To All the cars i've loved before (with apologies to Willie Nelson)

General Discussion
1

To @MG McAnick- This is in response to your request in the Leno thread:

I’m afraid that after my prior experiences with the used car market, I pretty much stuck to buying new cars. Here’s a list, with commentary where appropriate:

1962 Olds Jetfire- This was the “family car” I took over when I got my drivers license in 1968. Perhaps the best thing I can say about this car was that it was responsible for me learning how to rebuild automatic transmissions.

1968 Dodge Dart GSS with a 383 V8. This is a car that should probably have not been built. The brakes were marginal, and the understeer was worse than on any other car i’ve ever driven.

1972 Audi 100LS- Whoever thought that putting the disk brakes next to the engine was a good idea needed to go back to school.

1950 Chrysler New Yorker Sedan- This was a trip back in time that i purchased in 1973. L-head straight 8, fluid drive, and a 4 speed semi-automatic transmission.

1960 Chrysler 300F- A shorter trip back in time purchased in 1974. This was one fast, aggressive car. The Astrodome instrument panel was space age and would look contemporary today.

1974 Olds Cutlass Salon- nice car. Despite what the ads claimed, Mercedes didn’t need to fear the competition.

1975 Olds 98 Regency- One of the two best cars I’ve ever owned. Definitely the plushest, with an acre of crushed velour upholstery.

1978 Chrysler LeBaron station wagon- A good, workmanlike vehicle.

1981 Chevy Citation- the less said about this POS the better and one of the two reasons I will never own another GM car (the 62 Olds above is the other).

1983 Renault Alliance- French engineering with AMC build quality. What could go wrong? (the answer is EVERYTHING)

1986 Chrysler New Yorker Turbo (the little, “E” body car) Fast little car, but squirelly electronics.

1987 Plymouoth Caravelle (another E body)- Kept this car for 13 years and 140,000 miles, a record for me.

1966 Chrysler Imperial Crown- purchased in 1996 with 30,000 original verified miles. Intent was to restore and hold, but i was forced to turn it into a daily driver for a 170 mile round-trip commute. The best, most comfortable car i’ve ever owned.

1963 Lincoln Continental Convertible- Still in my garage, hasn’t been driven since 1985, and i’d give it free to a good home, as i was never attached to it.

2000 Chrysler Concorde- A surprisingly nice car

2004 Chrysler Pacifica- Also a nice car

And the current car is-

2008 Chrysler Pacifica- Nice car, squirelly electronics (the more things change, the more they remain the same).

Ultimate dream car- a fully restored 1957 Chrysler 300C.

I think it would be fun if we all shared what our roster has been.

2

I ll start with my newest and work back…

1963 Lincoln convertible…? :slight_smile:

1990 jeep Cherokee- still learning as it s my first 4wd. my current ride. I like it. solid. simple.

1975 ford ranger f100 supercab- great engine, 360, but pretty far gone when I got it. just can t let go of it.

3 cougars-88, 87, 97-great cars. my better halfs rides

1975 f150 explorer supercab. - great truck! 390 motor was a beast!, many trips to Massachusetts from lower Delaware, never broke down. structure was rusting and I let it go. the motor lives on in a tow truck.

1987 or 88 dodge colt. pc of junk that just would not die. mixed feelings

1980 mustang-str6- solid car

1979 mustang 5.0 L- gift from uncle out of pity. good car, I was too young and inexperienced to keep it going. was vandalized while it was being stored

my first car was an old Honda civic which was condemned upon inspection. sold to me by rednecks who surrounded and threatened me when I tried to talk to them about it. but my uncle felt so bad that he gave me his old mustang above.

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oh yeah, dream car. late 1966 olds 442 with w30 package. my dads car that he ordered from the factory and got upon leaving the navy

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The simplest, sturdiest, most all around durable car I ever owned was a 65 Pontiac Tempest LeMans 2 door hardtop, small V8, automatic. Bought it in 1974 for $300 because it ran terrible; replaced the spark plug wires and points, etc., and it ran great until I slid off a snowy road and ran head on into a tree.

5

1961 VW Beetle… HS car
1964 Ford Fairlane, my first car in the military. My first year in, I was on training bases and we were not allowed to have cars.
1972 Vega - liked the car a lot, but got rid of it immediately when the rear axle came out of the housing
1976 Corolla - as absolutely dependable and reliable as a car can be. But ultimately too small for a growing family.
1979 Toyota pickup - great truck
1982 Honda Civic 4-dr - totally dependable, but once again too small for a still-growing family
1986 Toyota 7-passenger Van - great for a growing family, a really weird design with the engine in the middle and the driver sitting on the front axle
1989 Toyota pickup - a legend in my household
1993 Mazda MPV V6 - good vehicle, but the V6 engines had a design defect.
1995 Saturn - junk
1991 Camry - good car, gave it to my son
2005 Corolla - good car, but rode like a rock with seats designed by Beelzebub.
2005 Scion tC - hopefully will last the rest of my life .

I’ve probably forgotten one or two, but that’s a pretty complete listing.

6

Doc I think there were times we lived in parallel universes. We’ve had a few similar cars. I still have a '64 Chrysler 300, not a K car but a 383. I’ve had it for 20 years or so. All of the cars I’ve owned that I really liked were a little on the odd side. My '61 MGA is the long term winner at 45 years and counting. I have five MGBs as well, in various states of disrepair. I’ve also had a pair of '50 Nashes for over 30 years. I had a '64 Olds 98 about 15 years ago. I drove it to work some, but the MPG was dismal. I bought a parts car to go with it, but didn’t use many of the parts. I sold both of them to a young couple with enough kids to fill the back seat, four across. They sold the running car to a young man who wrecked it. I happened to come along shortly after the accident. He didn’t know about the parts car. Soon both of them were in his yard, and the wreck was fixed. We also had an '87 Turbo Chrysler. Mine burned up when a fuel line burst and sprayed hot gas onto the turbo. Chrysler had a recall on the issue a couple of years later. I drove a '50 Dodge with the fluid drive transmission for the job I had in high school. Then I sold my boss my Hudson Hornet and drove IT to deliver prescriptions around my home town. I bought it back for $5 a couple of years later. I sold it for $100 and got it back for free when the owner got tired of it.

I can’t possibly list ALL of the cars I’ve had. There are too many to remember. My favorite car of all of them used to be a 1997 V-8 Taurus SHO. Dang it was nice, comfortable, and FAST. I drove it as our family car for about four years. The idiot girl I sold it to totaled it the first night she had it. It’s favorite-of-all-time status may be replaced by the 2008 Impala SS V-8 I’ve been driving for the last couple of months. It does everything the SHO did, only better, on regular gas, and less of it.

Now where do I need to come to pick up that Lincoln Convertible? Send me a personal message to keep the vultures at bay.

7

Oh boy again, can’t remember.

60 Morris Minor pile of junk
59 VW Bug with sun roof and heater (T boned and totaled)
59 Pontiac Catalina
68 Dodge Dart GT 318
74 Olds Cutlass
61 Corvair
67 Buick mid sized wagon with the vista view top
73 Lincoln Continental
81 Olds 88 Broham diesel
86 Buick Park Ave
86 Buick Riviera
89 Buick Riviera
95 Olds Aurora
08 Acura TL
09 Pontiac G6
12 Acura TL

But then I have to add the memorable cars my folks had that I drove

58 Chevy Wagon
61 Chevy wagon
61 Mercury
60 Ford Falcon
61 Stude Lark

Anyway those were my favorites and I loved to make them shine

8

you have enough cars mg…

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Being somewhat frugal, I’ve had fewer cars: (1958-2014)

  1. 1948 Chevy Stylemaster Deluxe. Great heater and very reliable for its time. College car.
  2. 1957 Plymout flathead 6. Worst car ever! College car second time around.
  3. 1965 Dodge Dart V8. Bought new with HD everything. My courting and honeymoon car. Very special memories.
  4. 1966 Chevelle Malibu V8. Neat car, but met an untimely end in a winter crash
  5. 1971 Mercury Comet 6. Good car but rust prone. Gave to mother-in-law.
  6. 1976 Ford Granada with 351 Windsor V8. Good power, but weak suspension.
  7. 1977 Dodge Colt/Mitsubishi Lancer. Kept till parts no longer available. Cheapest car to run up till then.
  8. 1984 Chev Impala V8. Good trailering car; took us all over N. America
  9. 1988 Chevy Caprice V8. Good highway car but fuel system unreliable.
  10. 1994 Nissan Sentra. Sold 2 years ago; most reliable car up till then.
  11. 2007 Toyota Corolla. After 7.5 years still no repairs or breakdowns
  12. 2012 Mazda3 Sport. Wife’s car and in “velocity red” turns a lot of heads. Like the Toyota, dead reliable.

Car I loved most was the Dodge Dart. Car I disliked most was the 1957 Plymouth.

10

I think I got them all. I loved or at least liked all of them except my Wife’s Chevette.

VEHICLES I HAVE OWNED OVER THE PAST 49 YEARS

1954 Chevrolet 4D 235cu in I6 3Spd M/T

1949 Chevrolet 5 window P/U 216cu in I6 3Spd M/T

1960 Rambler American 2D 195cu in I6 3Spd M/T

1963 Pontiac Bonneville 2D Convt. 421cu in V8 4Spd A/T

1963 Ford Galaxie 4D 352cu in V8 3Spd A/T

1960 Rambler Custom 4D 232cu in I6 3Spd A/T

1957 Chevrolet 2D 235cu in I6 3Spd M/T

1955 Chevrolet Belair 2D HT 283cu in V8 3Spd M/T later on, 327cu in 4Spd M/T
conversion

1938 Ford Coupe 2D 221cu in V8 3Spd M/T

1960 Chevrolet Impala 2D HT 348cu in V8 3Spd M/T

1965 Honda Scrambler Motorcycle 305cc twin 4Spd M/T

1960 Austin Healey Sprite Mk 1 Roadster 948cc I4 4Spd M/T

1963 Chevrolet Impala SS Convt. 2D 327cu in V8 4Spd M/T

1961 Ford Econoline P/U 327cu in (Chevy) V8 4Spd A/T (Far from stock)!

1960 Chevrolet 2D Sedan Delivery 235cu in I6 3Spd M/T

1963 Ford Galaxie 2D HT 406cu in V8 4Spd M/T Later on 427cu in conversion

1960 MGA Roadster 1588cc I4 4Spd M/T

1966 Triumph Bonneville Motorcycle 650cc twin 4Spd M/T

1962 MGA Coupe 1622cc Mk II I4 4Spd M/T

1952 Dodge P/U 235cu in (Chevy) I6 3Spd M/T

1971 Chevrolet Vega 2D Hatchback 140cu in I4 4Spd M/T

1971 Ford Mustang 2D 250cu in I6 3Spd A/T

1971 Ford Mustang Mach I 2D 351cu in 3Spd A/T

1979 Chevrolet Chevette 4D ? cu in I4 4Spd M/T Came with Wife!

1975 Chevrolet Nova 2D 262cu in V8 3Spd A/T

1979 Lincoln Versailles 4D 351cu in V8 3Spd A/T

1985 Ford Crown Victoria 4D 302cu in 4Spd A/T

1966 MGB 2D Roadster 1788cc I4 4Spd M/T

1967 Ford Mustang 2D Fastback 289cu in V8 3Spd A/T

1981 Yamaha Motorcycle 650cc twin 5Spd M/T

1966 Chevrolet Impala 2D HT 283cu in V8 2Spd A/T

1976 Plymouth Volare 2D 225cu in I6 4Spd M/T

1981 Mazda RX7 2D Hatchback 12A rotary 5Spd M/T

1991 Jeep Cherokee 4D Hatchback 4.0L I6 4Spd A/T Select Trac 4WD

1981 Fiat Bertone (X19) 2D 1.5L I4 5Spd M/T

1996 Mazda Miata 2D Roadster 1.8L I4 5Spd M/T

1999 Subaru Outback 4D Hatchback 2.5L Flat4 4Spd A/T

1991 Mazda RX7 2D 13B rotary 5Spd M/T

2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse 2D Hatchback 2.4L I4 5Spd M/T

2010 KIA Forte SX 4D 2.4L I4 6Spd M/T

11

Holy cow Sarge, whattaya own a used car lot?

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my goodness sarge!

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My favorite ? That’s easy. Mentioned before, my 1982 Rambler Classic with seats that made into a bed. Because I was the youngest of four boys, I got to drive the older bros. Triumph sports car, Classic 29 Nash and Corvair Monza convertible. What ever my brothers wanted to give up to get my car for the weekend. So, my one car became several !

14

Jeeze, sarge, havin’ trouble deciding?

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Bing I have never sold used cars as a business. Back in the 1960s to early 1970s good condition used cars just seemed to seek me out. I would buy with the intention of keeping them but then someone would offer me a substantial profit. The profits accumulated and I could buy more. Starting with the 1985 Ford Crown Victoria a few were purchased new.

16

Can you send me some of your luck?

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dagosa My 1960 Rambler Custom was not a contemporary “cool” car but was 100% reliable and got excellent fuel mileage. It got me around and fetched parts when my hot rods were broke. I can’t believe my puritan like parents gave their teenage son a “lay down” Rambler. I missed seeing a lot of drive in movies! It was also quite capable off road when the drive in movie was closed.

18

I dunno, my friend’s folks in high school had a Rambler and we had a 61 Merc. When we would double date though, we’d take the Merc. I guess things were a little different for us back in the 60’s.

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1950 Chevrolet (uncle sold it to me $15 bad transmission)
1949 Chevrolet $100
1936 Chevrolet $35 sold it when it wouldn’t start one day. I really enjoyed it.
1953 Chevrolet that car survived my insane years. Once hit 96 indicated on a long hill, tweaked. Put in rebuilt motor and transmission and took it across US to Ft. Lewis
1967 Chevy II
1965 Dodge
1965 Bel Air
1966 Chevrolet with 396 and Positraction, worthless on snow and ice.
1969 Dodge
197? Ford
1978 9 pass. Pontiac Wagon
197? Datsun worst car I ever owned, every dollar of gas meant a dollar of repairs.
1988 Nova (Toyolet, great car, went well over 200,000 miles junked out because couldn’t get good parts)
1986 Pontiac 9 pass. wagon
1989 Dodge Caravan, last Chrysler I expect to owned
2002 Sienna, best car by far I ever owned. 206,000 miles on it. Runs great.

Those are the cars I have owned as best as I can remember. The only ones I really cared for were the 1936 Chevrolet and the current 2002 Sienna. To me, cars are transportation, no more, no less. Sienna has original CV joints; original exhaust system; original shocks and struts; wheel bearings (though one is getting noisy.) My SIL installed racing rotors last brake job, after I complained about brake fade near Puebla, hadn’t had fade in years.

20

the same mountainbike Sorry. I think that “luck” had ran out around 1980.

Bing I was talking about the 1960s. My parents gave me the Rambler in 1967 when they bought a new Bel Air of course it was a 4 door but I was shocked that it had a 327 4bbl. I was not talking about double dating. wink! wink!