Cars you want to keep forever

[Guest]

I think it is likely that I will keep my 89 for a long time and I am looking forward to the day when the engine needs replaced so I can seriously consider a Northstar. <BR>I also have a 2001 Eclipse GT that I love to drive. This is another car I think I'll keep a long time.<BR>I'm curious as to what other cars besides the Reatta are "real keepers".

[Guest EDBS0]

The car is not exactly a real keeper but the ending is gorgeous, easily modified and smoother than silk, you can put a glass of water on the intake manifold and not get ripples.<P><a href="http://www.spmotorsports.com/img/taurus_engine.gif"> First year 89 SHO</a><P>This would be an exotic Reatta transplant <p>[ 02-22-2002: Message edited by: Easily Distracted by Shiny Objects ]

[Guest]

Well, since my '55 T-Bird and I have been together for nearly 50 years now, I guess it can be considered a "keeper."<P>(We're both too old for anyone else to have to put up with us....)<P>Jerry

[ronvb]

I have a 1970 Chevelle completely restored that I keep around to remind me of that era.<BR>She's definetly a keeper!<BR>ronvb

[Arrallen]

My 1940 Pontiac Deluxe 6 and I have been together for thirty-five years. Just can't seem to part with the old girl.

[Guest checkers]

I have a 63 olds cutlss F85 body rag top that has been with for a long time just cant sell it.

[Guest]

How many of you still have your very first car? In 1966 I purchased a 1963 Chevy II Nova SS for $1375 from Ellis Brooks Chevrolet in San Francisco. Red, of course. What else would RedReattaRuss have? Well, I still have the car, now has under 50,000 miles, origional paint. I rarely drive it, just park it in the garage by my Reatta. So, that Nova SS will be around when I die. And, hopefully, that will be a long, long time.

[reatta guy]

HI:<BR>I have a '65 Buick Riviera since it was new. It have 157000 miles and is all original,paint and upholstery People ask if it is the original color and I answer it is the original paint and they can't believe me! So I guess it will be my keeper. I have done all the work on it and it is like part of me.<P>The other half of the Reatta Tec Advisor Art

[reatta guy]

Me again I forgot to say that I have won many trophey also on the Riviera,<P> Art

[bigrog]

I'm about ready to retire the 86 camaro. It really isn't worth anything for resale, so I would like to stuff it in dad's hay barn for my kids, which aren't born yet. Hope it will last that long. I'm hoping 16 years from now it'll be a cool car.

[Howard]

I have a 56 Continental Mark II I've owned for about 20 years. I guess I will keep 20 more if both I and the car last that long. I don't plan to part with my Reatta anytime soon either. Howard

[ol' yeller]

I have a '65 Skylark 2 door hdtp. that I lovingly rebuilt from the ground up. I have way too much into it for what its overall value is but I will keep it forever as it reminds me of the one I had back in the '60s. I also am restoring a '69 Riviera (frame off) that I have yet to drive. If it is as nice a driver as I anticipate, I will probably never part with it either. My Reatta however is probably not a long term keeper as I am more into 50s and 60s stuff. I do like the car a lot but it is just too new for me to keep as a collectable. In the spring I will probably be looking to sell or trade it for a nice 50's Buick driver. This forum however is probably the best part about owning a Reatta. I haven't seen this kind of interest in a special car or comradere since I was into old VWs a few years back. If I don't sell it, I probably wouldn't be too dissapointed.

[Guest]

I do still have my first car - got it in '69. All restored now and driven on sunny weekends all summer long. I see, however, that there are a few on here who have had theirs longer. Glad to see there are some other serious pack rats out there. I will have to point that out to my wife who thought I was the only one! Thanks for the support guys!

[Reatta_Cruzin]

I'm in the process of buildig my '67 Impala. I'll probably keep her around for a while. Had her since I was 17!(25 now)

[Rawja]

I know a lot of you will view this post as a source of comic relief, but here goes…… I have a 1996 Pontiac Trans Sport that I absolutely love. <BR> I was always enamored with GM’s “dust-buster” minivans, and tried to get one in my company’s fleet when they first came out, but was shot down by the superintendent who preferred a ’91 Ford Bronco even over the Cadillac that the company offered him. He didn’t last as long as the Bronco, and I ended up stuck with it. Let me tell you, it had all the disadvantages of a truck (awful ride, unbelievably bad gas mileage) and none of the advantages (it had little cargo room and good luck lifting a 250-300 Lb. gang box up and over the bottom hinged tailgate almost 3 feet off the ground). I suffered with ownership of this rattle-trap for five long, long years watching it decompose before my eyes as it got the crap knocked out of it as a commercial vehicle in Manhattan…. I experienced a remarkable number of failures over the time I had it…. 2 transmission replacements, matching 3” cracks through both of the “B” pillars, 3 rear differentials, peeling paint, various electrical problems, rusted-out tailgate after 3 years… it was a nightmare!<BR> When I saw the 1997 replacements for the GM minivans (completely without swoop), I knew I had a limited time to act and after a tremendous amount of searching, found a “leftover” 1996 with most of the equipment I wanted and traded the hated Bronco in. The long dashboard takes all of 2 days to become accustomed to and after that…. What a joy to own… The original GM APVs were based on the “W” platform (Buick Regal, Pontiac Grand Prix, etc..) and are a pleasure to drive, with excellent handling and ride (for their day) and the plastic body panels.. It is now almost 6 years later, I haven’t spent a nickel on bodywork and it still looks great! Those of you who haven’t experienced keeping a car on the streets of New York won’t believe this, but on average my company spends about $ 2,500.00 a year on bodywork per commercial vehicle just to keep it presentable and serviceable. Some, like the ’98 Navigator I had ran much higher ( $ 5,000.00 a year for the 3 years we had it). The Trans Sport has taken its share of hits over the years, but it just doesn’t dent and scratches don’t lead to rust. My accountant has been telling me that the Trans Sport is fully depreciated and should go, but it still looks nice and is incredibly versatile and comfortable. I’ve looked at what’s out there and even test-drove an ’01 Town and Country, and while it is amazing how far state-of-the-art has come as far as minivan handling and ride are concerned, I still don’t think it or anything else currently available looks anywhere near as cool as my Trans Sport. I’ve been toying with getting it a new paint job (currently blue + gold (ick)) and maybe converting the cladding and nose to the ’91- ’93 style. I even saw a website where they claimed to have installed a 5.0 liter High-Output V8 in one….. Besides who saves a mini van? I’ll probably have the ony one left in a few years. It really is a shame that the powers that be have decided that there isn’t a market for a stylish minivan. The Europeans have ‘em available over there, but we just have 10 different flavors of vanilla to choose from. Anyway I should probably stop before I start to ramble.

[padgett]

You and me both: have a <a href="http://www2.gdi.net/~padgett/transp.htm">'92 TranSport</a> with the 3800 engine & nearly all available options. Long dash makes a sun spot for several cats on trips & returns 20+ mpg on the Interstate even with a load.<P>Only downside (and not really noticable to me) is that the seats creak. Have used it in all configurations from no seats to all seven filled. Only real annoyance is the keying of the seats to the position (GM did not want to fit full seat belts to all). On trips I usually just have two seats installed inline on the drivers side - leaves room for a sleeping pad for the co-driver.<P>Had just on 70k when I bought it in '98 and just on 90k now so not driven that much (mostly 5k mile spurts) but if re-engining were needed, I think one of the new supercharged 3800 SIIs would do just fine and should just bolt in.<P>Have always liked to have a cargo carrier - bought a <a href="http://www2.gdi.net/~padgett/rig3.jpg">GTO station wagon</a> (from the factory that way, not re-nosed) while in college and had several van vans (first was a Corvair) but the TranSport is the most versitile I have had.<P>Am planning to keep the Judge but the rest of my cars all have digital fuel injection now and I like it that way. Really only one of my elder cars would like to have back is the FIAT 124 Spyder - easiest convertible have ever had and the package was just nice. <P>May just be convertible withdrawal speaking & if I can figure out how to make the Fiero into a Targa...<p>[ 02-24-2002: Message edited by: padgett ]

[Guest C.F.Massie]

I have a 1964 GTO hardtop bought new the second GTO in Wichita Kansas right off the showroom floor at Schofield Pontiac. Next in the stable is a 1968 Shelby GT500 convertible also bought new in Seattle Washington. Third in the group is a 1968 AMX, what else, it was also new, bought in Oakland California. I'll keep them all til the day I die because they bring me too much joy, they are a part of me. My 1989 Reatta, bought new, is filling a slot in my love affair also. Each of these cars has a special memory for me and I guess that's another reason I can't seem to part with them.

[Guest]

I'll keep my 71 Z28 because it takes me back to the days of my mispent youth. BUT!!!! The car I wish I had kept! I got out of the air force in 68 and bought my first ( I paid for it ) car 1966 CORVAIR CORSA 140HP 4 SINGLE barrel rochesters (nightmare linkage)Metallic Silver with black interior. Factory AM / FM stereo, tilt and telescope steering wheel, buckets, 4 SPEED. Car looked like a 70 Camaro from the back and ATE 6 cylinder Mustangs, Camaros whatever and it went around curves like a Porsche. Bought all the books from EELCO etc to make it go fast. I LOVED that car. Kept it four years before it developed electrical problems ( wires in the shift linkage tunnel from engine to dash and front end ). Parked it for 4 years then finally tight money forced me to part with it. But I LOVED driving that car. Still miss it. Bill