# Car Shopping....



## granfire (Dec 6, 2012)

I guess come next week, I'll be starting to go car shopping.

my dear van, a 1988 Chevy Sport model  sprung a leek and died on me this afternoon. 
RIP, The Beast, AK The Party Wagon. You shall be missed!

Once we talk to the bank, I suppose I will look more closely at the Ford Transit connect minivan/caravan I talked earlier this year about, but hey, at this point, I would take a Kia Cinco....or Rio....

I asked the tow truck guy if it was the shortest haul, since it wasn't but a few yards to the house....I did not make that record, but probably got points for breaking down on the steepest possible road.....it took longer to secure the van than to truck it to the house! 
:lol:

Oh well, Merry Christmas to me I guess.


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## Carol (Dec 6, 2012)

Awww...sorry to hear you lost your friend.  I'm really curious to see if you like the Transit Connect if you decide to go that way.


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## Sukerkin (Dec 7, 2012)

Usually at this point I would post an image or two of an Aston Martin, TVR, Lotus or Jaguar ... but I shall behave and be practical this time.

How about one of these?  http://motoring.friday-ad.co.uk/war...le/jaguar-x-type/jaguar-x-type-2-0d-SN6642951

Or one of these http://www.westovergroup.co.uk/jaguar/used-cars/4532/jaguar-xk ... ooops was supposed to be being sensible :angel:

Perhaps one of these: http://www.morgan-motor.co.uk/mmc/carrange/44/44morgan.html

Darn it!  What is happening?! 

... every time I try to post up a van I get one of these 'silly' sports cars instead ... :lol:

Ah here we go ... this one is practical ... it handles off-road and rough terrain: http://www.lotuscars.com/gb/racing/exige-r-gt


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## Dirty Dog (Dec 7, 2012)

I'm with Suk... 

Here's one that can seat 6 and deal with the occassional dirt road while carrying all your neighbors too.
View attachment $IM001015.jpg

A little smaller, fits into parking lots easier, and will also handle the occassional dirt road.
View attachment $P8060060.jpg

Conmpact, fits anywhere, fun to drive, and 26MPG average. And there's more room in the back than you might expect. I can fit Sue, me, and our luggage/gear for a dive trip in there.
View attachment $Vette 011.jpg

It even has a back seat!
View attachment $P5270010.jpg

All practical cars, to my way of thinking...


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## Steve (Dec 7, 2012)

Late model Fords, within the last few years, are solid cars.  My wife drove a Fusion as a company car for 3 years and it was very, very nice.  I also picked up a Ford Fiesta as a second car for road trips when I can't take the electric car, and love it.  Fun to drive, five speed manual and it even has crank up windows (which, for whatever reason, I love a car without all the bells and whistles). 

If their vans are anything like the cars I've seen, you won't go wrong with Ford.  I think the C-Max is also getting good reviews, and it gets close to 50mpg for a minivan/crossover.  Not shabby.


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## granfire (Dec 7, 2012)

small update

The Beast might yet rise again.
Seems like a frost plug blew out, causing it to lose all the coolant. If driving it overheated didn't kill the engine (it still cranked, but probably needs an oil change now) the Beast will carry me along a little longer until I get to test drive all those practical solutions you guys offered up for help. 

I would not mind having just a Fiesta...but both my guys are big, and I don't think they fit in there were comfortably....
Plus I need some room to transport stuff when the truck is not at my disposal - or when it rains....


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## GrandmasterP (Dec 7, 2012)

Chevy every time.
Since they bought out Daewoo the Matiz has gone from strength to strength.
1,000 cc of pure unadulterated lack of power but super reliable and I can park it anywhere.


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## bluewaveschool (Dec 7, 2012)

Drove a focus and a fusion last year visiting the wife's folks, I would seriously look at Ford if I was buying a car.  However, mine is on a list of most indestructable cars, so hopefully I'm safe for a long while.


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## Steve (Dec 7, 2012)

granfire said:


> small update
> 
> The Beast might yet rise again.
> Seems like a frost plug blew out, causing it to lose all the coolant. If driving it overheated didn't kill the engine (it still cranked, but probably needs an oil change now) the Beast will carry me along a little longer until I get to test drive all those practical solutions you guys offered up for help.
> ...


The fiesta has plenty of room in the front seat, but my poor son (6'1"/220lbs) is like a sardine in the back seat, particularly when he's back there with his two sisters!  

We ended up with the Fiesta because it was cheap (under $14k for the hatchback), fuel efficient, pretty safe, well rated and we're probably going to give it to my daughter when she graduates from college.  The Focus is larger and also very fun to drive.  Of course, it's also a little more expensive.  

Ultimately, my wife has had a Chevy Equinox, which wasn't great.  She also had a Ford Fusion, which she loved, and now drives a Chrysler 200.  The Chrysler SEEMS nice.  It drives okay, has decent power and is fairly well appointed.  But the seats are very uncomfortable and overall, she doesn't like it nearly as well as she did her Ford.  She just found out that her next car will be a Dodge Dart.  I'll let you know what she thinks when she gets it. 

Hey, also check out the Kia.  The new Kias are solid, well built cars.


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## Gemini (Dec 7, 2012)

granfire said:


> small update
> 
> The Beast might yet rise again.
> Seems like a frost plug blew out, causing it to lose all the coolant. If driving it overheated didn't kill the engine (it still cranked, but probably needs an oil change now) the Beast will carry me along a little longer until I get to test drive all those practical solutions you guys offered up for help.
> ...


If you blew a freeze plug, there's good chance you seized up the engine. If you shut it down before that happened, there's till the likelihood that they're going to charge you a good sum to replace it since (depending on which one) they may have to pull the engine just to get at it. If you have to go with something new, go with the fiesta. Ford makes a good car. If you have too much money, I believe someone (suk) mentioned Aston Martin. hehehe. I wish!


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## Xue Sheng (Dec 7, 2012)

Cars for Big & Tall People


-Cadillac Escalade
-Chevrolet Corvette
-Chevrolet Equinox
-Dodge Avenger
-Dodge Ram
-Ford Explorer
-Honda Accord
-Nissan cube
-Porsche 911
-VW Beetle


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## Big Don (Dec 7, 2012)

I drove a Mercury Gran Marquis for a few years, aside from people instinctively slowing down in front of me, that was a great car. Extremely comfortable. Mucho Power and roomy too.


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## Xue Sheng (Dec 7, 2012)

Big Don said:


> I drove a Mercury Gran Marquis for a few years, aside from people instinctively slowing down in front of me, that was a great car. Extremely comfortable. Mucho Power and roomy too.



I use to drive one of these awhile back







And except for blowing the occasional Yugo off the road when I passed it and not being able to pass a gas station... it was a great vehicle


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## Takai (Dec 7, 2012)

Gemini said:


> If you blew a freeze plug, there's good chance you seized up the engine. If you shut it down before that happened, there's till the likelihood that they're going to charge you a good sum to replace it since (depending on which one) they may have to pull the engine just to get at it.



He said it still cranked but, it could still have some decent internal damage. You are correct about the motor having to come out if it is a van. The question would be which is cheaper the engine repairs or a new vehicle?


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## Takai (Dec 7, 2012)

Xue Sheng said:


> I use to drive one of these awhile back
> 
> 
> 
> ...




305?


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## Xue Sheng (Dec 7, 2012)

Takai said:


> 305?



K2500 4x4, with a 350, 4bbl, 4 bolt main.


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## Dirty Dog (Dec 7, 2012)

Xue Sheng said:


> I use to drive one of these awhile back
> 
> 
> 
> ...



This is what I used as a donor vehicle when I built that Wrangler up above.

The engine got rebuilt as a 383 stroker, the TH350 got beefed up a bit, the axles had their gears changed to 5.13:1 with Detroit lockers, but the entire driveline sits under the Wrangler now.


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## Xue Sheng (Dec 7, 2012)

Dirty Dog said:


> This is what I used as a donor vehicle when I built that Wrangler up above.
> 
> The engine got rebuilt as a 383 stroker, the TH350 got beefed up a bit, the axles had their gears changed to 5.13:1 with Detroit lockers, but the entire driveline sits under the Wrangler now.



I had one of these right before that


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## Dirty Dog (Dec 7, 2012)

I started with this

View attachment $JeepBefore0002.jpg

Stuffed this into it, along with a few other tweaks...

View attachment $100_1492.jpg

And ended up with this:
View attachment $DCAM1265.jpg

Which, just FYI is for sale.


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## Takai (Dec 8, 2012)

Xue Sheng said:


> K2500 4x4, with a 350, 4bbl, 4 bolt main.



 I totally misread the original comments. My tired brain combined the Yugo with being passed and the 305 was the only solution my brain could come up with. :caffeine:


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## granfire (Dec 8, 2012)

Takai said:


> He said it still cranked but, it could still have some decent internal damage. You are correct about the motor having to come out if it is a van. The question would be which is cheaper the engine repairs or a new vehicle?



we are talkingg about an 88 chevy van, with bad shocks, no muffler and icky (but reliable) breaks.

If the motor is shot, the van is nothing but a huge boat anchor. I found the leeking part, might be accesible for my scawny friend who likes to work on cars. He just got back from Basic training and is a bit busy this weekend, relaxing, seeing his girl and playing with his siblings etc....by Monday - weather permitting - I will know more.
I hope.

(the motor turned over, but since I think it has not a lick of coolant left, I did not press it)

but it would give me a few more weeks to save my milk money for the new car.

(and I love the practical sollutions you guys have!)


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## Gemini (Dec 9, 2012)

I heard somewhere the average life span of a modern vehicle is about 16 years. I think that's a bit exaggerated myself, but regardless, yours is well passed that. Even if your friend can get to, and replace that $1.50 part, which is highly unlikely since you have to pound it in, this is just another step in deminishing returns from a once reliable vehicle. Take one of your great pictures of it, put it on the garage wall and enjoy the memory. Hyundai makes the cheapest cars, offer 100,000 mile warrant, get great gas mileage and are made in America. It's time to put the old dog down I'm afraid.


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## granfire (Dec 9, 2012)

Gemini said:


> I heard somewhere the average life span of a modern vehicle is about 16 years. I think that's a bit exaggerated myself, but regardless, yours is well passed that. Even if your friend can get to, and replace that $1.50 part, which is highly unlikely since you have to pound it in, this is just another step in deminishing returns from a once reliable vehicle. Take one of your great pictures of it, put it on the garage wall and enjoy the memory. Hyundai makes the cheapest cars, offer 100,000 mile warrant, get great gas mileage and are made in America. It's time to put the old dog down I'm afraid.



LOL, from what I gather the Ford Transit is not made in the USA...

Hyundai is just down the road from me, past Honda and Mercedes....

(If all fails, popping the plug in will allow me to move the beast off the reservation under it's own power...that is worth a lot, really!)


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## Gemini (Dec 9, 2012)

granfire said:


> LOL, from what I gather the Ford Transit is not made in the USA.


Very possible. I understand several Ford models are made across the border.  As for getting it off the reservation, I believe you can run a car about 5 minutes dry before you sieze up. It will take awhile to get where you're going, but it is possible. Just towing it might be a better option. A dealership is just going to wholesale it anyway.


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## Big Don (Dec 10, 2012)

Congrats Gran, you gave all the guys a chance to brag about their vehicles.


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## Dirty Dog (Dec 10, 2012)

Big Don said:


> Congrats Gran, you gave all the guys a chance to brag about their vehicles.



You can tell us about your Yugo, Don, if you like.


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## granfire (Dec 10, 2012)

Big Don said:


> Congrats Gran, you gave all the guys a chance to brag about their vehicles.



LOL, yeah, I am that awesome, ain't I!


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## Xue Sheng (Dec 10, 2012)

Big Don said:


> Congrats Gran, you gave all the guys a chance to brag about their vehicles.



I have not yet begun to brag... I use to own those.. and I did not talk about my old full size blazer or my S-10 Blazer or my old Jeep Cherokee sport or Xterra yet.... but more on those later....now let me tell you about my Honda 



Dirty Dog said:


> You can tell us about your Yugo, Don, if you like.



Yes Don.... do....


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## granfire (Dec 10, 2012)

and of course, there is Bob's brag:
[yt]qP-tyvBGla4[/yt]


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## granfire (Dec 11, 2012)

well, I have a loaner right now, with option to buy...
a brand new (sort of, all things considered) 2002 Ford Expedition.

Reminds me, gotta put washer fluid in the 'new' car...


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## Gemini (Dec 11, 2012)

granfire said:


> well, I have a loaner right now, with option to buy...
> a brand new (sort of, all things considered) 2002 Ford Expedition.
> 
> Reminds me, gotta put washer fluid in the 'new' car...


Awesome! So what you're saving on a new car payment, you can spend on gas. lol.


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## granfire (Dec 11, 2012)

Gemini said:


> Awesome! So what you're saving on a new car payment, you can spend on gas. lol.



LOL, I know, right!


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## Dirty Dog (Dec 11, 2012)

Gemini said:


> Awesome! So what you're saving on a new car payment, you can spend on gas. lol.



Shhh... given what you and I drive, I don't think we're allowed to tease people about gas mileage...


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## Steve (Dec 11, 2012)

Hey, if range isn't an issue, I still love my LEAF, although if I had a chance to do it again I'd give the Focus EV a serious look.


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## Sukerkin (Dec 11, 2012)

Green motoring:

[yt]JmxUsGiGp3w[/yt]


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