Car Talk Topic

[Zyo]

Returned from the North Coast 500. Quite a trip. Only one mechanical failure. Mine. Lost a wiper arm on day 2 and had to detour. Amazing scenery, great driving roads. Lots of rain, unfortunately but still an amazing few days.

 

Car lineup in top trumps power order was:

Jaguar F-type R (550 hp supercharged beast)

Golf R wagon (quickest on the day with 310hp and AWD)

BMW 530i (me with 272)

Porsche Boxster S (260)

Mk1 Mazda MX5 (133, yet probably the most fun on the drive)

Nissan Note (90ish hp, aka the mothership. Pootled along carrying tents and airbeds and beer crates and BBQ ect)

 

A few pictures

Spoiler

Spoiler fail, ill fix it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 7, 2019 by Zyo
Doubled a picture, made an arse of spoiler hiding pics....

[Tchuck]

Finally had the test drive of the Supra over the weekend. God damn that thing is a beast. Completely docile when driving around town in regular traffic, goes into instant beast when you step on it. Incredible sense of power, very fast. Loved it.

 

But man... It does need a manual. I completely get that with an auto it will be faster on a track than if it was a manual. But I want to have full control over it, have a clutch to step on, hold the revs up high when I want to. The paddles are nice, but it's not the same.

 

Fun toy, though.

[Misumi]

Can you guys tell me what kind of Mercedes this is? I saw it drive by and I want to buy one for myself.

 

[Standard Deluxe 59]

1 hour ago, KDA said:

Can you guys tell me what kind of Mercedes this is? I saw it drive by and I want to buy one for myself.

 

That's one of those rare Nissan-Mercedes joint venture cars. They only made about four hundred of those Sentras branded as Mercedes D Classes because despite the upgraded interiors and three point star emblem, the Nissan influence was to heavy to justify Mercedes prices. 

[universetwisters]

Can someone over the age of 30 tell me what Oldsmobile was supposed to be in GM's lineup? Did GM really need two entry level luxury brands or am I misinformed thinking Oldsmobile was luxury because my understanding of GM's hierarchy has always been:

 

*Chevy - base/cheap

*Pontiac - sporty

*Buick - entry level luxury

*Cadillac - top tier luxury (within the brand)
*Oldsmobile - ???????

[sivispacem]

IIRC it used to be the GM brand they used to prototype innovations for other bits of the business, but that died a death in the 70s. I think from then-on it was just "for old people".

[Lurch]

I guess it technically would have been positioned as one rung under Cadillac with a lot of cheaper alternatives. Toronado to the Eldorado, Aurora to the Seville, etc. 

That being said, Buick seemed to have more interesting innovative things for sale from the 80's on. Grand National/GNX, the Reatta, Turbocharged and Supercharged FWD Rivieras. Hence why Oldsmobile died. 

[universetwisters]

6 hours ago, Lurch said:

That being said, Buick seemed to have more interesting innovative things for sale from the 80's on. Grand National/GNX, the Reatta, Turbocharged and Supercharged FWD Rivieras. Hence why Oldsmobile died. 

 

But why would Buick need to make sporty cars when Chevy and Pontiac were at the same time? 80s GM was full of redundancy 

[Cutter De Blanc]

I need a better battery, I had an aftermarket sound system and a car alarm installed, and now my battery is often unable to start the car in the morning. Had to buy a portable jumpstarter.

 

I'm thinking of getting an Optima Yellowtop, but they are a bit pricey

[uNi]

Had a nice Sunday there, driving back home on the motorway, at night, raining. Battery warning comes up, my first thought was "ok, going to need to buy a new one possibly, will look into it tomorrow". 

Few miles ahead, abs light comes up, then a few seconds the airbag one comes up as well. Hm.. is my battery charging at all? Few miles ahead, fuel gauge dies, rpm gauge dies, nop not charging is it? 

Couple more minutes ahead just 1 or 2 miles left for my exit, wipers die head lights starting to get weaker and my power steering finally dies off as well. 

 

tldr I got a new alternator and battery. 

[Tchuck]

For the longest time, I've been wanting to test drive the Honda S660. It just looks like an absolute delight. Haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

However, last month Toyota announced the GR version of the Daihatsu Copen. Which means the dealership of a family friend got one in as well. Today I went to test drive it.

 

 

 

And my god, what a fun little car. Tiny, manual transmission, redlines at 7.5k RPM, turns very tightly, and zooms. Sounds really, really good too. 

 

If only it didn't cost the same as an entry level 86...

 

 

[sivispacem]

I'm testing an MY19 C43 AMG against an M340i next week as a replacement for my M140i. Quite excited actually.

[paperbagdude]

I have heard sh*t from both Youtube mechanics and one guy I bought tires from that GM's 2.2 Ecotec engine is notorious for breaking the timing chain due to the lack of lubrication, resulting in the engine being destroyed.

 

Now Youtube mechanic Scotty Kilmer claimed to stay away from Ecotec engines, but is the problem also known in GM's 1.2 Ecotec (Z12XE/Z12XEP)?

Edited November 14, 2019 by paperbagdude

[sivispacem]

What the f*ck has happened to the notion of options on new cars? The system that seems to have replaced it, putting everything in arbitrary packs so you have to buy a load of sh*t you don't want in order to get the one or two options you do boggles my mind. 

 

It's not so bad with BMW where their packs kind of make sense. You get the "Premium" pack with nice sound systems and electric seats, or the "Tech" pack with a HUD and connectivity. I can tick two boxes and get all the options I'd want in one go.

 

But Merc's make absolutely no sense. It's ridiculously arbitrary, and the packs are phenomenally expensive. You can't spec certain trim and upholstery options without buying a four grand option pack...even if you're paying for the changes anyway!

 

Want the Burmeister stereo system but want to retain 18" wheels? You can't. Want heated electric front seats? You can't unless you spend £2k on a panoramic roof and keyless entry you don't want.

 

 

 

If I do go for the C43- and it's looking less and less likely as our local Merc dealer are f*cking dreadful, despite the car being awesome- I've either got to look for a pre-FL car with the options I want or compromise on the specification I want AND pay over the odds for the privilege of doing it. First world problems and all that but it's a f*cking piss take.

[Zyo]

Mercedes dealers are know to be a bit bad like that. My dad was looking at a C-class wagon for a grocery getter and running to the golf course in, but for reasons pretty similar to yours he ended up going across the street and getting a Golf instead. It was around the diesel scancal time so he got a decent deal too.

[CRAZY AL WARD]

Hi there

 

Honest question here: What's everyone's opinion on the Mercury Capri (1979-1986 models only)

Honest Answers Only

Pic of 1986 Capri GS for attention

[universetwisters]

On 11/16/2019 at 10:00 AM, CRAZY AL WARD said:

Hi there

 

Honest question here: What's everyone's opinion on the Mercury Capri (1979-1986 models only)

Honest Answers Only

Pic of 1986 Capri GS for attention

-snip-

 

It's a rebadged fox body Mustang riding off the name of the classic Mercury Capri of the early 70s that's just a rebadged European Capri and it's kinda upsetting

[Adrenalist]

On 11/15/2019 at 9:42 AM, sivispacem said:

What the f*ck has happened to the notion of options on new cars? The system that seems to have replaced it, putting everything in arbitrary packs so you have to buy a load of sh*t you don't want in order to get the one or two options you do boggles my mind. 

 

It's not so bad with BMW where their packs kind of make sense. You get the "Premium" pack with nice sound systems and electric seats, or the "Tech" pack with a HUD and connectivity. I can tick two boxes and get all the options I'd want in one go.

 

But Merc's make absolutely no sense. It's ridiculously arbitrary, and the packs are phenomenally expensive. You can't spec certain trim and upholstery options without buying a four grand option pack...even if you're paying for the changes anyway!

 

Want the Burmeister stereo system but want to retain 18" wheels? You can't. Want heated electric front seats? You can't unless you spend £2k on a panoramic roof and keyless entry you don't want

I only get pissed when the manufacturer bundles the nanny tech sh*t with things I like. As soon as that line gets crossed, I consider other options and get a comprehensive on the compromises. 

[GTA3Rockstar]

Need a question answered, or possible cause.

 

 

I got a 2004 Honda Civic EX that has heater issues. The heat works fine when idle for ~45 minutes, but once I start driving it doesn't blow hot. Car's temperature is about half way.

 

One thing I've noticed, the coolant in the reservoir tank is nearly full and doesn't return to the radiator after it cools down. I don't think it's anything severe. Fans work fine, heater works fine when idle. One simple solution I read was a bad radiator cap, so I bought one to test - should be here tomorrow. If that's not it, any other possible causes?

[sivispacem]

Sounds like the thermostat to me.

[Misumi]

Anyone here do a lot of car detailing, or is knowledgeable about the products?

 

I just bought a daily driver to haul around my new dog and I want to do a full detail since I have no idea when it was last detailed. Right now I'm confused about the clay bar/towel/mitt situation. I used to clean my cars religiously but haven't had time the past decade or so, but back then it seemed like clay bars were the only option. Now it seems they have clay towels and mitts. Are they as effective as clay bars? Are clay bars no longer ideal?

 

Would claying the car make sense or would it be a waste of time?

[sivispacem]

I think it's the same principal really. The advantage with the bar approach is that you can keep turning/folding the clay in order to limit/remove the likelihood of picking up grit or other contaminants that are likely to cause scratches.

Not sure the same is true of the clay mitts and cloths, they usually have one active side. They're probably faster to work with as they cover a larger area, but might not do as thorough a job.

 

I clay my car once or twice a year. It does make a big difference with things like oilspots, diesel, bugs and brake dust. If it's not been detailed for who-knows-how long, I'd probably pick up a bar or a mitt if you want to try it, then give it a good jet wash/shampoo and see how it scrubs up.

You can usually tell whether you need to clay by looking at the driver's side front door, front bumper or rear bumper behind the rear wheels, as these tend to get the lion's share of deposits. 

[Misumi]

I've been reading more about the differences between them. It seems like a few people are finding that the cloths and mitts aren't getting the really stubborn bits off, so I think I'll give the clay bar a try just to get everything off and start clean. Then I'll follow it up with a polish+sealant+wax and call it done. California weather is quite easy for most of the year, so I'm hoping I can leave it alone for another 6 months aside from routine washes.

 

I don't know if the car has ever been detailed, but the car is a 2017 model so it still looks brand new (13k miles). I haven't inspected the car closely yet, but the only immediate problem I see is a small chip on the edge of the tailgate. For that, I'm thinking of using one of those touch up paint pens. Never used one before and I'm not expecting much, but it's better than seeing the raw chip.

[sivispacem]

Get some pictures up

[Misumi]

When it ever stops raining, I might do that. 

[Misumi]

Well rain stopped and I'm taking the opportunity to detail the car for the winter. Here's a bad photo of my new dog hauler. I'm not planning to get any better photos, since it's just a beater car.

 

2017 BMW X1 with the M-sport package in Mineral Grey. Missing the premium package but no big deal for me. 13,000 miles, BMW Certified, and I got an extended warranty through 2023. $23,900 before TTL.

 

[Sean O'God]

thoughts on the Porsche Taycan? its EPA range came out a few days ago and is rated at 201 miles (or 323 km). and thats just the Turbo, not the Turbo S which would be even lower. maybe some people here are content with that range but it doesnt sound worth the money to me. even though a Model S has inferior build quality and after-sales support, given the choice i would still probably go for one considering the difference in acceleration and chassis dynamics between an S and a Taycan would be negligible on the street yet Tesla's superior range, infotainment, OTA updates, and charging infrastructure are massive pros. better yet go for a Model 3 Performance and save a ton of money but still gets 300 miles

 

just frustrated with the latest EVs from established manufacturers and it seems like they'll be a while until they have decent range. Tesla on the other hand has the range sorted out and thank god for their existence but i dont like the company and would be reluctant to spend money on one of their products (even though theyre fantastic to drive and be in). i really wanted to like the Taycan but with that range, idk. dont have hope for the e-Tron GT then either

 

looks great though

Edited December 19, 2019 by Sean O'God
added pic

[TCMike]

I like the Taycan.  I think using Turbo badging is dumb and I don't buy the apologist excuses for it, but other than that, I think it's a cool car.  As far as actually buying one goes, yeah, it's very expensive.  Comparing it to any Tesla reminds me of all those David v Goliath comparisons between the Corvette and the 911.  There is good reason why the expensive car costs more.  You get what you pay for, and all that.  

 

If I could actually afford one of these high end EV's, I think I would go the more practical route and get an Audi E-Tron.  Normally I hate these pseudo-coupe things, but the E-Tron Sportback is quite a handsome beast.  

 

 

But yeah, for now the Tesla Model 3 seems like the one to get, since it's actually somewhat affordable.

 

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I just watched a vid on TopGear's YT channel from Chris Harris talking about the new Ferrari Roma.

 

 

 

And he seems to think it looks just like the Aston Martin Vantage, which I find baffling.  Personally I consider the Vantage to be the least attractive design to come out of Aston Martin in my lifetime.  While I consider the new Ferrari Roma to be one of the most beautiful modern cars I've ever seen.  On what world are these two cars indistinguishable? 

 

 

They're about as similar as any two sport coupes in that segment class.  I think Chris Harris is going blind... or am I losing my mind?  

Edited December 21, 2019 by TCMike

[sivispacem]

They're very similar basic shapes. The Ferrari front end, particularly the lights and grille, also bear a striking resemblance to those of the the DB11.

 

The Aston back end is a bit of a mess...

[TCMike]

I just don't see it.  I don't know.  The Roma just doesn't look like an Aston to me, except in basic profiles where form follows function.