Your Very Best Car/Truck ...Ever!

[flyfisherman]

O.K. ... we ran a thread on the very First car you ever owned, but how about the BEST car or truck you ever owned? In some cases it very well may have been your first, but I'm a-thinkin' your very best might have come later.

For me the very best car I ever owned was a 1954 Ford Coupe. It was about the last year Ford had a genuine club coupe. The first year of Ford's Y-block V-8 (I think it was 130hp), 3-spd manual tranny and Ford had a real overdrive at the time. You engaged the clutch and pulled a lever (handle?) out from near the center of the dash board and it changed the gear ratio right at the rear differential. With the overdrive engaged it would deliver an honest 24 mpg on the open road; when you took your foot off the gas pedal it would almost coast forever. It was a smooth driving car, so well balanced and nimble handling, just a pleasure to drive. I drove the car for 100,000 miles and in that day was considered a lot of miles. Drove it coast to coast AND part of that on the famous Route 66. And the bottom line was the car cost less than $2,000.00 brand new!

This is not the car, but what it looked like ~




Fly

[sacrawf]

The best vehicle I ever owned was a 1975 International "200" 4x4 3/4 ton pickup I purchased new in 1975, the last year they were made.  This thing was indestructable off road, pulling grain wagons, anhydrous ammonia tanks, a goosneck grain trailer (18,200 lbs loaded), hauling hogs and cattle with a steel livestock rack, a high aluminum topper for hauling seed , feed, and chemicals, and also was used with a slide-in truck camper.  It hauled a lot of firewood and pulled logs out of ravines with chains and cables.  The price new was $5365.  The only real negative was the mileage...about 7 miles per gallon due to the low gearing.

[austinado16]

The first generation Volkswagen Rabbit.  Bought my first one in '87.  A carbureted '75 four door in chrome orange, for $150.  Got it running and threw a set of the cheapest Sears tires on it.  Then a GF and I drove it to Alaska and back for the summer.  Sold it to pay for the trip and missed it so much I had to have another one.  Bought a diesel version and the rest is history.  

I found this truck in a farmer's field in '94.  He gave it to me just to get it off the property.  I restored it and it's my daily everything.  Gets as good a mileage as a Prius, with 100 year old technology.  With 50hp, a 5spd, air conditioning, and a 26 gallon fuel tank, it's got everything I need.

Here are a few shots of the stuff I do with it:
Hauling another Rabbit P/u 320mi from Sacramento to home


Hauling a yard of top soil at a time while building a garden


Hauling a 400lb 8x8 vinyl shed in the bed, pulling my 400lb trailer (formerly an '83 Starcraft Starflyer 19) with about 600lbs of vintage watercraft and trailer lashed to the top


Hauling a '61 Mercedes 190c

[wavery]

I built my BEST car myself.

1975 Sterling GT. Fiberglass kit car that was designed to be built on a 1972 VW Beetle chassis. I didn't use the VW chassis. I built my own chassis out of chromolly steel tubing and sheet aluminum flooring. I built a 2180CC engine with dual 48IDA Webber carbs and special designed heads..... 280HP on the dyno.

This car weighed 1250# would do 160MPH and got 30 MPG (just not @ 160MPH :p ). The most fun car to drive that you could ever imagine.

This picture is the exact same car, color, wheels and all. I wouldn't be surprised if it is the same car.

[centex_popup]

I really enjoyed a 1979 Olds Cutlass Supreme,

that car ran like a sewing machine.  I drove it until the whells fell off, then I put some new wheels on and drove it some more.  I miss that old car. :%

[brainpause]

Holly and I have purchased 3 vehicles within the past 3 years. Fortunately, no payments.

My Silverado is the best truck I've ever had. But it's the only full-size truck I've ever had. My Nissan Frontier took a beating and was a great truck; it was just underpowered.

I bought a well-used Toyota Avalon in May. It had 132000 miles on it at purchase, and I love driving it as my daily driver. I'm quite impressed with this vehicle and am loving it more and more. It sips gas, especially for a big flagship car. I'm actually crazy about it, and it is likely the best car I've ever owned.

That said, back in November, we bought Holly at Toyota Highlander Sport. It is one fine vehicle. It rides well, and has an incredibly powerful (240 HP?) V6. I still think my Silverado and Avalon are more comfortable to drive, but the Highlander is a solid vehicle.

I guess to answer the OP's question, what was my best vehicle? I don't really know, but I have the best 3 I've ever had, all in my driveway at the same time. How's that?

Larry

[Shredder]

I drove an ugly orange 1980 ford pick up, 6cyl. (300ci) stick with OD for 12 years then gave it to my brother for a further beating. I bought it used and got it cheap because of the God awful color, I put well over 200,000 mi on it, and I'm not sure how many my brother put on it. I just did the usual maintenance stuff, oil, brakes, filters and what not, and it ran and ran. I still miss the old beast......Shredder

[JohnandLeann]

Those ol' inline 6's were hard to kill.  From any of the original Big 3.  They just ran and ran.  Prob why they don't use 'em anymore, but someone will say smog laws or such is the real reason.

[CW Spook]

Best car I ever had was a 1988 Volvo 240.  Bought it new and drove it for about 12 years.  I kinda wish I'd kept it around.

[A2SuperCrew]

For me, it is my Jeep.  It's a 2000 Wrangler SE with a four banger and an automatic.  It just turned 126,000 miles, and is going strong.



There is simply nothing else that compares to driving a Jeep with the top off!!  Fun and easy to work on.  Fun to MOD!  Take it for a ride, and all is well with the world.  Jeep time is Zen time.

It's a Jeep Thing!

[GeneF]

2000 Nissan Altima with 5-speed.  Owned the car for 8 years and only major repair was the air conditioner.

Fun to drive and 30+ mpg.

It survived two teenage drivers that both rearended a friend's car that they were following.  Damage came to within $25 for each accident with DS winning out.

DD finally did it in by a bit of overloading on her move to Florida.  It had 149,800 miles on it.  Needed $2600 of repairs to get it into shape so it was traded in on a Sentra.

Amazing how many of the 99 to 01 Altimas I see on the road.

[garym053]

1971 Ford Mustang with 330 hp 351 Clevland engine, 4- speed, positrac.
Car got me more damn speeding tickets!!! I just know it was the cars fault. Sold it to a friend for $400 in '77 when my S/O Dodge Aspen with 360 Hi performance came in. He totaled it the first day he had it!

[perterra]

Best and most fun are two different things.  :p   Most fun was probably a 83 Jeep CJ7 or a 68 Ford Torino fastback, best is probably my current 03 Honda CR/V. 183,000 miles and been in the shop twice, once an O2 sensor failed, the other time a fuel gauge sending unit failed. Neither time was the auto disabled, just had a check engine light.