macs and vehicles....

[Mr. Anderson]

Re: Re: Re: homes and stocks( er, what thread is this...)

Originally posted by 3rdpath

i'm not saying home ownership is bad-far from it, just from a financial perspective its not the best use of capital. when you factor in the emotional issues ( and the premium you're willing to pay for them) it can certainly be a positive experience- but thats not the same as thing as an asset. ( financially speaking, since we've been talking $$$)

But I have to live somewhere, right. Why spend it on rent when I can own and have something when I'm done. To me, renting is like throwing money away. Besides, I've seen my house go up 150k in value in the past 2 years. After we put another bathroom in the basement and go to 3 br, 2 1/2 bath we'll be able to get even more. This is what I call an investment, and a good use of capital, since we put only 5% down to begin with.

I do realize that in other locations, things might be different, and even on a short term renting is better than owning. But around DC, if you bought and then sold your house a month later, chances are very high you'll make money on the deal.

 

[krossfyter]

....

 

[mischief]

Okay, I want some oppinions.

I haven't owned a car for about 6 years now and I'm looking to buy one this fall. I know what I like but I want some advice:

2002 Celica GT-S in Carbon Blue. Manual 6, spoiler, security, ABS, front and side Airbags, sunroof. Front wheel drive 4Cyl.

2002 Mustang GT in DK metallic blue. Manual 6, spoiler, security, ABS, front airbags, Rear wheel Drive 8 Cyl.

They're so damn close..........similar weight.......similar features.

The Mustang I'd feel more comfortable under the hood, it has a bigger engine and rear wheel drive.

The Celica has better safety features and is far sexier.

Ack!! Help!

 

[krossfyter]

I would go celica...everyone and thier mother has a mustang.

The streets are saturated with these. Both good cars. Although Toyota is more reliable.


One man asks an auto worker "Whats wrong you look a little bothered"

The auto worker says " Im working on a Ford, that outa tell you something".

 

[AlphaTech]

krossfyter, I have always had Ford vehicles and have always had great results with them. I turned in my 99 leased truck last month and am buying a 2002 model (more features that I really wanted in the first, but didn't have a choice since it was a lease).

My mother has a 97 Contour and my sister has a 2000 Windstar (think it's a 2000 model). Granted the vehicles are not that old, yet, we haven't had anything other then routine maintenance. The only costly thing I had to do to my 99 truck was a break job (and I let it go a little too long, oops).

I always tell people to get the largest engine that they can. Even though a 4-cyl (or 4 banger) might be 'peppy' a V6 or V8 will have more power. There is also something to be said for the sound a V8 makes when it is idleing or when you rev the engine .

Just like with a big V-Twin.

 

[mischief]

re: Celicas and engines.

Does anyone know if a rotary engine is available that fits the Celica? The 3 Cyl rotary that was sold in Japan for the RX7 was SICK. It sounded like a freaking jet engine.

 

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by krossfyter
I would go celica...everyone and thier mother has a mustang.

The streets are saturated with these. Both good cars. Although Toyota is more reliable.


One man asks an auto worker "Whats wrong you look a little bothered"

The auto worker says " Im working on a Ford, that outa tell you something".

i have a volvo and i am passionate about swedish made volvos, but ford bought them out as well as buying out jaguar

i have nothing against ford, but the new volvos, though much prettier, do not hold up in the same way that the swedish made volvos did (my mechanic at the volvo dealership warned me)

but i have to commend the fact that ford-made volvos and jaguars are now much more affordable and accessible for mechanics to fix...so that may be a good thing

i like american products if they are computers (apple), guitars (fender) or work boots (carolina and red wings), but for most other stuff i like european and asian( porsche, volvo, bmw, toyota, nissan, lexus, german chocolate and beer, italian clothes, french wine, mexican soda, and other non-us made products)

i wish i could always buy american but then i really would not have a computer since no computer is copletely built with all american compnents anymore...and neither is any car for that matter...so you would see me walking around naked with red wing boots on playing on a fender electric guitar

no, that would be a very scary sight

btw - kross, did you get my private message?...i don't use this function often

 

[Backtothemac]

Wow, joining in on this one late.

93 Mazda MPV Minivan (for the wife) 150,000 miles.

83 Mazda RX-7 Restoration project.

 

[AlphaTech]

jefhatfield, things I buy that are American, in name if nothing else, Ford trucks, Harley-Davidson (new ride is sweeeeeet ), clothing (100% cotton and stampled 'made in USA') as much as possible (about 90% or more). Of course my Mac systems, not sure how to classify the peecee, since I built it , monitors (ViewSonic, think they are a US company, could be wrong there) and Sam Addams beer. I'm sure there are other things that I am leaving out, but they are minor. I am so happy with the Harley and Ford, that I will never consider purchasing any others (MIGHT consider getting a Dodge if they give me more for the $$).

Things that I purchase that are not made here (that I can readily recall)... Irish beer (gotta love it, stouts and ales) and coffee beans (grind them for home).

 

[mischief]

More details:

Special thanx to Popular Mechanics for the data.

Celica GT-S:

180 HP/130 Ft.-Lb./1.8L V4 into 2425Lb of curb weight with 29/36 mileage and more safety features.

13.5 Lb/Hp.
18.7 pounds of weight per foot-pound of torque.

Mustang GT:

260HP/302 Ft.-Lb./4.6L V8 into 3114 Lb of curb weight with 19/27 mileage and one more model (Cobra) above it.

11.97 Lb/Hp.
10.3 pounds of weight per foot-pound of torque.

 

[3rdpath]

hi duke

let me first say you make some good points-and you're not wrong.
but having said that-i don't agree with you....( no-one is surprised by now)

my assets make me money-real money in the bank. my house costs me money every single day. has it's value gone up insanely since i bought it? yes! is that gain realised? nope. this real estate market we're in is an anomaly. much like the tech bubble of not too long ago. the real estate market does this cycle and some people get burned( by buying too high or leveraging themselves against paper gains). will my house be worth more when i sell it? i hope so. will it offset the commissions, closing costs, interest, taxes, insurance and maintenance that i paid thru the years? only time will tell. do i have capital making me better money elsewhere right at this very moment? heck yes!

many people won't agree with what i have to say. viva that! i could be wrong!

 

[AlphaTech]

mischief, are my eyes playing tricks on me, or does the Mustang have a better power to weight ratio then the toy... ota does???

Which engine is in the Mustang??? Is that the 302 V8 (5 litre) or are they using a different one??

I loved the 302 that was in the 78 Fairmont that was my first car. That baby hauled a$$ in a major way, even though it didn't look like it would. Light body, large engine, sweet combination.

 

[Rower_CPU]

Damn, Alpha...what you got against Toyota (all one word, capital T)?

As far as I'm concerned, they're the best out there. And I'm not alone on this either. There's a reason people call them F. O. R. D.

Truck guys that swear by American made go Chevy. They say Fords haul better, but overall have more problems. My coworker's Dad is a mechanic who has to have a special "Ford bag" of tools for all the starter/ignition problems he sees EVERYDAY.

Toyotas have a much higher resale value than FOrds...wonder why?

BTW - Toyota Tundra is the safest full-size truck in America...Ford F-150 crumples like an accordion in crash tests...

 

[AlphaTech]

Rower_CPU, I still will NEVER buy a toyota... no matter what people say about them, or Ford's.

4x4 trucks, hold their value much longer, and higher then 4x2 trucks, that is a known fact. Maybe one of the reasons the toys hold their value longer is because people actually use their Ford, or American, made trucks more and harder. I have never seen a toyota truck at a construction site, always American made. Of the trucks that I passed on my ride to work today (used the Harley), most of them were Fords. Between the phone company trucks doing work (road work) to the superduty turbo deisel haulers.

 

[mischief]

Yeah........I was kinda bummed when I calced it.

The Mustang was the standard GT 4.6L V8

The Cobra goes to: 320Hp/317Ft-Lb/4.6L.

What gets me about the Celica is the Torque! That's where that big ass block comes in. Though, I have to ask myself: Is the ability to tow a trailer worth the extra Gas? I'm sure when I test drive them out on Steven's Creek it'll be difficult to really tell them appart without a Sumo for a passenger.

It sux cuz the mustang is WAY too common. I wanna know if the Celica is available with a larger engine outside the US or if I can get a blower package.

If I had the extra 10 grand to blow I'd consider the Firebird ......... but then I'd have to deal with bad visibility on top of bad gas mileage. I think I'm just gonna have to torture some salesmen and find out what I'm comfortable in.

 

[Gelfin]

Originally posted by jefhatfield

wow, you must make great money...i would love to afford the sunset district (or the richmond, castro, or nob hill), but tenderloin, soma, mission, and hunter's point is all i would be able to afford and all those areas in sf are dangerous

Whew, I wish. I do all right because I write software, but I'm paying about a third of my take-home in rent. When I moved out here, it was closer to half. And I've got an unusually big apartment for an unusually low price. Before I moved to SF I was living in a 1200sq.ft. luxury apartment for under seven hundred a month (downside: you have to move to Alabama to accomplish this). Moving to SF means major sticker shock, but I'd much rather pay that than move out into the burbs somewhere. I just love the city. I couldn't get a shoebox studio in PacHeights or North Beach on what I make, and I'd have to marry someone making at least as much as I do to afford even a tiny starter home in any part of the city. There are deals to be found in pretty much any part of the city, though. Especially now. And I just like the "feel" of the Sunset. It's very "neighborhoodsy." Not too dangerous, not too expensive, not too disgustingly hip and trendy, and with good transportation. The trains, to me, are the difference between Sunset and Richmond.

i had a friend move from northern central california to the mission district, because the rent was all she could afford, and she said she knew she must have been in one of the more undersireable neighborhoods with what she saw and any press on how the mission was being yuppified and made safe was a bunch of hogwash...way too dangerous

Believe it or not there was some minor difference. Walking around lower Market and SOMA subjectively felt a lot less safe to me after the dot-coms started going down. There was a problem with dot-commers coming in from places with lower rents and moving into the Mission because that was one of the few places where rents looked manageable. Then they got here and because they were paying such cheap rent (relative to what they were making), they were able to afford huge stupid SUVs, and then they sped around the district in their too-big-for-a-city vehicles, yelling into their cell phones and threatening to run over people who could afford neither cell phones nor cars. Resentment was to be expected. It's like rich kids buying up a bunch of stuff in a thrift shop. Certain people are going to get annoyed, and with good reason. Really not relevant, but that's my take.

 

[rainman::|:|]

Originally posted by krossfyter
I would go celica...everyone and thier mother has a mustang.

For once i agree with you Mother-in-law has a 'stang (a little old but not that old) that she tried to give her daughter. She's like "Oh, thanks mom, but I think i'll move into the city this fall so i won't need it"

Lord. wish someone would give me a mustang... they're a cliché but still nice...

and still not as bad as BMW's. every third car i see on the road is a BMW now, they have incredibly low resale value, at least the lower models. It's nice to see Z series every once in a while, i worked for a guy with one last summer... but the sedans are just annoying now...

beyond that, i dunno squat about cars Besides how to accidently start them on fire. My dad's poor truck... :/

hehe
pnw

 

[mischief]

More stats:

The following is a list of crash fatality stats for about 3years from 1994 to 1997.

Format: Driver/Passenger/deaths per million vehicle years/multiple vehicle/single vehicle/Rollover deaths

Mustang (non-convertible): 122/90/138/52/86 with 383,341 registered.

Celica:16/11/73/41/32/14 with 218,211 registered.

Suddenly that Celica looks a whole lot better.

 

[Rower_CPU]

Originally posted by AlphaTech
Rower_CPU, I still will NEVER buy a toyota... no matter what people say about them, or Ford's.

4x4 trucks, hold their value much longer, and higher then 4x2 trucks, that is a known fact. Maybe one of the reasons the toys hold their value longer is because people actually use their Ford, or American, made trucks more and harder. I have never seen a toyota truck at a construction site, always American made. Of the trucks that I passed on my ride to work today (used the Harley), most of them were Fords. Between the phone company trucks doing work (road work) to the superduty turbo deisel haulers.

Let me provide the following side-by-side comparison from KBB to illustrate:

1996 Ford Ranger Super Cab
Engine: 4-Cyl. 2.3 Liter
Trans: 5 Speed Manual
Drive: 2 Wheel Drive
Mileage: 79,000
Air Conditioning
Power Steering
Power Windows
Power Door Locks
Tilt Wheel
Cruise Control
AM/FM Stereo
Cassette
Sliding Rear Window
Bed Liner
Alloy Wheels


Retail Value $8,230



1996 Toyota Tacoma Xtra Cab

Engine: 4-Cyl. 2.4 Liter
Trans: 5 Speed Manual
Drive: 2 Wheel Drive
Mileage: 79,000
Air Conditioning
Power Steering
Power Windows
Power Door Locks
Tilt Wheel
Cruise Control
AM/FM Stereo
Cassette
Sliding Rear Window
Bed Liner
Alloy Wheels

Retail Value $10,730

What do you think? Don't give me that "Fords are actually used hard" argument again. These are identical mint/good condition trucks...

Now, why won't you buy Toyota? They do have factories and manufacturing plants here in the US...or is that not good enough for you?

Are you a Ford zealot? Do you blindly follow the assumption that American made is better?

 

[palala]

Oh Yeah!

I drive a decomissioned cop car. Specifically it is a 1995 Chevy Caprice 9C1 police package with the Corvette LT1 engine. Basically it is a police version of the Chevy Impala. I did not actually paint mine like this (Its Phtoshop of course), but I was going to send this to Apple PR and see if they would give me a Ti-book or something to that effect if I actually did do this.

 

[Rower_CPU]

Sweeeeet!!!

That would be awesome to do a car...let us know if they go for it...

 

[mischief]

In that spirit..........

Check this out: A V10 propane Crown Vic:http://popularmechanics.com/cgi-bin/spy.pl?cat=det

Picture a Police issue Crown Vic that can do 0-60 in less than 6 seconds!

 

[Vilacr]

Mischief...
I have a Camaro SS, which is basically the same as the firebird WS6 and I must say I love my car. The power is unreal and the 6 speed makes me feel as if I'm in NASCAR.If you want power go for the mustang but, if you want style go for the celica. I prefer American vehicles for they are easily fixed as opposed to foreign vehicles.





P.S. The mustang GT will smoke the celica from 0 to 60

 

[mc68k]

Dream Car

My dream car is the Weigert Vector W8 Twin Turbo (pictured)

My "mac" is a S900/Pulsar

•G4 oc'd to 510MHz Running cool at 32C (Swiftech + Delta)
•OS 9.2.2 and OS 10.1.3
•Case mods galore

I guess you could liken this comp to a "tricked out" jalopy

[Specs] http://www.supercars.net/cars/1991@$Vector@$W8.html

 

[krossfyter]

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