Henry Rifle Forums

With so much conflict in the news, I thought 'd have a little fun, so...

If you were suddenly told you would be gifted your dream car, what would it be? The car would be yours, free and clear, title in hand, but you couldn't flip it, so no cheating, choosing high dollar to flip to buy a dozen others. The maintenance, insurance, fuel, etc... On you.

Mine would be one of a class... Late sixties muscle. 68 ish.
A performance Firebird / Camero would work.
However, number one on my list would be an Eleanor, the Mustang from "Gone in 60 Seconds."

I've always been a Mustang fan, and that car would work for me here. It would handle the crappy Oklahoma roads, parts are readily available , and my regular mechanic could maintain it. Same with my second choices. I could actually work on any of the three with the tools in my shop.


So... What's the car of your dreams? I always wanted a Vette from the late 50s / early 60s hut the rural roads here would beat it and the fiberglass body to death. Pictures would be good too.

Let's see, an Eleanor from the internet, though if I got my dream car, mine would be either dark green, dark blue, or black.


For the Camaro, I'd love the one from the movie "Better Off Dead." Any high performance late 60s would work, but I always liked this one.


The Firebird is an easy choice for me. One of my best friends from high school was gifted. He was good with his hands and extremely smart. He graduated from Virginia Tech and went on to become a Nuclear Structure Fracture Engineer, working for the NRC. In high school, his mother gave him her old 68 Firebird with an asthmatic V8. He made it his project car for Auto Shop and he worked on the car thru his Junior and Senior Years. The 350 was replaced with a rebuilt 396 and nothing in the area could touch it when he was done. That would be my firebird choice. That car in it's prime. I drove it quite a bit. I had a old van I had customized a bit, and my friends liked to switch with me on the weekends.


The Firebird ate Chevelles, Camaros, and even Vettes for fun.

Let's see them guys, your dream cars.

I got it last November. I have had a 74 Vette and loved it but it was not practical in Minnesota or our gravel roads.
This one is perfect.
I love it. An old man's last toy. It has the 2.7 L engine and is peppy.

Also tows well.

Oh, I would have to be very cautious about actually owning ANY of the dream cars.
Back in 2012, Miss T told me to buy a sporty car when we replaced one of the trucks, I had earned it. I ended up with a Charger. I blacked out the car, no chrome anywhere. A friend asked if it was fast. I told him I drove a patrol car all day, didn't need to push my personal car.

Tina spoke up behind me.
"It'll suck the headlights out of a five liter Mustang and a Z28 from a dead stop."
I turned and looked over my shoulder in surprise...
"What? I had to make sure it had plenty of power for passing."

My buddy died laughing.

Yes, Miss Tina has a lead foot. She once got two speeding tickets on the same day, at the exact same place, from the same trooper. One going to work, one coming home six hours later. When he walked up to window in the afternoon he said, "License and registra... Never mind, I'll copy the information from this morning.".

Yes, this was well before we met.

In my later high school years I had two buddies with awesome cars. First was a 69 GTO Judge 400 4sp and the other was a 69 Chevelle 396 4sp. Either would be wonderful. For several years I owned a 68 Mustang California Special but when Covid hit all parades, car shows and cruises stopped. I sold it to a guy in New Zealand for exactly what I had in it.

I like it. Always liked Mustangs.

Back in the 80s I had two boys in High School. The youngest, Jimmy, had a 65 and a half Mustang with a 289 and a stick shift, While Daron had a 57 Fast Back. Jimmy got T-Boned one foggy morning, (or so he said anyway), and totaled the 65, so he got another 65 but this time with a 6 cylinder. Not quite so peppy.
At the same time I was unmarried and had the 74 Corvette.
Life was pretty good.

Don't remember really having a dream car. But when I was 15 I did see a car I wanted. I rode by a used car lot every day on the way to swim team workout. There sat a yellowish Ford Falcon Sprint.

Nice ones y'all, keep 'em comin.

Early 1980's Toyota FJ-45.

2024 Porsche 911 S/T although I couldn't afford the upkeep and insurance cost.


new Nissan Z, could probably afford owning it

Windows all around. Always liked this look and simple to work on.

Ernie wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 20, 2026 5:14 pm

Image.jpg Windows all around. Always liked this look and simple to work on.

Juniper green!

Dream car??? Well back in 1970 the car a lot of 16 year olds dreamed about was cruising the streets in a new 1970 Hemicuda! Thru my brother who was 20 at the time with a good job,I got to live that dream and today wish I could have held on to it after he passed away last year.
Summer of 1970 was like a dream enjoying the cruising and stoplight drag runs in the evenings!

High School Dream Car?

I worked for four weekends, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for my Step-Uncle doing hard manual labor to acquire a 1957 MGA coupe. I had BIG plans. I was going to rebuild the engine, restore the car to showroom condition, and drive it for my senior year. My Stepdad and I towed the car home, with most of the parts not on the car in a box in the back of the station wagon. It was in MUCH worse shape than I was led to believe by my Uncle. My Stepfather told me later that his brother was always somewhat of an Azz.

We pulled the engine and discovered that the pistons were frozen in place. The brake lines were rusted through and the brake drums were shot, brake lines rusted and worthless. I was working part time and attending school and I started looking for the parts for the car and discovered that even NON-OEM parts for British cars were high dollar. I never really got started on the restoration after my Stepfather sat me down with a legal pad and we looked at the actual cost. HE told me not to shotgun the restoration. Don't buy wiper blades, seat covers, and floor mats, before you get the engine torn down and rebuilt... the running gear restored and the brakes and such done. Leave the cosmetics until the car can be driven.

A body shop / Restoration guy offered me $500 cash. I took it. Two years later HE was driving it.


Sometimes you have to have realistic dreams... even when you are a teenager.

Honestly, I used to think I'd want a 73 911s until I drove one as an adult. I've owned a few fun cars over the years. Including an old pro-3 race car. (1988 325is) I'll stick with our Focus RS and our WRX. I'm now past enjoying the track days and love the Grand Touring aspect.

About 400/400 is the sweet spot I think.

I would take an everyday driver. Something that gets good mileage and is cheap to insure. Most any $60K sedan would do.

I currently have a 2016 Toyota 4-Runner SR5 (5th generation) and a 1998 Toyota 4-Runner Limited. (3rd generation).
It would please me greatly to have my older 1998 in showroom condition, (zero miles). IMO, it is one of the best vehicles to ever come off an assembly line.

I've had a few very fun vehicles;1969 Mustang 2+2, 1993 Ford F-150 Lightning and a 1999 F-150 Lightning to name just a few. Several more over the years, but those were the standouts. I'd still at this point make my choice as stated above.

About restoration dreams... Our middle son, in high school at the time, bought an old Dodge Lancer for $200. In-line 6 cycl engine and push button transmission. It did run, but wouldn't pump gas from the fuel tank. We had 1 gallon gas can hooked up to the fuel pump. Had a brake fluid leak somewhere, but the master cylinder could be kept filled and pumped, the brakes did work. That was as far as he got with it. Sat in storage here for many years. He eventually listed it on Craig's list and someone in Montana wanted it. Gave my son $2000. He sent a flat bed car transport after it. We put some gas in the gas can, brake fluid in the master cylinder, air in the old tires and drove it up on the flat bed.

I never had a fast or sporty car. When I went to get my first "new" car at a dealer, I narrowed it down to an S-10 Blazer with lots of options that was a demo and a new camero on the showroom floor. Both were about the same, but practicality won out and the Blazer and I went home.

If I could have any car, I'd take a new Ford F-250 in Lariat or Platinum levels. Still practical I guess.

Just like you always tell me Sir, we have a lot in common. When cars were hard to come by during covid, we were offered premium prices for both our trucks. We still have them, no plans to replace them. The dream cars will likely remain there, in the dreams. The trucks are practical for the far... Easy to enter and exit, and visibility is excellent. Easier to see from, and easier to be seen. Makes us safer.