I Wish I Had Never Gotten Rid Of My...

hpmctorquehpmctorque Member Posts: 4,600
edited August 2014 in Ford
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.
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Comments

  • hpmctorquehpmctorque Member Posts: 4,600
    Yeah, okay, but what does this have to do with the price of chickens?
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    That is a bizzare story... It came so far out of left field I am dizzy.
  • gussguss Member Posts: 1,167
    it reads like a bad porno script.

    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.
  • larsblarsb Member Posts: 8,204
    Beautiful car - one of the best consumer cars ever built. Most comfortable seats EVER in any vehicle I have ever sat in.

    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. :cry:
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    1988 Mazda RX-7 GXL

    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)

  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    I'd miss those too, I think. CRX - great platform.

    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...
  • nj2pa2ncnj2pa2nc Member Posts: 811
    a 1983 Mitsubishi Turbo-diesel 4 W.D. truck. It was black with decals, 5 speed, am-fm radio, crank windows and no a/c. When it snowed you have to chip away to get to the lug nuts. None of that push buttons like today but it was fun
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,644
    If I had a big garage I would have wanted to keep my W126, but I would rather have it go to a new garage than sit out in the rain.

    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.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,014
    2000' Chevy Silverado Z-71 Side Step. It would of been paid off now for 2 years and I'd have a great reliable 4x4 instead of a Dodge that has caused me headache after headache. :(

    Rocky
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,814
    was a 1969 Dodge Dart GT. I bought it in September 1989 with only around 48,000 miles on it. It had a 225 slant six, but had adequate get up and go. I wasn't about to embarass any Mustang GT's, but it could cruise at 100 mph with no strain. Most people today would say it was a big car, but I found it to be quite manageable. Front seat was more comfy to me than many so-called fullsized cars today. And it was't a gas hog, either. I usually got around 15-18 around town and 22-23 on the highway.

    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.
  • bumpybumpy Member Posts: 4,425
    4x4 + side step :confuse:

    How did a hardcore GM fan end up with a Dodge anyways?
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,014
    4x4 + side step

    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. ;) GM or Ford Trucks from here on out.... :)

    Rocky
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,814
    How did a hardcore GM fan end up with a Dodge anyways?

    Well I'm a Chrysler fan who ended up with a Chevy pickup. Maybe Rocky and I should swap? :P
  • bhill2bhill2 Member Posts: 2,509
    but I wish I had never gotten rid of my Rabbit diesel. It was neither sporty nor luxurious, but got outrageous mileage. At this point I would use it for running around (probably only if the running didn't involve merging on freeways) and burn biodiesel in it. That way I could both save money and feel virtuous.

    2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])

  • bumpybumpy Member Posts: 4,425
    I consider fender-side beds on anything built after 1985 to be a poofter truck, unsuitable for real truck duty. I'm assuming you had a real 4x4 with a shifter sticking up out of the transmission tunnel, and not some poofter setup with a button on the dash.
  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 16,238
    1989 Lincoln Town Car. White, with a blue rag top and blue velour interior. Last of the "real" Lincolns without all the plastic. Sold it a few years back with 69K (in mint condition) to a local guy, I see it every once in a while and it now looks like it should be in the junkyard!

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • cccompsoncccompson Member Posts: 2,382
    It's bad enough to have to kick yourself once but, no, I have to do it twice.

    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....
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,709
    mine but I wish I would have bought my Mom's 1968 Buick LeSabre from her. Just a little light tap on the gas pedal and that pup was burning rubber gone! What a fun boat to drive.

    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

  • ventureventure Member Posts: 3,016
    I fondly remember my '67 Corvette coupe. 427 C.I. engine, 390 H.P., 4-speed, Silver-Blue with a black interior, the black hood scoop, and the chrome sidepipes.

    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

  • acuratacurat Member Posts: 87
    Ah...the extremely fast Wedge that appeared 15 years before the '84 Toyota Supra. The '69 AMX was a limited-edition 2-seater derivative of the Javelin. It came with a 389 V8 Ford mill, alloy wheels, a quad carb and a Hurst 4 on the floor. Leather seats and a little plaque on the dash with the serial number (1 to 10,000). It came in only two colors...Boss Orange and some kind of wild phosphorescent green. Got mine in 1973 for $1500. Sold it to a friend for a pittance in 1977. Gas mileage was pathetic, but oh what I would give to have that car today!
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,883
    Black one (the best color, IMO, brought the different parts together, like black did on the early '80s Supras). Had it 12 years, mostly in Anchorage, never let me down, fun to drive every day, 25 mpg no matter what.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,014
    Actually it had the button deal. :P

    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
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    I miss my '94 Ford SHO
    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.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 248,868
    Nice car.. But, you can use the name Taurus... It's okay.. ;)

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  • eltonroneltonron Member Posts: 33
    :D Walt, you just made my day with that one! :shades:
  • bryanbryan Member Posts: 198
    1. My 1975 White on White on White with red dash, carpet, and some other trim Caprice Classic Convertible. Every option available--sitting on the showroom floor. Impulse buy on the spot! Fond memories of driving the car; had the A/C go out one month after warranty up! A few other nit picky issues, so I traded it with 22K miles for...

    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??? ;)
  • nismos13nismos13 Member Posts: 6
    I got this car back in 99' way before the whole drift scene blew up here in the U.S. Back then these cars were dirt cheap and a dime a dozen. Mine was silver metallic blue, SE, with the pop up sunroof, with only 80K miles, bone stock. It wasn't the quickest car at the time, say compared to a Integra GSR which were so popular back then, but that thing handled pretty darn good, definately better than those Civics and Integras stock for stock. I think I paid $4,500 for it and the thing was practically mint. These days, I see some 89' sohc engines with a bunch of ebay hack mods go for that price.
  • joecarnutjoecarnut Member Posts: 215
    My first car was a 69 Mach1 with a 351 windsor that would beat most other cars. It was dark green with a flat black hood, scoop, and hood clips.

    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.
  • spiffysrqspiffysrq Member Posts: 1
    I loved my 855 Turbo, It was a strange old-lady dark beige, with very tasteful black wheels (aftermarket) It had a few choice modifications made, it loved to spin the front rubber like crazy, being in art school, it was great, because I could experiment with large peices of canvas. So comfortable, unassuming and fast. If I could just get enough together to start modifying my project 87 760 turbo, Id feel some sort of consolation again, I think. :cry:
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    I'm still in therapy because of this.
    It's not a Taurus, It's not a Taurus... :cry::cry::cry:
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 248,868
    LOL...

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  • emmanuelchokeemmanuelchoke Member Posts: 97
    It was my first car, and other than the nostalgia it still manifests, it was fairly unexceptional. It only had a 318, automatic transmission, skinny 14 inch tires, drum brakes all around and no options.
    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.
  • emmanuelchokeemmanuelchoke Member Posts: 97
    Get off the couch. ;) Yes, it's a Taurus but the SHO was described by Csaba Csere no less, as "a dazzling car, the most important automotive breakthrough in years. The first sedan to combine top-rank, autobahn-ready performance with great handling...etc." Praise like that make it easy to forget its pedestrian heritage. This from C&D, 12/88.
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    Chubby Cheddar is a shmoe, and that rag of his ain't worth the ink it takes to print. ;)

    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:
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 248,868
    18 years ago.. the Taurus SHO was truly amazing.. if only for that Yamaha engine...

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  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    Heck, the whole SVO program was a kicker. I'm a big fan of skunkworks programs, personally. I think they're great for morale, for both interior and exterior publics, regardless if they produce viable commercial product.

    Crying shame that some beancounters lump them in with marketing on the expense ledgers to drop the R&D numbers...
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    Yeah, they ruined it with the third gen, Mr Limpet looking model.
    V8 or not, it couldn't stand up to the 2nd gen in any way.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    What hurt more was that you could not get a Manual version anymore.
  • bumpybumpy Member Posts: 4,425
    That's overstating it some, but it was 1988. Nissan didn't put a DOHC mill in the Maxima until 1992, and no one else had an FWD sedan that could outrun its grandma back then.
  • emmanuelchokeemmanuelchoke Member Posts: 97
    For the time it was phenomenal and Mr.Csere was probably guilty of hyperbole.
    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 :)) with what looked like 20 inch, honeycomb style rims. Horribly, horribly ugly, but it reminded me that I once owned a CRX, a 1984, the first year it came out. With 1.3 liters of Honda muscle it passed no one but the gas station. It was a true 50 mpg car.
  • nwngnwng Member Posts: 663
    buddy of mine in college had a 84 base civic ( the 1.3 with 4 sp). The fastest the car can go with 5 guys on board is about 60. But the darn thing starts every morning, whether it's 100 or -20 outside and it also got somewhere in the high 40's mpg. And like hondas of that era, the engine is bulletproof.

    I wish I have a car like that today.
  • displacedtexandisplacedtexan Member Posts: 364
    the fact I wish I still had my 1993 Volvo 240 would convince them. To this day when I see a 240 I pine over my old car. It was boxy, but it was good. Functional simplicity.
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    "Functional simplicity."

    Funny, I think that's how my wife describes me...
  • scottm123scottm123 Member Posts: 1,501
    When I bought my 94 SHO, I test drove both the Manual and Automatic.
    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.
  • emmanuelchokeemmanuelchoke Member Posts: 97
    Rare, in that it actually worked? Sorry, but if I didn't say it....
  • mmcnamarammcnamara Member Posts: 27
    Reading these posts has been a treat, as I can relate to so many of the vehicles. Of all the ones that got away from me, I'd say that the three Mach 1 Mustangs are missed the most. Two '69's (351/390) and a '71 (351C), all 4-speeds. The 1988 CRX that I bought new was amazing- it seemed so far ahead of its time and turned heads for months. A 1980 Plymouth Champ with the "Twin-Stick" transmission (remember those?), and an '89 Taurus SHO 5-speed that ran to its 7500 RPM redline with eager abandon, even with 130,000 miles on the clock. Lastly, a '90 Dodge Shadow we ordered for my wife, a four-door with the 2.5 Turbo motor, 5-speed stick, and 4-wheel discs on top of the luxury packages. So "weird" (especially the manual tranny) that the dealer wouldn't order it without a serious chunk o' cash down. I later contacted the Chrysler historical archive folks about its rarity and they said that there were only 70 non-ES pkg. four-doors made with that engine/tranny combo. (I guess that and 50 cents will get me a cup of coffee, eh?). No wonder the dealer was a little nervous!
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,814
    The automatic tranny version of the SHO had a 3.2 liter DOHC engine, while the manual version used a 3.0. Both of them had 220 hp, but the 3.2 had 215 ft-lb of torque, versus 200 for the 3.0.

    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.
  • hpmctorquehpmctorque Member Posts: 4,600
    How did the Shadow compare to the SHO in terms of refinement? Specifically, how was the engine in terms of smoothness, and the shift linkage?
  • mmcnamarammcnamara Member Posts: 27
    Well, in all fairness, the Shadow was new while the SHO was pretty used by the time I got it. In addition, I did a meticulous break-in on the Shadow and then switched to synthetic oil, so it was an extremely strong runner. With regards to the levels of refinement, I'd say that the SHO was easily the smoother motor, in addition to being happier at high revs than the Shadow was. By 6000 rpm, the Shadow was done and over with, but was very torquey from about 1500 rpm on up.I'd actually say that in a drag race, the Shadow was the quicker one to 60 mph and probably even through the quarter mile.(As I said, this was an exceptionally tight motor.)
    Concerning the shift linkage, the Shadow's was definitely the better of the two, and was a big improvement over the previous Chrysler linkages.
  • 1997montez341997montez34 Member Posts: 202
    ...my 1984 Volvo DL Wagon. This rust bucket was doo-doo brown, with a 4-speed stick and electric overdrive. Stone cold reliable and kind of fun in a delivery truck sort of way.
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