AutomotiveEra |OT| Four are better than two
- Thread starter JakeG4
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Thanks man, really love them all hahaha. The C63 in person really has a dominating appearance. I was expecting the matte color to make it kinda stealthy, but it just stands out just as much as the GTR when driving lol.
I feel like the MB interiors have been a hit or miss for people. Personally I love it, but Im really used to design language shared across all their models. The steering wheel is phenomenal - I don't have to touch anything else when driving. All the driving and infotainment settings are a press, swipe, rotation, or switch click away from my fingers. That being said, I don't know how the new generation of steering wheels are.
Thanks man. Congrats on the GLI. Market is still pretty annoying surprisingly. Was trying to get my dad a civic or accord and noticed some dealers are still playing hard ball.
Thanks!
I went to go look at a couple of civic SIs but both dealers wanted close to 40k for them. Screw that.
I will probably order the neuspeed lowering springs in the next couple of months along with the rse10 wheels. First order of business is to tint the windows and protect the paint.
I recently got the go ahead from my wife to get a fun car and am looking into getting a stick shift. Although I know the main mechanics behind stick, I've never actually driven one myself. Was curious, how hard is it to learn if I've been driving automatic cars for the last 20 years? My dad has a stick shift that he may let me practice on in an empty parking lot, but just wanted to get an idea how difficult it is to learn.
Not that hard really. You'll definitely have some stalls and jerky starts for a while, but should come to driveable grips with it very quickly. Avoid stopping on hills at first though 😂
Easy for me to say as a Brit, but it's easy! You'll be fine so long as you have a flat quiet area to practice in, like a car park or such. And don't try and start off with a Lambo with a heavy racing clutch or something lol.
There's no getting around the fact it will take some time though. To begin with your left foot will not have the accuracy of brain/muscle motor control needed. If that's you in the avatar and you lift a lot, I'm sure you can think of plenty of similar situations.
By far the best drill to learn this I ever did, is to sit in an empty car park, put it in first, then release the clutch just enough to get rolling. No gas! There is a perfect position (the "bite point") where, if you hold the clutch there - the car will accelerate slowly, but not stall. Similar to how an auto behaves when you have no brake or gas pedal. But in this case you're balancing the point yourself with your left foot. Too far it'll stall (it will grumble first!), too little and you won't go anywhere. With practice, you can get up to about 30mph in 3rd gear doing this without any gas! Though, that does depend a lot on the car/clutch aggressiveness how easy it'll be.
Thanks yeah, unfortunately the only two cars I have access to in order to practice in friends or family is my Dad's 07 corvette convertible, and my father in laws '13 corvette. :O I live in the suburbs though so we'll be able to find some good flat parking lots or whatever to try.
Thanks for the tip though, I'll keep that in my notes to try.
Btw, its not me in the avatar, its John Petrucci of Dream Theater haha
Ok folks, I'm looking for some very general advice/thoughts on my current car and its future.
I have a 2003 RSX, it's the base model so no Type S goodness here. It's got about 170k miles and is my current daily driver. I am the original owner and it is/was my first car.
Over the last 12 months it's had a lot of work. Some suspension stuff, fuel pump, starter, motor/transmission mounts, full tune up, etc. It needs some more love, namely shocks and struts but also some more minor things (like door lock fixes), a repair to the leather on the driver seat, you know normal wear and tear shit.
I feel like I'm coming to a crossroads with it. I adore the car and they really don't make them like this anymore. We got a new Integra and it's a kinda of snoozy 4 door and comparable cars are getting fewer and farther between. But we're also in that phase where major work might/could cost more than the car would get if I sold it. If this was yours, would you go all in and commit to making it a project? Would you cut ties and try and sell it? I don't have unlimited money, but I have enough that I could give it a lot of TLC (though I'd probably still have to keep it as a daily). Thoughts?
I have a 2003 RSX, it's the base model so no Type S goodness here. It's got about 170k miles and is my current daily driver. I am the original owner and it is/was my first car.
Over the last 12 months it's had a lot of work. Some suspension stuff, fuel pump, starter, motor/transmission mounts, full tune up, etc. It needs some more love, namely shocks and struts but also some more minor things (like door lock fixes), a repair to the leather on the driver seat, you know normal wear and tear shit.
I feel like I'm coming to a crossroads with it. I adore the car and they really don't make them like this anymore. We got a new Integra and it's a kinda of snoozy 4 door and comparable cars are getting fewer and farther between. But we're also in that phase where major work might/could cost more than the car would get if I sold it. If this was yours, would you go all in and commit to making it a project? Would you cut ties and try and sell it? I don't have unlimited money, but I have enough that I could give it a lot of TLC (though I'd probably still have to keep it as a daily). Thoughts?
I might be the wrong person to give advice because I've been looking at getting an RSX at some point, but I would just keep it. Even if its not a type-s, as long as its in good shape it will always be worth a decent amount assuming it has a manual transmission. You've owned the car since new which means you know the entire history, what works been done, and what will need to be done. The K-series is probably Honda's best engine, so I wouldn't really worry about reliability. Only really expensive job would be a timing chain at some point in the future, and that's a job you'd probably only do once.
Or once I have money you could just sell it to me
It seems like a lot of people are expressing interest in them these days. There's a guy at my local car wash who asks me if I'm going to sell it every time I'm there and he asks my dad if I still have it every time HE'S there lol. A couple people at the local Acura dealer asked me if I wanted to sell it when I still took it over there. A guy at work hit me up just last week to ask the same thing.
I really do love the car and every time it comes back from the mechanic it sounds and drives better than it has in a long time, which just makes me want to keep it more. I will say that if I part ways, I'd have to find an enthusiast to sell it to. It'd break my heart if I ever knew it got trashed or scrapped after it left my possession.
My biggest concern repair wise was a transmission overhaul/rebuild/replacement. It feels great after getting it back from my mechanic, but I was mostly worried about that coming up next.
I guess a good question is what would you replace it with, and if you kept it would it just be a second fun car?
As someone who only owns old cars, all my stuff is 1990s and older, what I value is something that's reliable in the first place and won't constantly need repairs, but also just knowing the overall condition is a big plus. If it were me, your car seems to fit that. Any old car is going to need maintenance and repairs anyway, and with your car you at least know what you'll be getting into in the future.
But I also get if you just want a new car that you don't have to worry about.
I think the only current car on the market that I'd give consideration to that's also within budget is the GR86. It seems like a small, sporty, no nonsense kind of car that might be the closest modern analogue to what I already have. If hot hatches were really a thing here, I'd consider several most likely, but the States don't really get many options in that department. I think in a perfect world I'd have something else, something newer, be a daily driver and the RSX would become the project/fun/weekend car. Less wear and tear on it and if I want it to sit at a mechanic for a week for upgrades or the body shop for a paint refresh it doesn't completely screw my whole life. I just don't know if I could swing car payment, normal maintenance on that car, plus RSX stuff on top of it all.
But with rates what they are, and the market the way it is, I'd probably be out 10k or more in payments and a down in the first year and I don't know that that is any more appealing than just putting money into the Acura.
I'm not dying for a new car really, even less so after getting the RSX back last night. The longer I have it the more I want to keep it, but I've also had people tell me I'm crazy for wanting to keep and put money into it.
RSXs are definitely going up in value these days. Being a premium does mean it will get a little less, but it's easy to build these cars at the moment. K series parts have gotten so much cheaper.
Personally I would keep it and work on it but I also have a 03 Civic Si in the garage which is pretty much the RSX's cousin. You're part way in refreshing the things that need to be done with the transmission and mounts, and some of the rest you've already recognized like the struts and springs. Is it possible to split who drives the Integra?
I have a 2013 BRZ as a daily now and you're on the money it's the closest thing to a small, enjoyable Japanese coupe that captures the RSX vibe. It's not the most luxurious, but it's light and tossable. Drivetrain differences aside, it did feel like modernizing but not getting away from the feel of the car.
Personally I would keep it and work on it but I also have a 03 Civic Si in the garage which is pretty much the RSX's cousin. You're part way in refreshing the things that need to be done with the transmission and mounts, and some of the rest you've already recognized like the struts and springs. Is it possible to split who drives the Integra?
I have a 2013 BRZ as a daily now and you're on the money it's the closest thing to a small, enjoyable Japanese coupe that captures the RSX vibe. It's not the most luxurious, but it's light and tossable. Drivetrain differences aside, it did feel like modernizing but not getting away from the feel of the car.
Just gonna drop this here, some may enjoy...
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv7kG7uA3kE&t=22s
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv7kG7uA3kE&t=22s
More than I could ever, ever do, but this makes me excessively happy. It, along with the few other comments I've gotten, really just adds to me wanting to keep mine.
Also holy shit.
Aww piss, my 3 series went in for a MOT and service and i've got a cracked alloy. After it's repaired I guess i'll be babying the car until I sell it.
Pretty sure I know what pothole caused it near where I live. Think it was a good 5 inches deep.
Pretty sure I know what pothole caused it near where I live. Think it was a good 5 inches deep.
Just wanted to thank folks for weighing in on my RSX/Integra situation. I'm 99% sure I'm going to keep it and put some money into it. Should be ready for an oil change and a cycling of the transmission fluid in about 8 weeks. So, as long as there's no complications or really bad news, it'll start that journey then. Since it needs shocks and struts anyways, that'll probably be where I start the upgrades and then we'll move forward slowly from there.
If I get really serious about ilthe level of upgrades, I'll have to find a shop in SoCal that is more Honda performance focused than my usual guys.
If I get really serious about ilthe level of upgrades, I'll have to find a shop in SoCal that is more Honda performance focused than my usual guys.
Yeah it has a lot of presence. An acquaintance picked one up and paid $70k otd.
Lol definitely. I mean the guy has the money but that's insane. He's a big Acura fan as he owns two mdx type s and got rid of his TLX type s for the integra which is a good move imo but not for the price.
Just an update to all of this. I went out with my Dad a few times to an empty parking lot with his C6 corvette and it was almost like learning how to drive again haha. But after the second time I was able to get used to shifting. The hardest part is just finding that bite point in first gear and the gas/clutch balance. There is a place nearby that also teaches stick shift only so I may do that to avoid messing with my Dad's car more.
In addition, I just ordered a new manual Mazda MX-5 GT soft top in Machine Gray. There is a waiting period of about 4-6 months, but at least I'll be getting exactly what I wanted. Gonna be a long 4-6months
Nice, enjoy it! I love driving manual. The MX-5 will likely be quite a bit different to feel out how much power and the grab point on than the torque of the C6 lmao. I drove a manual 2.0L Mazda 3 and the shifter and clutch take up felt great. Direct shifter and a grab point about where I like it - in the middle of clutch travel.
You've got the right idea anyways, it's about building the muscle memory of the clutch point and the balance with the throttle. Hopefully you can actually get in a MX-5 before it arrives to get some reps in so you'll know what to expect when the car arrives.
Something I've wondered about here, how hard would it be to learn if I'm a left foot braker?
On the plus side you just saved a bunch by not buying a new car!
Waiting on a set of wheels and tires right now myself, luckily not planning on anything more expensive than that...although little cosmetic stuff here and there can definitely add up.
Definitely my rationale for slowly upgrading my Tacoma including the head unit. I'm debating a speaker replacement right now, has anyone here done an upgrade of OEM speakers to something like a set from Kicker? Doors, dash, etc.
well you shouldn't be using your left foot for braking anyway, so first you have to unlearn that.
I think it will help in having your left foot used to modulation but the travel range and where you need control is completely different. When I switch back to a automatic I sometimes slam the brake by accident, mistaking it for the clutch.
This is.. kind of insane. Christian Von Koenigsegg doesn't get the respect he deserves for the engineering innovation Koenigsegg continually produces. It's actually incredible how much they have done with such a (relatively) small company. From carbon wheels, to the direct drive transmission, to this new E-motor. 2300hp but 200lbs lighter than a Nevera is insane. Even more insane with four seats, all those cupholders, all that luggage space, 100L fuel tank, etc.
View: https://youtu.be/nbDLHkMMvFc
View: https://youtu.be/nbDLHkMMvFc
But the most interesting part is the single e-motor that makes nearly 800hp! I don't know, comparably, how heavy each of Rimac's motors are, but it's a bit mind boggling that it only weighs 39kg as well.
Not that many of today's cars even need dual e-motors given how much horsepower a current, single, top-shelf e-motor produces (~500hp), but this feels like it's really directly advancing better packaging, greater efficiency, lower weight, etc. which are among the biggest roadblocks for EVs. All while, somehow, still having "luggage space for 4," which I assume means 4 golf bags.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZouEkDHLJyQ
I'm not huge on classic cars in this style(60's is my cut off point) but this looks like a right laugh. Bit like an old school Caterham.
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I finally pulled the trigger on new wheels(and tires) for my Mustang GT.
My 20 inch Velgen Wheels were curbed to hell and back so I went and got wider and lighter wheels(about 10lbs lighter each) and downsized to 19 inch.
Project 6gr Seven gloss black 19x10 and 19x11
Tires are Kumho Ecsta 285x35x19 up front and Nitto NT555 G2 305x35x19. Really love the look, stance and fitment of my car.
My 20 inch Velgen Wheels were curbed to hell and back so I went and got wider and lighter wheels(about 10lbs lighter each) and downsized to 19 inch.
Project 6gr Seven gloss black 19x10 and 19x11
Tires are Kumho Ecsta 285x35x19 up front and Nitto NT555 G2 305x35x19. Really love the look, stance and fitment of my car.
Need to wash my car (among other things) and take better pics but whatever, got new wheels and tires for my wonderfully dumb Kona N. Managed to get over 17k miles out of the original Pirellis, although they were down to the wear bars and kinda sketchy feeling for the last few weeks while waiting for my new set. Downsized to 18s (from the OEM 19s) for some fatter sidewalls, but otherwise kept similar tire dimensions, 235/40-19 to 235/45-18. People have fit way fatter setups but...gas mileage is already bad enough on this thing 😛
What's everybody's fav car YouTube channels?
Some of mine
Carwow Matt Watson
Seen Through Glass
Harry's Garage
Tyrell's Classic Workshop
Misha Charoud
Late Brake Show
JayEmm
SuperGT
I've only ever been to UK once but I think their content is more entertaining 🤓
Some of mine
Carwow Matt Watson
Seen Through Glass
Harry's Garage
Tyrell's Classic Workshop
Misha Charoud
Late Brake Show
JayEmm
SuperGT
I've only ever been to UK once but I think their content is more entertaining 🤓
My regular rotation includes:
Throttle House
Savagegeese
Regular Car Reviews
TheTopher
Misha Charoudin
Doug DeMuro (often for background noise)
Less regular but still keep up with:
The Straight Pipes
The Smoking Tire
Seen through Glass
Edmunds
VINWiki
Gears and Gasoline
Any go to recommendations for an affordable new family car?
We were going to buy used but the market is insane.
Right now we're looking at waiting for the 2024 models. Particularly the 2024 hyundai kona.
Only problem is, I'm 6'5 and the headroom isn't great.
We were going to buy used but the market is insane.
Right now we're looking at waiting for the 2024 models. Particularly the 2024 hyundai kona.
Only problem is, I'm 6'5 and the headroom isn't great.
don't really watch that much car youtube. Noriyaro is the only one I consistently watch. Occasionally some SavageGeese and Mighty Car Mods.
Most small crossovers you're going to have that problem. They're not really that big of cars, basically lifted small hatchbacks. You'll have to move up a size if you want more space and still stay with a crossover. There's also similar sized vehicles you could try like the Subaru Impreza/Crosstrek, or maybe a Honda Civic hatchback. Maybe also check out the Kia Soul. You could try those for comparison, otherwise you'll have to go larger.
Also helps if you avoid cars with a sunroof, because my dad has the same problem, and no sunroof gives you at least another inch, sometimes more.
I think Late Brake Show, Car Throttle/Auto Alex are the only channels I'm subbed to, and I tend to be very hot and cold with the latter because it tries too hard to be Top Gear which is the last thing I want. Just please be your own thing.
Aside from that there's a few channels that are basically just small workshops doing builds.
For videos of the scene in Japan in English, it doesn't get any better than Dino Dalle Carbonare.
Dino in Japan and Larry Chen in the US are the main reasons why Speedhunters was so good for so long in the 2010s. Dino's Youtube channel has just recently started getting active, and it's a pretty quick reminder of how long he's been covering Japan and how many people he knows.
Also gotta second the Noriyaro recommendation, Alexi's videos are a great way to get a look at drifting from the ground up and with a lot of access on his end as well.
Growing increasingly excited about the future of my RSX/Integra/DC5. It goes in for oil and fluids in about 10 days and I'll use that as the metric on whether or not to push forward with fun shit for it. I think I've lined up more or less everything I'd want to do. I'd love to get crazy and do an engine swap and a bunch of other shit to make it into the car I always wished it was, but I definitely don't have the spare scratch (or a spare car to drive) lying around for anything like that. So I'll settle for some parts to improve aesthetics, acoustics, and get it repainted and reupholstered.
Went to the dark side... it's honestly an amazing daily driver.
That instant speed is addictive.
I drove our Forester the other day and legit thought it was busted. Lol.
I'm still trying to get a Miata (love manuals and engagement) but yeah the instant response of EVs is bonkers.
I've been thinking about and window shopping for a fun car for quite awhile now. Maybe years if you count the long period of "casually browsing"
Long story short: After considering cars such as an M2 comp, manual Supra, C7 Z06, C8 Stingray, I finally landed on a Camaro ZL1 with a 6 speed manual, preferably in black. And after scouring the country for one and being repeatedly frustrated due to lack of availability or dealer shenanigans, I was finally able to locate one in Michigan for MSRP. I got the blessing from my wife and then pulled the trigger. We road tripped it back to TX last weekend, and this week I've been working to get it registered, break in oil / diff fluid change, and PPF + ceramic coating + tint.
These are not great pictures but they're the only ones I have of her freshly cleaned.
This is Tessa. I have never been a Camaro guy or even an American V8 muscle car guy, but I suppose I am one now. This thing is so much fun to drive I don't know what to do with myself.
I'll try and get some better pics soon
Long story short: After considering cars such as an M2 comp, manual Supra, C7 Z06, C8 Stingray, I finally landed on a Camaro ZL1 with a 6 speed manual, preferably in black. And after scouring the country for one and being repeatedly frustrated due to lack of availability or dealer shenanigans, I was finally able to locate one in Michigan for MSRP. I got the blessing from my wife and then pulled the trigger. We road tripped it back to TX last weekend, and this week I've been working to get it registered, break in oil / diff fluid change, and PPF + ceramic coating + tint.
These are not great pictures but they're the only ones I have of her freshly cleaned.
This is Tessa. I have never been a Camaro guy or even an American V8 muscle car guy, but I suppose I am one now. This thing is so much fun to drive I don't know what to do with myself.
I'll try and get some better pics soon
Glorious beast!I've been thinking about and window shopping for a fun car for quite awhile now. Maybe years if you count the long period of "casually browsing"
Long story short: After considering cars such as an M2 comp, manual Supra, C7 Z06, C8 Stingray, I finally landed on a Camaro ZL1 with a 6 speed manual, preferably in black. And after scouring the country for one and being repeatedly frustrated due to lack of availability or dealer shenanigans, I was finally able to locate one in Michigan for MSRP. I got the blessing from my wife and then pulled the trigger. We road tripped it back to TX last weekend, and this week I've been working to get it registered, break in oil / diff fluid change, and PPF + ceramic coating + tint.
These are not great pictures but they're the only ones I have of her freshly cleaned.
This is Tessa. I have never been a Camaro guy or even an American V8 muscle car guy, but I suppose I am one now. This thing is so much fun to drive I don't know what to do with myself.
I'll try and get some better pics soon