AutomotiveEra |OT| Four are better than two

[Jarmel]

that doesnt sound right at all

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Yea, that's why I went to a BMW service center and the service manager test drove it for a while. He was saying how he was pushing 80 and didn't feel anything abnormal. I had it inspected before I left and they didn't find anything unusual and I had the nearby BMW service department look at it afterwards so not really sure what else I could or should do.

Pennsylvania roads are super shitty though so I definitely could see that being the cause along with me driving 9+ hours in the same day and being dead tired.

 

[Tappin Brews]

Yea, that's why I went to a BMW service center and the service manager test drove it for a while. He was saying how he was pushing 80 and didn't feel anything abnormal. I had it inspected before I left and they didn't find anything unusual and I had the nearby BMW service department look at it afterwards so not really sure what else I could or should do.

Pennsylvania roads are super shitty though so I definitely could see that being the cause along with me driving 9+ hours in the same day and being dead tired.

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my roads are horrid and i drive a stiff lowered evo and ive never experienced anything like that.

 

[Not Spaceghost]

Alright I bit the bullet, just ordered one of these.

https://www.mishimoto.com/honda-civic-si-performance-air-intake-2017.html

The install looks like a breeze, the tiny little power bump is nice but I am excited to just hear that turbo spool up.

 

[nib95]

It's annoying that anything prior to the latest 2019 models of the Mercedes C43 AMG, basically look the same as every other C Class. The brand new face-lift model has switched things up a bit, but I'm not ever going for a new car of this sort of class just so I can eat the bulk of the depreciation loss. If I do end up going for one that's a year or two old, I might have to look into some aftermarket aero or body kit options.

They sound amazing though. Jag, Audi, BMW etc really need to work harder to get their equivalent class vehicles to sound as good.

 

[Cation]

Had some fun on July 4th with my friends. We all met up to get a photoshoot of our cars - something we have never done before.

*Yes we know the irony of the shot lol. Even more ironic cause all of us are 1st generation Americans lol

 

[nib95]

Had some fun on July 4th with my friends. We all met up to get a photoshoot of our cars - something we have never done before.

*Yes we know the irony of the shot lol. Even more ironic cause all of us are 1st generation Americans lol

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Nice. Which one is yours? Side note, does the Merc have painted red lettering on the tires? Pretty unique little touch.

 

[Cation]

Nice. Which one is yours? Side note, does the Merc have painted red lettering on the tires? Pretty unique little touch.

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The Merc is mine haha. Yeah I fixed these permanent tire stickers form tirestickers. com - they had some deal where they were like 40% off last summer. Its such a small detail, but I absolutely love it. Thanks man

 

[nib95]

The Merc is mine haha. Yeah I fixed these permanent tire stickers form tirestickers. com - they had some deal where they were like 40% off last summer. Its such a small detail, but I absolutely love it. Thanks man

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That's pretty cool.

 

[Witness]

Well after downsizing a year ago to one car, we will be buying a 2nd car as the "fun vehicle". I'm looking to go cheap, in the 5k-9k range as I want something that's not expensive out of the gate because I want it to be something we can upgrade but its perfectly fine and driveable out the gate. Right now, I've got my eye on a 2002 Z28, 122k miles, all stock for $5900. Any recommendations auto-era?

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

What kind of fun are you looking for? Sporty driving? Power? Convertible? That generation Camaro is kind of ehhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[Witness]

What kind of fun are you looking for? Sporty driving? Power? Convertible? That generation Camaro is kind of ehhhhhhhhhhhh

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Power is nice but fun above all is what we are looking for and a platform we can have fun upgrading. We will primarily only drive it on weekends and commute in it sparingly. 2 door, convertible, hatch is fine with us. Not particularly picky about that.

 

[Deleted member 4346]

You could get a Scion FR-S, original model year, right at the upper end of your price range. That'll be low on power but fun to drive for a weekend car.

 

[dr.rocktopus]

Sounds like a 350Z to me. I do like those Camaros though, I think that year actually came with the LS1.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Boxsters are starting to come down in that range, but expect maintenance. Well sorted 944s are available too that shouldn't need much.

Saturn Sky? Those are different, fun and cool looking (if you fit).

 

[Taco_Human]

What websites do you guys generally use for car shopping? I'm getting serious with buying my first vehicle, and so far I'm only looking at craigslist. Any other decent sites to browse? I'm in MA if there's anything local specific anyone knows about.

 

[Briareos]

I used to just go through cars.com and CL to see inventory/prices.

Come buy my WRX up in Maine!

 

[Chan]

Well after downsizing a year ago to one car, we will be buying a 2nd car as the "fun vehicle". I'm looking to go cheap, in the 5k-9k range as I want something that's not expensive out of the gate because I want it to be something we can upgrade but its perfectly fine and driveable out the gate. Right now, I've got my eye on a 2002 Z28, 122k miles, all stock for $5900. Any recommendations auto-era?

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Used Miata?

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

What websites do you guys generally use for car shopping? I'm getting serious with buying my first vehicle, and so far I'm only looking at craigslist. Any other decent sites to browse? I'm in MA if there's anything local specific anyone knows about.

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Car gurus is very search friendly.

 

[Arebours]

What are some cool and cheap (used) cars one can get in Japan? I want four seats but don't mind a small car. I'd like to stay below 10k(usd) but would happily go as low as 2k.

 

[turbobrick]

What are some cool and cheap (used) cars one can get in Japan? I want four seats but don't mind a small car. I'd like to stay below 10k(usd) but would happily go as low as 2k.

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There's quite a bit. Anything more specific? Do you want a 2 door? Does RWD matter? Age?

What websites do you guys generally use for car shopping? I'm getting serious with buying my first vehicle, and so far I'm only looking at craigslist. Any other decent sites to browse? I'm in MA if there's anything local specific anyone knows about.

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I use craigslist because I buy cars that are piles of garbage.

 

[Arebours]

There's quite a bit. Anything more specific? Do you want a 2 door? Does RWD matter? Age?

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Not really sure what I want to be honest.

Some cars that appeal to me in terms of styling are BWM e34, Volvo 240 sedan, old school Honda Civic, and circa 2002 Audi TT. That kind of stuff, mostly old boxy cars - I dislike the angry Michael Bay-transformers aesthetic that's been so popular for the last decade or so. I don't think I want to drive something that old though, but if there's something from say 2000 onward with a similar aesthetic then I'll probably like it.

That said I can be convinced to get something that doesn't necessarily appeal to me if the value proposition is good enough.

I'm ok with 2 door. RWD would be fun but isn't something I insist on. Actually we already have a boring Prius so something a bit more "fun" could be a good thing.

 

[turbobrick]

Not really sure what I want to be honest.

Some cars that appeal to me in terms of styling are BWM e34, Volvo 240 sedan, old school Honda Civic. That kind of stuff, mostly old boxy cars - I dislike the angry Michael Bay-transformers aesthetic that's been so popular for the last decade or so. I don't think I want to drive something that old though, but if there's something from say 2000 onward with a similar aesthetic then I'll probably like it.

That said I can be convinced to get something that doesn't necessarily appeal to me if the value proposition is good enough.

I'm ok with 2 door. RWD would be fun but isn't something I insist on. Actually we already have a boring Prius so something a bit more "fun" could be a good thing.

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European cars in Japan are going to be more expensive. There's a lot of Japanese cars in that price range though. Most 80s cars would probably fit your requirements. There's a lot really.

My personal favorite from that era might be the R30 skyline. Though I also most of the 80s Toyota coupes.

You could probably find a nice R31 skyline, which comes in both 2 or 4 doors.

 

[Arebours]

European cars in Japan are going to be more expensive. There's a lot of Japanese cars in that price range though. Most 80s cars would probably fit your requirements. There's a lot really.

My personal favorite from that era might be the R30 skyline. Though I also most of the 80s Toyota coupes.

You could probably find a nice R31 skyline, which comes in both 2 or 4 doors.

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Hmm, just looking around at the used car homepages these cars seem a bit expensive(15 - 35k).

I guess there's this skyline combi... thing for about 5k :)

There are a few cars(r32/33 I guess) from the 90's at decent prices though. They don't look as cool but they aren't horrible.

 

[turbobrick]

Hmm, just looking around at the used car homepages these cars seem a bit expensive(15 - 35k).

I guess there's this skyline combi... thing for about 5k :)

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I guess it also probably varies by your location. I bet you could probably find a nice civic hatch, those seat 4 and are fairly sporty.

Also, I think that wagon is cool btw. I'd actually pay 5K for that if it was in good shape.

 

[Arebours]

I guess it also probably varies by your location. I bet you could probably find a nice civic hatch, those seat 4 and are fairly sporty.

Also, I think that wagon is cool btw.

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I actually agree. It's a cool car but not the kind of cool I'd like to drive.

 

[dr.rocktopus]

downsides of driving a 19 year old car: OEM/equivalent parts are hard to find

 

[Deleted member 17092]

Ok so my new revelation is that E85 is glorious. Basically it's better than 93 octane tunes and it costs 1.99 a gallon. Pulling 6.5 0-60s in a 5000lb Jeep Grand Cherokee wk2 with simply an E85 tune and a drop in AEM filter on an NA V6. This plus a sprint booster is
Legit faster than a manual Tiguan 2.0t with an APR tune that weighed 1000lbs+ less. It's craziness. Mercedes ml platform and trans too so it honestly handles almost as well too. With the new filter too mpg is the same as 87 oct regular. Faster than my buddies x5 v6 turbo.

 

[Tappin Brews]

Ok so my new revelation is that E85 is glorious. Basically it's better than 93 octane tunes and it costs 1.99 a gallon. Pulling 6.5 0-60s in a 5000lb Jeep Grand Cherokee wk2 with simply an E85 tune and a drop in AEM filter on an NA V6. This plus a sprint booster is
Legit faster than a manual Tiguan 2.0t with an APR tune that weighed 1000lbs+ less. It's craziness. Mercedes ml platform and trans too so it honestly handles almost as well too. With the new filter too mpg is the same as 87 oct regular. Faster than my buddies x5 v6 turbo.

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being that i'm a solid 3 hrs from an e85 station hasnt stopped me from day dreaming about doing a flex fuel conversion for my evo. ive even gone so far as finding out that a local fuels provider (propane, kerosene, etc) WILL deliver this. i just need a storage solution. and to convince my wife its all worth it (its not)

 

[Deleted member 17092]

being that i'm a solid 3 hrs from an e85 station hasnt stopped me from day dreaming about doing a flex fuel conversion for my evo. ive even gone so far as finding out that a local fuels provider (propane, kerosene, etc) WILL deliver this. i just need a storage solution. and to convince my wife its all worth it (its not)

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Yeah my wk2 is already good to go on e85. If I had to do a conversion it'dbe a no go. We have these Minnnocos here with dirt cheap high quality e85 too.

 

[h1nch]

Anyone else doing M Track days this year? I'm at COTA right now waiting for the morning session to start.

This is one of my fav events each year. This year they raised the price (from $250 to $500) but I still think the experience is worth it (always thought it was a steal at $250)

 

[Cation]

It finally happened, after all those negotiations and deals that fell through - my father got an even better car than he initially wanted. Initially we were looking at an AMG GT Roadster in white with red leather/red top. Looked nice.

But now he got an AMG GTC Roadster in yellow with dinamica/leather with yellow stitching. The first "mod" will be yellow seat belts + yellow brake powercoating. First supercar in the entire extended family. Arrived from Oklahoma yesterday. Unintentionally got Steelers colors lol.

We went on a drive today and already had a rather crazy incident. Some dude in a Model 3 followed us as we went to a park and it legit looked like he was trying to chase us. Guy immediately sped off as soon as we got out of the car - which was when we noticed what happened. Low key scary tbh. I think he wanted to race or something, but it just looked really sinister

Obligatory pics:

 

[Deleted member 17092]

It finally happened, after all those negotiations and deals that fell through - my father got an even better car than he initially wanted. Initially we were looking at an AMG GT Roadster in white with red leather/red top. Looked nice.

But now he got an AMG GTC Roadster in yellow with dinamica/leather with yellow stitching. The first "mod" will be yellow seat belts + yellow brake powercoating. First supercar in the entire extended family. Arrived from Oklahoma yesterday. Unintentionally got Steelers colors lol.

We went on a drive today and already had a rather crazy incident. Some dude in a Model 3 followed us as we went to a park and it legit looked like he was trying to chase us. Guy immediately sped off as soon as we got out of the car - which was when we noticed what happened. Low key scary tbh. I think he wanted to race or something, but it just looked really sinister

Obligatory pics:

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The fuck are all those nobs.

 

[Deleted member 36708]

Any real world Lexus CT200H owners in here? Really thinking about getting one soon. I know they have many cons but I like the lexus brand and reliability plus the gas efficiency. If any owners would like to give real world long term reviews I would appreciate much.

 

[Cation]

The fuck are all those nobs.

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Hahaha, most of them are kinda redundant tbh. It supposed to be inspired by it's 8 cylinder engine. Tho, I gotta say the center console is hugeeeee. Makes it quite roomy inside

Left column down:
- Driving mode (individual, comfort, sport, sport+, race)
- Engine start stop
- traction control
- suspension stiffness

Right column down
- volume control
- manual mode
- start stop
- exhaust valves

 

[Zen]

Well, life in the new miata is...bliss? Top down on a sunny morning is divine. I had a huge list of mods that I was planning to do to it, but I feel like it's perfect as is, base auto model and everything. The moment I get into the driver seat and put the top down it's heaven, and the driving dynamic is so light I can make a tight u turn with one hand and still be fully relaxed. I'm honestly not sure I can get any more enjoyment out of it than I already do.

 

[Liquidsnake]

Well, life in the new miata is...bliss? Top down on a sunny morning is divine. I had a huge list of mods that I was planning to do to it, but I feel like it's perfect as is, base auto model and everything. The moment I get into the driver seat and put the top down it's heaven, and the driving dynamic is so light I can make a tight u turn with one hand and still be fully relaxed. I'm honestly not sure I can get any more enjoyment out of it than I already do.

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So on my 124 Abarth, I had all these mods planned I scrapped them all and just added a Monza exhaust. I'm not going to lower it or anything, I'm just perfectly happy. Top down driving down PCH in LA, there are no words. I fell in love with driving again.

 

[Skai]

It finally happened, after all those negotiations and deals that fell through - my father got an even better car than he initially wanted. Initially we were looking at an AMG GT Roadster in white with red leather/red top. Looked nice.

But now he got an AMG GTC Roadster in yellow with dinamica/leather with yellow stitching. The first "mod" will be yellow seat belts + yellow brake powercoating. First supercar in the entire extended family. Arrived from Oklahoma yesterday. Unintentionally got Steelers colors lol.

We went on a drive today and already had a rather crazy incident. Some dude in a Model 3 followed us as we went to a park and it legit looked like he was trying to chase us. Guy immediately sped off as soon as we got out of the car - which was when we noticed what happened. Low key scary tbh. I think he wanted to race or something, but it just looked really sinister

Obligatory pics:

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I was actually thinking of trading in my 2018 C63S for a 2019 AMG GT C, but not the roadster, but it's a smarter idea just to wait for a 2019 used one and save a whole bunch of money since AMG normally depreciate quite a bit the first few years.

 

[EnronERA]

Well after downsizing a year ago to one car, we will be buying a 2nd car as the "fun vehicle". I'm looking to go cheap, in the 5k-9k range as I want something that's not expensive out of the gate because I want it to be something we can upgrade but its perfectly fine and driveable out the gate. Right now, I've got my eye on a 2002 Z28, 122k miles, all stock for $5900. Any recommendations auto-era?

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You know what they say

the answer is always miata

 

[EnronERA]

Well, life in the new miata is...bliss? Top down on a sunny morning is divine. I had a huge list of mods that I was planning to do to it, but I feel like it's perfect as is, base auto model and everything. The moment I get into the driver seat and put the top down it's heaven, and the driving dynamic is so light I can make a tight u turn with one hand and still be fully relaxed. I'm honestly not sure I can get any more enjoyment out of it than I already do.

Click to shrink...

So on my 124 Abarth, I had all these mods planned I scrapped them all and just added a Monza exhaust. I'm not going to lower it or anything, I'm just perfectly happy. Top down driving down PCH in LA, there are no words. I fell in love with driving again.

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Pretty much my feeling as well 3 months in with my Miata. Driving around in this thing no matter where im at is a total blast.

Edit: wtf, i hate the quote system. pulls in old shit that i cant get rid of!

 

[Cation]

I was actually thinking of trading in my 2018 C63S for a 2019 AMG GT C, but not the roadster, but it's a smarter idea just to wait for a 2019 used one and save a whole bunch of money since AMG normally depreciate quite a bit the first few years.

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Yeah for sure, this thing is such a beast. I gotta say the rear wheel steering is a bit unusual at first.

In terms of deals, idk what it's like in the used market but I negotiated an absolute killer deal on this car. It's a bit unbelievable to my friends haha. I'm sure some people could get more off, but I'm pretty proud of setting it up for my father as I never negotiated before. MSRP was $176k - I got the price down to $130k. I've been following the market for about ~ 10-12 weeks so I know the new roadsters that are on the lot have been sitting there for a while. I would look up vins and check delivery dates and so on to estimate how long it's been the lot. I think (obv biased af) these cars are undervalued in the market rn. Everyone at this price point goes towards a Porsche 911 (GTS, GT3) or so - which is probably a better car but it's def more common than these AMG GT. I think MB sells between 50-100/month whereas Porsche sells like 1000/month. I could be wrong about this stat, but none the less my point is if you can negotiate well - you could get an nice deal on new 2018/2019 before the 2020 facelift comes out.

 

[Skai]

Yeah for sure, this thing is such a beast. I gotta say the rear wheel steering is a bit unusual at first.

In terms of deals, idk what it's like in the used market but I negotiated an absolute killer deal on this car. It's a bit unbelievable to my friends haha. I'm sure some people could get more off, but I'm pretty proud of setting it up for my father as I never negotiated before. MSRP was $176k - I got the price down to $130k. I've been following the market for about ~ 10-12 weeks so I know the new roadsters that are on the lot have been sitting there for a while. I would look up vins and check delivery dates and so on to estimate how long it's been the lot. I think (obv biased af) these cars are undervalued in the market rn. Everyone at this price point goes towards a Porsche 911 (GTS, GT3) or so - which is probably a better car but it's def more common than these AMG GT. I think MB sells between 50-100/month whereas Porsche sells like 1000/month. I could be wrong about this stat, but none the less my point is if you can negotiate well - you could get an nice deal on new 2018/2019 before the 2020 facelift comes out.

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Christ that's pretty crazy. I was actually looking for a GT3, but even used they're still overpriced. Hopefully when the new 911 992 GT3 come out prices drop on the 991.2

 

[Cation]

Christ that's pretty crazy. I was actually looking for a GT3, but even used they're still overpriced. Hopefully when the new 911 992 GT3 come out prices drop on the 991.2

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The Porsche GT market is kinda crazy. I have been seeing cars with 1-5k miles that are selling at MSRP. Our local dealer showed us a 2019 GT3 with 3k miles and said that they have a killer deal of MSRP lol. We didn't try to negotiate, but that's telling enough. I think those cars have some investment potential - which is nice, but frustrating as someone who wants drive a car at a reasonable price lol. I truly wonder how that market will react to a recession or what not, I guess we will find out eventually lol.

 

[rokkerkory]

The Porsche GT market is kinda crazy. I have been seeing cars with 1-5k miles that are selling at MSRP. Our local dealer showed us a 2019 GT3 with 3k miles and said that they have a killer deal of MSRP lol. We didn't try to negotiate, but that's telling enough. I think those cars have some investment potential - which is nice, but frustrating as someone who wants drive a car at a reasonable price lol. I truly wonder how that market will react to a recession or what not, I guess we will find out eventually lol.

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Yeah used gt3s are barely at or lower than msrp because they sold for higher than msrp :/

If you can get one however then u know u wont lose much $

 

[Briareos]

I'm still waiting for recession + electric vehicle push to destroy the prices on high-end ICE Porsches. Any day now...

 

[Greekboy™]

I have a buddy who is cross shopping a 2019 GT350 and 2019 M2 CE. That's a tough pick IMO. I can see pluses for both.

 

[Envelope]

Does 25600 for a 2017 wrx with 32k miles sound like a decent deal?

 

[KRaZyAmmo]

Went to Wekfest on Sunday. I might post some pics later.

 

[Liquidsnake]

Does 25600 for a 2017 wrx with 32k miles sound like a decent deal?

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No, I would have sold you my 2018 with 11K on it for 26500, just to cover residual. This person is trying to make 2k.

 

[Envelope]

No, I would have sold you my 2018 with 11K on it for 26500

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fuck can we go back in time

 

[Liquidsnake]

fuck can we go back in time

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Haha I wish, I would have love to help you out, it was nicely dressed too. My guess is the car is worth 22,000. So you aren't too far off, any room for negotiating? Also I highly, highly ask that you make sure to test drive it. Check for low idling at a light or stop sign after the car is warm. Especially when the turn signal is engaged and you are at a complete stop. Then check the idle.