That moment when...

[KnightOwl]

I assume all of us have that time when we drive our cars and the feeling sinks in about why we bought it and why we love to drive it. On Mother's Day, my wife and I enjoyed a day trip and we took my DD Ford Escape. Granted, I really like the little ute with its spunky 2.0 turbo, comfy driver seat and lots of convenient toys, but the following morning I took the GP for my back-to-work commute.

 

Out on the highway, the seating position of the GP just feels more natural. I don't know why so many new cars position the steering wheel so far away, as if we have the arms of an ape to reach. The GP lets me rest my arm on the door and easily hold the wheel in a very relaxed way. The GP also boasts superior legroom, but even more important, my knees are up against nothing...again, relaxed and comfortable.

 

The new head unit I added gives me music and phone connection at a touch, while the car didn't come with that it doesn't matter because it was an easy upgrade. I don't see that as an old vs new factor since many cars made just 5 years ago didn't have all those things.

 

But more than comfort is the experience as a whole. Highway cruising with a subtle but noticeable exhaust note and the feel of responsive power on tap make for a pleasing experience. Maybe its a throwback to the GP I owned before, maybe its a thread connection with my old Trans Am, or maybe its simply because the GP is just that good. I'm still amazed how many I see roaming the pavement. Some nice, but most in aged running condition. Not pretty but still getting the job done.

 

I love having those moments when you remind yourself how lucky you were to find this car, how glad you still are that you bought it and how much you enjoy the transformation going on under your own hands. Some of us shoot for original restoration, some go for balls-out power and speed, while others hunt for that just right compromise that puts a smile on your face.

 

My black 2001 GP was a beautiful machine that drew stares everywhere I drove it. I hope someday I'll be able to make Gypsy a showstopper to surpass her predecessor. Then I'll happily hang a photo of her on my den wall next to the "Thunderbat."

 

Long live the W-body, easily one of the most underrated machines in automotive history.

[Galaxie500XL]

I felt the same way about my LQ1 Cutlass convertible the first spring day I drove my favorite backroads after fixing everything.

[oldmangrimes]

I had one of those moments yesterday with my Cutlass convertible. 

 

I was coming home from work, top down, 75 degree perfect Oregon evening, with a large box in the backseat that wouldn't have fit in any other convertible.   I had to pick up two of my kids at the in-laws on the way home, and I wasn't worried because there's plenty of room in the Olds.  There wasn't a single other car I saw in the thousands around me on my 45-minute commute that could accomplish that task, while still having the large box in the back seat, top down to enjoy the sun, rare enough to not see myself, and bright red to turn a few heads in the process.   

 

My only brief moment of jealously was when I pulled up next to a Audi V10 sedan and heard that exhaust note and made eye contact with the driver.   But then I realized he was stuck in a black car on a beautiful sunny day, with hundreds of horsepower he can't use in that traffic anyway, in a car that's depreciating a dollar a mile (or he's leasing for a dollar a mile), while I got to feel the sun and breeze on my bald head in a fun car that's super cheap to operate. 

 

W-body's forever!

[Imp558]

I miss my Regal, that feeling of symbiosis was amazing.

[MemphisMan]

The GP also boasts superior legroom, but even more important, my knees are up against nothing...again, relaxed and comfortable.

The openness of the drivers seating area is one of the reasons I prefer the vert to any "newer" car I've sat in.  I'm no Ron Jeremy, but I do like to sit with my knees far apart and I just can't do that in most new cars where the drivers knee room is so restricted.  My wife's 2014 LaCrosse has so much room overall, but I don't like driving it because the knee room is really restricted.  

 

I'll always drive a convertible.  There isn't a convertible on the road today that is as versatile as the 90-95 CS.  First and foremost it seats 5, which I absolutely need.  I carry 3 passengers on a weekly basis, but have had to carry 4 a few times a month...either my kids or their friends.  The trunk is big and I've never ran out of room back there. 

 

I daily my car year round and, no shit, smile every single day.  I consider myself extremely fortunate to own such a great convertible.  I swear ya'll, if this one was totaled in an accident, I'd buy another one without question.  

[GTP091]

Well said.  I don't have a vert but certainly like them.  I drove my wifes 06' PT cruiser convertible to work today and hate the thing.  The side window sill is to high to put your arm out the window and hold the wheel. The seat sits up like high like a truck.  The engine vibrates like crazy.  Little old ladies think its a 'really nice blue car' which makes me hate it even more. 

 

Our roads today are filled with silvery, gray, champagne colored crossovers.  Looks like a sea of automatons.  I was discussing this awhile ago with some people and it really comes down to the classic coupe shape of vehicles is almost entirely gone.  Not much left but ford fiesta shapes, crossovers, small SUVs and something in between.  Sad really; that nice looking affordable cars are almost extinct and have been replaced with something that's focused on utility and lack any real style.  

 

Unless you buy something specific and dig deeper in the wallet of course.

[KnightOwl]

I think its tremendously sad that virtually every automaker is bailing on the mid-size sedan market just because they cant topple the Honda Accord and  Toyota Camry. Both cars are about as vanilla as you can get, although the new Accord is one of the better looking to come along in a while. The Chevy Malibu (which I do like) is about the only other contender I can think of in the price bracket. The Charger and Impala are both nice but even they lack that certain pizzazz...the Charger comes close but at a price. I do agree the sexy coupe has become a rare animal.

 

Its funny in retrospect how I always thought of my 2001 GP as kind of a big car. Since I bought Gypsy, I'm amazed how low to the ground it is and how much smaller in overall size to the last few cars I've owned. I also have to admit I really relate to the comments above about convertibles. Finding a ragtop with both passenger space and trunk room is a rare gem and while I liked the several drop-tops I've owned, none were truly practical. I recall fawning over Cutlass verts for a long time before I could ever afford a second car. After seeing a few on this board, I wish I had swung for the fence back then, but such is life. I think my wife tolerated drop-tops for my sake but never really loved the experience. Nowadays I just open the sunroof and listen to the wind blow for a little while. LOL

 

Its about time for me to shove off to work again, and even though the forecast is for rain today, I feel a Gypsy commute coming on this morning.  

 

[KnightOwl]

One other thing I forgot to add....In 2005 Mercedes-Benz was credited with "reviving" the "four-door coupe." I hate to break the news to our German friends, but when GM launched the new body style Grand Prix in 1997, the roof line of the coupe and sedan are virtually identical. This is one of the reasons I love my car. It provides the practicality and access of a sedan with the sleek lines of my 2001 coupe. I still agree the long doors on the coupe make for a cleaner line and aggressive look, but as sedans go, I think the GP is one of the best.

 

Nice try MB  

[Imp558]

Four doors are easier to park. Don't need to worry about the distance between the cars for the long coupe doors.

[KnightOwl]

Four doors are easier to park. Don't need to worry about the distance between the cars for the long coupe doors.

And the hinges don't give out as readily from the weight over time...(ask me how I know)  

[Grandprix1]

Haha I think my driver door is starting to go. It doesn’t stay on the 2nd notch unless it’s on flat ground. Honestly irritates me.

[Grandprix1]

I feel the same about mine. It’s comfy and easy to see out of and a blast to drive. I trust that car a lot and each time I drive it or throw it into corners it amazes me each time with the level of control it’s got. I’ve only ever come close to loosing it in a corner once when it under steered and then over steered. Luckily I caught it but it scared me so much.