Welcome to the forums....sounds like you did some homework. Once you start modding or working on your car, check out the NOOB thread, lots of good info there.

Just curious, what other cars did you test drive?

 

I actually already went through the noob thread. I test drove a new kia rio, a 2004 mustang auto and stickshift (both with v6). Volkswagon jetta, mercury sable, nissan spec-v (was nice but milage too high for price), 04 honda civic , chevy cobalt base, chevy cavelier, toyota ion were some of the cars I test drove.

The kia rio and the cobolt felt funny behind the wheel (felt like go karts). The mustang felt like i was driving a tank, the jetta was slow. the mercury sable was pretty quick. The nissan was okay but they acted like it was the coolest car in existance and I should give them way too much. The stickshift mustang v6 was okay but overall the lancer seemed like the coolest one to get. It is hard to find good stickshift cars without travelling around alot.

My previous cars were a 93 lincoln mark VIII (with a 280hp 32 valve dohc v8), a 93 geo prism, 90 geo storm , 89 lebaron converable w/turbo.

The mark VIII was a really cool car but it was automatic. Overall I like the RA the best of all cars I've ever had. I worry that the clutch may be too weak for the power of the engine and the sticky tires so I'm trying to go easy on it.

 

What is the mileage and what kind of tires? I hope they aren't the stock tires (Goodyear RSA's).....they were not sticky at all.

The stock clutch should hold up to all N/A mods (depending on if you drive it correctly and don't burn it up --- no dumping, very little slippage). If you ever go turbo you may want to look into a beefier clutch.

 

the milage is 38k, it has some pretty nice tires on it right now, definitely not stock, i'll have to check what kind when I get back out. The dealer said they checked everything and I know they did the brakes and put new tires on it. To give you an idea, I had two stickshifts before and both clutches lasted over 100k miles. ON my prism the clutch never wore out and i got rid of it at 160k, it did have to have a new slave cylinder put in it though. Both those cars had weak engines though.

 

Then you should have no worries about the stock Mitsu clutch. Although there is a history with Mitsu and throw out bearings (I have had 2 Mitsu's now with no issues thus far).

Still interested with what tires the dealership decided to put on there.

 

These are the tires

the radial k106, they seem pretty good for everything and great for rain.

http://www.hankooktireusa.com/produc..._ID=24&CatID=5

hmm I wonder how those will be in the snow. Probably can't get any worse than my lincoln was.

 

Those are the tires i will be purchasing, theyre $64 a piece over at http://www.discounttire.com/

 

Hankook is a good tire. No personal experience with them, but I haven't heard many bad things about them.