# Favorite car/truck



## begreen (Sep 12, 2012)

I've had some good cars. Only a few were unusual, but they were all special to me. The best were:

1956 Packard with very low mileage. Advanced technology and in great condition. Should have hung on to that one.

1994 Jaguar Mark X - biggest that Jaguar made and a dream car to drive

1966 Barracuda Formula S, made in Canada and set up for road rally in the UK. Many fine trips and memories there

1966 Volvo 122S wagon with p1800 OD transmission. Strong vehicle that I kept for years

1981 Honda Accord - first new car, with many trips and good memories

1993 Subaru Legacy wagon - just a fun car to drive and loved the snow


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## smoke show (Sep 12, 2012)

86 c10 slammed 4-6/ 355 4 bolt/ keystones/ edlebrock/ crane/ hooker/ phantom grille/shorty headers/ too much to remember...

All done by me.


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## jharkin (Sep 12, 2012)

begreen said:


> 1981 Honda Accord - first new car, with many trips and good memories


 

A (used) 1983 Honda Accord was the first car I ever owned in high school/college. I beat the heck out of that car drove it all over the east coast in all kinds of weather. Burned out one clutch, learned about car repair fixing everything and anything on that including said clutch. I almost totaled it senior year and my dad and I rebuilt the entire front end using salvage panels from the junk yard and having a friend of my fathers who owned a body shop weld on a new front end. The car was 4 different colors by the time I was done with it.

That car was not the bullet proof Honda we think of today... I think it stranded me at least 3 times on the side of the road (twice for carburetor problems) and I was always working on patching rust holes with bondo or fiberglass... I think half the rocker panels and floor pan was fiberglass.  I also have memories of doing crazy stuff like replacing the fuel pump in the dorm parking lot in the snow so I could drive home for Christmas break.

Still loved it though.


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## MasterMech (Sep 13, 2012)

First vehicle I owned

1991 GMC S-10 ext cab 4x4, Z Code 4.3L V6 TBI 4 speed Auto, digital instrument cluster
- driving too fast one spring day and the wind was blowing snow over an otherwise clear road. Lost control and hit a cherry tree @ 40MPH. Walked away thankfully.

1984 Nissan Pickup, Z24 4cyl 2bbl vacuum secondary and a 5 spd.
- 90 HP, wouldn't get out of it's own way but would go _anywhere_ due to the short wheelbase and 4WD. Jeremy, I spent a few cold days under this truck in a dorm parking lot as well. Yeah, the fuel pump was responsible for one of those too. 

Skip over my:
1997 Chevy S10 Ext Cab
1987 Ford Mustang GT 

and get to .....

My current daily driver

2005 GMC Canyon Crew Cab Z71 4x4, 3.5L I5 4L60E Auto

I bought this truck at a time in my life when I still wanted a pickup that would haul my ATV and take me and my friends out at night, but didn't want a full-size. As I've grown, and my hauling needs have too, the truck has been faithfully and reliably growing with me. I have hauled countless pieces of lawn equipment, firewood, dirt, mulch, etc with this truck and routinely have it loaded to it's limits. It also occasionally tows small trailers loaded to around 4000lbs. It's gotten to where it's going to need some front end work soon but in over 100,000 miles I can honestly say I have not had to replace any major components and it still starts and drives as well as it ever has.

But my absolute favorite is my Dad's old 1989 Chevy K3500 pickup. 454 (7.4L), TH400 trans, extended cab, single rear wheels (no duals). I learned to drive in that beast. It was our family vehicle as well as a working truck that hauled our 20 ft gooseneck aluminum stock trailer (and few others) loaded with my 4-H animals cross-country. I remember hauling livestock, feed, groceries, my girlfriend, you name it in that truck. Drove it through the pastures or 18 hrs to visit family in Indiana.  Hey, gas was cheap back then, lol.  It actually got decent mileage for the engine that was in it.  Couple times we flirted with 15 mpg on long highway trips.  Must've been a good tail wind, lol.  We bought it in 1992 and I think Dad finally traded it in during 2003 with over 160K on it on it's 2nd transmission and 2nd coat of two-tone blue.


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## rottiman (Sep 13, 2012)

40+ years of driving have had too many great vehicles too remember. Current ride, Chrysler 300 limited, is really sweet, last of the full sized, rear wheel drive and it gets 31 mpg. Being 6'2" and 280 lbs. it offers the comfort and safety as you cruise down the road.


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## firefighterjake (Sep 13, 2012)

1987 Subaru GL: The thing was a mutt of a dog -- looked ugly and had very little power . . . but when engaged into 4WD (this was before Subbies went with AWD) it would go anywhere and like Christine -- this car would not die. I drove it until trading it with my Dad who then sold it to a kid who eventually wrapped it around a tree sometime in the early 2000s. In between that mishaped lump that looked like a melted chocolate bar took out not one, but three deer . . . and kept on going.

1981 Chevy Malibu: Probably my favorite car of all-time. I traded my Subbie with my father for this car. A former state trooper's vehicle it had a great weight to power ratio with a V-8, 350 cubic inch engine in what would now be considered mid-size body. I had more fun with that car . . . both as a sleeper since it looked pretty sedate . . . and in coming up behind folks only to have them slow down immediately as the car looked like an "undercover" police cruiser (undercover in those days simply meant no light bar on top). I still think of how much fun this car was . . .

1992 Jeep Wrangler: This, coupled with my father's past experience with a Dodge Omni and Dodge Aspen, soured me for years with any Chrysler product. This "trail-rated" vehicle was a piece of doggy doo. It often seemed to be in the shop more often than out. No space for storage. Rode like a Flexible Flyer Wagon. Gas mileage was terrible. Handling stunk in the snow unless you had it in 4WD and then it was marginal. Seemed like my wife or I was always cold . . . summer or hot (partly my fault since I took the top off in the Summer though and the nights could get cool). That said . . . I still enjoyed driving it . . . when it was running . . . I miss the "Jeep Wave" and its cornering ability. A fun car in the Summer . . . again . . . when it was running. Only vehicle I've had that has a) blown an engine at only 30,000 miles, b) died going through a mud puddle and c) had the windshield wiper motor fail. I sold it eventually for a more reliable vehicle.

1997 Toyota 4Runner: Only had this one for a few years until I saw a newer 4Runner with more bells and whistles. Only vehicle I've ever traded in before paying it off.

2000 Toyota 4Runner: A good vehicle for me for the time . . . until the rear end started leaking and the cost to replace it was a bit steep for my liking, giving the age . . . plus times had changed and for hauling my ATV and firewood around a full sized pick up made things a lot easier than hitching up the trailer. The 4Runner was pretty decent -- I really liked the fact it was a standard . . . which is pretty much imposible to find nowadays in a SUV. Really under-powered though with a V-6.

1995 (?) Toyota Celica: I cannot remember the exact year of this vehicle. This was a second vehicle . . . a "beater" car that I bought to commute back and forth to work to save on gas and wear and tear with the 2000 4Runner. I later found out that the Celica is/was a "girl's" car . . . but honestly it was a lot of fun to drive . . . wicked reliable . . . and fantastic on gas. I only got rid of this car when the local garage said it was rusting out pretty badly and the cost to have them repair the rust was more than the car. When I went looking for a second vehicle I actually considered getting a newer model of the Celica . . . even though I knew my male buddies would make fun of me for driving a "girl's" car.

2003 Honda Accord coupe: So far this car has been wicked reliable . . . it's not really much of a dazzler even though it serves its purpose as a commuting car . . . I figure I could have always done worse . . . but when I get ready to sell this one . . . hopefully after many, many more miles (156,000+ and counting with no major repairs) . . . I think the next car will be a more fun car since I'll be close to retiring and should be about due to have my mid-life crisis.


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## Jags (Sep 13, 2012)

1974 Dodge dart 340 - quick car
1976 Two door fast back Valarie (dodge) - slant 6 - slow but unbreakable, the car had its own instinct and was usually correct.
1977 - Chrysler Cordoba (360 V8).  Could run over a VW bug and think it was a speed bump.  Cruiser.
1978 - Dodge Ram charger - millitary model - 440 V8 with big lug tires and the strangest transfer case, ever.  2 hi/4 hi - 2 low/ 4 low.  Low range would still offer 45 MPH speeds.  Weird, but an awesome go anywhere truck.  I could (and did) pull start a loaded, dead Semi truck.  Fully removable top with factory roll bar.
1992 Dakota - 4x4 extended cab - 318 V8 - very trustworthy and reliable. Sold at 210,000 on the odo.  Still running to this day.
1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee. - good vehicle.
1999 - Dodge Ram 4x4 - 318 V8 - Big blue.  Been in pics hear on this site. (current)
2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee - small V8 - Sure footed billy goat with decent haul capacity.(current)

Toys - 1959 Jeep FC150 (worlds ugliest vehicle)
1973 Dodge Challenger (started life as a 318, but built more like a 340 now)
1955 Packard 400
1956 Packard Caribbean (convertible)

Of all the past vehicles (and there are more not listed), I miss the old Ram Charger the most.  It was simply an unchallenged beast for brawn and ability. Go topless and it was a blast.  Wanna go 4 wheelin', drop it in low.  With the ability to spin the large tires clean of mud no matter how hard it was pulling was priceless.  When mudding - I was the tow truck to pull the rest out.  Man that thing was wicked for a factory truck (military spec'd).  Got it from a forest preserve in MO.


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## smoke show (Sep 13, 2012)

firefighterjake said:


> 1981 Chevy Malibu: Probably my favorite car of all-time. I traded my Subbie with my father for this car. A former state trooper's vehicle it had a great weight to power ratio with a V-8, 350 cubic inch engine in what would now be considered mid-size body. I had more fun with that car . . . both as a sleeper since it looked pretty sedate . . . and in coming up behind folks only to have them slow down immediately as the car looked like an "undercover" police cruiser (undercover in those days simply meant no light bar on top). I still think of how much fun this car was . . .


 
I'm jealous. My buddy had an 80, I think? That effer was fun! I want one...


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## Delta-T (Sep 13, 2012)

hmmmm.....
84 Chevy Citation: threw connecting rod...kept driving it, sounded tough, drove like crap. $100
82 Ford Escort L Hatchback.....enough about that one $100
86 Ford Tempo GL: blew head gasket-swore off Fords for all time! $100
72 Super Beetle (x2) + 67 Beetle: bought all 3 together for $500, cut the 67 into a sandrail, sold it, rebuilt the 2 supers, and sold them +$2000 and them bought...
85 Saab 900S (4 Door)...bestest car I ever did own, mostly cuz it had character...lots of it. Drove it for 10 yrs..over 385K (2 broken odometers). Still miss that car.
91 Saab 900S (3door): faster than 85, leather and all, but not quite the 85 in charm.
99 Saab 9-3 SE (5 door) Turbo: much faster than the other 2, kinda nice, cept for the GM-ness of the ride (Chevy platform modified)..had weather band radio in it...pretty cool.
and today I have 08 Ford Escape....you guessed it, I had to unswear off Fords for all time...is not so bad a car/suv...kinda miss manual transmissions (VW-Saabs all manual)...really miss weather band radio and heated seats of Saab. 

Would like to own a Dodge Super B, Saab Sonnet III, or a Bugatti , an old one...


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## Seasoned Oak (Sep 13, 2012)

Custom Chevy van complete with bar,bed,& stereo to die for. Gets the most fun in vehicle award.
Also Corvett,Harley semi chopped, Chevell Hi-perf. String of lesser vehicles.


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## Delta-T (Sep 13, 2012)

I was also technically the owner of a 1967 Camaro, that was my mom's car, she sold to me, it was in storage at my uncle's place and needed some work, I never got around to it, so I sold it to him, and he rebuilt it and sold it. Would like to have that one back...it wasn't very fancy, straight 6, blue, but 67-69 had great body lines. Am I the only one who has difficulty discerning some GTO's from Lemans models? That one gets me every time. Now I just mumble the 2 names together when I'm not sure.


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## fossil (Sep 13, 2012)

Oh hell, over the years I've had 25 cars/trucks from 10 different manufacturers (foreign & domestic), and 6 motorcycles from 5 different manufacturers.  Included in that mix were 3 station wagons and 7 pickups.  A few of the more memorable ones were: 1945 Ford Army Jeep, 1956 Chevy school bus, 1951 MG-TD, 1973 Karmann-Ghia, couple of Mercedes, couple of Porsches, Jaguar XJ-6, 1928 Model A P/U, 1936 Ford P/U.

But my very favorite vehicle I ever owned, hands down, didn't even have wheels.  It was a little hydroplane that I built for myself when I was in High School.  Rick


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## Delta-T (Sep 13, 2012)

fossil said:


> Oh hell, over the years I've had 25 cars/trucks from 10 different manufacturers (foreign & domestic), and 6 motorcycles from 5 different manufacturers. Included in that mix were 3 station wagons and 7 pickups. A few of the more memorable ones were: 1945 Ford Army Jeep, 1956 Chevy school bus, 1951 MG-TD, 1973 Karmann-Ghia, couple of Mercedes, couple of Porsches, Jaguar XJ-6, 1928 Model A P/U, 1936 Ford P/U.
> 
> But my very favorite vehicle I ever owned, hands down, didn't even have wheels. It was a little hydroplane that I built for myself when I was in High School. Rick


love the Ghia, am jealous of your "poor man's porsche".


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## daveswoodhauler (Sep 13, 2012)

Funny thread - man, I had some boring cars:

First:
1978 Subaru DL - Was a hand me down from my sister as she bought a newer car. Best thing about this car is that it could climb the steep dirt hill behind our church (dirt trail) and was only fwd. For the 2 weeks I had it the brakes were starting to go, so my buddy and I got pretty proficient in doing police skids using the ebrake into the school parking lot. (We go there real early as my aim wasn't too good)

1980 Ford Fairmont - Had for about 1 month before someone Tboned me and totalled the car....dad found out and the first question he asked is "how is the car?" lol...my mom asked "are you ok?) Car had no power, and would only burn rubber in reverse, lol.....remember leaving rubber on several of the new driveways for a new housing development under spec

1985 Ford Escort wagon - Yup, the complete car for cruising and picking up chicks, lol...seems like many already had kids or were pregnant, not sure why  Again, car had no power.....remember going to Beach Week the week after I graduated with about 25 cases of beer in the car. (no lie) My buddy was like "drive faster, we are going to get pulled over for driving too slow"...car wouldn't go more than 55 mph on Rte 495, lol

1987 Ford Escort GT - My first real car....had a pullout CD player instaled with kicckers in the back and a 100 watt amp under the seat.....thought it was fast until tried to race my buddy in his Baretta GT and figured out I just had another Escort

1988 Jeep Wrangler - Fun to drive, however as Jake mentioned a problem car....wouldn't run in the rain/damp weather.....windshield leaked, etc....still a fun ride with the top off and doors off

1994 Ford Escort Wagon - My first new car - I was into camping and mountain bike racing, and coulnd't afford a real suv, so I bought this baby new with a 5 speed manual....actuall reall miss that car as it was pretty nice.

2002 Subaru Forester - Was a good car until the rust around the windshield got so bad and I had to get rid of it....kept it for 10 years and it never stranded us once

Current ride is a 2012 Outback 6 speed


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## fossil (Sep 13, 2012)

Delta-T said:


> love the Ghia, am jealous of your "poor man's porsche".


 
That car was fun.  I have an old friend who has made a career for himself over the decades with a foreign (mostly German) auto repair business in California.  While I was deployed to the Western Pacific one year (circa 1978), I left that car with him for a few months and he built a really strong Porsche 356 motor and put it in that Ghia for me.  Pretty much doubled the original HP.  What a blast that car was after that.


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## Delta-T (Sep 13, 2012)

fossil said:


> That car was fun. I have an old friend who has made a career for himself over the decades with a foreign (mostly German) auto repair business in California. While I was deployed to the Western Pacific one year (circa 1978), I left that car with him for a few months and he built a really strong Porsche 356 motor and put it in that Ghia for me. Pretty much doubled the original HP. What a blast that car was after that.


<--double jealous now...did he leave the 4 spd in it, or did he find a 5 spd from a 912/914 to go in there? Always wanted a 5th gear, not that the cars would have done anything with it...just wanted to keep shifting.


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## fossil (Sep 13, 2012)

Delta-T said:


> <--double jealous now...did he leave the 4 spd in it, or did he find a 5 spd from a 912/914 to go in there? Always wanted a 5th gear, not that the cars would have done anything with it...just wanted to keep shifting.


 
Original VW transaxle.


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## DexterDay (Sep 13, 2012)

Had several 99-01 Ranger 4x4 ext cabs (3 of them/ 2 totaled)
99 Chevy S-10 Extreme w/ 4.3 H.O. air locker, and several sets of rear tires 
91 Nissan 240 SX (340,000 miles) w/ 5 speed. Fun liitle rear wheel drive that got 29 MPG....
Bunch of other randoms, Blazer, Grand Prix, Escort GT , Bronco II, little Kia , 

Although I want a new Super Duty Diesel, my Current truck has been my favorite. 03 F-150 FX4 SuperCrew w/ 5.4L and a 3" Body and my current car is a Silver 2011 Focus (over 110 mile round trip to work ) my Wife has the same car but Metallic Grey. B

My favorite "Ride" is my Chopper. Dixie Chopper


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## smoke show (Sep 13, 2012)

fossil said:


> 1956 Chevy school bus


 please explain.


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## lukem (Sep 13, 2012)

Two of my favorite memories.

1989 Ranger - 240K miles.  Power nothing. 4cyl.  No radio.  I'd say it put about 40HP to the ground.  I drove it every day like it was a stock car and it never gave up.

1992 Mazda B2200 - That truck was a total POS, but I learned a ton of wrenching skills from it.


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## fossil (Sep 13, 2012)

smoke show said:


> please explain.


 



'nuff said.


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## Backwoods Savage (Sep 13, 2012)

One of my favorites was a 1952 Willys car. They did not sell many cars but they were really nice. Got great gas mileage too with overdrive. Also one time had a Ford Fairlane 500 but don't remember the year for sure. Seems like maybe a 56 but don't remember. Then there was the Dodge van that I customized and that was a dandy. It might be scary to count up all the cars and trucks I've had over the years...


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## jharkin (Sep 13, 2012)

Reading this thread I see a lot of long histories and a lot of interesting/unusual cars... cool stuff..

My vehicle history is a lot shorter.

1983 Honda Accord (1993)
First car was the '83 Accord I mentioned above. Dad bought it for me when I was a junior in high school. All of 72 hp 4 cylinder, 5 speed. I drove that thing from 120k to 185k or so before it rusted out so bad in the rear that it wouldnt pass inspection and we had to junk it. Along the way I almost totalled it, replaced the clutch, wheel bearings, all the breaks, couple shocks, fuel pump and had the carburettor rebuilt twice. (carb job was the only thing I ever had a shop do).

1987 Dodge Charger (1996 ?)
Second car was the first I bought myself. Junior year of college and dead broke I paid $200 for this car with a set of snows and 220k miles (!). This was the 1980s hatchback charger that was based on the Omni and had absolutely no relation to the old Charger muscle car. There was a Shelby Turbo Charger that actually moved pretty good but this was the plain vanilla version, a 90hp iron block slant 4, 4 speed manual. It had a bit more power than the Accord but in every other way felt like a step down... unvented solid disk brakes, simple trailing beam rear axle, crap vinyl interior, gauges that never worked. This was one of the last carburetor cars but it actually had a computer controlled auto mixture carb... but even so was nearly impossible to start in the winter and I burned out the starter twice. I also had the shift linkage break on the road once and I jury rigged it back together with cable ties for a 200 mile road trip before getting the part to fix it. This was another car that I did all kinds of work on including new struts, bearings, brakes, etc. but surprisingly for an 80s Chrysler product it kept going and going and I sold it off around 250k.

1987 Honda Accord Hatchback (1999)
Another cheap buy. Another small step up in power to a 110 hp 4 cylinder. Manual 5 speed. But being a Honda and having a nice suspension, good brakes and real electronic fuel injection this car felt like a hot rod after the Dodge. Trick 80s pop up headlights, AC that never worked. Like the previous 2 cars this one stranded me once - starter motor. I ended up selling it in 2003 for $500 bucks to a guy and then a week later it had a complete electrical system failure and died 

2003 Acura RSX Type S
This is still my daily driver and the only car I ever bought new. Probably the best driving FWD car I have ever driven. 200hp 2.0 I4 naturally aspirated 8000rpm screamer. No turbos, but the Honda iVTEC variable timing works very well and even though its not very tourqey the torque curve is dead flat and it pulls all the way to redline with a bit of a kick at 6000PRM when it switches to the hot cam. Smoothest shifting 6 speed manual I have ever driven. I have a second set of wheels with Goodyear F1 rubber for summer driving that makes it corner like a go-cart. Respectable mid 6 second 0-60 while still capable of 30+ mpg if driven moderately. Bulletproof at 9 years and 90k miles, only had 2 issues to date -a bad secondary O2 and a blown power lock actuator, both of which were easy DIY fixes.Only things I don't like about it is that its not RWD and the seats are uncomfortable on long distance trips.

Sadly, sooner or later this needs to get retired for a family hauler.

2008 Honda Pilot
My wife's car, bought CPO. The baby hauler. Big, reliable, comfortable, and drives well now that I replaced the crappy OEM tires with better Michelin LTXs.


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## begreen (Sep 14, 2012)

We are currently running a 2006 Prius which I like, but have some strong reservations about in the drivability dept., a 1997 Honda Oddysey that is a great 7 person transporter, a '94 Ford Ranger pickup with only 54k miles currently and a 1995 VW Eurovan Camper which is underused currently, but I hope to change that soon.


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## Elderthewelder (Sep 14, 2012)

My 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner with the 440 dual quad set up  and Hurst pistol grip 4 speed


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## fossil (Sep 14, 2012)

Elderthewelder said:


> My 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner with the 440 dual quad set up and Hurst pistol grip 4 speed...


 
I remember this picture from a long ago thread.  That's on some Naval installation somewhere, ain't it?  Man if I'd had a car like that in the early 1970's I'd probably still be in jail, or still dead.


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## fossil (Sep 14, 2012)

Elder, there's a UFO in that picture.  Twelve O'Clock high.  Looks like an alien spacecraft, no doubt photographing that top secret military installation.  You need to get this photo into the hands of the proper authorities ASAP.


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## Elderthewelder (Sep 14, 2012)

fossil said:


> I remember this picture from a long ago thread. That's on some Naval installation somewhere, ain't it? Man if I'd had a car like that in the early 1970's I'd probably still be in jail, or still dead.


 

NAS Whibey Island (circa 1985), yeah had some good times back then in that car, sold it dirt cheap when i transfered overseas, kick myself in the ass everytime i think about it
if you look to the right you can see Mt Baker


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## Elderthewelder (Sep 14, 2012)

fossil said:


> Elder, there's a UFO in that picture. Twelve O'Clock high. Looks like an alien spacecraft, no doubt photographing that top secret military installation. You need to get this photo into the hands of the proper authorities ASAP.


 holy chit batman that is the first time i even noticed that ( serious) have no idea what that is


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## MasterMech (Sep 14, 2012)

Jags said:


> Toys - 1959 Jeep FC150 (worlds ugliest vehicle)
> 1973 Dodge Challenger (started life as a 318, but built more like a 340 now)
> 1955 Packard 400
> 1956 Packard Caribbean (convertible)


 
I don't see anything...... this must not have happened.


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## velvetfoot (Sep 14, 2012)

I liked my last two cars, a 2000 VW Beetle TDI (diesel), and my current car, a 2008 MINI Cooper.  I like hatchbacks - they can hold a pretty good amount of stuff with the seats down.  The Cooper handles well, even with the skinny tires.


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## Jags (Sep 14, 2012)

MasterMech said:


> I don't see anything...... this must not have happened.


Well, ya all have seen the jeep.  I don't think I have any of the Packards, but here is one of the challenger:


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## Pallet Pete (Sep 14, 2012)

1979 GMC Sierra Grande That thing was a heave heavy heavy truck ! When I got it it was so badly rusted that I used stove pipe to fix the missing floor boards as well as the door skins. Yup black Stove pipe. The Motor just would not quit on that truck 350 v8 when I finally sold it the mileage was 456000 miles and not one lifter rattle or for that matter any bad engine noises. I should have kept that old truck !  The person I sold it too drove it into a bridge pillar at 90 mph after falling asleep behind the wheel 3 weeks after he got bought it from me. He lived the truck well its a truck no more and the pillar still has a huge chunk missing from it.

Pete


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## Flatbedford (Sep 14, 2012)

I have owned a couple 1987 Subarus, a '94 Nissan Sentra (retired at 265K) and currently drive an 06 Ford Focus. I bought a all these to drive to work, but my heart has always been in my Ford trucks.
First was an '83 F250 4x4 300 six that a bought in 1990.




My second and favorite of all time was the '96 F250 that a bought new. 4x4, 351, 5spd. I had to wait almost 3 months from the time I ordered it to take delivery.








I sold the '96 in '08 to buy the '00 F250 in my sig.




And the '70 Flatbedford has been an ongoing project since '06


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## wesessiah (Sep 15, 2012)

if i could have only one vehicle that i've owned it would be the acura rsx type s (the wife drives it now.) such a reliable car, excellent gas mileage, very nimble (i like curvy road driving, and autox type things) and is fairly quick for a 4 cylinder.

favorite to go out and have fun in, 90 mustang gt. heads/cam/intake, loud exhaust, 4.10 gearing, and other things.

honorary mention to a car my dad used to have, 69 chevelle ss.


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## Highbeam (Sep 18, 2012)

My first car was a 1980 VW scirocco. It had many miles and the original 1.6 was burning oil so I bought a 1.8 GTI engine and did my first engine swap. These engines used the mechanical fuel injection. It was like a sprinkler nozzle aimed at the intake valve with no pulse. Lots of fun and pretty fast. Single windshield wiper.

Then I bought and restored a 1974 Jeep CJ5 with the 304 v8 and three speed. I replaced the engine, painted it, new top, drove for awhile and then sold it to go to college.

Then I bought a 1985 Toyota 4x4 pickup. Replaced the weird replacement engine with a normal 22r and drove the snot out of that pickup. Really a good truck for many years. 

Then for the same mpg I bought a 1998 chevy K1500 with the 350. Now that was luxury. All leather, nice and quiet, fast. It proved to not be enough for my RV trailer hobby.

Sold it for my current 2000 F350 diesel for same mpg. This truck has all the brawn I could ever want and is as easy on fuel as a minivan. Real crew cab and can haul a cord of green wood in the bed.

Had a few motorcycles in there too, mostly dirt only but currently a 2009 KLX250 enduro that I can commute to work with like today at 55 mpg or race in the desert at 30 mpg. Very versatile but not fun in the rain.


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## osagebow (Sep 19, 2012)

84 ford mustang, onebanger carb, 2.2 liters of raw power.
Stick shift ball replaced by old-logo stroh's tap. Driver door had to be closed by passenger (future wife) or hop in Duke brothers style.

Had T- tops that leaked on passenger, also. Still hear about that...

Dime smashed into battery / post contact, but still started unreliably. . Often had to just push it and jump in to catch in gear, (that's why door broke) so.....

Seeing me start it, friends name car "Jamaican bobsled" after studded snow tires are added for bad winter of 90-91. Delivered tons of pizzas in undriveable conditions. Many hills were surmounted backwards to win bets.

Decided I could keep delivering pizzas the following August if I just kept replacing leaky coolant with cold water after every trip, and dumped some on engine to cool 'er down. ....She stopped running that day for some strange reason.

Call brother up and ask "Car won't start, and there seems to be oil in my radiator...is that bad?" 

Brother buys car for 100 bucks to finish his 5.0 project

Decided to learn a bit about cars.


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## StuckInTheMuck (Sep 19, 2012)

1962 GMC 4106..  Pic taken in mid 90's enroute from UMass to Key Largo..  Access to the capital courtesy of Rep  Peter Torkelson


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## osagebow (Sep 19, 2012)

And the '70 Flatbedford has been an ongoing project 

Love that truck FBF...she needs some logs on 'er!


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## Flatbedford (Sep 20, 2012)

osagebow said:


> Love that truck FBF...she needs some logs on 'er!


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## osagebow (Sep 20, 2012)

Sweeeeet!


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## fossil (Sep 20, 2012)

StuckInTheMuck said:


> 1962 GMC 4106.. Pic taken in mid 90's enroute from UMass to Key Largo...


 
I'm really curious about this.  Was the bus yours?  Where'd you get it?  Was it stock or a conversion?  Do you still have it?  What a cool vehicle in which to entertain a bunch of friends!  I really had a blast with my older/smaller Chevy school bus (shown above).    Rick


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## StuckInTheMuck (Sep 20, 2012)

fossil said:


> I'm really curious about this. Was the bus yours? Where'd you get it? Was it stock or a conversion? Do you still have it? What a cool vehicle in which to entertain a bunch of friends! I really had a blast with my older/smaller Chevy school bus (shown above).  Rick


 
It was not mine. It belonged to a close friend. He bought it for 4k in the late 80's and put 4k of work in it. He ripped out the seats and put in bunks build with 2x3 lumber and plywood. It lived in a parking lot at UMass and on long weekends would be driven by several people (including me) on a "Hell Ride". Depart Amherst, MA on thursday night. Arrive Key Largo Friday night. Drink Friday, Dive with Ocean Divers on Saturday, drink saturday night, dive sunday and jump back in the bus sunday afternoon to arrive back in Amherst on Monday night. Usual group was about 15-18 people. Each driver would do 500 miles at a time. Just so happened that a sitting US Representative decided to go on the trip one time (thus the pic). Unfortunately, the "Scuba Bus" met its demise in 1999 along I-95 in North Carolina. It was beyond repair and was sent to a bus graveyard. Many of us would like to see the previous owner buy a new scuba bus someday, but it's just not going to happen. Thanks for asking.

BTW, it was an former Greyhound bus. as mentioned, very little was done in the conversion. there were 10 bunks, 8 original seats, 1 drivers seat, a 671 detroit diesel and a finicky transmission that required the driver to double clutch it and if you missed a gear, you'd have to come to a stop and start over again..

Oh yeah.. and I dig your school bus..  There's just something about having a bus to cruise around in that some people get and some people dont.


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