Not everyone’s Luck has been awful this week... :)

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by Boxtaboy

A Noble?? LOL. And you want to sell the Boxster because you're afraid of possible, yet still unrealized mechanical issues? At least with the Boxster, you can find a dealer within reasonable range regardless of what state you're in. With a Noble, good luck. I have a feeling you're still gonna be on this board with the Boxster in your garage this time next year.

Cool car though.

Hi,

Not at all. The mechanicals are sourced from Ford (3.0L Duratec V6 - 425HP), thoroughly massaged by Roush Technologies (all internals changed to SVT parts, Air Research Turbos, ), so any Ford Dealer can service it. The Brakes are straight APs or Wilwoods, plenty of parts availability for those. Standard Getrag 6-speed box w/ AP Clutch. All off-the-shelf, well proven components. No Traction Control, no ABS, no Power Steering to fail. It weighs 1200 lbs. less than the Enzo or CGT and does 0-60 in 3.3sec., 0-100 in 7.9sec., ¼ mi. in 11.2sec., 1.3g on the Skidpad.

The Noble M400 has shown itself to be quite robust and reliable. Few Owners report any issues at all and it has no known weak points...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[Adam]

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Hi,
It weighs 1200 lbs. less than the Enzo or CGT and does 0-60 in 3.3sec., 0-100 in 7.9sec., ¼ mi. in 11.2sec., 1.3g on the Skidpad.

The Noble M400 has shown itself to be quite robust and reliable. Few Owners report any issues at all and it has no known weak points...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

I want a Noble...forget what BMW says Nobles are the "ultimate driving machines." Good choice Jim.

[unklekraker]

Hey, Jim...is this what you talking about:

if it is...i don't care what they say about you, but you are my hero...hehehehehe!

but look who has it already...

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by unklekraker

Hey, Jim...is this what you talking about:

if it is...i don't care what they say about you, but you are my hero...hehehehehe!

but look who has it already...

Hi,

Yep, that's it! My friend, and fellow Esprit owner (X180R - 100 produced), Neil Mickelwright (VP Operations - Forsythe Racing) got one this past fall and I plan on getting some seat time in it when I visit him next spring. He says it's alot like the Esprit, only better!...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[Boxtaboy]

Do they have one in Cab version?

[Perfectlap]

If I papypal you $700 can you get me $18K? I split it with you 50/50

I read an articale in car and driver saying the noble was the unsafest (I dont really know what the most unsafe car is, so Im exagerating a little bit) kit car made. They are made in africa and have to be sent in 2 pieces to be labeled as a kit car because it doesnt pass emesions or safety tests IIRC. I will have to look at my car and drivers, there was a 3 page article or something on it.

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

If I papypal you $700 can you get me $18K? I split it with you 50/50

Hi,

Sorry, that is the one thing I do not do - bet with other people's money. What if I lost? There merit in the addage of not pushing one's Luck.

But, study the game, once you get the hang of it, you'll take your losses, but the winnings will come with greater frequency too...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[TriGem2k]

So I open MSN.com this morning and BAM "Celine Dion Cancels Las Vegas Shows"..... I have a feeling your up to no good over there in Vegas Jim! I saw you said you liked the performance but to snatch her away from Vegas...Whoa!

[Boxtaboy]

Wonder if the US warranty period on the car is more than what's offered in Europe: 1 yr./12,000 miles and a 6,000 mile service interval.

http://www.carpages.co.uk/guide/noble/noble-m400-3.0-v6.asp

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by boggtown

I read an articale in car and driver saying the noble was the unsafest (I dont really know what the most unsafe car is, so Im exagerating a little bit) kit car made. They are made in africa and have to be sent in 2 pieces to be labeled as a kit car because it doesnt pass emesions or safety tests IIRC. I will have to look at my car and drivers, there was a 3 page article or something on it.

Hi,

Sorry, but I think you misinterpreted the article. The Noble M400 is manufactured in South Africa by , the same people who produce the Superformance Cobra Replicas - considered to be one of the best.

Due to the small number of Nobles sold, they are not submitted to either DOT Crash Impact tests or EPA Emissions tests. These are destructive tests and at least 4 cars are needed to complete it. This is why cars like the Porsche 959, McLaren F1, Pagani Zonda and such can only be imported under special certificates allowing no more than 2k mi./yr. use. Also, the Noble lacks an AirBag system. But it boasts a Steel chassis and Pan w/ full integral Roll Cage, 5-point Harness, Side Impact Beams, so it's probably safer than even the Boxster.

Since it lacks DOT and EPA certification, it can only be imported as a Component Car, very different than a Kit Car. A Component Car is fully factory assembled, but lacks the Engine/Drivetrain which is installed here with an EPA Certified powerplant (3.0L Duratec V6). In Britain and other parts of the world, the Car is sold complete Turnkey, just like the Boxster.

There's a Great article on which car of AutoCar's Best Driver's Car consistening of some of the world's most notable cars such as the 911 GT3RS, Gallardo, Enzo, AM DB9, Lotus Elise and Exige, MB SLK350, etc. The Winner? The Noble M400. See it here: - http://www.1gracing.com/images/autocar.pdf

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by TriGem2k

So I open MSN.com this morning and BAM "Celine Dion Cancels Las Vegas Shows"..... I have a feeling your up to no good over there in Vegas Jim! I saw you said you liked the performance but to snatch her away from Vegas...Whoa!

Hi,

No, she went on last night, but her performance was shortened, the Dance Troupe stayed on. She's blacked-out tonight thru 12/28 because of bronchitis I believe. Some people got partial refunds if they chose, but we had essentially unused House Tickets, so it doesn't look like we will. Gonna try to see the Blue Man Group tonight, this show was recommended, but I'm not gonna pay Mega $$ to see them, so who knows...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[Perfectlap]

I NEVER gamble I once had a job where I had to attend a 10 DAY LOOONG convention with a bunch of Chinese business dudes (HUGE gamblers). These guys would drop six figures a night. Well we had to take these guys out and the company gave me money to gamble with so we wouldn't look like wimps. But I had to use it on the casino floor, I was so tempted to drop it into my Etrade account. The strip is easily my least favorite 'vacation' spot in America, 2nd only to Bourbon Street. The food in vegas always tastes weird to me, like its been stored too long. Oh and I ended up having dinner with the Chinese dudes at Emerill Lugasis Steak place and in walks O.J. Simpson and he's walking right towards me, eyes locked right on me. I go for my steak knife (just in case). He say
"Whats going on?"
and sits directly behind me at the next table. I could clearly hear his entire conversation which wasn't too hard because everyone in this room clamed up in two seconds when they realized who was dining with them. He was having dinner with a couple of Japanese chicks while everyone working in that eatery was kissing his ass. The maitre'd guy even came over to his table to prepare his salad with some sort of mushroom oatmeal goop topping. My co worker from the west coast office told me he saw him the week before on a golf course he lives near and his friends from UCLA heckled him from the other hole with taunts of "OJ you F'ing killer get off the course". He says he gets that everywhere he goes.
I also got a pound from Rodman who I was told had a yellow 996 Turbo in the parking lot of the HardRock.

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

I NEVER gamble I once had a job where I had to attend a 10 DAY LOOONG convention with a bunch of Chinese business dudes (HUGE gamblers). These guys would drop six figures a night. Well we had to take these guys out and the company gave me money to gamble with so we wouldn't look like wimps. But I had to use it on the casino floor, I was so tempted to drop it into my Etrade account. The strip is easily my least favorite 'vacation' spot in America, 2nd only to Bourbon Street. The food in vegas always tastes weird to me, like its been stored too long. Oh and I ended up having dinner with the Chinese dudes at Emerill Lugasis Steak place and in walks O.J. Simpson and he's walking right towards me, eyes locked right on me. I go for my steak knife (just in case). He say
"Whats going on?"
and sits directly behind me at the next table. I could clearly hear his entire conversation which wasn't too hard because everyone in this room clamed up in two seconds when they realized who was dining with them. He was having dinner with a couple of Japanese chicks while everyone working in that eatery was kissing his ass. The maitre'd guy even came over to his table to prepare his salad with some sort of mushroom oatmeal goop topping. My co worker from the west coast office told me he saw him the week before on a golf course he lives near and his friends from UCLA heckled him from the other hole with taunts of "OJ you F'ing killer get off the course". He says he gets that everywhere he goes.
I also got a pound from Rodman who I was told had a yellow 996 Turbo in the parking lot of the HardRock.

Hi,

Cool! I'd have a knife handy around O.J. too...lol That's cool though seeing celebraties. I have never seen any in all my trips here, except once saw Rodney Dangerfield crossing the street as I went by in a cab.

As a vacation spot, I like Vegas, but truly, Montreal is my favorite with Charleston, SC as my next choice. In fact at last year's convention (Ponte Vedre, FL) we rented a car and drove up to Charleston to spend a week and flew home from there - I'm a Food & Wine guy and these cities have incredible food...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[z12358]

Never been to Vegas and I don't think I'll ever want to. Once while at a conference in Atlantic City I stepped into a casino and had to just get out after 5 minutes. All the colors, the lights, the sounds, the people crunched up over machines for hours pulling levers...

I define gambling as: placing bets in a statistical process that is inherently rigged against the player. Why anyone in their right mind would want to participate and support it, is beyond me. As if there's not enough chance and uncertainty in my life already, so I'd have this urge to turbo charge them by embracing a losing proposition.

Z.

[Perfectlap]

I agree, but some people (like MN) just have a knack for bloody winning! My pal and I went to the Borgata one night and in the five minutes we waited for his girlfriend to come down from the room (actually more like 15) my buddy hit the slot maching THREE TIMES. It was like literally every fourth pull of lever came up with $300+.... A thousand bucks in less time than it took the cocktail waitress to bring our 1st round drinks! This really pissed off all the people playing next to him. His girlfriend came down and he says "babe I just won 1,000 dollars"
and she's like "that's nice honey what you think of my dress?" LOL

I didnt mis-interperet it, Its made in africa, so what. I also saw on top gear he test drove it and said it was unsafe. Nothing to knock the car, its a cool car, just saying it has to be sold "incomplete" in the US, hence the regulations.

[pecivil]

Jim, congrats on the winnings. 18k is staggering!

I tried gambling on my 2 trips to vegas and just cant do it. money is to hard to come by to blow it like that, for essentially nothing except the excitment? of the moment. I can bet a 20 spot on football or basketball game, but thats it.

I would rather save it or buy something to go on one of my cars.

The stress of having that much $ on the line I can't imagine.

18 GRAND! Yikes!

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by pecivil

Jim, congrats on the winnings. 18k is staggering!

I tried gambling on my 2 trips to vegas and just cant do it. money is to hard to come by to blow it like that, for essentially nothing except the excitment? of the moment. I can bet a 20 spot on football or basketball game, but thats it.

I would rather save it or buy something to go on one of my cars.

The stress of having that much $ on the line I can't imagine.

18 GRAND! Yikes!

Hi,

I hear what both you and z12358 are saying. But, I never had $18k on the Line. Craps is a good game because the House adds are at their lowest of any Game there, meaning that you have the better chance to win.

Remember, in Vegas, they actually payout 98.5% of all the money taken in as winnings. They need to do this to induce people to play - if no one ever won, they wouldn't bother to play. All Gambling is like that, but many of the Tribal Casino payouts are lower, something like 97%, which is really quite a difference once you total it all up.

The interesting thing about it is that in the case of your friend at the Slots, assuming it was a $0.25 machine, 4,060 people (or plays) lost (given a 98.5% payout rate) so that the machine could payout $1,000 to your friend.

The other interesting thing to think about is with a 98.5% payout, the entire City of Las Vegas, with all it's spectacle and finery, was built from 1.5%! Amazing!

As I said, I never had $18k on the Line. In Craps, there are bets which give you favorable odds (of course these are the harder ones to win at), so if you're winning, your gain can multiply pretty quickly.

Add to this my personal rule that I start in a Casino with a certain amount of money which I can afford to lose. In this case, it was $500 on Monday (for the entire week). Fortunately, we came away up $700 (+ $500 seed money =$1,200 total) which was good.

Then, I never make a bet larger than my last win, so essentially, I'm playing with free money. Yesterday, I won my 1st bet of $100, which payed me $133 because of odds. Then, I took back my initial seed money leaving me with $33. I bet $30 (didn't want to look like a Hayseed betting $33) on the next roll and won $40 with that bet, then I bet the $40, and so on. So, from my 1st winning bet, I was walking out of there with the original $700 I started with no matter what. I limited my top bet to $1000. Of course after a while, I was betting $1k on every roll because I was so far ahead.

I actually won over $24k, but the TaxMan took about $6k from me. Also, I won and lost money (their money) all the way through, it wasn't a run of straight wins. But, in the end, I had a pretty good day. I well exceeded my expectation which was $1k or so, and decided that if I stayed any longer I'd probably just start giving it back which I'm very averse to doing. That's also why I decided not to gamble anymore this trip.

Heading home tomorrow mid-day, can't wait, Vegas can be a little tiring. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is that I saw on CNN that it's in the teens in Mpls. right now - YIPEE!...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[pecivil]

all I can say is well done Jim. But those MN temps are payback!!