You have one vehicle to drive, and rebuild for a lifetime, which one?

[Steaming]

If you had to choose one vehicle to be "yours" for the rest of your life, what would it be? This vehicle you will modify, rebuild, and use for all of your commuting needs.


(This is sort of a thought experiment I'm using to guide my search for a gas sipper. I'd love to hear what more knowlegable and experienced ecomodders would choose and why. Lets keep it under $10,000--in the used-car reality.)

I'm inclined to go with a VW Jetta TDI diesel myself, but I'm also impressed with Honda engines. A diesel should be durable, yet efficient--but also flexible enough to play around with alternative fuels if I get bored.

[slowmover]

Needs to be able to carry your family and 10-14 days of essential supplies (via small trailer) a very long distance. Travel speed irrelevant so long as it's economical. Otherwise a waste of metal.

[hamsterpower]

I actually have the shell in my driveway with this intention. A 1980 VW Rabbit pickup (Caddy). I am restoring the shell and will be running electric. Possibly with Paul's Revolt controller. If I drove more I would use a TDI diesel.

[Ryland]

If I had to, I would keep my civic VX forever, I fit in the back seat on long car trips (6 feet tall) I can carry 8 foot lumber with the hatch closed, 50mpg, it starts every time no matter how cold.
My 2nd choice would be a Honda insight and at some point either put a 3 cylinder diesel in it or make it all electric like the 400 mile range electric insight that Plasma Boy (white zombie owner) is building.
Either way, I plan to keep my two current cars for the next 10 years or more, unless I get an insight.

[cfg83]

Steaming -

I'm not a diesel fan, but I think a lifer should be a diesel.

CarloSW2

[FXSTi]

In the interest of saving gas I'm going with a Yugo. I could own it forever and never use a drop.

Kirk

[Steaming]

Originally Posted by slowmover

Needs to be able to carry your family and 10-14 days of essential supplies (via small trailer) a very long distance. Travel speed irrelevant so long as it's economical. Otherwise a waste of metal.

LOL I like this idea--by "essential supplies" I assume you mean an arsenal of automatic weapons & ammo and a stockpile of nonperishables?

[Steaming]

Originally Posted by Ryland

If I had to, I would keep my civic VX forever, I fit in the back seat on long car trips (6 feet tall) I can carry 8 foot lumber with the hatch closed, 50mpg, it starts every time no matter how cold.
My 2nd choice would be a Honda insight and at some point either put a 3 cylinder diesel in it or make it all electric like the 400 mile range electric insight that Plasma Boy (white zombie owner) is building.
Either way, I plan to keep my two current cars for the next 10 years or more, unless I get an insight.

Ability to carry 8' lumber is a strong selling point. But I guess a hitch and a small utility trailer would work in a pinch.

The diesel/hybrid idea is definitely appealing. I'm all for EVs but wouldn't want to be limited in range. I guess If I could have 2 vehicles, ideally, I would want a 100% EV for daily commuting needs, at least until they can get much better range.

[spacer]

What comes to mind immediately would be something like my '86 Silverado, maybe with a 4BT conversion.

[Ryland]

Originally Posted by Steaming

I'm all for EVs but wouldn't want to be limited in range. I guess If I could have 2 vehicles, ideally, I would want a 100% EV for daily commuting needs, at least until they can get much better range.

If my EV wasn't 30 years old with a 40mph top speed and 40 mile range it could be my only vehicle, after all I do use it as my main vehicle for weeks at a time having it work great for most of my needs, if I had a longer range with a higher top speed then 60 miles away there is an air port and a train station, bus stations are closer, I don't like long road trips because I don't like driving long distances and the cost per mile to drive is more then the cost to fly or to take the train, so at some point my long term plan is to only have an EV, of course an EV with a trailer hitch would be ideal, my old Civic VX has a trailer hitch and works great towing a small 10' long flat bed trailer (getting 40mpg while towing) and at some point I plan to put a trailer hitch on my current VX.