mitsubishi montero off-road jump

Hooniverse Asks: How has your dream car changed as you’ve gotten older?

Jeff Glucker
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There’s an account I follow on Instagram named Gondirtin. It’s a husband and wife team that documents their many days spent on the road. When traveling, they live out of an excellent imported and modified 70-Series Land Cruiser. Prior to that, they had a Montero. The husband put up a post that had me thinking, in which he stated that his 18-year-old self would’ve assumed he’d been in something sporty and sleek now, yet here he is in love with his off-road adventure brick. And I feel the same way.

Were I to ask my 18-year-old self what I’d be driving today, I assume my answer would be either a modified Japanese sports car or something sleek, fast, and German. Instead, I have a 30-year-old slow-as-hell box …and I love it. Yes, I have the Jag now too, but I wouldn’t have guessed that one either.

So I ask you, how has your dream car or ideal machine evolved as you’ve aged? Have you gotten more realistic? Have you been able to actually buy your childhood dream car? Or are you still staring at the same posters? Sound off below.

About

Jeff Glucker

Jeff Glucker

Jeff Glucker is the co-founder and Executive Editor of Hooniverse.com. He’s often seen getting passed as he hustles a 1991 Mitsubishi Montero up the 405 Freeway. IG: @HooniverseJeff

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7 responses to “Hooniverse Asks: How has your dream car changed as you’ve gotten older?”

  1. Chad Avatar
    Chad

    My dream car has changed from the McLaren F1 to the GMA T.50. 😀

    My “achievable” dream car has changed from a Porsche, to a Lotus, to a Miata – I don’t need horsepower, just good handling, reliability, and serviceability anywhere in the continental US for road trips. Lotus’ are actually fairly reliable, but every car needs service and parts.

    Reply
  2. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    Interesting question, I find myself surprised by something that smells like consistency. As a teenager, I wondered why this one didn’t come as a wagon:

    It was a conversation I had with myself, as my friends were all divided between Carreras, Countaches and Ferraris. None of them understood my interest in reliable Swedish cubism. Went on to own a bunch of 240s and 140s, a fantastic time, to be honest. A downside of that is the “rubber bumper comfort” that comes with these cars; I acquired a careless driving style which practice I have since regretted countless times.

    With nostalgia hitting hard 10-15 years ago, I suddenly wanted to own a GAZ 24, or 2nd generation Volga. Still looks like a Volvo 140, it’s just a truck underneath and is arguably worse in every aspect than the Volvo. I fought this urge relentlessly during the entire time I had small kids, with a household veto on purchasing a 264 TE that doubled in value just three years later as an intermezzo.

    The same idea taken further is “what is the best conservative, baroque, cubist vehicle out there?”. Toyota Century! I started saving, then listened to my wife and build a bike shed in the 3rd car spot in our driveway – because who needs three cars? – then crypto doubled its value for no apparent reason and I hired an agent in Japan to find me the perfect specimen. Corona wouldn’t have that, and the crisis let our currency implode, losing about half its value to the yen. A Century-lookalike showed up, I fell in love, had the cash, and the apocalyptic state of mind of now-or-never and got my super rare, super gorgeous Centennial. That one is still away at a friend/mechanic, as it has been since March…

    But honestly, I see the attraction in everything. If I was less restrained – outside of pandemic apocalypses – I can see the appeal of a Renault R4, a Ford T, a Simca or Talbot, any old Volvo, even a Moskovich, or definitely a Facel Vega or Duesenberg, which I have no intention of ever being able to afford. Or, well, a Hyundai Dynasty converted with a Nissan Leaf drivetrain is what keeps my up at night currently. Still having a conversation mostly with myself, I suppose.

    Reply
  3. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    If I go back about 30 years, I really wanted a Chevy Beretta or a Ford Aerostar. I’ve actually had the opportunity to try the Beretta (a friend bought a clean ’88 GT), and I liked it just fine, although I’m not going out of my way to find one. I haven’t driven an Aerostar, but if my time in a Chevy Astro (an admittedly awful one) is anything to go by, I’m really not missing out there (although a 302-swapped one is still a little appealing).

    Getting up to 18, I mostly just wanted lots of cars, which I still do. Although, I had a bit of a thing for old muscle cars,which has slightly passed. On the other hand, I totally look back on all the stuff that went from dirt cheap to unobtainable that I wished I had bought when I had the chance,rather than getting nothing of interest.

    Reply
  4. GTXcellent Avatar
    GTXcellent

    18 year old GTXcellent and 45 year old GTXcellent are pretty close to the same (other than 45 year old GTXcellent is fatter, balder and has worse eye sight).
    Loved ‘Merican muscle then – feel the same today. Bought a dream car – a true Mopar muscle car with a big block and a 4 speed when I was 18 and love that same blue beast just as much or more today (although that love might be due to sentimentality now).

    I will say that my vehicular wants have broadened as I’ve aged – I keep looking more and more at post-war convertibles, and I certainly pay much more attention to 60’s and early 70’s European offerings.

    Reply
    1. OA5599 Avatar
      OA5599

      I guess I’m a late bloomer–I was a much more mature 19 years of age before buying a big block Mopar with a 4-speed. I won’t call it a musclecar because I’m on the side who believes pony cars are their own animal.

      I guess I ended up reading too much from Longrooffan. Three of those in the driveway today.

      Reply
  5. Slow Joe Crow Avatar
    Slow Joe Crow

    18 year old me liked VW GTIs, 50 something me must be watching the wrong videos because I currently want a medium duty dump truck a Bobcat and a mini excavator.

    Reply
  6. Salguod Avatar
    Salguod

    I was mostly into American muscle and 50s and 60s cars as a kid. Still appreciate them a lot, but my love for muscle cars has cooled.

    Graduating from college, my goal was to get a Corvette within 4 or 5 years. Still waiting on that one.

    My interest in the odd is relatively new and if you had told teenage me that I’d really come to appreciate wagons I’d have thought you were nuts.

    Reply
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