someone in London must be really pissed off right now
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1/1888613_720194808013198_106399550_n.jpg
Havenāt posted here in a while. But this is a really good doc about this guys obsession with restoring Porscheās.
This year is the start of something amazing: 25 year exemption from EPA and DOT requirements on imports, which means the US can finally start seeing this BEAST:
http://blog.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads//2010/02/1989-Nissan-Skyline-GT-R-BNR32.JPG
I read that they are already getting pricey after January, as the value is skyrocketing for good condition ones. Iām a fan of the R32s, but could wait until the R34s become legal, maybe the prices of older models drops reasonably(though owning a R34 would be awesome as well). I heard you have to be wary of GTRs on islands in Japan and Canada as they are prone to rust and would require heavy restoration. Hopefully some day Iāll get one, maybe as a midlife crisis whip HAHA.
Since it will be a while before I can even fathom of owning a GTR, I might in the mean time sell my 12ā Si and get an El Camino this spring. 2 reasons for doing so: RWD and to haul my bike to the track. Where Iām at, this winter dumped snow a lot and the traction control of the Si made it impossible at times to get it moving from a complete stop. Also, I think Iād have a lot more fun/control over steering through turns than to understeer with FWD and the torque steer is gross. Donāt have a preference on what year Iād want, just as long as it doesnāt have a ton of rust and if it isnāt fuel injected already, at least get it retro fitted. But in a perfect world Iād love to have something like this:
http://www.thelingenfeltercollection.com/wp-content/uploads/1972_Chevrolet_El_Camino_42.jpg
My dad had a 80ās model and we both felt bummed out when he sold it in 89ā
You know I would love to own a R32, but after watching Magnus Walker do his thing with the Porsche, I have been inspired to maybe do my own restoral project. I always wanted to own Porsche and seeing the manner that restores his cars is awe inspiring. I know that I do like depends on if I want to go with an import (JDM or Euro) or American (only really thinking about a 00 corvette). But there are soooo many cars out there I guess these would be my top 5 if I were going to do a project.
- 1984-1989 Carrera 3.2
- 1999 Corvette C5
- E46 M3
- 1990 Mazda FC
- Nissan Silvia S14
yeah, I know my list is all over, but these are the cars that I find myself really wanting to mess with (especially during cruising season).
This is my daily driver. :). Saving a few K to get a backup. noting too crazy just a cheap fuel efficient car.
Valet crashes Aventador :wasted:
So my friend watched this interesting video on on youtube by a channel afterdrive, or something to that effect.
Any way, the premise was, you are given exactly 116,000 dollars for any car/cars to purchase, this includes any possible upgrades, but doesnāt include future maintenance or taxes or registration. Also, no bikes allowed, but any vehicle with 4 or more tires is allowed. But the catch is that you canāt ever buy another car again.
And itās really really fucking hard. The reason being is that you could either buy one car, but no excessive cars that are so over the top. Or you could buy a shit ton of vehicles.
I narrowed it down like this
the Fun Car c7 Stingray with the z51 package ~53,000. left with 63,000
Spoiler
http://preview.netcarshow.com/Chevrolet-Corvette_C7_Stingray-2014-hd.jpg
The best performance for your $$$. Handles as good as a C6 Z06, itās a 3.7 car, looks great. Itās the driverās enthusiast car, and versatile at the track or any where you want to drive.
Daily Driver People Mover Car : Ford Focus ST with Tune ~26,000, left with 37, 000
Spoiler
Itās fun, sporty, comfortable, seats people well, and can be tuned for aggressive driving, or fuel efficiency. Itās priced more than fairly, and you can always have fun in it and it seats people while doing it. Itās a bit immature, but thatās ok, a car is meant to be fun, unless itās one of those German cars. LOL
Import : RX-7 Savanna with a LS2 engine and Other modifications ~6K, modifications easily +25k. Left with 5K
[details=Spoiler]
http://www.topcarwallpaper.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/mazda-rx-7-fc-wallpaper-4gddspfx.jpg
Aside from the NSX, this is the quintessential Japanese import. It bodies everything that is Japanese. ITās sharpness, stance, look, etc. Of course the Rotary engine must go, since I donāt want to deal with issues. I would be interested in putting a 5.7 Hemi engine in one of these suckers, but they go for double the LS2. I do worry that the engine itself is to powerful for the car, and the balance of the car would be lost. If price permitted, I would definitely put the 5.7 Hemi. Itās well below 400 hp, and 375 tq, they are extremely robust. Modifications would include exhaust that isnāt overbearing, beefier suspension, brakes, and the relatively cheap Tremec transmission. Everything else would have to be custom manufacturing. [/details]
Truck, c-1500 Chevy sportside
[details=Spoiler]
Why not, at one point, everybody needs a damn truck.[/details]
I would say āno thanksā to that horrible deal. You cannot buy another car for the rest of your life? Hell no.
Imagine a 25-year old man making that deal in 1985, and what he would be driving today (and for the rest of his life). This is a straight-up evil genie proposition.
would anyone get a 2015/2016 Mazda RX7?
I wouldnāt learned my lesson after getting an RX-8 no rotary engines, its not worth the hassle.
RX7s are no RX8s. RX8s are kiddie cars compared to RX7s. Ever driven a 3rd gen RX7 or even a 2nd gen for that matter?
this is a hypothetical, and thereās alarge selection of cars you can choose from if this was the case. In 85 there was a lot less cars you could choose from.
Itās obviously a hypothetical, but itās still an incredibly terrible deal. As for selection: there were many MORE cars available in 85, and I doubt thatās even close. Look how many automakers have went defunct since then (e.g. Plymouth, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, AMC, Saab, Saturn, etc.)
The point is, unless youāre making this deal as an old man, it would suck to be a 75-year-old rolling in a 50-year-old daily driver. 50 years ago, cars were still primarily using leaded gasoline; can you imagine the kind of improvements weāll see in the next 50 years?
The āyou canāt buy another car everā is just a non-starter. In fact, I think the question is more interesting if you approach it from that angle:
- You canāt buy another car for the next 10 years? Easy deal.
- You canāt buy another car for the next 20 years? Now weāre making some tough choices.
Yeah, an RX7 stomps all over an RX8, but thatās not really the point. The point is that rotary engines are murder to upkeep.
A good friend of mine has had an FD RX7 for the last 10 years and an RX8 for the last 5. Iāve only driven the 8, because the FD is perpetually down (currently: apex seals).
obviously itās not gonna happen, but itās a fun thing to think about since the whole point of the hypotheical is to make you think about the cost of cars, and make you think what you want out of cars.
also
Rotary engines remind me of Turbo cars, there needs to be a start stop procedure that people do not follow. Itās all about heat management.
My first sports car was an 04ā RX8:
It wasnāt too bad on oil consumption and wasnāt too bad on the fuel economy maybe had to spend a couple extra trips to the gas station compared to my winter beater at the time, Ford Taurus, but it wasnāt terribly bad. The engines are small and I would assume easier to do work on/around compared to other types. When I was thinking about getting an RX7 a few years ago I was reading a lot about the performance aspect and I think they would be more enjoyable upgrading/conditioning the engine internals and keeping the rotary engine than to switch it out with a small block or something as Iāve seen a lot of people do that to the 1st and 2nd gen models. Rotarys are cool as fuck, even the RX8 I had was sweet, it sounded like a jet when you start accelerating and felt super linear and smooth. If I had lots of garage space and money, Iād probably really consider getting an FD.
can your friend make the apex seal out of PEEK? I donāt know if thereās a fabricator out there that can do that stuff. One would suppose that would boost the reliability of your engine. I think the car that won the Le Mans race used SiC? If my recollection is correct, that would be interesting way of doing it.
I heard people talk on other forums about rotary engines being so much hassle, but I didnāt think it was that bad :lol:
Why do keep making those engines if they are so laborious to maintain??
Iāve also heard the same, knew a guy with a later model RX8 that blew his seals and mentioned it would be a head ache to replace. BUT I think it comes with the territory, and itās almost comedic to hear people bitch about these cars with a mentality like itās some āset it and forget about itā thing, yet other platforms such as 2 stroke motors have just as much if not more maintenance/repairs involved and that doesnāt stop people from owning those either. If you canāt handle the work then move on to something that is less effort/challenging, and leave those cars for people that want to work on them.
Rotary engine in a motorcycle:
Itās still amazing that the FDs (3rd Gens) can sell for $20,000 to $30,000 still. Theyāre just as rare if not rarer than Magicās The Black Lotus.