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What hot hatch do you own? This poll is closed. |
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| Golf GTI / R / R32 |
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196 | 0.02% |
| Impreza WRX / STi |
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133 | 0.01% |
| Mazdaspeed 3 |
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92 | 0.01% |
| Veloster Turbo |
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20 | 0.00% |
| Focus ST |
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149 | 0.01% |
| Other Hot Hatch |
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230 | 0.02% |
| Elantra GT |
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1000001 | 99.92% |
| Total: | 1000821 votes | ||
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Good grief. The rims that terrible or the roads that bad?
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Dec 29, 2014 18:40
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| # ? May 11, 2024 13:34 |
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Or the driver is that bad?  I'm guessing roads, I've been driving on 40 series tires for years in Mustangs and the M3 and I've never damaged a wheel (knock on wood - please don't wreck my Focus wheels Mr. Karma), but the one thing we probably take for granted here in the Phoenix area is nice roads without giant car-eating potholes.
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Dec 29, 2014 18:58
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CodeJanitor posted:What is the story with getting a 7th gen VW Golf R in 2015? They are doing their initial sale of 500 on January 8th, but what about after that? Any ideas on how long it would take to order one and get it delivered? If there is some delay? I am interested in one (its between the GTI, R, or FoST) and wondering if they will be available around March/April timeframe. Get in line. The 500 you can put a deposit down on are all DSG/NAV/Tech and are going to be 39600. The manual won't even be available until 2016 models. Wheel chat, I've been running 40 series tires for almost a decade (35 series on the current car) and never bent a wheel. You guys must drive in some apocalyptic area of the country with gaping holes just all over the road. I did manage to slide into the curb on the way in this morning in the snow cause I turned in going too fast. Really gotta put my snows on. No damage though. Wasn't going more than maybe 5mph.
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Dec 29, 2014 19:43
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Bob A Feet posted:Had one wheel straightened only to discover the other on the same side is bent as well. Beautiful. At least it's holding air. I've put about $1500 into maintenance on the tires/wheels of this car alone. Its getting old.
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Dec 29, 2014 19:44
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The tires on the FiST are 205/40/R17, so basically tiny rubberbands. I live in NYC and the roads are basically the worst in the world - I avoid as many as I can but sometimes you're just hosed.
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Dec 29, 2014 19:49
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ilkhan posted:You could try not running over giant potholes and/or curbs Well in my defense only a little of that is the wheel repair. And that was an unavoidable one across half the lane. I was going too fast for it though. The rest was tires. I posted when I got new ones but I had a near-sidewall nail on one while I lived in Florida. After moving from to and from Texas 8 months later (military) I had to replace all 4- two with sidewall nails, one with a structural mesh wire poking through it (tire defect), and the last one had two nails and a rock in it which was repairable but I was gonna buy three as it is soooo... I also got a new one a month ago from another nail but I bought my local tire places warranty and they replaced it for $20  also the mount and balance during this wheel repair was free too.The one with the defect was warrantied by either the dealer (and I now live in NC and bought the car in FL) or Goodyear, can't remember which one, but only for a new tire of the same kind, and I was gonna move to pilot super sports. Plus I was told it would take months and I needed tires then. So I'll leave it at this: don't live in Pensacola Florida or Corpus Christi Texas. The roads are third world like.
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Dec 29, 2014 20:10
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I put my winter tires on the FiST this morning was surprised and annoyed that there are no good front or rear jacking points so I can jack up one end of the car at once to put it on stands. I ended up having to jack it up in the corners and squeeze a stand in next to the jack. I searched around various forms and couldn't find anything definitive about front or rear jacking points other than the corners. Annoying.
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Dec 31, 2014 16:20
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GutBomb posted:I put my winter tires on the FiST this morning was surprised and annoyed that there are no good front or rear jacking points so I can jack up one end of the car at once to put it on stands. I ended up having to jack it up in the corners and squeeze a stand in next to the jack. I searched around various forms and couldn't find anything definitive about front or rear jacking points other than the corners. Annoying. Agreed, it is annoying. I jacked up my FiST where the lower control arms mount in the front to change my oil.
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Dec 31, 2014 16:58
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Coolnezzz posted:Agreed, it is annoying. I jacked up my FiST where the lower control arms mount in the front to change my oil. I've got rhino ramps for oil changes. Hopefully the front overhang isn't an issue.
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Dec 31, 2014 21:37
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GutBomb posted:I looked there but I was afraid of bending the metal there. Did you use a hockey puck or some sort of pad there? It seemed the best spot, the metal bent slightly from one of the pokey corners on my friends jack. Next time I'll use something like a hockey puck to prevent that from happening again.
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Dec 31, 2014 22:26
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GutBomb posted:I put my winter tires on the FiST this morning was surprised and annoyed that there are no good front or rear jacking points so I can jack up one end of the car at once to put it on stands. I ended up having to jack it up in the corners and squeeze a stand in next to the jack. I searched around various forms and couldn't find anything definitive about front or rear jacking points other than the corners. Annoying. The jacking points should be listed in the manual? http://fiestast.net/attachments/jacking-jpg.899/
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Jan 1, 2015 02:07
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Bovril Delight posted:The jacking points should be listed in the manual? That's in the shop manual, not the one that comes with the car, and those are the corner jack points. I was looking for a place to lift the whole front end at once. Those points aren't really big enough to jack it up and place a stand there safely.
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Jan 1, 2015 05:03
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Can I play? 2013 VW Polo GTI, I've had it for about a year and a half now. I wanted a hot hatch but I didn't want to pay for a golf (Golf GTI is about $15k AUD more than the Polo GTI) and the Fiesta wasn't available yet, also the car has a lot of pointlessly overcomplicated technology in it which appeals to me for some reason. So far it's been completely reliable and I'm very happy. Comfortable and practical for normal driving and fast and fun when you want to do that too. Went to a track day with it and drove with a friend who has a mini JCW, despite his car being a lot more powerful (and expensive) we were more or less even in terms of lap times on a very twisty course.  
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Jan 1, 2015 22:38
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I finally got a good test drive of a FiST with Recaros: it was real good. This time not only did the salesman not try to hard sell me on buying one right there, he barely seemed interested in talking to me and wasn't even there when I got back. The one I did talk to when I dropped off the key and plate off did mention I should get some glass coat stuff for the paint for $600 (when I do buy) that I assume is bullshit. Overall it was great fun to drive and all the other good things you've heard about it. I'm 6'0" and 250lbs and the Recaros still felt great, if I do end up getting one it will absolutely have them. The only small negative was that it felt like I was sitting higher up than my regular Fiesta but I'm pretty sure that's just because this ST had a sunroof. Probably a good thing it had a sunroof otherwise I might have been tempted to make an irresponsible decision. EDIT: Only real downside was the trunk. The full size spare take up a good amount of space an makes the trunk noticeably smaller. SFH1989 fucked around with this message at 01:11 on Jan 3, 2015 |
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Jan 3, 2015 00:05
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Observation on Focus ST after 1 week and 500'ish miles: Really could use a larger fuel tank. Also, 32mpg highway is wildly optimistic as cruise control at 75mph on flat Phoenix freeway returns 28~29mpg*. I suppose it might pull that off at 55? On the other hand, it doesn't get much worse than that overall in mixed driving, as it's at 25.8mpg average since picking it up and I've been driving it a lot harder on average than I did the old commuter car. *numbers from car's computer system, I haven't calculated the real mileage from fill-ups yet.
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Jan 4, 2015 08:13
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The Locator posted:Observation on Focus ST after 1 week and 500'ish miles: Really could use a larger fuel tank. To get 32mpg, you'll need to cruise at 60-65, from my experience. A tune helped me with gas mileage as well. Finally, for all that the car is decent in 6th gear cruising at 60-65, your mileage will drop to 18-22 with any kind of city driving.
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Jan 4, 2015 13:47
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The Locator posted:Observation on Focus ST after 1 week and 500'ish miles: Really could use a larger fuel tank. Yeah I don't care about the weight but the ST could def use another gallon or too in the tank.
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Jan 4, 2015 19:49
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The Locator posted:Observation on Focus ST after 1 week and 500'ish miles: Really could use a larger fuel tank. It should improve as you put miles on the car. My Fiesta ST was getting a dismal 17 city and 26 highway when I first got it. Now after 8k miles it sits right at 24 city and 32-34 highway depending on how many big hills there are.
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Jan 4, 2015 20:26
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BoostCreep posted:It should improve as you put miles on the car. My Fiesta ST was getting a dismal 17 city and 26 highway when I first got it. Now after 8k miles it sits right at 24 city and 32-34 highway depending on how many big hills there are. I've had my Fiesta ST for a week now and I'm getting the same thing you were at the start. It's about the same mileage as I was averaging with the FR-S so that's fine, any eventual improvement will be a bonus. I I installed one of those rear view mirror replacement backup camera systems today because the rearward visibility is dismal. It was pretty simple. For the camera it mounts to the top of the license plate. I pulled the rubber nub that holds the bottom of the plate out and ran the camera wire behind the plate into that hole and into the hatch, tucked under the plastic trim. I hooked that to the transmitter, and for power I tapped into the reverse light wire so the transmitter only operated when I'm in reverse. I mounted the transmitter behind the rear passenger seat belt. For the mirror, it clips on over the existing mirror. I was expecting there to be some rattling but there isn't. I lopped the cigarette lighter plug off the end of the wire and used a fuse tap to add a new fuse to the reverse lights fuse because it's one of the few circuits in this car that only runs when the car is actually on. The cigarette lighter is always on. I ran a ground from the mirror to a stud by the fuse box with a ring terminal. It works really well and the whole thing took about an hour. GutBomb fucked around with this message at 03:46 on Jan 5, 2015 |
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Jan 4, 2015 22:04
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GutBomb posted:...it's one of the few circuits in this car that only runs when the car is actually on. The cigarette lighter is always on. I ran a ground from the mirror to a stud by the fuse box with a ring terminal. If it's like the Focus, they aren't really always on (cigarette lighter), they are on a timer and shut off about 5 minutes after the car shuts down, but come on anytime you open a door. I wired my dash-cam into the cigarette lighter, and it comes on as soon as I open the door, and then stays on for 5 minutes after I shut the car down and walk away, which is fine.
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Jan 4, 2015 22:30
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The Locator posted:If it's like the Focus, they aren't really always on (cigarette lighter), they are on a timer and shut off about 5 minutes after the car shuts down, but come on anytime you open a door. I wired my dash-cam into the cigarette lighter, and it comes on as soon as I open the door, and then stays on for 5 minutes after I shut the car down and walk away, which is fine. I first had the mirror hooked up to the cigarette lighter but noticed the light blinking on it after I closed the car and locked it. I went back an hour later and looked in the window and it was still blinking. I looked again an hour after that and it was still blinking. I decided to play it safe in case it would run down the battery if I leave the car alone for a weekend. Besides, having it hardwired just feels cleaner.
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Jan 4, 2015 22:59
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GutBomb posted:I first had the mirror hooked up to the cigarette lighter but noticed the light blinking on it after I closed the car and locked it. I went back an hour later and looked in the window and it was still blinking. I looked again an hour after that and it was still blinking. I decided to play it safe in case it would run down the battery if I leave the car alone for a weekend. Besides, having it hardwired just feels cleaner. Guess the Fiesta is different!
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Jan 4, 2015 23:40
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Well, I've gone and done it. I found what seemed to be the only Certified Fiesta ST in Northern California, and it is now mine. It's a 2014 with 2500 miles on it. I've never owned a car that was in any way exciting to drive, so this weekend was pretty fun to say the least. Car is amazing, but I have a couple of questions: 1. Does this thing require premium? Best answer I've found online is "If you want to." I don't really care if premium just gives a couple percent on performance and mileage, but I will use it if it's better for the engine. 2. Where the hell do I put my sunglasses in this car? The little slot behind the gearshift is just barely too small.
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Jan 5, 2015 18:48
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Capn Jobe posted:1. Does this thing require premium? Best answer I've found online is "If you want to." I don't really care if premium just gives a couple percent on performance and mileage, but I will use it if it's better for the engine. It doesn't require premium, but it's a turbo engine in a sporty car. Why not get the most performance out of it you can? Of course the highest octane you can use will help reduce preignition which is ultimately better for the engine. Premium gas is generally 20 cents per gallon more than 87 octane which ends up being only a couple hundred bucks over the course of the year. Seems worth it to me in a performance car.
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Jan 5, 2015 19:21
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People on the ST forums seem to say you get 20HP extra with premium and that sounds like horseshit to me. Car forum people are the worst people on the planet. The dealer gave it to me full, I have no idea what was in it at that point. I doubt the dealer put premium in but who knows. When I refilled it this weekend I put premium in because all of my previous cars required it and it's become habit. My next tank I'm planning to put 87 in to see if I notice a difference. I doubt I'm going to. 20HP is a big difference. I'd expect that kind of jump with E85 but not just jumping from 87 to 93, but maybe I'm wrong.
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Jan 5, 2015 19:31
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All of the EcoBoost engines from Ford will run on 87 octane, they just pull timing to do so and reduce power output. Fuel mileage supposedly gets worse as well. I personally hate the way my 3.5L EB engines run on 87, and 93 is only 30 cents more a gallon, so I run 93 in my car. It's not 'better' for the engine per se, but if you want to get the most out of the car, put the higher octane stuff in.
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Jan 5, 2015 19:40
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I usually put premium in my focus. I feel like I can tell a difference when I put regular in. Of course it might be completely psychosomatic. That said, it still feels plenty sporty regardless of what fuel you put in.
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Jan 5, 2015 19:44
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I think Ford themselves claim the engine gets more HP on 91/93. You bought a turbocharged car, pay the extra 2-3 bucks and put good gas in. Seriously.
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Jan 5, 2015 20:07
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skipdogg posted:All of the EcoBoost engines from Ford will run on 87 octane, they just pull timing to do so and reduce power output. Fuel mileage supposedly gets worse as well. The rated power is on 87 octane. The 91 tune in the new navigator is 380hp/460ft/lbs.
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Jan 5, 2015 22:52
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http://www.stoctaneacademy.com/ is back open for registration. Any ST owners done it yet?
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Jan 5, 2015 22:57
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GutBomb posted:People on the ST forums seem to say you get 20HP extra with premium and that sounds like horseshit to me. Car forum people are the worst people on the planet. Granted, it's the 2.3L Ecoboost in the Mustang, buuuuut... 
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Jan 5, 2015 23:29
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It can really depend on the engine management but modern cars are pretty good at getting a lot of power out of good ol 87 octane. The GTI for example: VAG also seems to consistently be good at sandbagging on their official HP figures as well.
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Jan 5, 2015 23:44
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According to the owners manual for the Focus, there is a 9hp difference between premium and regular. 243 vs.252 if I remember correctly.
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Jan 6, 2015 00:50
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8ender posted:It can really depend on the engine management but modern cars are pretty good at getting a lot of power out of good ol 87 octane. The GTI for example: Why does VAG refuse to go bigger than 2.0 on their 4 bangers. It's getting somewhat out of hand that the new R has almost 300hp with a 2.0. The giant turbo and headwork/internals seem like they would cost more than just bumping displacement a bit.
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Jan 6, 2015 22:45
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veedubfreak posted:Why does VAG refuse to go bigger than 2.0 on their 4 bangers. It's getting somewhat out of hand that the new R has almost 300hp with a 2.0. The giant turbo and headwork/internals seem like they would cost more than just bumping displacement a bit.
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Jan 6, 2015 23:48
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veedubfreak posted:Why does VAG refuse to go bigger than 2.0 on their 4 bangers. It's getting somewhat out of hand that the new R has almost 300hp with a 2.0. The giant turbo and headwork/internals seem like they would cost more than just bumping displacement a bit. VAG agrees with you but decided displacement and an extra cylinder was the answer because Germans http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/new-audi-rs3-2015-revealed-2014-12-11
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Jan 7, 2015 08:26
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Eelface posted:http://www.stoctaneacademy.com/ is back open for registration. Any ST owners done it yet? I did, it was fun.
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Jan 7, 2015 17:58
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I just registered for the end of May. I'll be in Utah for family stuff anyway at that time so it's perfect.
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Jan 7, 2015 20:46
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I celebrated 1000 miles on the Focus today by abusing the stock tires at an autocross. Surprisingly nimble and fun to drive for a FWD car, this may have been a good choice.' Video from my cheapo dash-cam, as I didn't take the GoPro or ContourHD to the event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTT_sZ_-298
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Jan 12, 2015 03:24
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| # ? May 11, 2024 13:34 |
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After a tank and a half of 87 in the FiST I'm going back to 93. The power feels exactly the same but the mileage is worse by a pretty large margin. I'll end up paying less per mile with 93. Installing an under-seat "subwoofer" this weekend and doing my 1000 mile oil change and installing a fumoto valve while I do it. GutBomb fucked around with this message at 06:13 on Jan 14, 2015 |
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Jan 14, 2015 06:11
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