spider-man

I have a 1976 Honda CB750K. Don't drive a car.

EnzoRWD

no autocross yet, only road racing. its awesomely quick and quicker still in weight transitions....

vomitron

I have a 2000 Volvo S70 (The only smart purchase I made after I sold my soul to the corporate world), also known as the "vibrate-o-matic." At freeway speeds, that thing vibrates like a pocket rocket.

wunder

92 Chrysler Town & Country.

I can sleep comfortably in it, with bikes.

I can sleep, but uncomfortably with 3 other guys, 4 bmx bikes, 4 backpacks, camera equipment and a cooler for 9 days.

r-dub

super easy, just start pumping in biodiesel. After one tank, clean/replace fuel filter. After another 4-5 tanks, do it again (bio is a better solvent than dino and will clean gunk out of the fuel lines and clog the filter with it.) Converting to veggie oil isn't so tough, though, and makes it much cheaper (if you have a fuel supply.) Best for warm climates since the viscocity is way up there and it'll freeze in the lines in cold weather unless you keep it plugged in.

Regarding toyota-style hybrids (battery powered, charged by gas), they aren't really all that efficient lifetime, as the batteries are only expected to last 8 years. After that, vehicle has to be dumped (or replace 8,000 dollars worth of batteries.) Neither is so good for the environment. Honda-style is a little better (small gas engine w/ battery backup booster.) After the batteries go, you still have a fully-functional gas-powered car with a small engine.

Fantomas

Scored this beast for free about a week and a half ago. Was sitting under a tree for four years... etc.
Took me about two hours of actual labor before it was actually runing and driving... proably a new record.







deck lid is off for access purposes...

VCURFCwinger14

I have 2 80's Rx7s... one is a 1981 and the other is a 1985. The 85 has racing beat headers into a 2.225 inch exhaust, tokiko blue shocks, eibach springs, gsl se rear end with 4:10 gears. The 81 just has headers and exhaust. The 85 is an autocross machine... love it. it also drifts pretty well for an underpowered N/A. Recently sold a 2000 civic si with mods...

vobopl

80' honda accord, American version here in Europe, odometer says 30k miles, I guess it went around twice

Landgolier

I drive a TDI (an amazing diesel engine made by VW) that happens to have a jetta wrapped around it. I get 55 mpg on the highway (a little less when I can find biodiesel), and while I could give a crap about performance, when I drive gas cars I have to remind myself that I'll get rear-ended if I just swing out into the passing lane and put the hammer down like I do in my diesel.

Hybrids = rolling superfund sites. Totally silly, inefficient technology bought by the same people who snap up all the crap Whole Foods labels as "natural," "organic," or "fair trade." Hey guys, I've got an idea, we'll save the environment through extensive processing and reprocessing of heavy metals-intensive batteries. Give me a break. I spend less on fuel than Prius owners will spend on batteries alone, and my car cost like $6k less in the first place, does better in the crash tests, and can actually tow stuff (a lot of stuff in fact).

jeff williams

BMW 320I, never driven (once).
Will be sold for more bikes.

WithNail

It's actually kind of funny because the only place that the hybrid is effective or efficient is in the city or in city like traffic. The reason for this being that the electric motor is the dominant or only motor in these situations. When I think of owning a car in the city I think of it as a way of getting out of the city, like on a road trip or something. This is where the hybrid car is least efficient, getting no better than a normal small motor gasoline engine (~35mpg), where the diesel will get 55+ mpg. Even worse is that newer technologies have been released in europe that make diesels run even more efficiently and just as quietly as a gasoline motor, these are paired with new diesel particulator filters that trap the harmful smog that was once the only real downside to the turbodiesel. But why don't these things exist here in the states exist you ask??? because they haven't been approved...

mrkott3r

You ask why diesels arent sold much in the states. Its because the torque only comes in right before the redline, making the engines dirt slow. Watch the top gear video on google video about the s-type jaguar on the nurburg ring and you will understand my point

Landgolier

Exactly! I know a couple of people who are city drivers/beltway creepers who should actually be driving a hybrid (well, they should be biking, but whatev), but for me the car is for road trips and moving heavy stuff.

As for the difference between diesels here and in Europe, yeah, they have a lot more and better stuff over there, but the reasons why we don't have it here yet aren't quite that simple. We have all the efficiency/quietness technologies (come by and I'll pop the hood if you want to see them ), but we can't do some of the emissions stuff until we get Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel here. Currently US diesel can contain up to 500 ppm sulfur, whereas the euro ULSD standard is 15 ppm (holy order of magnitude Batman!). There were plans to get us there by now, but with the truck lobby and the Bush administration blah blah blah you know the deal and now it's a voluntary thing on the books to maybe happen 3 congresses from now. We could do particulate traps now, but we can't do lower diesel NOx emissions until we have ULSD, as the sulfur kills the catalyst that would help get rid of the NOx. There is also urea injection for lowering NOx, but I don't think passenger cars are using that in Europe yet, just trucks.

Landgolier

Ummm....what? You're either a troll or have no idea what you're talking about. Hitting peak torque low in the RPM's is one of the principal characteristics of a diesel engine. I hit peak torque at 1850 on an engine that redlines at 4700. HP can get to the party late on a diesel if it's tuned that way, but mine definitely isn't, and like I said, more oomph at lower RPM's is the main thing I notice about my car vs. similar gassers (GF has a v-tec civic). It's not a drag racer, but I've never driven anything but V8's that have the kind of power available when you suddenly need to stomp on it at 2k that this thing has, and comparing 8 cylinders to 4 at a given engine speed is apples to oranges anyway.

mrkott3r

as i said watch the top gear video

redfooj

there may be some confusion and misconception here, though the idea is correct--diesel engines werent made for speed. their effiency range , or powerband, is narrow and low in the rev range. gas engines can generate torque through a wider band, this allows the transmission to be geared short so that there is more torque available at the wheels for acceleration. diesel engines generate torque down low around cruising engine speeds, so that there is ample instantaneous power... however, keep your foot on the gas and it'll quickly run out of breath.

Nebulae

pictures here

Doctor Who

2001 Honda Prelude, 5-speed, black on black.

I'm trying to sell it so I can buy a Saab 9-3 Turbo.

I think I'm about to make a really stupid decision. But I love Saabs and that's enough.

metallo pesante

sick car, i like that style of front end better than mine

fastbub

1987 toyota 4 runner with 248k on the ticker, I will drive it until it rusts in two!

jayrooney

rolled my jeep grand cherokee in '97 and got a saab 9000 cs.
still have the saab.

swhomrig

'89 4runner w/240k (looks like fastbubs got just a few miles on me) which is currently having body work done and then will be for sale. after that it'll just be the suzi gs450 and the colnago. car free life should be interesting.

poopncow

96 KTM 620 Duke
2002 WRX wagon

ponchotempest

A blurry pic of my mkIII for the OP (with my beater SS for content)

EnzoRWD

thats what its all about. do what you love. even if u love quirky swedes....