What does everyone drive?

Aerow · Mar 7, 2015

Title says it all what does everyone drive?

Everyday?
To Launches?

Myself - Everyday: Ford F-x50, Escape, or Explorer. Basically whatever keys I can acquire at work.
Personal Vehicle /Launch Vehicle - Mazda RX-8, yes I fit all my large rockets in my tiny car. Love the Rotary Wankel, love it I tell ya.

enderw88 · Mar 7, 2015

Commute on a Moto Guzzi V11 Sport or in a Lotus Elise
Fly rockets from my Toyota Sienna.

YodaMcFly · Mar 7, 2015

enderw88 said:
Commute on a Moto Guzzi V11 Sport or in a Lotus Elise
Fly rockets from my Toyota Sienna.

I'm jealous. I presume it's one of the US-market ones with the 2ZZ-GE? I've always been a fan of Sir Colin; "add lightness wherever possible!"

My day-to-day ride is a 2005 Toyota Taco. It gets pretty good mileage for a 4L V6 ... If this were 1995. :facepalm:

Hoping to trade it in for a Scooby BR-Z/Scion FR/S. But then I need to figure out how to get all of my shooting crap to the range, rocket crap to a launch, dogs to the vet and groomer ...

Rocks from the gravel place to my house.
Hardware store runs.
Camping.

You can sort of see why I haven't gotten rid of it yet.

jadebox · Mar 7, 2015

No children, but I drive a mini-van.

I bought the mini-van specifically as a rocket-hauler then we added the trailer later.

After the past few weekends, though, I'm considering a four-wheel drive truck!

I drive the mini-van most of the time including to launches. Our other vehicle, though, is a bit more sporty.

-- Roger

Aerow · Mar 7, 2015

YodaMcFly said:
I'm jealous. I presume it's one of the US-market ones with the 2ZZ-GE? I've always been a fan of Sir Colin; "add lightness wherever possible!"

My day-to-day ride is a 2005 Toyota Taco. It gets pretty good mileage for a 4L V6 ... If this were 1995. Hoping to trade it in for a Scooby BR-Z/Scion FR/S. But then I need to figure out how to get all of my shooting crap to the range, rocket crap to a launch, dogs to the vet and groomer ...

Rocks from the gravel place to my house.
Hardware store runs.
Camping.

You can sort of see why I haven't gotten rid of it yet.

FRS/BRZ, you can cram it all in if you lay back the front seat and alternate fins in back -front -back. Kinda hard and limits your space to maybe 4-5 large rockets.

I cram my Intimidator 4, Madcow Phoenix, Stealth, 4" BB2, and a ton of mid power in my RX8 and it has about the same inside space. Motors go in the boot, and other stuff behind drivers seat. Kids get tied to the roof...

TopRamen · Mar 7, 2015

2004 GMC Sierra 1500 Extended Cab.

YodaMcFly · Mar 7, 2015

Aerow said:
FRS/BRZ, you can cram it all in if you lay back the front seat and alternate fins in back -front -back. Kinda hard and limits your space to maybe 4-5 large rockets.

I cram my Intimidator 4, Madcow Phoenix, Stealth, 4" BB2, and a ton of mid power in my RX8 and it has about the same inside space. Motors go in the boot, and other stuff behind drivers seat. Kids get tied to the roof...

Good spot for 'em. Fortunately, I don't have that problem; my dogs are my kids, and they don't like the shooting range.

BEC · Mar 7, 2015

To the OP: I am with you. I've been in love with the Wankel since before I had a car (and I convinced my Dad to get an Rx-3 wagon rather than the Pinto wagon (!!) he was contemplating in 1973). My first car was an Rx-2 sedan and we also owned an Rx-4 wagon for a few years until we outgrew it (family size). The Rx-2 was so much fun because people who didn't know what it was would just assume it was an underpowered Japanese sedan. Not so!

Still a Mazda guy even though I don't have any rotary cars today. (*sniff*) My daily driver (including to launches) is a 2013 Mazda3 five-door. Including the cars my wife and kids drive we currently own four Mazdas. The other three are a 1987 323 hatchback (which my Mazda3 replaced as my daily driver) and a 1995 and 2002 Protege. A fifth one (1996 626) is one daughter's drive.

My regular mechanic is a Mazda specialist (he built some of the Mazda rotaries for LeMans races in another life) and he's kept me in the brand long after we lost the Rx-2 to a rear-ending (over 200K on it) and the Rx-4 to being outgrown (it was replaced with a 1990 MPV).

tab28682 · Mar 7, 2015

2006 Honda Odyssey minivan and it will get replaced in a couple of years by another one.

Great airplane and rocket hauler. It does a good job pulling a 5x10 foot enclosed utility trailer for events where the van cannot haul all the required toys.

matthewdlaudato · Mar 7, 2015

Either the 2012 Equinox or the 2014 Venza. Both have ample room for my tables and gear, many LP rockets, and 1-2 of the bigger HP birds.

vcp · Mar 7, 2015

1989 Cutlass Cruiser, just rolled to 100K. By far the best miles/$ of anything I've owned.

KennB · Mar 7, 2015

2010 VW CC Sport everyday, everywhere.

Aerow · Mar 7, 2015

BEC said:
To the OP: I am with you. I've been in love with the Wankel since before I had a car (and I convinced my Dad to get an Rx-3 wagon rather than the Pinto wagon (!!) he was contemplating in 1973). My first car was an Rx-2 sedan and we also owned an Rx-4 wagon for a few years until we outgrew it (family size). The Rx-2 was so much fun because people who didn't know what it was would just assume it was an underpowered Japanese sedan. Not so!

Still a Mazda guy even though I don't have any rotary cars today. (*sniff*) My daily driver (including to launches) is a 2013 Mazda3 five-door. Including the cars my wife and kids drive we currently own four Mazdas. The other three are a 1987 323 hatchback (which my Mazda3 replaced as my daily driver) and a 1995 and 2002 Protege. A fifth one (1996 626) is one daughter's drive.

My regular mechanic is a Mazda specialist (he built some of the Mazda rotaries for LeMans races in another life) and he's kept me in the brand long after we lost the Rx-2 to a rear-ending (over 200K on it) and the Rx-4 to being outgrown (it was replaced with a 1990 MPV).

Yeah, I don't think I will ever sell the Car, had it since I bought it new in 2004, 6-Speed MT, Titanium Grey. Sad that it might turn out to be the last full production Rotary, they cant get emissions low enough to pass standards. Maybe they will some neat trick out of their hat and make it work again.

My next car will be a Mazda 3, probably a Speed 3. But then I keep telling myself to get a truck.

MikeL · Mar 7, 2015

99' Silverado Z71 4x4 w/cap and +265,000 miles

Including rocketry trips to...
Balls - 6 trips from Indiana
Its also been all over the local state, and to Texas, Kansas, Illinois, South Carolina, Michigan, New York, and Ohio. Sometimes hauling the gang's project trailer (HJ, Spitfire, Patriot, etc).
Also used for fishing trips all over, usually hauling a boat.

But... after the 4x4 transfer case let go in Reno on our last trip to Balls, she's been grounded to trips within the tri-state area.
She's not had a pampered life, and every time I look at a replacement, she gets mad and something else breaks... :sad:

K'Tesh · Mar 7, 2015

2015 Trek 8.5

0046966_trek_85_ds_hybrid_bike_2015_colour_blue_sizes_decimal_155in.jpeg

RocketDestroyer · Mar 7, 2015

Burley 2004 Limbo

View attachment 256927

1999 Ford Mustang GT
2014 Ram 1500 4x4

BEC · Mar 7, 2015

Aerow said:
Yeah, I don't think I will ever sell the Car, had it since I bought it new in 2004, 6-Speed MT, Titanium Grey. Sad that it might turn out to be the last full production Rotary, they cant get emissions low enough to pass standards. Maybe they will some neat trick out of their hat and make it work again.

My next car will be a Mazda 3, probably a Speed 3. But then I keep telling myself to get a truck.

My 3 is a 6 speed MT....and it's been out your way twice - drove it to NSL in 2013 and NARAM in 2014.

Some kind of pickup is in our future....I don't want anything huge and I don't really know what it will be. My wife is a country girl from SE New Mexico and she wants a pickup. Having one around is handy. I've had two small ones (Mazdas, of course - a B2200 and then a B2600i). No such option anymore for anything that's not rather old. I want to be able to pull a small travel trailer to nearby weekend-long launches with it.

Peartree · Mar 7, 2015

2004 Ford Explorer which also pulls the trailer for camping or longer rocket events like NARAM.

But, if it's too far away top pull the trailer and everything has to fit, then we take the Honda Odyssey.

At least we drove that to Colorado last year for NARAM, but didn't get it clean enough for SWMBO, so we might not get it again. Then again, she really likes that the Odyssey gets 50% better gas mileage so you never know...

BEC · Mar 7, 2015

Peartree said:
At least we drove that to Colorado last year for NARAM, but didn't get it clean enough for SWMBO, so we might not get it again.

Wow..... the dust was MUCH less at NARAM last year than at NSL the year before. I think I still have some dust from NSL 2013 in my car.....

RFMan · Mar 7, 2015

2003 Red Dodge Ram 1500 2WD, most of the time.

Sometimes my wife's slate colored 2012 Ford Escape.

Sometimes my MIL's maroon 2009 Dodge Caravan. It has her power chair lift in the back. We have to keep it from sitting too much.

So far, I can fit everything I need in any of them.

But I'm also trying to get this restored: 1961 Apache pickup. My great-grandfather bought it new. 225 straight six. It runs, but it needs a little body work and an entire paint job. Lots of surface rust.

MALBAR 70 · Mar 7, 2015

I drive an '06 Nissan X-Tera, purchased with rocket hauling in mind.
It'll be making the trek to LDRS in June.

Zebedee · Mar 7, 2015

2012 Honda Odyssey if I have the kids.
1997 Porsche 911 Targa if not.

georgegassaway · Mar 7, 2015

Got to make this quick. I need to get back on the track for practice while I am substituting for Kyle Busch….

Well, OK, maybe not.

I have a 2000 Hyundai Elantra Wagon. Gets nice mileage.

Works great for transporting rockets. The rear seat did not fold down flat, wasting space. So, I removed it and got lots of extra room. I can fit 4 foot long items like an EZ-Up and other 4 foot long equipment cross-wise where the seat used to be.

UPDATE: Found pics showing it with a PVC Pipe on the roof rack, to transport 8 foot rail and rods:

A pic coming back from NARAM in 2009, crammed pretty full (A little open area for the rear view mirror).

Recently added a rear view camera system, plus a 2nd camera for a left/rear quadrant blind spot view.

See more pics of the install here: https://imgur.com/a/6yuQt#9

- George Gassaway

Peartree · Mar 7, 2015

BEC said:
Wow..... the dust was MUCH less at NARAM last year than at NSL the year before. I think I still have some dust from NSL 2013 in my car.....

It wasn't so much the dust, as it was our failure to clean it. We drove through some rain and thought that would do a good job, but but didn't think about all the dust we dragged into the INSIDE of her car. She wasn't pleased.

Next time the trip home will include a stop at the full service car wash place.

stealth6 · Mar 7, 2015

Commuting and/or general getting around town - I'm a cyclist: leg and moto power. For bicycles I ride either my "townie" which is an old "kitbashed" Schwinn Excelsior, my "city bike" which is aluminum/carbon Specialized Sirrus (2004), or my road racer which is a carbon Specialized Roubaix built with Campagnolo Record (also 2004). My moto is a 1974 Yamaha Virago (also pretty "kitbashed").

For an automobile (which is also my launch vehicle) I also go with the old-run-it-till-it-dies philosophy. My LAST vehicle was a Chevy Astro van that I bought old and used, and proceeded to drive it til death at 300,000 miles. So, what did I replace it with? - I bought another 13 year old Astro (that ONLY had 110,000 miles on it!) and will drive this one for many years until it simply can go no further.

I've never come anywhere close to owning a "new" vehicle.

s6

waumo · Mar 7, 2015

When going after rockets on the property - this:

On the pavement in good weather - this:

Cl(VII) · Mar 7, 2015

2010 Toyota Prius for both. 55 mile round trip commute everyday, or as I think of it 1 gallon of gas.

When the family is all going, 2011 Toyota Sienna.

We refer to the vehicles as the shuttlecraft and the mothership.

Bazookadale · Mar 7, 2015

I have a 2014 Subaru Impresa wagon. Last fall a deer hit me (I had the right of way) and totaled my 2010 Outback which had 140K + on it. Got 18K from the insurance company - Subarus hold their value!

The only bad thing - it is not as high as my Outback and my tool box won't fit under the hatch

cobra1336 · Mar 7, 2015

1965 ac cobra, 1986 mustang gt, 2010 ford edge, 1999 ford f 150 or 2014 Honda accord. Ford edge does the rocket trips.

EXPjawa · Mar 7, 2015

My daily driver winter vehicle is a 1998 Mercury Mountaineer V8, which has now crested 330K miles. I'm waiting for the odometer to read 333,333 so I can take a picture. I've used this for occasionally hauling bicycles:

This has also been handy for getting to launch sites, extracting stuck Subarus from the snow, taking road trips, etc.

Summer time:

A 1999 35th Anniversary edition Mustang GT convertible. Or my Surly LHT:

I think I put as many miles on the Surly last summer as I did the Mustang...

What does everyone drive?

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