In hindsight, was your first car a good first car?

". ." (xllx) 01/23/2016 at 05:24 • Filed to: None

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My brother is turning 18 today, which means that he’ll be getting his licence in a matter of weeks, and possibly his first car soon after that . I’ve no idea what sort of car that’ll be, but I’ll make sure it’s a manual. I think everybody should have to start with a manual.

My first car was (and still is) a Mercedes CLK 200K w208, and I have to say it was a great choice. Power’s adequate but not excessive (192 hp, 280 NM), rwd, manual, looks great.

What was your first car and do you think it was right for an inexperienced driver?

Kat Callahan > . . 01/23/2016 at 05:30

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No. It was a Ford Escort ZX2 and I despised it.

Flavien Vidal > . . 01/23/2016 at 05:32

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1997 Mazda 626, the 4-cyl. ones, with a manual transmission of course. And yes, it was a GREAT first car. It allowed a bit of hooning, but you couldn’t really reach speeds high enough to actually endanger yourself. I did thousands and thousands of miles with it, all that in great confort and safety. No better first car possible.

Echo51 > . . 01/23/2016 at 05:32

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I’ll have to say yes, it was right. I wasn’t unexperienced,dad has ALL the spare parts for it, and the garage to repair it in aswell. That and i know the model way too well because dad races them and we’ve gutted quite a few by now.

(EU Ford Escort 1994 1.8i Sport for the americans)

. . > Echo51 01/23/2016 at 05:37

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I almost ended up with a 1991 Ford Orion CL 1.4 as my first car. Glad I didn’t. :P

Echo51 > . . 01/23/2016 at 05:39

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Ahahaha, the good old CVH Engine. Yeah im glad you didn’t either :P

Hoccy > . . 01/23/2016 at 05:52

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Had a 1989 Mitsubishi Galant 4x4. Manual, no traction control, stability control or ABS, and only 109 hp. Meant I could get everywhere I wanted year round, but never with a false layer of safety around me. The lack of power also meant that hooning was limited to low speed parking lot rallying during wintertime.

If it was cheaper to drive and keep on the road, I’d still have it.

pip bip - choose Corrour > . . 01/23/2016 at 05:55

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yes it was. (i had same model/shape as above , different colour)

3.3L (202ci) of throbbing power , manual , RWD , great car except for the brakes.

am i glad to get rid of it? again yes.

My citroen won't start > . . 01/23/2016 at 05:59

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Citroen ZX Dakar. Quite powerful for something that small

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > . . 01/23/2016 at 06:11

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Fiat Punto 1.2, with 60 of Italy’s finest ponies under the bonnet. Not a great first car for impressing the ladies, but it could fit me, four mates, and a couple of kit bags in. Even when the want took me I couldn’t go fast without a decent run-up. Remembering me at 17, that was a good thing.

. . > Echo51 01/23/2016 at 06:30

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It had horrible rust issues (obviously) and the exhaust was really bad. That little fucker of an engine is LOUD.

. . > Kat Callahan 01/23/2016 at 06:31

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Why?

. . > pip bip - choose Corrour 01/23/2016 at 06:42

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I actually saw a Torana UC in real life once, in Bosnia of all places. Had no idea what it was at the time. I wonder how it got there.

f86sabre > . . 01/23/2016 at 06:50

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I got my license in 1990. First car was a 1968 Mustang with the I6. It is red. I still own it, but it needs restoration. It was a great first car. It was attractive, affordable, easy to work on and taught me to drive an old, worn out car. 1/3 of a turn in the steering before anything happened and drum brakes. It was way cooler than the early 80s crap most of my peers were driving.

pip bip - choose Corrour > . . 01/23/2016 at 06:57

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did you get a photo?

was it a 2 door or 4 door?

LHD or RHD?

i’m extremely curious , mind you could be something simple as an expat Aussie or Bosnian visitor to Australia liked it and took one home with him?

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > . . 01/23/2016 at 07:08

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Ford Focus. It was a good little car.

But I disagree with your “it needs to be a manual” thoughts....there’s about 10000000 things that a new driver needs to be concentrating on; shifting gears seems like an unnecessary additional burden.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > . . 01/23/2016 at 07:17

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1977 VW Dasher (Passat) wagon. 76 HP, 4-speed manual, 155SR13 tires. Perfect for a new driver. Good air conditioning and upgraded stereo, so it was comfortable as well (except for burning my legs on the brown “leatherette” upholstery when wearing shorts). Mom put big speakers in the doors so you really couldn’t roll down the windows anymore but that was OK.

. . > pip bip - choose Corrour 01/23/2016 at 07:23

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I actually did get a photo with it. It’s probably burned on a DVD at my parents’ place. I’ll try to remember to look for it. I saw the car a good 10 years ago so I don’t remember the body style, I’m inclined to say it was a 4 door saloon, but don’t quote me on that. I’ll have to check the photo. It wasn’t much more than a shell at that point, sitting on a mountainside not far from Mostar.

Echo51 > . . 01/23/2016 at 07:23

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The usual places for the rust? Rear frame rails, a-pillars, bottom of windshield and so? Then again, usual place for rust on these is everywhere...

That One Kid in HS > . . 01/23/2016 at 07:30

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(Leased) 2013 Honda Civic Sedan with an automatic

For the average person, id say it was a great first car, safe. Loaded with technology. Adequate power.

But im not the average person which is why I dumped it half through my lease.

. . > Echo51 01/23/2016 at 07:39

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Ayup. You couldn’t put anything heavy in the boot because by that point it was literally only holding on thanks to the body panels. The floor and rear portion of the chassis was gone.

IIRC the engine was carburatted and an utter pile of vibrating misery and ground clearance was annoyingly low; also, the rear doors wouldn’t always open. It did have a somehow non-leaky sunroof though, which was cool.

QCGoose > . . 01/23/2016 at 07:55

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1992 Toyota Celica GT coupe, 5speed manual. Fantastic first car. It was red and in mint condition, so it looked “cool” for a 16-year-old male, was fun to drive, and was a hit with the ladies, but was also slow and reliable enough as to not be a stupid choice.

505 - morphine not found > . . 01/23/2016 at 07:59

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My first car was a hand-me-down Opel Kadett from 1985 (us folks will recognize the shape as a Pontiac LeMans), which is was happy to have, but didn’t really like at the time, and positively hate ever since.

The first car I decided to spend my money on was a 1992 Honda Accord sedan, 2.0 with the manual ‘box. To this day one of the best cars I’ve ever had, and a great buy.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > . . 01/23/2016 at 07:59

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I’m still waiting for it.

I can name the cars I’ve driven in my lifetime on one hand:

2003 Dodge Caravan

2008 Lexus RX400h

2009 Hyundai Accent sedan

2003 Nissan Altima 3.5 sedan

2000 Toyota Camry 4-cylinder

First three were family vehicles (the Accident is mine now) and the final two were friends’ vehicles. Considering the Hyundai is the first I’ve ever owned, I’m still waiting on my first “good” car.

My car is “good” in the sense that it’s paid for and incredibly cheap to run.

Having bought a place two years ago means that buying a good car isn’t really a top priority until I have more disposable income. So sad.

EDIT: that said, I really like the Lexus. It's not exciting but damn is it comfortable and by far the nicest car I've driven.

AndyG_UK > . . 01/23/2016 at 08:09

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1984 Austin Mini Mayfair, so yes my first car was a good one!

davedave1111 > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 01/23/2016 at 08:16

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Oooh, snap.

I had the facelifted version, same engine, a bit more weight in the crash structure. A lot of fun to drive, taught me to be smooth and carry speed through corners, and despite being rather tiny, the 8-valve engine sounds pretty good.

AndyG_UK > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind 01/23/2016 at 08:19

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And yet millions of new drivers throughout the world, where driving a manual is the norm, manage just fine, like myself and every other driver I know did, it’s really not a big thing, I don’t know why Americans get so hung up on it, even when we are learning to drive at 17 we don’t think anything of it, it’s just part of learning to drive!

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > . . 01/23/2016 at 08:36

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My first car was/is a 1993 Ford Ranger. Its RWD, its got the 4.0 V6 with 160hp/225lbft, manual trans and a 3.55 LSD. I like it, but I wouldnt say it was the best choice for a first car because I bought it with 6 hours of automatic FWD/AWD driving experience, before I got my license, no idea how to drive stick Or RWD, in the dead of winter, in colorado.

Liam Farrell > . . 01/23/2016 at 08:37

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Ok I turned 16 less than two weeks ago and have had my permit for less. I have been looking for a car since I was probably 12. I wanted an NA Miata with a manual of course. This meant that I would buy the car with the money I made working last summer. But that plan didn’t go well with my parents who didn’t want me driving a POS 2000 Miata; Also living outside of Boston with the snow last winter being taller than the car it just wasn’t a good choice. After my usual routine of searching eBay, I found it; a 1971 Land Rover Santana 109 with the 2.25 diesel and 4 speed. Myself and my dad went to Virginia to look at the car (same place Doug bought his Skyline) and take it for a test drive. We ended up buying it, it was pretty much rust free except a dime sized hole in the passenger footwell. It was from a small village of 500 in Spain that is close to the border with Portugal and was used as a bread delivery truck throughout the village. It was used as the village ambulance for a while too. It is very slow, maybe topping out at 50 mph.

It is among a very jalopnik mix of vehicles, 2011 Saab 9-3 convertible, 2006 Saab 9-7x, 2005 Ford Expedition, and a 2015 Chevrolet Suburban. The car will probably end up living on Nantucket for the rest of its life. But before the summer it is getting new brakes replacing anything rubber or plastic.

PNO TECH > . . 01/23/2016 at 08:57

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First car I ever owned was a ‘72 Westfalia transporter-with a 1300cc engine in it. So, within weeks of buying it I did my first engine swap.

It >was< a perfect first car for me: underpowered, and tippy enough that I dared not get too exuberant in the twisties.

Also forced me to wrench. Day of my wedding I had to slide under it-in my tux-to jump the starter solenoid. Good times.

Sadly, we lived on a mountain, and baby decided Jan was time to make entrance. Wife’s car had heat, so obviously the Westy had to turn into a 4wd babycar. I still miss it.

Jarrett - [BRZ Boi] > . . 01/23/2016 at 09:01

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Still have my first - a 2011 Mazda 3 2.0L with the autotragic. Put 50000 hard, problem free kms (bought with 50000 already on it!). I can defy physics with it, as well. It’s my “practical/work/winter” car.

10/10 would recommend as a first car.

wkiernan > . . 01/23/2016 at 09:13

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I learned to drive in a ‘64 VW Beetle, and the first car I could call my own was a ‘66 Beetle. They both had the great VW Type 1 sunroof, stick-shifts of course, and a double helping of fun, aka “drive a slow car fast.”

Scary__goongala! > . . 01/23/2016 at 09:30

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First car was a 83' W123 300TD. My neighbor gave it to me after I got it running and driving for the first time in 8 years. I’d say it was an awesome first car.

Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder > . . 01/23/2016 at 09:31

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I still have mine. 86' Toyota Celica ST.

200.xxx km, 86 hp (when new...) 920 kg.

Hasn’t failed me once. I love it because it is different. I did have trouble with having no power steering, wich resulted in a dent unfortunately..

911e46z06 > . . 01/23/2016 at 09:33

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Yep.

TheRealBicycleBuck > . . 01/23/2016 at 09:48

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‘83 Mazda B-2000 truck. All of 76 hp. Manual shift, manual steering, manual brakes, roll-down windows. No “power” anything. No stereo. The only thing I had to think about was driving. And drive I did.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > . . 01/23/2016 at 09:53

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Mine wasn’t even a good first car in foresight, by anyone’s account. But it’s a brilliant car and I love it.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > . . 01/23/2016 at 10:14

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No matter which one you consider to be my first car (‘94 GMC Safari or ‘98 BMW M3, it was sort of a weird situation) they were/are both probably terrible first cars. Ones big, a gas hog, seats a large number of people, and is top heavy. The other is a fast, RWD, old German sports sedan that had a whole host of problems when it was first bought. The M3 is a great car mind you, but the Acura TL I was also looking at would have probably been the better first car.

Klaus Schmoll > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind 01/23/2016 at 10:31

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You have to keep in mind that he took his drivers lessons and test in a manual car, otherwise he would have an “auto-only” license.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > . . 01/23/2016 at 10:33

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Mine was/is a 1995 4Runner, and i still enjoy it 4 years later, so I would say so. With the exception of the head gaskets and a bunch of wear parts, it’s been super reliable, but enough things have gone wrong to learn to wrench on. They hold up well in crash from what I’ve seen. It’s taught me a LOT about car control, because if you don’t learn it, you will flip it. Also, it will go pretty much anywhere that I want it to go. Also, it costs $36 a month for full coverage insurance, including roadside assistance.

Klaus Schmoll > . . 01/23/2016 at 10:37

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My first car was a hand-me-down 626 GE with the 2.0. I loved it.

Reece-Current Stinger GT owner > . . 01/23/2016 at 10:38

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I’d say yes. 1984 Trans am with the 305. V8 Rear wheel drive and T tops, what more could I need at 16. (also 5 year old photo taken with a potato phone for your time)

Urambo Tauro > . . 01/23/2016 at 10:47

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I am pleased to have had a 1989 Chevrolet Suburban R1500 as my first car. It looked almost exactly like this picture I found.

Learning to maneuver such a large vehicle made my subsequent cars much easier. It was also good to learn about RWD control, particularly in the snow.

My Suburban taught me a lot about driving, and my only regret is that I didn’t learn to drive a manual transmission until later in life. If my first car had three pedals, I could have started learning it sooner.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Klaus Schmoll 01/23/2016 at 10:51

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That's...a thing? My American mind is blown.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > . . 01/23/2016 at 11:10

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My first car was a 1994 Chevy Caprice that I bought in 1999. Good in that it wasn’t underpowered, it kept people from driving like idiots around me at first (police still drove them at the time), and it was big enough to give some protection from the ubiquitous jacked up trucks and SUVs. It was also quite comfortable, got decent fuel economy, and was great for road trips. It solidified my hatred of GM and I have not owned a single piece of their excrement since.

This car had the dumbest engine layout I’ve ever seen and literally days after I bought it I ended up stuck with a $600 bill for changing the spark plugs/wires on the right hand side of the engine (I suspect this is why the former owners sold it - they had about as much trouble with it as I had, then when the plug wires started to go, they didn’t want to throw another $1k at replacing them like they did 3 years prior) because they cannot be accessed without removing almost everything on that side of the engine bay. I changed the other side myself, but it was a pain. The car burned up the power distribution block and harness about 6 months later (that stupid warranty the salesperson sold me actually paid out most of what I paid for it, but didn’t cover the plug wires), it went through an alternator every 12-18 months (easy to change!), went through a water pump every 18-24, and every bad pump ended up destroying an optispark. Other parts that had to be replaced were the fuel pump and the coolant reservoir. Something was also wrong with the front end that caused it to eat rotors, which would warp every couple years. I gave it to my parents 8 years later. They drove it and barely kept it running for another 7 years before issuing it to my sister when she got her license. She ended up in a head-on in it about 6 months later when some dude in a brand new Challenger lost control and crossed into her lane when they were both doing ~40mph. Both cars were totaled and my sister walked away with little more than some burns from the airbags, so all the suffering was worth it.

The upside is that I further honed my car diagnostic skills, learned to wrench with confidence, and know not to buy a GM product ever again.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > . . 01/23/2016 at 11:31

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Still on my first. 2010 Colorado V8, and hell to the yes.

wafflesnfalafel > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind 01/23/2016 at 11:38

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I’m guessing it really isn’t a choice for most folks anyways - you learn on what you have. All we had was my dad’s 1970 Beetle with the 4spd - so that’s what I learned on. It likely contributed to me failing the darn test twice - but I’m glad I learned and still prefer most manuals to every automatic transmission I’ve ever driven.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > . . 01/23/2016 at 11:55

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2000 Acura 3.2TL. I’d say it was a pretty nice car. Super comfortable. The luxuries of heated seats as my first car was amazing for cold mornings. And maybe it’s because it was my first car, but I haven’t driven anything since that was as smooth as that V6.

The first thing I learned was that transmissions break easily in that car so I guess it taught me to drive with gradual acceleration and not playing with the manual shifting thing to make sure the transmission lasts since my dad says that was going to be my car until college.

It ended up not breaking, (the transmission, R.I.P the driver’s seat heater.) And I get a little proud every time I go on a forum reading about people changing transmissions in that generation of TL/CL since mine had its original transmission for 15 years. My dad sold it earlier this year and on a trip to Vegas, that second owner blew the transmission up. ASSHOLE.

CaptDale - is secretly British > . . 01/23/2016 at 13:09

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Well, I was lucky enough to have been brought up off roading, so I had some skills in vehicle control before I had a licence, which honestly I believe everyone should take a truck or 4 Runner to an OHV park and practice before being let on the road, but I digress. My first car I had for a good period of time was a 1987 Jeep Wangler 4cly 5spd. Great all around vehicle. It was easy to work on, parts are cheap, not powerful especially after bigger wheels and a small lift. It had 4 seats and the top and doors could be removed. It could cruise in the city and take me out in the desert. I loved that car and I am sad I ever let her go.

Me on the left

Klaus Schmoll > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind 01/23/2016 at 13:22

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You probably already know that getting a license is a completely different process in Europe. You can’t just go out and practice with your dad in his car. You have to take driving lessons in a marked car like this:

All of these come with an extra set of pedals, and 99% are manual. If you take the test in an auto car, you get an entry into your license, much like “has to wear glasses while driving” or so.

Spoon II > . . 01/23/2016 at 14:48

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Haha, definitely! 4wd manual Toyota Corolla wagon. 13 years old at the time, but still in good shape. Enough room to take friends around but only 91 horsepower to make sure you can’t take them very quickly.

gergey - Wishes vette was Datsun > . . 01/23/2016 at 16:27

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In 2010 I had as my first car a 1983 Toyota Tercel wagon... 63 HP, 3 speed auto, and more rust than body panels. Had to take the air filter off and pour a little gas in to get it started as a regular thing.

It definitely wasn’t the right car for a 16 year old new driver. I mean, I didn’t get anyone pregnant in the back, but I did stick 8 friends in there and drive around town, including stalling it on hill several times near a police car. (Novice drivers must display a N symbol on the back and only carry 1 passenger, immediate family members exempt.)

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > . . 01/25/2016 at 17:47

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2002 Subaru Impreza wagon for me - lovingly nicknamed “Beastie”!

North-American-spec, so a naturally aspirated 2.5L Flat-4 with a 5-speed manual putting out 170hp - not overpowered. Manual because I wanted to learn and still prefer the feel and relationship to an auto trans. any day. Hatchback because it’s simple more practical and spacious for those odd times you have to carry something. AWD because Canadian winters...my current car is FWD, and while it’s fine 99% of the time, I do get stuck on our 300 meter long subdivision road from time to time as the Department of Transport doesn’t always plow it immediately after snow storms for a day or two...

Really miss it and wish it was financially feasible to repair it at the time to keep it going...she wasn’t perfect and had her share of niggly little issues, but I loved her! Great first car!

I agree on everybody starting with a manual - there’s something to be said for actually understanding how a car REALLY works rather than just getting in, flipping it to “D” and mashing the go pedal.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 01/25/2016 at 17:49

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I’ve always really liked the Puntos...from what I’ve read, decently reliable little runabouts and they had a surprising amount of “style” for a cheap economy car. Wish we had them over here in Canada, I would gladly have one for an everyday driver! :)

. . > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 01/25/2016 at 18:04

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What happened to it? :(

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > . . 01/25/2016 at 23:25

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Well, she had 180,000kms on her when I sold her. The big issue was the rear sub-frame had rusted out and actually cracked on the drivers’ side. It was still drivable, but definitely not safe. I’m lucky as I didn’t even know...my mechanic was the one who told me when I had taken it in to get my winter tires taken off and summers swapped on in late May 2013. If I had driven on it and it had finally snapped....well, as it’s a Subie, it had AWD, so subframe splitting would equal rear-left suspension collapse, body fall on rear-left wheel, rear-left wheel lock, possibly causing spin at speed into uncoming traffic, also insta-stopping rear left CV joint leading to diff, leading to driveshaft to transmission, so aside from the potential for a deadly crash, also would’ve been a crap-ton in driveline repairs had the frame collapsed.

I got a quote to have the sub-frame replaced, but it was something like $2000 CDN, if not slightly more, for all the labour and parts. All the rear suspension, differential, wheels, brakes, gas tank and driveshaft would (of course) all have had to have been removed, and then all put back, so many hours of work. Compounding that was the fact that rust had come through in the rear wheel arches (very common on that generation/model) that I had already had repaired for $600 CDN the year before by a shop that apparently doesn’t do as high a quality work as I thought as it was starting to bubble through again when all this happened, so the $2000 for the sub-frame plus the rust repair AGAIN just didn’t seem financially responsible, as much as I loved it. I sold ‘Beastie’ to a fellow from the same Motorsport club I attend events for sporadically and he swapped the good rear subframe from his own 2002 Subie Impreza wagon into mine (his car had a lot of body rot and the body on mine was relatively good) and fixed the rust himself as he had his own fully-equipped garage at home with all the tools and experience to do it himself.

No idea if she’s still on the road, but I know he was using it as his DD and also his autocross car for awhile after I sold it to him, so here’s hoping Beastie is still around! :)

EDIT - Just looked the guy up I sold it to and messaged him on Facebook for the hell of it asking what ever became of her...no harm in asking! :]

. . > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 01/26/2016 at 04:25

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Ugh, rust. It’s just as horrible where I live and it makes keeping my CLK on the road is a constant battle. Last year I gave it 2 coats of Rust Check, we’ll see how that works, but until then i needed to repair 1 or 2 panels every year. So far I’m lucky in regards to teh floor though, doesn’t seem to have started rusting just yet.

I hope your Impreza is still on the roads. :D Thanks for the story.

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > . . 01/26/2016 at 07:26

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· First car was a red 1991 Renault Clio 1.9 diesel

(not this one, but exactly the same)

It had 65 HP, and came with a busted gearbox.
My father and I swapped the gearbox for a Renault Express gearbox, with shorter gears.
The paint was faded, it had scratches, dents and a bit of rust.
It wasn’t by any means fast, but it felt like it.
It was cheap, reliable, and it was freedom, so it was the best car in the world... for about a year, when I went and got my first Peugeot 505.
I sold the car to a friend of mine. A few years later he brought it back for it’s final ride. I took it for a spin, realized how awfully slow it was, and how it was so much better in my memory. We took it appart, most parts were used over the years for customer cars, some may still lay around.
I remembered the good times as it was loaded on the truckbed to get crushed.
Also, if I had had a fast car then, I most probably wouldn’t be here today. So even if it wasn’t a great car later, it was a good car then, and an adequate car.

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind 01/26/2016 at 07:28

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And nobody wants the shame of having an auto-only license :D

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > . . 01/26/2016 at 07:42

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You’re welcome, sadly, I just heard back from the new owner and he said he drove Beastie for a year before he found out the rear strut-towers were shot, so he sold it for parts....who knows where she is now! :(

Best not to have asked I guess, haha! Do they salt the roads were you live in the winter?

. . > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 01/26/2016 at 07:58

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They do use salt, in massive amounts (well, salt and calcium chloride), which is the reason the Fiat is currently stuck in its garage. I haven’t even taken it out for its inspection which was due on the 17th, and that’s like 400m each way. Just didn’t have the heart.

I can’t be angry at the road salt though, the authorities have been handling this year’s winter exceptionally well and despite horrible weather at times road conditions are always pretty good. I’d rather have to pay to get the rust fixed on my car than have to peel it off a tree or a lamp post.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > . . 01/26/2016 at 08:11

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Yeah, this winter hasn’t been too bad here, but last winter was hellish, so they’ve stocked up on a lot more salt around where I live and seem to use it liberally...my Accent doesn’t have a spec of rust on it that I can find yet though, so here’s hoping it stays that way for awhile (it’s an ‘09).

I do get it undercoated every fall though with that waxy undercoating stuff...seems to work OK!