1991 Miata 157k. Brand new timing belt, water pump. Long nose crank motor. Soft top is is good shape. No rust, lower quarters are in great shape. It has been repainted as most early white Miata's have been, all panels are original to this car (per vin stickers). Drivers seat has some repaired areas and some wear.

$3500 obo

Located in Waynesboro, VA

So the new 2017 model year of the CX-5 just hit the lot a few weeks ago and wifey had already scoped it out and fallen in love. We had looked at the CX-5 in the past and I had a few qualms with it which is why we compromised and got the RDX, but since the RDX didn't age as well as we thought it would (and it wasn't ultimately what wifey wanted) I wrecked the sales guy at the dealership in a friendly way (he made the mistake of telling me he had only worked there 5 days) and got a great deal on this one. RDX is gone free and clear too so that is even better, it needed some TLC and service work upcoming that I didn't really feel like paying for if we weren't going to keep it.

This article sums up a lot of the big changes: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.autoblog.com/2017/03/13/2017-mazda-cx-5-first-drive-review/">http://www.autoblog.com/2017/03/13/2017 ... ve-review/</a><!-- m -->

One of the big ones we noticed though compared to the past models we test drove was how dang quiet it was. It is dare I say Audi-quiet inside, which it sounds like it was the result of a lot of thoughtful engineering. The fit and finish of the interior, the leather, everything is much, much higher quality as well. I thought these were decent enough before in GT trim, this is a definite step up. The overall exterior styling is better although I think the back looks frumpier compared to the outgoing models. I absolutely love the LED headlights, tails and fogs though. Seriously so nice! Wheels look good and the grill is nice too. When I was watching it while wifey was turning it around after the pics and pulling it into the garage, it is kind of like a slightly less attractive sister of the F-Pace.

Details:
2017 CX-5 Grand Touring AWD
Jet Black Mica / Parchment interior (wife's favorite combo)
This one had every option available I believe including:
Premium Package
- 2-position memory driver's seat
- 6-way power adjustable passenger seat
- Active Driving Display (HUD) with Traffic Sign Recognition (really sick)
- Heated rear seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Windshield wiper de-icer
Power liftgate
Bose sound with oontz in the spare tire / Navigation (free updates for 3 years!)
Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC)
Smart City Brake Support (SCBS)
Smart Brake Support (SBS)
Lane Keep Assist / Lane Departure Warning System
Distance Recognition Support System (DRSS)
Blind Spot Monitoring
Rear Cross Traffic Alert / Backup cam
LED headlights, taillights, fogs with Adaptive Front Lighting System and automatic high beam control
Rear seat USB charging ports (built into armrest)
All weather mats / vinyl paint protection on door edges and door handle cavities
Rear climate vents (apparently old ones didn't have this?)
All the typical new car stuff nowadays, push start, keyless, homelink, etc.

Driving impressions aside from the fact that it drives like a car that costs $10-$15k more, it's peppy and compliant as the old models were. It's not quite as springy or agile feeling as the RDX was, but thanks to that it soaks up road imperfections that are South Carolina standard much better than the Acura did. There's slightly more body roll but I am attributing that to whatever these Toyos are they put on these, new tires would probably make a massive difference here.

Pics!






Little frumpy, yea
















Hard to get a good pic of the HUD, snagged this quick one while we were stuck in traffic on the way home. I have since turned up its brightness and lowered it a lot.


Plans:
Not much, it's going to be a mommy mobile when we get to that point so it doesn't need much done to it. Only things right now on the docket for sure are:
- Tint front windows, maybe clear bra the headlights, maybe clear bra the interior gloss black trim
- LED swap for all interior lighting and license plate lights
- Wheel locks & splash guards
- Maybe OEM retractable cargo cover
- The ricer still in me says maybe some kind of interior LED footwell lighting or something. With how well designed the interior is one of the things that really stands out to me is the lack of lighting accents. It's like very stark and dark at night even with the navi screen and such inside the cabin. I got a little spoiled here with the cool accents my Jag had, this probably won't happen but not out of the realm of possibility.

Other things I enjoy so far:
- Not buying premium fuel
- Saving almost $200/year on insurance premiums (safety equipment helps a lot I guess)
- Happy wife for long time

:thumbup:

Hey all! Exciting news!

It's been pretty hush-hush for a while, but now I'm free to share this program with you guys. I was originally approached by our faculty adviser, Dr. Borg a few months ago about a project being led by a few JMU higher-ups and former President Linwood Rose to get a Motorsports program started at JMU and to have MM involved. The coolest news was that JMU was purchasing a renovating a garage nearby campus for the program that MM would be allowed to use for meetings and instruction. Details were few and far between due to all of the red tape.

This program will be dynamic and ever-changing based on feedback and performance, but essentially JMU has a non-profit set up to offer courses that instruct in all things Motorsports. These courses will not be for credit or certification and will not require you to be a JMU student. They are planning to offer these courses in short intensive sessions in between JMU class schedules and the first one is in August. The first courses will focus on classic air cooled Porsche restoration including a full rebuild of a motor and eventually leading into body work and then hopefully down the road, leading to even more.

The "dream" is that if these courses are successful, it could lead into a Motorsports Management degree, an Automotive Engineering degree, or anything along those lines, but that is in the distant future.

As of now, there is a Facebook page that is live: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.facebook.com/Madison-Automotive-Apprentices-1389887317716022/">https://www.facebook.com/Madison-Automo ... 317716022/</a><!-- m -->

Coming soon is the official website: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.madisonauto.org/">http://www.madisonauto.org/</a><!-- m -->

Let me know if you have any questions! I'll be happy to share any information I have, but at the moment, there's not much else to know.

I don't know whether it's due to watching too much RCR, reading a lot of Jalopnik, or a brain tumor, but I enjoy looking for once mainstream survivor cars, mainly from the 80s and 90s, that are the opposite of cool. These are the cars that no enthusiast would ever give a second glance. These are cars your Aunt bought, drove her kids around in, ran into the ground and sold to a dealer for $100. They were never meant to be held on to, cared for, or loved, but occasionally one slips through the cracks. Finding them is surprisingly difficult. It is harder to find a clean 1st generation Plymouth Voyager than a Model T Ford.

Is anyone interested in starting a weekly challenge to find the cleanest example of a super terrible car? The finder of the best terrible car example picks the next challenge. No price limits. No cool cars. Cars should preferably be 1970+ that sold in the many thousands of units but are almost extinct. Some examples off the top of my head are the X2 Hyundai Excel, 1st and 2nd Generation Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager, Geo Storm, Eagle anything non-Talon, Dodge Shadow, and Chevrolet Lumina APV . Posted examples should strive for originality, low mileage and cleanliness.

If so, week one's challenge is the Ford Tempo / Mercury Topaz (inspired by this week's Jalopnik article, found here - http://jalopnik.com/meh-car-monday-of-co...1795027786). Bonus points are given for the Mercury Topaz GS V6 with a 5-speed manual.

Here is one such example of a clean Ford Tempo, clocking in with only 17k miles:

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/...48958.html

Large vintage BMW meet in Asheville, NC on May 19th and 20th.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.atthevintage.com/">http://www.atthevintage.com/</a><!-- m -->

I'm super excited to get a green light from the family to attend this year, after a couple of false starts in previous years. I think there were 470 registered cars at last check.

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In case anyone is interested, I've got a hotel room/space available for both nights, and a cousin in the area if extra crash space is needed.

or go to HizzyFizzy that weekend, whatever.

2 Alpine 12" 250W subs and Alpine 500W Amp
I want my trunk back so someone buy my subs. Got them new 5 years ago and haven't had any problems with them. The rubber trim rings fall off once every couple months but they go back on in 30 seconds. I can look at the original boxes when I go home if anyone needs model/specs for them.



XBOX ONE
Selling my Xbox One that I got like 3 months after it came out. I haven't played it since last summer and don't really need it since I have a PC now. Its got 2 controllers but the analog stick on one thinks that it is being pressed slightly up when its centered. The disk drive became really finicky after like 4 months of owning it. Sometimes the disks have to be put in and out of the drive 5-10 times to get it to read. Since that happened I've only downloaded games from the online store so I don't have to deal with it. The only disks I have are BF4 and FIFA 14 or 15. Kinect hasn't been able to power on in a couple years, but I never used it anyway.

Its at home in Halifax, but I'll be at hyperfest if anyone wants to buy it I can bring it there. Also probably be back in Harrisonburg for a weekend or two over the summer.
$150

I wanna make my e30 more practical...ish.

Okay. Go

DJ mentioned a concours event in Vienna next weekend and I sarcastically suggested to Lauren that we should crash the rich guys' wine, cheese & car party, and she enthusiastically, and non-sarcastically agreed.

So uh, my car is registered to participate in a concours now. :dunno:

Should be an interesting day seeing how the upper echelon of the car world does things, luckily it's in Vienna so there are other things to do, we'll probably hang out in the morning and watch all of the garage queens come in and park, then wander around town and get lunch to burn a few hours before making it back for the 3PM Wine & Cheese reception.

http://www.dmconcours.com/

I need to iron my good polo shirt.

Not that we haven't all already seen it on Facebook, but just in case anyone missed it, our own Donald James Fitzpatrick, Race Driver Extraordinaire, Master of Engine Transplants, Disciple of Speed, BMW Soulraiser, Our Man of Perpetual Greasiness, Champion of Oversteer, Maestro of Heel-Toe, with a feather-light touch and nerves of steel, has officially fathered a child!!!