So the saga goes....sometimes you just don't know what you've got till it's gone.
Happened to me once before; had this beauty back in high school, a new-in-2000 Electron Blue Pearl Civic Si.
With my dad's 98 GTI VR6:
Civic.VR6.2001 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Just before I sold it, at its "peak": real Mugen front lip, Ground Control coilovers, Integra GS-R "sawblade" wheels
Civic.2002 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Decided after just two years that I needed something a little more "beat down" for college, and while I'm at it, faster too.
Enter this succubus (not mine but identical color/looks): 1991 Galant VR-4, #1667/2000. Had it for just under a year before it broke my bank account and every piece in its driveline along the way. Sold it with a blown turbo for $2 grand less than I bought it for and laughed as it drove away in a cloud of smoke.
gvr4__6 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Bought back what I should have kept all along, another 2000 Civic Si. 22k miles (in 2003) and in very good shape, I would go on to put 136k total on it over 6 years before selling it on.
Si 005 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Si 009 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Si 023 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Si 022 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Si 021 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Picture 006 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Si 049 by raregreen91, on Flickr
In the mean time, I had landed a real job and was able to make the mother of all upgrades in mid-2009, thanks to a fellow Car Lounger who directed me to this pristine, Porsche CPO beauty being sold at fire sale prices by a dealer in Chicago during the middle of the financial collapse. To put my deal in perspective, I could not match the price I got then on this car three years later on the one further down, and from a private seller no less. Turns out, the salesman (who was the Porsche dealer owner's son) had simply priced it too low, and turned away about 50 buyers who showed up after I put down my deposit. Score!
Details: 2006 Cayman S, Atlas Grey/Sand Beige, 6MT, Sport Chrono, Bose, Xenons, built-in radar/laser jammer, 40k miles.
Si 085 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Si 078 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Si 030 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Porsche 042 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Porsche 046 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Owned and loved that car for just 6 months before taking an assignment abroad; regrettably sold it, although still pocketing a couple staques, instead of stashing it away for a year and a half like I should have done. Oh well, live and learn...
Fast forward to April 2011, and I'd returned from the UK with a hankering for U.S. grade A beef. Enter this shootin', spittin', bad decision on wheels:
IMG_0036 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0037 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0045 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0050 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0052 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Was fun for a bit, but the appeal gradually wore off. Dunno if it was the general lack of polish, or unwilling attitude in the corners, but it just wasn't me. A great car, but not for me. Sold it in February, bought this thing to pass the time:
IMG_0080 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0088 by raregreen91, on Flickr
And then bit the bullet on what I should have kept all along, another 2006 Cayman S. I drove this one home from Arkansas about two months ago but have been too busy driving it to take any pictures, so here they are after a wash/wax tonight:
Details: 2006 Cayman S, 30k miles, GT Silver/Natural Brown full leather, Sport Chrono, Heated seats, hardwired V1, Harman Kardon iPod controller
IMG_0568 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0569 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0566 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0570 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0578 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0575 by raregreen91, on Flickr
And now I'm in motoring bliss once again.
That's my story. Take it or leave it.
:beer::beer::beer:
:beer::beer::beer:
Happened to me once before; had this beauty back in high school, a new-in-2000 Electron Blue Pearl Civic Si.
With my dad's 98 GTI VR6:
Civic.VR6.2001 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Just before I sold it, at its "peak": real Mugen front lip, Ground Control coilovers, Integra GS-R "sawblade" wheels
Civic.2002 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Decided after just two years that I needed something a little more "beat down" for college, and while I'm at it, faster too.
Enter this succubus (not mine but identical color/looks): 1991 Galant VR-4, #1667/2000. Had it for just under a year before it broke my bank account and every piece in its driveline along the way. Sold it with a blown turbo for $2 grand less than I bought it for and laughed as it drove away in a cloud of smoke.
gvr4__6 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Bought back what I should have kept all along, another 2000 Civic Si. 22k miles (in 2003) and in very good shape, I would go on to put 136k total on it over 6 years before selling it on.
Si 005 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Si 009 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Si 023 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Si 022 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Si 021 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Picture 006 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Si 049 by raregreen91, on Flickr
In the mean time, I had landed a real job and was able to make the mother of all upgrades in mid-2009, thanks to a fellow Car Lounger who directed me to this pristine, Porsche CPO beauty being sold at fire sale prices by a dealer in Chicago during the middle of the financial collapse. To put my deal in perspective, I could not match the price I got then on this car three years later on the one further down, and from a private seller no less. Turns out, the salesman (who was the Porsche dealer owner's son) had simply priced it too low, and turned away about 50 buyers who showed up after I put down my deposit. Score!
Details: 2006 Cayman S, Atlas Grey/Sand Beige, 6MT, Sport Chrono, Bose, Xenons, built-in radar/laser jammer, 40k miles.
Si 085 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Si 078 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Si 030 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Porsche 042 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Porsche 046 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Owned and loved that car for just 6 months before taking an assignment abroad; regrettably sold it, although still pocketing a couple staques, instead of stashing it away for a year and a half like I should have done. Oh well, live and learn...
Fast forward to April 2011, and I'd returned from the UK with a hankering for U.S. grade A beef. Enter this shootin', spittin', bad decision on wheels:
IMG_0036 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0037 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0045 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0050 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0052 by raregreen91, on Flickr
Was fun for a bit, but the appeal gradually wore off. Dunno if it was the general lack of polish, or unwilling attitude in the corners, but it just wasn't me. A great car, but not for me. Sold it in February, bought this thing to pass the time:
IMG_0080 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0088 by raregreen91, on Flickr
And then bit the bullet on what I should have kept all along, another 2006 Cayman S. I drove this one home from Arkansas about two months ago but have been too busy driving it to take any pictures, so here they are after a wash/wax tonight:
Details: 2006 Cayman S, 30k miles, GT Silver/Natural Brown full leather, Sport Chrono, Heated seats, hardwired V1, Harman Kardon iPod controller
IMG_0568 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0569 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0566 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0570 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0578 by raregreen91, on Flickr
IMG_0575 by raregreen91, on Flickr
And now I'm in motoring bliss once again.
That's my story. Take it or leave it.
:beer::beer::beer:
:beer::beer::beer: