First Car

[85Hokie]

'69 Torino GT Coupe 351 Windsor with a 4spd manual. It was 3 years old and had 97,000 mi on it. Clutch was toast. Drove it for 36,000 mi in 3 years at school.

I had a 71 Torino ....not GT - 302, 2 BR and automatic.

Valves ticked like a sumbeach - buddy of mine in college, pulled off intake and pulled every hydraulic lifter out - broke them down and cleaned them, and got it all back running in a couple of hours. Damn - those WERE the days.....

now days FINDING the spark plugs is a mythical challenge!

 

[William1]

First car. Hard question to answer. I was given a few cars as a kid (non-runners) that I got running, but being underage, I could not drive them and my parents would not let me keep them so I gave them away. We had a few different 'family cars' that were purchased for use of the four of us kids but the title was never in my name.
I traded for a few cars but never kept them long and never titled or insured them. Citroen SM, Sebring Maserati, Ford Cougar, Mini Moke, a couple of Austin Healy Sprites, A few Morris Minors (woody wagon!) BMW2002Tii (ripper) So none of these really counted. One of my best friends first cars was a old school bus! Schooled us on partying!
So the first car I actually bought, titled and outright owned was a 1968 MB 230, straight six with a four speed floor shift. It had terminal body rot, over heated and finally a brake line rusted out. Next car was a brand new Volvo 242GT.
I wish I had gotten a '68 Camaro. Easy to fix, cheap and realistic. Age does that, makes you sensible.

 

[ipz2222]

Like Skeets,,, 1957 Ford Fairelane 500, 292v8 3 on the tree. Became a 390 w 4 speed before I got rid of it. Actually owned 4 of those cars before I went to the air force. The fastest I've ever been in a car was a 64 galixie w a 390 cid with 427 solid lift cam. 136 mph in '69 on bias ply tires. Lucky to be alive.

 

[mudog88]

First one was a (well faded) red, 1979 Ford F-100 with the 300 straight-6. Had the 3 speed auto in it. And it actaully had A/C that worked! Didn't matter though, because I still preferred the floor vents and wing windows. Bought that from the neighbor for $900 in '04. He bought it in 1980 with 1,300 miles on it. Joined the AF, and while I was gone, my brother decided to back it into a tree... HARD! It sat in the barn yard for about 3 years, then my parents sold it. Kinda wish I hadn't let that happen, but maybe I can find it again some day.

 

[cliffboyer]

First car was 1976 Pontiac Gran Prix. Firethorn red w/ red vinyl. Was a nice car. Drove to high school 87-89. Traded off for 85 Z28. Six months later traded for S10. After that a rapid succession of cars & trucks for next 5 or 6 years.

Wish i still had them both, but more so the Pontiac.

Current daily driver is 86 Mazda B2000. Just turned 360,000. It just wont die...

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[jdriver]

1967 Olds 442 with 400 cu. in. 350 hp with a 4 speed and a bench seat. I won a lot races with that car but most of them were to a gas station. Fortunately, premium (ethyl) was only 36 cents a gallon. Not the best car for a 16 yr old to own.

 

[johnjk]

1987 Pontiac Grand Am LE. Blue two tone, 4 door, 2.5L, 5 speed. Had crank windows. I was doing field service out of Chicago and would put on 500-600 miles a day. Crazy amount of driving. It was a work horse and relatively reliable, although it did have a thing about eating crank shaft sensors and MAF sensors.....

 

[hank2000]

First car 1972 nova 2 door. Gave a school teacher 375 for it had a 307 with a turbo 350 trans. That didn’t last long it now has a 454 bored 30 over with 2 4 Berral eldebrook 650 carbs and a 12 boot posi track rear end. Oh yeah I bought it 1986 while still in high school. Still sitting under my car port. Love that old car have had some good times in it


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[dandeman]

'69 Volkswagen Beetle.. something reliable, inexpensive that could spend time sitting at the Long Beach, CA shipyard/Navy base while at sea during my Navy days.

 

[car compulsive]

The first car I bought myself was a used '75 VW Rabbit. I used to have to carry a rubber mallet to cure the vapor lock from the carb during hot weather. The VW service manager taught me that trick. I eventually traded it for a '78 Rabbit with fuel injection.

 

[shootem604]

First vehicle was a Nissan King Cab pickup with the 2.5L diesel. Did 800 clicks to a tank, but was dead slow. First car was a 1978 Z28 that did a respectable 13 second quarter mile. Both sold now, regret selling them both.

 

[fruitcakesa]

1962 Austin Mini. I paid $200 for it and hauled myself and 3 friends around till I took it to a local mechanic for an engine rebuild [it had worn crank bearings].
He did the repair and parked it outside his house with the keys in it.
That night it was stolen and totaled!!
I never got a chance to drive with that rebuilt engine.

 

[WildThing]

Fun thread!

Thanks to elderly relatives who stopped driving (thanks Aunt Pearl), I was given first a 1953 Chrysler Imperial (331 cubic inch hemi V8 ! - 180 HP). Later I came into a 1966 Pontiac Catalina from my Granddad.

But the thread says cars I bought and paid for. Mistakes were made. I think my first was a 1948 Plymouth (push button start - what is old is new again). It listed bad to starboard. I paid $800 circa 1974. Someone had painted it with what looked like a broom. Three on the tree, flathead six if I recall. I sold it to my younger brother for $800, breaking even.

I loved the look of the 1940s cars (30s even better but never got one). Somewhere in there (1974 I reckon) I bought a 1950 Chrysler Windsor with a plaid "highlander" interior. Just beautiful in my eyes. Sold it quickly cause money was tight, and probably that was lucky too.

 

[lugbolt]

I still have my first car. 1975 Ford Maverick. 200 inline 6, 3 speed column shift, no a/c no radio-no frills. Still only has about 70,000 miles on it but it's NOWHERE near the same it was 29 years ago when I got it. Only thing "original" on it now is the quarter panels and roof. Oh and doors & front fenders. Rest is all fabricated and/or aftermarket. Currently narrowed 9", 32x14 Hoosiers on the rear, 5.00 gear, powered by a 440" SBF making about 800hp through a Powerglide. And...the old car is lighter now than it was the day I bought it....2509 lb with me in it and a full "tank" of fuel (all 3 gal of methanol).

When I bought it and got home with it, dad thought I was nuts. We were all Chevy people. I was supposed to get a '74 Cheyenne super with a 400 and wanted it bad. Then got the Maverick and dad said ok you get to drive that old ugly turd. Pea green and all, even with a few bullet holes in the R.F. fender. Drove it a while and the bug bit us (mostly dad), and we pulled the 200 out and dropped in a 302 with a C4-both home-built. Got it running (big cam, open headers), and dad said I couldn't drive it cause I was too young. Well...dad was at work and I "drove it" up the hill behind the house. Him and I re-did the interior and one day found out that there was a drag strip about an hour from the house, so we drove it over there & ran it. Hooked? You bet.

I wish I could find another 2 door Maverick, but they're not as common as they used to be. I've had 8 or 9 of them, cut some of them up, re-sold some, fixed a few up as daily drivers and then gave to my brother, dad, sister, etc--but haven't seen one within 500 miles for sale, at least not under $10,000. Hard to believe especially considering that I give a guy $27 for the one I still have The one that was the most "fun" was a '74 that was originally a 302/C4. I bought it for like $100 with a bad engine and put a more or less stock 302 together with leftover parts. Nothing special. I was looking for another C4 to rebuild at the local scrap metal yard and seen a turbo from a Powerstroke diesel laying there, thing looked brand new. Got it for $9 and the C4 for $15, went home and started in...did a turbo 302 in that thing, and at 20 psi, it was tractionless in any gear under 75 mph. Blew the motor up twice (or was it 3 times?), sold the turbo, headers, all that stuff to a guy in Wisconsin, put a stone stock 5.0 out of a Grand Marquis in it, drove it for years until my brother wrecked his pickup, gave it to him to "borrow" and never saw it again. Last I heard it was rolled and totaled.

 

[coachgeo]

Mine was a Datsun PL521 pickup.

 

[Redbusdriver]

High school car: 1967 Mercury Comet, 215 CI straight 6. Beat it to death in 2 years. Seat belts were an option then, lucky I survived.

First College car: 1970 Opel Kadet, Pretty hard on it as well. Learned how to drive a stick shift by getting in and driving away.

Second College car: 1972 Pontiac LeMans 350 V8. Now we're talking. That car flew, wish I still had it!

Current Car: 2016 Ram 3500 Laramie Longhorn duallie, 6.7L Cummins. Can tow a ship up a mountain.

Favorite "car" 2017 Kubota BX23S. More fun than the law should allow!

 

[Benhameen]

S-10 Blazer. I worked for my uncle at used car lot my grand father started. My uncle gave the option between the blazer and an F-150, I chose the blazer since I could fit more of my friends in it. Traded that for a ford escort, needed the gas mileage. Then bought the best car that I’ve owned. 1987 Buick Grand National, wish I still had it. I was too young to have the car. It was to expensive for me at the time. From there I purchased a 93 Dodge Dakota extended cap pick up with the 318, fun truck. Since then I driven company cars. The next time I have to purchase a vehicle it will either be a Silverado or a F-150.

 

[Bill Cook]

A 10 year old 1958 Ford, 223-6, 3 speed, "Custom" - (a few inches shorter than a Fairlane and very plain), $128. Drove it as large chunks of body putty fell off, or in the case of a rear wheel well, came off in my hands. The car could burn rubber in first gear. I went through three or four used transmissions before there where enough parts to assemble the next one.

All this time I was obsessed. I HAD to have a V8. The cool kids had them. For $50 I picked up a station wagon the same year with a 332, and a few extra tires with tread on them. A few months after it was back on the road a $35 '57 Fairlane convertible came along with no engine. It was a much more rewarding project.

As for the lack luster smoky 332, it was taken apart. Most notably, it had three rounded cam lobes and a severly bent connecting rod with it's piston's skirt busted off.

 

[Charlie5320]

My 1st car was a 49 Chevy BC 6 banger 3 speed. Bought it when I was 15 for $15.00. I bought several cars that ran in the 60s for 15, 20 dollars. Probably the best car for the money was a 56 Chevy Belaire 265 wglide trans. Was a one owner car, bought it from the Ford dealer here in town. I was 17 years old and seen the car, stopped in and asked how much. The salesman said $150.00, had a disappointed look on my face and told the guy I'd come back again when I had more money. He said kid how much ya got, I whipped out my wallet and put all my cash on his desk. A whole $65.00, he scooped it up and said be right back. Don't know what he told the manager, but I drove that car home. I bought several cars from that salesman over the years. Turned out he was in Korea with my dad. I drove that old Chevy untill I got married in June of 68, and we bought a brand new Road Runner in August.

 

[Eise]

First car was 1964 Volvo Amazon, I would just like to add that I bought it in 2007. (Just so people know I'm a dreaded millennial)