Being a charter member of CCBA, there's more than a couple of 'em I miss. Let's start with the latest....'04 RX8. As nipponoly said, the thing guzzled gas and I kept a few qrts of oil in the trunk. But, zinging that car to it's 9K redline, as well as probably being the finest handling and balanced car I've ever driven. That made it one of my all-time faves, and I miss it. It had an unfortunate incident with an F-150. I survived. The car gave it's life for me, though.
Going back to some of the used cars (some, very used) I miss.....'69 MGB GT. Wasn't particularly powerful. It wasn't fast. But, it was fun. The females "dug" it. And, I learned all about auto mechanics and maintenance on it (by force), trying to keep it on the road.
Another one I miss was a well used '76 Datsun 260Z. It was probably the poorest model for a Z car, but it introduced me to what a smooth running straight 6 engine really could do. It was a rust bucket by the time I got my hands on it, but again, the girls loved it (ex girlfriend ended up totalling it...at which time, we promptly broke up).
The all time "missed" car was a '67 GTO convertible with an HO 400 motor. Bought it while it was in storage. An old guy who lived in my parents neighborhood had bought it new for his wife's 60th birthday. Unfortunately, he didn't ask her if she wanted a manual tranny (which she didn't). She disliked it so much, he pulled it into the garage and let it sit (except for his occasional drives to keep the battery charged and dry rot away from the rubber parts). That went on for 20 years ('87) until he started "liquidating" assets in his twilight years (he actually died less than a year after I bought it from him).
While, I had long since moved away from my parents neighborhood, The GTO owner remembered me as a young'un drooling over that garaged GTO. He'd actually let me sit in it if I were passing by and he had it out for a drive (well before I was able to reach the peddals).
He contacted my father when he was about to sell his house to move into a retirement home and asked if he thought I'd be interested in buying the GTO. My father contacted me. Asked my father to give the guy $500 to hold it for me (which he did, grudgingly). I was living out of town, but ended up at the guy's house the following weekend. Bought it on the spot without even starting it up. It was completely stock. He made me a very fair deal since old muscle cars weren't exactly on the forefront of anyone's mind during that period of time, and I was a neighbor "kid".
Pushed it 5 houses down to my parents home. Changed the oil. Put new valve cover gaskets on it....new hoses and belts. Flushed and filled the radiator. Did a brake job. Tuned it. Checked the compression. All was good. Did all this in my parents driveway over the course of a Saturday and Sunday. (much to my mother's chagrin).
Drove it home.
Surprisingly, it had no rust. It did need paint and a new top. I put new tires on it, painted it (original gold color), put a new top on it....and battery. Interior was in great shape. No cracks or rips. Just needed to get a thorough cleaning and detailing. Everything worked (including the factory A/C and FM radio option).
Boy did I love that car. But, in the ensuing years, I got married. Wife made me sell it to get a "proper family sedan". Idiot that I was, I complied. Wife is now gone and I miss the GTO more than I ever did her.
like Legos or something, so I could satisfy my CCBA and not have to miss some of the wonderful cars I have owned. But alas, who has that much parking space (besides Andre)? I would definitely have a fleet of about 15 by now if I had the space. And the bills for upkeep of a fleet that large would be chasing me all over the place.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Living in a tushie-retentive housing subdivision, yard art is frowned upon and you can (and likely will) be called in for not moving a car every 10 days. While I am thankful for a 2 car garage, my ceiling height is too low for one of those stacker things Backyard Buddy so I am pretty limited. I do however have my list of things I would like to own in my lifetime, gotta figure out how to do it though. --LEB
just built himself a new garage when he needed more parking space! He's at five or six in his fleet, I think. Me, I like my little condo complex, and I would never want a bigger place than this one, but I only get two parking spaces. Anything over that has to be in a visitor parking space, where I would have to shuffle it around every 2 days, a practice that is frowned upon by the board!
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
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MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
The Backyard Buddy looks pretty neat. One of my complaints about the storage lifts is that, by lifting the car by the wheels, it prevents you from using the lift to change wheels, tires, brakes, and suspension components, but they offer an optional jack that will provide that functionality.
is that I would get a demo. I could really satisfy my CCB urge then. I can drive any car out there as long as I don't keep the same one more than 30 days ... now that's a perk. Especially for those diseased souls such as myself.
It was an 00 civic lx (titanium - gold color) which I traded in one and half year 'cause of following. 1. APR on my loan was too high compared to all the 0% deals at that time. I was dumb enough not to know that most of the interest goes in the first year. Just when most of the car payment was gonna start going towards principal, I traded it in. All I was thinking at the time was that I could have been driving a bigger car for same car payment due to 0% on new deal - but then you have to pay longer - which was conveniently lost on me. 2. Not enough power (translation not macho enough - yeah I know I had issues back then :P ). Well it was gutless but would have saved me a ton on gas money but hindsight being 20/20 you know how that goes.
Since I'm out of the market for a looonnnngggg time I'm currently getting my fix by helping my little brother buy a truck. He called me and wanted me to find him a truck, so I made a couple phone calls and found the perfect truck. Its a 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab 4x4 ST, 4.7L V8/6-spd manual, exactly what he wanted. He's really excited about it and providing there are no hiccups along the way he should pick the truck up on Friday in Anchorage.
Prior to deciding on a Dodge he came very close to buying a Titan, but the numbers didn't work out even though they were cutting a great deal. Just couldn't get it low enough to fit in his budget.
This is kinda fun, lol.
BTW, my truck will turn 4k miles tomorrow. :surprise:
tifighter....yeah, if I knew then what I know now. The '60s era GTO, back in the '80s, wasn't nearly as coveted as it is today. The Big 3 back in the '80s were really putting out some garbage...putting stripes on their cars and calling them "sports cars". Nothing could have been further from the truth.
I did make some good money on that GTO when I sold it, but nothing compared to what it would have brought in today's market...particularly given that I kept it in tip-top shape. For all intents and purposes, it was my daily driver. I did all the work on it myself (when you could actually maintain a car with simple tools and a little knuckle grease and know-how). I was living in a "no snow" area back then, though.
'60s muscle cars were nowhere to be found on the road back in the '80s. There was nothing on the street back then that the GTO couldn't quickly dispatch....not from the big 3 (not even a 'vette), not from Toyota (Supras)...Honda (Preludes), nor Datsun (Z cars). There was one gas station I found that sold racing fuel. The GTO took leaded gas, so that's the only place I went to get the "go juice" the car thirsted for. I felt like a "made guy" when I drove that car on the street....especially with the top down.
To add insult to injury, I ended up taking the money I got for that GTO and buying.....get this.....a new Chevy Citation (the ex-wife thought it was "cute"). Talk about a piece of garbage. This was in the era of 12 mo/12K warranties. As soon as the warranty was up, it literally began to fall apart. At 30K miles (a little over 2 years later), the engine sounded like a John Deere diesel. Door handles wouldn't stay on the doors. It spewed various fluids like it had a terminal disease. It looked (and drove) like it had 250K miles on it.
Anyway, it's a MY2000 Honda S2000, black on black, looks to be stock except for the JVC stereo (which doesn't work with the dash controls ) and maybe the rear gear (it should be pulling about 2700 rpm at 60 mph, but it does more like 3200 rpm).
I drove by the Chevy dealer in the courthouse Monday morning and saw a little roadster sitting at the corner of the lot. I thought, "Oh, somebody traded in a Miata." I took a second look and thought, "Holy :surprise:, it's an S2000! What the frell is that doing here?" I stopped by on my way home that afternoon and took it out for a spin. One of the nice things about rural living is the maze of twisty back roads marked at 55 mph. I went back Tuesday morning to do the deal, and took it home that afternoon just ahead of a series of dumping thunderstorms. So, for $16,900 plus a few hundred of tax and other crud, I got myself a fabulous car that I intend to hang onto until one of us expires.
Oh, the S2000 was traded in on a Trailblazer. :confuse:
Congrats...that is definitely a fun ride. Give your self a learning curve (pun perhaps intended) in the corners. The early S2000s have a very lively behind (I had never spun a car on a road course until I drove that car...) which can be fun, as long as you are prepared for it. In '04 they revised the suspension slightly which subdued that trait somewhat. Enjoy that zing to redline. Who needs a stereo anyway? That motor is quite a jewel and the whole car feels so connected.
Oh you think that is funny. I had one of my clients trade in a paid off 540i for a Freelander S base model cloth seats no sunroof. We actually had to write him a check for the differance as the 540i was worth more then the freelander.
Couple of years later he traded in the freelander for a base LR3, duragrain seats and again no sunroofs.
Strange guy.
Just a few weeks ago I had someone trade in a Saabaru 92x or whatever that wagon is with the manual tranny, sunroof and heated seats for a LR3. :confuse:
that's the same price you can get the original Subaru version for. That car is only moderately acceptable inside as a Subaru. As a Saab, it's pretty bad, I think, except they did go to the expense of upgrading the seats. Most of the rest is stock Subaru.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Yeah I had the day off today but tomrrow I will go look up the original deal and see what number we actually put on it. It was so long ago that I don't remember anymore.
Cool, bumpy, congrats! That's a fun car (prolly too fun for me, and no good for my city streets parking)....and that's about, what, 60% the cost of a new one? Very nice.
OH well fine then. Anyway I already looked it up and it was 14,500 with just under 7,000 miles on it.
Ohhh and while I was looking that up I noticed one of our other stores just took in a 1997 Black Cherokee Sport with 56,000 miles on it. They only own it for 1,500 dollars. Hmhhh gonna have to go find it and see if it is rough.
Yeah me too. But it was not my deal so I don't know if it was a struggle to get it done or something. Also for accounting purposes what is recorded in the system as trade value might not be the real trade value. There might be a 500 to 1,000 dollars of padding on that number so that if the car goes to auction it shows as a different kind of loss or something.
Yes I know that makes no sense at all but that is exactly how it was explained to me.
ooo... interesting.... this brings up a question ... can dealers maybe get a tax writeoff or something for losses like that?
I've always wondered why a dealer would choose to increase one number and drop another or whatever. There never seemed to be a rhyme or reason to it, though.
For instance, when trading our Honda Pilot, the dealer went way over trade-in value on it on paper. But when trading my Lincoln, the dealer went under true trade-in but, on paper, took a loss on the new car.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
The dealer is going to pay income taxes whether they pack the profit into the new car or the trade-in. The creative accounting is probably more for "book" financial statements for the bank, investors, manufacturer, etc.
I see that you don't post in alot of other forums. So since I knew where to find you I wanted to ask you this question pal. "What do you think about Ford possibly selling Land Rover, and Jaguar, to Hyundai ?"
Do you think this deal could hurt sales from a car consultants perspective ?
Now, that's Action!-- What's the mileage? I always kind of wanted one of those; and I like the way they look & the fact that you don't "see them coming & going", like Z3's.
Of course you can probably replace the JVC with another stock stereo. I love steering wheel controls for the stereo, but in a sports car/weekend fun car I could probably live without.....
About the radio on the S2000, talk to Crutchfield, they probably have an adapter that will allow the steering wheel controls to work with some aftermarket radios.
Hey I was thinging about the S200 today and was wondering why somebody in their right mind would buy a S2000, when a Soltice GXP, or Saturn Redline already whip it's butt alll over the place. :P
The Solstice and Sky have as much as they can handle with a Miata from a performance standpoint. From any other standpoint, they are still way behind the Miata.
The S2000 is in a whole different league than the GM twins.
Ford is not going to sell Jag because they are not going to sell Land Rover. The opperations of the two brands are much too integrated now and many Jag dealerships are also Land Rover dealerships. We share marketing people and managment for the entire North American market.
We share powertrains with Jag and Aston Martin as well. So just not going to happen at all. Land Rover is Fords most profitable division by far and Jag's quality has risen to nearly the level of Lexus.
Jag just needs time to get their product line fixed a little bit and Land Rover needs to get some of Jag's quality to slide over. That should start happneing very quickly now as the newest Land Rover is going to be built and Jag's Halewood plant.
LOL, well it's been this site along with the detnews that has turned this topic into a major news strory.
BTW- GM could make a 10K rpm engine if it wanted to invest the R&D into accomplishing that task, but what's the benefit into doing it ? I'd expect the Japanese to accomplish that goal since they already carry that image with the VTEC system, and they haven't yet done it.
Well I'm glad to see you speak against such an idea, but the media is saying the opposite of you pal.
I guess I'll see who's right in the upcoming future on the HyunJagrover issue. :shades:
I haven't driven it enough to gauge the mpg, but the EPA rating was 20/26 stock. Mine has a CAI (and a really evil resonance between 3 and 4000 rpm) and what I suspect is a 4.77 or 4.875 rear gear (stock is a 4.1), so I doubt I'll ever see much above 20.
The S2000 radio controls are on the dash to the left of the steering wheel. The only thing on the wheel are two of the three cruise control buttons. The JVC seems to work well enough, but the S2000 isn't the kind of car that really needs a radio.
Well, the turbo Kappas don't exist outside of a few test mules so they won't be whipping anything just yet. Having said that, the Kappas do have good underpinnings and the extra torque from the turbo might compensate for the truck gearbox. The oversized ghetto cruiser rims will kill the Kappas in the corners, and the lower redline will also slow them down. :sick: It's like bringing a breech-loader up against a repeating rifle.
I drove 2 Coupes, back to back. 1 = MX0, 3LT, NAV (Std. \ base suspension) & 1 = MX0, 1LT, Z51.
Brief background. I have driven 4 door sport sedans for many years. Last Corvette I drove was a ’98 or ’99 C5 owned by a business associate about 5 years ago. Last one I have been inside, except at a show or (stationary) at a dealer, was a Y2K C5. My current ride is a 2005 GP GXP (5.3L V8, 4 speed manumatic w/Paddles), with published quarter times generally clustered in the low 14s.
Paddle Shift A6. One of the reasons I have waited until now to allow myself to seriously consider a Corvette has been the previous 4 speed automatic trans. No offense intended to anyone with that trans., but each of my past 4 sedans has had a 4 or 5 speed manumatic trans. – and I know I would miss that feature, a lot. ( I have posted several reasons for my preference elsewhere on the Forum. ) This 6 speed trans. with paddle shift manumatic function is an acceptable implementation. Shift response to paddle command could certainly be quicker, but I am reasonably certain now that I could adapt. Otherwise, the driveline is smooth and refined. Engine response is always sharp & immediate. LS2 = great V8!
Z51. Not as much ride difference as I’d expected, but expecting to put 15K mi / yr on what will be a daily driver ( unlikely to be driven on a track or auto-X ), cheaper & longer lasting front tires, etc. mean I’d be fine with the Base suspension. I did not stress the car, handling-wise, in my drives, and thus would not have been able to evaluate any difference(s) in ultimate limits. I trust the published numbers – as I believe the Quarter Mile ET-s I’ve seen.
The ride of the base suspension suits me & my driving requirements just fine. The ride is certainly firm, but I found it well controlled \ damped & I expect that it will be livable for my long trips as well as my commute. Also (and one reason I did not fight the suggestion that I drive a Z51 as well as a Base car) neither of these 2 cars showed any signs of extraneous noise, such as creaks or groans or squeaks from interior plastic bits rubbing or from anything that might not be bolted (screwed, glued) together perfectly. I noticed no wind noise at the (brief) 70 MPH cruise intervals. ( Sound systems were off during all of both drives. ) I presume that it would be the same at any speed I’d be comfortable holding & cruising = typically 80 MPH or so. No vibrations noted at any speeds – in either car. I heard no ‘click’ on brake applications.
The overall impression was of a very well engineered & carefully assembled car. Remarkably so. Kudos, GM.
Sport seats = excellent comfort & support! 1LT \ base seats, not so much.
The controls and displays are well done & I felt immediately comfortable in the car – and given that the driving position is a good 6 or 7 inches (or more) lower than anything I have driven in a long time, that really impressed me.
Acceleration. Well, ‘acceptable’ hardly covers this. ( New cars, low miles, no abuse.) But there is definitely enough acceleration ability to appreciate the difference between my current sedan (again, low 14s) and a 13 flat or better sports car.
Sound. I will probably replace the exhaust at some point, with something just a bit more aggressive – but the combination \ blend of engine & exhaust was OK. For now.
Handling. I certainly did not stress these cars. They both felt sure footed, planted, confidence inspiring. I expect that it will be rewarding to drive at 6 or 7 tenths, without being punishing to drive over imperfect surfaces.
Steering. See above. And: Effort, response, road feel, & kickback = all excellent on the 5 mile (or so) loop I drove.
Outward visibility. OK. Rear mirror size & placement, etc. is not quite as good as I had hoped (and I am used to) but I think it will be OK. The only remaining issue \ concern for me here is the low roof line & ability to see things like overhead traffic signals. Best I can tell, I ‘lose’ about 6 to 8 inches of windshield height, compared to what I am used to seeing, looking forward. My ‘Solution’ = I will order the CC3.
HUD = very cool. Even better than mine. I have one in my GXP, and use it literally all the time. This particular example had a slight ( but would be annoying ) distortion, likely in the windshield glass at that particular area – as I moved my head side to side while driving. ( Not caused by polarized sunglasses. ) But the Tachometer display as well as the gear selected & the MPH means I would even more rarely have to look down at the instruments. Well done.
3LT. 1LT. I already knew that I would want the 3LT. As stated, I found the sport seats (2LT & 3) to be exceptionally comfortable as well as supportive. (I am 6’0” and approx. 225 \ 230 #s.) The 1LT \ Base seats, were noticeably less comfortable, at least for me. I’d also find the lack of the current trans. gear display on the HUD (3LT) to be annoying in a 1LT or 2LT – having to divert my eyes well down off the road, to the DIC display, below the Speedo & Tach. And the telescoping wheel allows me to adopt a more comfortable driving position.
I will once more mention that I noted ( and thoroughly enjoyed ) the very significant difference in acceleration feel between my current sedan (again, documented as a low 14s) and this 13 flat (or better) C6 A6. Because this is one primary reason for my lusting after the C6, and these drives met my (high) expectations. In my street driving, I can rarely even approach the handling limits of any car, as I always want to leave some measure of safety margin, to allow for the unexpected (for example: sand or oil on the road surface, an idiot move by another driver, etc.) even in (um) ‘spirited’ cornering. But I can ** ALWAYS ** manage a safe place to use WOT. Even if only briefly.
Yet, quite clearly, the C6 is much more than a very quick accelerating sports car. There was certainly no doubt in my mind after these test drives that the C6 is a thoroughbred: A refined, but very capable grand touring machine - as well as a an outstanding overall sports car. Exactly what I am looking for, right now.
So. I will likely order a 2007 – for delivery in late September to late October. ( Assuming that I can come to terms with a dealer on Price. ) MX0, 3LT, CC3, Monterey Red \ Titanium.
And yet, I was invited to drive the new BMW 335i Coupe here near Atlanta this weekend. And I am going to do that as well . . .
Clearly afflicted . . . Comments welcome. - Ray Very favorably impressed with the ‘Vette.
I hope you don't show those JD power surveys to your land rover customers! :-)
You really wonder tho, with Hyundai ranked above Toyota, & Subaru near the bottom & barely above saab......even if the JD power surveys were accurate, I think way more people are interested in longer term reliability, & there I think CR is right on. At least, CR has served me well in trying to judge reliability of makes/models/ MY's......
CR has thier issues too. In particular for very low production cars I doubt they get a larege enough sample to be relevent stasticaly. Also what do the dots mean??? At one point I think a car with the worst reliablity was 15% more likely to break down then one with the best but now I think it is only 5% more likely.
And the bills for upkeep of a fleet that large would be chasing me all over the place.
I think that's probably the thing that keeps me from amassing too much of a junkyard. If I add another car to my regular insurance policy, it's about $300 per year for liability-only. If I put a car on my antique policy it only comes out to something like $6.00 per $1000 of stated value. But then the car has to be kept in a locked garage. I estimate that my 4-car garage ended up costing about $28,000 so far (still has to be painted, needs gutters, needs the electric hooked up, etc), so that comes out to about $7,000 per car, plus whatever it does to my property taxes the next time I get assessed. On the plus side, I guess it does add value to the property, but I'm sure there's a diminishing rate of returns on stuff like that. While having the one garage might raise the value by X amount, building a second one might not add any value!
One of my neighbors had two houses on about 5 1/2 acres of land. The older house up front had a separate 2-car garage. The newer house in back had a 4 car detached garage, as well as an oversized 2-car carport. It was something like 27-28 feet deep, so if you pulled the lead cars up far enough, you could get a couple cars in behind them, enough to at least get the passenger compartment out of te weather. And on top of that he built another building, kind of a raised carport with a peaked roof that was big enough to hold a motorhome and two cars. There had been another building on the lot too, big enough to hold a car. However, the place got sold back in 2001, and the new owner tore down the motorhome carport and the single-car garage. I wish I had the money to buy the place back then. The whole thing, 5.5 acres, two houses and all only sold for something like $270K, but at the time it may have been a $billion, because I couldn't afford it either way. And nowadays, we have half-acre lots with nothing on them asking $330K and more, so I'd hate to think what this property would go for these days.
At one time the guy must've had something like 20 or more old cars and trucks scattered around back there. His property was surrounded mostly by woods, so he could get away with it for awhile. Until a new development went in a few hundred feet behind him, and the first winter, once the leaves were off the trees, somebody complained about a school bus he had back there! :surprise: A lot of his stuff really was junk though, and probably just got hauled off to the dump/junkyard.
Maintenance can be annoying, too. You'll get the feeling that you just changed the oil, replaced the battery, did a tuneup, etc, because chances are that you just did! It's just now it's time to do it with another car!
Comments
Going back to some of the used cars (some, very used) I miss.....'69 MGB GT. Wasn't particularly powerful. It wasn't fast. But, it was fun. The females "dug" it. And, I learned all about auto mechanics and maintenance on it (by force), trying to keep it on the road.
Another one I miss was a well used '76 Datsun 260Z. It was probably the poorest model for a Z car, but it introduced me to what a smooth running straight 6 engine really could do. It was a rust bucket by the time I got my hands on it, but again, the girls loved it (ex girlfriend ended up totalling it...at which time, we promptly broke up).
The all time "missed" car was a '67 GTO convertible with an HO 400 motor. Bought it while it was in storage. An old guy who lived in my parents neighborhood had bought it new for his wife's 60th birthday. Unfortunately, he didn't ask her if she wanted a manual tranny (which she didn't). She disliked it so much, he pulled it into the garage and let it sit (except for his occasional drives to keep the battery charged and dry rot away from the rubber parts). That went on for 20 years ('87) until he started "liquidating" assets in his twilight years (he actually died less than a year after I bought it from him).
While, I had long since moved away from my parents neighborhood, The GTO owner remembered me as a young'un drooling over that garaged GTO. He'd actually let me sit in it if I were passing by and he had it out for a drive (well before I was able to reach the peddals).
He contacted my father when he was about to sell his house to move into a retirement home and asked if he thought I'd be interested in buying the GTO. My father contacted me. Asked my father to give the guy $500 to hold it for me (which he did, grudgingly). I was living out of town, but ended up at the guy's house the following weekend. Bought it on the spot without even starting it up. It was completely stock. He made me a very fair deal since old muscle cars weren't exactly on the forefront of anyone's mind during that period of time, and I was a neighbor "kid".
Pushed it 5 houses down to my parents home. Changed the oil. Put new valve cover gaskets on it....new hoses and belts. Flushed and filled the radiator. Did a brake job. Tuned it. Checked the compression. All was good. Did all this in my parents driveway over the course of a Saturday and Sunday. (much to my mother's chagrin).
Drove it home.
Surprisingly, it had no rust. It did need paint and a new top. I put new tires on it, painted it (original gold color), put a new top on it....and battery. Interior was in great shape. No cracks or rips. Just needed to get a thorough cleaning and detailing. Everything worked (including the factory A/C and FM radio option).
Boy did I love that car. But, in the ensuing years, I got married. Wife made me sell it to get a "proper family sedan". Idiot that I was, I complied. Wife is now gone and I miss the GTO more than I ever did her.
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0 / 03 Montero Ltd
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
--LEB
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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1. APR on my loan was too high compared to all the 0% deals at that time. I was dumb enough not to know that most of the interest goes in the first year. Just when most of the car payment was gonna start going towards principal, I traded it in. All I was thinking at the time was that I could have been driving a bigger car for same car payment due to 0% on new deal - but then you have to pay longer - which was conveniently lost on me.
2. Not enough power (translation not macho enough
Prior to deciding on a Dodge he came very close to buying a Titan, but the numbers didn't work out even though they were cutting a great deal. Just couldn't get it low enough to fit in his budget.
This is kinda fun, lol.
BTW, my truck will turn 4k miles tomorrow. :surprise:
I did make some good money on that GTO when I sold it, but nothing compared to what it would have brought in today's market...particularly given that I kept it in tip-top shape. For all intents and purposes, it was my daily driver. I did all the work on it myself (when you could actually maintain a car with simple tools and a little knuckle grease and know-how). I was living in a "no snow" area back then, though.
'60s muscle cars were nowhere to be found on the road back in the '80s. There was nothing on the street back then that the GTO couldn't quickly dispatch....not from the big 3 (not even a 'vette), not from Toyota (Supras)...Honda (Preludes), nor Datsun (Z cars). There was one gas station I found that sold racing fuel. The GTO took leaded gas, so that's the only place I went to get the "go juice" the car thirsted for. I felt like a "made guy" when I drove that car on the street....especially with the top down.
To add insult to injury, I ended up taking the money I got for that GTO and buying.....get this.....a new Chevy Citation (the ex-wife thought it was "cute"). Talk about a piece of garbage. This was in the era of 12 mo/12K warranties. As soon as the warranty was up, it literally began to fall apart. At 30K miles (a little over 2 years later), the engine sounded like a John Deere diesel. Door handles wouldn't stay on the doors. It spewed various fluids like it had a terminal disease. It looked (and drove) like it had 250K miles on it.
The GTO was built like a tank, in comparison.
I often wonder where that GTO is now.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Anyway, it's a MY2000 Honda S2000, black on black, looks to be stock except for the JVC stereo (which doesn't work with the dash controls
I drove by the Chevy dealer in the courthouse Monday morning and saw a little roadster sitting at the corner of the lot. I thought, "Oh, somebody traded in a Miata." I took a second look and thought, "Holy :surprise:, it's an S2000! What the frell is that doing here?" I stopped by on my way home that afternoon and took it out for a spin. One of the nice things about rural living is the maze of twisty back roads marked at 55 mph. I went back Tuesday morning to do the deal, and took it home that afternoon just ahead of a series of dumping thunderstorms. So, for $16,900 plus a few hundred of tax and other crud, I got myself a fabulous car that I intend to hang onto until one of us expires.
Oh, the S2000 was traded in on a Trailblazer. :confuse:
In '04 they revised the suspension slightly which subdued that trait somewhat. Enjoy that zing to redline. Who needs a stereo anyway? That motor is quite a jewel and the whole car feels so connected.
Couple of years later he traded in the freelander for a base LR3, duragrain seats and again no sunroofs.
Strange guy.
Just a few weeks ago I had someone trade in a Saabaru 92x or whatever that wagon is with the manual tranny, sunroof and heated seats for a LR3. :confuse:
I am genuinely curious what happened to the resale of those after GM discounted them so heavily last year (I believe it got up to $7k-$9k off).
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I don't remember what we put on it I would have to look maybe 15,000??? or a little less
$15k does seem high. I think the street price got down to maybe $17-$18k for a brand new nonturbo.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
That was around $23K-$24K.. A great deal, compared to the WRX wagon, of which it was essentially a clone..
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'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Ohhh and while I was looking that up I noticed one of our other stores just took in a 1997 Black Cherokee Sport with 56,000 miles on it. They only own it for 1,500 dollars. Hmhhh gonna have to go find it and see if it is rough.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Yes I know that makes no sense at all but that is exactly how it was explained to me.
I've always wondered why a dealer would choose to increase one number and drop another or whatever. There never seemed to be a rhyme or reason to it, though.
For instance, when trading our Honda Pilot, the dealer went way over trade-in value on it on paper. But when trading my Lincoln, the dealer went under true trade-in but, on paper, took a loss on the new car.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I also can't see all of the information on this system. I do not have the security privelages so there are probably some things I am missing.
Do you think this deal could hurt sales from a car consultants perspective ?
Thanx,
Rocky
Of course you can probably replace the JVC with another stock stereo. I love steering wheel controls for the stereo, but in a sports car/weekend fun car I could probably live without.....
Rocky
I mean I really like how both the Sky and Solstice but I don't see them matching the S2000 as far as a drivers car goes.
They are using the manual transmission from the Colorado/Canyon pickups for crying out loud.
The S2000 is in a whole different league than the GM twins.
Ford is not going to sell Jag because they are not going to sell Land Rover. The opperations of the two brands are much too integrated now and many Jag dealerships are also Land Rover dealerships. We share marketing people and managment for the entire North American market.
We share powertrains with Jag and Aston Martin as well. So just not going to happen at all. Land Rover is Fords most profitable division by far and Jag's quality has risen to nearly the level of Lexus.
Jag just needs time to get their product line fixed a little bit and Land Rover needs to get some of Jag's quality to slide over. That should start happneing very quickly now as the newest Land Rover is going to be built and Jag's Halewood plant.
LOL, well it's been this site along with the detnews that has turned this topic into a major news strory.
BTW- GM could make a 10K rpm engine if it wanted to invest the R&D into accomplishing that task, but what's the benefit into doing it ? I'd expect the Japanese to accomplish that goal since they already carry that image with the VTEC system, and they haven't yet done it.
Well I'm glad to see you speak against such an idea, but the media is saying the opposite of you pal.
I guess I'll see who's right in the upcoming future on the HyunJagrover issue. :shades:
Rocky
Does your definition of "quality" differ with the general public? :surprise:
The S2000 radio controls are on the dash to the left of the steering wheel. The only thing on the wheel are two of the three cruise control buttons. The JVC seems to work well enough, but the S2000 isn't the kind of car that really needs a radio.
1 = MX0, 3LT, NAV (Std. \ base suspension)
& 1 = MX0, 1LT, Z51.
Brief background. I have driven 4 door sport sedans for many years. Last Corvette I drove was a ’98 or ’99 C5 owned by a business associate about 5 years ago. Last one I have been inside, except at a show or (stationary) at a dealer, was a Y2K C5. My current ride is a 2005 GP GXP (5.3L V8, 4 speed manumatic w/Paddles), with published quarter times generally clustered in the low 14s.
Paddle Shift A6. One of the reasons I have waited until now to allow myself to seriously consider a Corvette has been the previous 4 speed automatic trans. No offense intended to anyone with that trans., but each of my past 4 sedans has had a 4 or 5 speed manumatic trans. – and I know I would miss that feature, a lot. ( I have posted several reasons for my preference elsewhere on the Forum. ) This 6 speed trans. with paddle shift manumatic function is an acceptable implementation. Shift response to paddle command could certainly be quicker, but I am reasonably certain now that I could adapt. Otherwise, the driveline is smooth and refined. Engine response is always sharp & immediate. LS2 = great V8!
Z51. Not as much ride difference as I’d expected, but expecting to put 15K mi / yr on what will be a daily driver ( unlikely to be driven on a track or auto-X ), cheaper & longer lasting front tires, etc. mean I’d be fine with the Base suspension. I did not stress the car, handling-wise, in my drives, and thus would not have been able to evaluate any difference(s) in ultimate limits. I trust the published numbers – as I believe the Quarter Mile ET-s I’ve seen.
The ride of the base suspension suits me & my driving requirements just fine. The ride is certainly firm, but I found it well controlled \ damped & I expect that it will be livable for my long trips as well as my commute. Also (and one reason I did not fight the suggestion that I drive a Z51 as well as a Base car) neither of these 2 cars showed any signs of extraneous noise, such as creaks or groans or squeaks from interior plastic bits rubbing or from anything that might not be bolted (screwed, glued) together perfectly. I noticed no wind noise at the (brief) 70 MPH cruise intervals. ( Sound systems were off during all of both drives. ) I presume that it would be the same at any speed I’d be comfortable holding & cruising = typically 80 MPH or so. No vibrations noted at any speeds – in either car. I heard no ‘click’ on brake applications.
The overall impression was of a very well engineered & carefully assembled car. Remarkably so. Kudos, GM.
Sport seats = excellent comfort & support! 1LT \ base seats, not so much.
The controls and displays are well done & I felt immediately comfortable in the car – and given that the driving position is a good 6 or 7 inches (or more) lower than anything I have driven in a long time, that really impressed me.
Acceleration. Well, ‘acceptable’ hardly covers this. ( New cars, low miles, no abuse.) But there is definitely enough acceleration ability to appreciate the difference between my current sedan (again, low 14s) and a 13 flat or better sports car.
Sound. I will probably replace the exhaust at some point, with something just a bit more aggressive – but the combination \ blend of engine & exhaust was OK. For now.
Handling. I certainly did not stress these cars. They both felt sure footed, planted, confidence inspiring. I expect that it will be rewarding to drive at 6 or 7 tenths, without being punishing to drive over imperfect surfaces.
Steering. See above. And: Effort, response, road feel, & kickback = all excellent on the 5 mile (or so) loop I drove.
Outward visibility. OK. Rear mirror size & placement, etc. is not quite as good as I had hoped (and I am used to) but I think it will be OK. The only remaining issue \ concern for me here is the low roof line & ability to see things like overhead traffic signals. Best I can tell, I ‘lose’ about 6 to 8 inches of windshield height, compared to what I am used to seeing, looking forward. My ‘Solution’ = I will order the CC3.
HUD = very cool. Even better than mine. I have one in my GXP, and use it literally all the time. This particular example had a slight ( but would be annoying ) distortion, likely in the windshield glass at that particular area – as I moved my head side to side while driving. ( Not caused by polarized sunglasses. ) But the Tachometer display as well as the gear selected & the MPH means I would even more rarely have to look down at the instruments. Well done.
3LT. 1LT. I already knew that I would want the 3LT. As stated, I found the sport seats (2LT & 3) to be exceptionally comfortable as well as supportive. (I am 6’0” and approx. 225 \ 230 #s.) The 1LT \ Base seats, were noticeably less comfortable, at least for me. I’d also find the lack of the current trans. gear display on the HUD (3LT) to be annoying in a 1LT or 2LT – having to divert my eyes well down off the road, to the DIC display, below the Speedo & Tach. And the telescoping wheel allows me to adopt a more comfortable driving position.
I will once more mention that I noted ( and thoroughly enjoyed ) the very significant difference in acceleration feel between my current sedan (again, documented as a low 14s) and this 13 flat (or better) C6 A6. Because this is one primary reason for my lusting after the C6, and these drives met my (high) expectations. In my street driving, I can rarely even approach the handling limits of any car, as I always want to leave some measure of safety margin, to allow for the unexpected (for example: sand or oil on the road surface, an idiot move by another driver, etc.) even in (um) ‘spirited’ cornering. But I can ** ALWAYS ** manage a safe place to use WOT. Even if only briefly.
Yet, quite clearly, the C6 is much more than a very quick accelerating sports car. There was certainly no doubt in my mind after these test drives that the C6 is a thoroughbred: A refined, but very capable grand touring machine - as well as a an outstanding overall sports car. Exactly what I am looking for, right now.
So. I will likely order a 2007 – for delivery in late September to late October. ( Assuming that I can come to terms with a dealer on Price. )
MX0, 3LT, CC3, Monterey Red \ Titanium.
And yet, I was invited to drive the new BMW 335i Coupe here near Atlanta this weekend. And I am going to do that as well . . .
Clearly afflicted . . .
Comments welcome.
- Ray
Very favorably impressed with the ‘Vette.
You really wonder tho, with Hyundai ranked above Toyota, & Subaru near the bottom & barely above saab......even if the JD power surveys were accurate, I think way more people are interested in longer term reliability, & there I think CR is right on. At least, CR has served me well in trying to judge reliability of makes/models/ MY's......
http://www.truedelta.com/pieces/think.php
He has some very interesting articles on CR and JD Power.
I think that's probably the thing that keeps me from amassing too much of a junkyard. If I add another car to my regular insurance policy, it's about $300 per year for liability-only. If I put a car on my antique policy it only comes out to something like $6.00 per $1000 of stated value. But then the car has to be kept in a locked garage. I estimate that my 4-car garage ended up costing about $28,000 so far (still has to be painted, needs gutters, needs the electric hooked up, etc), so that comes out to about $7,000 per car, plus whatever it does to my property taxes the next time I get assessed. On the plus side, I guess it does add value to the property, but I'm sure there's a diminishing rate of returns on stuff like that. While having the one garage might raise the value by X amount, building a second one might not add any value!
One of my neighbors had two houses on about 5 1/2 acres of land. The older house up front had a separate 2-car garage. The newer house in back had a 4 car detached garage, as well as an oversized 2-car carport. It was something like 27-28 feet deep, so if you pulled the lead cars up far enough, you could get a couple cars in behind them, enough to at least get the passenger compartment out of te weather. And on top of that he built another building, kind of a raised carport with a peaked roof that was big enough to hold a motorhome and two cars. There had been another building on the lot too, big enough to hold a car. However, the place got sold back in 2001, and the new owner tore down the motorhome carport and the single-car garage. I wish I had the money to buy the place back then. The whole thing, 5.5 acres, two houses and all only sold for something like $270K, but at the time it may have been a $billion, because I couldn't afford it either way. And nowadays, we have half-acre lots with nothing on them asking $330K and more, so I'd hate to think what this property would go for these days.
At one time the guy must've had something like 20 or more old cars and trucks scattered around back there. His property was surrounded mostly by woods, so he could get away with it for awhile. Until a new development went in a few hundred feet behind him, and the first winter, once the leaves were off the trees, somebody complained about a school bus he had back there! :surprise: A lot of his stuff really was junk though, and probably just got hauled off to the dump/junkyard.
Maintenance can be annoying, too. You'll get the feeling that you just changed the oil, replaced the battery, did a tuneup, etc, because chances are that you just did! It's just now it's time to do it with another car!