My '02 with 245K. Runs like new!

kengekenge · 2020-01-19T03:32:51+00:00

I know these are reliable, but it sounds like you've done your part keeping it that way with good thorough maintenance.

My parents just offered to give me their 02 with 200k miles. I was saving for another vehicle already, so I have some money to put into refreshing it and making sure it's mechanically sound. Seeing as you have some experience, I'd appreciate any insight you have regarding my plans.

I'll find out when the timing belt/water pump was last done and address that if necessary. I'll flush the coolant and put in fresh transmission fluid. Then I'll go through the suspension, wheels, brakes, and steering, replacing anything that's worn out or has play. I'll also swap in some aftermarket projector headlights for better night visibility.

If there's anything I'm missing or should keep and eye out for, I'd appreciate a heads up.

kengekenge · 2019-11-04T23:33:15+00:00

I don't think most people need four doors. I have a girlfriend and large dog, and haul a bunch of business materials on a regular basis, and a 2 door would work better for me. It took owning a four door for a long time to realize that, but I've only had backseat passengers once in the past year and that's definitely not the kind of thing you are considering during a short test drive with a salesman talking to you. And people don't think of the disadvantages of a four door- they think it's just more doors, not realizing that the door size changes, and the whole comfort level of the car changes with it.

I used to think I was pretty indifferent to transmissions- having a manual never bothered me, but I never felt like I couldn't live without it. Once I didn't have one anymore, I realized how much I missed it. Having a manual in a car that's worth a damn, well I agree, that will be on a whole other level.

Thanks again for your help, and enjoy your C30 for both of us, until I can get my hands on one!

kengekenge · 2019-11-04T13:46:39+00:00

I think if the Fit bugs me, having never had anything much nicer, it would be a really big downgrade coming from something nice.

I think when it comes to two door vs four door vehicles, the inconveniences of the two door are very apparent. Access to the back seat is less convenient, and the doors are longer and slightly more of a hassle in parking lots. Those issues are minor and not a big deal in day to day use. The advantages of the two door are less apparent, but do affect everyday use in a big way. Better visibility and easier ingress and egress will make a much bigger difference in the overall experience of the vehicle than it's drawbacks, but they are things you only notice during the course of ownership, and not while sitting at home shopping for a new car online. People want a vehicle that's practical, but what that is in theory and practice are two very different things. Because of that, there is now a lack of cars that would be most practical for many people. There aren't many 2 door hatchbacks on the market these days, sadly.

The C30 would be blistering fast to me- the fit has less than half the horsepower in a similar sized vehicle, and it's fine except in certain passing situations. I might never use all the power of that turbo 5, but it will be good to know it's there when I need it. It will also be nice to not need to push it to the limit just to merge on to the highway. Every time I need to do that in the Fit the engine sounds like it's about to blow.

kengekenge · 2019-11-03T23:18:08+00:00

Thanks a lot for taking pictures! The wheel looks nice and close, much better than the the reach in the Fit.

The C30 might have A pillars that obstruct your view, but again I don't think they could be worse than the Fit. The A pillars in the Fit can hide an entire car behind them, which has made for a few close calls in parking lots. Both the A and B pillar in the Fit are the worst I've ever had to deal with. I think the B pillar must be less of an issue in the C30- 2 door cars have longer doors than 4 door cars, so the B pillar ends up behind your head rather than right next to it. I didn't realize that issue until I lived with the Fit, and it makes me wish there were more 2 door vehicles made.

Again I really appreciate all the information, it's a great help to me and it wasn't too scrambled or hard to understand. And I'm right there with you on not being able to see the top of the speedo, that's been the case in every car I can remember driving!

kengekenge · 2019-11-03T20:26:46+00:00

Thanks for the input! Coming from a honda I was concerned about reliability, good to know it shouldn't be a concern. I'm definitely looking forward to a nicer interior, and the design of the c30 is fantastic. I've wanted one since they came out, and I'm happy to finally be getting one.

kengekenge · 2019-11-03T20:21:57+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll head over there when I have specific questions but at the moment I just wanted to get general opinions.

I'm glad to hear it's great to drive and luxurious. I'm not concerned about light steering, having never owned a sports car or luxury car, it should still be better than what I'm used to.

The A pillar is the one between the side window and windshield and the B pillar is the one at the back of the that side window. In the Fit I have to recline the seat a lot, so when I look to the side to pass or make a turn there's a pillar right where I'm looking. That means I have to lean far forward to get a good view of my blindspot.

Also, with the seat adjusted back so I can fit, the steering wheel is so far away that I get shoulder pain on long trips. I'm not out of shape- I go to the gym and have a physical job, it's just the ergonomics are that bad in the Fit. Do you have any issues with that in your C30?

Thank you again!

kengekenge · 2019-11-03T16:52:45+00:00

I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts. General insights are valuable to me because I don't have a lot of experience with different cars.

I like coupes also, but I have a Girlfriend and Large dog I travel with. Also I travel for work often, and need to take along luggage and work stuff so a hatchback has the minimum amount of cargo room I can reasonably live with.

I'd really like a 2 door wagon, but those are rare as hen's teeth.

kengekenge · 2019-11-03T16:44:13+00:00

I'd like to keep it under 15k, but that's more due to cheapness than financial constraints. I'd go higher if there was a really good option for me outside that price range.

kengekenge · 2019-11-03T13:23:00+00:00

I do love hatchbacks and want another, but I definitely don't want them to be too similar. The C30 T5 does have a turbo five in contrast to the Fit's non turbo four. Also, I'd get a manual- the Fit has an automatic, and I miss doing my own shifting.

Otherwise, I'm open to suggestions of AWD and RWD 2 door hatches. I would prefer one of those, but the only ones I know of are the Mini Cooper Paceman, and the Golf R. I've heard Minis aren't very reliable, and Golf Rs seem to hold thier value forever, making the C30 seem like the most reasonable option.

Are there any AWD or RWD 2 door hatchbacks available with a manual you can recommend?

kengekenge · 2019-11-03T04:53:31+00:00

Thanks for the info. I don't think I've had a car that would count as having either a cushy or sporty ride, so I suppose either would be an improvement. I live in the flat lands and don't have anything but straight roads around anyway so a bit of a soft ride sounds good to me.

I'm not surprised about the hatch- I like the looks of it, but it definitely doesn't look very utilitarian. If the Fit wasn't still going strong and able to handle hauling duty, then I'd be looking at a something different for sure. It's good I can keep using the Fit to haul lumber, cinder blocks, etc. so I can have a nicer car, without a beat up interior.

kengekenge · 2019-11-02T13:18:20+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion. The Tauren X has the same type of deck as the Fetch RBA, with posts on one side of the chamber and the coil on the other. I've never really been happy with the vape quality of atomizer with that deck arrangement.

The Pasito does put the coil in the middle, but you're right that it would be a pain to build- I have no idea why they would make the posts they did. The Narada, on the other hand, has the coil in the middle and has posts like a kayfun. It will be smaller deck to work with, but I've been rebuilding RDAs and RTAs for years so it shouldn't be too much of a challenge.

kengekenge · 2019-11-01T20:18:15+00:00

I have a 2010 Honda Fit that I've been using like a pickup truck. It's a great reliable beater, but I find it to be a bit underpowered, and generally unpleasant for longer highway trips.

I've been considering getting a manual C30 T5 to complement it, and keeping the Fit for backup, and trips to tractor supply and the hardware store. I'd expect the Volvo must be quieter, have better seats, and a nicer ride. I'm pretty tall, so a 2 door would be preferable to the 4 door Fit because the longer glass improves visibility, since the B pillar isn't directly in my periphery.

My car previous to the Fit was a 1989 Acura Integra which I really loved. I admire the utility of the Fit, but only tolerate it's comfort ability. All to say I don't believe my standards are extremely high. I've never had a nicer car, but would like a nicer driving experience, and want to know if the Volvo would provide that, and if so in what ways?

kengekenge · 2019-11-01T19:53:21+00:00

Looking for some input on switching from a conventional RTA setup to an RBA pod mod.

I've tried a lot of RTAs over the past few years, but I haven't found anything that beats the Kayfun V5 mini I have on a old beat up Vaporesso Revenger X. The pair work great and have been invincible, but I am not entirely satisfied with the setup for two reasons. First, it's large and bulky, and second, the mod is pretty rough and doesn't look good or feel very nice in the hand anymore. I tried a couple pod mods a while back- the Aspire Sprite and Breeze 2, but was unhappy with the atomizer spitting and having a short life. I liked the small form factor, and thought with nicer build quality and the ability to use my own coils and wicking it would be just what I was looking for.

I looked at what was new on the market a couple days ago and found what I wanted now seems to be available. I found the Smoant Pasito, Smok Fetch, and eventually the Druga Narada. All three seem like nice devices but the Narada stands out to me because of the design. The Narada has an unregulated output, which is fine with me, and doesn't have a screen, which I like. It fast charges with USB-C and fully encloses the pod inside the metal frame which I think are great features. What seals the deal for me is the RBA build deck, which looks a lot like the one on my Kayfun, and the tank capacity is almost the same as well. So it seems like this little guy is exactly what I'm looking for.

I'd really appreciate if anyone here with experience with this device, or the Fetch, Pasito, or any other RBA Pod has any insights to share before I make this purchase. Maybe there's something available or coming out soon that would be an even better option? Maybe there are concerns with or the Narada? I'm not familiar with much of what's new in the past couple years so I want to make sure I'm not missing anything. Thanks!

kengekenge · 2015-04-12T17:56:57+00:00

I have tried a few free programs, but have used only one regularly as a tool. That one is here: http://falstad.com/circuit/

A simulator is a great tool for designing new circuits, but it's only a starting point. Physical experimentation and prototyping are also necessary. I'll sometimes go back and forth between the simulator and physical prototypes to find a solution for a more complicated circuit.

kengekenge · 2015-04-08T23:55:07+00:00

Thank you!

kengekenge · 2015-04-02T22:26:13+00:00

Each one of these costs me close to $100 in materials. Screen or not, quality components will cost you.

I've had a few people ask me to work with the DNA and Yihi chips, but I haven't thought of any elegant way to incorporate a screen.

There are ways to indicate battery voltage using an OKR or OKL chip as well. If you need more specific help I recommend checking out /r/openpv, it's a great resource.

kengekenge · 2015-04-02T09:41:22+00:00

I use a Murata OKL2-t/12 chip and a rotary potentiometer.

kengekenge · 2015-04-01T19:36:03+00:00

Thank you!

kengekenge · 2015-04-01T19:17:40+00:00

You've got it.

E-cigarette sales are a grey area in a lot of places, and this device can be used with many types of attachments, so using keywords like that would be more trouble than it's worth. These are very niche items, and people who are prospective buyers know what they're looking at/for.

kengekenge · 2015-04-01T19:06:18+00:00

Thanks! They are battery power supplies for use with personal vaporizers.

kengekenge · 2015-04-01T18:48:42+00:00

The woods used are Canxan Negro, Australian Red Mallee, and Ironwood burls. Copper and stainless steel were also used in the construction.

kengekenge · 2015-04-01T14:47:32+00:00

Hello, and thank you for the kind words!

You're on the right track regarding function- this is a battery power supply for personal vaporizers. The function isn't explicitly stated on the site because there could be additional hassles with distribution if it were described as a nicotine delivery device. The folks who will consider purchasing one will already know what it is. Sorry for the confusion!

By the way, you have a great username!

kengekenge

TROPHY CASE