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Frankie_B

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Everything posted by Frankie_B

  1. Frankie_B

    I'm Back!

    Congats! I've come to think that this generation GS is one of the best cars on the market today. How soft is the ride though? Does it feel shabby around the corners at all?
  2. Another thing to factor in is the strength of the Dollar. I was just looking at the European gas prices. I was in France last summer, and gas would cost an average of EUR 1.35 per liter (EUR 5.13 per gallon). Today's price is floating at around EUR 1.55 a liter (EUR 5.89 per gallon). This gives us an increase of 15%, when dealing in Euro. Equivelent dollar prices would be $1.82/L ($6.92/Gal) a year ago and $2.44/L ($9.27/Gal) today, giving us an increase of 34%, which is the sort of increase we've seen in North America over the last year. What actually worries me is that if this were to continue, and gas reached unsustainable prices (over $2/L or $7.60/Gal), we wouldn't be able to simply follow the Europeans and settle for smaller cars, bicycles, mopeds or buses: the American city concept is fundamentally different than the European: lots of suburbia with little public transportation and vast distances to cover. For the most part, you can't even walk to the local Walmart. Europe, on the other hand, is much more compact and dense, and their public transportation system is much more developed. In Paris, I could easily take the Metro and a train to the Airport, arrive in rather short time and be happy. In Toronto, taking public transit to the airport would take me 2.5 hrs (vs. 30 minutes by car) AND the savings are rather small: I'd only save $2.50. My 2.5 hrs are definitely worth more than that! Personally, I don't see a feasible alternative to my ES: I can't comfortably fit in a Civic or Corolla, taking the bus would cost me an average 2 extra hours of the day, and I'm not within a walking distance to anything, really, especially in the winter. The only thing I can do is suck up the 30% higher gas bill, and spend less on other things. Which, as mentioned before, will have a ripple effect in the Economy.
  3. You know how some cars show current gas milage? I think it should be expressed in $/mile :D You step on the gas and voi-la, $0.4 per mile!
  4. That's the locksmith that took 3 attempts to clone the key. Make sure it's done by somebody who knows what he's doing rather than a new hire!
  5. Thanks everybody, sounds like all I have to do now is wait for a Black on tan GS400 to pop up on the market...Dream car ! :)
  6. I use the Hawk HPS pads with Brembo rotors on my 98 ES, and experience no dust/squeeks at all, and braking hard enough for ABS to kick in at 40 mph (did not try full braking at higher speeds).
  7. Frankie_B

    Car Tax

    In fact, $230 is only about EUR 150 or GBP 114. So, if anything, significantly lower than the poor folks on the other side of the ocean have to live through!
  8. I'm not sure if that would help. If they have evidence that you were in process of downloading the 'stolen' material, then it doesn't matter if you have it today or not. Similarly, if you steal a car and sell it, they can still charge you with theft even though you don't actually posses the vehicle. They have the evidence that your IP address was downloading the game. Do you have Wifi? Some people can hack into others' wifi networks so everything they do will come up under your IP in the eyes of the ISP.
  9. topless hot chicks oh boy, I want summer already
  10. Personally I don't see a problem in a kid driving an older Lexus. 6-8 year old ES models cost as much as a new Civic, so from the financial standpoint, what's the difference? If a kid is able to "afford" a new Civic, then he/she can similarly afford an older Lexus, would that not be teaching them better consumer habits, as in getting the best value for the buck? Owning an older car might also teach them some repair/maintenance skills, whereas they will take their new ride to the dealer to have it repaired under warranty. But I have to say I'm definitely against fresh-out-of-school kids driving NEW BMWs and Infititis.
  11. Atlanta is a bit far away from Toronto, I'm afraid!
  12. We currently own a 98 ES300 with 125K miles, and it's holding up pretty well (although some things like seat heaters, power outlets are dying), and one car does not suffice anymore. I'm looking into a 98-99 GS300/GS400 and for my money it would have about 120-130K miles. How do these cars hold up? Is there anything you suggest paying particular attention to while checking the car out? The other option I'm considering is 99-00 Acura 3.5RL, which seems to offer a bit better value, but I have to admit I'm becoming a Lex-addict! Your advice is appreciated!
  13. If only we could predict the future, eh?
  14. Well, I rarely go over 3000 rpm anymore. I guess it has to be the city driving here. Took it on the roadtrip to Buffalo, got about 25 mpg, cruising at 70-75 all the way.
  15. Right, thanks for this link! I guess I have to buy a Civic for the city driving :(
  16. I know this topic has been posted a number of times, and I've read a whole bunch of the advices and followed them. The 98 ES300 in question has 130,000 miles on it. So far I have: - Continuously changed oil to Mobil1 Synthetic every 5000 miles - Continuously changed air filters - Replaced spark plugs to NGK Platinum - Done 3 Seafoam treatments (booster line & fuel tank) - Replaced two pre-cat O2 sensors (to Denso) - Tire pressure kept at 32-35 psi - Wheel alignment/balance OK - ECU reset I get 15-17mpg in city driving. I'm not racing it at all (very rarely over 3000 rpm). I use the proper MPG calculation (filling to the top and measuring method). I'm really lost as to what else could have possibly cause such a terrible milage. Anyone, please?
  17. Europe is not only UK tho :whistles:
  18. *CYCLISTS who think that road rules do not apply to them. Just how many time have you seen a guy on a bicycle slooowly creep through a red light? Or totally ignore a stop sign and zoom by you when you'd just start crossing. Where's a sniper rifle when you need one... *Formation Pilots.....Why do some people insist on driving in formation with another vehicle, keeping it perfectly side-by-side or in the blind spot? You bump into these people on the freeway and there is NO way around them. They usually drive at the speed limit, too. *People who keep giant gaps between the car ahead WHILE STOPPED. You know, you stop at a traffic light during peak hours and there's always somebody who insists on keeping a gap of 5-10 meters from the car ahead. If I can, I make sure Iget into that space there to show the guy HEY, you can fit a whole car in there and still have room. *Inconsiderate people. Somebody described above is blocking you by |<---->| this much from getting into a left turn/right turn lane. No matter if you flash your lights or honk, that person will NOT move a foot or two to let you by. They have to maintain a 3000 ft separation from the traffic ahead.
  19. Nobody has any feedback on the GR-2's? I was under the impression that lots people changed OEM to GR-2's, judging by the number of topics suggesting the change as an economical replacement.
  20. If this has been discussed already, I apologize, I could not find a good answer with the search function I see that people recommend KYB GR-2 as a less expensive replacement for OEM shocks (+ KYB is the OEM manufacturer) I'm looking for any input as to how the GR-2's compare to the original ones on the 97-01 ES'es. Are they much stiffer?
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