Question: Why do you have what you have?

"CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever" (carsoffortlangley) 07/16/2018 at 19:50 • Filed to: None

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Why do you own the car or cars that you do? Was it a choice, due to circumstances in life or did it choose you instead of you choosing it?

I own my Fiesta ST because I couldn’t afford a Mustang in 2014 and looked at Fiesta’s out of desperation. I knew how to drive manual and had read Jalopnik for a long time. I wanted a “drivers car”. I was not even aware of the ST’s existence until I saw it on Ford’s site.

I own my CX-3 because we wanted something nice, small and with a hatch. It was that or the Mazda3 and we didn’t care for the Mazda3's looks or feel. It also had to be automatic.

I own my truck... well most of you know that story.

Anyway, I want to know your stories on how you got your cars and reasoning behind why you spent money how you did!

Phyrxes once again has a wagon! > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 19:54

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2016.5 (Previous Gen) CX-5 due to a dieselgate turn in, RIP(arking lot) jetta sportwagen TDI.

2005 V70 since someone totaled our 2008   corolla and I wanted another wagon.

Edit: added some years to things.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 19:56

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Three things I like are reliable yet fun to drive vehicles, minivans and manual transmissions. When I needed a new car in 2012 that left me with a choice of one vehicle, and I have never regretted my decision. Now, should I ever  need to replace it I’m screwed, but I want to keep this one forever.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 07/16/2018 at 19:59

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If I had kids, I would be all over a Mazda5

E90M3 > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:00

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M3 - because I had wanted one for over a decade and I was able to afford an E90 in 2014. Thought about a 1M, but I knew the M3 was the car I always wanted.

328i - wanted something cheaper than the M3 to rack up miles on.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:01

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For me, a combination of a few things:

1. Not needing (or really caring if I have) most bells and whistles in a car (though I do miss power mirrors for parking and sometimes Cruise control on longer trips...)
2. Cost - I don’t have a lot of money as I am trying to save up for a house while still living at home so I don’t have to waste money on an apartment. My car came along with only 54,000kms (when I bought it) and I got it for $6900 all-in, taxes and everything....sounded like a great deal for me!

TheRealBicycleBuck > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:02

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I bought my B-3000 22 years ago because it was what I wanted - not too big, not too expensive, with more accessories than the Ford version at the same price, and it was a truck! I replaced it with a WRX wagon for several reasons. I needed something that would hold four people and was easily accessible both front and rear. I wanted somethi ng that could haul small loads. And, I had never owned anything fast, so I wanted something fast.

Part of what made it possible was my wife’s Explorer. It was big enough for trips and could haul a trailer. I was skeptical of it replacing the functions of my truck, but at the cost of some inconvenience, it really did exactly that. There wasn’t much I could put in the truck that I couldn’t put in the trailer.

Still, I admit that I miss having a truck.

dogisbadob > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:02

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It was cheap, runs, had a good inspection sticker, decent mechanical condition, and was close by.

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:07

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Trans Am - first car, had “t-tops, V8 power” written on the windshield, has been a great car for almost everyt hing.

Miata - I’d gotten about as fast as I could in the TA and wanted to go faster. A super clean SCCA STS prepped Miata came up for sale at the per fect time.

They’re a good pair:

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) 07/16/2018 at 20:08

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the perfect pair, you just need a small truck and you’ll be set

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:08

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The TA basically is.

My bird IS the word > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:11

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My focus ST is both a compromise as well as a goal: I want to both pursue my passion but maintain a reasonable amount of cost and vehicles. The focus gives me a city car that is good on gas (hopefully, once I break it in. averaging 18.9 mpg :( ) This is both instead of waiting for a new car till I get a salaried position, and not buying a tow-capable vehicle like I originally wanted. Not many cars fit this bill, and the german cars (mini, golf GTI) are junk, not made to last. That only leaves the focus.

The trans am is the culmination of childhood fantasy and cruel bitter reality. The 98-02 trans am is the first car I ever really wanted that I thought I could reasonably get. This led to my love of second gen f bodies, and the escalation in used prices got me convinced that now was the time. I originally wanted a car that ran so I could work on it while I drove it. The idea was sound- the car drove from berlin center ohio to pittsburgh without major incident. Typical project creep ensued. I may have made a mistake. Now, I own it out of personal pride and a desire to have something I truly worked hard over succeed.

Job pending, I also want a military humvee. A s a (really terrible) tow vehicle, a minor project, and an overall batshit insane eyeball magnet/soft-top truck/kinda off road(too big for most trails) vanity vehicle. This will likely be my last major automotive purchase for some time.

Milky > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:13

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Because I wanted a manual convertible with a nice blend of fun / economy / low maintenance / nice place to sit.

I need to get of my ass and rally/autocross though.  

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:15

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I have four vehicles that are all very different, because variety is the spice of life!

2006 CRV for commuting reliability, or for going anywhere far away, it has AWD, some clearance and AC so it works for anything. It’s pretty cheap to maintain. I would rather have a Vanagon with a Subie swap or something but with the other vehicles I have to keep this one.

I got my 240Z because I only enjoy classic sports cars, modern ones are too insulated from the job at hand, I like the road feel, roar of the exhaust with triple carbs, the old manual and a hint of petrol in the air. It’s far cheaper to maintain than a Porsche, sounds and drives great, eligible for classic rallies, it feels like a poor man’s 60's Ferrari. 

I have a W123 300D Mercedes, for comfortable cruising . Being diesel it has a very different feel to it, sheepskin seat covers and just sitting in that era of sedan can’t be compared to a new car , they just don’t build cars like that anymore. It’s a great car for cruising on a warm summer night with the sunroof open. 

And the latest and last according to my wife, the 1952 Dodge M37 military power wagon. I am a Marine, so I wanted something I could be in the MVPA with, but a Jeep was not really useful, an M37 has the fold down windshield, can go topless and also has a bed to actually carry something, it can tow too. I go surfing and kayaking so it can carry anything I need around the coast. I would also like to find some dirt roads or routes in the West to try out. So all of these are very different experiences, some people see them and they think I’m nuts, but I love the m .

(A work in progress)

jimz > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:17

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I own my Ranger because it was one of two vehicles I owned before I moved, and logistics/parking at the new place meant I had to pare down to one vehicle.  So I stuck with the most practical all-around vehicle. 

XJDano > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:17

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Caravan- kids

Equinox- bought the wife a van, I got this hand me down and ditched the metro

Jeep XJ- bought in 01 as a cheaper alternative to the 8 mpg suburban I was driving, now with all the mods it does around 13 mpg.

Rabbits- always wanted them

Motorcycle- wanted one, regret selling the one I had a few years earlier, bought same kind.

There are others I don’t have now. Like a 93xj for a DD after 99 was over built for DD, and a metro because I cut the top off of the 93xj and needed a car with heat, and floorboards. 

LOREM IPSUM > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:19

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E38, because it’s an E38.

FX45, because the E38 is a BMW.

interstate366, now In The Industry > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:20

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Prelude: because one was my first car and also I’m a masochist

TSX: because I wanted a more reliable DD than the Prelude and I wanted to see what it would be like to daily drive a manual version of an otherwise mundane car

The TL I hope to buy this weekend: because the above caused me to neglect the Prelude so I want to go back to an auto DD but I still want a real parking brake and shifter

AkursedX > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:22

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My RX-8: I sold my 3800-turbo Fiero in hopes of buying something I could autocross and track as well as carry a kid(s) in the back if need be. The only things I wanted in my price range was the rx-8 of g35 coupe. After I drove an rx-8, there was no other option. I fell in love immediately. Ive had it for almost 8 years now and have loved every minute with it.

My STI: I had a 2016 STI two cars ago. I traded it in on a Ford Police Interceptor Utility. While it was ok to drive, it was also too featureless. I’m not a huge fan of crazy amounts of features, but the PI was a bit too bland for a year round DD. After some thought, I ended up back in another 2016 STI. My first was blue and my new one is silver. That was the only real change. I love the fact that both of my cars are fun sports cars. Live too short to buy boring cars.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:22

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My car chose me.

It hates me.

I hate it.

Our mutual hate for each other means it still drives.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:27

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My ‘10 Silverado needed engine work I couldn’t afford and was still in good enough mechanical shape for the dealer to not realize the motor was basically shot so I needed something quick . I wanted something newer and with way less miles. I never thought I’d own a VW because of their reputation of unreliability but one giggle filled test drive later I was signing papers (and buying a warranty which has already paid for itself ,) forgetting about any of the other cars I was even considering. It helped it was optioned almost exactly how I’d have bought one new save the lighting package that got you HIDs and LED tails.

TheStiggyOne > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:29

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The CTS-V2 in particular:

- Was going to start modding my E90 M3 with Brembos, brake ducts, Recaros, shocks and S/C. After adding everything up I realised that it would cost me way more than just trading it in for the CTS-V2 that has all these things, with warranty, and then I get to finance the whole thing at 0.9% to boot.

- Now, its cachet, especially equipped with 6MT, is pretty legendary by now ... so I feel honoured to be able own and keep mine.

Sport Sedans in general:

- Last time, I had to go to pick up my sister at Sea-Tac and then drive her back to Vancouver. After I pulled up and unlocked the doors , and before I could even get out of the car... she had already yanked the rear door open, chucked her carry-on bag into the back bench seat, closed the rear door , opened the front passenger door, and was getting in.

- So , as long as both the Sedan and the Coupe goes and handles the same, I pick the Sedan, even though I am not a family man. Now, back in the E46 days then the M3 only came as Coupes, but I was not in a position to make that jump anyways... so I topped out at the 330i ZHP. E90 vs. E92 M3s, and now the F80 M3 vs. F82 M4, those  are no brainers to me.

ranwhenparked > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:30

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In my case, it was because I got a new job that provides a company car, meaning I no longer *have* to own a really new car with a good warranty for personal use - combined with buying a house that costs a bit more than I was paying in rent and needs renovation. Meaning, I decided I needed to downsize to make more room in the monthly budget. So, I traded in a 2016 Dodge Challenger on a 2008 Lincoln Town Car and eliminated my car loan. It was basically the cheapest vehicle on the lot that I was willing to live with, since I’ve owned a couple Panthers in the past and generally prefer big, comfortable cars. Knock on fake plastic wood, it seems pretty solid. Everything works like new, no age related wear or other maladies as yet.

Also, I’ve discovered that running it  on pure gasoline (no ethanol) gives about 1 full mpg extra.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Milky 07/16/2018 at 20:34

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I like the new one, I did the Jaaag/Land booth at the auto show the year it came out and M azda was next to us. I kept walking next door to look at it. 

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:40

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When my sister started driving My dad and I started looking for a 4th car. The only real requirement was that I wanted to learn to drive stick. We poked around Craigslist for a bit before a mechanic friend of my dad said he had an 04 Cooper he just took in. I was back at school at this point so my dad went and checked it out. 3 months later I came home from school and started learning how to drive it. From there it snowballed and now the only car I would ever replace it with is another Mini.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 07/16/2018 at 20:41

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I live in a condo my mom owns, it wasn’t really supposed to be for forever but housing is insane now in the Bay Area and I think I would have to leave if we didn’t live here, that or in a really cracky area! I did pick cars I liked but were not expensive to maintain in general. The Mercedes could use a new tranny but it isn’t dead yet! Once I finish the truck I am going to save more , my wife is saving from her job too. I’m not really optimistic about finding a place in the future to buy with parking or a garage! 

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 07/16/2018 at 20:48

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I live in semi-rural Nova Scotia, Canada near Mahone Bay so housing is comparatively cheap here compared to somewhere like where you live!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 07/16/2018 at 20:48

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I live in semi-rural Nova Scotia, Canada near Mahone Bay so housing is comparatively cheap here compared to somewhere like where you live!

random001 > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 20:49

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I wanted to try a convertible, and I test drove an Abarth Carbio, and it’s stupid fun for a commuter.  Also, that noise....

AestheticsInMotion > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 21:06

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Back before I had an account—the lurker days—everyone here and on Jalopnik made Miatas sound like the second coming. The perfect cheap sporty car that would also serve as a fantastic way to learn how to do basic mechanic work.

After almost a year of dreaming, I went to test drive one off Craigslist. Salvage title, high mileage, beat up inside and out. But it was stock, and ran well. After I managed to lower the top, I was off on a test drive with the friend I’d brought. The smile just got larger and larger the further I drove. Bought it that day and started the long process of turning it into my canvas.

Here’s a shot from the second week of ownership, after I decided I should put in a hideous neochrome steering wheel!

And as it stands...

Would you still go for a Mustang today? 

Wacko > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 21:08

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I was a 90s civic guy, cause well I started driving the 90s.

Then in 2003 I bought a protege5 new. Kept that until 2010 when I bought a 6 speed manual awd sx4.

In 2013 I bought my first jeep tj. Then 2014 replaced the 2.5 with a 4.0 sahara riding on 35s.

In 2015 crashed my sx4 and took the 32000 from insurance to buy my 2014 pathfinder. So after almost 20 years of manuals was now driving a 7 passenger cvt SUV. Had my daughter in 2014, son in 2 015 and my second son just this May.

My wife already had a girl before I met her.

Long story short, we have 4 kids so 7 passenger SUV it is.  And we have her 2011 Elantra that I hate.  I want to find anorther awd manual to replace it and give her the pathfinder 

Milky > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 07/16/2018 at 21:08

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It was the Detroit show a year and a half ago, I think I went to sit in it twice. I was shopping for NC MX5 /Soltice /etc at that point but it was such a nice interior. Coming from a Crossfire, I think thats what eventually sold me.

And every first review being “omg pure sport car”.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 21:09

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2008 Saturn Astra XR 5Door 5MT, blue ; was the wife’s daily for the last 10 years. She bought it new because she wanted to get better at driving a manual after me having taught her as we were dating.

2016 Night Blue GTI SE 6MT with Performance package and the S-trim plaid cloth seats; needed (more so wanted) to replace my daily of 10 years 2002 SVT Focus as it required nearly constant maintenance and was finally feeling every single year of causal neglect I had inflicted upon it. Thought I wanted a Fiesta ST, but hated the interior and sudden torque delivery on boost. Those drive like a riot, but just wasn’t what I wanted. Moved on to the BRZ. Drove that three times and liked it less each time. Too small, harsh, cheap, and RWD for me. Settled on the GTI after driving a coworkers base Golf Launch Edition with VWR springs on it. Loved the interior layout and quality feel. Drove a performance package GTI and fell in love with the feel of the differential through the wheel when the boost hits. Ordered a blue one. Finally got the wrong car 4 months later at a criminal price. Hence the S seats in an SE GTI.

2018 Lexus NX 300 F-Sport in Ultra-Sonic Blue Mica on RS-R springs with eBay wheels; wife’s new daily. I get an employee discount through work. We’d have something entirely different had I not had this benefit.

Milky > random001 07/16/2018 at 21:14

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My girlfriend had a friend in town this weekend so I swapped keys with my roomm ate ... that noise tho.  

nermal > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 21:20

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I wanted something that had 4 wheel drive, a stick shift, could pull a big-ass trailer, and would perfectly suit a variety of obnoxious bumper / window stickers.

There was only one choice.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 21:21

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i use my car to haul 3-4 people every day, I haul stuff for work, once a week that inclused 8-10 milk crates full of dairy product, plus I like biking so I haul bikes around. I also live where it’s winter 6 months out of the year. So it would b far to say the vehicle I “need” is an SUV. A RAV4, or Escape would be a perfectly fine vehicle for my needs.

However what I want is a fun car low to the ground, good handling, manual trans, tight heavy steering. So I have a rolling compromise between the two. It’ll never been as fun as any real sports car, and it’s not as good at being an SUV as any SUV. But it’s a pretty great Jack of All Trades. Also it was for sale locally which was nice, and a wagon variant was too expensive.

The wife’s Fit was 50% her natural practical nature and 50% the fact that it was a cute color. She wanted a much newer car to replace her 2001 Cavalier, but wanted to be able to pay it off within a year. I wanted a hatchback/Wagon for camping and Incase we ended up with a kid. She didn’t want an SUV and being cheap to own was her #1 goal. For reference her Cavalier cost her a total of 3 Grand for the 5 years she drove it, so the next car had big shoes to fill. I think we landed on something that checked all the boxes. Except for the one option she did want, heated seats. The funny thing is one of the cars I pushed for her to buy was an E90 and then I bought one 3 years later.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) 07/16/2018 at 21:22

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The fact that 4th gen  F bodies are liftback is icing on a cake that that was already pretty moist. 

Urambo Tauro > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 21:38

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Oh, I was very picky about my Mustang. Didn’t even know that much about Mustangs at the time, and it took me months to realize what aftermar ket mods it had on it. But I knew that I wanted something newer than a Foxbody, and I knew that I wanted the pushrod 302 engine. T hat right there narrowed it down to just a two-year range: 1994 or 1995. Finding one with a manual transmission was the next step, and I finally found what I was looking for in a Chevy dealer’s used lot. That was almost 9 years  ago now.

Ssfancyfresh > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 21:51

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Audi A4. I bought this after my wife and I found out we were pregnant with our first kiddo. I had a TT at the time. This seemed like a natural progression. Unlike the TT, it came with an awesome CPO warranty. I bought this car with the expectation I would have it for 6+ years. It’s a great car. It meets all of my functional requirements without being excessive

Chevy Tahoe. We leased this after we found out #2 was on the way. My wife had a grand Cherokee . We wanted a larger 3 row SUV. At the time, we were traveling a fair amount with her mom, so being able to do 3 across with car seats in the middle row was important while having the back available for cargo or people. It’s a decent truck. Surprisinly good fuel economy, but a bit spendy otherwise. We’ll probably migrate to a crossover of some sort when we turn this one in.

fintail > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 21:52

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I had seen the fintail around town for a few years, and admired its state of preservation - even 25 years ago, these were rare. One day I went to the store, and it was parked there with a for sale sign in the window. The rest is history.

For the Bluetec, I had stopped by the dealer to get a free keyfob battery, the sales manager saw me and said he had a car I might want, and would do a lot to get rid of it (end my current lease well before pull forward, etc). The test is history.

Tripper > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 22:00

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E46 m3 - I wanted it more than anything when I was 22 so I got it even though I could barely afford it. Now I’ve had it for so long (almost 12 years) it’s mine forever

Ranger - I wanted a really nice older pickup. I searched and searched and got one.

Grom - This is a thing that exists!? I want it! I bought it. It’s particularly easy to buy a motorcycle.

S3 - I want/need a newish car to depend on, but it still has to be fun and can’t be a money pit like the E90 m3 it replaced.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 22:01

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Honestly, because my brother said it was good to learn stick on, it was cheap, I have poor judgement, and once I commit to something, I see it through, one way or another. Either I die or this goddamn Golf does.

Looks and sounds good, though.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 22:04

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My first vehicle was my MJ.

I don’t remember the exact choices that lead to me buying the Comanche, but it was along the lines of needing a vehicle within a specific budget that I could have plates on and move myself to university within a week. I was only vaguely aware of the Jeep Comanche at the time, so I read up on it and decided it was about the coolest thing I’d found so I called the guy, fell in love with the truck, and bought it even before he had a chance to clean it out.

Fast forward a few years and I did some stupid things involving high speeds on an old engine and horrendous knocking from the 4.0. I had money for a junkyard engine and the tools needed to change it, but for a similar price I saw the Niva. I don’t exactly remember when I first learned about the Niva, possibly on Top Gear but probably earlier. But at any rate it was the single thing I wanted more than anything else for much of my teen years, so when I saw it I jumped on it. Didn’t even really know how to drive a standard, but I hammered my way through and drove it 300km home, by which point I’d more or less figured it out.

I used it as my daily for about a year and a half before fixing the MJ. It must have got jealous or something when I started driving the Jeep again because it really started falling apart hard about then. But non-student budget has allowed me to address most of that falling-apartedness to the point where I had no fear driving it 10,000km around the US on the second LeMons Rally. It’s fair to say that Lada overship has turned me from someone who likes cars to a legit enthusiast.

My Cherokee was bought as a donor to manual-swap the MJ. Except it’s so painfully original and runs as drives so nicely despite sitting for a few years (I ressurected it from a snow bank then pulled a 3500lb trailer almost 2000km across the Canadian prairies during a several-week -40 snap. It only needed a new battery after sitting in the frozen for a few years, plugged in the block heater for a couple hours, and it fired up like it had just been running on whatever garbage was in the tank, then performed flawlessly apart from needing a new alternator about halfway through the drive.

Unfortunately it’s quite rusted. Very badly. Pretty well the entire floor, inner and outer rockets, and rear quarters need new steel welded in. I’d pretty much fallen in love with it though, and had been entertaining the idea of fixing it but reality may be getting in the way. I’m probably going to be parting it out fairly soonish. :(

Saint Jimmy came along because it was $250, ran when parked, not likely to be completely impossible to keep limping along with a good supply of readily available parts, and after moving from MB to AB I figured I was going to need a locally -registered vehicle soonish but that I wouldn’t need to hang onto for very long. That turned out to be true and I still have it.

But apart from the Greenday-inspired paint job it’s a bland bland mobile that feels way heavier than its size would dictate, and the only aspect of it that I like is that I don’t care about it which is somewhat liberating when automotive shenanigans are sorta your thing. But otherwise I hate driving it. Which is why when the five-speed ZJ appeared for sale a couple months ago I jumped the hell on that.

Because frankly if you’re into Jeeps you don’t pass that up because there sure as hell aren’t that many out there. It’s been doing great having replaced the Saint as my daily driver. There have been a couple hiccups (like changing the radiator in a parking lot in Lake Louise this weekend) but that’s to be expected with a 25-year-old Jeep, even a one-family one like this one.

I’ve had a couple other jeeps as well over the years, but that’s my current herd.

Anyone wanna buy 2001 Jimmy?

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 22:25

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To the best of my knowledge I don’t have any kids. I just like minivans - always have (at least the good ones).  Back in the ‘80s I even traded in my GTI for a Vanagon, admittedly an odd choice for a college student...

Derpwagon > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 22:44

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This’ll be wordy. I’ll try to limit it.

2012 Civic SI: After my 2nd legacy gt wagon was totalled in the course of about 8 months (first due to track day, second due to hail...long story involving banks and loans and total losses), I needed a car that wasn’t a penalty box but was also practical...ish. I was very close to pulling the trigger on an Impreza Sport, but it was a little slower than I wanted, and had a truly awful stereo, and no sunroof . I saw a fit and the Civic at a local dealer and test drove them for kicks. The fit was appallingly slow, so that was absolutely out. The Civic is a blast. Handles well, is as fast stock for stock (internet actually claims faster) than the LGT was. Roomier back seats than the wagon too. Plus the stereo sounds great. No heated seats but the rest made up for it. Bought it that night.

2014 CR-V. Wife ran her 07 Rainier out of oil. Threw a rod. Knock knock knock. With a kid, her not knowing how to drive a manual, and a job she needs to commute to, we needed a car and we needed one ASAP. She wanted an SUV so off to Autotr ader we went. Narrowed it down by features she ‘needed’ (heated seats, sunroof, etc) and mechanical things I wouldn’t compromise on (had to have AWD and no CVT bullshit), and this ticked the boxes in a color she liked. CPO was a nice touch.

1987 Supra Turbo: I’d been wanting a sports car/project car. Was saving up for an R32 skyline GTS-T Type M. Was sent the link the the Supra at a local dealership... For 4 grand. The entry price difference alone meant the Supra had way more potential per dollar. I’m still less than 10k into it and it’s fantastic. By the time I’m even to the entry price of the skyline I’ll have a very reliable, quick(er) nice car.

2007 Rainier: Still sitting iny driveway after throwing a rod. I might fix it. I dunno.

1995 Ford probe gt: I needed a car while my legacy at the time was apart and waiting on a flywheel. It’s also sitting in my driveway. Needs a water pump. Probably fucked from sitting for so long. Might try to get it fixed bu t it’s been sitting with gas in it for over a year and a half, and I'm going overseas for a year in September. I want to rallycross it.

Land_Yacht_225 > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 22:55

2

To bask in the fading brilliance of our waning aristocracy?

When I turned 16 I wanted the world on a silver platter. I had $5,000 and I wanted an E38, or a Town Car, or a W140, or a Fleetwood - and I got a Buick Park Avenue with a non-functional supercharger and a complete lack of structural integrity. But, for my father who had been test driving all the cars I wanted, the seed had been planted. M y father, who went from a ‘ 68 Cougar 302 automatic to a ‘73 Camaro Z 28 to a Dodge Omni to a Plymouth Horizon to an Integra to a 1999 New Beetle purchase off the truck at sticker - finally saw the light again. And half our neighborhood had collapsed following the whole 2008 financial thing and we had personally gotten a kick in the pants from which we are still only just recovering from...we kinda needed a pick- me- up which came in the form of a 1998 Lincoln Continental and a 2004 Jaguar Vanden Plas. Call it spiraling out of control, or doubling down on a bad bet, good money after bad, whatever you will but I was luckily able to establish a pattern. Tavarish always said life was too short to drive a boring car.

The Continental rusted away beneath me - and coming off that technological powerhouse, I had to have ventilated seats and adaptive cruise control (read: MORE!!!!!!!!) . Under 10 grand, the only thing that fits is an old S-Class and I decided to go big or go home. An S500 would have been sufficient, but I have said how I feel about my 600 before - I am a cheap dictator drunk with horsepower and I am never getting rid of it no matter how hard it kicks me in the teeth .

The old Vanden Plas got totaled so I orchestrated another bad decision and we replaced it with a 2005, and my mom had always been lusting after her old bosses S-Type R for strictly aesthetic reasons, but we bought it for her anyway when he finally decided to sell - which is why she drives a 400hp supercharged sedan with a dangerous power-to-weight ratio for her driving ability.

Welcome to la nouvelle bourgeoisie - foreclosed McMansions and 100,000 mile flagships forever!

Longtime Lurker > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 23:23

1

The Caravan(my first) was owned by my dad’s company from new , so it was a known good running vehicle with a maintenence history that had new tires and brakes months before I bought it for $300.

The BMW came as I was getting tired of the handling of the caravan, tall heavy slow automatic FWD, I wanted a fun summer car, after consulting Jalopnik for fun cheap ($3000 budget) sporty cars, I narrowed my search down to an E30, a Taurus SHO, and a 350 Roadmaster Wagon. When I went shopping there wasn’t a single wagon to be had, only two SHO’s for sale one needing an expensive clutch job and the other slightly rusty one which the owner would not answer emails. That lead me to my 86 325es red 2door RWD manual with full service history.

My Ranger because the caravan was getting old (414000 km), blown out factory struts, rusting out strut towers that would shift around while driving, and lots of little fiddly thing failing (door ajar switch, tailgate handle turn signal wiring). I knew what I needed was something fuel efficient, reliable, durable, and cheap to buy, insure, and maintain. If you remember back then, but Jalopnik was running articles on the death of the compact truck segment, with how 2009 would be the last year for the Ranger, then Ford would annouce a production extension with a end cycle update including 4 wheel disc brakes, traction and stability control, and side impact airbags, ( all standard equipment) Ford did these upgrades so they could have the safest full truck lineup for 2010. Jalopnik wrote several articles on the Ford Ranger old and new about how it’s a good little truck that you must own in your lifetime. The used market didn’t have much to offer lots of halfton crewcabs, and the rangers that were available either had a fuel thirty v6, or every 4cyl was a white no options beat to shit work truck. So new it was then and with all the rebates ford had, and the $1000 Costco bonus, and a trade recycle program meant I didn’t have to worry about my unsafe minivan ending up in the possession of some poor family, the choice was easy. The local dealers had tons of inventory but again, all 4cyl were white contractor specials, or optioned up v6's. I checked online inventory and found only two blue 4cyl Rangers in the entire province so I drove 250kms away to test drive and buy a 2010  blue reg cab RWD auto air/tilt/cruise truck at significant discount AND they gave me a $1000 dollars trade on my Caravan.

fhrblig > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 23:44

1

Right now I have nothing because a high school kid threw a Chevy Sonic at it. I did have a ‘13 Kia Optima that I bought because I needed something comfortable for a long commute, something my partner was willing to ride in, and needed to get out of my Fiat 500.

In hindsight I shouldn’t have bought the 500, but I was getting bored of my truck and fell for the siren song of getting a new car . It was fun to drive , but it was too small for our needs and the combo of sport wheels/tires-traction control-manual conspired to make it awful to drive in snow. So I bailed on it, knowing I was going to pay for the privilege . Fortunately, insurance is taking care of it now, and I got my use out of it.

I don’t exactly need a car right now, because I have a company vehicle that I take home. I know that if I do get another car, I want something that I actually WANT. Either that or it has to be dirt cheap, like under $1k. I don’t want to have a car payment for a while. The gap coverage does include $1k toward another car if I finance it through the same credit union, but I don’t know that I want to do that right now. Mentally I keep flopping back and forth over what I want to do.

My partner has a 2018 Elantra Limited. He loves it. I should mention that he is not a car guy at all, and in fact I tend to drive when we’re together because he hates to drive. He likes this one a lot more than the 2016 Elantra GT, because even though it had a decent level of equipment for a base-ish model there was nothing special about it. The new one has all the toys except for a sunroof, which he also hates. (We are very different people.)

Chuckles > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/16/2018 at 23:48

2

I have my Miata because every car that I owned before it was a car of circumstance. For the first time in my life, I bought the car that I wanted. How did I get this specific Miata? My friend was working at a Ford Dealership 4 hours away and I stalked his used car inventory often. The Miata showed up and stayed for a few weeks because the internet salesperson called it an automatic. I saw it was a 5 speed in the photos and drove up and bought it.

I have my Fiat because I needed to replace my previous daily driver that got some flood damage in a hurricane. I wanted something small, automatic, and cheap, but with more creature comforts than my 23 year old convertible. How did I get this Fiat specifically? I found it on Craigslist. The owner lived on the other side of the mountain near  me in a mansion. He used it as a commuter car until his job gave him a company car.

V8soundRIOT- Now Has a V8 > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/17/2018 at 01:04

1

I don’t have any pictures available but:

2007 Mustang GT - v8, 5mt, love the body style of this gen, large aftermarket.

1985 Camaro - I have wanted a project car for a long while and this popped up on a somewhat local CL at a ridiculously low price. I also wanted to have a car that I could dedicate for drag racing, which this will likely end up as that car.

random001 > Milky 07/17/2018 at 06:29

1

So noise. Much joy.

I know I won’t have that car forever, but that noise will be with me forever.

Chinny Raccoon > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/17/2018 at 06:47

1

I bought the Ignis as my parents had one that was a great car , bit weird, fun and cheap. This one was £400 sight unseen from gumtree with a blown head gasket and missing the front bumper. My daily for the last 4 years, now over 160,000 miles. A lot of parts have been replaced, and in many ways it’s terrible car, but it’s still a great little thing.

The MR2 was bought on a whim back in November. That’s the best way to buy cars!

nerd_racing > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/17/2018 at 08:34

2

93 Autozam AZ-1 because “ Fat Guy in a Little Car” and I’ve wanted one for over 10 years.

15 Mazda 3i Sport 6MT Hatch - Fuel Economy and Utility Vehicle/Winter Bomber

New to me 91 Miata - Summer Fun/Flip project.

89 Suzuki Intruder 750 - Cheap why they hell not purchase (Anyone want it?? $1/cc)

t0ast > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/17/2018 at 12:13

2

‘07 Miata (2008) - Was fresh out of college with a good job secured and no foreseeable change in life responsibilities , so I just asked myself, “What is reasonably priced and will be fun for the next 10+ years?” After checking out most of the offerings under $30k (WRX, GTI, S2Ks, muscle cars, etc.), Miata was of course the answer. I almost went with a new 2008 model, but a buyer’s remorse special popped up on Craigslist and the price difference was more than enough to change my mind.

‘05 Outback XT (2012) - I got away with just the Miata as a year-round daily for about 4 years, but the warranty was on its way out and I wanted to start modifying. This necessitated another vehicle to cover anticipated down-time, so I aimed for something practical and winter-capable to also handle what the Miata couldn’t. The available manual transmission and turbo power made the Outback XT the easy front-runner pick of crossovers and SUVs at the time. I was a little concerned about unknown maintenance histories causing reliability headaches down the road, but then I found one with a mere 33k miles on the clock and immediately jumped on it.

‘13 FR-S (Husband’s car, 2015) - I sold him my ‘98 ZX2 when I purchased the Miata. The ZX2 had a good run with over 200k miles, but it was getting tired and hinting at eventual transmission failure. Before that could happen though, it got totaled out in a minor, injury-free, not-at-fault accident. Insurance check in hand, he started looking for a fun car with a stick in the mid $10k range, so we checked out Fiesta STs, Veloster Turbos, Toyobarus, Miatas, etc. The Toyobarus were pushing the price limit a bit, but a lemon-branded example eventually appeared with a price tag nearly $2k below everyone else. Some investigation revealed that the lemon law was invoked due to fuel pump noise, which is common and harmless in these vehicles, so he went for it and got a hell of a deal.

‘15 Exomotive Exocet (2017) - After dipping my toes into the autocross waters and hearing the call of track days, the Miata started to leave me wanting. The powered hard top can’t fit a decent roll bar and it was no longer “the car” to have for its respective autocross classes, so I started making plans for a successor. I was leaning towards something like a kit car or Elise for even more lightweight fun and eventually settled on the Exocet since it was the least fussy and expensive of the lot. The specific one I wound up buying appeared a little earlier than I was planning for, but it was built almost exactly like how I wanted and the original buyer/builder had put the effort in to fully complete the build in a practical and reliable manner.

??? (Future) - The Miata and Outback will likely be on their way out in the next year or two. My gameplan at the moment is to sell both and pick up some manner of hot hatch (for daily fun and practicality) and then eventually a truck (for Exocet towing).

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/17/2018 at 16:58

1

Why not haha. My fleet is one piratical , and three emotional cars. And there is nothing wrong with that. The TL;DR is:

Volvo C30 - Got tired of my Civic Si and thought the Volvo was interesting. Had it for 6 years and still loving it. 6-speed and a turbo I5 is awesome.

Saab 900 Turbo - My brother’s old car and my uncle before him, given to my when I turned 16. Abandoned(ish) when I was 19 and in the process of restoration now . The nostalgia is strong with this one.

Alfa Romeo Spider - I put myself in a ridiculous situation and bought it from a shady used car dealer, drove it 2000 miles, and fell in love.

Land Rover Disco - I put myself in a ridiculous situation again and bought it from a shady used car dealer, drove it 1800 miles overland , and fell in love.  

Khalbali > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/17/2018 at 19:35

0

I have my NC because I got impatient waiting for the ND I ordered and decided to get a low mile loaded NC for cheaper with more aftermarket support. Then I didn’t modify it at all and 3 years later I hate it and want to trade it in for a Mitsubishi mirage (or literally just about anything else) but my credit sucks a nd I’m broke.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) 07/18/2018 at 13:50

0

Good point

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/19/2018 at 00:43

0

Ford Focus Wagon... I have what I have after doing a search for sub-$5000 cars with manual transmissions, FWD, 4 cyl with either a wagon or hatchback body and with fairly good fuel economy . Focii wagons are relatively cheap and it was the best option available for the money that met all criteria I was looking for. 

BrownManualWagon > t0ast 07/23/2018 at 12:47

1

You and your Husband sound like you are living the automotive good life! The E xocet especially sounds like a fun beast. I have a MK7 GTI if you’re near MN you could test drive to see what the other side is like.

BrownManualWagon > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) 07/23/2018 at 12:49

0

My bachelor party ended in Salina with some Top Gear style tests in crappy old BMWs. It was an amazing and healing moment in time. I still look for old cheap oddballs.

Nice autocross!

BrownManualWagon > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/23/2018 at 12:54

0

The Eclipse was because I couldn’t afford a 1990 LX 5.0 back in 1996. The 3000GT VR-4 5 years later was because of the Eclipse. The Mazda Protege 10 years later was because the near 200k mile VR-4 needed to retire from daily driving duty and school loans were starting to crush me. 4 years later the MK7 GTI was because I wanted to feel the modern-day equivalent to the Eclipse and the 2016 cars are the last of the 2-doors.

I also needed an amalgamation of: winter capability, autocross capability, seating for 4 adults (or 5 people) in a pinch, decent highway manners (not the 2000 Protege anymore), and decent highway mileage (semi-long distance always changing parameters marriage to a med student).

Life is stressful, and now... the VW is out of warranty!!!!!!!!!!!

t0ast > BrownManualWagon 07/24/2018 at 11:30

0

Thanks, and it’s definitely been a pretty satisfying collection to have over the last few years. I a ppreciate the offer since a Golf GTI or R is almost certainly in the running for that “future” spot , though I don’t anticipate being up that way again anytime soon. Speaking of which, did you go for the DSG or Manual on yours, and how are you liking it?

BrownManualWagon > t0ast 07/24/2018 at 12:58

1

I wanted, and thus found the manual in one of the lightest configurations (2-door, no sunroof).

I do like it, but I’ve found that most modern cars have such long gearing for EPA tests or some other reason that it isn’t as enjoyable as smaller less powerful cars to row the gears. Then again, it never upshifts or changes gears on me mid corner or at some other opportune time which I appreciate.