Let’s Talk Cars…Old Favorites, Your First, Dream, The One You Wish You Still Had, Car Stories Any Kind, How You Learned To Drive …and more

I feel like my many long-time forum friends have kindly sat down to talk with me about all things cars. I appreciate it! Not bacon or cocktails, I know.
:wink:
 
Capt MJ said:
We have identified a significant trend here!
Click to expand...

Agreed. When I met Mrs. Stealth she was driving a 1979 Mercury Capri R/S (Mustang clone) with a 4-speed stick. We’ve been together 37 years. There’s just something about that.

Stealth_81
 
Stealth_81 said:
Agreed. When I met Mrs. Stealth she was driving a 1979 Mercury Capri R/S (Mustang clone) with a 4-speed stick. We’ve been together 37 years. There’s just something about that.

Stealth_81
Click to expand...
Now we need a regression analysis plot, because I see the dots clustering.

40 years for DH and me if we make it to September…
 
Eh. . I liked manuals for years until I was drilling in Newport and living in NJ. The extreme Sunday Afternoon traffic jams on I95 South with long periods of holding the clutch down got me nothing but leg cramps and an understanding that it was time to go automatic. My current driver has very efficient paddle shifters and an 8 speed trans for when I'm in the mood to shift.
 
OldRetSWO said:
Eh. . I liked manuals for years until I was drilling in Newport and living in NJ. The extreme Sunday Afternoon traffic jams on I95 South with long periods of holding the clutch down got me nothing but leg cramps and an understanding that it was time to go automatic. My current driver has very efficient paddle shifters and an 8 speed trans for when I'm in the mood to shift.
Click to expand...
I will admit to feeling the same on the Beltway. The stickmobile comes out under certain operational criteria to optimize driving pleasure.
 
1966 Corvette Convertible. Hard and soft tops. Minor body modifications. Original interior with wonderbar radio. 350ci w/4speed transmission. Side pipes. Heavy racing clutch. You could not sit at a stop light very long with clutch depressed. You could do 65mph in 2nd gear or take off from a stop in third gear. Got pulled over for the smallest things just about every Saturday night I took it out. In reality not nearly as fast as cars these days.

Terrible to drive in the rain, absolutely no traction. Rode like a lumber wagon, your butt was about 4" from every bump in the road. Hot hot hot in the summer time. Not much heat in the winter. Sold it in mid 80's before corvette prices skyrocketed. I don't regret many things but that is certainly one of them.
 
Also had a 1984 Ford 1/2 ton shortbed 4x4. Had the 300 straight 6 in it with 4 speed manual trans.
I replaced the 6 cyl with a 400 modified engine, cammed it up a little and put a modest 600 Holley carb on it. Ran 33x12.5 tires on it.

Called it "My Little Mule" like the one on Romancing the Stone.

Thing was a beast. I could idle it in 1st gear at about 350 rpm, just loping along. Could smoke all 4 tires. Tow whatever I wanted or play in the snow and mud.
Spun a main bearing one day, had the engine rebuilt but it was never the same. All good things must come to an end.
 
In High School, our Cross Country coach had an orange 240Z. We (the whole team, but it was my idea) picked it up once and turned it between two other cars in the parking lot, so he couldn't get out until one of them left. He was really not happy with us, be we thought it was hilarious.
 
Last edited:
QA1517 said:
1966 Corvette Convertible. Hard and soft tops. Minor body modifications. Original interior with wonderbar radio. 350ci w/4speed transmission. Side pipes. Heavy racing clutch. You could not sit at a stop light very long with clutch depressed. You could do 65mph in 2nd gear or take off from a stop in third gear. Got pulled over for the smallest things just about every Saturday night I took it out. In reality not nearly as fast as cars these days.

Terrible to drive in the rain, absolutely no traction. Rode like a lumber wagon, your butt was about 4" from every bump in the road. Hot hot hot in the summer time. Not much heat in the winter. Sold it in mid 80's before corvette prices skyrocketed. I don't regret many things but that is certainly one of them.
Click to expand...
I hear you. I appreciate the heavy clutch description, feels like you are holding an extended leg press at the gym. I bet you loved that car, despite its many “character flaws.” Let’s hope it’s fully restored, a gem in someone’s collection.

That TR-7 I had - no A/C. In Spain. Because it was British, of course. The electrical was a royal PITA. It would go though cycles of not starting. I was a master of parking it on an incline, putting it in neutral, getting it going with a push, then leaping into it, popping it into second and starting it. Or opening the hood, with an insulated glove and extra-long screwdriver with heavy rubber handle, poking the right place down in the engine guts. Very hard ride, right with you on 4” proximity. I loved her though, and I hope she’s not pancaked in a scrap heap somewhere.

Current stickmobile is a 2014 cousin of your old friend in Night Race Blue, manual 7. A delight.
 
THParent said:
In High School, our Cross Country coach had a orange 240Z. We (the whole team, but it was my idea) picked it up once and turned it between two other cars in the parking lot, so he couldn't get out until one of them left. He was really not happy with us, be we thought it was hilarious.
Click to expand...
I know that orange. Like old Tang. Of course it was your idea.
 
QA1517 said:
Also had a 1984 Ford 1/2 ton shortbed 4x4. Had the 300 straight 6 in it with 4 speed manual trans.
I replaced the 6 cyl with a 400 modified engine, cammed it up a little and put a modest 600 Holley carb on it. Ran 33x12.5 tires on it.

Called it "My Little Mule" like the one on Romancing the Stone.

Thing was a beast. I could idle it in 1st gear at about 350 rpm, just loping along. Could smoke all 4 tires. Tow whatever I wanted or play in the snow and mud.
Spun a main bearing one day, had the engine rebuilt but it was never the same. All good things must come to an end.
Click to expand...
A once-in-a-lifetime truck. Love the classic name and the movie source, 80’s all the way.
 
I agree that manual transmission, while undeniably a joy, can also be spoiled by context. For example, stop-and-go traffic on the Beltway. When I lived in DC, my commute was mainly on the GW Parkway, so never got the clutch-induced leg cramp.

Most stick-shift fun I had was when we lived in Switzerland and I had an Audi A4. We often drove up to Verbier, which included an 11 km stretch of steeps and hairpin turns near the top. Whether going up or down, it demonstrated the full benefit and power of shifting. Highly satisfying.

(And this August, it’ll be 27 years for me and Mrs. MidCakePa of stick-shift fame.)
 
First Car = 1969 Camaro bought in 1979. Wish I still had it, but too much rust.

Regret Selling =1970 Series 1 240Z. Bought it for $3,000. Sold it for $23,000. It would be worth close to $40,000 today.
 
NJROTC-CC said:
First Car = 1969 Camaro bought in 1979. Wish I still had it, but too much rust.

Regret Selling =1970 Series 1 240Z. Bought it for $3,000. Sold it for $23,000. It would be worth close to $40,000 today.
Click to expand...
I think that about our early Datsun Zs. Sigh.

My biggest car I wish I had back, and just poured the money into the failing engine, was a 2002 BMW Z3 M 2-seater coupe. It had the M4 sedan engine in the little Z car body, 5-speed, with a unique exterior. They only exported about 600 or so to this country. You could throw that thing around curves at speed, and it just ate it up. It was a hard-riding rocket ship and a joy to drive, nicely fitted out. I sold Max in a private sale to a good home with an enthusiast and then got the current stickmobile. The engine was making a noise the repair shop said they would essentially have to take apart the entire engine, and then it might need an entirely new engine, which would be hard to get. I took a lot of photos in his last weeks with us. He was silver with a burgundy and black interior, nice little sunroof.

C65B150B-6D63-4C99-BBE2-026C26E1C226.jpeg
 
NJROTC-CC said:
First Car = 1969 Camaro bought in 1979. Wish I still had it, but too much rust.

Regret Selling =1970 Series 1 240Z. Bought it for $3,000. Sold it for $23,000. It would be worth close to $40,000 today.
Click to expand...
😭
 
I also had a 1962 MGA. It was beautiful, but underpowered, terrible brakes, shocks and tires. It did not drive as well as the cheapest modern cars. As I age, I am less and less interested in driving a classic. When I retire, I see myself buying a brand new totally loaded pickup with 4 wheel drive and nice cold a/c and good heat. Maybe I'll get an old classic to tinker with, but not to drive.
 
NJROTC-CC said:
I also had a 1962 MGA. It was beautiful, but underpowered, terrible brakes, shocks and tires. It did not drive as well as the cheapest modern cars. As I age, I am less and less interested in driving a classic. When I retire, I see myself buying a brand new totally loaded pickup with 4 wheel drive and nice cold a/c and good heat. Maybe I'll get an old classic to tinker with, but not to drive.
Click to expand...
That’s the ticket, a toy car plus a sensible but pleasant one for daily activity.
 
My first car and the one I learned to drive stick shift in.. a 1963 Ford Falcon, with 'three on the tree'..
The car I learned to drive in.. '67 Mustang [on loan from the local Ford dealership for my high schools drivers training class]
My favorite car that I owned, but also the one that caused me the most headaches.. a 1979 Triumph Spitfire in 'British racing green'..
As fun as it was to drive, it was a mechanical and electrical nightmare..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top