Get a Del Sol, but then again whats your plans?

 

im not really planning on racing it or anything so im not worried about hp or wieght. i just want a car that looks nice and wont break down.

 

If you like the way the Del Sol looks, than get it. IMO it's not really all that different from an equivalent Civic,
other than it's a 2 seater and has different headlights and turn signals. I never really liked them a whole lot
but that is just opinion, my opinion. so if you like it go for it.

 

You don't know to much about cars or racing, huh? You realise that the miata is pretty much the flag ship of grass roots motor sports? That little 130hp drivetrain is mated to an extremely light weight andalmost perfectly balanced chasis, it's RWD, and comes with an LSD. I would LOVE to see someone try to race a stock Del slow against ANY year of the miata in a non-drag event, hell, even in a drag race the miata would likely win!

 

my sisters bf was over yesterday and he said that del sols were dangerous and were good in the "safety" area. now he's no expert so i just want to double check and see if the car is safe b/c now my parents dont want me to buy the car.

 

ok and u sure know alot and RWD is really good in racing... that miata is a real fast car your right you win hahahhahaha lol NOT

 

^OK there, DEL SOL DRIV'A, go read a bit and come back here to talk s*** when you actually KNOW what you're talking about...

 

this is the reason why i don't really like saying things because people liek ^ thing they know alot. This is the reason i stick most of the time on the Audi Fourms where ihave my other car under

 

It is common automotive knowledge that a rear drive chassis has inherently better handling over a front drive car because of one huge reason: You are not powering and turning the car with the same wheels. the transverse engine layout of a FWD car focuses an engine and transmission in the front quarter of the car adding an incredible front weight bias, which adds to more stress on the front wheels, which willdull the cars handling limit and create alot of understeer. RWD's drivetrain layout has the engine occupying the engine bay, the transmssion underneath your feet and an axle at the rear. this spreads the drivetrain weight over a much longer area, which puts a helluva lot less stress on the front wheels.

Not to say a FWD car cannot handle well, they are just limited by design. That means nothing, you say? If RWD is worse, why would Porsche,Ferrari,BMW,Jaguar,Ford GT40 and the Chevrolet Corvette, to name a few, would still use this inferior architecture?
I love my civic alot, but with the layout of FWD it was meant to save space and overall weight, but had a heavy front bias that is just not the real answer to a performance oriented and spirited drive.

Please refrain from making useless comments on any internet forum without any credible info to back it up.

 

hehe... nice.

daillest-

Having a Del Sol has it's ups and downs... I had one for a little more than a year and some things I learned (for you to consider):

-93's and 94's have targa top gaskets more prone to leaking than the 95-97 years.
-New targa gaskets cost a whole lot of money from Honda, and are a messy do it yourself job.
-Some leak and collect water inbetween the cockpit & trunk where the back window rolls down into (mine never did, but I read various accounts of this).
-They're kinda heavy for being so little.
-There's a noticeable amount of body flex when you take turns with the top off.
-When going 70mphor fasterin a rainstorm with the top off and the windows up, it is possible to stay completely dry.


I had a stock 93S(1.5L)5 speed and it was S L O W. The seats (I think were designed by Recaro) were real stiff and uncomfortable to me, although they were bucket seats. It also had lots of road noise (just like pre 2001 civics) and was a bumpy ride at times. I felt quite claustrophobic in the winter months when I couldn't take the top off. That being said, the car was a blast to drive,unbelieveably reliable(I has it from 45k to 75k),it got insane gas mileage, and turned lots of heads with the top down. It also had great handling and I could park/drive it inbetween almost anywhere... it felt like driving a plush go-kart.

If you do purchase one,I would advise you to get a 95-97 Si model; From what I understand, it's an entirely differen't experience.