Cory Wolfe

Was MDM allowed to do something with an actual vehicle?

Camino, I'd love to own any of those, but I have a feeling that those auctions will close above my price limit. I rarely see '98-'02 Firebirds going for less than $5k or $6k. *Edit* Perhaps not. I did find this one on Autotrader... and it's one of my favorite shades of blue. Clicky

Remind me to never get another 23 year old car as a daily driver. That was a stupid choice, no doubt. I wonder how we're going to get it home. It can't see to go very far without overheating and I'm not paying for a tow truck, I doubt my Dad will either. Then again, worrying about what I'll drive to work might be more worthwhile. Diagnosing and fixing this issue probably isn't going to happen before Monday, especially seeing as how all our attempts to fix the other issues were unsuccessful. Is a reliable car really too much to ask for in life?

Nice car. Always liked Intrigues.

Well, I'll be glad to have anything that's atleast on par with my Millenia, reliability wise. One or two minor issues a year is much better than 4 or 5 issues in a single month. True. I'd drive either three. $3-$6k, ideally. My uses will mostly be limited to driving alone, to and from work, relatives, school in the future, etc. Size isn't entirely on my mind. The Cutlass and Millenia are about as big as I would own, though. I dont really need a much size. I'm only 5'6", I drive alone 99% of the time, and rarely use the trunk or back seat of a car. The smallest of vehicles will work for me, but I'm not necessarilly only considering smaller cars. The Miata is just one car I have on my mind. I don't quite have my heart set on it any more than I had my heart set on a 240SX or BMW 3er or any other car I've had random moments of lust for. You know... As long as it was a 2003+ with the Ecotec, it'd beat the hell out of the Cutlass.

This is turning into a little weekly series. Where's it at this week? Dubois, 20 miles away. Imagine this... Idiot lights flashing, clouds of steam trying to escape from the gaps of the hood and the wheel wells... It's quite a sight. It overheated. I was on my way to Dubois, driving along I80 peacefully when suddenly the temp light comes on. "What?!" I look into the rear view mirror to see a nice trail of steam. "You've got to be f@#king kidding me." Luckilly, I was coming right up to my exit when it happened. Pulled onto the off ramp and pulled over. Steam is rising from around the hood, especially the back. I pop the hood and upon it. Oh, the steam. Coolant had sprayed everywhere, too. It's freezing outside... I was stranded for a good hour until my parent's showed up. Attempted to refill it with coolant and drive home only to have it overheat once again after just a few miles. Before anyone says, since I know someone will, the coolant was fine before this... Fresh and filled to the correct level. I'm thinking the water pump went... but nothing would surprise me anymore. I did find something that occurred from this experience funny, though. It was an ironic statement from my Dad. "This car is a pain in the ass." You can say that again. So, this is what? The third straight week the Cutlass has had a problem. What do you call that? I mean... I've heard "POS" applied to similar situations, but it's a special car, right? Wait, I suppose it's my fault, right? Just like every other problem it's had... It's never the car. Well... Who wants it? I sure as hell don't. I'm getting sick and tired of this car. It's next stop is going to be at the bottom of a f@#king cliff. I'd rather drive the Sunfire... Atleast it runs on a daily basis.

Two words: Fuel Economy. Any and all V8s are out of the question. Basically, this car needs to be a daily driver that won't have little reliability issues, will get 30+ mpg, but won't be a total bore to drive. V8s, elderly editions, trucks/SUVs, vehicles older than 15-16 years old, etc are pretty much out of the equation.

I didn't know mental asylums let their patients be messengers.. Well, I guess I learn something new every day!

I don't care what it's called... just bring it over already. Strolling into the local Pontiac dealership and seeing the G8 S, G8 ST, and G8 SW (oooh, it is sort of creative! ) parked next to each other will be a lust-filled experience.

It was an open question... The thing on my mind was actually closest to what CMG said about taking the manufacturer out of the equation.

Wow.. I'm sorry to hear that. I'm glad you're okay.

The ever pleasant 3-speed. No... You don't say?! As I said, this car has bigger issues than what adjusting the carburetor will solve. Never ending dieseling, impossible cold-engine running, plumes of black/gray smoke from the exhuast, especially when the engine is cold and even more so when accelerating, an odd rattling noise when accelerating, the check engine light that seems to go on and off at will, and yes, it's getting 10 mpg. Diagnose away... but keep it out of this topic! Back to suggesting, bitches!

Wow... It really makes you hate the non enthusiasts. Poor car. I can understand if it was one big accident... but that is unacceptable.

The best I ever got was 15, driving like a little old lady, when it was running fine. It's getting about 10 right now. Adjusting the mixture is out of the question and adjusting the idle isn't going to help much. The carburetor and the car itself has much bigger problems that tuning it up isn't going to solve. Even then, it isn't going to magically net me a 15 mpg improvement. 23-25 is a huge pipe dream. That's the plan.Besides, this is supposed to be a hypothetical thing, let's leave the Millenia and the Cutlass out of it. Those cars are irrelevant to this discussion.

My point was, the bulk of what my Millenia needs were things that every car needs at one point or another. The distributor was only one issue and I always quoted brand new parts when I estimated how much it would cost to get it back on the road. I'm sure I used cheap junkyard parts like you, I could spend less than $400 fixing the Millenia. Therein, lies the difference, and thus, calling it a money pit is wholly false.

Heh, I'm not the one who blamed my Millenia... C&Ger's did. My only issue was with the lack of a job at the time, not the car. I just couldn't afford to do anything with it. Right now, I just want something refreshing. The Cutlass got old very quickly with its neverending issues and the Millenia has been with me for a year and a half, through thick and thin. Both of them don't get great gas mileage either. The former's is absolutely pathetic and the latter's would be decent if I didn't need to pay for premium. I know it'll be a good car to me if I keep it, but with 175k, I can't expect the perfection I want. It's probably an unrealistic want no matter the vehicle, but I'd like to come close. I don't want to have to worry about things breaking and going wrong like with the Cutlass. There still is a 50% chance I'll keep the Millenia, but that doesn't necessarily mean it won't share the driveway with something new.

Two have arrived in Brookville... IE, the middle of nowhere. I'd say production ramping up isn't that big of an issue. It just takes time... with ANY vehicle.

Nah... In the year and a half that I've owned my Millenia, on only one occasion did I use the rear seat for purposes other than... well, stuff. As well, on only one occasion did I ever use the trunk to its full capability and that was when I went camping at the Homecoming. In previous years, I hauled all my stuff with my ATV, so I'm quite good at getting around issues like that. I'm still open to suggestions, that was the point of the thread, not just to make a case for the Miata. If you have a vehicle in mind that you think matches my simple criteria, post away. I'm keeping my options wide option. A lot of vehicles can be reliable, economical, and still fun/sporty. Doesn't have to be a tiny roadster like the Miata or an outright sports car. An F-body could work, but I'm not sure about the gas mileage, even with the V6. I'm looking for something that can breach 30 mpg, or atleast come very close to it. Like with Miatas, though, I'd have to find one that wasn't abused or driven hard... not an even task considering the type of vehicle they are. As for the Cutlass, that's the thing... I need a car that requires little to no work that I can drive every day without worry. The Cutlass hasn't delivered. The difference is.. I had no job when I was driving the Millenia. Even the slightest of costs were an issue. To be honest, and I've stated this before, it wasn't a money pit. The bulk of the needed costs are with things that wear and needed replaced for inspection purposes. Tires, brakes, etc. The Distributor was a minor cost in comparison. The inspection running out was a big reason why I parked it for good. If you call that a money pit, I'd like to know you call your own vehicles. As I said, I'm open to any suggestions as long as they meet my simple criteria. I'd drive a W-body, even, if I thought it was going to be reliable. They're a mixed bag from my experiences, I've heard good things and bad things about them. Some seem reliable while others just fall apart. Abuse plays alot into it, I would suspect. As well, the newer ones are more reliable and possibly out of my price range. A nice 97 Grand Prix would probably suit me well, but I've never found one around here for less than $5k. Not to mention, I'd really enjoy a manual transmission, not something that survived in W-bodys, but also not something I couldn't live without.

It's a moot point, as I'm putting money into it whether I decide to keep or sell it. None of that matters much in this hypothetical situation... Reliability and economy are what I'm mostly looking for, but in a fun/sporty package. All other matters come down to personal preference. If I'm considering a Miata, however, that should answer your question as to the needs of the vehicle. The most passengers I'm going to carry is one, the biggest cargo I'm going to haul is a single duffel bag, and I'll drive it mostly around here with a few trips. As per the snow... Generally, it's nothing that your ordinary FWD compact can't drive through. I'm obviously not mistaking it for a large luxury SUV, guys, I'm quite aware of their size and capabilities.

As the title says, this is mostly hypothetical... as in, if by some rare streak of luck I am able to afford to purchase a decent vehicle. Basically, I'm looking for suggestions/ideas/opinions. I want something that's reliable, economical, easy to live with, and fun. To start, I want suggestions that hold true. Anyone can make a case in favor of a, say... Sunfire or Blazer... Doesn't mean they're worthy of purchasing. Reputations beyond what a few GM enthusiasts think should be taken into consideration. The same goes for any manufacturer. I don't want any 'blinded by bias' suggestions. Personal experience is another thing. It's probably the most telling and most diverse matter. As long as you keep away from J-bodies, S10's, and anything powered by a Quad4, the latter part won't need to come into play. Listing the pros and cons of vehicle suggestions would be helpful as well. Currently, I'm seriously looking into Miatas. They're not the most winter friendly vehicle, but neither is the Beast. As far as I know, they don't have any reliability problems. Thoughts? Any Suggestions?

Add a Miata to mine.

It's certainly derivative and far from inspiring.. but by no means is it a bad looking vehicle. Homely, dowdy, and sort of frumpy, but not bad.

A license plate cut-out works well enough for me.

*celebrates* Now, when can I expect your vanishing act? Anytime soon? I mean, posting to people without getting responses is nice, but I'm sure after awhile it'll get old.

It's no different than any other random conversation had here. You act like our conversations are special. Are they? As well, no one says you have to respond to me. I guess you find me special. Oh, what a feeling!