Recent content by BatmanLS1

My '94 Buick Regal was dirt cheap to insure...I miss that old car. It definitely had Low Ego emissions. My wife makes fun of me for liking all the "blue hair" cars. I think the Mercury Grand Marquis is another hidden bargain...like the CV. Lots of old folks driving them...that 4.6 doesn't...

The 5.9 Cummins? That truck would be a hot commodity with those two combinations. To answer your question, yes.

Mitsubishi 3.0 V6 stuffed in a Plymouth Acclaim. What a piece of #@$%!. Leaked oil from every seal imagineable. Valve seals were smoking by around 95k. Every old Caravan you see that leaves a ghost at the stoplight...has a Mitsu engine under the hood most likely.

I have owned numerous higher mileage cars. Many of them made some start up noise that disappeared when the engine warmed. Most likely nothing to worry about...just take it easy until it warms.

Where do you find VSOT? I have looked at all the auto stores around (AZ, Napa, AA, PB) and never seen it.

Is that really the case though? Honestly don't know, but I thought Toyotas needed timing belts replaced before 100k. Or have they gone to chains? The dealership will get you for a few hundred bucks right there.

Didn't they offer a buy back on the RX8 after it was initially offered b/c it didn't make the advertised power?

I'm going to guess that since this car is derived from an existing platform (Mazda 6), existing engines (3.0 Duratec & 2.3 I4), and parts from the Ford corporate parts bin that there aren't a lot of unknowns here. It should be a reliable car long-term. Both engines have been sound in other...

I get about 31 MPG on long highway trips with my 3800 in a '94 Regal. The engine still performs great with almost 133,000 miles on it. My mixed commute (50/50 city/hwy) yields about 24 MPG.

Interesting take. Personally, I prefer the styling of the model it just replaced. True about the FORD - but at the rate Toyota has been going recently with Recall-A-Thon, she may get that membership yet.

Laser spark plugs, I think that was a future technology I read about. Could provide a more complete burn.

Folks, this is just the start of our downfall IMO. We hear news reports about teachers that won't use red ink b/c it's too offensive to the students. There's no such thing as an "F". People and schools try to tell our kids that grades don't matter that much... What is happening? This just...

Isn't VW going to start rebadging DC minivans in the next year or so...or at least buying the minivan chassis from DC?

That doesn't really sound too excessive, but try adding a little 10w-40 next time. It cured the consumption in my 3800.

If you plan on owning for the long term...which is cheaper to repair? I would lean towards the Focus myself. It should be straight foward to work on, but I truly don't know how hard Kias are to work on. Also, where is the oil filter located on each car?