Home » The PARIS Forums » PARIS: Main » OT: My other baby turns 10 next month
| OT: My other baby turns 10 next month [message #74567] |
Sat, 21 October 2006 08:43  |
chuck duffy
Messages: 453
Registered: July 2005
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Since we seem to be talking cars a little bit. My other 'baby', a 97 2.8
litre 6 cylinder Z3 turns 10 next month (date of manufacture dec 96).
It's garage kept, stored in winter has around 80k on it and runs like the
day I drove it home, maybe even better. I keep it up at my sisters in syracuse
NY, so I rarely get to drive it. I had the chance to hit the back country
roads this past summer and it was a blast.
St. Croix always used to pick on me, telling me to dump it and get a miata.
He always said the bimmers have 'ZERO' torque.
When I was growing up I was always fascinated by small british 2 seater 'droptops'.
When I got older, a very wise old friend advised me to stear completely
clear of any such vehicle if I ever wanted to actually drive.
When the z3s came out I thought it was just about what I wanted except for
the miniuscule 4 banger. I had previously owned a 74 2002 and racked up
200+K miles on it, so I didn't have any questions about reliability. I waited
around for the inline 6, and when it finally came out I pounced.
Anyway, to make a long story short, the older z's are pretty cheap now.
You can pick up an old 2.8 for under 10K. These cars are built like tanks
and extremely reliable. It's just shy of 200 horses, about 190 torque, zero
to 60 under 6 and an absolute blast to drive. The inline 2.8 engine is about
as reliable and time tested as they come, it's been floating around BMW models,
constantly refined for over 20 years.
So anyway, if anyone is looking around for a fun, relatively inexpensive
2 seat ragtop that's a blast to drive and reliable, I defintely recommend
you check out an older z3
Chuck
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| Re: OT: My other baby turns 10 next month (more car stories) [message #74568 is a reply to message #74567] |
Sat, 21 October 2006 09:07  |
chuck duffy
Messages: 453
Registered: July 2005
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Senior Member |
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I realized a few years ago that I didn't want to use the Z any more for daily
driving, and we needed a slightly more practical second car due to our growing
family.
In 2001 they were starting the zero financing stuff on Fords. We bought
a 2002 7 passenger explorer. They would only do zero % for three years at
that time, but I bit the bullet and took the higher payment to get it over
with and get that great rate (NOTHING). That car was paid off in 2004, and
I have NEVER had a single problem with it.
I took over my wifes previous vehicle as my daily driver. A 1995 Jetta GL
III 4cyl automatic. I cannot begin to describe the depths of my hatred for
that car.
Everything about it was oddball, from the antifreeze, to the oil to the battery,
to the doorlocks that froze and FELL OUT OF THE DOOR when I turned the key
in winter, to the stupid way the wheels get bolted on, body trim that fell
off in the wind, windshield that cracked with the slightest stone hit. OMFG
that car drove me crazy. Quick group question, has anyone ever seen, anywhere
an older jetta that HAS THE RUBBER BODY TRIM STRIPS INTACT!!!
Besides all that, a constant stream of expensive repairs that never seemed
to resolve anything. But hey, it was paid for and it ran (well kind of meandered
was more like it). Who could ask for more, right?
So I drove it from 2004 till last october, when on my way home from work
somehow, unbeknownst to me EVERY SINGLE DROP OF OIL LEAKED FROM THE ENGINE.
The next day I went to start it, it let out an ear piercing scream of metal
on metal and never moved again. I was so disgusted with it I let it sit
and rot for the next year, and along the way lost the keys.
I went to donate it but they didn't want it without keys. I called VW about
getting keys. They said to bring it to a dealership!. Yeah right, tow it
to a dealership, to get a key, so I could tow it back to my house to dump
it and donate it. Jeez....
Finally I found someone who would pick up the piece of shit engine siezed
no doorlock, no bodytrim, batteryless, keyless jetta 'for free'.
I am finally FREE!
Chuck
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| Re: OT: My other baby turns 10 next month (more car stories) [message #74584 is a reply to message #74568] |
Sat, 21 October 2006 13:01 |
Aaron Allen
Messages: 1988
Registered: May 2008
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Senior Member |
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I had an 80's something sirocco with less than 25k original miles on it. I
named it Satan. One day it almost got me killed ( the plastic housing on the
clutch cable split out and pushed me in front of a Semi whilst I was trying
to unhinge it from 4th gear ). The next day I put it out in the field at my
brother's place in the country where I will watch it slowly rot to rust.
AA
"chuck duffy" <c@c.com> wrote in message news:453a45a7$1@linux...
>
> I realized a few years ago that I didn't want to use the Z any more for
> daily
> driving, and we needed a slightly more practical second car due to our
> growing
> family.
>
> In 2001 they were starting the zero financing stuff on Fords. We bought
> a 2002 7 passenger explorer. They would only do zero % for three years at
> that time, but I bit the bullet and took the higher payment to get it over
> with and get that great rate (NOTHING). That car was paid off in 2004,
> and
> I have NEVER had a single problem with it.
>
> I took over my wifes previous vehicle as my daily driver. A 1995 Jetta GL
> III 4cyl automatic. I cannot begin to describe the depths of my hatred
> for
> that car.
>
> Everything about it was oddball, from the antifreeze, to the oil to the
> battery,
> to the doorlocks that froze and FELL OUT OF THE DOOR when I turned the key
> in winter, to the stupid way the wheels get bolted on, body trim that fell
> off in the wind, windshield that cracked with the slightest stone hit.
> OMFG
> that car drove me crazy. Quick group question, has anyone ever seen,
> anywhere
> an older jetta that HAS THE RUBBER BODY TRIM STRIPS INTACT!!!
>
> Besides all that, a constant stream of expensive repairs that never seemed
> to resolve anything. But hey, it was paid for and it ran (well kind of
> meandered
> was more like it). Who could ask for more, right?
>
> So I drove it from 2004 till last october, when on my way home from work
> somehow, unbeknownst to me EVERY SINGLE DROP OF OIL LEAKED FROM THE
> ENGINE.
> The next day I went to start it, it let out an ear piercing scream of
> metal
> on metal and never moved again. I was so disgusted with it I let it sit
> and rot for the next year, and along the way lost the keys.
>
> I went to donate it but they didn't want it without keys. I called VW
> about
> getting keys. They said to bring it to a dealership!. Yeah right, tow it
> to a dealership, to get a key, so I could tow it back to my house to dump
> it and donate it. Jeez....
>
> Finally I found someone who would pick up the piece of shit engine siezed
> no doorlock, no bodytrim, batteryless, keyless jetta 'for free'.
>
> I am finally FREE!
>
> Chuck
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