73 replies to this topic

[JT Nerf Girl]

You all may remember this link, but if you don't, I suggest going back and looking at it.

Anyways, I just wanted to say that I will be reciving my liscense on July 7th and that I also have a car now, which I did get for cheap.

Last week I bought a 1990 Pontiac Sunbird, very nice car for the number of miles it has. New breaks, two new tires, and a good bit of other new stuff I can't remember (nor really know what it is...), but anyways... as all of you said I couldn't get a good car for under 1,000 bucks, I have just proved you wrong. I payed an even 700 bucks for it. It's a two door automatic, wine colored (not just a flat color though) and drives very nicely (no play at all in the steering). And this is a car that any dealer would have wanted well over 1,000 bucks for it, most likely.

Now sure, the material on the back seat at the top was tore a bit, and on the driver's sit, and also the material on the roof was hanging down a bit, but that's fixable for cheap. The front seats just need two seat colors (silver, school colors are blue and silver... so I thought that worked nicely), and the back just needed a towel to cover up the back of the seat. Also a few thumbtacks did the trick for the roof. Anyways... I just thought you guys should know that I *did* know what I was talking about. If you want a picture I could take one with my digitial camera, if you really need proof.

[merlinski]

You can't really say I-told-you-so cause you did pay about halfway between what you and everyone else were saying.

How many miles are on it?

Pontiac doesn't exactly have the... shall we say, "longevity reputation" that cars from Japanese makers tend to have. Good luck with it, but don't be surprised if the engine doesn't make it very far before breaking in one way or another.

[Ash]

I'd like to point out that the number of miles has been cleverly omitted.

[JT Nerf Girl]

I'd like to point out that the number of miles has been cleverly omitted.

Um... I said a lot of miles, doesn't that work? Like I know excatly how many miles are on it. And it runs just fine, so don't be telling me it's going to break down in two days.

[GunnedDown]

Ehm, no, that's not really.. sufficient. It's not too hard to go out and read the lil' meter.. is it?

Yeah, it's gonna break down soon. I'm sorry, but, yeah...

[rawray7]

Um... I said a lot of miles, doesn't that work? Like I know excatly how many miles are on it. And it runs just fine, so don't be telling me it's going to break down in two days.

it's going to break down in 2 days.

there, i be telling you.

[Spoon]

You see, cars have this magical little invention. It's a dial that TELLS you how many miles it has. It's called an odometer. It's located near your spedometer.

You may have a car, but I still find you annoying. Sorry.

[taber man]

now, now, everyone, i have known Pontiacs for a long time, and my dad is subscribed to Motor Trend magazine, so that helps with the knowledge, and i know that Pontiacs are rather good cars. they can last a rather long time if treated with care, like all cars should, and the sunfire is especially good. so it would take a long time to break down if treated properly.

[JT Nerf Girl]

now, now, everyone, i have known Pontiacs for a long time, and my dad is subscribed to Motor Trend magazine, so that helps with the knowledge, and i know that Pontiacs are rather good cars. they can last a rather long time if treated with care, like all cars should, and the sunfire is especially good. so it would take a long time to break down if treated properly.

Thank you. Only thing is it's not a sunfire, it's a sunbird.

You see, cars have this magical little invention. It's a dial that TELLS you how many miles it has. It's called an odometer. It's located near your spedometer.

Look, I'm not stupid, but I'm not going to run out to my car and look and memorize the number of miles that's on it. It's somewhere near 132,000, is that good enough for you?

You may have a car, but I still find you annoying. Sorry.

And I care because? You may be some kind of Nerf God, but I still find you to be a jackass, but I'm not sorry.

Yeah, it's gonna break down soon. I'm sorry, but, yeah...

Uh... sure... Why would a perfectly good running car break down for no reason?

[merlinski]

Uh... sure... Why would a perfectly good running car break down for no reason?

Its a concept called "engine wear". When a car is driven for quite a bit (132,000 miles is quite a bit), the metallic parts that form the engine begin to break down. Just think about it, 132,000 miles, 2000 RPM average, 40 MPH average. That's in the neighborhood of 400,000,000 revolutions performed by the engine. At extremely high temperatures, in a fairly inefficient engine to begin with. Parts such as the cylinder heads, valves, gaskets, piston rods, fuel injectors, and all the other parts that aren't made of 3 inch thick metal will begin to spontaneously break because they've been used so much.

Think about this, the vast majority of cars that break down were being driven before they broke down, and if the person was still driving it, then it was probably a "perfectly good running car".

Something important doesn't have to happen for a car to spontaneously break, the parts just become weaker and weaker as the engine is driven. 132,000 miles on a pontiac is quite a few. If it was a volvo, or a saab, I'd say it'd be good for another 100,000 at least. But I'd be careful, the car won't last forever and the engine is going to break eventually. More likely sooner than later.

[GunnedDown]

...What he said ...

Mmm.. if you don't understand what he said, you know less than I do about cars. And I know little.

Hehe.. Saab.. Volvo.. all European cars are meant for high mileage. The engine on a Volvo doesn't even kick in until like ninety-thousand miles... it's a tough ass car.

I like your statistical analysis, half a billion revolutions, man, that's a LOT!

All I can say is, Good Luck...

[Wads15]

Pontiac doesn't exactly have the... shall we say, "longevity reputation" that cars from Japanese makers tend to have.  Good luck with it, but don't be surprised if the engine doesn't make it very far before breaking in one way or another.

Here here. You just can't beat them Japanese cars... tough lil' buggers... and congrats... I guess.

[Pineapple]

Give her a break, people, don't you remember your first car?...Oh, many of you don't drive yet. Hmmm...

My first car was given to me by none other than Mommy. It was a Ford Maverick, 4 doors, 6 cylinders, and looks that only Mom could love. Now these were the days of horsepower, so it was humbling at best to drive my underpowered barge around...but I was so happy to have a set of wheels, and take on all the responsibilities (insurance, gas, oil, repairs (LOTS), and other such crap), and at the same time save some green to get what I really wanted.

The car had 100k plus on the clock, and survived another 50 or so, then I did an engine swap (302 ci V8), and surprised everyone and his brother with my fugly monster sleeper. When I finally got my 68 Barracuda, I gave my monster a decent burial at the boneyard (after pulling out the engine and selling it). What memories.

I have four vehicles now, an F-150, a Toyota truck, a BIG Dodge Ram van, and my Honda Civic. Reality bites back.

Enjoy your car, JT, but remember, it won't last forever. It's a privelege and a job to keep your wheels going. Good luck.

[Vassili]

My bro just bought a Pontiac, a 2001 Grand Prix GTP in perfect condition. Pretty cool first car I'd say.

[merlinski]

Yeah, my current (and first) car is a 1997 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport. 110,000 miles. The first clutch (its a manual) lasted 100,000 - almost double the life expectancy of a normal subaru clutch. We just got it replaced. It used to be my dad's, and he took pretty good care of it (regular checkups, oil changes, etc.). They also fixed the engine up when we replaced the clutch (replaced all the gaskets, the water pump, some other stuff). So I expect it to last for another 50,000 at least, maybe another 100,000.

I'm not insulting her for her car, I'm just saying that she shouldn't expect it to last very long.

The car had 100k plus on the clock, and survived another 50 or so, then I did an engine swap (302 ci V8), and surprised everyone and his brother with my fugly monster sleeper.

Its always fun to burn someone when they think your car sucks. If I ever get the cash (and the initiative), I'd like to get a turbo kit for my subaru, as well as redo the exhaust and intakes, and get some new headers too. It has the 2.2 engine, so properly supercharged it'll have a greater output than the WRX. It'd be so great to burn people with audis or bmw's in a blue subaru wagon.

[Spoon]

And I care because? You may be some kind of Nerf God, but I still find you to be a jackass, but I'm not sorry.

I'd like to, once again, state for the record that I have NEVER referred to myself as a "nerf god", and have actively discouraged others from referring to me as that. I've thought the "title" was fucking stupid ever since it was created back on the Nerf listserve some ungodly number of years ago.

That being said, my homie Arnold and I have this to say:

[Ash]

Meh, I wouldn't give a Saab or an Audi another 100,000. Maybe the engine has that much longer, but everything else is still gonna go. My 86 Caravan (my first car) lasted me until 178,000 mi and the engine was still strong. The only reason it died is the water pump broke and I was on my way to my mechanic's house and I over heated it a bit... an well... you know the rest. People put too much faith into foreign cars. Today's American cars are just about on level. Chrystler and Chevy will last just about as long as any Japanese car. I might add that interiors and such tend to hold up better on today's american cars than most of your japanese cars, as well. In any case, Pants.

[Spoon]

In any case, Pants.

Pants for llamas, perhaps?

Llamas make good housepets.

[Ash]

Pants for all, my friend, pants for all.

[JT Nerf Girl]

Its a concept called "engine wear". When a car is driven for quite a bit (132,000 miles is quite a bit), the metallic parts that form the engine begin to break down.

Okay... my mom's never owned more than a '89 and none of them have broken down, and yes they have had lots of miles also (some of them have tripped the thing also). My parents had a stationwagon that they ran (never broke down) untill the door fell off. It has a new alternator, radiator, breaks, two new tires, etc. It has been pretty much rebuilt, so I think it'll be good untill I get out of highschool. Seeing as I live in a tiny county, there's not really anywhere to drive. Drive to work and school, which is barely a mile to either. It's a nice car, why is it so hard to believe that a girl actually knows what she's talking about with a car?

[mr box]

When you write in purple, it comes out on a blue background and is hella annoying to read.

Anyways, you have a car. Hooray. I have a car, lots of people have cars.

Edit: And for the love of god, it's spelled "brakes".

[merlinski]

It's a nice car, why is it so hard to believe that a girl actually knows what she's talking about with a car?

Because of this:

It has a new alternator, radiator, breaks, two new tires, etc.

Mr. Box apparently feels the same way.

Seriously, its cause you don't know anything about the way cars work.

[Vassili]

Just listen to the Governator.

[JSkater]

I'd like to, once again, state for the record that I have NEVER referred to myself as a "nerf god", and have actively discouraged others from referring to me as that. I've thought the "title" was fucking stupid ever since it was created back on the Nerf listserve some ungodly number of years ago.

That being said, my homie Arnold and I have this to say:

*Pic*

To JT:

[Spoon]

OMFG JSkater that pic is freaking hilarious.