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[#] Sun Jun 20 2021 14:45:21 EDT from Nurb432

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its a Fiero. Actually its my first. I have had others come and go since but just cant let the first go..  ( i put a 3.4 in this one at one point but been considering a 3.8 SC for a few years..  But it means new wiring harness to move from ODB! to ODBII, and a lot of other work. A northstar 5.0 would be nice too..  i like those engines ( when they work right.. repair is a BITCH ) and they are light. 

I can paint, yes.  Dad had a paint/body shop when i was highschool so i grew up with it.  Just no place to do that now :(



[#] Sun Jun 20 2021 15:09:27 EDT from Nurb432

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One of the ones i dont have anymore ( it came from north eastern Ohio so had cancer in the frame and knew it had a limited life. Once i blew a head gasket ( about 300k miles.. i put on 200k of that ) i pulled some parts off ( like the rear clip and roof ) and let it go. The plan was to strip the entire body and do a transplant to the blue one, saving me a paint job, but due to all the rust, it wasn't doable without breaking things.

I have had better and worse, but other than my 68 roadrunner, they have been my favorite cars to drive.  ( tho, i love my jeeps too, but they are not really cars )

 

I know a lot of people make fun of these things, but they were rather underrated for their day and got a lot of undeserved bad press. Sure, they are old tech now and they are showing their age ( damned 80's GM ABS plastic ), but some of that can be remediated with a little bit of effort. And if you start with an 88 so you get the 'real' rear  suspension they had planned...  Mine have all be 87s.  All the 'fixes' were in place, and while you dont get the 88 advancements,  its really hard to find parts for the 88's ( i hear you cant even get rear brake calipers and rotors now for an 88. If you have problems and need 'new' parts, you are converting to something else like grandAM or vette. )

Would love to have what would have been the 1990..  Only got to see that once in person.  GM drug out the prototypes for us for one of the anniversary parties in Michigan. ( including the 4 seater... )

 



[#] Sun Jun 20 2021 17:11:09 EDT from ParanoidDelusions

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I think among people who have a passing interest in cars, these got a reputation that they never lived down - but among those who have a more enthusiastic interest in cars - most people understand that Pontiac got it right, but not in time. 

Which Pontiac seemed to do *a lot*. By the end, the 6 Cyl version had a lot of potential - and they had the lines very refined by then, so it was a great *looking* car too. 


Sun Jun 20 2021 15:09:27 EDT from Nurb432

One of the ones i dont have anymore ( it came from north eastern Ohio so had cancer in the frame and knew it had a limited life. Once i blew a head gasket ( about 300k miles.. i put on 200k of that ) i pulled some parts off ( like the rear clip and roof ) and let it go. The plan was to strip the entire body and do a transplant to the blue one, saving me a paint job, but due to all the rust, it wasn't doable without breaking things.

I have had better and worse, but other than my 68 roadrunner, they have been my favorite cars to drive.  ( tho, i love my jeeps too, but they are not really cars )

 

I know a lot of people make fun of these things, but they were rather underrated for their day and got a lot of undeserved bad press. Sure, they are old tech now and they are showing their age ( damned 80's GM ABS plastic ), but some of that can be remediated with a little bit of effort. And if you start with an 88 so you get the 'real' rear  suspension they had planned...  Mine have all be 87s.  All the 'fixes' were in place, and while you dont get the 88 advancements,  its really hard to find parts for the 88's ( i hear you cant even get rear brake calipers and rotors now for an 88. If you have problems and need 'new' parts, you are converting to something else like grandAM or vette. )

Would love to have what would have been the 1990..  Only got to see that once in person.  GM drug out the prototypes for us for one of the anniversary parties in Michigan. ( including the 4 seater... )

 



 



[#] Sun Jun 20 2021 18:22:59 EDT from Nurb432

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Part of the problem was with the politics at GM, with Chevy calling a lot of the shots. " no one interferes with the vette. No one". My understanding is that the 84 is NOT really what Pontiac wanted to do. But its the only way they could get it approved. Even the marketing had to be re-crafted. The plan was to sneak stuff in each year to get it to where they wanted.  The 90, which was the plan all along ( restyled body, 88 suspension and a decent engine ), was too much for corporate and it got shut down.  At the 25th anniversary the lead of the project spoke, and that was his feelings too.

In reality there was room for both markets. They really didnt overlap. They were shortsighted. They suck. ( ya, im bitter :) ) 

Sometimes i wonder if the bad press was actually started by 'insiders' trying to harm the project.

 

Sun Jun 20 2021 05:11:09 PM EDT from ParanoidDelusions

I think among people who have a passing interest in cars, these got a reputation that they never lived down - but among those who have a more enthusiastic interest in cars - most people understand that Pontiac got it right, but not in time. 




[#] Mon Jun 21 2021 19:37:13 EDT from ParanoidDelusions

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I wouldn't be surprised by any of this. The Big 3 were the model of corporate dysfunction for most of my life. Thinking that the Vette is the one sports car to compete with the MR2, the 300ZX Twin turbo and the Supra Twin Turbo of the era was a stupid move. I would have *never* considered a Vette at that time - but the Fiero could have absolutely competed with the MR2 - and potentially with the bigger GT class Nissan and Toyotas, too. Might have a Fierro that could have competed with those 3 have cannibalized some Vette sales? Probably - but - it seems better to lose those sales to Pontiac than to Japan. 

And the C08 Vette is finally basically what the Fierro could have been nearly 30 years ago. Good to see GM finally caught up with itself. 


The ZL1 Camaro actually can beat an M, the Mustang has an independent rear suspension, although it still has a lot of trouble keeping its ass from getting in front of its nose, and makes a lot of sound to still get beat by German inline turbo 6ers... 

GMC gets it more than Ford... and Dodge is still over in the corner going, "We've got the drunk, belligerent redneck market cornered - why change what works?" 

But, things are *better* in domestic car land than they've ever been. Even *good*, sometimes. 

Meanwhile... BMW can't figure out if it wants to be Audi Boy Racer market or Merc Old German Luxe market - and unfortunately, it shows through much of their line. 

 





Sun Jun 20 2021 18:22:59 EDT from Nurb432

Part of the problem was with the politics at GM, with Chevy calling a lot of the shots. " no one interferes with the vette. No one". My understanding is that the 84 is NOT really what Pontiac wanted to do. But its the only way they could get it approved. Even the marketing had to be re-crafted. The plan was to sneak stuff in each year to get it to where they wanted.  The 90, which was the plan all along ( restyled body, 88 suspension and a decent engine ), was too much for corporate and it got shut down.  At the 25th anniversary the lead of the project spoke, and that was his feelings too.

In reality there was room for both markets. They really didnt overlap. They were shortsighted. They suck. ( ya, im bitter :) ) 

Sometimes i wonder if the bad press was actually started by 'insiders' trying to harm the project.

 

Sun Jun 20 2021 05:11:09 PM EDT from ParanoidDelusions

I think among people who have a passing interest in cars, these got a reputation that they never lived down - but among those who have a more enthusiastic interest in cars - most people understand that Pontiac got it right, but not in time. 




 



[#] Mon Jun 21 2021 19:55:22 EDT from Nurb432

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Meanwhile, its a nice evening out ( ~65 ) i should take it out...    When i swapped engines last time i never put the AC back on, so when its hot, i cant drive it, or i die. It was no longer my DD, so it was optional really.

Thinking of cheating and setting up some sort of electric compressor and putting it up front with the spare tire instead. Hook it to the existing condenser and evaporator ( with new lines of course since currently they head to the back of the car. ).  It does not need much, its just 2 seats.

Help with weight distribution too. 



[#] Mon Jun 21 2021 20:28:51 EDT from zooer

Subject: Re: Fenders. Arrgh.

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Thu Jun 17 2021 12:56:50 PM EDT from ParanoidDelusions Subject: Re: Fenders. Arrgh.

My wife who was always opposed to me getting new hair started talking about new boobs recently. 
Nope. That absolutely will not happen unless I get a full carpet up top first. 

 

Your priorities are all out of wack.



[#] Mon Jun 21 2021 23:46:21 EDT from ParanoidDelusions

Subject: Re: Fenders. Arrgh.

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I disagree. The wife was always opposed to me having better hair because I think she thought that might lead to the acquisition of better boobies. She was opposed to a Porsche when I was younger for similar reasons, I believe. Now she wants better boobies and I have no hair - and the conclusion of where that leads isn't suitable. 

So, she can have new boobs - but I get new hair first. This is how the balance of power is maintained. You could say it is a little tit for tat. 

 Besides - I like my things stock. If I had wanted two bolt on balloons in my way - I would have ordered one that came factory equipped like that. 



Mon Jun 21 2021 20:28:51 EDT from zooer Subject: Re: Fenders. Arrgh.

 

Thu Jun 17 2021 12:56:50 PM EDT from ParanoidDelusions Subject: Re: Fenders. Arrgh.

My wife who was always opposed to me getting new hair started talking about new boobs recently. 
Nope. That absolutely will not happen unless I get a full carpet up top first. 

 

Your priorities are all out of wack.



 



[#] Tue Jun 22 2021 01:40:37 EDT from ParanoidDelusions

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So... I realize that part of it is that I'm an old man - but increasingly I can't stand anyone online - and like Clint Eastwood on his porch scowling at the new neighbors - I'm pretty sure the problem is that younger people suck. 

The mean/medium in society, especially society in online communities today - are Millennials. I mean, this is *their* time - their late 20s to edge of Autumn. The tail end of what is probably gen X - the guys hitting mid 40s, a lot of them are part of the problem too. But most of them can at least remember when dial up networking was becoming a thing, had CRTs... phones were cordless - but you couldn't leave your house with them - and they didn't have apps. 


But the current generation in their prime - is a *terrible* generation that was pretty much raised on social media and with a lot of other societal changes that made them a douchebag generation. They were the punk-ass kids ruining Xbox and other online multiplayer gaming when I was in my early 30s. They're a generation who grew up on Eminem as their biggest star and Tupac as their biggest Rock N Roll Martyr. Justin Beiber and Britney Spears and Lady Gaga were their "Madonna"... 

They think *every* online interaction is a contest to see who can win - whatever the topic is - there has to be a side - and there is always a RIGHT side and a WRONG side. They're Team Twitter. 

Anyhow... they ruin *everything* they become active in - and they're becoming active in EVERYTHING. Comics, Sci Fi, Fantasy, FRP gaming, music, cinema, video gaming - whatever it is - their presence is there, and they're *massive* in numbers. 


And they're just so stupid. So... ignorant of the history of the things they love. They don't know the history of comics, of FRPing, of SciFi and Fantasy - not really. They've got IDEAS but very little of it seems grounded in reality. 

Evidently since about 2014, a huge source of anguish for this generation of BMW enthusiast has been the branding of the 2 Series 235i and 240i as "M cars". 

Now, BMW has been forthcoming that If it doesn't have a single number after the M, or just an M, in the case of the roadster, it isn't an M. They've *always* had "M Sport" packages for their regular consumer division cars - M trim cars that have some of the sporty queues and maybe some upgraded performance parts but that do not actually designed by the Motorsports division of BMW - all the way back in the e36 M3 division they had these packages. 

The M235i and M240i have been a slightly different story. They have actual M performance parts bolted onto them - but the approach is different. Instead of M engineering designing something unique based on the foundation of a consumer division BMW, BMW takes M performance parts and bolts them onto a consumer division BMW. It might seem a subtle difference - but the M is a unique, purpose driven car based on a consumer car, and the M240i and M235 are a consumer based car enhanced with performance parts. One has traditionally been considered "track ready" off the lot and the other is a car that will give "track ready-LIKE" performance off the track. 

But evidently - this matters *a lot* to the newer generation of BMW drivers. They fret and worry on the BMW forums about debadging their 2 series M cars so they don't seem like "posers". This doesn't apply to the M2, a *true* M car from the Motorsports division - but the 240 and 340, despite being on-par in performance with older BMW M cars, and even newer ones - are somehow imposters. One former M240 owner was bragging about how his personalized plate was "M Poster". Very clever, that little one. 

They're so consumed and concerned with appearances and perception among their peer group - and so prone to conforming to group think. Granted, here and there you will encounter the occasional member of this demographic who rejects the conventional wisdom of his peers - and stands his ground in the face of the inevitable dog-piling that he will be victim of for daring to do so - but generally - the majority of them conform to whatever opinion is dominant without question. 

The M235i, by the way, has been recognized by major automotive journalists as the first BMW in a long time to really return to the roots of the formula that made the BMW "The Ultimate Driving Machine." It is a car that many journalists compared to the E36 M3 in experience. To take this car and strip away the M badging because it isn't truly designed by the M division seems to miss the point of what the BMW experience was traditionally about. 

Now every Honda and Toyota can challenge a pedestrian 330 or 430i, and a WRX or Kia may make it look slow and sloppy. But this is as much an issue with BMW losing focus on *driving* as with the competition doing a better job. As the other marquees rushed to match BMWs legendary performance, even among their consumer division, BMW was taking their consumer division down to meet those other brands in the middle, making their consumer vehicles have more of a focus on bells, whistles and creature comforts at the sacrifice of being light, agile, minimalist and driver oriented. Today, many journalists lament that a Camaro ZL1 isn't just a match for an M4 - it bests it in many cases. 

The M235i is likewise - a car that in many ways is subjectively better than the M4 (and I suspect, the Zl1). It may not beat either on the track, or on the street - but what it does is deliver incredible satisfaction as a driving experience as a well balanced, very quick, thoroughly fun car to drive. 16 M Badges plastered on the car do not make that fact any less or more so. 

I've been fortunate in the cars I've owned and driven. My first car was a 1967 Mustang GT California Coupe. It was a beater - but it was a Mustang. After that, my second car was a 72 Datsun 510. We put an L18 small truck engine in that, along with sport rims, a 240z 5 speed transmission, and a weber carb, a set of bitchin' sports wheels, a front spoiler and an awesome stereo. It was a car I never should have given up. Starting out with those two cars, night and day apart, one a huge V8 and the other a poor man's BMW 2002 - was an experience most kids don't get to have by the time they've only been driving for a couple of years. After that, I would drive a Miata, a Mustang 4.6l GT convertible, a 328iS saloon, an e30 325i cabrio, a 2.8 Z3, an X5, an Escalade and just as many forgettable, average cars. Even some of those were fun cars to drive around in, like my '89 Nissan Pulsar, a Hyundai Scoupe and later a Sonata hybrid, and even a completely unreliable Land Rover Discovery. A lot of times it isn't the car or the brand or the prestige, but the memories you make in that car. Still, among these cars, the 510, Miata, 328 and 325 hold special places as being cars that were an incredible blast to drive enthusiastically. Many of my passengers grabbing for "oh-shit" handles and punching their legs through the firewall would attest to how enthusiastically I drove those cars. Most of them would also tell you that there was a connection between that car and me as the driver that went beyond what most Grocery-Getter rides deliver. I'll tell you - none moreso than the Datsun 510, although the e30 BMW 325i was close. I knew the very limits of the Datsun 510, and had complete confidence in that car and my ability to drive it right on that line. It wasn't fast, not at all by today's standards, and not super quick compared to the fastest cars of that time - but it communicated to me in a way that allowed me to drive it with precision that few cars since have approached. The E30 was a far more powerful, quicker car (though dated in performance by the time I owned it, compared to what other cars were capable of) - but still had a magical connection that allowed me to pull off miraculous maneuvers in critical situations that could have been terrible accidents otherwise (and not entirely the fault of me going maybe a little faster than I should have been). When you find yourself in a crunch in a car with no reasonable chance of avoiding a collision, and your car responds so instantly to your input that you impossibly manage the save - it is hard not to appreciate that vehicle and that brand, and my e30 delivered exactly that one day. I still relive the experience and wonder how I managed to thread the needle between two cars. The one in front of me had indicated and started to turn right into a driveway and then swung around back out directly in front of me. As I cranked it hard left, another car was coming out of that driveway and now facing me in an imminent head on collision. These cars were parallel to one another, and there was a space between the two that was not large enough to fit the 325i through, but I pointed the wheels that way, punched it, and *drifted* the car into that space, swinging it impossibly around until I was parallel with both cars, facing head on toward the car that had caused the entire mess - then sliding sideways past both of them in the oncoming left lane, I snapped the end back around, straightened it out, and went along my way as if nothing had happened. 

I do not know the M235i well enough yet to say it is on par with these cars - and I am far more cautious now than I was back then - so I may never know. But what I've experienced of it so far feels like the same kind of magic formula that the 510, Miata, 325 and 328 had huge doses of. 

In the meantime, the M4 has also been criticized ruthlessly - but this car ended up taking more abuse from the automotive journalist press while the BMW community seems to largely like the car. I don't think this is surprising. The M4 has been criticized for being more of a luxury car and less of a "classic M", and I think there is probably some truth to this. It also has been criticized for being less communicative and connected to the driver than past M cars. I get this, and I think I got that from my first test drive. I did feel like something was missing compared to my experiences driving older BMWs, including an e36 M3. In fact, in some ways the M4 reminds me of the Mustang GT. It is a big, GT class car that communicates a lot of inertia and mass in corners. It accelerates very quickly and competently. Oddly enough, it generally takes dings for not being as quick, precise or agile as the previous generation M3. This may be true - but after the E36 M3, that car had a checkered history as it tried to find the right engine. Eventually I guess BMW perfected it mated to a 4 liter V8 and this became a loved version of the car. I was always disappointed in the idea of an M that wasn't powered by an inline 6. Traditionally - the best performance oriented BMWs, M or otherwise, had an i6 powerplant driving the rear wheels. But the missing roar of the V8 M3 is what I hear people lamenting with the M4. I find V8s tend to be lurching affairs with uneven powerbands and throw-you-back low end torque, making way more noise than their forward acceleration would seem to warrant. Very American muscle car affairs. And the M4 actually recreates this experience, including the low-end torque, in a very quick-to-spool twin turbo i6. While I understand where some of the reviews are coming from on their criticisms of how this comes together, despite the dichotomy of their disappointment with the i6, even though it delivers a very V8 like experience except for the racket - I think it is largely a matter of their specific BMW experience expectations and not a fair analysis of the car compared to other comparable rides. 

That is - the M4 does have a lot of torque and a stiff ride that makes it feel a little unsettled and like the rear-end wants to get away from you. But, it remains a BMW M car that feels very settled and confident compared to other cars of similar size and horsepower from competitors. The steering is not as *quick*, responsive or communicative as other BMWs (including the M235i, for sure...) but it is quick and communicative compared to most actual competitors I've driven. It is, across the board, better at these things than the offerings of the competitors - it just isn't as good as BMWs can be. 

And this is where - in my mind, the M235i shines. It isn't a real M car - but it gets the formula right in comparison with other BMWs, and the expectations of a BMW experience. Maybe not as right as BMW has achieve in the past - but of the BMWs in my tax-bracket, it appears to be one of the best. I haven't driven an M2 - and if they offered a cabrio version of that car, I might prefer the M2 to the M235/M240 - but I also insist on having a convertible, despite the performance penalty that entails in handling, weight and generally speed and acceleration.  With or without the M badge, the M235i feels like what a *BMW* experience should feel like - even more than the M4 does. The M4 feels like it makes more compromises between what BMW *was* and what BMW has become. I can't believe that anyone who understands that would be hung up on if the M badges belong on it or not. 

Here is an article from Jalopnik where the author strains his credibility as someone who "gets" what BMW is supposed to be about. 

https://jalopnik.com/heres-why-the-bmw-m235i-isnt-a-real-m-car-1520587199

 



[#] Tue Jun 22 2021 01:47:15 EDT from ParanoidDelusions

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I also blame the Fast and Furious franchise for raising a generation of drivers - younger drivers - who put a big emphasis on style over substance. I think debadging really started with Audi and VW boy racers with this excuse that they were making their cars "stealth sleepers". But there is a hypocrisy in putting on an exhaust tip the size of a coffee can, purple neon LED ground effects, smoked out lights and side markers, and slamming your car to millimeters above the ground on super-fat tires and then taking off the badges and claiming that makes it a stealth sleeper. 


I suppose 95% of it is that the Track Tramps respond to the guys in these cars - and it is mostly about getting laid - not actually having a great driving experience. 


a moth got in. this is gaz's hunting face. : aww



[#] Tue Jun 22 2021 12:48:59 EDT from LoanShark

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You're gonna like it even more after your all-seasons wear out and you swap them for Michelin Pilot's...,... I.

(still deciding what exactly I'm going to put on for tires when the stock stuff on my 330i wears out... high-performance all-season in a non-runflat, maybe.)

The real news here is that my girlfriend bought me a little gift - track time in a Nissan GT-R (we'll have to wait for October, but it'll be fun.)


I had some choices here. Could have chosen the Lambo or the Porsche or the McLaren, but I wanted something with AWD at a similar power level - in part because of my experience level as a track driver


[#] Tue Jun 22 2021 15:44:51 EDT from ParanoidDelusions

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I think this is a smart choice. The M4 intimidates me. I find I've reached the limits of my nerve long before I feel like I'm at the limits of what the car is capable of. It is like throwing me on the back of a thoroughbred and putting me out on the racetrack. The horse can go faster - but I'd probably be better off on a quarterhorse. I'd think the same thing about a Lambo or McLaren or Porsche. They may be "more capable" cars - but they require a more experienced driver - and can get a less experienced one in over his head very quickly - and a GT-R is still a lot of car to sit in. 

I've decided I'm going to take off the rear wheels, replace the 7.5" rims with 8" factory rims, and just reshoe it all around with Michelin Super Sports. I'll try and resell the back 7.5" rims and the Pirellis - they're almost new. If I can get $300 or $400 out of all of it, it'll help subsidize the upgrade. 

Once I get that paid off, I'll look at an ECU flash or piggyback mod. 

Enjoy the track time. I keep trying to convince my wife that she should sign us up for the Boudarant courses here in Phoenix (although it is something else now... they got bought out.) 3 day driving course is like $7500 per person - but it is supposed to make you a better driver - and I don't see how it wouldn't. Either that our she needs to buy us a factory new M so we get the bundled driving package. That would work, too. But Boudarant seems like the less expensive way to go. 

 

 

 

Tue Jun 22 2021 12:48:59 EDT from LoanShark

You're gonna like it even more after your all-seasons wear out and you swap them for Michelin Pilot's...,... I.

(still deciding what exactly I'm going to put on for tires when the stock stuff on my 330i wears out... high-performance all-season in a non-runflat, maybe.)

The real news here is that my girlfriend bought me a little gift - track time in a Nissan GT-R (we'll have to wait for October, but it'll be fun.)


I had some choices here. Could have chosen the Lambo or the Porsche or the McLaren, but I wanted something with AWD at a similar power level - in part because of my experience level as a track driver

 



[#] Tue Jun 22 2021 19:28:50 EDT from LoanShark

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I've decided I'm going to take off the rear wheels, replace the 7.5"
rims with 8" factory rims, and just reshoe it all around with

Yeah. You said "rear wants to go in different direction than front", but that sounds like "power oversteer" to me. Sounds like some fatter, stickier tires in the rear will help. And the way you say you drive, you SHOULD be on performance tires..

As to the track time we just booked: my gf found it, and I'm not quite sure what it is, but it's probably just a couple laps with an instructor for $199-$399 depending on which car you chose.

There are other options around here; I could drive my BMW on track through BMWCCA if I got a mechanic to certify a few things first. Which should not be too hard, the car only has 20K on it. Everything seems to be in pretty good shape.

[#] Tue Jun 22 2021 23:32:44 EDT from ParanoidDelusions

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Yeah, I mean... it is weird. The first time I felt it, I had punched it to get onto the highway - and to see what it could do. The lanes were open so I whipped across to the fast lane from the on-ramp, and when I straightened it into the fast lane, the back seemed like it wanted to keep going into the diamond lane - as I was already letting off the gas, and then it felt like it came back the other way. Just a subtle little thing - but it made me go... "Ooooh. That was unexpected and made my heart rate go up a bit." 

And then my wife described something similar. 

But - the steering is so *quick* compared to the M4 - that after driving the M4 all weekend and on Monday, then going back to the M235i, I noticed that feeling a bit again today - so maybe even though I think I'm being delicate with the steering - that is part of the problem. Compared to the M4, the M235 might have steering that is a bit on the twitchy side. I've been intentionally inducing oversteer since I was 17 and had a Datsun 510 - way before drifting was cool - I was pretty good at it. 

A friend had a CRX once, and at 80 MPH going straight on the highway, it felt like the rear was trying to come around in that too (as a passenger) - and that was FWD. I just chalked that up to a short wheel base - This felt a lot like that... or like when you're stopping with a trailer and the trailer brake isn't dialed up enough and the trailer is pushing your tow vehicle. Like the momentum of the back wheels caused a little wiggle back there as I let off the acceleration to take my lane. 

I *should* be on performance tires. I had them on my Z - fairly new ones - and it made a huge difference. Also was supposed to have staggered tires factory on that, and never did. 

So, today I took it into Big O - and the guy there quoted me $1295 for 4 Michelin Pilot Super sport Bs - and to get me OEM wheels, like, $3500 just for the rears. Gave me a story about them being M wheels, and I explained, "not a REAL M..." and he said, "I have an M6... and I went, I have an M4... this is more like M Performance or M Sport Trim." Anyhow, he argued with me and sent me the link to an Original Replica tire company and I was going, "I've found a couple places claiming to sell OEM new for like $300 each..." I'm probably going to just go ahead and get two of those - then buy the tires. Evidently among all the other retail shortages though - there is a performance tire shortage, and no one in the Western US has Super Sports in the sizes I need right now. Which is fine - gives me some time to prepare financially for the hit. It is frustrating being ready to bite the bullet and having to deal with everyone dragging their heels on actually taking my money. 

I had hoped that I could avoid the tires. Here is the deal there... if I'm going to put super sports on it, then I should go with 8" 245s on the back, which means finding two matching OEM factory wheels and replacing 4 perfectly serviceable Pirelli All Season tires. 

I suppose I can probably sell the Pirellis and the 7.5" back wheels - but it is just... an extra expense. 

 

That would be awesome. I know Wild Horse Pass Raceway here in Phoenix has similar deals with open track days - I just haven't done any research on what needs to happen to make it happen. 




Tue Jun 22 2021 19:28:50 EDT from LoanShark
I've decided I'm going to take off the rear wheels, replace the 7.5"
rims with 8" factory rims, and just reshoe it all around with

Yeah. You said "rear wants to go in different direction than front", but that sounds like "power oversteer" to me. Sounds like some fatter, stickier tires in the rear will help. And the way you say you drive, you SHOULD be on performance tires..

As to the track time we just booked: my gf found it, and I'm not quite sure what it is, but it's probably just a couple laps with an instructor for $199-$399 depending on which car you chose.

There are other options around here; I could drive my BMW on track through BMWCCA if I got a mechanic to certify a few things first. Which should not be too hard, the car only has 20K on it. Everything seems to be in pretty good shape.

 



[#] Sat Jun 26 2021 01:43:24 EDT from ParanoidDelusions

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This is honestly what I want: 

1973 Datsun 510



[#] Sat Jun 26 2021 01:46:11 EDT from ParanoidDelusions

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Maybe the most joy I've ever had driving a vehicle. 110-120 HP, interior like a VW bug, super light weight, incredibly well balanced, steering communication that rivals the best BMW M. 

Not super fast, even with an L18 truck engine - but some people throw in LS engines (which screws up the balance)... 

But there is some middle ground - some supercharged or twin turboed straight 4 or 6 with about 200 to 250 hp and a 6 to 8 speed tranny that would *sing* in this chassis. 

It just isn't *economical*. 

But I love this basic design in a sports car. 



[#] Sat Jun 26 2021 01:46:59 EDT from ParanoidDelusions

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And that is a 71 or 72, and as far as exterior aesthetics - the design still holds up well today. 



[#] Sat Jun 26 2021 01:48:50 EDT from ParanoidDelusions

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In fact, as I look at it, it has better lines than my M235, today. Cleaner and more consistent. Not as busy. Just business. 

Sat Jun 26 2021 01:46:59 EDT from ParanoidDelusions

And that is a 71 or 72, and as far as exterior aesthetics - the design still holds up well today. 



 



[#] Wed Jul 28 2021 13:55:16 EDT from ParanoidDelusions

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So... this is related to cars *and* the IoT discussions - but I'll put it here. 

My 2016 M235i doesn't have Android Auto or Carplay. There is a company, called Bimmertech, that sells an aftermarket "MMI" that plugs between the factory head unit/entertainment center and the LCD. It adds Android Auto and CarPlay. It costs about $700. 

Identical Chinese models go for about $300 - and the online reviews indicate that they're basically the exact same thing. So, after reading reviews and struggling with the decision, I decided to jump on it. 

After installation - the parking assistance wasn't working. Once we finished up, the lights on the driving cluster near the driving light dial wouldn't turn off, and the smaller LCD in the gauge cluster didn't turn off, even if I hit the start button "twice", once to turn the car off, once to shut down the electric system.  As I drove home, the Pedestrian Avoidance system failed, and some other safety/stability systems. It warned me to drive moderately and contact service immediately. The error cleared, and by the time I got home, I went into the information system diagnostics, and it had no check codes or alerts. Still, the lights wouldn't turn off. 

Today I was driving in and it all seemed to be working fine, and then the video started flickering, and then died completely. "No signal". Audio still worked. 

Got here and reported the problems... after shutting it down and restarting it several times, still "No Signal". Rebooted the phone, and everything came back. 

Reporting these issues to their tech support. They said their engineer would research. Suddenly, I kept hearing an alarm going off out in the parking lot. Then shutting off - over and over again. I finally went to check and sure enough it was mine. Disarmed, got in, checked a few things, locked it up again... went back inside, same problem - several times. 

Now, that has stopped happening. 

Because, that engineer is in my BMW. I can send remote signals from my phone to turn on ventilation, honk the horn, locate it by GPS and do other remote commands on it. I have no doubt they have remote software in their MMI unit that allows them to get in and do remote diagnostics at any time. 

I mean, the car is just sitting there in the parking lot, no one near it, and the alarm is going off... then turning off... then going off, then turning off... then I go out and respond to it, and it stops. You know he SAW that I was responding to it... "Driver door open, car engine started, car engine stopped, door closed, system armed..." - several times in a row... and he realized, "Oh... the things I am doing are causing the owner to respond to the car. 



 



[#] Wed Jul 28 2021 16:37:46 EDT from Nurb432

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Fancy pants stuff...

 

The Fiero has power mirrors..   We dont even get power steering :)   ( it was coming in 1990.. )



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