Learned'd VIII: Less Bewbs, Same Nonsense

[Kompresshun]

I know BMW's can be nightmares, but it would be hard to turn that down. IMHO the E36 M3 is absolutely amazing. The only one I like more is the E92 M3. You could have a heck of a lot of fun in that thing.

[sx moneypit]

Not a bad gig, Chris. Its more-or-less the same here.


Question of the day!
All things equal- should I trade my turbo Miata for an E36 M3?
M3 has 120k, new top end, multiangle valve job, new water pump, new belts & gaskets within 1k miles, T3 turbo, intercooler, coilovers, exhaust, roll bar, 225hp.

Sounds like a sore d*ck,hard to beat that deal.

[frapjap]

I was enthusiastic like you guys when I first started thinking of it. Then came the step back to evaluate everything on the table.
The turbo bit bothers me somewhat. A modded car is an expensive car, and a modded BMW is likely to set my wallet on fire faster than my Miata to maintain and replace parts when the time comes. It is undoubtedly a cool/awesome/fantastic car but the potential expenses are a huge concern. I b**** when the miata needs something replaced- and its relatively cheap. Its a helluva toss up deciding whether to take the hit to own something very fun like that M.

[Kompresshun]

Then take the turbo off of the BMW and put it back to stock. It's still a blast even in stock form. As long as it seems solid though, i'd jump on that in a heartbeat. M3>Miata.

[frapjap]

^ Good thinking!
I sent him a message to contact me and to get more details on his car. If he wants money on his end (and may) I probably won't go through with it, but it'll be worth investigating at the least.

[WDRacing]

M3 > Miata.

Just keep the boost down and you'll be fine. Keep a close eye on the cooling system, the radiators are known weak spots. They leak, then overheat, then warp heads.

Other than that, dude...M3!

Bimmers are expensive if you have someone else work on them. If you DIY it's really not all that bad.

[frapjap]

You guys are the worst angels and devils ever.

[Kompresshun]

[sx moneypit]

[WDRacing]

You guys are the worst angels and devils ever.

Why wouldn't you do it? The M3 will do everything the Miata does, only better.

[Dattebayo]

I don't like working on E36 models. It's a btich.

[Bubba1]

You guys are the worst angels and devils ever.

Why wouldn't you do it? The M3 will do everything the Miata does, only better.

Of course the financial risk is entirely yours. Listen, both are fun cars. Yes, the M3 performs better, but it costs more in every way too. If you're investing money into the Miata, you might enjoy the dang thing for awhile.

[WDRacing]

It's not just performance though Joel. Everything from road noise to seats is going to be better in the M3. The cost ain't that bad, it's on par with any other high-end brand when you're comparing parts.

If you need to take it to a dealer, you get f***.

You're only young once Ray...

[sx moneypit]

It's not just performance though Joel. Everything from road noise to seats is going to be better in the M3. The cost ain't that bad, it's on par with any other high-end brand when you're comparing parts.

If you need to take it to a dealer, you get f***ed.

You're only young once Ray...

Brian is right Ray,life will pass you by before you know it!

[MinisterofDOOM]

You're only young once Ray...

Youth is fleeting, but city-crushing robot bodies are forever.

[WDRacing]

Way off topic here...

Chris you ever beat Ravenholm with just the gravity gun?

[frapjap]

Morning fellas.

I sent the owner of the M3 a message so its in his court now. At worst, it doesn't work out and I still have a turbo miata with decent suspension. Though 4th gen F body convertibles have been on my watch list lately....

[WDRacing]

The 4th Gens are getting very affordable these days.

[frapjap]

They definitely have.
Though there is always the gut feeling that if you purchase an LS car, there is only one LS car worth purchasing; C5.

I'll take mine in electron blue, convertible.


Dammit, thats a hot car. Drooling (more like LUSTING) over it right now, actually. Guess that settles it, no more cars until I get an electron blue convertible Corvette.

[frapjap]

Mmmm, I found it, but the car is an automatic. Automatic Corvettes shouldn't be allowed...
Also, note the temp on the display!

[Kompresshun]

Nothing wrong with an automatic Vette. While I wouldn't buy one, they're still a blast to drive. Plus mid-life crisis balding men need to make themselves look cool, without worrying about a sciatica attack!

[Bubba1]

It's not just performance though Joel. Everything from road noise to seats is going to be better in the M3. The cost ain't that bad, it's on par with any other high-end brand when you're comparing parts.

If you need to take it to a dealer, you get f***ed.

You're only young once Ray...

I completely agree that the M3 is a better car than a Miata. And if I were buying a fun car for myself, I'd probably buy an M3 over a Miata assuming equal condition, but that's not the issue. Ray's in the process of putting significant time/effort/money into his little turbo zoom zoom. My view is why not enjoy the results of his hard work (at least for awhile) rather than sellng it (probably at a loss) for another car. It's not like his Miata isn't already a fun car, plus it'll be awesome when he finally gets it sorted.

[WDRacing]

Cause why not enjoy a better car instead? If I was in Rays position, I'd trade up for the M3.

I depends on the deal though. I assume Ray is trading the Miata for even cash and that the M3 is in good condition. Lot of assumptions...

[MinisterofDOOM]

Way off topic here...

Chris you ever beat Ravenholm with just the gravity gun?

Oh, heck yes. That's actually my favorite way to do it, not just for fun-factor, but because it means I get to stock up on .357 and shotgun ammo without actually using any. There's more than enough stuff laying around to go ammo-free through the whole chapter. The only hairy bit is waiting for the tram/bucket thing to go from the city to the graveyard. There's nothing good up there except shotgun ammo. You can actually drop down to ground level, though, and handle the zombies down there, then just head back up after the bucket arrives.

[WDRacing]

I played it through thinking I could use the crowbar also...yeah...no. Was gonna play it again but I was wondering about exactly what you mentioned...the tram bucket. Aint s*** to throw around up there. I'll give her another go tomorrow.

I still play Half Life more than any other game, by far my favorite. Makes me wonder why they haven't released #3. It would immediately be a cult favorite. Easy money...

[MinisterofDOOM]

Me too. All the Half Life games, even the less-loved Blue Shift, still get a lot of playtime from me.

As for HL3...Valve doesn't do anything halfway. So that's why not yet. It's still silly that it has taken so long. But HL2 was worth the wait so I will be patient.

[Hijacker]

If you want to be creeped out, play HL2 with Fake Factory's cinematic mod and run through Ravenholm. I played through the tail end of Ep 0 with the mod and am mostly through Ep 1 with the mod. It makes for a pretty game. There are some issues with the modder's stylistic choices, but at least some of those choices you can default back to Valve's style.

My thoughts on HL3 are mixed emotions. I know that Valve is working on it, but due to the internal structure of the company, it's hard to say when it'll be done. Programmers aren't assigned to projects, each employee can choose what team to float to. So if a lot of team members are working on other projects, HL3 will get continually delayed. After some of the leaks that happened with HL2, Gaben has been really tight lipped on HL3. At this point, the hype train is so high, that I have a feeling that HL3 will fail to deliver on whatever ridiculous expectations gamers have set.

Also, I can't stand Valve's trolling of the gaming community when it comes to HL3. Developers with HL3 shirts walk convention floors, Gabe gives no information to people camped outside the studio asking about the game, voice talent goes on record saying HL3 was cancelled and then retracts the statement. It would just be nice to hear from Valve "Yes we're working on it. No we have no release date. No we can't show anything at this time."

[WDRacing]

If you want to be creeped out, play HL2 with Fake Factory's cinematic mod and run through Ravenholm.

I'll give that a go. Any other cool mod suggestions?

[Hijacker]

That's the only one I use, but I'm not too big on playing with mods. I usually just like high res stuff. FF's mod adds in hi res textures and models. There's some scenery change as well to make the world a bit more realistic, but the flow shouldn't be interrupted. I do dislike that his model for the combine rifle looks more like an MP5 with a 40mm launcher attached. It kills the coolness of using that rifle IMO. But the DX 10 effects can't be beat!

[WDRacing]

Werd, I've never played with any mods. I hear there is a mod that allows you to use the nano suit from Crisis. That may be cool.

Ever since I played HL2 I've really never been as happy with another game. Mass Effect is the closest to filling the need.