rossv1

ACCURATEin

I wonder if he is doing what he said he might do.

Sarlacc

interesting...the blendmount in my challenger sure does.

RPhilMan1

Help! Morgan has fallen and cannot get up!



Well the Blendmount sits pretty flush with the mirror. More "attached" than "hanging". Aman was obviously referring to the necklace on a lanyard that is hanging from the mirror. And you can also see Morgan's radar detector mounted with suction cups right next to it.

So, context.

e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

As did the one in my 325ic, Tundra, Land Cruiser, CLs, Z, & currently X5.

0 Morgaaaaaaaaan????

Paging Morgan/CivicdrIbbler/ OP.

WTF MAN???

MEKO

iTrader: (1)

OOOooo finally the dream car

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Long time, no post.

First, and most importantly, I want to apologize to Tom and Aaron for not delivering on my end of their respective transactions. It was a lapse in my ability to prioritize, and I feel like an asshole because of it. I have refunded them 100% for the items they purchased, but I still feel like it severely damaged my reputation; which was only exacerbated by disappearing from the forum.

Speaking of disappearing from the forum -

I have always loved to modify cars. There was something about taking things apart, making them better, and making them my own that was hugely satisfying. That was on full display with the CL (which I miss dearly). It may not have looked like much to others, but it was my car, and it was a great drive. Most of what made it special was that there were very few off-the-shelf parts; you really had to stretch your imagination to complete projects, and I found that to be the most fun of it all.

This Thursday marks the one year anniversary of the supercharger/blown motor fiasco. That was probably the lowest day of my automotive life. After that occurred, I had no drive, no desire to care for any car, much less the FR-S. I saw it as an appliance. I'm still trying to recover from that episode. I'm not sure what I truly want to do with the car, which is why nothing has been done. It's amazing how much money you can save my not constantly fiddling with things.

But that's only half the story. The FR-S is unlike any other car that I've owned. Obviously, it's RWD and it has a flat-four. But the biggest difference is the aftermarket. There are parts all over for this car. Some would love that. It was something I wished for when I had the CL. But after 2+ years of ownership and seeing the community expand, I've come to the realization that it's very difficult to stand out in a crowd when you own this sort of car. I'm not saying I'm an attention whore, but when you're at car shows and you see countless BRZs and FR-S' and they all have the same modifications...it's just a major turn off for me - which in itself is ironic, considering my screen name references a Civic.

And that brings me to where I am today. I just don't know what to do with the car. It's an internal debate that I have day in and day out. I go to sleep thinking that I've finally made up my mind, and I wake up thinking that my decision is horrible and spend the rest of the day mulling it over. It's not fun. What makes it worse is the fact that I absolutely love driving this car. I've posted one part out thread on FT86Club, only to take it down a day later; and I almost did it again this weekend.

I've always prided myself in making thoughtful decisions. If there is something that I want to do or purchase, I push it out of my head and reevaluate a week later. If I kept thinking about it over the course of the week, then it's a good decision, in my mind. If I didn't think about it, how important is it to me? That didn't really happen with the FR-S. Yes, I put the deposit down long before the car was on US soil and had time to think about it, but I finalized the deal the same day I test drove it. It was an impulse buy. I see that now, and I should have seen it then. But it's a decision I have to live with, and it is why I am having such a difficult time deciding what to do with the car. Do I part it out and sell it? Do I toss the supercharger on it again and hope for the best? Do I go a little more crazy and really make it my own? All of these decisions cost money, and I'm trying my best to not make another expensive mistake.

On a more lighthearted topic, with the help of Tyler, I picked up a wagon back in March.


IMG_20140310_064131 by civicdrivr88, on Flickr


IMG_20140302_204203 by civicdrivr88, on Flickr

It's an '03 IS300 Sportcross. It had 193k miles on it, but it's in pretty good condition. It has Megan lowering springs on stock struts (blown), IS350 wheels, tints, Pioneer AppRadio 3, and old Soundstream (I think?) speakers. I have Fortune Auto coilovers sitting in the garage that I purchased back in April, I just haven't gotten around to installing them. It's a pretty comfortable car, but 23mpg on the highway is a killer. I've got long term plans for it, but I need to figure out what to do with the FR-S before I start on this one.

Oh, and I moved out of the house and into an apartment in an effort to save even more money. Going from ~1800sq ft down to 853sq ft is tough, but I didn't need all that space. I do still have a garage though. It's somewhat large, but nowhere near as big as what I had before. It also has a 5x12 storage room off the back of it for more storage. Of course, I can't fit a car in the garage at the moment because it's overrun with various parts for cars I don't even own anymore.


IMG_20140711_101844 by civicdrivr88, on Flickr

ttribe

Hate you for abandoning us.

Love you for returning.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

We missed you, Morgan. Disappearing was out of character for you...trust me, your solid reputation kept everyone always believing the best. Glad you seem to be coming out of your cloud.

Plus, c'mon...classic fantastic Lexus there. I personally can't explain all the back and forth on what to do I go through with whether or not to sell one of the cars, or get a truck, or save more money, or stop modding...I feel like a schizo. It's a rewarding hobby, as long as you draw the line at what you will spend and what is too far over done and stick with it.

I don't have an opinion on what you should do because I know you love that car. You seem to me like a guy that should be driving, restoring and modifying a long forgotten no longer in production fun car and putting all your efforts into keeping it at it's best. That's the route I've taken with my set of 10 year old Honda's that I consider to be one of their best designs. There's something to be said about not being able to go buy something off the shelf all shiny and pretty and just paying for it...something to be said about a classic and going through all the ups and downs of constant repairs and keeping it perfect and keeping it looking new (within reason). That's my take on it...for now.

Keep your head up, player.

Aman

Holy


Good to see you again!

Sounds like you've been going through a tough time with cars. Not really in a position to give you meaningful advice, but I hope you come to a decision that satisfies you.

Bright side - Until then, you have a car that you love driving, and a car that's practical for your lifestyle. A good place to make decisions from.

Congrats on the Lex . You've been wanting one for quite a while.

Yumcha

Whoa. Lexus...wagon, no less!

Congrats, Morg!

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

If Tyler helped you......OF COURSE it was a wagon!

Costco

Sell the Vortech kit and get the Jackson Racing if I had to go F/I with my car it would be with an SC and the JRSC is my first choice.

I can relate, mostly. The stock power level is great for the street. I can have fun without getting in trouble. But it is slightly disheartening to gain on cars in the corners, only to have them pull away in the straights. So far my car is still a baby but it has treated me well. The best long term choice (for me) would be to just keep it N/A to ensure reliability. It's a tough decision, and I'm sure its even harder for you, given that you've experienced your car boosted.

First thing's first on that IS though. You need to polish those headlights

Costco

and oh yeah, it's good to have you back. Whatever the reasons, I can confidently say most of us understand.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Thanks man. With past cars, the line I drew was miles ahead of me. With this car, it seems like I've passed the line at times. I've been looking at a lot of older cars, but haven't been able to settle on one yet. Also, apartment living puts a damper on large projects.

Thanks. I've floated the idea of selling both cars and getting a comfy yet fast daily, but the Lexus is 100% mine, so it's not worth getting rid of it. Just as long as the tranny holds up

Thank you sir! I've looked at a few before getting this one. I actually drove to a Chevy dealer outside of Atlanta to pick up a grey '04, but when I got there, it was not as described. I made an offer based on condition, and they wouldn't budge. I was the only one in the dealer for the entire hour I was there, and the sales manager refused to work with me. I think it may have had something to do with him knowing that I drove from out of state. But I said fuck it, shook the sales persons hand and walked out. The sales manager had the dumbest look on his face, but I wasn't paying $2k over book value on a ten year old car that was on their lot for two months at that point.

The car was in Cary, NC, where he used to live. I took a look at it one weekend (I think it was coming back from Atlanta), made an offer and committed to coming back the following weekend to get it. My brother was going to take me down there, but then he backed out midway through the week, so I scrambled. Tyler mentioned he was going back up to Cary that weekend and would be willing to pick me up from the train station ($40 Amtrak ticket FTMFW) and let me crash at his parents place.

Tyler's a good guy, although the spooning was a little weird.

The JR kit is nice and makes damn good power. But, you have to get an oil cooler, bump up your oil grade (from 0W20 to 10W30 would be a good place), and monitor oil temps and pressure. The oil pump on this car is garbage, and when temps rise, the oil breaks down. The rod bearings and main bearings are the first to go. If you catch it early you may be able to save the block.

One of the avenues I've been mulling over is tossing the Vortech kit on with a 12psi pulley along with the PTuning header and WMI kit. I've actually been talking to Toan about this exact setup and I'm currently #1 on the list for the discounted tune (it would be the first WMI/Vortech setup they've done), I'm just trying to decide if I should bite the bullet.

The main reason I'm thinking about this is, aside from the header and WMI kit, I've got all the parts needed - and I can't seem to sell them without taking a huge loss. Compared to an engine swap, this would be a much easier method to get the power levels I want out of the car and make it much easier to revert back to stock and sell when I finally decide to pull the trigger.

And now I'm thinking about putting the deposit down with PTuning. Damn it.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

You insisted on being the little spoon. It's not my fault that my package had nowhere else to go.

crazyasiantl

iTrader: (7)

Good to see you back and congrats on the Lexus

neuronbob

Good to see you back, man.

1. If the FRS makes you that unhappy (not unique at car meets and stressing over whether it will strand you given engine blowing qualify as unhappy-causing events), sell it and move on. You should be ENJOYING the car, not stressing out over it. Too many great cars out there to enjoy and life is short.

2. Congrats on the Lexus. I think I was the only guy on this forum to like the 1G IS, and I loved it hard, in both wagon and sedan form, and especially in yellow for reasons I still don't understand ten years later. Nice Lex and nice wagon.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Wanna fuck, Morgan? no homo...

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

Glad to hear from you again!! Wondering where you been.....
A BIG +1!

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

The voice of reason!! This is the direction I'm really leaning. I've just about put the motor swap out of my head.

Thanks! BTW, I've been looking at this sum'bitch since it popped up for sale, but the gas mileage is worse than the Lex

http://www.richmondbmwmidlothian.com...3b4eee1437.htm

You know you don't have to ask.

G37?? Wha?? How?? When???

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Oh, almost forgot, I did do a few mods to the car this year. One is the BRZ headlights, which Tyler posted a picture of. Another is the rear diffuser, which is actually functional.


DSC00488 by civicdrivr88, on Flickr


DSC00489 by civicdrivr88, on Flickr

I damn near sliced my foot open on it the first time I washed the car with it on.

I also got this thing that mounts between the rear window and the trunk lid:


DSC00514 by civicdrivr88, on Flickr

TRD says it's a functional aero part, I say it's a functional leaf blocker.

ttribe

Correction on the functionality of the rear diffuser - It WOULD be functional, if the car got going fast enough to need it.

ACCURATEin

Welcome back Morgan.

Congrats on the wagon. I remember you telling me about that back in March.

Diffuser looks sick.

What car will you be in this weekend?

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

Yeah I couldn't take black or the 12mpg...
SRT8 needed some work as well, it was low miles so I decided to get what I could for it while I could.
No where near the power, but handles a ton better & is a nicer car overall.

jaeravenal

Civicdrivr you should let me make you an 5" ABS CAI for your FR-S

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

but also

Unless something goes terribly wrong, FR-S. 31 mpg > 23 mpg

Nice. I'm sure the G has good pickup though. Manual or auto?

Why do I need brakes on a cold air intake?? /red text

Yumcha

Morgan, I've updated your title.


Let me know if you want it as something else.

Costco

dat TRD swag. +15 whp, +10 lb/ft

I've seen it in person though. It finishes off that area nicely. Still dunno why they designed the rear in such a way, but I am no aerodynamics engineer.

Totally agree with you. I'm running E85 on an Openflash tune, but I plan to stay N/A. I actually have an oil cooler I need to install - the Laminova setup that "splices" into the lower radiator hose. And I'm running Redline 5w-20 on a 3500 mi interval. My first OCI on E85, and I'm sending it in for analysis.

There was a guy whose car went into limp mode at the track, but my guess is he didn't pop his hood between sessions. He was bone stock other than the E85 tune as well. These cars run hot. Some guys reported even canyon runs causing their oil temps to go above 240 F.

MEKO

iTrader: (1)

Hey!! Welcome back
I agree with Bob. After an another engine, keep it NA or sell the car.
I would say keep the car NA, do every bolt on, get that TQ curve up and tune etc + some diet and have fun.
You will miss the MPG this thing gives

Always loved that IS. Best one ever. In love with sedan but wag looks great too

Aman

Is the Lexus an... you know... a-word?

Mr. Maker

iTrader: (4)

00TL-P3.2

The wagon, sadly was only offered that way here
My aunt had a 5MT IS300 sedan, really fun little car.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

how can you not love the car that started the "ebay knock off altezza for all cars" revolution!

gnuts

iTrader: (1)

welcome back! Nice pickup on the wagon. I love cars that you don't see too often, so i say ditch the FRS and put a new engine in the lexus along with a man pedal. Grab a winter beater/daily.

RPhilMan1

Hey Morgan, glad to hear from you. Love the IS! Wish you the best.

CCColtsicehockey

Glad to see you back Morgan. I know that feeling you are having a bit Morgan. I went through the same feeling after my accident with the TSX and it being down for so long.

The desire will come back to work on cars again and do things to make them yours. I can't tell you that it will come back as strong though. The down period seemed to make me prioritize things differently though in the end. It has been harder for me to just go out and spend big chunks on the car at one time like I did before.

In the end the only right decision though is the one that makes you happy and you are only happy when you have a car to drive that you love.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

It's unfortunate, but it is true. That will be fixed.

Thanks man. The Lexus will get a manual, but it's supposed to be the daily.

Thanks man. You coming out to C&C Saturday? I'm thinking about sticking around for the UNCC meet as well, but I need to run that past Tyler first.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

So, in a shocking turn of events, I'm going to be transparent about auto plans. Usually I'm pretty guarded when it comes to this, as I don't like letting the cat out of the bag until a project is done, but I've got a different outlook on cars now. I'll list the plans in order of when I first thought about them.

• Obviously the Vortech kit. The goal was to hit ~300whp and just have fun with the car.
• LS swap. Instant, cheap, reliable power. But it adds roughly 200 pounds to the car (mostly in the transmission) and I want fully functioning dash, HVAC, EPS, etc. I'd most likely run an L33 (aluminum HO 5.3l out of the Silverado) for more revs and less thirst. I'd shoot for ~400whp with basic bolt ons. The swap to a 6, 6.2, or even 7l motor would be a simple block swap once I tire of ~400whp.
• Sell everything. Buy Elise.
• J37 swap. I actually have the bell housing and transmission sitting in the garage. But, like the LS swap, there is weight gain and I want the fully functioning dash, HVAC, EPS, etc. I'd be shooting for ~360whp, but the price to get there would be much more compared to the L33, with a lot more bugs to work out. Once I'm bored with ~360whp, it's going to cost even more to gain anything (boost).
• Sell everything. Buy 911.
• Vortech kit, WMI kit, PTuning header, aluminum driveshaft, 4.55 rear end. Fun, keeps the car somewhat true, and cheaper since I have most of the parts.
• Sell everything. Build Lexus.

So, yea. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I've looked at various Elises, Caymans, Carrera S', and even C6 Z06s. I've spoken with SB, and he's turned my attention to used C7s, but they aren't in my price range yet. Whatever I end up getting must be RWD, manual, handle well, and be somewhat quick from the factory, or at least, have a chassis that can support more power. I don't want to spend more than $45k, and I want something I can work on on my own. I also want something that I won't feel guilty modding - so that rules out the NSX.

I really wish I picked up an Exige three years ago, before their resale values spiked. I remember seeing Exiges in the mid-$30k range and Elises in the low $20ks. Now they average about $10k more. There's an '05 Exige at the local Porsche dealer with 18k miles on the clock and they're asking $48k

ttribe

This one. /discussion