Has your car changed you as an enthusiast?

"The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes) 02/17/2018 at 11:00 • Filed to: None

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Before my Juke I had my Sonic, it was a good car. It was the stepping stone for me as a car enthusiast. I liked it, but did not love it. Then I got my Juke, it completely changed me as a person & an enthusiast.

It may sound weird the a crossover would do that, but it did. The engine, the transmission, & how it drives. It’s also the reason I started going to Cars’n’Coffee, track day(s), & Auto-X soon. Looking at it makes me want to drive, I’ll press lock on my key fob multiple times to make it’s locked (& to look at it). It’s why I want to find the most twisty back road, I let it do its thing.

It’s also changed me as a person. Before I had it I never got out to meet people. Since I’ve had it I’ve got out way more, it has has helped me meet great people. Wether it be Cars’n’Coffee, the track, etc. Without it I would not have the friends I have. It’s also the reason I’ve joined this great blog, I wanted to show it off. I’m more happy too since I’ve had it, that I like. I still have personal issues that will take a long time to fix, but getting in my Juke makes me forget them.

My Sonic was a car, but the Juke is MY car. It’s MY Juke. It’s the best Juke. The NISMO RS has better specs, but it’s not MY Juke. I’ll be that person that keeps it for 25+ years (laws permitting) then sells it when no more exist. Some(lots) may call it ugly, I refer it as my automotive pimple as a joke. There are better cars for the amount of money it cost it, but those don’t work magic on me like MY Juke.

How has your car/truck/van/suv changed you as an enthusiast & person?

E90M3 > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/17/2018 at 11:13

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I used to drive a 1997 Explorer Sport.

I’ve been an enthusiast for a long time, but I never really enjoyed driving my own car. This all changed when I got my M3.

It’s made me enjoy driving my car. I never just went for a drive in my Explorer, I do in this.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > E90M3 02/17/2018 at 11:18

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It takes one car, I test a Veloster Turbo before my Juke. The VT did not talk to me like the Juke did. As soon at I started the test drive I knew it this was the one.

SmugAardvark > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/17/2018 at 11:21

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Throughout my years of driving, including 23 cars/trucks/motorcycles since I got my license almost 19 years ago, my vehicles have had interesting ways of shaping who I am.

Some of them I bought for straight up fun behind the wheel (S2000, Corvette, MR2). Some of them I bought for utility (Land Rover Discovery and Freelander, Nissan Cube). Some of them I bought just because I wanted something interesting (Subaru SVX, Peugeot 405, ‘65 Mustang). But all of them have meant something to me.

It’s interesting that, looking back, I’ve been driving and wrenching on cars for more years than I wasn’t driving and wrenching. I’ve been able to avoid giving sole devotion to any one brand (14 different makers), any one country of origin (U.S.A, Germany, Japan, Sweden, England, France), drivetrain (FF, FR, MR, F4), era (60's, 80's, 90's, 00's, 10's), or body style (coupe, sedan, convertible, wagon, SUV, motorcycle). My taste in vehicles is varied and eclectic, which has bled over into so many other aspects of my life. It’s taught me that there’s so much going on in this world that it would be foolish not to experience as much of it as possible.

E90M3 > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/17/2018 at 11:22

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I’ve always kind of liked the Veloster, they seem like they’re pretty decent little cars. I rented a Hyundai Sonata and put 550 miles on it in a day and I abhorred it because of its steering. If I had liked it at all, I probably would have at least test driven one before I got my E92.

When I got my M3, I didn’t really test drive anything else. I knew I had to have an M3. I had test driven three before I bought mine and knew that I liked driving it.

Wacko > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/17/2018 at 11:38

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I started doing vroom vroom with toy cars before i can even talk. No mater the i car i will generally enjoy driving it, even if my current ride is a cvt pathfinder. To be fair this car was a need and not a want.

But after 3 years of driving a automatic the manual want is becoming stronger and stronger. We are expecting our 4th kid by the end of may, so the pathfinder will become the wifes “Family” car and i am looking for a manual Impreza now. Drove manuals for 20 years before the Pathfinder.

yamahog > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/17/2018 at 11:39

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yes I used to be a normie Mustang fan and now I’m Guy Fieri

sony1492 > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/17/2018 at 12:05

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Without the lexus I wouldn’t have apprenticed at a shop and spent time taking automotive classes. Although I decided against being a mechanic I learned a great deal.

Also learned how be okay with pouring money into something and watching it all vanish.

Svend > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/17/2018 at 12:16

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Spending so much time with Skodas as they were common taxis and one driver was an acquaintance had a Superb I used to clean.

When it came time for a new car the Skoda Superb made sense. Got one and loved it.

When it came time to replace. Didn’t look or even entertain the notion of a different marque or different car.

Walked into the dealership, no test drive or much more than a look around a Mk3 Superb while we were waiting for a salesperson. Sat down picked a spec, told we could save money getting a higher spec, chose a colour (turns out the salesperson told us an incorrect colour not available on the colour so when Piglet turned up, it was a surprise but a very welcome and happy surprise) and wheels, paid a deposit and walked out in half an hour from going in.

It’s only the thought that Skoda will do the same with the Superb that they did with the Octavia (the quad headlamps)

From this

to this

So I’m open to the VW Arteon as an option.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/17/2018 at 12:26

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I used to only have a lifted 4Runner, so yeah, it’s changed me a bit.

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/17/2018 at 12:27

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It made me appreciate crossovers more. They’re not the devil’s child as Oppo would have you believe, there’s fun to be had here, they can be thrashed and hooned like the best of them, and they’re comfortable and have tons of space inside. I understand why people buy them now.

Milky > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/17/2018 at 12:44

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Honestly no. I went mudding in my jeeps, drifting in the SC and hit up twisties with the crossfire. Going to try rallycross in the Miata. It’s all different forms of motoring, but still driving for the enjoyment.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Nothing > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/17/2018 at 12:54

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I like to experience a lot of different vehicles. At some point, I hope to find the car/truck that knocks my socks off and makes me think, wow I gotta keep this one. That hasn’t happened yet.

That said, my biggest change has been accepting imports, which in turn changed my main priority when choosing a fun vehicle. Granted, this happened oh, 30 years ago. My dad was a WWII vet, and the first car I wanted to buy with my own money was a 1985 Honda CRX Si. Prior to that, all of my lust had been directed at muscle cars, new and old. I asked my dad permission to buy a Japanese vehicle, and he was ok with it. That car is what transformed me from HP to handling. Had I pursued my automotive engineering degree, I would’ve minored in chassis dynamics, and that car was largely the reason for that. It was such a fun vehicle to toss around, and one of the few makes/models of which that I’ve owned multiple generations. It explains why most of my fun cars have had moderate power, but great handling (CRXs, Miata, RX8).

Of course, come full circle and what project is in the garage? A ‘67 Cougar. So much for handling!

aquila121 > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/17/2018 at 13:11

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For me it was when I bought my Prelude. Prior to that, I’d made do through college with a gutless Plymouth Acclaim followed by a hand-me-down minivan (since I needed the space to move out of my college apartment), but the Prelude was the first car I chose entirely myself.

(Photo credit: Redline Photography)

As much as many others love to hate on Hondas, I quickly saw the pros, not the cons: sure, the engine isn’t overflowing with torque, but that means if I really want to step on it and get going, I needed to choose the right gear. Likewise, the transmission feels fantastic to shift, and the weight of the steering and pedals struck me as near-perfect. The VTEC changeover does induce a grin, and (prior to modifying the car) the fuel economy was pretty good for what the car was. Left alone, I’m confident that Honda’s reputation for reliability is well-earned—and after a fair amount of engine work, I’ve only made the car worse in that respect. But I imagine that some other makes would cope far worse to the substantial changes in search of power.

In addition, through owning this car, I’ve met a number of like-minded people who got me into autocross and track days. They shared my enthusiasm every time I bought more parts and made the car my own. I continue to spend my time trying to learn the car’s limits as well as my own. And I have a blast just taking it out for a drive.

Every additional golden-age Honda I’ve owned since (save one $600 beater) has given me similar enjoyment and familiarity; the double-wishbone suspension, great gearbox, and rev-happy nature of the engines just feel right to me. The predictability of front-wheel-drive is something where I feel comfortable pushing the cars and have rarely run out of talent if I manage to make a mistake and get things sideways. In that Prelude, I’ve gotten point-bys from much higher-dollar cars on the track thanks to poor weather conditions or a steep sense of preserving much nicer cars.

I’m never selling this car unless it is beyond dead.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/17/2018 at 13:22

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I had been an armchair quarterback car enthusiast ever since I started subscribing to car mags in my childhood. Like a typical 90s kid, I was awestruck by exotic cars with six-figure price tags, especially Ferraris.

It sort of sidetracked in college where I felt that fun cars were a distant “someday” dream.

Once I started buying real cars, the itch came back even more than before. I started learning about how they really work, and how a car can be fun beyond 0-60 and top speed.

A layoff coerced me to sell my brand new “made it” 2008 Lexus ES—I haven’t bought a new car since then. I replaced it with a $10k Benz CLK430, which had an intoxicating V8 and various expensive maintenance items which were oddly rewarding to take care of. Then came a used Porsche Cayman which was reliable and taught me the Porsche mystique that I never got as a child. I literally could not believe the fun I was having in the secondhand market while my friends were buying $30k Camrys!

And now I have the depreciated F355 that I lusted after 20 years ago—all because of random things that happened in life. It has been both a pleasure and a huge expense to restore it to its full glory. I’d say I’m mostly the same guy, but being able to buy real cars really opened up my interests into an expensive hobby!

DutchieDC2R > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/17/2018 at 13:28

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Nice write up!

I started off with ‘the answer’, a Miata. It was a simple car. Rwd, 2-seater, the most simple-to-operate fold down top. I knew, before I bought the Miata, that I loved cars. It was an unusual obsession. At a very young age, I could point out to nearly every car on the road and name it.

With my Miata, I just loved every second of driving it. It had a few issues, needed some tlc, but as far as driving went, that car had everything I needed. Excitement came when I started to tweak it, bit by bit. Started doing track days as well. It wasnt the fastest thing out there, but it was simply so much fun, it introduced me to proper spirited driving as well. The only thing I hadn’t done while owning it, is drive the Nurburgring with it.

Now that I own the Type R, all the feelings I experienced with the Miata have just been intensified significantly. Its a beast of a car, it makes me want to get in it every single day and go for a drive. Every, single, day.

Klaus Schmoll > Svend 02/17/2018 at 14:16

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The quad headlamps are terrible, I just can’t understand why they had to disfigure the handsome Octavia.

Also, I though you were interested in one of the K-Q SUVs once it is time to replace piglet?

Vicente Esteve > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/17/2018 at 15:11

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Before my 3 Series I thought that I would enjoy RWD, a nice sounding engine and a vehicle which was designed to be a drivers car first. The reality is I can’t think of myself having anything without that criteria.

Svend > Klaus Schmoll 02/17/2018 at 15:13

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Ye’, the Kodiaq was an idea as it’s was meant to be the off road equivalent of the Superb.

But the boot size is smaller than the Superb.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/17/2018 at 15:17

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I’m pretty sure my post history speaks for itself... :)

Dunno if it changed me a ton, it may have cemented me. I always liked trucks, I could get fun out of weird vehicles for the task, but I definitely had the stat bug and loved the big names. Today I really don’t care. I decidedly prefer the cheaper, unique stuff. Goofy stuff. Sleepers. And while I still don’t think there’s such a thing as too much power, that fun I could pull out of weird places is now more important. You know, as long as the vehicle isn’t a TOTAL dog.

FWIW I never intended to keep my truck this long. I wanted the new Duramax Colorado and planned to trade up in a year, maybe two. It’s been three and a half and it’s not going anywhere until it shits the bed on me.

Klaus Schmoll > Svend 02/17/2018 at 15:32

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Well, to be fair, the Superb’s trunk is huuuuuge. While googling to find out what kind of boot opening the Arteon has I found this:

If only...

Svend > Klaus Schmoll 02/17/2018 at 15:45

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True. I have to put long items in length ways so I can reach them to get them out again without over stretching to the get them. Even on our liftback it’s 625 litres, the estate is more again with over 1,000 litres with the rear seats down.