Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

Guess who's car's fixed? Mine! Turns out it was just a loose connection, I can pick it up tonight. :dance:

Price for diagnosing the loose electrical cord (who knows which was loose, I'm clueless when it comes to that stuff) and recharging the battery: 60 bucks. I know, wallet rape but whatever, I'm just relieved it's not 100+ bucks.


Now that's a land yacht!

Agreed, totally badass! :cool:

Schlepped my parents and my uncle's family around in a rented Tahoe this past weekend, and I hated it with the anger of a thousand suns. It makes a Lexus RX feel like a sports sedan, something which I never thought possible. I returned to a six hour drive in my MR2 with no cruise control and a ridiculously short fifth gear and almost wept with relief.

If it's anything like the last Blazer, I give you my deepest sympathies.

Went to see this Ka expecting to see something good but it wasn't that great. The car drove well but was obviously crashed in the front(the beam in front of the AC condenser was bent and not replaced), possibly the back as well(paint was flaking off), had lots of scratches on the bumpers, one big(as surface) one on the driver's door. As you can see, there are no scratches in the ad pics. Also, the first time I saw the ad the car was 2850, now it's 2650 and he said he'd give it for 2500. Meh, keep searching.

Yikes, you'll find a good one for sure, hang in there. :yes:

I'm off to face mankind's most fierce enemy - the DMV!

Have fun, the DMV managed to lose my stickers I paid for....I'm a little annoyed right now.
 
Guess who's car's fixed? Mine! Turns out it was just a loose connection, I can pick it up tonight. :dance:

Price for diagnosing the loose electrical cord (who knows which was loose, I'm clueless when it comes to that stuff) and recharging the battery: 60 bucks. I know, wallet rape but whatever, I'm just relieved it's not 100+ bucks.

Good. Now, sell the damn thing before something else breaks.
 
My dad has bought a '79 Volvo 244... I'm not sure what to think about that. It doesn't look too bad from a first glance, but the interior is quite worn out.
Then again, it only cost 400?, and he already got it approved for classic car status today when he only wanted to check with the T?V what would need doing for that to happen.
Still, we already have more (unusable) cars standing around than there's realistically space for, and he blocks everything that would have him dealing with the prospect of getting rid of those... <_<
 
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The score so far:

Svilen - 0
DMV - 2

Battle is almost lost. Tomorrow is my last hope...So far bureaucracy has proven its power over me.


Edit:

Svilen - 0
DMV - 3

Pig-headed bureaucracy has defeated me.
 
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Volvo quality dropped drastically in 1999. The faulty sensors in your mom's S80 are exactly the reason why I didn't buy an otherwise perfect 1999 S70 T5. This should serve as a warning for everyone considering buying a used Volvo - avoid models between the years 1999 and 2001.

Almost all the sensors went bad within the first two years and were replaced under warranty. We haven't had any problems with our '99 since then, it's been a very reliable car and has only needed minor work. The biggest thing it needed was a couple months ago when a bunch of rubber components and hoses needed replacing due to age.

Not buying a car because it had a problem a decade ago that was fixed with proper parts makes no sense.
 
I'm moving into a new place next month. I need to get rid of some crap. If anyone in the Seattle area wants RX7 parts for cheap PM me.
 
I want a mustang.
 
Hooray for having a car!!


Ok, so its technically not mine, but I'll be driving it ~70 miles a day for the next 3 months, and will be its primary caretaker.










<
 
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10-son-i-am-disappoint.gif
 
Got myself a new car... going to get pictures of it tomorrow and start a thread for it as well.
 
I've decided that instead of spending a ton of money modifying my current car, that I will buy a second sort-of-project car. At the moment, my decision is between a Jaguar XJ6 Series 3 or a W123 or W116 Mercedes. I could also get something like a Citroen CX, which I love, but I fear would be a huge money pit.

The Merc(s) are cheaper and easier to find, and potentially more reliable and therefore less expensive to run, but I adore the Jag and have always wanted one.

The critical thing is that if I buy one of these, it has to be cheap. By cheap I mean that it has to be a price at which I could buy it, run it for a few months, and should I have to, sell it at a profit. Therefore, it's less of a project and more of a nice second car that I can enjoy without having to worry about it burning a hole in my wallet.

I know I'm well covered here for info on Jags, and presumably there are people here who know far more about the Mercs than I do. So any particular things should I look out for? Any other opinions?
 
The S3 has quite the following and support in Australia - however, the overall parts picture isn't that great what with the Tata shakeups and old suppliers going out of business. You'd also need to carry out quite a few modifications (engine bay wiring harness *must* be redone, a new alternator must be fitted, an electric fan conversion should be performed, the A/C amplifier/controller must be swapped - though that last is easy - to give you just a few examples) to bring one up to truly reliable spec.

Finally, you will never be able to sell an XJ6 Series III for a profit if you restore it. You just won't, they're not anywhere near that point on their inverse depreciation bell curve. Add in climbing petrol prices and you've got a car you just won't make money out of.

If you get one, buy it because you like it and intend to keep it for a long time. Don't buy it for short term usage or with the potential to flip it (I.E., sell it on in the marketplace) because you will be greatly disappointed if you do.

I am sure there are some here who can speak for the W123/W116 option.
 
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The Mitsubishi's rocker panels have been sandblasted by the bodyshop. The sandblasting revealed six spots on both sides that need welding; the rocker's ends were the softest spots. Both rocker-long trims and their attachments came off intact. The bodyshop guy called a few places for replacement rocker panels, and he said all of them laughed when they heard what car was in question - "You're telling me there are some Sapporos still left to fix?" :lol:
 
I know I shouldn't really be pleased about this, but I just saw a 2002 Renault Vel Satis. I didn't know any of the 6 or 7 sold were still on the road. :|
 
I know I shouldn't really be pleased about this, but I just saw a 2002 Renault Vel Satis. I didn't know any of the 6 or 7 sold were still on the road. :|

You should have stopped the owner and offered him 50quid for it :p
 
Called the local junkyard for a quote on a shock absorber to my Mazda and got a price of ?65. A new one from the retailer is ?54. A slight WTF-moment.
 
Is car wax at all helpful in removing swirl marks, or do I need to use polish?
 
I can vouch that car wax doesn't work. Can't tell you whether polish would make any difference.
 
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