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Everyone has deeply buried secrets they hope no one ever exhumes. You know exactly what I'm talking about– the gang banger who listens to REM when his posse's out of earshot, the televangelist who retains the services of hookers after darkness falls, or the occasional FBI director who enjoys nylons and high heels. Gearheads have their clandestine thoughts too. Your friends consider you an expert on all things automotive so you'd never want them to know your true desires. Your dark side is there just begging to see the light of day. Now is your chance to come clean and cleanse your karma. We want to know: What cars are you embarrassed to admit you like and secretly covet?
108 Comments on “QOTD: The Truth Shall Set You Free...”
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generally, when asking for a confession, it’s nice if you go first. ;-)
I’m a minivan whore. My first car was a hand-me-down Plymouth Grand Voyager from my mom. For a kid in his waning years of highschool, it was the perfect car. I could carry 6-7 friends, 2 kegs, and if you had to you could piss out the side door while in motion (affectionatly referred to as “door gunner”) Now that is utility. I really miss those big, soft chairs. I miss staining them too. But that is a tale for another post.
OK. I’ll fess up.
I don’t mind admitting I liked my Pinto station wagon (the one I wrecked driving it off the lot when I bought it – the story’s in the podcast below if you haven’t heard it). It was an early model built before Ford started touting “road hugging weight” as a positive selling point, so it was relatively light, nimble, peppy, and it would hold a whole bunch of stuff. It was a great little car, right up until the moment I broadsided a semi at about 50 mph (he made an illegal turn in front of me). I wouldn’t mind having another one to play with to see if it’s as good as I remember or if it’s also a victim of the selective memory process (discussed in the MG article below the podcast – how’s that for shameless self-promotion).
Is the Pacer picture your confession?
VW Thing. I have no idea why.
i loved the Scion xB when i 1st saw it…all of my friends hated it so i kept my mouth shut. but the more i saw it the more i loved it. then i bought one and could not be happier. and alot of my freinds are coming around. its a really fun car with a high “fun to drive factor”
I still miss my SUV. Even though I had not much of a reason for owning it, other than winter driving to a job that took 60-90 minutes to get to in the snow. It was bigger than I needed, more vehicle than I needed, and it was never taken off road, never had a thing hooked up to the tow, but it hauled plenty of furniture, gardening stones, hardware and home improvement supplies.
I also prefer auto trannys on pretty much anything that’s not a true sports car. A ‘sporty’ sedan isn’t that much more sporty with a manual over a manumatic. Sorry…
oh, and one other confession – I actually like some GM vehicles, despite thier coming demise…
I don’t know what it is, but every time I see a recent generation Cadillac Deville (DTS, DHS…etc), I want one. I’ve driven them and I couldn’t stand the disconnected numbness, but there is just something about the body styling. It just looks sooo pretty. Big AND stately. I could go on and on.
I once mentioned it to my wife and she couldn’t stop laughing.
Oh, I just have to add, a car that big should never be FWD!
Agreed on the cadillac deville, but my pick is a Toyota Previa (yes, an old one). Big and bulbous, but so comfortable (really the most car-like minivan I’ve ever driven). Bucket seats in the front, and in the middle row, and you’ve got the ultimate road trip machine. Damn you Toyota, for not selling it in the US.
Honda Element. I’m way too old and I just can’t take the abuse I would get, but I want one. If I was going to do it I would get that disgusting orange color. If you’re going to take an ass kicking you might as well go all the way.
On the practical side, the Toyota FJ makes way more sense and the overall cost to own doesn’t seem much more.
It’s difficult to use a car that you have owned because you are going to have fond memories of it. To me, this should be a car you never owned but loved when no one else did.
To me, the car I liked when I was a kid is also probably the epitome of why GM is frawned down upon today; the Cadillac Cimarron. The thing is, I don’t know why I liked it and today when I see one I laugh. But when I was a kid, I liked them.
My old man had a 74 Matador he just loved in the mid eighties. Bright Orange paint with houndstooth patterned “sandpaper on sunburn” cloth on white vinyl seats. Oh how he was proud of that truly offensive car, he will still wax nostalgic about it. It was so ugly, it so quickly surpassed shocklingly hideous and boomeranged right back around the horn to “damned proud of my ugliness” status. I never, to this day, have admitted it, but I liked it too.
I should DONK, Box and Bubble one for him…
I had a series of Jeep Cherokees that I still have a fondness for. They were fantastically utilitarian and pretty reliable (relatively speaking); the ’87 I had went for 212,000 miles before being parked in a field and abandoned for 3 years. It still ran great after that, but the clutch slave cylinder froze. It marched on for several more years after that, but with a less appreciative owner.
I’ve been keeping an eye out for a suitable “dog car”; I’ve got two good-sized dogs that would be happier riding around in something more spacious than my MINI (and I’d be happier to confine the hair and slobber to something not so nice). I’d love to find another Cherokee in good shape for under 2 grand, but I’d also like to find something a little more unique, like that Pacer above, or a ’54 Chevy wagon.
For now, I’m looking for a 4-point harness for the dogs (they don’t like cornering much as it is….). :-)
Any car with “Rich Corinthian Leather” :-)
Actually, I have a soft spot for the early 80s Imperials. If you can find one in decent shape and drop a hemi in there…
I would have to say the Honda Element. It is the boxiest, ugliest looking, unaerodynamic, plastic bumper shod, awkward vehicle I’ve ever looked at (in person).
However, I’ve always fell into function over form category…yet it took me years and 3 trips to the auto shows to play with the interior and gawk at its beauty in function. So what happened…I bought one last year and after hiding inside while driving I’ve found that I love it’s uniqueness. I love using a leaf blower to clean the interior of dog hair, dirt, spilled cheerios (the ones that failed the 5 second rule), that spilled yogurt just needed a wet cloth rather than a steam vac. I just finished using it to move furniture and boxes of items (it can fit 30-40 small sized boxes inside) and still get mid 20’s gas mileage (just don’t go over 55mph b/c of the wind resistance). I have even taken it and done some serious off roading (even forded a 1′ stream in it) – well serious for me but not likely for a rockcrawler.
Yes, I’m in my Element but afraid to emerge from it.
I will always miss my VW EuroVan. It was really a horrible vehicle. Uncomfortable for everyone but the driver, mediocre brakes, anemic engine, unbelievably noisy and quirky for no reason at all (you could not operate both front windows at the same time – why they hell was that?).
However, VW Vans, EuroVan included, have always spelled “adventure,” although sometimes this “adventure” turns out to be “waiting for parts.” If we went somewhere remote, there’d be another VW van there (wheezing up hill).
And, even the EuroVan offered what VW used to call “fahrvergneugen.” I never expected that in a van but damned if the EuroVan, crappy brakes, tiny motor and all, wasn’t actually a joy to drive.
blalor — The Jeep Cherokee is a universally loved and respected vehicle. No shame in that. He;;, I owned two and would love to get another. It’s the prototype for the Porsche Cayenne — Fast as hell (4.0 Liter straight six fighting 3,300 lbs) on road and go pretty much anywhere off.
That said… an ex-girlfriend of mine had a Honda CRV. The new one, that shares a platform with the Element. Yeah, the CRV is gay. But man… what a car! Er, what a great trucklette! A pleasure to drive, great for hauling stuff, good enough on gas (at the time gas was cheap), the shifter sticks out of the dashboard (why not?), the VTEC was strong… just a great car. Er, truck.
Actually two cars:
1) 1963 Chevy II Nova. My first car. Slow straight-6, no seatbelts, nasty PowerGlide 2 speed auto (“Hey, where’s third gear?”), stereo I paid more for than the car.
That car was FREEDOM to me. I’ll always have a soft spot for it.
2) Chrysler Pacifica. I rented one and loved it. Roomy, adequately fast, comfortable, handeld well, quiet, great interior, but it did suck the gas. Still, I want one.
I love my Mazda6 hatch. Its great. Its wonderful. Its a bit of a gas sucker (by MY standards, I ride motorcycles. It gets ~21-22 MPG in town, 28 MPG on I-5).
But I admit, that I lust after a Fit…
Sid: Don’t be ashamed of the Element. Its selling 20 years above the targeted demographic: median buyer is something like 55+.
You’re NEVER too old to buy an Element. Only too young… :)
a mid-80s chrysler newport – you know the ones the police would drive. My father had one and it had a smooth ride, easy to steer and would run like crazy.
I don’t know if I should admit it to this group, but I really like…
… I can’t believe I’m about to admit this…
… admit that I like…
… and secretly would like to own…
A VW New Beetle convertible!
There! I said it. I’m free! I no longer have to carry this burden on my soul!
I guess we can forgive you for wanting the VW New Beetle convertible as long as you specify the turbo version. Anything else would be gay.
Zarba — WHAT?
The Pacifica is one of the very worst cars I have every driven.
Ergonomically, it is trash, it does NOT handle well… it’s ugly, fat.
Now, you can like it all you want, but… it does not handle well. I drove one from Los Angeles to Santa Cruz and back… lousy the whole time.
Blech!
Hey! What’s wrong with ugly and fat?
Oh… you were talking about the Pacifica. Never mind.
gcmustanglx,
there is no turbo to be had in the Beetle anymore. the 2.5 puts out about the same power, but it doesn’t have that rubber band snap that the turbo (lag) was known for.
Frank,
head on over to detroit and i’ll sell you one. I’ll laugh about it behind your back, but i’ll do it.
While I’m now driving an E36 M3, I charge my decision to sell my 1993 Honda Civic Del Sol, a few years ago, as the stupidest in my life. While my friends referred to it as “the Barbie Ferrari”, I loved that car. I beat the ever living shit out of it, barely changed the oil and in return it gave me some 150,000 trouble free and occasionally open top miles. I may yet get another one.
>>My old man had a 74 Matador he just loved in the mid eighties. Bright Orange paint with houndstooth patterned ???sandpaper on sunburn??? cloth on white vinyl seats. Oh how he was proud of that truly offensive car, he will still wax nostalgic about it. It was so ugly, it so quickly surpassed shocklingly hideous and boomeranged right back around the horn to ???damned proud of my ugliness??? status. I never, to this day, have admitted it, but I liked it too.
My brother had one. I called it The Frog, because it looked like one. Damn sluggish considering the 8cyl
I have no cars from my past that embarrass me. Not even the ’62 Falcon my Dad gave me in ’70 to drive from Mass to Calif for our sabattical in lieu of a plane ticket. And I’m not embarrassed by any of the cars I like. Even the Pacer. Even the Deux Chevaux.
I would be embarrassed to like one of these generic rides coming out of GM.
Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon. Big motor, comfy seats, plastic woodgrain… what’s not to like?
Besides, I saw a thing in Motor Trend Classic that says they’re going to be cool one of these decades. (Almost said cool again, then realized what I was talking about.)
Chevy Berettas. The early ones, before they went monochromatic.
As for current cars, I kinda dig the Suzuki Verona. And I liked the last Hyundai Sonata’s look more than the new one.
Pontiac Aztek.
Sure, you say its fugly. Some call it Asstek. I say it is the warthog of SUV’s. Funky in the front but certainly bold. The rear looks as if a garage door came down and pinched it a bit but the ledge (spoiler) helps mask it. I have talked to at least 10 owners and all gush about what a great vehicle. (looks aside mostly)
Luckily it should not be a problem picking up a used one on the cheap.
I miss my 1989 VW Vanagon Wolfsburg Edition. Back when the wife & I could only afford one vehicle… with two young kids and a big dog to haul around.
It was relentlessly utilitarian. Every square centimeter of that box was “useful” in some respect, and obviously obsessed over by some German engineer. Except the cupholders, which broke within minutes of use… they were in the way of everything, feet, folding seats, etc. But there was storage cubbies everywhere, an excellent heater, fold-down seats, a bed, comfy drivers area, you could walk around inside ferchrissakes!
We took LONG family trips in that machine… all over western north america… never bought a hotel room, as it slept us all… could drive all night in shifts with a queen sized bed in the back for the off-shift drivers! The two rear-facing, easily removable seats were a marvel of design. We’d always shed one for the long trips and replace it with a cooler. The fold-up table was another stroke of brilliance. For travelling with small kids, it was the PERFECT machine.
The 2.0 liter flat-four “wasserboxer” was a bit anemic, and the machine was not exactly slippery in the wind, but it could cruise at 80 MPH (once you managed to get up to that speed) and no cop EVER pulled us over. I think they get no respect from their peers for pulling over a bus…. unless it was a bicycle cop or something.
The Eurovan (also mentioned here) always seemed a compromise to me, as it shrunk so much in overall size as to lose the mini-RV sort of walk around room present in the Vanagon. Why VW has stopped selling the Bus is beyond me. Face it folks, the SUV is just as gas guzzling glorified station wagon, so the Toureg does not count. Bring back the Bus!
BTW: We sold ours only because we were moving overseas (to the UK where a LHD machine would be foolish.) The people we sold it to STILL drive it around.
Oh, and the turning circle of the VW Vanagon was shockingly small… I could U-turn that baby on a two-lane Seattle residential street!
It was also pretty small in terms of outside diameter (roughly the size of a Jetta, but just a lot taller… dead vertical from the perimeter. As such I could park it is tight spots with no worries… get up, walk back and exit the side door.
–chuck
I must admit I also own an Element and love it. It obviously isn’t the prettiest thing on the road by any means, but as jaje said I find massive appeal in it’s function.
I’ve always liked the AMC Eagle 4×4 wagon with the sweet faux wood paneling, plaid cloth seats!
When I was turning 16, my grandmother came close to offering me her one-owner, 75,000-mile 1953 Chevy baby blue four-door. Instead, she pulled the rug, citing the cost of insuring it and maintaining it – there was a spot of rust on the back bumper, after all. She then sold it to some other kid for $150 who promptly wrecked it.
I still want that car with its wheezing six and 2-speed Powerglide, for some God-knows-what reason. When I see a ’53 or ’54 at a classic car meet, I still wax nostalgic. Would I have kept it running? Would I have restored it and pampered it, or would I have used it as a daily driver through college? Would I have had some fun in the back seat? Alas, I will never know…
My ’88 Chevy Caprice unmarked cruiser. When Giuliany became Mayor of NY in the early ’90, he auctioned off every un/under used police vehicles. This particular one was white with cloth(!) interior a killer 350 engine and beefed up suspension. It also used to alternate beween high beam and low beam in a rapid fashion at the push of a (rewired) button………..
Cruising through the “bad” neighborhoods was fun, with kids shouting:” five ohh”, shutting down spewing water hydrants, the hookers getting busy finding phone booths etc…………..
The object of my automotive lust when I started to drive (1984) was the Renault Fuego. Almost bought one. Purchased a 1985 Isuzu Impulse instead. Loved that car even though it lacked the power to get out of its own way. Drove it for 120K miles with no problems. How I miss that car. I also miss my 1979 Audi Fox GTI – that was a fun car.
Hey you know there’s a knickname for the Element – it’s called the “Elderment” because there’s a lot of 50+ buyers out there. Nothing wrong with that… I thought it was butt-ugly until my friend got one and I took some rides in it. Man that thing is amazingly comfortable and spacious inside. It’s got such a different feel to it to, like it’s made with some alien technology. Now the looks don’t bother me so much because it’s soooo nice in there. Plus everything’s rubberized so it can’t get dirty. Hello rainy day soccer team! C’mon in, you can’t mess up a thing.
Oh yeah – I always dug the gremlins and the pacers. Dunno what’s wrong with me, but an ugly hatchback is like an ugly little dog – so ugly it’s cute.
I’ve always wanted our old 77 Buick Park Ave back. Man that thing was fun, ghetto vinyl top, huge V8, crushed velvet seats that you literally sunk into…ah, yes, 8 track player!
Despite the fact it was always in the shop….
Also, for who know what reason, I’ve always liked the circa 96 Impala SS’s and the early 90’s Roadmasters. I honestly don’t know why. Is it wrong for a 16y/o middle class white kid to like those? :-)
Last one-a Buick GNX. They just look kinda fun.
Yeah, I know. Weird list. Go figure…
Oh, wait, forgot: I really want that Enclave if it shows up anything like the concept.
I don’t know if this counts as a guilty desire, but I also want one of the ’90s Chevy Impala SSes, like this 94beasst. ;-)
I was looking at the Element as a great dog-mobile before I got my Scoobie, but I found the view over the dash/hood to be uncomfortably bad. If it was bad for me at 6′ tall, I knew it would be brutal for my wife who’s lucky to hit 5′ on a hot day. I didn’t even bother driving it.
The car I’m embarassed to admit I covet is the Bangle-ized 5-series. I actually find the looks quite striking, if a little unusual. And I like the new 3-series too.
I own a 91 Cherokee, with 200K on the clock. Still runs great, but for really bad mileage.
I secretly covet a Commander. Looks like a Cherokee, but with new bits. But can I move from 15 mpg to about 10 mpg? With $3 gas, I don’t see how I could!
I always dug the AMC Pacer. No, really. What a strange design for a car; how ugly, and odd, and spherical — but compelling in a scary, let’s-not-admit-this, not fully understood way. They are so far beyond cool that they are almost cool again. Kinda like how a really bad movie can be fun to watch.
A pal had one when we were in high school (dubbed “The Anarchy Egg” — the car, not the school). It was like driving around in a fishbowl. All that glass.
A few years back a friend here in Austin sold hers to a collector who was planning on a restoration. I can’t imagine a weirder project. “Hey baby, chack out my showroom condition Pacer. Want a ride?”
M
I absolutely love the mazda miata. Say what you will about it being a “fruity” car or a car mainly for women, but it is a joy to drive, especially with the rag top down.
And the new 06 MX-6 Miata is even more of a pleasure and the looks have improved considerably.
My confession…I love driving the cute little roadster.
I have owned so many cars over the years I am not sure I can remember them all any more, however here are two of the more generally unliked cars that I have owned that I really miss. I’ve had Citroens, Porsches, BMWs and even a Renault Dauphine. Oddly enough, the two cars I’m going to talk about are both Chevrolets. I’ve owned 3 Chevys in my lifetime; however the third one, a first generation Cavalier, is, was and willever be a truely forgettable car.
The first car I miss was my first car, which was a 1964 Chevrolet Corvair. It was a 2 door coupe with the Powerglide 2 speed tranny. The fun thing was that there was no “Park”, and the parking brake was so anemic that I used to carry a cement block to keep the car from wandering away from its parking space. I got the car from my grandparents when it was about 8 years old. They had decided that the car needed a paint job and painted it with robin’s egg blue Rust-Oleum, using brushes and a roller. I had it up to 100 mph on the east end of the Long Island Expressway, but at those speeds the front wheels were getting so light the car felt like it was getting ready to lift off. That was a one-time test.
The other car that I owned and miss was my 2002 Avalanche. So many people hated the look of it — “all that plastic”, “look at those ugly wheel arches”, “ugh, the Chevy Aztek” — the latter comment was my favorite. I hauled more stuff with that vehicle to more places than I thought possible. It rode well, got decent enough mileage for being a large truck and was trouble free. I sold it because I did not need a truck anymore. Now, the Avalanche has lost its cladding, become more popular, and in my mind became a boring vehicle because of it.
Indefensible, but my secret lust was for a . . . Nissan Pulsar. And I hope my freinds never clue into the Barbie Ferrari tag for my S2000. I take enough crap already for the chick car thing.
1) My 1972 Chevy Vega and my 1975 Chevy Monza with the aluminum engine. Both cars were peppy, fun, easy to drive and great cars for a college student and new husband. I’m not really secretly ashamed of these, though.
2) I always wanted to own an MG. OF that, I am secretly ashamed. I experienced first hand the incredibly unreliable Lucas electrics when I drove home an MGB from the dealership where I once worked, and should know better. But, those things were fun to drive. I also enjoyed being able to touch the ground from inside the car in an MG Midget I drove home another day.
CARS I’M NOT ASHAMED OF- AND CURRENTLY OWN: 1995 Buick Roadmaster Station Wagon- closest thing to a muscle car available with a station wagon body. That LT1 will really put the ricers and 5.0 Rustangs in their place! (behind me- in the case of the ricers, FAR,FAR behind me.!) HEE HEE HEE
I really would like a current generation Chrysler Sebring sedan in my driveway. I’ve driven quite a few of them as rentals and they’ll all been solid, reliable, powerful enough and have returned decent gas mileage (mid 30s to the imperial gallon on the highway).
Hated them when they first came out, but the late model, monochrome, Azteks keep turning my head. Maybe it’s just the trim level but they look so much better (sorta like the Element) without all the black plastic panels. Then there’s the whole big, non-SUV, wagon/Freestyle-like styling that generates interest.
I’m not embarrassed or ashamed.
I want a CV2.
Er, 2CV, that is.
I have always wanted one of the new Mercury Marauders. My grandma used to tote me around in her Grand Marquis and it was so comfortable. If it was fast it could only be cooler. I know thats probably weird for a 21 year old Hondaphile.
I have to admit that I’ve been interested in a Miata for a while. Even though I’m a big, fat, harry dude, and straight. I might pick up an old one just to blast around the hills in.
I also absolutly love my Land Rover Discovery. Its old but it has been a steadfast companion for five years now. Lots of loooooong drives across the SF bay area and down the cost for airsoft. I have almost 170k miles on it and I never want to give it up.
My confessions:
I tend to really like cars often derided by my friends as “chick cars”. Examples are the Toyota Celica, Acura RSX, MB C230, Mazda Miata, and Saturn Sky.
I really miss my old Volvo 245 DL wagon. It was a tank. And I don’t think my memory has been sweetened with time, a la Frank’s MG.
Wagon versions of most luxury cars are more desirable to me than the sedan counterpart. Volvo, Audi, BMW, MB, you name it.
I hate to admit it, but I have a soft spot for at least half the cars listed here.
As far as my own personal history goes, though, I loved my old Escort (a ’92). It was slow (the 1.9 and an auto is less than a great pairing), ugly, and various little bits were failing.
But, it was fun to drive (probably only because it was so small), and it felt like it’d run forever. Plus, it had the motorized seatbelts, which never failed to be amusing.
My first car, and the car I drive at present: A 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis. It is the ultimate old man’s car. It is hard on gas. The handling is slothful. The digital gauges wash out in the sunlight. And to say that the car is difficult to drive in the winter is akin to describing Hitler as “a little cranky.” Still, I love that boatmobile. It will swallow up more people and cargo than anything this side of a Minivan. It could cruise all day at 100 MPH on the open road without breaking a sweat. And, even with nearly 200,000 miles, that big, torque-rich V8 still pulls strong. I’ve never once been pulled over in it either; the white paint (with the clearcoat peeling off the hood) makes it look like either a cop car from a distance. Put simply, it is, like the Gremlin and Pinto and Pacer, the sort of car that is so un-cool it’s cool.
A few other oddball cars I like include:
– The Acura Vigor. I’ve always thought there was something cool about this car. It was sort of the red-headed stepchild of the Acura family, with its quirky, 5-cylinder motor and mini-Legend styling. It was also at least 5 years ahead of its time… Only recently have we come to appreciate this segment of cars, now known as “Sports Sedans”. Also: A Honda motor with low-end torque?!?! Surely you jest?
– The Nissan AXXESS Van. Sure, the rounded, Minivan styling is an automatic “L” on the AXXESS’s forehead. But you can carry 4 friends and their cargo in total stealth (I mean, who’s gonna pull over a Minivan?). The chassis and mechanical bits of the AXXESS, taken from the late Nissan Stanza, are as reliant as the tides. Plus, you could get them with a 5-Speed Manual, something that hasn’t re-appeared in a Minivan until today’s Mazda5 (which I also like, for the same reasons).
– The Suzuki Aerio. Seriously, check one out sometime. You’ll be surprised at how not-that-bad they are, especially now that Suzuki has swapped out the nerdy digital gauges for conventional analog ones. The SX hatchback comes pretty much loaded from the factory with a ton of standard features, including Automatic climate control; I think the only option is the Automatic transmission. The 2.3L. i4 motor is big for its class and delievers ample power, while still returning decent fuel economy. Is the Aerio a great car? No… It’s got nothing on the Mazda3 or the new Civic. But it is a good car that is far too often overlooked.
– The Toyota Cressida. I like this car for the same reasons I like my Mercury. Furthermore, the Cressida was built at the very pinnacle of Toyota quality; many feel that quality went down as production #s went up in the mid-’90’s, shortly after the Cressida was killed. There is a reason why these cars are still running 15 or 20 years after they left the showroom floor. Also, the inline 6-cylinder engine that powers the Cressida is the very same one found under the hood of the legendary Supra, so the Cressida can easily be hot rodded into the the fastest, stealthiest box on wheels next to those Volvos with Ford V8 swaps.
+1 on the cressida….
God this is hard to admit, but I really, really, reallllly want a late 80’s/early 90’s Volvo Wagon.
Then I want to put the converse engineering Ford V8 conversion kit on it, put the crate GT40 engine into it, beef up the rear end and transmission, IPX swaybars, Koni shocks, and use it to absolutely embarass people at the drag strip and at track days.
On the stock 14 inch rubber.
Zero cool points, but it keeps me up at night sometimes.
1985 Mercury Topaz. My first car. Crap for gas mileage, the tranny never worked right, was gay powder blue in color, but it was my first car, and i actually cried when my little brother totalled it with a deer………..murderer!
I always liked the “nerdy digital gauges.” My friend’s Mercury Cougar (1989?) took the cake, it even had the KITT style digital tach. My current fleet? a 1986 Lincoln Towncar (with digital dash, and NaviComputer!) pushing 300k, runs like a champ.. I even plan to drive it up to the boundary waters next week. What else can carry four folks in comfort, plus a canoe, two kayaks, and all the gear.
I’ve also got a 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII – Fun! and in my opinion, one of the “sexiest” modern american cars.
and a 1972 Jeep Commando. – funny looking, but it’s a Jeep. This was given to me by my father. Who always said (aside from “you’re gunna kill yourself in that thing”) “I didn’t so much buy a Jeep, but a do-it-yourself Jeep Kit!” Apparently the Jeeps were no exception to AMC’s reputation of nearly-completely-assembled vehicles, and he found himself tightening all the bolts quite regularly.
Well, I’ve gotten off track here.
I always thought the Nissan Cube was cute. way better than the element or xB.
I don’t care who knows this. The people who know me will understand…
I have owned these and would like to own them again:
1983 Pontiac Trans Am. Woo! What fun! Smoke your tires day and night! Great when you’re in your early 20’s, ridiculous now that I’m in my 40’s. But I would like to get out there and shred some Goodyears again…
1987 Dodge Lancer ES Turbo. Loved the fast five door. Saved me from minivan hell when my kids were little. Damned thing ran for 10 years, 160K miles before I ditched it. I tried to replace it with a pickup truck, but that didn’t work out.
1986 Yugo GV 4spd. I was buying these things for pocket change in the early ’90’s. The ultimate urban car, park them anywhere, nobody would bother them. When they died, just take the plates off of them and find the next one…
1991 Mercury Grand Marquis. I can corroborate the other poster’s love of these beasts. I called mine the isolation tank, because when you roll up all four windows, crank on the A/C, crank the stereo and bury the gas pedal, nothing on the outside could bother you…
2001 Aztek. I’m glad to see there’s some love out there for these. Once you get past the looks, the packaging of the car is excellent. Another decent urban warrior with enough room for five adults that you can park in those miniscule spots in downtown parking decks. The later ones are better looking, but I really want the pukey green one next time around. They didn’t make that color after 2001.
Trixer… Talking about the ???nerdy digital gauges???; I’ve been wanting a Aston Martin Lagonda just for the sheer Atari 2600nes of the interior….
An old Nash. Saw one on a flat-bed tow truck yesterday. Between the color scheme and the design, this car is DORK in automotive form.
I drive a bright green Geo Tracker….And i trash on it all the time but I love it. It’s the girliest car ever(beating out the beetle and del sol easily) and my friends call it my “Barbie Jeep”……But it’s a beast in the mud…..
I mentioned in my Freestyle review that I had an ’85 Pontiac Parsian Safari Station Wagon. How on earth GM ever thought that “Parisian” and “Safari” were a good choice… well, we all know about GM.
However… I miss that car.
I have no idea why the old man bought that one (oh yeah — it was thousands cheaper than the Buick) but I am glad he did; That car had some weird factory towing option. So, even with the fake woodgrain, it didn’t have power locks or windows. According to the dealer, it had no options so as to save weight. I still laugh about that. It did have heavy duty suspension and brakes from a Chevy truck… they ran off the power steering pump (as I discovered when the pump went dead and going 85 down a windy hill I lost steering and brakes).
It also had a 350 (Most of the GM wagons of the time had 5 liters) for towing. It could cruise at 85mph all day and all night.
That thing was just unstoppable. Brown on brown, too. I even got really good at parallel parking it on the wrong side of the street pointing down hill in San Fracisco.
Petra,
My dad had a ’93 Acura Vigor but it was the rare 5-speed. The car is pretty fun to drive. My brother has it now. Ergonomically, it’s not very comfortable. And the steering wheel is in a really weird, low position.
Me, being a devoted Saab 900 fan, sometimes I lust over a 240 Wagon. Now there’s sacrilege.
A Volvo 240 is one step up from farm equiptment
My secrets:
1. VW New Beetle – They are just so darn cute. An ex-girlfriend had an orange TDI one that got like 50 mpg…nothing like being cute and frugal. I’d also love to have one of the Turbo S ones, you can probably get them for a song now.
2. The early-90’s GM full-size wagons (Caprice, Roadmaster, Olds Vista) – Big, comfy, V8, rear drive = perfection. We didn’t know it at the time, but they were the last of the prototypical “American” cars. A wagon just screams “road trip”, and ya gotta love the huge sunroof in the Olds.
3. 2006 Lincoln Town Car – Holy comfortable, just like riding on a pillow. Nice looking cars, too. I had one for a rental car last month, and the only thing I hated was trying to park it in Boston parking garages. I gotta admit, I’d love to have a pearl white one riding on some tasteful Dubs.
Phew…that was cathartic.
I’m glad to see that I’m not alone in either of my picks. Gearheads think alike, I suppose. Does anyone else like old Studebakers, too?
I don’t tell anyone this but…
I love Volvo station wagons. Theres something about that brick like shape and ungodly turning radius. Maybe because I was practically raised in one.
Chevettes. For a long time I bought Chevettes for second cars/beaters. They were Jeep simple to work on, reliable and no self-respecting car thief would be caught dead in one. I once sped past a cop and he was literally beating his radar gun on the dashboard as I went by. I don’t know if I was just lucky, or he didn’t believe that a Chevette could cruise at a steady 90 …
’71 boattail Riviera. Oh, how I wish I had one of those.
While commuting with my mom in the back of an E30 325i, I decided that the Pontiac Tempest / Chevrolet Corsica was the car for me. (I was like 8 years old.)
The 1981 Toyota Corolla we had for 7 years starting in 1999. It was a one owner trade in at the GM store I worked at. I felt bad the owners traded it in for a SUNFIRE! The Corolla was suprisingly solid as the owners never drove it in the snow. I paid $400 for it and my “Asian Nomad” didn’t have a squeak or rattle. That 1.8 was bulletproof! The rear drive was a blast in the snow. Too bad it was an auto. After 7 salty winters and 70000 miles the undercarriage rotted out. I sold it on ebay for—400 bucks and the buyer fixed the rot and took it on a road trip over 1000 miles without a breakdown. I’m always on the lookout for another one. They are dirt cheap and run forever!
What I think is interesting in this discussion is not the cars chosen as secret embarrassing fantasies, but the disclaimers. Like, “I own a 2005 Corvette with the optional chest hair seat covers, but I’ve always liked the 1983 Pontiac LeMans.” Just interesting, that’s all.
Me? I still want a Pontiac Fiero! Man I loved that car as a kid! 2M4 all the way, man! Not exactly embarrassed about that, but do you really think I’m gonna admit wanting a Hyundai Scoupe. Oh, wait. crap.
KC2glock – I have your dream car, lol. A friend and I acquired a bright yellow 92 Pulsar, ostensibly to turn into a mini-stocker (4 cyl. oval racer). Once we realized that most mini-stock racers spend their entire week pounding out dents and replacing pieces that broke off during the weekend’s racing though, we canned that idea. It’s waaaaay too pretty to turn into an ugly pile. It’s been completely stripped of superfluous weight, has a full roll cage, racing seat, and five point harness. Oh yeah, and a Grassroots Motorsports sticker. :)
The plan now is to use it for lapping days.
Hmm… my secret faves? Ford Capris & Pintos, honkin’ big Dodge diesel pickups and wee Omnis… and the V10 Twin Turbo Touareg.
@murphysamber – Door Gunner..lol..First time I’ve heard that one.
Don’t know why but I like the STS and the 02ish Durango.
Most of these cars are simply for styling.
Peugeot 405mi16…. really I just like the body design, its very clean and I have a soft spot for small sedans.
Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5… I think the body design is quite handsome. This was actually one of the first cars I asked for.
Isuzu piazza/impulse turbo… I think the design was meant to be the scirocco II… I just like how they look the elongated nose and crazy front overhang are just appealing.
MK1 scirocco with an engine transplant…. really a neat body design I like how the rear windows jut upwards slightly. The proportions are nice and the squareish shape just works for me.
’80-82 Thunderbird. Looks like a granny car but you can fit Mustang 5.0 pieces under it. That would be a hell of a sleeper.
– any Fiat-era Lancia coupes – any of them –
– original Audi 5000 – the one with accelerator “issues”
– considered by many the worst two ever made by Maranello, the Ferrari 400 and the Mondial – yeah, I know, listng any Ferrari as an “embarrasment” is not exactly in the spirit of this excercise, but a real Ferrari guy would blanche at the thought of either of these.
Andy,
Regarding The Merc Marauder, don’t fret. Depending on the Honda you’re driving (anything 6cyl.), it might be faster then that underpowered lame duck.Lol.
70’s Dodge Dart. Slant six. Three on the tree. Four door body with the army green paint. Bench seats.
Sometimes its not the car, it is the challenge of driving it.
darian, the Audi 5000 did not have accelerator issues. It was deemed to be a result of the brake pedal being too close to the gas pedal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi
Gotta love the press.
Yep…the Volvo 2 series, any year, any model; as long as it has that good’ol bulletproof 4banger to match its tank-like demeanor.
I was taught manual tranny on a ’85 244 with 200k on it…the undercarriage had pizza-sized holes in the floor, but those cars can take a beating -mine was regularly driven on construction sites and refused to die!
Gotta love RWD, the ‘brick’ was heavy and underpowered, but once up to speed the rubber would stick through any corner. Sure, there was enough body roll to scare the pulp out of your passengers, I’d like to think it was Volvo’s way of punishing those who had their own interpretion of ‘drive safely’.
We had to let it go when it was rear-ended, insurance company realized that the cost of repairs exceeded the cars value…I’d love to get another!
My secrets:
1. (Not so bad). I also love the Honda Element and own one. Excellent all-purpose vehicle, tons of room for all the family stuff and the kids and a great value. I also don’t think it’s really that ugly.
2. (Bad). I own a new Audi S4 and, yes, it’s got a Tip. I confess to driving a neutered vehicle, after a lifetime of driving sticks, including in my last S4. I’m getting too old, I guess, to handle the traffic in Northern Virginia with a stick, but not old enough to completely make the move to a Town Car.
Gridmaster,
I have a bitchstick A4 avant I daily drive…. my toy A4 sedan is under the knife for conversion to stand alone engine management. 20K miles in 11 months and the avant has been a brilliant car to own. I’ve even tracked it twice at Watkins Glen because my sedan is not running just yet.
http://gallery.pdadrivingschool.com/pdaImages/2006/20060508WGI_D12_5219.JPG.jpg
The car’s I am ashamed to love are true British ‘classics’- 1100/1300’s.
Pretty much no-one in the States will have heard of them (although they did import a few). They are the Issigonis-designed big brother to the original Mini. I guess they probably sold 2.5 million or more of them from the late 60’s onwards. They were the UK’s best selling car for about 5 years.
I owned 3- including the Vanden Plas (badge engineered, bechromed, leather and burr walnut interior, wood picnic tables in the back) and a Wolseley auto.
They rot horribly. They are a tad underwhelming in the power department. They have Moulton Hydrolastic suspension which is gives quite an interesting ride. The steering wheel’s are thin bakelite, twice the size of modern car’s and mounted rather horizontally compared to anything built in the last 20 years.
But they were super practical. Transversly mounted engine, FWD but with a tight turning circle. Seated 4 in comfort. They look pretty good, even today. 4 speed auto. Good brakes. Cruise at 75 mph no problems.
I loved them all.
Qfrog,
Nice Avant! I’d love to get my S4 out on the track, but I’m both too scared to prong it when I owe $40K still on it and with gas costing as much as it does….
Cheers…
ktm –
as an audi fan and former owner of an early 80’s 4000 5+5, of course i know there were no accel issues – i loved that car, man.
Volvo series 140s, either the sedan or the station wagons. They’re the automotive equivalent of a cocker spaniel: all over the place but your pal the entire time. The 140s are the orphan children of Volvo salvage yards and NOS parts companies such as iPD (in Portland, Oregon). The four-cylidner engine is a tractor engine but it has plenty of low end torque. And there tons of room inside. But without some modifications to the suspension – think gas shocks at the very least and maybe some anti-sway bars – they are indeed door handle scrapers. But hey, did I say they’re easy to work on yourself? Sweden rules!
Correction to last post: should be four-cylinder engine, specifically a B20.
darian, no worries. I hate to see the propagation of ‘myths’. I love Audi’s as well.
Datsun F10. My cop brother in law had one when I was a kid and I thought it was pretty cool. I think it was Datsun’s first front driver. I guess I don’t really want one. I liked my VW Fox until some asshole drunk driver’d it. I had an Audio 100LS 4 sp that I bought for $200 and sold for $300. It handled really well for an old car and didn’t die until after I sold it. I liked the Audi Foxes too.
SpinningAround – they made an even bigger version called the “1800” All the attributes you describe only more. Once on holiday in New Zealand I saw one in a watermelon pink colour and wanted it bad….
I did have a P6B Rover that I loved (in brown – God help me!)
I really want a red or black NSX – but am sure I never will (just as well probably).
Well, I want a first gen miata, bolt in a turbocharger…
When I was growing up, my next door neighbor had a beautiful British Green MGB.
I knew in the back of my head it had its’ problems (an 8 year old does not understand “bad electrical wiring”, but he knows something is up when you saw Mr. B drive the car out in the morning, and had to have it towed back 3 or 4 evenings a month), but it was still beautiful, powerful, and it just seemed fast sitting in his garage.
A few years later, my dad bought a Dodge Omni hatchback (with Turbo!, he proudly explained), which was just fun to ride in, and fun to drive when he let me learn on it. Unfortunately, it gave in to Dad’s need for his own dream car, and got replaced by a Porsche 944 that he promptly wrecked a few months later, but I still get a little nostaglic for that little blue rocket.
For some odd reason I was always endeared by the Subaru Baja. I know, dumpy looking thing. I just loved the thought of a wrx with a pickup bed. IT even had the need folding “midgate” so you could slide extra long things into the cab. Anyhow, the first testdrive was great, until I realize it was the most anemic ride ever. That and the exorbinant price tag made me decre it a lamer. Still, had the baja been priced WRX style, with the turbocharged engine, it would have sole. As it is, its just the skeleton in my closet!
As an auto enthusiast, I’ve always been able to find redemption in almost EVERY platform, if not appreciation…but I have one particularly guilty sin. The K-Car.
I must confess (and this must be judged in the context of the other cars I was forced to drive – namely my 1989 Dodge Diplomat patrol car – with an anemic 318 V8 and 2 barrel carb) that I quite enjoyed driving a primer and blue 1984 K-Car as an undercover car…not only was it the ultimate stealth car (other officers would choose late model Camaros and Jeeps – sticking out like sore thumbs in certain neighborhoods) but it was surprisingly roomy up front (it had a real bench seat!) for a 6’4″ 250 pounder like me and it also had a lot of low end grunt and point and squirt type handling (again – judged in the context of the other wheezing behemoths I was driving). Great for around town stuff – probably blew on the high speed pursuit. Of course, my regular patrol car topped out at 88 MPH, so perhaps the K-Car would have been the preferred pursuit car…
Even the 2.2 liter exhaust note wasn’t as choked as some of the other sleds. Yes, I have fond memories of that K-Car…of course, I liked my personal 1993 Dodge Caravan back then, hence the appreciation of the K Car gene pool….
The car I want but am too embarrased to own:
Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V
It is not socially acceptable for a 30-something professional in the midwest to drive this car. If I were a 20-something stereo salesman, that’d be a different story….
-Matt
I must get it out. I have been looking at car ads for a CRX HF for months now.
I really really like CRXes. I drive a 4-seater CRX (well, a Civic of the same vintage, really) and it has just made me appreciate the simple (but effective and reliable) platform that this is. I really want an HF so I can slap a big ol’ “I get 52 MPG and this car was designed in 1988” sticker on it.
When that gets old, I can throw a too-powerful engine in it for cheap.
I also have a thing for T-tops, but I don’t see one of those in my future.
I’m not only unashamed, but proud that I want a 1972 Plymouth Fury just like this:
http://www.fuselage.de/ply72/72ply_cover_b.jpg
Of course I’d love it to have a 440, but I wouldn’t care if it were a 318.
One that I once owned and wish I could have back was a 1987 Dodge Diplomat, a true AHB police package. With the lean-burn system bypassed and a pre-smog 4-barrel/dual exhaust installed, that 318 truly screamed. Surprised a lot of those punks in 5.0 Mustangs.
I also have a soft spot for my first car, a 1969 Chevrolet Impala Custom 2-door. Midnight blue, 350 4-bbl – just what a 17-year-old needs, right? The girls asked “Oooh, is this your dad’s car?”, and in 1978, that was a compliment.
Camry…
You would be right to assume I have no imagination.
Although my ’95 is still going strong with 225,000 on the clock.
I should add another excellent car from my past – a 1993 Dodge Dynasty. The 3.3 engine was strong and powerful, and the damn thing was STOLEN with 198,000 miles on it, and still its original transmission. Who knows how far I could have taken it?
Okay, okay, I’ll admit it. My dream garage would house a 60s muscle car, an Aston Martin and something exotic and Italian, but don’t be surprised if you see (gulp) a Citroen 2CV6 “Charleston,” in maroon and black. Hey, they’re my favorite colours. Almost.
I don’t think wanting a Miata (MX-5) is embarrassing. Guys that call it a ‘chick car’ just don’t know anything about cars.
Anyway, here are a couple that I wanted growing up (and these ARE embarrassing):
1988-1992(?) Buick Reatta – I always found this car to be sexy.
Toyota Previa minivan – For some reason, I used to think these were sporty.
I still miss my ’75 Beetle, fuel infection (not a typo, that fi system was terrible) and all.
The dark secret is wanting to resurrect a ’68 Valiant I had as a youth.
I kinda miss my ’80 Citation v-6 coupe too…. oh hell, I’ll drive anything – I love ’em all!
This is tough. Please don’t judge me.
My name is Johnny Canada, and I’ve always wanted an early 1970’s Buick “Boat Tail” Riviera.
Damn, it feels good to finally admit that.