We got lucky, the previous owner had the tranny rebuilt about 5k before we bought it. (with the extra beefy fluid cooler and everything) He was religious about maintanence and used Mobil 1 synthetic from the first 2000 miles. At 130k she purrs like a kitten and growls when she needs to. Absolutely, one of the coolest cars ever made.
rogzilla
I bought a brand new CL Type S a couple years ago ($31k). (slightly bigger and faster than the TSX) At first, I absolutely loved the car, and it is fast as hell. After 2.5 years and 70k, it has turned rather boring. Still performs like new, but has absolutely no personality. From now on, I’m getting cheaper cars with a little more style.
Honda Odyssey, with the leather and entertainment package. It’s pretty much doiable for $28K, and the wife’s been anglin’ for a new car lately.
And as a sidebar, my brother got a Honda Civic Hybrid just last week. Drives like a regular car, no noticable performance differences, but the mileage is great.
I’d buy a Citroen 2CV and spend the surplus on all the spares and tools required to keep it in good running order (they are getting expensive to maintain now.
My dream car would be a new Beetle, Not practical, though, so I’d buy a PT Cruiser instead. I could have had one last year, but I’m a good wife and let my husband have his choice, instead. Stupid VW Passat – it’s loaded and, I guess, a really nice car. People keep complimenting me on it and all. But I don’t like it – I think it’s a fuddy car, basically.
I don’t want a new car – I love the one I have (1990 Mazda 323SE, white, auto trans, fondly known as Shuttlecraft Eridani). Problem is, I’ve had her 12 years and though she runs extremely well/is very fuel efficient, she could still use a truly extensive overhaul at a fully equipped starbase (wear and tear repairs, having things done to forestall future problems, cosmetic repairs). So if someone suddenly handed me 28 grand to spend on a car, I would instantly take Eridani to be completely fixed up in terms of her inner mechanistic workings, to have all the dents and rust removed from her, and then have her repainted (yes, white again).
IOW, if I had that kind of money to spend on a car, my beloved Eridani would be restored to the exacting perfect condition she was in when I got her brand new and that she was in until all those asshole drivers started smashing into her!). And, of course, I’d pocket any leftover money.
The F*ck with all these Mini’s, VW and Land cruisers? Are these really cars you really want? Unless you’re hauling the kids to school, please don’t tell me you WANT a Land cruiser!
My choice:
1994 9C1 Caprice wagon - $3000
Rebuild LT1 motor stroked to 396cu - $5000
Six speed trans - $1300
4.11 posi - $600.
3000 stall - $600
I could eat Mini Coopers for breakfast.
Damn! I got money left over!
Cut the intake manifold in half for my 396 motor. Weld a plate on it and bolt up and Eaton Supercharger. (Because Eatons were not offered for LT1’s. )
With all this, I could still get 16mpg and buy grocery’s at the same time!
<This is the lamest and most boring list of cars, with a couple of exceptions,that I have ever seen.
Wait a few months and get the new GTO.>
Some of us, Blown, define a “cool” car as follows:
A car which provides reliable transportation, gets good gas mileage, is easy to drive and doesn’t break down often (and when something DOES happen and the mechanic fixes it, it STAYS fixed, for years).
I am one of these people, and however “lame” my car may seem to you, for me it’s been the coolest car there ever was, as it fits all of my above criteria and has over time demonstrated its worthiness in those respects.
Just a reminder – not all of us share your apparent need to bolster ego or express personality and sexuality via the cars we drive.
ParentalAdvisory, Ya gotta add upgraded suspension and rims/tires to that. After all, the real world has corners too;).
As for me, a '49 Chevy Suburban. Blown & injected 292 inline, 6-speed, AirRide Suspension holding up Mustang II front end/ Ford 9". Oh yeah, can’t forget the rattlecan red steelies (no caps/no rings). Mexican Blanket interior, grey suede paint. Best of all, my wife is starting to warm to the idea, but only if she gets to use it on the weekdays.
Peace-DESK
What does wanting a fast car have to do with Sex, ego, or personality? Not everybody buys a car for a status symbol.
In my example, I just want a phatass ride. I don’t think ego, sex or personality came into the picture at all for me. Sure it looks like it, but it’s not, and it has good gas mileage to power ratio. Not every follows the norm of owning the Econo-look-at-me, i’m-living-the-american-dream-owning-a-land-cruiser, by Toyota. One could say owning these euro-econos are apperently related to bolstering egos, expressing personality and pushing sexuality via the cars you drive.
Then pretty much any of the aforementioned econo-box class cars should fit your bill just fine. Just be sure to stop by Wal-Mart and get some pseudo Fast and Furious assorted valve stem, licence plate and undercar lights and all the other tacky crap. Maybe plunk down $500 for a big-ass <ahem> “Performance Spoiler” and the trunk or roof.
That’ll make any car (or truck) into a “phat” stylish, performance mobile, won’t it?
Oh jeepers! You’ll be straight through a hedge, come the first corner - and even if by some miracle you were not, the Mini would be able to nip round the outside of you backwards, twice, before you got a Caprice round the corner! Not to mention the fact that the Caprice is a giant aesthetic abortion (well, I’d actually give it a kind of retro cool kudos, if someone pushed me. Well, if someone pushed me, and they were armed with a sharp object).
For a practical psudo-supercar-type thing, surely it has to be a Scooby…? Quite dull to look at, but top notch performance.
My need:
Since a car is a sizable expense, I need to get as much out of it as I can. I like to have lots of fun. Got nothing to do with ego (there is always something faster out there) or sex (always believed this to be the weakest argument of all time).
Now go back to your mundane life and make sure you do nothing that might make you feel good.
That car with those mods would launch the car into the low 12’s naturally aspirated. Low 11’s with a supercharger. Stock, the 94-96 Caprices handle remarkable well in case you didn’t know. Throw in the herb adams sway bars and 55mph around corners is a walk in the park. Nothing in my post mentioned “rice”, where did you get that? A car can be phat without spoilers, dubs, or a 500 shot of NAAWWS on a stock honda bottem end. A car like that would surprise AND scare the shit out of you. So go on with your bad ass Mini, Honda or whatever it is you drive (which is where the Spoiler and lights are marketed to.) :wally
The Mini would not pass anything. You would be able to stop at the turn, get out, tap one of the eight kegs you are carrying in the back, have a beer and a smoke, get back in and get ready to go by the time the Mini even got to the turn!
Or, you could keep the Mini in the back of the Lardwagon, stop at each corner, unload Mini, go round corner at acceptable speed, then stick the Mini back in back 'til the next bend…
<Since a car is a sizable expense, I need to get as much out of it as I can. I like to have lots of fun. Got nothing to do with ego (there is always something faster out there) or sex (always believed this to be the weakest argument of alltime).
Now go back to your mundane life and make sure you do nothing that might make you feel good.>
I thorougly agree with you about the business about a car being a sizable expense for which the buyer hopes to get the most from. However, just because cars don’t generally excite me doesn’t mean I lack intellect, imagination, passion or the ability to have fun.
So if someone suddenly handed me 28 grand to spend on a car, I would instantly take Eridani to be completely fixed up in terms of her inner mechanistic workings, to have all the dents and rust removed from her, and then have her repainted (yes, white again).
