Been real quiet here lately....time to change that.

Recently had a 2002 Z06 Corvette......unbelievable car.

Most folks accused me of going through a mid life crisis. I pointed out that I was 57 when I bought the car. If I'm only mid-life.....Ed Smock is in deep trouble.

Truth is.....never could afford a Corvette until I was old.

Tell us all your best ever car.

Nick

I guess that would be the new 1971 Z28 Camaro I got using VRBpower when I was reenlisted by Arno Laux in Arg. A very close second is the 2013 Azera tech sedan I recently purchased. What a machine! It has RADAR front and rear to slow me down and keep me from hitting anything behind (the eyes aren't what they once were). Navigation, Sirius XM radio/traffic/weather/stock reports, a rear camera with distance marks, a panoramic solid glass roof with clamshell retracting interior headliner, Bluelink information technology, and pushbutton starting with smartkey. More gizmos than I've ever seen in Bronze Mist Metallic paint and Black and Tan leather. Now, as soon as I can get the 12 inches of new snow off of our roads I'll be able to drive it. I did my part today with my snowblower, but can't do the whole street.

Probably the '67 Mustang GTA 2+2 next best is the 2011 Camaro SS I am currently driving. More fun than any one person should have.

My best car and my worst car turn out to be the same car. A 1957 Mercury Monterey 2-door, hardtop convertible - with glass packs!!! My all-time favorite photo is of by bride-to-be perched on the front fender (our first date in 1962).

1995 Geo Metro (4cyl) sedan. Very good car with over 173,000 miles and still smooth as silk. Just change oil every 3000 miles and small general maintenance. Get's over 34mpg. Sure, it is small and it is not a "muscle car" like the GTO or Baracuda, but it has been very dependable.

No. Snickering. Mine was 1964 Corvair convertible: bright red, white top, black interior, 4 on the floor xmission, dual exhausts and a whopping 94 hp air-cooled engine.

Mid winter - Argentia - 1965. With an eye towards style over substance, I traded in my 64 Volkswagen Beetle (will go in any weather) for a brand new 65 red MG Midget Convertible. Very exciting to head out for a mid watch and having to clear the snow from INSIDE the car which blew in under the convertible top. Lots of fun in the summer, however. I took the car to Baarbados with me and ended up selling it to LT Mike Warren (I think the name is right). Most likely the car is still there.

Since your brought up Argentia, Newfoundland, I bought a 1962 Corvette from a ET1 Campbell while stationed in Argentia sometime in 1968. It was blue with a white top. 327 cu 340 horsepower. Would rattle the windows when it idled. It was by far my best car. Not the best car to drive in the snow. Took seperation in July 1969 in Argentia and drove it back to my hometown of Wellsville, Kansas. Still wish I had that car. Would do donuts in the snow real well....

WOW! I was really impressed with the Corvair. Imagine when we were priviledged to be alive during the muscle car days and then there are cars like the corvair, the ford falcon, the volkswagen bus and beetle, oh........yeah......the Edsel also!! HA! I heard that the corvair could float. My first new car was a 1970 Nova (6cyl and three on the floor).

Blue 1969 Firebird. Drove it new off the showroom floor for $2500. 350 with a Rochester 4 barrel and a 3 speed manual and a Hurst shifter stock. Man what a car. Sold it to Craig Wilson, OTMCS(Ret), in '83 for $1500 and thought I made a great sale. It would be worth 10 times that today. Guess it wasn't such a good sale. Been a Firebird lover ever since.

Without a doubt, a 64 Corvette convertible I had from about 2002 to 2007. This car had been remanufactured from the ground up and looked like it would have in 64. Silver-blue metallic, knock off spinners, 327/300horse, 4 speed, am/fm radio (wunderbar). The 63-67 Stingray is still a headturner and I never took it out without somebody approaching me and telling about one they or a relative had back in the day. Chris and I often took it to car shows and we won a number of trophies. I sold it to a collector and still have some regret about it. BTW, the car sold new for $4074.00, quite a sum in 1964. They fetch 10 times that amount now.

I promised John Burrell I would write this post so here goes.

Favorite cars evolve based on circumstances and one's objectives. When you're a teen, they have to go fast. When you approach 20, they have to impress the girls and when closing in on 35, it has to accommodate the kids/ Get it?

Well, in 1971, I was in Key West Fl for Maintenance/ITASS Maintenance school when I befriended an instructor whose name escapes me at the moment. He sported around in a 1971 Chevy Chevelle, candy apple red with black racing stripes up the hood, over the top and down the stern. It had Cowl Induction, meaning when you got on that 396/4 barrell, a cowl flew open on the hood and sucked all the air in Key West into that Gas Guzzling critter. It had white interior, bucket seats and 4 in the floor. Well unfortunately, this instructor had recently married a young lady with a child and she owned a Volvo station wagon (you see where this is headed) :) He had to rid himself of one vehicle and (see para 1), he sold me that beautiful vehicle for loan value. The car was fast a greased lightening and drove like a cadillac.

Now, as Paul Harvey once said, comes the rest of the story.

Finishing school, I was assigned to USS Hammerberg, DE 1015 home ported in Naples Italy. YEP, Pat and I shipped that bright red, extremely fast Chevelle to Naples (Really bad idea) If you've been there, then you already know that "stop signs" are merely suggestions and "traffic signals" are simply beautification ornaments on streets filled with Fiat 500s. I would leave home for what should have been a 15 minute drive to Fleet Landing and it would take on the order of an hour to an hour and a half to make the trip. The Locals saw that bright red vehicle and immediately knew I didn't want a scratch or dent under any circumstances so when they saw me at an intersection, they just kept going. On occasion, I would sit at intersections for 5-10 minutes before I could move on. I quickly decided that the Chevelle was not going to cut it in good old Napoli. So a good friend and fellow OT (Aaron Nutt) bought it from me and shipped it back to Texas. It was definitely my favorite car while in the U.S.

Now, I never considered myself the sharpest knife in the drawer but by about the time my/Nutt's Chevelle was arriving in Texas, I was buying an old (1963) Nash Rambler Ambassador. I had a plan. My two buddies from the USS Cascade (Tender) helped me weld Angle Iron Bumpers on that Baby and away I went through the streets of Naples ignoring every traffic "suggestion" and daring anyone in a Fiat 500 to try to cut me off. I didn't make a lot of Italian friends with this car but they dang sure got where they recognized that car for a great distance. Not sure I ever stopped for an intersection again. So, my old 63 Ambassador became my favorite car while in Napoli.

As I said, Favorite cars are dictated by circumstances and objectives.

J

I remember Aaron and I do remember the SS!!

Love my Mini Cooper!!

The sleek, fast '65 Chevy Impala 327 2-door hardtop I had during my tour at COSL. It will always be my favorite car. Funny, I could afford a '65 Impala then, but can't touch one now$$$!

Bill Turner

First off, HELLO NICK! Long time. I've been in touch with Larry Lamping and Aaron Abramsky. Ran into Eric Leaman a long time ago in my hometown in NJ.

Best car ever? I built an ERA Cobra S/C in 2002. Sold it in 2012 after 10 years. Restoring a 1950 CJ3A now. Maybe it will be done in time to drive it down.

I remember that you taught me to play golf. In fact, two years ago was in Bermuda and drove some balls from the clubhouse at Port Royal while looking at the Tudor Hill Facility in the distance. Every two years for the last 14, I've helped a friend sail his yacht back to NY after the Newport/Bermuda race. In fact, after I identified myself to the gate guard at the base, he allowed me to drive the scooter down the hill. Much of the base was torn down. The barracks were still there though, and the movie theater. Brought back some memories.

Hope to see you in Sept....