Japanese car thread

[Pman]

I've honestly had nothing but trouble from all the "american" made cars I've ever owned. What I have is Honda , Lexus and Toyota now and happy with all 3.

 

[RedCowboy]

Im not much for politics and I couldnt hold a candle to you for your knowledge on this but those suit cases of money are doing what we need. With that little pathetic try on my politic views! what did Ford use for a name on the cars in the Mad Max movies. (Australian) am I right?:thinking:

In Mad Max it was the last of the Interceptors Mate

 

[Dr_Evil]

I have a Mazda 6. Other than using a washable filter in place of the paper air filter, I have not done any tuning. I might add a turbo using the stock exhaust though. The only reason I have a Japanese car is because that is all I could find that had what I wanted without paying luxury car prices.

BMW, MB, Volvo and I think Audi produce cars within the US.

 

[Lifetime17]

Hi folks,
Ricers CACA ... sorry love my pick em ups. 2010 hummer pickup 5800 lbs curb weight, 28 gal gas tank loaded. aluminum welded diamond back bed cover, Kevlar coated supports 1600 lbs. Who cares about gas milage .. My truck eats ricers for breakfast..

Rich

 

[Teej]

The market is fairly international, with many shared parts, etc.

Look at the list of makers/models all impacted by the same air bag part recall, let alone all the germans running for cover when VW's scandal turned into all of them, and so forth.

 

[Aardvark777]

Ahh sweet ride Teej!!! That thing is a beast! Love the mud!!! :evil: Yea, the Vdub emissions scandal affected Seat and Audi as well. Ohh dear... Lifetime17... I don't think a Hummer is comparable... they are designed for different purposes, I am safe in the knowledge that my CTR is far, far faster than a Hummer Hummers whilst eye catching are EXTREMELY RARE in the UK because running a hummer in the UK will bankrupt most ordinary people, and our roads are way too narrow for them, they usually take up 2 parking spaces in the UK too. To give you lucky American guys an insight into how pricey the UK is, here are some figures. As of 2015, just over 70% of the price of fuel in the UK is tax... our Gov't enjoys screwing motorists. We get taxed mega hard, one of the highest taxings on fuel duty out of any country in Europe, despite it starting out at one of the lowest prices in Europe. So having 17 mpg is suicide for the wallet here. Not to mention all manufacturers carry out tests in regulated labs on rolling roads for their emissions and MPG/fuel consumption tests haha!! :crackup: So what they state is usually nowhere near the actual MPG, and emissions are usually 3 or 4 times higher in actuality! If you drove a Hummer in the UK you would be lucky to get away with spending $600 a month in fuel alone, just from day to day short to mid range commuting and going out say 2 or 3 times a week. Over in NJ your fuel is only $1.96 a Gallon?? A Gallon dude... That is 4.5 Litres... haha the lower east coast of the US gets it eaaasy on fuel? You know what a Gallon of unleaded fuel in the UK costs? £3.52 now on average. That is $5.34. So over here your 28 Gallon tank actually costs $149.52. So by my reckoning a tank a week, is 4 tanks a month (provided you drive like a sloth to obtain a good MPG) meaning... Your Hummer would smash through $600 a month on fuel alone if you had to run it modestly in the UK. That would imply you were driving steadily without any long drives. I'm assuming my calculations here are accurate if you're in NJ?? It's 0330HRS here and I've not had a coffee in 9 hours now so I hope my math holds up to scrutiny :angel: But seriously? See how expensive petrol/gasoline is here in the UK? :thinking: that is why I drive a VTEC lawn mower :shhh: but don't tell anyone that

 

[Dr_Evil]

I wonder about that whole emissions crap. Adding the emissions equipment usually decreases fuel economy. That means burning more fuel to do the exact same work. So I want to know if there really is less pollution. Especially considering what is produced while making the fuel and the additional emissions equipment. That's like the stupid electric or hybrid vehicles. All your doing is changing what gets polluted or where the pollution occurs.

 

[RedCowboy]

I wonder about that whole emissions crap. Adding the emissions equipment usually decreases fuel economy. That means burning more fuel to do the exact same work. So I want to know if there really is less pollution. Especially considering what is produced while making the fuel and the additional emissions equipment. That's like the stupid electric or hybrid vehicles. All your doing is changing what gets polluted or where the pollution occurs.

Getting rid of leaded fuel was a good thing, blood testing showed how much was really getting into our bodies, it was a cover up for a long time but finally the evidence could not be ignored.

Actually fuel efficiency and low emissions are behind much of the advances in engine management such as fuel injection and variable valve timing that has greatly increased performance, when turbo charging is used to increase volumetric efficiency and increase overall fuel economy a lot of on the fly timing and ratio adjustments are now made by computer that is actually a big performance advantage.

Used to be force induction pre ignition was partly solved with dirty fuel additives and constant retuning, the emissions crap has actually given us some great performance enhancements.

But now manufactures are trying to say their auto computer programing is intellectual property and make it illegal for us to tamper with it.
Also there is all the nanny software and spyware, the last minute before a crash is stored as data including speed, throttle position, ect.
Add in remote shutdown and door locking it's just a matter of time until your cars computer tells on your driving history and we pay an annual fee for fuel wasting at first then who knows.

The Orwellian nightmare looms ever closer.

 

[Dr_Evil]

Getting rid of leaded fuel was a good thing, blood testing showed how much was really getting into our bodies, it was a cover up for a long time but finally the evidence could not be ignored.

Actually fuel efficiency and low emissions are behind much of the advances in engine management such as fuel injection and variable valve timing that has greatly increased performance, when turbo charging is used to increase volumetric efficiency and increase overall fuel economy a lot of on the fly timing and ratio adjustments are now made by computer that is actually a big performance advantage.

Used to be force induction pre ignition was partly solved with dirty fuel additives and constant retuning, the emissions crap has actually given us some great performance enhancements.

But now manufactures are trying to say their auto computer programing is intellectual property and make it illegal for us to tamper with it.
Also there is all the nanny software and spyware, the last minute before a crash is stored as data including speed, throttle position, ect.
Add in remote shutdown and door locking it's just a matter of time until your cars computer tells on your driving history and we pay an annual fee for fuel wasting at first then who knows.

The Orwellian nightmare looms ever closer.

People will start wrapping their vehicles in tin foil. lol :tinfoil:

Diesels were getting better fuel economy. Take a Jetta from the mid 90s and compare it to what we have now. A lot of those smaller diesels could get 50 to 60 MPG. Leaded fuel also helped "lubricate" engines. With advances in fuel and engine manufacturing, lead wouldn't be needed in an engine similar to what was made in the 40s for example. Things such as catalytic converters do reduce fuel economy. People that have either removed them or put ones on that allow more airflow have seen an increase. Doing so will change the power band though. The peak torque and HP may shift by a couple 100 RPM.

 

[Thejoker301]

I am a petrol head more than I am a laser holic lol.

Going to rebuild the engine soon. Shooting for around 450whp.

:beer:

 

[RedCowboy]

People will start wrapping their vehicles in tin foil. lol :tinfoil:

Diesels were getting better fuel economy. Take a Jetta from the mid 90s and compare it to what we have now. A lot of those smaller diesels could get 50 to 60 MPG. Leaded fuel also helped "lubricate" engines. With advances in fuel and engine manufacturing, lead wouldn't be needed in an engine similar to what was made in the 40s for example. Things such as catalytic converters do reduce fuel economy. People that have either removed them or put ones on that allow more airflow have seen an increase. Doing so will change the power band though. The peak torque and HP may shift by a couple 100 RPM.

That's why even factory performance cars have multiple high flow converters.

Bing Images

 

[Lifetime17]

Ahh sweet ride Teej!!! That thing is a beast! Love the mud!!! :evil: Yea, the Vdub emissions scandal affected Seat and Audi as well. Ohh dear... Lifetime17... I don't think a Hummer is comparable... they are designed for different purposes, I am safe in the knowledge that my CTR is far, far faster than a Hummer Hummers whilst eye catching are EXTREMELY RARE in the UK because running a hummer in the UK will bankrupt most ordinary people, and our roads are way too narrow for them, they usually take up 2 parking spaces in the UK too. To give you lucky American guys an insight into how pricey the UK is, here are some figures. As of 2015, just over 70% of the price of fuel in the UK is tax... our Gov't enjoys screwing motorists. We get taxed mega hard, one of the highest taxings on fuel duty out of any country in Europe, despite it starting out at one of the lowest prices in Europe. So having 17 mpg is suicide for the wallet here. Not to mention all manufacturers carry out tests in regulated labs on rolling roads for their emissions and MPG/fuel consumption tests haha!! :crackup: So what they state is usually nowhere near the actual MPG, and emissions are usually 3 or 4 times higher in actuality! If you drove a Hummer in the UK you would be lucky to get away with spending $600 a month in fuel alone, just from day to day short to mid range commuting and going out say 2 or 3 times a week. Over in NJ your fuel is only $1.96 a Gallon?? A Gallon dude... That is 4.5 Litres... haha the lower east coast of the US gets it eaaasy on fuel? You know what a Gallon of unleaded fuel in the UK costs? £3.52 now on average. That is $5.34. So over here your 28 Gallon tank actually costs $149.52. So by my reckoning a tank a week, is 4 tanks a month (provided you drive like a sloth to obtain a good MPG) meaning... Your Hummer would smash through $600 a month on fuel alone if you had to run it modestly in the UK. That would imply you were driving steadily without any long drives. I'm assuming my calculations here are accurate if you're in NJ?? It's 0330HRS here and I've not had a coffee in 9 hours now so I hope my math holds up to scrutiny :angel: But seriously? See how expensive petrol/gasoline is here in the UK? :thinking: that is why I drive a VTEC lawn mower :shhh: but don't tell anyone that

Hi A,
I know it was not on the money my reply but i had 4 imports 3-toyo 4 runners and a mitsu pickup. great on gas but to small for me. I know in the UK things are costly and the government loves to tax things. Thats why about 250 years or so ago we decided to get away, that was along time ago. But this was a great thread to see how many people like there imports. We have many here all modded out monza muffs and all the bells and whistles. They buzz around like busy bees and some of them are really cool rides. Yours might be faster but don't stop at a red light I might have to go over the top to get around you LOL... Cheers Mate..

Rich

 

[Aardvark777]

Yea Rich, it is super expensive here. You'd need to be Rich to run anything larger than a 1.8 in the UK haha :undecided: Gov't for you. Wow Joker! More pics please Joker! I love Scoobies! Agreed on the unleaded VS leaded fuel topic

 

[GSS]

In Mad Max it was the last of the Interceptors Mate

Thx, do you remember when he flipped the switch and the supercharger belt started spinning "yeah right like thats how it works" but it looked cool. I almost said the rice burner thing but you covered it for both of us HaHa. Peoples choice I respect that. Dr.Evil a big thing with old say muscle car builders is installing hardenend valve guides and seats to run on unleaded gas, but a good thing on my big block Buick engines is that the block and heads were cast with a high nickel contant so I dont need to do this upgrade. This turned into a nice thread. I had heard that a 1982 chevy chevet had like a million time the computing power than the Apollo 11 space craft:beer: Who can name all the car company mergers?

 

[Teej]

Some things to consider:

They have changed how mpg is calculated and measured several times, so you can't compare the published mpg from older to newer cars.

They have changed how horsepower is measured several times, so you can't compare HP from older/newer cars either...at least not directly.

The emissions controls reduced mpg, by a fraction, initially. The difference in exhaust though was huge, so, the net gain was a slight reduction in economy with an enormous reduction in pollution.

Electric cars have to be charged with electricity...and, if that comes from a coal fired power plant, the green foot print grows a lot.....as in the vehicle is still responsible for the pollution made to recharge it....but, overall, the E rigs are less polluting, especially if charged by a cleaner source.

Lead used to be an enormous, albeit invisible, problem. Going to unleaded was a very good move, and, yes, the lubricity loss was a PITA.

So, the older cars were heavier, yet didn't absorb impacts in crashes, and were not as safe overall....and got terrible fuel economy, because at a few cents/gal, no one cared.

The newer ones are lighter, and absorb energy in impacts, but are more likely to be totaled in the process, etc.

A heavier car hitting a lighter one though is going to favor being IN the heavier one generally, as the wee one gets punted.



So, overall, as far as economy, performance and safety, the new cars are generally better........but I tend to like the old ones.

 

[Thejoker301]

Ahh sweet ride Teej!!! That thing is a beast! Love the mud!!! :evil: Yea, the Vdub emissions scandal affected Seat and Audi as well. Ohh dear... Lifetime17... I don't think a Hummer is comparable... they are designed for different purposes, I am safe in the knowledge that my CTR is far, far faster than a Hummer Hummers whilst eye catching are EXTREMELY RARE in the UK because running a hummer in the UK will bankrupt most ordinary people, and our roads are way too narrow for them, they usually take up 2 parking spaces in the UK too. To give you lucky American guys an insight into how pricey the UK is, here are some figures. As of 2015, just over 70% of the price of fuel in the UK is tax... our Gov't enjoys screwing motorists. We get taxed mega hard, one of the highest taxings on fuel duty out of any country in Europe, despite it starting out at one of the lowest prices in Europe. So having 17 mpg is suicide for the wallet here. Not to mention all manufacturers carry out tests in regulated labs on rolling roads for their emissions and MPG/fuel consumption tests haha!! :crackup: So what they state is usually nowhere near the actual MPG, and emissions are usually 3 or 4 times higher in actuality! If you drove a Hummer in the UK you would be lucky to get away with spending $600 a month in fuel alone, just from day to day short to mid range commuting and going out say 2 or 3 times a week. Over in NJ your fuel is only $1.96 a Gallon?? A Gallon dude... That is 4.5 Litres... haha the lower east coast of the US gets it eaaasy on fuel? You know what a Gallon of unleaded fuel in the UK costs? £3.52 now on average. That is $5.34. So over here your 28 Gallon tank actually costs $149.52. So by my reckoning a tank a week, is 4 tanks a month (provided you drive like a sloth to obtain a good MPG) meaning... Your Hummer would smash through $600 a month on fuel alone if you had to run it modestly in the UK. That would imply you were driving steadily without any long drives. I'm assuming my calculations here are accurate if you're in NJ?? It's 0330HRS here and I've not had a coffee in 9 hours now so I hope my math holds up to scrutiny :angel: But seriously? See how expensive petrol/gasoline is here in the UK? :thinking: that is why I drive a VTEC lawn mower :shhh: but don't tell anyone that

Here in Israel 1 liter of unleaded fuel is around 6ILS which is $1.55

1 gallon is $5.7 or 3.8 pounds.

And I have to fuel premium with my subie because of that turbo. And all the upgrades it runs ... so knocks will not occur. It costs me $7 per gallon.

Way too much.