I’ve just told you why it’s the Peugeot 404 wagon for me. How about you? Which one of your former cars would you have the genie bring back to you?
QOTD: Which One Of Your Former Cars Would You Bring Back?
– Posted on July 16, 2021
-
-
Curbside Classics Archives
I’d love to have my ‘88 Nissan King Cab SE-V6 back again, now that I’m contemplating a move far away from the city and want to pretend to work with my hands (lots of intent and desire, but zero sense and ability try as I might).
Runner up would be my 2001 Trooper, the most comfortable car I’ve ever owned.
My restoration shop had a devastating lightning-induced fire in 1995 that destroyed about a dozen of my personal cars in an attached storage building. From a 1935 Rover to a 1941 Cadillac convertible, most of the cars could be replaced, but 2 cannot:
1956 Chrysler Imperial sedan, this 1-of-1 car was the Paris Auto Show car for 1956, sent to France as a knocked down kit, it was assembled by Facel in Paris, the same people who gave us the Facel-Vega cars. It had Marchal lamps & bulbs, and special Euro-specs like rear reflectors & KPH speedo. It was sold by France Motors, the Importer of Detroit-built Chrysler cars to Europe, to a Swiss Chocolatier [really!]. I drove the car as my everyday vehicle all through Europe in the mid 1970s before shipping it back to the USA.
1963 SAAB 850GT Monte Carlo, with the oil injection motor, disc brakes, a Halda Speedpilot, and other Rally items like the big driving lights across the front of the car. The reason for all these specialty pieces was because it was the back-up car for a famous SAAB driver: Erik “on the roof” Carlsson, who used it in practice runs. The car traveled all over the USA, displayed at various SAAB dealerships until it reached San Francisco, when a friend of my father bought it. I bought it from him, and on curvy roads “nuttin could catch it!”
Both cars were special members of my car family, and I miss them very much.
My first, third, and fourth cars were Saab 95 or 96 V4’s, but I was certainly aware of the two-strokes. Ca. 1977 I got to drive a Monte Carlo or GT two-stroke for a few minutes at a Saab owners’ event, and it was a blast!
I feel your pain, especially in view of that particular car’s history.
I researched the SAAB for several years, as it was said to have a unique history of being Erik Carlsson’s actual race-winning car. My dad’s close friend Mel bought the car when he lived in San Francisco & attending to his graduate work. He had lived in Rhode Island, so he knew the SAAB legends well.
Mel bought the car from the SAAB dealer in SF, where it had ended it’s USA tour. He was given a single page flyer claiming the car was Carlsson’s winning car. I had the flyer framed, but this was in the car when it burned. The car was in the showroom, complete with rally gear when he bought it, however as part of the deal, he wanted the car repainted dark blue. In painting the car, they took all the equipment off, and were going to toss it, but he insisted it all be put back on the car.
In 1966 Mel moved to Maryland and the car went with him. By then he was married and had kids, and the SAAB stayed parked in the garage, complete with original California plates. About 1992 he asked me if I wanted the SAAB, and of course I said yes. We pulled it out onto my rollback truck, and within a few days we had a running and driving car.
After the fire I contacted local SAAB club members to see if anyone wanted the special front suspension that wasn’t burned, along with the front Disc brakes, but no one wanted it. So the carcass was sent to the scrapper. I was able to save the 850 GT Monte Carlo emblem on the left front fender and the as well as the SAAB emblem on the sail panel, this emblem was not melted, but the aluminum surface has some heat discoloration. I’m keeping them as a memento of what I had, and lost.
With the increased availability of the internet, I was finally able to construct the actual history of the car, and found it was originally registered in Sweden as P44306, and that it was one of the back-up cars, not the actual car used, that was registered as P44301. So it appears that in 1963 SAAB USA was not being accurate in how they claimed it was the actual winning rally car.
Having briefly owned a 1965 Buick Riviera, I suppose the answer should be obvious. However, I did greatly enjoy my nearly 5 years with a 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham. Competent, comfortable, easy to drive in town, and smooth on the highway.
While the GM Colonnade cars have their detractors, the chassis engineering was the inspiration for the vaunted 1977 GM B body. Having driven many B bodies concurrent with my Cutlass, I can confirm a similar driving experience. The 350 Olds 4bbl in the Cutlass was superior to many of the engines I drove in the Bs.
I would not mind at all a chance to spend summer daily driving my Cutlass again.
Not a single one of them. Air bags, antilock brakes, traction control excellent HVAC, outstanding reliability, acceptable MPG…I wouldn’t give those up for any older car, except maybe as a weekend plaything.
This isn’t an easy question for me. I’m on the wrong side of 60 and I’ve only had seven cars to look after. Only two of them I would bring back:
* 1982 Toyota SR-5 pickup (#2): R-22 motor and 5 sp manual. It’s possible I’d still have it if not for the tin-worm. I had it 14 years and it went coast to coast. I gave it away to a friend when my professional life started to hit bottom and I didn’t think it could make it home. It was very worn out.
* 1978 Datsun 810 sedan (#4): I6 4 spd manual – it was my dad’s car that he was about to donate but my stepmom forced him to let me use it while I was in professional purgatory. Best highway car, but had a few gremlins that if I could have held onto it I would have eventually vanquished them. Not that it was my favorite car, but it survived for so long. I only had it for two years and it was 22 years old at the time. I probably would have stalled on giving it back except it always failed the yearly emissions test the first time and I didn’t want to go through the misery of getting it redone.
As for family cars of interest that I would want to see:
* 1965 Dodge Dart sedan – mom’s car, the one I learned to drive with back in the 1970s. My brother totaled it after 10 years of ownership, but it periodically appears in my dreams, intact and I drove it home after finding it.
* 1964 Olds Cutlass – my grandfather’s car it was a true 1960s car and would have liked to drive it. First car with a center console I remember.
* 1964 Olds Ninety-Eight – my grandmother’s second to last car. Loved the straight edges. After she died I drove her last car, ’69 Olds Ninety-Eight for almost a year (I called it the battleship. Not my first choice but no objections if it appeared).
* MB 220 (? year) – I don’t remember it at all, but my other grandfather had it for 10 years before the 1970 AMC Hornet. I would have liked to have at least seen it. The story is he spotted a deal (it was underpriced badly) from the road, went in and bought it. The manager later tried to negate the deal because of the price, but my grandfather the CPA understood contracts and held them. The salesman lost his job as a result.
My dad had a 1959 MGA I would have loved to drive once, but that car was a maintenance albatross. Pop knew someone at the Navy motor pool that enjoyed working on British cars so he managed to keep it running. I remember it more spending time on a battery charger in the garage than him driving it.
My 2004 Ford BA Falcon XR6. I loved the engine, loved the five-speed manual, loved the way it looked (deep purple with black/purple upholstery). I did check out another BA XR6 a couple of years after I sold it though which reminded me of some of its flaws (clunky doors, paint quality) and I did end up buying a later FG Falcon a couple of years after that, but the BA was the first car I ever bought and I still love it. The custom exhaust the previous owner put on it was nice too…
My 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo LS…to me it was the perfect balance of a normal car in a sporty looking wrapper. I often pined for the 3.8L engine vs my 3.4L engine with 180 hp but in truth I don’t believe the performance would have been that different. I’ve very much enjoyed cars but do to work and school didn’t have as much time as I would like to work on them. My particular 2004 monte carlo served me very well. I barely had to work on it besides regular maintenance and oil changes from 2006 (I bought it used) until 2016 when it developed transmission problems with 230K miles. I paid AAMCO to fix it, but after 4 attempts and much heartache/incompetence it was a hopeless cause. I traded it in on a used Hyundai Genesis Coupe which was a lemon. 🙁
My two 404s were sedans, and high on the list of wanting-anothers. But a wagon would be at the top of that list for sure! From an Austin 850 Countryman to two Hillman Huskys and my current ’01 Suby Forester, that’s my favorite kind of car.
Not gonna dive into my 404 memories, but the Peugeots I have either driven or just occupied have all been perfect examples of cars that never felt anywhere near as fast as they were actually going, pretty much the opposite of most of my vehicles. I think my ’74 Alfa Berlina was close to that, but never as chill as any Peugeot.
In my 406 the scenery used to speed up something shocking but the way the car drove never changed
My 1991 VW Jetta EcoDiesel. First car I bought on my own. Competent, economical, comfortable and you could see out of it. Great road trip car.
It would be my Citroen 2CV except that I still have it, so the nod goes to my 1969 Alfa 1750 Berlina. I got it in 1977 and the seller said that it was a Canadian market car, but I think it might have been a European delivery that was then imported to Canada. It came with Kangol 3-point seat belts with magnetic catches which I have never seen in Canada. In any case, it had dual 2 barrel Weber carbs rather than the fuel injection on the US models. For 1969 it was very advanced, including 4 wheel discs and a 5 speed, but what really mattered was how it all worked together. It was the first car I had been in that did not get squirrelly on wet streetcar tracks, even if you braked hard. Quite a revelation and very useful in Toronto. It handled well, was quite quick, a comfortable long-distance tourer and did not draw attention to itself. It also had excellent highway fuel economy (albeit requiring super-premium Sunoco 94). I don’t know if it was standard, but the only place on the car that said “Alfa-Romeo” was in the logo on the grille. Elsewhere it only had 1750. It matched my requirements exactly, and I would have kept it for a very long time if it had not dissolved in rust.
1964 Cadillac Coupe de Ville I had in the late 80s. Even then people would come over to look at it in parking lots. Just didn’t have the money to keep it up, although it didn’t need much. Tailfins, power everything and a 429.
Black 65 Jag 3.8 MK2, with the power-lock diff it was a good winter car. Second choice would be my underpowered but amusing 59 MG Magnette ZB.
The younger me would have said my 1994 VW Jetta iii GL but today I would choose my 2004 Honda Accord EX. It was red with grey cloth interior. The EX trim had an upgraded cloth interior that the LX did not have and it wore well. I bought it new in June 2004 and sold it to a friend in 2013 with 200,000 miles on it. When I bought it, I was not keen on the exterior stying but the interior sold me on the car. It just felt right and I drove it everywhere. It cruised at speed on highways and handled country roads just as well. I replaced it with a 2013 Accord Touring V6 which I still have but I should have kept my 2004.
’67 VW Beetle, no contest. I never actually got to drive it, it was a non-runner.
After rereading the thoughts I shared on this subject four years ago, I find myself inclined to generalise that particular decision. My fond memories of whatever which car are of that car at a time, in a place. I spent decades grasping backward for a do-over I couldn’t have; that was a primary driver of the cars I chose. Once it dawned on me that’s what I was doing, it took me about another decade’s time to turn the ship around and start looking forward.
With all that said, I will wrench my gaze up from my navel and try to answer in the spirit of today’s QOTD. The really old car I come closest to wanting to bring back is my 1971 Volvo 164. The car-of-whatever-year I would bring back is the low-miles 1991 Dodge Spirit ES (3.0 V6) that preceded my current 2007 Honda Accord (3.0 V6). The Spirit was practical and modern enough to be easy to live with, old enough to be interesting, and mostly easy and inexpensive to fix (though good-quality parts were growing difficult), and a whole hell of a lot more agreeable than the Accord!
My 1936 Dodge Touring Sedan. My grandfather bought it in August 1950; I still have the letter from the sales agent offering it to my grandfather. Poppa drove it until the early 1960s when some replacement parts were becoming problematic. He stored it in his shed, took it with him in 1976 when he and my grandmother moved house, sent it to my cousins shed in 1984 when they moved house again, and I bought it from his estate in 1993 when I was 19.
When I wanted to buy my first house in 1999, having a large American car that needed full restoration wasn’t feasible so I sold it, 49 years after Poppa bought it. To be fair, I wasn’t physically or financially capable of the restoration work it needed, but now, 22 years later, I still kick myself every day… Mind you, I still own the 1989 Ford Sierra that I spotted in 1997 and bought 17 years later, so it’s like the past never left in some respects!
Ive well over 100 cars to sift through and choosing just one could be difficult, possibly the PAX Velox I had or the souped up 3.3 PB Velox but Hillmans were better cars and Ive got one of those,
Id take the KC 245 cube 4 speed Chrysler Centura again, it was a fun car lethal roadholding or lack of far more power than it needed comfy as to ride in, yeah why not bring back that exactly as it was 4 post alloy bullbar up front wide alloy rims, but with the nolothane front suspension bushings I fitted still there please.
G678LBD was an Alfa Romeo 164 3litre. Enough said…
Probably my old 85 Chevy Cavalier CS. Great car with no major issues until some idiot T-boned it. It was never the same after that.
I’ve thought about this for awhile now, and I really can’t make a choice. There are four cars that really spawn memories, and they weren’t the nicest cars I’ve had.
* 1981 Pontiac Catalina. My first car. My freedom. Haven’t seen a 1980-81 Pontiac in forever.
* 1978 Buick LeSabre. Fully optioned, and I hounded a high school friend to sell it to me… yet I no longer own it. Oei!
* 1974 Datsun pickup. The most pragmatic choice of the group, and something I could make excellent use of today.
*1975 Renault 12 wagon. Was a great little car for me. Handy, economical, different, and reliable. Yes, reliable. Had the most comfortable seats known to man.
Probably going to pick the last one. My second French car. Parts are so much easier to get and at reasonable prices in this everyone-has-internet era, which was the only sticky point with the car. FWIW- My Peugeot 404 was kind of a pile. I loved it, but I shouldn’t have.
Sometimes I miss the ’92 Mustang LX. It was a slow car fun to drive fast. Graphite gray, RWL tires and upgraded struts and shocks.
What a blast in the snow going everywhere sideways on purpose!
Without hesitation, I would pick this one… My 1988 T-Bird 5.0 LX…
My 86 Mazda B 2200 long bed pickup. Second car I ever purchased. My 2006 Scion xB, manual. I still miss my toaster. Had over 200K miles when I gave it to a family in need
Mum’s 1971 Mini 850, I drove it when I first learnt to drive, taught my brother to drive in it. Had my first accident in it when I rolled into the back of a Skoda at some traffic lights this dented the Mini’s grille and immobilised it because it smashed the distributor cap which was directly behind the grille.
The Mini was slow and noisy, but you could drive it everywhere flat out and it felt like you were going fast because it was so small. No power assistance for anything, drum brakes and a magic wand gearlever.
I could probably still do the plugs and points on an A series engine.
Or an even better choice, either Mum or brother’s first car, a Mini van, same thing even slower but enough room for the camping gear.
My ’62 Volvo 544 Sport. Bought it [very] used for $250 in ’72 in rust-free AZ where it faithfully motored me through my college years and beyond. I had acquired another car for long distance travel [with essential A/C] but kept the 544 until a friend found himself carless. I passed keys & title to him and it soldiered on for a few more years until it was heisted when parked off a busy Phoenix thoroughfare.
The car pictured is a ’61 from one of classic auto sales sites where I contemplate an acquisition but then recall that I’ve got a 1-car garage.
1967 VW Sunroof sedan. My first car, a German market grey market one with front disc brakes among other differences from US model. Not a beater, since I bought it in ’69.
It took me all over the west coast, and later, Maui and big island Hawaii, where it finally started to rust away. Never left me stranded.
ANY Fox bodied Ford.
I took them for granted and from my 92 Mustang, my 82 Futura, or my 81 Cougar sedan, they were all perfectly sized, practical, comfortable and very good cars.
Tempted to say 1990 Renault 19GTS 1.4, with a promise not to run into the back of a Volvo 740 estate in a motorway jam.
’59 Alfa Giulietta Sprint coupe
If my TR4 should have be totalled in an accident I would immediately be on the search for another one. Have owned it for over 25 years now and will always be with me. Always a smile when I drive it.
For the cars I regret selling the most – this would be the 1982 Citroën CX 2400 IE Pallas auto. Loved that car. So smooth, fast, great brakes, lovely lines. Sold it because I thought much money was needed to repair the rust. Wish I had taken the plunge and repair it.
These are my 2 choices. My first car ever, a 1969 Dodge Super Bee. 383,Hurst 4 speed.
My Dad’s 1971 SAAB Sonnett.
My ’89 Honda CRX.
My 1979 Trans Am, after the mods. Decent fuel economy, if I put the cruise at less than 70. Tire melting torque and insane throttle response that I just wish my 392 Challenger came close to. The dual exhaust with little turbo mufflers sounded great with the cammed and ported head 403. I saw it last week, looking great with the newish paint job. The present owner finally got all the skirts and stuff back on it, and it looks new now. The paint is light years better than it was from the factory, no drips visible anywhere.
My present car is faster, quicker, stops amazingly quicker, and it’s more comfortable, but I really miss the T/A, even after I sold it 35 years ago come November. If I ever had the money for a toy, a 77-78 T/A would be my choice, no olds 403, a big stroked 455 Pontiac or maybe a Chevy 455 stroker engine instead, in the same red my ’79 came in. A built Turbo 400, a 12 bolt with 3.21 gears and 4 wheel disc brakes. No T-Tops, ever.
My 1989 Mercury Sable LS. Great handling vehicle and a really comfortable ride. Yes, I’m such a grandpa. Lol
W124 Benz, as long as it was made the the original standards.
W124 Benz, as long as it was made to the original standards.
1984 Jeep CJ-7. Loved that Jeep. Mine was more of a mall runner than a rock crawler, with a hard top and A/C, but those are musts for a daily driver here in the humid swamp of SE Texas.