Re: CB Radio Installation Yeah... I was hoping for something that would integrate with the stereo and use the stereo speakers. I remember there being (long time ago) radios with override inputs that would take a signal like from a CB, etc., and would drop down the stereo and play that signal, designed for exactly this. Needless to say it's a feature that doesn't seem to exist any more (at least not in the head unit). I could come up with some custom circuits for the amp, etc., if I really wanted to, but I don't really want to invest that much time into it. Needless to say I'm going to just get a separate external speaker and run it as a totally separate system. In other news, picked up my new aluminum trailer yesterday for the big trip. Best towing trailer I've ever had. Borrowed my dad's hitch just to get it home, and now that I see how high it is, I'll be picking up a lowered receiver to get the tongue at a bit better angle. Just finished putting the first coat of water repellent on the wood flooring. Far cry from my last towing rig (Ram 3500 turbo-diesel with a 32' enclosed race trailer), but it'll haul some shit, I figure. And the new nerf bars showed up this morning, so they'll be put on in the next day or two. Fun times!
So, I have to buy a used car for driving in the Northeast US. I've never driven in snow and I dunno what kinds of vehicles are good for this sort of thing. My price range is $3000-7000, depending on what I find. Any of you Northern idiots recommend a car/suv/truck in that price range, or should I find a Sherpa?
I've driven Subarus in the northeast most of my life. A set of decent tires, and there's basically nothing you can't tackle. I mean, I've driven all kinds of cars in the snow - FWD cars with snow tires, pickup trucks of varying sizes and types, SUVs with and without AWD - and I've always felt that the Subarus felt the most competent and comfortable across the most number of conditions. Some of the other vehicles handled more rugged weather or deeper snow better (I basically found it impossible to get my 4WD Tacoma stuck with some decent M&S tires), but those vehicles aren't as good on the highway.
THIS. Most people think that just because you have a 4x4/awd that means you will never get stuck and are invincible. All 4x4/awd does it give you more traction when you are trying to accelerate, it does nothing to make you handle better or stop better. A really good set of snow tires makes all the difference in the world. I used to drive an old 90 Taurus V6 FWD. People are idiots and i got stopped going up a 8 percent grade because people got stuck. It took over a hour for the traffic to slowly get over to one lane so people could get passed. I was one of the very few how could start from a stop going up the 8 percent grade and all i had was my fwd car with good snow tires.
Ok. So what makes good snow tires? FYI, I'm looking at Land Rover Freelander or a Chevy Canyon. I know 4wd isn't a magical fix, and I'm strongly considering a winch. My challenge is I'm from the south, where snow is less than 5" and people lose their Goddamned minds. Driving in snow strikes me as like having sex through the dick hole in boxer shorts.
I cant remember what i have on for snow tires. You can reseach online which tires are the best, or this is one of the very very few times which more money means better product. I just went to the tire shop, said this is my total budget, give me the best you can. I am not a fan of studs, but if where you are going has snow/ice on the ground from when it starts falling till the time it starts going away, studs might be a choice. It cost more in the sort term but you save lots in the long term, get a spare set of steel rims for your winter tires, and change them yourself. If you get a truck, get sand bags or put lots of weight in the back. If you are having fun in the snow use 2wd till/if you get stuck, then use 4x4 to get your ass out. If you start off in 4x4 and get stuck, you are generally pretty deep in the snow and you dont have anything better to get your ass out, except a winch.
FWD can be adequate for New England, for sure. I drove a Camry for several years with good snow tires and got around just about everywhere. But if you have a choice, I would still get something with AWD/4WD. No, it doesn't make you stop better or turn better - that's not why you get it. You get it to start better. To get out of your friend's driveway who lives down at the bottom of a hill. To get out of the snowbank when you make a bad decision and slide off the road. Or to have a little fun on some stupid fireroad in the middle of winter (which I just did, in the town you are moving to, when I was visiting over Christmas). Because at the end of the day, 4WD with snow tires > FWD with snow tires.
Even the shittiest snow tires will be better than no snow tires. It's all about rubber compound, and which one stays pliable in cold weather. Any "all season" compound will be shit in the cold, because that's just plain chemistry. They have yet to find any rubber compound that will work over that temperature range that is considered to be "all season". They basically compromise so they're equally mediocre or shitty in all temps. Go to Costco or your local tire place and get the cheapest set of snow tires and wheels and just use them in the winter, and you'll be fine. I always mount my winter tires on a dedicated set of cheap winter wheels... much better than wrecking shit by remounting tires on rims all the time. $0.02
In the market for a used car. 100% has to be a convertible. 100% has to be automatic/triptronic Price range 0-$16,000 Live in the Northeast so it has to be workable with the top up 4-5 months out of the year. Looking for something you don't see on the road every day. My newest "dream" car obsession was a Triple Black 2005 Toyota MR2 Spyder. The thoughts of owning my dream car were smashed after I sat in one and realized it's too small to be a daily driver. With the top up, it's not very spacious and has too many blind spots that will make winter driving difficult. I've owned a 2004 Sebring and it had most of what I was looking for, except what could be best described as the cool factor. It was very basic and didn't have a lot of aftermarket support to do any sort of styling/performance upgrades. Suggestions?
Lots of people call them girly but my dad had a Solstice, and it was fun as hell to drive, if you want a little more power go to the gxp model. Or ... http://www.mallettcars.com/solstice-conversion.htm Miata are fun, but I like the Solstice better, or another fun toy http://monstermiata.webs.com/ You could look at an S2000, would be near the top end of your price range, but this is pretty much a dream car for me. Or a RX-7, Mustang, Camaro, 300ZX, Late 90's Corvette under 20k(or early 90's in your price range), Or a targa Supra. There are more but i am about to head home from work, but any convertable are going to be a pain to drive in the winter because they are mostly sports cars except the seabring, and I believe there is a Toyota one like the seabring.
Pontiac G6 convertable is the car you need to look at. It is a hard top that retracts into the trunk so you have a superior winter car for the northeast. It has a small back seat, but two young adults can fit back there in a pinch or to carry groceries when the top has filled up the trunk. I personally would get the 3.5 V6 rather than the 3.9 V6 as it is much more fuel efficient for not giving up much torque or horsepower. Volkswagon makes a similar vehicle based on a golf, but it is going to be much more expensive to purchase and for parts to maintain. Those would be my choices, unless you just want a two seat sports car. If that is what you want, the Mr2 spyder would of course be a great choice if you can find one without too many miles. A Mazda Miata is never a poor choice, especially the drop hard top option you can get for it. If you want to learn to drive a stick and want something ancient, but some cool factor get a Porsche 914. You would be surprised how much fun they are. Another interesting choice would be a 1976 Porsche 912. It is basically a 911 with the leftover 914 engines Porsche had when they stopped 914 production. Good luck and let us know what you decide on.
Completely forgot about the G6 as you dont really see them or hear about them same with the VW, definitely the way you want to go for what you want.
I think the VW is called the Eon? That's the name it has here, anyway. There are, of course, other older convertibles that you could look at, although I'm not sure how common they are there - I don't see a huge number here and I'm in a country that gets a fair amount of sun... eg. a BMW 3-series (the 1990s E36 models are pretty likely to be in your price range), Mercedes CLK (one of the late 90's - early 2000's ones) or for something smaller, similar in size to the MR2, Miata and S2000, a Renault Megane cabrio 1st gen or 2nd gen (not sure if you get those there though!) or Peugeot 206 CC - the 206CC is a better looking car than the Megane imo. The 206CC and the CLK have folding hard-tops, which may be more suitable in winter than the conventionally soft-top Megane or 3-series. EDIT: My view is obviously looked at from a fuel efficiency point of view since petrol/gasoline is MUCH more expensive here than in the U.S.., probably about 2.5 - 3 times as much, hence why I listed some smaller cars.
Here are a few ideas from my local CL: Saab 9-3 http://atlanta.craigslist.org/eat/cto/4488568905.html Toyota Solara http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/4497453136.html Volvo C70 http://atlanta.craigslist.org/eat/cto/4470747452.html The G6 that Puffman suggested: http://atlanta.craigslist.org/eat/ctd/4500319632.html I like front wheel drive for your area of the country. It may sound crazy, but you might consider finding one in a warmer area of the country. They're more common so the prices should be a little lower, maybe enough to offset most of the travel cost to pick it up, plus the paint will be nicer. You could always go with a Mustang, but everyone has one, it's RWD, and you'll probably get pregnant.
Thanks for all the input. I wanted to stay away from the Audi/Benz/Porsche route simply for insurance purposes. I really like the Audi cabriolets, but insurance is ridiculously expensive. Hate the body style of the Solara. Saab, Volvo are way too much to maintain in my area. Very few mechanics are able to work on them. Thought about one of the newer Mustangs, but whether logical or not, I see them everywhere and would like something a little more unique. Didn't think about the newer Nissan Z's. I'll take a look at those. I looked into the BMW's from late 90's-early 00's and they might be a good option. I'll take a look at the G6 and see what's out there for options/availability. I've been looking anywhere for these cars and will definitely buy one from a non snow zone if possible. I have no problems taking a one way trip to seal the deal and driving the car back. Anyone have experience buying out of state and bringing it back home? Easier to have it delivered or pick it up yourself? I obviously would need a mechanic to give it a once over before purchasing. Easy to accomplish or should I find 6 or 7 options in a 50 mile area and spend a few days figuring it all out? Thank you for the suggestions. Very helpful so far.
If you enjoy replacing the entire cooling system every 60k miles or so, along with random window switches, these are an excellent choice. Also, weird electrics are great fun. E.g, Sears refuses to put a battery in one and, hey, who needs a readable audio display?
Yeah, BMW's biggest reason for offering free routine maintenance for the first 3 years is to encourage turnover. Repeat customers are happy as long as they don't keep their cars too long.
You can say 'Go back and look through the thread' if this has already been discussed. I'm looking to get a project 4x4. I have no automotive tools and figure this can help me cross something off my bucket list which is to have a car that I've done most of the work / modifications on. I want to get my hands dirty and have something cool to show for it. I can make the time and I have the space. I want to get an old Jeep or an old Land Rover or Land Cruiser and make it into a decent offroad vehicle. There are a lot of cool trails and places here that are rocky/sandy and I'm excited about being able to perhaps be the guy with the vehicle that can get to the remote fishing spot or the cool surf spot that a regular car couldn't go. Where should I start? I feel kind of overwhelmed by the sheer amount of knowledge out there.
Get yourself an old Bronco, circa '66-'77. Easy to work on and parts won't cost you an arm and a leg.