Cars/Vehicle Talk

[Ace Of Spades 1182]

Ok, I've just got to tell y'all this story. So My buddy and i were walking out of the local O'Reilly's last Friday night (because fuck autozone) to pick some new plugs for my Chevy, when a guy sitting on a riced-out Honda crx asks me how much horsepower I got. I just tell him "more than that shitbox." A few more things are said and he challenges me to a race. They wager their pocket money, somewhere around $90, so I offer the fucker $500 if he can beat me. So I follow him to an old isolated strip of highway, and this guy's buddy starts letting air out of the front tires and goes and gets a freaking helmet out of the trunk. The driver had a racin harness, so I thought I might have a challenge. Nope. The guy tried to do a burnout and just chirped the tires a couple times. I respond with a long burnout, supercharged 327 roaring. So his buddy stages us and starts us. I drop hard at like 4000 rpm and go like hell. I look in my rear view mirror, and the fucker turned around and drove away. He even left his buddy there. Long story short, my friend and I got free dinner and got to watch a guy in flip flops run after a crx, while trying to hold his pants up. Fucking ricers.

HAHA classic. I got a quick one my dad just put a glasspack on his truck ok were sitting at the stop lights when some punks in a 92ish celica he starts reving the shit outa this little fart canned 4 banger. So my said "Should i do it" I just nodded in my head, Im thinking this is going to be hilarious. So my dad dumps the clutch at about 3grand first time i ever i've ever heard that truck howl like that. big ole american V8 burnout i look in the mirror and the Ricer guys just sittin there trying to start his stalled out P.O.S. Moral of the story if you Don't know what your doing don't do it.

[Ostrich Boy 59]

So, I've started to do a lot of auto crossing in my El Camino, and the stock leaf spring setup isn't cutting it anymore--rear end is wayyyyy too stiff and slides around easily. I am considering transversal leafspring setup, much like a corvette. I know it can be done, but I guess I'm just looking for some opinions/tips. I'm more inclined to install this style suspension because, from what I understand, I can retain the sturdiness of leafsprings, but ditch the overly stiff characteristics on the auto cross course.

[Truth 429]

this'll fit here (my new truck btw) http://i.imgur.com/6kpMICU.jpg http://i.imgur.com/x9gaWV2.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Xjzq5r0.jpg

Also, old and new http://i.imgur.com/hOPRrfj.jpg

[Ace Of Spades 1182]

So, I've started to do a lot of auto crossing in my El Camino, and the stock leaf spring setup isn't cutting it anymore--rear end is wayyyyy too stiff and slides around easily. I am considering transversal leafspring setup, much like a corvette. I know it can be done, but I guess I'm just looking for some opinions/tips. I'm more inclined to install this style suspension because, from what I understand, I can retain the sturdiness of leafsprings, but ditch the overly stiff characteristics on the auto cross course.

Another problem your gonna have is the lack of weight in the back, you might want some ballast in front of the rear wheels.

[Ostrich Boy 59]

Thats the one beef I have with the el Camino--- no weight over the rear wheels, but I've made do thus far, and I don't think this conversion will affect weight that much, as although I lose the weight of one leaf spring, the one I'm replacing it with is a larger than standard leaf spring, and the amount of solid aluminum parts should make up for the weight of 1 leaf spring, no? I plan for my suspension to be thicker and sturdier than the corvvette's because my truck has all original sheet metal, making it a lot heavier than a vette.

Regardless, it's a good reason to move the battery to behind the cab, and to buy an aftermarket fuel tank to place directly over the drive axle.

[Ace Of Spades 1182]

Thats the one beef I have with the el Camino--- no weight over the rear wheels, but I've made do thus far, and I don't think this conversion will affect weight that much, as although I lose the weight of one leaf spring, the one I'm replacing it with is a larger than standard leaf spring, and the amount of solid aluminum parts should make up for the weight of 1 leaf spring, no? I plan for my suspension to be thicker and sturdier than the corvvette's because my truck has all original sheet metal, making it a lot heavier than a vette.

Regardless, it's a good reason to move the battery to behind the cab, and to buy an aftermarket fuel tank to place directly over the drive axle.

Your thinking like a winner now. What are your tire specs, just out of curiosity.

[narcolepsy 581]

this'll fit here (my new truck btw) http://i.imgur.com/6kpMICU.jpg http://i.imgur.com/x9gaWV2.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Xjzq5r0.jpg

Also, old and new http://i.imgur.com/hOPRrfj.jpg

That's a nice truck, and the trailer aint too bad either

[CFO Charles 827]

Turns out my brake lines are leaking on my shitty old Alero (which I actually just bought )

[Ostrich Boy 59]

Your thinking like a winner now. What are your tire specs, just out of curiosity.

For autocross, I run 275/40R17 series tires for events that allow, on 17 inch c4 corvette 5 spokes. For regular driving and events that force me to use lesser tires, I just run aftermarket 15 inch chevy rallye wheels, but I can't remember the tire specs off the top of my head, but it is a lot of rubber.

[narcolepsy 581]

Turns out my brake lines are leaking on my shitty old Alero (which I actually just bought )

I always heard that late 90's early 00's gm cars were pretty unreliable.

[Ostrich Boy 59]

Turns out my brake lines are leaking on my shitty old Alero (which I actually just bought )

I always heard that late 90's early 00's gm cars were pretty unreliable.

A lot of parts (like your brake system) are shit. However, if you have the 3800 (3.8l) v6, youre golden. the 3800 series v6s are pretty hard to kill. They keep going and going. That's why there tends to be so many used Gran Prixs, etc. here in the US, at least in the south and drier climates where rust is typically not an issue.

[CFO Charles 827]

I wanted a 3800 but no, 3.4 in mine.

Turns out my brake lines are leaking on my shitty old Alero (which I actually just bought )

I always heard that late 90's early 00's gm cars were pretty unreliable.

Yeah. But fucking insurance companies make it pretty much impossible for anybody may age to drive a decent car.

[narcolepsy 581]

I wanted a 3800 but no, 3.4 in mine.

Turns out my brake lines are leaking on my shitty old Alero (which I actually just bought )

I always heard that late 90's early 00's gm cars were pretty unreliable.

Yeah. But fucking insurance companies make it pretty much impossible for anybody may age to drive a decent car.

Aye, they do here but there are still certain brands of cars you avoid.

Ford Ka's are popular here amongst young/new drivers because they're cheap and reliable as hell.

[Ace Of Spades 1182]

If you get a pre 85 car you can get classic car insurance which is much cheaper.

[Ostrich Boy 59]

If you get a pre 85 car you can get classic car insurance which is much cheaper.

Be careful with this though, a lot of insurance companies have a monthly or annual mileage limit for classic car insurance. If you were to go over the limit, your insurance would be invalidated until your next mileage cycle rolled around, whether it be 1 mile or 1000, a week to wait or a year.

[Ace Of Spades 1182]

If you get a pre 85 car you can get classic car insurance which is much cheaper.

Be careful with this though, a lot of insurance companies have a monthly or annual mileage limit for classic car insurance. If you were to go over the limit, your insurance would be invalidated until your next mileage cycle rolled around, whether it be 1 mile or 1000, a week to wait or a year.

Roll back the odometer.

[CFO Charles 827]

Where I live it‘s near impossible to find a car that old in decent shape (let alone a new one). People in T.O. have money and dont give a fuck to maintain their shit when they can buy new. Unless I plan on driving an absolute lemon I cant see that happening, the only pre 1985 car I‘ve seen on the road in my town the past year was a Pontiac Firefly.

We also have absolutely nothing that resembles a Ford Ka, by and brand, here in Canada.

[Googlefluff 34]

The 1st gen Ford Festiva is fairly common here in BC. I've heard they're reliable and drive well.

[Ostrich Boy 59]

Lol, Pontiac firefly=Geo Metro here in the States, 3 cylinder, 1.0 liter engine. Shit, that's even smaller than the puny 1.2s in some of the European fords.

[CFO Charles 827]

Lol, Pontiac firefly=Geo Metro here in the States, 3 cylinder, 1.0 liter engine. Shit, that's even smaller than the puny 1.2s in some of the European fords.

Precisely. I dont have the skill or money to maintain a classic.

[Ostrich Boy 59]

Lol^

[CFO Charles 827]

That's not funny

[Ostrich Boy 59]

That's not funny

Yes it is, because a Pontiac Firefly is about as far from "classic" as possible.

[Truth 429]

The 1st gen Ford Festiva is fairly common here in BC. I've heard they're reliable and drive well.

I got one, fun on an MX track

[CFO Charles 827]

That's not funny

Yes it is, because a Pontiac Firefly is about as far from "classic" as possible.

I didn't mean a firefly, I just mean a car that isn't a total piece of shit, E.g. A classic. I want to get into this shit but I have nowhere to learn it.

Fuck it, Ace, I'm driving to Cayuga. You're going to get me started.