ICE Vehicles: General topics

[DT]

I almost pulled the trigger on a GTI, seemed super fun, quick, sporty, decently roomy / handy with the hatchback - but that was back when I was going to do like a 70/30 split on car expenditures and have a higher dollar SUV like a DD SRT 392 (our eventual choices are much more fun / interesting).

Yeah, Peugeot never really got traction here, but that's a great looking SUV/SAV.

 

[User.168]

.

 

[Herdfan]

Thanks, yeah it’s a nice drive to be honest. I did watch a review on it a few weeks ago on YouTube by Doug DeMuro and he found it too quirky for American tastes and apparently it’s not sold there at all. Peugeot have a factory in Mexico but this model isn’t sold over the border. In my visits to the US I’ve not seen any Peugeot’s or Citroen’s at all. I’m not surprised they don’t sell too well over there as I’d imagine they are a hit too small for the price.

You might see a random 505 in a big city. I haven't seen a Citroen in decades and those were the fugly ones.

 

[DT]

This is kind of a neat thing with the charger Tesla includes with the car (aka, the Mobile Connector). The plug/outlet side, is modular, and they sell adapters for several receptacles/power specs, and the adapter has logic in it, so it switches the charger to the proper voltage/amps (it supports 110-240v, up to 32a). It's also very portable, I just keep mine in the trunk.

That's the modular plug part to the left, that one is the included N5-15 (that's a regular household spec plug).

So my BIL has a place in NSB, he has a dryer outlet that's an N14-30, ordered that adapter, so down there, I can charge at ~22 mi/hr (vs. just 4 mi/hr if using a regular 110 outlet in the garage). I also scored an N6-50 which is the spec of the outlet we had installed to run the other charger, figured it would be a good backup to have in case the other charger broke - and back when I started all this, just after we got the Wrangler, I picked up an N6-50_to_N10-30 adapter cable, a 10-30 is the older dryer outlet spec (it's a 3 conductor vs. the N14 which is 4, and they're both 30a).

 

[JohnR]

I got a 220 extension cord for when I travel to my sister's house because she didn't have a 14-50 outlet. Of course, now that they are installing a supercharger station midway, I don't have to worry about it anymore.

DT, I don't know where you are from, but if you are ever up this way (kentucky), let me know and we'll have a meetup with the club.

 

[User.45]

No matter how much I wanted a full EV for our next car, I think it's a done deal that we'll get a Chrysler Pacifica plug-in next. I need a car that can fit in ≥6 people or some furniture and to date, no Full EV makes the cut for that.

 

[DT]

World EV Day

World EV Day, a celebration of emobility, worldwide. Drive change, together.

www.worldevday.org

 

[JohnR]

Model S plaid sets EV record at Nurburgring

notice the yoke

 

[User.168]

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[User.45]

Yes, a yoke makes sense on a race track. In the big scheme of all cars 7:35 is not a great time, especially for a 1000 HP vehicle, but the driver did have to coast quite a lot to manage battery heat.

I have no idea how these times I ranked, but I looked up a list of the 100 fastest times and this is in the top 40. I was also wondering if what the speed gauge was showing KPH or MPH, LOL.

 

[DT]

Yes, a yoke makes sense on a race track. In the big scheme of all cars 7:35 is not a great time, especially for a 1000 HP vehicle, but the driver did have to coast quite a lot to manage battery heat.

Well, it's a 5 passenger, 4-door, full sized sedan, on MPS4S, that'll do 2.5s 0-60 all day around town, and costs (around here) ~$10 to go ~320 miles.

It's a pretty f****ing spectacular time for it's class and a "street config".

It just needs a "track package" with a little aero, better tires, maybe a brake tweak - BTW, I'd say the coasting was probably more about brakes, apparently the Plaid battery setup can run at WOT with no thermal issues.

Totally agree about the yoke - just like I'd said before, it's probably good (on some tracks), mediocre on others, craptacular for general day-to-day use. Even in this run, I could see some turns that got the yoke a loose in the drivers hand, ratio just seems a little low.

 

[DT]

I have no idea how these times I ranked, but I looked up a list of the 100 fastest times and this is in the top 40. I was also wondering if what the speed gauge was showing KPH or MPH, LOL.

... the whole power spectrum with an EV -v.s.- a muscle car is not mutually related. Those are two different types of force of motion you’re comparing.

@bunnspecial

 

[User.45]

... the whole power spectrum with an EV -v.s.- a muscle car is not mutually related. Those are two different types of force of motion you’re comparing.

@bunnspecial

Sure. Just to be clear, getting in the top 40 for a mass production car is obviously spectacular.

The speed implied MPH but since its Nürburgring KPH should be the default.

 

[DT]

@P_X see MR thread

 

[Herdfan]

Not about a specific car, but how much does everyone trust some of the technology in these cars, specifically the blind spot sensors?
I went to the race in Richmond this weekend and instead of taking my truck, we took my mom's 2011 E550. Compared to the truck, the side mirrors are SMALL. Too small if you ask me. But they do have the little warning light indicating someone in your blind spot. I still turn my head and look because I don't really trust them 100% yet.

Thoughts?

 

[Herdfan]

Since so many of you have EV's, I figured this post would fit in.

I follow a youtuber who posts deals on tools at the big box stores. This week he posted about Milwaukee Fuel batteries. So I took a look and sure enough, I was able to get 2 XC 6.0's for $139 vs. the usual $199. So I bit and started thinking about how much battery technology has advanced.

In this pic, the top left one is a 2.0 Amp Hour, to the right is an old school (c 2007?) 3.0, lower left is a 4.0 and the 6.0. So I use the 1.5 and 2.0's in drills and drivers, the 4.0 is for some smaller tools and I use 5.0 and 6.0's in saws. I actually have a 12.0 that I use in a chainsaw.

In the old days, that V18 3.0 would last a couple of hours in a saw, now a 5.0 will last all day. In a drill, it would last half a day, now the 2.0 will last longer than me. Part of it is better batteries, but part is also energy management. The old V18's were dumb. The new M18's communicate with the tool and all the tools are brushless now which helps.

So what does this have to do with cars? Just wondering where you all see battery tech going. How far are we away from a 1,000 mile range? From quick chargers being as common as gas stations?

 

[Huntn]

Who here has restored their plastic headlight covers due to oxidation? On my 2012 Fiat 500 I‘ve noticed the top third of my head light assembly has gotten frosty looking. I ordered an inexpensive ($17) Meguiar’s Two Step Restoration Kit. Guaranteed for a year.

My impression was the process is to buff out the oxidation and put a coating on the surface. But now that I am reading the directions It says to buff the entire lense until it has a “frosty” appearance and then spray the surface with a coating that I guess makes it clear again.

Is there a way, or a different process where only the oxidized portion is treated? I am hesitant to rough up (make it frosty looking) the entire lense if part of the lense does not need it.

So my question is, this how all these restoration kits work? My possible misimpression is that I would only be treating the oxidized portion of the lense. Advice? Thanks…

 

[bunnspecial]

So, I don't think(or don't remember) mentioning that I'm casually looking for another daily to replace my MKZ.

I'd really like a good honest to goodness RWD sport sedan this time around.

The M3(the real M3, not the car that people like to abbreviate the M3) is actually really, really appealing and probably within my budget. There are two issues. For one, I'd love the RWD version that only comes in manual, but Mrs. Bunn Special vetoed that since we do need to swap cars sometimes and there's already one car in the house she can't drive. For another, I can't get over the fact that it's just UGLY. I almost feel like some ICE makers are going overboard on their grills to emphasize that they are ICE, perhaps since the trend in EVs is minimal to no grille.

Under that, there is the 335i M-Sport, which is automatic and is at least styled a bit more conventionally. It has a lot of the M3 goodies to like also. On the other side if it, though, I tend to keep vehicles a long time, and out of warranty there is the "German Tax". Even though I'm a DIY guy wherever I can, parts can still be a killer, especially since especially on a higher performance car I generally won't use anyhting but OEM or better than OEM parts. If I'm not mistaken, too, a lot of jobs also need special tools.

I've ruled out Genesis as a whole, both because I don't like their styling and also I have mixed feelings about Korean engineering now. I know the build quality is generally solid, but there have been too many other Kia/Hyundai products that have had some bad engineering issues that cause real problems. Maybe I'm still a bit biased on that, and after all they're not Daewoo, but still for a car that expensive I'm just a bit uneasy.

Something I wouldn't have necessarily considered came across my radar this past week, though-the Lexus IS500. It checks the V8/RWD box(I know the M3 isn't a V8, but an I6 is just as good in my book) and looks to be an all around incredible car. The 2022 looks to be a mean machine, and Mrs. Bunn Special like the looks of it. It's also auto-only, so meets that requirement(I just wish I could get her on board with a manual).

I'm not ready to do anything yet, but we MIGHT have a winner...

 

[DT]

@bunnspecial

First, yes, there's only one M3, I always try to use TM3 or M3P when talking about my car

I totally understand the desire to have easily swapped vehicles, it was one of the drivers behind me trading my '16 GT for my '19 GT (6-speed manual to 10-speed auto). Personally, where I'm at now, I haven't missed the manual - heck, in the last 3 months, I haven't missed __gears__ at all.

Interesting that BMW has moved away from DCT as the "auto" option in their performance models, to a more traditional 8-speed automatic. I'd guess cost, complexity of the DCT vs. regular automatics getting really good (the A10 in my previous GT was definitely "not your Dad's automatic")

Anyway ...

Yeah, the giant nostrils, I ... have no words. Yeah, the 3 series non-M looks much better (the current top-of-the-line 3 is the M340i)

The IS500 is super interesting, first, Lexus, they're just fantastic (I owned one), and I can't say enough good things about the ownership experience (including the dealer interaction). A few years ago I came super close to buying the spiritual ancestor to the IS500, the IS F. I believe the V8 is about the same spec as it was back then, it's a stellar engine, a lot more like a Mustang, or even an F-car than the V8 in say, a Camaro/Charger, and it's a rare V8 + RWD sport sedan that's also not too far out there pricewise (like some of the Mercedes, and V8 optioned BMW M cars)

 

[Huntn]

A couple days ago one of my tires (2012 Fiat 500) reported low pressure (about 25psi) so I topped them all off using my portable cigarette lighter outlet powered air pump. The next day I came out and got a low pressure warning on my right rear tire. I checked it and it was completely flat. Thinking I had picked up a nail, I refilled it and let it sit the rest of the day, no leak, and then the next day I drove it about and pressure is holding. I guess there could be a nail that is now holding in the air. I don’t think a mischievous passerby decided to empty my tire of air, so I’ll keep an eye on it.