Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Kingcreek on October 08, 2018, 10:31:06 AM
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I've been vehicle shopping for about 6 weeks. Haven't found the right thing yet but I'm getting closer. The old ford truck is still in vehicle hospice limping and wheezing and sputtering toward its last mile.
I suppose because I've been so vehicle focused lately, I've been thinking about a lot about the vehicles I've owned over 45 years, especially some that stand out as favorites or in the "they really don't make them like that anymore" column.
Some that I personally owned and drove and miss,
1976 jeep Cherokee chief. Built like a tank, comfortable on the road but very off-road capable, handy as hell, hard on gas.
1984 Cadillac coupe DeVille, last of the big 2 door models with midnight blue landau on midnight blue metal flake, lots of chrome and real honest to Pete wire spoke wheels. Luxurious soft leather seats like a good sofa. Went straight down the road like riding a cloud.
1989 Ford F-150, an honest truck. Straight 6 cylinder with manual tranny. I never had a single problem or issue of any kind with it. Traded it for a '94 v8 F150 with auto and immediately regretted it.
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I still sorta get an occasional warm spot in my heart for my first car I inherited when I got my driver's license in 1972. My grandmother bought a new Volvo, so I got her 1964 Chevrolet Malibu. Four door, blue, auto transmission, 283 c.i. V-8 engine. I actually had learned to drive in it. First time I pressed a accelerator pedal >>I must have left half the rubber off the rear tires on the asphalt! Thankfully it was a wide open space. Also, the brakes worked. =D I learned better. ;)
I had that car all through college and for a few years after.
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I miss the interior space of the older SUVs.
I would love to have a square body Suburban with a modern engine and transmission.
I had an 84 Suburban and with the seats down you could sleep two people fairly comfortably. Also put two dog kennels side by side in the back. I don't miss the 10mpg with a carbureted SBC. I was getting 8-9 mpg until I removed much of the smog controls, left the cats in place but removed the smog pump and plugged the exhaust manifold holes.
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My first car, a 1979 Olds Cutlass Supreme. Big enough inside to almost lay across the back seat (made in car clothing changes possible without bruises and cussing). It had the V6 engine in a space designed for a V8, so enough room to get in the compartment to do work. Saved my bacon when I got hit by a drunk driver back in 89. Tore the crap out of the Chevette that hit me. The real steel chrome bumper on the Cutlass barely scratched and dented.
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I drove a 1972 VW beetle all through college. Couldn't wait to sell it and get a real car but later I realized how practical it was. I had studded snow tires on a spare set of rims and went everywhere in bad winter weather. It broke a valve spring and a friend and I pulled the motor out and carried it into my apartment and rebuilt it on my kitchen table one weekend. Had to check the spare tire pressure regularly because the windshield washer was connected to the valve stem for squirt pressure. Did a lot of camping and canoeing with the dog in back and a 17' canoe on top. It was quite a sight.
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1983 AMC Eagle. That car would go anywhere.
2001 Saab 9-3 SE Turbo. All the options and a turbo charger. 205 Brake Horsepower. Mash the gas, and once the turbo wound up, it would press you back into the seat and felt like the car was getting away from you.
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1983 AMC Eagle. That car would go anywhere.
My first car was a 1988 Subaru Justy 4WD. It was remarkably good in mud and snow. Probably due to me abusing that fact, eventually the drive shaft starting rattling something awful. The mechanic said he could fix it for a few hundred dollars, or simply remove it for $90 and permanently render the car FWD. I elected for the latter. The weight saved by the removal of the drive shaft got me above 50 mpg, though. The car then lasted until 1996 when it got stuck in 4th gear, and I had to let it go.
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1979 Ford F250. First vehicle in my name. Beat up ranch truck, but it was all mine. 460, auto, 2wd. Bought it for a buck from my grandfather, a dollar which bought me a solid foundation in vehicle repair and maintenance. Ran great after I ripped all the smog-era crap off it and did a few basic hot rod upgrades under the watchful eye of a family friend and old-school gearhead. Perpetuated lots of back-road stupid in that truck. Dad hated it because it was a good day if the truck topped 6 mpg, and I was on his gas key.
1980 International pickup. Again, beat up ranch truck but one that steadfastly refused to die. 392 engine with the odd military-pattern 5-speed manual transmission that would drop out of 5th every time you let off the gas. The old corn binder's most notable characteristic, other than it's sheer will to live, was the engine's ability to run at insanely low RPM. It would pull down so low you could almost hear every hole fire. 30 years since we sold it and Dad still grouses about letting it go.
1975 Mercury Grand Marquis. Cream on bronze. 2-door. 460. Leather. All electric. My grandparent's car. HUUUUUUUUGE back seat. Giant speedometer that spanned the width of the instrument panel. You didn't drive down the road so much as floated. Hideously overboosted steering and brakes. The ultimate cruising vessel.
1971 Mustang Grande notchback. 351C. Auto. My first hot rod. In superb condition when I got it. Still in pretty darn good condition when I traded it for a 1985 Monte Carlo SS. Wish I still had both cars.
Brad
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The 1967 VW Fastback that I drove starting my senior year in high school and for seven years thereafter. I bought it for $ 1000 in 1977 and sold it for $ 900 in 1984. I bought a copy of 'How to keep your Volkswagen alive' and I was able to do about 90% of the maintenance on the VW. This was important as a poor grad student. Then there was the Honda Passport scooter that I drove to work and school in good weather during my college years. It got up to 45 mph with a tailwind, but that was all I needed in the U District of Seattle.
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My first car was a clapped out, rust bucket, 1951 Ford two door sedan that I bought from a neighbor for $40 when I was 15 (1965). I spent a year and a half rebuilding the engine (with dad's help), re-doing the interior (with mom's help), and doing all the bodywork and paint myself. I still remember how proud I was to drive it to school when I was 17. I abused the flathead six until it threw a rod, and then rebuilt and swapped a stock flathead V8 into it. I couldn't trust it to go more than 50 miles from home, and the engine would vapor lock if the temperature was over 30 degrees, but I loved that car.
My second car was my favorite of all time, though. It was a 1960 Thunderbird with a manual overdrive transmission and a Lincoln suspension, with manual steering and power brakes. It was red with a red/white interior. I had it repainted and reupholstered in red Naugahyde. I had it up to an indicated 135 mph once. Many years later I found out that Ford had built 532 of those cars, which are now referred to as "Nascar T-Birds". Ford banned racing in late 1959, so some were bought by privateers and a lot were used by moonshiners. It was low, fast, and had a huge trunk. I knew when I sold it that I should find a way to keep it and store it, but I didn't.
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Circa 1986 Toyota pickup.
Had two of them, wrecked one in a roll-over into a creek and sold the other as having a wife and a kid in a car seat made it impractical as a family vehicle.
Still though loved them. That 22R engine was super reliable, it handled well for a truck, had ample cargo room of course, got better gas mileage than you might think, did not lack for quickness and had really good brakes.
Now that the kids are grown maybe I'll find one in good shape and go all nostalgic and buy it.
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Favorite vehicles of the past.
Only two stand out in my personal history.
A 1970 air cooled VW Beetle. Only had it for a couple years. I still sometimes dream that, somehow, I still have that car.
The Chevy Blazer (S-10 based) that we had for 3 or 4 years in the mid 2000s. Most practical thing I've ever owned that wasn't a mass kid hauler.
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I don't have much history with cars of my own. I tend to buy and keep them for a LONG time...
I have very fond memories about two, though...
My 1977 Ford Maverick with the 302 V8. That thing would hustle. It was a lot of fun.
The other was my 1997 Subaru Outback. It introduced me to Subaru. I kept it until 2011 (bought it in 2001). I'd likely still be driving it had it not really started to wear out... When I got rid of it the engine was leaking oil like a sieve (that was a known problem), power steering was going, AC was going, and one or two other things were wearing out.
Original clutch was still going strong at 173,000 miles, though.
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My first car, a 1979 Olds Cutlass Supreme. Big enough inside to almost lay across the back seat (made in car clothing changes possible without bruises and cussing). It had the V6 engine in a space designed for a V8, so enough room to get in the compartment to do work. Saved my bacon when I got hit by a drunk driver back in 89. Tore the crap out of the Chevette that hit me. The real steel chrome bumper on the Cutlass barely scratched and dented.
Mine was a '77 with a 350.
Its weird to think that my current 4-banger subaru has 1/2 the cylinders, <1/2 the displacement, yet has more horsepower and gets twice the gas mileage.
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I miss the interior space of the older SUVs.
I would love to have a square body Suburban with a modern engine and transmission.
That. They were utilitarian work trucks instead of luxury vehicles that noone takes off roads anymore.
Even the Broncos and Blazers up to the mid-80s had a lot of room.
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That. They were utilitarian work trucks instead of luxury vehicles that noone takes off roads anymore.
Even the Broncos and Blazers up to the mid-80s had a lot of room.
My '89 Bronco had a ton of room, and it was probably the coolest looking vehicle I ever owned (other than maybe my first one, a '71 Mach 1), but I have to say, as a 4x4/SUV, I sure liked both my old Trooper and my current 4Runner a lot better. Way more dependable, zero problems, and actually both more offroad capable than the Bronco was. Plus I've never had to get out and fall on my ass on ice to lock the hubs on either of them. :laugh:
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Hmmm. Honorable mention to our old '84 Olds wagon. Full sized, 5 liter V8, IIRC.
We got it used. It had once, I think the story was, been a State of IL prisoner transport vehicle. Back seat doors wouldn't open from the inside. There was a big steel plate on the back of the font bench seat. And holes in the door pillars where something had been mounted. And a state of IL inventory plate somewhere inside.
That thing was a brute! Like the hammer of Thor going down the highway. Mileage was low 20s mpg. Handled pretty well. It was not the wallowing pig I was expecting it to be.
Alas, it threw a rod sometime in the late '90s.
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When I was growing up we had a 1979 or so Suburban.
I used to sneak my sleeping bag into it when I went on dates... It was more than big enough... >:D
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In the late eighties I had a 1978 Jeep Cherokee Chief, 401 V8 and quadratrac. For as big as that vehicle was, it was the best off road vehicle I've ever used. (And I've driven a few, being in Colorado for 69 years.) Trouble was, when it broke down, it always cost $1000 to get it fixed. Got lousy mileage too, but that 401 just laughed at Monarch Pass.
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When I was growing up we had a 1979 or so Suburban.
I used to sneak my sleeping bag into it when I went on dates... It was more than big enough... >:D
I learned to drive in my parents 1968 Dodge Coronet 500 station wagon. That sucker would get up and fly with the 383 in it. Lot's of room in the back when you put the back bench seat down.
My Mom once apologized that I had to drive it on dates, thinking it was an uncool vehicle. I told it was never a problem, but I never told her why.
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I've had so many vehicles I can't even remember all of them. I've had some favorites, though. I bought the first Plymouth Barracuda that hit W. Michigan in '64. Powder blue, Hurst 4 speed. In 1975 I bought a 74 Cpe Deville. I think that was my all time favorite. Kind of a redish rose color, white padded roof, all leather...every toy Caddy had on that beauty. 78 Audi 5000 was another favorite. We had a white 76 Corvette with red guts that I liked that I got in spring of 77 from a GM exec. That had a crappy carb that needed tinkering with and the mufflers would rot out because they were at an angle and water laid in there and rusted from the inside. It had 1100 miles on it and I paid $7500.00 for it. I sold it in the spring of '83 for $7500.00
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My '72 IH Scout II.
It had the AMC 258 straight 6 and 3 speed manual trans.
Bought in the late '80s while I was stationed at Grotten Ct. Replaced a bunch or rusted sheet metal and freshened up the engine. Made 2 trips back to Oklahoma in it and one trip out to SW Colorado.
Wife sold it while I was deployed to the Med (with my agreement).
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My '72 IH Scout II.
It had the AMC 258 straight 6 and 3 speed manual trans.
Bought in the late '80s while I was stationed at Grotten Ct. Replaced a bunch or rusted sheet metal and freshened up the engine. Made 2 trips back to Oklahoma in it and one trip out to SW Colorado.
Wife sold it while I was deployed to the Med (with my agreement).
Oh man, my Dad had one of those! White over light blue, same engine, same tranny. Thing was a hoot. It's what I learned to drive stick on
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I really enjoyed my '85 Bronco. 351W with a 4-barrel. Reliable, easy to work on if you had to. Not great on fuel consumption.
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In the late eighties I had a 1978 Jeep Cherokee Chief, 401 V8 and quadratrac. For as big as that vehicle was, it was the best off road vehicle I've ever used. (And I've driven a few, being in Colorado for 69 years.) Trouble was, when it broke down, it always cost $1000 to get it fixed. Got lousy mileage too, but that 401 just laughed at Monarch Pass.
My Cherokee Chief is at the top of my list. Mine was a 360 4 BBl. Had that bullet proof quadratrac transfer case with the diff lock in the glove box and that low range lever under the driver seat. Mine was white on green with that Navaho pattern striping. My dad and I went to rescue my sister one time when she got stranded in a bad snowstorm. I got out and walked over a 1/4 mile to check the drifts on the road and make foot tracks in the middle of the roadway that dad could see in the blowing snow. When I got to her I radioed dad at the wheel and he came plowing and roaring through everything including some hip deep drifts and stopped right next to us. Got her and her dog and went back for the car 3 days later. That thing went through stuff that would stop almost anything less than a track vehicle.
I still remember the decal in the glove box next to the big green and red diff lock switch: Warning! Engage only after all other attempts to free stuck vehicle have failed! ...pretty cool...
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I grew up with VWs. My first memory of one was the Beetle we owned while living in Germany in the early 60s. I remember the semaphore turn signals that came out of the door frame area. After that my family always had VWs of one sort or another. My father was a big Westfalia fan, we always had one from the late 60s on, along with a smattering of 411s (the first one imported into the US) and a few Beetles. Even today I am always on the look out for a Syncro Westfalia (4x4) that doesn't cost an arm and a leg + my first born. Not sure I would get it but maybe, just maybe, SWMBO could be persuaded. She doesn't share my love of VWs.
bob
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Looking back, the one thing most of my cars had in common was an interesting engine. In high school I had a '92 Mazda MX3 with a 1.8 liter V6. Loved that car. Handled like a go-cart, and that engine felt the same whether it was idling at 250! Rpm, or wound out to 7000rpm. Smooth like a sewing machine.
Traded that in on my only new car ever, an 01 Mustang GT. That engine was fun if not overly powerful. It was also apparently indestructible. I bought it in April, then did around 150 runs at the local drag strip over the next 5 months. I sold that car with 187k on the clock, and it still didn't burn a drop of oil in between 7500 mile oil changes.
Next was an 03 VW Jetta Gli. That's when I fell in love with their VR6. Great engine. Good sound, smooth, and enough torque that you didn't have to shift out of sixth to pass quickly at any speed above 50. Put 50k on that one in 3 years, then started looking for my VW R32. It took me six months to find it as they were pretty rare to begin with. When it finally popped up, there were only 5 in the country for sale with under 50k miles. I ended up buying it sight unseen from a dealer outside of Chicago and having it shipped across country.
Best car I've ever had. Great motor, known as the Wookie due to its sound. Handles extremely well, and will walk through snow up to around 5" like its dry pavement. It looks small; but was able to fit a 55" TV in the back, and when we went out for dinner last year around Christmas, Joccasse was able to sit his rather tall self comfortably, while my fiancee had plenty of legroom sitting behind him. I honestly have no idea what I'll replace it with as my do everything car when the time comes.
Then there's my 09 Challenger SRT8. Got it last year with 12k miles on it, and have put another 12k on it since. Good looking, comfortable, and has a great engine. I believe it's the last of the old school V8s. No direct injection, no variable valve timing, no cylinder deactivation. It roars when you floor it, burps and snorts when you lift off the throttle. It's incredibly unrefined, and that's why I love it. It's just too bad that it handles exactly like you'd think a 4200# car would. I will however replace it with another Challenger when the time comes, likely a Hellcat though. Charisma for miles with this car; plus I thoroughly enjoy the dirty looks I get from Prius drivers when I'm in it.
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Looking back, the one thing most of my cars had in common was an interesting engine. In high school I had a '92 Mazda MX3 with a 1.8 liter V6. Loved that car. Handled like a go-cart, and that engine felt the same whether it was idling at 250! Rpm, or wound out to 7000rpm. Smooth like a sewing machine.
Speaking of interesting engines...
That wankel rotary Mazda engine. I never owned one but I had a neighbor years ago that had one. Apparently there was some kind of governor that could be disabled? I had a state trooper friend tell me he had one pull away from him once when his patrol cruiser maxed out at 140mph.
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My Cherokee Chief is at the top of my list. Mine was a 360 4 BBl. Had that bullet proof quadratrac transfer case with the diff lock in the glove box and that low range lever under the driver seat. Mine was white on green with that Navaho pattern striping. My dad and I went to rescue my sister one time when she got stranded in a bad snowstorm. I got out and walked over a 1/4 mile to check the drifts on the road and make foot tracks in the middle of the roadway that dad could see in the blowing snow. When I got to her I radioed dad at the wheel and he came plowing and roaring through everything including some hip deep drifts and stopped right next to us. Got her and her dog and went back for the car 3 days later. That thing went through stuff that would stop almost anything less than a track vehicle.
I still remember the decal in the glove box next to the big green and red diff lock switch: Warning! Engage only after all other attempts to free stuck vehicle have failed! ...pretty cool...
Mine was the same. Trouble with that vacuum switch in the glove box was if it went out (mine did) it took the transfer case with it. I was hunting in Crested Butte one year, and stopped in Salida on the way home for a burger. The Jeep was bump steering in the parking lot so I knew something was wrong. Yep, the switch went out on the highway and locked up the differentials. Transfer case had to be rebuilt. Yep, another $1000.
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Mine was the same. Trouble with that vacuum switch in the glove box was if it went out (mine did) it took the transfer case with it. I was hunting in Crested Butte one year, and stopped in Salida on the way home for a burger. The Jeep was bump steering in the parking lot so I knew something was wrong. Yep, the switch went out on the highway and locked up the differentials. Transfer case had to be rebuilt. Yep, another $1000.
Yep. There was another warning decal that said something like Do not attempt to operate on dry road surfaces.
I had a vacuum line go out on mine but had no damage otherwise.
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That wankel rotary Mazda engine. I never owned one but I had a neighbor years ago that had one. Apparently there was some kind of governor that could be disabled? I had a state trooper friend tell me he had one pull away from him once when his patrol cruiser maxed out at 140mph.
Local guy had an RX3 he used to drag race back in the late 1980s. Power from a 13B with a monster peripheral port. Had B&M's biggest available blower at the time overdriven 2:1 and still made only 7-10 lb boost due the the HUUUUUGE amount of air a rotary ingests. Even had zoomies like God and Mickey Thompson intended. Obnoxiously noisy - loudest car short of a top fueler that I've ever heard. Also the hardest launching. Andy would run it to 5000 or so and sidestep the clutch. No finesse, no easing in, nothing. Just BOOM!! and gone. Car was a solid high 10's/low 11's performer but his 60' times were those of an 8/9 second run. If it weren't for the car weighing slightly more than nothing, he would have been trashing drivelines on every run. I saw him rip the bead out of a slick on more than one occasion.
If you were ever around west Texas in the late 80s and saw an RX3 named Banzai, that was the car. (If you don't remember seeing it, you probably remember hearing it.)
Brad