Favorite Car You've Owned? (1 Viewer)

[SixSpeedFury]

Also, Guinness, have you driven a modern automatic? Most of them come with paddle shifters so you can drive in manual mode, except clutch-less, so the response of the shifts are even faster. Way more control than in a manual. The manual transmission is dead, sorry to say. I believe F1 race cars use this same style clutch-less manual transmission now.

Eh, paddle shift sucks imo. You just put the tranny on manual then click on the paddles for one gear up or one gear down. It's not the same exhilarating thrill as when you clutch and drop the hammer down.

 

[BGinGA]

Yeah, those F1 drivers get no thrills these days.....

 

[grandgnu]

Eh, paddle shift sucks imo. You just put the tranny on manual then click on the paddles for one gear up or one gear down. It's not the same exhilarating thrill as when you clutch and drop the hammer down.

I don't drive manuals, but I can see how pressing a button wouldn't transfer the same visceral feeling as really shifting does.

 

[Chicken Rob]

I disagree, I really enjoy the paddle shifters.

 

[links_slayer]

1988 Chevy Corsica. Paid $650 for it my senior year of high school. I think a matchbox car had more horsepower but many many great memories were made in and with that car.

 

[pltrgyst]

....I really enjoy the paddle shifters.

Oh, they work well -- they're actually faster than a manual transmission -- but they require less skill, and they're nowhere near as satisfying to drive well. Basically, they compress the competitive field at the racetrack. They leave you steering and braking points, and not much more.

I mean, if you can't heel-and-toe, and double-clutch shift without synchros, you're basically a passenger.

-- Larry

(Where did that "not" come from???)

 

[Chicken Rob]

Oh, they work well -- they're actually faster than a manual transmission -- but they require less skill, and they're nowhere near as satisfying to drive well. Basically, they compress the competitive field at the racetrack. They leave you steering and braking points, and not much more.

I mean, if you can't heel-and-toe, and double-clutch shift without synchros, you're not basically a passenger.

-- Larry

As it turns out, I buy my butter at the grocery store too. I don't churn my own. In fact, I don't even own a dairy cow. I have no problem with the loss of skill required to make driving more fun.

My true favorite vehicle is my pair of SeaDoo Sparks. That is a good time!

 

[Ben]

My true favorite vehicle is my pair of SeaDoo Sparks. That is a good time!

Heh now that you mention that, my actual favorite vehicle is this. It's basically a SeaDoo that cuts through grass instead of waves. I now have a much greater empathy with Hank Hill's weltanschauung.

 

[Chicken Rob]

That's a seriously nice mower. Mine is even better. My neighbor comes by and mows for $25 every 1-2 weeks depending on growth.

 

[courage]

1972 Ford Gran Torino, red with black vinyl roof. Paid $800 used. Snow tires. In college in Chicago it was our crew's go-to blizzard ride. Very hard to see out the back, but who needs to see out the back lol.

Or 1976 AMC Gremlin, metallic blue custom paint. A deathtrap. The engine caught fire the second I reached Louisville from D.C. Fixed the cracked fuel line next day and drove it forever.

 

[pltrgyst]

I have no problem with the loss of skill required to make driving more fun.!

But "more fun" for some people is "more boring" for others. It all depends on how you define the word "driving," I guess...

 

[Chicken Rob]

But "more fun" for some people is "more boring" for others. It all depends on how you define the word "driving," I guess...

On that we agree. I don't want to be a skilled race car driver. Hell, my car literally drives itself, and I LIKE that. Nothing wrong with milking your own cow and churning your own butter, but for the rest of us, the tech advances are great. For me, a clutch is an annoyance, even when I am driving for performance. It is an inefficiency in the system. I have driven real performance cars: Ferrari, Porsche, and mid range performers, VW GTIs and Scirroccos, all of which were manuals. I like the paddle shifters.

For us newenglanders, the paddleshifters are great for downshifting in the snow for breaking with better traction control. Maybe it's just the finer grained gear ratios.

 

[bogart]

I loved my first one! '74 Duster(The Chocolate Rocket)
I also enjoyed my '85 Porsche 911 Carrera

 

[jbutler]

1988 Chevy Corsica. Paid $650 for it my senior year of high school. I think a matchbox car had more horsepower but many many great memories were made in and with that car.

not being a car person, this is generally how i feel as well. my favorite car i suppose was my 1994 maxima. got it at 17 and drove it until i was 25. put almost 400k on it and saw 33 states, though i did have to replace the transmission once. still, it drove great, took a beating, and if i could have its automatic seatbelts on every car for the rest of my life, it would be a snap call.

 

[Poker Zombie]

My 1971 VW bus, until this happened

Did it have the Magnesium engine block? You could blow the whole thing up by applying water. Mg burns hot enough to separate the Hydrogen from the Oxygen in water, so applying H2o is like adding a stream of bombs to the vehicle.

At least in theory. As a firefighter, I keep wanting to try this out (at the risk of life, I understand) because it would be so freaking cool (except for the missing body parts that might ensue).

 

[Poker Zombie]

View attachment 13877 My old Z-24 Convertable in med. Quasar Blue. I absolutely detest GM vehicles both on looks and principal but simply loved this car and all the memories it brings. The car pictured isn't a photo of my car but an exact match.

Combine your (current at the time of this posting) Billy Dee Williams avatar with that pic, and I could easily see BDW driving this.

 

[Poker Zombie]

And now after reading through this whole thread, I can weigh in as an official car guy (but not a gear-head).

Cars I've owned in order of preference:

1972 Chevy Impala. Lift kit in the rear, mag wheels, nitrous hook-up. At age 17. I lost my licence 3 time for speeding, paid over $1000 every 6 months for insurance when I was legally allowed to drive. I eventually sold it to someone who used it at Flat Rock speedway in Michigan. Stories made this car, not GM.

2015 Cadillac. Paddle-shifting vehicle with all the safety enhancements (like lane control, blind spots indicators, back-up cameras, self braking, etc). I put paddle shifters below tiptronic shifting, but well above manuals. I drive a twisty country road to work. Google puts it at 17 minutes drive time. I listened to AC/DC this morning and made it home in less then 6.

1996? Pontiac GTP Special Edition, limited availability wheels. This thing was so f*cking boss, I couldn't stop without gas station attendants asking what it was. It would top the list, but it's nickname was "bullseye". It was run over by trucks on 2 separate occasions (the 1st in the parking lot as I was dropping off my 1st car payment), had the left side trashed while parked on a street (probably also a truck), and then developed computer issues.

2009 Nissan Altima. A little more "family" then I like, bit an overall good ride

2011 Cadillac Yep, another one. This one was more entry model, but as my aged back was failing, comfort reigned supreme, and it delivered.

1969 Ford LTD "convertible". It was so f*cking big, it didn't fit in the garage. It could literally fit a BMW mini in the trunk. Convertable in quotes, because the top didn't go up. I still drove it in Detroit, all winter, as my only vehicle.

2002 Pontiac Vibe. A very sensible vehicle.

1975 Ford Grenada, the "Stealth Mobile". So named because I didn't get a single speeding ticket with this vehicle. It is assumed the rust absorbed radar. I was often profiled in this vehicle though. I am white, but I feel the poor black mans plight, because on some level I was similarly victimised by the police for driving this in nicer neighborhoods. It had a model airplane glued to the hood. When I drove, the propeller spun. I still think that's hilarious.

2015 GMC Sierra, 8' Bed. It holds everything.

2002 Dodge Neon. OK, this enters the shit list, but it was oddly fun having a vehicle I simply abused ontil I sold it for waaaaaaay more than any sensible person should have paid for a vehicle that had a broken speedometer, broken gear indicator, broken radio remote (yeah, it had a remote for a 3'x3' car) and broken air conditioner (in Tennessee). I parked it at the front of my house, it sold before I could walk 100' into the house. Thank you escalating gas prices.

2001 Dodge Dakota. Mini-trucks have both use and are easy to drive, but I'm not a fan of the manual transmission. Simply inefficient. The paint peeled off this thing like it was washed monthly with a brillo pad.

1998 Monte Carlo. This car looked cool, but it had so many issues, one day I dropped it off at the dealership and said Fuck you, fix this or I am done. I then walked to a Nissan dealership and decided to buy the first car I saw. As I came to my senses I told the dealer I needed to think about it. He dropped the price $2000. Deal done. Haven't owned a chevy since (sorry dad).

1982 Ford Escort. This thing sucked so much, it stalled one day, I got out and called a friend to tell him if he still needed a car, it was his - free. It was 2 years old.

I'm probably missing a few. cars are a little like women. Some are better than others, all are fun to ride, but as the years go on, you forget some of the in-betweeners).

 

[manamongkids]

2015 Cadillac. Paddle-shifting vehicle with all the safety enhancements (like lane control, blind spots indicators, back-up cameras, self braking, etc). I put paddle shifters below tiptronic shifting, but well above manuals. I drive a twisty country road to work. Google puts it at 17 minutes drive time. I listened to AC/DC this morning and made it home in less then 6.

Think you may have forgotten the model

 

[Poker Zombie]

Think you may have forgotten the model

CTS

 

[pltrgyst]

.....For me, a clutch is an annoyance, even when I am driving for performance. It is an inefficiency in the system. I have driven real performance cars: Ferrari, Porsche, and mid range performers, VW GTIs and Scirroccos, all of which were manuals. I like the paddle shifters.

For us newenglanders, the paddleshifters are great for downshifting in the snow for breaking with better traction control. Maybe it's just the finer grained gear ratios.

My current Mini Roadster S has paddle shifters, so I'm reasonably used to them. And I've driven a lot in heavy snow and ice, both in the northeast and in Germany. And it seems to me that paddle shifters and ultra-quick shifts are exactly what I wouldn't want under slippery conditions. In snow and on ice, with a manual, I can feather the clutch, with much less chance of breaking the tires loose.

My other main objection to paddle shifters is that under hard cornering, the paddles are often not where your hands need them to be for a shift, and you have to resort to the console/tunnel shift lever. What works in an F-1 car where you never need more than a half-turn of steering input can be a hazard in a street car that takes 2-1/2 turns lock-to-lock.

So I guess you're welcome to both the paddle shifters and the snow, Chicken! :

 

[pltrgyst]

Jeez, Zombie, I'm 68, and I could never imagine myself being old enough to drive a Cadillac.

How the hell old are you, anyway? Or is the Zombie thing more factual than we realize?

 

[tommythecat]

Jeez, Zombie, I'm 68, and I could never imagine myself being old enough to drive a Cadillac.

How the hell old are you, anyway? Or is the Zombie thing more factual than we realize?

Cadillacs ain't what they used to be...

 

[liftapint]

I've read either on here or the blue wall, can't remember, that it's a terrible car. But I sure enjoy driving my old 1998 BMW Z3. Sure, it's had its share of troubles (leaks mostly). But it is super fun to drive, and I can't take it anywhere without some little old lady saying "Cute car!". It's old, with warts and all. But it's super fun to drive.

My next car will probably be a Toyota 4Runner. I need to haul stuff.

Edit: I should say, I didn't have a lot of cars to choose from for my "favorite" car. I had the thing my parents got for me and my brother when we learned to drive...then an old Acura Integra. Not a lot of choices there. I tend to hold onto my cars. I am not a fan of car payments.

 

[tommythecat]

For those of you not in the Chicagoland area, I detail cars on the side (mostly paint correction) and would be more than happy to polish out your cars for you. All I need is travel taken care of and a poker game.

 

[derekdd23]

The most fun car I ever has was my 2012 G37xs. The car was crazy fast, handled great. At $328 a month with 0 down it was the best lease deal i had ever seen.

Unfortunately the back seat was a little too small for 2 kids in their giant car seats so it had to go back after the lease was up.

 

[BGinGA]

+1 for clutch/snow combo.

-1 for when it's needed in Georgia.

 

[grandgnu]

Cadillacs ain't what they used to be...

Exactly, both Cadillac and Buick updated their styling to make their cars much cooler looking and relevant for a younger crowd.

 

[Poker Zombie]

Jeez, Zombie, I'm 68, and I could never imagine myself being old enough to drive a Cadillac.

How the hell old are you, anyway? Or is the Zombie thing more factual than we realize?

47, I think. I was born awfully young.

The Caddy is basically a sports car, but with a comfortable ride. It's not going to keep up with a dedicated sports car, but it can handle traffic circles at 50 MPH, and it effectively removes the potholes from the road. Tommythecat's pic is pretty much spot on.

It also has a snow/ice mode. I was raised in Detroit and snow/ice do not bother me like it does most southerners, though I respect that it is more difficult to drive up/down hills and over twisty country roads on inclement conditions compared to the flat grid of Detroit or most northern cities. The snow/ice mode really does a sweet job in concert with the paddle shifters. I have to turn it off, turn the traction control off, and turn the anti skid mode off just so I can have "fun" on the ice.

 

[tommythecat]

47, I think. I was born awfully young.

The Caddy is basically a sports car, but with a comfortable ride. It's not going to keep up with a dedicated sports car, but it can handle traffic circles at 50 MPH, and it effectively removes the potholes from the road. Tommythecat's pic is pretty much spot on.

It also has a snow/ice mode. I was raised in Detroit and snow/ice do not bother me like it does most southerners, though I respect that it is more difficult to drive up/down hills and over twisty country roads on inclement conditions compared to the flat grid of Detroit or most northern cities. The snow/ice mode really does a sweet job in concert with the paddle shifters. I have to turn it off, turn the traction control off, and turn the anti skid mode off just so I can have "fun" on the ice.

CTS-V will keep up with most dedicated sports cars. With a few small mods it will leave them in the dust. :

 

[pltrgyst]

CTS-V will keep up with most dedicated sports cars. With a few small mods it will leave them in the dust. :

3,850 pounds, Automatic Parking Assist: End of "sports car" discussion.

Recaro seats, carbon fiber hood, $84,000 base: Beginning of bad joke.

Cadillac bailed from any serious aspirations (the Cadillac Northstar LMP effort) in 2002. Their effort before that was in 1953.

They race 18-wheeler tractors up Pike's Peak, too. It doesn't make them sports cars.

I give GM credit for getting the Corvette down to around 3,250 pounds, but in general, if it weighs over 3,000 pounds it's a whale, in sports car terms.