lungwun:

Ah! Another Subie fan. I know when i'm upgrading/downgrading to a midsize Econobox ill hunt down the finest Subaru Legacy GT Spec B i can find and it will be mine! One can fault a sub 6 second time to 60.
Or ill just go for a 2010 Legacy GT with the manual transmission.
Colour me mad but i have also been looking at purchasing a Saab. Yes, I am patiently waiting for a 9-3 Aero X or 2010 9-5 to come down in price and order one.
Back on topic though, Just got back from Garki Supermarket. The usual suspects were on offer there as well.
Saw a Passat CC i rather liked but it looked like it had been in a previous accident. the colours didnt match. Saw another Passat that looked better but the Switchgear had seen better days and were totally worn out.
Back to the Grind i guess.

Ahhhh...the subaru legacy gt spec b.. probably the ultimate sleeper!.. its one the few cars i'd sell my left kidney for.......unfortunately finding one this side of the world is harder than finding a gold bugatti on diamond encrusted rims with an interior made of the armpit hair of the brazilian wondering spider!

It ain't only Nigeria bro, i'm in Ghana and getting caught in traffic gets pretty boring at times!! toyota, toyota toyota, toyota, toyota, toyota, Hey look! a Charger! toyota, toyota, toyota.

I remember when I bought my car, I wanted (and still want) a 2006 subaru outback with manual tranny and a panoramic sunroof...Needless to say it was a futile mission! I settled for a decent ford focus wagon....but up to this day folks ask why i dont drive a corolla! Sigh....if i dont get a subaru, i'd probably upgrade to a Taurus or a Fusion- both better cars than a camry in my opinion!

All this unnecessary spilling of blood 'cos my god's more awesome than your's.....* sigh.

adonbilivit:
nice...you really trust ur mechanic pastor

hehehehee...nope!! As much as he's proven his integrity, he's a person and people will definitely dissappoint at some point- it will be a shame to have my guard down when he does.

Giftedgreen:


Whats wrong with stealing candy from a baby?

Hehehehe.....it's just as wrong as stealing the television of a Barca fan during el classico!

adonbilivit:
nice idea...i think i 'd be buying what ever needs replacement my self....is your "pastor" actually good d trustworthy?

Well, as a life policy, I dont really trust anyone ....but my pastor/mechanic has actually proved himself.....the guy actually insists I go with him to the market when parts are needed Even though experienced, he knows the limits of his expertise and refers me whem necessary

adonbilivit:
i have restrategized bro...now when i take my car to him, i dont leave without my car. he does everything in my presence....

Hmmm...If I were you, I'd go mechanic shopping instead....that dude could steal candy from a baby!!

Anyways, my little experience: Got a pretty bad fuel leak in my ford focus somewhere near to the fuel rail pressure sensor. I took it to my old mech. After drowning the poor part in epoxy resin with no sucess he advised I buy an ENTIRE fuel rail-injectors and all- or change the entire setup to carburrator. It might have been possible that he didnt want to rip me off- but then it will go to show his little know-how, which is weird 'cos everyne says hes the best ford mech around here.

After figuring out one of my pastors is a mechanic....i made the switch and have not looked back.

That's lots of expensive paint going down the drain...a real pity. But then, I really admire your nothing-but-best-mantra. Best luck!

Whoaaaa!!....I can see a couple of ways THAT can go terribly, terribly wrong.

chillex8:


A flashing cel does not mean "I wan die ooo"

Hehehehe, of course not. The other day, I had a patient with so much pain in the eye that the poor guy was calling on death to take him away. It turned out to be a tiny particle lodged in his cornea....in the same way there might be a potentially subtle problem in the car that can mess things up and possibly lead to much worse ones if not rectified

A check engine engine light on your car is kinda like your car saying " hey bro, hope you dey? Errrmmm....i get small problem for my bonnet under. please fix am...thanks!!!"

But then a flashing check engine light is more like "AAAOOO!! WAT PAIN BE DIS!!! I WAN DIE SEF...THERE IS GODOOO!! AAOOO!! "

so yea....i'd scan my ride if i were you.

However do you smell petrol in the car?

I may not be a wrench welding, turbo charging car enthusiast; but reading op's experiences is worse than watching anything from the Saw franchise.

What the 'mechs' did to that poor passat was the equivalent of a professional wrestler doing a triple heart bypass surgery on a senile patient-with a chainsaw

Used to drive a '99 suburban....it was the 1500, with a 5.7 litre v8. The stock exhaust note on that truck was amazing, especially when I floored it at the traffic lights. It lived up to the sound with ample power...lost count of all poor cars we rescued during those wicked Montana winters. Left her with a friend when coming to Ghana....I now drive a 'discreet' '03 ford focus.

To alter your exhaust note, you can either go straight pipe (delete e cats and muffler etc etc) or get an aftermarket kit like a magnaflow (or is it magmaflow?? look it up)

CityNG:
Some more.

I took all these pictures myself at various car shows.

These cars are owned and displayed by average Americans. not Hollywood or millionaire types.

That 50's bel air tho....

It's different. I love different.

erico2k2:

Brov free the guy small, he might just be browsing with is 2" phone

I and my 2" phone find your post highly offensive

Anyways, op...one of the ways of finding out where a golf spent its hey days is looking at where the rear license plate is placed. The american spec ones are almost square in shape...just big enough to hold a naija plate...the euro spec ones are much more rectangular though. the first pic is us spec and the second one is euro spec

*Looks at car no 3.....THE ILLUMINATI ARE UPON US!!
***runs off.

For some reason, the first (aftermarket) grille reminds me of the awful chrome bits folks here in Ghana stick all over their cars, from on the wheel wells to the bumpers etc etc. It looks a bit........ummm... cheap-ish. For that reason alone, i'd go for the second grill....The second (stock) grille, in my opinion also alludes of some healthy road presence.

Actually, the Ford focus is a way better selling car than the honda civic-worldwide.

www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2013/12/23/the-worlds-most-popular-cars-ford-focus-and-other-surprises/

Yeah, i'd go for the ford focus.....heck, I even own one now. Very fun car. I'd totally buy a focus ST when i can!

Considering your criteria...pretty much every modern v8 is kinda crossed out; except maybe an ***ahem tundra-and even with that i'm skeptical. Show up at almost any mech shop and most of the mechanics will run into the shadows. The ones left behind will look at your engine, scratch their head and be like 'dis one be sensa moto, na wahala dat. make i change am to caboorata.' or 'v8! na problem moto dat. make i change am go opel astra 1.8.'

I bet you get the picture.

My bad..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxm3E5SkHrI

By the way, i'd advise that you replace your thermostat and bring your fan's wiring back to default. Try to use actual coolant as well...it will help in the long term. It will be a pity to replace that v6.

Well, you could always try flushing the cooling system...Watch this video on how to do that by scotty kilmer m.youtube.com/watch?v=mxm3E5SkHrI
Check your car's drive belts as well, to see if they are in top condition.

Do you hear your cooling fan come on when the cooling needle is midway?

Ok, that might be a causative factor then. various parts of your cooling system might have rusted off...and blocked up one of the narrower passages.

Fulaman198:
Tesla Model S:

[img]http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/2rARVi9XubnIr2lFWiOVNdPWIzTklyS3VTdHip563D4e4bckVAEgRH_k-DYzTxxQEdkR9nC5ppkOJeB1OiiD3ex0AZp3J6XnRahLmyroMK5pA30F2ySUziB9vM9F8LFT15OJS4S3ID6yFnw8_ofPQ4CoVva6RAG_14bjCQhlMfRjaA-SnkrrcmHYQbnMk-Ty=w628-h417-nc[/img]

I approve!!
Admittedly,if I get a telsa, I may spend more time stalking folks in parking lots....that car is stealth personified.

Hello again!
I highly doubt you have a bad head gasket....if that were the case, odds are that you'll see coolant in your oil and vice versa....of course, your coolant level will go down . Your exhaust will be white and quite thick as well......
For your car to over heat so quickly, there might be an obstruction in the circulation of your coolant...or maybe your pump is dead. Anyways, do you use factory made coolant or just water?

Do you have to top up coolant every now and then?
Do you find oil in your coolant?
Does your car have a thermostat fitted?
Have you rectified the problems you mentioned?

I won't love to be the dude punished with driving the american dream. Parking that thing will require juju.

I actually thought for a while which car would ideal to toss into these awesome turns. SUVs were quickly crossed out 'cos they'll be like controlling a giraffe on roller skates. Odds are that I'd take a porshe 911 convertible or even a boxster. However....i'd most likely take my ol' 03 ford focus wagon. Its definitely not the fastest car around.....but few late model cars can keep composure like my 11 year old when the road gets windy. A road like this one would be so ridiculously fun to drive...my head gets dizzy from even fantasizing about it. Ford really gave it all they got back then.

sooperrescue:
Beautiful response. From my friend's viewpoint, he might be right. Nothing compared to a new car. But it is not true that new cars dont visit the garages. Take a walk to Vw, Bmw and Benz dealerships and you will find a lot of these new cars gathering dust in their garages. Their owners are regreting their choice of cars. There was a guy who bought a brand nee passat years ago and one year later, the auto gear packed up and vw center gave a bill of N1m to change it. It was a long story. In the end, the car was sold for 150k after 4yrs. There are many Nigerians with such experience and they are hurting

Of course, not every brand new car is perfect.....if that were the case, I bet some chinese car would be adorning my garage now.

I used to service my Ford at mechanical lloyd: they are the main distributer of fords and bmws here in Ghana. There's this huge yard of grounded cars out back....probably due to ridulously expensive fixes. If the situation in Ghana is anything to go by, brand new car dealers give ridiculously expensive quotes.........imagine:a position light that goes for roughly 25 naira in town costs like 300 over there!!

For your friend's passat; It's rather the exeption.... not usually the case for a new car. What is more unusual is the fact that his warranty did not cover repairs. It should have, considering he had the car for only one year. Buying a new car without a warranty is just not worth it.

Anyways , hyundai I hear, has a pretty good warranty package- probably the best in the business.So your friend is rest assured for the meanwhile.

Pics!! finally!! I hope you took lots of high-res shots of the hilux in its former state for the inexorable before-after pic.

On reading this thread, the only conclusion I can reach is that most people associate hyundai with the craapy econobox of the 90s and '2000s; with a hideously scratchy and plasticky interior, the one which might blow over a guardrail anytime a Honda Odyssey bypasses it; the one which will be totalled if you fart in it with the windows up. Unfortunately, it's these very prejudical people that will probably skip the '15 corvette stingray for an '09 porsche during their midlife crisis car shopping.

Long story short, Hyundai has come a really long way.

I must admit:i've never driven and may never drive an x6. I've however driven an x5. I can say the Sante Fe may not be as entertaining to fling into a corner as the beamer but it's pretty darn close. It admittedely looks very sharp too. The interior is however the biggest improvement- Hyundai did a really good job there, bringing it to german-like levels of sophistication. To top it all, the Sante fe is way more practical to use on NIGERIAN roads than the beamer , especially when the beamer is 6 years old.

The gaps in the automotive industry are closing up- so allow your friend to glower a bit, at least until the next gen x6 shows up.

Aaaaaand my popcorn's finished... guess i'll just go and stock up again. **sigh