The Other Showroom: Current / Past Rides (Pt II)

Is that your car, Dave? Modded V-6 Mustangs are pretty cool!

It's mine and I love it. I bought it about a year ago from the original dealer here in Sarasota. My son did all the engine mods which are even more than listed. I just don't know exactly what the other mods were. I only listed ones I could find receipts for LOL.

Bet she screams. Keep an eye out for the new turbo I-4 Mustangs arriving for '15. Your son would probably enjoy tinkering with one of these!

Oh yeah...That new '15 Mustang is sweet. It's gonna be a big hit, me thinks.
As for the V6...It's an oddity to see one modded.
It sure draws lots of attention.
Of course, I like the auto. I seldom drive the Vette anymore because it's a stick and the traffic is absolutely horrendous around here this time of year. I'm saving the Vette for my grandson.
...Wife drives the Blue Tornado.
In the meantime, I'll enjoy my little Steed

I understand the shifting being tedious in traffic. GTO is going in the garage this weekend. Riv is coming out to play in the snow. Driving will be so much easier for the next few months!

AA wrote:

I understand the shifting being tedious in traffic. GTO is going in the garage this weekend. Riv is coming out to play in the snow. Driving will be so much easier for the next few months!

SNOW ... I feel for ya, bro.
I'm sure thankful I don't have to deal with that stuff anymore.
I posted more pics of my little steed (scroll back)
I will have her in another all Mustang show this weekend in Ellenton, FL.
It will have approx 150 cars, so I don't expect to bring home any hardware on this one, but it will definitely be a lot of fun and good times.

Dave, I have a bit of a soft spot for modded V6 mustang because my wife drives an 09 4.0L 45th anniversary equipped with the Pony Package. I installed a Dynomax true-duel X-pipe exhaust, an 8.8" posi-trac rear end from an '11 GT, 3.73 gears and a C&L cold-air intake with a few different tunes to play with from Bama Performance. It's a rocket off the line, and a really fun car to drive. I only have a crappy cell phone pic, but it's a really clean car with only 45K miles or so. The make a few different supercharger kits for it that I'd love to install, but I'd much rather trade it in for the 2015 EcoBoost Mustang. The potential of that platform has really caught my attention.

You car looks like a cream puff, but I can't get over the wheels. They definitely do not suit the new Edge platform. There are an incredible number of wheels available that would look fantastic on your  car like Cobra Rs, Saleens, FR500s, or Bullitts.

This is my dad's mint 01 GT 5 speed with a brand new set of Ford oem Bullitt wheels on it, and it looks incredible. I badger him everyday to sell the car to me, but he won't let it go. It has 40,000 miles and he bought it off an owner that was so picky that he would only park in on cardboard squares in his garage so as to not mess up his immaculate floor. I could fry an egg on the subframe and wouldn't think twice. It's THAT clean with some very tasteful mods.

Terminator 13" front/11.6" rear brake upgrade, upgraded axles and 3.73 gears, Flowmaster American Thunder stainless steel catback, Cobra clutch quadrant, Mach 1 springs, brand new KYB struts (who replaces struts with 40K??!) BBK valve covers, Steeda front and rear strut tower bars, reinforced torque box, all poly bushings, FR500 Steering wheel, billet aluminum interior accents, Mach 1 grille, Mach 1 chin spoiler, and the new oem Ford Bullitts.

I understand your issue with the rims. At first, I was somewhat turned off by them, myself.
It's a love - hate relationship.

Here you go Dave, I found you these right in your town. Go snatch them up!
http://sarasota.craigslist.org/pts/4712038403.html

those are nice Jordan

Well, the Riv served well as an audio entertainment source while I cleaned up all the leaves yesterday. I'm sure the neighbors loved it....I also cleaned out the garage and made a space for the '97. I should be taking her home on Friday. I need to wait until garbage pickup because right now the space is filled with bags of leaves.

I also spent Saturday getting the womans' new ride ready for winter. I found her an '03 Versatrak Aztek with 119k on it. One owner, garage kept, this thing is spotless. Not one single ounce of rust on it anywhere, including underneath. The PO worked downtown and parked in a parking structure. The only time this thing saw weather was during the drive to and fro. I put new plugs/wires in, new control O2, and I still have to put LCA bushings in it, then a good 4 wheel alignment. For you guys who think putting the rear plugs in the Riv is rough, try doing the rears in an AWD Aztek
I can FINALLY get rid her damn Sebring Convertible. Not the best time of year to sell a 'vert, but someone will snatch up a running/driving car for $1500.....

Bet you got a sweet deal on that Aztek. The looks take some getting used to, but definately an upgrade to the Sebring. Honestly, I've warmed up to the Aztek over the years. Maybe it was just ahead of its time?

That's the best looking Aztek I've ever seen! Red suits it well!

AA wrote:

Bet you got a sweet deal on that Aztek. Maybe it was just ahead of its time?

I did. New tires, brakes, Alternator, and Battery were done before I bought it. The dealer wouldn't give her enough on a trade in, so now it's mine (hers). You certainly aren't going to find ANYTHING 4WD/AWD in this shape, with this mileage, for under 6K (I didn't pay anywhere near that). Plus, these things are an absolute tank in the snow. They're built like a truck.

I think it was ahead its time as well. I'm still not really a fan of the base model, but the RS looks kinda cool, which is what this one is. As long as she likes it, which she absolutely does, is all that matters. She wanted something 4WD for winter, and we needed a vehicle with space. All we own are 2 door cars lol. The Sebring just has to go. It's been brought home on a hook 3 times over the summer, and I've dropped well more than what it's worth in repairs. The thing is pushing 190k....I certainly won't miss it. She wanted to keep it, but I convinced her to off it and get $1500 now as opposed to its weight in metal later.

@Jordan
The PO bought it here brand new, and it was maintained here all its life. Thanks!

AA wrote:

Honestly, I've warmed up to the Aztek over the years. Maybe it was just ahead of its time?

I agree. Many people fall back to it as being really ugly, and perhaps that was true when it came out. But its been so "out-uglied" by modern offerings that it looks downright normal by comparison now.

I'm attracted to cars that can be had for a bargain, due to public perception being less than perfect. One that I have my eye on is the new Buick Encore. My wife is thinking about an SUV-like vehicle that gets good MPG like her 190k mile '99 Corolla - a Honda CRV is one idea. I've tried to sway her toward a nice wagon, but she isn't quite on board.

The Encore is one of these "little" crossover things with a turbo 4-cyl that gets 25/32 MPG. It's actually an Opel/Vauxhall Mokka with Buick badging. I see them around, but not a whole lot of them. When I do see them, I like the overall look, and my wife agrees. I am still doing research, but so far it's promising. The Encore has evaded the majority of GM recalls, and other than being pretty slow from 50-80 mph, it runs a decent 17 sec 1/4 mile, and prices on these aren't bad for a 1-year-old model.

We got a new CRV not long ago. There's nothing bad I can say about it. Jacking up the rear end to put a spare on is pretty scary since the only place you can set the scissor jack is underneath the center so the rear end is just balancing on that tiny jack while you change it. Could push it off like nothing. The Encore's interior looks amazing though. I have to see one of those Encores up close. It doesn't look like all that in the pictures but I tend not to like anything that compact in dimensions.

I've worked on a few of those Encores. All had suspension problems. There are VERY few that we see in the shop because nobody in this area is buying them. I can say this.....they're quite cheaply made. The suspensions on them are made of tin, and they've engineered some pretty stupid ways of holding all the plastic/rubber to the car, and there's a TON of it. Personally, I'm not a fan whatsoever, and I think they're over-priced for the amount of car you get. I'm curious to actually see how long the vehicle holds up mileage wise.

turtle, they are quite small...just like they look. And I know this is becoming the norm, but about 80% of it is Korean, including the Engine/Trans.

Hmm. Good to know about the build quality. I sat in one at the Detroit show last year. It wasn't the nicest thing I'd seen, but it felt fresh at least. Good interior materials. I know some of them are made in Korea, but some very good cars from out of there, so didn't see that as a bad thing.

Crystal meth manufactures drive Azteks. It's all good.


Looks fun to me.

Hahha

My Gram got an Encore last year, in the dark brown color and man is it sharp with all the chrome accents. Its a great looking car in person and the interior is surprisingly roomy.

Not the quickest thing out there, no, but it makes up in storage space and convenience. I wouldnt personally buy one, but you could bet Id keep one if it was given to me.

encore is cool. How bout that buick rendezvous tho?

Well, the front axle on the vibe locked up while I was driving and I slid to a stop and nothing I tried got the car to move so I had to have it towed home 70 miles. Guess my raving about how my $200 car with only $800 and maintenance brought some bad karma. Hahaha Dont have time until Im on break from school to look into it so I picked up a '98 Grand Marquis w/ 105k miles. Bought it from a family friend turning 100 in a few months! Car rides nice and after having the riv off the road all year while driving my Camaro this Summer, I had no idea how much I missed driving a big car!



It has its share of rust but runs like a dream!