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[nitewulf]

I don't mind fixing and maintaining a higher mileage car but I've got 68k miles and I'm already dealing with leaky gaskets. What's it going to be like when I pass 100k?

leaky gaskets seems to be a common thing, though actually its not a major issue...the problem is to replace $20 gaskets they have to remove the engine, so it costs $800. i had the same issue at 40K...not leaks, but it started sweating. good thing i did not spend the money cause my car was destroyed weeks later.

which brings me to my next point, anyone into muscle cars? i am looking into an AMC Javelin...it looks badass and is in good condition, wondering if it'll be any fun to drive.

 

[Bandit1]

leaky gaskets seems to be a common thing, though actually its not a major issue...the problem is to replace $20 gaskets they have to remove the engine, so it costs $800. i had the same issue at 40K...not leaks, but it started sweating. good thing i did not spend the money cause my car was destroyed weeks later.

which brings me to my next point, anyone into muscle cars? i am looking into an AMC Javelin...it looks badass and is in good condition, wondering if it'll be any fun to drive.

Hey I'm into muscle cars! Not that familiar with Javelin's though. My dad had one when I was a kid. They're cool cars. As for fun to drive, muscle cars are kind of notorious for poor handling, but in my opinion, the fun of having an old muscle car is the roar of the engine, the look, the vintage feel, and burning a little rubber. One downside to an AMC is if something ever happened to it parts would be hard to find, but you would definitely have a unique car.

Is it a 1968-70 or 71-74 body style? Engine? Any pictures?

 

[nitewulf]

its a 74:

my issue is coming from a BMW...nothing else hits the spot for me...i need something nimble and fun, but i dont wanna spend big for a Cayman or another BMW right now, at this stage of my life. I'm just a lot more into travelling these days, so dont wanna get rooted, but something older and fast, around $15K or under, i'll do that.

 

[Bandit1]

its a 74:

my issue is coming from a BMW...nothing else hits the spot for me...i need something nimble and fun, but i dont wanna spend big for a Cayman or another BMW right now, at this stage of my life. I'm just a lot more into travelling these days, so dont wanna get rooted, but something older and fast, around $15K or under, i'll do that.

The car looks pretty nice, it won't drive like a BMW though. Also by 74 compression ratios and horsepower numbers were dropping off quite a bit, if the engine is original you're probably not looking at a whole lot of power, and partly due to that, the car may be among the least valuable of the Javelins. But if it's priced right the car should hold its value, whatever that may be.

I'd do a little research and see what other 72-74 Javelins go for, and how the price of this car compares and definitely test drive it if possible before making a decision.

 

[YuriLowell]

And the sensors, and the valve cover gaskets... Lol

Already did my VG gasket like 7k miles ago.
Luckily i've been good on my sensors as the only thing that's went is my wiper fluid sensor and I stole another one off a car in the junkyard the last time I went.

Just not looking forward to the eventual VANOS rebuild.

 

[Mistel]

I'd do a little research and see what other 72-74 Javelins go for, and how the price of this car compares and definitely test drive it if possible before making a decision.

You're looking at about $15K to $18K for non pristine earlier models.Javelin SST models command lower prices than Javelin AMX models with the same drive trains but there's not any in 74. Concourse correct ones are all over the place price wise for 71-74 AMX at least $30K upwards.

its a 74:

I'm just a lot more into travelling these days, so dont wanna get rooted, but something older and fast, around $15K or under, i'll do that.

You're looking at about $16K on average for non concourse level 74 AMX with a 401. The smaller 360 engined AMX fetching slightly lower at about $14K. That one has non correct front spoiler and looks like a functional cowl hood from an earlier 71-73 AMX added.

 

[matmanx1]

He has guts? Old BMW's are TANKS. Fucking tanks. E30's, E34's, and E36's are basically luxurious, fast German Hondas. My old E34 525i 5 speed had 258k miles on it... stock motor, stock everything. My E30 had 200k+, and my E36 did well over 100k.



They are basically big Honda motors... stock bottom end can handle like 500-600 wtq. Beast mode.



I've spent the last two days reading up on the ESC's and Procede. I'm 100% sure I can make this work on other cars that desperately need low end torque or ready for twincharging. If you're ever down in SD, I'd love to drive it with the Procede to get an idea of how dynamic it is and how well it works.

Good to know regarding the older BMW's. I'm not really sure what to think about mine, longterm at this point. I bought the car with the leaky/weapy gaskets so thus far I have been taking care of deferred repairs and have not had any new issues. Once I get the oil pan gasket replaced at my next oil change I will be watching very closely to see if I have any other issues.

If I can get through my first year and those are the only issues that I've had then I will feel pretty good about things. If not, I will re-evaluate at the one year mark.

 

[hwalker84]

A Jeep Grand Cherokee "Trailhawk" will be produced with the 707-hp Hellcat Hemi and AWD, achieving a 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/hellcat-powered-grand-cherokee-to-hit-60-mph-in-35-seconds-89508.html


And the Tesla Model S P85D "breaks" the consumer reports ratings system scoring 103/100, the best car they've ever tested.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...d-breaks-consumer-reports-ratings-system.html

I'm more interested in the Barracuda and what it's going to bring to the table. The Trailhawk Grand Cherokee will be out of my price range. A Hellcat isn't but now they're going up. Top that off with I'm about to buy a house and have a kid... I'm never going to have one

 

[LucidMomentum]

I've spent the last two days reading up on the ESC's and Procede. I'm 100% sure I can make this work on other cars that desperately need low end torque or ready for twincharging. If you're ever down in SD, I'd love to drive it with the Procede to get an idea of how dynamic it is and how well it works.

I mean it's pretty plug and play for what it is. Procede hooks up to the ECU throttle position and crank sensors, and uses that to determine what voltage to send to the ESC motor. It seems like it would be spot on for twincharging or some extra grunt, like you said. Keep things prespooling when you're above a certain rpm and bam you've got power on the cheap.

However, my install attempts last night were met with a ton of issues. I was sent the older BMW 335i version of the kit, which meant everything was different. On top of that I have V1 of the ESC throttle switch and controller, whereas this kit was designed for the V2 it seems. Quoting from my FT86club post:

For some reason, on my 15 A/T there's extra crap in the glove compartment bay and I only have one bolt, not two. The ECU / EMC box does not come out fully, and the wires were really tough to get to.


There was no way I was getting taps to hook onto those wires, so I cut a bit of the insulation away and soldered them on. I could barely get back there though.

So, I go to wire up the power to the fuse and like others have said the wire on this procede was too short. So I soldered some more wire onto it and tapped it to the fuse.


Then came the fun part - the AUX connection. I'm not sure what version of the throttle switch / indicator I have at this point, because it's got a red LED display, an I/O rocker switch, and two sets of wires - one from the display, one from the foot switch.


The foot switch doesn't have any kind of JST harness, and I didn't want to risk breaking my only switch because I wanted something for my weekend drive if the procede didn't work. So I check the engine bay and I see 5 wires, so I was a bit apprehensive to tap into anything. The foot switch was insulated to, so I didn't mess with that.


I soldered the black wire from the AUX jack to the red wire from the foot pedal switch, or what little part of it was exposed after the insulation. It was late enough at this point that I was willing to take a guess.


Afterwards, I get a laptop and load up the controller. I turn the key to on and plug it in. Reading map, it says. Cool! Progress. I see the sport map and then go and load KoolBRZ's cool map instead. I see it load onto the procede, and assume that once it hits 100% it's now on the controller. I then see a little blue highlight on one of the squares - I'm assuming that means it's reading something from the ECU?


At that point I was told by the car that I had been dumb enough to leave the battery on too long, as it wouldn't turn over. So, I unplug the laptop from the procede, get my battery charger out, and wait a bit until I can get it to turn over.


I hear the ESC start up, then the series of beeps. Sweet! Then I wait for the engine to settle, and take it out for a drive.


The procede never kicked in. I didn't see the voltage meter change unless I used the foot switch with my hand.


So I go home, and it's basically midnight at that point and I have to prepare for my Pismo drive and Cars and Coffee on Saturday, so I call it quits for now, re mount the foot switch, and tuck all the procede wiring away until I feel patient enough to take another look at it.

TL;DR: Procede linear boost controller is a bust for now. Was given the wrong harness, have the wrong throttle switch, ECU wiring too taught to really mess around with. If I don't hear back from the guys on advice, I'm probably going to return the Procede and either find a partial to full boost throttle switch or live with full boost on activation until I can save for a more serious SC kit that doesn't involve me potentially bricking my ECU harnesses. Such is the life of homebrew car mods.

Stupid frustrating, but I have Cars and Coffee tomorrow morning and a date 2 hours away right afterwards so I'm just going to leave it be for a while and just detail the car after work today.

 

[FStop7]

Last night I watched a few video reviews of the GT4. The big surprise was the recurring theme that it has excessive understeer, as delivered. Swaybar adjustments were made in both videos (tighten the front, loosen the rear) and it was apparently an improvement, but not a solution. The other common complaint was the overly tall gear ratios. It really sounds like Porsche had to hobble the car a bit to keep it from cutting too close to the GT3. It already outperforms every non-GT 911.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Very odd to see that with the GT4. I wonder what's going on with the setup, especially since the one review had the ass hanging out aaaaall the time through the figure eight lap. Could it be that the car is naturally fidgety with the GT3 suspension underneath, and they dialed in more stability?

 

[Jackson]

Last night I watched a few video reviews of the GT4. The big surprise was the recurring theme that it has excessive understeer, as delivered. Swaybar adjustments were made in both videos (tighten the front, loosen the rear) and it was apparently an improvement, but not a solution. The other common complaint was the overly tall gear ratios. It really sounds like Porsche had to hobble the car a bit to keep it from cutting too close to the GT3. It already outperforms every non-GT 911.

The GTS has the same very tall gear ratios as well which is paired to the Cayman engine, not the 911S. I think with that issue it's a personal perference thing. Personally I like that 2nd, which is where all the power is, goes to 81MPH, great for highway passing.

 

[rokkerkory]

On track, all this engineering comes together in what has to be the best, most complete performance car to ever come out of Ford’s stables. Yes, you read that right. Ever. EVER.

http://jalopnik.com/the-ford-shelby-gt350r-is-the-best-performance-car-ford-1727126886

wowowowow

 

[grendelrt]

The GTS has the same very tall gear ratios as well which is paired to the Cayman engine, not the 911S. I think with that issue it's a personal perference thing. Personally I like that 2nd, which is where all the power is, goes to 81MPH, great for highway passing.

I sometimes wish my Cayman's gears were a little shorter, by the time I get into second I am more than likely going to jail lol.

 

[grendelrt]

http://jalopnik.com/the-ford-shelby-gt350r-is-the-best-performance-car-ford-1727126886

wowowowow

I want to hear that engine!

 

[Bandit1]

http://jalopnik.com/the-ford-shelby-gt350r-is-the-best-performance-car-ford-1727126886

wowowowow

I want to hear that engine!

Yeah the exhaust sounds great.

Goodwood Hill Climb

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Yeah the exhaust sounds great.

Goodwood Hill Climb

I wonder what it will sound like with an exhaust tuned for non American ears. A big flat plane V8 should sound way less blatty than that. It makes me think they tuned the pipes for an old school burble and it's not quite right.

 

[Jackson]

Yeah the exhaust sounds great.

Goodwood Hill Climb

Yeesh!

He's wrestling that thing all over the track like he's trying to hogtie a greased pig in the mud... Then shakes his head and makes "crazy" gestures after he's crossed the finish line. I dunno if that's a good thing when you're having trouble keeping your car on the track when you're just launching your car in a straight line.

 

[GHG]

http://jalopnik.com/the-ford-shelby-gt350r-is-the-best-performance-car-ford-1727126886

wowowowow

Magnetic ride doing work.

Also, from that video the car sounds good, but not THAT good. I reckon with a 8,250 rpm redline, custom exhausts will get it sounding much much better than that, it should be a screamer.

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

Magnetic ride doing work.

Also, from that video the car sounds good, but not THAT good. I reckon with a 8,250 rpm redline, custom exhausts will get it sounding much much better than that, it should be a screamer.

Seriously, it sounds like the motor shouldn't sound like it does, and Ford has altered it to sound more muscley and classic V8.

 

[Dosia]

Yeesh!

He's wrestling that thing all over the track like he's trying to hogtie a greased pig in the mud... Then shakes his head and makes "crazy" gestures after he's crossed the finish line. I dunno if that's a good thing when you're having trouble keeping your car on the track when you're just launching your car in a straight line.

He was doing it on purpose to get better traction.

 

[matmanx1]

Last night I watched a few video reviews of the GT4. The big surprise was the recurring theme that it has excessive understeer, as delivered. Swaybar adjustments were made in both videos (tighten the front, loosen the rear) and it was apparently an improvement, but not a solution. The other common complaint was the overly tall gear ratios. It really sounds like Porsche had to hobble the car a bit to keep it from cutting too close to the GT3. It already outperforms every non-GT 911.

Just my opinion but I think most Porsche manuals have too tall gearing these days. It is a personal preference and for the track it works but for fun on the street I would prefer shorter gearing, especially through the first four gears.

Very odd to see that with the GT4. I wonder what's going on with the setup, especially since the one review had the ass hanging out aaaaall the time through the figure eight lap. Could it be that the car is naturally fidgety with the GT3 suspension underneath, and they dialed in more stability?

Possibly. The GT4 is a parts bin car, although a very good one. It's likely that a bespoke rear suspension setup is needed to match the brilliance of the GT3 front end. I'm just guessing.

 

[matmanx1]

http://jalopnik.com/the-ford-shelby-gt350r-is-the-best-performance-car-ford-1727126886

wowowowow

The new Mustang might be the first Mustang since my early 90's LX 5.0 coupe that I would consider owning. I still think it's too big and too heavy but the performance, sound and wow factor are all there in spades.

 

[Stinkles]

Taking my sweet time figuring out my next car and outside of a small chance of an A4 Allroad or a charitable dealer somehow getting me out the door in an A6 Quattro for $50k (with my lame trade in) I am finding it hard to ignore the Infiniti Q50 AWD.

One thing I can't get a clear answer on though is the cabin road and wind noise. Anyone have any long or mid term experience? A test drive doesn't give enough data IMO.

 

[TheAbsolution]

Taking my sweet time figuring out my next car and outside of a small chance of an A4 Allroad or a charitable dealer somehow getting me out the door in an A6 Quattro for $50k (with my lame trade in) I am finding it hard to ignore the Infiniti Q50 AWD.

One thing I can't get a clear answer on though is the cabin road and wind noise. Anyone have any long or mid term experience? A test drive doesn't give enough data IMO.

Have you tried vehicle specific forums for it? Could be worth a shot.

 

[Stinkles]

Have you tried vehicle specific forums for it? Could be worth a shot.

Yeah but they all seem to be v6 people and want noisy.

 

[jongkookie]

Finally got to drive the new Miata at a Mazda USA sponsored drive event called "The MX-5 Experience" that was held at the Texas Motor Speedway. Well, not the oval but an in-oval short course that was pretty damn cool.

Basically, the comments about it being a better car / Miata is indeed true. I thrashed it around the 3-lap short course with a driving instructor and it was only at that point that I realized the wizardry Mazda pulled off with it.

The throttle response is superb... tap the gas pedal and it will just go. Contrast that to my NC where you do the same thing and there's like a very short but visible delay.

The suspension, it was the stock suspension I drove, no Bilsteins or LSD and it corners well... as good as my currently modified NC with the difference that on the new one the ass doesn't slip if I push it hard enough. It could've been the traction control keeping everything in line, but I was pushing it through a corner and it will just go forward instead of losing grip and enjoy some happy fun drifty times like mine. It really just felt planted and yes the obscene body roll that you see outside the car really does let the driver know where you are in terms of grip.

And the weight, I don't think it's a 100 pound difference if I'm being honest. It felt a lot lighter than mine and it's crazy how that is. Also I think the weight contributes to its nimbleness and all that good stuff.

All in all...

Do I want the new Miata? Yes.

But is it worth upgrading from a modified NC/3rd generation Miata? Nope.

For all the good things I can say about it, one thing that really stuck with me throughout that thrashing is that it feels and drives almost exactly like mine. Really the only difference is the throttle response and the lack of weight that gives the driver more confidence.

The throttle response could easily be fixed by a $275 tune, and that $275 can also factor in your exhaust setup so there's also some gains in the HP and torque department. The weight on the other hand, that's something obviously hard to do unless you strip down the NC's... but the Miata is confidence inspiring to begin with. It's actually quite mind-boggling how a 100lb difference can inspire you more.

So TL;DR: If you have a 2006-2015 Miata, just keep that and mod it instead. If you have any of earlier Miatas and are wanting a new one, then the ND is the Miata to get... no matter how cheap an NC Miata is.

As for me, yeah, I'd love to get one especially with the hardtop or a Mazdaspeed, but it's not a priority... and it really won't be unless it's really time to let go of my NC. For now, I'll just mod and enjoy the hell out of my NC.

Edit: I've got video of the brake test and slalom/AutoX course on my phone and I'm uploading it now. Too bad my bro and sis were also doing the short course at the same time so have no video of that at all.

 

[Momentary]

I just couldn't own a Mustang. The Marine to Mustang ownership ratio on base is ridiculously high. It's like a right of passage for a boot to blow their money on a new Mustang when they hit the fleet. Also, the things they do to them in the name of "performance" and "aesthetics" is just gut bubbling bad.

Not saying it's a bad car, it just has a bad stigma for me. Even the GT350R. Just wouldn't be caught dead in one. Not until I've been out of the service for a few years.

 

[Oxn]

Taking my sweet time figuring out my next car and outside of a small chance of an A4 Allroad or a charitable dealer somehow getting me out the door in an A6 Quattro for $50k (with my lame trade in) I am finding it hard to ignore the Infiniti Q50 AWD.

One thing I can't get a clear answer on though is the cabin road and wind noise. Anyone have any long or mid term experience? A test drive doesn't give enough data IMO.

If the Q50 is anything like the G37 then I would say cabin noise is decent. However you will hear that engine.

 

[Stinkles]

If the Q50 is anything like the G37 then I would say cabin noise is decent. However you will hear that engine.

Everyone seems to think the cabin noise is WAY better than the G37, so that's good news I guess.

On a performance for dollar basis in that segment, it's not even close. This thing THRASHES. 0-60 in 5.3 - 150-ish top end.


And the gas mileage ain't great but it's not horrific.

RIght now it's a toss up between that and a Merc C 300. But I keep seeing bad user reviews about reliability on the latter.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Yeah but they all seem to be v6 people and want noisy.

I've driven the Q50 many hundreds of miles (I get them as loaners at my local Jaguar-Infiniti dealer, since I own both an XF and an M56S). I took a Q50 down to Miami, and put about 1000 miles on it in total over 6 days a few months ago when I had my front bumper resprayed.

With the 18s at 80-90MPH, it's fairly noisy. But this is on a hard concrete surface in Florida. Regular driving, it's fine. Also, keep in mind I own two fairly quiet cars, one of which (the Infiniti M56S) has active noise cancelation which is meant to cancel road noise. But, on the flip side I also owned a 370Z which had a ton of road noise on highways.

The Q50 is somewhere in the middle. But again, there are a lot of factors that come into play and tires are a very crucial one. All in all, though, it's a great car. Great interior, great handling, great motor, and a much improved transmission. Unlike the BMW, you'll rarely see a dealership visit with the Infiniti.

 

[Evo X]

Just watched that Motor Trend GT4 vid.

Camissa is a great replacement for Lago.

Also, anyone else notice the seriously impressive lap time?

It's in top tier supercar company while being WAY down on power compared to the rest.

With only 385HP, it's faster than a 570HP Ferrari and 640HP Corvette. That's insane and really shows off how great the chassis is. With comparable power, is there any doubt it would be at the top of their leader board? (hypercars like the 918, P1, and LaFerrari excluded of course)

 

[Enron]

Everyone seems to think the cabin noise is WAY better than the G37, so that's good news I guess.

On a performance for dollar basis in that segment, it's not even close. This thing THRASHES. 0-60 in 5.3 - 150-ish top end.


And the gas mileage ain't great but it's not horrific.

RIght now it's a toss up between that and a Merc C 300. But I keep seeing bad user reviews about reliability on the latter.

stinkles hates me everywhere else on gaf but here we can agree!

Get the Infiniti. If not for the electric steering and the fact that its just a tad out of my price range, I'd have a Q50 sitting in my driveway right now. Instead i'll just probably have a less-expensive g37 in a month or so.

 

[Stinkles]

http://jalopnik.com/the-ford-shelby-gt350r-is-the-best-performance-car-ford-1727126886

wowowowow

Too bad it looks like Private Gomer Pyle on the toilet in Full Metal Jacket.

stinkles hates me everywhere else on gaf but here we can agree!

Get the Infiniti. If not for the electric steering and the fact that its just a tad out of my price range, I'd have a Q50 sitting in my driveway right now. Instead i'll just probably have a less-expensive g37 in a month or so.

I'd definitely eschew drive by wire and I only hate your environmental stance. And hate is a strong word. I disagree with it.

 

[Enron]

If only that Q50 were one model year older, it'd probably be in my price range. But I don't think I really want to spend 33k on a car.

 

[FStop7]

Just watched that Motor Trend GT4 vid.

Camissa is a great replacement for Lago.

Also, anyone else notice the seriously impressive lap time?

It's in top tier supercar company while being WAY down on power compared to the rest.

With only 385HP, it's faster than a 570HP Ferrari and 640HP Corvette. That's insane and really shows off how great the chassis is. With comparable power, is there any doubt it would be at the top of their leader board? (hypercars like the 918, P1, and LaFerrari excluded of course)

Streets of Willow is really meant for smaller cars. I wish they'd also lapped the GT4 around the big track.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

At some point it just turns into compensation for your member, really.

 

[Oxn]

If only that Q50 were one model year older, it'd probably be in my price range. But I don't think I really want to spend 33k on a car.

What about the ugly headlights?

 

[Enron]

What about the ugly headlights?

They don't bother me.

 

[m_shortpants]

One of my coworkers got a hondata flashpro for his Civic Si...he gets wheel spin at VTEC crossover lol. Ugh, I would totally get some bolt ons and a tune if I wasn't so paranoid about my warranty...

 

[AlphaSnake]

stinkles hates me everywhere else on gaf but here we can agree!

Get the Infiniti. If not for the electric steering and the fact that its just a tad out of my price range, I'd have a Q50 sitting in my driveway right now. Instead i'll just probably have a less-expensive g37 in a month or so.

Not all Q50s have electric steering. You can option a sport with the regular power steering rack, as long as you don't get the full-on tech package.

 

[matmanx1]

Taking my sweet time figuring out my next car and outside of a small chance of an A4 Allroad or a charitable dealer somehow getting me out the door in an A6 Quattro for $50k (with my lame trade in) I am finding it hard to ignore the Infiniti Q50 AWD.

One thing I can't get a clear answer on though is the cabin road and wind noise. Anyone have any long or mid term experience? A test drive doesn't give enough data IMO.

If the Q50 is anything like the G37 then I would say cabin noise is decent. However you will hear that engine.

My G37's noise level wasn't bad at all. Fairly quiet at cruise, actually. The engine could be thrashy at WOT and of course the exhaust is noticeable (but in a good way) but there was no wind noise to speak of and not a lot of tire noise unless you were doing high speeds. The G37/Q50's really are pretty good cars for just cruising around and doing the occasional 0 - 60 blast that puts a grin on your face.

 

[cube444]

One of my coworkers got a hondata flashpro for his Civic Si...he gets wheel spin at VTEC crossover lol. Ugh, I would totally get some bolt ons and a tune if I wasn't so paranoid about my warranty...

What figures is he getting? I don't own a Honda but currently have 507 foot-pounds of torque to my rear and crap my pants at times due to my fourth summer on PSS wheels.

 

[LucidMomentum]

I just couldn't own a Mustang. The Marine to Mustang ownership ratio on base is ridiculously high. It's like a right of passage for a boot to blow their money on a new Mustang when they hit the fleet. Also, the things they do to them in the name of "performance" and "aesthetics" is just gut bubbling bad.

Not saying it's a bad car, it just has a bad stigma for me. Even the GT350R. Just wouldn't be caught dead in one. Not until I've been out of the service for a few years.

Every cars and coffee we have a slew of Mustang owners show up. They take up like a quarter of the parking area. Half of them don't even know what they have under the hood...

So I've been away from the thread for a while. After the issues Thursday with the Procede linear controller for the electric supercharger, I decided to just hide the wiring and get the car presentable for this month's Cars and Coffee. I'm glad I did, because we had some stunners show up. My two faves were the restored Datsun 510:

and the Porsche 918 hybrid:

It's always a great time going to see what people bring, and to just shoot the breeze with everyone.

Afterwards I went on a date with my girl in Pismo beach. The 2 hour drive wasn't too bad, didn't get stuck behind many people. When I had the chance to pass, the ESC really helped out. The drive back was amazing, though. Not many cars, whoever was on the road let me pass, and not a cop in sight so I drove much faster than I probably should have.

Yesterday I finally got the Procede working. I was about to remove all the wiring to send it back, but then I got a call from the guy who makes the kits. He told me that the different versions of the controller have different analog outputs and mine was on the wrong channel since I was using someone else's map. So after that was fixed, it worked like a charm.

The difference is night and day now. No more revving like a madman to get past the torque dip. It's more refined and like people said, it feels like a cross between a really responsive yet smaller SC and the engine feeling like it's 2.4L. The drive to work today was a lot more fun as a result.

One of my coworkers got a hondata flashpro for his Civic Si...he gets wheel spin at VTEC crossover lol. Ugh, I would totally get some bolt ons and a tune if I wasn't so paranoid about my warranty...

That reminds me, I got the 1 year anniversary service call the other day. Can't wait to explain to them all I've done to the FR-S since I last brought it in...

 

[DrMungo]

In the market for a new car - I've been driving the same Corolla since 2004 since I was a student, when I got it new. I'm due for big upgrade.

So far deciding between Lexus GS or Infiniti Q70 or Q50 - looking for AWD for all models as I live in New England. What're people's thoughts on these two?

I also looked at the German brands (named BMW 5 series or MB E-class) but the maintenance needed is something I don't want to deal with.

 

[Oxn]

My G37's noise level wasn't bad at all. Fairly quiet at cruise, actually. The engine could be thrashy at WOT and of course the exhaust is noticeable (but in a good way) but there was no wind noise to speak of and not a lot of tire noise unless you were doing high speeds. The G37/Q50's really are pretty good cars for just cruising around and doing the occasional 0 - 60 blast that puts a grin on your face.

Oh i agree, im not saying its bad at all. Its decent. I dont get wind noise either.

 

[Viperbah]

Streets of Willow is really meant for smaller cars. I wish they'd also lapped the GT4 around the big track.

Me too.....it's amazing was Porsche does with "lower" hp cars.

http://fastestlaps.com/tracks/willow_springs.html

I bet the GT4 would beat the turbo S time

http://fastestlaps.com/tracks/virginia_international_raceway_post_2013.html

Look at the Cayman S time....ridic for a car with 325 hp.

 

[LucidMomentum]

In the market for a new car - I've been driving the same Corolla since 2004 since I was a student, when I got it new. I'm due for big upgrade.

So far deciding between Lexus GS or Infiniti Q70 or Q50 - looking for AWD for all models as I live in New England. What're people's thoughts on these two?

I also looked at the German brands (named BMW 5 series or MB E-class) but the maintenance needed is something I don't want to deal with.

The thing is with luxury sedans you're going to have similar maintenance costs really. Unless you intend to do the work yourself, but that may not be for everybody or even possible with some of the newer models.

Honestly if you're looking for a luxury sedan, go for the 5 series. The GS350 / Q70 aren't bad, but the 5 series is just superb especially if you're already looking to spend the money.

However if it were me, I'd just get a WRX / STi (depending on if you want the newer 2.0L FA20 engine or the older 2.5L engine) and take a vacation with the leftover money. But those are a lot less comfortable than the executive class sedans above.

 

[AlphaSnake]

In the market for a new car - I've been driving the same Corolla since 2004 since I was a student, when I got it new. I'm due for big upgrade.

So far deciding between Lexus GS or Infiniti Q70 or Q50 - looking for AWD for all models as I live in New England. What're people's thoughts on these two?

I also looked at the German brands (named BMW 5 series or MB E-class) but the maintenance needed is something I don't want to deal with.

The 5-series and E-Class are garbage. Severely underpowered, with very underwhelming handling. Plus, yes, reliability and maintenance are a sore spot. My cousin has a Lexus GS350, and it's a decent handling car, great interior, but with poor steering and a dull motor.

I have a Q70S (M56S) and I think it's a spectacular car. Very sharp chassis with the sports package, very direct steering, and both the 3.7 and 5.6 have plenty of power each. Plus the current Q70s have pretty good transmissions that have improved shifts over my 2013. Also, the Infiniti rides superbly and quietly. And the tech with the options is incredible. It's pricier than a Q50 though, which is still a good car, but is more inline with a 3-series, C-Class, etc.

In which case, if you were to consider the Q50, I'd say also consider the Mercedes C450 AMG Sport which is roughly the size of the current E-Class now, but a much, much better car in every way inside and out.

The thing is with luxury sedans you're going to have similar maintenance costs really. Unless you intend to do the work yourself, but that may not be for everybody or even possible with some of the newer models.

Honestly if you're looking for a luxury sedan, go for the 5 series. The GS350 / Q70 aren't bad, but the 5 series is just superb especially if you're already looking to spend the money.

There's nothing superb about the 5-series. This entire generation of them has left all enthusiasts absolutely disappointed. They wallow, they don't steer well anymore, they're underpowered, and they lack any sort of BMW sharpness that the car was once known for.

 

[rokkerkory]

Had a small brake + suspension upgrade party yesterday with the fellas:

- my car had full brake fluid flush (motul 600), new pads F+R (stoptech) for the street, tested my track rims to see how it would look (need tires lol)
- my buddies car had a BADASS BALLER set of Ohlins R/T installed :drools: