Spin-off first car: What is your dream car?

[Spy Car]

@Corraleno Just watched this old Jeremy Clarkson video on the ZAZ-968 and thought of you:

 

Bill

[Spy Car]

Another ZAZ-968 video (a must watch).

Had I grown up in the USSR, this would have been my dream car. Complete with self-dancing curtains.

Bill

Edited March 10, 2023 by Spy Car

[Corraleno]

2 hours ago, Spy Car said:

Another ZAZ-968 video (a must watch).

Had I grown up in the USSR, this would have been my dream car. Complete with self-dancing curtains.

Bill

"By modern standards it has no brakes... it will stop, but not where you plan" lol

[Eos]

7 hours ago, Spy Car said:

After I graduated from college, and started making some money, I started looking for my first "real" car.

"Real" being a loose concept, as I did look at potentially purchasing a new Yugo. LOL. When the brake lever seemed to bend a bit when I mashed it on my test drive, I decided no on that option.

Then I found a place in Hollywood selling the Citroen Deux Chevaux (2CV). They were quasi-legal, as the shop was importing these in parts and assembling them here in LA. This got around a bunch of laws (evidently). I fell hard for a black and burgundy model that looked like this:

The roofs on these rolled back making them "convertibles." Can't remember precisely what they cost, but it was within my budget.

I very nearly went for it, but then the practical side of me wondered who was going to fix it when it broke? Boy was I torn. But I passed.

Then my Dad found a beautiful MGB GT in British Racing Green. Mint. Absolute beauty. Wood dash and wood steering wheel. Like this:

 

It was a little bit outside my budget, but my Dad offered to pay made up the gap (and was wildly excited about it). But--again being "practical," at 6' 2" (and long in the seat) the MG was really too short. Passing this one hurt.

Finally I found a cherry 1959 VW. Like this:

Drove this Bug for a long time. Loved it.

And I share your appreciation of those old Saabs and Volvos. My kind of cars.

Bill

Siblings under the hood.  I also had an MG though not the GT, and it was never actually on the road.  Dh has a Volvo P1800 that lives quietly in our garage, last registered in 1995, super fun to drive. https://classicsworld.co.uk/cars/volvo-p1800s-road-test/  Ours is mustard yellow.  The kids call it The Bee Car and each drop not-so-veiled hints about to whom it should be left in the fullness of time.

[Eos]

6 hours ago, Spy Car said:

 

@Eos @Indigo Blue When my Mom got rid of her classic 1932 Chevrolet Coupe (with a rumble seat) in the mid 1960s, she got a Renault Dauphine similar to the one below (ours had standard American left-hand drive):

After a few years with the Dauphine, she transitioned to a 1967 VW Bug.

Then, as I was about to enter high school, she was in the market for another car. She was thinking maybe a Pinto (this was when they were new and had not started exploding), but I threw a fit and was successfully able to convince her to get a Peugeot 304 instead.

Looked like this: 

Ours was the silver-blue as above (rather than this green below) but this is a better picture:

In all the years we had this wonderful Peugeot 304, I'm not sure I saw another one on the roads here in LA. The larger 504s were around (not many, but "some"), but we many have been the only family to actually buy a 304. LOL

You can see the trend 

Bill

 

OK, maybe this is the gateway drug for us both - my mom had a Peugeot.  Love the Dauphine!

[Eos]

11 hours ago, Spy Car said:

Green with envy.

The Jaguar XKEs were "popular" here in Los Angeles during the 1960s. For some reason, I used to particularly see them being driven in Laurel Canyon (Hollywood Hills) which at the time was a populated by musicians like Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, Neil Young, Steven Stills, Jim Morrison, Frank Zappa, the Momas and the Popas, and such.

These "hippies" drove some nice vehicles.

Bill

 

 

 

 

Harold and Maude.

[Eos]

6 hours ago, Corraleno said:

In the early 90s, when I was buying/wrecking/rebuying used Volvo sedans, my dream car was the little Volvo P1800 sports car. My best friend had a dark green one and I was so jealous, I made her promise me that if she ever decided to sell it she'd give me first dibs. Then I drove it and that was the end of that, lol. It was like driving a quirky, unwieldy, tempermental bus, but without the advantages of height and visibility.  But they sure are cute.

Ooh, nice, I hadn't read this when I posted.  I loved driving ours on our local windy narrow roads and thought it handled pretty well though I never drove it over about 40.

We also had the revolving door for old Volvos and Saabs.  One of them was a robins-egg-blue 245 that had the key stuck in it.  One night I left it in town and when I returned it was gone.  I called the cops who found it just around the corner - whoever had tried to steal it apparently couldn't figure out the necessary double-clutch shifting and must have been worried about all the screaming 🙂 And the 2000 X70 I currently drive has the key stuck in it too.

[Eos]

2 hours ago, Corraleno said:

"By modern standards it has no brakes... it will stop, but not where you plan" lol

OK, good to know there are other gear-heads on this otherwise minivan-driving forum!  Two more:

When I was pregnant with oldest, I had need of a car and an older community member took pity on me and gave me a 1973 Lincoln Continental.  This was basically the largest car ever made, since it had been designed before the gas embargo.  Being pregnant, I asked the man how were the brakes?  He responded, "in this car, you don't use the brakes, you use the horn." 

My other not-favorite-but-fond-of car was a 1966 Dodge Dart GT, red and black.  It was bomb. https://www.mecum.com/lots/CA0818-330907/1966-dodge-dart-gt/

Edited March 10, 2023 by Eos

[Guest]

I’m sure it sounds silly but I fantasize about driving a Mini Cooper Clubman. Red. I think it has something to do with knowing the car would be well and truly “mine”; the kids and husband would not borrow it for any reason unless it was the last working vehicle at home. 
 

I will say, however, that since my collision with a deer last fall, I am not as sanguine about driving a small, light car as I was before the accident. I’m sure I could have come out much worse for wear in a less sturdy car. (I was in a Ford sedan.) 

[DawnM]

9 hours ago, rebcoola said:

Their has been talk here of buying a classic Kharmen Ghia and puting a viper engine in it that would be pretty sweet.  

The Electirc vw bus for kid hauling but mine wont need it by the time its availble.

I would love this vehicle too and every year they say it is coming out "next year" but next year never comes.

We had a VW Kombi for a while when I was a kid.

[Faith-manor]

1964 Aston Martin. 'How are you today, Mrs. Bond?" 😂 I will never own one, but for Christmas my sons purchased the Lego Aston Martin kit which I assembled  and now sits on a decorative shelf in the living room. 😁

[Scarlett]

20 hours ago, Indigo Blue said:

 

I might would test drive a Toyota FJ Cruiser. 
 

 

 

18 hours ago, Selkie said:

That’s my dream car, which I am lucky enough to have.🙂 Got it a few years ago after wanting one for years.

I love them too.  My understanding is they don’t make them any more.  Is that correct?

The only thing that kept me from seriously considering one was how you have to open front door to get to the back door.  And now I am wondering if that is even a thing.  

[Scarlett]

I really don’t have a dream car.  My practically side doesn’t even allow me to dream.  My best friend drives a Jaguar SUV if some kind and I really really lobe her dark brown leather seats.  It is high quality leather.  Other than that honestly it feels and looks like any other SUV.  I haven’t driven it though.  
 

I am going to be in the market for a new vehicle soon.  I can’t decide what I even want.  Fuel efficient and heated seats is all I can come up with.  Oh and heated steering wheel! My parents have that and I LOVE it. 

Edited March 10, 2023 by Scarlett

[BeachGal]

A red Mustang. They are so much fun to drive.

Or, a very souped-up camper van.

We currently have a Subaru Outback. I am not a fan of the electronics, easily cracking windshield, or interior compartments. We’re going to get something else when (if?) car prices come down again,

[Junie]

So I think my dream car would be something small.  I like going on road trips by myself.  If I had a little Miata or something similar, there's no way that I'd be able to take everyone with me.  :)  I love my kids, and I love travelling, but I don't love travelling with my kids.

I can't drive a stick shift.  Yet. :)

Not sure if I'd like a convertible.

I would definitely want all of the bells and whistles, especially heated seats.

 

[Spy Car]

3 hours ago, Eos said:

Ooh, nice, I hadn't read this when I posted.  I loved driving ours on our local windy narrow roads and thought it handled pretty well though I never drove it over about 40.

We also had the revolving door for old Volvos and Saabs.  One of them was a robins-egg-blue 245 that had the key stuck in it.  One night I left it in town and when I returned it was gone.  I called the cops who found it just around the corner - whoever had tried to steal it apparently couldn't figure out the necessary double-clutch shifting and must have been worried about all the screaming 🙂 And the 2000 X70 I currently drive has the key stuck in it too.

My 59 Bug had a peculiarly. It had no gas gauge. Instead, it offered a "reserve tank" that was activated by flipping a small petcock valve lever that was mounted on the centerline of the floorboards. Normally the valve was kept at the 12 o'clock position. If the car started to sputter, you'd quickly reach over with your right foot and push it over to 3 o'clock.

I discovered that if the petcock was put halfway between these positions that if cut off the gas entirely.

To help prevent theft, I used one of those steering wheel-locking "clubs" and would set the petcock to 45 degrees. One evening I popped in at home after work with the intention to go right back out. So I didn't use my "club" and almost didn't set my petcock, but as I got out of the car I decided I should do it (just to be on the safe side).

Naturally, my plans changed and I decided to stay home.

Later, my roommate came home and said, William, why is your car parked in the middle of the street?

I ran out, and there it was. The thieves had gotten about two houses away when the Bug died. I re-ran that moment of deciding to get back in the car and switching the petcock over countless times. I'd have kicked myself otherwise.

As to double-clutching. When I was a young boy my Dad had a 1929 Model A Ford (with Briggs body). A beautiful car. But no synchromesh. One needed to double clutch. Being the early 1960s (when no one particularly seemed to care about "safety" concerns), my Dad would prop me in his lap and he would have me work the gearshift lever, while he worked the clutch (my legs were far too short to reach the pedals) and we'd drive around like that. He'd clutch, I'd shift to neutral, he'd de-clutch and clutch again, and I'd make the shift into gear. I loved that.

Needless to say, every car I've ever purchased for myself has been a manual. As my son was growing up, I did the same with him, having him "shift" my MINI Cooper S. No "double clutching" on that one, but it brought back memories.

Bill

[Spy Car]

3 hours ago, Quill said:

I’m sure it sounds silly but I fantasize about driving a Mini Cooper Clubman. Red. I think it has something to do with knowing the car would be well and truly “mine”; the kids and husband would not borrow it for any reason unless it was the last working vehicle at home. 
 

I will say, however, that since my collision with a deer last fall, I am not as sanguine about driving a small, light car as I was before the accident. I’m sure I could have come out much worse for wear in a less sturdy car. (I was in a Ford sedan.) 

MINI Coopers are actually not "light," unless one is comparing them with an F-150 (or something). They are really solid.

And there is something to be said for "active safety."

I remember one night back in the early 2000s my wife and I went to see Marianne Faithfull give a concert at UCLA's Royce Hall. I had debated about whether we should take her Land Rover Discovery or my new MINI Cooper S. I decided to take the MINI.

Leaving UCLA, Sunset Blvd takes a long steep turn. Just at the bottom of that section, where every vehicle picks up a lot of speed, another large vehicle decided to (crazily) cut across the fast-moving traffic from another UCLA exit. He crossed right in front of me.

Had I been driving the Land Rover, there would have been nothing to be done. We'd have been in a very bad high-speed collision. 100%. No way to avoid it.

But because I was in the MINI, I was confident that I could "flick" the car at high speed and be okay. Missed being in a bad accident by inches. One of those moments that I can still replay in my mind, frame by frame, as if it was a film.

Something to be said for "active safety."

Bill

 

[Spy Car]

4 hours ago, Eos said:

Harold and Maude.

I remember seeing Harold and Maude with my Mom when it came out. The theater was virtually empty. But the two of us laughed so hard through the whole movie that it felt like there was an audience.

I don't think I've ever laughed as hard at the movies.

Bill

 

[Indigo Blue]

30 minutes ago, Spy Car said:

MINI Coopers are actually not "light," unless one is comparing them with an F-150 (or something). They are really solid.

I love Mini Coopers. I had never been inside one until a friend bought a new one once. I was very surprised how solid they are! They look good in every color just like VW Beetles do. 
 

The red Alfa Romeo that my son rented was surprisingly solid, too. I didn’t know what it was when I saw it in the driveway. From a distance, it was very nondescript. I thought there must have been slim pickings at the lot and he ended up with a red Chevy Cavalier. (Nothing wrong with that, though. It’s just what it looked like!) When we rode in it later, it was such a nice ride with a very solid feel. I think it’s funny that what I thought was a Cavalier was really a fancy Italian car.
 

What color was your Mini Cooper? I think they are so pretty in robin egg blue. 

Edited March 10, 2023 by Indigo Blue

[Indigo Blue]

2 hours ago, Scarlett said:

 

I love them too.  My understanding is they don’t make them any more.  Is that correct?

The only thing that kept me from seriously considering one was how you have to open front door to get to the back door.  And now I am wondering if that is even a thing.  

Do they not make them anymore? I didn’t know that. 

[Spy Car]

20 minutes ago, Indigo Blue said:

I love Mini Coopers. I had never been inside one until a friend bought a new one once. I was very surprised how solid they are! They look good in every color just like VW Beetles do. 
 

The red Alfa Romeo that my son rented was surprisingly solid, too. I didn’t know what it was when I saw it in the driveway. From a distance, it was very nondescript. I thought there must have been slim pickings at the lot and he ended up with a red Chevy Cavalier. (Nothing wrong with that, though. It’s just what it looked like!) When we rode in it later, it was such a nice ride with a very solid feel. I think it’s funny that what I thought was a Cavalier was really a fancy Italian car.
 

What color was your Mini Cooper? I think they are so pretty in robin egg blue. 

My MINI Cooper S is (light) silver with a black top.

I still have it. It is stored at the moment. When my son's brain develops to the point where I think he can deal with driving a supercharged go-cart w/o getting himself into serious trouble, I intend to pull it out of storage.

If I live that long 

Bill

ETA: This is an "internet photo," but this is what my MINI looks like:

 

Suffice it to say, it qualifies as my "dream car."

Bill

Edited March 10, 2023 by Spy Car

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Spy Car said:

Something to be said for "active safety."

For sure. It’s actually on my 23 in 2023 list to take an Advanced Driving course. I really think everyone should do this anyway. But I would like to feel better instructed in what to do when stuff goes wrong. 
 

In the instance of the deer collision - well, I think that’s mostly just the numbers catching up with me.  There’s a running joke here of, “One can’t live in X County forever without eventually hitting a deer!” So, 35 years of driving with no deer strikes finally rolled against my favor. 

[Spy Car]

11 minutes ago, Quill said:

For sure. It’s actually on my 23 in 2023 list to take an Advanced Driving course. I really think everyone should do this anyway. But I would like to feel better instructed in what to do when stuff goes wrong. 
 

In the instance of the deer collision - well, I think that’s mostly just the numbers catching up with me.  There’s a running joke here of, “One can’t live in X County forever without eventually hitting a deer!” So, 35 years of driving with no deer strikes finally rolled against my favor. 

My brother married a very lovely young woman who he met while they were in law school together. Her cousin, who was the "golden child" of his family, had been killed not long before when the car he was driving struck a Moose. His family never got over it.

I know these sorts of accidents are no joke. Hitting a deer must have been very scary.

Bill

ETA: Today, my aforementioned brother drives a MINI Cooper Clubman. He loves it.

 

 

Edited March 10, 2023 by Spy Car

[BeachGal]

1 hour ago, Indigo Blue said:

The red Alfa Romeo that my son rented was surprisingly solid, too. I didn’t know what it was when I saw it in the driveway. From a distance, it was very nondescript. I thought there must have been slim pickings at the lot and he ended up with a red Chevy Cavalier. (Nothing wrong with that, though. It’s just what it looked like!) When we rode in it later, it was such a nice ride with a very solid feel. I think it’s funny that what I thought was a Cavalier was really a fancy Italian car.

My husband’s uncle was director of racing for Alfa Romeo years ago.

Another uncle was one of the engineers for Ferrari.

And here we are driving a Subey. smh

[Selkie]

3 hours ago, Scarlett said:

 

I love them too.  My understanding is they don’t make them any more.  Is that correct?

The only thing that kept me from seriously considering one was how you have to open front door to get to the back door.  And now I am wondering if that is even a thing.  

FJ’s were discontinued in the US in 2014. Used FJ’s are in high demand and prices have jumped considerably since I got mine a few years ago. They hold up well over time and retain their value.

Yes, that is true about the doors. To get in the back, you open the front door and then the back door opens rearwards. The FJ has lots of interesting quirks, like three front windshield wipers instead of two, and the old school dashboard and gauges. It’s the most unique vehicle we’ve ever had. It’s a beast, too - it can handle any weather or terrain.

[Spy Car]

16 minutes ago, BeachGal said:

My husband’s uncle was director of racing for Alfa Romeo years ago.

Another uncle was one of the engineers for Ferrari.

And here we are driving a Subey. smh

If it makes you feel better, I'm currently driving an old Forester and my wife is gaga over her new Crosstrek.

I dig Subarus.

Bill

[Selkie]

1 hour ago, Spy Car said:

My MINI Cooper S is (light) silver with a black top.

I still have it. It is stored at the moment. When my son's brain develops to the point where I think he can deal with driving a supercharged go-cart w/o getting himself into serious trouble, I intend to pull it out of storage.

Two of my kids have Mini Coopers. One kid was a bit too speedy at first, but that was cured when he discovered how expensive speeding tickets are.🙂

[Spy Car]

2 minutes ago, Selkie said:

FJ’s were discontinued in the US in 2014. Used FJ’s are in high demand and prices have jumped considerably since I got mine a few years ago. They hold up well over time and retain their value.

Yes, that is true about the doors. To get in the back, you open the front door and then the back door opens rearwards. The FJ has lots of interesting quirks, like three front windshield wipers instead of two, and the old school dashboard and gauges. It’s the most unique vehicle we’ve ever had. It’s a beast, too - it can handle any weather or terrain.

I have to believe that Toyota will--at some point--reverse the decision to kill off the FJ-style of Land Cruiser (realizing that latter day Land Cruisers vered off in a different direction from the FJ). So much heritage. What a marquee.

Why cede the market to Jeeps and Broncos?

I'd love to see a reboot of the FJ and see a compact truck to compete with the Ford Maverick, in a market they once owned. The Tacomas are nice, but just too big and too expensive for an entry-level truck.

Bill 

 

[Spy Car]

3 minutes ago, Selkie said:

Two of my kids have Mini Coopers. One kid was a bit too speedy at first, but that was cured when he discovered how expensive speeding tickets are.🙂

I never got tagged. Not sure how that happened.

I guess the cops couldn't keep up in the twisties? LOL

Bill

[Clarita]

My dream car is a teleporter. I'd love to just walk through a doorway and show up at my destination. 

[prairiewindmomma]

Classic car: 1966ish  Lamborghini Miura in a deep green or black

practical modern car: 2024 Acura ZDX, which will be electric

best modern vehicle to support my vagabond desires to just surf or hike all of the time now that my kids are getting older: Mercedes Sprinter conversion van. 

 

[elegantlion]

On 3/9/2023 at 3:33 PM, Indigo Blue said:

The new Ford Bronco above is adorable. Never been a Ford person, but I wonder about the durability and reliability of these. They look great. This one is 2023 model. 

My dad always had Fords. The car that was totaled in my accident last fall was an Explorer that had been my dad's. Not my favorite car interior-wise, but the safety features kept me from being injured. I also think the new Bronco is adorable. 

 

My dream car, however, is a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon edition, probably in red. I really want the Rubicon so I can put "Vici" on the license plate to see how many people get the reference.