Yeah, the Spoon version is smokin. Though you really need way too much $$ to mod the damn thing. And I do need a sunroof in my next car, so it's out for me, until they put in a sunroof and drop in a K engine, and Quaife gets an LSD. Then I'd be all over it like Tom Cruise on Oprah's couch.

 

As Clarkson said - the CRZ makes me smile - I could live with that.

 

So, instead of switching back to an OEM cat, and correcting the necessary piping, I'm just going to roll the dice and replace with another Magnaflow cat (it's part # 46646). Got it from Summit for $209, which is $1,140 cheaper than the oem alternative. Should be done by the end of the week.

Grassroots Motorsports just had a comparison of the CRZ vs. std Mini and Mazda 2; said the width of the wheels/tires and soft suspension really hurt the CRZ, but go aftermarket, and it should be fun. (well, as would a Mazdasport 2, if that ever gets the green light)

 

I'm on my 2nd Magnaflow Cat and also have the header.
How many miles did you get on the 1st one, and how long ago did you get it? They are supposed to be better now, they got hit by the US regulators and supposedly required to make them last longer.
For a while they didn' t have any product while they did the new design.
My 1st lasted 30K miles.

 

I hope they make a plain gas version. I'm not sold
on the whole hybrid thing, new batteries every
5 years or so at cost of like $5K.
AND while they reduce emissions at the tailpipe, they aren't as
environmentally friendly over their life from inception to
junkyard as people would like to believe.

I read how the US dumps toxic battery waste in places like Jamaica with no safeguards, and how
all the nickel required, has resulted in vast areas being stripped mined.

See the "Dust to Dust" report.
http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/dus...ive-t1266.html

http://www.cnwmr.com/nss-folder/auto...%20VERSION.pdf

 

Hmmm, if I had to bet my life on it, I'd guess 5 years and 70k ago. My biggest complaint is that it finally started to not give me the P0420 error in the last year or so (though that may say something about it deteriorating, too).

It would be great if the next one lasted at least as long. That would take me to my next car (thinking Mini Roadster/500 Abarth/possibly BMW sub-1 series [whatever they name that one]/Z4 M roadster), which would be great.

Yeah, the whole "green car" movement really doesn't seem to care much about the full-cycle impact on the environment of their products. Which is a very funny contradiction to their stated purpose, though fashion and peer pressure seem to be more on people's minds than the consequences of their choices.

 

If you follow Southpark at all, you might recall the episode, where
it isn't smog that becomes a problem in SP, but the "smug".
One of the boys familie's buys a hybrid, but feel
misunderstood in backwards thinking SP, and decide to move to SF where people are more environmentally conscious.
The SF crowd farts into wine glasses and smell
their own farts like fine wine, and of course they drive hybrids.
The other boys conspire to bring Hyrbrids to SP to get their friend's family to move back,
and SP is completely blanketed in smug.

I can't stand Prius drivers. They really do have like an attitude, and they are sucky drivers.

Regarding your future car choices, 500 Abarth, oh too too tiny
but I was a long time 1986 X19 owner and still love to see a FIAT on the road.

A 135 BMW would be nice, but I'm sure maint. on a bi-turbo is gonna cost $$$$$.
But you could so easily chip the thing and get 400 hp.
A older mini with the Supercharger, you can easily change the pulley at the SC
for like 100 bucks, and a kit with a larger pulley and bigger injectors can be had
pretty in expensively and yields like 50 extra HP in such a small car, it would haul.

Still too small for me.

Of course you best looking choice, would be the Z4 coupe.
Pure beauty. Also, too small for my 250 lb 6' 2" frame.

 

There are so many things I like about your car, but I think the shift gate surround is my favorite. I think it's the first I've seen like that and I've always loved the look. Very nice!

And yea, those Jersey drivers can be a handful.

 

So even with a new cat from Magnaflow, you get a P0420? I can't stand to drive a car with a warning light on.

As for the hybrid cars - not everyone buys them as fashion statements OR to save the planet. Some people buy them (especially the Prius) because they get 40-50mpg. For that reason alone they're worth considering for someone who drives a lot. Edmunds InsideLine kept a 2004 Prius from new till end of 2010 and 86,000 miles and it didn't lose much efficiency or need any new batteries. One of their editors bought it and they update on it still occasionally. It was very reliable.

 

Especially since the Prius now doesn't have the Federal credit, it's just not viable on a cost-benefit analysis versus a non-hybrid car of the same size and displacement. The figures just don't add up.

Yes, I would get the P0420 about once every three weeks in summer, but not at all last summer. I have a Scangauge in my ashtray; when it would go on, the cel would only remain lit about 5 seconds.

Saespyder - thanks; that's one of the pieces of my car that I really like as well. Even nicer that it was cheaper than going oem for a replacement (excluding the well-documented paperclip method, of course).

 

Well, when I picked up my car, the mechanic made a point to tell me that the cat was a very good looking piece, so maybe they did improve it.

So, it was $580 total, which included the two hood struts (with installation), an engine trim piece (the 3" by 6" odd piece right in front; it had gotten warped and no longer stayed on very well), and getting the exhaust all sorted out. I'm pretty happy. My boost gauge even works ($8 t-fitting adaptor, with free labor by me ). It's good to have the car running smoothly again.

 

Now back to the dyno!

There is a Prius I see every now and again on my commute that doesn't drive like the typical Hybrid. Not sure what mileage he gets considering he must keep it floored all the time -- but he does use turn signals as he zips through traffic.

 

lol that is how 1/2 the hybrid drivers drive in the dc area it always makes me laugh

 

Have you guys seen this?..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKTOyiKLARk

prius vs. m3 on their track

 

Not the same dyno, of course - I don't have another cat to install.

Dnyo options here in n NJ are few and far between. I'm waiting for a shop to install their new dyno, then I'll get it done.

 

Maybe we can talk Harry into cleaning up the crap of his dyno and fire it up in the spring?

 

Lots of cars get 40-50mpg.
They just don't offer them in the US.
Example would be the 220cdi coupe.
52 mpg I think it is? There's that guy from Norway with a black one with
blacked out Bix and tails. Pure mrrrdrrrr.
Or the C160 which I don't think is offered anymore.
Of couse you won't go as fast, but instead of costing more
to use less gas, it's the other way around, the car costs less AND you get better mileage.
Hybrids are bunk. US drivers are beta testers for the mfg'rs
and even pay extra for the privilege.

One other note about Cats, when my original one went bad,
I didn't get any errors, the car just drove funny, sputtered at high rpms and kicked out misfire codes, shutting off fuel to cylinders.
My SS header was getting red hot too....the final tell tale sign was
the white powder at the tailpipe and rattling in the exhaust.
The biscuit was completely obliterated.
When the guy pulled the old one, it was just powder with some small chunks.
I also had to replace the exhaust manifold gasket.
I think the SS header may put an extra strain on the cats, but at 164K miles,
I try to not push her so hard these days.

Replaced with a MF, and that one lasted 30K miles. At the end of the 30K miles, when we pulled it, there was almost nothing there.

In both cases amazingly I don't think I got any codes from the 02 sensors, well towards the end on the MF I did.
Yeah, mighta been the 0420 code. I remember laughing about that, my car was asking for a doobie.

When I went to replace for the 2nd time, the old MF pn had been superseded. I guess I wasn't the only one having problems with their cats.
There was something about the gov. making then improve the longevity.
A cat isn't much good for the environment if it only functions correctly long enough to pass smog.
Also it only takes one good misfire to blow out your cat, and I was having lots of coil pack problems around that
time, which turned out be related to the spark plugs. Seems it's best to replace these
NGK iridiums every 30K miles, though one would expect them to last longer, but they put
a strain on the Coil packs when they get on. I had 50K miles at time.
A new set solved all my misfire problems.

And just a side note, I've replaced my upstream 02 sensor but not the downstream one.

 

What happened to yours? Did you post the results?

 

The results were fairly bad on the first run (and stopped after that due to the aforementioned issues), so I'm holding on to them to compare when I get them done at a dyno of a shop that's better organized. My assumption is that the problems with my car were contributing to the results (it showed 185 at the crank when adjusted for losses [I think mid-150s unadjusted], so I'm not going to even bother with posting the chart), so it'll be a while until I get it re-run.

Lenin, that would be great if Harry would get his dyno running, but I'm not holding my breath.

Interesting about your cat history - two days and no cels here.

When I picked up my car, they had left some kind of registration card on the passenger's seat for CA. I guess you guys need to get aftermarket cats certified somehow? Makes me glad that I'm not in CA.

 

Since I just passed 140k yesterday, I thought I'd do an update. Still no codes, either from the K&N filter (over 5 months now) or the Magnaflow cat (about 6 weeks now). Hoping I don't jinx myself now.

I did find out the reason for the supercharger intake popping off the block; the intake tube, a tube about 6" in diamater I believe (cost of $15) was misshapen, which is why it wouldn't stay tight. All better now.

Leaving on Saturday for SF for a week and a half. Any recommendations for car shops, restaurants, etc., feel free. Got a ton of time to kill.

 

Just noticed that I've got rust on that flat panel in front of my rear driver's wheel now (after having the passenger's side fixed awhile ago).

So looks like the car will go back under the knife sooner rather than later to get that taken care of.

Any other coupe owners have that much rust on their rear wheelwells so far?

And yes, I'll try to get the flat badge put on there again, hopefully with better results this time.

 

can you take a picture?

 

Yes. I'd had my car repainted 3 times for rust. The last time I had rust in all 4 wheel wells, under the door sills, and under the side skirts. I had it fixed out of warranty by MB, they agreed to pay 75% since I pointed out I knew about the fact these cars had rust issues due to not being treated properly from the factory. They were reusing the bath too often, thus cars dipped towards the end of a cycle got little protection. Still sucked to pay 25%, and I was politely told that was the last time they'd fix it and I should sell the car while it looked good.

Why do I love this car so much? arg.

 

Good question! IIRC, you've had lots of issues.. if I were you, my username would be acaronfire symbolizing what I'd do to it.

 

Sure - will post a pic tomorrrow night.