You Are What You Drive, Give us yer list.

Inspired by a conversation with Annabelle, as well as the multitude of other people I've asked this question over the years.

What do you drive?
What do you love about it?
What do you hate about it?
Would you do it again if you had the choice?





What's your automotive history? (yes, I realise it's a biggie for some of you)
What were your favorites?
Was there one that you wish you hadn't parted with?



What was the one that got away? The car you almost bought, but changed your mind at the last moment, and have regretted the choice since.

Ah, a topic dear to us South Californians...

Current ride: 2002 Red Subaru Forester, ("Subaru-chan")manual transmission.
I love its good mileage and handling for an SUV. I have absolutely no complaints -- other than the general one that vehicles these days are loaded up with too much stuff. If I had it to do again, I would get the same thing.

History: (All manual trannies - unusual these days)
1992 Isuzu Rodeo ("Bertha") A workhorse that I rode until it fell apart.
1984 Toyota Corolla 4-door. Reliable, economical, and unspectacular.
1980 Toyota Corolla 2-door. See above.
1977 Triumph TR7. Unbelievable lemon, but oh what fun to drive when it was working... Traded for boring cars (see above) when parenthood made more than two seats imperative.
1972 VW Beetle. My first wheels, and despite all the eccentricities of an old-style bug, my heart remembers no stain.

There's really not one that got away... tho I wish I'd discovered how much I enjoy trucks/SUVs earlier. My next wheels will probably have a hybrid engine, assuming a manufacturer will actually build a truck or SUV with one.

So-- back at you, OldRaven. Tell us about YOUR ride(s).

Oh goody! I thought for a minute this was going to be one of those all hat and no cattle deals. You know, big tires, big beltbuckle, little penis deals.

But not the case....I drive the 94 Ford 4x4 ex-cab (needed the 4by when I lived in the mountains....snow and all that) "Surf Truck Of Love." So that fits me for now....I'll work on the 'big list o'vehicles" and get it on here soon as I can.

Good post, gearhead (a positive term, of course!)

RON

You're in luck, Silverdragon. Toyota and Ford will have two Hybrid SUV's in less than a year. And the Big Three (Chev, Ford, and Toyota [seriously, Toyo ousted Chrysler this year in domestic sales]) are currently working on Hybrid versions of their Full size trucks.


Current ride: 1987 Thunderbird Turbocoupe. 2.3L Intercooled Turbo. I love most things about this car, and hate most as well. It's extremely fast, handles like it's on rails thanks to Programmed Ride Control Shocks (first in America), and has amazing milage for such a heavy car. It's even got a 5-spd, the only model of T-bird without a slushbox since the sixties. And since I painted her Candy Apple Red this spring, I can hardly bait anyone at a light. Still, she hasn't lost yet.
I just hate how expensive and rare parts are. They don't even make PRC shocks anymore, and the ones in Ford stock are around $160 a piece.

Also: 1986 Chevrolet C10 Custom Deluxe (fancy for base model). My first V8, Truck, and carbed vehicle. Clark's his name, because of his blue paint and superman decal in the back window (which was on it when I bought it). 305 with a new 4bl and a turbo350 tranny. It's a work horse, but runs like a top.


Past rides:
1995 Toyota Tercel DX 4-dr. The Tertle. 1.5L DOHC 16V. Burgundy with gross brown plastic inside. 5-spd at least. We bought it because I couldn't deal with the automatic anymore, and it's amazing fuel economy. We got it with 60,000km (37,000 mi) on it and it's now around 120,000km (74,000mi). It even took us accross Canada. It's Angela's car now.

1991 Thunderbird. T-bert. 3.8L V6 auto that couldn't get out of its own way in the city, but loved the highway. A very nice car in prime shape and awesome comfort. It was a pig though. Nothing like spending $70 on gas and having it gone in a week. We got it because Ange couldn't drive stick. We owned it for less than three months.

1989 VW Fox. Mulder, I called him. Ah, my beloved Fox. I fought back tears all the way to the dealer the day I traded it in. All because Ange needed a slushbox to get to work in. 1.8L Longitudinal I4 w/ 5-spd, 2-dr, sunroof, red, monster stereo that I built myself in the garage. Cut 10" holes in the rear seat wall panels and filled em' with subs. I loved that car, and probably won't feel like that again.

1991 Subaru Justy. 1.3L I3 w/4spd auto (stepped belt drive) and 50:50 4X4, not AWD. White 4-dr hatch that was most fun on logging roads at too much speed. It was my rally baby.

I nearly bought a '72 Scamp with a slant six, the leanin' tower o' power. No, I didn't get it, and there was another four years before I could even get my license. Just lately though, I came dangerously close to buying a '63 Corvair, H6 4-spd. I still want one, but I'm glad I didn't get that one.

Hope no one minds if I squeeze in here and add a bit.

I will always go for Oldies but Goldies in the car topic, you cant beat the old muscle.

Had : 72 Charger, Root Beer brown with a black vinyl top. Too bad there were more problems with it at the time than I had the money to fix, had to let her go.
70 Coronet, One hell of a boat, but she served us well, even after the electrical fire.
78 Dodge Aspen, nice little slant 6, but lost that one in another one of dodges famous electrical fires over night
68 Galaxy, another one with more problems, had the money, but got pregnant and wasnt able to get under the hood properly hehe
86 Mercury Cougar, first car I ever bought, considering I bought it from my uncle for a dollar hehe, it was the one I had when I got my license. I miss that cat.
86 Camaro, cherry red and a cop's attention grabber, she had a 6cyl but she could move.

Will always want my dad's car, I remember riding in the back seat as a kid asking him to spin out at the lights just so that I could get tossed back into the seat, good ole 69 Mustang Mach 1. Still looking for one today.

RW

"You are what you drive"...The first thing that I thought was how I can't help but feel sorry for the guy who drives around in the Oscar Mayer vehicle.

I'm an off the lot kind of guy. My first car was a brand new 1992 VW Jetta which my then girlfriend (now wife) and I took through 18 states in the first 3 weeks.
Next was a 1998 GMC Safari and I'm in a 2002 Safari (All wheel drive which is handy in the snow).

I drive a blue 1992 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. with a dent in the rear passenger door and some owies in the front.

Not a whole lot. It has been rather unreliable. I am just now able to get it fixed after 8 months of trouble.

see above. And the fact that it is an old lady grocery-go-getter.

if it was my only choice.

1981 Ford Fairmont station wagon - yellow and still had an 8 track player. I was rockin out to CSN in 1995

1995 Geo Metro - death trap on wheels. If you have one - get rid if it!!!

1987 Nissan Sentra - didn't last long

1995 Ford Contour - Teal. Nice car

The grocery-go-getter I mentioned before

My husband and I own a 1994 Ford Crown Vic that used to be a detective's car. it is nice and people move out of our way because they think we are cops. lol

The Ford Contour

The Ford Contour - That was totaled in a car wreck

A 2001 Ford Focus. I decided not to do the financing. Good choice. I hate being in debt, but I still wonder what could have been. *sigh*

McHaggis. As you can see at the very bottom of my signature, Gearhed is a VERY good term to me. Gearhedz is my auto enthisast group/newsletter/newsfeed. I started it as an Auto Enthusiast Artist club on Deviantart. So far, I write all of the articles, but I'm looking for help from wherever I can get it. (hint, hint)

My GH sig is 'Get your head out of your ass and under the hood'



RW, I'm a fox body Ford driver too. My car isn't all that different from your old Cougar. What was in it? 3.8, 5.0, or was it one of the rare 2.3T XR-7s?



Keltic, you were 28 when you got your first car? Wow. How did you survive? And yes, I'm a VW man at heart. And I always will be. I rented one of the new Beetles for a weekend trip to Calgary and it was a blast. It's like the thing was glued to the road. Only thing I didn't like was the gargantuan C-pillar that created a blind spot about the size of a Hummer.

eh??

eh??

What kind of engine? V6 (3.8) V8 (5.0) or turbo I4 (2.3T)?

Current car: 2000 Chevy Cavalier 2 door coupe. Automatic transmission, AM/FM/tape deck, bucket seats, manual locks & windows, excellent sound system. Today, I had Disc I of my "S & M" (Symphony & Metallica-get yer minds outta the gutter ) live album in my portable CD player and it sounded like I was in the front row.

Past cars:
1992 Ford Taurus: Hand-me-down from parents.
1988 Ford Tempo: Rode well until it pooped its tranny.
1985 Buick Skyhawk: I got this rebuilt hand-me-down from my sister when she got a hand-me-down from our parents. I called this car the SOW ([blank] On Wheels).

What do you drive? 1998 Jeep Cheroke Sport 4x4

What do you love about it? I am sure to make just about anywhere I want to go. And it 's nice to my frequent trips to the mountains, and it is the un- official Barddas mobile....and my dog is very comfortable in it. And no longer do I get knocked in the head with his when I stop suddenly...LOL!

What do you hate about it? Nothing really... eats a bit more gas than a regular car but... that's ok..

Would you do it again if you had the choice? abso-freakin-lutely





What's your automotive history? (yes, I realise it's a biggie for some of you)
1976 Caprice Classic dead canary yellow. Known as the tank. I had 23 people in that car all headbangin'... and i was pulled over 23 times in that car for lookin' suspicious.....

!981 mazda hatch back That car saved my life. I was comin home very late on the expressway and a guy ( drunk) hit me head on at 110 miles per hour going the wrong way on my side of the expressway with NO LIGHTS ON!!!!! I know he was doing 110 because of the guy chasing him on the proper side of the expressway! I was doing about 70mph no brakes were hit, and I saw him about 40-50 ' before we hit. So we hit passernger side to passenger sidebroke my engine in half, and it was in the passengers seat! For real! I kicked the door open ( cuz it wouldn't open and waloked outta the car....

!978 Mote Carlo Known as Monty's Monte Loved that car. T tops and black. My batmobile... I was at a light and a guy careened into me.. totaled it

1981 mazda mini wagon Got me to and fro... UGLY UGLY CAR!

1995 saturn good car had to sell when my former wife left...
1999 sarurn to replace the former.... They asked what color I wanted .. I said Surprice me... just not white... They gace me a deep blue

!998 Jeep


What were your favorites? The Monte.. only had it a year.... replaced the trans, and the engine... then 2 weeks later.. totaled

Was there one that you wish you hadn't parted with? see above, but I do enjoy the Jeep!



What was the one that got away? The car you almost bought, but changed your mind at the last moment, and have regretted the choice since. A hearst. I've always wanted one! Sick I know! But they have so much room!!!and I have a Great personal licenceplate for it... simply "NEXT"

isn't that GREAT!????

Barddas, your automotive history is truly eclectic.

Oh, and it's Hearse. Hurst is a nice car too, but it's an Olds coupe.



'78 Monte My dad had a Black '86. Beautiful car, in prime shape. The guy he sold it to totaled it driving drunk three weeks later.

My Cougar had the 5.0 in it. Uncle had installed the performance chip before he gave it to me. Ran like the devil. Sold it for something else, and found out by the new owner that after a month the planetary gear in the tranny shattered.....guess the gods were smiling on me, unfortunate for the new owner though. If I had still had it, we had a couple of extra trannies laying around in my uncles garage hehe.

Learned 85% of what I know about cars from my dad, and the other 15% from working at an auto service and parts shop. I miss those grease under the nail, Lava soap using, smell of carburator cleaner days fiddle around with cars now and then, but most of my work is done on computers now

RW

I don't know if this counts as the one that got away or not, but it is a car I'd like. My neighbor has I think it's an '78 or '79 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham that is in pristine condition. Black, original leather interior, and it has to be very low in mileage. He only drives it to church on Sunday. The rest of the week he uses his regular car to do his errands. But that Caddy is sweet.

This post has been edited by MDF3530 on 06-Nov-2003, 05:04 PM