[AGL] Last car I drive

[Gerry]

Where is it you get these cars
for $5?

That was a typo. I typed $4 when I meant $4K.

The long life span of Japanese cars changed my attitude about ownership. As
you know a properly maintained Toyota will last over 300K these days and the
competition isn't far behind. I always buy one owner machines with low miles
that have been well-maintained and look and run great...and I keep them up.
For me the antique appeal is strong, thus an 87 Camry with 140K is cooler
than a 2001 with the same mileage. Nothing wrong with the old (10 to 20
years) designs, in many ways better than the new, especially if you want to
be able to work on them without $100K worth of diagnosis equipment. For some
reason, there are always a few cars that seem to have good kharma and run
forever--and others that have a dozen wrecks or break down all the time. I
look for good kharma cars.

Cressidas were designed to compete with BMW 5 series and Mercedes 3 series,
larger (3,500 lbs.) cars with lots of HP, sports sedans. But they had to get
decent gas mileage too. The Japs did it a little differently and achieved
the same statistical results, plus they require less maintenance, and the
electronics are bulletproof instead of troublesome as the German cars of
that era (late 80's/early '90's). I still love the feel of the German cars,
something the Japs have not quite copied yet. I owned nothing but German
cars for 30 years and made a living working on them. But I got tired of
working on them and was lured into Jap cars by "frequency of repair" records
which showed them to fail far less frequently than all the competition. I
believe that Toyota and Honda are miles ahead of the others, lots of
engineers competing and sharing ideas, huge investments in research. The
Japanese built machines are the finest in the world and have been for some
time now and will be for the rest of our lives. That's why I got rid of most
of my tools...

Cressidas were the test beds for the upper scale Toyota designs which
culminated in the Lexus. The early Lexus were so successful that Toyota
stopped making the Cressidas and their cousins the Supras which used the
same drivetrain. Power is provided by a straight, dual overhead cam 6. It
looks like a Jag engine (which the clever Japs imitated and improved). Lots
of lightweight alloys, like the finned cases of the trans and diff, a really
pretty car underneath. And the Cressidas had rear wheel drive which I happen
to prefer. You can do things on a road with a real wheel drive car that are
not duplicatable with a front wheel drive...partly because the traction
isn't quite as good. So you control the skidding and it gives you quite a
rush--not that you will find me doing that a lot anymore...on purpose.

I have been living very conservatively and pinching every penny for years
now, but at one time I had expensive machines and drove them from coast to
coast on a regular basis. Promised myself that this winter, when the cabin
fever starts to set in, I am going to drive away and not come back until
it's time to start sprouting seeds again. So the Cressida will be my escape
vehicle. Hey, I may pass you in traffic one day soon.
G




----- Original Message -----
From: "Jon Ford" <jonmfordster at hotmail.com>
To: <austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>
Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 4:35 PM
Subject: Re: [AGL] Last car I drive



>

> Gerry, I wish I had your patience. I get sick of a car after awhile and

sell

> it on Craigslist, where I  soon buy another. I told myself I'd never buy

> myself a new car, but my wife gave me one for a birthday present last

year,

> so maybe this will be the last one for me. Where is it you get these cars

> for $5?

>

> Jon

>

> >From: "Gerry" <mesmo at gilanet.com>

> >Reply-To: survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the

> >60s<austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>

> >To: "survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the

> >60s"<austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>

> >Subject: Re: [AGL] city driving and real driving

> >Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 15:37:52 -0700

> >

> >Jon,

> >It's my second Cressida, carefully chosen in 2 months of searching on the

> >internet. I'm going to drive it to your part of the world next month to

> >visit with friends and relatives, a trip too long for my trusty '87 Camry

> >which I retain for short hops. (Ran over a deer at night with the first

> >Cressida which rendered it inoperable and too damaged to fix). Hope this

> >one is the last car I buy. One buys parts over the internet these days

and

> >never from a Toyota dealer where they cost as much as 10 times more.

> >G

> >   ----- Original Message -----

> >   From: Jon Ford

> >   To: austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net

> >   Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 2:43 PM

> >   Subject: Re: [AGL] city driving and real driving

> >

> >

> >   Gerry-- It's unlikely you will have too much trouble with it as

> >Cressidas are fine cars; I'd change the oil and coolant right away and

> >check the water hoses for dryness. Maybe keep a few spare parts around as

> >it might take a long time to get them from the dealer.

> >

> >   Jon

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

>---------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

> >

> >     From:  "Gerry" <mesmo at gilanet.com>

> >     Reply-To:  survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the

> >60s<austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>

> >     To:  "survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the

> >60s"<austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>

> >     Subject:  Re: [AGL] city driving and real driving

> >     Date:  Thu, 30 Nov 2006 14:27:34 -0700

> >     >Whoa!

> >     >About 30 years ago when most cars still had carburetors I did, for

> >about 5

> >     >years, make a living working on cars. Mostly I rebuilt engines,

more

> >of a

> >     >technician than a mechanic. These days I am barely an auto

> >enthusiast, a

> >     >student and fan of the cars of past eras, like the '91 Cressida I

> >just

> >     >bought. Don't have many tools left and not so eager to crawl under

> >one

> >     >anymore. If the Toyota breaks (heaven forbid) I will most likely

take

> >it to

> >     >mechanic.

> >     >G

> >     >----- Original Message -----

> >     >From: "michele mason" <yaya.m at earthlink.net>

> >     >To: "survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s"

> >     ><austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>

> >     >Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 8:47 AM

> >     >Subject: Re: [AGL] city driving and real driving

> >     >

> >     >

> >     > > So Gerry's a pro mech!!! How fabulous to know one. Gerry, are

you

> >     > > available from time to time? a place of business? Always good to

> >know a

> >     > > real mech if the adj fits? Yes, I hope.

> >     > > Mike, just bought Merc Grd Marq 2003. Sorta blue like your's,

> >lovely.

> >     > > Finally bought after running it by my financial officer, CarFax,

> >etc.

> >     > > Bumper to bumper 3yr war. Drives like a dream. Got for 3k less

> >than

> >     > > BlueBook. Will be putting on the miles soon (it has 35 plus). If

> >like

> >     > > my 92 Crwn Vic, should do pretty well on gas. Must go. Type

> >everybody

> >     > > soon.  mm

> >     > >

> >     > > On Nov 30, 2006, at 8:39 AM, Michael Eisenstadt wrote:

> >     > >

> >     > > > Gerry,

> >     > > >

> >     > > > Having ridden in Frances' Volvo i can attest

> >     > > > that it is safe and suitable for tootling around

> >     > > > town from where Frances lives east of IH 35

> >     > > > to, say, Seton Hospital on W38th.

> >     > > >

> >     > > > whereas you are using the Cresida for real

> >     > > > driving. you didnt say the mileage but it

> >     > > > must have been pretty low. as a professional

> >     > > > car mechanic, you can easily maintain the

> >     > > > Cresida, knowing how to run parts and not

> >     > > > having to deal with the onboard computer.

> >     > > >

> >     > > > Mike

> >     > > >

> >     > > >

> >     > >

> >     > >

> >     >

> >

> >

> >

>

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