How i fell back in love w/ my stang

[BigHairyMonkey]

I recently picked up a bmw 318is for a daily driver and i think that after not having to drive the stang 20 miles to work and back everyday im falling in love with the car all over again. Its like all the things that i used to hate about the fox when i drove it everyday i now love about the car when i drive it for pleasure. Things like how short, precise, and linear the shifts are (pro-5.0, mm cable, steeda quad, and fiore adj), how heavy and mechanical the clutch is how much damn TQ the car makes at low rpm. I got so complacent and irritated with the car after driving it everyday for 2 years (no a/c, loud, hot, heavy clutch, smell like a gas station everytime you get outa the car, etc), but now its like i miss it over the week and when i bring it out on the weekends i cant wipe the smile off my face. I mean its not even that fast, but damn after driving my slow ass bmw for a week it feels like a damn monster. I always wondered why guys would have nice cars and only drive them from time to time.. now i know. I think when you drive your 'baby' everyday it loses its charm. Anyone concur?

 

[jmd2914]

Yes. I do. I feel like that is the point I'm at right now, becasue I'm daily driving mine.

 

[ill advised]

Absolutely. My situation is a little different considering I went from daily driving one 5.0 to another. I drove my '90 daily for 10 years and was completely burned out on that car. Moving to L.A. didn't help matters what with the insane traffic. Now that I drive my stockish AOD everyday my '90 feels like a snarling, tire-shreddin', corner-carving, rocket ship. lol The thing I seem to miss most is the excitement of rowing through the gears. Especially with the 4.10. I drove manuals for so long (17 years before buying my first automatic) it just feels natural.

 

[Darkwriter77]

Yup. Definitely agree.

I didn't mind DD'ing my '89 for a year or so before it got placed on "weekend toy" status, even though it was pretty unpleasant as far as creature comforts - no A/C, no heat, loud, reeked of fuel for an hour whenever I filled up, I always came home stinking of exhaust fumes, etc. However, I wasn't able to better appreciate its fun factor until it attained its current part-time role.

My '84 isn't fast be any means, but it's not as huge of a difference in driving feel and such from my '89 as it was between my '89 and, say, driving an S10 truck. When I used to DD a Geo Metro, it made teh Notch feel like a friggin' rocket ship by comparison when I'd jump into it for the weekend. This is also one of the reasons why I've been feeling the urge to ditch the '84 in favor of something else for a DD ... aside from also realizing that it's kind of redundant having two 5.0 Foxes, and I miss the convenience of having a truck or SUV to haul stuff around.

 

[fivespeedsteed]

i got the jeep and noticed this instantly. the more you drive it them ore you find wrong with it.

 

[Mustang5L5]

I always wondered why guys would have nice cars and only drive them from time to time.. now i know. I think when you drive your 'baby' everyday it loses its charm. Anyone concur?

I agree. If i drove my 5.0 every day I would get sick of it. It's nice having a normal car to drive everyday and then the "fun" car. I think in the last months, i've only put 150 miles on my 5.0. But it's nice to get in the car and have that rumble that you don't get to hear too often.

When i had my '03 GT...drive it every day made it lose it's allure to me. The noise, the stiff suspension, being afraid in the rain and snow...it's all stuff that makes me love my G35. But on the other hand, the roughness, the torque, the 5-spd, the snarl of the exhaust...make me love the Mustang too.

My two rides.

 

[ryan218]

i dont get to drive mine much. so yeah i know what you mean. cant wait to get the thing back together though. miss the fun factor.

 

[mob]

I havent had a license since May, I not only miss my mustang but I miss driving all together!! Cant wait till August 9th. Mine is taken apart also though so I cant even hear it run, few more weeks and I will start her up again.

 

[LiquidGT]

I'm kinda getting burned out on DD mine... my stang still has all its creature comforts, no drone exhaust, and cats so I dont smell like gas when I get out of it so it's about as good as a Fox can be for a DD. I just dont like having to repair something and having to get it fixed in the same day since its my only car.

Hopefully I should be getting my buddy's Euro package SVT Focus for a steal in the coming months... then maybe I can get a good Fox to do a body swap in.

 

[BigHairyMonkey]

The only, thing that kinda sucks was i got the bmw so i could start doing **** to my car finally cause i can work on it and it be down, but ive been spending money on the bmw. ITs like a damn curse, i cant drive anything stock.. even if its a pos im like well... if i just do this this and this.. itll look nice, and maybe this and that.. and then oh ****.. i've had the bimmer a week and ive got 1500 dollars in parts on the way. sheeeiiiit.

For anyone who cares its a '93 BMW 318is 5spd w/ 90k on it. White on black.
Ill post some pics of it once all the parts arrive and i get it the way i want it. The things i got comin by the end of the week are:

-DEPO Zkw Euro spec projectors
-5k HID kit
-DEPO clear corners
-DEPO red/clear taillights (m3 style)
-BAVauto license delete plate for the front bumper
-getting it tinted 20% today all around
-JOM full adj. coilovers from (coming from the uk )
-Front and Rear Strut tower bars
-Meyle HD Rear shock mounts & gaskets
-and i just finished up re-doin most of the interior panels yesterday, some were pealing the fabric off the headliner was saggin etc. now it looks mint.

after the suspension is done this weekend ill prob get some m3 wheels for it and ill stop. promise. maybe a little system.. u gotta have music. then thats it. i swear...

 

[1990Coupe]

The only, thing that kinda sucks was i got the bmw so i could start doing **** to my car finally cause i can work on it and it be down, but ive been spending money on the bmw. ITs like a damn curse, i cant drive anything stock.. even if its a pos im like well... if i just do this this and this.. itll look nice, and maybe this and that.. and then oh ****.. i've had the bimmer a week and ive got 1500 dollars in parts on the way. sheeeiiiit.

For anyone who cares its a '93 BMW 318is 5spd w/ 90k on it. White on black.
Ill post some pics of it once all the parts arrive and i get it the way i want it. The things i got comin by the end of the week are:

-DEPO Zkw Euro spec projectors
-5k HID kit
-DEPO clear corners
-DEPO red/clear taillights (m3 style)
-BAVauto license delete plate for the front bumper
-getting it tinted 20% today all around
-JOM full adj. coilovers from (coming from the uk )
-Front and Rear Strut tower bars
-Meyle HD Rear shock mounts & gaskets
-and i just finished up re-doin most of the interior panels yesterday, some were pealing the fabric off the headliner was saggin etc. now it looks mint.

after the suspension is done this weekend ill prob get some m3 wheels for it and ill stop. promise. maybe a little system.. u gotta have music. then thats it. i swear...

Dude.. We're all car enthusiasts here, i think we can ALL relate to this! I have a beater POS Jeep and even I couldn't leave it stock haha. Upgraded exhaust, bigger tires, paint this, do that, add this... Its a curse haha!

 

[Mustang5L5]

I know how it feels. I have easily $1-2K in mods I want to buy for my G35

 

[NIKwoaC]

Do your best to NOT put a lot of money into that BMW. Those older BMWs fall apart as they get higher into the miles. My brother had a '94 (I think) 325i, and at about 140-150K, everything started to fall off of it.

I do know what you mean, though. My Fox has never been my DD, but I do start to take it for granted after I've driven it too many days in a row.

 

[BigHairyMonkey]

Do your best to NOT put a lot of money into that BMW. Those older BMWs fall apart as they get higher into the miles. My brother had a '94 (I think) 325i, and at about 140-150K, everything started to fall off of it.

^well i guess its good that it only has 90k on it and i got the car for free huh

The way a car lasts in my opinion is directly related to the way the owner takes care of it. Since i treat my cars like id treat my own flesh/blood i think she'll last till i have no need for her anymore.

 

[Darkwriter77]

That's one problem I know I'll have if/when I ever get myself another S10 pickup/Blazer. Not only will I inevitably have to fix a bunch of things here and there to get it up to DD-level reliability (fluids, tune-up, tires, brakes, steering/suspension repairs, etc.), but I'll also want to lower it a couple of inches (spindles/blocks), swap in an electric fan, change a few minor appearance items, and probably do something with the exhaust ... at which point my DD will, in itself, be something of another "toy car" money pit for me because I'll have between $500 and $1,000 wrapped up in assorted crap in the thing (beyond the cost of the vehicle, itself). And then, inevitably, I'll get bored with it like I do with every other damned vehicle I've ever owned, and I'll turn around and sell/trade it off like a frickin' moron and start all over again.

It's no wonder I'm always broke. I'm too retarded to know when to quit throwing away good vehicles and dumping money into basket cases.

 

[tremblay]

Its funny because i know exactly how you feel...but then again I live in Canada so I only DD the stang in the summer. Rest of the yard im driving the grand marquis around. The main thing i find i hate with the stang is the very harsh ride, I mean after driving a Grand Marquis there is a huge difference. In Canada we dont have as nice of roads as you guys in the States!!! No ac and no power anything gets on my nerves as well sometimes..... But obviously I love the soud, the looks and acceleration of the mustang. Sometimes i feel like just selling it and get something that would better fit my needs but I can never get myself to sell the stang hahah. I mean ive had it since I was 17...

 

[BONE_STOCK]

Amen botha!! I'm exactly the same way with my 88GT. I drive a 2000 328Ci for my daily!!

 

[xr8d302]

This gives me confidence.... I haven't driven my car in 2 years, put a 358ci engine in it, and haven't driven anything but trucks since I tore it down.

It's a safe bet that I'll find the stang a little punchy

 

[NIKwoaC]

^well i guess its good that it only has 90k on it and i got the car for free huh

The way a car lasts in my opinion is directly related to the way the owner takes care of it. Since i treat my cars like id treat my own flesh/blood i think she'll last till i have no need for her anymore.

Ha, well, In that case, spend exactly as much money on it as what you should have paid for it. That way, you can't feel bad about losing money on it haha.

 

[Darkwriter77]

Its funny because i know exactly how you feel...but then again I live in Canada so I only DD the stang in the summer. Rest of the yard im driving the grand marquis around. The main thing i find i hate with the stang is the very harsh ride, I mean after driving a Grand Marquis there is a huge difference. In Canada we dont have as nice of roads as you guys in the States!!! No ac and no power anything gets on my nerves as well sometimes..... But obviously I love the soud, the looks and acceleration of the mustang. Sometimes i feel like just selling it and get something that would better fit my needs but I can never get myself to sell the stang hahah. I mean ive had it since I was 17...

See, this is one of my other motivations for wanting to ditch my '84. I'm okay with having a weekend toy that rides stiff and noisy and has no A/C or heat and stinks of exhaust and gasoline fumes ... but ONLY because it's a weekend toy, and when those things are details that I only have to tolerate for short periods of time, it's easily overruled by the sheer fun of the car's acceleration and handling. However, when you have TWO cars like that (although my '84 now has working A/C but still no heater), it's kind of ridiculous. It'd be nice to have a little bit of contrast between my beater and my beast, y'know?

A Panther car would be nice to have again. *shudders with delight at the thought of a '99+ Police Interceptor* If only it weren't for the fact that they're a nightmare to park in the tiny little parking spaces we have where I work...