What car made an impression on you as a kid?

[MBM340]

Originally Posted by GenXer

You have a very nice example of Magnum PI ride. Sorry about the wrong nomenclature. I was thinking of the newer model 328 and not the 308. The few good 308 I've seen are in museums but never seen any good one out on the road and I was a kid when the car was new so they weren't going to let me play with it.

As far as Tom Selleck:

"The Ferraris used in the show had to be specially modified to accomodate Tom Selleck, who stands 6'4" tall. The padding was removed from the seats so he would sit lower in the car, and the seats were bolted as far away from the steering wheel as possible to maximize the leg room. Even with these modifications you can still see that Selleck's head is higher than the top of the front windshield frame! You very rarely saw Magnum drive with the top up."

But I wasn't knocking the car. I was just stating that it's not as dreamy as the imagination of an 11 year old.

Yeah, sorry if I came across too sharply. I have read the comments from Tom Selleck too, but at 6'2 I am fine with stock seats. I suppose two more inches may do you in with the lid on though, never thought about it.
It's just that so many of the 308s got trashed because idiots who had 30k got into buying one and then realized they couldn't pay the $7K major maint costs every 5 years so they let them go to hell. Waste of a fun car. No harm done LOL. But if you are ever in the DC area during the driving months, hit me up and we will go for a ride. May bring back some of the joy you imagined as a kid...

[RJD851]

I was obsessed with the Porsche 930 slantnose as a teenager in the 80s

[ramman434]

90s kid, so Exotics:
Ferrari Testarrosa
Lamborghini Diablo

JDM Tuners:
Honda Civic Si (around age 12)
FD Mazda RX-7
MKIV Toyota Supra Turbo

Daily drove a '98 240sx for 8 years. Miss the hell outta that car. Got it senior year of HS in '07

[AlexFL]

Jaguar XJ220

[evil-G-nius]

Originally Posted by irunalot

911s, M cars, Corvettes, Vector, Ferrari, Countach, and Kitt

Vectors are cool!

[ramman434]

Originally Posted by evil-G-nius

Vectors are cool!

I've known what they are for a long time, but had never seen a Vector in person until recently. We had an "Exotics on Las Olas" here in Ft. Lauderdale around a month ago, and lo & behold, there were 3 Vectors lined up in a row. My eyes visibly bulged out. Such cool cars.

[evil-G-nius]

Cool. I don't think I have ever seen one in person either tbh. But I do know about them and have always thought they were such different & cool cars

[AlexFL]

Here is another car I dreamt of growing up in Germany.

[1Volfan]

Not sure why the car bug hit but always remember drawing them as a kid. First impression is easy though...my grandfather’s Porsche 914. It was 1980 or 1981 and we lived with my grandparents for a few months while my dad waited to get quarters in Germany. I remember my grandfather talking about having to take it out and run it because it was good for the car. I used to make my sister walk with me down the lane from their farm to meet him after work just so we could get a ride. Each night we’d walk a little farther until we were walking 1-2 miles. That short ride every night instilled a love for cars as my sister and I both squeezed into the passenger seat and our grandfather would let us take turns shifting gears for him. When we went to Germany I took a bunch of pics on my Kodak instant camera and asked my grandfather to keep it so I could buy it from him. When we returned three years later, the Porsche has been traded in on an El Dorado. I was devastated. It’s not in the caliber of pretty much every car listed so far but at the time it was the ultimate to me.

[GenXer]

Originally Posted by 1Volfan

Not sure why the car bug hit but always remember drawing them as a kid. First impression is easy though...my grandfather’s Porsche 914. It was 1980 or 1981 and we lived with my grandparents for a few months while my dad waited to get quarters in Germany. I remember my grandfather talking about having to take it out and run it because it was good for the car. I used to make my sister walk with me down the lane from their farm to meet him after work just so we could get a ride. Each night we’d walk a little farther until we were walking 1-2 miles. That short ride every night instilled a love for cars as my sister and I both squeezed into the passenger seat and our grandfather would let us take turns shifting gears for him. When we went to Germany I took a bunch of pics on my Kodak instant camera and asked my grandfather to keep it so I could buy it from him. When we returned three years later, the Porsche has been traded in on an El Dorado. I was devastated. It’s not in the caliber of pretty much every car listed so far but at the time it was the ultimate to me.

The 914 was ahead of its time. Unfortunately the 4 cylinder Beatle engine didn't do it justice. I bet if it was introduced today with a reasonable price like it was back then, it would do well. I think it's becoming a collector's item and is getting very desirable. The 916 with 6 cylinder is even better.

[3798j]

Originally Posted by GenXer

The 914 was ahead of its time. Unfortunately the 4 cylinder Beatle engine didn't do it justice. I bet if it was introduced today with a reasonable price like it was back then, it would do well. I think it's becoming a collector's item and is getting very desirable. The 916 with 6 cylinder is even better.

It should come as no surprise that the 916 is an even better collectable...they only made 11 of them.
Back to the 914, in its day it ruled in E production. Not only on the tracks, but at autocrosses too. I look back fondly on my years driving my 914 2.0. Handling, ride quality and driver ergonomics were wonderful. Should add, whether it was equipped with the 1.7, 1.8, or 2.0 four cylinder...none of these engines were ever used in the beetle.

[Megabrode]

As driven by, as I recall, Pedro Rodriguez.

[mikado463]

Originally Posted by nick3753

Beautiful. If you could only have one, you got the better deal. I guarantee the girl across the street doesn't look this good still!

Thank you, but then 54 years later I'm nothing to look at either !