Automobile forms of motivation...

[Murgatroy]

I know we have some cats on here that see their car or truck as more than just a form of transport from point A to B.

 

I am one of such.

 

I have been driving, tuning, beating and repairing a twenty plus year old Toyota Celica for about fifteen years now. She is ugly. She is mean. She blew her shiny bits into an oily coolant soaked mess last night down KY60 as I was coming home.

 

It isn't the first time she has done this, probably won't be the last. She is an mean little cur.

 

So, after my promotion, and my relocation, I am putting 70 miles a day on her. She was 500 miles shy of 250k last night. 

 

I was crushed, but my wife has been trying to convince me it is time to move her to project only status and buy something else to drive.

 

Last night was the final straw.

 

I set out this morning on a mission.

 

That mission ended at Oxmoor Ford in Louisville, and involved a deal on a 2013 Pony I just could not say no to.

 

 

Base model, V6, no options other than the spoiler and the automatic, so my wife can drive it. It was exactly what I wanted. She had less than ten miles on her, six of which were from my test drive.

 

I am gonna miss Chaos, but she will be back, faster, stronger than before, and without having to worry about daily driver status.

 

Edited January 6, 2013 by Murgatroy

[craglawnmanor]

 It looks very nice.

So tell us about the V6.

I've thought about getting a 2013 Mustang for awhile now, after it warms up & I can sell my 2 motorcycles and my 2003 Miata. 

 

Did you get to test drive a manual trans. Mustang? I believe a manual transmission would be on my short list, just debating V6 vs. V8.

 

[Murgatroy]

I have been looking at the specs for the V6 for a while now. 305HP and 280lb/ft and 30MPG? Sure...

 

She turned in 35MPG on the trip home, through town.

 

I haven't turned the traction control off and seen what it can do on an old road all alone. Not to say that I won't, just that I haven't. I know she will get up and go. The automatic is a six speed, I didn't notice any hesitation or off spots on it. If you put the go pedal down, it went. Again, I think she is at 35 miles or so now, and only three or four of those were on the freeway. Merging, passing, not a problem. 

 

She is comfortable. The seat grips you well, the steering wheel isn't a giant bus wheel. Everything is in easy reaching distance. The stock sound system isn't bad, had enough bass to vibrate my pants leg from the over the air radio.

 

I got nothing extra. The only options were the automatic and the little lip spoiler. The spoiler didn't matter, but it was the only white bare pones V6 pony on the lot. IN a nutshell, EXACTLY what I was looking for.

 

 

 

 

 

They had a handful of V8s, including a Boss on the lot. From near bare bones up, obviously to the Boss. Interior quality was similar across them all, which was more than adequate. Other than tire kicking, I didn't spend much time with the V8s. I am a skinflint and the $10k difference for what was on the lot (they all had options that meant nothing to me) was not worth biting.

 

I would have preferred a manual, but I was being realistic. My wife was willing to let me have my way, for the first time ever, and I have a cripple hip from a car wreck a long time ago, sometimes when it gets cold I just don't like to mess with that third pedal. I would have liked the control and engine braking though, but the automatic looks like it has an electric his and hers option on it. I will see.

 

 

 

It was kinda nice to see a car out there that is still a car. Sure, it has traction control and stability management or something or other. Sure, the windows work off a button and key unlocks everything and opens the trunk. But the radio is just a radio. The seat is just a seat. The pedals are just pedals. Call me old fashioned, but I start to get scared of some of the cars out there that think for me, and tell me what to do. I have been driving too damn long to have a car tell me what to do. At least I am arrogant enough to think so. I think the salesman thought I was off my rocker when I asked if he had one with manual windows...

[Sam1]

This was the toy before my bike accident; cobalt ss w/ turbo swap 369whp @ 26psi & still got over 40mpg cruising at 80mph :) FWD + this much power = completely useless, it would do a rolling burnout at 50mph just by pressing the gas.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTOTxwMWsS4

 

Unfortunately it had a 2400 pound clutch and was impossible to drive when my left leg got broken so we traded it in :(

 

<edit> trying to find some pics, but no idea where they are now, may have already deleted them, but it just looked like a bone stock SS

Edited January 6, 2013 by Sam1

[craglawnmanor]

 Sounds good, thanks for your first impressions.

Please give us an update after you've spent some time driving.

 

I definitely understand your thoughts concerning bare bones, etc. I'm a bit over 50, and often miss the non-electric windows, etc.

When the time comes, I'll have to decide on manual vs. automatic. The Miata I bought 2 years ago has been both fun, and a pain at times. Manual transmissions are fun, but there are times when my bad left knee acts up & makes it a chore.....At least it hasn't been my daily driver. But I do like to shift gears. When I was in college (in the early 80's), I had a 68 Camaro with a small block V8 & 4 speed. But no A/C, power windows, power steering, or power brakes--Oh, and a luxurious primer based paint job---The good old days..... :rofl:

[AdotOdot4]

I have an 04 WRX that has gone from stock --> stage 2 (300 hp) --> mostly stock.

I miss the power, but appreciate the better mpg now that its my daily driver again.

 

I'm tempted to turn it into a Factory Five 818 when they get the design finalized.

[Murgatroy]

I have lived with her for a week now.

 

She has 450 miles on the ticker. Like I said, my daily commute is a bitch, and my wife drove her to work a time or two as well.

 

She has averaged 25 miles per gallon on her first tank. I didn't try to nurse it, and I will admit there was a time or two of spontaneous acceleration.

 

She will cruise right along at 80MPH like it is nothing, her engine purrs at 1900 RPM, and the economy is right at 22MPG.

 

Drop her to 60, the engine purrs along at 1400 RPM and she starts sipping at 30MPG.

 

I find 70MPH to be the proper medium, and she gets 25PMG+.

 

She has all sorts of nifty features, which I am finding are standard on Fords now, such as the Mykey. I programmed my wife's key just for kicks. She is limited to 80MPH, and the dash will beep and warn her whenever she goes about 55MPH.

 

Even as a base model she came with a few niceties. Traction control, HIDs, 4 wheel discs, 17" wheels, user adjustable steering feel, the six speed automatic transmission even has a sport mode and a his and hers feature. 

 

My only complaint  would be the first gear downshift when coming to a stop. I am one of those drivers that brakes early for a stop, and eases off of the brake at the last moment for a nice, smooth stop with no nose diving. Turns out, this is the exact moment that the transmission will shift into first. This means the car likes to lurch at that moment when it was supposed to be a smooth stop. It takes some getting used to, but it is not a massive problem.

 

The sport mode on the transmission is nice, and it keeps you in the powerband pretty well. When not in sport mode, in order to over take, the transmission with have to downshift two or three times to get you going. It happens fast, but it still takes a half a second or so to happen. The trade off of course is comfort and economy.

 

Overall I am very pleased with my purchase. There is a part of me that is still upset over the two missing cylinders and the missing third pedal, but the logical adult side of me is content.

 

I haven't filled her up yet. I plan in a full fill Monday morning so I can do a proper range and mileage estimate on a full weeks commute. I will update afterward.

Edited January 13, 2013 by Murgatroy

[Sam1]

That's cool you can set the speed limit by programming the key, never seen that before