The Car Thread ... !

[44267547]

Rally Run 2021 last weekend. It was 80°, which is pretty much unheard of in Michigan where we were in April. Racked on 300 miles without an issue.

Oh, I’ll have the Camaro reveal coming soon.

 

[quagmire]

This is getting more serious than I thought it would. But I think I will be getting a Model 3 and the Camaro will be sold. Granted this is the performance version and man does this thing go to 60 so freaking fast. I would do the Long Range with acceleration boost down the road. I love the white interior, but I think I’m going to wuss out and stick with black.

I’m going to miss the sound of a V8, but I’m sold with EV’s at least with Tesla. Build quality on this tester is pretty good.

 

[Apple fanboy]

View attachment 1757056 View attachment 1757057 View attachment 1757058

This is getting more serious than I thought it would. But I think I will be getting a Model 3 and the Camaro will be sold. Granted this is the performance version and man does this thing go to 60 so freaking fast. I would do the Long Range with acceleration boost down the road. I love the white interior, but I think I’m going to wuss out and stick with black.

I’m going to miss the sound of a V8, but I’m sold with EV’s at least with Tesla. Build quality on this tester is pretty good.

Those seats look like a nightmare to keep clean!

 

[quagmire]

Those seats look like a nightmare to keep clean!

From the research and a coworker who has the white interior, it is relatively easy to clean. But still leaning towards black.

 

[Apple fanboy]

From the research and a coworker who has the white interior, it is relatively easy to clean. But still leaning towards black.

I’d stick with black personally.

 

[quagmire]

Well as of Wednesday, the Camaro has been sold to Carmax. A white exterior/black interior Model 3 Long Range has been ordered. Electrician coming next week to run a 240V line and install the Tesla Wall Charger.

 

[Td1970]

Just picked up a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. Can wait to drop off my old civic.
Comes with CarPlay and BlueLink. Seems pretty cool. $10 month car start,temp control, diagnostics.

 

[maflynn]

Hyundai is showing off their new 2022 Santa Cruz (I'm hesitant to call it a truck) vehicle
I love my Colorado and I have zero desire to move on from it. Its everything I wanted in a truck, but this new truck has some interesting design choices.

The biggest criticism (at least from me), is the 4' bed, its just too small for many tasks, but I get what Hyundai is doing and who its aiming this vehicle for. It has a 4 cylinder engine, which on one hand will give you better gas mileage - My Colorado isn't the best, but on the other hand, how much pep will it have on the road?

So now we have the Ridgeline and the Santa Cruz that offer a "trunk" in the bed of the truck, I'm so surprised that other truck makers haven't jump on that bandwagon - when I owned a Ridgeline, that was one of my favorite features.

 

[44267547]

Just picked up a 2018 Hyundai Sonata. Can wait to drop off my old civic.
Comes with CarPlay and BlueLink. Seems pretty cool. $10 month car start,temp control, diagnostics.

Just wanted to chime in and say how much I loved my Sonata 2.0T. I sold it last year, and it barely had any miles, [like 60,000.] let me tell you, that car was freakin quick with the turbo, had a nice throaty exhaust, lowered stance with the appearance, handling was great, manual mode was a lot of fun plenty of space, ect. Only thing I didn’t have, was the ‘Home link Advantage’ to my garage system, but otherwise I would rate that one of the best daily cars I’ve ever owned in terms of reliability, fun factor and overall has an excellent resale value as well.

If you can, definitely post a picture!

 

[bunnspecial]

I got some fresh rubber on the alloy LE Wheels on the MG the other day. I went with General Altimax RT43s, which are a current favorite of a lot of the MG guys. I decided to step it down to a 175 width, which makes the handling "livlier" and the steering somewhat lighter.

Also, I've been talking about a complete front suspension overhaul. I talked to a few folks who agreed with me to "do it right". My plan had basically been to take it apart, clean it up, put it back together with springs and poly bushings and call it a day. I talked to a friend for advice on if it was a good idea to drop the front crossmember to clean and paint it, and he basically said yes, it was, but if I was going to go to that much trouble, there were a bunch of other things I should do and get it "right" for another 50 years.

So, basically, I have bushings, front springs, and hardware on-hand.

This is what was suggested I do:

1. Bite the bullet and either pull the kingpins and have them rebuilt, or buy already rebuilt ones(Moss motors sells the latter for $800 inc. a $350 core charge, which isn't terrible, but if I can stand waiting I can probably send them directly to the outfit Moss uses and have my own rebuilt for a bit less). As much as I'd be tempted to do the rebuild myself, I don't have access to a good shop now to press bushings in, and the reamer is ~$200.

2. Drop the front cross member, sandblast it, and either paint or powdercoat it.

3. I've been told that because they're inexpensive and the holes can elongate, it's a good idea to replace the lower A-arms and spring pans while I'm in there.

Doing all of this turns what I'd hoped to be a weekend job into probably a 3 week job working at my own pace...so that's now a November job.

I am going to go ahead and do the rear suspension bushings/pads-hopefully the poly will last long than the 5 years rubber has lasted.

BTW, lest anyone think this is a "breakdown" or something like that(since I've been accused of always "fixing stuff"), this stuff falls under the category of "maintenance." It's easy to forget with modern cars how easy we have it since things are basically sealed for life and get replaced completely when they do wear out...if they do before the car dies for other reasons. I don't know when I last saw a Zerk(grease nipple) on a modern car, while in the past they were all over the place and standard practice was/is to stick a grease gun on them and pump some grease in a couple of times a year. I had a post a few pages back about cleaning and repacking wheel bearings-on a modern car you'd just replace a whole sealed assembly! This stuff isn't unique to MGs(even though British cars often have their quirks of how things are done vs. American cars) but is something typical of cars probably up to the 1980s or so.

 

[Td1970]

Just wanted to chime in and say how much I loved my Sonata 2.0T. I sold it last year, and it barely had any miles, [like 60,000.] let me tell you, that car was freakin quick with the turbo, had a nice throaty exhaust, lowered stance with the appearance, handling was great, manual mode was a lot of fun plenty of space, ect. Only thing I didn’t have, was the ‘Home link Advantage’ to my garage system, but otherwise I would rate that one of the best daily cars I’ve ever owned in terms of reliability, fun factor and overall has an excellent resale value as well.

If you can, definitely post a picture!

Not the best pics and it need a real cleaning, not a dealer “detail”

 

[MacBH928]

I sprayed white lithium grease in a sunroof and in my door hinges. I later learned it turns yellow and is bad for rubber. Will be using silicon grease in the future.

Any one has advice on how to remove the white lithium grease without damage?

 

[satcomer]

Those seats look like a nightmare to keep clean!

Not really, one guy on YouTube said left over baby wipes cleaned them up with small kids in back!

 

[PatrickCocoa]

I’d stick with black personally.

I thought the same. I've had a Model S since 2016 and a Model 3 as well the past few years and got dark interior in both, specifically because I was worried that the white would be tough to keep clean.

But I ran into a guy at a supercharger with a white interior Model Y. He said he was using the Model Y for Uber fairly frequently, and he didn't have any cleaning issues. I looked at the Y interior and it looked immaculate. Also watched a few YouTube videos of people with white interiors on their Teslas and they were all satisfied (don't know if that's a valid sample).

So I don't know. I've got a refreshed Model S on order, went with the dark interior.

 

[AustinIllini]

From the research and a coworker who has the white interior, it is relatively easy to clean. But still leaning towards black.

I have the white interior on my 3. It's not a big deal because it's that "vegan leather" so any cleaner works.

My wife drives the Y with the black interior.

Have had some pretty terrible luck as far as "acts of god" with both of them (3 is currently covered with hail damage) but overall I'm reasonably happy.

Do I miss my German cars? YESSSS

Also, the acceleration boost is kind of pricey but 0-60 in 3.7 is awesome. After getting that, driving an ICE car just isn't the same. They just don't drive with that authority.

 

[bunnspecial]

So, soliciting another opinion...

First of all, I can't believe how nice it is to actually have wheels on the MG that you don't have to talk to the one guy who knows where the pin plate is in the dusty box of other parts that came with their balancing machine just to get your wheels balanced.

I drove to work and back today(~35 miles) and really let the car out for the first time since the rebuild. I saw 105 on the speedo, although I wasn't using a GPS speedo at the time. It was turning 4200 in 4th OD, which works out to ~95mph with that size tire. I know that's nothing for a modern car, but top down 95 in 4th was where it's always run out of steam for me in the past. It was still pulling decently in 4th at those speeds and even had a bit to give in OD, so I think a flat 100 would have been possible. Previously, I'd only managed 100 top up, so that's saying something. Unfortunately, we had some vicious cross winds on the way home this afternoon that made me remember just how scary a lightweight car can be. I was doing 90+ without any thought this morning, but this afternoon there were times that 70 felt iffy and like I was on the verge of oversteering even on relatively gentle interstate curves.

That aside, I think the tire shop didn't get one of my wheel centers back on tight, or maybe I just missed that they didn't put it on at all. Whatever the case, I'm short one.

Moss offers the stock style, which are like what are on the car now

They also offer the style used on UK LE wheels, which have a red background(complete wheel, but the centers are available separate)

So, what would you all do?

 

[Apple fanboy]

So, soliciting another opinion...

First of all, I can't believe how nice it is to actually have wheels on the MG that you don't have to talk to the one guy who knows where the pin plate is in the dusty box of other parts that came with their balancing machine just to get your wheels balanced.

I drove to work and back today(~35 miles) and really let the car out for the first time since the rebuild. I saw 105 on the speedo, although I wasn't using a GPS speedo at the time. It was turning 4200 in 4th OD, which works out to ~95mph with that size tire. I know that's nothing for a modern car, but top down 95 in 4th was where it's always run out of steam for me in the past. It was still pulling decently in 4th at those speeds and even had a bit to give in OD, so I think a flat 100 would have been possible. Previously, I'd only managed 100 top up, so that's saying something. Unfortunately, we had some vicious cross winds on the way home this afternoon that made me remember just how scary a lightweight car can be. I was doing 90+ without any thought this morning, but this afternoon there were times that 70 felt iffy and like I was on the verge of oversteering even on relatively gentle interstate curves.

That aside, I think the tire shop didn't get one of my wheel centers back on tight, or maybe I just missed that they didn't put it on at all. Whatever the case, I'm short one.

Moss offers the stock style, which are like what are on the car now

View attachment 1764711

They also offer the style used on UK LE wheels, which have a red background(complete wheel, but the centers are available separate)

View attachment 1764712

So, what would you all do?

I prefer the black centres. The red would look great on a red MG but with your green I’d stick with the black (or do they do a green?).

 

[bunnspecial]

I prefer the black centres. The red would look great on a red MG but with your green I’d stick with the black (or do they do a green?).

Red or black are the options, and thanks for your thoughts. I hadn't thought of your point about how red would look against green, but I think that's a good one.

 

[quagmire]

I have the white interior on my 3. It's not a big deal because it's that "vegan leather" so any cleaner works.

My wife drives the Y with the black interior.

Have had some pretty terrible luck as far as "acts of god" with both of them (3 is currently covered with hail damage) but overall I'm reasonably happy.

Do I miss my German cars? YESSSS

Also, the acceleration boost is kind of pricey but 0-60 in 3.7 is awesome. After getting that, driving an ICE car just isn't the same. They just don't drive with that authority.

I was also debating do I want white on white or want the contrast with the black interior. I preferred the contrast. When I test drove the dark colored vehicles( a blue 3 and the red 3 pictured above), it made the white interior really stand out which I liked. If I went with the red or blue paint, I probably would have gone white interior for that difference in color.

Acceleration boost is priced well. You would be spending that on a naturally aspirated car to get the same performance out of it and get to maintain the warranty so win-win. Wish Tesla still offered the Model 3 "Stealth" ( Performance motor/performance with LR parts), but 3.7 seconds is still fast enough and faster than the Camaro.

It has been torture stalking my order page seeing my estimated delivery constantly changing. The electrician came yesterday to run a 240V line and got the Wall Charger installed. Have the mud flaps arriving today.

Going to car cleaning side, for those who use them, what electric pressure washer, foam cannon, and appropriate soap do you guys use? I imagine for light dirt you don't need to scrub the car down. Though I imagine I will still need to lightly scrub the front end due to it being a bug magnet. Though Xpel will at least remove the worry of swirling/scratching when removing the bugs.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Red or black are the options, and thanks for your thoughts. I hadn't thought of your point about how red would look against green, but I think that's a good one.

Red and green should never be seen.

 

[RSB96]

This is my car. An Opel Astra K 1.4 Turbo 150hp. For North Americans, it would be a sort of Chevrolet Cruze hatch, although with the qualities you expect in a Buick, as Buick were Opel with other logos (until the sale of Opel to PSA, now Stellantis).

It is from January 2016, and currently has 65,000km (about 40,000 miles or so). The first 2 years it was used quite a bit around town, daily, but now its main use is as a highway car.

It carries virtually all the extras it could carry at the time. Matrix-LED headlights, 8" GPS, OnStar (unfortunately this is no longer available in Europe), rear camera, blind spot, etc.

The truth is that I am happy with my car. It has not had any noticeable faults, it is comfortable and quiet and has enough power for one/two passengers and little luggage.

 

[Apple fanboy]

This is my car. An Opel Astra K 1.4 Turbo 150hp. For North Americans, it would be a sort of Chevrolet Cruze hatch, although with the qualities you expect in a Buick, as Buick were Opel with other logos (until the sale of Opel to PSA, now Stellantis).

It is from January 2016, and currently has 65,000km (about 40,000 miles or so). The first 2 years it was used quite a bit around town, daily, but now its main use is as a highway car.

It carries virtually all the extras it could carry at the time. Matrix-LED headlights, 8" GPS, OnStar (unfortunately this is no longer available in Europe), rear camera, blind spot, etc.

The truth is that I am happy with my car. It has not had any noticeable faults, it is comfortable and quiet and has enough power for one/two passengers and little luggage.

In the U.K. it’s called a Vauxhall Astra. Never owned one but it’s a similar size to my VW Golf.

 

[Polly Mercocet]

Also, the acceleration boost is kind of pricey but 0-60 in 3.7 is awesome. After getting that, driving an ICE car just isn't the same. They just don't drive with that authority.

For real once you've had the experience of EV acceleration, ICE cars just don't cut it anymore. Especially on a Performance model Tesla.

 

[RSB96]

In the U.K. it’s called a Vauxhall Astra. Never owned one but it’s a similar size to my VW Golf.

Yes, in the UK Opel was always Vauxhall. Regarding the Chevrolet Cruze I meant that they share the same platform and engines, but in terms of quality, it is above Chevrolet, as Opel/Vauxhall and Buick, especially in the last 10 years until its sale to PSA, were the same cars (Mokka/Encore, Insignia/Regal, etc.).

The Golf is a great car, it was one of the ones I looked at when I bought the Astra, but it was about 5000€ more expensive with equal equipment and power.

 

[44267547]

Honda Civic 2022 debut:

First thoughts, it’s very Acrua-ish. I think it’s a more modernized look, but not so much futuristic that they were initially aiming for when you look at the previous years of the Civic.

Offered both in 2.0 and 1.5T variants.