Vashthestampede

iTrader: (17)

So we've been looking at places for the past 2 weeks and found one we want to make an offer on. Only problem is its a gated community and I have a feeling the miata will not be welcomed with open arms. Not to mention they have ridiculously huge speed bumps throughout the place.

We're meeting the realtor tomorrow afternoon to take the miata there and see if it can make it over the bumps before we sit down and start the paperwork. I'm just not sure if I should let something like that make or break the deal.

The place is perfect for us and we both want it, but I could walk away from it without regret. She on the other hand feels like we might not find anything better and wants to jump on it. If it wasn't for the speed bumps and the fact that its a little private community I'd have no issues with the place. I just don't want to move in and be the new neighbors everyone hates cause of the car being so loud.

Any words of wisdom?

MD323

make friends with the neighbors and be respectful and most usually dont care. the ones that do are the ones you will never make happy anyway.

samnavy

iTrader: (7)

When you drive through your own neighborhood, keep the stereo off, keep the revs low, and don't make it a habit of coming home at crazy hours with a super-loud car. Also don't make a habit of sitting in your driveway idling.

The guy next door here on base has a Dodge Ram with a loud exhaust. Where he parked it on his driveway had the pipes aimed directly at my bedroom window about 20 feet away. One morning I'd had enough and that evening went over and asked if he'd mind backing into the driveway and explained why... he couldn't be happier to help out. Pipes now aimed at his house and don't reflect back towards mine.

There's some ******* chief who lives about 3 blocks away with a big thumper motard and some little stubby muffler like is all the rage now. He would constantly go down the street at 0630 on the way to work blipping the throttle, directly in the rpm band where the soundwaves come straight through walls. I talked to another neighbor about it to make sure I wasn't crazy and they were getting a bit pissed too. I put a note in the guys mailbox... nice and polite, but very to-the-point. Now he goes by about 2 gears higher and no blipping.

Most of your neighbors won't care if you're just an "average" guy who happens to own a loud car... what they care about is if you're "that guy with the loud car who also happens to be pretty average".

NA6C-Guy

iTrader: (1)

Install frame rail braces (if you don't already have them) and hit those speed bumps fast enough to slide across them, which is my method. **** the neighbors.

18psi

iTrader: (76)

House>car. Period.
However if theres any chance at all that you can get by and keep the car definitely make that #1 priority.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

I lived for a couple of years in a place like you describe, and my experience parallels Sam's. Never had any complaints from the neighbors for being out in the garage working on the car into the late hours of the evening. If you're out and about at a very late or very early hour, keep the RPMs low and the speed down, and I don't expect you'll have too much trouble. Second gear and idling is your friend here.

I hear you on the speed bumps. When I was setting up the suspension on the red car several years ago, minimum ride height was determined by the height of a particularly tall speed bump in the apartment complex where I was living. A quarter of an inch less and I drag the framerails across it. (Those of you who have seen my car know that it's nor particularly "slammed", either.)

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

12.5" F 12.75" R. Real man's ride height.

shuiend

iTrader: (24)

Leave miata at shop and get a DD?

Ben

iTrader: (33)

If it's an apartment complex, I wouldn't worry about it. If it's a house in a covenant enforced neighborhood, well, let me just say I will never live in a house in a neighborhood with a convent ever again.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

Keep it in a garage and they won't bitch. I speak from experience here.

Vashthestampede

iTrader: (17)

Its a single family house in a private "Jewish" community. Its not just Jewish anymore although it does have its own synagogue in it. We aren't Jewish, but it doesn't bother me in the slightest. Just so long as we're not looked at weird because we aren't.

The community has roughly 250 houses, its gated and has 2 private beaches that are a pretty good size. To be honest I could care less about any of that as well. Sure I'll go to the beach once and awhile and while the gate is nice, I can see it getting old fast.

The house itself is what we're most excited about. Its way better than where we are now (in terms of the structure, not the property) and we can see ourselves and the dogs living comfortable until we can afford to buy something for the next few years.

If the car clears the speed bump then we're going to make an offer. If not, then I'll have to make a decision. I'll probably want to make an offer no matter what but it'll be nice to bring the car with me. Keeping it at the shop would work and I could use the Taurus as my DD, but that would mean going to the shop every time I want to take the miata for a drive. Which I would say is the worst possible place to keep it due to the dirt parking lot and the chance it could get damaged or stolen.

I'm not sure what the ride height is. Suspension wise I have FM springs, KYB AGX's with the purple FM pillow mounts. I also have the lower front bumpers and skirts though and that's what I'm thinking is gonna be the issue.

shuiend

iTrader: (24)

Is there enough room on the side of the speed bump between the road and the curb to do 2 wheels there and only having 2 wheels go over the speed bump. Also if you try taking them at an angle you should be able to clear.

Vashthestampede

iTrader: (17)

I'm not sure about the side of the road thing. I'll have to check that out tomorrow and see. Otherwise like you say going over normal sized speed bumps I have the clearance, but these things are like couch cushions in the road. lol

mgeoffriau

iTrader: (7)

How long do you foresee living there, and if the Miata is a no-no, are you willing to give up basically any low-riding sports car for that period of time?

MartinezA92

iTrader: (4)

I'm looking at places to live too, and right now I live in a place with 6 fuckhuge speed bumps before I get to my garage. Been here for a little over a year. Come and go about twice a day.

Never again. If a place has 5000 speed bumps, I'm not even going to bother. It is and has been way too much of a pain in my *** in pretty much any car I drive through here. It might just be my laziness, but I seriously make an excuse to not be the one who drives when I'm with a friend because I don't wanna go through all those ******* bumps. I'd say if you don't particularly care about the place and don't mind passing on it...I'd give it up. I scrape my frame rails at pretty much any speed and my car is not particularly "slammed".

samnavy

iTrader: (7)

No Speedo unless you're circumsized, cause then they'll know you're really not one of them.

rmcelwee

iTrader: (1)

Personally, I don't like living in places that tell me what I can and can't do. There are people begging for a buyer right now. If the rules suck then move somewhere better.

r808

iTrader: (7)

No it's not because you are a Miata fan and the car might not fit so to speak. I think it will be allright. Goy.

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

You might fight with them about every little thing in the covenant rules. Read them with a highly critical eye. Expect every detail to be enforced. Expect the enforcers to hate you.

HOA's are commonplace here and they have people that come out with rulers and measure the height of your grass and will fine you if it is too long. They will fine you if you park too many vehicles in your driveway overnight. There have been news stories of homes being seized because the lawns were not up to HOA code when the people could not afford to re-sod the lawn. They can and very often do fine people for superfluous infractions. If the wrong old broad in the neighborhood decides she doesn't like you, you might be in for a world of ****. They can lien your property and prevent you from being able to sell as well.

My parents live in one and I've sworn I'd never surrender my property rights. They keep a really nice yard (have won neighborhood "yard of the month") and still have had nastygrams end up on their mailbox from the HOA about silly stuff. They tolerate it with some chagrin but would rather be slightly more rural and more free.

The question will be what can you take? How much bullshit can you tolerate? How is your temper when people pick on you for stupid things and you have no recourse? Everyone has a different level of tolerance. Be realistic about yours and whether you can take it.

Consider adding an additional muffler inline on your exhaust...

matthewdesigns

iTrader: (8)

If the neighborhood has a covenant/HOA type agreement that you have to adhere to then get a copy and have a good look at it. Make sure it does not specifically ban any type of behavior you may be likely to engage in. If not, buy the house and the neighbors can suck it.