Car Talk

“What's (TM)??”

“TM = Toyota Motors.”

“Brother in law has one and has never had a problem with it. I want to say it is a 2001 or 2002. He talked about trading in for a new one, but becuase nothing is wrong with it and also because it is paid off, he is keeping.”

“I do believe I have found the ugliest sports car ever made. The Covini C6W. I think Covini is Italian for "WTF?".

”

“Looks like it was designed by a dyslexic mini-trucker who has a penchant for tandem axles.”

“Triple thump 2D cat maker.”

“duallies in the front..weird.

maybe its female”

“dudes do you even realize the traction and stability that thing would give you that thing would be so bad ass to drive... I want one”

“i've got a crack in my distributer...anyone see any problems with just sealing it up with epoxy or should i spring for a new cap?”

“New cap.....
How about the wires?
None of that stuff lasts and new parts are more efficient.

Wires do "wear out", too.
They are carrying tens of thousands of volts to the plugs.
Get a new rotor while you're at it.

Neglect can bite you in the ass possibly leaving you stranded in the least hospitable of places and if you have little kids with you a situation like that can be quite uncomfortable at best.”

“i'll be replacing the wires and plugs soon...i just hate to spend $25 on a piece of plastic that i could probably repair with some epoxy i already have

went to start the car this morning and it wouldn't start so i had my wife turn it while i looked...sure enough, the spark was escaping out a crack in the cap...i've taped it up for now to get it started and get me to work...i only drive this car to work and back and the kids are never in it so that's not much of a concern

the kick in the jewels is i just got the title in the mail from the bank yesterday after paying it off...damn murphy”

“Anyone see the latest crash tests on TV for the small cars, Honda fit, Toyota Yaris and Smart car? Not very good in a crash with just a mid size car and got poor ratings. I'd hate to think what would happen getting hit with a pickup or SUV in one of those cars. They said the injuries just in that test would have been severe to fatal.”

“Heard about them on the radio the other morning. When they said Yaris, I thought about Nigal.

Drive safe sparky!”

“i thought the smart car was supposed to be safe?”

“Less than 1% of accidents would be of that character. Judge for your own driving situation - mine is a no, because I'm surrounded by two lane winding roads full of desert rats in Ford 250 trucks with no driver on duty.”

“The Smart Car IS safe - watch this crash at 70 mph head on into a concrete barrier.....with a live driver who walks away.”

“Plugs, wires, cap and rotor must all be replaced together.

That "piece of plastic" has metal contacts inside where the metal tip of the rotor distributes the spark as it spins.
These contacts wear and the process becomes less efficient and less reliable.

$25??
Is that all?

If the cap is old enough to have cracked, then the contacts inside are probably ready to schit the bed anyway.”

“Salebored, you need some Afrika Korps to battle those Desert Rats.”

“We need cars that vaporize when in excess of 49 3/32 mph, Poof. And, roads with speed bumps in front of every liquor store, so we can get rid of those ugly signs.”

“$25??
Is that all?
yup, it's a geo for christ's sake

If the cap is old enough to have cracked, then the contacts inside are probably ready to schit the bed anyway.

you gotta way with words ;)...thanks for the advice...since i'll be replacing the plugs and wires anyway i guess i'll go ahead and replace those too”

“On second thought, if its a Geo you might be able to push it to work.”

“Not very good in a crash with just a mid size car and got poor ratings.

These were front quarter head on collisions with larger cars. These rarely occur in regular driving. Take a midsize and smash it into a full size the same way and you'd get the same effect.”

“Duct Tape.”

“I have never replaced the wires on my '93 Toy p/u, just the rotor a time or two and the cap at least once and the plugs a couple times now. Replacing the O2 sensor last year did more good then anything else. 204,000 on it now. A new starter and horn is all else that I have replaced on it since I bought it used back in '97 or somewhere there, when it had around 49,000 miles. It still gets 30-32 mpg.

I bought a Civic a couple years ago, I liked it over the Corolla, as it had two doors and had more air bags. I thought it would be safer, as I am older now and prone to trying to catch a few winks when driving to work on Monday mornings at oh-dark-thirty.”

“

Pagani Zonda F Roadster





1966 Nova SS   SOLD


last edited: 6/22/09 8:03:46 PM”

“I've posted updates in the past on my '93 Caprice... here is the complete rundown. So far I've replaced the steering box (original 3.5 turns, now 2.5), springs (stiffest stock available), idler arm, shocks, front stabilizer/sway bar, added a rear bar, new rear control arms and bushings, and replaced the tires (high performance). Basically I've changed the steering and suspension to be better than a 94-96 Impala SS or the police package Caprice.

I like the feel of the new steering box but eventually I need it opened up by someone in-the-know, it has internal stops that need to be removed according to what I've read online, it doesn't turn as tight as it did before. Only a problem when I go to park it so not a show-stopper. Very balanced steering now with no over or understeer that I can feel, but that's probably mostly due to the new stabilizer bars. I have mixed feelings on the springs, some days I think I should have stayed with the factory springs or only gone a little stiffer since it can get a little bouncy at times. The factory springs absolutely swallowed pot holes and some days I would prefer that, but the rear never sat level when parked (one side or the other was always an inch or two higher) so I thought the old springs were wearing out which is why I replaced them... but the new springs do the same thing so I have no idea why it won't sit level now. I might put a hitch on it in the future so the stiff springs will be useful anyway if I use it for towing. A learning experience and in the future I probably wouldn't go this stiff. The stabilizer bars and rear control arms made a world of difference. The front is 1.25" and the rear is 1.5" (there was no bar in the rear before). VERY stiff, keeps the car and tires dead-level on turns. I literally can't get it to break loose on hard turns unless I do something unsafe - the old "corners like on rails" is very true in this case. I need bucket seats to keep me in place now! Add it to my list of future mods. Eventually I'll replace the bushings on the front control arms but for now they are stock, and I'll probably keep the stock control arms. I put on the highest-performance street tires I could without crossing over into the "street slick" category. Its my daily driver so I still need as much rain traction as I can get.

Future plans include playing with the steering a little more - its always had a problem drifting right or left, its not rock-solid like all the other cars I've driven. I hoped the new idler arm or steering box would help, but they only made minor improvements. Might need to replace the rest of the steering linkage and replace the front bushings to fix it. I've considered replacing the wheels with something a little wider in the rear and more sporty-looking all around; it still has the "grandma mobile" look. Going really extreme I've also considered chopping the top and raking it a little - cut 2.5" up front and 1.5" at the rear, but between the body work, new glass, and new paint we're talking big bucks so that would be later. I would love to replace the rear end with a limited-slip differential, which should help with snow traction and if I ever move to a high-end engine.

The big question is what I'm going to do under the hood. I could get a 350 that's been bored, modified cam/lifters/etc. etc. and add a blower or turbo. The usual upgrade route. But thinking unconventionally there have been a lot of advances on the electric racing scene, and I could get extreme torque in a lighter package than a traditional gasser if I go electric. The downside short-term is batteries still haven't advanced enough to keep it as my daily driver; it would be track-only and/or a weekender sticking close to home. Probably 5-10 years from now I'll be able to get enough range from new technology to use it normally. And any motor or engine with higher torque and hp than a stock 350 will probably require a new tranny, too. So... for now I'm on the fence and I'll leave the 305 in place. Maybe I'll try a nitrous setup with it for a little more kick.

Between now and then I'm hoping the Chevy Volt comes through (or something from the competition). I would love to have an electric car for my 45-minute commute.”

“You've been busy ----

For Some reason this is reminding me of Kenny Brown and his P1 and P2 Panthers (I think there was a P3 that might've been armored, LOL). I think he's just doing Mustangs, now, no big bruiser Crown Vics.

http://kennybrown.com/


Speaking of electrics, have you seen the proposed Tesla Sedan? Pretty snazzy ---

http://www.teslamotors.com/models/index.php

”

“I would love to have an electric car for my 45-minute commute.

So would millions of others, possibly billions around the world. It'll be interesting to see the geopolitical problems that arise if/when lithium ion batteries become the standard. I believe South America has most of the world's lithium. It could become the new middle east! That's a lot of ASSuming, though.

BTW - cool car.”

“i can't help but wonder how many beauties like this were lost to the cash for clunkers program...we had an '88 wood paneled mercury grand marquee station wagon that we absolutely adored...it wasn't a daily driver, it was just a fun 3rd car to go camping in or loading up with tons of people and hitting an amusement park or concert...i kick myself for getting rid of it every time i see one...we also had a jeep grand waggoner...i just wonder how many fun cars like that were lost”

“Not many.”

“I got a kick out of the dealers ads on TV about how they would help you 'recycle' your old clunker for up to $4500.
Recycle my a$$. LOL”

“SO how's that cash for clunkers going?

LOL like everything else PrezBO promised...lots of FLASH no CASH.”

“Back on track...has anyone here ever had the "post crash" experience with some of these new "lightweight" electric or "hybrid" type unibody cars?
NO? well its a heck of a lot of fun for extrication.”

“Tilt - the next Tesla looks interesting. Good specs, except for the price.

Thrifty - I don't want to know what oldies but goodies ended up in the crusher. A lot belonged there, but I'm sure some should have been restored instead.

Nigal - LOL. I could take some pics of the new stabilizer bars...

XL - you couldn't get me in a Smart Car if you paid me. Talk about no crumple zone.”

“A Smart amongst only Smarts would be smart. Or, we could continue the biggest POS wins, that seems to be, again, the american dream, no, seven bedroom , four bath?”

“The old "safer in an SUV" fallacy is a strain on the cranium... when you arrive upside-down.


Hook that Tesla up to a windmill! < G >

I always thought having a flywheel to store kinetic energy from braking was an interesting idea.

(... and talk about cornering as if on rails....)”

“everyone makes fun of rednecks till their car breaks down....”

“salebored - there will always be dump trucks and buses on the roads, so some crumple zone will always be necessary. I'm not talking SUVs, just well-designed cars that eject the occupant's compartment up and away as the front and back compress (as many cars now do).

Tilt - I intend to have a nice solar array to run the house and charge the car. Can't wait.”

“The Aptera is an UPtera until everyone has one.”

“I was watching the news the other night and they said General motors will be offering a money back guarantee. I think it was for 60 days and within 4,000 miles. The idea is to get people in the showrooms according to one auto analyst they interviewed.”

“That's interesting. I wonder what the prices will look like to purchase a car that gets returned after that time frame. Might make for some decent deals.”

“Sounds like a demo program.”

“On the taxpayers dime, what a risk for Joe Taxpayer.”

“Sound s like GM is government run. I can't wait to see the fine print on what makes a car ineligible to be returned.”

“The customer will receive the purchase price of the vehicle itself after any rebates, discounts, plus applicable sales taxes that were actually paid. The customer's buyback price does not include anything else. For example, the buyback price does not include any other taxes, licensing, titling or registration fees, insurance, accessories, dealer fees, extended warranties, finance charges, negative equity or any other expenses incurred by the customer at the time of taking delivery of the new vehicle.

The last car I bought had dealer add ons that cost $710. I negotiated them out of the price, but I bet when you bring the car back they will certainly subtract those from what they owe you.
last edited: 9/16/09 6:25:00 AM”

“Fools and their money are soon parted.”

“I'm not usually a fan of artist Jeff Koons, but dayum, he did good on this beemer:

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/06/jeff-koons-art-car-doesnt-suck/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher”