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Thread: Personal experiences with cars

  1. #11
    Member pawpaw's Avatar
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    In order...

    1979 Plymouth Arrow - made by Mitsubishi (I have come full circle), doomed by rust, engine was so quiet and smooth people would try to start it when it was idling, wiper fluid nozzles could be turned sideways to squirt kids riding on bikes

    1987 VW Golf, bought new, this was stripped when that meant something, no radio, no power steering, no A/C, of course no power doors or windows, partially destroyed by dealer changing out heater core (hmmmm), sold to roommate not long after

    1991? Honda Civic CX, leased while I was working for Honda, last car with 8 valve cylinder head in that line (I like simple), wish I had bought it after leaving Honda

    1985 Golf Diesel, needed a car quick after leaving Honda so bought this off a shady dealer lot, pretty sure he warmed it up before I test drove it because glow plugs did not work initially, started initially by cranking forever until heat of compression built up, filled neighborhood with white smoke, fixed glow plugs and loved, loved this car, again this was simple when diesels were still simple, no catalytic converter! Died due to nice lady deciding I was invisible and pulling out directly in front of me from stop sign.

    199? Ford Escort Wagon, liked the wagon part but the car itself was kind of meh, literally a gallon of perfume dumped in it before I bought it and it took about a year before the smell cleared, again rust did this one in

    2007 Saturn ION, bought new, huge mistake, hated the car, drove it for seven years, sold it to coworker who's son just got rid of it about a month ago

    2014 Mitsubishi Mirage, love it, will probably buy a newer one eventually and give this one to my son (maybe get a winter beater so I can keep it out of the salt )



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  3. #12
    Senior Member timw4mail's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler View Post
    My coworker had the same issue with his Scion coupe. Surprising those car had issues considering they were Toyotas. I was sad to hear Toyota abandoned their cheap brand. Now Mitsu and KIA fill that void, but without the Toyoya reputation of reliability.
    The carbon buildup? I think it's a very common problem with direct-injection engines.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2018 Mirage SE 1.2 automatic: 33.6 mpg (US) ... 14.3 km/L ... 7.0 L/100 km ... 40.4 mpg (Imp)


  4. #13
    Still Plays With Cars Loren's Avatar
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    Hmmm... okay, I'm gonna cheat. I wrote this in 2010...

    1966 Rambler - First car I remember driving, Mom let me drive it up and down our dirt road when I was 14. (1981)

    1970 Mercury Comet - Dad let me drive home from CAP meetings in it a few times, again when I was 14. (1981)

    1976 Dodge "Warlock" Stepside Pickup - This was what I learned to drive in when I got my permit at 15. (1982)

    1973 Ford Maverick - this was my first car, I bought it at 15 and was driving it to my summer job before I had my license. (1983)

    1977 Cadillac Eldorado - My stepdad's car, I drove it to work a few times... when I was 15. (1983)

    1973 Triumph Spitfire - Mom's car when I was 16, she traded the Dodge pickup for it because she wanted better gas mileage. I drove this car a lot and fell in love with everything about it. After I put it on its roof and totalled it, Mom told me she was going to give it to me as a graduation present. D'oh! (1984)

    1983 Pontiac Grand LeMans - What mom bought to replace the Spitfire after I wrecked it. I road-tripped it to VA and back with the family, and borrowed it a few times. (1984)

    1972 Ford Maverick - after wrecking my first Maverick twice, I picked this one up cheap. Didn't have it for long, it had transmission issues that I wasn't talented enough to figure out. (1984)

    1978 Chevy Monza - First car that I had ever got a loan on... $1200. Got a lot of miles in this car and liked it a lot. I tried to teach Cathy to drive stick in it and it got demolished by a big Pontiac at the end of Powell Rd. in Dunnellon. (1984)

    1976 Mercury Capri - This was the last generation of the German Capri in the US. This one had an Olds 215 V8 engine swap. I got rid of it because it was getting me into too much trouble. One of the few cars that I wish I hadn't sold. (1985)

    1981 Plymouth Horizon TC3 - I really liked this car at the time in spite of its automatic transmission. It went through three of those transmissions. Then I wrecked it (lightly) and traded it in. (1985)

    1986 Chevy Sprint - My first NEW car. Had lots of fun in it, abused the hell out of it, still got 38 mpg. Mom decided to take over the payments when I joined the AF. (1986)

    1972 Ford Pinto - Bought this to drive from AF tech school in CO back to FL and to my first assignment. I loved this car! It reminded me what driving a beater was all about. Park anywhere, drive anywhere, just GO. At least, until it quit running for unknown reasons on a back road outside of Wichita. I opted to trade it, but before they got to it, someone had set fire to it and it had been towed! (1987)

    1988 VW Fox GL - Second new car. A lot like an early Rabbit, if you've ever owned one. The most basic of basic transportation, but I loved it. Until I got bored with it. (1987)

    1977 Toyota Celica GT - Sherri was driving the new car, so I bought this to get around in. Bought from the original owner, so it was in good condition, but getting a little rusty. Reminded me a lot of the Capri, only it wasn't fast. (1987)

    1979 VW Rabbit - Had been sitting in Sherri's aunt's yard in GA for 2-3 years. Offered her $200 for it. New battery and some tune-up and I drove it back to KS. Not without issue... the fuel injector seals had dried out and it didn't want to climb mountains much. Had the dealer fix that, sold the Celica and drove it for a while until the clutch went out. (1988)

    1975 Triumph Spitfire - It finally happened, I got the urge to buy another Spitfire. I drove this one for a couple years before taking it off the road to do a V6 engine swap that never quite got finished. (I drove it a couple times, but it had problems) (1989)

    1986 Honda CRX - Traded the Fox in on this. It was a base model, but still probably the nicest car that I'd owned up to that point. What a fun car! Had to trade it on something with more space when Alex was born. (1990)

    1991 Mazda B2600 Pickup - I was a homeowner, so a truck made sense. This one had an extended cab with enough room for a child seat in the back. First thing I owned with ABS... even if it was only on the rear. (1991)

    1993 Geo Metro Convertible - I bought this car new when I got divorced. I wanted a convertible, but I also wanted small and practical. Having had a Metro/Sprint before, I knew what I was getting into. But, what I didn't know was that cutting the top off of a Metro makes it rather flexy. Traded it after a year because I was afraid it was going to shake itself apart and lose all value if I kept it another year. (1993)

    1992 Nissan Sentra - This was Cathy's car when she moved out to KS. I'd have liked it if it weren't an automatic. (1993)

    1994 Saturn SC2 - This was the last car I ever bought showroom new. I loved this car for a long, long time! It was the car that I started autocrossing in in 1995. I kept it for 7 years, and the only reason I got rid of it was that I wanted another convertible and I wanted to get into a "real" sports car. (1994-2001)

    1996 Saturn SL1 - Cathy traded her Sentra in on this. The old Saturn S series was a really well-engineered car. The SL1 with an automatic was a little sluggish, but Cathy drove it for 10 years. Lots of road trips in this car. (1995-2005)

    1996 Mazda Miata - I loved this car for a long time, too! This was the car that took me from autocross to track events on road courses like Sebring. Kept it for 6 years until I got the bug and bought another Spitfire that took it's place in the garage. (2001-2007)

    1976 Triumph Spitfire - Love-Hate relationship here. I love the styling, the feel and the "charm" of the Spitfire. But, the engine gave up in this one after about a year. I paid big bucks to have it rebuilt, and it quit again. I started an engine swap project on it, and ended up selling it a couple years later. (2007)

    1990 Mazda Miata - Bought this for Alex's first car, then sold it. Then bought it back as a daily driver beater after I sold my nice Miata. Beat the SNOT out of this car! Had lots of fun in it, but ultimately got tired of fixing it. (2007)

    1992 Mazda Miata - Bought this one to resell. It was one of those Craigslist deals that was too good to pass up. Paid $1000 for it, sold the hard top that came with it for $500. Put about $700 in it fixing a heater hose, the clutch, and put new shocks, wheels and tires on it. Net investment $1200... sold it for $3500. (2007)

    2006 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V - I didn't own this car, but logged a lot of time with my buddy Jeff on road trips, race tracks and autocrosses. Did One Lap of America in this car and learned a lot about how to drive unfamiliar race tracks, which has served me well as I moved on into racing. Hard to believe that it was based on the same platform as Cathy's old Sentra. It was much larger, handled better, and was FAST! (2007)

    2005 MINI Cooper - Cathy bought this when she sold her Saturn. She's very much in love with the car. It's a base model with an automatic transmission, so I have the same complaint that I had with her Saturn. But, otherwise, it is a very nice car and handles great! (2005-2010)

    2007 Toyota Yaris - Did you know that a Toyota Yaris is as fast as an early 1.6 liter Miata and can be made to handle as well as one, too? It's true. Of course, it doesn't have the FEEL of a Miata, but it was still fun. Not a fast car by modern standards, but it could get me anywhere from 36-48 mpg depending on how I drove it and it really ticked people off to get beaten by a Yaris at autocrosses. After about 2.5 years, I finally decided that I was tired of driving slow and sold it. (2008-2010)

    1993 Toyota Tercel - Another car I bought for Alex, but ended up selling. I really liked this car and had a hard time deciding whether to sell it or the Yaris! It was like the Yaris (same platform), only lighter, more nimble and less refined. Driving it felt a lot like driving the Spitfire! (2009)

    2006 BMW Z4 Coupe - Suddenly, it occurred to me that I hadn't owned a "fast" car since 1986 when I had the Capri. I figured I was due, so I shopped for something fast and affordable. This car was just a little more money than I wanted to spend, but it captured my soul and I knew I had to have it. It was a lot of car for $21k! But, ultimately, I found that I never could really enjoy it. The combination of it being so fast that I was always afraid I was going to get a speeding ticket, not being able to afford to put proper tires on it for track or autocross, not being able to afford to fix it if I broke it, plus the fact that it didn't feel "light and nimble" led me to sell it after 2 years. I did have fun with it, though! (2010-2012)

    1991 Mazda Miata - Did I mention "light and nimble"? Yep, back into another Miata. This one was a $1,000 beater. After 4-5 years driving fixed-roof cars, I found that I didn't really miss having a convertible all that much. I decided that this one would be a full-time "Miata Coupe" with a focus on minimizing weight and maximizing "feel". So, the soft top was removed and a hard top permanently installed, and I've been steadily removing weight, tweaking suspension, and making minor power and "response" modifications. Fun! (2012)

    2007 Mazda MX-5 - After the warranty expired on Cathy's MINI, the car really made me nervous. The silly CVT transmission was prone to failure, NOT repairable, and a used replacement cost $4k! So, we put it up for sale and started looking for something else. For the first time ever, I got Cathy to test drive a Miata. And that was all it took! We settled on a low-mileage 2-year-old "Grand Touring" model with automatic (she still won't drive a stick) and the power hard top. In spite of the automatic (which is actually quite good), I love driving this car! (2010)

    1991 Chevy S10 - Bought this $900 truck to loan to Alex for a while. And when it ended up back in my driveway, we decided to keep it. A truck is handy to have, as is a spare vehicle. It's a solid beater. 4.3 liter automatic. (2013)
    Simplify and add lightness.

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  6. #14
    Still Plays With Cars Loren's Avatar
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    And since then...

    1997 Chevy S10 - Sold the '91 to get one with a 5-speed that would be autocrossable in a pinch (or perhaps even as a primary competition vehicle)... stumbled upon one with a 383 V8 under the hood, and foolishly bought it. It's been a love-hate relationship ever since. I broke the cardinal rule: Never buy someone else's project.

    2001 Mazda Miata - Sold the '91 Miata after I broke something that I'd over-modded and got frustrated with it. I was in the business of flipping Miatas at the time, this is one that I bought to flip... and kept for a year or so. Prepped it for stock class autocross and ran it for a year. (won my class, thank you very much)

    About 8 other Miatas - bought 'em cheap, cleaned them up, sold them.

    1991 Ford Festiva - Bought this with a friend for $500. Modded the hell out of it for autocross, and competed in it for two seasons. THE most fun I've ever had autocrossing. We intended to swap a 1.6 Miata engine into it (it's a bolt-in swap), but had so much fun with the car just with suspension mods and fat tires that we never bothered doing the swap. We did, however go through 3 engines and two transmissions... and got tired of working on it. Nobody wanted to buy a Festiva with home-built ugly box flares on it, so it eventually got scrapped.

    2015 Mitsubishi Mirage - This was intended to be the more reliable replacement for the Festiva. Y'all know this story.

    2015 Mazda Miata - Wife's car. She traded her 2007 on an identical 2015 with much lower mileage. Immediately had it painted in the color that she'd always wanted it to be. (Mazda never painted one in a proper metallic teal color)

    1999 Mazda Miata - Bought this from the same friend who I was in the Festiva with. Lots of history with this car. Working on making it my new autocross car. Did bodywork and custom paint on it. Making it a "coupe" like the '91, but not modifying it as much. It's mostly stock.

    2017 Kia Rio & 2017 Hyundai Accent - Bought these as driver's ed cars. They've been great reliable basic transportation. Just enough features, but without a bunch of fancy stuff like backup cameras and blind spot monitors and crap that we didn't want in our way while teaching new drivers.

    I thinks that's a fairly accurate record of all of my cars. Maybe.
    Simplify and add lightness.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Fummins View Post
    Unless your other 3 tires are totally worn out I see zero need to replace all four other than to make money. If anything I'd say it'd wear the transfer case before the diffs and have nothing to do with the transmission.
    Any AWD vehicle that I have owned has had two sets of tires. The older set used during the summer months, and the newer set used during the winter months. It's important that all four tires match up on an AWD systems regardless of their age.

    I've never lost a single tire out of a set of 4 tires, except for a Dunlop Enasave on my Mirage. A pair of Federal tires were cheaper than one Dunlop. Thus, I went that route at the time. Even if the Dunlop were the same price, I would buy the Federal instead.

    I would never run different tires on an AWD vehicles. The systems are designed for a matching set of tires. If you have some research that indicates otherwise, I would like to read it.

  9. #16
    Senior Member Wallythacker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fummins View Post
    Good point. I see warranty problems. I meant if I had old one without warranty and someone told me I need 4 new tires I'd suggest they perform filaccio.
    I'd tell them the same thing, then drive around to the back of their building, park in a camera dead spot, stuff a rag into my filler neck and when it was marshmallow time I'd wander into the service area to tell them there's a vehicle out back with an "electrical fire"
    Zero, 2014 ES Plus 5MT, written off but not forgotten.
    Zero II, 2014 SE, 5MT, climate She's HOME now!
    Shelby AKA "Cute", 2017 ES 5MT, A/C.

    Mirage owners look at the world differently than everyone else, but in a better way
    We're driving the Beetle of the 21st century, the greatest small car now available!

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2017 Mirage ES PLus 1.2 manual: 39.0 mpg (US) ... 16.6 km/L ... 6.0 L/100 km ... 46.8 mpg (Imp)


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  11. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    Any AWD vehicle that I have owned has had two sets of tires. The older set used during the summer months, and the newer set used during the winter months. It's important that all four tires match up on an AWD systems regardless of their age.

    I've never lost a single tire out of a set of 4 tires, except for a Dunlop Enasave on my Mirage. A pair of Federal tires were cheaper than one Dunlop. Thus, I went that route at the time. Even if the Dunlop were the same price, I would buy the Federal instead.

    I would never run different tires on an AWD vehicles. The systems are designed for a matching set of tires. If you have some research that indicates otherwise, I would like to read it.
    Sorry, didn't mean to offend you or something. I didn't say run different tires. I said if you get a flat and all the other tires have lots of tread on them then it would be stupid to replace all 4. I would replace the one tire that doesn't have the air inside of it. If the remaining 3 tires are bald, meaning having not a lot of tread left on them then yes it would make sense to replace all 4 of the tires as there would be a noticeable difference in circumference. I think it's a waste of money to replace 4 tires rather than replace just 1 tire if the other 3 aren't worn down noticeably. If the front tires wear faster on an awd, better replace all 4?

    I think you really misinterpreted what I was trying to say.
    Mirage videos:

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


  12. #18
    Moderator Eggman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fummins View Post
    I said if you get a flat and all the other tires have lots of tread on them then it would be stupid to replace all 4. I would replace the one tire that doesn't have the air inside of it.
    Lockers & limited slips might take a beating, along with confusing all the sensors. Old trucks with open differentials don't have this problem.

    Wood stoves would never have this problem, and they are safer for marshmallow time too.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


  13. #19
    Yeah, you guys are right. If the wife gets a flat today I'll send her back to the dealer to have all 4 tires with 1000 kms on them replaced. Might be expensive after replacing tires a few times a year but what can you do.
    Mirage videos:

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


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  15. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fummins View Post
    Yeah, you guys are right. If the wife gets a flat today I'll send her back to the dealer to have all 4 tires with 1000 kms on them replaced. Might be expensive after replacing tires a few times a year but what can you do.
    Make sure to replace the new spare too



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