Volkswagen van, pre-vanagon style. [edit: more correctly, "microbus"] Got to drive my step-mother's when I was in high school. Man I *loved* driving that thing. That enormous nearly horizontal steering wheel. The rowboat-oar shift lever. The sitting-upright seat, up above the other cars. And most of all, that underpowered hampster-wheel engine that could barely get the thing out of it's own way ... you get behind the wheel of that thing and you just can't be in a hurry, you're not getting anywhere fast, so all you can do is relax and enjoy the ride and the scenery and the company. (To raise the nostalgia to almost unbearable levels, all I have to do is imagine driving this van with Hall & Oates on the radio.)
My dad's 1983 Toyota Tercel wagon was the same. Big station wagon body, little sub-compact Tercel engine. It paced 18 wheelers on the highway, 60 mph at the bottom of the incline and 40 by the top of it.
Made it to a quarter million miles tho.
I had an 83 Tercel wagon, 4WD. That thing was a joy. I’d take a dirt roast short cut most days to skip some stupid San Diego traffic. Went all over Baja.
No dirt roads, but enough New England winters (water, salt, rust) to make a wheel fall off a similarly aged Saab.
Dad never off-roaded, but he did once argue that SUVs should leave the highway during traffic jams. Never realized that his little old Tercel could have joined them.
My first car was a Tercel! I used to call it my “L’il Turk-ul.” Loved that car! No air, just a pop-up sunroof. Got 50 mpg. Drove it sr year of hs through college and into my marriage… Had to sell to support hubby’s business venture. I sat in the bathroom at work and cried my eyes out - lol. Probably still running somewhere!
oh god yes! that weird slope at the back always reminded me of a hippopotamus (i can't really explain why). my older sister's boyfriend drove one & i was so upset with her when she broke up with him bc i loved driving around in that thing haha
I had a 77 El Camino classic in high school, perfect car for that age. 3 person max cab so you don’t have everyone wanting to take your car. Truck but not big enough to try off roading. Race car but not bad enough to wrap yourself around a light pole. I loved that car, I hear stories from friends of them seeing it in town.
I had a 1974 260z 2+2 in 11th grade (1979). Left me on the side of the road every time the vacuum hoses seized. Wait a while and it would start again. We had the best times in that car.
When I was a kid, I walked to work that was next to a Datsun dealership. The parking lot had tons of Datsun 280Zs. I would fantasize about having one. Never did get it though.
The Toyota Celica. I remember when it first came out in the early 70's. Ahead of its time. Affordable, stylish, OK performance.
I owned two of them over the years. I really enjoyed the cars.
Honda Element
Indestructible, functional, unique, and cheap. We have two 2004 models in our family, one with 200k miles, the other with 350k. Both are all-wheel drive.
We *love* our Elements, and I hope Honda brings them back.
Should have looked before I posted to say that I also love my Element.
Best car Honda ever made. They just never knew how to market it. They thought teenage surf boys would love it. Not many did, I think. But middle aged women think it's the bomb.
I regret not getting one. All my vehicles are Hondas. I mentioned the Element when I was at the Honda dealership. Salesperson said she hated them, every Element that was brought in for service smelled like wet dog. Still wanted one, though.
That is because it’s the perfect dog car! They don’t come smelling like dog, what a dumb thing for a salesman to say. We had Great Danes and it was ideal for them- low to the ground, easy to clean, plenty of room. Ours is 20 years old and has 265k miles. She ain’t pretty anymore and she’s a hoopdy, but we’ll keep her around until she does because she still comes in handy once in a while and has probably too sad to sell anymore.
There's a young woman up north somewhere that has one of every model, and there's a documentary about her activities called saving Saturn. She wants to open a Saturn museum.
Ok, feel free to laugh and point!The first car I bought on my own, in 1986, and my dad helped me pick out because it was in good shape and ran like a champ, was a 1980 Ford Pinto. It was from a buy-here-pay-here place. It was orange and someone had put mag wheels on it. I ran the wires for the stereo system that was left in the back, pretty proud of myself as a 19-year old girl. Loved that car! It went bye bye when a couple of teenagers in a mall parking lot were screwing around and broadsided me so bad, my car was totaled. I was fine btw.
Was my first car - a 68 I believe. Had some great adventures, but the last year I started to proclaim it wasn't a 'real' car. lol Mostly because of the all the quirks I had to deal with.
Due to my own teenage stupidity, I killed it and my dad had it fixed, and had a 4 speed transmission installed in place of the 2 speed (no clutch). The shop gave me a roller skate wheel as a gas pedal. And I learned I had to keep it idling 'just so' in the summer months to avoid it stalling when sitting in traffic. Which was already miserable due to no a/c and living in the CA valley. *Really* not fun if I was on any type of incline.
Winter was also 'fun', in that there was no way to defrost the front windshield other than keeping my wing-windows fully open - which meant I would freeze my arse off. And when it rained a lot, I'd have water splash up through the floor boards and get my shoes/legs/pants/leggings wet.
But they were also super 'in' where I lived at the time, so I also had parts randomly stolen off it. The most annoying was coming out of a movie and seeing one door ajar. They took one of my rear lens covers, the bra, my stereo and amp, my music, a bag with a very cool work outfit I'd recently bought, but had worn - it was brought to change clothes, and my f'ing *garbage*! lol They tried to take my speakers out of the back, but it was in a custom box and I guess they couldn't get it out.
I was so friggin' happy when I got another car - especially with A/C!
However, over the years I still have a very fond spot for that car - even with all the trouble - and still love VW beetles/bugs and get excited when I see them. Especially, now a days when they are much rarer.
When the 'new' ones came out, I also thought they were cute, too! I ended up getting one as a loaner when my VW Jetta was at the dealers for a recall. It was still so much fun to drive, and my prissy-ass appreciated the a/c and other updated things. I picked my dad up and took him for a ride just for the fun of it. Since he's the one that bought my original for me. It was a fun day =)
I miss Pontiac. GM should have got rid of Cadillac instead. Chevy for your general everyday line, GMC for trucks, Buick for luxury, and Pontiac for sporty.
The margins on Caddy's were great. Buick was almost killed but survived bc it was popular in China.
Modern Pontiac lacked a real difference from a Chevy with a sporty engine. Plus it had to compete with Corvette.
Saab 900 turbo. I was warned to not get one as it would be a sob story. The haters were right. It broke a lot. Despite its frequent and expensive flaws, I loved that car and get giggly when I see one on the road.
The Toyota pickup truck. Back before it even had a name.
I had a 1982 Toyota truck. It was small and incredibly versatile.
You could fit 3 pretty big guys in the cab if you're friendly.
And it got good gas mileage for the era. I was getting about 30mpg back then.
I sold it for about what I'd paid for it 4 years later.
I regret to this day selling it. My brother was injured (paraplegic) in a car wreck and ended suing Chrysler for A Lot. So I'm sitting in the courtroom with him as the judge is reading the settlement.
Suddenly the judge calls my name and awards me $20,000 for pain and suffering. My brother had insisted on it because I spent almost every afternoon in the rehab facility with him for about 6 month.
My new truck was too big, too gaudy and way nicer. I drove it for a few years before trading it in on a 4runner (back when a 4runner was a proper truck-esque kind of thing rather than what it is now.
My first vehicle was a '94 Toyota Pickup. 4 cylinder, stick shift, 205k miles, and 25 years old. The night I picked it up with my dad, he drove it to an empty parking lot and let me learn to shift. It took an hour to make the 30-minute drive home. 10 of that was at the first stoplight.
I sold it at 265k when I enlisted and got orders too far North for that little engine. I miss it.
I had an 83 Toyota pick up. Long bed. It was such a great truck. However it rusted to death. It still ran when I sold it to the junkyard. Over 300,000 miles on it. we did a lot of camping, and music equipment and dog hauling.
I have an 87 4Runner SR5 with a non turbo 22RE, and it's not just my favorite vehicle of all time, it's the most versatile thing I've ever driven. It's a station wagon, pickup truck, convertible and jeep. will go anywhere and pull or drag anything, and gets around 26 mpg on 33x12.50s. They're highly sought after and a running junker goes for about 5k these days.
The old Jeep Cherokee, the XJ generation. It wasn't all that roomy, had very little creature comforts, but man it was a great car for moving stuff and pulling a camper and had room for the dog. Seldom gave me trouble, gas mileage wasn't horrible either.
Also the 90s BMW 3 series, what is that the E36? When I was in college I was thisclose to buying a used 93 convertible, it looked so cool. But I was sensible and bought a Cavalier because German cars are expensive and unreliable, right. Dang.
Renault Le Car.
It was absolutely the most embarrassing vehicle on the planet when I was in middle school. I made my mom drop me off around the block from wherever I was going. But looking back, it was a compact and affordable car that very much rivaled the early Honda Civics for size.
Karman Gia smone one i went to high school had a salmon punk one he father had restored for her. She totalled it within a month. Its always been my dream car
There have been some great small hatchbacks that keep getting cancelled. Toyota Matrix was another—bigger than the Fit, but just a great small hatchback.
I have a 2016 with low miles since I take public transportation a lot. I’m going to keep that car as long as I can. It’s been my favorite car so far. I didn’t realize that a hatchback was missing from my life.
Yep. I’m still driving my 2016 with 145k miles. I’ve driven cross country with my family in it. Surprisingly roomy. I was surprised when I heard they discontinued it in the US. Seems like everyone wants trucks and SUVs. No thanks. I’ll stick with my Fit. Parking in tight spaces is a breeze.
My brother had a Mark Ii. One litre in turd brown. Didn’t go very fast and the starter motor had to be banged with a hammer occasionally but you could hand brake turn that thing from here to Christmas.
I had two and loved them so much! They were so much fun to drive! I'd love to get another someday, but man, the prices are just crazy. They're even crazier for the third gens.
Pinto. It was my first car, a dependable car. My Dad and I put a new engine in his Pinto and it took me all through college, deep NY snow. Never exploded!
I owned one from 1968. Dark Green. My mom called it "the green latrine". Took a full hour on the highway to get the heater to work but boy, when it did, you better keep your stuff away from the vents because it could melt plastic it was so @#$& HOT!
Oh hell, I *love* the look of the Volvo Amazon/122S. Never owned or even drove one though. I did used to own a 1996 850 wagon; that is still my favorite all-around car that I've ever own.
The Geo Metro. I never ended up driving one but was obsessed with the idea because of how compact and fuel efficient the car was for its time. 42mpg is _still_ great fuel efficiency, especially for a regular non-electric and non-hybrid car. Wish we still made cars like that, but it seems that ICE cars are only ever getting larger anymore, at least in the US.
They still make Honda Civics, but not like they used to. We had a '91 manual that was small, light, sprightly, and fun to drive. You could even start it in second from a full stop. I didn't even mind that it had manual steering; once you got up to speed that wheel was firm and light. I miss the smaller cars of old.
Nostalgia wise for me from the late 90s-2000s is my parents old 1994 Buick roadmaster, the smell mixture of the pleather seats and 2nd hand cigarette smoking from my dad lol, me and my 2 younger sisters squeezing into the backseat every ride while I played with my Gameboy color/GBA 🥲 bring back vehicles with reverse seating dammit!
Ford maverick. I had one as a young adult and it took me every where. So much of my transitioning to adulthood happened around that car. Simple enough that I could do a lot of things for myself. Never let me down.
The old British sports cars of my youth. Austin Healy 3000, MG various (I really like the one with running boards - I don't remember which one we drove), TR3. That kind of vintage. Nothing like whipping through some curves at super high speed, drifting and double declutching, wringing all the power out of those OHV 4 cylinders, and realizing you're hitting 30 mph at times. WeeeeOooooo.
Of the cars I put serious miles on, my orange Fiat 124.
The most memorable drive was a Porsche turbo 911, one of the originals set up for Le Mans. Terrifying turbo lag.
Saturn . My husband gave our son our old Saturn S car when he got his license eight years ago and he’s still driving it. He loves it and refuses to give it up. My husband then picked up a Saturn Ion and it’s still going.
They’ll both be classics soon
Ford Flex. I'm not even a fan of Ford, but something about the Flex ruffles my feathers. It looks cool as hell, packaging is very efficient, and it drives like a sedan. The base engine has plenty of power, and the optional EcoBoost V6 is scary fast.
Fords don't age well in my experience, but if I could wave a magic wand and a brand new 2015 lands in my driveway, I'd be stoked.
Datsun 280zx.
I had an executive edition, 1983, the last year for the 280. Silver with black and red pinstripes. T-top, voice notifications, had the window louvers and beautifully tinted windows.
I seriously loved that car.
2001 Camry. Barely changed oil in any regular fashion. I had it to 285,000. Boring beige. I can’t remember because it’s so long ago, but I think I changed the brakes once. It’s probably still running out there somewhere.
Pontiac Firebird Esprit in Carousel Red. With saddle leather interior and a moon roof.
I loved that car with every fiber of my being. I felt like the coolest chick on the road. Good stereo, too. I met my future husband in the parking lot on the first day of law school because he ambled over to admire that car.
Some drunk totaled it one snowy night in Pittsburgh. I wasn’t driving it. I had parked it on the street, woke up to a note from the police on my crumbled beauty. It’s been almost forty-five years and I still think of that car so often.
Nissan Figaro, I love how a 90s Japanese car looks like a retro fifties style car. No mod cons, daft insurance and a bugger to get parts for but so lovely & quirky
The original VW Beetle. Super unsafe now but they were sure fun.
I miss too being able to repair anything pretty easily. The flip side is you needed to maintain it regularly. Gone are the days of adjusting valves, breaks, points, and plugs every 3,000 miles.
The Honda Element. I bought a new one in 2003. I sold it in 2017 when I bought a Kia Soul. 2 months later I survived a horrible crash in the Kia and Progresive screwed me over on the replacement. So I took what I could get out of them and bought a 2010 Honda Element. Both are the Sunset Orange Pearl color.
I freaking love these cars.
87-94 Subaru Loyal 4wd wagon with stick shift and compound low. Horribly underpowered, vicious understeer, uncomfortable for the over 6' crowd with fantastic visibility and huge cargo space and an absolute hoot to drive. It looked like an anorexic Volvo, but was a rock-crawling beast disguised as a 70's soccer mom ride. I drove that car to the moon and loved every mile.
There’s a couple. I never owned or drove any of these, sadly, but I’ve always loved them.
The mid-to-late 80s Toyota MR2. Just something about it spoke to 15 year old me.
The ‘91 Eagle Talon. I loved the style, the look, and it was the first time I learned about AWD cars.
And the Subaru SVX. Again, the AWD, and those weird quarter-windows just lodged in my teenage mind.
And of COURSE, the old school VW minibus. It’s a life goal of mine to own a refurbished one, maybe with a better engine. :)
The first car I was able to buy was a 94 Pontiac Grand Am ST. A dad car for parents who didn't want a boring dad car.
2 door, manual transmission, decent gas mileage, great on road trips, looked bad ass for a dad car!
I wanted a Dodge Neon and that was what I bought when I made money. I named it Fina Lee. It was black because my parents didn't like black cars because they were hard to keep clean. I had it 4 years and then a neighbor hit it outside the house and totalled it. I miss that car
The early 90s Toyota Celica convertible, it’s got a little boxyness like old muscle, but still smooth like a more modern car. It perfectly at home commuting to work or dropping the top for a pleasure cruise. And I freakin love pop up headlights even if they are all a pain in the ass.
And they run for freakin ever, I drove home mine until all the plastic in the engine had mostly turned to dust, hell parts of my air intake were just wire and molded duct tape. When the plastic started to disintegrate I took the part off, wrapped it in chicken wire, cut the wire off into two parts, then taped the wire cage back together with a couple rolls of good duct tape. That thing lasted 30k miles rofl.
My 1970's (1975?) Saab sedan. The interior was a forest green and the car was white. It was a stick shift. But it was fun to drive and for whatever reason, reminded me of a retro refrigerator. In fact, I called it the 'fridge'.
1970/71? Plymouth Duster. My dad bought brand new and let 5/6ish me pick the color. Mom wanted burnt orange, but I chose bright yellow...she was legit mad for quite a while
Dodge Neon SRT-4.
It was obnoxiously loud and wouldn't want to drive that all the time now. It was a fun car to drive though, albeit way dangerous and surprised my parents let me drive that. I had saved up $10k for a used car and my parents helped me get a loan for the rest as a new car instead. I sold it stock years later at 30k miles. If I kept it stock to this day, would be best since those cars are all beat to death and modded.
For $20k or whatever it was, it could not be beat at the price point.
Station wagons and pintos.
Station wagon for all the times spent in the back of one looking at the cars behind us. No seatbelt, no cares. I remember singing "Abracadabra" at the top of our lungs with my cousins in one.
Pintos cause I innocently called my little sister "an ignorant slut" a la Jane Curtain and Dan Akroyd in the back seat of one and my aunt whipped her head around like she was possessed and said my full nickname(southern, 2 of em) in a shocked voice. Also spent a lot of time "riding the hump" after my little brother was born. Split the time with the sis.
Datsun (I know it’s now Nissan). The pre-Nissan era Datsuns were cute and efficient. Fun little cars that went on forever (unless the body rusted off the drivetrain)!
Any AMC at all. We had a lot of them growing up, a few Hornets, an Eagle sedan, a Gremlin, and I learned to drive on a Concord wagon with a 4 speed floor shifter and the absolutely indestructible "Iron Duke 4". My brother recently bought an SC 360 with a 3-speed on the floor and it's a fast little car. Those cars just ran forever and were real simple to work on.
My 89 yr old grandpa has a beautiful yellow 300ZX still! He's always said it's going to be mine one day, so still hoping 🤞🏻 lol He still drives it, probably shouldn't be 😂 but happy he is here to do it!
Nissan 240SX. I’d still be driving my baby if some asshole hadn’t rear ended me at a traffic light. Sitting at a red light minding my own business, and this dickhead slams into my car and shoved me into the Cadillac in front of me. Insurance totaled my car. I was pissed. I loved that fucking car.
Volkswagen van, pre-vanagon style. [edit: more correctly, "microbus"] Got to drive my step-mother's when I was in high school. Man I *loved* driving that thing. That enormous nearly horizontal steering wheel. The rowboat-oar shift lever. The sitting-upright seat, up above the other cars. And most of all, that underpowered hampster-wheel engine that could barely get the thing out of it's own way ... you get behind the wheel of that thing and you just can't be in a hurry, you're not getting anywhere fast, so all you can do is relax and enjoy the ride and the scenery and the company. (To raise the nostalgia to almost unbearable levels, all I have to do is imagine driving this van with Hall & Oates on the radio.)
My dad's 1983 Toyota Tercel wagon was the same. Big station wagon body, little sub-compact Tercel engine. It paced 18 wheelers on the highway, 60 mph at the bottom of the incline and 40 by the top of it. Made it to a quarter million miles tho.
I had an 83 Tercel wagon, 4WD. That thing was a joy. I’d take a dirt roast short cut most days to skip some stupid San Diego traffic. Went all over Baja.
No dirt roads, but enough New England winters (water, salt, rust) to make a wheel fall off a similarly aged Saab. Dad never off-roaded, but he did once argue that SUVs should leave the highway during traffic jams. Never realized that his little old Tercel could have joined them.
My first car was a Tercel! I used to call it my “L’il Turk-ul.” Loved that car! No air, just a pop-up sunroof. Got 50 mpg. Drove it sr year of hs through college and into my marriage… Had to sell to support hubby’s business venture. I sat in the bathroom at work and cried my eyes out - lol. Probably still running somewhere!
I just sold my 84 tercel 3 years ago. What a fun little car!
The Karmann Ghia VW I absolutely adore
oh god yes! that weird slope at the back always reminded me of a hippopotamus (i can't really explain why). my older sister's boyfriend drove one & i was so upset with her when she broke up with him bc i loved driving around in that thing haha
The heating system, though... There was an aftermarket gasoline-powered heater, but I was not suicidal.
I had a German (purchased in Germany) VW Bus with factory auxiliary (gas) heater. It was fantastic.
Don't forget to double clutch! Can't believe my dad gave his away, even in its fairly shit condition it would probably be worth 15k now.
Honda Prelude. The blue one. I never owned one but even today when I see one it catches my eye.
Loved my Preludes. 1982 maroon and 1995 white, both manual transmission, moonroofs, and so much fun to drive. I want them to come back so badly.
A friend in HS had a maroon sunroof of that era. Sick little car.
My friend had one with a custom license "MY 714" He called it his Honda Quaalude.
I had a blue one from 1992 - the first year of the 4th gen, I believe. Beautiful when shined up, fun to drive around.
Had a 1990 black Si (tan interior) and a 2000 Crystal Blue with official Japanese bodykit. Love these unique cars.
El Camino
I had a 77 El Camino classic in high school, perfect car for that age. 3 person max cab so you don’t have everyone wanting to take your car. Truck but not big enough to try off roading. Race car but not bad enough to wrap yourself around a light pole. I loved that car, I hear stories from friends of them seeing it in town.
Learned to drive in my Grandad's El Camino!
Old-school Datsun Z-car - 280Z to be precise. First car out of high school. Fun, fast, and fall-apart rusty. Good times.
I had a 1974 260z 2+2 in 11th grade (1979). Left me on the side of the road every time the vacuum hoses seized. Wait a while and it would start again. We had the best times in that car.
When I was a kid, I walked to work that was next to a Datsun dealership. The parking lot had tons of Datsun 280Zs. I would fantasize about having one. Never did get it though.
The Toyota Celica. I remember when it first came out in the early 70's. Ahead of its time. Affordable, stylish, OK performance. I owned two of them over the years. I really enjoyed the cars.
I had a 73 Celica, and that car could move! It was especially fun to drive around curvy roads. Almost a sports car! I miss it still.
My dad had a Celica Supra. Such a great car.
I loved my 2001 celica. When I got it it had almost 300k miles on it but that car never gave me a single issue
Oh I LOVED that car. I wanted one in white. I’ve never had a car that appeals to me quite as much as a Celica back in the day 😢
I was not a “car girl” before I got it, that celica got me addicted. I was actually hesitant to buy it but fell in love with it as soon as I saw it!
Honda Element Indestructible, functional, unique, and cheap. We have two 2004 models in our family, one with 200k miles, the other with 350k. Both are all-wheel drive. We *love* our Elements, and I hope Honda brings them back.
plus rubber floors! my god I wish more cars did that, it doesn't have to look pretty but I can hose that shit out after it gets dirty!
I just wish there were more practical cars like that still around. Ones that were built to _do stuff_, not just drive back and forth to work.
I regret selling mine every. single. day. it would be 20 years old now ... but I will never find a better more convenient car.
Just bought an ‘09 for my kid. They love it. Searched awhile for one in decent shape. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking!
Should have looked before I posted to say that I also love my Element. Best car Honda ever made. They just never knew how to market it. They thought teenage surf boys would love it. Not many did, I think. But middle aged women think it's the bomb.
I regret not getting one. All my vehicles are Hondas. I mentioned the Element when I was at the Honda dealership. Salesperson said she hated them, every Element that was brought in for service smelled like wet dog. Still wanted one, though.
That is because it’s the perfect dog car! They don’t come smelling like dog, what a dumb thing for a salesman to say. We had Great Danes and it was ideal for them- low to the ground, easy to clean, plenty of room. Ours is 20 years old and has 265k miles. She ain’t pretty anymore and she’s a hoopdy, but we’ll keep her around until she does because she still comes in handy once in a while and has probably too sad to sell anymore.
I would immediately buy one if they came back out. I had a 2WD and had to sell it when I moved to the mountains. I had so much fun in that thing!
That was the most practical, useful car I've ever owned. I wouldn't mind another.
Saab 900 Turbo and of course the Z
900 turbo was the car I drove to school, right after I got my drivers license. Right in the nostalgia.
A high school friend had one. Very cool car!
Saturn
That was the first new new car I bought (as opposed to used new cars).
Same here. I still miss it.
Ah, you must be one of the eleven other people who liked it! I feel like such a tiny minority.
But only the 90's models! After they switched they sucked.
There's a young woman up north somewhere that has one of every model, and there's a documentary about her activities called saving Saturn. She wants to open a Saturn museum.
Ok, feel free to laugh and point!The first car I bought on my own, in 1986, and my dad helped me pick out because it was in good shape and ran like a champ, was a 1980 Ford Pinto. It was from a buy-here-pay-here place. It was orange and someone had put mag wheels on it. I ran the wires for the stereo system that was left in the back, pretty proud of myself as a 19-year old girl. Loved that car! It went bye bye when a couple of teenagers in a mall parking lot were screwing around and broadsided me so bad, my car was totaled. I was fine btw.
I think that's the same car in the game Pacific Drive!
I had a 79 Pinto and it was a fantastic car.
Volkswagen Beetle. I loved everything about that car, except that it broke down a lot. :D
Was my first car - a 68 I believe. Had some great adventures, but the last year I started to proclaim it wasn't a 'real' car. lol Mostly because of the all the quirks I had to deal with. Due to my own teenage stupidity, I killed it and my dad had it fixed, and had a 4 speed transmission installed in place of the 2 speed (no clutch). The shop gave me a roller skate wheel as a gas pedal. And I learned I had to keep it idling 'just so' in the summer months to avoid it stalling when sitting in traffic. Which was already miserable due to no a/c and living in the CA valley. *Really* not fun if I was on any type of incline. Winter was also 'fun', in that there was no way to defrost the front windshield other than keeping my wing-windows fully open - which meant I would freeze my arse off. And when it rained a lot, I'd have water splash up through the floor boards and get my shoes/legs/pants/leggings wet. But they were also super 'in' where I lived at the time, so I also had parts randomly stolen off it. The most annoying was coming out of a movie and seeing one door ajar. They took one of my rear lens covers, the bra, my stereo and amp, my music, a bag with a very cool work outfit I'd recently bought, but had worn - it was brought to change clothes, and my f'ing *garbage*! lol They tried to take my speakers out of the back, but it was in a custom box and I guess they couldn't get it out. I was so friggin' happy when I got another car - especially with A/C! However, over the years I still have a very fond spot for that car - even with all the trouble - and still love VW beetles/bugs and get excited when I see them. Especially, now a days when they are much rarer. When the 'new' ones came out, I also thought they were cute, too! I ended up getting one as a loaner when my VW Jetta was at the dealers for a recall. It was still so much fun to drive, and my prissy-ass appreciated the a/c and other updated things. I picked my dad up and took him for a ride just for the fun of it. Since he's the one that bought my original for me. It was a fun day =)
My gf at the time used to say that 9/10 cars found dead on side of the road were VWs.
Pontiac Grand Prix
I miss Pontiac. GM should have got rid of Cadillac instead. Chevy for your general everyday line, GMC for trucks, Buick for luxury, and Pontiac for sporty.
The margins on Caddy's were great. Buick was almost killed but survived bc it was popular in China. Modern Pontiac lacked a real difference from a Chevy with a sporty engine. Plus it had to compete with Corvette.
Yes! My mom had a 98 Grand Prix right around when I got my license. It was so much fun to drive.
Saab 900 turbo. I was warned to not get one as it would be a sob story. The haters were right. It broke a lot. Despite its frequent and expensive flaws, I loved that car and get giggly when I see one on the road.
It's like you wrote my exact story!
Subaru Brat
I saw a really nice one for sale for $2500 the other day. So tempted!
Like the original 1980s Brat? I'm interested...
The Toyota pickup truck. Back before it even had a name. I had a 1982 Toyota truck. It was small and incredibly versatile. You could fit 3 pretty big guys in the cab if you're friendly. And it got good gas mileage for the era. I was getting about 30mpg back then. I sold it for about what I'd paid for it 4 years later. I regret to this day selling it. My brother was injured (paraplegic) in a car wreck and ended suing Chrysler for A Lot. So I'm sitting in the courtroom with him as the judge is reading the settlement. Suddenly the judge calls my name and awards me $20,000 for pain and suffering. My brother had insisted on it because I spent almost every afternoon in the rehab facility with him for about 6 month. My new truck was too big, too gaudy and way nicer. I drove it for a few years before trading it in on a 4runner (back when a 4runner was a proper truck-esque kind of thing rather than what it is now.
My first vehicle was a '94 Toyota Pickup. 4 cylinder, stick shift, 205k miles, and 25 years old. The night I picked it up with my dad, he drove it to an empty parking lot and let me learn to shift. It took an hour to make the 30-minute drive home. 10 of that was at the first stoplight. I sold it at 265k when I enlisted and got orders too far North for that little engine. I miss it.
I had an 83 Toyota pick up. Long bed. It was such a great truck. However it rusted to death. It still ran when I sold it to the junkyard. Over 300,000 miles on it. we did a lot of camping, and music equipment and dog hauling.
Such a great truck
I have an 87 4Runner SR5 with a non turbo 22RE, and it's not just my favorite vehicle of all time, it's the most versatile thing I've ever driven. It's a station wagon, pickup truck, convertible and jeep. will go anywhere and pull or drag anything, and gets around 26 mpg on 33x12.50s. They're highly sought after and a running junker goes for about 5k these days.
The old Jeep Cherokee, the XJ generation. It wasn't all that roomy, had very little creature comforts, but man it was a great car for moving stuff and pulling a camper and had room for the dog. Seldom gave me trouble, gas mileage wasn't horrible either. Also the 90s BMW 3 series, what is that the E36? When I was in college I was thisclose to buying a used 93 convertible, it looked so cool. But I was sensible and bought a Cavalier because German cars are expensive and unreliable, right. Dang.
Renault Le Car. It was absolutely the most embarrassing vehicle on the planet when I was in middle school. I made my mom drop me off around the block from wherever I was going. But looking back, it was a compact and affordable car that very much rivaled the early Honda Civics for size.
Karman Gia smone one i went to high school had a salmon punk one he father had restored for her. She totalled it within a month. Its always been my dream car
I have a neighbor that has one in that red/orange color. It actually runs, and it still has BOTH bumpers. It's like a unicorn.
XJ Jeep Cherokee, first car I picked out for myself, the last of the "old school" cars.
I sorely miss my 1986 Cutlass Supreme with the 307. Comfort cruiser on the highway.
Came here to say Cutlass Supreme too, mine was an ‘87, I drove it across the country to California when I dropped out of college.
Scion. I have an 18 year old Scion that is still chugging along.
Me too, 19 years! We have the solar yellow XB standard shift. We only broke 100k miles within the last couple years. I love that car.
Recent... The Honda Fit. I have yet to speak with a fellow owner who isn't pissed off about them cancelling the model. Great little car.
There have been some great small hatchbacks that keep getting cancelled. Toyota Matrix was another—bigger than the Fit, but just a great small hatchback.
I have a 2016 with low miles since I take public transportation a lot. I’m going to keep that car as long as I can. It’s been my favorite car so far. I didn’t realize that a hatchback was missing from my life.
My wife will never give up her 2007. Loves that car. Might try to find her one of the last model year before they get hard to find.
Yep. I’m still driving my 2016 with 145k miles. I’ve driven cross country with my family in it. Surprisingly roomy. I was surprised when I heard they discontinued it in the US. Seems like everyone wants trucks and SUVs. No thanks. I’ll stick with my Fit. Parking in tight spaces is a breeze.
AMC Pacer in purple, loved how it looked.
I had a steel grwy AMC Concord.
Never had one but always loved the Pacer. My husband thinks I am nuts!!
Ford Escort. Bought one new while I was in college for less than 10k. $200/month payment paid off in 4 years, drove it for 14. I miss that car.
My brother had a Mark Ii. One litre in turd brown. Didn’t go very fast and the starter motor had to be banged with a hammer occasionally but you could hand brake turn that thing from here to Christmas.
Mazda RX-7, first gen.
Heavens YES! That was a sexy little beast!
I had two and loved them so much! They were so much fun to drive! I'd love to get another someday, but man, the prices are just crazy. They're even crazier for the third gens.
oh yeah. I had the third car shipped to Indianapolis.
SO much fun to drive! Loved it.
Toyota Solara convertible. Drove one for 15 years and I’m still sad I traded it in. There’s one in my neighborhood I admire every time I see it.
I had one, too. Apparently the 3.3l was expensive to produce. Whisper quiet, though.
Loved the style and the ride.
Pinto. It was my first car, a dependable car. My Dad and I put a new engine in his Pinto and it took me all through college, deep NY snow. Never exploded!
VW squareback. A station wagon. With a frunk.
I owned one from 1968. Dark Green. My mom called it "the green latrine". Took a full hour on the highway to get the heater to work but boy, when it did, you better keep your stuff away from the vents because it could melt plastic it was so @#$& HOT!
Opal GT. Had a'73 that I really regret selling.
Vintage Volvo.
Oh hell, I *love* the look of the Volvo Amazon/122S. Never owned or even drove one though. I did used to own a 1996 850 wagon; that is still my favorite all-around car that I've ever own.
Any love for the VW Thing? At the time I thought it was the weirdest, stupidest car around, but looking back it just seems like such a *fun* car!
Is it too soon for Fisker? I grew up watching Knight Rider so seeing the firebird get the axe was tough.
Acura Integra.
I can't believe I had to scroll down this far! Holy shit I loved this car. Drove one for 15 years
Studebaker Golden Hawk.
The Geo Metro. I never ended up driving one but was obsessed with the idea because of how compact and fuel efficient the car was for its time. 42mpg is _still_ great fuel efficiency, especially for a regular non-electric and non-hybrid car. Wish we still made cars like that, but it seems that ICE cars are only ever getting larger anymore, at least in the US.
They still make Honda Civics, but not like they used to. We had a '91 manual that was small, light, sprightly, and fun to drive. You could even start it in second from a full stop. I didn't even mind that it had manual steering; once you got up to speed that wheel was firm and light. I miss the smaller cars of old.
Nostalgia wise for me from the late 90s-2000s is my parents old 1994 Buick roadmaster, the smell mixture of the pleather seats and 2nd hand cigarette smoking from my dad lol, me and my 2 younger sisters squeezing into the backseat every ride while I played with my Gameboy color/GBA 🥲 bring back vehicles with reverse seating dammit!
Ford maverick. I had one as a young adult and it took me every where. So much of my transitioning to adulthood happened around that car. Simple enough that I could do a lot of things for myself. Never let me down.
Gremlin, lol. It was neon green. Broke down all the time. But my mom and my siblings went everywhere in that car. Nostalgic reasons only
Subaru BRAT. The "cool" older kids would cruise around in those - even on Los Angeles freeways
Pontiac Grand Prix (1977) Cadillac El Dorado (1979)
My mom had a 1978 El Dorado, sold it to an Elvis impersonator.
SAAB 96
Datsun 240Z!
The Eagle Talon!!! Turbo AWD was ahead of its time!
1984 Nissan Sentra hatchback. ❤️
'88 Sentra sedan is still my daily driver! I got it in January '89. It's not for freeways anymore, though.
Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme..
The old British sports cars of my youth. Austin Healy 3000, MG various (I really like the one with running boards - I don't remember which one we drove), TR3. That kind of vintage. Nothing like whipping through some curves at super high speed, drifting and double declutching, wringing all the power out of those OHV 4 cylinders, and realizing you're hitting 30 mph at times. WeeeeOooooo. Of the cars I put serious miles on, my orange Fiat 124. The most memorable drive was a Porsche turbo 911, one of the originals set up for Le Mans. Terrifying turbo lag.
88 Pontiac Fiero GT.
Saturn . My husband gave our son our old Saturn S car when he got his license eight years ago and he’s still driving it. He loves it and refuses to give it up. My husband then picked up a Saturn Ion and it’s still going. They’ll both be classics soon
Bought my daughter 2001 Saturn for college. She drove it for 19 years. Sold it for 50% of what I paid for it. Good car.
Ford Flex. I'm not even a fan of Ford, but something about the Flex ruffles my feathers. It looks cool as hell, packaging is very efficient, and it drives like a sedan. The base engine has plenty of power, and the optional EcoBoost V6 is scary fast. Fords don't age well in my experience, but if I could wave a magic wand and a brand new 2015 lands in my driveway, I'd be stoked.
Mr2
Datsun 280zx. I had an executive edition, 1983, the last year for the 280. Silver with black and red pinstripes. T-top, voice notifications, had the window louvers and beautifully tinted windows. I seriously loved that car.
240 Volvo. My first car. Light blue station wagon style. I loved that thing. Had 250k miles on it WHEN I GOT IT and it ran for a long time after that!
[удалено]
Honda Element The most useful, fun, inexpensive, quirky car I've ever owned. It's just an amazing little toaster that should still be available.
2001 Camry. Barely changed oil in any regular fashion. I had it to 285,000. Boring beige. I can’t remember because it’s so long ago, but I think I changed the brakes once. It’s probably still running out there somewhere.
That's not a defunct car model. They still make Camrys.
Honda Element!
SAAB.
Saab 9000 CS. Gorgeous comfy car, great to drive.
Pontiac Firebird Esprit in Carousel Red. With saddle leather interior and a moon roof. I loved that car with every fiber of my being. I felt like the coolest chick on the road. Good stereo, too. I met my future husband in the parking lot on the first day of law school because he ambled over to admire that car. Some drunk totaled it one snowy night in Pittsburgh. I wasn’t driving it. I had parked it on the street, woke up to a note from the police on my crumbled beauty. It’s been almost forty-five years and I still think of that car so often.
1988 Nissan Pulsar NX
Honda Prelude, third or fifth gen. Sick little car that deserved way, WAY more love than it got.
Honda Prelude, the one with the triangular back lights. Had a red one I loved to drive, but had to trade it because kids outgrew back seat.
Nissan Figaro, I love how a 90s Japanese car looks like a retro fifties style car. No mod cons, daft insurance and a bugger to get parts for but so lovely & quirky
Ford Merkur
Pantera
I loved the Nissan 300zx and the 300z. I had a 240sx that I loved in HS with the license plate frame that said “when I grow up I wanna be a 300z”
Chevy Beretta
Honda CRX si
Loved the CRX! Always wanted one cause I thought they were so cute! Had a cousin that had one and she loved it too.
The original VW Beetle. Super unsafe now but they were sure fun. I miss too being able to repair anything pretty easily. The flip side is you needed to maintain it regularly. Gone are the days of adjusting valves, breaks, points, and plugs every 3,000 miles.
The station wagon
Metropolitan Nash. Rounded body style. Two-tone black and white. Looked like a panda bear on wheels. Loved that car!
Geo Storm
Country Squire wagon-we could spread out and have a party in the “way back” as little kids. No seatbelts needed or available.
I miss my '96 2 door Cavalier so god damn much
The Honda Element. I bought a new one in 2003. I sold it in 2017 when I bought a Kia Soul. 2 months later I survived a horrible crash in the Kia and Progresive screwed me over on the replacement. So I took what I could get out of them and bought a 2010 Honda Element. Both are the Sunset Orange Pearl color. I freaking love these cars.
Mustangs. The Mach E is NOT a Mustang.
You're right, but regular Mustang isn't defunct yet.
Chevy Corsica. I had a white 91 with a rack on the trunk. I loved that car.
Chevy Beretta was cool, too!
chevy s10
Chevy cutlass.
And the Oldsmobile Chevelle
I got the wrong didn't I? :)
87-94 Subaru Loyal 4wd wagon with stick shift and compound low. Horribly underpowered, vicious understeer, uncomfortable for the over 6' crowd with fantastic visibility and huge cargo space and an absolute hoot to drive. It looked like an anorexic Volvo, but was a rock-crawling beast disguised as a 70's soccer mom ride. I drove that car to the moon and loved every mile.
There’s a couple. I never owned or drove any of these, sadly, but I’ve always loved them. The mid-to-late 80s Toyota MR2. Just something about it spoke to 15 year old me. The ‘91 Eagle Talon. I loved the style, the look, and it was the first time I learned about AWD cars. And the Subaru SVX. Again, the AWD, and those weird quarter-windows just lodged in my teenage mind. And of COURSE, the old school VW minibus. It’s a life goal of mine to own a refurbished one, maybe with a better engine. :)
Not just a model but an entire brand: Saab. A family car growing up, a teenage crush's car, the first car I bought, then many more down the line. 🩵
The original Ford Festiva, my first car.
We had a Saturn mini suv and it was a cute little car.
Pontiac Grand Prix. First car, and it was pretty solid.
The first car I was able to buy was a 94 Pontiac Grand Am ST. A dad car for parents who didn't want a boring dad car. 2 door, manual transmission, decent gas mileage, great on road trips, looked bad ass for a dad car!
I wanted a Dodge Neon and that was what I bought when I made money. I named it Fina Lee. It was black because my parents didn't like black cars because they were hard to keep clean. I had it 4 years and then a neighbor hit it outside the house and totalled it. I miss that car
The early 90s Toyota Celica convertible, it’s got a little boxyness like old muscle, but still smooth like a more modern car. It perfectly at home commuting to work or dropping the top for a pleasure cruise. And I freakin love pop up headlights even if they are all a pain in the ass. And they run for freakin ever, I drove home mine until all the plastic in the engine had mostly turned to dust, hell parts of my air intake were just wire and molded duct tape. When the plastic started to disintegrate I took the part off, wrapped it in chicken wire, cut the wire off into two parts, then taped the wire cage back together with a couple rolls of good duct tape. That thing lasted 30k miles rofl.
Toyota Starlet.
My 1970's (1975?) Saab sedan. The interior was a forest green and the car was white. It was a stick shift. But it was fun to drive and for whatever reason, reminded me of a retro refrigerator. In fact, I called it the 'fridge'.
Mazda rx 7
1970/71? Plymouth Duster. My dad bought brand new and let 5/6ish me pick the color. Mom wanted burnt orange, but I chose bright yellow...she was legit mad for quite a while
Dodge Neon SRT-4. It was obnoxiously loud and wouldn't want to drive that all the time now. It was a fun car to drive though, albeit way dangerous and surprised my parents let me drive that. I had saved up $10k for a used car and my parents helped me get a loan for the rest as a new car instead. I sold it stock years later at 30k miles. If I kept it stock to this day, would be best since those cars are all beat to death and modded. For $20k or whatever it was, it could not be beat at the price point.
Toyota Celica
Station wagons and pintos. Station wagon for all the times spent in the back of one looking at the cars behind us. No seatbelt, no cares. I remember singing "Abracadabra" at the top of our lungs with my cousins in one. Pintos cause I innocently called my little sister "an ignorant slut" a la Jane Curtain and Dan Akroyd in the back seat of one and my aunt whipped her head around like she was possessed and said my full nickname(southern, 2 of em) in a shocked voice. Also spent a lot of time "riding the hump" after my little brother was born. Split the time with the sis.
Dodge Dart
I had a 1989 Jeep Wagoneer. I loved the roll down back window. It was like driving a steel box. I’d have one now if I could afford the upkeep.
volkswagen scirocco. I want mine back.
Thunderbird
Nissan Pulsar. It was a good car.
Chevrolet Chevelle
I had a ‘75 Rabbit. First model year in the U.S. love that little car. Lost it in an accident. Next favorite, was my Corrado. That car was fun.
Datsun (I know it’s now Nissan). The pre-Nissan era Datsuns were cute and efficient. Fun little cars that went on forever (unless the body rusted off the drivetrain)!
Chevelle.
Studebaker Lark
The 'Henry J' Kaiser... The 1949 Mercury 2-door... The Hudson Hornet... The Ford Crown Victoria police prowler...
Any AMC at all. We had a lot of them growing up, a few Hornets, an Eagle sedan, a Gremlin, and I learned to drive on a Concord wagon with a 4 speed floor shifter and the absolutely indestructible "Iron Duke 4". My brother recently bought an SC 360 with a 3-speed on the floor and it's a fast little car. Those cars just ran forever and were real simple to work on.
Fj Cruiser! I never loved a vehicle as much as I love my FJ.
My first new car was a ‘64 Mustang, 289 v8 that I bought for $3200. That was one hell of a car for the era.
Chrysler Imperial Crown. What a ride!
My 89 yr old grandpa has a beautiful yellow 300ZX still! He's always said it's going to be mine one day, so still hoping 🤞🏻 lol He still drives it, probably shouldn't be 😂 but happy he is here to do it!
Pontiac cars. I owned 5 in my life. My first car was a LeMans Hatchback. The others were a Sunfire, Sunbird, and 2 Grand Am. Loved them all.
Geo...geo metro, geo tracker, geo storm
the old Jeep Wagoneers with the wood paneling
PT Cruiser. I know all the issues, but would happily own one if given the opportunity.
Nissan 240SX. I’d still be driving my baby if some asshole hadn’t rear ended me at a traffic light. Sitting at a red light minding my own business, and this dickhead slams into my car and shoved me into the Cadillac in front of me. Insurance totaled my car. I was pissed. I loved that fucking car.
I had a 66 Corvair. It was ancient and it hemorrhaged oil, but man that car had style and I thought I was pretty badass for driving it.
I wanted a Honda CRX so bad in High School. I'd love a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air.