i come from a car family, and i’m a little bit of a car guy. i currently own boring cars. my farm truck is pretty cool, but it lives a long ways away from me (not all that practical in seattle). my VW tiguan is considerably less impressive.
but if i had dumb money, i’d probably cycle through a number of my dream cars. my dreams are reasonable, i don’t like exotics or supercars or anything like that. i’d love to have 100k to spend on cool old cars and then go to the mecum/BJ auctions every couple of years and sell what i have and buy something new. a small list of rides i’d love to rock:
1988 BMW 635 CSi
1973 ford bronco
1970 pontiac GTO judge hardtop
1966 pontiac GTO convertible
1983 porsche 911 sc (my mom had one and recently sold it)
1988 mercedes 560 sl (convertible coupe, please)
1976 GMC jimmy high sierra
1980 international scout II
1987 BMW M6
1986 ferrari 328 GTS
1974 BMW 2002 turbo
as you can see, not super expensive or particularly rare, but high on style. i’ve never had a proper muscle car, that’d be fun for a while, and i’ve got an affinity for older SUVs. i had a 92 jeep cherokee two door sport (5 speed) and it was the best car i ever owned. i’ll own another before i die.
My first car was an 1985 635csi and I loved that damn thing so much, I still kind of feel the pain that I had to sell it. It was so much cheaper back then to have these things, and mine wasn’t in the best condition but I kept fixing and driving it and it was the best thing ever. A stupid decision at 18, but totally worth it to have enjoyed that as a young kid. My friends never got it and girls hated riding in it, but I didn’t care. I used to go for drives late at night as that’s pretty much the only time the streets are empty here in São Paulo and I didn’t have to sit in deathly standstill traffic with no A/C while watching the temperature gauge creep up. Some records still trigger memories of those drives, and I’m pretty sure I sold it with a CDR copy of Sonic Youth’s “The Eternal” stuck inside the very shitty aftermarket stereo.
In some odd self correction I now find I get the same endorphin click from selling a record on discogs or some clothes on vinted that I used to get from buying a record or just buying anything. I like to think it’s progress. im spending it on paying for my daughters teacher training. so surely progress it is.
love em’. had a couple of bugs/beetles growing up, and a squareback (aka “type three”)
there was an older girl in my town who had a ghia that was purple with pink hot rod flames. she gave me rides a couple of times, i felt like the coolest kid around and would have absolutely stuck my head out the window if it would have increased my chances of being seen with her.
again, if i had stupid money, i’d probably chase down a lot of the synths of my dreams.
obvs all the roland stuff, with a super jupiter at the top of the list. an arp 2600. a synthi AKS.
i had two (!) different friends who had these in the early 90’s. this is a true luxury item, the cadillac of synths. soft and superlative, like a great big wad of expensive chewing gum.
The number of (modern) VW Californias I’ve seen touring this summer is incredible. Thousands of 'em. They’re great camper vans, but I found the lever strap for the pull-out bed was really badly designed.
My only ambition in later life is to have a small cabin boat to take out on a calm day
I read through a lot of VW forums and there are so many issues with them but aestetically speaking the exterior of that one just did it for me. The interior was pretty basic and uninspiring but I was thinking I could work with that over time.
I can’t even afford it right now. I have some savings but sounded out a mate to get a loan for the last few grand. Was hoping to go inspect it this weekend but seems fate saved me from myself. I probably would’ve impulse purchased with barely a thought to mechanical matters
They are a scourge down here, they pitch up at beach carparks, moors, everywhere… park on beach front and stay for days, got so much worse since lockdown. So for anyone with mobility issues or someone like me who just wants to do a quick surfcheck it’s really really annoying, insufferable selfishness. Many beach side spots have a ‘no vans overnight’ now, so anyone who has a van for work now can’t do an early dawn surf for fear of a ticket.
My sister in-laws are in a ‘van off’ pimping theirs, massive tyres, matt olive green wrap, bull bars, surfboard even though they don’t surf, Lei’s in the window etc. Not a fan, although the 60’s ones are okay I suppose… #wankervans
I’m not a car guy, don’t really go for exy things, but I’d love to be able to justify getting some of these Western Electric inspired Line Magnetic LM-3 Speakers. I heard some once and wow. Wouldn’t say no to that VT-805 amp too.
People living in vans is becoming very common - and social media glorifying it has definitely lead to the craze. I was talking to someone who thought that everyone downsizing and living in vans was the future but that doesn’t sound great to me. Will lead to the issues you’re talking about but everywhere.
I worked with two people who lived full time in their vans, drove to work in them etc, they had been evicted from flats, both because landlord had decided to sell, only to see the flats re-rented at twice the price. They literally had no other choice. That is one side of it and it’s only going to get worse I’m sure.
The other side of the coin is the empty nesters, parked up for days with their pimped up 80k+ vans. ‘On an adventure before dementia’. Only one lot boils my…
thank you 
