Automobiles

[Lionel]

This whole forum is founded on absurdity. It is the bedrock of V-Salon.

a 911 GT3 touring is absurdly good

[Scott G.]

Friends have both a current Fiat 500 and an original Fiat 500 and both are sitting up on blocks in the garage due to various problems. So in that sense, the new one is an authentic reproduction.

Like many creatures, Fiats do not thrive removed from their home environment.
But they are small, easy to push around the garage and provide hours of rainy day
entertainment. A lot like my vintage bicycles.

[oldmuthariley]

The SM and the DS are two different cars. The fact they they are referenced in a 2019 GT3 touring discussion is absurd !

I thought the thread was entitled “automobiles “? Not an exclusive club where only people with an interest in or $ to buy a Porsche are allowed to join in?

[jerk]

Mrs. Doof wants a line in the sand of 25 grand.

So a GTI would need to be a screamin' deal, or used.

Look, if I lived a logical and measured life, I'd get the GTI. But, my existence is all about moderately competent obscurity and absurdity, that nevertheless makes some small brute claims to glory. On that basis, an Abarth is a perfect fit.

Doof- I'll sell you my GT500 for $25,000 if you also buy an Aerotack. Imagine bringing home a caged 700hp road race car with no interior and fixed racing seats.

you could tell the missus that i have the stock seats and carpets so you can always turn it back to stock- or better yet- upholster her side and put the stock seat back for the passenger!

[snotrockets]

Friends have both a current Fiat 500 and an original Fiat 500 and both are sitting up on blocks in the garage due to various problems. So in that sense, the new one is an authentic reproduction.

They're doing it wrong. The way to do it is to own two of the same model, where one is being worked on, while the other is in working order (and every so many months, you have to switch their roles).
A friend has two Alfa 75s like that (and boy, I get it. Very few cars handle as good).

[DOOFUS]

Doof- I'll sell you my GT500 for $25,000 if you also buy an Aerotack. Imagine bringing home a caged 700hp road race car with no interior and fixed racing seats.

you could tell the missus that i have the stock seats and carpets so you can always turn it back to stock- or better yet- upholster her side and put the stock seat back for the passenger!

I'd be better off just buying the Aerotack and keeping my Nissan Versa Note.

I'd damn near go broke just off of the insurance on a GT500, let alone the gas!

[zachateseverything]

Nah, that looks old. Looks cool, but certainly not modern.

If we're talking light weight cars, I'd *LOVE* to have a Lotus Elise. 180hp Toyota engine that'll live forever in a 2,000lbs all aluminum chassis.

The problem with the Elise is that it's only the mechanical bits of the drivetrain that are Toyota. They strapped their own engine management stuff to it. A friend of mine has one. It's been an unreliable POS for him.

[nahtnoj]

My $8,000 Honda S2000 with 255 square Falken Azenis tires with a 200 tread wear rating is a total hoot.

Data point - with the top up on the highway, the wind noise overwhelms the engine noise from about 70 to 85. Above 85 you can hear the engine again. At that point I think its about 5K RPM in 6th, but I'm not totally sure because the steering wheel blocks the tachometer between 4 and 7K RPMs...

[zachateseverything]

If by POS corollas you mean the AE86 corollas, those things are pretty bad ass for AutoX. Good suspension geometry, RWD, light weight.

The formula for speed at AutoX is really simple - sticky tires + as little mass as possible. That's what makes the CRX's so damn good for AutoX - they're under 2,000lbs with a short wheelbase. Put some sticky rubber on them and they'll peel your face off in the corners. And they don't have enough power to get out of hand too quickly on you.

The reason the CRX is good for AutoX is because it's wheelbase and overall length are short and the track width is narrow relative to the course width (and does so without having a high cgh to track ratio). That makes solving the geometry problem of an autocross course easier.

It's FWD so you're not going to get in too much trouble no matter how much power you give it (torque steer excepted).

[twowheels]

Lionel, just buy the GT3. I get it. I did it. I don't regret it. It was the most incredible car I've ever owned. Just be sure to take it to the track where you can actually explore its real capabilities. And be totally focused when you drive it one the road.

True story--when I had mine there were about 5 or 6 of them in Portland. We were all Porsche club instructors. On track days, we'd head out together in the instructor's group, often with wide eyed students in the passenger seats. It wasn't uncommon for us to get black flagged for passing in the corners. Nobody ever had a shunt on the track. However, at least 3 of the cars had wrecks on the road.

A GT3 is crazy on the road. Comparing a GT3 to a garden variety 911 is a bit like comparing a Scarabeo to an RXV4.

[bigbill]

If I could take this US domestic, I'm a Ford guy. These are my current blue oval cars. I bought the 1967 Mustang the week I graduated from high school in 1983. It's a Sports Sprint Coupe with a 289ci V8, automatic, and factory air. The behemoth is a 2018 Expedition XLT with a 211ci (3.5L) Ecoboost V6 with a ten speed transmission. Last summer I pulled a small Uhaul to AZ from Texas and got 21.5 mpg. Last weekend I did a round trip to Phoenix and got 23.5. I'm going to add a Kuat rack to the Expedition as soon as I build up the Coconino MTB and determine the wheelbase.

[72gmc]

The Flex is the Ford you see a lot in these parts.

[Too Tall]

Bill, I bought a 67 from a workmate in 1986. Baby blue with fresh bias ply tires all around. That car was so much fun in a straight line. Unfortunately, I got tired of throwing $10 parts into it and sold it to a neighbor who restored it for his daughters sweet sixteen. Neat car, thanks for the memory.

I'm banning anyone who talks about Porsches for the next month esp. Craig and Lionel....and me ;)

[davids]

They're doing it wrong. The way to do it is to own two of the same model, where one is being worked on, while the other is in working order (and every so many months, you have to switch their roles).
A friend has two Alfa 75s like that (and boy, I get it. Very few cars handle as good).

I'd keep a third in reserve, just to be sure you'll be able to get that loaf of bread when you need it.

[rwsaunders]

I dropped my minivan off at the body shop this afternoon to repair some deer damage. Who knows, maybe Glenn will mistakingly chop and flame my Odyssey...

[bbattle]

Screen Shot 2019-05-09 at 5.54.49 PM.jpg

Vrooom!

[Jason Musgrave]

Going to look at a 2008 GTI with just shy of 100k...anything I should look for/be aware of? I know nothing about VW's.

[j44ke]

Going to look at a 2008 GTI with just shy of 100k...anything I should look for/be aware of? I know nothing about VW's.

If there are any electronic things not working - burned out lamps, turn signals, windows, wipers, etc. all those electronic gizmos that you turn on and off to drive the car, then be suspicious. VW’s are famous for electronic gremlins, and some of them are located in a box under the dash in front of the driver called the central control for comfort systems. Things can start appearing around 100k, if you have a bad relay in that box. I think by 2009 they got it figured out, but between 2000 and 2009 there were bad boxes. The problem starts with weird behavior like lock solenoids clicking even though the car is locked already. Lights that stay on. It reads like a battery/alternator problem, because eventually these little connections drain the battery and you are always looking for a jump. So you know, new battery but for some reason the right side running lights don’t come on. That would be something to ask about. The box is about $990 and with labor the job is $1500. So not a deal killer but definitely something to watch out for. Until I figured out what was going on with ours, I was chasing it around the car. Now the current owner, my nephew, drives it every day and has no problems.

Does it have a sunroof? Check the sunroof drains. As I remember, they go from each corner of the sunroof. The front ones drain forward through the front window pillars and exit out through the front edge of the door jamb. The rear ones run back along the roof to the rear pillars and exit through the rear wheel wells. This might be different for your model, so check online. You need a flashlight to look at the front ones and probably can’t see the rear ones, but you can run a little water through them and look for water in the jambs and on the ground to make sure they aren’t plugged. Leaks will show up as headliner stains or stains on the interior pillar material. Replacement or repair is a PITA, particularly if there are side curtain airbags in the front pillars. Actually better in this regard if no sunroof.

That’s all I got.

Oh wait, they also have a series of mandatory service things for timing belt, oil filter, etc. I forget what they all are, but they are those replace or else things. 100k is filter and timing belt. If the owner hasn’t done them, you’ll need to.

Edit: Saab got the timing belt while I was typing. I think there was a body change between 2005 and 2006 and then another between 2008 and 2009. The former was from MkIV to MkV and the from MkV to MkVI. So box was 2000 to 2008 I think but check on the sunroof drain design. Might have changed.

[Saab2000]

Going to look at a 2008 GTI with just shy of 100k...anything I should look for/be aware of? I know nothing about VW's.

Look for any signs of rust on the front wheel wheels. Or anywhere else, but that's where mine got some. It was repaired under warranty.

Look up the 2.0 liter turbo online if it's the same engine that has a camshaft issue that triggers a problem with the high pressure fuel pump. It's a known issue and you're out of the 10-year window VW was willing to help out. I had my camshaft replaced about 18 months ago at high cost to me. It was worth it to me but it wasn't cheap.

Also, make sure you have detailed maintenance records that are in line with the manufacturer's schedule. Especially make sure the timing belt was replaced about 80,000 miles or so. Normally the water pump is part of this one. This is a MUST do maintenance item but I suspect many owners ignore it. I wouldn't ignore it.

The GTI is a wonderful car but it's not an Accord or Camry where you can just to oil changes and new tires every few years. It's not a maintenance hog either but it's more than the average family sedan. I'm glad I bought mine new off the lot in 2006. I have every receipt every printed for everything ever done on it.

EDIT: Mine did not have any of the electrical issues noted above. In fact, it's been absolutely trouble free in that regard. But it's an absolutely worthy point.

In short:

Check for rust.
Timing belt replacement on schedule.
Research the engine issues for 2008 GTIs. I don't know if they had redesigned the engine by that point. Mine was the old design and was known to have issues.
As many maintenance receipts as possible. If these are missing or lacking in continuity according to the VW schedule I would probably walk away.

[maunahaole]

They switched to a timing chain somewhere along the line. However, there was an issue with the tensioner in the early models, so make sure this has been addressed. I recently got a 2013 and so far it’s been great. Prior owner was meticulous on upkeep.