Stccrd I got a little out of hand. I think it comes in part from the fact that I’d like to have a nicer car, and the idea of making silly modifications to a car that is perfectly good without them.
Hmmm, might as well make a list of cars I’d like in no particular order…
Mini Cooper, wee!
Civic Hatchback, of the most recent generation or one before.
Ford Focus SVT, or just the hatchback… except for all the recalls
Subaru Imprezas are decent, and the WRX more so. Hmmm.
1991 GMC Safari conversion van. Why? It’s plush and comfy, lots of room for the dogs, I can haul stuff, and it’s good in snow (AWD).
We are in the process of buying a new car, probably a 2003 VW Jetta w/ a 1.8 L turbo, black w/ a black leather interior, 5 speed, and stuff like heated seats and a moonroof.
1994 Suzuki Swift GT, affectionately known as the EZ Bake Oven, for it’s black exterior, dark interior and lack of air conditioning.
But it really is a great car - fun to drive, good on gas, and only 109,000 miles so far.
2000 Nisan Maxima SE, silver. About 45k miles. Have to say I’m pretty pleased with it, by and large ( damn Japanese cars always seem have weak air-conditioning though - dunno why, but American cars for all their faults do seem to get to “arctic” much quicker and more thoroughly ).
2000 Ford Mustang convertible, our second new car. My wife won’t drive it, she’s afraid if she scratches it I’ll be mad. I won’t. It’s been to the Olympic peninsula and western Pennsylvania. It’s especially fun in mid December with the top down and the heat full blast.
1997 Chevroet Venture - inherited from my father-in-law. The space has been quite useful, particularly compared to the Mustang.
My daily driver is a 1998 Isuzu Amigo, bright orange, 2WD, 5 speed, with the 2.2 four banger. It’s a jack of all trades but master of none. It gets acceptable mileage for commuting, can haul a fairly large objects (I’ve used it to carry a Ford V8 once), and I can put the top down when the weather is warm, which is pretty often. The outrageous color is also something I kind of like - I never misplace it in parking lots. The downside is that it’s underpowered and not the most fun to drive.
I also have a 1966 Dodge Dart four door. This was my first car, and may not have been the best start, but I’ve put so much effort into it I might as well keep making it better. It has some junkyard brake upgrades, minor suspension work, and rolls along on 16" wheels with low profile tires. I am trying to finish up getting the 225 cubic inch slant six to run with a turbocharger this month.
1998 Volkswagon New Beetle, red, manual, no electric windows, aftermarket sway bars, rebuilt and massaged exhaust system. No fart can, thank you, I just needed six extra horsepower.
1997 Infiniti J30 - Pearl - heated seats-AM/FM/Cassette/CD - power everything - sunroof. Her name is Lola (cuz I can’t decide is she is male or female) - she likes to go fast!
I have a '98 Ford Falcon (Futura) stationwagon. I call it the sexmobile - sadly, not because I’ve ever had sex in it, just because it’s sexy. It’s a deep metallic blue and I love it.
Why did I buy this one? Well, firstly I like stationwagons because you can fit a whole lotta stuff in them. In my line of work (computer nerd) it helps to be able to carry lots of gear. Also, I can fit both my dogs in the back and still cary lots my crap.
It’s a grunty 4 litre V6 automatic. It’s got cruise control, power steering, power windows, power mirrors, power antenna, power every bloody thing. It has a cargo barrier in the back to prevent my crap from hitting me in the head if I need to stop suddenly. Alloy wheels, ABS, driver side airbag. The seats are soft, yet firm, it has more than ample leg space. It has aircon vents for the backseat passengers!
We have a 2001 VW GTI GLS 1.8T 5spd, because it is fun to drive and gets pretty good gas mileage for a car that drives like a sports car, averaging 30mpg, and the dogs love the hatch and all the room with the backseat flat and down. We have a big fluffy bed back there for them.
We also have the 1990 Ford Ranger Sbed 2.3L 5spd I’ve had since the end of high school. It’s a great little truck, very reliable, but it hasn’t been getting the best gas mileage, and will be sold when we take delivery of our 2003 Jetta Wagon, GLS 1.9L TDi 5spd (“tornado red,” leather package, monsoon, ESP, blah, blah, blah :)). We chose the TDi because it has excellent mileage (50mg) and the life of the engine can be expected to be around 500,000miles, being a diesel. Also, with biodiesel, I can feel like I’m part of “the solution, not the problem.” [cue smarmy smile] We chose the wagon part because of the extra room for our whippet family.
In high school, I got a '76 Chevy Nova and kept it until 2001, when I sold it to a college student for his “starter car” and bought an '89 Dodge Daytona CS Turbo from my mechanic’s wife.
I like older American cars, and I like an engine I can actually hear.
2001 Porsche Boxster S, Silver
Always wanted a mid-engined convertible sports car and finally managed to afford it…thinking about getting a dog now though so maybe time for a change
1996 Chevy Blazer LT. 4 dr, 4x4, Leather. 74k miles. Lotsa room for computer geek equipment. I’ve had that thing completely loaded with junk so that only the driver could squeeze into it. I’m selling it this summer though to get a pickup.
My awesome 2001 Silver Dodge Durango w/ 43K miles. Its hella kewl…I’m in the process of dressing it up. Got an awesome stereo system, silly bad-ass rims, fuckin’ tight ass grills so far…my next purchase a new Dodge Ram hoods…the kind that blares, Y-E-A-H baby!!!
