Let's talk about our Daily drivers 

"Matthew Phillips" (flatsidewaysfl) 12/12/2015 at 17:27 • Filed to: None

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Nora Belle has been a saint.

I’m not sure if any of you have been keeping track of me and this car, but im so glad I rode it out. Since I’ve bought her I’ve put a good grand and some on the odometer, I’ve learned a lot about Panthers and how much I hate rust. I might buy another Panther or truck by March regardless.

She’s smooth and when I have the gang in the car it’s always a treat, despite her flaws I’ve bested a lot of others cars here on campus in terms of quality.

Would I want a newer Vic... Hell no, I want another one from the same generation and hopefully the same year and model. This car features a lot of new and old. Automatic lights, power everything, state of the art cassette and Ac/Heat that accelerates my need for a rebuild.

I love this car and it will be hard to see it go. Stay tuned for a full road review.

Let's hear about yours !

Nymphicus Hollandicus > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 17:34

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My 2005 Honda Pilot
It works really well (struts may be going soon)
It uses an unnecessary amount of fuel for no reason
I hate it
I don’t need a large truck anymore
These kind of cars are pointless
I want to get rid of it

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 17:35

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I have a cassette player and a 3 disk CD changer. So fancy.

Matthew Phillips > Nymphicus Hollandicus 12/12/2015 at 17:39

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How so ? What would you replace it with.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 17:40

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All year sometimes DD: 99 Ford F350 Diesel. Does all the truck stuff i wanna do. also sounds good with straight pipe.

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Summer DD: 2003 Miata. Lighter wheels, lower on vmax coilover from FlyinMiata also have their sway bars. Straight pipe with a vibrant muffler

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Winter beater: 2001 Escort ZX2. Beat the living crap out of it and it still keeps going for some reason. Rusy as hell underneath. No exhaust past the downpipe cause rust and yellow rear bumper from winter hit and run driver

Matthew Phillips > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time 12/12/2015 at 17:44

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The bumper is classy, how are those Super Dutys ? I’m considering an old square body or late 70’s F-Series, but if I see a deal I'm going for the kill.

Nymphicus Hollandicus > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 17:45

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I just don’t like having such a large beast when I usually never use its full capabilities. I don’t need this as it just eat gas whenever I drive myself when a smaller car does the same. It also has an automatic and I want a manual.

I want something a bit more modest and smaller, so right now something along the lines of a Kia Soul or a Mazda 3.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 17:48

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I love mine. I have buddies who all drive the OBS 7.3l (94-98) and they love theirs too. Diesel trucks are just more expensive cause everything is heavy duty so they charge more for it haha

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time 12/12/2015 at 17:50

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The Miata looks good. I dig the color combo.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 17:51

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I have an aux cord from a shitty Pioneer head unit, 2 working speakers out of like 8, cruise control that doesn’t work, a leaky exhaust, and all the noise from everywhere else. I still love it.

E92M3 > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 17:57

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This my daily, a 2009 MDX. It’s the one car in my fleet I can ALWAYS count on. 90k miles, and the only issue so far has been an oil pressure sensor. I struggle to think of anything to replace it with. Acura’s current MDX is plagued with transmission complaints, same for the Pilot. Toyota, Lexus, Nissan don’t have anything that intrests me either. Good thing I have another 100k miles to think about it.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 18:00

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Renault Twingo 1.2

Just crept over 40k miles and no real issues whatsoever.

I have a relationship with the car that people have described as “too attached.”

I love it.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 12/12/2015 at 18:03

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I’ve honestly never tried my cruise control so I wouldn’t know.

uofime-2 > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 18:04

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Got it new in June. Still double take most times walking away.

Took it to one AutoX so far and learned a lot. Definitely looking forward to more next year.

Took it on some nice gravel back roads and got it thoroughly dirty doing Subaru things.

Installed a short throw shift kit, a shifter stop and some obligatory mudflaps too.

Got involved with the local car club, met some good people and did some fun things.

Trunk Impaired 318 > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 18:10

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2005 Mini Cooper S

The ride is a little rough for a DD but its fun.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 12/12/2015 at 18:10

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aw thanks. truck has same color interior in cloth too haha

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time 12/12/2015 at 18:11

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Talk about a matching fleet. That’s awesome.

Matthew Phillips > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 12/12/2015 at 18:11

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My CC works for about ten minutes when I can get it to turn on.

Dunnik > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 18:11

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My DD, a 2008 TL, has an even more state-of-the-art cassette! Made under lic. for Acura by Panasonic, it’s one of the finest, and one of the last, tape decks ever installed in a production vehicle. It’s probably one of the only cars out there with both a tape deck and satellite radio.

I’ve um, never used it since I trashed my tape collection many many years ago....but!

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 18:12

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I’ll have to try mine to see if it works.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 12/12/2015 at 18:15

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Mine did until my trans speed sensor failed.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 12/12/2015 at 18:17

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I’ll have to see if mine works.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 18:28

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Just got my first Panther in April; a 2008 Town Car. Love my land yacht. I work 5 min from home, so it didn’t hurt to trade in my TDI :)

Matthew Phillips > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 12/12/2015 at 18:34

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Mine is a piece of work when it comes to MPG. I average 10 around town and 20-24 on the highway.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 12/12/2015 at 18:38

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yea didnt realize it till i drove the truck home after i bought it

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time 12/12/2015 at 18:39

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Like it was meant to be.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 12/12/2015 at 18:41

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SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 18:55

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I love mine. It has not been a saint though...

I bought it used and it came with a couple problems. Luckily, the dealership covered most of them. I need a new soft top, and I’ve had a new transmission, a new transfer case, and a couple other issues that I wouldn’t have been able to afford to fix if it didn’t have a warranty. Now, the obvious question is why buy a car if you can’t afford a couple grand in repairs? The answer is really complicated, but basically when my old DD died (a 2001 Nissan xTerra) someone outside of my family was looking out for me and gave me a zero interest, no deadline loan.

But regardless of all of that, I feel blessed to have this Jeep. It’s a much nicer vehicle than I’ll be able to afford for a very long time and it’s a blast. The heat blows strong, the factory subwoofer works spectacularly, and I’ve taken it on a bunch of 15+ hour road trips in relative comfort. Would I buy it again? Probably. I might have gone for a four-door though. There really is zero storage space unless you take the seats out so road-trips with more than two people are very tricky. Sure, the seats fold up, but it doesn’t help as much as you’d think. All in all, I’d recommend this gen. Wrangler. Its a good combination of normal SUV and Jeep. It has all the basic amenities we’ve come to expect from modern cars, but it’s still a blast on a trail or in the mud, which I’ve done a few times. I’m really happy with the color too. These two pictures of the same Wrangler, but the green paint looks black depending on the light in pictures and in real life. It’s really cool.

The best part though?

As with any Wrangler, you can disassemble it on a nice day.

911e46z06 > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 19:06

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I dig the V-Sport. It’s fun and fast. But I learned an important lesson, and excluding trucks, this will probably be the last post-2010 car I ever buy. Cars were just better before they got so computerized.

gmctavish needs more space > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 19:24

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My 1997 Chevy Blazer

Bought for $600 at 291k kms, did plugs/wires/cap/rotor, oil change.

Drove from Montreal to Vancouver, didn’t have a single breakdown, did everything I’ve ever asked of it like a total champ, has never not started. She continues to be my daily/beater/camping/fallback vehicle, and has asked nothing but a wheel bearing, oil changes, and a blower motor. She sits at 312k now, and showing no signs of dying. I mean, the power locks don’t work, and sometimes I hear weird electrical crackling noises, but the heat works now, the 4.3 seems indestructible, and as long as I can afford the gas I’ll probably keep driving it, and taking it where most people don’t actually take SUVs.

Alfalfa > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 19:32

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This girl sat for about a year before the owners told me they were either going to donate or scrap it, so I bought it off them for scrap money ($250).

It sounds like the beginning of a nightmare, but she’s been a gem. I spent a few months getting her road legal, and have been driving it for almost a year now. Never left me stranded, or really given me any issues other than a few electrical hiccups the last month or so.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 19:59

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My two daily drivers in one picture. I drive the Vibe on the days I don’t ride the Breezer.

108k miles on it, bought it for my wife 11 days before our wedding as her Saturn Vue was totalled from being hit by a trailer that came loose from an F-150.

It’s a GT with a stick, so it’s got the independent rear suspension. The damage to the front bumper happened when I was parked in teacher’s parking during a school program where my mother was the music teacher. Nice people there, damage a car and don’t leave a note. Could have been one of their kid’s teachers. I haven’t fixed it (in 5 years that it’s been that way) because people suck and it’s a cheap car that i am smoking to the filter. As Mater says, dents add character.

It can baby. I have had a 7 year-old, 5 year-old and nearly 2 year-old across the back seat, so it works there too.

I still prefer riding the bike, but some days don’t accomodate a 22 mile commute by bicycle. Most days in the summer do though. We have showers and lockers at work.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 21:54

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Base model Chevy Sonic, I got when it was 2 years old and paid just under 10k for it. Did not want something I would worry about getting little dings and dents. I’ve thought about modding it, but I want to keep it comfortable and quiet. Steel wheels are for the winter tires still waiting for the snow.

p71donutmobile > Matthew Phillips 12/12/2015 at 22:05

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Glad to see there is another panther fan! I just sold my super reliable police interceptor so I could buy my semi reliable project! My 81 lincoln mark vi. The engine puts like a wheezy kitten and the 8 track player just died but she hasn't left me stranded yet!

Matthew Phillips > p71donutmobile 12/12/2015 at 22:21

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That is beautiful, I'm really considering just using another Panther. They're wonderful boats.

Frenchlicker > Matthew Phillips 12/13/2015 at 01:19

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I replaced my ‘98 Taurus with a 2001 Taurus that I bought for $300. So far(in the two or three months of ownership) I’ve replaced the spark plugs,spark plug wires, coil pack, upper and lower intake manifold gaskets(paid a garage to do it when I couldn’t figure out my problem), changed the oil( my brother owned it for 1.5 years so it had probably been awhile), put in a new air filter, and replaced the serpentine belt when it shredded. I still have to figure out why the brake light is constantly lit and where the power steering fluid is leaking from. I like that the car was cheap but I hate the fact that it has cheap car problems.

Matthew Phillips > Frenchlicker 12/13/2015 at 11:34

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I loved my Taurus, I had a 94 GL sedan for my first car and she was in a way better than the Vic, but worse than the Vic.

Frenchlicker > Matthew Phillips 12/13/2015 at 11:47

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My first one had the Vulcan engine in it that had a tendency to corrode and had electrical problems. In the end it's head gasket blew and I sold it to a sketchy car dealer, he just finished putting a new used engine in it. My newest one wouldn't be so bad except I know my brother probably didn't properly take care of it and it just hit 225k miles Wednesday.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Matthew Phillips 12/14/2015 at 09:18

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Hell to the yes. Yes, it has interior rattles, it’s a 1st-gen Colorado. But the frame is the best in class so I don’t give a shit what the interior feels like, I like the way it drives, it looks great, and DAT V8.

Complaints? The 4L60e is shit (well, competent, but doesn’t like to be pushed), No locking tailgate (and a rather flimsy handle), less toys than a Saudi prison, and they went and stuck the cam from the 4.8 in it so it wouldn’t outperform the Silverado.

At the end of the day it’s very give and take, I’d do it all again. Sure, eventually I’m going to want to get rid of it. But NO REGRETS on this thing.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Matthew Phillips 12/14/2015 at 10:38

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My 2013 Ford Fusion 1.6L Ecoboost. I bought this car August 6th 2013 to replace my 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8 that was more car than I could afford.

This thing has been fucking bullet proof. I’ve done 53,000kms(~33,000 miles) and the car has not needed a single thing warrantied other than a new set of wheels which was a cosmetic issue and not a mechanical issue.

People always shit on fords for some reason. This is my 2nd Ford out of 13 cars and the Fords have been the most reliable out of all my cars.

I never once went 50,000k without needing warranty work before.

I’m not a Ford “guy” but damn they make some decent stuff.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 12/14/2015 at 10:39

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Nice wheels!

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 12/14/2015 at 14:02

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Thanks. They're 18" Mustang FR500s.