What was your best street car?

[JohnPaul]

My
Prettiest: 2009 BMW 650 Wald/Forgiato
Toughest: 2009 Ford F350
Best technology and Bang for the Buck: 2010 Mercedes C350

My favorite car posted in this Thread: Ford GT
My next favorite car coming soon (hopefully): 2009-10 Nissan GTR

[Bruce Hazelton]

2001 Chrysler Prowler. Get in start it up and go. Go quickly by the way. Great handling, fun to drive and you hardly see another one on the road. Had it out today and saw all the people pointing as we drive by from little kids to grandparents.

[Bill Steele]

...been kicking myself ever since. They made only about 1330 of them for one year only, very rare.

You and me both, when I sold mine I thought the guy was nuts for paying what he did; saw a really nice one go for well into six figures a while back. Coulda, woulda, shoulda...

[Keith Carter]

Check this out







345 hp; 0-60 in 5.6

That's the RS. Badass little ride. I don't believe we'll be getting them in the states unless you're willing to spend $40k on one and import it through Mexico. If they did ever sell them in the US, I'd heavily consider it for a daily driver.

[Dennis Valet]

That's the RS. Badass little ride. I don't believe we'll be getting them in the states unless you're willing to spend $40k on one and import it through Mexico. If they did ever sell them in the US, I'd heavily consider it for a daily driver.

RS500, a limited edition model in Europe (500) that sold out in 12 hours or so.


I'd love to drive a Focus RS, the suspension setup to make 300+ hp in a FWD car manageable is supposedly very slick.

[Mark_Silverberg]

Certainly not the "best car" but without a doubt the car with the best memories.

I built a Blakely Bearcat kit car in the late 70's with my father. Disassembling and re assembling a complete car when you are 14 -15 years old gives you an appreciation and knowledge as to what is in a vehicle. I was very fortunate to be able to leverage a lot of those experiences into my career.

I still have the car which now sports as Dave Dixon built 2.0L Ford. It was retired from SCCA Solo II competition many years ago and is primarily used to haul my son to and from his weekend social engagements.

[Rick Iverson]

1967 L71 (435 HP 427 Tri Power) Goodwood Green Corvette coupe.

[EACIII]

Bought the Pacer for $900, beat the crap out of it driving it from CT to Harlem for a year and a half, gave it to my brother who beat the crap out of it for another year and a half. Put 60,000 miles on it and sold it for $600. Oh and all those miles driving back and forth to NY were chargable to the client. Made a ton of money on that one. And it had an 8 track with quad sound.

[Revs2-12k]

2002 Honda S2000 AP1 Revs to 9000rpm 240HP @ 2800lbs. Plenty of performance + Honda reliability & able to be sedate around town.

[stephen wilson]

The '06 Boxster I just bought. Amazing cornering grip & top-down enjoyment. It's even good practice for the FF, you need quick hands when you get the tail out ( and don't over-correct! ). The bad part- I just got my first ticket in 6 years.

2nd place: '65 Mustang, 289 4-speed. A different sort of fun, if I can just finish the restoration......

Best beater: '94 Integra. Actually a great handling FWD, better than my wife's RSX-S. The RSX engine in a 'Teg chassis would be a great commuter.

[godwinmt]

Amen to honda reliability again

I'm in love with my '95 Integra. Yeah yeah, I know, its a glorified civic, but what Acura has managed to do with this car and what this car has taught me about cars in general is just astounding. Purchased it when I was 16 and didn't know a thing about it. Stayed stock through high school, and redid the body before I started college. I bought it with 150k on the clock and it left me stranded once, the first year, when the drivers side inner CV blew apart.

When I got the car, I could barely change the oil on a car. It's been around for my learning, been around for me to make mistakes on, and most importantly, gave me some sort of outlet in order for me to practice what I did learn in the classroom about engineering in real life and have fun doing it. It was really the last of the Hondas with the double wishbone front/rear, and puts the RSX, and many current FWD cars to shame with handling in stock form. After owning it for 2 years, I went the FI route with her last year at 180k miles and haven't looked back. She's currently making 270whp on the stock 1.8L @ 15psi and still at 197k miles blows a 180 compression across the board. Does 0-60 in 5.2 seconds, and made me chicken out at 145mph. Car got me into solo/autox, and loves to pogo-stick around corners on the NT01's. Gawd I love this car.

My only complaint is the damn cheap steel that Honda used with their cars up until the 2000's. Rust is a PITA to try and fight with them.

[godwinmt]

The '06 Boxster I just bought. Amazing cornering grip &
The RSX engine in a 'Teg chassis would be a great commuter.

They've actually become damn popular. Most people going to that extent though choose the K24 bottom end from an Accord and couple it with the better flowing K20 head from the RSX-S



That car went 12.78 @ 108 recently with a stock k20a2 internal swap.

[Bill Bonow]

I 'm sad because I thought I had some decent photo of my Sprinter.

Laugh all you want, but my 2004 Sprinter was the best street car I ever had, bar none. This van was used for everything from hauling chassis kits to towing a race car (while getting 19 mpg), family vacations, student taxi at drivers schools, ect. I put 180k on it and would have kept it forever, but the "salt belt cancer" had gotten ahold of it

It drove like a compact car but would haul 10 people and their luggage. The 5 cyl. turbo diesel averaged 25 mpg and drove 600 miles on a tank. I miss it.

Here is the only photo I found of it parked off the end of the driveway

[Speed Sport Engineering]

Some of you have some nice street cars. Am I the only one who spends all my money on the race car?

My favorite street car was my 1991 Chevrolet Beretta. I bought it from my mom for $1000 with 70k miles on it, I drove it for 11 years and up to 300,000 miles. Then I traded it for some engine work. The seats were falling apart, the AC didn't work, ect., but after 300,000 miles it didn't use a drop of oil and still shifted like new, and it was the most comfortable car I've driven.

I'm hoping someday to get a street car I can actually enjoy driving again. The practical Honda Accord just isn't cutting it.

[dpchamp87]

1971 Lotus Elan S4 SE coupe bought in '73 sold in '75. Currently in the process of a ground up rebuild on a similar one in the hope it will be as good!

1983 VW Golf GTI. Could be driven for hours flat out (114mph) in Germany

1988 BMW M5. Consumed rotors but what a car in its day.

2010 Cadaillac CTS-V. 556hp and made in the USA. Need I say more

[Gary_T]

Well, it isn't really a street car yet - need to get the cage installed, then I'll have it insured/plated.

1974 Lotus Europa TwinCam - re-powered with a Formula Atlantic Cosworth BDD - still in full FA trim. 5 speed tranny, upgraded brakes/rear suspension, Lotus Elise series 1 Motorsport wheels/Yoko tires.

I've driven it through the car show building it was in this spring... really need to finish it (bought it 7 yrs ago!)

Gary

[JHandley]

1967 Mustang GT, 302 with a 3 speed.
Green just like the Steve McQueen Bullit car.
This was when I was in my early 20's. If I had known then.... I would have taken much better care of it!!!!

[Ty_Handke_83]

Some of you have some nice street cars. Am I the only one who spends all my money on the race car?

Nope, you're not the only one.

I have over $100,000 worth in race cars sitting in my shop, all in about a million pieces between 6 cars, but I've yet to have a decent street car. Started with a 97 Saturn SL1 (5 Spd), then got the 02 Cavalier (A/T) which is what I'm driving now. I hate it, there's no fun in driving it. Put better tires on, and promptly discovered the front suspension can't handle the cornering... But I guess it keeps me out of trouble.

I bought a 2006 Mazda RX-8 about a month ago, but returned it a week and a half later due to reliability issues (After 1 track day with it). Plus insurance was way too much @ $435/month.

Still waiting on that great car... but I still have time I guess

As for the best car I've driven (And almost bought)... probably a Lotus Exige, although my size made it quite interesting... If I wasn't used to folding myself up into Formula cars... it wouldn't have worked....

That Europa of Gary's with the FA engine looks like it would be a blast.

[dc]

Just a refresher... this is not about the best car you have ever driven, this is the best car you have OWNED.

[cooleyjb]

Best street car I've had was a 1977 924 that was pretty much upgraded to a 944 by the time I was done with it. Lots of 944 parts cars at my dad's shop made that a cheap car.

2nd best was teh WRX wagon. I loved making fresh tracks in 5 AM going into work during the WI winters.

I've never really had a full on sports car for the street.

[Mike Allison]

Early Top 3.

Back in 1965 a 1962 Mk2 Sprite - It was pink and I autocrossed the hell out of it. Won an local championship with it when I wasn't driving it from Boulder to Denver.

Then a 1969 FIAT 124. Paid $1950.00 NEW! I drove the hell out of it and watched it rust away. Sold it to my brother in Queens, NY for $400.00. He drove it until it rusted away completely. Had a hole in the right front floorboard from rust. You could check for tire wear. He parked it on the streets and one day a speeder t-boned it and totalled it. Insurance paid him $600.

1984 Rabbit GTI. Black with those neat blue and red seats. Great little rocket. Wish I still had it.

Recent Top 3.

2003 Nissan 350 Z Coupe.
2004 Nissan 250 Z Roadster
2006 Mercedes SLK 350 (Hardtop Convertible)

Just an old fart driving cars he wishes they had made and that he could afford in his youth.

[Charles Warner]

Just a refresher... this is not about the best car you have ever driven, this is the best car you have OWNED.

Even that depends on your time of life and/or maturity.

1966 Elan S2 Coupe . . . . . or

1971 240Z . . . . . . or

1966 Cooper S . . . . . . or

1967 Elan powered by a BDA . . . . . . or

1964 RHD Lotus Cortina ex-factory rally car . . . . . . or

1960 Karmann Ghia . . . . . .

[Mike Ahrens]

I really miss my 1994 VW GLX VR-6. The torque curve was so flat that 2nd gear could suffice for days around town. The third child put us in a minivan.

[TimW]

'67 Lotus Elan, S3 Not the fastest sports car, but as Road and Track put it "the shortest distance between two points is a Lotus Elan."

Every time I take it out, it makes me smile.

WTF? Do you mean the 1970 Datsun 510 4 speed manual with LSD Dad bought you brand new isn't on the list? You know, the one in 1984 where you couldn't get the oil leak out of the long block replacement so Dad sold it and was never on the hand me down list to me, unlike all the other crap I wore & rode growing up? BTW, I think Mom still has the removable 8-track player you had in it if you want it back...

Oops, TMI.

[ric baribeault]

sounds like a serious sibling issue

[TimW]

Its ok, I'm over it now. Mostly.

At least I got to drive the Elan. Even if he did own it for 30 years until I got to drive it. And I only got to drive it after flying out to bust my butt crewing for him with his Zink at Thunderhill for 3 days in the October heat of northern California. Ok, so maybe it was only two days, and actually the weather was quite pleasant and frankly the Zink just needed gas and someone to do up the seat belts. But it was still 30 years before I was allowed to drive the Elan.

I'm over it now though. For the most part.

[a. pettipas]

1982 Volvo 240 wagon, light blue/navy/black primer/rust. No one else understood, but I loved it. Very reliable, easy to work on and I feel there is something to be said about a vehicle that you don't have to worry about too much because it's only worth like 500 bucks....

2nd favourite 1989 (A2) Golf GTI 16V. Fun but build quality was poor.

Best vehicle owned is current DD/tow vehicle '08 Toyota Tundra CrewMax Limited

Aaron

[marc sproule]

1959 Volvo 544. Four on the floor, bucket seats, black and all mine. Not fast, moderately disgusting in the twisty bits, but got 20 mpg.

But wait there's more.....

It was my senior year in high school ...'65, I was dating the dean of girls' daughter and one night at the Skyview drive-in here in Santa Cruz, I lost that thing that all hormonally crazed teenage boys are so focused on losing.

In one of those bucket seats.

Here's a hint....the word starts with a v, ends in ity and Richard Branson's airline is the operative concept.

So I guess any car story after this one is gonna be kinda anti-climatic???

[DanW]

WTF? Do you mean the 1970 Datsun 510 4 speed manual with LSD Dad bought you brand new isn't on the list? You know, the one in 1984 where you couldn't get the oil leak out of the long block replacement so Dad sold it and was never on the hand me down list to me, unlike all the other crap I wore & rode growing up? BTW, I think Mom still has the removable 8-track player you had in it if you want it back...

Oops, TMI.

That would be a 230K long story.. Way TMI. Lets see, I lost count after five clutches, every single bushing in the suspension was junk.. The Konis were completely knackered and it was a real booger to pull and adjust them. I put the lsd in after the original open diff blew out the side cover the day I got my first real job after college. The only way it would turn in an autocross was to stand on the brakes while turning in and stand the car on its nose, then break the rear loose with the gas pedal.

Yes, the oil leak was my fault from installing the timing cover and nicking the gasket. Dad got that fixed. It suffered through another 5 years of benign neglect by our lovely sister commuting to Cal Poly. When it was sold, it had less than 140 psi compression and the diff and trans were making expensive noises. The ski trips to Mammoth and Big Bear Lake had caused some serious rust issues on the body too. Dad sold it for 2/3rds of what he paid for it.

Family hand-me-downs-
Still, it was a huge improvement over the '63 Rambler Classic with the reclining front bench seats that no father of any girl I wanted to date would let me take her out in that car....

Then there was the '57 Buick Wagon that almost couldn't stop after the third pass down Irwindale raceway on those non-power drum brakes.... Dad had never seen such heat checked drums and could not understand why they would do that.. The DynaFlush trans was never the same either.
Ahh the days of high school grudge racing on Thursday nights, but I digress as usual.

Still, by the time you came along, you had far more freedom than your two older brothers did.

[dc]

So I guess any car story after this one is gonna be kinda anti-climatic???

Only if it was snowing in your car when it happened.

[Frank C]

Well, I can remember snow blowing in over the side curtains in my Midget, but Marc's activities were pretty much impossible in that car.
- Frank C

[Beartrax]

Following Mark Sproule's logic, my favorite car would be my 1976 Camaro... but that's another story...

The '76 Capri with the 2.8 V6 was fun to drive

Moving up the list to my '93 Acura Integra - handled great and got 30 MPG whether I took it easy or "played hard". My son drives it now and it has around 250,000 miles on it. Rust is taking its toll and I fear she is coming near the end....

I really like my present car: 1998 Audi A4 Avant Quattro. 2.8 V6 and a manual 5 speed. Fun to drive and room for stuff. Even hauled 5 "Fat Boys" from the paddock to turn 1 to the bus stop at Watkins Glen at last year's IndyCar/F2000 weekend!

[sguy]

'93 Porsche 968, the last and best of the front engine rear wheel drive Porches that started with the 924 and 928. Rarely seen, but greatly appreciated. Perfectly balanced, 6-speed transaxel, 3.0L 4 banger that puts out 240hp (stock). It is fun to drive, can carry 4 tires, jack, tools, and racing gear to the track and still is composed at 150 (closed course only).

I also miss my E-type Jaguar FHC. The most beautiful car ever.
Cheers.

[Eric Cruz]

Lots of memories from old 66 911 I had in school, but the street cars we have now are by far the best I've ever owned.

Jill's 2009 Cadillac CTS-V is the best all-around, do whatever you want it to, pamper you, deal with traffic and absolutely haul a$$ on demand car I can imagine. Very civilized daily driver, and you don't have to make any concessions when you drive it. 556HP, and I make it a rule to get well into the triple-digits every time I drive it. Even the college kids think it's a "hot car."

HOWEVER...

Our 1999 Ferrari 550 Maranello is the car of my dreams. Red over tan. With apologies to Coop, he says the rest:

[Factory original], stupid fast for street use.
Chicks dig it.
Oh yeah, totally timeless design that holds up very well when compared to the current crop of bad ass high HP rides.

Chicks REALLY dig it. They take pictures while you're driving down the road, or sitting at a stoplight.

And when I had both of them parked in the driveway on wash day, it occurred to me that there were over a thousand horses sitting there between the two...

Best regards,
Eric

[Rene Gimenez]

The Mustang is a car I built 8 years ago as a vintage/open track Trans-Am replicar. 375HP, 4 speed Toploader, no AC, heat, or power steering- just a brute to drive. My '85 Corvette is the best $2,750 I've ever spent on a street car. 70K on the clock, all original, everything works perfectly. Easy to forget that the Van Diemen is the third car in the garage.....

[Westroc]

/66 Shelby GT350 w/webers and stacks
/71 Ford Ranchero (prototype -camera car) with Rousch 427 sideoiler. Total sleeper. Detoit locker w/nodular rear end, magnum 500's and bech seat! I ended up doing more crazy stuff with it than the Shelby.
Yes sadly both have parted me and only one (Shelby) has survived. Sold the prototype to a male nurse who let it rot in his driveway. In Detroit.

[JByers]

This thread has sparked lots of fond memories!


66' GT350 - Best head turner but the brakes suck.

69 396 SS Camaro - Best noise and smoke maker.

75' Pinto - Best car for two naked teenagers to experience contorted postions in.

76' Capri V6 - Best car to thrash anytime of the year except for after an all night batchlor party

78' Trans Am with T-tops - Best car to drive topless women in.

93 ZR1 - Best car for top speed.

03 H2 - The best all around vehicle until gas got above $2.50 per gallon.

05 M3 Competion Coupe - Best road handling / track day car.

07 GT500 - Best 1/4 mile car.

[Tim FF19]

1965 Olds Dynamic 88 with 425 CI V8, Quadrajet 4 barrel big enough to swallow a cat. High school car. All motor, no traction. Pull up to a stoplight and gently hold the brakes and jump on the throttle. Within 15 seconds there was so much smoke in the intersection you would have thought that the controllers called for an air strike. Sadly burned to the ground after replacing the radiator and spliced in rubber hose to the transmission cooler instead of steel lines. The stuff ya learn....

[Bob Wright]

Best car owned- 2010 BMW 335I w/M suspension package. For the money, the most fun, best handling car I've owned (including a very fun 1997 M3).

Strangest car- 1964 ISO Rivolta. Italian hybred with a Chev 327/350hp V8 and a 4 sp rock crusher tranny. Spoke wheels, knockoff hubs and fully independent suspension (corvette?). The car rusted if you looked at it and was almost impossible to repair. I bought it as a junker, drove it until it slid off a road and bent in two- traded it for a 69 Mustang fastback. The salesman bought the ISO personally and put the motor in a boat.

[Proulx]

1972 3.0L CS BMW coupe: Black with red interior. In a city where sexy cars abound (Montreal) this little beauty got more looks than Lambo's or ferrari's. Ghia bodies were certainly not meant for the inclement climate of the north, (RUST)
When she was running right, she was heaven; like having an affair with a Diva....The few moments of absolute rapture were worth the endless trips ($$$) to "EXCLUSIVE BMW"
Cheers All
Ray