Pick my car... not my nose

New country, new requirements: I need a car here, not a motorbike. We have just bought one for my wife (a crap box Pyzar, no smirking) which is surprisingly practical and totally uninspiring. But I need a ME car, and one which can do a few things in style. Cost of service and parts dictate a Japanese car, and ONLY a japanese car here.

Manual transmission, of course, with some power at hand, but no need for ground clearance or much in the way of standard looks or even trunk space (we have a four seater already). Ability to pack a golf bag, or a bike, or a pair of dogs is a bonus, but won’t be a main need: I could always ride away if I’m cycling on my own, or fold the passenger seat down to the rear to carry the clubs, and the other car would be used for multi-day or multi-person cycling trips. A convertible would also be useful, but man it’s hot here, and extra sunny (sorry, folks in Taipei).

OK, been thinking of these few models as contenders. Any thoughts, dire warnings, etc would be appreciated.

Subaru Legacy wagon or
Subaru Legacy B4 (sedan available only)
(not interested in any kind of Impreza).

Series 4 or 5 RX-7, especially a Tourer model.
Mazda MX5 (aka Roadster aka Miata)

Toyota Chaser (aka lexus something or other) Mark II
or similar big Lexus model
(bit boring, though)

Honda S2000

Nissan 300z
Nissan Skyline GTR or GT

Get a Porche for shopping, and a kart for golf.
Sorry, I’m drunk. :smiley:

I watched Gran Turino the other night, which reminded me that the car in that movie is the ONLY muscle car I’ve ever driven. That exact same model, too – a '72 green fastback with green leather interior. There was a US officer in one of my pheasant shooting syndicates from the COndor base near Edzell, and those guys were allowed to bring their cars over. He had one back in '75 and let me drive it fast over the miles of forestry track that comprised the shoot. He got posted to Vietnam and got killed by a truck being driven by a drunk GI, like only a few days before the fall of Saigon.
I bet there are some nice cars over there in Okinawa.

Shite, Mr Urodacus. You never told me you play golf. We could have had a game.
sigh I suppose it’s off to Okinawa for a NT$5 000 000 round for me. :cry:

I have never been a golfist so I wouldn’t know about how to fit golf bats into a boot.
Having said that, I’m still a little confused as how a Legacy wagon and a Honda S2000 can be in the same list.

Firstly I’d get your requirements nailed down. Your Legacy would do everything very well, but you’re talking new for one as used you may as well be searching for the golden fleece or something.
Honda S2000s are the best soft top two seaters I think for performance but for all round fun and lower cost motoring the Mazda Miata would be the way to go too.

Ground clearance is certainly an issue in Taiwan, even often on what should be flat roads, also alloy wheels and suspension components take a hammering and often fail on lighter sports cars, so watch out. For this reason I favour the Mazda in terms of practicality over other rag tops. If I was going fixed top though I would say you are spot on looking for a Subaru. What’s wrong with an Impreza though? Too obvious perhaps?

Not sure if it’s Japanese, but my vote goes to:

Of course, wouldn’t work so well in Vietnam, Korea, and certain parts of Taiwan…

[quote=“sulavaca”]I have never been a golfist so I wouldn’t know about how to fit golf bats into a boot.
Having said that, I’m still a little confused as how a Legacy wagon and a Honda S2000 can be in the same list.

Firstly I’d get your requirements nailed down. Your Legacy would do everything very well, but you’re talking new for one as used you may as well be searching for the golden fleece or something.
Honda S2000s are the best soft top two seaters I think for performance but for all round fun and lower cost motoring the Mazda Miata would be the way to go too.

Ground clearance is certainly an issue in Taiwan, even often on what should be flat roads, also alloy wheels and suspension components take a hammering and often fail on lighter sports cars, so watch out. For this reason I favour the Mazda in terms of practicality over other rag tops. If I was going fixed top though I would say you are spot on looking for a Subaru. What’s wrong with an Impreza though? Too obvious perhaps?[/quote]

there’s about ten B4s (2.5 sequential twin turbo, 5spd manual, ~300 HP) sitting on car lots near my new place (Okinawa) and even two of the rarer than rare wagons (still a 2.0 twin turbo)… Problem with all the legacys is the shagged front discs: a two mm raised lip on the edge of a front disc tells me it’s been braked very hard for a long time.

Apart from that, I prefer the bigger car over the smaller Impreza if I have to get a four seater. Sorry, redwagon.

More discussion is still pointing me at an RX-7, arguably one of the most attractive two-seaters for less than a million bucks ever made (apart from the BMW z3). But how old is too old with a 13B rotary engine, which i have no experience fixing or diagnosing? The golf bag will fit behind the seats (just), as will two dogs or two people’s overnight bags or boogie boards… any more help there from anyone acquainted with older rotaries (I could actually pick up one from several available 1997-2001 cars ranging from US$5500 to $8000).

a used Miata is much the same price here, so why settle for a much less competent machine apart from the convertible thingie (though it may well be much too hot to run an open top, funnily enough, especially in traffic)? the S2000 is very rare, and I have seen precisely one since being on-island, but I am still looking for the remote chance that there is one here for 6,000 bucks US.

definetely not being swayed by a Soarer, Chaser, or skyline after seeing the police picking on them… damn Marine hoons.

Its more likely because of the 4 wheel drive which requires more brake loading to slow it down, or that they’re auto boxes which are even more seriously heavy on the brakes. Or otherwise the modern pads which are usually too hard and don’t distribute the heat as easily as asbestos. Anyway, talk about modern brakes, if you want to see lips on disks check out practically any BMW over two years old that you see on the road. Subaru Turbo standard pads and disks will usually begin fading quite quickly and should be upgraded in my opinion. Uneven disk scoring on Subarus is usually more common on the rear disks where the vehicle has not been driven hard enough and the pads are not fully applied to the disk surfaces. Rear disks are much more prone to early early failing than front disks.
Don’t let the disks only put you off. You should be looking for heavily side worn front tyres, saggy shock absorbers, poor transmission operation and clicking C.V. joints. Any of those will tell you how hard it has been driven. Of course upgrades such as turbos, waste gates, suspension and brakes as well as obvious rally style seats and polka dot cloth interiors with Kimi Loves Yoko sticker decals on the back should be clear no goers.
On vehicles that are driven infrequently or too slowly the engine will sometimes coke up. Subaru supply copper spark plugs to counter this problem that some users encounter, in place of the platinum tipped standard plugs.
The thing to check on Legacys is the gearbox bearings, baulk rings and clutch. With the car running and the manual gearbox in neutral depress the clutch and then release. Operate several times. You are listening for slight rumbling in the gearbox, below the gear lever, in which case your mainshaft bearings are worn and need replacing. Any high pitch, fast zingy noise which goes off when you depress the clutch will be the clutch release bearing (minor cost or issue normally, but does require gearbox removal).
At a standstill on the flat, select third gear and try to pull away. You should be hoping to hear the engine struggling, not speeding up with the clutch slipping. If its slipping you are talking an expensive repair and usually a clutch friction plate. If when pulling away from standstill you feel juddering through the clutch pedal or transmission you will need a clutch friction plate, pressure plate and flywheel (approx 2,000 U.S.D.)(Clutches generally last around 30~40,000 Brit Miles on a standard Legacy or Impreza Turbo that isn’t abused and cracked flywheels are normal that haven’t been upgraded.) I recommend upgrading all flywheel and clutch components for drivers that like to use the vehicle’s power regularly. The standard clutch and springs are for the general market and for easy operation of the pedal without ankle or leg stress. Upgrade packs will eliminate early clutch wear and juddering as well as cracked flywheels due to overheating most of the time.

Check on used Subarus for tinny sounding vibrations that can come from cracked heat exchangers around the exhaust pipe and turbo unit(s). Not a serious problem at all, but can be annoying. Welding won’t work for long, so have them replaced. On older vehicles the 10mm retaining bolts may snap off as they become heat welded to the brackets around the turbo or become rusted together on lower, underbody exhaust parts.

If you are travelling and find trouble selecting third gear, this is quite normal, but if always trouble, then you will need to replace the gearbox baulk rings. Also try steering full lock whilst putting down power. You need not go berserk, but you should be listening for clicking from the front C.V. joints which indicates you need them changed on both sides.
In case you are under ten (no disrespect intended, but you wouldn’t believe the silly things some people do with their Subarus), Never try to spin the wheels on a permanent 4 wheel drive. Little children do it to their parents cars and always end up ripping the clutch to shreds and damaging the gearbox. Its a four wheel drive, its meant to grip, not show off and spin the wheels.

Always make sure that any used Subaru Legacy or Impreza has just had its cam belt changed or at least won’t require it for quite some time. The belt change is an expensive and laborious job which is also fraught with a little danger. If the cam wheels slip when the belt has been removed then the valves can clash with each other under spring pressure and can bend, resulting in loss of power and a ticking or clacking noise from the engine. Listen for this noise on any car that has been past its belt change interval. Platinum plugs should last the life of the vehicle, but are usually recommended for change at 60,000 miles. The plugs are very difficult to change and will normally require a specific length special plug tool, meaning that most garages cannot offer the service. Get it done at Subaru main dealers.

Top Tip: If driving a full time four wheel drive Subaru or any other car for that matter, then when pulling away in first gear, let the car almost take itself off the line at low revs. Only apply power once the vehicle has begun rolling already, you will reduce much of the early clutch and flywheel/pressure plate and gearbox wear and tear that is always associated with these types of vehicles, as well as reduce your service costs by a hell of a lot. Off the line standing starts may feel exhilarating, but a one or two second slower start will save a lot more money than you can possibly earn in two seconds and given the cornering ability of Subaru performance vehicles, you can make up your lost two seconds quite easily down the road.

[quote=“urodacus”][quote=“sulavaca”]More discussion is still pointing me at an RX-7, arguably one of the most attractive two-seaters for less than a million bucks ever made (apart from the BMW z3). But how old is too old with a 13B rotary engine, which I have no experience fixing or diagnosing? The golf bag will fit behind the seats (just), as will two dogs or two people’s overnight bags or boogie boards… any more help there from anyone acquainted with older rotaries (I could actually pick up one from several available 1997-2001 cars ranging from US$5500 to $8000).

a used Miata is much the same price here, so why settle for a much less competent machine apart from the convertible thingie (though it may well be much too hot to run an open top, funnily enough, especially in traffic)? the S2000 is very rare, and I have seen precisely one since being on-island, but I am still looking for the remote chance that there is one here for 6,000 bucks US.[/quote][/quote]

I rented an MX-5 on a trip to California last year and it is a very nice, little car. It’s got tons of pep under the hood and rides like a dream. But I have to say that it is very, very small. The boot can barely hold one small suitcase and forget about the space behind the seats if you are planning to drive with the top down. Might not be an issue if you are a two car family and your wife’s is more spaceous, but I would have trouble were it my only car. Also, how does your s/o feel about convertibles? The lady I was with on that trip loved it for the first bit, but quickly tired of it when she found out that you get a lot of sun in them and they mess up your hair, lol!

Good luck.

Dude, if SOT had a Leg wagon on the lot with a 2.5 turbo engine and manual trans, it would be sitting in my garage instead of the Impreza. Legacy STi is pure sex.

Having said that, I am no fan of the Subaru twin-turbo set up. Too complex for sod-all advantage, and very tricky to modify for more power, if you were interested in that.

You know about Japan’s clunker laws eh?

Seeing that you’re in Japan, you have quite a few nice choices at your disposition from the Subaru lineup. As Redwagon stated, the twin turbo set-up in Subarus is better avoided…I would be keen on anything STi (Forester, Legacy) to start with, then a more recent Legacy wagon with either 2.5L turbo or 3.0 NA engines…Other than the what you stated in your OP, do you have any intentions to modify/tune the car?

I’d get a supra there…or maybe a boring look civic Type R :smiley:

Thanks Sulavaca for the exhaustive tips on buying a Legacy. I think that’s where I’m headed, but I can’t stop thinking about the possibility of an RX-7 before they get too old. Still tossing up the options here… but I can afford to wait til the ‘right’ car pops its head up and says ‘Buy me’…

Nice to hear that the raised disc edges are not purely the fault of being driven ‘too hard’ but is a fairly common thing to see on a car. I’m much more used to bikes, both with and without motors. Been looking at tire wear, condition of shocks and strut bushes, exhaust system cracks, etc already. The tips on cam belts, gear box and clutch are very helpful.

NO intentions of hotting up any vehicle I get: so much worse for reliability, insurance, etc, not to mention the complete pointlessness of doing so in a place where most of the streets are 30-40 km limits. The NA Legacy seems better than the twin turbo for reliability, as mentioned. I was not aware that they did a single turbo legacy… I can actually test drive an STI legacy next week, so I shall have a look at that. (Normally impossible to test drive a car from any dealership in Okinawa as they surrender the plates and won’t let you off the lot without them). An NA RX-7 would be fine for me too, as its the handling and the style I want more than the brute force power. Now to find one with a sunroof.

We already have a car with a fairly large load space, so a smaller convertible would be fine too, but as you point out, the wife would surely complain about the wind in her hair and the sunburn factor. Thanks for the reminder!

Look into what it will cost you to tax, plate and insure before committing. They stimulate the domestic car market with heavy financial penalties on car (IIRC) over 10 years old. This is why there are so many cool JDM-only cars on the market in NZ and Aus, and so many cheap, low mileage parts in the junkyards.

Look into what it will cost you to tax, plate and insure before committing. They stimulate the domestic car market with heavy financial penalties on car (IIRC) over 10 years old. This is why there are so many cool JDM-only cars on the market in NZ and Aus, and so many cheap, low mileage parts in the junkyards.[/quote]

an 11-12 year old Subie legacy is going to cost me about 5 grand US, so not a biggie to shell out an extra 500 bucks on top of the normal JCI and road tax every two years. same prices quoted for 2005 RX-7s around Okinawa too. it seems to be a grave yard for Japanese cars that are too expensive to keep running on the mainland.

not worth it in the long run, of course. I shall have to enquire carefully into the cost ramifications. generally when you buy from a dealer here, your car comes with new rego, and the next two year inspection and road tax are included, along with a one year warranty including service and parts which slightly offsets the lack of being able to test drive. or so ‘they’ tell me.

[quote=“urodacus”]it seems to be a grave yard for Japanese cars that are too expensive to keep running on the mainland.[/quote]Not quite mate. That place is known as ‘Australia’. :wink:

(bump)

I knew i’d find the thread again eventually!

I bought a gen 3 RX7, and have yet to be unimpressed with it. Very capable, very fast, very red. What more could you want? Eats fuel, and uses a bit of oil, but no smoke on gear changes, and still pulls like a bangkok ladyboy. Just need slightly more brakes on the front. Decent tires make it corner without squirming too much under hard throttle, with not too much oversteer, which is predictable when it does come on.

Ancient Chinese Proverb: “You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friends’ nose”.

quote=“urodacus”

I knew I’d find the thread again eventually!

I bought a gen 3 RX7, and have yet to be unimpressed with it. Very capable, very fast, very red. What more could you want? Eats fuel, and uses a bit of oil, but no smoke on gear changes, and still pulls like a bangkok ladyboy. Just need slightly more brakes on the front. Decent tires make it corner without squirming too much under hard throttle, with not too much oversteer, which is predictable when it does come on.[/quote]

I got to drive one of them a while back. It’s a really nice car. I was really impressed with how fast it is and it is super fun to drive. When you put your foot down, it’s very responsive and it feels like it actually enjoys it. Great car.

Congrats!

can you even find an rx7 these days that hasn’t been blown up at least once already?