Why grandma, what big eyes you have. . .
Last Call – Eyelashes Edition
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12 responses to “Last Call – Eyelashes Edition”
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<img src="http://randomonics.net/randomcrap/kestrel1.jpg" />
Hoons! I have a dilemma. During the long stint of unemployment that's befallen me post-graduation, I've been killing some of my copious free time with a little fantasy project. Namely, I've been taking a stab at designing a small (roughly Elise-sized) sports car from the ground up. The centerpiece of the current design is a Ford Coyote 5.0 V8 (yay, America can finally make a modern V8 drivetrain!) mounted transversally behind the driver. If the dimensions I've dug up for the engine are correct, I can just barely wedge it between the rear shock towers. After doing some research and catching up with the latest auto show news, though, this presents two problems:
1) As far as I can tell, the strongest transverse manual gearbox in wide production is the Getrag 6MTT450, which is only rated to about three-quarters of the torque that the Ford 5.0 puts out. I'm sure there's lots of safety margin in that rating, but the notion is that this would be a affordable-ish car, and explodey transmissions aren't good for long-term cost of ownership.
2) Hyundai's new Tau 5.0 is really impressive; Ford-beatingly impressive. On the other hand, there's not bound to be a lot of aftermarket support for it, which would probably be a negative for the kind of person who buys a V8-powered mid-engine coupe.
So now I'm starting to doubt my engine choice. Do I go for the somewhat more powerful (and probably cheaper to acquire) Tau? Do I step down to something less powerful, say an EcoBoost V6, and settle for mere high speed instead of LUDICROUS SPEED in exchange for less strain on the drivetrain? Or do I stay the course with the Coyote and hope the car's putative owners don't go too crazy with the aftermarket goodies, so that they don't turn their transmissions into grenades aimed right at the driver's seatback?-
With the Coyote rated at 410hp/390tq, you may be better served taking the EcoBoost out of the SHO; 365hp/350tq. Little lost in performance but the sacrifice would be worth the drivetrain reliability, IMHO.
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Mustang Coyote: 412 HP @ 6,500 390 FT-LBS @ 4,250
F-150 EcoBoost: 365 HP @ 5,000 420 FT-LBS @ 2,500
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Check out this magic self assembling car!
http://www.neatorama.com/2011/02/14/stop-motion-s…-
It's a
Geo MetroSuzuki Swift, but, somehow the cage and the self-assembly make it much, much cooler!
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I love the Miura.
OT: OK, ,FacebookHooniverse hivemind. I need a bit of advice. I may be getting rid of the Mustang soon to cut costs and get rid of the payment. If I sold it I could get about $8000 of cold, hard cash in my grubby hands. What should I buy? Here are my requirements: AWD/4WD, 4 doors, wagon preferred, auto tranny so the wife can drive it, reasonably reliable, some style (I don't want a total beater). What say you?
I have found Audi A4/A6 wagons in that range with ~100,000-110,000 miles on them. Those scare me as the turbos are going to be worn out. Same with the Jetta wagons I've seen. I also found early-2000s LR Discoveries in the range with ~100,000 miles on them. Of course, there's a plethora of Explorers, Foci, etc. The only wagons under 75,000 miles within 50 miles of Dearborn, MI are a crap ton of HHRs. Uh, no thank you.
Any and all suggestions/warnings/terrified looks heeded. Thank you.-
I have always felt that a beater has a significant amount of style. It's just a specific kind of style. Granted, you probably don't want a total beater for other good reasons such as reliability or wind whistling through rust holes. I guess that's not really helpful in your quest. No used Subies within 50 miles of Dearborn?
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Off the top of my head, the last generation Subaru Legacy GT wagon. Sporty and sleek, and I think they're starting to go at around your price range. Also, maybe a Volvo XC70 cross-country? (The unpainted plastic front mug is just part of the charm!!) Dodge Magnum R/T if you are
awesomelooking for the biggest engine you can find (but the better ones cost more than 8000).
Gag-worthy choice: Ford Freestyle. It's totally in your price range too, y'know 😉 -
Do your homework, and you can look much further than 50 miles. My family has had good luck buying cars long distance. Leave a little cushion in the budget for any maintenance, and if you're wary of turbos, go find a naturally aspirated Subaru, like Mr_Biggles said.
And since you're coming off a Mustang, AWD can't be that critical, so consider a Mazda 6 or 3 as a dark horse FWD candidate.
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I'd considered a longtudinal transaxle, but the downside is that it stretches out the wheelbase (think Lotus Elise vs. Henessy Venom, though it wouldn't have to be that dramatic) and the ones that aren't designed around front-engined AWD tend to be pricey Hewland or Ricardo units. I may come back to the idea again, though, seeing as a tranverse V wedged up against the rear bulkhead has issues of its own (like how do you change the spark plugs on the front cylinder bank?)
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Do what skitter says! It will be sort of like a backwards SAAB! It will be awesome! Sorry to yell.
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