Getting older and starting to appreciate creature comforts

The Nakamichi stereo in my LS400 is just amazing. It blows away the Premium stereo in Dr.Linda's LS400. In fact, it has pretty much ruined me on car stereos. Now I compare all of them to the Nakamichi and they all suck. Just put a new Alpine head unit in the Rav4. Compared to the Nakamichi, it sucks. I'm like, how do I make this sound like the Nakamichi? Bigger amp? Bigger/better speakers? Sub woofer? That stereo is so good, some sound comes on the radio and you think something happened in the car.

Dr. Hess wrote: The Nakamichi stereo in my LS400 is just amazing. It blows away the Premium stereo in Dr.Linda's LS400. In fact, it has pretty much ruined me on car stereos. Now I compare all of them to the Nakamichi and they all suck. Just put a new Alpine head unit in the Rav4. Compared to the Nakamichi, it sucks. I'm like, how do I make this sound like the Nakamichi? Bigger amp? Bigger/better speakers? Sub woofer? That stereo is so good, some sound comes on the radio and you think something happened in the car.

Better than the "System 10" setup that came in the 90-93 Celica GTS/AllTrac? THAT E36 M3 was incredible.

The optional stereo in the FJ Cruiser is pretty damn good as well.

Dunno. Never been in a 90-93 Alltrac. My stepson has an FJ Cruiser. I'll have to check out the stereo next time he's up. But this Nakamich, even cranked up to 11, has no distortion. Zep cranked up to 11 with extra base and a big smile.

The Cruiser has to have the optional sub in the back, otherwise it's pretty milquetoast like the majority of Toyota stereos.

I think his has every option available. The something or other package. I could have bought ten or twelve Y2K RAV4's for what that thing cost.

Swank Force One wrote:

Chris_V wrote: It just seems to me that the only reason to actively not have some of these items is so you can say you don't have them.

To an extent, maybe... But i like to drive, not be conveyed around. Not talking down to anyone who does like all the bells and whistles, i can see the appeal. I just don't share it.

And yet, you are exactly talking down to those of us that like those things, too. You like to drive, ergo, those of us that like nice things DON'T and that's horseE36 M3.

I've had classic sports cars, and sport sedans. I love super 7s. I ALSO like fun to drive cars that can do that sort of driving AND be driven in comfort during those times that that sort of driving is not an option.

Swank Force One wrote: If i made enough money to feel comfortable buying a new car,

Ahh, this is so often what it really comes down to.

I've had new cars that were fun to drive AND still had things like heated seats and climate control and worked great in both commuting AND things like autocross.

But you don't have to have new cars to have driver's cars that also have things like heated seats and the like. I LOVED driving my '98 740iL, it felt smaller the faster you went and was quite agile, as well as being comfortable for both commuting and long trips with the family. I also love the MINI Coopers I've owned new that had excellent handling, were fun to drive, and still had heated seats (the horrors), and why I'm looking at used Miatas that also have heated seats. I really look forward to crisp spring mornings with the top down, a good shifter, rowdy exhaust echoing off the hills, and a happy butt. And yes, I'll be driving, not merely a passenger because I have heated seats.

Woody wrote: I never ever use cruise control.

I hate you

Chris_V wrote:

Swank Force One wrote:

Chris_V wrote: It just seems to me that the only reason to actively not have some of these items is so you can say you don't have them.

To an extent, maybe... But i like to drive, not be conveyed around. Not talking down to anyone who does like all the bells and whistles, i can see the appeal. I just don't share it.

And yet, you are exactly talking down to those of us that like those things, too. You like to drive, ergo, those of us that like nice things DON'T and that's horseE36 M3. I've had classic sports cars, and sport sedans. I love super 7s. I ALSO like fun to drive cars that can do that sort of driving AND be driven in comfort during those times that that sort of driving is not an option.

Swank Force One wrote: If i made enough money to feel comfortable buying a new car,

Ahh, this is so often what it really comes down to. I've had new cars that were fun to drive AND still had things like heated seats and climate control and worked great in both commuting AND things like autocross. But you don't have to have new cars to have driver's cars that also have things like heated seats and the like. I LOVED driving my '98 740iL, it felt smaller the faster you went and was quite agile, as well as being comfortable for both commuting and long trips with the family. I also love the MINI Coopers I've owned new that had excellent handling, were fun to drive, and still had heated seats (the horrors), and why I'm looking at used Miatas that also have heated seats. I really look forward to crisp spring mornings with the top down, a good shifter, rowdy exhaust echoing off the hills, and a happy butt. And yes, I'll be driving, not merely a passenger because I have heated seats.

You feeling ok? I don't recall saying that people who don't share my view don't like to drive. It's almost like you're trying as hard as you can to find some sort of contention with what i posted.

The point of my post was that there ISN'T any contention. Especially when within that very post, i stated that i would have all the bells and whistles in certain vehicles.

We could flip this the way you just did and i could get offended that you think my things aren't nice because they don't have seat heaters.

But that'd just be silly and juvenile, wouldn't it?

You specifically said you "like to drive, not be conveyed around," thus implying that anyone who has those things is NOT driving and is only being conveyed around. in a thread about liking some simple conveniences, you specifically bragged that you don't have them, won't have them and are proud of not having them. It comes across as definitely trying to be superior for not having them.

"wow, these seat heaters are cool. I like them."

"I'll never have them. I like driving."

That's how you come off.

In reply to Dr. Hess:

I've been looking at those and may buy/rent one of the mock-up versions to check for fitting. I've seen A/C stuffed into a GT6 before (using donor parts from a Civic IIRC) so I know it's possible. We'll see...

Chris_V wrote: You specifically said you "like to drive, not be conveyed around," thus implying that anyone who has those things is NOT driving and is only being conveyed around. in a thread about liking some simple conveniences, you specifically bragged that you don't have them, won't have them and are proud of not having them. It comes across as definitely trying to be superior for not having them. "wow, these seat heaters are cool. I like them." "I'll never have them. I like driving." That's how you come off.

Agreed. I like driving. But after 18 years of 65-100 miles of a daily commute, "commuting" is not really driving, no matter how "fun" the car being driven is. While I like driving my Triumphs or the Mini to work now and then, I time it so that I'm not driving in traffic with them, either going to a car show or a dinner gathering afterwards. Or I simply stay late at work and leave after the traffic has died down. But sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-95 waiting to cross back into PA - when I could very likely get plowed into by somebody in a rush trying to cut in line and doesn't see me sitting 2 feet off the road in a tiny LBC - is not fun.

At this point, I'd seriously consider a self-driving car that would dutifully ferry my butt from home to work and back.

Ian F wrote: At this point, I'd seriously consider a self-driving car that would dutifully ferry my butt from home to work and back.

Here in Portland... that is called the train, and streetcar

Dr. Hess wrote: Dunno. Never been in a 90-93 Alltrac. My stepson has an FJ Cruiser. I'll have to check out the stereo next time he's up. But this Nakamich, even cranked up to 11, has no distortion. Zep cranked up to 11 with extra base and a big smile.

The Nakamichis available in Troopers toward the end of production were freakin' amazing, too. I had a hard and fast rule to never meddle with a customer's radio, but sometimes with those I just could not help myself, had to remember their settings. I wanted a Nakamichi for the Xterra, but no available built in XM screwed that.

oldeskewltoy wrote: Here in Portland... that is called the train, and streetcar

While it's technically possible for me to walk to the train station 1/4 mile from my house, switch trains in Trenton (and then again in NJ), then find the bus line that passes my office, it would turn my 1-ish long drive into an even more stressful 3 hr ordeal - both ways - and cost over 2x as much money. I wish I could live closer to work, but between housing prices and taxes it's not feasible.

Swank Force One wrote:

Chris_V wrote: It just seems to me that the only reason to actively not have some of these items is so you can say you don't have them.

To an extent, maybe... But i like to drive, not be conveyed around. Not talking down to anyone who does like all the bells and whistles, i can see the appeal. I just don't share it. I also don't shout out to the world "Look how manly i am for not having power steering or a/c!" I just prefer my cars as light and as fast as possible. I want a steering wheel, three pedals, a metric assload of boost, and some drum and bass cranked. I don't need a/c because i've got the windows down. Doesn't help in traffic, but i'd be miserable stuck in traffic if i was driving a brand new Rolls Royce, too. If i HAVE the fancy things, i'd feel obligated to keep them working. Sure, the seat heater might not break anytime soon, but when it does, i'd have to fix it. If it's not there in the first place, i don't have to worry about it. I dunno. Personal preference and all that. If i made enough money to feel comfortable buying a new car, there's precious few i would even consider, for these reasons. MX5, FRS/BRZ, FJ Cruiser, or a turbo diesel Grand Cherokee. The cars would be as stripped as possible. The SUVs? As loaded as possible. Hypocritical? Maybe, but SWMBO would probably drive those more, and if i'm buying a brand new rolling couch, it better feel like my living room. I just normally don't buy couches.

E36 M3, I took it a step or two beyond you when I deleted everything and removed the sunroof, windows, and regulators....a/c, heat, PS, PB, ABS, etc....all that, poof gone.

Best bmw ever foo.