[rykomatsu]

I find it hard to believe there aren't any automotive enthusiasts on this forum, so here's an attempt at creating one.

Treat this as the thread for anything automotive - come in and share, discuss, or ask questions about anything related to any vehicle type that can be driven around on the ground.

• News
• Showing off your new ride
• Questions about buying, selling, financing
• Track days
• Reviews, rants
• Repair advice
• etc

I've been tinkering around with cars for the better part of the last 2 decades and have gone through...12 or 13 vehicles in that time...

Started off in earnest with an MA70 Supra that I swapped a 1JZ into, followed by an NA Miata drift car, and an RX-7 GTUs. The last car I regret letting go since it was one of the most, if not rarest RX-7 to make it stateside (FC or FD).

I became "more responsible" and went through a period of Volvos. Started off with an 850 T-5, followed by a V70R AWD that I bought from Frank Zappa's son, and an S60R. The S60R clutch cylinder exploded on the freeway and I managed to clutchless shift it into the dealership because I had overbought my car and could barely afford repair, let alone a tow...was an experience for sure.

I spent the better part of the next few years in relatively nondescript cars since I was focusing on buying a home so went down market.

Bought our home, got finances in order again and spent 4 years driving an M235i MT. Was a phenomenal car that I still miss to this day. At the start of the coof pandemic, there was a window of time when vehicle prices dipped and had the opportunity to achieve a childhood dream of owning a Porsche and got myself into a 991.1 911 Carrera S. This was a PDK and I have to admit I am missing rowing gears, even if the PDK performance is amazing. Hoping to take the 911 to the track for the first time this fall as weather starts to cool down.

In the meanwhile, our current home has a 1400sqft outbuilding with a 2 post lift, so am cleaning out and starting to build out a small shop. I am looking for a project car to tinker around with. Not quite sure what, yet. Playing around with the idea of an FJ62 Land Cruiser, E46/E92 M3, or Porsche 912 restomod, but if anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears!

 

[regawdless]

Great thread!

And that Porsche is damn nice. Congrats on owning such a beauty. Also, pretty impressive hall you have there, be sure to update us when you've set everything up!

I'm interested in cars and work in the industry. Have been the project manager for some nice things in the upper range of Mercedes cars, also in the Maybach versions.

But currently, my own cars aren't anything special. I use a Citroen C4 Limousine to drive to work etc. It has the exclusive package with a cooled storage for drinks and shit. Drives very soft und comfortable, Not sporty at all. It's a "mild hybrid" diesel and has just phenomenal fuel efficiency. Around 5.5l per 100km, and I don't drive slowly. Bought it very cheap from my father in law.

For my wife and the three kids, I've bought a new Citroen Berlingo XL. Because it was the cheapest one on the market, huge and with nice functionality. It's freaking cool. Smooth driving with the 8 gear automatic drive, consumes around 8.6l per 100km, which is good for such a big car. And it's HUGE. Like, we put our big twin stroller in the trunk... Unfolded. Look at this:

And it's actually a 7 seater, so we can put two full seats back there with so much space that adults can easily sit there.

 

[delphi]

Love the outbuilding, thats an amazing space to tinker with your cars, and what a lovely Porsche!

At the moment we have a Mazda 2, which is a nice little hot hatch, not too powerful, and my pride and joy that we picked up last year as an ex-demo of a Volvo XC40 R-Design Pro, still with manual transmission and only the T3 engine so still pretty small, but goes well when you put the foot down. In the past my fiancé had a MX-5 which was good fun to drive (although being tall I had to have the roof down to do it comfortably).

 

[and 3 others]

Started with a Ford Probe GT Turbo. Blew that up by shimming the waste gate and adding 6 pounds of boost.
Then an A70 Supra 7M with a SP61GT turbo, and blew the head gasket. Sold it to a friend. He sold that for an R33 Skyline.

Now my daily driver is a Jeep Liberty, forgive me Kings....

 

[rykomatsu]

Started with a Ford Probe GT Turbo. Blew that up by shimming the waste gate and adding 6 pounds of boost.
Then an A70 Supra 7M with a SP61GT turbo, and blew the head gasket. Sold it to a friend. He sold that for an R33 Skyline.

Now my daily driver is a Jeep Liberty, forgive me Kings....

Just the head gasket on the Supra or internals busted too? My A70 was a love-hate relationship. Bought a clean 89 with like 40-50k miles on it, pulled hard. It developed rod knock right away, so swapped in a 1JZ which was awesome, but developed cooling issues and warped the head

 

[regawdless]

@rykomatsu what do you think about the push towards electric vehicles? Have you driven one yet?

 

[lock2k]

I work in the industry but I don't care about cars

 

[regawdless]

I work in the industry but I don't care about cars

Do you at least have one?

 

[lock2k]

Do you at least have one?

I have 2.

Wouldn't live without one, but I don't really have a passion for them.

 

[Frito_Pendejo]

I started as a JDM nerd and have since become a big fan of GM cars. Currently have a bone stock Trailblazer SS and a full bolt-on/cammed Gen 2 CTS-V. Still love Honda's and DSMs but V8s are where it's at for me at the moment.

 

[and 3 others]

Just the head gasket on the Supra or internals busted too? My A70 was a love-hate relationship. Bought a clean 89 with like 40-50k miles on it, pulled hard. It developed rod knock right away, so swapped in a 1JZ which was awesome, but developed cooling issues and warped the head

Put in metal head gasket without bumping compression. Blew head gasket, and blew the turbo.

 

[rykomatsu]

@rykomatsu what do you think about the push towards electric vehicles? Have you driven one yet?

I honestly think EVs up until 2021/2022 are only currently for 3 kinds of folks:

• People who exclusively stay in urban and suburban regions
• People who have 1 or more ICE vehicles for extended excursions
• People who have a lot of spare time on their hands

I find it pretty irritating when people say "long distance driving is an edge case, you shouldn't plan for that, so everyone should get an EV". Those edge cases, considering the population size of the US, still is a considerable number of people. I fall into that edge case - we spontaneously travel full-day or longer a lot, off the beaten path where chargers aren't to be found or super inconvenient.

2022+, I'm a bit more hopeful as 400+mi capable EVs are coming into play (if we believe Rivian and Tesla around the R1T and Cybertruck).

The Ford F-150 Lightning has some really great value prob as a movable generator platform for contractors, offroading destinations and stuff, but I'm still more bullish on the hybrids where you have the ICE capabilities blended with EV value propositions.

In general, the EV trucks are what I am super interested in.

 

[rykomatsu]

Does anyone have any idea on how to get rid of personal industrial vehicle waste?

The person we bought our home from left behind a waste oil barrel, and turned out there was a huge crack on the bottom of it that cause all the oil to leak out. I was able to dispose of the spill by using a bunch of pig blankets and stuff and transporting that to waste, but I don't have a means to transport the barrel and commercial waste disposal is $$$

 

[J-Roderton]

I'm really digging the new Frontier.

 

[rykomatsu]

Welp, due to Amazon error, I got 2 pressure washers for the price of 1 lol.

They sent me the wrong one, and since it's not a returnable item, they told me to keep it and are sending the correct one

The wrong unit is generating more than enough pressure and flow, but I cannot get my foam cannon to generate enough foam compared to my old electric pressure washer to wash my car...

 

[regawdless]

Just drove 200km in a VW ID.3 for work. Electric cars are weird but kinda cool to drive. They're so calm and quiet, no vibrations from the engine. I could've driven 200 more km, making the effective reach 400km - driving rather slowly at around 100km/h.

Which is kinda ridiculous. With my Citroen diesel mild hybrid, I can drive 1.200km with one full fuel tank. Even when I drive 120 - 130 km/h instead of 100.

 

[rykomatsu]

Which is kinda ridiculous. With my Citroen diesel mild hybrid, I can drive 1.200km with one full fuel tank. Even when I drive 120 - 130 km/h instead of 100.

What's a "mild hybrid"? I don't think I have heard that term in the US

 

[regawdless]

What's a "mild hybrid"? I don't think I have heard that term in the US

It has a comparatively small battery to support the engine or the energy system responsible for the cars functions like radio or AC, but never drives solely electric. The user can't charge the battery, it uses the kinetic energy from breaking to charge itself.

I often forget that the car even has a battery, because there's no interaction with it at all.

 

[rykomatsu]

It has a comparatively small battery to support the engine or the energy system responsible for the cars functions like radio or AC, but never drives solely electric. The user can't charge the battery, it uses the kinetic energy from breaking to charge itself.

I often forget that the car even has a battery, because there's no interaction with it at all.

Do you mean something like a car with auto-start/stop? Runs electrical systems temporarily while the motor is stopped at a traffic light, but motor kicks in after depleting the battery charge to an extent? Or something like a Prius?

 

[regawdless]

Do you mean something like a car with auto-start/stop? Runs electrical systems temporarily while the motor is stopped at a traffic light, but motor kicks in after depleting the battery charge to an extent? Or something like a Prius?

I'm honestly not 100% sure how it works in this car. I think that the energy from the battery support the start stop as well as the internal power system for all the electrical systems like the AC and radio.

 

[and 3 others]

My best friends Skyline GTR33. Doing a rebuild for insane horsepower!

Just means I need to accelerate my supercharged Gixxer1000 build!

 

[and 3 others]

Started with a Ford Probe GT Turbo. Blew that up by shimming the waste gate and adding 6 pounds of boost.
Then an A70 Supra 7M with a SP61GT turbo, and blew the head gasket. Sold it to a friend. He sold that for an R33 Skyline.

Now my daily driver is a Jeep Liberty, forgive me Kings....

 

[rykomatsu]

This has me genuinely excited:

The 2022 Rivian R1T Is the Most Remarkable Pickup We’ve Ever Driven

Yep, we drove it. Are you ready for the electric truck revolution?

www.motortrend.com

I am half tempted to sell the 911 for this...

 

[regawdless]

This has me genuinely excited:

The 2022 Rivian R1T Is the Most Remarkable Pickup We’ve Ever Driven

Yep, we drove it. Are you ready for the electric truck revolution?

www.motortrend.com

I am half tempted to sell the 911 for this...

Something inside of me just died.

 

[xrnzaaas]

2022 Dacia Jogger Unveiled As An Adventurous 7-Seater Crossover Wagon | Carscoops

The longest model in Dacia's current range is designed as an outdoor family car with a budget-friendly approach and a hybrid version coming in 2023

www.carscoops.com

Great news, everyone!

But in all seriousness it looks way better than Dacia Lodgy it's replacing. That thing was a big box on tiny wheels and the interior was laughably budget looking.

 

[Nikana]

I really need to show my 02 Mustang GT some love. I have neglected it because my house needed a lot of work. Barely drove it this year. Only has 52k on it.

 

[regawdless]

I really need to show my 02 Mustang GT some love. I have neglected it because my house needed a lot of work. Barely drove it this year. Only has 52k on it.

Love these Mustangs. I really like US muscle cars in general, because they are so bold.

 

[Nikana]

Love these Mustangs. I really like US muscle cars in general, because they are so bold.

I love every aspect except the front bumper. Its not as bold like the rest of the car, but its my favorite body of the mustang all around. Mine is silver/satin silver with black racing stripes. Ill upload a picture if I can find one.

 

[Nikana]

Yes this is me next to the car. I was that guy in my early 20s.

 

[regawdless]

Yes this is me next to the car. I was that guy in my early 20s.

Nice car, really like these older models.

My Citroen C4 needed maintenance, has now 176.000km on it. Needed to replace the timing belt and other shit, costing me a thousand bucks. Needed to be done though.

 

[Nikana]

Nice car, really like these older models.

My Citroen C4 needed maintenance, has now 176.000km on it. Needed to replace the timing belt and other shit, costing me a thousand bucks. Needed to be done though.

Timing belt is always a bitch lm especially depending on the engine.

Mustang has 55k only but I'm considering selling it honestly. Gas is getting too expensive and it's just sitting there. Shame really.

 

[regawdless]

Timing belt is always a bitch lm especially depending on the engine.

Mustang has 55k only but I'm considering selling it honestly. Gas is getting too expensive and it's just sitting there. Shame really.

Breaks my heart, it's such a beautiful car! How much does it gas does it use on average?

 

[Nikana]

Breaks my heart, it's such a beautiful car! How much does it gas does it use on average?

About 18 MPG. This year I just haven't had a ton of extra cash and it's not my daily driver so it hasn't gotten the attention but it's looking like next year money will be tight for awhile yet and with gas approaching $3.50 here it just doesn't make sense when my daily driver gets 35ish MPG.

We will see. It won't sell before winter anyway.

 

[HeresJohnny]

I really need to show my 02 Mustang GT some love. I have neglected it because my house needed a lot of work. Barely drove it this year. Only has 52k on it.

I had an '04 Mustang GT convertible. It was a great car, and there was nothing like firing it up and hearing that exhaust every morning. The 4.6 liter was not the powerhouse the current GT has, but it was plenty fast. I remember I got a photo radar ticket in the mail from the town of Pine saying I was clocked doing like 90 in a 50. The ticket was only a warning though because they hadn't finished setting up their photo radar program (if they had, I'd have been fucked) so I didn't have an issue. To anyone going to Arizona, watch out -- it's a fucking speed trap. There are cameras EVERYWHERE, but especially in Scottsdale where I used to live.

 

[regawdless]

I had an '04 Mustang GT convertible. It was a great car, and there was nothing like firing it up and hearing that exhaust every morning. The 4.6 liter was not the powerhouse the current GT has, but it was plenty fast. I remember I got a photo radar ticket in the mail from the town of Pine saying I was clocked doing like 90 in a 50. The ticket was only a warning though because they hadn't finished setting up their photo radar program (if they had, I'd have been fucked) so I didn't have an issue. To anyone going to Arizona, watch out -- it's a fucking speed trap. There are cameras EVERYWHERE, but especially in Scottsdale where I used to live.

They recently increased the fines for driving too fast here in Germany, but it's still relatively cheap compared to some other European countries.

 

[HeresJohnny]

They recently increased the fines for driving too fast here in Germany, but it's still relatively cheap compared to some other European countries.

Plus you guys have the autobahn, which kicks ass.

 

[Nikana]

I had an '04 Mustang GT convertible. It was a great car, and there was nothing like firing it up and hearing that exhaust every morning. The 4.6 liter was not the powerhouse the current GT has, but it was plenty fast. I remember I got a photo radar ticket in the mail from the town of Pine saying I was clocked doing like 90 in a 50. The ticket was only a warning though because they hadn't finished setting up their photo radar program (if they had, I'd have been fucked) so I didn't have an issue. To anyone going to Arizona, watch out -- it's a fucking speed trap. There are cameras EVERYWHERE, but especially in Scottsdale where I used to live.

I have a basanni extreme exhaust on it and it sounds sooooo sexy.

I love the car but I just dont have the money to feed the V8 on the reg lol. With the current world state though the price of the car went up 2k. I could sell it now for only a couple grand less than I bought it. I am tempted not gonna lie but I would honestly shed some tears if I let her go.

The V8 only produces around 260 BHP. I have some modifications that bumped it up to about 330 when it was dyno'd but the weight of the car is not nearly as heavy and the following models so it still fucking goooooooooooooes. I always forget how much power it has when I havent driven it in awhile and when I finally do, the inner Fast and the Furious brain kicks in.

I did some dumb shit in this car when I was younger.

 

[regawdless]

Plus you guys have the autobahn, which kicks ass.

I enjoy it as long as it lasts. Many interest groups and ideologically motivated people are fighting for a speed limit like in other countries. Which would suck, I love how fast you can travel with a fast car here.

 

[and 3 others]

My best friends Skyline GTR33. Doing a rebuild for insane horsepower!

Just means I need to accelerate my supercharged Gixxer1000 build!

OK, this is a wild one.


So TL;DW, my BFF sent his R33 Skyline to a "mechanic" in South Dakota with $30k in parts for his car to be built.

Along with several other people, calls went unanswered, work went undone, parts they sent him mysteriously ended up in other people's cars.

Dude 'allegedly' tried faking a suicide attempt, 'allegedly' tried selling off a bunch of the customers cars (one of which had the VIN numbers destroyed, and sold off most of the car as parts) and 'allegedly' was going to buy a large boat and disappear.

My friend just got back from SD getting his car back (which had significant damage and missing parts) along with a few other cars of people he's associated with. The "mechanic" also has a whole host of other jackassery outlined in the video.

Dudes sitting in jail now after the police raided his shop. My boy is out 30k plus the cost of the car.

 

[rykomatsu]

Looking at 13th gen F-150s and man, used car shopping is painful...

I'm hearing chip shortage abatement is coming, but the reality is that there was / is a 4-5mi car deficit so I'm not convinced prices will come down significantly for a while.

Also, with tax season creeping up, I would expect car prices to go up again soon.

Thoughts if I should buy now or try waiting it out?