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Cars
I have owned, driven, and otherwise abused.
Please note: these cars were in my possession
for periods ranging from two weeks to two years.
They are listed in order of acquisition, not
disposal. Some cars overlapped time periods.
Please keep in mind that my financial situation varied greatly from year to year, or even month to month at times.
Editor's Note: I have to clean up the anchor links below.
1978
Ford Pinto My
first car. Sort of. It didn't really count. (as a car, that is). Bought it from
my friend, Jim (We'll talk more about him later). I had it for three months.
I took out the back seat so I'd have more "cargo space". Sold it to my brother
for $50.00 after he got it to idle; I never drove it on the road. It broke down
after a few weeks of turnpike driving. Towards the end, my brother was dropping
the oil and transmission pan EVERY NIGHT to take out the big chunks of... well,
important parts, apparently. top
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1964
Dodge Dart Sedan JUNKED
when a large tree fell on it, cracking the windshield and
bending the sheetmetal around it, so that replacing the windshield would have
involved rebuilding the roof of the car. Paid $200 for it, from my brother's
(ex)in-laws. I had it for six months, and never drove it on the road. Had the
ubiquitous Slant Six 225.
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1973
Ford Thunderbird JUNKED
when it needed about $400 in brake work. (Brakes wear out
quickly in a full-size luxury car with a 460 Police Interceptor
motor, C6 Heavy Duty Transmission, and a teen-age driver in his first
"on-the-road" car.) The cost was so high because it takes big brakes to stop
the afore-mentioned vehicle. It was black, with a black
vinyl top, and black leather interior. It had NO rear vision-
the rear window looked about two inches high from the driver's seat. I "bargained" for the price of
$600; down from $750 (since the driver's window didn't move reliably during
my test drive). It's the first car I owned that I actually drove on the road and tried to get inspected. It's still my favorite car; I cried when I had it towed
away. top
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1973 Chevy Nova
JUNKED
when I got tired of going out in the morning and turning
the crankshaft by hand, so it would get past the spot where it "stuck" so much
that the starter couldn't get past it. It was, however, a rare two-door hatchback.
Actually, belonged to my ex-wife. 307 Automatic
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1976
Ford LTD Coupe JUNKED
because when I tried to take it for inspection, the radiator burst (nowimeanthatthingreallyBLEWapart,man),
and various (apparently important) electrical things under the hood caught fire.
It had quad shocks in the rear; two on each side; I kept going faster & faster
over speed bumps (70 mph is about as fast I could get it in the K-Mart parking
lot) and feeling the impact LESS!. It had an 8-track, with a CHEAP 200 watt
amp- you might not know what was playing, but it sure was loud! Very slow, til
the final days when the transmission was wearing out- seemed like a dragster
then. 351 Modified Cleveland, FMX (!&*@#) transmission.
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1968
Buick Electra 225 Sedan JUNKED.
I killed my father's car. I'm too ashamed to say how it
happened. I am SO ashamed. The radio had two pieces- the normal head unit in
the dash, and the "stereo module", which mounted below the glove compartment.
That part was the size of a cable converter box. 430 motor.
This was a BIG car. top
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1987
Honda Civic Sedan REPOSSESSED.
Let's see, how do I put this? The finance company asked for it back. 1.5
liter 12-valve motor. top
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1971
Volkswagen Type III Squareback JUNKED
because the voltage regulator doubled as an arc welder, no matter how many times
it was replaced. I must say, however, that I really liked the design and layout
of this little KrautWagon; would buy one again if in good shape.
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1982 Dodge Omni
Passed
along- it was a 4-speed stick with no 2nd gear (Possibly the shortest period
of time; 1.5 days). top
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1983
Dodge Charger JUNKED
after I got rear-ended and it was totaled. 1.7 liter motor;
not the best of those available. Note: don't replace a bad carb on one of these
with a rebuilt- the factory recommends new carburetors (you might not stall
the car in the middle of the road and get hit, either) top
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1977
Buick Apollo Coupe Passed
along- it was missing its exhaust system and most of its camshaft. 350
Buick V8 top
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1984
Buick Skyhawk Sedan Returned;
dealer almost certainly JUNKED it.
I had troubles with oil blowing past the piston rings, from the very first day.
I eventually was running the car with straight 90-weight gear oil in the crankcase
(Yes, I did build up to that level gradually!). However, after 2 or 3
months of this, the motor still performed quite well. It was the transmission
which, without warning, decided to snap as I accelerated up a hill. 2.0
liter motor, floor shift automatic. top
of page
1981
Subaru BRAT 4WD It
was a proud tribute to the attributes of Liquid SteelTM
putty used as an auto body repair item. Liberally
used. Could have been fun, if it hadn't seen such harsh abuse as it had. Given
back to (ex-)brother-in-law with a worn-out motor. White with white cap.
very small turning radius, useless first gear (could chirp wheels in third).
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1981
VW Scirocco Very
fun car; excellent match of 12valve motor and 5-speed transmission. My (ex-)brother-in-law
told me I couldn't have worn out the clutch already; I passed it along to him
(He then realized the clutch was worn-out). top
of page
1979
Chevrolet Nova Sedan Plain
brown Nova, not even an eight cylinder. The head gasket burst. Gave it to (ex-)brother-in-law.
Was redistributed within his wife's family. Last I heard, it had been repeatedly
stolen and taken for joyrides in the woods. On the last trip, a tree stopped
it. 255 straight six. top
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1987
Plymouth Horizon Kept
by my ex-wife when we split up- has leaky seals, various other damage. Currently
possessed by someone in her family, but it could die anyday now. 2.2
with automatic- decent motor for these cars. top
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1975
Ford LTD Sedan JUNKED.
Came to me with a slightly stubborn transmission, which got worse. Also known
as the "Palomino" car. During one trip to the self-serve car wash, I noticed
that some of the paint was starting to peel off. Directing the high pressure
stream towards the car, I proceeded to strip the car of about 1/3 of it's paint.
It then had the original dark green color, with a creamy, custard yellow spottted
pattern. I got rid of it after a good top speed run on the Pennsylvania Turnpike,
running about 113 to 117 mph, with the hood shaking like a wet dog. After the
run, I remembered to check the oil. Bad news. The block seized as soon as I
shut the motor off to add oil. 351 motor with a C-4 tranny.
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1973
Thunderbird JUNKED.
This one was nothing like my first T-Bird; the distributor failed as I drove
it home after buying it, and the motor never made any power. Wasn't worth any
attention. Got rid of it due to excessive rust and motor "tiredness". 460
motor and C-6, again. top
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1981
Honda CB650 Custom Technically
not a car, of course, but included here anyway. It was the motorcycle that I
learned to ride on, and the only one I've ridden so far. Great fun, but I rarely
rode it, so the battery kept wearing out, and the brake discs kept rusting.
I traded it to my brother for his 1981 LTD sedan (more regarding that car later).
(see further entry regarding Honda CB650) 650cc motor.
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And now, the most anticpated entry;
(if you don't believe me, here's an e-mail I received, which I'll put in to
delay a little longer...)
"Dear Sir:
This is to
inform you of a glaring omission on your Web page. Your "All the cars I've owned"
section completely omits the Renault LeCar. I am shocked and apalled, apalled
and shocked, nay, dazed by this omission. As you know, there are few things
more dangerous than a shocked Frenchman; except possibly a shocked & apalled
Frenchman; or a wounded shocked & apalled Frenchman; possibly a wounded shocked
& apalled Frenchman defending it's young; possibly a wounded shocked & apalled
Frenchman defending it's young in a blood frenzy; of course, an adrenalin-crazed
wounded shocked & apalled Frenchman defending it's young in a blood frenzy MIGHT
be even more upset than I am at this moment; but I'm not certain.
Now... How
could you ignore that car? Certainly it gave it's life protecting yours (well,
maybe "protecting" isn't quite the right word; but...."attempting to crush &
impale you" has negative connotations). When hit, it even flung your possessions
to safety outside the car. And the performance level of the car was incredible!
It was always an exciting adventure to drive it, especially if you got where
you were going & managed to stop when you got there.
The "hole
in the roof", the 3-lug mag wheels, the 8,000-rpm tachometer with NO RED LINE,
the long shift lever for extra leverage, the giant "Sport" lettering on the
side - all bespoke this magnificent machine's enormous performance potential.
Why, the air-filter housing alone was the size of an American vacuum cleaner!
Apparently French air is very dirty. And when the starter died, it's the only
car I know that could be push-started by opening the door and pushing it with
your foot. Then the incredibly sophisticated anti-theft system - most mechanics
couldn't even start it, much less put it into gear! Highly advanced - the rest
of the world's automakers are just catching up to this level of technology.
I hope this oversight will soon be rectified."
Yes, Virginia,
I owned an imported sportscar. A convertible, no less (okay, maybe that's pushing
it.).
RENAULT
LeCAR SPORT
JUNKED.
Gave it's life for me. When I realized I was going to be in the type of accident
that I was, and it would be in a Renault LeCar, I realized I was about to die.
I still wonder why I didn't.
I was rear-ended
by a Honda Civic, and pushed into oncoming traffic, where I was hit head-on
by two MATCHING Nissan Sentras. Only one actually hit me, but the other one
ran into it afterwards, so I felt both. My chest was bruised from the seatbelt,
AND the steering wheel (which did bend a little). My toolbox, weighing about
40 to 50 lb.s, did not come forward through the cabin. Instead, when the rear
hatch flew open, it launched itself out of, and over, the car. I later saw that
the battery had ripped open, all four tires went flat, and the radiator wrapped
itself around the motor. And yet, I still live!
Probably due to the accident, I have problems remembering details of this car.
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JUNKED.Given
to me by my father, as he was about to try to sell it (or "something"), and
I, as seems to often be the case, needed a car. It lasted a little while, but
it would have needed some work to get through inspection (or, to sell with a
clear conscience); brake, transmission, lights & electrical, stalled occasionally.
It actually was a nice car. While the interior wasn't laid out in a familiar
manner (it seemed to have styling cues from Buick, Datsun, and Ford combined),
it was very comfortable.
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1976
Mercury Grand Marquis Coupe JUNKED.
Really a great car. I replaced the carburetor on it, and liked it a lot. But
Pennsylvania had been talking about changing their inspection, and putting cars
on a dyno test. I couldn't get the car to run consistently, and couldn't get
the money for the work it would need. I felt that it would be better to put
my money into a car that would have a chance of passing emissions.(460
CID motor, C-6 trans.) Pennsylvania has since decided not to pursue dyno
testing. Regrets, regrets... top
of page
1981
Ford LTD Sedan JUNKED.
Got it from my brother for my motorcycle. 302 motor, AOD
trans. Drove it for quite some time, despite a minor oil leak. Bought
a second car (see 1980 Honda Civic Coupe), and loaned the LTD to my friend Jim.
Jim drove the car and got a flat. Before long, Jim stopped the car and changed
the tire. Before long, Jim heard a funny noise from the region of the tire.
Jim brought the LTD over for me to look at. I saw all the pretty shiny metal
powder where the wheel bearing used to be. Seems the tire heated up when it
was driven flat. Seems the hub heated up too. Seems some of that heat did nasty
unspeakable things to the wheel bearing. Oh well. I've made worse judgment calls,
certainly (See 1968 Buick Electra). top
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1980
Honda Civic Coupe JUNKED.
Another fun little car, which I gladly beat to death. I purchased it while I
still had my LTD. It did have a problem of stalling out and failing to restart
for about 15-20 minutes, mainly in wet weather(I know it sounds like the ignition,
but nothing ever fixed it). When it ran, however, I ran it hard. One of my first
purchases for the car was a tachometer, and I promptly looked up the peak HP
stat. I set the red line about 500 rpm higher (7200), and ran it to that mark
regularly. It had a five speed stick, and a 1.3 liter
motor. When I gunned it from a light, Camaros and Mustangs would still
always beat me, but they were also surprised by the little demon. Besides, it
was still getting 35 to 42 mpg, after 16 years and 200,000(+?) miles. Unfortunately,
my oil pump failed at 80-85 mph on Rt. 295. The car didn't run well afterwards
(it only moved about 2000 feet, from which point it went to the junkyard).
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1980
Ford Mustang JUNKED.
Don't ever buy a four cylinder Mustang.
Just don't. top
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1977
Chevrolet Impala Aerocoupe
Acquired through
my wife; her father gave it to her. It had the rear window produced by the new
(at the time) "heated-wire" method, as was also seen on later Caprices and Monte
Carlos. Only equipped with a lowly 305, it was still a pleasure to drive.
Update: This
car was sold on eBay (3/19/03), the hood support ribs had weakened, and it was
a pain just to open and close it. It needed serious body work around the rear
glass pieces, and we couldn't quite put the money out for it. It still ran well,
and was driven home by the purchaser from coastal NJ to Maryland.
1981
Honda CB650 Custom
At this point, my brother moved, and it wasn't a good spot for the cycle. So,
I took primary custody. We JUNKED the cycle along with our Grand
Voyager Mini-van
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1990 Honda
Civic DX
TRADED-IN. Acquired through my demonic twin, Kimba Horn.
4 door, 5 speed, all the goodies (even a sunroof). 1.5
liter 16 valve SOHC engine.It even had a little
orange light that kept coming on, which even Honda of America can't fix. The
transmission was replaced, with one from a CRX. 1st gear felt like 2nd, 2nd
felt like 3rd, etc. It made it much harder to get rolling, but downshifting
to 2nd at 65 mph was fun in traffic. And the trunk leaked. Oh, yeah, and that
beetle infestation that started just before we traded it in... SUCKERS!!!
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1997 Oldsmobile
Achieva SC
Purchased NEW. 2 door SC model, with 3.1 V-6,
automatic with overdrive, ABS, traction control, indash CD/cassette, PW/PL/PS,
tilt, and (OOOH!) spoiler. The electrical problems (hazard light failure, failure
of power windows and locks, failure of radio, burning wire harness) seem to
have subsided. A fun car, with plenty of vim and vigor, but we've had more than
our share of problems with it.
Listed
on eBay 5/15/06... SOLD!!! & driven home
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1999
Hyundai Accent GS
Purchased NEW. It's got a 1.5 liter 12 valve SOHC
motor, and automatic with overdrive. We traded the '90 Honda to get it. The
GS is the 2-door hatchback. Ours has A/C, a rear windowshield wiper, and I installed a CD/MP3 player for my mother-in-law - she's the primary driver now. In 2009, the 10 year warranty on the drivetrain ran out. This car has been hit twice and still is unbeatably reliable. NOTE: It's March 2009, this is still starting & running great.
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1989
Plymouth Grand Voyager
JUNKED after the transmission failed, but it held up
very well, and hauled off many, many loads of junk to the dump.
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1980
Caprice Classic Sedan
JUNKED. Another vehicle passed along from my brother. Definitely a beater, but
it was reliable in it's own ugly way. It didn't really break down though, it
just was more and more inconvenient (passenger's side doors didn't open, some
windows wouldn't move sometimes, etc.)
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1987
Toyota 4Runner SR5
Ran OK, off and on, but serious engine trouble meant it was time to go. We sold
the non-running 'runner on eBay, and got the Element.
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2003
Honda Element EX AWD
Purchased 03-19-05, we love it! Great for dogs, even for runs to the dump.
We recently replaced 2 tires, and kept the old ones to be put on rims we bought,
so we have 2 full-size spares. Of
course, a full-size spare won't fit in the factory storage area.
I threw a 2" receiver hitch on the back of it in April '06; I've used it with a 1500 lb. trailer for junk, brush, etc.
As of 3/20/06, we noticed somebody had hit/slid along the right front door, marking it up and denting it. Of course, we have no clue when it happened.
As of March 2009, this became more of a back-up vehicle, thanks to our 2005 Civic sedan
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1987
Ford Bronco II 4WD
Purchased
05-12-06 from eBay
SOLD on eBay
From the original listing: "You are bidding on a 1987 Ford Bronco II, this vehicle runs and drives(has no battery), has a newer transmission, 4 wheel drive works. Although it runs the motor has a tap due to lack of oil pressure, I recently installed a new oil pump and it is getting pressure now, but the valve lifters are tapping. It also has a brand new windshield. I drove it in our snow storm and the 4 wheel drive worked great. This is also a great vehicle for anyone who wants to jack it up or put a V8 in it."
2.9 liter V6 w/ EFI, A4LD
Automatic w/ OD, "One-Touch" 4WD
Initial Summary: Bought off eBay
for $202.50, paid about $200 for a U-Haul truck and trailer to bring it
home. Good body, mostly. I still have to vacuum out the broken glass and nails
(???) that were in it, and see if the seat mounts can be repaired. Apparently
this model has a few design flaws, we'll see how it goes bringing it up to speed.
Update 3/20/07: I've vacuumed it and ripped all the carpet out, and put 4 inflated tires on (swapped some from the '86). I loosely mounted the tan seats from the '86; they feel like they'll be pretty solid, I just need some seat covers for 'em now. I had trouble removing the old spare, so I had to grind off the j-bolt. I'll need to replace that before I mount another spare. It does still have a street sign repair on the driver's floorboard, but it appears to be over a cracked floor, not a rusted out one. I have a strong feeling this truck didn't stay upright all it's life; it's wheels may not have been all that rolled. Previous owner stated he just put in a new windshield and oil pump (std., no
high flow available), and disabled the inertia switch to troubleshoot some problems. Haven't gotten past the OIL light on the dash yet, so no test-drives.
Update 5/21/07: I just got some (minor) work done on the '87. Replaced the front side marker lights (bad bulbs, one socket has some corrosion. Got the front seats mounted securely, remounted the seat belt buckles (lower portion of the assembly). I have 3 "good" tires, and 3 crappy tires for it (multiple plugs, one has a cracked valve stem, some dry rot and cracking). I ran it for about 10 minutes (with a puff or two of starting fluid), but the OIL light popped on again, so I shut it down. I have a set of aftermarket gauges to put in, including an oil pressure gauge, so I may end up with a better idea of the oil supply situation. The good news is that when the left rear tire went flat, and rolled on the rim when I was driving around the yard, I popped into 4WD, and had traction again. So, it looks like the 4WD works OK, but I need at least 1 more decent tire. And more sand, for the trans fluid "issue".
Summary: It's got a
lot of minor issues, and a couple major ones (fluid leak when motor is running,
very soft brakes)
Some nice features:
Through-hole for a spotlight on driver's pillar
Roof-rack
Bumper mounted ball hitch
Spare mount is intact, and is still mounted solidly. Needs the J-bolt to hold the tire on.
Aftermarket AM/FM Cassette Stereo works OK (some static when volume dial is turned- typical for cheapies)
1986
Ford Bronco II 4WD Eddie Bauer Edition: JUNKED
Purchased
05-18-06 from
eBay for $232.50 and driven home , plus fluids on the drive home (about $20)
I drove it home (about 100 miles), but the tranny blew about 10 feet from where I wanted to park it. Looked like
we might use this one as a host for some parts from the '87. But, though some body panels were marginally better than the '87, the floor was horrible, and there was a lot of damage from water leaking into the interior. I did salvage a lot of parts from it, including the grill, radiator, front seats, and 4 matching alloy wheels (like the one shown on the left rear above). It was towed, as a wreck, in the spring of '07.
2005 Honda Civic EX Sedan
Purchased in March of '09
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Click HERE for Domain Names I'm selling on SEDO.com