Cons

[ST185RC]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Let's not forget the fact that what we think of as "cheaply made" is actually a major part of the safety design of cars and has been for decades now.
These (and all new cars) are designed to crumple and absorb impact forces that would otherwise injure or kill a driver or passenger.
Newer car crashes that have horrible looking damage can actually result in everybody walking away, where a crash with a precrumple (my made up word of the day) zone car may leave a really nice intact looking car that is full of corpses.
You hear all the time that "they don't make cars like they used to" and I for one am very glad they don't. I would much rather replace the whole front/rear of a car then be dead, or even worse kill a loved one.

No argument about crumple zones and them being engineered into modern cars. I wouldn't drive a Buick tank even though those car survive pretty much any impact leaving the passengers to get thrashed around on the inside.

But you can't tell me that a flimsy bumper cover that feels like it's held on by two thumb tacks is designed cheaply as an inherent safety feature. Take a feel of your rear stock bumper at the bottom, I really wish the bumper cover wouldn't warp so easily when i pull on it. That, I really wish they would make it like the old days where everything felt like it wouldn't come off when the wind blows.

The people who complain about panels not lining up and gaps that aren't equal on the hood definitely aren't there for safety features meant to protect lives. I take this car for what it is, a fun little driving car, but I still think that it feels like a cheap car put together with some corners clearly cut and materials that were left out to get to that cheapness. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoy the car despite it's shortcomings and if OP is still interested in the cons of this car, is that it's not gonna impress people who don't like squeaks, rattles, chipped paint and flimsy build quality over time.

I will tell you that the quality of the FR-S feels light years ahead of an Elise, though. But then the Elise is on an entirely different echelon of driving feel (gearbox still feels like shit though). That car you aren't paying for it being put together well; it's just a model kit that's held together by some very strong superglue for you to have a blast playing with it and I suspect the developers at Toyota and Subaru had a very similar mindset but they added a dash of grown-up usefulness to the 86.

[brianhj]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

The 200+ page thread about the crickets indicates otherwise.

The only fuel the chirp doesn't exist with is fuel with no ethanol added or fuel with high ethanol content. Standard pump gas with 10% ethanol causes chirps.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by brianhj

The only fuel the chirp doesn't exist with is fuel with no ethanol added or fuel with high ethanol content.

Nope. I have personally used ethanol-free fuel in my car and still had crickets. If it were that simple, there wouldn't be a 200+ page thread with people still trying to find a way to get rid of them. I get tired of seeing people declare this when it simply isn't true.

Some ethanol-free fuel gets rid of crickets. Some E10 fuel also gets rid of crickets. So you're basically back at square one.

[brianhj]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

Nope. I have personally used ethanol-free fuel in my car and still had crickets. If it were that simple, there wouldn't be a 200+ page thread with people still trying to find a way to get rid of them. I get tired of seeing people declare this when it simply isn't true.

Some ethanol-free fuel gets rid of crickets. Some E10 fuel also gets rid of crickets. So you're basically back at square one.

Ok then E85..Haven't heard of anyone with crickets with E85.

[FRSBRZGT86FAN]

Originally Posted by brianhj

Ok then E85..Haven't heard of anyone with crickets with E85.

Nope I've read posts that only certain e85 blends "suppress"the crickets I suggest you do more research into the nice forum member that actually took one apart and dissected the possible causes

[brianhj]

Originally Posted by FRSBRZGT86FAN

Nope I've read posts that only certain e85 blends "suppress"the crickets I suggest you do more research into the nice forum member that actually took one apart and dissected the possible causes

Sounds to me like it's the fuel then since that's the variable. Maybe lower ethanol content blends of E85 suppressed them and maybe higher ethanol content blends of E85 actually got rid of them. If it was a design flaw wouldn't they ALL chirp no matter what? Did anyone who claimed to be running E85 actually have an analyzer on the fuel line and know how much ethanol was in their fuel? Did the guys who ran "ethanol free" fuel know that it had 0% for certain? Gas stations lie. Forum members don't tell the whole truth. Etc etc. This is why that thread is 200 pages not because there's some design flaw that everyone is still hunting for.

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

The blind spot is in the next lane over. There's a cone of blindness that starts around the rear fender well and expands outward. A car in the lane next to you is larger than this cone, so you can see it. A car in the next lane over can fit in the cone so that it's pretty much invisible. If you and the guy two lanes over both decide to take the center lane at the same time, you can't see him until he suddenly appears out of that blind spot, at which time you may already be trading paint.

I've actually solved this problem too. I go faster than most of the people around me, and I watch the ones that are faster than me from the time they're well behind me until they've passed me. It works out pretty well.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

I've actually solved this problem too. I go faster than most of the people around me, and I watch the ones that are faster than me from the time they're well behind me until they've passed me. It works out pretty well.

...until one of them turns on those pretty flashy lights. they're no fun. boooooo

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

...until one of them turns on those pretty flashy lights. they're no fun. boooooo

No way. Need for Speed taught me those guys are other competitors. Can't let 'em win.

[FRSBRZGT86FAN]

Originally Posted by brianhj

Sounds to me like it's the fuel then since that's the variable. Maybe lower ethanol content blends of E85 suppressed them and maybe higher ethanol content blends of E85 actually got rid of them. If it was a design flaw wouldn't they ALL chirp no matter what? Did anyone who claimed to be running E85 actually have an analyzer on the fuel line and know how much ethanol was in their fuel? Did the guys who ran "ethanol free" fuel know that it had 0% for certain? Gas stations lie. Forum members don't tell the whole truth. Etc etc. This is why that thread is 200 pages not because there's some design flaw that everyone is still hunting for.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41776

Some people thought the ethanol was causing the fuel to aerate making a noise in the pump, but when an actual engineer on the forum took the pump apart it was a tolerance issue. And yes he ran e85 and another fuel grade

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by FRSBRZGT86FAN

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41776

Some people thought the ethanol was causing the fuel to aerate making a noise in the pump, but when an actual engineer on the forum took the pump apart it was a tolerance issue. And yes he ran e85 and another fuel grade

Then I only have a "tolerance issue" when I use ethanol added fuel.
I agree though there is no one answer to the problem and what works for some does not work for others.

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Then I only have a "tolerance issue" when I use ethanol added fuel.
I agree though there is no one answer to the problem and what works for some does not work for others.

If you put about 2 oz of two stroke oil in with every tank of ethanol-laden fuel, you will no long have a tolerance problem. I think it's a lubrication problem, personally.

[FRSBRZGT86FAN]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

If you put about 2 oz of two stroke oil in with every tank of ethanol-laden fuel, you will no long have a tolerance problem. I think it's a lubrication problem, personally.

Ethanol causing friction?

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by FRSBRZGT86FAN

Ethanol causing friction?

I've heard that ethanol is more dry than gasoline. 2 stroke oil is a friction modifier, and it makes the crickets go away. There are a number of threads on here about it, and other cars with hpfp's have been using it for years. Make sure you get the stuff with tc-w3.