What "was" your first car?

[The Blancmange]

1984 Renault Alliance. Known affectionately (or not so affectionately) as the "Appliance." I'm still dumbfounded as to how this car was named Motor Trend Car of the Year.

 

A horse.

Of course, we used one of da last of da Mastadons to plow the field.

Beavah

Somebody had to invent the wheel.

[scoutermomks]

My first car doesn't really match my age. It was a 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass. I got it right before my 16th birthday, in 1996. I grew up in a family of car nuts and knew I wanted a car with personality. It was a V6 though and didn't have quite enough power for such a big car so I ended up selling it and buying a 1990 Mustang. Still waiting to buy my dream car, a 60s 4 door Lincoln.

[packsaddle]

Yeah, with the suicide doors. I borrowed one of those while I was in college to impress the girls. Wasn't necessary, those wild things only wanted one thing.....(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

[Eagle92]

Pack,

 

I "owned" a 1963 Ford Fairlane that was purchased from the original owner. For whatever reason, the car was in my name, but I didn't have a license, so I only drove it a few times learning how to drive. That sucker was a tank. had to give it up as part of the child support settlement.

[Eagledad]

58 F150

69 Ford 428 Torino

68 Cutlass 442

68 Triumph Spitfire

69 Malibu

72 Trans Am

70 Datsun Roadster 1600

 

Then I got married and there are few minivans of which I can't remember the names.

[packsaddle]

Yeah, the '63 had 'rounder' styling. By '65 there were some serious edges and really boxy styling but nothing like the abominations of '59. Mine had an actual transistor AM radio and wing vent windows for AC!

Those were the days! Gasoline for 25 cents a gallon and cars that were deathtraps at 60 mph, but we drove them at 80. A full set of bias ply tires for less than $100 and then burn the rear ones off in one night of testosterone poisoning.

I'm trying to remember when I got my first traffic violation...guess some things need to be forgotten, LOL.

 

Edited: Eagledad, are you sure about the '58 F150? Seems like I remember the 150 coming out a long time later - to replace the 100 I think.

Yeah, about the minivan...me too. sigh

 

Edited again: I know where there's still an old 442 down off an old road way out of sight on a mountainside where it finally stopped. Full of bullet holes. Already looked. No skeletons. Sigh

But I bet that engine could be revived, it's still covered by the hood.(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

[allenj]

My first car was a '52 Plymouth I bought in the Service. It looked great and then I found out it was mostly Bondo. Live and learn

[packsaddle]

Bondo, huh? Look on the bright side. It was probably a lot quieter as a result.

[moxieman]

1980 Chevy Citation. I drove it for about 3 years until I was forced off the road by a drunk driver and wound-up in a ditch just short of a telephone pole. Car seemed fine at first. Then a month later it pulled to the left at random. Turns out I had cracked the transaxle. Being a poor college student, I didn't get it fixed.

 

My favorite vehicle to date was my third car. My former folks' car, an '82 Chevy Impala Wagon. The folks didn't have much cash either, so there was a lot of "deferred maintenance" with it when I inherited it. Deferred things like, oh, the exhaust. On one trip, the scout leader behind me kept killing his headlights. It was explained to me it was so they could watch the sparks fly from under my car. Turns-out there was more rust than metal left to the exhaust system--it looked like someone had taken a machine gun to it. It was quickly dubbed, "Da Beast" by the local scouts, due to how it roared and "breathed fire". The ignition lock was broken. You could start it without the keys and/or pull the keys out while driving and toss them to someone else in the car. Was a great gag on the scouts while in Texas. "What? You think I own this thing? I hot-wired it earlier today, (yank key out and toss it to scout in back seat) and stole it!"

 

Still, it served me for nearly 10 years and 100,000 miles (beyond the 100,000 on it when I got it) and allowed me to drive with all my possessions from Maine to grad school in Texas and back again. The engine blew on the interstate one summer evening with a car-load of scouts in the back. Somehow I was able to keep it at interstate-speed to the next exit, 3 miles down the road, before the car quit completely. Mechanic didn't believe my tale--apparently I had blown 6 out of 8 cylinders.

 

They don't make cars like that anymore.

 

[Scoutfish]

First vehicle was a 1981 Jeep CJ-5 with a 258 straight six and four speed manual shift. Was white with blue soft top and blue trim.

 

I learned the HARD way that you DO NOT use Windex to clean vinyl windows! Over the course of 3 years, they turned red, hardened and cracked and fell out!

[Eagledad]

>>Edited: Eagledad, are you sure about the '58 F150? Seems like I remember the 150 coming out a long time later - to replace the 100 I think.

[skeptic]

I forgot to mention my early 50's VW Bug that I bought in Germany and drove about a year, tooling all over Bavaria. I had its brakes catch fire on the way back to our site from Munich, but a couple of very helpful locals showed up with fire extinguishers to put it out. The line was burned through, so we towed it in and I arranged to sell it for $50 to a local farmer, as I was rotating home. I parked it across the road from the garage we kept our military vehicles in, and someone forgot to leave a crew cab in gear, but left the brake off due to winter freezes. It rolled backward right into the car. There went the sale. So I signed it over to one of my buddies, and they turned it into a dune buggy and drove it all over the bombing range where we worked. I was almost jealous.

 

Got a 66 Barracuda to replace the Chevy when I got home in 69. For an 8, it got really good mileage, about 21 on the road. Replaced it with a 76 Datsun B210 in 1976, then a new Mazda 323 in 1988 which I drove 20 years and had 205,000 miles, still getting 31 MPG. But the car was a shell by then. Now have a 2008 Honda Fit, bought new. Only have just short of 15,000 on it, as long trips have become difficult physically and financially.

 

Interesting rides and drives. My brother's 64 Pontiac, four speed; his wife's 60 something Corvair; a 60 something VW Bus we took to Camp Chawanakee once with 5 scouts (they threatened to get out and walk going up the grade); and a tiny Rambler we stuffed 5 football players in once, along with the 6 foot+ driver. Also drove my parent' 56 Pontiac wagon; it was that awful flesh color so popular back then for a while. Actually was a pretty good car.

 

No seat belts in any of those early vehicles; and I raced a few times on the long desert roads with sand shoulders. Recently thought about what would have happened should I have hit the sand at around 110 I did once. The Gods were with me I guess.

Also was riding in a crew cab moving van in 62 that was blown over in a desert sand storm. Just glad the door did not come open, as I would have been under the truck instead of just bruised up a bit. Ah, youthful memories; funny how we often forget how fortunate we sometimes were.

[Arrowhead]

Porsche 914-4 (used) - wish it could have been a 914-6, or even a 916!

Then a 924 (used), then a 924turbo (used).

Then I became somewhat more sensible.

If I play the lottery, and win big, it will be an 1958 Corvette, or an Aston Martin, or a Ford GT40.

 

Remember, Porsche is a two syllable word!

 

Best regards,

Eagle '77

[Axeman]

1969 Pontiac GTO "Judge" w/Ram Air IV and a six-pack.

[BrentAllen]

First was a '66 Mustang, 289 w/ factory 4 bbl and 4 in the floor. Red with black interior. Bondo car, but was reported to be the fastest moonshine runner in Greene County. Got it for Christmas when I was 15, in 1978.

 

2nd - '67 Camaro SS/RS, 350 small block, 2-speed PowerGluide tranny, hideaway headlights.

 

3rd - '74 Datsun 240Z

 

It went downhill after that.