Some cars you simply own. Some cars change everything.
Let me explain.
About 20 years ago, I had a hankering for a small, pit-type vehicle that could go off road. I first looked at Mini Mokes and VW Things. While both are cool, they’re objectively quite unattractive. Plus, they’re somewhat complicated, and each one that I looked at was rusty. …
Some high school friends had one. They used to go bombing down sections of old Mint 400 course (it's 8 miles from our house) and they once stuffed it in a ditch. The four of them got out and lifted up the front end and pushed it back out.
They are gloriously fun vehicles that seem to turn even the most mild manner drivers into fun loving hooligans.
My first car was a Miata. Look at how that turned out.
One summer in highschool I worked for a VW dunebuggy rental shop from whom I'd purchased my first car, a 1974 Beetle, the prior year. Living at the beach with 45mph speedlimits they really are just a lot of fun. I don't need another car, but I would be pretty happy to own a tub buggy. My old boss had a Manta Ray body that I really liked as well as a Meyers Tow'd. Both of which I'd happily have as my "going for pizza on friday night" car.
And then there’s that time the Manx got permanently banned from Daytona International Speedway.
Do tell. You don't get off that easy around here mister! 
Scott
Keith Tanner said:My first car was a Miata. Look at how that turned out.
Our NA Miata changed our lives, drawing us down a path of many adventures, great experiences and a lot of fun. I've owned a lot of vehicles, but none had the impact of our first Miata.
If you think about it, like...in the grand scheme of everything, that Manx has changed a bunch of people's lives.
Here's three more (third, behind the camera).
Shout out to Nancy. The boys promised her they'd be careful. She laughed at my car joke (it's when it stops leaking that you have a problem)
My FR-S got me a house. I bought it when times were good. Then they became not so good. Like tough, every dollar spent, not sure I'm going g to make it tough. A lot of people said to let the car go. Let it be repo'd.
I almost bought into it. But I stuck it out. Skrimped and saved. Paid the bill on time and on target.
That phenomenal credit I got by taking on and being able to handle debt proved to the bank that I could handle it. And that credit got me the house I'm in today. The bad credit from a repo would have submarined any chance of that happening.
A Meyers Manx would have been fun, but my brother and I together bought a tricked-out Datsun 510 while in high school. We learned to drive the 4-speed manual only after buying the car--great memories and a great car. Owned a myriad of Datsuns ever since. I would look at other makes, but the Datsun brand made cars that were so basic, easy to repair and work on, plus they were just plain fun to drive.
I've owned a fair number of cars. A couple of years ago, since I live on the edge of the desert, I became interested in off-road vehicles. Discovering ATVs and UTVs, I was disheartened by their cost. Then, I remembered the dune buggies from the '60s and '70s. What attracted me is the prices and availability of VW parts. And, not needing a trailer since they're street legal. It turned out it's also my wife's favorite of all the cars I've owned. A win-win.
Here's my Cox dune buggy, complete with .049 gas powered engine.
"Over dinner that night, Bruce and his amazing wife, Winnie, shared countless stories. One that perfectly captures his spirit: He shaped the Manx’s front fender to hold a beer. And despite experiencing some serious adversity, he still had a gleam in his eye."
That's a pretty cool fun fact.
For me it was the MGA.
My dad got his first in the mid 70's and over the years we have many, many of them. It was my first car in 1985 (at 14), and was brought home in boxes for me to restore. Life got in the way and more reliable cars were needed - like an MGB.....so much for reliability.
A first gen RX-7 solved the problem, and kept the sports car theme going. Kids and work stopped sports cars for a bit (18 ish years), but getting a Miata rekindled the love.
I have since restored another MGA (my dad's last) to race standard and thrash it at autocross (thanks Miata) - sometimes raw timing the ES field ;). There is always that one car. As a family we have had 60's T-birds and Nova's, Jaguar XKE and a Mk VII saloon, RX-7's, Spridgets, MG T-series, and others (dad was a High School shop teacher), but it all comes back to the MGA. And the Miata that rekindled a love for quirky sports cars.
Feedyurhed said:Here's my Cox dune buggy, complete with .049 gas powered engine.
And just for you argumentative types, a good running .049 on good fuel will make about 75 Watts. Yes. The HP per cubic inch is right up there.
Feedyurhed said:Here's my Cox dune buggy, complete with .049 gas powered engine.
I had one of those! We rigged it with a little 2-channel RC setup for steering and throttle. It was a lot of fun!
Similar story to the Manx for you guys. First kit ar I ever really built and worked on myself. Which has led to 10 more that I got as projects or 95% complete and running that I have completed and sent back out into the world. Really got me into aircooled cars, gave me something expressive that I could grow my skills without having any documentation. Troubleshooting was with no real external help becuause it did not exist.
For me it was my dad's 1967 Datsun Fairlady 1600 race car. Going to the track at 5-7 years old was so much fun.
My car addiction has continued since, he joked with me years ago when I had my track car that hookers and blow would be cheaper.
Clearly the Datsun 1200 changed my life.
It got me involved in SCCA which led to working with various motorsport legends.
Its also provided me with 40 years of wonderful fun.
In reply to Feedyurhed :
I had one of those too! It had different gear driven plastic disks with cut outs at different spacings that a spring loaded pin attached to the steering links rode on for turning.
Me in the passenger seat in about 1981:
I discovered years later that was a Fejer out of Ontario, not a true Lotus. Dreamed of having one, nonetheless. Got my first Locost 7 on the road in 2006. #2 is in the queue.
I've told the story before, but a Chilton's manual changed my car life.
I was given a 1975 Opel Kadett 1900 that did not run. I gave it hell at 18-19 years old but could not give it the right fix. Chiltons had a pic to start every chapter and I turned the page to see a GT and life changed for me.
I bought a 1971 GT when I was 19, fixed it up, and then wrecked it. Dang I loved that car but I had to get rid of it. I just could not do what I was doing and save it.
That was in Pittsburgh, PA. 1989-1990.
30 years later, I bought a 1971 Opel GT in Twin Mountain, NH and I found something of mine (and my step-dads) in it. Well berkeley me...
It ran better in 1989 haha.
I have found my forever car. It may have found me.
For me it has to be the Datsun 1200. Had about six of them over the years, modifying them all. Gave them up, had a Datsun 2000 roadster for a while (fun to drive, hated working on it), but always had an interest in Lotus Sevens. Could never afford one, but after starting a new job and finding that the designer of the Rotus Seven worked there, that set off my interest in building from scratch. In hindsight, not being able to afford a Seven or a clone set my future hobby. Had I the money to buy a kit, I never would have designed anything nor written the books. "Thankfully", most kit car companies were too expensive for me - and too sketchy.
I think the first car that truly changed things for me was my ’92 Sentra SE-R. It was the car that turned me from spectator to participant as it was my first autocross car.
My first car was a 1972 MG Midget with wire wheels like this but blue:
It more formed my life than changed it.
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