By absent, I don't mean gone... just haven't done much posting on these forums for several years. I have had some medical issues the last couple of years with four major surgeries in a 17 month period. One total knee replacement, one partial knee replacement, a decompression and fusion surgery in my lower spine, and last summer, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer so that gland was removed last September. Otherwise, I'm fine.

Still have my '04 TL 6MT with over 104,000 miles and ten years of ownership next month (I'm the original owner). Still have the factory installed clutch, no transmission repairs (think 3rd gear synchros), and even the factory installed rear brake pads. This car has never been taken out in the snow or ice and is garage kept. No door dings from ignorant drivers in parking lots (because I park away from other cars), and no accidents. In a word, it's still pristine.

I am considering getting another car in 2016. I haven't taken any firm decisions on which car to get but I like the Audi S4 and the new Mustang GT. I am now leaning towards the Mustang since it looks like Ford is really going to make the 2015 one heck of a machine. I'd wait for the '16 but like I said, I'm not firm on anything. I will hate to let my TL go but I do want to have a serious piece of machinery one more time in my life (hell, I'm 68 so why not).

Anyway, just wanted to say hey and let you folks know I haven't fallen off of the earth yet. Take care and drive safe.

 

Hi SouthernBoy

 

Great to have you back!

 

I remember you mentioned the knee issues a while back. IDK if you're thinking of a manual transmission or auto/semi-auto trans this time around. FWIW, a manual trans S4 will probably be more difficult to find than a manual Mustang.

Glad to see you back, and have fun car shopping!

 

Welcome back SB. You've had one heck of a battle. Stay strong.

 

Thanks so much for the kind wishes. I'm actually doing well. The ailments I mentioned have been corrected, thank God for good surgeons, and now it's just... get on with my life.

I knew the knees were going since June 2007. I used to do a fast walk every day before lunch at work (since I don't smoke, that was my "smoking break"). I had started back to weight lifting on my Soloflex (not Bowflex) and in June '07, my right knee started to give me problems. I had to cut the walks back. By November '09, it was really painful. So I had a total knee replacement of the right knee in October 2012. Great surgeon. At the time he did mine, he already had done over 4,000 of these operations.

Then on the morning of January 2, 1013 at a PetsMart, I was bending to my left to look at some cat food and bam.... my lower back did something strange. By the time I got home, it was hurting. Two weeks later an MRI confirmed that my L4/L5 vertebrae were compressing my left sciatic nerve. For the next five months, there was pain like I have never experienced. So after trying a number of options, I had decompression and fusion surgery in June 2013. A week later to the day after the surgery, the pain magically disappeared and has not returned.

In April 2013 at my yearly physical, my PSA had suddenly doubled from the previous year (it had always been low). My doctor was concerned and after trying some antibiotics, he recommended that I see a urologist. In July I had a biopsy of my prostate and in August, the cancer diagnosis was confirmed. I hooked up with a surgeon who removed the organ last September. Pathology found that the tumor was wholly within the gland and had not spread to surrounding tissues. My PSA is now coming in at "undetectable".

All of this in such a short time is nuts but life does throw you some curves from time to time.

 

For my personal driving machine, I would never consider an automatic transmission. My first criteria is that it must have a manual tranny.

There are several Audi dealers in my area that have quite a few manual S4's on their lots. However, I have heard rumors that when the B9's come out you won't be able to get a manual. I have no idea if this is factual.

The S4 is damned expensive (nicely optioned they are coming in close to 60 thousand). And they have had some problems that are not fun. Rear crankshaft seal leaks, camshaft seal leaks, failing water pumps... And a real negative is the fact that they use a dual mass flywheel. I don't want one of those again. Another negative is AWD. A power sucker and needlessly complex for my needs.

The 2015 Mustang GT (remember, I would not be in the market until 2016) looks great on paper and in the early reviews. Ford's target with this car is to meet or exceed the performance of their recent Boss 302 series.p That means 12.4 second quarter miles at 114 MPH. I like that a lot. And the Coyote V8 is a fabulous engine. No matter how hard they try, a V6 will never sound like a V8. Right now I am leaning strongly towards the Mustang but time will tell.

 

Glad to see you back!

I love the S4 as well, but the price is insane. If I were to buy a new car now, I would go for the 2015 WRX. For $32k you get a 6-speed, navi, and AWD! I didn't like the 2015 Mustang at first, however, it's really grown on me. With the medical issues you've been having, you deserve to have something fun and exciting. Get the 5.0 and enjoy it

 

I have to say that IF I do make the move to a new car in 2016, it is going to be very hard to let my '04 TL go. I still love the looks of the car and it just flat fits me. It still puts a smile on my face when I drive it. I told the wife a few weeks ago that perhaps I should keep my TL and get the Mustang for my toy. but I only have a two car garage and that would mean four vehicles so two would have to live outside.

I am definitely not going to rush into this but there is something that has been eating at me for some years now. Just once more before I leave this earth, I would like to have a ground pounding, hard charging performance machine. If the new Mustang GT does come in with low 12 second quarter mile times, it would be quicker than my 1966 SS 396/360 HP Chevelle when that car was at its best.

I have a neighbor friend who bought an absolutely pristine 2005 Mustang GT three or four years ago that only had 8,000 miles on it. I mean, it still smelled new in both the cabin and the engine. It has the 281 CID engine (4.6 liters for you liter lovers) and no bolt on or internal engine mods. He has done a lot of suspension work for drag racing, has the stock clutch and installed 4.10 gears out back.

He launches at 5000 RPM and side steps the clutch. I have seen pictures and videos of his launches and he does pull his left front tire (I swear one pic showed both tires in the air). His best time is a 12.42. He has plans to install 4.56 gears and is shooting to hit the 12 teens and perhaps the high 11's.

 

Where Ford has really hit it with the new Mustang is the interior. Man it looks nice now with a center stack that should have been in their previous 'Stangs. I'm a little concerned with the fact that they are lowering the car some but damn, it does look great. I have to admit that I don't particularly care for the greater angled slant of the tail light structure. But that's a minor concern.

Check out this video. The car really looks great.

 

My uncle just got a 2008 Z06 with 5,000 original miles. The deals are out there, just search around and see what you can find

However, a brand new car you can truly design to be your own and a warranty is hard to beat. I can't say I love the booty of the 2015 Mustang, but I certainly don't hate it.

 

The problem with me is that my candidate market is shrinking. Since I must have a manual and I really prefer sedans, my choices are getting slimmer each year. My wife would love to see me get a Cadillac CTS-V, but $75.000 plus.... I don't think so. I could afford it but I really don't want to tie that much up in a car right now.

On another note, about two months ago I got to ride in a 2014 Corvette. It is owned by a neighbor of my younger daughter. He bought the car about six months ago. Seven speed manual with the exhaust upgrade puts it at 460 HP. That thing is quick. Probably the fifth quickest car I have ever been in. The quickest four have been;

4. 1967 Corvette L71 engine with 4.11 gears.
3. 1969 Camaro door slammer detuned for street use.
2. 1998 Mustang Cobra with Kenniy Bell supercharger.
1. Factory Five 1966 427 AC Cobra replica.

 

Getting a used performance car with a manual transmission is always a concern with me. I have never bought a use car for my personal driving machine. I always worry about how the car was driven.

Of the three pony cars (Camaro, Challenger, and Mustang), the Mustang seems to come out on top of the heap. I do know that this can also be a matter of opinion but it really does seem to fit the most things I look for in cars like this. And that Coyote engine is amazing. I love that powerplant.

 

How about a 235i?

 

Hey Southernboy!
glad to see you and your car are still tickin!

 

Welcome back Southern Boy. Always enjoy your posts and glad to know you and your 04 are still rockin.

 

Looks great on paper and seems to put in some really good times. But it's turbocharged and my first preference is a normally aspired engine, followed by a supercharged engine. And it is a 6-banger which while not a bad thing, is not quite up to eight cylinders doing the work. However it does look like a winner.

 

Thanks so much, friend. How's your TL doing?

 

'Preciate the kind words. My '04 TL is doing great. It has turned out to, overall, be the best car I have ever owned... when I consider everything in the mix.

 

Glad to see ya back, always enjoy your posts. Can attest that getting old is no fun, and as the problems grow, the longer they last. Some have very serious problems at a very young age, but you've beat them and seem to be raring to go.
Know you've always liked the M/T, so good luck with the winner.

 

Hey Southern-glad you're back. Man, I am really sorry to hear about all your health issues. I hope you're doing OK and you'll be alright.

 

Thanks so much, Steve. You just never know what life is going to serve you. But I haven't lost my mind yet (some would disagree.. maybe say I never had one to lose).

I did go to the drag races last night at a "local" track. Though just an 1/8th miler, there were some seriously fast machines there.

 

BTW, you mentioned "still rockin". Funny you should say that. Three years ago, I picked up the guitar again after having been away from it for essentially 46 years. In my youth, I was in two rock bands, the second of which I was lead guitar/lead singer (I was the lead singer in the first band but they let me go when they found someone who could really sing - smart move). I had a ball in the second band and we were very popular in our area of play.

Anyway Christmas of 2010, my wife and two daughters thought they would get me a basic acoustic to see if I would pick it up again. It sat in my study for two months and then in February 2011 I did pick it up and start to mess with it. The next month I bought the same make and model guitar I used when I was playing lead; a Fender Jaguar in sunburst finish (though this one is made in Mexico). I also bought a Fender Super Champ XD amp. I know I'll never be able to play like I used to (think left hand fret spread), but I do have a lot of fun with it.

 

I've gotta say, I loved the front end of the new Mustang, but I've never been really interested in it until I saw that video above. I really like the interior. A lot. The interior of previous Mustangs is a big reason why I didn't like them. But it seems like they've learned from their mistakes.

 

Glad to see you post again, SouthernBoy. Sorry about the medical issues, but I'm glad they're taken care of.

 

Glad to see you're posting again SouthernBoy, its been awhile since I've seen you post. I'm glad your health issues have gotten better.

 

Thank you. I am much improved now and thank God the pain is gone. Have to wonder how people handled these ailments 150 years ago.


Thanks much. I've thrown in a few postings over the last couple of years but just a few. Thought I owed the good people on this site an explanation.

Watch it down there in Hot-Lanta. Your Braves might become the peaches or something like that. Look what the patent office did to the Redskins logo rights.

 

Sorry to hear about the rough time you had the last few years but glad to see your name on posts again for sure. Welcome back !

 

Thanks so much. It has been a rather long dry spell. I even had to hire a mowing service for my quarter ache patch of land. I'm going to try to mow it myself this week to see how the knees and the lower back handles it. I think it will be fine.

 

Damn SB.. maybe you should get a slushbox

Glad to hear you're still kicking ass

 

You've missed many discussions about guns and manual transmissions, other than that, not much.

They made some yahoos moderators.. like asianspec (J).. craziness.

 

 

 

Slushbox? Not going to happen as long as I have use of my left leg.

Discussions about guns? I definitely missed that. But I'm covered there on a few other sites.

As for the new moderators, well all I can say is good luck to them. I didn't fair too well doing that. I guess my heart, and time, wasn't in it.