To All The Cars I've Loved Before: Classic Car Restoration, JDM, and Automotive History Apr 30, 2024

From Datsun to Range Rover: What Dora's First Car Taught Her About Success

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Car

Porsche Cayman

The Porsche Cayman is a sports car that has its engine in the middle, which helps it handle better on the road. It's similar to the Porsche 911 but has its own unique style and performance.

Car

Saturn Sky

The Saturn Sky is a small, sporty car that only seats two people. It was made by the Saturn brand for a few years and is known for being fun to drive.

Car

Land Rover Range Rover

The Range Rover is a fancy SUV made by Land Rover. It's designed to be very comfortable and can drive off-road as well as on regular roads.

Car

smart for two

The smart for two is a tiny car made for city driving. It's very small, which makes it easy to park and drive around in crowded areas.

Brand

Mercedes

Mercedes is a well-known car brand that makes luxury cars, often featuring high performance and comfort.

Brand

BMW

BMW is another popular luxury car brand, famous for making cars that are fun to drive and stylish.

Company

NASCAR

NASCAR is a racing organization that hosts car races, especially known for its fast stock cars racing on oval tracks.

Company

Tesla

Tesla is a car company that makes electric cars. They also provide insurance for their cars, which can help drivers save money based on how they drive.

Company

GM

GM stands for General Motors, a big company that makes cars like Chevrolet and Cadillac. They have been around for a long time and are important in the car industry.

Concept

lithium ion batteries

Lithium ion batteries are a type of battery that can be recharged and are used in many electric cars. They are good at storing a lot of energy in a small space.

Car

Datsun 1600

The Datsun 1600 is an older sports car made by the Datsun brand, which was known for making fun and lightweight cars. It's a classic model that many car enthusiasts appreciate.

Car

Datsun 510

The Datsun 510 is a small car made by Nissan that many people love to modify and race. It was sold in the U.S. under a different name, the Datsun 1600, during the late 70s and early 80s.

Car

Pontiac Catalina

The Pontiac Catalina is a large car that was made by the Pontiac brand. It was known for being roomy and comfortable, making it a good choice for families.

Car

Chrysler Dart K

The Chrysler Dart K is a small car that was made by Chrysler. It was popular because it was cheap and easy to drive, which made it a good first car for many people.

Car

Dodge Dart

The Dodge Dart is a car that Dodge made in different styles over the years. It's known for being a budget-friendly option for people looking for a compact car.

Car

Dodge Dart K

The Dodge Dart K is a small car made by Dodge in the 1980s. It was important for the company because it helped them stay in business during tough times.

Car

Dodge Aries

The Dodge Aries K-Car is another version of a small car made by Dodge in the 1980s. It helped the company get back on its feet when it was having money problems.

Concept

K-Car platform

The K-Car platform is a type of car design used by Chrysler in the 1980s. It helped the company make small, affordable cars that were very popular and helped them survive financially.

Concept

Sunday driver

A Sunday driver is a car that someone only takes out for fun, usually on weekends. It's not used for everyday driving, so it's often in great shape.

Car

Dodge Daytona

The Dodge Daytona is a small car made by Dodge in the 1980s. It was popular for its sporty look and was built on a platform that allowed for different types of cars to be made from it.

Car

Ford Probe

The Ford Probe is a car that Ford made starting in 1989. It was known for its sporty look and was popular among younger drivers at the time.

Car

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a type of SUV that can handle rough roads and off-road adventures while also being comfortable for everyday driving. People often talk about it because it's spacious and has a strong reputation for being tough and reliable.

Car

Ford Mustang

The Ford Mustang is a classic sports car that people love for its speed and cool design. It's been around for a long time and is often mentioned because it represents a fun and exciting driving experience.

Car

Mazda Mx6

The Mazda MX-6 is a sporty car made by Mazda that was similar to the Ford Probe. It was designed to be fun to drive and had a stylish look.

Car

Lamborghini Urus

The Lamborghini Urus is a high-end SUV made by Lamborghini. It has a powerful engine and a sporty look, making it different from regular SUVs.

Car

Ferrari California

The Ferrari California is a sports car from Ferrari that has a roof that can fold down. It's designed to be fast and comfortable for driving.

Car

Acura Mdx

The Acura MDX is a luxury SUV that can carry a lot of passengers and cargo. It's known for being comfortable and having good technology inside.

LIVE

Welcome back to your podcast where your stories are welcome.

You're welcome.

In the interview show, this is where we chat about your history, your cars.

This is two all the cars I've loved before.

Check us out at CarsLove.com.

I am Christian with my tech genius co-host, Botna, Doug.

How you doing, pal?

Doing great.

Today is going to be an extra special show.

Got another great friend of the show on.

I am so psyched about today.

I don't know what the weather is doing up there, but down here, instead of preparing

for this show, I went for a run, a three and a half mile run, because the weather

is spectacular here in the Florida Gulf Coast.

39% humidity, 71 degrees, sunny, sunny, sunny, not a cloud in the sky.

So it's a great day to stay inside in front of your computer and chat with friends, reminisce.

That's what the show is all about.

Your first car, second car, third car, current car, parent's car, buddy's car, girlfriend's

car.

Stories.

That's it.

These are the cars that we need.

Life lessons through cars.

Absolutely.

Life lessons through cars.

So, yeah, before I hand it over, Doug, for the tech update on the platforms,

analytics, who is listening, where is listening, why they're listening, just want to let you

know the audience continues to grow.

We continue to get a ton of mail by way of our email addresses.

We had these recently fired up.

Doug procured the domain carslove.com, carslove.com.

So I am at Christian at carslove.com, that's C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N at carslove.com.

He is at DOUG at carslove.com.

I love interacting with the listeners, so hey, just shoot us a mail.

If you like what you hear, if you don't like what you hear, it's all fine.

And if you want to be on the show even better, just shoot us an email.

It's very easy.

The prep for the show as informal as it sounds is exactly as we record it.

Doug is a great big planner.

I am not.

My plan is no plan, and it makes Doug want to reach to the screen and strangle

me every time I say it.

But you know what?

It's not perfect every time.

Every show is different because every listener is different.

What you got?

Well, with those of us who plan, if you don't want to send an email, you're not email savvy,

you don't like email, you're on the latest platforms, we have a forum on our website.

Feel free to check that out.

Give us feedback.

We'd love to hear from you.

Yeah, absolutely.

Another thing is I would say get involved to the degree you can.

Listen to the episode.

When you go to, I always check it out, Doug has us propagated all over the internet by now.

He's got us on so many platforms, but I would say get involved, listen to the episodes.

Please follow the show, download the episodes.

This helps us get the attention of the larger players and stakeholders in the space.

Check out the website.

Let us know what you think.

You can see pictures of us.

Why anyone would want that.

I have no idea, but there are pictures of cars of people who've been on the show

before.

And hey, yours would look great up there too.

Finally, before I toss it over across the fence, I would say please tell your friends

about the show.

So we are growing by word of mouth and we just see the analytics sort of spiraling

out of control as we catch fire like a disgusting virus all over the planet.

So I'm going to toss it across the screen to see what my man with a plan has for

us.

What you got, buddy?

There's a new blog out there.

So far, only my notes, but Christian, I hope you'll be adding to it soon.

It's definitely worth reading.

Yeah, I thought about some things I could write about today.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's definitely worth reading, I think.

And if those of you are interested in where the genesis, if you will, of this show

came from, got it covered in the first blog post.

Yeah, I read it.

I loved it.

I thought of some things that I could write.

I'm going to be bouncing it off you.

And thank you for that.

I appreciate the updates.

And so, you know, you may not know this, but Doug and I go way back.

College buddies for decades and Doug's friend that he's known for some time is on the show.

I'm so excited.

I just met her.

I'm so pleased that she's going to join us here.

But let me hand over formal introductions to the man with a plan.

Yeah.

So we have our wonderful guest, good friend of mine, going back to 2019 that I met

in California just randomly on our, we were both on a bus tour going to Yosemite.

And we've stayed in touch since then.

She blames me for her new, her husband.

I don't know why I should be blamed.

He seems like a great guy.

But this is how we get into trouble.

It's stuff like that that gets us in trouble.

But you know what?

Keep rolling, partner.

You're on a roll.

You're on a wonderful, brilliant Dora on a Dora is hailing from where are you from Dora?

Hi, I'm from Mazalan, Mexico.

Yep.

And you are talking to us from Austin, Texas, the great state of Texas.

Thank you.

So, uh, okay.

Wait.

Yes.

Oh, I had to hop it.

Okay.

I can wait.

But I wanted to ask about Tabasco Tabasco is a state.

I know Tabasco is a state in Mexico.

I visited the Tabasco factory in South Louisiana.

My girlfriend and I, Tiffany, oh, uh, last weekend, we had the best time visiting the

Tabasco factory where they make all the hot sauces there and yeah, and there's a nature

preserve South Louisiana Avery Island in South Louisiana.

So, so Tabasco is a state in Mexico, but that's south of where you're from.

Is that right?

That's correct.

Nice.

A man who knows his geography.

Yeah.

Keep going, man.

I'm sorry.

I just had to throw that in there.

Please continue.

No, that's it.

That's okay.

So, uh, yeah.

So Dora's a longtime friend, five plus years now and we stay in touch even though we

don't see each other very often.

And uh, she like, uh, many of my guy friends, she's really into cars.

So it's a thing.

Yep.

I am.

And I think the comment from her husband was, why aren't they talking to me?

And your comment back to him was, you don't know anything about cars.

Right.

And he's like, yeah, you're right.

So I think, I think you negotiated, you negotiated the Cayman purchase, right?

I did.

That was all you.

Yep.

Oh, that's pretty funny.

You made him get rid of his Saturn sky.

Oh, God.

Yes.

Really?

With a hamster inside, right?

Hamster wheel?

Yep.

There's three rolls in a Porsche Cayman.

There's a Range Rover.

There's also a little fiat, right?

It's a smart car for two.

Oh, that's right.

It's a smart for two.

Yes.

That's right.

My little pony as you call it.

My little pony.

Right.

But yep.

I'm taking it all away from you.

So if you would tell the listeners about yourself, what do you do?

What would you like to share with people?

Anything negative about me?

Maybe leave out.

Okay.

Just your wrinkles.

But yeah, we can talk about everything else.

I own a medical spa in Austin, Texas.

And yeah, I mean, I do everything from Botox, fillers, threads, laser treatments, and

I still love cars.

That's right.

Perfect guest.

Yep.

Exactly.

And you've had some, there's been some crossover between your job and cars and

your clients.

Right?

You were telling us before we started recording that there were some things you were interested

in doing.

And maybe you want to share one or two of those things with us.

Yeah.

Well, I noticed that most of my clients, they come in hot rides, Mercedes, BMWs.

I mean, everybody likes hot cars, right?

So yeah.

So I was like, well, let's bring cars into the beauty business.

And I got a corporate account with NASCAR and I had an event where everybody who spent $700

I will get them free tickets to come to NASCAR with us.

And yeah, I mean, that's how we started.

And also we were planning an event with Lamborghini and hopefully we can make that happen in the

near future.

Yeah.

Have you thought about sponsoring a cars and coffee at your spa?

Cars and coffee?

Yeah.

Or you could call it cars and Botox.

I don't know.

That would be fun to do.

Yeah.

I love it.

Yeah.

Just Christian and I are big fans of going to cars and coffee events.

So it's people just love talking about their cars.

The rally in the parking lot.

Well, let's pause there for a moment.

If you don't know and if they're not plentiful in your city, cars and coffee

typically mean that a bunch of car aficionados will bring their unique, sometimes exotic,

sometimes old, sometimes pristine, sometimes beat up automobile.

So they're collectible, fun, weekend cars and they'll all show up in a parking lot

and you know, they'll bring coffee and they'll just kind of show up for the first

hour or two in the morning.

I live in Pensacola, Doug lives in the Mid-Atlantic and there's some really neat ones near him

and every so often we have them down here.

But yeah, they're a trip.

They're a trip.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

I haven't heard of any here.

I probably have to find them, but I know that it's one at Kota where they meet every

Sunday and they ride their fan cars like, yeah, Porsches and Ferraris.

So you just go there and meet with the guys.

Yeah.

I think we have a new marketing plan in place.

I like it.

You're welcome, Dora.

If it fails, don't blame me.

Yeah.

If Doug is in charge of your intellectual property, you need to get a new intellect

and a new property.

Yeah.

Dora, I can't wait to catch up with you about or to learn from you about what

it was like growing up, where you grew up in Mexico and what it was like driving

there learning to drive, how it's different from Austin, where you are now.

I can't wait to dive into that.

But before we do that, before we do that, we wanted to chat a little bit about car

news of the day to just sort of set the stage and we're all pretty relaxed right

now.

But what do you think, partner?

Can we knock out a couple of quick nuggets from the news this week?

Yeah.

Let's throw those nuggets out.

Go for it.

Yeah.

So we were chatting as we always do a little pre-show before the show in prep

for actually recording the podcast episodes here.

And this was one that we chatted about quite a bit.

So all these nuggets I picked this week came from CBS News.com and my internet

bouncing around in my Ethernet travels.

They had some interesting nuggets this week.

So first one is what to know about protecting your car data privacy.

And what this article was driving at is modern cars collect insane amounts

of data around you, around what you do when you're driving.

And now they're connected apps.

So Tiffany bought a Range Rover a couple of weeks ago and it's really neat

because on the app she can just do all the unlock the car, all kind of

information, warnings about the car, et cetera.

And this is all wonderful like a new toy.

But how safe are those data?

Where can they go?

Could they go to the insurance company where the insurance company can learn

about your driving patterns and possibly charge more?

So how safe are these data was the thrust of the article?

Well, I think as we've seen, no data is safe once on the internet.

If it's a connected machine, it's out there.

For what it's worth about insurance, Tesla offers insurance.

And I was looking into it and it's based on how you drive.

I opted out because I want to drive the car the way I want to drive it,

hopefully mostly safe.

And I don't want my insurance, you know, I've been driving for 30 plus years.

I have no accident, but I want to drive the car the way I want.

And my insurance is quite low and really I plan to keep it that way.

Yeah, through avoiding accidents, but not based on feedback.

Now, my insurance company has a nice option where I can share that data.

But I said no, and I will continue to do so.

Yeah, good point.

What do you think, Dora?

Anything to add on that?

Yeah, well, it's kind of interesting.

I have a Range Rover 2 and our phone connects to our radio.

And I mean, it gets all the contacts, it gets all the content.

And as well, we do have the reader from our insurance company

so they can give us a discount.

So we're kind of like volunteering all this data.

And I don't know, I mean, where it goes or what they do with it.

But pretty much they have access to our cell phones.

Would you consider yourself a trusting person?

I don't think we understood how that worked at the beginning.

And you just connected to your right phone list

and you just let it roll.

And then now everything is happening.

And you're like, oh, my gosh.

I mean, what else do they have access to, you know?

That's such a good point.

And with the discount, like considerable at the time,

just curious.

I think it was like $50 per month.

But I mean, they get a reading on how you drive.

Yeah.

Have you and your husband taken it out yet?

He does.

I mean, he only goes to work once a week.

So yeah.

OK.

Gotcha.

So he's like, whenever I'm driving the car, it magically

goes off.

Well, he drives like a grandpa.

So I mean, yeah, he's not worried.

Hey, he's one of the good guys.

Yeah.

All right.

Thank you for that.

Another thing that caught our eye was this headline.

And as we record this episode, the first quarter sales

number in the United States came out.

We're in early April.

So the first quarter just closed here.

And auto sales were up by nearly 5%

despite high interest rates.

But EV growth slows further.

And before I tossed this one over to you both,

I thought it was interesting that auto sales were up

because I've just in my ethernet travels

and also out in the world, it seems

that there are a lot fewer cars on car lots

and a lot less choice.

And even though interest rates are high,

people are just saying, Carpe Diem, I want a new car.

And I want it now.

And I'm sick of waiting.

And so what happens is that's the American way, bro.

Yeah, yeah.

So if you want a car, go get the car.

And again, Tiffany bought this Range Rover just recently.

But she had been searching for actually quite some time.

And it's just, hey, when it's time to do it,

it's time to do it and put it in the done column.

So what do y'all think?

I think it's amazing that the rates are high.

I mean, the sales rates are high.

I think the companies are very competitive right now,

offering like a lifetime warranty

if you do the maintenance with them every month.

I think it's part of the American culture too.

Like what car you drive, that's

going to be how people perceive how successful you are.

So, yeah, I mean, they're always going to have sales.

I know everybody, every brand has a niche.

So I don't know how the 5% and luxury cars match right now

based on the economy.

So that's kind of interesting.

I think that's a very good point that you say that.

And I just connected a few dots for me

because all of my cars are old and beat up and unimpressive.

And so what does that say about the owner?

I'm an idiot.

It fits a little bit.

What do you think, Doug?

No, kind of old beat up and unimpressive.

But you know, Dora actually, she is in the market, I think,

always for a new car, right?

So you're coming off very recent information.

In fact, you had just told me about the lifetime warranty.

I think it was Jeep, right?

Yep.

Yep, smart move.

But I would say this, having owned some cars, not Jeeps.

I have owned Jeeps, which were actually

more reliable than some of the fancier cars

having a warranty, but having your car

at the dealer all the time, really.

That's not that.

Yeah, they are not very compatible.

So that is the risk there.

But yeah, it's good to see it.

Drop the mic on that point.

Good to see some competition.

And you know, we're out of the 2020s

where you had to pay a premium to get a car.

I don't care what it knew used.

It could have been one of Christian's cars.

You had to pay more than $5 for it.

Well, I don't know if I've ever paid more than $5

for an automobile, but moving on.

Our last new nugget of the day here was,

I thought this was interesting.

And this was coming out of Detroit.

GM has a facility up there they call Factory Zero

where they manufactured lithium ion batteries.

And the Detroit fire department was called out.

There was a fire recently.

I think it was in the past couple of weeks.

And so the article is entitled

GM's Factory Zero raises fire safety concern

Detroit fire department urges action.

So as these batteries, you know,

they're all lithium ion in the cars.

And we know that there's some fire hazards there.

And I just thought it was an interesting read on,

again, as we move forward in EVs and batteries.

Batteries are everywhere, right?

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

Yeah.

Well, that's all we have for the breaking news

that I read online.

So what do you think?

Should we get into Dora's cars, man?

Yeah, yeah.

And, you know, I think for some of us who,

most of us, wherever you are,

you're gonna hear some interesting facts

about the proper age to drive in Mexico is.

I'm not sure if there is one,

but Dora has some great stories.

So I can't wait to share them with everyone.

Take it away.

Yeah, so Dora, in the pre-show chatter,

you mentioned that your first car was a Datsun 1600.

So do you remember what year the car was

and about how old you were when you procured it

and what were your thoughts of that first car?

Yeah, so I was nine years old.

I always drove on the lap of my dad,

whatever car he was driving or a truck.

And early age, I knew I wanted to learn how to drive.

And he will take me every Sunday

to just drive around the neighborhood.

And in that little Datsun,

I don't know what year it was.

Yeah, who knows in the 70s.

And I don't know, I thought it was amazing.

I mean, having to drive something

and do something that you were not supposed

to be doing, it was fun.

Oh, I love that.

Would you say who wanted you, who wanted who to drive?

Did your dad want you to?

Were you begging him to drive?

How did that go down?

Yeah, I begged him.

I went on a motorcycle, but I mean, yeah.

We had cars, so it's like, let's go and drive.

Yeah, yeah.

And for our Americans, the Datsun 1600

was sold here as a Datsun 510.

It was the A10 series built from 1977 to 1981.

And believe it or not,

those 510s in America, at least,

are still very desirable these days as tuner cars.

They're a really neat car.

What, you were what, nine years old then?

Yeah, we don't have driving schools in Mexico.

Like we have it here.

So it's always your parents,

one of your parents going with you

and going to a big field, either baseball field

and just driving around there

or around the beach when there is no people.

And that's what we did every Sunday,

going and practicing.

He will sit right next to me

and he will shut down because he was a stick

and I had to learn how to slowly release the gear

and move forward and reverse and park and everything.

I love that.

So nine years old, stick ship in a field,

parking lot, wherever.

Wow.

Yeah, my 13, I was already picking up people,

driving on my own, no driver's license,

but it was Mexico.

No insurance, I don't know.

My parents, insurance optional.

So you have some great stories.

It was just you and your dad, father, daughter.

You twisted his arm, daddy, daddy, please,

let me drive the car.

Yep.

And that's what happened.

Yep.

Yeah, and something you said, wow,

this memory just flooded back to me

and I haven't thought,

I don't think I've thought about this in decades.

You mentioned something about sitting on your father's lap

and I remember my dad putting me in his lap

and having me drive his enormous Pontiac Catalina

beautiful car, big car.

You know, and just,

and I think this was when he taught at Penn State,

so this would have been in Pennsylvania.

And, you know, let me drive around the neighborhood too

and he loves to tell that story

and I forget how young I was,

but I don't think I remember myself,

but I've heard him say that so many times that,

Yeah.

You know, I feel like this memory has been

sort of somehow implanted in my brain

and it's such a lovely memory.

And so my three sons and the older two

are out and driving,

but my youngest needs to learn

and will be in my neighborhood

and I'll just give him the keys to the car

and he's just petrified, horrified, having no idea.

I said, relax, just relax.

As long as you keep your foot near the brake,

we can't get into too much damage,

but I don't know, that's just a lovely memory

that you conjured, so thank you.

Yeah.

So what was the next car

or what was your first official car, if you will?

Yeah, in high school, I got the hand down me car

from my older brother.

It was a Dart K from Chrysler

and I love that car because it was wide

with red interiors and I thought it was like

the best car ever because it was all mine

and I could pick up my friends

and yeah, I mean, drive around.

Yeah, and it was a four door?

Four door.

Yeah, what color?

White with red interiors.

Oh, sorry, you said that, yeah.

Yeah, so yeah, those 80s cars, the Vlore Red,

my dad had a few cars with those,

few cars with that interior,

they did lovely cars for the,

no, I know Dart K, so people think about Darts,

in fact, we had somebody on recently

who owned a few Dodge Darts, but in America,

that was a different car.

In Mexico, the Dodge Dart K, in America,

it was sold as a Dodge Aries K-Car, if you will,

K-Car being the platform, so.

They made a ton of those.

A ton?

Well, that's what saved Chrysler the Iacocca, right?

That's what saved Chrysler that

and some money from the US government

to tie them over, but yeah, it worked.

And every once in a while, I see one of those,

and when I see them, they're in pristine shape.

Wow.

There's only a few, every once in a while.

Like it's somebody's Sunday driver

and they just kept it and took great care of it,

but I mean, that car was a platform

that was used for everything.

They made convertibles, two doors,

my very first car, Dodge Daytona,

was also based on K-Car.

Oh wow, I didn't know that.

Yeah, yeah, K-Car was the way to go.

Yeah.

Kind of amazing that you still see these cars on the road

and up where Doug is in the Mid-Atlantic,

it's salt on the roads in the harsh, harsh-ish winters.

And down here where I am in Florida,

I live right by the water, so it's the salt there.

So I wonder which is more corrosive,

but salt and moisture, guaranteed to destroy anything.

Now, having been in California a few weeks ago,

the number of old cars out there

that are still on the road is just amazing.

Like it's heaven for somebody like me and for Dora.

Yeah, well, they have so many restoration companies

that I mean, that's what they do.

I love those shows on Netflix.

Yep, Ditto, Ditto.

I watch a lot of YouTube shows as well with car repairs.

I like that.

Now, I think we're gonna move to the third act here,

and this is what I've been waiting for all day.

When I heard this, my little tail just started wagging.

The Ford Probe, you had a Ford Probe, Dora.

And I just thought those were the neatest,

most unique cars.

What did they come out, 87, 88, something like that?

89.

89, there you go.

So what was your experience like with that car?

Where did you get it?

Tell us a little bit about that one.

Yeah, that was my first car in college.

I was in Houston, and it was a mint green.

And I thought it was the greatest thing.

It was in the 90s because the lights,

the front lights came out.

Pop-up headlights, love them.

Yes.

I love that car, and the power was amazing too.

It was a two-door.

I had a spoiler in the back.

I just love that car, not the color, but the car.

And it was a stick-shipped as well, right?

No, this one was automatic.

OK, well, nobody's perfect.

But yeah, you love that car.

And we didn't, if we get backtracked real quick,

what happened to the K car, the Dart K?

I think it was sold because I got an Oldsmobile.

It was like a sports edition, white with red, too,

for my 15, 15 birthday.

So I had it for three years while in college.

And yeah, it was an amazing car, too.

No, that's awesome.

And yeah, so the fast forwarded the probe.

How long did you have that car for?

I had it for three years.

And then I got a Grand Jeep Cherokee.

Gotcha, gotcha.

Boy, that seemed to be the theme.

That's happened with several people.

That was a big car in the mid-90s.

Sorry to backtrack.

Any memorable, you mentioned the spoiler,

not a fan of the mid-green, but you love the car.

Anything super awesome, super awesome,

that's such a great term.

But anything really memorable happened in that car

that you can think of, that you want to share, at least.

Yeah, moving to Austin from Houston.

And I'm still here.

So that car took you from Houston to Austin.

Houston to Austin, yeah.

And you've been there for 25 years, right?

Close to 20, yeah.

Okay, okay, gotcha, gotcha.

And so little, you're in the car's door.

You may know about this.

When the Ford probe first came out,

it was intended to replace, you had a Gen 2 probe.

It was intended to replace the Mustang.

Oh, wow.

And so the Ford probe was actually a Mazda Ford

collaboration, Mazda had the MX6.

I actually had a Gen 2 MX6, like into your Ford.

But the muscle car slash Mustang community just

went crazy and Ford's like, nah, we'll keep the Mustang going.

And, you know, look what won.

The probe is gone and the Mustang's still being made.

So, wow.

Yeah, that was the plan to retire that Fox body

and rear-wheel drive and turn the Mustang.

But we're done the development,

so they just made the probe.

Wow.

And yeah, with no futuristic when it came out,

even the first version.

I remember seeing one at the dealer,

my dad was able to take a drive in it

and it was a five-speed and I probably wasn't even 16,

but I was just drooling over it.

And I brought home the brochure

and I was like drawing the pictures of it.

So beautiful and so different.

It was awesome.

It just looks so different.

I loved it.

Yep, it had a digital dash then, it was really awesome.

Yeah.

Very good.

Well, thank you for sharing these tales.

Uh-oh, uh-oh.

You know what happened?

Look what happened, partner.

We're just getting started with Dora

and getting knee-deep into these stories

and instead of exhausting questions,

I just have so many questions to ask her

about where she grew up and how she came here

and how she became the person that she is,

but we've run out of time yet again.

And on this episode.

On this episode, but there will be others.

We'll have to have you back in season 37, Dora.

Sounds good.

We're on season one right now.

So, hey, what are you doing?

Let's see if we can pencil you into our schedule.

What are you doing in March of 2046?

Ha ha ha.

Hopefully, Dora.

Well, I'm sure you will be.

I'm sure you will be.

So what do you got, partner?

Let's by way of wrapping up what you got.

Just for everyone on the show,

just I just want to ask Dora,

you're looking at cars.

What's at the top of your list right now?

Right now, I really want a euros

or a Ferrari.

That will be my next one.

Lamborghini Urus or Maserati, what model?

No, Ferrari.

Oh, Ferrari.

Yeah. Which model?

I like the California.

But we'll see.

I still want an SUV.

Yep.

Yeah, well, the Urus is an SUV-ish.

Yeah.

You can't buy a Ferrari California if you live in Texas.

Why not?

You have to buy a, you have to,

well, it's the wrong state.

You can't buy a California.

They won't sell them.

You have to go get a Ferrari Texas.

It doesn't work like that.

My God.

Such a knob.

Ferrari would have to make a truck

for it to be called the Ferrari Texas.

But you know what?

Go back to your Acura MDX.

You don't know what you're out of.

You're out of your league.

I am.

Always, always.

It's a constant predicament of mine.

Well, it's the one thing I can school you on.

Well, thank you for having me, you guys.

Thank you, Dora.

Well, thank you, Dora.

You know what?

It was, I've heard about you.

Yeah, I've heard about you for years

and it was just so wonderful to hear your voice

and if not meet you in person,

meet you over the interwebs.

So thank you for making the time

and do you have any final parting thoughts or words

for the millions of people

who are going to listen to this episode

of To All The Cars I've Loved Before?

I just keep driving and yeah, give us some tips

and yeah, share with us

what are your favorite cars.

That is wonderful.

Thank you.

Well, all right, Cars Love Nation.

That's another episode in the book

with another fantastic guest

and so ensure that you are, as I said,

at the top of the show,

please help us continue to grow.

There's only so much multivitamins we'll do.

So follow the show,

download the episodes,

visit the website, email us if you wanna be on.

You can be one of our listeners

from all over the world.

Podcast platforms, listen,

wherever you get your podcast, you can get us.

Email us directly.

I check email 300 times a day.

Doug checks at 301 because he's an overachiever.

That's it.

This is the books.

Doug at CarsLove.com, Christian at CarsLove.com.

She is Dora.

We will see you next time.

Bye.

About this episode

Dora shares her journey from her first car, a Datsun 1600, to her current aspirations for a Ferrari. The conversation dives into her experiences growing up in Mexico, learning to drive at a young age, and the unique car culture she encountered. With a mix of nostalgia and humor, Dora recounts her adventures with various cars, including a Ford Probe and a Dart K. The episode also touches on car data privacy and the current state of auto sales, making it a rich discussion for automotive enthusiasts.

BMW GM K-Car platform lithium-ion batteries Mercedes NASCAR Sunday driver Tesla

Acura MDX Datsun 1600 Datsun 510 Dodge Aries Dodge Charger Dodge Dart Ferrari California Ford Mustang Ford Probe Jeep Grand Cherokee Lamborghini Urus Land Rover Range Rover Mazda MX-6 Pontiac Catalina Porsche Cayman Saturn Sky Smart ForTwo

Original notes

Click here to share your favorite car, car story or any automotive trivia!

Dora has loved cars from the moment her dad taught her to drive as a kid, and her episode reads like an encyclopedia of automotive memories. In this rich narrative, she recounts her mastery of every vehicle she’s owned – from the classic Datsun 160J that started it all, to a quirky Dodge Dart K that added intrigue, a sporty Ford Probe that tested her limits, an efficient Smart Fortwo that showcased modern minimalism, and finally the luxurious Range Rover that crowns her journey. Dora’s storytelling is investigative and engaging; the hosts joke that they had to “Ford Probe like Woodward and Bernstein” to dig up all her Datsun details. Listeners will gain insight into each model’s place in automotive history (expect fun facts about Datsun engineering and Range Rover’s off-road pedigree) and how Dora planned her next car at every stage of life.

Dora's favorite episode is Mason's Classic Car Path - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2316026/episodes/17426714-how-a-mcpherson-college-grad-arrived-at-f40-motorsports-mason-s-classic-car-path

This episode offers a heartfelt exploration of a lifelong auto enthusiast’s journey – a celebration of automotive lifestyle, family bonding over cars, and the emotional milestones marked by each beloved ride.

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Listen on your favorite platform and visit https://carsloved.com for full episodes, our automotive blog, Guest Road Trip Playlist and our new CAR-ousel of Memories photo archive.

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