Automobiles

[robin3mj]

That Toyota is money.

My brother and I are fighting over who gets to buy this '68 off my dad when he gets tired of it:

[SeanEasley]

There is a Volvo XC70 in the family, but man, something about that thing bugs me. I think it's the low overhead interior. I've become claustrophobic in the back seat. The E46 sure looks like a good option used, as does the A4 Avant.

As a former A4 avant owner (it was love at first sight) I would say your long-term cost of ownership as it gets long in the tooth will easily eclipse that of the S40. I would consider owning another audi, but only if I didn't have to rely on it as a DD.

[Scott G.]

When it comes to cars, low mass is it's own reward.
As the late great DED Jr.said, cogito ergo zoom.
http://www.rocket-car.co.uk/
G-d love the Brits, this is street legal in Britain.

[Eddie]

As a former A4 avant owner (it was love at first sight) I would say your long-term cost of ownership as it gets long in the tooth will easily eclipse that of the S40. I would consider owning another audi, but only if I didn't have to rely on it as a DD.

Awesome intel, thanks bud. We've got some friends here through the cycling scene that have two of them and seem to be having good luck.

That S40 is so friggin' 'spensive to get parts for to work on myself, let alone pay somebody else to do it. We had what would otherwise be a <$20 flex pipe fail, and Volvo uses a proprietary ovalized pipe that of course can't be purchased and welded in separately. Required purchase of an entire catalytic converter assembly from the turbo back, cost of about $600-700 plus labor. Eek. Managed to save some cost by dropping the old assembly out and buying parts online and picking up in person, but the high-temp bolts going in to the turbo exhaust flange had rusted and completely seized in place. After pipe torches and PB Blaster and some bleeding and burns, I eventually cried uncle and brought it down the street for a local shop to work them out.

[rmplum]

but the high-temp bolts going in to the turbo exhaust flange had rusted and completely seized in place. After pipe torches and PB Blaster and some bleeding and burns, I eventually cried uncle and brought it down the street for a local shop to work them out.

We have lots of customer cars in here for government required testing and the story is the same on all of the turbo cars with any sort of mileage on them. Even our very experienced shop technician ends up cutting/drilling a lot of those cooked bolts out - the turbo gets friggen hot. I'm impressed that you had a decent go at it.

[robin3mj]

We had what would otherwise be a <$20 flex pipe fail, and Volvo uses a proprietary ovalized pipe that of course can't be purchased and welded in separately. .

Columbus Max tailpipe?
Call Zank.

[Eddie]

We have lots of customer cars in here for government required testing and the story is the same on all of the turbo cars with any sort of mileage on them. Even our very experienced shop technician ends up cutting/drilling a lot of those cooked bolts out - the turbo gets friggen hot. I'm impressed that you had a decent go at it.

Those high-temp bolts are so friggin' hard. I can't remember the exact temp., but I think a mechanic told me that flange gets to be something like 2K* F? Bolt heads rusted to the point they just crumbled when I took a socket to them, yet still so hard that it took a carbide bit on my Dremel (yup, Dremel), about four trips to Sears for more carbide bits, and a lot of anger and and a bit of delicacy to get through them, and eventually I was able to drop it the whole thing out.

Fortunately, I have a very competent mechanic in walking / beach cruiser distance who is quite forgiving. He was able to pop the headless bolts out with some sort of extractor - no more cutting or drilling. Impressive.

Do I get bonus points for doing all of this outside, during the winter, after work, and in the dark with a headlamp? Dear Lord I hope I never have to go through with that again.

Columbus Max tailpipe?
Call Zank.

Brilliant! Just a bit of heat here, a hammer there, we could go full-rigid. Who needs a flex pipe anyway.

[jerk]

i love my mustang bullitt- it's the perfect car for american roads, speed limits and massive cultural superiority complex. it's loud, handles as well as my old e46 coupe, but doesn't drive nearly as smooth and is geared so fucking low you'll never look down on a dark desolate highway and go, oh shit i'm driving 130mph which is a real problem with an m3.

but that's not the car for you- the car for you is a mid nineties ford escort wagon. i had one after i rolled a '84 gti... it sucked but it was so fucking cheap to fix to fill up and to own. plus you could live in it. get the baby blue.

or if you want the modern equivalent buy pontiac vibe/toyota matrix.

[Eddie]

but that's not the car for you- the car for you is a mid nineties ford escort wagon. i had one after i rolled a '84 gti... it sucked but it was so fucking cheap to fix to fill up and to own. plus you could live in it. get the baby blue.

or if you want the modern equivalent buy pontiac vibe/toyota matrix.

A viable option. Could be a female companion for my mid-90's Ford F-150. I ha've done pretty well living in my truck, although that only lasted about ten days.

I think I'd actually be better off in one of these (bit more roomy), although gas mileage would surely suffer:



I'm off to the quickie mart to peruse an Auto Trader while pretending to shop for kleenex.

[dhoff]

I am a huge fan of the VW Passat I have. Its got 158,000 miles and runs perfectly. I would love to grab a wagon version to replace my suburban for an event transport I can sleep in before heading home.

[caleb]

but that's not the car for you- the car for you is a mid nineties ford escort wagon. i had one after i rolled a '84 gti... it sucked but it was so fucking cheap to fix to fill up and to own. plus you could live in it. get the baby blue.

or if you want the modern equivalent buy pontiac vibe/toyota matrix.

I'm not above something like an Escort wagon, and I already own a Matrix that my wife drives.

The beauty of these little shit-boxes is that it's obvious you don't care about them. They're just transportation, pure utility. And the ability to treat them like the crap they are is what saves them from being undignified.

[maunahaole]

Eddie, I can help you find a wagon.

[Ben]

I'm not above something like an Escort wagon, and I already own a Matrix that my wife drives.

The beauty of these little shit-boxes is that it's obvious you don't care about them. They're just transportation, pure utility. And the ability to treat them like the crap they are is what saves them from being undignified.

My ex-wife drove a Matrix. It was homely as shit and had the same top speed as the average family dog, but it was cheap, roomy, dependable, and got something absurd like 38mpg on the highway. I went from pure white-hot hate to grudging respect for that car.

[hmbatrail]

In addition to four motorcycles and a metric shitton of bikes, Baggins and I own three cars. Hers is a 2006 Subaru Outback. Tons of tubo lag and the transmission sucks like there is tomorrow. Beyond that it is a wonderful car and we will own it until the wheels fall off. I have a 2003 Subaru Baja (in yellow of course) that I bought new. It has 135k on it and drives like I bought the sonofabitch last week. It is ugly as hell but I can take it camping, haul seven bikes with it, haul 8' lumber, and it drives like a car. I also have a 2007 BMW M- Coupe. 335HP in a car that weighs less than I do. It rides like a buckboard log wagon, loads of road noise because you sit right next to the rear wheels, is a bitch to get in and out of and if you are over 6' 1" or so you can forget about it. Impractical as hell but more fun than should be legal and I absolutely adore it.

So, what does that say about me? I genuinely don't give a shit.

[rmplum]

I have a 2003 Subaru Baja (in yellow of course) that I bought new. It has 135k on it and drives like I bought the sonofabitch last week. It is ugly as hell but I can take it camping, haul seven bikes with it, haul 8' lumber, and it drives like a car.

Bajas never sold much but those who have them, love them dearly. The first few test protoypes (before they decided on the Baja name) came with leather seats that had Brat embossed in them. I held onto a set for 3-4 years after the proto got crushed, but when we moved I must have gotten rid of them. There are two Bajas in my neighborhood. One guy is a carpenter and he uses the $hit out of his.

[dhoff]

I want one of these:1970_chevrolet_el_camino.jpeg

I can put a cap on it and use it for events where I may have to sleep after.

[nahtnoj]

I was checking out a 58 Edsel last weekend, pretty sure I could be comfortable sleeping in the trunk. Massive, massive, car.

[72gmc]

My take on Bajas is that they're a classic auto industry fumble--an ugly utility vehicle that they try to prettify. Own the ugly and speak to the DIY crowd. Paint that sucker a dark matte color that you're not afraid to lean lumber against. Give it steel work wheels that look good dirty instead of wheel covers that look good at the mall.

[cody.wms]

The current Impreza has really lost a lot (most) of the "wagonality" from the 2002-2007MY. My wife has a 2008 Impreza 5-door (she passed over the E46 325 touring for this) and the cargo carrying is extremely compromised (no way you'd get a full size bike in there without the rear seats folded). If you need wagon utility from a Suby these days your real choices are Forester or Outback. Both of these fit my bikes with seatpost and wheels removed (and rear-seats in use).

FCTi

Just to follow up on this one - last weekend, I tried to get my bike in the back of my '11 Impreza. My 58 would require pulling both the seatpost and cranks to fit in the very back, without seats folded. It's not a very tall car. But I find it fits the bill otherwise. The Impreza is geting bigger for the '12 model year. I got an '11 cause I wanted a small car, something manufacturers don't seem to get.

[rmplum]

The Impreza is getting bigger for the '12 model year.

Sort of yes, and sort of no. That's all I can say.