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Your current car!

Started by Max Rockatansky, July 03, 2016, 03:37:44 PM

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Max Rockatansky

Figured this would make a decent off-shoot of the "first car" thread. 

For me, I have two cars that I would consider mine while my wife has her old Focus.  The daily driver is this 2014 Chevy Sonic LT:



This would be the 1.4L Turbo four with an automatic, I have about 39,000 miles on it.  I like how comfortable the Sonic is for a basic sub-compact car and it has some nice interior features like the My Link system Chevy uses.  The horsepower rating is the same as the base 1.8L but the torque is rated at 148ftlbs which is really good for the class.  I get usually 34-35 MPG which is more than acceptable...but I was hoping for more regular runs of 38-39 MPG.  Daily driving is where the Sonic excels at but it has some issues on road trip driving.  I get a lot of body roll on mountain roads but it's handled fairly well if use the proper amount of throttle steering.  The real issue is that the automatic really struggles to find gears between 6th and 5th on downhill grades exceeding 6%.  I've often found myself using the multimatic to go to 5th because the transmission doesn't want to grab the gear on it's own.  Acceptable daily car and one for racking mileage on...but it's going in the garbage more than likely at 150,000 miles.  I'm looking at a Fiesta ST type sub-compact the next go around.

The second car or weekend car is a 2016 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack:




Basically the purple and green is in honor of my father's street stock car which was a lime green with purple stripped 1977 Camaro.  I originally wanted a Sublime Green 2015 R/T but the Scat Pack with the 6.4L/392 Hemi was such a bargin for a big 485hp engine and all the good parts of a 2014 SRT8.  Basically I went into the dealer to order a 2015 but the supply of Sublime Green was already run but they were taking orders for the 2016 with the Plum Crazy Purple.  The plus sides to the Challenger Scat Pack include the high powered engine, comfortable ride, an awesome stock exhaust note and the build quality being very high given how long the LX platform has been in production.  The really bad part to the car is the tires and wheels...but that's largely because I didn't pay for an SRT-8.  The wheels look great but they are 8 inches even on the rear wheels which means I'm running 245s instead of 275s like I should.  The tires are a crappy all-season 440 treadwear when a softer compound would make all the difference in terms of handling. 



Ian

^ That car looks absolutely gorgeous! I've always had a soft spot for Challengers. As for me, I drive a 2008 Hyundai Sonata, currently sitting at about 129K miles. It's a pretty vanilla looking car, but it's actually pretty fun to drive...

UMaine graduate, former PennDOT employee, new SoCal resident.
Youtube l Flickr

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: Ian on July 04, 2016, 12:40:35 AM
^ That car looks absolutely gorgeous! I've always had a soft spot for Challengers. As for me, I drive a 2008 Hyundai Sonata, currently sitting at about 129K miles. It's a pretty vanilla looking car, but it's actually pretty fun to drive...



Thanks, I ended up picking it over the 2016 Camaro since it went more modern with the redesign as opposed to the 71 Challenger look.  That's a nice backdrop picture with you car, I would love to do something like that but I'm terrible at taking night shots. 

Stratuscaster

I have no decent pictures, but will share anyway...

2006 Chrysler Town & Country Touring WP Chrysler Signature Edition
130000 miles. Pretty well loaded with leather heated seats that are great in the winter but absolutely suck in the summer, and a DVD player that never gets used. We've always had minivans since our second kid, and we still have them now because we often help out family and friends. The usefulness of this van is beyond compare with the 2nd & 3rd row seats folding into the floor to swallow cargo. And, with the seats in place, it's one of the few vehicles my oldest son fits comfortably in (he's 6' 7" tall.) Technically it's the wife's car, but she recently developed eye trouble (cornea replacements all around!) so I've been driving it because it's a bit more comfortable than my car...

2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser
The odo says 97000 miles, service records say closer to 193000 - apparently the IP cluster was replaced but not reprogrammed. Not quite as useful as the van, but pretty useful in it's own right. Rear seats pull out and are on casters, and there's a lot of cargo space. Again, leather heated seats - the sides of the cushions can sometimes hit the heated seat switch mounted on the side and that's just lovely when it's 90+ degrees out. It's fun to drive despite being a tall wagon. The downside is that it's very thirsty - the 2.4L I4 gets the same fuel MPG as the 3.8L V6 in the van (they both average 19-20 around town) - so there's no real penalty when I take the van instead. The tall son fits in the PT as well, so that's a plus.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: Stratuscaster on July 04, 2016, 11:02:34 AM
I have no decent pictures, but will share anyway...

2006 Chrysler Town & Country Touring WP Chrysler Signature Edition
130000 miles. Pretty well loaded with leather heated seats that are great in the winter but absolutely suck in the summer, and a DVD player that never gets used. We've always had minivans since our second kid, and we still have them now because we often help out family and friends. The usefulness of this van is beyond compare with the 2nd & 3rd row seats folding into the floor to swallow cargo. And, with the seats in place, it's one of the few vehicles my oldest son fits comfortably in (he's 6' 7" tall.) Technically it's the wife's car, but she recently developed eye trouble (cornea replacements all around!) so I've been driving it because it's a bit more comfortable than my car...

2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser
The odo says 97000 miles, service records say closer to 193000 - apparently the IP cluster was replaced but not reprogrammed. Not quite as useful as the van, but pretty useful in it's own right. Rear seats pull out and are on casters, and there's a lot of cargo space. Again, leather heated seats - the sides of the cushions can sometimes hit the heated seat switch mounted on the side and that's just lovely when it's 90+ degrees out. It's fun to drive despite being a tall wagon. The downside is that it's very thirsty - the 2.4L I4 gets the same fuel MPG as the 3.8L V6 in the van (they both average 19-20 around town) - so there's no real penalty when I take the van instead. The tall son fits in the PT as well, so that's a plus.

You know it's funny, for a car that sold 1.35 million units I really think the PT gets a bad wrap.  People absolutely loved those cars when they came out because they really offered some versatility in the compact segment.  The problem was that Chrysler never really kept up with the platform and it should have had at least one refresh given the volume it pulled.  I always kind of looked at the Chevy HHR as the evolution of the PT....which isn't surprising considering the same guy designed the styling on both cars.  It's too bad there aren't any small American wagons available...I've never been a hatch back guy as evidenced by old trusty above.

US71

Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Zeffy

Don't have any good pictures (somehow), but I drive a white 2013 Honda Civic LX, with 35K miles (got it at 28.7K). It's a good solid car that is also quite fun to drive. It also has a normal 5-speed automatic transmission, which I believe has been largely replaced by the CVT automatics now.
Life would be boring if we didn't take an offramp every once in a while

A weird combination of a weather geek, roadgeek, car enthusiast and furry mixed with many anxiety related disorders

1995hoo

I have a 2004 Acura TL and a 1988 Mazda RX-7 convertible. Picture was taken in May 2007 just after I'd detailed both of them, but I still have both cars. My wife has a 2003 Acura RSX Type-S. All three cars are manuals (well, DUH in the case of the RSX since the Type-S was six-speed only).

"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

SteveG1988



1996 thunderbird LX 4.6L V8 bought it Jan 2015 sight unseen on craigs list. She had 88k when i bought her, the factory wheels were the 15" alloys, with 2002 made michelins on it with 7/32 tread remaining. the car wasn't sitting, just was barely used. Swapped the cloth interior for leather on it, swapped the factory wheels for a 1997 LX Sport 16" set of wheels so i could get more modern performance tires. 215/70R15 is minivan tires, 225/60R16 has acual performance tires still like the goodyear eagle sport  V rated. It has a new valve body on the transmission so it shifts faster and firmer, with less slipping than the factory setup. It also has a 2005 intake manifold so it won't crack, and gets a little bit more power.
Roads Clinched

I55,I82,I84(E&W)I88(W),I87(N),I81,I64,I74(W),I72,I57,I24,I65,I59,I12,I71,I77,I76(E&W),I70,I79,I85,I86(W),I27,I16,I97,I96,I43,I41,

Max Rockatansky

#9
Quote from: SteveG1988 on July 04, 2016, 12:40:28 PM


1996 thunderbird LX 4.6L V8 bought it Jan 2015 sight unseen on craigs list. She had 88k when i bought her, the factory wheels were the 15" alloys, with 2002 made michelins on it with 7/32 tread remaining. the car wasn't sitting, just was barely used. Swapped the cloth interior for leather on it, swapped the factory wheels for a 1997 LX Sport 16" set of wheels so i could get more modern performance tires. 215/70R15 is minivan tires, 225/60R16 has acual performance tires still like the goodyear eagle sport  V rated. It has a new valve body on the transmission so it shifts faster and firmer, with less slipping than the factory setup. It also has a 2005 intake manifold so it won't crack, and gets a little bit more power.

That's a hell of find, especially since it sounds like you're good at working on your own project updates.  I'm sure it wouldn't take a great deal to get 300hp/300ftlb out of that 4.6L with a couple more upgrades.  Ford really screwed the pooch with the 02 Thunderbird, the way I see it had two problems; it was way too expensive and it was way under powered with that 3.9L V8 that it shared with the Lincoln LS.  I actually really what they tried to do with the body style on the 02 model with the retro touches, Chevy made the same mistake shortly after with the SSR....that 5.3L Vortec was a joke in that thing.  It's too bad Ford couldn't see to make a business case for the FG Falcon being released as a new age Thunderbird....seemed to work for the Zeta/Camaro/G8/SS and the Charger ultimately was brought back to life with four doors.

Takumi

I own three Honda Preludes, a 1993 S (which came with the bulletproof F22A1 from the 1990-93 Accord, retuned to about 140 HP), a 1991 Si ALB that's all stock and in good condition, and a mildly modified 2001, one of the last ones ever made. All are black 5-speeds.

1991


2001
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

SteveG1988

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 04, 2016, 02:14:28 PM
Quote from: SteveG1988 on July 04, 2016, 12:40:28 PM


1996 thunderbird LX 4.6L V8 bought it Jan 2015 sight unseen on craigs list. She had 88k when i bought her, the factory wheels were the 15" alloys, with 2002 made michelins on it with 7/32 tread remaining. the car wasn't sitting, just was barely used. Swapped the cloth interior for leather on it, swapped the factory wheels for a 1997 LX Sport 16" set of wheels so i could get more modern performance tires. 215/70R15 is minivan tires, 225/60R16 has acual performance tires still like the goodyear eagle sport  V rated. It has a new valve body on the transmission so it shifts faster and firmer, with less slipping than the factory setup. It also has a 2005 intake manifold so it won't crack, and gets a little bit more power.

That's a hell of find, especially since it sounds like you're good at working on your own project updates.  I'm sure it wouldn't take a great deal to get 300hp/300ftlb out of that 4.6L with a couple more upgrades.  Ford really screwed the pooch with the 02 Thunderbird, the way I see it had two problems; it was way too expensive and it was way under powered with that 3.9L V8 that it shared with the Lincoln LS.  I actually really what they tried to do with the body style on the 02 model with the retro touches, Chevy made the same mistake shortly after with the SSR....that 5.3L Vortec was a joke in that thing.  It's too bad Ford couldn't see to make a business case for the FG Falcon being released as a new age Thunderbird....seemed to work for the Zeta/Camaro/G8/SS and the Charger ultimately was brought back to life with four doors.

The car has enough power. Right now she needs a complete paint job. That angle is the only good one, the roof/hood/trunk/cpillar/etc are all peeling. 3,000 bucks at Maaco for it, high end job with a warranty. I need to replace the upper control arms on the front, new engine mounts, and then mechanically she will be sound. Then tax refund 2017 i will get the paint done.
Roads Clinched

I55,I82,I84(E&W)I88(W),I87(N),I81,I64,I74(W),I72,I57,I24,I65,I59,I12,I71,I77,I76(E&W),I70,I79,I85,I86(W),I27,I16,I97,I96,I43,I41,

1995hoo

Quote from: Takumi on July 04, 2016, 03:38:18 PM
I own three Honda Preludes, a 1993 S (which came with the bulletproof F22A1 from the 1990-93 Accord, retuned to about 140 HP), a 1991 Si ALB that's all stock and in good condition, and a mildly modified 2001, one of the last ones ever made. All are black 5-speeds.

1991


....

I always liked the look of that generation of Prelude and I still wish I'd had the money to afford one around the 1990 timeframe, but since I was in high school at the time, I wound up with a '77 Granada instead.  X-( X-( X-(
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Thing 342


I currently drive a red 2012 Civic EX (pictured above at Breaks Interstate Park in February) with around 39,500 miles on it. It's somewhat small for me and a bit underpowered, but it's fun to drive and gets pretty good (~35-36 MPG) gas mileage. It's mileage is probably going to massively increase this summer, with my 86 mile round-trip commute to Great Bridge, but it's well built so I suspect it'll last well past 150K.

I also occasionally drive my parents' cars which include:
a 2008 Accord EX-L with around 115K miles that I took to Florida last summer,
a 2011 Pilot Touring with 70.5K that we use for camping and likewise,
and a recently-acquired 2016 Accord Touring to replace the 2008 (which will likely be going to my sister)

SteveG1988

#14


Roads Clinched

I55,I82,I84(E&W)I88(W),I87(N),I81,I64,I74(W),I72,I57,I24,I65,I59,I12,I71,I77,I76(E&W),I70,I79,I85,I86(W),I27,I16,I97,I96,I43,I41,

Takumi

Quote from: 1995hoo on July 04, 2016, 04:21:43 PM
I always liked the look of that generation of Prelude and I still wish I'd had the money to afford one around the 1990 timeframe, but since I was in high school at the time, I wound up with a '77 Granada instead.  X-( X-( X-(
To be fair, they weren't cheap. The Si at the time cost around $18,000, and adding either ABS or 4-wheel steering (you couldn't have both in the US) was another $750-1000. The 1991 is quite a bit slower than the 2001, but it's just as fun to drive because it's more nimble.
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

slorydn1

Please Note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of any governmental agency, non-governmental agency, quasi-governmental agency or wanna be governmental agency

Counties: Counties Visited

Stratuscaster

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 04, 2016, 11:40:56 AM
You know it's funny, for a car that sold 1.35 million units I really think the PT gets a bad wrap.  People absolutely loved those cars when they came out because they really offered some versatility in the compact segment.  The problem was that Chrysler never really kept up with the platform and it should have had at least one refresh given the volume it pulled.  I always kind of looked at the Chevy HHR as the evolution of the PT....which isn't surprising considering the same guy designed the styling on both cars.  It's too bad there aren't any small American wagons available...I've never been a hatch back guy as evidenced by old trusty above.
It DID have a refresh, in 2007. But this again was in the era of Daimler control, and they really cheapened it out. They knew they had a cash cow, most of the tooling had been paid for, and did the least they could to update the car. Since it was classed as a truck they kept it around for the CAFE benefits.

(Even worse, the PT was intended to be a Plymouth from the start, and the styling was going to be applied to the rest of the lineup. It could have saved the brand. But once Daimler stepped in, the decision was made to drop Chrysler downmarket and absorb the Plymouth customers - and the Chrysler brand paid for it.)

They hadn't had a car take off like than in sales, so they simply didn't know what to do with it. Today, now that you can read and learn about the problems they have and what to expect (and EVERY car has problems, so it applies across the board), AND because they built so many, one can pick up a PT rather cheaply and have a very decent and capable car. Which is what I did.

8.Lug

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 03, 2016, 03:37:44 PM


That's pretty awesome but I was definitely expecting something a bit more, well, Mad.

My current killer car. It goes by Doom 2. Its predecessor Doom Baby met a somewhat untimely fate.

Contrary to popular belief, things are exactly as they seem.

oscar

#19
I have two cars. The one I use most day-to-day, and usually take on my road trips, is my 2008 Prius. It's over 255,000 miles, and climbing. UPDATE 8/19/16: Now over 267,000 miles. But after some major mechanical problems over the last few thousand miles, probably limited to local travel, with my other car used for my road trips.



The other one is my 2006 Nissan Titan pickup truck, with an aftermarket walk-in camper shell. Even though I've owned it longer, it has fewer miles on it (over 145,000 miles), due to its sucky gas mileage. I use it mainly for road trips in the winter or taking me off-pavement when its 4x4 might come in handy, and also for camping.

my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

froggie

My current car:  a 2012 VW Tiguan SE with 4Motion.  AWD is an absolute necessary in Vermont in the winter.  101K miles.



(if the image doesn't show)

Max Rockatansky

#21
Quote from: 8.Lug on July 05, 2016, 03:29:27 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 03, 2016, 03:37:44 PM


That's pretty awesome but I was definitely expecting something a bit more, well, Mad.

My current killer car. It goes by Doom 2. Its predecessor Doom Baby met a somewhat untimely fate.



Yeah 1973 Falcon XB/GTs don't exactly grow on trees stateside much less all the modifications it would take.  When you think about it, 600hp at the rear wheels even out a 351 Cleveland with a giant blower is a tall order with money.  I still can't get my mind around how a belt driven blower would have a shut-off switch or a 100 gallon gas tank hanging where the rear hatch was.  :-D  There is actually a huge MFP logo in the rear window which you can't see since I picked pics that didn't show my pre-vintage California plate.  I can't help but think that's a play on the old PC games with the name?

Quote from: oscar on July 05, 2016, 06:05:30 AM
I have two cars. The one I use most day-to-day, and usually take on my road trips, is my 2008 Prius. It's over 255,000 miles, and climbing.



The other one is my 2006 Nissan Titan pickup truck, with an aftermarket walk-in camper shell. Even though I've owned it longer, it has fewer miles on it (over 140,000 miles), due to its sucky gas mileage. I use it mainly for road trips in the winter or taking me off-pavement when its 4x4 might come in handy, and also for camping.



Okay now you got me curious as to what year that Prius is on Pikes Peak?...was it before it was all paved?   That must have been interesting trying to descend with all the regenerative braking.

Quote from: Stratuscaster on July 05, 2016, 12:13:15 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 04, 2016, 11:40:56 AM
You know it's funny, for a car that sold 1.35 million units I really think the PT gets a bad wrap.  People absolutely loved those cars when they came out because they really offered some versatility in the compact segment.  The problem was that Chrysler never really kept up with the platform and it should have had at least one refresh given the volume it pulled.  I always kind of looked at the Chevy HHR as the evolution of the PT....which isn't surprising considering the same guy designed the styling on both cars.  It's too bad there aren't any small American wagons available...I've never been a hatch back guy as evidenced by old trusty above.
It DID have a refresh, in 2007. But this again was in the era of Daimler control, and they really cheapened it out. They knew they had a cash cow, most of the tooling had been paid for, and did the least they could to update the car. Since it was classed as a truck they kept it around for the CAFE benefits.

(Even worse, the PT was intended to be a Plymouth from the start, and the styling was going to be applied to the rest of the lineup. It could have saved the brand. But once Daimler stepped in, the decision was made to drop Chrysler downmarket and absorb the Plymouth customers - and the Chrysler brand paid for it.)

They hadn't had a car take off like than in sales, so they simply didn't know what to do with it. Today, now that you can read and learn about the problems they have and what to expect (and EVERY car has problems, so it applies across the board), AND because they built so many, one can pick up a PT rather cheaply and have a very decent and capable car. Which is what I did.

That's right...it was so subtle that it was hard to even notice now that you mention it.  That whole merger with Diamler was pretty much a disaster from the word go, it's still kind of amusing that the LX platform was the best thing that came out of it.  Chrysler went ahead and screwed things even more when they replaced the Neon with the Caliber the same year as that PT refresh and now they can't even get a wiff of a solid footing with the small car market.

oscar

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 05, 2016, 07:41:11 AM
Okay now you got me curious as to what year that Prius is on Pikes Peak?...was it before it was all paved?   That must have been interesting trying to descend with all the regenerative braking.

In June 2015, after the road to the summit was completely paved. The regenerative braking, together with the Prius' "low gear" (engine braking mode), were not enough to keep me out of the "penalty box" at the brake check station halfway down the mountain, where my car and several others had to wait for their brakes to cool down before continuing their descent.

On earlier trips to the Pikes Peak summit (all before the road was completely paved), my truck (four-speed automatic), my former BMW 3-series (five-speed manual), and possibly my former 1982 Honda Accord (ditto -- I know it did Mt. Evans, not sure it did Pikes Peak), went down in first gear with no brake overheating.  But my 1986 Honda Prelude (four-speed automatic) could only be downshifted to second gear, and it too had to cool its heels in the "penalty box".
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: oscar on July 05, 2016, 09:25:08 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 05, 2016, 07:41:11 AM
Okay now you got me curious as to what year that Prius is on Pikes Peak?...was it before it was all paved?   That must have been interesting trying to descend with all the regenerative braking.

In June 2015, after the road to the summit was completely paved. The regenerative braking, together with the Prius' "low gear" (engine braking mode), were not enough to keep me out of the "penalty box" at the brake check station halfway down the mountain, where my car and several others had to wait for their brakes to cool down before continuing their descent.

On earlier trips to the Pikes Peak summit (all before the road was completely paved), my truck (four-speed automatic), my former BMW 3-series (five-speed manual), and possibly my former 1982 Honda Accord (ditto -- I know it did Mt. Evans, not sure it did Pikes Peak), went down in first gear with no brake overheating.  But my 1986 Honda Prelude (four-speed automatic) could only be downshifted to second gear, and it too had to cool its heels in the "penalty box".

Just did Pikes Peak about a week and a half ago on the back end of a road trip through the Rockies.  I had a 2016 Corolla S as my rental car and it actually handled the uphill climb no issues at all.  I had a really tough time keeping the car in 1st gear though coming down and had to stop for the cool down at the midway station.  Thankfully the food was pretty decent and it was interesting watching people from the race control setting things up...would have loved to try it in my Challenger.  I skipped Mount Evans this go around since it really doesn't have the same I don't...omph that Pikes Peak does:





The last time I tried Pikes Peak was back in 2002/2003 with a 97 Chevy Silverado 4x4.  That was a much easier day given that the road was still mostly dirt which deterred a lot of the vacation crowd back then coupled with the greater ease of engine braking given I could just throw the shifter into a low gear.  I had to use the multimatic on the rental Corolla to keep it in first or second since there was no selector for low gears on the shifter.  The pavement makes you pick up more speed than you would have on dirt for sure.

Henry

Sure, my 1998 Tahoe may be a gas-guzzler SUV, but it has served me well as a daily driver and a roadtrip companion.
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!



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