What's your preferred real daily driver?

[studioRS]

Post up photos of your preferred daily real driver, specs, driving and road conditions. Keep it to your current ride, although any past vehicles and history are gloriously accepted. I thought this would be an appropriate thread, might give everyone an insight to how you carve the tarmac up everyday.

I'll start and break the rules right off… ;)

Jump into the hot tub time machine and pop out in 1971 ~ Laguna Seca, Monterery, CA Can-Am races. Fresh dose of paddock indulgence at 12 years old, thanks Dad. We drove there in his 1969 Porsche 911E.



Jump back out of the hot tub and 17 years later in 1988 I finally bought my own 1972 Porsche 911RS replica, 2.7litre, mechanical fuel injection, brilliant fun in the dry, on the track and autocrossing. This photo was taken at Morspeed and yes that is THE ex-Jacki Ickx winning 1984 Paris-Dakar factory Porsche 953 just out of the paint shop and right before graphics. While my '72 911RS replica smelled like oil, it ran like stink and made the hairs on your arms stand straight up on full throttle. This was my favorite Porsche I've owned by far.




Next up was to quell my skiing disorder and driving to Lake Tahoe every weekend. An Audi quattro was in order of course! While all the driving was fun, I eventually moved up there… Well, after 9 Audi quattros I've only really had one favorite, my 1983 urquattro, #568. I moved this back to New England. Lime Rock Park, CT in the esses.



My commute is 12 miles one way over a mountain. Fun in the summer, but nasty in the winter I needed a proper rallye spec car that was entertaining and stout. Bought a new 2006 MINI Cooper S R53 and have been rocking this since.Very nice little beast with all the goods, John Cooper Works Brembo brake kit, JCW exhaust, JCW strut tower brace, MINI BBS R90 wheels, PIAA 80 Racing rallye spec lights and more, fun stuff.




Not sure what is up next, my carrying needs have expanded, so possibly another Audi quattro avant. Somehow I have a feeling it is going to be red.

Cheers, Thompson

[turbokev]

My Dad wasn't really a car guy.. I was born in '64 and he had Falcons at that time.
My 70's memories are from a '70 Maverick, a '74 base Torino, and a '79 Fairmont wagon. :roll:

My first car was a 1972 Ford Capri (from Germany) and after exploring all it's limits I moved
on to bigger V8 American cars for a while.. mostly Fords..


This '70 Thunderbird had a 429 and was really powerful.. I paid $400 for it in 1982





In the 90's I went through a Thunderbird TurboCoupe and Taurus SHO phase.. I had a highly modified
93 SHO in 1995 that would leave Corvette and M3 drivers shaking thier heads at autocross events.


This one looked stock but had a huge intercooler and would run 20psi of boost


This was my first SHO, not the crazy one..

In the 2000 to 2004 time frame I was in to Miatas and 944's.. had a really early 944 that I wish I still had.
VIN ended in 00062, it was one of the very first ones to come to America.. Only picture I could find of it:




and this was my '94 Laguna Blue Miata..great autocross car.

In 2004 we had our first kid and cars kinda went on the back burner.. Made the move to Mini Vans and SUV's~

I have managed to sneak in a few fun cars over the last 10 years though:


A six speed Vette I completely rebuilt..


A 2000 Mustang GT that got me in to these 'new edge' Stangs..


But now, it my trusty Durango.. holds the kids, gear, tows the trailer, safe in the snow for my wife.. It's our current daily driver.



Now that the kids are 10 and 8 I've been doing some flips on the side, so several 99 - 04 Mustangs, Camaros, and Corvettes have come through
my garage in the last 2 summers so I drive those around while waiting for a sale.
I turn 50 this year so I'm hoping to get something cool for my 50th to tinker on and cruise around in.. we'll see.


ps Thompson, my brother Keith is a big Audi guy. Has an S8 and an early coupe..83 or 84 maybe.
Also has had other quattros and a S3 from '93. I know he'd kill for that urquattro you had :)

[studioRS]

Now that's what I'm talking about! Schweet photos. WOW, an early 944 must have had a manual steering rack and love the color! My other Porsche addiction—944s. Did your German Capri have the V6? Those engines are über kewl. Dang, that's some seriuos horsepower you've run through. I wonder what the total number (of horsepower) is to date? :o

[ElSecundo]

[turbokev]

[ElSecundo]

[studioRS]

[studioRS]

Guys, this thread will have a mind of it's own, carry on, looks great!

@turbokev - You're getting me all nostalgic now… krickey, I'm going to be jonesen for another Porsche 944 instead of another practical Audi quattro avant. Your Copenhagen blua 944—very, very nice and well kept. I think the first 944 color was ice blau?

My first 944 was an '87 Diamond Blau I converted it to a club sport look.



Second 944 was an '85.1 early style. Picked it for a song at $400 (it was slightly bent and needed a gearbox), but hey it came with 7 & 8x15 Fuchs! Then proceeded to give it much needed TLC and a factory LSD gearbox. It was a giant Lindt chocolate ball, mahogany metallic braun, braun interior! Gave it the 'ol Thompson Club Sport treatment too and decided to paint it aymethyst. Yes, painted at THE Libra Racing, John Buffum's shop.

Before paint...


After...

[ElSecundo]

[waaytoomuchintothis]

[moparjenny]

I can't answer this question. It's a long list. But my first car was a 2002 Dodge Neon.

My daily driver ranges anywhere from a Mazda 2 to my personal car, the 2008 Dodge Avenger SXT (which I rarely drive and is sitting with a dead battery because of that), and the SLS AMG Black Series:



To this:



This:



This:



These:







And this:



Yeah...

[waaytoomuchintothis]

She didn't mention who she works for...

She is evil, and she must be destroyed.

I need a drink...

[studioRS]

@moparjenny - ruhro. Hmm, today's weather I'd love to drive the Audi R8.Then after it snows two feet, the 2014 Range Rover Sport (code L494 for those who know :-) ) and then after the roads are swept up and little dirty, jump in the Jaguar F-Type and give it a proper hooning. :dance:

Cheers, Thompson

[FootScoot]

[TsgtRet]