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’74 Ford Pinto Base Wagon – Duke me bottomward from one of my two earlier brothers, with over 60k on the clock. Aback it was after appear that Pintos exploded aloft rear impact, my actual anticipation was “And…?” Anyone who collection one knew the car was a POS. Slow, gnarly to shift, abhorrent handling, non-functional HVAC, etc. My father, A Ford man at the time, bought the car for the aforementioned acumen anybody abroad did: they were cheap.
Ford Pinto Base Wagon – Yup, aforementioned again. Aback “mine” died from calefaction exhaustion, Dad artlessly did the duke me bottomward affair again. No. 1 son got a VW Golf, and all I got was this abominable T-shirt. A constant aberration was appear as I shod the Pinto with Pirelli P3s in an attack to get it to handle. Oh, and put a Nagamichi cassette amateur in the cuff box. Peter Frampton lives!
Mercedes 230E – Dad bought a 300 SEL 6.3 on European commitment and went mad for the cast (a carelessness that evaporated with breakdowns and bills). The 230 was addition duke me down, this time from Mom. Solid. I beggarly stolid. Annihilation was bigger than the Pinto. Abundant better. Afresh with the tires. Asleep the car aback I was showing-off the Merc’s cornering accomplishment to friends- understeered beeline into a curb, airtight the advanced arbor like a toothpick.
Mazda RX-4 – My aboriginal car, really. Velour seats, gauges central artificial apartment that looked like… tits. A absolute sleeper in agreement of thrust, although the air-conditioned agency was hardly bound by the actuality that one my aerial academy accompany additionally had one. A bit of a gas pig, austere through three clutches. OK, I started messing with the transmission, amplitude bars, failing wheels, etc. 12B circuit like a bed-making machine. Some ballsy backward night runs.
Mazda GLC (Great Little Car)- The RX4 appealing abundant wore out. And afresh I bought this 1.5-liter POS. God knows what I was thinking, article about ammunition economy, practicality, college. it was aloof like my Pinto, except it didn’t break. I didn’t advancement anything. Why would I? It eventually died in a arch on blow on the admission alley abutting to Storrow Drive.
Mazda RX-7 (SA22C) – Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes! Abundant looks (white helped adumbrate those abominable bonanza strips), aciculate handling, discs and LOADS of upgrades. Put one of those awe-inspiring louver deals over the aback window, ‘cause I’d confused to Hotlanta. The A/C couldn’t cope, and alone ability by 30 percent (ish). Push the A/C button in the average of the fan bulge (turning OFF the A/C) and struth! Mad Max’s turbo. Well, kinda. Sorta. Not.
Loads of motorcycles – Mostly Hondas – Confused aback to Beantown and didn’t see the point of owning a car. Did see the point of accepting massive ability on tap.
Mercedes 300CE (black on black) – After abounding years in London, swapping bikes on a approved basis, bought the little Merc for trips to the country. Solid as a tank, buttery six-cylinder ability and affluence quick. Handled like… a Merc.
TVR Griffith – Yeah Baby! Although its looks were superbly, alluringly British, this was as abutting to a American beef car as God anytime let a greenhorn get: superb agent agenda (5.0-liter Buick job) and unbelievably, ridiculously, unconscionably, annoy smokingly quick. Abominable continued ambit cruiser: noisy, leaked, drafts, applesauce radio, the world’s heaviest clamp pedal, etc. And it didn’t like to start.
Mercedes 500SL – Yes, the TVR was so abundant of a PITA that I swung appear its arctic opposite. A boulevardier’s boulevardier. Quiet, smooth, reliable. Acceleration limiter detached, Autobahns dispatched. With the appropriate tires (here we go again), I was able to accumulate up with the new Aston through the twisties. Not abundant point to that really, but hey, we were both headed in the aforementioned direction.
Jeep Cherokee 4.0 – My aboriginal built-in arrived. The appropriate duke drive Jeep was a rattly affair with abominable brakes and dodgy handling. The ONE TIME it snowed, the car was in for service. Still… nope. I got nothing.
Volvo 850 T5 – World’s fastest base wagon, with Volvo assurance as standard. What abroad did I charge to know? Someone ability accept mentioned that it was a torque beacon monster, and the turbo came on all Saab-like. But it was a bit of a agreeable with lots of affluence and it never let me down.
TVR Chimaera (5.0-liter) – Once bitten, alert stupid. Scared the SHIT out of myself on abounding occasions. What’s not to like? Additionally didn’t alpha added generally than not. I mean, than did.
Ferrari F355B – Nice, if you like that array of thing. Me? I acclimated the Ferrari as my circadian driver. The smell, the sound, the handling. But my GOD did it amount me money; the F355B spent at atomic bisected its time with me after me– in the shop. (I acclimated to alarm myself a Ferrari visitor.) Rust? In a avant-garde car? Yup. Ran up the miles, spun it alert and had to get rid of it afore the adverse bills became cataclysmic.
Ferrari F550M – I admired the way it looked and LOVED the in-gear acceleration. And they were on sale. But the car was damned. First, the absolute manual had to be replaced. Then, aggregate else. Aback I, uh, danced with an Subaru Impreza Turbo on a alternation of continued sweepers, I accomplished the Ferrari’s aerial acceleration adherence was dubious. I absitively to get out of the car afore I asleep myself.
BMW 540i Estate – Bought it for her indoors. Easily the best able car I’ve anytime driven. Heavy? Very. Thirsty? Extremely. Lovable? Thoroughly.
Porsche Carrera 4 – I bought it from the Ferrari dealer. I bethink adage on the analysis drive, “Why the Hell did I anytime buy a Ferrari?” I collection the snot out of that car and never, anytime had a “moment.” I could do epic, blasphemous things with the C4. OK, IT did them. But I admired it. Turns out the bastards awash me a comatose car, though.
Jaguar XK1200 – Absitively to accept one congenital from the arena up by Guy Broad, application a 4.2-liter six and a breakaway council column. Gorgeous car that bare a lot of assignment (uh, Guy, the seat’s aloof appear loose). Aloof starting the fettling action aback I collection her on a albino afternoon. Took out an absolute English village. Divorce prevented me from advancing perfection. The one that got away.
BMW M5 – Separated me from the ancestors hauler, I had to get article added adolescent friendly. Phenomenal car: smooth, quiet, powerful, graceful, comfortable, understated, elegant, burbalicious. A affluence car about town, a supercar in the twisties, a ‘bahn burner on the accessible road. The M5’s Achilles heel: recirculating brawl steering; about had a [another] bang whilst adjusting the HVAC. Other than that, perfect. Aloof perfect.
Audi S4 Avant – I balloon why I got rid of the M5. A aching time in my life. My internet career started actual abominably absolutely aback I appear (on pistonheads.com) that I didn’t apperceive the aberration amid an S4 and a RS4. Oops. Never mind. The S4 had the best seats I’ve anytime sat upon. It was comfortable, able and semi-sporting. Well, antic abundant to lose my license, anyway.
BMW M3 (E36) – Confused aback to the states and acclaimed with this masterpiece. Custom ordered in Estoril blue. Addition absolute car, save the actuality that the aback seats were too cave-like for the kids. This became a REAL affair aback Sam fell pregnant.
Porsche Cayenne S – I knew Porsche’s barter was a cast abortion, but I wasn’t activity to let able ageism stop me from accepting a abundant accord on an all-American SUV (for us, anyway). The burke lag collection me NUTS. Sad to say, the Cayenne was annihilation special- except aback it active or we went off-road. Holy shit, what an unstoppable machine. I anticipate we larboard the pavement twice.
Porsche Carrera 4 – Article for the weekend sir? Excellent car, but the adventure was gone. Can’t explain it. Water-cooled engine’s OK with me. Administration aloof as foolproof as before, alone added so. Fast? Yes, very. But it aloof didn’t feel special. No… fun.
Honda Odyssey – Finally accepted the minivan, and why not? On those occasions aback all four girls are in attendance, or accustomed big box items, or bikes, or dogs, or girls, being AND dogs, it can’t be beat. Poorly-built: creaks and rattles, things break. But the V6 is altogether adequate, the tranny accouterment like a dream and the drop-down TV is a godsend. (The art of chat is dead. Continued alive the art of conversation.) Alone absolute beef: bought it afore MP3 compatibility. Seriously. That sucks.
Porsche Boxster S – World’s best sports car. No complaints. Well, it’s too abuse blatant for continued ambit travel. Considering a Bentley Arnage T, a Maserati GranTurismo S (when the new one arrives and afresh depreciates) or a F360.
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