CAG Car Thread!

Looks like we might have a possible spoiler in my second car purchase: the 2016 Acura ILX. The forums are buzzing with rumors about the new powertrain, which is assumed to be the i4 and 8-speed auto-tranny from the TLX with...wait for it...SH-AWD. With the way the TLX is priced, I don't see how it could be more than $35k and I'd rather have an Acura than a Subaru despite how much I love how the new WRX looks and it's a mean looking mofo.

Acura being Acura though, I'm guessing that everyone is wrong about the SH-AWD and it'll more than likely be the P-AWS FWD from the TLX with all the chassis upgrades from the Civic SI as well as similar interior styling as the TLX. Too bad the official unveiling isn't until 11/19 for the LA Auto Show, but I might have a new car as an early Boxing Day present(pun!) for myself...oh and the baby too. :lol:
 
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dohdough said:
Looks like we might have a possible spoiler in my second car purchase: the 2016 Acura ILX. The forums are buzzing with rumors about the new powertrain, which is assumed to be the i4 and 8-speed auto-tranny from the TLX with...wait for it...SH-AWD. With the way the TLX is priced, I don't see how it could be more than $35k and I'd rather have an Acura than a Subaru despite how much I love how the new WRX looks and it's a mean looking mofo.

Acura being Acura though, I'm guessing that everyone is wrong about the SH-AWD and it'll more than likely be the P-AWS FWD from the TLX with all the chassis upgrades from the Civic SI as well as similar interior styling as the TLX. Too bad the official unveiling isn't until 11/19 for the LA Auto Show, but I might have a new car as an early Boxing Day present(pun!) for myself...oh and the baby too. :lol:
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FYI, you can fit car seats through roll cages if you do it *just right*. Takes longer but you can. :lol:

I got some decent pics finally of the Bird

Ew7834c.jpg


FKQBzXm.jpg
 
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Finally got the Vette today. HOLY CRAP THIS THING IS AWESOME! Can't really get on it too much yet, supposed to put 500 miles on it before going over 4000 rpms to break it in. I guess I'm just going to be driving all over the place over the weekend trying get over that 500 mile mark.
 
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gofishn said:
Finally got the Vette today. HOLY CRAP THIS THING IS AWESOME! Can't really get on it too much yet, supposed to put 500 miles on it before going over 4000 rpms to break it in. I guess I'm just going to be driving all over the place over the weekend trying get over that 500 mile mark.
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Congrats! Like the color choice.

Made an appointment for another dyno, at a place that uses the dyno that mounts on the wheel hubs. No wheelspin is possible.

Should finally know what it makes next weekend......if it doesn't rain.
 
My obtainable dream car (F40 is the unobtainable choice). That is definitely a crack pipe price, though. I know the prices have been going up over the last few years but for a flip up head light car (I don't mind but some do), pre 6 speed update, even with so little miles, is insane. Also, it isn't white, a chronic issue with many of the USDM cars.

dohdough said:
HOLEE fuck! 1992 Acura NSX with 2214.8 miles on the odo...in black and about 30 minutes away from me! I really need to win the lotto. :(

http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/617201576/overview/
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Showed up at the dyno.....and they noticed I have 5/8" studs. They don't have the 5/8" adaptor, because they have only ever had one other car come in that had 5/8" studs(bigger wheel studs for the bigger power numbers stressing the back wheels). At 700~hP I could get away with normal size, but this car used to run around 900-1000 so that's why they are there.

They agreed I should see well over 500 at the wheels, so I'm done unless they ever get the adaptor.

Sigh.

Finally find a shop that knows American V8 Muscle cars and now this....
 
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gofishn said:
Finally got the Vette today. HOLY CRAP THIS THING IS AWESOME! Can't really get on it too much yet, supposed to put 500 miles on it before going over 4000 rpms to break it in. I guess I'm just going to be driving all over the place over the weekend trying get over that 500 mile mark.
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mmmmm so nice

 
I had a 2009 Focus but traded it in for a 2014 focus. I got it because I do a shit ton of driving where I work etc. and need something that gets really good gas mileage. I like the sync feature it has, but I can't pair my phone with the sync for some reason. I can get my iPod to work with it though.

 
ended up getting a 14' outback with a little under 7k miles on it.  runs great and looks good with the forester in the garage.  now just have to figure out how to get the kids to grow up asap and get myself a brz :drool:

 
irideabike said:
ended up getting a 14' outback with a little under 7k miles on it. runs great and looks good with the forester in the garage. now just have to figure out how to get the kids to grow up asap and get myself a brz :drool:
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Nah, you just have to wait until your mid-life crisis. I already had a sporty car and have a sports car, so it's only downhill for me. :lol:

The Boss is starting to consider getting a 2015 Camry and hopefully I can steer her towards the XSE trim. I guess I have until spring to convince her that me getting a WRX is appropriate if she doesn't get the Camry. :rofl:
 
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Someone help.  What site do you guys use to determine a fair price for a new car?  I think I've decided on a Civic.  I looked on KBB and it says a fair price for a 2014 Civic LX Automatic sedan is $17,884.  Is this price good and could it be better since the 2015 Civics are already out?  Any input would be appreciated. 

 
Check out truecar.com. Another way would be to go on cars.com and search for similar cars. You can negotiate by showing what a comparable one costs. If you have a Costco membership, they also have a car buying program.
 
^Good advice. I'll also recommend edmunds.com and some model specific forums to see if there are any manufacturer holdbacks to the dealer. Subtract any holdbacks from invoice and that's how much the dealer pays for the car. Add 2-3% on top of that as a reasonable offer. If a dealer says GTFO, there's always another willing to deal and there are plenty of Honda dealerships. Don't be afraid to walk away either.

Another avenue is to go through the internet sales department as they make their money through volume and not individual sales. You usually get better deals than just walking into a dealership.

Good luck and POST PICS! :)
 
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I used truecar when pricing my recent (well it's been a year) purchase and it was great.

@irideabike - we are living parallel lives because while I've been considering a maxda3 or a civic, the other day I was thinking "fuck it just buy the outback. Youre gonna need it eventually."
 
dohdough said:
^Good advice. I'll also recommend edmunds.com and some model specific forums to see if there are any manufacturer holdbacks to the dealer. Subtract any holdbacks from invoice and that's how much the dealer pays for the car. Add 2-3% on top of that as a reasonable offer. If a dealer says GTFO, there's always another willing to deal and there are plenty of Honda dealerships. Don't be afraid to walk away either.

Another avenue is to go through the internet sales department as they make their money through volume and not individual sales. You usually get better deals than just walking into a dealership.

Good luck and POST PICS! :)
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Yea I did the internet avenue. Did my whole car buying online and simply had to walk in dealer, test drive car and by the time we were back they had all the paperwork ready at the price I asked for.

 
dohdough said:
^Good advice. I'll also recommend edmunds.com and some model specific forums to see if there are any manufacturer holdbacks to the dealer. Subtract any holdbacks from invoice and that's how much the dealer pays for the car. Add 2-3% on top of that as a reasonable offer. If a dealer says GTFO, there's always another willing to deal and there are plenty of Honda dealerships. Don't be afraid to walk away either.

Another avenue is to go through the internet sales department as they make their money through volume and not individual sales. You usually get better deals than just walking into a dealership.

Good luck and POST PICS! :)
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Good call, the car forums are a great place to check prices too. Some will even have a "prices paid" thread where they post.. well, how much they paid :lol:

 
Online is the way to go. The "internet sales manager" is held to a volume standard so they can quickly get the lowest price. Seems odd to me but that's how i got my forestee at barely above invoice. (I got a hard to find one)
 
2DMention said:
Nice. I have a 2014 Focus and enjoy the bun warmers and Sync for turning my cell into a speaker and love the USB plug in for the iPod, although it doesn't always work.
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This may sound strange but how well the entertainment system handles my 128gb usb flash drive is a huge factor in buying my next car.

Subaru does a great job.

My rental Corolla sucks. If anyone else owns a corolla, do you know how to keep it from having to "browse" (scan) my drive every time it turns on just go play random songs? Drives me nuts.
 
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What products do you guys use to wash your car?  what Soaps/Waxes? And what do you guys use to keep the tires looking nice?

 
Confucius said:
This may sound strange but how well the entertainment system handles my 128gb usb flash drive is a huge factor in buying my next car.

Subaru does a great job.

My rental Corolla sucks. If anyone else owns a corolla, do you know how to keep it from having to "browse" (scan) my drive every time it turns on just go play random songs? Drives me nuts.
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I had a rental Corolla a few months ago and by the third day it seemed to not take as long but I remember cursing it out every time I got in. Are you adding or deleting files from it every day?
 
wwe101 said:
What products do you guys use to wash your car? what Soaps/Waxes? And what do you guys use to keep the tires looking nice?
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I haven't had a chance to wash/wax my car in a long time, but here's what I used to use:

Soap: ONR no rinse soap or Meguiar's Gold Class soap

Clay: Meguiar's - regular one you find at Target or Walmart

Polish: Meguiar's 205

Wax: Blackfire Wet Diamond

I wash the wheels and tires with just the soap and then finish off with Armor All Wheel Protectant on the wheel and Meguiar's Hot Shine Tire Foam on the tire

 
hpbbes said:
I had a rental Corolla a few months ago and by the third day it seemed to not take as long but I remember cursing it out every time I got in. Are you adding or deleting files from it every day?
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Nope. No changes to the flash. Also I noticed the counter stops at 9999. What if you have more than 10k songs?
 
Confucius said:
Nope. No changes to the flash. Also I noticed the counter stops at 9999. What if you have more than 10k songs?
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You don't buy a Corolla?


No idea. I hated the whole interface and how you have no idea where the front of your car is. Everything in front of the wipers is set so low. It gives you the impression you're driving a bus. I'll stick with buying Nissans.
 
hpbbes said:
You don't buy a Corolla?
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This made me :lol:


No idea. I hated the whole interface and how you have no idea where the front of your car is. Everything in front of the wipers is set so low. It gives you the impression you're driving a bus. I'll stick with buying Nissans.
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I haven't seen a hood in so long that it feels weird when I do. :D
 
wwe101 said:
What products do you guys use to wash your car? what Soaps/Waxes? And what do you guys use to keep the tires looking nice?
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This is the method that I've been using for years for Optimum No Rinse Wash:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws59CEYUpC0

The only difference in my process is wiping down each panel with a soaked towel twice instead of just once. One pass generally doesn't get all the grime and I'm very liberal with how much spray I use. I don't use it on glass though.

If done properly and the dealership didn't completely swirl or scratch up your car, this method is practically scratch free for the most part.

I'd also add Stoner's Bug & Tar spray. It's great for breaking up bird shit too and adds lubricity so that any grit or seeds in it won't scratch up the pant when you wipe it off. Invisible Glass spray works really good too and I'd recommend getting one of those spatula-looking things that hold microfiber towels to get the edges of the front and rear windshields. It makes cleaning LOADS easier.

What a lot of people do for bird bombs is have a spray bottle filled with some diluted ONR in the trunk with some soft towels to wipe it off as soon as they see it because the acid in the shit can and will burn into the clear coat if left on too long. In my experience, Honda paint is very susceptible to this.
 
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^^ do you use regular water for the spray bottle or distilled? I've been using regular tap water but didn't know if using distilled water was with it.
 
encendido5 said:
^^ do you use regular water for the spray bottle or distilled? I've been using regular tap water but didn't know if using distilled water was with it.
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I use regular tap water since Optimum says that it's ok to use hard water because the polymers bond to it and I haven't had an issue.
 
Since you guys are talking about media stuff in cars... was in MD in october for a wedding and we got a Ford Edge limited with Ford Sync... I actually loved the media aspect.  Simply plugged in the ipod cord and it had full iphone/ipod control without having to do anything else.  I know that my hyundai has it but you have to get an adapter or something.

I found it funny that they tried to sell you cables when you rented the car and gave no info that a simple charger would work.

 
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Thanks for the cleaning advice guys.  I will swing by Walmart tomorrow and see if I can find some of the stuff you suggested.

 
wwe101 said:
Thanks for the cleaning advice guys. I will swing by Walmart tomorrow and see if I can find some of the stuff you suggested.
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Just so you know, Optimum No Rinse Wash can only be ordered online, but Meguiars stuff is everywhere. I'd strongly recommend getting decent microfiber towels and not the generic big box department store stuff. Good microfiber will hold a lot more liquid, which helps with washing and drying. Grab a decent waffle weave towel too. You don't have to get the most expensive microfiber, but the bundled generic ones on detailing sites like autopia and autogeek are pretty good. There's a clear difference when you compare the wallyworld/target/autozone crap to the stuff you get from those sites. Personally, I don't even really like the Meguiars cloth that much either.

If you decide to go with Mequiars car wash, I'd also recommend getting wash mitts and grit guards from a detailing site or amazon since you can get wash buckets anywhere.

Oh any you can also use Meguiars detailing spray for bird bombs too. I usually grab a regular napkin and wet it with some water to put on top of it for a couple minutes to pretreat the spot as it makes it easier to take off instead of smearing it all over the panel. Then I hit it with the detailing spray and a Meguiars disposable wipe to clean and buff. That way, I don't contaminate any of my microfiber. I'm pretty anal about getting shit on stuff I throw in the wash...hurr hurr
 
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dohdough said:
Nah, you just have to wait until your mid-life crisis. I already had a sporty car and have a sports car, so it's only downhill for me. :lol:

The Boss is starting to consider getting a 2015 Camry and hopefully I can steer her towards the XSE trim. I guess I have until spring to convince her that me getting a WRX is appropriate if she doesn't get the Camry. :rofl:
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I think I read the XSE was waaaaay over hyped by Toyota, not very distinguished from a normal one. The Mazda 6 is getting a mild refresh, will hit lots next year, gets the Mazda 3 entertainment system.
 
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I haven't been able to drive my bright red cop bait overpowered car since mid November due to surgery. Only a few days left....
 
6er said:
I think I read the XSE was waaaaay over hyped by Toyota, not very distinguished from a normal one.
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Oh for sure. I don't look at it as anything more than a superficial trim package. If The Boss insists on a Camry, I'm just going to try and push her in that direction. :D

And for those wanting to get some detailing supplies, autopia is having their annual 20% off sale:

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/promo-details.html
 
hpbbes said:
Anyone have a foam lance? Thoughts?
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I don't have one, but from all accounts from those that use it, they make washing cars with soap more effective because the sheer amount of foam lifts the dirt off the car better, but it's more commonly used as a pre-soak to using mitts or a no-rinse wash. It's sun and temperature dependent of course. You don't want the soap to be boiling on your car.

I'd use one if I had a garage though. :D
 
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dohdough said:
Oh for sure. I don't look at it as anything more than a superficial trim package. If The Boss insists on a Camry, I'm just going to try and push her in that direction. :D

And for those wanting to get some detailing supplies, autopia is having their annual 20% off sale:

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/promo-details.html
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Yeah, my wife wanted a Corolla when the 09 first came out( her car had juat crapped out and she was in a bad wreck in one her friend had and walked away so she was set on them). I know how it goes....
 
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Hey there Car CAGs its been a while but I finally got my first car a few months back and its not as nice as some of the cars you guys have posted but its something my first set of wheels that I purchased on my own paid $1,700 in cash its a 1992 Honda Civic LX. Heres a few pics Its a 4 speed auto, 4 cylinder with 102 HP! It has haha 325,017 miles and runs fine it had a engine rebuilt last year and so far shes been good to me. I bought it mainly because I was dating a girl and her mom was driving us to places so I decided to well buy a car so I can take us out to places. Eventually the relationship failed but I got some great experience and I got a car. I've been learning all about the engine and the basics of maintenance; spark plugs, oil change, air filter, wheel balance and just wrenching in general I am just enjoying what I'm learning from working on this car. I feel like maybe I did pay a bit too much for it but so far its been fun driving her around town and doing basic errands and such before I had to ride the bus or ride a bike to get to places. I know its not much but I can finally add something to this gallery hopefully I can get me a good car like some of you cags, you all started from somewhere this is my start. [attachment=10605:10513513_10204625111614158_7418639820636143013_n2.jpg] 

 
200STM said:
Hey there Car CAGs its been a while but I finally got my first car a few months back and its not as nice as some of the cars you guys have posted but its something my first set of wheels that I purchased on my own paid $1,700 in cash its a 1992 Honda Civic LX. Heres a few pics Its a 4 speed auto, 4 cylinder with 102 HP! It has haha 325,017 miles and runs fine it had a engine rebuilt last year and so far shes been good to me. I bought it mainly because I was dating a girl and her mom was driving us to places so I decided to well buy a car so I can take us out to places. Eventually the relationship failed but I got some great experience and I got a car. I've been learning all about the engine and the basics of maintenance; spark plugs, oil change, air filter, wheel balance and just wrenching in general I am just enjoying what I'm learning from working on this car. I feel like maybe I did pay a bit too much for it but so far its been fun driving her around town and doing basic errands and such before I had to ride the bus or ride a bike to get to places. I know its not much but I can finally add something to this gallery hopefully I can get me a good car like some of you cags, you all started from somewhere this is my start.
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10513513_10204625111614158_7418639820636143013_n2.jpg
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Pretty sweet man! I have a soft spot for EG and EK Civics and yours looks to be in really good condition considering the mileage. I'm sure you can get it to run for another 200k too :)

I'm glad to see you're doing well, I remember reading your blogs a few years ago.

 
Drove a TLX i4 Tech this weekend and I'm VERY impressed. I went in thinking I wouldn't like it at all, but the second I got in the seat, it felt perfect and better than all the various Lexus models I put my butt in. This thing is COMFY and QUIET with some decent power. Didn't even realize I was going 80 until I checked the speed to get off the freeway. If it weren't for the tranny issues with the model, I would've bought it on the spot. It rides far better than a Camry and much quieter, which The Boss will like, but it handles superbly, which I like. A WRX is going to have to really wow me.
 
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