Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

On the Elio,

I think it is to help get the last bit of financing to set up production. If investors see a demand, they will feel that they will get paid back.

There is a configuration tool on their website and they are demonstrating the cars at some live events.
 
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I would not be surprised to see the Elio actually happen, although I am not sure it would be successful.
 
I am waiting for the turbo version. Or maybe an electric one.
 
Labcoatguy said:
I smell a vast tome of fine print to go with that reservation. What I'm trying to say is that I have reservations.
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Yeah I didn't get to catch the fine print or even the audio - it was on a muted projector in our office.

CrzRsn said:
Reservations have been open for ages. They had 10k people signed up in Feb 2014. And they were giving out T-shirts for reservations in Jan 2013. I'm more surprised at the fact that they're running TV ads now.
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Oh yeah, I knew about the reservations and all that. They had a stand at the NY show.

I was referring to the fact that there's ads on TV for it. :nod:
 
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CrzRsn said:
Look into the MKT. Same 3.5 Ecoboost, same usability, more comfortable seats, a little more tech, tragic looks, way cheaper.
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If the footwell space around the gas and brake (mostly the dead pedal to brake pedal space) is the same, forget it.
 
GT350 (forum) owners are idiots. Rumours are flying that the Voodoo will remain in production until probably 2020, and these trogs desperate to cling onto the idea of a limited production run for their carsare coming up with the wildest, stupidest of explanations, like perhaps Ford is making the engine only, to sell to makers of exotic cars, like Aston and McLaren.

Fucking. Idiots.
 
People shouldn't get worked up over rumors. Whether thats true or not, they still have very special cars that will hold their value very well as long as they don't go spectator hunting at their local C&Cs. This is why I avoid automotive forums that aren't FinalGear.
 
Soooo... they're basically like literally every other member of every other forum/newsgroup/mailing list for what they thought was going to be a limited production or otherwise 'special' car who's discovered that their model has gone more mainstream? I've seen this on Corvette, Porsche, Bentley, Jaguar, Rolls, BMW, Mercedes, Toyota, Nissan, Ford and pretty much any forum devoted to a marque I owned or was interested in.

At least they have some slight justification for the belief you relayed - the Ford mod motor has had variants that continued in production for resale long, long after Ford stopped using them. Koenigseggseggseggseggseggvikingseggseggseggabbaseggseggsegg, anyone?

Not that I think they're right, but they do have some historical precedent to base their wild belief on unlike so many others.
 
I can't think of anyone having worse luck (hm) than the guy trying to sell a 30,000-mile Porsche Boxster where the replacement IMS bearing failed.

Boxster-S-photo-4-e1475085619639.jpg


This 2002 Porsche Boxster has just 30k miles from new and is a two-owner example powered by a 3.2L flat-six paired to a 6-speed manual transmission. The seller purchased the car from a close friend about six years ago and fitted an LN Engineering IMS bearing as a preventative measure shortly thereafter. The bearing recently failed as the seller was pulling out of the driveway, and the car is now being offered at no reserve and in non-running condition.
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NOPE

NOPE NOPE NOPE

The seller had the original IMS bearing replaced with an LN Engineering IMS bearing at the local Porsche dealer shortly after purchasing the car. About two weeks ago the seller was pulling out of the driveway when the bearing failed barely above idle. The seller shut the car down quickly and had the it towed to the same dealer who had installed the bearing in the first place. According to the dealer, the low rpm condition at the time of failure likely prevented any other internal damage.
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there is no god

TLVjTaP.png


I'm getting heart palpitations just reading about that. Trying to move across the country, with a friggin' TVR, and your working sports car blows up?

CvdfFVF.png


The warranty was good for four years. This happened four years and two months in.

I'm never operating a motor vehicle again.

(Edit: to LN's credit, the owner chimed in and this thread is starting to get fascinating.)
 
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It's called "The IMS is a bad design that can only be partially patched". In a better world, Porsche should have been forced to recall all of them for this stupid design.

Also, if you bought one of the first gen Cockster twins after the first few years, you damn well deserve what you get. The entire car's a horrible design, the very epitome of engineering arrogance that believes that nothing will ever go wrong and nothing will ever fail.

- - - Updated - - -

Remember, IMS failure is why this 996 was donated to a gun club to be used as a target - the IMS failed and the cost to fix it was more than the car was worth. Specifically, the repair estimate was IIRC $16,130 and the car in good condition would only fetch about $15K.

 
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Spectre said:
Cockster
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Yes, I've seen Top Gear too.

My friend just sold his "Cockster" with 53k miles, and he had the IMS retrofit completed a week after he bought it. Now he drives a 1984 911 and loves the shit out of it.
 
BlaRo said:
Yes, I've seen Top Gear too.

My friend just sold his "Cockster" with 53k miles, and he had the IMS retrofit completed a week after he bought it. Now he drives a 1984 911 and loves the shit out of it.
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A much better choice, IMHO. The air cooled cars are from a time when Porsche engineers were far more practical and understood that what they designed had to hold up and that it would have to be serviced as parts *would* fail despite their best efforts. Last 911 that I'd own is the 993, personally.
 
Too bad air cooled 911 prices have gone into the stratosphere...
 
ScarFace88 said:
Too bad air cooled 911 prices have gone into the stratosphere...
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Due in at least some part to how the watercooled cars are aging - poorly. :p

Rather telling is just how much swapping out the failtastic IMS motor for something else doesn't seem to affect the price. Normally it would crash the value, but it doesn't. Case in point: http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/cto/5779571833.html

This: http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/5788847301.html
Versus this? http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/5771863531.html

Yeah, rather have the 82; so would most other people and the price reflects that. Supply and demand.
 
"The IMS bearing is a stupid, stupid design ? I would know how to design it better, I have a lot of experience on Porsche engine design. There is a tremendous amount of failed 986, 996 engines, owned by total losers. Sad!"

From the BAT comments:

I don?t know how this car was driven or whether there were other mitigating factors related to the install or the actual part. What I do know from those professionals who specialize in servicing these cars in the Dallas area and elsewhere many of which have installed 100?s and a few who have installed 1000?s freely admit that only a small fraction of the removed bearings showed any degree of concerning degradation much less imminent failure.
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:dunno:
 
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I'm not sure what Dallas professionals he's been talking to, but the German specialist techs I know here in Dallas start laughing maniacally when you ask if the IMS is reliable. :dunno:

Supporting evidence is provided by trooping around Dallas junkyards. If you exclude the crash kills, there have always been more dead 996s and 986s in the big yards than the cars that preceded or succeeded them. Most of them marked "BAD ENGINE". If there's time, I'll take thomas to some of the yards while we're here to confirm. :D
 
Over-the-Atlantic curse strikes again!
 
:rolleyes:
 
Was the 996 Turbo the only one not afflicted by the IMS?
 
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