Oppopinions on a new DD

"Ducky" (Ducky) 12/08/2014 at 07:07 • Filed to: the answer is not miata

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So I've officially landed the software engineering job at Superchips. Sometime this spring (or summer) I'm actually going to get the S2000. I'm catching the carrot on the stick. The thing is though, I don't want to daily it. Never have. I want it to be a weekend toy, a prize I jot out and don't subject to rain and parking lots.

So I need a 2nd car. My Miata seems like the obvious choice, but having two 2 seater roadsters doesn't make any fucking sense. The girlfriend really loves the car and is having a hard time scrapping up money for a beater, so I'm probably going to let her drive that. So I need new daily suggestions.

I like Hondas, weird shit, and cars that should not exist but do anyway. If they were legal and I could fit, the answer here would be AZ-1/ Cappucino, but they're not and I don't so I need something fun/practical/ under 8k.

How are Civic Si EP3 hatches? CRXs? What's the trick to finding a V6 MX-3? $8k WRXs are super shitty, right? Are SVT Focuses (Foci?) worth the 93 octane?

I'm absolutely lost here because I've spent so much time chasing the S2000 I've not spent much time in other, completely different cars. Advice please.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Ducky 12/08/2014 at 07:15

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I think the Civic's not a bad idea. It makes sense to at least get something semi-practical when you already have the fun car, plus it's not too much of a departure from what you're used to in the s2k.

E92M3 > Ducky 12/08/2014 at 07:15

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I would suggest something more comfortable if you get an S2000. What about a Mazda 6?

Ducky > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 12/08/2014 at 07:23

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oh absolutely, i just have no idea what doesn't totally suck.

apparently the EP3 Civics suck. No LSD, and K20 from the base RSX. no sense paying the Si tax for that, but an EG or EK hatch might still be enjoyable.

Ducky > E92M3 12/08/2014 at 07:23

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Eh. I'd want the MS6, and those are out of the budget. I'd rather have something with a hatch than a sedan, I don't really like sedans.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Ducky 12/08/2014 at 07:26

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I'm no expert on Civic's but I rode in a mid spec EP civic and it had a good chassis. I'm not sure how much Si's cost where you are and if they're worth it though, you can get a Type R for next to nothing here and an Si for even less.

44444444444 > Ducky 12/08/2014 at 07:35

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Volvo V70R. (or if you want a lifted wagon: Volvo XC70 2005-2007)

Fun, wagon, manual.

Ducky > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 12/08/2014 at 07:38

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There are no USDM Type-Rs. The only USDM R was the DC2 ITR, and those cost S2000 money.

Ducky > 44444444444 12/08/2014 at 07:42

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excellent! that should fit the bill. hard part will be finding one in florida, volvos aren't super popular here...

SVTyler > Ducky 12/08/2014 at 07:51

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Paraphrased from my response to another person here on Oppo asking about SVTF's:

In the case of the SVT cars Ford rushed the design process so the early ones (2002-3) have a few minor issues (high idle, alternator problems, 02 sensors throwing codes for no reason, leaky thermostat housing), most of which can be fixed with the 2004 PCM reflash code or aftermarket parts. Another problem area can be the timing belt, which is supposed to be changed every 100k miles but are often swapped out well before considering the Zetec is an interference engine and the Cosworth cylinder head is a one-off design of which no spares are available anywhere besides junkyards.

From what I understand the people who have taken care of theirs haven't had a lot of issues, but the main problem with the SVT cars is finding a used one that hasn't been beat within an inch of its life or modded to shit. Ford only built 14,000 of them and a lot of them were bought by WRX bros who wanted an American alternative so you can find some really thrashed examples. Another issue is that SVT parts are around 30-40% more expensive than standard and are extremely hard to find because most places (AutoZone, O'Reilly's, etc.) don't differentiate between the two so you have to go OEM.

Overall I'd say if you don't mind working on the car it should be on your list, the SVT Focus is an absolute joy to drive. It's kind of like a British sportscar or an old Alfa: it may have some problems, but the driving experience and the car's personality far outweighs any potential problems it may have. Just be careful about the ones you're looking at and be prepared to walk away.

Any more questions just ask.

Ducky > SVTyler 12/08/2014 at 08:00

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i appreciate the info. i think that's a bit more work than i'm looking for, especially with regards to the parts. something i've appreciated about my old civic sedan, mustang converitble and miata is the bounty and cheapness of parts. made trips to junkyards enjoyable and fun and not crushing experiences hunting for my rare car

44444444444 > Ducky 12/08/2014 at 08:12

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I live in Connecticut... Don't have that problem here lol.

Just be aware the R cars have a few quirks... the shocks start leaking at 100k miles, the angle gear sleeve for the AWD fails around 100k miles, and the clutch slave has been known to fail early... So if the clutch and angle gear collar haven't been replaced be aware they're gonna need it.

SVTyler > Ducky 12/08/2014 at 08:16

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No problem. IMO the SVTF's are worth the work but it definitely doesn't sound like what you need or are used to, parts availability especially (I've had to ship stuff from England a few times). If you can find an unmolested CRX that'd probably be your best bet: they're dead reliable, get like 40mpg, and are a ton of fun because of how light they are.

LappingLuke > Ducky 12/08/2014 at 08:35

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Beater S2000

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Ducky 12/08/2014 at 09:12

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Here's the thing about $8k WRXs: they don't actually cost $8k.

The 2.0L WRXs have good bones. Go 04-05 (02-03 had some transmission issues), look for modifications, but use modifications as justification for negotiating the price, not as a reason to walk...if you walk from every modded WRX then you'll walk from every WRX.

If you buy an 04-05, even lightly modded, set aside some money for a turbo (the cheapest way to do this is buy a used VF43 someone pulled off their STI) because if the car spent any time modified, that turbo is dead man walking between 100,000 and 120,000 miles. I'd be reluctant to buy a car with an aftermarket turbo, though if the owner has documentation from the shop that's a bit better. Most importantly, don't let the owner tell you a 16G makes his car worth more, it just means he drove it hard enough to blow up the existing turbo. If the car has a cold air intake, walk away. If the car has a manual boost controller, run away. If the car has a blow-off valve, sprint away and don't look back. These are telltale signs that the owner a) cheaped out on the car and b) doesn't understand enough about tuning Subarus to do it correctly. Exhaust mods are fine, but make sure the owner can tell you what he did...I'd actually rather buy a car with a full turboback exhaust than just a catback, as putting in a new downpipe that mates to an existing catback can be a pain in the ass, and with the turboback you know that he had to get the car tuned instead of just being a cheapskate.

When you test drive the car, listen to every downshift, and listen for synchro whine, especially in 2nd and 3rd gear. Now, my car had pretty noticeable 2nd gear whine since I bought it, but it hasn't gotten any worse, so this may/may not be a dealbreaker (but sounding reluctant about the transmission, a known problem, can be a negotiating tactic). But if the transmission is whining, ask the owner when the fluid was last changed...the difference between wear and neglect is something you need to know.

Suspension mods are actually where I'd start walking...any tuner worth his salt can work on a Stage 2 car, but a slammed car is probably way more damaged. Don't buy a slammed car, don't even bother checking it out if the ad says it's on coilovers, because even the midranged coilovers like BC BRs are pretty garbage. If the owner had the forethought to buy some reasonable non-adjustable damping coilovers like STs or HVTs, they'd advertise as such, as buying non-adjustable coilovers isn't particularly sexy. Still, if they name their coilover, avoid BCs, Teins, Stance, Raceland (or as the Miata guys call them, Riceland) and any other low-end garbage. KWs, STs, HVTs and Feals are good pieces, but don't let the dumbass tell you KW Variant 3s or Feal 443s make their car worth more. Sway bars are generally fine, most aftermarket bars for Subarus are solid so they won't break. Other things like ALKs, roll center adjusters, bushing kits...well, they'll probably make the car's ride quality suck to an extreme degree. Bushings especially will accelerate wear of all the other components, and possibly also the driveline and transmission (the WRXs bushings are soft not only for ride quality, but to absorb AWD driveline shock that would otherwise go into the transmission or differential).

twochevrons > Ducky 12/08/2014 at 09:14

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If you're not afraid of going a bit older, the 850 is a decent option, too (although without AWD), – less complicated and more DIY friendly. You can buy a decent one for next to nothing, and the 850R is properly quick (although it was never offered with a manual transmission in the US).

Early V70s are not known for their reliability, but there's a guy on Oppo trying to sell a first-gen V70R. I know that he's somewhere in FL, but not sure where. The car has a salvage title and a few issues, but if you're okay with doing some work on it, I don't think that it's completely beyond help.

Ducky > Aaron M - MasoFiST 12/08/2014 at 09:33

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this is all marvelous information. thank you so much. i really like the idea of owning a wrx wagon and just beating the shit out of the body, but keeping it mechanically sound. i don't know anything about that soundness, but your post is a step in a great direction.

yeah, shopping for miatas i at least knew ricelands were a red flag, and slammed goes without saying. any recommendations to read up on WRXs of this vintage?

briannutter1 > Ducky 12/08/2014 at 09:53

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Congrats on the new gig! I've always wondered about the programming behind the scenes on new applications. Is it just a matter of reading/writing hex? What are the steps from decoding to building a page where the tuner can manipulate the numbers?

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Ducky 12/08/2014 at 09:54

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In terms of specific buying information, the WRXs have basic Subaru bones and aren't all that special. The 02-03s, 02s specifically, have some problems that are mostly teething issues (the weak transmissions, and a fuel rail issue for the first model year). 06 and above switch to the 2.5 liter engine, which has some issues that make the probability of severe failure higher. The 06-07s aren't bad (I have an 07 so there may be case bias here) but the newer chassis WRXs had two distinct but very problematic issues that would lead me to avoid them (excepting maybe stock ones with service records): the narrowbody WRXs had firewall issues, and the widebody WRXs had engine reliability issues similar to (but not as likely or severe as) the STIs, which led to premature bearing and/or ringland failure.

My one word of advice is that if you don't like the idea of modifying and/or working on a car at least a little bit, buying a WRX may not be the greatest idea. The maintenance is in line with other Japanese cars (my experience buying Subaru OEM parts and Toyota OEM parts puts them in the same ballpark), but they demand more attention. You can put random RockAuto parts in your Toyota Camry...do the same in your WRX and you will regret it. If you don't want to do the work yourself, at least have a mechanic who will let you bring parts on your own. My new suspension guy offered to let me source Subaru OEM parts on my own and bring them to the shop, which is a source of great relief for me.

Once you buy the car, here's your homework:

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthr…

Everything you want to know about wrenching on or modifying a WRX is in that thread. Some of it is a bit old, but should all work perfectly on a 2.0L WRX. After that, check out scoobymods.com for DIY info. The buyer's guide thread there is good, but is honestly a bit generic and lacking in specific Subaru info.

Ducky > Aaron M - MasoFiST 12/08/2014 at 09:58

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I do a little wrenching on the Miata, but one of the benefits of this gig at Superchips is a lift and dyno for after-hours employee use. Since i'm going to have a full garage, I might as well use it and learn how to bend it to my will.

Thanks so much again. This is another great source of info.

Ducky > briannutter1 12/08/2014 at 10:01

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I actually don't know yet! I start Wednesday. I'm sure I'll be gushing constantly about how cool all this shit is.

As for the car, the handheld tuner systems are just simple little embedded computers with C code. I'd imagine the car outputs data to some OBDII compliant format, and then you parse that out.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Ducky 12/08/2014 at 10:03

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It's awesome you have access to a dyno, but unless you have money for a spare motor lying around I'd say leave the tuning up to an expert. Superchips doesn't make any products for Subarus so hopefully your boss is OK with you putting other companies' parts on your car :-p

briannutter1 > Ducky 12/08/2014 at 10:08

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Very cool, we use HP Tuners on my LS and I use megasquirt for oddball stuff. Keep us posted!

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Ducky 12/11/2014 at 14:57

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If you're talking about used, seriously consider a second gen Ford Probe or MX6. They really are good driving cars. You can probably find a pretty nice one for a few grand. When I had my Probe with the base engine and 5 speed it was plenty of fun to drive. I consistently pulled down 30mpg with it too. they handle very good too for what they are.

Ducky > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 12/11/2014 at 15:04

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MX6s don't exist in my area. I've looked on Craigslist, they're just not available.

I'll check out the Probe I suppose!