Just wondering...

[DJ]

Do "ricers" give names to their cars like many of us who own Italian cars? Or is that just reserved for cars that have souls?

[1,6 HF]

Honestly can't say I've ever understood the whole naming thing.

[DJ]

I used to be like that. It started here with my wife. Now it just seems somehow "right".

[davidb]

After 3+ yrs. I've named my '82 LBZ "piece of junk #1". After
2+ yrs. my '76 Scorp is "piece of junk #2". Neither cooperate
w/my restoration efforts nor thousands & thousands of dollars.
Neither run, see no end in sight. Sound like I've been working
on them this Saturday w/o success: you betcha. Names . . . ?

[DJ]

Geez, Dave. Just start one up and drive it! You'll feel much better.

[1,6 HF]

After 3+ yrs. I've named my '82 LBZ "piece of junk #1". After
2+ yrs. my '76 Scorp is "piece of junk #2". Neither cooperate
w/my restoration efforts nor thousands & thousands of dollars.
Neither run, see no end in sight. Sound like I've been working
on them this Saturday w/o success: you betcha. Names . . . ?

does that mean you've given up on the name "Ray of Sunshine"?...

[DJ]

does that mean you've given up on the name "Ray of Sunshine"?...

LOL! Sunshine for short. But I thought that was David's nickname!

[davidb]

Hey I freely admit I'm a pessimistic curmongeon [sp?]. I
just want see sunshine thru either roof on the road. I like
the cars, like working on them. Luv to have one roadworthy.
Some people call Betas "Poor Men's Ferraris", I disagree, they
are what they are, far from a Ferrari. If I could afford my
favorite flavor of Ferrari: 308 GT4, I'd have the bucks to buy
one & fix it up. As things stand I'm stuck w/two Betas w/o alot
of dough. My MAJORRRRRRRRR frustration is having to start
and stop w/their restore due to a lack of funds. I still can't sleep
@ night after the botched $7.7K job the bodyshop did on the Zag
last Fall. I'll keep @ it. Ah the hell w/this, enough . . .

[Will]

Hey I freely admit I'm a pessimistic curmongeon [sp?]. I
just want see sunshine thru either roof on the road. I like
the cars, like working on them. Luv to have one roadworthy.
Some people call Betas "Poor Men's Ferraris", I disagree, they
are what they are, far from a Ferrari. If I could afford my
favorite flavor of Ferrari: 308 GT4, I'd have the bucks to buy
one & fix it up. As things stand I'm stuck w/two Betas w/o alot
of dough. My MAJORRRRRRRRR frustration is having to start
and stop w/their restore due to a lack of funds. I still can't sleep
@ night after the botched $7.7K job the bodyshop did on the Zag
last Fall. I'll keep @ it. Ah the hell w/this, enough . . .

My God, you do love orphans- you have the GTB and GTS and all of the other great Pinifarina-styled F-cars to choose from and you pick the ugly Bertone sister! I think that's my least Favorite Ferrari, with the possible exception of the fugly Citroen-looking 330GT 2+2.

I'll make you a deal- if anybody gives me one, I'll trade ya for any other Ferrari in similar condition, even a 412! OK, don't hold your breath :)

edit> and IMO a Scorpicarlo is WAY WAY WAY better loking than a GT4! :eek

[Andrew S]

I've only just noticed this thread. I've never actually named a car but then I've also never actually felt any of my cars were female... strange but true. I know it's the done thing to refer to a beautiful sports car as a "she" but, I dunno, I never have. Potent, muscular, powerful, brutish, angry... none of my favourite female characteristics are there really! Then again, beautiful, sexy, yes. There just always seems to be more masculine adjectives...

Oh, and I'm with David on the Ferrari thing- the 308GT4 is my favourite Ferrari too. I'm lucky enough to have owned one and I loved it. It was a schoolboy dream to own one of the 'big 3' (Lambo, Ferrari or Maserati) before I was 30 and I did it. First a Fiat Dino coupe, without a doubt my favourite car ever, then the 308 followed by a Fiat Dino Spyder. Loved 'em all. Fabulous feeling having genuine Ferrari under your right foot! Well, genuine Fiat-Ferrari... I sold each one to buy the next, finally selling the Spyder in 2001 before it cost me any serious money... 'cos I didn't have any! Still don't, dammit.

Will, do you not like Citroens? I thought they would appeal to your engineering mind. I think the older Citroens are works-of-art.

Andrew.

[Will]

Will, do you not like Citroens? I thought they would appeal to your engineering mind. I think the older Citroens are works-of-art.

Andrew.

Honestly? Not so much..... I think the French should stick to what they are good at: wine, cheese, and roux. :)

I tend to emphasize aesthetics, and I can't remember ever seeing a French car that I thought was really exceptional. Add to that the fact that here, except for the diesel Peugeots, as far as I can remember we only got the very worst of French engineering, like the Le Crap. (The car that makes a Yugo or Dodge Omni look like a quality vehicle)

[davidb]

When I was considering buying a Lancia in the mid-to-late '70s
a dealer here had three lines: Citroen, Lancia & Fiat. What was
that owner thinking? Pity the poor mechanics! And to Will I say
the Bertone GT4's appeal to me more as it is more angular,
looks more aggressive & more masculine than the Pinni GTS. I
still think the GTS looks like a girlie car. But I could tempo-
rarily drop my bias like Chevy Chase w/you-know-who driving
her GTS. Yummers!

[Andrew S]

Will, aesthetically speaking, I think the Citroen CX is awesome. I am biased as I own one (although not this one, unfortunately!). I don't think the USA got the CX (correct me if I'm wrong) so they're probably not a common sight over there. Mechanically (engine-wise at least) extremely basic- ohv motors with a block dating back to the 1930's, but the suspension!! 100% hydraulic- no springs, no shocks, just strange green fluid and some nitrogen. MILES of pipes... I love 'em.

David, that's the reason I like the GT4 too- it ain't overly curvy and so probably the reason why I also like the Montecarlo. Unlike women, of course, who absolutely HAVE to be overly curvy...;-)... maybe if I bought a GTS I would give that one a girls name... I'd have to!!

Andrew.