My Favorite Ride Contest (Ends October 24, 2008)

[TDRadmin]

Yesterday, we were shooting the bull with family and friends, and someone asked a question that engaged everyone at the table. All of our eyes lit up and none of us were without a quick (and passionate) answer. So for our next $100 fuel card:



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What was your favorite vehicle ever and why? Post a picture if you have one.



It doesn't have to be a diesel truck. We're looking for the car that if you could get back, you would. And why it means/meant so much to you.



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Have fun, and share some good stories!



Robin

TDR Admin

 

[Grizzly]

My favorite vehicle just happens to be a truck with a diesel engine. It was my 95 Dodge 4WD, DRW, with a Cummins diesel. It was the most comfortable and dependable vehicle I have ever had. I had it for 10 years and used for my daily commute, contracting business and hauling my RV. The best part was that it was never in the shop for anything except a wheel alignment.

 

[Jim W]

My Favorite Ride

My favorite vehicle was a 1969 VW 1500 Beetle navy blue white seats. This was my first new car I bought for $2,050, Including sales tax. I had this for five years and was a blast to drive you could not kill the clutch nor the engine. My wife and I went every were in this vehicle. We did camping trips, off road trips up in the UP of Michigan with the VW on old logging roads.

I traded this in for a brand new 6 cyl 3 spd 1974 Jeep Cherokee. My wife and I both said we should have keep the 1969 VW as it was such fun to drive. But our family was starting and could not carry my first son and the camping gear in the VW.

By the way my son now owns four trucks, a 1979 Ford Bronco, 2001 Chevy Durmax (pull truck), a 2004 Ford Explore his work truck and a 2006 Dodge 2500HD QC 5. 9L Cummins LB. So I guess he got the truck bug also.

 

[TIngram]

i would have to say that my favorite ride is the pulling tractor i am buying it is a fun ride down the track

View attachment 70546

i have dreamed of having one of these sice i was a kid, some good guys gave me the opportunity to buy it so we made a deal. my wife is actually going back to school to get her masters in nursing so that we can afford to go to more pulls and be able to support all of our pulling better. (that is a good wife i dont care what anyone thinks)

 

[surfbeetle]

Mine's a 1967 vw beetle. I had an 1835cc engine in it with dual 48 IDA Weber carbs, 12:1 compression. I could do 14 second passes at Carlsbad Raceway with a full body stock bug. It was my first car, given to me by my parents back in 1986. I still have it in my garage after all these years. Now I am putting a watercooled subaru wrx turbo engine in it.

 

[foolkiller]

the jeepney!!!

i'm sure a few of you have been to the phillipines... .



remember these??



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View attachment 70554



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the jeepney is, by far, the most efficient and dependable form of transportation you can find in the phillipines. they are EVERYWHERE and no two are identical and all are decorated with what the owner thinks will attract attention to his ride. its hilarious.



when you want a ride, where ever you are, you simply jump in the back with anywhere from none to 30 phillipinos and whatever groceries,supplies, or even livestock they are taking to work or home. the ride cost a me nickle each time to go as far as i liked and i'm pretty sure i was over paying by a bunch.



the fun part is when you get a crew together. you all pitch in a couple bucks each and tell the driver you want him to be your jeepney exclusively for the day... . or night. he promptly kicks everyone on the finely decorated vessel off... . and assumes your mission is above ALL, albiet few, traffic laws that exist in his beautiful country. it is a great way to travel and the driver will negotiate all further business transactions while under your employ.



they go slow and steady up hill but haul booty going down and seem to be difficult to keep on one side of the road.



the rear of the jeepney is open air and seats 10 buddies comfortably. no one seems to mind if you enjoy a San Miguel or six on your journeys, you DO NOT have to keep your arms and hands inside the vehicle, and there's nothing like bar hopping, beach going, sea food tasting, and sometimes nap taking, with very affordable limo service.



i do believe some of the jeepneys were diesel... . they smelled of it. and they are TOUGH. these thing are tested to the limits day in... . day out... and always get the job done.



when i think of what is my favorite vehicle it depends on a lot of things. but for a few things, it's the jeepney. i haven't owned one for the day since about 1991. but they've come up in conversation a number of times since and i get a laugh thinking of them and the good times they provided every time.



j

 

[EBolgiano]

I was a teenager in the late 60s/early 70s and got to see the muscle cars in the dealerships and on the streets. The cars that always got my attention however, were the diesel Mercedes. It did not take but 30 years to get one and in 2006 we purchased a brand new MB E320 CDI (diesel car). It is everything I ever thought it would be! Great ride, classy looks, and 40 mpg. The car sits in the garage with a car cover and is only very rarely driven. Without a doubt the best vehicle I have ever owned.

 

[RHestand]

My favorite was the second car I had owned.

It was a 1951 Ford Bus. Cpe. Blk with blk primer spots where trim was deleted, a 55 Chrysler Hemi, with 3 two's (Strongberg 97s) Howard Racing Cam & solid lifters,custom home made exh. , 3 spd. flr. shift trk. trans. , welded 4. 11 gears & 7 inch. racing slicks.

When I was 16 I helped my 20 YO buddy build this car and then 3 yrs. later bought it from him when he got married.

It ran low 13 second ETs at the drags and did very well against the fact. hotrod Corvettes, 409 Chevys and 406 Fords, on the street.

With all the fun I had with that car, I'm amazed that I'm still in one piece, and they still let me have a drivers lic.

It was definitely one of the cars to beat on the streets of Phx,AZ in the early 60s.

Geez, I wish I had a picture of that car, (although it wasn't much to look at. ) I sold it to a guy who raced it for several years in that area.

I saw a few pictures of it in some of the drag racing weekly's. He had raced it under the name "Big, Black and Ugly" in the B/Gas class.

Yes, I would love to have that car back, and daydream about maybe some day building another one.

 

[Wingate]

When I first read the topic for this contest, my mind went back to a 68 Dodge Charger I owned when I was 16 yrs. old. But the more I thought, my heart still lies with my 72 Chevy 1/2 ton. This truck was a factory Custom Deluxe, factory power disc brakes, tilt wheel, a/c, "Highlander" trim package, two-tone paint, rallye wheels... etc. . The truck was clean and original.

The memories are so fond mainly because when I bought the truck at 18yrs. old, I immediately pulled the engine out to preserve it. I swapped in a 383, a year later,i had read an artice about using a 305 block to make a 334 stroker, so I built and installed that. About 6 months later, I read about a 434 stroker, so off to building again and installed that. I'm sitting here trying to count the times I swapped engines in that truck for a different combination, I know it was alteast 7 different engines, ALWAYS looking for something better or newer. Fast forward to getting married, having two kids, and a divorce/custody battle left me broke. Sold the truck to pay the lawyers so I could get custody. I didn't like the guy that bought it, but I needed the money, and the kids were more important. About 5 years ago, I started tracking the truck down to see if at all possible to get it back, then I learned that the truck got totalled about a month after I sold it cause the guy that bought it was driving drunk!!!!... Told ya I didn't like that guy!!!

 

[Missouri Mule]

Well my 71 Charger (318 cu,inch) came to mind but I would really like my 82 Buick Regal back (V-6). It was nice looking fast enough for me,got 30-32mph on the highway and 20 in town. When I got into the produce business it backed up the 78 ford van and 88 ford van, small loads ( 20 strawberry flats... ).

It started to get a little ragged so in 92 I started getting it back in show room condition ,fixed power windows as they went out,fixed the cruise,new three core radiator, new bumber skirts and new paint job. Then In 96 bought the Dodge (Mule) and sold the Regal (Deer Runner). Of course I would want to keep the Mule. The Regal like the Mule rode and held the road so nice that it took all my will power to turn off the road/highway when I reached my destination. Photo is when the Regal was brand new.

 

[DVolk]

My Favorite Ride Contest

My favorit ride was my dads 75 Chevy 3/4 ton 4x4 he had it

had what wasnt what id call a seriously built 350 , no radical cam



but it had a single plane intake and carter card and headers and a real good

set of perfectly matched heads .



This truck gobs of power than my cummins stuff and my race trucks



It would litterly shatter the governor gear on a turbo 350



But it could haul a camper and a stock trailer with 8 horses that you had to brake for the corners and still had more throttel left .



If some one had this truck id take it back in a heart beat !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[HOBrian]

My favorite ride was my 86 5. 0 Mustang LX. That was my first car. It was black with t-tops. Soooo much money in that car... just fun to drive and race. Never should have sold it.

 

[McIntoshJ]

My fav was my 65 Corvette which I purchased used in 67 and drove on the street until 1970 when I built it into an SCCA BP and later GT1 race car

Here is a photo from the early 70's

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and one from the late 70's or early 80's

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the best part is I have been able to stay in touch with the car as the SCCA log book with all my info goes with the car every time its sold.

Here is a photo taken this July at Elkhart Lake at the vintage race weekend. The car now lives in Salt Lake City and it sure makes me fell good that it has been raced in vintage races since I sold it in 85.

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[Edgemann55]

Thats a easy choice for me-1969 RoadRunner. 383 with 440 high compression heads,Big bent Hurst linkage with a pistol grip. Bright orange with a black top. Paid 1500. 00 for her when my buddy was going in the Marine Corps in 1971. Would shift that car into third at 80 mph with the tach deep into the redline. That 383 took a beating for 85000 hard miles and I traded her for a 900 Kawasaki that I could not live without.

Wish I had that Roadrunner today when I see what they get at auction.

Ahhh the memories!

 

[JCyrbok]

1995 Honda CBR 600 crotch rocket. Had way to much fun on that thing, did good with the girls and only almost killed myself a couple of times!!! LOL



Sold it to help pay for my wifes engagement ring!!!! Well hind sight is 20/20#@$%!



J-

 

[mberry]

Mine happens to be a 1966 Pontiac Le Mans GTO that I bought in high school. I paid $500 in 1985 or 1986 from a friend of mine. Not only was it my first vehicle I ever bought, I worked all summer and bought it with my own money.

That car was a lot of firsts with me. After I broke one of the tailpipes off screwing around in a field, I got pulled over (first time) on my way to get it fixed. My first girlfriend and I, well if anyone remembers those big back seats... I really wish I had it back. That sweet little 326 and 2 speed Powerglide transmission. I don't want to reminisce about how it came to be out of my hands.

 

[Batphreak]

My favorite ride was the 1949 Jeepster we had when I was in High School. It had a flat-head 4cyl and 3 on the tree. Had just enough power ot move itself around, but no enough to get in trouble. The convertible top flipped down with 1 person, and the side windows were just snap-in plastic ones. Wasn't a car for anything but sunny days. It was bright yellow and a blast to cruise around. Hopefully I can find some pictures later.



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[Rattler]

This is my current ride(the one in my sig). It is great fun to drive and gets thumbs up where ever we go in it. It is a true muscle car of days gone by. I think every one has a story that relates to thier youth and a car like this. Randy ( hope the pics work)All the work on this ride was done in my little 2 car garage at home in my spare time( loved doing it)

 

[6naline01]

My 1971 Dodge ChargerSE 426Hemi,I would post pictures except my ex-wife burned them all.

 

[JGrefenstette]

Personally, anything with a Detroit "71" in it. The 671 with the Tubro and Blower setup is a beautiful thing. the 871 is a real screamer too. 12v71's made quite a show under the hood of an old Peterbuilt. 16v71 is almost more than a man could want. :-laf



i want to put a 671 in an old International Harvister dually pickup, and or a 12v71 in a 7 1/2 ton military truck. either or, would be a blast to build, and play with.



if youve never heard/messed witha 2cycle diesel, you MUST look into getting your hands on one. its a 4cylce diesel adicts dream come true. they crank up faster than you can say oh sh**. :-laf and the sound they make at WOT is enough to make your head numb.