What do you drive…

[termis]

We're not talking just about new cars man.  Trust me, people who get it, will get what I meant.

[nectarsis]

who is this person who brainwashed/impressioned me? No one agrees with me on this subject including my family and I just can't understand why people like new cars so much. I have read everything you've said and I do not agree with you so I guess I am closed minded on this issue, and we will all just have to agree to disagree.

You seem to think (incorrectly) that EVERYONE IS GULLIBLE/BRAINWASHED that all new cars are THE BEST.  Considering all you seem to tout is older is OMG fast (that has been proven time and again to be false), and style (which is highly subjective)..you have proven nothing.  I for one love the STYLE of older cars, but performance, suspension, reliability not so much.  You keep mentioning who cares about gas mileage...but when I can drive something OMG FASTER than you and get much better mileage, with creature comforts...what exactly does an older vehicle "win" at that point?

The fact that NO ONE agrees with you should be a sign.  Oh that's right EVERYONE is brainwashed 

[SignOfZeta]

who is this person who brainwashed/impressioned me? No one agrees with me on this subject including my family and I just can't understand why people like new cars so much. I have read everything you've said and I do not agree with you so I guess I am closed minded on this issue, and we will all just have to agree to disagree.

Believe me, I totally get not liking the shiny new plastic crap. There is a reason I drive an original Miata instead of the new one with giant wheels and four cupholders (yes, it actually has four cup holders...in a roadster, WTF?). New cars are pretty lifeless. Even the new Ferraris just put me to sleep. Six polished Webber carbs are infinitely more cool than a six way adjustable differential. There is no comparison.

Here is the deal though. "Disagreement" is like...you like a different sports team, you like Chevys over Fords, you prefer the taste of beer to whiskey, etc. What you are going through is plainly belligerent denial. The moon landing actually happened, global warming is real, and your truck is slower than any F150 made today, as well as much much worse in the categories of handling safety and fuel economy. Its called "science", kid. The atomic weight of lead is 207.2. Its just is. Any "opinion" you have to the contrary is just wrong. For example: no Saturn needs to have its AC manually switched off to access off its power because the AC shuts itself off at WOT, like any other EFI car. Perhaps your drag strip rival had a broken TPS or, more likely, there are a bunch of Hello Kitty floor mats jammed under the gas pedal keeping it from moving all the way.

I won't say anything about reliability improvements in F trucks since 77 though. Ford has had some real reliability issues in the past 10-15 years so you may well be very far ahead in that way. In general though, most cars go 240,000 miles now needing nothing but scheduled maintenance if you don't wreck them or rust them out first, whereas that would have seemed like science fiction 34 years ago.

BTW, my 100HP 1.6 Miata gets about the same fuel economy as a new 500HP Vette. I'm not bothered by this exactly, but I'm certainly not proud of it.

On a related note, this car was in the news today:



Can you even believe there was a time when you could buy stuff like this? It just melts me, seriously.

[Sparky]

Jesus christ!!! your truck is nice looking.. just leave it at that..its a thread about what you drive.
If you want to make it into something more then go post your thoughts on a truck or car forum and see how you make out.

[blueraven]

Can you even believe there was a time when you could buy stuff like this? It just melts me, seriously.

This looks like the 1939 Muntz Jet that that guy pulled out of a barn and only had like 22% of the body and frame.

Am I correct this is a Jet?

Oh, BTW good call on the Alfa Romeo, Stutz Bearcat, Ferrari and the little Vauxhall as great examples of styling

[Arkhan]

stutz bearcats kick ass.

new cars all look doofy.

[turbogrfxfan]

wow what a car

[SignOfZeta]

This looks like the 1939 Muntz Jet that that guy pulled out of a barn and only had like 22% of the body and frame.

Am I correct this is a Jet?

Its a 1949 Delahaye Roadster, so somewhat retro looking for its time. This one was owned by Diana Dors, and just sold for three million.

Oh, BTW good call on the Alfa Romeo, Stutz Bearcat, Ferrari and the little Vauxhall as great examples of styling

Bearcat? Dude, that's an Aurburn speedster...or rather a kit car of one. Way WAY bigger, and 20 years newer. Also, the thing you thought was a Vauxhall is a Trabant.

You got the Alpha though, that's all that matters.

[Necromancer]

It's also $10,000 cheaper than any other car in it's class.

Only if the class is limited to front drive turbo fours, of which the GTI is competitively priced (and a bit slower).  The V-6 Genesis Coupe, V-6 Mustang, Subaru WRX, and Lancer Ralliart are similarly priced and at least equally quick, plus they aren't wrong wheel drive and full of torque steer.

It will go toe-to-toe with a new Boxter.

No, no it won't.  The 3 is a pretty good car, but it can't match a Boxster's numbers for 0-60, quarter mile, slalom, skid pad, or track times, though it's pretty close on stopping distances.

... there are a bunch of Hello Kitty floor mats jammed under the gas pedal keeping it from moving all the way.

Mwuhahahaha!

[henrycsc]

I drive a 2000 Nissan Xterra, but now it has a little kick ass of its own. 







No they aren't official, but I did order extra of them so check out my trade list if anybody wants to do their own pimpin'. 

[SignOfZeta]

It's also $10,000 cheaper than any other car in it's class.

Only if the class is limited to front drive turbo fours, of which the GTI is competitively priced (and a bit slower).  The V-6 Genesis Coupe, V-6 Mustang, Subaru WRX, and Lancer Ralliart are similarly priced and at least equally quick, plus they aren't wrong wheel drive and full of torque steer.

Generally that is how class is defined, or at least mostly. Price is a factor, but not the most important one. A V6 Mustang isn't a similar car to a Mazda 3 in any meaningful way. Also, V6 Mustangs are just stupid. Any Mustang without a V8 is just...totally stupid. A muscle car with its muscles largely deleted. Pointless. Yes, I know the "week" Mustang is 300HP or something now, but its still totally stupid when the higher HP version is always out there, annoying you. What other purpose is there in owning a Mustang? Its awesome handling? Please, without modification the stock set-up has more understeer than a Pontiac Grand Prix. Its luxurious interior? No, its cheap shit. A Mustang is pointless without the biggest engine you can put in it.

[Necromancer]

Generally that is how class is defined, or at least mostly. Price is a factor, but not the most important one. A V6 Mustang isn't a similar car to a Mazda 3 in any meaningful way.

I see your point, but seeing as they're similarly sized, similarly powerful, and return similar performance numbers, I lump 'em all together as "fun cars that are moderately fast and relatively cheap".  I don't really care if it's FWD, RWD, or AWD, nor do I care how many cylinders are under the hood; it's the end results that matter, not the tech. specs that got them there.

Also, V6 Mustangs are just stupid. Any Mustang without a V8 is just...totally stupid. A muscle car with its muscles largely deleted. Pointless. Yes, I know the "week" Mustang is 300HP or something now, but its still totally stupid when the higher HP version is always out there, annoying you.

There's always something faster, and not everybody has to have the biggest penis.  Besides, there's a big difference between $23,000 and $48,000 (V-6 vs. GT500 cost), and some people do worry about such trivialities.

What other purpose is there in owning a Mustang? Its awesome handling? Please, without modification the stock set-up has more understeer than a Pontiac Grand Prix. Its luxurious interior? No, its cheap shit. A Mustang is pointless without the biggest engine you can put in it.

To some people, Mustangs will never do anything but go fast in a straight line, but why pigeonhole 'em when the evidence shows that they're actually capable of turning a corner nowadays?  Go drive one sometime - you might be surprised.

[SignOfZeta]

I've never had the chance to really manhandle a current generation Mustang, but there are a great number of them at the local autocrosses. Once they are built to Street Prepaired class they seem alright, but anywhere near stock and they plow like a pig. Working the course when the Stock class new Mustangs are out there is like bathing in a shower of rubber dust. They SHREAD front tires almost as bad as a SRT-4 Caliber. I assume this is because Ford sets them up to be idiot proof. Maybe all they need is a smaller swaybar in the front.

Of course the fancier Roush versions with the independant rear end would fix this too, but that's really expensive. Way too much for a Ford, that's for sure.

[77FordTruckMan]

ok, I think I see what you are saying I don't really think everyone is brainwashed, and you did give a lot of reasons but in my opinion all the problems are a small price to pay.

[77FordTruckMan]

your truck is slower than any F150 made today

now I KNOW that's not true