I Wish I Had Never Gotten Rid Of My...
hpmctorque
Member Posts: 4,600
Many of us wish we had kept our whatever to this day. Maybe it was your first car, or that special one that was such a joy to drive, or made you feel unique, or special, or proud, or all of the above. Whatever it was, other readers might identify with your experience, and enjoy hearing about it.
In my case, I wish I still had my blue '65 Mustang V8 with the handling suspension, 4-speed, and posi-traction. Unfortunately, it was stolen.
In my case, I wish I still had my blue '65 Mustang V8 with the handling suspension, 4-speed, and posi-traction. Unfortunately, it was stolen.
Tagged:
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Anyway, the car I miss the most is a 1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE. The car fit me perfect and was a blast to drive. I actually owned 2, the first got stolen so I went out and bought another.
After one bad snow, I traded it for a not nearly as much fun SUV.
The Cressida was Toyota's "lexus starter/training car" because a lot of the luxury items and some of the body features in the early Lexus cars were used first in the Cressida.
The Avalon is the Cressida replacement, and although a very good car, the Cressida was in another league.
1987 CRX SI
At the time I decided I had had enough of the gas-guzzling in the RX-7, not to mention the temperamental nature of its rotary. I have no idea what I was thinking. :-(
The CRX sale came at a time when I was moving and had "too many cars", a total of four as it happens. The place I was moving to had only two dedicated off-street parking spots for my unit, so parking three would be hard enough, four was unworkable. Should have sold my truck instead...
I also wish I could have back my '97 Subie Outback Sport, but at the time I sold it to buy a 4WD truck, and that was a good trade for me then. It is only in the last year or so I have kinda wished I could have it back. Sold it to a local lady who I still see occasionally driving it. It's a lot dirtier now, and with way more bumper stickers.
I have owned a bunch of cars over the years, including Supras and Datsun/Nissan Z cars, but the ones that stand out in my memory are the CRX and the RX-7. Sigh.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Mine might be a surprise, but our '91 Geo Storm GSi was a very hip little ride. It didn't stay with us long, which may have some bearing on its appeal, or so I've heard, but I loved it's look and handling, and it was remarkably comfortable as well. My wife used it as her daily driver, and when our daughter was born, she decided a sedan was a better match...
I don't regret selling the C43...it was a fun car, but the new car handles just as well, and is more comfortable and practical.
Rocky
Unfortunately, I hit-and-runned in March 1992 by an F-150 that changed lanes without looking, and took out a traffic light pole sideways. That was the end of it. It had 75,000 miles on it.
I sometimes wonder, if it hadn't been in that accident, if it would still be running today? When I add up the miles I put on cars that replaced it...1968 Dart, 1982 Cutlass Supreme, 1979 Newport, 1986 Monte Carlo, 1989 Gran Fury, 2000 Intrepid, I figure that it would have about 375,000 miles on it today, if not more.
How did a hardcore GM fan end up with a Dodge anyways?
It's the sport side's that flare out on the bed.
Do you know what I'm talking about now. Some refer to them has sport sides, but in the north we call them Sidestep's because you can place your boot on the side lil' platform and step up into the bed. Mine was a black 2000' Chevy Silverado 5.3
Z-71 sidestep. The box is perfectly flat free of wheel arches and is short. I think the length of the bed is 5 ft 5 inches long.
I ended up with the Dodge because it was a flat-bed 3/4 ton and I only paid $5K for it. I thought it would be useful helping my FIL on the farm since I didn't pay rent when I lived there. I had to replace the ball joints about 3 months later and I then also put on new tires. I've now have had several parts replaced and my good friend re wired the whole truck for me and I should begetting it back. I'm thinking about replacing the windshield and sell it. If I do keep it I will probably rhino-line it like some of my red neck friends have done to their OLD trucks. No waxing for me :P The truck has came in useful and helped move I and my family from the Dalhart farm to Dumas. I've stuck so much money into it I'm better off keeping it around. The 5.9 V8 however likes eating dinosaurs. :surprise:
I can say this will be my one and only dodge in my lifetime.
Rocky
Well I'm a Chrysler fan who ended up with a Chevy pickup. Maybe Rocky and I should swap? :P
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
In March 1973 I bought a pretty nice '64 Pontiac GTO with a 389 tripower and a 4 speed for $500. It was pure stock and a bit of sleeper with whitewalls and wheelcovers. In May '74 I sold it to a kid across the street. Bought it back from him 4 years later for $300 and was thrilled when I was able to double my money a year later.
$600 seemed like alot of money at the time....
Quiet, comfortable and decent looking as well. Oh, well. I don't remember what my parents did with that car but it was great.
I also must include Dad's '66 VW Fastback 5-speed manual tranny, light blue runabout. Learned to drive stick in this little scooter and I'll always remember it's pep and good road manners. Smooth shifting-a great one for Dad to teach me how to drive stick in.
I'd love to have either or both of those parents' rigs in my SE Arizona driveway, gentlemen.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I also do not so fondly remember the payments or the horrible gas mileage.
I saw one at auction go for $140,000 not too long ago that looked just like the one I had, except it had the three 2-barrel carbs instead of a 4-barrel.
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
I never got to excited about the shifter sticking up. I looked at it as a foot obstacle for a 3rd person who sat in the middle and thus prefered the button.
Rocky
P.S. andre, trust me you don't want to take on this trucks bad luck pal. Hopefully it will be better off now since I've replaced so many parts. My wife said my buddy is about done with it. One of the dash pieces was damaged and thus needed replacing.
Rocky
Red on Black - Automatic
I've had nicer cars since, but I constantly think back to just how much fun that car was to drive.
I'd probably still have it in the garage today if it wasn't quickly becoming the money pit it was.
Got to the point where it passed everything but the mechanic's garage.
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
2. My 1977 Olds Cutlass Salon 2-door, white with burgundy landau vinyl and cloth buckets. That car was just super. No issue other than the digital dash clock never worked, so I stupidly traded it with 12K miles for...
3. My 1978 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ, burgundy with burgundy landau vinyl and gold velour buckets. Beautiful car, and really got stupid when I sold it and bought an '81 Datsun 200SX.
Gosh was I a dumb youngin'.
Of the three, the most valuable is probably the Caprice, but the best driver by far was the '77 Olds Cutlass. I like what I'm driving now, but I guess I miss my youth as much as the cars???
After I bought it I found oil was leaking out the back of the trans and we had to replace the yoke. Evidently the guy abused/raced the car alot. It I had went for a longer test drive I would have noticed it but he always wanted to do just short test drives. I learned to late why.
It had a 4-speed with a hurst shifter and posi-traction rear end that he said he put in.
He must have done a lot to the engine too but he never told me what he did, but it really did beat everything. Even a camaro with a Keith Black engine in it.
It also handled great and was just fun to drive. Decent hoghway mileage in the high 20's.
As I was young I was starting to get too many tickets.
Then I noticed my carburetor was loose on the manifold for some reason.
I tightened it up but that didn't cure it as a screw fell out and went thru the engine and messed the engine up robbing it of nearly 15& of its horse power.
We tore it apart but couldn't find the damage or the screw.
Probably a more knowledgable person could have repared it.
We got it running and eventually sold it to some guy for about $1800.00.
I still have old friends that fondly remember that car to this day.
It's not a Taurus, It's not a Taurus...
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
I bought it in the summer of 1974 for $900,(after watching Bullitt) a few months after finishing Army basic training. A month after buying it I was shipped to Alaska for two winters as a Nike/Hercules radar operator. The car suffered from neglect and went downhill quickly. Traded it for a 1972 Duster 340.
Other than that, good words for a good direction from FoMoCo. Why can't they learn to keep the baby when they empty the bath? :confuse:
I guess in retrospect, after reading through all of these reminiscences, that it would have been a good thing to keep the '65 Olds 98 convertible. It was in pretty decent shape and if I could have stored it, Barrett-Jackson could have seriously inflated its value for me, and I'd have walked away with the kids' tuitions!
I sure as heck wouldn't pay five cents to drive the thing again... :sick:
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
Crying shame that some beancounters lump them in with marketing on the expense ledgers to drop the R&D numbers...
V8 or not, it couldn't stand up to the 2nd gen in any way.
But the worm does turn and by the last V8 incarnation journalists couldn't scrape it off their shoe fast enough. By then SHO was a 'Shouldn't Have Oughta'.
Yesterday evening while driving to work, I saw a late 80's CRX (excuse me, Honda Civic CRX
I wish I have a car like that today.
Funny, I think that's how my wife describes me...
I went in wanting the Manual.
I test drove the stick and was very surprised by the apparent lack of torque.
Comparing it to my 1989 Chevy Z24, I feel that the Z had more off the line and 0-60 power, although I have never compared the specs.
I walked back into the dealer and explained my surprising disappointment and he then asked me to drive the Auto.
It had power I had never felt in a car before and I was very surprised.
It was bought on the spot.
Years later, I was told by a neighbor that this particular SHO had some sort of rare, optional Auto Transmission... the same as in his.
I have no idea what it was, have not been able to find any info on it since, but that SHO ate all other SHOs on the road.
And for that reason, I wish I never got rid of it.
It started to get expensive to repair, and it absolutely stunk in the rain and snow.
15 extra lb-feet of peak torque might not sound like much, but I guess if it gave you more torque across the entire rpm band, instead of just at some peak, that could make a noticeable difference.
As for the automatic, I dunno how "special" it was, but I'd imagine that it was beefed up to handle the power of the SHO engine. Back in 1994, the regular Taurus V-6 only put out 140 hp, so I'd imagine the extra 80 hp would be a strain.
Concerning the shift linkage, the Shadow's was definitely the better of the two, and was a big improvement over the previous Chrysler linkages.