The General Car Thread.

[Petrolheadia]

What is the default car for people who don't know jack shit about cars where you live?

In Puławy, it seems to be the Ford Focus and Mondeo wagons. They are bought by people who don't care much about cars, but need something comfortable and mildly reliable for getting around in.

[Arkinesia]

What is the default car for people who don't know jack shit about cars where you live?

In Puławy, it seems to be the Ford Focus and Mondeo wagons. They are bought by people who don't care much about cars, but need something comfortable and mildly reliable for getting around in.

Anything Honda. People around here think the older Hondas with the automatics are bulletproof. Then the odo ticks past 150k and they soon learn how true that is (i.e., not much at all, because the transmission fails).

[Elwher]

0-60 in 9 seconds is not too slow for fun, in my opinion, and until the engine/drivetrain change in 1974 the top speed was over 100; which is fast enough to get into lots of trouble. The MGB is also more unusual in California these days than the Miata, giving it a greater cool factor as well as allowing entry into the classic sports car crowd.

So what if it's rarer? It is rarer for a reason - it it worse.

The Miata has better handling, build quality, is faster, more spacious, reliable, less rust-prone... better in everything.

It is more rare because it is older. Faster, I acknowledge, but how often does one's wife get on the race track? Either car is capable of exceeding the speed limit by a goodly amount. Less rust prone is not really an issue in SoCal; that's why the best classic cars are fro there. Given the scenario presented, I probably want my wife's car, and her, to be noticed. The MGB will accomplish that much better, in my opinion. I base that on my own experience with an MG Midget, which turns many more heads than a Miata.

[Petrolheadia]

What is a frequently abused/riced car where you live?

In my area, it's the the 1993-2000 Ford Mondeo (Contour stateside). Those cars are often kept in bad condition, overloaded, rusted or fitted with an ugly bodykit and paintjob (or all of them, wagons get abused, while hatchbacks are riced and sedans are gone). They are driven by "white trash" people. Today, we have followed a rusty 90s Mondeo wagon with a collapsed suspension driven by a bunch of rednecks, and I thought "that is an essence of the 90s Mondeo".

And the beat-up '93-'00s are now gone. The only ones left are the well-kept ones.

Now that car is the 00'-07' Mondeo. I've seen RHD ones that were owned by the local Romanis, overloaded wagons driven by rednecks and today I've seen a liftback one with a Virgin Mary medallion on the dash, no hubcaps and a rear bumper held on by duct tape.

[Petrolheadia]

So what if it's rarer? It is rarer for a reason - it it worse.

The Miata has better handling, build quality, is faster, more spacious, reliable, less rust-prone... better in everything.

It is more rare because it is older. Faster, I acknowledge, but how often does one's wife get on the race track? Either car is capable of exceeding the speed limit by a goodly amount. Less rust prone is not really an issue in SoCal; that's why the best classic cars are fro there. Given the scenario presented, I probably want my wife's car, and her, to be noticed. The MGB will accomplish that much better, in my opinion. I base that on my own experience with an MG Midget, which turns many more heads than a Miata.

Yeah, but the Miata is modified, which makes it better at cornering. And she's an enthusiast, so she'll go to the track at least once.

[Auzkhia]

0-60 in 9 seconds is not too slow for fun, in my opinion, and until the engine/drivetrain change in 1974 the top speed was over 100; which is fast enough to get into lots of trouble. The MGB is also more unusual in California these days than the Miata, giving it a greater cool factor as well as allowing entry into the classic sports car crowd.

So what if it's rarer? It is rarer for a reason - it it worse.

The Miata has better handling, build quality, is faster, more spacious, reliable, less rust-prone... better in everything.

It's the best, it's number, it's always the answer!!!111

Umm, the V8 Porsche is the 928, if that is what you're were thinking of.

Because the 944 actually, only has 4 cylinders. They gave it a selection I4's, one of them could have a turbo.

Our resident car historian just confused 2 wholly differnet cars.

I wonder what would he behave like if I confused the Cimarron and DeVille.

The differences are more glaring, then most Porsches, a better comparison would be some Oldsmobile and Buick, GM is known for badge engineering.

But, his expertise is more about American marques.

[Petrolheadia]

I might have found the best LeMons car in the world:
https://fortcollins.craigslist.org/cto/5838489386.html

[Petrolheadia]

I've just had a great LeMons car idea. It would be something never seen in LeMons and quite ingenious.

We would start with an $150 1974 Mercedes 280S shell:
https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/5839237140.html

And that is where the magic begins. The actual mechanical donor would be an $500 Caprice I found:
https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/5789560628.html

The process would be:
1. Remove whatever is left of the original mechanical bits in the Merc.
2. Take the Caprice's body off the frame,
3. Shorten the B-body frame and driveshaft, so it fits the Mercedes body,
4. Put the Mercedes body on the B-body chassis, using fabrication and welding when necessary,
5. If the Caprice wheels are sticking out, take the Caprice 's hood off and make a widebody kit off its sheet metal,
6. Use the Caprice parts to do the last touches to the Merc. (Ones that are needed to make it run.)
7. Sell the leftovers (Caprice body, interior,,etc.) for at least $150,
8. Use the money you have earned as a "profit" ( I suppose it might even be $400 or more) to improve the Frankencar's condition,
9. Race it.

[Auzkhia]

I've just had a great LeMons car idea. It would be something never seen in LeMons and quite ingenious.

We would start with an $150 1974 Mercedes 280S shell:
https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/5839237140.html

And that is where the magic begins. The actual mechanical donor would be an $500 Caprice I found:
https://denver.craigslist.org/cto/5789560628.html

The process would be:
1. Remove whatever is left of the original mechanical bits in the Merc.
2. Take the Caprice's body off the frame,
3. Shorten the B-body frame and driveshaft, so it fits the Mercedes body,
4. Put the Mercedes body on the B-body chassis, using fabrication and welding when necessary,
5. If the Caprice wheels are sticking out, take the Caprice 's hood off and make a widebody kit off its sheet metal,
6. Use the Caprice parts to do the last touches to the Merc. (Ones that are needed to make it run.)
7. Sell the leftovers (Caprice body, interior,,etc.) for at least $150,
8. Use the money you have earned as a "profit" ( I suppose it might even be $400 or more) to improve the Frankencar's condition,
9. Race it.

Why not just take the B-body and put a boat on it?

Someone did that to a Chevy S10.

[Arctica-Aleutia]

I've just decided to compare vehicles from VW, Acura and Buick, 3 midrange brands, to see if VWs are really that expensive as they say.

I decided to start with well-equipped compact sedans. They all had to be on a similar specification level. If they did not have any of these features standard, they got spec'd up to the right level. So, here is what we have:
- VW Jetta GLI - 210 HP, $29,815 - http://www.vw.com/models/jetta/trims/20 ... automatic/
- Acura ILX 2.4 - 210 HP, $29,990 - http://www.acura.com/build-price/ilx
- Buick Verano - $25,400, but only 180 HP - http://www.buick.com/sedans/verano-smal ... ?sidebar=1

Now, it's time to go to midsizers. Here, we are picking black and 250+ HP, with all cars having similar specification.
- VW Passat V6 SE - $30,115, 280 HP, 6-speed - http://www.vw.com/models/passat/trims/2 ... or/n3p-zw/
- Acura TLX - $43,540, 290 HP, 9-speed - http://www.acura.com/build-price/tlx
- Buick Regal GS - $37,695 256 HP, 6-speed - http://www.buick.com/previous-year/rega ... ?sidebar=1

Now, let's go to ca. 300 HP 4x4 midsize crossovers. Here, we have to omit Buick, as they have no car for the competition here, and substitute it with Lincoln. As above, all of them have similar specifications.
- VW Touareg Wolfsburg - $53,705, 290 HP, 8-speed - https://www.vw.com/models/touareg/trims ... or/n1p-to/
- Acura MDX - $54,400, 290 HP, 9-speed - http://www.acura.com/build-price/mdx
- Lincoln MKX - $51,200, 303 HP, 6-speed - http://t.bp3.lincoln.com/2016-Lincoln-M ... urs/Config[|Lincoln|MKX Base|2016|1|1.|102A.J8L..RR...~YZKAA.65T.99R.NON BLACK LABEL.]

Time for AWD manual performance compacts. Here, I have to substitute Acura for Subaru and Buick for Ford. Once again, similar specs.
- VW Golf R - $40,195, 300 HP, 6-speed - https://www.vw.com/models/golf-r/trims/ ... pe/manual/
- Subaru WRX STi - $39,995 (but probably no ACC or automatic parking), 310 HP, 6-speed - http://www.subaru.com/build-your-own/20 ... V/6MT.html
- Ford Focus RS - $40,255, 350 HP, 6-speed - http://shop.ford.com/build/focus/#/conf ... CUS-RS.%5D

So, in contrary to what Patridam once said, VW is not much more expensive than the competitors. It is either on par or much cheaper.

The VW may not be the most expensive when you first buy it, but (here in America at least) its expensive and hard to find a lot of the parts because most of the auto shops don't carry them. Someone I know had a VW pickup a few years ago and had to drive hundreds of miles to some random junkyard just to get a new fan for the engine.

[Auzkhia]

"What's your favourite?"

[Arctica-Aleutia]

"What's your favourite?"

Yeah... when I was littler I thought the Veyron was the ultimate car just because it was the fastest.

[Elwher]

It is more rare because it is older. Faster, I acknowledge, but how often does one's wife get on the race track? Either car is capable of exceeding the speed limit by a goodly amount. Less rust prone is not really an issue in SoCal; that's why the best classic cars are fro there. Given the scenario presented, I probably want my wife's car, and her, to be noticed. The MGB will accomplish that much better, in my opinion. I base that on my own experience with an MG Midget, which turns many more heads than a Miata.

Yeah, but the Miata is modified, which makes it better at cornering. And she's an enthusiast, so she'll go to the track at least once.

If she is going to race, perhaps you're right although the Miata is going to race in C Sport class, which is more competitive than the H Sport class that the MGB would run in. Considering the cars in the classes, she would have a better chance in class with the MGB. I still go for the cool factor in general street usage.

[Auzkhia]

"What's your favourite?"

Yeah... when I was littler I thought the Veyron was the ultimate car just because it was the fastest.

Supercars are the coolest, when you're 11.

However, the real issue is that the question is too broad for most enthusiasts. Which sort of car? A hot hatch, muscle car, roadster, GT car, luxury car, classic, or sports sedan? There are so many categories to have many favorites in, and there are more to cars than just bragging figures like power or top speed.

[Patridam]

Umm, the V8 Porsche is the 928, if that is what you're were thinking of.

Because the 944 actually, only has 4 cylinders. They gave it a selection I4's, one of them could have a turbo.

Our resident car historian just confused 2 wholly differnet cars.

I wonder what would he behave like if I confused the Cimarron and DeVille.

You're neglecting the fact that you mixed the two cars up as well, Mr. "How dare anyone ever question my knowledge of European cars, I am a European."

I honestly don't give much of a crap I'd I mix up two European or Japanese cars, especially ones that just have meaningless numerical names.

[Petrolheadia]

I've just decided to compare vehicles from VW, Acura and Buick, 3 midrange brands, to see if VWs are really that expensive as they say.

I decided to start with well-equipped compact sedans. They all had to be on a similar specification level. If they did not have any of these features standard, they got spec'd up to the right level. So, here is what we have:
- VW Jetta GLI - 210 HP, $29,815 - http://www.vw.com/models/jetta/trims/20 ... automatic/
- Acura ILX 2.4 - 210 HP, $29,990 - http://www.acura.com/build-price/ilx
- Buick Verano - $25,400, but only 180 HP - http://www.buick.com/sedans/verano-smal ... ?sidebar=1

Now, it's time to go to midsizers. Here, we are picking black and 250+ HP, with all cars having similar specification.
- VW Passat V6 SE - $30,115, 280 HP, 6-speed - http://www.vw.com/models/passat/trims/2 ... or/n3p-zw/
- Acura TLX - $43,540, 290 HP, 9-speed - http://www.acura.com/build-price/tlx
- Buick Regal GS - $37,695 256 HP, 6-speed - http://www.buick.com/previous-year/rega ... ?sidebar=1

Now, let's go to ca. 300 HP 4x4 midsize crossovers. Here, we have to omit Buick, as they have no car for the competition here, and substitute it with Lincoln. As above, all of them have similar specifications.
- VW Touareg Wolfsburg - $53,705, 290 HP, 8-speed - https://www.vw.com/models/touareg/trims ... or/n1p-to/
- Acura MDX - $54,400, 290 HP, 9-speed - http://www.acura.com/build-price/mdx
- Lincoln MKX - $51,200, 303 HP, 6-speed - http://t.bp3.lincoln.com/2016-Lincoln-M ... urs/Config[|Lincoln|MKX Base|2016|1|1.|102A.J8L..RR...~YZKAA.65T.99R.NON BLACK LABEL.]

Time for AWD manual performance compacts. Here, I have to substitute Acura for Subaru and Buick for Ford. Once again, similar specs.
- VW Golf R - $40,195, 300 HP, 6-speed - https://www.vw.com/models/golf-r/trims/ ... pe/manual/
- Subaru WRX STi - $39,995 (but probably no ACC or automatic parking), 310 HP, 6-speed - http://www.subaru.com/build-your-own/20 ... V/6MT.html
- Ford Focus RS - $40,255, 350 HP, 6-speed - http://shop.ford.com/build/focus/#/conf ... CUS-RS.%5D

So, in contrary to what Patridam once said, VW is not much more expensive than the competitors. It is either on par or much cheaper.

The VW may not be the most expensive when you first buy it, but (here in America at least) its expensive and hard to find a lot of the parts because most of the auto shops don't carry them. Someone I know had a VW pickup a few years ago and had to drive hundreds of miles to some random junkyard just to get a new fan for the engine.

Well, there is a 5-year warranty AFAIK. And if that does not cut it, you can wait till used ones go on the market, go to Carmax and buy one with their 7-year warranty.

[White Chrobatia]

Hey, I'd assume that you guys know a fair amount about cars; if there was a used car that someone was getting (for under 10,000$ as their first care) and prioritized both power and safety, what would it be?

[Petrolheadia]

Hey, I'd assume that you guys know a fair amount about cars; if there was a used car that someone was getting (for under 10,000$ as their first care) and prioritized both power and safety, what would it be?

Ten grand, power, safety?

Do you need rear seats? And where do you live?

[White Chrobatia]

Hey, I'd assume that you guys know a fair amount about cars; if there was a used car that someone was getting (for under 10,000$ as their first care) and prioritized both power and safety, what would it be?

Ten grand, power, safety?

Do you need rear seats?

Nah, it can be a coupe if need be.

[Petrolheadia]

Ten grand, power, safety?

Do you need rear seats?

Nah, it can be a coupe if need be.

Where do you live? I need that info to check your local Craigslist.

[White Chrobatia]

Nah, it can be a coupe if need be.

Where do you live? I need that info to check your local Craigslist.

Ontario, Canada.

[Petrolheadia]

Where do you live? I need that info to check your local Craigslist.

Ontario, Canada.

Eh, Canada? So you mean 10k Canadian dollars?

[White Chrobatia]

Ontario, Canada.

Eh, Canada? So you mean 10k Canadian dollars?

Yes, our meme bucks. It's roughly 7,500$ USD

[Petrolheadia]

Where do you live? I need that info to check your local Craigslist.

Ontario, Canada.

Where exactly in Ontario?

[White Chrobatia]

Ontario, Canada.

Where exactly in Ontario?

Doesn't really matter. Most Craigslist ads are within my travelling distance