

Ask HN: Does anyone here drive anything exciting? - joshmlewis

I mean come on we are just computer geeks right?  We have those Honda Accords, completely stock, right?  Wrong.  Some people here make good money.  Let's see what kind of cars you can get being a hacker.
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pepsi_can
I'm still living off Ramen and boot-strapping my company. But when I was an
employee I bought a 2005 Dodge SRT-4. I had wanted this car since it came out
back in 2001. Not really an expensive car but at the time it was the fastest
car one could buy under 20K dollars.

0-60 in 5.8 seconds, 2.4L 4 cylinder turbo charged engine with 230 HP, a LSD
and only 2900 lbs. Not too shabby for a cheap economy car and very fun to
drive!

Back in high school I bought lots of Honda Repair Manuals and studied them. I
swapped out a 1990 Honda Civic's original engine with a more powerful Japanese
engine. Then I figured out how to install a ZEX dry nitrous system.

Although I estimated a measly 160-170 HP to the wheels, the car only weighed a
little over 2000 lbs. When I took it to the race track I had plenty of fun
embarrassing 50K luxury cars with my shit brown Civic!

How much had I spent of my $5.15 an hour pay check?

    
    
         Used 1990 Honda Civic            - $500
         Used Japanese performance engine - $600
         Used nitrous system              - $500
    
         Embarrassing the driver of a 50K dollar car? Priceless.

~~~
veyron
I've wanted to take a smart car or mini cooper and stick a powerful engine
inside. Have you seen the smart diablo?

How do you obtain the repair manuals?

~~~
PatrickTulskie
Ebay or your local autoparts store might have the repair manuals you're
looking for. Sometime with enough hunting around you can even find a digital
copy online.

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mattgreenrocks
If you're looking for excitement, consider the 2004 Toyota Corolla. I cannot
claim I drive a stock car, as I got the in-dash cassette option (indispensable
for listening to old MC Hammer tapes), and occasionally put premium in it. It
handles the turns well (like Toad in Mario Kart), and can take a little while
to get going, but the sex appeal is undeniable...as is the ability to chime in
on threads like this one.

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gooddelta
A 2005 Audi A4 USP (Ultra Sport)... Relatively small 1.8-liter turbo-charged
engine, but it's surprisingly quick, and the quattro four-wheel drive has
saved my life numerous times and kicks ass on the snow.. I've had it up to
120mph in the desert, too.

I'm sticking with Audi for the rest of my life. Build quality is fantastic,
technology is great, and the design is almost as timeless as Mercedes.

~~~
ktsmith
I have this same car and feel the same way about Audi.

~~~
gooddelta
Nothing quite like it :)

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duncan_bayne
I ride a 2007 Cagiva Mito 125 - mostly on the track these days:

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncanbayne/5774348405/in/photo...](http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncanbayne/5774348405/in/photostream)

I drive an ex-Australian-army 1970 Land Rover Series IIFFT:

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncanbayne/sets/72157622950578...](http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncanbayne/sets/72157622950578676/)
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FDxJ8GG-L4>
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GKxe8bC2fk>

You don't need much money to drive or ride something exciting :-) The Mito
cost AUD$7K (back before the USD took a nose-dive) and the Landie was ~
AUD$4K.

FWIW, Land Rovers of that vintage are very hacker-friendly. They were designed
to be very easy to maintain, unlike modern cars which are basically equipped
with an 'uh-oh, take it to the dealer' light :-)

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1tw
A 1959 Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite.

Not entirely practical in the British winter, admittedly. And the lack of seat
belts tends to worry passengers. But I always have an enormous grin on my face
while driving, and it's absurdly cheap to run.

~~~
1tw
I should add some stats: 948cc, 43hp, top speed (in theory) 80 MPH, 0-60 in 25
seconds. Impressive!

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sixtofour
1990 Honda Civic Wagon, Front Wheel Drive, 36MPG, coming up on 180K miles,
original owner.

Yeeee - haaa!

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garyrichardson
I drive a 99 Jeep TJ. My wife's car is an 88 BMW 325i convertible.

I take the jeep off road about once a month, more if time permits. It's stock,
but running slightly larger tires (31") and a bunch of other off road
upgrades. Last weekend I just about shat myself when I had the jeep off camber
and pointing straight up and down inches from a cliff. The only way home was
up. That's pretty exciting.

The BMW is a real car -- sounds great and doesn't have a TV screen in the
middle of the dash or advanced stability control. With the hard top off, it
feels about 1000lbs lighter. Compared to the jeep, it throws you into the seat
when you accelerate. I think about getting a new one every now and then, but
it's just not the same.

Both are manual transmissions. I weep for the day when I won't be able to get
a new car with a stick shift.

I love both of our cars. Most people would have walked away from them after
the amount of money I've put into them. I love to drive and these are the cars
I've always wanted.

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WesleyJohnson
'06 350Z Enthusiast coupe. It's the closest to new I've ever owned (bought it
2 years old with 7,000m on it) and a blast to drive. I'd love to put some
money into it and see about taking it to the track, but I just don't have that
kind of expendable cash.

If I was well off, but not rich, I'd probably get a GTR or an R8.

------
veyron
2012 911 turbo s cabrio (got at 24) with a 335xi beater car (got at 21) --
both new.

FYI: If you are going with a luxury car, always go new. I tried test-driving a
used gallardo and concluded that many first-drivers abuse their cars.

Edit: What do you drive?

~~~
hugh3
At first I thought "wow, that's pretty cool". Then I read your username and
was disappointed that you didn't have a Bugatti.

~~~
veyron
On the waiting list. They make each car by hand, and dont rush the process, so
the the demand far outstrips the supply (thus the multi-year waiting list)

Also for US citizens, there are tax advantages to taking delivery in Europe
(the car will come into the country used).

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kbob
2005 Lotus Elise 2002 BMW M Coupe 1998 BMW M3/4 2002 Subaru WRX and a minivan.
2.5 of those cars are my wife's.

I spent the weekend working on the Elise, I'm installing a clam hinge kit to
make the drivetrain easier to access.
<http://www.boefabrication.com/Clam.html> That's preparation for installing a
supercharger. I've never seriously modified a car before, so this is a big
learning experience.

Also shopping for a newer daily use car to replace the Subaru and M3. Looking
at the BMW 1 Series M Coupe, a Mini Cooper, the Fiat 500 Abarth (not yet
available), and the only rumored Honda CR-Z Type R (barely a rumor).

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thaumaturgy
Oddly enough, there seems to be a really tiny intersection between computer
enthusiasts and serious gearheads. Of the computer-automotive enthusiasts I
know, they tend to gravitate towards -- heh -- upgrading the computers in
their cars.

The "hottest" car I've driven was an Audi TT convertible. I'm currently
driving a '72 Jeep J4000, but the rings are completely shot on its original
engine so actually I've been driving my girlfriend's car. Got most of a 1917
Model T speedster in the garage, and an '87 AMC Eagle at my parents' place
awaiting my attention, hopefully to turn it into my masterpiece car.

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ihartley
In the midst of rebuilding + turbo-charging a '85 BMW 635CSi. Daily driver is
a '90 325i Convertible. It's quite fun to drive with the top down and I still
get 21mpg with a lead foot.

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hotshothenry
I had a 350z and then a G37S but got rid of it last year before moving to
SF...and now I just walk haha

btw both were coupes and 6MT, definitely fun to drive :)

~~~
WesleyJohnson
Would you mind doing a comparison between the two? I have an 06' 350Z with
around 30k on it right now and while I love my car, I tend to "oohh and aahh"
when I see a sporty Infiniti driving by. I came across one for sale the other
day, same year, roughly the same miles for a decent price. I just feel like if
I found my way in one, I'd then start "oohhing and aahhing" over the 350Zs
driving around. Was thinking maybe someone who had owned both might understand
and could offer some opinions of the differences between the two.

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karolist
00' BMW 330d manual, amazing torque and great MPG, when remapped this engine
pulls this car 0-60 in sub 7 secs, smokes (literally) 330i's for a fraction
amount of fuel it's petrol brother takes.

Possibly the best road diesel engine ever built.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M57>.

Best overall sits in Audi R10.

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ecaroth
Harley Nightster (motorcycle). Did a bunch of work to it myself over the last
couple months, much like hacking on a project - doing small incremental
changes until you get it how you want it. Plus, it gets 50+ mpg and nothing
makes the commute to work more fun than taking the back roads and ripping
around corners!

------
mishmash
Not exciting, but 07 Chrysler Pacifica V6. It hauls the kids around nicely,
~18mpg, looks better than a minivan, less than $300 in repairs, and best of
all... the back seats fold flat so we actually hauled a _boxed_ 52" HD set
home with it.

Overall, not a bad set of wheels for the family hacker.

------
PatrickTulskie
2011 Subaru STI here. It's not my first rodeo though... previously I had a
2007 STI Limited (1/800) and a 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX (AWD, turbo). I
refuse to buy a boring economical car... it's really my one indulgence. I
don't drive often, but when I do I want to enjoy it.

~~~
prodigal_erik
If anyone is having sticker shock about that STI, I assure you that even my
humble base model 2008 WRX is a hell of a lot of fun. I'm trying to figure out
whether I can bring it to a track without insurance getting word and
cancelling me (apparently this happens despite track day policies you may buy
on the spot).

~~~
hkuo
Don't worry about insurance. Take it to the track and have fun. If anything
bad happens, tow the car outside of the track and then claim the damage
happened there. That the general course of action.

~~~
prodigal_erik
This kind of insurance fraud is partly why they started preëmptively banning
track day enthusiasts. No thanks.

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pdxgene
About 9 out of 10 workdays, my commute is on a 2010 steel-frame Kona Honky
Tonk bicycle.

But every tenth workday or so, and a lot of weekends, I roll the 1990 Carrera
4 cabriolet out of the garage, which totally makes up for not being on a bike
;-)

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karanbhangui
Audi A6 (4.2L V8 variety) that I bought when I was 19 in SF, drove it back
home to Toronto.

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mgarfias
2001 Chevy Z06 Corvette. Bought new in 2000 when I was working for PGP.

ETA: Its seen track use too. Fortunately (or un really) I've not had the spare
income over the years to really hit the go-fast crack pipe.

~~~
karolist
Aren't you bored of driving the same car for 10 years? Not making fun,
genuinely interested.

~~~
mgarfias
Not a bit at all. Let's say I bought a new Z06 - 505hp, etc - it'd likely be
no more exciting on the street than the 01. You simply cannot drive these cars
fast on the street, if you lose it you're going to kill someone. I do drive it
rapidly, but I can't remember the last time I had the car giving the "feels
like I'm on ice feeling" you get when you're hauling ass.

The next "fast car" I buy will be a new grand sport corvette, and it will be
promptly turned into a race car (scca t1).

~~~
duncan_bayne
Get thee to a racetrack :-)

I had the same issue with not being able to enjoy sportsbikes to the limit on
the road. Nowadays I'm a trackday regular and loving it. Good organisers make
professional tuition available as well, which has sharpened up my riding no
end.

~~~
mgarfias
Oh I know, but a mortgage and a 2yro (and before that saving for the house)
kind of get in the way. I suspect my boy will be racing karts before I have a
race car.

~~~
duncan_bayne
Not for racing - just track days. The whole idea of a track day is to have
fun, go fast, and improve your driving (or riding) with the car (or bike) you
use every day. You shouldn't have to spend any money modifying your vehicle.

Here's an example in Australia:
[http://wakefieldpark.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&...](http://wakefieldpark.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=42)

~~~
mgarfias
Oh yes, I've done plenty, as well as autocross. To do it right, I need another
set of wheels. I can buy scrub hoosiers or r888s for ~ $100/tire (vs $400
new), so the wheels make sense. Then the C5s are HARD on brakes. I'm still on
OE rotors with no cooling, so I need to add cooling, and plan for a set of
rotors for every weekend I go out. Plus pads. At least I've got wilwood
calipers up front now which use a much cheaper 7420 pad with more material
(compared to OE). Plus entry fees, and other consumables. Oil changes every
weekend out. And I need a trailer to get the car to/from the track.

Trust me, if I had the $ I'd be doing it, but having done it I know what the
real costs are.

~~~
duncan_bayne
Have you considered buying a motorcycle? Track days are cheap as chips on a
125 or 250.

------
willlangford
2008 VW R32 - Heavily modified, right around 450hp. Daily driven track car.

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mambodog
When I make some money it'll probably be a Nissan GTR, but for now it's a Ford
Falcon. Super boring, but it's an incentive to get on and earn the
aspirational stuff.

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bradleyland
I've always been a gearhead in addition to a geek. After owning two Rabbits
and three GTIs, I landed in a BMW 135i last July. I absolutely love it.

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pguzmang
Toyota MR2 MKII Turbo, really exotic and enjoyable.

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steventruong
Nothing fancy. A 2010 Toyota Prius. Great on gas.

~~~
karolist
Is it fully electric or still a hybrid? If MPG was your primary consideration,
why not VW Polo/Lupo or Audi A2 with diesel engines?

~~~
steventruong
It's a hybrid. MPG wasn't my primary consideration although it was definitely
something I partially considered. That said, I wasn't really looking at diesel
cars. Wasn't really shopping around for different types of cars either
actually. A few of my friends have the Prius and I enjoyed it and thought it
was roomy when the seats was down. So just thought it was worth getting. I
didn't spend too much time thinking it over.

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hugh3
Mustang. When I moved to America I decided to buy something American, and it
was either that or a giant Cadillac.

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yankcrime
Currently a BMW M3 CS, previously an (E39) M5.

