Here’s something you probably didn’t know about me: I don’t spend a lot of time kicking tires. Once I do my research, I find the right car and pounce.
When I bought my Miata all those years ago, it was the only one that I test-drove. Ditto my Mini Cooper. And Porsche 911. And all those Civics and …
I daily drove a 1970 Impala from 2000 - 2005. Nothing fancy, a 4dr sedan with a 350. It got more attention than anything else I've ever had. It was great on summer evenings - windows down, bare feet on those massive pedals, radio on and my sweetie next to me on the bench seat. There is something special about those cars.
73 Rivera GS, with the 455.
I wish i'd kept that car. So much cool.
In reply to ultraclyde:
There's a reason the 65-70 B body is the most produced car ever (going by units/year)
In college I had a 71 Buick Electra 225. We used to put 8 people in that thing to drive to concerts at Blossom Music Center. I will have one again.
By the way, drove the wagon to the office today. Pretty sure I drove it to the office every day last week, too. Plus we took it to DeLand this weekend--figure 30-ish minutes each way. It just makes me happy.
$1.89 gas is liberating, isn't it? 
Was in north Georgia this fall for a family visit while enroute to the Challenge. Went to dinner with my brother and Dad, taking his '66 Chevelle. This isn't a pro touring car or drag machine. It's a 4 door hardtop with a mild 327 and an automatic. Picked a place 25 miles from home and cruised at 55 over two lane roads, the low growl of the Chevy playing back ground music through the open windows to our conversation. Couldn't tell you what we talked about, but could have driven all night and never stopped smiling.
kazoospec wrote: $1.89 gas is liberating, isn't it?
Plus it's not that far of a drive--like 6 miles each way. I figure it's worth it.
I think the perfect cruiser would be some huge 70 boat, clean as a whistle or haggard to hell, on bags with some nice plus sized wheels. Done. Forever.
if 1/8 of everyone that buys a new SUV for the room would start looking at big old wagons, they'd fall in love and the manufacturers would have to start making them again..
out of all the cars that i've had (easily approaching the 200 mark), i'd have to say that my favorite cruiser was my 68 Chevelle Nomad wagon with the 307/powerglide/4 wheel power drums/big floor mat instead of carpet/black vinyl bench seats combination was the single best for just driving to nowhere in particular. gotta get 9 other people some place 50 miles away? pile them in and go.. my 66 Lincoln Continental 4 door comes in a close second..
For a more modern alternative, look at the mid-'90s GM wagons. They're pretty much the same size but get better economy. JG has a Roadmaster and loves it.
And, yes, I realize I could swap an LSx into mine, but it's staying stock.
Oh, dear Bob. Y'all are trying to punish me for selling the Le Mans to Curtis, aren't you?
David S. Wallens wrote: For a more modern alternative, look at the mid-'90s GM wagons. They're pretty much the same size but get better economy. JG has a Roadmaster and loves it. And, yes, I realize I could swap an LSx into mine, but it's staying stock.
If a 4x6 racing Kart can fit in one with the tailgate shut like the 1990 Suburban I had, I will own one.
Why so sporty? Because I enjoy the driving experience. My idea of cruising is in the F350 towing a trailer with the race car on it.
1966 Impala 4-door hardtop, 3-on the tree for me, and six in a row make mine go, but I know what you mean. Date nights with the wife, cruising with the kid, or just driving. It's nice to slow down and wonder why everyone else is in such a damn rush all the time. And on those days when it's just warm enough to have all four windows down.... 
Oh I get the wagon thing. Drove this in college and into my first marriage. It had the third row seat, two-way tailgate, power everything and a column shifter. It would fit a twin mattress in the back with the door closed. It was the best road-trip machine I have ever had.
Even near the end of it's life when it was all bondo and primer, it was the best car for heavy traffic. I stopped looking and just pulled out or changed lanes. People saw this hulking beast that looked liked it escaped the demo derby and they moved far, far away.
I had a '73 Riviera with rhe 455. A very pleasant beast. Drove from Ohio to Miami with a pop up camper on the back and could hardly tell it was there. Great road car. Don't remember why I sold it, but still have pleasant memories of it. Drop that thing a bit, paint shiny black, a set of good wheels, killer car.
I love mine!
There are reasons why I bought this as my first car, and you nailed all of them.
I once had this awesome dream where I was hooning a loud, modified, raked and box fendered baby blue Caprice Wagon around a parking lot. It had white wheels, rear were wider than the fronts, and the flares off a stepside truck.
I woke up smiling.
Parents always had wagons but I never got the urge as an adult. Sold my cruiser last week to help fund my Firebird project. I've been forcing myself to slowly sell down my collection as I get older anyway and now I'm down to 7 from about 15 ten years ago. I sold this time capsule unmolested survivor 70 Wildcat 455 bucket/console with barely over 70,000 miles on it and still sporting the original AM radio and an under dash 8 track player. Riding in it was like being 15 YO again.
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I had a friend who rolled a 75 Caprice and it was everything you describe. A rolling couch. Massive hood. Highway gobbler. Not my thing but... I get it. The closest I come to that with a wad of dough is maybe a 4x4 pick up from the same era. Like the Fall Guy had.
While i don't currently own anything truly huge or land-yachty, i also don't feel the need for sportiness every day. As it is i havent been driving any of my cars that are 'sporty' for months.
3 out of my 4 current DDs (i rotate every few days) are not sporty at all, but fun to cruise. 89 Plymouth Voyager SRT4 van, 82 Lebaron Convertible, 87 Montero 2dr. My 88 626gt kind of implies sportiness but it's really not. It's kind of in between.
I'll cycle through another phase of wanting 'sporty' everyday any minute now. Nothing wrong with that! Different cars for different moods, different days.. all part of the fun! A lot of people say "sell 4 old cars and buy one nice one." Those people have no clue what i get from all this. There's a huge amount of gratification from the element of choice and the different experiences between all these different types of vehicles. Even if none of them are in perfect shape, that variety and those choices are more 'luxurious' to me than only being able to drive one 'nice' (by which they mostly mean new) car.
tr8todd wrote: Why so sporty? Because I enjoy the driving experience. My idea of cruising is in the F350 towing a trailer with the race car on it.
Personally I enjoy the glass smooth ride cruiser type "land yacht" car driving experience just as much as much as I do beating on something rough and loud with tons of feedback.
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