Wait, what happened?

Well this is a week or so late but shit has hit the fan with my cars. Driving the Z back up to Clemson, some electrical gremlin reared it's evil head and it had to limp back home. That left me with the porsche (see previous review) which was less than enjoyable. As good judgement showed, I got the Celica up here as soon as possible, and the porsche decided to eat itself. Something along the lines of the reverse gear in it decided it wanted to play, rough housing within the transmission ensued, and now reverse is dead, the other gears are worse for wear, and the housing is cracked. So Z=in the shop, 944=out like a light. But wait, that leaves me with the Celica. The Celica that leaks water if the thermostat opens. The Celica that has a non functioning fuel pump. The Celica that has more rattles than a desert snake pit. Busted door hinge, leaking oil, and it just keeps going. It has become my daily driver. It's inconvenient and annoying, but it's still carrying me around. Well now a new windshield, new radiator, and new fuel pump are on the way. Not in the works, not the next thing to do, on the way. So that leaves, what, an oil leak? It's miniscule and will be fixed as well. Then what's wrong with it? Rattles? Fixed with an hour and some fire retardant padding. And then... seats? It's shaping up to be a fairly nice car quicker than I imagined. Call it necessity or effort. Call it what you want, but the car is seriously coming to life. The only problem I'm facing is whether or not to continue the pursuit of laughs in favor of building a nice street car. On the one hand, the ironic ricerness of the car is so much fun. "Is that a mini mayonnaise jar? Let's hang it from the bumper!" is just one of the insane and childish things we've said and done. It is unabashedly fun to ride around in it, idling like a boat and cutting a tire loose and generally making a scene. It is the kind of car everyone wants but no one is willing to deal with or be seen in. On the other hand, it is an interesting looking car and is lightweight. I could tone down the stickers, clean everything up, and build a respectably performing classic JDM machine. I'd like to find a nice medium, silly but serious, ricer but respectable. The sad truth is that a balance that contradictory is hard to achieve. I really ought to get a plan and stick to it, but the decision of where to take the car becomes harder every day.

Facing my Demons: My Dad's Porsche 944

Japan Japan America Japan. That is how my mind works. So 2 years ago when my Dad bought a 1984 Porsche 944 I was less than enthused. The '66 mustang? Sweet. The Z cars? Love 'em. The Porsche? I started to question the level of Douche-Baggery my father was capable of. It had no air con, was uncomfortable, negative ergonomics, had less pick up than our lawnmower, sounded like an airplane, wasn't particularly good looking, and IT'S GERMAN. On top of all that, the timing belt popped within a month of purchase and we could have gotten another car for what it took to fix it. But we were pig headed and repaired it. It was garish and loud and I hated it. I still hate it. And I'm not alone. For comparison, when we cruise in the 'Stang, everyone looks and thumbs up and talks about how they like it. But a trip to the gas station in the 944 unleashes a torrential downpour of haterade that would flood any area below sea level. You get cut off, yelled at, flipped off, and generally spited. I hate owning it and I hate being seen in it. But Porsche has an answer. Drive it. I loooooove driving it. The 944 is a driver's car. It's hot, it's loud, it's uncomfortable, it's unreliable, and it's slow in a straight line. But it's fun. It's halo night with the guys fun. It's doing jumps and 180's on a jet ski fun. It's adrenaline pumping, vision blurring, muscle straining, unadulterated fun(sexy). And the smile you have weaving through all the haters with grimaces of distaste is the biggest "F@*% You" to the bland motorists that clog the roads on your video game-esque travels from point A to point B. If you want something comfortable, get a sedan. If you want something with power and pick-up, get a V8. If you want something practical, get a hatchback. But if you want something fun, I dare say the 944 is a tie for my gorgeous 300zx. I'm glad the 944 is my dad's. I would hate owning it, I still hate looking at it, I hate everything about it when it's stationary. But Damn I love driving it.