Where I’ve been automotively in the past has influenced what I drive now. The following is a look back at the cars I’ve driven and how they’ve contributed to decisions I’ve made about my present vehicle.
Number One
My first car was not one that I purchased, my parent’s bought it to give to me, or perhaps it was a sneaky way to punish me while at the same time relieving themselves of chauffeur duties. For the grand sum of $200 a well worn Volkswagen 412 “Estate” model became my first ride.
Research into historical records showed that from the factory this vehicle came with a four cylinder motor generating 72 hp, 91 ft lbs. of torque, weighed 3,670 lbs, and in the 3-speed automatic variant that I had, a blistering 0-60 acceleration time of 17 seconds. But to my disappointment mine was not fresh from the factory, and 17 seconds would be an elusive benchmark fro a very tired engine.
Anemic only scratches the surface of this “Dubs” performance. As a school commuter car I was embarrassed to haul friends around in it and the additional weight of one or two passengers compelled me to plan a route that took advantage of gravity to assist with merging at 55 mph highway speeds. That advertised 0-60 time was most certainly obtained on a flat road, any effort to accelerate uphill was an exercise in futility, the last hill of my trip home laughed at the VW as it lost speed and the cabin began filling with exhaust.
Number Two
Purchased from a college friend for $500, this was another well worn car that had seen quite a few miles by the time I acquired it. The upside to this car, in addition to the low cost, was having been owned by a gear-head who replaced the original inline six motor with a 302 cubic inch V8 from a ’68 Ford Galaxie 500. Dual glass-pack mufflers helped this sleeper scream.