Cars
 

The musk thread got me thinking about something I really love: Cars.

Fat skinny big small weird normal new old.

I currently own a pretty nice 1991 MB 420SEL (the family year around mover), a beautiful 1990 Chevy Silverado single cab 2wd longbed (my non-winter daily, yes I use it for work), a somewhat ragged out 1993 single cab 4wd S-10 (winter work truck) and a mint 2006 BMW 325CI convert.

I can afford to drive the old cars and Germans because I do most of my own repairs and maintenance (the old trucks are still 'relatively' cheap at the shop but rebuilding/refreshing systems can still have a fair cost. Taking the Germans to the shop is a fool's game).

And a 1952 Fergusen TO30 tractor :) (big yard, use mostly the 3-point 72" finish mower)

I recently sold my 1976 Triumph Spitfire and got my wife the Beemer so we'd still have a 'fun' weekend car (and the MB is starting to show wear). Unfortunately that means it's a auto. Still pretty fun to drive. Nothing like the spit though, that had a 4 speed, adjustable suspension and a high ratio manual rack & pinion steering (A BLAST).

For work I also rent a ton of cars. I'll talk more about them.

What do you drive?

Pete

I have owned at least one air cooled VW since 16. Over the years all except the KG we bought in 76 are now long gone. It sits now due to needing tires. The XZX I prefer are almost impossible to find and they will not tell you their date of manufacturing....


Daily drivers are a 2014 Ram 1500 and 2012 Ford Escape.

'69 Olds 4-4-2 convertible (400, TH400), '04 MX-5 Miata 5-speed roadster, '02 Dodge Dakota truck (4.7, auto), '14 Mazda 2 (1.5, auto), '10 Honda CR-V (2.4, auto -- DD, currently deployed on an extended cross-Canada odyssey).

Why a newer tractor?

2022 VW Taos and Hyundai Kona N-Line, 1995 Jeep GC, 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 and a 1949 IH KB3.

Not going to list all the bikes, 2010 Honda CBR1000RR, 2004 HD RK, 1989 Honda GB500, 1988 Honda CBR1000F, 1976 Yamaha XS650 bobber.

1939 Ford 9n

In recent years, I've become a Mazda fan for their on-road behavior, good engineering, attractive styling and reliability. I drive a 2014 Mazda6 with a 6-speed standard transmission and my wife has a 2020 Mazda CX-5. Both have proven extremely reliable and fun to drive.

I had the misfortune (entirely my fault) of trading my 2014 Audi A8L last year for a 2022 Rx Lexus. Audi had over 225K miles on it yet it was in perfect condition.

The Lexus is a joke, the A8 beyond the luxury is a technological marvel, way ahead of its time. The A8 replaced an MBZ S500 and it was much more reliable than the Audi. Love German cars having owned VW's since 70's and later Mercedes, 280, 450SL and so on. But here in Reno not very many places to get the car serviced like in the Bay Area where I had an independent mechanic for both my MBZ and Audi, but we still own the 2016 Audi Q5 now with about 90K miles and its staying put, perhaps the best midsize SUV we have owned.

Next up, a Lucid Aire, soon very soon. :D

I liked German cars while living in Germany. Not so much in the USA. Their electrical systems (switches, relays, sensors, motors (power windows, wipers), grounding system, etc.) are too fickle for my taste. Bosch electrical components simply don't have the reliability of their Japanese counterparts (e.g., Denso). I did enjoy my Porsche 924 Turbo and Audi Coupe GT while in Germany, but given the frequency of repair of twitchy electrical systems and the haughtiness of the dealer network here, both are a hard pass here.

My older son continues to bug me to buy a Porsche Cayman, but I'm happy with my 2014 Mazda6 with a 6-speed manual. It has been absolutely bullet-proof over 12 years of ownership despite being the first year of their greatly revamped design. It is literally like new in terms of appearance and reliability. Their Soul Red paint job is considered the best paint job available outside of high priced exotics. Freshly waxed, it's a sight to behold.

My older bother who is a metallurgist has been affiliated with the automotive steel industry and he worked in Germany for five years at Ford. And his daughter a mechanical engineer did an internship with BMW. So needless to say we are both German car aficionados. I have never not owned a German car most of my adult life. And yes, you should buy a Cayman, or better yet a 911. :D

And speaking of cars, here is an interesting news item.

Emma Watson banned from driving for speeding

Jut to put things in perspective, the de facto speed limit in the Bay Area highways is 80mph though posted speed limit is 65mph. I set my cruise control at 80 and drop to 75 for mountain driving, but often hit 90 to pass cars. :D

My last speeding ticket was around 15 years ago and I drive 40-50K miles a year. If I drove like I do in England, I will probably be banned permanently. :)

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly10x7pjplo