What's the automotive skeleton in _your_ closet?

Maria Winslow · **Posted:** Fri Apr 23, 2010 2:53 pm

I could list all the things that went horribly wrong with my 1998 VW Beetle (what can I say, I'm a girl!), but that would only make me mad all over again. Suffice it to say that I will gouge my eyeball out with a spoon before I ever buy a VW again. The whole thing was especially disappointing since I adored the 1970 Beetle I had in high school.

Les, now that I see the picture of you with a mullet, I'm pretty sure we made out in 8th grade behind the Zipper at the fair. Oh, wait, I'm older than you, so that must have been someone else

WalterHouston · **Posted:** Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:58 pm

Les likes older women. :wink:

Les Davis · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 2:04 pm **Posts:** 2059

WalterHouston wrote:

Les likes older women. :wink:

I did date a senior when I was a freshman.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Sat Apr 24, 2010 12:04 am

Les Davis wrote:

WalterHouston wrote:

Les likes older women. :wink:

I did date a senior when I was a freshman.

yeah, yeah my girlfiriend

http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/morg ... 7199/57549

whom i've seen naked.............. :lol:

WalterHouston · **Posted:** Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:27 am

Les Davis wrote:

WalterHouston wrote:

Les likes older women. :wink:

I did date a senior when I was a freshman.

I bet she had an accent and was the foreign exchange student from France! :wink:

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:35 am

Karl Shultz wrote:

I think Remchak wins, on the strength of the Renault Alliance. But Aaron's post really made me chuckle:

Aaron Buckley wrote:

My story is similar. The christmas after my 16th birthday, my dad gave me a car he had been daily driving for a couple of years:

A 1981 Datsun 310GX. He bought it from a woman at work.

My first car was also a 1981 Datsun 310GX. 5-door hatch, blue. Dad bought it new, and I guess it has to be said, it was an excellent, reliable little car. I remember riding in the back of it, all the way from Raleigh to Miami, to go on a family cruise when I was about 10. Raleigh to Miami is a long way to go sitting in the back of a 310GX. :lol:

By the time Dad gave it to me, I don't know how many miles it had on it, but it must have been a lot, since he was driving from Raleigh to RTP in it every day for like a decade. About 6 months into my having it, stuff finally started to go. The alternator (I think) went first, which was expensive, and then the A/C went. I couldn't afford to fix either, and I guess Mom and Dad decided they didn't want to sink further hundreds into a car that was clearly checking out. So Dad picked up a Dodge 600 turbo (which he hated), and I ended up with his 1985 Accord DX. That thing was a good car. Nice to drive, I think it was the first hint of a "fun car" I had. It had a slide-out Sony cassette player, with "Full Logic." Fancy!

Anyway, I thought it was a riot that Buckley and I both started in 310GXs. I haven't seen one on the road in many, many years.

Karl, I think we were separated at birth

Pretty sweet, huh? - AB

George Bright · **Posted:** Sat Apr 24, 2010 10:23 am

Let me start with the more interesting list.
My Dad's cars that I remember.
50 Mercury
MGA
MGB
67 Sunbeam Tiger
68 AMX
68 Datsun 2000 Roadster Solex model
69 Datsun 521 Pick up tricked out
72 240Z
72 Datsun 510 sedans (2) traded the Z when I hit 16 to save on insurance
79 Datsun 310 (2) one for him and one for mother
87 VW Scirocco 16 valve
Nissan 240 SX
Nissan 300 Z
2000 Ford Focus ZX3
2003 Sentra SE-R

My list

64 Datsun 410 1200 cc 3 speed on the column had a hand crank too
69 Datsun 510
68 Datsun 510 ( parts car)
72 510 wiped out by Amtrack
72 510 sold with 237,000 miles on it I put 50k of pizza delivery service on it while I was in college
73 Datsun 1200
81 Datsun 210 has 149,000 on it
89 Mazda B 2200 pick up
00 Ford Focus ZX3 Dad gave me a good deal on it.

WalterHouston · **Posted:** Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:18 pm

George Bright wrote:

Let me start with the more interesting list.
My Dad's cars that I remember.
50 Mercury
MGA
MGB
67 Sunbeam Tiger
68 AMX
68 Datsun 2000 Roadster Solex model
69 Datsun 521 Pick up tricked out
72 240Z
72 Datsun 510 sedans (2) traded the Z when I hit 16 to save on insurance
79 Datsun 310 (2) one for him and one for mother
87 VW Scirocco 16 valve
Nissan 240 SX
Nissan 300 Z
2000 Ford Focus ZX3
2003 Sentra SE-R

My list

64 Datsun 410 1200 cc 3 speed on the column had a hand crank too
69 Datsun 510
68 Datsun 510 ( parts car)
72 510 wiped out by Amtrack
72 510 sold with 237,000 miles on it I put 50k of pizza delivery service on it while I was in college
73 Datsun 1200
81 Datsun 210 has 149,000 on it
89 Mazda B 2200 pick up
00 Ford Focus ZX3 Dad gave me a good deal on it.

Your dad wins. The Sunbeam Tiger and Solex Datsun are way cool. My 200 Roadster had SU carbs.

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

Michael Czeiszperger wrote:

My first car was a 1967 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon which looked identical to this one.

Hate tell you, but that's a 1968 model, just like the URL says.
The 1967's had stacked headlights, which still rock!

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

My list is pretty short:

1966 Ford Falcon Club Coupe

Optional 200 CID "Fairlane" six, 3 on the tree, Mustang under-dash A/C.
Like this, but faded silver-blue with blackwalls. My mom got it new in 1965, sold it to me for $1 in 1978. Immediately regretted trading it on on my next car in 1981, but the day after the dealer said it was already gone.

1981 Ford Mustang notchback
The "same" 200 CID six (less 2 main bearings and 30 hp). 4-speed manual was actually a 5-speed born without a 3rd gear.
Imperceptible acceleration, but at least it tended to lock the REAR wheels under heavy braking and was very easy to spin out. To it's credit, it got me to work and back the day in 1985 that it was -5F and snowing in Raleigh.

1986 Ford Taurus GL V6 Auto.
A LOT faster than the 1981 Mustang, handled better too. Carried everybody's golf clubs, back when I played a lot. After 4 months, developed a nasty rod knock, engine was replaced, things were never quite the same after. AXOD died at 55K, replaced under extended warranty. Clearcoat failed around 80K, traded/disposed of at 105K.

1984 Honda Civic S (red over silver)
First autocross car. Much slower than the Taurus (at the end of the front straight at Roebling - a very unstable 93 mph), but more fun to drive. Two ES championships, then Mark Senior bought R-Comps for his ageless FX-16, and I was undone. Sold it for cash to a local Honda dealer.

1990 Ford Mustang LX 5.0. White. This is probably the finest example of a pony car, ever. Reputed to be unstoppable.

1995 Ford Taurus SHO 5-speed - like this sans sunroof:

For three days, I was atop the automotive world. I had a 5.0 Mustang AND an SHO. Then the crankshaft position sensor started rubbing the timing belt, 10 hours of labor (on Ford, since it was brand new) to fix that. But it was red and the Yamaha V6 screamed. Over the years, it was a money pit. Lesson - never buy a limited production ANYTHING from Ford. They will charge you an arm and a leg for replacement/service parts, and then to rub it in, discontinue the valve adjustment shim kits just before you need them.

2000 Maxima SE automatic
When I gave up on the SHO, this was on the lot at Atlantic Auto Exchange. It was a nice car, but no soul, and the trunk was too small.

2007 Mustang GT
I'll have to bring this car out to an autocross sometime

1995 Ford Taurus GL
Another 1st gen Taurus? This was my father's last car. A steady stream of age-related small problems so far, but it has a factory replacement AXOD and runs well. Good for commuting and keeping miles off the newer Mustang.

WalterHouston · **Posted:** Sun Apr 25, 2010 9:32 am

Arthur McDonald wrote:

My list is pretty short:

1990 Ford Mustang LX 5.0. White. This is probably the finest example of a pony car, ever. Reputed to be unstoppable.

.

I know they had brake problems and didn't always stop. It used to worry me at the drag strip. Usually, I was so far ahead I could turn off before they got to me.
:wink:

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