Auto Hall of Fame/Shame

AUTO HALL OF FAME/SHAME

I remember my original perceptions of car ownership during adolescence: one owned maybe five or six cars in his life, the last one being some sort of living-room-on-wheels, like a Cadillac or Continental. Well, that little fantasy is already long out the window for me. As of last count I'm already up to 19 cars, and counting! I don't see too many Cadillacs in my future either.

Below is my memorial to all of the cars I've owned. Most of them went on to better things...like becoming soup cans or something.

Hall of Fame

1991 Nissan 300ZX
Back in '99, I purchased a 1991 Nissan 300ZX 2+2 NA, my second Z following my white '84. I highly suggest everyone buy two, just in case the first one is at the car wash. It simply wants to go; I have the automatic and it's still fun. The gearing is great, one can drive the highways with or without the overdrive. And it has a high "fuzz on the peach" factor; at 250hp it's not exactly going after the newest high-performance, but the fun factor in the experience is off the charts. You end up just looking for reasons to rev the motor. The only modification I've done was to add a Stillen 2.5 inch stainless steel exhaust, which gives it more pop (~20 hp). STATUS: Current ride


1970 Olds Cutlass Supreme Convertible
My '70 Cutlass became an integral part of me for seven years. I would highly suggest that everyone own at least one convertible in their lives. Lots of car shows and cruises about town, as one often finds themselves doing when they have a convertible. The car had perpetual frame problems in the rear, making for some harrowing moments on several ocassions. But aestethically the car was beautiful and mechanically was still going OK with 210,000 miles on it when I sold it. STATUS: Sold the car after 7 years of ownership. The frame battle simply became too much to overcome.


1970 Olds Delta 88
The utlimate warrior. I bought my Delta with 72,000 original miles for $50 off of a guy who just "wanted it out of his garage". With new brake pads and exhaust, I had an immaculate running vehicle which had everything working, right down to the map light in the rear view mirror! The 350 HO motor also made for some serious get up and go for a 4,500 pound car. STATUS: The car earns its "ultimate warrior" status in its final moments -- the demolition derby and figure-8 race run one Labor Day weekend. The demo derby didnt go so well but the figure-8 race did, starting 22nd and finishing 5th out of a field of 30. If they gave us three more laps, we would have won the whole thing.

A HISTORY OF CARS
1972 Ford LTD	My first car! This 4-door, 351 Cleveland was a good solid first car which ran pretty fast like most of those 60's and 70's boats. Horrendous in snow and rain. STATUS: A week after selling the car, the new owner totalled it.
1975 Ford Gran Torino Station Wagon	No one told me station wagons weren't cool until it was too late. This 351 Windsor was a great high school car, and was dynamite for passing out in the back after a keg party, or for packing 12 people in it to go to the drive-in theatre. STATUS: Donated the car to a church when it needed transmission work.
1981 Toyota Corolla SR-5	One of my favorite cars. My first 5-speed, and a great car which I used through half of college. One of the original 4TE hemi motors, the car would wind up like a top. I kept it real nice for a few years, then something went off in my brain and the poor thing got beat mercilessly. STATUS: Sold after four years and 160,000 miles, body was deteriorating and inexplicable overheating issues.
1972 Chevrolet Corvette	Not really my car, but I drove this quite a bit the summer of 1985. It handled like a truck, it was noisy in the interior, but man it was outstanding. Everyone should have a 'vette for a little while; it's like you're on parade everyday everywhere. The 350 LT-1 automatic got up pretty good, and made easy work of the 4.8 litre TA's that were all over the place back then (wouldn't go after the 6.6's though). STATUS: Drove for a summer, fate unknown.
1972 Chevy Nova	My grandmother's bone original Nova, which I drove off the showroom floor with her in 1972! She gave it to me under the condition that I "find someone who will restore it and take care of it". STATUS: Sold to a friend who promptly took care of it all right; restored into an orange-and-white creamsicle color scheme. My grandmother almost had a coronary.
1974 Olds Cutlass Supreme	Parts car. STATUS: Took engine, junked the rest.
1970 Olds Cutlass S	Parts car. STATUS: Took engine and interior, junked the rest.
1983 Dodge Omni	A nice little winter car that I really liked. Bought it from a friend who made me promise to "take care of it". STATUS: Took care of it alright - blew the motor six months later. Junked.
1978 Ford Econoline Van	A van I had for three weeks. It was a dog, but hey, it was a van and I got it for free. One day my girlfriend at the time called me and said in a panic "the police and a tow truck are outside taking the van, what do you want me to do?". I told her to "wave bye-bye". STATUS: Confiscated by the town of Bridgewater.
1978 Subaru XL	A friend and I traded this car back and forth twice. There's a reason you don't see these on the road anymore; it was rusted to death and had no floor. Used probably ten times. STATUS: Sold back to the friend, who promptly junked it in short order.
1972 Dodge Dart	Was originally intended to be a demolition derby ride. Got it for free, drove it twice. STATUS: During a hurricane, a large tree branch fell across the back, sending the shock towers through the trunk. Junked.
1979 Ford Pinto	Got it for free and with good reason -- the worst car I ever owned. Electrical nightmares (would completely cut out), master brake cylinder worked intermittently, carburetor casing had a crack and would leak fuel onto the motor, floor boards completely disintegrated and held together with old screen and gallons of bondo, and last but not least rotted gas lines which caused me a chemical burn up and down my back while repairing. But all that aside, that little 4-speed ran great. STATUS: Sold after probably 1,000 hours wasted on repairing.
1978 Olds Delta 88	Ex-girlfriend's car she no longer wanted. Like all those Olds 350 Rocket 4-bbl's, it ran great but looked lousy. STATUS: The carcasses were piling up in my mothers yard, so it was sold within two months.
1984 Ford Thunderbird	Another one of grandma's cars. One of the few good looking T-bird body styles since the mid-60's. The original 302 V-8 was pretty peppy, but after an engine rebuild it never seemed to be the same. STATUS: Sold in two years.
1978 Dodge Pickup	"Jethro's chicken truck" had everything you can ask for out of a $300 beauty: four different color body panels, no exhaust or brake lights, and a truck bed made out of 2x4's. Ran like a top though, so much so I drove it down to Philadelphia on a whim. STATUS: Blew engine in spectacular fashion, complete with fire on Storrow Drive during rush hour. I coasted into the Fenway, took the plates off and abandoned it. But the important thing was I made it to work.
1984 Nissan 300ZX	I had my '84 5-speed Z five years and during that time it had performed exceptionally in all types of weather, from subzero starts during the winters of New England, to the hot summers of Los Angeles, to 105+ degree drives through the Arizona desert. The car was good fun and never had problems with it beyond normal wear. STATUS: Sold the car with 210,000 miles, body falling apart but drivetrain still strong.
1986 Mazda 323	This car was actually Steph's, but I became attached to this little underpowered 4-door. The car was remarkably clean, and in its own boxy way was kind of OK to drive. Steph babied this car and it ran great....until I got a hold of it. STATUS: Three years and four motors later ( all of them blowing on cylinder #1, can you say 'defect'?), sold after one too many headaches.
1990 Toyota Celica ST	Another of Steph's car. This car was great for just about all of the 7 years we had it, until one night (with my boss in the car nonetheless) a cylinder just up and ate itself . No warning, all maintained, all fluids, it just threw a rod. STATUS: Spent two weekends trying to fix, then a blown head gasket, then a blown motor. Junked.