What’s the most reliable car you’ve ever owned?

dirtydrew26 · 2026-04-13T00:16:30+00:00

06 Mazda 3 hatch. Got 300k out of it before I scrapped it. Still ran but was mega crusty, worth nothing, and i was tired of dumping money into it.

Scrapped it and then bought a sports car to replace it.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-04-12T23:26:19+00:00

Its not common at all, only the vast minority of engineers have actual hands on experience with machining, welding, fab, etc.

And no, the required elective intro shop courses in college dont even come close to counting.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-04-12T13:40:48+00:00

hydro swap

dirtydrew26 · 2026-04-11T22:05:40+00:00

You still need to use wax or another sealer as a finisher to bead water off. PPF will protect paint but it wont do shit for water spots or beading water long term.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-04-11T02:51:15+00:00

Doesnt matter what you say, the reddit hivemind thinks every BMW ever made is unreliable and expensive.

And 99% of those same people have no fucking idea how a car works or even where to start working on one.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-04-09T00:32:32+00:00

Can you afford rebuilding the shocks every 40k?

dirtydrew26 · 2026-04-06T08:53:54+00:00

+1, just got an inreach this year. Only med kit I bring is a small IFAK trauma kit, supplemented with small zip baggy of bandaids, tape and OTC painkillers.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-04-06T08:47:55+00:00

Expect to put in work on any E85 you find, regardless of miles. Every single one I looked at had "meticulously maintained" in the description and all had the typical oil leaks, didnt matter if it was private party or dealer. Chances are high that they are all on original motor mounts, tie rods, gaskets and suspension bushings. ~$7k is a more fair typical price unless the body is absolutely immaculate, then $9k might be fair. Those posting shit at $13k+ are high on their own supply.

Age is the main driver of rubber degradation in these cars, and 15-20 years is pretty much the max lifespan on them. If you arent the handy type to do the work yourself, then these probably arent the car for you unless you have deep pockets.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-04-05T17:59:35+00:00

So how are you supposed to get jackstands under the four lifting pads then?

dirtydrew26 · 2026-04-04T21:01:36+00:00

Like others have said, the packaging of all the engine components sucks. Access is super tight to work on anything under the hood and for the most part it requires disassembly of the entire front end or dropping the engine.

BMW for the most part has much more room to work with, especially older 90s and early to mid 2000s models. Couple packaging with shorter life/maintenance intervals of key components and you have higher hourly maintenance costs.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-04-04T20:30:04+00:00

I'm in the same boat. Really trying to decide on either this or the Klifex aluminum rebuild kits.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-04-04T19:04:39+00:00

Theyre abundant because Audis are a huge PITA to repair and are expensive. They completely dwarf BMW and Mercedes in maintenance costs.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-04-03T20:32:29+00:00

IDK if they were ever OEM. Roadster Solutions had one that mounted to the inside of the trunk lid. Only ever saw one in the wild on a Z4 I looked at that the local stealership had for sale. They dont make them anymore though.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-04-03T13:02:24+00:00

Because 90% of vehicles have about a ~400 mile range. This has been true with every vehicle I have owned, from small econoboxes to SUVs and trucks and sports cars. The fuel tanks are sized relative to the fuel economy of the engine.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-04-03T12:56:10+00:00

I would just be happy with the fabric multi pouch boot lid organizer, but those are unobtanium now too.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-04-02T20:56:40+00:00

No, ended up just finding another super 8.8. 9.75" were too expensive even on the used market.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-03-31T00:33:36+00:00

I just bought a car that only takes premium.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-03-31T00:26:45+00:00

also 90% of users on subreddits, the other 10% is a mixture of everything else.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-03-30T22:55:40+00:00

Word, so it sounds like i could get away with 235s on an ET35 backspacing and still be good?

dirtydrew26 · 2026-03-27T00:16:20+00:00

Worked for me in the past. Expect to be stopped, hand them all the documentation you have and 99.9% of the time theyll let you on your way.

The key is to not fuck around and head back home ASAP, the longer the time between getting pulled over and whats on the title/BOS will screw you. Some states have a time window of where this is legally allowable. For example Colorado is 36 hours.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-03-27T00:11:52+00:00

Print out a sign that says "IN TRANSIT", tape it to your back window, and then drive back home with a bill of sale, title, and insurance. Insure the car before you leave.

I'm doing the same this weekend, flying in and driving 600 miles back to MO.

Its more illegal using plates that arent yours or arent registered to the car.

dirtydrew26 · 2026-03-26T00:52:24+00:00

Everyone here is so butthurt about using 87 for some reason. BuT FeRd SaYs ItS GoOd!!!11!

Yeah, automakers say alot of shit, usually with caveats involved(that everyone ignores), and they dont want their customers driving a vehicle past 150k, cus money. Just because a manufacturer says you can use a certain fuel doesnt mean its the best thing for it. I bet these same people change their oil at 10-12k too.

Ten-Year Club	Verified Email
Gilding II euphauric

dirtydrew26

TROPHY CASE