<- me and the CRX racecar. Click image for full size view if interested.
Ok, I'll admit it, I'm a car nut. I've always been into cars. I could identify years, makes, and models of passing vehicles from an early age.
My first driving experience was in my father's '66 Dodge Dart. He has owned three of them (the last one he bought in '83 and was sold in 1995). I drove two of his Darts - had my first accident in the 4-door Dart 270, and learned to really DRIVE in the 2-door GT. I used to go out of my way to find twisty back-country two-lane roads near my Maryland home. You wouldn't think that a Dart could be driven like that, and upon driving the Dart again after some of the sports cars I've owned, I couldn't believe I did what I did...
I didn't get my own car until after college graduation in May, 1987. I became enamored with the BMW 2002, and wanting something that handled well and had a bit of class, I bought one. Had I known then what I know now about these beasts, that particular '75 2002 (Malaga in color (maroon) with a sunroof) would never have graced my driveway. But hey, I was smitten. I paid too much for it, spent too much on repair work (I wasn't quite as confident with tools then, even after a Summer stint as a "general serviceman" at a Columbia, MD repair shop). The transmission died in a move of automotive solidarity with the engine, which had cooked itself due to radiator failure. Sigh... I had the car only 6 months. A while later, someone in the neighborhood bought the heap for $150 and actually got it running again (although I'm sure the rear shocks were about to come through into the trunk due to impending shock-tower rust). My membership card to the BMW CCA arrived two-weeks after the tranny let go...
With a 75-mile round-trip daily commute, and a New England Winter setting in, I decided to be somewhat practical and buy something more reliable and that had a warrantee. I bought a brand-new 1987 VW Golf GT - 4-door, black ,with no pinstripes or anything... In '87, the Golf GT was essentially an 8-valve GTI with a slightly less sporty interior and rear drum brakes. I liked the car, except for some quality control issues (shocks, exhaust). There wasn't much that I had to pay to fix anyway.
In '88 I became involved with driving events. Through a friend at work I discovered Time-Speed-Distance (TSD) rallies. 
Through the Boston Chapter BMW CCA I discovered Ice Time Trials - essentially an autocross where the paved parking lot is replaced with a frozen lake. At that Winter's event I met a guy who showed up in a Chevette with bald-ish tires who managed to beat all of the BMWs in timed runs. The next event he showed up with a Toyota MR2 with baked Bridgestone RE71R's. I can tell you that old race tires do NOT work well on ice. Feeling sorry for his automotive dilemma, I let him drive my VW sitting on 4 snow tires. He beat me by 5 seconds (an eternity). We became friends. He asked me what I was doing the end of March - he needed crew for a driver's school. I said OK. Turns out the school was at Summit Point, West Virginia, and I had to drive the "support" vehicle - the Chevette - all the way down. The MR2 was a Showroom Stock car, street legal and still registered. That school introduced me to the wonderful world of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and amateur motorsports.
Feeling the need for speed myself, I attended a high-performance driver's school conducted by the COM Sports Car Club at the old Bryar Motorsports Park (now the site of NHIS). I was hooked - big time!!!
My job experience at the time was SO enriching, I decided to quit and go back to school full time. With car payments and tuition being incompatible, I sold the Golf (to my cousin, who totaled it - twice), and bought a grad-school-in-the-city beater car, a 1982 Toyota Celica. That car taught me how to change belts in a parking lot while it was sleeting, what it feels like to drive with a broken shock absorber, and how to deal with oil leaks larger than the Exxon Valdez (or even a '66 Dart or '75 BMW). The car did make a decent pit cart, though, shuttling tires between the paddock and pit lane at a Lime Rock enduro.
With grad school finished, and a new job underway, I decided to rejoin the motorsports world. I had been crewing steadily for my friend, and now wanted to have my own race car. Still enamored with old BMWs, I picked up a '71 2002, also Malaga, for $1800. I put some money into it to get it going, as the Toyota was just not much fun to drive any more...
I had the Toyota dragged out of the driveway by a junk dealer (SEE YA!!!). Wanting one good car that I could drive every day and still leave me some money available to play with the BMW, I bought one of the cheapest new German-derived car I could find, a '91 VW Fox. I paid $7200 and got the absolute base model - no A/C, no nothin'. It was an OK car.
<- My '71 2002 at NHIS, likely for a COM or BMW CCA drivers school. Click image for a lager view
The BMW meanwhile had some work done to it! New frame rail, new suspension, and a roll cage were installed - time for FUN. That year I did several COM driver's school/time trial weekends, and a couple of BMW Club schools. After the nearly original exhaust escaped from the car, it was replaced with a system that required ear plugs when driven. After that Summer I decided that I wanted to really go racing, so I took the Bimmer off the road for some additional body work and more suspension and interior work. The "quick" Winter rebuild stretched to four years and more $$$$ than I care to think about...
On the street-car side, a mini-van driver decided that she liked my lane better than hers, and the Fox went to that great parts bin in the sky... Wanting something I could autocross and do some track events in while the 2002 was laid up, I picked up a 1987 VW GTI. After some maintenance magic performed by Dave Clark at the Benz Den in Belmont, MA, the GTI could go pretty well. Too well. Two months later, after executing a classic turn-in-too-early-spin-to-the-inside move on an exit ramp, I made my first attempt at disproving Newton's law about two solid objects not being able to occupy the same place at the same time. I lost.
<- The '85 Audi relaxes in Bristol, NH following a BMW CCA Ice Racing event. Click image for a larger view
Needing new transportation, I turned back to the Benz Den. Dave had a 1985 Audi 4000 Quattro for sale. Using the GTI wreck as part of the down payment, I bought the Audi (the GTI drivetrain and rear beam found their way into the car of one of Dave's friends in a Golf-to-GTI stealth conversion). With only 161,000 miles on the clock, the Quattro received its first clutch change, and first replacement set of rear shocks (Dave had done the fronts at 130K). What a great car!!!
I owned the Audi for 4 years and 60,000 miles. It earned me several first-place trophies in Ice Time Trials, and even did a track weekend (it turned 197,000 miles going down the front straight at NHIS) as the 2002 was STILL in various pieces.
<- The Suburban. Click image for a larger view
Well, after 4 years and countless dollars, the 2002 was ready to race. Since I needed a tow vehicle to haul the thing around, I went searching for something big. I found a 1983 Chevrolet Suburban - 350c.i.d., 4-bbl. I mean BIG.
I registered for the April 1996 New England Region SCCA double driver's school at NHIS. Three days of intense track time leading to a novice permit. Day one was great (except for a little oil leak). Day two started OK and then went quickly downhill. Turns out we had disconnected the charging system in our car preparation zeal, so I had to plug the car in before heading to my classroom sessions. The worst event came at the end of the day, when a combination of fatigue and brain fade cause my second attempt at disproving Newton's law about two solid objects not being able to occupy the same place at the same time. I lost again, but I did learn all of the ceiling tiles at Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia, NH. Undeterred, I returned to the track and found that a race rental was available from Shine Racing Service. I completed day three of the school in the SRS Scirocco, and got signed off for my novice permit.
The Bim proved un-repairable. Four years in the garage, two days on track...double sigh...
I decided not to rebuild the BMW. 25+-year-old cars are just too expensive and too emotionally draining to keep alive for racing purposes. The Audi was starting to annoy me as well. At 225,000 miles, some things were starting to go South. I sold the car to the "racing" Jackson family who organize the BMW club ICE events. I bought a 1987 Honda CRX from a colleague for $400, not running. Thinking it was just a timing belt, I bought the thing. Turns out the timing belt broke because lack of oil had seized the cam and a new cylinder head was needed. I got the Honda fixed and started driving that.
The CRX started to be too buzzy for me, and the Suburban was too big and thirsty to drive on a daily basis. I decided to take the Honda off the road to become the next race car, sell the 'Burban, and get one vehicle that I could drive every day that could still pull the racecar trailer. I found a 1995 Jeep Grand Cheorkee, with a V8 and tow package.
Needing two races in 1997 to complete the requirements fo my competition license, I again turned to Shine Racing Service, and rented a GTI for the NER Pig Roast Weekend races. I had three objectives for the weekend - finish two races, don't hit anything, and don't piss anybody off. I completed all three and got my SCCA Regional Competition license.
So, the way things stand are: The Jeep as a daily driver/tow vehicle, the Honda in the process of racecar conversion (NOW COMPLETED! ! ! 
I've even raced it!), and a wreck of a BMW 2002 in the driveway with still lots of parts available for sale.
The Suburban left in Feb., 1998. After having no luck selling it, it was donated to charity to benefit the Arlington, MA Boys and Girls club. What was left of the BMW 2002 was hauled off by another junkyard.
After having driven the Jeep for a while now, I'm getting the urge for another sports car for the street. Exits ramps just aren't the same in a Jeep. NO, NO, NO, must focus...
...well, I gave in to the sports car urge, and in April 2000 I bought a 1984 BMW 318i with about 140,000 miles. Much better gas mileage than the Jeep, and much more fun on exit ramps. Gives me back a little credibility in the BMW CCA in that I can actually drive a BMW to club meetings. Should be fun to play with at the BMW CCA Ice Racing events.
February, 2003: It's been a long time with no updates... The BMW went to the automotive happy hunting ground in December (it took four tries before I found a charity to donate it to). It's departure was hastened by a NEW CAR purchase (my first in 12 years) - a 2003 MINI Cooper S!!! I'll be writing about that car here, but you can check out MINI USA to find out more about these fun little cars (and hey, BMW owns the brand, so I still have SOME ties to the marque).
April, 2004: Had the MINI for over a year now - it's been a lot of fun. The Honda was sold in January 2004 to a COM SCC member. I was tired of spending the time and money on a car that was not going to be competitive in its class. There is a new race car on the way - small, rear-wheel drive, and not Japanese. More details later.
OK, the new race car is a BMW Z3. Did 3 events in it during the '04 season.
The new vehicle bug is taking hold big time - first the MINI replacing the 318i, then the Z3 replacing the Honda, and most recently, a new Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab (yes, it's got a Hemi) replacing the Jeep. The Jeep served me well for 7 years and 80K miles, but I needed more room to haul stuff while towing (as the BMW takes up more room on the trailer than the Honda did), the Jeep's A/C no longer worked, and it needed some other stuff.. Took advantage of a supplier discount available through my job to buy the truck at a good price.
Now, of course, it may be time to re-think daily driver cars - too many elderly relatives are in need of rides, and the combination of my MINI, my truck, and my wife's VW New Beetle don't provide good transport options. Stay tuned...
June, 2005 - The MINI is sold, and I'm currently shopping for cars. Thinking either BMW 5-series (530i) or Audi, A6 or S6. Likely around a 2002 vintage.
Late June, 2005. It's an Audi. A 2002 S6 Avant. Nothing like a 340hp, all-wheel-drive performance car that looks like a family station wagon. Of course, it's been to the track as well.
<- The Audi S6 at NHIS. Click image for a larger view
Thanks for getting this far... comments can be sent to drivelight@gmail.com
-noam