The Other Showroom: Current / Past Rides (Pt I)

Al, I am jealous.

I want a new Camaro soooo bad. But I'm easy, I'll take a base model with an auto but it has to be yellow(homage to Transformers and all).

If I had bought the Mustang in 2008 for $22k I would be kicking myself for not waiting for the Camaro. But even so I problably wouldn't have been able to afford the payments since I'd want to finance most of it.

Thanks for all the nice comments. It appears I have an attraction to white cars. I have had the Camaro for one year this week and have been very happy with it. After 12 months still just under 3,000 miles.

It was originally gonna be the wife's car but I needed to get around some other way because I was too afraid of crashing my riv. I shouldn't have done that though because I crashed it... Everyone should've saw the look on her face when she saw it. LOL!

The old daily driver - Car LOL.. A 1997 monte carlo. Bought it when I was 16 for 800$ cash when the car had just hit 144k miles. The motor was blown so I swapped in a scrapped 3100 my dad somehow got his hands on for free. That car hated people, tried to kill my friend when I let him borrow it and broke down whenever anyone besides me drove it and broke down on me on some rather important days. Turns out the previous 3 drivers were teenage girls and one of them bedazzled the interior and at least one of them was a goth chick (metal cds and black eyeliner were found under the rear seat as was some pewter jewelry). Still though....I had him tamed after I started autocrossing. These were taken from the high point in his life. The bottom shot was from the run where I ended up placing 9/44 at my school. 3 runs in the morning, 3 in the afternoon because we had so many cars. So only 6 runs total on a figure 8/oval turned into an autocross course. Among the people I beat were a 1st gen M3, a SRT-4, 3 miatas, an SVT focus, and a few others. I also should say I took the number 4 spot by borrowing my friends mazda 3 that got 3rd.

The bottom picture doesn't show the entire scene either. The track workers on that turn were all quite amazed at what I was doing and how hard I was pushing. Apparently they all jumped back I also gave everyone a fright when I almost hit the wall on the previous run when I ran wide on the banked turn. I had a revalation when I almost hit the wall though and used a similar line for this run. I've never carried so much speed in such a crappy car before.

Sadly, this little rat ******* broke his transmission as I was fixing up jessica otherwise I'd still be autocrossing him. Still though, at the end of the day there were very few moments where he let me down. And I could tell in my last autocross with him that he had basically given up on his own self.

Currently it has just under 200k miles and I just got word today it was stripped and crushed at a junkyard just outside Detroit Never thought I'd miss him but it was my car from the age of 16 to 21.

Fun story Chris... Thanks for sharing.

97buickriviera wrote:

It was originally gonna be the wife's car but I needed to get around some other way because I was too afraid of crashing my riv. I shouldn't have done that though because I crashed it... Everyone should've saw the look on her face when she saw it. LOL!

Is that what I think it is ... the venerable Subaru SVX ???

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q1/the_greatest_automotive_flops_of_the_last_25_years-feature

By the way...I don't necessarily agree with this list.

Nice choice Ian. I was just remeniscing online about the SVX yesterday.

I don't think I would be happy with it over the Riv but I love how unique the car is and that it really stands as Subaru's only sports car in my mind. The WRX's are cool but I just have a hard time seeing a sedan as a sports car whether it be an M-series BMW or Cadillac V(even if they do out race any coupe).

I also like how the SVX allows you to have a low, wide sports car that can also be usefull in the winter with AWD capabilities. The interior with the leather seats, suede accents and wood details just looks very rich for a Subaru.

Every year I hope Subaru reintroduces the SVX to the market. I'm hoping the shared platform between them and Toyota will result in one.

The split window thing is not very peractical but it is wildly awesome. It gives the door the impression that they could be gull wing in a way and that the window desgin was meant for regidity.

i def dont agree with some things on that list. but hey. good post.

ghpcnm wrote:

97buickriviera wrote:

It was originally gonna be the wife's car but I needed to get around some other way because I was too afraid of crashing my riv. I shouldn't have done that though because I crashed it... Everyone should've saw the look on her face when she saw it. LOL!

Is that what I think it is ... the venerable Subaru SVX ???

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q1/the_greatest_automotive_flops_of_the_last_25_years-feature

By the way...I don't necessarily agree with this list.

Well, I'm not sure, it was my wifes car....

Andysdorm wrote:

Nice choice Ian. I was just remeniscing online about the SVX yesterday.

I don't think I would be happy with it over the Riv but I love how unique the car is and that it really stands as Subaru's only sports car in my mind. The WRX's are cool but I just have a hard time seeing a sedan as a sports car whether it be an M-series BMW or Cadillac V(even if they do out race any coupe).

I also like how the SVX allows you to have a low, wide sports car that can also be usefull in the winter with AWD capabilities. The interior with the leather seats, suede accents and wood details just looks very rich for a Subaru.

Every year I hope Subaru reintroduces the SVX to the market. I'm hoping the shared platform between them and Toyota will result in one.

The split window thing is not very peractical but it is wildly awesome. It gives the door the impression that they could be gull wing in a way and that the window desgin was meant for regidity.

Well, thats why I got it for her, it was unique, it was a cool car, and I knew she would like it. It was NOT fast though, lol. It only went like 130 mph, so I wouldn't call it a sport car.

Here are all of my current toys for a group pic
[img][/img]

old car


current car

Is the silver one turbo, too? Looks clean.

Some from years ago and some in my garage now...

Tim: I love that '64 T-Bird. I had a fully restored '65 (white over aqua). Sold it to a collector from Canada...been sick ever since

ghpcnm wrote:

Tim: I love that '64 T-Bird. I had a fully restored '65 (white over aqua). Sold it to a collector from Canada...been sick ever since

Thanks Dave. The '64 was my first car when I was 16 back in 1976. I drove it all through high school and some of my college years. I sold it to one of my good friends that had always wanted it. He restored it, moved to California and I never saw him or the car again until just a few months ago when we crossed paths through Facebook. The Tbird is still around and driven often. My newest Tbird is an '02 bought new in 2002 but was just sold to make room for the Riviera.

Tim, you got a great collection.

the second pic T-bird was similar to my parents car when they got married.

I've always been a fan of the last Thunderbirds no matter what anyone says. There used to be a sky blue(Mountain Sky Blue?) model on the lowest level of the mega-complex I used to work at in Boston. I would try to catch a glimpse at least once a week. The car still remains one of my Top3 attainable dream cars.

And ever since X2: X-men sequel, I've loved the RX-8 and I am a general fan of Mazdas as well. I'm 6' tall and the rear seating is fine with me. I've already got too many vehicles for someone who doesn't own property to house them. But if I could make a case for it, I would be looking into one. Even though its not meant to be, I would have to require it to drive in the winter. I'd assume snow tires would be a must. Are they capable drivers in the winter, have you tried it?

Andysdorm wrote:

Tim, you got a great collection.

the second pic T-bird was similar to my parents car when they got married.

I've always been a fan of the last Thunderbirds no matter what anyone says. There used to be a sky blue(Mountain Sky Blue?) model on the lowest level of the mega-complex I used to work at in Boston. I would try to catch a glimpse at least once a week. The car still remains one of my Top3 attainable dream cars.

And ever since X2: X-men sequel, I've loved the RX-8 and I am a general fan of Mazdas as well. I'm 6' tall and the rear seating is fine with me. I've already got too many vehicles for someone who doesn't own property to house them. But if I could make a case for it, I would be looking into one. Even though its not meant to be, I would have to require it to drive in the winter. I'd assume snow tires would be a must. Are they capable drivers in the winter, have you tried it?

Thanks Andrew. The '02 Tbird was a great car. It was an attention-getter no matter where I went in it. Besides Riviera's, I have always had a fondness for Tbird's, expecially the '64-'66 ones and when the '02 came out I had to have one. The RX8 was with me for 1 year. It was a great car but a friend that borrowed it one day also totalled it. I never had the chance to drive it in any kind of Winter weather. The RX8 was very roomy and was another car that drew lots of attention especially when I first got it. My other daily driver today is my G35 Coupe. It never seems to go out of style. This has been my first week to drive the Riviera daily to work and back and it has been the nicest car yet to drive. I may not be able to drive the G35 again after the comfort of the Riviera!

Nice rides Tim. I had posted on another thread cars I had owned which started when my parents gave me Moms 1963 T-Bird for my 16th birthday early 1967. I remain a T-Bird nut till this day. My father would always take me car shopping (not Mom or my older brother). 1963 my father wanted either a 1963 Olds Starfire or a Ford Galaxy XL fastback. Dad liked his GM, liked Oldsmobile, but I had talked him into looking at the Ford XL because the interior was excellent (I had an agenda to get him into a Ford dealership). Got to the Ford dealer, I saw the T-Bird on the sales floor, would not get out of the car (yes I have always been a brat with a preplanned agenda). Only when he bought the T-Bird would I remove myself from the T-Bird. Then in 1966 Dad took me shopping at Ford as he was planning on buying himself a Mustang but I had an agenda. We drove away with a 1966 T-Bird Town Landau (LOL).
Took the 1963 to college in 1969 but over the X-mass break Dad borrowed my 1963 and wrecked it so he gave me the 1966. Back home for spring break 1970, Dad borrowed my 1966 and wrecked it. As I had to return to college in 3 days, Dad sent me to an old Air Force buddy at a Chevy dealership (safe he thought – Air Force buddy – Chevy - but I had an agenda). My marching instructions from Dad the Colonel was "just get a damn car and don't go crazy." Crazy would be getting a Camaro he thought. He gave me a signed check without the dollar amount filled in. I drove away with a fully loaded Nova SS. But Dad, I later said, it’s only a Nova! He went a little crazy when he got the insurance bill but by then I was states away at college. Revenge was sweet and he never asked to borrow my Nova! Also have wonderful memories of a 1972 Mark IV back in 1973-74. A friend had a 1972 Mark and I would drive it almost every weekend during my "going clubbing" commute between Richmond VA and DC. Great car at 90 mph but caution required when changing lanes as it ‘floated’.
Seriously thought about getting a restored 1963 or 1966 T-Bird a year ago but that would have meant the Riviera would become a daily driver, and now here in Canada, was not going my let my aunts South Carolina Riviera touch road salt. That is why I bought a 2011 Camaro, purely for practical reasons because I could get it with all season tires (LOL) and my 1998 Riviera could remain a nice weather summer only auto.
Reading the stories of current and past rides on this site is good entertainment. Perhaps my Dad was closet car nut and needed me to justify his love of nice cars starting at age 4, when somehow a 4 year old can talk parents into buying his and hers color matching 1955 Olds ‘98’ Holiday coupe and Starfire convertible. What I learned from Dad was use any lame excuse to justify a car purchase. My older brother, never went car shopping with Dad, never learned the art of lame excuses. However, big brother did become an automotive designer so I guess he did manage to get in his 2-cents over the years.

My other Buick, A '94 Roadmaster Estate Wagon with 79,000 miles, purchased last year from the original owner. It has it's own "personality", totally different than the Riviera but gets attention wherever I go.

Well i dont have to drive the buick in the winter anymore, picked up an 88 f-150 4x4, standard cab, long box, 300 straight six, 5 speed for $800. All it needed was rear shocks, a turn signal switch, and it has a crack in the winshield. So far ive replaced the shocks, changed the oil, added some tint, replaced the heater core, replaced a few burned out bulbs, and removed a few things i didnt like.
Here are the pictures from craigslist:




After i got it i took the topper off:


And then tinted the windows, took the steps off, and gave it a wash:


This is a pic with only the left side washed, you can see all the black still on the right:



Did some polishing and found out the center is actually black:







Painted the grill and headlight surroundings satin black, also polished the bumper:






Picked this visor and a couple roof lights up from the junkyard, it will get painted satin black and installed when i paint the upper gray part of the truck satin black:

Lookin good Ty!

fukin aye! dats da way u do!
ya could a moved to Vegas and saved urself $800 bucks!

The front end looks much better with the grille and light surrounds painted black. I also love the look of the visor on trucks and SUV's. Not bad for a winter beater, but how many miles are on it? Also gotta wish heater cores were easy to replace anymore...

Yes,
That's what I like about this forum. No haughtiness, just plain car nuts , casually bringing the assumed dead back to life. Good choice, and best of luck with that old F-Series, Tyler!