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[jongkookie]

So glad I live in a state that doesn't require them. On small cars it seems like there's just not a good spot for them.

Texas used to not require them actually through a loophole, but the damn gubmint caught on in 2014 and made them required again.

This was honestly the first time I've been stopped for a front plate so while I probably wouldn't have put it on, it does carry a $200 fine if they decide to cite you for it so fuuuuck that lol. It cost me $3 bucks at Autozone to get an 8-pack of zip ties so I'll stick with them for now.

 

[Futaba]

Texas used to not require them actually through a loophole, but the damn gubmint caught on in 2014 and made them required again.

This was honestly the first time I've been stopped for a front plate so while I probably wouldn't have put it on, it does carry a $200 fine if they decide to cite you for it so fuuuuck that lol. It cost me $3 bucks at Autozone to get an 8-pack of zip ties so I'll stick with them for now.

Back in the mid 2000s when i lived in Boston my MR2 didnt have a front bumper, so id just toss the front plate on the dash, i doubt it was entirely legal but i was never stopped over it.

 

[GHG]

Speaking of Maserati's, I saw a Levante on the road for the first time yesterday. It was so... generic looking. From afar I thought it was an inifinit qx70 at first. It doesn't look special at all.

But in all honesty, I can't hate on Maserati because they make the MC Stradale. Now that is a special car.

 

[MemoryHumanity]

Moving back home in the next 6 months and I'm gonna be looking for a cheap-ish (£5k) runabout that has a bit about it. It's gonna be a short-term interim car until I can afford something better, so I'm looking for something with low miles that I can sell on again without losing too much money.

Has anyone on here had any experience with the Punto Evo 135?

 

[jongkookie]

Back in the mid 2000s when i lived in Boston my MR2 didnt have a front bumper, so id just toss the front plate on the dash, i doubt it was entirely legal but i was never stopped over it.

Heh funny enough the cop told me it was legal to put on the dash but I'd rather not. Had a friend do just that before and during a sudden hard stop the plates flew out of the dash into the passenger seat. Thankfully nobody was there or somebody would've gotten really hurt.

Granted you can tape them securely as well but I personally think it looks too tacky and more "JDM hellaflush tyte yo" so I'll pass lol.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Speaking of Maserati's, I saw a Levante on the road for the first time yesterday. It was so... generic looking. From afar I thought it was an inifinit qx70 at first. It doesn't look special at all.

But in all honesty, I can't hate on Maserati because they make the MC Stradale. Now that is a special car.

Yeah, first deliveries are arriving in the UK, but can't be sold until November 1st. So dealers are allowed to start test drives and displays of actual production cars.

I agree it looks a bit bland. It lacks a unique look, and is some sort of bizarre mixture of a Mazda CX9 designed by Infiniti. But at least the Etch-a-Sketch is gone!

So the interior's been cleaned up considerably.

 

[NH Apache]

Anyone ever paint your car yourself? Just bought an 85 CJ7 and been looking at single stage or possible just rattle canning it. I have to fill some rust spots first; yay for Bondo.

 

[matmanx1]

Bought a new car!

It's an MY16 WRX Premium 6MT.

I'm now looking into paint protection products, is anyone familiar with 'Glass' paint protection?

http://www.arkbarrier.com.au/pages/glass-coating.php

I just want protection against bird shit and tree sap as it's a new car and not likely to be garaged as often as I'd like.

Any other recommendations?

Great car choice! I like it. I don't know anything about paint protection because it has been so long since I owned a new vehicle but there's been a lot of discussion in this thread about various products. I'm sure those with more knowledge will chime in.

Front license plates are so gross:

I need to take a picture of mine for you. It's not bad at all and if you know anything about the philosophy and development history of the Miata you will get a kick out of it.

 

[matmanx1]

Texas used to not require them actually through a loophole, but the damn gubmint caught on in 2014 and made them required again.

This was honestly the first time I've been stopped for a front plate so while I probably wouldn't have put it on, it does carry a $200 fine if they decide to cite you for it so fuuuuck that lol. It cost me $3 bucks at Autozone to get an 8-pack of zip ties so I'll stick with them for now.

A little background for this: Georgia does not require front license plates but my MX-5 came from North Carolina, which does. When I first brought the car home I took off the front license plate bracket intending to ditch it but what I found made me reconsider. There's two holes drilled in the front bumper and the paint around the holes is completely gone. I would have a pretty big blemish on the front bumper without the license plate holder so I just decided to stick with it and find something interesting to go on it.

Are you familiar with "Jinba Ittai"? If not, it means "horse and rider as one" and it was one of the guiding principles behind the original Miata. http://insidemazda.mazdausa.com/who-is-mazda/jinba-ittai/

I had a the Kanji for Jinba Ittai made into a license plate and that's what adorns the front of my MX-5 and have to say, I like it.

 

[Evo X]

Bought a new car!

It's an MY16 WRX Premium 6MT.

I'm now looking into paint protection products, is anyone familiar with 'Glass' paint protection?

http://www.arkbarrier.com.au/pages/glass-coating.php

I just want protection against bird shit and tree sap as it's a new car and not likely to be garaged as often as I'd like.

Any other recommendations?

Awesome car. Congrats!

I have Modesta coating on my entire car including wheels & calipers and it's fantastic. Keeps the car super clean and shiny. It makes the surface extremely slick so most things just slide off. It also makes it very easy to wash when you need to because you don't have to scrub.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Just installed a 12" Alpine Type R with a ported box built to spec, 1k watt amp in my 03' Protege5 beater. My cars gonna be vibrating all over central mass.

 

[AlphaSnake]

A little background for this: Georgia does not require front license plates but my MX-5 came from North Carolina, which does. When I first brought the car home I took off the front license plate bracket intending to ditch it but what I found made me reconsider. There's two holes drilled in the front bumper and the paint around the holes is completely gone. I would have a pretty big blemish on the front bumper without the license plate holder so I just decided to stick with it and find something interesting to go on it.

Are you familiar with "Jinba Ittai"? If not, it means "horse and rider as one" and it was one of the guiding principles behind the original Miata. http://insidemazda.mazdausa.com/who-is-mazda/jinba-ittai/

I had a the Kanji for Jinba Ittai made into a license plate and that's what adorns the front of my MX-5 and have to say, I like it.

You can buy bumper plugs. Or you can go to a Home Depot and buy screw covers or hole plugs. Grab some touch-up paint and you're done. I had that on my 350Z. I had some screw plugs from my office desk. I took the plugs off, popped them into my bumper, applied the touch-up and you could never tell from anything more than a foot away.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/2-Flat-Head-Phillips-Black-Screw-Covers-24-Pack-802214/204275862

 

[J-Rzez]

So, voting for Auto-GAF COTY?

1. Focus RS. Its honestly not biased that I own one, its that I drove a lot of stuff before this, and ended up with it for a reason. Its price-to-performance is great, its usable everyday in any weather, tons of tuning potential, and it just feels special.
2. GT350
3. SVR
4. MX-5
5. M2

Looking forward to next year. Supra and RS3 in the states.

 

[Stinkles]

I GOT A FREE CAR!!


Octogenarian In-Laws gave us their old Subaru Forester. 2006, immaculate condition with literally 44k on the clock.

Basically this:

As a person who grew up dirt poor, with literally no car, the idea of getting a mechanically perfect AWD vehicle for free absolutely blows my mind.

It's going to replace our beat-up but beloved Honda Fit, and is a great deal more useful here in Seattle/PNW.

#blessed

 

[Bboy AJ]

Evo X v shinshoryuken always gets me laughing, especially when you know those two are actually IRL pals.

The MX-5 is a great pick for COTY.

 

[BlueTsunami]

What do you guys think about an 05' Infinity G35 at $7K to $9K at 90K to 100k miles? Have a feeling its going to be my next ride but I'm apprehensive of throwing down that much at that high mileage.

 

[Stinkles]

What do you guys think about an 05' Infinity G35 at $7K to $9K at 90K to 100k miles? Have a feeling its going to be my next ride but I'm apprehensive of throwing down that much at that high mileage.

Pros: Invincible Nissan powerplant that could probably do double that.

Cons: Likely driven like an asshole by a jerk.

Sedan or coupe? Irrationally I'd bet the sedan was less thrashed.

Seeing lots at around 11-12k. So maybe a good deal?

 

[jongkookie]

I need to take a picture of mine for you. It's not bad at all and if you know anything about the philosophy and development history of the Miata you will get a kick out of it.

Yep, I'm digging it!

The amazing thing is that "jinba ittai" works, at least for a short Asian guy like me. The Miata fits me like a glove and the way my entire right arm rests on the tranny tunnel is indeed perfect. It's more awesome coz I've got the Zeta armrest over the cupholders to rest my elbow on lol.

Anyway, yeah I agree ND Miata as COTY sounds like a good choice.

I've said it before but I'll say it again, but a stock ND is very comparable to my street-tuned NC Miata but at the same time, that's the only reason why I don't want an ND. If you don't have a Miata in your life right now, then the ND is absolutely the best choice. But if you already have any of the previous three generations, then save that money for a turbo or suspension mods.

I'm still honestly undecided on my personal COTY though. Preliminary thinking tells me my COTY is gonna the C63 AMG S... I drove at one work the other day and my god, that thing was a monster. But at the same time, I don't think I'll be able to afford one so idk lol.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Pros: Invincible Nissan powerplant that could probably do double that.

Cons: Likely driven like an asshole by a jerk.

Sedan or coupe? Irrationally I'd bet the sedan was less thrashed.

Seeing lots at around 11-12k. So maybe a good deal?

Manual/Coupe. Yeah, they seem to be going below market rate around here. I'd heard they can be bullet proof aside from the typical maintenance issues that come with age.

Ill definitely be looking them over in regards to the driver thrashing them. Maybe try to buy a car with a single owner, who owned it at an non asshole age.

 

[Pterion]

Thinking of getting a new car. 2017 A4 is getting some pretty good reviews from what I've seen. My wife dislikes the 3 series interior and the C-class made us claustrophobic.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Thinking of getting a new car. 2017 A4 is getting some pretty good reviews from what I've seen. My wife dislikes the 3 series interior and the C-class made us claustrophobic.

Jaguar.

Though I'm surprised about the C-Class being small? The new ones are fairly roomy.

 

[rokkerkory]

So my fiance drove my Mazda 3 hatch 2.5 liter and loved it.

She wants to take over payments.

Problem is, I love it too as a DD..

Should I just get another one esp with the new tq vectoring?

 

[Stinkles]

Thinking of getting a new car. 2017 A4 is getting some pretty good reviews from what I've seen. My wife dislikes the 3 series interior and the C-class made us claustrophobic.

DudeDudeDude.

I went into this same decision with likely the same criteria. Test drove EVERYTHING. Including multiple rentals of C class through work.

Ended up choosing (easily) the a4 Premium Plus Quattro. Bought it three months ago. Manhattan Gray. (60 fps virtual cockpit with NVidia GPU)

I have never loved a car more than this. A swift, silent, comfortable, capable conveyance like nothing else I have ever driven.

It's not 100% perfect. My Apple CarPlay turns off for a second when I get home because it connects to my home WiFi. And while I can install a tow hitch for my bike rack, it may look weird because of the bumpers.

Drove the 3 series, 4 series, C class, XE, Q50, Acura and Lexii. Ask me anything.


C Class was close second, btw, but noise and cabin crampedness killed it for me.

Ask me anything!

 

[TheBear]

Awesome car. Congrats!

I have Modesta coating on my entire car including wheels & calipers and it's fantastic. Keeps the car super clean and shiny. It makes the surface extremely slick so most things just slide off. It also makes it very easy to wash when you need to because you don't have to scrub.

Awesome. Can I ask why you chose it over Opticoat and other paint protection products?

 

[matmanx1]

You can buy bumper plugs. Or you can go to a Home Depot and buy screw covers or hole plugs. Grab some touch-up paint and you're done. I had that on my 350Z. I had some screw plugs from my office desk. I took the plugs off, popped them into my bumper, applied the touch-up and you could never tell from anything more than a foot away.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/2-Flat-Head-Phillips-Black-Screw-Covers-24-Pack-802214/204275862

Good info. Thank you for that. I'm going to keep the "Jinba Ittai" tag for now but I will file this little bit of info away for use later.

I GOT A FREE CAR!!


Octogenarian In-Laws gave us their old Subaru Forester. 2006, immaculate condition with literally 44k on the clock.

Basically this:

As a person who grew up dirt poor, with literally no car, the idea of getting a mechanically perfect AWD vehicle for free absolutely blows my mind.

It's going to replace our beat-up but beloved Honda Fit, and is a great deal more useful here in Seattle/PNW.

#blessed

Dude! That's so awesome. Congratulations!

What do you guys think about an 05' Infinity G35 at $7K to $9K at 90K to 100k miles? Have a feeling its going to be my next ride but I'm apprehensive of throwing down that much at that high mileage.

Manual/Coupe. Yeah, they seem to be going below market rate around here. I'd heard they can be bullet proof aside from the typical maintenance issues that come with age.

Ill definitely be looking them over in regards to the driver thrashing them. Maybe try to buy a car with a single owner, who owned it at an non asshole age.

Those are fun. The manual / coupe is a tougher sell in most places and that is why it is priced below market. That's a good thing for you though as they are reliable and fairly quick. Still has nice lines too, they have aged well.

The powertrain is fairly unrefined but if that doesn't matter to you then those are good cars.

 

[Pterion]

Not interested in a Jag. Call it personal preference.

DudeDudeDude.

I went into this same decision with likely the same criteria. Test drove EVERYTHING. Including multiple rentals of C class through work.

Ended up choosing (easily) the a4 Premium Plus Quattro. Bought it three months ago. Manhattan Gray. (60 fps virtual cockpit with NVidia GPU)

I have never loved a car more than this. A swift, silent, comfortable, capable conveyance like nothing else I have ever driven.

It's not 100% perfect. My Apple CarPlay turns off for a second when I get home because it connects to my home WiFi. And while I can install a tow hitch for my bike rack, it may look weird because of the bumpers.

Drove the 3 series, 4 series, C class, XE, Q50, Acura and Lexii. Ask me anything.


C Class was close second, btw, but noise and cabin crampedness killed it for me.

Ask me anything!

Glad to hear that. We'll go for a test drive within a few days. Looking forward to a S class-like quietness in the cabin. Do you have ventilated seats? How's the power compared to the 328 and C300?

 

[Stinkles]

Not interested in a Jag. Call it personal preference.

Glad to hear that. We'll go for a test drive within a few days. Looking forward to a S class-like quietness in the cabin. Do you have ventilated seats? How's the power compared to the 328 and C300?

Dead quiet cabin. "Second quietest currently for sale except for Rolls Royce Phantom"


Power - very quick off the line - 5.3 seconds to 60 according to multiple independent tests (and a few tenths of a second faster than Audi's stated numbers) and smooth power all the way up the band. I haven't experienced any gutlessness on the freeway at any speed, but I use AUTO for the most part, you'll obviously get more oomph if you set it to SPORT.

It never feels faster than the 3 series, even when it's actually going faster, because it's so serene inside. The 3 feels like it's hustling, if that makes sense. Generally feels faster than the C300 and I preferred the steering, although I've seen some reviews that complain the (electrically assisted) steering is too sterile - not my experience at all.

I don't have the ventilated sport seats, automatic cruise follow control or the HUD (I believe those are standard in the Prestige - I got premium plus with some extras), but I have literally every other feature.

 

[mkenyon]

Anyone ever paint your car yourself? Just bought an 85 CJ7 and been looking at single stage or possible just rattle canning it. I have to fill some rust spots first; yay for Bondo.

Think about a wrap. Avery or 3M Products. A CJ7 would be super easy to do.

http://www.metrorestyling.com/category-s/332813.htm

Bought a new car!

It's an MY16 WRX Premium 6MT.

I'm now looking into paint protection products, is anyone familiar with 'Glass' paint protection?

http://www.arkbarrier.com.au/pages/glass-coating.php

I just want protection against bird shit and tree sap as it's a new car and not likely to be garaged as often as I'd like.

Any other recommendations?

I hear amazing things about Modesta.

If you aren't opposed to keeping on top of it, you can't really beat just taking care of the paint yourself with frequent washes using quality products. It'd be cheaper to get all the right detailing/car care tools and chemicals than it would to get a full paint protection. Definitely a lot more effort, but it's worth it, IMO.

Also, awesome pickup. Still the best new car in it's price range, easily.

 

[MemoryHumanity]

Has anyone on here had any experience with the Fiat Punto 135?

I'll rephrase this since it's fairly unlikely anyone on here has actually driven a very specific engine of Punto.

New question: can anyone recommend me a car that's not shit slow that I can buy for under £7k that's not got a million miles on the clock?

 

[Hello? This is Hailun!]

As far as where Maseratis fall in terms of performance and luxury? Nowhere, really. They may be the very definition of buying a car for its badge. At base it's $20,000 more expensive than a BMW 528i or Jaguar XF 35t, yet offers a fraction of the equipment. For 71K you could be driving an optioned out XF R-Sport or a 550i or a fucking Audi S6. Or, you can step up an entire class and buy a fucking Jaguar XJ for the same cost as a stripped out Ghibli with an interior from the mid-2000s.

The first time I sat inside a Ghibli I thought the interior was really nice. Pretty gauges, decent steering wheel, liked the familiar ZF shifter, the center con--wtf...who slapped an Etch-a-Sketch on the center console? It's so, so garish. A salesman came up and laughed that I wasn't the only one who touched and fiddled with that piece in amazement. He didn't give a shit telling me that, he only sold the Ferraris on the lot. LOL. It's just such an ugly afterthought. Throw a veneer on that bitch or some shit. Ugh.

Also, I always reference this hilarious article about why the Ghibli sucks.

http://jalopnik.com/the-maserati-ghibli-is-a-luxury-sedan-that-sucks-at-lux-1714664806

Interior of a Mas is literally the interior of the Chrysler 200.

 

[AlphaSnake]

I GOT A FREE CAR!!


Octogenarian In-Laws gave us their old Subaru Forester. 2006, immaculate condition with literally 44k on the clock.

Basically this:

As a person who grew up dirt poor, with literally no car, the idea of getting a mechanically perfect AWD vehicle for free absolutely blows my mind.

It's going to replace our beat-up but beloved Honda Fit, and is a great deal more useful here in Seattle/PNW.

#blessed

That's a hell of a free car!

 

[Laws00]

Anybody read this? I just saw it on my facebook

Owner Saves His BMW E30 M3 From Hurricane Matthew By Parking It Inside His House

http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2016/10...tthew-By-Parking-It-Inside-His-House-7735865/

When Hurricane Matthew made landfall a few days ago, residents of Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina fled for their lives, taking what they could with them. But one Florida resident, Instagram user Randy, who goes by the name ‘Jalilsup’ decided to stay put and not evacuate his home, or his prized BMW E30 M3. First reported by Motor Trend, Randy simply did what any good gearhead and BMW enthusiast would do in this situation: drive the car right the front double-doors of his house.

 

[mkenyon]

Good man.

 

[FStop7]

I'd do that even if the weather was perfect.

 

[ascii42]

That's awesome.

 

[op_ivy]

Anybody read this? I just saw it on my facebook

Owner Saves His BMW E30 M3 From Hurricane Matthew By Parking It Inside His House

http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2016/10...tthew-By-Parking-It-Inside-His-House-7735865/

How long is his wife making him sleep on the couch?

 

[Stinkles]

How long is his wife making him sleep on the couch?

4.0 seconds.

 

[Evo X]

Just got back from a preview event for Dr.Strange. It looks fucking insane in IMAX 3D. He drives a matte grey Huracan in the movie. Pretty awesome.

 

[mkenyon]

Just got back from a preview event for Dr.Strange. It looks fucking insane in IMAX 3D. He drives a matte grey Huracan in the movie. Pretty awesome.

I want to do this with my M5. Looks soooooo good.

 

[Stinkles]

Just got back from a preview event for Dr.Strange. It looks fucking insane in IMAX 3D. He drives a matte grey Huracan in the movie. Pretty awesome.

I see a lot of (comparatively speaking) Mercedes finished in matte gray and they always look awesome.

 

[jongkookie]

I see a lot of (comparatively speaking) Mercedes finished in matte gray and they always look awesome.

Interestingly enough I haven't seen a gray one at work but I did love this matte white from the other day though:

 

[nitewulf]

Anyone saw the video for Starboy? The Weeknd drives a McLaren here, I think the P1, great track and fantastic video regardless:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Na4j8AVgA

 

[Bandit1]

Owner Saves His BMW E30 M3 From Hurricane Matthew By Parking It Inside His House

This man is a true car lover. A real human being, and a real hero...

 

[GHG]

This man is a true car lover. A real human being, and a real hero...

Look at him being all selfish with the cereal though. Couldn't even give the m3 a bowl.

 

[Evo X]

Look at him being all selfish with the cereal though. Couldn't even give the m3 a bowl.

Yeah, I bet he finished the bowl in one sitting too.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1292321

 

[FStop7]

Anyone saw the video for Starboy? The Weeknd drives a McLaren here, I think the P1, great track and fantastic video regardless:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Na4j8AVgA

P1 indeed. Great vid and track.

 

[GHG]

Yeah, I bet he finished the bowl in one sitting too.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1292321

What on earth...

Anyway, this is why I think the RS5 might well be my next car:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=K2x54Qi7pSY

Never heard of this youtuber before but I have to say that's a very very well put together video. He also touches on the "slower car fast" chat that we have had here many a time before.

 

[ascii42]

Look at him being all selfish with the cereal though. Couldn't even give the m3 a bowl.

He set out some oil for the car.

 

[matmanx1]

Anybody read this? I just saw it on my facebook

Owner Saves His BMW E30 M3 From Hurricane Matthew By Parking It Inside His House

This is obviously a man of taste and intelligence and is a credit to all gear-heads.

 

[matmanx1]

What on earth...

Anyway, this is why I think the RS5 might well be my next car:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=K2x54Qi7pSY

Never heard of this youtuber before but I have to say that's a very very well put together video. He also touches on the "slower car fast" chat that we have had here many a time before.

That RS5 sounded absolutely fantastic. They should all sounds like that, tbh. Was the RS5 discontinued after 2015? It doesn't seem to be an option on the current Audi USA website but maybe it is still available in other regions?

Or are they bringing a new one out like they are doing with the TT RS?

Edit - Answered my own question with a little Google search. New one will be turbo V6 (boooo!) http://blog.caranddriver.com/next-audi-rs5-to-get-turbo-six-and-possible-sportback-variant/