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The New Car Fanatic Thread


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1 hour ago, PittsburghTiger said:

Update March 1, 2022: MOL Ship Management Singapore, the company that operated the Felicity Ace ship under the Panamanian flag, has announced the car carrier has capsized and sunken below the surface following the onboard fire. Salvage crews had been battling the fires onboard for weeks in an attempt to salvage some of the ship and its contents. It's unclear if anything from the ship was collected before it sank. 

The initial blaze is said to have started in the cargo hold, where thousands of cars, including some battery-electric vehicles, were being shipped to North America. 

Initial reports from the local salvage team state that the vessel had sunk at around 9AM local time having suffered a list to starboard. The last vessel position was around 220nm off the Azores. The salvage crafts will remain around the area to monitor the situation. "

 

Here is the latest statement from the Felicity Ace information resource website:

Edited by PittsburghTiger
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15 minutes ago, PittsburghTiger said:

Update March 1, 2022: MOL Ship Management Singapore, the company that operated the Felicity Ace ship under the Panamanian flag, has announced the car carrier has capsized and sunken below the surface following the onboard fire. Salvage crews had been battling the fires onboard for weeks in an attempt to salvage some of the ship and its contents. It's unclear if anything from the ship was collected before it sank. 

The initial blaze is said to have started in the cargo hold, where thousands of cars, including some battery-electric vehicles, were being shipped to North America. 

Initial reports from the local salvage team state that the vessel had sunk at around 9AM local time having suffered a list to starboard. The last vessel position was around 220nm off the Azores. The salvage crafts will remain around the area to monitor the situation. "

 

Here is the latest statement from the Felicity Ace information resource website:

73oO.gif

 

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On 3/2/2022 at 8:49 AM, PittsburghTiger said:

I can't imagine how I would feel if my car was on that ship.

Hell, we've been having some renovations done at the house and my oldie 911 is at my sister's house, about a mile away in her garage and I am going batty until I get it back in my garage.

Buddy of mine had his gt3 on there. He is not pleased. Obviously he got bumped to the front of the next cycle for production but he has to wait for the next PTS window and he’s already been waiting a year ish. Just absolutely shitty luck. To make it even worse his car got to port at Emden a week before the previous ship left but his car didn’t make it on. What a kick in the nuts

Edited by 936horn
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3 hours ago, 936horn said:

Buddy of mine had his gt3 on there. He is not pleased. Obviously he got bumped to the front of the next cycle for production but he has to wait for the next PTS window and he’s already been waiting a year ish. Just absolutely shitty luck. To make it even worse his car got to port at Emden a week before the previous ship left but his car didn’t make it on. What a kick in the nuts

To make matters even worse, they are stopping production on GT3’s on 3/17 due to a supply chain issue related to Ukraine. So, if his isn’t started before then, it will be much longer.  

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20 hours ago, Atxracer said:

To make matters even worse, they are stopping production on GT3’s on 3/17 due to a supply chain issue related to Ukraine. So, if his isn’t started before then, it will be much longer.  

Correct. He was offered to swap to non PTS if he wanted in ahead of the 3/17 shutdown but he’s hell bent on getting the spec exactly how he wants it (I don’t blame him) so he’s going to be post 3/17. 

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On 3/6/2022 at 10:43 AM, 936horn said:

Incredibly capable but damn if that front end isn’t ugly as shit. 

Classic Function over Form case here. Is the looks alone a deal-breaker with how incredible capable the Rivian is?

For me, I think I prefer the F-150 Lightning over the Rivian for all of its power capabilities and options. Ideal EV truck would be to combine the useful capabilities of the Rivian (gear tunnel, 4 electric motors, built-in air compressor) with the power capabilities of the F-150 (bi-directional power up to 9.2 kW, crap load of outlets in the bed and front trunk including a 240V outlet).

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On 3/6/2022 at 9:44 AM, 936horn said:

Buddy of mine had his gt3 on there. He is not pleased. Obviously he got bumped to the front of the next cycle for production but he has to wait for the next PTS window and he’s already been waiting a year ish. Just absolutely shitty luck. To make it even worse his car got to port at Emden a week before the previous ship left but his car didn’t make it on. What a kick in the nuts

What color did he do?

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After postponing my build date by one week, it appears that my bronco is now in production.  I'm told it takes about 3 weeks to build and another week to get here ... My birthday is mid-April, so that would be one sweet birthday present. 

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So, I finally got rid of the runflats on my ATS.  Went with Michelin PIlot Sport A/S 4, which have gotten great reviews in the various fora.  Got a 110 discount so they were as cheap as the Contis (basically non-runflat OEM tires) and quite a bit cheaper than some of the other alternatives.  Bridgestone is very proud of their tires.

Can already tell the difference.  I have an inflator in the trunk that so far works pretty well.

I havent actually had a flat on the road in forever.  I get slow leaks and/or come out to find a tire flat in the morning.

Wish me luck.

Edited by TwiceHorn
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Tangent PSA:
Many modern sports cars have gone to including an inflator with sealant goop. Don't use it unless absolutely desperate - the sealant goop destroys the tire pressure sensor and the tire, so both must be replaced. Get a free flatbed tow if you can through Roadside Assistance or AAA or your Insurance. Discount Tire will remove and plug/patch the tire from the inside for free; other tire shops typically don't charge over $25. Beats 300 for a tire plus 100 for a sensor plus 50 for another sealant cartridge.

For longer road trips, carry a plug kit and an inflator. Total cost less than 100, works with all your cars. Strongly suggest a plug kit with T-handle, much easier to use than a straight handled tool. I'm partial to Safety Seal, but any of them are ok:
https://www.amazon.com/Safety-Seal-KAP30-String-Storage/dp/B001DIECCK

Add a pair of needlenose pliers to the kit, or even better, needlenose Channel Locks. Use to pull out the puncturing object. Plug with the plug kit. Inflate. Drive to a tire shop for proper plug/patch. On very low cars, you might get better access driving up to an inclined surface or onto something (small board, thick book, large flat rock, whatever you find around) to help raise the flat corner and give you more access.

Practice at home first if you can, or at least watch a YT video. But once you get the hang of it, it's very quick, very easy, and is a near-permanent solution and doesn't cost you a tire and sensor.

 

Additional note:
There is debate on how safe it is to use a plugged tire, esp in towing or racing. Determine your own comfort level, and the condition of your tire to begin with. If it's 5yrs old and dry rotted and was needing replacement anyways, replace the damn tire! I've used plugged tires both for towing and on track cars (for many years after the plug), and had zero concerns. And yes, if the puncture is near the sidewall, replace the tire.

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Had OEM P Zero runflats on the BMW and didn't feel they were as bad as people say. 

Carrying a bottle of aerosol sealant and a worm patch kit in the current car, where spare tire is not available.  I've basically never needed it, but recently a family member caught a flat, so I drove out with my kit to repair it.  The tire was already deflated, and it was freezing at midnight, and I couldnt find location of puncture to patch.  So I figured i'd just deploy the aerosol bottle to give it some pressure and the sealant would hold out until the car limped out. 

The bottle did fuck all except squeeze goo out everywhere.

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10 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

Tangent PSA:

I am still going with, once the tire is compromised on a high performance car, replace it.  It's not worth saving $300-500 to have a blow out at the wrong time.  Buy the tire insurance from the dealer or discount and move on.  

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3 hours ago, 52-80 said:

Had OEM P Zero runflats on the BMW and didn't feel they were as bad as people say. 

Carrying a bottle of aerosol sealant and a worm patch kit in the current car, where spare tire is not available.  I've basically never needed it, but recently a family member caught a flat, so I drove out with my kit to repair it.  The tire was already deflated, and it was freezing at midnight, and I couldnt find location of puncture to patch.  So I figured i'd just deploy the aerosol bottle to give it some pressure and the sealant would hold out until the car limped out. 

The bottle did fuck all except squeeze goo out everywhere.

The ATS may be pretty taut and the runflats push it over the edge into rough.  Or the Contis may be exceptionally harsh.  In my observation, Pirellis tend to be soft and compliant as a general proposition, so they may be less harsh.

I haven't "tried anything" with the Michelins yet, but just driving around town, so much nicer.

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On 2/17/2022 at 9:13 AM, Pescado_Rojo said:

Ed's dream: a whole container ship full of flood cars.

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On 3/18/2022 at 9:13 AM, TwiceHorn said:

The ATS may be pretty taut and the runflats push it over the edge into rough.  Or the Contis may be exceptionally harsh.  In my observation, Pirellis tend to be soft and compliant as a general proposition, so they may be less harsh.

I haven't "tried anything" with the Michelins yet, but just driving around town, so much nicer.

Still haven't done anything to push the Michelins, but my stars, the difference in ride is fairly unbelievable. A lot of Dallas roads are really shit and I find myself anticipatorily cringing over crummy pavement that's short of actual potholes, and the car with the Michelins just glides right over.  And on the Discount Tire website, the Contis that I declined in favor of the Michelins were actually rated better for ride quality and noise.

This thing actually rides like a Cadillac now. 

I have always had very good luck with Michelins in every aspect, ride, handling, longevity.

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2 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Still haven't done anything to push the Michelins, but my stars, the difference in ride is fairly unbelievable. A lot of Dallas roads are really shit and I find myself anticipatorily cringing over crummy pavement that's short of actual potholes, and the car with the Michelins just glides right over.  And on the Discount Tire website, the Contis that I declined in favor of the Michelins were actually rated better for ride quality and noise.

This thing actually rides like a Cadillac now. 

I have always had very good luck with Michelins in every aspect, ride, handling, longevity.

I haven’t had high performance Michelins on any vehicle but I have had 4 door family car(touring?) Truck and snow Michelins.  All 3 have been the best tires I’ve had in those vehicles as far as quietness, compliance and longevity. 

Edited by Eugene11
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i got the michelins that come on the new vette for my car.  the longitudinal grooves that texdot likes to carve into overpasses seem spaced exactly the same as the grooves on the tires so there's quite a bit of tramlining.  wet grip is great though. 

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10 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

Runflats of any type give a far harsher ride and worse handling. There's a reason automakers only go to them as an absolute last resort.

I knew the "rap" on them, but opinions vary some.  These are also lower profile than any tires i have had before, and the ATS suspension is pretty taut.  But it's not nearly as rough as the runflats make it.  I have a plug kit on order and the little Chinese inflator in the trunk.  I'm hoping my luck with flats holds out.

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On 3/21/2022 at 8:44 AM, TwiceHorn said:

Still haven't done anything to push the Michelins, but my stars, the difference in ride is fairly unbelievable. A lot of Dallas roads are really shit and I find myself anticipatorily cringing over crummy pavement that's short of actual potholes, and the car with the Michelins just glides right over.  And on the Discount Tire website, the Contis that I declined in favor of the Michelins were actually rated better for ride quality and noise.

This thing actually rides like a Cadillac now. 

I have always had very good luck with Michelins in every aspect, ride, handling, longevity.

Unless you put tens and tens of thousands of miles on your car each year, Michelin's usually dry rot before they wear out.  On my new truck, it came stock with A/T2's.  Not sexy, but man they are doing great.  At the ranch.  In the rain/ice/snow.  Holding great and show almost no wear.  I will probably replace with something with a more reinforced sidewall for the ranch (thorns & sharp rocks), but in town, they are great.  

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We had a little customer event yesterday. Customers picked all the exotics, but there was an extra session left over in the GT500 so I got to take it out on the track. Holy crap what a fun car. 760 horsepower is no joke, and the sound is glorious. They’ve come a long way since my 1996 Mustang Cobra.

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On 3/25/2022 at 8:31 AM, Buzzrock said:

We had a little customer event yesterday. Customers picked all the exotics, but there was an extra session left over in the GT500 so I got to take it out on the track. Holy crap what a fun car. 760 horsepower is no joke, and the sound is glorious. They’ve come a long way since my 1996 Mustang Cobra.

I hate to say it because I think mustangs suck but that car is fast.  Doesn’t handle or brake especially well.  But, it gains at least 10 car lengths on me in the 15 GT3 on the back straight at COTA and then again on the front straight which is quite a bit to make up in braking zones and turns.  

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