Friday Fun Thread: Must-Do's

Today's Top Ten Automotive fun thread is a little different. Today we're going to discuss the cars and trucks that one must drive at least once in their lives - but realistic cars. Oh, sure, a 1912 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost would be a hoot, as would a Lamborghini Gallardo; however precious few of us will ever have the opportunity to drive either of these. I mean cars that you're likely to come across in your daily lives; cars you might actually be able to afford - even if it's just to rent for a weekend.

With that in mind, here goes:

1. Decadent luxury car. For me, it was a 1996 Cadillac Sedan De Ville (in 1996). We rented it for our honeymoon (two weeks in Quebec City and Montreal) as an upgrade to the Ford Escort I'd gotten while my car was getting fixed after the wreck I had four days prior to my wedding. Making the 8 hour drive to Quebec in a luxurious American luxobarge eased the pain significantly.

2. Modest American muscle car. Mustang GT, Camaro SS, Challenger. Something that's within most people's budgets but is too impractical to own. I've driven a few over the years, the most memorable being a buddy of mine's brother's '85 T/A with all the bells and whistles. The brother had lost his license (go figure), and asked if we wanted to take out his T/A to get it running. Cruising down the beach with the T-roofs out and the V8 purring is an experience that comes highly recommended.

3. Large pickup truck. Just to give a feel for what it's like to pilot one of these mammoths around. Biggest I've gotten with any experience is my current rig, the '07 Dodge earthfucker Ram, although there have been a couple 3/4 ton trucks I've piloted in the day. Bonus points for long bed and/or dually; super extra bonus points for crew cab long bed dually...

4. Stripped econobox. For me, it was a 1994 Plymouth Sundance I banged back and forth to the University of New Hampshire. Picked it up as a holdover dirt cheap (it was all I could afford as a grad student) and spent three years absolutely hating it. Ideally should be a standard transmission with no power anything and no air conditioning. Really makes you appreciate the creature comforts.

5. Modest European sports car. BMW 3 series, lower end Porsches. I got to drive a buddy's '86 944S Turbo once up and down Route 1 just north of Boston, and man, what a ride. Peppy, responsive, held the road like a dream - just the kind of car to get killed in or lose one's license. Possibly both.

6. Serious American muscle. Same idea as #5 - only instead of responsive make it "more horsepower than common sense". I've driven a couple that were close - a '72 LeMans with a 400 ci motor that I intended as a project "Le Goat" and a '71 Olds Cutlass S with the Rocket 350 and the Hurst Dualgate shifter that belonged to a buddy of mine that I got up to 120 runnin' up and down I95... Good times, good times...

7. Antique car. Something made back when you needed to choke the engine, when the high beam switch was on the floor and the shifter was on the steering column. There is nothing like old technology to make you realize just how freakin' good we have it now. Closest I've come is helping my uncle move his 1936 Plymouth Business Coupe around the yard - if it had had working brakes at the time, I would have taken it to the prom...

8. Performance car. Not necessarily the fastest car on the road, but something that really digs into the corners and lets you feel every curve of the road. I had a mid-'80s GTI (Golf-based, not Rabbit) that, even with four mis-matched tires, would get the inside rear tire off the ground on a tight offramp at 65+. Pushing limits in a car that will take it is a lot of fun, and even better if you can do it in a sanctioned event like an autocross...

9. Box van/15 passenger van. Along the lines of the large pickup, this is just to give you a feel for the outer end of the "does not perform" spectrum. Big. Slow. Heavy. All the aerodynamics of a brick with the added bonus of 150 billion square feet of wind-catching body for tooling down a highway on a windy day. The ne plus ultra for me was the mid-1960s International box truck we rented to move into our house. 4 speeds, couldn't go above 50 on the highway, and had all the responsiveness of continental drift.

10. Serious performance car. This is the one entry on the list that I have yet to drive, mainly because I still do not trust myself. Everyone should drive, at least once in their lives, a car that is capable of handling situations beyond their driving skills. Ideally this should be in some sort of driving school a la Skip Barber; at the very least it should happen on a wide open highway somewhere that gets little traffic. Everyone should see the speedometer hit north of 150 at least once in their lives...

---

So there's my list of cars I think everyone should drive at least once. Some are on there for the sheer thrill; some are on there to give you an appreciation for what you're driving right now. All of them should be experienced once; some multiple times; some could even be your daily driver.

What cars do you recommend?

That is all.