Past cars
I am a car person. Here are some cars in my life.
Note: click on a picture for a larger, correctly-proportioned version.
[1980 Chevrolet Monza--current]
1992 Plymouth Colt GL
1.5 liter I4, SOHC 12-valve, 92 HP
3-speed automatic transmission
front wheel drive
My parents bought this car for me for college. It was perfect for that, but I got the car bug in 1995 and bought the Camaro below. My dad started driving the car and it served him well. In 2001, he gave it back to me after inheriting a bigger car. I did a bit of work to it and made it a decent commuter car. However, I missed having a sporty car with a stick, so I traded it in for the 2002 Neon.
1992 Chevrolet Camaro RS
3.1 liter V6, 140 HP
4-speed automatic transmission
rear wheel drive
I bought this car in 1995. It looked great but I quickly found out how slow it was (140hp pulling around 3400lbs doesn't do too well!). When it left me stranded in a bad part of Philadelphia I started looking around for a new car.
1986 Pontiac Fiero 2M4
2.5 liter L4, 110 HP???
5-speed manual transmission
rear wheel drive
I bought this car in 1997 to learn how to drive a stick. It was rusty and barely passed inspection. I did some body work on it (silver paint is easy to match).
1995 Pontiac Trans Am Convertible
5.7 liter V8, 275 HP
6-speed manual transmission
rear wheel drive
I traded in my Camaro for this car in 1996. I liked it a lot but later realized spending all my money on car payments was dumb.
1995 Dodge Neon Sport Coupe
2.0 liter inline 4, 150 HP
5-speed manual transmission
front wheel drive
I traded in my Fiero for this car in 1997. I wanted to start autocross but didn't want to use the Trans Am for it. In hindsight I probably should have just used the Fiero but it might not have passed tech inspection at the events. It burned oil, the A/C died, and it had terrible build quality. But it was still a lot of fun.
1995 Ford Mustang GTS
5.0 liter V8, 225 HP
5-speed manual transmission
rear wheel drive
I traded in my Neon for this car in 1997. It was cheap--a leftover dealer demo, technically new, but not really. It left me stranded in West Virginia. Plus it was just not as much fun as something with its specs should be. The "GTS" package combines the GT drivetrain and suspension with the base model body and interior. I traded it and my Trans Am for my truck in late 1997.
1986 Honda CRX Si
1.5 liter inline 4, 92HP???
5-speed manual transmission
front wheel drive
I bought this car cheap in 1997 just to play around with. Yes, I painted it with Krylon spray paint. It had rust holes in the floor, covered up by the previous owner with really thick undercoating. After getting rid of the Trans Am and Mustang for the truck, this was my only "fun" car.
[1997 Chevrolet S-10--current]
1995 Honda Civic Si
1.6 liter VTEC inline 4, 125HP
5-speed manual transmission
front wheel drive
I traded in the CRX for this car in 1997. I thought it would be a like a modern CRX but it was too big and relatively slow. The V8 bug hit me again.
1997 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
5.7 liter V8, 285HP
6-speed manual transmission
rear wheel drive
I traded the Civic for this car in 1998. It was nice, a lot like my Trans Am (but with T-tops instead of a convertible) but I thought I wanted to buy a house. Having this debt along with the truck debt made that impossible. So, I sold it and bought my Miata outright. Still no house though!
1990 Mazda Miata
1.6 liter I4, 116HP
5-speed manual transmission
rear wheel drive
I liked this car. I installed a fresh engine, cooling system with oil cooler, and a rollbar in anticipation of adding a turbo or supercharger. I got wrapped up in my Monza project and it never happened. The car was still fun to drive mostly stock. My wife thought I had too many cars, so I sold it.
1988 Pontiac Fiero Formula
2.8 liter V6, 135HP
5-speed manual transmission
rear wheel drive
I really wanted one of these cars ever since I got my 1986 Fiero and saw its potential, had it been in better shape. The Yellow 1988 Formula is one of the rarest models, so when I saw one sitting on the lot of a used car dealer near my parents' house in 1999, I had to ask about it. $2500 later I owned my "dream car." Unfortunately it needed a bit of work, which I did to it, but it looked like it would need even more, and I had started working on my Monza project. So I sold it to another Fiero enthusiast in 2000.
2002 Dodge Neon R/T
2.0 liter I4, 150HP
5-speed manual transmission
front wheel drive
Bought as a potentially fun car, it only saw commuter duty, which it handled well. I put 80K on it in four years with only minor problems (biggest issue was needing to replace the starter). It wasn't as fast as the 1995 Neon, but it was good enough. I traded it in for the van only because the Neon can't hold two adults and three car seats.