"Dsscats" (dsscats)
01/14/2014 at 23:28 • Filed to: None
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"Dsscats" (dsscats)
01/14/2014 at 23:28 • Filed to: None | 0
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I drove a Mini Cooper S (R53). It was BRILLIANT!!!!
I loved driving that car so much, but looking for one, I found out that they have soooo many issues and a huge cost to own. I also have been looking for Miatas, but I can't really find a good one in my budget and I'd really like to get an NB. I'd like something reasonably reliable, not hugely expensive to own and I would really love a manual too. My budget is $5000 for a practical car or $3000 for an impractical one. HELP ME. I live in LA, CA so that craigslist is there. I am starting to give up, so please help me come up with some new ideas. Also, any ideas about a Focus SVT?
themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
> Dsscats
01/14/2014 at 23:30 |
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LA as in california or louisiana?
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Dsscats
> themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/14/2014 at 23:33 |
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LA, CA
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themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
> Dsscats
01/14/2014 at 23:43 |
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Dsscats
> themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/14/2014 at 23:47 |
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Damn. That might be worth a check out. It would also be nice to have another Subaru in the house (we have a 2010 Forester)
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themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
> Dsscats
01/14/2014 at 23:51 |
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Try and get it for 3000$, spend another 500-1000 on some upgrades over the first year of ownership and bank the rest of your 5000$ for replacement parts as it happens. Should be a nice little runabout :)
TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
> Dsscats
01/14/2014 at 23:54 |
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Keep looking for miatas. I bought my 03 with 56,xxx miles on it for $5600. NB is the best looking one IMO.
HiredHand
> Dsscats
01/14/2014 at 23:56 |
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My experience with the Mini Cooper is exactly that. It's a brilliant car to drive and a miserable car to own. Lots of issues with the cooling system, head gaskets, shock towers, and almost every procedure in the service manual starts with "remove modular front end".
Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
> Dsscats
01/15/2014 at 00:13 |
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Here's the deal with the SVT Focus: if you're looking for a FWD performance car you can't do much better. The steering is telepathic, it corners flat and without histrionics, it doesn't understeer even under ludicrous hooning, and it actually rides really well. The six-speed is from Getrag (the same one in the R53, actually), and is absolutely stellar, with exact, short throws and extremely close ratios. The engine isn't all that powerful powerful (170hp), but it's pushing a 2700lb car and is super torquey (85% of torque's available at 2200rpm), the heads, exhaust, intake, and pistons and rods are from Cosworth, it's relatively easy to work on, and it's extremely practical. I moved my entire dorm room in the car last year and still had room. The interior is fantastic for the time it was made, with soft-touch leather everywhere, plus heated seats if you get the Cold Weather Package, and driving position is spot-on. It's an absolutely fantastic car, and you will be bewitched by its character and performance if you buy one. It's a proper little hot hatch, and I love mine to death.
But... if you're looking for a reliable daily driver an SVT Focus may not be for you. It's probably not as bad as the MINI, but all the SVT Focii owners I've talked to have had some kind of problems with their cars. It's never anything catastrophic, but the car nickel-and-dime's you: a busted IMRC actuator here, valve cover gasket there, leaky thermostat housing, IAC valve stuck open, VCT solenoid stuck open, etc. etc. I bought mine two years ago and have put about 10,000 miles on it, but have paid $1000 to fix it up, excluding an $1800 clutch. OEM parts are getting difficult to find, since Ford's stopped making them, so aftermarket is usually your best bet. Said parts run about 30% higher than the standard Focus, so they’re kind of expensive, too. In addition, it has some factory problems Ford refuses to fix: many cars have a shitty idle (hangs at startup, bounces around after it warms up), which hasn't been remedied by any of Ford's PCM reflashes, the engine is an interference engine, and the timing belt is notorious for premature failure (it basically junks the engine if it goes, since the Cosworth heads aren’t made anymore), and the VCT solenoids often stick. It’s not a car you buy and then just change the oil. You have to treat it like a temperamental girlfriend; constant maintenance, mostly just little things, to keep it happy, otherwise it will wreck you and your wallet.
I don’t believe any SVT Focus owner would disagree when I say it’s basically an American Alfa Romeo: it’s absolutely brilliant when it’s working, with a ton of heart and soul, and when you’re driving it you wouldn’t want to have anything else. It has that x-factor, that little intangible feeling that the guys who built it love cars and love driving, which is why it's such a hoot. But when things go wrong, you despise it with everything you got and you wish you never bought it.
TBH, if your budget is $5000 I doubt you’d be able to find one, anyways. Ford only made 14,000 of them, and a lot of been wrecked or junked, so they’re extremely rare. A lot of them go for $6500+, and the ones that are cheaper you probably don't want (wrecked or hooned excessively). I bought mine from a guy the next town over for $6k at 95k miles (which was a decent price if it hadn't had so many problems later), but the next closest one I found was in Missouri, whereas I live in Indiana. Plus for that money you’d be buying a high-mileage one, and around 100k is where required maintenance really starts to pick up. Beyond that, little shit just starts to go wrong. If you find one by all means, check it out, take it for a drive, see how you like it. If it turns out to be a good one with no problems I would pull the trigger, but make sure it has maintenance records, and get it checked out by a mechanic. The guy I bought mine from had a binder of repairs he did, and even then I still had problems.
I would describe the SVT Focus as a car I would buy, but not one I would recommend. As I mentioned it’s absolutely, brilliantly, fantastically fun, but if you get a bad one, it can go south very quickly. It could be a good car or bad, but it's never, ever boring, and I love mine like a child. Good luck with your search, man. If you have any other questions about the SVT Focus just make a post. I know there’s 3 or 4 guys on here who have or have had an SVTF, and we’d be more than happy to help you out. Also sorry for the wall of text haha. I love this stupid little car, but you definitely need to know what you’re getting into.
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Dsscats
> TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
01/15/2014 at 00:23 |
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Wanna sell it to me for $3000 :p? Im just kidding. But seriously, how is it to live with?
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Dsscats
> Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
01/15/2014 at 00:35 |
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http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/4279549661…
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/4286821922…
These are what I've been looking at.
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Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
> Dsscats
01/15/2014 at 01:05 |
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Both seem pretty nice, actually, I'd at least call about both cars. The second one's price seems a little suspiciously low for the mileage, especially considering all the problems the car could've had in those 94k miles. For all you know he blew the head when the timing belt went early or it has a salvage title, but like I said, it'd be a good idea to contact him just to get more info. The first one, on the other hand, seems to be a bit overpriced. SVT Focuses command a bit of a premium over BB values, but the owner seems to be confusing his modifications for added value. Also, 2002 Focii are the most problem-prone of the SVT run, so keep that in mind as well. However, if it has been well-maintained and not abused I would definitely consider it, you could probably talk him down a decent amount, since not a lot of people are looking for an SVT Focus (or even know what one is). Like I said, if you're interested in the SVTF's, give those guys a call just to feel them out, but I don't see any huge red flags that say either car is something to stay away from. The only thing that seems strange is the second car's clutch pedal isn't stock (it should be aluminum with rubber studs like the brake and gas pedals), but I don't know what that could mean, exactly.
EDIT: what the clutch pedal should look like
Textured Soy Protein
> Dsscats
01/15/2014 at 01:07 |
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I tried to find you some relatively clean, unmolested Hondas in your price range. It was a challenge but I have a couple candidates. Then again, you may not want to go the Honda route because in LA they'll probably get stolen.
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/4276906395…
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/cto/426580…
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Dsscats
> Textured Soy Protein
01/15/2014 at 01:10 |
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I've actually been looking at both of those!
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Textured Soy Protein
> Dsscats
01/15/2014 at 01:14 |
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Maintenance wise you just have to figure out if/when the last time that Prelude had a timing belt job done.
The Si hatch has a timing chain. So I'm not sure why the post says they had a timing belt done.
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TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
> Dsscats
01/16/2014 at 15:33 |
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Its freaking awesome!
I live in MI so it sleeps in our barn during the winter but it is my DD (and i mean every day) and i love it to death. In the summer here the top is almost never up.
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Dsscats
> TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
01/16/2014 at 20:09 |
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Ugh,I want an NB sooooooooo bad
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TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
> Dsscats
01/17/2014 at 23:19 |
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Just keep looking for one man. you will stumble upon one like i did. It was on ebay near me and bought it through the guy before the auction ended
If you wanna learn about miatas or anything visit and join this forum: http://forum.miata.net/vb/index.php