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Acura CL

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Comments

  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    vineee1-

    Even if you didn't clay, the results would still be fantastic! If you click on my name above and look at my 300M pics, you'll see that it was just as shiny as my Acura and I never clayed the 300 because I had no clue what clay was all about until I had many coats of Zaino on her. I wasn't going to start over.

    fastdriver

    PS If I have any pics in Photopoint.com, forget it because Photopoint seems to be gone!
  • vineee1vineee1 Member Posts: 16
    thanks again, just wondering how it was goin with the new cl? are u still happy with it. im in new york and spoke to a guy with one who said he was havin problems with the tires.
  • Even though you didn't clay, did you strip the old finish with dishwashing detergent?
  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    vineee1-

    NO problems here. I love this car. I have 11,800 miles on it and have had 3 oil/filter changes and 1 tire rotation/balance done. That's it. IF anything does go wrong, I will be the first to post it here like I did with my 300M.

    garypen-

    Yep. I did ALL the proper steps before applying the Zaino because I read the directions BEFORE I started. The 300M was never clayed and it LOOKED fantastic the 33 months that I kept her.

    fastdriver
  • So it still looked fantastically fantastic evn without the clay? Good. With the time and effort saving of not claying, and using the new additive that speeds curing time and negates the use of Z-1, I'm going to order Z-2, Z-6, and ZFX immediately.

    Combined with Leatherique products I've ordered for the interior, I'm gonna have some sweet looking car! Unfortunately, none of this is for our CL. It's for a classic Jaguar that I just bought. She's happy with the way her CL looks all by itself. Women! ;-)
  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    garypen-

    A classic Jaguar might be another story. Remember, Zaino contains NO abrasives. Whatever you apply Zaino to is protecting what's there already. If the finish is not in great shape to begin with, then you might not like the results with Zaino. The clay SOUNDS hard, difficult, time-consuming, but it's really not. It goes much faster than you think and is easier than you think. I did clay the Acura.

    If I were you, I'd get the clay and do the Jag. You won't be sorry. You're going to love the ZFX! Three coats in one day! I can't wait for Spring! ;-))

    fastdriver
  • Thanks pardner. Maybe I'll try the clay afterall. The paint is in excellent shape, but there may be invisible muck on there.
    How exactly does one "clay" a car? I'm new.
  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    garypen-

    Can you e-mail me? I have a document saved from when a former detailer, Chris Parrish, used to visit the Zaino forum here. They're claying tips.

    Let me know what word processor you have on your computer and I will try to save the document in that format from my MAC.

    fastdriver
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    the new Acura style magazine mentioned the changes in the 2002 CL model.... so people buying that model better not complain about wind noises :D
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    CR-V doesn't have side curtains. Only side airbags for front passengers. The only Japanese car in this price range that offers side curtain is the Camry, I think. I was considering buying one just for that feature alone, but couldn't get over the awkward styling.
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    gary - you might have to settle for a really dark tint instead :)

    canadiancl - right.. I told my brother's words though... oh well... still, the Altima has it and it costs less than the TL/CL. I'd rather have that than outside heated mirrors that I would never use around here.
  • thornthorn Member Posts: 91

    In addition, to give drivers more precise control of the car when cornering, the CL Type-S with 6-speed manual transmission comes with a new limited slip differential. Unlike many limited slip differentials, the CL Type-S uses a set of gears to direct the appropriate amount of torque to the right and left driving wheels by sensing wheel spin. If the inside tire loses traction and starts to spin as the car negotiates a tight turn, the differential redirects torque to the outer tire. This transfer helps keep the inside wheel from spinning, allows the driver to apply throttle sooner through turns, helps maintain a more neutral handling balance and results in an extremely responsive steering feel....


    ...To convey the sleek, aggressive look of a high-performance coupe, the 2003 3.2 CL has received styling updates inside and out. In front, the grille receives a body-colored surround and a more aggressive air intake in the bumper lower, while in the rear, the CL gets a new tail light lens with a clear upper portion and a sporty exhaust pipe finisher. Both the 3.2 CL's 16-inch wheels and the CL Type-S model's 17-inch wheels have been restyled to portray a lightweight, high performance image....



    http://quote.bloomberg.com/fgcgi.cgi?T=marketsquote99_news.ht&s=APDYJ5w2aMjAwMyBB
  • sonny_k9sonny_k9 Member Posts: 15
    I really liked a 98 Acua CL 2.3 5sp with 40k miles that I saw at a dealer lot. It still has some warranty left (abt 9 months), i carfaxed it and it came out as a commercial lease. Now my question is what is a fair price for this car? the ask is $15,500 and its one of the cheaper 98's i saw listed in the paper (but then again its a manual and most cl's are auto). Though the KBB price seems to be completely out of wack for CL's, it quotes $11k for a trade in and $15k retail.

    I guess a fair price would be somewhere in between, I would say $13.5 sounds good, don't you think?
    Its a weak market I know it and they know it, but I want a manual and there aren't many out there it seems.
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    you might be better off getting an Accord coupe, unless you really like the styling. Yeah, I would say 14k is about right, but you might want to check the conditions of the car.

    ***************
    what's up with acura-cl.com? private club only now? see if I ever lurk there again :)
  • regularguyregularguy Member Posts: 29
    I haven't read this whole thread, so I hope this isn't duplicating a subject that's been thrashed out already. Anyhow, I'm looking for a good used car that my teenage son can drive (and not be embarrassed to be seen in), and I did a price comparison using Edmund's calculator, on the 1997 CL 2.2 versus the 1997 Accord coupe, similarly equipped. The Accord is valued at $1,500 MORE! What gives? I would not have been at all surprised to see the opposite result coming up. Is there something I'm missing here?
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    I'd guess that because the older CL depreciated faster just as the older TL. I didn't get that big of a difference using KBB though. Maybe there is a higher demand for the Accord coupe than the older CL.
  • needsansneedsans Member Posts: 5
    I bought (actually leased) one, with nav, a little over a year ago and have been extremely happy with it. But I just can't stand to be without a convertible. So I've ordered an M3 cab that will be delivered in April. In the mean time, I'll be selling my CL-S and recognize I'll take a major hit. It's black with about 15k miles and in great shape. Where should I sell this? I am in the bay area.
  • har1bushhar1bush Member Posts: 207
    how much are you putting your car up for?
  • tomsrtomsr Member Posts: 325
    My 98 Cl just developed a problem.The power
    windows do not work.I checked the fuses and swapped the relay but no luck. I have an extended
    warranty but if it was a simple fix it would save the hassle of taking it to the dealer.
  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    Hit 12,000 miles last night with my CL-S since 3/28/01. Three oil/filter changes and one tire rotation/balance. That's it! So far, still the best car I have ever owned! No problems.

    fastdriver
  • tomsrtomsr Member Posts: 325
    MY bubble has been burst because my trouble free
    CL has had a problem after 63k miles.The power
    windows did not work and it was caused by a bad connection in the door harness.I am glad I got the
    extended warranty.The repair costs $221 but I only paid $50.
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    just curious.... how often do you use your windows?

    I know that the Maximas have problems with moonroofs that are hardly ever use.... pretty bad when you consider how much they quote for fixing the problem.
  • johns1johns1 Member Posts: 4
    Has anyone had a problem with a "sticky" accelerator pedal on their CL? I have a 99 and would appreciate any input. Thanks..
  • danny25danny25 Member Posts: 119
    I don't know if this is the problem or not, but check and make sure your floor mat hasn't slid forward. This happened in my previous vehicle, when I depressed the accelerator pretty far down it would get caught beneath the edge of the mat for a moment when I released the pedal.
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    My CL also has a tendency for the accelerator to be planted to the metal.

    Of course in my case, the culprit is my right foot! ;)
  • dmathew347dmathew347 Member Posts: 80
    Does the 3.2 CL-S have adequate/comfortable backseats. I have yet to test-drive one, but from the looks of it, it seems rather cramped. Can two adults ~ 5'10" sit in the backseat with relative comfort, (without having to hunch over and cramp their legs)?

    Also is $25k a reasonable price to expect to pay for a standard 2001 CL-S (before TTL and destination), considering sales are down 25% and the $3000 dealer cash. Or should i go even lower.

    Thanks
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    The rear seat is pretty good on all the 3.2 products and should be adequate for someone 5'10" though you'll obviously have to try it on. The trick, as with any coupe, is getting in and out, though the auto help to move the seats up is a nice feature.

    $3000 cash back? What is your source for this info? I was aware of $1000 from the incentives board here at Edmund's but ....

    Take care.
    Joe W.
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    in your case, you might consider using your left foot, eh? :D

    dmathew - adults in back? That depends on how far the front seats are positioned. As long as they are not FAT, I think they would fit just fine. All the seats are comfortable to me and I can compare them favorably with a BMW 5 series seats. Although, the feel of the seats between those two cars would be different.... very...

    for a 2001? Hmmm... possibly.... good luck though
  • johns1johns1 Member Posts: 4
    it happens after the car has been warmed up. At a stop, I usually have to depress the accelerator a lot harder for it to get going. It doesn't have that smooth feeling when you first hit the gas. I just noticed this several weeks ago. I wonder if the throttle bore needs to be cleaned. Oh well, I will take it in and see what the dealer has to say. It's still under warranty.
  • dmathew347dmathew347 Member Posts: 80
    jwilson1,
    Check the incentives board again. The $1000 dealer cash is for '02 CL-S
    I was referring to the '01 CL-S which has a $3000 dealer cash.
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    Only if I change my name to Daniel Day Lewis, :))
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    http://us.imdb.com/Name?Day-Lewis,+Daniel

    but your acting ability would probably still sucks compare to his :D
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
  • tomsrtomsr Member Posts: 325
    The bad connection was in the wiring harness
    near the door hinge inside the door.It would have to be an assembly defect that took four years to
    develope.To change the subject I was considering
    trading up but was shocked at the low trade in value.Is there any car that's worth more than half it's price after 4 years?
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    Yes, almost any Japanese car.
  • bjrichbjrich Member Posts: 125
    Our 97 CL2.2 is approaching 60K. We just put new brake pads on all four wheels as they dealer said the rears were more worn than the front. It cost$180.00 for the work. It seems odd that the rear pads were worse off than th front. (opinions?)
    The 60k service. Good deal or too much for very little?
    Advise!
    Thank you, and enjoying the forum.
  • mdanielmdaniel Member Posts: 47
    The front brakes do most of the work and will wear out first, all thing being equal. But if they put a softer pad on the rear, they will wear out faster. I asked a mechanic about this once and he told me that sometimes the rear rotors are a lot more expensive or labor intensive to replace so the manufacturer uses softer rear pads to keep you from chewing up the rotors and having to replace them.
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    canadialcl - In your case, beauty is definitely in the eyes of the beer holder (unless you prefer wine :D)

    Hmmm.. first generation CLs - I still say that because they are basically dressed up Accord coupes so their resale values are not that great. I could say the same thing about earlier TLs as well....

    brake pads - I used to take my car to a trusted mechanic. He'd charge me less than 30 bucks for the work. I just bring in the parts... sometimes I would let him buy the parts at lower charge since he is a mechanic...
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    In my case they'll have to drink a large quantity of beer to see the beauty :(
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    Has anyone tested to see how much trouble you have to be in for the VSA & TRAC to actually have any noticeable effects? We've had a fair amount of snow here for the last week. When I went into a corner and the car started to plow, I didn't feel the VSA doing anything. I didn't try to get the car sideway so I don't know if that's when it starts to work. And accelerating on snow, the VSA light on the dash would come on, but it seems the tires are still spinning and slipping. Is there a lag time before the effects can be felt?
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    hmmm... VSA light.... I don't think that it would be instantaneous. You do have some spinning, but it should be minimal so that you can have control of the car. I have VSA light came on when I accelerate quickly through wet surfaces or gravel filled surfaces. As for going sideway, I never seen it no matter how hard I turn, but I never done it in the wet stuff either!

    I know of one incidence where the bridge was icy and the ABS kicked in when I stepped on the brake. That was cool :)
  • motokichimotokichi Member Posts: 48
    i was headed home on a dark farm road at about 75mph, when a 60+lb dog darted out in front of me. I don't know this for a fact, but I believe the VSA saved me from running off the road as the dog had slid under the car. The car skidded and swerved but fortunately there was no traffic in either direction and i regained control.

    Lately, with the tires worn down from 50k+ miles, the VSA light will come on any time i accelerate hard on a wet surface. i see the lights flicker, but I think all it's doing is trying to keep both wheels in the same direction at the same speed (instead of spinning at different speeds due to the difference in grip)

    is anyone looking to trade in their CL-S on the 2003 6MT?
  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    It won't keep your tires from spinning a bit -- the only thing that would do that would be bulldozer tracks (a small bulldozer, tho) or 4wd. And when you slide, again not just a touch but headed toward losing control, the VSA will kick in. You can try it in a snow packed parking lot this weekend. But really, you shouldn't be watching the dash during such manuvers anyway.

    Lots of nice words on the 'Reviews' page about the '03 6M. Looks like fun. Doesn't mention the clutch ... I wish there was such a thing as a variable clutch, one that was light in traffic and heavy for performance.

    Take care.
    Joe W.
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    I am hoping that Acura will come out with a more powerful engine or AWD model :)
  • SPYDER98SPYDER98 Member Posts: 239
    dmathew - adults in back? That depends on how far the front seats are positioned. As long as they are not FAT, I think they would fit just fine

    You mean horizontally challenged right? :P
  • vishnu_davishnu_da Member Posts: 3
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    spyder98 - oh... low blows.... :D

    did I said horsepower? I didn't said that I need either... I would prefer one... maybe better fuel economy as well.. how about that?

    IN short, an improved version.
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    Wow, you have 50,000+ mile on your CL-S already?

    And what happened to the dog? I didn't think a 60+ lb dog could fit under the car!
  • cyranno99cyranno99 Member Posts: 419
    only if that dog is a dashhund :D
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    According to Honda's specs, the CL has a smaller trunk than either the TL or the Accord. Visually, doesn't it look bigger, especially since the CL from the outside looks like the trunk has that elongated look.
This discussion has been closed.