Don’t worry kids, if you liked the vintage stuff there is much more to come.
Two for one picture here, the TR4a sadly went away because I wanted something different, the RX went away because it wore out. A 94 Sentra SE-R replaced the RX. I got more power, better MPG, and a small rear seat. It was a fun little car. The 67 Sprite shown here didn’t really replace the 4a, but was just in the right place at the right time and too good to pass up. I didn’t keep it long.
1999—1954 Austin Healey 100. I loved this car, and redid most everything on it, the first picture is as bought. This was I really cool car, windshield folds semi flat, but can’t find a good picture now. Sold it about 10 years after purchase because life is short and garage space is limited. Took it on cross country tours, autocrossed it, not a trailer queen.
Somewhere in the early oughts the SE-R was replaced with a Mazda Millennia S, it was a cool car, but unfortunately the one I bought was a POS, and it was sold a few months after purchase at a major loss. Also read the fine print when offered an extended warranty by a used car dealer. Mine was thrown in free to seal the deal, so I didn’t review it that closely. It was worth what I paid for it.
The Millennia was replaced by a Maxima SE with five speed. This was a fine family hauler and I drove it for 10-12 years before bequeathing to my some who rapidly killed it. This is another internet picture, but dead ringer for the real thing.
2008 Bought this TR250, still have it, full story here
So the TR250 was done and I was looking for some cheap and cheerful car adventures that weren’t British.
This came up cheap with a stuck clutch. It had been cosmetically restored, but was rusty underneath. 2002s were starting to go up in price, but could still be had cheap. Had it been a little more solid I would have kept it. At this point I realized I liked tinkering with cars to get them to run better much more than restoring them, which gets to be like a job. I kept it for about a year and the next year bought this:
I bought it for a grand sight unseen 450 miles away in Wyoming. Drove it back with no heat in January. Cleaned it up and gave it a cheap paint job, as well as upgrade to sport suspension and bigger sway bars as well as summer performance tires. It handled better than my TR250, but pulled comparable autocross times because it had NO power. Sold it after a year, still want a 924S or Turbo, have a transaxle itch that needs still needs scratched.
2017, I always wanted one of these, 74 Saab Sonett. I liked it, but a little more crude than I expected, also tiny, smaller pedal box than a Sprite. Once again I didn’t get a real well sorted example. It had too much carb, a big Weber, off or on, nothing in between. I autocrossed this too, I don’t have a good feeling for FWD handling dynamics, but it did pretty well for having the engine (v4) and transaxle all in preceding the front axle. Sold it when we moved to a house with no garage space last year. See also garage Majal project.
Bought in 2014, current daily IS300
2018 97 Ranger to help with garage majal, bare bones, still going strong.