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Pro Commuter brainstorming

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  • Pro Commuter brainstorming

    Pondering what my next daily driver might be - whether it's something to get recently or a few years down the road. I've got a fairly long commute - over 40 miles a day round trip. So this might be a reasonable candidate for the "Pro Commuter" idea that gets kicked around - a car that gets decent mileage and reliability, and isn't difficult to repair, but has some significant performance mods. In my case, it would also need to be able to carry my wife and 2 kids - and I'm pretty tall. So that rules out something really small, like a CRX or Fiero.

    A "turn key" option for around $5000-6000 would be something like the nicest stick-shift Civic I could find, or something like McTaggart's Cruze, or maybe a Dieselgate-refitted VW. But could it make sense to play mix and match with factory parts and put together something a bit more interesting? Like a early '90s Camry with a 3S-GTE turbo motor out of an MR2, for a wicked sucker punch - call it the Rage in Beige. Or a K-series swapped into an older Civic. You guys have any better ideas?

  • #2
    Originally posted by Matt Cramer View Post
    A "turn key" option for around $5000-6000 would be something like the nicest stick-shift Civic I could find, or something like McTaggart's Cruze, or maybe a Dieselgate-refitted VW.
    Is that your project budget ?

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    • #3
      What about an early Subaru WRX station wagon?

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Monster View Post

        Is that your project budget ?
        I'd want the "roll your own" option to be a bit cheaper than the turn-key budget to justify the extra work.

        A WRX would fall into the right price range, but I'd be worried somebody put his boost grenade up for sale just after he pulled the pin out. I wouldn't mind picking up a well cared for 2.5 RS or other naturally aspirated Subie with a stick, though.

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        • #5
          Matt - A word of caution on the Subies. The ones with the EJ25 engine (I know they're in the mid-200Xes but I'm not sure of the year spread) had head gasket issues, pretty much all of them. These are the ones that would be in your price range. I've done 2 of them for my brother and they're not bad to work on but you do have to pull the engine. The good news is that there are at least 2 head sets available that make for a permanent solution (5 Star and Fel Pro, both MLS) so it's once and done. IF (and this is in no way a certainty) you pull a head bolt thread I have the Timesert kit to fix them along with the weird 11mm tap to clean out the bolt holes - happy to lend them. As long as you buy it right and with the knowledge that you'll be doing this job they're an excellent little car. Look for oil leaks at the head interface and if the owner claims it's been done look at the receipts to verify.

          Dan

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          • #6
            Thanks for the tip on Subarus. I knew there was something about head gaskets, but wasn't sure how pervasive it was or whether there was a better-than-stock fix.

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            • #7
              Once you've decided that you don't need any American V8 iron or something like an SUV under you for the daily drive, for me the little manual-trans station wagons are a good thing. This I decided when my dad at age 90 got a used DOHC five-speed Saturn wagon (the small kind not the semi-suv) and I would borrow it...75-80 mph from here to L.A. and back, so easy to drive I didn't even have to think about it, and near-40 mpg. We live in a mountainous area and blasting through the hills was great fun, then I once hauled a 4x4 trans and case in the back, another a short-block SBC. For bulk stuff there was a roof rack. Meanwhile rear passengers don't suffer in those cars at all.

              My big bro's wife has a small collection of speeding tickets acquired in her VW turbocharged-gas stick-shift wagon as she has such a good time driving it, I can't tell you the year or model but apparently it's something semi-special. About ten years ago I nearly picked up a customer's Audi A4 or something wagon with the transverse V8, stick-shift and stock wide rubber which was a rocket to drive, but as they say, never buy a German car out of warranty. If it weren't for that I really like some of the BMW stick-shift wagons, hard-to find though. I do like some of the Subarus also but with Dan's caveats above. Certainly anything I could afford to buy would likely need some work, like the $3500 steering rack that Audi needed a while after the next owner had it. $3500 for a rack???! If any company is going to bend me over like that, I don't want their old stuff and I don't want their new stuff either.

              Any of these cars are hardly "pro" anything though. Just the upgrade of whatever the companies normally sell. "Pro" implies significant special structural and drivetrain mods that you'd be 'way short of just by wheel/tires and bolt-ons.

              We have a beater Saturn wagon ourselves now but an automatic as the wife needs it. That, I tell you, takes half the fun out of the car and the motor is certainly dragged down by it. I can't help wondering how an early-'00 F-body LS/T56 and built chassis would be adaptable into what I think is, if you put enough rubber under it, a not-ugly body style.

              My next commuter is an old El Camino but I need the bed and the kids are grown. If I could get hwy mpg's in the low twenties I'd be doing all that could be expected.
              ...

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              • #8
                The Saturn wagons would seem to fit the bill, but I can't seem to comfortably fit in them. I'd need to modify the seat so it could go back another three inches or so, and I have no idea whether the car would be left with any rear seat room.

                Most of the "Pro Commuter" ideas on the main blog had involved engine swaps, like a SVT Focus drivetrain in a Ford EXP. This thread is kind of a brainstorming session to figure out if there's something that could be pieced together - preferably in a "playing Legos with stock parts" sort of way so I don't have to deal with a weird one-off part if anything brakes - that would do better than a clean stock commuter car for less money, even if it's a bit more work to initially put together.

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                • #9
                  I have no clue how readily the Subaru turbo system could be fitted to a non-turbo car but it SEEMS like it should be simple enough if you got all the bits. Seems like buying one after it was wrapped around phone pole would be the way to get all the parts from a formerly working car.

                  Dan

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                  • #10
                    I have "commuted" for the last 12 years. 100 miles a day for the frist 5 years and 70 the last.

                    89 5.0 mustang 5 speed. Great car low 20 mpg, good ride quality, to loud for 2 hours a day.
                    93 Lincoln Mark VIII. Loved it but missed the stick shift
                    03 Mazda MP5 good commuter got 30 mpg. Used oil smoked on start up. Sold it should have had a shop fix it.
                    1999 Saturn SL1 4 door. Did not ride the best 38/40 mpg. Sold it to get something nicer.
                    2003 ish tdi Jetta 5 speed 45/50 mpg fun car but too small for rear facing car seat. Ride quality went away as well might have just needed struts?
                    2003 Lincoln Town Car. Dash says I get about 20 mpg. I never check any more, best commuter to date! Good leg room, room for the kids.

                    I still miss the 5 speed but the V8 is more important! Hard to go wrong with a panther! For the comfort, room, and price it hard to beat the Crown Vic/ Marquis / Town Car.

                    I have put 90k miles on my TC, and hope it last another 90k. The plan is to look for a 13-14 mustang GT in 3 years when my youngest goes to kindergarten, and I don't have to do daycare drop off and pick up every day.
                    Last edited by Russell; June 21, 2019, 07:54 AM.
                    http://www.bangshift.com/forum/forum...-consolidation
                    1.54, 7.31 @ 94.14, 11.43 @ 118.95

                    PB 60' 1.49
                    ​​​​​​

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Russell View Post
                      I still miss the 5 speed but the V8 is more important! Hard to go wrong with a panther! For the comfort, room, and price it hard to beat the Crown Vic/ Marquis / Town Car..
                      I've sometimes daydreamed about getting a boxy '80s Vic and putting a Coyote motor with a 6 speed in it. Especially if I can get a few Men in Black references into the build too.

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                      • #12
                        My kid had a lowered and big rim/small tire Rabbit... Drove it a long time. Little snow and the air dam became a plow..I HATED IT
                        Rode rough. Cornered skittish. But he liked it.. 45 mile one way commute with 1/2 country miles, 1/2 freeway
                        When I made the same commute, I used a Yamaha 850 ...
                        Then he went to Toyota pickups.. Headgaskets...
                        Now he drives a 03 Crown Vic P71 that was a detective's car. Thus it had 125,000 miles on it... Amazing on backroads. Gotta be near 200,000 miles by now.
                        He really feels the pinch in fuel costs when he drives the Yukon (09) 15 mpg versus the mid+ 20 mpg ..
                        The thing he loves about Vics is the pedals and seat adjust so the granddaughters can play in the fields with the other 3 Vic ex cop cars he bought to derby, but till we "get to them" the girls have fun going round and round in the fields.

                        Bench racing we have talked of a Mustang motor and manual tranny in the P71...

                        We love the sturdy seat covers, one car even came with the molded plastic seats to make vomit easy to clean. And we love the rubber non carpet floors!
                        Being on a farm, that is a good thing. The Dualie has fancy floormats.

                        I wanted one for myself to drive, by the time I started looking, the junkers were all that was left..
                        Another 2 cars we picked up had great tread but the sides were rough, and bodywork dented... They were teaching cars for pit manouvers.

                        I am a chevy guy but these P71's sure get me drooling.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Matt Cramer View Post

                          I've sometimes daydreamed about getting a boxy '80s Vic and putting a Coyote motor with a 6 speed in it. Especially if I can get a few Men in Black references into the build too.
                          That would be pretty cool, would cost more than your stated budget? The 239hp in the 03 TC moves ok, another 100 HP would do it good, but it's my couch on wheels. Other than keeping it going I am not messing with it.

                          I think there have been a few people say don't modify the DD! Maybe when I don't need a back seat I put Lincoln mufflers on the mustang and drive it. Not sure how long I would put up with the spool.
                          http://www.bangshift.com/forum/forum...-consolidation
                          1.54, 7.31 @ 94.14, 11.43 @ 118.95

                          PB 60' 1.49
                          ​​​​​​

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                          • #14
                            Sigh.... We seem to have run out of P71s down here about a year ago.
                            My hobby is needing a hobby.

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                            • #15
                              They made the town car though 2011 I think. So you can still find granny fresh ones.
                              Last edited by Russell; June 22, 2019, 12:06 PM.
                              http://www.bangshift.com/forum/forum...-consolidation
                              1.54, 7.31 @ 94.14, 11.43 @ 118.95

                              PB 60' 1.49
                              ​​​​​​

                              Comment

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