I bought my house 14 years ago. It has 1800 square feet. Or maybe 1600? I honestly don’t know. From post-college corporate climbing to an endless string of automotive pursuits, it has remained my only ‘home’. I went through a lot of history here. Roommates. Marriage. Parenthood… and now I’m finally paying it all off. I supposedly missed a lot as far as homes go these last 10 years. The real estate boom happened all around me in northwest Atlanta. But I never missed it. In automotive terms, my house is a Toyota Corolla… with a hot tub, and I’m happy. Which makes me realize…
A lot of folks have the same exact attitude with their cars. It starts. It goes. You drive and think about other things. Toyota and Honda owners have been the ones most frequently labeled with this ‘appliance’ attitude towards cars. They are not enthusiasts. So sayeth the owners of the ‘fun’ cars. But I reckon that most of those folks are not enthusiast’s either.
When was the last time the ‘enthusiasts’ you know drove their car within five tenths of it’s capabilities? In the car business, that type of customer is either young or rare. The misery of commuting and errand running is the reality of most car lovers. Older folks will usually take a classic car out for Sunday runs… which are more like aimless wanderings. They are enthusiastic about that car, and about cars in general. But for 90+% of their driving time during the week they are not enthusiasts.
The retiree or other lucky soul that plunks down $40k+ for their daily ride may also seem like an enthusiast at first. They are blowing all that dough after all. But to me that person is as much of an enthusiast as a Harley owner is a ‘biker’. They don’t ‘Live to Ride, Ride to Live’. They simply got a Yuppie union card worthy of a pedigree. A prestige brand, and although they enjoy the ride, it is not a passionate experience. They don’t tinker with the car, learn more about it on the net, or go out and test it’s limits. They simply drive it 2/10’s and casually go about their business.
Does an ‘auto enthusiast’ have to equal sport? No. In our travels we have likely known sport, hybrid, luxury, off-road, racing, frugal, along with 40+ brands, orphaned and alive that can lay claim to an enthusiast following. But let’s face it. This is less than 5% of the population.
Consider that 235+ million cars are still on the road in the United States. How many potential car buyers will be enthusiastic enough to blow their premium dough on a car? Cars are losing the luster of ‘want’ in the marketplace for a lot of reasons. But I think the biggest one is that most enthusiasts are simply not into them.
Yes the enthusiasts are few and far between but I don’t define an enthusiast as necessarily having to drive 10/10ths the majority of the time. I love these sentence…
Does an ‘auto enthusiast’ have to equal sport? No. In our travels we have likely known sport, hybrid, luxury, off-road, racing, frugal, along with 40+ brands, orphaned and alive that can lay claim to an enthusiast following. But let’s face it. This is less than 5% of the population.
I am very enthusiastic about cars in general, some brands more than others. I know the storied histories of brands, I shed a tear for Oldsmobile and Pontiac. My father owns a 1967 Mustang convertible and not to drive it flat out but because when he gets in it, fires up the 289V8 and hears the twin pipes burble, it puts a big smile on his face. I usually tell an enthusiast by how he talks about his ride. Zackman is an enthusiast and the only mods he’s done to his Impala are cosmetic, his Miata is stock but puts a smile on his face. My F150 has an aftermarket flatbed and will soon have dual cat back exhaust, not cause I want to drag race but because that sound makes my heart beat faster. I might buy a V6 Mustang and start modifying it, it doesn’t make me any less an enthusiast because I modify a V6. Love your car, treat it well, get to know its quirks and personality traits. I attempt to know my vehicles like a familiar lover (OK my lady comes first and my ride second but that’s only because I’m not crazy. Human companionship comes first.)
Love your car, man. Don’t just be one of the sheeple.
Dan- for too long I suspect people have fallen into the trap of thinking that “enthusiast” = fast driver of fast, expensive car. You’re wise to suggest that people learn to enjoy the car they have.
Indeed, I’ve had a great time driving everything from a Ferrari to a John Deere — it’s all in the heart. Great post, Dan.
thebeelzebubtrigger,
Exactly.
I enjoy my decidedly unloved and unpopular generation of Chevelle as I can drive it 10/10ths and it still is in my comfort zone, I can drive it 1/10th and it’s as docile as a new Corolla only with oodles more chrome and style. I’m not afraid to drive it and leave it at work, not afraid of driving it across the state, nor taking it and its seedy paint to some swanky restaurant and having it valet parked. Same goes with my early 2nd generation Explorer. The only car I’ve owned that I considered an appliance was my Contour.
Kind words, my friend, kind words. You know, I woke up early actually thinking about an earlier suggestion you made about somehow manufacturing the tail light panels on my Imp to get three lights per side, as “god” or Chevy intended. I am seriously thinking about this as a spring/summer project! I was reading with interest your post and the responses this morning to one of yesterday’s topics and the discussion about teaching and car affordability. My daughter is a tenured (“continuing contract”) teacher but managed to buy a 2007 Trailblazer brand new and pay it off in 14 months. Admittedly, she still lived at home, but shortly afterward, she bought herself a house and put lots of money in it and still manages to enjoy herself. She got her Master’s and all the extra money that comes out of your pocket to maintain your career and to advance is significant and proves that teachers indeed have a gift and love what they do – she sure does and it is nice to know you do too. My MX5 putting a smile on my face? You bet it does. On my home from work yesterday, a large hole in traffic opened up, so I punched it and reached 90 mph on I-75 in a ridiculously short amont of time. Yeah, I smiled. A lot! Slowed down real quick, too, as the local constabulary are always lurking in the shadows (or medians)! Even with my “limitation”, I still have fun!
@ Zackman:
http://www.naioa.com
If you look around on there I think someone has kicked around the idea of modding the tail lights, though I think they were only talking about getting the middle reflectors around the reverse lights to light up. Figure it’s at least a starting place – if you’re good with fiberglass you could buy a new assembly, remove the stock lights, fill the holes, and mount something else in there (3 wide and round) – if I recall correctly the assembly is hollow so it shouldn’t be too difficult.
Excellent
I don’t know if I fit the definition of enthusiast, but I surely love my car, love reading about cars, and even like working on cars (though not always at the time that I am doing it). I occasionally push my car to the limit, but 99% of the time it’s just not safe or smart to do so? Does that mean I am not an enthusiast?
My father owns a 1967 Mustang convertible and not to drive it flat out but because when he gets in it, fires up the 289V8 and hears the twin pipes burble, it puts a big smile on his face.
I bought my wife an early 1968 Mustang with the 289 (early in the model year before they switched to the 302) as a project car, and the sound from that engine is heaven. It puts a smile on both of our faces.
+1.
There is a difference between being a “driving enthusiast” and an “automobile enthusiast”.
Fuel is getting increasingly expensive, and the “open road” is jammed with traffic. Cars are increasingly expensive and virtually impossible for the average owner to maintain. Add to that a crappy economy and it’s not hard to imagine why the great automotive love affair is waning.
The above moment of logical common-sense arises out of a multitude of clamorings by an ill-educated herd of USA brainwashed buffoons.
For the reading-comprehension-impaired my negative denunciations are not aimed at those reading/commenting hereabouts but at the huddled masses of idiocy who are unlikely to ever realize my diatribe exists.
@ obbop, using big words with out proper grammar does NOT make you look any smarter. I’d have to agree with what JKC had to say on this topic. I also judge enthusiast by their tires, some nice feathering on the edges is far more impressive to me than someone bragging about how fast they could go with their highly modified car.
I think it would be safe to call myself an “auto enthusiast”. I drive a 09 Impala LTZ, and an aging Jimmy.
I parted with my Firebird Convertible for economic reasons. I dream or replacing it with a Mustang or Camaro or even a gently used Vette. Chances are its never going to happen. I stumbled over a non number matching 69 Malibu SS clone. Its had a frame off,rotisiere resto,and its very clean and straight. If you can believe the internet photos?
The dude wants 22K USD and won’t move. Then I got to pay a bunch of taxes to import into Canada. It got me all excited for a week or two,then common sense took over.
I guess I’ll have to get my auto enthusiatic fix detailing my Impala and reading TTAC.
I’m jealous – your Imp has chrome door handles. Sniff.
This is very timely, as I was hinting at pretty much the same point in a few of my last posts. People often buy ‘performance cars’ but it’s more as a commonly accepted measure of status or ‘success’ more than anything else. The same holds true for things like houses, tools, and a host of other things. I agree with the general sentiment here, and think it is well-stated as well.
I’ve said it a million times: if you’re a true automotive enthusiast, you just love cars, regardless of the nameplate or what some putz at Car and Driver says, and you can see the beauty in ANYTHING.
I used to edit a car magazine. My publisher fancied himself a hardcore automotive enthusiast. He got all the car magazines, he read all the books, and he laid out money for the latest and greatest performance cars.
But when it got right down to it, he loathed about 99% of the cars ever produced. While a lot of us figured out what was cool about a first-generation Corvair sedan, or would love to check “Opel Manta” or “NSU Sport Prinz” or “Mazda Miata” off our bucket list, if it wasn’t a Corvette or a GTO, it met with derision from this guy.
If you can’t look at a Chevette or a Gremlin, even an Accord or a Camry, and tease out what makes them interesting, you really don’t like cars that much. That’s the hard work of being a car guy. Any schmuck can like a Ferrari.
Can I say that I was amused to see the term “putz” in the comments section? I think it’s a great word.
If you can’t look at a Chevette or a Gremlin, even an Accord or a Camry, and tease out what makes them interesting, you really don’t like cars that much. That’s the hard work of being a car guy. Any schmuck can like a Ferrari.
^This is it, on the nose.
I briefly considered buying a late ’90s/early aughties Camry. I liked how smooth it was, and the steering felt very sweet for day-to-day parking lot drudgery (especially compared to the no-power-steering Nissan Hardbody I was coming out of at the time.) The interior felt well put together (remember when Toyotas felt that way?) and the ride was quiet, but it still whooshed up to extralegal speeds on the interstate onramp pretty quickly and returned decent gas mileage for its interior volume. I gave it serious consideration.
Looking back, I’m kind of glad I didn’t go that route. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that. But my point is, I found things to love about the car.
I’ve said it a million times, it feels like, but for the sake of my argument, it bears repeating: I’m a minimalist. I appreciate things that do a good job without making sacrifices for vanity’s sake. Case-in-point: The 2006 Ford Ranger I ultimately settled on some time after driving the Camry above. Rock solid reliable, base trim, stick shift, easy to keep clean, capable of hauling my music gear and just about anything else I’d ever need to haul, 30 honest mpgs, cheap maintenance and upkeep, and reasonably fun to drive if you’re a truck fan who knows how to keep it in the powerband.
You see, enthusiasm comes in manifold expressions. And as a previous commenter said, a lot of us learn to love things about all (or most) of the cars we ever own. I loved the non-power steering in my Hardbody pickup for a similar reason that I liked the Toyota’s power steering setup: Both defied the convention I had learned to associate with those systems. The Hardbody had better on-center steering feel and lower effort at speed than a good many trucks with similar setups I had experienced, while the Camry actually felt better weighted and more lively than any power steering-equipped car I had driven up to that point in my life (mostly Fords and a couple of Chevys, if I’m honest.) And with our most recent car purchase, a Nissan Cube, I love its interior practicality, frugality, and incredible driver sight lines, which are nonexistent by comparison in most cars nowadays with their high belt lines and gunslit windows.
You nailed it.
Yes, there is a confusion here between “car enthusiast” and “car snob”. People can and are snobby about just about everything made: computers, wines, beers, clothes, houses — you name it.
A true car enthusiast keeps with with all things automotive — Kias and Tatas and Leafs and yes, Porsche 911 GT3s. The overwhelming majority of us will never own the latter. There still is pleasure in owning a car that has tremendous performance potential, even if it is never put into practice on public roads or will never be to the track. We can all still appreciate the burble of a V8 exhaust, enjoy really fine tunes in a top of the line audio system, smile wildly when we take a freeway off-ramp at two times the posted speeds, and lovingly wash and wax the car on a nice spring day. Sometimes it’s the little things. We certainly all could drive back and forth to our destinations in our mundane lives in an appliance like a Nissan Versa, but isn’t it just a little nicer in doing it with a small bit of style? Particularly a style at we enjoy because we are car enthusiasts? Is there any harm in that?
I think there’s something more (or maybe less) to it. I consisder myself a car enthusiast – I read TTAC daily and my ’74 Peugeot 504 and 2006 Xb both genuinely put a smile on my face for totally unrelated reasons. I like to read about and learn more about both of these vehicles but I dont feel the same way about my 2005 Odyssey, its just transportation. If a car can put a smile on your face, even if you dont own it, I think you are on your way to car enthusiasm.
Good luck on paying off your house. In this age of refinance, it’s refreshing to hear that someone has the same goals that I do.
I would consider myself a true car enthusiast, although I have never owned a sports car. I love American-style luxury cars. I own three of them from three different ages and do all of the repairs and tinkering myself. With my old cars, I enjoy the driving experience of each of my cars, while respecting the ways in which they were better and worse than modern machinery. I live in a place with beautiful country roads and use my old cars whenever there’s no salt on the roads. Driving can be drudgery sometimes, but for me, a beautiful old car with lots of torque can alleviate that.
I think that the general population doesn’t get as exited about cars because the mainstream cars are less exciting and more expensive. This doesn’t prevent the five percenters from getting worked up. Look at the 80’s cars. There were plenty of humdrum Accords, boring K-car derivatives and GM released their share of soulless machinery in that decade. Yet there is a growing community of people starting to collect the more interesting cars of the 80’s. The Grand Nationals, IROC-Zs, early 80’s Cutlass Supremes and Fox-body Mustangs are being restored. When I brought my 1980 Cadillac Seville to a big car show, I was surprised how much attention it got.
Classic cars are a continuum. A car is new, goes through depreciation, hits rock bottom, becomes rare through attrition and slowly starts to become classic. You can bet that I will be looking at the current Challenger R/T and the Cadillac CTS-V when they hit their point of worthlessness.
Good luck on paying off your house. In this age of refinance, it’s refreshing to hear that someone has the same goals that I do.
It is nice owning a home free and clear. Just set aside some money for the home owners insurance and property taxes twice a year – money that had been included with the mortgage payments.
Steve, you haven’t missed anything at all. My house is app. 1900 sq. ft. bought in 1992. Our previous home was 1100 sq. ft. and the only reason we left was a company move out of town in 1992. We are aggresively paying it off, too. More important things in life like faith and family. Cars? It’s well-known that I drive a 2004 Impala, pretty basic except for some minor mods to make it my own and not look stupid like a phony SS. I can honestly say I love this car today just as much as the day I bought it and drove it home. When I get in either for a weekend drive or prepare for my lousy daily commute, I’ll be in for a quiet (unless I roll the windows down), comfy ride. As far as getting my hands dirty tinkering around with it, I do very little of that other than cleaning and detailing it and taking pride in ownership of it. We own a used 2007 Miata which I do drive a bit more aggresive than the Imp, but because of an eye issue I have, I need to drive extremely careful, so I keep out of other people’s way, but still am able to enjoy the experience, very carefully! Yes, my wife and I do take weekend drives around town and out in the country and even when I was young and owned my avatar, I drove pretty much then as I do now, for I enjoy the experience of driving, preferably in a convertible for the sheer pleasure of it and not to terrorize myself or anyone else – I don’t and never have done any thrill rides, nor has my wife, at an amusement park! I’m just a “cruiser”, but I take it seriously, if that makes sense. I would love having my ’64 Chevy back, but what that would cost in time and money – nah. So, I suppose I’m an enthusiast in the sense that I like cars in general and the cars I own in particular. I’ve learned much since signing up with TTAC and my learning and appreciation continues. Hope all that makes sense!
<i>How many potential car buyers will be enthusiastic enough to blow their premium dough on a car? </i>
Well, you can be enthusiastic about quite, comfortable, luxurious cars just as much as you can be enthusiastic about sporty cars. One can also be enthusiastic about technically sophisticated cars. There are so many more avenues of appreciation than just pure sport and/or performance.
I think there’s a disconnect that’s happened over time that “auto enthusiast” = “highly-skilled daredevil driver” and it’s leaving out an awful lot of people.
I was an auto enthusiast long before I learned to drive. As a kid, I couldn’t get enough of buff books, watching cars go by on the highway, and took every opportunity I could to ride in a new/different car. I love the 2CV every bit as much as I love the Maserati GT, although one would seem to be out of bounds for an “enthusiast” as the term is commonly accepted.
I’ve owned 23 cars over same number of years, and absolutely loved 20 of them. Whether it was the astonishingly temperamental Citroen CX, the roomy ’79 Chevy van, the fun, frugal chipped Jetta TDI, versatile Honda Element, or the twitchy Mini Cooper S, every one of them has its charms and individual strengths. I seldom drive my cars at the limit, have only driven on a track a couple of times, and while I prefer a manual transmission I have been known to enjoy driving a car with an automatic. (apologies for the blasphemy) I would rather let a warranty take care of a car than fix it myself, but absolutely love wrenching for fun.
So am I an enthusiast? I think so. I’ve blown too much money on cars, don’t consider them appliances, and look for something interesting rather than beige when I’m buying. And I show up at this site (and lesser ones) every day. I could not possibly care less about what other people think of my car, but am very interested in what people think of their own cars.
If that’s not what a car enthusiast is, then I don’t know what is.
“…roomy ’79 Chevy van”
Just curious but…………..
Did you let her out in a town with a dirt-road main street?
Inquiring minds truly long to know.
Extra points for pics.
Betcha’ she was a super-cutie!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good points, Scott. For every bland car, there are a ton of interesting ones out there and for every performance car person, there are people out there who lust after 2CV’s. Just think of all the automotive forums out there and the traffic they get. There are more resources than ever for car enthusiasts. I am sure that the love affair with cars will keep going on.
obbop:
No windows, yellow shag carpet covering all interior surfaces, and a hole in the floor for the rods welded to the two shift levers after the 3-speed column shifter linkage broke. As for the sordid stories, they are indeed sordid, as would befit a musician in his early 20’s with a ride like that. No pics will ever see the light of day, as I may want to run for office or pass a background check one day. ;-)
Thus ScottMcG spoke the truth.
Here’s the definition from Random House:
Enthusiast – a person who is filled with enthusiasm for some principle, pursuit, etc.; a person of ardent zeal: a sports enthusiast.
I was an automobile fanatic long before I ever had a driver’s license. I learned to drive the farm truck before I was 10 years old, and I had already been allowed to drive the tractor by then.
I was born in a time when DeSoto, Edsel, Studebaker, et al were still in business, and I have memories of when Kaisers, Nashs, Packards Hudsons, and Willys were still being driven on the roads of North America, and I was able to identify them from 100’s of yards away, and still can.
I loved all cars then, and still do. I can find a redeeming feature or two in any vehicle, and to this day believe the ’61 Pontiac Ventura is the most beautiful car ever made in Detroit.
I also believe that my ’68 Dodge Dart was great, and even the 8-track player was sort of cool.
I haven’t raced a car since I took a Ford Fiesta on ice-lake sprints – yet I would consider myself an enthusiast.
Plain and simple, a car enthusiast loves cars. Good cars, bad cars, exotic cars, prolitarian cars, beautiful cars and even ugly cars.
Steve, we are kindred spirits. I’m just about to pay off my last mortgage, and my Xb can be whatever I want it to be, thanks to my imagination and its intrinsic qualities.
I fall in love with every car I shoot, but when I’ve finished writing about it, I’m also glad I don’t own it and have to feed it! It’s my way of philandering.
Cars can be great for a lot of reasons. My Miata has obvious virtues to an enthusiast who wants something to flog on a track. My E34 535i 5-speed is maybe the best all-round BMW ever made in terms of balancing reliability, comfort and driver engagement. After driving either car I’m left wanting more.
But you know what I’m excited about right now, though? The Accord I’m picking up this weekend. I spent three months looking for the right ’04+ Accord with leather and the I4 manual transmission combo for my wife. If you’ve ever turned a wrench in your life, one look under the hood of that car would make you understand what makes it special. It’s not boring if you have even an ounce of appreciation for the art of good mechanical design. Someone spent a *lot* of time sweating the details to create a car that disappears into the background as seamlessly as possible. Nothing calls attention to itself, unlike most other cars where your first few drives are full of minor annoyances (why isn’t that over there? Why does the glovebox open like that? Why is that covered in plastic chrome?). It’s like good vodka or tofu in that it’s greatness can only be described by its lack of impurities.
I, too, attempt to know my vehicles as Dan described, like a familiar lover. I buy the manuals the factory techs use and/or get that info from AllData DIY.
My latest purchase was a 1995 S-10 Blazer 2-door 4×4 with a replacement 4.3, Spectre air intake and Flowmaster exhaust. Having owned a couple Blazers before, the mods definitely help performance. I have long-term plans to refurbish this one. The 4WD comes in handy. And it was only $900.
I also drive a ’91 Caprice Wagon, 305/TH700R-4. Well-preserved, clean inside and out. It’s also a paradox…you can see the 1980’s-90’s GM cheapness just looking at it. “Fit and finish” weren’t in GM’s vocabulary then…at least not for cars. But it starts every time and has taken our family from Pittsburgh to Nashville and also on regular trips to Syracuse to see the in-laws. The family loves it for such trips, it’s much more comfortable than my wife’s ’05 Outback. Plus it gets 21-23 MPG on regular gas driving 75-80 MPH and above. I’ve only performed routine maintenance and repair in the 2 1/2 years I’ve owned it. Not bad for $1000.
In the garage are a ’68 Chevy C-10 2WD and a ’57 Chevy 210 Handyman 2-door wagon. Both are my “someday” projects, and are the two biggest reasons I don’t restore the Caprice.
Yeah it’s cool to see the upcoming ZL1 Camaro and Boss Mustangs etc, but right now having vehicles that are paid off is where I am.
You don’t need a performance car – or drive like you’re at Daytona – to be an enthusiast.
I think I’m an enthusiast, but also a realist and pragmatist. I love cars, did long before I could drive, but I have a budget and my car has to meet certain real world requirements that no Ferrari, Porsche or Corvette ever could. That includes having a usable backseat with its own doors, a decent trunk, being able to climb my steep driveway in the snow and getting more than 20 mpg on average.
So my CPO 328xi works for me. It’s a daily driver that I can push just a little bit on that twisty road or curving on/off ramp, just enough to bring that smile to my face that I remember from my old Prelude. My 70 Cutlass Convertible was too much fun, not enough function. My 90’s era Accord with an automatic was the opposite (the 83 hatchback with stick was fun enough). My Contour v6 with a stick was loads of fun. My Volvo S60, less so, while still being a great car for years. To me a car should have some capability that isn’t strictly necessary to the daily commute, some element of “fun” along with the function. That can be 4×4 capability, convertible top, handling, acceleration or for some, extreme high-tech fuel frugality, whatever floats your boat.
I love my ’98 Civic DX hatch (“The Black Pearl”) to death (or I will, someday!), but I’m borrowing my sister’s ’00 Civic LX sedan (“K8tie”) for a week, and despite being almost the same car, there are differences.
Obviously, K8tie’s longer than the Pearl. That means slightly less maneuverable. Her steering is also less communicative and direct. But she also has slightly more power than the hatch. She also feels far more stable at highway speeds. The Pearl rattles and sputters around on the highway and constantly requires your attention lest a crosswind blow her off course. It’s fun, but it can wear on you.
Interestingly, the Pearl has a working AM/FM Radio (though that’s all it has); while K8tie’s stereo has always had issues. I believe it thinks its being stolen, so it won’t work. I remember sis taking K8tie to the dealer at least half a dozen times, but her stereo would never stay fixed. So while driving K8tie, you have no choice but to listen to the sound of the car, the road, and your own voice. It keeps you connected to the road, along with the responsive controls and excellent visibility.
These may be sixth-gen Civics. But they are not appliances. They are trusty, fun companions that have yet to let either me or my sister down. I can’t drive either without a smile. If I had a little more money, would I replace the Pearl with a shiny new Veloster, or a gently-used EP3 Si? Perhaps. But I don’t. So I’m not.
I fall squarely into the camp of “if it runs on dead dinosaurs I love it”.
I love both of my cars – a GTI and a Grand Cherokee – both can be considered “performance” vehicles if used for their intended purpose.
Similarly, I enjoy using and fixing other dead-dino fueled things – my snowblower, my lawn mower, and the school bus recently acquired at work.
Using (and fixing) all of these things brings a smile to my face.
-ted
Right on Steve! There’s a huge distance between the fantasy of automotive journalists/marketers and the reality of everyday car ownership. That expensive “sport package” on a BMW seems cool until you have to live with the jarring ride on potholed streets, the cramped seat bolsters and the expensive/hard-to-find/noisy tires that need replacing every 9,000 miles. Some of us enthusiasts can appreciate the construction and engineering of a simple Corolla as much as a $200,000 wondercar.
I am definitely an enthusiast. Being an enthusiast has nothing to do with money. Any idiot with $40K in his pocket can go out and find a cool car. But when you have $3K in your pocket, now THIS requires an enthusiast.
Last spring, I stumbled upon a 99 Chrysler T&C. Nearly 200K on the clock at the time, but looked and drove like it had 75K. I love the solid sound every time I shut the door. I love the feel of a transmission that shifts like it is supposed to. I love the fact that it is glass-smooth at 75 on the highway. It takes some effort and discernment to find an old high mileage car that has been cared for and drives the way it should.
Most every car I have owned (somewhere around 25) I have been enthusiastic about. I love my T&C because in 1999 it was the gold standard for a minivan and has proved very durable. I loved my 96 Odyssey because of its unassuming simplicity and durability. I loved my 68 Newport because there was never a better driving combination (in a big car) than a 383, Torqueflite and torsion bars. I loved the chassis feel and the pushbutton shifting on my 59 Fury (see my avatar). When you concentrate on how your car feels when you drive it every day, you are an enthusiast. It is a state of mind, not a state of pocketbook.
JP,
Keep an eye on the driver’s side shock tower. They tend to rust out on the ’96 – ’00 minivans.
I can’t drive stick. I don’t change my own oil or brake pads. I’ve never performed any major maintenance on my car. I haven’t modified it in any way. I’ve never taken it to a track.
I don’t care.
All I know is that I could write an entire treatise on why I love my G35. That’s enough for me.
Just saw one in the parking lot last Friday, and was reminded of just how nice those cars look, and if they are anything like advertised or like their sporting brothers, the 350z, I imagine they must be a blast to drive as well.
Most of my performance cars have been to the dragstrip, the AMG as recently as last month. They sulk if they are not stressed periodically. I’m 72 by the way.
Totally agree Steve. Even at 28, I’ve found that having two “appliance” vehicles is enough enjoyment for me especially since they’re paid for.
The TL has been a solid buy, and has required very little in maintenance but with a long-stroke 3.2l V6 it’s plenty torquey for the daily commute and comfortable for us.
The Outback is a billy-goat in the back country of Idaho, Montana, Utah, you get it and hauls whatever we need, wherever we need to go…with a small (fold-up) trailer for landscaping and furniture runs.
Yes, I’d love to get a Mustang GT (S197 is fine) to replace the TL but I’ll wait until the boys get bigger and both are in booster seats. But, I’m not sure what I’d gain in the long run…other than a grin on my face from time to time. At the same time, I’d like to get down to 1 vehicle that does everything we need…which is the Outback.
Another excellent TTAC topic. Maybe it’s as simple as defining an enthusiast as being one who is enthusiastic about their ride. My current one is a ’04 Sierra 2500. Not a driver’s car by any measure. But I have it to haul and tow stuff and I’m enthusiastic about how it does that. But certainly planning on adding something a bit more “sporty” – once we finally retire our mortgage.
Ever since I bought my first car at 18 in 1979 I have found things to love (and hate) about all the 18 cars I have owned/co-owned. Some were bought for strictly economic reasons while others like the 87 Civic S, the 81 318, the 93 900S and the 05 Focus ST were bought with fun in mind. These four have been memorable. The 900 I had lusted after for years and finally posted to Germany with the Army I could afford it. On the autobahn or the winding roads of Shwartzwald it was wonderful, great steering, strong breaks, impressive stability at high speeds. Bringing her home to Canada was a mistake. A few months after coming home I hit an infamous Montreal pothole and what looked like very little damage cost me a lot of money. That and a string of electrical and water infiltration problems forced me to sell her 6 months later. I still think of her wistfully…and the good times we had:)
Car enthusiasts began to die out when cars starting become too expensive and complex. I may be a kid from the ’80s but it was clear to me why cars from my parents time frame (1960s) were so popular: you could actually FIX them with standard tools. Now-a-days… forget it! I don’t even recognize half the parts on my Passat because its full of black boxes controlling everything. The idea of hanging out in a garage and tweakin’ your ride are over, thus the passion for vehicles has died off. Hard to become enthusiastic over downloading a engine mapping. Like someone else mentioned gas prices, clogged streets and police cruisers hiding behind every tree make the whole idea of driving for “fun” simply impossible. However I’m fighting back, my next ride will be RWD with 300+ HP (most likely a 350Z).
Cars of the 80’s aren’t so bad to work on, they just require different knowledge. I had bad sensors in my 1980 Seville’s fuel injection system. I learned how to read the codes on the on-board diagnostic system, test the sensors with a multimeter and replace what was bad. I made friends with a Cadillac technician who had remembered working on these cars when they were new. Now I have a sweet-running car that was advanced for it’s time and is relatively easy to work on. It is different because components are disposable and there is only right or wrong, as opposed to all of the adjustments that the older cars have. I have discontinued sensors stocked away for my 1-year only injection system.
People will be working on cars of all ages. The skill sets will be different, but the passion will never fade away. If a human designed and assembled it, then one can repair it.
+1 Jedchev. That’s why I can’t resist stopping and looking at “dead brands” and no longer in the US automakers or even “might be gone someday” manufactures (I’m looking at you Suzuki and Mitsubishi) because I do believe, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Even if it means buying my own diagnostic tools and becoming an expert in that particular vehicle. I don’t want to be an auto mechanic but I don’t mind becoming an expert in a vehicle I actually own.
The first car I ever bought new was a 1983 VW Rabbit GTI. The second I saw it on the dealer’s lot, I knew I had to have it. And it was a glorious experience, screaming around the countryside with all of 90 HP under the hood. I drove that car for ten years and it firmly placed me in the community of automotive enthusiasts. In the pre-internet days, GTI owners would bump into each other on the street and stop to talk animatedly about their rides. We would wave and flash our lights as we passed each other. The car was never raced or put on a track, but I sure was passionate about it. It was buzzy, had a harsh ride, an absolutely terrible stereo system, and water leaked in through the ventilation system. But I still loved it.
Thirty years later, I got a Mitsubishi Evo VIII and re-experienced the GTI thrills all over again. It too was never raced or put on a track, but it still provided a wonderful driving experience, even when obeying the speed limits. Sure, it was never pushed past 4/10s, but who cares? The telepathic steering, the scream of the turbo engine, the unbelievable grip of the sophisticated all-wheel drive system — all can be appreciated by the car enthusiast without having to prove their manhood by hot laps around VIR.
If you truly love cars just for the sake of the machinery and the pleasure that it provides even when getting groceries, then what is the harm in owning one that is seriously overpowered and undertasked?
LeeK – You remind me of my first new car. In 1985 I was finally out of school and making some money and was ready for my first new car. I drove several, but couldn’t put my finger on what I wanted until I saw a silver Rabbit GTI drive past me. “THAT’S IT”, my brain shouted at me.
Unfortunately, I was a year too late for the Rabbit GTI, but I bought a black 85 (Golf version). It became a love-hate relationship, but when it was right, it was fun, fun, fun.
This article and the comments are a reminder why TTAC is a unique, and often, a truly excellent site for the enthusiast. Agreed that it’s not the size of your wallet, it’s the devotion to learning about, driving, and basically, celebrating all different types of vehicles.
To a true enthusiast, just about any car can have some aspect that is interesting, or even fascinating. Though I’ve ragged on jumbo SUV’s here, I can remember rides in a friend’s Navigator years ago, and can say…while it’s not for me, I can “get” how someone could love all that metal…Another non-enthusiast friend has bought a new Camry every 5 years like clockwork for the past 20 years…waaaay too boring for my tastes, but the quiet excellence in providing a comfortable drive, and and generally outstanding reliability make it obvious why it’s the perfect car for some people, including her.
Driving for 25 years now, I’ve owned everything from a Miata (currently), to some boring-ass econoboxes (a mid-eighties Escort) and years ago, some old land yacht quasi-beaters (a ’76 Sedan deVille, and a ’77 Town Car) and each has it’s charms, it’s faults, and was a unique experience onto itself. Glad to be an enthusiast, I think it’s a lifelong passion. I don’t see things ever changing for me, nor would I want them to.
I have to be an automotive enthusiast to keep a First Gen Chrysler LHS on the road; even if only two other people in this world see it and recognize it as an honest attempt from Detroit during the `90s to make a world class car.
When was the last time the ‘enthusiasts’ you know drove their car within five tenths of it’s capabilities?
The last time they drove! In summer, we probably only hit 7/10 on most drives. But in winter, we regularly enjoy 10/10 on our studded tires.
I actually do have one enthusiast buddy that never takes his daily drivers over 5/10. He gets pretty crazy when he’s in his Trans Am or Z06 though!