What was the first car that really moved you?

"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction) 10/28/2015 at 12:24 • Filed to: None

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Seems like there’s a turning point in each petrolhead’s life where these things we’ve always had an interest in become our true passion. We all grew up playing with Hot Wheels and reading magazines, but it’s really only when you can get behind the wheel and experience some of these incredible machines that it awakes the senses and the soul to what a joy driving a car can be. For some, that process takes longer than others. Here’s my story:

I’ve always had a love for cars, fostered from a young age by my dad and my older brothers, but most of my driving life has been spent in used Japanese sedans of some sort or another. I’ve always had a manual transmission through the years, which does definitely make driving a “slow car fast” more fun, but as much as I enjoyed my time in these cars and as good and fun as some of them where, none of them could really be considered special.

So, several years ago, I was finally ready to get something different. I made a list of all my wants and needs and then started making a list of the cars that checked all those boxes within my price range. I wanted a manual, RWD/AWD and four doors, among other things. Early on, I drove a ‘12 WRX but quickly took it off the list because of the feel of its shifter and its poor (even compared to my ‘05 Mazda 3s) interior quality. I considered trying out an Evo or an E39 M5, but none were readily available to test drive locally. After some time passed, I was highly considering an ‘11 G37 sedan that was four hours away in Dallas, and, because of my search parameters, noticed that there was an ‘08 M3 sedan for sale down there too (and that prices had fallen somewhat close to my price range, even though it would still be a considerable stretch). I decided that I owed it to myself to find out just how good a car like that was, so a friend and I went down the next weekend to drive the two cars (and any others we might come across down there).

I drove the G37 first, and it was a great car. It would have fit my needs perfectly, and I could have been very happy with it. I liked it enough that I actually put down the $99 to start the transfer process to Oklahoma (it was at a CarMax). But then I drove the M3, and it was... a revelation. The sounds it made, the feel of the steering, the vicious acceleration, the beautiful, brutish design... I was hooked. But it was almost $10k more than I’d initially set my budget for a new car.

I drove home that evening, completely unsure of what do to. I was raised in a home without a lot of money, in a very frugal way (I call it Depression era mentality), and this car was going to be over $20k more than I’d spent on my Mazda, and more than anyone in my family had ever spent on a car. Based on my reaction to it, my friend was convinced that I was going to get the M3, but I really wasn’t at that point. I’ve always had a very hard time parting with money... I went home, and told Mrs. addiction everything about both cars. She must have heard it in my voice and seen it in my eyes. With no hesitation, she encouraged me to get the one I loved (even though she was pregnant with our 3rd child and hadn’t told me yet!); she said that I’d just regret it if I didn’t. Yeah, I love this chick...

The deal was done shortly after that. I could have looked around for a while to see if there were others for sale, but the car was in great shape, with some remaining warranty, in the color I wanted, relatively close, and at a fair price. Driving it home was surreal, and I still look at it three years later and think, “Damn, that’s my car.” I ended up being able to pay off my loan three years early, so my concern about being able to afford it really wasn’t an issue. And it’s been so worth it. I love driving it every day, have had it to the track numerous times and take weekend driving trips just to enjoy the car and fun roads in the Ozarks a few times a year. I waited until I was almost 35 to buy my first sports car, which is probably way too long, but as they say, good things come to those who wait!

Let’s hear about the one that first moved you.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

TractorPillow > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:27

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http://oppositelock.kinja.com/make-an-enthus…

Party-vi > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:29

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Dad’s Gran Torino literally moved me from the hospital to the house, so that one.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:29

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I’m pretty sure that I rode home from the hospital in my dad’s ‘85 Supra, so it would be that one both literally and figuratively.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > TractorPillow 10/28/2015 at 12:29

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I’d read it before, and I read it again. Great stuff.

HammerheadFistpunch > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:31

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it may seems counter intuitive, but I loved my gen 1 rav4 from the first time I drove it. I was slow, and noisy and had low limits but the fundimentals of “good car” were in abundance; good throttle reponse, excellent steering feel, excellent chassis feel, good brake feel, engaging engine note, decent shift feel.

It wasn’t that it was a quick or exciting car, but it connected me to the idea of driving like no car has since.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 10/28/2015 at 12:31

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Nice. Pictures?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Party-vi 10/28/2015 at 12:31

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Great car. And great movie.

Opposite Locksmith > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:32

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That throaty howling v8 of a e9x M3(friends). The power was intoxicating. Still “feels” like the fastest car I’ve been in even though I beat him on a highway pull from 40-... On in my car

'Wägen, EPA LOL > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:33

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First one I really fell in love modding was actually a Honda Accord 4cyl 5MT. Ahhh, the poor choices made regarding that thing.

TheHondaBro > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:33

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http://oppositelock.kinja.com/why-i-love-the…

Oh wait, misunderstood the question.

The first car I drove was a 2007 Honda Civic I drove around a parking lot before I got my permit.

My Accord is a beast and I love it.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:34

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No, unfortunately :( It was stolen when I was three years old or so. I still remember playing in it, though. It was a spaceship. The gear lever was a joystick.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch 10/28/2015 at 12:34

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I loved my little Mazda, too, and my Legend before it, but those just gave me a “buzz” compared with the complete intoxication I get with the M3...

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 10/28/2015 at 12:36

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Now I’m sad. I remember playing in my brother’s old, non-running Datsun in our basement garage. Good times...

Wheelerguy > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:36

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It started with Schumi and the Ferrari F1 cars, then the Shell-Ferrari commercial, but the thing didn’t go nuclear until I got a hold of a yellow HW 458.

Then I saw this. Not internet, the actual episode, right as I was tooting around the bed hooning the little car.

There you go. I wanted Ferrari toy models because Ferrari and that alone at first, but then that bit went on as I was channel-surfing. Boom.

I still have that yellow 458. It is the oldest-surviving HW casting I have. When I die, I request putting the car by my side.

davedave1111 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:36

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My mind went a different way. When I was a kid, my uncle had a black Aston Martin Lagonda for a little while.

Everything about it was just... From the bonnet the size of an aircraft carrier - and knee height to a kid - to the ultra-luxurious interior, to the scratches left on the veneer of the door by the first owner’s diamond rings, to the digital dash, to the V8 burble, to the performance. I still love everything about them.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > TheHondaBro 10/28/2015 at 12:37

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Nice. I hope you get that S2000 before too long!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:37

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My dad’s old Torino Drag car did me in at the age of 4.

I’d been wanting to go in it with the engine on for over a year and they thought it would scare me so they held off.

I stood on the passenger side (no seat other than driver, it was a legit drag car, gutted interior, roll cage, headers to straight pipes, not street legal so trailered to the track, the whole deal). He started it up and it was game over. Here’s a pic of it him doing a nice smokey burn out in it:

When I was shopping for the Montego, I was actually looking for a red Torino. Montego fell into my lap and seemed appropriate.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:37

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You’re sad? I was the one who was supposed to get the thing when I turned 16!

TheHondaBro > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:38

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The day I get an S2000 is the day pigs fly.

*he says as he puts wings on pigs*

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > 'Wägen, EPA LOL 10/28/2015 at 12:38

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I had a ‘91 just like that. Great little car. When Honda was Honda!

HammerheadFistpunch > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:38

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I guess it depends on what is meant by “moved”. I built a bond with that little car. as for the fizz? I haven’t owned anything long enough with the kind of performance that I could honestly say qualifies as an intoxication on the long term. I’ve driven some pretty exciting stuff, but thats just the buzz of getting in a ferrari or whatever. I will say that on the road the cruiser doesn’t give me a thrill but EVER time I take it off road I’m shocked and amazed how much I love it. Like its night and day, as if the car has physically changed is how well I like it off road.

Sam > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:38

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My dad drove me to kindergarten, first, and second grade in aa ST165 Celica GT4. So that was a pretty memorable car. Really though, driving a V8S F-Type for the first time was what has really moved me. I realised that numbers on paper don’t matter, the experience is what counts.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Sam 10/28/2015 at 12:39

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Hell yes.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch 10/28/2015 at 12:41

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Love comes in many forms. I’d love to have a rig like your cruiser!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > TheHondaBro 10/28/2015 at 12:42

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They keep getting cheaper...

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/28/2015 at 12:42

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AWESOME

Jcarr > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:43

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I remember looking through car books at the library before I could read and being captivated by the Testarossa.

As far as vehicles that I had first hand experience with: The 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 that my parents bought new when I was a freshman in highschool.

I drove a ‘91 Isuzu Trooper when I first got my license and I was always so excited when my parents would let me drive the Ram. It was new, it was big, and it had a V8.

Looked just like this, but in perfect shape.

That Ram was the reason I bought this as my first “new” car out of college:

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > davedave1111 10/28/2015 at 12:43

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Absolutely.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:43

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Pics of me using an air powered impact gun on his old Chevy pick up when I was 5 hahaha. I was naming every part under the hood of a classic car around that age too, much to the shock of all the guys at car shows.

TheHondaBro > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:43

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You got me browsing craigslist. I hope you’re happy.

vondon302 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:44

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You never forget your first. I went from shy burnout nerd to the guy with the cool cutlass in high school. That car took me out of my comfort zone and changed my life , mostly in a good way but some bad too. Wrecked it twice and it got faster every time. Went from a wheezy v6 to a 350 and then a monster 455. It wasn’t the best car I ever owned but its still my favorite.

X37.9XXS > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:44

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Absolute max amount of fun

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Wheelerguy 10/28/2015 at 12:44

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Love it.

Justin Hughes > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:44

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Mine was also a BMW.

In my case, a 1983 320i. I’d always been interested in cars, but had written off any kind of racing as too expensive. How little I knew.

I stumbled into a Boston BMW CCA autocross by driving by it one day, going back, and watching. One thing led to another, I got chatting with the event chair, and he offered to let me join them for fun runs in my ‘95 Mercury Tracer - definitely NOT a driver’s car. So I did. The car was terrible, my driving was terrible, and I had a blast.

I ended up joining the club and going back for more. Obviously my Tracer was limited. I found this 320i in the chapter classifieds for $1000, and much to the dismay of my girlfriend at the time I bought it. It had issues, of course, but this was my first tinker car, my first fun car - and my first driver’s car. Only then did I understand the difference between a driver’s car and an appliance car. It wasn’t fast at all. The E21 is basically an underpowered, overweight, oversprung 2002. But it moved in all the right ways. RWD is fun. And it started me down the path toward the light side, away from the darkness of econobubbles that was all I had known and thought was all I could get.

whatisthatsound > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:45

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A 1999 Chevy Astro. Honestly, I loved that van. I drove it everywhere. It is the greatest van I’ll ever own. In the pic above we woke up to go skiing and the tree had fallen almost on my van. I put it in reverse pushed it off the driveway and headed to the mountain because Astros never miss a snow day.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Opposite Locksmith 10/28/2015 at 12:47

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Definitely hard to beat the “feels” of this car. Love it, and I’m perfectly fine not having the fastest car on the block (although it’s no slouch on road or track).

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > HammerheadFistpunch 10/28/2015 at 12:48

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How was it off road? I’ve always been curious about those because of how light they are the short overhangs.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Jcarr 10/28/2015 at 12:48

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Nice!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > TheHondaBro 10/28/2015 at 12:48

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Yes. Yes, I am.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > vondon302 10/28/2015 at 12:49

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Fantastic.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > X37.9XXS 10/28/2015 at 12:49

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Oh yeah!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Justin Hughes 10/28/2015 at 12:50

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Great stuff.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > whatisthatsound 10/28/2015 at 12:50

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Awesome.

E92M3 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:50

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Similar story. I was a loyal Honda fan thru and thru. I had friends with BMW’s, but I wasn’t impressed. Just unreliable, expensive status symbols I thought. I worked my way up to an S2000, and started doing trackdays. As I honed my skills I was still getting passed by M3’s. I had the wrong tires I thought so I got some R comps. I was still getting passed. Maybe there was more to these BMW’s than I thought. Then I had a business trip to germany, and when I found out Sixt rent-a-car offered a whole assortment of cars not available at US rental agencies I decided to splurge, and find out what all the fuss was about. After a week driving all over Germany (including the Autobahn and The Ring), I was hooked! It all made sense, it was the best car I ever drove. I had to have one.

Wheelerguy > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:50

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Now that I thought of it, I think I’d rather put that casting on my gravestone.

And this is the casting I’ll put by my side in my coffin.

JR1 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/28/2015 at 12:50

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Did you see Petrolicious posted a video about the Mercury Cyclone?

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > JR1 10/28/2015 at 12:51

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umm NO.

Off to find cyclone video!

JR1 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/28/2015 at 12:52

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Youtube petrolicious mercury cyclone you should find it

HammerheadFistpunch > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 10/28/2015 at 12:53

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I LOVED it off road. No rear sway bar and trailing arm coils suspension in the rear meant it had a great front rear balance and I could swing that thing around its center at will and with real precision. Mine also had the rear torsen LSD so getting into and keeping long slip angles was only a matter of keeping the revs up. When you took it really off road it was as good as you could hope for something in this class; a locking center diff meant it was true 4wd and with the LSD, and lots of wheel travel (again, no rear sway bar) meant it had great traction, plus it had 75 series tires. The only limitations were the departure angles (no bumper so you had to be careful) and the gearing with the manual meant LOTS of clutch slipping.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Wheelerguy 10/28/2015 at 12:53

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hahaha

When we’re watching F1, my 2.5 year old already knows that the red ones are the Fehwawees.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > E92M3 10/28/2015 at 12:54

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“The Great Awakening”

911e46z06 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:55

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I have a brother like 20 years older than me. When I was a kid he had a primered ‘69 El Camino with a blown 454. One ride in that, and it was over for me.

phenotyp > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:55

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Aw, man. The first one for me was my second car, which I bought just after I turned 17: my RX-7. It looked just like this one (except no dopey pinstripe, and I had all my wheels on right— they actually used L/R wheels on the twisted 5-spokes, unlike Porsche!)

First car I ever really worked on, and it just felt so exotic in small-town Ohio. Dual exhausts! Rotor motor! Two seats! Huge sunroof! Equalizer under the head unit! ORANGE INSTRUMENTS!

Man, I loved that car.

TheJWT > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:57

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1991 NSX (Not an R, unfortunately)

I had obviously always been a fan of them, but it wasn’t until the first time I drove one that I realized that it was pretty much my perfect car. I’ve driven quite a few cars relative to how long I’ve had my license, and I can usually always find something not to like in any given car. But the NSX is different... Every single characteristic of it is what I would consider ideal; The transmission is perfect, it looks great, it’s super comfortable and easy to drive, it’s quick, sounds nice, and on and on...

To put it bluntly, I felt as if it was made specifically for me, and that’s a pretty special feeling. Even the e30 M3; a car which I had idolized nearly my entire life (and still do), didn’t make me feel this way when I finally drove one.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > HammerheadFistpunch 10/28/2015 at 12:57

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Was it like my brother’s Tracker in the sense that you show up, the Jeep and brodozer guys laugh, and then you just hop across the mud like it’s nothing while they get stuck? I love pissing off those guys. They’re probably the same type of people that get offended (seriously, I do mean offended) by the fact that my racecar has a guy’s name.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:59

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I’ve always had fairly nice vehicles and I’ve had even way nicer vehicles than this but if you’re asking which vehicle I was the most emotionally attached too the answer is easy.

My 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 Mega Cab RWD. This was my first ever new car. I bought a year and a half after moving to Alberta to seek a better life. I was fucking 21 when I bought it. The sense of accomplishment I felt was out of this world. what kind of 21 year old gets to buy a brand new truck with no help from anyone? This truck was way more than just a machine. It was literally like a family member.

I don’t have it anymore because I had to get rid of it to financially survive(long story but it includes getting screwed over big time).

I’ve since had way nicer cars which include a brand new Challenger SRT8 but this truck is the only vehicle I’ve ever owned until recently that has moved me on an emotional level.

The only other car that has brought me pure joy was this beast.

It’s not fast and it doesn’t handle worth a damn but it brought a huge smile to my face everytime I drove it.

I’m currently building a bond with my latest victim.

This truck I will have forever. I’m not ever getting rid of it. I plan on giving it to my son maybe for graduation or wedding day.

These old cars brought back the joy of working on cars for me. The tinkering and making it better a little bit at a time over the course of a few years makes me happier than what any new car can ever do.

RallyWrench > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 12:59

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My grandpa had a ‘74 BMW 2002, and my dad had a ‘72 Bavaria until I was about 4. I remember and loved them both, which is why I bought a rusty shitbox 1600 when I was 15, and still have a 2002, among several other BMWs I’ve been through. After I turned 16, my dad’s friends expanded my horizons with a ‘66 912 (in which I learned how steering is supposed to feel) and a ‘92 Mustang LX with some bolt-ons, the first car I drove with actual power and good exhaust noise. That was intoxicating, which is why I still want a green Fox LX 5.0.

RallyWrench > HammerheadFistpunch 10/28/2015 at 13:00

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I remember you wrote up a great ode to that trucklet. Worth posting again, I’d say.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > JR1 10/28/2015 at 13:00

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I just watched it. That’s a well done Cyclone. One day the Montego will be in a state where I can “not worry about it” like he said and just hop in and it starts with no questions. That would be nice.

HammerheadFistpunch > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 10/28/2015 at 13:01

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yup, don’t knock these little cute utes. The weight thing was a real plus, I could drive onto snowmobile tracks with mine and not sink in (within reason)

and in the sand it would have creamed my cruiser.

Wheelerguy > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 13:01

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I was five when I watched my first F1 race. Silverstone IIRC, the very first time I watched cable TV in a lowly apartment in Manila.

Just one glimpse—about two seconds—of the visuals telling who the driver is and what the car is and Ferrari made its mark in my brain. No other marque or race team ever did that to me that quickly since. Not even Porsche.

Fact is, only when I bought the 458 did I really get to know other makes. The second marque I got to know? Aston Martin, when I bought a V8 Vantage. One day after, I was play-acting a Bond vs Villain race.

HammerheadFistpunch > RallyWrench 10/28/2015 at 13:03

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This one

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/my-first-car-t…

DrScientist > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 13:06

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i had 2. being a boy in the 80’s, clearly it was the Porsche 928 and Jaguar XJS

and i’m lucky enough to say...

'Wägen, EPA LOL > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 13:09

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Mine was a ‘98. 4cyl, 5MTs were unicorns...

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 13:10

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The one that probably moved me the most in my early days was probably my 85 CRX I had in my late teens. It was slow, and an automatic, but man was it fun to drive. I would find twisty roads or on ramps just to take this thing around corners. It was like driving a street legal go-cart.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > 911e46z06 10/28/2015 at 13:11

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Yes...

TheRealBicycleBuck > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 13:12

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1970 Dodge Challenger. Plum Crazy paint. It was my uncle’s car and it was put out to pasture before I was old enough to drive it. I’ll never forget riding in the back seat of that car while he was trying to scare me with too much acceleration and whole lot of oppo.

It didn’t work.

vondon302 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 13:13

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This is some good oppo.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > phenotyp 10/28/2015 at 13:13

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Fantastic.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > TheJWT 10/28/2015 at 13:13

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I can’t wait to drive one someday.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 13:14

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What else other than my old Tercel? I bought it with no intentions of keeping it for myself but after months of wrenchingand getting to start for the first time, I really began to like. And then the first drive? Shoot, I was hooked. 63HP could actually be fun.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 10/28/2015 at 13:16

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Great stuff. I’m hoping to share my car with my kids one day, and to pass on more mechanical knowledge to them than my dad was able to give to me.

Wurrwulf > phenotyp 10/28/2015 at 13:17

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My dad had an ‘85 for the entirety of my childhood, and my fondest childhood memories are from riding in that car. He later passed it down to me, and I’ve since ruined it and let it rot. Such an incredibly fun car that 15 year old me took for granted and then couldn’t afford by 18. It’s definitely the biggest factor in me being “a car guy”.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/28/2015 at 13:18

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Nice. Blood, sweat and tears tend to bond two creatures...

CAR_IS_MI > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 13:18

1

Well..,

I was the odd one out in my family. Parents / cousins / sibling etc, not car people by any means, with the exception of one uncle who was basically disowned by the fam and lived 1000 miles away so I never actually knew him (or his kids). I just liked cars from a young age.

I was 16 and F&F had just recently come out and I knew what I wanted. A fast car. So I bought a Honda...

Anyways, just after my 17th birthday my cousin (the one from the uncle before) was getting married and sent us all invites. As we had nothing against the cousin we made the trip out, and he and I instantly got along, as he too was a car guy, and had just purchased a brand new 04 Corvette Z06. He took me for a ride in it and I was hooked. The sounds, the acceleration, the sleekness.

Anyways, I got back home and told one of my friends about this amazing machine, and he says “lets go for a ride”. So we piled in his Altima and drove to his dads house, he opens the garage, and there sits a 1992 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4. His dad had just bought it for him while I was at the wedding. It was pre-modded with a boost controller, intake and exhaust. We went for a ride and my mind was blown. The acceleration (no wheel spin, AWD), the sound of the turbos.

Two weeks later I had a 1993 3000GT VR-4 to call my own.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > vondon302 10/28/2015 at 13:18

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Thanks.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > TheRealBicycleBuck 10/28/2015 at 13:19

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Hahaha - yes!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 10/28/2015 at 13:20

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Nice. My wife’s friend and her husband race one!

wiffleballtony > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 13:21

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Probably the first 5.0 S197 Mustang that I test drove. Something about the simplicity combined with the savagery of the acceleration just spoke to me. It makes all the right noises and feels.

phenotyp > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 13:21

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Ha, I had one, too— a ‘92 5MT. “When Honda was Honda” is so right.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > DrScientist 10/28/2015 at 13:21

0

Love it. Well done, sir.

Opposite Locksmith > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 13:27

1

It's definitely my next car! Without a doubt.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > phenotyp 10/28/2015 at 13:37

0

I keep hoping that they’ll get back there, but I’m not sure if that’s possible anymore. Thankfully Mazda’s carrying the torch.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > wiffleballtony 10/28/2015 at 13:38

0

I’ve never been a Mustang guy, but the new 5.0 and GT350 might be convincing me...

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > CAR_IS_MI 10/28/2015 at 13:39

0

YES

wiffleballtony > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 13:43

1

Honestly, neither was I. When I was shopping for a car, I wanted a V8, RWD, 2 doors, relatively new and under 30k. I drove just about anything that met those requirements.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > RallyWrench 10/28/2015 at 13:43

1

Awesome. My dad owned and sold a 356 B Super 90 long before I was born, so I’ll always have a soft spot for Porsche and their early cars. I’d love to own a 2002 someday.

A friend in college had a modified Fox 5.0. That thing was brutal.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > wiffleballtony 10/28/2015 at 13:45

0

I’ve never driven one, but the next time I’m in the market, I definitely will. Hopefully the next time I’m in the market, it will be to add to the stable!

functionoverfashion > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 13:51

1

A white 1985 BMW 535is. I had barely driven any BMWs at the time, and I don’t think I realized how good of a car it was when I first got in it. But wow, I loved it. It belonged to a friend and he let me drive it quite a bit. So perfectly balanced, nice mechanical feel to it, just the right amount of power to have fun without easily getting into trouble. Great sounds. Manual of course.

And what really inspired me was that the owner had 2 or 3 BMWs, all from the 80’s or early 90’s, did all the work himself. He was the one who opened my eyes to the fact that you CAN be a regular person and also wrench yourself, so that you can drive whatever car you want. Buy them old enough that they’re cheap, and build in repairs to your budget. Done.

wiffleballtony > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 13:52

1

The new S550 is more civilized so it might be more your speed.

GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 13:55

1

Probably my Dads Triumph TR4A irs I just always wanted to drive it and got my chance once I got my license. My first car probably played a big part too, it was a 2001 Dodge Stratus R/T coupe 5spd. I loved that car, fast enough for a teenager, looked pretty good, and was pretty easy to work on. I've always been a gear head though, just raised into it by my Father and Uncle.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > functionoverfashion 10/28/2015 at 13:55

0

Nice!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo 10/28/2015 at 13:58

0

I’m hoping to do that for my kids (I didn’t get much mechanical knowledge from my dad, so I’ve been trying to build it up as I go).

FerioDreams > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 10/28/2015 at 14:07

0

This reminded me that my dad’s 1968 gold/champagne mustang was going to be mine but was unfortunately t-boned and scrapped before I was born.

I only found out when I found a picture of my dad in front of it and he told me the story :/

JR1 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/28/2015 at 14:09

0

It is getting there! One step at a time

PushToStart > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 14:09

1

It’s hard to say for sure since I’ve been a car nut for my entire life, but I’d say the car that really showed me how fun the whole “car enthusiast” thing was, was my dad’s Ferrari 308. Between the visible enthusiasm my dad had/has for cars and experiencing fun driving and everything that we all love as a car guy/girl all at once at a young age is super impressionable, so if I had to nail it down to one car, it’d be that one. It’s entirely possible that that car solidified the enthusiasm I’ve lived with for basically all my life, and very likely the reason I’m a diehard Ferrari fan as well. I still remember the Ferrari club meets I went to as a small child with dad, which are special to me two-fold because of the cars themselves and because the shared passion my dad and I have.

BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 10/28/2015 at 14:23

0

You work in the oilfields, right?

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > JR1 10/28/2015 at 14:25

1

It sure is, and even better I have another update about those wheels coming soon....

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > PushToStart 10/28/2015 at 14:33

1

Fantastic. I hope it’s a lifetime love that I can share with all my kids, too. At some point, they’ll know I’m weird. Normal people don’t take their kids to look at cars on Saturday mornings, or take their daily driver to the racetrack, or take 1000 mile roadtrips to nowhere on curvy back roads. Hopefully they’ll decide it’s a kind of weird they want a part of.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/28/2015 at 14:39

4

Rabbit GTI - 1983

I’ve been a car/airplane guy since birth, having gotten my name from the manufacturer of the Spirit of St. Louis; my late father chose my name for that very reason. He was always an airplane/car guy; he once had a really crappy bugeye Sprite, and I doubt you could get more sports car cred than that. Like me, his goal was to fly professionally, but also like me, medical conditions kept us both grounded.

I’ve always been a reader, and would pick up every automotive and aircraft publication I could get my hands on. Starting from the mid ‘70s I latched onto Road & Track magazine, even asking for subscriptions as Christmas and birthday gifts. I learned a great deal about the various automotive subcultures from that magazine, particularly about F1 racing. Niki Lauda was my first real sports hero, and I read every book he wrote, technical and biographical. Once Gilles Villeneuve came onto the F1 scene, I was one of the Tifosi. One of my happiest memories as a teenager was actually attending the 1982 US Grand Prix West in Long Beach, and seeing both Niki and Gilles on the podium.

Even though I was a Ferrari supporter on the track, I enjoyed reading about the exploits and genius of one Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman. Sayings like “simplify, then add lightness” and “Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere” really resonated with my geek/engineer personality. My grandfather’s daily driver at this time was a Porsche 914, pea green, and his choice in vehicle probably also had an effect on my thinking. So, while my friends were interested in muscle cars and big V8s, I took a tack 180 degrees opposite.

I was always a fan of the VW Scirocco, both first and second generation but also appreciated the elegant simplicity of the Rabbit until they started Americanizing it starting in 1979, turning it into a miniature Buick. We’d been a VW family since 1977 when mom bought a Dasher wagon as well as one of the first Vanagons in 1980. Before I was old enough to drive I would ride my bicycle the 10+ miles, in the heat of summer, to check out the new models at our closest VW dealer (and grab some brochures, of course). Whatever car I bought after I received my license was most likely going to be a VW, probably a Scirocco since I preferred sportier cars.

Then in late 1982 it hit the US market - a real GTI. Not just badges and stripes like the Rabbit S (anyone remember that one? Yeah, I didn’t think so...) Thanks to my years reading R&T I was already familiar with the legend of the Golf GTI, and now we could actually purchase one in the states. The reviews in all of the major car magazines were positively glowing, and I knew this was the car I had to have.

My first year of driving was in mom’s old Dasher wagon, but in the summer before my senior year in high school I purchased a used Rabbit GTI, black with burgundy interior. I still remember which song was playing on the radio when I drove off in my new car - “Missing You” by John Waite. Anytime I want to drift back to positive memories of my teenage years I call up that song.

My friends and classmates didn’t understand my car. They would ask about 1/4 mile times and dismiss me when I told them the numbers. My girlfriend didn’t understand why I’d paid so much for a car that looked like her aunt’s Rabbit diesel. If anyone understood it was probably my mother. As a young child I remember being strapped in the back seat of her FIAT 124 Sport Spider (or was it his Lotus Cortina?) as a friend of hers taught her to heel-and-toe downshift.

Much to the chagrin of my girlfriend, many a Saturday night was spent zipping through the canyons of Orange County CA. Solo. My money went into tires and performance parts rather than fancy dates. Being a bit of a geek I was thinking more about vehicle dynamics than getting laid. I remember one night driving the length of Santiago Canyon and enjoying the hell out of the drive so I did a U-turn and drove back the same road. When I got back to where I started I turned around again and did it again. And again. Somewhat like how teenagers today probably have a memory for every turn of various racecourses thanks to ‘driving’ them on GT or Forza Motorsport, I developed a memory for every twist and turn along that road. When I went off to college I would frequently drive this road rather than taking the freeways just for the pure enjoyment of the drive.

The Rabbit turned out to be a nightmare of a car, with more electrical problems than a newish car should have. I would joke that this car more miles on the back of flatbeds than it did under its own power. When it was running right it was absolutely fantastic; when it wasn’t, well, $$$. Over the years I’ve had other VWs, BMWs, Mercedes, Porsches (and a one-off freebie Ford and my current Mazda5 6MT), but none of those vehicles ever recreated the pure, unadulterated driving pleasure that I experienced in that humble little Rabbit.

I keep thinking that someday I’ll get another one just for fun, provided, of course, that I have something reliable to drive when it’s broken. But then I start telling myself that this is just pining for my long lost youth and that I won’t be able to recreate the experience. Automobile magazine did list it as one of their all-time favorites back in 2007 or 2009, so maybe it is still as good as I recall. However, being a Mazda fan these days I’ll probably get a Miata of some flavor as a plaything, figuring that this is the spiritual successor to the classic vehicles produced by Lotus, grandpa’s 914 and dad’s old bugeye Sprite. And of course, the first tune played on the stereo will be John Waite’s ‘Missing You’.