Brain Fertilizer

How sad. I haven't driven half the number of cars you have. Of course, you probably have a few years over me.

Here's my list:

77 Plymouth Voyager Custom van (NOT a minivan, first vehicle, handed down from parents)- drove about 3 years, passed to brother in college
83 Toyota Corolla (another parental hand-me down)- 1st stick shift, drove about 1 year, passed on too to brother in college
84 Mazda 626 (yet another parental reject)- drove about 6 years, traded in for:
94 Buick Skylark - drove for 3 years, then got married, gave to wife (until wrecked), and bought myself:
88 Honda Civic - drove 5 years until sandwiched in chain rear-ender
96 Ford Windstar (bought with insurance $$ when Buick was t-boned while wife driving)- 1s family vehicle, driven as wife's primary vehicle for 5 years
95 Pontiac Bonneville (bought with insurance $$ from Honda, purchased cheap and threw in used engine)- my current commuting vehicle
02 Ford Windstar (traded old Windstar in on)- wife's current commuting vehicle and family vehicle

Not all that much difference. You have 8 to my 11.

1976 Ford Mustang - owned for a bit more than a year ('86-'87), until I totaled it by driving it under a flat-bed truck my senior year. Turned it into a convertible in about two seconds (and almost killed myself). Cost my parents about $2,000 used (I think), which was a pretty good buy since it only had about 30k miles on it. After the accident, I sold the remains to a scrap dealer for $170. Nice car. Sigh.

1979 Subaru DL hatchback - owned for two years ('87-'88). Previously my sister's college car. Again, my parents bought this car -- about $1,700 used, if I'm remembering correctly. Traded in on a...

1988 Chevrolet Spectrum hatchback - owned for seven years ('88-'95), and never had any serious trouble with it. Also great gas mileage. Replaced the clutch once, and the alternator once. Co-purchased this with my folks -- total price was about $6,000, new. Traded in on a...

1995 Nissan pickup - owned for eight years ('95-'03). My first big purchase, I LOVED this little truck. Until my last year of ownership, I never had any trouble with it. Paid $13,900 for it (a demo with 3.5k miles on it), which was maybe a little high. Eventually sold it to a guy for $2,200 in mid 2003 with about 130,000 miles on it.

1992 Mazda 929 - owned for about a year ('03). Bought this car on a whim from a business friend. He was going to trade it in to a dealership on a new SUV, and I gave him $1,300 cash in lieu of trade (all they'd offered him; had about 135K miles on it). He'd kept it in excellent condition. Blue book on the car was over $2,500 so I figured I could make at least $6-700 profit on resale. Instead, I kept it and drove it about 10 months. It was VERY plush, and I got sucked in by the all-leather interior and premium sound. Put about 15k miles on it, replaced one tire, and finally sold it to another guy for $1,225. That guy's still driving it with no problems...

2003 Nissan Altima - current car ('03-?). It was another demo, with about 15k miles on it at purchase. They were asking $16,800 but I haggled my way to a price of $14,700. I love it. Less plush than the 929 was, but very comfortable and a real pleasure to drive.

I've also "co-owned" cars that I've always considered my wife's, including a 1982 Datsun 240 (no idea the price), 1987 Pontiac Grand Am ($2,650 used; sold for $1,800), a 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier ($6,400 demo; sold for $1,200 in '02) and (currently) a 2002 Ford Explorer ($20,500 demo). All were pretty good cars, though we had numerous electrical problems with the Cavalier around 100K miles, and thereafter. Haven't had a bit of trouble with the Explorer, but the gas prices are making it pricey to fill up.

I remember that Subaru. I thought you had it for far longer than that. Good car.

1971 Chevy Nova (woooohoooo, my first car)
1983 Plymouth Reliant
1994 Pontiac Grand Am
1994 Chevy S-10
1998 Chevy (Suzuki) tracker
1999 Chevy (Suzuki) metro
1966 Chevy Caprice (hell yes. big block 396 no less.)
1994 Saturn SL2
1983 Toyota Corolla (temp car)
1984 Godawful AMC (I didn't choose it)
2000 Chevy Cavalier
2003 Olds Alero
2005 Chevy Malibu
1990 Plymouth Talon (really Michael's,now my brother's)

'83 Chrysler Fifth Avenue
'90 Ford Mustang
'87 Volkswagon Scirocco GTI
'65 Dodge Dart
'77 BMW 320i
'86 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce (garaged, planning to restore)
'98 Toyato 4Runner (everyday car)

I'm hoping to get an '05 Mustang convertible before by summer.

I remember that Subaru. I thought you had it for far longer than that. Good car.

You *should* remember it. We once got ticketed in it for speeding back from the White Elephant Truck Stop. Damned, speed-trapping cops waiting at the bottom of West Texas hills... ;)

Maybe you're mixing my tan Subaru hatchback up with my white Chevrolet hatchback? That's what I mostly drove in college and subsequently. Both were good cars.

Yeah...I wasn't going to bring up the speeding ticket thing; I didn't want to re-awaken painful memories! [grin]

But the reason I associate that car with you so much is the whole Primacy/Recency aspect. When I first met and hung out with you, that was your car. And you were so vociferous in your love of that car (at the time), that I guess I assumed you held onto it longer. I do vaguely remember the hatchback...more you telling me you got it than remembering you driving it. The pick-up and Grand Am are seared (seared!) into my memory, as well as Kim's 240SX (200SX?), but mainly because those were parked outside your apt every time when we came to visit.