Jim,

Those CJ's were awesome. I used to go to the dunes in a CJ-7. No doors, no roof, and front window down. There's nothing like it. The new Wranglers ditched the venerable straight 6 for a V6, dunno if that's a good thing or not. Say what you will about the 4 liter, it was as reliable as the sunrise, which is a lot more than I can say about most Chrysler products (and I've had 2 Grand Cherokees).

JeffBrecklin

08-26-2004, 11:27 AM

Lets see my dad owns a 65 chevell 283 1979 chevy malibu 396 bored out to 402 a 1974 corvette convertable a 66 mustange fastback. He also use to own about 80 other muscle cars he even used to own a yenko camaro.

topspeed

08-26-2004, 11:47 AM

Uhh Jeff, there were only 200 true COPO Yenko's built. I'm very disturbed by the "used to own" part of your post. Please don't tell me he sold it! What in the world was he thinking?!?

JeffBrecklin

08-26-2004, 12:39 PM

I dont know what he was thinking at the time i guess he needed mony but he told me that he is kicking himself for selling it.

topspeed

08-26-2004, 01:31 PM

Show him these:
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/auctionresults/common/cardetail.asp?id=172517
http://www.barrett-jackson.com/auctionresults/common/cardetail.asp?id=172665

Now tell him to put his steel toe'd boots on...

cam

08-26-2004, 06:26 PM

My 1990 5.0L mustang 5 speed. The light back end and high torque at very little rpm made this car very exciting to drive. Of course at my age now, I like my cars a little more planted to the ground, you know, carrying presious cargo around (two kids). My mustang got stolen after only one year. The tires were already shot (just having some 19 year old fun) and I was shopping for new ones. So since my car was gone and i did not need to go shopping for new tires, I went shopping for a new car. A brand new 1992 5.0L mustang. Hey, I wasn't done having fun yet. My fun was done 2 years later and I sold it.

markw

08-26-2004, 07:13 PM

First one was a ratty '62 Sunbeam Alpine I picked up from a local for $225 when I was in the AF in Eglinn AFB, Fla. Had a wooden front bumper, the top was mostly duct tape and it ate a quart of oil every few days. Once, and only once mind you, smokd came out from under tha dashboard. I shut it off and tried to find the problem but didn't. When I turned it on it statted perfectly and the problem never reoccurred. Gotta love those Lucas electronics. They didn't call that guy the prince of darknedd for nothing.

A few years later I got hold of a well worn '66 Dodge Coronet 500. All the corners were dinged, the interior sould use a little work but the top was nice, at least until some little bahstads sliced it one night. Duct tape to the rescue. In the three yeaers I owned this, i never did a dang thing to it except to change a fanbelt once. Oil was changed by attrition.

It probably would have gone on forever except my girlfriend tried to straddle a Jersry divider on Rt 9 and eviscerated the front end.

The two rattiest cars I owned but, all in all, I never had more fun than with these two beaters. Maybe 'cause there was no need to be anal about 'em?

Tons of Fun

08-27-2004, 01:28 AM

The 1977 Mercedes 200D in yellow. Not the most dynamic machine I've owned but the bench front seat became a very specious bed. And that is why I have fond memories of it :).

piece-it pete

08-27-2004, 10:24 AM

TS,

I don't know what I do special, I just scoll down to "upload/manage photos", click "browse", pick the photo out of the appropriate folder, upload, and poof! I get a photo. Maybe pm Eric.

Too bad you never got to drive the Jag, that has GOT to be awesome. Agreed with the waxing, it's the only way to "know" your car in the biblical sense!!

Of course, that beemers' no slouch. VERY sharp, love the color. What model/options? Do they put the V-12 in the 3 series yet :D ?

The timing belt on the Metro broke yesterday afternoon, on my way to lunch after that post :( . Wouldn't you know it. Fortunately it's not a zero-tolerance engine! There goes my friday night.

Cam I know a Mustang guy, a '68 convert in a burnt orange/red, orig. a 429 but changed to a 390 after repeated blown engines (I bet HE had fun!!). I wouldn't kick one outta - my driveway. I like the new ones, too.

Jim, CJs in a car thread? Lucky they didn't delete your post lol!!. Oh, wait, better hush up. The Rubicon looks interesting, I've always wanted to try offroading, and the ruggedness is cool.

Jeff I remember those pics, I have a feeling you're going to end up driving some nice cars! Yenko, yenko yenko! BTW, GM produced a limited run of '69 Impalas with all-aluminum 427s', you had to be an employee, saw one on speedvision a while back. Yowza!

Mark, is that the manufacturer (Sunbeam) that stuffed 5.0s' into those little cars?

TOF, well named :D !!

Pete

topspeed

08-27-2004, 01:37 PM

What model/options? Do they put the V-12 in the 3 series yet :D ?That's an M3 cabriolet. 333 hp, 19" wheels, SMG (Sequential Manual Gearbox), although I'm not sold on the paddle shifters yet. I drove one and while I liked it in manual mode, it was pretty spooky in auto mode. It literally feels like someone puts the clutch in, slowly shifts gears, and then releases the clutch. It's not close to smooth and you certainly don't look very cool as your head bobs back and forth between shifts. The trouble is, the 6 spd manual isn't much better; very notchy and hates to be rushed. Why is it only Mazda and Honda know how to build a slick gearbox? Speaking of Honda, you owe it to yourself to test a S2000 before your write the check on the Miata. I'd still buy the Miata because it's more everyday friendly but the shifter in the S2000 is amazing. You don't shift it, you think it throught the gears. The throws are just ridiculously short!

is that the manufacturer (Sunbeam) that stuffed 5.0s' into those little cars?
Yep, they took the I-4 out and dropped in a 4.2L Ford V-8. Do you wanna guess who oversaw the development? I'll give you a hint; he's famous for his work with another Brit sportscar outfit called AC.

piece-it pete

08-30-2004, 01:34 PM

An M3!! Wow, congrats, that has got to be one of the best overall cars of all time. I've never driven a paddle shift though have heard good things. Well, you'll let us know :) .

I'll look at the Honda but it's quite a bit more expensive. Didn't they have a crazy redline, like 9000?

Pete

topspeed

08-30-2004, 03:17 PM

Yeah, the limiter is up in the stratosphere. The S2000 is the closest thing I've driven to a motorcycle with 4 wheels. You really have to drive it like you hate it because all of torque is above 7000 rpm, but that's part of it's charm :D.

Used S2000's aren't too expensive and being a Honda, at least you can feel confident in the quality and durability. Very, very fun. Again however, I'd still probably stick with the Miata. If you are buying new, the trick Mazdaspeed version is supposed to be an absolute ball to drive and at $25K, a helluva lotta bang for the buck.

jamison

09-05-2004, 05:39 PM

the most fun car i ever had was the most ugliest i owned a 1977 black amc pacer wagon it had killer jenson 6x9s in the back and 6 1/2 woofers and dual tweeters in the front with the most awesome 8 track stereo. this car got the sht beat out of it. i remember forcing the car around a 90 degree turn at almost 50 miles an hour amd sliding sideways past a state trooper that was pinned in between 2 other cars he couldnt do anything but watch
it wasnt a race car but with a big six cylinder engine and a 4 speed it had some torque.
ah those were the days

karl k

09-06-2004, 02:48 PM

With the impending demise of my work car I've got to thinking about all the cars I've owned over the years, which one was best overall ('87 Grand Marquis), the best presentation ('76 Lincoln Mark IV - moonroof bigger than many cars :) ), etc, but the most important catagory, fun to drive, kept creeping back.

Muscle cars are great, nothing like putting your foot down on a bb chevy rat!, but overall for me it came down to the number of little two door imports I've picked up for my SO at one time or another.

They are: '80 Fiat X/1-9, '76 Triumph TR7, ? Toyota MR2, and a '79 Mazda RX7.

All were fun. The Fiat was probably the closest to a "true" sports car, stuck like glue, I could turn peoples' hair white cornering in that little zoom box. The Toyota had great torque, I liked watching the tach & speedo move together in 2nd gear. The Mazda had more power than that teeny little barrel of a weird (and very reliable) engine had a right to.

But the Triumph takes the cake. A straight 4 cy. twin side draught carb, 4 speed, front engine, rear drive two seater that could put a smile on any curmudgeons' face, 4 wheel drift, hang the back end out, comfortable for a 6 fter absolute fun fun fun. I still remember blasting down countryish backstreets at 100+ with Debbie going slow down!! what are you crazy - and I was :yes: !!

Too bad driving & walking went together with that unreliable, WOW is this great car.

What's your "most fun" choice?

Pete

Mine was white, too (but with some rust):I not only like to drive fun cars, but like to WORK on them as much. I can never afford to buy a "new sports car" of the caliber I enjoy, so I buy what I can and mod it... sometimes very "extensively". My first best driveable ride was a '79 Ford Pinto. Even with the peppy little 4cyl, it handles undeniably well with some wide tires all around and sway bars front and rear. Then you add a 360hp 302 V8 and a T5 tranny, and 4 wheel disc brakes... well, you get one hellava wild ride!

My current masterpiece is a replica of a Lambourghini Countach. I hope to improve on the driveability and handling with about the same accelleration as the Pinto. None the less, they both have been a very fun projects to "own". Some others are...

'68 Fiat 850 sport spider convertable
80 Mercury Capri
88 Honda Prelude Si w/4WS

You can see pics of the Lambo, w/Pinto in back ground, here...

http://www.conceptcarz.com/MsgBrd/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2039

I post updates as warranted by progress.(about every month or so):) There's a couple pages of stuff with pics throughout.

vr6ofpain

09-14-2004, 11:24 PM

my current car, a blown mk3 Jetta VR6.

EFE Speakers

09-15-2004, 10:10 AM

BRANDONH

09-29-2004, 10:39 AM

topspeed

09-29-2004, 11:30 AM

I love to drive my Beamer 330i with sports suspension and 5 speed manual trans! I don't know about the manual 6 speed trans in the M3, but the 5 speed in the 330i is the smoothest shifting tranny I've ever driven. Next to this 4 passenger extremely well engineered fun car, the newer Z06 Corvette was probably the most exhilarating machine I've ever driven! We boys seem to never grow out of our toys! Ed

Ed? As in Ed Frias? I've read alot about your speakers but finding information about your company and products is harder than double clutch downshifting! Can you provide a link or website address? I'd love to read about your toys.

A question about your 330. I bought mine without test driving a stick based solely on reviewer's incessent praising about how smooth the shifter is. I know, I know, this is like a buying speaker without hearing it. However, every dealer always had the stupid Steptronic but not a good 'ol manual. Ultimate Driving Machine? Sure, that makes sense to not have any manuals...

Alas, I digress. The 5spd in my car sucks, period. It's so bad I actually had the service dept. look at it only to find everything was "within spec." It is impossible to be smooth in this car and it's not just me; all of my friends agree. My wife hates driving my car (not a bad thing, btw) because of this weird tendency for the car to pause after you've let the clutch out before it starts to accelerate hard. It's like there's a glitch in the drive-by-wire algorithm. I dunno, but it's mighty unsettling. The box also HATES to be rushed and will fight like a mule if you try to flick it from gear to gear quickly. Do you have these problems? I prefer sticks but if the 6 spd acts like my 5 spd, I'm getting the SMG. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks.

EFE Speakers

09-29-2004, 04:13 PM

Hi Topspeed,
It's hard to believe you are speaking of a 330i. The first time my wife drove this car, she shifted it smoother than any manual transmission she has ever driven, her and I were amazed how smooth she drove it without any jerking. The clutch, the shifter and the gears are all like a fine sewing machine.

What made me even look at a BMW was driving a brand new 528 with an automatic, it was the smoothest shifting automatic trans I have ever driven! I couldn't feel the trans shift, even when I was on it at full throttle. I heard the RPM change but no jerk or jolt from the trans whatsoever. I was shopping for the car for an older lady friend (89) who insisted she wanted a new BMW, even though the 1994 Toyota Cressida I got her only had 14k miles on it. She had peviously owned a older BMW back in the early eighties and was just convinced she wanted another one. I tried to talk her out of it at her age, but after driving the car I could see how she loved it (so did I) and I gave in! Shortly after driving that 528, I took my wife to drive a 330i with the 5speed manual and she loved it, who was I to argue? ((( ; I actually ordered the car (loaded) and waited 3 months for it to arrive directly from Germany. It's a 2002 with 19k miles on it, and the car has been simply perfect since I bought it in Dec 2001.

Regarding my speakers!
I don't have a website because I have all the business I can handle without one! I do have literature I send if you want to e-mail me (efespeakers@commspeed.net). I'm in the middle of a transition right now, I've ran out of my EFE cabinets till I receive the new ones being built offshore, and at the same time I have some new imported speakers I designed arriving any day. E-mail me and I'll be happy to send the info.

Sorry to hear about the problems with your 330i, I've never heard of such a thing from any BMW owner. Go drive a new automatic and see if it shifts as you describe, then demand from the dealer to fix yours. Thanks!

Ed Frias
EFE TECHNOLOGY Speakers

dave123456@mail.com

12-25-2004, 03:17 AM

99' Honda Civic

Geoffcin

12-25-2004, 06:02 PM

The most fun I've had is with my new Mustang GT convert. I've owned some pretty fast cars but I've never owned a ragtop until this car, and you'll never get me out of one now. There's just something about being out in the air that changes the whole way you feel about driving.

I had some work done to bring the performance inline with the hardtop. I've added a welded subframe to stiffen it up, free-flowing catback with Flowmaster mufflers and 3" SS exaust. A 70mm Cobra throttle body with oversized mass air and free flow filter for the induction . These modest changes turned the car from just good fun into; Ye-ha! wer'e on on way to 75 mph in less than six seconds kinda fun. The engine is pre-drilled to accept a roots type supercharger, and next year that's on the list of "things to do" along with a set of Cobra R wheels and 4 piston Brembo brakes with cross drilled disks.

Oh, it runs BETTER on regular gas. Don't ask me why.

LumbermanSVO

12-25-2004, 06:03 PM

My favorite is the car I drive now, a 1985 Mustang SVO, slightly modded and fully gutted. The car handles great and goes like a car pushing 22lbs of boost should go.

I am about to step off the deep end with this car, the new engine is on the way and the 500hp mark should be relatively easy to break with it :)

texlle

12-26-2004, 07:17 AM

The most fun car I've ever owned would probably be my present car....a 2003 black Hyundai Tiburon GT V6 6-speed.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/3/web/579000-579999/579663_54_full.jpg
http://images.cardomain.com/member_images/11/web/491000-491999/491470_97_full.jpg

Not MY car, but that's basically what it looks like. With a short antenna, chrome door handles, and chrome rings around the foglights! Fun with a cold air intake ;).

cvc

12-27-2004, 08:06 PM

My orange 1973 Datsun 240Z. All original except for Eibach springs, Tokico 5-way adjustable struts, and poly urethane bushings all around. The car is so fun in the turns it sometimes amazes me. And I still haven't put sway bars on yet. Sweet ride!

ericl

12-28-2004, 11:46 AM

I just got 1997 BMW 318ti, with a new engine and high performance bridgestone potenzas. man is it a fun car. Automatic, so its not all it could be, but still a great ride. great handling very smooth, all the action is in overdrive.

Coming from a very reliable but definitely not performance oriented toyota pickup driving this car has been a revelation for me. I need to get some pics up of it soon!

-Eric

Sir Terrence the Terrible

12-28-2004, 03:17 PM

Wow, everyone has these fancy schmanzy high powered vehicles, shoot, I enjoy driving my 2002 Honda Insight. It doesn't move like a porsche of corvette, but it has nice pickup for getting on the freeway, or passing some slow a$$ car. I get 56.4 miles to a gallon, and it cost me $23.00 to fill it up with premium gas. I can park in places most nobody else can, and I get alot of compliments about it from the ladies. You can't have much more fun than that!

ericl

12-28-2004, 03:57 PM

Good for you, Terrence

I was torn between getting a hybrid and this car, but once I drove the bmw, it was pretty much over. Considering that this car was so cheap (<10k, hard pressed to find a hybrid for that price) it became a no brainer.

All that was left was the guilt about the emissions that this puts out over a hybrid. but in the big scheme of things, I don't think it is a huge deal (~10.5 tons annually for the bmw vs 6.5 for an insight). I also justify it too myself with the fact that I walked, biked or used public transport to get to work and school for the last 20 years! I'll get a hybrid for my next car, I promise!

Eric

piece-it pete

01-11-2005, 11:57 AM

Eric,

Am I reading those figures right? 6.5 TONS ANNUALLY even for a gas-sipper like the Insight?

Pete

EFE Speakers

01-11-2005, 12:33 PM

Absolutely incredible!

http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=28506
http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=28901

Ed Frias
EFE TECHNOLOGY Speakers

piece-it pete

01-13-2005, 07:31 AM

Ed,

The links need logged-in but I would guess the new Vette Z06? Very nice!

Pirated this:

2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 With more of everything that makes a Corvette yummy, the new 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 makes 500 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 475 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,800 rpm from a 7.0-liter, LS7 V8 that is based on the standard Corvettes' LS2 6.0-liter motor. That's a smidge more than 427 cubic inches, for you oldie oldsters, and you should also know that the majority of the motors' twist comes online at 1,600 rpm.

With a redline north of 7,000 rpm, a six-speed manual transmission, three-inch diameter exhaust pipes, and a curb weight of about 3,150 pounds, the 2006 Chevy Corvette Z06 is equipped with plenty of firepower to produce sprints to 60 mph in under four seconds, making it directly competitive with not only the Dodge Viper but a variety of machinery priced well into triple digits. Chevrolet predicts that 100 mph will arrive before the eight-second mark, and that the Z06 will cover the quarter-mile in less than 12 seconds.

Chevrolet used an all-aluminum chassis combined with magnesium bits and <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=24&k=carbon%20fiber" onmouseover="window.status='carbon fiber'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">carbon fiber</a> pieces to keep the weight off. For example, the Z06s' front fenders are carbon fiber, as are portions of the <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=24&k=balsa%20wood" onmouseover="window.status='balsa wood'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">balsa wood</a> sandwich floor construction. The new Z06 comes as a coupe only, with the standard removable roof panel permanently affixed for improved structural rigidity.

Polished wheels wearing Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar run-flat tires are two inches wider in back, tucked beneath flared quarter panels with 1.5 inches more girth so that they'll fit. The Z06s' butt is three inches wider than standard, a bad attribute on American bodies but a great attribute on this American sports car. Helping the tires to keep the Z06s' power from overwhelming its driver are Sachs monotube <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=24&k=shock%20absorbers" onmouseover="window.status='shock absorbers'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">shock absorbers</a> that replace the standard Corvettes' available Magnetic Ride Control Suspension dampers, stiffer springs, and heavier duty struts. Red-painted, six-piston <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=24&k=brake%20calipers" onmouseover="window.status='brake calipers'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">brake calipers</a> clamp down on drilled 14-inch front and 13.4-inch rear rotors to scrub speed.

Styling differences include a revised front fascia with a larger air inlet and a functional hood scoop, new side vents, a rear lip spoiler that increased downforce at speed, and unique wheels. Inside, the Z06 loses its power passengers' seat and the electric seat bolsters to save weight, but still comes standard with <a style='text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 3px double;' href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=24&k=air%20conditioning" onmouseover="window.status='air conditioning'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">air conditioning</a> and a head-up display. Options that add price and poundage include a Bose stereo, side-impact airbags, and other goodies.

Pricing could be as high as $75,000 when the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 arrives, a substantial boost from the originals' sub-$55,000 price tag. But purists who value the performance of what can rightly be called the ultimate Corvette won't mind paying the fare for this thrill ride.

______________________________

Automobile mag is saying this is serious competition to the 911!!

Pete

Resident Loser

01-13-2005, 08:05 AM

...some measure of accord between TtT and myself...will wonders never cease...

Currently I own a '91 Jeep Cherokee(and have been a Jeep owner since 1980)...I use mass transit to and from work and the Jeep sits in the garage to be driven on weekends...when it finally gives up the ghost, I'll probably opt for a hybrid of some sort...not only because it's clean and green, but I'll be able to distance myself from the "me too" crowd of trendy SUV owners...

jimHJJ(...la-de-dah...)

piece-it pete

01-13-2005, 08:13 AM

RL, you could always get a hybrid Escape ;) .

No love for the bb rat stompin' 6.0? [edit: whoops I mean 7.0?!]

Pete

Resident Loser

01-13-2005, 10:37 AM

...forgive my ignorance, what means "...the bb rat stompin' 6.0? [edit: whoops I mean 7.0?!..." and I do know that it's displacement, but could you be more specific as to your intent...

Howzabout a Duramax or a Cummins or maybe one of them V-10 gas guzzlin' dealies!!! Woof!Woof! I mean I may be tryin' to clean up my act(for what it matters) but I ain't dead yet!

BTW, I'm waitin' on delivery of a Hitachi 10in. compound dual-bevel sliding miter saw...I think it'll be quite OK for a DIY home-improver such as myself...the 12in. Dewalt was just too big and pricey...the 10in. Makita and Bosch units just plain too pricey...this one was on sale at Lowe's just before Christmas(although there's a story with that---heck, that seems to be the story of my life!) It's even got a laser! The money I saved will get me a nice 72 or 90 tooth carbide or will go towards the purchase of a proper workstation/stand...now if I can figure out a way to convince the missus that a nice powertool deserves a nice home for it to perform at it's true potential...arf! Then maybe a bandsaw for my birfday...

jimHJJ(...More power!!!!...)

ericl

01-13-2005, 10:45 AM

Eric,

Am I reading those figures right? 6.5 TONS ANNUALLY even for a gas-sipper like the Insight?

Pete

You read that right. Of course, it depends on how much you drive, but cars put huge amounts of this stuff. Check out FuelEconomy.gov (http://www.fueleconomy.gov). You can find your car and enter your driving habits and fuel costs to figure out how much you're spending and polluting.

Since I started this job I am driving about 400 miles a week which is somewhat higher than average (i used to walk to my last job, and in college I rode my bike or took the bus!), but still, cars put out tons of junk, even nice little hybrids.

I think Biodiesel (http://www.biodiesel.org/) is probably the best way to go, but a good diesel car is really hard to find. VW makes nice diesels, but they've been outlawed here in Cahleeforneeah and people are gobbling up used models at way above their actual value.

-Eric

piece-it pete

01-13-2005, 01:29 PM

Jim,

I should have said "the stompin' bb rat" - Big Block Chevy rat - generally considered the 427ci but can also mean the mighty 396.

I did not mean I enjoy stomping rats lol. Wayyyy too messy.

The baddest car I ever drove was a friends' 70 Impala coupe (flat black) with a '68 'vette 427 rat (425 HP version - 4 bbl. carb) grafted in - this big car was MONSTEROUSLY powerful.

The high-output 427 with a six pack in the old 'vettes made 435 "bench" (engine on the bench) HP, while the new 7.0 liter makes 500 "brake" (at the rear wheel) HP.

So all those old muscle cars I drool over are toast. The Viper makes 550 HP. Most top of the line luxury cars are now well over 400 HP, as well (as of 2005) - so if you see a new big Mercedes/Beemer/Caddy it will prolly smoke most muscle cars, too, even while pretending to be family-friendly sedans. O to be wealthy.

And while we're wealthy, we could pick up the 12" DeWalt! Though the Hitachi sounds nice. What is your application?

Eric, thanks for the link, I've got to digest a bit, I'll respond in the morrow.

Pete

Resident Loser

01-14-2005, 06:58 AM

...shoulda known, how dumb am I?...back in '63 my cousins' then boyfriend bought a brand-spankin-new Impala SS with either a 427 or a 409(don't quite recall---one of those senior moments!) with at least a single 4bbl....maaaan! woof!woof!...Deep burgundy with the black and chrome interior...talk about the cat's @$$...looked good, sounded good and did it move!!! Ah...the days of cheap gas, muscle cars and no environmental concerns!!!

As far as the Hitachi is concerned...I know what I'll be doin' this spring...back to the window replacement and a new front door and storms...so basically a lot of framing, casing and trim...and while I have done reasonably well with the ol' Craftsman circular saw, in some applications some of the set up and home-made jigs are a royal pain in the netherlands...I downloaded the users manual and it can be set up to do thru dados and rabbets. It can also can do some tenon work, or so it would seem...mortising will still be the ol' drill'n'chisel routine.

I did some research before I made the decision...I doubt I'll ever be using much in the lines of 4by, probably 2in max so while the capabilities of the Dewalt might be nice, I'm willing to make the trade-off. They all seem to handle nominal 12in width...1by, 5/4 and 2by is what I've used thusfar. I think it should be OK for my needs and future projects. On 90s I can always flip the work if the need arises. And huge cornices, crown moldings and the like are highly unlikely...

I know the Makita tools get good press(and my bro-in-law swears by their stuff---at least cordless drills) and my local tool rental place uses Bosch...however the Hitachi has a 5yr guarantee(the others a year) and there is a mail-in offer for a free 1/4 sheet orbital sander...plus the price was right...and now for the rest of the story: Lowe's ran a 20% off deal prior to Christmas but were out of stock on the second day of the sale...they tried to give me the old "limited to store stock" routine, so later that day, I saw the teevee ad, we taped it and read the fine print...guess what!...no such disclaimer! Soooo, I called the home office "customer happiness hot line" down in one of the Carolina's and they agreed with my position(or so it would seem). They put me in touch with a specific contact at the store...and voila! As of yesterday, the stock is in and I'll be pickin' it up Sat AM...A new toy...can't wait for Sunday to do some set-up and trial cuts...I'm like a kid at Christmas!

It has a soft-start feature, some constant speed electronics and the laser as I mentioned, which can be set up to show on either side of the kerf or right down the middle...I don't know about the usefulness of the whole light-guide concept, but hey, I'll give it a whack...The only downside that I have read about is a: trying to set odd miters close to the presets can be problematic and b: there may be too much plastic to withstand the rigiors of day-in, day-out commercial applications. However the review goes on to say those reservations are mostly related to subjecting it to the daily grind of loading it in and out of the truck and multiple users who may not really give the proverbial rat's @$$ re: anything that isn't their property...accuracy was not an issue. I treat my stuff well so I think I can discount those caveats.

So it'll be the ol' Sawzall for the demo work and the Hitachi for the install...and the rest of the winter for drawing up the plans and making cardboard mock-ups if required...

jimHJJ(...at least I can enjoy some music while doin' the paperwork...)

piece-it pete

01-14-2005, 09:59 AM

Eric,

Interesting, I never would've believed THAT MUCH.

A little googling came up with this:

No average tonnage overall, so use 8 tons/year (probably a bit low) at 15k miles annually, 8 x 2000 = 16000#, divided by 15k miles = 1.07 #/miles driven, x 12,100 (average miles driven in 1997) = 12,947#/driver/year, x 190,625,023 (licensed drivers in 2000) = 2,468,022,173# of gases per year (US only) divided by 2000#/ton = 12,340,011 tons of greenhouse gases per year.

Well, that's far more than I would have guessed, even if you give the annual tons/car a slop factor of two!

I wonder how many cubic feet of greenhouse gases it takes to equal a ton?

Pete

piece-it pete

01-14-2005, 12:44 PM

... how dumb am I?...

lol THAT'S a loaded question! :D

That Hitachi sounds great! I've never used any of their stuff, but 5 years is a long time. I own a Bosch sawsall, which I love (hand saw? We don't need no stinken' hand saw!) and have used many larger DeWalt tools, seemed pretty decent.

I've heard the lazer line is a wonderful thing, of course I've never operated any equipment that had anything resembling a computer control on it, let alone lazers.

I'll be clearing trees and stumps this summer - the joy. :(

Pete

EFE Speakers

01-14-2005, 08:15 PM

topspeed

01-15-2005, 12:02 AM

Gave a Chevrolet dealer a deposit today, it put me first on the waiting list for a new 2006 Z06. Without a doubt this will be the best and most exhilarating Corvette ever built. It's really the stuff dreams are made of and it has taken a lot of hard work, goal setting and discipline to save for what I want. If anybody comes and buys a pair of speakers directly from me, I'll give them a free ride. Just kidding, no purchase necessary! (( ;

Silver will be the color!
http://webpages.charter.net/rogassian/DSC04914.JPG

Ed Frias
EFE TECHNOLOGY Speakers

Way to go, Ed!

The Z06 sounds awesome on paper. I sure hope you're friends with that dealer, otherwise you'll be hard-pressed to pick it up at its $65k projected sticker.

BTW, my M3 cabrio was just delivered yesterday :D :D :D! Happy, Happy! Joy, Joy! As you may remember, I had a heck of a time with the clutch take-up on my previous Bimmer (I later found the cluprit was a CVS valve that's there to extend the life of the clutch) so I ordered this one with the SMG gearbox. After 48 hours, the jury is still out as to whether I made the right decision. While flicking paddles helps realize my Schumacheresque fantasies of barreling down the Casino turn, I still find myself instictively pushing into the dead pedal thinking it's the clutch and quite frankly, I do miss rowing the box. Needless to say, there will be a period of re-calibration for my brain.

Perhaps the worst part of this however, is the seemingly interminable 1200 mile break-in period that is sternly dictated in the owner's manual about, oh...7,256 times. In boldface no less. It's like David Spade in that Capital One commercial:

Can I go over 5500rpm? NO!

Can I engage Sport Mode? NO!

Launch Control? Nada!

Full power at any time? Uh...NO!

Sport settings on the SMG? Nein!

Have any fun at all? HELL NO!

AUUUUUGGHHHH! :(

This is going to be a looooooooooooooong 1200 miles.

Geoffcin

01-16-2005, 07:43 AM

Way to go, Ed!

The Z06 sounds awesome on paper. I sure hope you're friends with that dealer, otherwise you'll be hard-pressed to pick it up at its $65k projected sticker.

BTW, my M3 cabrio was just delivered yesterday :D :D :D! Happy, Happy! Joy, Joy! As you may remember, I had a heck of a time with the clutch take-up on my previous Bimmer (I later found the cluprit was a CVS valve that's there to extend the life of the clutch) so I ordered this one with the SMG gearbox. After 48 hours, the jury is still out as to whether I made the right decision. While flicking paddles helps realize my Schumacheresque fantasies of barreling down the Casino turn, I still find myself instictively pushing into the dead pedal thinking it's the clutch and quite frankly, I do miss rowing the box. Needless to say, there will be a period of re-calibration for my brain.

Perhaps the worst part of this however, is the seemingly interminable 1200 mile break-in period that is sternly dictated in the owner's manual about, oh...7,256 times. In boldface no less. It's like David Spade in that Capital One commercial:

Can I go over 5500rpm? NO!

Can I engage Sport Mode? NO!

Launch Control? Nada!

Full power at any time? Uh...NO!

Sport settings on the SMG? Nein!

Have any fun at all? HELL NO!

AUUUUUGGHHHH! :(

This is going to be a looooooooooooooong 1200 miles.

My advise is a long drive to get through the breakin period ASAP.

piece-it pete

01-16-2005, 07:45 PM

Wow, while I change the front engine seal on my Metro (in the freezing weather, of course :( ) I'll think of you guys, M3, Z06, either one will do :D and I'll remember - I could be so fortunate someday.

Congrats, guys, give us your reviews! (Well, after some will-power-testing breakins!)

Pete

EFE Speakers

01-17-2005, 03:37 PM

Darin,
Congrats on the new BMW! I've not known anyone that doesn't love their M3, I'm sure you'll really love it as soon as you can hit the metal to the pedal! (( ;

The new Z06 is going to allow a lot of people (for the first time) to feel what a super exotic 200mph car feels like at 1/4 the price. Those that had a chance to drive it say they've never felt such power and speed, they say it was darn right scary! 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds and the 1/4 mile in just over 11 seconds, man that's fast for a stock car! The guy said it never stops pulling no matter what gear you have it in, every gear feels like shifting into second. :eek:

Of course I'll drive my slow, I just want to use it to go to the store once in while. ((( ;

Ed

Umrswimr

01-18-2005, 07:09 AM

Most fun? See sig. :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/Awfernald/SCCA1.jpg

plextor guy

01-18-2005, 12:56 PM

Kind of weak by today's standards but in 1985 it was an amazing ride. There were similar cars from fiat, lotus and others but nothing with the combination of every day reliability and handling. A little underpowered but the engine was among the first wave of reliable, high reving 4 valve per cylinder engines from Japan. I remember tossing it into corners on the way up and down highway 34 from Loveland (I think) to Estes Park at up to 70 mph. I never owned a mid engine car before and didn't realize how easy it was to spin one. Fortunately I didn't have to learn the hard way. The first time I spun it was in a u turn underpass with wet roads. Word to the wise: never lift off the gas mid way through a u-turn on wet roads in a mid engine car. Prior to the MR2 I owned an MG Midget as a teen (even the thought of an MG floods my brain with visions of financial ruin, hitchhiking to the nearest parts store and deflated dreams). Good for getting chicks in high school though. The reason I liked the MR2 as much as I did was that it was everything the Brits and Italians tried to do but failed at in in terms of reliability. I've moved on to bigger and 'better' cars but the MR2 will always occupy a warm place in my heart.

EFE Speakers

01-18-2005, 01:47 PM

Plextor guy,
I had a 1991 MR2 for a short time, I loved it! The turbo version was an absolute rocket and was one of the best buys for a fast sports car! I only put a few hundred miles on it which was not enough time to break it in, but the car was just too small after being used of turbo ZX's and turbo Supra's.

One other fun car I owned in the late 1970's was a 1971 Pantera (red), I wish I had kept it a little longer because they really went up in value right after I sold it. It is still a very cool looking car by today's standard, and being a mid-engine V8 - it flew!!!!!

EFE

topspeed

01-18-2005, 02:43 PM

Ed,

Those Pantera's were very cool looking, especially before they got all munged up with wheel flares and goofy Countach-wannabe wings. The original Tom Tjaarda design was clean yet aggressive, if a bit derivative of the Maserati Ghibli. If I remember right, they had some overheating problems with that V8 (351, right?) but otherwise were well regarded as everyday exotics.

You're right, you should have kept it! Then again, don't we all have cars like that?

Umrswimr,
Very nice C5! Apparently there is a small contingent of gearheads here at AR. I didn't think they allowed 'vert's to autocross unless they had roll cages installed? I've recently discovered they won't allow them at all at track days :(.

plextor guy

01-18-2005, 04:27 PM

but by the time they were available my priorities had changed (needed a bigger car). By the way, I was cruising south on I25 in the MR2 on the way back from Estes Park when a either a Ferrari 308 or 328 pulled up alongside. I was going about 80. The guy driving the Ferrari motioned for me to try and follow him. I didn't have any illusions about the MR2 being in the Ferrari's league but thought I could at least keep him in sight. Traffic was sparse and off he went. It was almost as if I was parked. I gave up at about 115 with the Ferrari almost out of sight. Still love the MR2 though.

risabet

01-19-2005, 10:21 AM

Umrswimr

01-19-2005, 10:29 AM

Umrswimr,
Very nice C5! Apparently there is a small contingent of gearheads here at AR. I didn't think they allowed 'vert's to autocross unless they had roll cages installed? I've recently discovered they won't allow them at all at track days :(.I appreciate the compliment!

SCCA allows convertibles to run autocross as long as they aren't running non-DOT full slicks (aka- prepaired classes.) Slicks require a roll cage. I'm running street prepaired- ASP. Unfortunately, you cannot run on most road race courses without a cage- I would really like to get out there more often, but I haven't found a removable cage that I really like. Well, and I can't afford it!

EFE Speakers

01-19-2005, 12:02 PM

I haven't had much success posting picture, but if these come through they are of the last three cars I've owned.

1991 300ZX
2001 Corvette Coupe
2002 BMW 3301

EFE

EFE Speakers

01-19-2005, 12:05 PM

Nope, they didn't go through again????

I haven't had much success posting picture, but if these come through they are of the last three cars I've owned.

1991 300ZX
2001 Corvette Coupe
2002 BMW 3301

EFE

Umrswimr

01-19-2005, 12:49 PM

To include pics: type {img}https://the (https://the/) image URL {/img} except use the square braces instead of the curved ones...

Aric M L

02-21-2005, 12:46 AM

3 of my old high school friends and I bought an old unreliable van for $400 I believe it was an 86 GMC Van 20. Over the next 4 days we recarpeted it, cut a 4 foot x 5 foot sunroof in the top with removable plexiglass, behind that on the roof we had put a 4'x6' astro-turfed porch with a white picket fence, and we painted the entire thing purple. Then inside we put a 27" TV, a playstation, dvd player, portable generator, computer linked to the internet via cell phone, A cr@ppy Sony Reciever and surround system, also one of my buddies but his 3 12 inch subs in the back just so we could be completely obnoxious. Then we took off on a 4 day road trip around the great state of Wisconsin and had absolutely no destination, just drove. It was the best vehicle I've ever been in.

EFE Speakers

02-21-2005, 07:05 AM

Aric,
With a vehicle like that, who needs a home?
"I'd call that Surround Sound ala Cart."

:D

Ed

Aric M L

02-23-2005, 02:47 AM

The only bad news is when we all went to college we had no choice but to donate it to charity, in retrospect it almost would've been worth it to keep it and live in it. ;)

EFE Speakers

04-12-2005, 12:28 PM

Yes, the car I've really enjoyed for the last three years was coveted by a neighbor of mine who just had to have it! Paid me top dollar and now has it in his garage. But that's ok, I now await for GM to release the ordering guide for my new 500HP 2006 Z06! I've seen months pass by like days and years go by like months, but now that I have to wait for this new car until the end of this year, time is going by so sloooooooow! Good-bye to my 330i and hello Z06!
(( ;

Ed Frias

JoeE SP9

04-12-2005, 05:18 PM

1966 Alfa Romeo Gulia Spider Veloce. The sky blue paint was flawless and the car itself was a babe magnet. It only had an AM radio but who listens to the radio with a car like that with the top down in the summer. It also sounded nice and growly with the Abarth exhaust.

Duds

04-26-2005, 12:11 PM

I've only owned 3 vehicles in my life, and my 1992 VW Corrado was by far the most fun. Had a supercharged 4 cylinder in it, and was quite quick and fast.

Horrible story about it though. I traded it for a Yukon since i live in upstate NY and the Corrado wasnt too good in the winters. The salesman that sold me the Yukon ended up buying the Corrado for his daughter. Well a few years after i traded it, i read an article in the apper about his daughter being killed in the Corrado, apparently she was going to fast and couldnt negotiate a corner.

EFE Speakers

04-26-2005, 01:47 PM

Man Duds that's sad, especially when you know it was your previous car!

I remember when VW brought that car out, I was tempted to buy one because I had a friend who sold them and I could buy it for a bargain! The red one I was looking at had a V-6, it was a little rocket! The earlier version of that car was the Scirocco, I had one of them for a couple of years back in the early 1980's. Wow, I didn't even remember I had that car until you mentioned yours, it's bad when you've had so many cars you can't remember what you owned??? )) ; But I won't forget this Z06 I'm about to buy! Check the video out below, a new stock 2006 yellow Z06 hitting 11.4 et in the quarter mile, but the guy in the black Z06 doesn't know how to drive (12.4 et).

Ed Frias

http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=398805#post398805

topspeed

04-26-2005, 04:03 PM

Horrible story about it though. I traded it for a Yukon since i live in upstate NY and the Corrado wasnt too good in the winters. The salesman that sold me the Yukon ended up buying the Corrado for his daughter. Well a few years after i traded it, i read an article in the apper about his daughter being killed in the Corrado, apparently she was going to fast and couldnt negotiate a corner.

I've got a similar story. I sold a piped and jetted Hurricane 600, to some kid in the early '90's. A few weeks later I ran into a riding buddy and he tells me the guy that bought my bike mangled himself and disintegrated the bike when he ran off the road into a freshly plowed field (lots of farm land around here). Picture a bike tumbing over and over and over as pieces of metal and plastic launch into space and you've got the picture. He survived, but was tweaked pretty good.

A few years ago, I sold my race prep'd F3 to some kid that had never ridden a street bike before. He was 18 yrs old and his mother was with him. I took her aside and asked if this was the best bike to get her son but she assured me he had been riding dirt for years and was fine. Okeedokee. Off they went, mother in the car, kid on the bike dragging his feet and dogging the engine, completely clueless as to what he was doing. I rolled my eyes and wondered if he'd make it out of the subdivision without dropping it. Not more than a month later, I see what I think is my once gleaming red rocket parked at the gym. The windscreen was shattered, body parts were missing from the left side, and it had been spray painted a flat blue. I noticed it because I had the only bike with a racing red body over yellow wheels and an Erion exhaust. The exhaust and wheels were right, but the body had been destroyed. I guess the kid was alright but man, doesn't anybody think before they go out and get a high performance vehicle?

Duds

04-27-2005, 04:58 AM

Definitely a sad story. I loved that car, was hard to trade in. I liked the look of it and the fact that they weren't a dime a dozen. I wish VW would bring a newer version of the Corrado back, i think it would do well today.

topspeed

04-28-2005, 09:35 AM

I wish VW would bring a newer version of the Corrado back, i think it would do well today.
http://us.autos1.yimg.com/img.autos.yahoo.com/i/nctd/q/06s-gti-1.jpg
'06 GTI, 2.0L FSI Turbo I4, 197hp, 206lb/ft, 0-60 under 7 sec.

Not fast enough?

http://www.modernracer.com/images/vwr32front2.jpg
'05 R32, 3.2L V6, 240hp, 236lb/ft, all-wheel drive, 0-60 5.9 sec

The Corrado was a great car. I remember the car mags referring to it, especially the VR6, as the affordable Porsche. I always liked that little mechanical wing on the back. Plus, it looked like the supremely handsome Guigiaro designed Scirocco, just on steriods. Should we have a Congressional Inquiry on this too?

Duds

04-28-2005, 09:50 AM

I like the blue one, but the grill on that red one is nasty looking!!!!

I miss that damn Corrado. Loved the looks of it and it was damn fun to drive. Wish I could have experienced the VR-6 version.

Well, maybe when Congress can get the steroid issue in baseball figured out they can get to work on why they stopped making the Corrado....

http://us.autos1.yimg.com/img.autos.yahoo.com/i/nctd/q/06s-gti-1.jpg
'06 GTI, 2.0L FSI Turbo I4, 197hp, 206lb/ft, 0-60 under 7 sec.

Not fast enough?

http://www.modernracer.com/images/vwr32front2.jpg
'05 R32, 3.2L V6, 240hp, 236lb/ft, all-wheel drive, 0-60 5.9 sec

The Corrado was a great car. I remember the car mags referring to it, especially the VR6, as the affordable Porsche. I always liked that little mechanical wing on the back. Plus, it looked like the supremely handsome Guigiaro designed Scirocco, just on steriods. Should we have a Congressional Inquiry on this too?

EFE Speakers

05-24-2005, 10:01 AM

A friend sent me this link, the more I read the more excited I became!
Go down to the "Press" comments and open up the first link to the video.
This little rocket is faster than 99% of all sports cars on the race track, and can be bought for less than $50k with the fastest 300BHP engine! Under 3 seconds 0 - 60MPH, Incredible!

If you love fast cars, you gotta read about this little race car! $25k to $50k

http://www.arielmotor.co.uk/04/frames.htm

topspeed

05-25-2005, 11:05 AM

That is one very cool video! :D

Before I watched it, I was thinking this thing isn't a car; it's a superbike with 4 wheels. Lo and behold, that's what it is. Perhaps the ultimate track weapon as long as you don't run in the wet. That could be a bit trying, eh?

Thanks for the info! Amazing!

hifitommy

05-28-2005, 07:33 AM

a dollar a pound, $3100. same color as corvette marina blue, torqfilite, bench seat, am radio.

a real corvette hunter. still accellerating at 127mph.

JohnMichael

05-28-2005, 10:55 AM

My first car was my favorite. A 1969 AMX. I bought it used in 1977. It was a two seater with a 390 V8. I burnt the clutch out racing. Street racing mostly. I was a bit obnoxious with it but I had fun. I wish I knew how to take care of cars back then. Now they are worth quite a bit of money. They made about 6,000 a year for 3 years. Sell that baby today and buy one hell of an audio system.

Geoffcin

05-28-2005, 04:46 PM

And could win at Indy!

http://indymotorspeedway.com/danica.htm

Kaboom

06-08-2005, 02:35 AM

topspeed

06-08-2005, 02:58 PM

Ford StretKa. Sure the engine's a bit short at 95hp, and it aint particularly revvy or explosive either, but it gets the job done. It sure could sport much better brakes, a rear-drive and a slightly more rigid chasis, but at around 20k that's asking for too much.
on the other hand, driving it is PURE pleasure. very short throw stick, very precise and involving steering, amazing stock bucket seats... and the fact that its a convertible!
driving fast around wiggly country roads with this thing is just WAY cool, specialy with the roof down.Dude, where are you? I love the StreetKa and wish Ford would import it to the states. I swear, Euro's get all the cool cars! The new Focus RS is a rocket and I'd seriously consider selling my M3 to get my hands on a Alfa Brera, just because it's so damn beautiful.
http://www.parvinder.dk/cars/w2brera.jpg

Kaboom

06-12-2005, 08:50 AM

Spain boy! i'm surprised to hear that u gringos dont get the StreetKa! i thought Ford/General Motors was an american company.
Oh well.
The brera IS pretty darn cool, but I find it TOO futurisitc for my tastes. I think Alpha still has to beat the VERY amazing GTV or its convertible version, the GT. It has a 3.2 litre engine option. THAT must be a rocket...
I can't believe u bought an M3. Unless u have a wife and kids, there are so many other faster, nimbler, more beautiful cars out there (lotus elise springs to mind, and its way cheaper too...) that would whip the M3.

topspeed

06-15-2005, 09:46 AM

I can't believe u bought an M3. Unless u have a wife and kids,
Name another convertible with room for two car seats that can rip sub 5 second 60's? I'm talking real back seats, not those cupholders that Porsche calls back seats. Aside from maybe a CLK 55 'vert, your choices are very limited. So yes, there are faster cars. There are however, none that do everything as well as a M3 with room for 4.

EFE Speakers

06-15-2005, 10:00 AM

Darin,
I think you should boot the kids out, keep the wife and buy a new Z06! The base price including destination is $65,800, where else can you buy a car that has a 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds and cause your wife to be breathless at the same time?? ((( ;

Z06 Release
http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=433483#post433483

Ed

topspeed

06-15-2005, 10:31 AM

piece-it pete

07-22-2005, 11:33 AM

I've been lucky enough to be driving a 1979 Lincoln Continental "Collectors' Edition", overall gc with 63k miles on it.

What an absolute BEAST. 400 sb. Last fill, 11.3 mpg. Bad, but still better than the 10 mpg that C&D got on the new M5!

I'd rather have the M5 though.

Anyway, I'm loving the old detriot steel. Not mine, I don't have a roof, but if you scroll down to the bottom there's a pic:

http://www.classiclincolns.com/seventies.htm

Pete

EFE Speakers

07-22-2005, 12:17 PM

I saw that on another forum, Ed. This thing is just ridiculous. People are already bench racing the Z06 vs. Viper GTS vs. Ford GT. It's crazy. First off, I don't think the GT should be in there because it's an exotic and not something you would use daily, as you could a Z06 and (maybe) the GTS. The Chevy vs. Dodge argument holds more water and to honest, you'd have to be a serious brand loyalist to consider the Viper over the 'Vette. The Chevy is just so much more refined it's not even funny. Besides, the Viper still sounds like a milk truck at WOT and looks like two design teams worked on it.

Have you received a delivery date yet?

Now there is a chance I might not even get the car this year! My local Chevy dealer met the deal I made at another big Corvette dealer back east, so I gave them the business. Now I find out most of the allocation for the Z06's will go to Corvette dealers who have sold the most Z06's in the last couple of years. My local dealer only sold one, so they might get one if they are lucky for 2006. By meeting the deal and taking the order on the Z06, my dealer stopped me from buying from a large Corvette dealer where I could have been 1st on their list with a sure chance of getting one. Now I'm stuck with a dealer that may not get one and the waiting lists at the other big Corvette dealers is a mile long. After waiting for this car for a long time, now I may have to wait another year, bummer!!!!!

One thing this has taught me, not to buy a rare car from a dealer that doesn't sell many of them, GM supplies it's best selling dealers first.

)) ;
,
,
,
, , , ,

jasmit

07-22-2005, 12:56 PM

1965 Pontiac GTO. This was my favorite car of the many I've owned over the years. Bought it used when I was in my early 20's from the guy who lived across the street from me. Metalflake blue, it had the 389 c.i. engine, TriPower, Hurst four-on-the-floor and Hurst wheels. My cousin, then a NHRA AA fuel drag racer and owner of a speed shop, toyed around with the motor and increased the h.p. from 360 to close to 400. It was a screamer; zero to 60 in just over 5 seconds -- in first gear.

It's not a car, but I always had fun on my 2000 Harley Road King.

popolz

08-11-2005, 09:48 AM

I only had 4 cars (93 delsol si 5 spd, 86 Trans-Am 305 5spd, 87 Corolla 3spd auto and 00 Intrepid R/T) but the most fun I had is with my 1993 Honda delSol Si... It only had a few suspension upgrades and it was a blast to drive. Not very powerful with it`s 125Hp but once it was completly stripped it had a little more "go".

topspeed

08-16-2005, 11:35 AM

1965 Pontiac GTO. This was my favorite car of the many I've owned over the years. Bought it used when I was in my early 20's from the guy who lived across the street from me. Metalflake blue, it had the 389 c.i. engine, TriPower, Hurst four-on-the-floor and Hurst wheelsMy room mate at 'SC had a '65 389 but didn't have posi. I've got a great pic of him lighting it up at launch. That one was definitely a keeper and I can understand why you miss it!

Sir Terrence the Terrible

08-16-2005, 03:07 PM

Honda Insight Hybrid rules!!!!!! Did I just say that?? Hey, I love my car.

jamison

08-16-2005, 04:45 PM

Well, I just bought a 2005 Dodge Dakota club cab SLT 4 X 4. So far i love it. it has the high output V8 with a 5speed automatic. all i have to do is put it in tow mode and it blocks out the overdrives. Handles great rides good tires are quiet, only thing lacking is it doesnt take bumps too smooth

i cant wait till the engine is broken in but at the current price of $2.60 a gallon im not going to get rid of my civic just yet

topspeed

08-17-2005, 12:02 PM

Honda Insight Hybrid rules!!!!!! Did I just say that?? Hey, I love my car.LOL!!! Heehoo!! Stop it! I'm dyin'!

T, I luv ya man, but you really need to get out of the city more often! I'll give you props for the fact that the Insight is just about the perfect city car, but if you ever get down the 101 towards Laguna Seca, you might consider something with a little more, er...gumption? Seriously, I think my motorcycle had wider tires than that car. No disrespect to you or your ride, I'm just surprised at your selection.

EFE Speakers

02-16-2006, 11:17 PM

Well,
I have to admit, nothing I've ever owned compares to my latest addition! I've waited for three years for this car and put a deposit over a year ago. It finally arrived and all I can say is - "This is one incredible machine!"

45 years of working and I guess you could say this is one of the best rewards I've ever given to myself, and I'm not impressed by very many things! :D

Ed Frias

2006 Z06 Corvette
All aluminum 427ci V8
505HP
0-60mph in 3.4 seconds
0-100 in 7.9 seconds
198mph Top speed
All aluminum frame
Magnisum engine cradle & roof
Carbon fiber fenders and floor
6 speed close ratio trans
6 piston front / 4 piston rear brakes
Absolute blazing acceleration (frightening)

kexodusc

02-17-2006, 06:04 AM

Man, oh man, Ed, that is one fine lookin' machine! Blows the snot out of my wife's 87 Buick Regal Grand National. Gotta say, that car helped a bit in deciding whether or not to get married ;)

EFE Speakers

02-17-2006, 08:00 AM

Wait a minute Ken, you mean the Grand National was the deciding factor on whether you tied the knot? Wow, I hope your wife doesn't read this thread?

I guess if that's how one gets the car they want, they get the car and a wife all in one package! :D :D :D

Thanks,
Ed

GMichael

02-17-2006, 08:06 AM

Fair is fair. I'm sure she picked him for his big amp.

EFE Speakers

02-17-2006, 08:53 AM

Fair is fair. I'm sure she picked him for his big amp.

Or his little speakers!!! :D

Ed

kexodusc

02-17-2006, 09:11 AM

Okay, there's too many comedians here.. :)

And, uh, honey, if you're reading this, of course the Regal had nothing to do with it. (That's just a perk - when she lets me drive it).

Back in University I was driving an 88 IROC-Z, thought I'd show this young lady in the black (what I thought was Monte Carlo) car what a real man I was (yup, I was that stupid) and drag race her at an intersection leading to the highway. Boy, did I eat smoke. She drove motorcycle back then too...she does the oil changes on it herself, her dad was a mechanic in the army. Perfect woman for me.

Now, if I could just get her father to let me drive his '36 Buick coupe...

EFE Speakers

02-17-2006, 02:05 PM

GMichael

02-17-2006, 02:13 PM

Well Ken,
Now we know who wears the pants in your family, what a woman! With a Grand National, she probably made many a men eat crow and tuck their tails between their legs, I wish I could have seen that, I love it! :D

Ed

Geez Kex,

Aren't you nice enough with all the help you give everyone? You also never seem to get pulled into the fights that go on. And now we find out that you don't even get upset when you get beat by a girl. Instead you turn around and marry her.
Talk about a tough act to follow.

emaidel

02-18-2006, 07:38 AM

I loved my '68 Mustang, preferred my '72 Camaro, had a ball with my '93 Taurus SHO, thought my '96 Chrysler Cirrus was an amazing little car, and absolutely love to drive my current Mercedes E-class, but the car that delighted me the most ( when I first bought it) was my '83 Pontiac 6000STE. The "STE" version of this car had just been introduced for that model year (only 2,000 were built for that model year) and it was the first American car that provided serious competition to the Audis and Beemers of the day. Car & Driver, Motor Trend and Road & Track hardly had an issue for almost a full year without some laudatory comments on the car.

Too bad everything (and I do mean everything) broke on the car. Also, too bad Pontiac took a great idea and then decided to make it into a "boy-wonder" type of car with useless body cladding, and huge, gold lettering and stuff like that. It will always be something I'll remember as a promise unfulfilled.

EFE Speakers

03-31-2006, 08:36 PM

I first posted this at DigitalCorvettes.com, but this site hadn't heard from me in a while and wanted me to post something, I guess they miss me? ((( ;

My fun (and scary) experience with my new car!

I took my Z06 out to old Route 66 north of Hwy 40 and just out of Seligman Arizona today to see what she would feel like at some higher speeds.
First off, I don't recommend anyone do this unless they check the highway out and make sure nobody is around!

About 8 miles out of town after going around a few mountains, Route 66 opens up to a straight away shot about 20 miles long where you can see absolutely everything on both sides of the road as well as any car on the highway as far as the eye can see (I wore my glasses to make sure nothing was around)!

The road was smoother in some places than in others and there was a stretch that was pretty even for at least 10 miles. I put the computer in Competition mode at first and tried a few runs, then I shut everything off and just went full radical (no computer). Up to 140mph the car felt as though I was doing 70 or 80mph. The drag wasn't bad at that speed and I felt no uneasiness at all. Then I took the car up to 150 and started to notice that the steering wheel needed to be held very tight and it needed to be kept absolutely straight as an arrow.

I finally took her up to 160mph and noticed a whole new experience! The wind drag becomes progressively multiplied at that speed. As soon as I let off the gas it was like hitting the brakes and the wind just instantly slowed the car down, much more than at 140mph.

This was the first time I took the car to any kind of high speed and I was still in a learning mode, so I decided not to try going faster, even though 5th gear was pulling like a mad dog out of hell at 160mph!

I could tell it would easily climb to 180 to 190mph with all the torque it still had left, but this was not going to be the day I try it, nor do I think on any other day either.

The Z06 engine is amazing and 5th gear has as much torque as driving in 2nd gear, it was just incredible.

Again I want to stress, if any of you are thinking of doing something as dangerous as this, make sure you go out where there are no people, no cars, no animals, no side streets and clear visibility as far as you can see! If you kill yourself at least you won't hurt anybody else, at least at the accident scene.

I have a new respect for this car, it is truely a radical machine and whoever drives one has to learn how she handles in all situations before hitting the pedal to the metal. This is one beast of a car!

EFE

topspeed

04-01-2006, 09:29 AM

Good run, Ed. :thumbsup: I don't usually condone high speed runs on public roads, but I know you put a lot of consideration into where you did your run to make sure it was as safe as possible for both you and those around you.

Have you taken the 'Vette to a track day yet? The more I read about it, the more it appears it's like a pre-993 model 911: It doesn't suffer fools. Like those cars, if you know what you're doing it can be highly rewarding. However if you don't, she'll gladly wick up the pucker factor faster than you can say "hello armaco." Two magazine hot shoes managed to swap ends pretty easily. What's your take?

kexodusc

04-01-2006, 10:03 AM

Up to 140mph the car felt as though I was doing 70 or 80mph. The drag wasn't bad at that speed and I felt no uneasiness at all. Then I took the car up to 150 and started to notice that the steering wheel needed to be held very tight and it needed to be kept absolutely straight as an arrow.

I finally took her up to 160mph and noticed a whole new experience! The wind drag becomes progressively multiplied at that speed. As soon as I let off the gas it was like hitting the brakes and the wind just instantly slowed the car down, much more than at 140mph.

This was the first time I took the car to any kind of high speed and I was still in a learning mode, so I decided not to try going faster, even though 5th gear was pulling like a mad dog out of hell at 160mph!
EFE

I enjoy living vicariously through Ed and his new toy :cornut:

Fastest I got my new toy to go was 82 mph...of course, that was at -18 degrees on a frozen river!!! :D

jeskibuff

04-01-2006, 12:07 PM

I have a new respect for this car, it is truely a radical machine and whoever drives one has to learn how she handles in all situations before hitting the pedal to the metal. This is one beast of a car!Congrats on your purchase, Ed! It's always great to see someone enjoy the thrill of driving and to do it responsibly!

I finally replaced my M3 last August. I "accidentally" bought a new car (a 2004) on eBay.

Here it is getting delivered:
http://img427.imageshack.us/img427/1520/drivingthensxoff7tf.jpg

It's a real joy to drive but I really miss some of the features of the M3: storage (no map pockets, itty-bitty glove compartment, miniscule trunk, can't haul a bicycle, etc.) That M3 was an incredible car...no wonder it took me 7 years to find a suitable replacement! The NSX is a blast though...every single day I drive it, I enjoy it. So far I've only had it up to about 140, finding a suitable stretch of I-85 while going through NC, again where you could see far into the distance and there was no other traffic to be concerned with. I find no need to explore any further up the speedo scale. The joy is in the everyday driving and most days during my commute to work I'll hit close to 100.

The story about your dealership sucks. Why reward a high-volume dealership by giving them more of an allocation? How can the lower-volume dealers ever hope to improve? Chevy ought to fill orders on a first-come, first-serve basis. Sorry, but I really hate GM, especially because most of what they make is truly incompetent on the road. I hope your experience with the car will be less frustrating than I think it will be. It sounds like they hit one out of the ballpark with the Z06, but American iron doesn't do much to get me pumped up.

jamison

04-01-2006, 06:50 PM

this may not be the best handling or fastest car out there.. but i do like her. I inherited my 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang from my father when he pased away last april. He got about six months retirement then had a bad stroke.. he later passed away about a month later.
He bought the car to restore and putz around with.. I am working on finishing the restoration. the car isnt perfect but it does have a 289 with a 4 barrel and 4.91 gearing on the rear end. It will only do about 90 tops but it get there damned fast. The car is close to stock with a few mods.. my father replaced the front grill with a GT style grill. i like the look better than stock... but purists will bash it im sure.
I put a soundsystem in it with a panasonic head unit in the glove box. It has high pass and low pas filters built in. I also have speaker pods in the front with 5 1/4 " 2 way speakers and 3 way 6 x9 in the rear deck which i custom built for it.I also have a sub box in the trunk with 2 Kicker 12"s and a Kicker 100 x 2 amp.. I mounted the amp on the box itself and added a plug so i could easily disconnect it if needed. Im looking forward to going to car shows with it this summer.

here is a link to some pics of it: Beware if your on dialup they are huge files.
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jamison42166/album?.dir=9e20&.src=ph

EFE Speakers

04-01-2006, 10:09 PM

Thanks for the comments guys!

Topspeed:
This car has enough torque to swing the rear end around in third gear if not careful on a curve! Like any car with over 500HP, it takes time to learn its limits and know how much throttle you can give it in various situations. Once you learn how to control the power, coming out of a turn into a straight away can be the most exhilarating feeling anyone can experience except for race car drivers and even Jeff Gordon was thrilled when he drove it. His comment was, this car is like handing an average person a AK-47 - it's dangerous! I agree! (( ; Hey Darin, have you broke that car in yet? There is a small custom car dealer here in town that has a nice dark blue M3 convertible sitting on his lot with 36k miles, it looks classy!

I don't plan to race my Z06 on the track "at all," I really don't want to abuse the car. I've had a couple of drag races already and I didn't even pop the clutch at the start, I just let it out and thrompt on the gas. By the time I hit third gear the twin turbo Supra was about 100 yards behind and fading! (( :

Z06 owners are saying they go through a set of tires in less than 5k miles when racing at the track! At over $425 a tire, I'll just drive mine like a little old lady on the street. (( ; All the owners (that want more performance) are waiting for several tire manufacturers to bring out some new non-runflat tires for this beast, the stock Goodyear runflats are one of the reasons why control is tougher at higher speeds, the walls are too stiff. The rear 325x30x19" were made specifically for the Z06 by Goodyear and nobody else has that size yet, bummer! Michelin has a 345 Pilot that fits but it is also a runflat and more expensive. )) :

Kexodusc:
Just so you can get an idea of what this is like in your mind, imagine accelerating so fast that the only thing you can move forward is your right foot on the gas pedal while holding onto the steering wheel as tightly as you can, everything else has a tendency to be pushed back into the seat. I gave a friend a ride and hit the throttle wide open for only two gears, he literally turned white and actually threw his feet up against my dashboard after his legs were thrown back almost against his chest, he apologized afterwards. And if you can believe this, he has a 450HP 1965 Malibu drag car that turns 11's! (( :

jeskibuff:
You still building speakers for customers? ( ;
That's one sweet car, those Acura's are built and feel like a fine sewing machine, I always liked everything about them except the price for a new one. I guess you know they're reviving the car in a couple of years with a new V-10! I can't believe all the Japanese cars that are coming out with 400 to 500HP in the next two years, this is like going back to the 60's! Did you buy the car out of state? How many miles? I take it you got rid of an M3 Coupe? Topspeed is cruising around with a new topless M3 taking in the California sun (at least when it stops raining there). (( ;

jamison:
Sorry to hear about your father, I lost my dad about 5 years ago. Being that the Mustang was one of his toy projects, I'm sure it will always be special to you. Unless you plan to sell it in the future at Barrett Jackson, I wouldn't worry about keeping it stock, fix it up with whatever looks good to you! The new model Mustangs are the only pony cars that have caught my eye since the sixties models, Ford has revived its longest running muscle car with a bang, the new GT is arriving with 500HP under the hood! Rising gas prices don't seem to affect the demand for high powered cars, the race is on for a new king and I don't know how long the Z06 will hold the crown? (( ; Of course Chevy knew this was coming and already has a new SS Corvette with over 600HP coming out in the next two years! When will this insanity stop????? (((( :

Thanks,
Ed Frias
EFE Speakers

jeskibuff

04-02-2006, 05:33 AM

I've had a couple of drag races already and I didn't even pop the clutch at the start, I just let it out and thrompt on the gas. By the time I hit third gear the twin turbo Supra was about 100 yards behind and fading! (( :Ed, Ed, Ed...
Just when I pull out the "responsible driving" compliment, you go throwing out the award by admitting to engaging in drag racing!

Shame, shame, shame [/Gomer Pyle voice].

Seriously, I don't think anything's more dangerous than getting into a contest where egos are involved. People will do stupid things just to "prove" their machine is better than my machine. If anyone wants to challenge me, they'll win EVERY time, including those in beat-up Dodge Neons or '73 Chevy Vegas (the biggest challenge is to find one of those that still runs).

Z06 owners are saying they go through a set of tires in less than 5k miles when racing at the track!I had heard stories about NSXs going through a set of tires in about 3,000 miles under NORMAL driving conditions. Fortunately, that doesn't seem to be true. Maybe they changed the suspension setup or something, maybe the rumor was just exaggerated, or maybe I'm just not abusing mine enough! :D

he literally turned white and actually threw his feet up against my dashboard after his legs were thrown back almost against his chestI LOVE giving thrill rides like that to people. The first time was in my new 1979 Mazda RX7 which was a blast when playing around with the oversteer.

You still building speakers for customers?No, that was a one-time thing to satisfy my curiosity. Besides, it was zero profit.

That's one sweet car, those Acura's are built and feel like a fine sewing machine, I always liked everything about them except the price for a new one.Yeah, the price has always been a bummer, but it definitely makes them a rarity on the road. You almost NEVER see yourself tooling down the road.

I guess you know they're reviving the car in a couple of years with a new V-10!That will be interesting. My complaint about lack of space is caused by the extremely low profile. If there's no room for things on the vertical axis, you have to push things out horizontally. If they shoehorn a V-10 into the same size space, there'll be even less room!

I can't believe all the Japanese cars that are coming out with 400 to 500HP in the next two years, this is like going back to the 60's!Except that the vehicles being built are FAR more competent.

Did you buy the car out of state? How many miles?Bought it sight unseen from a dealership in Minnesota. It was a Texas car that was shipped to MN as a trade. It had just over 1,500 miles on it, almost like buying a new car, but about $20K less!

I take it you got rid of an M3 Coupe?No problem there. The 2nd party who test drove it bought it. The ad was published on a Wednesday. Two days later it was sold. I priced it according to Kelly Blue Book, but I think it was too cheap: $13,800, 76,000 miles, 1997 w/trip computer, spoiler, sunroof. Timing was near perfect: the NSX arrived the VERY SAME DAY that the new owner took possession of the M3!

Topspeed is cruising around with a new topless M3 taking in the California sun (at least when it stops raining there).The M3 is one of the best values on this planet. If it serves him as well as mine served me, he'll be in for many such enjoyable days!

Rising gas prices don't seem to affect the demand for high powered carsWe've got to offset Sir Terrance the Terrible's frugal consumption, don't we?? :D

the race is on for a new king and I don't know how long the Z06 will hold the crown? (( ; Of course Chevy knew this was coming and already has a new SS Corvette with over 600HP coming out in the next two years! When will this insanity stop?????I just wish they'd trickle the technology down to their everyday vehicles. Perhaps if they did that, Oldsmobile would still be alive and kicking and Buicks wouldn't be such abominations on our highways. And with the extra horsepower under the hood, what fun is it when our roads are jammed with cars because we have such backwards traffic laws? When will they start issuing tickets to idiots who insist on doing everything behind the wheel but paying attention to their driving?

EFE Speakers

04-02-2006, 11:23 AM

Ed, Ed, Ed...
Just when I pull out the "responsible driving" compliment, you go throwing out the award by admitting to engaging in drag racing!

Shame, shame, shame [/Gomer Pyle voice].

Seriously, I don't think anything's more dangerous than getting into a contest where egos are involved. People will do stupid things just to "prove" their machine is better than my machine. If anyone wants to challenge me, they'll win EVERY time, including those in beat-up Dodge Neons or '73 Chevy Vegas (the biggest challenge is to find one of those that still runs).

jeskibuff,
Just so you know I'm a very responsible street racer, below is the details of that race, I posted it on DigitalCorvettes.com a couple of weeks ago.

Ed

Another night on the town with my Z06

I can't help myself from wanting to cruise around the Prescott Courthouse Square on Saturday nights, lots the rice burners, Mustangs and hotrods cruise up and down the streets like in the movie "American Greffite"

Tonight a nice looking silver Twin Turbo Supra (1993 ?) came racing up behind me and was gunning his engine and tailgating me. The traffic finally cleared to my right side and he shot up to my side and was jumping on the throttle. I looked over at him and he said; "Come-on man lets see what ya can do?" I just laughed and told him he was crazy, we're in the middle of town with tons of people, stop lights, cars and cops hiding every few blocks! He jumped on it and shot ahead until he made a u-turn to cruise back through town again.

He left me with the impression that I was too scared to challenge him and his rice burning Toyota. So, my younger instincts take a hold of me and I flip a u-turn and go hunting for him. I go through the main part of town and pull over to the side of the road in a lighted area while waiting for him to come cruising by again. He does, and I wave for him to come over but he signals me to follow him up to the next block. I pull up next to him and ask if he really wants to run that rice burner, he looks at me funny and says; "THIS IS A TWIN TURBO MAN!" I said; "I know, would you like to learn a lesson in speed?" He laughed and said; "Lets do it!"

So I said follow me and I take the lead out of town to a desolate highway with no people or houses around. I gave him the option of how to start, from a dead stop or a roll, he chose a dead stop. He has an automatic so he brakes and spins the rear tires at the same time, he lets loose and takes off but I see a car coming up behind us so I pull over to the side of the road. It passes and we get in the middle of the highway once again. He burns the tires again and lets loose, I hit the throttle and for about 1 second I see him at my side, then the beast comes alive and the 505 horsepower lunges forward like a sling shot! When I hit second gear and begin to wind it out, I can only see his headlights about 50 to 75 yards behind me and getting smaller and smaller.

We meet up again and I ask if he would prefer to start from a roll, he agreed thinking that might help him. At this point I don't care how we start, or if he evens gets a good jump on me! I tell him to roll at any speed he chooses and hit the gas whenever he wants. I see him hit it and he moves slightly forward about a half a car, then the beast awoke again and shot past him like he was sitting still, and by the time I hit third gear and the tach was at about 6k, all I could see was tiny white dots in my rear view mirror.

We finally pull over and he drives up and admits I beat him fair and square, lol I guess so!!!! Then he starts to make excuses saying that his car is 13 years old and this and that and bla bla bla. I asked him if he knew what I was driving and he said; " Yes, a Z06 with 500HP." I say to myself hummmmm? I guess since he never encountered or raced one of these monsters before, he probably thought he might have a chance, but he quickly learned this is no car to mess with unless you got some serious ponies tucked under your hood and some big meats to get the power to the ground!

I really thought a twin turbo Supra would do better than it did from what I've heard on some other sites, but the more I unleash the devastating power of this monster I drive around, the more I realize there is not a whole lot of cars on the street that can give it a good challenge.

I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more stories like this as every guy that drives a car with a cam, turbo or headers on the street is gunning to beat the new king, and all I can say is - bring them on!

EFE

Warning & Disclaimer!
Street racing is illegal and should not be practiced unless conditions are absolutely safe!

jeskibuff

04-03-2006, 03:08 AM

uh, Ed...I really don't think there's such a thing as "responsible street racing". You may be totally confident about your own skills and safety precautions, the condition of your vehicle and know every inch of the "track", but you have no clue about the other driver. The only thing you can be sure is that your competition is motivated by one thing: ego. There's really no purpose to street racing except to stroke one's ego and claim bragging rights.

I don't know about you, but every time I've let my ego control my actions, I've regretted it later. I look back and think "man, I was really lucky that time".

There are so many things that can go wrong during a street race and the biggest thing you CAN'T control is the actions and ability of the other driver. All it take is for that driver to make ONE stupid move for the results to turn disastrous. I'm sure you've seen this thread (http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=16440) where the bonehead driver of this Ferrari was extremely fortunate to walk away with just a bloody lip.
http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2006-02/22096721.jpg

Obviously, there's no way to judge someone else's ability by the car they drive, but that's all you've got to make the assessment with in street racing. Your challenger in the Supra was silly to think he could beat you, unless he had made some additional under-the-hood modifications. 320HP in an automatic with a 3500-lb curb weight just won't come near your 505HP/3100-lb/6-speed power-to-weight ratio.

I really think you're asking for trouble if you feel the necessity of giving every challenger their "lesson in speed". If they screw up, they not only could end up dead but you could easily be held responsible for their death especially if there are witnesses to the race.

There's a ghettoed-up Mitsubishi in my area that came up on my tail in the left lane of a 2-lane interstate over a month ago. I sped up to put some distance between us, but he stayed on my tail. When I looked at the speedo and saw 115, it dawned on me that all he wanted to do was to race. I slowed down at that point and motioned for him to go by. He didn't want to...he just wanted to race and I didn't want to participate. I'm sure he probably brags about keeping up with an NSX, but SO WHAT? I don't need to prove anything to him or to anybody by accelerating to my supposed 168-MPH top end and leaving him behind.

Ego is the absolute last thing I want driving my car.

And all the talk about "rice burners" is somewhat amusing. For some reason, I'm reminded of the scene where a bunch of Harley afficionados are taking turns with a sledge-hammer on a perfectly good "rice burner". Why would they do such a thing? That Japanese bike was probably a far better piece of machinery than their clunky status symbol.

GM has been getting their clocks cleaned by "rice burner" cars for decades now, and with their current cutbacks it's too painfully obvious that their products haven't been preferred in the marketplace. American cars have dominated in NASCAR for one reason and one reason only: running foreign-made cars in races was against the rules. I hear that's about to change. The old adage "what wins today will sell tomorrow" may be even worse if the Chevys,Dodges and Fords get clobbered by Japanese brands on race day. At least the playing field will be a bit more even.

The "rice burner" name calling just impresses me as a silly method of implying that they are inferior products. History says otherwise.

Anyway Ed, I strongly urge you to refrain from street racing. Keep your car and yourself intact. You've made your reputation on this website and elsewhere as a great guy and good people are irreplaceable! Street racing has just WAY too many risks and factors that are just totally out of your control.

topspeed

04-03-2006, 09:59 AM

Jeskibuff,

The tire problem on early NSX's was a combination of too much negative camber combined with the NSX-specific Yokohama's that were so sticky they were essentially DOT approved race rubber. The great Ayrton Senna personally tuned that suspension, so I would switch out the tires before I'd tweak the suspenders.

The E36 M3 is still revered to this day. In fact, Automobile Magazine listed the E36 over the E46 as one of the 20 most influential cars over the last 20 years. While I disagree, I do admit the E46 could lose 300-400lbs, at least. The E36 is a great car and there are a TON of mods, if you're into that.

'Course, there's nothing wrong with an NSX either! :lol:

Like both of you (and anybody else with a sports car), I get challenged all the time. Surprisingly enough, it's rarely by the FnF crowd in their ricer Honda's. The kids usually give me a thumbs up and that's it. Oh sure, there's the occasional compact with the fart can hanging off the rear, but that's far and few in between. Most of the time, it's either a car that is hopelessly outgunned (Ford F250 anyone? :confused:) or by something I doubt I could take such as a C6 or R1 sportbike. Either way, I derive more enjoyment out of letting them blast away all the while sporting a knowing smirk like "Yeah, right." That seems to piss them off more than if I had beaten them. :lol:

One thing in Ed's defense, he does live out in the sticks.

EFE Speakers

04-03-2006, 01:34 PM

>>There's a ghettoed-up Mitsubishi in my area that came up on my tail in the left lane of a 2-lane interstate over a month ago. I sped up to put some distance between us, but he stayed on my tail. When I looked at the speedo and saw 115, it dawned on me that all he wanted to do was to race. I slowed down at that point and motioned for him to go by. He didn't want to...he just wanted to race and I didn't want to participate.<<

Now come-on jeskibuff, just after you gave me a lecture on drag racing you tell me you are doing 115 miles per hour and then notice the rice burner wants to race? That's funny!

I only use the phrase "rice burner" because all Japanese cars seem to have takin' on that slang, but in no way does that mean that I think they are all slow cars. I watch the speed channel all the time and see those rice burners hitting 7's, 8's and 9's in the quarter mile, so I know they are capable! I haven't seen any on the street yet with slicks and NOS stickers on the side, but when I do I'll know that might be one of those little rice rockets!

JFYI, most of the sports cars I've owned over the last 30 years have been Japanese. Several ZX's and several Supra's, both turbos and naturally asperated.

As for street racing, I don't share your opinion that it is all ego, but if it is to you then avoid it. And as for not knowing the other driver, you have those same unknowns at the race track also, both in drag and oval or road racing. The one good thing about this new Z06 is, after just one second my competition is so far behind me and I don't have to worry about his driving skills! ((( ;

Anyhow, I think "IF" guys are going to drag race on the public streets, they should take precautions to do it in a responsible way and place where nobody else can be hurt except those that choose to do it. And lets be realistic, drag racing is goign to continue no matter what anybody feels or thinks, and since it will, I think you would agree that it should be done in a responsible way if it's going to happen! Unfortunately much street racing is done irresponsibly and causes accidents like the Enzo mentioned above. But as I said, it can and does happen on the track also and just two months ago it did with a Porsche CGT in California at Fontana. The driver and a passenger were flying down the main straight away when a Ferrari pulled out of the pits into the oncoming Porsche, the Porsche driver swerved to miss the Ferrari and skidded into a barrier and killed both occupants. Very sad, both guys were both pretty famous in their own fields.

The bottom line in racing is, it's dangerous "anywhere" where cars get up to high speeds - whether on a track or an open highway and drivers need to have their extra perception antennas up at full strength when doing so! I will not race where there is any traffic, any pedestrians, any houses or any side streets where cars can turn on to the highway I'm racing on. If you follow those guidelines for street racing, you've eliminated about 90% of the dangers that can happen. In most big cities you can't find those parameters and thus the reason why it is so much more dangerous in those environments! Like Topspeed mentioned, out here in Arizona we have less population and many more open area, in fact miles of open areas! The chances of hitting someone or something is almost nil if drag racers would be responsible and go somewhere where it is safer. But we know many are idiots like the guy with the twin turbo rice burner that wanted to race me in the middle of town. If he had an ounce of brains he would have never tried to challenge me in the middle of a crowded city. Thanks!

EFE

jeskibuff

04-03-2006, 06:01 PM

The tire problem on early NSX's was a combination of too much negative camber combined with the NSX-specific Yokohama's that were so sticky they were essentially DOT approved race rubber. The great Ayrton Senna personally tuned that suspension, so I would switch out the tires before I'd tweak the suspenders."Tweak the suspenders"??? Who are you really??? Larry King???

My first test drive of an NSX was back in the early 90s when I had a BMW 325i. I thought it rode like a slot car. It tracked like it was on rails and had a pretty rough ride to it - on relatively smooth Florida pavement! The 325i was a good handler yet had a very compliant suspension, so the difference between the cars seemed huge to me at the time! I was expecting such a rough ride when my NSX arrived, so was pleasantly surprised that it was quite comfortable. Obviously, Ayrton did some good things. Thanks for the tidbit of info!

The E36 M3 is still revered to this day.I'll always revere mine for being the phenomenal car that it was!

Now come-on jeskibuff, just after you gave me a lecture on drag racing...Lecture? Now, that's kind of harsh, Ed. I like to think of it more as a "strong admonition". :D

...you tell me you are doing 115 miles per hour and then notice the rice burner wants to race? That's funny!I'm glad you're amused! :D But, that's just how it happened! I'm normally cruising at 85 to 90 during the better portions of my daily commute. When someone comes up behind me and I'm in the left lane, I first check the road ahead for any cops, then accelerate to find a nice gap in the right lane in order to let them by. I'm paying much more attention to the road and to my 6 O'clock than I am to my speedometer, as it should be. I was in 6th gear under mild acceleration...no flooring of the accelerator, no downshifting and just a steady purr out of the engine compartment and exhaust. 115 feels just as calm and relaxed as does doing 90 in the car. I thought I was doing 100 at the most.

I only use the phrase "rice burner" because all Japanese cars seem to have takin' on that slang, but in no way does that mean that I think they are all slow cars.I've come to regard the term as more of a derogatory phrase, usually coming from people who firmly believe there can't be "nuttin' better than a Chevy or Harley".

As for street racing, I don't share your opinion that it is all ego, but if it is to you then avoid it. And as for not knowing the other driver, you have those same unknowns at the race track also, both in drag and oval or road racing.I'll agree. It's not ALL ego. Maybe only about 98% ego! :D Those "same unknowns" are much more diminished at a track where the skillset is much better. Ego plays a part there, but nowhere near the motivation level that exists at a street race.

drag racing is goign to continue no matter what anybody feels or thinks, and since it will, I think you would agree that it should be done in a responsible way if it's going to happen!I don't think it's at all possible, just because of the ego factor. You and I will just have to agree to disagree! If you're ever up against someone who's more of a challenge (nitrous/Ferrari/Maserati, etc.) you most likely will let your ego take control and take an extraordinary risk. At those speeds, it may be your last.

it can and does happen on the track also and just two months ago it did with a Porsche CGT in California at Fontana. The driver and a passenger were flying down the main straight away when a Ferrari pulled out of the pits into the oncoming Porsche, the Porsche driver swerved to miss the Ferrari and skidded into a barrier and killed both occupants.Accidents will happen. The risk on a race course is much greater than on a highway, simply because of the extreme speeds. But I guarantee that the Ferrari driver just made a simple mistake and didn't cause that accident because he took a careless risk. Ferraris aren't known for their excellent rear-view visibility!

we know many are idiots like the guy with the twin turbo rice burner that wanted to race me in the middle of town. If he had an ounce of brains he would have never tried to challenge me in the middle of a crowded city.Just leave the allocation of Darwin awards to those who are most deserving of them: idiots and scumbags. We need to keep the good guys like you around, Ed. That's all I'm saying!

EFE Speakers

04-03-2006, 06:30 PM

Jeskibuff,
I love true car enthusiast like you and Topspeed, we will always have some good advice to give each other and I appreciate your's!

Remember, 1 mph over the speed limit is beaking the law. Ouchhhhhh!

EFE Speakers
EFE Z06
Ed Frias

(>:}

topspeed

04-04-2006, 02:38 PM

But we know many are idiots like the guy with the twin turbo rice burner that wanted to race me in the middle of town. If he had an ounce of brains he would have never tried to challenge me in the middle of a crowded city. Thanks!
Ed,
If he had an ounce of brains, he wouldn't have challenged a C6 Z06 unless his car was heavily modified and running "gas" (NOx). Stock for stock, about the only car that should be able to hang with you, not including exotics, is a 996tt. That'd be a good race tho, huh?

I've come to regard the term as more of a derogatory phrase, usually coming from people who firmly believe there can't be "nuttin' better than a Chevy or Harley". I dunno 'bout that. Back in the day we had a Mitsubishi MU2, a twin jet prop that was known for two things:
1) It had the same landing gear as a F14 (which was manufactured for the US military by Mits)
2) It was as fast as greased lightening.
This plane was known, quite endearingly, as The Rice Rocket by everyone, whether pilot or passenger. We, nor anybody we knew, took offense to it when people would refer to it as such. Hell, that's just what the thing was called!

Japan has an enviable record for building world championship machines, Honda in particular. Senna was World Champion under Honda power lest we forget. When people refer to a car as a rice rocket, I think it simply means a fast, Japanese car. People call Evo's and STi's rice rockets all the time and no one, well...no one that's sane, questions those two car's performance envelope. The NSX is certainly the same way. It has street cred.

The FnF craze has created a whole subculture where mod'ing your car isn't only desired, it's mandatory. The demographic of this crowd dictates that they buy a used, inexpensive compact that is more often than not Japanese. It's not Japan's fault nor is it the enthusiast's fault. The pathetic fact is that outside of the now-outdated Focus, American compacts suck. (Cavalier anyone?) So they buy a Civic, slide a fart can on it, drop it onto it's bump stops and stick some neon lights under the ill-fitting skirts. Viola! Rice. If you mod your car to actually make it faster, that's cool. If you mod you car to make it louder, more obnoxious, and with complete disregard towards the designer's aesthetics, that's rice.

doug lee

04-11-2006, 01:33 AM

For me it's got to be my first black 1957 MGA coupe. This baby had twin carbs that one day finally had problems. But for a while I had a lot of fun driving it to school and the beach highway etc. We even did illegal things with it (.eg; kids hanging onto the body of the vehicle with all they could to keep from falling off.) That was the first day I took possesion of it. Yes those were the days. Later I was hit by a motorcycle and resulted in damage to the engine. I ended up selling it to a garage for cash. The guy on the motorcycle survived. But that's another story!

Doug Lee

dlitt

04-14-2006, 03:34 PM

I gotta say its a toss up between a Triumph TR4 and a '65 Volkswagon Beetle - different rides for different reasons. TR4 was a simple 4 banger with a soft top and it had more power than the old MGs. Wind in the hair on the Squamish highway can't be beat (before they straightened out many of the corners). My old '65 beetle was a gas too - stuffing 13 people into it, or driving through West Vancouver from the passenger seat and no one in the driver's seat turned a few heads. Turning on the gas heater and driving to Whister in a snow storm with the windows down and no shirts on - that gas fired heater was amazing. Either the new cars are getting boring, or I'm getting old, or both. :-(

With the impending demise of my work car I've got to thinking about all the cars I've owned over the years, which one was best overall ('87 Grand Marquis), the best presentation ('76 Lincoln Mark IV - moonroof bigger than many cars :) ), etc, but the most important catagory, fun to drive, kept creeping back.

Muscle cars are great, nothing like putting your foot down on a bb chevy rat!, but overall for me it came down to the number of little two door imports I've picked up for my SO at one time or another.

They are: '80 Fiat X/1-9, '76 Triumph TR7, ? Toyota MR2, and a '79 Mazda RX7.

All were fun. The Fiat was probably the closest to a "true" sports car, stuck like glue, I could turn peoples' hair white cornering in that little zoom box. The Toyota had great torque, I liked watching the tach & speedo move together in 2nd gear. The Mazda had more power than that teeny little barrel of a weird (and very reliable) engine had a right to.

But the Triumph takes the cake. A straight 4 cy. twin side draught carb, 4 speed, front engine, rear drive two seater that could put a smile on any curmudgeons' face, 4 wheel drift, hang the back end out, comfortable for a 6 fter absolute fun fun fun. I still remember blasting down countryish backstreets at 100+ with Debbie going slow down!! what are you crazy - and I was :yes: !!

Too bad driving & walking went together with that unreliable, WOW is this great car.

What's your "most fun" choice?

Pete

Mine was white, too (but with some rust):

EFE Speakers

04-14-2006, 07:09 PM

Muscle cars are great, nothing like putting your foot down on a bb chevy rat!, but overall for me it came down to the number of little two door imports I've picked up for my SO at one time or another.
They are: '80 Fiat X/1-9, '76 Triumph TR7, ? Toyota MR2, and a '79 Mazda RX7.
All were fun. The Fiat was probably the closest to a "true" sports car, stuck like glue, I could turn peoples' hair white cornering in that little zoom box. The Toyota had great torque, I liked watching the tach & speedo move together in 2nd gear. The Mazda had more power than that teeny little barrel of a weird (and very reliable) engine had a right to.

piece-it pete,
I almost forgot that I also had a Fiat X 19, the famous yellow with two tone red and black interior. Bought it back in 1974 when they first came out and had to wait a couple of months till it finally arrived on our shores. That little middy had great handling but not enough power, it was a marvel for its day and all the magazines were featuring it! They later improved it but because of so many other problems Fiat went bye bye like so many other small companies that didn't make it here in the US. I owned it for about six months and traded it in on a used '71 Pantera, so I kept with the mid-engine tradition but gained a whole lot more power! When I think about it, at that time that was the most fun I had with any cars I've owned and if I still had them I'm sure I would still enjoy taking them through the winding mountain roads of Arizona, though maybe just a little slower than I'm used of now! :smilewinkgrin:

:thumbsup:
EFE

jamison

04-16-2006, 08:28 AM

EFE Speakers

04-16-2006, 08:45 PM

talking about 1 mph over the limit being illegal... it may be but how many people have gotten tickets for doing 56 in a 55 etc. although i can claim i got a speeding ticket for doing 29 in a 25.... now thats some serious speed issues there lol. and to top it off it was in my black 1977 amc fishbowl (PACER)

jamison,
This was discussed at length on the DigitalCorvettes.com forum about a month ago!
It all depends on how the officer might be feeling at the time or what your attitude is when stopped! Too many guys (or girls) start lying, denying or acting stupid like they didn't know they were speeding when the officer pulled them over and asks if they knew how fast they were going. It's always better to be courteous and tell the truth when asked, many times the officer will give a warning when you are honest, they don't meet a lot of honest people and they often let you go when you are! Sometimes they are just out to make more income for the city, in that case you're getting a ticket unless it is really a matter of just 1 or 2 mph over and too close to to be sure.

My comment regarding 1 mph over the speed limit was just to make a point. How many people really obey the law all the time? Granted 20, 30 or 50 mph over the posted speed limit is more dangerous, but the fact that anyone goes over the speed limit even by 1 mph qualifies him or her as breaking the law. I seldom see anyone that careful and usually it's a little old lady or man that is impeding traffic and getting drivers angry at them, sad but true! (( ;

Regarding you getting a ticket for doing 29 in a 25 zone, many times that is usually school zones or someplace like neighborhoods where many pedestrians cross or live and thus the cops are more strict. If we are going to go over the speed limit, we should all use wisdom and common sense and only do it where it is somewhat safer, of course that could be argued as to why the speed limit is posted as it is.

There is a major 4 lane highway down in Prescott Valley that has no houses, no buildings and open fields on both sides of the street for over a mile and the posted speed limit is 35 miles per hour. I see no justfiction for that speed limit, but the city has posted it and the cops enforce it! I see drivers getting tickets almost everyday on that highway because people just can't drive that slow on a highway that big and that open. I don't think the posted limit is right, but even so, I set my cruise control on 35 everytime I drive on that street. There is a time to be more careful and a time to be more mischievous and driving on that street is the place where you better be more careful! (( :

Anyhow, driving defensively is paying attention to all your surroundings and always expecting the unexpected, that could even include smokey the bear hiding around the next corner! ((( ;

The faster our car is, the more temptation there is to use its power and we have to learn to use lots of restrain, believe me I know this to be true from first hand experience! :cornut:

EFE

topspeed

04-18-2006, 03:23 PM

Jamison, you didn't get a ticket for 1 over. You got a ticket for driving a Pacer! :lol:

4 over is still pretty tight. Sounds like the cop was having a bad day and you know the saying, "misery loves company." It's kind of a underground secret that my car's speedo can be up to 8% too optimistic. At 80mph, that's pretty considerable. I've had my friend pace me in his 996 to see if mine was accurate or not and it appears to be. Of couse, P cars are known to pretty optimistic as well :rolleyes:.

Seriously tho, like Ed says, you have to pick your fights. There's a 4 lane road that leads into a town near mine that is a known speed trap. The locals simply avoid it like the plague and I think that's how the small town derives most of its income.

pshuttle

04-27-2006, 12:11 AM

EFE Speakers

04-27-2006, 01:32 AM

Well to most of you this will not be an "exciting car". However it is a luxury car that I can actually afford to run (I am only 25) and I love it - classic British design.

Motoring in this country (UK) is ridiculously expensive with high road tax, high insurance and fuel at about $2.50 a litre.

The car is a Rover 75 2.0 Turbo Classic:

http://www.pshuttleworth.co.uk/templates/madeyourweb/images/roverfront.jpg

http://www.pshuttleworth.co.uk/templates/madeyourweb/images/roverback.jpg

http://www.pshuttleworth.co.uk/templates/madeyourweb/images/carinside.jpg

Pete

Hey Pete,
That car looks really nice and I'm sure you can have as much fun in it as others have in their cars! The only thing that doesn't seem right is, they put the steering wheel on the wrong side!! :lol: Is that a stick or automatic? Now that will make a difference! :ihih:

Enjoy,
EFE

pshuttle

04-27-2006, 04:35 AM

Hey Pete,
That car looks really nice and I'm sure you can have as much fun in it as others have in their cars! The only thing that doesn't seem right is, they put the steering wheel on the wrong side!! :lol: Is that a stick or automatic? Now that will make a difference! :ihih:

Enjoy,
EFE
It is a manual gearbox of course - us Brits would not have it any other way. Of course I say all that but its essentialy a front wheel drive BMW 3 series. It shares 80% of the same parts as a year 2000 BMW 3 series including the engine!

Pete

EFE Speakers

04-27-2006, 08:35 AM

It is a manual gearbox of course - us Brits would not have it any other way. Of course I say all that but its essentialy a front wheel drive BMW 3 series. It shares 80% of the same parts as a year 2000 BMW 3 series including the engine!
Pete

BMW? If you go back to posting #65 that will tell you what I think of the 3 series BMW's! That's about as smooth a drivetrain as you can get, I loved my 330i. I liked the old style body much better than the new, the designer must have been high when he designed the new 3 series! :idea:

EFE

Feanor

04-27-2006, 09:02 AM

...
What's your "most fun" choice?

Pete
...

I was rather fond of my '74 Mazda RX-2 coupe with the rotary (Wankel) engine; lots of power and handled well too.

Here's the Wikipedia entry ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_RX-2

But mine was sky blue and didn't have the Jap-style fender mirrors.

EFE Speakers

04-27-2006, 09:51 AM

I was rather fond of my '74 Mazda RX-2 coupe with the rotary (Wankel) engine; lots of power and handled well too.

Here's the Wikipedia entry ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_RX-2

But mine was sky blue and didn't have the Jap-style fender mirrors.

You guys keep bringing back memories everytime you post another car! I also had an RX-2 that I bought for my wife shortly after we got married, that little car flew!!!!

One day we were on the Orange Freeway (with no cars around) outside of LA and I took it to 130mph while my wife was sleeping in the passenger seat, she woke up from the slight vibration and wind noise and started screaming at me, if she hadn't I might have taken it to its limit! :cornut: Our's was white!

EFE

Feanor

04-27-2006, 11:57 AM

You guys keep bringing back memories everytime you post another car! I also had an RX-2 that I bought for my wife shortly after we got married, that little car flew!!!!

One day we were on the Orange Freeway (with no cars around) outside of LA and I took it to 130mph while my wife was sleeping in the passenger seat, she woke up from the slight vibration and wind noise and started screaming at me, if she hadn't I might have taken it to its limit! :cornut: Our's was white!

EFE

Didn't know they went that fast. Highest I ever did was about 105 on the Trans-Canada highway coming into Montreal with moderate traffic, ( I was much younger then). I was in the outside lane doing about 80 mph when some guy in a big Chev Monte Carlo came up behind wanting to bully that little Japanese sh!t box out of his way. I didn't see it that way, so I spend up; then he spend up; then I sped up. He wouldn't go over 100 mph, so I "won". The RX-2 never showed any sign of stain and would have gone faster for sure. :3:

simon-wagstaff

05-19-2006, 04:03 AM

Mine had to be my 1995 (I think)) Dodge Spirit R/T. Turbo/intercooled overhead cam 4 cylinder with 240 ponies and a 5 speed.I dropped in a complete set of Altec Lansing Voice of the HiWay (or something) components and a 2-12 isobaric subbox in the back. That sucker was light and would fly! I spent many hiway miles in that car.

However, the head was designed by Fiat and would eat the timing belt every 16,000 miles just like clockwork. first time I was happy to have bought the extended warranty. Every time the belt would fry it would take a week to get the part. When I went thorugh the 5th belt at 64K (first one not covered) it was time for her to go.

Also, the Spirits had a weak door frame making it easy to pull the corner back and stick a screwdriver in there and open her up. it was stolen twice while I was in Philly. The first time they caught the kids who stole it doing 114 mph down Roosevelt Blvd at 3 in the morning. they drove it 800 miles in two days.

Second time it was gone for a month before I found it in the parking lot at Franklin Mills Mall. it was such a unique car (only 10,000 made) that it was impossible to hide it. Unfortunately those guys had fried it. I should have just left it there and let them deal with the timing belts.

They put a new VIN number on it and it took me 6 months to get a license plate for it. finally I asked the cops to tell me who had put the VIN number on it so I could get it back on the road.

Neither of the car thiefs did any penalty nor paid court ordered restitution.

The best, most fun and absolute worst car I have ever owned. Never bought a Chrysler product again. My next car was a Ford Taurus SHO and the salesman couldn't believe it when I told him it was a slug but I would take it anyway.

the Doge Spirit R/T used to be one of the top three fastest 4-door sedans after a BMW M5 and 540

topspeed

05-19-2006, 10:59 AM

I have to admit Simon, ya got me on that one. I had to google it just to figure out what you were talking about! Once I saw the pics, it all came back to me. Impressive specs; 2800lbs, 0-60 5.8s :thumbsup: It's no wonder you had fun in that car. That was a Lotus head tho, not Fiat.

simon-wagstaff

06-10-2006, 07:13 AM

yep, the car was only available for two years and then they yanked it. You can see all the torque and the thing was pretty light as well so it would really fly.

30 mpg on the highway and a nice comfy ride, not too stiff

I thought the head was a FIAT (fix it again, tony) design, my mistake.

I also had one of the best stereos that I have ever had in a car as well. Infinity plates with a 4" woofer and big ole EMIT midrange/tweeter mounted in the front doors and 6.5 coaxials in the rear deck and two 12" subs in an isobaric 3 cu ft box in the trunk. I loved those Infinity plates

siren, what siren?

Actually I never got a ticket in it. it was without a doubt the best and worst car ever!

Geoffcin

06-15-2006, 06:58 PM

EFE Speakers

06-15-2006, 08:41 PM

Never going to own this, but it's fun to deam;

http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/41-JAMES-BOND-FOR-YOUR-EYES-ONLY-LOTUS-ESPRIT_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ52933QQihZ012QQi temZ6629607970QQrdZ1#ebayphotohosting

Actually, those Esprit's weren't too good although they were real lookers when they first came out. The later cars went to V-8's and sold a lot better. The original straight 6 transverse rear engine looked cool but wasn't very fast or dependable, I almost bought one. If I remember right, they originally were under $30k and were sold through Mercedes dealers in San Diego when I was looking at one. Movie star car or not, the asking price the guy is asking on e-bay is ridiculous, but there is always a fish somewhere, thanks!

EFE Speakers

Geoffcin

06-16-2006, 02:35 AM

Actually, those Esprit's weren't too good although they were real lookers when they first came out. The later cars went to V-8's and sold a lot better. The original straight 6 transverse rear engine looked cool but wasn't very fast or dependable, I almost bought one. If I remember right, they originally were under $30k and were sold through Mercedes dealers in San Diego when I was looking at one. Movie star car or not, the asking price the guy is asking on e-bay is ridiculous, but there is always a fish somewhere, thanks!

EFE Speakers

It's the chachet of owning a REAL 007 car that's the thing. I'ld much rather have the new V-12 Aston Martin if were just talking iron, sheet metal and rubber. I gotta admit the old DB5 would be really cool too. (with passenger ejection seat please)

jeskibuff

06-16-2006, 02:46 AM

It's the chachet of owning a REAL 007 car that's the thing. I'ld much rather have the new V-12 Aston Martin if were just talking iron, sheet metal and rubber. I gotta admit the old DB5 would be really cool too. (with passenger ejection seat please)I'd be much more interested in the other toys on it.

A car ahead of you in the left lane who refuses to get off the cell phone and get over to the right? The front panel flips open and 2 machine guns pop out to take the air out of the offender's tires! Of course, with today's technology, a laser gun would be a better choice!

A cop just clocked you doing 90 in a 65? Keep him on your tail until you get to that curve in the road ahead. Then dispense the oil slick and watch him bounce off into the woods! Or maybe shoot him with an EMF gun that fries all the electronics in his crappy Crown Victoria.

I WANT these toys! I NEED these toys!

topspeed

06-16-2006, 09:32 AM

EFE Speakers

06-16-2006, 10:16 AM

Anybody that says they haven't wished for one of Bond's toys to take aim at another motorist at one time or another is lying. Either that or they drive a Prius :lol:!

The Esprit is one of Guigiaro's greatest designs, IMO. The basic shape lived on for what, 25 years?!? THAT my friends, is good design.

Ed,
When did Esprit's have straight 6's? I always remembered turbo 4's, which caused major cylinder envy even though they were quick.

I stand corrected, it was a big 4 cylinder. The dealer took me out for a ride and I remember the sound, it just didn't have that V8 sound I expected from a car that looked like that, although it did have good torque for only being 4. The later versions came with a V8 and and turbochraged if I'm not mistaken, but the cost was pretty high if I remember right? Like the Pantera, the Esprit had a body style that will always be a classic!

If I were to choose a Bond car, it would be that last AM in the movie where he is sliding around on the ice, that's gotta be one of the best lookng coupes in all the world! :cornut:

Ed

Geoffcin

06-16-2006, 10:58 AM

If I were to choose a Bond car, it would be that last AM in the movie where he is sliding around on the ice, that's gotta be one of the best lookng coupes in all the world! :cornut:

Ed

Vanquish is it's name I think.

topspeed

06-19-2006, 01:44 PM

Vanquish is it's name I think.
http://www.x-t-c.com/wallpapers/images/aston_martin_vanquish_01.jpg

Yeah, I wouldn't mind parking one of these in my garage! The funny thing is, when you see one in person it's amazing how small they are! From the pics, you'd think its a big GT car, but it's actually quite petite...and l-o-w.

Dunno if you guy's caught it, but DiscoveryHD showed "Million Dollar Car Auction" last night detailing the '05 RM Auction from Monterey.

Oh.

My.

God.

I practically had to wear a bib I was drooling so much. Some cars of note:

'01 Lotus Esprit V8 twin turbo: Had two women bidding against each other (how often does that happen?). Pritine. At $50k, this was a solid buy.

'64 Ford GT40 prototype: Daytona 500 winner, bought by Shelby American Museum $2.5m

'59 Ferrari 250GT TDF: 1 of 11, $1.5m

And one of my all-time favorite cars, Talbot-Lago T150 Teardrop coupe: $3.685m !!!

This isn't the actual car, only an example of a Figoni y Falaschi T150.

Simply breathtaking, no?

http://www.ritzsite.net/Loo1999/Talbot_Lago_T150_SS_coupe_Figoni_et_Falaschi_1937. jpg