...Or, A Completely Stupid Situation
(As appended to an email reply to ‘Gabe F’, January 4, 2020.)
PS - I still have a car. Two in fact. I just don’t want to drive either in the winter. Here’s my car life-story:
- 1971. Datsun PU. Red. New. Put larger tires and wheels on it (15”x7”, snow tires all around) and four driving lights on bumper. Small fire under dash due to not using a relay for the driving lights. Drove it 100K miles, cost $2000, sold for $1,400. Excellent car. Good dirt bike motorcycle hauler.
- 1973. Land Rover Series III 88”. Bought new at dealer in Minneapolis. Bank loan. Cost $4550 when Toyota Land Cruiser, Scout, Jeep ranged from $3800-$4300. Self-maintained always — forced me to become a half-assed mechanic. Lousy car, drove 90-100K, wore completely out. Eventually sent to a specialist in these cars to have totally rusted-out frame replaced. Still have it. Did I mention it’s a really lousy car? About 1975 made a paint-matched bike-hauling utility trailer via rebuilding a small $150 (auction price) beat-up EZ Haul rental trailer.
- 1990. Used 85 Audi 4000Q sedan. $5,000. Great car. All wheel drive, five-cylinder engine, 5 spd stick, Porsche designed drive train with dash controlled manually locking center and rear differentials. Very fun to drive in snow. Rusted out badly and brought only $800 when I eventually sold it. Drove about 50K across fifteen years. (I’d begun bicycling, walking and MC-ing a lot more.)
- About 2006. Used 01 BMW 325xi wagon. $10,000. 5 spd stick, straight six, AWD system not as good as the Audi’s. Everything else better. Sold 2016 for $3,000 just before rust got really bad. Lovely car. Drove about 50K across ten years.
- About 2017. Used 06 BMW 325xi wagon. $14,000. 6 spd stick, straight six, similar AWD system to previous car, but slightly improved. Much more complicated electronic junk. No rust, California one-owner car. Bought online, sight unseen. Arrived as represented, which means ‘good condition’ and no collision damage. $700 delivery by car-hauler. Stored winters.
So today I have this nice 06 BMW wagon and the crappy old rebuilt 73 Land Rover. Five cars spread across forty nine years. Plus a few short-term-uses of borrowed or rented cars. So far nothing crash-totaled or even too seriously damaged, and of course very grateful to have such ‘first world’ car-owning experiences in the first place. (Hope writing this story won’t jinx anything.) The LR’s body is unrestored and fairly banged up and weathered due to abusive ‘four wheeling’ activity during the 1970’s, and also to never being parked indoors until about ten years ago. After its frame was replaced it also has never been winter driven.
The funny (?) thing about all of this is that for a motorcyclist living here in Minnesota, cars are most useful as winter-seasonal transportation, and now I have two of them which are stored during the winter. During the spring fall and summer seasons, I’ll either walk, motorcycle or bicycle 95% of the time. Rain or shine. Warm or cool. And now I’m bicycling through the winter, too. Half a dozen fair-season mobility options…but in winter I’m now down to only a studded tire electric bicycle and occasionally taking rides or walking. I don’t know what this means except maybe I don’t have too much common sense. Feels like a completely stupid personal transportation situation. Except to my insurance guy.
What is your car-life story?
-- Mr. Subjective
What a great story, Andy!
I haven’t “owned” a car since 1995, when my dad gave me his compact Ford Ranger pickup to move from Minnesota to the Bay Area, with agreement I’d sell it here and send him the money. As a pleasant surprise, after I’d sold it he told me to keep the proceeds for school. Since then I’ve been a full-time motorcyclist year-round, with exceptions for hauling the dog, multiple kids or large loads.
in Minnesota
69 Buick GS, 1st car, 120k+ at purchase and genuine rust color. Someone had lots of fun with this car before I bought it. This car inspired me to attend Auto Mechanic school. Guess why.
79 or 80 Honda Civic 1.5 tiny, mildly rusty. Pull-choke on dash. Stickshift. Like driving a peanut M&M on wheels, but the skinny tires were excellent in snow like pizza cutters.
89 Honda CRXsi After graduating votech I leased this car. When I decided to return to college to make less money, my dad assumed the lease. I think he really enjoyed this car, the only new one I’ve ever had to this day.
80 Toyota Corolla 1.8 back to college car. So much fun I still dream about driving this car again. 4 cyl 5 spd stick, moon roof hatchback, rear wheel drive. I beat the hell out of it and I think at one point repacked a wheel bearing with tinfoil to take up the slack.
198? Ford Ranger compact, Dad’s pickup truck- drove to CA and sold.
in California, 1995+
86 Volvo 240DL ran for years. Sold it with 217k mi on the clock. Proper Swedish tank- open the door, close the door tells you all you need to know about structural strength, unusual 5-spd stick. Great kid hauler. We told CarTalk that GL stands for Got Leather, DL stands for Don’t Laugh.
95 Ford Taurus wagon formerly mother-in-law’s car, sold to us out of sympathy as Volvo expressed more & more personality. I remember the children in car seats peeling strips of fabric out of the headliner while we drove them places.
91 Lexus ES250 crappy used car as an attempt at reliable transportation, quickly sold.
91 Toyota Camry DX another crappy used car as an attempt at reliable transportation, quickly sold.
2005 Honda Accord DX V6 (lease) nice car & fast, but never again will I lease a car with young children in the household. Collected door dings & sticky carpet from day 1 while slowly bleeding us financially. Leased for a ‘reputable’ car for my wife’s realty practice.
2005ToyotaPrius 1st prius, great practical car and smelt of dog when we bought it. Sold for newer several years later and made a new motorcycle friend with the buyer.
2010 Prius father-in-law’s old car picked up to replace prior aging Prius and still running great at over 120k mi. on the clock. Wiring harness had to be replaced due to rats eating it. Damn rats. Some battle with insurance but all seems okay now. At least this time the dog smell is our dog, not someone else’s.
My motorcycling started in 1986:
77RD400 Yamaha (1st bike, untrained rider, kickstart only 2-stroke)
84VF700S Sabre Honda (sold from concern about V4 ticky heads, foolish. Was a good bike)
82XJ650LJ Seca Turbo Yamaha (interesting, doggy without boost but like a normal 650 with boost. 8.5:1 compression from factory so it wouldn’t spontaneously dissasemble under boost. Modified with crappy conduit backrest & luggage carriers)
80GS750tz Suzuki (traded Seca in for it, drove while at Presidio Monterey, reached 40K mi at sunset going up PCH1. A wonderful & classic bike!)
86ZG1000 Concours Kawasaki (drove from CA to TX, then MN. Strapped my crutches on the side when I broke right ankle. Rear brake is a minor control. So many stories, including the tattoo)
82XZ550 Vision Yamaha (just like Paul’s in MN, for Berkeley, fun but fragile. These drown their starter motor brushes with motor oil when the seals leak)
82XJ750 Maxim Yamaha (ugly backyard special from Berkeley fraternity house. Reassembled to become daily driver)
87K75t BMW (first Beemer, swingarm failure that almost lost rear wheel. Taught me to always blip at downshift)
85XT350 Yamaha- (Craigslist from AMA Lifer, dual-sported it. Wasn’t shopping for a dirt bike but a chain of events made it unavoidable. Polly & Dee used to say “take the truck, take the bikes, take our kids and get them out of our house” Fun!)
00R1100RTs BMW (Flew to Breckenridge & rode home Thanksgiving weekend. Forgot about winter and froze on the way home. Right head coked up at 16k mi and lost all compression, Dealer fought warranty claim until I threatened media campaign. Years later got knocked down during lane splitting incident on San Mateo bridge & totalled, which led me to my first Honda ST…)
86CB450SC Honda Nighthawk (backyard special, $100. Clapped out and could barely get to 75 mph on freeway, sold to UC Davis student as campus runabout)
2001 Honda ST1100A (Found at old SF BMW as trade-in, bought using insurance claim from R1100RT. Owned & drove daily for 8 years, sold at 113K mi. Made 2008 Tennessee ride on this bike)
1991 Vmax (purchased from Burrows, sitting for 7 yrs in his parking garage. V-boost unimpressive, probably badly in need of tune-up but short range anyway and not comfortable for my style of riding)
1984 Honda Magna (purchased in Novato for visiting German friend Rainer to use, sold at modest profit. This deal began my European riding friends connection.)
1989 Honda NX125 (bought from CARE Alameda. Former training bike. Woefully underpowered.)
2007 Honda ST1300PA plate (former City of Modesto PD, still in black & white livery today but with radio-humpectomy so I can carry passengers. I realize my style is totally sport-tourers)
Dirty little 2 stroke Chinese pocketbikes- (Craigslist from descoatelier.com, driving in gap of Alameda 4th of July parade wearing star antennas in place of a helmet, inspired by holiday mimosas)
(rented in TN 2009?) Goldwing 1800. Dances great for a big bike. Proper throttle control in corners can help prevent dragging floorboards.
(rented in Singapore, 2012) CB400, Harley Road King, don’t show rental agency videos of Harley cruiser off-road in the jungle until security deposit returned. ;D
(rented in Maui, 2003) Harley Dyna Low- skull cap rental helmet tried to rip my head off in wind.
(rented in Darmstadt, 2010?) VStrom 650 good bike, no other comments.
(driven in TN, 2010?) Courter’s CBR600 borrowed track bike. Perhaps TN authorities are kinder to speeders for the tourist revenue…
(driven in Germany, 2011? 2013?) Rainer’s 1985 GPz900 and Seca2 XJ600 the GPz had a grim reaper on the tank and meant it. SO many issues but more of an adventure. See blog for the story.
(Jack’s VTR250’s) 1990VTR250 Never got them running, thankfully.
(May Ride 10, 2016) Ducati 600 Monster ring its neck and it will fly.
(May Ride 11, 2017) 2003 BMW Boxer Cup Replika very front heavy, easy to drag the rear tire around. Todd’s old bike and an honor to remember him on it.
(May Ride 12, 2018) 2017 Honda Africa Twin CRF1000 DCT never once wished I’d got manual shift. Great bike! I could see owning one.
2002 Triumph Sprint ST 955i, wife bought as surprise anniversary gift for me to repair, 2018.
2007 Kawasaki Ninja 650R owned by Serfass and stored at Coban’s place in SF. Selling for Jim, sending him proceeds. I am a motorcycle foster parent. Oh yeah, Joel’s SV650 too. If you’re moving and need someone to sell your bike…
2000 Triumph Speed Triple 955i from Pete (Isabella’s dad) on Lincoln. Backyard for 7 years not running. Went through MN springtime restart ritual plus new tires & battery, sold.
1981 BMW R65 basket case salvage title from Charlie. Drove to Death Valley and back 2020 with Airhead Beemers. Great time! Not modern handling. Only needed to stop twice for roadside repairs.
To be continued. Next one should be a big dual-sport ADV bike!
My wife is now on her third BMW wagon (a 2009 xi).
I had a string of Vauxhall Vivas until I got my MC license in 1973, then a Rover TC2000 and 3 Mazda pickups (the last one an 88) when I worked in construction 76-88.
The rest of the time ( college 78-82) post construction (88 on when I went into MC training full time) my primary transportation was motorcycles (gave my pickup to my son in law when they got married in 92 as it was just sitting)
My winter bike is a Piaggio MP3 and my teaching bike March-November is a Zero S. One day I’ll retire conpletely and take one of my Moto Guzzis on a final tour while you can still buy gasoline
whoa! that pic in the email is from my hometown. 1982: parent’s 1971 AMC Javelin which I ended up ruining the reverse gear and one fender bender; 1986: used 1982 Toyota Corona – a beautiful car, perfect dimensionality; 1990: 1970 VW Bus Weekender, ended up leaking more oil than I liked, sold it to an Army vet who classified it as a Level ? leak which was manageable (to him); 1998: 1968 VW Westfalia – still have this one, ~260K miles?, second engine. In 1999 went Sac to Guanajuato to Puerto Vallarta (twice) and back to Sacramento. My two boys have fond memories of July in Valley of Fire (maybe not so fond…) among other questionable trips. 2000: new Toyota Echo, still have it, bought with ex-wife at the time, 160,000, runs strong, continuing practice installing chains. My question and admiration mixed: I commute by moto every day, rain or shine, with the exception if I have to chauffeur someone or something too large for moto. I admire the discipline you have for choosing bicycle over moto. Share some wisdom on that?
Funny you mention Land Rovers.
I have a 71 Series 2a. It’s a terrible car, yet I don’t really ever plan on selling it. I didn’t buy it new, and I live in California so it’s not needed the frame replaced (yet), but it’s really fun off road and is a reasonable alternative when I need to carry more than fits on my bike, but I don’t want to drive my 3/4 ton diesel truck.
Willys Overland Wagon, Triumph TR7, Chevy Citataion – all before 22. Only miss the Overland. Subaru Justy 4×4 (4000,000 miles on that 3 cylinder). Audi 4000 Quatros (2) one beater, one nice, sold to my mechanic. Porsche 911 Targa – swapped for Ducait 750SS and $5000 I was able to escape Atlanta and move back to the mountains. Suzuki Samurai and Siidekick – both leather heart little beasts. Made over $8k on both. 1967 Porsche 912 Targa with soft rear window… very rare. Restored, sold for $26k and thought I was a genius. Sold recently for $134,000 in St. Louis. Benz 300D and later 300CD Turbo Diesel. More $$ makers. Minor restoration, made $9k on both. 1981 Rabbit Converitble. Full GTI package from factory. Two VW Things, both 1973 and 74. baby Porsches. Audi TT Quattro Coupe – my last 6 speed manual car. Currently a 2003 E320 Benz wagon. Great dog hauler.
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