Cars I've owned, and their sordid histories:
1st car - Dad gave me a very trashed 1977 Datsun 710 Wagon. A couple of electrical fires and crashed a few times in the ice and snow. Wore the brakes down so far they disc shattered into pieces. Shouldn't all first cars be this bad?
2nd car - New red 1995 Nissan Sentra Limited Edition 5 speed. No credit history, so smacked with a ridiculous 13.8% interest! Payment was eating me alive.
3rd car - New blue 1997 Nissan Altima - Smoked up the brakes when I forgot to disengage the parking brake. Got t-boned after only about 1100 miles when a truck went through a stop sign right into the side ($2K damages). Was repaired and lease expired and turned back in. Leases suck! Don't do it! $500 excessive wear and tear charge.
4th car - Uncle's completely restored 1979 Datsun 280ZX. Multiple breakdowns, seized coolant pump, then shattered crank shaft pulley. Replaced alternator twice. Eventually sold to my boss, alternator went yet again, fan clutch yet again.
5th car - New 2000 Saturn SL - Eventually the automatic door locks wouldn't work anymore (stuck). Key ignition switch was hot and smoldering; little stream of smoke seeing coming up from the steering column. Dealer said it was "normal" to run hot. Now come to find out years later the real story with GM's massive ignition switch scandal! I could have been one of those statistics if it had finally melted into a pile of goo on the floor boards! Front bumper torn off by office employee trying to park a van-pool vehicle in front of my car and screwed up. Rear bumper destroyed by getting rear ended at 40 MPH. Got it in both ends!
5th car - New 2006 Toyota Prius - Yes, I was enamored by the technology and gas saving capabilities. Driver side mirror torn off by a beer truck after police diverted traffic through the street I was parked at that was too narrow. Truck driver pissed that he was going to need new drug tests now. Multiple dings and scratches from idiots in parking lots! (repaired by Dent Destroyer).
6th car - New 2012 Toyota Prius - Yes, decided I liked it enough to get the new model with sun roof, heated seats, etc. But after a while, I started getting Z fever from remembering the 280ZX. Mid-life crisis? Only damage was carrying servers from work and they slid around poking holes in the back of my nice leather seats! Marred up the inside door handle as well. Don't use your personal car for work unless it's a really beat up mess all ready.
7th car - Used 2008 Nissan 350z with only 41,000 miles on it. Base model. Still had the Prius. In very good shape, except curb rash on one wheel, marred up front bumper from same previous owner curb parking screw up, rock chips galore. Rear bumper marred from yet another parking screw up backing into something, outline of license plate could be seen in paint. Driver side arm rest a totally scratched up POS (replaced). Interiors on 350z just aren't very good.
8th car - 2014 370Z - Got rid of both the Prius and 350z, but lousy trade-in. Now I'm paying a premium on fuel, but so much more exciting than the Prius.
Mom says if I hadn't been trading off cars so much, I'd be rich by now. I'm not so sure.
Thoughts?
