i've been thinking about this for a while now. it seems that the rd's are getting old and if you look at it we're kinda like civic's now. i mean all my friends have newer cars and i get looked down upon cause it's a outdated car. like wise a civic old and abused; yes, it's taken years for newly developed stuff do get done with our cars, ex. evo turbo setups etc.

but i just feel that i have a urge to upgrade, knowing that my car is 12 years old and i've had it for 8 years.

it'd be nice for some of you guys and gals to share your thoughts.

I'm picking up a Kia Soul or a Genesis Coupe this year, probably the Soul. I've thought about selling the tib, or giving it to my son, then I go drive it again...

I love that car. More than most any car I've ever been in. It doesn't have everything a brand new car has, but it's got a SHIT load more personality, not to mention my personal touches on it. I think about it regularly, but then I go on one of those nice fast fun curvy drives, and remember why I bought it to begin with.

Possibilities.

Personally...when i was not into upgrades and when i first bought my Tiburon i tired trading it in twice but i had owed to much for the deal to go though (years ago)...then i realized that even though its older and stuff i love it...

now that is has been paid off i love it even more...my first car i paid for, so its something i plan on keeping for awhile...eventually boosting it after i have fun with the turbo Accent

just today a girl at A&W told me she loved the look of it...put a smile on my face...

I love my Tiburon cuz of the color...its very unique color stock and i love all the mods i have done...and plan on doing fing02.gif

i agree on one hand, and the money that i put into it was a big mistake because i could have gotten something respectable. and i've come to a conclusion. so here's my rationale:

buuuut hell. everytime i look at my car, i just adore it. i don't smoke, but i do go outside to chillout from school HW to look at my car. every time you look at it, there is something going on. i love looking at it from various different angles because all of the angles represent perfection. all of the reflections morph, shrink, expand, flow, as you turn. you move a little, and it's even more pretty than before.

how many people can say their bumper is designed by the <u>McLaren F1</u> designer? best part of all is NOBODY else has an F2 bumper, or knows of it. especially a red one. there's only one other red painted F2 in this world i know of. tackle that Mini Cooper Club!!! >:0 No crook wants to f*** with it because they don't know what the hell it is and wouldn't be able to sell things on ebay, and it's too flashy to rough. Nobody can mess it up because it's already beat up and it's a POS Hyundai not some Mercedes so who cares. -All benefits.

once i was driving, and a HOT girl in a tiburon pulled up with a passion and gave me thumbs up with her beautiful smile. wish i could have followed her but that would have been creepy of me. i live for that moment. if i got anything else, how could i live with myself knowing there are no Tiburon girls like that?! no way. my Tiburon is my first car from high school. kind of stupid but my beautiful high school crush has seen it, and that's what made me fix it up in the first place.

i still get people complimenting that my car is nice. mostly kids sad.gif but hey.

the interior is utter perfection. it's smooth, sporty, and perfect. the seating is perfect. everything is in the perfect spot. all the lines, speakers, sunroof, mirrors, buttons, heaters, shifter...etc. are arranged in perfect places.

i still have SO many plans for mine and going stronger than ever but i just don't have cash on me right now. I still think it's one of the most beautiful cars in the world representing perfection of design. afterall, the history of the car is so great. three words to sum up a long story: California, Rally, Design. this car was designed in California as a rally coupe, and a surfer's beach buggy. that alone reflects my attitude and i don't think any other car can sing that sweeter. no other car has a rally history that can say, "I've been driven by Colin McRae's (RIP) brother and I raced against legends Tommi Makinen, Carlos Sainz, and Richard Burns in the glory days of the World Rally Championship" (by the way those are historical days this is the last year of WRC spec).

so you see lot going on here but i'm an exception. i'm a stubborn guy who doesn't understand why people like something that i think is ugly. for instance people who like Civics. i think "you've got to be joking man. they're everywhere including the definition of rice fields, nothing special, sporty, or attractive about them, it's Hun-duh they're driven by anyone anything everywhere, the word "civic" means commute. WTF is your logic mann?! *feels the need to slap somebody upside the head*...etc" and to my incomprehension and confusion apparently people are not joking!

^^I think the only real advantage to a civic is the tremendous amount of work/aftermarket support it's had over the years. Well really any Honda coupe. They have so many different tuning options specifically designed for them it can make any tuner envious.

oh, and I keep mine because I love the car. When it comes to car guys it seems there are two different types. Those who keep a project car for decades, continually upgrading and fine tuning (and catching it on fire). Then there are those that buy a car, do a whirlwind of tuning/upgrades. Then proceed to get bored and sell it. It seems you must be in the first since you've had the car for 8 years.

I still think the RD tibs, especially the RD2's, look more like a 2003-2004 car. And as others said, the lines just flow, they are perfect. I've never thought about getting another REAL car since I've had my tib. When I decided to go turbo, I decided I will never sell the car, and I will drive it until it falls apart and goes to the junkyard. It's a great reliable car with a solid engine. The interior is kind of cheap, but it's an excuse to paint it and do some custom work.


The tibby is a huge part of my life. I've probably spent more time working on that car than I have driving it, especially since it hasn't moved in a year and a half. When you have that amount of time, money, and emotion poured into something, you don't let it go. I'm going to be buried in my tib.

Also, the only way I would get another tib is if I got rid of this one. I'd feel like I'm cheating on her.

unfortunately i didn't pay for my car but it was a gift from my dad when i was 15 1/2 yrs old. i still love the car but i swear everytime i fix something later that week something else goes. ofcourse you'd expect that from a 12 year old car. i've had too many good times in the car. just last summer when i paid eric a visit in Milwaukee i got flashed on the highway, it was a smile for there and back. thing is out of all my buddy's i'm the only outdated one they all have evo's, sti's, s2k's, and one has a rx8. so going class wise i'm already out ranked but i know those guys can't get the mileage i get and maintience is easier on me. i'd do more to my car but since i traded in the Audi A6 last spring for a 07 Corolla S, i've not got the time to be putting much into the tib. i know i have a rare color and one of the first tibs in the states. there's almost endless possibilties now for the tib but i'm just dreeding the fact that i'm spending more in repairs now then upgrades.

yes, spoiled me when i go the car it was paid off, but i had to show my dad that i deserved the car. before i was married i loved the car drove it everywhere; now it's just old and beat up, not literly. the body is still in great condition but yesterday when i was the car i did notice i'm getting that honda rust in the back. i have a co-worker who has a bodyshop but if get the body fixed i'm not going to want to drive it during winter.

the biggest thing i want to keep the car is i'm the ONLY ASIAN with one around my area, so everyone knows me as "the tib".

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>evo's, sti's, s2k's, and one has a rx8.</div>
how many of those are everywhere? anywhere! plus they're paying for high octane. and turbo engines go sooner with more problems later than any car.

i know rich people in poland that i saw last year for the first time since early childhood. their car was an 80's corolla. awesome car. they invited us for an exclusive dinner last year and i said "yeah life is same old tough, and we haven't even changed cars" and to my surprise he pointed to his--the one i remember when i was like 3 years old LOL.

what's wrong with the car besides rust? mine is also 12 years old and beat up like yours but it's all a matter of how you keep it. mine needs a lot of work but it doesn't. i haven't had a problem besides the transmission going on me because of "horseplay driving." plus i had a transmission fluid change done which was unnecessary and ruined it.

to be honest it doesn't make sense to keep it. better sell it while it still can be sold. but if it comes down to uniqueness and passion, no f---g way. a friend used to own a red 300zx 2+2 Targa. i swear all it needed was about $4,000 maybe $5,000 worth of work to be a brand new sweet hooked up car. new transmission, stainless exhaust, some interior re-upholstry, bodykit, new paint and some HID's and hell you've got a damn Ferrari. maybe some BBS polished silver dish rims. NOPE he sold it for $800 and bout a 2004 Z for $27,000. ok it's new and takes him places but is he unique? no. is he impressive? no. do the new Z's suck ass and are everywhere? yes.

^^^^^

haha.gif


What ever helps you sleep at night.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>"to be honest it doesn't make sense to keep it"</div>

To be honest it never made sense to buy it. I bought my tib because I liked it not because it made sense.
It wasn't practical, the resale value wasn't there, and Hyundai was relatively new to me at the time.

Seriously the only reason I bought it was warranty, looks, and price. I had never been in a hyundai or even looked at them before I found the tiburon.


I have been having the same thoughts of is it worth it...

Lets see I bought it new in 2000 and paid 20k after tax and interest on payments.
I will end up putting about 6k into it for repairs and mods total by the time im done.
When I'm done If I were to sell it id get about 5500.00 if I'm lucky.

So a 26k investment over 9-10 years = 5k?!!?? Depressing much?


It seems like it comes down to a few options for those who are having this dilemma:

If you love your car, keep it fix it and make it how you want it and be happy with it. Regardless of who has what car and how fast it is, its yours and if you like it thats what matters!

Sell it now and upgrade if you find a car that you really feel will make you happier and satisfy your needs. Be it practicality or speed.

Keep it and run it into the ground just as a car to get you from here to there nothing more.

It just comes down to how you feel about the car and if it fits with what you want.

I personally think I will keep mine untill its dead. I know its a challenge to find parts and upgrades and sometimes have to have custom stuff made or make it yourself, but it wouldn't be any fun then would it?

It's all in how you describe it. Obviously you shouldn't have bought it if you were worried about future resale value. You modify anything and it'll be worth less than blue book for almost anyone.

$5k?

Maybe.

But $21K of memories?

Hell yeah.

I've made enough great lifelong friends from working on this site, and having this car, and have had more great memories built up in the same ways, that it way outweighs the difference in money.

Experience is another one that can't be rationalized out. I've learned how to work on cars, I've learned some new ways of thinking and new ways of driving.

If you treat your car like a pile, it'll drive like a pile. And yeah, if you drive a pile, it'll fall apart on you. Treat your stuff good, from the start, and you get to do something like I did today.

Break 100,000 miles going over 100 MPH. I gots the video to prove it.

For me it is my hobby, it keeps me from drinking as much as I could, and it keeps my mind and body busy.

I have to dissagree that the rd tib's are anything like civics. Civics are everywhere i rarely see a rd's it gives you a sense of uniqueness. I really dont think the rd2 will look out dated anytime soon instal HID's convert your lighting to leds and i think they look pretty new. Its a great design. Its also a practical car its quick and economical. I love my tiburon and will never sell it but it all comes down to what would make you happy.

Everybody pretty much summed it up, but I'll chime in as well. I personally love my car. Yes it was pretty much gifted to me, but I have put a lot of time, money, and heart into it. I know it's not the best looking out there, hell no where near the fastest (it's an auto) but honestly that's what keeps me going. We have a pretty extensive Tiburon club out in Tampa and guess what I'm the only RD that is out there, 01Steve pops in from time to time.

HKC pretty much summed things up. I do the same as he does and go out just to look at my car. Hell the thing is beautiful. Yes, sometimes I think about maybe getting a GK or something, but then I take her out and forget about that in a sec. I find the uniqueness of being an RD owner fun and quite nice. Tuning does suck, especially hanging out with a bunch of GKs with their great deal of support, but hell we get by don't we? lol. At the end, it's up to you. Yea it's nice to have something new and popular, but can you afford it and how much do you enjoy being set aside/something different?

That's why I plan on never getting rid of my RD, I love this thing and what it has done for me. Meet lots of great people and have had a great time so far with the car. I have plans, some big some small, for the car this upcoming fall and honestly can't phantom getting a different car......... and definitely not a Honda.


Btw.... Good Job Redz will have to consider doing that when I reach my 100k fing02.gif

well, i guess for my year i'm pretty low on miles 145k on the body but yes, i love the car but it's just i hate people looking down on me casue they used to look up to me. now i'm just an outdated guy.02.gif i dont want to get rid of it cause of so many memories and i love the torque for an import that is nonturbo. the tib has so many factors to it that so many other imports around it's range dont like pw, all wheel disc brakes, pm, sway bars, etc. i love the car it's just the fact that finding stuff is not easy anymore unless on line. i can just go to the junk since there is so many here but those parts will only last for so long.


did anyone read last months car and driver, i think about how they did a article about imports? it's just a fab now and will dissappear like muscle cars. soon youll just be driving it on the weekends and looking for rare parts on ebay. i find that to be true cause i so regret not buying the turby side skirts when they were cheap. there is so many things that are biting me in the ass right now. but if i keep her it's all going to be for restoration. to hold on to the first memories of hyundai bringing in a sport coupe to show that they can stand up for Korea and put against Japan.

haha mine turned 100,000 going .09 miles per hour in beltway traffik after work. i just looked down and noticed randomly. i was expecting some party, nope. i was going so slow the zero didn't fully come up.

most people sell these cars are because they are missing some flavor. as RED Z said, you don't buy a POS hyundai for resale or quality. i think it's a matter of flavor. if you love what you have done, done it with good taste, you will keep the car and love it. if the mods are not that nice like a lot of stuff i see even on this forum and elsewhere because of lack of aftermarket, it is easily unappealing and quickly gets old. to me, lack of aftermarket isn't a substitute for taste. rims are the first thing that make the car, and a lot of them make me want to throw up my coffee 1. because i've seen them at SEARS and 2. you can make halloween cookies with them. a lot of U.K. guys man, they buy these rims i know are ugly but they don't know. low and behold a year later the car is sold.

for instance i've seen some SUPER nice Supras and WRX's on campus. mmph so damn nice. anyone can easily fall in love and be jealous, even the Porsche guys start staring. they make my tiburon look sh-tty. you can tell they will cherish their work forever. but then i see some pretty distasteful WRX's and Supras. You can tell they're just like anything else on the street, dumb rims that don't match the car and some cruddy import "JDM 'yo" look.

bomello summed it up there too.

Rayne got it down too.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>instal HID's convert your lighting to leds.</div>
lot of people don't even do this. or don't install all 4 HID's like they should. to me, lighting is the number one safety at night. why not have the best of it, HID's got for uner $100 these days. there is no excuse not to have HID's in foglights, and anyone who gives a good excuse well i have yet to hear one because what i heard so far is a load. and the people i heard it from have 50 posts on this forum or have disappeared.

i was looking into hids since i have the korean headlights, still got to hook up the drl's.