Suzuki Swift / Chevy Aveo Rally Cars

heymagic Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Frickin auto makers just have their heads up their
> asses. Honda, VW, Mini, Kia, Hyundai, Ford all
> manage to sell hatchbacks just fine.
>
> At some point THEY decided that station wagons
> were no longer needed, especially in the smaller
> import line, so we got mini vans. Toyotas you
> couldn't find the motor in, Nissans that burned to
> the ground, Aerostars (whoohoo) and so on. Now we
> have tall mini vans with long noses...hmmm, look a
> lot like station wagons.
>
> Other than the price Mazda should get an Emmy or
> something for the Speed3. 30 years from now some
> kid will be out in the street with one, roof cut
> off, fenders rusted to the max and laying down
> football long burnouts until the torbo blows...

Man you're on a roll Gene.
You gonna come up and drink a beer this Saturday?

We're trying to get Noobies up so's folks can meet and yak in informal settings and bitch about car products like fawkin SUVs and Mini vans BOTH of which I warned my wife to look out for when she was learning to drive. I said "You gotta be alert fort and avoid idiots. 1 strike and they're out. And the mere fact they in a SUV is already ONE STRIKE. Blacked out windows is also a strike...."

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

The worst part about all the mini-vans, SUVs, mini-vans disguised as SUVs, and such is that none of them can afford to put decent tires on them either and they all drive like they're retarded and 90 years old when it's time to leave from a light or take a corner, but 20 MPH over once they get going. Until it snows. Seriously, you want to see some road rage, come join me for my 8 mile commute home tonight. I get livid, especially since it's just cold, there's lots of snow on the side streets, but the main roads are all clear!

---

Grant Hughes

I would still like to see a stripped version of hatches. The Fiesta still makes no sense. You don't get a bigger motor, you still get a/c and a million air bags. I want a bargain hatch. Manual everything, 40+mpg, no ac, no fancy stereo. Ok maybe I would like the a/c for michigan summers when we are 90s close to 100% humidity. I thought Ford was going to make it priced like the Yaris Lwhich the sedan is) but perform like a fit... but at 15k its not far from other nice cars.

Why are we talking about these little cars, little NEW cars?

Just talking? Or......

I think most of you guys are nuts to be driving newer cars period while struggling to have the budget to do rally but what the fuck do i know?

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Not to mention none of these new little cars are nearly as fun as a gutted out 81 Starlet that you have to avoid puddles in because otherwise you'll get a pant leg full of water.

---

Grant Hughes

john vanlandingham Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> heymagic Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Frickin auto makers just have their heads up
> their
> > asses. Honda, VW, Mini, Kia, Hyundai, Ford
> all
> > manage to sell hatchbacks just fine.
> >
> > At some point THEY decided that station
> wagons
> > were no longer needed, especially in the
> smaller
> > import line, so we got mini vans. Toyotas
> you
> > couldn't find the motor in, Nissans that
> burned to
> > the ground, Aerostars (whoohoo) and so on.
> Now we
> > have tall mini vans with long noses...hmmm,
> look a
> > lot like station wagons.
> >
> > Other than the price Mazda should get an Emmy
> or
> > something for the Speed3. 30 years from now
> some
> > kid will be out in the street with one, roof
> cut
> > off, fenders rusted to the max and laying
> down
> > football long burnouts until the torbo
> blows...
>
> Man you're on a roll Gene.
> You gonna come up and drink a beer this Saturday?
>
> We're trying to get Noobies up so's folks can meet
> and yak in informal settings and bitch about car
> products like fawkin SUVs and Mini vans BOTH of
> which I warned my wife to look out for when she
> was learning to drive. I said "You gotta be alert
> fort and avoid idiots. 1 strike and they're out.
> And the mere fact they in a SUV is already ONE
> STRIKE. Blacked out windows is also a strike...."
>
>
>
>
> John Vanlandingham
> Sleezattle, WA, USA
>
> Vive le Prole-le-ralliat
>
> www.jvab.f4.ca

Can't make it this weekend, but someday, if for no other reasson than to show people we actually get along just fine !

Might be nice to have a 'meeting' if DooWops has tech or something on Friday nite also.

John....

some of us drive newer cars, so we don't have to be pissing around fixing the car we drive to work everyday, while we should really be pissing around fixing the car we race on weekends.

---

Chris

"full of piss Chris"

sounds nice.

HA!

Randy...that's why i drive so fast! i always gotta go

---

Chris

Do It Sidewayz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> John....
>
> some of us drive newer cars, so we don't have to
> be pissing around fixing the car we drive to work
> everyday, while we should really be pissing around
> fixing the car we race on weekends.
>
> Chris

My 85 Xratty is a fuck of a lot newer than my 69 Saab.
Then again my 88 Chev diesel van is too (that's 6,2 liter with 4 speed! Neener! neener!)(As in MPG as good as the Xratty.)

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

BillyElliot Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would still like to see a stripped version of
> hatches. The Fiesta still makes no sense. You
> don't get a bigger motor, you still get a/c and a
> million air bags. I want a bargain hatch. Manual
> everything, 40+mpg, no ac, no fancy stereo. Ok
> maybe I would like the a/c for michigan summers
> when we are 90s close to 100% humidity. I thought
> Ford was going to make it priced like the Yaris
> Lwhich the sedan is) but perform like a fit...
> but at 15k its not far from other nice cars.



In this example the stripped version costs $13,600 more than the base model!
http://www.porsche.com/microsite/boxster-spyder/usa.aspx/
Manual roof, no ac, no radio, no cup holders, no door storage compartments, no door handles even!

john vanlandingham Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why are we talking about these little cars, little
> NEW cars?
>
> Just talking? Or......
>
> I think most of you guys are nuts to be driving
> newer cars period while struggling to have the
> budget to do rally but what the fuck do i know?
>

John newer cars have some benefits that can make them much nicer to live with as rally cars.

-Modern defrosters that actually keep the wind shield clear
-Lots of availability in junk yards
-Windshields are still being manufactured
-Most repair tasks are faster on a modern car
-Plastics are better, less brittle
-Electrical connectors are better and more water proof
-No rust on the donor car or the ones in the junk yard

I'm talking daily driver that would soon take on rally duties once I clock a lot of miles on it. Saving money on your daily driver means more money to spend on rally car stuff!

But then again, I should just go buy a used honda and drive it to 300k miles.

Andrew_Frick Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> john vanlandingham Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Why are we talking about these little cars,
> little
> > NEW cars?
> >
> > Just talking? Or......
> >
> > I think most of you guys are nuts to be
> driving
> > newer cars period while struggling to have
> the
> > budget to do rally but what the fuck do i
> know?
> >
>
> John newer cars have some benefits that can make
> them much nicer to live with as rally cars.
>
> -Modern defrosters that actually keep the wind
> shield clear
> -Lots of availability in junk yards
> -Windshields are still being manufactured
> -Most repair tasks are faster on a modern car
> -Plastics are better, less brittle
> -Electrical connectors are better and more water
> proof
> -No rust on the donor car or the ones in the junk
> yard

Andrew points out a very valid concern. Our whole parts/repair society is geared towards 10-15 year old cars. Wrecking yards probably look towards new to 10 years. When we were building Starlets, RX3s and 510s those cars were only 10-15 years old or less. Cars are built a helluva lot more dependable in the 90s than ever before. Problem is they are more excellent commuter cars, not so much rally material, at least the RWD candidates.

BillyElliot Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> But then again, I should just go buy a used honda
> and drive it to 300k miles.

That's why my Toyota just turned over 340k and I'll have it for a few more years.