Posted on 09/08/2017 7:58:09 AM PDT by Army Air Corps
And now, for something a bit amusing for a Friday. This is a call to all automotive enthusiasts, motorheads, car nuts, etc.
I ask the following question: Of all the vehicles that you have driven, what car (or truck) have you owned that you loved in spite of its faults, quirks, and foibles? As a follow-up question, what made that flawed vehicle so endearing to you?
Ping.
1975 Ford Custom 55 with the V-8 Cleveland engine. Huge land yacht that road down the road like being on a cloud.
Called it the ‘Blue Beast’!
http://momentcar.com/ford/1975/ford-custom-500/
Custom 5oo
My very first car was a used 1981 Buick Regal. What did it have wrong with it? It would be easier to tell you what worked.
Ah, but did you love the car in spite of its obvious shortcomings?
1st generation Scion xB.
It is the most useful car I’ve ever owned as a daily driver, and I’ve owned 30. I bought it new for $17k in 2006. It now has just shy of 200k miles on it and runs LITERALLY like new.
It will seat four six foot men comfortably. I’m 6’1” with more leg than torso and when I push my seat all the way back, I can climb in behind the driver seat and my knees have a couple of inches of room between them and the seat. It’s absurdly huge for passengers.
It also gets great gas mileage (I have the stick) and handles acceptable (but not as good as my Scion FR-S)
Sadly, I hit a deer a couple of years ago and kept the insurance money since the thing had 150k on it and the $3600 was better spent on other stuff. It means the exterior looks rather trashed. I replaced one of the headlights that was shattered with an aftermarket led row light. Works fine and definitely makes the car look quirky.
My wife hates it because it’s embarrassing for her to drive. I think it has character. :)
Any Jeep...from the older CJs to the more recent JKs.
Admittedly not suited for everybody, but they make me happy :)
Oh yes, I loved it. I guess everybody loves their first car.
I once had a little blue fiat that I l loved but alas it developed electrical problems and burned to the ground.
99 Jeep Wrangler... with or without the top or doors.
If I had to explain, you would not understand.
Mrs. AZLiberty loved her Aztec Gold AMC Pacer until its transmission was taken out by one of those raised-dome left-turn lane dividers that must have been subsidized by AAMCO. We have fond memories of a long camping trip across Canada, sleeping in the back of the Pacer, and taking walks with our Siamese cat.
“Oh yes, I loved it. I guess everybody loves their first car.”
Oh, I agree completely. One of my friends had a used (and HOW!) 1980 Oldsmobile sedan for his first car. It handled like a pig and its acceleration was measured in geologic time, but he still thinks fondly of that behemoth.
I ask the following question: Of all the vehicles that you have driven, what car (or truck) have you owned that you loved in spite of its faults, quirks, and foibles? As a follow-up question, what made that flawed vehicle so endearing to you?
___________________________________________________
1990 Plymouth Acclaim V6.
This car had a Mitsubishi engine and transmission which both needed rebuilding or replacing every 100,000 miles or so. But it was QUICK. Awesome fast, and comfortable and easy to drive. I had this car for about eight years, then sold it to my brother who also enjoyed it for another 7 or 8 years.
Despite being a Chrysler product with a Mitsubishi engine and drivetrain - this was a great car.
1976 Ford Mustang II, my first car, bough for me by my dad. Slow as molasses, the engine had been replaced with one from a later Mustang, still 4 cylinder but for some reason it wasn’t very well matched for the manual transmission. It ran well but was s-l-o-w. Nice clean, pretty car otherwise. Hated it at the time, couldn’t wait to get rid of it, and when I did, my dad wanted it and bought it back from me. He drove it for years. It finally died, wasn’t worth repairing, he cried when they towed it away. He’s gone now, too. What can I say, I was young and stupid, and took a lot of things for granted. He said he was afraid I’d kill myself in a faster car, might’ve been right. Now, when I see one in that certain medium shade of metallic blue, not such a frequent thing anymore, they’re beautiful and I want one.
1963 300SL. Cream with red interior.
Terrific, for the day, straight line acceleration, but a terrible rear suspension design (quite similar to the VW rear swing axels) that could induce throttle-off oversteer.
I finally flipped and rolled it at ninety MPH at the top of Carmel Hill. But the thing was built like a Panzer and I walked away, mostly, unscratched.
But what a babe magnet. It was too bad I was married when I owned it or it could’ve been put to great use in that role.
Land Rover Discovery.
Thing would go anywhere.
But it was in the shop so often that I kept all my personal belongings in a box to move between my car and the various loaners provided by the dealership.
My first car was a ‘68 Firebird with a 400 CID and a Muncie m-22 trans. I loved that car even though it had drum brakes.
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