So the "appliance" car bashing...it's gotta stop

JoeyM wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Bob, where did $2k come from? Anways, as the owner of both a Cherokee and an Escort, this thread offends me.

Yeah, it was supposed to be the cost of a new Accord. Don't those start north of $20K these days?

Hey, we're talking about bashing the appliance cars that some of us are forced to use. I didn't get to spend $20k on a car for the wife, I got $2k. hell, the last thing I spent $20k on was....um... I haven't spent $20k on anything yet. Even the truck was only $19k new 6 years ago and it'll be with us until it rusts in two and then I'll patch the frame and keep going.

noddaz wrote: Just because a car starts it's life as a boring, non-descript, beige, forgettable pos doesn't mean it has to stay that way. With the exception of maybe the Nissan Versa... (Wasn't I clever... )

Or a Nissan Sentra...

Hmmm ...

My car is a Valiant. My son drives a Cavalier. The family car is a Volvo 850.

See a pattern?

Bobzilla wrote:

JoeyM wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Bob, where did $2k come from? Anways, as the owner of both a Cherokee and an Escort, this thread offends me.

Yeah, it was supposed to be the cost of a new Accord. Don't those start north of $20K these days?

Hey, we're talking about bashing the appliance cars that some of us are forced to use. I didn't get to spend $20k on a car for the wife, I got $2k. hell, the last thing I spent $20k on was....um... I haven't spent $20k on anything yet. Even the truck was only $19k new 6 years ago and it'll be with us until it rusts in two and then I'll patch the frame and keep going.

I don't get it.

But i guess i don't really care that much, either. Carry on!

slantvaliant wrote: Hmmm ... My car is a Valiant. My son drives a Cavalier. The family car is a Volvo 850. See a pattern?

you like cars with v's in them???

seriously, i agree with most views. i tried to make my camry fun and failed. my daily is a neon. you cant getr any more appliance than those two. i love my neon, hated my camry.

i try not to bash anything, as i believe ANYTHI NG can be made fun. including minivans (turbo 2.2 chrysler AWD was availible in the late 80's from the factory, and i saw a honda minivan with boost and coilovers here locally)

doesnt mean i worship at the alter of e30, miata, and jeep. none of those really fit me well. (im more of a mopar and dubaru guy)

michael

I am bored with my Civic. It is kinda fun but I really want turbo. Appliances just suck but you can still can have a fun car you can drive every day.

Ive owned 4 cars in my life. My favorite? A 1995 Corolla. I will own one again, and it will be glorious. It was as dependable as gravity, never stranded me. The 1,4 doesnt make a lot of power, and its a sedan, so weighty for its footprint.

However...

Nothing has responded as well to simple smart mods like that car did. Its nimble with decent suspension, and an under-appreciated aftermarket that actually is pretty affordable. not to mention, 7agze bolts right up . Considering theyre available all day long with a 5 speed for sub grand cash, I will be building one soon for autox duty, but retain some streetable manners (can you say "commute to the challeng in your racecar"?).

So, I praise it for its dependability, and pursue it for its potential. I guess Im not sure which camp Im in...do I love the appliance? Or do I love the fun car underneath?

So far, I've yet to see a car that does not have the potential for being a cool ride. Sometimes it takes a truckload of creativity from the owner, but it's there. How about a daewoo nubira for a race car - from Daewoo of Death? Or a camry?

and one of my favorite appliances...

A fun commuter doesn't have to be a Miata to not be an appliance.

Look at a CRX, it's an immensely practical car and an absolute hoot to drive.

My current daily driver is a manual 2000 Insight, which is a lot like the CRX HF, slow as balls in a straight line sure, but chuckable as hell in the corners. I shame on everybody in the twisties with it. I can only imagine people's faces as they get passed by some goofy looking eco car.

All a car really needs to not be an appliance is cofident handling, good feedback to the driver, and some kind of manual transmission.

4cylndrfury wrote: Ive owned 4 cars in my life. My favorite? A 1995 Corolla. I will own one again, and it will be glorious. It was as dependable as gravity, never stranded me. The 1,4 doesnt make a lot of power, and its a sedan, so weighty for its footprint.

I was just going to say, the ultimate "appliance sleepers" are the AE92-AE111 4-door Corollas. Some of the most plain-looking 4-door econoboxes you can buy (well the AE92 sedan looks pretty good in retrospect, but it was plain for its day) yet all are fairly lightweight 4A-powered cars that will compete with a Civic sedan when stock and can be modded to go fast easily, and will take track abuse all day every day.

4cylndrfury wrote: Ive owned 4 cars in my life. My favorite? A 1995 Corolla. I will own one again, and it will be glorious. It was as dependable as gravity, never stranded me. The 1,4 doesnt make a lot of power, and its a sedan, so weighty for its footprint. However... Nothing has responded as well to simple smart mods like that car did. Its nimble with decent suspension, and an under-appreciated aftermarket that actually is pretty affordable. not to mention, 7agze bolts right up . Considering theyre available all day long with a 5 speed for sub grand cash, I will be building one soon for autox duty, but retain some streetable manners (can you say "commute to the challeng in your racecar"?). So, I praise it for its dependability, and pursue it for its potential. I guess Im not sure which camp Im in...do I love the appliance? Or do I love the fun car underneath?

I'm on my second one of those right now. Love em.

Will it drive like an Alfa Romeo?

Let's hope not. I need to get back and forth to work.

JoeyM wrote: - One of their two biggest functions of the year is an autocross/car show/drag race for cars that cost approx. $2K - I hauled a non-running "car" to that event...one thrown together out of garbage - literal, actual garbage - and got nothing but enthusiastic comments -

Ironic since it's a car that actually was an appliance

As you can no-doubt read about on the 24 HOL forum, or Murilee Martins' blogs....in some race series, the boring appliances are the hot ticket and all of the quirky sports cars we like are 'butt-turrible.'

Personally, I have learned that Honda Civics are a solid bet for exactly 6.5 hours on a racetrack, and after that have at least a 80% chance of spinning a rod bearing. Anything sportier than that and all bets are off.

http://forums.24hoursoflemons.com/viewtopic.php?id=18234

I like my appliance cars, partly because they can carry appliances...

My name's Dave, and I own a Prius.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Get your beige crap wagon out of the way. I'm rollin' thru in my super elite 325e!

I always knew that "e" stood for ELITEST.......

My appliances(they're still a taurus), seem to have more heart and soul than Ray Charles, The Big Bopper, and the Blues Brothers combined......I would never recommend them to anyone though.

I like pancakes, not flapjacks........they must be smothered in Maple or Jack Daniels syrup though.

At present in the GRM fleet, there is a Camry, Volt and a Focus. FWIW I'm pretty sure JG's volt can in fact make toast.

This reminds me of the quit hot linking thread.

My appliance Elantra doesn't bother anybody except ZombieWolf, shrug

evildky wrote: At present in the GRM fleet, there is a Camry, Volt and a Fiesta. FWIW I'm pretty sure JG's volt can in fact make toast.

Close....but I fixed that for ya

On staff we also have a Sentra, a non-turbo Volvo wagon, and a Honda Minivan

appliances serve their duties.

I have no problem with "appliance cars". I used to DD all sorts of different fun cars, but my current Mazda 3 is one of my favorites so far. It's dead simple, reliable, and just entertaining enough to drive that I don't want to go insane.

Driving a race car every day on a 80+ mile round trip commute, in mind-bendingly heavy traffic, is not fun. Hell, that commute was not fun in my WRX and it's Muncie Rock Crusher-esque clutch pedal either.

What I DO have a problem with is the drivers of some of these "appliance cars" that I share the road with every day. That's a topic for another thread though.

Flight Service wrote: This reminds me of the quit hot linking thread.

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This is one of my fave's from Porky's heyday....

and this one:

4cylndrfury wrote:

Flight Service wrote: " />

I cannot stand these Corollas after a friend of mine's 1996 drove me nuts with all its issues, but this one gets a pass. It looks... dare I say... great! Wow...