Favorite/Least Favorite Car You've Owned

[351cid]

I will try to remember all the cars I've owned and driven more than a month as a daily driver. I currently have close to 20 right now (including parts cars).

 

1954 Chebbie p/u with a 327 4 speed

1970 Dodge Super Bee 440-6 4sp

1973 Plymouth Fury 440 auto

1973 Plymouth Satellite 440 auto (body for totaled Fury)

1968 Chevrolet Chevelle 283 3sp

1968 Charger 440 auto (see Satelitte)

1969 GMC p/u 396 3sp

1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport various engines from 250 6 cyl to 429 SCJ

1970 Chevelle 390 auto (yes...390 Ford)

1976 Datsun 260Z 302 4sp (I like doing Ford power)

1973 Mustang Mach 1 351C auto

1970 VW Beetle 1835 cc 4 sp

1984 Mustang GT 5.0L 5sp

1973 Gran Torino 351C auto

1985 F-150 5.0L auto

1971 VW Beetle 1600 cc 4 sp

1988 Ford Escort 1.9L 4sp

1973 Chevy C-10 383 sbc 4 sp

1989 Ford Tempo 2.3L auto

1972 Pontiac Firebird 455 auto

1993 Thunderbird 5.0L auto

1997 Thunderbird 3.8L auto

1998 F-150 4.6L auto

2001 Taurus 3.0L D auto

2001 F-150 5.4L auto

2004 F-250 6.8L auto

2005 Five Hundred 3.0L auto

1989 Ranger 2.3L 5sp

 

The one I hated was the 73 chevy truck. Ran like a raped ape, but I was constantly having to work on it.

 

My favorites are the 72 Torino (building another one right now)

[atomaro]

1970 Chevelle 390 auto (yes...390 Ford)

 

 

You are my hero!!!

 

If you are ever in NJ, I would love to buy you a beer!! Swapping a Ford powerplant into a Chevy is friggin awesome!!!!! :beerchug: :beerchug:

[351cid]

You are my hero!!!

 

If you are ever in NJ, I would love to buy you a beer!! Swapping a Ford powerplant into a Chevy is friggin awesome!!!!! :beerchug: :beerchug:

 

 

This was done in the early to mid 80's. I had an LTD parts car that had a 390 C6 in it. I was at a cruise one night and a lot of people were slobbering all over a 65 Mustang 2+2 with a 350 in it. I decided that I was going to do a Ford in a Camaro, but was unable to find a cheap 67-69 Camaro.

 

I will have to say that I really pissed some folks off with that 390 Chevelle. I did hand painted "SS390" badges just to make it worse. BTW...the car was a 1970 model 307 Malibu to start with.

[156n3rd]

My least of all fave of what I've owned was a 1981 Pontiac Phoenix w/an Iron Duke 4cyl. It's catalytic converter melted. It's front suspension froze up all the time. I could not undertsna dhow bad that beast was since the 80 Citation I had much considerably better. Also, I know I have listed all my rides before here a few years ago. But.......................................................in order

63 Chrysler Newport my dad had bought new-sucked gas

63 Rambler American 330 w/196 flat head I-6-30+ mpg, wrecked on the highway

66 Chevelle 300 Deluxe-worped head (230 I-6)

66 Dodge Dart 270 Custom- 225 Slant 6 and one of the best cars I owned-sturdy little bastard

67 Dodge Coronet 440-318 and very fast, carb problems late in ownership

69 Dodge Dart Swinger-not nearly as good as the 66 with same engine-slow going

64 VW Beetle- 6 week mistake- blown engine

66 Rambler Marlin-amazing power, sucked gas, bad brakes and suspension

69 Dodge Coronet (wagon)- 3 on the tree w/Slant 6-former furniture deliver car-junk

67 Pontiac Catalina 4-dr hardtop-389 gas hog, rolled very fast on the highway-snapped the timing chain

69 Ford Galaxie-former taxi w/302 which I ran for 19 months and killed it (internal coolant leak-156K)

67 Ford Custom-another 302 with coolant problems then a rusted frame

70 Chevy BelAir w/I-6 250-had serious fuel management problems but road like a Caddy

72 AMC Javelin SST w/258 I-6 which was an excellent car for 3 years, loose cheap window tracks

73 Pontiac LeMans wagon with Firebird 400/200hp-monster power, burn rubber, leaky interior

76 Buick Century Special w/collonade roof and 231 V6-dog, bad carb, rattles, burnt out heater fan-junk

80 Chev Citation- fun lil car with 2.8 V6 and 3spd + OD. Another car w/bad carb, too bad

78 Olds Cutlass with 267 V8-garshdarnawful, slid in the rian, bad trans, doggy doo

84 VW Jetta-5speed and great gas mileage-so small inside I had to drive with my arm out the window

87 Taurus GL-one of my best vehicles-traded w/135+K

87 Plymouth Voyager with 3L V6-ran 4ever but fell apart at 137+K-got more than my $ from it

85 Nissan Stanza-family errand runner-excellent quality-all good until wrecked

92 Tuarus L excellent family car-wrecked w/148K still running strong, too bad

88 Aerostar-excellent hauler-moved many people in 3 years with it-valves started tapping @80K

85 Plymouth Reliant-replaced the Nissan-of course evenetually it had a worped head

95 Mercury Villager to replace Voyager-still going strong

90 Escort-inherited from father-in-law and it was junky with just 10K on it-traded away

00 me & my son buy a new Hyundai Accent which was broad sided a@10K by an E-250

95 Contour-excellent handling, so-so mpg, gutless 4 banger, fell apart @125K

92 Saturn Sl2 ($500) lasted 3 years before it began puking coolant-222,000+ miles

02 PTCruiser-strong, sturdy, 20 mpg, but so versatile-my love on wheels

04 Hyundai Accent, back up car wife uses for work-excellent handling & power-drive one

also had 2 bikes-74 Honda CB360 and an 85 Honda Shadow 500.

Edited September 25, 2008 by 156n3rd

[atomcat68]

Fav Car:

MY '88 EXP 5-speed. Great gas milage, only 2 seats so I didn't have to play taxi, never got stuck in the Buffalo snow, and everyone always asked "what is that? a mustang?" Also my first paint job. Only things to go wrong in 100k were 3 starters. Paid for the first one and the rest were replaced one lifetime warranty. But I had to drain the coolant everytime bacuase of a poorly placed line.

 

 

Fav Truck:

My 97' F150 4x4. Sit gas mileage (but gas was cheap back then), useful for all the toys, and it just felt cool. My first financed vehicle, bought it within 3 weeks of starting my first job out of college. Not the wisest use of money, but I loved every minute of it. Sold it after 6 years and 150k moslty trouble free miles.

 

 

Least Favorite:

My '83 Cavalier. Drank more oil than gas. but it got me through high school.

 

 

 

I was the other guy to have an EXP. Mine was Red too. I had it for 7 years (longer than any other car I owned). The girl who bought it crashed it once a month and finally totaled it at 125,000 miles. I liked that car and wish it had a better fate.

[goingincirclez]

Didn't mind the handling,drive or looks of my '99 Explorer, but yeah those 2nd Gen Explorers/Mountaineers loved to fall apart. My fathers '96 Explorer did the same. Hit 75K miles and everything goes wrong with them.

 

Actually I liked the Explorer of that era MUCH better than the Mountaineer. The Mountaineer looked exactly like the rush-badge job it was, with tacky extra trim that didn't align well, gaudy two-tone paint schemes, and a stupid looking grille and pointless tailgate reflector. Fit-and-finish of all trim parts was TERRIBLE. And the dashboard looked especially hideous with all those black switchgear subpanels showing through the label holes in the beige bezels. Ick.

 

Handling-wise, I like carving corners and so and SUV is not for me. Knowing this, I would have judged accordingly had our Aerostars (also Ranger-based like the Explorer) not handled so much BETTER, believe it or not. Not to mention the Aerostar was a much better hauler with even more useable room PLUS seating for seven. And it didn't look as tacky as the Mountaineer.

 

 

Now the 2002 Mountaineer looked beautiful and still does. They did that one right. And I hear the handling is much improved although I've yet to drive the in-laws' to confirm this.

[armadamaster]

How can a 5000-something pounds vehicle be awesome? I guess to each his own, but I'd like to know how.. never hurts to know.

 

20 foot long, 5K pound, 2-door car with a monstrous 455 V8??? I couldn't stop the rear end from breaking loose from every stop. I guess it's an acquired taste in today's automotive cookie-cutter $4 gallon gas hell.

Edited September 25, 2008 by Armada Master

[Hemiman]

Best: 2000 Lincoln LS

 

Worst: Chevy S10 pick up (company vehicle).

 

You guys don't need details, as I rave & rant about these two often.

Edited September 25, 2008 by Hemiman

[156n3rd]

Out of all the vehicles I have owned, my 88 Aerostar was a real winner! It had a great presence and personality. I loved nearly everything about it. I wish I hadn't sold it, but had no place to keep it. It was very poor in snow, but handled very well in all other circumstances. The ol' Vulcan in it developed 150hp (I think) and was slow to get going, but cruised without effort. I made many trips to the Bronx for my son when he moved. I moved myself when my marriage split up. One thing I never liked was that huge floor shifter, which was moved in later models. I sold it because it was a poor winter driver and I bought a 95 Contour which was an excellent snow car. I just couldn't keep the both of them. I sold it to an auto parts store which had a fleet of used ones for deliveries.

Edited September 25, 2008 by 156n3rd

[Going_Going_Gone]

Cars owned:

'57 Chevy hardtop--high school car

'65 Olds 442 hardtop (favorite)

'71 Olds Cutlass S hardtop

'72 Chevy Blazer

'75 Chevy K-20 pickup

'80 Buick Century wagon

'83 Chevy custom van (least favorite and last GM car bought)

'85 Fort Bronco XLT

'90 Nissan Maxima SE (favorite, kept for 275k miles)

'91 Toyota Extracab 4X4 pickup (expensive to maintain)

'93 Taurus SHO (favorite)

'96 Ford Thunderbird

'98 F-150 supercab 4X4 (favorite--until some dummy t-boned it)

'99 Taurus SEL (least favorite--traded after 2 years, lost a ton of $$)

'01 Nissan Maxima SE (disappointing compared to the '90)

'03 Superduty diesel crew 4X4

'07 Mazda CX-9 (favorite)

[saintlaz1]

2002 Mercury Cougar 35th anniversary eddition in french blue with blue Cougar logos on its rims.

 

I loved this car more than a person. lol

[FLLMTR]

Owned:

 

1979 Chevy Malibu (probably the worst car I ever owned)

1987 Mecury Sable (the most unreliable car I owned - and the last Ford my parents owned)

1989 Ford Mustang LX 5.0 (I loved this car - sold it three years ago)

1991 Ford Escort GT

1997 Jeep Wrangler

2003 Ford Mustang Cobra Vert. (Lemon Lawed it due to persistent engine stalling)

2003 Ford Mustang GT Centennial Vert. (antiquated and slow)

2006 Mercury Mountaineer (sh*ty transmission shift quality... probably the last Ford I will own).

[Mark B. Morrow]

I was the other guy to have an EXP. Mine was Red too. I had it for 7 years (longer than any other car I owned). The girl who bought it crashed it once a month and finally totaled it at 125,000 miles. I liked that car and wish it had a better fate.

 

 

My EXP was Charcoal Gray with reflective sliver pin stripes on the sides. It had a white interior with charcoal cloth inserts. It was a 5 speed. I got it to replace my '69 Olds 442 400 4 speed so the power dip was very noticable. Still the car was lots of dun to drive, got great mileage and was a pretty good autocross car, which explains the number of TRX tires I went through.