Does anyone else have this problem?

Kinja'd!!! "TheJWT" (thejwt)
06/22/2015 at 21:40 • Filed to: None

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Every form of transportation I own is undeniably cool, but completely inconvenient and slightly terrible. Don’t believe me? Take a look yourself-

Starting with my lovely automobile:

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Pros- First gen SE-Rs are, as far as I can tell, one of the few cars which are universally liked. And what’s not to like? It sounds like a racecar, it drives like a slow racecar, and it’s got the coolest wheels ever.

Cons- To paraphrase Jeremy Clarkson “It’s not what you’d call an everyday car, in that everyday it breaks”

My “brand new” 1984 Motobecane Grand touring-

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Pros- The bike equivalent of driving a Citroen SM while sucking on a smelly French cigarette.

Cons- The wheels may as well be made of tinfoil, and trying to shift up more than one gear at a time will cause the bike to explode and result in a fiery death. And seat technology has come a long way since 1984...

And finally... my 20” Stolen (That’s the brand...) BMX

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Pros- Stronger than a Hilux and lighter than a small bird. Sick tricks. Probably the quickest way through a crowded city

Cons- It does not have brakes.

I’d imagine that most people on Oppo have a similar problem, what are your awesome, horrible rides?


DISCUSSION (29)


Kinja'd!!! SaveTheIntegras > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 21:43

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I have a TL...i check the boxes for ‘fast enough for me but also not stupidly fast’ as well as the ‘practical enough’. I think i did a good job of the best of both worlds.


Kinja'd!!! CB > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 21:44

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My legs.

Pros : Fairly comfortable, parking is a non-existent issue.

Cons : Knees are currently having issues, can’t be solved with WD-40.


Kinja'd!!! TheJWT > SaveTheIntegras
06/22/2015 at 21:46

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That’s nowhere near horrible enough! I’ve always liked First gen TLs


Kinja'd!!! lone_liberal > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 21:46

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My Mercury Mariner? My wife’s G37x? Ok, maybe I’m the exception.


Kinja'd!!! TheJWT > CB
06/22/2015 at 21:46

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New parts difficult to find...


Kinja'd!!! TheJWT > lone_liberal
06/22/2015 at 21:47

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You’re the smart one!


Kinja'd!!! CB > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 21:47

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You want to avoid the part of Craigslist that offers used parts. And official replacements have a long wait list and have a long break in period.


Kinja'd!!! SaveTheIntegras > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 21:48

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I’ve done the ‘horribly impractical car’ before, I’m enjoying the comfy life style for now...


Kinja'd!!! TheJWT > SaveTheIntegras
06/22/2015 at 21:50

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My idea when I was buying my roadbike was to have something comfartable, easy to ride, and stylish. It didn’t quite work out that way, I went all stylish.


Kinja'd!!! Doug DeMuro > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 22:01

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First-gen SE-Rs are so cool. I haven’t seen one in forever. Enjoy it!!!


Kinja'd!!! TheJWT > Doug DeMuro
06/22/2015 at 22:02

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Coming from the man who owns an r32. My life is complete.


Kinja'd!!! 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > CB
06/22/2015 at 22:02

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Titanium upgrades are available though... add lightness and simplify.


Kinja'd!!! Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 22:05

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I have a 4Runner. It’s not sexy, fast or great on gas (not even 4wd) But the leather seats are nice. And the back window rolls down.


Kinja'd!!! TheJWT > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
06/22/2015 at 22:06

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Still cool though


Kinja'd!!! CB > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
06/22/2015 at 22:06

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Fuck yeah.


Kinja'd!!! Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 22:07

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It’ll be great if I ever bother to get an OPPO sticker for it.


Kinja'd!!! beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 22:12

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no photo’s cause I’m posting from work.

1990 JDM MR2 Turbo

Pros : It’s a mid engine sports car with Toyota reliability
cons : it’s a 25 year old mid engine sports car. Even Toyota reliability can only stretch so far.

2003-4ish Giant OCR of some kind

Pros : it’s light and was free, and the only OEM part on it left is the frame. everything from the forks to the hubs are all upgraded from what I can tell.
cons : it’s the women’s version. It’s yellow but it’s a wee bit short for me. I don’t use it competitively though.

BMX = Torker 2

Pros : retro as fuck
cons : rusty as fuck. about the only good part left is the frame. I sold the skyway tuff’s I had on it way back in 2005 after I stacked the bike. I’d like the restore it one day.



Kinja'd!!! TheJWT > beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard
06/22/2015 at 22:20

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We have strangely similar tastes...


Kinja'd!!! twochevrons > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 22:26

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I totally have this. My fleet are all (arguably) highly cool cars, but definitely have their fair share of terribleness. I love them all, anyway.

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Pro: Stupid-fast. TARDIS-like capacity for passengers and luggage. Will cruise at get-you-locked-up MPH all day long with no effort. Fantastic turbocharged 5-pot soundtrack. Bright red paint and duct tape holding the front bumper together make it instantly recognisable.

Con: Torque steer is brutal. Leaks, burns, and otherwise consumes an embarrassing amount of oil. Interior looks like an IKEA catalogue gone wrong. Ride quality is more like a racing car than a luxury performance vehicle. Despite the R badge and (mildly) sporty looks, it can’t quite escape the college-kid-got-this-from-his-parents stereotype that older Volvos have around here.

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Pro: Barn-find with really low miles (only 40k!) - when it’s running right, it drives like new. ‘80s wedge-tactic shape. You can go flat-out all the time, and it’ll put a grin on your face no matter what you’re doing with it. The AC somehow still works (if you can stand to lose a not-insignificant chunk of the 90hp on tap).

Con: The paint is sloughing off like a bad sunburn. While it certainly feels fast, it’s alarmingly slow by modern standards. Bosch K-Jetronic is amazing mechanical wizardry, but it has not taken kindly to sitting for 20 years with tar-like fuel deposits in it. MTBF is of the order of hours right now.

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Pro: Gorgeous shape. Even more fun to drive than the Scirocco. Exudes charm from just about everywhere. Tractor-like mechanicals are so simple that it’s barely needed any repair work, despite having languished in a shed for 30 years when I got it.

Con: Side windows and roof are missing. Rear bumper is a piece of 2x4. Even slower than the Scirocco. Being anywhere near it will make you smell like unburned hydrocarbons for the rest of the day, and give you a pretty good contact high from the fumes to boot. The doors will sometimes pop open while cornering, which is rather scary when you don’t have seat belts.


Kinja'd!!! Steve in Manhattan > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 22:32

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If the Sentra can be made reliable, why not? It has a trunk (boot). It has a back seat. You can get parts for it. And you like it.


Kinja'd!!! beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 22:35

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It’s weirder than that.

10 years ago I had a Ford Corsair/Nissan Pintara which is very, very similar to the Sentra. It blew up with around 300k km’s on it.

before the Giant I had an old 80’s Repco 3-speed but it got stolen by junkies.

My Torker is blue and white, but I always wanted to paint the frame gunmetal.


Kinja'd!!! TheJWT > Steve in Manhattan
06/22/2015 at 22:40

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I’m working on it! I actually just got done fixing all of the vacuum leaks...


Kinja'd!!! TheJWT > twochevrons
06/22/2015 at 22:42

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You clearly understand the struggle! There was an 850R for sale when I was buying a car. I would have bought it without thinking twice if it were a manual.


Kinja'd!!! Steve in Manhattan > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 22:57

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Back in 1991, I bought a new CRX Si. But the Sentra SE-R was a close second, and something I wish I’d gone for it. Certainly more utilitarian than the Honda.


Kinja'd!!! twochevrons > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 22:59

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Yeah, the US-market 850R was only ever available with the 4-speed auto. The rest of the world got the option of a 5-speed manual with an LSD and 10 more hp. The transmission really isn’t all that bad when you take its character into account – the car’s driving dynamics aren’t hugely engaging anyway, and the automatic makes for very accessible point-and-shoot power – but I’m toying with the idea of a manual swap anyway.

Nice SE-R, by the way!


Kinja'd!!! Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 23:02

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4Runner

Pros: Looks kickass, hugely practical, decently safe for something without airbags, has been down for less than two weeks out of the nearly 4 years of ownership, will go pretty much anywhere I force it to, can be serviced without jacks, can be maintained poorly for long durations of time.

Cons: Never more than 14 mpg is seen, 2 mpg has been averaged on a tank, embarrassingly slow, hunts gears like a rich Texan, weird seating position, handling that takes getting used to.


Kinja'd!!! TheJWT > twochevrons
06/22/2015 at 23:02

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Thank you! I met a guy with a manual swapped Volvo wagon, I’m not sure which one it was though...


Kinja'd!!! Brickman > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 23:29

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And cost and arm and a leg :P


Kinja'd!!! Brickman > TheJWT
06/22/2015 at 23:35

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96 dodge caravan

Pros: Drives like a rolls royce (ok, not really, but it rides smooth as butter and steer with a pinky), haul lots of stuff, excellent visibility, anti cop magnet, passes up most beige mobiles :P

Cons: radio doesn’t work, manual windows, it’s a minivan :|