Does anyone know a legit custom tire manufacturer? I'm looking for an old set of 15.5 inch tires for an older BMW, I know they don't make that size any longer except for a tractor/Forklift tire but I'm hoping someone might know of an actual street tire.
In reply to Steve_Jones :
You're not the only one in this thread to mention a Tacoma. My son bought a 23, it even looked like yours, and said the same thing. How could a truck this cool possibly be so bad? He gave it a fair chance but eventually traded it in on a new 2500HD. Because of the way the taxes work on trade ins he also didn't lose a penny.
I've driven a broad range of cars over my life including a Durant, but the most uncomfortable and hardest to drive was a friend's T bucket with a small block chevy. Between the bus driver steering position and off set brake and accelerator pedal I could never feel in control. However bias ply cheater slicks and silly power almost made it worthwhile. I don't remember refusing an offer to drive.
2011 Cadillac Escalade. It goes to the expectations that people talked about earlier. It was supposed to be a nice upgrade, paid good money from a "reputable" dealer. He was an assbag scammer. The truck sucks. I was so happy to sell that truck. In addition to the overall disappointment in the condition the truck didn't ride great because of the 24" wheels, it has a ton of power but it's still slow. Good riddance Cadillac. Funny side note one of my favorites was in someone else's list, 90 Lumina. I loved that car, drove one a hundred thousand miles and it did everything I ever asked. Of course that is through the lens of time. Compared to anything today it was a turd.
I can recall two, both rentals.
First was a Suzuki - I don't even recall the model name, but it was a small, flimsy, rental-spec sedan from ~15 years ago (edit: based on what I can find online, I think it was a Forenza). My Saab 9-5's turbo had blown up spectacularly 800 miles from home, and this was what I was able to get on short notice. It had no power, as you'd expect, and the dynamics were lacking in every measurable way, but the worst part of it was how the whole car felt like it was made of aluminum foil and cardboard assembled by indifferent third graders. It shook, rattled, and generally felt like it was going to come apart at any given moment. I was thrilled to get back in the Saab, a car that had just blown up and cost me a lot of money to put right.
Second was a Nissan Altima (shocking, I know), again maybe 12-15 years ago. Most of it was just forgettable, but the powertrain was inherently awful, and made worse by the fact that we were in Colorado, so power was way down. But as disappointing as the engine was, the transmission was absolutely hateful, upshifting too soon, downshifting only under protest, and with ratios that each seemed intended for completely different boxes, but that ended up dumped into one and forced to work together. Driving great roads in that car filled me with rage, which I channeled into my right foot. I had to go back and drive 550 (the "Million Dollar Highway") again in my Miata last year just to cleanse my memory of that road.
Hmm, let's see.
My sister owned a 1993 Volkswagen Jetta after she graduated high school. It was the 2.0L/auto combination. I came home on military leave for my best friend's wedding and road tripped her Jetta 8 hours to Portland. I have never driven a slower vehicle. It also had the stereotypical Volkswagen electrical gremlins like opening the sunroof randomly. I hated that car so much.
We got a 2004 Ford Freestar as a loaner once when our 2004 Explorer was in the shop. The Freestar had the 4.2L V6. It was slow, handled poorly and had a terrible, rattly plastic interior. It also managed to get worse fuel economy than our V8 Explorer somehow. That thing was a turd and I could not wait to hand it back to the dealership.
I always seem to get the current generation Chevy Malibu as a company rental while on business trips. I don't know how Chevy managed to take a once prestigious nameplate and crap all over it, but they did. Of course, being rentals, they are basement spec cars. The 1.5L turbo four only makes 160hp and it's hooked to a hateful CVT. I loathe every aspect of these cars. They are slow, noisy and the CVT is one of the worst I have driven. I hate the rearward visibility and the terrible ergonomics. I will literally take any other car at the rental counter.
Every U-Haul truck I've ever rented.
There should be 2 categories here. Worn out POS and newer car in decent shape but just a terrible design.
In the first group a 67 galaxy, must have been a hard driven fleet car. Quarter turn of slop in the steering wheel, had a 200 mile drive on the highway that was terrifying.
Second group is a new then 76 subaru wagon. Noisy, tinny, underpowered and cornered like a lawn tractor.
Those first Dodge Caravans were gutless crap. Actually the Kcars too. Out of the cars I've owned, our 96 Lumina had the hardest tallest bench seat I've ever rode on. Yes, rode on. You never sat IN the seat. I always looked through the top 4" of the windshield.
In reply to Iusedtobefast :
My parents had a '85 Voyager and about 20 years ago I drove a k car for a short spell. The voyager was gutless but it was absolutely revolutionary at the time. The k-car was fun in its awfulness. I actually would like to find one at the right time in the right situation. I know someone here had one that was a race car (maybe challenge car) and it was awesome.
It is hard for me to evaluate the Lumnia seats. When I got mine it had over 100k on it so it was about wore out. When it was donated (still running) it had 237k and the seat was basically metal with fabric over it. ðŸ˜
Snooker said:Does anyone know a legit custom tire manufacturer? I'm looking for an old set of 15.5 inch tires for an older BMW, I know they don't make that size any longer except for a tractor/Forklift tire but I'm hoping someone might know of an actual street tire.
You need to look for 390mm metric tires. google "metric tires 390" and you'll see results.
Got to drive my mom's Chevy Corsica a few times, there was nothing, and I mean nothing redeemable about that car.
Prius C was pretty soul sucking, but at least it was reliable and really easy to parallel park
Peabody said:In reply to Steve_Jones :
Because of the way the taxes work on trade ins he also didn't lose a penny.
Steelerships absolutely love folks that think that is true!
In their defense, during the crazy year, it DID become true, for a while, but that was a unique supply / demand (cause the gen pop got stupider!) not a tax thing.
A friend let me drive his old Mercedes diesel. Absolutely horribly under-powered, and to cover that fact, the gas pedal had about 6" of travel, to, you know, convey a sense of accomplishment. Yes, it was probably fine for long trips, at constant speed, on a freeway, with no curves, but the brief drive around the block told me that there is a hell and they're the punishment for those who enjoy cars.
03Panther said:In their defense, there is a difference in "vintage" and "worn out junk"
That's true, and I have enough seat time in old pickups to know that even crude designs can behave themselves if they are set up and maintained fairly well. The Mustang in question was neither. It was purchased by a non-car guy as a cute accessory for his wife, and given that it looked nice, it never occurred to him that it might be a clapped-out pile.
Of course, the wife didn't like driving it in traffic. Too old-fashioned. So the guy brought it into the shop and brainstormed with the shop owner. Neither one of them thought to really test drive the car or ask any more questions, and together they decided the solution was to modernize it with a newer Ford V6 which, naturally, didn't really fit between the shock towers.
I don't work there anymore.
theruleslawyer said:Snooker said:Does anyone know a legit custom tire manufacturer? I'm looking for an old set of 15.5 inch tires for an older BMW, I know they don't make that size any longer except for a tractor/Forklift tire but I'm hoping someone might know of an actual street tire.
You need to look for 390mm metric tires. google "metric tires 390" and you'll see results.
There would be a difference between those weird metric Michelins (that I can't think of the name for the standard) and a x.5" tire. Half-inch sized tires don't have a safety bead and have a significant angle to the bead shape, as they were made to work easily with inner tubes.
I guess it depends on if the BMW in question was made in the early 80s or the early 50s.
Appleseed said:Chevy Spark. Rental.The traction control tried to get me killed in the snow. Twice. Cutting acceleration because of wheel slip (slipping wheels in snow? No E36 M3?) while oncoming traffic is barreling at you? Perfection. berkeley that car.
For a modern car the Spark is my choice, too. I rented one and the acceleration was so anemic that I pulled into a parking lot to see if it was a 3 cylinder. Right angle turns at green lights (don't have to come to a full stop) made it feel like it was going to lay over on its side. It was worse than my luxobarge from the early 1960's.
This car fits right in with my experiences back in The Malaise Period with a Ford Fairmont, Pontiac T-1000, Dodge Aspen, ..........
Overall, I think the Chevette was the worst. Structure of the finest tin cans, horsepower that could be measured against a hamster wheel, footwell the size of a shoe box, steering column pointed at the center of the car, compensated by a very bent from the factory steering wheel, and not enough shoulder room for two adults.
As to a single feature, any car without a dead pedal, ala Lumina sedan.
Original mid engined Toyota van forced your feet ahead, with nonway to stretch things on a long drive.
Any air cooled rear engined vehicles shifter.
kb58 said:A friend let me drive his old Mercedes diesel. Absolutely horribly under-powered, and to cover that fact, the gas pedal had about 6" of travel, to, you know, convey a sense of accomplishment. Yes, it was probably fine for long trips, at constant speed, on a freeway, with no curves, but the brief drive around the block told me that there is a hell and they're the punishment for those who enjoy cars.
There are levels to this.
My 1979 300SD was rated at 4000lbs factory curb weight at 110bhp. It would do 80mph on the highway just fine and actually would maintain speed up hills, but it took FOREVER to get there. Stripped down to 3250lbs race weight it isn't that bad. It would just barely get out-dragged by a Geo Metro! Funny to pass people through the corners after they out dragged me in my huge german sedan. And in today's money it's a $100,000+ car...
My ex friend/roommate had a 190D 2.2 5speed. That thing was slower than I could imagine coming from my 300SD. Wringing every shift out to 4000rpm it felt like you could maybe do 0-60 in 30 seconds. You learned to look ahead and plan for hills 1/2 mile before.
Streetwiseguy said:Overall, I think the Chevette was the worst.
I'll have to ask my dad. We were issued a Chevette as a body shop loaner back in the late 80s and the whole family audibly cringed. I don't remember whether it was so hateful that we exchanged it for a Dodge Aries K or the other way around. Both were such miserable choices we jumped at the chance to take their fleet-spec late-70s Nova as soon as it became available...
In reply to buzzboy :
There was a discussion many years ago in one of the big car mags about the slowest car currently available from stop light to the other side of the intersection. I believe the winner was a Nissan Pulsar turbo, but I sure was rooting for the 300 SuperDiesel.
In reply to Streetwiseguy :
The thing with the 300SD is that they took absolutely forever for the turbo to do anything, even at full accelerator, and the turbodiesel needed the turbo in order to do anything.
The ones I experienced would not build boost until after crossing the street from a red light. Until then the car would barely exceed walking speed, and this is without hyperbole.
I suspect that to limp the engine over emissions standards, the injection pump quantity and timing was very, very conservative to limit soot and NOx.
In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
I remember one time in my w123 300td, trying to pass someone on a 65mph highway. Pulled over over and floored it, after about 10 seconds of no acceleration I just settled back in behind.
In reply to Coniglio Rampante :
I've owned three of the four cars you mentioned.
In reply to EvanB :
Heh. I still remember driving the Quantum to an OVR Rallycross at National Trail Raceway.
I-71 had gentle hills between here and there. I would have the car floored and it would slow down from 75 to 65 going uphill and people would pass me. Then going down the other side, I'd speed up again to 75 and pass them back. Then they would pass me again going up the next hill. Back and forth for about 60 miles. I believe that was the trip where allegedly I had the throttle pinned all the way down that long grade just north of US 30, and I set a high score of 103mph on my GPS, according to unfounded rumor and hearsay.
I didn't loathe driving it. It was a blast. How many cars had you run the engine out to its limits in the first FOUR gears to reach highway speeds? 3rd gear was too short to reach 60...
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