I went through the "perfumed pig" thread, and it was obvious that there are different views on what is important to each individual in a car. No doubt it had to start somewhere and with 1.. or 2 or 3 cars.

Setting aside the practcal side (need room to move the kids, haul plywood, etc...) what cars have you owned (not someone else's ride) that influence your taste in cars to this very day.

What car(s) have you owned that influenced you, what do you own now, and what new car comes closest to what you'd actually buy.


For instance:

I'm heavily into handling and performance sleepers. I enjoy having a car that's good looking but seemingly mundane or the wrong size that chews up more flamboyant street racers, both on the freeway & on the twisties. I also like to tweak my cars. Not alot, just enough to give it an edge over someone else or to improve durability.

My yellow '77 Chevy Monza Spyder felt like a go cart. It was small, intimate, comfortable, and (for it's day) pretty quick... especially after I swapped out the 2 barrel 305 for the no heavier 4 barrel 350.

My year old dark stealth gray '85 police Mustang is where I cut my teeth into being able to personalize a car and got into sleepers. Over the 10 years I had it I put a number of racing components on it with the logic that if it could handle racing, it would be even better for day to day use. I also got into neatly arranged & cool looking underhood hardware. Yet outside, it looked like any other tinted window Mustang notchback with black police rims, center caps, and trim rings.

In addition to my ultimate sleeper, a white B4C automatic Camaro (regularly dust off people who mistake my LS1 powered Camaro as a regular V6 version... no badges & blackout exhaust ), I have a manual SC. Always mistaken as a LX, amazing mid range acceleration, and with 255s instead of factory 225s, is one of the best handling cars I've driven.

I think my ideal car is the GTO. It's low keyed but exceptionally good looking. It's extremely quick, and handles extremely well. Best thing is, unlike the Mustang (and even Camaro) you don't see yourself coming and going alot. The car comes off the boat more durable and tougher than any other car you can buy here (skidplates?! ).

 

The Camaro was my first car when I was 16, truthfully I just wanted a V8 that looked cool and with t-tops the Camaro fit the bill. I later came to appreciate it for the way it allowed me to learn to work on cars as 3rd gen engine bay's are great to work in (aside from the last header bolt on the pass side...)

I bought a 2000 TrailBlazer while I was in college because I needed reliable transportation and I wanted a 4x4 for the winter. It did its fare share of hauling 9 drunken (not including the sober driver) people to UD basketball games and four golfers around during the summer. I loved that SUV, but unfortunately the Camaro went under the knife while I owned it and never came out, and I wanted something fun as a daily so I bought the ...

GTO. That was my first new car (3 miles!). My choices came down to the GTO or a Lightning and the GTO won out because the 6-speed. That and my girlfriend really likes the GTO a lot more. I wasn't sold on the GTO until the 05-06 came out with the hood scoops and new rear bumper. Its fast, I can autox it on the weekends, my girlfriend loves it, and it stands out without yelling for attention (except it is yellow). Plus everyone aside from people who dont like the name GTO appreciates it. Even import guys seem to like the GTO a lot better than my Camaro, Pontiac did a good job putting it in D1.

My next car will probably be a CTSv or a 5th gen Camaro, depending on the family and money situation, but that won't happen for about four years I think.

 

My first decent car was a 96 Camaro Z28, which I cut my teeth on, now I have a 98 Camaro SS Convertible that's a real good project, great car, I love the handling and speed with some mods....and think it looks amazing!

What I really want back is a Chev Colorado/GMC Canyon....I had an 04 EXT CAB and LOVED that truck...offroad, 4x4, I realize now that i don't have it how useful it was, and the best part was the gas mileage it got with all that usefullness, and very fun to drive!

What got me into muscle cars was oddly my buddies modified '87 Mustang GT hatch......then my other friends '87 Camaro IROC-Z......suffice to say I preffered the Camaro ...now I'm in a carclub that's 99% Mustangs haha

 

Couple of cars. The CTS for its fantastic handling dynamics and ride, the Formula for it's old school charm, and maybe the Corvette for just coolness.

The CTS was a real suprise for me in how it handled and rode, it was just so tight, but very compliant and quiet. It was basically my first "Modern" chassis that I had owned, and it was quite nice. The Formula was a 6 spd, and I had done a few suspension mods, so I'll take that over my A4 Z28. It is missed for its fun to drive factor, and its toughness. The Corvette is kind of funny, it should have been on top of both the cars above, but it is not. It was an A4 which is a major downer in the fun department, and basic maintenance was more expensive across the board over the Camaro (brake pads, ect).

The car that most suits me RIGHT NOW....honestly....Z06. It has a modern platform (the C5 wasn't as nice as the CTS, the C6 is right up there w/ it though), killer looks, and more performance than I would ever need. Plus it has the aura of badazzness, which is fun to have. The new Camaro, the top dog model, I'm sure would be right up there too, but since it's not out yet, I don't know if I can count it or not.

I have a Blazer for Home Depot runs, so practicality is covered.

 

If I were to buy a new car is would be a CTS

 

69 Camaro - peice of junk, but had fun with it.

72 Camaro - was a fun ride, loved the looks, got tired of fiddling with the solid roller cam 350 (when it ran right, man did it run!)

Hmmmmmm..... 78????? err can't remeber what year Olds Starfire - wasn't a V8 model but I got it after somebody stuck a 350 in it and a 3-something rear gear. I called it the rocketsled, that car was a blast until the brakes overheated and it got scary real quick.

91 Mustang LX 5.0 hatchback - I still got this one sitting in my backyard, gawd I luv these cars. Crap rear suspension, but very lightweight and compact. Like the F-bod, limitless aftermarket. This car started out as DOA 5 liter, now its M5 with a 347 waiting to go in and is probably down to about 2600 to 2700 pounds with ummm???? stock, dash, unitbody and interior panels.

02 Mustang GT - bought this rascal brand new and in 70,000 miles I've tried as hard as I can to run it into the ground while providing regular maintnence and minor upgrades. Granted, its not the fastest performance car out there, but its very satisfying and comfortable to drive while going through the twisty's fast enough for me.

Okay, wasn't mine was my roommates, but I wrenched on it like it was my own. 86 IROC-Z, man I hate 3rd gens. Only served to convince me that Ford had a better idea back in the 80's and early 90's.

What does the future hold? Another mustang. I like the cars, the GT strikes a good compromise between all out performance and daily driving despite what the IRS crowd has to say. I've driven my 02 from Newhampshire to South Carolina, from Virginia to Kansas, never suffering because of the car's percieved shortcomings (having did a 21 hour driving stint during one trip). Course that doesn't mean I want the bottom feeder GT for my next car. I really wanna be one for those Shelby suckers. I got 4k left to pay on this one then I'm gonna sock the car payment away till 08 or 09 for a fat down payment and see what I can get!.

 

My first car was a 1990 Mercury Sable with the 3.8 v6. The thing was a sh*tpile. My second car was a 2001 Mustang GT. Got into an accident with that, and it was pretty banged up. Got it repaired, but was looking to replace it with something faster. I was checking out a red 99 Cobra, almost got it, but things didn't work out. Went for a navy blue 2000 SS, likewise with the Cobra, things didn't work out. Saw an 01 red Trans Am on a car lot over the weekend, went to go check it out on monday and it was sold. They had an 01 (I think) pewter z28 on the lot, so I went to check it out, but the guy came back and said the car was already sold. There was a black convertable on the lot though, and that is how I ended up with what I have.

So in summary
1st car 90 Sable LS
2nd car 01 Mustang GT
3rd car 00 Camaro z28

 

The one car that I've owned that will always influence any car buying decision I make for the rest of my life: an 85 Honda Accord. That car was such a pile of $#!+ and put me through so much misery that I swear to God I will never own another F*****G Honda product as long as I live. I currently own a Camaro, a Dodge Dakota and a Lincoln MKVII (which I would happily unload and replace with a nice used Lexus) and would consider almost any car but NEVER ANOTHER HONDA!

 

I've owned 16 cars and most have been based, at least a little, around performance. The exeptions being my 1990 Dakota (wanted a truck), my 1993 Sunbird convertible (wanted a convertible, only 4 cyl I've ever owned), and my 1953 Ford Crestline Victoria (how many high school kids did YOU see driving one of these to school in the 90s? )

Oh... and ALL of them have been from the big 3.

And when I wanted a sensible car for Ohio winters I bought a supercharged Buick Regal. I never once even gave thought to the N/A version.

So obviously I consider performance very strongly when I purchase a car. I put little/no consideration into foreign cars (my bias is way too overpowering when I look, can't help it).

Beyond that I'm pretty up in the air. I love a car that turns heads (three F-Bodies, a Duster, a Roadrunner, and '53 Ford)... but I just as equally love a good sleeper (very rarely does anyone see my Regal GS coming!).

I am a Pontiac man, I've owned six. I am a huge fan of any year Firebird... there's no new one though. The GTO fits my desires in a car... exceptional performance, turns heads if you know what it is, and is a great sleeper if you don't. Solstice would be up there, but I have a kid on the way, so I gotta be at least a little reasonable.

Next on my list? Impy or Monte SS, Grand Prix GXP, Hemi Charger, Hemi RAM 1500

I'd consider a Mustang GT... but I've always been so against them, I dunno that I could ever do it.

 

Hmmm, let's see, my first car was a new 85 Impala. I would have to say that my experiences with that car really cemented in stone my bias for GM cars. Since then I 've owned a V6 5speed Beretta a quick little car, but expensive when thing went wrong and had to be fixed, a Monte Carlo SS - which although really nice and had the HO 305 and 3.73 rearend - it never seemed as willing to move with the same vigour as the Impala. I now have two Grand Ams - a 95 V6 SE and an 03 GT. Both are rock solid dependable cars.

Although I have owned both RWD and FWD cars I still prefer the V8 RWD even though - gasp - I live where there are 4 seasons and the snow flies for what seems like half the year.

Over the years I have driven quite a few F-bodies, but the timing was never right when I was droolingly hot for one vs ready to buy vs the availability of a suitable car. The closest I came (when the moon, planets and everything else possible actually lined up) involved an 87 IROC - I had it all but lined up and shortly before I got there to do the deal, someone else scooped it.

For overall inpact the screaming chicken years of 77-79 TAs are the most memorable for me. I was just a kid when they roamed the streets - I thought they were so cool then, still do. I would love to acquire a W72 SE from any ofthose years and call it a day. Of all the cars I have come across, they were the ones that made the biggest impact and really got me interested in cars on the whole. I have been a fan of and loved the F twins ever since.

Realistically, the car right now, I would most like to own is a new GTO/Monaro - don't even have to think about it. If that car was allowed to be sold in Canada, I'd have one - M6 with SAP. Since that's not the case, I also dig the CTS although the Impy/MC SS and GP GXP with the LS4 all look like good possibilities if I were buying right now.

My problem is that I have a rotating palette of cars that "do it" for me and rise and fall from interest regularly. I'll fixate on one for a while, move to another and so on. It's always the same cars - Camaro, Trans Am, Monte SS, Impala, GN and CTS and so on with a mix of years per model that rotate as well. It's amazing I can get anything done. I need help.........

 

In short,
I like powerful sedans (Grand Prix, Impy, 300C) - daily driver
Big Trucks (F250, Chevys) - for work and play!
and of course
I love Pony Cars! - for fun!

 

For Cars
I want a GTO that weights 3400lbs. has the gas tank somewhere other than the trunk, cost $28,000 and gets 20 city 30mpg hwy with a 6 speed automatic and has at least 350HP.

Or a Mustang GT w/ a 350HP DoD 5.3L GM V8


For Turcks

The 2007 Avalnche is the perfect truck. It has looks, power, great fuel economy (for a truck).

 

My first car was a 1984 Chrysler E-Class. I was barely 17, and it was A CAR! Whoooo!

After a year, my stepmom was getting rid of her 1993 Oldsmobile Achieva SC(aka UnderAchieva). I bought it from her with 63k on the clock and drove the **** out of it until it died five years later (actually I killed and revived it multiple times). This was a reasonably good-looking car, but nothing special. It had the 3300 V6 with 160 hp and 185 lb-ft. Both of those numbers are roughly double what I had in the Chrysler. Believe it or not, it was at this point that I became a horsepower junky.

The Achieva had speed-sensitive variable-assist steering, so I learned to enjoy a car that gave good feedback. It also had a wraparound, "cockpit-style" dash layout, which I prefer to this day. I have never liked dashboards that are flat all the way across the width of the car. The cockpit-style layout puts everything close at hand.

So the Achieva finally died, and I was in college and short on funds, so I bought a 1993 Civic EX coupe with 160,000 miles on it. I needed cheap and reliable, and that was what I found. Driving this car, I discovered the advantages and disadvatages of light weight. At 2400 lbs, it was eminently tossable, but squirrelly at 70mph on a windy day.

Eventually I was able to afford something I really wanted. A friend of mine was selling his '95 Camaro (3.4L M5, modded enough for a 14.7 timeslip). He let me borrow it for the weekend to see if I wanted to buy it. He had Kumho tires and a lowered and stiffened suspension, and I didn't like the way the car rode at all. I kept shopping, and eventually settled on my current Z28.

The Z28 is my first (and so far my only) stickshift. I had previously fallen in love with manual transmissions while driving friends' cars, and refused to buy another automatic. I'm pretty sure that I will have at least one stickshift in my garage for the rest of my life.

When I got married, my wife brought a 2000 Bonneville SE to the relationship. In this car, I learned to like the little features and amenities that you never really think about. Dual zone digital climate control and a trunk that opens all the way by itself are two features that come to mind.

We bought a 1987 Grand National last fall, but I'm not sure what, if any effect this has had on my overall attitude towards cars (other than making me enjoy them even more).

I have experienced a lot of different things in the ten years that I've been driving. I still don't think I know exactly what I want in a car. There are a few things I'd still like to experience.

If I had money and were in the market, I'm pretty sure I'd go out tomorrow and buy a Porsche Cayman.

I'd like to someday own a 3-series BMW, so that I can see what all the fuss is about.

I'd like to someday own a convertible. I love my T-top Camaro, and I got to drive a Crossfire convertible a few weeks ago, and while I wouldn't buy that particular one, I enjoyed the convertible experience. I'm thinking Saturn Sky.

There are a bunch of other cars I'd like to own someday. A C6 Corvette, a 5th-gen Camaro, and an LS2 GTO, to name a few. I wouldn't mind a Charger RT, or maybe a Magnum. An SRT-4 would be fun. I'd like a WRX or a Legacy GT for a winter beater (I drove an '05 LGT last month; weird clutch, but I liked it better overall than the WRX).

I like fast cars. That much is obvious. But there are so many different ways to be fast. I'd like to experience them all and find out which is my favorite. Knowing me, I won't be able to decide and I'll just want one of each.

I like cars that put the focus on the driving experience. Control, feedback, comfort, amenities, reliability, and practicality are all important to me to varying degrees, but because I am lucky enough to be able to afford more than one car, I don't have to have a single one that provides the best of each category.

 

What's important to me in a car depends on whether it's my only car, or if I have two cars and thus can have one car for daily driving and road trips, and other other for having fun.

If I can only afford one nice car or two less nice cars, I'll typically take the one nice car, and try to pick something with some luxury to it but also some sports to it. Enter my Lexus GS400 and my Audi A4. Both blends of sport and luxury even though my GS was WAY more luxury and considerably more powerful - the A4 is fun in its own right, mainly because it has a very nice steering and chassis feel. It's not really luxury to me, but it's close enough to not make me miserable when driving every day.

If I can/want to afford two nice cars that's when you'll see me go to extremes. For a DD I'd be going with something ultra luxury like a Lexus LS460 or something along those lines. Extremely smooth and quiet ride, unbelievable build quality, a healthy dose of power, and tons of cool toys to keep ya entertained.

Then for a weekend/sunny day type vehicle I'd be getting a C6 convertible or something along those lines.

Neither one is particularly practical, but they're both among the best bang for the buck vehicles in their respective markets.

I know some people given the budget for two nice ~50-60k dollar cars would just go buy one high end luxury+sport car like some form of AMG Mercedes - but to me that would only serve to fall far short of the Vette in terms of sports, and in luxury in terms of the LS.

 

Decent torque (so I don't have to run it to redline just to get some decent acceleration) and subtle good looks. My current ride (04 A4 GTO cosmetically converted back to VZ Monaro) is probably the closest I've come yet to my ultimate vehicle. It needs (for me, at least) another inch or so of headroom and a six-speed auto to improve highway mileage and reduce revs a bit.
I have owned nine f-bodies since 1977 (8-year-old 69 Camaro was my first car). Last f-body was a 2001 Formula; GTO feels like an adults version of that car. I wouldn't mind having a 4-door sedan with the same performance attibutes as the GTO; I'm old enough to realize the convenience and functionality of a sedan over a coupe (and I don't have kids!). I had a 2004 BMW 330ci for about a year (got tired of making a $665 a month payment!) but it was such a nice car to drive; very fluid and smooth. Not alot of torque, though. My wife's Olds Intrigue is another good example of the kind of car I gravitate to. Subtle attractive styling and a 3.5 L cammer under the hood. We came very close to buying a Regal GS (nice torque!) but decided we preferred the Intrigue overall. Then they came out with the 3.5; that sealed the deal. It now has 127,000 and gets 25-27 mpg in her daily commute.