Any other Dinosaurs driving FRS?

[MrDinkleman]

Originally Posted by WNDSRFR

I'm going to get one of these for my 70th birthday.

Need to look into this... for my mom.

[Big D Design]

Let's see....
Just turned 59 and down to 5 vehicles. Had to get rid of '78 Chevy pickup.

I started with a '66 Dodge Monaco wagon in '75. 383 motor RWD and powerful. Cost $300. Me being a surfer brought me to liking station wagons. They were under the radar with the "heat" and had the utility needed to put surfboards locked in the car. Back in those days surfers smoked wacky tobacki. 2nd station wagon was a Chevy Impala with a 350 small block and disappearing rear tailgate. That sheet was cool.

After that I got a Chevy Monza wagon with 4 speed manual. This way my 1st smaller car with great handling and a sticky set of tires. Loved that car, just 2 doors and enough utility to accommodate lots of stuff. Went to a hatchback after that (I blew the motor on the Monza wagon). Mom gave me the car (Pontiac) and it had terrible handling. Put a cutting edge stereo into it and just cruised around for a few years.

I love racing and it has been in my blood since about 7 years old. Dad would take me to the drag strip all the time. In my neighborhood there were so many muscle cars. I lived right across the street from the local park where they would all meet every day. Spent countless years in garages with custom builds, race cars, fuel dragsters and muscle cars. Man, it was great. Some of these guys would have tires so wide and ladder bars with the rear end jacked up. Were talking Cudas, Camaros, Road Runners. All day and night you could see these guys hanging out burning rubber right in my front yard. 3 blocks one way from my house was 5 garages with custom cars and go the other way and there were another 10 garages filled with motor heads like me. The problem with me was that I wasn't old enough to drive. I got picked on a lot due to my age, but it was worth it. There were a lot of cars with the B&M Transmissions and ratchet shifter. I used to race motocross on Sundays till I go my license at 17. So my race bike and trailer for my 1st car. Dad wouldn't even buy me car insurance. He said you need to learn how to do things on your own. That hurt having to quit racing, but driving is freedom from parents and an adventure every time.

Then there was the tuner car revolution. Sticky tires and great handling smaller cars. I took an interest in the culture and couldn't afford one. I hung out in car repair shops that my friends own and just had a great time with the whole thing. I was the car stereo guy. Had the best sounds around. 15" subs in trunk, 8" subs on back floor, Polk bookshelf speakers on back seat, custom boxes built to go under my legs, and tweeters in the dash. Denon CD player with Carver amps and $2k worth of audiophile wiring. Tuner cars seemed to trump muscle cars due to the handling. Just to go all out into turns was more exciting than straight line speed. The FRS has to be the best car for handling that I have ever driven (with sticky tires and lightweight wheels needed). I really don't know why anyone would change the suspension on this car other than stance. For the street the '13 model FRS is just light years away from anything Japan has ever offered. It's lightweight and that makes it superior when going to other cars now. Now matter how well another car handles, it isn't usually as lightweight. And you can really feel that.

My 1st tuner car was '89 Nissan Maxima SE 5 peed. Had that until the new '92 came out with new 24 valve motor and LSD differential. The dealer's son called me and said that I have to drive this car. I said that I couldn't afford a new one. He said just get your ass over here now. I have one in Pearl White. So I go drive it with him. I liked the new motor. Much faster car and on the turns the limited slip was a god send. He said to me.... give me $300 and I'll take your car and add another year to your lease. I had 2 years of lease left on my '89. And here this guy is offering me a deal where I add a year more and give him $300, that's it. The wife couldn't even say no to that. I still have the Maxima and it has been modified with all new racing suspension, JDM motor, billet flywheel, pulleys, exhaust, tune and uses NOS off-road octane booster. It revs so fast, wish the FRS did that. Press on the gas pedal and instant response and instant slowdown of RPMs. I used to go to Sonic and drive the young kids crazy with how fast the motor revs. Also it is so loud that you know I'm coming from 1/2 mile away. That Maxima is the best car at speeds over 100mph (Mexico) that I have ever driven. Just like glue to the road and never ever does a bump put it out of sorts.

Bought a '12 Roush Stage 3 Mustang right before the FRS came out. Always wanted a Roush, since seeing them at the NHRA Summernationals. Met all the guys from Roush and couldn't believe how well they made the car look and perform. These cars to me are better than the Shelby at that time. The new Shelby though is another story. Wish I had the scratch for one of them. I still wouldn't trade it for my Roush. The '12 year Mustang is one of my favorites for the look of the fastback Mustang. I only drive it a little bit. It is my garage queen. Hoping to cash in later at an auction for more than double of what I paid for it. It already happened at Barrett Jackson in Arizona. Wish me luck on that one. Only 2,800 miles on it and I have had it for almost 4 years. It will do 11.3 at the strip.

FRS is just so much the car I have been waiting for. The Honda S2000 is a great car, but I prefer the FRS hands down. I almost bought an S2000 and got back in my FRS and realized that I would be taking a step backward. The torque on the FRS down low responds. It does not at all with the S2000 and that makes the FRS feel faster. The FRS is also much roomier and the dash design reminds me of Porsche. Sometimes I walk away from the FRS for a coulple of weeks and start thinking about a change of car. Then I get back in and realize that there might not be another car quite like it to come down the pike. Maybe one day put a supercharger in it, or put an LS motor. But that is really not needed. There is enough power there to be a hoonigan and have some fun when nobody is looking (in Mexico). The only thing I would wish for would be a six cylinder boxer motor with an 8500rpm redline. That would make it a super sports car.

Well I hope you have been entertained with my jibberish. I'm retired and wake up thinking about cars. And I used go surfing all the time, but my move to Florida has led me to stop. Waves are way to small here. It's just cars and good music now with a touch of the beach. Have a nice day.

[Braces]

^^^^^^

Great post. You definately have a lot of experience with cars.

If your near the Gulf (Destin) ... you should give up cars and get into a nice fishing boat. That's my retirement dream.

[Lateral G]

Originally Posted by NOHOME

Took a glance at the age and profession thread. Figured that with the over 40 gang being significant at 15%, I would not stand out as an anomaly driving this car at age 57.

Guess I was wrong eh?

Any other seasoned drivers out there? If so, are you a lifetime sports-car driver or late life indulgence? I am firmly in the first group having owned only one car with more than two seats. (I don't count the space behind me as "seats" in the FRS.)

Yes, we are out here! I've owned a few back seats though. Now that I only have one child at home, and she has her own car (Miata), no more back seats for me. I have always been a driving enthusiast. Autocross, winding roads, a few track days.... good times. The kids picked up on love of cars as well, my son wrecks cars and my daughter loves to drive and blast the classic rock station.

[Cole]

Originally Posted by Big D Design

Let's see....
Just turned 59 and down to 5 vehicles. Had to get rid of '78 Chevy pickup.

I started with a '66 Dodge Monaco wagon in '75. 383 motor RWD and powerful. Cost $300. Me being a surfer brought me to liking station wagons. They were under the radar with the "heat" and had the utility needed to put surfboards locked in the car. Back in those days surfers smoked wacky tobacki. 2nd station wagon was a Chevy Impala with a 350 small block and disappearing rear tailgate. That sheet was cool.

After that I got a Chevy Monza wagon with 4 speed manual. This way my 1st smaller car with great handling and a sticky set of tires. Loved that car, just 2 doors and enough utility to accommodate lots of stuff. Went to a hatchback after that (I blew the motor on the Monza wagon). Mom gave me the car (Pontiac) and it had terrible handling. Put a cutting edge stereo into it and just cruised around for a few years.

I love racing and it has been in my blood since about 7 years old. Dad would take me to the drag strip all the time. In my neighborhood there were so many muscle cars. I lived right across the street from the local park where they would all meet every day. Spent countless years in garages with custom builds, race cars, fuel dragsters and muscle cars. Man, it was great. Some of these guys would have tires so wide and ladder bars with the rear end jacked up. Were talking Cudas, Camaros, Road Runners. All day and night you could see these guys hanging out burning rubber right in my front yard. 3 blocks one way from my house was 5 garages with custom cars and go the other way and there were another 10 garages filled with motor heads like me. The problem with me was that I wasn't old enough to drive. I got picked on a lot due to my age, but it was worth it. There were a lot of cars with the B&M Transmissions and ratchet shifter. I used to race motocross on Sundays till I go my license at 17. So my race bike and trailer for my 1st car. Dad wouldn't even buy me car insurance. He said you need to learn how to do things on your own. That hurt having to quit racing, but driving is freedom from parents and an adventure every time.

Then there was the tuner car revolution. Sticky tires and great handling smaller cars. I took an interest in the culture and couldn't afford one. I hung out in car repair shops that my friends own and just had a great time with the whole thing. I was the car stereo guy. Had the best sounds around. 15" subs in trunk, 8" subs on back floor, Polk bookshelf speakers on back seat, custom boxes built to go under my legs, and tweeters in the dash. Denon CD player with Carver amps and $2k worth of audiophile wiring. Tuner cars seemed to trump muscle cars due to the handling. Just to go all out into turns was more exciting than straight line speed. The FRS has to be the best car for handling that I have ever driven (with sticky tires and lightweight wheels needed). I really don't know why anyone would change the suspension on this car other than stance. For the street the '13 model FRS is just light years away from anything Japan has ever offered. It's lightweight and that makes it superior when going to other cars now. Now matter how well another car handles, it isn't usually as lightweight. And you can really feel that.

My 1st tuner car was '89 Nissan Maxima SE 5 peed. Had that until the new '92 came out with new 24 valve motor and LSD differential. The dealer's son called me and said that I have to drive this car. I said that I couldn't afford a new one. He said just get your ass over here now. I have one in Pearl White. So I go drive it with him. I liked the new motor. Much faster car and on the turns the limited slip was a god send. He said to me.... give me $300 and I'll take your car and add another year to your lease. I had 2 years of lease left on my '89. And here this guy is offering me a deal where I add a year more and give him $300, that's it. The wife couldn't even say no to that. I still have the Maxima and it has been modified with all new racing suspension, JDM motor, billet flywheel, pulleys, exhaust, tune and uses NOS off-road octane booster. It revs so fast, wish the FRS did that. Press on the gas pedal and instant response and instant slowdown of RPMs. I used to go to Sonic and drive the young kids crazy with how fast the motor revs. Also it is so loud that you know I'm coming from 1/2 mile away. That Maxima is the best car at speeds over 100mph (Mexico) that I have ever driven. Just like glue to the road and never ever does a bump put it out of sorts.

Bought a '12 Roush Stage 3 Mustang right before the FRS came out. Always wanted a Roush, since seeing them at the NHRA Summernationals. Met all the guys from Roush and couldn't believe how well they made the car look and perform. These cars to me are better than the Shelby at that time. The new Shelby though is another story. Wish I had the scratch for one of them. I still wouldn't trade it for my Roush. The '12 year Mustang is one of my favorites for the look of the fastback Mustang. I only drive it a little bit. It is my garage queen. Hoping to cash in later at an auction for more than double of what I paid for it. It already happened at Barrett Jackson in Arizona. Wish me luck on that one. Only 2,800 miles on it and I have had it for almost 4 years. It will do 11.3 at the strip.

FRS is just so much the car I have been waiting for. The Honda S2000 is a great car, but I prefer the FRS hands down. I almost bought an S2000 and got back in my FRS and realized that I would be taking a step backward. The torque on the FRS down low responds. It does not at all with the S2000 and that makes the FRS feel faster. The FRS is also much roomier and the dash design reminds me of Porsche. Sometimes I walk away from the FRS for a coulple of weeks and start thinking about a change of car. Then I get back in and realize that there might not be another car quite like it to come down the pike. Maybe one day put a supercharger in it, or put an LS motor. But that is really not needed. There is enough power there to be a hoonigan and have some fun when nobody is looking (in Mexico). The only thing I would wish for would be a six cylinder boxer motor with an 8500rpm redline. That would make it a super sports car.

Well I hope you have been entertained with my jibberish. I'm retired and wake up thinking about cars. And I used go surfing all the time, but my move to Florida has led me to stop. Waves are way to small here. It's just cars and good music now with a touch of the beach. Have a nice day.

@humfrz your old-man stories have now been eclipsed by a superior (younger) old man.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Cole

@humfrz your old-man stories have now been eclipsed by a superior (younger) old man.

Well, it was only a matter of time ........


humfrz

[Lateral G]

Last weekend I went to "The Dragon" a.k.a. "Deals Gap" as I often do. Saw a group of twenty-somethings hanging out around their WRX's and eyeballing me. So I went over to say hello... turns out they wanted to play on the way back down the mountain. I told them I would lead the group and that if I wasn't fast enough then I would pull off and get in the back of the line. They looked at each other quizzically, obviously thinking "is this old guy crazy?". After a few awkward seconds, they agreed.

When I got to the bottom of the mountain, it was boring waiting for them. They showed up 2 minutes later with the smell of their brakes heavy in the air. That made my weekend!

[CatScan]

Originally Posted by Big D Design

FRS is just so much the car I have been waiting for. The Honda S2000 is a great car, but I prefer the FRS hands down. I almost bought an S2000 and got back in my FRS and realized that I would be taking a step backward. The torque on the FRS down low responds. It does not at all with the S2000 and that makes the FRS feel faster. The FRS is also much roomier and the dash design reminds me of Porsche. Sometimes I walk away from the FRS for a coulple of weeks and start thinking about a change of car. Then I get back in and realize that there might not be another car quite like it to come down the pike. Maybe one day put a supercharger in it, or put an LS motor. But that is really not needed. There is enough power there to be a hoonigan and have some fun when nobody is looking (in Mexico). The only thing I would wish for would be a six cylinder boxer motor with an 8500rpm redline. That would make it a super sports car.

Fifty-something here. I've never read a better description of this car, though it will be total gibberish to the under thirty crowd. In addition to being a great car, it's a total aberration in the modern auto world.

Yeah, a flat six massaged by Yamaha would be an absolute blast. 300 hp and the sound would be fantastic.

Added: Hmm. How about an eight cylinder Boxer W?

[CatScan]

Originally Posted by Lateral G

Last weekend I went to "The Dragon" a.k.a. "Deals Gap" as I often do. Saw a group of twenty-somethings hanging out around their WRX's and eyeballing me. So I went over to say hello... turns out they wanted to play on the way back down the mountain. I told them I would lead the group and that if I wasn't fast enough then I would pull off and get in the back of the line. They looked at each other quizzically, obviously thinking "is this old guy crazy?". After a few awkward seconds, they agreed.

When I got to the bottom of the mountain, it was boring waiting for them. They showed up 2 minutes later with the smell of their brakes heavy in the air. That made my weekend!

Negotiating curves with even a little bit of speed is not covered in the turbo-stance and fart-can manuals. Want to make your car significantly faster for very little money? Learn how to drive it well.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by MrDinkleman

Need to look into this... for my mom.

Same here, except for FatherInLawHawk. Another brilliant idea I should have come up with.

[jcw99]

Originally Posted by WNDSRFR

I'm going to get one of these for my 70th birthday.

My sister gave us some last year - I'm 71.

[CatScan]

[gravitylover]

Originally Posted by Lateral G

Last weekend I went to "The Dragon" a.k.a. "Deals Gap" as I often do. Saw a group of twenty-somethings hanging out around their WRX's and eyeballing me. So I went over to say hello... turns out they wanted to play on the way back down the mountain. I told them I would lead the group and that if I wasn't fast enough then I would pull off and get in the back of the line. They looked at each other quizzically, obviously thinking "is this old guy crazy?". After a few awkward seconds, they agreed.

When I got to the bottom of the mountain, it was boring waiting for them. They showed up 2 minutes later with the smell of their brakes heavy in the air. That made my weekend!

Hahaha this made me laugh out loud. Well done, well played. I just started a road warrior job that will put me on the back roads of NW CT/the Berkshires and all of VT. Can't wait to drop the ricer/tuner dweebs with bikes on the hitch rack on my car.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Cole

@humfrz your old-man stories have now been eclipsed by a superior (younger) old man.

Originally Posted by humfrz

Well, it was only a matter of time ........


humfrz

Nope!
Not until that "younger old man" can tell that exact same story in 50 words or less like Hum can!