Automotive Addicts Lounge V2- Why we are all broke:
5,003 replies, posted
Muffler came yesterday, In typical me fashion I keep forgetting to call the muffler shop until it's after they're closed.
Woopty fuck.
And my vanity plates got approved today.
[QUOTE=dbk21894;48262585]I have to say, my "new" 7 is the most reliable vehicle I've owned so far.
Not had a single mechanical issue - knock on wood.
Just standard maintenance. Pretty sweet. I wasn't really digging spending $12,000 on maintenance on the old 7 in less than a year.[/QUOTE]
Is the same year 7 series?
My roommate is in need of a new car.. his officially has 3 accidents under his belt now that he hit a deer (oops!), needs brakes, needs tires, and idles like shit (but it's not a vacuum leak.. smoked the intake and got nothing). So time to let that one go.
He's looking at BMW 318ti's!
[img]http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--DAQ1YLIi--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/702919570838667848.jpg[/img]
I'm actually pretty excited about it.. that's such a unique car. We're probably going to look at a salvage title one with 48,000mi in a few days if all goes well. It's been repaired, but won't know how well until we get it in person and take it for a drive. Here's hoping it's not a cobblejob.
The rim shopping it getting closer to being solidified.. currently looking at the following sizes/widths/offsets/tires;
front +35mm offset;
[url]http://tyrestretch.com/8.5-215-35-R18/[/url]
rears +30mm offset;
[url]http://www.tyrestretch.com/9.5-225-40-R18/[/url]
I'm so burned out looking at numbers and offsets and Nsx pics.
Ordered a Kenwood slimline Excelon 8" sub for the audio project, too! Leave it to Bestbuy to not even carry something that would work for what I need so I can't even use my discount :v:
So boys turns out i spun a bearing on one of my rods. Its already a rebuild so im looking into reman'd long blocks. Wish my wallet luck :(
So, I never really realized how bad my front end in my work truck was until today. Had to drive for two hours directly after work to pick something up I had left at a job. I kept over correcting and flinging my car around the road because it handles so much sharper and doesn't have any give in the steering, whereas my work truck I drive almost a thousand miles a week I literally dance my hands around like I'm driving a NASCAR truck and I'm totally used to it. My gosh, I'm ready for a new truck some days.
Boys, I thought up a hell of an idea for a project.
Get an old American motorhome, with a big block gas v8, and strip it down to the chassis, powertrain, and running gear. Then make a dune buggy type body, or maybe some kinda custom fiberglass deal.
[QUOTE=viper shtf;48264366]Boys, I thought up a hell of an idea for a project.
Get an old American motorhome, with a big block gas v8, and strip it down to the chassis, powertrain, and running gear. Then make a dune buggy type body, or maybe some kinda custom fiberglass deal.[/QUOTE]
every mechanically inclined redneck in the world has done that
So. Bonus points for not being a mechanically inclined redneck and only a 'moderately okay with power tools, sometimes, on occasion' redneck?
Shit, I thought I was being original.
Guys, should I buy a ebay turbo kit for like 700 dollars for my side car?
Eh, motorhome wouldnt make a very good dune buggy, suspension was meant to have shitloads of extra weight on it, it would be far too stiff. Maybe if you took a bunch of leaf springs out of it.
A light truck like an S10 or a Chevy Luv with the bed and body stripped off and replaced would work much better. Especially if it was a 4wd model.
[QUOTE=crazycory65;48264738]Guys, should I buy a ebay turbo kit for like 700 dollars for my side car?[/QUOTE]
it's cheaper to pick a turbo from the junkyard for $250 and make your own fittings for it. also not as likely to explode
[QUOTE=butre;48265049]it's cheaper to pick a turbo from the junkyard for $250 and make your own fittings for it. also not as likely to explode[/QUOTE]
Well I heard that if I replace the baring's in the turbo and change the blow off valve and waste gate. It's a pretty solid build. But I dunno. It's just a small weekend warrior type car I'm working on. Guess if I spent like 800 or so dollars on a turbo kit that came with a turbo, piping and intercooler and what not. Then had to replace the barings, blow off valve and waste gate. It would go up in price to what a normal whole turbo system would cost. Hmm...still debating about it.
[QUOTE=Birdman101;48264984]Eh, motorhome wouldnt make a very good dune buggy, suspension was meant to have shitloads of extra weight on it, it would be far too stiff. Maybe if you took a bunch of leaf springs out of it.
A light truck like an S10 or a Chevy Luv with the bed and body stripped off and replaced would work much better. Especially if it was a 4wd model.[/QUOTE]
What about an old Jimmy, Bravada or Trailblazer?
[QUOTE=Xanadu;48265185]What about an old Jimmy, Bravada or Trailblazer?[/QUOTE]
those are all S10s
I think a mazda b-series would work out really nicely
[QUOTE=dwt110;48260082]Can I buy a decent prelude/miata/integra with $3000?[/QUOTE]
You can but the good/"decent" ones are usually automatics, Integras have got at least twice as hard to find in good condition in the past 4-5 years and Preludes often didn't make it more than 10 years from being manufactured before the Fast and Furious era totaled them.
If you're looking for a Integra, don't rule out EX/Si vtec Civics either as you'll often find a nicer one for a better price.
Post CL links of cars you're interested in, I'll be able to give you a 85% guaranteed correct opinion on if it's shit or not.
[editline]21st July 2015[/editline]
[QUOTE=crazycory65;48264738]Guys, should I buy a ebay turbo kit for like 700 dollars for my side car?[/QUOTE]
Spend $700 swapping the head on your EP3 to one that doesn't suck and or KPro.
So the lease on my 2012 Civic is about to come it's end in a few months.
I enjoy driving it and it gave me a generally good impression of the brand. I really would like to start getting into the hobby of customizing both internal and externals of my first car (the Civic was leased out by my mother, don't ask why) do you guys think an Accord or a Fit would be a good first car to play around with? Is the market for parts very abundant? Is it sort of 'user-friendly' when it comes to assembly/disassembly?
I did mention that I would be moving to Japan come next year, but right now I do need a vehicle stateside for the time being, there's going to be a very awkward moment in my time in where I will have two cars on my name. I won't be taking the stateside car overseas, most likely I would probably get one whilst in Japan and possibly sell it out once I change stations. The prospect of importing is still slightly possible, assuming that my next station will not be in California and I can cheat by getting it registered at a different state.
[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;48265663]So the lease on my 2012 Civic is about to come it's end in a few months.
I enjoy driving it and it gave me a generally good impression of the brand. I really would like to start getting into the hobby of customizing both internal and externals of my first car (the Civic was leased out by my mother, don't ask why) do you guys think an Accord or a Fit would be a good first car to play around with? Is the market for parts very abundant? Is it sort of 'user-friendly' when it comes to assembly/disassembly?
I did mention that I would be moving to Japan come next year, but right now I do need a vehicle stateside for the time being, there's going to be a very awkward moment in my time in where I will have two cars on my name. I won't be taking the stateside car overseas, most likely I would probably get one whilst in Japan and possibly sell it out once I change stations. The prospect of importing is still slightly possible, assuming that my next station will not be in California and I can cheat by getting it registered at a different state.[/QUOTE]
Newer cars are anything but user friendly to work on,depeding on your situation Id suggest a tame daily driver and something that lends itself more to being a project Miatas seem popular but my expierence is in GM most years 95-2005 Fords and really anything produced in america prior to '86.
As much as I want to get rid of this blazer... I kinda want to keep it just to work on it. I keep watching videos on replacing things and going "I could do that"
Then I start drawing diagrams for stupid shit I dont need like lightbars with my basic understanding of electronics and again go "I can do this"
Fuck you Youtube for doing this to me. (anyone have a 350 they're looking to sell for cheap)
Every junkyard within 1000 miles
[QUOTE=slayer3032;48265462]
[editline]21st July 2015[/editline]
Spend $700 swapping the head on your EP3 to one that doesn't suck and or KPro.[/QUOTE]
Wheres a good place to shop for heads? I believe I have a A3 motor.
[QUOTE=crazycory65;48265084]Well I heard that if I replace the baring's in the turbo and change the blow off valve and waste gate. It's a pretty solid build. But I dunno. It's just a small weekend warrior type car I'm working on. Guess if I spent like 800 or so dollars on a turbo kit that came with a turbo, piping and intercooler and what not. Then had to replace the barings, blow off valve and waste gate. It would go up in price to what a normal whole turbo system would cost. Hmm...still debating about it.[/QUOTE]
A good cheap blowoff valve costs about $150, a good cheap kinugawa wastegate will run $150 on the cheap end. An fittings for oil stuff are $10.00/ piece. A prebuilt manifold might be in the neigborhood of $300 or so for a four cylinder. The intake tubing and intercooler I found fot $125 originally. Theyre all pretty much the same piece from china with different colors. Then you need a way to program or allow the rail to up the fuel pressure on boost. I pieced together my setup for $1500 originally and that was with cheap parts. Now ive been gradually upgrading. So far in the last couple weeks ive spent about $200 on just oil lines and new an fittings.
So $700 for a whole turbo setup is a little too cheap...
I kinda want to buy a Skyline R32 or R33 for €7000 and convert it to left hand drive. It'll be a huge project, but a LHD Skyline is unique.
But then I look at my wallet and give up.
Bit stuck in shitty situation, hopefully somebody had same situation before and was able to solve it.
I just got decent job, contract is for 12 months after which I am 80% chance to get permanent contract.
Now, I have one car in family, which is mine. But for past half year my mother drove it as shes attending college and needed it while I didn't.
Now the new place of work is far away so I need car but my mother also needs car.
I want to leave her the current car and buy myself new one.
Which is better option:
1) Get a loan and buy used car for about 12-14k EUR, the one I actually want.
or
2) Buy some cheap car for 1k and drive that?
The problem is: I've never dealt with loans and not sure if I would be given one as I am only 22, my contract is for 12 months and salary lets say is 32-35k a year.
[QUOTE=joost1120;48267813]I kinda want to buy a Skyline R32 or R33 for €7000 and convert it to left hand drive. It'll be a huge project, but a LHD Skyline is unique.
But then I look at my wallet and give up.[/QUOTE]
some american company imported a bunch of skylines in the 90s and converted them to lhd
[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;48265663]So the lease on my 2012 Civic is about to come it's end in a few months.
I enjoy driving it and it gave me a generally good impression of the brand. I really would like to start getting into the hobby of customizing both internal and externals of my first car (the Civic was leased out by my mother, don't ask why) do you guys think an Accord or a Fit would be a good first car to play around with? Is the market for parts very abundant? Is it sort of 'user-friendly' when it comes to assembly/disassembly?
I did mention that I would be moving to Japan come next year, but right now I do need a vehicle stateside for the time being, there's going to be a very awkward moment in my time in where I will have two cars on my name. I won't be taking the stateside car overseas, most likely I would probably get one whilst in Japan and possibly sell it out once I change stations. The prospect of importing is still slightly possible, assuming that my next station will not be in California and I can cheat by getting it registered at a different state.[/QUOTE]
If you're looking for a vehicle with the purpose of modifying/customizing, top priority is availability of parts, v8 pony cars such as Mustangs and Camaros, as well as muscle cars like the Challenger have large markets and plenty of community help through forums. As far as imports go, Slayer would have to tell you about honda's offerings, but youre basically looking for the "sport car" models that manufacturers put out. Your regular everyday family oriented model won't usually have a large aftermarket.
If you REALLY want something cheap and easy to work on, an old foxbody Mustang is most likely your best bet. The aftermarket is cheap and plentiful, and if you can think of a modification, someone has most likely already done it. They don't have all of these more advanced computer systems in them, so you don't have to worry about computer tuning. However, there are plenty of kits available to run a more modern ECU style system.
I would also look at earlier (3rd gen or older) GM cars. GM has a HUGE aftermarket, and if you decide to do an LS swap, there are even MORE options in the aftermarket, like EZ EFI and such.
However, these cars are older models. One of the main reasons I suggest them for a car you want to play around with, besides emissions exemptions, is because of ease of tuning. When you modify an engine in any way to gain performance, you have to tune the engine to run with those modifications. In those older cars, it's MUCH easier and cheaper to tune them yourself, or install and run things like standalone fuel and ignition systems. In modern cars, it takes specialized software to flash the ECU, and since the ECU controls everything, swapping it for a standalone unit would mean ripping out everything, including the dashboard. Also, messing with one parameter in modern cars could mean messing up something in a different system. It's a headache to tune modern vehicles yourself.
However, if you want a newer vehicle, those cars DO have large aftermarkets, but you will have to either bring it somewhere to get tuned after every part install, or have someone email you tunes and flash them on to the ECU yourself.
Personally, if I could go back and do it again, I would have bought a foxbody mustang or older car, and started from there. My 2006 Mustang GT is great. Don't get me wrong here. But the way modern cars are built makes it more expensive and harder to modify them, ESPECIALLY when it comes to DIY tuning.
And no offence silence, but newer mustangs are way too common, everywhere I go has mustangs flowing out the ass, and most of them are chick cars with their name on the vanity plates and vinyl racing stripes. Mustangs may be good as "babbys first sportscar", but they just aren't special at all. They occupy the same part in my mind as silver impalas.
Now beefed up foxbodies, despite the ugly body, are quite unique.
[QUOTE=butre;48267905]some american company imported a bunch of skylines in the 90s and converted them to lhd[/QUOTE]
If my wallet can't handle rebuilding it myself, it certainly can't handle buying an LHD Skyline.
[QUOTE=Birdman101;48267974]And no offence silence, but newer mustangs are way too common, everywhere I go has mustangs flowing out the ass, and most of them are chick cars with their name on the vanity plates and vinyl racing stripes. Mustangs may be good as "babbys first sportscar", but they just aren't special at all. They occupy the same part in my mind as silver impalas.
Now beefed up foxbodies, despite the ugly body, are quite unique.[/QUOTE]
None taken. I'm well aware of this. The V6 models (which is what you see the most) start at $24,000. That's cheap for a sports car like a Mustang. The GT, which is the REAL mustang imo, is at a $32,000 base price. It's harder to find a GT on the road, much less a chick GT. If you're going to get a Mustang, get the GT, not the v6 poseur.
Honestly, I don't care that the roads are being saturated with Mustangs. You can look at my car and say "it looks like every other Mustang on the road". What I REALLY enjoy is when people DO think it's just like every other Mustang, and then are shocked when I put my foot in it and blow them away. It plays right into my hands. The great part is that the aftermarket and the potential of the car is what I like.
So in a visual/stereotypical sense, a mustang is as special as a silver Impala. However, in an upgradability and performance aspect, a Mustang is way more "special" than your everyday normal vehicle.
Honestly, it's a problem with all American sports cars. They have to be accessible to people who don't care about the performance aspect so they can sell enough to support the performance oriented models. A Mustang GT would cost much more than $32,000 if they didn't make the v6 model to appeal to other people.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.