The Other Cars of USA7s Members (Non-Se7ens only)

[SENC]

@JohnCh - Great looking Elan!  I have a similar picture.

 

And, yes, ridiculously narrow, not too different from the Seven.

 

 

[Bruce K]

OMG, that image with the F-Series!  Either the Ford gave birth or had a bowel movement.  The former, because the Lotus is too competent to be the latter.

Edited December 20, 2022 by Bruce K

[speedwagon]

ford interbred with jaguar, mazda and others. the results have mostly been poor mongrels with far to much asin DNA.

[SENC]

10 hours ago, Bruce K said:

OMG, that image with the F-Series!  Either the Ford gave birth or had a bowel movement.  The former, because the Lotus is too competent to be the latter.

The green F250 was my daily driver from 2010 until earlier this year, when I sold it and bought an LR3.  I used to tow horses when my girls were younger, and it was a great vehicle for that purpose.  In fact, it was a great vehicle all around and I miss it, but just didn't need anything that huge any longer.  It was quite a transition moving from F250 to Elan and back.

[Bruce K]

I feel you, brother.  My daily driver for years has been an older, larger Explorer.  After a prior evening spent behind the wheel of the Cat, leaving my house the next morning and climbing into the Explorer was like going back home and dropping into the recliner.  Nearly every sports car I have owned has been brutal - why buy a dull sword?  Thus, the SUV always serves as a welcome change, and renews me mentally and physically, preparing me for the next intense sports car experience.

[MV8]

My buddy had an 80s Dodge Colt GTS Turbo with the twin stick (8spd) and about 100hp. Fun can be had daily and safely on public roads while ringing the life out of micromachines. My awd Talon TSi was not as much fun.

[coffee break]

I had a 1980 Dodge Colt RS, the normally aspirated version with a Weber 32/36. It was a blast and good for handbrake U-turns.

Finally traded it in after 16 years and 212k miles.

[Bruce K]

A few cars ago I owned a triple-black Lotus Exige, the year before the model S with the air intake that reached to the front of the windshield (mine reached halfway).  I lowered it minimally, added large CF side intakes, a low-restriction air filter and intake box, low-restriction exhaust, water to air intercooling and a host of other upgrades.  Then a tuner from Hell flew in from CA, and waved a magic wand over about a dozen cars in one weekend.  That little 1.8 liter Toyota stock-block pulled 343 hp on the dyno, allowing 12% for losses.  One time in that car I blew away a V6 NSX.  The driver became so upset, I thought he might ram me.  My wife was in the car as I took a sharp evasive maneuver around a giant truck.  Her exhaust was louder than all three vehicles combined.  Amazing, mighty little car.

[SENC]

33 minutes ago, Bruce K said:

Her exhaust was louder than all three vehicles combined.

 

 

Great little car, and better story!

 

[Croc]

23 hours ago, Bruce K said:

I feel you, brother.  My daily driver for years has been an older, larger Explorer.  

 

I think we all need a daily driver to be practical.  Something that carries loads, deals with pothole ravaged roads, and gives pause to some badly driven Mommy-mobile.

 

I changed mine over this year.  I have had 10 years of BMW X5s, my last being the 2019 X5 40i with the brilliant 4.4L supercharged V8.  It made the portly SUV a serious weapon around town.  Need to get across an intersection - boom - done.   

 

 

 

 

 

However, this year as the X5 came off lease, I went for the X7 as it has a better towing capacity and takes a full complement of tires in the back.  Somewhat sadly its the Inline-6 model, instead of the V8 in my previous X5.  But for all that I am not missing the V8.   The X7 is nicely cushy on the bad roads on my commute to and from Newark Airport and will protect me from the suicide e-bike delivery guys in downtown.   The improved refinement from 3 years of work by BMW is really noticeable.  It also works well as a pit vehicle doing shuttle runs from garage for bits and pieces.  

 

 

Fortunately the grille is not like the BMW M4 which looks like I dipped my ass in ink and backed up onto the front of the car.  

 

Someone might ask, why two blue cars.  Because there are so few options.  BMW has white, black, silver, charcoal, titanium, moon shadow. and every variety of silver and gray under the sun.  But it also has one blue so that was my only possible choice.  

 

 

 

 

The seats are actually a dark espresso but the iPhone decided to render them as baby poo brown.  

 

 

 

 

[Bruce K]

Very nice SUV, Croc.  You have great taste in vehicles.  Potential 7,500 lb towing capacity, too, which is better than my Explorer.   I, too, must move on soon, as my Explorer is nearing 200,000 in-service miles, which makes me nervous on long trips.  It has been comfortable, dependable, and the livery is great (see photos).  I had an excellent rust man (talk about a dying breed!) work on some creeping cancer, so the body should remain impeccable for another year or two, but by then I need to make a move.  I have been thinking about the new Land Rover Defender 110, with 8,000 pounds towing capacity, or perhaps the Mercedes G-Class, also with 8,000 pounds.  I like the retro looks - sort of proto-military - they won't go out of style soon, because they were never in style in the first place.  I don't need a big blown motor - my cars provide enough go-fast - I want a durable, long-lasting body and drivetrain.

Edited December 21, 2022 by Bruce K

[SENC]

This LR3 took over the daily driver and towing duties from the F250.  A 2007 with 130k miles, it is my first Land Rover.  The body and interior were clean and the motor strong, and it is a vehicle I can do most other work on - thus my preference over a new or newer vehicle.

 

I've been extremely happy (even surprised) at the comfort of the ride on the road both in town and on the highway - better in my opinion than my wife's 2020 X3.  It also tows much better than the X3, with a 7700 pound towing capacity - and the air suspension is fantastic when hooking up a loaded trailer.  I've done a little work to it, mainly catching up deferred maintenance, and the drive train is a little whiny so planning to replace the front diff this winter as I'm 90% sure the current diff pinion bearing is what is causing the noise.  These vehicles are pretty much at the bottom of the depreciation curve and I picked it up for $5,500, so don't mind a little extra investment if I can get another 100k or so on it. The terrain  management system is fantastic, and this one has a rear locking diff so I should be set for most trouble I get into hunting/fishing.  All that, and I love the classic boxy shape.  Fuel mileage isn't great (about 20 on the highway), but better than my F250 was so still feels like a win.

 

[Bruce K]

20 mpg is great - in town, my Explorer gives me on 16 on a good day.  With the car hauler attached, I'm down to 9 or 10.  I agree with your "boxy shape" assessment - never in style, so never out.  Pure functionality.  The Defender 110's will be down in price in a year or so, so I will look at them then.

Edited December 21, 2022 by Bruce K

[slowdude]

Wow, fantastic collection of cars from everyone here. I'm seeing a theme of RWD cars / great driving cars and then having a daily which isn't too mundane. 

 

I was fortunate to baby sit a 2020 Z4M40i for two years as my daily. Absolutely fantastic car / very slept on. Put about 25k miles on it before it needed to go to its next owner. It was a dealer reject, and someone at work reached out about putting some miles on it before sending it to auction... I wound up keeping it for two and a half years. I had an M340i before this, but the short wheelbase of the Z and rwd was always a treat. When it came to winter, I'd either work remote or borrow the the wife's Macan (also a fantastic car).

 

I took the Z on a cannonball run to Florida one year, did northern NJ to Orlando in about 14 hours and it was surprisingly comfortable. The steering was a bit numb compared to a 7, and the wife's macan definitely has a better steering feel, but the Z was made to be a bit of a swan song to the roadsters for BMW. My understanding is that it was the pet project of an outgoing board member who wanted to have one of the last BMW roadsters be something truly great. I was sad to see it go, but I needed to pick up something a little more practical (4cyl 330i) to offset picking up the 7. Car got around 30mpg average and would light up the rear end, fantastic fantastic car, truly underrated. Zero reliability issues in the time I had it, no tire issues etc. I was really bummed the Z's are made in Austria and thus cannot get Individual colors.. otherwise I'd order this car in a dark green on cognac and have stuffed it in the garage. I miss this one.

 

I have another longer term project car that I'll post in another post. It will be getting some love this spring after I pull apart the rear suspension on the 7 and deal with some minor rust issues (to be expected on a British car).

 

Edited December 22, 2022 by slowdude

[Croc]

21 hours ago, SENC said:

This LR3 took over the daily driver and towing duties from the F250.  A 2007 with 130k miles, it is my first Land Rover.  

 

I have a major soft spot for Land Rover products, having had an 1983 110 and a 1982 Range Rover in my distant past.  

 

@Bruce K I liked the new 110 when I drove it.  Felt good.  Thought some of the materials and finish were a bit cheap.  Price was outrageous.  Similar spec to my X7 was going to be $35K MORE than the X7.  Had some residual concerns around quality which I never got comfortable with.  In the end I went elsewhere - price the main reason - as I thought the value was not there despite the car.

 

But I have always admired the Discovery/LR3.  I know the body on frame construction makes them heavy, which is why they are not the most economical but the comfort and ride are excellent and their capabilities as a tow car are excellent.  Food for thought - the X7 does 25mpg around town compared with the LR3 at 20mpg.   Similar weight but the engine technology has moved on.  

[Bruce K]

11 minutes ago, Croc said:

 

I have a major soft spot for Land Rover products, having had an 1983 110 and a 1982 Range Rover in my distant past.  

 

@Bruce K I liked the new 110 when I drove it.  Felt good.  Thought some of the materials and finish were a bit cheap.  Price was outrageous.  Similar spec to my X7 was going to be $35K MORE than the X7.  Had some residual concerns around quality which I never got comfortable with.  In the end I went elsewhere - price the main reason - as I thought the value was not there despite the car.

 

But I have always admired the Discovery/LR3.  I know the body on frame construction makes them heavy, which is why they are not the most economical but the comfort and ride are excellent and their capabilities as a tow car are excellent.  Food for thought - the X7 does 25mpg around town compared with the LR3 at 20mpg.   Similar weight but the engine technology has moved on.  

Croc - as always, your advice is not to be ignored.  I will investigate the X7.  But I am inclined toward semi-retro proto-military vehicles, like the Jeep truck if they were bigger inside.  That's why I continue to gravitate toward the Merc Gelundewagen and the LR 110.  I like the ethic.  Newer models of these trucks improve the breed, but remain true to their DNA and heritage.  And that keeps the older models fresh.

Edited December 22, 2022 by Bruce K

[slowdude]

Here is what got me into British Cars, my 1969 Cortina GT.

 

Growing up in a household which didn't have spare income for classic / sports cars (or anything really), really pushed me into those "everyday hero" types of car. The econo-boxes that were put out there to race and be a bit of a marketing message. The aspirational, affordable, fun but practical and sporty car.

 

It led me to the MK1 Cortina's, which are not cheap. So then I started doing some research and saw that the MK2's are pitifully cheap (and ugly some might say). I also liked their backbone for a lot of the British Sports car industry. Seeing the crossflow in the 7 etc.

 

I found this car in Louisiana. It was in the Bay area for around 30 years (last registration was in 1994). I have the original title + blue plates from I think 73 or so. I knew it would be a long, slow slog, and be something my father and I could take time together to get it back together. I picked it up for cheap, almost too cheap, but here we are.

 

At first I thought I would be able to do a mechanical refresh and get it back on the road and driving. That turned into tearing out the interior, then seeing the floors needed attention. So I need to put floors in, do the pinch weld around the windshield. Part of the rockers (and whatever else I find, I'm sure I will find some more). When taking out the interior, I noticed some of the wiring was shot, and decided to just tear it all the way down. Thankfully the car is super simple and parts are fairly affordable.

 

I picked it up around 8 years ago and life happened (bought a house, got married) etc. I had to finish another project (77 CB750 given to me for free in parts), before I could take the time for the Cortina, as it needs some time. Fast forward to 2022, the CB750 is finished and running/riding... it's time to do some brief work on the 7 and then off to the races with the Cortina. I've been slowly accumulating tools over the past few years, picked up a cheap welder for sale, so I am going to try and get it into the garage, strip it further and start the metal work. I am a bit weary of this because I can tackle mechanical, but metal work seems to be a completely different beast. I look forward to it - working with my hands is a good way to get my mind off of excel and SAP.

 

Engine is a Crossflow 1600, with the 4 speed and a 3.92 rear end. It turns a little bit, I'm expecting to tear into it. If its really bad i'll swap it for a Zetec or something. If I do, I'd let the crossflow go to someone here for their car. It wears its original (but faded) paint (Ermine white) and a red Interior. I'll strip it, clean it up, then repaint it (step above drivers quality - no concours ambitions here). If it's really bad I'll throw a cage in it and turn it into a track car.

 

I'm excited to tear into this in 2023.. it's been waiting very patiently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 22, 2022 by slowdude

[slowdude]

14 minutes ago, Bruce K said:

Croc - as always, your advice is not to be ignored.  I will investigate the X7.  But I am inclined toward semi-retro proto-military vehicles, like the Jeep truck if they were bigger inside.  That's why I continue to gravitate toward the Merc Gelundewagen and the LR 110.  I like the ethic.  Newer models of these trucks improve the breed, but remain true to their DNA and heritage.  And that keeps the older models fresh.

If you want to go really crazy, check put the Ineos Grenadier. If I had 80k to burn I'd go that way.

 

Fun X7 Fact- it is the same architecture as the Rolls Royce Cullinan. @Croc you really lucked out with the I6 vs the V8. Especially regarding residual. The V8s can be a typical British Car Experience (weeping oil etc).

[Bruce K]

I just looked into the Ineos.  Positively love the look and ethos.  However, the company just started production in 2022, always a cautionary flag.  Also, there are no dealers, so parts purchases and service will be a continuation of the saga I endured with my WCM S2K.   The Ineos uses BMW motors, ZF trannies, Carrillo beam axles, plus parts from other manufacturers and tons of bespoke Ineos parts.  I want my SUV to be easy, quick and affordable to repair, and the Ineos sounds like none of those.

 

Interesting regarding the shared DNA between the X7 and the Cullinan.  The Culllinans I've seen gorgeous, but pretty big - I need a smaller footprint due to the angle I must park in my garage.  Another reason to consider a G Class or LR 110.

Edited December 22, 2022 by Bruce K

[SENC]

Just received a Christmas present for myself - some Melvill and Moon seat covers for aforementioned LR3.  The leather seats are in surprisingly good shape, just a little wear/tear on the outside of the driver's seat, so this is a combination of protecting them and covering the black I'm not hugely fond of (in hot summers particularly)