Say ya got around $32K to spend on a car..... - Page 2 - Team Juicy Racing's Racing School and Race Series Forums

sydude · #51 09-09-2005

I may have to eat some crow and admit that MAYBE you're right. I went to the gas station today for the first time in weeks and as I'm about to start the pump I see $3.76 a gallon. WTF?! That's nuts! Still, there are better choices for a fuel or emissions efficient car than a Prius - you don't get nearly enough back on either front to make up for its abysmal performance.

cdh · #52 09-09-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by sydude

I may have to eat some crow and admit that MAYBE you're right. I went to the gas station today for the first time in weeks and as I'm about to start the pump I see $3.76 a gallon. WTF?! That's nuts! Still, there are better choices for a fuel or emissions efficient car than a Prius - you don't get nearly enough back on either front to make up for its abysmal performance.

Yeah, $50 to fill up a not particularly empty Boxster today, ow. BUT, we've had it too easy for a long time, it's still cheap (relatively).

Here is a good alternative to the Prius (except with that growing family, they do have roof rack options)...

sydude · #53 09-09-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdh

they do have roof rack options)...

Did you just say ROOF RACK?

MJAmok · #54 09-09-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhpearson

How so?

If you have to ask....

cdh · #55 09-09-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by sydude

Did you just say ROOF RACK?

Maybe I shoulda said roof wreck? Roof wrack? I'm sorry buddy, way beyond the pale. So when do we get to see the pix???

.

dalyduo · #56 09-10-2005

My '92 Saab 9000 Turbo with 200hp still pulls strong at 125,000 miles and returns between 22 and 25 mpg depending on how hard I flog it. Our 200 mile commute each weekend plus some local driving usually nets out to about 12 gallons a week. Not that long ago I'd fill the tank with premium for 15 or 16 bucks. Now that same fill up is 42 - 45 bucks. Reality bites big time.

Here is where the Prius gains consideration as a transportation appliance. At 44 mpg we could do our weekend commute (albeit at a more relaxed pace) using about 5.5 gallons per week vs. 12 gallons with the Saab. That's more than a $1,000 cost saving calculating only commute weekends over a years time. (Based on premium gas at $3.60 a gallon and a nominal fee for a lobotomy so I'd find driving a Prius exciting.)

There is no danger I'll be trading in my Saab for a Prius any time soon but if push came to shove and I had to tighten my money belt the Prius is one of the few transportation appliances I'd consider. It's roomy, practical and performs admirably while actually delivering astonishing mileage. The fuel savings it could yield over a years time would be significant to a small single income family.

The Saab has delivered better than average fuel economy (given the performance envelope) for over 10 years and 100,000 miles. I've always appreciated the value of this trade off. The only reason I'd consider a change would be for more performance at the same consumption level or less performace with a huge increase in mileage. The Prius being the only car that can seriously deliver on that front.

The killer comparison would be costing out a gas guzzler SUV vs. a Prius. It's probably a safe bet that gas guzzler SUV sales will be plummeting as the gas prices continue to rise.

But the real question is: Is anyone actually reading this post other than Robert?

Hey Robert, my first sports car was a reposessed rear engined Fiat 850 Spyder with only 3 tires of matching size. Got incredible gas mileage and the fun with that car was flogging it up to speed and then finding creative ways to maintain that momentum. You could scare yourself silly and not be going over the speed limit

String beans on a weather vane... Orange grape-nut suntan oil... Virgin acrylic laminated monkey vomit... (See... No one is really reading this, nor should they!) Enjoy the veal ladies & gentlemen... Be kind to your waiters. Goodnight Cleveland!

Charlie25 · #57 09-10-2005

What I want to know is when are people going to get so tired of complaining about gas prices that we start to seriously research alternative fuel sources?

And on cdh's original topic, I'd say the MINI is an excellent choice. As well I've had my RX-8 for about 6 months now and I haven't had a single problem with it. It does use a lot of oil and some have reported flooding issues, but I haven't and they will probably be completely gone in the '06 model.

dalyduo · #58 09-10-2005

There has been some work done on fuel cells but they are still a very long way from any practical application. We are still paying far less than what Europe pays for gas so I suspect prices could go a lot higher before we start seeing "Smart" micro cars being Americanized. Higher gas prices will motivate a lot more people to look seriously at other possibilities.

I love the Mini as well. Perhaps it should be our TJR branding vehicle. A brightly painted Mini with TJR logos all over it and dark tinted windows will roar down into the pits at each race weekend. The doors fly open and out tumble 10 or 15 juicy drivers in their driving suits.(Like the clown car at the circus) We all dust each other off while making 3 Stooges noises and then walk in unison to the drivers meeting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlie25

What I want to know is when are people going to get so tired of complaining about gas prices that we start to seriously research alternative fuel sources?

And on cdh's original topic, I'd say the MINI is an excellent choice. As well I've had my RX-8 for about 6 months now and I haven't had a single problem with it. It does use a lot of oil and some have reported flooding issues, but I haven't and they will probably be completely gone in the '06 model.

birkmama · #59 09-10-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by dalyduo

There has been some work done on fuel cells but they are still a very long way from any practical application. We are still paying far less than what Europe pays for gas so I suspect prices could go a lot higher before we start seeing "Smart" micro cars being Americanized. Higher gas prices will motivate a lot more people to look seriously at other possibilities.

I filled up yesterday...80EUR!

and gas prices are on all the headlines.
Still I am not convinced that those prices will trigger a change in consumer behaviour and cannot imagine the US converting to a country of micro cars.

cdh · #60 09-10-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by dalyduo

I love the Mini as well. Perhaps it should be our TJR branding vehicle. A brightly painted Mini with TJR logos all over it and dark tinted windows will roar down into the pits at each race weekend.

kinda like this......

and speaking of clown cars, this Mini ad from a few years ago is a classic

rhpearson · #61 09-10-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdh

kinda like this......

and speaking of clown cars, this Mini ad from a few years ago is a classic

The ad is a blast... but he abandoned a Cinquecento! Cazzo fa? hahaha.

Thanks Pat, for the long look at why I thought a Prius would have worked for me... before we would be a family of five at least. Performance--as in a car that goes fast, rips around corners, etc.--is the last thing I need or want right now. I have come to dislike driving in recent years because of the way people drive here. The only time I have enjoyed highway driving in recent years was in Italy this year. The commute via BMW while long, is really far less of a worry because I don't have to cope with traffic while on the bus or the train. And I am on my third book in a week thanks to the three hours a day of commuting...

I completely agree, that if money was something that was easily spent, say $32K, a Mini is right up there on my wish list. Part of me, if I was mechanically inclined or skilled, would even want to get my hands on an old one and redo it. A friend of mine has a 1975 Astin Mini he picked up in 1998 and rebuilt. Though he did it on an economy budget and is paying the price now, with the bodywork having long since proved to be very poorly done (he sent it to a highschool autoshop class to have it done... as the years go by it turned out they used a lot more filler than necessary). So if I did that, I would want to do it right. For $32K it might be possible. And heck, they were efficient too... even with an overbore and double the stock horsepower

Alas... I am rather screwed in the car department these days. Cannot afford anything to replace my Matrix, yet the thing will most certainly not fit three kids in kids car seats. I wish I lived somewhere where I could get by without a car.

cdh · #62 09-10-2005

here's a nice original one for ya Rbt

.

MJAmok · #63 09-10-2005

Don't worry Pat... I read your entire post... but then, I am a glutton for punishment!

Speaking of gas prices...

The D110 (9 -12 mpg) was on FUMES last weekend. I stopped at a gas station next to a restaurant where I was picking up food. They were out of Premium and only had 89 octane. Desparate, but not wanting to fill with 89, AND not thinking clearly, I told the guy to 'put 10 bucks in while I run next door'.

When I came out... $10 later... my Low Fuel Light was still on! That was an eye opener!!

dalyduo · #64 09-10-2005

Great stuff Doug,

Love the TJR clown car and the video.

The video would have been more satisfying if the driver quickily shook off the flower squirt and laughed with the clown, then simply got into his normal spirited driving mode. I'd have had the clown get more and more uncomfortable, pee himself with the flower, beg the driver to stop and have the driver enjoying the car so much that he isn't aware of the increasingly uncomfortable clown. After stopping, the driver would shrug and drive off never realizing he gave the annoying clown his comeuppance.

And the same punchline would work just fine.

But what I really want to do is... Direct!

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdh

kinda like this......

and speaking of clown cars, this Mini ad from a few years ago is a classic

dalyduo · #65 09-10-2005

That is a nice one. There were several nice original Mini's at the LRP Vintage Festival last weekend and I've become so used to the new ones that I forgot how truly tiny the old ones are. I believe I read that the increased size and weight of the new models is almost exclusively due to making them crash worthy. Thankfully.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdh

here's a nice original one for ya Rbt

.

dalyduo · #66 09-10-2005

I forgot you mentioned that BMW stands for the public transport system where you are and was having trouble making sense of your post. Thought I'd mention it in case others thought they were in Cleveland as well. :-)

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhpearson

The commute via BMW while long...

dalyduo · #67 09-10-2005

Michael,

Decades ago Dick Cavett went to the celebrity attended funeral of SJ Pearlman. (Pre-dating Cavett's own celebrity) Exiting the service he suddenly found himself a few strides behind Groucho Marx, whom he'd never met, walking alone. After gathering his courage he sidled up next to Groucho stuck out his hand and said, "Hello Groucho, my name's Dick Cavett and I'm a big fan." It was a hot summer day and without missing a beat Groucho raised an eyebrow as only Groucho could, glanced at his suitor, wiggled an imaginery cigar and shot back. "If it gets any hotter around here I'll need a big fan..." And so began their long friendship.

My point? Thanks for being such a devoted masochist!

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJAmok

Don't worry Pat... I read your entire post... but then, I am a glutton for punishment!

Moxie · #68 09-10-2005

Hey Robert, don't give up on a Mini just because of your three car seat requirement. Just scan the classifieds for one of these and you'll carry the whole family with no problem.

rhpearson · #69 09-10-2005

You know, there were a couple of stretch limos for sale nearby earlier in the summer and I joked to my wife that one of those would solve our problem nicely. She wasn't impressed. As it is, if I can get another car, it must have an automatic transmission or I am dead meat... she didn't even have a drivers licence when I bought the Matrix and I am still in the doghouse for it...

And the refresher on Montreal transit:

Bus
Metro
Walking

I even read while I walk... without the books the 90 minutes--EACH WAY--would be hell.

cdh · #70 09-11-2005

or this one I made just for you RP...

kwlorentzen · #71 09-11-2005

Color me dumb.... I just figured it out!

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJAmok

Don't worry Pat... I read your entire post... but then, I am a glutton for punishment!

Speaking of gas prices...

The D110 (9 -12 mpg) was on FUMES last weekend. I stopped at a gas station next to a restaurant where I was picking up food. They were out of Premium and only had 89 octane. Desparate, but not wanting to fill with 89, AND not thinking clearly, I told the guy to 'put 10 bucks in while I run next door'.

When I came out... $10 later... my Low Fuel Light was still on! That was an eye opener!!

cdh · #72 04-05-2007

I thought I would report on the MINI -

Bought Mini S with John Cooper Works package.
Took delivery 12/14/2005, about 12,000 miles now and nothing but smiles. No problems whatsoever, fun, fast little sucker.

My guess is the problems some of you experienced had been smoothed out by the time I got mine. I hope problems don't occur with the 2007, which is almost all new.

It's not a Boxster, but it can keep up with one

WatertownNewbie · #73 04-05-2007

Doug, a couple of questions:

1. What tires and wheels? 16" or 17"? Performance or all-season?

2. Any thoughts on the front-wheel drive? (You mentioned that factor in an earlier post as a possible concern.)

3. How does it do in the Connecticut snow?

If anyone else wants to chime in on the Mini (especially the S, but not the JCW version), please do.

dlippert · #74 04-05-2007

I also had one of the first RX-7 R1's (April 1992) and, other than the paint, which chipped badly and which the dealer fixed, I drove it over 100k miles with no (well, a water pump at 65K) problems. It is still an awesome car.

cdh · #75 04-06-2007

1. What tires and wheels? 16" or 17"? Performance or all-season?

17" - performance tires

2. Any thoughts on the front-wheel drive? (You mentioned that factor in an earlier post as a possible concern.)

Rarely notice it, only when hard on the right pedal with steering input at slower speeds, nbd.

3. How does it do in the Connecticut snow?

I never drove in deep snow, but it's a rallying delight on snowy/slippery roads. With all-season tires I suspect it would plow through just about anything.

no regrets

Moxie · #76 04-06-2007

Doug, I took delivery of my Cooper S JCW convertible just three weeks before you got yours. It now has 32,000 miles of which 90% is attributable to my 60-mile round trip daily commute. Like your Boxster, my S-Works had a very tough act to follow -- a 1995 E36 BMW M3.

Obviously, there's no comparison between the two cars in terms of absolute performance. I must confess to sorely missing the M3's acute steering feel and its perfectly-balanced RWD driving character, not to mention its amazingly powerful and smooth engine. But the frustration of driving an extremely competent GT car like the M3 is that 90% of the time you feel like it's practically coasting. In most real-world driving conditions -- especially my congested and cop-infested commute from Manhattan to Westchester -- the S-Works is about as satisfying a car as anyone could want.

Just a couple of gripes. The convertible top mechanism rattles (only a problem when the top is up, of course, which is as rarely as possible). The front seats look wonderful but aren't the most comfortable (most of the car magazines have also noted this). And despite its relatively light weight, it seems to go through its front tires like a hot knife through butter (I expected more than 30K from the all-season run-flat Dunlops) -- though this may have something to do with my (ahem) vigorous driving style.

cdh · #77 04-06-2007

Yes, seats are one thing I think are lacking. Not for lateral support, fine there, the seat bottom is too short, cuts off too far from my knee. The Boxster seats were so perfect, miss that.

The run-flats are a compromise, not as good as normal radials and I will consider going with conventional hi-perf tires when they are needed (and carry a mini compressor

and can-o-patch in the event of a flat, no spare in the S).

The Cooper Works package is not just an engine/horspower upgrade, the suspension and brakes also get juiced a bit. The car is set for crisp handling and with such a short wheelbase, a choppy ride is to be expected, but with the stiffer bars and springs, the ride can be rough on bad roads. Even so, not a squeak or rattle in the car, very tight (and I'll take the improved handling over ride).

The 6 speed box and pedal placement make for tons of fun up & down shifting, best feature maybe.

On a less obvious note, the car makes so many pleasing motoring noises I just smile. The impeller whines when you get on it and the exhaust burble and blip sounds are so right, very satisfying enthusiasts car.

When I was allowed to do some semi-hot laps at WGI and Tremblant, I discovered a race track is where this car shines the brightest, just right.

thomas · #78 04-07-2007

....OMG is this my thread...

I have an 05 Cooper 5 speed, 115 hp-I love it. To sum it up, this is a car that never fails to put a smile on your face. The chassis is so well engineered, it does whatever you ask it to do, perfect.

Shifts are crisp, turn in is sharp; it never fails. I love this car. Lots of room inside, fold down seats; more room. Excellent gas mileage, never had any engine/tranny problems. (Although tire wear....

The R53 Cooper (2002-2006) comes with 1.6 n/a 115hp. Blast to drive, auto-x champ. CVT or 5spd. R56 Cooper S (2002-2004) 1.6 Supercharged 163hp, JCW version 200hp, no LSD. 2005-2006 Cooper S power is 170, with LSD, and JCW power is 210.

There is a limited edition JCW GP around, with 220hp, lighter weight, 2 seater; fun car.

The highest marks 0-60 ive seen for the 2004 JCW was 6.4, Car and Driver I believe.

I love the Mini, through every corner it never fails to put a smile on your face. Only problems I would say is the dealer, nearest is in Atlanta, I live in Birmingham, but still well worth it. Tires wear out premature.