I HAVE ALWAYS LIKED AUTOMOBILES AND I HAVE OWNED JUNKERS, CLUNKERS, OLD AND NEW.  AT AN EARLY AGE, ONE OF MY FRIENDS AND I WORKED ON CARS, JUST TO KEEP THEM GOING.  WE WOULD RUN THE FRONT WHEELS UP ON A COUPLE BALES OF HAY AND GET UNDER THE FRONT END, DROP THE PAN AND GO TO WORK, PUTTING IN RINGS ROD BEARINGS AND WHATEVER ELSE IT NEEDED.  GET IT ALL TOGETHER AND RIDE FOR AWHILE AFTER PUTTING IN SOME OIL, OF COURSE.  SINCE MONEY WAS SCARCE, WE USED CHEAP OIL.  IT SEEM LIKE WE DID SOMETHING WRONG BECAUSE FREQUENTLY WE WERE REPEATING THE EFFORT.  ITS NOW SIMPLER TODAY, BUT ITS A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE.  THE LAST CAR I REPLACED ROD BEARINGS ON WAS A 1937 LINCOLN V12.  

ON ALL THE NEW CARS I BOUGHT, I WOULD HAVE TO RATE A 1982 STUDEBAKER LARK TOPS. GOOD MILEAGE, LOTS OF ROOM INSIDE, BUT NOT GREAT ON THE RESALE. MY LARK COST ME $2650,00 A YEAR LATER STUDEBAKER WENT OUT OF BUSINESS, EXCEPT FOR THE AVANTI MODEL.  IT WAS ALWAYS FUN GETTING A NEW CAR AND I DID IT FOR SEVERAL YEARS RUNNING. TODAYS CARS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE FOR ME, SO I BUY A GOOD USED ONE WITH SOME OF THE NEAT AMENITIES ON IT.  THE FIRST NEW CAR I BOUGHT WAS A 1960 CHEVY CORVAIR, A FUN CAR WHICH I DROVE THOUSANDS OF MILES DESPITE RALPH NADERS THOUGHTS ON THE CAR.  

YES, I TRIED A FOREIGN CAR--AN ENGLISH FORD--GOOD CAR BUT TO SMALL FOR A GROWING FAMILY.  ONE OTHER FORAY INTO FOREIGN CARS WAS A CHEVY LUV PICK-UP MADE IN JAPAN.  RUST PROBLEMS PROMPTED ME TO TRADE IT IN ON SOMETHING AMERICAN.  

FROM A 1929 MODEL A FORD PANEL DELIVERY TO MY PRESENT OLDER LOW MILEAGE BUICK, THERE HAVE BEEN 40 CARS IN MY LIFE.    ENOUGH?  I MIGHT CONSIDER ANOTHER FOREIGN CAR AS SOON AS I CAN AFFORD A BENTLY.