The MW Automotive Thread 5.0 GT

[areaseven]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxDJIZyLaWs

[ErikElvis]

My camaros a stick but I'll likely never daily drive a stick ever again. I like relaxing while driving. And sometimes eating. And I absolutely despise being caught in bumper to bumper traffic in a stick.

I've thought about getting a sports car for a daily driver but don't think I could bring myself to buy one in auto. It wouldn't feel right. So my next vehicle will likely be a loaded up F-150 or a nice Lexus. I really wouldn't mind replacing my camaro with a new mustang though.

[Duke Togo]

And that's the thing, Erik: relaxing.

[Vifam7]

A lot of sportscars these days are offered with semi-automatic or dual clutch transmissions, so one can technically have both driving options in one car.

Edited June 1, 2015 by Vifam7

[Duke Togo]

I'm 6'2. I like my comfort. I like my roominess. I like my luxuries like iPod integration, XM, Nav, heated seats, etc etc.

[anime52k8]

And sometimes eating.

This drives me absolutely crazy. It comes off as rude and disrespectful of other drivers when I see people doing it in the driver seat, and I consider it rude and disrespectful to me and my vehicle for passengers to do it in my car.

[areaseven]

Yeah, and some cars have manual transmission as an option.

Personally, I could never get used to automatic. It makes drivers lazy and complacent, and majority of car accidents (not DUI-related) are caused by cars with automatic transmissions. Most of those accidents are from people not selecting the proper gear (hitting reverse instead of park, drive instead of neutral, etc.). And automatic transmission invites drivers to do other stupid things like using their cell phones or texting.

And people who complain about driving stick and getting stuck in rush hour traffic should grow some balls. I live in one of the worst congested cities in the world where the average rush hour traffic is 5 mph. Sometimes, it's 1 block per hour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8dayNyJYvk

[anime52k8]

It makes drivers lazy and complacent, and majority of car accidents (not DUI-related) are caused by cars with automatic transmissions. Most of those accidents are from people not selecting the proper gear (hitting reverse instead of park, drive instead of neutral, etc.). And automatic transmission invites drivers to do other stupid things like using their cell phones or texting.

This. Absolutely this.

[Duke Togo]

Of course automatics are in more accidents, only 6.5% of cars (as of 2013) in the U.S. are sold with manual transmissions.

Edited June 1, 2015 by Duke Togo

[areaseven]

Of course automatics are in more accidents, only 6.5% of cars (as of 2013) in the U.S. are sold with manual transmissions.

You're only talking about cars sold in 2013. How about older cars that are still on the road?

Also, wasn't that white Ford Laser hatchback in Golgo 13: The Professional a manual?

[Duke Togo]

You're only talking about cars sold in 2013. How about older cars that are still on the road?

Nowhere near enough to make up the difference. I mean, I can make assumptions too, and say manual drivers are more likely to cause accidents because they all think they're driving in the Indy 500 or have seen Days of Thunder too many times.

[areaseven]

Someone seems to be a fan of Wacky Races.

And say what you want about the new Mazda MX-5. It's still a sweet ride.

[SchizophrenicMC]

If everyone had to drive stick, there would be no more traffic jams. Everyone would get sick of the hassle and they'd learn to merge, match speed with traffic, minimize lane changes, and quit rubbernecking. Not to mention texting and driving would drop sharply- it's tough to text if you're shifting gears.

Actually, it's a real problem. Drivers get distracted because their mind isn't occupied enough by the driving task. That's why you see a lot of one-car accidents on long, straight, empty stretches of highway. There's little mental stimulus and drivers lose focus for long enough to lose control of the vehicle. The same thing happens in normal driving with an automatic, which is why there's been a significant uptake of eating, calling, texting, playing with your infotainment, and what have you. You need something to occupy your attention because driving just isn't enough to do that when the car is doing everything but brake and steer. And that's a problem, because if your attention is on your phone or your cheeseburger, and not the car ahead of you, well, suffice it to say distracted driving is a leading cause of deadly accidents.

It's for a similar reason that I have mixed feelings about traction control. Performance driving feelings aside, I accept that traction control and vehicle stability control can be a big help in inclement conditions, but I also think they remove the need for the driver to display a sense of finesse in their throttle control and the need for the driver to think about his throttle and brake inputs. Why bother, when the car will figure it all out for you? That just encourages unsafe driving, and it takes yet another focal point off of driving.

Don't get me wrong, I like my luxury and comfort too. But then look at the new Mustang. The Premium Package (which can be selected irrespective of transmission option) gives you 10-way driver and passenger power leather heated and cooled seats, an 8" infotainment screen powered by Sync/MyFordTouch (with steering wheel control and voice commands, which also control the dual zone automatic climate), GPS navigation, XM Radio, bluetooth streaming, bluetooth handsfree, iPod integration, and a couple of other features I'm forgetting. This, on a $25,000 sport coupe, available in 320hp I4 turbo, or 400-some hp V8. You don't have to be in an Escort SE to get a manual transmission. Hell, Cadillac still sells its ATS sedan with a manual transmission. Even the $100,000 BMW M5 can still be optioned with 3 pedals. (Albeit in America, only) These cars make a Lexus look like the Camry it is.

Manual transmissions aren't about cheapness or sportiness, they're about driver engagement. Connecting the driver to the car in a meaningful way and allowing him to have the experience of driving. Much as I love my Jeep, I can't consider driving automatic to truly be "driving". You're just steering and braking. The car does the rest. And, much as I love my Jeep, I always have more fun in the Nissan, even though the Jeep is faster, has more power, and doesn't draw attention when I'm speeding. I never speed in the Nissan- it's a cop magnet, and I need to get through September without getting another speeding ticket, for this deferred disposition. But it's so much better an experience than driving the Jeep most of the time. (And only "most of" because it still has some reliability concerns from the car being 25 years old, and because I haven't worked out how I want to build the audio system in the Nissan, which was a much easier task in the Jeep because of the inherent differences in 4x6" speakers and 6.5" speakers)

Flappy paddles and sportmatics don't count. If you don't have that third pedal, you don't get the driver engagement. I don't care if you're in a flappy-paddle Fit or a Pagani goddamn Zonda, you just can't get the driver engagement that the third pedal and H-pattern shifter give you. And while I can excuse flappy paddles in hypercars because PURE SPEED that no human driver can achieve with a third pedal and a right arm, I disagree that "you can get the best of both worlds".

No. You can either drive stick and enjoy it, or you can be a nimby.

[Duke Togo]

Man, I only begrudgingly let people have water in my car, forget about cheeseburgers.

[areaseven]

Oh yeah, I don't allow food in my car. The only exception is a few water bottles.

[SchizophrenicMC]

No food in my car, though since I got the mopar cupholder insert, I will now allow drinks for the front passenger. Any rear seat passengers can get fraked. No food or drink is allowed in the Nissan. It has no cupholders and it is also a sports car. I also control the radio and climate with an iron fist.

So far I haven't had anyone try to light up, but if that ever happens, the passenger is walking home.

[Sildani]

Why does anybody ride with you guys?😉

[Duke Togo]

Why does anybody ride with you guys?😉

It's a nice ride *thumbs up*

[dizman]

I drive an automatic and eat in my car while driving, gotta love it. When something gets spilled (by me or passengers) I clean it up, no big deal. If that all means I'm a terrible car guy then so be it .

[Duke Togo]

I drive an automatic and eat in my car while driving, gotta love it. When something gets spilled (by me or passengers) I clean it up, no big deal. If that all means I'm a terrible car guy then so be it .

If someone spilled something in my car, they would be killed.

[Beltane70]

I remember a guy that I know saying that he didn't want to have to think while driving as an excuse not to learn how to drive stick. I just told him that he was an idiot, since, that once you learn, you don't actually have to think about what gear you need to be in.

[areaseven]

[SchizophrenicMC]

I remember a guy that I know saying that he didn't want to have to think while driving as an excuse not to learn how to drive stick. I just told him that he was an idiot, since, that once you learn, you don't actually have to think about what gear you need to be in.

He just doesn't want to think, ever. Probably not the best kind of guy to have on the road.

[jenius]

I think eating in the car is disrespectful to the food. Food is meant to be savored... not crammed down your hole. The only exception I make is fries... 'cause that's the human equivalent of a salt lick. I do hate that my car has like one accessible cup holder but not for drinking whilst driving but for those times I offer to pick up lunch for coworkers and everyone has a drink order. My current car is my first automatic transmission. I was way too aggressive a driver with stick and the automatic really helped mellow me out (as well as the move away from sportscars to sedans).

[SchizophrenicMC]

I don't know about you, but I drive my Jeep a whole helluva lot faster than I drive my 240SX. The V8 torque, the AWD grip, the well-tuned damping, and the actually-competent roll control just egg me on.

[derex3592]

I don't eat and drink in my car unless it's water in a bottle. That being said, I do make exceptions when I'm driving somewhere on vacation. Like a Blizzard from DQ or something as I'm going down the road. However...my current car - Lexus IS 350 and my previous car..BMW 128i are the worst things EVER for usable cup holders....so that's why I really don't bother, but damn, it's Texas, it's hot at hell and sometimes in the summer, I'm envious of people with properly designed cup holders that hold more than a freakin dixie cup!!!...

[ErikElvis]

I drive a fit and there's a billion cup holders in it. I have 4 that I can use from the drivers seat. And I've never spilled food that wasn't easily cleaned so it's no biggie to me. I would eat in a vette if I had one.

[areaseven]

[SchizophrenicMC]

I just love the Voodoo. It sounds like a strange cross between a flat-plane V8 and something beefy and American, which I guess is what it is. But also all those revs, sweet Jesus.

But I also appreciate that Ford shot those videos with the cars moving. Nothing is less indicative of how an engine sounds, to me, than free-revving in a driveway. Engines sound different under load, and that's what we all really want to hear anyway.

[Shadow]

And say what you want about the new Mazda MX-5. It's still a sweet ride.

Nice video. It's one of those designs I've been iffy about but could see growing on me. The GT86 is back, now a properly light Miata again. Now come on Toyota, bring back the MR2 Turbo.

[areaseven]

I'll have to admit that the new Mustang's design grows on you. But this Roush looks just too sweet.

[Shadow]

Does anyone have experience with AEM dryflow air filters? Looking to get something higher quality than the FRAM paper filters and not oiled. I'm not expecting to get more power or better MPG, just something that will last longer.

[SchizophrenicMC]

Look into Wix or genuine OEM for your vehicle. Fram is junk, but you don't have to go all the way up to AEM to get a quality filter.

[David Hingtgen]

Car audio question:

Googling has been no help, and I've tried everything. After replacing the blown stock speakers, mounting the crossovers has been a pain.(as there was no crossover in the factory setup). Nothing lasts more than 3-6 months before I hear it rattling around inside the door panel. The latest mounting attempt was plastic epoxy. (this stuff: http://www.autohausaz.com/search/product.aspx?partnumber=1363118&utm_source=google&utm_medium=nonpaid&utm_campaign=frooglePN&utm_term=1363118&gclid=CNCEk_b2gcYCFdQ8gQod9IoAqA) (and I let it cure like 2 days before putting the door panels back on, and was super-paranoid about being rough with the doors for a week after)

The backside of the door panel is smooth, and dish-bowl curved--I'm trying to mount it in the arm-rest area. There's basically no flat surface area in any spot/angle I can find, I'm always just "gluing the edges" of the crossover to something, with little surface area making contact. Short of drilling holes and bolting it on through the interior (not an option!), any suggestions? Just had a thought-----gluing "mounts" to fairly flat areas where they may actually get a grip, and zip-tieing through those mounts?

I'm thinking I may start just measuring every spot I can find, to see if there's anywhere it will "just barely" fit that I may have missed, while keeping clearance for the window mechanism etc.

Door panel is made from "unglueable/unpaintable" plastic I think---all the components are welded together. Anyone ever tried like using a soldering iron to try to "melt-weld" stuff like that? I don't care how ugly it'd be, it'll never be seen, totally willing to ruin the crossover's housing.

[SchizophrenicMC]

Why are you trying to glue your crossovers? They should have some screw holes for mounting. I usually either mount crossovers with my amp or screw them down to the sheet metal in the door. If you have enough room to glue the crossover behind the door panel, there's enough room to screw it into the sheet metal.

By the by, and this is just semantics bugging me, if you had factory component speakers (ie with separate tweeter and woofer mountings) you still had a crossover, it was most likely just integrated into one of the speaker chassis. For example, a ZJ generation Grand Cherokee Limited has a tweeter-mounted high-pass filter acting as its crossover. Of course, there was no low-pass filter for the woofer, so it didn't get the full effect of a two-way component system. Leave it to factory audio to suck.