First Car

[Chris]

Pathrat's experience and dismay with her son choosing his Mercedes over a 4Runner made me think of being 16 and first cars. So what was yours?

Here's what I bought when I was 15, IIRC it was $35.00 and nowhere near the condition of the one in the photo. It never left the driveway but provided lots of wrenching until I turned 16 and bought a '57 Chevy for $200. ;)

See you young whippersnappers! There are some cool things about being an old guy, we owned cool cars when we were kids. Right Pete?

:lol:

[Jimmy]

I had a 1966 Chevy II Super Sport. SBC, 4-speed, 4.56 gears (overkill for the street, but it kept me under 80 mphs :lol: ). My parents let me keep it at their place all the years I was away in the military... which was very nice of them. Unfortunately, it sat outside and was falling apart. There was no chance I was going to be in a position to truely fix it up in the years to come after I got out of the military, so I sold it off.

Can't say that I'm itching for another one (you've heard the stories), though I let off a deep sigh when I seen one fixed up real nice.

[Pathrat]

Chris, that is a cool car but I have to ask, what is it? :o

My first car was a 78 Mercury Cougar, a grandma boat, that cost me $300. The new gold paint and roof were my graduation presents. I went off pavement in that one too. Guess I didn't know I wanted to wheel back then. I didn't know ANYTHING about cars. I did miss the engine when I got my next car, a pos 4banger.

What I wanted was my uncle's fire engine red 1970 Mach 1 Mustang, fastback. That thing sounded incredible and it MOVED! My mom was borrowing it and got pulled over for "taking off from that light too fast".

[Funrover]

My first car - 1971 Mercedes Benz 220 Diesel. I still have it and I love it! I have hopes of show restoration one day!
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/Funrover/mybenz.jpg

[DETN8R]

my first vehicle was a 1992 Nissan Pick Up. It served me great untill it died on I25 out of nowhere one day. It gave me absolutely no problems untill the timing chain just broke out of nowhere. Then I got my Jeep and it served me great for the last 3 years.

[Brody]

My first car was a 51 Buick that I bought for $300. It ran, but not very well. Since I wasn't living with my parents at 16, dollars were few and far between. I kept the car alive with the help of Midnight Auto Supply and a siphon hose. I wheeled in that, in the orange groves and backroads in Florida. It was painted battleship grey and I think it got left on the side of the road when it finally gave up the ghost.

My next car was a postal van and the one after that was a 68 Bronco, my first 4x. Next was an International Scout with a 345, and the next a 68 Chevy Impala....Then came a 63 or so rust bucket Surburban, another 4x...

Obviously, I had to get into wrenching just cause of the stuff I owned.....

[Chris]

Pathrat, it was a 40 Chrysler w/ a flathead 8. My parents encouraged my wrenching since it was obvious I wasn't going to be a doctor or lawyer by that point in high school. :lol:

[SCRubicon]

I had to fire up the scanner for these pics...lol

The one that got away - the car I learned how to drive in. Was supposed to become my car at 16, but my grumbling old man just wouldn't have any of it. My mom bought this car the summer I turned 14. The seller, her name was Jenny. (I can't do her any justice pronouncing or even trying to spell her last name...east coast Polish) She lived across the street from my grandma. My mom remembers the day Jenny and her husband brought the car home new in 1957. Getting a new car was the big talk on the block at that time. Jenny was the type of gal who liked to travel, and the car went coast to coast about 3 times over. Sadly, her husband died at an early age. The car got packed away and sat dusty and forgotten in a garage at one of her rental properties with 89k miles on the odometer. I'll never forget the day my mom inquired about the old car. I just finished up my grandma's lawn when Jenny asked if we wanted to take a look at it. So, we followed her down the block winding around through all of these cramped side streets until we came up to a big double block house with a detached garage in the back. When Jenny opened the door I nearly crapped my shorts... A 1957 Chevrolet was right there in front of me, and she handed me the keys! "Pump the gas pedal two or three times and it should start right up for you Stephen." And, it did. My mom bravely asked if she ever thought of parting with it. Jenny was a kind old lady and told my mom, "I'm only going to sell it to you because your husband is a master mechanic." My dad came down for a look, and struck the deal. $1,000.00 cash took it home. We wrenched on the car a little that summer, with the intention of doing a full restoration. Not really having all the free time needed for the job, my dad started shopping the project around. It came in around 8-10k to do it up the way he wanted it done. Body off, upholstery, and some re-chroming. That put the brakes on the project... So, we drove it. It wasn't the prettiest 57 Chevy in Dallas Pennsylvania, but my mom didn't care. We drove that car everywhere. I learned how to drive it in the Dallas High School parking lot. I thought I was the king of the road. I couldn't wait until I turned 16 to get my license. That time came and went, but still the old Chevy was not my car. The tune changed. My dad became grouchy about letting my mom give me the car. I can remember the arguments. It got to the point where I dropped a thousand bucks in his lap and he still said no. I became bitter about it, but I still worked on the old Chevy. Rebuilt the carburetor, put a new exhaust system on, replaced leaky gaskets. Even replaced the floorboards in high school shop class... Time went on, and I bought my first car - a 1984 Camaro. Total P.O.S., but it was my car free and clear. The 1957 was still on my mind though. My mom toyed with the idea of giving it to me as a graduation present after seeing all of the time I put into it. My dad? He made me sell the Camaro, then bought me some "reliable" transportation for college - a two year old Ford Ranger. Nice jesture, but I was back under his thumb. My dad had a way about giving you something, but making you feel like crap and indebted for it. Through college I didn't spend much time working on the car. But, mom still drove it in the summer months. Eventually the old Powerglide transmission started to slip, and the engine was in need of a rebuild. I wasn't going to fix either. I learned my lesson. Not my car, not my problem. The old bucket was parked in the garage and forgotten about once again. My dad forced my mom's hand to sell it, so she listed it in the Papershop. $1,000.00 cash took it, same as the deal between Jenny and my dad. It was sold on April fool's day, 1997. A man from Endicott, NY came down with his truck and trailer. He was happy as could be. I'll never forget that old car. The way it sounded when the engine turned over, the hum of the tubes when you turned the radio on, that old Chevy smell...

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/SteveChabala/Random%20Junk/heavychevy.jpg

This is a scanned Kodak 126 format picture. One of the two pictures I still have of the car. The other is a black and white 8x10 that I shot and developed in college - it still hangs on the wall in my bedroom at my parent's house.

1957 Chevrolet Two-Ten four door sedan - 260,401 units produced
283 V8 - 185 hp @ 4,600
Powerglide transmission
Imperial Ivory/Dusk Pearl


http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c174/SteveChabala/Random%20Junk/roach.jpg

This was my P.O.S. Camaro - "The Roach"
305 V8 - a.k.a. the 5.slow
automatic...:lol:

The license plate is hanging above my computer here in the man cave.

[Brody]

THAT was a great write up, though not the best of stories, especially for you...FYI I didn't get along really swell with my old man either-the reason I left home at 16, the summer before turning 17 and starting my senior year in high school....didn't start to get along with him again until I was in my mid 30s.....

Any reason the other ride was called The Roach? Inquiring minds, et al....

[SCRubicon]

Because there were so many of the third generation F-body Camaros floating around at the time - one of my friends lamented, "These cars are all over the place, like damn cockroaches!" (he was a Mustang fanatic)

[Pathrat]

Like Brody said, very good write up. Thanks for posting that up with your pictures.

[Chris]

Sad story Steve. :(

Anyone could ask my dad what kind of car i ha and he wouldn't have a clue, probably applied to what he drove as well. :lol:

I'll have to pull out the scanner one of these days and post a copy of my '57. I know I have a posed shot of me at 16 under the hood. My mom was always a good sport and when I was running late dropping my rebuilt 283 in the '57 she handled the engine lift for me so I could finish it up and make my big date that night.

Probably have one of my 41 Plymouth too but that was when my kids were little and my daughter named it "The Sloppy Jalopy."

[SCRubicon]

Would love to see some pics Chris. I keep telling myself, someday I'll have my own. When I find the cure for Barrett Jackson syndrome...lol

[Warrlord]

My first car was a '71 Plymouth Fury station wagon. Bought it in '79 when I was 16 with money I made from mowing lawns, got it for $50. They were 2 days away from getting stationed to Germany so I got it real cheap. The back glass was broken so I went to the boneyard & got one for $40, not too bad to have a running car for $90. Of course it got like 8 mpg with that 440. Four months later I sold it & bought a car a little more suitable for a teenager, '73 2 dr Maverick with a 302. Ah, the memories.

[Pathrat]

Would love to see some pics Chris. I keep telling myself, someday I'll have my own. When I find the cure for Barrett Jackson syndrome...lol

Seems to be a chromosomal abnormality from what I have read, but a common one. Get out the stem cells. :D

[Funrover]

My first car was a '71 Plymouth Fury station wagon. Bought it in '79 when I was 16 with money I made from mowing lawns, got it for $50. They were 2 days away from getting stationed to Germany so I got it real cheap. The back glass was broken so I went to the boneyard & got one for $40, not too bad to have a running car for $90. Of course it got like 8 mpg with that 440. Four months later I sold it & bought a car a little more suitable for a teenager, '73 2 dr Maverick with a 302. Ah, the memories.


Wish I had that wagon now!

[Funrover]

Steve - you brought a tear to my eye man.. but I can semi sympthize. I was supposed to get my dads old 71 Travellall but didn't happen.

[Roostercruiser]

my first was a 54 chevy p/u . pics r in my gallery

[Roostercruiser]

here are pics of my first the grey ones are the before and the black is after pics, i had it for 15 years and just sold it 1 year ago

[sonofbr]

My first was an '83 POS Camaro.
With a V6.
I had no respect for that car.

Years later I got a '79 Mustang.
With a 4 Cyl.

How do I attract the not-so "muscle" cars?

Steve, your dad sounds like a real ass.
I can relate.

[Brody]

Sounds like you didn't drag race much, Joe. I didn't either except when I snuck out at night, hot wired the family's Charger and took the hub caps off. That kinda stopped at 15 when Dad found me passed out in a puddle of puke(beer and whiskey smelling, too) in front of the back door, the Charger with it's nose buried in the bush next to the garage, and thread showing on both back tires....BAD morning that was...I still remember it..My folks probably had a celebration when I moved out at 16....

[Chris]

Drag race? I lived in a town with a horse track that had a backside straightaway of miles with with no sidestreets or houses. :D

My favorite memory of that track was a 58 T-Bird (390) vs 56 Studebaker Golden Hawk also a 390. :lol:

Both dogs off the line but real cruisers. That damned stop sign at the end comes up quick at 100+ mph. Remember both of us locked up skidding trough the stop at sppeds I won't admit. :eek:

[bskey]

....well... you all had nice 1st cars.... I rocked an '87 Ford Taurus. My 1st wheeler... busted the CV on a local dirt road and had fun rallying that FWD. Followed that with a 2wd Blazer and after getting stuck alone 3 miles from anything, hiking out and calling my dad for a ride, I decided to buy my first 4x4, '87 S10 Blazer. Once I had done some work on that, it was one of my favorite wheelers. I used to pull Expeditions and Wranglers out of stuck. I have some serious stories about that rig.

[Pathrat]

....well... you all had nice 1st cars.... .

My 78 Cougar? Nice? :lol:

And, Cowboyjarman, nice restoration!

[bskey]

Ok, true. Not much came out of the '70's that will be lasting. Not that anything today will be (though I think the Nissan GTR and Pontiac Grand Prix will someday be considered collectors cars).

[gragravar]

My first car was an '82 pontiac 6000, followed closely behind by a '67 international scout 800 series.

[Patrolman]

My first car was the epidemy of POS. 1972 Dodge Coronet Station Wagon. More or less used as a "work truck".

318 w/ 727TF. Trans slipped. BIG dent in passenger door. Driver door lock didn't work, so you had to crawl across. 3 different sized tires made it swagger a bit. Always ran great and someone else inherited a project from me!

Found an online pic. Much nicer than my sky blue POS. Totally vintage though!

[Pathrat]

OMG Patrolman! You win!

BSKEY- My uncle's Mustang Mach 1 was a pretty cool 70's ride, and I would much rather have had a 71 Cougar than the 78. As far as style goes, there was a dismal spiral after, say, 1975? Still, you seem to be right and nothing comes to mind when I wonder what will be the cool vintage in 25 years.

GateMonkey told me he had a powder blue 79 Pinto for a few months as his first ride.

[Brody]

Yeah, Brett...a POS 51 Buick was a 'nice' first car??

Jeff..how long was that thing?? Like 28' or something?? You could fit a town of Vietnamese people in it...

Ooooooppppsssssss............Pete, Pete, Pete...you are so, so unPC.....I'll take a self imposed time out and stand in the corner for 2 seconds....

[Telly]

My first hand-me-down car was a 81 VW Rabbit diesel that my mom used to delivery mail. It had something like 250,000 miles when I started driving it. It was completely gutless but got around 50mph! That diesel engine was bullet proof. I had it decked out with subs in the trunk...total hooptie.

I purchased my first car when I was 13. My dad and I looked for about about a year and found a 68 camaro RS and I bought it for 1200 bucks. Dad and I restored it during my high school years but to this day, it is still a never ending project/money pit. The latest engine is a 427 bbc with a Tremec 5-speed. The thing passes everything but a gas station. That's my dad in the picture at their house in Kansas last year. I've lowered the car a couple inches since then.

[Chris]

Very nice Telly!

Not too often to see one of those "off road" as in the pic. :D

[Patrolman]

Jeff..how long was that thing?? Like 28' or something?? You could fit a town of Vietnamese people in it...



I measured it out roughly with a tape measure once. 18.5 feet. I pulled up next to a Suburban and it edged it out by about 6 inches or so. LONG car. Yes, it can haul an entire small town. Seat belts for 9.

[Patrolman]

That is a really good looking Camaro! Might seem like a $ pit, but I bet you can get back most of what you put into it. Don't let my wife see that car! She would 2nd mortgage the house for it!

[Funrover]

Telly - That is a sweet car.... and because of it I have to mop the drool of the floor!

[isotel]

First Car was a VW Jetta (but it was my Parents)

First Car i Bought was a 1988 Audi 90 Quattro

First Truck was my 76FJ40

[Brody]

I'll trade my first born even steven for the Camaro....wait...I don't have kids...how bout..do ya need an indentured servant??? That is so sweet...I love muscle cars...

I would have my liscense for about 24 hours max...

[Telly]

I have a love/hate relationship with my camaro. I drive it about 1000 miles/year and often wonder if I should sell it and buy something more practical for the wife to drive. But then I take her for a quick spin down I-25. It cures me everytime.

Doug

[4runner freak]

Luckily, I was intelligent enough to buy a Toyota for my 1st vehicle :D
1985 Toyota PU, I put a 3" ProComp lift on it, 33s and open
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj66/4runnerFreak/4runner%20Pics/Firsttoy.jpg

[Funrover]

Where was that pic taken?

[4runner freak]

Where was that pic taken?

It was down near Sedalia, I think it was Rampart Range Road(but it was 10 years ago so I'm not sure)

[Pathrat]

It was down near Sedalia, I think it was Rampart Range Road(but it was 10 years ago so I'm not sure)

You are all blond???!!! Nice choice :thunb:

[Pathrat]

Very nice Telly!

Not too often to see one of those "off road" as in the pic. :D


supernice! I bet it sounds amazing too!

[Roostercruiser]

ive always had a soft spot for the 3rd gen camaros my mom used to have 2 89 z28's that we showed at the Tri State Car Show back in the day.

[Weaver001]

I was a bum I didnt get a car until I was 21, First one i bought was 85 s 10 had something like 300,000 k. one family owner, a crazy woman, a teenage daughter (also crazy) and a lead foot drunk teenager. long story on owners technaclly my family.

I bought it for five hundred loaded it up with all my stuff and drove from Liberal KS to Denver 6hours away. Hit some hills on 70 thru it in 2 or1 and went 90- 100 mph till the tranny blew. Milked it in 40 miles parked it at my new home. Later it was towed away with the transmission just sittingin the bed.

Mainly i drove my friends and girlfriends car alost as much as the owners. list as follows

1980 f 150 with a real good motor.
1969 ford fairlane batman car lmao had a 400 something,we spent more on tires than the two motors we put in VOTEC's are great highschool to college car schoolin KS.
88 Izusu trooper first true offroad that i drove
89 crown vic
50-60 vw bugs
76 ford f-150
93 capri cutlass
80somthing chevy monte carlo
95 ford escort
95 ford explorer
89 mustang
various other trucks.

sry long list reason i didnt even get a car untill i was 21 there was no need too. small town many people too know, lots of beer.

[dirty toad]

My first vehicle was a truck. The picture below is not mine, it is just one I found on the net that is as close to mine as I could find... I have asked ex-girlfriends from high school to dig out their old pics of us and send me a copy (i took all my girlfriends off road ;) ) But so far I have not one pic of me and my first Toyota :(

Oh, and she was Blue with Wrangler 33's and a 3 inch suspension lift. I did not know jack about cars back then, but that rig taught me a lot. I had to replace the rear diff after dropping the clutch at red line in front of my best friends house too many times :lol: Man, did his parents hate me :cool: In the 4 years and 80,000 miles i put on it before it was stolen I had to change 4 sets of tires (burn outs baby!), countless break pads, one clutch, one rear diff, and the exhaust gasket. She was great to me and taught me a lot.... just like my first real girlfriend ;)

[4runner freak]

I found some pics of another one of my 1st trucks.
I bought this Tord from a friend that had built the motor and ran out of money to finish it.
1985 Toyota Extra Cab
Ford 302, bored 0.030 over
C4 Auto Tranny
AA C4 to Toyota t-case adapter
Stock 2.28 Toyota T-case.
Open-open 4.10 axles

BTW, it was leaking on to the exhaust causing the smoke.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj66/4runnerFreak/4runner%20Pics/Tord/Tord4.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj66/4runnerFreak/4runner%20Pics/Tord/Tord2.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj66/4runnerFreak/4runner%20Pics/Tord/Tord1.jpg
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj66/4runnerFreak/4runner%20Pics/Tord/Tord3.jpg

[JeepersCreepers]

My first car.......... was a 1995 Ford Aerostar, youuuuu got it a minivan. Lucky me right :rolleyes: Of course I drove it like I do my jeep, on the dirtroads. At least I drove it like that until the trany took a dump on me and no longer worked. Then I traded it in for a Honda Accord and blew the engine on that. Then I got a Ford Ranger from my parents and kept that around for a long time. Must say that having my jeep is the best thing I have had thus far.