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Any modern cars you admire, or aspire to acquire?


John_S_in_Penna

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I hedge my bets. When online buying became common in the early years of the century I established $3500 a the maximum loss I would tolerate annually in a hobby related mistake. So, on this car the question was "Can I pull $4,000 out of the car if I really screwed up"? The answer was, yeah. And that's my one year risk level.

 

By the way, since I established that personal policy I have not employed it. The stuff I bought and didn't want sold at a bit of profit.

 

"Big car" made me smile. I posted this picture on a 7 Series page and a Russian said my Buick made the Sev look like a 3.

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4 minutes ago, Bills Auto Works said:

 

 I was NOT including the "12th Gen Eldo", just showing that it was what I sold before I got the XLR_V. That is ok though, I can take the heat for not following directions & posting the '07 which is 3 years outside the time frame posed by the OP. I don't get offended! LOL

 

 Is that body style T-bird/ Cougar something you Admire or Aspire to Aquire as the OP asked?  they were a dime a dozen & were just transportation, but to each his own.

 

God bless

Bill

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/nationwide-single-car-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/

I was glad that the Eldorado was included because it's a great looking car. One that I hope more people would collect. As far as the T-Bird and the Cougar I have to admit I like those body styles too. Yes, they were a dime a dozen but so were 55 Chevy's. or 40 Fords.

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On 1/25/2020 at 2:17 PM, victorialynn2 said:

Well I don’t have the money while I’m paying my late father’s bills and my son lives cross country, so I will continue to jump. 😂 Thanks for the info though, may come in handy when I settle his estate. 

 

The Hybrid sounds interesting, but I have a policy to not get the first year of any major change that significant in an auto. I will let someone else iron out the bugs. Should you get one, let us know what you think. 👍

 

Totally understand about your current financial situation. Reach out to me when you want more information about the running boards.

 

Yes the hybrid Tundra sounds interesting if Toyota can make one. I did not realize that Toyota has been designing and building hybrid vehicles for 23 + years and plug-in hybrids for 8+ years until I checked.  I trust them to get a Tundra hybrid right the first time as opposed to johnny-come-late-lies in the hybrid truck marketplace. The Toyota Chief Engineer for Trucks has said numerous times the his #1 priority from the top executive of Toyota is that their trucks ALWAYS be rock solid reliable/dependable. (Which my 8 year old Tundra has been from day one). Should be interesting to see what Toyota announces at the 2021 auto shows.

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12 hours ago, charlier said:

Yes the hybrid Tundra sounds interesting if Toyota can make one. I did not realize that Toyota has been designing and building hybrid vehicles for 23 + years and plug-in hybrids for 8+ years until I checked.  I trust them to get a Tundra hybrid right the first time as opposed to johnny-come-late-lies in the hybrid truck marketplace. The Toyota Chief Engineer for Trucks has said numerous times the his #1 priority from the top executive of Toyota is that their trucks ALWAYS be rock solid reliable/dependable. (Which my 8 year old Tundra has been from day one). Should be interesting to see what Toyota announces at the 2021 auto shows.

If one notices, Toyota (and Nissan) are NOT like GM, Ford and Ram to see who can sell the highest numbers in a sales race.  Toyota knows there's little margin by offering incentives like rebates, 'employee pricing', etc., just to be 'Number 1'

 

And they have seen the folly of rushing ideas to market without thoroughly testing them 100% before releasing them.   GM's failures in the seventies and eighties come to mind.

 

Craig

Edited by 8E45E (see edit history)
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Somewhere around 1990 my wife was driving a very nice 1981 Cadillac Fleetwood with the  4-6-8 engine. I never used the cylinder drop out feature and the car was fine. While we owned it I picked up some original sales literature. One piece was a brochure about the multiple displacement engine. It said the system had been tested in one million miles of driving. I thought "Yeah, what did you do with those 10 cars when you got done?".

Bernie

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48 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:

Somewhere around 1990 my wife was driving a very nice 1981 Cadillac Fleetwood with the  4-6-8 engine. I never used the cylinder drop out feature and the car was fine. While we owned it I picked up some original sales literature. One piece was a brochure about the multiple displacement engine. It said the system had been tested in one million miles of driving. I thought "Yeah, what did you do with those 10 cars when you got done?".

Bernie

The drop out feature was programed into the ECM. The only way to disable the rocker solenoids which many people ( mechanic's) did was a harness wire disconnect. Which was illegal Emissions tampering. But that's not what the topic is, a 1981 Cadillac is almost 39 years old!

 

My wife likes these:

  Image result for chrysler crossfire image

Edited by Pfeil (see edit history)
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New cars that I would like to own and aspire to  include offerings like Beck 550's and GT's, Westfield 11's and many similar new production ," time honored " designs. Depending on where you live and how you go about registering them it is even possible to 

bypass much of the current electronic clutter, and get back to a more driver oriented, simpler, more direct experience. 

You know, a neat old car without decades of corrosion, deterioration. 

 

Greg in Canada

 

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westfield-other-models-S4057295-5.jpg

westfield-55.jpg

don_04.jpg

Edited by 1912Staver (see edit history)
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4 hours ago, 8E45E said:

If one notices, Toyota (and Nissan) are NOT like GM, Ford and Ram to see who can sell the highest numbers in a sales race.  Toyota knows there's little margin by offering incentives like rebates, 'employee pricing', etc., just to be 'Number 1'

 

And they have seen the folly of rushing ideas to market without thoroughly testing them 100% before releasing them.   GM's failures in the seventies and eighties come to mind.

 

Craig

 

I agree. Toyota realizes that rushing a product to market costs them much more in the long run in so many ways and chooses not to do that. Toyota has stated many times over the years that they are not interested in selling the most 1/2 ton trucks. They are content to sell 100,000 to 120,000 Tundras a year. That keeps their Texas plant running at over 100% capacity (they also build the Tacoma in that plant as well). They also SELL every one of their Tundras (at a higher margin) and have no need or desire to offer the HUGE incentives that GM/Ford/Ram do to sell their trucks (at a lower margin) in the numbers they need to keep their sales position in the "Big Three". 

 

Should be interesting to see come 2022 what the truck market looks like and how the next generation Tundra compares at that time.

 

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1 hour ago, 1912Staver said:

New cars that I would like to own and aspire to  include offerings like Beck 550's and GT's, Westfield 11's and many similar new production ," time honored " designs. Depending on where you live and how you go about registering them it is even possible to 

bypass much of the current electronic clutter, and get back to a more driver oriented, simpler, more direct experience. 

You know, a neat old car without decades of corrosion, deterioration. 

 

Greg in Canada

 

9636791.jpg

westfield-other-models-S4057295-5.jpg

westfield-55.jpg

don_04.jpg

Are those cars registered as NEW cars? 2020 Safety requirements? Emissions regulated?

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There are a few different approaches. The most common solution with many of the Lotus based cars ; 7's , 11's is to use a MG Midget as a donor car. The powertrain and many small parts are used in conjunction with the newly built frame and bodywork. And generally you can just use the I.D. of the Midget. It is in effect a M.G. Midget with an accessory body and chassis. Its worked 

since the early 1980's when Company's like Westfield first started production. Several hundred built and in use.  Those same M.G. parts were used on many of the original Lotus produced cars back in the 1950's and early 60's so the Westfields can be very correct specification cars. Westfield started out as a company restoring original cars for the

English vintage racing scene in the later 1970's. The Lotus built cars were fine as track cars but were somewhat prone to frame cracking when used as road cars. Westfield refined the basic frame design with reliable road use and more cost effective production in mind.  You would have to have one of each alongside to spot the differences. From a driving point of view nearly identical. 

Just not nearly as much trouble and repair as with one of the Lotus built cars. And at a small fraction of the cost.

 Others like Caterham build cars that are safety and emissions compliant. But the cars are quite a bit different than the original idea. Often a lot faster due to modern engines, tires, wheel's , but something of the purity of the original is lost. And they end up being quite expensive.

I am not sure how Beck does it. They used to use a lot of genuine Porsche power train parts but those are getting rare and expensive. Subaru power units are now often substituted.  Becks are also high standard / high price. I like them but definitely out of my reach so I have not looked too deeply into the fine print.

 

Greg in Canada

 

Edited by 1912Staver (see edit history)
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I like the first-generation Acura NSX:

sporty and yet, reportedly, very reliable.

I was thinking they were a "modern" car and

future collectible, but now, since they began

in 1991, some are already eligible for antique plates!

 

I have pondered getting one, but the prices for

an excellent used example have gone up from

$25,000 to $50,000 in just a few years:

Image result for nsx acura 1991

 

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On 1/27/2020 at 4:55 PM, charlier said:

The Toyota Chief Engineer for Trucks has said numerous times the his #1 priority from the top executive of Toyota is that their trucks ALWAYS be rock solid reliable/dependable. (Which my 8 year old Tundra has been from day one). Should be interesting to see what Toyota announces at the 2021 auto shows.

This is their reputation, however, I am currently having an issue where the driver door won’t latch or unlock, intermittently. From what I see online, it’s probably an actuator, it’s been an issue for years (pre 2007 at least), and affects many models. Plus it happens on all 4 doors and it’s a repeat issue. I was out at night and couldn’t get the door shut to drive. Also when shutting it, you can’t lock it and the interior light will drain the battery. I got locked inside and had to climb to the passenger side and go out that door. Imagine if there was an accident. 

They haven’t done a recall and the dealership charges at least $1100 according to a forum I found. There is a part for under $50 that could be replaced, (Toyota wants to replace an entire assembly for approx. $300), but I’m not going to attempt to take the door panel off. Plus I don’t have the right tools anymore. 🤦‍♀️

I might have to beg @JackM and see if he’d help. 🙏🏻😂

Edited by victorialynn2 (see edit history)
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1 hour ago, victorialynn2 said:

This is their reputation, however, I am currently having an issue where the driver door won’t latch or unlock, intermittently. From what I see online, it’s probably an actuator, it’s been an issue for years (pre 2007 at least), and affects many models. Plus it happens on all 4 doors and it’s a repeat issue. I was out at night and couldn’t get the door shut to drive. Also when shutting it, you can’t lock it and the interior light will drain the battery. I got locked inside and had to climb to the passenger side and go out that door. Imagine if there was an accident. 

They haven’t done a recall and the dealership charges at least $1100 according to a forum I found. There is a part for under $50 that could be replaced, (Toyota wants to replace an entire assembly for approx. $300), but I’m not going to attempt to take the door panel off. Plus I don’t have the right tools anymore. 🤦‍♀️

I might have to beg @JackM and see if he’d help. 🙏🏻😂

 

 Have you contacted CA to find out if they can help? This is a very easy thing to do. It's the first step past the dealer for a resolution. How knows, where I worked we would have been VERY interested in your problem.

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3 hours ago, Pfeil said:

 

 Have you contacted CA to find out if they can help? This is a very easy thing to do. It's the first step past the dealer for a resolution. How knows, where I worked we would have been VERY interested in your problem.

It just started happening so I haven’t contacted anyone yet, just researched online. I’m not sure what you mean by “contact CA”? Thank you!

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5 minutes ago, victorialynn2 said:

It just started happening so I haven’t contacted anyone yet, just researched online. I’m not sure what you mean by “contact CA”? Thank you!

 

Toyota Consumer Affairs, sorry industry talk.

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45 minutes ago, Pfeil said:

 

Toyota Consumer Affairs, sorry industry talk.

@charlier sent me a pm with some questions. He is trying to determine what it is. I sent him some links I found. I will have a little money Friday. Things are just really tight until I sell dad’s properties and don’t have to continue to pay his bills. It just started happening and thought I might do an oil change and ask Toyota for a quote on this repair. I’m just nervous they will run up a big bill if I don’t do my homework first. 

I was able to tell a dealership about a service bulletin, (later a full on recall), when I had my 06 Pontiac G6GT with electronic transmission, which saved me several thousand. They didn’t know about the bulletin and the repair required completely disassembling the steering column, so a lot of labor. I just started researching the day I posted about it, and tripped upon a lot of info that it’s a well known issue. Here is one link i found if you are interested: https://parts.olathetoyota.com/blog/4916/tundra-door-lock-failure

 

Come to think of it...

Hum, I think I’m on to something. I texted my son to find out about adding Roku, Firestick or Apple TV, to a not smart flatscreen TV. He just placed an order on Amazon for a smart TV for me. 👏👏👏💕😂
Maybe I should ask him how to fix the this on my Tundra and see if a new truck shows up? 😆 🚚

Edited by victorialynn2 (see edit history)
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My Toyota door handle broke. I replaced it and also lubed the mechanism with Triflo. It works much easier now. The stress from not being lubed probably caused more stress on my door handle, helping it to break. Lube this stuff is a good idea. Less likely to fail.

 

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45 minutes ago, victorialynn2 said:

@charlier sent me a pm with some questions. He is trying to determine what it is. I sent him some links I found. I will have a little money Friday. Things are just really tight until I sell dad’s properties and don’t have to continue to pay his bills. It just started happening and thought I might do an oil change and ask Toyota for a quote on this repair. I’m just nervous they will run up a big bill if I don’t do my homework first. 

I was able to tell a dealership about a service bulletin, (later a full on recall), when I had my 06 Pontiac G6GT with electronic transmission, which saved me several thousand. They didn’t know about the bulletin and the repair required completely disassembling the steering column, so a lot of labor. I just started researching the day I posted about it, and tripped upon a lot of info that it’s a well known issue. Here is one link i found if you are interested: https://parts.olathetoyota.com/blog/4916/tundra-door-lock-failure

So you are saying with a Toyota with power door locks you can't manually lock and unlock the doors like I can with my Nissans?  I have a separate electric door lock buttons and manual door lock latches for the door pulls. A 2019 and a 2012. & 2001 

Edited by Pfeil (see edit history)
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My inside and outside door releases are electric buttons.

 

They added an emergency manual release on the floor but you have to find it. Only exterior key lock is for the trunk

 

ps if anyone cares to safely dispose of an XLR (not V) let me know.

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13 minutes ago, Pfeil said:

So you are saying with a Toyota with power door locks you can't manually lock and unlock the doors like I can with my Nissans?  I have a separate electric door lock buttons and manual door lock latches for the door pulls. A 2019 and a 2012. & 2001 

I will have to double check, but I don’t think so. Honestly I don’t think I thought to look. 🤦‍♀️ I tried the handle though. 

 

The first couple times I had trouble closing and locking the door. I kind of panicked when it was at night and I couldn’t get the door open! I kept thinking that it was a good thing that I wasn’t in an accident or in a river sinking. 

Edited by victorialynn2 (see edit history)
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4 minutes ago, victorialynn2 said:

I will have to double check, but I don’t think so. Honestly I don’t think I thought to look. 🤦‍♀️ I tried the handle though. 

Before we hijack this thread any further maybe start another  one ???  BTW the manual lock unlock devise is built into the door handle.

 

Right above the door pull;

 Image result for nissan drivers inside door lock handle image frontier in a panic people forget it's there! ask my wife!

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14 hours ago, victorialynn2 said:

It didn’t work! I agree we should stop discussing this here. Sorry @John_S_in_Penna!

That little pull is manually attached by a rod to the door latch via the key loch mechanism down to the latch. So all four of the pulls were stuck? couldn't get them in the pulled out open position?

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12 minutes ago, Pfeil said:

That little pull is manually attached by a rod to the door latch. So all four of the pulls were stuck? couldn't get them in the pulled out open position?

Just drivers side wouldn’t work. I crawled over to the passenger side. If anyone has more questions, please  Pm me. (Will not respond here any longer, so as to avoid taking over this thread any more.)

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  • 3 months later...

I wanted a late model Camaro so in February I bought this 2017 RS with the 335 hp V6 and 8 speed automatic transmission. It's like new and only had 10k miles on it when I bought it and I've put less than 1k miles on it so far. When I punch it the trans kicks down about 3 gears and really pushes you back in the seat. I drove an SS first but didn't notice that much of a difference power-wise plus the V6 runs on regular and the insurance is probably a lot cheaper than if I had bought the SS with the V8. After about a month I decided to remove the stripes so I could see more of that beautiful yellow paint.... 

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I just picked up this gem a couple of weeks ago. It is a 2019 Challenger R/T which came with the 5.7 Hemi and 8 speed auto. Will it be collectible, no. Will I likely keep it and pamper it until I can’t drive anymore, possible. I’m hoping it will be a long time as I’m almost 67. As a caveat, I’ve now had 3 “last” cars. I traded in my 2013 Lincoln MKX which was not only a great driving machine, but one of the most reliable cars I’ve ever owned.

 

This car is a throwback to the muscle cars of the late 60’s and 70’s.  While there are options for incredible more horsepower, the 5.7 will put you back in your seat when you nail the loud pedal. The exhaust has an amazing burble to it that changes to a growl when revved.  It will boil the rear tires with the traction control turned off (not that I done that Hee, Hee). It is a very comfortable car sized for a big guy like me. As a kicker it has continued the beautiful styling of the original Challenger and remained virtually unchanged since its reintroduction in 2008.  While visibility isn’t the best, it is better than the Camaro or Mustang although those both hold an edge in power over the 5.7 with the right options. The Challenger has an actual usable back seat unlike other pony cars and a huge trunk.  It is a most comfortable driving car for long trips and guaranteed to put a smile on the face of anyone who appreciates a car with muscle.  Best of all as I bought it used it was very affordable.  Oh, and as of right now, since I purchased it, I’m averaging 22.8 MPG on regular gas. I also have to say that I never thought of myself as a MOPAR guy but this car just might change that.

1D4A9DED-D0D4-4670-8366-A9F7C921A115.jpeg

Edited by ol' yeller
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46 minutes ago, ol' yeller said:

I just picked up this gem a couple of weeks ago. It is a 2019 Challenger R/T which came with the 5.7 Hemi and 8 speed auto.

 

About a year ago coworker picked up a Challenger with the Scat Pack 1320 "angry bee" package.

When put in track mode the car is a beast with one of the best shifting automatics I have ever experienced.

It's a big, heavy car but it doesn't feel like it when you're driving it.

I must say, it was a real treat when he let me drive it.  First he had me drive it around in normal mode then he put it in track mode so I could see the difference.

The car really does have tons more power in track mode.

 

And having ridden in the back seat of his Challenger, I agree with you - the backseat is actually functional.  It's a little tricky to get in and out of for anyone over 50, but what coupe isn't, and it is quite comfortable.

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This is my current indulgence. A 2015 GT Premium convertible. Rollbar is cosmetic and is really a 'lightbar' as it has a taillight in the center. Borla X-pipe and a few other performance goodies but nothing exterior that would give it away. Thank goodness it has rain, sport, and track modes. In the rain it can be a challenge with that much horsepower (~500). Turning off the nannie controls (track mode) turns it into a fire-breathing, hold on tight, and you better be on your game ride. Not for the faint of heart or those with weak driving skills as it is a heavy car and bigger than you realize. Heated and Cooled seats just extend the top down season. Hard to beat for the money for power, safety, and size. Agree the back seat is a stretch for the Mustang but it isn't really for hauling 4 friends around anyway. 

IMG_1206.JPG

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Not a fan of working my butt off to pay a bank an enormous monthly check so I can ride around in a new car. I did buy my wife a new mustang a couple of years ago 1. because a mustang was her first car and she wanted a new one 2. for somewhat of a payback for the 5 years of restoration and money spent on my 77 trans am.

I am partial to MB, and just recently had to put my ole ML 320 out to pasture. If I had a blank check a later model CLS checks the boxes for me. As far as modern cars go I think its one of the best looking out there. After experience though, I wouldnt want to foot the service bills when parts started to die though. My newest vehicle (other than the 'stang) is an '06 F150. I'm perfectly happy with it. 

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Leb: my CTS has the 304 hp version of that V-6 and just a 6-speed but pushes you back with a 3.73 rear end winds to a seven grand redline. I think of it as a pseudo track day car but the staggered tires were just too much and went square.

 

But that's my DD and not anything I aspire to.

 

 

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