@JunkFixer: Hondas will go a million miles, I've no doubt - and need a fifth head gasket once they cross that milestone. At least, if my limited experience is any indication.

@mechimike: Oh, I wasn't! I hoped someone - preferably you - would mention it. I couldn't just ignore the father of the redblock.

So if this is what came in that white box you showed us yesterday, what came in this box? A 1/64-sized (1/52-scale) Citroën Visa?

@OneTrickPony: I chose #3, with the same end result.

Intriguingly, I seem to have voted along with the majority.

At least Henry's aged better than Edsel.

@tonyola: Note the tiny 'Darrin dip' in the top of the rear window - as awkwardly cute as the Henry J was, it has some cute touches.

@The Cheat: I never said it was fully thought-out. :-)

@G-Ram: It's not whether they can drive stick that matters - it wouldn't bother me at all to find someone who couldn't. What would bother me would be a flat-out refusal to learn - it'd just seem like a bad sign to me. Car selection matters, too, to some degree - as long as it's remotely interesting and driving's…

@Bluesroo: Well, that's true, but it's still complicated - especially with a controller, since there simply aren't enough ergonomically-placed controls. I'm used to having the handbrake as R1, for instance (not that I always need it), and so I can't use R1/R2 as up/down; similarly, clutching in and shifting with the…

Oh, that's easy: Volvo redblock (B21/23/230/234, along with a few smaller European versions). Never mind that I daily-drive one and am acquiring another - note instead their legendary longevity, even when abused (the 8v versions are even non-interference, so even a timing belt can't put 'em out of commission for long)…

@djscruffy: Older Volvos aren't bad at all to work on - roomy engine bays, simple components, and there's still a reasonable supply of parts for 240/7*0/9*0s. FWD cars (850 and newer) are a mixed bag - newer ones are obviously more complicated, and some have issues that render them best avoided. The cost of parts…

@therealmusashi: Every time someone abbreviates "mainstream media", two other thoughts go through my head, and I have a bit of a laugh. It usually fits just as well (at least with the latter example), though...

@Canuck Chinaman: I've never been able to clutch, shift, accelerate/brake, and steer simultaneously with my hands. A car, sure, that's fine - I'm not great at it, but I could get from Point A to Point B in anything with a clutch that wasn't set in concrete. Same, presumably, with a wheel and pedals. A controller,…

@G-Ram: You don't want a significant other who refuses to learn to drive a manual gearbox. Owning a car with one will help weed out the undesirables.

EDIT: Eat a satchel of wangs, Nibbles. However many you can get into your furry little mouth, start there, then cram in seven more wangs.

@djscruffy: Perhaps you'll find one of your own! If you ever do, pop onto Turbobricks - we're weird as hell, but it's a great community.

@gman1023: I'm happy with the ol' slushbox - as far as automatics without manual shiftability go, the AW7* is excellent - but I'm not exactly content. I've got the urge to caress a knob and give my left foot something to do - somehow I reckon that my 244's lack of legroom wouldn't be such a big deal if I had to push a…

Imagine this, with no wing, 14" steel wheels with hubcaps, no airdam, four doors, a bit more chrome trim, the antenna on the left rear quarter, in Smurf blue with some primered spots on the left rocker panel.

@TroyQueef: High mileage means nothing, and power is easy to come by if one finds a wrecked 740/940 Turbo (or simply buys a 240 Turbo, but that's actually the harder route). Air conditioning? Yeah, just ignore that. For that matter, ignore the HVAC system entirely, because when the blower motor goes, you won't be…