Strange... The tag place I've been using for 25 years has never seen any of the cars or trucks I've had them do.
Strange... The tag place I've been using for 25 years has never seen any of the cars or trucks I've had them do.
Go with well maintained vs Newer/lower miles.
Sonic wrote: I've had to have in person VIN inspections on every car I've bought from out of PA that wasn't from a dealer, which is a bunch now. The tag places have refused to do anything until they can see the VIN.
I wonder if that's a law in PA? I don't recall the tag place I always used ever doing a VIN inspect on my cars. Not sure if they were just lazy or didn't know they needed to do a VIN inspect? If the tag place you go is a big hassle, I can give you their info. They're in downtown East Greenville, not far from Harry's U-Pull.
Sonic wrote: S600s and S65s are monstrously fast, but also significantly more trouble than the fairly sturdy supercharged 5.4.
Speak to me on this. The only real issue I'm aware of that it doesn't share with the S55/S550 is the coil pack life expectancy. The ABC issues are obviously common between them.
The v12s, aside from just having more and more rare parts, and aside from the coil issues, have issues with the turbos more than the fairly bulletproof supercharger, along with a significant increase in difficulty in working on it due to the tighter engine bay, along with more issues related to the very high underhood temps.
The way I figure it, the S55 is fast enough for me.
I heard back from the GA car, it is sold.
Now I'm starting to think that I should just buy the NC car for $15k. Hmm.
Think domestic and Cadillac
STS-V
Mmm... Northstar with a blower...
Devilsolsi wrote: A few other cars to consider: Jag S Type R - same 400hp supercharged v8 as the XJR in a smaller body. $15K should easily get you a nice one under 100K Audi S6 - Lamborghini based v10...
The S-type R can be had for sub-$10k with under 100k miles.....I've seen a few of them with around 130k miles in the $6k range. 
I propose you lose your mind entirely and look into that dastardly Porsche Cayenne. I've seen a few turbo versions sub $15k, and I know people have tracked a few here and there.
rslifkin wrote: Mmm... Northstar with a blower...
470hp and 525 just a pulley snout away. Easy to find under 75K miles and around 13-14K.
92dxman wrote: How about a Taurus SHO? Talk about invisible and people might take it for a cop car: http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=30301&endYear=2017&vehicleStyleCodes=AWD4WD&modelCode1=TAURUS&showcaseOwnerId=0&startYear=2010&makeCode1=FORD&firstRecord=0&searchRadius=100&maxPrice=20000&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=%5BFORD%5BTAURUS%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&listingId=415389695&Log=0 http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=30301&endYear=2017&vehicleStyleCodes=AWD4WD&modelCode1=TAURUS&showcaseOwnerId=0&startYear=2010&makeCode1=FORD&firstRecord=0&searchRadius=100&maxPrice=20000&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=%5BFORD%5BTAURUS%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&listingId=419825502&Log=0 http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?endYear=2017&zip=30301&maxPrice=20000&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=%5BFORD%5BTAURUS%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&vehicleStyleCodes=AWD4WD&modelCode1=TAURUS&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&makeCode1=FORD&startYear=2010&showcaseOwnerId=0&firstRecord=0&searchRadius=200&listingId=418066125&Log=0 http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?endYear=2017&zip=30301&maxPrice=20000&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=%5BFORD%5BTAURUS%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&vehicleStyleCodes=AWD4WD&modelCode1=TAURUS&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&makeCode1=FORD&startYear=2010&showcaseOwnerId=0&firstRecord=0&searchRadius=200&listingId=420080589&Log=0
The new SHO's are actually a horrible choice for anything but basic car usage. Tracking them seems to be the number one way to kill the PTU in them. The brakes also suck really really badly.
In reply to wearymicrobe:
Ohh. I didn't know they existed and they are CHEAP!
Fueled by Caffeine wrote: In reply to wearymicrobe: Ohh. I didn't know they existed and they are CHEAP!
Debating getting one to steal the motor and transmission for the 61 Cadillac project.
In reply to wearymicrobe:
being an STS, It should be OK to fit three kids across the back seat, something a CTS has an issue with.
WOW Really Paul? wrote:Devilsolsi wrote: A few other cars to consider: Jag S Type R - same 400hp supercharged v8 as the XJR in a smaller body. $15K should easily get you a nice one under 100K Audi S6 - Lamborghini based v10...The S-type R can be had for sub-$10k with under 100k miles.....I've seen a few of them with around 130k miles in the $6k range.
Andy Hollis ran his wife's Cayenne last year when she hurt her back before the event. He drove the crap out of it.
Fueled by Caffeine wrote: In reply to wearymicrobe: being an STS, It should be OK to fit three kids across the back seat, something a CTS has an issue with.
Its a big car, should fit three kids across the back no issues. Not sure if the V has more bucketed seats in the back though I doubt it being a GM.
I looked at the pictures the guy sent me of the FL car, and you can barely make out the SRS light being on. I've now lost any faith in this seller as he said the car had no warning lights.
Back to looking. Sorry, the Caddy doesn't do it for me, partially because I don't trust the Northstar with boost after all of the head gasket/stud issues they have had for years.
Yeah I also have no trust in the Northstar.
WOW Really Paul? wrote:Devilsolsi wrote: A few other cars to consider: Jag S Type R - same 400hp supercharged v8 as the XJR in a smaller body. $15K should easily get you a nice one under 100K Audi S6 - Lamborghini based v10...The S-type R can be had for sub-$10k with under 100k miles.....I've seen a few of them with around 130k miles in the $6k range.
While not a Cayenne... BMW X6M at UTCC last year should show you what one of those beasts can do..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQwjxSsf73k
Not really relevant to the cars that Sonic wants, but if the BMW X6M is anything like the X5M, then it almost can convince me that a non-offroading/non-towing/non-hauling SUV that generates sports car numbers actually makes sense. I got to drive one at BMWs' driving school in South Carolina. Drove it on a roughly 1 mile road course, with no instructor in the car. Holy E36 M3 on a donut, batman!!! No SUV should accelerate, handle and brake like that. It's still tall and a bit tippy, but damn. Still don't see it making much sense, but it's a hell of a hoot to drive.
The super performance SUVs don't make much sense to me, as they end up removing almost all of the SUV utility to get the performance out of it. So then you're just left with an over-height, over-weight car. If they could keep a bit more of the SUV capabilities in the process, they'd make far more sense. Maybe variable height suspension, etc.
clutchsmoke wrote: Yeah I also have no trust in the Northstar.
Head stud kit is about 400$ with gaskets all in if you do it yourself.
Personally I would take head-gasket and stud issues on a north-star over the electric issues and parts cost of there German brethren. Twice if I was actually the one driving the car.
Plus the 4.4 blown car is the last of the northstars they had all the issues worked out by then.
wearymicrobe wrote:clutchsmoke wrote: Yeah I also have no trust in the Northstar.Head stud kit is about 400$ with gaskets all in if you do it yourself. Personally I would take head-gasket and stud issues on a north-star over the electric issues and parts cost of there German brethren. Twice if I was actually the one driving the car. Plus the 4.4 blown car is the last of the northstars they had all the issues worked out by then.
Good point on that last bit. The later Northstars were pretty solid, provided they weren't driven by old ladies (they'd carbon up badly and start to sound like death). The early years (up to 01-02, IIRC) had the head bolt nightmares, etc.
WOW Really Paul? wrote: The new SHO's are actually a horrible choice for anything but basic car usage. Tracking them seems to be the number one way to kill the PTU in them. The brakes also suck really really badly.
I have considered and rejected SHOs myself, but not because of those issues. The 2013 upgrades to the Performance Pack seem to have fixed them:
http://www.motortrend.com/news/2013-ford-taurus-sho-performance-package-first-test/
Of course the new ($1995) Performance Package packs a much bigger wallop. As we discussed in our first drive of the 2013 Taurus SHO, enhancements to this package include a huge upgrade of the brakes and cooling system, plus other niceties like Alcantara on the steering wheel and stability-control settings for sport and truly off. The front brake backing plate is cutaway to improve airflow, which works with the cross-drilled caliper pistons and greatly upsized thermal mass of the system to virtually eliminate fade (see photos and captions). On the cooling front, there is an engine-oil cooler, a transmission oil cooler, and a third heat-exchanger keeps the all-wheel-drive power-takeoff unit cool (gear lube is too viscous to pump to the radiator for air cooling). This unit draws its coolant off the bottom three (coolest) rows of the higher-capacity radiator. This reduces the temperature of the power-takeoff gear by some 75 degrees F, and allows the car to withstand 32 hot laps of Michigan’s demanding Grattan racetrack without overheating.
This is what I would get.
http://m.ebay.com/itm/Mercedes-Benz-E-Class-WAGON-/131711881029?nav=SEARCH
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