The Technodrome Forums

Go Back   The Technodrome Forums > General Forums > General Discussion > Everything Else

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-18-2018, 02:52 PM   #1
ProphetofGanja
Dub Professor
 
ProphetofGanja's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Dub Side of the Moon
Posts: 3,439
Car Talk

(not like the radio show, although I always enjoyed listening to that too)

Anybody have any interesting stories about cars they've had, car rides, car wrecks, car trips? I've had a lot

I once had a 98 Volkswagen Jetta with a manual transmission, in forest green. I loved driving it but it had some weird issues. Any time it rained, the car would stall out and shut off, which was really frustrating. I remember a couple trips home from work or on the highway where I had to pull over to the shoulder or once when I was just stuck in the left lane during the evening rush hour for almost 30 minutes. I know everybody behind me was pissed off but nobody more so than me.



Who else has a good car story?

Last edited by ProphetofGanja; 01-18-2018 at 07:07 PM.
ProphetofGanja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2018, 02:54 PM   #2
Andrew NDB
Weed Whacker
 
Andrew NDB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 29,136
My buddy had an awesome 1960s Rambler that kept blowing hoses all the time. Great memories with that.

What's everyone driving, anyway?
Andrew NDB is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2018, 02:58 PM   #3
Utrommaniac
Resident overthinker
 
Utrommaniac's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: what is going on..........
Posts: 5,318
The first car that was "mine" was a Dodge Neon. And it was ORANGE. It was a pretty good car and I loved it.

But it only lasted a year. Because I ended up running a red light and got T-boned. In my door. I'm still not entirely sure of all the events, but I know I spun. And there was fortunately an ambulance on the other side of the road, but no one was hurt. Except the two cars involved, of course.


I miss mine.

Besides that, I used the family Oldsmobile Van, but I'm not as fond of it as I was of the Neon. My family might prefer me to be in a big car for safety, but I'd prefer not to use a 7-seater brick if I'm mostly going to be transporting myself.
__________________
Utrommaniac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2018, 02:59 PM   #4
Sage Ninja
Band of the Hawk
 
Sage Ninja's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 3,898
nothing...
__________________

Cassandra: You won't fight me, but will you fight...for HIM?

~Cassandra's Revenge

~Tangled the Series
________________________________
http://frankviola.org/2012/01/30/godsviewofawoman/
_______________________________
http://nox-artemis.tumblr.com/post/4...k-and-feminism
Sage Ninja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2018, 03:01 PM   #5
plastroncafe
PerfectlyTunedFightEngine
 
plastroncafe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: The Upsidedown
Posts: 7,926
I've yet to get my first car, but with the way gentrification is running...that's likely to change in near future.

I do have a super sweet old-lady bike.
And a bus pass.
__________________
------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spike Spiegel View Post
So your wants and needs as a fan should outweigh everyone else's?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sabacooza View Post
There's no sense catering just to one demographic which is idiotic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vegita-San View Post
just ignore what you don't like rather than obsessing over it and move on with your life.
plastroncafe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2018, 03:02 PM   #6
ProphetofGanja
Dub Professor
 
ProphetofGanja's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Dub Side of the Moon
Posts: 3,439
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew NDB View Post
What's everyone driving, anyway?
Currently I'm in a 2004 Volvo S60. It's decent, not the worst car I've driven but I think I liked the two Honda Civics I've had more. Not as many "luxury" features but they got waaay better mileage



Quote:
Originally Posted by Utrommaniac View Post
Besides that, I used the family Oldsmobile Van, but I'm not as fond of it as I was of the Neon. My family might prefer me to be in a big car for safety, but I'd prefer not to use a 7-seater brick if I'm mostly going to be transporting myself.
I feel you; I used to drive my family's 95 Dodge Caravan when I went out with my friends on weekends in high school. It was a good people-mover and it was indestructible like a tank. The tape deck was clutch too because I could use one of those tape-to-aux cord converters for the Zune mp3 player I had that thing was clutch too, I miss the glowy blue light around the edge it had


Last edited by ProphetofGanja; 01-18-2018 at 03:31 PM.
ProphetofGanja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2018, 04:01 PM   #7
IndigoErth
Team Blue Boy
 
IndigoErth's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: U.S., East Coast
Posts: 15,173
Ah, the old Dodge Caravan. We had the blue one with the fake wood coloring along the sides. But that was back before I was driving age, so was never behind the wheel of that one. I STILL spot one of them out on the roads once in a great while.

edit: Actually, correction, I think I did drive it just once on a country road in Kansas (out there for step-great grandmother's funeral) probably the summer after I got my license, but already had the Colt (as mentioned below).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew NDB View Post
What's everyone driving, anyway?
2001 Jeep Wrangler Sport (dark blue, tan soft top) that I've had for 16 years in April.

Got it used just 1 year old from a small upstart dealer that would go to dealer-only auctions. Took them a few months to find and win what I wanted (they kept losing other bids) and coincidentally, after they finally won, the day I could pick it up was my 23rd birthday. So technically I got myself the Jeep I'd always wanted since I was a kid for my birthday. And when I saw the little sticker under the back bumper that said "Planet Earth" I knew it was the one meant to be with me.

Have always wondered why the first owner gave it up after just a year or less, but my thanks to them for just holding it for me. And thanks for the extras - the leather steering wheel cover, the push bar on the front, the hitch, and the cages on the tail lights.

Now it's having an issue I can't figure out. Nor did the auto shop at work when I recently had them look at it and do some basics. But I hope that can be solved and taken care of in the near future. Just worried about hurting it in the meantime.



Before that I was driving a little Plymouth Colt my parents had gotten for me, though they owned it. (Technically there was another "kid car" between the Colt and my Wrangler but it was more or less my sisters and became hers after I got my Jeep.) Loved that little thing too. Think it was a '91. They'd gotten used it, 4 years. Was sad when they traded it in when it was about 10. A rather unassuming but tough little car. Not a single repair ever needed, and once got me safely the hour drive home in blizzard-like conditions from a night time college class that let out at 11pm. It only slid just once a tiny bit at the light outside the school and did amazing the rest of the way. A little scary, but fun at the same time since the roads were relatively vacant... Forget the lanes, there was only faded tire tracks to follow.

Like those vans, the Colts lasted pretty well themselves. It's been a while since I've seen any at this point, but for quite a few years I'd still see others out there once in a while. Little tanks they were

It's funny, because when my parents picked it out, at first they'd looked at what I think was a Geo Tracker (I kinda liked those back then too since thy were slightly Wrangler-like), but my mom noticed this little Colt that mentally called to her and turned out to be such a great choice.

Last edited by IndigoErth; 01-18-2018 at 04:19 PM.
IndigoErth is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2018, 05:50 PM   #8
Andrew NDB
Weed Whacker
 
Andrew NDB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 29,136
Between my wife and I, I've got my red 2009 Toyota Corolla, 2018 Smart Car, 2014 BMW M235, 2013 BMW X5.
Andrew NDB is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2018, 06:26 PM   #9
Katie
Just...way too serious.
 
Katie's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: purgatory
Posts: 3,519
2012 red Kia Sportage.

Actually my best car so far.

Before that, a purple VW new bug - biggest piece of crap I ever had.

And my first car was a lapis blue neon. It died the ame way Utrommaniac’s did. Safe car!
__________________
Katie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2018, 06:55 PM   #10
Utrommaniac
Resident overthinker
 
Utrommaniac's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: what is going on..........
Posts: 5,318
A moment of silence for our Neons.

I used to have pictures, but I don't know where they went.
__________________
Utrommaniac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2018, 07:13 PM   #11
ProphetofGanja
Dub Professor
 
ProphetofGanja's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Dub Side of the Moon
Posts: 3,439
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew NDB View Post
Between my wife and I, I've got my red 2009 Toyota Corolla, 2018 Smart Car, 2014 BMW M235, 2013 BMW X5.
That's a nice fleet you've got going there. I used to drive a BMW station wagon; it was an alright car. I always love stick shifts and it had a great sound system but I still always felt a little off driving a station wagon. It very much felt like a "parent" car, and I didn't like that much as I'm not a parent yet (even though at the time a large part of my job involved driving kids to and from appointments).



I've also rented a Smart Car a couple times, I loved it. I don't like taking them on the highway but I would totally get one for commuting to work in the future if I wanted a car for in-town driving.

ProphetofGanja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2018, 10:16 PM   #12
Krutch
Like, stupid rich.
 
Krutch's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: The Rawkzone
Posts: 2,805
Quote:
Originally Posted by ProphetofGanja View Post
I once had a 98 Volkswagen Jetta with a manual transmission, in forest green.
DUDE! I learned how to drive in a forest green 98 Jetta!

It was my dad's car, which eventually became mine. I don't remember having any issues with it like you, though. Except in the winter if there was ANY ice on the ground, the break pedal became the "car slowly drifts it's ass to the left" lever.

As far as stories? Nah, not really, other than a few accidents here and there.

One time I was teaching my girlfriend how to back out of her driveway. She had a long driveway and floored it backwards. I guess she forgot where the break was because she panicked and shifted right into park. That was one LOUD grinding noise. Ugh.
Krutch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2018, 10:42 PM   #13
Andrew NDB
Weed Whacker
 
Andrew NDB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 29,136
Quote:
Originally Posted by ProphetofGanja View Post
That's a nice fleet you've got going there. I used to drive a BMW station wagon; it was an alright car. I always love stick shifts and it had a great sound system but I still always felt a little off driving a station wagon. It very much felt like a "parent" car, and I didn't like that much as I'm not a parent yet (even though at the time a large part of my job involved driving kids to and from appointments).

https://media.ed.edmunds-media.com/b..._oem_1_500.jpg

I've also rented a Smart Car a couple times, I loved it. I don't like taking them on the highway but I would totally get one for commuting to work in the future if I wanted a car for in-town driving.

https://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-con...NT-626x382.jpg
Nice. The Smart Car is cool... super great gas mileage. It's odd in that while it's an automatic, you can totally feel as it is shifting gears and bucks a bit. I can take it up to 80 on the freeway but by that point, you're definitely feeling it start to quiver.

I don't know about your station wagon but my X5 is super smooth. Like a boat. Drinks diesel like a fish, though.

The M235 is a lot of fun on the track. Not good for commuting to work (horrid mileage) and horrid for Seattle traffic.

Come to think of it, I do have a car story. Around 1999, 2000 I had a 1992 or 93 Corsica. I was giving my "buddy's" girlfriend a ride home... turns out she was suicidal. I didn't know she was such, but to be fair it was never a strange thing to hear her talk in depth about the voices and/or cameras inside all televisions. She begged me to let her drive a little bit down one street... I relented. She did, and she was coming down this steep hill with me in the passenger to a T intersection, over which was a fence and a steep grassy hill into a park. She was coming to the bottom or the hill and didn't slow down or put a turn signal on or anything so I pulled the E-brake (it was crystal clear she intended to ram the fence and drive us down the hill)... the car hit the fence and rolled about 6 times down the hill with us in it.

I got nervous and told the police it was me driving, since she didn't have a license. Puget Sound Energy added an $800 fee to my power bill (turned out it was their fence, somehow). Stayed at a hotel and my parents never believed my story. Car was considered totalled after the tow company dragged it up on its top, but I did get it running again. I kept getting pulled over for "defective windshield" until it was repoed. Bad times.

Last edited by Andrew NDB; 01-18-2018 at 10:50 PM.
Andrew NDB is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2018, 10:52 PM   #14
Powder
So tired of this place
 
Powder's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Shell Ri La
Posts: 26,801
Not much of a car guy, but if I had my pick, I'd be in one of these.

Spoiler:


__________________



I'm convinced that none of you have ever experienced joy
Powder is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2018, 11:40 PM   #15
TurtleWA
Foot Elite
 
TurtleWA's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: WA
Posts: 2,507
My first car was a 1969 GTO. Or so I thought. It was actually (according to the vin) a Lemans. Someone had just made it look like a true GTO. But it was still very cool! I eventually wrecked it, but good came from the bad because I learned about how to repair a wrecked vehicle.

I currently drive a Dodge truck. I hope to one day have a Chevy truck. Oh, during the nice summer weather I ride a motorcycle. I’ve also had a Tempo, Taurus and F150.
TurtleWA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-19-2018, 01:45 AM   #16
CyberCubed
Overlord
 
CyberCubed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 40,949
My first car was a 1987 Toyota. I don't really care about cars, they get you where you have to go and that's it. I never understood the whole "I must buy the most expensive car ever and show it off" mentality people have. Unless you're some race car driver, I don't really get it.
CyberCubed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-19-2018, 02:57 AM   #17
newfan
Mad Scientist
 
newfan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: UK
Posts: 2,393
My car is British so there's no point saying what it is, most cars here are manual (stick), though you can get automatics too.

Anyway my current car is my first from new, I had a big bill for my other and decided that as I was driving around with a baby and toddler I wanted a reliable car...and with warranty. I planned just to get a newer one but for the car I wanted, the model had just changed so those were on sale and didn't work out much different to a year old used one.

...Anyway, a few months on...and a not many miles on the clock, damn thing decides to break down while I'm crossing 2 lanes of traffic... lucky it chugged a shook it's way across out of the way.. some casing had gone and taken the gear box out apparently.... that was replaced and it's been fine since. I did get to drive the new model as a replacement whilst it was being repaired and I actually prefer the model I had.

Last edited by newfan; 01-19-2018 at 03:18 AM.
newfan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-19-2018, 09:20 AM   #18
ProphetofGanja
Dub Professor
 
ProphetofGanja's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Dub Side of the Moon
Posts: 3,439
Quote:
Originally Posted by Krutch View Post
DUDE! I learned how to drive in a forest green 98 Jetta!

It was my dad's car, which eventually became mine. I don't remember having any issues with it like you, though. Except in the winter if there was ANY ice on the ground, the break pedal became the "car slowly drifts it's ass to the left" lever.

As far as stories? Nah, not really, other than a few accidents here and there.

One time I was teaching my girlfriend how to back out of her driveway. She had a long driveway and floored it backwards. I guess she forgot where the break was because she panicked and shifted right into park. That was one LOUD grinding noise. Ugh.
Nice! Was your Jetta automatic or manual? I learned to drive on the BMW station wagon that my family had, it was a manual and I remember getting really nervous one time when my dad was taking me home from school and had me hop in the driver's seat to get us the rest of the way. Learning to drive stick in rush hour traffic was super stressful but I'm glad I know how to do it

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew NDB View Post
Nice. The Smart Car is cool... super great gas mileage. It's odd in that while it's an automatic, you can totally feel as it is shifting gears and bucks a bit. I can take it up to 80 on the freeway but by that point, you're definitely feeling it start to quiver.

I don't know about your station wagon but my X5 is super smooth. Like a boat. Drinks diesel like a fish, though.

The M235 is a lot of fun on the track. Not good for commuting to work (horrid mileage) and horrid for Seattle traffic.

Come to think of it, I do have a car story. Around 1999, 2000 I had a 1992 or 93 Corsica. I was giving my "buddy's" girlfriend a ride home... turns out she was suicidal. I didn't know she was such, but to be fair it was never a strange thing to hear her talk in depth about the voices and/or cameras inside all televisions. She begged me to let her drive a little bit down one street... I relented. She did, and she was coming down this steep hill with me in the passenger to a T intersection, over which was a fence and a steep grassy hill into a park. She was coming to the bottom or the hill and didn't slow down or put a turn signal on or anything so I pulled the E-brake (it was crystal clear she intended to ram the fence and drive us down the hill)... the car hit the fence and rolled about 6 times down the hill with us in it.

I got nervous and told the police it was me driving, since she didn't have a license. Puget Sound Energy added an $800 fee to my power bill (turned out it was their fence, somehow). Stayed at a hotel and my parents never believed my story. Car was considered totalled after the tow company dragged it up on its top, but I did get it running again. I kept getting pulled over for "defective windshield" until it was repoed. Bad times.
The funny thing about the Smart Car is its transmission; my mechanic told me about it while I was renting one while he had my Volvo. It's really a manual transmission with a little computer-powered arm that knows when to shift it into the next gear.

Yeah, the Beamer wagon was a pretty smooth ride, I had no complaints about that. My main issue was just that I didn't feel very cool driving it

That's a crazy story man. I hope she got some psychiatric help but it sucks you got stuck with a crazy ass bill

Quote:
Originally Posted by Powder View Post
Not much of a car guy, but if I had my pick, I'd be in one of these.

Spoiler:


Those are dope. If you can get into the format and you don't mind watching shows that are just people having a conversation (it helps if you are a big fan of stand-up or sketch comedy), you should check out Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Jerry Seinfeld's project that just moved from Crackle to Netflix. I watched the first collection over the past two weeks and I enjoyed it partly because the cars are cool but mainly because I'm a big fan of comedy and the philosophy behind it
ProphetofGanja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-19-2018, 10:29 AM   #19
Powder
So tired of this place
 
Powder's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Shell Ri La
Posts: 26,801
Quote:
Originally Posted by ProphetofGanja View Post
Those are dope. If you can get into the format and you don't mind watching shows that are just people having a conversation (it helps if you are a big fan of stand-up or sketch comedy), you should check out Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Jerry Seinfeld's project that just moved from Crackle to Netflix. I watched the first collection over the past two weeks and I enjoyed it partly because the cars are cool but mainly because I'm a big fan of comedy and the philosophy behind it
I was watching it years ago on Crackle, & am currently re-watching on Netflix, coincidentally.
__________________



I'm convinced that none of you have ever experienced joy
Powder is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-19-2018, 10:40 AM   #20
shuriken
Second City Shinobi
 
shuriken's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Chi-town
Posts: 4,182
I used to have a 2001 ford Focus. But the engine died, plus it had a string of other issues that it was junked and I no longer have it. I don't drive now that much honestly, but use my folk's vehicles whenever I need either (a 2005 navy
blue Chevy Suburban) and a (2004 gray VW Jetta).
There is always something wrong with the Jetta though. At one point the transmission was wonky and it couldn't reverse, so I had to reverse manually, which meant I would put it in neutral, open the car door and push with one leg while steering. fun times.
I mostly Use my Raleigh bike around the city, since Chicago traffic is annoying as hell sometimes.
__________________
Some things are better left unsaid. This isn't one of them
shuriken is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:10 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.