Cars..

[Hosstage]

3 hours ago, Dennis Andress said:

They sold for over 30k, in a time when the dollar bought more. 
 

Their later batch of engine pieces had misaligned valve guides and cylinder heartaches.  I’d still like to have one…

Sure, if you're going to try to break into a very competitive market at the very high end, be sure to make a crap product to save a few dollars that sours every good thing you've done. Unfortunate,  because I thought it had potential.

[Skywagon]

Here...get you some of these... $$$$$

 

https://www.gatewayclassiccars.com/inventory/hou

[roadscholar]

How a 55 year old 911 works.

 

 

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/engine-project-4/

[Hosstage]

Seems simple enough...

[roadscholar]

They really are simple, timing the cams is the trickiest part but even that's pretty easy with the right tools.

[Dennis Andress]

12 hours ago, Hosstage said:

That Motus had a great motor design, I didn't know it had quality issues. And probably a price tag too high to make it a success as an unknown machine.

I've read a bit about how after the shutdown a liquidator built as many bikes as he could from on hand parts. That sounds like an easy way to skip QA. There's still a strong base of people who love their Motus bikes. Someday I'll look for one I can sit on and see if I like it.

[roadscholar]

Four cylinder Guzzi with 180hp and no nannies, sounds a little scary. More hp than a 911SC.

[MikeB60]

On 7/1/2024 at 9:29 PM, Dennis Andress said:

I came across this today. 2018 Motus MST R.  Ohlins front and rear, carbon fiber wheels, extra horsepower, still no ABS. Priced under $20K

I always liked the Motus that would be cool to have in the shop.  

[MikeB60]

I went "Plum Crazy" yesterday! Still can't believe I bought a Dodge but this thing is an absolute hoot to drive and has four doors. 

[81delorean]

3 hours ago, MikeB60 said:

I always liked the Motus that would be cool to have in the shop.  

Saw my first one a couple years ago when I was at Deals Gap. Saw a bike sitting there with red valve covers and the two exhaust pipes coming out the side and had to go see what it was. My first thought was is was a Moto Guzzi, the exhaust reminded me of the MG Norge (which was on my short list before I bought the RT), nope it was a Motus. Started looking at them online when I got home but in my eyes still to expensive to me to gamble on for a bike that was only made 4 (?) years and parts are going to be scarce. If I had a bigger garage and could have more bikes to just sit there and admire, maybe, but not right now. Saw my second Motus at the Barber Museum in Alabama. Interesting fact, the Motus factory was in the old Barber Motorsports Museum building. Another bike I wish I would've got was an EBR 1190. After he went bankrupt people were selling them for $9K in the crate still. Never seen one until I went to the Barber Museum, wished again that I would've picked one up after seeing it and reading the specs on it again. Oh well, live and learn. 

[Dennis Andress]

10 minutes ago, 81delorean said:

....  If I had a bigger garage and could have more bikes to just sit there and admire  ....

Reality bites.

[81delorean]

11 minutes ago, Dennis Andress said:

Reality bites.

Yes it does. It's not that we have to much stuff, it's just that our ceilings are to low. If we had higher ceilings we could start stacking bikes or cars up on lifts and maybe still be able to keep the boxes/totes or whatever else is hogging all the value space for garage toys. 

[Dennis Andress]

On 7/2/2024 at 9:43 PM, roadscholar said:

Four cylinder Guzzi with 180hp and no nannies, sounds a little scary. More hp than a 911SC.

A few years ago I pulled that black K13 up to around 150 and promptly understood what age is all about. This led to the bad-ass Cayenne, and then the 911. Lately I've come to realize that I still prefer bikes to cars and am once again changing course.

[81delorean]

21 minutes ago, Dennis Andress said:

A few years ago I pulled that black K13 up to around 150 and promptly understood what age is all about. This led to the bad-ass Cayenne, and then the 911. Lately I've come to realize that I still prefer bikes to cars and am once again changing course.

I've always had a goal of seeing 200mph in a car and 180 on a bike. Don't know if I will ever achieve it or not, time will tell. 

[Hosstage]

1 hour ago, 81delorean said:

Yes it does. It's not that we have to much stuff, it's just that our ceilings are to low. If we had higher ceilings we could start stacking bikes or cars up on lifts and maybe still be able to keep the boxes/totes or whatever else is hogging all the value space for garage toys. 

 

Nope. You'd still run out of space. Not sure how that happens, but it does, every time.

[John Ranalletta]

Oops.  Stellantis says, "Sorry".  Indiana State Police bought 500 Durangos.  A "malfunction" is mixing oil & coolant trashing engines.  

 

 

[Dennis Andress]

30 minutes ago, Hosstage said:

 

Nope. You'd still run out of space. Not sure how that happens, but it does, every time.

The first rule of a happy shop is that nothing sits on the floor if it doesn’t have wheels. 

[Hosstage]

2 minutes ago, Dennis Andress said:

The first rule of a happy shop is that nothing sits on the floor if it doesn’t have wheels. 

Ah yes, the ideal world. Very rarely real world. The real world rule states "all flat surfaces will be occupied."

[Dennis Andress]

16 minutes ago, Hosstage said:

Ah yes, the ideal world. Very rarely real world. The real world rule states "all flat surfaces will be occupied."

Priorities get the garage. Everything else has to fend for itself. 

[Dennis Andress]

1 hour ago, John Ranalletta said:

Oops.  Stellantis says, "Sorry".  Indiana State Police bought 500 Durangos.  A "malfunction" is mixing oil & coolant trashing engines.  

 

 

 

 

Porsche put a vacuum operated valve in the water pump. It's an emissions thing to bypass the pump and get the engine hotter faster. Late last year the bad-ass Cayenne got a new water pump under warranty, and I was left wondering why I kept smelling coolant...

 

 

 

https://rennlist.com/forums/cayenne-9y0-2019/1405225-9ya-9y0-cayenne-cooling-issues.html

 

[John Ranalletta]

2 minutes ago, Dennis Andress said:

 

 

Porsche put a vacuum operated valve in the water pump. It's an emissions thing to bypass the pump and get the engine hotter faster. Late last year the bad-ass Cayenne got a new water pump under warranty, and I was left wondering why I kept smelling coolant...

 

 

Would have speculated about warped heads or bad head gaskets.

[Dennis Andress]

12 minutes ago, John Ranalletta said:

Would have speculated about warped heads or bad head gaskets.

It never got hot. In fact, it never dripped water because with vacuum applied to the pump housing there is no weep hole . I simply noticed the radiator tank level was slowly dropping. So an internal seal failed allowing coolant to be sucked into the vacuum system.

 

I traded it for a new base model (with a few good options) and a 10 year "pay for everything but tires" warranty.

[Rougarou]

4 hours ago, Dennis Andress said:

The first rule of a happy shop is that nothing sits on the floor if it doesn’t have wheels. 

Harbor freight is your friendly neighborhood cheap dolly distributor. Some need slight modifications to hold a wider shelving unit, but otherwise, perfect. 

[Rougarou]

5 hours ago, Dennis Andress said:

A few years ago I pulled that black K13 up to around 150 and promptly understood what age is all about. This led to the bad-ass Cayenne, and then the 911. Lately I've come to realize that I still prefer bikes to cars and am once again changing course.

when i had the hp4, my inexperience at high speed was kinda scary. Bringing the bike to 100 in first gear, than feeling it up to 160 at my highest, kinda adrenaliney and scary, but fun

 

The rt sees low 100s and the gsa gets to the 130’s.  Both fairly routinely 
 

commute is prolly averaging low 90’s now for the hour run. 
 

 

[Rougarou]

Haha, “strain your muscles to lift the tailgate”,…..gimme a break

 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8-V5FEhuPW/?igsh=MThhNDF0eGo5ZzBjMw==

 

 

[TEWKS]

He’s right, too many moving parts. It’s not going to last the life of the truck.  From my experience with Ford tailgates anyway.  

[wbw6cos]

Our company just purchased a '24 F150 with that same tail gate.  It will be for one of the new sales weasles (said respectfully.)  I had to carry it a place for some fancy farkles to be added.  It had a spray-in bedliner already, but i was not sure what was going to happen to it..   A few days earlier, I carried another truck for spray-in bed liner, but it had a regular gate.  

 

Now I know how to open that split one. Thanks for posting.

[EdM]

Most trucks that get used to haul stuff often end up with dented or bent tailgates. Can't picture how these complicated multi opening types are going to stand up to real use. 

[Rougarou]

Well, Dodge(Ram for the younguns) has had a split tail gate for some time

 

I just thought it funny that the tailgate is supposed to be some sort of too heavy to lift on a pivot. 
 

 

[Hosstage]

3 hours ago, Rougarou said:

Well, Dodge(Ram for the younguns) has had a split tail gate for some time

 

I just thought it funny that the tailgate is supposed to be some sort of too heavy to lift on a pivot. 
 

 

The tailgates do seem to be getting heavier and heavier. Automatic locks, cameras, what-have-you, all stuffed in there now, adding to the bulk.

My kid's Toyota has some kind of dampener/helper shocks on it that also allow a soft opening action. I won't lie, it's kind of nice.

[Rougarou]

1 hour ago, Hosstage said:

The tailgates do seem to be getting heavier and heavier. Automatic locks, cameras, what-have-you, all stuffed in there now, adding to the bulk.

My kid's Toyota has some kind of dampener/helper shocks on it that also allow a soft opening action. I won't lie, it's kind of nice.

 

Do some pushups

[Hosstage]

13 minutes ago, Rougarou said:

 

Do some pushups

Nope. You've already seen my workout routine.

 

 

 

[Rougarou]

Ya might wanna get one of these to lift that tailgate

 

[wbw6cos]

 

[wbw6cos]

[mophead]

On 6/21/2024 at 11:59 PM, roadscholar said:

 

When one door closes and another door opens you're probably in prison.

[TEWKS]

Talk, I do a lot of that around here about different subjects. And this is probably just more of it. @Hank in WV has one and enjoys it quite a bit. Now, he wasn’t a salesman (pushing the Miata) but I value his opinion. Same with Bill and his P-Car knowledge, always looking to steer you right. Now here’s the situation, a new bike or a used (10 years used) Porsche Cayman or Boxster is in the budget but not both. (Hence the lot of talking I do) . But, after hearing Hank’s opinion on his car I started looking at Miata vids and it seems hard to find a negative review. And the kicker, they brand new are priced close to a ten year old Boxster or Cayman. I might go take look in person, I know I thought the Boxster was small and the Miata is even smaller, I think. Now if I remember right, way taller than me @Dennis Andress drove one too? Don’t think he had a problem getting in and out of it.

Anyway, just more bullshitting, but this place would be boring without it. 

 

[Rougarou]

I think someone mentioned to you to get a Miata when all that squashed beetle talk started

 

 

[9Mary7]

1 hour ago, TEWKS said:

the Miata

the Fiat bodywork is prettier...... my .02

[Hank in WV]

Pat, I wouldn't rule out looking at a low mileage used one either. If it matters, the NC models (2006-2016) are a little roomier on the inside. The internet exploded about how bloated they were when they came out but it seems as though no one has any problems with them now. They are not particularly fast, but you don't have to slow down much either. I'm sure they don't handle like a Porsche but do handle well. It is a ball on the local roads here.

[TEWKS]

46 minutes ago, 9Mary7 said:

the Fiat bodywork is prettier...... my .02

Same car underneath? Thought I read somewhere it used another manufactures drivetrain? May not have been Mazda…. 

[TEWKS]

1 hour ago, Rougarou said:

I think someone mentioned to you to get a Miata when all that squashed beetle talk started

 

 

 Ahead of the curve as usual!  Funny, I acknowledged the post but didn’t listen I guess. 

[BamaJohn]

38 minutes ago, Hank in WV said:

Pat, I wouldn't rule out looking at a low mileage used one either. If it matters, the NC models (2006-2016) are a little roomier on the inside. The internet exploded about how bloated they were when they came out but it seems as though no one has any problems with them now. They are not particularly fast, but you don't have to slow down much either. I'm sure they don't handle like a Porsche but do handle well. It is a ball on the local roads here.

Plus 1 for a nice NC power-hard-top with auto trans and paddle shifters (I had one of those).  I've owned Austin-Healey 3000; BMW Z4; BMW 335is; and the Miata was the most-fun-to-drive car of the bunch.  Steering is precise and quick and the 50/50 weight distribution is a real thing.

[Dennis Andress]

The Miata worked well for me, as long as I could keep the top down. Driving it back from storage in Texas meant top up which badly scrunched my neck and back. Tucson's sun also meant top up... That's when I decided to sell it.

 

Miatas are referred to by their internal model letter, N, and their generation. The latest generation is ND, with refinements making ND2 and ND3 versions. Laney's Miata was an ND1 Retractable Fastback (RF). The ND2 picked up 30 much needed ponies, and an even more useful backup camera. I know nothing about the ND3.

 

The ND comes in four flavors: Sport, Club, Grand Touring, and the RF. The Club is interesting as it comes with Brembo brakes and Bilstein shocks making it a good track car while still being a daily commuter. The engine is terrific, but the nature of a Miata is to keep speed up through a curve, not to slow on entry and power out. The interior of the RF was so small that registration and insurance papers, and two people, were all that fit.

 

Compared to a Boxster? Well the RF's seats were nylon webbing covered by a thin layer of foam and leather. The Miata was about 1,000 lbs lighter, which created a lot of road noise. Laney and I test drove maybe half a dozen NDCs. Every one of them had major problems - trashed brakes, a dragging clutch, a stiff tranny, a retractable roof stuck in the trunk. The Porsche on the other attracts a bit of envy - people cutting me off in traffic, parking close to the driver's door so I can't get in. Stupid shit.

[Dennis Andress]

A Miata is more giggles per gallon. A Porsche is not leaving horsepower on the dealer's floor.

 

2007 Boxster in Sterling, CT

[roadscholar]

From the Porsche Thread on Advrider a few weeks ago. Solaros1's Miata he bought new a couple years ago, he's had a number of 356's and air cooled 911's over the years.

 

 

BLucare, Jul 25, 2024

#16192

BLucareWhat could possibly go wrong?

Joined:

Oct 6, 2016

Oddometer:

7,023

Location:

Green Bay, Wisconsin

Solaros1 said: ↑

I would love to hear your take on the Miata - I have fallen pretty hard for them after we rented one for car week in Monterey back in 2018 while were out there to sell my 356 Carrera. I was looking hard at a Boxster or Cayman to replace the 356 but after six days of bombing around California in a Miata I realized how much fun these little cars are. It reminds me a lot of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider my dad had back in the mid-1960's, a light fun sports car with a sweet little twin cam four cylinder engine. I really enjoy my 30AE Miata as it's just fun to hop into and run errands or point it towards North Georgia and the twisty mountain roads.

View attachment 6127423

While I would certainly put more weight on @waybill's opinion than my own, I'll offer a few cents' worth  I had a well-kept, 2001 6-speed NB Miata a few years ago. Small and light, nearly the same dimensions as the original NA Miata, and I could also get the sense of the old-school British roadster in the feel and the sound that the Miata designers were, supposedly, shooting for with the Miata back in 1989.

BUT, I didn't keep it very long, sadly. I just never really meshed with the car enough for it to be my only sports car  That lovely little Miata taught me that, if my garage can only have one sports car (for now, until the new garage is finished ), I want something a bit more "substantial" with a bit more space, a bit more noise, a bit more power.

I will say that on just the right day, on just the right road, with the right song on the radio, without another person in the car to ruin the power-to-weight ratio, it all clicked and I totally got the hype of the Miata  The gear shift and lack of rubbery linkage is superb, the suspension is perfection without being too stiff, the engine makes an eager little burble that really urges you to have fun and DRIVE. They're fantastic little cars.

 

 

waybill, Jul 25, 2024

#16194

waybillwayward

Joined:

Mar 25, 2010

Oddometer:

7,186

Location:

J-ville and Maysville

These were taken last night at the CADS meeting, our dual-sport club, I wanted to compare the size of the two cars, photos don't show it exactly but we agreed the Boxster is about 20% bigger in every dimension with about an 8" longer wheelbase and maybe 5-600 more lbs (guessing here). 2 weeks ago Ashley let me drive it after the meeting, I headed for a lot of the back curvy roads in my hood I sometimes play on late at night when there's little traffic, we were lucky with the timing.

First off, Ashley is a dyed in the wool fan of Japanese machinery, bikes and cars, I'm just the opposite, strictly German. I've had a few Japanese cars but only briefly, a new Civic hatch Si when they first came out in '84 and a short-lived 280ZX and 2nd gen MR2 I bought wholesale off the back lot at Brumos to keep the sales manager happy so he'd feed me more Mercs.

Ashley came close to getting an S2000 but found this about 2 months ago, think it's a 2015 with fairly low miles but it's had lots of mods, like about $10k worth. Koni adjustables, lower stiffer springs, chassis stiffening, motor is chipped, bigger wheels and softy autocross tires. I've had race cars that weren't set up this well : )

Bottom line is it steers quicker than the Boxster, is very neutral, and has quite high limits bordering on race car and the brakes were downright impressive, got into the ABS once by accident. In fact he commented, you're finding limits I didn't know it had. The downside is it rides (almost) like a racecar but everything else was excellent, shifting, clutch, and steering had good feel and feedback. Maybe not as perfect as the Boxster but the lighter weight makes up for it.

Drove it with the top up and down and was surprised the Boxster is quieter when the tops are up on both but that comes with the territory, it's in a different price range and hovers in premium sportscar realm. For quick trips and zooming around the Miata is certainly fun but for all day or weekend getaways the Porsche is in another league as far as combining luxury, comfort, and performance. Btw the Boxster is an '08 base but has the optional S suspension package with 19'' wheels which is almost too harsh on some of Georgia's back roads but then I'm old too so YMMV : )

Bill

1150Adv, 950Adv, 800GS, TR650, DR350

 

BLucarJul 25, 20

 

 

 

 

[TEWKS]

Wow, nice write-up Bill, pretty much hit on all the questions I had! 

[Rougarou]

And Pat, since you are looking more GS'y, once you get tired of the pavement with the Miata, change it

 

[roadscholar]

I've been hinting at this since Pat started talking about them but haven't said it directly, finding a nice clean well taken care of medium mile 986 or 987.1 (50-120k) is the way to go, much less initial investment, no longer depreciating and in some cases still appreciating, and every bit as much fun as a newer one. Buying used Porsches isn't like normal cars, newer isn't necessarily better, faster yes and with more gizmos but older ones have many great qualities. In fact I prefer the build quality, simplicity, and driving characteristics of the '01 986 S over the 987.

 

 

[Rougarou]

1 hour ago, roadscholar said:

I've been hinting at this since Pat started talking about them but haven't said it directly, finding a nice clean well taken care of medium mile 986 or 987.1 (50-120k) is the way to go, much less initial investment, no longer depreciating and in some cases still appreciating, and every bit as much fun as a newer one. Buying used Porsches isn't like normal cars, newer isn't necessarily better, faster yes and with more gizmos but older ones have many great qualities. In fact I prefer the build quality, simplicity, and driving characteristics of the '01 986 S over the 987.

 

 

 

And if he gets tired of it on the street, he can GS it