Revising and Upgrading Your Engines: A Guide to Choosing the Right Vehicle
When it comes to choosing between a 2012 Audi A3 Wagon TDI and a 2012 Jetta SportWagen TDI, Alexander suggests that one should consider the fact that both vehicles are owned by Volkswagen. As a result, they share similar technologies and are often plagued with issues as they age. However, if you're in Europe, where mechanics are more skilled and parts are cheaper, these vehicles can be reliable options.
On the other hand, in the United States, dealerships tend to charge exorbitant prices for repairs, which can make owning one of these vehicles a costly proposition. Alexander has encountered numerous customers who have been quoted $4,000 or more for basic repairs, only to find that he can fix the same issue for a fraction of that cost.
When considering used cars, Europeans tend to be more price-conscious and don't rely on inflated "book values" to justify higher prices. As a result, you can often find better deals on used vehicles in Europe compared to the United States. If you're looking to purchase one of these vehicles cheaply, taking advantage of this market difference may be your best bet.
Manual Transmissions: A Fading Technology?
Casey Roger asks about the fate of manual transmissions, wondering if there are conversion kits available for popular muscle cars like Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers. Unfortunately, the answer is yes, but it's not a simple process. With modern computer-controlled designs, automatic transmissions have become more efficient in terms of fuel economy, making them a more popular choice.
However, as Alexander notes, standard transmissions once had better gas mileage than their automatic counterparts. The shift towards computer-controlled transmission systems has made manual transmissions less desirable, particularly in the United States where consumers tend to prefer the convenience of automatics. If you're looking for a more driving-oriented experience, visiting Europe may be your best bet.
Converting an Automatic Transmission to Manual
Alexander suggests that while it's possible to transfer an automatic transmission from one vehicle to another, such as a 2010 Impala, it's not a straightforward process. The complexity of modern transmissions means that cutting holes for the shifter and installing pedals can be a daunting task.
In fact, Alexander has encountered numerous customers who have attempted this conversion on modern cars, only to find that it's a "pain in the butt." Given the cost and complexity involved, he advises against attempting such a conversion unless you're willing to invest significant time and money into it.
One thing that is relatively easy to do, however, is to check for worn-out components like CV joints, axles, and front struts. Larry notes that these are common causes of shakiness when accelerating or braking, especially in high-performance vehicles. By addressing these issues, you can help extend the life of your vehicle.
LeBaron Legacy: The Life Expectancy of a 93 Chrysler Car
Mikey Callie shares his thoughts on the lifespan of a 1993 Chrysler LeBaron, noting that if it's still running, it may have some life left in it. However, these vehicles are notorious for their design flaws and engineering issues, particularly with the automatic transmission.
Some owners have reported problems with engine failure, while others have experienced issues with the car's overall reliability. Despite this, Alexander notes that with proper care and maintenance, a LeBaron can last for many years. If you're considering purchasing one of these vehicles cheaply, just be aware of its potential pitfalls.
In conclusion, when it comes to choosing the right vehicle, there are several factors to consider, from dealership prices to fuel economy. By understanding the pros and cons of different models and taking steps to maintain your vehicle properly, you can extend its lifespan and enjoy a more reliable driving experience.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enrev up your enginesAlexander says should I get aJetta SportWagen TDI or an Audi a3 wagonTDI, both of them under 100,000 miles and2012, well if you know anything about meI wouldn't buy either of those, realizethat Volkswagen owns Audi they have verysimilar technologies in them, and theyare both endless money pits as they agethat said if you really like them andyou can get them cheap enough andespecially if you're in Europe, go aheadthey were cheaper there they hadmechanics that knew how to fix thethings, here in the United States theVolkswagen and Audi dealers, oh man dotheir their customers, it's just theycharge way too much money working on it,I've had more customers go to an Audi orVolkswagen dealer and be quoted $4,000of work, they bring it to me and I fixthem for like five hundred dollars, inthe United States they're not goodvehicles to have, but in Europe wherepeople know how to fix them and don'tcharge as much, they can be ok vehiclesespecially you're buying used and getthem cheap, because I noticed in Europeused cars are a lot cheaper than they'rein the United States, because theEuropeans don't have this fake bookvalue like in the United States that'soverinflated so they can sell used carsfor more, they want a lot cheaper inEurope and they do in the United States, soyou can get onecheap enough and you want to get oneyeah go ahead, but don't do in the UnitedStates,Casey Roger says hey Scotty where are allthe manual transmissions going, are theresuch things as conversion kits I don'twant a Mustang Camaro or challenger, yeahwell they're just going away fromstandard transmissions, the thing is atone point in time the standardtransmissions got better gas mileagethan the automatics, but today withmodern computer-controlled designs, theautomatics can actually get better gasmileage than the standard transmissionsdo, and that's what they're reallygoing for by government laws, especiallyhere in the United States, go to Europeyou'll see standard transmissions allover the place, but here in the UnitedStates people are getting lazy, they don'tlikeshifting, but a lot of it is technologythat they can actually make theautomatics get better gas mileage, soeverything's computer-controlled if thetransmission is too, it fits in witheverything else, and that's why they'redoing, it's just the way that it's goingin our society,Alexnder says Scotty could I transfera 2010 Impala automatic into a manualtransmission Thanks, well anything can bedone with enough time and money, I havehad customers over the past 50 yearsattempt to do that on modern cars,hoo-wee is it a pain in the butt becauseit's all computer-controlled, and thenyou got to cut a hole for the shifterand then you got to put on a pedal forthe clutch, and hook all that stuff up, itis a royal pain in the wazoo, andconsidering that a 2010 Impala is worthnothing, unless you want to doit as a toy to mess around, with Iwouldn't bother, it really wouldn't beworth the bother, now when I was youngsure you could swap the transmissions ona Mustang, go from an automatic to astandard there were simple vehiclesthey easy to do, but with modern carslike that, it's a giant rat's nest if youtry to do something like thatLarry says I got an 09 Lexuses350, had a bad shimmy-shake fromtakeoff to about sixty, if it's only ifyou take off fast, the first thing youwant to check are the cv joints and the CVaxles, because if they get worn andthey're off balance when you take offit's gonna shake around a lot, you want tocheck the front struts, tie rods, balljoints see if anything is worn, somethingyou can do yourself and I see this a lot,you might just put the front tiresstick them in the back, and if it goesaway you know either the tires are out ofround or the rims are bent and if itdoesn't affect it that much being in theback, the back tires on those just rollthe front ones do all the work, you canjust leave it, I got a lot of customersthey have good ones in the front andthey work ok, you might try that yourselffirst, Oscar Gonzales should I put in afuel additive for a 1968 Mercury Cougargiven modern fuel types, okay here'sthe thing, that engine was made for leadedgas, and you can get additives forthat it, would be a good idea if you'vegot the high performance engine thatthey used in the Mustangs, you'd be bestrunning like shell v-power that's thehighest octane gas and put a little thelead substitute in, because those enginesweren't made for that, now some guys whenthey really do them over, they'll do theheads over and they'll make the valvesso that they don't need the lead tolubricate them they'll redo the valveseats and spend a whole bunch of money,but if it's all stock yeah it's a goodidea to do that,Mikey Callie says what's the life of a93 Chrysler LeBaron, well if it's stillrunning it's still got a little bit left,one they werea weird body style and you either lovehim or you hate him and most peoplehated them, and then they were also aChrysler k-car design, and they had lotsof problems, I mean their automatictransmissions were garbage, I hadcustomers that bought the turbo version, allthe engines blew up on them, some peopleliked them and if you took care of itand baby them, the big point here is yougot a baby the thing,you got a really baby them because they don'ttake abuse, but if your baby them theirlike anything else's they can last, I gota customer believe it or not as a FordEdsel and it still runs pretty goodcuz it's his baby he takes it out on theweekend, but you know their notworth anything, they'll never be acollector's item, and if you're buyingone cheap enough and it's still runsyeah it might last you awhile, justdon't pay much they're not worthanything, so if you never want to missanother one of my new car repair videos,remember to ring that Bell\n"
