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Vehicles / bikes 🏍 Car Talk

Driver's test was my parents 1999 Suburban 4x4 (GMT400). It found it easy to drive that thing. My parents had a few other cars, and I learned to drive on them all: Mini Cooper S, Acura RSX, Porsche 914 (which I still own), and a 94 Jeep Wrangler.
 
I honestly cannot remember what my driver's test was on. It would have been in 1995 and it was done through the school district. Probably some sort of Oldsmobile or Buick or maybe a Bonneville? or some other generic early-to-mid '90s Detroit sedan.

At the time my parents had a new Dodge Ram conversion van, a '94 F150 and a '95 Thunderbird SC but I don't think my parents ever took me out for a lesson or let me drive them around once I had my permit (I wasn't very motivated to go anywhere so I don't think I even asked). One of my older brothers had a '92 Ranger and I do recall learning to drive stick in that after I already earned my license. That was also the last time I ever drove a manual transmission.
 
The Terminator said:
Your parents had amazing taste in cars ;)
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Their next wagon was a red 1997 Volvo V70 and then in about 2004 they got a blue 2001 V70 wagon (which is still running down in TN).

What do you think about that? ;)

Also, their first car together when they married in 1966 was a brand new 6 cyl 1966 Ford Mustang convertible.
 
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WSU MUP Student said:
The '93(?) - '96 Cadillac Fleetwood shared the same engine and drivetrain but a different body and frame. That's another one that I see very rarely these days and when I do I think to myself, "My god that's an ugly car that did not age well."
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I actually think these Caddys are cool. I'd buy one in the right condition, price and color.

I could play 'mob boss' every time I stepped out of it.
13803306-1993-cadillac-fleetwood-std.jpg
 
mendelman said:
Their next wagon was a red 1997 Volvo V70 and then in about 2004 they got a blue 2001 V70 wagon (which is still running down in TN).

What do you think about that? ;)

Also, they're first car together when they married in 1966 was a brand new 6 cyl 1966 Ford Mustang convertible.
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97 Was the first year for the V70. Basically the same car as the 850 until 2000, but with minor facelifts and change in nomenclature. Great cars, with the Volvo modular 5 cyl engine. 2001 was the first year of the P2 chassis, which was the last fully Swedish wagon design before the sale to Ford was finalized. Not surprised the 01 is still running. Its worth noting that manual variants of these cars are very sought after by Volvo enthusiasts.

You can never go wrong with a 64-73 Mustang, my favorite era for them. I also like the 79-93 Fox Bodies. My dad had an 83 Mustang, but it was automatic and 4 cylinder lol.
 
Yesterday a guy I work with signed a deal to turn in his 2-year-old Ram lease and take a 2022 Ram. He was going to go swap out the vehicles today at lunch. On his way to work this morning he was rear ended at a stop light by a driver in a Yukon doing about 50mph. He said the frame is very likely bent considerably (based on his short drive into a parking lot) and he wouldn't be surprised if the insurance totals out the truck.

The dealership is still honoring the trade/lease deal.

According to his salesman, it happens from time to time and as long as the insurance covers things, it's not really a big deal (at least for the owner trading it in).
 
Speaking of taking away my planner card, at the next house (if we can ever close on the darn thing), the garage is too small and we are considering either expanding it or tearing it down to build new. Ideally, I'd like a two-story carriage house that matches the era of the 19th century house. It will need to fit at least three vehicles and have a workshop space since our rust-free classics will need to have permanent homes in the north.
 
RandomPlanner said:
Speaking of taking away my planner card, at the next house (if we can ever close on the darn thing), the garage is too small and we are considering either expanding it or tearing it down to build new. Ideally, I'd like a two-story carriage house that matches the era of the 19th century house. It will need to fit at least three vehicles and have a workshop space since our rust-free classics will need to have permanent homes in the north.
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DVD said:
I want a new car. Don't need one, but I want one.
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That's how I feel.

There's nothing wrong with my Jeep but I'm getting too old for the rougher ride of a Wrangler. I'd like to trade it in and get a Grand Cherokee (or something of similar size) but I have no desire to deal with the hassle that comes along with doing all that.

USAA insurance used to offer a "car buying" service where you find a car on a lot that you'd like to buy or lease and USAA would do the haggling and get you a price. I used the service when I bought my current Wrangler back in 2014 and it worked pretty well and I ended up with a better price than what the employee pricing would have been at the time. Unfortunately, they discontinued that service a few years back.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
That's how I feel.

There's nothing wrong with my Jeep but I'm getting too old for the rougher ride of a Wrangler. I'd like to trade it in and get a Grand Cherokee (or something of similar size) but I have no desire to deal with the hassle that comes along with doing all that.

USAA insurance used to offer a "car buying" service where you find a car on a lot that you'd like to buy or lease and USAA would do the haggling and get you a price. I used the service when I bought my current Wrangler back in 2014 and it worked pretty well and I ended up with a better price than what the employee pricing would have been at the time. Unfortunately, they discontinued that service a few years back.
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Since you're not driving much, just borrow one of your FIL's Fords for a bit, especially in summer. That would be 'fun', though ride quality likely won't improve.

;)
 
mendelman said:
Since you're not driving much, just borrow one of your FIL's Fords for a bit, especially in summer. That would be 'fun', though ride quality likely won't improve.

;)
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Of all of his vehicles, the only one I'd honestly want is a '65 Mustang. My wife agrees and has told her dad that she doesn't car what he does with the rest of the vehicles, but she does want that one. If we had a 3-car garage, it would already be at our house.

The problem with the old cars in Michigan is that outside the month of August you cannot use them for daily driver vehicles if they have Historical or "authentic" plates (all of his have authentic plates from the year they were manufactured).
 
These are two I'd be happy to drive daily right now:

1968 Cadillac Sedan Deville
1968-cadillac-sedan-deville


1994 Chevy Caprice Classic wagon
1994-chevrolet-caprice-station-wagon


If the wagon had been available when I bought my civic this past June, I would have driven to eastern PA from OH and bought it without thinking. This car is a good buy (on paper at least) as it's a good price with only ~52,000 miles on it. You could easily put another 100,000 on it.

EDIT: I guess I've posted the wagon already in this thread back in Jan 2022. Still a good car.

@The Terminator
@Planit
@RandomPlanner
 
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WSU MUP Student said:
Of all of his vehicles, the only one I'd honestly want is a '65 Mustang. My wife agrees and has told her dad that she doesn't car what he does with the rest of the vehicles, but she does want that one. If we had a 3-car garage, it would already be at our house.

The problem with the old cars in Michigan is that outside the month of August you cannot use them for daily driver vehicles if they have Historical or "authentic" plates (all of his have authentic plates from the year they were manufactured).
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I'm not seeing August in here.

https://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-96435_1595_52364-205712--,00.html (SOS - Authentic license plate)

But why would you take it out on Telegraph or the 696 Motor Speedway anyway?
 
Veloise said:
I'm not seeing August in here.

https://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-96435_1595_52364-205712--,00.html (SOS - Authentic license plate)

But why would you take it out on Telegraph or the 696 Motor Speedway anyway?
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It's on a different page:



1645036726738.png

I wouldn't be interested in driving it on long trips along those highways but I'd definitely want to use it for the occasional trip to the ice cream store or to go drop off a kid at their friend's house or school or headed into downtown to get a haircut.

Could I do that without getting a ticket? Probably, but I wouldn't want to risk it or give the police one more reason to pull me over (I do know others with historical and authentic plates who will keep a mental list of events and shows they could plausibly be going to but that seems like a cop out to get around a stupid law).
 
WSU MUP Student said:
Of all of his vehicles, the only one I'd honestly want is a '65 Mustang. My wife agrees and has told her dad that she doesn't car what he does with the rest of the vehicles, but she does want that one. If we had a 3-car garage, it would already be at our house.

The problem with the old cars in Michigan is that outside the month of August you cannot use them for daily driver vehicles if they have Historical or "authentic" plates (all of his have authentic plates from the year they were manufactured).
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Why only August?
 
jsk1983 said:
Why only August?
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Maister said:
Probably cuz it's the only 31 day long interval that's ice-free in the calendar year.
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I think it has more to do with the Woodward Dream Cruise and a couple other large classic car focused events taking place in August. IIRC, the state actually just began allowing driving cars with those plates through the entire month of August a few years back after enough lobbying from some interest groups.

The majority of those of us who live within earshot of Woodward and a few of those other destinations would probably actually prefer that they got rid of the month-long free for all with classic cars.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
It's on a different page:



View attachment 56606

I wouldn't be interested in driving it on long trips along those highways but I'd definitely want to use it for the occasional trip to the ice cream store or to go drop off a kid at their friend's house or school or headed into downtown to get a haircut.

Could I do that without getting a ticket? Probably, but I wouldn't want to risk it or give the police one more reason to pull me over (I do know others with historical and authentic plates who will keep a mental list of events and shows they could plausibly be going to but that seems like a cop out to get around a stupid law).
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Is the registration cheaper? I'd assume its easy to switch over to standard plates.
 
jsk1983 said:
Is the registration cheaper? I'd assume its easy to switch over to standard plates.
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It is relatively easy to switch to standard plates, but there would be a few (possibly up to a few hundred dollars, depending on the vehicle).

However, there are some benefits to having historical or authentic plates. Most notable are that the vehicle only costs a flat $30 to register and you do not need to renew for 10 years (as opposed to renewing annually for a few hundred dollars with standard plates) and many insurance carriers will give you a substantial discount on your insurance with the historic or authentic plates because it's likely you'll only be putting a fraction of the number of miles on the vehicle as opposed to what you would put on your "daily driver".
 
Cars my parents had that I remember or drove while living at home and up to that I have now in order of ownership. For a timeline, I was born in 1971.
1976 Ford LTD Station Wagon
1977 Ford Mustang II (Mustang in name only)
1978 Ford LTD Station Wagon
1982 Pontiac 6000LE
1985 Ford Tempo GL
1986 Ford Thunderbird
1976 Lincoln Mark IV
1986 Chevy Celebrity (school's driver's ed car...and this was the best of the three, 1987)
1983 Mazda Rx-7 (car during college days and now living out of the house)
1992 Ford Explorer (purchased from parents just before I was married in 1996)
1994 Nissan Sentra (fiancé's and then wife)
1999 Pontiac Grand Am
2001 Dodge Grand Caravan (first and second child)
2006 Toyota Sienna (third child)
2007 Pontiac G6
2014 Nissan Altima (RIP...but saved me)
1998 Ford F-150 (first child's)
2018 Subaru Outback*
2006 Ford Focus** (second child's)
2020 Nissan Altima AWD*
Look for third child's car - Ranger 4x4 preferable

*Current garage inhabitants
**Gets street parking
 
There is a house I pass when taking my daughter to/from school that has a collection of Chevy Cavaliers and Pontiac Sunbirds that appear to be in various states of repair. The latest Google Streetview shows three of them (plus a Corvair or whatever that older white car is) but you can see the collection shrink and grow over time. As of this morning, there are currently 5 in the driveway and I've seen the garage door open when driving past and I know there is another Sunbird in there, possibly two of them. I'm not one to judge but it seems like an odd vehicle to collect.

1645105884271.png
 
WSU MUP Student said:
There is a house I pass when taking my daughter to/from school that has a collection of Chevy Cavaliers and Pontiac Sunbirds that appear to be in various states of repair. The latest Google Streetview shows three of them (plus a Corvair or whatever that older white car is) but you can see the collection shrink and grow over time. As of this morning, there are currently 5 in the driveway and I've seen the garage door open when driving past and I know there is another Sunbird in there, possibly two of them. I'm not one to judge but it seems like an odd vehicle to collect.

View attachment 56609
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I'm actually surprised that this condition exists in the City I presume it's in.

I would expect the neighbors are tired of a defacto junk yard. Maybe the current neighbor's don't mind but the moment a 'new' neighbor shows up after paying the current RE prices, I bet there is a call to City Hall demanding action.
 
mendelman said:
...

1994 Chevy Caprice Classic wagon
1994-chevrolet-caprice-station-wagon


If the wagon had been available when I bought my civic this past June, I would have driven to eastern PA from OH and bought it without thinking. This car is a good buy (on paper at least) as it's a good price with only ~52,000 miles on it. You could easily put another 100,000 on it.

EDIT: I guess I've posted the wagon already in this thread back in Jan 2022. Still a good car.

@The Terminator
@Planit
@RandomPlanner
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Ah, the Chevy Caprice wagon. I wrecked a Chevy Caprice wagon once; totalled it actually. A guard rail can really do some damage when a 16 year old is not paying attention. And that was the last time I was allowed to drive my parents' vehicle on a regular basis...
 
WSU MUP Student said:
There is a house I pass when taking my daughter to/from school that has a collection of Chevy Cavaliers and Pontiac Sunbirds that appear to be in various states of repair. The latest Google Streetview shows three of them (plus a Corvair or whatever that older white car is) but you can see the collection shrink and grow over time. As of this morning, there are currently 5 in the driveway and I've seen the garage door open when driving past and I know there is another Sunbird in there, possibly two of them. I'm not one to judge but it seems like an odd vehicle to collect.

View attachment 56609
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Did I ever tell you about the Cavalier Club that all my besties were part of in high school? They all drove one, seriously there were 4 or 5 parked at every gathering. In our first few years of college, they even went in on a group parts car which was hilarious. So Mark's red car had a gold fender, Jeremy's black car had a gold hood, etc.

Me? I was always the odd one out, never one to follow the crowd. I drove a Ford Escort, obviously quite the step up from the Chevy Cavalier. ;o)
 
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mendelman said:
I'm actually surprised that this condition exists in the City I presume it's in.

I would expect the neighbors are tired of a defacto junk yard. Maybe the current neighbor's don't mind but the moment a 'new' neighbor shows up after paying the current RE prices, I bet there is a call to City Hall demanding action.
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I'm sort of surprised as well. I haven't gotten a close enough look but I would imagine that all the cars are properly registered which is why the city has allowed it to remain? I would bet that there have been some calls to the city though but it probably also helps that the driveway is on the feeder street and people passing by on the residential street wouldn't actually see it.

FWIW, I don't pay much attention to it but I think code enforcement is sort of spotty (arbitrary?) as every once in a while I'll see something like this or things that are other likely code violations. There was a trend a few summers ago of people putting large above ground pools in their driveways just a few feet from the sidewalk and it seemed like the city was looking the other way for the most part.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
I'm sort of surprised as well. I haven't gotten a close enough look but I would imagine that all the cars are properly registered which is why the city has allowed it to remain? I would bet that there have been some calls to the city though but it probably also helps that the driveway is on the feeder street and people passing by on the residential street wouldn't actually see it.

FWIW, I don't pay much attention to it but I think code enforcement is sort of spotty (arbitrary?) as every once in a while I'll see something like this or things that are other likely code violations. There was a trend a few summers ago of people putting large above ground pools in their driveways just a few feet from the sidewalk and it seemed like the city was looking the other way for the most part.
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If that view is toward a collector or minor arterial, that makes sense that the local CE would overlook it.

It's not uncommon for CE activities to be primarily compliant driven versus proactive.

Also, the older car at the back is a late 60s Chevy Camaro.
 
mendelman said:
Also, the older car at the back is a late 60s Chevy Camaro.
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Thank you. I could tell it was a Chevy product of some sort. I know very little about Camaros from that time frame so I see why I wouldn't have guessed that. It's a little smaller than what I would have thought an old Camaro would look like.

Here's an article about the very first Fisher body '67 Camaro that went to auction a couple years ago. This does look similar to the one in that driveway, just in infinitely better condition. https://gmauthority.com/blog/2020/06/1967-chevrolet-camaro-fisher-body-number-1-heads-to-auction/

FWIW, it's not a particularly attractive car (the one in the driveway or the one for auction). I just don't care for the body shape. But then again, I've never cared for Camaros.

Not sure what the reserve was when that went to auction but looking at the Barrett Jackson website, it appears that it didn't actually sell.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
Thank you. I could tell it was a Chevy product of some sort. I know very little about Camaros from that time frame so I see why I wouldn't have guessed that. It's a little smaller than what I would have thought an old Camaro would look like.

Here's an article about the very first Fisher body '67 Camaro that went to auction a couple years ago. This does look similar to the one in that driveway, just in infinitely better condition. https://gmauthority.com/blog/2020/06/1967-chevrolet-camaro-fisher-body-number-1-heads-to-auction/

FWIW, it's not a particularly attractive car (the one in the driveway or the one for auction). I just don't care for the body shape. But then again, I've never cared for Camaros.

Not sure what the reserve was when that went to auction but looking at the Barrett Jackson website, it appears that it didn't actually sell.
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Your picture actually captures the most distinctive part/angle of the 1st gen Camaros - the B-pillar and rear fender section.

But I spent about the first 24 years of my life studying the auto industry and history, so ID-ing cars is still pretty much muscle memory for me.
 
mendelman said:
Your picture actually captures the most distinctive part/angle of the 1st gen Camaros - the B-pillar and rear fender section.

But I spent about the first 24 years of my life studying the auto industry and history, so ID-ing cars is still pretty much muscle memory for me.
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When I was a kid I had the uncanny ability to identify nearly any vehicle at night thanks to its headlights or taillights. Somewhere along the line I lost that ability. Probably because of some combination of the facts that there are now enough new brands of vehicles that weren't sold here too often in the '80s and early '90s, so many companies use common/generic components across multiple models and even share among brands, and most importantly, I just don't care as much...

Bubba said:
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For about 2 months a couple summers ago, one of the only songs my youngest daughter wanted to hear was Big Lizard in My Backyard (the other song she wanted to hear constantly was Fish Heads by Barnes & Barnes). There were no complaints from me.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
For about 2 months a couple summers ago, one of the only songs my youngest daughter wanted to hear was Big Lizard in My Backyard (the other song she wanted to hear constantly was Fish Heads by Barnes & Barnes). There were no complaints from me.
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The now Mrs. Bubba drove a bitchin' Camaro when we were undergrads - that song has a special place in my heart.
 
WSU MUP Student said:
There is a house I pass when taking my daughter to/from school that has a collection of Chevy Cavaliers and Pontiac Sunbirds that appear to be in various states of repair. The latest Google Streetview shows three of them (plus a Corvair or whatever that older white car is) but you can see the collection shrink and grow over time. As of this morning, there are currently 5 in the driveway and I've seen the garage door open when driving past and I know there is another Sunbird in there, possibly two of them. I'm not one to judge but it seems like an odd vehicle to collect.

View attachment 56609
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1967 Camaro as it has the wing side window.
 
I just had an awesome conversation. Potential business owner called to ask about some regulations.

He owns a company that converts classic cars into fully electric vehicles. He personally drives around a 50 Chevy pickup that is full EV.

I don't have any vehicles right now that I would want to keep super long term, but I grew up in a car family and I know a ton of people who would want to do something like this if gas gets too high or becomes hard to find someday.
 
Yeah, the spoofers are getting good with using your area code so you think maybe you should answer. When I get a call like that and I answer and it's some warranty BS and they want to talk I've started saying "I'd like to talk about your relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ". The silence is golden. Then I hang up.
 
The check engine light came on in my Jeep yesterday. I tried doing the trick to get the codes myself but came up with "------" which, from my very brief internet search, likely means some sort of electrical issue.

Maybe this will be the catalyst the spurs me to finally trade it in.
 
I should note: Those pictures are from the real estate listing before we moved in. The loft is now pretty much all full of junk that was in our storage unit.
 
Planit said:
Dear New Car Buyer;
Last week we sent you notification that your new vehicle has been shipped. Today I regret to inform you delivery will be delayed.

www.thedrive.com

Cargo Ship on Fire in the Atlantic Has 189 Bentleys, 1,100 Porsches, Lots of Audis On Board

As the fire on the cargo ship Felicity Ace rages on, we're learning more about what's on board—including nearly 200 Bentley vehicles.
www.thedrive.com www.thedrive.com
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...& the ship, with all contents of VWs, Bentleys, Lambos, Audis sunk yesterday off the coast of Portugal.
 
kms said:
I like how they look, bit I'd rather have one of the originals.
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I understand the sentiment, but the original 1st gens are basically slightly better riding tractors that rust at the nearest whiff of salty moisture.

:p
 
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