TSX_Tim

After my 94 Acura Integra LS finished its last important task of carrying me from Illinois to Los Angeles a month ago, I live in an apartment with no parking space, so I have to park on street.

Then few nights ago, when I reached my car, I saw the back 1/3 of my Integra was all gone with glasses all over the ground... it was crashed by an out-of-control toyota 4-runner in the day time when I was at work (the 4-runner crashed into 3 cars parked in the street and totalled them all, mine was the middle one). My integra was totalled and I have to say to him, and with the insurance and some of my hard earned savings, I started my new car hunt.

I finally came down to the selection of TSX, IS300 and Accord V6 and I test drove all last weekend, each for about 20 minutes. All of them were excellent cars, and I test dove automatics because I didn't know much about driving a manul (only driven once 7 yrs ago for 5 hrs). (I had a lot of opinions on all three of them but I can see pages of discussions on these topics)

At first I thought TSX wasn't fast enough using automatic, but I don't know why I kept thinking about it after I got home. And last night, I bought this CG TSX w/ 6MT! I think to myself: there is always the first time, and stick-shift here I come! I needed to drive this 6-speed alone back home (dealer was about 40 miles from home), and although with my really bad stick shift skill, the car shines on the freeway, especially during turns. I just love it more and more and want you to share my happiness!

Tim

Viking

Tough break on the teg, but congratulations on the new TSX and welcome to the forum!

dom

What he ^^ said.

TSX_Tim

Now I can't wait for the night to practise my 6MT driving. I still struggle to take off from every red light but its just so fun.

sauceman

Don't worry about that, the TSX is not the easiest car to start from 0 mph. Welcome here BTW, and I definitely share the happiness with you, especially that you got the 6MT.

joerockt

Welcome, and congrats...Im sure your teg had a good run after 10 years...

TSX_Tim

Yea, never regretted a single bit. At first I was thinking, god i need to shift 6 times just to go onto the freeway, I will be tired to death. But now I know each shift is another excitment with the release of the clutch and the step on the gas pedal hehee

ClutchPerformer

You don't NEED to shift. You GET to shift.

jlukja

sauceman

Well said!

jlukja

noob MT driver - NEED to shift
MT enthuziast - GET to shift
Clutch - NEED to shift (like a junkie NEEDs a fix)

ClutchPerformer

You n00bs will get there, eventually.

DEI99662

Congrats and Welcome to the Site.

joerockt

HELL yea...

VeniceBeachTSX

Welcome to the forum.

You'll want to consult with your insurance company, but depending on the specifics of you coverage, you may find that a LoJack pays for itself very quickly, especially if the car is regularly parked on the street.

Also, a car cover isn't a bad idea, depending on what kind of trees are around to drop gunk on your paintjob.

Welcome to LA and to the forums.

TSX_Tim

VeniceBeachTSX,
Yea, anything can happen in the streets of LA just like what my passed-away integra encountered. Do you know any good place to buy car covers? The original Acura one cost >$200, Pepboys have some for $60.. Are steering wheel lock or other stuff useful? The LoJack cost more than $700, any cheaper place to buy? Thanks!

npence

Welcome to the site and to LA! I just moved here from Illinois a little over a year ago, ain't it a nice drive? Except when your tranny blows 6 miles west of Davenport (don't worry guys, it was my old Buick).
I'm not sure about the experience of other MT drivers in LA, but I know I wouldn't want it here. I'm in stop and go traffic all the time, I hardly have a nice straightaway to fly down. An MT would be too much of a pain, I think, when you're bumper to bumper all the way from Hollywood to Santa Monica.
But enjoy!

bigwilliestyle

Of course, depends on the car. i.e. my wife's Jetta, don't want to shift, have no choice but to shift, damn piece o' sh!t

VeniceBeachTSX

Had a MT car for several years, and more recently had a "second car" (convertible) with an MT. It really depends where you're driving. For my current commmute I could probably handle it, but any kind of commute that involved the 405, 10, or 101 would be awful without an auto.

Which is too bad, because I love a nice MT.

VeniceBeachTSX

Pretty much a set price. Most dealers will give you the "fleet price" of only $695 instead of $795 if you ask. Whether it's worth it depends on how much of a discount your insurance company will give you. For a car parked outside I suspect it'll be worth it over the course of a couple of years and it doesn't come up to that much per month if you add it to the total contract. Unfortunately, at this point it's probably a bit late to finance it as part of your purchase.

Steering wheel locks are generally a waste of time, as the bad guys can just saw through the steering wheel.

http://www.carcoversdirect.com No need for overkill. It's not like we get really harsh weather here, you just want to keep the gunk off your car and maybe shield it from the sun. Get one of the cheaper ones, in a light color. Depending on where you live, you may need to figure out how to deal with parking permits and other stuff that needs to be visibile.

Without a full-on cover, the biggest difference you can make for parking in the sun is a cheap folding metallic sunshield for the windshield, usually about $20 at Pep Boys. I always have one in the car and I always use it when I park outdoors. Of course, tinted windows help too.

On that note, let me say I'd be really cautious about tinting front windows if you're parking on the street in LA. "Meter maids" are currently under orders to ticket all visible violations. Enforcement is really spotty, so you may be totally safe, but I've seen lots of people get "fix it" tickets for illegal front window tints, license plate covers and missing front plates lately. Even know one guy who got ticketed for an "illegal suspension modification" (lowering) on his Mercedes. That kind of shit happens every time the city runs out of money.

Especially bad near my gym, which is right near a Department of Transportation depot. Kind of an upscale place, but the parking garage is a bit small and there's lots of after-hours street parking, so lots of fancy cars on the street. The parking enforcement guys just circle the block and wait for the nice cars to show up with all the illegal mods and accessories, then ticket away.

TSX_Tim

VeniceBeachTSX,
Thanks very much for the info! I will buy a cover. So even those $60 huge steering wheel lock is useless to car theft? I don't have gated parking so I think I gotta pray everyday.

dom

Isn't putting a car cover on a car thats parked on the street where anyone can acess it inviting trouble?

I think someone walking by that covered car would be more interested to see whats under that cover than if it wasn't covered. Just my

Viking

unless the car cover is the one from the TV comercial that makes the car look like a piece of shiet.

VeniceBeachTSX

It's a lot more common out here in sun country than it would be in your neck of the woods. I see them all the time in my area, and I don't think of it as particularly uncommon.

A nice, light colored cover can make a big difference in keeping the car cool.

My biggest concern would be with getting the car cover stolen.

VeniceBeachTSX

Some are better than others, depends how it attaches to the wheeel. If you have to destroy the wheel completely to get it off, it will probably help. Some of them could be removed with a single, simple cut with a hacksaw.

There are some locks I've seen that either hold the shifter or the brake pedal. To the extent that these are braced against something that can't move, I suspect they'd be pretty helpful. Not sure where to get these though.

BTC