Way too complicated. These “auto mobiles” will never replace your dependable horse and carriage.
I agree. I had to find out from whether Maria the Karmann-Ghia was a '72 or '73. She was a '73.
I miss that car.
Today in Astoria, Oregon, I saw a Porsche 944. You don’t see many of them around anymore. I used to have a 924, which later got a 944 body kit after a mishap.
I forgot to mention Saturday I saw a Chevy Silverado EV. They’ve apparently been on sale since 2023, but I don’t recall seeing any before, unless I just didn’t realize what I was looking at. Apparently the only thing it has in common with the gas powered Silverado is the name; it actually shares its platform with the Hummer EV.
I liked the 944. It looked like a sports car with its nice, long hood.
A friend of mine in high school scored a used 914. Everyone was jealous.
My (used) 924 was incredible after the ‘66 and two ‘77 MGBs. It handled even better than the British cars, and was quicker and faster. And you could see with its bit windshield! When I sustained some body damage, I had a 944 kit put on. The 944 was nicer looking. But… I’m still kicking myself for selling my 911SC twenty-six years ago. 
I believe it.
My brother, the Army vet, let me drive his 924 a couple of times. With him riding shotgun.
Had to sell it when he hurt his back and couldn’t get that low anymore.
I saw a Datsun roadster on the road this morning. I don’t know if there’s any way to tell visually if it was a 1500, 1600, or 2000.
Great info. Not that I could drive one, but interesting.
I’ll tag on with a story. I bought a very used Yamaha 650cc road bike. Vertical twin like a Triumph. 4 stroke of course.
I’m a pretty darn good back yard mechanic, but I could not get it to run. At all. Not even as much as a pop. Drove me nuts.
I had - Fuel, compression, spark. I could not get anything.
I see lock tight on the engine cases, and head too. Hmmm… I pull the valve covers (yes, it actually had them). I look at the points and the valves… Shit. Somebody built this thing 180 degrees off! It was not firing on the compression stroke. I think it was firing on the exhaust stroke. Shit.
I moved the coil from the right cylinder to the left cylinder and visa versa (just moved plug wires really) and it actually worked. Well sort of. Timing advance was totally jacked up of course. It needed a total rebuild. Someone put the chain on the Overhead cam off by 180 degrees.
I had a hard time driving it for the first week or so that I had it, just because all of my instincts were wrong for the car. If you are used to driving a stick shift, your instinct is to push down on the left and center pedals for clutch and brake. On a Model T, you’ve just engaged low gear and reverse at the same time. There’s no interlock to prevent you from doing this, and it’s not exactly healthy for the transmission. Worse, you haven’t touched the brake so you’re not slowing down like you expect to.
Once you get used to everything being in the wrong place, it’s not that bad. The main thing is just left foot high and low gear, right foot brake. Reverse, left foot half way down and right foot in the middle. Once you get used to that, it’s easy, just keep adjusting the throttle and timing.
Panic mode on a Model T is just yank the hand brake all the way back and let off all of the pedals. The hand brake is a parking brake so it’s not meant to be used at speed, but it will get you stopped in an emergency.
For my high school graduation, instead of gifts I asked for cash. The local Porsche dealer had 924s for rent. I rented one for the day and took my girlfriend and 2 other friends to the beach for a beach day. The other friends were small people so they were comfortable enough in that small back seat.
I will always, always! remember that day. It was a great day.
Fisker Ocean electric SUV
The Fisker Ocean electric SUV is a handsome vehicle. Released in 2023, unfortunately it was discontinued in 2024 because Fisker went Tango Uniform, belly up (Bravo Uniform), bankrupt, dead.
More pics here —
➜ https://imgur.com/gallery/W5bVg4L ■
They must have been hobbits. I recall a Mazda (?) commercial where Doug Jones put his feet behind his head, so he could fit in the back seat of a Porsche.
In 2002 I bought a 1986 944T (turbo) as my second track car, after my Miata. It’s in the running for one of the most expensive mistakes I’ve made in my life. For some reason, I became enthralled by a listing on eBay, and without driving one in person or comparing prices with similar cars locally, I bought it on auction and had it shipped to me in Maryland (from Arkansas, IIRC). What was I thinking?!?
The first surprise, right after it came off the transporter, was that when the driver’s seat was positioned so I could easily get in or out, I was miles from the steering wheel and pedals. I had to slide the seat several inches forward, in which position it was a tight squeeze to get in or out of the car. I had to get used to doing that every time.
The car was 17 years old when I got it, and lots of things kept breaking. The speedo, the brakes, an axle (on track, requiring a 90-mile tow home, fortunately at no cost by another very generous participant with a trailer!). And repairs were expensive.
The Miata had been my daily driver for many years and I had taken it to the track 12 times when I got the Porsche. The Miata had needed no repairs during that 18 months. I probably spent a couple thousand on repairs on the Porsche for 8 track days. I sold it for well under half what I had paid after 18 months.
Believe it or not, I bought my next car sight unseen as well, pre-ordering the brand new 2003 Nissan 350Z, but that purchase turned out a lot better. It was my track car and daily driver from the next 12 years. The best car I ever owned.
When it was working right, the 944T was fun to drive, and I drove others that performed better than mine. So my bad experience is mostly down to my stupidity in buying that particular car.
The best thing about having owned that car is that I can legitimately call myself a (former) Porsche owner, and not feel like a poser when I wear my nice Porsche jackets.
I saw a Mini on the road this morning. As in the original, classic Mini. It was probably a newer one, like a Mark VI or VII. I’m not sure if those were ever officially imported to the US, but even the latest ones would be legal to import now. Seeing it driving in modern traffic, their size really lives up to their name. When I saw it the driver was about to take the on ramp onto I-80. I feel like it must be pretty terrifying driving an original Mini on the freeway going 70 mph among the big American trucks and SUVs.
The one I saw was blue, but otherwise looked like this one, with the rally lights on the grille. I couldn’t tell whether it was right or left hand drive.
I’m guessing that was a 911.
It was. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find it on Youtube.
Two Toyota RAV4s, 1st gens — one with 2 doors and the other with 4
They were in a parking lot just 25 feet apart.
When first launched in 1994 the 1st generation RAV4s came with either 2 doors, or 4 doors. The 4 door was almost 1½ feet longer than the 2 door, and was vastly more popular.
So when you saw the 2 door, it looked almost comically too short.
Here is the 2 door.
Here is the 4 door.
The 2 door.
And the 4 door.
The rear end of the 2 door.
And the rear end of the 4 door. They are virtually identical.
By 2005, Toyota probably realized how comical the shorter one looked and they stopped making them.
With more than 10 million sold the RAV4 is one of the most popular mini-utes ever made. It continues today, into its 6th generation, over 30 years after its introduction.
Yesterday I spotted 9VVS348. I’m sure the 9W plates are out there, somewhere…
I think I saw a coyote today.