Past Rides; A Call to Action

I really liked Chuck’s post about documenting our past rides. I took it as a call to action. I consider myself frugal, but looking back, I think that – like most Americans – I’ve always had a things for cars.
My first car choice was pure lust. I spotted this 1951 Dodge Coronet out near the lake one day and I knew it had to be mine. I paid maybe $1500 for it – in running condition – from a dirty old man who didn’t mind selling a heap to a starry-eyed kid. Bitter and sweet. I loved the car but it was a turd. Problems from the get go. It had three on the tree, but it was Fluid Drive, so you didn’t have to push the clutch when you came to a stop light. Wound up selling it to a guy who came and towed it away for me. Lost a little money on that one.


Next came the 1969 VW Bug. I was fresh on the rebound from the Coronet and wanted something I could actually drive, as opposed to something that just looked nice in the driveway. I paid around $1200 for the Bug. It had been gone through and was essentially a restored car, although not in show-car condition. I bought the Bug about a year before finishing high school and it got me through the better part of my Bachelors degree. It lived up to the VW name and served me quite well. When I bought my next car, my dad suggested I park the Bug in his barn, which I did. It sat there for probably the better part of a decade until it was sold in 2005 to partially pay for my 2003 Kawasaki ZRX1200.


Third in line was the 1989 Chrysler Conquest TSI. A dead-sexy, turbo-charged thrill ride. I loved this car. Adjustable suspension, stereo controls in the steering wheel, disc brakes all the way around. This car was the shit. I got it out of shape once on a back road and wound up turned wrong the wrong way, but luckily didn’t do any damage. A hell of a fun car and I’m glad I never wrapped it around a tree. Just look at that! I wound up selling it a few years after arriving in Kansas.



Number four was a 1987 Honda Civic Wagovan. Honest to god, that was the name of the car. Anywho, I wanted something different when I got rid of the Conquest. I was tired of chasing down 16-inch Z-rated 245/45 tires at used tire shops. What I got was the Wagovan. Some stoner had drawn dragons and snakes on the inside roof of the car with colored Sharpies. You could lay down the back seat and it was a perfect sleeping area. I had a canoe on the top of that car more times that I can count. It was great for car camping.



And then came the 1993 Toyota Corobra. I bought it in September of 2001 with 50k on the clock and it has 155k on it now. You all know this story. She’s been a great car. I’ve hauled motorcycles (PLURAL), couches, canoes, enumeratous furnitures. Fabulous gas mileage that can barely be matched by today’s hybrids.