warthog312
New member
Hello everyone!
I must admit that I'm a bit surprised that there is even a forum for our cars, but I suppose these days there is a forum for just about everything out there.
Just a brief synposis, I'm a 26 year old dude born and raised in Chicago, which is where I currently live. I bought my 2012 Sonic LT 1.4t6m a year ago from a dealership here as a slightly used model. I picked it up August 2013 with 20,000 miles on the odometer, in just under a year I'm up to 36k, so I drive a lot. My work has me constantly traveling around the city, which was a big reason I bought this car; parking and fuel efficiency.
Honestly, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship at the moment.
I love that I can get up to 40mpg highway, I hate that my average for the year (I haven't reset it since I purchased) is 26mpg. 90% of my driving is stop and go in Chicago city gridlock traffic. I know that 26 is still really good when all considered but it's not as awesome as I would like.
I love that I have an awesome warranty, I hate that I've had to use it so much. I've had 2 sway bar end links replaced because they broke. I had my shifter assembly replaced when the sun caused the glue to come apart and the whole thing warped so much that the top of the shifter would keep falling off or coming off in my hand. I had my brakes replaced because at 32k the front rotors were so warped that it shook the whole car. I had a brand new transmission put in at 35k because 5th and 6th gear were howling extremely loud. Build quality has me concerned.
I love the color -inferno orange-, I hate how this paint seems to be paper thin. My bumpers are looking like a teenagers face now, riddled with dings and poc marks from other people constantly tapping me when parallel parking. I know that the tapping happens no matter what, but the thing that upsets me is that the paint is just chipping off with each tap, I've never seen or had another car do that. The paint just seems brittle, cheap, and thin.
One thing I love most is the function of the hatchback. A week after I bought the car I took it on a road trip to Michigan to pick up a transmission and transfer case for my Jeep. It also fits a 38" mud terrain tire, in case any of you were wondering. That, and it's great when 4 full size adults pack in, there's decent room for everyone.
A little about myself. I work in finance and risk managment. I went to the University of Nebraska (GO BIG RED). 26 years old. I've always been a 'car guy' but after working several mechanic jobs while in college, I realized that doing it for a living ruins the hobby aspect of it for me. Anyway, here's my current fleet:
Sonic (duh), essentially stock, save for a sitcker or two and a little bit of plastidip on the wheels.
1978 Cadillac Eldorado Barritz. Stock as the day she left the showroom floor. 58k miles on the odometer. My land barge, my cruiser, my baby.
2005 RoadStar Silverado. My two wheel long hauler. Shown here awkwardly with the trunk on but after I'd removed the side bags. I run around with no bags in town, but slap them on and cruise road trips all the time. Stage 2 intake, exhaust, carb tune will let me lay a patch for half a block no problem. Chromed out to the teeth, low, loud, and mean.
My Franken-Jeep. This is the best picture I have at the moment. Currently a project that's about 90% finished. In this pic she's on 33's so she fits in the garage. Regularly she's on 38's. Like I said, just wrapping up a year long frame off resto-mod build. Ditched the factory 4 cyl engine for a 302 Ford, fuel injected, TrickFlow .500" lift cam, long tubes, head work, intake, blah blah blah, mated to a 1976 NP435 toploader 1 ton 4 speed manual trans, and a 1968 EB Dana20 transfer case with full planetary gears. Axles are D30 and 8.8, 31 spline chromoly shafts, selectable locker front, limited slip rear. I hope to be finished (sans paint) in the next month or so. She should be a blast to rip though the offroad parks!
Here's an action shot from 2 seasons ago when she was still on 33's and still powered by the weak old 4 cyl.
The last of them all is my 1968 Honda CD175 twin. Total basket case, I got it from a client of mine who bought it new in 1968, and in 1983 it stopped running, he parked it and it sat for 30 years before he let me take it. Gave it to me for free! I'm looking forward to rebuilding this old girl, she'll make a fine around-towner, but I refuse to even begin this resto until I finish the Jeep. I can't have my hand in too many cookie jars at once for sanity and personal finance reasons.
So, that's a brief synopsis of myself. I look forward to meeting you all here and reading about what you've all done to your cars. My sonic, I plan on keeping largely stock for warranty purposes. Maybe some window tints, and eventually when all my other projects are done I will consider some aftermarket wheels. Nice to meet you all, if you have any questions or comments for me feel free to let them fly, I'm an open book.
opcorn:
I must admit that I'm a bit surprised that there is even a forum for our cars, but I suppose these days there is a forum for just about everything out there.
Just a brief synposis, I'm a 26 year old dude born and raised in Chicago, which is where I currently live. I bought my 2012 Sonic LT 1.4t6m a year ago from a dealership here as a slightly used model. I picked it up August 2013 with 20,000 miles on the odometer, in just under a year I'm up to 36k, so I drive a lot. My work has me constantly traveling around the city, which was a big reason I bought this car; parking and fuel efficiency.
Honestly, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship at the moment.
I love that I can get up to 40mpg highway, I hate that my average for the year (I haven't reset it since I purchased) is 26mpg. 90% of my driving is stop and go in Chicago city gridlock traffic. I know that 26 is still really good when all considered but it's not as awesome as I would like.
I love that I have an awesome warranty, I hate that I've had to use it so much. I've had 2 sway bar end links replaced because they broke. I had my shifter assembly replaced when the sun caused the glue to come apart and the whole thing warped so much that the top of the shifter would keep falling off or coming off in my hand. I had my brakes replaced because at 32k the front rotors were so warped that it shook the whole car. I had a brand new transmission put in at 35k because 5th and 6th gear were howling extremely loud. Build quality has me concerned.
I love the color -inferno orange-, I hate how this paint seems to be paper thin. My bumpers are looking like a teenagers face now, riddled with dings and poc marks from other people constantly tapping me when parallel parking. I know that the tapping happens no matter what, but the thing that upsets me is that the paint is just chipping off with each tap, I've never seen or had another car do that. The paint just seems brittle, cheap, and thin.
One thing I love most is the function of the hatchback. A week after I bought the car I took it on a road trip to Michigan to pick up a transmission and transfer case for my Jeep. It also fits a 38" mud terrain tire, in case any of you were wondering. That, and it's great when 4 full size adults pack in, there's decent room for everyone.
A little about myself. I work in finance and risk managment. I went to the University of Nebraska (GO BIG RED). 26 years old. I've always been a 'car guy' but after working several mechanic jobs while in college, I realized that doing it for a living ruins the hobby aspect of it for me. Anyway, here's my current fleet:
Sonic (duh), essentially stock, save for a sitcker or two and a little bit of plastidip on the wheels.
1978 Cadillac Eldorado Barritz. Stock as the day she left the showroom floor. 58k miles on the odometer. My land barge, my cruiser, my baby.
2005 RoadStar Silverado. My two wheel long hauler. Shown here awkwardly with the trunk on but after I'd removed the side bags. I run around with no bags in town, but slap them on and cruise road trips all the time. Stage 2 intake, exhaust, carb tune will let me lay a patch for half a block no problem. Chromed out to the teeth, low, loud, and mean.
My Franken-Jeep. This is the best picture I have at the moment. Currently a project that's about 90% finished. In this pic she's on 33's so she fits in the garage. Regularly she's on 38's. Like I said, just wrapping up a year long frame off resto-mod build. Ditched the factory 4 cyl engine for a 302 Ford, fuel injected, TrickFlow .500" lift cam, long tubes, head work, intake, blah blah blah, mated to a 1976 NP435 toploader 1 ton 4 speed manual trans, and a 1968 EB Dana20 transfer case with full planetary gears. Axles are D30 and 8.8, 31 spline chromoly shafts, selectable locker front, limited slip rear. I hope to be finished (sans paint) in the next month or so. She should be a blast to rip though the offroad parks!
Here's an action shot from 2 seasons ago when she was still on 33's and still powered by the weak old 4 cyl.
The last of them all is my 1968 Honda CD175 twin. Total basket case, I got it from a client of mine who bought it new in 1968, and in 1983 it stopped running, he parked it and it sat for 30 years before he let me take it. Gave it to me for free! I'm looking forward to rebuilding this old girl, she'll make a fine around-towner, but I refuse to even begin this resto until I finish the Jeep. I can't have my hand in too many cookie jars at once for sanity and personal finance reasons.
So, that's a brief synopsis of myself. I look forward to meeting you all here and reading about what you've all done to your cars. My sonic, I plan on keeping largely stock for warranty purposes. Maybe some window tints, and eventually when all my other projects are done I will consider some aftermarket wheels. Nice to meet you all, if you have any questions or comments for me feel free to let them fly, I'm an open book.
opcorn:
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