The Cars

It’s no Barrett-Jackson line up or museum exhibit, but I’ve managed to acquire a few interesting vehicles.  Hopefully I can grow the collection with a few more of my favorites, just need to find the right setup.

	2002 Toyota MR2 Spyder. My first “project car” purchase.  Also my first & last sight unseen car buy.  I had always liked the looks, I still remember driving a brand new one on a random test drive.  My mother was shopping for Avalons, and I always get the duty of car shopping, being the car guy.  There happened to be one sitting on the lot, so I took it for a spin.  I loved the quick, nimble, gokart-esque handling.  Plus it met my car requirements: 2 seats, 2 doors, manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive.  It also met my “odd-ball” requirements, with only about 20,000 sold.  Mid-engine makes it another perk.  It’s definitely a conversation starter, people just don’t know what it is.  The JDM nose badge, UK tail badge, and custom wheels probably add to the confusion.
2002 BMW M Coupe.  The “Clown Shoe”.  This car definitely fits my odd car obsessions.  The last year they produced the M Coupe, and the famous S54 3.2L high-revving straight six.  This is one of those cars you hardly ever see, in fact I’ve never seen another one in the wild.  The M Coupe is a true “parts bin” car, with bits from E30s, E36s, and the engine from an E46 M3.  It’s rear semi-trailing arm suspension is just archaic by today’s standards, making its debut on cars like the 2002.  This makes for a bit of personality and charm.  It still has those classic sports car dimensions; long swelled hood, flared haunches, excessive amount of exhaust tips, etc.  The car is a performer as well, with a wailing engine, producing over 100hp per liter. Read More
	2009 Nissan Titan Pro-4x.  My second Titan and my primary daily driver.  My first Titan was from the debut in 2004.  That first truck served for a test bed for quite a few first-time modifications in the early days of the Titan.  I helped test and develop some upgrades, which turned out to be pretty popular with other owners.  But I had the itch for a 4wd truck, with the added benefits of the upgrades Nissan made in 2008.  The new truck has better brakes, the tow package, and every option offered.  While my modifications on this truck have been a bit more sedate, it still has a few choice upgrades.  This truck serves as my tow rig, pulling an aluminum 18′ car hauler whenever I need to move one of the other rides.  The gas mileage isn’t great, but it never complains about being overloaded and driven half-way across the country.
1995 BMW M3.  I picked up the M3 because I wanted a “beater” that I could take to the track or auto-x course and not worry about marring the paint on a cone or any off course excursions.  That said, I still wanted a car that had potential, could be competitive, and above all; handled well.  The BMW E36 chassis was a huge improvement over the E30 trailing link setup found on my much newer M Coupe.  This generation of the 3-series has become a staple in the amateur racing and track-day community.  They’re relatively inexpensive, have tons of aftermarket support, are easy to drive, and handle great.  While this 3.0L S50 is the weakest car in my stable, it still puts a grin on my face.  Expect to see a lot more posts on this car as it makes its transition from elderly daily to an all out track rat.