Vehicle Discussion

ursen

Officer SOE/LoE/Where's "here"?
I was thinking the other day about all the vehicles I have had over the years, mostly 'Murican, the ones not were a 66 VW bug, a '73 VW bus, and a 2002 Subaru. With a few exceptions there have been no lemons, the exceptions were the 66 VW bug, a completely miserable Mercury Lynx, and a Chrysler PT Loser, er Cruiser. Precious few GMs in the list, a '66 Corvair, a 98 Pontiac Grand Am, and a97 Cadillac Eldorado. One brand new one, a '73 Hornet Hatchback that I dearly loved, we later had an AMC Concord that was a similar line of design mechaniclly. Too bad AMC is no more. I always have made fun of Ford, and my Dad hated them, but all three, a Tempo, Ranger, and F150 were all good vehicles with thier own strong points. The PT Cruiser was not an example of how miserable Chrysler is, I had two 1973 Newports which were good cars, and possibly the most comfortable, just look out for fuel mileage. One 1974 Dodge Dart which I used for a pickup truck hauling firewood. It just refused to start one morning, even replacing the ballast resistor didn't help. The Plymouth Horizon I learned to do body work on, and gave good service. Say what you will about American cars dark period, approximately 1970 - 1995, they have been good. That said if I had to replace my 2002 Subaru Outback, and my 2007 F150 today, and could afford anything it would be a 1 year old Subaru Outback, and a 1 year old F150 extended cab 4x4 V8 basic trim. The Subaru can climb an ice covered tree, and wonderfully reliable. The F150 has bags of room, reliable, and can carry a lot of stuff. Just give me 40 acres to turn it around. Too bad the air cooled VW bus is no more, lot's of room and lots of fun. All that said what is your favorite make? If moneys were no object what would you get for your daily driver?

edit: For funsies, and cheap too, I would add a Ural motorcycle, Patrol model with the driven side hack. I could drive it in most weather.
http://imz-ural.com/2015-patrol.html
 
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i love urals :D

I've had an 87' blazer - 2wd model and it was actually a champ in the snow and ice. I loved it! dad started using it more but I might get it back soon.

I'm currently driving an 85 300D Mercedes that is also a lot of fun. in-line 5 with turbo! the non-turbo versions are absolutely terrible and it does take forever and a day to warm up. But its still fun. I've wondered about selling it to try and get an 85 plasticky camaro. I've always wanted one >_<

that an the corvair I think would be a lot of fun.

My wife is driving a 2010 malibu which has been super reliable. Great vehicle so far. I don't like the turning radius though. Like I feel I've driven my parents suburbans and Yukons and gotten better turning radius.
 
Okay so if money were TRULY no object, Tek and I would both be cruising around in Teslas. ;) More realistic-ish choices, when I was car shopping last time, I would have gotten a new Subaru Outback if I could afford it. Now that I'm more into this mom thing though, I seriously fantasize about having a Honda Odyssey minivan haha. :)

My first car was a 1990 Acura Integra. I dearly, dearly loved that car and drove it for a good long time (even though it was over 100k miles when I got it). My wonderful parents surprised me with a 1999 Toyota Solara as an early graduation gift for optometry school. That was in 2007, but it was like brand new to me. It was a great car, low miles, loaded with options, smooth ride, reliable. Didn't handle like my little Acura though ;) and the visibility was not great. And it did not play nice with car seats (not to mention it was a coupe). Since I needed a more family-oriented car, I got a 2007 Honda CR-V about 2.5 years ago. I'm enjoying it a lot.
 
I should remind you Tek I said
what would you get for your daily driver?
If my back pay ever comes in I will get a Ural Patrol. Everybody needs a Russian copy of a 1941 BMW military side hack motorcycle.
 
Okay so if money were TRULY no object, Tek and I would both be cruising around in Teslas. ;) More realistic-ish choices, when I was car shopping last time, I would have gotten a new Subaru Outback if I could afford it. Now that I'm more into this mom thing though, I seriously fantasize about having a Honda Odyssey minivan haha. :)
My wife and I have a stationwagon and no kids yet, but we figure that our next car will be a minivan. haha

We currently have a Daewoo Nubira wagon and love it. Not exactly a powerhouse, but we pulled 35mpg when traveling across the state recently. It's actually the first car I've ever owned (having always taken the bus and walked in the past). Love having a wagon for carting gear (music, camping, etc.) around.

Would get behind the wheel of a Tesla in a heartbeat if money were a non-issue, at least until we need something bigger for kids. The Audi electrics are no joke, either.

Of course, I'd love to have a Nissan GT-R for funsies, but that's way, way out of the realistic range. Also, it'd get me into trouble.
 
I'd like a Chevy Volt

Currently have a 02 venture that's just past 200k and owes me nothing. An 04 trailblazer that we have had for 3 years and only put 6k on it b/c of tranny issues. Van looks horribad but is reliable(ish), TB looks great, I'll be pulling the tranny out for the third time soon(tm).
 
Would get behind the wheel of a Tesla in a heartbeat if money were a non-issue, at least until we need something bigger for kids. The Audi electrics are no joke, either.
The Teslas have an option for a 3rd row, and the 3rd row is rear-facing so actually even safer for kids who are no longer in a rear-facing car seat. ;)
 
I should remind you Tek I said
If I had a $90,000 Tesla, I'd be driving it every day. That counts as a daily driver, right? :)

But seriously, I <3 my 2014 Ford Fusion Titanium so far. I thought I wanted more storage capacity or crazy good gas mileage, but it turns out I wanted another black car with black leather interior and a bunch of creature comforts (which makes my new car the spiritual successor to my old car, a 1997 Nissan Maxima SE).

Of course, I'd love to have a Nissan GT-R for funsies, but that's way, way out of the realistic range. Also, it'd get me into trouble.
I'm daydreaming about driving a $90,000 car that's built out of electricity and the dreams of nerds throughout history. I think you're safe to indulge in eyeing a GT-R for the purposes of this thread. :)
 
First car I ever owned was an 1976 Ford Gran Turino with a 351 V8. I traded that for a 1974 Ford Mustang with a 305 V8 then later traded it for a Chevy Cavalier with a 2.0L 4 banger. It was a sad sad day I choose not to remember.

My dream car would be a 1976 Corvette. (Incidentally, a family we stayed with for a Mission's Conference last year had one in their garage that the husband let me drive. It was amazing!)
 
First car I ever owned was an 1976 Ford Gran Turino with a 351 V8. I traded that for a 1974 Ford Mustang with a 305 V8 then later traded it for a Chevy Cavalier with a 2.0L 4 banger. It was a sad sad day I choose not to remember.

My dream car would be a 1976 Corvette. (Incidentally, a family we stayed with for a Mission's Conference last year had one in their garage that the husband let me drive. It was amazing!)

You traded the Mustang!?!? I just don't know who you are anymore Wolfeman, unfriend!, UNFRIEND! :p
 
My last 2 cars have been Subaru's: a 2005 Outback Sport and now it's predecessor, a 2014 Crosstrek. I had to trade the Outback Sport in because it had a manual transmission and I had difficulty with the pedals after my latest foot reconstruction. But even with the automatic in the Crosstrek, there's still problems. As such, I don't drive the car much. But yes, I'm a Subie lover and have always said if Subaru made a truck, I'd buy it. And it would have to be a real truck, not the Baja.
 
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You traded the Mustang!?!? I just don't know who you are anymore Wolfeman, unfriend!, UNFRIEND! :p

I had to. The rear axle was about snap in half and I couldn't afford to replace it. This was high school and my income was a bit limited. They didn't pay "living wages" to McDonald's workers back then.
 
I had to. The rear axle was about snap in half and I couldn't afford to replace it. This was high school and my income was a bit limited. They didn't pay "living wages" to McDonald's workers back then.

I dislike that term, living wage, so much >_< my co-workers who are all dual income with car payments and over-sized houses all complain that they dont receive a living wage >_<


But I totally hear ya. I picked up an 87' K-10 suburban, that was pretty darn beat up. But it had 120K original miles on it. But my wife didt realize that the transmission was having a leak and just gave it more gas to make it roll and I eventually had to sell it with a bad transmission T_T

I love the older stock suburbans, they rolled so luxuriously and smooth.
 
I dislike that term, living wage, so much >_< my co-workers who are all dual income with car payments and over-sized houses all complain that they dont receive a living wage >_<


But I totally hear ya. I picked up an 87' K-10 suburban, that was pretty darn beat up. But it had 120K original miles on it. But my wife didn't realize that the transmission was having a leak and just gave it more gas to make it roll and I eventually had to sell it with a bad transmission T_T

I love the older stock suburbans, they rolled so luxuriously and smooth.
Bugger for you, the 4L60 transmission is so easy to remove and rebuild. Its also one of the most bullet proof trannys out there.
 
My first car was a 1959 Ford Fairlane Galaxie 500. I bought it in 1968 with money I'd saved from mowing lawns for years. I couldn't wait to dump it for a slicker 1966 Olds Cutlass that I drove until the transmission dropped out of it in 1974. By then I was married. My wife had an Olds 88 her father gave her that died that same year, so we bought our first car together, a 1974 Ford Pinto Wagon. I still laugh about that car, but it took us to New York and Colorado. We finally gave it to a kid needing a car in 1986.

We've had a brand new 1977 Jeep Cherokee - the older big body rascal; a used 77 Impala; and a series of used Bonnevilles - 3 all together - we loved those cars.

My favorite car was a 1982 Jeep CJ7 my wife got me for our 25th wedding anniversary in 1998. California is perfect weather for a jeep. I took the top off the first day of spring in March and it stayed off until the week after Thanksgiving. Rain is so rare here that the bikini top I keep stashed under the seat is plenty of cover. I drove that thing everywhere. Last year the carburetor died and it has been setting until I come up with an extra $400 to repair.

Right now we both drive VW's. My wife drives a 2011 Jetta and I drive a 2015 Golf. It is very different from my CJ7, but I like it. We are definitely VW people now.

If money were not an issue, my dream car would be an Audi R8 Spyder for snazzy, or an A8 for down to earth driving.
 
Lots of Jeeps of various years and modification around here, but although one would be of help on my hill, and I would like to try one, I just have to stick with the better utility, and equal gas mileage of a 4x4 F150. Mixed feelings on the Pinto. Just about the time we got married my better half had a clip job Pinto, 71 back end, 72 front end, and I helped put in a 73 engine. It rode like a buckboard, rattled like a coffee can full of bolts, blew the brakes 3 months after we got married, and got wonderful gas mileage.
 
I should remind you Tek I said
If my back pay ever comes in I will get a Ural Patrol. Everybody needs a Russian copy of a 1941 BMW military side hack motorcycle.

how hard do you think it would be to attach a side car to a ninja 250?

Bought one a couple of months ago and it really is a lot of fun in town but was thinking it would definitely be... unique if it had a side car :)
 
how hard do you think it would be to attach a side car to a ninja 250?

Bought one a couple of months ago and it really is a lot of fun in town but was thinking it would definitely be... unique if it had a side car :)

A trailer would be epic, lol
 
Sidehack on a Ninja 250? What is the frame like? And can you get a super light weight hack? Also the steering geometry would be a problem. Maybe not impossible, but a lot of work. Might talk to light weight hack makers.
 
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