How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

General conversations about BMW E28s and the people who own them.
sail_or_drive
Posts: 388
Joined: Sep 17, 2013 9:51 PM
Location: Vancouver, WA

How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by sail_or_drive »

My daughter asked this question the other day and I had to think way back, so I made a list. It's not a very exciting list, but it's varied.
I posted it partly because I am curious about Board Members "lists". If this has been done before, then call me lazy because I did a search or two and did not find one. The cars are listed in reverse chronological order (sort of, lots of overlap). I still have the two Toyotas but neither gets that many miles on them. I ride my bike(s) and don't have to commute and my wife does work from home two days a week. She also has a 3 mile commute on low volume surface streets. We could comfortably get by with one car. The kid will take the Yaris to college in 2021 and I may add another car to the list at that time.

2004 BMW 325it Fun car, donated when cooling system went buns up.

1988 BMW 528e (x2) Otto and Gerda.

2014 Toyota Sienna Mommy Missile #2.

2007 Toyota Yaris Boring, cheap, reliable.

1992 Acura Integra RS Bought from a co-worker. Fun to drive but loud and hard to get into and out of. Wife hated it.

1984 BMW 528e DD, RoadFly years.

1990 Audi v8 DD. Parts were a pain and the heat and air conditioning was a nightmare to get right.

1980 BMW 528i Garbage Truck victim 1 week after purchase.

2003 Honda Odyssey Mommy Missile

1996 Nissan Pickup Used this on two house remodels and DD for a while.

1991 Honda Accord Wagon Bought as a commuter, rear-ended and totaled.

1986 Merkur XR4Ti Bought from a friend, fun car, too many tickets.

1975 Datsun 620 pickup. Bought from a friend, farm truck. Sold to 2nd wife’s hippy friend from high school.

1991 Honda Accord Sailed out the door, divorce.

1978 Saab 99 Paid for itself by being rear-ended 3 times. Insurance only totaled it when it was broadsided (still had it fixed). Drove for over 150k miles, sold it at 225k.

1975 Volkswagen Rabbit Drove this in college, fun car.

1977 Jeep J-10 Pickup. Oilfield get-around truck. Well made, good gas mileage, but noisy and slow on the highway.. Sold to brother-in-law to use a fishing car.

1969 VW Bug 120k miles and two engine overhauls (split case)

1970,71,73 Karman Ghia Uncle gave me three wrecked ghias for dry-walling his new shop in my spare time. His journeyman walked me through making the franken-ghia with parts from all three.

1965 Chevrolet BelAir Bought from my Mom’s cousin. He had balanced and blueprinted the 283 because he was bored. Bridge engineer family car; three on the tree.

1960 Studebaker Lark VI Brought it back to life and drove it. My Mom sold it to some Mormon friends; they fixed it up and it is still parked at BYU as an multi-generational LDS college car. Last I heard it has turned 400k miles.

1961 VW Bug. My brother built this for me to drive, he worked for the uncle that had the body shop that the franken-ghia (above) came out of. Big Brother painted it BMW Golf Yellow. It was cool, glacial slow, but cool for a 15 year old. Mom and my sister made blue jean seat covers with fluorescent yellow thread. Stylin.
stuartinmn
Posts: 9380
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Minneapolis

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by stuartinmn »

I think this is all of them, in more or less chronological order. Considering this is over a span of 44 years, it's probably not all that many.
1961 Pontiac Catalina four door sedan
1969 Ford Torino GT
1980 Mazda 626
1961 Pontiac Bonneville convertible
1971 VW Beetle
1968 Chevy Impala
1967 Opel Kadette station wagon
1971 Pontiac Catalina
1961 Pontiac Bonneville four door hardtop
1961 Pontiac Bonneville two door hardtop
1965 Ford F-250 pickup
1966 Ford F-100 pickup
1986 BMW M535i
1988 BMW 325iX
1989 BMW 325iX
1988 BMW 325iX
vinceg101
Posts: 4802
Joined: Jun 20, 2007 2:40 AM
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by vinceg101 »

^^^Well if you think your list is short, mine will appear as a mere footnote. Been driving for (legally) for 38 years and owning cars for 37 of those. I'm a Lifer when it comes to cars, I tend to keep cars for a long time (longer than I should on some):

I'll throw in the first two cars I had access to once I got my license since I did take care of them, in my crude uneducated fashion. They were ostensibly my mom's but since my dad had a company car (mid-70's Ford station wagons), no one could drive his and even he wasn't technically allowed to drive them off-hours (but often did) so we all drove these two:
-1974 Ford Galaxie 500: Sedan 400 V8, big and brown. I learned to drive in this beast, so did my 5'-0" tall petite sister (both the house and car bore the scars of her trials).
-1971 AMC Hornet Sportabout: 232 I6, Green (I know, I know), Auto but manual everything else. This replaced the Galaxie and technically I was on my 2nd car by this point but I drove it a lot and took care of it. Oddly I really kind of liked it, it had a certain "charm". My parent's liked it because it reminded them of their first new car: 1968 AMC Rambler American Wagon.

-1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme: Rocket 350 V8, 2Dr, automatic, was originally Lt. Metallic Green (whatever GM called it) white vinyl top, repainted Maroon. My first car that I bought and paid for myself. First car I saw roll over 100K miles (back when odometers only had 5 digits and would reset to 00000), first car I took over 100mph, went to college in it, got T-boned and was too damaged to fix.

-1977 Toyota Celica ST: 2.2L, 4 Speed, Metallic Blue. My first standard transmission, great little car (little being operative), bought it from a former Packard Master Mechanic who started by working on Thomas Edison's Packard when he was a kid, he still had a 1958 Patrician in his garage (he was selling the Celica for his daughter). Finished the rest of my first college and my year off before my next school with it, left it behind for my parents to sell when I came here to Los Angeles.

-1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme: 305 V8, 2DR, Black, T-Tops. A dog if there ever was one, it was only really a necessity purchase since I came out here with only about 3 weeks before school started and had to find something. This car came into my uncle's dealership and he didn't want this POS darkening his Jaguar dealerships' door (I'm sure he still made a profit off me despite being family). Had it through the rest of the 4 years of college until it was mortally wounded in another accident. It limped to a scrap yard, signed over the title and walked away from it.

-1988 VW Fox GL Wagon: 1.8L, 4 Speed, Silver: This was the newest car I ever purchased up to that point (1990), great little 2 door wagon (hatchback on steroids I called it; reminded me of the Sportabout.), my then girlfriend/now wife & I went everywhere in that car, had this car when we were married and living in San Diego. Bought it from my uncle who bought it as a tax write-off since they owned a VW dealership also at that time so it sat in their driveway most of the time (he and my aunt drove new XJ's and Vanden Plas's, perks of running a Jag dealership). Finally convinced him to sell it to me, took me a while; again I'm sure they still made a profit off it. I had this car a very long time (the next 10 years in fact, overlapping with the next car).

-1988 BMW 535i: 5 Speed, Swartz/Pearl Beige. My first BMW and nicest car I had ever owned up to then. Met many of you here with this car. Bought it in 2000 a year after we purchased a house (we opted to each keep our tired cars and save for the house and keep out of debt in lieu of upgrading cars despite the desperate need to do so). Had this for also for the next 10 years before selling it to another enthusiast in San Francisco (there's a thread on here with that story). Overlapped with the next three cars.

-1999 Honda CR-V: 2.0L, FWD/4WD, Green: Technically my wife's car as it replaced her then REALLY tired and crapped out 1983 Honda Accord 2D Hatchback (and I guess this was mine also?), but being married means it's mine too (so yeah, it was mine also). Bought within a month of my buying the '88 535i (it was momentous July & August in 2000, got our dog same month also), bought it used less than a year old through a private sale. Still have this despite its' rough appearances these days (clearcoat failure), barely drive it (only has 113K miles), but everyone should have a Honda in their driveway. I can and do haul everything in this, so does the wife.

-1985 BMW M535i: 5 Speed, Arktisblau Metallic/Pearl Beige, Real Euro. My current E28, purchased in 2010. Bought from the 4th owner in Denver, full history and documentation. It was ostensibly bought to replace the 535i as a daily driver, but with a full Dinan Stage 3 suspension and lowered and being as nice as it is, there was no way I was going to subject it the streets of LA. It became my "toy" for lack of a better term and due to a bizarre and freak driveway accident while I was on vacation wherein the '88 was totaled (really long story and another thread here), I was on the hunt of a new daily anyway.

-2002 BMW 530iA Sport: M54B30, Scheiffergruen/Sand, Automatic. This leads us to present day and my current daily and was at that time the most modern and nicest car either of us had ever owned, bought from original owners in 2012. Still is a great car despite being over 18 years old and over 200K miles. I doubled down on the investment by overhauling the suspension system in this car a year or two back so it's a keeper at this point. It's turning into a project car.
But, hey that's the way I roll.
Last edited by vinceg101 on Oct 15, 2020 4:47 PM, edited 1 time in total.
uzayas
Posts: 57
Joined: Mar 11, 2010 9:08 AM
Location: Ankara Turkey

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by uzayas »

Let me make small engine sized European list for you.

1994 Skoda Favorit Lx 1.3 lt
1996 Fiat Tipo S 1.4 Lt
1998 Peugeot 106 GTI 1.6 lt
2000 Honda Civic Ls 1.6 Lt
2002 Fiat Doblo D 1.9 Lt
2004 Ford Mondeo Ghia 2.0 Lt
2006 Peugeot 407 D 1.6 Lt
2006 Saab 9.3 Vector 1.9 tDi
2010 Peugeot 407 D 1.6 Lt
2006 Bmw E60 530i
1986 Bmw M535i
2006 Seat Ibiza 1.9 D
Various Renault and Fiat model which i can't remember.

Greetings from Ankara Turkey
tn535i
Posts: 5585
Joined: Jul 14, 2006 1:30 PM
Location: Middle Tennessee

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by tn535i »

Not necessarily in correct order and there is overlap. Short list considering I've been driving for 40+ years.
I'll add approximate $ spent for fun - not including maintenance and repairs of course...

70 Buick Skylark conv, $800 (first car of my own)
Combined years of Chevy Vega, 0$ but many parts needed (this was a project of various years put together and then sold, my brother had one too)
67 Buick Special, 0$ (my grandmother's car and I was the only one who wanted it, many funny stories about this car)
72 Olds 442 conv, traded the Skylark + $200 I think (car I drove when I dated my wife, put over 100k on it myself, chide myself for letting it go)
72 BMW 2002, about $2000 & too much (30+ years later I still have it and may be a retirement project before it is on the road again)
86 325e, $14 or 15k range (purchased for my wife when daughter was born and was as new, became mine later, kept until our kids learned to drive, totaled but many parts liveon in the next two cars)
84 318i, $250 non running when purchased (really my son's project e30 go cart with the 2.7 and other good stuff from the eta)
91 325i, $450 non running when purchased (parts from the eta made this a dd given to daughter to drive while in college )
85 535i, $2100 I think (dd, runs great, totally neglected & looks it nowadays)
88 M6, $11k (most expensive car I ever purchased for myself, hardly driven it this year, needs minor work to be 8 out of 10)

It's funny I have not really had many cars and even if I add my wife's cars the list is not much longer. Maybe 3 more since we've been married. I've worked on every car I've owned sometimes serious rebuilds/repaint like my first few cars. Add all this up and it should officially qualify me as a cheap old dude. That's funny because at the moment I could probably write a check for any car I wanted within reason. Don't take that as bragging as it just comes with age and being all in on the above total list above for less than the price of most new cars. Remember cheap old dude :laugh:

Now that I approach retirement I'm thinking I deserve what I want and you know what I want ? If I find that really great condition e28 in the color I like best and proper bumpers as Germany intended I may strike. I'll also keep the M6 :cool:
Mike W.
Posts: 26872
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: California Whine Country

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by Mike W. »

I've had a few, started out with VWs and moved to BMWs with a excellent French car in between. Italics are cars I've put over 100K on.

64 VW Bug

57 VW Bug

64 Buick Electra- Long story

64 VW Bus-Coastal Car/rust bucket

61 Ford

62 VW Bus

60 VW Bus

58 VW Bus


58 International Pickup-Investment

66 Jeep Pickup-What a POS, but it would go anywhere

70 Simca 1204-Absolutely fantastic car. Best handling car I've ever owned and would seemingly swallow objects larger than itself. Drove the wheels off it before trading it with 165K on it (when that was very high) for a set of tires for my Bavaria.

70 Simca 1204 Parts Car

62 Corvette-Basket case, investment

65 Chevy Impala-see Corvette

71 BMW Bavaria-Basket case, my first BMW. Wow for that big M30. Got me started on BMWs.

69 BMW Bavaria-Nice body, inherited everything from the 71 that was cosmetically challenged on the exterior. And I mean everything right down to the window glass and heater. Put 130K on it but was tired of it and not heartbroken when it was rear ended and totaled while parked.

75 Toyota Celica-Very good engine for the era, fantastic drivability for the era, mediocre reliability, worst handling car I've owned. Pretty much worn out when I sold it to an enthusiastic buyer with 150K.

76 Ford Mustang II-Came with my wife. Actually handled pretty good, red hatchback looked good when washed and waxed, overgeared. Was glad to see it gone when it sold.

80 Dodge Colt Hatchback, 8 speed-Fun little car.

78 BMW 320i-Totaled but my wife didn't have a scratch on her in a head on. Fixed and sold. Great heater.

79 BMW 528i
-Fantastic car, might be my all time favorite. Fast, quiet smooth, great heat and A/C. Last seen dead in a Chinese restaurant parking lot with 385K on the odo.

76 BMW 530i Parts Car

78 BMW 530i Parts Car

80 BMW 320i

80 BMW 320i

80 BMW 633CSi-I put so much into that car but it was a Texas rustbucket. Great high speed cruiser, just seemed to eat up miles. Sold to a friend who begged me to sell it to him for his wife.

87 BMW 635CSi-A total I took forever fixing up. Finished it, looked great, but by then the butter soft leather wasn't anymore and I kind of lost interest. Sold it to someone who really wanted it.

81 BMW 320i-Rear ended but drove. Very nice car. Intended to fix up but turned into parts car

85 535i-Supposed to be my wife's car but she never took to it so it turned into mine. Put 155K on it before I got tired of it with 330K on the odo. Sold it needing nothing in less than a week at the absolute bottom of the market over the years. Shouldn't have sold it.

85 535i Parts Car

83 BMW 733i

84 BMW 733i

97 BMW 528i

00 BMW 528it
-Wife's car, put 145K on it. Should have never sold it

80 BMW 528i-I put so much into that car, but circumstances changed, I never quite finished and it was never the car it was supposed to be.

81 BMW 528i-Seemed like a good idea but turned out to be less than I hoped, also lost interest.

98 BMW 328is-The ultimate commuting vehicle. Sum is somehow less than the pieces.

02 BMW 525it-The emasculated one. A 2.5 pushing around 3800 pounds just isn't enough.

03 Infiniti QX4-Not bad overall but embarrassingly crude in many ways. Great 4WD truck which is what I got it for.


There's probably more, but that's all I can remember.
Last edited by Mike W. on Oct 15, 2020 4:08 PM, edited 1 time in total.
vinceg101
Posts: 4802
Joined: Jun 20, 2007 2:40 AM
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by vinceg101 »

Mike: You should consider picking up a solid M54B30 to drop into your Touring. Even with an automatic it would be a marked improvement.
Too bad the US never got the 530iT.
Mike W.
Posts: 26872
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: California Whine Country

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by Mike W. »

vinceg101 wrote: Oct 15, 2020 2:35 PM Mike: You should consider picking up a solid M54B30 to drop into your Touring. Even with an automatic it would be a marked improvement.
Too bad the US never got the 530iT.
I know, but it's my wife's car and while she notices the lack of power, torque more than anything, it's not that big a deal to her. If it was mine, trust me, it would have already been done. :D
jhh925
Posts: 913
Joined: Jul 11, 2015 12:23 AM
Location: Reno

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by jhh925 »

I'm sure there are many here who have crazy-long lists. On my list, I'm including cars that weren't titled in my name, but I was the primary driver-maintenance guy. I'm also sure I forgot one or two.

1972 Volvo 164e: Handed down from my parents. Bought new by my parents for Euro delivery in '71. It was their first real, new car. I managed to trash it pretty quickly after getting it. Still feel bad about that. That was just the start of my disgraceful auto-stewardship.

1972 MB-B GT: Sigh. What a POS. The engine ran fine, but it had unending electrical gremlins likely caused by a bad ground somewhere. Didn't run right for most of my time with it. The live rear axle also turned out not to be fully fixed in its mountings, and the rear end came out on me one night and I ended up bouncing from one side of the road to the other. Total insurance loss, but dear-old-dad made me fix it & sell it. By that time, I was glad to be rid of it.

1980 BMW 320is: All black. This was the E21 with the cow-catcher air dam in front & the recaro seats. We bought it knowing it had engine issues. I got it rebuilt with higher comp pistons, but the shop that did it had no idea what they were doing. I'm pretty sure they used a hand grinder to cut the valve reliefs in the tops of the pistons. It pulled strong, but it had a vibration from the word "go." It ended up throwing a rod through the block about 7 months after the rebuild. The shop replaced the engine and dear-old-dad decided to sell.

A series of Mark I Golf / Rabbit / Jettas: OK, another tale of woe - this series of cars is related. Let's get started, shall we?

1. 1984 Jetta GLI: Bought new in early '84. That car was awesome, and yet I still managed to drive it straight into a tree late one night. I'll go light on the details here cause, yeah, I was doing exactly what you think I was doing. The insurance company paid out on the total loss, offered to sell us the wreck, which I badly wanted to do. While the car was still sitting in the yard and while the original policy was still in effect, the car was vandalized and parts taken. We filed a second claim, so I ended up getting the wreck and a check for something like $1000. We heard from the police that the tow truck driver was later arrested for stealing stereos out of other wrecks he'd towed.

2. The plan to rebuild the Jetta was to find a Rabbit in disrepair and swap all the good parts over. By total serendipity, I found a guy who had an automobile dealer's license and who was willing to take me to the Fremont auto wholesale auction. Through that process I bought three 1983 / 1984 Rabbit diesels, two of which I sold for a profit, and the third of which I kept, which led to ...

3. 1984 Rabbit GTI: Started as a green diesel, resprayed in black with Jetta GLI interior, drive train and a cheater pipe. Most fun I ever had in a car that didn't involve ... Oh, never mind.

1990 BMW 325is: Bronzit over parchment leather! I loved it then and still love that color combo. Sue me. I babied the shit out of that car. Always covered or garaged. Took the seats out to vacuum the carpet. Waxed at least every two weeks. Sold it in about 1993 to help pay for law school. Unique for me up till that point ... no accidents!

1978 Mercedes 300D: Hand me down from mom & dad. It stunk in every way possible. Barely got to 80 mph, and rolled coal before it was cool. Eventually donated to the local NPR station IIRC.

During late law-school days & early law firm days, I had a couple of borrowed BMWs: A 1990 525i auto (hated that car, probably more than anything else led me to my brief MBz diversion) and a 1991 BMW 535i (fun, but didn't change my mind probably due to how beat it was - there was no way I was going to be able to get all the fruit roll-ups out of those carpets).

1995 Mercedes E320: One of the best cars I've ever driven. A bit underpowered, but everything it did, it did right. Babied the shit out of that one too. Drove our son home from the hospital in that car. Sold the car right before we moved to NH.

1975 Chevy K5 Blazer: Long-term loaner from my FIL. Stolen in the BART parking lot, taken on a joy-ride, totaled, sold to Pick-n-part in Oakland for $125. My in-laws still say they miss that car. And for some reason the fact that it was stolen is still my fault. Ugh.

1999 Audi A4 Avant Quattro: My wife's and my first joint car purchase. We overpaid on the lease and it barely fit our son's baby carrier in the back. And when the front brake pads wore down to the indicator inside of 12k miles and the Audi dealer couldn't take us in for a replacement for something like 3 months, I said "Fuck it," and we managed to find someone to take over the lease. That car was not missed.

1999 Toyota 4Runner SR: Not sure if I have that trim level correct. Direct replacement for the Audi. My first SUV. We leased it and loved it. But then for some asshole financial reason, we got rid of it at lease end and got ...

2002 Toyota Sequioa. Oh my. Three rows, with an engine somewhere out there under the foredeck. What a boat. This was a purchase, and the only reason we got this when the 4Runner lease ran up is because I owned my own business and the GVWR on the Sequoia was high enough that we got to deduct the purchase price from our taxes. What a give-away. Happily sold the car in about 2006.

1980-ish Subaru Legacy Wagon. This was while we were living in NH. It was our second car. We lived 3 or 4 miles from work. My bike fit fine in the back. It was a total POS but it always ran. Donated to charity in 2006.

2005 Mercedes E500: Holy shit. I saved up all my pennies. I'd fallen in love with the W211 platform and I'd been visiting the dealerships regularly just to gawk. I'd get a new sales brochure every year and had them next to my bed. I'd peruse them regularly. God, that is weird. Anyhow, finally got a killer deal on one at the dealership in Boston (this was while we were living in NH) cause it was a 2-wheel drive version on the east coast. As it turned out, the car was riddled with electrical gremlins. Seats never worked right, infotainment system was wonky. Oh, well. The car ended up getting totaled in a freakish accident where I hit a part that had dropped off of an 18-wheeler. The part hit the front bumper & then cartwheeled under the car, triggering all the airbags and puncturing both the sump & the tranny. Not a single scratch of body damage. Car was totaled out, I got a check, and someone smart got a roller that could be restored easily if they knew what they were doing.

2005 Subaru Legacy Wagon: So, apparently we hadn't learned our lesson after the Audi on the "not quite big enough" wagon thing, and got this POS. Kids fit OK in the back & didn't complain. Car rattled like spare parts box. Sold it to get the Volvo. Don't miss it at all, and we're done with Soobies.

2006 Volvo XC90 Cross Country Wagon: Cross country tank is more like it. Everything about this car was heavy. It ran. That's all it had to do for the three years we leased it. Don't miss it.

2011 Jetta Sportwagen: Replacement for the last Soobie. This served us well; got it to 120 or 130k with no breakdowns other than a fried infotainment system. Our son inherited it when he got his drivers license. He's still mad at us for trading it in.

2014 eGolf: First electric car experience. VW went overboard on the "recyclable" materials on the interior, and all that they managed to recycle was the smell of my son's gym clothes straight into my nose. Leased for 3 years. Not missed.

2007 BMW 328i wagon: Taken over with >20 months left on the lease. This was at the depths of the Great Recession and I think the 'seller' needed to get out of the lease. Got a killer deal. He'd put like $5000 down and all I had to do was take over the payments. Miss that car. Served us well.

2011 BMW 330i M-Sport Wagon: Nice car. Luxurious. Fit everything we needed. AWD. Leased. It was fine, but not inspiring.

2014 BMW 330i M-sport sedan: Nice car. Luxurious. Fit everything we needed. AWD. Leased. It was fine, but not inspiring.

2019 BME 330i: Nice c... wait, never mind. Frankly, we went & test drove the new 3-series after the lease was up on the '14 and I hated it. Unless something changes, we're probably done with new BMWs. Too complicated, too expensive, too fussy, no fun to drive unless you bleed money for the fast stuff, getting uglier every year, not enough reliability.

2019 Tesla Model 3: We cross-shopped the 3-series, Model 3 and Alfa Giulia. Tesla won hands down. In fact, it was so bitchin' that it led to ...

2019 Tesla Model 3 Number 2: I don't go to gas stations anymore. Well, almost. And my daughter won her first single elimination bracket-style drag race event in this car last night.

2012 BMW X5 3.5d: Purchased used with about 24k miles. Probably over-paid, but I figured this is a lifer for us. It's taken me a while to figure out the DEF thing, but this one is holding up great.

And then the E28 adventure begins:

1987 535is: Bought off the forum. Interior color change and 5-speed conversion. Dismantled it and rebuilt it from the ground up (so to speak). I'd planned it as a keeper, but then an M5 got in the way and the '87 ended up selling on BAT.

1987 528e: Bought for parts and I got plenty of good ones.

1988 M5: Bought off of BAT. Currently undergoing restoration.

Bonus pic:

Image
topher800
Posts: 446
Joined: Nov 24, 2009 9:44 AM
Location: Marshall, CO

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by topher800 »

1980 Chevy Citation. Bought from my dad in 1984 with 40k miles for $4k. Took it to 180k miles.

1990 Isuzu Rodeo. Bought it new. Replaced Citation. Sold it with 180k miles.

1998 Chevy Silverado extended cab SB. Bought with 20k miles in 2000. Put shell on it and it was our camper/recreation vehicle. Sold it with 180k miles.

2002 Passat Wagon 1.8turbo. Bought new, sold with 250k miles. This was really my wife's DD. @170k miles took it to stage 2+. This was a real wolf in sheep's clothing after that (260hp soccer mom car). Whenever she came home from work with a huge smile on her face, I knew she had gotten the better of a P-car.

1984 Saab 900 turbo. Was my grandmother's. DD'ed it for a few years ~2000.

1993 Saab 900 Commemorative Edition. Bought used ~2005, someone pulled out in front of me and it was totaled. Tragedy. Kind of like having an M5 totaled.


The current quiver:

1987 BMW 535is. My brother gave it to me in 2008 w/ 124k miles, now ~186k miles.

1960 Willy's CJ3B. This has been in the family since ~1965. Still have it. TMU. With a usable top speed of 50mph, this is just a townie.

2011 RAM 2500 CTD, crew cab SB. Bought new, still have it, ~100k miles on it. It replaced the Silverado. Has a slide in pop-up camper.

2013 Audi Allroad. Bought with ~100k a few years ago. POS oil burning engine; replaced with new long block. Wife's DD to replace the Passat.

The topic doesn't include motorcycles, but we have a pair of BMW F800gs'.
RetiredDoc
Posts: 1316
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Aiken SC

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by RetiredDoc »

Been a licensed driver for 56 years and 29 days.

These are the seven cars I have bought for myself. I won’t bore anyone with their histories.

1968 MGB-GT
1983 Audi 4000S
1986 Suburban C20
1996 Suburban 2500
2007 Lexus LX 470
2013 Lexus LX 570
2017 GMC 2500HD

The e28 garage queen was bought by my wife for herself, and became mine when she went into her convertible phase, now in its 24th year and on convertible number three. Lately I have seen her on the PorscheUSA web site building 911 Targas.
RonW
Posts: 5319
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Long Island, NY

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by RonW »

Looking at the lengths of all those lists, I guess I'm not a car guy after all - here's my entire list:
  1. 1973 Volvo 144. 135k miles when I bought it in 1985. I bought it from its second owner. 6 years later I ran into the original owner, who said, "I made the mistake of my life when I sold that car - I bought a Peugeot!" It had an electromechanical clock that clicked every minute or so when it rewound itself. Nicely laid out controls and instruments. I drove it until 1995, when it rusted out, and traded it for a VCR.
  2. 1986 BMW 535i. 132k miles when I bought it in 1992. It was in terrible shape. The dash looked like a dry lake bed. I drove it until 2017 and retired it with 585k miles. It last started in 2019, and will never run again. But it will be parts for...
  3. 1987 BMW 535is. 66k miles when I bought it in 2002. I had a new job with a long commute, so I figured I needed a backup car. I liked the 535i, so I got another one so I wouldn't have to recalibrate when I switched back and forth. The plan was to drive the 535i into the ground, then switch to the 535is just in time for my midlife crisis. That's not how it turned out. The 535is now has only 121k miles, because the 535i lasted a lot longer than I thought it would, and also because I bought...
  4. 2001 BMW 325Ci. 155k miles when I bought it on eBay in 2011. Needed a new cooling system, which was expensive. Needed a new sunroof too, but I fixed the old one for free using some beefy paper clips. Same power as the 535i but much better fuel economy. I am now a believer in fold-down rear seats. Now has 331k miles and is my daily driver.
So the 535is is still sitting around, waiting for my eventual futile attempt to recapture my lost youth. Maybe when I retire - just in time for the last gas station around to close because everyone's driving electrics.
austin8753
Posts: 1444
Joined: May 16, 2010 1:37 AM
Location: Portland, Oregon, USA

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by austin8753 »

way too many to count...at least 100. lots of misc e28, e30, e34, e36 and e39, and at this stage in my life (27), i don't care to remember them all

the only ones worth mentioning:

e28 m5
e30 m3
e30 w/ s50 x2
e30 325is
e30 m-technic cabriolet
e34 540i/6 x3 (the first one was the best...wish i had it still)
e36 m3 x2
e36/8 m-coupe (arguably the greatest car i've ever owned)
e39 m5
l322 w/ m62 x2
mk2 gti w/ vr6 (second most fun car i've owned)
Last edited by austin8753 on Oct 15, 2020 8:27 PM, edited 1 time in total.
David B
Posts: 520
Joined: Mar 09, 2008 5:43 AM
Location: Savannah, Georgia

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by David B »

My list in order from bottom to top, four I have now.

1986 735i Euro 5spd (Currently).
2015 VW GTI APR Stage 3 (Currently).
2016 Fiat 500x Trekking (wife).
1992 Lexus LS400.
2014 Ford F-150 Tuned at 5-Star (Currently).
1979 TransAm Bandit Black.
1999 BMW 528iT wagon.
2013 Subaru Outback (wife).
2008 Ford F-350 Power Stroke King Ranch 4x4.
2012 Nissan Rogue (wife).
2009 Dodge Ram 4x4.
2008 Tundra.
1976 BMW 630cs.
1987 BMW 535is.
1985 BMW M635csi Euro (M6).
1993 Prelude Si.
1984 Mercedes S300td.
1989 Prelude Si.
1985 BMW 535i (Currently).
1984 Celica.
2008 Kawasaki KLR650.
2005 Sequoia 4x4 (wife).
1984 Porsche 928 S2 Euro.
2005 Subaru Legacy GT Wagon MT.
2005 Subaru STI.
1982 RX-7.
2004 Subaru WRX.
2001 Tundra.
1979 Honda CBR 750.
1997 Camary.
1993 Mil Spec Dodge W350 Cummins.
1977 Jeep CJ5.
1983 Bronco II 4x4.
1977 Datsun 200sx
1996 Tacoma.
1986 RX-7.
1985 RX-7 GS.
1983 RX-7 GS.
1983 Datsun truck.
1976 Camaro 355 Stroker.
1989 Buick T-Type.
1972 Datsun 510 coupe, cammed, slammed, 2.4 swap, flared,Weber side drafts, etc.
1987 Jetta.
1986 Ford LTD Georgia State Patrol car.
1985 Capris 2 door.
1981 Rabbit MK2 16v swap (Thumper).
1984 Jeep Grandwagoneer.
1983 Buick Century.
marek
Posts: 333
Joined: Mar 21, 2008 11:51 AM

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by marek »

I'm probably missing some, but here goes

In Canada:

83 Rabbit GTI
93 Mustang GT
87 Chrysler Lebaron Turbo
87 VW Fox Wagon
79 Rabbit GTI
84 Jetta GLI
84 Rabbit GTI
84 Rabbit GTI
80 Chevy Malibu
83 Rabbit GTI
90 Hyundai Excel
87 Acura Integra
89 Hyundai Excel
89 Acura Integra
85 GTI
83 Rabbit Cabriolet
86 GTI
87 GTI 16V
89 GTI 16V
85 GTI
91 GTI 16V
91 GTI 8V
89 Jetta GTX 16V
90 Jetta GTX 16V
91 Jetta GTX 16V
92 GTI 8V
92 GTI 16V
91 GTI 16V
89 Audi 200 Turbo
91 Audi 200 Turbo
01 Audi S4
92 GTI 16V
88 GTI 16V
91 GTI 16v G60 (regret selling this to this day)
02 Honda Civic
03 Acura CL Type S (6spd)
92 Jetta GTX 16V
02 Chevy Cavalier
95 BMW 325IC
90 BMW M5 (euro)
92 BMW M5 3.8 (euro)
92 BMW M5T (euro)
1985 BMW M5 (still have)
1998 BMW 528i
1999 BMW 528i
1997 Audi S6
1995 Audi S6
2003 BMW 530 M-tech
2009 Passat Wagon
2001 BMW M5

In US

06 Ducati Sport 1000 (still have)
06 Ducati Sport 1000
14 Honda Rebel 250
03 BMW M5 (still have)
09 Passat Wagon 3.6
11 Mercedes R350 (current family car)
91 BMW M5
02 996 Turbo (still have)
01 BMW 330CI
11 BMW 1M
06 BMW 330CI ZHP (still have)
gadget73
Posts: 1176
Joined: Nov 22, 2017 10:30 PM
Location: New Jersey

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by gadget73 »

68 VW Beetle
73 Super Beetle
88 Dakota
96 S10 - still have it, purchased 3/01
86 Towncar - still have, 10/04
91 Mark VII LSC SE - wrecked but have it, 9/09
84 Continental - have it, 12/17
91 Mark VII LSC - have it, 3/20


There was a parts car somewhere in there but I owned it less than a week so it doesn't count.
David B
Posts: 520
Joined: Mar 09, 2008 5:43 AM
Location: Savannah, Georgia

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by David B »

marek wrote: Oct 16, 2020 12:16 AM I'm probably missing some, but here goes

In Canada:

83 Rabbit GTI
93 Mustang GT
87 Chrysler Lebaron Turbo
87 VW Fox Wagon
79 Rabbit GTI
84 Jetta GLI
84 Rabbit GTI
84 Rabbit GTI
80 Chevy Malibu
83 Rabbit GTI
90 Hyundai Excel
87 Acura Integra
89 Hyundai Excel
89 Acura Integra
85 GTI
83 Rabbit Cabriolet
86 GTI
87 GTI 16V
89 GTI 16V
85 GTI
91 GTI 16V
91 GTI 8V
89 Jetta GTX 16V
90 Jetta GTX 16V
91 Jetta GTX 16V
92 GTI 8V
92 GTI 16V
91 GTI 16V
89 Audi 200 Turbo
91 Audi 200 Turbo
01 Audi S4
92 GTI 16V
88 GTI 16V
91 GTI 16v G60 (regret selling this to this day)
02 Honda Civic
03 Acura CL Type S (6spd)
92 Jetta GTX 16V
02 Chevy Cavalier
95 BMW 325IC
90 BMW M5 (euro)
92 BMW M5 3.8 (euro)
92 BMW M5T (euro)
1985 BMW M5 (still have)
1998 BMW 528i
1999 BMW 528i
1997 Audi S6
1995 Audi S6
2003 BMW 530 M-tech
2009 Passat Wagon
2001 BMW M5

In US

06 Ducati Sport 1000 (still have)
06 Ducati Sport 1000
14 Honda Rebel 250
03 BMW M5 (still have)
09 Passat Wagon 3.6
11 Mercedes R350 (current family car)
91 BMW M5
02 996 Turbo (still have)
01 BMW 330CI
11 BMW 1M
06 BMW 330CI ZHP (still have)
Where’s your Labaron Freddi, I only see one Labaron Freddi not two Labarons, where’s your Labaron Freddi?
cek
Posts: 9206
Joined: Mar 18, 2013 6:25 PM
Location: Durango
Contact:

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by cek »

Do parts cars count?
Mike W.
Posts: 26872
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: California Whine Country

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by Mike W. »

cek wrote: Oct 16, 2020 2:50 PM Do parts cars count?
Sure, I listed a few.
topher800
Posts: 446
Joined: Nov 24, 2009 9:44 AM
Location: Marshall, CO

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by topher800 »

cek wrote: Oct 16, 2020 2:50 PM Do parts cars count?
No. Outside of daughter's comprehension at this time (I think, not sure age).
cek
Posts: 9206
Joined: Mar 18, 2013 6:25 PM
Location: Durango
Contact:

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by cek »

1981 Olds Cutlass Cruiser wagon; beige. Mine is on the left. The bumper sticker is an IN-N-OUT BURGER sticker my buddy modified to read IN-N-OUT TIG.
Image

1982 Honda Civic 4-Door. I miss this car.
Image
Image

1990 Mitsubishi Montero. I will buy and restore one of these someday.
Julie's 199? Acura Integra
Image

1991 Audi 200
(no pics)

1992 Infinity G20
Image

1988 Porsche 911 Carrera
Image

1995 BMW 540iA Oxford Green
Image

1995 BMW 540 M-Sport
Image

1998 Mercedes ML320
Image\

2000 Mercedes M320
(no pics)

2001 Mercedes ML430
Image

2006 Audi A6 4.2 S-Line
Image\

1978 Toyota FJ40 Landcruiser - Mustard Yellow (Back in Fleet)
Image

2006 Land Rover LR3
Image

2008 VW Jetta (owned for a week; daughter couldn't drive a stick, freaked out, and I had to trade it for A3)
(no pics)

2008 Audi A3
Image

2008 BMW 135i Convertible
Image

2009 Land Rover LR3
Image

2009 Smart 4-2
Image

2010 Audi Q7 TDi (Still in fleet)
Image

2010 Mercedes C63 AMG
Image

1987 BMW 535is (Vlad - Still in fleet)
Image

1987 BMW 528e (Maytag - Still in fleet)
Image

1988 BMW M5
Image

1988 BMW 535is Turbo (parts car)
Image

1988 BMW 528e Alpine (parts car)
(No pics)

1994 BMW 740i
Image[

2015 Audi Q5 3.0 (Still in fleet; daughter's car)
Image

1985 BMW 528i Euro - Minerva (Still in Fleet)
Image

Three Datsun SR311 Roadsters (1968 Datsun 2000, 1968 Datsun 1600, 1969 Datsun 2000) - It's complicated
Image

2016 BMW M4 (Still in Fleet)
Image

2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road 4x4 (Still in Fleet)
Image

1985 BMW 535i (parts car; still in fleet)
Image
RetiredDoc
Posts: 1316
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Aiken SC

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by RetiredDoc »

I am surprised that among all the cars listed so far, no one has ever owned a Porsche.

Oops, a Porsche appeared while I was typing my post. Now all German cars are represented.

Oh, I forgot about the Opel. Any other German cars I overlooked?
JohnH
Posts: 693
Joined: Jan 24, 2007 9:55 AM
Location: Surrey,UK

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by JohnH »

  • Owned Manuf. Make & Model
    1965-67 1964 Riley 4/72
    1966-67 1936 Morris 8
    1968-69 1968 Ford Cortina Mk2 1600E
    1969-70 1954 Morris Oxford series II
    1971-73 1967 MG Midget 1275 Mk3
    1973-80 1963 Ford Zephyr 6 Estate Mk3
    1977-82 1974 Ford Cortina 1600 XL Mk3 Auto
    1982-89 1980 Ford Cortina 2.3 Estate Mk4 Auto
    1988-89 1983 SAAB 900 GLS
    1989-01 1985 Ford Ganada 2.8 Estate Mk3 Auto
    1983-92 1980 Rover SD1 V8S Auto
    1990-92 1977 VW Golf Mk1 1.1
    1990-95 1968 Daimler Sovereign 420 Auto
    1991-92 1987 BMW 520iA
    1992-06 1985 BMW 528iA SE
    1994 1982 Opel Kadett 1.3
    1995-05 1971 Morris Minor Pickup
    1996-05 1971 MGB GT
    1997-17 1973 BMW 2002Tii
    2001-07 1994 Vauxhall Carlton Estate Club 2.0 Auto
    2003-07 1996 BMW 325TDS ASE
    2003-pres 1986 BMW 520i
    2005-pres 2005 R50 Mini Cooper
    2007-pres 2001 Volvo V70 2.4T Auto
    2008-09 1986 BMW 525e
krhodes1
Posts: 131
Joined: Jan 23, 2007 11:46 PM
Location: Westbrook Maine

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by krhodes1 »

Fun topic! This is more-or-less in order, because like many of us car wingnuts I have usually had multiples at a time.

'82 Subaru GL 4dr - gift from Grandma in 1986
'76 Volvo 242 - blew the motor after two months
'81 Datsun 310GX - dogleg shifter, given to me by dealer who sold me the Volvo that blew up - traded it for a pair of skiis...
'85 VW Jetta 2dr
'84 Jetta GLI - one of the best cars I ever had, traded back and forth with a buddy for about 15 years before tinworm got it
'87 Volvo 744GLE - another great car - went over 400K between me, my roommie's mother, and finally him.
'74 Triumph Spitfire - very rusty, ended up as parts car
'77 Triumph Spitfire - still have it, but it's always been registered as the '74 (and has most of the parts from it)
'82 Volvo 245GLT - worst Volvo ever made - every time I drove it something broke
'91 Volvo 245 - newest Volvo I ever had, bought in '96 with 90K on it
'89 Volvo 745T
'85 Peugeot 505TD sedan
'79 Peugeot 504D sedan - wish I still had this one
'85 Saab 900T 3dr
'79 Peugeot 504D automatique wagon
'79 504D wagon 4spd
'83 Peugeot 505 TD wagon - the silver snail
'92 505 SW8 - only stickshift SW8 in the US
'02 VW Golf TDI - first new car - had to sell due to job loss, learned important lessons about not being upside-down on a car
'69 Saab Sonett V4 - yellow
'90 Volvo 744GLE 16V
'91 BMW 318is - first one, a bit rusty
'92 Volvo 745T - added Saab APC boost control, was kind of a rocket
'00 Saab 9-5SE V6T wagon
'91 BMW 318is - nice one, wish I still had it
'86 BMW 535 5spd
'88 Mercedes 300TE
'86 BMW 535 automatic - parts car
'69 Saab Sonnet V4 - blue
'92 Saab 900CVT - sold to friend, currently in my garage in Maine getting a tranny swap
'95 Saab NG900SET - my favorite Saab of all of them
'86 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce
'86 Alfa Romeo GTV-6
'94 Volvo 945 - too slow
'92 Volvo 965 - much faster
'08 Saab 9-3SportCombi 6spd - second new car - boughtnew in '09 GM Saab firesale for $14K discount
'02 Jeep Grand Cherokee - useful, but awful to drive
'95 Volvo 945 - bought on the cheap to span between selling the Saab 9-3 and re-delivery of the 328i
'11 BMW 328! wagon - unicorn 6spd RWD - still have, did Euro Delivery, plan to be buried in this car - BMW put the i on upside-down in the badge
'01 Land Rover Range Rover p38a - gave me a nervous twitch but never actually broke
'87 Porsche 924S - the Porsche tax is no joke - most money I ever lost on a car
'13 Fiat Abarth - wish I still had this one too
'16 BMW M235i - amazing in Europe on Euro Delivery, boring in the US, didn't love it
'95 Land Rover Discovery - still have rare 5spd base truck - one owner no rust, just a nice old beast
'17 VW GTI Sport - still have LOVE this car traded M235i for it
'91 Volvo 944GLE 16V - lovely low mileage Volvo that hated me - needed an exorcism
'18 Fiat 124 Spider - loved driving it, didn't fit in it
'11 BMW 128i convertible - this summer's acquisition - love it almost as much as my 328i wagon, probably a long term keeper too

The Spitfire, Land Rover and 328i are at my place in Maine, the GTI and 128i are at my place in FL.
David B
Posts: 520
Joined: Mar 09, 2008 5:43 AM
Location: Savannah, Georgia

Re: How Many cars have you owned, Dad?

Post by David B »

krhodes1 wrote: Oct 16, 2020 11:48 PM '17 VW GTI Sport - still have LOVE this car
I concur, out of everything I have had so far my aggressively tuned 15 GTI is the most fun by far.
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