Car Enthusiast Club [Now Motorcycle friendly!] - First thread to 150k! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[bcredeur97]

6 hours ago, iDeFecZx said:

Chains are still a relatively common issue with the EA888.

Seen no end of them with carbon buildup inc on engines that have both DI and port injection. 

I was about to say. VW is like world renowned for timing chain failures, at least in the 4 bangers. 

VR6's were fine iirc? And my diesel V6 in my touareg. I still change the oil early though out of paranoia, 10k intervals seem too long anyway.

Those are the only engines I want to own from them lol

[vetali]

9 hours ago, iDeFecZx said:

Chains are still a relatively common issue with the EA888.

Seen no end of them with carbon buildup inc on engines that have both DI and port injection. 

Surprising considering how many VWs we sell. Never seen one with timing issues. Just PCV and water pumps lol.

 

2 hours ago, bcredeur97 said:

I was about to say. VW is like world renowned for timing chain failures, at least in the 4 bangers. 

VR6's were fine iirc? And my diesel V6 in my touareg. I still change the oil early though out of paranoia, 10k intervals seem too long anyway.

Those are the only engines I want to own from them lol

Only timing job I have done on a VW was a VR6 lol. I am surprised that thing ran with how destroyed the guides were.

[dcgreen2k]

Found this today, first time I've seen one irl

 

[iDeFecZx]

On 4/22/2023 at 5:44 PM, vetali said:

Surprising considering how many VWs we sell. Never seen one with timing issues. Just PCV and water pumps lol.

Ive personally never seen one with timing issues but work with a few guys at work who are ex VAG and theyve had a handful. 

Have done a fair few water pumps, such a poor design but atleast theyre relatively easy to change lol

[Radium_Angel]

Car I hated (2013 CR-Z) totalled yesterday. I was sitting at stop light, lady in a honkin big suv never saw me.

Now to find something I actually like...

[Bitter]

1 hour ago, Radium_Angel said:

Car I hated (2013 CR-Z) totalled yesterday. I was sitting at stop light, lady in a honkin big suv never saw me.

Now to find something I actually like...

Still an ouch, you ok?

[Radium_Angel]

20 minutes ago, Bitter said:

Still an ouch, you ok?

I was in the ER a bit, but no permanent damage

[bcredeur97]

I may have bought an abandoned 2008 Escalade ESV in downtown Lafayette from a rich guy selling a pub he owned there 

 

He dubbed the car “White Lightning”. It’s been sitting for 2 years lol 

 

I bought it because it runs and moves and is otherwise just extremely dirty (especially inside) 

 

Probably gonna flip it. 

[bcredeur97]

Here it is after the first wash on Saturday. 
 

didn’t do much to it Sunday, just a couple annoying things like spot treating stains on the headliner. 
 

it’s nice that the interior doesn’t smell. But man it’s filthy in there lol. Trash in places I didn’t know trash could get to 

 

even found an old iPod nano lol

[bcredeur97]

Don’t really have any good interior pics but here’s the dash

[Bitter]

Doesn't look that bad. You check the VIN is clean?

[Radium_Angel]

for you gentlemen who are savvy about such things.

In no particular order I am looking at the following vehicles. If you could say Yay or Nay (in general) I'd greatly appreciate it:

 

This assumes low miles (130k or less) no accidents, records, etc.

 

Honda Element

Hyundai Elantra GT

Suzuki Grand Vitara

Toyota/Scion iM

Honda Fit

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport (assuming I can find without WITHOUT a CVT)

Volvo T5

 

Thoughts? Opinons? Solid substitutes?

 

[bcredeur97]

3 hours ago, Bitter said:

Doesn't look that bad. You check the VIN is clean?

It is  

[Bitter]

48 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

for you gentlemen who are savvy about such things.

In no particular order I am looking at the following vehicles. If you could say Yay or Nay (in general) I'd greatly appreciate it:

 

This assumes low miles (130k or less) no accidents, records, etc.

 

Honda Element

Hyundai Elantra GT

Suzuki Grand Vitara

Toyota/Scion iM

Honda Fit

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport (assuming I can find without WITHOUT a CVT)

Volvo T5

 

Thoughts? Opinons? Solid substitutes?

 

Never have I ever been impressed with a Mitsubishi besides the Diamante. Hyundai depends on which engine is in it, the grenade kind or the good ones. I don't think you can go too wrong with the others but I can't endorse a Volvo with more than 60K miles unless you'll be doing your own work.

[Radium_Angel]

1 hour ago, Bitter said:

Never have I ever been impressed with a Mitsubishi besides the Diamante. Hyundai depends on which engine is in it, the grenade kind or the good ones. I don't think you can go too wrong with the others but I can't endorse a Volvo with more than 60K miles unless you'll be doing your own work.

I deeply appreciate your advice, I know you are a mechanic of some renown (at least here), so you words carry weight.

Of the Hyundai engines, is this a year or version engine? I do like the looks of the GT, and I know in times past the Hyundais were good cars, but I have heard troubling things about them as of late..so going in armed with knowledge will be helpful.

 

The volvo was kind of an outlier, I know they faltered as a company, and were reborn under the Chinese, but they went from stodgy looking to rather sexy, but I really didn't know anything about the Neo-Volvo...safe to assume they are expensive and difficult to work on? Frankly the last car I wrenched on was my TVR 2500 from 1976, so modern stuff I leave to proper mechanics... 

[Bitter]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Theta_engine#Engine_recall

Avoid all those engines like the plague. I don't know if the replacement engines are any better than the original engines.

Mitsubishi are not bad cars, they're generally pretty reliable but unimpressive vehicles to drive compared to other offerings in the same price class. They have a cheaply built feel to them, at least in the US.

We don't really get Suzuki here in the US but the few I've worked on have been solid cars that honestly impressed me with their quality. I wish they were bigger in the game here, they'd be good competition. My sample size is very small and I suspect parts may be difficult or impossible to get.

Honda/Toyota are solid cars, not much to complain about. The Fit is a nice car, well built. Same for the Toyota offering. I think the Honda is the better of the pair but you pay Honda tax on the Fit for sure.

Volvo are good cars but not very friendly for the home mechanic and many things require dealer intervention. There's always a software update for something that's wrong.

[bcredeur97]

23 minutes ago, Bitter said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Theta_engine#Engine_recall

Avoid all those engines like the plague. I don't know if the replacement engines are any better than the original engines.

Mitsubishi are not bad cars, they're generally pretty reliable but unimpressive vehicles to drive compared to other offerings in the same price class. They have a cheaply built feel to them, at least in the US.

We don't really get Suzuki here in the US but the few I've worked on have been solid cars that honestly impressed me with their quality. I wish they were bigger in the game here, they'd be good competition. My sample size is very small and I suspect parts may be difficult or impossible to get.

Honda/Toyota are solid cars, not much to complain about. The Fit is a nice car, well built. Same for the Toyota offering. I think the Honda is the better of the pair but you pay Honda tax on the Fit for sure.

Volvo are good cars but not very friendly for the home mechanic and many things require dealer intervention. There's always a software update for something that's wrong.

local Kia Dealership we do work for has a massive pile of Theta engines in the back, lol. 

I asked and the techs were like "yeah we pretty much replace those all day"

[vetali]

2 hours ago, Radium_Angel said:

for you gentlemen who are savvy about such things.

In no particular order I am looking at the following vehicles. If you could say Yay or Nay (in general) I'd greatly appreciate it:

 

This assumes low miles (130k or less) no accidents, records, etc.

 

Honda Element

Hyundai Elantra GT

Suzuki Grand Vitara

Toyota/Scion iM

Honda Fit

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport (assuming I can find without WITHOUT a CVT)

Volvo T5

 

Thoughts? Opinons? Solid substitutes?

 

If you plan on having something that holds value... the Element. People pay DUMB money for those things.

[AlwaysFSX]

7 hours ago, bcredeur97 said:

I may have bought an abandoned 2008 Escalade ESV in downtown Lafayette from a rich guy selling a pub he owned there 

 

He dubbed the car “White Lightning”. It’s been sitting for 2 years lol 

 

I bought it because it runs and moves and is otherwise just extremely dirty (especially inside) 

 

Probably gonna flip it.

Bruh

Let us know when you find coke lmao

23 minutes ago, vetali said:

If you plan on having something that holds value... the Element. People pay DUMB money for those things.

Element people are weird.

[Bitter]

They're not as weird as Saab people. THEY'RE WEIRD.

[Radium_Angel]

12 hours ago, vetali said:

If you plan on having something that holds value... the Element. People pay DUMB money for those things.

I'm seeing that, holy cow are they overpriced...I mean I get that they are oddly functional inside (with the moveable seating etc) but it's not THAT unique...

[vetali]

11 hours ago, AlwaysFSX said:

Bruh

Let us know when you find coke lmao

Element people are weird.

I say this at work a lot... and Si people.

 

12 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

I'm seeing that, holy cow are they overpriced...I mean I get that they are oddly functional inside (with the moveable seating etc) but it's not THAT unique...

I never got it either. Rather save some money and get a CR-V if I was looking at small Honda SUVs. I still say first gen Pilot is better if you really need AWD and don't care about MPGs. Just gotta look out for rust on them. 2nd gens have a lot of issues.

[Bitter]

Mazda's are fairly good, they've gotten a lot better than 25 years ago.

[Radium_Angel]

1 hour ago, Bitter said:

Mazda's are fairly good, they've gotten a lot better than 25 years ago.

I've had two in the past, an RX-7 and a Protege5.

I enjoyed both. IIRC, they've divested themselves fully from Ford?

[Bitter]

4 hours ago, Radium_Angel said:

I've had two in the past, an RX-7 and a Protege5.

I enjoyed both. IIRC, they've divested themselves fully from Ford?

They sure have, thankfully