"Jim Spanfeller" (awesomeaustinv)
03/12/2020 at 10:22 • Filed to: None
2
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"Jim Spanfeller" (awesomeaustinv)
03/12/2020 at 10:22 • Filed to: None | 2
| 16 |
While my T-bird’s not running, I’ve been driving my sister’s 2002 Civic, which she rarely uses. The one pictured here isn’t hers, but it’s basically the same except for the paint, which is black with a fading clear coat. (I couldn’t include a picture of the actual car because my phone is being crappy) This is a car that I didn’t expect to like nearly as much as I do now. The styling is a little bland in my opinion, but it’s quite a lively and spirited car to drive. The fact that this car is my first experience driving a manual definitely helps. I have nicknamed it “Pineapple”, because of the pineapple license plate frame my sister bought for it. It’s far from perfect, with fading paint, air conditioning that barely works, occasional un-Honda-like fussiness due to being abused by a previous owner, and a weird wavy effect in one window from an improperly applied window protector, but it’s got character. It’s grown on me. Maybe I’ll see if I can buy it from my sister someday.
Nothing
> Jim Spanfeller
03/12/2020 at 10:35 |
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I shoulda kept my ‘99 hatch that I bought solely to flip. It was a fun little car. Picked it up from an older gent for $900.
Just Jeepin'
> Jim Spanfeller
03/12/2020 at 10:44 |
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I owned two Hondas: a Civic Si (2012, maybe?) and a del Sol, for 14 years.
The Civic was just fine, but I don’t regret for a moment trading it in for my Jeep . The del Sol, though, was effectively my only vehicle for those 14 years and I still miss it.
Unfortunately clean del Sols are pretty rare. They stopped making them in 1997 (side impact standards, I believe, finally killed them).
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Jim Spanfeller
> Nothing
03/12/2020 at 10:46 |
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They get looked down upon as ricer boy-racer cars, but they’re really surprisingly fun. Even I, a person who has never really been a fan of cars like that, must admit that driving it puts a smile on my face. It’s fun in a completely different way than the way my Thunderbird is fun, and I understand now why people like these.
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Jim Spanfeller
> Just Jeepin'
03/12/2020 at 10:49 |
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Ooh, like this?
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Just Jeepin'
> Jim Spanfeller
03/12/2020 at 11:03 |
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Yep yep. The top is a little awkward to handle, but the trunk is yuuuuge even once you put the top inside it.
I just kept a couple of old gym socks in my trunk to handle the top when it was particularly hot.
BaconSandwich is tasty.
> Jim Spanfeller
03/12/2020 at 11:04 |
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Yay! Welcome to the club. I drive a 2001, in gray. It's a four door though.
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Nothing
> Jim Spanfeller
03/12/2020 at 11:11 |
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My first “bought with my own money” car in the 80s (yeah, I’m old) was a ‘85 CRX Si . Prior to that, I was driving boats (Grand Marquis, Crown Vics, trucks) that my dad owned. That was my first experience with fun small cars. I’ve alternated ever since...usually after a few years of “big” car ownership, I switch over and get something small.
HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
> Jim Spanfeller
03/12/2020 at 11:17 |
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I had an 01 coupe for a couple years. It was a decently fun car. I only sold it because I was tired of FWD cars. It was always easy to get into some lift off over steer. For winter rally/drifting stuff it was always fun.
The disappointing thing about this 7th he n civics is that there’s not much aftermarket support for their d17 engine. You really can’t do anything with them.
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Jim Spanfeller
> BaconSandwich is tasty.
03/12/2020 at 11:19 |
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I remember when my dad first bought it (my sister got it from him after he got a Mazda 3), he pulled into the garage and I pointed out that it was a coupe. He then went “Oh yeah, I guess you’re right. Huh.” It hadn’t even occurred to him that it was a coupe until after he bought it... Makes it look a little sportier, though :)
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HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
> Just Jeepin'
03/12/2020 at 11:20 |
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I still stand by my opinion that good old school died in 07 when the RSX went out of production. and every car that has come out since 05 is a good example of “they don’t make them like they use to”
My wife’s Fit is sorta fun, in the way you expect from an old civic, but not quite. I’m sure a manual trans and some lowering springs would help.
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Just Jeepin'
> HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
03/12/2020 at 11:32 |
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I can’t say that I’ve ever paid attention to the Acura line, but certainly the last two Hondas of real interest to me are the S2000 and the Element. Been a while since they’ve made something that really stands out.
interstate366, now In The Industry
> Just Jeepin'
03/12/2020 at 12:45 |
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The last two generations of TL were both great cars in their own ways, but the last gen gets a lot of shit over its styling. I didn’t mind the facelift version, so I bought one to DD. Good solid 300 HP AWD sedan with lots of toys and comfort.
Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
> Jim Spanfeller
03/12/2020 at 15:44 |
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How can you possibly not notice? Makes you wonder what else you could have got away with without him noticing, doesn’t it?
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Jim Spanfeller
> Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
03/12/2020 at 15:52 |
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I think mostly he was thinking about how good condition it was in and what kind of mileage it would get. I think it wasn’t so much a case of him not noticing, it was more a case of him not thinking about it until he drove it home. Coincidentally, though, we later discovered that the previous owner had taken really bad care of it, meaning that what should have been a reliable car was not. Now, the car’s had enough parts thrown at it that most of the problems have been fixed and it’s pretty reliable now (gets good mileage, too) , but I remember a time when it felt like it was developing problems every other week.
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Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
> Jim Spanfeller
03/12/2020 at 15:56 |
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It’s amazing how an unreliable car can suddenly function very well with proper care. For instance, my grandfather gave ( c eded?) his ‘08 ish Ford Exploder to our cousins about two years ago in about as perfect condition as you can imagine without a single problem . About a year later it was in the junkyard.
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Jim Spanfeller
> Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
03/12/2020 at 16:07 |
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And the inverse, in our case, of a reliable car functioning poorly after some doofus abused it with zero maintenance. But at least now it seems to be running reliably. ‘C ept the air conditioning, which has always been iffy, and is one of the main reasons my dad replaced it with the Mazda.