Car Lust

Ranking priorities in buying a car

I'm going to inturrupt our onging $100,000 challenge for a moment with a somewhat related thought.

When you are looking for a new vehicle (new or used, new to you), how do you prioritize what is important to you in selecting the vehicle? 

What is most important in making your decision - gas mileage, safety, cargo capacity, reliability, weather considerations, style, cost, size etc?

Feel free to pile on other considerations as well.

 

And since we didn't have an open thread on Monday, toss that here in the comments if you have something else worth discussing.

$100,000 Fantasy Garage Challenge: Big Chris

I added an extra level of requirement to my fantasy garage - I had to be able to find my vehicles within 100 miles, or at least have them delivered here if new.  I did this because we as a family are indeed in the market for two new(er) vehicles.  Without exaggeration I added 2.5 quarts of oil to my wife's '96 Civic last night (yes, it sounded like a tractor prior to this) and have added 6 quarts in the last 6000 miles.  That's on top of what was put in at the oil change.  And my 2001 Dodge Caravan needs all new suspension (yes, all of it), brakes, tires, and has an AC condensor that is going to grenade at any moment leaving me stranded somewhere.

2010 Subaru Forester - $15,000 - These are readily available at this price, and I'm kinda in the market for one as we write this. I want something that will get through the Minnesota winters.  Something I can throw junk in the back of.  Something that will house my growing son for some time to come.  Something I'll be able to drive for a long time, and something I won't be completley bored with.  I think this will do all that and then some.  And it gets better gas mileage than my current van.

Car Lust - 1969 Corvette Stingray

Long have I lusted for a Corvette.  Not just any Vette mind you, but the earlier version of the Stingray.  A 1969 Corvette with the 427 cubic inch big block nestled comfortably under the hood. One kind of like this:

Steve J. Lindsay's project '69 Corvette

So why that Corvette, exactly? 

Thanks for asking. It goes back to my impressionable childhood....

2013 Honda Goldwing

For those who haven't been around the blog for long, I am the blog contributor who grew up in/on/under/around countless things with two wheels.  My father was a motorcycle mechanic and shop manager most of my childhood and part of my adult life as well, and still does it as a hobby (yes, he truly enjoys fixing motorcycles).

A few weeks ago, he mentioned to me in passing that he was interested in the new Honda Goldwing.  He currently rides a Honda ST1300 - a very lust worthy cycle.  An acquaintence is apparently interested in the ST1300, and that triggered the idea in my dad to look at new bikes.  He's a long term Goldwing lover, having owned one briefly in the late 70's that was stolen and never recovered, and then having owned a second one that he gave to me a few years back.  Yes, you read that right, he gave it to me.

Because he still techincally owns the one stolen in the 70's, he's been allowed for quite a number of years to be a member of his area's Honda Goldwing Club.  So I guess it seems fitting that he'd consider a new one.  And considering the miles that he and my mother like to put on the bike, a Goldwing for the road would be much more comfortable.

So in speaking to him on the phone the other night, he mentioned he pulled the trigger.  Candy Red - to match his Candy Red 1978 Honda CBX.  He got all the options other than the air bag (yes, some cycles now have air bags!) because he wanted the ABS brakes and heated hand grips, and the only way to get them was to bundle on the other items that he was less enthused about (Navi system, we're looking at you...).

 

Image from http://powersports.honda.com

 

If you aren't familiar with the Goldwing line, espeically the current version, they are the luxery cruiser of motorcycles.  1832cc (111.7ci) of displacement in a liquid-cooled horizontally opposed six-cylinder.  Roughly the same size engine as my wife's 1996 Honda Civic, though gobs more horsepower and torque.  This motorcycle has a reverse gear.  And there is enough storage in various compartments on the bike to easily and comfortable be away from home for a few days.

This is the type of motorcycle you can ride all day and not be hurting afterwards - it is incredibly comforable for touring.  It gets good gas mileage inspite of the fact that with your gear for the weekend and gas in the tank you can be North of 1000lbs before you and your passenger sit on it. While it won't win any handling competitions, nor will you run it at your local drag strip, it will do everything my father wants - go on endlessly day after day, comfortably, reliably, and safely.  Pretty close to a dream come true for my dad.  He's worked hard for many years, and without question deserves and will fully enjoy this machine.

With the wind in his face the the pavement beneath his feet, I expect he'll get more than his money's worth out of this beautiful bike.

As an aside, the bike is being delivered to the shop he ordered it from (in South Dakota) next week.  He'll uncrate & assemble it himself, and is hoping to get some riding in yet this year.  I'll be cheering against the snow coming early, that's for sure!  And while it doesn't exactly induce motorcycle lust in me, I am certainly envious of this opportunity.  And hopefully, if I behave myself and ask nicely, I might even get to ride it!  :-)

October 22 Open Thread - Fine Line Between Awesome and Insane

It's the internet.  Full of entertaining things that run the razor's edge between nuts and "Why didn't I think of that?"  As the father of a 3 year old, I'm tempted to replicate the following video but we'll do it as a father-son trike.  Neighborhood walks will never be the same again!

 

 

I'd make room in my garage!  Anybody any have any fun projects you are working on?  Projects sitting gathering dust in the corner of the garage?  Waiting for parts, time, or more likely money to move to the next stage?

 

As always, this is the place for all the other things that might not fit under our other threads.  Pull up a seat, crack your favorite relaxing beverage, and share with us for a spell.

--Big Chris

8/6/12 Open Thread - 2001 Dodge Caravan - 250k is a lot of miles!

 

I don't know that it qualifies as a historic day in automotive history, but certainly historic in my automotive history.  Considering the rough life this van had before I got it, it truly is amazing that it has made it this far!

 

 

What is your mileage story?  400k in your old Merc diesel?  65k with the top down in your convertable?  You squeezed 125K out of a Chevy Vega?  (we won't believe you...)

 

Other posts related to this van:

2001 Dodge Caravan Headlight Lens Restoration -Worked better on the van than my wife's '96 Civic.

Working on our own junk - The most comments of any post I've made (thus far).

 

--Big Chris

Your wife is hot! - 7/23/12 Open Thread

This is your Monday thread - the collecting bin for all your thoughts that might not fit elsewhere.

This photo comes from a friend of mine who has a car audio business:

 

Appropriate for this summer I think.  Stay cool, pull up a chair, and join us for some conversation.

--Big Chris

April 16th Open Thread - Mail your taxes today!

Just a friendly reminder, Uncle Sam wants his cut, and he doesn't like to wait.  Unless you file for an extention.  And then only for a little while.  I'm proud to say we finished our taxes early this year.  As in Friday.  Last Friday.

Death and taxes.  Unfortunately I got word of a pending car world death.  The closure of a regional car museum comes later this week - Ellingson Car Museum - http://ellingsoncarmuseum.com/  I'm hoping to take a field trip up there later this week before they close.

(credit to Ellingson Car Musem, Rogers, MN)

If you are in the market for a "new" car check out their offerings on the left side bar under "Cars for sale".  You say you want a show quality 1954 Buick Roadmaster Convertable? We can do that.  The '69 Corvette keeps calling me asking me to bring it home.  My wife said no.  Seriously though, that is my dream car.

And a 1952 Kaiser Traveler?  Where's my drool towel?  How can you say no to the hybridization of a Sherman tank and grandma's station wagon?

If you could chose any car on their sale list, what would it be and why?

 

As always this is your place for all the random thoughts that might not fit under our other various thread.

--Big Chris

 

A sunny day and a strange love affair

It seems that spring may actually be here in southern Minnesota.  A few weeks early, but I’m certainly not complaining.  With spring comes annual rituals – spring cleaning, fertilizing the grass (not quite yet though), putting out the lawn furniture, and getting engines you’ve stored all winter back into running condition.

I have a love/hate relationship with working on vehicles.  I grew up as a shop rat, learning much from my motorcycle mechanic father.  For him, working on cycles has always been a passion that earned him money.  For me it has always been a necessity to save me money.  I’m competent at it, but I just don’t enjoy it (be it cars or cycles).

I’ve never been in the position to have a project vehicle.  Everything I have owned in life I’ve needed as my basic mode of transportation, or I didn’t have the cash to work on the secondary vehicle while trying to keep the primary one running.  Somehow I find myself at that intersection of life again.

With the weather being so nice today, I went to the garage where I store my ’82 Honda Goldwing and my ’88 Chevy S-10 (4x4 4.3L Tahoe package with topper).  Neither would start.  The cycle has had the trickle charger on the battery for the winter, and yet it just barely creaked when I tried to turn it over, and then stopped.  Battery.  Sigh.  Since the cycle saves me quite a bit on gas during the summer I’m sure I’ll break even through replacing it, but not really what I was hoping for.

Weekly Open Thread - oils lotions and potions oh my!

Every car person worth their weight in carnuba wax has some products you swear by. Part of car lust is dealing with various issues - be it dirty fuel systems, blue puff at start up, sketchy paint, dry leather and so on. What do you use? What do you swear by? I'll list a few of my favorites after the break below.

As always, this Monday thread is the collection bin for all things auto related that might not fit elsewhere. Pull up a chair, make yourself comfortable, there's beverages in the fridge.

1983 Honda XR500R

As I’ve mentioned previously, in my family Car Lust frequently manifested itself in the two wheel form (so yes, technically not a car).  One of those lust of mine still lives in my father’s garage.  This bike is as much beast as it is motorcycle -  raw off-road delight.


I don’t even remember when the bike found its way into our garage or the circumstances thereby.  But it was in the mid '80’s that it showed up in all its glowing Flash Red glory.  The XR500R is a purpose built bike made solely for off-road riding.  It comes with no turn signals and no electric start.  Yes, it fires on the power of your right leg. 

This is a cycle for the brave or crazy, certainly not a bike you want to learn the ropes on.  First, it is quite tall making it somewhat difficult for short people to even get their leg over the back to get astride the bike – the seat height is 37.4 inches, so if you have a short inseam, good luck.  The total travel in the suspension is 11 inches of abuse absorbing range.  You’d think that would mean it absorbs a lot of the bumps and ruts as you ride (and it does) but you certainly still feel them through the bike into your body.  And while you don’t think about it if you’ve only ridden on a road bike, the hits and bumps do begin to add up and punish your body if you spend long periods off-road.  Add to that the 267lbs dry weight and it is a bike that will make you work if you are going to push it hard.

Where the beast really roars (and can get quite scary) is when you reach for a handful on that right side.  A quick blip of the throttle can quickly bring a grin from ear to ear or inspire sheer terror.  Truth be told, 498cc is a bit excessive for nearly all recreational off-road adventures.  Sure, it can go fast, but on most trail rides that is the opposite of the objective.  And without precise throttle control, that power is often wasted throwing rocks at the heads of the riders behind you.

Welcome to 2012!

We interrupt our Saab story to wish you all a happy and safe New Year's! May your 2012 be blessed with fun, interesting and reliable vehicles!

Anyone looking at the new 2012 models?  I know I'm interested in the new Honda CRV for my wife, but I'm 99.999% certain we wouldn't buy a new model year car at this point in our lives/finances.

November 7 Weekly Open Thread: More thoughts on Top Gear - US vs. UK

I'll admit I am/was behind the curve on the original (UK) version of Top Gear.  My brain sucking electronic device (TV) doesn't get it.  Or at least, it didn't until I added NetFlix to my Nintendo Wii that is.  Silly me, I owned the Wii for a year before I realized it had wireless internet functionality.

So over the past month I've watched 4 seasons of UK Top Gear.  And I like it.  A lot.  But interestingly, I still like the US version better.  I'm sure that'll spur comments.

Jeremy Clarkson makes the UK version go, and there is noo ne filling that role in the US version - or at least Tanner Foust hasn't got to his level yet.  Understandable though, Foust has couple hundred fewer episodes under his belt.  But in reality, I don't think he'll get to Clarkson's level, and honestly I'm fine with that.  But it is Clarkson that makes the UK version tick in my mind.

Where the US version pulls ahead for me is on relatability.  The cars they use and sites they visit in the challenges are familiar on some level.  I can relate to that far better than a Fiat, a Skoda and a Ford not available in our market.  Nothing against those cars (particularly the Skoda) but when I see Adam Ferrara get an early 70's Cadillac Coupe DeVille airborn it is a perfect example of why I like the US version better.  I've been in that Cadillac.  Sat on the back seat where there is room for a basketball team.  Floated down the road with zero sensation from the outside world.  And that is where I think the US version works - it connects.

That doesn't mean the US version is perfect, I just prefer it warts and all.  Sure I'd like to see the banter between hosts be natural rather than forced.  That will hopefully come with time.  Yes, I'd like to see them come up with their own more unique production style, but that might be limited/controlled by the parent company.  But without question I'd like to see more of them.  Thankfully the US version was was given another season.

Which version do you like best?  Have a favorite episode of either?  And as usual, post anything else you want in here that's vaguely car-related.

Car games - Monday Open Thread

I grew up in the video game world.  We played Oregon Trail on the early green screen Commodore PET's in my elementary school.  I think I started out with Pole Position as my first racing/car game.  I played Spy Hunter at the roller skating rink, and eventually moved on to Out Run.

As time passed the games continued to improve along with the technology behind them.  In the late 90's I was almost addicted to Need for Speed II.  In the early 2000's it was The Simpson's:  Hit & Run.  My roommate at the time & I spent every free waking moment the first week we got Hit & Run trying to get new cars in the game.  To the point we had blisters on our fingers.  Soooo not kidding.

New games now are so realistic in graphics and game play that after playing for a while it is almost hard to go back to driving my slow old beater of a van.  Have you SEEN Forza Motorsport 4?  They've even included the Tesla Roadster!  Play this thing on a big screen in HD & you'll want to fall over from the motion graphics if you try standing while playing (...so I've "heard").

What car games have you played and really enjoyed over the years?  Still play any of them today?  I've given up playing video games for the most part, I guess for me it was part of growing up & having a family.  But don't for a second doubt that I'm looking foward to Mario Kart when he gets just a little bit older!

As it is every week, this is the lint bin to collect your thoughts on things that might not fit in other threads.

September 12 Weekly Open Thread - Little Boys and Their Toys

Today I want to take you back in the way-back machine we keep in the corner of the garage. For some of you it might have to be the way-way-back machine!

As the father to a 2 year old son, I have had the opportunity to renew my love for Matchbox and Hot Wheel cars.  You remember these right?  I bet some of you have a sock drawer with a few gems in reserve.  Little die-cast cars that bring an amount of joy that far exceeds their size!

My son is a car nut, especially when it comes to these little things.  He can spend hours (literally!) parking and reorganizing his cars.  He even has a garage and race track for his rides.  He even sleeps with a couple of his cars most nights - the most likely bed buddies are Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater.

So each evening when I get home I get to return back to my childhood and surround myself with cars and play with vehicles I could never afford and imagine what life might just be like with car lust and an unlimited budget.

Do you have an all time favorite Matchbox or Hot Wheels car?  Any great memories like me of waking up Christmas morning and finding dozens of new cars awaiting under the tree?

As always, this is also the thread for any other more random talk that seems to be found in every garage I've ever been in.

(Photo taken from Amazon.com)

Great Rides of Summer Week: 1982 Honda Goldwing GL1100

As I’ve mentioned before, my family is a Honda motorcycle family.  My parents own 2 Honda cars, a Honda mower, and about a half dozen Honda motorcycles.  My brother rides a Honda ST1100 cycle and about a year ago sold his Honda Accord, and he's a CRX nut.  I own a Honda Civic and mower along with my cycle.  You can't get into my family's garages and not help but notice we are fond of Honda's.

This all stems fromt he fact that my dad is a Honda Gold Certified mechanic, though he only works on cycles now as a hobby.  So a few years ago when my dad called and offered me a 1982 Honda Goldwing, I didn’t think twice about saying yes.  I bummed a ride for the 3 hour trip to my hometown and then got to experience the wind in hair, sun on my back, and the thrill of the ride on my way back to my quiet Southern Minnesota home.

So what is a Goldwing you might be asking?  It is the 2 wheel equivalent of a Lincoln Towncar.  The Goldwing is Honda’s large touring motorcycle.  Introduced originally in late 1974, over time it became the benchmark for touring motorcycles in the United States.  Since the start of production, over 1 million Wings have hit the road. 

The Wienermobile

No, this isn't about that Weiner.

I live in a small, rural, farming community in Southern, Minnesota.  That means many of the locals talk a lot about $300,000+ vehicles with great regularlity - but most of those are made by John Deere or Case IH.  We don't have a lot of exciting vehciles here, most everything is functional, and most of it isn't all that remarkable on a day to day basis.

So when the Wienermobile was spotted in town a while back, it caused quite a stir.  Facebook
exploded with conversation (and photos!) of the famed Wienermobile.

Not familiar with the Wienermobile?  Imagine a motorhome sized vehicle shaped like an Oscar Meyer hot dog on a mustard colored base. You can't miss the thing, it's HUGE!  The Wienermobile measures 27 feet long and 11 feet high!

The original Wienermobile was created in 1936 by Carl G. Mayer - Oscar Mayer's nephew.  There have been ten total variants of the Wienermobile created over the years using various models and brands as the base chassis.  In the 50's a Wienermobile was constructed with a Willys Jeep chassis providing the support.  In the late 60's the Wienermobile platform moved to a Chevy motorhome base with Ford Thunderbird tailights.  Most recently the Wienermobile has found its motivation on top of a GMC-W platform.  As you read through the list of the transformation of the Wienermobile, there are parts from all sorts of vehicles over the year that have been grafted onto these sweet rides.

March 28 Open Thread - Throw a wrench at it?

It is Monday again, and this is your open thread for the week. Everything that doesn't fit elsewhere goes into this box.

Question - what is the worst vehicle you've ever had the displeasure of working on? I'll allow you to define worst. My nightmare(s) after the jump.

The reason this is on my mind today is that I am heading out the door after typing this to do a tune-up on a friends 2001 Kia Sedona.

March 21 Open Thread - Family Vehicles?

Welcome to the open thread. This is the place for all of the discussion that doesn't fit elsewhere.

We're slowly, but surely pondering upgrading some vehicles in my family.  Currently a family of 3 with a 2001 Dodge Caravan with 230K (and on its 3rd transmission) and a 1996 Honda Civic also with 230K on it.  Both vehicles have seen better days.  I'm inclined to find a 3-4 year old Honda or Toyota for my wife, and barring catestrophic failure of the Van she'll get a new vehicle first.  She definitely wants something bigger than the Civic (understandable, so do I!) but gas mileage is very important since she puts on at minimum 60 miles a day commuting to work, and probably another 150 throughout the rest of the week.  We live in Minnesota so good in the winter is an important consideration.  This vehicle won't tow, will never be off-road and won't ever be raced.  Comfort & reliability will trump performance in this vehicle.  What do you think should be on our list?  I'm guessing we wouldn't go over $20K and would really like to be at about $15K.

St. Paddy's week Open Thread

If you are a local, you know the routine for our weekly open threads. Coffee's over there, make yourself at home.

If you are new here, welcome! And know that this is the place for "everything else" that doesn't fit under our more traditional posts.

When you think of "muscle car" what pops into your head?  Mine is after the break.