Summer car for me is based on winter driving, not performance. An FRS is not gonna be fun in the winter based on that ground clearance, even if it wouldn’t be quite as bad as an S2000 I don’t think. I feel like I’m in an SUV in my TC coupe next to those things.
But that Audi V8 posted above is not a summer car imo, for example, despite its good performance. That’s an all year vehicle.
Nevertheless, point taken and thanks for the suggestions.
Last edited by Cecil Terwilliger; 09-15-2020 at 03:47 PM.
I’ll put in another vote for the G35/G37. I had two, one was a sedan and one was a coupe. No issues with either of them mechanically and they are fun to drive. The sedans were popular “executive wife” cars, so it was common to find them in good shape and low mileage. The coupes seemed to draw an older crowd, so again, you can find some gems. Just be careful as I did find a few completely bagged used ones when I was looking.
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Going back to the oil change thing for a second.....
Way back in high school, the method for putting the oil filter back on the vehicle was to turn it until it makes contact and then 3/4 of a turn past that. That still the case? It's the way I've always done mine and normally they come off somewhat easily. Never had an issue but wondering if I've just been lucky?
I've come across a filter that refused to come off and didn't some major damage to it trying. Did eventually come off but think that one was installed by someone who put it back on with some kind of tool. Seem to recall it being critical that you don't over tighten and damage the rubber gasket.
Going back to the oil change thing for a second.....
Way back in high school, the method for putting the oil filter back on the vehicle was to turn it until it makes contact and then 3/4 of a turn past that. That still the case? It's the way I've always done mine and normally they come off somewhat easily. Never had an issue but wondering if I've just been lucky?
I've come across a filter that refused to come off and didn't some major damage to it trying. Did eventually come off but think that one was installed by someone who put it back on with some kind of tool. Seem to recall it being critical that you don't over tighten and damage the rubber gasket.
I always do half a turn and a bit of oil on the rubber seal. I had to deal with a stuck oil filter once and it was the biggest pain in the ass ever.
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I’d have zero issue with a regular Miata in the winter time. My car is similarly small and low, and my old Mustang was about the same, and both do just fine in the winter. Unless you’re going to NEED to go out first thing in the AM after a huge snowstorm, a small car is just fine.
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Going back to the oil change thing for a second.....
Way back in high school, the method for putting the oil filter back on the vehicle was to turn it until it makes contact and then 3/4 of a turn past that. That still the case? It's the way I've always done mine and normally they come off somewhat easily. Never had an issue but wondering if I've just been lucky?
I've come across a filter that refused to come off and didn't some major damage to it trying. Did eventually come off but think that one was installed by someone who put it back on with some kind of tool. Seem to recall it being critical that you don't over tighten and damage the rubber gasket.
It's no different in a modern car. Oiling the seal a little and only hand-tightening the filter is key. Every oil filter manufacturer, every reputable repair manual: they're all still quite adamant that you never, ever use a wrench or other tool to tighten the filter.
Corvette/Miata/S2000 etc are fun summer only cars, but not the type of cars I'd be comfortable having to occasionally drive in winter conditions.
The tires and ground clearance are going to be the main concerns, so if it were me and I was planning on 'occasional' winter driving in a Corvette, I'd get Michelin Pilot Sport A/S series tires. The summer performance is going to be more than sufficient, and the winter performance is good enough. That's the tire I used on my E-Coupe and it was fine for all except huge dumps of snow, and it had more torque than the above three cars combined.
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The tires and ground clearance are going to be the main concerns, so if it were me and I was planning on 'occasional' winter driving in a Corvette, I'd get Michelin Pilot Sport A/S series tires. The summer performance is going to be more than sufficient, and the winter performance is good enough. That's the tire I used on my E-Coupe and it was fine for all except huge dumps of snow, and it had more torque than the above three cars combined.
That's not fair because the torque in an S2000 is a negative number
Ground clearance is really the only thing that should limit the use of any car in the winter. Good winter tires make all the difference and when you factor in traction control and various other nannies, any modern sports car could handle 99% of road conditions besides clearance issues.
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You can drive anything year round here except maybe a F550 Barchetta or another roadster with a snap on canvas boat cover for a "roof". Winter tires make anything viable, and ground clearance is rarely an issue, so long as you don't have one of those terrible garage lined alleys with lunar craters everywhere.
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Love the S2000. Goddamn I had fun in that car for the 6 minutes I was in it.
I probably should have added an age limit too. It definitely falls under the love to have it for a good price but afraid of five figure repairs if anything breaks.
I have owned two S2000's (00' Silverstone Metallic and an 01' Spa Yellow Pearl). They are fantastic cars, I'd love another! I'm an AP1 (2000-2003) aficionado and would only purchase an 02'/03' S2000 if I were to get another as you get the glass rear window and subtle interior updates, but retain the glorious F20C motor. The AP2 S2000 (2004-2009) are just not the same to drive IMO. Honda tried to appease an 'atypical' North American audience who complained of no torque by bumping displacement to 2.2L in order to gain a slight increase in said torque (the suspension geometry was also updated in the AP2's which is an improvement over the earlier cars). You also lost the glorious 9000RPM redline in the AP2 S2000's.
The great thing with the S2000 is they are incredibly reliable and easy to maintain, many examples have over 200K with nary an issue. Don't let the maintenance frighten you because of age/mileage. As long as the car has been properly maintained to begin with, you can put your mind at ease in that regard.
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I'm sure the DSG is fine, but I feel like the Golf is pretty much the ideal car to have with a manual in. Like at the very end of the run of manuals in mass-market cars, I picture that to be the last car that comes with a stick.
Alas!
My then girlfriend, now wife, taught me to drive manual in her 1986 Golf back in 1990. She completed all her driver training and did her road test in a manual Toyota Tercel before getting her dream Golf after she got her DL. She subsequently had a manual 1995 Golf followed by a manual 2002 Golf before moving into a manual 2003 Subaru Forester when our first child arrived. She now drives a Toyota Sienna
I still fondly remember the crank open, all metal sunroof in the 86' Golf (and many other vintage German cars for that matter). Much simpler times!
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It's no different in a modern car. Oiling the seal a little and only hand-tightening the filter is key. Every oil filter manufacturer, every reputable repair manual: they're all still quite adamant that you never, ever use a wrench or other tool to tighten the filter.
Depends where the filter is located. On some vehicles you cannot hand tighten enough because of location and thus need the wrench.
The key is 1) oil on the gasket of new filter and 2) follow instructions on the canister which usually says 3/4 turn past initial contact.
Anyone else see the Z reveal last night? I thought it was okay but I'm having a really difficult time getting over the perfectly rectangular grill opening. Looks unfinished.
I love the back end. Front is... unoffensive, but I think I'd need to see it in person to make a judgment. I think the headlights look good but it's sort of hard to tell from what's shown. Interior looks more or less fine, again unoffensive.
I'm just wondering what they price it at here. If it's at Supra levels, that's just too much money.
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