Weirdest Car?

[NQ6U]

What's the weirdest car you have ever owned, driven or ridden in? Only cars you have personal experience with count.

For me, it was either one friend's Citroen 2CV or another's 1961 Saab 96, which had a 2-stroke engine that could be induced to run backwards, giving 1 speed forward and 3 in reverse. It had a three-on-the-tree shifter.

[KG4CGC]

I think the older Beetles have their own special set of idiosyncrasies.

[kb2crk]

I think the older Beetles have their own special set of idiosyncrasies.

yes they do and i used to own a 74 with a dual port 1600. was almost as good off road as my subarus.
i have driven many makes and models and can't think of any i would call weird.
if you want a picture of a weird car just find the album cover of steppenwolf's for ladies only and open it up.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradley_loos/548246061/

[NQ6U]

Only cars you have personal experience with count.

[W5GA]

One of the original Honda's from the early seventies. Shifter mounted on the dash. Could air up the front tires while sitting in the car.

[PA5COR]

Citroen 2CV6 with whopping 29 SAE Hp engine....could do 2 wheels off the ground cornering, if you really tried.. 602 cc engine.. the later ones even boasted a 33 SAE Hp, engine...
I had á Wartburg, Opel GT ( poor man Corvette) and a score other cars.
Like the 2CV6 the most, unique suspention system, and open roof lol.

[ki4itv]

'72 Super Beetle because it's the only car I was ever capable of working on. The car was dead simple and that alone makes it strange to me.
Loved that ride. Selling it was a major moment of stupid.
Oh yea, if the windshield washer quit working, just air up the spare tire.:lol:
(never really decided if that was in-genius or not.)

[WV6Z]

I'm thinking that probably my Isuzu Trooper was very likely the best and most unusual vehicle I have ever had and that it's sister vehicle, the Honda Passport (Isuzu Rodeo 'rebadged') was the most horrific disappointment I have ever sank money in to. The Trooper was was a '97 with the 3.2l V6, was easily adaptable for HHO experimentation and could beat the socks off of my rather aggressively shoed Jeep ZJ sporting only all weather highway tires.

Kudos must also be given to our current daily drivers here too (a 2002 Saturn SL2 and a 2004 Saturn Ion2). Even though they could both croak at any second, I think it's highly unlikely they will. Other than following specified recommended maintenance, the SL2 has received a new water pump shortly after 100k miles and that's been it between the pair. The Ion2 was a junkyard find and rebuild and after replacing what had to be replaced, nothing else has ever been done to it.......... until last week.......... Without opening myself to scorn from the group, I tried something a bit 'special' last week.

Here's a bit of history..... just for the heck of it, a few years ago I decided to 'fix' a sticky lifter in the Trooper. After considering Seafoam and other more aggressive engine cleansers and treatments, I opted for the $3 quart of Rislone. Withing 100 miles, the lifter became permanently quiet (and not by mechanical failure), and my mileage went from a tad over 15mpg to 19mpg. This is overall combined driving average. I digress...... it was time to do the Mobile One oil change on the Ion2. Advance Auto Parts had a special on with 5 quarts of plain old Valvoline and a filter for a package deal for $17.99. I decided to opt to go that route with one important variant. I replaced one of it's 5 quarts with a quart of Rislone. The Ion2 went from a 25k mile car last year to a 77k+ mile car in less than a year and as it's 'adequate' transportation, I decided I would try to protect my meager investment in it. I have gone from getting 27mpg overall average out of it's 2.2l Ecotec 4 banger to 39mpg via nothing more than doing the one quart Rislone substitution with NO change in any driving habits.

Unusual cars? Maybe not, but, my slightly off kilter for modern day selections for daily drivers have for the most part been been a pleasure and a joy and already, I have been getting comments about the Ion2 at filling stations and the like along the lines of, "What the hell is that, a KIA?" A few years ago, A guy pumping petrol on the other side of the island from me was filling up his Landy Disco II and asked what the hell my Trooper was, after I said 'a '97 Trooper', he remarked he wished his Disco II looked as nice as my Trooper.

Unusual is where you find it, and as my experiences go, a Fury 1 police interceptor with a push-button auto tranny on the dash was likely the most unusual vehicle by far. Wasn't unusual when it was 'born', but would really be a gem to have now! ;)

[kb2crk]

well for unusual i did say that i had a 74 VW type 1. but even more unusual would be my subarus. i had 2 1979 4WD wagons, an 82 4WD wagon, and a 1980 BRAT. i also owned a 77 4WD wagon it it came along with one of the 79's as a spare parts car for an extra 50 bucks. the Brat was a blast to drive and yes i went 4 wheeling in all but the 77. (its drivers seat had fallen through the floorboard). the 79's and the brat were used for my courier service during the day and four wheeling on the weekends. they were fun and odd at the same time.
another not so common vehicle was the 1979 international Scout II which i wish i still had. 304 ci international gas engine with a ford carb and ac, gm ignition system, and a chrysler automatic transmission. there were a few parts from everywhere on it.

[WV6Z]

Paul, you may remember KE4VMC, George the pilot.... I think he still actually still has his IH Scout II which is a diesel. As far as power goes, I'm not sure if it would pass the greasy string / cat test, but it sure seemed to do a fine job of pulling itself down the road quite nicely. It was a very attractive vehicle to look at on the outside too (a bit spartan on the inside though). It was a true SUV verses the luxury cars that come dressed up to look like an SUV nowadays.

[WV6Z]

I had á Wartburg, Opel GT ( poor man Corvette) and a score other cars.


Oh Cor, I saw a Candy Apple Red Opel GT at a restaurant near Charles' house at a restaurant a few months back. It was BEAUTIFUL and I had to take a peek at at. It appeared to be in original condition down to the wheels, that, were for some reason over here, one of the first things that were replaced, usually to add extremely fat tires to the GT. A few years back, I worked with a very large young lass (both height and weight wise) and she had a beautiful Powder Blue one that was also a daily driver and in original condition. Oddly, that was here in upstate SC too and she and her husband also had a Kadett Coupe' and a Kadett Estate Wagon (2 door w/back lift gate). The latter of the three was badged as a Buick. ;)

[ki4itv]

There's a Red Opel GT next door to where I work. Sweet.
I had forgotten how small they were, especially sitting next to the behemoths of today.
Made me want one.

[NQ6U]

There's a Red Opel GT next door to where I work. Sweet.
I had forgotten how small they were, especially sitting next to the behemoths of today.
Made me want one.

My cousin had one and it was a real maintenance hog--always seemed to be broken down. Also, with less than 100 BHP, it could barely get out of it's own way. its handling was kind of strange, too.

[KG4CGC]

I had a 72 Super Beetle, did a lot of work on it. Changed out the engine even. It never got stuck, even in 18" of snow with street tires. Michelin XZX at the time. Single port heads were not standard for that model but it is what I used. Changed to an all gas suspension that made the more modern sports cars of the day jealous of my handling. (1988) Got rid of the stock carb and went with a Holley 2bbl progressive linkage. Naturally, I added the after market extractor too. Kept everything else stock. I wasn't trying to drag race it. LOL!

Drum brakes with thumbwheel adjusters, wingnut adjustable clutch cable and I eventually abandoned the heater boxes for electric heat oh and don't forget the .009 distributor! That was a must in the day but only with beefed up points. It would break standard after market stamped points.

[w2amr]

My three wheeled electric.
http://rides.webshots.com/album/579440012wLdfCJ

[WØTKX]

'72 Opel Manta and there were other Opels, but that was the nicest one. Rodded it a bit, a Weber carb and Ansa exhaust was an eye opening fix.
I was an Opel freak for quite a while. No GT's, they liked to spin and go backwards... always wanted a 1900 wagon. The automatics sucked!

'82 Subaru DL (Leone in most markets) AWD and very slow, till it snowed. Damn good off road too, just watch the clearance.

'69 Mercedes 280 SE. Not so weird, great car.

[kb2crk]

'72 Opel Manta and there were other Opels, but that was the nicest one. Rodded it a bit, a Weber carb and Ansa exhaust was an eye opening fix.
I was an Opel freak for quite a while. No GT's, they liked to spin and go backwards... always wanted a 1900 wagon. The automatics sucked!

'82 Subaru DL (Leone in most markets) AWD and very slow, till it snowed. Damn good off road too, just watch the clearance.

'69 Mercedes 280 SE. Not so weird, great car.

my 82 subie wagon was the GL with the dual range 4WD and the 1800cc motor. the third headlight that showed up with the highbeams was an interesting thing. the subaru emblem would drop down out of the way and it was in the middle of the grille. the brush bar was fun on it too..

[WØTKX]

I did drive some wild ones I did not own...

Porsche 916, the Stuttgart Wild Kit, 6 cylinder whoooosh. 914's too, but they were common. Clients cars in the car stereo install days, I worked in high end sound and CB shop for a while, and we even built our own amps before Fosgate came out... we bridged them and taught Fosgate a thing or two about that and active crossovers. Most of the speakers were pro audio drivers that we adapted to the task, because it was the 70's. Lots of 911 variants.

Maserati Merak, put a high end sound system in that, it took a few days... and the owner let me drive it more than once, he liked the way I drove it, like I stole it. Lamborghini Countach, a few different Ferraris's, Quite a few BMW, Mercedes and Ferrari's. Did tons of Vette', and they were a PITA, worse than working on a Jaguar.

Again this was all interior work, mostly.

Mazda Rx-3's, Wicked hopped up Datsun 510's, Saabs, and especially the Sonnet, fixed up as an ice racer. Got a chance to drive a Pierce Arrow for a few blocks, that was nuts, but I did fine because I had driven tractors with manual spark advance and stuff.

The best was a Formula Ford open wheel that I got to try on a track. Wheeeee!

[HUGH]

http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/ayrshirepost/jul2008/4/4/740C8168-D2AC-9D16-FFF62CC85780F307.jpg

A vintage Dennis "dustcart" or trash truck. The engine was in the cab and so noisy you could not think. No power steering of course.