Any other "regular" car enthusiasts out there?

MetalLizard

MetalLizard

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Although they're cool, I've never been particularly interested in nice cars. Rather, I always get excited about a well-kept "everyday" car. There's nothing cooler a mint condition '86 Dodge Caravan, or a clean '95 Roadmaster. My Grand Marquis (a terribly uninteresting vehicle) gets waxed weekly, rust-proofed, and only drinks premium oil. There's no good reason for me to do this, except that I take great pride in preserving the mundane. Is there anyone else like me out there?

Related: https://collectorcarfeed.com/2020/08/04/shitbox-seance-the-gift-and-curse-of-loving-turds/
 
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I love certain ones also, more so trucks than cars. I get excited every time I see a 73-79 ford pickup. It doesn’t matter if it’s driving down the road or rusting away in a field.
 
I keep all five cars in the Button Pusher driveway (garage is full of crap) well maintained but almost never wash or wax them except for the '17 Edge my wife drives.
 
rdinatal said:
They have support groups for this type of 'personality issues'.

;)
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When my dad's business went down hill he bought one and got rid of his newer F-250. It was red 2wd long bed with a 5speed 157k or so miles on the odometer that had been disconnected. We hooked it up and got rid of it with 300k+ with only replacing the clutch. That was the toughest little truck I've ever seen.
 
Cowboy said:
I'd love to see a 1988 dodge Daytona Shelby running down the road. I really like the old 2wd Isuzu trucks
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I drove an '88 4 cyl daytona to high school! My buddy Quent had an '88 shelby thet he drove into a cedar tree at 100. We both got fox bodies after that. I still have mine a '93 Cobra. He may still have his actually, he got the GT.
 
MetalLizard said:
Although they're cool, I've never been particularly interested in nice cars. Rather, I always get excited about a well-kept "everyday" car. There's nothing cooler a mint condition '86 Dodge Caravan, or a clean '95 Roadmaster. My Grand Marquis (a terribly uninteresting vehicle) gets waxed weekly, rust-proofed, and only drinks premium oil. There's no good reason for me to do this, except that I take great pride in preserving the mundane. Is there anyone else like me out there?

Related: https://collectorcarfeed.com/2020/08/04/shitbox-seance-the-gift-and-curse-of-loving-turds/
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I respect a man that takes care of whatever he has. I've know some guys with Hot Rods who don't take care of them, and I've known some guys with "stock" cars who take pride in them and keep them nice. A lot of times a budget limits mods but elbow grease is free...
 
My first car was a 65 VW notchback my dad’s co-worker gave him (for me) if we’d get it out of his driveway. It had previously been a lab cadaver for a high school shop class. Cracked block, nearly no reverse gear, but they had done all the body work and painted it the factory cream color, so it looked pretty good.

It leaked oil like the Exxon Valdez, billowed blue smoke like an oil platform fire, and you had to park it uphill, BUT I worked at a carwash and that thing was otherwise a clean machine.
 
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My first new car was a '79 Olds Cutlass. It had a 260 c.i. V-8 which blew gaskets around the intake a couple of times and spouted water like a geyser, but was otherwise trouble free. I inherited it when my wife got a newer car. At 144,000 miles the speedometer cable broke but I drove it another two years on feel. When I sold it for a few pieces of silver I estimated it had 175,000 miles on it. The blue cloth interior still looked almost as good as when it came off the showroom floor. If they could make the heat shields for the space capsules out of that material, I swear it would survive reentry.

@MetalLizard I always thought the Grand Marquis was an excellent value in that type of car. When other cars in that class were going for high-twenties to low-thirties, the Mercury could be had for $20k or a little over. Grand Marquis seemed like a more affordable version of the Lincoln Town Car.
 
fieldgrade said:
My first car was a 65 VW notchback my dad’s co-worker gave him (for me) if we’d get it out of his driveway. It had previously been a lab cadaver for a high school shop class. Cracked block, nearly no reverse gear, but they had done all the body work and painted it the factory cream color, so it looked pretty good.

It leaked oil like the Exxon Valdez, billowed blue smoke like an oil platform fire, and you had to park it uphill, BUT I worked at a carwash and that thing was otherwise a clean machine.
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I had a '65 Notch as well.
Maybe my favorite car ever. Also had a very clean '66 beetle. Loved that dearly, too.
 
NKD said:
I had a '65 Notch as well.
Maybe my favorite car ever. Also had a very clean '66 beetle. Loved that dearly, too.
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Mine was like this, but no beauty rims, just hub caps, and a giant oil slick in the driveway under the backside.
karrnotch46.jpg
 
NKD said:
Mine had an oil slick as well!
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That’s funny you had one, too.

You know they didn’t market them here. Just squarebacks and fastbacks. Ours were both imported on some sort of a one off basis I believe.
 
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rdinatal said:
I secretly liked the looks of the AMC Gremlin.

View attachment 244069

Though I'll never admit it.
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I always thought the Gremlin was a cool looking car. Now if you said you liked the Pacer like My grandmother owned? Then I would tag you as Odd. Knew two bothers that drag raced Gremlins down there in Florida years ago, Nicely built small blocks and tubbed and both were quite quick.
 
MetalLizard said:
This reminds me of an early 2000's VW commercial: "Unpimp your Ride."

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I laughed way too hard at that. VEEDUB!!!

The only regular ride I miss is a 1968 280 SE Mercedes I had early on. In Germany its a taxicab but here it’s all curves and chrome. Cherman Enchineereng indeed... That thing was built like a Panzer. Hated to let it go but upkeep was out of my budget.
 
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I can't think of many mundane cars from the 80's and 90's or even through today that I get excited about. A nice Mercury Marauder might make me salivate a tad though.

I do love Square body trucks and SUV's, both ford and chevy and I get really excited if I see a really nice, rust free one somewhere. Same applies to CJ-7's and 8's.

On the older cars from the 50's and 60's I don't care what it is, I usually dig it. Even the Beetles.
 
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Growing up where I did, we made use of what we were blessed to have; cause we were way back in the mountains.

My first car was an 80' Bronco that we purchased from US Steel. Was used as super's truck on Gary 14 Mountain Strip Mine.. had 85,000 miles.... We worked a whole summer getting that road ready.

I busted the Shocks, tore the rear axle, drive shaft.... going 4x4'ing .....

Then, before I went off to college, i found a nice 89' LX 5.0.... that stopped the 4x4'ing out... .but I definitely got a lot faster....
 
fieldgrade said:
That’s funny you had one, too.

You know they didn’t market them here. Just squarebacks and fastbacks. Ours were both imported on some sort of a one off basis I believe.
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Most people don’t know they exist!
Between that car and a clean 1968 MGB, I got comments every time I drove them. Every time. Somebody would want to know about them.
 
NKD said:
Most people don’t know they exist!
Between that car and a clean 1968 MGB, I got comments every time I drove them. Every time. Somebody would want to know about them.
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I sold mine for $150 to a friend at school. I told him he had to check the oil every day.

Three days after he bought it he approached me at school all worked up and angry. He said, “THE ENGINE BURNED UP! ”.

I said to him, “Didn't check the oil every day like I told ya, did’ja.”

He sort of looked at the ground and mumbled something about thinking he wouldn’t have to check EVERY day.
 
Nobody ever mentions a Checker, one of the most practical cars ever to hit the highway.
 
Dad bought a Gruman mail truck when we were kids. You know..steering wheel on the wrong side, all that.
We have no idea why, and I don't think he does either.
So where it said US MAIL me & my little sister converted it so say US MALE. Took him a month before he noticed.
He didn't get mad, just kept driving it around.

Then he bought an old Ford Fiesta. I wanted to cut the hatch-back part off and make it the worlds smallest truck. I was trying to figure out how to stuff a 289 in it and he sold it before I could make it the worlds smallest small block truck. :(
 
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