Posted on 09/08/2017 7:58:09 AM PDT by Army Air Corps
By all conventional measures, it was a terrible vehicle.
It had no power, the brakes faded fast. When you drove it on a crowned dirt road, it would get this weird diverging occilation that would pitch you into the ditch.
But it was simple, easy to repair with tape and a shoelace, and it would absolutely never ever get stuck. What a great car. I often regret that I did not bring it back with me.
I learned much about car repairs with this one, especially master and slave cylinders on clutches and brakes. Losing half the brakes coming back from Malibu on the PCH was one of the more scary moments with this car.
Man would that car go, though. Had dual exhaust with glass packs. Sounded like a real hot rod. I actually got pulled over for not speeding. For noise.
French cars in their element often have that effect on people. They’re just not “right” for the US by and large, but for the roads and environments for which they were designed, they’re awesome, very quirky, but awesome. Despite all that, I’ll own a Citroen DS Pallas one day, make mine black with a tabac leather interior.
The car I loved most was a 1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. It was gold, had gold “trim”, leather, moonroof. I drove it for 13 years. It was almost totaled when it was just a couple years old, when I was T-boned by a big/heavy Jeep Cherokee in downtown, Peoria, IL. I was SO HAPPY, when the insurance for the faulted driver, repaired the car instead of junking it.
I understand what you are saying. I know that I may catch grief for this, but I do have a soft spot for Citroens and Peugeots. There, I said it.
1980 VW Scirocco Champagne edition, great car, crappy body metal (rusts) and oil burning engine that didn’t last.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiL1Jro-JXWAhXMyVQKHSYPBYUQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fforums.vwvortex.com%2Fshowthread.php%3F5360574-1978-Champagne-Edition-II-s-Here-(yes-I-searched)&psig=AFQjCNGaWUdLUTEqlYPAXTgzh-P0_GKXVQ&ust=1504972291037925
1971 Triumph Spitfire MKIV. You want quirks? Own an older model British sports car. But boy, was it fun to drive!
1971 Mustang, my first car. Blue metallic. Was a tin can but I loved driving it. Had a 302 but not the Boss label. My dad loved it too, but after his second ticket he didn’t borrow it anymore!
AHA EXACTLY. My first new car (replaced a 1967 Nova for which the carburetor just shot gasoline anywhere under the hood) was a little red Chevette. Manual transmission, no AC, but I bought it NEW and paid for it myself. I must have bought it in about 1978?
I was a city commuter, with maybe a trip to the Outer Banks once or twice per year. Was probably not very good for someone who did a lot of freeway or long distance driving.
We have a Honda Fit now, and I thought it was going to be similar. Frankly, I liked the Chevette a lot better.
Oh, I am aware of the quirks. “Begone, oh foul spirit of Lucas!” :-)
Back in the 90’s a former business partner had one of those odd, AMC-Renault Premiers, not a pretty car or at least I didn’t think so, but he loved it. It was an exceedingly smooth and quiet car, the French do smooth riding just as well as American cars once did, maybe better since they didn’t get all floaty at speed.
Mine was early 80s - maybe 1983.
Yep ... Spits are great learner cars. Didn't have to deal much with brakes, but axel shafts were my nemesis. Got so good and changing those out, I could do one in less than half an hour.
Oh, these all have their quirks and flaws.
Hondas are slow as hell... but the sounds they make can be like music to the ear. Get a bunch together ? And it’s harmony.
Trucks are my newest thing. Horrible handling, spread-out frames that catch every road flaw and sometimes spooky handling. But what can a truck open to your life ? Lots. Just having a truck has opened me to new experiences with my family.
The E46 BMW is one of the finest cars ever made. But the interior has this fabric that peels worse than a 70s Dodge headliner. It’s quality built, but then it’s not. A mixture of both that make it one of the greatest pieces of european junk I’ve ever owned.
The Porsches are the same. For some reason, I think they are strong and reliable .. but they really aren’t. I dunno how to describe it.
The C4 is rolling artwork. Neat in just about everyway but when it breaks (Which it DOES) I hate it for the rest of the day.
Someone here mentioned Jeeps but they are so simply dangerous and spiteful that I can’t agree. Solid front axles no longer belong on the open road.. not when people are driving faster than ever before, and my family is involved.
LOL!
I had a 1967 Camaro that was my “baby”. The quirky thing about it was it was shift on the column...three on the tree.
I drove the heck out of it then sold it to my dad when I left for Army Boot camp. He sold it later and made a couple bucks. I had hoped he would keep it until I came home and could buy it back.
LOL. In those days Broomfield CO was just an exit on the Boulder turnpike. As I came up to the top of the hill just on the other side I knew the speed limit dropped to 45 mph and the cops loved to radar the hilltop so I downshifted. It was just open country for miles around but as I hit the hill top in third with no accelerator she growled more than a bit. And when I hit the hilltop there he was with his radar but I was right at 45. LOL. He still pulled me over. I asked why and he said, “You were too loud.” I swiveled my head at open countryside and said, “OK”. He just mumbled something about ‘Keep it down” and walked away.
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