I dunno, we regularly put a hurtin on buddy's Mom's Aerostar back in highschool. Ahh the olden days, when there were RWD minivans out there that had a little balls to them! (though not in stormy weather..)

Last edited by Tinytacohead, Sat, 12 Jan 2013 02:11.

You take lots of pics inside your house?? (or maybe of the snow..)

Ahh, that's why I didn't recognize it, haha & good deal!

As for the picnic, I suppose I was thinking of a cabin in the woods or something. I guess 26f isn't tooo bad.. at least as long as it isn't windy. It's been cold & blustery long enough here that I'm ready for spring though/guess I'm not into having a real meal outside!

Props on posting a winter pic of car that's actually got enough ground clearance to deal with snow etc!! (what is it? :o)

PS - I hope the picnic was in some sort of heated structure/not outdoors

I know, but the positioning still has to be right & everybody's frame's a little different/I'd still want to sit in one for a reasonable amount of time first. (personally I'd need some proper side bolstering) That said, (without getting into it), I can fairly easily say I've probably got about the worst back here too though.

Quote from G!NhO :

I cannot complain about that car, only paid 300 euro for it...

Nice, but doesn't change the snow-plow aspect.. unless you're changing the front lip.

Quote from atledreier :

I REALLY love to drive this thing. I look for any excuse for a detour into the twisties! Every roundabout is a playground, every corner makes me smile. The redline beckons and my tirebudget skyrocket..

I hear ya man.. all reasons Miata drivers love their cars soo much. (naysayers have either never really driven one and/or don't get enjoyment from a proper handling car) The beauty of the GT-86 is they've got all that + the practicality of cargo room! That's why I quite possibly see myself in one in a few years. (too cheap to buy anything new, lol)

Quote from scrabby :

It's more about the sitting position rather than the material you're sitting on..

Agreed, (my back's absolute trash but can comfortably handle 17+ hour trips in original MX-3 seats np), but those still look like they could be pretty rough after awhile. I'd definitely want to try sitting in one for as long as possible before dropping much cash on them/wouldn't want to rely on somebody else's word. (that goes for any non-adjustable seat really)

Nice atledreier. I hope to get one myself @ some point. Really wish they were available with a sunroof though, even if it adds a few little weight up top.

Quote from e2mustang :

which one? many fwds on that pic :P

The pic's labeled MX3 & I have to agree with him.. one of the best FWD's out there! (looks to be a V6 as well, which is a must in stock form)

Klutch.. I know you "don't care", but I agree with everybody else, lol. Used to think it had potential too, and then you started fiddling with it.

Last edited by Tinytacohead, Tue, 8 Jan 2013 06:45.

Quote from flymike91 :

I wish they made a two door in the US. Even the focus ST will be a four door here. I guess Ford figures they can't compete against VW in that segment.

My thoughts exactly, heh.

Quote from Taylor Finger :

...Damn it, now you're making me want to spend more money on my miata...

Hahaha, sounds like you already had that mapped out anyways though. (and great price on the Amazon! )

Quote from Taylor Finger :

I would love to get a hardtop, but I can't really justify..

My '91 was a freebie so I sorta know the feeling. (eventually sold for the '96M, but not until racking it over 200k ) I'm just saying keep your eyes open is all.. First I ran into a hardtop less than 2h away, (local was a HUGE shock in this area), for a very reasonable price & then bumped into Torsen's in any flavor for a mere $300?! Believe me, snows + LSD is crazy too, though still just as fun. I like your other upgrades.

About the Volvo's, that old one's neat. It'll no doubt look excellent once finished!

Klutch, it's a sign..

Hardtops are nice in the winter.. the doors don't freeze shut anywhere near as bad/often & you get hella good visibility. (surprisingly less noisy @ speed etc too) LSD's totally rock as well. (I got lucky & snagged a used one for 1/3 the normal price) Not that you need one to play, but they minimizes getting stuck when it matters.

Quote from Klutch :

its really just a late night thrasher.

Sounds more like a stripped out, drive like an asshat & lose your license, machine now. Poor car.

So what kind of track action is it going to be setup for?

I have to agree with BigPeBe. Considering how useless the back seat of an MX-3 is, (and that I was out of college/rarely had enough passengers to need one anymore), I ditched mine ages ago.. both for weight reduction & extra room, but mostly weight. (which did make a noticeable difference to 1/4 mile times) I don't think the average road car's going to lose enough weight from such, to make a difference to handling that can't be righted by minimal suspension tweaks. (if that's even needed) Not even on a FWD/cars that're already quite nose heavy. If the topic is for a track car, well, first thing you do in converting from a roadcar is lose all the fat anyways & the back's typically a good place to start.

Quote from nikopdr :

on a more serious note, driving a lowered car isn't as bad as you think..

Finland must be pretty flat! Also, reference towards snow, (since it's obvious by HighRoad's pic that he deals with it), was due to the small amount it takes to negatively affect something as low as what you posted. Regardless of what the kiddies want to believe, slammed suspensions do tend to react more poorly to adverse road conditions as well.

Quote from doyal :

You passed up a Range Rover Sport for that?

Personally I'd take a hot-hatch any day over a Range Rover. I mean, they've already got the larger transport category covered by way of his wife's VW. Losing RWD stinks but I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun with the replacement Ian.H! ..and e2mustang, who wouldn't want to crash a Maxima. (well, other than that guy who posted somebody else's goofy looking GLE a few pages back, lol)

Quote from HighRoad :

When cash comes my way i will

Just don't try driving it in the snow like that.. (or over the smallest bump) Nice color & rims though.

I hear ya. I guess due to the FI, it just comes with the tune/territory here. That said, I've never had a NA on one, or @ least one without plans..

All that slidey-sideways, smoke & commotion and she's never hit a dyno? :twirl:

..because most people's splitter's are shoveling gravel due to being stupendously, I mean stancewerks low.

Is there more weight in the back or is that the factory stance? Just curious..

Quote from ToxicKlay :

What's so hard about understanding that..

I agree with Hahmo.. you said picture this car, (that's not mine), but without all this stuff on it.. wtf. If it's outside, go take a pic! If your camera's broke, wait & get a shot when you've next got access to one. If you're just too lazy to go take a pic, quit posting. For all we know it's rusted out & been spraybombed!

Quote from mp5cod :

this is the season when men dread buying a fwd. i know that feel bro. we're missing out

Not for those who can keep a RWD around/still take one out for fun from time to time. ..though I am considering losing the FWD for an AWD, which would likely be even more boring. (until it got enough additional power)

Quote from BlueFlame :

That's been dropped? How high is a stock 3series?

Not EVERYTHING needs to be hellalowbullsh!tstancewerkz. Finally a car that's been rather tastefully lowered & as he said, he already has issues from such. Looks good Minimaxman.

Last edited by Tinytacohead, Sun, 9 Dec 2012 23:23.

That sounds like the MX-3 method.. except I've realized I'm typically the a-hole with mountains of snow flying off my roof due to lack of clearing it manually either/just hitting the lights, door & windshield. :o (which I've been told can actually get you a ticket here) Knock on wood, (despite Sandy's early efforts), it's looking like possibly another easy winter this go-round!

Last edited by Tinytacohead, Sun, 9 Dec 2012 23:22. Reason : grammar'ified

Quote from RevengeR :

..they aren't doing it for me on a BMW :P

Classic or not, I agree..

EDIT - I think because they remind me of those horrid rims people always seem to put on old VW's (like the one's we saw go from primer grey to blingbling two-tone awhile back :shrug

Last edited by Tinytacohead, Thu, 6 Dec 2012 16:56.

He lost his license & you lost your engine.. what a pair.