Goodbye to my SS..and childhood.

Well guys, as you can see I've been a member since this board was started..although I don't post frequently. I just thought I'd write to say goodbye, because I sold my 1998 Camaro SS a few weeks ago.

I now have a 2003 Lincoln Navigator...something my wife wanted...I like it ok...but I do miss the sports car feel.

However I have to admit that as pleased as I was with my camaro, it was starting to bug me in a few ways..first, it was bright red and I'm 32 years old...people stared at me like I was a punk when I was in it....I felt a bit like I was driving a kid's car...like maybe it wasn't mature enough...or wasn't me....I guess I've changed.

The car also had 110,000 miles and began having "issues"..I had to replace the air conditioner....which required selling one of my wife's kidneys. The rear end started making noise and I noticed small plumes of smoke emanating from the tail pipe from time to time. My wife told me that if any more trouble surfaced, the next kidney sold would be mine..and I wasn't about to give up a vital organ for any car.....my wife's? yea...but she didn't have another to spare.

So the car is history guys..and so is my interest in Camaro SS's....but who knows...that might change someday...when I get 45yrs old, maybe I'll have a midlife crisis and buy a vintage 1998 SS....with all the toys and a few things I couldn't afford on my original.

Another thing, it sure is weird driving this Lincoln...I've got old people gawking at my ride instead of teenagers!!

Originally posted by 98camaross
Well guys, as you can see I've been a member since this board was started..although I don't post frequently. I just thought I'd write to say goodbye, because I sold my 1998 Camaro SS a few weeks ago.

I now have a 2003 Lincoln Navigator...something my wife wanted...I like it ok...but I do miss the sports car feel.

Sorry to see you go, but I've rented one of these before. Frankly I didn't want to return it. Wonderful, wonderful car. White, tan interior, air conditioned seats, sunroof, premium sound, rear seat DVD... it handled better than a lot of older (early 90s) cars I've driven, and what power!

The only thing I'd warn you against is using anything less than premium. There's a big problem with those engines where the valves on the #3 and #7 cylinders burn up due to detonation, and to fix/replace the engine... the body must be removed. That and the 11.6 MPG average fuel economy I got has placed it firmly in the realm of "mistress" rather than "wife". :cool:

Originally posted by 98camaross


I now have a 2003 Lincoln Navigator...something my wife wanted...I like it ok...but I do miss the sports car feel.

However I have to admit that as pleased as I was with my camaro, it was starting to bug me in a few ways..first, it was bright red and I'm 32 years old...people stared at me like I was a punk when I was in it....I felt a bit like I was driving a kid's car...like maybe it wasn't mature enough...or wasn't me....I guess I've changed.

Another thing, it sure is weird driving this Lincoln...I've got old people gawking at my ride instead of teenagers!!

I really can understand the big SUV thing, but going from a SS to a Navigator...:confused: Dude, you really did want to escape from a more youthful image.

If kids are no longer staring, it might be because the "image thing" has rocketed right past the latest Navigator. Look at any hip-hop video, and the Hummer H2 is the new symbol of affluence. Last year it was the Escalade.

Personally, if I was dropping $50K+ on a swanky SUV, the H2 would be tops on my list. Its unique, has some offroad credibility and the ladies seem to dig on it. Predictably, my second choice would have to be one of the three flavors of Escalade - but only with some massive rims. The latest Navigator just confuses me, though. Here's a $60k ride that's now heavier than the massive Expedition, but without any power upgrade. Hey, the interior was always premo, but the package make similar GM vehicles seem light and efficient. Its too bad it does have the new 6.0 liter Powerstroke diesel.

Anyway, it makes me sad to think you ditched your high mileage SS. From where I come from, the first sign of mechnical difficulties is the perfect opportunity for a complete engine rebuild. Wouldn't life have been more interesting with a 383 Camaro and a Navigator?:confused:

Wow, Im agreeing with redzed put this down in the record books! :) A Caddy Escalade EXT with some 22"s, pimp as hell.

My dad's 52 and he still plays with his toys. Car guys never get old, they just need a reminder from time to time why they love to go fast!

Originally posted by Chuck!
Wow, Im agreeing with redzed put this down in the record books! :) A Caddy Escalade EXT with some 22"s, pimp as hell.


Get with the program: 24" rims are in.

Anyway, the most stunning Escalade I've ever seen had forged 18 inch alloys with fat offroad tires. It was chromed out with a full set of grill and brush guards. With a ride like that, you could take the pimpin' well beyond city limits.:usa:

Of course, a nicely fitted out H2 was sitting a few parking spaces away. They even had an extra spare mounted on the roof.
Cool!:D :bow:

All of these swanky SUV mods are enough to make me turn my back on sedans and coupes. Sure, I'll always keep my current Z28, but I think I'm going to blow my budget for my next commuter vehicle. A poor boy like me can't swing a H2, but a new Tahoe might do the trick. I don't especially like this "mommy-mobile," but I love the stuff in the GM accessories catalog. Is there anything wrong with buying a vehicle just to have a place to mount your new bull bars?:p

I thought 26s were the craze now? Those with the phat Yokohoma 26" wheels :)

Just a note, since we're talking about SUVs...I bought the Lincoln because it was about 10 grand cheaper than the base model escalade or H2...yea...that's right...go to any dealer and they'll chop the sh*t out of the price on a Lincoln...not so with the caddy or H2.

Another point...the H2 and caddy have more exterior appeal, but the Lincoln far surpasses them on interior quality and overall nice-ness inside...the lincoln has bucket seats and console shifter...caddy still has old column shifter and the interior just doesn't look as nice...and of course, although Hummer is adding new stuff each year, they are still comparitively more spartan than the average SUV when it comes to luxury and option availability....it just depends on which one you value the most....exterior or interior appeal.

In the end, the price did it for me...I was totally unable to afford the caddy or H2 but the Lincoln payments don't hurt me a bit....lots of car for the money.

Originally posted by 98camaross
Just a note, since we're talking about SUVs...I bought the Lincoln because it was about 10 grand cheaper than the base model escalade or H2...yea...that's right...go to any dealer and they'll chop the sh*t out of the price on a Lincoln...not so with the caddy or H2.

Another point...the H2 and caddy have more exterior appeal, but the Lincoln far surpasses them on interior quality and overall nice-ness inside...the lincoln has bucket seats and console shifter...caddy still has old column shifter and the interior just doesn't look as nice...and of course, although Hummer is adding new stuff each year, they are still comparitively more spartan than the average SUV when it comes to luxury and option availability....it just depends on which one you value the most....exterior or interior appeal.

In the end, the price did it for me...I was totally unable to afford the caddy or H2 but the Lincoln payments don't hurt me a bit....lots of car for the money.

If Navigators are seeing $10k discounts, it makes me wonder why Lincoln decided to dive into the realm of $60,000 MSRPs. Even the new Escalade V-12 won't fall much above $62k.

In addtion, thanks for pointing out another great mystery. Why does GM insist on having a column shifter on SUVs that have big center consoles anyway. Unless you're building a "cheap" Tahoe with a split bench, why not put the shifter where people want it. I can also agree about Navigator interior quality. Even the new car smell is better. On the other hand, the H2 is a stunner, inside and outl.

I was really disappointed when I finally drove an H2. It's more of a flashy image vehicle than a true luxury car, inside and out.

Argh....lost another enthusiast F-body driver to the SUV. Well unfortunatley thats nothing new. Lots of people that I have test drove used F-bodies were seeling them to buy a truck. No offnence but I hope I don't end up like you. I'll stuff baby seats in the back if I have to:p

Congrats on your Navi purchase.The H2 cant hold a candle to the appointments the Navi has.90% of SUV's dont go offroad anyway but what offroading youll most likely be doing it will be fine.Did you get the Heated/Cooled seats?

Originally posted by 98camaross
Well guys, as you can see I've been a member since this board was started..although I don't post frequently. I just thought I'd write to say goodbye, because I sold my 1998 Camaro SS a few weeks ago.

...However I have to admit that as pleased as I was with my camaro, it was starting to bug me in a few ways..first, it was bright red and I'm 32 years old...people stared at me like I was a punk when I was in it....I felt a bit like I was driving a kid's car...like maybe it wasn't mature enough...or wasn't me....I guess I've changed.

....Another thing, it sure is weird driving this Lincoln...I've got old people gawking at my ride instead of teenagers!!
Damn, and here I am at 38 and I'm still driving a '95 Z/28! :D

But then I did buy the Mrs. an '02 Tahoe LS a year ago... so far she hasn't forced me to sell the Z/28... even after buying a '67 Rallysport a month ago. :D

I notice that I do get "weird looks" when I'm driving my kid's red '95 Mustang. Maybe the reason I don't get "looks" at all in the Z/28 is because its a tame polo green, has the stock salad shooters and exhaust... heck the emblems are black so I'd guess that most non-camarofiles assume its a plain Jane six-banger. ;) Heck I like that!!!

I guess had I bought red like I originally wanted to, I might feel the same way you do... but then I did once consider selling it... but then two things happened that changed all that... 1st, I discovered this website shortly after learning that GM killed the F-body... 2nd, my kid turned 16 and began showing an intrest in musclecars.

The last time I was Camaroless was after I sold by '68 RS to my brother and before I bought the '95... that was four years of living hell. I'll never go without a Camaro again!

They can take my life, but they'll never take away my Camaro :metal:

Originally posted by jg95z28
They can take my life, but they'll never take away my Camaro :metal:

:cool: :bow:


-Mike

Personally I think the H2 is for people that need to way overcompensate for something. Ive driven many of the real Hummers and the H2 is a joke. Anyways its a shame to lose another one to the SUV's.

Originally posted by redzed
If Navigators are seeing $10k discounts, it makes me wonder why Lincoln decided to dive into the realm of $60,000 MSRPs. Even the new Escalade V-12 won't fall much above $62k.


When is the V-12 Escalade coming out?

I cannot believe no one has yet called BS on this newbie. The originating post looks to me like a fantasy written by someone who perhaps WANTS a Navigator, and who is apparently jealous of FBody owners.

Originally posted by jg95z28
Damn, and here I am at 38 and I'm still driving a '95 Z/28! :D


You know if you ever feel too old for that beauty you can always sell it to a youthful 19 year old!:D ;)

Originally posted by stars1010
You know if you ever feel too old for that beauty you can always sell it to a youthful 19 year old!:D ;)

You can buy mine when you get out of school. It's never spent a night outside!


This threads' first post should be the reference point every time the GTO gets bashed for being too bland. I've always thought that it was meant for people who wanted to "graduate" from an Fbody, into more of a car that they feel more "suited" to driving. Don't get me wrong, I still love my '01, and it's red, but I can seriously see myself in a GTO, particularly the '06 and beyond version (albiet in a bland SILVER).

32 years old, and still CLEAN

Someone help me! I think that I am a sick man.

I am quite abit older than most here and for some reason I haven't been able to outgrow my fondness for Camaros. Even the ratty ones. I know that they are generally pretty junky cars...but I just can't help myself. I'M SICK!!!!!!!!

Most of my friends with their Saabs/Porsches/BMW/MB/Volvos/Audis don't know what to make of me and have tried interventions on my behalf.....but to no avail.

Originally posted by CLEAN
You can buy mine when you get out of school. It's never spent a night outside!



You realize the 5th gen will be sitting on the lots by the time I walk across the stage? :D I’m on the 5 year plan with only one year down. Plus I need a V8 this summer. '95s are more my price range too.

Someone help me! I think that I am a sick man.

I am quite abit older than most here and for some reason I haven't been able to outgrow my fondness for Camaros. Even the ratty ones. I know that they are generally pretty junky cars...but I just can't help myself. I'M SICK!!!!!!!!

Most of my friends with their Saabs/Porsches/BMW/MB/Volvos/Audis don't know what to make of me and have tried interventions on my behalf.....but to no avail.

Fear not. You are definitely not alone! :) I look at every Camaro I encounter on the roads. In Detroit there is a higher percentage of American iron on the roads anyway... and a lot of Camaros and Firebirds :D

I hope I never "grow too old" to enjoy these cars! :cool:

Here's a tribute to a fellow Camaro fan...

http://www.mwshowgo67.com/formula99/obsession.htm

The streetlights glare on the long hood and dash as I ease onto the parkway. After two hours of cruising, it is clear that no one this particular Monday night wants to challenge the SS for bragging rights. I reluctantly turn towards home. I think about why I am still doing this after 35 years. I can’t come to a rational answer.

I think about all the cars I have owned and the 1965-1973 era of muscle cars. I think about the Chargers, Challengers, GTOs, Road Runners, Darts, Chevy IIs, Chevelles, Fairlanes, Torinos, Mustangs, Galaxys, Thunderbirds, Impalas, and Bel Airs. I ran, rode in, or drove all of them. Not one could equal my current SS for the balance of street performance, top end, handling, braking, and reliability.

Well good luck with the SUV! But remember this, one day you will be like, "Damn! I should have kept that car" I know alot of people who have wanted to find there joy ride again. Hey! Ibm 31 and I will always have my Z, unless if I destroy it by accident. Or if there will be a 5th gen. But it all depends on the person I guess, and how they feel about it. But its a good feeling to know that you have your joy ride in the garage for them nice days that you just want to go out and take a ride and turn heads.
And again, good luck.:D

I have been playing with cars since I was 15, I'm 30 now.

I don't see Hot Rod's as a "Childhood" sort of thing.And just for the record I have no plans to purchase an SUV anytime soon. :rolleyes:

Is my Camaro SS the most practical car, of course not however there's nothing else I would want to drive.I guess what I am saying is your never to old to have fun. :D

Originally posted by Z28x
When is the V-12 Escalade coming out?

I've heard 2004, but I can't believe it would be that soon. There again, when it comes to Cadillacs, GM doesn't spare development resources. I mean, who doesn't believe that a $60+ Escalade V12 wouldn't be a moneymaker?

Originally posted by BigDarknFast
I cannot believe no one has yet called BS on this newbie. The originating post looks to me like a fantasy written by someone who perhaps WANTS a Navigator, and who is apparently jealous of FBody owners.
By Jason "Why is my registration date of 1969 / 1970?
People who did not have a registration date back on the old UBB Message board were automatically given a default date when their user information was imported into our new Vbulletin.

Take a look at his registration date.
He's been around longer than you and I.:rolleyes:

Originally posted by BigDarknFast
Fear not. You are definitely not alone! :) I look at every Camaro I encounter on the roads. In Detroit there is a higher percentage of American iron on the roads anyway... and a lot of Camaros and Firebirds :D

I hope I never "grow too old" to enjoy these cars! :cool:

Here's a tribute to a fellow Camaro fan...

http://www.mwshowgo67.com/formula99/obsession.htm :thumb:

Take a look at his registration date.
He's been around longer than you and I.

Gee... my apologies... in the remote possibility it matters :rolleyes:

I am now duly impressed by his registration date. (not)

A more telling fact, by his own admission - that he does not post much. Could it be he was never much of a Camaro fan to begin with? 98camaross seems obsessed with what people think of him while driving. How can anyone tell if people are "staring at you like you're a punk"? :confused: Unless... you believe in your own mind that you are one....

I'm sorry, I don't give a damn what people are thinking and whispering when I drive my Trans Am or my IROC-Z. I drive them because I enjoy them - immensely. The power, torque, acceleration... open-top driving... raw, wild, howling, unashamed V8 engine and exhaust noise... and yes, even the occasional moan/whine from the truck differential in back! :D I even enjoy walking up to my FBodies in a parking lot - admiring their sinister, predatory lines and stance. Camaros and Firebirds aren't for everyone... some people just don't get it and never will.

Quote from 98camaross:The car also had 110,000 miles and began having "issues"..I had to replace the air conditioner....which required selling one of my wife's kidneys. The rear end started making noise and I noticed small plumes of smoke emanating from the tail pipe from time to time.

So the AC failed... oh NO! Imagine that... an engine accessory failing after just 110k! And we all know how rare and expensive new and used parts are for GM cars :rolleyes:

Dude - good luck with your Navi... try to think of interesting things to keep you awake while lumbering around in it... I'll be the one blowing you away on the next on-ramp :)

Sunset Orange Met. 2002 Trans Am, DF Lid, FRA, K&N (http://www.mwshowgo67.com/sunsetTransAm/index.htm) | DFGreen 98 GTP, Insulated SLP K&N, !U!Res, 3.5 Pulley, DHP_PCM, transcooler (http://www.mwshowgo67.com/GTPrix/index.htm)
| Brilliant Red Metallic 1990 IROC-Z Camaro, K&N, Camaro SS takeoff muffler (http://www.mwshowgo67.com/red90iroc/index.htm) | NBM 99 Formula, SOLD in Aug. 02. (http://www.mwshowgo67.com/formula99/index.htm)

Originally posted by BigDarknFast
Dude - good luck with your Navi... try to think of interesting things to keep you awake while lumbering around in it... I'll be the one blowing you away on the next on-ramp :)[/url]

Wow, I bet you think you are soooo cool when you do that.

You are a fu*king moron, and I cant believe I just read that mindless dribble you call a post. A guy posts that he sells his SS for PRACTICAL reasons, and you come on here with your STUPID ass conspiracy theory, lmao. You sir, are a fu*king genius. Anything else we should know about?

Jealous of F-Body owners? Stop flattering yourself and pull your head out of your ass. You drive a WS6. You are not special, and its especially not something to be jealous of. Do you think you are a member of an elite crowd or something?

Uh, ok then...that was, uh, enlightening.

Anyways, as far as I am concerned, you are never too old for a hot rod. I just sold an '01 red 6 speed TA to a 71 year old guy last week...his last "hot rod" was a 3.1 5 speed '92 RS. This car was his "retirement present to himself," as he put it. I think its awesome. My dad is almost 49, and bought a Sunset Orange '02 Formula from me last spring. The car is gorgeous, and if he's happy, who cares if some old fogey thinks he looks out of place, or "punk" like. We drive these cars because we love them, not because of what others think...right?

Personally, I thought awhile back maybe my white and orange 30th was over the top, and that I should have bought a normal one. Then I thought to myself, does it make ME happy? Hell yes. Sure, some people look at it and say wtf, while others love it. To each their own...but you better believe when I'm 40, 17 years from now, I'll still hop in, fire it up, and rip off down the street...and I'll still look cool :bow:

Wow, I bet you think you are soooo cool when you do that.

It's not a matter of "feeling cool", more a matter of pure enjoyment of high performance. Clearly you are also in the crowd that doesn't get it... like the lumbering-SUV drivers.

You are a fu*king moron, and I cant believe I just read that mindless dribble you call a post. A guy posts that he sells his SS for PRACTICAL reasons, and you come on here with your STUPID ass conspiracy theory, lmao. You sir, are a fu*king genius. Anything else we should know about?

Your liberal use of epithets and slams only serves to make your utter lack of meaningful rebuttals even more obvious. I called the thread originator on his characterization of an FBody "punk image". I do not agree with the premise. And I pointed out that many car enthusiasts care more about how their car performs and looks to them than how others view them. That is indeed something worth noting, IMHO.

Jealous of F-Body owners? Stop flattering yourself and pull your head out of your ass. You drive a WS6. You are not special, and its especially not something to be jealous of. Do you think you are a member of an elite crowd or something?

UMM... check again, I do not drive a WS6. When I went to buy my TA I could not afford the privilege; else I would be proud to own and drive one. It's special alright. Trans Am owners drive and cherish a bold, unique and capable muscle car packed with modern features and performance value. It doesn't make me some kind of "elite person"... just increases the enjoyment of driving and maintaining my car. Again, something not well understood by some. Now move along with the mooing herd, SUV owners. :D

I think it's kinda funny. In the time I owned my first v8 f-bod (a black shiny 98 Z28) and also my vette - I've had on occasion guys come up to me (i.e at a red light or when I'm parked or washing the car) say things like 'Hey man, nice ride, blah blah blah... I used to have one of those... BUT MY WIFE MADE ME SELL IT AND BUY AN [insert brand of SUV here]". Then they go on to say how much fun "that car" was and how the wish they "still had it" blah blah blah.

People need to get their priorities stright... "Look honey... either the f-body stays or I go with it, capiche" :p Maybe more people should get marriage pre-nups with special car clauses :).

You know what I find funny is that society has everyone tricked into thinking that if you have children you must have an SUV. I dont know about the rest of yall but when I was growing up we had two vehicles: A regular cab F-150 (my dad worked construction and had a boat) and a Thunderbird. Did we complain once? Hell no. And like Ive said a thousand times, nobodys going to look back on these SUV's with fond memories. But everyone will look back on the time they spent in their muscle cars and sigh wishing they could be back there when they never had to leave. Just my .02 cents on the matter.

Originally posted by USHotRod
You know what I find funny is that society has everyone tricked into thinking that if you have children you must have an SUV.

I agree with you, but I also think that living in a place where it snows(like Chicago), you have to have some 4WD car to have for emergencys, and SUV's do the trick.

I agree with USHotRod... a lot of folks have been conditioned into thinking they must become "responsible" once kids arrive and languish in a big fridge-on-wheels minivan or a big heavy SUV. Why? I have two tykes, 6 and 3, and they love riding in the back of my Trans Am with the tops off. I hope to "condition" my kids with muscle-car love!

Now thats the spirit. I tell ya if everyone keeps raising kids in trucks and suvs there wont be a muslce car following because no one will know about them. I wasnt a car person at all until my dad let me drive his 69 Wildcat one time. After that I was hooked.

At the end of the day it's about personal choice... I don't think it would be democratic to force people not to drive SUVs as some of the more extreme groups in this country would propose (not saying that anyone here is that extreme... just trying to prevent this agrument getting too outa hand).

Me - I really hate the bloody things, and would not shed a tear if SUVs disappeared overnight. The best we can hope for is that the current upcomming generation (i.e. teenagers) choose to shun SUVs and that we see a stepping up of the fledgeling renaisance in the affordable performance car market, driven by demand for cars that are pleasing the eye, fun to drive, reliable and just economical enough to be everyday drivers for most people, yet with enough potential for serious upgrades.

Fact is that with the bigger profit margins on SUVs (compared to cars), there's no reason for the big makers to stop making them - unless people choose to stop buying them.

I'm with BigDarkNFast - my kids (when they arrive in this world) are going to grow up loving the sound of a 550 HP, 40 MPG LS-10 revving free under the hood of a shiny 6th gen f-body (hey, gotta have hope).

So why would anybody own an SUV?
Purely personal situation...

My wife and I are the true rural urbanites... we live in the country (way in...), work in the city, and each drive at least 50 miles a day, me typically 100. I must be at work - regardless of weather. We have a farm, and frequently drive through goat paths, around the edges of fields, and across pastures - even in the mud and snow to get horse food or wormer down to the critters in unexpected times of need. We often take my parents or her parents out for dinner, making 4 adults and one 5yo in the same car. When we go to the beach (couple times/year), I drive about 7 miles out onto the dunes of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, to a secluded place near a Sea Turtle nesting area to surf fish while the wife and kid play in CLEAN sand without cig butts and bottle tops in it. We go snow skiing in our mountains and during a squawl, the roads are often closed by the NCHP to 4wd vehicles or chains ONLY.
This is a demanding set of circumstances for one vehicle to satisfy.

Explorer is the answer to everything. It's our 1-does-everything vehicle. It cleans-up pretty nice - you look acceptable getting out of it at church, at a funeral, or at a nice restaurant. If you have a kid, 4 doors are a great help. If you like a rear hatch on the F-car, you'd LOVE the hatch and storage on an SUV. On icy mornings, I drive the wife to work, then go on to my job. We ski all day in a blizzard, then still get to drive home when we're done regardless of the 12-16" of snow on the road. You ONLY see trucks and SUV's out on the dunes at the beach - go figure? We can go out for breakfast on Saturday morning, stop by Southern States and get three 50# bags of protein feed for the horses, then drive down the muddy/slushy path to the (remote) barn and drop them off - all in the same vehicle. Tow the boat. Get $200 worth of groceries while out with another family. Haul bicycles and dogs and kids - all at the same time. Carry the neighbors' kids to the soccer game with ours. You name it, they can do it (within reason :p ).

I currently get 20 mpg in my '86 Bronco II. I average 20mpg in our '95 Eddie Bauer, and 21mpg in the '91 Eddie Bauer Explorers. Bronco II has 361,000 miles on stock motor/drivetrain. '91 has 227,000 miles - all stock. '95 has 160k miles - also all stock. The things are WELL BUILT, and do take abuse well - and I promise, mine do get abused!

Now I LOVE my Mustangs, and wouldn't take the world for them. But those cars are for my driving enjoyment, racing, and showing. I drive one of my Mustangs to work more often than anything else, because of the fun factor - I like the muscle car torque and driveability. It is a great road car. Mileage is better at @ 28 mpg. I also am typically all alone, and only doing the home-work-lunch-work-home routine. But Mustangs are not for everyday life of a country boy with tractors and horses and such. I have a Superduty 250 that I use to pull cars, tractors, the big boat, the hay wagon, etc. It does big work the Explorer can't. Likewise, the Mustangs give me the speed fix that the Explorer can't.

When I got out of high school, I needed one vehicle to go to school (in the snowy mountains of NC), hunt, fish, date, and everything else in... I left my ordered '86 GT on the lot (after test driving it too :( ) to buy my '86 Bronco II instead on my parents recommendation. I didn't totally agree at the time, but now I can admit THEY WERE RIGHT. It was what I needed - a one-does-all vehicle that fit my lifestyle. I have owned an SUV ever since, and don't see a day that I won't own one in the future.

All that being said, I realize that I am one of the few people that actually put an SUV in 4wd during it's life. Most people don't get 1/2 the utility out of an SUV that I do, and I think those socialites that just want to "look utilitarian" could better use a car than an SUV, but it's a free world and it's their money. :rolleyes:
All I'm trying to point out here is that some of you guys need to be aware that there are people like me out here that DO use an SUV at it's limits of capability.

Now, why someone that lives in downtown LA owns one is beyond me... :D

I agree totally w/ Proud Pony. My sister and brother-in-law live in the country, w/ horses, et al. They NEED a vehicle like what they have (full size Bronco, OJ edition). But that doesn't keep them from having a Ninja for fun, or a Beemer for her to putz to town in.

Now the people here in the metroplex, you can forget about Explorers, we're talking Excursion, Expedition, and Suburban country here. And 90% of the time it has 1 person in it. The only off roading I see them do is when they get tired of waiting in line on a backed up highway, and they drive over the curb, across the grass to the access road, then back up the next ramp so they can gain position.

When the occasional ice storm hits here, it doesn't matter what we drive, as we're all clueless on ice anyway, we could all have snowmobiles and it wouldn't matter.

And for those who think their luxury SUV gives them some status, a word of advice. When sitting at a light, when you open your door to spit on the street from your black Lexus SUV, any perceived respect you think you have because of your vehicle, just went out the door so to speak :D.

Ok, proudpony. You, sir, need an SUV and/or trucks. But its not the explorers and broncos that are getting everyone up in arms. Theyve been around for years. Its the "bigger is better" thing that is getting ridiculous. Is there really anyone out there that needs an H2? Or and excursion or expedition for that matter. I doubt it. And its always them that are the first ones to bitch about gas prices when they are just contributing to making them higher. It just pisses me off when I see a mother of one driving around a damn Excursion and then try and justify it by saying she has a kid. And in San Antonio, TX there are a lot of em.

LMAO!:D

I have to agree with Clean and USHotRod about the way Texas people are with SUV's. I can vouch for what Clean said about the Metroplex, everyone here just wants the biggest most obnoxious land monster to show off. Hell even my family is guilty of it. Well, except for me I hate SUV's. My parents are the worst when it comes to huge vehicles for almost no reason though. My mom wrecked her 95 Lesabre about 2 years ago and just had to have an Expedition. She gets hardly gets any more practical use out of it. I guess its nice to use on the weekend when my parents go out to dinner with their friends. But most of the time she is getting 13 MPG and just taking my sister to school. And my dad is the king when it comes to wasting gas. He drive the biggest Ford Truck Monster out there. F250 V10 with a small lift. Thing gets like 12 MPG on the highway. My dad drives all the way to Dallas a few times a week too. That’s like over 100 miles round trip. And I get yelled at when the gas card bill comes in. MY car gets like 28 MPG on average highway speeds. Hell I figured out just recently I some how pulled 31 MPG highway on a trip back to school. Oh and why did my Dad decided to get his truck? Well he says its to haul stuff to our country lake house. But I know its just his own "cool" factor.

Like it was mentioned earlier by USHotRod, kids these days aren’t getting exposed to muscle cars like they used to. I consider my self lucky that I'm even into muscle cars. I thank my best friend because to this day my family just isn’t that into motor sports. (I mean my dad will come to the track with us but he doesn’t get into it all that much. He a fisherman.) I was raised in Blazers for crying out loud. 5 of them. But anyway if it wasn’t for the year I spent watching and helping my friend restore a 1970 Boss 302 when I was 15 I'd probably be driving an F150 right now. This summer we are going to be working on a 96 GT already making 400 rwhp on nitrous. Man I love this stuff! Too bad all my friend does is Ford.:rolleyes:

But we can totally give up on the youth. I met a kid on here just last week. He is 15 and totally obsessed with the Camaro. I might even sell mine to him later this summer.

Oh and about Texas and ice storms. Its pretty funny to sere how unprepared we are here. Lets just say the body shops start smiling real big when the ice starts falling.:p

I think the funniest thing Ive seen yet out of the people in San Antonio was when I was driving to work at 4:00 am on a night it had froze over the roads and there was a pickup truck driving down the road with two guys in the back tossing salt on the roads with a police escort in front of em. I cant believe people are this bad about dealing with ice.

Originally posted by USHotRod
Ok, proudpony. You, sir, need an SUV and/or trucks. But its not the explorers and broncos that are getting everyone up in arms. Theyve been around for years. Its the "bigger is better" thing that is getting ridiculous. Is there really anyone out there that needs an H2? Or and excursion or expedition for that matter. I doubt it. And its always them that are the first ones to bitch about gas prices when they are just contributing to making them higher. It just pisses me off when I see a mother of one driving around a damn Excursion and then try and justify it by saying she has a kid. And in San Antonio, TX there are a lot of em.

I am totally with you and CLEAN. I have my needs justified just fine with the smaller units, so I can't make a claim for the mammoths on the road.

The Expedition/Tahoe sized models are kinda iffy - to pull a decent Ski boat with IB/OB drive or a mid-sized car on a trailer, these vehicles are much safer and better equiped than an Explorer or Trailblazer. But for plain transporatation of people, it's hard to justify the added size/cost to operate. I honestly think real 3/4ton trucks are better suited for that kind of load-pulling type work - much more so than SUV's are with their higher Cg's and softer riding suspensions.

And as for the Hummers and H2's, I can't see ANYBODY with a NEED for those vehicles. They are purely shock factor vehicles that give the owner some false sense of being "special" or different than everyone else. (BTW the new Mercedes BOX Suv is more fugly than the Hummer by far IMO, yet costs about as much.)

I can make ONE case for owning a diesel-powered Excursion... If you have a BIG boat (like a Fountain 32' offshore or a cabin cruiser), an Airstream camper, or pull an enclosed car trailer with some equipment to races or shows often, you could benefit from the size and power of the Excursion. It's basically an F-250 Superduty diesel truck with rear doors and cargo area instead of a bed. It gets 18-20 with the diesel and 3.55:1 rear-end, and it will pull like nobody's business. But for grocery-getting and soccer mom duty - TOO MUCH. Wrong thing for the job. And unfortunately, that's what 95% of them are bought to do.:irk:

Actually this is pretty funny. My wife had a 4-door Blazer, however she wanted a Tahoe because when the two of us would ride in the Blazer our elbows would touch. "We need more room", she said. :D

I own two Camaros. I also recently bought my 16 year-old a supercharged Mustang GT. I guess I'm irresponsible. So sue me. :D

My uncle's father-in-law and I were shooting the breeze at Easter. He's a hotrodder going way back. We were talking about my 67 RS and what I was planning for it. You could tell he's still into hotrods to this day.

Too old for a musclecar? If you think that way then you shouldn't own one to begin with. :p