Am I Too Old For a Sports Car?
Q. I have always wanted a Mazda Miata and was wondering if you have driven the latest model? I’m 65 years old and about 5’10’’ would you recommend this small sport car for someone like me? Am I too old for a sports car?
A. I recently drove the Miata Club Sport model, with the retractable hardtop. I found it to be a fun little car. The hardtop takes up a little interior headroom that might be an issue with drivers over six feet tall. The car is easy to drive, handles great and still in my opinion is the best spiritual successor of the 1960s MG models. Regarding your age, what difference does it make as long as you enjoy what you buy.
Q. I have a 1991 Pontiac 6000 SE with a 3.1 liter V6 and four speed automatic transmission. The problem is the car has a high pitch whistling/whining noise that’s loudest when I start off and louder now with the colder weather. The noise stays with you almost all the time going from loud to softer at will. I have had both the alternator and air conditioner compressor changed. I’m now being told it’s the transmission. I went to a have the transmission checked but, one transmission guy said the transmission wouldn’t make that kind of noise, one said it could. Neither mechanic heard the noise and only was going by my description of the problem. Any thoughts on what this could be?
A. The first thing is to determine if the noise is a component driven by the engine. This can usually be accomplished by removing the various drive belts to see if the noise disappears. This should be done with caution since one of the belts drives the water pump and you don’t want the car to overheat. Then you would want to eliminate any rotational noises caused by wheel bearings and brake components. Once you have eliminated all of these possibilities the transmission is about all that is left. Considering the age of the car I think I would drive it until the noise becomes more apparent or affects the operation of the transmission.
Q. I have recently purchased a 2007 Lexus ES350 with 24,500 miles. The car was serviced from the dealer which I bought it from last July. I negotiated some additional maintenance to the typical oil change and filters, such as changing the brake and transmission fluids. The car has new Michelin tires. I would like to improve the handling if possible and am interested in your thoughts about changing struts or even just replacing the suspension bushings. My previous vehicles all had handling/touring packages. I looked around for suspension upgrade options to address this issue but without success. It occurred to me the age of the struts even at such low mileage might be possible. I understand that this is a bit like asking how to make your dress shoes perform like sneakers, but any thoughts would be very much appreciated.
A. As nice as the 2007 Lexus ES models are, they were never known for superior handling. Anything you try could be just expensive experiments with questionable results. Lowering the suspension slightly could help as would upgraded shocks/struts and bushings. Since many of the same parts are used in the same year Camry, you could try using those known upgrades. The problem is that you may be trading off a nice ride for superior handling.
Q. My Honda Civic Si was screeching in first gear upon release of the clutch (sounds similar to a fan belt noise). The dealer replaced the clutch’s master cylinder. Now it still happens, but not as frequently. When I told the mechanic two minutes after leaving the shop, he mocked me saying it was impossible. The head of the shop took it for a test drive and of course it was silent. What is it and what do you recommend? In my 50 years of driving standard shift cars, I have never had this problem. What can I do?
A. Honda doesn’t list any technical service bulletins for this problem but after doing some research on the internet, it appears that the clutch throw-out bearing is a problem. You will need to demonstrate the issue to the dealer or perhaps even make a video of the noise to show the service manager at the dealership. Once the noise is identified I am confident it can be remedied.
Q. A year ago when traveling across the country I would always carry tire chains in case I got stuck. Now with the design of cars and wider tires conventional tire chains don’t seem practical. Is there something you could recommend?
A. I recently came across a product called the AutoSock. This is a self-centering and easy to install winter traction aid for driving on snow and ice. The product is made of a high strength fabric developed in Norway and claims to provide better traction than tires with tire chains.
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