Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

Meh, I'd say don't put to much money into your first car anyway. They tend to be gone quite quickly and unexpectedly.
 
You'd be better off saving for a turbo swap, IMHO.

Well, the cam is mild enough to be used with a turbo aswell, and the head hasn't been lowered, so if I want to go turbo I can just sell the exhaust manifold and make a turbo one myself.. I won't even be attempting turboing for like.. a year? There is also an Eaton M62 for sale near me for just 300?.. Don't know if it would fit in the engine bay, but I'd definately prefer SC over turbo.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and due to the stupid car modification laws here, I would need to fit bigger disks to the front, and swap the rear drums for disks from an ABS -Sierra if I wanted to do any sort of forced induction..

Meh, I'd say don't put to much money into your first car anyway. They tend to be gone quite quickly and unexpectedly.

Even if I wreck the car, the engine will most likely survive unaffected. A 2.0 Pinto will slot easily into pretty much any RWD UK-Ford going to back to the late 50's.. I could put my car's engine & gearbox into, say a 1959 Ford Anglia with relatively little effort. :)
 
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Meh, I'd say don't put to much money into your first car anyway. They tend to be gone quite quickly and unexpectedly.

Normally I'd agree with this (nearly happened to me), but it looks like you've really made a project out of that car, so if you have the skills and money, I say why not. If I had that of mechanical skill I would have dropped a $300 V6 into my old Sebring a long time ago...

You seem to realize the risks and are willing to salvage the potential wreck, too :lol:
 
insurance tend to disagree that your sierra came from factory with a 1.1 liter pug engine when they find your car in a ditch though :D
 
insurance tend to disagree that your sierra came from factory with a 1.1 liter pug engine when they find your car in a ditch though :D

Which is why you don't tell the insurance that you crashed. Get a friend with a trailer to take the car home, and just take the registration off :) I don't have Kasko, so it's best to not let them know :)
 
EDIT: Oh yeah, and due to the stupid car modification laws here, I would need to fit bigger disks to the front, and swap the rear drums for disks from an ABS -Sierra if I wanted to do any sort of forced induction..

With extra power from forced induction you'll be glad you have better brakes.
 
With extra power from forced induction you'll be glad you have better brakes.

Yeah, but changing the rear drums for disks is a real pain in the ass. Basically you either need to swap the whole rear axle (Worst job in the entire world because you can be damn sure that not one of the 23-year old, underseal covered bolts will be willing to move) or make custom brakets from 8mm thick steel so you can put Scorpio calipers on.. Bigger front disks and calipers just bolt on, so I will make that upgrade when the current disks&pads wear out.
 
Yeah, but changing the rear drums for disks is a real pain in the ass. Basically you either need to swap the whole rear axle (Worst job in the entire world because you can be damn sure that not one of the 23-year old, underseal covered bolts will be willing to move) or make custom brakets from 8mm thick steel so you can put Scorpio calipers on.. Bigger front disks and calipers just bolt on, so I will make that upgrade when the current disks&pads wear out.

Oh, no doubt it'd be annoying as all hell to do.
But doesn't make it that stupid to have done.

BTW I hope you get far with that car, I love small fast Fords ;D
 
Oh, no doubt it'd be annoying as all hell to do.
But doesn't make it that stupid to have done.

BTW I hope you get far with that car, I love small fast Fords ;D

well, rear brakes don't really affect braking performance *that* much anyway..

Pic of the manifold, head &cam package I've been offered:
http://img208.imageshack.**/img208/6460/img0079pfz.jpg
 
well, rear brakes don't really affect braking performance *that* much anyway..

Pic of the manifold, head &cam package I've been offered:

They only do what...30-40% of the braking. Who needs that much? :p

So I ran across this shot of an e30 4 door, is it just me or is having the entire bumper, but not valance, painted black make the car look SOOOOOOO much better? (especially with the shadowed windows).
https://pic.armedcats.net/t/th/thedguy/2009/08/24/e30_red-black_bumpers.jpg
 
Why all the first-car hate? The MX5 was my first car and I turned it into a fully restored, fun dd/track-car. Before that I had rented motorcycles, because i didn't want my "first" car to be crap- now the MX5 will be staying with me as long as possible. Same with the Yami- my first non-homebuilt bike that I actually owned; it's a bit of a beater but I still love it to bits and probably won't be ditching it anytime soon either.
 
Why all the first-car hate? The MX5 was my first car and I turned it into a fully restored, fun dd/track-car. Before that I had rented motorcycles, because i didn't want my "first" car to be crap- now the MX5 will be staying with me as long as possible. Same with the Yami- my first non-homebuilt bike that I actually owned; it's a bit of a beater but I still love it to bits and probably won't be ditching it anytime soon either.

I don't get it either. Everyone says first cars are crashed or junked or generally don't end well. Well, my Mustang was my first car, it's in considerably better condition than when I got it, and I have never even been so much as pulled over, so my driving record is spotless. I fail to see how that's not gone well.
 
I don't get it either. Everyone says first cars are crashed or junked or generally don't end well. Well, my Mustang was my first car, it's in considerably better condition than when I got it, and I have never even been so much as pulled over, so my driving record is spotless. I fail to see how that's not gone well.

Exactly- of course there are times and situations where your first car must be a heap of junk, but they aren't universal- particularly if you can work on your own car, it'll come out better than when you bought it. And there are some "beaters" that are nice and fun, and don't need to be dumped on the side of the road- 70's Toyotas, Posmo's Sierra, and Honda bikes come to mind.
 
From Jalopnik

Owning one Bugatti Veyron's out of reach for all but a monied few, but a reader spotted this three car garage in suburban Las Vegas with not one, but two Bugatti Veyrons. Note the Lexus LX daily driver.

http://img268.imageshack.**/img268/4638/bugattiveyrons.jpg
 
I finally drove on a race track for the first time today...had a go in the new E350 CDI sedan and E500 coupe at Sandown for a Mercedes drive day.

I. Need. MOAR.

Best experience of my life. I just wish I had the guts to floor the 500 for longer on the back straight before lifting, but I didn't want to bend a car that is worth almost as much as my boyfriend's apartment.
 
My Dad's X-Type has been making these funny noises lately like the noise of a rusty gate coming from the back of the car. At first it only happened when we reversed, but now it happens pretty much everywhere. We've booked it in for a service next week but I'm secretly hoping it's unfixable so we can swap it for something new!
 
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