Got A Car!!!

Sailor Steve · 03-19-13, 03:30 PM

Yes, for the first time in eight years I actually own an automobile. First, a little bit of my experience with driving.

I learned to drive in a 1962 Corvair Monza. That was 1966. Then I got my learner's permit and found out I could ride my dad's little 50cc bike without an adult along with me, so I did that for a year and finally got my license in 1967. When I joined the navy my dad took the money he had set aside for my second year of college and bought a '67 Corvette convertible. When I came back from Vietnam in 1970 my dad trusted me to drive the 'Vette, which impressed my girlfriend quite a bit.

After I moved to Utah I bought my first car, a 1963 Ford Van. I sold it when I got married, and we bought our only new car, a 1974 Mustang II. Since then I've owned a '65 Chevy panel truck, an '73 Pinto wagon, and '85 Buick wagon and a 1994 Ford Escort wagon which I bought almost new in 1996. I loved that car. It handled very well and carried a lot of stuff. I was sad when I wrecked it in 2005.

I haven't had a car since. I just couldn't afford one, especially when I went through my homeless phase. My dad's death last July left me a little (very little) insurance settlement, and I've been sitting on it while looking for the right car. I found cheap cars I didn't want and not-so-cheap cars I wanted but couldn't afford. I wanted another Escort wagon but there just aren't any. The Focus replaced the Escort, and they say it's a better car in every way, but I could only see one thing: They're UGLY! I drove one, and it was nice, but every time I look at one I want to run the other way. I saw some minivans that I could afford, but there are so many of them on the road that they get boring. Yes, I'm being obsessive about it, but that's just the way I am.

So yesterday I was looking online and something jumped off the screen at me. It wasn't a wagon, and it wasn't a van, and it wasn't like anything I had looked at. It was a 1994 Eagle Summit. The Summit was actually a Mitsubishi Mirage, marketed in the US by Chrysler's Eagle division after they bought out American Motors in 1989. They were built in the US in Normal, Illinois. The Summit was a rather nondescript standard subcompact sedan, and if that was all there were I wouldn't have given it a second glance. The Summit wagon, however, was a complete redesign and looked nothing at all like it's sedan brother. It's actually the forerunner of today's Mitsubishi RVR, though it looks nothing like that either.

The Summit wagon is, well, what it is. It looks nothing like anything else I looked at, which is why I like it.

The Bad: It's nineteen years old. It doesn't have a CD player. It's got some dents and dings. The gas mileage isn't going to be nearly as good as my old Escort got. It's not going to handle as well as the Escort did. Finally, it cost quite a bit more than I wanted to pay.

The Good: Despite the age, it only has 78,000 miles on it. That's pretty amazing. A CD player would do me no good, as all my music is on my computer anyway. The radio works, and if I like the car and keep it I'll add an MP3 player hookup somewhere down the line. The dents and dings are to be expected in a car that old. The fuel economy won't bother me too much because sooner or later all my "driving" will be on a bike anyway. The handling I can live with, since whatever bike I end up with will be a lot more fun anyway. I love the way it looks. Like a van it only has the sliding door for the rear seat. It has a stick shift, which is something I was looking for. I rejected several cars I saw on that basis alone. A minivan would have hauled more, but you don't see them with manual transmissions, and I like to drive the car rather than have it drive me. As to the price, well, they really did make me an offer I couldn't refuse.

So, all-in-all I'm happy with my new mini-minivan. It's just different enough to be cool, at least to me. And I can always trade it in or sell it, if need be.

Buddahaid · 03-19-13, 03:37 PM

Now you'll have to drive everybody else to gigs! I'm happy for you Steve but my favorite part of your story was your Dad using your college money for a Corvette.

GoldenRivet · 03-19-13, 03:40 PM

fantastic!

i will tell you what it is a good feeling to have a set of wheels. a very good feeling indeed.

congrats.

look like there is some utility there, a lot of cars lack usefulness other than moving warm bodies around, this one can do that and haul a bit of stuff to boot.

Herr-Berbunch · 03-19-13, 03:41 PM

Congratulations.

Doesn't matter what it is as long as you like it.

I'm really pleased for you as I know it's been a long time coming.

Sailor Steve · 03-19-13, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buddahaid

Now you'll have to drive everybody else to gigs! I'm happy for you Steve but my favorite part of your story was your Dad using your college money for a Corvette.

I'm only happy that he let me drive it.

A funny story came out of that. In 1998 I drove the Escort down to Long Beach CA to visit my sister. She was telling me about the flying lessons our dad paid for her to take, and the bad experience that put her off flying forever. I said "Dad never paid for me to take flying lessons!"

My sister replied "Well, he never let me drive the Corvette!"

Considering that he sold the 'Vette when she was ten, that's not surprising.

The funny part came later when we related the conversation to him. He looked at her and said "Well, Steve never wrapped one of my cars around a tree, either."

Catfish · 03-19-13, 03:49 PM

Congrats, a new car is always fun !

(OT We also had to buy a new (used) one yesterday, after the '89 BMW broke down some weeks ago - crack in the cylinder head, and not worth repairing considering the condition the rest of the car is in

)

Looks pretty practical, and you sure sit a bit higher than in a "limousine form" car, i like that. I still have a '84 VW Quantum 'station' (?), with absolutely no performance or power, but at least the fuel consumption fits that ..

Cybermat47 · 03-19-13, 03:51 PM

Nice car bro.

vienna · 03-19-13, 04:05 PM

Steve is now fully mobile...

So, it's kinda like "Grammar on the Go" now?...

Congrats, Steve, and good and safe driving...

<O>

Sailor Steve · 03-19-13, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vienna

"Grammar on the Go"

I don't usually get into arguments about gender, but shouldn't that be "grampar"?

u crank · 03-19-13, 04:24 PM

Nice ride Steve!

Did someone say road trip?

Takeda Shingen · 03-19-13, 04:28 PM

Congratulations on you're knew car!

Catfish · 03-19-13, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

Congratulations on you're knew car!

vienna · 03-19-13, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Congratulations on you're knew car!

Careful...Now he can drive over and correct you...

<O>

HundertzehnGustav · 03-19-13, 05:15 PM

boring, practical, and looking completely like anything you would not expect on an US road.

looking on how welldefined your choice was and you did not buy the first set of wheels you saw, i am sure you have what you need for a price you can accept.
I hope it serves you well.

Red October1984 · 03-19-13, 05:47 PM

Now it's time for me to get a car!

Can't wait til this summer. I'm hoping for an 04-05 Mustang...

Hopefully a Manual. Anybody can drive an Automatic. I do like my mom's Camry though. It's nice to drive.

But a nice loud 05 Ford Mustang is where it's at.

03-19-13, 03:30 PM	#1
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Got A Car!!! Yes, for the first time in eight years I actually own an automobile. First, a little bit of my experience with driving. I learned to drive in a 1962 Corvair Monza. That was 1966. Then I got my learner's permit and found out I could ride my dad's little 50cc bike without an adult along with me, so I did that for a year and finally got my license in 1967. When I joined the navy my dad took the money he had set aside for my second year of college and bought a '67 Corvette convertible. When I came back from Vietnam in 1970 my dad trusted me to drive the 'Vette, which impressed my girlfriend quite a bit. After I moved to Utah I bought my first car, a 1963 Ford Van. I sold it when I got married, and we bought our only new car, a 1974 Mustang II. Since then I've owned a '65 Chevy panel truck, an '73 Pinto wagon, and '85 Buick wagon and a 1994 Ford Escort wagon which I bought almost new in 1996. I loved that car. It handled very well and carried a lot of stuff. I was sad when I wrecked it in 2005. I haven't had a car since. I just couldn't afford one, especially when I went through my homeless phase. My dad's death last July left me a little (very little) insurance settlement, and I've been sitting on it while looking for the right car. I found cheap cars I didn't want and not-so-cheap cars I wanted but couldn't afford. I wanted another Escort wagon but there just aren't any. The Focus replaced the Escort, and they say it's a better car in every way, but I could only see one thing: They're UGLY! I drove one, and it was nice, but every time I look at one I want to run the other way. I saw some minivans that I could afford, but there are so many of them on the road that they get boring. Yes, I'm being obsessive about it, but that's just the way I am. So yesterday I was looking online and something jumped off the screen at me. It wasn't a wagon, and it wasn't a van, and it wasn't like anything I had looked at. It was a 1994 Eagle Summit. The Summit was actually a Mitsubishi Mirage, marketed in the US by Chrysler's Eagle division after they bought out American Motors in 1989. They were built in the US in Normal, Illinois. The Summit was a rather nondescript standard subcompact sedan, and if that was all there were I wouldn't have given it a second glance. The Summit wagon, however, was a complete redesign and looked nothing at all like it's sedan brother. It's actually the forerunner of today's Mitsubishi RVR, though it looks nothing like that either. The Summit wagon is, well, what it is. It looks nothing like anything else I looked at, which is why I like it. The Bad: It's nineteen years old. It doesn't have a CD player. It's got some dents and dings. The gas mileage isn't going to be nearly as good as my old Escort got. It's not going to handle as well as the Escort did. Finally, it cost quite a bit more than I wanted to pay. The Good: Despite the age, it only has 78,000 miles on it. That's pretty amazing. A CD player would do me no good, as all my music is on my computer anyway. The radio works, and if I like the car and keep it I'll add an MP3 player hookup somewhere down the line. The dents and dings are to be expected in a car that old. The fuel economy won't bother me too much because sooner or later all my "driving" will be on a bike anyway. The handling I can live with, since whatever bike I end up with will be a lot more fun anyway. I love the way it looks. Like a van it only has the sliding door for the rear seat. It has a stick shift, which is something I was looking for. I rejected several cars I saw on that basis alone. A minivan would have hauled more, but you don't see them with manual transmissions, and I like to drive the car rather than have it drive me. As to the price, well, they really did make me an offer I couldn't refuse. So, all-in-all I'm happy with my new mini-minivan. It's just different enough to be cool, at least to me. And I can always trade it in or sell it, if need be. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

03-19-13, 03:37 PM	#2
Buddahaid Shark above Space Chicken Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,340 Downloads: 162 Uploads: 0	Now you'll have to drive everybody else to gigs! I'm happy for you Steve but my favorite part of your story was your Dad using your college money for a Corvette. __________________ "However vast the darkness, we must provide our own light." Stanley Kubrick "Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming." David Bowie

03-19-13, 03:40 PM	#3
GoldenRivet Subsim Aviator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 8,729 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	fantastic! i will tell you what it is a good feeling to have a set of wheels. a very good feeling indeed. congrats. look like there is some utility there, a lot of cars lack usefulness other than moving warm bodies around, this one can do that and haul a bit of stuff to boot. __________________

03-19-13, 03:41 PM	#4
Herr-Berbunch Kaiser Bill's batman Join Date: May 2010 Location: AN72 Posts: 13,203 Downloads: 76 Uploads: 0	Congratulations. Doesn't matter what it is as long as you like it. I'm really pleased for you as I know it's been a long time coming. __________________

03-19-13, 03:51 PM	#7
Cybermat47 Willing Webfooted Beast Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Australia Posts: 5,408 Downloads: 300 Uploads: 23	Nice car bro. __________________ Historical TWoS Gameplay Guide: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?p=2572620 Historical FotRSU Gameplay Guide: https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/sho....php?p=2713394

03-19-13, 03:49 PM	#6
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 17,822 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Congrats, a new car is always fun ! (OT We also had to buy a new (used) one yesterday, after the '89 BMW broke down some weeks ago - crack in the cylinder head, and not worth repairing considering the condition the rest of the car is in ) Looks pretty practical, and you sure sit a bit higher than in a "limousine form" car, i like that. I still have a '84 VW Quantum 'station' (?), with absolutely no performance or power, but at least the fuel consumption fits that ..

03-19-13, 04:05 PM	#8
vienna Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Anywhere but the here & now... Posts: 7,732 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Steve is now fully mobile... So, it's kinda like "Grammar on the Go" now?... Congrats, Steve, and good and safe driving... <O> __________________ __________________________________________________ __

03-19-13, 04:24 PM	#10
u crank Old enough to know better Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Prince Edward Island Posts: 11,750 Downloads: 136 Uploads: 0	Nice ride Steve! Did someone say road trip? __________________ “Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” ― Arthur C. Clarke

03-19-13, 04:28 PM	#11
Takeda Shingen Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 8,643 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	Congratulations on you're knew car!

03-19-13, 05:15 PM	#14
HundertzehnGustav Sea Lord Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Lux, betw. G, B and F Posts: 1,898 Downloads: 66 Uploads: 0	boring, practical, and looking completely like anything you would not expect on an US road. looking on how welldefined your choice was and you did not buy the first set of wheels you saw, i am sure you have what you need for a price you can accept. I hope it serves you well. __________________ In conclusion: SH3 is the shizzle, yo. -Frau Kaleun Another negative about using your deck gun is that you are definately DETECTED, which has long term effects on your relationship with aircraft. -snestorm

03-19-13, 05:47 PM	#15
Red October1984 Airplane Nerd Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 6,243 Downloads: 115 Uploads: 0	Now it's time for me to get a car! Can't wait til this summer. I'm hoping for an 04-05 Mustang... Hopefully a Manual. Anybody can drive an Automatic. I do like my mom's Camry though. It's nice to drive. But a nice loud 05 Ford Mustang is where it's at. __________________