The PAVEMENT thread: Cars, Racing, Drives, Speed...

[sixstringsteve]

I had a '76 mini. It was pretty fun to drive, but not quite as fun as I was thinking it would be. I've had funner cars. Up until that time, a clean mini was my dream car. I had it for about 6 months and moved on. It was too scary to drive. I felt like I was going to die if I got in a crash with anyone or anything. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE minis and think they are the coolest, but I don't plan on owning another one.

I got to ride along with a guy autocrossing his elise, and that thing was super fun.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I've gotta admit, having a small convertible is super fun. It's kinda like driving your jeep with the doors off and top off, you just kind of soak up the surroundings. I was never into convertibles, but driving around on a summer evening with the top down is too cool.

There are so many cool cars out there these days, and I could see how a more modern car would feel less connected. I don't think I'll ever be able to afford a fast or nice car, so I'm the wrong guy to ask for advice about that stuff.

Some of the most "connected" cars I've been in are:

- Porsche 914 2.0 (my brother and I both had these growing up)
- miata
- Lotus Elise
- Datsun 510
- '68 Vette


Some cars I'd like to own someday:
- sunbeam tiger
- Datsun 510
- 2002 Tii
- Catterham Super 7

I think an S2000 would be cool, along with a supercharged NC miata. This video seems like some of the most fun you can have on the road without putting others in serious danger.

[video=youtube;2955gzlg17s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2955gzlg17s[/video]

 

[Greg]

I would totally build something like this... the White one. Toyota 1UZFE in a Mazda Miata, seems like a great match! Yeah, an LSx would be killer but the Toyota V8 seems to be a great balance to the car and those motors can be had for cheap!

Skip to 2:50 to get to the Toyota V8 Miata...

[video=youtube;8EsO83qRYEk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EsO83qRYEk[/video]

 

[sixstringsteve]

that's awesome.

 

[benjy]

This video seems like some of the most fun you can have on the road without putting others in serious danger.

That looks like a really fun car, and could be duplicated for $10-15k ish?

V8 miata sounds like fun, but big $. The flyin' miata LSx kit is $18k plus car, plus motor. I'd rather have a lotus.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Ah, somehow I missed the price range.

Staying with the miata theme, for $10-15k gives you a lot of options.Apparently the '96-05's do better with turbos and the '06+ do better with superchargers.

1) '04-05 mazdaspeed miata (w/a factory turbo)
2) Get a '90-05 miata for cheap (my miata was under $4k) and add a turbo or motor swap.
3) buy a '06+, and spend $7k for a supercharger someday.

Looking at Flyin' miatas page,

turbo kits range from $3000-$6500 (go from 105 HP stock to 170-250+ HP)
Supercharger kits (for '06+) go for $4700 to $7700. (go from 146 HP stock to 230-250 HP)

A honda s2000 fits that price range, and it'll smoke a stock miata.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I'd be happy to give you a ride in my miata sometime. You may end up hating it, or you may end up loving it. I get more enjoyment out of taking corners fast vs overall top speed or acceleration, so take that with a grain of salt.

There are about 5 miatas on KSL for under $4000 (or close to it), all of them decent cars. Winter is a good time to buy a convertible.

This one is a particularly good deal:
http://www.ksl.com/auto/listing/1180589?ad_cid=7


And this is a great price for a mazdaspeed with such low miles:
http://www.ksl.com/auto/listing/1176635?ad_cid=10



BTW, can you find a lotus for $15k?

 

[sixstringsteve]

Here you go:
http://www.ksl.com/auto/listing/1143447?ad_cid=11

You'd be hard pressed to find a car that's more fun for less than $10k.

 

[Stephen]

Ah, somehow I missed the price range.

Staying with the miata theme, for $10-15k gives you a lot of options.Apparently the '96-05's do better with turbos and the '06+ do better with superchargers.

1) '04-05 mazdaspeed miata (w/a factory turbo)
2) Get a '90-05 miata for cheap (my miata was under $4k) and add a turbo or motor swap.
3) buy a '06+, and spend $7k for a supercharger someday.

Looking at Flyin' miatas page,

turbo kits range from $3000-$6500 (go from 105 HP stock to 170-250+ HP)
Supercharger kits (for '06+) go for $4700 to $7700. (go from 146 HP stock to 230-250 HP)

A honda s2000 fits that price range, and it'll smoke a stock miata.

Just keep it stock and have fun. Not everything has to be modified (sacrilege, I know!).

 

[sixstringsteve]

blasphemy!

 

[benjy]

Ah, somehow I missed the price range.

You didn't miss it. I still haven't decided on a budget. Both the speed and the white one look like great cars for under $10k! I will have to take you up on the ride in the Miata.

An '05 elise can be had in the mid 20's.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I don't have my sticky tires on it right now, but it's still plenty fun to get a feel for the car. Let me know when you want a ride, I'm always looking for an excuse to drive somewhere.

 

[benjy]

Porsche boxster? 99-early 2000's are pretty inexpensive. I think it might be time to get behind the wheel of some of these options.

 

[sixstringsteve]

a boxter is supposed to be really fun on a race track (and around town). Boxters are toward the top of my list of cars I want to drive.

 

[jallen9]

oh man, i like this thread! I have always had a thing for camaros. there's a few shops out there that take newer corvette chassis' (chassises? chassiss? chasses?) and mount classic 'vette bodies on them. I'd like to do that with one of those aftermarket camaro bodies. that's my midlife crisis project, considering how it will cost a buttload and a half of money.

When I have the money, I'll get either a 04-07 CTS-V or an E46 BMW with the ZHP package and build it. right now i'm super-leaning towards the caddy, though. a lot more potential and way easier to find. my fiance really likes "fiat minis" (she's not a car expert), which i've translated to mean mini coopers. I'd love to build one of those, too. She also wants to build a jeep cherokee, which is cool. i'd love to do a project car and an off-roader for both of us.

an acura NSX would be a fun one, too.

 

[Tonkaman]

If you could swing it the Elise is the most promising of the bunch. It wouldn't even need any modifications.

My uncle has a carbon fiber shop that specializes in full body replacements for the Acura NSX, it makes those cars almost too light for their own good

 

[benjy]

If you could swing it the Elise is the most promising of the bunch. It wouldn't even need any modifications.

My uncle has a carbon fiber shop that specializes in full body replacements for the Acura NSX, it makes those cars almost too light for their own good

Is the shop local? One of my biggest holdups on the Elise is the sensitivity of the fiberglass clams. It would be nice to know there is a place that could do good glass repair work if needed. I've heard turbo labs in Orem will do any repairs on an Elise. I should go talk to them

 

[Tonkaman]

No he's in Sacramento. I'd say fiberglass work would be a fair trade for the car you end up with

 

[Cascadia]

Have heard a few reviews on turbo lab. Here is the latest. I wouldn't trust 'em.Turbo Lab Auto Performance & Repair
1416 W Center St, Orem, UT 84057

​

This is the direct report I placed with the BBB. The turbo parts installed on vehicle failed which caused engine failure. Turbo Labs admitted it was their fault but wouldn't do warranty work. Purchased the turbo kit and installation with Turbo labs on 9/16/13. Installed with little issue at first, but shortly after kept getting misfires, informed Joe at Turbo Labs of the misfires, he told me that was normal and the engine needs to "learn" not to misfire with the turbo installed. That went on at least once a week for a month and a half of me bringing it in, him clearing the codes and telling me it is fine. He installed a boost controller on 10/29/13, and on 10/30/13 the stated safe limit per Joe was set to 8 PSI. Was driving it at full throttle and it was at 8 PSI, when all of the sudden it opened up to 25 PSI, I let off the gas and sent a text message to Joe immediately asking if this was normal, afterwards I opened my hood and noticed the boost controller hoses were not on the boost controller and I told him about it, his mechanic Justin admitted to forgetting to put zip ties on it to keep it secure. I brought it in the next day 11/1/13 as it was late in the evening on 10/31/13 told me the bolt threads on the turbo system got sheared off and he had to tap new threads in. It stayed there at Joe's shop until 11/4/13 on which I brought a friend with me, Brandon and we both watched joe Dyno my car during the dyno test I made mention that I smelled oil, joe quickly made the statement "no that was clutch" I asked him if he was sure and he responded yes. He took it off the dyno and I drove it home... I kept smelling a light amount of oil and on 11/5/13, the next day, I was really smelling it and opened my hood and saw oil vapor coming out of the blow off valve. I quickly called Joe to let him know I was smelling oil and saw it coming out of the blow off valve, Joe asked me to bring it in which I did. Then he told me that my compression was gone out of cylinder 1 and that I had too much boost on it which is the cause for the failure, I asked him if it hitting that 25 PSI would be the cause of the failure and he said "probably" I asked him if he would give me a discounted rate on labor or no labor and I pay for the parts, he refused to do anything to help me out which is unacceptable due to the fact that the reason the engine blew was because of his faulty parts. I was willing to work it out but Joe didn't want to work anything out at all. I asked him to give me a day at the full price that he was charging me for the engine rebuild and think about it, he agreed to that and a few hours later he texted me and told me he isn't interested in working on the car at all and to have some other shop work on it and gave me a day to relocate my vehicle. I asked him about warranties and he said he would not help me any further than what he is already helping me out on and that he doesn't even have to fix my car even though it was his shotty work that blew my engine. and now on 1/27/14 through text messages he has informed me he scammed me and still won't honor his warranties. Telling me he put cheap parts in my vehicle instead of the high quality parts that he promised. This guy is a piece of work.

 

[MikeGyver]

I was contracted to redo the piping for a small aircraft turbo kit which was originally done by Turbolabs.
Can't say I've ever seen anything quite like it before. It was very expensive too.