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Thinking of getting something cheaper..

I used to own a 2001 is300. Its a great car. I've never had problems with mine. Had it for 4 years. But during winter time it SUCKED. And the

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Old 10-07-2012, 10:18 AM   #16 (permalink)
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I used to own a 2001 is300. Its a great car. I've never had problems with mine. Had it for 4 years. But during winter time it SUCKED. And the gas mileage wasn't great.. but i do miss my is300.
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Old 10-07-2012, 11:26 AM   #17 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by OMGiGOTaZ View Post
STAY AWAY FROM VW, ESPECIALLY USED ONES!

IF YOUR PLANNING ON MODDING THE IS300, MY BUDDY HAD VERY POOR RELIABILITY ONCE HE STARTED... ENDED UP TRADING FOR AN S2000 I BELIEVE
I've helped mod several IS300's no problems, some were turboed, one with nitrous, and one guy just beat the crap out of his car, lol
Sorry your buddy had problems, but even though Toyota is Toyota, shít does happen every so often, so he probably just had that ONE car that was screwed... Ex: 98intrigue... 370 that died, Viper that died... Shít happens
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Old 10-07-2012, 12:16 PM   #18 (permalink)
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Are you really going to be happy with that car? Or will you be looking to trade it soon? The worst financial mistake you can make is to continue to buy, mod, and then trade vehicles.
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Old 10-07-2012, 12:27 PM   #19 (permalink)
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Scorch! You put so much money into the car!?!

Talk about loosing money. You wasted money buying the exact same car that you already had... Did you think you were going to make money buying the mods that you did haha? Poor planning my man!

Anyways, good luck with the car search. You can find a 2010-11 Kia Optima online for about 13-15k. Those are great cars and get good mileage without sacrificing too much of appearance

The Z costs me easily 800-1000 every month. Gas, insurance, payment, and running(service) costs.
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Old 10-07-2012, 01:26 PM   #20 (permalink)
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Scorch! You put so much money into the car!?!

Talk about loosing money. You wasted money buying the exact same car that you already had... Did you think you were going to make money buying the mods that you did haha? Poor planning my man!

Anyways, good luck with the car search. You can find a 2010-11 Kia Optima online for about 13-15k. Those are great cars and get good mileage without sacrificing too much of appearance

The Z costs me easily 800-1000 every month. Gas, insurance, payment, and running(service) costs.
Yeah, it wasn't the most thought-out purchase, that's for sure. But it was definitely worth it, and I have no regrets. If I had to do it all over again, I would. I still smile every time I open my garage and see my Z there, and I still look back at it every time I park and start walking away.

Maybe I should look at the Optima option.. My first 3 cars were Hyundai after all.
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Old 10-07-2012, 07:36 PM   #21 (permalink)
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2003 Evo 8

2005 Evolution 8 MR (Evo VIII)

This place always has cars for around 16k...low miles
2011 Kia Optima LX For Sale In Glendale AZ 85301 - Equity Auto Center

"Equity Auto Center"

If you could find something like this, you will stay under $200 a month. and much less maintenance costs.. ~ 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
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Old 10-07-2012, 08:09 PM   #22 (permalink)
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So how much was the speeding ticket?
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Old 10-09-2012, 02:56 AM   #23 (permalink)
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Thanks again for the replies guys. The reason I'm not considering cars such as the C5 and S2000 is because I won't be saving much in terms of gas or insurance. Both are classified the same as the Z - 2 seater sports cars. I want to get away from that, and get something 4-door. I'm sure that later down the road I'll be returning to the sports car world, and can definitely see myself owning another Z, if they don't screw up the next gen too bad. But for now I need to take a back seat and save some money.
Insurance, no, gas, yes. The 370Z gets horrible mileage and both of those cars do better, both on the highway, and around town.

If Nissan wants me back for the next generation, they will fix the weight distribution "issues" of the 370Z. Other than that, killer car all-around and I love it!
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Old 10-09-2012, 03:19 AM   #24 (permalink)
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Mine was a 2008 C6. I've also driven many C5's. The C6 is a HUGE improvement over the C5 in terms of interior quality (and pretty much everything else). To be honest, my 370 is not that much better as far as interior quality except for the seats. The seats in a Corvette are horrible.

What IS a lot better in the 370Z is the suspension. I had to install coilovers in my C6 because the Z51 suspension was a joke. The 370 inspires A LOT more confidence.
Former C6 Z06 owner here, and I liked my friend's C5Z's interior better. GM really didn't fix the crappy Lear seats, the junk door panels, etc. but the leather quality did go down. *sigh*

Also, I hate my 370Z's suspension compared to my Z06 or the Grand Sport C6's I drove. The crappy weight distribution and the complete and utter lack of rebound control make the 370Z plow in the corners and bounce all over the place if you hit a bump. Corvette did a MUCH! better job planting the ride and handling the curves IMO/IME. Further, enter a corner in the 370Z and accelerate for balance and you might "go over the edge"---you can't stop accelerating after a certain point of you lose the back end when the weight shifts forward---hope you gauged things right. With the Corvette, you can back off without near the drama. "Plan as you go" in the corvette. Not so much the 370Z. IMO/IME.

Now, back to OP...


...What about a G35S? They are nice cars, peppy, cheaper, etc.?

Man, I really just don't know what to recommend. The Lexus IS is nice, but then, you are paying a premium to work on things, and those Japanese cars suck in my opinion. Why? They just fall apart once they get old. Not the engine itself or anything, but all your rubber bushings, things like that. Everyone I know who ever had an older Lexus/Infiniti/Nissan has run into that. The "little stuff" just seems to be pure junk. It falls apart. I ran into that on my G20, my friend Cara ran into that on her Lexus RX300 and Lexus car (I forgot what model, around 2001), and my friend has run into it on his Frontier. Sure, the motor keeps turning and the trans likely won't take a dump, but to keep the car 100% functional will totally kill you nickel-dime wise.

Great design and implementation and fit/finish and all that, but it's "weird" how some of it "goes together" and unnecessary in many cases, and the material the small-parts are made from is like bargain-basement from the 1995-2003 era it seems. Cracks, breaks, falls apart. My 1988 mustang GT held up better than my 2002 G20 and it sat in some old guy's lawn for years, lol. Interior had no cracks, body bushings were great, etc. If that had been a Lexus? Anything not made of metal or glass would have been worthless. Even their metal and glass seem inferior to American counterparts. My 370Z is literally the crappiest windshield I have owned---other than my G20. Japanese stuff just isn't as durable. My G20 windshield cracked with the heater turned on when it was cold out. Twice. My 370Z? It has tons of peck-marks, and broke with less than 500 miles on the car. My Z06 sat way lower and never had any issues. One TINY! peck when I sold it, and it sounded like a 9mm hit my windshield when I got that, probably would have fubar'ed my 370Z. I have no idea why this is, but it has been my perception from owning American and Japanese automobiles. YMMV

American cars, it seems to be stuff like window motors, water pumps, that sort of thing, but the other stuff does good, if you can put up with a somewhat crappy interior.

So take your pick, I guess, but the older American car is probably going to be a better choice for insurance, as well as "restoring/keeping" at 100% function.

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Old 10-09-2012, 10:30 AM   #25 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by ImportConvert View Post
Former C6 Z06 owner here, and I liked my friend's C5Z's interior better. GM really didn't fix the crappy Lear seats, the junk door panels, etc. but the leather quality did go down. *sigh*

Also, I hate my 370Z's suspension compared to my Z06 or the Grand Sport C6's I drove. The crappy weight distribution and the complete and utter lack of rebound control make the 370Z plow in the corners and bounce all over the place if you hit a bump. Corvette did a MUCH! better job planting the ride and handling the curves IMO/IME. Further, enter a corner in the 370Z and accelerate for balance and you might "go over the edge"---you can't stop accelerating after a certain point of you lose the back end when the weight shifts forward---hope you gauged things right. With the Corvette, you can back off without near the drama. "Plan as you go" in the corvette. Not so much the 370Z. IMO/IME.
Interior taste is subjective so there is no point in arguing that. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

As for the suspension, I know in my '08 C6 with the Z51 suspension, above 110 MPH the thing was absolutely floaty. I thought I was driving a Cadillac. Did not feel planted AT ALL. Once I installed coilovers it all went away. It was stable all the way to 190. (Yes, I hit 190 in it)

As for comparing it to the 370, I have only driven my Nismo, and I can tell you it inspires much more confidence in me than my Vette.

One thing I am sure that you will agree with me on is that the Vette absolutely SUCKS in the rain. I have driven C6 Z06's in the rain and I was mortified at how it wandered all over the place above 60 MPH. It was really bad. Conversely, I hit over 100 MPH in the rain this Saturday in my Nismo and it was fine. Very stable.
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Old 10-09-2012, 12:04 PM   #26 (permalink)
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Interior taste is subjective so there is no point in arguing that. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

As for the suspension, I know in my '08 C6 with the Z51 suspension, above 110 MPH the thing was absolutely floaty. I thought I was driving a Cadillac. Did not feel planted AT ALL. Once I installed coilovers it all went away. It was stable all the way to 190. (Yes, I hit 190 in it)

As for comparing it to the 370, I have only driven my Nismo, and I can tell you it inspires much more confidence in me than my Vette.

One thing I am sure that you will agree with me on is that the Vette absolutely SUCKS in the rain. I have driven C6 Z06's in the rain and I was mortified at how it wandered all over the place above 60 MPH. It was really bad. Conversely, I hit over 100 MPH in the rain this Saturday in my Nismo and it was fine. Very stable.
My 370Z is crap in the rain. I spun out on the freeway with 9/32 left on the tires while doing the same speed as surrounding traffic. Sorry, the 370Z is not half the car the corvette is in the suspension department. Anything over about 55 and it hydroplanes. I have a 2012 Sport model. I did not know a modern car could BE this pathetic when it comes to handling rain on the OEM tires unless you count the ACR Viper or something on DOT's.

Nothing about the 370Z is superior to the corvette in the suspension department except for: It has less propensity to wheel-hop, and steering feel, as well as parking-lot turn radius/maneuverability. Those are the only improvements I have noted as compared to my Z06. Base C6 without Z51 felt very planted to me, and I beat on Grand Sports doing over 120mph down the back stretch of Spring Mountain and they (Z51 suspension, basically) felt great as well.

Performance-wise, it feels very bad in corners, comparatively. 55/45 (what it REALLY is, yes, I weighed it on DOT scales that do biasing) is crap for performance driving. That is weight distribution though, not suspension. The bad part is when you hit an irregularity and the pogo-stick at each corner upsets the whole car.

I still like my 370Z better than my C6Z06 as a car I drive on the street, but the suspension is horrible, the weight distribution reminds me of my 1980's 5.0, and the OEM tires...I don't drive in the rain above 50-55mph anymore. Period. I slowly worked up to that 55mph limit during light rain on open roads, that is where the OEM tires with good tread begin to lose contact with the road and steering input becomes iffy if you hit any water what-so-ever. I'm not talking puddles, I'm just talking rain coming down and running down the crown of the road in any significant quantity (if you can see it, it's too much to hit at over 55!!!). As it is, If I ever see the sheen of water on the road too late to drop under about 55, I just point the car straight and try to be calm so that when I get control back, I am still pointed the right direction. I leave 10 minutes early for work when it's raining.


I never drove my Z06 in the rain, it was a toy. I cannot comment on that. I did drive my WS.6 in the rain, though, and it was rock solid. Even my old highschool car, a crown-vic, on bald tires was more solid. My G20 was more solid. I have literally never owned or been in a car that was crappier to drive in the rain than my 370Z Sport w/OEM tires. Ever. Crown Vic with no tread up front, WS.6 with no tread up front (when you're broke in school, tires are the last thing on your list). None of them would lose it like this 370 on Potenzas.

Like I tell people, this is my luxury car with a little pep. I don't consider it a performance automobile, just luxury "with a bit of edge". Hell, I already warped the rotors in it at 10K miles and had to have them turned. All street driving and my front tires still have over 1/2 the tread left on them.

I'm sorry, but no. I cannot tell you my 370Z Sport is anything near what my Z06 or any other corvette I have driven (Grand Sport, ZR1) in the suspension department.

Planned fixes: Tires that aren't crap. Don't drive the 370Z like it's a 'vette and you won't end up in the ditch. It can't handle sweeping corners. It's meant for short, tight corners. Long corners are bad in this car. You have to accelerate to balance the 370Z, and you can easily run out of lateral traction, or you will have a low exit velocity...or you can hit it JUUUSSTTT right...but you have to do EVERYTHING perfectly.

I'm sorry, I hate the way this car handles compared to a true sports car. I still love the interior, looks, and the acceleration and brakes are plenty good for the street as long as they don't warp on me again. But the handling is very disappointing in every way unless you are on a very "tight" series of corners. I think that's how all Japanese cars are, though, or most of them. That's just how those people do things. American cars are great in high-speed sweepers and on the open road, Japanese cars are meant for those tight little technical type tracks/corners.

Since I am moving to NW Arkansas, I hope to be in the 370Z's element, though, with the tighter corners, and with the smoother roads there, plus better tires, a lot of my complaints will dissappear.

I hate somewhat going so bluntly against your opinions, but they are polar opposites to mine. Maybe the ADVAN tires on your NISMO are way better than the Potenza's on the Sport model, and maybe the stiffer suspension keeps it from feeling like a pregnant yak in corners with the front plowing unless you're on the throttle pretty good.

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Old 10-09-2012, 12:15 PM   #27 (permalink)
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My 370Z is crap in the rain. I spun out on the freeway with 9/32 left on the tires while doing the same speed as surrounding traffic. Sorry, the 370Z is not half the car the corvette is in the suspension department. Anything over about 55 and it hydroplanes. I have a 2012 Sport model. I did not know a modern car could BE this pathetic when it comes to handling rain on the OEM tires unless you count the ACR Viper or something on DOT's.

Nothing about the 370Z is superior to the corvette in the suspension department except for: It has less propensity to wheel-hop, and steering feel, as well as parking-lot turn radius/maneuverability. Those are the only improvements I have noted as compared to my Z06. Base C6 without Z51 felt very planted to me, and I beat on Grand Sports doing over 120mph down the back stretch of Spring Mountain and they (Z51 suspension, basically) felt great as well.

Performance-wise, it feels very bad in corners, comparatively. 55/45 (what it REALLY is, yes, I weighed it on DOT scales that do biasing) is crap for performance driving. That is weight distribution though, not suspension. The bad part is when you hit an irregularity and the pogo-stick at each corner upsets the whole car.

I still like my 370Z better than my C6Z06 as a car I drive on the street, but the suspension is horrible, the weight distribution reminds me of my 1980's 5.0, and the OEM tires...I don't drive in the rain above 50-55mph anymore. Period. I slowly worked up to that 55mph limit during light rain on open roads, that is where the OEM tires with good tread begin to lose contact with the road and steering input becomes iffy if you hit any water what-so-ever. I'm not talking puddles, I'm just talking rain coming down and running down the crown of the road in any significant quantity (if you can see it, it's too much to hit at over 55!!!). As it is, If I ever see the sheen of water on the road too late to drop under about 55, I just point the car straight and try to be calm so that when I get control back, I am still pointed the right direction. I leave 10 minutes early for work when it's raining.


I never drove my Z06 in the rain, it was a toy. I cannot comment on that. I did drive my WS.6 in the rain, though, and it was rock solid. Even my old highschool car, a crown-vic, on bald tires was more solid. My G20 was more solid. I have literally never owned or been in a car that was crappier to drive in the rain than my 370Z Sport w/OEM tires. Ever. Crown Vic with no tread up front, WS.6 with no tread up front (when you're broke in school, tires are the last thing on your list). None of them would lose it like this 370 on Potenzas.

Like I tell people, this is my luxury car with a little pep. I don't consider it a performance automobile, just luxury "with a bit of edge". Hell, I already warped the rotors in it at 10K miles and had to have them turned. All street driving and my front tires still have over 1/2 the tread left on them.

I'm sorry, but no. I cannot tell you my 370Z Sport is anything near what my Z06 or any other corvette I have driven (Grand Sport, ZR1) in the suspension department.

Planned fixes: Tires that aren't crap. Don't drive the 370Z like it's a 'vette and you won't end up in the ditch. It can't handle sweeping corners. It's meant for short, tight corners. Long corners are bad in this car. You have to accelerate to balance the 370Z, and you can easily run out of lateral traction, or you will have a low exit velocity...or you can hit it JUUUSSTTT right...but you have to do EVERYTHING perfectly.

I'm sorry, I hate the way this car handles compared to a true sports car. I still love the interior, looks, and the acceleration and brakes are plenty good for the street as long as they don't warp on me again. But the handling is very disappointing in every way.
I think this is why people wonder why you made the switch,

although you already told us why in another thread, still makes you think if I was happy with a vette Id stick with it. Jus sayin might I say you knew what you were getting into when downgrading
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Old 10-09-2012, 12:21 PM   #28 (permalink)
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I think this is why people wonder why you made the switch,

although you already told us why in another thread, still makes you think if I was happy with a vette Id stick with it. Jus sayin might I say you knew what you were getting into when downgrading
I like the 370Z more. It is a much worse performer, but lets face it, I don't track the car and it makes me smile when I "push" it a little, still.

Now, the good?

The seats kick ***! My back doesn't hurt.
The interior is nice to look at.
The steering feel is great.
The NAV is modern!
The sound system, while not some audiophile's wet-dream is plenty for me!

Until you flop out about 100 large, you're going to be making compromises, I'm sorry.

I don't want to spend $100K+, and I am totally cool with the compromises I picked with the 370Z. However, I am honest with myself about them.

Well, I say totally cool, it's getting some Pilot Sport tires of whatever is the latest and greatest (coming from the 'vette world, that would be PS2's, but I think we in the Nissan world have a "better" tire that will fit our cars from the same line?). The hydroplaning issues has to GO. Other than that, I am still very happy with the trade and do not wish my Z06 back, helluva performer that it was, not withstanding.

*I will admit that I did think the weight distribution was 47/53 with a driver and fuel. It's not. Not even close. If it were, I think I would like the handling much better. Nissan lied, I believed them, the world keeps turnin'. GM was within about 0.25% of 50/50 with gas and a driver, BTW. So I expected honesty from Nissan, there, as well.
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Old 10-09-2012, 12:28 PM   #29 (permalink)
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Well put, and from a unbiased position as well.

Yup, there will always compromises you make, glad to know you have positive things to say about the 370z as well, it really is a well balacned sports car for its value imo.

Speaking of the hydroplaning issues a couple of people I know have the Hankooks V12, Im gonna be ordering some soon, they are proven to reduce hydroplaning, and drivibaliltiy in wet conditions. Look into them if you havent already.
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Old 10-09-2012, 12:34 PM   #30 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by nmjaxx9 View Post
Well put, and from a unbiased position as well.

Yup, there will always compromises you make, glad to know you have positive things to say about the 370z as well, it really is a well balacned sports car for its value imo.

Speaking of the hydroplaning issues a couple of people I know have the Hankooks V12, Im gonna be ordering some soon, they are proven to reduce hydroplaning, and drivibaliltiy in wet conditions. Look into them if you havent already.
I have tunnel-vision when it comes to tires. I pushed the 'vettes at Spring Mountain, and the Pilot Sports on those cars were amazing. Great feedback, very predictable, they really let you know where you stood, wet or dry. For that reason, I want them. I know how they "feel". IF I am dissapointed with them, I will wear them out and when they are dead, look elsewhere.

I have a ton of positive things to say about my 370Z. I still own it, yes?

However, when I am ready to trade this car in, I will be leaving Nissan unless certain things change. I will probably go over to BMW or Porsche. I have experienced American sports cars, and found the over-all experience very lacking. I have experienced Japanese sports cars, at least a little, with this 370Z, and I would like to sample what Europe brings to the table, and Mercedes does not offer manuals in America that I know of. To me, cars are disposable, and they are fun, and life is about living. I could care less for the "If it's not a such and such it's a pile of crap" mentality. I want to sample them all (within reason). A house...wife (if I was a marrying type), gun, those things are "long term investments". A car? Buy what you want when you want it, and when that changes, change it. DEFINITELY no room for brand-centric emotion hard-ons automotive speaking, although I am sore at GM for the "Bail-out".

Right now, as it sits today, I cannot think of another new car I would rather have for the cost of my 370Z or less. Yes it has foibles, but its strong points (Style, interior, qa/qc, what performance it does have, affordability for what you get) outweigh its negatives (clunky transmission, bad weight distribution, horrible rebound control, windshield that cracks if you look at it hard).

So far my take-away from American and Japanese:

American:

Dude, this interior sucks and what's up with the NAV, is that a calculator screen?

"But...it's FAST! It pulls over 1G! It sets world records!!! Who cares if you hate the interior and the seat reminds you of your favorite bean-bag chair in gradeschool? ITS FAST!


Japanese:

Why is this thing only 332 horses? Do you really mean that 50/50 weight distribution is bad even though GM spent over 500,000 just developing lighter fenders for the Z06?

"But the VQ, it doesn't have intake cams! It's a marvel! It's so advanced! Look at this volumetric efficiency at low rpm! Also that radiator support, it's carbon-fiber! SO ADVANCED! No...I don't know why we did that or bothered with the other, but it's a marvel of modern engineering! The seats, good, yes?

German (as I perceive it):

Why the hell are you charging me $2200 to change the spark plugs?

Is ultimate experience. You like how holds road? Enjoy sound system? Silky transmission? Growl of 8,000rpm V8? Good. Shut up. We will charge you what you want and you can stew over it while ogling our receptionist and swilling this premium roast coffee we brought you. By the way, tack on $320. A coil pack also needs replacing.

Italian (as I perceive it, and will never truly know):

Wow...look at that.

"Hi, brochures are $50 a piece. Look, please do not touch. When you get a real job, I will be happy to have one of our staff take you for a ride in the Investment of your choice. Until then, I'll just follow you with this little micro-fiber cloth and detail spray because I'm afraid you won't be able to resist smearing your poverty on at least one door-handle since you don't believe me that yes, they are all locked."

Last edited by ImportConvert; 10-09-2012 at 12:49 PM.
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