Rumour has it that the engine did indeed make 250hp originally... but Mazda realized just prior to release in the US that the catalytic wouldn't last as long as required by US law, so they simply reprogrammed the CPU to run insanely rich - thus running cooler and preserving the cat, but also...
I don't think the rotary was "phased out;" I think people stopped buying impractical, overpriced japanese supercars in general... RX-7 included.Would a new RX-7 sell today? I don't know. I certainly wouldn't buy one, regardless of it's performance, as I wouldn't want to live with it's harsh...
True, but it's nowhere near as peaky as when the S2000 frantically makes it's power in the last few thousand revs.The 8's powerband is 4,000 rpms wide, from 5k - 9k. Plenty of room to have fun without worrying about dropping below the powerband. And aside from the bump up at 5k, it's a very...
A quart every 3,000 miles or so is pretty much normal. Every 1,000 miles might be a bit much though. As you said, it's part of the normal rotary process, I believe to lubricate/seal the apex seals (piston rings equivilent).Hey, consider joining http://www.rx8club.com if you haven't already...
It looks great in white though! The metallic red is amazing too, especially up close.I *almost* regret getting black. It's absolutely stunning right after a coat of Zaino... but two minutes down the road and it's dirt-colored again, lol.
The 8's design and engineering is actually superior to the 7 in almost every way: the suspension uses better located components, the chassis is stiffer, the engine is mounted lower and farther back, and the engine makes as nearly as much HP without resorting to a turbo(s).Congrats on the...
ROFL, well that's a scary thought, cuz I get around 17mpg with mine, lol...I'm guessing they were really more worried about reliability.It's only "slow" to you 21 psi, mod-crazy drag racers ;)But it's still the sweetest, most rewarding car I'v ever driven.True, it's not very...
It varies, depending on whom you read, just like any car. I *think* it was C&D that quoted the 14.5. Naturally, I'm gonna use the lowest number I've read so far :)I've seen as slow as 6.7 to 60, and as fast as 5.9. So who knows.But you know, as long as it makes that glorious wail, I...
LOL, you'll be eatin' dem words if the road has any... whatchmecallits... TURNS, lol..And hey, 14.5 1/4 mile ain't exactly SLOW :thumb:Evos... I test drove one five times. Almost bought one. In the end, I didn't like the lack of side air bags, rumours of weak clutches, and lack of... I...
Thanks for kind words. Fine then, you're stuck with me. There's always someone who needs to be told ITS YOUR COILPACK! (about the only informative tech input I managed).And hey Defiant, no more "Wrong Wheel Drive" wise cracks, eh? Luckily, the 8 has a nice idiot button (aka Dynamic Stability...
I just wanted to say goodbye to ya all. I never really modded my Eclipse enough to offer any deep advice, but I jumped in when I could. Either way, you all taught me many, many things - even if the biggest mod I ever did was a K&N. I've rarely met a more knowledgable and skilled group of people...
What's your budget? What's "kinda fast?"Protege, Sentra, new Mazda3 is pretty cool.Those OTHER cars you mention get a bad rap cuz of what kids do to them. But those OTHER cars are nimble, fun to drive, practical, and hold their value better than anything else.
Yea, I know a kid who was handed his college education, a $40,000 truck, a brand new home, and his job. It kinda POd me at first, but then I figured heck, his parents love him and can afford to give him a head start in life, so more power to 'em. They just want to do whatever they can to protect...
I had to laugh when I bought my Enkei RS6's... then saw an EVO. Not the same of course, but similar. Mitsu has good taste :thumb:And before anyone thinks I'm a complete moron (well, even moreso) for not recognizing an obvious Evo, ya gotta realize I normally only see it's butt... for about...
I was much happier when I thought it was some riced-out lancer.Having to drive by an Evo every day going to work is like some sort of emotional torture, lol. Look at it... you can see it smirking at me. Taunting me. Naaa na naaa na naaaa naaaa.I will get one. Oh yes I will.
Finally a pic.OK, I guess it's an EVO. I mean, FMIC, hood, brembos, wheels...But you can see the small wing.And it definately has L A N C E R in chrome letters across the trunk lid, in the middle.But I guess it's a mutant EVO. Musta had a different wing put on. God knows where...
Geez. 30. One foot in the grave :laugh:I'll be 40 in june. Amazing I can still find the strength to hobble outa bed every morning, lol.I thought the GS-T was practically an exotic back in '98 when I got her new from Mitsu.Nowadays, it looks like any kid with a paper route has one.
I believe double-clutching is basically doing a normal shift into neutral first, THEN shifting again into the gear you want.So if you want to downshift from 3rd to 2nd, you'd push in the clutch, shift to neutral, let out the clutch (first shift), then push in the clutch again, shift to 2nd...
Ouch. One bad missed shift, and no more tranny. Definately NOT recommended.Besides, rev matching will give ya 150,000+ miles on a clutch. Well, at least it did on my 91hp CRX, lol...
http://www.driversedge.com/dblcltch.htmhttp://www.triumphspitfire.com/healtoe.htmlhttp://www.elecdesign.com/Articles/ArticleID/6137/6137.htmlGoogle lists tons more.Personally, I don't double-clutch. I guess I see where it can save the synchros, but heck, I paid for em, so I'm...
neuromonic posted a nice link to http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/howto/articles/45792/article.htmlIt's not as complicated to do as it is to explain.Just again, be sure you have lots of room and no one behind you when you practice :)
LOL, yea, it's tricky at first - at least it was for me. I'd either slam on the brakes when kicking the throttle, or get too timid and not brake soon enough. Be careful, and be sure you have lots of room and no one behind you.What I did was first get into the habit of blipping the throttle...
No need to double-clutch unless you have synchro problems. Just add normal heel-and-toe blipping of the throttle during every downshift.And right, you do it it with ANY car when (road) racing to avoid upsetting the car's balance. On the street, it'll save your clutch and make the entire...
In a very sad irony, about an hour after i posted that, 5 kids in a Jetta apparently didn't stop for a stop sign a few miles down the road from where I live... and were hit by two vehicles. 3 kids are in critical condition.Somehow my sarcasm suddenly seems arrogant and irresponsible...
Hey, that's great news! Congrats! I bet you're feeling much better???See? Told ya you wouldn't "need a whole new engine." :thumb:Just be sure to have that shifter/problem looked into too. Have you played with the shifter at all? Such as installing a symborski kit... or short shifter... etc.?
My last ticket was for failure to come to a complete stop at a stop sign.In a KMart parking lot.By an officer STANDING alongside the lot, BSing with friends.He just pointed at me and waved for me to pull over.I must admit, I was being wildly reckless... I didn't come to a...
Check for the "Blaster" virus: http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.blaster.worm.htmlEdit: and make sure you've installed all the latest Windows Updates
LOL, it helps :)But if I remember correctly, 99% of the $202 labor was the "diagnostic fee" to simply FIND the problem, not to fix it.I had done all the newbie fixes I learned here (plugs, wires, injector cleaner, higher octane fuel, etc.), and was more than happy to pay $200 to find out...
Why?I'm no gearhead and really stupid about these things, but I thought that if my timing belt snapped (for example) I'd "just" need to replace the valves? And perhaps the pistons if they were damaged?And I thought I read somewhere that having a dealer do it all runs somewhere around...
Uh oh, my wifey's civic EX has a better power-to-weight ratio than a N/T eclipse...If N/T's can hit 60 in 7 secs...And the EX is faster...And the stock GS-T is around 6.4...I might be driving the wrong car.
The paint on the plastic trim on my 98 GS-T behind my front fenderwells has suddenly decided to fall off. If you can see the attached pic, those gray speckles are actually bare plastic where the paint peeled back.The other side is actually much worse, with entire finger-sized parallel strips...
So I go to wash my 98 GS-T tonight, to get it ready for waxing tomorrow.And I find that at some point in the last few days, the paint on the backside/bottom of the front fenderwells (on the plastic cladding) is peeling off in big strips, exposing the gray plastic underneath. It's like I...
My 19 year old cat died a few years ago. I still feel bad for NOT putting him to sleep before he died, cuz he was really sick for that last month. But geez, he was like my best pal for two decades...Had my dog die in my arms (heart attack)...Watched another one die after being mauled my...
I passed by a Hummer today on my way to work.Woman driving it musta been like 95 years old.Huge, HUGE vehicle... with this little itty bitty grandma peering over the cowl.I laughed at first. Then I remembered the damage older folks can do when the "accelerator sticks" or "brakes...
Rev matching during downshifts by keeping your toe on the brake, and "blipping" the throttle with your heel. Once you learn it, you'll never go back.Eclipse pedals aren't positioned very well for it, IMHO. The height relationship seems all wrong, plus I can't get enough leg room for it...
Hmmm... I don't go there, but I know it well (BCCC and Quakertown). My best friend lives in Quakertown, and I once went to BCCC... like... two decades ago, lol.The Lancer is actually parked in Yardley. I am starting to wonder if someone dropped a turbo into a regular 'ol Lancer. Could be the...
I pass by this parked yellow Lancer every day on my way to work.Thing is, I can't figure out if it's an Evo or not. The body kit looks like one, but it has a small wing on it (not the huge CF one), kinda like pre-1998 eclipses. I thought the CF was the only option?Wheels look like an...
It sounds like you know what you want to do :thumb:I was going for a degree in computers, but I dropped out to take a computer job a friend lined up for me. One job then led to another, and now I'm settled in a great job (14 years!), doing what I love, and get this... they PAY me to do it...
You young whippersnappers... lol... 14 years of wedded bliss here!Heck, she autocrosses, plays pit crew for me at track events (ones with corners)... won't drive anything but a manual tranny... loves to get up early and watch F1 (though it'll never be the same without Senna).She's a...
The fronts are cross-drilled, yes? I think most shops frown upon turning drilled or slotted rotors. I could be wrong... maybe it's just slotted that they won't do?Upgrade the clutch = no warantee when the tranny breaks instead of the clutch.
Just be sure to factor in frequent oil changes with synthetic oil (required), frequent fillups with premium fuel, expensive rotors (I don't think they can be lathed), frequent clutch changes, and new tires every 10,000 miles or so.Mitsu's ad even starts with something like, "Are you really...