How to know you picked the right car

I had to run to the grocery store which is exactly 1 mile from my house. It took me 25 miles to get there. Either I am very bad at navigating, or I just really like this car :-)

I have had it for three years and drive it as much as possible, as hard as possible. It's an 85 with around 125,000 miles. Makes a surprisingly adept grocery getter.

I am curious what other signs people have experienced that indicated they had found an ideal car for their particular tastes. But now it's time to put the phone away and go for another drive. Surely someone in this house needs a drink from Starbucks around the corner. Will probably take me an hour to get there :-)

I took my Cayman a half hour south of the house to drop off a cable modem once and ended up almost 2 hours north of the house for lunch because nothing was open down south yet. I get where you are coming from.

Sweet A/C 911!

Pretty close to my dream 911 right there.  I'd want a white '88 . . .  but I'd be happy with that!  Sadly I think I missed the boat, given prices.

What's the story on the wheels?

I think you hit the nail on the head. I own cars that are great appliances, but are all about getting from point A to B. My fun cars take me much longer to get anywhere, because I often take the scenic route, or drive half way across town to the "good" on-ramp. Or slow down so that I'll miss the light and get to run up the gears again. 

I only own fun cars for a reason.  Even my Disco is fun in it's own slow way.  My Mother's Buick Encore, not so much.

In reply to ZOO (Forum Supporter) :

I have the stock 15 x 7 and 8 Fuchs in the attic. Performance tires for these wheels with a properly large sidewall have become extremely expensive. So I picked up these 16 x 7 and 8 replicas on clothes out front tire rack. Performance tires are much cheaper for them. I save the 15's for shows. Ideal would be to get original 16 inch Fuchs, but those are incredibly pricey.

The twisty way is the right way to go home.

I'll just put this here....

In reply to docwyte :

I am afraid I would get so many speeding tickets in that car. Gorgeous. 

Taking the long way is a great sign of the right car!

I've also heard that if you don't want to take a look back over your shoulder as you walk away, you're probably driving the wrong car.

For me, it just has to be interesting. I need a big 4x4 truck for my dirt bike shenanigans. That 8.1 makes an otherwise boring SUV way more interesting than I ever expected, since I really don't like my parents' 5.3 powered version. It's a completely different experience.

I have a boring normal Silverado. It's a good looking truck and works fine. I've put like 2000 miles on it in 3 years and pretty much only drive it if I need the bed for something, even though I really should drive it instead of the Suburban most of the time.

My sign....if I keep the car more than 6 months, LOL.

We bought my wife a 996 as her weekend car a few months back, a proper 6spd no less.  So far, so good.  She absolutely adores it.  I haven't driven it enough to really get a solid opinion...she always drives.  I did buy myself a Fiero GT a few months ago and I'm loving the hell out of it.

In reply to TheRev :

that color is INSANE!!!! 

I'm without a fun car right now and really only have practical.  My Sequoia is nice and I like it, but it's not fun per se. My 73 F100 is sitting in a garage in Tennessee waiting on it's heart transplant and I keep looking at 911's.  My time will come I suppose. 

In reply to TheRev :

Thanks!  The wheels look great -- I realize I should have made that clearer in the earlier post. 

TheRev said:

In reply to docwyte :

I am afraid I would get so many speeding tickets in that car. Gorgeous. 

I know exactly what you mean. 

When I first had my 135i a few years ago. I got my first speeding ticket in a decade, in just a few weeks after getting it. Thankfully the officer was nice enough to knock it down. I had no idea the limit was so low where I was at as I was trying to get around someone. 

He made it a 35 in a 25, when it was more like 59 in a 25. The tq and DCT of that car made it surprisingly quick. 

Also, absolutely gorgeous car!

gearheadE30 said:

I've also heard that if you don't want to take a look back over your shoulder as you walk away, you're probably driving the wrong car.

Yes, I think there is truth in that statement - especially if you can only have one. A friend of mine said it well, "It has to make you want to turn the lights on everytime you go in the garage."

z31maniac said:

TheRev said:

In reply to docwyte :

I am afraid I would get so many speeding tickets in that car. Gorgeous. 

I know exactly what you mean. 

When I first had my 135i a few years ago. I got my first speeding ticket in a decade, in just a few weeks after getting it. Thankfully the officer was nice enough to knock it down. I had no idea the limit was so low where I was at as I was trying to get around someone. 

He made it a 35 in a 25, when it was more like 59 in a 25. The tq and DCT of that car made it surprisingly quick. 

 

Also, absolutely gorgeous car!

Yep. The power and GT-capabilities of that kind of car (like this 996TT), mean that if you really enjoy it as it was meant to be driven, you are almost certainly well above the speed limit. I've driven a C8 Vette on multiple occasions and am always worried I'll get a "lose your license" ticket b/c it's doing triple digits by the time I "feel" like I'm pushing it. That's one reason I really prefer my '85. You have to work for speed, and it feels fast even at the speed limit. 

That's why I take it to the track.  It's loafing around town but at least its geared properly so you can have some fun in the first few gears and not totally hit throw away the key speeds.

I know I picked the right car when I turn back to look at it every time I walk away. And, similarly, routine and local tasks take an extra hour and a half and an extra 80 miles. 

This is exactly why I LOVE classic cars, especially from the 60s/70s.  I find it interesting when I post a what car thread that so many of the suggestions are about how an Elantra N or a Mazda 3 makes a really sporty DD... which is completely true and I always appreciate the input, but I like to drive a car.  I would rather drive my 67 LeMans with its floppy suspension, poorly biased brakes, and noisy interior than drive a well-sorted Miata.  It's just funner.  My buddy picked me up in his new Civic and he was showing me all the features, like the brake hold button.  I was oooh-ing and ahhh-ing for his benefit, but I was also thinking... is this something you need on an automatic transmission economy car?  Who at Honda was sitting at a desk and thought that resting your foot on a brake pedal for 15 seconds was just too much of a burden for drivers?

Sometimes it's all about what you want to drive, not how perfect the car is.

I don't like driving boring stuff.  Give me negative inside camber curves.  Give me a heater that you turn on by twisting wires together.  I don't care.  Just because I CAN fix something doesn't mean I always do.  Give me all the experience of driving.

Curtis is the kind of luddite I aspire to be.  I'm hoping my lightly restomodded 66 Falcon will be that do-everything car that makes me giggle. It may not be, but I'll have fun getting there.

For every day though, my pedestrian 4.0 2006 Mustang is a permanent resident of the garage. I never tire of looking at it. I never tire of the view from the driver seat. It's a proper car; perhaps even a GT without the badging that tries to convince you. Power is good enough to have fun but not so much I want to be a real hooligan. I'll drive it until the ingress/egress is too much for my aging self. 

Could I find happiness with a 911SC? Oh, probably. Or any number of other cars that may have me take the long way home. But I have one now that has caused me to stop looking for the next best thing.

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

"Give me all the experience of driving."

Precisely. There is a significant difference b/w experience and performance, and I prefer the former. My actual criteria for a "good drive" is that I was so engaged in operating the vehicle, I could not think about anything else. I don't want to keep thinking about how I could have handled that meeting better. I want to clear my mind by having to concentrate so dang hard to get the 2nd gear downshift just right on this old, clunky 915 trans. Speaking of that transmission - my generation of 911 (the 3.2) is famous for having a major update mid-cycle - the swap of the old-school 915 trans for the new-school G50. The G50's go for a lot more money b/c that is a better transmission is most every measurable way. It feels modern. But I drove both before purchasing and realized I actually liked the older transmission better becuase I couldn't make smooth shifts without concentrating. It requires frequent double-clutching on downshifts and a perfect 2-step pause on upshifts. I really like the effort that requires because it pushes all other thoughts out of my brain. It also makes me feel like a hero when I nail a sequence of turns and shifts. I know that took skill. With the G50, it wouldn't (or at least not quite as much). 

Overall, I think that's where some people get this hobby wrong. Greater performance and technical sophistication does not necessarily equal a better drive, and sometimes actually works against it (e.g. my C8 experience above). 

this is going to sound odd to many.. of the two cars I drive daily.. my Disco and Abarth.  If I had to give one up, it would be the Abarth.

The Fiat is a fun little car, far more competent than me when it comes to turning, braking, and going.  It's burbling, popping, and humming exhaust makes me smile and giggle,  but for some reason I just can't bring myself to love that obnoxious little car.

The Disco has it's moments.  It can be grumpy, it gets bad gas millage, and for it's size is not all that roomy inside.  Yet, I have grown to love that British engineering nightmare.  I enjoy working on it, changing it to suit my needs, and after changing out the engine for a better designed and put together one, it has been as reliable as gravity. 

To be honest, it's actually a fun vehicle to drive.  It handles reasonably well if you ignore the body roll,  it brakes well, and if you slow it down a touch, there is a certain British "smugness" about how it goes down the road. The Abarth goads you into doing stupid things, the Disco harrumphs at you and asks, why would you want to do that?

You know you bought the right car when after 17 years of ownership you need a replacement, and you buy another of the same car. I am also in complete agreement with those that want the engagement of the drive. The syncros are worn out? So what, I don't need no stinking syncros to shift. I am going to visit one of our fellow GRMers next week to drive another X1/9 home! 

TheRev said:

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

"Give me all the experience of driving."

Precisely. There is a significant difference b/w experience and performance, and I prefer the former. My actual criteria for a "good drive" is that I was so engaged in operating the vehicle, I could not think about anything else. I don't want to keep thinking about how I could have handled that meeting better. I want to clear my mind by having to concentrate so dang hard to get the 2nd gear downshift just right on this old, clunky 915 trans. Speaking of that transmission - my generation of 911 (the 3.2) is famous for having a major update mid-cycle - the swap of the old-school 915 trans for the new-school G50. The G50's go for a lot more money b/c that is a better transmission is most every measurable way. It feels modern. But I drove both before purchasing and realized I actually liked the older transmission better becuase I couldn't make smooth shifts without concentrating. It requires frequent double-clutching on downshifts and a perfect 2-step pause on upshifts. I really like the effort that requires because it pushes all other thoughts out of my brain. It also makes me feel like a hero when I nail a sequence of turns and shifts. I know that took skill. With the G50, it wouldn't (or at least not quite as much). 

Overall, I think that's where some people get this hobby wrong. Greater performance and technical sophistication does not necessarily equal a better drive, and sometimes actually works against it (e.g. my C8 experience above). 

You've touched on something that I've felt for a while, but have not been able to put as succinctly as you have here. I enjoy the act of driving and the complete experience of the vehicle. I really like my 2002 because of the challenge it provides, and the sensation you got from just driving it around town. To me it is an honest little car, limited in it's capability, but fun in almost all situations. I find myself feeling that, for the street, most modern vehicles are far too serious to be enjoyed on a public road.