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| Your classic car history | Rating: 
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| Posted: 11-02-2008 08:04 pm |
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1st Post |
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ozzadavies Member 
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For a bit of fun, tell us about your history of classic car ownership. Do you go for looks or performance, style or speed? I'm known for my pencant for giving a home to ugly ducklings amongst my family and friends, so probably wouldn't score too highly on the 'cool' rating...So here goes (links are to examples not actual cars): Car 1: 1980 Suzuki LJ80 jeep (coolness 80%, performance 10%) Car 2: 1978 MG Midget 1500, BRG (coolness 50%, performance 25%) Car 3: 1976 Triumph Spitfire 1500, yukky lime green (coolness 40%, performance 35%) Car 4: 1981 Triumph TR7 conv., nasty burgundy (coolness 10%, performance 20%) Car 5: 1975 Triumph Stag, 3.0 V8 auto, white (coolness 75%, performance 60%) Car 6: 1993 Jeep Cherokee, 4.0 auto (coolness 40%, performance 60%) Car 7: 1972 Ford Capri Mk1, 3.0 (Coolness 80%, performance 50%) Car 8: 1974 Jensen Healey Mk 1, red (coolness 75%, performance 35% - tired engine) Car 9: 1981 TVR Tasmin 280, silver, 2.8i (coolness 35%, performance 80%) Car 10: 1975 Jensen Healey Mk 2, red (coolness 80%, performance 80%) So...that makes me not very cool.
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| Posted: 11-04-2008 03:34 pm |
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2nd Post |
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Jensenman Member
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I lean more toward the handling/performance end of things and I have a habit of implanting engines which were grown elsewhere. My ratings are the reason I bought or built the car. Car 1, white 1968 Spifire Mk III with a 2.0 Ford OHC 4 cylinder. Coolness 40% performance 80%. I had probably 10 other Spitfires with many different mix and match stock/modified Triumph drivetrains, way too many to list here. Currently have a 1980 Spitfire, white/red, with a 12A Mazda rotary and a custom suspension, strictly a SCCA Solo I and II race car. Coolness 50% performance 95%. 1970 Triumph GT6+, disappointing brown color. Coolness 25%, performance 70%, that thing was QUICK! I rescued a 1959? (never was real clear on the year) Herald convertible because I couldn't bear to see it get crushed. I never got it running, I sold it to a buddy who had another one. It was cool in a very quirky way. Coolness 75%, performance 5%. 1972 MGB aqua, the only year for that color and for that reason it got a lot of attention. I started out with the stock 1.8, then swapped a 2.0 Ford OHC in that one as well. Got tired of that, so I built a rather nasty MGB motor. It wasn't really quick but it was fun. Coolness 60%, performance 35%. I had 2 other MGBs but they were 'flipped' to raise $ for my Jensen Healey. 1974 JH5, I had wanted one since high school. Finally got one, 80% cool 80% performance. Another 1974 JH, this one is getting a 13B rotary with custom suspension etc and will replace the Spitfire as my Solo I/II car. Coolness 70%, performance 90%. For some reason (probably pain), I left out my very first car: a 1965 Ford Falcon Futura 2 door hardtop, 3 on the tree with a 200 ci 6 cylinder. It was worn slap out when I got it at age 16 and that was my introduction to a 'rolling restoration'. Every time I got one subsystem working, another would puke. It was without a doubt the most unreliable car I have ever owned and is the only one that ever left me sitting and it did it more than once. BUT- it was a pretty cool looking car. Dark green with a white stripe on each side and a tan interior, it had the 'fastback coupe' rear window. I saw one in Georgia a while back and almost stopped to ask about it. Coolness 30%, performance 20%, outright pain 50%. Last edited on 11-13-2008 10:52 pm by Jensenman |
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| Posted: 11-06-2008 03:43 pm |
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3rd Post |
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Mitch Ware Member 
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I've tried posting my list 3 times, but when I preview it to make sure its right, it erases everything. I've had 20 cars, some sucky, some nice. I'm done wasting time trying to post a nicely formatted list. Mitch #19670
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| Posted: 11-13-2008 09:35 pm |
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4th Post |
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Greg Fletcher Administrator 
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Hey Mitch, sorry to hear about your preview problem. I have no idea why that would happen, maybe the browser is an issue? The cars I've owned haven't been all that exciting, but they were all interesting and for the most part, fairly cheap. I really disliked the Mercedes, I'll never own one again. 1. 1967 Pontiac Firebird contvertible (not my best purchase (GM is my foe), but it was cheap and I was 16. I gave this car away to a friend who later rolled it in a ditch in Minnesota (coolness 40%, performance 90%) 2. 1976 Volkswagen Dasher (my wife's lump at the time, but being that I had to fix it twice a day I began to think of it as my own. Possibly the worst automobile in human history - curse you Volkswagen!) (coolness 0%, performance 1%) 3. 1967 Mercedes Benz 230S (bleh, I hated this thing, mediocre engineering and outrageous cost of parts made owning this about as much fun a root canal) (coolness 6%, performance 40%) 4. 1964 Morris Mini (with massive 34 horse power (not a typo), 848cc engine!) (coolness 45%, performance -10%) 5. 1967 Austin Cooper S Mini (a genuine S with rare options and badges all over the back, I pine for this one every now and then) (coolness 90%, performance 75%) 6. 1984 Jeep CJ7 (what a stupid 4 wheel drive, another lame purchase) (coolness 40%, performance 50%) 7. 1973 Jensen Healey (the best $900 I ever spent on a "real" sports car, lives happily today with new owner in Minnesota, but not the guy that rolled my frst car) (coolness 80%, performance 80%) 8. 1986 Alfa Romeo Spyder Veloce (my wife looked good in this) (coolness 90%, performance 38%) 9. 1992 Alfa Romeo Spyder Veloce (it was only an Alfa, but it was drop-dead gorgeous, had rare optional hard top. This car seemed to impress everyone. Sadly, it lacked essential horse power and it's future with me was doomed. When one sports car had to go, the Jensen Healey stayed and the beautiful Italian was sold off to make way for the Land Rover) (coolness 98%, performance 40%) 10. 1970 Rover 3500 S (P6) Great moments in automotive engineering! De Dion rear axle, inboard brakes and front suspension behind and ABOVE the engine made this a DIYer's nightmare. This was the coveted "S" V-8 with triple hood scoops, out the factory door with a minimum 100 octane rating, those were the days. Had a period ship-to-shore radio phone in it when I got it.) (coolness 51%, performance 90%) 11. 1968 MGB GT (I was going to restore this car, but a German guy wanted it and after all, it was just an MG) (coolness 50%, performance 50%) 12. 1976 Truimph Spitfire (dubbed "mas bueno" this $100 car was given away) (coolness 30%, performance 30%) 13. 1958 Woosley Elf (don't even ask, seemed like a good deal at the time for $60, this car was given away also) (coolness 4%, performance 7%) 14. 1995 Land Rover Discovery (a diamond in the rough, one of the great vehicles of the 20th century, can almost climb trees). Sold to a friend, two years later it burned to the ground at an intersection in Huntington Beach from a mysterious engine fire (strangely, lots of Land Rovers seem to have a mysterious engine fires). (coolness 50%, performance 50%) 15. 1973 Jensen Healey (someone down the street gave this car to me, in boxes, the best car I've ever owned) (coolness 80%, performance 80%) 16. 2000 BMW Z3 Coupe, AKA Snow White's Hearse- nothing ever breaks, gets great gas mileage, peppy with the largest six cylinder that BMW offered, dogs fit in the back, but a tad too small for long trips (coolness 80%, performance 90%) 17. 2002 BMW 325iT (wagon) superlative dog-mobile, does everything well, seems too fast for a wagon, easy to fix in my garage on the rare occasion it needs anything, most parts are so cheap it's not even funny, gets 30mph on the highway (coolness 61%, performance 88%) 18. 2000 Range Rover 4.0 SE, never have so many paid so little for so much. Picked this up for next to nothing off of craig's list- acres of leather and wood, goes up and down just about anything, German engine management control and electronics, parts and insurance less than LR Discovery, dogs love it. As long as you can fix yourself and are not intimidated by the eight onboard computers and finicky climate control system (I laugh at them), makes for a perfect vehicle except for the poor fuel economy in town (coolness 70%, performance 70%)
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| Posted: 11-16-2008 05:39 am |
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5th Post |
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RossB Member 
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I started making my list and realised that with the exception of my Jensen Healey (which I have had for ten years now) my cars have on the whole been very uncool and in most cases also not performance oriented. The exception is my XR8 Falcon which for those of you not from Australia looks like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:1999_Ford_AU_Falcon_XR8_01.jpg and http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:1999_Ford_AU_Falcon_XR8_02.jpg Mine was white. I still miss this car. (coolness 50%, performance 80%)
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| Posted: 05-11-2009 02:15 am |
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6th Post |
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timeforwalkies Member
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Keep in mind what cool is. When your are a teenager your first car is very cool. But things change. 1961: 1955 Ford Fairlane V8. So cool it was off the chart. 1963: 1958 283 Chevy Biscayne. Sweet car and much cooler than the Ford. 1964: Traded Honda 305 Scramble (also very cool) for a 58 4 door Biscayne sleeper. This bad boy had a 62 283 Corvette engine with a single quad and was a GTO killer at least in a half block race. But ugly and not cool at all. Trade it for a bunch of guns, one an M1 Garrand that had been automated. I didn't know that and got arrested at the rifle range when on my first fire it ripped of 7 rounds. Only one hit the target. Sold all the guns, and the Biscayne to by: 1965: Green 1958 348 Impala convertible. Loved this 100% perfect car and kick myself daily, but traded it for: 1966: 1957 Corvette. Dual Quads, Positraction, and scary speed. Some guys drove into the gas station I worked at in Livermore, Ca, and offered a trade on the spot. Had to sell it when I totaled my mothers MG Sedan and could no longer get insurance. Fiddled around with a few cluckers until I found "Black" 1967: "Black" was a 63 Pontiac Tempest with Burgandy intirior. What a girl magnet. Cruising East 14 in Hayward. I was so cool, and it helped me get my first true love. That lasted about 4 months until she found a guy with a better car and a real job. So I moved to Berkeley and became a Hippi with a job When I bought: 1968: "Blue" My first new car, a 1968 Beattle. Again don't forget what cool is. Then performance didn't matter, so I was as cool as you could get. But I was restless, so sold "Blue", my boat, my motorcycle, and everything I owned and split for Europe. Lasted a couple of years until my money ran out and I blew a tendon skiing in Austria. Home now where I went to Canada and met the woman I am still with. Our first car was a: 1970: 1952 Karman Ghia. $200.00 of a not so cool but very functional car. With the spare tire bolted to the roof, seats for sleeping, and a rebuilt engine, we but 20,000 miles on it in Mexico and all over the US. Ended up in Lake Tahoe (Kings Beach), where we got married, got a dog and several other animals and found a need for a bigger car: 1971: 1959 VW Squareback. Sold the Ghia to a kid who promply blew the engine coming down the grade into Truckee. OK so the Squareback wasn't so cool, but it did the job until late 1974. I had gone through seveal jobs, save some money and bought: 1974: Jensen Healy, brand new off the show room floor. What was I thinking? The salesman said it would be a great investment. Had to choose between it, a black JPS Europa, and a 67 XKE Roadster. What a fool, but my buddy had a new 1973 Fiat Spyder and my 74 kicked its ass. Cool then and performance couldn't be beat, at least so I thought. But I still have it with 78K origional miles and a full 2.2 conversion. It sat in the garage for 6 years until I save up enough money and parts to do the job. Worth it? Not really sure, but it is a gas to drive. 90% cool and 90% performance. Last edited on 05-11-2009 02:17 am by timeforwalkies |
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| Posted: 05-13-2009 06:45 pm |
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7th Post |
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marvinm Member
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I didn't consider some of my early cars as classics...although I guess they would be now if they existed... 1978 Pontiac Bonneville - 403 ci w/automatic. Ragged out, but the only car I've ever owned that I could "power brake" and destroy the back tires...Hey, I was 16. Notified we were moving and I'd have to sell it 6 weeks after $350 purchase. Sold it for $700 to some guy who wanted only the engine. Saw body years later in a field. Come to think of it, it's the only profit I've ever made on a car. Coolness: 50% (at age 16) Performance: 90% (again, at 16) 1977 Chevy Chevette aka "'77 'Vette" to those I told about it that never saw it. A lovely shade of, um, light-green...maybe...something like that. Imagine a pear with dents and scratches. Put a good 40000 miles on it in college, after the 100000 it had when I got it. After 10000 with no oil, it didn't make it home one weekend. Coolness: 5% Performance: 5% 1971 Spitfire - Semi-daily driver until I got the J-H. Ugly as sin, but mechanically sound. Coolness: 30% Performance: 40% 1972 Spitfire - Parts car for above Coolness and Performance: 1% (the boot lid and various other parts are in use) 1965 Herald Saloon - Yes, the hard top. Rare, easy to take apart, will figure out how to put it all back together one of these days. I'm considering making this one a plug-in electric car. Anyone know where to find a large LUCAS motor? Coolness: 50% (when done) Performance: 0-40% (even when done) 1972/3 Jensen Healey Mk1 - New owner, new almost-daily driver, remarkable shape, incredible performance...at least compared to the 1200 cc Spitfire. Mostly cosmetic effort required. Definitely the coolest car I've had. Coolness: 80+% Performance: 80% My other daily driver is a 2005 Lincoln Aviator with 22" rims. Cool, reliable, and incredibly, ridiculously expensive. What the heck was I thinking when I signed up for a seemingly perpetual $701/mo car payment????? Coolness: 80% Performance: 81% MarvinM - 10927
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| Posted: 05-26-2009 03:56 pm |
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8th Post |
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Mark Kleimola Member
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Here is my list. Sure brought back memories from the youth .... All good!! 1) 74 Mustang II V6 Blue - Not Cool but first car in HS 2) 78 Datsun 280Z Silver - Real Cool Back Then 3) 80 Camaro V8 Light Blue - Boring Automatic, Not Cool 4) 79 Mazda RX7 Silver - Real Cool 5) 81 Alfa Romeo GTV6 Pewter - Real Cool when running, Money Pit 6) 80 BMW 320i Silver - Cool 7) 74 Jensen Healey Tangerine - Real Cool, Bought in CA, drove home to Michigan 8) 83 Nissan Maxima White - Not Cool 9) 87 BMW 325is Pewter - Cool 10) 85 Land Cruiser 4 Door Silver 4 Speed Shift - Real Cool tank, goes anywhere 11) 75 911s Black Coupe - Ultra Cool 12) 91 Alfa Romeo 164 5-Speed, Silver - Cool, Actually reliable 13) 77 Porsche 911 Brown - Cool 14) 79 911sc Euro Red - Fast and Real Cool 15) 81 Alfa Spider Red - Cool Money Pit 16) 89 Audi 200TQ Pearl - Cool, Fast 4 Door Sleeper 17) 74 Jensen Healey Red - Real Cool 18) 83 911sc Euro Red - Real Cool 19) 93 Land Cruiser White - Cool and a Tank Can’t forget the Scooters… 1) 70's Old Penton 125 2) 78 KTM 250 Enduro 3) 84 Honda Sabre v65 4) 81 BMW R65 5) 66 Ducati 250 Street 6) 84 Honda XR200 7) 81 Honda XL500s 8) 87 Yamaha XT350 9) 94 KTM 620 LC4
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| Posted: 06-02-2009 04:46 pm |
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9th Post |
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rossjfox Member
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Here's my list.... 1976 Cadillac Sedan DeVille - First car in high school. So uncool, it was cool. Performance: 10. But it did have a hugh V8! 1983 Olds Station Wagon - Coolness 10, Performance 10 1994 Isuzu Rodeo - Coolness 20, performed great in the snow! (Ha!) 2000 Honda Accord - not cool, not fast, not fun 1975 Triumph TR6 - coolness 75, performance 35 1999 Porsche 911 - coolness 80, performance 90 (A real machine for the road and the track) 2001 Chevy Silverado - a workhorse 1975 Jensen JH5 - coolness 80 , performance 75 (Performs, but not in the way the 911 does. Somehow provides bigger smiles than the 911 though!! At least in my neighborhood, far more heads are turned by the JH than the 911.) Ross
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| Posted: 08-20-2011 07:21 am |
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10th Post |
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Mason Jones Member 
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Fun topic, old I know but who can resist talking about their cars? 1968 (or so) Saab 96 3-cyl, 2-stroke, FWD: My parents had 2 of these then a later V-4. Fun cars. Saabs were rare then and if another passed you they would honk. I thought they were cool but I was 4. Performance – they raced these! 197? Ford Pinto Wagon: I had to drive this to high school until I wrecked it. Coolness (you’d get ironic points for owning it today) Performance (none). 1976 Plymouth Gran Fury 400ci, 4bbl ex-police cruiser repainted beige: Coolness (it wasn’t the Pinto) Performance (80%) in a straight line. Above 50 or so turning the wheel would simply rotate the orientation of the car rather than alter your trajectory. 1980 Toyota Tercel: First car I bought. Drove it 200k+ miles before the engine gave out. Coolness (30%) Performance (30%). 1970 Olds Cutlass Supreme convertible: The one car I wish I still had. Easily the most beautiful car I ever owned. Coolness (90%) Performance (much like the Gran Fury). 1983 Datsun 200SX: I bought it for $500. It was a ragged out POS. But a very reliable POS. Coolness (5%) Performance (50%). 1972 Triumph TR6: After 3 very reliable cars I guess I was looking for a change. I really wanted a TR250 or a TR4a, the styling was nicer, more classic. Nice car but spent most of its life in the garage. Coolness (70%) Performance (60%). 15 years of boring, reliable Toyotas & Hondas and then… 1973 Jensen-Healey: My wife and I were looking for a 2nd car and she used to have an MGB and the price was right and you can rationalize anything and now it’s in our garage. Coolness (70%) Performance (70%). Coolness will improve with paint! And finally, my secret dream car: Saab Sonnet V4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1968_Saab_Sonett_V4_Coupe.jpg
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| Posted: 01-08-2012 09:00 pm |
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11th Post |
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Jensenman Member
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My other cars over the years? 1971 Dodge Charger. Chrysler products are known for front end parts wearing quickly and this car supported that. No kidding. 318 2bbl, 9 mpg no matter how I drove it. 1978 280Z. Cool and quick. I really liked that car. Gave it to an ex GF to get rid of her, sometimes I still miss that car (but I don't miss her ;-) ). 1971 Porsche 914 1.7. Handled like it was on rails because it was so slow. I think I could outrun it on foot. 1983 VW Rabbit GTi. Fun car but not at all reliable, it has the dubious distinction of being the only car I owned that actively tried to kill me. 1976 Plymouth Arrow. Nice little car, reliable etc. but sort of boring. It would be nice to have a Fire Arrow now, though. 1972 Ford Courier pickup. Nearly indestructible and man I tried. Boring because it was so reliable. 1978 Ford Fiesta. Baby poop brown, I bought it cheap with the idea of flipping it and wound up loving it. Great little car! Quick, handled well, reliable, all around fun. Good car to own when your other one is British. It got totaled from behind by a Buick Park Avenue. Three different Pintos, 1971, 1972 and 1974. I bought them because they were cheap and reliable. All 3 had the 2.0 German motor, the 1971 was surprisingly quick. 115MPH was easily achieved. The '72 was an autotragic and the '74 was smogged to within an inch of its life, thus were not as quick. 1982 Mazda RX7 GS. Raucous and fun! I quickly learned to love rotaries. Followed that up with a '79 that I gutted and turned into an SCCA IT car. 1991 Isuzu Amigo XS. 2.6 with 5 speed and 4 wheel drive. Slow as molasses in February but it had 31 x 10/15 tires, a big brush guard, a light bar with two huge Bosch driving lights, it was some kind of fun! Sold it because it just wouldn't tow anything. 1992 Jeep Cherokee. Sold the Amigo to buy this turd. I detested it. The inside buzzed like cicadas on a cold morning, it would tow 5000 pounds until you had to stop the 3rd time, at which point the brakes were useless. It also wandered, you had to constantly 'chase' the steering. It was impossible to relax on the Interstate. I spent about $1500.00 on all kinds of things trying to fix that and got rid of it when none of that worked. 1994 Isuzu Rodeo V6 2wd. Great rig! It would tow 5k pounds and the brakes would actually stop it. I used this one to bring the Jensen Healey home. I really liked the thing, I sold it only because I found a great deal on my current daily driver, a 1997 Isuzu Trooper. The Trooper is probably the best transportation appliance I have ever owned. Every time I think it might be time to get something newer... nah. It does everything I ask and has never let me down. I have owned a vast number of motorcycles, probably over 100, starting with a 1965ish minibike, then a 1969 Honda Mini Trail 50, progressing through various dirt bikes that culminated in a Yamaha WR400. That thing was scary; 44 HP at 9500 RPM, it weighed ~265 pounds or so. I loved it! Right now I have a 1980 Yamaha XS650 that I turned into a street tracker and I have recently gotten the itch for a dualsport. A buddy has a titled/plated KTM 525 for sale that's looking mighty fine...
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| Posted: 02-05-2012 04:46 pm |
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12th Post |
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Mitch Ware Member
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1: 1963 Plymouth Valiant 2: 1963 Buick LeSabre 3: 1971 Olds Toronado 4: 1968 Buick Special Deluxe Station Wagon 5: 1974 Honda Civic 6: 1980 Triumph Spitfire 7: 1988 Mitsubishi Mighty Max Pickup 8: 1992 Mitsubishi Diamante 9: 1989 Toyota Supra Turbo Targa 10: 1994 Eagle Talon TSi AWD 11: 1995 Nissan Pickup 12: 1996 Nissan Pathfinder 13: 1997 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT 14: 2001 Audi S4 15: 2001 Volvo V40 16: 2001 Audi A8L 17: 1974 Jensen Healey JH5 18: 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 19: 1971 Triumph TR6 20: 2002 Mazda Protege5 21: 2006 Volvo S60 2.5T AWD 22: 1971 MGB/GT SCCA E-Production Race Car 23: 2011 Ram 2500 Diesel 24: 1973 Jensen Healey SCCA E-Production Race Car 25: 2012 Audi A3 TDI 26: 1980 MGB Last edited on 09-17-2014 01:19 pm by Mitch Ware |
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| Posted: 01-28-2013 08:39 pm |
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13th Post |
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answerman Member
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Since I had nothing better to do, I figured I'd resurrect this old thread and put my "few" vehicles in. I've had way too many cars in my lifetime, but here they all are, regardless of whether they have any coolness value (though most of them probably qualify as "classics" now). I'm not bothering with details unless there was at least a little coolness factor. There've been more than a few obscurities in my garage... and for the most part they didn't cost me much, which probably explained why I didn't have most of them long. I didn't have a whole lot of money back in the early years, and as a result I was the "last owner" on a lot of these before they died. Also, the first 20 or so on the list had to serve as my daily drivers, so I was kind of limited in how much "restoration" I could do on them at the time. Here's the list, with the price paid at the time I got them (which gives you an idea of condition) and the year purchased in parentheses. I tried to do the coolness/performance thing but it's a subjective sort of thing (for example I give coolness points for sheer weirdness) so who knows. I've highlighted the ones that actually have some sort of "classic/cool" value, at least in my mind. Because the majority of them don't. 1. 1974 Pinto wagon. $500 (1981). Nuff said. (coolness 10%, performance 10%) 2. 1971 VW Karmann Ghia ragtop. $200 (1981). It was probably beyond hope when I got it, but I gave it a shot. It always ran though. Found out that timing is important... bought it in October and sold it the following March. In Wisconsin. Do the math... I think I had the top down once. (coolness 70%, performance 30%) 3. 1971 Datsun 521 pickup. $800 (1982). Some people are still into these I guess. Custom paint job and interior... very Cali looking. (coolness 50%, performance 30%) 4. 1976 Chevy Monza with the Vega 4 cylinder (1983). Traded the Datsun for it even up. Nothing exciting. (coolness 20%, performance 20%) 5. 1970 Opel GT. $200 (1983). Now this car was fun. Like the Ghia, it was probably beyond hope from a restoration perspective but it was REALLY fun to drive. I had to junk it when the rear suspension mounts basically rusted off the frame. (coolness 90%, performance 90%) 6. 1971 Ford LTD. $75 (1983). Rustbucket but it got me around for a couple of months. (coolness 0%, performance 30%) 7. 1968 Chevy C10 pickup (1984). Traded the LTD for it. See #6. (coolness 00%, performance 10%) 8. 1974 Renault R12. $200 (1984). Quirky to say the least. Blew the head gasket a couple of weeks after I got it.(coolness 40%, performance 40%) 9. 1973 Chevy Vega. $200 (1984). I have to say that they planned ahead on the mechanical design: it was brilliant to have the fuel pump shut off when the oil pressure got low. Which it did, a lot. It was actually pretty reliable as long as I made sure there was oil in it to the tune of about a quart every 200 miles or so. (coolness 20%, performance 30%) 10. 1975 Chevy Monza with the 262 V-8 (1984). $1200. First "nice" car I owned. Quick little thing. (coolness 30%, performance 80%) 11. 1967 Mercury Cougar. $100 (1985). Another rustbucket, but it was one of the original ponycars so that's worth something. Ended up junking it when the electrical system basically fried itself. (coolness 70%, performance 60%) 12. 1973 Datsun B210. $100 (1986). It ran. (coolness 0%, performance 20%) 13. 1975 Fiat 128 wagon. $300 (1986). My introduction to the world of Italian cars. Quirky again. It was kind of fun when it didn't have something wrong with it, and it came up with some very creative ways to not run. (coolness 30%, performance 50%) 14. 1971 Pinto hatch. $50 (1986). Falling apart, but it ran, which the Fiat wasn't doing at the time. Served its purpose for a couple of months. (coolness 0%, performance 20%) 15. 1973 Toyota Celica ST. $300 (1987 - the first time as explained below). Dollar for dollar, I still think this was the best car I ever owned. It had some moderate rust issues, but it ALWAYS ran. I put about 20,000 miles on it before I sold it to an acquaintance for $350. It will fit back into the list between #17 and #18, when I bought it back from her for $150, put some used tires on it, and drove it for another 6 months before I sold it again for $350. I swear it's probably still out there running somewhere. (coolness 40%, performance 50%) 16. 1975 Fiat X1/9. Bought a pair of them for $400 (1988). Stripped all the parts I thought I'd need off of the non running one and sent it to the junk yard. This was the first car I put serious work into, and the first car that I could afford to have as a project while having another car as a daily driver. I had it for a couple of years, and finally just couldn't justify keeping it any more and sold it for $1000. (coolness 80%, performance 60%) 17. 1980 VW Rabbit. $500 (1988). Bought it to drive while the Fiat was stored over the winter. It was ok, though I spent a lot of time cleaning out the fuel system. Lesson learned... never buy a car which has been sitting without a gas cap. Fun to drive though. (coolness 50%, performance 60%) 17(a) this is where the Celica came back into the picture after I gave up on the Rabbit. 18. 1979 Ford LTD wagon. $500 (1989). Bought from a friend to get me through another winter while the Fiat was stored. Caught on fire when the battery worked loose and shorted. Oops. 19. 1973 Ford F100 4x4, 360 V8. $1000 (1990). Bought to pull a horse trailer. Actually a reasonably nice truck for being 18 years old, but was a serious oil burner. (coolness 10%, performance 50%) 20. 1980 Saab 900GLi coupe. $1200 (1990). Oh, I wanted this car to be mine. I tried so hard to get it to be what I wanted it to be, but there was a succession of mechanical issues culminating in a leaking/failed water pump which, if anyone has had the experience, is quite the chore on a 900. I finally threw in the towel and sold it as is for next to nothing. (coolness 60%, performance 50%) 21. 1981 Ford F100, 300ci straight 6 (1991). Traded even up for the 1973 F100. Best damn engine Ford ever made. Neighbor wanted the 4x4 chassis for a project, and I really didn't need 4x4, so we traded. This was my daily driver off and on for a good portion of the time I had it. Kept it for a few years just to have a truck around as a second vehicle. (coolness 20%, performance 50%) (At this point, my financial situation had finally turned around, so I was able to finally afford to spend more on reliable transportation. So, things get more mundane from here, other than a couple of exceptions, and the prices paid were more "normal" so I'll leave them out from this point forward.) 22. 1981 Subaru GL 4x4 wagon (1991). Loved it. Went everywhere. Met an early demise when I went off the road and took out a freeway sign. (coolness 50%, performance 50%) 23. 1984 Honda CRX (1993). This was the most fun since the Opel to drive. Screamin' pocket rocket for its time, and 40MPG to boot. Unfortunately, by this time I had moved into my second career as an electrician, and I needed to have a daily driver truck (I had finally sold the trusty F100 a year earlier) so it had to go after a couple of years. (coolness 80%, performance 80%) 24. 1986 Jeep Comanche pickup (1994). Plain Jane but it did the job. (coolness 20%, performance 50%) 25. 1992 Ford F150 4x4 (1996). Loaded. Really nice truck. First and only time I ever spent over $10,000 for a vehicle. (coolness 50%, performance 70%) 26. 1992 Ford Mustang convertible (1998). My "mid life crisis" car. I changed careers again and didn't need a truck any more for work. I kept this car as first a daily driver, then my wife took it over as her car for a couple of years, and then it served as a second "fun car" for several years. Only drawback was that stupid 2300cc 4 cylinder, which made it a very cool looking but not terribly exciting to drive car. I finally sold it in 2008 when we moved and I couldn't justify keeping it around for the 200 miles a year I put on it. (coolness 70%, performance 40%) 27. 1989 Plymouth Voyager minivan (2000). Hey, I got married and had a couple of kids, ok? It was a cheap interim vehicle for the winter while the Mustang was off the road. (coolness 0%, performance 50%) 28. 1992 Ford F150 2x4 pickup (2000). Bought to replace the minivan as the daily driver. This served me so well that I kept it around for the next 8 years after new daily drivers entered the picture. It was the extended cab with the 8 foot box, so it was huge, but it was great for those times when I just needed a truck to haul something. Finally sold it in 2008 at the same time as the Mustang, for the same reason. (coolness 20%, performance 50%) 29. 1991 Cadillac Sedan DeVille (2003). Oh, this was a nice car. I drove it for a little less than a year and then my wife claimed it the following winter to drive instead of the Mustang. (coolness 50%, performance 80%... this car was really powerful for its size) 30. 1992 Ford E150 conversion van (2003). As nice as the Cadillac, except it was a van. Lots of cross country trips with the growing boys in the back. This was when we became a 4 vehicle family with the truck and Mustang basically becoming "extra vehicles). (coolness 30%, performance 60%) 31. 2001 Ford Escape (2006). Traded the Cadillac in for it when the A/C died and I didn't want to spend a fortune converting from R12 to R134a. Wifey's still driving it. (coolness 40%, performance 60%) 32. 2000 Ford Excursion Limited (2007). Still my daily driver... replaced the conversion van. Just as nice, but with 4x4. Gets about 13 MPG and it's really not politically correct, but I'll cry when it finally dies. Just turned it over 200,000 miles last month and still looks new. (coolness 50%, performance 70%) and of course the reason I'm here... 33. 1974 Jensen-Healey MkII. Currently in the garage waiting for me to find time to start stripping the paint off... as detailed in other threads. (coolness 100%, performance 100%!) Last edited on 01-28-2013 08:50 pm by answerman |
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| Posted: 08-19-2013 08:41 am |
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14th Post |
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Primordious Member
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I'll leave out the pedestrian vehicles. 1978 : 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner 383/auto. Was a one owner car (previous owner was 87 when I bought it) amazing straight line performance, turning and stopping ability didn't exist. 1980 : 1970 Ford Torino GT Convertible 351C4v/auto. Great highway cruiser, weighed about the same as a WW2 destroyer. 1981 : 1970 Dodge Challenger RT 383/auto. Same straight line performance as my earlier Roadrunner, but could actually make turns without sliding off the road in the rain. 1982/83 : 1967 Barracuda 273/auto and a 1965 Mustang coupe 289/auto. This was the point where I found out that once you start driving a car that weighs less than 3000 pounds, you can manage to do twisty turns without soiling your undergarments. 1984 : 1973 Datsun 240Z 2.4L/auto. a fun little car but hampered by the automatic transmission. swapped on some later model 300Z 4 lug 15 inch wheels. 1985 : 1985 GMC Cabellero (El Camino) 4.3L V-6 Business in the front, party in the back... I skipped wearing the mullet haircut though. 1999 : 1985.5 Porsche 944 (non-turbo) 5 speed. Amazing handling, surprising performance with the Audi based 4 cylinder. Complete pain to get in at out of in a parking lot. 2011 : 2010 Challenger RT 5.7L mds Hemi/auto. Best handling "big car" I have ever owned, 390 horsepower, gets right at 25mpg on the highway, runs the quarter mile in 12.62@102 dead stock, it's my daily driver. 2013 : 1974 Jensen Healey #14289. My goal with this is to make it a decent looking (the local phrase is a 10 foot car) weekend playtoy. Only non-stock modification I'm considering right now is a tilt telescope steering column to make it easier to get in and out of the car. The JH is sharing garage space with a 64 Thunderbird hardtop, a 66 Mustang coupe, and a pile of older motorcycles sitting in the corner.
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| Posted: 09-17-2014 08:21 am |
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15th Post |
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Randallclary@icloud.com Member
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This sounds like fun to reminisce. 1968 - 1963 MG Miget - First car I really did any mechanical work - rebuilt engine - I blew the old one up. Coolness 50% - Performance - 20% 1970 - 1968 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe - Broke the timing belt after 1 year. Coolness 50% - Performance 50% 1971 - 1971 Datsun 510 Sedan (orange) - Great car - Coolness 60% - Performance 60% 1973 - 1961 Jaguar XKE Roadster 3.8 - Unbelievable car in Miami, FL. Bought for $1395 and sold 3 years later for $2500. Coolness 90% - Performance 90% 1975 - 1975 Ford Granada - First really family car - Coolness - 40% - Performance 50% 1976 - 1965 VW Bus - 11 window - Great for just being a cool vehicle. Has a bigger engine and a 8V battery on a 6V system. The lights were bright. Coolness 70% - Performance 50%. 1976 - 1968 Jaguar XKE 2+2 3.8 - Burned too much oil and I missed the convertible. Coolness 60% - Performance 60% 1979 - 1979 Ford Escort 2.0 - Great car, great engine, used it for everything Coolness 50% - Performance 70% 1984 - 1984 Isuzu Impulse - Great looking car that was well built, very sporty. Coolness 70% - Performance - 60% 1884 - 1984 Plymouth Voyager - Now have two kids so the little 4 cylinder Mitsubishi engine did fairly well. Coolness 40% - Performance 50% 1994 - 1993 Volvo 240 - Well what can you say - practical, rock solid, but boring. Coolness 40% - Performance 50% 1994 - 1993 Mitsubishi Diamante - Great car with all the goodies and a reasonable price. Coolness 50% - Performance 70%. 2001 - 2001 Lexus GS300 - Great car with great performance - very reliable and still have it. I drive this one. Coolness 70% - Performance 80% 2012 - 2012 Lexus ES350 - Another great car with unbelievable acceleration for a big car and it runs on regular UL. Wife drives this one. Coolness 60% - Performance 70% 2013 - 1973 Jensen Healey #13046 - Have I lost my mind? In the middle of a major restoration. My life has changed forever. If and when I ever get this on the road again, I can evaluate again. Right now Coolness 70% - Performance 50%. I expect that when the restoration is complete, the rating will grange to Coolness 99% - Performance 99%. WE SHALL SEE !!! 11/30/15 - Well 2 years later and about 90% complete with the restoration. Just put the transmission back in today and plan to drop the rebuilt upgraded engine back in this week. 2.2L stroker crank, 104/107 cams, Delorrtto 45's, 10.5:1 racing pistons, and ported rebuilt head from West Coast Racing. New paint and interior.. Hope to have power to the road in January 2016. Last edited on 11-30-2015 07:29 am by Randallclary@icloud.com |
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| Posted: 02-15-2016 11:27 pm |
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16th Post |
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dbeliveau74 Member 
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Here is my list: 1962 Sunbeam Harrington Le-mans white, 1973, very fast high compression motor cost $800 from my uncle who bought it new. 1969 Mach I burgundy, 1975 very fast in a straight line drag, cost $800 1965 Triumph Spitfire black, 1976 to 1986 rust bucket cost $400 did a complete re-design of the body to look like an AC 289 Cobra in Porsche red with alum slotted wheels and BFGs balanced blueprinted the 1100cc motor quick good handling car. 1971 Olds Cutlass Supreme convertible copper, 1977 to 1980, cost $1500. 1980 went into active duty army got married in 1983 came with 3 kids. 1972 MG Midget purple, 1981 cost $700 traded for next one... 1967 Austin Healey 3000 white, 1982 to 1985 cost $5000 crashed it had 3 kids by then and no place to fix it. 1971 Olds Cutlass Supreme Convertible copper clone of the first one but with bucket seats and a complete rebuild 1986 cost $3500 again kids got in the way so we went the station wagon and Wagoneer route for a while then... 1974 Datsun 260 z brown, 1989 cost $500 started a restomod on it but never finished towed it back to NH in 1994 1980 Triumph Spitfire brown, 1997 to 2013 cost $1200 did a complete frame up rebuild 2008 to 2010, 9 to 1 pistons 270 fast road cam, brake upgrade super light wheels w/Michelin 185 70 13s new interior painted Porsche red chrome bumpers can be seen in Spitfire and GT6 magazine. 1994 GMC Yukon 2 door blue 2014 to present cost $5300, 2 in suspension lift a lot of work in this truck very clean 1972 Triumph Stag RHD with Ford 302 red, 2015 to present currently my project car, cost $2500, can be seen at British V8 forum 1974 Jensen Healey 2.2 dell-orto carbs 217 HP Green, leather interior, cost $5000, 2016 to present to keep me on the road in style while I build the Stag then it'll be the Jensen's turn. Attachment: DSC_1088 (600 x 397).jpg (Downloaded 63 times) Last edited on 03-12-2017 09:22 pm by dbeliveau74 |
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| Posted: 06-16-2016 08:48 pm |
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17th Post |
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NJ_Brit Member 
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Ok, here's my list. Some of these weren't classics when I had them, but may be by now... These were a mixture of practicality and necessity (at least in the early days). As an Expat Brit, some of these are UK models. A while ago I set out to see if I had pictures of all of them, and nearly succeeded, save for the first car! They can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1570222463459.2073611.1472410485&type=1&l=0d3ab557c3 1984 Vauxhall Astra L. 1.3L 4 Cylinder. 4 speed manual box. First car, so saw some youthful hi-jinks (like getting her up to 115mph...). Traded for... 1990 Ford Escort L. 1.3L 4 Cylinder. 5 speed manual box. First brand new car, and I basically thrashed it. Made several trips to South of France in her. Traded for... 1975 Triumph Spitfire 1500. 1.5L 4 Cylinder. 4 speed manual box with Overdrive. First car I really worked on (new diff, overhauled air intakes, exhaust replaced, etc.). Barrel rolled her in France avoiding a drunk French Farmer, and totaled her. 1990 Daihatsu Sportrak L. 1.6L 4 Cylinder. 5 speed manual box. Bought to replace the Spitfire. Had the bounciest ride ever. Traded for... 1992 Daihatsu Fourtrak TDX. 2.8L 4 Cylinder. 5 speed manual box. TurboDiesel, so an absolute sloth until the Turbo's spooled up. Used to haul the wine an champagne for my wedding back from France. Sold when I moved to the US. Apparently still in use as a farm vehicle... 1995 Chevrolet Camaro Z28. 5.7L V8. 4 speed Auto. First US Car. Engine to die for, build quality to cry for. Traded for the S2000. 1997 Ford Explorer XLT. 3.8L V6. 4 speed Auto. Wife's first US Car. Rear view mirror had a tendency to fall off. Traded for the Escalade. 2003 Honda S2000. 2.0L 4 Cylinder. Six speed manual. 240hp before I fitted the K&N Typhoon Air Intake. Redlined at 9,000rpm and could do 65mph in second gear. Should have kept her, but the arrival of a daughter meant she was traded for the Genesis. 2003 Cadillac Escalade. 6.2L V8. 5 speed Auto. 345hp and a thirst to match. Quite a crappy interior all things considered. Traded for the R350. 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. 3.8L V6. 6 speed Auto. A blend of the Camaro and S2000. 314hp before I fitted an Injen Air Intake. Current car, and I see no reason to get rid of her. 2008 Mercedes R350. 3.5L V6. 6 speed auto. Replaced the Escalade. All the toys (power headrests anyone?). Mercedes maintenance and repair bills are a bit of a shocker though... Traded for the LR4. 2011 Land Rover LR4 HSE Lux. 5.0L V8. 6 speed auto. Bought second hand, but more or less spotless. 375hp in sport mode is a bit of a handful. 2002 Subaru Forester L. 2.0L 4 Cylinder Boxer. 4 speed auto. Bought when our aging labrador couldn't get into the LR4. 132k miles, absolutely everything works. Now used for dog, building & garden supply hauling. Unbelievably good in the snow. and finally 1974 Jensen Healey. 2.0L 4 Cylinder. 4 speed manual. Just gone past 88,800 miles and the reason I am on this forum. The engine makes it feel like an ancestor of the S2000... Attachment: JH Side Smaller.jpg (Downloaded 102 times)
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| Posted: 03-12-2017 09:24 pm |
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18th Post |
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dbeliveau74 Member
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Here is the Stag Attachment: Oct2016_0042 (600 x 450).jpg (Downloaded 64 times)
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