Non-Datsun Collection

1931 Ford Model A – Concourse-restored six-wheel Deluxe roadster. My father bought this car from my uncle, and left it to us after he passed. She stuck around for several years and a few car shows. Maintaining and driving a car of this vintage is a chore in itself, and my uncle later purchased her back from us.

1961 Nash Metropolitan – Who can resist a tiny American classic like the Metro? Bought this one from an estate sale with intentions of restoring and selling… Didn’t get very far before someone made a nice offer and she headed to a new home.

1968 Buick Special Deluxe – My very first car, the one that started it all. Learned basic engine mechanicals, restoration, paint and body, and customization. This car made lots of cross-country trips, lots of passes down the dragstrip, and holds tons of fond memories. Sold during some lean times to a teenager who wrapped it around a pole.

1969 Fiat Spyder 850 – Bought this one from a local estate sale as a flipper… My first experience with a European vehicle, I wasn’t disappointed to see this one go down the road to a new owner.

1970 Toyota Corona – Took this one in as a consignment deal… Refurbished some mechanical bits, did some light restoration in preparation for auction, and listed her on Bring a Trailer. She’s now in a private collection in Kentucky.

1970 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia – Always wanted one, and this one popped up at a local estate sale. Started the restoration process, and someone doing some work at our house spotted it and had to have it, so off she went to a new home.

1970 Volkswagen Baja – Next-door neighbor had this in his yard and sold it to me when he moved out. Some light restoration, a tune-up, and a few details later, this one was sold to finance other projects.

1977 Chevrolet C10 Pickup – A local friend sold this one to me, and after some mechanical refurbishment and maintenance and a little cosmetic work, sold her for a tidy profit. Next!

1981 Chevrolet C10 4×4 Pickup – Another local friend sold this one to me, and after some mechanical repairs and maintenance and a little cosmetic work, sold her for a tidy profit as well. C10s can easily become a habit!

1981 Suzuki GS550L – My first motorcycle, and my first purchase when I arrived at campus in Tucson, this was a great starter bike. Super-low miles and incredibly easy to ride, I miss this one. Sold it to pay tuition, and replaced with the Interceptor.

1984 Honda CRX – My big Buick was an expensive car to maintain while in college, so in 1989, this became my first foray into import cars. Lots of work went into this one, and it served me faithfully through graduation. I sold it to help finance our first home.

1984 Honda Interceptor – Once I got to college, I thought I needed a cheaper commuter (2 jobs and a full load of classes kept me moving). Mom and Dad wouldn’t have approved, so I parked it far away when they were visiting. Stolen while I was in Mexico for a weekend, and my insurance coverage replaced it with a REAL bike.

1984 Honda CRX – This one was in rough shape, but ran and drove. With way too many cars in the stable, this one was shipped off to a collector in South Carolina.

1984 Ford Mustang LX – Ran across this one locally while out hunting for Datsuns, and made a package deal. Completely original, low miles, a real cream puff. Spent about 8 months addressing little details, and listed it on Bring a Trailer. Another one saved!

1986 Honda CRX Si – Another “package deal” car that I snagged while Datsun hunting. This one needed a lot more than I was willing to invest, so I addressed some easy stuff and sent it to a collector in South Carolina.

1986 Pontiac Fiero GT – Yet another all-original, unmolested car that turned up while Datsun hunting, this one was “co-owned” with my buddy Ross from Canada. Again, addressed some mechanical and cosmetic issues, drove it for a few hundred miles, and listed it on Bring a Trailer. Customer bought it, flew in, and drove it home to the east coast!

1986 Toyota MR2 – There was a brief period of time where I thought I might want to own a vintage Japanese classic from each of the major manufacturers, so I snatched this one up from a local seller. Restoration of a first-gen MR2 is not for the faint of heart, and I didn’t get far before one of my parts sources made me an offer on the car. Off she goes!

1987 Honda Prelude – Another two-for-one deal with a Datsun from WAY out in the Arizona desert… this one got some light mechanical refurbishment, a couple weeks of fumigation, and was sold to a local youth as a high school autoshop project.

1987 Yamaha VMax – My last bike, this was a peer pressure purchase. One of the fastest bikes of its time, I had to have it, and it was WAY too much bike for my 160-lbs and meager riding skills. Still, a bike that commanded instant respect and got lots of attention – isn’t that what we’re after at 21 years old?

1990 Civic 4wd Wagon – One of the coolest cars made by Honda in the 90’s, this one was also an auction yard score. Again, some light mechanical refurbishment, some cosmetic repairs, and she was off to a new home here in the Valley.

1990 Honda Prelude Si – I spent about three months driving one of these in college while my CRX was in a shop, and fell in love. Bought this one through a local Craigslist ad, and after some light restoration, sold several months later for a tidy profit.

1990 GMC Suburban 4×4 – This was our “family hauler” and road trip ride for several years when the kids were young. Purchased from my late wife’s father, it served us well for a long time, and there were a lot of fond memories in this rig. Sold when we acquired the Pathfinder, I sure didn’t miss the 12 mpg fuel consumption!

1993 Honda Prelude – Pretty sure we ran across this one on a ‘parts run,’ and it was in good enough shape to consider. Brought it home, spent a few days straightening out some mechanical and cosmetic issues, and sold it for a small profit.

1994 Honda Civic Si – This was my commuter car fresh out of college, and what a fantastic car it was. The EG hatch is now a highly-desired collectible, but back then it was just transportation. I put 150k trouble-free miles on this car, and it was totaled by a drunk driver in the late 90’s.

1999 Mazda Miata – Bought this car while searching for a hardtop for my ’05 Miata. I kept the hardtop, did my usual maintenance and light restoration, and sent her off to a new home in Southern California.

2000 Honda Insight – Bought this car for Becky as a commuter while she was attending nursing school, and she fell in love with it! We actually owned FOUR of these at one time, and we’d compete to see who could get the most miles out of a tank (she won, with a best of 700 miles). One of the few cars I regret letting go.

2000 Honda Insight – See above – This one was mine. Interesting note about these 1g Insights: No two cars “feel” the same. Mine was a little more powerful, hers was more nimble, and both were a blast to drive.

2000 Mazda Miata – Another delightful little car, purchased from a neighbor who needed fast cash. Same deal as before – Mechanical maintenance, cosmetic refurbishing, a couple months of driving and enjoying, and off to a new owner for a profit!

2001 Chevrolet Corvette – My first ‘Vette, this one saw lots of commuting duty and road trips. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, a C5 is probably the most fun you can have for less than $20k. Becky enjoyed driving this one as much as I did, and we had her for several years.

2001 P71 Ford Crown Victoria – One of my past functions was to manage the state fleet, and I had a couple of these issued to me during my employment. I’d keep track of the “gently-used” ones when they went to auction, and bought this one for our teenage drivers. Bulletproof and comfortable, but a rolling roadblock in traffic. Move over!

2002 BMW 525i – I always thought these were one of BMW’s most beautiful designs, and I had plans to LS-swap it… After a lot of mechanical refreshing and cosmetic work, someone stopped by and offered me substantially more than I paid, so off it went!

2003 Volkswagen Golf diesel – During a time when I was commuting 2.5 hours round-trip each way, and gas prices were crazy, I bought this to help out. My mistake: Buying the automatic. One of the most boring, soulless cars I’ve ever owned, I sold it at a massive loss a year later when diesel got more expensive than gas. Good riddance.

2003 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 – Having had some regrets about selling the ’01 Corvette a couple years prior, I searched for a low-mileage Z06. After a few modifications, this was a 500-hp sub-$20k supercar, and I thoroughly enjoyed owning it. Not long thereafter, I retired and didn’t have an opportunity to drive it as much, so she was rehomed for a profit. I miss this one!

2003 Pontiac GTO – This car was purchased as the “drivetrain donor” for the BMW wagon above. A phenomenal powerplant in a poorly-built package, this car was great for burnouts and shenanigans. A local drifter bought it (after the BMW sold) to build a drift car for his wife.

2004 MazdaSpeed Miata – Of all the cars I’ve owned, this one remains my absolute favorite. Loads of power, every available chassis-stiffening mod available, wide sticky tires and perfect ergonomics made my commute an absolute joy. Sidelined by a catastrophic turbo oil leak (cracked block boss), I unwisely decided to sell to a fellow in Buffalo NY. Wish I had this one back.

2004 Toyota Corolla – After I retired, most of my day was spent in the shop – greasy, stinky and gross. Picked this car up as a cheap parts runner to avoid soiling our nice cars. Added a $50 lift kit, some oversized tires, and basic maintenance, and “Thunderolla” was a faithful and reliable friend for several years. Legends never die.

2004 Mazda 3 – Another auction car that I bought VERY cheaply, this one was originally intended for one of our kids. Unfortunately for them, this one was too nice for an irresponsible teenager… So, after the usual refurbishment, this one was sold for a nice profit. One of Mazda’s best-kept secrets, these are a LOT of bang for the buck.

2007 Dodge Ram 3500 – The “Datsun Ranch Hauler,” this truck took the place of the 2012 Titan for hauling duties. We picked up a used 54′ gooseneck 4-car trailer, and the Ram is simply the right tool for the job. This one’s still hauling, and will probably stick around until I’m done playing with cars.

2010 Lexus LS460L – This big sedan was bought with low miles as our “retirement road trip” car, and it’s been all over the western US. It’s great for picking up visitors from the airport, and for loaning out to friends to explore Arizona. Another bulletproof and trouble-free product from Toyota, this one makes a 12-hour road trip feel like a drive across town.

2013 MazdaSpeed 3 – This was Becky’s graduation gift when she finished nursing school, and one of only two cars I’ve bought brand new. Loads of power, great handling, and lots of goodies from CorkSport made this one a favorite. Sold once it hit 130k, but a fondly-remembered car.

2020 Miata – The Brembo / BBS / Recaro version of this car was a big advancement for Mazda, but after a year of ownership, it never really felt like “mine.” Great power, stellar handling, and all the enjoyment you’d expect from a Miata, but I never really fell in love with it. Sold it after 15 months for a nice profit.

2022 Toyota Corolla XSE – When replacing the Xterra, Becky had few requirements: Manual trans, reliability, good fuel economy, room for groceries, and within the budget. Think she nailed it. We weren’t 100% for the first couple months, but the hatch has become a trusted and well-loved commuter. This one gets passed down to the granddaughter!

2022 Ford Maverick XLT FX4– One of only two vehicles we’ve bought brand new, I always wanted an “old guy truck.” It’s more like a Camry with a bed, but it’s perfect for my purposes. 250hp and AWD makes this one fun to drive, and it was affordable. I’m pretty fond of my little wannabe truck!