Studebaker added an OHV head to the 170 six in 1961. I was positive there was a valve cover on that engine so I did a little research. the valve cover was bright yellow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studebaker_Lark
A reporter is interested in talking with "baby boomers" about their relationships with the cars they have owned over the course of their lifetimes so far. Did you love or hate your first car? Did you do something especially fun with or in your car? Did you buy a modern Edsel you were later embarassed to admit you ever owned? How did your cars define your lifestyle and/or your personal image at a point in time? This is an opportunity to share your favorite car stories, boomers! Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than February 21, 2007 with your daytime contact information and a brief summary of the memory you care to share.
1985 Ford Escort (hand me down car that died a tragic timing chain and engine blowing death)
1969 Chevy Camaro (my brothers car - bang-street shifter! It was a hot car that he ditched for a wife)
1977 Chevy Monte Carlo (my Mom's car until my brother crashed it... green with an electric sunroof)
1983 Chevy Cavalier (my Mom's car - ugly but reliable)
1977 Chrysler Newport (loved this car - bought off of boyfriend's grandparents for $700. Spent more on replacing the white wall tires on a regular basis)
1987 Buick Century (boyfriend's car at the time - good to get rid of both!)
1991 Suzuki Samuri (drove for a year, got rid of it)
1966 Chrysler Newport - one of those "inherited" first cars. It could carry all the equipment for my band with room for some of band members as well! Had 228,000 on it when I took it on that last ride to the salvage yard in 1979.
1973 Vega - wow...2-speed powerglide automatic, more oil than gas. The clunker in my lineup! Also the last automatic as everything since this car has had a third pedal!
1981 Nissan Sentra - my first NEW car. Basic transportation that would get me 54 mpg on the highway. Where did THOSE numbers go??
1984 Sentra - the wife traded her '79 B210 hatch for this one. This was the last car we got without A/C
1987 Nissan 4x4 king cab pickup - There are days when I really miss having the utility of thepickup, but once the kids started to appear, it became less practical.
1988 Nissan Stanza wagon - We really liked this one. Sort of minivanish with a sliding door on one side. Didn't have a rear wiper though so the rear window was a constant struggle to see through:)
1991 Sentra - we've averaged about 175,000 on our Nissans since 1979 and this was the first one to top 200K at about 230,000 when I traded it.
1996 Sentra - This is the one made famous in the vid on my CarSpace page :P Still in the driveway and up for sale with a few folks interested in taking it off my hands!
2001 Altima - Our first used car since the Vega. Currently at 127,000 miles and counting. My first, and last, BLACK car. It looks great when it's clean, which means if youwash it every other day :surprise:
2007 Nissan Versa - After two consecutive days of 0 to-10 temps and wind chills in the -20 to -30 range last week, the'96 Sentra only started on 3 cylinders Tuesday morning. (Frozen fuel injector as far as we can determine) SO Istopped in at the dealer to see what the chance was of getting a 6-speed Versa in. Lo and behold, they had gotten one an hour before on a swap with a dealer. Wed morning it was mine!
Still digging for some good pics of all the cars in my life, but you can see most of them on my CarSpace! http://www.carspace.com/pf_flyer
I'm one of those baby boomers who, at age 52, has never owned an American car. My childhood dream cars were all American 60's muscle cars - Chevelles, and Vettes, and the like. But by the time I was old enough to start buying my own vehicles, those days were long dead. American cars were very sad in the 1970's - literally nonstarters. After a bad Plymouth and then a worse Chevrolet, my folks swore them off for the rest of their lives. Even at 72, I couldn't convince my mother that Buick was the best car for her. She bought a Toyota Avalon.
The first car I actually owned was a 1974 Honda Civic my parents bought for me as a preemptive strike against the Triumph Spitfire I was considering.
I drove it for 2 years but the that car was like a pair orthopedic shoes for a 20 year old. Comfortable enough, and very practical, but.....chick magnet? I think not.
I sold it in 1977 for a 1967 Alfa Spider. A red convertible?Yes! Fast? Yes! Chick Magnet? Yes!.... my first true love. I sold it by accident more or less to a college professor who paid me so handsomely for it I couldn't refuse.
With my profits I considered my new 1977 possibilities. A Pinto? A Vega? A Dodge Diplomat? A Mustang II with the big nose and tiny tail? Gentlemen,Please. Or rather, no thank you! I bought another Alfa. Sleek and elegant, sophisticated technology and fast - for the 70's. I thought of it as "the last convertible". With the 55 mph speed limit and generally pathetic competitors of the times, I felt like the last of the Commaches with a new war pony. Speed limits? Speed limits? We don't observe no stinkin' speed limits. I drove that car across America with a friend - 5,000 miles in 10 days. We drove 1,000 miles a day and then rested a day - Boise to Tuscon to New Orleans to Philadephia. We raced the night trains across the west Texas desert - even at 120 MPH it took forever to pass those miles-long trains. My CB handle for the trip was "The Sailin' Shoes"....
My next vehicle...was a Kawasaki 750. Raw, and with savage power, and frankly in 1980 Mad Max didn't seem like such a strange role model for an American boy. Leather and boots, and a straight exhaust. I did have a car too though - tiny beat up Honda 600 I called my grocery cart (ever tried to carry a dozen eggs and a quart of milk on a Kawasaki?) Plus, it made a nice umbrella.
When marriage set in, I ended up with two cars. A commuter-scooter 1973 175,000 mile Super Beetle, and a new 1987 Acura Integra as my Road Warrior. The Beetle was another pair-of-work shoes car. Ugly and scuffed up but not worn out. The Integra was a very "modern" car. It had all the sports-car features of my Alfa (disc brakes, DOHC engine, 5 speed transmission, good suspension) but in a Japanese quality car. For the record, I did try to look at an American car - a Chevy Nova, but the salesman tried to steer me to a Corsica saying, "Son, there just ain't no room to move on the price on them little cars". You are probably not old enough to know what a sad, sad, car the Corsica seemed like to young guy.
A string of three Integras followed. Great cars.... till 1997. I'd been out of the country for 2 years and had to fly back into the country and buy a car when I got off the plane. I literally took a taxi to the dealership and bought an Integra without driving it. This car was the end of any brand loyalty for me. Acura has since recovered but without me as a customer. A bad car? Nooooo. An Acura? Hardly. They'd kept the price down, but that was a mistake for a near-luxury car line. As great as it's predecessors had been, I hated this car. Sold it within a year. I wanted to return to my sports car roots, but with a back seat.
The Acura was followed by a series of BMW's. Expensive to buy but cheap to own, and these cars deliver what they promise.
Next car? American? I don't think so yet... Perhaps the right Cadillac, but so far I'm not convinced that they're a good choice. Another BMW? If Chris Bangle (their misguided designer) stays in his box, perhaps.
1966 Mustang convertible. My parents first 2nd car that dad bought in 75 or 76. 289 V8 made for fun times for a 16 yr old.
89 Chevy Beretta. My college car. By then the 'stang was showing its age and not going to make the 250 mile trip to college. So dad go a good deal on this through a car dealer buddy. Was a former rental and had the anemic 2.0 4cyl and typical GM build quality of the day. Ironically, this was bought because the Mustang was wearing out and the Beretta ended up leaving me stranded twice.
95 Toyota Tacoma My first new car. Got it when I got my first real job. Great truck.
99 Explorer Many hate 'em, but I loved mine. Had no problems and was comfy on road trips.
02 Accord Tried to get smart on gas and convinced myself to get the Accord. Great car, great mpg. Just not me.
04 4Runner Back to an SUV. Unfortunatley, the most uncomfortable vehicle I've ever had. Was murder on long trips.
06 Dodge Ram Was using the 4 Runner like a truck like a truck any way so I took advantage of the rebate last summer. Great truck so far.
Wife's roster since we've been together:
88 VW Fox If you don't remember these car's there's a reason.
99 Mitsu Mirage good basic transportation. No more no less.
01 PT Cruiser Loved it when it first came out. Incredibly functional interior. Unfortunately so slow it could not get out of its own way.
06 Volvo S40 T5 Great car, fast, safe, luxurious.
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
A 1968 English Ford Cortina given to me by my father in 1980. It had a 1600cc engine and 4sp manual transmission that was geared so low it was basically a 3 sp with an extra low first gear. It had a huge generator and a fuel pump that looked like a miniature hurricane lantern Parts were hard to find and money was tight so when the 3-4 syncro let go I sold it for $35.
1975 Chevy Camaro - it was my sister-in-law's first car and she gave it to me in 1983 or so. It was so rusted out that we never were able to get it registered. It got junked
1975 Pontiac LeMans - I am certain Andre will be interested in this one. It was a hand me down family car. It was a base 2 door model with a 6. Man was this car ugly! It was baby blue and remember driving it to school and parking it in the back lot so no one would know who's it was
1969 Rambler - ever a bigger embarrasment than the LeMans. It was my grandmothers and was handed to us. It was this ugly green color and literally could play a game of checkers on the seats
1984 Oldsmobile Firenza - This was my first 'real' car. I got it while in college. It was owned by another sister-in-law who had it since it was a year old or so. I got it with 39K miles and 'managed' to put another 45K miles on it or so. I used to commute between CT to WV for college. It was a piece of junk though. The main head gasket blew while I had it at school once. Oh well ... good enough for a first car
1990 Pontiac Grand Prix - Bought about 1993 with like 90K miles on it and managed another 30K or so before I sold it to buy my first brand new car which was a ...
1994 Ford Probe GT - Cool little car. Never had a major problem with it during the 6 years and 85K miles I had it. It was a fast little car with a 5 speed. I sort of wish I kept it as a second car.
2000 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer - I leased this one. I kept it its full term and was planning on buying it but once the heat went out in the middle of winter, I decided it was not worth it so ...
2003 Ford Explorer - I bought this one and still own it today. And ... its paid for and has only 27K miles on it thus far. I still like it and will own it until it dies completely which I figure will not be for another long while
1968 Chevy Camaro RS - I bought this completely restored beauty in 1999 and I will never sell it. In fact, I figure I will be buried in it. Awesome show car that has won many awards. Of course it gets tons of looks whenever I drive it.
1998 Chevy Camaro convertible - Bought it in 2005 as a fun second car. I sold it back in November because I just never used it much and put a total of like 2200 miles on it while I had it. I got exactly what I paid for it though and that money has been put into an account to put as a down payment for the:
2008/2009 Camaro - hope tobe one of the first in the Rocky Mountain region with one.
Other notables -
1976 Old Omega - Friend in high school had this one and 5 of us were piled in it on my 17th b-day and we hit a wet spot and it fish tailed and we hit a telephone pole. No one was hurt but car was totaled. 1982 Ford Granada station wagon - Another high school friends mother had this one and just a lot of memories in this car! I more or less learned to drive on it 1977 Plymouth Volare - Another hs friends car. And I though my LeMans was ugly! 1985 Pontiac Bonneville - The first new car I ever remember my parents buying
Cars my parents had when growing up (that I remember): 1967 Chevy Caprice station wagon 1971 Ford Country Squire 1975 Dodge Coronet station wagon 1969 Olds Delta 88 1980 Pontiac Bonneville
and remember my dad buying a '67 Mustang convertible from a neighbor who moved away but the frame was so rusted it would have cost tons to restore ... I think it got junked!
Does anyone see any foreign/japanese car on this list???
1975 Pontiac LeMans - I am certain Andre will be interested in this one. It was a hand me down family car. It was a base 2 door model with a 6. Man was this car ugly! It was baby blue and remember driving it to school and parking it in the back lot so no one would know who's it was
LOL, my Mom had a '75 LeMans, base coupe, when I was a little kid. It was a bronzish reddish color that stuck out like a sore thumb, even when it was new, in that era of loud colors. I hated that thing when I was a kid, but I think part of it was the color. I've always liked blues and some of the more tasteful greens, so that was one strike against it. I also tended to like cars with quad headlights better than cars with single headlights, so I guess that was strike two! At the time my grandparents had a 1972 Impala 4-door hardtop, in a nice, dark forest green with a white roof. That was such a clean, nicely styled car, and I liked it so much better than Mom's LeMans. I remember as a kid saying that I wanted Grandmom and Granddad to hang onto that car until I was old enough to drive, but even back then they used to laugh that there was no way the car would last that long!
Oddly though, I've always loved the '76-77 LeMans, which isn't all that different, except for being more squared off up front, with quad headlights, and taillights that were wider and less tall. It's amazing what a difference a minor facelift can make.
a 1969 Ford Fairlane 2 door (blue). My brother bought it from my aunt in 1975 or 76 for $50 as I recall. It was handed down to me from my brother who drove it while he was in high school. When he graduated, he gave it to me and I drove it for the next two years then I graduated.
I've had many used cars since then, the most notable a 1979 Pontiac Trans AM - my first car that I paid for with my own money...
My first NEW car I bought.... a 1990 Ford Probe GL, which I drove until 2003 - it had 230,000 miles on the odo when it finally died for good.
'64 Rambler Station Wagon! I think it was a 660 (?) Cross Country. Anyway it was in the middle of the model lineup. It was former owned by an 70 year old woman who had bought it new. I got it in 1975. What a great car!
My dad had a 1963 Rambler Cross Country 770 wagon. I remember our family going to drive in movies and camping trips in that wagon. He had it until 1971 and moved on to (among many other cars) a 1972 Buick Estate Wagon with the 455 engine (I drove that one every now and then to school).
My 1st used car was a '64 VW bug. It was a great car. Ran for a long time until I went into the military and my folks sold it. Boo! I got back out and bought a used '57 Chevy. Ran great also. Then a neighbor sold me a '48 Chevy 4 door sedan. I loved this car. It was built like a tank. It was hard to get some parts, however. I sold it after a few years to a guy. It may still be running around.
I liked that 69 Fords, LTDs, Galaxies and Fairlanes. They had style and grace, a little bit futuristic, but all looked like family. Something they're trying to do again now with the Gillette grille. It's just not as attractive to me as the great style of 69....
My first car was a white '67 Chrysler Newport Custom sedan. It was given to me by my godmother as I was finishing my junior year in high school (1979). That car was a tank! It had a 270hp 383 V8 with a Stromberg 2BBL carb., and mother MOPAR's bullet-proof Torque-flite automatic. On a GOOD day, that car would get 12 MPG on the highway at 60 MPH. It had a smooth ride, and acceleration was like...RIGHT NOW! This car saw me through my sophomore year of undergrad. I had to let it go. Repairs and insurance were getting the best of me. My education had a higher priority.
Three years later....
1985 1/2 (red) Ford Escort L 3dr. Purchased brand new. 5-speed gearbox, guage package, stereo, michelins, etc. Fuel economy was the name of the game! I refused to pay those "additional dealer markups" for stripped-down Toyota Tercels, Honda Civics, ....you get the picture. This Escort was practical, fun, and six months later it saved my life when I t-boned a VW Rabbit at 45 MPH. The driver of the VW ran a red light, and got smashed a couple of times. What a mess that was! :sick: I liked that little Escort so much that I got another one six weeks later.
1986 (red) Escort L 3dr- This one has power steering and A/C! I put 150,000 miles on it. The original brakes hung around for 68,000 miles! The syncros on 1st gear and reverse were worn pretty bad at 92,000 miles, so I took it to a Ford dealership for repairs. When the technician pulled out the clutch disc, it still looked new! I needed a carb rebuild at around 135,000 miles. On road trips, this car averaged 38 MPG at 60 MPH with the A/C running. This car left me stranded twice over 150,000 miles. The first time was the result of a dead battery. The second time was the result of a bad ignition module. Both instances were at home. What luck!
1988 Mazda MX6 LX (black). I developed a thing for manual gearboxes. This car had one, too. BOY, was it sweet! It was my first foreign car. I bought it used, and eventually sold the '86 Escort. It was a definite automotive promotion. It had some strange little quirks, but I loved it! I took GOOD care of that car for 10 years. By 2000, most MX6s on the road were beaters. Mine was a cherry! It had an untimely demise when it got rear-ended so %$&# hard that the trunk was moving in on the back seat. :sick:
Well, was it time to grow up? I got a good deal on a beige 2001 Toyota Camry LE (4cyl/Automatic). Fuel economy was spectacular for a car that size. At 100 MPH, the engine spins at only 3500 RPMs! AND IT'S QUIET! The 4-cylinder Camry is also a home-mechanic's dream. Raise the hood on a 1997-2001 model, and you'll see what I'm talking about. The rest of the auto makers can learn some valuable lessons from Toyota on that score.
It was a nice car....for a non-enthusiast. WHAT WAS I THINKING? I got bored after a couple of years.
I jumped on the internet and got a quote on a silver 2004 Acura RSX (Base) with...you got it...a 5-speed! The dealership called me one afternoon. MY CAR just rolled off the carrier a week ago. My heart skipped a beat! The dealership couldn't prep that car fast enough. Hey, 0-60 MPH in 7.7sec, observed highway MPG: 33, octane requirement: 87, handling: fantastic!!!, Looks: :shades:
My parents had a '70 LTD coupe. It was dark green, with a black vinyl top. They bought it new. It was a facelift of the '69 models. It was the 1970 model year that Ford adopted the locking steering column. Those big Fords were nice!
64 Rambler Station Wagon! I think it was a 660 (?) Cross Country. Anyway it was in the middle of the model lineup. It was former owned by an 70 year old woman who had bought it new. I got it in 1975. What a great car!
My dad had a 1963 Rambler Cross Country 770 wagon. I remember our family going to drive in movies and camping trips in that wagon. He had it until 1971 and moved on to (among many other cars) a 1972 Buick Estate Wagon with the 455 engine (I drove that one every now and then to school).
I quote both of these posts because I too have memories of one of these cars; in my case my parents' 1964 Rambler 770 sedan. Luckily for my teen-age soul, it was a V-8. I got my license in that car, and drove it as much as my father wouwld allow. Because it had the V-8 and a 3-speed automatic, it would actually take a 327 Powerglide Chevy in a stoplight drag. Not only was that sweet in itself, getting beaten by a Rambler could induce psychotic depression in the driver of the Chevy. Sweet days of youth. Oh, yeah; it had reclining seats. But that's a story for another time. Anyway, my memories and the ones quoted above make me think there must have been something about those cars.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
71 and 72 only, Andre - they were Bunkie Knudsen - Pontiac inspired models, and you can really see his influence on them, can't you? They only lasted those 2 years though, as did Bunkie - then they went back to basically flat fronts until 75, when they did the "baby Lincoln" thing....
Dad bought a 71 new, light green Galaxie 500, had a 351 in it. He drove it 100,000, then sold it to my Future Father in Law - who drove it another 100,000. Amazingly, it got 21 MPG on the road, which was his favorite thing to brag about.
A list containing some golden (and not-so-golden) rides
1965 Chevy Malibu- a 230 straight six with a powerglide, purchased for the princely sum of $150 in 1980.
1971 Dodge Monaco- Possibly the world's longest two-door. Burgundy with a black vinyl top, mint condition until I banged the door up on the TEST DRIVE (!). The $300 purchase price was much less than the repair cost, so this 383 big block was mine with the promise that I would look back some day and laugh about how I bought it.
1972 Mustang Grande- Blue, black vinyl top. Rusted out, but with a strong 351.
1978 Ford Fiesta Ghia- A very underrated car, in my opinion. My first "good" car, I covered the silver exterior with a blue base/ twin white racing stripes "Cobra" special paint job. No faster, but certainly more eye-catching. 12" rims made tire selection tough, but the 1.6 liter Kent always ran great and would return 45 mpg all day long on the highway. I sold it to a buddy who ran it up to around 130,000 mi.
1969 Mustang Mach 1- 351 4V(290 hp), 4-speed, absolutely no power anything- even had drums all the way around. Rusty, but fun and fast.
1971 Mustang Mach 1- 351C 2v auto originally, built the 351 to 375 hp or so and dropped a 4-speed in to go with the 3.70 gears in the rear. This thing was so tight that it would bark the tires upon abrupt DEceleration. 9 mpg and all the fun a young man could hardly stand.
1979 Ford Fairmont Futura- Charcoal gray coupe with a 302/auto and a set of the TRX wheels off a Mustang.Not too strong, but actually looked nice.
1980 Plymouth Champ- 1.4 liter, Twin-Stik 4-speed. Amazed to find out it still used points in the ignition.
1988 Honda CRX- My first new car, wonderful. Had to sell it with the wife in the family way.
1969 Mustang Mach 1- Black w/red stripe (reflective, remember?) 390 4V with 4-speed and 3.25 traction-lok differential. 100,000 miles and the motor was completely worn out. Bought out of a gentleman's side yard where it sat for 8 years- $150 and I towed it away. $15 in parts later, if fired up with a roar that was more sound than fury. Owned for 2 weeks until a young man made me an offer I couldn't refuse. It was (hopefully) restored.
1988 Merkur Scorpio- Burgundy with the nicest black leather interior I ever experienced- a power reclining REAR seat! Every option imaginable, too bad it was an "orphan." Sold when I couldn't get parts anywhere, even at the dealer. Very European, no real problems for the several years I owned it.
1993 Mercury Grand Marquis- Boring but ran great.
2000 Honda Odyssey- Still a great vehicle, 80K on the clock.
2006 Toyota Sienna- Great, but heck, it's still almost new.
You guys got me thinking about a '71 Ford Custom. Their basic full-size 4-door sedan. Not just any Custom, though. I saw an old Burt Reynolds movie the other night called "White Lightning". Burt or "Gator McClusky" was an ex-convict working for the Feds. They supplied him with this brown '71 Custom that looked as plain as a taxi...until you peeked inside. It had a 4-speed shifter ahead of that bench seat. Under the hood was a souped-up 429 big-block. Now THAT was a sleeper! I wish that was a car of MY past.
1972 Mustang Grande- Blue, black vinyl top. Rusted out, but with a strong 351.
I restored one of those, it's on my Carspace, note the name on the license plate.... I changed the color on mine from light blue to the Sprint, red white & blue paint job.....
My dad rented a few cars in the sixties/seventies because of his job. I remember as a kid the coolest car he ever rented was a 1971 Ford Torino! I remember it looked sort of like a mustang and it was green with a stripe down the side. I also remember it was the first car I ever saw with power windows.
Talk about a blast from the past- I haven't seen a Sprint since 1986, my final quarter at Ohio State. It was a fastback, with a manual tranny of some sort.
"...between the letters V and W", my father told me prior to my 16th birthday. I had planned of course, either to buy a sixties Lincoln, Mercedes or a Bentley Mark Vi---then about $2,500 for a nice one. Under NO circumstances was I going to find myself trapped in a VW Bug no matter how economical or indestructable those cars happened to be. My Mom had one so I knew all about their benefits and shortcomings. My brother was laughed out of the school parking lot with the Renault-Dauphine that my Dad had saddled him with, despite its racing engine replacing the original horrible lump of iron. "That's not going to happen to me..."
The Bentley was slightly out of my reach, so in order to prevent war at home, I had to buy a '65 Benz. But it was the German model with kilometers for instrumentation, factory air, sunroof, and euro-lights. It had brown leather seats, marvelous wood finish trim inside, and the ubiquitous white steering wheel. This little car beat my friends in the snows of winter and the gas pumps of summer, (gas wan an outrageous $0.44/9 a gallon!) The all-round disc brakes, and swing-axle rear suspension made it quite fun to drive. It was a light car (ralleyed so successfully by Mercedes-Benz) so I could often beat my friends who had far more Bhp to heal, until we hit a corner! We all piled in drivng to the ski slopes and the Beer & Pizza Pubs, my friend Gary J. often climbing through the sun-roof onto the hood to adjust the hood ornament! I took a dim view of such stunts while driving, but you can't drive a Mercedes without a correctly adjusted hood ornament. "We" often referred to the car as the "Odd-Job Mercedes" because that is what you saw in Goldfinger, when Odd-Job's forces were chasing Bond in his DB5! Dad would often "borrow" my car more often than I wanted, (especially the Saturday mornings I was hung over and my car was blocking his!).
One day the Euro Lights on my Benz caught fire while driving home late one nite. A "friend" had cleaned the lens face without properly cleaning off the residue, using entirely the wrong and very flamable solvent for the job, causing an electrical short and then fire while driving!! This happened when I had the car in for some minor service I could not (then) do. Replacement of the lights and wiring cost more than the car was worth, since I had to get the parts direct from Germany. "You are costing much today...", the service manager at the Benz dealer told me! No one in Hemmings had anything ready-to-go for my model. So the Benz languished in my garage. I removed the grille when working on the car, and it ended up on my wall, where it hangs today. I left for College leaving the Benz behind, who owns it now I do not know, but would love to have the car back. My Dad could sign my name, as we had the same handwriting, so he did that on the title when he moved and cleared out the garage in Milwaukee. I moved on to drive Lincolns for more than three decades.
Many fond memories for the tough little 65 Benz 220SEL
Very interesting, as I own a similar car. Nice story, they are indeed good cars. You should have just installed light assemblies of a 60-61 model! They should adapt to a Euro with no work.
If you want a SE fintail, you can get a good one for maybe 5K. But a sunroof Euro model with AC would be rare indeed.
This was 30 plus years ago and I was very green behind the ears about parts swapping. despite many forays into junk yards with friends. The ex-Panzer commander (true) that ran the service department at the Benz Dealer in Milwaukee told me that wouldn't work---eventhough I had the shop manual. No junk-yards had any Euro light cars, and Hemmings then was a very small affair with the cars & parts advertised randomly. I almost bought the 300SEL (with glass division) that was sitting like a camel in the back of the Benz dealer lot just to get the parts. I did not know then how rare a car that was. (Had I known, it would have quickly become mine) The dealer hand't decided what to do with that car anyhow.
So I continued to tried to fix my car. But other commitments kept me from working on Der Benz. Sadly I have know I idea where the car went, or who bought it. I look all the time for a similar car, and you are correct, they are rare indeed. Especially with the "Kulhmeister" AC system. When I find the right one I will buy it and add to my collection. I bought the Benz cause I had to keep my father happy, and also had just missed out on a Cabroilet (they were cheap, and no one wanted them then), so looked for the next best thing---nor did I want the (then) dime-a-dozen $500 Mustang Convertible. I had built plenty of those with my friends---who subsequently wrecked them. Few people my age drove a Benz then...one more reason why I bought it.
Very cool. My 220SE was my second car...but by then it was 30 years old, and I knew it was something to hold on to, so I still have it. I don't drive it as often as I should, but it's in pretty decent shape. I have it in my carspace if you want to see it.
The lights would be an easy fix, that service guy was just playing some kind of game. It might have required a little wiring adapation, but that's the only big thing that differentiated the Euro from NA cars - light assemblies. Maybe the stealership didn't want to bother with the work. Oh well, too late to go back now. Maybe I missed it...what color was the car?
A W112 300SEL divider is almost unknown, they probably made less than 100 of them. I've only seen pictures of a couple of them. I would love to find a sunroof 300SEL, those cars were beautiful.
If you really want another 220SE sunroof car, I could keep an eye out...I am always looking when these cars come on the market.
64 Ford Falcon 4Dr 170 six with 2spd auto - bought for $25 with 170K mi. - Needed to add a radiator to run, then lasted 6 months before everything let go.
68 Ford LTD 2Dr 302 auto - bought for $150 - Had issues with everything except the motor. Sold for scrap
69 Toyota Corona auto - Rust, rust and more rust. Rust caused the front suspension to "let go" in a rain storm at 40 mph.
67 Mustang 289 4spd coupe, headers, 4bbl. Fast and fun - speedometer never worked, just ran with the "flow".
71 Ford Pinto 4spd coupe - My Edsel - blew the motor on I95.
80 Ford Mustang 4cyl 4spd - First new car - Nice looking but under powered.
83 Nissan Pulsar NX 5spd - Light and fun to throw around. Drove all over NE, Eastern Canada and mid atlantic. 90K mi in 2 years!
85 Nissan Pick up 5spd - needed a small truck after buying first home.
72 Volvo 245 - Family wagon owned at the same time as the pick up. First child arrived soon after the first home.
88 Ford Taurus wagon auto - "Upgrade" to the volvo.
89 Honda Prelude 5spd - post divorce trade for the Taurus.
91 Geo Prizm 5spd - needed something cheap and reliable after beating the daylights out of the Prelude
96 Honda Accord 4cyl/5spd - Upgrade from the Geo
98 Nissan Pathfinder auto - Thought I needed an SUV, and the new wife only drives auto. 16 Mi/gallon!
01 Subaru Outback ltd auto - Great car - practical for NE, dependable and reasonable economy - Same cargo room as the Pathfinder! Just a little slow though.
06 Honda Accord EX V6 auto w/Nav - Wanted a TL or Lexus but couldn't bring myself to spend more than 30K. This is the current car.
1954 Ford, from a mechanic at Galpin Ford, I think and in about 6 weeks I blew the clutch. It had a 239ci V8 and was a kick compared to the Falcon and Galaxy that were family cars. After replacing the clutch in the driveway of a friend who loaned me a Motor's Manual during finals for senior year of HS I think it only took another couple weeks to blow the engine.
The 1960 Falcon was boring, but pretty dependable, then I got hit and did the fender replacement myself with a friend and got a Dark green paint job at Schwab to cover the faded black it came in.
The 1964 Ford Fairlane sedan, white with black tonneau top that I got from my Dad when I graduated from College lasted all of 18 months and sold it to some girl before going to VN.
1970 Torino, in medium blue lasted another year and a half while I was in Ohio and left it there, thankfully. Only a couple years old and already rust under the lip of the trunk lid.
1972 MGB, purchased for delivery in the UK and did just about 10k miles before bringing it home to CA. Little Orange was one of the only reliable MG's I ever came across, well reliable is relative in an MG. I did a trip from SF area to Colorado in '74 and after 80/85 across Hwy 50 on the way home I was very happy. The rabbit was not as happy. Then the next morning as I started the car I heard a snap and shut it off. Opened the hood and one belt was broken and I then noticed I also had a flat, but it didn't leave me in the middle of NV. The dealer did complain some about fur and stuff in the engine compartment. It lasted a dozen years, and have no idea how many miles, the speedo broke at about 21k miles. No speedo or radio and still loved that car. Finally let it go for $2k with a crunched fender, thanks to a big rig in a parking lot at work and also pocketed the $1k insurance check. That was for a car that I got for $2.8k new. One of the best ever.
Co. car, 1984 Camaro Berlinetta (?) with 4 sp and fun to drive. Since I was admin for assigning the cars and one VP didn't like it after ordering it, I just sort of assigned it to me. When that job went away things got practical.
1978 Nissan Pulsar, white with gray hatch, I actually enjoyed that one too. I could drive it with my foot on the floor and never get noticed. Lasted 15 years and 102k miles, mostly going to BART and back. I was looking for a replacement and thought the hatch back had been a good design when I found that most of them were gone.
2002 Corvette coupe, after looking for nine months when I found that 6'3" didn't fit in a XK. Still with me and hope it stays a lot longer, great car. Yes, this is the dark side, still love the sound of Ford V8s.
Hey everyone! Havent posted anything in a long while...I guess I miss the IDLSWDY days...
1976 Electra limited- last of the smog 455's, great car for haulnig stuff in when I was in school, but just not too fleet a foot.
1972 Skylark- 350 2bbl FUN car...got a lot of miles out of it.
1992 mustang lx 5.0 notchback 5 speed- another really fun car, but had its share of problems, much like the other fox bodies.
1995 T-bird...first new car, and unfortunately a horrible ownership experience. Awful car. Gone in 12 months when GA lemon law failed to be any help.
1994 Z-28, wife to be couldnt see out of it safely.
1996 Integra GSR- wife becaime pregnant...time for a family car.
1997 Accord. Not a good vehicle, and not a typo either.
1998 Neon RT- fun little car, but had multiple AC issues that couldnt be resolved.
1998 Grand Cherokee. good vehicle...thirsty 4.0 straight six. Too small with spre tire taking up space in hatch area.
2000 Grand Caravan- not a bad vehicle, but was a clearly a purchase to satisfy the wife. Well I could only hide my true feelings for so long!
2002 Yukon- Didnt use it for any thing in had planned on, mainly towing my 71 firebird- so between the gas, payment, intermediate steering shaft rattle, couldnt justify keeping it, so it went.
2002 Maxima- Great vehicle, fun to drive. I STILL HAVE IT!!! Wife drives it now.
2005 Magnum RT- too many problems to list- just anothe vehicle that I had a "cup of coffee" with. Too bad, neat vehicle otherwise.
2005 Accord. Nice car- but wouldnt do with 3rd child on the way.
2006 Pilot- currently owned vehicle thats been great.
Disclaimer. I'm only 23 so my cars aren't classic hot rods.
1. 2001 Mazda Protege LX 2.0 (I bought this used in 2003) 2. 2002 Toyota Camry LE (also purchased used) 3. 2005 Chrysler 300 Touring (purchased in 04) 4. 2004 Jeep Liberty Sport (purchased new in 04) 5. 2003 TL 3.2 Type S I'm looking to trade that it soon)
I have but two questions- one on-topic, and one off-topic:
1) Do you still have that '72 Mustang Grande which you restored a while back, and if so does it run good?
2) I know that you're based in Nevada and I had to ask: Where exactly is Searchlight, the hometown of Senator Harry Reid? The senator mentioned his town in a TV interview I just saw.
I do not have the Grande anymore, I sold it to a friend for his son to use as his first car - the kid took excellent care of the car, drove it between Vegas and Malibu when he went to college for 4 years. It is now in his Father's garage, and still runs great. It has a bit of wear on the interior and probably needs a refresh, but otherwise, it's in great condition. It went to a great home.
Searchlight is about 50 miles south of Vegas off the Needles highway, and is a wide spot in the road, not too wide. One motel, one store, etc. Harry (whom I know very well, but don't get along with very well anymore) was called Pinky when he was young in Searchlight. He likes to use his humble beginnings to show how in touch with the common man he is - but he's worth zillions now and not much of that, if any, has gone home to Searchlight from what we can see. Or, frankly, back to Nevada anymore. I think he's forgotten us. BUT, I digress.....
For the record, Mrs. Senator Harry Reid drives a Town Car, and Harry drives a complimentary Chevy when he comes into town, provided by one of the local auto groups - again, to show how humble he is.
If you need reservations to stay in Searchlight, call the Searchlight Nugget - but they always have "a room".....trust me....
I'm going to be headed for Vegas, this June. My wifes cousin is getting married there. I figured we could meet up and you could give me a VIP tour around Groom Lake.
Rocky
P.S. How did Harry Reid get rich ? I'm not a huge fan of his because he comes across to passive but he does have some good idea's once in a while.
Doing some traveling myself in June, rocky, but if I'm in town, we'll have lunch.
Harry Reid got rich (extremely rich) from his political career, and the land deals it enabled him to transact with inside information. He's been clipped for a few of them, but very few indeed. Land speculation here, for those who can afford to, is a sure thing. He's hoping to get a call to be VP in 08 to whomever gets the nomination.
Among some of my first cars when I was a teeny bopper was a 1964 corvair. I use to hate to work on it with all that sheetmetal around the engine. My hand were always getting chewed up. Too bad GM doesn't res erect and upgrade it like the VW Beetle did.
Doing some traveling myself in June, rocky, but if I'm in town, we'll have lunch.
Well I'd love to do just that.
Harry, doesn't have the clout to get picked as a running mate by any of the contenders. Obama, Edwards, are most likely to get those slots IMHO. Harry, has way to many skeletons in his closet for the right to hammer him on and is often looked at as a flip flopper.
A reporter with a national news magazine is hoping to talk to consumers who drove to Woodstock. If you drove in a VW Microbus with a psychedelic paint job, that would be great too. The reporter will speak to anyone who drove to Woodstock. Please reply to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Wednesday, March 21, 2007 with your daytime contact info.
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1992 Mustang-Got it from aunt as my first car. Was part of trade in deal for Mazda 626(see below.)
1998 Mazda 626 LX 4 cyl-nice gas mileadge, interior and nice cloth seats. Was sad to see car go at the time! Was a leased car.
2002 Acura CL(base) Nice car and have had it for 5 1/2 years with 57,600 miles on it. Just got the rear brakes and rotors done and oil is changed every 3,000 miles.
Next car: probably back to Mazda or maybe a Mitsu(they seem to have their act back together) although I can keep the Acura for a 3-5 more years.
Still have about a gazillion boxesof photos to go through, but I found some more photos to fill in some holes in the Cars of My Checkered Past photo album in CarSpace :P
how many miles my Mom & stepdad's '99 Altima has on it, but as of Mother's Day last year, it was right around 200,000. Probably over 230,000 by now.
Initially I thought the car was going to be a piece of crap because its tranny had to be rebuilt at 35,000 miles, and then around 80,000 miles it left them stranded. Twice. But Nissan rebuilt the tranny with no fuss whatsoever, and the stranding thing was due to the battery going bad prematurely. Odd, back in the old days you could actually pull a battery out of a car while it was running, and you'd be fine. Well, until you turned the car off, that is! I guess you can't do that any more? Other than those two problems though, I don't think the car has needed anything other than regular maintenance stuff.
AFAIK, the car's still running fine, but they want to get something new because they travel down to Florida a lot, and with the car getting up in mileage, that could get risky.
First car 1938 Chev 2door Given me by the next door neighbor when I was 14. He bought it unrunning for the tires and didn't think I'd do anything with it. Had it running in 3 hours but took the next 2 weeks to get the brakes functional. Used to drive it on my grandfather's farm. One winter, I forgot to drain it and it froze and and broke the block. 1937 Chev 4dr Dad bought it for me for $75 when I turned 16. Had to pay him back. It was OK! but had the "knee action" front suspension, and went loping down the road hysterically when you hit a bump 1942 Ford 6 cyl coupe. Didn't run, but it was a Ford. Put in a hot Flathead V8, which would turn 97.3 in a quarter mile. Not bad in 1957. Had some preexisting body damage, and burned valves like a woodstove burns pine. Nicknamed "the Popcorn Machine" by friends. Sold it after blowing the engine in a stoplight drag.
1941 Ford Coupe. Terrific condition drove it several years, all over Cal, Or & WA.
1941 Plymouth, Paid $25. It ran well, but was gutlessl sold it for $150
1941 Chev Convert, Engine was frozen up and it was given to me. Took out the engine, but sold it before proceeding. Made a couple of bucks.
1947 Indian Bonneville. Pd $75 for it all in pieces. Had it assembled enough to run, but lacked the gas tank, so had a jury rigged 1 gallon can. A collector spotted me one day and followed me to work. Paid me $750. 1958
1959 Ford Galaxie 500 Convertibel. My first good car. Purchased in 1960 from Hertz rental. Had the 292, but was reasonably quick and got 20mpg on 30 cent gas.
1961 VW First Brand new car. Liked it a lot, lost it in my first divorce,
1941 Nash (1962)A bit of a step back, but divorces cause such things. Old and beautiful. The rear seats folded into the trunk making beds you could leave in place all the time. It was a lot of fun picking a girl up at her place for a first date and seeing their reaction when you opened the door for them and the red interior lights came on.
1960 Falcon (1963) "THe Tin Tank" It went everywhere without a missed beat. Carried 6 people; never less than 31 mpg. An amazingly reliable car. The use I gave it would destroy nearly car made now and most SUVs
1966 Mustang Conver 6 cyl loaded with options. A beautiful, reliable and economical 30mpg car. Sold it to my Dad who sold it to my Sis who sold it to my Mom who sold it to my Brother who wrecked it in 1984, and got twice the original purchase price from the insurance company.
1968 Mercury Montego 302 V8. Competent family car; decent economy. Sold it after the drum brakes faded in a panic stop on the freeway.
1972 Mustang Convertable 351 CJ Brand new in Jan '72 with all the performance options. I still have this car and it still has the original paint. Drove the car near 200,000 miles before rebuilding the engine. With my engineer son doing most of the wrench turning and a Ford specialized speed shop doing the rest, it cost $1000 more to rebuild the engine in 2005 than the car cost new.
Prior to the engine rebuild, the only repairs to the car were the carburater, water pump and several clutches. My wife didn't like low on the 4 speed, (371 axel ratio) but loved to drive the car; so she started out in second all the time so we went through a lot of clutches. She could start out from a dead stop on a San Francisco hill in second gear.
1977 Subaru Without question the worst car I have ever owned. Purchased new I traded it with 58,000 miles and there was more wrong with it than it was worth. Jumped out of 3rd gear when you applied power. The windshield wipers would not clear snow from the windsheild. Three of 4 quarter shaft bearings were shot. Engine ran OK, but this little tin box only managed 17 mpg.
1979 Thunderbird. Quietest car I've ever owned. It got 19 mpg with the AC, Auto Trans etc at 75 mph. Put 127k miles on it without a single repair. Sold it 1985 to a friend who drove it at least another 3 years. Needless to say, I don't think much of a Subaru.
1984 THunderbird A stripped model; Only one I have ever seen with roll up windows. COmpetent car; drove it 120,000 in Alaska with only one minor repair to the transmission, a $57 sensor.
1984 BroncoII (1989) Excellent vehicle for Alaska. Much more reliable and capable than the contemporary Subarus. It always started even at 30 below. About 18 mpg, lacked adequate passing power above 55 mph, but was unstoppable in adverse conditions.
1989 Mustang Convert 5L 5spd Sport option (1990) Great car put 120k without a repair; 24 mpg as long as I kept my foot out of it, which was hard to do. Very quick and agile, but light in the rear if pavement was slippery. Sold it to my son's best friend for $2000 less than I had paid 5 years and 120,000 miles earlier. He still has the car and loves it. Has had it restored.
1991 Mercury tracer. (new)I was comuting 120 miles per day and needed max economy so bought a stripped little sedan. It got 40 mpg all the time. At first the cornering was weak, but I changed out the tires and made a sports car out of it. Handling was then superb along with the mileage. Sold it with over 150k without a single problem other than the original tires.
1979 Ranchero Old and battered, but useful in my business. Sold it to a fellow who restored it.
1985 Bronco II (1999) Yep another one, for the business mainly to tow boats around the yard. It had 180k on it, and several times I drove it through the mountains during winter. My new puppy ate the interior, and it wasn't worth fixing, so I pocketed the 800 insurance check. When I sold the business, it was still hauling boats. It pulled a 25,000# boat on a trailer up the ramp, when the owner's Chev 3500 PU wouldn't.
1988 Bronco II (2006) Since so much of what I do involves needing 4WD, towing 3,000# or more and leaving the vehicle unattended in a harbor or trailhead, it would be silly to have an expensive looking vehicle. So I went back to reliability and off road capacity. Found a good '88 for $2,000 last June. It is my principle vehicle and gets 23 mpg most of the time, 24 when I drove to Mexico and back last January. Prior owner was a kid who had way too large a tire for the gearing; you could never get it into 5th. Changed them. Had a minus 9 night in December. It started without a whimper next AM.
Well that's it. I now have my old Mustang and my new old Bronco II. Based on driving and riding in many many other cars, I'm sweet. In my esperience, Ford products have been the best all around vehicles considering cost and satisfaction. I'm not luxury oriented, though many of my friends are, and for years traveled on business ane rented nearly every kind of car imaginable; Being single, I have driven many girl friends cars of all makes. Toyotas and Hondas in general deserve their reputation, though they aren't flawless. Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru are not equal in quality
My brother-in-law just recently got rid of his 1997 Nissan Altima that went 212K miles. Funny, I always thought he was going to get another one as I saw the 2007 Nissan Altima catalogue on his kitchen countertop when I last saw him around Xmas. He got a Ford Fusion instead.
Comments
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studebaker_Lark
1985 Ford Escort (hand me down car that died a tragic timing chain and engine blowing death)
1969 Chevy Camaro (my brothers car - bang-street shifter! It was a hot car that he ditched for a wife)
1977 Chevy Monte Carlo (my Mom's car until my brother crashed it... green with an electric sunroof)
1983 Chevy Cavalier (my Mom's car - ugly but reliable)
1977 Chrysler Newport (loved this car - bought off of boyfriend's grandparents for $700. Spent more on replacing the white wall tires on a regular basis)
1987 Buick Century (boyfriend's car at the time - good to get rid of both!)
1991 Suzuki Samuri (drove for a year, got rid of it)
1995 Nissan Altima (stolen after 3 months... replaced with)
1996 Nissan Altima
1991 Volvo 940 SE wagon (still driving it today - 170,000 miles young!)
1991 Toyota Supra (husband's car - after 2nd child it had to go)
1992 Saab 900 Convertible (it's dying... needs to die - it's a money pit but my husband just can't let it go...)
2003 Honda Odyssey (with three kids, 2 dogs and a busy schedule it's the people mover of our lives!)
1973 Vega - wow...2-speed powerglide automatic, more oil than gas. The clunker in my lineup! Also the last automatic as everything since this car has had a third pedal!
1981 Nissan Sentra - my first NEW car. Basic transportation that would get me 54 mpg on the highway. Where did THOSE numbers go??
1984 Sentra - the wife traded her '79 B210 hatch for this one. This was the last car we got without A/C
1987 Nissan 4x4 king cab pickup - There are days when I really miss having the utility of thepickup, but once the kids started to appear, it became less practical.
1988 Nissan Stanza wagon - We really liked this one. Sort of minivanish with a sliding door on one side. Didn't have a rear wiper though so the rear window was a constant struggle to see through:)
1991 Sentra - we've averaged about 175,000 on our Nissans since 1979 and this was the first one to top 200K at about 230,000 when I traded it.
1996 Sentra - This is the one made famous in the vid on my CarSpace page :P Still in the driveway and up for sale with a few folks interested in taking it off my hands!
2001 Altima - Our first used car since the Vega. Currently at 127,000 miles and counting. My first, and last, BLACK car. It looks great when it's clean, which means if youwash it every other day :surprise:
2007 Nissan Versa - After two consecutive days of 0 to-10 temps and wind chills in the -20 to -30 range last week, the'96 Sentra only started on 3 cylinders Tuesday morning. (Frozen fuel injector as far as we can determine) SO Istopped in at the dealer to see what the chance was of getting a 6-speed Versa in. Lo and behold, they had gotten one an hour before on a swap with a dealer. Wed morning it was mine!
Still digging for some good pics of all the cars in my life, but you can see most of them on my CarSpace!
http://www.carspace.com/pf_flyer
The first car I actually owned was a 1974 Honda Civic my parents bought for me as a preemptive strike against the Triumph Spitfire I was considering.
I drove it for 2 years but the that car was like a pair orthopedic shoes for a 20 year old. Comfortable enough, and very practical, but.....chick magnet? I think not.
I sold it in 1977 for a 1967 Alfa Spider. A red convertible?Yes! Fast? Yes! Chick Magnet? Yes!.... my first true love. I sold it by accident more or less to a college professor who paid me so handsomely for it I couldn't refuse.
With my profits I considered my new 1977 possibilities. A Pinto? A Vega? A Dodge Diplomat? A Mustang II with the big nose and tiny tail? Gentlemen,Please. Or rather, no thank you! I bought another Alfa. Sleek and elegant, sophisticated technology and fast - for the 70's. I thought of it as "the last convertible". With the 55 mph speed limit and generally pathetic competitors of the times, I felt like the last of the Commaches with a new war pony. Speed limits? Speed limits? We don't observe no stinkin' speed limits. I drove that car across America with a friend - 5,000 miles in 10 days. We drove 1,000 miles a day and then rested a day - Boise to Tuscon to New Orleans to Philadephia. We raced the night trains across the west Texas desert - even at 120 MPH it took forever to pass those miles-long trains. My CB handle for the trip was "The Sailin' Shoes"....
My next vehicle...was a Kawasaki 750. Raw, and with savage power, and frankly in 1980 Mad Max didn't seem like such a strange role model for an American boy. Leather and boots, and a straight exhaust. I did have a car too though - tiny beat up Honda 600 I called my grocery cart (ever tried to carry a dozen eggs and a quart of milk on a Kawasaki?) Plus, it made a nice umbrella.
When marriage set in, I ended up with two cars. A commuter-scooter 1973 175,000 mile Super Beetle, and a new 1987 Acura Integra as my Road Warrior. The Beetle was another pair-of-work shoes car. Ugly and scuffed up but not worn out. The Integra was a very "modern" car. It had all the sports-car features of my Alfa (disc brakes, DOHC engine, 5 speed transmission, good suspension) but in a Japanese quality car. For the record, I did try to look at an American car - a Chevy Nova, but the salesman tried to steer me to a Corsica saying, "Son, there just ain't no room to move on the price on them little cars". You are probably not old enough to know what a sad, sad, car the Corsica seemed like to young guy.
A string of three Integras followed. Great cars.... till 1997. I'd been out of the country for 2 years and had to fly back into the country and buy a car when I got off the plane. I literally took a taxi to the dealership and bought an Integra without driving it. This car was the end of any brand loyalty for me. Acura has since recovered but without me as a customer. A bad car? Nooooo. An Acura? Hardly. They'd kept the price down, but that was a mistake for a near-luxury car line. As great as it's predecessors had been, I hated this car. Sold it within a year. I wanted to return to my sports car roots, but with a back seat.
The Acura was followed by a series of BMW's. Expensive to buy but cheap to own, and these cars deliver what they promise.
Next car? American? I don't think so yet... Perhaps the right Cadillac, but so far I'm not convinced that they're a good choice. Another BMW? If Chris Bangle (their misguided designer) stays in his box, perhaps.
1966 Mustang convertible. My parents first 2nd car that dad bought in 75 or 76. 289 V8 made for fun times for a 16 yr old.
89 Chevy Beretta. My college car. By then the 'stang was showing its age and not going to make the 250 mile trip to college. So dad go a good deal on this through a car dealer buddy. Was a former rental and had the anemic 2.0 4cyl and typical GM build quality of the day. Ironically, this was bought because the Mustang was wearing out and the Beretta ended up leaving me stranded twice.
95 Toyota Tacoma My first new car. Got it when I got my first real job. Great truck.
99 Explorer Many hate 'em, but I loved mine. Had no problems and was comfy on road trips.
02 Accord Tried to get smart on gas and convinced myself to get the Accord. Great car, great mpg. Just not me.
04 4Runner Back to an SUV. Unfortunatley, the most uncomfortable vehicle I've ever had. Was murder on long trips.
06 Dodge Ram Was using the 4 Runner like a truck like a truck any way so I took advantage of the rebate last summer. Great truck so far.
Wife's roster since we've been together:
88 VW Fox If you don't remember these car's there's a reason.
99 Mitsu Mirage good basic transportation. No more no less.
01 PT Cruiser Loved it when it first came out. Incredibly functional interior. Unfortunately so slow it could not get out of its own way.
06 Volvo S40 T5 Great car, fast, safe, luxurious.
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
Parts were hard to find and money was tight so when the 3-4 syncro let go I sold it for $35.
1975 Chevy Camaro - it was my sister-in-law's first car and she gave it to me in 1983 or so. It was so rusted out that we never were able to get it registered. It got junked
1975 Pontiac LeMans - I am certain Andre will be interested in this one. It was a hand me down family car. It was a base 2 door model with a 6. Man was this car ugly! It was baby blue and remember driving it to school and parking it in the back lot so no one would know who's it was
1969 Rambler - ever a bigger embarrasment than the LeMans. It was my grandmothers and was handed to us. It was this ugly green color and literally could play a game of checkers on the seats
1984 Oldsmobile Firenza - This was my first 'real' car. I got it while in college. It was owned by another sister-in-law who had it since it was a year old or so. I got it with 39K miles and 'managed' to put another 45K miles on it or so. I used to commute between CT to WV for college. It was a piece of junk though. The main head gasket blew while I had it at school once. Oh well ... good enough for a first car
1990 Pontiac Grand Prix - Bought about 1993 with like 90K miles on it and managed another 30K or so before I sold it to buy my first brand new car which was a ...
1994 Ford Probe GT - Cool little car. Never had a major problem with it during the 6 years and 85K miles I had it. It was a fast little car with a 5 speed. I sort of wish I kept it as a second car.
2000 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer - I leased this one. I kept it its full term and was planning on buying it but once the heat went out in the middle of winter, I decided it was not worth it so ...
2003 Ford Explorer - I bought this one and still own it today. And ... its paid for and has only 27K miles on it thus far. I still like it and will own it until it dies completely which I figure will not be for another long while
1968 Chevy Camaro RS - I bought this completely restored beauty in 1999 and I will never sell it. In fact, I figure I will be buried in it. Awesome show car that has won many awards. Of course it gets tons of looks whenever I drive it.
1998 Chevy Camaro convertible - Bought it in 2005 as a fun second car. I sold it back in November because I just never used it much and put a total of like 2200 miles on it while I had it. I got exactly what I paid for it though and that money has been put into an account to put as a down payment for the:
2008/2009 Camaro - hope tobe one of the first in the Rocky Mountain region with one.
Other notables -
1976 Old Omega - Friend in high school had this one and 5 of us were piled in it on my 17th b-day and we hit a wet spot and it fish tailed and we hit a telephone pole. No one was hurt but car was totaled.
1982 Ford Granada station wagon - Another high school friends mother had this one and just a lot of memories in this car! I more or less learned to drive on it
1977 Plymouth Volare - Another hs friends car. And I though my LeMans was ugly!
1985 Pontiac Bonneville - The first new car I ever remember my parents buying
Cars my parents had when growing up (that I remember):
1967 Chevy Caprice station wagon
1971 Ford Country Squire
1975 Dodge Coronet station wagon
1969 Olds Delta 88
1980 Pontiac Bonneville
and remember my dad buying a '67 Mustang convertible from a neighbor who moved away but the frame was so rusted it would have cost tons to restore ... I think it got junked!
Does anyone see any foreign/japanese car on this list???
LOL, my Mom had a '75 LeMans, base coupe, when I was a little kid. It was a bronzish reddish color that stuck out like a sore thumb, even when it was new, in that era of loud colors. I hated that thing when I was a kid, but I think part of it was the color. I've always liked blues and some of the more tasteful greens, so that was one strike against it. I also tended to like cars with quad headlights better than cars with single headlights, so I guess that was strike two! At the time my grandparents had a 1972 Impala 4-door hardtop, in a nice, dark forest green with a white roof. That was such a clean, nicely styled car, and I liked it so much better than Mom's LeMans. I remember as a kid saying that I wanted Grandmom and Granddad to hang onto that car until I was old enough to drive, but even back then they used to laugh that there was no way the car would last that long!
Oddly though, I've always loved the '76-77 LeMans, which isn't all that different, except for being more squared off up front, with quad headlights, and taillights that were wider and less tall. It's amazing what a difference a minor facelift can make.
I've had many used cars since then, the most notable a 1979 Pontiac Trans AM - my first car that I paid for with my own money...
My first NEW car I bought.... a 1990 Ford Probe GL, which I drove until 2003 - it had 230,000 miles on the odo when it finally died for good.
I now drive a 2003 Mazda 6
My dad had a 1963 Rambler Cross Country 770 wagon. I remember our family going to drive in movies and camping trips in that wagon. He had it until 1971 and moved on to (among many other cars) a 1972 Buick Estate Wagon with the 455 engine (I drove that one every now and then to school).
Three years later....
1985 1/2 (red) Ford Escort L 3dr. Purchased brand new. 5-speed gearbox, guage package, stereo, michelins, etc. Fuel economy was the name of the game! I refused to pay those "additional dealer markups" for stripped-down Toyota Tercels, Honda Civics, ....you get the picture. This Escort was practical, fun, and six months later it saved my life when I t-boned a VW Rabbit at 45 MPH. The driver of the VW ran a red light, and got smashed a couple of times. What a mess that was! :sick: I liked that little Escort so much that I got another one six weeks later.
1986 (red) Escort L 3dr- This one has power steering and A/C! I put 150,000 miles on it. The original brakes hung around for 68,000 miles! The syncros on 1st gear and reverse were worn pretty bad at 92,000 miles, so I took it to a Ford dealership for repairs. When the technician pulled out the clutch disc, it still looked new! I needed a carb rebuild at around 135,000 miles. On road trips, this car averaged 38 MPG at 60 MPH with the A/C running.
This car left me stranded twice over 150,000 miles. The first time was the result of a dead battery. The second time was the result of a bad ignition module. Both instances were at home. What luck!
1988 Mazda MX6 LX (black). I developed a thing for manual gearboxes. This car had one, too. BOY, was it sweet! It was my first foreign car. I bought it used, and eventually sold the '86 Escort. It was a definite automotive promotion. It had some strange little quirks, but I loved it!
Well, was it time to grow up? I got a good deal on a beige 2001 Toyota Camry LE (4cyl/Automatic). Fuel economy was spectacular for a car that size. At 100 MPH, the engine spins at only 3500 RPMs! AND IT'S QUIET! The 4-cylinder Camry is also a home-mechanic's dream. Raise the hood on a 1997-2001 model, and you'll see what I'm talking about. The rest of the auto makers can learn some valuable lessons from Toyota on that score.
It was a nice car....for a non-enthusiast. WHAT WAS I THINKING?
I jumped on the internet and got a quote on a silver 2004 Acura RSX (Base) with...you got it...a 5-speed! The dealership called me one afternoon. MY CAR just rolled off the carrier a week ago. My heart skipped a beat! The dealership couldn't prep that car fast enough. Hey, 0-60 MPH in 7.7sec, observed highway MPG: 33, octane requirement: 87, handling: fantastic!!!, Looks: :shades:
My dad had a 1963 Rambler Cross Country 770 wagon. I remember our family going to drive in movies and camping trips in that wagon. He had it until 1971 and moved on to (among many other cars) a 1972 Buick Estate Wagon with the 455 engine (I drove that one every now and then to school).
I quote both of these posts because I too have memories of one of these cars; in my case my parents' 1964 Rambler 770 sedan. Luckily for my teen-age soul, it was a V-8. I got my license in that car, and drove it as much as my father wouwld allow. Because it had the V-8 and a 3-speed automatic, it would actually take a 327 Powerglide Chevy in a stoplight drag. Not only was that sweet in itself, getting beaten by a Rambler could induce psychotic depression in the driver of the Chevy. Sweet days of youth. Oh, yeah; it had reclining seats. But that's a story for another time. Anyway, my memories and the ones quoted above make me think there must have been something about those cars.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Dad bought a 71 new, light green Galaxie 500, had a 351 in it. He drove it 100,000, then sold it to my Future Father in Law - who drove it another 100,000. Amazingly, it got 21 MPG on the road, which was his favorite thing to brag about.
1965 Chevy Malibu- a 230 straight six with a powerglide, purchased for the princely sum of $150 in 1980.
1971 Dodge Monaco- Possibly the world's longest two-door. Burgundy with a black vinyl top, mint condition until I banged the door up on the TEST DRIVE (!). The $300 purchase price was much less than the repair cost, so this 383 big block was mine with the promise that I would look back some day and laugh about how I bought it.
1972 Mustang Grande- Blue, black vinyl top. Rusted out, but with a strong 351.
1978 Ford Fiesta Ghia- A very underrated car, in my opinion. My first "good" car, I covered the silver exterior with a blue base/ twin white racing stripes "Cobra" special paint job. No faster, but certainly more eye-catching. 12" rims made tire selection tough, but the 1.6 liter Kent always ran great and would return 45 mpg all day long on the highway. I sold it to a buddy who ran it up to around 130,000 mi.
1969 Mustang Mach 1- 351 4V(290 hp), 4-speed, absolutely no power anything- even had drums all the way around. Rusty, but fun and fast.
1971 Mustang Mach 1- 351C 2v auto originally, built the 351 to 375 hp or so and dropped a 4-speed in to go with the 3.70 gears in the rear. This thing was so tight that it would bark the tires upon abrupt DEceleration. 9 mpg and all the fun a young man could hardly stand.
1979 Ford Fairmont Futura- Charcoal gray coupe with a 302/auto and a set of the TRX wheels off a Mustang.Not too strong, but actually looked nice.
1980 Plymouth Champ- 1.4 liter, Twin-Stik 4-speed. Amazed to find out it still used points in the ignition.
1988 Honda CRX- My first new car, wonderful. Had to sell it with the wife in the family way.
1969 Mustang Mach 1- Black w/red stripe (reflective, remember?) 390 4V with 4-speed and 3.25 traction-lok differential. 100,000 miles and the motor was completely worn out. Bought out of a gentleman's side yard where it sat for 8 years- $150 and I towed it away. $15 in parts later, if fired up with a roar that was more sound than fury. Owned for 2 weeks until a young man made me an offer I couldn't refuse. It was (hopefully) restored.
1988 Merkur Scorpio- Burgundy with the nicest black leather interior I ever experienced- a power reclining REAR seat! Every option imaginable, too bad it was an "orphan." Sold when I couldn't get parts anywhere, even at the dealer. Very European, no real problems for the several years I owned it.
1993 Mercury Grand Marquis- Boring but ran great.
2000 Honda Odyssey- Still a great vehicle, 80K on the clock.
2006 Toyota Sienna- Great, but heck, it's still almost new.
I restored one of those, it's on my Carspace, note the name on the license plate.... I changed the color on mine from light blue to the Sprint, red white & blue paint job.....
The Bentley was slightly out of my reach, so in order to prevent war at home, I had to buy a '65 Benz. But it was the German model with kilometers for instrumentation, factory air, sunroof, and euro-lights. It had brown leather seats, marvelous wood finish trim inside, and the ubiquitous white steering wheel. This little car beat my friends in the snows of winter and the gas pumps of summer, (gas wan an outrageous $0.44/9 a gallon!) The all-round disc brakes, and swing-axle rear suspension made it quite fun to drive. It was a light car (ralleyed so successfully by Mercedes-Benz) so I could often beat my friends who had far more Bhp to heal, until we hit a corner! We all piled in drivng to the ski slopes and the Beer & Pizza Pubs, my friend Gary J. often climbing through the sun-roof onto the hood to adjust the hood ornament! I took a dim view of such stunts while driving, but you can't drive a Mercedes without a correctly adjusted hood ornament. "We" often referred to the car as the "Odd-Job Mercedes" because that is what you saw in Goldfinger, when Odd-Job's forces were chasing Bond in his DB5! Dad would often "borrow" my car more often than I wanted, (especially the Saturday mornings I was hung over and my car was blocking his!).
One day the Euro Lights on my Benz caught fire while driving home late one nite. A "friend" had cleaned the lens face without properly cleaning off the residue, using entirely the wrong and very flamable solvent for the job, causing an electrical short and then fire while driving!! This happened when I had the car in for some minor service I could not (then) do. Replacement of the lights and wiring cost more than the car was worth, since I had to get the parts direct from Germany. "You are costing much today...",
the service manager at the Benz dealer told me! No one in Hemmings had anything ready-to-go for my model. So the Benz languished in my garage. I removed the grille when working on the car, and it ended up on my wall, where it hangs today. I left for College leaving the Benz behind, who owns it now I do not know, but would love to have the car back. My Dad could sign my name, as we had the same handwriting, so he did that on the title when he moved and cleared out the garage in Milwaukee. I moved on to drive Lincolns for more than three decades.
Many fond memories for the tough little 65 Benz 220SEL
DouglasR
If you want a SE fintail, you can get a good one for maybe 5K. But a sunroof Euro model with AC would be rare indeed.
This was 30 plus years ago and I was very green behind the ears about parts swapping. despite many forays into junk yards with friends. The ex-Panzer commander (true) that ran the service department at the Benz Dealer in Milwaukee told me that wouldn't work---eventhough I had the shop manual. No junk-yards had any Euro light cars, and Hemmings then was a very small affair with the cars & parts advertised randomly. I almost bought the 300SEL (with glass division) that was sitting like a camel in the back of the Benz dealer lot just to get the parts. I did not know then how rare a car that was. (Had I known, it would have quickly become mine) The dealer hand't decided what to do with that car anyhow.
So I continued to tried to fix my car. But other commitments kept me from working on Der Benz. Sadly I have know I idea where the car went, or who bought it. I look all the time for a similar car, and you are correct, they are rare indeed. Especially with the "Kulhmeister" AC system. When I find the right one I will buy it and add to my collection. I bought the Benz cause I had to keep my father happy, and also had just missed out on a Cabroilet (they were cheap, and no one wanted them then), so looked for the next best thing---nor did I want the (then) dime-a-dozen $500 Mustang Convertible. I had built plenty of those with my friends---who subsequently wrecked them. Few people my age drove a Benz then...one more reason why I bought it.
DouglasR
The lights would be an easy fix, that service guy was just playing some kind of game. It might have required a little wiring adapation, but that's the only big thing that differentiated the Euro from NA cars - light assemblies. Maybe the stealership didn't want to bother with the work. Oh well, too late to go back now. Maybe I missed it...what color was the car?
A W112 300SEL divider is almost unknown, they probably made less than 100 of them. I've only seen pictures of a couple of them. I would love to find a sunroof 300SEL, those cars were beautiful.
If you really want another 220SE sunroof car, I could keep an eye out...I am always looking when these cars come on the market.
64 Ford Falcon 4Dr 170 six with 2spd auto - bought for $25 with 170K mi. - Needed to add a radiator to run, then lasted 6 months before everything let go.
68 Ford LTD 2Dr 302 auto - bought for $150 - Had issues with everything except the motor. Sold for scrap
69 Toyota Corona auto - Rust, rust and more rust. Rust caused the front suspension to "let go" in a rain storm at 40 mph.
67 Mustang 289 4spd coupe, headers, 4bbl. Fast and fun - speedometer never worked, just ran with the "flow".
71 Ford Pinto 4spd coupe - My Edsel - blew the motor on I95.
80 Ford Mustang 4cyl 4spd - First new car - Nice looking but under powered.
83 Nissan Pulsar NX 5spd - Light and fun to throw around. Drove all over NE, Eastern Canada and mid atlantic. 90K mi in 2 years!
85 Nissan Pick up 5spd - needed a small truck after buying first home.
72 Volvo 245 - Family wagon owned at the same time as the pick up. First child arrived soon after the first home.
88 Ford Taurus wagon auto - "Upgrade" to the volvo.
89 Honda Prelude 5spd - post divorce trade for the Taurus.
91 Geo Prizm 5spd - needed something cheap and reliable after beating the daylights out of the Prelude
96 Honda Accord 4cyl/5spd - Upgrade from the Geo
98 Nissan Pathfinder auto - Thought I needed an SUV, and the new wife only drives auto. 16 Mi/gallon!
01 Subaru Outback ltd auto - Great car - practical for NE, dependable and reasonable economy - Same cargo room as the Pathfinder! Just a little slow though.
06 Honda Accord EX V6 auto w/Nav - Wanted a TL or Lexus but couldn't bring myself to spend more than 30K. This is the current car.
a kick compared to the Falcon and Galaxy that were family cars. After replacing the clutch in the driveway of a friend who loaned me a Motor's Manual during finals for senior year of HS I think it only took another couple weeks to blow the engine.
The 1960 Falcon was boring, but pretty dependable, then I got hit and did the fender replacement myself with a friend and got a Dark green paint job at Schwab to cover the faded black it came in.
The 1964 Ford Fairlane sedan, white with black tonneau top that I got from my Dad when I graduated from College lasted all of 18 months and sold it to some girl before going to VN.
1970 Torino, in medium blue lasted another year and a half while I was in Ohio and left it there, thankfully. Only a couple years old and already rust under the lip of the trunk lid.
1972 MGB, purchased for delivery in the UK and did just about 10k miles before bringing it home to CA. Little Orange was one of the only reliable MG's I ever came across, well reliable is relative in an MG. I did a trip from SF area to Colorado in '74 and after 80/85 across Hwy 50 on the way home I was very happy. The rabbit was not as happy. Then the next morning as I started the car I heard a snap and shut it off. Opened the hood and one belt was broken and I then noticed I also had a flat, but it didn't leave me in the middle of NV. The dealer did complain some about fur and stuff in the engine compartment. It lasted a dozen years, and have no idea how many miles, the speedo broke at about 21k miles. No speedo or radio and still loved that car. Finally let it go for $2k with a crunched fender, thanks to a big rig in a parking lot at work and also pocketed the $1k insurance check. That was for a car that I got for $2.8k new. One of the best ever.
Co. car, 1984 Camaro Berlinetta (?) with 4 sp and fun to drive. Since I was admin for assigning the cars and one VP didn't like it after ordering it, I just sort of assigned it to me. When that job went away things got practical.
1978 Nissan Pulsar, white with gray hatch, I actually enjoyed that one too. I could drive it with my foot on the floor and never get noticed. Lasted 15 years and 102k miles, mostly going to BART and back. I was looking for a replacement and thought the hatch back had been a good design when I found that most of them were gone.
2002 Corvette coupe, after looking for nine months when I found that 6'3" didn't fit in a XK. Still with me and hope it stays a lot longer, great car. Yes, this is the dark side, still love the sound of Ford V8s.
1976 Electra limited- last of the smog 455's, great car for haulnig stuff in when I was in school, but just not too fleet a foot.
1972 Skylark- 350 2bbl FUN car...got a lot of miles out of it.
1992 mustang lx 5.0 notchback 5 speed- another really fun car, but had its share of problems, much like the other fox bodies.
1995 T-bird...first new car, and unfortunately a horrible ownership experience. Awful car. Gone in 12 months when GA lemon law failed to be any help.
1994 Z-28, wife to be couldnt see out of it safely.
1996 Integra GSR- wife becaime pregnant...time for a family car.
1997 Accord. Not a good vehicle, and not a typo either.
1998 Neon RT- fun little car, but had multiple AC issues that couldnt be resolved.
1998 Grand Cherokee. good vehicle...thirsty 4.0 straight six. Too small with spre tire taking up space in hatch area.
2000 Grand Caravan- not a bad vehicle, but was a clearly a purchase to satisfy the wife. Well I could only hide my true feelings for so long!
2002 Yukon- Didnt use it for any thing in had planned on, mainly towing my 71 firebird- so between the gas, payment, intermediate steering shaft rattle, couldnt justify keeping it, so it went.
2002 Maxima- Great vehicle, fun to drive. I STILL HAVE IT!!! Wife drives it now.
2005 Magnum RT- too many problems to list- just anothe vehicle that I had a "cup of coffee" with. Too bad, neat vehicle otherwise.
2005 Accord. Nice car- but wouldnt do with 3rd child on the way.
2006 Pilot- currently owned vehicle thats been great.
1. 2001 Mazda Protege LX 2.0 (I bought this used in 2003)
2. 2002 Toyota Camry LE (also purchased used)
3. 2005 Chrysler 300 Touring (purchased in 04)
4. 2004 Jeep Liberty Sport (purchased new in 04)
5. 2003 TL 3.2 Type S I'm looking to trade that it soon)
I drove Lincolns for 1.5 decades myself.....after giving up on GM & Cadillacs.
How about treating us to a list of your 3 decades with LIncoln?
1) Do you still have that '72 Mustang Grande which you restored a while back, and if so does it run good?
2) I know that you're based in Nevada and I had to ask: Where exactly is Searchlight, the hometown of Senator Harry Reid? The senator mentioned his town in a TV interview I just saw.
Searchlight is about 50 miles south of Vegas off the Needles highway, and is a wide spot in the road, not too wide. One motel, one store, etc. Harry (whom I know very well, but don't get along with very well anymore) was called Pinky when he was young in Searchlight. He likes to use his humble beginnings to show how in touch with the common man he is - but he's worth zillions now and not much of that, if any, has gone home to Searchlight from what we can see. Or, frankly, back to Nevada anymore. I think he's forgotten us. BUT, I digress.....
For the record, Mrs. Senator Harry Reid drives a Town Car, and Harry drives a complimentary Chevy when he comes into town, provided by one of the local auto groups - again, to show how humble he is.
If you need reservations to stay in Searchlight, call the Searchlight Nugget - but they always have "a room".....trust me....
I'm going to be headed for Vegas, this June. My wifes cousin is getting married there. I figured we could meet up and you could give me a VIP tour around Groom Lake.
Rocky
P.S. How did Harry Reid get rich ? I'm not a huge fan of his because he comes across to passive but he does have some good idea's once in a while.
Harry Reid got rich (extremely rich) from his political career, and the land deals it enabled him to transact with inside information. He's been clipped for a few of them, but very few indeed. Land speculation here, for those who can afford to, is a sure thing. He's hoping to get a call to be VP in 08 to whomever gets the nomination.
Well I'd love to do just that.
Harry, doesn't have the clout to get picked as a running mate by any of the contenders. Obama, Edwards, are most likely to get those slots IMHO.
Rocky
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1998 Mazda 626 LX 4 cyl-nice gas mileadge, interior and nice cloth seats. Was sad to see car go at the time! Was a leased car.
2002 Acura CL(base) Nice car and have had it for 5 1/2 years with 57,600 miles on it. Just got the rear brakes and rotors done and oil is changed every 3,000 miles.
Next car: probably back to Mazda or maybe a Mitsu(they seem to have their act back together) although I can keep the Acura for a 3-5 more years.
My beloved '96 Sentra is moving on to a new owner after 236,078 miles. Car doesn't owe me a PENNY!
A bit early to get a good read on my Versa approaching 2,000
Initially I thought the car was going to be a piece of crap because its tranny had to be rebuilt at 35,000 miles, and then around 80,000 miles it left them stranded. Twice. But Nissan rebuilt the tranny with no fuss whatsoever, and the stranding thing was due to the battery going bad prematurely. Odd, back in the old days you could actually pull a battery out of a car while it was running, and you'd be fine. Well, until you turned the car off, that is! I guess you can't do that any more? Other than those two problems though, I don't think the car has needed anything other than regular maintenance stuff.
AFAIK, the car's still running fine, but they want to get something new because they travel down to Florida a lot, and with the car getting up in mileage, that could get risky.
1937 Chev 4dr Dad bought it for me for $75 when I turned 16. Had to pay him back. It was OK! but had the "knee action" front suspension, and went loping down the road hysterically when you hit a bump
1942 Ford 6 cyl coupe. Didn't run, but it was a Ford. Put in a hot Flathead V8, which would turn 97.3 in a quarter mile. Not bad in 1957. Had some preexisting body damage, and burned valves like a woodstove burns pine. Nicknamed "the Popcorn Machine" by friends. Sold it after blowing the engine in a stoplight drag.
1941 Ford Coupe. Terrific condition drove it several years, all over Cal, Or & WA.
1941 Plymouth, Paid $25. It ran well, but was gutlessl sold it for $150
1941 Chev Convert, Engine was frozen up and it was given to me. Took out the engine, but sold it before proceeding. Made a couple of bucks.
1947 Indian Bonneville. Pd $75 for it all in pieces. Had it assembled enough to run, but lacked the gas tank, so had a jury rigged 1 gallon can. A collector spotted me one day and followed me to work. Paid me $750. 1958
1959 Ford Galaxie 500 Convertibel. My first good car. Purchased in 1960 from Hertz rental. Had the 292, but was reasonably quick and got 20mpg on 30 cent gas.
1961 VW First Brand new car. Liked it a lot, lost it in my first divorce,
1941 Nash (1962)A bit of a step back, but divorces cause such things. Old and beautiful. The rear seats folded into the trunk making beds you could leave in place all the time. It was a lot of fun picking a girl up at her place for a first date and seeing their reaction when you opened the door for them and the red interior lights came on.
1960 Falcon (1963) "THe Tin Tank" It went everywhere without a missed beat. Carried 6 people; never less than 31 mpg. An amazingly reliable car. The use I gave it would destroy nearly car made now and most SUVs
1966 Mustang Conver 6 cyl loaded with options. A beautiful, reliable and economical 30mpg car. Sold it to my Dad who sold it to my Sis who sold it to my Mom who sold it to my Brother who wrecked it in 1984, and got twice the original purchase price from the insurance company.
1968 Mercury Montego 302 V8. Competent family car; decent economy. Sold it after the drum brakes faded in a panic stop on the freeway.
1972 Mustang Convertable 351 CJ Brand new in Jan '72 with all the performance options. I still have this car and it still has the original paint. Drove the car near 200,000 miles before rebuilding the engine. With my engineer son doing most of the wrench turning and a Ford specialized speed shop doing the rest, it cost $1000 more to rebuild the engine in 2005 than the car cost new.
Prior to the engine rebuild, the only repairs to the car were the carburater, water pump and several clutches. My wife didn't like low on the 4 speed, (371 axel ratio) but loved to drive the car; so she started out in second all the time so we went through a lot of clutches. She could start out from a dead stop on a San Francisco hill in second gear.
1977 Subaru Without question the worst car I have ever owned. Purchased new I traded it with 58,000 miles and there was more wrong with it than it was worth. Jumped out of 3rd gear when you applied power. The windshield wipers would not clear snow from the windsheild. Three of 4 quarter shaft bearings were shot. Engine ran OK, but this little tin box only managed 17 mpg.
1979 Thunderbird. Quietest car I've ever owned. It got 19 mpg with the AC, Auto Trans etc at 75 mph. Put 127k miles on it without a single repair. Sold it 1985 to a friend who drove it at least another 3 years. Needless to say, I don't think much of a Subaru.
1984 THunderbird A stripped model; Only one I have ever seen with roll up windows. COmpetent car; drove it 120,000 in Alaska with only one minor repair to the transmission, a $57 sensor.
1984 BroncoII (1989) Excellent vehicle for Alaska. Much more reliable and capable than the contemporary Subarus. It always started even at 30 below. About 18 mpg, lacked adequate passing power above 55 mph, but was unstoppable in adverse conditions.
1989 Mustang Convert 5L 5spd Sport option (1990) Great car put 120k without a repair; 24 mpg as long as I kept my foot out of it, which was hard to do. Very quick and agile, but light in the rear if pavement was slippery. Sold it to my son's best friend for $2000 less than I had paid 5 years and 120,000 miles earlier. He still has the car and loves it. Has had it restored.
1991 Mercury tracer. (new)I was comuting 120 miles per day and needed max economy so bought a stripped little sedan. It got 40 mpg all the time. At first the cornering was weak, but I changed out the tires and made a sports car out of it. Handling was then superb along with the mileage. Sold it with over 150k without a single problem other than the original tires.
1979 Ranchero Old and battered, but useful in my business. Sold it to a fellow who restored it.
1985 Bronco II (1999) Yep another one, for the business mainly to tow boats around the yard. It had 180k on it, and several times I drove it through the mountains during winter. My new puppy ate the interior, and it wasn't worth fixing, so I pocketed the 800 insurance check. When I sold the business, it was still hauling boats. It pulled a 25,000# boat on a trailer up the ramp, when the owner's Chev 3500 PU wouldn't.
1988 Bronco II (2006) Since so much of what I do involves needing 4WD, towing 3,000# or more and leaving the vehicle unattended in a harbor or trailhead, it would be silly to have an expensive looking vehicle. So I went back to reliability and off road capacity. Found a good '88 for $2,000 last June. It is my principle vehicle and gets 23 mpg most of the time, 24 when I drove to Mexico and back last January. Prior owner was a kid who had way too large a tire for the gearing; you could never get it into 5th. Changed them. Had a minus 9 night in December. It started without a whimper next AM.
Well that's it. I now have my old Mustang and my new old Bronco II. Based on driving and riding in many many other cars, I'm sweet. In my esperience, Ford products have been the best all around vehicles considering cost and satisfaction. I'm not luxury oriented, though many of my friends are, and for years traveled on business ane rented nearly every kind of car imaginable; Being single, I have driven many girl friends cars of all makes. Toyotas and Hondas in general deserve their reputation, though they aren't flawless. Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru are not equal in quality