Talk me out of a Cadillac CTS-V ? ...

Henning said:
Sell the truck and buy the car, or keep the truck and buy the car. What are you driving a pimp mobile for anyway? You need to put some 22s under that sucker and some bling and sell it to one of the "Buy Here Pay Here" lots in the hood. They pay top dollar for crap like that. A Real Rancher drives a Suburban when he wants a Suburban.:rofl:;) An oil man is either driving an Eldorado with a longhorn hood ornament or a pickup.:lol:
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Or go to your local CarMax and see what they will buy it for. I have heard good things about their pricing.
 
To the OP. I own '11 CTS-V, manual!.. It's a lot of fun. Vary fast, great looking, great handling(for a very heavy car), very practical, terrible gas milage. Gets lots of looks. It's not the best built quality out there(little things mostly), but if you are into cars like that, you will love it.

You have to pay quite a bit more money to get similar performance from Germans, and while their built quality is generally better, there is a good reason why old M5s are very cheap... You don't want them on the wrong side of warranty.

My previous car was E39 M5, which i still think is the best large performance sedan ever made(until you have to pay to fix it)
 
genna said:
To the OP. I own '11 CTS-V, manual!.. It's a lot of fun. Vary fast, great looking, great handling(for a very heavy car), very practical, terrible gas milage. Gets lots of looks. It's not the best built quality out there(little things mostly), but if you are into cars like that, you will love it.

You have to pay quite a bit more money to get similar performance from Germans, and while their built quality is generally better, there is a good reason why old M5s are very cheap... You don't want them on the wrong side of warranty.

My previous car was E39 M5, which i still think is the best large performance sedan ever made(until you have to pay to fix it)
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Could you quantify terrible gas mileage and the driving you do? I remember getting in the low 20s with an early one driving mostly traffic friendly but getting into it here and there. While not what I consider good mileage, it beats 12mpg which I consider terrible. Have they gotten worse?
 
Henning said:
Could you quantify terrible gas mileage and the driving you do? I remember getting in the low 20s with an early one driving mostly traffic friendly but getting into it here and there. While not what I consider good mileage, it beats 12mpg which I consider terrible. Have they gotten worse?
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I guess "terrible" is a matter of reference :). For this level performance, it's not bad. I get about 15.5 indicated average. Mixed driving, but almost never in a city traffic. Reality is that that number is inflated(most cars are overly optimistic with their MPG calculations), so expect about 15mpg on premium on manual in normal mixed driving. You can do about 22-23 on highway at 60mph.

If you start going fast, forget these numbers :).

The good thing is that it's a pretty light, compact, relatively basic, and very sorted engine....

p.s. The M5 i mentioned above was getting very similar milage in regular driving. About 16mpg. 150hp, 1.2L less with super sophisticated, double VANOS, 20K$ engine and lighter car.
 
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genna said:
You have to pay quite a bit more money to get similar performance from Germans, and while their built quality is generally better, there is a good reason why old M5s are very cheap... You don't want them on the wrong side of warranty.
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Two years ago I was looking for a sporty coupe, and cross shopped many cars, including the Germans, and I came to the same conclusion. Much more bang for the buck with the American cars. In my case, I ended up with a Mustang 5.0 (coyote) 6sp manual with track pack and Recarro seats. M3 performance at base 328 price point, and the driveline is bulletproof.
 
genna said:
To the OP. I own '11 CTS-V, manual!.. It's a lot of fun. Vary fast, great looking, great handling(for a very heavy car), very practical, terrible gas milage. Gets lots of looks. It's not the best built quality out there(little things mostly), but if you are into cars like that, you will love it.

You have to pay quite a bit more money to get similar performance from Germans, and while their built quality is generally better, there is a good reason why old M5s are very cheap... You don't want them on the wrong side of warranty.

My previous car was E39 M5, which i still think is the best large performance sedan ever made(until you have to pay to fix it)
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Hello fellow manual v owner! What color is it?

And agree on the mileage. I'm 14-15. My commute is 20 miles, 5 of it city and the rest Highway. Also, you mentioned your car has some build quality issues... Does the sunroof rattle? That's the only thing of mine the dealer can't duplicate to fix, and it's a common problem.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Two years ago I was looking for a sporty coupe, and cross shopped many cars, including the Germans, and I came to the same conclusion. Much more bang for the buck with the American cars. In my case, I ended up with a Mustang 5.0 (coyote) 6sp manual with track pack and Recarro seats. M3 performance at base 328 price point, and the driveline is bulletproof.
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Pretty hard to beat the 2011-2013 5.0 'Stangs for performance value. They have the best power-to-weight ratio of anything near it in price. I think the 370Z is about the only one that comes remotely close, and they have a ton of electronic entertainment gizmos, too.
 
SoonerAviator said:
I think the 370Z is about the only one that comes remotely close
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I drove the Z, but it is nowhere near as punchy as the 5.0. Ford hit a homerun with that coyote motor, it is world class. I've owned and driven BMW and Benz V-8s, and this engine is as good as any of them.
 
Z06_Mir said:
Hello fellow manual v owner! What color is it?

And agree on the mileage. I'm 14-15. My commute is 20 miles, 5 of it city and the rest Highway. Also, you mentioned your car has some build quality issues... Does the sunroof rattle? That's the only thing of mine the dealer can't duplicate to fix, and it's a common problem.
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It's a black diamond edition.

The sunroof is fine. The ricaro's don't seem to want to stay still in place. the infotainment system is buggy with iphone connection. Trim pieces come unglued sometimes. It's not built like a BMW, i will say that. They cut the corners. The ride is also rather rough. But when you want to play(with kids in the back seat, just kidding.. don't have kids :) ), it's nice.

On the side note, manuals(especially with Recaro's) are very sought after and rare. It is one of the major reasons i bought this car. Hard to find a manual on anything now, even if they make it. It's probably also the reason i won't buy a new one even if i wanted to.

edit: on the major issues front. I had to replace the rear end because the diff decided to give up the ghost. :)... I bought the car used and i think it had seen some track days as i saw a few tracks programmed into the nav.
 
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Z06_Mir said:
Hello fellow manual v owner! What color is it?

And agree on the mileage. I'm 14-15. My commute is 20 miles, 5 of it city and the rest Highway. Also, you mentioned your car has some build quality issues... Does the sunroof rattle? That's the only thing of mine the dealer can't duplicate to fix, and it's a common problem.
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What about yours? What color? How do you like it?
 
Someone at my office has a four door CTS-V and he loves it. I've been in it a few times and it is fast and comfortable too. He drives it hard. He just went out of warranty. Before it went out of warranty he took it down the street to a performance shop a few of us use and asked them to take a good look over it and give him a squawk list of issues and then took that to the dealer and asked them to fix them all under warranty :lol: I thought that was a pretty good idea. Anyway they had to keep it for almost two weeks to fix everything. New supercharger needed and multiple other issues. He does drive it hard though so I don't know how typical that is.
 
SoonerAviator said:
Pretty hard to beat the 2011-2013 5.0 'Stangs for performance value. They have the best power-to-weight ratio of anything near it in price. I think the 370Z is about the only one that comes remotely close, and they have a ton of electronic entertainment gizmos, too.
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Yeah but Mustangs are for girls :D

The Z's have pretty much always been top notch sports cars, Mustangs took forever to really be worth talking about (80's/90's/'00 mustangs were just gross), sadly, once they were, styling went out the window IMO.

They do seem to be hitting a stride though...
 
Skyscraper said:
Yeah but Mustangs are for girls :D

The Z's have pretty much always been top notch sports cars, Mustangs took forever to really be worth talking about (80's/90's/'00 mustangs were just gross), sadly, once they were, styling went out the window IMO.

They do seem to be hitting a stride though...
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Z styling has been horrible since the 300ZX, even in 79 they lost the look.
 
Skyscraper said:
They do seem to be hitting a stride though...
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I agree the earlier Mustangs were pretty hideous machines (anyone remember the Mustang II....:eek:), but the last several years have been pretty complete machines. I could have just as well bought a C350 Benz or 335i BMW, but liked the 'stang better. The track apps in the center of the dash is quite entertaining, you can measure lots of performance criteria. Ford has done a lot to calm the live axle rear end, the car sticks well in the corners even on bumpy roads.

In the end, I've done the Japanese/German car thing, but I've come home to what I grew up on, Detroit. Give me a Mustang (or similar) and a pickup and most of my transportation needs are met.
 
Judging from recent experience I'd say Cadillac still puts the widget in the roof that comes down, attaches to your head and sucks out every ounce of knowledge and/or wisdom about how to actually drive.

Had I that kind of money I'd buy me a Vett without hesitation. An American supercar that will do 90% of what the European supercars will do at a quarter the price.
 
genna said:
What about yours? What color? How do you like it?
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2012 opulent blue metallic sedan. Manual of course. Regards, sunroof and the dark wood. Very much the car I would have ordered if I had ordered one new.

How do I like it? It's the best vehicle I've ever owned. Not the fastest, not the cheapest, not the most fuel efficient.... But it excels at so many things I just love it. I came from a z06 and though I lost speed and handling I gained comfort and drive ability.
 
steingar said:
Judging from recent experience I'd say Cadillac still puts the widget in the roof that comes down, attaches to your head and sucks out every ounce of knowledge and/or wisdom about how to actually drive.

Had I that kind of money I'd buy me a Vett without hesitation. An American supercar that will do 90% of what the European supercars will do at a quarter the price.
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The Vette is a faster car. And may be a better choice, if... you don't need the back seat. I want/need to have the back seat and 4 doors.

Frankly, i would buy a wagon if i could find one.

Besides, Vette is obvious... the Cady is a lot more of a sleeper surprise to people
 
Bill Jennings said:
Ford has done a lot to calm the live axle rear end, the car sticks well in the corners even on bumpy roads.
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My understanding is the 2015s finally have independant rear suspension? That was the one killer item for me although I agree they did wonders to make that solid rear axle work as long as it did.
 
Henning said:
Z styling has been horrible since the 300ZX, even in 79 they lost the look.
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Really? sure the 350 was a little awkward and had a cheap interior, but the 370? leaps and bounds better and is like a modern version of the 240.

I get better smiles per gallon in the Z than anything I've driven.
 
Skyscraper said:
Really? sure the 350 was a little awkward and had a cheap interior, but the 370? leaps and bounds better and is like a modern version of the 240.

I get better smiles per gallon in the Z than anything I've driven.
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Nissan does a good job. I've not driven a 350Z or 370Z but did have a 300ZX twin turbo for a while, and also have owned two GT-R's over the years (got one of the very first ones when it first launched in 2008 and then a black edition a couple of years ago). Definitely one of the most fun cars I've ever had. My problem is I get bored with cars and tend to swap them out within two years. I love them all. Come to think of it I need to spend less on cars and more on aviation...
 
genna said:
The Vette is a faster car. And may be a better choice, if... you don't need the back seat. I want/need to have the back seat and 4 doors.
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My car not only has no back seat, it has no trunk either.

genna said:
Besides, Vette is obvious... the Cady is a lot more of a sleeper surprise to people
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I've never wasted much time caring what others thought about my ride.
 
steingar said:
I've never wasted much time caring what others thought about my ride.
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That is a nice statement, but it's almost always false in my experience. Whether people admit it to themselves or not, we all care what the cars we drive say about us... especially if it's an expensive car. Even if what you hope your car says say about us is "I don't care what anyone says about it".

The point is: the car's looks and it's image are a big part of buying a 70-80K vehicle. If you didn't care, you could have the same performance in some used cheap pos with big motor and good handling... Speed/$$ is not the only factor when chosing a performance car. Otherwise we'd all drive the same car.
 
I know this thread meandered a little away from the topic of talking you out of A cts-v and I have not read through all the posts and will probably re-iterate something already discussed, if so just ignore me (its a proven technique my wife has mastered) .

I was dead set on buying a CTS for my next car, then I drove it. Unfortunatly (to GM) I am a fit and finish interior guy with a smaller frame (5'8" 165lb with 32 waist and 42 chest) and it seemed like the CTS was made for guys twice my size. When I put my elbows on the arm rests I felt like I was doing the chicken dance and when pushing the car around turns my lower half was doing the "tootsie roll".

I was pretty geeked when looking at the interior from the out side but first time I pulled the door closed my OCD of interior fit and finish went into action and noticed way too much plastic bling that squeaked and moved when it was put into service. It just didnt feel right for a car in that price bracket.

It was similar to hopping in a newer Ford F150 beast of a truck only to grab the cute little chrome plastic shift knob expecting to get a solid thump when putting it into gear and getting a flimsy pool noodle squeaking like a baby chick running to momma for a masticated meal, why wouldn't they make the thing out of aluminum and leather or somthing that didnt squeal when you squeezed it..

Yes, I have to agree, the car is pretty awesome looking, and a head turner so I am not talking you out of it based on wow factor, but Just giving my opinion which only has value in our own little worlds.

Maybe I am just odd since I spend 99% of my time with a vehicle inside looking out and park it in a garage without windows.
 
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MyassisDragon said:
I know this thread meandered a little away from the topic of talking you out of A cts-v and I have not read through all the posts and will probably re-iterate something already discussed, if so just ignore me (its a proven technique my wife has mastered) .

I was dead set on buying a CTS for my next car, then I drove it. Unfortunatly (to GM) I am a fit and finish interior guy with a smaller frame (5'8" 165lb with 32 waist and 42 chest) and it seemed like the CTS was made for guys twice my size. When I put my elbows on the arm rests I felt like I was doing the chicken dance and when pushing the car around turns my lower half was doing the "tootsie roll".

I was pretty geeked when looking at the interior from the out side but first time I pulled the door closed my OCD of interior fit and finish went into action and noticed way too much plastic bling that squeaked and moved when it was put into service. It just didnt feel right for a car in that price bracket.

It was similar to hopping in a newer Ford F150 beast of a truck only to grab the cute little chrome plastic shift knob expecting to get a solid thump when putting it into gear and getting a flimsy pool noodle squeaking like a baby chick running to momma for a masticated meal, why wouldn't they make the thing out of aluminum and leather or somthing that didnt squeal when you squeezed it..

Yes, I have to agree, the car is pretty awesome looking, and a head turner so I am not talking you out of it based on wow factor, but Just giving my opinion which only has value in our own little worlds.

Maybe I am just odd since I spend 99% of my time with a vehicle inside looking out and park it in a garage without windows.
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^^^ That's pretty accurate... The price point is actually not bad.. It's a cheap car to be honest. I know it sounds strange, but, remember, CTS is a competitor to BMW 5 which is a lot more expensive. About 110+$K for M5 vs under 70$K for CTSV.


That relatively cheap plastic in too many places and less attention to details and refinement is the difference in price.

If you want a nice place to be in all the time, buy an Audi.

p.s. You need Recaro seats. I'm 5-6, 145lb and they fit me very well.
 
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genna said:
The point is: the car's looks and it's image are a big part of buying a 70-80K vehicle. If you didn't care, you could have the same performance in some used cheap pos with big motor and good handling... Speed/$$ is not the only factor when chosing a performance car. Otherwise we'd all drive the same car.
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First, there is no way I'd dump 70 to 80 AMUs in a car. There is just nothing it could do other than fly to justify that kind of investment. When all is said and done, its just a car. Moreover, the speed ability of some sports cars is utterly wasted on American roads with their speed limits and zealous enforcement. Add to that the fact that I can blow past just a bout anything made with my trusty little four thousand dollar motorcycle.

I of course care about the looks and performance of what I drive. What I don't care about is what you think of it. Or what anyone else thinks, for that matter (with the possible exception of Mrs. Steingar, of course).
 
steingar said:
First, there is no way I'd dump 70 to 80 AMUs in a car. There is just nothing it could do other than fly to justify that kind of investment. When all is said and done, its just a car. Moreover, the speed ability of some sports cars is utterly wasted on American roads with their speed limits and zealous enforcement. Add to that the fact that I can blow past just a bout anything made with my trusty little four thousand dollar motorcycle.

I of course care about the looks and performance of what I drive. What I don't care about is what you think of it. Or what anyone else thinks, for that matter (with the possible exception of Mrs. Steingar, of course).
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Wow, you and I actually agree.
 
genna said:
^^^ That's pretty accurate... The price point is actually not bad.. It's a cheap car to be honest. I know it sounds strange, but, remember, CTS is a competitor to BMW 5 which is a lot more expensive. About 110+$K for M5 vs under 70$K for CTSV.


That relatively cheap plastic in too many places and less attention to details and refinement is the difference in price.

If you want a nice place to be in all the time, buy an Audi.

p.s. You need Recaro seats. I'm 5-6, 145lb and they fit me very well.
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IMO the M5 has become a bit of an albatros. When i worked there the M-cars were significantly faster than theor grocery-getter brothers. These days though, the base model 5-series is so good I don't know why anyone would spend the money for the M5.
 
JHW said:
IMO the M5 has become a bit of an albatros. When i worked there the M-cars were significantly faster than theor grocery-getter brothers. These days though, the base model 5-series is so good I don't know why anyone would spend the money for the M5.
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There is still a huge difference between a base 5 series and an M5. First of all, just in power you're talking about 240 HP going to 445 HP going to 560 HP when going from a 528 to a 550 to an M5. Even if you're just driving on the highway, more power is always better at least for me it is I enjoy the acceleration. Besides power there is a massive difference between an non-M car and an M car if you go to the track. The suspension, transmission, and brakes (especially if you get the carbon ceramic brakes) are all massively improved and a non-M car will also overheat after just a few laps on a hot day. I realize most people don't track these but if you're really into cars taking your car to a track a few times a year is extreme fun if you've never done it. Comfort wise the M's also get options like higher end audio systems, heads up displays, etc, that you don't get with the lower models. Every person is different. For many it is not worth the extra cash. For me it is. My daily driver is the M6 GC which is a four door M6 and is really basically a slightly longer lower version of the M5. My commute is probably 50% highway and the rest city but I still enjoy the extra performance and I play with it elsewhere too. It's not my track toy but definitely fun to do some performance driving with it.
 
My wife and I have a 535i - twin turbos, very smooth, pretty darned fast. Most people would say "fast enough."

But really, how fast is "fast enough"?

Our 5 is my wife's car, and offered the opportunity to trade up to an M5, she'd run me over like a stampede to get to it.

Which is to say, there is no such thing as "fast enough," at least that I have seen. Certainly not that she has seen.
 
SCCutler said:
My wife and I have a 535i - twin turbos, very smooth, pretty darned fast. Most people would say "fast enough."



But really, how fast is "fast enough"?



Our 5 is my wife's car, and offered the opportunity to trade up to an M5, she'd run me over like a stampede to get to it.



Which is to say, there is no such thing as "fast enough," at least that I have seen. Certainly not that she has seen.
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That's a great engine. I thought about getting my 335i flashed for the 100hp boost, but I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to have it. It's not practical for me anymore with 2 kids. Need to trade it in on a Bonanza V35B.


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MyassisDragon said:
I know this thread meandered a little away from the topic of talking you out of A cts-v and I have not read through all the posts and will probably re-iterate something already discussed, if so just ignore me (its a proven technique my wife has mastered) .

I was dead set on buying a CTS for my next car, then I drove it. Unfortunatly (to GM) I am a fit and finish interior guy with a smaller frame (5'8" 165lb with 32 waist and 42 chest) and it seemed like the CTS was made for guys twice my size. When I put my elbows on the arm rests I felt like I was doing the chicken dance and when pushing the car around turns my lower half was doing the "tootsie roll".

I was pretty geeked when looking at the interior from the out side but first time I pulled the door closed my OCD of interior fit and finish went into action and noticed way too much plastic bling that squeaked and moved when it was put into service. It just didnt feel right for a car in that price bracket.

It was similar to hopping in a newer Ford F150 beast of a truck only to grab the cute little chrome plastic shift knob expecting to get a solid thump when putting it into gear and getting a flimsy pool noodle squeaking like a baby chick running to momma for a masticated meal, why wouldn't they make the thing out of aluminum and leather or somthing that didnt squeal when you squeezed it..

Yes, I have to agree, the car is pretty awesome looking, and a head turner so I am not talking you out of it based on wow factor, but Just giving my opinion which only has value in our own little worlds.

Maybe I am just odd since I spend 99% of my time with a vehicle inside looking out and park it in a garage without windows.
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I'm 6'3'', and the car fit me o.k. It is not as comfortable as the Escalade.

The dealer keeps calling me nickel and diming me with $500 off here, $500 more for my car there, ... I told him I'll think about it. I'm on the fence because the 2007 Escalade I have now I know the history on it. I bought it from my late Sister, I'm the second owner and we both maintain our cars. We have four farms scattered around TX, and I can put it in a barn and have a nice ride when I fly there. It only has 55,000 miles on it.

Then I woke up and said to myself "you know, the Escalade drinks gas but it runs like a spotted ass ape and hauls six people, I'm looking at a car that drinks gas and runs like an ape that hauls two people with no 4X4. :mad2:
 
Screw it, get the old 2door long nose Batmobile looking one, then put an after burning turbine in the middle, maybe use a Williams for size. The guy who had the boat in Alaska had a Chrysler 300 with Zoomie pipes and exhaust cutouts.:rofl:
 
Henning said:
Screw it, get the old 2door long nose Batmobile looking one, then put an after burning turbine in the middle, maybe use a Williams for size. The guy who had the boat in Alaska had a Chrysler 300 with Zoomie pipes and exhaust cutouts.:rofl:
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What I should do is take the 500c.i.d. motor out of an old Caddy I have in the barn out at Hereford and soup it up and put it in the Jag. Maybe a Paxton blower to fit under the hood?

Then drop a 572 Hemi crate motor in the R/T and pickle the 383.

I traded the little red 318i to my landlord for free hangar rent yesterday. Sweet! :)



 
txflyer said:
What I should do is take the 500c.i.d. motor out of an old Caddy I have in the barn out at Hereford and soup it up and put it in the Jag. Maybe a Paxton blower to fit under the hood?

Then drop a 572 Hemi crate motor in the R/T and pickle the 383.

I traded the little red 318i to my landlord for free hangar rent yesterday. Sweet! :)



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Check box in franlkin planner tomorrow.....
1) - Convince wife "I" need a hangar cave like this......

:redface:
 
You have some nice toys!

:yes:



txflyer said:
What I should do is take the 500c.i.d. motor out of an old Caddy I have in the barn out at Hereford and soup it up and put it in the Jag. Maybe a Paxton blower to fit under the hood?

Then drop a 572 Hemi crate motor in the R/T and pickle the 383.

I traded the little red 318i to my landlord for free hangar rent yesterday. Sweet! :)



Click to expand...
 
I guess that's one benefit of owning a high wing. You get 2 free carports.


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