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2 Steps Back

3K views 16 replies 5 participants last post by  RandyStark 
#1 ·
1 Step forwards and 2 steps back.

Well, that's how I feel right now under the circumstances. I was in love with my last car and had her just about where I wanted her but then she began to fall apart beyond the time and money I had to spend. The car had power and decent looks even with the faded paint but she also had a sound system very close to how I had always wanted it. Now I no longer have the car but I still have most of the goodies! I just never wanted a car payment again.

Finding a 1999 with 82,000 was a good deal considering my bad credit and the higher payments most dealerships around here try to make you pay. There's a little bit of damage here and there but nothing major. I'll probably take my time making changes but of course that all depends on the cash flow. After installing the sound system and alarm I'd probably do more of the little things like tint and general maintenance. I don't have any major plans for this car unless I do decide to compete in db drags.
 
#2 ·
Welcome to CMF! When you get around to it feel free to post some pics of your new ride. :)

No payment is a nice feeling for sure. I recall that state of being. In late 2010 I traded my first Gen7 after 2 years of "ownership" (aka payments) for a newer one in a color I had really wanted for some time. Halfway through the loan I lost that car to a flood and found my third Gen7. That was 3 years ago and I have about 2 more years before paying off this one. Had the flood not taken my 2nd one I would be paid off by now. Oh well, life sux sometimes, eh?

Tint.

Get tint!!! It not only looks cool but it makes it just a little harder for miscreants to see inside at night and it's supposed to reduce fading inside the car, but the jury's still out on that one. Did I mention tint?
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the warm welcome, DrivenDaily!

I like tint and all and will of course add it but to what degree is the issue. My last car was a cop magnet even without the illegal 20% tint the front doors had for long while.

In Texas only the windshield and front doors have any limitations. Nothing below the AS1 line on the windshield and 35% is the darkest you can go in the front but the rest can be as dark as you may desire. The sunroof and rear side had 2.5% and 5% in the rear window. Maybe I'll try 35% in the front but I'm sure I'll still feel exposed even if I did 2.5% the rest of the way around and I already have a couple boxes of 20% I hadn't used on my last car. I should probably do my dad a favor and fix his tint first but I probably should also keep his legal too. I only use a professional to install the tint in the rear window because I don't have a heat gun of the proper tint for that kind of job.
 
#4 ·
Slow but steady progress. I've been wanting to post pictures but this site won't let me yet and not when I'm in the middle of running wires and cables. The head unit, amps, subs, and tweeters are installed but now I have to cut metal and plastic to get some woofers into all 4 doors along with upgrading the Big 3.

I did have one and a half wheel center covers fly off partly due to tire damage or rot that had caused a bad vibration I couldn't figure out until it was obvious after a chunk flew off. I did have to drive down county roads that would exasperate the issue so I've been trying to stick to pavement whenever possible and at slower speeds of course. I should hopefully have another used tire before I have to work again or drive over 45 miles to Abilene.
 
#8 ·
You're going to put 20's on that car? I thought you were concerned with maintenance cost and acceleration? Big wheels aren't my thing in the first place, but it seems like a waste with such good quality alloys already on it.
 
#9 ·
Usually 18" is my limit but for $200 it's hard to say no to 20".

Come again? Doesn't your car have 18"s???? Maybe that's what you had in the beginning but that doesn't mean I have to live with 15"s. I've never been a fan of most stock wheels and finding a used 15" when needed is like looking for a unicorn. That's why one is bigger than the rest. I'd need 2 wheel caps anyway because one lost just the logo.

Where did I say anything about maintenance and acceleration??? If I wanted acceleration I would've stuck to my guns by telling my parents to stuff their mouths and kept my last car. How does bigger wheels factor into maintenance cost other than the higher cost of the tires?
 
#12 ·
Big wheels hurt acceleration, fuel economy, and are really hard on suspension components. It's a very thankless mod for appearance sake. My 18s were a dealer option and are the stock size the car was engineered for.

Your original post mentioned how your last car had the power you wanted but it was beginning to fall apart on you. Perhaps I mistakenly associated that with maintenance cost, but it does refer to acceleration.

If wheels are your thing, go for it. I was just chatting.
 
#10 ·
I think what was meant is that some people who are concerned about maintenance costs wouldn't spend part of that budget on wheels that aren't needed for anything other than vanity (you like the looks)...the extra weight will eat up acceleration as well...

Enjoy the ride, she looks good.

Bill
 
#11 ·
Nice and clean.

The thing with 20" wheels is that you will probably need to use "rubber bands" for tires. I can tell you from experience that smaller sidewalls are stiffer and absorb fewer road issues (potholes, uneven gaps, etc) than wider sidewalls. Where I goofed when I lowered my car was the choice I made when replacing the front shock inserts after not being able to disassemble the stock units. I got KYB's higher-performance model that is noticeably stiffer and makes the ride almost too rough. Had I been able to take the stockers apart I think the ride would be much more acceptable.

If you make a few timed runs with your current wheels and tires and then do some with the 20" package you'll most likely end up with slower times. It all has to do with inertia, not diameter, since the overall diameter of the smaller tires should be just about the same as the 20" tires. Heavier wheels take more energy to spin up, simple as that. They may also take slightly longer to stop but that shouldn't be much of an issue since your brakes are powerful enough to stop them no matter what size you put on there.

BTW, it's about time you posted some pics! LOL ;)
 
#14 ·
I totally understand what you are all saying and it was only way back when I had a Kia Rio that I wanted some 13" Miata rims to really perk the car up besides the intake and exhaust work I did. I'd make up the difference in mileage with a few other upgrades or tricks I know but if the wheels fill up the wheel well like I was told then I'd pretty much keep the suspension stock. My boss said the wheels came off another Malibu but it was an 04 or 06 so I won't be shocked if there is an issue when we get around to checking if they will fit. It's supposed to be a universal set of rims but we'll see if that's really the case. For the price it's hard to pass them up.

I really don't consider these cars to be performance cars and when I do want performance my only guess would be throw a bottle of nos in the trunk and call it a day. So, in the meantime I will try to improve efficiency wherever possible but I must also focus on looks and sound. The stereo system isn't just for me but then again I don't drive around bumping the whole block just because I can. I'd prefer owning multiple vehicles with each one filling a different purpose but for now I can only make do with what I got.

My last car was a green 95 Cougar with a 4.6L V8 and fiberglass top. The only things I didn't get to touch were the springs, heads, cams, and rear gears. Even without those upgrades, cars like stock or lightly modified Stangs didn't stand a chance. Heck, even before most of the upgrades the car made a Jaguar owner eat his lunch when he tried to pass me to cut me off to take a left turn in front of me. The 18" wheels didn't make much of a dent in my mileage but had I thought of it at the time I would've had 17" in the front and 18" in the rear for more looks.

I decided to let the car go for 3 reasons. 1. The power steering was giving me issues no matter what I replaced. 2. It developed a short I couldn't find that made the car unreliable. 3. My parents pestered me and pestered me to get a newer vehicle.

Other than the power steering I loved working on that car. She had a lot of potential and generally always got me home even when she wasn't feeling well. I liked not having a car payment and the maintenance cost was still much much less than a car payment would have been but try explaining that to my dad. Now, I have a car that still needs work and requires me to make payments for about 2 years but at least overall the interior looks a little better although the headliner is falling apart just like with my last car.

This must have been taken before I tinted her windows but this was before the leather on the top became shredded. Her hood and trunk had a lot of worn paint because of the previous owner but from this side she looked great.

 
#15 ·
I had the opportunity to buy a '94 Cougar back in '97 or '98 and decided to go with a 4-door due to my family at the time.

What I'd really like is a car with an interior that is forest green. I got into a early-to-mid-90's Taurus one day at work (Ford dealership service dept) that had that color inside and immediately felt at home!
 
#17 ·
I think the pictures only look good because you cannot see all of the hail damage or scratches. The hood looks dull compared to the rest of the car and the bug guts and scratches in the front bumper make me wish she was wearing a bra.

I managed to remove most of the rough film on the inside of the rear window by wet sanding it with 2000 grit paper and glass cleaner. Now when funds allow I can tint that back window before tinting the rest myself.
 
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