Sunset at Friendship

[Ben Ruset]

Yesterday I decided to shoot down to Friendship to shoot the sunset since it's one of the few places reasonably away from crowds that I can get to with my car. Every time I go I feel like I need to get a truck to be able to get around the woods again. Friendship-Speedwell road in a sports car isn't fun. There was some incredible light in the sky. Was good to be back out there and get reacquainted with my mosquito friends.

 

[bobpbx]

What's this about a sports car? Do tell.

 

[Ben Ruset]

What's this about a sports car? Do tell.

I have a rear wheel drive v6 turbo coupe.

It feels a little strange to drive it down washboard dirt road roads.

 

[bobpbx]

Thrilling, eh? A Porsche?

 

[MuckSavage]

 

[ninemileskid]

When I become king all cars will be rear-wheel drive (like God intended).

 

[Ben Ruset]

Thrilling, eh? A Porsche?

It’s a BMW 435i. Very fun on the paved road, a little nerve wracking on the dirt.

I’m not brave/rich enough to own a Porsche.

 

[old jersey girl]

It’s a BMW 435i. Very fun on the paved road, a little nerve wracking on the dirt.

I’m not brave/rich enough to own a Porsche.

Neither am I. Many years ago I went to a dealership and test drove one. Spun out with the salesman in the passenger seat. No damage but he was very pale when we stopped. Also could not afford to hire a German-car-specific mechanic. More to this story: someday we will bond over bourbon and I'll tell it.
Old sig from racing days "Not a mechanic, just a driver with a toolbox"

 

[Ben Ruset]

In case anybody was wondering, it's a stick.

 

[bobpbx]

I love the form of that car, the stance. What year is is?

 

[Ben Ruset]

I love the form of that car, the stance. What year is is?

It's a 2015. It's a lot of fun to drive.

 

[RednekF350]

In case anybody was wondering, it's a stick.

I am so glad to hear that you couldn't even imagine Ben !

Every truck I have ever owned has been a stick. I like being the one in control of when and where to shift and I love the simplicity and longevity of a simple iron box full of spur gears bathed in oil. Driving a stick keeps one in tune with every subtle change in the highway or dirt road ahead. My current 6-speed ZF with a MANUAL 2-speed transfer case and MANUAL hubs in my '02 F-350 Super Duty has 249,000 on the original clutch and is still velvet smooth and totally bomb proof. The 444 cu. in. diesel engine is supposed to go 1,000,000 miles and I hope the rest of the truck is there to see it. I know the manual trans will be.

Sadly, the penchant for an easy-to-drive car or truck with an automatic transmission and automatic 4WD has allowed drivers to become weak and mindless drones on the highways of life. Part of the same weakness shown by all the lazy people in the world that use drive-thru anything. I'll step down from my platform now .

 

[Broke Jeep Joe]

In case anybody was wondering, it's a stick.

These are great cars, I work with them every day. Is this one X drive? and is it SMG or all manual trans? great looking car Ben, how long have you had it?

 

[Ben Ruset]

I am so glad to hear that you couldn't even imagine Ben !

Every truck I have ever owned has been a stick. I like being the one in control of when and where to shift and I love the simplicity and longevity of a simple iron box full of spur gears bathed in oil. Driving a stick keeps one in tune with every subtle change in the highway or dirt road ahead. My current 6-speed ZF with a MANUAL 2-speed transfer case and MANUAL hubs in my '02 F-350 Super Duty has 249,000 on the original clutch and is still velvet smooth and totally bomb proof. The 444 cu. in. diesel engine is supposed to go 1,000,000 miles and I hope the rest of the truck is there to see it. I know the manual trans will be.

Sadly, the penchant for an easy-to-drive car or truck with an automatic transmission and automatic 4WD has allowed drivers to become weak and mindless drones on the highways of life. Part of the same weakness shown by all the lazy people in the world that use drive-thru anything. I'll step down from my platform now .

I love driving a stick. My first one was an 85 Mazda RX-7 and then I've had a smattering of others over the years. They're getting rare in newer cars now. I brought my car to a different BMW dealer than the one I bought it from (had to drive to Edison to find a used BMW with a stick) and the guys at the service desk told me that I bought it with the "right" transmission.

It's a 6 speed. No SMG or anything fancy like that.

My old Wrangler was a stick and that was fun in the woods but I have to be honest, especially in my advanced declining years, when it's time to replace this I'm going to get an automatic Grand Cherokee to drive around the woods. I want to start spending more time doing photography out there.

 

[Ben Ruset]

These are great cars, I work with them every day. Is this one X drive? and is it SMG or all manual trans? great looking car Ben, how long have you had it?

It's not an X drive. It's a base 435i with the cold weather package, lighting package, and the Harmon Kardon stereo. The dealer had another one with the red interior and the sport trim which I loved but it had the basic radio. I was prepared to trade the sport package for a decent stereo.

I've had this thing coming up on 2 years now.

 

[Broke Jeep Joe]

You definitely picked the right car! SMG is problematic but can be converted to an actual manual gearbox with some time and money. BMW has come a long way in recent years. As long as you keep it serviced it is a solid car.

 

[Ben Ruset]

I got a really highly rated 3rd party warranty that my local dealer has a good relationship with. It's good until the car hits 110k I think. I just hit 50k. I already had the (plastic) valve cover fail and it was no problem to get it fixed. Didn't cost me a cent and the dealer even came and picked up the car.

 

[Broke Jeep Joe]

That's great. They have a lot of cooling system issues with higher mileage also.

 

[RednekF350]

I love driving a stick.........

Very sad but manuals are not even available in heavy duty pickups anymore. Dodge was the last man standing in 2018 with their 2500 and 3500 series offering a manual if you went with the Cummins diesel.

Ford stopped offering the ZF 6 speed manual a year or two before that in the Super Duty F-250's and F-350's like mine and Chevy stopped several years before Ford in their 2500's and 3500's.. The manuals disappeared many years before that in all of the light duty half-ton pickups from Ford, Dodge and Chevy.

 

[Ben Ruset]

Very sad but manuals are not even available in heavy duty pickups anymore. Dodge was the last man standing in 2018 with their 2500 and 3500 series offering a manual if you went with the Cummins diesel.

Ford stopped offering the ZF 6 speed manual a year or two before that in the Super Duty F-250's and F-350's like mine and Chevy stopped several years before Ford in their 2500's and 3500's.. The manuals disappeared many years before that in all of the light duty half-ton pickups from Ford, Dodge and Chevy.

Back when I worked for Comcast (1998 or so) I drove a 6 cylinder F-150 with a stick. I really liked that truck.