The Car & Bike Thread

[ian]

New car time. Maybe

Well the last straw with my current car was misjudging a corner and ramming the front passenger side into a gutter.

to fix it I need to rip the whole front end off again, replace the lower splitter and front guard.
Plus there's just a tonne of work I need to do to bring it up to code:
Rebuild the aircon
Fix the speedo
Put the computer display back in
and tonnes of wiring to get things working again
Get a new bonnet

Now no matter how much I love it, The work required, ans cost involved is just too much for a car from 1988 with hail damage.

I need something faster.
Not sure If I want to put this on club rego and keep it, or sell it when I have the new one.
I'm thinking a nice WRX, Ute or Wagon.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

What about something like this?

[Prophet][]

I'm looking at new car too. Probably an SUV or large hatch.

[ian]

Zoidberg, GENIUS search OVER!!!

Prophet. Just don't get a toyota SUV. because your driving will revert to shitty soccer mum in the space of 2 weeks.

And I still can't decide what to do.. Maybe drive it till it drops, take my plates off and just abandon it. then get a new one.

[Iced Coffee Man]

Get a mitsubishi cube

[Calavera]

Get yourself something classy like this!

[ET's Gay Lover]

Might I suggest ian, that with your apparent driving style, this may be a safer option for you.

[ian]

Get yourself something classy like this!

While it may look quite striking, american cars are like land yachting to drive.
I prefer precision in my handling and braking. And big american (and Australian) cars simply handle like parade floats.

And parts for a beast like that would be insane to get here.

My next car is 80% likely to be Japanese, 15% likely to be European and 5% Australian. And the only reason I'd get a local car is for the POWER, cheap parts, and thrashability.

[Code-Red]

Get yourself something classy like this!

I had one of those. Most comfortable ride I'll ever experience... ever. Mine was a 78 Town car though.

[Prophet][]

I bought a new car yesterday. Renault Koleos Bose Edition 2015.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Thread title changed!

[Bandit]

Get yourself something classy like this!

I had one of those. Most comfortable ride I'll ever experience... ever. Mine was a 78 Town car though.

Lincoln Town cars are awesome. I had one for years, then I got a Subaru Tribeca in September.

[ian]

I purchased a new Project car. No more 1988 R31 Skyline with no aircon for me..

A 1989 R31 Skyline with aircon is the way of the future! $300 Red executive with the horrible brown interior..

Full grandpa spec (got it off a grandpa, just like the last one) Has done 216,000 odd K's (not even broken in yet for an RB30)
It got stolen and had the front bumper ripped off.. so I'm gonna get a new one.
The paint is a bit shot, but will come up nice with a wash, cut, spot spray, polish, clay, waxing..

I was going to use it for parts for mine, but with very little work, it'll be awesome!

This but red (with no bumper.) I'll get pics up later.


This is what I've done so far..
24/01/17: won car off ebay.
02/02/17: towed car home. Dumped out front.
04/02/17: got parts and moved to work spot.
05/02/17: took stickers off windows and body
06/02/17: Flushed radiator, new coolant and new oil and filter, replaced power steering fluid.
07/02/17: Took off grill and boot trim, cleaned around and inspected f brakes. brakes will pass road worthy.
08/02/17: cleaned grill, removed front mudflaps, started to remove airbox.

This is kind of an all rounder.. Not only am I using it as a guinea pig for seeing if I can fix stuff (I've never done any mechanical car work.. so I'm learning on this, then doing the work to the car I Care about) But It's also a restoration (both mechanically and visually in itself) Plus it gets me out of the house and doing something fun.

Things to get/do in the immediate future.
Under bonnet:
6 Spark plugs NGK BCPR6ES-11 $30
New fuel filter $34
New air filter $14 after overhaul of entire air intake system (after it passes road worthy, I'll put a pod filter on it.)
Check injectors.
Check why headlights aren't working (only parking lights and highbeams work, probably just a fuse or globes)

On the road:
New wheels and tyres $80 (in talks with someone on ebay.. and it's cheaper to buy all new wheels with tyres on them, than get tyres lol)
New front and back bumpers. (front is missing, and back has a dent that it's easier to just replace than fix.

And down the line because I can:
Pioneer CD speaker set. $100 (same one in my white car, but on sale.. works great because it has 2 speakers, and this model only has 2 at stock.
Remote Central locking kit. (car can't lock ATM.. theives broke the lock right out.. will fix with remote central locking kit eventually.

[ian]

work was going along nicely till I decided fuck everything in June.

I had replaced all the fuel hoses, flushed the whole fuel system, checked all the brakes, fixed the headlights, ripped the arse end off, fitted the new wheels and was about to fix the tail lights.. then just gave up.
It just needs bumpers and tail lights put back on, locks and a wash and the car is done, but I can't be fucked, so it's been sitting, rotting away in the back yard.

I've been driving my white one till it dies. Today I broke the gear knob off, and lost a little bolt to reattach it, so I'm super short shifting. gear changes are like shaking hands with an ant!

Probably going to list both on ebay as 99 cent auctions when I have more free listings and walk away.

[ian]

I got pissed off with changing gear with no knob (was like shaking hands with an ant)
So I fixed that, went for a thrashy, hoony, pointless night drive and fucked it royally.
Fucked the brakes and steering and something in the diff.

I figured since I like to go fast, I'd better be able to stop fast, and don't trust myself to fix something critical like brakes.

So i took it to my mechanic. They gave it a 20 minute inspection and found a few issues:
Severely damaged my tie rod ends, one was nearly snapped. (Explains the wobbling at speed and the inner tyre wear.
tyres are practically semi slicks.
Everything except the radiator is leaking... EVERYTHING.
diff housing about to fall apart.
brake piston at back jamming (fucking again)
Wiper assembly is completely fucked.

I told them just to do the brakes and tie rod ends and leave the rest.
They've been telling me I should get new tyres since 2014.. I'll get new tyres when they are slicks and I have a close call in the wet (they're semi slicks atm, just enough tread that I can still stop on wet roads, usually)

[ian]

Put a deposit down on a nice and mostly clean 2001 'bug eye' Subaru Impreza WRX hatchback in WR blue. (manual, naturally)
Drives well, really sound. working everything, full service history and Road worthy cert. It looks a bit shonky but the chassis and engine are rock solid and it drives amazingly well for a 17 year old turbo with 230,000+ k's. so it's worth the time, effort and cost to clean up. It'll clean up very nicely and relatively easily.

$5500.

Bit of a nice speed upgrade. This thing is as fast off the lights at 2,500 RPM as my current car is at 3,700RPM and that's not to mention the handling upgrade of 4WD and good tyres with tread in the corners.
I wasn't even trying and I was kicking my skylines ass.

I am keeping my Skyline because I'm like Takumi Fujiwara in that thing.. I'll thrash the shit out of it and keep up with things much better, newer and more powerful.

I know this thing is quick, but I still think the Skyline will be more fun to drive... Plus it has 80's style. But I need something more comfy as a daily drive.

[ian]

Loving my rex.
I got angry in traffic the other day and redlined it in first, then second, then third..

SO AMAZING!

[ian]

Subaru needs a service, but it keeps going. I have discovered something different about the rex.
Most good cars reward you for good driving. The WRX punishes you for bad driving... If that makes sense.

[ian]

Loving my rex, but I can't just cruise in it, it demands you drive it at 100%, 100% of the time.
so I've got another subaru for a bit more comfort.

http://www.graysonline.com/lot/0001-342 ... atic-sedan.

It's auto, and less harsh.. but still has enough up and go for some fun driving.

Will get Liberty all done and good to go as a daily, then start working on the wrx.

[ian]

Been enjoying my liberty B4 since Monday.
For a boring sedan with leather seats and super comfy, it can fang it pretty hard.

I mean, throttle flat to the floor, in sport shift mode this thing is almost as fast as fanging the REX.. I'd say only a second slower from stopped to 110 kmph than my rex. it is a year newer (rex is 2001, this is 2002)

Instead of flappy paddles, it has 2 buttons on either side of the steering wheel for up and down.. This has the added benefit of me not saying "flappy paddle" in engine tone on every single change..
(And yes.. when I drive a flappy paddle car, I am obliged to say "flappy paddle" on EVERY SINGLE CHANGE)

Biggest gripe with the car is the ashtray light is gone.. (Will NEED that fixed) and that on the gear lever sports mode, shift up is towards the front of the car.. When I'm getting pushed back into the seat at redline. I don't want to have to fight the force to lean forward to go to the next gear..

I learnt that in an SS commodore, having gear up towards the driver is MUCH easier when you're in a hurry!