I had fun reading my colleague Rob Rothwell’s blog about the many different cars he used to own (or dreamed of owning) until I realized that I went through a fair share of automobiles myself, including a few memorable and controversial ones. To tell you the truth, some of my personal four-wheel possessions would have anybody seriously doubting my judgment and knowledge as an auto journalist. However, I fully embraced them as most if not all of them were justified (or justifiable) in my mind.
The first of these infamous machines didn’t really belong to me. It was my older brother’s and we took turns behind the wheel. For a kid who just got his driver’s license, nothing was more exhilarating than hitting the road at the helm of this schoolbus-yellow Plymouth Valiant from 1973.
The car was far from new. In fact, it even sported a significant amount of rust which ate chunks of the floor. I vividly remember a particular hitchhiker all dressed in white who sat in the back on a rainy day… and I bet he still has nightmares from this ride. A small 85-horsepower, 6-cylinder engine moved the heavy rig forward with enthusiasm until rust finally got the best of it.
After borrowing cars left and right, I ended up purchasing a brand-new 1979 Ford Pinto with my girlfriend. The gigantic glass liftgate gave it the look of the current Volvo C30. The automaker soon terminated production following the exploding tanks scandal.
Still, the Pinto took this young couple out on the beautiful roads of Quebec’s Eastern Townships, albeit with no real sense of urgency. Even with no passengers and luggage on board, straight-line accelerations proved painfully slow and the autobox was about as flexible as a brick wall. Yet, I admired its feisty little 4-pot and sturdy bodywork. One night, as the road was covered in ice, the Pinto gently slid into the ditch. We got it out and simply rearranged the front fender with a crowbar before resuming our trip like nothing happened.
Like any young couple, though, we quickly decided it was time for a change. Out went the Pinto and in came the "sporty" Ford Exp, which was nothing more than a dressed-up Escort for two.
Back then (meaning 1982), the company sold it for over $11,000. Sure, it was a lot of money at the time, but the sleek lines and sports car promise swayed us. Unfortunately, we didn’t keep it very long as two separate recalls were issued to replace engine components. And I’m not even talking about the noise coming from all around the vehicle!
Despite a distinctive-looking package, fit and finish were quite unimpressive. Where there would normally have been a rear bench seat was a raised carpeted floor for cargo. Once a month, I travelled to the U.S. for family matters and each time, the customs agent desperately tried to lift the carpet and faux seat searching for counterfeit goods. At times, it took hours to prove them wrong!
This was the last car I bought based on someone else’s recommendations (in this case my former father-in-law’s). I lost thousands of dollars in the process… but gained precious wisdom for my future car purchases.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog.
The first of these infamous machines didn’t really belong to me. It was my older brother’s and we took turns behind the wheel. For a kid who just got his driver’s license, nothing was more exhilarating than hitting the road at the helm of this schoolbus-yellow Plymouth Valiant from 1973.
The car was far from new. In fact, it even sported a significant amount of rust which ate chunks of the floor. I vividly remember a particular hitchhiker all dressed in white who sat in the back on a rainy day… and I bet he still has nightmares from this ride. A small 85-horsepower, 6-cylinder engine moved the heavy rig forward with enthusiasm until rust finally got the best of it.
After borrowing cars left and right, I ended up purchasing a brand-new 1979 Ford Pinto with my girlfriend. The gigantic glass liftgate gave it the look of the current Volvo C30. The automaker soon terminated production following the exploding tanks scandal.
Still, the Pinto took this young couple out on the beautiful roads of Quebec’s Eastern Townships, albeit with no real sense of urgency. Even with no passengers and luggage on board, straight-line accelerations proved painfully slow and the autobox was about as flexible as a brick wall. Yet, I admired its feisty little 4-pot and sturdy bodywork. One night, as the road was covered in ice, the Pinto gently slid into the ditch. We got it out and simply rearranged the front fender with a crowbar before resuming our trip like nothing happened.
Like any young couple, though, we quickly decided it was time for a change. Out went the Pinto and in came the "sporty" Ford Exp, which was nothing more than a dressed-up Escort for two.
Back then (meaning 1982), the company sold it for over $11,000. Sure, it was a lot of money at the time, but the sleek lines and sports car promise swayed us. Unfortunately, we didn’t keep it very long as two separate recalls were issued to replace engine components. And I’m not even talking about the noise coming from all around the vehicle!
Despite a distinctive-looking package, fit and finish were quite unimpressive. Where there would normally have been a rear bench seat was a raised carpeted floor for cargo. Once a month, I travelled to the U.S. for family matters and each time, the customs agent desperately tried to lift the carpet and faux seat searching for counterfeit goods. At times, it took hours to prove them wrong!
This was the last car I bought based on someone else’s recommendations (in this case my former father-in-law’s). I lost thousands of dollars in the process… but gained precious wisdom for my future car purchases.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog.