tony4311

This was almost exactly my first car except mine was a '77.(even the color in the picture was the same) It was the firsts car my mom bought new off the lot and she'd had it since. It wasn't in the best shape since a guy had rear ended my sister in it before I got it. They straightened it back out and I got it later and had it until it wasn't good to drive anymore. Loved that car, I've still got the faded hood ornament/emblem in the armrest of my Integra.

NJ SHAWD

Was the paint faded on the roof hood and trunk of yours too?

tony4311

Actually where it wasn't rusted it was good but I imagine it got new paint after the accident too. The car itself was crushed 3 inches and pushed uphill about 20ft. Waiting to turn left and hit from behind at 35 by an old guy in a mini-van. My parents made them fix it because they didn't have any other car at the time and needed it. After that it was good for awhile but headed downhill. I think there was more rust holding the rear axle on then bolts. After awhile as much as I loved the car it wasn't really safe to drive anymore but it spent it's whole life in my family. I bought a used car from a guy and he bought the Camaro for the engine. Under 100k and still ran great. Bit of noise from the lifters but that was it.

I had the emblem hanging from the mirror on the car I bought and now since I don't like stuff hanging from my mirrors now it sits in my Integra. A car I don't plan to ever get rid of so it'll stay there.

dave_ramkumar

iTrader: (5)

Nice list, and the maxima's are very reliable cars , mine was at 214k miles before it got hit and i parted it out, but it drove perfect before the accident

NJ SHAWD

Nominate this thread for thread of the year!

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...3#post12560523

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

love the number of cars, and the history on them...
you should try the 4.3 vortec v-6's lol, they like to bend cranks or something and make horrible noises, but that is really early for that motor to be crapping out though..., but hey at least they replaced it though, and it was before the warranty was up too

NJ SHAWD

We DO need some stinkin badjes...

tony4311

noice!

DarkSithCL

iTrader: (1)

sweetness... is the weather allowing you to enjoy that beast at all?

NJ SHAWD

I took her out for the last run of the season about three weeks ago. It was cold but clear and not as much fun driving with the windows up and the heat on.
So now I am starting the inside fun...
NOS Yenko badges
Yenko diff cover install
I pulled the front bench and am sending it out to be re-covered.
I'll pull all four wheels and check brakes; reload front bearings.
I also need to get a better look at all of the front end components to see what needs changing.
There's nothing better than working in a heated garage.

Aman

This is almost turning into a Nova progress thread. I don't think anyone will be complaining

And lucky you, having a heated garage.

DarkSithCL

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the holler back man... nothing beats working in a well lit and warm garage... car + tunes + coffee and no phone = bliss

NJ SHAWD

I guess I may have to start a progress thread for the Nova?

NJ SHAWD

#39 is on the books officially. Mods...I think we need a title change!

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

What now??

Aman

Optima turbo, -worthy.

NJ SHAWD

I've been looking for about a month now. Towing is over so no need for the 12mpg 6.2l Denali. I've always been a car person and with the price of gas, a car makes more sense. I'm averaging 3000 miles per month and about $800 in gas. I didn't want to buy something too expensive racking up this kind of mileage, but I also wanted toys...

6 speed auto
274 hp
Voice activated everything
Navigation with Sirius traffic
Rear camera
Heated and cooled seats
Paddle shifters
Leather
Bluetooth
18" alloys
HID headlights
Led tail lights
More cabin room than a 4G
Rain sensing wipers
Dual exhaust
Push button starting
8 speaker 320 watt Infiniti sound system
Auxiliary and iPod USB jacks
Dual panoramic sun roofs
one touch blinkers
auto adjusting memory everything that pushes back for easy access in and resets once you start the engine.
Eco mode
Sport mode

All for about $28,000<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

NJ SHAWD

Interior Shots:

ZhenyaF

iTrader: (6)

Very nice car, except for those hideous rims.

Congrats! and good luck.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Damn, that's a great looking car for being a Kia. +1 on ugly wheels.

Congrats!

cjTL

iTrader: (2)

Congrats again. I'm going to entertain one of these very seriously when it comes time for my TL to go. 30K can buy a 3 year old Japanese sports sedan or a new Korean one. Something to think about for sure. How do you like the way it drives? 274HP sure sounds nice.

NJ SHAWD

The handling is smoother than my 4G but there is a bit more "float" over big bumps. It's much less jarring. That being said, while it handles incredibly well, it is no 4G. On the test drive I took, I drove the other car hard enough to see that it pulls hard all the way through the rpm band. There is very little lag from the twin scroll turbo. The engine delivers 269 lb ft of torque from 1800 to 4500 rpms.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Do you still have the TL or did you get rid of the Denali?

Costco

Nice, I really like the Optima. Nice styling, and for its price that's one nice interior. It's a very distinctive car.

NJ SHAWD

Traded the Denali

neuronbob

My neighbor across the street just bought one. I don't like the look but for the price, you can't go wrong. Thread title changed.

VQPower37

for the price u cant go wrong

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Great pick up! Love the new Optima.

Please change out the rims ASAP!

tony4311

Holy shit, I did not know Kias packed those kind of options now.

crazyasiantl

iTrader: (7)

nice Kia

v6cord2k5

iTrader: (1)

I must admit, I did one of these when I first saw one of these on the road...

Shift_Acura

Congrats! This will most likely be my next car when I get rid of the Max. Besides the mediocre interior, my main concern is the ride quality...I drove the new Sorrento and Sportage and they were both very bumpy...you could feel every imperfection on the road. Can you go more in depth about ride and handling?

jchan2

Nice! My dad just bought the Sonata version last weekend and loves it so far.

What I can tell from the limited seat time I had in it- that thing is FAST.

NJ SHAWD

First, the interior is far better than I would have expected. It is not 4G level, but still very good. As far as the ride and handling...it is close to the 4G FWD. You can definately feel a difference, but rigidity is good and the ride is smooth without being floaty. There is more travel in the suspension, so it absorbs the bumps better. They use electric power steering like the 4G, but it has as good feel in the wheel. There is very little body roll, and handling is good. After driving the SHAWD, I can't say this fwd comes close to it. There was also a big difference with the fwd 4G vs the SHAWD so you can't compare the two.

I haven't pushed it yet before break in, but there is plenty of low end power with very little lag.

CCColtsicehockey

Congrats on the pickup

Definitely needs some new wheels.

Even though you just got the NOVA I think you will have to do something special for car #40

NJ SHAWD

New shoes on the way...more to follow

NJ SHAWD

New shoes and new badges...

pttl

haha...

Just saw this in the "what are you driving thread"....I didn't think these rims were stock.
Very nice indeed.

HBaJ

Wow, rims really make the car look that much better. Out of curiosity, what's the need for having the 4G and the Optima though?

NJ SHAWD

My wife drives the 4G. I push too many miles per year to eat up the TL that fast, so I'll put the miles on the optima.