Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

[Blind_Io]

After driving around in another person's 2003 Camry... I really appreciate my XTerra.

 

[Spectre]

Since you like crap cars I suggest you include a tarp with that purchase or murphy's law of build quality will fuck you over.

Oddly it actually went down here.

By 2?...

Went back down here last week, but it's back up as of this morning. I tanked up for $3.99, but the local Chevron has it at $4.19/gal for regular now.

That said, I filled up for $17 and change. Two wheels > four.

After driving around in another person's 2003 Camry... I really appreciate my XTerra.

I don't think Nissan has ever made anything as sleep inducing as the Camry.

I also saw a Malibu Maxx today...such an underrated car.

Uh, it's crap. An employee at one of my clients has a blue one and it's of the same quality as your Failturn.

Once again, you are liking a terrible car. Seriously, why don't you go try out some proper cars? You'll not look back once you recalibrate your mental scale.

 

[katwalk]

Went back down here last week, but it's back up as of this morning. I tanked up for $3.99, but the local Chevron has it at $4.19/gal for regular now.

That said, I filled up for $17 and change. Two wheels > four.

I would have bought a bike by now but the whole being kicked out of the house thing will make it more expensive than fueling the bug...

 

[Spectre]

I would have bought a bike by now but the whole being kicked out of the house thing will make it more expensive than fueling the bug...

Hm, tried broaching the subject with your mom again, with a mention of the cheaper insurance and much cheaper fuel costs? Use a scooter as an example, etc, etc.

Also, those cooling clothes items helping at all?

 

[Blind_Io]

It's not just soporific, it's just bloody terrible. The seating position is awful for someone my size, the brakes are vague, the acceleration has a weird profile that is hard to explain, the interior is awash in shiny plastic, the steering feels completely disconnected, the whole car rattles at every pothole yet is insulated from any other type of road feedback, the hood drops steeply away and it's hard to see where the car ends, the engine makes a terrible noise that makes my ass want to bleed and the transmission shifts like someone poured half a hardware store into it.

It's a shit car in every respect and they should all be shipped to France so they can be set on fire during the next worker's strike.

 

[Spectre]

Re: The acceleration - somewhat startlingly abrupt tip in, but then not a whole lot after?

 

[katwalk]

Hm, tried broaching the subject with your mom again, with a mention of the cheaper insurance and much cheaper fuel costs? Use a scooter as an example, etc, etc.

Also, those cooling clothes items helping at all?

I have a functioning AC and lidocaine. I have much better sleep now when Barabra the wrong number lady doesn't deem it necessary to call me constantly.

Her argument is "You will die". This for some reason is not changed by the fact I point out my car has like a 2 star side impact rating and that she would have no problem with me owing an old car with a -5 crash test rating and not wearing a helmet. But then again she was also still arguing "x car is bad in snow because rwd" even after I presented her with maths confirming the weight over the drive wheels would be sufficient for traction and saying that a base model mustang or miata at 22k is too expensive but a 25k bug would not be. She also told me for my entire life that motorcycles cost approximately 2x as much their value to insure.
I don't think she can accept I may know more about vehicles than her.

 

[Spectre]

Do yourself a favor - get a quote from Progressive on a 2000 Honda Nighthawk 750 (750cc engine size, no modifications), liability only, or the minimum your state will allow.

Then show it to her. Average retail for one is $1500. Your insurance quote should be about $100-150.

This isn't the 1970s any more.

 

[katwalk]

Yeah, I for fun asked Rossco what he was paying, apparently 200$.(He told me to get a ninja 250, I am partial to this idea because I clearly remember when I was like 10 printing out a picture of a ninja and saying "I AM GOING TO BUY THIS ONE DAY".) I added that to the argument but it doesn't help, I doubt I will be able to change her mind she is too damn stubborn.

 

[tigger]

This isn't the 1970s any more.

Just yesterday I had a guy trying to convince me that, "crotch rockets only go 15-20k miles before they need an engine rebuild" and other such nonsense. Must have told him 3 times that I have a 100hp, 750cc bike with 55k miles on it. Later I realized that he was a Harley rider, so he is mentally and mechanically stuck in the '70s. And that's probably being generous.

Yeah, I for fun asked Rossco what he was paying, apparently 200$.(He told me to get a ninja 250, I am partial to this idea because I clearly remember when I was like 10 printing out a picture of a ninja and saying "I AM GOING TO BUY THIS ONE DAY".) I added that to the argument but it doesn't help, I doubt I will be able to change her mind she is too damn stubborn.

If motorcycle insurance scales anything like car insurance, you'll likely pay quite a bit less than $200. I only pay $120 for my VFR, but I keep my driving record clean.

 

[Spectre]

Just yesterday I had a guy trying to convince me that, "crotch rockets only go 15-20k miles before they need an engine rebuild" and other such nonsense. Must have told him 3 times that I have a 100hp, 750cc bike with 55k miles on it. Later I realized that he was a Harley rider, so he is mentally and mechanically stuck in the '70s. And that's probably being generous.

I think it was CrazyJeeper that pointed out a forum thread where someone was claiming that.

Meanwhile, Exhibit A, my heavily abused poor 919, at 49,000 miles - still hanging in there just fine.

A lot of that is the same stuff Britbike riders directed at Japanese bikes in the 70s when the Japanese invasion was on - it's projecting and denial.

Yes, helmets were more dangerous than crashing without... in the 1970s, Mister I Ride Mah Harley With No Helmet Or Gear. This isn't the 1970s and it hasn't been the 1970s in a very long time.

As for her insurance, it will probably be around that price because she's in a no-fault state and she's new. The Honda Nighthawk is just for purposes of the quote, not saying she should or shouldn't get one.

 

[mooglebunny]

I will still be completely honest. I still have no clue what that whole supercar thing was from earlier.

The thing reminded me of a Koneigsegg... But the rear lines were taller. It was kind of odd.

When the guy was driving off, man did that thing growl (but you could tell he was constraining from speeding off, considering he just got a ticket). It was pretty nice. I still need to look up if there was a car show of some sort. All I can say is that the License plates were that of the Arizona background (the green-ish desert bit).

 

[rickhamilton620]

Gas is about 3.89-3.99 here.

Uh, it's crap. An employee at one of my clients has a blue one and it's of the same quality as your Failturn.

Once again, you are liking a terrible car. Seriously, why don't you go try out some proper cars? You'll not look back once you recalibrate your mental scale.

You have to admit though, putting out a midsize mainstream hatchback for the fickle US market was ballsy. Poor execution, but great idea.

I really should...here's the car's I've driven (got licence at 18) in my short driving history, in no particular order:

2005 Kia Sportage LX V6
2005 Hyundai XG350L
1990 Honda Accord EX coupe
1992 Saturn SL1
2005 Dodge Stratus SXT
1996 Toyota Avalon XL
2003 Chevrolet Blazer

 

[Spectre]

You have to admit though, putting out a midsize mainstream hatchback for the fickle US market was ballsy. Poor execution, but great idea.

No, it was stupid. Just about every mainstream/midsize hatchback since 1976 has been a failure in the US market. Chevrolet produced more than a couple of them. Remember the Corsica Hatchback?

Yeah, that was a great success, right? There are other Chevy attempts that come to mind... The Citation hatchback, for example.

Let's also remember the smashing success of the G-Body hatchback in 1979. This one is an Olds, but it's still a GM product.

Nobody wanted it in 1979. Nobody wanted it in 1989. Nobody wants one now. What do you call it when you try the same thing over and over and keep expecting different results, again?

I really should...here's the car's I've driven (got licence at 18) in my short driving history, in no particular order:

2005 Kia Sportage LX V6
2005 Hyundai XG350L
1990 Honda Accord EX coupe
1992 Saturn SL1
2005 Dodge Stratus SXT
1996 Toyota Avalon XL
2003 Chevrolet Blazer

...

With the exception of the Honda, all of those are crap. Complete and utter crap with regards to driving dynamics. And the Honda is FWD.

You really, really, really need to go drive a good car to recalibrate your mind.

 

[Hbriz]

The crap car loving all makes sense now.

Seriously, take a good, new car out for a drive. One without a beige interior, you need to get that out of your system too

 

[tigger]

I think it was CrazyJeeper that pointed out a forum thread where someone was claiming that.

Don't think I saw that, but I know it's the second time in just as many weeks that I've heard someone claim that. Seems like it's been a long time since I heard anyone spewing that nonsense. Hearing it again is as annoying as ever.

As for her insurance, it will probably be around that price because she's in a no-fault state and she's new. The Honda Nighthawk is just for purposes of the quote, not saying she should or shouldn't get one.

Ah, didn't know Mass was a no-fault state. The CB-series is definitely a good choice to use if you're trying to convince someone of the low costs of motorcycle ownership. And that's not an insult.

2005 Kia Sportage LX V6
2005 Hyundai XG350L
1990 Honda Accord EX coupe
1992 Saturn SL1
2005 Dodge Stratus SXT
1996 Toyota Avalon XL
2003 Chevrolet Blazer

:lol: I think the best car on that list is the 20 year old Accord. Not that I can give you shit; I owned a '78 Ford Fairmont.

 

[Crazyjeeper]

Don't think I saw that, but I know it's the second time in just as many weeks that I've heard someone claim that. Seems like it's been a long time since I heard anyone spewing that nonsense. Hearing it again is as annoying as ever.

I don't think I posted it here. Now I can't find the thread but it was on another forum. Basically people were claiming that all sport bike engines will last a max of 30,000 miles. It was of course a bunch of bullshit. This was the same forum where people were saying a CBR600RR is a good starter bike. Some people...

 

[Hatmouse]

Take it, to the limit, one more time...

 

[public]

Take it, to the limit, one more time...

 

[katwalk]

103 is really slow for a motorcycle isn't it? My car is faster than that. WHY WOULD YOU CUSTOM BUILD A BIKE THAT ONLY GOES 103 FAIL.