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As I was cruising YouTube for a video to accompany Glenn's Honest Bob blog, I typed in "Red Integra" and stumbled upon this love letter to a… red Integra. Which got me thinking: what car do you wish you'd never left behind? For me, it's a Jaguar XK120 restored/created from the ground-up by Guy Broad in the UK, at enormous expense. Of course, Coleen was a stupid car. It looked like a Victoria's Secret angel, went like shit off a shovel (a full-on 4.2-liter six shoved under bonnet) and handled like a truck. I lost her twice. First, whilst driving her on a snowy road (I took out half a village) and then again in the divorce. I can still smell the leather, gas, oil and fear. Sigh.
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My first vehicle: a 1970 3/4 ton Chevy pickup with a “granny” four speed. No power steering, power brakes, or air conditioning.
A close second is a 2001 BMW 325i 5 speed manual – I don’t know what possessed me to part with that car…
I had a 302 / manual valve body c4 auto/ 4.57 9 inch rear 1972 Pinto that was show car beautiful. In 1976 it was probably the fastest car out of the five area high schools. I actually got dates by having the rep that car gave me! I sold it when Disco was hot and I needed something classy. The car was completely destroyed by the new owner within 30 days. I really miss her.
Probably my Jeep Wrangler that still got me home even after I crashed it through a ditch and into a wire fence.
Seeing this video, a good QOTD for next week would be “What should happen to car thieves?”
God…I came so close to getting a perfect ’70 Dodge Dart 340 V8 Swinger in the 80s. Much like the Fury written about in another article on this site I love the humble car with the powerful V8 thing. If only events hadn’t conspired to keep me from getting it I’d have probably wrecked it and died since I was a snot nosed kid.
I miss my Caprices, of all things.
First was a black 1985 Caprice Classic. The exterior was badly weatherbeaten, but the interior was good and the it ran great. I lived in Philly at the time, and it was a great car for the area. I paid a whole $2500 for it. after it got hit and totaled for the second time I let it go. I couldn’t take the time and effort to go through the reconstruction process a second time.
The other was a 92 Caprice Classic that I got using the settlement from the 85 as a down payment. It was in great shape and was just outside of it’s warranty. I had to sell it only a year and a half later when we decided to buy a house to improve our debt to income ratio enough to get approved for the mortgage.
Unfortunatey it’s hard to find a nice Caprice around here anymore. All the nice ones were either exported off to Saudi Arabia and the rest have been run into the ground. I’m tempted to pick up a nice used Crown Vic but given the size of the family now I don’t think it would be practical.
My 1961 Aston Martin DB4, traded for a motorcycle and some cash from Larry Rivers, the painter. It was a time and place where guy like me, a low-paid magazine editor kid, could somehow end up with a car that has since become an icon because nobody cared what it was. I sold it for I think $8,000, something like that, and by that time it had an engine rebuilt by the nameless guy in Upstate New York who built the engine for Aston’s one ludicrous Indy 500 attempt. (I think they qualified 96th…) I’d pretty much totally restored the car, although we’re talkin’ amateur DIY restoration, and had it nicely repainted, so it was a pretty neat short.
I owned it during the days when Goldfinger was playing everywhere, and you wouldn’t believe the number of people who said to me, “That thing got the ejection seat?” seriously believing they were the first people in the world to come up with that line.
What was it like to drive? The world’s fastest vintage car, in the worst sesnse of the phrase.
I’m embarrassed to admit, I regret getting rid of my 1993 Honda Civic Del Sol the most. I sold it for $500. By far the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. It was beat to hell with various body parts about to fall off, it leaked, it was loud, the hood was a thread away from popping open and sending me to a firey death, but the thing ran and ran with absolutely no maintenance or care given to it. Not only that, but I had some great times riding around with the top down, stuffing way too many people (4 was the record) into it, having fun in the passenger seat, etc. The guy I sold it to fixed it up and sold it for a $2000 profit and not having it cost me at least $5000 in fees on leased vehicles I ran over the mileage on. I miss that car.
3 cars I miss the most…
’66 Mustang coupe, 289, full Shelby handling package, Pony interior and rims.
’82 Nissan Maxima 5-speed. Think 240Z with 280 fuel injection in a sedan body.
’84 Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE. 13B injected rotary in the classic 1st gen body.
(These days I drive my ’99 Miata and dont miss any of them)
I really miss my ’86 Honda CRX. Not all that fast in a straight line, but it was responsive and did handle nicely. It was cute-as-hell, surprisingly roomy, reliable, got great gas mileage (27 city, 40+ highway) and I had more than 200,000 miles on it when I finally traded it for a new Civic.
I especially enjoyed weaving through the traffic on Fountain Avenue in Hollywood. I’m not sure what I was thinking when I got rid of the CRX, but I sure do miss it.
It was the first car I owned a ’72 240Z with a 5sp from a 280. It would not pass emissions, the hatch leaked and a/c no longer work. If I had been smart I would’ve driven it the 850 miles to my folks and put it up on blocks until I had the time and money to fix it, but I wasn’t smart.
Now that I sold off my Galant VR-4, I wish I hadn’t.
Same goes for a CRX Si, but I knew I couldn’t keep that one. I lived in New Jersey, and it would’ve only been a matter of time before I woke up one morning to find it not in my driveway.
My “one that got away” was my 1989 Honda CRX Si.
I had it 3 years and traded it in on a ’94 Integra GSR (the first year of the last-generation Integras).
That started me on the path of selling/buying cars about every 1.5 years trying to get something that made me as happy.
Nothing did until I bought a 2004 Mazda3. Which I have since sold.
Now I tool around in a ’96 Tacoma and focus on motorcycles for my driving thrills.
I had a ’95 BMW M3, which was my daily (all 4 seasons in New England) driver for over 8 years. Just an amazingly balanced car, with plenty of reserve acceleration, braking, and cornering always on tap. I drove around country roads for hours just for the heck of it. When I finally sold the M3 (before old-German-car-itis started to set in), I got about 1/3 of the original price, so it turned out to be an excellent deal, too.
I love my Mini Cooper S, which is a blast to drive and better suits my lifestyle, but I sure miss that BMW six!
My 1986 Corolla GT-S twin cam coupe.
No factory AC, broken HVAC, stuck valve, and a little patch of rust.
Shoulda’ kept the stupid thing…
I must be the old guy here.
First and foremost, my 1956 Packard Clipper. While still in high school (73) I noticed a strange car in the parking lot at work. I had no idea what it was. I found out it was a 56 Packard Patrician. At that point my only knowledge of Packards was that they were old time cars from ealy in the century. I had no idea they continued to make them through the fifties. I promptly found the Clipper soon thereafter. It was my escort to California when I graduated. Almost made it. And did, eventually.
Other than that, my 93 SHO.
#1 96 M-B C220, smoke silver, really a solid car, very tight, 28mpg, great brakes, unflappable chassis. I had a company car and just did not need it anymore.
#2 95 Mustang SVT Cobra, needed to pay for one of my kids college tuition, car had been sitting, what a blast to drive. I want it back.
My 1996 Galant ES Premium. Absolutely. I replaced it with something “better,” which I also love, but nothing will replace that car – I put tons of my own hard work into fixing problems with it and took some great trips during the 30,000 or so miles I owned it. I smiled everytime I looked at it. Whenever I parked it, I looked back as I walked away and admired it. I kept it spotless. I took the seats and other interior bits out and steam-cleaned the carpets and seats. I learned how to replace an alternator, do timing, flush and replace coolant, and many other things on it. It also really taught me how to drive (no traction control, stability control, or ABS – yet I never had any trouble getting through even a foot of snow). I loved it.
It was really special. It had a $2000 option package (meaning it was a four-cylinder compact sedan than cost around $24 grand when new in ’96 – no wonder few ES Premiums were sold) that included Japanese-spec VR-4 15″ alloys, upgraded cloth seats, a gear indicator in the instrument cluster, monochromatic Kalapana Black exterior, plastic mud guards, factory power moonroof, glass foglamps, an auxiliary input jack on the factory radio faceplate, a six-speaker upgraded sound system with 6-disc trunk-mounted CD changer and tape deck, and a seven-band equalizer with sliders on the head unit that let you customize the sound however you wanted.
I would’ve kept it but for one thing: bad piston rings meant it burnt a quart of oil every gas tank (around 280-300 miles), and I ran across a spectacular auction deal on a 2002 Diamante LS (ended up costing around $3200 including taxes and all), which I felt was a worthy successor. Still, it’ll never replace my 7G.
If you’d like to see pictures, it’s the main 7th-generation Galant picture in the “Mitsubishi Galant” Wikipedia article.
Three cars I miss the most:
My first car, a 1973 Chevy Caprice 2 door hardtop. It had a 400 small block and guzzled gas like there was no tomorrow. It handled terribly in the snow, had lots of issues due to neglect and lack of use by its previous owner, and more than once I swore at it because of the problems…but it was free, and man did I have some good times with that car in spite of the problems.
My second car, a 1979 Chevy Caprice Landau coupe. I loved the styling of that car, the comfortable ride and it handled well for a big RWD car. It was underpowered with only 130 HP from a 305 V8, but it was tough as nails, and I put lots of miles on it with only a few age related issues. Not bad at all for $900.
My third car, a 1990 Buick LeSabre. I had it for nearly 10 years. One of the best cars I’ve ever owned. Comfortable, reliable, good gas mileage, and quick for a “grandpa” car. The 3800 V6 in that thing was bulletproof and still ran great when I sold it. The unibody was rusting through pretty bad, though, and it was becoming unsafe to drive. I parted it out so I’d have spare parts for the ’91 LeSabre I currently own. I actually shed a tear when it was hauled away on the back of a truck bound for the junkyard. Sounds silly, I know.
’97 Miata. Bought it in ’01, drove everywhere in nearly any weather with the top down, learned to autocross, joined a Mazda Club, joined some car forums, and really just fully embraced my inner car-geek for the first time.
Sold it in ’05 to buy a sedan, so I could haul my impending son. The kid is nearly 3 now, and he’s pretty fantastic, but I do miss my drop-top, RWD, and RPM numbers above 7K!
Robert, where were you when I sold my father’s XK 120 last year??
The car that got away for me was a 1973 VW 1303. I was the second owner and this car was a perfect stock example. I was forced to sell it when I left for a job in the UK. That job ended prematurely, and I later saw my old bug on a city street in Seattle, all battered and bruised… Obviously neglected.
I almost cried.
–chuck
http://chuck.goolsbee.org
1968 Dodge Dart. My brother and I got it in 1983 from our Great Uncle for $100. It was a California car that had been sitting in a garage for a number of years. It was all original and in pretty good shape. Heater didn’t really work, which sucked in the winter, but it was a cool car. Just typing slant 6 makes me smile.
Man, lots of Caprice and CRX love!
I miss my 1992 Eagle Talon TSi AWD. It was sort of a star-crossed affair, as a friend was in an RSX club, and one of the guys in that club traded the Talon in on an RSX not a month before I needed a car. I overpaid for it, but mainly because it was a 6 bolt crank/7 bolt rear specimen, which was highly desirable for longevity, and of course, produced in very low quantities, and I had PLANS. Oh, and it had 52k miles on it (and looked not much over 30k) in 2003. Doesn’t get any better than that. Shoutout to that Galant VR4, that was a car that made me warm in the pants, even before the stateside Evo hype.
Of course, getting t-boned in it ended that fantasy. Terrible shifter, nose-heavy, and fairly numb steering, but I’ll be damned if I don’t lament its passing even in my Miata.
Also, I’d buy (and own forever) a current gen Civic that was a 2 door hatch, a la RSX/Integra. I loved my 96 Integra, but hail damage totalled it out as well.
Two cars: my first car and my 2nd, a Camry and 240sx.
My first car, a 1989 all-trac Camry I drove all through high school (parents “winter car, very low miles) that was signed over to me in 1996 for my hs graduation present. It wasn’t fast, but it was fun, and reliable as a top other than going through halfshafts in the front every 8000 miles or so, which taught me how to work on cars. The last month I had it, I hit a curb so hard it creased both front fenders and cracked the windshield, but it still drove straight.
In late 1997, I was at a Nissan car lot, and they had a 1995 240sx that caught my eye. As it turned out, it was a 2 year old brand new car! 55 Miles on the odometer, ugly-ass wheels (not an SE model). I think the sticker on it was $20,000. The salesman was brutally honest and said the car had a $1200 incentive to the salesman who sold it. $3000 for my dented 1989 Camry (only had 70,000 miles on it) and a $6000 discount… I think out the door it was $12000, plus the salesman gave me $200 cash. I thought it was a sign from God, I’d been saving my money, and had $12300 in the bank.
I drove that 240sx for a year and a half, and put 40,000 miles on it. I live in Ohio, I drove it to California, Alaska, Florida a few times, NYC, all kinda of places.
I finally got around to putting some nicer wheels on it, and less than a week later, some punk offered me $14000 for the car without driving it or even knowing how many miles were on it. I thought he was joking, so I said okay.
Long story short, I didn’t have the car 2 days later.
Longer story short, he totaled the car 1 week later (that’s when I learned to get your old plates straight away).
I miss them both equally.
My first car, a 1gen Eclipse GST. Le sigh. The memories are still fresh. Ah well. Onto bigger and better.
My three babies….1993 red 240sx coupe 5speed, my 1989 Mitsubishi turbo mirage, Damage done by middle eastren auto garage (timming belt fell off by A.S.E Machinic)1997 turbo eclispe convertible (red of course) Da’mm that car was fast! but I still have my trusty! 1985 toyota celica gts convertible ( white )
i think i’ve seen three odes to the CRX here, but i gotta add mine. she was an ’88, skyblue, white rims, and mirror tint. i know, but it was the ninties. she was my first, and i guess they’re right when they say you always remember your first. I’m so glad that i got to spend four solid years in that car.
now, i can’t stand anything truck or SUV-like. i’m forever stuck looking for the lowest, lightest, shortest cars on the market . . . i should just break down and buy a lotus.
VW ’79 T2b Westfalia RV.
A friend and I bought it just after High School for 750.- DM, together with a second front axle, which we replaced on the same day in our driveway – with no knowledge whatsoever: “How hard can it be?”
We restored the interior and drove to Norway (from Munich, Germany). Had our first breakdown within 300km in the middle of the night, eventually made it to Norway and had to stop in Mo i Rana (dirtiest, least favourable city in Norway) because the compression on one cylinder was so low we couldn’t climb the hills anymore.
Took us a week to repair it on our own (don’t ask…), had to turn around, since we already used 6 of the 4 weeks we had allocated for the trip and got robbed in Oslo. We drove the next 1200km without a break, except to fill in Oil and check the gas.
It brought us home and never started again.
Until we switched the 2l twin carburetor petrol airhead engine with a 1.6l turbo diesel, water cooled. That was fun, but a different story…
Had to scrap it 4 years later (around 2003), it just wasn’t working anymore and maintenance was a nightmare. But I sure wish at least once a week I still had that Bus.
I miss my first car – a ’58 Coupe de Ville. Turqoise with a white top and white leather. It was built when a Caddy was still a Caddy, or at least a very good approximation of one.
It couldn’t turn any faster than a super tanker, discs all around meant it couldn’t stop today, but man she could roll. Acceleration was respectable for a heavy ride, but it was rolling at speed where she really shined. She could roll along at 90 for hours with no heavy breathing. Loved the six way power sofa in the front and the non adjustable sofa in the rear.
This might seem strange coming from a guy that loves cars, but my 1st car, a 1989 Tercel DX 4DR HB gold/beige on gold, AT but no AC or power anything was quite the machine.
I remember the Storm of 1999 when Toronto’s mayor called in the army to dig the town out. Over 50 cms hit the city within one week, but the city was ill-prepared to handle it at the time. I remember driving to school (my last semester in high school) in that car and not getting stuck at all, while seeing SUVs (just when they were getting popular) stuck. But the Tercel soldiered on wearing no-season tires while these 4×4 brutes spun their wheels – priceless! It also took me numerous times b/w TO and MTL at 140km/h, except on hills where it would drop to 110. But I had a car and that’s what mattered the most in those days.
Next came the car that made me realize I love cars – a 2001 Protege ES. My mother asked me to go buy her a car: she wanted 4drs, automatic, A/C, power conveniences and small – the Accord of that year felt a little too big for her. So after numerous test drives of almost all cars in the compact class (Civic, Sentra, Corolla, Cavalier, Elantra, Focus) while I dejectedly drove home from another day of test drives, I saw a Mazda dealer. Now I haven’t driven their cars! It handled like nothing in its price range and the black interior with white gauges was pure sporty luxury for that market segment. This is the car that made me join forums, subscribe to car mags, search for Top Gear endlessly on the internet, understand how a car works, what separates a car from a good one, etc… Yes, this one had A/C and power everything, but I paid $500 to get a spoiler instead of ABS – ah, the foolishness of youth :) I’m sure the she would have appreciated the ABS more, but none of our cars had it, so she wouldn’t miss it, right? Plus, the spoiler looked sporty, or so I thought. I still drive the Protege once in a while, and still love it – the steering feel is incredible!
Next, I had a 1991 Maxima w/the adjustable suspension and electronic IP. V6 power from one of the earliest VQ engines – VERY smooth, good power (it had around 160hp IIRC, the next MY saw a bump to around 190-200), ACC, the works, what can I say? I only had it a year b/w 2003 and 2004, as i finished university in 2004 and was eyeing the Mazda3, my current ride.
So there you have it, my brief car history.
My grandfather left us a ’67 Delta 88, named Blanche. Like most Oldsmobiles it was faster than it looked. Blanche got me 17mpg through high school and college, and always had enough room for a crowd. During a snowstorm, buses weren’t running so I went to pickup my roommate from the old Burnhham train station. Quite a few students were standing around so we crammed about ten people in the car, and all their luggage in the trunk and dropped them off around town.
On graduating my Dad gave me his ’76 Corona – with the rest of the payment book. Not a bad start really. Rodney the Red Roadster was completely reliable for 107K miles and I never should have traded him in.
I own the cars I will miss someday:
1991 Isuzu Impulse XS and RS. I own both.
I would like them to be sparkling new again. They handle great (have very nice balance for being FF), are good on gas, hella stylish, FAST. In this country (I live in Venezuela) there’s nothing like them.
Weren’t mine but still missed
Dad’s 1981 Caprice with barebone interior, bench seats and 305-V8. V8 torque is simply irreplaceable :). Most comfortable car I have ever been. Stylish, these cars aged nicely, just slap some 89 tail and headlamps and it looks modern again. It’s a pitty Chevy junked these cars to make SUVs.
Dad’s 1978 Range Rover. Center locking diff will get you out of problem when off roading in no time. Also very comfortable and stylish.
chuckgoolsbee, if you see this please send you E mail address to purrland@aol.com I have been on your site and are unable to E mail you. I wanted to share Collier stuff with you.
Thanks John T
My 1997 BMW 320i.
That, and my very first car: A 1967 GTO coupe.
(With a 400 c.i. engine, 4-speed & 4 barrel carb.)
Although the 320i had a nasty front-wheel shake at exactly 55mph (baked in at the factory), and would balk at starting on cold winter mornigs, I loved my (E21) metallic-red, coupe-bodied, 320i.
With McPherson struts up front, rear trailing arm suspension and front disc / rear drum power brakes, it was similar to the 2002.
The 2.0 liter Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injected inline four coupled with the Getrag four speed, made for a fun 110 HP.
Oh, and it sucked in the snow, too.
Still, on a nice spring or summer day, open the mechanically-operated (a driver-operated crank) steel sunroof, and the 320i was great highway cruiser.
A real driver’s car.
The car that I didn’t buy because I was too chicken: A mid-60s Daimler 250 (2.5l v-8 4dr). I can still think of the car, white with brown leather interior, needed a fair amount of work, but, ah…what a car. I could see the serious potential it had.
The car that I miss (that I actually owned!) was a 1991 Crown Victoria police pursuit package car bought off of the CHP auction lot. It was a captain’s car, so the interior was cloth instead of vinyl. It drove like a bat out of hell, handled pretty good for a car the size of the Queen Mary and had tons of room. Of course, when my friends and I (all active duty Navy) would drive around in it, everyone thought we were “The Man” so they waved at us. And when you’re doing a buck on the freeway in it, people get out of the way…
1983 BMW 733i 5 speed
my 47 GMC pickup. My Willys Overland do Brasil of unknown vintage. A coupla franken- bugs I assembled run a close 3rd.
1970 Datsun 240Z
Had it re-painted a dark metallic brown, added an Abarth exhaust and mag wheels.
Sold it to a squadron-mate when I was transferred overseas. He still has it to this day.
This is the only car (until my 2008 smart) that I ever paid full sticker for. Actually that was a bargain considering the gouging that went on.
Of all the cars I’ve owned over the years, it’s the only one I regret parting with.
Out of probably over 500 vehicles at this point in my life… my choices would be…
1972 Ford Ranchero: This was a drug siezed vehicle that I bought for $625. It was in zonker yellow, had a ton of modifications, and was always a ton of fun to drive.
1989 Ford Mustang Police Interceptor: Owned by the Cobb County Sheriff, it only had 90k and was literally known by many of the local police officers. Bought it for $1500 at an auction I did a few years back.
1989 Toyota MR2 – It was in the inop sale. As I looked at it, it seemed too good to be screwed up. I was right. Bought it for $275, it only had 114k on the odometer and needed a fuel pump. I later sold it for $2700 to a really nice fellow from Michigan.
1994 Toyota Camry Coupe – Red in color, this was the only ‘new’ car I ever purchased. My folks paid for half, and I paid half. I drove it until 239,000 miles and sold it to a guy from the Emory area for $2500. It had the perfect ingredients for a longevity vehicle (easy to work on, conservatively driven, comfortable, good on gas, and very high quality) but I hadn’t driven it for nearly two months before I sold it. Still wish I kept it so that I could show how some cars can really endure over time.
1999 Jaguar XJ8 Vanden Plas – This is the only vehicle I ever drove where I actually felt calmer and more relaxed after having driven it. When you drive an XJ, it seems like the stresses of the outside world are many miles away and this particular Racing Green one was pure heaven in Atlanta.
1993 Subaru Impreza – 9 year old model at the time with 173k, I bought it for $25 at the same inop sale as the MR2. Only needed a battery and a new shiftlock, it got close to 35 mpg on the highway. Sold it on Ebay for $1500 to a Subaru racing enthusiast who drove it all the way back to California and proceeded to drive it for another 50k miles. Last I heard it had 224k as of 2004 and may still be on the road today.
Having recently sold my E39 (V8) M5, I should logically miss that one the most. 400hp was corrupting.
The one I miss the most, however, is the car I sold about 5 years ago: my Atlanta blue 2.8 litre BMW Z3. Yeah, it was a crude-handling car, with snap oversteer… but with the top down, the rush I got from the angry ricochet of the machine-gun Supersprint exhaust-waves off underpasses was psychotropic.
My car had the manual droptop: even with my noodle-arms, I could drop or raise the top in seconds at traffic lights. With its 200lb.ft+ 2.8 litre aluminium six, in a body that weighed 2800lb, it was satisfyingly alacritous.
I got speeding tickets with that car every 6-8 months, intervals just long enough (in that era) to use defensive driving to keep my record clean.
As an expectant father, I had to have something with a rear seat. The Z3 was traded in for an E36 M3. Marginally quicker and more capable… but nowhere as much fun, sensually or aurally.
The parts manager at the local Pontiac dealer bought a new 1966 Pontiac Parisienne 2dr hard top.
Basicaly it was an American Boniville
with a Chevy running gear.283 and a 2 speed powerglide.My brother pryed it away from the old fella in 1972.
I bought it in in 1974 for 2000$ a lot of cash for an 8yr old car.I replaced the engine and tranny in 1979 1500$ employee price in a crate shipped from the US.
6 more southern Ont winters and the frame of my now 19 yr old Pontiac sucumbed to terminal rust.
I sold it to a guy who wanted the 283 I think he ripped it out with a cutting torch and the help of a tow truck.I didn’t stick around to watch.
Though today I fear for my beloved Pontiac name plate.Pontiac still has a weak pulse and is on Australian life support.
Long may the Chief live!
The 1989 BMW M3… red with a beige leather interior. It was sold before I got a license, and before it acheived cult status.
Others I wish weren’t sold before I could drive.
-the 1977 280Z
-the 1973 Pontiac Le Mans Safari Wagon
-the 1963 Chrysler Imperial
-the 1978 Audi Fox GTI…. although I bought its replica and am in the process of replacing the decrepit 1.6L with a 2.0L high compression from the very good, but sleep inducing styled Audi 90 from 1990.
Honda CRX Si
Fiat X1/9
BMW 635i (old e24 platform, not the current one)
w124 Mercedes E Class
and maybe the Lotus Esprit S2… given its British origin, it couldn’t help being slightly crappy – but was acceptable until Peter Stevens’ hack-job ruined the Giugiaro’s striking original design.
1990 Eagle Talon TSi AWD
2800 lb. curb weight + 195 hp = WIN!
I agree with the prior comments about nose heaviness and the clutch+shifter action being suboptimal.
Disagree about steering and road feel though.
Best first car ever!
Of all the cars I’ve owned, I still miss the ’71 Ford Maverick the most. I guess it was marketed for those of us who couldn’t afford a Mustang. I loved the styling, ease of handling and parking, and its beautiful red color. The add-on air was a pain though. I had it for several years, until some punk who was driving at 60mph in a 25 zone hit it. I’ve never gotten over that.
Of my Dad’s cars, I loved his ’49 Ford so much. I can still pick one out at an old car show with ease.
Tossup between the 69 orange chevelle ss 427 convertible (who knew in ’78 they would be worth a fortune today)and a green/green 69 440 gtx. wonder where they arenow?
In 1977: my 1969 Grand Prix, 428 H.O., 390 hp. Enough said. Floated the valves twice, once breaking a pushrod. Tore it up in six months. What a pity I had no idea how to take care of a car then…and what a classic I had.
I really only miss two cars – a ’73 240Z and a ’99 Miata. I thought that my 05 330ci would help me to forget but it didn’t.
My first car, a 1993 Subaru Loyale (leone, in my country) 1.8 DL (carburator). Very very reliable. I ended up selling it to one of my employees because he always told me that he loved it. Think of it, I don’t know why I did it.
My first car…1978 Plymouth Arrow GT..in Fire Orange, no less. Loved the houndstooth interior, the Arrow graphics on the hood and the louvers on the rear quarter windows! Great times! And then there was the car equivalent of the love of my life…my 1974 BMW 2002. I sold a two-year old Sentra SE-R for that thing. I’d grown up in Germany loving the old box style of those Bimmers, and when I finally got the chance, I bought one. Those two cars are the are the ones I miss more than any other I’ve owned (and I’ve had nigh on twenty different cars)…
In my case, the car I miss the most was my Ford Escort XR3, 1989. My Dad got it brand new, when I was teen and it was the hottest car on the market (loved being seen in it, pathetic I know), drove it for 5 years, passed it along to my brother who then sold it to me in 1999. Just loved it! Of course, when I bought it from my brother (over the phone as I was living in another city at the time) he said it was in pristine condition. The worst thing was some strange noise which turned ou to be sand in the gearshift oil. My brother confessed, he had driven the car, on the beach, on the sand, lifting up the water as the waves came in…
Drove beautifully, economical and powerful for a car of the time, it had all the goodies. Got my only ticket for driving over the speed limit in it! Ex-wife made me get rid of it when during a trip the AC stopped working, coolant started leaking in industrial quantities (man, the quantity of plastic Coke bottles with water in the car for most of the rest of the trip was comical)and worst of all in sudden panic stop, her seat literally came off the tracks and she crashed her face into the windshield (thankfully, she had on the belt, so no damage but the shock)! After that, she said me or that @#$%@@% car!. In retrospect, since we got divorced and all, I probably should’ve kept the car!!
Wow, favorite cars…I guess I’ll start at the beginning. I got my learners permit in December 1990 and my parents, at my request, gave me my mom’s 1985 Buick Skylark. It was the last year of the X-body, and my parent’s first new car. It had the horrible 2.5l engine that blew a head gasket at 14k, but the car itself was built like a tank! It survived two rear-endings and a front hit, all it got was a small scratch, the other cars, a bit more damage. I loved that car, the fold down front armrest, the electric locks, tilt, cruise and Delco cassette stereo made me feel kinda rich! My dad made me get rid of the car my senior year of HS after the right front brake locked up and caught fire! That was in 1993, I STILL have dreams of driving that car!!! In 1998 I found it in a junk yard, completely trashed (I kept it pristine), but the doors still opened and closed like when it was new.
After a couple of Corollas, I found my one true love, my 1987 Cutlass Supreme Brougham (from where my screen name comes) I bought it in 1995 with 73k for $4000. I can’t begin to tell you how much joy that car brought me! It had the uber luxurious Brougham interior, with the pillow cushion seats that were light beige cloth. I had so much Scotch Guard on them that I think I could have hosed the interior out! Yes, I kept that car looking mint. It had the 3.8l engine, and while sluggish, it was extremely reliable. Why GM cannot duplicate the magic of that car today is beyond me. I had to move from Florida to Michigan in 1999, and by spring 2000 I had to sell it, because it just wasn’t a good winter car, and I had no place to store it. After almost five years and 29000 miles of memories, I sold it for $4000!!! I cried a little that day…
During those years I also had a 1997 Escort. It was the last new car I ever bought, I should have kept it, Ford built that one right. But after a couple of years, a job promotion and cheap gas caused me to yearn for some speed and sporty handling. A slightly used 1997 Contour V6 showed up at the dealer, and one drive convinced me. But alas, after 3 years and 71000 miles later, I had all I could take of it living at the dealer, and traded it out of necessity (at 99700 miles it was spent, despite my pampering it) for a 2000 Contour that the dealer was practically giving away. 2 1/2 years old, 23000 miles, Certified to 75000, all for $8888, I couldn’t turn it down. It was mechanically better than the ’97, but by 71000 it was getting tired. Soon, a beautiful 2004 Olds Alero Brougham caught my eye…it’s my baby to this day.
And there is my auto-biography!!!
I don’t miss “a car” per se.
I miss a name.
“Miata” appears to be gone from Mazda’s model name lineup. A car resembling a Miata is still being made, but it’s no longer called “High Reward.”
And that’s just WRONG.
And, well…truth be told, I do miss my old ’93 Miata on occasion. But I also miss my Z3 roadster from time to time, too…
The 1998 neon sport coupe I just got out of, of course=)
It’s paint’s peeled, trunk leaks and the darn thing squeals when you run through a puddle on the right-hand side, but I can’t think of any little 4-cylinder I’d rather hear wound-out to 7k.
It sure isn’t the OM616, or the VW 1200cc..
I like when you cock the wheels 10 degrees, hit the rev limiter and dump the clutch– how it goes in a straight line until you feather the clutch some. You guys always tear cars apart that do this, but I quite enjoy it.
I’ve played these games in this neon since 1997, and for 170,000 miles=) Yep.
Chrysler builds a wonderful automobile.
Easy one for me. 99 BMW M Coupe. Bought it new off of the showroom floor where it sat for six months because BMW could not sell these beasts.
Stupid acceleration in every gear, silly sideways drifting every turn, and F**K you ugly looks…..sigh………
My light blue 1994 Probe GT. Bought her new in ’94. She handled like a car costing twice the price!
1985 Honda Civic CRX DX.
Not as fast as it made you think it was, but an elegant design with sweet handling.
1965 Volvo PV544. Looked like an old Ford, and the initial model PV444 was developed during Hitler’s war, since Sweden was neutral.
Built like a tank, yet not heavy due to careful design. Bang on the roof with your fist and get only a “whump” and no deflection. Yet only 2250 pounds ready to roll, and with decent bumpers front and rear. Started easily on the coldest day. Was amazing in the snow for a light-assed RWD. Suspension geometry the key here as the long radius rods on the coil-sprung rear axle attached to either side of the tranny and exerted almost no side torque when a wheel spun. Very clever for a solid axle car. Makes me shake my head today when I see leaf springs on modern pickup trucks.
The PV544 was East African Safari rally winner as late as 1964, and it was a used one at that which made all the other European makers upset. Google it. Couldn’t break that thing with a sledgehammer.
The engine was the B18D 90 hp SAE gross (1.8 litre 4 cyl cast iron 5 main bearing with gigantic journals), maybe 75 real hp, the gear shift lever was about 15 inches long, and the clutch was smooooth. The engine was eager. You learned to whip that lever as fast as you could move your hand. Always junior stock eliminator at the local drag races in the late ’60s. Hearing them shift from 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 on the strip was roughly akin to hearing only a change in engine note. There were many of them competing round here. Fast, smooth shifting. And fun. Low gear 40 mph, 60 in second, 85 in third and maybe 100 in high. 1/4 mile time only 17.90s, but cars were much slower in those days. Sounded fabulous as the air was sucked through two pancake air filters and two 1 and 3/4 inch SUs. Averaged over 30 mpg, which was good considering the 9, yes, 9 gallon gas tank.
My brother wanted me to drag his friends 1969 Fury (here we go again, Paul), which I dutifully did from a 25 mph rolling start in low gear. He, poor bastard, was no doubt in high in his Torqueflite auto 318. I whupped his ass easily, backing off after the change to 4th at 85. Pays to know cars.
Minus point — drum brakes and fade. Plus points: mileage, never overheated, always worked, sounded great, and would trundle like a little limo around town. Felt invincibly strong.
When you wonder where Volvo’s rep for unbreakable cars came from, folks, the 544 was the reason. It was the WRX of its day. Ugly, whacky and great.
The end came when six drunken sailors in a 68 Chev hit the car as my brother parked it by turning left across the road just under the brow of a steep hill at a local university campus. They were speeding around trying to impress the girls. Estimate to repair $1300. Too much for the insurance company, because new they were $2850 and 7 years on, out of production. The local Volvo dealer took it and rebuilt it himself. Sigh.
Up to that point in my young life, never felt so devastated. I miss that old beast. Still have the sales brochure among my valuables. In fact, I’m going to have a read right now.
wmba:
That right there is why someone would have to steal the keys to my 240 wagon out of my cold, dead hands. Great story.
The car I miss the most is my ’71 Cutlass S. It wasn’t anything special, but it was mine, and it drove nice. Nothing was more fun that just hopping in and taking it for a 30 mile cruise to nowhere. If I wanted to drive like a tool I could, but I rarely did because it was not friendly on the wallet when it came time to fill it up. College came, and it just became unfeasible to keep two cars, so it had to go.
Their are a couple cars my late father used to own that I miss:
1978 Honda Accord CVCC. I vaguly remember that silver coupe. I know that this car is not on the road anymore because the next owner forgot to put ol in it!
Then my father had a white Chevy Nova with a red interior. He didn’t have it for long.
Then he bought a red 1986 Dodge Grand Caravan SE. I don’t know if it still exists today.
Cars I have missed:
1994 Isuzu Rodeo 4×4
– Would go anywhere
– Drove like a tank but for whatever reason it was the most comfortable car I have ever driven.
– For some reason girls love Rodeos. I don’t know why but every girl and now my wife would want to drive it every chance they got.
1998 Ford Ranger (4cyl, 5spd, reg cab flare side)
– Next purchase after the mailman knocked my 94 Rodeo on its side. Brand new for $10,500, 0% APR, and minor hail damage.
– First year for the 2.5L motor that really made the thing go. It felt much quicker then my friends 97 Mazda with the 2.3L.
– Got nearly 30 mpg highway. It did everything I wanted and the thing really was a very sporty truck. I don’t know why the Ranger gets such a bad wrap. If it wasn’t for having absolutely no interior space this would be my favorite car.
– Never a problem, sold to my Aunt who drove it to work to save gas. Now my cousin drives it everyday and to his motocross races ont he weekends with bike in tow. Over 200,000 miles and still going strong.
1998 Isuzu Rodeo 4×4
– Bought after the Ranger was sold for something bigger.
– Same as the above. It is an incredible 4×4, and the thing is great on ice with the winter drive mode.
– Approaching 228,000 miles and the most I’ve done is a new radiator (stupid plastic reservoirs).
Cars I do NOT want back:
1984 Pontiac Fiero
– First car, and boy did it look good. Too bad it was as reliable as it was scary to drive in the rain.
– Leaky sunroof, bad radio position, constant overheating problems, the front lights didn’t go up and down with any regularity (they sold a drill attachment to put them up and down if that tells you anything) and the thing would never stay aligned.
– Worst purchase of my life.
1998 Chevy Blazer
– I claim it as an in-law. It was my wife’s car when I got married.
– It was nearly brand new (3,000 miles) when we got married.
– At 8,000 miles the transmission went out and had to be replaced. OK covered under warranty but not after a lengthy fight with the Chevy dealer.
– At 13,000 miles the master brake cylinder went out. Again, had to fight with Chevy dealer to fix it but they tried to claim brake systems were not covered.
– At 23,000 miles tranny went out again. Same problem, same bad part.
– At 45,000 miles, tranny out again, sold it and bought a Ford Taurus.
2001 Ford Taurus (wife’s new car)
– No reliability problems other than a blown seal and it has proven to be a safe car (2 accidents).
– Terrible gas milage for a midsize sedan.
– Most uncomfortable seats I have ever sat in.
– Handles like a dog and has road noise from hell.
– Can’t get rid of it because my wife loves it.
I don’t really miss any of the cars that I’ve owned. I still own my first car, which has tons of sentimental value, a ’58 Chevy Apache Fleetside. My grandfather bought it new, and I inherited it the summer before my junior year of highschool when he died. I’ve got so many good memories of camping trips with my grandfather that the “Old Buckin’ Bronco” would probably be the last thing I would ever sell.