Car Lust

1974 AMC Matador Oleg Cassini

The AMC Matador is a particular favorite of mine--I have both sung its praises and defended its honor from those who would impugn it.

After the most recent Matador post, reader Gary Thoreson dropped me an e-mail describing his Matador. It's the prettiest Matador I've ever seen, bar none, and the story behind the car is truly touching.

Here's Gary's story:

Submitted by Gary Thoreson

It was Feb. 19, 1999 in Abbotsford, B.C., and my Dad, Edwin Alberta Thoreson, became the proud owner of a 1974 Oleg Cassini Matador. The past owner, according to the transfer papers, was a man by the name of Henry Edge. The transfer papers had also stated the car was white in color. I believe this was the original color, but since then it had undergone a complete color change and was now green. The original gold vinyl top had been repainted white, but the front grille and base color for the hub caps were still gold--that didn't match too well with the green.

1985 Honda Civic CRX

Perfect.

If I had to describe my blue 1985 Civic CRX in one word, that would be it.

I bought it sight-unseen from a dealer my father knew. I took delivery one Saturday morning and drove to my parents' house to show it to Mom and my sister, taking the shortcut through the park so I could play with my new toy on the twisty part in the gorge between the old mill and the goldfish pond.

By the time I got to the house, I was thinking to myself, "This is perfect!  It's like Honda read my mind. Someone finally built the car I've always wanted!"

That CRX was perfect. Completely, absolutely perfect. The most perfect car I had ever owned, driven, ridden in, or even looked at from ten yards away.

Let me explain what made it so perfect.

Childhood Car Memories

Car Lust is about our emotional connection to the automobiles in our lives. Over the course of our writings, we've shared a few misty memories of the cars we saw and rode in when we were small (for example, here, here, here, and here).

Now it's your turn.

What are your earliest automotive memories? Hit the "comments" button and let us know.

--Cookie the Dog's Owner

Our Cars--"1914" Stutz Bearcat replica

Submitted by John Boyle

I am the owner of one of the replica 1914 Stutz Bearcats built for the 1971 TV series Bearcats! by custom car builder George Barris.

I bought the car in 1998 and spent two years restoring it while I was living in Abilene, Texas. I had never owned a unique (that's a good word for a Barris car) car before so I went into the restoration with blind faith and a lot of luck. Luckily, I had just finished helping a friend restore my 1977 Jeep CJ-5 Levi's Edition Renegade, so I was much less a "babe in the woods"automotively speaking than I would have been a couple of years before.

Mazda Miata

Submitted by Chuck Lynch

I didn't find this car, it found me. I could never have located one like it, they are too rare. But about three years ago a little cash came my way, and with the big 5-0 right on the horizon it was time to find something sporty, small, and red. The final three choices came down to a new Mustang, Acura RSX, or MX-5 Miata. All red.

Time to go a-lookin'. Our local Blue Oval Ford dealer told me that unless I was ready to buy their car that day, they did not have time to talk to me. The last red RSX our Acura dealer would ever have had 400 miles on it, which I consider to be a demo, and they would not deal. And the Mazda dealer also thought highly of their cars; I simply would not pay $30,000 for a Miata.

Off to the classifieds and other used car sources. I was rethinking the red theme, too. Did I really want to attract that much attention? Then I saw one on the road ... a dark metallic green Miata, a few years old. Classy, I thought. When I picked up a local events paper and scanned the used-car listings, there it was--a green Miata with a six-speed. It had low miles (33,000) and was in good shape. The price was good, too.

1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Salon

Submitted by Brian Miller

For my graduation from high school, I received a car. Wait, let me back up. Before I graduated from high school, my mother drove a 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Salon to her job every day for 10 years. Don't ask where she got it, suffice to say it was not new. The Olds was parked in the back yard during an ill-fated interlude with a Chevrolet Cavalier--an interlude that ended up a complete failure. The Olds had 90,000 miles on it when parked after having served us well--the helm awaited the hands of the new teenage driver, me.

After I turned 16, and the automatic transmission was repaired after disintegrating from two years sitting unused in the backyard, I took over the keys to the Olds. It didn't take long for a leaking oil pan and my own obliviousness to the engine's need for oil to catch up to the Olds. After a long drive out to the remote reaches of the Eielson Air Force Base neighborhoods, the old Olds spun a bearing and we limped home 25 miles. Knock-knock!

More on the 1970s Stutz

One of the great things about the Car Lust blog is the comments we get from our readers.

My recent "Car Disgust" posting on the Stutz "revival" cars of the 1970s drew some interesting comments from reader Jim Milliken. Several of Jim's photos were used to illustrate my original article.

Jim and I had a very pleasant conversation in the comments thread which continued by e-mail. While we disagree on the merits of the Stutz, we both agree that they are fascinating vehicles.

By the way, Jim isn't just a Stutz fan. He owns five revival-era Stutzes--just like Elvis! (I've linked to photos of his cars in the text below the fold.) Between the Stutz cars he owns and the others he has encountered in his travels, he may well have seen more Stutzes in more places than anyone else now living. 

I thought our readers would enjoy learning a little more about these interesting vehicles from someone who knows them well.

The Car Lust Lifestyle--an example

I saw this high-end customized Corvette at a charity car show on Labor Day weekend.

The gentleman who drives this Corvette understands that he doesn't really own his car--it sort of owns him.

--Cookie the Dog's Owner

Frazer Manhattan

UPDATE: Reader Alexander Jason, who makes his living as a forensic photographer, did a little forensics on Mom's photo and improved the image.  The results appear at right.  Thank you, sir!

It  was something of a legend in our family's history, from a time before I was born, spoken of in reverent tones of the sort usually reserved for prewar Bugattis and Rolls Royces.

It was my mother's first car, a brand new 1947 Frazer Manhattan.

The one surviving photo of Mom's Manhattan in the family album reveals that it was painted black and she was quite proud of owning it. My father was said to have wrecked it in 1949, while my parents were still dating. They married in 1950 and stayed married for over fifty years, so it's clear Mom didn't hold a grudge.

For a long time, that was all I knew about Frazer Manhattans. I eventually learned more, courtesy of the "Transportation" section of the Public Library.

1992 Mercury Grand Marquis

According to Click & Clack, the cheapest car to run is the car you already own. Lucky for me, the car I already own--as opposed to the one I lease for the lovely and talented Mrs. Drucker--is a 1992 Mercury Grand Marquis LS, and I flat-out love it. I'll begin expounding on its wonderfulness a paragraph or two further on; first, though, I'd like to explain how a dashingly youthful 59-year-old came to be driving a geezermobile in the first place.

Actually, the whole story begins in 1967, the year I convinced my parents that my college experience would be greatly enhanced if I didn't have to walk to campus from my in-town lodging. Rather than recount the entire tale, I'll skip forward a few decades, to 1999, when those very same parents came into possession, almost by chance, of the subject Grand Marquis. At the time, it had 30K on the clock, and because it was their second car, the mileage had jumped by only 7K when they passed it on to me in mid-2001. I drove it for three years, bumping the mileage to 75K, and then sold it to a buddy who used it to commute between his home on Long Island and his offices in Brooklyn and Queens. Two years later he was offered a real deal on a 2002 Grand Marquis, and in early 2006 I jumped at the chance to buy the ‘92 – now with 99K showing – back from him for small money. Since then, I've bumped the mileage to 126K.

Teenmobile Challenge -- Results

Thanks to all who participated in the discussion at the Teenmobile Challenge, our query of the Car Lust brain trust to find the optimal car for a new driver. We had a lively discussion involving members of the Car Lust "old guard" as well as some first-timers. In this post, I'm going to attempt to distill the various comments down to a consensus, and then (cue breathless anticipation) reveal what my own teen's first-car-on-which-he'll-be-the-primary-driver will be.

Fasten your seatbelt, make sure your seat and mirrors are correctly adjusted, let off the parking brake, put it in gear, and let's go.

 

1988-1991 Honda Prelude 4WS

About a year ago, I was searching for a car to replace my unloved 1992 Accord (AVOID), and I needed something reliable, relatively cheap, and easy on gas. Since I've had an extremely good experience with my 1989 Accord, I set out to find a Honda product that was made in that same time period.

Hondas of this vintage are cheap to run, reliable, and efficient, but what really makes them desirable is the fact that almost all models, from the base CRX to the larger Accord, have double-wishbone suspension.

While browsing the local classifieds, I came across a car that fulfilled all of my needs, fit within my budget, and shattered my expectations of just how good a small, older car could be.

Teenmobile Challenge

On Wednesday, July 23, my oldest son took the test for his learner's permit. It's a multiple-choice test, and this kid eats multiple-choice tests for lunch. Not much suspense--he passed. 

If all goes well, in late January he will take his license exam.

My son's impending licensure has raised the issue of what car to get a newly-minted teenage driver. Actually, we have a car already picked out for him. Still, I think it an interesting topic for discussion: what car would you give a new driver, and why?

Leave your answers in the comments. I'll collect them into a follow-up post in a few days, and give you my comments and my own answer at that time.

--Cookie the Dog's Owner

Porsche 944

Submitted by Brian Miller

It’s nearly impossible to describe the Porsche 944 without comparing it to the Porsche 924. The 944 is very similar in design to the 924, but very different; in some ways, the opposite of the 924 in purpose. The 924 is a precisely balanced technical achievement--a fuel-efficient sports car with theoretically perfect handling. The 944 is a response to a marketplace demand for a 924 with more power and better brakes and more options.

If the 924 is a nerd, the 944 is a jock. If the 924 is technobeat, the 944 is new wave. If the 924 is punk, the 944 is goth. Where the 924 is a scientist, with an engine optimized for longevity and fuel efficiency, the 944 is an athlete. Those fender flares are the result of all those years working out at the gym, and the rear spoiler is the automotive equivalent of having your baseball cap on backwards.

Our Cars--1951 Cadillac Sedan

Submitted by David Drucker

I want to tell you about the 1951 Cadillac sedan I bought in 1970. Not because it was such a wonderful car--although it most definitely was--but because of a defining experience I had behind its enormous, non-power-assisted steering wheel. First, though, let me introduce the car.

I was 21, living in Brooklyn, and needed something to replace the '65 Dodge Custom 880 that I had, in a fit of pique, sold. For a while I looked at first-generation Corvair convertibles which, thanks to Ralph Nader, were as cheap as cheese. I was about to answer an ad for a red four-speed when a nearby listing caught my eye. It read, “1951 Cadillac 62 sedan. Black. Good shape. $150.” I was intrigued, and not just by the price. You see, in 1970, a car from the early Fifties looked positively ancient. It made a fashion statement that your average late-Eighties sedan wouldn’t begin to duplicate today. Today, such cars seamlessly blend into the overall mix. But in 1970, a '51 Cadillac turned heads, big time.

Our Cars--1998 Mazda 626 LX

Submitted by Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame

The reason I've been thinking more about cars and car issues lately is because my commuter car was totaled (hit by a motorcycle while the car was parked). I spent a great deal of time researching to determine value while searching for a suitable replacement.

I ended up getting a steal--a 1998 Mazda 626 LX 4-cylinder with 83,000 miles for $1,000. According to Edmunds, it is worth $4,000 retail or $3,100 in private party sale in Hawaii (where I am). I could get $2,300 for it as a trade-in. The typical Mazda transmission problems from that era should not be a worry, as the transmission was replaced last year.

I was looking for a car that I could drive for a month, then sell without a loss while shipping my '01 Prizm for the upcoming move to Texas. Not only did I do that in spades, I ended up getting a car I don't want to give up, so maybe we'll sell the Prizm instead.

Without further ado, I give you An Ode to My Mazda 626:

Our Cars--1983 Pontiac Trans-Am

Submitted by Tass Sontag

I love the Trans-Am's looks, and now with a stroked 383 cubic-inch V-8 and other goodies, my Garmin GPS system clocked it doing 161 MPH before I got afraid to do more. It's a real testament to the body design.

Most of the interior pieces came from junkyard Camaros. Yes, it's badly in need of a paint job. It's all go, no show!

--Tass Sontag

Our Cars--1969 Volkswagen Bug

Submitted by Eugene Doremus

I’ve had a lot of cars. Most simply provided transportation, but there was one that I loved. It was a powder blue 1969 Volkswagen Bug.

I bought it in Pennsylvania and used it to get to work. It was all mine; my wife had a Pontiac, and the kids weren’t yet old enough to drive. When I was transferred to Houston, the Bug got me there and pulled a small camping trailer full of my gear. On the way down, I found I could get up fairly close behind large trucks, and they’d just suck me along.

Things changed in Houston--the kids were now old enough to drive, and they seemed to think the Bug was simply up for grabs. They would ask to use the Pontiac, but they would just take the Bug without asking.

Our Cars--1994 Acura Integra GS-R

I was such a jerk as a teenager. I didn't really rebel in the normal teenage ways--though my parents might disagree--but I was a total know-it-all when it came to their cars. I'd do things like mock their Buick and then go through the classifieds to find Audis and Saabs that they should own instead. I'd recommend they liquidate all of their investments to buy a Porsche 928S4. And, worst of all, I'd mercilessly ridicule every car they bought.

All of this is a great point of shame for me now that I'm at least somewhat more mature, and was totally unjust anyway considering my Dad knows more about cars than I do. Mom and Dad, mea culpa.

Happily, I gave them some sweet revenge when I fell completely in love with a car that I had previously spurned.

My parents, selfless as usual, were preparing for the financial rigors of my sister and I reaching college by selling their Acura Legend. We had owned a few solid but unexciting sedans previous to the Legend (a 1976 Chevy Nova and a 1987 Buick LeSabre), and in that context the Legend was a thoroughbred. Smooth V-6, creamy leather, rock solid at triple-digit velocities (not that I'd know, of course)--the Legend was the first car we owned that car magazines had deigned to test. Selling the Legend was a bitter pill to swallow.

Our Cars--1980 Ford Courier

Submitted by Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame

Much of the appeal of Car Lust is the emotional connection made between cars and people. It is the memories that tie us to some fairly unappealing vehicles, and it is the anecdotes about those memories that draw me back to Car Lust every day.

One Car Lust wasn’t a conscious Lust until I started thinking about all the cars I’ve ever had extensive experience with … and then the Lust for a Ford Courier blazed up brightly.

Our family obtained a 1980 Ford Courier around 1982, I think. In any case, it wasn’t new because I don’t remember my parents ever purchasing a new vehicle. It was in excellent condition, however, with a camper shell over the bed. In 1984 I talked my parents into using it to haul our pop-up trailer and two of my friends on a 5-hour trip to the Medicine Rocks Campground outside of Ekalaka, Montana.

Our Cars--1983 Chevrolet Malibu Wagon

I've been a bit quiet for the last few days because I wanted to spend the time I needed to get this one right. This car, and the car I'll be featuring tomorrow, are the two cars I've cared most about, and so I want to commemorate them correctly.

In early 2002 I had an empty parking spot, a need for semi-reliable transportation, and $1,500 of cash to spend. In my world, this is a rare and delicious situation ripe with promise.

I narrowed my search immediately to the rare, the strange, and the interesting. I test-drove a Saab 900 Turbo with a broken driver's seat--you had to hold yourself up with the steering wheel. I drove a Merkur XR4ti that still had a lot of punch despite spewing plumes of white smoke in its wake. I drove a first-generation Volkswagen GTI that had a steering wheel that smelled strongly of Cool Ranch Doritos. I looked at, but did not drive, a late-1970s BMW 320 that appeared to have a family of birds living in the engine compartment.

Our Cars--1966 Imperial Crown Coupe

Submitted by David Drucker

In 1987 I indulged my ever-present lust for gigantic Detroit iron with a triple white 1966 Imperial Crown Coupe. I saw it out of the corner of my eye as I drove past a nondescript used car lot in Queens; 48 hours later it was in my garage.

Truth be told, that Crown Coupe was my second ‘66 Imperial. The first was a funereal black LeBaron that I chased down a Brooklyn street in 1976 and bought on the spot. In those days a ten-year-old Imperial was still considered a fairly big car, but it swam in a sea of big cars. New DeVilles and Town Cars still weighed in at close to 5000 pounds, with plain-vanilla Impalas and LTDs not far behind. The term “full-sized car” hadn't yet become a joke. So when I ran my LeBaron's power seat back on its tracks, adjusted the tilt-and-telescope wheel, and reveled in all of that space, it was within the context of simply enjoying what seemed to be my birthright as an American. Indeed, when I sold the LeBaron a year later, the sensible new Volvo wagon that replaced it felt like a toy.

Our Cars--1990 Pontiac Firefly

Submitted by Damian Penny

Never heard of the Firefly? It was the Pontiac version of the Suzuki-built, three-cylinder-engined Chevrolet Sprint, sold only in Canada.

Strictly speaking, it was my parents' car. But by the time we sold the Firefly in 1998, there was no doubt who'd racked up the most miles on it. I learned to drive on my parents' other car--a 1984 Plymouth Reliant wagon with fake wood panelling on the sides--before moving over to the Firefly when I'd figured out how to drive a five-speed. I'm not sure whether it was a step up, down or sideways.

Car Lust--1997 Dodge Neon

Submitted by Rob the SVX Guy

After my '68 Charger was vandalized one night, my Grandma thought I should drive a less obnoxious automobile. She bought me this Dodge Neon back in 1998. It was only one year old but it had 24,000 miles on it, and we picked it up for $7,000. What was interesting about this Neon is that it was a base model, an extreme base model. It had power steering and power brakes, and that's about it. It didn't even have rear window defrost, which, frankly, kinda sucked here in Wisconsin.

I kept it stock for a long time, taking it on road trips out to the badlands, getting up to speeds of 130 mph in South Dakota, and it got pretty incredible fuel economy. On one trip I even averaged 43 mpg, going a steady 65mph.

Our Cars--1977 Porsche 924

Submitted by Brian Miller

When I acquired this Porsche 924, I was actually hunting for a Datsun 240Z--from which the Porsche takes some obvious styling cues. After having it towed home and fiddling with various melted wires, the 924 finally fired up with an ominous blue cloud billowing from the engine, which turned out to be a fixable oil leak. Not an auspicious beginning, but after three years, monumental effort, and an unspeakable outlay of cash for new, old, and “new old stock” parts, the little Porsche is a reliable fair-weather daily driver.

The 924 is truly unique--a sports car made from parts of non-sports cars; the first front-engine/rear-drive Porsche; and the first affordable Porsche. The first point is most stunning-–the engine block is the same one you’ll find in an AMC Gremlin or a Volkswagen LT truck, the suspension is VW Rabbit, and the transaxle is made by Audi. The seats are from a 911, and the body is galvanized steel.

Our Cars--2003 Honda Accord EX V-6

Let's say I went back in time to 1973 and tracked down the proud original owner of my old 1973 Plymouth Valiant. Let's say I offered that Valiant driver a chance to look at a car from 2003 and then, with eager anticipation in the air, I whipped a sheet off of the Honda Accord pictured here. How do you think that Valiant driver would react?

I think the 1970s driver would be momentarily thrown by the aerodynamic styling, but would subsequently be really disappointed by the lack of progress in the intervening three decades.

"This car is from 2003?" Valiant Bob would ask incredulously. "But it's hardly any different! It still runs on gasoline? It still scrapes rain off the windshield with rubber blades? You still have to steer it with a wheel? It doesn't drive itself? It doesn't fly? What does your car do that mine doesn't?"