Best pilot cars

[floatflyer99]

What do you drive?

I've got a 5-speed 1988 Mercury Tracer hatchback that's logged thousands of miles looking for flying jobs from the West Coast to the Great Lakes to the Arctic. It's cheap on gas, low maintenance and will maintain a good 90 mph for hours on end (in Montana when there was no speed limit ) Don't have to worry about collision insurance or car payments--I think I paid around $1000 for it about 3 years ago.

I also drive a nice gold and brown '81 Pontiac Phoenix 2-door. It sports a powerhouse V6 engine and a pair of gold COPA (Canadian Owners and Pilots Association) wings on the back window. That's the one I use to cruise for chicks.

Most of the pilots I know drive beaters. Anyone got any thoughts on that?

 

[Loafman]

Some pilots can afford cars?????

Eagle pilots walk to work because management stole our f$%king bicycles.

 

[floatflyer99]

Duh! I guess it shoulda been obvious to me why most pilots drive beaters. That said, I've noticed more than one senior airline captain driving a beater, and thought that maybe there's some strange preference for crappy cars. On second thought, by the time you're a senior airline cappy, you're probably paying alimony to at least two wives at a bare minimum.

Anyway...

Besides bicycles, what do YOU drive?

 

[sbav8r]

Dam@! I thought once I was finished with all this I would be able to afford a new Toyota Pickup. I guess I better get used to bikes and beaters.

 

[Loafman]

I have a pickup with 164,000 miles on it. Wanna buy it so I can get a new bike?

 

[merikeyegro]

...

My mother and father both worked for NWA for years. My mother an FA and father a pilot. She told me story after story about senior captain who made oodles of cash but were cheap bastards. My dad would sit there and agree. It was amazing how much most pilots WOULDN'T spend. My mom said that my dad vowed early in their marriage never to become that way. Well, let's just say that getting $20 out of my dad in 1996 (my senior year of HS) was very difficult. He was 27 years senior at the time. The most expensive car he ever drove was a '60s Malibu or something when he was out of the Marine Corps. Growing up the best car we drove was a 1993 Ford Explorer. My father used to get very excited when the local grocery store had 10-cent donuts and coffee on Saturday. My mom called it "the pilots' breakfast." She knew pilots were cheap and made fun of them for it.

Moral of the story: old pilots drive beaters because most of them are too cheap to buy better ones. Take from someone who's seen it firsthand his entire life. Don't fall into that trap of hoarding your $, lest you die a millionaire. I'm sure my father will do just that, although he's starting to loosen up a bit now that he's @ NJA...

 

[Booker]

MRE is right, major captains are cheap. As for me, I drive a '97 Corolla with 99K on it, and I try to keep it looking off-the-lot clean.

 

[F9 Driver]

Trying to pay off

student loans!! I'm in the early 90's 4wd Subaru (my mt. bike cost more than my car

My wife has a nice ride though.

The company gives me a multi million dollar ride so the cheap wheels to the airport doesn't bother me much!

 

[DCitrus9]

I drive a ten year old jeep grand cherokee with 140,000 miles on it. I, too, fall into cheap bastard territory when it comes to cars. My wife will probably get a new(er) car, but I'll be out wrenching on my jeep! Best crew car I've had was a hand me down from my grandpa. He bought a new Ford LTD, in 1977, and put a couple hundred K on it. It still chugged along, leaking a half quart of oil per tank of gas (was too lazy to replace valve cover gaskets). Back window had National Rifle assoc., AOPA, and assorted stickers on the window to complement the rust spots and distract your attention from the missing bumper (oops, that's another story)
Any GLA guys seen my Cortez Cruiser lately?

 

[Kingairrick]

Maybe the reason pilots drive beaters is that we are good at math...
99 out of 100 nice new cars you see on the road are financed. Car payments are the biggest sucker deal ever invented. Paying interest on a depreciating asset.

I think that by the time pilots begin to make enough money to afford really nice cars, they have aquired the wisdom to not go buy one...

just my .02

 

[SuperFLUF]

MRE is right, major captains are cheap.

There's a reson they are cheap. They were hired before "no furlough" clauses were standard fare in airline contracts and they got furloughed every winter for their first three years. After that, some mergers and more furloughs and all the time wondering how they are going to provide for their family this time.

I'm not cheap but I sure as hell am not going to waste $$$ with the industry in the tank like it is unless I've got a year's worth of cash in the bank.

So for now I'l' keep driving my beat up old Ranger. Once I've got the emergency fund set, I'll get the Vette.

 

[501261]

2001 Mercedes ML and a 1998 Lexus LX.....sorry

 

[s3jetman]

Well here is one for all those who think only high paid captains are cheap. I drive a 1990 Mazada MX6. 142,000 Miles, Cruise Control does not work 4 of the 4 speakers are cracked and only 2 work, sometimes. Also my clutch is working but sticks to the floor evertime i shift. And dont forget the Blue paint that looks like the stone washed bluejeans from the 80's. O I almost forgot the three hubcaps that I have and the one I dont!!. But just when i thought i was to cheap to get all this fixed i met a retired captain with thousands of hours and much much more money. This is the ultimate cheap capt. He keeps all his old cups from all the fast food resurants and when needs a coke he stops in which ever is close for the free refill!!!!!

 

[ibaflyer]

I have a 1990 Honda Civic LX with 299,773 miles and it is still going strong and a 1993 Honda Accord EX with 97,000 + miles.

I would rather be paying on my Lance than a new car.

 

[wasted state]

My exwife took both my cars, bitch...

 

[XLR8]

I agree, Honda's are the way to go! Although I have a 2000 Accord EX right now, I plan on running it until it is on it's last leg. My last car was a Honda Civic and sold it with 263,000 miles for $1,700. Never had any major problems with it, it actually looked good too when I sold it.

 

[justApilot]

86 Ford Bronco II...I never wash it....insurance and registration is almost nothing....never lock it...and the best thing of all is that the rear window opens upward so I can toss my boards in there and not deal with racks

 

[Bill Mostellar]

BMWs

91 318i Black on Black - Hers
92 318ic Black on Black - Also Hers

Nothing fancy, well built, and easy to work on.

 

[WrightAvia]

I got a sixty-nine Chevy with a 396
Fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor
She's waiting tonight down in the parking lot
Outside the Seven-Eleven store.

Me and my partner Sonny built her straight out of scratch
And he rides with me from town to town
We only run for the money, got no strings attached
We shut 'em up and then we shut 'em down.

 

[wil]

My airport car is a 1985 Subaru GL-10 4x4 wagon with 234,000 miles. Runs like a champ and I love it! It has been all over the country and has been very reliable. At home I drive a 97 Explorer XLT with all the options (a gift from my father-inlaw who I think took pity on me and my brown wagon!) but I still can't part with my lil' brown subaru! Fly/drive safe all- Wil

 

[MetroSheriff]

1992 Range Rover County is my town car and toy.

1987 Chevy S-10 Pickup for the airport car. Not a scratch, but plenty of jet fuel fallout on the paint. Runs like a top and has cold a/c.

1994 4 Runner for the wife.


We FIRMLY believe in letting someone else depreciate the car for a few years.

 

[av8raaron]

I drive an '03 Jetta turbo. I know the military pilot stereotype is something with two seats and more horsepower than it knows what to do with, but looking around the OG parking lot, those are pretty rare. Most pilots I know have a pretty much white bread 4-door sedan.

Of course, my VW will beat a Camaro or Mustang 6-cyl off the line and tears up most U.S. or Japanese cars through the slalom

 

[U-I pilot]

Of course, my VW will beat a Camaro or Mustang 6-cyl off the line

thats cause the six cylinder mustang and base camero dont break 200hp. (the mustang is 193). Despite the decent pickup your turbo may put out it'll get smoked by some real muscle versus the boost you get at high rpm.

 

[Buzo]

'97 Ford Explorer. You gotta love Ebay. I also have a fully dissasembled 1970 VW bug. It is a long term project I began back when I was in college before I even thought about being a pilot.

 

[jstock]

Top this!
'88 Samurai.
Rust in the rear, removable doors and top, and camo paint. Fuzzy a$$ black seat covers that always leave a little fuz on my camelback nozel, and almost the most aerodynamic vehicle in the world. I can actually be pulled by a big rigs draft if I get close enough. lol

 

[SDF2BUF2MCO]

I can't believe the thread has gone this long without mentioning the Chevy Chevette. All these playboy hot shot pilots and no one with a studly Chevette? Of course, mileage unknown, bonus points if you have any of the hub caps left.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

AMEN to paid off cars!

Gotta keep the wife in something newer and reliable, but as long as mine gets to work and back and starts all the time, its a winner!! Money is better spent elsewhere!!

Gotta laugh at the few pilots who drive 50-60K luxury SUVs and $hit like that...I have even heard of 900$/month payments on these F'n things!!

Car payments are a huge waste!! ...


now, boat payments.....theres another story...

 

[Jet_Dreamer]

ford svt focus. i am kinda spoiled also.

 

[skyking1976]

Mine: '89 Mercury Grand Marquis Wagon... yes it has fake wood paneling...

Hers: '90 Ford Tempo... rusty, but it runs like a top...

 

[kabz]

99 Miata Red with 142,000 miles on it. Still runs like new. Leaks like a bastard though.