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wontgrowup

CEG'er
Joined
Nov 17, 2002
Messages
140
Location
Western Massachusetts
Hey guys, and Gals (hi Kimmy!)....figured I'd shlep on in to see whats new, and give you some updates and ask a question.

First of all, my son, Colin (remember him from Elky's house party when he was like 8?) is going to be 15 (!) this year and was accepted into Pathfinder Regional Tech School for their prestigious Automotive program. I myself have passed my 5 level Journeyman's Licensing with the USAF and will be starting as a full-time Jet Mech at Westover AFRB in the next few weeks (thank GOD i'm NOT getting deployed!).

My question is this...Colin and I have had MANY discussions over his first car that he would like to purchase and have discussed the pros/cons of various cars that I've owned and the conversation keeps coming back to the good 'ole SVT 'Tour. Since I haven't been paying much attention to the market, how much are people here selling SVT's for and what is your opinions of this as a first car? I figured that the insurance wouldn't be as steep as say a WRX or a V-8 powered anything (what he keeps bringing up in our conversations), and we obviously have some knowledge about these vehicles...plus he would have a wealth of knowledge to draw on from you Folks here at the forums. He's going into a job-placement program starting next year (as his grades are pretty much straight A's in Shop) so he'll be able to get some $$ put aside. Any input insight you have, i'll have him log on and you can speak with him here. BTW, his e-mail is livetoskate93@yahoo.com if you have any further comments/questions you want to give to him directly.

The SVT Focus is running strong, and I now find myself with 3 (!) separate intake systems (i.e. Steeda SRI, a CAI and the Stock Euro intake) that I play around with. The car still continues to amaze me that it handles as well as it does, responds so well to ECU tweaking/tuning with the SCT Flasher that I purchased last year, and consistently returns 28-29 MPG with my fairly "lead" foot. One thing with the EAP package that I constantly marvel at is the HID's that came with it....I can honestly say i will never purchase another vehicle without them!

BTW, anyone have any info/updates on our former Plane Mech who lived down in Windsor, CT? Does his Bro still own his "old" SVT?? Just curious...Thanks Guys/Gals!
 
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ElKy said:
long time no see!
i can't believe Colin is going to be 15!!!!
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ditto!!!! i can't believe how times flies.

An SVT is certainly a good choice. Understated, easy to fix, and powerful enough to get out of its own way. You can probably find a decent one with 80k miles for around $3k. I liked mine when I had it, but there were certain build quality issues that turned me off. Especially the bumper sag...I hated the bumper sag.

However...I think there are other choices that you should shop around. Volvo safety is the best in the business. Finding a used S40 with a turbo and manual trans would be plenty of power for a starter car and repair bills won't kill you. The wagon also provides lots of space for sports equipment, etc...

Infiniti G20's are also very easy to fix and extremely reliable. The SR20DE is one of the best engines in the car world. Try to find a touring, or "G20t" model: better seats, better wheels, better handling & limited slip diff. If he wants to get into modding engines later on, the SR20DE can be fitted with tons of horsepower. In 2002, the "Touring" model was called "Sport" and the "t" was dropped from the name. The G20 was replaced by the G35 in 2003.

And of course, I would be remiss if I didn't recommend a Saab.

The 9-3 hatchbacks (1999-2002) and the 9-5 sedan or wagon (1999-2004) are arguably the most reliable Saabs built. The 9-3 is a little less expensive to maintain; 1999 models are supposedly the best due the design of the oil delivery system. Both cars are very cheap to insure and very safe. The 9-3 hatchback provides tons of space (moving to college...?) and it's not an "arrest me" car, but plenty of power. The 2.0 turbo Ecotec engine on the 9-3 comes in 2 varieties: 175 HP low-pressure turbo and 205 HP high-pressure turbo (SE). The 9-5 has many more engine varieties, but stick with the 2.3T (that's BIG "T", not little "t") for the high-pressure turbo. The 9-5 is a heavier car and needs the power. In earlier years the 2.3T engine was found in the SE models, later called Arc.
 
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Whatever, you do, don't have him get a high-powered V8 or turbocharged (WRX et al) anything. There have been so many articles about teens killing themselves in WRXs lately. I'd limit the choices to <225hp, which still gives him plenty of room to play but not tempting enough to constantly drive fast.
 
rouar said:
Whatever, you do, don't have him get a high-powered V8 or turbocharged (WRX et al) anything. There have been so many articles about teens killing themselves in WRXs lately. I'd limit the choices to <225hp, which still gives him plenty of room to play but not tempting enough to constantly drive fast.
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forget that, go with a tempo or a zetec atx contour, then go from there ...


edit: basically anything with a 4 cylinder that isn't FI. It was more then enough for me to get pulled over once or twice in my first few years of driving.
 
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wontgrowup said:
BTW, anyone have any info/updates on our former Plane Mech who lived down in Windsor, CT? Does his Bro still own his "old" SVT?? Just curious...Thanks Guys/Gals!
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JSmith still pops on from time to time. Send him a pm and see what he says.

Welcome back, and congrats on all the good stuff you got going on!
 
LOL!!!

LOL!!!

Wow!!

thanks for all your responses!!

Actually, Baco, I used to own a 1993 SE-R sentra and am very familiar with that motor/drivetrain...same thing for the G20. The only problem is finding one, they seem to be few and far between.

He seems to be hung up on Domestic "iron",so he was talking about SHO's, SVT Tours, and for some odd reason, he thik he's going to "get" my SVT Focus when "the times right"....yeah....sure.;)

Never thought about Saabs or Volvo's...the C70 is a pretty sweet looking car...Any other thoughts on something with a 5 or6 speed manual?
 
wontgrowup said:
Wow!!

thanks for all your responses!!

Actually, Baco, I used to own a 1993 SE-R sentra and am very familiar with that motor/drivetrain...same thing for the G20. The only problem is finding one, they seem to be few and far between.

He seems to be hung up on Domestic "iron",so he was talking about SHO's, SVT Tours, and for some odd reason, he thik he's going to "get" my SVT Focus when "the times right"....yeah....sure.;)

Never thought about Saabs or Volvo's...the C70 is a pretty sweet looking car...Any other thoughts on something with a 5 or6 speed manual?
Click to expand...

If you look at the C70, stay with the coupe -- the convertible shakes and shimmies on its wiggly chassis more than a belly dancer after her fifth cup of coffee.

I like your son's taste in cars -- I've owned two SHOs and I currently have a Contour SVT. They've all been great, especially my first SHO (ran it for 221,938 miles) and my Contour SVT (in terrific shape and great fun at 123,000). If you do indeed go SHO, I'd spend a little more for a well-cared for example -- there are many out there that have been beaten on a bit.

All that said, for a young kid, you're probably better off with something a bit more plebian and unassuming. Brian's suggestion of a Tempo is well made, though it may not ring well with Colin. Not long ago, I found a very clean 1990 Tempo with about 25K original miles on Craigslist for $1200. That's a deal at the asking price, and I'll bet they'd have taken $850. Heck, I thought about buying that one and commuting in it. Here's a last year coupe in Canton with 67K with an $1850 asking price:

http://boston.en.craigslist.org/sob/car/568164414.html

You could also scare up a Cougar LS or a T-Bird from the first half of the Nineties for short money. I see them in fine shape with low mileage on Autotrader.com and the like. Something like that would make a great choice. I'll leave it up to you whether to choose the 3.8 or the 4.6 -- both are great mills.

A few examples without specific regard to location:

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...3&doors=&transmission=&max_price=&cardist=666

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...3&doors=&transmission=&max_price=&cardist=923

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...&doors=&transmission=&max_price=&cardist=1189
 
wontgrowup said:
Wow!!

thanks for all your responses!!

Actually, Baco, I used to own a 1993 SE-R sentra and am very familiar with that motor/drivetrain...same thing for the G20. The only problem is finding one, they seem to be few and far between.

He seems to be hung up on Domestic "iron",so he was talking about SHO's, SVT Tours, and for some odd reason, he thik he's going to "get" my SVT Focus when "the times right"....yeah....sure.;)

Never thought about Saabs or Volvo's...the C70 is a pretty sweet looking car...Any other thoughts on something with a 5 or6 speed manual?
Click to expand...

C70 is NOT the car you want a teenager driving. it's a car for Cougars, the female kind. Laura is right about the convertible's lose chassis, but don't think the coupe was any better. the C70 was a coupe with cowl shake. probably the worst example of a Volvo you can find, in my opinion.

S60 is a great car. the 2.4 n-a or 2.5 turbo models are both very reliable and very powerful.

you may also want to look at the 850 Turbo, just be sure to get snow tires in the winter. those cars were too light and had too much power for slick roads.

Volvo-850.jpg


my final suggestion would be a Volvo 960/S90
a VERY stately car, VERY safe, and had all the trimmings from Volvo. Traction control, electronic braking, active head restraints, etc...
The 960 was made from 1992-1997, the S90 was only made in 1998.

Volvo_S90.jpg
 
baco99 said:
S60 is a great car. the 2.4 n-a or 2.5 turbo models are both very reliable and very powerful.
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My sister has an S60 and loves it. I've always wanted one too. Definitely the most comfortable seats I've ever sat in. Good to hear they are reliable as well.

wontgrowup - what is your/his budget?
 
LOL!!!

LOL!!!

Kim, that's awesome....I take it theres more to that Zetec than I care to know??

Hey, thanks for some of your replies....I knew I could count on the folks here to give me some eclectic car choices....here's one car Colin brought up that we saw flying around the Berlin Tnpke last summer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelby_GLHS

I told him good luck finding one of those....I also have an issue of hemmings Muscle cars where someone took an early 80's LTD and swapped a Mustang GT drivetrain/suspension etc into it....he's not averse to making a "frankencar" (his verbage, not mine) if he wants....he does have a shop at his disposal now. For example, there was a guy we know who goes to the "turnpike" who has a 1992 Escort GT with a Mazda turbo motor, rool cgae and a fuel cell in it that is SEVERELY traction limited! He went over the specs of the build with Colin and explained how much everything cost, including the price of the car, and it cost him about 6K....even the factory wiring harness worked for the conversion...
 
wontgrowup said:
...I also have an issue of hemmings Muscle cars where someone took an early 80's LTD and swapped a Mustang GT drivetrain/suspension etc into it...
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The LTD LX was a remarkable automobile. 5.0 HO under the hood and suspension tweaks to handle the extra thrust. The instrument panel was also LX specific, and included a tach. Ford didn't make a hell of a lot of them, but they're are still a few out there. You could also just buy an LTD with the venerable 3.8 Essex and do a swap if you wanted to go for more power. It's a Fox, after all, so parts are easy to come by.

Here's a shot of the LX. Hot Rod magazine featured an '85 that a guy performed a Cobra 5.0 conversion on -- he also went so far as to install the Borg-Warner 5-speed. Hot stuff.



You can read the entire article here:

http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/55758_1985_ford_ltd_lx/index.html

http://images.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/116large+1985_ford_ltd_lx+front_interior_view.jpg
 
LauraSVT said:
The LTD LX was a remarkable automobile. 5.0 HO under the hood and suspension tweaks to handle the extra thrust. The instrument panel was also LX specific, and included a tach. Ford didn't make a hell of a lot of them, but they're are still a few out there. You could also just buy an LTD with the venerable 3.8 Essex and do a swap if you wanted to go for more power. It's a Fox, after all, so parts are easy to come by.

Here's a shot of the LX. Hot Rod magazine featured an '85 that a guy performed a Cobra 5.0 conversion on -- he also went so far as to install the Borg-Warner 5-speed. Hot stuff.



You can read the entire article here:

http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/55758_1985_ford_ltd_lx/index.html

http://images.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/116large+1985_ford_ltd_lx+front_interior_view.jpg
Click to expand...

Sweet! My first car was an '85 LTD with the 3.8. It was flat light blue! haha. I never realized how much I missed it until it was gone for a while, that's when I bought the 88 GM.
 
Cobra said:
Sweet! My first car was an '85 LTD with the 3.8. It was flat light blue! haha. I never realized how much I missed it until it was gone for a while, that's when I bought the 88 GM.
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With the 3.08 rear gears that came with overdrive, they get off their hanches with a good deal of conviction. While I wouldn't rush out the door to get to New England Dragway (though you could with the LX), they're great cars -- in any trim. Glad to see that the little LTD is getting some appreciation! :cool:
 
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