I may not be the worst, but my current fleet consists of two cars, both small 2+2 two-door RWD Toyota coupes (FR-S and AE86) and 7 (seven!) motorcycles, primarily small-dislplacement and best suited to short local rides. I do pine for a van/pickup and a touring motorcycle from time to time!
I have nothing practical for my current driving which is extremely limited.
2000 F-350 crew cab dually lariat 7.3 TD What I might call my daily driver actually moves about twice a week for a total of maybe 20 miles for both trips. Currently costing me about a dollar a mile just for insurance.
66 Mustang coupe nitrous street/strip project
67 Camaro RS SS convertible
70 Trans Am clone more race car than street car, full cage etc.
81 2 dr Malibu backdated project 357 SBC, T-400,8.5 GN rear
86 Porsche Carrera 3.2 manual Euro widebody Cabrio
1. 2010 Wrangler
2. 1995 Miata
3. 2016 Corvette
Practical? It's just the wife and me (and dog), we don't have to haul anyone or anything. Works for us.
I own an '06 Volvo that is showing 15.3mpg average on the current fuel tank. Other than that, it's completely practical.
An '84 RX-7 that is unpleasant to drive due to rod ends in the suspension and drivetrain vibrations/harmonics and a lack of weatherstripping and working door locks, does not have air conditioning, and is not allowed to see salt.
An '86 VW Quantum that has not run for ten years (five of the mine), has had the air conditioning removed, and is not allowed to see salt.
An '83 GTI that has not run for the past five owners, has no interior, has has the A/C removed by the previous owner, and to be honest I often forget that I own it and if someone offered me cash for it, I'd find the title.
An '81 RX-7 that is extremely pleasant to drive, but I want it to be perfect, so I never drive it, and am in the process of its second engine swap since I bought it since the first one wasn't stock enough. It is also not allowed to see salt but it does at least still have air conditioning.
And, a '73 RX-3, that had been sitting since 1979, and is quite rusty, and I can't bring myself to sell because I'm a po'boy at heart and realize I never will have another shot at having an RX-3. Its status of air conditioning or salt are irrelevant, and I'm sure EvanB would be happy to see it gone.
74 Lotus Europa
70 Lotus Europa
Locost
3SGTE swapped RAV4
LX470 with a miss at 4K
Those are all pretty useless. I have some useful ones too, 2X LS400, LR2, RN Truck.
2012 Jetta Wagon TDi, my daily. 2011 Touareg TDi, wife's daily. 1998 Legacy wagon, back up beater ( for sale ). 2004 Sentra SE R Spec V, Rallycross car.
I probably failed the impracticality test, all my cars can fit at least 4-5 adults.
In reply to JesseWolfe :
I like your use of Diesels. If you could pick up a Powerstroke F350 and make sure you don't tow with it, it would go a long way to being more impractical
I have one vehicle that could sit more than 2 people comfortablely and that's my K30 3+3 that's on 37s so no not truly practical plus the 454 swap isn't finished.
For dailies I have the 99 Silverado standard cab and the 96 Miata. The projects aren't practical because well they're projects and all one/two seaters:
25 Model T Challenge build at frame rail stage
26 Model T Speedster
28 Model A Speedster
62 Darth Nader
74 BMW 2002 ex SCCA/Challenge race car
76 Lotus Elite ex failed attempt to be Challenge car
70s Bradley GT body
Edit The 86 Audi 4000CS Quattro could be considered practical once finished but that's Lil Stampie's.
In reply to ebonyandivory :
I'd also have to lift it and put wide 24" rims on it with low profile tires.
So I have a two seat convertible supercar, another two seat supercar, another 2 seat vintage convertible and a 7000lb custom. Yeah I am not doing so well.
(Cadillac is still here but sold so I am putting it in the photo)
My wife also has effectively a 2+2 convertible.
In reply to JesseWolfe :
Then you'd be more like my son! Approved!
Every one of my cars is impractical but serves my own preferences (good handling and performance)
1956 MGA with Fiberfab body and GM 3.4 engine
1958 MGA Twin Cam race car
1962 MGA Mk 2 coupe
1971 Jensen Interceptor
2007 BMW Z4M coupe
2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP coupe
For hauling stuff, my wife owns a Mazda 3 sport (hatchback). One of us has to be practical...
uhhh
my mercury cougar isn't inspected and i don't want to drive it in the winter
my lincoln town car isn't inspected and the heater doesn't work
my ford probe is super low and sucks to drive on the bumpy poorly patched road between my house and workplace
my ford focus is broken
my ford escort is broken and i don't even have it here yet (still need to rectify that situation btw)
so uhhhhh right now my only road-legal working car with heat sucks to daily. do i win?
Not going to win, but will play.
1991 Corvette zr1. It's got headers and 3" pipes so it's stupid loud. AC is non open and it's black on black so if it's over 70 she's a pain box.
1992 Camaro z28. T tops amazingly don't leak but it's a huge car that really only seats 2. Super reliable though.
2014 fiat 500 abarth. Was pretty practical but I'm stupid and put coilovers on it and now it rides like a skateboard and the roads in Seattle are total garbage and full of holes so that's fun.
1991 ford f150. Great truck, if it didn't get 8mpg I'd daily drive it.
Suprf1y
UltimaDork
1/1/20 5:16 p.m.
I'm tired of impractical cars.
I don't particularly enjoy working on them any more, and can't be bothered to modify them much beyond simple afternoon jobs. In good weather. When I feel like it.
I hate getting old.
Suprf1y said:
I'm tired of impractical cars.
I don't particularly enjoy working on them any more, and can't be bothered to modify them much beyond simple afternoon jobs. In good weather. When I feel like it.
I hate getting old.
Impractical could be a new RAM 3500 4x4 Dually, it doesn't have to be old and/or unreliable, just impractical.
slowbird said:
uhhh
my mercury cougar isn't inspected and i don't want to drive it in the winter
my lincoln town car isn't inspected and the heater doesn't work
my ford probe is super low and sucks to drive on the bumpy poorly patched road between my house and workplace
my ford focus is broken
my ford escort is broken and i don't even have it here yet (still need to rectify that situation btw)
so uhhhhh right now my only road-legal working car with heat sucks to daily. do i win?
If those cars were in working order, I think most of them would be practical vehicles.
In reply to ebonyandivory :
that's fair. but...they're old fords. why did i ever think that any of them would stay in working order
My daily is a VW wagon. Super practical! It's a VR6 4Motion wagon though so it gets E36 M3 mileage but goes anywhere through any conditions.
Tiger Mom drives the Jag. Sedan so practical but big engine X-Type with a stick shift so......weird.
My toy pig/kid hauler could should be a 3/4 ton van and that would be fine but no, instead I have a 2004 Suburban 2500 with quadrasteer. So......dumb.
2006 Miata is nice enough but mine is fairly unpleasant in aggressive STR trim so we don't drive it much.
And I suppose the least practical "car" I could own is the recently resurrected 1959 Zamboni race car. Seats one and isn't even remotely street legal. And apparently catches fire. And is painfully loud. And might kill baby seals just by existing.
Okay, I'll play the game.....
Practical - VW Tiguan (wife's daily), Chevy Suburban (towing and occasional family hauling)
The rest are all two seaters, so qualify for impractical.
NC MX5 -my daily driver
Triumph TR4A (V8 swap)
Triumph Spitfire (turbo Miata driveline swap)
NA Miata
AW11 MR2 V6 swap (next project car)
In reply to KyAllroad (Jeremy) :
Is there a build thread or anything on this zamboni crittur???
Ian F
MegaDork
1/2/20 7:03 a.m.
In theory, my main DD is the ultimate in practical - a 2017 Grand Caravan. However, since the rear seats are perpetually stowed into the floor and the back is filled with bikes and/or skiing gear, it depends on how practicality is measured.
DD #2 is a 2006 R53 MINI. Somewhat practical by my standards, woefully small and impractical by other's.
Toy - a pair of old Triumphs - a GT6 and a Spitfire. Basically the same as the MINI, but less practical.
I have other vehicles, but I'm not sure if non-running cars count right now.
Also, we really haven't defined practical as it relates to automobiles...