Eight months back i had some extra cash burning a hole in my pocket. It was time to get rid of the Golf. But deciding on what to get was not easy. I wanted something that would stand out a bit while still being a decent daily driver. And at $5000 i was spoiled for choice. But it was all common stuff in the local car scene. 200sx’s (S13’s S14’s) a skyline GTS-T, Mitsu 3000GTs. Volvo 850s, Miatas, A stagea that needed a bit of work, Golf GTi’s, Some Hondas, even a Nissan Sunny GTI-R that i had to pass on because i’d lose my license. Try driving one. They are too damn fun. A few Merc 190s. Had one as my first car and i’m kind of hooked. I’ve owned two so far. But i wouldn’t get anything other than the 2.5-16 this time. And there were none. They were all good cars in their own ways but nothing i hadn’t tried or seen before.
Then i decided it was time to try owning something from a country i hadn’t owned Anything from before. It was time to try American. But with my limited budget there was only a few options. (American cars are at a slight premium in Sweden) The SN95 mustang, The dodge stealth (which is out by default since its really a mitsubishi in drag) And the Catfish camaro. All V6 cars. The foxbody was tempting. But a bit hard to justify.
In the end i went fishing. Caught a nice fat catfish in gleaming silver. A V6, Manual, Coupe. I wanted an automatic T-top but they were not biting at the time. And in the end i’m quite happy with my catch. Although it bit me when i let my guard down. But more on that in a bit.
So i ended up in a slice of V6 americana. And man was i hounded for it. “Why didn’t you buy this” “Why didn’t you buy that” On top of that it turns out driving it makes me gay. At least according to the internet. Which i think is ridiculous. And so does my boyfriend.
I’m joking.. I’m a car enthusiast.. I can’t afford dating..
So. After eight months of ownership i think i’m ready to talk about it.
Well right off the bat i’ll say that cars like mine get too much crap leveled at them. I’m not expecting to change that with a blog post. But man people can be dicks. If i bought a park avenue with the same engine nobody would bat an eye. But let’s not dwell on it.
I went into this with a bit of knowledge and an open mind. And i have to say i’m not entirely dissatisfied with my choice. I made one major mistake with the purchase but that’s on me. Not the car. I bought it with a slightly whiny rear end. The car sounded a bit bad too. But yeah. I figured i’d swap the rear when it went pop for something a bit sturdier than the GM 7.5. Wasn’t counting on my job situation changing though so now its gone pop and its in the shop.. Getting another 7.5 installed. This time it might get a locker but its unclear at the moment.
Rear end aside i do like the car. As a daily driver it is my favorite car to date. Its comfortable, Spacious and surprisingly practical. Real good on gas as well. Better than the golf’s 1.6l engine on the highway due to the gearing being done by someone competent. The gearbox is a bit agricultural but i grew up on a farm so its familiar.
And even though its not a very muscly muscle car i’m real happy about being able to pass people at my own leisure. With the golf i had to plan about a week in advance. The plastics are cheap, But not horrid. I’ve driven a 92 Nissan sunny and i know what horrid is. It squeaks a bit. But that’s expected after 17 years. I must say that it has held up well though.
Pros
- Comfy and spacious
- Handles surprisingly well for a live axle car. Was expecting significant bump sensitivity.
- Boot space is great
- Seats are generously proportioned
- 300nm’s of torque makes it real easy to drive. Just let up the clutch and it goes.
- Good visibility
- Seats four in comfort
- Nice and simple to work on.
- Good on gas. Comparatively
- Cheap to insure and the tax isn’t too bad.
- Brakes are real good. (Four wheel discs)
- The AC works soo well.
- Sits pretty far up on stock suspension. Works well with my city’s multitude of speedbumps.
Cons
- You have to be part squid to get out of it in tight parking spaces.
- A bit wide for my street. But not too wide
- Not a fantastic winter vehicle. But i survived
- Can’t find wheels for it locally due to the bolt pattern. And tyres are more expensive
- The stereo is not great.
- Sound proofing. There is none
- Haters gon hate
- Gateway drug. I want more torque!
- Comparatively expensive spares outside regular service items. Some items even say “Call for price” Which is bloody terrifying.
- Window motors don’t work that well.
So there. I’m finally back in a car i enjoy and i plan to attend many car meets with it. That is if i get it back from the shop. And i am planning on doing some stuff to it. At first i figured i’d either do something with the V6 to get the power up. Then i looked at maybe getting the supercharged version of the engine to stick in there. But in the end the LS is my most reasonable option. Since they are plentiful and easier to get into my car. But that’s a bit further down the road. I bought the V6 with the intention of swapping it in the future. That way i get an LS powered camaro. But with my own spin on things. I’ll go through the suspension front to back, Change out the rear axle.. again.. for something a bit sturdier, Throw in a refurbished T56 transmission. Possibly a magnum. Or a 4L60E depending on what i feel like when i need to cross that bridge. And i’ll go through the engine properly before i install it. Possibly with some goodies thrown into it. I’ll go over the fuel system, Ignition, Wiring and add a whole lot of sound deadening. And probably run it on E85. Since its plentiful around here. Big plans. The body is solid and rust free for the most part. And i’ll have a V6 laying about to stuff into something else for fun.
But dreams will be dreams until they are realized. And i’ll need a better paying job before i can get started. But with luck i’ll get there eventually.
So there you have it. My first blog post in ages. I’ll try to remember that i have a blog a bit better from now on.
TheRevRanter 