Nothing like a design flaw that can be exploited by knowledgeable people... a friend of mine got his spending money in high school from flipping cars with blown head gaskets. Supras are an easy find around here - people don't take care of the cooling systems and everything goes all wrong when you have a day nearing the triple digit temp range.
Thats funny... i used to to it a lot too! Till NY put a 6 car limit to be sold by any individual within a years time. After the 6th car they charge you for a dealers license. 700+ here in NY, and you HAVE to get a dealer plate another $300+ every two years.
Here's one more... Geo tracker. fun little thing and you can get it in a convertible! drop the suspension and tighten it up, they handle quite nice.
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07:09 PM
turboguy327 Member
Posts: 1692 From: Webster, NY USA Registered: Feb 2007
Nothing like a design flaw that can be exploited by knowledgeable people... a friend of mine got his spending money in high school from flipping cars with blown head gaskets. Supras are an easy find around here - people don't take care of the cooling systems and everything goes all wrong when you have a day nearing the triple digit temp range.
The only thing wrong with the design was the really low head bolt torque. I think toyota called for like 42 ft lbs or something like that.. Anyway a head bolt retorque usually can fix it without disassembly. If your lucky. i have had 2 that I just retorqued and where good to go.
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09:51 PM
Gokart Mozart Member
Posts: 12143 From: Metro Detroit Registered: Mar 2003
Thats funny... i used to to it a lot too! Till NY put a 6 car limit to be sold by any individual within a years time. After the 6th car they charge you for a dealers license. 700+ here in NY, and you HAVE to get a dealer plate another $300+ every two years.
We have something like that here too, but if you want to get around it, its not too hard unless yo uwant to insure the vehicle. But to just flip it? Easy enough...we just don't fill out the "buyers" portion of the transfer papers, nor date it, and just fill it out for whomever you end up selling it to instead. As far as the paperwork goes, it was never yours...
quote
Here's one more... Geo tracker. fun little thing and you can get it in a convertible! drop the suspension and tighten it up, they handle quite nice.
Good suggestion, I've consider them before. Maybe I'll have to test drive one.
I just came home with the same Miata that sparked this thread when I found it for sale. It's high milage, but I got it cheap and it's had a whole whack of things done/added to it that I would have wanted to do to it and would have ended up costing as much in parts as the car did. Here's what I've found so far:
1. Racing clutch. 2. Adjustable shocks. 3. Aftermarket header. 4. K&N air filter. 5. Euro/clear/altezza tail lights. 6. Blackpunt(?) CD/MP3 player & speakers. 7. 15" After market aluminum wheels. 8. Silly chrome roll-bar. 9. Custom individual coil packs on each cylinder
And of course it came with the hard-top, as well as the rag-roof, which isn't holding up at all bad for it's age. It runs really well, idles smoothly, no complains there. It gave a puff of blue on first startup, but it wasn't oil...its probably the lack of backpressure in the exhaust, its definetely a touch rich while warming up. I havent gotten under there to look at the rest of the exhaust, but it's definetely free flowing, yet not noisy. The wheels need polishing...they look like they have hard-water spots all over 'em.
What else...it needs the wiring for the individual coil packs cleaning up. It needs a bit of body work, but it came with replacement parts for the damage ones, and he even told me where I could go get some matching paint mixed for it. The tires are worn down to the wearbars, so I'll be on the look out for tires (Sheesh, not again), but it'll be fine for the summer. Everything works. Interior is good, only a small rip in the driver's seat to complain about. yep.
And that clutch...yikes! I haven't stalled a car that often since learning how to drive 15 years ago. Have been driving stick 90% of the time ever since, and thought I could drive just about anything...well, I was rudely disabused. Stalled it twice in a row on first take off, and on half of my takeoffs after that. It's gone one mean pressure plate...dang hard to press that clutch in, and maybe half an inch of travel between full engage and fully disengaged. I'm getting used to it, but...
Oh and then there's the suspension. There's dials on each of the struts to adjust the firmness of the ride. It's set on maximum, of course, and there's absolutely no give in the suspension. Its rediculous...and fun at the same time. It probably didnt help the smoothness of my take offs with the suspension having no give. That and by the feel of it, the engine mounts are torn and need replacing, though that could just be the clutch and hard suspension making it so the engine move a lot more than it should. I'll find out when I start tinkering with it tonight.
Sheesh...I don't think he knew what he was sitting on. Other than the high mileage and the bit of body damage, this thing is awesome. I even talked him down a couple hundred bucks. And the weather was on my side...it's stinking hot and sunny here today, perfect weather for the 2 hours of driving I did in it today. It took driving it for all of 5 minutes before I noticed myself smiling. I'm going to enjoy this thing.
I just came home with the same Miata that sparked this thread when I found it for sale. It's high milage, but I got it cheap and it's had a whole whack of things done/added to it that I would have wanted to do to it and would have ended up costing as much in parts as the car did. Here's what I've found so far:
1. Racing clutch. 2. Adjustable shocks. 3. Aftermarket header. 4. K&N air filter. 5. Euro/clear/altezza tail lights. 6. Blackpunt(?)Blaupunkt CD/MP3 player & speakers. 7. 15" After market aluminum wheels. 8. Silly chrome roll-bar. 9. Custom individual coil packs on each cylinder
.
Fixed. And...... where are the pics?!?
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04:46 PM
Stubby79 Member
Posts: 7064 From: GFY county, FY. Registered: Aug 2008
I don't really understand this thread. You are talking about buying another impractical car, but with a $2000 budget. How nice is your current Fiero? Maybe dump some money into it if it isn't 100%. What are some fun ones? Z4, S2000, NSX, SC430, Exige, Vette. You can't really expect much for $2000. I mean seriously. If your Fiero is in shambles and you just need reliable transportation while you work on it, then why not try to find something new that maybe won't make you want to drive. This will motivate you to work more on the Fiero and probably at a job, since I am assuming your funds are limited (assumption based upon your budget).
Am I just missing the boat?
------------------ What would Paladin do?
[This message has been edited by ls3mach (edited 07-29-2011).]
I just came home with the same Miata that sparked this thread when I found it for sale. It's high milage, but I got it cheap and it's had a whole whack of things done/added to it that I would have wanted to do to it and would have ended up costing as much in parts as the car did. Here's what I've found so far:
1. Racing clutch. 2. Adjustable shocks. 3. Aftermarket header. 4. K&N air filter. 5. Euro/clear/altezza tail lights. 6. Blackpunt(?) CD/MP3 player & speakers. 7. 15" After market aluminum wheels. 8. Silly chrome roll-bar. 9. Custom individual coil packs on each cylinder
And of course it came with the hard-top, as well as the rag-roof, which isn't holding up at all bad for it's age. It runs really well, idles smoothly, no complains there. It gave a puff of blue on first startup, but it wasn't oil...its probably the lack of backpressure in the exhaust, its definetely a touch rich while warming up. I havent gotten under there to look at the rest of the exhaust, but it's definetely free flowing, yet not noisy. The wheels need polishing...they look like they have hard-water spots all over 'em.
What else...it needs the wiring for the individual coil packs cleaning up. It needs a bit of body work, but it came with replacement parts for the damage ones, and he even told me where I could go get some matching paint mixed for it. The tires are worn down to the wearbars, so I'll be on the look out for tires (Sheesh, not again), but it'll be fine for the summer. Everything works. Interior is good, only a small rip in the driver's seat to complain about. yep.
And that clutch...yikes! I haven't stalled a car that often since learning how to drive 15 years ago. Have been driving stick 90% of the time ever since, and thought I could drive just about anything...well, I was rudely disabused. Stalled it twice in a row on first take off, and on half of my takeoffs after that. It's gone one mean pressure plate...dang hard to press that clutch in, and maybe half an inch of travel between full engage and fully disengaged. I'm getting used to it, but...
Oh and then there's the suspension. There's dials on each of the struts to adjust the firmness of the ride. It's set on maximum, of course, and there's absolutely no give in the suspension. Its rediculous...and fun at the same time. It probably didnt help the smoothness of my take offs with the suspension having no give. That and by the feel of it, the engine mounts are torn and need replacing, though that could just be the clutch and hard suspension making it so the engine move a lot more than it should. I'll find out when I start tinkering with it tonight.
Sheesh...I don't think he knew what he was sitting on. Other than the high mileage and the bit of body damage, this thing is awesome. I even talked him down a couple hundred bucks. And the weather was on my side...it's stinking hot and sunny here today, perfect weather for the 2 hours of driving I did in it today. It took driving it for all of 5 minutes before I noticed myself smiling. I'm going to enjoy this thing.
I guess I didn't read the whole thread. Glad to see you got something you like. I still don't understand, not my money though.
Couple questions. Racing clutch? More specific? Adjustable shocks, is that coilovers? Blaupunkt used to make very nice stuff. I personally HATE the one in my Fiero, I don't think they make their speakers, not that it matters. Cool man, enjoy. Post some photos.
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05:13 PM
Stubby79 Member
Posts: 7064 From: GFY county, FY. Registered: Aug 2008
I don't really understand this thread. You are talking about buying another impractical car, but with a $2000 budget. How nice is your current Fiero? Maybe dump some money into it if it isn't 100%. What are some fun ones? Z4, S2000, NSX, SC430, Exige, Vette. You can't really expect much for $2000. I mean seriously. If your Fiero is in shambles and you just need reliable transportation while you work on it, then why not try to find something new that maybe won't make you want to drive. This will motivate you to work more on the Fiero and probably at a job, since I am assuming your funds are limited (assumption based upon your budget).
Am I just missing the boat?
Ya missed the boat. My fiero isn't in shambles, and I am sinking money into it. I want something other than my Fiero to enjoy driving, so that I can still go out and enjoy a drive when said Fiero is up on jackstands being worked on. Driving is one of few things that lets me unwind and enjoy life. I have other vehicles, a family car and a small pickup, but neither makes driving any fun - they're both there for there utility purposes, and if I didn't need 'em, I wouldn't have 'em.
And yes, I'm very frugal. I'm of an opinion that one can have a good, fun, reliable vehicle for $2,000. Fun doesn't have to start at $20k+. Financially, I could go out and buy a solstice in cash today if I wanted to, but I don't see the point. I love a good deal. And I like that when you buy a car for this little or less, it's not going to lose much or any more of it's value. That solstice is only going to be worth less and less every year...all of my current vehicles are worth more than I paid for them. Even the one I've had for 8 years. And not by sinking a lot of dough into them.
Anyway, the real point was to get a toy to have fun with using the amount of money I'm comfortable in blowing on an otherwise unjustifiable whim. And unelss I blow it up or park it in a ditch, I'm not going to lose that money...I've just locked it away into something instead of leaving it as a liquid asset. Most people would have spent it on a new TV or something else, but this is what I chose to do with it instead.
Edit: Well, NM, you posted before I finished, but in case you're still curious, I'll leave it up.
[This message has been edited by Stubby79 (edited 07-29-2011).]
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05:34 PM
Stubby79 Member
Posts: 7064 From: GFY county, FY. Registered: Aug 2008
Kid who owned it before the guy I bought it off of apparently slid off the road. Not bad damage, considering.
From this angle it looks just fine!
You can see a large chip of paint missing on the front bumper, from the same incident.
Here we've got the adjustable shocks/struts. I know the brand symbol but would have to go look to figure it out for sure. KYB? someone tell me so I don't have to think.
Here's the rip in the seat. Took another pic of the interior, but looks like I left it on the camera. Oh well. Not much to see.
The engine. You can see the mess of wires going to the coil packs.
The header. Looks stainless to me, with long tubes. Probably a cheap on off ebay. Goes with the cheap chrome rollbar.
The only reason I assume it's got a K&N filter...I don't even have to put the k&n cone I have on to it...
That looks liek a resonator, not a cat, though I could be wrong...
Anyone recognize the wheels? they should be a lot shinier. Is that a word?
And I chucked the hard top into the back of my truck for lack of other easy/temporary, lockable containment.
Thats it. Exhaust dodnt look fancy, but I dont think its OEM, either. Theres lots of little things to do, all the silly little maintenance things people who don't love their cars don't bother to do, and the previously mentioned body work, but not much else. I can't even look forward to buying that cheap header off ebay myself!
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06:00 PM
Stubby79 Member
Posts: 7064 From: GFY county, FY. Registered: Aug 2008
Originally posted by ls3mach: Glad to see you got something you like.
That's all that matters at the end of the day. I'm happy with it, past that, who cares?
quote
Couple questions. Racing clutch? More specific? Adjustable shocks, is that coilovers? Blaupunkt used to make very nice stuff. I personally HATE the one in my Fiero, I don't think they make their speakers, not that it matters. Cool man, enjoy. Post some photos.
I can't tell you much about the "Racing clutch". Probably a spec 1, 2 or 3. I wouldn't know the difference. The guy I bought it off of didn't know or care much about the specifics, since he was going to convert it to electric. It was owned by "some 20 year old kid"...I remember those days, and throwing expensive parts at my car, thinking it'd make it better than the guy's next door...anyway, its stiff as hell, and will grab stupidly hard even dumping it at high RPM. Thats all I can tell ya. For all I know, he just threw in a stronger pressure plate.
See the pics for the shocks/struts.
As to the stereo...well, all i've listened to so far is a bit of static. Its probably not plugged in to the antenna, cuz it doesnt pick up any stations. and i had no cd with me...I do find myself wondering if there are rear speakers hiding anywhere in the car, though.
[This message has been edited by Stubby79 (edited 07-29-2011).]
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06:08 PM
Stubby79 Member
Posts: 7064 From: GFY county, FY. Registered: Aug 2008
Congrats on the purchase. I've never liked Miatas myself (aren't they women's cars? ), but I have to admit that I have a lot more respect for them since I started autocrossing my Fiero last year. There are some pretty damn fast Miatas that come out to the track (at Pitt Meadows here in the Lower Mainland).
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01:49 AM
Stubby79 Member
Posts: 7064 From: GFY county, FY. Registered: Aug 2008
Congrats on the purchase. I've never liked Miatas myself (aren't they women's cars? ), but I have to admit that I have a lot more respect for them since I started autocrossing my Fiero last year. There are some pretty damn fast Miatas that come out to the track (at Pitt Meadows here in the Lower Mainland).
Thanks. And I'm secure enough in my sexuality to drive a woman's car.
Edit: Especially if it makes the women more likely to want to go for a ride!
[This message has been edited by Stubby79 (edited 07-30-2011).]
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04:40 AM
Stubby79 Member
Posts: 7064 From: GFY county, FY. Registered: Aug 2008
Mazda's concept for the Miata has always been jinba ittai, or "oneness between horse and rider". In this case though, it's more like "rider hanging on for dear life as bronco takes him on wild ride down the dragstrip".
[This message has been edited by Gokart Mozart (edited 07-30-2011).]
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06:29 AM
Stubby79 Member
Posts: 7064 From: GFY county, FY. Registered: Aug 2008
Well, that was fun. I just got back from taking her out for a late-night spin up the highway to see what it could do. Long, straight smooth stretches, 4 to 6 lanes, no traffice at this time of night and I know where the cops like to hide. You know...just right for driving like an idiot.
Exceeding the speed limit in 3rd gear with 2k left to the redline was amusing as well as making me go "huh!". I got it up to 150km/hr in a 90 limit (that's about 93mph in a 55) before I decided it was enough. Did that 2 or three times though. Needs better - and better balanced - tires, though.
That may not impress anyone, but when compared to my Fiero...well, I haven't had it going quite that fast, and certainly not as easily as the Miata did it. And you're wrong if you think that's going to discourage me from my Fiero...now I want the right engine/trans in my FIero to make it go like that! A diet and a lighter engine would be a good start.
The miata went without a single hiccup. Oh and I found the clutch a lot easier to handle with better shoes on...ones that dont slip on the bare metal of the clutch pedal, nor are so wide as to make it so I am likely to press the gas as I'm braking either.
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07:08 AM
Stubby79 Member
Posts: 7064 From: GFY county, FY. Registered: Aug 2008
In about 15 minutes per wheel. Cleaned/polished the "water spots" right off. Of course, I used up 3 of them to get all 4 wheels done, but for a couple of bucks a piece, who cares!
They also polish up old sun faded paint too, apparently!
That test patch took about 2 seconds to do, meaning I can get the whole trunk done in about 5 minutes. No fancy polishers or creams necessary!