Automobile Thread

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Smokedaddy said:
Bought it new in late '89. '90 model year. Coming up through 182K miles.

While in Santa Monica, I once went 202 days with the top down, only putting it up to wash the car. (I didn't buy it to drive with the top up.)

Thing just runs and runs and runs, and I laugh my ass off up every onramp. I've been through a couple of clutches but I'm still on the original brake rotors. I had to fix it for the first time at 66,000 miles when the spark plug wires went out.

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Smokedaddy, you have one of the coolest cars I have ever seen!
 
I think dude is asking a lot, but of course the bottom line is what counts.

With a 390 that thing is going to slurp gas like a mad fish - depends on how much you gotta drive. Still, anybody you pass is gonna stay passed, and hills are Not A Problem.

Take a long, hard look at the top. One of those will be expensive and difficult to repair.

It'd be a hoot if it's in decent shape & runs well, though
 
Smokedaddy said:
I think dude is asking a lot, but of course the bottom line is what counts.

With a 390 that thing is going to slurp gas like a mad fish - depends on how much you gotta drive. Still, anybody you pass is gonna stay passed, and hills are Not A Problem.

Take a long, hard look at the top. One of those will be expensive and difficult to repair.

It'd be a hoot if it's in decent shape & runs well, though
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Thanks for the advice. I was told that it needed restoration to be drivable when I called the owner, and I don't have the money to potentially put a new engine, new transmission, new brakes and new gas lines in. He said the top was fine but needed to be cleaned.
 
So I finally bought another car. Been driving it every day and finally semi-permanently parked the van, which has been rattling as bad as Son-Chu and will probably get donated to St. Vincent DePaul once the tags are expired, the engine falls out, or when it won't start anymore (whichever comes first).

'81 Ford Fairmont Futura, $800 from a towing company that pretty accurately represented it (has a leaky valve cover gasket and some minor nuisance-type electrical problems, like the dome light and glovebox light working intermittently and the cruise control disconnected, but it runs great, has great seats and a nice-sounding Jensen AM/FM/8-track sound system that was probably installed when it was new). Problem is, that Yanachu broke my camera, so I have to use the Craigslist ad pics.

One of my roommates told me it looked like Bobby Joe Long's car (totally different, but... pic provided to compare)
 

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Our 2001(?) Mazda 626 died this week in front of our house. We still have a 2004 Nissan Maxima and a 2011 Hyundai Accent, though.
 
What kind of car do you drive?

My every day car is a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5l. I got it about two months ago. I also own a 1974 Ford F100 that was my grampa's and then my dad's. After I pay on the Jetta for a while I may upgrade to a VW Golf GTI.

What do you drive?
 
Re: What kind of car do you drive?

The Dude said:
My every day car is a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5l. I got it about two months ago. I also own a 1974 Ford F100 that was my grampa's and then my dad's. After I pay on the Jetta for a while I may upgrade to a VW Golf GTI.

What do you drive?
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2003 Hyundai Elantra for now. I used to drive a 97 Suburban and then a 93 1500.

Also, merging with appropriate thread.
 
Current Stratomobile pics!
 

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Yep, straight six and C4. Boring but reliable. The valve cover leak has since been fixed.

I want to get another one and put a Merkur XR4ti or Thunderbird Turbo Coupe engine and transmission in it, but that would be a lot of work.
 
As I am an Elderly Shut-In(tm) and can afford lots of insurance, I have two cars. Also because I am in California and we all seem to have two cars (okay, well, three actually -- if we're counting)

I drove a 1987 Nissan pickup for 18 years before moving in to a 2012 Murano that has a V6 and has some nice giddy-up. It is like a pickup for soccer moms, but I actually know how to drive it and do not drive like a soccer mom. And I would feel safe in it if I had to kill zommbies or something. I still own the '87 Nissan pickup which I have deep secret feelings for. I also have a 1972 325SL Mercedes hard top, which belonged to my dad. It is a monster and only comes out on special occasions, but it is the love of my life and I am slowly restoring it. It is made out of German metal and would also be good for killing zombies.
 
Stratochu said:
Yep, straight six and C4. Boring but reliable. The valve cover leak has since been fixed.

I want to get another one and put a Merkur XR4ti or Thunderbird Turbo Coupe engine and transmission in it, but that would be a lot of work.
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Why don't you put a 302 in there? The older Mustangs are Fox bodies, after all.

Or do you want to do something different?
 
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I just got my first car earlier this week its a 1985 Mercedes 380se
 
BALLZ-BROKEN said:
Stratochu said:
Yep, straight six and C4. Boring but reliable. The valve cover leak has since been fixed.

I want to get another one and put a Merkur XR4ti or Thunderbird Turbo Coupe engine and transmission in it, but that would be a lot of work.
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Why don't you put a 302 in there? The older Mustangs are Fox bodies, after all.

Or do you want to do something different?
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Into something different, I like the turbo fours, but I think a Pinto or Capri might be a better vessel for such an engine considering that the Fairmont is a tank compared to the relatively lightweight Merkur and the same platform but smaller Mustang.
 
Bumping because my mom recently got a 2013 Hyundai Elantra.

My grandma has a Toyota Corolla, but I'm not sure what model year it is (except that it must be after 2000).
 
trombonista said:
Bumping because my mom recently got a 2013 Hyundai Elantra.
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I have one that's ten years older than that. It's ass. I love it.
 
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Bumping since I'm looking at buying one of these for $250 in need of a water pump and general maintenance stuff, just like this but no moonroof and white leather seats, I haz license but no vehicle (roleplaying kool kid Stratochu is gone with the wind, real life Stratochu is everywhere) and want to get this since the city bus sucks
 
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