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Yesterday, TTAC contributor Jim Yu volunteered for a virtual Q&A on what it was like to own a Volkswagen Phaeton. I’m pleased to announce that Jim will be back soon for another AMA (Ask Me Anything) on his very first car, an isuzu Impulse. And we’ve decided to open the floor to anyone willing to contribute.
The process will work two ways. If you’d like to suggest a car, leave a comment. Hopefully, somebody with the nominated car will step up and volunteer themselves. If you have a car that you think is worthy (or if you own one of the nominated cars), send me an email, derek at ttac dot com and we can arrange something.
186 Comments on “Own An Interesting Car? Want To Be Pestered About It Online? TTAC Wants YOU For An AMA...”
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If only I still had my Audi 100…
I have one..
The Audi C3 100/500/5000 is definitely an interesting car to profile. I have a clean 240 although I’m not sure there is a Volvo jihad demanding to see it.
The only Volvo I hear anyone wanting to hear about is the 1800, or anything with a turbo.
I wouldn’t mind hearing about a plain regular 240, 740, or S70. The regular Volvos that people buy.
There an extremely mint 740 turbo 5spd I have been dying to take for a spin and review since the spring when I was made aware of it (something like 30K original miles). The owner is very particular and the car seldom sees the shop, but one of these days it will come in and hopefully I’ll have a chance to approach him.
Other than mine, I don’t know of anything pristine worth talking about. I did drive a fairly rare gen 1 C70 coupe (not conv) two weeks ago but the car is not in a good state.
Is it local or do you work at a shop? I’d like to see how it drives myself.
I’ve only driven a 740 wagon, can’t say it was that much better than my 240 apart from rear space, it was slower too. Rode in a turbo 960 and for whatever reason they just dont “grab” me like the 240s or 850s.
Whats up with the C70 not being in a good state?
The 740 is local, but I don’t work at the shop in an official capacity. I am the friend of owner, occasional help, and also handle all of the IT. I was going to head over prob tonight because I have no life and I need to put a TPS sensor in my Saturn, if I go I’ll ask the owner about the 740. I think at the very least I could get some nice pics of the car (whenever it comes back in) but I am told the owner is anal-retentive and I’d be wary to just take it for a spin without someone’s permission.
The MY99 C70/160k/auto is owned by a girl who recently completed nursing school (its essentially an 850 coupe). The story I was told is her Dad bought it already well worn for her to go to nursing school in, she then drove it to there for X years barely having money to keep it going, and despite the car being a POS in my guys opinion she is simply still driving it. I happened to see it in for inspection and I asked if I could take it for a spin and to my surprise my friend tossed me the keys. The interior is nice but the exterior is worn, the front suspension is completely screwed up, she had obnoxious aftermarket rims on it (but they are not gigantic), and it has several lights on the dash due to various emissions and electrical issues. The car did not drive well because of the front suspension issue but had nice pickup and no issues shifting. I also noticed despite the fact it was a hardtop and a late 90s Volvo, the rear visibility was terrible. I said to Chuck, if this girl is looking to dump it see if you could slide it over to me cheap as I suspect it would need 2-3K (of repairs) to put it back on the road to recovery (many 850 parts are $$$, 240 parts are nearly free in comparison). But the issue there is I’m already at my limit of cars and the ones I have require attention. The 240 restoration over time is not going to be cheap, I had rear shocks/springs put in her plus a host of inspection issues to run me a grand. I still have to get her to the body shop, and also begin to go over her and change out other wearable items.
Got ya, that 740s gonna make a great used deal if the owner ever sells it, IF. I’d be happy to see pics.
I wonder if that means the C70 could theoretically be the S70’s 780 or 262. Dunno if I like the styling though. Peter Horbury didn’t do Volvo any favors imo.
For the life of me I’m never going to get custom rims on a budget when there are more important issues at hand, oh well, its their money.
I can’t comment on 850 part prices at the moment, what parts in particular are pricier versus a 240?
Part of the reason I sold my 240 were the repair costs, malfunctioning IAC (AC would cycle onoff), and with the garage full of junk I wanted the car to go to someone who could take better care of it.
I wish you luck with your restoration though, whats wrong with it?
I have a ’73 1800ES and a ’92 245 both of which I converted to manual. AMA!
And an ’88 745tic and a ’96 855T.
@Ryoku75
I was over at the Volvo shop earlier, apparently the gentleman with the like new 744 turbo also has a blacked out 245 and a vintage 144, he is envied by the overnight mechanic. I asked them to pass on my interest in his collection so I may snap some photos.
The part that springs to mind is the fuel pressure regulator. I was (and still am) trying to troubleshoot my lackluster mileage and some thread I happened to come across mentions the fuel pressure regulator. So I check out FCP and at the time they had a Bosch unit for 66 bucks. I then happen to check out the comparable “generic brand” unit on an S70 or S60, and it was $280. I imagine this is partially the case because this unit had sensor wires hanging out and is probably electronic while the 200 series unit probably is not, but that’s still quite a disparity (also a Bosch part vs China’s best generic brand). If you check out FCP or IPD, many 200 series grommets, hoses, and seals are 2-4 dollars apiece, on the newer S series FWDs, they run $6-12 for the same type of item. Aside from fuel costs, what I have learned is a 200 and probably 700/900 Volvo is relatively cheap to own and somewhat easy to work on for the DIY. The 800 and P2 Volvos can be much more a PITA depending on what you are trying to accomplish.
Nothings specific is really wrong with mine other than several patches of rust on the wheelwells and front lower passenger quarter panel, also inner side of one rear door has rusted out (but I have a door for it). I addressed the rear wheel wells when I bought it but this bodyman half assed it a little and the rust continues, albeit not as quickly. I’m going to take it down to the talented body shop in Elizabeth which has done several of my other cars in the past but this hasn’t happened yet. Otherwise the car is in good condition I just need to slowly start to swap out the factory parts as some are showing age (i.e. I did the starter in the spring, rear shocks/springs two weeks ago). The goal is to make it look and drive as new as possible and to eventually enter it in the various vintage shows we have in my region.
@Jesse
I toy with the idea of eventually converting my MY93 244 N/A to manual, but I am told I need a manual parts car “in order to get all the parts”, is this true? How difficult of a job is it? Was it worth it?
I have a 940 turbo wagon, a 760 turbo wagon, and a 740 NA sedan. I’ll be up for answering anything you want to know.
@28
That dudes got a good taste in cars, wouldn’t mind seeing that 144.
From what I’ve read 850s/S70s got more complex around 1999 or so, they became more “networked” so replacing parts often meant reprogramming the ECU, I just hope junkyard prices are still cheap since I need some interior pieces. I plan on buffing the paint and adding cheap body trim parts, no turbos or manual swaps.
@Ryoku75 I have a 1998 V70 T5m. Yes, a factory manual. Ask away!
I have two type 44 Audi 5000’s. I daily drive my 1987 5000S Quattro 110 miles every work day through the Detroit freeway system. It was the car to own for Polar Vortex 2013!
Copy and paste picture link:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/8733757012/in/photostream/
I also have a Volvo 1800ES but it’s a project car.
Neat, you even have the Avant. I have been secretly lusting for a pristine condition Avant Quattro that is for sale nearby. But as I remember from my sedan, the 2.2 is barely enough to get those tons of german engineering moving (although it was the fastest car I’ve ever had in the winter)
@28-cars-later:
It would definitely help to have a parts car. In my case I had several friends with parts cars. You’ll need an ’89-93 donor because the lh2.4 (and 3.1) flywheels are different than the lh2.2 and earlier.
You’ll also need:
-transmission
-new clutch kit
-new clutch cable
-pedals
-shifter and assembly
-shift boot
-trans mount
-might as well do the rear main seal
Is it worth it? Of course! Especially if your car is not rusty.
Took me about a weekend, lots of beers, and some helpful friends to do the conversion. Had already practiced with the 1800.
@Jesse
Thanks for the reply. Mine has some rust starting but its minor and I am attempting to address it over the next few months. There is a 5spd 244 floating around in average condition which I identified as a possible eventual donor, but it is an MY84 if I am not mistaken. I’ll be on the lookout for an MY89 or newer now based on your input.
@Ryoku75
Let me know what you need there is an 850 auto sedan I may be able to procure parts from for you at the shop (I just have ask who’s car it was and if its ok to loot it). The 850s I see around the shop with crazy high miles are almost always MY96 and earlier (although last week I helped deliver a customer’s ’00 V70 for inspection with 195K), it seems the S70 took a turn for the worse in comparison in the electrical sense. I also didn’t know you had to reprogram the ECU when making some kind of changes, seems a bit excessive.
@volvo_nut
Actually yes, what sort of mileage is normal for an N/A Redblock with 2014 watered down fuel? I consistently get 14mpg city and highway in my 244 which amazes me because I have never owned a car which did not do better on the highway vs city. This particular 244 has many new parts (AMM, pre fuel pump, fuel pump, fuel relay, plugs, wires) and I can’t wrap my head around the poor mileage. I’d love to drive it more but I do a fair amount of highway driving and its hard to justify it when my Pontiac pulls 24 mixed and my Saturn 30+ mixed. Thanks.
@28
Yeah, an ’84 won’t do you much good, except for the pedals. It will have an m46 trans, which is a little more complicated because of the overdrive. And the driveshaft is different because of that.
Thanks again for your insight.
@28
Thanks for the offer, right now I need some side trim and I need to fix the sagging headliner. Seats are ripped, but that’d be too pricey to ship. Mercifully all of the electrics work fine ABS module aside.
The particular example I read about was switching stuff for a power mirror, I’m certain other S70V70 parts require programming for switching parts as well. S70’s have some improvements over 850’s but 850’s are much easier to fix.
If you ever wanted to see “planned obsolescence” in action look no further than Volvo under Fords ownership. At that point you had to combat over complicated electrics AND “lifetime” transmission fluids.
Exterior or interior trim? Which pieces specifically?
Exterior-wise I need the small plastic bit on the drivers fender and its clips.
I also need the trim that goes over the roof but that could be expensive to ship. Could use some touch-up paint too.
Interior-wise I need the cushion of the armrest, either a new dash top or cover for the passengers airbag, and the cupholder part that slides out. The cushion and cupholder shouldn’t be bad with shipping.
I also wonder what the general value of 850’s are without turbos, I paid $1650 for the car and hopefully I’ll get my money back and some profit when it comes time to sell it.
Restoring the 240 helped me get the money back I put into it during the past few years.
I’m not in front of it at the moment but I think it still has some of those parts, although some of the interior I think is missing. Regarding valuation, I would check Brickboard. Last fall I was considering replacing my old Saturn with an 850 Wagon/215/auto for 2K instead of repairing the Saturn. I asked a question on Brickboard and their thought was 2K was steep. Because its a Volvo there should always be Volvo people who could be interested in resale, the key would be to clean it up as best you can and simply enjoy it.
My first car was 1984 C3 Audi 100. With 360,000 km on the straight five, it was still running strong when I had to let it go. I still miss it, it was truly a great car!
At 28:
Right, I think 2000’s fair for a clean one. I managed to get $2500 from the 240 even though it was just a plain sedan.
Best I enjoy it for now though yea, if you ever get a decent H or W-Body maybe we can cut a deal.
I’m impressed with its range at the moment, about 30mpg in a 19 gallon tank makes for much less visits to the gas station than the 240.
Not only do I have a 1988 Audi 80 quattro, it’s actually my daily driver. Ask me anything about my big balls.
I used to own one of those. It was interesting-looking, but in reality it was a Japanese Scirocco-on-a-Chevette-with-a-truck-drivetrain.
Handled fairly well after Lotus got ahold of it.
I’ll volunteer, if anyone is still interested.
I remember your Verano Turbo article. That was interesting. If you’d like to share some updates with us, I’d be thrilled to read them.
Thanks Kyree. I have been meaning to write a follow-up but I am still in limbo with the noisy trans.
Maybe…I could write a few paragraphs detailing that particular issue, and then the B&B could pepper me wit any other questions to cap it off?
That’s why I didn’t say anything to your offer -I knew it wasn’t fixed yet!
I just got rid of my Fiero does that still count?
…i’d love to hear more about your fiero!..
I too had one. An 85.
1985 SE with ws6 handling package was shocked to find out there was only around 800 made that year with it had 145,000 on the clock when I sold it last week
Oo ooh, pick me. X308 jaguar XJR
This guy right here. I wants me some X308 porn.
Yes please. Bonus points if it’s a “200 Edition.”
I see your 200 and I raise you Vanden Plas.
There’s no such thing as an XJR Vanden Plas! But there was an XJR 200.
Korvetkeith may have an XJR but I was referring to the X308 platform, which would offer both of course.
I can’t figure out what a 200 edition is. My friend just bought one that came with fancy 3 pc wheels. Not sure what it’s called.
A 200 Edition was a special thing they did. You got black interior with red piping, and some special trim pieces inside, and some 200 Edition badges which were red and black, I believe.
The three piece wheels came on the “Gold Edition,” IIRC. I read up on it once. You got a numbered gold plaque, and also some special interior trim and fittings.
I’m quite sure my ’07 CRV is not much loved here, but I also think it’s a pretty uninteresting car, and Honda already gets waaaaay to much attention on here, especially considering how often people have to write that they make uninteresing cars. (seriously, just mentioning Acura round here must give you a massive increase of ‘clicks’ ?)
Could a ’94 Audi 100 2.6 with flames on it be more interesting maybe ? (fwd, manual) Not sure I can explain why I got it in the first place though…
Ah it sounds like your have the C4, not the C3 (I had the C3). Still very interesting though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_100
It is a C4, last year before the facelifted and renamed it A6, but I have also owned a ’88 C3 (or ‘type 44’) 2.2 Quattro and an ’80 C2 1.6 (for three days, RIP)
Would a VW Golf R or a C63 count? How about a Saab 9-5 Aero that I used to have?
Anyone have one of these?
Caterham Seven
Lotus Elise or Exige
Lotus Elan (either generation)
Lotus Europa
Porsche 914 or 914/6
Ford GT
Any kit car
I’d be interested in hearing about any of them.
I’ll add the Eclat to this list, though I doubt anybody owns one.
I’ll admit it. I don’t even know what that is.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Eclat#mediaviewer/File:Lotus_Eclat_London.jpg
I’ve owned an Elise for 7 years and have raced an Elite (the breadvan brother of the Eclat) in Lemons for 3 years.
Have also owned a 914 and a couple of generations of MR2 for comparison.
also currently own an M-Coupe
… and an e28.
… and used to have a Meyers Manx and an FD RX7 to round out the list.
I have a 2006 Elise that I DD.
I built a 3800S/C Super Stalker
This guy! Do it!
…i’m closing on 100,000 miles daily driving my 2005…
The Church of 3800 is interested in your ride.
I’ve moved my embroidery shop from the garage and the ex is bugging me to move my ’66 Elan (in pieces) out of what used to be my grandparents’ garage (but we won’t talk about that). Joining the Elan in the garage will be my brother’s ’63 Mini Cooper that’s been sitting outside under a tarp. I’m hoping to start working on one or both so maybe I’ll write about it at TTAC.
Think I could crowdsource the funding of the restoration?
Simply put, nothing handles like a Lotus Elan. Besides the fact that it has almost incredible grip and could pull 0.9g on a skid pad with 4″ wide early 1970s era tires, there’s a delicacy to the steering (and brakes). It’s a fingers and toes kind of car. Reminds me of a bicycle in that relatively small inputs make big differences.
If you pitch the Elan as being the “Grandaddy of all Miatas” you should have luck with crowd-sourcing.
When I worked at Chrysler in Auburn Hills a guy I worked with had an Elan that he drove to work often in the summer. One day he came over to me at lunch and said, “got some time?” His Elan had about 140bhp so it was quick. It was a revelation to drive, and hands down the most fun street car I’ve driven. You could place it in a corner with fantastic precision, and nothing else I’ve driven communicates what it’s doing as well as that car did!
I love the idea, unfortunately all I have currently is a 2005 vibe which doesn’t exactly get the car aficionados fired up. Hope to see some good entries.
I’m pretty sure you guys don’t know about this car so it might be interesting. I own a Ford Ka XR, something very close to the SportKa in Europe. A tiny super mini/hatchback with a 1.6L 100hp engine carrying only 2000 lbs, front-wheel drive, sport suspension and close-ratio gearbox (both OEM). I think our fellow TTAC writter Marcelo de Vasconcellos knows what I’m talking about, since we’re both from Brazil and this little Ford is very popular in our car culture.
Anyway, I’m looking forward to see some oddballs/rare vehicles from this great idea!
Love your suggestion. More vehicles like the kind Marcelo finds interesting would really be refreshing.
I’d also love to see vehicles like the Doblo, Fiorino, Qubo, Caddy and anything else tall, boxy and popular reviewed. Obviously we’re going to have to rely on those living in SA, Europe and other non-US markets to write them up.
>> Ford Ka XR, something very close to the SportKa in Europe
In Boston, we call every Ford a Ka. The SportKa – that’s Corvettes, Miatas etc. :^)
I imagine that’s… because of the accent… am I right? Please don’t hate on me people from Boston, that’s just tales we hear on the internet haha. In the US I have never been outside Florida, I can’t say much about it :(
In Boston everybody owns a truck, SUV or minivan. A SportKa is mostly a theoretical term.
In the area of Boston I live in, there are a surprising number of restored classic British sports cars. MGBs, Spitfires, 60’s Aston Martins. You just have to wait for a nice sunny day to see them come out and play. I’ve even seen a Fiat 124 Spider running around. I live in a scenic area and it’s a magnet for interesting cars.
I daily drove a 71 MGB GT for a few years in the 2000’s. It’s a rolling history lesson owning one. I learned all kinds of cool things like how to do ignition points, rear brakes that you had to manually adjust periodically, having lever shocks rebuilt, brakes with no vacuum booster that do stop just fine but are just plain weird till you figure out you just have to use clutch pedal pressure levels of stomp. Being in rural Texas there were about a dozen times that some good ol boy came up and asked what kind of Porsche is that, then wondered why I practically took that as an insult to my fine British Leyland vehicle.
I even got a COTD from Jalopnik about that car, but that was back when the cool people wrote there. Yes I followed Murilee here.
http://jalopnik.com/399563/commenter-of-the-day-east-texas-blues
I have a 1969 Mercedes 220D automatic, the slowest thing that’s technically a car.
As a fan of the old diesel Benz myself, my newest purchase is an 81 300SD, I imagine the 220 is pretty leisurely having driven a few 240’s, but I drove a diesel Chevette with an auto once. I think the 220 could probably take it. It might be the longest 1/4 mile drag ever.
I’d love to see a review of a well traveled Saturn Astra (preferably manual) since I have a strange like of Opels (rehashed as Saturns or Buicks or Cadillacs), and they can be picked up (as a winter car) relatively cheap in good condition.
‘wondering about reliability/maintenance.
They seem to be solid little beasts FAR more refined than most of the compact competitors of the time.
+1
I’d like to see how these compare to their Cobalt cousins too.
I would be interested in this as well.
Where do I start with the odd cars I’ve had experience with?
1. ’64 or ’65 Citroen 2CV
2. ’75 Beetle
3. ’71 Honda Z600 (the Civics ancestor!)
4. ’90 Plymouth Horizon (the last of a very, very, mediocre breed)
5. ’89 Toyota Tercel (rubbish car, but it did get me my license)
6. ’92 Volvo 240 ownership on a budget
7. ’84 Dogged-out and battered Ford Mustang
8. ’93 Honda Accord (A car loved by many, despised by me)
and many others!
Out of the 9 or so cars that I’ve owned its weirdly been the European ones that’ve been the best, all required work to some extent but I could only justify working on the European stuff.
2CV or Z600! Love me some minicars.
If I don’t get picked I’ll probably find a place to share some of my stories. That Z600 was the first car I learned to drive a stick on!
Oh, hell yeah! Deaux Cheveaux as an off-roader!
A yellow 2CV: The world’s cheapest Bond car.
Imo that was one of the best too, who needs stinkin’ gadgets?
I wonder if any of the B&B OWN a Captiva. Like, actually bought one used once the rental fleets didn’t want it anymore. These are common around me, but I’m yet to see someone on TTAC have one. It’d be interesting to see what a 2012 model with 50K owned by an actual person is like compared to a 2014 with 10K still in a rental fleet.
I think the Captiva Sport has better styling than the Equinox and the Terrain, and a better interior too. I cannot *stand* the Equinox and Terrain. They’re overpriced, they feel cheap, they’re hideous…and they’re uncompetitive. Seriously…I’m a GM fan, but I’d buy just about *any* other small/mid-sized crossover on the market before I stopped at the Equinox and Terrain.
But that’s just my strongly-worded opinion; no offense to anyone who owns either of these vehicles…
Lemme add some weirdness:
Nissan Axxess
Isuzu VehiCross
Citroen SM/XM/DS
Cadillac Allante
66-68 Olds Toronado
90-92 Olds Trofeo
Eagle Premier/Dodge Monaco (Renault)
Suzuki X-90
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_X-90
My parents had a Premier.
I am interested in them because they were quite advanced for the time, and very rare. I believe there was even a sporting version/trim level.
I drove a Citroen XM from Portland to Oakland.
I’d love to hear about the VehiCross, you don’t encounter many of them.
Subaru SVX
Subaru XT
Renault Le Car
Merkur XR4TI
Eagle Premier/Dodge Monaco
SAABs that predate the 99
Alfa Romeo Milano
FIAT Brava
FIAT Strada
Mazda MX3 with the 1.8 V6
AMC Pacer
Citroën DS
Delorean
Any Maserati
I have had a significant amount of time behind the wheel of the Le Car, Strada, and Brava. I worked at a dealership that sold them at the time, and back in that era many of us got demonstrators as part of our compensation. Since those were hard to sell they quite often got used as demos.
All three of those cars were surprisingly normal to drive. The Le Car (or Renault 5) had a surprising amount of room considering how small it was. Many of them had that flipover fabric sunroof that required a raised lip to be welded to the roof. The interiors were nicely appointed for such an inexpensive car.
They also had some odd mechanical quirks, The wheelbase was slightly asymmetrical, an artifact of the way the rear suspension was built. It’s the only car I can think of that had three bolt wheels. They had a wet sleeve engine, and the head gaskets were a problem when they got into the higher mileage range. In order to change the head gasket, you removed all the head bolts except one in the middle of the engine, then untorqued it a bit, and then hit the cylinder head with a rubber mallet until it turned a few degrees. If you did not do that, quite often at least one of the cylinder sleeves would come up when you lifted the cylinder head off, and then you’d have to pull the block out and do a complete rebuild.
They were very French to drive, with a super soft suspension not much power, and a mushy shift linkage. I don’t recall ever seeing one with an automatic, I don’t think it was available. As you’d expect, they cornered with lots of body lean. They were somewhat popular as SCCA Showroom Stock race cars, more because Renault paid good contingency money than anything else, and were known for cornering on three wheels and rolling over more than for winning races. The suspension was so soft that my sister and I once started the car swaying by rocking side to side in our seats while driving down the road.
Compared to the Renault, the Fiats were fairly conventional. The Strada was notable for being very roomy and getting super fuel economy. You know that old saying about it being more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow? That’s the Strada. Not much power, not much grip from the skinny tires, but good road manners, especially for a front driver. The Brava was a conventional front engine rear drive sedan, and used the same 2 liter DOHC engine that the Spyder used. It had a nice shifting manual gearbox, with an automatic option that was not as popular. If you wanted a rear drive European sedan but didn’t want to pay BMW money, the Fiat was a good choice. I would say that it was a reasonable competitor for the E21 series BMWs, plus it could be had in either a 2 door or 4 door body. Both Fiats got fuel injected engines before many of its competitors did.
Fiats had consistent issues with their electrics and some with fluid leaks, but weren’t as bad as they were made out to be. Once the Japanese filled in their product lineups, all the European mainstream lines left the US marketplace, save for VW.
I bet you can find someone who has a Le Car still running. The Fiat sedans may be pretty close to extinct by now. They were pleasant enough for their time frame, but I can’t see why anyone would bother with keeping one running now.
The most obscure car I ever had as a demo was a Renault 18i. If there’s an obscurity award for LeMons racing, I’d think if you could find one of these you’d have it locked up.
Definitely the Subaru XT for me. I’ve recently gotten interested in this car and have been looking around for one to pick up that isn’t a huge project.
I’m especially interested if it’s an XT6. I used to see the one pictured in the wiki page parked around NYC.
I imagine if any are still on the road (or close to) that they’re huge projects though.
Good luck finding a good XT. Let alone a XT6. Try Reno NV, seems to be where I see most of them. Snatched hubs, arms, and knuckles off one in a pick N pull in Sparks. If you want a SVX, same thing. Reno. No joke found 2 in 1 yard in south Reno. I stripped them to pretty much shells. Also saw 2 more driving around.
Mainly because, I have a SVX and allot of other Subarus.
This summer I saw an extremely mint early 80’s Chevette cruising down the highway. I wanna hear from that guy.
There is a baby blue CITATION in mint condition always driving around my area! I’d like to hear from its owner as well.
A couple of months ago I saw a lady driving a 1982 Chevette. I know it was an ’82 because the front license plate said so. You know how sculptured today’s cars look? The Chevette looked like it had been made with a sheet metal brake and some body hammers.
When I see a car like that, I always wonder what motivates someone to keep a car like that going for so long. This was during evening rush hour so I assume she’s driving it daily. It was in what I’d call “good driver” condition, as if it were being used on a daily basis and being kept up well.
Speaking of bad 80s cars kept in surprisingly good condition, someone in my Seattle neighborhood has a mid-80s Hyundai Excel hatchback that looks not quite mint but pretty darn good. Like, the paint still has some of its luster and isn’t noticeably faded/chipped/peeled. The lights, windows, trim pieces, etc. also look decent. The car gets parked on the street but not always in the same spot, so I assume it gets driven somewhat regularly.
Previa, the moon buggy that Chrysler clobbered.
Anything with hydropneumatic suspension.
The only two cars I’ve ever owned that the B&B might find remotely interesting:
1989 Taurus SHO
2009 G8 GXP (currently own)
dal20402
both very cool rides.
Care for a Citroën C3?
Um…*yes*!
Mais oui!
And I shall add to that a desire for writing about the C6.
Anyone with a vintage (Pre-BMW/VW) Bentley or Rolls-Royce product, please write in!
Kyree, for many years I owned a 1938 BMW 327 coupe, does that count. And, I just saw it at a BMW meet near Seattle several weeks ago. Still looks great, wouldn’t mind having it back, but its value is to great, now, but it is a lovely car.
Oop’s! Reread your comment, so you are interested in a Rolls or Bentley built before 1928. Can’t help out there, but I did briefly own a 62′ Silver Cloud, last of the single headlight Rolls. Another lovely car, that I only sold because I wanted one with a sunroof, or a fifties Bentley Continental. I actually prefer the Bentleys, especially the coupes and early roadsters.
I have an Acura Vigor…
How’s the five-cylinder engine? Does it sound good? Does it have the same happy-to-rev nature as other Honda engines?
I’d love to talk about the experience of owning a modified V8 powered car on minimum wage, or how fun it was learning the ropes of driving in a tiny underpowered 25 year old subcompact.
I was 3 or 4 years into driving once I got to that point, but I used to work for a place that had a fleet of decrepit old Chevettes as delivery cars (this was mid-2000’s).
The odometers on all of them died somewhere north of 250k kms, most of them burned oil (which saved from having to worry about oil changes), the exhausts leaked, they rattled constantly (like, even turned off at a rest in the parking lot, they were probably rattling), some dieseled for a few minutes after turning them off, some would take like a half-hour to warm up in the winter and get to a point where it had something resembling acceleration. They were terrible.
But, really light, RWD, and no power on almost bald tires meant they were a blast in winter. You could be going walking speeds, and just hang the back end out, like forever. Maybe go, make a sandwich, come back, the back end is still slowly hanging out. As someone who learned on FWD, it was a pretty good introduction to something a little more balanced.
I had a 1987 Chevy Corollova. It was quite adventurous to drive on the highway, with its somewhat top heavy nature and light weight causing it to shake noticeably when trucks passed by, not to mention the smogged and weak inline 4 screaming to try and maintain highway speeds.
I think I know personally what owning a crappy subcompact back in the 70s and 80s must have been like, except the Corollova at least started every time (except for needing a few attempts on some days) and only had one mechanical failure, the one that sent it to the scrapyard.
Any Kei car would float my boat.
I would also like a story (not just the car) from the man who was the neighbor of Karesh who has the Peugeot RC in the US and also works for Peugeot PSA USA.
I can give a hand. I had two Isuzu Impulse. A FWD one and an AWD one.
I have owned 5 cars so far, 2 of which may be interesting. One because I have only seen maybe 2 since I blew mine up, and the other because it’s a good used value and a great car for what it is.
1989 Toyota Camry All-Trac 5sp
2005 Volvo S60R
I owned an Aussie Ford Falcon wagon. One man’s foreign exotica is another man’s thirsty beater.
Or tradie tool.
Also used a lot as backpacker wheels. And still as a taxi, but not as common as 3 years ago.
Which model you had?
A well-used XF.
How about:
– Lotus Esprit Turbo
– Buick Grand National/GNX
– Ford GT
– Porsche 959
Oh hell yes! You definitely get my vote for the 959.
Own and or Owned? I’m game, I have owned over 400 cars, some 40+ since new(not including trucks/vans or business vehicles), surely there must be one of interest to the B&B of TTAC.
I’ll volunteer my Delorean
I would definitely like to hear about your Delorean
I just picked up an 1987 Audi coupe GT.It’s been a car on my bucket list for years.I looked at a couple that were rusted but needed lots of tlc.This one is a one owner
car mint condition metallic black with 72 k on it, was sitting for years. New battery , some gas and bingo!
Is your CGT a 1987-1/2 special build? (rear disc brakes)
There is great group of enthusiasts here: Copy and Paste
http://forums.quattroworld.com/4000/
Yeah, I want one also and install a 20V. I am actually considering selling my Volvo 1800ES to get one. Nothing like the sound of the I-5 coupled with the responsive steering.
Buick Skyhawk wagon (boring but quite rare)
Subaru RX 4WD Turbo
M-edition Miata
R-package Miata
Integra GS-R sedan
Super Beetle w/sunroof
WRX
Last 2 I still own.
Anyone able to buy a 2015 Fit yet?
Especially interested if you’ve owned an earlier one and could compare.
Saw one on the road last week. Not too keen on the giant chrome mustache and the fake bumper vents in the rear.
I know..sigh.. bad enough it’s got the F-15 wing ducts in the front and a chrome Salvidor Dali mustache, but the twin fart holes in the back are just too much.
Honda just became as bad as Toyota for tacking-on hopelessly clunky styling updates over already excellent cars.
Not as rare as some of the other cars mentioned above, but I replaced my 2008 Mazda 6 Grand Touring 5 door with a 2012 Audi TT-RS about 3 months ago.
I nominate my ’91 Mercedes Benz 420 SEL. It’s one of the last of the W 126, and one I recieve many comments on.
Well I have a 1985 BMW M535i (Grey market), a 1991 Mercedes-Benz 420 SEL and a 1990 SAAB SPG. Ask me anything about those, or how it feels to be broke all the time with grease under your fingernails!
I drive a manual PT Cruiser wagon, hold an Art History degree and live in my parent’s basement.
I’d like to hear from someone who still has a running Trabant.
>> I’d like to hear from someone who still has a running Trabant.
There are a bunch of them headed to DC for the Spy Museum’s 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Many of them on trailers for the trip down!
http://trabantforums.com/threads/2014-parade-of-trabants-washington-d-c-nov-8-2014.1485/
I’ve always thought one of these would be interesting to own. I could set up a youtube site dedicated to it. BigTrabiSeriesReview. Shoot the video with a handheld Soviet Krasnogorsk 16mm movie camera. Video of me out-accelerating dog-walkers and some of the slower joggers in my area at stop signs. Objects in mirror appear to be parked.
I think AMAs for cars are a great idea!
If anyone wants to know what it is like to be crazy enough to both restore and drive long distances (as in the entire Lincoln Highway this May) in a very stock 1985 Corvette, I’m your man …
I mentioned this in another comment but, I have a ’73 Volvo 1800ES and a ’92 245 both of which I converted to manual. AMA!
I also own an ’88 745tic and a ’96 855T.
I’ll let you know when my ’73 Haflinger 703AP is ready for regular use once again. We hope to have it legal for street and off road use by year’s end.
The ’76 710K Pinzgauer will take a little longer, as there are several mistakes and hacks in its past which need to be corrected before a true baseline performance test can be performed, but its independently coil sprung portal axles are still more sophisticated than any other modern 4×4’s underpinnings.
I’d love to see one from an owner of one of those early 1980s Mercedes Diesel sedans, like the 300D. Even better if it’s been converted to veggie oil.
When you fill one up, expect every third time or so that someone trying to be helpful will come up and inform you that are screwing up by putting diesel in a car. That’s when I point at the turbo diesel badge on the back of my 81 300SD. As far as converting to WVO/SVO, that has probably killed more OM617’s than anything else. Granted it can be done properly but far too many people believe in the notion that the Bosch MW injector pump can swallow anything that vaguely resembles some kind of oil only to find out otherwise.
1992 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser. A true survivor with only 45 k. Out of the 4200 made that year I doubt there are many left. I smile every time I get behind the wheel that this unlikely car escaped the crusher during cash for clunkers or the road to perdition as a contractors car.
Was about to suggest my ’91 OCC, but maybe yours would be better to review. Only things interesting about it is that it is the slowest car ever made, and it smells exactly like fireworks when going uphills
A 1997 Ford Probe
A 2009 Pontiac G8 V6
A 2012 Volvo S80 3.2
All relatively rare and interesting cars.
I’d be happy to do my little fleet of oddballs:
’13 Fiat 500 Abarth
’11 BMW 328i Wagon (unicorn-spec RWD + 6spd stick)
’01 Range Rover HSE (with working air suspension)
’74 (sort of) Triumph Spitfire (breathed on a bit, owned it for 18 years now)
Why and ’11 and a ’13? I realize they are two different kinds of car but I’m puzzled why you would have two near new ones at the same time.
Why not? I had a couple of 500 Sports as rentals and loved them. Decided to try the Abarth, loved it, so I bought it. It’s a toy, and it was cheap ($20.5K brand new). I’m at the stage of life where I have more money than time, so new car toys with a warranty have a lot of appeal, if they don’t break the budget. It replaced my not-supposed-to-be-a-project Porsche 924S. I’ve enjoyed autocrossing it and whipping it around town. I’ll sell it in a couple years and get something else. Front runners being a new Mustang EcoBoost or (more likely) a stripper track handling package 228i. I REALLY want to do European Delivery again.
Or I might just buy a used RV, start spending winters is FL and keep the Abarth as a dingy. I really should start taking advantage of the flexibility of my job situation. As long as I am near an airport, I can “work” from anywhere. You can buy a LOT of rolling ranch home for $35K.
I’ve got;
1977 Chevrolet Malibu Classic sedan in all its Malaise-era glory
1995 Ford Explorer XLT 5 door, well loved and used by me.
I’ve had;
2000 Ford Contour – fleet special
1986 Pontiac 6000-STE
1976 Chevrolet Malibu Classic sedan (first car, to ride in and to drive by myself)
I’m a big fan of the STE especially the AWD version. Too bad GM only offered it only in that one divisions A-Body.
My DD is a 2001 BMW X5 3.0i 5m. Bought it new and now have 245k on it; never seen another one, or met anyone who’d had, even at the dealer. So, rare, and I do love it, but ya’ll be the judge of whether it’s interesting.
Cjf
My 1989 Subaru Justy with a CVT just feels so pedestrian in this crowd.
I have a 2005 RX-8 that I DD for 3 years. It’s been off the road for 2, but I’ll be getting it back as my DD in 2 weeks or so. It’s got 178,000kms, and yes, I DD it in Toronto’s winter! :)
I’m a little late to this, but any interest in asking about:
Current Cars
2008 Volvo C30 R-Design
2011 BMW X5 35d
2011 BMW Z4 35is (White, owned)
Interesting past cars
2005 Crossfire SRT-6 coupe
2011 BMW Z4 35is (Yellow, leased)
I… well actually my wife… drives an ’08 Volvo C30, its not the R-Design but the V2 which is basically the same thing minus some little cosmetic tweaks. Pretty rare and under appreciated car for sure.
Before I bought my 350Z I looked into an SRT Crossfire, but the lack of a manual transmission caused me to quickly give up on owning one. Plus the wife never got the appeal, she thought they were ugly.
1995 Nissan 240SX
1995 BMW 318i Sedan
2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder
2002 Isuzu Rodeo
2005 Infiniti G35 Sedan
1997 Mazda Miata
2007 Mazda Miata PHRT
2012 Ford Mustang
All manual transmission.
The most interesting thing about our cars is that they all have V8 engines. 2006 Mustang GT (manual), 2008 4runner 4×4, 2009 F150.
Peugeot 504 Automatique
Opel Monza 3.0E
MGB
Honda S800
Volvo P1800E
Volvo 122S
Isuzu Piazza (Impulse) Turbo Lotus Edition
Toyota Supra Twin Turbo MkIV
Ford Falcon EA 3.9
Saab 900 II 2.3
Most missed in some way…
And of course some more common stuff.
1987 Yugo GV. Been gone a few years, but why not?
Also, yes to the Subaru XT and SVX because weird.
Weird is good.
Haha, weird but pretty cool too.
I guess I’ll bite, but I doubt anyone here will find them interesting or odd
Past cars I can comment on
87 Fiero GT
91 Spirit RT
94 SHO
89 6000 STE
02 Z24
90 Grand Prix Turbo
89 Grand Prix SE 5 speed
Present
74 Firebird Esprit
02 Firehawk
05 Bonneville GXP
11 Cruze Eco
Would like to see:
-Ferrari BB512
-Ferrari Mondial
-Pantera
-Lambo Countach
-GM Olds Diesel car purchased new
-Renault Fuego
-DATSUN 200sx aka 240rs aka Gazelle
-DAF
-Chevy Sprint turbo
-Aston Lagonda
-Lotus Elite/Eclat
-Saab Sonnett
-Justy CVT
-AMC Eagle or other 4wd
-GM truck with 4WS or plastic bed
-Envoy XUV
-Prelude 4WS
-F-body with Iron Duke 4
-Bricklin SV1 (I might actually know of a guy)
-Ford Courier
-Mazda REPU
-Triumph Stag
-Triumph TR7
-DR30 or R31 Nissan Skyline
-Late 80’s “Nissan van”
-Vector W8
-Any Pontiac that came with a turbo
-GMC C4500 pickup
-Toyota Sera
-Toyota Cavalier
-Autozam AZ-1
-Opel Manta
-Bradley GT/Coyote/any fiberglass kit thing
-BMW Z1
My recent list:
2011 Dodge Grand Caravan R/T
2014 Honda Accord Sport 6 MT
2009 Honda Fit Sport 5 MT
1994 Volvo 945 (naturally aspirated; put 14,000 mi on it and some road trips with 2 kids)
1996 Crown Vic (compelled sale to a felonious family member)
2001 Chevy Impala (3800 powered and now my in-laws car)
The van hauls my young family around on a daily basis (as does the Accord). I AutoX the Accord where it actually comports itself quite well, especially on 400 treadwear tires and drive it 65 mi/day for work. The Fit was the Accord’s trade-in and also did 2-kid+stroller+shopping+diaper bag duty.
Happy to provide an enthusiast family man perspective on what its like owning these things.
I love how these comments have degenerated from “I own an interesting car,” to “I own cars.”
A Pontiac 6000 or a Volvo P1800 is interesting. A 2012 Mustang isn’t.
it all depends one your perspective
it all depends on your perspective
Of course, but there are limits to “perspective creativity,” as it were. I think that’s stretching it too far.
Your 05 Bonneville is interesting as the last of a breed, the last Bonneville, mostly the end of Pontiac.
The Cruze Eco – nope.
I agree, Cruze eco is a nope, unless of course you are curious on how a 1.4 turbo engine has lasted for 80K hard miles (people are still making death predictions of the current trend toward tiny turbo engines in relatively heavy cars are going to last), or maybe the mileage is has achieved over those miles.
I think your M is interesting, but most might see it as a generic Japanese attempt at entry level luxury and not have any questions about it.
What a lovely backhanded compliment, in keeping with your typical unpleasant style.
come on buddy, no more unpleasant than your need to correct everyone’s spelling and grammar, as well as make generalizations about vehicles you’ve never even come in contact with.
It wasn’t mean’t as a shot, I was just giving an example after your statement:
“I love how these comments have degenerated from “I own an interesting car,” to “I own cars.””
Now that was pretty snarky.
Gentleman, please, knock it off.
Your example was of something which I didn’t put forth as interesting. Have never claimed that.
My snark was general, and not pointed at any one person. Your comment was at my car.
See the difference? Aside from the fact that I made the error in engaging you in commentary, when you are one of the two people whom I make a point not to.
EDITTT: I’m done!
Come on Corey, you’ve gone at me in the past with Eldorado comments. Sorry you can’t take a little friendly ribbing.
I assume Ponchoman49 is your other arch enemy.
Corey come on the M is the kick-ass model even Wikipedia says so:
“The Q45 was no longer exported to the USA after 2006, being unintentionally replaced by a newly redesigned M35 and M45. While the M45 has a shorter length than the Q45, it boasts more interior room, greater performance, a superior rear multilink suspension and front double wishbone, and much friendlier ergonomics, so it succeeded the Q45 as Infiniti’s flagship.”
I like Eldorado much, and I’d like it more if was available with a *cough cough* 3800. Both are interesting choices, as is the ultra rare Pontiac 6000 AWD. If you two want to spar at least do it over plebeian offerings we can all agree bore us.
28cars
I really wasn’t trying to spar, I actually like Corey, I like his comments 99% of the time. It just seems that no matter when I reply to him he takes it the wrong way. I wasn’t even trying to take a shot at his car, I was just giving an example. I assumed his initial comment was said sarcastically, so I added a little back to give him a chuckle…didn’t work.
The largest downside of the internet is that tone or intent can’t be expressed in typed words, and if one already thinks you’re some kind of enemy than no matter what is written will be taken the wrong way.
Thanks 28, I appreciate that.
It’s not a popular car here, and nobody thinks of it as a flagship model – generally. Plus styling and whatever else! So I wasn’t about to.
But it’s an Ebay purchase experience. And car shipping.
Corey
The ebay purchase and shipping experience would be awesome to hear about. As would you in depth comparison on the M vs your old Lexus.
@PonchoIndian
I couldn’t agree more, tone is essential in regular conversation and its something we lack on a messageboard. Sometimes its easy to forget… its a messageboard (I sometimes forget myself).
@Corey
The internets, they disagree! So change your thinking on your own ride, its tasteful be loud and proud. If I was shopping Japanese sedan post MY06, the M is getting a serious look – better styling than the LS460 for less money. But of course certain Pontiac product runs right up there with it ;)
I just want to see a write up from Corey about how good the Verano eybrows look on his M.
Corey
I do sincerely apologize if you took my comments in such a negative tone. I will try to be more thoughtful in any future comments knowing that I sound far too serious and far too much like a jerk when I’m just trying to joke around a little.
I will just request that you lighten up a little when reading anything I write and don’t take me too seriously. God knows I certainly have nothing an own nothing to brag about or act superior about (well there was that one guy with a Yugo, but I’d actually like to have a Yugo as a conversation piece… haha).
@poncho
Thanks, catching up on the comments on this one. I will keep that in mind.
@28
Elevating it to compare with the LS eh, that’s lofty praise. I don’t know that the M has enough room on the inside to compete.
@bball
I was thinking about that, and with the already present center bar above the plate, it would look like a big unibrow.
Agree. With the realities of life, my recent vehicle picks have been ‘interesting’ in their own right. AFAIK, there’s only one other 6MT accord rolling around in my town of 300k, and I can count on 1 hand the number of R/T Caravans I’ve seen in 4 years.
I think I have seen on Caravan R/T. Although I’d never buy a minivan of any type, I’m glad they made a Caravan R/T just because.
There are quite a few 6MT Accord sports around this area, quite a few still on dealer lots also. I’ve been very seriously toying with the idea of trading the Cruze in on one since you can pick them up for just over 20K right now. I haven’t quite gotten myself to turn into the dealer’s lot yet.
The accord sport 6mt is a tremendous value and I’m reminded of that every time I drive it.
What would you say about a 1974 Pontiac Firebird Espirit — other than Jim Rockford drove one and a lady race driver said “the understeer is terrible on this car?”
[hulu id=12508]
bomberpete
For twisted reasons, my car is a mirror image of the Rockford Esprit, gold paint and all.
I guess the best description would be is that it is remarkable comfortable and actually pretty modern to drive. It handles really well with the optional suspension, at least as far as street driving goes. It isn’t all that powerful, with the fire breathing 155hp 350 2bbl Pontiac engine. The name of the game is torque not hp. Its actually been dead reliable for 11 years with only oil changes and a set of spark plugs.
I wouldn’t be very good at writing about a car unless I had a framework or specific set of questions to answer. I was never very good at book reports either.
The vast majority of people can’t drive an interesting car on a daily basis. I’d love to have bought a Previa S/C AWD for family duty, but I can’t gainfully suggest my wife drive something that uses her legs as a crumple zone.
The 1994 Volvo was very interesting, but after it stranded my wife and one of my sons on a busy freeway at night, I re-thought the wisdom of using a 20 year old car in daily rotation.
I would love to speak on behalf of a Chevrolet Volt, a 2002 Porsche 996, a pretty rare 2002 Volve C70 Coupe
Such an eclectic list of requests. My collection is boring in comparison. I feel like late model cars can be left out if there are recent reviews available. I’d talk about my low n slow ’63 Thunderbird or street/strip ’76 Charger if there’s interest.
Danio, both bitchin rides…
I think hearing about your ownership of the “new” Challenger would also be interesting. Owner’s perspectives are always more interesting than a typical magazine/blog review by someone who drives 100 different cars a year and pretends they can compare the first car they drove that year with the last. (that was NOT a shot at anyone)
I came across this site while searching as to whether or not my recent purchase is an actual “Survivor” or not. It did not pass muster. Insofar as an interesting car — well, yinz can decide. My ‘Big Bad Orange’, 1969 AMC Javelin was posted on eBay for only a day or so when it was pulled. I called the guy to ask why to which he replied he had made a mistake with the “Buy it Now” option. We got to talking and made the deal. The car had been bandied about as a Survivor but, more importantly, it was a totally rust-free Southern California car (a rarity in Massachusetts). So, after a gut-wrenching experience with the auto-transport outfit, the car made it from CA to MA. It’s been checked out by my crack mechanic and given a fairly clean bill of health. He DID, however, indicate that the car had been repainted at some point, so a Survivor it ain’t, per the parameters set forth on this site. What it IS, though, is a powerful little monster in need of some upholstery, carpeting and misc. other items I haven’t even come across yet.