I never was a Miata fan, until I drove one. Then, I was dead set on a PRHT, until I saw how effortlessly the fabric top flipped back. My '15 GT is not fast, and the stereo isn't great, but it is simply a joy to drive.
Cars I don't understand or appreciate? Hot rods and muscle cars.
Tom_Spangler wrote:GTwannaB wrote: Maybe because I have spent most of my adult life in cities, but P71 = taxi. I just can't get past that.For me, it was the early 90s Grand Marquis a friend of mine had for a while. Just a big, floaty boat. Not fast, not as roomy as it should be, crappy modular V8s under the hood, what's the big attraction? To me, the 4.6 is one of the worst engines Ford ever made, and EVERY Panther has one under the hood. Bleah.
Well, every Panther after about '92 or so. I wouldn't mind a pre-92 Panther with a 302. I kinda prefer the old boxy body anyway. Oh, and you could get one as a wagon. So, you know, you should love them, too.
fasted58 wrote:gearheadmb wrote: I love the s197. Its not because I'm a mustang guy. To me bad ergonomics can easily kill a good car. I've thought that every mustang since about 1970 sucked to sit in. The first time i drove an 05 gt with a manual trans I thought "Man, Ford actually nailed it. Everything is just right." I mean that car just felt so right. Of course I'm 5'8" and 200# so ymmv.I wasn't a Mustang fanatic or Ford lover FTM either. The '05 retro look had me from day one. First drive in a stock GT was OK but it was as if the car was made for me I fit so well. Not every enthusiast car can do that for me at 6'-1" and 250. With prior research of the huge aftermarket I knew I could tailor the S197 to my likes. I wouldn't even try to drive a stock GT anymore. Didn't go crazy w/ it, didn't break the bank. Rather conservative w/ suspension, wheels/ tires, chassis bracing and tune. One dislike was the rear view, the pedestal spoiler was a distraction, might wanna go delete there or the V6 lip. I'd wanna keep it longer if only Coyote.
Funny, I'm almost the exact same height and weight and I feel the same way. From seats to driving position, I've never driven a fast car I was as comfortable in as my S197.
And they feel big and clunky to me, but I'm 5'10", 150 lbs and my S2000 fits like a glove. Thank god there's variety and choice!
I don't fit in Miata's at all, I look over the windshield in them. They're also painfully slow since I live at altitude, so the meager hp they make is 18% less here than at sea level.
I'm attracted by the rag top, but the reality is I'd lower the top rarely as it's f'ing hot here in the summer and I'd bake with the top down.
I've never driven an E30, my knee jerk is to an E36 M3 as they're so nicely setup stock.
gearheadE30 wrote: I love my e30, but I think you really need to have the e36 steering rack in it for it to feel fun. When we got our e30 for lemons (325e automatic...) I was reminded of how painfully slow the stock one is. That's probably the single best mod you can do to make it feel more modern, and getting rid of the power steering helps too.
I kept the power steering, but otherwise, THIS. When it comes down to it, there are virtually no cars that I don't want to change significantly, so requiring significant change to be really good isn't much of a deterrent. The stock steering is deeply, painfully slow. Swapping the rack isn't trivial thanks to the proximity of other bits, but it's not rocket surgery, especially if you're swapping the engine anyhow 
My M52B28-powered E30 with Z3 steering rack was awesome. I never totally fell in love with it like I did the 2002; it didn't have the same level of character. BUT, it was quick, responsive, let me hassle the STIs and Evos in Street Modified, and I really liked the way it felt with the upgraded engine and steering rack.
I'm honestly surprised at how much I miss that car. I hope I can make the 2002 work well enough to not be a cool-looking disappointment. I don't dislike E36s, and have only driven one, but it just felt more numb to me than the E30, and more nondescript-plasticky inside. I wouldn't be surprised if it, too, benefited from just removing some soft bits from the steering/suspension.
Haha, yeah, I plan to change just about any car I get, too.
Honestly, crappy suspension doesn't really bother me because I like suspension tuning. The stuff that makes me not like a car is usually stuff I can't easily change.
Mostly that means cars that are too big, too flimsy or built so I can't see out of them.
This usually translates into me liking small sedans, oddly enough. Of the cars I've owned, my favorite to drive were my E70 Corolla and the Daewoo of Death once I'd modified it into "you're kind of a psycho to drive this on the street" territory. I also loved my EG Civic and I'm getting there with the Hyundai. The Supra was fun but too big and the DSM was too easy and too numb. The 78 Celica was hard to see out of and had awful steering. I think my Escort ZX2 would have been fun if I'd had any idea how to do suspension tuning at the time. My least favorite was that stupid 84 300ZX. Ick, what a turd.
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