thevictor390
Teen Wankeler
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2007
- Messages
- 11,892
- Location
- Massachusetts
- Car(s)
- '17 Mazda MX-5 RF, '89 Toyota Blizzard SX5
As many of you already know (I haven't exactly been discreet about it), I just purchased a slightly used 2010 Mazda RX-8 R3 model in Michigan, and have been working out how to get it back here to MA. I am happy to report that the first leg of the journey is successful, and courtesy of CrazyRussian540, we have a video update!
UPDATE: Still no real pics as the car went straight to the garage for now, unfortunately I am unable to drive it until the MA RMV gets off their asses and gets me a title/registration. But here's what went down and some initial impressions:
The deal was originally closed through email and cell phone. Paperwork was overnighted to me, which I signed and returned with payment. I took out a loan from my local bank but it is not against the car, so I own the car outright
I started to look for shipping companies and it looked like it was going to be at least $500. I called two places and didn't hear back from either. After a lot of consideration, I decided to go and get the car myself. This is way out of my comfort zone but I could really see myself regretting missing the opportunity.
CrazyRussian540 and I have known each other since long before we joined this forum, and we were discussing my plans for the trip, when he pointed out that Pittsburgh is not all that far out of the way. At least, it would bring me a lot closer than I ever would be normally. So the plan formed to stay at his place for a day which also let me stop and get some sleep rather than finding a hotel or doing the whole drive in one go.
I left for the car on a Saturday morning, and two planes later (the first of which was an awesome prop plane), arrived at DTW. I had arranged for a local airport shuttle to Ann Arbor, where the car was waiting at a Toyota dealer, of all places. The drive from the airport was uneventful, but the dealership was completely packed. It took 45 minutes to get a chance to sit down with the salesman, which I was not particularly happy about, but after sorting out taxes, I was quickly on my way. The car drew a lot of attention as I was waiting, especially next to all those Priuses
5 hours to Pittsburgh, and all I have to say is that Michigan is boring. Flat, straight, level, not even any scenery along the road. Pavement quality was poor and I dodged some massive potholes at highway speeds.
Ohio was much nicer though not any more interesting, and the toll was quite high at the end of the road. I was in Pittsburgh by 9 PM. First impressions of the car were a bit worrying, on one hand, it was great to be able to use cruise control, stick it in 6th, and just leave it for hours. Hills and passing were not a problem, whereas in the old car, a downshift or two is absolutely needed. But on the downside, cruising speed is about 4000 RPM and the exhaust is just a bit too loud for my liking, plus the harsh ride did not take nicely to old cement roads, becoming quite bouncy at times. I couldn't find the audio input so my audiobook and podcasts could not be utilized. Several times I stalled when leaving the highway, forgetting about the stick altogether
I had a great time in Pittsburgh and a small taste of Greek life that I was never part of myself. Though the city wasn't really anything to write home about, Carnegie Mellon has some very interesting architecture, including a 40-story "cathedral of learning" that dwarfed the actual church right next to it in both size and grandeur. :lol: During this time we researched and discovered the location of the elusive input jack in my car, turns out it's at the back of the center console.
The drive back from Pittsburgh was long but at least I had my audio. I'm no audiophile but the Bose speakers are quite good, a step up from the Bose system in my old car. There were a few hair-raising moments in New York due to my inexperience but I managed. I was really done by the end of it though, the last 50 miles were torture.
I'm still quite shaky switching gears but after 840 miles, I think I can say that I can drive stick, and that my car has a reasonable level of comfort . It's such a different animal from the old one, the sound it makes at high RPM is just terrifying, and the blue looks sinister rather than ostentatious. Getting back into my old car I already find myself stomping on the clutch that isn't there, and lamenting the lack of power. This thing needs to get back on the road ASAP!
Big thanks to CrazyRussian for assistance with planning, lodging, and for pushing me to actually do something that I will remember for years to come.
UPDATE: Still no real pics as the car went straight to the garage for now, unfortunately I am unable to drive it until the MA RMV gets off their asses and gets me a title/registration. But here's what went down and some initial impressions:
The deal was originally closed through email and cell phone. Paperwork was overnighted to me, which I signed and returned with payment. I took out a loan from my local bank but it is not against the car, so I own the car outright
I started to look for shipping companies and it looked like it was going to be at least $500. I called two places and didn't hear back from either. After a lot of consideration, I decided to go and get the car myself. This is way out of my comfort zone but I could really see myself regretting missing the opportunity.
CrazyRussian540 and I have known each other since long before we joined this forum, and we were discussing my plans for the trip, when he pointed out that Pittsburgh is not all that far out of the way. At least, it would bring me a lot closer than I ever would be normally. So the plan formed to stay at his place for a day which also let me stop and get some sleep rather than finding a hotel or doing the whole drive in one go.
I left for the car on a Saturday morning, and two planes later (the first of which was an awesome prop plane), arrived at DTW. I had arranged for a local airport shuttle to Ann Arbor, where the car was waiting at a Toyota dealer, of all places. The drive from the airport was uneventful, but the dealership was completely packed. It took 45 minutes to get a chance to sit down with the salesman, which I was not particularly happy about, but after sorting out taxes, I was quickly on my way. The car drew a lot of attention as I was waiting, especially next to all those Priuses
5 hours to Pittsburgh, and all I have to say is that Michigan is boring. Flat, straight, level, not even any scenery along the road. Pavement quality was poor and I dodged some massive potholes at highway speeds.
Ohio was much nicer though not any more interesting, and the toll was quite high at the end of the road. I was in Pittsburgh by 9 PM. First impressions of the car were a bit worrying, on one hand, it was great to be able to use cruise control, stick it in 6th, and just leave it for hours. Hills and passing were not a problem, whereas in the old car, a downshift or two is absolutely needed. But on the downside, cruising speed is about 4000 RPM and the exhaust is just a bit too loud for my liking, plus the harsh ride did not take nicely to old cement roads, becoming quite bouncy at times. I couldn't find the audio input so my audiobook and podcasts could not be utilized. Several times I stalled when leaving the highway, forgetting about the stick altogether
I had a great time in Pittsburgh and a small taste of Greek life that I was never part of myself. Though the city wasn't really anything to write home about, Carnegie Mellon has some very interesting architecture, including a 40-story "cathedral of learning" that dwarfed the actual church right next to it in both size and grandeur. :lol: During this time we researched and discovered the location of the elusive input jack in my car, turns out it's at the back of the center console.
The drive back from Pittsburgh was long but at least I had my audio. I'm no audiophile but the Bose speakers are quite good, a step up from the Bose system in my old car. There were a few hair-raising moments in New York due to my inexperience but I managed. I was really done by the end of it though, the last 50 miles were torture.
I'm still quite shaky switching gears but after 840 miles, I think I can say that I can drive stick, and that my car has a reasonable level of comfort . It's such a different animal from the old one, the sound it makes at high RPM is just terrifying, and the blue looks sinister rather than ostentatious. Getting back into my old car I already find myself stomping on the clutch that isn't there, and lamenting the lack of power. This thing needs to get back on the road ASAP!
Big thanks to CrazyRussian for assistance with planning, lodging, and for pushing me to actually do something that I will remember for years to come.
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