The Car Thread ... !

[A.Goldberg]

Really? These are the stock 18" rims that come with the non-RS LT Camaro's.

No hat or anything. Just a weird shadow....

Yes, really. The other ones are a bit much, reminiscent of "pimp my ride".

Thr proportions are otherwise all off. The 18" rims visually better accommodate the "sections" of the car- bumper to wheel arch. Wheel arch to door. If you were to divide the wheel width by the wheel arch rear bumper distance you'd get close to 1.681 which is phi, "the golden ratio", paramount in asthetics. With the your other wheels the ratio is more like 2.04.

The same can be said for the distance from the horizontal line above the wheels compared to the wheel diameter.

 

[D.T.]

No hat or anything.

Maybe you should have a doctor look at that.

 

[0388631]

Well, if you're ever stuck in the middle of nowhere, you can try gliding elsewhere.

 

[PowerMac G4 MDD]

https://www.ireviews.com/news/2017/08/22/toyota-patents-cloaking-device

Toyota patented this technology which allows one to "see through" the car's A-pillars. There have been past efforts to maximize one's view out of modern vehicles (by companies like Volvo, with the triangular windows they put into a concept car's A-pillars), but I haven't seen anything like this.

Of course, car companies could simply figure out a way to make thin pillars that are also stronger than today's thick pillars; however, they'd have to be done up pretty nicely to not look like the pillars of an old car.

Anyway, all we need now is design that isn't bulbous. Aside from pillars being too thick nowadays, the designs of some cars make me feel as though I'm driving a giant bubble. I had severe trouble parking a brand-new Lexus RX, while I can do parallel parking just fine in a 1990s Landcruiser. I can effectively see better out of a larger car xD. I also tried parking a new Rav 4... its hood was SO rounded and bulgy, I could barely see where I was moving. Feels as though I zoomed my FOV in, within a racing simulator.

 

[bunnspecial]

Be careful when/where you buy your gas. Yes, this is a current headache for me, but may make me bite the bullet and buy a new tank. Moss sells a slick 16 gallon tank(the original capacity is 10 imperial gallons) that's baffled and not much more expensive than an OEM style.

Still, though, I DETEST dropping tanks, so if I do put in a new tank I might have to swallow my pride and have my mechanic do it. At least access is decent on the MG, but chances are all the bolts and straps are rusted solid.

 

[spencers]

Swapped front brake pads (Hawk ceramic) and front upper control arms this weekend on my 330i. No more brake shimmy!

Had the muffler shop weld the stock exhaust back on. The BMW Performance exhaust noise was getting old.

Found oil pan gasket leak under the car. Ordered parts for that. Won't be a fun DIY!

 

[oneMadRssn]

Public service announcement:

If shopping for a used car within the next year or two, get a carfax history report (or similar) and be very wary of any cars with a history of being registered in Texas or the surrounding area, unless they were registered elsewhere prior to August 2017.

It is a pretty common scam to buy flood-damaged cars prior to them being officially declared totalled, clean them up, and try to resell them quickly before the numerous water-damage issues present themselves. Many of these will be presented with a clean title. Mold and rust are just the tip of the iceberg, and can take months if not years to really develop into a big issue. Don't fall for this scam.

 

[2298754]

Probably one of the best exhausts right now

 

[Suture]

Probably one of the best exhausts right now

Badass... and from a Lexus of all things.

 

[D.T.]

One rotor done, 3 more to go, ugh, hahaha, well, the other rear today (I'm kind of doing 30 things at once today).
[doublepost=1504031613][/doublepost]

Probably one of the best exhausts right now

That's crazy, I would've lost any bet that was not stock. Holy hell, well done!

 

[2298754]

https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/29/16216158/bentley-continental-gt-tech-classic-shape

New Bentley CGT unveiled. Looks quite good IMO

 

[arggg14]

Trying to figure out if I can run a 225/40/18 tire on an 18/8.5 wheel without them looking stretched until the tread is cooked... I really don't want to buy new 235/40/18 tires until I need to.

 

[D.T.]

Trying to figure out if I can run a 225/40/18 tire on an 18/8.5 wheel without them looking stretched until the tread is cooked... I really don't want to buy new 235/40/18 tires until I need to.

A 225 has a wheel width recommendation of 7.5-9", the median is 8.25", so you're a touch on the wider fitment, but I suspect they'll be a pretty square fitment to maybe the very slightest undersizing, but that depends on the specific tire (there's a little variation across models and specific models).

 

[bunnspecial]

Decided I'd bite the bullet and just get a new gas tank. I think the old one is salvageable, but the bad fill gave me some motivation and I figure once every 50 years or so is a decent replacement interval.

Unfortunately, the 16 gallon isn't available anymore(they sold like hotcakes, but unfortunately the supplier can't provide any more of them). The one I'm getting is 13.5 gallons and stainless steel, so hopefully it will last a while.

 

[D.T.]

... I figure once every 50 years or so is a decent replacement interval.

Yeah, that's not a bad service duration

 

[heehee]

Test drove the Giulia base version. The drive was very nice, ride, suspension, steering, exhaust note and it's pretty quiet. The interior is very plastic, feels like an economy car. I rather have a C43 for that price.

 

[bunnspecial]

Test drove the Giulia base version. The drive was very nice, ride, suspension, steering, exhaust note and it's pretty quiet. The interior is very plastic, feels like an economy car. I rather have a C43 for that price.
View attachment 715186

The interior comments are disappointing.

I have yet to see one in person, although I'm hoping to get a chance to see/drive the one my aunt just bought later in September.

I agree that for the ~$40K price for a base model, the interior quality should at least be on par with other offerings in the class.

I'd also be interested to know how the ~$70K Quadrigfolio compares to the base in terms of interior quality.

At least among my car friends, the Giulia has generated a lot of buzz, but there again "sightings" seem rare.

 

[jca24]

The interior comments are disappointing.

I have yet to see one in person, although I'm hoping to get a chance to see/drive the one my aunt just bought later in September.

I agree that for the ~$40K price for a base model, the interior quality should at least be on par with other offerings in the class.

I'd also be interested to know how the ~$70K Quadrigfolio compares to the base in terms of interior quality.

At least among my car friends, the Giulia has generated a lot of buzz, but there again "sightings" seem rare.

There is a reason sightings are rare, nobody wants this junk.

 

[lowendlinux]

So I just figured out that if I want a body on frame SUV that isn't massive (relatively) my options are 4runner and Wrangler. Fortunatly both are available in Europe so I won't be left high and dry when I go back. The crappy part is that Wranglers don't have all that great of a dependability rating so for SUV's I'm stuck with a hulking heavy SUV that is the 4 runner or a Jeep that is smaller but is less reliable. My conclusion is that the world is stupid and if I want a truck I'm sorta stuck between an SR5/TRD Offroad 4runner or a Wrangler Sport.

The flip side is if I buy a car I'll get a Legacy which is nice, cheap, and available everywhere in the world but you need to lift the engine to replace the spark plugs..how chevy can you get..

In the end I don;t like any new cars but I'm under orders to get one which really pisses me off.

 

[D.T.]

The 4Runner isn't huge, like you said, if you're shopping a BOF SUV, it and some Jeep options are the smaller options. We have a 4th Gen and it never feels very big, roomy, but not a barn, easy to navigate, super easy to park.

Wranglers are really fun with all the modularity, you know, various tops, removable panels (fenders, doors), very capable offroad. Depending on the 4runner variant they go from decent to radical for off road capability, combined with very good resale, dependability (all the typical Toyota perks).

The TRD package is pretty serious for off road, and while I wouldn't need that level of capability, I'd buy one just because it looks _so_badass_.

It's nice they're now offering a package in between the TRD and the previous year's best off road option, for a good $5K less and probably way easier to deal on.

 

[quagmire]

Have to take the Camaro in to the dealer for the first time for its oil change( finally hit 1500 miles, break in is over!) and deal with the headliner issue that I posted a while back. Not looking forward to it considering I used to work at a dealer and witnessed how techs and other lot attendants treated high performance vehicles..... Ugh.... Wasn't for the headliner, would probably just do the oil change myself.

 

[Alphazoid]

I dread dropping cars off at dealerships which is why i do a quick recording of the interior and exterior before i handover the keys. That and how most of the useful repairs are 'serviceable items not covered under warranty'.

Speaking of dealers, dropped off my IS for the airbag recall and was given a 2017 CT Premier as a courtesy car.



Was much more impressed than i thought I'd be since i was expecting a glorified Prius and whilst its essentially that, it's still uniquely a Lexus. Also heard the ML audio first hand for the first time and now i want it. Drivetrain was 'ok', quite docile unless you're in sports mode. CVT was neither here nor there.

Overall a good, comfortable, city rider that's cheap to run and maintain. Shame its priced with a significant premium. 30 grand for a Hybrid Hatch is kinda daylight robbery, even if its a Lexus. That firmly puts you into IS and 3er territory. But i guess you recoup the cost-ish over long-term ownership.

 

[2298754]

Have to take the Camaro in to the dealer for the first time for its oil change( finally hit 1500 miles, break in is over!) and deal with the headliner issue that I posted a while back. Not looking forward to it considering I used to work at a dealer and witnessed how techs and other lot attendants treated high performance vehicles..... Ugh.... Wasn't for the headliner, would probably just do the oil change myself.

Why would a tech want to beat on an AUTOMATIC Camaro...

I understand it's a nice car, but let's take it down a notch

 

[2298754]

The TRD package is pretty serious for off road, and while I wouldn't need that level of capability, I'd buy one just because it looks _so_badass_.

It's nice they're now offering a package in between the TRD and the previous year's best off road option, for a good $5K less and probably way easier to deal on.

Such a badass car

My buddy sent me this a few days ago. This was at our local Toyota dealer.

 

[jca24]

Why would a tech want to beat on an AUTOMATIC Camaro...

I understand it's a nice car, but let's take it down a notch

Makes no difference when a lot of the techs are douche bags and that is the only time they get to drive a nice car.