BayAreaZT

I’m looking to pick up a commuter car so I don’t have to drive the Z 40 miles each way in the summer. The car has to be fuel efficient, fairly reliable, and fun to drive. I may occasionally auto cross it just for kicks. Back seats are a plus but not absolutely necessary. Budget is < $3000. Some cars I have in mind Early miata - I’d like a ’94-’97 but those seem to be pushing the $3000 mark. I would also want a hard top for it since it rains a lot here in the summer. Mk2 GTI - I’ve never driven one but I’ve always read they’re a blast to drive and they get 30+ mpg. EG civic hatch - Good gas mileage and reliable if not hacked up. CRX - Same as civic. E36 BMW 318ti - Kinda like a upscale, RWD GTI. E30 325is - Another fun car I’ve always admired. Anyone care to share opinions or experiences with these cars?

Hey Rossman, I'm with LM too. I actually interviewed for a design position on the Orion program a few years ago. Things seemed to be a bit hectic with that program back then. They kept me hanging for at least 6 months before telling me they filled the position. I did design work for a Air Force satellite program in Sunnyvale, CA. I'm now in Cape Canaveral working in the FBM program for the Navy.

What do you guys recommend as the best way to remove a socket head O2 plug thats seized and stripped. Not the sensor but a plug screwed into the bung. Hammer in the next size hex bit? Easy-out?

I lived close to downtown where their listed address is and I've never seen it there. There was a place in Santa Cruz too but I'm not sure if they're still around either.

The wheels look like 3-Piece Racing Hart C2s. -edit: The car looked familiar since it's a Nor-Cal car. Here's a link to more pics. http://www.classiczcars.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=11165

You now also get a $8000 tax credit as a first time home buyer. Pretty good deal. Don't worry too much if you have to sell your Z. I'm on my 3rd Z after selling my previous ones for various reasons. I may be selling my current Z for the same reason as you.

Nice setup. I still can't believe I sold my old B&W 801s . They were too big for my space and needed refurbishing though. I'm like you. My Denon reciever crapped out maybe two years ago and I still haven't replaced it.

The S4 fits all 4 of the criteria you laid out. I just sold my B6 A4 Avant and I had I had no problems with it up to 92,000 miles. Very nice interior and comfortable to drive. The S4 adds the power and fun factor that the regular A4 is missing. A chipped A4 with a bigger turbo would be fun too. I miss my avant

Sorry, I meant BR8ES

I run BPR7ES plugs which are one step colder than stock. For 18+ psi try BP8ES plugs. Do a search on these plugs. There are a few threads on this subject.

A while back I wanted the same thing so I bought a set of 16" watanabe RS-8s. I was going to use the centers with some custom shells form Kodiak. I think the shells run in the 1k range so it can be done for < 2k if you get a deal on some high offset RS-8s. I couldn't commit the funds so I sold the wheels

Cars and Coffee is a monthly event that started in Irvine but they're popping up all over the place now. This one was at Lake Mary near Orlando, Fl.

Went to the International Auto Show in Orlando and Cars and Coffee over the weekend. Just thought I'd share a few pics. Enjoy Cars and Coffee Few more pics here http://s101.photobucket.com/albums/m54/240ZT/2008%20International%20Auto%20Show%20Orlando/?albumview=slideshow http://s101.photobucket.com/albums/m54/240ZT/Cars%20and%20Coffee/?albumview=slideshow

I saw that too . Both the Z and the Ferrari were red with black hoods...lol.. The Ferrari was a 375MM Spyder BTW

This was at Cape Canaveral AFS. There's a air show this weekend at Kennedy Space Center.

Got to see the Blue Angels practice pretty much right in front of our building. They're getting ready for an air show this weekend. Awesome sight to see in person. Pictures were taken from my iphone so they're not the best.

Wow! I just watched the race last night. Crazy finish. I went from pure elation to WTF? Did Glock just lose traction on the last corner?

I'm scheduled to be in Norfolk that weekend so I'll probably check it out. I'll be in a rental car though

I'm at Cape Canaveral AFS right now and I was planning on driving by to get a closer look at this spectacular sight for myself. Seeing the last shuttle launch in person was an awesome experience.

Nice work. I was a little worried when I saw it open in the first two pictures . Don't really see any obvious clean solution to the intake routing.

PM sent

Still need the carfax? Send me the VIN and I'll try and hook it up.

I used seafoam on my 1.8t Audi last week. So far no problems. Audi guys use it due to the oil sludge issue with this engine. I had the low oil pressure light keep coming on so I used some in the crankcase before I changed the oil and some through the intake. Afterwards, the oil pressure light stopped coming on. As long as you don't do any WOT runs I don't think it would do any damage to the turbo unless I'm overlooking something.

So you went from 3.70 to a 3.54? Did you feel any difference? I'm thinking about doing this soon but I'm wondering if it's worth it or if I should wait and try and get a 3.36.

Nice. There's no shame losing to Chris car . How's the tune on your car Phil? We're you able to clean up the top end at all?