Cars? I love cars…and I fool with ‘em because I love the back roads and driving ‘em. Ohio has some great sport car roads.

1964 Pontiac Tempest LeMans - 6 cylinder could not be killed. Over 250,000 miles when it just got too rusty to trust the rear suspension staying with the car. Bought it from my brother in ‘73 after he had a local school fix up the body and paint it. Got me through the college years.

1969 Ford Custom 500…given to me by my father when the Tempest was put to rest in early ‘77. Hated it, only drove for a year when it was crunched in front of a buddies house we were living in right on a corner. Accident in the intersection, cars bounced off each other and ended up in my car. Totaled with about 95,000 miles.

1974 Audi 100 LS - 4 cylinder SOHC about 110 HP. Inboard Front brakes, front wheel drive…the car was made for icy roads. Love that little coupe even though a lot of people hated the car. When fixed properly it was a sweet ride. Bought with 45,000 in 1978 sold it when the engine mount broke at around 165,000 miles in 1984.

1971 BMW Bavaria - Got it from a customer for some graphic arts work. Lovely and very fast 3 liter BMW straight 6. Going through intersection one day the car ground to a halt and then went into reverse. Transmission’s last stand. Found out later the guy I got in from had a bunch of bozos work on the very complex transmission. They had no idea what they were doing. Sold out for parts…broken heart. Didn’t drive much, didn’t have for long.

Now starts the VW love affair.

1979 Rabbit LS. Bought it with 70,000 miles in ‘83 drove it for years. Lost the engine coming home late at night when the fan for the radiator stopped cooling and the idiot lights for warning about overheating didn’t. Had engine rebuilt and modified, Bigger cam, all new valve train with bigger valves, head ported…bigger throttle body…it would scoot. About 6 months after the engine rebuild a guy ran a red light two blocks from my house (‘85). I t-boned him and folded the front of the car up. I was fine, car wasn’t. Glad I hit him with the front instead of him hitting me in the side. I saw him between houses and knew he wasn’t stopping so I was on the brakes early. Phew, that was close.

Got a used 1980 Rabbit in great condition with an abused engine. Pulled that and put the engine from crashed car into it. Ran great. Also altered the suspension into pretty much a little street racer. It sat low and it was so tight you could read the date on a dime when you drove of the coin. Drove it until 1992 when it was getting pretty rusted out…Rabbit were throw away. It had 155,000 miles on it.

1992 VW Golf Mark 2 body…2 door sunroof. First all new car. Kept it forever almost. Had it when I got my ‘99 (next) then had it’s suspension modified for handling, bigger tires, etc. Kept it until 2007 when I sold it to a buddy that anted it. It still looked good, not a scratch on it. Needed a little work. Had 189,000 miles. Loved it.

1999 VW Gti. First one in Columbus…straight from Wolfsburg. Solid car. Drove the crap out of it. Tilt sunroof, all leather. Had lowering sport springs and sport shocks added. Retired in 2008 as it was about to need everything since the only things I did in all those miles was one brake job, an engine timing sensor and a catalytic converter which was discounted because VW had issues with them that year. Had 179,000 miles on it.

2008 VW Rabbit. Love it. 2.5 liter, 5 cylinder 20 valve inline 175 HP…in a 2700 lb car. It moves. Decent mileage if I keep my foot out of it. Very simple car…cloth interior and no sunroof, but that is why it only weighs what it does. As fast as a fully dressed factory GTi of same vintage. Currently only has 79,000 miles. Clean as the day I bought it. Probably have it for some time…might add another new Golf or GTi and see if that is all the car I need going into retirement. Don’t drive much anymore, so I can keep miles down.

Consumer Reports says I am nuts…they are generally down on VWs. I have had enormous luck with them. But I keep up on maintenance and I use good oil. Used Mobil 1 on the ‘79. Use spec oil for newer VWs all synthetic. The reason I love the VW hatch backs…parts galore and easy to fix them up into what you want.