Thinking about rejoining the party...

Hey guys:

In early 2010 I bought my first RMW...a 1991 white over peanut butter clone of Pat's old car. I liked that car pretty well other than the fact it lacked something I like a lot...POWER!

I drove it for several months all over the place with no problems, except that I was beginning to notice how much oil it used even though it only had 120,000 miles on it. It always had a film of oil inside the air cleaner and the drain back ports in the heads were stopped up totally when I bought it so evidently it had been used around town on short trips.

I finally decided to sell it, and courtesy of eBay it went to somewhere in Delaware.

Fast forward to the present. I have never really lost my enthusiasm for the wagons. Right now I drive a 1999 Mazda Protege ES that I got a very good Craigslist deal on. It's a great car, extremely reliable, but...

It's slow and it's an automatic. If it was a 5-speed that would be one thing but it's a dang automatic 4cyl.

It also doesn't come near that smoooooooooooooth ride. On top of that I want...no, I DEMAND a car with some power and a Trans-Am or Mustang kind of scare me these days at 40. I had several Mustangs in my younger days and I just can't see one for a DD nowadays.

So....I'm thinking about another wagon. This time in LT1 trim and a dark color. My Mazda is bright Red and not only do I feel like everyone is looking at me, but red makes other people drive aggressively around me.

If I pull the trigger on this idea, the only two things that I worry about are the gas mileage hit(the Protege gets about 29 on the highway) and FINDING a wagon. I don't really want to have to drive my old '84 Dodge ram around everywhere while I am looking for a car.

So...I have some thinking to do. I'll keep you updated.

Sounds like an LT1 with a T-56 is in order for you Tyler

Just keep your eyes out Tyler. I know you and cars, if it's out there, you'll find it. As far as gas mileage, the LT1's will get better highway miles than the '91 305 did. On the highway if you keep it reasonable you can get 23-24mpg. Here's one way to look at it: When people say to me "Doesn't that wagon use a lot of gas? How can you afford it?" I say, first it's really not as bad as you think, and second I'd rather be pissed briefly once a week while fueling up and driving a car I really enjoy, then to be pissed all the time driving a more efficient car I do not enjoy. I speak from owning small fuel efficient cars in the past, and moving up to wagons and other larger vehicles. I never regretted it.

Tell me when to start looking!

Oh and anyone here want to claim that sharp LT1 Caprice wagon that was in Houston? The listing is gone.

Thanks Mike. I starting going through your Craigslist Finds compilation and I must say that's an impressive body of work, maybe your best ever!

Today I revisited this car. The writing on the windshield says '95, but I posted this picture a year ago and somebody said they thought it was a '94

This wagon has been sitting in one spot for at least 4 years, and obviously it was sharp as a tack. The owner is one of those worst kind of car collectors...the type that has the money to buy anything interesting and then simply park it out in a chert field waiting for someone to buy it.

Since this picture, the rear passenger door glass has been shot out, but the car itself is holding up well to the elements. I peeked inside and the interior is very nice.

I passed on this car before because initially I thought it wasn't a very desirable RMW, and it may well not be. But, it's optioned a little differently than most and I kind of like it.

It's a non-towpack car with a 2:56 open rear. That color is not the light blue but more of a steel blue, almost purple, with a light blue cloth interior.

I "think" this is the one that had heated cloth seats and manual HVAC controls. I know it has an oil cooler but no trans cooler.

Those p*mp wheels are in horrible shape. I will have to inquire with the guy and see what he wants for it, hopefully by now it's pretty reasonable.

I don't mind going through brakes and fuel pump and whatever other things might need attention after sitting so long if it's CHEAP

Looks like a '95 to me. It's got '95/'96 mirrors anyway. As long as it's not full of animals and rusted away and the guy sells it cheap, you could have a nice wagon with some work. Shame it just sat around like that. It's the worst thing for cars.

My tbi cars get better gas mileage than the lt1s by 3-4 mpg

Anyone else notice the b and c pillars are Blacked out

says 95 at the top of the windshield,..you were there and didn't notice that??
serial number is the easiest way,.10th digit,. R=94 S=95 T=96,.

after sitting in a grassy field for 4 years,. i,d look at the underneath closely before i,d pay any money,. floor pan, exhaust,. all fluid lines etc,..could be finished,.
Guys are always drawn in by the low initial cost,. and end up sorry, because it ends up taking so much to restore the car,.and then you still have a rotten restored car,.
buy south and invest the money in bringing it home,.

JM2C

Nick

phantom 309 wrote:

says 95 at the top of the windshield,..you were there and didn't notice that??
serial number is the easiest way,.10th digit,. R=94 S=95 T=96,.

after sitting in a grassy field for 4 years,. i,d look at the underneath closely before i,d pay any money,. floor pan, exhaust,. all fluid lines etc,..could be finished,.
Guys are always drawn in by the low initial cost,. and end up sorry, because it ends up taking so much to restore the car,.and then you still have a rotten restored car,.
buy south and invest the money in bringing it home,.

JM2C

Nick

Nick....are you READING my posts and info or just looking at the picture?

I said "the windshield says 95 but someone thought it might be a '94"

And, I'm IN the south, Alabama to be exact.

TylerW wrote:

Nick....are you READING my posts and info or just looking at the picture?

I said "the windshield says 95 but someone thought it might be a '94"

And, I'm IN the south, Alabama to be exact.

no i guess i,m not reading them properly,. can't understand how anybody could think that large mirror car could be a 94,.

Alabama,.. you know forrest?

Nick

It looks like its worth at least looking at. Maybe the guy can make you a sweet deal if he keeps the ugly wheels

Lord those wheels have to GO. Who knows, with a lot of elbow grease it could be nice!

Lynol wrote:

Just keep your eyes out Tyler. I know you and cars, if it's out there, you'll find it. As far as gas mileage, the LT1's will get better highway miles than the '91 305 did. On the highway if you keep it reasonable you can get 23-24mpg. Here's one way to look at it: When people say to me "Doesn't that wagon use a lot of gas? How can you afford it?" I say, first it's really not as bad as you think, and second I'd rather be pissed briefly once a week while fueling up and driving aI speak from car I really enjoy, then to be pissed all the time driving a more efficient car I do not enjoy. owning small fuel efficient cars in the past, and moving up to wagons and other larger vehicles. I never regretted it.

Lionel,I disagree with your statement about the LT-1s getting better highway mileage than the LO3 but thats probably
related to the driver more than anything else.What you said about "moving up to wagons" was perfect and couldnt be
a more true statement.
Thanks