The current state of automobiles is no good (bring your emotional support Iguana)

[straight6pwr]

i_love_cars said:

if you drive a classic BMW every day, it doesn't feel as special.

i've been driving e30s for over a decade and when I drive mine I still grin like a fricken teenager who's just touched his first pair of boobs.

i wish my second car could also be an e30.

if you could snort e30s, I would.

long live e30s.

[jc43089]

My wife and I daily drove the e36 coupe with 3 car seats in it.  Am I a bad dad?  Now we are rocking a 200k mile 1st gen Sienna that I got for 500$, it's an XLE with a VHS player!  Until I get the swap van done anyway.

I daily my e36 and wouldn't pick anything else, although it would be nice to fix the door handle so I don't have to lean in the passenger door and open my door every time.  I have another handle I just have been busy.  It is more fun to drive than my 300HP Volvo. 

The Volvo is only an '05 and it is a manual transmission but it's drive by wire, and to counteract the laggy throttle response there is a sensor on the clutch pedal so that the ECU can smooth out clutch engagements.  The sensor goes bad and it gets jerky engaging the clutch because the ECU doesn't know when you are engaging the clutch.  Why is that necessary?  All because they switched to drive by wire to help meet CAFE standards by buffering your right foot input.  That's just one example.

It's not the technology that I dislike though, it's the disconnection and lack of "character".

[andyhundley]

straight6pwr said:

i've been driving e30s for over a decade and when I drive mine I still grin like a fricken teenager who's just touched his first pair of boobs.

i wish my second car could also be an e30.

if you could snort e30s, I would.

long live e30s.

THIS!

[rampelsauce]

TRIGGER WARNING!!!

[m42b32]

rampelsauce said:

TRIGGER WARNING!!!

I pretty much gave up when they went from E to F

[rampelsauce]

m42b32 said:

I pretty much gave up when they went from E to F

I gave up when they went from MXXBXX to NXXBXX.  Unless they have an N64 because I'll get that to re-live my childhood.

[retoropak]

1. Its all about the packaging. I can swap the m10 in my e21 in couple hours without a lift if needed. Now try to do the same or even fix some smaller stuff on a car with really crowded engine bay. Most people wont even try to touch it. Thats why i got rid of my m62 powered e53. I could not convince myself to do the timing chains. Than all the special tools needed to fix things and there is a coding aspect too.  

2. Thre is more aftermarket for the older bmw’s. Small shops with access to cnc means you could get some nice parts at resonable prices. 

3. Electric motors are good for the freight trains? See#4

4. If i ever had tesla i would convert it to stationary Whole house UPS.

5. Idk.

[straight6pwr]

i'm currently searching for a new winter/daily/road trip vehicle.

I'd like to say that is fricken bananabonkers that trucks/suvs with 200,000 miles still have price tags of $8,000+. mileage seems to be totally ignored in valuing the vehicle.

[rampelsauce]

straight6pwr said:

i'm currently searching for a new winter/daily/road trip vehicle.

I'd like to say that is fricken bananabonkers that trucks/suvs with 200,000 miles still have price tags of $8,000+. mileage seems to be totally ignored in valuing the vehicle.

Because they know you'll pay it like a good little consumer whore. Oh you got a BMW? Do you wear gucci face masks and supreme hoodies too? You guys make me sick. All about the hype of owning a luxury german car. Do you think that makes you better than me? News flash, cars are just transportation. A Nissan Leaf will get you to the same place as any other car. So will a 1993 Toyota Camry.

[HipMF]

straight6pwr said:

i'm currently searching for a new winter/daily/road trip vehicle.

I'd like to say that is fricken bananabonkers that trucks/suvs with 200,000 miles still have price tags of $8,000+. mileage seems to be totally ignored in valuing the vehicle.

I don't really disagree with this. In the old days engines used to wear out after 100k miles. The bores would be 1/16" bigger than they came from the factory and the cam lobes would wear down to nothing. Valve seats and guides wore out. Basically the whole engine would be junk. The build quality of the rest of the car was similar, and cars just didn't last that long.

These days the materials used are better and the technology has come a long way. Engines routinely last 200k-300k or more without a major rebuild. I don't see a problem with buying a vehicle with 200k on it, but when you're fishing in that end of the market you really need to have some evidence that the vehicle has been well maintained. Paying $8k and then shelling out $2k more on nickel and dime maintenance is a big hassle and probably not worth the grief.

[Boris3]

The challenge with used trucks with 200k+ around here is that typically they are often rust rotted: rockers and cab corners on Chevy and GM especially, also Ford; frames on the first gen and beds on second gen Toyotas; and pretty much everywhere on the used Dodges. Add in that a new truck costs upwards of $35-90k depending on how tricked out you want it and you have upward price pull on the used market.

Factor in potential issues with Chevy/GM transmissions (4L60E) in the used 1/2 tons, and the head/plug issues in 5.4l older Ford 1/2 tons, etc means maintenance and service records are key. Some of the smaller dealer lots also price flip trade ins from the larger dealers or auctions which adds to the fun.

The Toyota "premium" can lead to silly prices on used Tundras. I'm kind of looking for a lower mileage second gen in decent shape to replace my 2003, but between price point and that at 161k my motor seems to be just breaking there's in no rush. By the way I could use an access cab passenger-side front door, paint code 1E3 if anyone has a line on one.  

Best advice in used truck buying seems to be head/look south. Though with the Texas flooding in 2017 this put a dent in the used southern truck market and you have to be careful with flood salvage. 

Good luck in the hunt.

[Earl]

HipMF said:

I don't really disagree with this. In the old days engines used to wear out after 100k miles. The bores would be 1/16" bigger than they came from the factory and the cam lobes would wear down to nothing. Valve seats and guides wore out. Basically the whole engine would be junk. The build quality of the rest of the car was similar, and cars just didn't last that long.

These days the materials used are better and the technology has come a long way. Engines routinely last 200k-300k or more without a major rebuild. I don't see a problem with buying a vehicle with 200k on it, but when you're fishing in that end of the market you really need to have some evidence that the vehicle has been well maintained. Paying $8k and then shelling out $2k more on nickel and dime maintenance is a big hassle and probably not worth the grief.

Oddly enough I feel the exact opposite of this. I cannot see any of the modern BMW engine lasting reliably much past 200k. I wouldn't even bat an eye at buying an m/s5x car with 200k+ on it and knowing it'd be reliable.

[Jdesign]

It goes both ways.

Materials tech has exploded and engines CAN last a lot longer if the maintenance is kept up. Materials are lighter and stronger, processes are refined and more precise and faster.

YET.....

Electrical and monitoring tech has increased. There are sensors for everything, even checking oil levels. This is all processed into various control modules and the data is processed to keep your motor in check. More plastics and more sensors, more complexity to cause more fail points. 

In the end, its hard to say what the future may hold, but I can assume. Lots of cars will likely not have an enthusiast following, but I'm sure the enthusiast will always exist is some way. From my perspective, enthusiasts will evolve with the future of transportation and where ever it goes, no matter how long the engines last, where the fuel source is from, or if the cars drive themselves or fly through the air.

[YoungCR]

Yup and it’s all up to people’s interests too. I have no desire to own anything from 2003 until present but I’ll gladly buy a electric car once the charging networks and technology has been proven. I’ll always have a few “old” cars though as long as possible.