Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

Michaell

stickguy said:

I drove a few used mustangs during my recent shopping (before getting the sonata). But they were all V6 convertibles, of the prior to this generation. Not quite the same!

The guy who manages my sprinklers has a Mustang with the 3.7 .. he added an aftermarket Flowmaster exhaust.

To me, it just seems that if you're going to get a pony car, get the V8 - even though the V6 versions have more than enough power (300+ for Mustang and Camaro, almost 300 for the Challenger).

It's all about the noise, in my book.

ab348

I drove a 2011 Mustang GT that actually scared me with the amount of power it had. Given that I sometimes find myself driving very (maybe too) aggressively with the ATS, which is nowhere near as powerful, I wonder if I wouldn't get myself in a heap of trouble with a GT. Seems odd that approaching 60 years of age I find myself driving more like a teenager than when I was a teenager!

ab348

Bad news on the wheel front. Took it to the dealer and they say that because it is a polished and clearcoated wheel as opposed to one painted silver or black, it is not cosmetically repairable. I am not totally buying that but it does make some sense as paint can hide a lot of sins. The price they quoted to repair it, if it was a painted wheel, is pretty close to what I see my model wheel going for on the well-known auction site. So if I decide to replace it that's where I will go - I checked the parts counter and they wanted just over $600 for a new one from GM. Come spring I might try to clean it up a bit myself and see how it comes out. The mark is not hugely noticeable and does not affect the driveability of the car or integrity of the wheel.

I have found a couple of other people locally who claim to be wheel repair types so maybe I will contact them and ask what they can do.

abacomike

ab348 said:

Bad news on the wheel front. Took it to the dealer and they say that because it is a polished and clearcoated wheel as opposed to one painted silver or black, it is not cosmetically repairable. I am not totally buying that but it does make some sense as paint can hide a lot of sins. The price they quoted to repair it, if it was a painted wheel, is pretty close to what I see my model wheel going for on the well-known auction site. So if I decide to replace it that's where I will go - I checked the parts counter and they wanted just over $600 for a new one from GM. Come spring I might try to clean it up a bit myself and see how it comes out. The mark is not hugely noticeable and does not affect the driveability of the car or integrity of the wheel. I have found a couple of other people locally who claim to be wheel repair types so maybe I will contact them and ask what they can do.

Sorry to hear that.  Unfortunately, I believe that great looking wheels add a special dimension to the attractiveness of a car.  What's the first thing that attracts your attention on a great looking car?  The wheels of course.

If you plan on keeping the car for several years, consider adding sharp alloy wheels.  I have the 19" "multispoked" AMG wheels. They were a $1000 option over the 18" standard wheel.  They are painted a dark gray, but you don't notice they are painted until you get close.  But they are machined alloys,

I would think you could get a nice set of wheels on the secondary market real cheap.

explorerx4

@ab348
Try hupcaphavendotcom. They have lots of OEM takeoffs.

imidazol97

@ab348
You may also look at Rockauto.com.

They have reconditioned wheels (by Keystone in my case). But be sure you are positive the description
exactly matches the finish of your wheel. If not known, look up the trunk tag (RPO) that shows the options
that were installed on your car for the code for your wheels. There are websites that list the RPO code
and their meanings or look on the window sticker for option codes.

If a wheel you want is not currently in stock at Rockauto.com, you can keep checking back or
in some cases I see they have a notify by email box to ask to be notified. Since you're not in a hurry.
that might work well for you.

In my case I had a chrome wheel cracked on the inner lip and found a seller on Ebay or Amazon
that had sold 3 from a leSabre like mine. Had one left.

houdini1

Some of those used wheels can look great until you start driving.

robr2

ab348 said:

Bad news on the wheel front. Took it to the dealer and they say that because it is a polished and clearcoated wheel as opposed to one painted silver or black, it is not cosmetically repairable. I am not totally buying that but it does make some sense as paint can hide a lot of sins. The price they quoted to repair it, if it was a painted wheel, is pretty close to what I see my model wheel going for on the well-known auction site. So if I decide to replace it that's where I will go - I checked the parts counter and they wanted just over $600 for a new one from GM. Come spring I might try to clean it up a bit myself and see how it comes out. The mark is not hugely noticeable and does not affect the driveability of the car or integrity of the wheel.

I have found a couple of other people locally who claim to be wheel repair types so maybe I will contact them and ask what they can do.

Try Wheel Collision:

http://www.wheelcollision.com/store/CADILLAC-ATS.htm

oldfarmer50

ab348 said:

I drove a 2011 Mustang GT that actually scared me with the amount of power it had. Given that I sometimes find myself driving very (maybe too) aggressively with the ATS, which is nowhere near as powerful, I wonder if I wouldn't get myself in a heap of trouble with a GT. Seems odd that approaching 60 years of age I find myself driving more like a teenager than when I was a teenager!

Might want to check out the Camaro as well.

http://www.motortrend.com/news/2015-chevrolet-camaro-z28-vs-2016-ford-shelby-gt350r-mustang/?eml=1314485&sp_rid=5183142

abacomike

oldfarmer50 said:

I drove a 2011 Mustang GT that actually scared me with the amount of power it had. Given that I sometimes find myself driving very (maybe too) aggressively with the ATS, which is nowhere near as powerful, I wonder if I wouldn't get myself in a heap of trouble with a GT. Seems odd that approaching 60 years of age I find myself driving more like a teenager than when I was a teenager!

Might want to check out the Camaro as well. http://www.motortrend.com/news/2015-chevrolet-camaro-z28-vs-2016-ford-shelby-gt350r-mustang/?eml=1314485&sp_rid=5183142

Both cars are "hot" if equipped appropriately.  The difference is in styling - Camaro's looks are tamer than the looks of a Mustang GT.  If you put both cars side-by-side, there is an obvious winner - IMHO - the Mustang!  

stickguy

I can't imagine driving a Camaro. for me, a non-starter.

abacomike

They are forecasting our first real cold front coming in from the north this Friday evening.  For the past month, our temps have been 8-10 degrees above normal.  This weekend, highs in the low 70's and lows in the 60's will put us in the normal range for a few days.  But starting Monday, back to above normal temps.

This would be a good year to get away from the cold temps up north and vacation here in south Florida.  Remember, I have a master bedroom suite sitting empty - nice and comfy for two people looking to get away from the "hawk" this winter.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

They are forecasting our first real cold front coming in from the north this Friday evening.  For the past month, our temps have been 8-10 degrees above normal.  This weekend, highs in the low 70's and lows in the 60's will put us in the normal range for a few days.  But starting Monday, back to above normal temps.

This would be a good year to get away from the cold temps up north and vacation here in south Florida.  Remember, I have a master bedroom suite sitting empty - nice and comfy for two people looking to get away from the "hawk" this winter.

Thanks for the invitation but it's going to be in the 60s for Christmas up here. I was in Tampa for Christmas week a few years ago and it was in the 40s.

PF_Flyer

I'm so dedicated
Wife's car was due for oil change/checkup, so here's the view from my "office" at Tire Town in State College...



If you have tire questions, this would be the morning...LOL

stever

We had another temp drop while we were away and I had to top off the van's tires. One was down 2 psi and the TPMS light had come on.

abacomike

stever said:

We had another temp drop while we were away and I had to top off the van's tires. One was down 2 psi and the TPMS light had come on.

I suspect I will have a similar issue with tire pressures on Saturday morning when that cold front passes through.

driver100

stickguy said:

I can't imagine driving a Camaro. for me, a non-starter.

I like the Mustang because it resembles the earlier Mustangs that I grew up with and always wanted. Of course the new Mustangs have refined the look, and look better each time it is changed, but the basic lines and styling have remained the same.

The Camaro seems to be tied to the original in name only. It looks like a young persons car, sort of built up with steroids. I really don't like the tiny windows and low roofline. I think I would prefer a Challenger to a Camaro.

driver100

PF_Flyer said:

I'm so dedicated
Wife's car was due for oil change/checkup, so here's the view from my "office" at Tire Town in State College...



If you have tire questions, this would be the morning...LOL

Ask how many miles I can expect to get on my 2014 Mercedes E400 Continental 245/40 X 18 in.

Mr_Shiftright

I heard that new Camaros come with a hand gun in the glove box and a $100 gift certificate towards a tattoo but that's probably not true.

ab348

driver100 said:

I like the Mustang because it resembles the earlier Mustangs that I grew up with and always wanted. Of course the new Mustangs have refined the look, and look better each time it is changed, but the basic lines and styling have remained the same.

Really? To me, the current Mustang looks like something Hyundai would make. I liked the previous design much better.

ab348

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

I can't imagine driving a Camaro. for me, a non-starter.

I like the Mustang because it resembles the earlier Mustangs that I grew up with and always wanted. Of course the new Mustangs have refined the look, and look better each time it is changed, but the basic lines and styling have remained the same.

The Camaro seems to be tied to the original in name only. It looks like a young persons car, sort of built up with steroids. I really don't like the tiny windows and low roofline. I think I would prefer a Challenger to a Camaro.

I am not a fan of the Camaro's styling either, but from all reports it is a helluva car to drive.

To me a Challenger is just way too big and not really competitive with either the Mustang or Camaro. It is like a 2-door Charger.

PF_Flyer

stever said:

We had another temp drop while we were away and I had to top off the van's tires. One was down 2 psi and the TPMS light had come on.

Yea, time to get the winter nitrogen put in

PF_Flyer

driver100 said:

PF_Flyer said:

I'm so dedicated
Wife's car was due for oil change/checkup, so here's the view from my "office" at Tire Town in State College...



If you have tire questions, this would be the morning...LOL

Ask how many miles I can expect to get on my 2014 Mercedes E400 Continental 245/40 X 18 in.

The Contipro Contacts have a 60,000 mile warranty. Your tread life will be affected by your driving conditions and your driving style.

Isn't it amazing how many things are covered by "your mileage may vary"?

stever

PF_Flyer said:

Yea, time to get the winter nitrogen put in

Yep, got some of the fresh cool 78% stuff in there. My wife took off for a PT appointment this morning and promptly returned claiming a tire was "flat". We went through the "you can't tell how much air is in a tire by looking at it" routine and I checked all the tires again with my gauge. I was afraid that the spare was low but I don't think it's on the TPMS system in this car. I wasn't looking forward to crawling under there and lowering it to check.

The TPMS light went off shortly after she took off for the appointment.

PF_Flyer

Once we get through the winter, we get into the TPMS light indicating a system failure when the pressure goes too high in the warmer weather. Special summer air does the trick...LOL

driver100

PF_Flyer"
The Contipro Contacts have a 60,000 mile warranty. Your tread life will be affected by your driving conditions and your driving style.

Isn't it amazing how many things are covered by "your mileage may vary"

"Your mileage may vary" is just a huge cop out" Could say X miles moderate driving, XX average, XXX hard driving.

But, what does 60000 mile warranty mean, even less to me. Let's say the tire goes at 54000 miles. I'll get a credit for about 10% towards the cost of a replacement tire. My tires will be about $240 each so I get a $24 credit toward a new set of tires. I think what they are insuring is that they will get me to replace my tires with their tires again.

In other words, I think the warranty is made to be longer than the tires will last, because that makes it certain you won't switch brands....which is a big problem for tire makers.

stickguy

I do know that the replacement is probably based on MSRP or some such. So you may end up paying more, especially that far out.

More useful for real premature wear out, but my one experience with this is you better have good rotation records if they are rotate able.

Also, pretty sure that the tread life warranty only applies to ones you put on later. Your MB warranty covers the ones that came on the car.

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

I heard that new Camaros come with a hand gun in the glove box and a $100 gift certificate towards a tattoo but that's probably not true.

lol...which makes me wonder, how many Camaros are bought by women?

I did try to find out and more men buy trucks than women, but, after trucks Camaro is at the top of the list of cars bought by more men.

Camaro usually outsells Mustangs except when the 2015 Mustang came out last November. So, more people...mostly men, prefer a Camaro to a Mustang. Just a guess but I think the young men who buy muscle cars like the non-traditional look of the Camaro over the Mustang.

PF_Flyer

driver100 said:

PF_Flyer"
The Contipro Contacts have a 60,000 mile warranty. Your tread life will be affected by your driving conditions and your driving style.

Isn't it amazing how many things are covered by "your mileage may vary"

"Your mileage may vary" is just a huge cop out" Could say X miles moderate driving, XX average, XXX hard driving.

But, what does 60000 mile warranty mean, even less to me. Let's say the tire goes at 54000 miles. I'll get a credit for about 10% towards the cost of a replacement tire. My tires will be about $240 each so I get a $24 credit toward a new set of tires. I think what they are insuring is that they will get me to replace my tires with their tires again.

In other words, I think the warranty is made to be longer than the tires will last, because that makes it certain you won't switch brands....which is a big problem for tire makers.



Yea, the tread life warranties are kind of like EPA mileage estimates. The Cooper CS4's I've run have an 80,000 mile treadlife warranty. I stay on top of my rotations and have gotten close to 60,000 out of a couple of sets of those, but the only way I'd EVER get close to 80K is if I did a lot of driving on perfect road surfaces, very few turns, and no weather to worry about as I was pushing the safe limits of tread depth.

I'd love to see a rating like you suggest. Going by my experience, and calling my driving fairly average, I would think 75-80% of the treadlife warranty would be a reasonable expectation for how long I could safely run a set of tires. Maybe up to 80-85% for moderate driving, 70-75% for hard driving. Does sorta sound like your mileage may vary though

Anyone else have a similar experience with how their tires have held up? This could be the start of the Edmunds Forums Tire Life Guide...heh

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

stickguy said:

I can't imagine driving a Camaro. for me, a non-starter.

I like the Mustang because it resembles the earlier Mustangs that I grew up with and always wanted. Of course the new Mustangs have refined the look, and look better each time it is changed, but the basic lines and styling have remained the same.

The Camaro seems to be tied to the original in name only. It looks like a young persons car, sort of built up with steroids. I really don't like the tiny windows and low roofline. I think I would prefer a Challenger to a Camaro.

I just came back from getting an oil change on the Mustang. Seems the owner's kid (about 21) fell in love with it. According to dad the kid was talking about it all day. He owns a 2001 GT so I guess not all young folks prefer Camaros.

oldfarmer50

Yesterday I was driving the Lincoln and a driver at the red light told me my back tire was going flat. Got it to the garage and they found a slice on the inboard side. It was the kind of damage a sharp curb hit would cause but how I would hit a curb on the inside of the tire was a mystery. Result: $200 worth of new snow tires. It damn well better snow now.

imidazol97

PF_Flyer said:

Anyone else have a similar experience with how their tires have held up? This could be the start of the Edmunds Forums Tire Life Guide...heh

I had a set of Michelin Harmony tires on my leSabre, which I believe were mileage warrantied
for 80,000 miles. At somewhere over 80,000 miles, they still had 3-4/32 of depth: still looked good
but wouldn't have nearly as much grip on snow for winter, so I changed them for a set of
Michelin Destiny tires since the Harmony version had been discontinued.

Tires were rotated every 6-9,000 miles and kept at about 33-35 pounds of
pressure instead of 30 recommended by Buick. Much of the mileage was
interstate driving traveling. Manager at the tire store beamed at the mileage
I had gotten and that they were still driveable tires.

robr2

oldfarmer50 said:

Yesterday I was driving the Lincoln and a driver at the red light told me my back tire was going flat. Got it to the garage and they found a slice on the inboard side. It was the kind of damage a sharp curb hit would cause but how I would hit a curb on the inside of the tire was a mystery. Result: $200 worth of new snow tires. It damn well better snow now.

I bought a set of snow tires and rims from Tire Rack. They've been sitting in my garage for 2 weeks as it's been in the 50's and 60's. This will be the latest I've ever done the changeover.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

Yesterday I was driving the Lincoln and a driver at the red light told me my back tire was going flat. Got it to the garage and they found a slice on the inboard side. It was the kind of damage a sharp curb hit would cause but how I would hit a curb on the inside of the tire was a mystery. Result: $200 worth of new snow tires. It damn well better snow now.

$200 is good insurance so it will be sure not to snow in your area this year.

Snow tires don't cost as much as it seems. You will be saving your summer tires while using the snows.

It's like color printer ink. If you are printing pictures and you used black ink only, it would be different shades of black. If you use color ink it will be a bit more expensive, but you are using a color in that area instead of shades of black.......it is more expensive using color ink....but not that much more.

abacomike

driver100 said:

Yesterday I was driving the Lincoln and a driver at the red light told me my back tire was going flat. Got it to the garage and they found a slice on the inboard side. It was the kind of damage a sharp curb hit would cause but how I would hit a curb on the inside of the tire was a mystery. Result: $200 worth of new snow tires. It damn well better snow now.

$200 is good insurance so it will be sure not to snow in your area this year. Snow tires don't cost as much as it seems. You will be saving your summer tires while using the snows. It's like color printer ink. If you are printing pictures and you used black ink only, it would be different shades of black. If you use color ink it will be a bit more expensive, but you are using a color in that area instead of shades of black.......it is more expensive using color ink....but not that much more.

Driver, your analogies and logic are as oblique as ever - no one can put into words what they are thinking at any given moment better than you!  

Let's see - ink color is to shades of gray as snow tires is to all-season tires!  I LOVE IT!  

PF_Flyer

How about a Seinfeld-type of moment that hit me driving my hatchback in the rain today? That rear window really catches the road spray and needs to be cleaned all the time. How about a rolling rear window that occasionally moves a fresh pane of "glass" into place as it wipes the dirty one clean? Sorta like the cameras they put on race cars for TV.

Huh? Yea??

Sometimes you have to write these things down BEFORE people tell you to forget them!!

abacomike

PF_Flyer said:

How about a Seinfeld-type of moment that hit me driving my hatchback in the rain today? That rear window really catches the road spray and needs to be cleaned all the time. How about a rolling rear window that occasionally moves a fresh pane of "glass" into place as it wipes the dirty one clean? Sorta like the cameras they put on race cars for TV. Huh? Yea?? Sometimes you have to write these things down BEFORE people tell you to forget them!!

Forget them!
 

imidazol97

PF_Flyer said:

Sometimes you have to write these things down BEFORE people tell you to forget them!!

The mention of inventing things reminded me or an article in Classic Cars that listed the 5 breakthroughs that really changed the auto industry.

1. Detachable tires. Michelin came up with a clincher rim so the tire wasn't glued to the wheel and could be changed without cutting it off--1891.
2. High strength steel.
3. Rise of mass production. Thank Henry Ford.
4. The Art and Colour staff of General Motors which implemented a way of changing cars yearly to sell more, and for their hierarchy of makes and models price positioned in a way to give them social status meaning.
5. Safety and emissions regulations.

Jim Donnelly, Hemmings Classic Car Feb 2016.

PF_Flyer

Oh... good idea... best automotive inventions... ANYTHING... even stuff that's now pretty much defunct like cigarette lighters!

driver100

PF_Flyer
How about a Seinfeld-type of moment that hit me driving my hatchback in the rain today? That rear window really catches the road spray and needs to be cleaned all the time. How about a rolling rear window that occasionally moves a fresh pane of "glass" into place as it wipes the dirty one clean? Sorta like the cameras they put on race cars for TV.

Huh? Yea??

Sometimes you have to write these things down BEFORE people tell you to forget them!!

No idea is a bad idea. You have identified a problem, rear window gets covered with road spray. I don't know if a sliding window is the answer, but a rear wiper or a spray nozzle might work. Also, those reverse slanting windows on the 1965 Mercuries might help.....everything old is new again.

A lot of great ideas came about by total accident, when trying to solve another problem. Things like Corn Flakes, Post it Notes, Potato Chips, Saccharin, Slinky and many other inventions were found by accident.
9 Great Inventions Found By Accident

PF, don't let others discourage you...........keep working on it!

imidazol97

driver100 said:

A lot of great ideas came about by total accident, when trying to solve another problem. Things like Corn Flakes, Post it Notes, Potato Chips, Saccharin, Slinky and many other inventions were found by accident.
9 Great Inventions Found By Accident

Another discovery by accident was styrofoam discovered when a Dow chemist dropped a flask and when cleaning up the remains noticed the characteristics of the dropped hardened material.

PF_Flyer

The car has a rear wiper. I think I just want an easier way to clear the entire window

berri

Ima - I wish they still made those Michelin Harmony tires. Great ride, traction and durability.

berri

How about a Seinfeld-type of moment that hit me driving my hatchback in the rain today

You didn't find JFK's missing golf club did you - wait, I guess that Saab was a convertible

cdnpinhead

To be understood is to be found out.

-- Jack Papke, RIP

iluvmysephia1

Isn't it amazing how many things are covered by "your mileage may vary"?

And it seems to apply to lots of different things in life, too. According to the internet.

venture

In reference to the discussion about Windows 10 a while back...I decided to finally do it. Of course I made a backup right before just in case...

Everything went well. I let it download and install on it's own, only interfering a few times such as making sure my favorites were copied over.

Other than having to download drivers for my printers, everything else seems OK. Also - other than being different looking, I don't see any huge improvement.

venture

oldfarmer50 said:

Yesterday I was driving the Lincoln and a driver at the red light told me my back tire was going flat. Got it to the garage and they found a slice on the inboard side. It was the kind of damage a sharp curb hit would cause but how I would hit a curb on the inside of the tire was a mystery. Result: $200 worth of new snow tires. It damn well better snow now.

Wholly tuna fish! $200 for snow tires? Are they new?

driver100

?

venture said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Yesterday I was driving the Lincoln and a driver at the red light told me my back tire was going flat. Got it to the garage and they found a slice on the inboard side. It was the kind of damage a sharp curb hit would cause but how I would hit a curb on the inside of the tire was a mystery. Result: $200 worth of new snow tires. It damn well better snow now.

Wholly tuna fish! $200 for snow tires? Are they new?

Maybe he just needed 1 or 2

[Deleted User]

berri said:

Ima - I wish they still made those Michelin Harmony tires. Great ride, traction and durability.

Agreed. Our AWD Grand Caravan would chew through 70,000-mile tires in less than 30,000 miles, until we came across the Harmony. Amazing tire for the average non-sporty vehicle.