Fun car ideas...

[GTOguy]

Originally Posted by RedLS1GTO

It would have to be a restomod if I went that route. I don't need a plush, luxurious ride, but I do need something that doesn't mind 80mph down the highway.

I've looked at many classics, trucks, Chevelle/ElCamino, etc. I absolutely love them, but they don't quite meet the reliability requirements that I am looking for. If I go that route, I want a beautiful, perfect car. I should have also listed in my requirements that while it has to be something that is nice, but also not something that would make me cry when it gets rock chips, etc from being driven.

How old are you? The reason why I ask is that most under 50 think you can't drive a stock 1950's-1980's car further than the grocery store without breaking down, going really slow, and being in danger. I'm 63, have driven most everything in the past 50-odd years, and use my old cars as daily drivers. My newest car is my '67 GTO....although I do have an 05 Tundra truck. Never had a car newer. The '67 cruises 80 mph and gets 20.6 mpg doing it. With no mods. Points, condenser, carburetor, TH400. Just old parts in top shape. On a 2700+ mile trip last year, used a total of 1/3-1/2 quart of oil, on the original engine I rebuilt 90,000 miles ago at 173,000 miles. Car has 260,000 miles on it and has never been off the road since new. Old cars don't need to have thier soul ripped out to be functional and fun. But I agree with you...if you like tech, stick with new cars. You're better off that way.

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by Onebadcad

PERFECTION, no others come close:

Sorry man, as a 2x owner, I'm gonna have to disagree.

They were fun. They were fast, but unfortunately the thing that hurt them the most was the typical GM bullshit. The interior build quality was less than great, even with all of the upgrades, Recaro, etc.

There was a reason that I owned 2 of them. The first was a 2011 auto. It was fun. It was decent. But it was kind of just... meh. I felt like it was just missing something to push it over the top, so I went searching for the M6. I found it. I found the exact car that I wanted, although the pearl black wouldn't have been my first choice of colors. Every option, black chrome, Recaro, everything. It always felt like it was missing something.

I put some better tires on it and it helped but it really just never gave the WOW factor that I had hoped it would. It seemed like GM tried to balance the luxury/sport aspects and managed to miss the mark on both of them. It wasn't sporty enough to be a sports car (other than the engine) and it wasn't luxurious enough to be a luxury car.

Which actually brings me to the S6 that I currently have. It is an absolutely loaded Prestige with the B-O audio, lighting package, soft close doors, everything. It is a phenomenal daily driver. Audi absolutely nailed the luxury aspect. The seats, the build quality, the materials are absolute next level. Even the little details like the lights and that B-O sound quality are amazing. Keeping my historic 20k miles a year, I wouldn't change a thing. With that decreasing and with way less time in the car to appreciate the luxury, I am looking to tip that balance towards the sport side again

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

How old are you? The reason why I ask is that most under 50 think you can't drive a stock 1950's-1980's car further than the grocery store without breaking down, going really slow, and being in danger. I'm 63, have driven most everything in the past 50-odd years, and use my old cars as daily drivers. My newest car is my '67 GTO....although I do have an 05 Tundra truck. Never had a car newer. The '67 cruises 80 mph and gets 20.6 mpg doing it. With no mods. Points, condenser, carburetor, TH400. Just old parts in top shape. On a 2700+ mile trip last year, used a total of 1/3-1/2 quart of oil, on the original engine I rebuilt 90,000 miles ago at 173,000 miles. Car has 260,000 miles on it and has never been off the road since new. Old cars don't need to have thier soul ripped out to be functional and fun. But I agree with you...if you like tech, stick with new cars. You're better off that way. Attachment 102852

I'm in my 40s. I've owned many older cars in my life. I don't disagree on reliability. With some basic maintenance, you're good to go. What I do disagree with is the aspect of going slow.

My most recent "older" vehicle was a K5 Blazer. Loved it. I was never really worried about it breaking down. However, I was worried that the f**ker would actually stop in under 500 feet. That thing was screaming to keep up with traffic on the highway. It was simply not designed to go 80mph down the highway and it showed. Not many vehicles prior to the 90s were.

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by Onebadcad

With that said, they do look cool as hell. You certainly can't take that away. Far and away, more people commented on the wagons than anything I have ever owned.

The brakes were spectacular. The power was plenty. It certainly wasn't a BAD car. Not at all. I think it just barely missed the mark, specifically with the GM build quality aspect.

[Onebadcad]

Originally Posted by RedLS1GTO

Sorry man, as a 2x owner, I'm gonna have to disagree.

They were fun. They were fast, but unfortunately the thing that hurt them the most was the typical GM bullshit. The interior build quality was less than great, even with all of the upgrades, Recaro, etc.

There was a reason that I owned 2 of them. The first was a 2011 auto. It was fun. It was decent. But it was kind of just... meh. I felt like it was just missing something to push it over the top, so I went searching for the M6. I found it. I found the exact car that I wanted, although the pearl black wouldn't have been my first choice of colors. Every option, black chrome, Recaro, everything. It always felt like it was missing something.

I put some better tires on it and it helped but it really just never gave the WOW factor that I had hoped it would. It seemed like GM tried to balance the luxury/sport aspects and managed to miss the mark on both of them. It wasn't sporty enough to be a sports car (other than the engine) and it wasn't luxurious enough to be a luxury car.

Which actually brings me to the S6 that I currently have. It is an absolutely loaded Prestige with the B-O audio, lighting package, soft close doors, everything. It is a phenomenal daily driver. Audi absolutely nailed the luxury aspect. The seats, the build quality, the materials are absolute next level. Even the little details like the lights and that B-O sound quality are amazing. Keeping my historic 20k miles a year, I wouldn't change a thing. With that decreasing and with way less time in the car to appreciate the luxury, I am looking to tip that balance towards the sport side again

We can always disagree, no biggie.

GM reliability and fit & finish sucks, I have owned enough to know this.

That Vagon though is AMAZING, the widebody makes it, IMO, beastly and unique.

I have never purchased a stock car and feel satisfied, I buy them to mod them, even while under warranty, as the aftermarket is a big factor when I consider a car purchase.

I like all performance cars, some more than others!!

[GTOguy]

Originally Posted by RedLS1GTO

I'm in my 40s. I've owned many older cars in my life. I don't disagree on reliability. With some basic maintenance, you're good to go. What I do disagree with is the aspect of going slow.

My most recent "older" vehicle was a K5 Blazer. Loved it. I was never really worried about it breaking down. However, I was worried that the f**ker would actually stop in under 500 feet. That thing was screaming to keep up with traffic on the highway. It was simply not designed to go 80mph down the highway and it showed. Not many vehicles prior to the 90s were.

Not trucks of the era, certainly. But cars? Yep. Many with rear gearsets of 2.40 to 3.00 for long legged low rpm highway duty. My '67 GTO cruises 91 mph at 3,000 rpm. 80 is 2450. Redline on the car is 5200 RPM. I have a 2.56 rear gear in it. Many of the older '60's cars had disc brakes and 2-series gears out back. Capable of all day high speeds and decent braking. It all depends on the car. And how it was or is optioned.

[Nosferatu]

Originally Posted by RedLS1GTO

I am looking for a car that I want to get in and drive when I walk out to the garage.

It's a combination of feel, looks, personality, and the overall experience.

Like I said, if I want to race, I'll go actually race (as I have done my entire life). I ride around on 200+ horsepower motorcycles that weigh 300 pounds. I've been in and around 6 second, 200++ trap speed cars for my whole life. The acceleration of any street car (including the Tesla) feels like a Geo by comparison. I'm 0% concerned about status or what other people think of my cars. Outside of a track of course, I don't care if someone is faster.

I don't care how fast it is if it looks like a bag of ass. I don't care how good it looks if it's not a fun drive. Sound, steering feel, brakes... all a part of it. It has to be reliable to a fairly decent level. It has to get me back and forth to work a couple of times a week. If I want to hop in and take a few hundred mile trip on a random weekend, I don't want to wonder if it will make it.

And I'd like to be able to put my kids in it, even if I have to stuff them in tiny seats.

As for the budget, it's somewhat flexible. It doesn't HAVE to be expensive. I could swing the RS6 if I wanted but that's a bit more than I was hoping to spend on what is essentially a part time driver. I will absolutely be putting miles on it and generally speaking, the more it costs, the more miles are going to kill the value.

Short version, I'll know it when I see it.

Looking to fit kids in a car that you want to do everything else will really limit your choices. Get a Mercedes AMG GT-S.

[RedLS1GTO]

Well.

I have looked at more cars than I can count, from Buicks to McLarens to Audis and a Benz. I've looked at EVs, I've looked at V10s, and everything in between.

And I am at this point leaning towards.

Well.

This.

My 2015 dually is great, but of all of the vehicles, it's the one I spend the most time in. It takes the longest trips. It does the most work. My main towing these days is either a smaller ~5k pound trailer or the ~13k pound camper / toy hauler. The camper is getting used less frequently and the smaller trailer much more often with our racing trips.

I'm a bit skeptical of towing with the SRW vs. the dually, so I've told them that I need to see how it handles the camper before I buy it. I shall be doing that on Monday. I know that I will be sacrificing a bit of stability and definitely some of the safety factor of that extra pair of tires back there.

If it does a good job, my new "fun" car may have to wait just a bit in lieu of a truck. The new AT4X package is pretty slick with the comfort of a Denali but keeping the sportier look.

And who doesn't need massaging seats in a truck.

[Steve_R]

Not where I thought this thread would end.

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by Steve_R

Not where I thought this thread would end.

It hasn’t ended quite yet. Just looking at options. 😁

Make no mistake, the fun car is coming. It may just have to wait for a little while.

[LATB]

I love the massaging seats in my truck.
Before you buy the Jimmy, you should take a serious look at the SuperDuty.

[ptindall]

Originally Posted by RedLS1GTO

My 2015 dually is great, but of all of the vehicles, it's the one I spend the most time in. It takes the longest trips. It does the most work. My main towing these days is either a smaller ~5k pound trailer or the ~13k pound camper / toy hauler. The camper is getting used less frequently and the smaller trailer much more often with our racing trips.

I'm a bit skeptical of towing with the SRW vs. the dually, so I've told them that I need to see how it handles the camper before I buy it. I shall be doing that on Monday. I know that I will be sacrificing a bit of stability and definitely some of the safety factor of that extra pair of tires back there.

If it does a good job, my new "fun" car may have to wait just a bit in lieu of a truck. The new AT4X package is pretty slick with the comfort of a Denali but keeping the sportier look.

And who doesn't need massaging seats in a truck.

I understand wanting your truck to be as nice as possible. I feel the same way. Mine is my road trip vehicle too, and therefor where I care about being comfortable and enjoying the ride the most. I am curious why are you not looking at another DRW? In this role, I don't notice any downsides to the DRW besides having to buy more tires.

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by LATB

I love the massaging seats in my truck.
Before you buy the Jimmy, you should take a serious look at the SuperDuty.

I actually went and looked/drove yesterday. I took an extended test drive in an F250 Platinum.

They’re nice trucks. I can’t even begin to put my finger on what it is, I just didn’t like it as much.

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by ptindall

I understand wanting your truck to be as nice as possible. I feel the same way. Mine is my road trip vehicle too, and therefor where I care about being comfortable and enjoying the ride the most. I am curious why are you not looking at another DRW? In this role, I don't notice any downsides to the DRW besides having to buy more tires.

I was actually drawn in by a nice dually sitting out front before moving to the 2500s sitting beside it.

As it stands now, my big ass truck is used for towing and road trips. It does those things spectacularly well. The problem is that the fugger is about the size of a school bus and is less than pleasant to use as an around town driver. Parking it is a bitch. Even though it is rare, not being able to hit a drive-thru is somewhat annoying. When I actually have to stop, my kids think that they actually get liquids which as we know is unacceptable to maximize driving time.

The tow ratings on the new 2500s is actually almost the same as my 2015 dually, which seems crazy. I'm also still a bit skeptical of it. The brakes are massive as opposed to the previous 2500s which were lacking. Basically it seems that the newest 2500s are essentially last generations SRW 3500s, which I did use to tow with a fair amount of success before my trailers started getting bigger and I opted for the dually. I do 100% without question recognize the benefits of the dually in that regard and am not arguing that tow ratings are the black and white answer. They are a slightly shorter wheelbase. They are obviously narrower so I realize that they are not going to be quite as stable with the larger trailer. How much less is TBD.

Short version, the dually is f-ing massive. The trailers that I am towing these days have shifted from racing full size cars to racing karts, which means a smaller trailers (other than the camper). Going with the SRW would actually (hopefully) let me use it for more than road trips and towing.

I am also considering the 2500 Denali Ultimate that has the "Heavy Duty Front Spring/Camper Package, Hitch Package, and Max Trailering Package"
that actually ups the tow rating just a bit again. It doesn't look quite as good in my opinion, but may be a little less of a compromise in towing.

We shall see.

I wonder if anybody has ever showed up with a 40' camper as part of a test drive before.

[ptindall]

Originally Posted by RedLS1GTO

I was actually drawn in by a nice dually sitting out front before moving to the 2500s sitting beside it.

As it stands now, my big ass truck is used for towing and road trips. It does those things spectacularly well. The problem is that the fugger is about the size of a school bus and is less than pleasant to use as an around town driver. Parking it is a bitch. Even though it is rare, not being able to hit a drive-thru is somewhat annoying. When I actually have to stop, my kids think that they actually get liquids which as we know is unacceptable to maximize driving time.

The tow ratings on the new 2500s is actually almost the same as my 2015 dually, which seems crazy. I'm also still a bit skeptical of it. The brakes are massive as opposed to the previous 2500s which were lacking. Basically it seems that the newest 2500s are essentially last generations SRW 3500s, which I did use to tow with a fair amount of success before my trailers started getting bigger and I opted for the dually. I do 100% without question recognize the benefits of the dually in that regard and am not arguing that tow ratings are the black and white answer. They are a slightly shorter wheelbase. They are obviously narrower so I realize that they are not going to be quite as stable with the larger trailer. How much less is TBD.

Short version, the dually is f-ing massive. The trailers that I am towing these days have shifted from racing full size cars to racing karts, which means a smaller trailers (other than the camper). Going with the SRW would actually (hopefully) let me use it for more than road trips and towing.

I am also considering the 2500 Denali Ultimate that has the "Heavy Duty Front Spring/Camper Package, Hitch Package, and Max Trailering Package"
that actually ups the tow rating just a bit again. It doesn't look quite as good in my opinion, but may be a little less of a compromise in towing.

We shall see.

I wonder if anybody has ever showed up with a 40' camper as part of a test drive before.

Makes perfect sense. I did not know you wanted to be able to use it around town. I agree they are terrible for that.

[RedLS1GTO]

Originally Posted by ptindall

Makes perfect sense. I did not know you wanted to be able to use it around town. I agree they are terrible for that.

I'm also interested to see just how bad the GenII L5P is compared to the LML in terms of mileage.

Without the trailer, my tuned LML easily gets over 20mpg at 80mph. I averaged in the 22 range on my last Daytona trip with the bed absolutely packed full and 3 (not small) people in it. On a non-mountain trip, I can get close to 800 miles on a tank out of that beast.

If I'm buying a "six figure" truck, a few dollars in gas isn't a big deal, but I've heard complaints of the L5Ps being in the mid teens. I realize that they have a lot more ass than even my tuned LML, but that's a fairly significant loss. I'm not about to go start deleting DEF and putting tunes on it until it's out of warranty (like I did on the current truck)

Or I just say f'k it, forget the kids, and go buy a Viper.

Decisions, decisions.