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Comments
Um, that's ludicrous. Look around orange country, san diego county and it's gobs and gobs of pimply faces riding in tricked out hondas, toyotas and VWs. Most of the modding world's run by the cash from people 16-25 - kids who live to modify their cars.
So, I still think that dad should look for a good used, safe and reliable car. Some of you have mentioned good ones to look at and use the saving for school expenses. You can never have enough money when going to college. I never had enough, and I had a part-time job. When the son graduates, then it might be fun for his dad to give him a new car for work well done in school. He will appreciate it more then, I garrantee!!!
I agree wholeheartedly there. I worked 30 hours a week in undergrad (UCSD), took a full load of courses and bot a car my senior year after living like a monk for 3.
bot? Man, I'm working on a CRM project that involves a bot (virtual rep) and it's starting to pop into my mind EVERYWHERE. Sorry about that.
bot in dork = bought.
Um, that's ludicrous....
It's probably somewhat different around the country. I live 1/2 mile from a HS in a middle to upper middle class neighborhood. The parking lot is peppered with a few BMWs, Mercedes, Mustangs, and other expensive cars. It would be hard to find a "Mod" car in that parking lot. Most of the cars are banged-up used cars. I think the kids are occupied with other things. There is so much more to do today. My days in HS featured older cars with, I guess you could use the word mod. The cars were raked, big rear tires, glass packs, headers, 4 deuces, etc. The engines pumped out 400+ horses and alot of noise. There were alot of speed shops around, also. Just a few of them are left. My brother worked in one of shops and also worked in the pit area of a track. He had one of those mod cars. It didn't run smooth until it was up around 100mph. I just don't see that flavor around here any more, and I live in the Chicago area. Have you seen the movie "American Graffiti"? That's the way it was, bobby sock and all. So, that's what I experienced in my youth. MY first car was a 19xx Olds 442. A stock drag racer. That's what society was back then with cars.
That was my youth.
The current and last gen Honda Civic Si
Ford's SVT Focus
VW's ever more powerful 1.8T and VR6
Mazda's MPS series of tuner cars
Infiniti's R-Spec division (aftermarket parts)
Toyota's TRD
Lexus' L-Tune
Nissan's Nismo parts
Are all directly related to the influence of the tuner crowd. Read up on it. Your area may not be doing it (doubtful), but it's extremely popular and highly profitable. Additionally, the mods may be undetectable. I know people with chipped VW's...you can't see it but you know it's there when a Jetta explodes away from a light. Most people would never detect my swaybar...they think it's part of the car. A catback exhaust, straight pipe, and a myriad of other mods to a car will not even be noted by people.
and yes it's expensive and that's why kids who work parttime and live with their parents are a huge part of the tuner crowd. Also you tend to see more modding in certain segments of society...I fear treading there as i know i'll get nuked by the administrator for some sort of TOS violation. Needless to say parents in some cultures inside the US are willing to go into mad debt to make sure their kids are driving the dopest rides.
I guess I'm just really anal also about my cars, so I'm not like everyone else.
And I spent about $7,000 on modifications to my GTI VR6. There is plenty of ways to spend money, I assure you that.
As for the 1.8T, use Premium. It's not about consumption, but performance and not having to reduce timing on your engine for a lower octane. It's worth the extra two bucks, and it's "required" by VW.
Guess what, my Jetta recorded its first 1,000 miles today and not one complaint. Not one rock, rattle or role, maybe a little role, and a sway will take care of that. Without a doubt, it needs a sway bar. The role situation would be a mild complaint. It hasn't coughed, not even once. It just purrs so sweetly. So, what can I expect over the next 1,000 miles? My ear is on the road.
Has anyone put the splash guards on? Is it an easy do-it-yourself job, or is it a dealer-install thing?
Splash guards? I had the dealer install them for me because it is a real pain to do it on your own. The fronts can be installed without removing the tires/wheels because the tires can be turned at an angle. The rear tires have to be removed because of the limited space between the tire and the wheel opening. I did it once sometime ago and it was a big task. It can be done though, if you don't mind jacking up the car twice enough to remove the tires. There are after market guards you can get that just snap on the edge of the wheel opening, but not sure how well they stay attached, though. Yes, I paid the dealer price but it was done and over with. Sometimes I'll pay for the convenience to avoid the hassle and loss of time. But everyone has to decide where that frustration point is. It was just worth it to me. Good luck...On this forum, someone will come up with a good idea, I guarantee!
My VR6 recommended premium,and I always used it. I had to use it because of my chip and advanced timing, air/fuel mixtures.
The 1.8T REQUIRES premium, not recommends like on the VR6.
My younger sister has a 2.0 Beetle, I'm pretty sure I didn't read anything about using premium fuel.
And furthermore, with the 180 HP 1.8T models, you need to use premium. Some people have gotten away with mid-grade on the 150 HP 1.8Ts.
- Anthony
Car and Driver had an article a few months back about running different grades of fuel in vehicles that recommend regular and premium. Their conclusion: Running premium in a car designed for regular just wastes money. Running regular in a car designed for premium reduces maximum engine power by about the same % amount as the cost savings.
I do what the owner's manual says.
- Mark
I ran all grades of fuel, and there is no power or MPG loss with 89 vs. 93, in my car.
I know someone with an Echo who ran premium gas all the time, and it ended up causing carbon build-up in the engine, costing him $150 to get it cleaned out. The car only needs 87. So running a higher octane than recommended is not only a waste of cash, but it can actually cost you in the long run.
Yes, it's the compression ratio (and timing) which determines what octane you need to use. Using premium in an engine designed for regular isn't good, and vice versa.
Why make the engine detune and pull back for using mid grade fuel? For the extra 2 bucks (isn't it more like 1 buck difference), just use premium. Think about it this way, you'll get the pleasure of picking up the "PREMIUM!" gas handle pump.
Whoa, hold up. you're claiming you couldn't afford an extra 10-20 cents a gallon or at most $3 extra a fill up? Even assuming a weekly fill up we're talking about $150 a year extra. If that's the case, you shouldn't be buying ANY expensive brand new car.
I think people just have some mental block to paying $2.00 a gallon v. $1.80. Rather than looking at the actual numbers they freak and say "i'm not paying for premium!" It's not that big of a difference! Especially over the course of say 52 fill ups a year. 52 weeks X 14 gallons X $1.80 = $1310.40. 52 weeks X 14 gallons X $2 = $1456. In the scheme of things it's not that great of a difference.
Sorry, just tired of the rather empty premium fuel debate. i'm a frugal guy (everyone i know will atest to that) but when it comes to buying major equipment, I tend not to cheap out on the device or its maintenance.
If $150 is the difference between buying a car or not, look into buying a good used car or better yet, wait one more month before buying, sock away $150 dollars and then buy the car guilt free (for at least year 1).
I didn't imply that I viewed the "REST" of the nation was short on "Modding", just what I see around here in the Chicago area. I don't look at one market and assume that all the other markets are the same. My mind isn't that small. Based on your empirical view, your data supports your opinion, and that's find. Without supporting data about this area can you say there is more than what I see or what I understand to see. Yes, there is "Modding" around here, just not that much. A kid in this neighborhood spent alot of cash money on modding his Ford Taurus. My guess most of the cash went on the sound system, cause I could always hear him coming and going. Yes, there is more than I know about, like you said, it can easily be more than what meets the eye. Let me use the word, a "mod"erate amout of modding. Like I said, I live 1/2 mile from a big suburban HS where there is alot of money. Occasionally, I get caught in their exodus and since I have to wait for the cop to clear the parking lot, I look at the cars and make mental notes of the cars leaving. My eye likes to look at cars and I see what I see.
Now, isn't this fun???
seriously, i wonder if people realize that the oil companies and car companies bank on us, consumers, buying more expensive gas. think about countries that only have one type of gas - they still have VW's driving around just fine
And even if so, it shouldn't make a difference about what octane level to use.
Other countries have different cars and differently tuned motors FOR those other countries.
Do what you want, but get your facts straight first.
See, I work near DC but live in Baltimore (35 miles difference). I drive a heckuva lot (32K almost on my 02, which I got 11/01). Prices in DC are a LOT higher than Baltimore, so I save $ right there by always fueling in MD. So I guess the extra $2 wouldn't hurt. It just seemed like I was spending so much more when I used premium all the time.
Well, I hooked up with someone from Vortex who has a VAG, and he used it today to set the tranny to "factory settings". He also found 2 DTCs (cyl 2 misfire), but that's a different issue.
Anyway, the tranny shifts a LOT smoother from 3 to 4 now, and drops the gears at redline. I don't know how beneficial this could be, but I figure I would share it anyway.
put premium in a VW? can't bring myself to do it. i use mid-grade. this is a car that competes in a class with Kia's/Hyundai's! not using premium - it is pretentious and wasteful.
--------------------------------------------------
The higher the octane level in gasoline, the more slowly it burns. I can get 400 miles from one tank of gas in a VR6 using 93 octane. I would use 94 if it was available in my area, and it certainly wouldn't be to impress anyone. I save money and reduce emissions using premium gas. How is that wasteful?
get my facts straight? what part didn't you understand? of course VW competes with Hyundai. can't get any clearer than that statement. and are you trying to say that the 1.8T is not used in other countries? of course it is. it is just that Americans (myself included in a lot of ways) are into buying more expensive things, based on what the big companies and media say. i like nice things, and will pay money for them, but not gas. you pour it in the car, and it burns it. i can't wear it, live in it, drive it, or eat it.
chmeee:
come on now. did i say that a KIA RIO COMPETES WITH A VW JETTA? where did i say that? again, Hyundai/Kia are indeed competitors with VW. not saying I would buy a loaded Optima over a base Passat either, but someone out there would...;)
SNTX:
you must be driving the new VR6. my VR6 (1999 New Jetta) was "rough" and "sputtery" when i used high octane. that is great that the new ones are getting 400 miles on a tankful! i did try high octane when i got my first new Jetta, buying into the whole "more expensive gas is better" idea. i just noticed that it made the car not behave as "smoothly" as good old 87. i use 89 in the 1.8T because i think the engine must be more advanced (5 valves per cylinder vs. 2 valves per cylinder in my VR6), but i have a feeling 87 would be just fine too.
also - to anyone out there - my cars engine light came on today, acting very familiar (no power, shaking violently). i assumed it was a coil. i turned it off, re-started it, and it was FINE. what gives?