Questions answered pt. 5

[greatbear]

sfmini asks a not-so-mini question:

What vehicles do you own now, and if someone were to give you another, what would you like it to be and finally, of all the vehicles you had but no longer have, which one would you want back?

My current junkyard used-car lot moneypits roster of rides include the following:

1969 Dodge Dart 383
1989 Dodge W250 Cummins Turbo Diesel
2000 Dodge Stratus ES
2003 Mini Cooper S
2007.5 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Duramax Diesel

There is also a wrecked '89 Dodge Shadow ES Turbo I have for parts, and there was a '90 Sundance the engine from said Shadow was going to be installed in, but that car I deemed to be in too bad a shape to economically make into a decent car to tool around in. I had thought about using it as a weekend bracket race car, but again the structure of the car was in pretty bad shape, so I scrapped it. The Dart is currently mothballed until I get other things taken care of around the house and garage that are competing for my time.

Now, if someone were to simply give me another car, I'd take just about anything as long as I could use it in some fashion. Now, if I had my choice, I have a long list of vehicles I'd pick from. Currently on the lust list are an '09 Dodge Challenger R/T, Ford GT, Ariel Atom, anything from Chrysler carrying the 2nd Gen Hemi engine (the current Hemi is 3rd gen), Dodge Viper, Corvette Z06, Peel P-50, Indian or pre-AMF Harley-Davidson motorcycles or insane critch rockets like a Kawasaki Ninja or Suzuki GSX1300R (Hayabusa)(serious envy @ normalcyispasse)... this list could go on forever. Since the only cars usually given to me are basket cases that nobody wants, I'm not in a hurry for the next occurrance.

Now, out of all the past vehicles, of all the ones I'd like to have back was the 1958 Chevy Impala Convertible that belonged to Mom before it was replaced with the Dart in late 69. I remember that car as being so cool, gliding along the road as if riding on a cloud. There have been no convertibles in the family since, and, who knows, maybe I'd procure one in the future. I did like the hell outta the Mini Cooper S convertible I had for a couple days while mine was having warranty work done. Maybe someone will give me one...

Comments

[ciddyguy.livejournal.com]

Ooo, that Dart w/ the 383 sounds like it could be a MoFo of a car once drivable. ;-)

I love old Mopars but thanks to the body choices they went with, I'm not too crazy for the current lineup for the most part. The PT Cruizer was about it and Mom's '04 Stratus, which for a 4 door sedan is NICE and I'd take it if I had to and needed newer wheels.

So on a related question, would you, if offered, take an older Ford Ranger truck in very good shape? Just curious. :-)

[uncle-dan-nyc.livejournal.com]

Howdy-
On your 1969 Dodge Dart 383 - designed for "REGULAR" leaded fuel? If so, how do you keep it's performance smooth and what do you run in it?

[mondragon.livejournal.com]

We had a 62 2-door Dart that ended up being my car, and then a 66 Coronet 440 that I really loved, and then a 72 Monaco 440 with a turbocharger that was like a marshmallow rocket. They were all excellent cars.

[sfmini.livejournal.com]

Wow, I had a 1958 Bel-Air, no soft top, but a blast. I remember the "wonder bar" radio. I remember the lack of seat belts and the not so warm and fuzzy metal dash there to welcome you at any moment. I remember where the fuel filler cap was just above the bumper with a self hiding feature. Cool. I paid $250 for it, in pretty damned good shape. Not a scratch on it.

Interesting list of vehicles there. I don't guess I cold narrow it down to just one out of that list either. I am all about the Hayabusa, if I needed such a thing I'd be all over it. Alas, I am using the motorcycle I have so much that the MINI is pretty much going to waste. I've driven it only about 300 miles so far this year. I'm probably going to let it go in June when the lease is up, which presents the problem that almost everywhere my handle is "SFMINI"

I like cars, I've owned 37 of them. Some of them is interest, some was the mania part of bipolar. I bought 3 cars in one day once.

[theevilnub.livejournal.com]

In 1982, double-digit interest rates prohibited new car purchases for our cash-strapped family. So for $500 outright, my mom bought a '74 Duster with the 225 V6: the color of a metallic candy-apple coating with white vinyl top & interior. It was the typical one-owner old lady car with standard issue hubcaps & whitewalls. My mom bought it from the family of an elderly lady at her church who had passed away. It was immaculate inside & out. We had the car for about 18 months until mom got a new-in-84 Ford Tempo (which proved less reliable than the Duster). The Duster was rather reliable & an ideal beach car. It was the car that made me appreciate the intoxicating scent of a vinyl interior on a hot Florida day. With its V6 it wasn't going to win many races, but the metallic red with white color combo was sharp. Mom sold the car for about what she paid for it to a family down the street who gave it to their teenage daughter as a present.