Why do you drive the vehicle you do?

[Unrepresented]

Man those Mustangs have ZERO trunk space! Escape it is

As I said in my first post, I drive an old 5.0 hatchback, and with the seats down, I can fit my 610, my racked amp, pedal board in a hard case, and double gig bag to shows.

 

[Pilgrim]

except there is no oil on the engine block, no oil drips on the garage floor, and I would think with a bad cylinder head seal one might lose compression.
There is a little oil in the exhaust when I hold my hand next to the tail pipe, but it's not in the water cooling system checking the dipstick & radiator cap.
The plugs aren't fouled.

Then you're burning oil. Simple. I had a 66 GTO that burned a quart of oil every 50 miles but never fouled a plug.

 

[bassistjoe93]

'98 Nissan Pathfinder (w/ super manly tire arm! ). It's my first car, got it for a great price and had it about 4 years now. It looks great, had good mileage on it when I got it and it hauls A LOT of gear. I also love camping, rafting, etc. It hauls all that I need and more.

 

[Lee H]

Then you're burning oil. Simple. I had a 66 GTO that burned a quart of oil every 50 miles but never fouled a plug.

I had a 66 GTO in high school. it handled bike a bayliner, and you had to make an appointment to stop it... but it sounded wild when the first and third carbs opened up

 

[6jase5]

Work requires (since they pay) 6 years old at most, 4 door, no pickup trucks (I'm in corp sales). Leaves room for pretty much anything but I went with a 2012 Honda Pilot since I wanted another suv and I'm 6'5 so most cars just don't cut it. Easy for gear, 4wd for snowboarding trips, easy for strollers, etc. Tested out Infiniti, LandRovers, etc....just didn't like any of them. First drive of the Honda and I said I'll take it. I love it, it's whisper quiet inside for sales calls and I don't need any guy cool cred or ego machines....the harley covers that if needed.

Wife has new Subaru Forester which is also great. The lifted 97 Jeep TJ and Harley road king....well, there just for fun. Next up, 68-69 Buick GS Stage One convertible.

 

[1SHOT1HIT]

The 4u rack is in the trunk, the cab on the rear seat. Not obviously the perfect and simplest solution, but then again, we're talking about the coolness of driving a Mustang here.

-Mike

Oh, I'm well aware of the sacrifices made to have all the horsepower at your disposal.
I've got 3 kids and a g/f but only 4 seats.
Someone's riding on the roof

I've literally maxed out upgrades short of an actual forced air power adder. (Turbo/Super Charger)
This past summer i added a 75 shot Zex wet kit (Nitrous Oxide/N2o)

I haven't run it on the Dyno yet but if I had to guesstimate it, Id say w/o nitrous I'm getting about 375hp give or take 15-20hp
W/ nitrous just under 450hp probably closer to 425hp.

I loose VERY VERY little down the drive train thanks to the following mods.

I'm running 410 gears, 7-1/2" aluminum one piece extremely lightweight racing drive shaft, Spec stage 3 drag clutch, Spec Aluminum Flywheel & syncros, MGW fully adjustable short throw shifter, All hooking up via a set of
20 x 10-1/2" (rear) 20 x 8-1/2" (front) NITTO 555 extreme drag radial tires

And thats just the drive train and wheels, there's a whole list of crap under the hood + an SCT Livewire Flash Tuner (onboard computer tuner)


Needless to say it'll throw you into the back seat if your not careful.
I spared absolutely no expense when I got it.
Well over 10K in worthless ticket makers.


Lol, my g/f has had to drive it to work lately, she's less than thrilled.

 

[smcfarland1337]

It's a sexy sports car with good gas mileage and a big trunk for hauling equipment to shows.

'03 Dodge Stratus Coupe.

 

[1SHOT1HIT]

It's a sexy sports car with good gas mileage and a big trunk for hauling equipment to shows.

'03 Dodge Stratus Coupe.

I wanted one of those so bad when they first came out, never did get one. :-(

 

[Angus]

I loose VERY VERY little down the drive train thanks to the following mods.

I'm running 410 gears, 7-1/2" aluminum one piece extremely lightweight racing drive shaft, Spec stage 3 drag clutch, Spec Aluminum Flywheel & syncros, MGW fully adjustable short throw shifter, All hooking up via a set of
20 x 10-1/2" (rear) 20 x 8-1/2" (front) NITTO 555 extreme drag radial tires

You're driving it around with a Spec 3 clutch? No wonder your girlfriend hates it.

I have a Spec 5 in mine (because I went through a bunch of dual-plate clutches and other ones before I found one that can survive) and I hate it. Holds, though.

(For what you are gaining with the flywheel and drive shaft- which is minimal- you lose out with the gears and tires, so worrying about drivetrain loss is a bit silly.)

 

[jkramer5]

Currently driving a Ford F150 Super Crew Harley Davidson Edition. It's a mint condition 2002 with just over 43,000 miles on it.

I work from home so I have no daily commute, I live in a smallish town, close to the stores and services I use so the mileage or gas cost doesn't really factor in. It's fast and looks cool. Im the 3rd owner and part of what I like about it is keeping it looking nice.

I also have the use of a 2012 beetle and a 2007 Jeep Compass LTD ( my gig and gear hauling car)

 

[1SHOT1HIT]

You're driving it around with a Spec 3 clutch? No wonder your girlfriend hates it.

I have a Spec 5 in mine (because I went through a bunch of dual-plate clutches and other ones before I found one that can survive) and I hate it. Holds, though.

(For what you are gaining with the flywheel and drive shaft- which is minimal- you lose out with the gears and tires, so worrying about drivetrain loss is a bit silly.)

Why would she hate it because of the Stage 3? (it's a 3+ by the way if your familiar)
Its a hydraulically assisted clutch, there is absolutely no difference from the stock pedal pressure.
I actually expected a much stiffer pedal and drove my mechanic nuts because I swore there was something wrong at first. In my old car, you knew when you pushed the pedal down, you have no clue it's there in this.

I'd imagine your hating your clutch because it's a Stage 5, their not real driver friendly at all.
Stage 5 is what my mechanic is running in an 1100hp alcohol fueled drag car. What the hell are you driving?

And please help me to understand about this gaining stuff from the Driveshaft and Flywheel?
Silly?
Lol, driveshafts and flywheels are part if the drive train, NOT the engine. They DON'T gain anything ever?
They minimize loss.

And I gotta ask also, how exactly am I loosing power from the gears and tires?
Stock I was running a 2 piece yolk type steel shaft, with 331 gears, and 17" Perelli PZero All weather tires.

I now have a massive 7-1/2" hollow aluminum 1 piece driveshaft, with 410 gears, and 20" drag radials. ?????????

I'm loosing what? And from what???????

 

[96tbird]

Every drive train bleeds energy from friction in the form of heat at every bearing and gear. If it didn't, the transmission wouldn't heat up, the bearings, the diff, axles bearings and the tires. Heat equals lost energy. HP at the Flywheel is at least 20% higher than at the wheels. A production rear wheel drive vehicle only about 75% of the Flywheel HP reaches the ground.

 

[1SHOT1HIT]

Every drive train bleeds energy from friction in the form of heat at every bearing and gear. If it didn't, the transmission wouldn't heat up, the bearings, the diff, axles bearings and the tires. Heat equals lost energy. HP at the Flywheel is at least 20% higher than at the wheels. A production rear wheel drive vehicle only about 75% of the Flywheel HP reaches the ground.

This is obvious, I was told I was silly because what I was "GAINING" at the drive train was lost at the gears and wheels.


My point was that drivetrains don't gain.
They transfer power, yes I think we both know and agree that power is lost at each point of contact and distance traveled.

 

[bmc]

We bought a 2011 Nissan X-Trail last year. First 4x4 in the family. We have a farm in France in the hills. The criteria was interior space, fuel economy, comfort, big sunroof, bluetooth, offroad (not softroad like many SUV's today). The Nissan ticked all the right boxes. It's been great.

 

[superdick2112]

2004 Ford Escape, purchased new - because I live in Colorado & need 4WD in the winter, it gets decent MPG, was affordable & hauls all of my gigging gear.

2007 Mazda MX-5, purchased used - because it's fun to drive, the price was right, and it is a great summer weekend getaway car.

 

[Kwesi]

2004 Hyundai Santa Fe.

I drive it because it was a gift from my parents. Does everything I need it to and more. Maybe not the prettiest SUV ever but I'm completely fine with that. I'll get something nice when I buy a car for myself but I'm gonna drive this sucker until the wheels fall off .

Seeing as it's my first car, it might be too early to say but I'd love to stick with the Santa Fes. The newer ones look super classy and I'm guessing have at least as much space as the old ones. I'd just have to drop in my radio (I swear I will NEVER get rid of this thing) and I'm good to go.

 

[Mike N]

.... with 410 gears, and 20" drag radials. ?????????

You're in third gear by the end of your driveway? 20" tire seems kind of short. Heck, the front runners on my Camaro are taller than that.

 

[Angus]

Why would she hate it because of the Stage 3? (it's a 3+ by the way if your familiar)
Its a hydraulically assisted clutch, there is absolutely no difference from the stock pedal pressure.
I actually expected a much stiffer pedal and drove my mechanic nuts because I swore there was something wrong at first. In my old car, you knew when you pushed the pedal down, you have no clue it's there in this.

The newer Mustangs have a hydraulic assist? I didn't even realize. Mine is the previous generation, and don't have the hydraulic assist, so stage 3's are a pain on the street because they're very off/on and have a much higher than stock pedal pressure.

Dang. I wish mine was hydraulically assisted!!

I'd imagine your hating your clutch because it's a Stage 5, their not real driver friendly at all.
Stage 5 is what my mechanic is running in an 1100hp alcohol fueled drag car. What the hell are you driving?

Turbo'd DOHC 4.6L bored to 5.0L. I keep it at around 10psi for driving around, and it makes ~670rwhp. But it makes 880rwhp at 18psi and a little over 1000rwhp at 25. 10 psi isn't really in the best efficiency range.

And please help me to understand about this gaining stuff from the Driveshaft and Flywheel?
Silly?
Lol, driveshafts and flywheels are part if the drive train, NOT the engine. They DON'T gain anything ever?
They minimize loss.

Read what I said. If you are looking at it from the perspective of the wheels, reducing a loss is a gain. I don't mean a gain at the engine. You reduce the engine load with the lighter flywheel and hollow DS, but increase the load with the 4.10s and drag radials. That is what I was saying.

 

[1SHOT1HIT]

You're in third gear by the end of your driveway? 20" tire seems kind of short. Heck, the front runners on my Camaro are taller than that.

Man, you guys need to get caught up with modern mechanics.

I have two things that eliminate that issue.

1.) is the fact that if you take a stock 17"wheel with a 4-1/2" profile tire, and swap them to a 20" wheel with a 2" tire, you end up with almost the exact same size you started with.

For the very small 1/2" of diameter which does change the tires inertia due to more or less mass at the wheel,
2.)This is where the $500 Flash Tuner comes into play.
With that I can go in to my ECU reprogram the computer to think something is happening that isn't and fool it into thinking its spinning less tire per revolution, also reprogram it to compensate by telling it that I've changed my rear end gear ratio to 410's. And like magic almost, it all just works out.

Yes my RPM's run ever so slightly higher and sure my gas mileage feels the change, absolutely but times have changed fellers, 410's do not mean that your maxed out at 85mph and almost tacking out driving down the highway.
It's barely noticeable.

At 80 mph stock hwy speed I'd have been @ 21000 RPM's now it rides at about 25000 RPM's

And no I can still get pretty damn fast before ever seeing 3rd gear.

 

[Angus]

Man, you guys need to get caught up with modern mechanics.

I lol'd. You really think Mike N is confused by gearing and tire size?

I think you might've missed that the third gear statement was a joke that led into him suggesting you should go to a larger tire.