1975 Pontiac Firebird "Pontiac One"

Amazing isn't it? If you hold onto something long enough, it eventually becomes valuable. Who could have guessed everyday cars from the '60s could be worth so much today?

Not a week goes by that I wish I still had this old trusty rocket. Still hoping to find one someday in pristine condition...

My first new car - 1977 Camaro Type LT

After lusting over the '67 Camaro when it first arrived I realized like many other "Chevy Fan Boys" this was the ride for me. I fell in love with the SS/RS models, somehow those hide away headlights really made the car look so much nicer (IMHO).

I followed the car through the "68, '69 & 70-1/2 (few recall the newer fastback models didn't arrive until Feb. '70) up through the '73 models. The '70 was so European looking that it blew everyone else out of the water with it's gorgeous long hood and short deck Ferrari like style. Ultimately it set the trend for Camaros for the next 12 years until Chevrolet decided it was overdue for a restyle that to my eyes never looked quite right.

Somewhere in the midst of all this change I came of age and with driver's license in hand (along with some financial backing from my parents) decided I was going to have my Camaro no matter what. If I had my way (and the money) I definitely would have gone for a '67-'69 or even 1970-1/2 model but I wasn't old enough to legally drive much less ever get my hands on enough cash to have bought one.

Well for better or worse, in April 1977 I got my Camaro, a fully loaded Type LT which was the top of the line at the time. The car had to be ordered and didn't arrive until mid July. By the time it did it was a both beautiful and a wreck!

During transport, the shipper had chained the car down so tight using the holes in the chassis, they not only became elongated but several chassis welds were broken. I found this out during my first drive after delivery when each turn I took caused a "thumping" noise from the rear. The next day it rained pretty hard and soon I found over an inch of  water leaked in.

It spent the next 6 weeks (not exaggerating) back at the dealers in an attempt to repair it. After numerous other misc issues such as malfunctioning wipers, loose moldings, electrical gremlins that caused the tail lights to stay on, etc. the dealer felt so bad they offered me the opportunity to replace it with a new '78 model.

Like a dumb baby chick who bonds with the first inanimate object  it confuses for it's mother, I was determined not to let go and get it fixed. Besides, the dark metallic blue I so dearly loved was discontinued on the '78 model.

 The reintroduction of the 1977-1/2 Z-28 was another tempting alternative but due to it's late arrival and limited numbers none were available. And honestly by this time it was more of a cosmetic option than a performance model. Yet it would have been possible to have the 350 4-bbl I so dearly craved and was cheated from due to the engine sharing with Oldsmobile at the time.

Both the car and I stayed in New York for about 6 months before moving to California. While there I was "fortunate" to have lived close to the Van Nuys assembly plant where the car was so "lovingly" (sic) put together. Honestly, I could write a book about all the screw ups I saw there (both manufactured and human) but suffice it say I found out part of the reason why the car had so many problems.

Eventually I moved to Arizona where it received constant TLC, some drive train mods, a primo paint job by a painter who mostly did exotics and new top. I kept the car for over 12 years until I decided it was time to become practical and replaced it with my 1989 Accord SE-i.

Of all the Hondas we ever owned this '99 Ody was the most disappointing. Considering we waited almost 6 months due to high demand and paid over $1200 "market adjustment (major ripoff - won't ever make that mistake again). I should never have purchased it without a test drive first (none available - these were hot back in the day).

This first year of the 2nd generation design was the largest vehicle Honda ever made at the time. While overall a good design it had many shortcomings we just couldn't get around.

Issue one; seat comfort was unbelievably BAD which for a Honda is incredible. Flat park bench seats were notorious for their lack of lateral support but worse, they inflicted pain in the backs not seen since the Spanish Inquistion.

Issue two; intrusive road noise. I originally blamed this on the Firestone OEM tires but even after replacing them with Michelin Pilots, road noise was always present.

Issue three; overall cost savings (skimping) by Honda resulted in less than satisfactory material quality. Example, Mexican sourced speakers sounded like tin cans. Hard plastic surfaces and unlined storage areas magnified and resonated road noise to a point of major discomfort.

Many people still own and love their 2nd gen Odys, but for us it was all too disappointing and painful to live with. With just a little over 17,300 miles and less than 4 years old we sold it. It was the shortest length of time I ever owned any vehicle. Occasionally I miss it's versatility and hauling capacity. But after recalling several horrific 400 plus mile drives, I much prefer my TSX. Now why couldn't Honda have put those seats in!?

At least Honda got it right by the time they released the 3rd generation model in 2005. All the shortcomings (except the style) were addressed. But for us it was too late and too expensive as the price had shot up dramatically along with gas prices.

Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This  "amazing" vehicle once owned by a former boss at Intel is both a celebration and a desecration of all things automotive...

Essentially there are no bounds to this car's ugliness - yet it is both repulsive and strangely beautiful at the same time (if that's possible) you decide.

My current pride and joy purchased new in July 2003. First Acura but still a Honda, this TSX based on the Euro Accord was a great value and still turns heads.

Now after 5 years and 33,000 miles, it's as tight and fun as when I first bought it. Originally I thought it needed a V6 but like most Hondas, I've gotten used to the high revving 4 cylinder engine.  With the slick 6-speed manual this front driver is more well balanced than most newer cars.

After reviewing the newer 2nd generation 2009 TSX, I am very happy to keep my original sport sedan. My feeling is Honda (Acura) have lost their way with their newest models in terms of styling and all their models have become bloated and just plain weird. Oh well, looks like I will keep this one a while longer...