Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by theholycow »

On vehicles with impeded rearward visibility (cargo vans without rear windows, box trucks, dumptrucks, etc) it is normal to have better side mirrors, usually with multiple sections including at least one decently sized convex piece. Not having decent side mirrors on a truck like that is a crappy situation.

I'm amazed that the 2003 Accord was lighter than the 1995. For most vehicles it seems that the mid 80s to early 90s was the era of light weight and the late 90s marked the beginning of the heaviest era since, idunno, like the 1950s or something.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by Bill B »

I remember when the vans were manual trans. Neighbors parents had a 68 Chevy Van. Anyone remember those. The motor sat beside you with a cover on it. No cupholders back then. Also rode in a 77 or so Dodge van with a 3 speed manual.
wannabe wrote:Oh man. i get to drive a vehicle next week. a 00'ish chevy express 2500. AWD/RWD. thankfully there is no snow. it has a/c. and a large TRUNK/rear section for moving. I am moving (staying inside GR). it's (obviously) automatic.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by watkins »

Interesting van thing:

The full size Promasters - even the nearly 21' long body box vans - are far easier to maneuver than the baby Promaster City vans with full window options. I have no idea why, but I am so much more confident squeezing the giant van through tiny gaps than I am just going down the road in a Promaster City. Throw on the backup camera option and the full size Promaster has possibly the best visibility of anything we sell.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by potownrob »

Teamwork wrote: The threads in regards to the fuel gauge/evap canister debate is cringeworthy with very defiant sides. All I know is I would not overbump like more then 2 times. There have been documented cases of people destroying the evap canister and fuel line in doing so... Waiting 30 seconds after each click? Never heard of that but I really don't think it's worth the risk. I'm basically averaging high 200/low 300 mile tank ranges- which with the type of class of cars I come from is pretty much the norm.
i've been getting into the 300s but not by much. definitely afraid to run out of gas. :lol: thankfully, i have a strange enjoyment of going to the gas station. does anyone else notice that you don't smell gas as much anymore, and fewer gas spillage mishaps?? :?: :)
I feel like you going from mid size to compact class is a tough one for fuel range. Mid size sedans are pretty much the peak of range topping in the right configuration. I remember Passat TDI (rip) advertising 600 miles a tank. I'd probably fill that up once every 2-3 weeks and that's it.
yeah, it's definitely a change, but not far off from how things were with the CR-V.
On the topic of the Accord though- I think this current generation is one of the best looking ever. It's really a great blend of sport and class with the way it looks IMO. I saw the spy photos of the 2018 and it literally looks like a stretched Civic now... Doesn't wear it as well with the proportions. They literally misfire like every other generation with this thing.
oh it looks great (and the remodeled 2016 has grown on me, especially the Sport and Touring models), and it handles great. It's quick enough even in I4-CVT setup. Fit and finish and interior looks and layout are very good for a non-luxury car. The main negative would be that it doesn't have as soft and smooth a ride as I'd expect from a modern mid size family sedan. There's also a decent amount of road noise. The seats are also far from luxury level - hard, not enough padding, cheap materials used. The car does not ride like the older Accords which had a stiff suspension compared to a camry but still comfortable under most road conditions. I had a 93, a 96 and an 03 Accord, and the 93 and 03 felt like tanks, while the 96 just felt "normal" (though the weight and underpowered engine made for a not-so-fun drive) and the 15 felt stiff. The 93 felt solid and heavy but in a good way (keep in mind cars weren't as powerful or fast back in the early 2000s, so I didn't usually notice its slowness). The 03 felt solid too, not so much heavy but solid and in some ways Germanic. It was VERY boring though. The 96 was overall also boring (despite the manual), while my 94 Civic manual was fun (much lighter). My sister's 11 accord was also nice riding but not solid like the 03. It is also ugly, especially that dashboard. The 15 didn't feel heavy, solid or anything like the others really. It was quick and nimble. The ride was harsher than any of the other accords though.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by potownrob »

theholycow wrote: I'm amazed that the 2003 Accord was lighter than the 1995. For most vehicles it seems that the mid 80s to early 90s was the era of light weight and the late 90s marked the beginning of the heaviest era since, idunno, like the 1950s or something.
4th and 5th gen accords were anything but light (or quick). as i mentioned in another post, the 93 accord i had felt like a tank - heavy and solid. i testdrove a 3rd gen 89 accord LXi one time, and it felt more like the lighter and nimbler civic than an accord to me. it was really nice (but the one i testdrove was unfortunately getting old and had some cosmetic and minor mechanical issues that kept me from getting it). That was the last of the light accords i guess. :cry:
ClutchFork wrote:...So I started carrying a stick of firewood with me and that became my parking brake.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by Rope-Pusher »

wannabe wrote:Oh man. i get to drive a vehicle next week. a 00'ish chevy express 2500. AWD/RWD. thankfully there is no snow. it has a/c. and a large TRUNK/rear section for moving. I am moving (staying inside GR). it's (obviously) automatic.
Not owning a vehicle, how long do you typically go between driving opportunities? Do you ever see yourself letting your license lapse?
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by Rope-Pusher »

potownrob wrote: Image
That was the last of the light accords i guess. :cry:
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by Teamwork »

i've been getting into the 300s but not by much. definitely afraid to run out of gas. :lol: thankfully, i have a strange enjoyment of going to the gas station. does anyone else notice that you don't smell gas as much anymore, and fewer gas spillage mishaps?? :?: :)
I feel like high 200's and low 300's is more than adequate but I feel like a lot of the guys on the vortex are dis-satisfied with this or feel that there is untapped potential. I read the latest pages of the 'fuel gauge thread' and saw that guys technique of hanging the nozzle out an inch and like timing his click offs. I don't know how people have the guts to do this without getting gas all over themselves or flooding the evap canister. I don't think it's personally worth the risk to add what? An extra 1.4 gallons? Hypothetically speaking what is that an extra 25-30 miles maybe? I also have range anxiety even knowing that the gas minder isn't all that accurate... there's something about the mileage count down that gives me anxiety. The lowest I ever got it was 10 miles to empty and I felt horrible doing it.

Tankin what is your range like with the FOST?
oh it looks great (and the remodeled 2016 has grown on me, especially the Sport and Touring models), and it handles great. It's quick enough even in I4-CVT setup. Fit and finish and interior looks and layout are very good for a non-luxury car. The main negative would be that it doesn't have as soft and smooth a ride as I'd expect from a modern mid size family sedan. There's also a decent amount of road noise. The seats are also far from luxury level - hard, not enough padding, cheap materials used. The car does not ride like the older Accords which had a stiff suspension compared to a camry but still comfortable under most road conditions. I had a 93, a 96 and an 03 Accord, and the 93 and 03 felt like tanks, while the 96 just felt "normal" (though the weight and underpowered engine made for a not-so-fun drive) and the 15 felt stiff. The 93 felt solid and heavy but in a good way (keep in mind cars weren't as powerful or fast back in the early 2000s, so I didn't usually notice its slowness). The 03 felt solid too, not so much heavy but solid and in some ways Germanic. It was VERY boring though. The 96 was overall also boring (despite the manual), while my 94 Civic manual was fun (much lighter). My sister's 11 accord was also nice riding but not solid like the 03. It is also ugly, especially that dashboard. The 15 didn't feel heavy, solid or anything like the others really. It was quick and nimble. The ride was harsher than any of the other accords though.
I really don't think they make any bad mid size cars anymore (sorry Avenger). Everything in that class is at least 'good' varying upwards from that. My gf's dad went from Optima to Ford Fusion and granted both were fairly well equipped but both of those cars were really above average to me in every facet. I was surprised how tight feeling the Ford Fusion is- feels very much like a European premium sedan to me. The only thing I didn't like about the car was how claustrophobic the small side windows and such make you feel inside. I know it's for aesthetics and on the outside it's great but from within the windows look like little slits compared to my fish bowl golf for a car that's probably double the size.
The car does not ride like the older Accords which had a stiff suspension compared to a camry but still comfortable under most road conditions.
Didn't they switch from a double wishbone to a traditional macpherson strut like a gen ago?? Could that be why?
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by IMBoring25 »

Crasworthiness standards and fuel economy standards drive beltlines higher too. Appearance plays a role but isn't the exclusive factor.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by Rope-Pusher »

watkins wrote:Interesting van thing:

The full size Promasters - even the nearly 21' long body box vans - are far easier to maneuver than the baby Promaster City vans with full window options. I have no idea why, but I am so much more confident squeezing the giant van through tiny gaps than I am just going down the road in a Promaster City. Throw on the backup camera option and the full size Promaster has possibly the best visibility of anything we sell.
Eyes ware I could drive an M-60 tank into a space 6" wider than the tank itself,......but I never got out and measured it. Cuda bean an error in converting to metric units. Maybe the space was actually 6 decameters wider but only in my mind was it 6".
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by tankinbeans »

Yesterday was the first time I got to the gas light and Ms. Frizzle yelled for food. My cslculated average, with E0, was 29.7 and I'd gone 346 and still had 1.2 gallons in the tank. My range with the way I tend to drive (not boyracer wannabe, but not timid - hit the freeway at less than 70 - slow) is just under 400. If I tried and worked on short-shitting I could probably squeeze out a few more, but the few pennies saved isn't worth being a road hazard. 29mpg average in this.

My Focus SE was much better, but no turbo. That would be roughly 445 miles to a full tank. 35mpg average in that.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by wannabe »

IMBoring25 wrote:Be careful, particularly if it's a genuine cargo van bereft of windows behind the seats. I had to rent its GMC cousin on a business trip. Not only did it have no center mirror (which wouldn't have shown anything anyway), but the side view mirrors had a narrow field of vision and lacked the travel to allow them to be set correctly. I had to move my head all over the cabin to have anything resembling confidence in my lane changes.
It's a passenger van, so it has rear windows. I do move my head around to see for lane changes. The middle rear mirror does show out the back windows, but there is the center "bar" from the doors so it's not very helpful.

I have driven this vehicle many times before.
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wannabe wrote:Oh man. i get to drive a vehicle next week. a 00'ish chevy express 2500. AWD/RWD. thankfully there is no snow. it has a/c. and a large TRUNK/rear section for moving. I am moving (staying inside GR). it's (obviously) automatic.
Not owning a vehicle, how long do you typically go between driving opportunities? Do you ever see yourself letting your license lapse?
I renewed my license this past March. I wouldn't let it lapse. It's usually about a year between driving opportunities, maybe longer. Last time i drove it was my parents sable, from church back to their house cuz mom forgot something and that was probably december 2014? I may have driven grandma's equinox (before she got the cr-v) at one point, i don't remember why tho. I do remember driving it.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by Rope-Pusher »

wannabe wrote:
Rope-Pusher wrote:
wannabe wrote:Oh man. i get to drive a vehicle next week. a 00'ish chevy express 2500. AWD/RWD. thankfully there is no snow. it has a/c. and a large TRUNK/rear section for moving. I am moving (staying inside GR). it's (obviously) automatic.
Not owning a vehicle, how long do you typically go between driving opportunities? Do you ever see yourself letting your license lapse?
I renewed my license this past March. I wouldn't let it lapse. It's usually about a year between driving opportunities, maybe longer. Last time i drove it was my parents sable, from church back to their house cuz mom forgot something and that was probably december 2014? I may have driven grandma's equinox (before she got the cr-v) at one point, i don't remember why tho. I do remember driving it.
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I think that in Michigan, even a person in a coma could pass the driver's licensing exam.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by potownrob »

IMBoring25 wrote:Crasworthiness standards and fuel economy standards drive beltlines higher too. Appearance plays a role but isn't the exclusive factor.
that would explain a lot. i do miss the lower beltlines of those square and squarish 80s cars, namely the japanese ones. even the 4th gen accord had a fairly low beltline. it's not only cool, but helps with visibility.
ClutchFork wrote:...So I started carrying a stick of firewood with me and that became my parking brake.
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Re: Misc Thread VI: Return of the Threadi

Post by potownrob »

tankinbeans wrote:Yesterday was the first time I got to the gas light and Ms. Frizzle yelled for food. My cslculated average, with E0, was 29.7 and I'd gone 346 and still had 1.2 gallons in the tank. My range with the way I tend to drive (not boyracer wannabe, but not timid - hit the freeway at less than 70 - slow) is just under 400. If I tried and worked on short-shitting I could probably squeeze out a few more, but the few pennies saved isn't worth being a road hazard. 29mpg average in this.

My Focus SE was much better, but no turbo. That would be roughly 445 miles to a full tank. 35mpg average in that.
nice mileage man!! do you know if the newer ford small turbo engines are going over well?? i noticed those when i was perusing fords before going the VW route, and wondered how powerful they could be.
ClutchFork wrote:...So I started carrying a stick of firewood with me and that became my parking brake.
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