NSX So Cal monthly meeting Dec 2nd!
- Thread starter AGNSX
- Start date
Haven't seen the flip flops out in a while.
I'm going to try to make it out to Cars & Coffee (driving up from SD) since I've never been before. Do most people meet up around 6am?
I'll be looking for you. Just saw this so you are probably already there and I'm still at home. 
Hey Patty. Yup I am here I'll keep an eye out for u. So far I'm the only NSX here lol :tongue:
I'll keep an eye out for u. So far I'm the only NSX here lol :tongue:
Oh, but it did get better. :smile: A Prius meet! How was that, Tom?
I'm interested in how you mod a Prius. Do tell.
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http://priuschat.com/forums/local-clubs-events-road-trips/85464-gi-socal-prius-meet-7.html
please see post 69 for pictures of the meet and mods. I took the group shot:smile:
please see post 69 for pictures of the meet and mods. I took the group shot:smile:
Wow, I'm impressed Tom. You took a photo and it got posted.
So, the question is, is your daughter going to get what she wants? :smile:
So, the question is, is your daughter going to get what she wants? :smile:
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probably not. she wants a prius and i don't think it is the best choice as a first car. i still have a few months to figure this out, and i hope i figure it out in time. Right now i'm waiting to see what the 2012 civic (being released on monday) looks like compared to the 2011 2 door.
Jerry and I were talking about this and he pointed out that what ever car she gets will be the one she'll take to college. Kyle and Christa are both still driving RSXs that they got in high school.
Hey Tom, I think a Prius is too complex for you. You should stick with a Honda as you have a few already.
I have been involved with Prius since 2004 and am aware of a few issues. The 2004 thru 2005 tended to wander as one drove down the freeway. It had to do with the suspension and tires. That got fixed in 2006. Since then the only issues have been the HIDs which fail a lot. I now buy mine from China and they last about a year before they need to be replaced. Not sure what the problem is. Of course my model keeps them on when ever we drive (a lower output during the day) so they are really like daylight running lights. I pay about $30 a pair. The other problem has been the one of the electric water pumps that cools the inverter. That got fixed in 2007 and later. Toyota has a recall for all the 2004-2006 to replace the item for free. Other than that it has a lot to do with how familiar people are with the car. There is no sudden acceleration, just stupid people who are not familiar with the layout of the pedals. I mean give me a brake. Ha Ha. Some folks have complained that the gel 12 volt accessory battery only lasts 3 years. Mine went 4 years. Other than that there have been very few issues with the car. It takes a bit to get use to the fact that the braking includes up to 50% regeneration. So the feel is ever so slightly different. The brakes work great. If you step down hard the regenerative part reduces to zero. If you panic stop there is no regeneration. But again this may be too complex for you. You could get your daughter the CNG Civic. I would approve of that. Or if you want to be a real hero then get a Nissan Leaf. I might be willing to sell you my spot. On the other hand consider that if you get your daughter a clean burning vehicle (Prius, Leaf, CNG Civic, Volt) someone might mistake you for a tree hugging liberal democrat. We wouldn't wish that to happen.
Your tree hugging guidance counselor,
Manny
I have been involved with Prius since 2004 and am aware of a few issues. The 2004 thru 2005 tended to wander as one drove down the freeway. It had to do with the suspension and tires. That got fixed in 2006. Since then the only issues have been the HIDs which fail a lot. I now buy mine from China and they last about a year before they need to be replaced. Not sure what the problem is. Of course my model keeps them on when ever we drive (a lower output during the day) so they are really like daylight running lights. I pay about $30 a pair. The other problem has been the one of the electric water pumps that cools the inverter. That got fixed in 2007 and later. Toyota has a recall for all the 2004-2006 to replace the item for free. Other than that it has a lot to do with how familiar people are with the car. There is no sudden acceleration, just stupid people who are not familiar with the layout of the pedals. I mean give me a brake. Ha Ha. Some folks have complained that the gel 12 volt accessory battery only lasts 3 years. Mine went 4 years. Other than that there have been very few issues with the car. It takes a bit to get use to the fact that the braking includes up to 50% regeneration. So the feel is ever so slightly different. The brakes work great. If you step down hard the regenerative part reduces to zero. If you panic stop there is no regeneration. But again this may be too complex for you. You could get your daughter the CNG Civic. I would approve of that. Or if you want to be a real hero then get a Nissan Leaf. I might be willing to sell you my spot. On the other hand consider that if you get your daughter a clean burning vehicle (Prius, Leaf, CNG Civic, Volt) someone might mistake you for a tree hugging liberal democrat. We wouldn't wish that to happen.
Your tree hugging guidance counselor,
Manny
Well, where do I start... I put larger tires on my 2006 Prius to improve it great handling ability. I also put in a chassis brace to give it that NSX feel. I added XM radio to the Navigation system. I replaced the antenna with a Shark (color coded to body paint). I had 3M film on the front and back (back cause we have big dogs). I defeated the phone system so I can make calls while driving. I defeated the Navigations system so that we can input destinations while moving. Seems that Toyota is more conservative than Acura and Honda when it comes to safety. I think that is it. I know folks who have replaced the entire suspension system with coil overs, larger wheels, turbo charger etcetera.
Manny
Hey, I just noticed that the Honda Civic is listed as one of the safest cars for 2011. This is from the Insurance Institute of America. And the tests for 2011are more demanding than the previous years. So you might be on the right track going with Honda.
Manny
SMALL CARS
Chevrolet Cruze
Honda Civic
4-door models (except Si)
with optional ESC
Kia Forte sedan
Kia Soul
Mitsubishi Lancer sedan
(except 4-wheel drive)
Nissan Cube
Scion tC
Scion xB
Subaru Impreza
(except WRX):
sedan | wagon
Toyota Corolla
Volkswagen Golf
4-door models
Volkswagen GTI
4-door models
Manny
SMALL CARS
Chevrolet Cruze
Honda Civic
4-door models (except Si)
with optional ESC
Kia Forte sedan
Kia Soul
Mitsubishi Lancer sedan
(except 4-wheel drive)
Nissan Cube
Scion tC
Scion xB
Subaru Impreza
(except WRX):
sedan | wagon
Toyota Corolla
Volkswagen Golf
4-door models
Volkswagen GTI
4-door models
Manny, thanks for the input. :smile:
Well if you do go for the 2 door realize it may not have as good a safety rating as the four door. Also I guess you have to make sure it has electronic stability control as well. On the other hand take that old legend you have and paint it a sexy color and give her that car.
Manny:tongue:
Manny:tongue:
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manny
i am looking for
safety (abs, crash structure, stability control, lots of airbags etc)
outward visibility
nice manageable size
so far the 2 door civic wins. (volt cruze, prius, alantra don't have the front and rear visibility of 2dr civic), civic is on the spartan side, even in ex trim, alantra is the luxurious one (leather, heated front and rear seats, but poor visibility compared to civic)
i am looking for
safety (abs, crash structure, stability control, lots of airbags etc)
outward visibility
nice manageable size
so far the 2 door civic wins. (volt cruze, prius, alantra don't have the front and rear visibility of 2dr civic), civic is on the spartan side, even in ex trim, alantra is the luxurious one (leather, heated front and rear seats, but poor visibility compared to civic)
Another way to look at the issue is from the perspective of mass. A larger car will afford more protection in an accident because of the greater mass. The Insurance Institute even states that a larger car with poor performance in the crash tests can in fact exceed the safety performance of a smaller car that has great crash test results. So keep that in mind. I noted that the Honda 2door did not fair as well as the 4door. Of course if visibility is of importance than you have to think about it. I think a good car might be a small suv like from Toyota or Subaru. In the end I don't think you can go wrong in what ever you get. Most all cars are improving in their approach to safety.
Manny
Manny
I do in fact like the looks of the Civic. I saw the 2011 or is it the 2012 that was shown at the Detroit show? Never the less, I have somewhat soured on Honda. They have changed their culture from exciting and adventurous (NSX, S2000) to bland. I think for the world it is good that they are moving more towards a "green" company, but it is sad that the folks who designed the NSX and S2000 are gone and with them that spirit. Honda use to be an engineering driven company, but now they are focused on being a company that sells cars. They are profitable but there needs to be some passion.
Toyota on the other hand is pushing forward with their concerpt cars and is going against BMW and Mercedes AMG with some of their offerings. They are one of the few companies that has the money to stay the course. Their hybrid vehicles are significantly better than what Honda offers. I saw the new Prius V which is a kind of SUV that will get on average just under 40 mpg. Pretty nice car. The technology is great. That car will come out in about 6 months. They will also come out with a Prius that is more like a people mover (think Smart Car) in a couple of years. Toyota is still a bit too conservative from my point of view. Having said that, they build reliable, and high quality vehicles. They will have an all electric Rav made by Tesla coming out shortly.
We are still thinking about getting the Leaf. With a 100 mile radius, it should cover at least 95+% of our travel routine. Even the Chevy Volt with a 40 mile radius would cover 90+% of our driving routine with the added ability to go additional miles when needed. Obviously, if we were going to see my Sister in law in Phoenix we would rent a van and take the dogs. Trying to recharge a Leaf would require about 3 stops and that would not cut it. With the Volt we could make the whole trip, but as you noted your gas mileage decreases when you depend a lot on the engine versus the battery pack.
As a society we need to push to get off this merry-go-round of oil dependence. Who wants to be fights wars for the next 50 years as the quantity of oil drops off. I would love to see gas go for $5 a gallon. This is the only way as a country we will push technology to solve our dependency.
Manny
Toyota on the other hand is pushing forward with their concerpt cars and is going against BMW and Mercedes AMG with some of their offerings. They are one of the few companies that has the money to stay the course. Their hybrid vehicles are significantly better than what Honda offers. I saw the new Prius V which is a kind of SUV that will get on average just under 40 mpg. Pretty nice car. The technology is great. That car will come out in about 6 months. They will also come out with a Prius that is more like a people mover (think Smart Car) in a couple of years. Toyota is still a bit too conservative from my point of view. Having said that, they build reliable, and high quality vehicles. They will have an all electric Rav made by Tesla coming out shortly.
We are still thinking about getting the Leaf. With a 100 mile radius, it should cover at least 95+% of our travel routine. Even the Chevy Volt with a 40 mile radius would cover 90+% of our driving routine with the added ability to go additional miles when needed. Obviously, if we were going to see my Sister in law in Phoenix we would rent a van and take the dogs. Trying to recharge a Leaf would require about 3 stops and that would not cut it. With the Volt we could make the whole trip, but as you noted your gas mileage decreases when you depend a lot on the engine versus the battery pack.
As a society we need to push to get off this merry-go-round of oil dependence. Who wants to be fights wars for the next 50 years as the quantity of oil drops off. I would love to see gas go for $5 a gallon. This is the only way as a country we will push technology to solve our dependency.
Manny
Actually I forgot a couple of items. I put on custom mud flaps front and rear. And get this a custom made turn signal right and left mirrors. Pretty cool!
Old not here.
Manny
Old not here.
Manny
I saw the new civic and don't like it as much as the current model.
Manny
Manny
