A little background is in order.

About 2 years ago I injured my back (working in the garage) and it's given me problems off and on over the last few years and recently it's been getting much worse. I've scheduled an appointment with another Dr. for later this month to see if there is something we can do besides "cracking it back into place" every few days/weeks, etc.

Anyway, due to the fact that it's recently been much worse and really starting to bother me at times, driving the Camaro is getting pretty uncomfortable some days (when it's really bad). It's pinching a nerve and on some days when I hit bumps, expansion joints, etc, it will give me a nasty headache.

So, I've been looking around at cars and I just haven't seen anything that interesting. So, I've just been driving the Camaro and trying to ignore it (some days that works better than others). Until the other night when Eugenio mentioned that he was looking at a Mazdaspeed 6. He then told me that it's AWD, turbocharged, 276 hp and 280 ft lbs and Car and Driver says 0-60 in 5.4, 1/4 mile in 14.0 @ 99 mph (nearly stock LT1 fast) and other than it weighing 3,500 lbs, it sounds rather interesting. It looks benign enough, the neighbors will probably consider it more respectable than my current ride (not that I really care in the least, nor am I in anything approaching a high end community) and it would work for hauling my great aunt and my grandmother around when they are in town (we no longer have a 4 door car, we used to drive the Mazda Protege 5 wagon when we had it for that job).

So, my wife is trying to convince me to go drive one and consider getting rid of the Camaro for the Mazda (and I'll probably wind up with a 3rd gen project car at a later date, if I get my back straightened out) and I'm getting tempted to at least go look.

It's your fault Eugenio, even if you don't buy one, I just might.

I'm guessing that it will get killed in its autocross class due to the weight (not that I'd race it, but if I did). Does anyone know anything about these cars?

Howdy,

I've never even seen one of those cars, but looking at the performance specs, I'd say that if you want that kinda car, get an STi instead.

STi's pretty much rock. They rock a little harder in modified form, but even totally stock they rock pretty good. 300 hp w/ 300 lb-ft I think, plus pretty short gearing. If you've ever driven a WRX and were unimpressed... They're nothing at all like that. They shouldn't even call the car a WRX at all. :-)

They're reasonably competitive in various autox classes too (AS, STU, BSP).

Mark

Kevin,

My back has been FUBAR'd now for over 10 years....I feel your pain!

Good luck with the doc's.....mine slowly got worse until one day, I realized I could not stand more than 15 minutes at a time and I was popping Motrin like breath mints....went to the REAL doctor then and after looking at the MRI he said ....."I can't believe you can even walk....."

10+ years later and a lot of pain, and I just deal with it....but I agree...I would not put up with discomfort on a daily driver....ESPECIALLY if you spend a lot of time in it....

Good luck!

Oh, I almost forgot. I get the employee discount on Ford/Mazda products. I'd not be buying it as a primarly competitive car, I'd be buying a driver that I might get bored and run an event or two in. The total mods to this car would likely be like my old GTI. It had a K&N and upgraded brake pads and that was it.




Well, in 1993 I parted company with a motorcycle at triple digit speeds and landed on my shoulder. It was the main source of my back problems for years. We finally got it sorted out so that it rarely bothers me (if ever) and I injured the lower back and get to start over again. I don't take medicine for headaches or pain (because I rarely get any), but I've been taking 800 mg Motrin lately which told me that it was time to find another doc and get this looked at more thoroughly. I'll know more on the 22nd of this month (or I hope to know more).

Besides, I don't want to deal with valve adjustments on the Subaru flat 4 engine (which scratched it mostly off of the list). I'm not looking for a car to work on as much as a car to drive. I'll buy a 3rd gen if for a project when I get to it (or that's the plan).

....you weren't always the sharpest tool in the shed were you???? ....





That was me.....never took medicine for anything.....EVER....still don't really...but towards the end...they were like candy to me....800mg....all day long....

If it makes it any better, I'll tell you that I was run off of the road by an officer of the law. So, I was abnormally stupid, but I had help. I was wearing the proper gear and I landed in grass that was 3 feet tall and wet, so I walked away smarter for the experience.

Kevin,

Accept nothing less than a C5. smooth ride like a limo and obviously great handling and acceleration.

They look like an interesting car, would definitely make a nice daily driver. Why not get one and keep the Camaro for your project?

As for meds, I have to take 750-1000mg (or more) for headaches anymore. I used to be able to get by with 400-500mg, but over the last couple of years if I get a headache, that won't even make a dent in it anymore. Of course, I think these are borderline migraines, and thankfully I only get them 3-4 times a month on average. Guess that's what I get for having a job that has me staring at a monitor 8 hours a day under florescent lights.

F150 and a 3rd gen track car..... I can help you with one of them

Howdy,

Yeah, if comfort is a primary motivator...

Our Dodge 2500 is easily the most comfortable vehicle we've had (compared to an '06 civic, '93 mr2, '98 Chevy 2500, '95 & '98 Dodge Neon, '93 325, and '99 camaro). 12+ hour days don't hurt my back, where that happens in each of the others (best other than the Dodge is the Civic, which gets me five hours or so before my back starts aching a bit.

I'd say to look at some fullsize truck/suv type things...

Mark

my friend has a Mazda 6 couple years old now. i really like the car. they ride very nicely, look great to me, are a great value, and have a roomy back seat. pretty fast car too for being the NA FWD version. unless they have made changes your rim choices are very limited as are the tire choices. both are oddly sized. brake pads for the front werent cheap. however he took his through the Dragon bone stock with the dealer plate still on the car. i have pictures and a vid or all brake pads smoking and all rotors blued at the end of the run. yeah he was having brake fade problems by then. he continued to drive on those pads for many thousands of miles with no problems.

oh and the dash is cool since its orange. headlights work good at night too.

sound system upgrades arent easy either. radio is integrated into the dash. i believe an indash CD changer is an option though.

yeah... blame it on the northern guys on dog-sleds
I'm still thinking on it, the SRT8, Lexus, G35.
Damm... too many decent cars.
btw, you'll drive my SS when in town and maybe that will change your mind

also, do I get some of your parts if you sell the z ?
you know which ones I want.


only hick is that the MazdaSpeed 6 is cheaper than a Legacy2.5GT w/ same equipment.
imho, Mazda is gonna hurt subby's sales ALOT.
http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPag...vehicleCode=MS6
starting @ 28,555$, only options are leather... other than that, it's fully loaded.

If I sell, I've got your name on them....

I feel your pain, I've had lower back problems for about a year and a half now, but my back is getting better. It all started when I got a desk job for a year. I'm convinced that sitting properly, exersize, and range of motion workouts do a lot to help back problems; at least they have for me.

Every man that has a project car needs a truck. I use my truck all the time even for a lot of non car related stuff. If you don't have a long drive to work, trucks can be very comfortable, work as a tow vehicle, and if you get a crew cab you have a 4 door with lots of leg room. An SUV can do the same things if you have a large family.

Howdy,

Yep, the only reason our Dodge 2500 wouldn't be a daily driver for us is because we've each got ~ 1 hour commutes each way... The mileage difference between that and an economy car is crazy.

If we worked closer, we'd just use the truck. A bunch of room (we have a four door), very comfortable, good in all weather, etc. etc. etc. Oh, and it'll tow a house if we need to... :-)

Mark

I'm trying not to make 2 car and insurance payments. I've got too many other expensive hobbies to keep up with right now. Otherwise, it's tempting.

I have some trouble with a bulging disk in my lower back, and various upper brack problems from breaking it many years ago.

The seats in my 96 Dodge 2500 aren't exactly great for lower back pain. Maybe the newer ones are shaped more like a human spine, , but the seat back is board-flat on mine. I'm kind of used to it at the moment since the Camaro has been on blocks for a while, but it isn't my first choice for comfort.

A year ago I relaced my stock Camaro power seats with a set of power-everything TransAm seats. No they aren't the best for racing due to slick leather and weight, but they have (in addition to the Camaro power seat features) adjustable lumbar support and adjustable side bolsters (on both sides, I think). Of course, they also go quite low like stock power seats and UNLIKE a race seat.

I usually keep my seat back straight up, with the lumber support pumped way up (sometimes but not always maxed). I also keep the seat bottom as low as it will go and tilted forward (or at least no back) a bit. Basically, you want to keep your weight evenly distributed on the spinal disc, not concentrated at the front. I sometimes hate to get out of my car when I get home

Do any of them bear my name by chance?



See, that's what you get for a home theater system capable of bursting all the pipes in your basement... even when you don't HAVE a basement...

Another vote here for the STi, but I've never been a huge Mazda fan in general. I'd really have to go drive one to see what I think of it.

Have you already looked at the 300C and the Magnum?
Both are roomy, pretty comfortable, and you can pick it up in a v6 form if you're terribly worried about gas. Either one would most likely not be a track car.

New car shopping for the 4 door, I feel your pain. I tried to look at the Mazda Speed 6 when I got my Infiniti. Unfortunately they had just come out and the dealers were feeling very proud of them. 5k over sticker, they would not accept Ford Z-plan supplier pricing which my wife is eligible for and no test drives. Car and Driver recently had a write up on the Mazda that you could probably find on their website. The numbers looked good but they were complaining about it feeling "unrefined".

5k$ over MSRP... There is a law here in Canada specifying that dealers may sell for less, but illegal to sell more than MSRP.
I would actually be surprised about the "unrefined" since the Mazda 6 has been around for awhile and it's supposedly well refined, and has good standings in the market.
The Speed 6 ain't that much different from the regular 6... apart from the skirts, hood, new wheels, new engine, awd, the inside is exactly identical. I can bet the suspension geometry is the same... maybe different springs/shocks/swaybars, but that would be it.

If the C5 isn;t your style I vote for the PONTIAC SOLSTICE. The local dealer has a black one here and it is quite exceptional. Pontiac did a good job on it, plus you can figure out how to put C5 rotors on them since the front rotors look a little small compared to the huge wheels.

I drove a Mazdaspeed 6 today, and it was plenty refined for me (of course, I've been driving a Camaro, so most anything is refined). It's fast, sure footed, handles well, the ride is decent and I really enjoyed driving it.

Howdy,

Dude.

A _Solstice_?

Did you read any of the rest of this thread? Seems to me like he's looking for a reasonable daily driver... A Solstice has about as much trunk/cargo room as an MR Spyder... I.e. none. At all.

Which is too bad. It certainly seems like a nice car otherwise. Maybe if they build the hardtop version, it'd be a little more liveable as a real car vs. a toy.

Mark

Well, you already drove it for yourself, but I see Edmunds did a comparo http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...rticleId=109487

I saw a black Solstice when I was stuck in San Fransisco bay area traffic the other day....purdy cool!

They had one at the hockey game the other night by the elevators in the building (on display). I might consider one if it had the LS2 in it (and if my back would deal with it), but I really don't like it enough to own one. I consider it just "ok". But that's just my opinion.....

Mallett (sp?) has already built one. Quite the wicked beast, I'd imagine.

That's the one I was speaking of. However, I really don't like them that well and would probably consider a Corvette if I were going to look at that one.

oh-ho... mine is scheduled wednesday morning.