What is the average age of a new WRX/STI owner

[cohland]

Very nice! Got any pics
to share? The first car of which I have a memory is my mom's '64 MGB; that little car had a lot of personality, and made neat sounds.

Not a single photo survived, and I can't imagine that we didn't take any. It was Dover White, red interior, black top, Abarth exhaust, and a badly worn engine (I got it used). This is a photo of a similar car, but not mine:




I actually measured on a short trip that it got 41.4MPG and 41.4MPQ (quart of oil). That beauty would smoke!

Chris

[zax]

[RayfieldsWRX]

I actually measured on a short trip that it got 41.4MPG and 41.4MPQ (quart of oil). That beauty would smoke!

I think most imports did, in those days. My mom's MG leaded oil like crazy, and had 2 fairly serious wiring fires.

[cohland]

I think most imports did, in those days. My mom's MG leaded oil like crazy, and had 2 fairly serious wiring fires.

The Sprite had a couple of what I call "spontaneous" electrical fires. I would pull up to a stop light, smoke would roll out from under the dash, there would be a flash, and it would quit running. I'd turn the key off, turn it back on, and it would start as if nothing had happened.

Electrical system courtesy of Joseph Lucas, Ltd., also known as the "Prince of Darkness", and inventor of the three-position switch: Dim, Flicker, and Off.

Chris

[Calvinball]

The Sprite had a couple of what I call "spontaneous" electrical fires. I would pull up to a stop light, smoke would roll out from under the dash, there would be a flash, and it would quit running. I'd turn the key off, turn it back on, and it would start as if nothing had happened. Electrical system courtesy of Joseph Lucas, Ltd., also known as the "Prince of Darkness", and inventor of the three-position switch: Dim, Flicker, and Off.

Chris

[Mikie13]

Chris's humor wins

[RayfieldsWRX]

The Sprite had a couple of what I call "spontaneous" electrical fires. I would pull up to a stop light, smoke would roll out from under the dash, there would be a flash, and it would quit running. I'd turn the key off, turn it back on, and it would start as if nothing had happened.

2 Stories: (I don't feel too bad, this thread's been around a while, and will get back on track on its own)

--My mom learned how to deal with most every idiosyncrasy of the MGB. One of these was the tendency for the electric fuel pump to suddenly stop working. In late 1966, while waaaaay pregnant with me, it killed on her while going down a 45mph highway. She coasted off into the parking lot of a beer joint, and, in front of a crowd of drunken onlookers, took a screwdriver under the car. She tapped the fuel pump until it started working again, got back in the car, and took off. Gotta love the self-sufficiency of the Silent Generation.

--The car had one wiring fire, and my parents paid to have it redone. The second (and last fire before my parents decided to offload it) time, it happened on a night when my dad, an orchestra director, had a concert. Having had a successful performance, he exited facility in his tuxedo, to find the MG hopping around in its parking space. A fire was in progress, and the starter had somehow shorted out with the car in gear. I'd love to have witnessed that scene first hand.

Neat cars, but if I was going to re-do a cantakerous English car, I'd probably go look for an old Lotus, either a Europa, or an early Esprit. I'll probably never get around to that, though. I love the German sports cars, too much.

[cohland]

.....Neat cars, but if I was going to re-do a cantakerous English car, I'd probably go look for an old Lotus, either a Europa, or an early Esprit. I'll probably never get around to that, though. I love the German sports cars, too much.

I'll follow your lead and stop this side-trip when you say so, but with that said, I have a little to add. I attempted a frame-up restoration of a 1961 or 62 TR3-B, but was defeated by the endless cheating and downright incompetence of a couple of shops that will remain nameless. I ended up with a rented garage full of parts and the chassis, which I sold to a Ford plant manager, who actually completed the restoration, and did a beautiful job in the process: BRG, steel wheels, and a proper engine build.



The Lotus sickness flirted with me, but I took the logical alternative and got a Miata: The Lotus that didn't leak!



Chris

[zax]

I would own an Esprit V8 with a competent transmission, but since no such Esprit reached consumerism, I will continue to own my WRX.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

[Rambo]

I love the looks and sound of the last gen Esprit, but yeah, I wouldn't own one.

Fun fact, since Lotus designed most of the DeLorean's chassis, it has a lot in common with the Esprit of it's year, and several DMC owners have swapped Esprit engines into them.

[RayfieldsWRX]

Yeah, there's no logical reason to own an Esprit. I saw it as a kid in "The Spy Who Loved Me", fell in love with the (at the time) radically angular shape, and it became one of my unicorns. Of course, if I was going to own a late '70's vintage sports car, this is the one I'd look for. 200hp and 2500 lbs, with a much more bulletproof drivetrain.

[Rummie]

37 when I took ownership of my WRX

I too have a penchant for small European money pits, I tend to lean toward the Fiats, Lancias and Alphas though, but I wouldnt say no to a single Euro roadster/sports car ever made. I'm currently eyeing a Volvo 1800 for a project car. My first car of my own was a 76 Fiat Spyder and it was a disaster from day one but it made me comfortable taking apart a car and putting it back together again. Definitely worth the heart aches and bloody knuckles.

[ryan523]

picked up my '12 at 18

[Weedity]

I'm 18 and bought my 03 myself, not with my parents help. Plus, I didn't get it to look cool either, I got it because I fell in love when driving it. I don't care if I look cool, I got it because it's a nice car all around, very flexible.

[ryan523]

oh yeah, bought it myself without parents help and am making 6 payments a month lol