| Vancouver Auto Chat 2016 VAC Community Head Moderator: Raid3n |
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04-21-2019, 02:08 PM
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#1 | | NOOB, Not Quite a Regular!
Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Delta
Posts: 28
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| New Member Introduction
Hey folks,
Just wanted to introduce myself out here; hope this is the appropriate forum.
Anyways I'm a soon to be new grad from UBC. Currently I drive a 2012 Civic auto. For the longest time I've wanted to learn manual and drive a 90's/early 2000's Japanese sports car and so here I am!
I'm actually looking to learn to drive stick shift first (embarrassed I don't already know at 22...). If anyone is willing to teach or has suggestions, I can offer lunch or amateur photography services in return 
I'll soon be able to save up for a more fun car and keep my Civic as a daily, so would appreciate any suggestions there too. Not particularly interested in going fast, I just really like driving.
I'm looking for something that is: - Affordable (under 8K used)
- Not too expensive to insure
- Japanese
- Has a manual transmission
- Reasonably reliable (won't be a money pit)
What I'm considering: - 6th gen Civic coupe or hatch
- Any Impreza or Outback (I know it's unrealistic)
- NA Miata (I assume NB's aren't in my budget)
- 8th gen Accord coupe (probably outside my budget)
I know VERY LITTLE about cars at the moment so please go easy on me 
Cheers!
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04-21-2019, 02:19 PM
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#2 | | Performance Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Richmond
Posts: 15,344
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Welcome!
If it’s a fun car and that budget just get the Miata.. easy to learn manual on and your smiles per mile are going to be way past anything else you’ve listed... plus you can find a pretty decent one for $5k, they’re easy to maintain and you should have $3k left from your budget for mods.
Nothing is cheap to insure unfortunately unless it has collector plates... which a NA Miata does qualify for (costs $300-400 per year you just can’t drive to work or school). There’s a low mileage red one with a hardtop on Craigslist for $7,500... negotiate it down, apply for collectors plates and you’re good to go.
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04-21-2019, 02:41 PM
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#3 | | NOOB, Not Quite a Regular!
Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Delta
Posts: 28
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
| Quote:
Originally Posted by 68style  Welcome!
If it’s a fun car and that budget just get the Miata.. easy to learn manual on and your smiles per mile are going to be way past anything else you’ve listed... plus you can find a pretty decent one for $5k, they’re easy to maintain and you should have $3k left from your budget for mods.
Nothing is cheap to insure unfortunately unless it has collector plates... which a NA Miata does qualify for (costs $300-400 per year you just can’t drive to work or school). There’s a low mileage red one with a hardtop on Craigslist for $7,500... negotiate it down, apply for collectors plates and you’re good to go. | Cheers! Just need to learn to drive stick first before I invest  | |
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04-21-2019, 03:07 PM
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#4 | | Hypa owned my ass at least once
Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Paradise, BC
Posts: 6,576
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Welcome aboard!
NB's are actually quite a bit more affordable than you think. I'm pretty sure I've seen some in the $6 - 8k range that are in very good condition available for sale. On the other hand, I think the local NA markets are a bit too pricey for what is a 22+ yrs old car.
If you are interested in going the NB Miata route, get yourself subscribed to the Vancouver Miatas and Vancouver Miatas Classified Facebook groups: https://www.facebook.com/groups/VancouverMiatas/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/1709797285957950/
It's a friendly bunch, and you will see the occasional car coming up for sale.
Honda hasn't quite mastered their metallurgy or rust proofing in the mid 90's yet. Many of their cars from that era -- esp the Civic -- are prone to rust issues as a result. Because of this, it has become increasingly difficult to find a good local Civic available for sale that is rust-free. It doesn't mean they don't exist, and the EM1 (aka Civic SiR) is an especially much sought after car. But good examples from that generation tend to be really high mileage, pricey, or both.
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04-21-2019, 04:04 PM
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#5 | | I contribute to threads in the offtopic forum
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Canada
Posts: 2,758
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Buy the car , then learn to drive it.
It takes longer than a session after lunch to be decent at shifting. Also, it will be very difficult to find someone willing to let you run their clutch just so you can learn for lunch money. You would have better luck asking for someone to teach you in your own car.
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04-21-2019, 04:10 PM
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#6 | | Performance Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Richmond
Posts: 15,344
Thanked 15,433 Times in 5,107 Posts
| Quote:
Originally Posted by lemon318 Cheers! Just need to learn to drive stick first before I invest | Learn on your car, you’ll be good to go in a day.
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04-21-2019, 04:30 PM
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#7 | | I subscribe to the Fight Club ONLY
Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: 604
Posts: 7,245
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Welcome, I would suggest you get a $3-4K manual, learn on it, then sell it. Then get something that you've dreamed of. Good luck.
03 Civic SiR, $3900 https://vancouver.craigslist.org/rds...861536840.html
06 Acura CSX, $4500 https://vancouver.craigslist.org/rds...871188152.html
or this, 04 Acura RSX Type S, $5500 - this might actually be a keeper https://vancouver.craigslist.org/rch...871303145.html | |
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04-21-2019, 05:09 PM
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#8 | | Rs has made me the woman i am today!
Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: PENIS
Posts: 4,189
Thanked 4,067 Times in 1,252 Posts
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euro truck sim and logitech wheel 
welcome to rs
__________________ There's a phallic symbol infront of my car Quote: |
MG1: in fact, a new term needs to make its way into the American dictionary. Trump............ he's such a "Trump" = ultimate insult. Like, "yray, you're such a trump."
| bcrdukes yray fucked bcrdukes up the nose
dapperfied yraisis
dapperfied yray so waisis
FastAnna you literally talk out your ass
FastAnna i really cant
FastAnna yray i cant stand you
Last edited by yray; 04-21-2019 at 05:54 PM.
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04-21-2019, 06:29 PM
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#9 | | 14 dolla balla aint got nothing on me!
Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: West Van
Posts: 637
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welcome to the forum.
If you're ever in Pemberton, I have a farm truck with a manual that I'll teach my kids manual on and I would be willing to let pretty much anyone drive. The truck is far from pristine so I really don't worry too much about it.
Any of the cars you suggested would be fine, but consider how much utility and winter use it will see. NA Miatas do NOT like salty roads.
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04-21-2019, 07:00 PM
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#10 | | I WANT MY 10 YEARS BACK FROM RS.net!
Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Vancouver BC
Posts: 22,032
Thanked 9,822 Times in 3,903 Posts
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welcome
if you're buying a used car, learn on that
bring a friend who knows the third pedal to drive it home
then take it up a hill on a side-street after midnight/early morning to practice
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04-21-2019, 09:53 PM
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#11 | | Where's my RS Christmas Lobster?!
Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Vancouver
Posts: 803
Thanked 481 Times in 133 Posts
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Get a 2006ish Civic Si or a Miata. Once you know why you're doing what you're doing, it's not too hard. You gotta strike a balance between gas & clutch...ease off the clutch and into the gas, rinse, repeat. Think of it like a scale.
Every car drives a bit different though...
My Toyota you had to slip the clutch at like 2000 RPM for a smooth start. My Ford you can let the clutch out without any gas and it goes fine.
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04-21-2019, 11:11 PM
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#12 | | NOOB, Not Quite a Regular!
Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Delta
Posts: 28
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Traum Welcome aboard!
NB's are actually quite a bit more affordable than you think. I'm pretty sure I've seen some in the $6 - 8k range that are in very good condition available for sale. On the other hand, I think the local NA markets are a bit too pricey for what is a 22+ yrs old car.
If you are interested in going the NB Miata route, get yourself subscribed to the Vancouver Miatas and Vancouver Miatas Classified Facebook groups: https://www.facebook.com/groups/VancouverMiatas/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/1709797285957950/
It's a friendly bunch, and you will see the occasional car coming up for sale.
Honda hasn't quite mastered their metallurgy or rust proofing in the mid 90's yet. Many of their cars from that era -- esp the Civic -- are prone to rust issues as a result. Because of this, it has become increasingly difficult to find a good local Civic available for sale that is rust-free. It doesn't mean they don't exist, and the EM1 (aka Civic SiR) is an especially much sought after car. But good examples from that generation tend to be really high mileage, pricey, or both. | Thanks for the advice! I'll look into the NB's too then.
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04-21-2019, 11:12 PM
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#13 | | NOOB, Not Quite a Regular!
Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Delta
Posts: 28
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
| Quote:
Originally Posted by SSM_DC5 Buy the car , then learn to drive it.
It takes longer than a session after lunch to be decent at shifting. Also, it will be very difficult to find someone willing to let you run their clutch just so you can learn for lunch money. You would have better luck asking for someone to teach you in your own car. | Good point, RIP wallet. I guess I could ask my parents  | |
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04-21-2019, 11:13 PM
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#14 | | NOOB, Not Quite a Regular!
Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Delta
Posts: 28
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
| Quote:
Originally Posted by 68style Learn on your car, you’ll be good to go in a day. | Gotcha
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04-21-2019, 11:14 PM
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#15 | | NOOB, Not Quite a Regular!
Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Delta
Posts: 28
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| Quote:
Originally Posted by whitev70r |
Thanks! I love those Acura's.
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04-21-2019, 11:14 PM
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#16 | | NOOB, Not Quite a Regular!
Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Delta
Posts: 28
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
| Quote:
Originally Posted by yray euro truck sim and logitech wheel
welcome to rs | XD cheers
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04-21-2019, 11:16 PM
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#17 | | NOOB, Not Quite a Regular!
Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Delta
Posts: 28
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
| Quote:
Originally Posted by snowfarmer welcome to the forum.
If you're ever in Pemberton, I have a farm truck with a manual that I'll teach my kids manual on and I would be willing to let pretty much anyone drive. The truck is far from pristine so I really don't worry too much about it.
Any of the cars you suggested would be fine, but consider how much utility and winter use it will see. NA Miatas do NOT like salty roads. | Thank you! Tempting offer. This car wouldn't be driven much in the winter, I'll use my Civic for the bulk of my driving. Just wanting a weekend toy.
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04-21-2019, 11:16 PM
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#18 | | NOOB, Not Quite a Regular!
Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Delta
Posts: 28
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
| Quote:
Originally Posted by twitchyzero welcome
if you're buying a used car, learn on that
bring a friend who knows the third pedal to drive it home
then take it up a hill on a side-street after midnight/early morning to practice | Cheers!
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04-21-2019, 11:17 PM
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#19 | | NOOB, Not Quite a Regular!
Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Delta
Posts: 28
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
| Quote:
Originally Posted by mr00jimbo Get a 2006ish Civic Si or a Miata. Once you know why you're doing what you're doing, it's not too hard. You gotta strike a balance between gas & clutch...ease off the clutch and into the gas, rinse, repeat. Think of it like a scale.
Every car drives a bit different though...
My Toyota you had to slip the clutch at like 2000 RPM for a smooth start. My Ford you can let the clutch out without any gas and it goes fine. |
Yeah I hear it's pretty simple to drive stick once you've learned. Are there any decent candidate Toyota's in my price range?
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04-22-2019, 09:50 AM
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#20 | | MiX iT Up!
Join Date: May 2006 Location: vancouver
Posts: 8,133
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you need turbo. without turbo you are nothing.
__________________
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Make the effort and take the risk..
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04-22-2019, 10:01 AM
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#21 | | NOOB, Not Quite a Regular!
Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Delta
Posts: 28
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Originally Posted by tiger_handheld you need turbo. without turbo you are nothing. |  | |
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04-22-2019, 10:22 AM
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#22 | | OMGWTFBBQ is a common word I say everyday
Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Coquitlam
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350z is just in your price range as well...
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04-22-2019, 12:08 PM
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#23 | | NOOB, Not Quite a Regular!
Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Delta
Posts: 28
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
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Originally Posted by GabAlmighty 350z is just in your price range as well... | Aren't those notorious for poor quality? Being post Renault and all?
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04-22-2019, 01:12 PM
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#24 | | I don't get it
Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Main & Hastings
Posts: 449
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You might be able to do the same: I bought my first manual in January in Langley, then drove it home to East Van. Note that the only experience with stick shift was from watching YouTube videos.
The hard part is building up the muscle memory for shifting, but that just takes practice. The point being is that you don't need a burner car just to learn how to shift, you'll get the hang of it within a week or 2. =)
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04-22-2019, 02:33 PM
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#25 | | Rs has made me the woman i am today!
Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: revscene
Posts: 4,045
Thanked 4,532 Times in 1,519 Posts
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I second the above.
Tho I had a friend drive my e46 from poco to home for me. I learned and could get around remotely fine in like 2 or 3 days. Getting hill starts down took like 2 months.
I still have the e46 and it'll be two years of ownership in July - clutch is fine.
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