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Automotively Speaking
At home with a cold on a nice SF Sunday and my thoughts turn to a list I've been meaning to create that'll only be of interest to me and one or two very twisted souls...
A list of the cars I've owned
1971 Toyota Celica (New) - A lemon from Toyota, go figure. But at $0.29/gallon for premium, I could drive a lot!
1969 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible (Used) - Fast, sexy, made my mechanic fairly wealthy. Broke my heart.
1967 Volvo 122S (Used) - Commuter car. The only one that ever came with a name - Alexander. Swallowed one of its headlights on the Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx.
1977 BMW 320i (New) - Great fun to drive. Couldn't pass a BMW service bay without turning in.
1969 Saab 99 (Used) - Odd, odd car. Used as a commuter. Incredible in the snow. Shortly after being sold to a buddy, the engine blew (he'd been warned).
1981 Mazda RX-7 (New) - Looked like a black cockroach. Nearly perfect mechanically. No idea why I sold it but maybe it had to do with being at eye level with bus bumpers.
1982 Toyota Supra (New) - A grand tourer, it started my love of cars that don't look like they'll go fast, but do.
1985 Volkswagen GTI (New) - Damn, that car was fun to drive! Despite South Jersey (Joisey?)/Delaware summer heat and humidity, the A/C could get the interior cold enough so that you could hang meat in the back seat.
1980 Mercedes 450SL (Used) - After 4 months, I found out that the car had been stolen and resold 4 years earlier. Impounded, got it back after 5 months. The only car I wish I'd not sold.
1987 Corvette Coupe (Used) - Blisteringly fast, rode like it lacked springs. Dropped sheet metal screws into the driver's footwell on a regular basis.
1987 Volkswagen GTI (Used) - Same as the 85 GTI, but not. Different transmission and engine. Faster but more work.
1985 Chevrolet Cavalier (Used) - Why, why, WHY???
1990 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo (New) - Sweet little car. Drove beautifully, was deceptively fast.
1992 Lexus LS400 (New) - Perfectly manufactured. Quiet as a tomb. Exciting as a slice of Wonder Bread.
1995 BMW M3 (New) - Fast, fantastic driver's car. Joined the BMW Car Club and learned what driving really fast is like. Did 151 MPH on the I-5, north of Bakersfield. Like the 77 320i, couldn't pass a service bay but got to them a lot faster. Never, never buy a BMW again (sigh)
1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee (New) - An anti-car (the M3 made me do it!). Rode like a hobby horse. Much more reliable than the M3 and should have been worse by reputation. Didn't seem as much fun after I hit a light pole with it. Yes, I was sober at the time.
2003 Infiniti G35 (New) - Current car. The best I've ever owned. Drives almost as well as a BMW. Totally reliable. Dealer is spectacular. Going to buy it (assuming I avoid light poles) when the lease ends.
2005 Chevrolet Silverado Extended Cab Pickup (New) - A work assigned vehicle. The whitest white ever, 'don't look at it in sunlight or you'll be blind' white. Acceleration is more of a rumor than a reality.
For those curious, the odd little red job in my icon is a 1959 Rambler American, almost identical to the car I learned to drive on.
A list of the cars I've owned
1971 Toyota Celica (New) - A lemon from Toyota, go figure. But at $0.29/gallon for premium, I could drive a lot!
1969 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible (Used) - Fast, sexy, made my mechanic fairly wealthy. Broke my heart.
1967 Volvo 122S (Used) - Commuter car. The only one that ever came with a name - Alexander. Swallowed one of its headlights on the Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx.
1977 BMW 320i (New) - Great fun to drive. Couldn't pass a BMW service bay without turning in.
1969 Saab 99 (Used) - Odd, odd car. Used as a commuter. Incredible in the snow. Shortly after being sold to a buddy, the engine blew (he'd been warned).
1981 Mazda RX-7 (New) - Looked like a black cockroach. Nearly perfect mechanically. No idea why I sold it but maybe it had to do with being at eye level with bus bumpers.
1982 Toyota Supra (New) - A grand tourer, it started my love of cars that don't look like they'll go fast, but do.
1985 Volkswagen GTI (New) - Damn, that car was fun to drive! Despite South Jersey (Joisey?)/Delaware summer heat and humidity, the A/C could get the interior cold enough so that you could hang meat in the back seat.
1980 Mercedes 450SL (Used) - After 4 months, I found out that the car had been stolen and resold 4 years earlier. Impounded, got it back after 5 months. The only car I wish I'd not sold.
1987 Corvette Coupe (Used) - Blisteringly fast, rode like it lacked springs. Dropped sheet metal screws into the driver's footwell on a regular basis.
1987 Volkswagen GTI (Used) - Same as the 85 GTI, but not. Different transmission and engine. Faster but more work.
1985 Chevrolet Cavalier (Used) - Why, why, WHY???
1990 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo (New) - Sweet little car. Drove beautifully, was deceptively fast.
1992 Lexus LS400 (New) - Perfectly manufactured. Quiet as a tomb. Exciting as a slice of Wonder Bread.
1995 BMW M3 (New) - Fast, fantastic driver's car. Joined the BMW Car Club and learned what driving really fast is like. Did 151 MPH on the I-5, north of Bakersfield. Like the 77 320i, couldn't pass a service bay but got to them a lot faster. Never, never buy a BMW again (sigh)
1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee (New) - An anti-car (the M3 made me do it!). Rode like a hobby horse. Much more reliable than the M3 and should have been worse by reputation. Didn't seem as much fun after I hit a light pole with it. Yes, I was sober at the time.
2003 Infiniti G35 (New) - Current car. The best I've ever owned. Drives almost as well as a BMW. Totally reliable. Dealer is spectacular. Going to buy it (assuming I avoid light poles) when the lease ends.
2005 Chevrolet Silverado Extended Cab Pickup (New) - A work assigned vehicle. The whitest white ever, 'don't look at it in sunlight or you'll be blind' white. Acceleration is more of a rumor than a reality.
For those curious, the odd little red job in my icon is a 1959 Rambler American, almost identical to the car I learned to drive on.