My 1993 Corvette! Post 280. Pics included.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Heldenzeit
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Heldenzeit
Thanks for the link. I looked through it and I am impressed. From his descriptions, he was in the same boat as i am now. I will have to look into that.:)
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I've put 32,000 miles on my car in the last 13 months (!!!!!) and practically the only thing that's gone wrong is the keyless remote broke (because it was stepped on -- my theory -- not by me). Also an air-con fan broke. My family has had like nine different Toyotas; the car has been just as reliable as any of them. I rag on the car CONSTANTLY because it's slower than my first car was, but it's actually relatively quick, and it handles really, really well -- much more sporty than the same generation's 3-series, whose steering was light and uncommunicative.

I'd get an A4 if you get a good one with low miles. Body change was '02 and it then got 220hp vs. the 190hp in the 2.8L V6 from '98 to '01. When I looked no '02 models were under $15k but I bet that's changed.

BTW -- you should get an Infiniti G35. Just letting you know.
 
I was looking at a few VWs, but i know five girls that drive Jettas. What about a Golf? They use the same platform dont they?

The Passat sounds interesting...I'll do some research. They use the same platform as the Audi A4 right? I'm sure that a Passat is cheaper too. That V8 Passat sounds like such a sleeper.:)
 
YSSMAN
*Volkswagen Awesomeness*
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Mk IV Jetta VR6s ROCK. Passat W8s are great due to the hilarious depreciation they suffered from (though I'm sure the first owners didn't think so).
Hell, for $15,000, you could probably buy a Phaeton in a couple of years. :lol:
 
Older Jaguars are cheaper than dirt anymore too. And I mean cars that are just a few years old... Jags depreciate hilariously, much like the Phaeton.
 
Wow...

I found 132 listings of B6 Audi A4's for less than 15k

I also found a W8 Passat with a manual and only 38k miles for 17k! What a deal. It said that its on its second engine though.:odd: I never even knew that this car existed. Thanks for the tip.:)
 
More info. So long as you find a good one, a Passat W8 would be a much better car than an A4 of the same vintage and price.
 
Toronado
More info. So long as you find a good one, a Passat W8 would be a much better car than an A4 of the same vintage and price.
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Great! Thanks for the info. This seems to be a lot of car for the price.

Hehe...I could get a Phateon for 24k...:lol:
 
Toronado
More info. So long as you find a good one, a Passat W8 would be a much better car than an A4 of the same vintage and price.
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+1

A4 owner agrees. W8 Passat is a cool car. However that said -- if you can't find a W8 Passat, I would get an A4 over a V6 or 4-cylinder Passat. A4 is just much sportier.
 
Heldenzeit
I was looking at a few VWs, but i know five girls that drive Jettas. What about a Golf? They use the same platform dont they?
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The Golf and Jetta are the same cars yes, but very different types of owners go with each. I had an MKIII Jetta, quite a few girls I know had them, but it didn't bother me. If its a nice car, its a nice car. Between the GLI (Jetta) and GTI (Golf), I'd rather have the GLI. But that's because I like the sedan. Otherwise, yeah, the same car. Although the VR6 was always an option on the GTI, it went back and forth on the GLI. On that front, I prefer the 1.8T for the fuel economy.

That V8 Passat sounds like such a sleeper.:)
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It is likely VW's most-epic product of the early 21st century. Too few people knew of it, and in the end, it faded away into obscurity. They are a steal, and although the sedan with the stick is a favorite with the sport package, I'd be very content with the wagon and a slushbox... Just to be a little "different."
 
When i say that i know 5 girls that drive them i meant that 3 are mk 4's and 2 have new mk 5's. They have good taste.:) I do like the blue GLI in the above pic though.

Did they make a W8 wagon with a Manual? I might go look at one later in the week because these sound so appealing.:)
 
and then there's a ton of Nissan 350Z's that are under 20k. 280-300 horses, light, rearwheeldrive, common and not too expensive to keep running or insure..

example
 
I hit www.autotrader.com and of the 46 Infiniti G35's for sale within 25 miles of my zip code, 8 were priced from $16,000 - $20,000

The lowest mileage car was in the 40K mile range the highest had just over 80K.
The highest priced cars were the coupes of which there were 4.
3 were AWD sedans, and 1 was a RWD sedan.

I used to live in Marina, CA just outside of what used to be Fort Ord.
Autotrader shows 5 G's priced from $17,995 to $19,995. So, while they aren't exactly plentiful, they can be found, and at fairly reasonable prices.
 
Heldenzeit
Did they make a W8 wagon with a Manual? I might go look at one later in the week because these sound so appealing.:)
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As far as I know, the wagon only came with a slushbox. I may be wrong on that...
 
Leonidae
and then there's a ton of Nissan 350Z's that are under 20k. 280-300 horses, light, rearwheeldrive, common and not too expensive to keep running or insure..

example
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Wow, I didnt look at those. I just figured that they were too much. That particular one is great. Nice color and low miles. Those cars sound great too.

I think the G35 looks better than the 350Z so I'll look into those too.:)
 
i bet for sure you could get a base 350z 05 or older with 40kish on it for 15k. or around there. my 06 had 13,000 miles on it and i got it for 21k. super low miles kept the price above 20k but average miles on cars a few years older should bring that price down to 15ish. and you can get an aftermarket lsd for about 800 bucks from some manufacturers, though i am personally leaning towards the quaife lsd for 1500. so instead of having the "lesser" base model, you end up with a better differential than all the others (go with quaife) and no unneeded traction control that will be off all the time anyway! next step would be 13 inch rotors and brembo calipers and you basically (missing 19" wheels) have the track/touring model for thousands less.

g35 i dunno, you may have to go fairly high mileage. i would have really high standards about what you consider low mileage, too. even something with 60k on the clock is going to be nudging 100 in a few years. i personally have not seen a z or g35 with over 100k for sale. im sure they are fairly reliable above that mark, but its not going to be something youll be happy with well into 6 figures.


edit* looks like i was being a bit optimistic on my miles vs price quip. i still think its probably doable, though. just more difficult than i thought.
 
Heldenzeit
Wow, I didnt look at those. I just figured that they were too much. That particular one is great. Nice color and low miles. Those cars sound great too.

I think the G35 looks better than the 350Z so I'll look into those too.:)
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I agree, plus the longer wheelbase makes the ride a bit nicer.
Still firm, but not as "rough".
Not important when you're young, but damn important when you are older and have a longer commute.
 
I once again state G35, just to keep it in your brain.

If I could've had a G35 when I bought my A4 I never would've even considered the Audi.
 
I have to say that the Passat is really, really awesome. We had a '02, and it was honestly the most awesome car ever, well except for that '84 Town Car we had at the same time....
 
Heldenzeit
Im not too hip on the styling on the Mazda 3, so thats a no. The Mazda 6 looks better, but it is out of my price range, and dosent really go with what im looking for. Japanese cars just arent my thing but thanks for your opinion.:)

As for the Mustang, I already own a Camaro and I cant stand its build quality, and i really dont want, or need, a V8.
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My dad has a '04 V6 Deluxe Mustang and had a '96 V6 (insert high trim name here) and I'll be damned, not a thing has ever gone wrong besides a small panel on the passenger door that my shirt caught on and pulled out a little.

It was in there pretty good before that. The V8 Stang is a GREAT bet!
 
TopHat
I have to say that the Passat is really, really awesome. We had a '02, and it was honestly the most awesome car ever, well except for that '84 Town Car we had at the same time....
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Passats are cool but when A4s can be had for similar money there's no point buying the less sporty version, aka the Passat (unless you're a family of four!).
 
It looks like a win to me, but I will admit I don't really know much about them. We have a couple MB guys around here that will be able to help you.
 
Heldenzeit
As I was looking on Autotrader.com today I found a 1995 C36 AMG with 33k miles for $14k.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/img_popup.jsp?car_id=246871361&photoIndex=2

It has low miles and seems to be a rare car. I read that there are only 200 in the whole US.:) Should i capitalize on it?
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Yes. get it. Then I will club it, steal its heart, and insert it into my wagon.

The W202 isn't considered "overengineered" but the M104 is bulletproof. You'd have the hotrod 3.6 version with that car. Wiring harnesses are the biggest problems. I know squat about cars and even less about the W202s. Maybe NoxNoctisUmbra can lend a hand.

Just get a 1994 or 1995 E320. It won't die.

You could do worse than a 202. It could be a 210....:scared:
 
Heldenzeit
As I was looking on Autotrader.com today I found a 1995 C36 AMG with 33k miles for $14k.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/img_popup.jsp?car_id=246871361&photoIndex=2

It has low miles and seems to be a rare car. I read that there are only 200 in the whole US.:) Should i capitalize on it?
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$14k is about what they go for, so don't get thinking that's some crazy deal. Honestly I personally wouldn't go for it unless I got a THOROUGH pre purchase inspection because mileage is just too damn low. 33,000 miles in 13 years means ~2500 annually or around 200 each month - what a joke. I'm always leery of cars with such low mileage because sitting for long periods of time can lead to very expensive wear on parts, particularly rubber ones.

The 200 in the US thing is totally false; there's considerably more than that.
 
Alright, thanks for the info. Im gonna go look at the C36 on Wednesday.

I took part in a competition with 19 other schools dealing with how to PDI a car so i know what to look for. The car was the woman i talked to's ex-husband's and had sat in a collection along with other Mercedes, Aston's, Ferrari's and Lotus'.

Update: So today I went around and did a bit of research. First I went to a Nissan dealer and I got to sit in a 350Z. It's a very good fit; I'm 6'1 and fit very well in the car. Next, I went down to the used German car dealer and scored a drive with a 2000 Boxter 986. We went for the long test drive and it felt like a really great car. Handling was perfect and the sound was amazing at about 6k revs.:sly: Clutch takeup felt kind of odd as it wasnt very linear; it wouldnt really engage untill the top of the travel.

So I took your suggestions and I went to test drive a G35 coupe. It was a black automatic car. Just like the Z33 i fit really well in the car. This car sounds absolutley amazing. The VQ35 is a great engine with a lot of torque. I wish that they I couldve driven a standard trans car, but there were none on the lot. Maybe next time. It was a great car to drive, but i still think that they are out of the price range.:(
 
What year was it?
I promise, if you are patient and shop well you can find a decent G35 within 50-75 miles of your location that will be close enough to your price range to consider.
You won't get one for 15 grand, but you can buy them all day for under 20.
 
Heldenzeit
Clutch takeup felt kind of odd as it wasnt very linear; it wouldnt really engage untill the top of the travel.
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That's how most German cars are, I've found. Every VW and Porsche I've driven has been like that, however, I can't reflect on a BMW. The last 3-series I drove had a slushbox.
 
I drove a C36 AMG back when they were new(ish) cars. I don't know if it was just the 32,000 mile example I drove, but I was deeply underwhelmed. I found it over-sprung, under-dampened and the (auto) tranny was simply horrendous. It also felt every bit as heavy as it was, which I suppose is good if you like that sort of thing, but a serious demerit if you're looking for a real sports sedan instead of a comfy cruiser with a hot motor. Terrible steering too. Like the car was deliberately trying to fool you.

Let's just say AMG production cars have come a long way in the last 15 years.

I can't imagine why anyone would pick one up over the aforementioned G35, price being equal. The G is just as quick, handles much better, is bigger, much newer and will be cheaper to run. It wouldn't take long to find one with equal or lower milage than the Benz for the same price.

If the rarity of the car appeals to you, I suppose it's something the G (certainly) can't bring to the table.

But looking at all the options, I would think long a hard about the 986. One, because I have a soft spot for roadsters. Two, if you plan on getting married and starting a family any time soon, it make be a few years before you'll get another chance to own one.

Re: Clutch take up on 986. Normal. They all do that after time and wear.

Re: Clutch take up on German cars in general: they run the gamut. Most of them are self-adjusting now so they start out pretty much perfect and then change with the life of the clutch.


M
 
There are a couple things that I worry about with the C36.

1. It's 13 years old; sure it only has 30k miles, but finding parts for it if something does break might be a problem.

2. It might be, as M said, very boring to drive. My judgement on that will come tommorow.

3. People might mistake it as just a normal C280. The C36 looks too sedated.

The 986 is what I want the most after driving it. Even though I am the one paying for it, my parents arent too keen on me buying one of those.

The G35 I drove was an 03 I believe. I will keep searching for one of those, as I enjoyed the way that it drove.:)
 
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