Bye Bye Beetle:
Hello Solara:
The Beetle, though cute and fun to drive, had issues. The doors were constantly squeaking - after a while the WD40 injections stopped working; putting the boot around the convertible top was a hassle; the seats had no lumbar support at all; Mrs Cleek doesn't dig standards; etc..
So, we upgraded to a convertible Solara. It's not quite as trendy and eye-catching as the little beige Beetle, but it's a hell of a lot more car and hopefully more solid.
One thing about the Beetle that I found interesting: probably 75% of the compliments I got on it, from people I didn't know, were from black men. Guys would be walking on the street, standing in a parking lot, driving next to me, and they'd find a way to compliment the car - old, young, in groups, single, whatever; black men dug the tan Beetle convertible. It got a few compliments from white women, a couple black women, and very few white men (can't remember any, honestly). I don't know why that would be, but that's my experience. We'll see what the Toyota brings.
Good on ya, Mr. C (and to the Mrs also). We have a saying around the shop. Beetles are fun to drive when they’re somebody else’s. The Camry platform is tried and proven and you should get good service from it. Just remember, change the oil every 3000 miles religiously. Good luck!
As for the brothers diggin’ ya, maybe you’re their kind of white boy. Heh.
Great minds think alike. Me ‘n the Mrs. just got a red Toyota too. Of course, we can’t put the top down on a Tacoma. We hope you like yours as much as we like ours. Ours was built in Fremont, CA. Where is yours from?
3000 ? can’t do the synthetic @ 5K ?
i thinki’ll keep this one off the dirt roads, too. my shortcut to work involves a stretch of rumbly dirt road that would rattle the hell out of the bug. i’ll try to go the extra 10 miles to avoid that..
i think it’s from Kentucky. the sticker in the driver’s door area says “kentucky mnfr, toyota ” (or something to that effect). no specific city.
I use Mobil 1 in my truck and I still change it every 3000. Not only are you getting the old oil out and a new filter on, it’s a chance to check out the brakes, belts, hoses, and lights; also don’t forget to look for leaks. Take it from somebody who’s been in the car business for 35 years.
We got the TRD (TuRD) Off Road Package to get the upgraded suspension and heavy-duty radiator and stuff. I can’t wait for Mrs. G to get over being afraid to get it dirty!
Mrs C never got over me getting the bug dirty. this one is even shinier… alas.