Off Topic: Discuss Anything
Time to start a new feature here at Daily Turismo, one that encourages strange discussions about things that may or may not be totally worthless. The concept is simple, just use the comment system below to discuss anything you’d like. It can be car related, but it doesn’t have to be — have at it.
To kick things off, I will contribute this link to a raffle to win a free small block Chevy V8 with Edelbrock e-Force supercharger from PowerNationTV.com. It is a $20k built small block that pushes out 518 horsepower and you probably won’t get blasted with spam for signing up, but don’t take my word for it, be sure to read the fine print.
Go ahead, discuss anything you’d like.
What projects (car or non-car related) do DT-er's have planned for the weekend?
Keep trying to bring myself to prep my Ducati Monster's seat cover for painting (the old one flew off and got crushed in traffic) . . . I'll probably go for a ride instead.
Buffing the original beige paint on my '81 Volvo 242
Rebuilding the suspension on an '86 AW11 MR2 powered by a Kawasaki ZX sportbike engine
Jolly joker!
[img] 1.bp.blogspot.com/-vePuYj6kUtM/UTqMQd92YgI/AAAAAAAAJlc/GbkLxlkQrNE/s1600/Sgt_Schultz2.gif[/img]
No joke; those are really my on-deck projects for this weekend!
Gotta fix a wiring issue in the Draken (cluster is dead…well…almost dead, it looks like it is getting about 7 volts) — probably related to exposed underhood fuse terminal.
#babywatch2015. Just crossed the 41 week mark.
If the kid decides not to make an appearance, I'm getting a set of tires (215/45/17 General G-Max AS-03 that came on the Rotas I ordered for the 240Z but were too wide) mounted on the Volans for the S70 and installing the brakes (oem replacements, nothing fancy) I ordered from FCP months ago also on the S70. If there's time, I'm having the CX-5 tinted. I'm putting off doing the e-brake cables on the S70 because the ones on it are 300k mile originals and basically fused to the undercarriage.
G, what are you up to?
+1,000 on the Mr. 2!
Bicycle racing. Friday night races at the velodrome tonight, then my better half and son will be doing a TT event at the velodrome tomorrow so I'll be designated sherpa/running support. Most likely doing a mountain bike race close to Sam Houston State Park on Sunday if my shoulder is feeling ok. Been fighting some nasty on again/off again inflammation for a while now, so if it flares up I'll probably do a crit race on my road bike instead.
RyanM — 41weeks — holy mackerel. Also, when you started writing that "if the kid decides not to make an appearance, I'm getting tires and brakes" — I was certain it would end with someone screaming push, a lady screaming from the back seat while you hit the brakes, and a kid launching into the safety of an airbag.
-Vince
Enjoy the little one when he/she comes out, they grow up too fast.
Mrs. G and her sister and niece are out of town for the Bloomsday run this weekend, so I'm Mr. Mom. I hope I can find a little time to finish the upgrade of the lighting system in my garage.
@Jeff Grant – your better half is a bike racer? Damn. At this point any comments I might offer about her thighs would probably justify a ballistic response 😉
With luck I'll be drilling a hole in the floor of a 1978 Avion/GMC motorhome, for the purposes of running a wiring harness for the 454 TBI V8 I'm swapping in place of the orignal 400.
EmmyJ – once had a 900cfm bored and sleeved TBI and Edelbrock manifold for the 454, courtesy of the 454SS universe, had it in my old Suburban for a while, unobtanium now.
Worky, worky, then party wherein small children shoot at each other with laser beams. Most will survive. Hopefully. Drive the NA back and forth between the coal mine and home (see: prior canary joke).
New Brake Master cylinder and replace upper and lower control arms, sway bar links, and tie rods on my new-to-me 535is. Create a craigslist ad compelling enough to sell my 2002.
Work on the wife's Mustang II.
Test fit 16" rims/tires, survey the front suspension for wear and mods, measure 8" rear end for a future swap, install a 192 degree T-stat, Block EGR, re-curve the vacuum advance for venture vacuum and adjust the timing, see if the Weber universal aftermarket carb I bought can be fitted by just changing the throttle shaft linkage.
Maybe I can boost it from 88hp to 89hp!
I just woke up under the belly of an SR-71.
Boy Scout overnight at SAS(SAC) Museum.
@mrkwong, LOL, her thighs get a whole lot more attention than mine do, that's for sure! I'm man enough to admit that she's a lot faster than me at the velodrome when it comes to sprinting. (she's training for Track Nationals and Worlds so she'd better be) 😉 It makes it easier to buy more fancy carbon/ti bits for our bikes too since she's also into. Too bad she's not into cars!
What did you eat for Breakfast?
I had nails…without any milk.
Pop Tarts
"egg-niter" and "ranchero kick" kolache from a place called the golden kolache up the road from work. And about a gallon of coffee.
I had my 9yo daughter's leftover cereal.
Scrambled eggs with Amazon chipotle hot sauce (mild but incredibly tasty), toast with butter and a cup of Twisted Pine Hawaiian Blend. Nirvana!
[img] i.imgur.com/b6CwXN6.jpg?1[/img]
I wanna spend roughly 10k on a used luxury car. What are my best choices? It wont be my only vehicle, I don't mind doing my own maintenance, I understand that things break and parts are expensice, and have a decent set of tools. Just trying to find something that will give a nice ride on the days I have to take the kids to school.
Current prospects are:
Y50 Infiniti M35/45, or maybe a G35
E60 BMW 528/530
Lexus LS 430 / GS300
Possibly a W211 E class?
and before anyone suggests a Panther, I had one for a few years and didnt really care for it.
Anyone have any other suggestions?
E39 540i – good article here
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One further point – with any vehicle from the late '90s forward that's not going to be handed off to someone else for service, you need to research and factor into the purchase decision/cost parts pricing/availability and the availability, usability, and cost of diagnostic software capable of exercising the full range of black boxes in the car you're looking at.
It depends on what you value and how much wrenching you're prepared to do.
The E39 BMWs have a lot of small problems, mostly badly specced too-recyclable plastics and a few suspension bits with limited lifespan, but they're aesthetically probably the best BMW sedan ever built, a joy to sit in and still nicer to drive than almost anything out there. Got two and not planning on parting with them anytime. Frankly the biggest ownership impediment right now is the hassle of getting decently modern stereo Bluetooth into the things – even the MkIV nav in the M5 is junk by modern phone standards.
I'm not so fond of the E60, the interior just puts me off and my wife wasn't enthused enough to part with an E39 to get one when we shopped them years ago.
Careful with the W211, they're gorgeous and very nice to drive but I'd do my research on all the bits and pieces and their vulnerabilities before handing over the bucks. A W211 E63 wagon (think they'd stripped out the Sensonic brake crap and some of the other troublesome junk by then) might be about the only thing out there I'd part with my M5 for, but I haven't yet convinced myself.
The LS430 is too big for me, and almost all the smaller Lexes from the original ES250 on forward have had far too little headroom for my 95th-percentile self, but the second-gen GS400/GS430 was a nice car to drive and a nice place to be inside.
With all these cars you're trading off cheap initial purchase against the fact that their V8s aren't going to give you the MPG-per-HP of a modern direct-injection six, so operating costs will be higher.
Apologies for the inadvertent deletion above.
How new? Alfa Romeo 164LS.
Other options, some more sporting than others…
As much CTS-V as you can afford, the early cars were cheaply built but an absolute blast to drive, would try to find something as stock as possible, lots of half-baked aftermarket stuff for those cars and many of the early wheel-hop fixes (e.g. solid rear subframe bushings) are a cure worse than the malady.
E38 740i preferably the short-wheelbase sport-package version, pretty much all the benefits (and drawbacks) of the E39 540i in a slightly larger package, the sport seats in the SWB sport-package 7 are even better than the 5, almost like memories of your first girlfriend and a bottle of baby oil.
The '03-05 Jaguar S-type R is fun, a little tighter inside than the bigger cars, a love-it-or-hate-it look. If ever a car needed an LSD it's this one, but it didn't get it from the factory, the diff is a Ford 8.8 with a smaller ring gear but you have to swap in an earlier S-type/Lincoln LS pumpkin and axles to use an off-the-shelf 8.8 diff.
For that matter, a later '03-up Lincoln LS with the full-on 280HP V8 is a really nice car, roomier than the Jag or the E39 and pretty much on par with the SWB E38, great chassis, seats a bit on the flat side, it's a Ford product so verify parts availability carefully before you buy.
Seeking — lets hook you up with a Mid Week Match-Up feature post for next wed, send me an email with any more details tips@dailyturismo.com
Vince
Upon further reading my 12:46 comment would have gotten at best a D in high-school English, the run-on sentences are atrocious.
Please insert a period at every third comma. Thank you.
I'm with mrkwong on the e39 over an e60. As for the w211—don't dismiss it so fast mrkwong. My 2007 daily driver has been flawless in 2 years of commuting drudgery. Just be sure to get a 2006 or later, when the awful electronic brake control was removed.
FTB – not dismissing it, think you made my point. Good to hear your experience.
You've got some good ideas there, SeekingLuxoBarge and some great additions from my fellow DTers. As usual, my mind wanders towards the road less traveled. These most likely will not meet your needs, but they're interesting options.
Hyundai Genesis
Infiniti M45
Acura RL
Cadillac DeVille
Jaguar XJ
Lincoln LS
Volkswagen Phaeton
Toyota Avalon
Volvo S60
Mercury Marauder
Cadillac CTS
Acura TL
Just spitballin'.
Lexus LS400/430. I have enough anecdotal evidence to make a recommendation about this car. You can put a bazillion miles on them without getting killed on maintenance costs. Some things will eventually wear out, but the essentials and the fantastic ride will remain.
Lexus LS400/430. I have enough anecdotal evidence to make a recommendation about this car. You can put a bazillion miles on them without getting killed on maintenance costs. Some things will eventually wear out, but the essentials and the fantastic ride will remain.
Whoa this has been up for over an hour and nothing from K2? WTF!
And Stan too.
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I been workin' ya slacker! But not with Stan. I don't know what Stan's up to these days. Just catching up with all the shenanigans since I was forced back into the coal mines. BTW, the canary died, I think of boredom. Those coal mines are not that exciting, turns out. I do not work with jackasses. I have some self respect. Don't judge me!
[img] i.imgur.com/ly0QNSI.jpg[/img]
RyanM, if you want, send me your email address via DT's tip lines (thanks and please, El Jefe!). He has my say so to give you mine or pass me yours. Oh and I forgot to answer your previous question. I found that great Dodge Dynasty picture at Fast Lane Illustration.
I think DT should do a feature where readers post their favorite foreign cars soon to turn 25 years old and legal to import.
Can't wait to get a diesel Mitsu Delica L300 4×4. No smog needed in CA!!!
[img] upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Mitsubishi_Delica_Star_Wagon_303.JPG [/img]
Delete that huge pic and use this one:
Mitsu Delica L300 Diesel. No CA smog!
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Lancia Delta Integrale for me.
[img] automobile-catalog.com/img/picto28h/lancia/129327_060505_1_lancia.jpg[/img]
I have used the Mitsu 4×4 vans in the jungles of Suriname and they are a unique and capable vehicle. Would seem to find a niche in the US
I would like to get a BMW Z1 over here, and they are already starting to become legal. Strictly for the face-melting factor. Saw one for the first time in Kreuzberg last year, luckily just before it nearly hit me.
Z1's have actually been legal under the show and display prior to the 25 year rule, I saw them on the list when I looked up show and display in the Twister thread. Now you have no excuse!
How about a chrysler 300c with a hemi for 10k. Should be a little softer than my rt magnum. The hemi sure does make some nice noises and goes pretty good in a straight line for such a big car.
Assume you meant this as a response to the question up above?
The 300C isn't bad, but I like the second-gen much better than the first. Even in V6 form. Apples-to-apples I'd take a sport-package SWB E38 740i but it's not really apples-to-apples if $ comes into it, you can get a much newer 300C for the same bucks, maybe even an early SRT8.
Where's Stan?
I would like to know who is backing Stan?
[img] i.imgur.com/fZTpjeB.jpg?1[/img]
Anyone ever feel out of touch with the current auto world? I look at Car and Driver and R&T and can not relate at all to the cars or the prices. I have driven some really over the top new cars and had a hell of a time figuring them out. My Wife's friend let me drive her new supercharged XJ and I had no idea what I was doing. It felt like I was in a giant guided missile. I have found myself buying cheaper and older cars. I drive a car less expensive than the one I drove when I was 17. Currently I am stuck in the year 2002 (and totally enjoying it).
I don't feel that way, but I've been accused of being stuck in the 80s and 90s. Maybe so. Still, +1 on your comment Sean Scott!
I hate the touch screen controls. All the screens are different and you have to watch what you're doing. So distracting. Huge relief to get back in the Roadmaster. Knobs, buttons, switches and sliders FTW.
Excellent point, KBZ. I don't like that either. Nor do I like dashboard design that appear to be about to skewer me in the eyeball.
Also, I don't get the Nissan/Infiniti thing with leaning controls horizontally away from you, either. Why are the buttons aimed at the roof? Maybe somebody could explain that to me. Is it so giraffes can see the controls better? So aliens can control your A/C through the open sunroof?
[img] i.imgur.com/CMSORdc.jpg?1[/img]
The newest vehicle we ever owned is the wife's present 2001 Blazer.
So when I travel for work it is a chore to figure out each different new car I rent.
Let's see… Ohh, so this one I can just keep the key fob in my pocket to start the car? Ohh, so I gotta put my foot on the brake while hitting the start button, Ohh, so I gotta put my foot on the brake to put it in gear. Ohh, how the heck do I adjust the awful audio settings and find a radio station? The right mirror is pointing at the ground, how to switch the mode to the right mirror? How do I turn on the damn lights! Oh the lights just came on automatically. OK, now how do I turn them off so the battery don't run down. Ohhh, they just turned off.
Push once to unlock, twice for passenger, how to open the trunk then Oppps the alarm just went off.
Next you go to the mall because your luggage did not arrive…Where did I park the car? What the heck kinda car did I drive?
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Yeah, much to dislike in the controls of many present-day vehicles but for me the worst is the crappy outward visibility, whether it's the high beltline and hoodline or the nonexistent rear quarter windows or the nearly horizontal A-pillars that reach out to the front bumpers.
It's just really, really tiring to drive something like a Prius or even some recent Fords (the Fusion and the Fiesta, not so much the Focus) because you're bobbing and weaving to see around the A-pillars that are stuck right in the middle of your field of vision.
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I have been a poor student on embedding interweb images, but would like something to explain me on how to embed an image from the hard drive if possible. Thanks
Should be 'someone' unless it is an alien, in which case it could be a 'something'
Can't get there from here, homie.
Don't worry about the typo police around here, NoCo FoMoPar. Unless your name is Stan, then watch out. Poor Stan.
The answer to your question is (fortunately) an easy one. Allow me to channel Kaibeezy and send you to Imgur. It's really easy and you'll see exactly how to do it once you get there. You want to copy and paste the BBCode link to DT.
[img] i.imgur.com/pbw2Uvf.jpg?1[/img]
Anybody else into champion herding swine?
[img] i.imgur.com/I99QC4a.jpg[/img]
Thanks K2. It worked!!
That'll do, pig.
That's awesome! Pigs are super smart. When you're in Imgur, go to edit image to change the width of the image so it's not too big. I never specify more than 600 pixels wide. Otherwise, it's too much for the Blogger format.
I can't believe its been 21 years since that dark weekend in San Marino.
youtube.com/watch?v=i_qHQHVyxyM
Racing is not my thing and even I know about this. Horrible. The movie "Senna" is spectacular and I highly recommend it if any DTer out there hasn't seen it yet (probably not).
youtube.com/watch?v=gyhKXyatgi0
I like that new user icon, G!
The Senna documentary is pretty good, but I don't think Prost got a really fair shake in it. But, I think the bigger issue in that season is Benetton and 'Option 13".
Sorry. By "probably not", I meant that you guys HAD seen it already.
Look what my daughter and I saw this morning on the way to her baseball game.
[img] i.imgur.com/s1xm8Ed.jpg[/img]
Makes perfect sense for the geographical area.
I haven't seen one since I was a kid. The neighbor down the street had one. He owned the Pepsi bottler in town and it was a promotional vehicle.
It had a hard time keeping up with the 40 mph limit on the boulevard.
I have lusted after the Amphicar for years. They are getting really expensive now and there are some driveline pieces that are pretty hard to come by.
Interesting to note where that niche market went. I'd make a joke about it sinking like a rock but that isn't necessarily true. Fortunately, they figured out the bit about how metal and water, especially salt water, don't mix.
There are several of these in your area, G. Have you seen one?
[img] i.imgur.com/7RLQHVT.jpg?1[/img]
Now you've got me curious. Surprise. As I write this there are 11 Amphicars for sale on Hemmings, including this one in Bellevue, Washington for $55K. Clearly not the same one you saw on the street. You probably know of the place that has it for sale, G; Park Place LTD?
[img] i.imgur.com/lEUBhBL.png?1[/img]
Ah, yes Park Place, where newly minted software millionaires are separated from their money.
I've not seen any other amphibious vehicles other than the Amphicar yesterday and the DKW's that a tour company uses on tours of the city and Lake Union. But I'm (thankfully) not into boats, so I don't hang around docks and boat launches. There could be more things like above out there. 🙂
Heh heh. Cool! The guys behind the WaterCar are from my old neighborhood.
Gianni – those are DUKWs, or Ducks.
DKWs are 'Deutsche Kinder Wagens', two-stroke products of a West Germany barely a few years removed from providing sexual favors to GIs in exchange for Marlboros, one notch above the Ossie Trabant.
Missed it by that much…
Amphicars and their owners have always been a sight to behold. Functional, but a little odd. Wonder if one could ever be re-powered to pull a skier or at least a tube?
I'm still in shock that a Charger Hellcat base stickers for only $65K. I know they're not going for that but still! Amazing value for the money, just fantastic. Any other Dters out there think that's as mind-blowing as I do?
[img] i.imgur.com/VfHP8fP.jpg?1[/img]
How did the weekend projects go?
Took off old mastercylinder (spilling brake fluid everywhere)…….discovered that parts guy gave me wrong replacement part. @#$@#$@#$ Reassembled car with faulty MC. 90 minutes of my life I'll never have back.