(Update: It’s a treat reading all of your responses so far; what a remarkable diversity of readers and their rides. Thank you all for sharing; it means a lot to me to get to know some of you a bit better. I’m going to leave this post at the top of the home page for a few days, so keep them coming!)
It’s a lovely Sunday for a virtual open house. We have about a quarter million readers drop by every month, so maybe at least 0.1% (250 or so) of you might like to stop and say hi and tell us what’s currently in your fleet, and maybe where you hail from? And anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself. Or about CC. Here’s our chance to get to know each other a little better as well as well as anything else you’d like to share.
You all know the Niedermeyer fleet pretty well by now. I’m just about to get into the old Ford F100 and haul a giant load of weeds and brush to the wood recycling yard, and return with a load of compost for the veggie garden. The ’77 Dodge Chinook hasn’t been out on the road since the summer before last, but it doubles as emergency guest quarters when the need arises. The Acura TSX wagon has been a champ, and is a dream on longer trips and gobbles the miles and curves. And the Xb is perfect for in-town errands and short haul trips on rough forest roads. They’re all very different, but each plays its role well; keepers all.
Your turn.
My fleet only consists of my 2005 Impala LS. It’s beige with the beige leather interior. The standout feature in my mind is the leather bench seat up front. I inherited the car after my grandma died 7 years ago. It only has 121k on the 3800 V6. I’m set for a long time!
Sure, I’d love something different and more exciting. But this car starts every time and it’s all paid off. Plus the sentimental value can never be replaced as it came from my grandma.
great article.
I’m in dayton Ohio.
63 male, retired.
1. 2013 Dodge Challenger sxt v6
probably my last ‘new’ car.
great deal on a base left-over car
in 2014. challenger for dart money.
daily driver, chick magnet.
2.1989 Dodge Dakota sport convertable.
was looking for a Miata, wanted a convertable
and found the Dakota.
haul mulch with the top down.
everyone wants to know if I cut
the top off.
Ram needs a drop top truck NOW.
3. 1985 Toyota Sunrader mini motorhome.
22re four, 3sp auto.
my fun winter ride.
slow and reliable.
recently found a Cadillac I’d like to have.
1946 Willys CJ2A
1966 Cadillac Calais 4 door pillared sedan
1966 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
1972 Mercury Marquis Brougham (coupe)
1998 Dodge 1500
2008 Cadillac DTS
1) 2011 Chevy Equinox LTZ. Charcoal. 80K miles. 2.4 engine. Wifey’s ride. She loves it. I’m glad she doesn’t own a freakin’ head-gasket-poppin’ Subaru anymore.
2) 2002 Chevy Tahoe LT. Black. Loaded. 140k miles. 5.3/4L60E. Love it. Didja know these have coils in the back?
3) 1997 Chevy Blazer LS. Emerald Green. 303k miles. 4.3/4L60E replaced about 100k ago with used-but-in-good-repair parts. Drove it to work today.
4) 1957 Chevy 210 Handyman. 100k miles appx. Thought this would be the year I’d get to this one but I had an unexpected $24k tax bill instead.
It awaits in a dry garage. The others sit outside.
I’m very late to the party here, but had to chime in as CC is my favorite website. (And I liked the suggestion someone posted above about making it one’s home page; I’ve just done that as I’m usually going there anyway when I open a web browser, and the site deserves the extra hits even when I’m not.)
I own a Turkish vehicle that I like (Ford Transit Connect wagon), but I wouldn’t count it as part of my CC fleet. Instead, the CCs are the rather dissimilar two pictured below …
Dissimilar but makes perfect sense. When you want a sporting drive, a by-god sports car. And when you need something with some space, something with SPACE and lots of it. And not totally dissimilar, they are both blue after all. Nice pair.
So similar to what I used to have in the driveway for about three glorious summers! In fact, my wife and I would cruise with the local Miata Club in our “renegade” RX-7!
Great photo!
I hardly drive the poor wagon because it’s too nice to subject to the tasks I originally envisioned it for (hence my purchasing the Transit Connect) but I’d love to have a trailer for it such that it and the Miata could go places together.
Great looking wagon!
Great combo! Do you park the Miata in the back of the Ford when not in use? Just kidding :-p
I’ve thinned my herd a bit, down from two to just my 77 Chevy Chevelle sedan.
I sold my beloved 1995 Explorer after it hit 340,000 miles because I was tired of messing with it, and it no longer fit my needs, and it was facing a very expensive trans rebuilt to survive city commuting much longer, it’s living its life now in a small rural town where the living is easier on it. (I’d trust it go cross country, but cross town was a whole nother story)
Agreed. I limped my Buick along for 5-10k miles of highway driving. Then, one day in the city, and I was coming home in limp mode. It’s amazing how much easier highway driving is….
My dad’s 93 Legacy finally lost third gear so for about a year he drove without which resulted in a buzzy 25-30 MPH and a nearly lugging 30-35 MPH. Never could go the speed limit in city traffic and the tranny finally failed. The car rusted to death years ago.
Current fleet in CA
1962 Ranchero (just came home, I’m always a sucker for the “Ran when Parked” moniker
1965 Ford F-250
1975 Toyota Hilux (restored)
1994 Ranger
1999 Dodge Durango
2006 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport
And I’m officially out of parking….
2006 Tacoma Double Cab
2003 BMW 325i
1997 Toyota 4Runner SR5
1965 Galaxie 500 2 door hardtop
2004 Key West 186CC center console boat
Nice Galaxie, but what is that thing behind it? A giant ball valve?
1978 Fairmont 2 door, 2005 Crown Vic P71, 2011 Road Glide Ultra. And with a little luck a little known and ultra rare Fox body variant may join the fleet 🙂 .
Somewhere in North Texas
2011 328xi
2008 Chevy Colorado Crew Cab
1997 Civic
1997 Mustang Gt Convertible
1996 Maxima (recently moved to Eugene..Springfield area with my daughter).
I’m from Michigan, I am a 21 year old college student, my current line of work is in auto parts and my fleet consists of:
1959 Edsel Villager 6P Lt. Green and White two tone w/ 6cyl & 3 on the tree
1967 Ford F250 Camper Special 2WD in Purple w/ 352 V8 and Automatic
1970 Cadillac Superior Hearse w/ Suicide Doors
1976 Pontiac Bonneville 2DR in Lime Green w/ 400 V8
1977 Lincoln Mark V in Mint Green with Emerald Landau Roof w/ 460 V8
1980 Ford LTD Crown Victoria 4DR in Maroon with White Landau Roof w/ 302 V8
1980 Chevy Citation Notchback in Silver w/ Red interior and 2.5L and 4spd
1982 Mercury Cougar 4DR in Red with Black Landau Roof w/ 3.8L V6
1983 Buick Park Avenue 2DR in Brown w/ 4.1 V6
1986 Pontiac Parisienne Safari in Gold with Woodgrain w/ 307 V8
1986 Oldsmobile Delta 88 2DR in Grey w/ 3.8 V6
1987 Dodge Ram B250 Conversion Van w/ 318 V8
1990 Chevy C1500 Ext. Cab Long Box in Red w/ 350 V8
1992 Ford Crown Victoria in Maroon w/ 4.6 V8
1992 Isuzu Trooper in Grey
1993 Cadillac Fleetwood in Silver w/ 350
I think that’s all of them. Haha
At 21? That many in the fleet? Truly impressive. Especially the Edsel…
Impressive! I had a friend who owned about that many cars when we were 21, but all but one or two were not roadworthy at any given time.
Thanks for your interest! I have been building this collection since I was 14. The ’67 Ford was the first one, I saved it from the junkyard. It’s currently my daily driver. My Grandfather bought the ’90 Chevy brand new and incidentally is the vehicle I road home from the hospital in after I was born. I pick them up here in the Mid-Michigan area as I find them, usually as barn-finds, on Craigslist and at local junkyards, estate auctions, ect. The majority of them have been Michigan cars their whole lives, most have been in the local surrounding areas since new which I think is kind of cool, but it is Michigan so most of them do have rust, some worse than others, but all perfectly sound. Most of them do run and drive also, some better than others. Are they all perfect? No, but that’s ok, I just take care of them the best I can with the resources I have. Actually, I’m actually one of three guys that collect old vehicles together. My brothers (not actually brothers but might as well be) do too, they’re 23 and 21 years old. Between the three of us there’s about a 100 vehicles total. In fact, my brothers recently acquired a hoard of 16 diesel Chevettes. Most are only good for parts though.
Wow- somebody wanted 16 Diesel Chevettes? One would have probably been enough for me! 😉
That is quite the collection. How many in your fleet are daily driveable?
Currently 9, working on a tenth (the ’77 Lincoln). Some are close, like the Edsel would be as soon as I can get the carb issues straightened out.
Not bad! That Edsel looks absolutely gorgeous!
So, for the $43,692 question: Which is your favorite?
Whereabouts in mid-Michigan are you, Robert? I am in Midland, and the closest I get to admiring vehicles like that is at the Michigan Antique Festivals at the Midland fairgrounds.
Chris
I’m in southern Saginaw County, aka Marion Springs. Funny you should mention the Michigan Antique Festival because that’s actually where I bought my Edsel. As for my favorite, I don’t know, that’s really tough. Grandpa’s truck, the ’90 Chevy definitely has the most sentimental value. As far as favorite to drive, probably the Edsel or the ’76 Bonneville.
Another Kiwi from Auckland, New Zealand. A fleet of three:
1986 Mitsubishi Eterna CS Hardtop
1988 Mitsubishi Sigma GSR-X Turbo
2014 Toyota HiLux 3.0 D4-D Double Cab Utility (work provided and essentially free daily driver)
Too many for my inner-city location…
Eterna below:
And the Sigma. New Zealand-assembled and similar to those used locally in the 1980s by the Ministry of Transport as pursuit cars, presumably due to their decent pace…
I drove one of those for a while as a loaner, a few years ago, had the V6 in it, very nice car to drive considering it was at the time just an old beater my brother had traded in at his yard. Comfortable, quiet, and quick with it
Now that Eterna looks like what we got badged Sigma in the USA. Always one of my favorite Japanese cars of the 80’s, sleek styling and well-equipped with luxury and tech gizmos. Glad to see that you’ve got one still running, they’re very rare over here as Mitsubishi did not have much market share at the time. Think I’ve seen two in the last 10 years or so.
The Eterna was rare when new here (NZ) too. The Sigma was the volume seller; the hardtop Eterna was rather expensive and not many were sold. Of course many more came in once our used-JDM import market became established in the late 80s (and it was probably the arrival of cheap used JDM Eternas that killed off any demand for NZ-new models!).
Correct as usual, Scott. I believe the top-spec locally-assembled Sigma GSR-X was around NZ$43,000 while the Japanese-built (single-spec) Eterna CS was NZ$56,000 in 1987. Not an insignificant amount more for essentially a unique hardtop bodystyle, less power from a larger (2.4) engine and digital instruments! Although, tariffs on CBU cars would account for some of the difference.
Plenty of used-JDM imports appeared in New Zealand in the early to mid-90s with a variety of engines and equipment grades. Powered by anything from a 1.8 carburettor through 2.0 and 3.0 V6s, up to the remarkable Sirius DASH 3×2 turbo.
Definitely eroded the value and uniqueness of the NZ-new examples, however. Very happy both of mine survived!
Hi all……
Happy to check in – this is my favorite car site – check it first thing in the morning and again before bed!
I’m 49, and from New Haven CT area. Been a car nut since I was a little kid. The fleet currently includes 7 cars and 2 boats – i try and use them all regularly!
Cars:
2011 Ram 1500 Laramie 4×4 Hemi
2010 Volvo XC70 – Wife’s car
2007 Volvo S40 2.4i 5 speed – 18yo daughter’s car
2005 Mercedes S500 4matic
1989 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2
1987 BMW 635 CSi 5 speed
1976 MGB
Boats:
41′ Maxum 4100 SCR – twin Cummins 6BTA-370HP
24′ Vectra 24′ – Evinrude E-Tec 225 HO 2 stroke – my second favorite engine in all my vehicles – 911 3.2 is my favorite!
Hope everyone keeps posting – this has been a fun thread!
From Midwest (IL), @ 20 vehicles in my past 🙂 Currently in the garage:
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited ’99 1-owner 59K miles, Sienna Pearl/ Camel Tan Leather
Cadillac Seville ’79 2-owner 38K miles, Laramie Beige/ Antique Saddle Leather
Cadillac (with fully restored & reliable Bendix/Bosch EFI), gets used as daily driver May-October… perfect weather days only.
I’ve been away and a bit late to this party! Like a few others here I’m in Melbourne, Australia (inner north east for those who know it).
Melbourne is pretty dry with no snow, so a great place for cc’s – but I’ve now sold my older ones – a 1981 Porsche 911 targa, 1976 two door Range Rover, 1963 Land Rover Series IIA and a 1977 Porsche 924 (Martini & Rossi special edition).
What’s left? In addition to my wife’s dd 2004 Prius (which has been great and she refuses to part with it), I have two G1 Honda Insights (maybe the only ones on this site?).
What next? Well, I have become partial to Hondas – NSX, s2000, Civic Type R (FN2) or maybe even another hybrid – CR-Z.
I think I would like a stick shift 1st gen Insight one of these days, they are nice looking and clever.
Hi Teddy – all G1 Insights in Australia were stick shift – which we call manual transmission here. There’s not many though (see my reply below). But if you’re in the USA there are many more to choose from (though still not common). If you’re interested, visit the enthusiast site Insight Central. There’s a huge amount of information there and some very enthusiastic enthusiasts.
Thank you for the info and I figure the stick shift is the way to go so I am less likely to get bored and/or fall asleep. First I need to refine my stick shift/manual skills and then find out if I even want to drive an Insight. I might end up buying a pair of noise canceling headphones for long drives if need be.
Why did Honda sell so few Insights in Australia?
You would thus own a fair proportion of the Insights in Australia, weren’t there only 100 or so sold?
Hi John H – even less than that. Only 45. All manuals (stick shift) – 20 silver, 16 red, 7 citrus (green) and 2 black cars. I will go from one year to the next without seeing another (apart from my two). They are excellent, fun little cars to drive. Reliable with lots of support from Insight Central if needed.
If you all remember my COAL, I of course have my ’59 Beetle. I also have a 1963 VW Bus, 1992 Jetta GLI 16v and I just bought my first ever Japanese car a few weeks ago, a 1992 Miata.
GLI 16v, eh? How do you like it? I had a 1990. I remember it being pretty fast, and liking to go fast (like driving 100 mph on the freeway)- which is odd, because according to the numbers it’s pretty pedestrian. Probably rose colored glass, as I was pretty young then. Maintenance was a nightmare at any age.
Also, how does it compare driving back to back with the Miata? My “fun car” for now is a 1995 Miata, which in comparison to my my recollection of the GLI feels much more like a sports car (lower, less body roll, sticks better) but slower.
Currently I have two in my fleet. A 2003 maroon Dodge Ram 1500 quad cab with 5.7 L hemi
Great truck had it since 2008.
Last September I bought my silver 2007 Ford Focus SE.
Both of these are very common cars in charleston sc
So many great rides here. I’m impressed.
I presently own 4 cars:
1967 Impala
2006 Pontiac GTO
http://i.imgbox.com/sfKfuBEL.jpg
2007 Subaru Legacy GT wagon
http://i.imgbox.com/yury360N.jpg
2009 Toyota Tacoma Prerunner SR5
http://i.imgbox.com/zE89yyc4.jpg
I attached a larger version of the Impala since this is Curbside CLASSIC.
This is the only vehicle in my fleet at the moment though I look forward to diversifying.
Nice to see your vehicles are working out well Paul and was wondering what was up with the Chinook. Did you paint the rims on the Xb or they come from the factory like that? Impressive amount of comments this article is getting.
He rattle canned the Xb wheels. Makes it easy to spot him around town.
Cool beans.
My current “fleet” consists of just 2 cars, a ’79 Chevy Monte Carlo for fun and a modern Acura for transportation. Here’s the Chevy:
I am a sucker for those 78-79 Monte Carlos before the styling changed.
I’m Mikey….Long time TTAC er, and sometimes C.C er. I’m from Oshawa Ontario. After a few years of juggling cars, and trucks, {mid life crisis ?}. whatever.
My fleet, for now, and maybe forever ??..A 2008 Mustang base model convertible, only driven in the non snow months. She’s got 76000 klms {43,000 miles}
My other car is a 2014 Impala LT, with a 2.5 litre engine. She won’t win too many races, but a beautiful car to drive. I have it rust sprayed every year. and hope to drive it for many more years
Hello from beautiful Western Michigan (Grand Rapids)!
52 year old Graphic Designer/Prepress Technician/Production Artist. Have been following Paul since the TTAC days, on CC since it started. I have been a photo contributor on occasion, but I see some of my other fellow travelers have improved their skills with Photoshop. I met several of the other long timers on this blog at the October Auburn CC Meet-up. The highlight of my year, last year.
In our current fleet:
1997 Chevy Cavalier, 277,000 miles. Currently my daughter’s daily driver, but finally on it’s last legs. 18 years of Ohio and Michigan road salt have done their worst. The mechanicals are just fine.
2004 Pontiac Aztek Rally edition, 167,000+ miles. Our third one, bought used and treating like a pickup truck. The rougher I treat it, the better it seems to run.
2009 Pontiac G6 Sports Sedan. When I bought it, it was described to me as a G6 GT, only with the Ecotec instead of the V6. Loaded to the gills, just approaching 90,000 miles.
Up until recently I was looking for a hobby car, but may change living quarters. Until I know what we’re doing I’m putting off any hobby cars for now.
Hey geo, I thought of you a couple of weeks ago when I passed an accident – a young woman in a black Aztec rear-ended a mid 90s Ford pickup. A real CC mashup. The reason I thought of you was that the black Aztec was one of the nicest looking Aztecs I had seen in ages. After being on the receiving end of years of your Aztec-evangelization, I was genuinely sick at seeing that sharp Aztec destroyed.
Thanks, Jim. I’ve never thought of myself as an Aztek-evangelizer, though. I wasn’t even a fan of the cars originally. But I changed my mind after living with one. Still, there are compromises with those cars, at this point in time, I’d really like a minivan. But my wife doesn’t agree…
I generally hate to see any well-preserved car get wrecked or totaled, because someday down the road we’ll wonder: “whatever happened to…”, like we do today with Studebakers, Packards, DeSotos, Oldsmobiles, or Pontiacs, (very soon…)
Been here since the beginning (followed Paul from that other site). I have to mention that this has become my favorite web site. Period. Excellent content for the automotive obsessed and the commentariat here are without par.
Anyway. after about a decade of messing with all manner of mid-1960’s to mid-1980’s Italian oddities (Fiat 124’s, 128’s, X1/9’s, Alfas, Lancias, Maseratis) and a few British ones (MGB, Spitfire), I’ve drastically downsized and am down to…
1991 Toyota Land Cruiser 3FE
2001 Honda S2000
Both are DD’s with the LC getting heavy use during the messy winters here (in PA), and the Honda getting used heavily in the fair weather months while it hibernates from December to April.
The Land Cruiser only has 135k on it, so with its current mileage accrual coupled with the longevity they are famous for, this thing could last another few decades.
Im an aviation museum curator here in Melbourne, Australia, and only been visiting for a short while, thanks to a similarly afflicted mate that’s not helped my workplace productivity by sending me here 😉 I enjoy seeing stuff from around the world that I’ve been previously unaware of, and CC has also helped me see where some of our Aussie GM stuff has derived various styling and nameplate cues from!
My current fleet:
1964 Mercedes-Benz W111 220SE sedan
1964 Mercedes-Benz W112 300SE LWB sedan (under restoration, with a second ’64 car as an organ donor…)
1974 Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34
1989 Mercedes-Benz W201 190E
2008 Holden VE Commodore Omega
Nice to see another 190E owner. I’ve had mine for about a year and think it’s one of the most underrated hobby cars out there. Not too shabby as a daily driver either.
Psst…ask about replacing the engine bay wiring loom. Go on, a wider audience needs to know that the injection system takes a temp reading from the windscreen washer jets. Ask also how that was discovered. It wasn’t by reading the manual. But yep, the W201s are big cars built small by engineers not accountants. Love ’em.
Your comment about taking the temp reading from the washer jets has me wondering if the ambient temp display is maybe picking up from the same location? Because when it’s hot out and I’m in traffic I get outside temp readings like 136 degrees.
The cooling system is pretty advanced and keeps the coolant temp between 80-90. As it climbs from 80 the first thing that happens is the fan clutch engages and you get the fan whir. Then as it nears 90 it feels like the ignition timing gets retarded (mine is a year or two before the knock sensor was introduced). Past 90 the electric fans come on and finally the A/C compressor cuts out.
It’s gotten to the point where I can tell what the temp gauge says simply by listening to the car. It works so hard to keep itself cool which I love because overheating can easily blow a head gasket. BMW’s run much hotter from what I’ve heard.
On the wiring loom if you mean the insulation issue my understanding is that problem started around ’92 and affected W124s more than W201s. Mine is a ’90 which is the second year of the cladding and more flush headlights. It’s the first year of the darker wood inside. It’s the last or second to last year before they went to 1st gear start on the A/T. I like mine with the 2nd gear start, you can get it to kick down to 1st with the throttle or flick of the lever.
I’ve really bonded with my 190E and consider it the best car I’ve ever owned. The gas mileage, which isn’t much better than my Cadillac, is the only disappointment. I’m going to have the injectors replaced to hopefully cure the rough idle for 2-3 sec. when cold. I’ve replaced plugs, rotor and cap and the problem is still there.
Do you know what this might be? Also do you think my fuel economy might improve if I replace the injectors? Car has 62k miles and previous owner didn’t drive it much. I’ve already run three cans of Techron through the tank.
I understand the loom was replaced because of water ingress at the bulkhead connector and the subject wires were snipped on the donor vehicle.
To be honest I just stand on the sidelines making unhelpful remarks about the deficiencies of plastic bumpers – the magic of things like computers, sensors, injectors, fuel dividers, pumps and filters elude me. Maybe Brad can offer some help.
Jim’s got himself a bit confused again here…
To the best of my (amateur mechanic) knowledge, the wires heading out to the washer jets are to warm them up in cold climates, so they still allow liquid water to come out the holes – not too useful/essential here in Australia, but makes more sense where you guys are – I’m told that you get snow, and all that sort of thing!
As Jim did mention, I did a full engine wiring harness change after some water defeated the splash guard over the ECU, and corroded around the main connector, causing some interesting fault symptoms that were looking very much like a dying gearbox…having said that, it would have been easier to do the gearbox.
Mine is an ’89 model, and doesn’t have an outside temp display. And equally, after the harness change, the temperature management side of things hasn’t worked exactly as advertised, and I’m considering installing a manual switch for the electric fans to overcome this issue.
Having said all that, I agree that the 190E is a great little car, and for all the hassles mine has (and that it’s rapidly approaching 300K km on the odometer), it’s still a comfortable and relatively fun thing to get around the place. It’s much more comfortable on long trips than the ’05 Golf TDI that replaced it as a daily driver, and a nicer place to spend time than the current ’08 Commodore family hack.
As for your economy, my car only does short trips, and drinks a lot as a consequence. Before our hassles with the car, we were getting around 9l/100km, fairly consistently, but at least on mine, the relatively sealed nature of the injection system means that to me at least, it’s something that I don’t really have much of an idea on getting sorted, unfortunately. I think the best bet may be to talk to a Bosch guru, and see whether they have an insight…
Jim had me thinking MB put a temp sensor by the jets which made about as much sense as heating the jets but then again I live in SoCal and have no use for that.
I noticed the heating system has its own pump under the hood which makes it clear that W201s (like most old Benzes) were overkilled more for cold German weather than warm LA weather.
Believe me I’ve checked with the experts on this era Benz and CIS injection. Apparently it’s a simple but at the same time very complicated system that no one wants to mess with unless the car is running badly. One component called the “fuel distributor” can be expensive to replace.
I’m going to do the injectors. I found a shop that has the equipment to check those so we can reuse if OK.
Glad to know I’m not the only one who refers to my collection as a fleet. In order of acquisition…
1989 Honda Accord – my first project, bought back when I was in college. I’ve since rebuilt the engine, transmission, and suspension. Shown in 2013 at the local Honda dealer along with a friend’s newly purchased Accord.
1998 Jeep Cherokee – Rarely sees on-road usage other than driving to trails. Constantly modifying it to make it better off road.
1999 Jeep Cherokee – Daily driver with a few performance mods.
2014 Mustang GT – Weekend toy for the trips that only involve paved roads.
Daily drivers:
2005 Ford Five Hundred
2007 Ford Five Hundred
1996 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup
2000 Honda Odyssey
Others:
1946 Willys CJ2A (VEC-Very Early Civilian)
1965 Mustang Fastback
1970 Lenham Le Mans Coupe
1973 MG Midget (currently getting a rotary engine)
1974 MG Midget
1977 Mazda RX3-SP
1982 Mazda RX7 GSL
1985 Mazda RX7 GS
1985 Mazda RX7 GSL (SCCA ITA/Spec RX)
2007 Monte Carlo bodywork on a Late Model Sportsman (originally a mid-70s Nova)
2013 Nissan Xterra Pro 4-X
1974 Ford Galaxie 500 (19,000 original miles)
Wow, that is a lot of blue!
It is!
Nice ! The color is Big Baby Blue ?
Two 1975 orange Bricklins – one a parts car
1968 Mustang convertible
1965 Thunderbird
2007 Cadillac SRX
2009 Lexus RX350
A Bricklin! Or, two actually. Now that’s a rarity. AMC or Ford power?
Also who would have thought the bolt pattern would be the same as a newer Mustang?
Wow! I’m a 43-year-old lawyer in Los Angeles, California, poking my head up from writing a report that does not want to be written, just now.
Without ever intending it, my wife and I have established an all-Swedish fleet. I wrote about my 1995 Volvo 965 that I bought in 2012 during “wagon week.” We bought her 2004 Saab 9-3, with the lower-pressure turbo, last summer. Of the two, I prefer the smooth if gutless Volvo, but the E12 530i I had as a teenager still is my personal high water mark.
I think I found this site in the spring of 2012. It’s been fascinating to discover, from writers and comments, how many different ways there are to appreciate cars and trucks. This site is really a testament to what “user generated content” can be, as well as to the dedication of Paul and others who have written in volume for the site.
in upstate NY. my town claims to be “10 sq. miles surrounded by reality.”
I have a fleet of 3 four wheeled vehicles.
1) 2013 MINI cooper clubman. my 3rd BMW MINI (& 2nd clubman). I believe this now out of production clubman is/was the best model in their lineup. a plausible primary car for a couple. plausible back seat for an adult.
2) 1996 Buick Regal my former supervisors late mother’s car. (how’s that for a tortured lineage?) he called it the Geezer car- spot on. 81k on it. my 1st GM ever. Has the 3.8 series II. great engine. annoyingly high maintenance unspectacular brakes. otherwise, the thing has acquitted itself pretty well.
3) 1987 ford escort wagon. 1st gen. has 15, 500 original miles. came from my eccentric cousin in DC. he drove it an average of 230 miles/year to take it up to 5,200 miles when he stopped driving. I have been flogging it with 3,200 miles /year in summer driving. son will use this extinct beast for his road test this summer. will probably freak out the adjudicator with the automatic shoulder belts.
my dream garage would have a triumph tr3 and a citroen DS for certain.
I grew up in Tompkins County near the City of Ithaca which you speak of and how bad is the rust on your 20th Century vehicles? Before I left in 2012 my 1995 Voyager was one of the oldest on the road and I would try to find vehicles older than mine that were also driving around.
Did not realize motorized seatbelts existed as early as 1987, but I remember my dad’s Legacy’s belt broke in the upright position. Anyway, when I took the road test in the Voyager the back was full of Pine Boughs for making Wreaths and the radio did not work. The instructor climbed in, tried to turn on the radio (rude of them), and I said the radio is busted. He sniffed the air, looked over his shoulder, and was visually surprised by the Pine Boughs. I told him they were for making Wreaths and his reaction was probably this if he would have said something “The weirdos I have to deal with.”
the escort is utterly pristine. lived in Arlington VA in a brick garage. has never seen snow or salt .probably never driven in the rain when my cousin had it. now is a late april to october kinda car. the Buick is holding up pretty well, with rotted rockers and the bottoms of the front fenders. otherwise, only a few bubbles. the frame will give out long before the mechanicals or the body die. I am waiting for the day the shop tells me it will cost 2500 in welding to pass inspection.
Well PA does not allow rust holes bigger than a Quartah, but thankfully you live in New Yawhk. My family has owned a few vehicles no longer safe enough to be put on a lift and only one has failed while in use, but at least it was parked at Agway. The mechanics in Portland, OR always make quips about the rust on my Caravan when he gets work done.
Keep enjoying the Escort it is nice to see someone preserving one, but watch out for the potholes.
Daily drivers:
* 1997 C35 Nissan Laurel Medalist sedan; 345,000km; RD28 2.8L straight-6 diesel; #153 C35 built.
* 2005 Gen3 Toyota Caldina ZT station wagon; 187,000km; 1AZ-FSE 2.0L 4-cylinder.
Weekend drivers:
* 1989 Mk2 Ford Sierra Ghia 4×4 V6 estate (here); 190,000km; Cologne 2.9L V6; 64x ’89 models left, only 9 licenced.
* 2007 Peugeot 307 SW wagon (here); 139,000km; 2.0L 4-cylinder.
Garaging:
* Not enough!!
Forgot to add; 41 years old, live in Cambridge, New Zealand. Bachelor of Arts in History. 6 years working as a milk vendor, then 12+ years in sales & marketing for one of NZ’s largest drinks company. Currently 18 months in accounting admin.
Chateau Snitkoff currently has two rides: my Ingot Silver 2013 Ford Focus SE with the DCT and my dad’s 2006 Ford Taurus SEL with 170,00 miles.
Eventually I want to get a project car. My idea? A first gen Taurus wagon with an Ecoboost crate engine dropped in. Not sure how feasible that is, but I think it would be amazing.
Hello from suburban Waco, Texas, where we still have Old West style shoot-em-ups.
I wanted to post last night but had an intermittent internet connection.
The first two lines are not related to my knowledge.
I’ve been in the collision repair business for 32 years, and am expecting some bullet hole damage to repair soon. This years marks my 50th in the car business in one way or another. I started washing friends and neighbors cars when I was 9 years old.
My current fleet:
’01 Tahoe. Wife’s DD. A reliable vehicle that has served us well. I am not a SUV person, but she likes the the commanding view and a car that you climb into instead of climbing out of works better for her back issues.
’94 Cutlass Supreme. My DD. It has been in the family for over 14 years, now reading over 222,000. My kind of car, a full sized sedan that you can see out of. It just keeps going and I plan to ride along as long as it is willing and able. And it averages 25 mpg to boot.
’03 PT Cruiser. Actually belongs to my mother-in-law, but since she does not drive (never has) then it may as well be mine, as I get to take care of it. It’s main purpose is for brother-in-law to use when he makes his annual to semi-annual 3 month visits. It has been very reliable, but does not get driven very many miles.
’70 Chevrolet C10 pickup. My project and weekend chore vehicle. It is pretty rough, but runs well. It has lived outside in the hot sun all it’s life, and that has taken it’s toll, too rusty to reasonably restore, so it will probably always be a beater. But it is hard to beat an old truck.
I am a simple minded old geezer who really has trouble with the unnecessary complexity (in my opinion) of modern cars.
Many thanks to Paul and all the contributors and the commentators for making and keeping this site first class. I found it about 3 years ago while searching for something I have long forgotten. I only wish I had more time to read all the articles. Maybe someday…
Was surprised to read about the shootout, that does not happen every day. Not sure if I would fix bullet holes in my vehicle I would really have to ponder it.
The police still have all the cars in the parking lot impounded as evidence so I have not seen any as yet. But I have heard a few ‘friend of a friend of a friend’ type stories about some folks who were eating at the restaurant next door and their car got caught in the crossfire.
Live near Boulder, CO. Have owned 60 different cars through the years, as many as a dozen at one time.
Right now:
91 300SL
98 M3 vert
99 E320 4matic
Some I wish I still had:
72 GP
70 Satellite 2dr
83 944
65 230SL
66 Coronet wagon
This is the best car site on the net IMHO.
I’m a 35 year-old architect in Brooklyn, NY. Despite being a car fanatic from a young age, my car history is pretty sparse, partly due to the fact that I’ve spent much of my adult life living in NYC.
My first car was a 1989 Honda Prelude Si, a hand-me-down from my brother, which was incredibly fun-to-drive but was unfortunately totaled in a hit-and-run accident during my first year of grad school.
The Prelude was replaced by a 1998 Volvo S70 base model bought used in 2002, which served me for about 2 years until I completed grad school and moved to Manhattan.
After that, I was carless for about 7 years, but the S70 was being daily driven by my mom in New Jersey during that time, until I regained possession of it in 2011.
In September 2013, I traded the S70 (with 140k miles) for my current car, a 2010 Volvo V50 2.4i, which essentially has the same 2.4 liter 5-cylinder engine. I bought the V50 with 32k miles, and have only added about 8k since then. Living in NYC, we really only use the car during weekends. Because it is street-parked, it does get a weekly trip around the block when it needs to be relocated according to the street cleaning schedule.
I guess my parents have had a bit more of an interesting car history, with my dad having owned, during the 1970s, an MG 1100 sedan, an MG Midget, and a well-used Alfa Romeo Giulia Super sedan. He then spent 30+ years managing car dealerships and always had a new demo to drive home, which would usually be swapped out every 4-6 months.
Growing up, some of the highlights that I recall were a 1985 Jaguar Series III Vanden Plas in a beautiful metallic taupe color called Antelope, a slightly sinister black 1986 Volvo 740 Turbo sedan, and a 1989 Honda Prelude Si 4WS. There were many other Hondas, Acuras and Volvos during those years.
My dad was at a Honda store during the late 80s and early 90s (Honda’s golden years), and we would often get stopped by people on the street with questions whenever he got a new, freshly-introduced car at the beginning of the model year. My favorite from that time was probably a Fresco blue 1992 Prelude Si. Despite some visual similarities to the nose of the Eagle Vision (which debuted slightly later) and the taillights of the Olds Cutlass Supreme coupe, I still think that Prelude generation has a gorgeous design.
My mom usually had an older car during that time, which was always something that was taken as a trade-in by the dealership and that my dad could get a good deal on. In retrospect, most of my mom’s cars were rather quirky choices. There was an Audi Fox, followed by a Volvo 244 DL, and then perhaps the only two “conventional” vehicles that my mom’s ever had- a 1983 Accord sedan and a 1989 Jeep Cherokee Limited. The Cherokee was only 2 years old when we had it, but it had a bunch of issues with recalls and mechanical breakdowns, so my dad replaced it with 1986 Jaguar XJ6 Series III ! After a couple years, they replaced that with a 1985 Jaguar Vanden Plas, which my mom daily-drove for 10 years with no real issues until she took over my S70 in 2004.
Today, my parents have a 2010 Volvo V70 3.2 R-Design wagon, which is the only car they’ve ever bought new, other than a 1977(ish) Honda Accord hatchback. My dad also has a 1960 Bugeye Sprite which is in need of some restoration after sitting in the garage unused for much of the past 20 years.
Thanks for bearing with my somewhat extended mini-COAL; here’s a photo of my V50 from last winter:
Came across this wonderful website in 2011 or 2012 and since then can’t spend a full day without checking what’s going on here.
25-year-old Mechanical Engineering student living in Brasilia, Brazil. Recently I’ve spent a year in Finland from where I shared a few shots on the cohort of its interesting classic car scene (mostly big American steel).
I’ve always had a soft spot for large comfortable sedans, and my first car was a hand-me-down 97 Chrysler Stratus (quite big for local standards) with a v6 engine. A great car to drive, and also pleasing to the eye. But after too many stops at the repair shop it was traded in a 2011 Hyundai Azera. For me it is simply one of the best cars ever made! A perfect contemporary interpretation of the traditional full-size sedan– soft suspension, not so high beltline, great visibility, amazing headrests, physical buttons for the AC, decent fuel economy (can get 27mpg in the city), more room than I ever needed, quiet cruise below 1500 rpm @ 50mph. It just hit 70000 km without any issues so far.
Keep up the great work Paul!!
Current fleet at the built over WW II airstrip I we call home is:
2005 Holden Commodore wagon.
1969 Skylark Custom
1999 Peugeot 306.
Past cars include SBC powered Holdens, Holden Geminis, Fiat 128 3P & a 125S
Here’s the 350 SBC Holden
Very nice Prem wagon. If I found one in metallic pink, it’d be a keeper.
The Commodore will be the model after mine (mines a 2001 or 2 VX). I looked at a 2005 HSV wagon before buying mine but it was a little too pricy for my daily driver left outside. That 350 SBC Holden is very nice, good colour scheme too, is that original? Just noted its a Premier too, very nice (I used to have a Stateman). Pic of the 69 Skylark would be awesome!
I have a 1997 Ford Falcon ute, a couple of Hillman Imps (1964 & 1968) and a 1975 Ford Escort mark 1, plus future project & parts cars… and a company car DD, currently a Corolla.
Hi, from Fiji and currently got a 2004 Subaru Forester 2.0XT, sadly my only car in the moment. A great car as such, oodles of fun and practical to boot, but not quite what has been through my garage already. See the website for an excerpt of that…. though after all those came a 1971 Valiant Hemi Pacer, Ford Escort Mk2 coupe, a Nissan Cedric Brougham VIP, a Starlet GT Turbo and a 1987 Pajero…
I have a bicycle and that’s it. I live in Copenhagen, so I don’t really NEED a car. It would be very nice to have though. Once I get a job again, I’m getting one.
Thanks to Paul for his inspiration and for all the hours he is putting into producing my favorite website! I enjoy checking in every evening.
I’m a 59 years old office worker in a small Aerospace & Defense company in Denmark. My wife and I are both driving Fiat 500’s although mine will probably be replaced soon, perhaps with a Hyundai i10.
I’m a twenty-something in his last days of being one, working for a quite well known car suspension supplier and living in Germany nearby the border to Luxemburg. I stumbled upon this website a few years ago and am now a daily visitor as well.
You guys do a great job in giving a detailed picture of car history, not only giving a better understanding for american iron but also showing the commonplace cars from over here from a different and also revealing angle, thank you for that.
As for the fleet:
#1 in every instance is my 1987 Audi 100 1.8, a carb’ed plain jane with no extras apart from sun roof and fifth gear to row. what is the thing with power steering anyway? reliable and unpretentious as an anvil, happy doing 160 kph on the autobahn all day long, quite quick at getting there and easy on gas and my backside while doing it. my vehicle of choice for longer travels but with its tippy-but-grippy 80s-VAG-handling still as much fun as a bag of puppies on winding backroads on my commute. On my sheet the only downside to a new Passat/A4 is the lack of AC, since the greenhouse lives up to its name royally during summer days.
#2, to help out the 100 on daily duty and sweeten the commute (genuine Rally Deutschland stretch of roads) a little more, the 1994 MX-5 1.8 – I guess there is enough said about on this pages.
#3 1984 VW Passat Variant, as basic as it gets, with 1.6, carb and 4 on the floor. Still a fun and roomy vehicle, but I bought just because of the price, actually. A little rough outside but very solid and nice inside and going strong anywhere you ask it to.
#4 is real estate for several years now. A 1972 Datsun Sunny/1200, as rare as it can get over here. I had boatloads of fun with it for a year, started a restoration but the sheer amount of rust/lack of substance went really hard on my motivation and the little Datsun went in a barn. maybe someday…
Inner east in the city of 4 stations in 1 hour / random weather. The locals say it’s 4 seasons in 1 day, but I think they are too optimistic. From what I can see, there are plenty of “neighbours” around here.
Current fleet:
1997 VT Holden Calais, AKA “The Tank” or “Papá Holden” depending on who you ask
1998 Saab 900 2.0
Before, in a previous life…
1991 Isuzu Impulse XS, dearly missed. A turbo would have made it a perfect freeway stormer.
1991 Isuzu Impulse RS
I like quirky cars, the Commodore is the most normal I have bought. And yes, I want more Saabs and keep looking from time to time for Isuzu cars.
I’m an engineer and live in southern Chile. I’ve been reading this site since 2013.
My fleet consists of a 2004 Mitsubishi L200 4×4 pick-up and a 1993 Subaru Loyale 4×4. The mitsu is our familiy (wife, 2kids and a dog) DD and mini farm-mobile, and the Subaru is sort of a backup-car. The Mitsu runs with Biodiesel made out of waste vegetable oil.
At the moment I’m searching for an old VW… hope to find something before the end of this year!
32 y/o const/mfg co. office manager / volunteer EMT
1976 Cadillac Coupe Deville – daily driver
1958 Buick Special sedan
1966 Jeep Wagoneer – just bought last month
1964 Ford F-100 -selling this now since I got the Jeep.
Nice fleet! Good old American iron.
Great looking Buick 🙂
Good looking Buick!
I second (. . .third?) these comments. Love the ’58 Buick – and it looks great in that color combo.
Her name is Lola, she is my show car. I’m a hospitality manager who lives, works and plays in downtown Toronto. Lola is my summer wheels; Curbside Classic has been my daily driver for years and the best reason to have an Internet.
I’m from the Witch City (Salem, MA). I’m approaching my mid- 50s & work both as an attorney & reference librarian. I currently own a 2005 Focus, which I do enjoy although the interior plastics are rather cheap. I previously owned a 1985 1/2 Escort & a 1989 Lebaron GLC Turbo Coupe. I like reading this site & the varieties of the cars & their owners
We’ve got a 2008 Saturn Astra, bought lightly used and now at 71,000 miles. It’s my dad’s dd. The car has plenty of electrical gremlins, but when it’s working it’s quite a fun car. My dad is planning on replacing it with a Golf GTi over the summer and giving the Astra to me for school. We’ve also got a 2015 Honda Pilot as my mom’s kid-ferrying car and the overall good car. It was bought new in December, so it’s only got about 5,000 miles on it.
We’ve got a 2008 Saturn Astra, bought lightly used and now at 71,000 miles. It’s my dad’s dd. The car has plenty of electrical gremlins
The Astra has also been on my list as a beater candidate. It’s virtue, along with the first gen Focus, is the headlight and windshield wiper controls work the same as my VW, and a used Astra costs thousands less than an equal age and mileage Golf or Jetta.
Both of the Astras, one of which has 68K on it, I have looked under appear to be leaking automatic tranny fluid from the bellhousing. Is yours leaking, or is yours a stick? I think the 68K one already had the tranny heat exchanger leak fixed as most of the splash shields under the front end are missing. The one remaining shield is held on by a zip tie.
What kind of electrical gremlins? I have heard about the fragile wire harnesses in the back doors.
Thanks!
Still running our cockroach candidate 1997 Saturn SL2 with 137,000 miles and an oil leak. Apparently as long as you keep the oil topped up the Saturn Styrofoam engines will run a very high mileage despite their high oil consumption.
My 1978 BMW R100S Motorcycle is also out of winter slumber now that rain is occasional rather than constant. Also plans are afoot to resurrect my wife’s 1983 Honda CM250C belt drive which has been stuck in the garage for 15 years.
If it holds up like our old ’95 SL2, it’s got another 130k miles left in it.
My fleet is hyper boring or subtly interesting depending on how you look at it. I live vivaciously through others on sites like this. I have too many obligations to mess with cars or I spend too much time on the internet looking at cars to mess with cars.
2007 Prius Flamboyent styling and chock full of engineering innovations make this a future classic except for the high production numbers and a bias against it. I might keep it until it’s classic, because whatever I might replace it with will be less efficient, not as stylish or too small.
2004 Sienna The only van that met the Mrs requirment of “AWD and less than 10 years old”
2000 Silverado To do truck things. Might be replaced with a “classic” version although I will miss the comfort, reliablity and efficency of the modern version. Maybe a trailer would do it’s job and make life less complex.
Sometimes they make or sell a gorzillion of something because they are good. That makes the thing boring for being common but it is good none the less.