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JG300-Ascout · Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 5:28 pm Post subject: Re: Just for Stoopy....

- JG300-Stoopy

...Although my F-150 will be paid off in a few months....

You know, the Challenger has quite the large trunk. Just the thing for those trips to Loews for potting soil, Christmas trees, ceiling fans and such. Basically a pickup truck bed with a cover.

And a 392 will just about guarantee that you can get home before those dahlias start to wilt, thereby avoiding accusations of plant abuse. Wink

JG300-Stoopy · Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:40 pm Post subject: Re: Just for Stoopy....

- JG300-Ascout

That may be a sign. A really good sign. Unless it's one of those casually "noticed and mentioned" items like how young and attractive your new secretary is (as in, "I'm putting you on notice that I have detected a potential new article of interest in your orbit".).

Oh it's a sign, all right. She said it quite pointedly. We - or rather, she - had test-driven a manual-trans-equipped R/T back when they first came out. I was just the passenger and was content to play with the heated seats while she ran it through the gears. She wants one...but the 'Stang is paid off with low miles so it's not making perfect sense to get into debt again. Although my F-150 will be paid off in a few months....

An SRT8 for you, however, is an altogether different and much more compelling story. Wink

JG300-Ascout · Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 12:31 am Post subject: Re: Just for Stoopy....

- JG300-Stoopy

A neighbor down the street has a brand-new grey Challenger parked in their driveway, despite the stealthy color when I turned the corner it was the first thing I saw, the wife apparently noticed it right off the bat too since she mentioned it over dinner.

That may be a sign. A really good sign. Unless it's one of those casually "noticed and mentioned" items like how young and attractive your new secretary is (as in, "I'm putting you on notice that I have detected a potential new article of interest in your orbit".).

You may need to take her on a surprise trip to the dealer for a test drive, just to test the spousal approval waters*. Wink

*If she says something like "WTF are we doing here?!", that means you've mis-read signs.

JG300-Stoopy · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 11:28 pm Post subject: Re: Just for Stoopy....

Well - that's very enlightening indeed!

I was worried that the Infiniti G 37 would have given the Big 3 (or Big 2 you tested) more than a run for their money in all respects. Sounds like a great car except down on grunt - torque numbers really tell the true story, don't they?

A neighbor down the street has a brand-new grey Challenger parked in their driveway, despite the stealthy color when I turned the corner it was the first thing I saw, the wife apparently noticed it right off the bat too since she mentioned it over dinner. Good looking machines. Definitely a ride befitting the Chief Armorer of JG300. Wink

JG300-Ascout · Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 10:53 pm Post subject: Re: Just for Stoopy....

- JG300-Stoopy

So I'm still worried what the Infiniti test drives are going to do for you, you might get wrapped up in all that comfort and tech and forget about the Mopar. Can't wait to see what you report!

Quote redux....

OK, yesterday was Infiniti day. It was enlightening in several ways:

Both the G Coupe and FX35 are very nice. And owing to the gap between wished for MSRP and reality, are less expensive than my internet visits to dealers suggested.

On the G 37 coupe (I didn't take out an IPL as they ask what amounts to an obscene amount of money for an 18 H.P. boost and some meaningless exterior bits). Infiniti has a lot to learn about marketing and delivering performance in this era of tuner cars, both factory and aftermarket. Dealer had a dozen G Coupes, but all were automatic. I'm astonished to report that for a 3,700 lb. car, the 330 H.P. (on paper, the equivalent of our Mustang GT's) is underwhelming to the point of being boring. There is no "kick in the seatback", no doubt partially due to the throttle lag that many owners report (the Infiniti's are drive-by-wire...there is no throttle cable). When you stomp the pedal, it's as if a committee convenes under the hood to debate whether that's what you really want to do, then reluctantly delivers a downshift and more thrust. Using the select shift helps some, but it's still disappointing. It's a very nice GT car, but don't expect any thrills.
There is an isolated traffic circle that's almost identical to a skidpad near the dealer, and a few loops round that confirmed very good cornering balance, so a twisty would make the car seem competent, if not exciting.

By contrast, the FX35 is very much like my Pathfinder in the acceleration department, which is to say, good for a 4,000 lb. car. What impressed me was the coddled-in-swaths-of-luxury feeling I got. It's a very nice cockpit and ride. I could totally be seduced by the classy environment, which seems lots more expensive than the car really is. Between that and the from-another-planet good looks of the exterior, the FX35 seems like a bargain. Frankly, it's got more svelte-y class than a Mercedes SUV...kind of like a professional female athlete (say, Mia Hamm) in a little black dress. I really like this car. Reservation: is it a sufficient departure from my Pathfinder? It's a car you really want to take a road trip in, then go to a nice restaurant and valet park. it's what I should have bought back when I bought my abortive Grand Cherokee in 2002 (I think they offered them then).

Both are smack dab in the same price range that they want for a well-appointed Challenger SRT. You can see the dilemma....swaddled in luxury with acceptable performance vs. a decent car with indecent acceleration. Anything else that offers both means a leap in price into another class that I don't want to take.

Hmmmm......the Challenger is looking mighty good given the space and the seat-of-the-pants aspect. Twisted Evil

JG300-Ascout · Posted: Thu May 31, 2012 12:23 am Post subject: Re: Just for Stoopy....

- JG300-Stoopy

So I'm still worried what the Infiniti test drives are going to do for you, you might get wrapped up in all that comfort and tech and forget about the Mopar. Can't wait to see what you report!

I'm not too worried about the luxo aspect as much as I am the lack of space in the G37....throwing a 70lb. German Shepherd in it isn't much of an issue, but a folding, collapsible kennel for hotel stays would be. That means no ambitious road trips with my 4-legged security system that doesn't involve the Pathfinder or doggie boarding. Shepherds don't board well, I've had two and they don't dig strangers or separation.

I love me some FX35, too, but that falls in the category of both sporty-mobile AND truck and is mucho dinero. I'd have to give up the Pathfinder to go that route and don't think I want to do that.

JG300-Stoopy · Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 11:34 pm Post subject: Re: Just for Stoopy....

Autos for our generation of 'Stangs ('05,'06) were made in France. The manuals were made in Mehico. Not that it impacted the decision any. Wink

So I'm still worried what the Infiniti test drives are going to do for you, you might get wrapped up in all that comfort and tech and forget about the Mopar. Can't wait to see what you report!

JG300-Ascout · Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 4:59 pm Post subject: Re: Just for Stoopy....

- JG300-Stoopy

- JG300-Ascout

Yep, it's even all right there on the "country of origin" sticker that's in the window of every new Mustang.

Well.....screw that. 'Bout sums it up.

I should specify "manual" transmissions. Not sure about autos.

JG300-Stoopy · Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 1:29 am Post subject: Re: Just for Stoopy....

- JG300-Ascout

Yep, it's even all right there on the "country of origin" sticker that's in the window of every new Mustang.

Well.....screw that. 'Bout sums it up.

JG300-Ascout · Posted: Wed May 30, 2012 12:17 am Post subject: Re: Just for Stoopy....

- JG300-Stoopy

I haven't been keeping up n the Mustang forums and such and so hadn't heard about the GETRAG tranny and issues, but.....chinese built, are you freakin' kidding me???!!!!!!! Talk about disappointing. That changes my whole plans for what the next car will be. Think I'll get an entry level new Beetle and spend the balance on a Triumph Explorer 1200....

Yep, it's even all right there on the "country of origin" sticker that's in the window of every new Mustang. Rolling Eyes

JG300-Stoopy · Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 11:52 pm Post subject: Re: Just for Stoopy....

- JG300-Ascout

I'm thinking of the new Challenger (in solid pitch black, no stripes) as a closer successor to the '68-9 Charger than the new Chargers themselves are. I'd just need some thick, horn-rimmed glasses and a short white-haired guy with a Winchester pump in the passenger's seat to complete the picture.

Wow. I absolutely could not agree more. The Chargers make a decent rental car, especially when I've had to take some of my old sorter crew with me on a trip, but as far as a redo of the original it's far off the mark. Funny that they're just recently adding character lines to the body it make it more reminsicent of the original, when it's growing farther apart.

I have a Remington 12-gauge pump if that's close enough, and more grey hair every day. Not much I can do about the height though Laughing

Guy in our high school had a '71 GTX and loved that thing, probably still has it today - although I agree that year started to look bloated and weird, much like the Satellite Sebring. which I never could figure out why they were the same make, same year, same body style for all I could tell, but different names. I'm sure the difference is obvious if I googled enough but when it looks the way it does, why bother? Smile

100% agree the new Challengers are more "challenger-ey" than the orginal, isn't that odd?

I haven't been keeping up n the Mustang forums and such and so hadn't heard about the GETRAG tranny and issues, but.....chinese built, are you freakin' kidding me???!!!!!!! Talk about disappointing. That changes my whole plans for what the next car will be. Think I'll get an entry level new Beetle and spend the balance on a Triumph Explorer 1200.... Wink

JG300-Ascout · Posted: Tue May 29, 2012 12:24 am Post subject: Re: Just for Stoopy....

- JG300-Stoopy

Hmmmmm... sounds like you are justifiably enamored with, or at least suitably impressed by, the SRT8 Challenger. Can't say I blame you and you're a lucky devil to be considering one. I very much enjoy the opportunity to read an evaluation made by someone I know & trust and who knows what a real ride was like "back in the day".

Remind me, where did the 5.0 Coyote-powered 'Stang fit into the equation or was it ever in the running?

Looking forward to the reports on the Infinitis, even the cross-dresser thing..

I've not been too excited about the new Mustang mainly because...

1. I've had one, though it was the 4.6 modular engine.
2. There is one coming around every corner it seems.
3. I've owned an old school Camaro SS, but never a Mopar (though I got to drive a lot of them back in the day...including my bosses Charger 440, which I worked on from gas station days...he'd let me take it out alone and flog and even race it as long as I kept it tuned for him)

That said, I love how they've made them look more aggressive like the first of the "new" Shelby's did. And what's not to like about 5.0 liters of Ford goodness? OTOH, I'd have to, in fact, get a Shelby if I wanted other than the new (since '10) complaint-plagued Chinese built GETRAG tranny (Shelby's still use Tremec). Not that all are affected, and I'm sure some of the issues are not unrelated to abuse, but I also know how virulent I can get as a disaffected consumer should I be a victim of a buggy transmission. A Shelby is within reach, but I don't know that I'm that keen on having blower whine stepping on my exhaust note.

The SRT8 gives up a lot on weight, but so did the original E-body Challengers and Cuda's (which were totally unencumbered with anything like quality control, let's be honest). The new ones are MUCH nicer inside than the crappy interiors of the original*...and truth be told, the exterior is actually an improvement in looks over the original. Look at a few pics side-by-side and the new version comes off better than even soft-focus memory or recent viewings of "Vanishing Point" will call to mind.

*Frankly, had the old E-body cars not had 440's and Hemi's available, nobody would remember them today, and probably not even the Trans-Am 340 six-pack version...they were that bad. Terrific engines, crappy cars. All the big Mopar mills were better in the intermediate and larger sedan offerings....and ET's of the day bear this out...Challengers and Cuda's were overwhelmed with the big engines. The E-bodies were regularly trounced by Road Runners, Coronets, GTX's, Chargers, etc. because they could put that power down without all the flex. And generally, they looked better. (I love me some GTX..well, up to 1970, anyway).

I'm thinking of the new Challenger (in solid pitch black, no stripes) as a closer successor to the '68-9 Charger than the new Chargers themselves are. I'd just need some thick, horn-rimmed glasses and a short white-haired guy with a Winchester pump in the passenger's seat to complete the picture. Wink

JG300-Stoopy · Posted: Mon May 28, 2012 11:05 pm Post subject: Re: Just for Stoopy....

Hmmmmm... sounds like you are justifiably enamored with, or at least suitably impressed by, the SRT8 Challenger. Can't say I blame you and you're a lucky devil to be considering one. I very much enjoy the opportunity to read an evaluation made by someone I know & trust and who knows what a real ride was like "back in the day".

Remind me, where did the 5.0 Coyote-powered 'Stang fit into the equation or was it ever in the running?

Looking forward to the reports on the Infinitis, even the cross-dresser thing.. Smile

JG300-Ascout · Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 10:55 pm Post subject: Re: Just for Stoopy....

Just for a goof, I went looking for a good and familiar analog from the past for a performance comparison. The SRT8 Challenger has documented specs that equal (or better) these:

A test drive made by AutoCar in 1971 revealed the following performances: 0-60 mph time of 5.4 seconds, a 0-100 mph time of 12.6 seconds, a standing start quarter mile time of 13.4 seconds at a terminal velocity of 104 mph, and a top speed of 174 mph

Those numbers are for a new Ferrari 365 GTB4 "Daytona", which weighed 600lbs' less, had a 4-cam 4.4 liter engine (rated at 365 H.P.) and gen-u-ine aerodynamics (for a front engined car). Sure, it's forty years older, but the inflation adjusted price doesn't even begin to compare.

Not half bad.

JG300-Ascout · Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 3:49 pm Post subject: Re: Just for Stoopy....

- JG300-Stoopy

- JG300-Ascout

I'm thinking seriously of a "stripe delete", insignia-delete option, which they'll do. Maybe just a plain brown wrapper (that is to say, tungsten metallic). How bad a sleeper would that be?

I think that sounds absolutely badass! Sorry the R/T didn't meet expectations - when we test drove it, th'wife was behind the wheel the whole time (she has a pretty good clutch foot).

Sorry I haven't responded sooner I am dealing with a flooded basement...be back in touch soon if I don't keel over!

The standard hemi is an "adequate" engine, but it really has to be churning (like, > 4,000rpm) to make it's presence felt. Not very muscle-car-like to lack low end grunt. Means you have to make something of a spectacle of yourself to have any fun. The 392 is also not like the big blocks of sainted memory, but from 2,500-3,000 you get some real grunt. This means plenty of satisfaction without a lot of "look at me" wheelspin or exhaust howl.

In the std hemi auto at almost any cruise speed, I had to paddle shift down TWO gears to find the powerband (it was like riding a sport bike). In the SRT, in anything below 6th gear, a single downshift at any speed will find that amalgam extracting grunt we love so much. The dual setting sport suspension in the SRT is also a nice touch for taking the mush out of the ride.

Good luck fighting the floodwaters! I'm in a flood-free zone and have no basement (darnit!...I really could use one).

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