'04 IS300 - Project (Not Really) Nice Daily

[Ryan T]

Pontiac G8 GT. Then, when you get bored of the G8 as a daily, you already have the LS1 drivetrain for your RX7. Its foolproof

[Tyler.M]

G8's were Ls2's? or maybe the switched after a certain model year. Either way, put an LS in it

[Senor_Taylor]

My office is one building over from the Fiat dealership if you want to grab lunch or something. I even drove the 4Runner today.

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[RawrImAMonster]

G8's were Ls2's? or maybe the switched after a certain model year. Either way, put an LS in it

The G8 GXP's were LS3's.  The GT's were some other non LS series V8.

[*insertusernamehere*]

I really really really like the g8 option.

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[Senor_Taylor]

Why not buy a nice Automatic MkIV Supra?

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[ViPER1313]

G8's were Ls2's? or maybe the switched after a certain model year. Either way, put an LS in it

The G8 GXP's were LS3's.  The GT's were some other non LS series V8.

GT is the L76 V8 which is almost an LS3 but a bit smaller.

http://www.g8board.com/forums/#/topics/118298

[Goodspeed]

Went to inspect the car yesterday at Safford - I was only meant to meet with the body shop's estimator, but by chance the local USAA rep was also there at the time so we all went over the car together.  I brought all my paperwork on the car including some research I had done on values, which I feel helped to bolster my case that my IS was one of the better ones out there condition-wise.  They were both very solid guys to deal with, and they gave me a tour of the damage and the estimation process:



Poor photo, but the trunk floor & support beam was pretty well demolished:



The panel gaps forward of the rear doors seemed to check out by my eye, but they did mark that the rear door gap on the driver's side was too wide, while the mirrored gap on the passenger side was pinched.



Result: the car is fixable - Safford noted that while many shops wouldn't want to touch this kind of repair, they would - but the unfinished estimate was clearing $9,600.  USAA stated it's a total loss and came back with what I feel is a very fair offer, so I'll be working with them going forward to wrap things up.  So long IS, you were good to me.

[Ryan T]

You gonna throw your old wheels back on there and keep your good ones?

[V1GiLaNtE]

RIP. Sorry to hear Goody.

[Jake]

I remember the call from Geico telling me my white E36 was a total loss. On the one hand, yay, new car time - on the other, it's (pardon the pun) kind of crushing. Sorry she's leaving under terms that aren't yours, but glad that insurance was easy to deal with. Here's hoping you can get into a new something easily and quickly.

[ScottyB]

sorry man. i know those feels.

at least they're giving you a good offer, and hopefully it gets you into another super clean, cool daily.

[V1GiLaNtE]

Resonating with what Jake said, it sucks that this car is a lost but on the positive side I'm excited to see where this goes next. I always love following your threads because the attention to detail is something I really respect and appreciate.

[.RJ]

Goodspeed, I have a 135 for sale..... turrrrbooooo

[Goodspeed]

You gonna throw your old wheels back on there and keep your good ones?

Unfortunately I sold the originals a month or so ago, or I would've tried.  I suppose I could try to find some steelies with shot tires on CL, but I figure now that the car is in their hands and they've issued the total loss letter with offer, probably best to leave 'em be at this point.  

TBH those wheels kind of drove me crazy as they weren't the easiest to balance with the Yoko S.Drives, or the <2k mile old General G-Max AS-05's on them currently (though the General's balanced out much better).  For most of my time with them, there was always a shimmy or a shake here or there.  I had *just* gotten them pretty close to perfect thanks to Mach V and their megabuck Corgi balancer, then kablammo.

 I remember the call from Geico telling me my white E36 was a total loss. On the one hand, yay, new car time - on the other, it's (pardon the pun) kind of crushing. Sorry she's leaving under terms that aren't yours, but glad that insurance was easy to deal with. Here's hoping you can get into a new something easily and quickly.

Thanks Jake, it has been the best of a sucky situation thanks to everyone involved and a seamless process.

sorry man.  i know those feels.  

at least they're giving you a good offer, and hopefully it gets you into another super clean, cool daily.

Thanks Scotty, insert feelshugmeme.jpeg here.  I hope I come out of this anywhere near as happy as you are with the Si

Resonating with what Jake said, it sucks that this car is a lost but on the positive side I'm excited to see where this goes next. I always love following your threads because the attention to detail is something I really respect and appreciate.

Much appreciated, I'm glad to know my rampant car OCD has a following 

[WRXtranceformed]

Man that is a serious bummer. These things are like accident magnets!

If you troll us half as hard on your daily driver purchase process as you did with your fundorito, I am looking forward to the next few weeks

[Tyler.M]

the altezzas must have hypnotic qualities

[*insertusernamehere*]

I keep singing the Titanic my heart will go on song, why won't it stop

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[Goodspeed]

Time to see what she brings at auction 

https://www.iaai.com/Vehicle?itemID=2640...ecent=True

[Goodspeed]

Replacement is soon to be on the way, and it went something like this:

Acura TL/TL-S?
Another Miata? (came close...)
Lexus GS/LS?
WRX?

...et cetera, my fingers furiously tapping away at my keyboard in search of a clean, modestly-miled, unmolested example of any vehicle that held at least a cursory glance of mine at one point or another.

Until I said:



No, I loved my IS.  No, I wasn't anywhere near ready to depart from it, and no, there isn't any vehicle that I can think of - new or old - that has ever fit me so well while also being so practical (sorry Miata), affordable, and reliable.

The woman who hit me isn't taking that away from me.  The cesspool of 495 isn't either, hell - I'm talking to you, the guttural, dark-lord force that is DC area driving in general:  If you try to take away my minty IS, I'm going to get another one.  A rarer one.  A better one.  

Like a 1-owner, 85k mile '04 Sportdesign in black over ash gray (not beige) leather.  Soon to be shipped from Washington state.



I had always wanted a Sportdesign, with all the little aesthetic touches that they have, and now I've got one *thumbs nose at dark lord*.  

Yes, it's an auto.  There were 2 manuals in the country on Autotrader, and I didn't have forever and a day to find a manual one that I'd want.  Besides, this would be a much cooler base than my old one for a LS/T56 swap  ~(˘▾˘~)

Better pics to come once it lands and I've cleaned it up.