Car Enthusiast Thread

miisalo

Astra Superstar
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Anymore, it just scares the shit out of me. People are idiots and often bad drivers,

I can totally get that. It is so different here where everyone is used to drive in snow and winter tires are mandatory and are state of the art tires. You are even allowed to use studded tires. And winter driving is of course part of the mandatory classes for the driving license.

Of course we have the idiots here too, those who drive too fast when it is icy. In fact just a week ago, I had to drive against red light. I was standing in lights and noticed from the mirrors that car is approaching too fast and could not brake fast enough. When it was about 5 meters away, I jumped on gas and drove forward maybe 5 meters and avoided the collision.

But generally people know what they are doing.

And the insurance policy is different here. Every car has to have insurance and even it is possible to not get caught with the automatic surveillance, there is kind of general insurance that will automatically pay for the damage and then the person has to pay back the insurance fees (much higher rate) retroactively, pay fees etc.
 

smokehouse

I was Born This Ugly.,
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I can totally get that. It is so different here where everyone is used to drive in snow and winter tires are mandatory and are state of the art tires. You are even allowed to use studded tires. And winter driving is of course part of the mandatory classes for the driving license.

Of course we have the idiots here too, those who drive too fast when it is icy. In fact just a week ago, I had to drive against red light. I was standing in lights and noticed from the mirrors that car is approaching too fast and could not brake fast enough. When it was about 5 meters away, I jumped on gas and drove forward maybe 5 meters and avoided the collision.

But generally people know what they are doing.

And the insurance policy is different here. Every car has to have insurance and even it is possible to not get caught with the automatic surveillance, there is kind of general insurance that will automatically pay for the damage and then the person has to pay back the insurance fees (much higher rate) retroactively, pay fees etc.

Insurance is “mandatory” here...but that doesn’t necessarily mean everyone has it. In my state, it is an “at fault” rule meaning, the police will decide who is at fault, and their ins must pick up the damages. If you rear end someone, my state defaults to say it is automatically your fault...which is awesome in this day of “pull in front of you, slam on the brakes” road rage bullshit people seem to use now.

Because of this, we have to carry liability (for them), self (for us), uninsured (in case they are at fault, but not insured), and underinsured (they have insurance, but it isn’t enough)...and it isn’t cheap. If we have to use any of those coverages, there’s a strong chance that your premium will go up.
 

miisalo

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The system here works even if the other party flee. As long as there is some proof that you didn't fuck up yourself, The Finnish Motor Insurers' Centre will pay it, if the other party does not have insurance. Of course this system means that everyone's feels are percent or two expensive.
 

lithy

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Pretty sure I have posted this video in this thread before, but it deserves to get posted again.

 

smokehouse

I was Born This Ugly.,
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I know this is somewhat off topic...but car audio...

The stock speakers in my '14 Ram were just shit. They were loud enough, but god were they awful. Some people on a Ram forum suggested I look at some Kicker speakers as they make an OEM "upgrade" package.

I LOL'd...fucking Kicker. I used to be into car audio way back when (and I mean WAY BACK). Back then Kicker was shit sold at an Autozone.

Either way, I looked them up, they rated well and were dirt cheap. I paid some $35 and replaced my stock 3.5" dash speakers with them. To my shock, they sounded superb and were a vast upgrade over stock. 3 years later and they never caused me an issue and kept on ticking away.

Well, figuring that I traded my '14 in on a '17 so I decided to replace the dash speakers once again. The model I bought back in '14 is no more and I decided to go with this set:

http://www.kicker.com/44KSC3504

$45/pr, good build quality, silk dome tweeter...they are a few lines up from what I had before. I popped them in Fri night and sure enough, massive improvement.

Long story short, I liked them so much that I'm swapping the door speakers with these:

http://www.kicker.com/44KSC6904

$120/pr...again, cheap.

I'll be putting them in next weekend...

Here's a shot of the difference in this speakers vs stock...its crazy how shitty stock speakers are...

3OsXORLl.jpg

0u8cms5l.jpg
 

smokehouse

I was Born This Ugly.,
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Realtalk...

What are your opinions on leather seats?

This has come up a few times around the office and my opinion on them seems to be my own; I'm not the biggest fan of them. I guess my opinion doesn't reflect most, but I don't like how hard they are when they're freezing, or how hot they get in the summer. Heated seat features help in the winter, but there isn't a thing you can do when it's hot (well, not on most...some are "cooled"). I found my cloth seats in my truck to far more comfortable.

I'll say that even worse than leather is suede...moy god, they're hard to get in/out of and you stick to them (for lack of better terms). The suede seats in my '03 Cobra, or the alcantara in my '08 Mazdaspeed 3 were just awful, you'd stick to them. It was a funky feeling adjusting your seating position when driving.




Oh...and I replaced my rear 6x9's as well...
04oXq2dh.jpg
 

NeoSneth

Ned's Ninja Academy Dropout
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I actually like cloth seats after having leather for so long. The downside is they are harder to clean, but I can't really think of any other upside to leather. Some luxury cars have wool seats, but that's quite rare.

I haven't updated door speakers in over a decade. Did you have to remove the door panels to do that? They never went back on quite right, so I'm always hesitant to do it again. I guess it's easier to buy the plastic connectors now, so I could just replace them afterwards if it didnt seal quite right.
 
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smokehouse

I was Born This Ugly.,
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I actually like cloth seats after having leather for so long. The downside is they are harder to clean, but I can't really think of any other upside to leather. Some luxury cars have wool seats, but that's quite rare.

I haven't updated door speakers in over a decade. Did you have to remove the door panels to do that? They never went back on quite right, so I'm always hesitant to do it again. I guess it's easier to buy the plastic connectors now, so I could just replace them afterwards if it didnt seal quite right.

On a Ram 1500, the dash speakers are extremely easy to get to. The doors are a bit more difficult, but it was far easier than I thought it would be. The difference in sound is substantial...and I mean in a big way. I'm rather picky when it comes to audio too, so there's that. For the $160 I have in it, and the elbow grease, I can't complain at all.
 

Montatez

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I don't care for leather seats they dry and crack cold in the winter hot in the summer, I know they make heating and cooling in the seats but it's just one more thing to go wrong or wait for to make the ride more comfortable.

Nope cloth seats all the way or neoprene seat covers.
 

Lukejaywalker23

Playa' From, Around The Way.,
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510
With kids leather is a must.

I didn't know putting in speakers was still a thing. My f250 sounds good enough stock to not even think bout messing with it
 

smokehouse

I was Born This Ugly.,
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With kids leather is a must.

I didn't know putting in speakers was still a thing. My f250 sounds good enough stock to not even think bout messing with it

Honestly...I haven't paid much attention to car audio is decades. When I had my '14 Ram, someone on a forum had brought up how good the Kicker speakers sounded when you popped them in the dash. Once I saw how cheap they were, I decided to give them a try and I was really surprised about how great they performed.

When I got my '17, the swap was a no-brainer...but it got me wondering how different the 6x9 swap would sound given the cheap price of those speakers. Like I said earlier, the difference is night and day. I'll never again get into car audio enough to get into components, a new head unit, subs, etc...but this was a great cost-vs-return investment.
 

Montatez

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Honestly...I haven't paid much attention to car audio is decades. When I had my '14 Ram, someone on a forum had brought up how good the Kicker speakers sounded when you popped them in the dash. Once I saw how cheap they were, I decided to give them a try and I was really surprised about how great they performed.

When I got my '17, the swap was a no-brainer...but it got me wondering how different the 6x9 swap would sound given the cheap price of those speakers. Like I said earlier, the difference is night and day. I'll never again get into car audio enough to get into components, a new head unit, subs, etc...but this was a great cost-vs-return investment.

I had to replace the center console sub in my jeep. I was able to find an upgraded replacement and the difference was great, sound quality and clearity improved drastically.

I am probably going to replace the dash speakers and over head speakers next, I was sold on upgrading sound after that sub.

If you like sound do it. It's worth it.
 

FAT$TACKS

Not Average Joe., Not Average Homeowner., Not Aver
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Well, after about two years with my 2013 Challenger I decided to move on.

I traded it in today and picked up a nice low mileage 2013 BMW 328I XDRIVE. It is pretty well loaded and in super nice condition.

Is some ways it is quite an improvement in others not so much. However, man is it comfortable.
 

NeoSneth

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Well, after about two years with my 2013 Challenger I decided to move on.

I traded it in today and picked up a nice low mileage 2013 BMW 328I XDRIVE. It is pretty well loaded and in super nice condition.

Is some ways it is quite an improvement in others not so much. However, man is it comfortable.

It must be nice to actually have visibility again. Those challengers have the worst windows.
 

smokehouse

I was Born This Ugly.,
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It must be nice to actually have visibility again. Those challengers have the worst windows.

Many newer sports cars have that "sitting in a deep bathtub" feel to them...not sure why.

So far, the Camaro is the worst (that I've been in).
 

FAT$TACKS

Not Average Joe., Not Average Homeowner., Not Aver
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It must be nice to actually have visibility again. Those challengers have the worst windows.

Now I am able to pull out at an angle and see over my shoulder, pull up to the line at the local stop lights and still see the lights, and best of all I can look like a drug dealer any time I have to go back to my old neighborhood.

20180310_092106.jpg
 

bubba966

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Many newer sports cars have that "sitting in a deep bathtub" feel to them...not sure why.

So far, the Camaro is the worst (that I've been in).

The Camaro feels like you're sitting high in a SUV compared to how the Challenger is in that regard. Holy shit do the doors on a Challenger come up way higher than you'd think they need to. I forget if it was a '15 or '16 Challenger I was given as a rental, but the '16 Camaro I've been driving for a bit is a far better car for visibility and errythang else for that matter.


Enjoy that 328 Stacks! I've not spent too much time in 3 series cars (usually just 5 series) but I'd imagine that's a huge step up in feel/drive/etc over the Challenger you had.
 

lithy

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Many newer sports cars have that "sitting in a deep bathtub" feel to them...not sure why.

So far, the Camaro is the worst (that I've been in).

Side impact standards are the primary reason that cars have high beltlines, bunker like visibility, and are all around fugly.
 

NeoSneth

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after a long hiatus... I'm now looking for 2 more daily drivers in the household.

My CLS has been amazing, but it just hit 130k miles. Engine is as strong as ever, but there's a minor electrical short somewhere. Interior getting a bit outdated, but the exterior is still one of my favorite vehicles. Considering everything from a Chevy spark to a Porsche Cayenne. I've had some people recommend the 2015+ Genesis Sedan, and i kinda like it.

The other vehicle needs to be an SUV. Mid sized. This will likely be the lady's daily driver.
She had a Nissan Rogue, but it's just been absolutely dreadful. Stuff you'd expect to find in a cheap american car, but i expected more out of Nissan. It leaks everywhere, and the dealership can't fix. It's starting to have electric bugs on top of the constant mildew smell. It needs to go fast.
 

NeoSneth

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Here's a comical and horrifying update. My lady finally had to take her Nissan Rogue to the dealership as the water leaking was getting worse, and electrics started to fuck up.

This Nissan service center came back with a $10k estimate. The whole car's electrics are fucked. They discovered the car was missing the drain tubes in the A-pillars. Water been trickling down every pillar for over a year. Everything is corroded and soaked under the panels. We both noted that the car was in for repair over a year ago for those exact moonroof drain tubes at a Nissan dealer down the road. The service history shows that Nissan Dealer cleared and reconnected the drain tubes specifically. Guess someone forgot to actually do that, and now it's essentially a flood car.

I already have my lawyer on standby. The offending Nissan service center is reviewing the car now. My lawyer thinks this is an easy case if he needs to get aggressive, and the new Nissan service center has been very helpful. My concern is it's been over a year since the original service, and my dumb woman never brought it back despite minor water collection on the floorboards.
 
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IcBlUsCrN

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Here's a comical and horrifying update. My lady finally had to take her Nissan Rogue to the dealership as the water leaking was getting worse, and electrics started to fuck up.

This Nissan service center came back with a $10k estimate. The whole car's electrics are fucked. They discovered the car was missing the drain tubes in the A-pillars. Water been trickling down every pillar for over a year. Everything is corroded and soaked under the panels. We both noted that the car was in for repair over a year ago for those exact moonroof drain tubes at a Nissan dealer down the road. The service history shows that Nissan Dealer cleared and reconnected the drain tubes specifically. Guess someone forgot to actually do that, and now it's essentially a flood car.

I already have my lawyer on standby. The offending Nissan service center is reviewing the car now. My lawyer thinks this is an easy case if he needs to get aggressive, and the new Nissan service center has been very helpful. My concern is it's been over a year since the original service, and my dumb woman never brought it back despite minor water collection on the floorboards.


so any update ?
 

NeoSneth

Ned's Ninja Academy Dropout
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In a massive surprise for humanity and dealership service centers everywhere...... The offending dealership repaired all known issues.
No drama. No Fuss. No complaints. They even text us on their day off to give status updates.
 

NeoSneth

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Nissan Rogue repaired, and promptly traded.

New to the fleet: 2016 4dr Mini Cooper S.
Partial JC Works trim.

We had a Mini back in 2003, and we had good experience with it outside some minor electrics.
4 door doesn't add that much room, but it makes it easier to access the back area.
The new mini's have a softer ride than before. It's still stiff, but not uncomfortably so.
You pay a premium for what you get, but it's really fun around town. At this point in our lives, I'm ok with spending money.
Terrible weather for zooming around this weekend unfortunately.

FullSizeRender.jpg
 
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