What was your first car?

[AtomicEraTom]

My first car was a 1960 Bel-Air. I got it when I turned 16, in 2006. Unfortunately, I was t-boned in it and she met her demise. I really miss this car. Here's a pic the day it was delivered.

 

[Miss Golightly]

My first car was a 1960 Bel-Air. I got it when I turned 16, in 2006. Unfortunately, I was t-boned in it and she met her demise. I really miss this car. Here's a pic the day it was delivered.

Niiiiiiiiiice!

 

[vitanola]

1919 Ford Coupe. I purchased it for $500 when I was fifteen it with my savings from weekend work.

An elderly neighbor helped me to get the car running, and I took my driving test in it. The interior was pretty rough, the top wood a little punky, and the paint was dull, save where there were brush stroles, runs and bristles, but the macine ran like a champ when we were through with it. I eventually fixed the top wood, re-covered the top, and uphoulstered the interior and seats with remnants from a fabric shop, and gave the exterior a Krylon paint job, and took the car off to College. I drove the car until i was able to replace it with a nice big Paige-Detriot 8 sedan, which unfortunately could not seem to pass a filling station. After a few months, traded the Paige, which was a nice unrestored original for a sharp, fully restored AACA Senior 1927 Ford Coupe, which I drove all through the 1980's and 1990's, until it was pretty well ready for a fresh restoration.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Thank you I thought I was too cool cruising by the high school when I was a teenager lol

Niiiiiiiiiice!

 

[Miss Golightly]

Thank you I thought I was too cool cruising by the high school when I was a teenager lol

I don't blame you - she's a honey! I just love American cars from that era and it's great to see so many of them still on the roads in the US in glorious condition. Here, in Ireland, you don't see that kind of style of car (although one or two people have imported some in the past few years - I think I saw a Thunderbird and definitely one or two Mustangs along the way) - you're more likely to see VW Beetles, Mini's and Morris Minors on the roads here (as old cars go).

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I know a couple station wagon collectors that have imported some of the big old wagons over to Europe. They say they're tough to drive on the small European roads and that they're very expensive to fuel over there lol I think it'd be fun to have a big old car in Europe and stick out like a sore thumb.

I don't blame you - she's a honey! I just love American cars from that era and it's great to see so many of them still on the roads in the US in glorious condition. Here, in Ireland, you don't see that kind of style of car (although one or two people have imported some in the past few years - I think I saw a Thunderbird and definitely one or two Mustangs along the way) - you're more likely to see VW Beetles, Mini's and Morris Minors on the roads here (as old cars go).

 

[Miss Golightly]

I know a couple station wagon collectors that have imported some of the big old wagons over to Europe. They say they're tough to drive on the small European roads and that they're very expensive to fuel over there lol I think it'd be fun to have a big old car in Europe and stick out like a sore thumb.

Believe me Tom, if I could have my dream car it would be one of those beauties - the only thing is, like you say, the cost of fuel here - well put it this way, I'd have to resign myself to surviving on breakfast cereal for a long, long time (.....but it would be so worth it!)

 

[DJH]

My first car was a 1960's something Morris Mini - painted to make it look like Paddy Hopkirk's in the Monte Carlo Rally.

I fitted some of the cool lights on the front as well. The photo is the real Mr. Hopkirk's one - I still think it is one of the coolest cars ever.

Mine alas was an ordinary Mini 850 so when my friend wrecked his Mini Cooper we transplanted his engine into my car. Those original Minis were fun to drive and easy to work on - once you figured out how to get into such small spaces.

 

[sheeplady]

My own "real" first car is a 2002 Chevy Trailblazer (build year 2001). I have no plans to replace it, it's paid for.

 

[Big Man]

These are great stories of "first cars."

I remember well how my '62 Plymouth would run on back country dirt roads. One night in particular I had a car load of friends our riding around. While going down the road a rabbit jumped out and one of my buddies yelled "run it down." Of course the girls screamed, which only served as incentive to try to chase down the poor rabbit. I had the old Plymouth going good till we entered a slight curve at a little one-lane bridge over a creek. The Plymouth started sliding sideways, and we ended up crossing the bridge going backward with the girls screaming and boys yelling. If the old car was still around you could probably see the grip marks I put on the wheel that night. :eeek:

If my children ever drove like that I would have grounded them for life. But that was 1971, and "things were different then", right? [huh]

 

[Aristaeus]

My first car was a 1973 Ford Galaxy 500 four door with a 351 cleveland.

 

[scottyrocks]

My first car was a 1971 Toyota Corolla that I bought from my neighbor right across the street. The fact that it had a manual transmission made it as cool as it could possibly be, which wasn't very, both with me and the local crew I hung out with. No one else drove a stick.

Here's me an the frog shortly after I got it. I was about 17.

It lasted about a year when I rear ended a car that someone had decided to left parked on the highway. Looking back on it, I should have invested the grand sum of $400 to have it fixed instead of buying with the POS I ended up with.

I still miss that car.

 

[John in Covina]

1971 Toyota Corolla Hatchback with the 2TC engine. Great car.

 

[Romy Overdorp]

1968 Volvo Amazon

 

[DeaconKC]

A $200 Chicago rust bucket '72 Toyota Corolla. Upgraded to another $200 ruster a 66 Ford Custom 500.

 

[scottyrocks]

My first Corolla, the '71 had the 1200cc 2TC engine. My second one, a '72, had the 1600cc 3KC.

 

[Angus Forbes]

We had a '59 Rambler when I was a kid -- until the day my father tried to start it on a cold morning and cracked the engine block. I always thought it looked like a Checker taxicab with a bad attitude.

I love it! We, too, had a 59 Rambler when I was a little kid. Tough but ugly.

 

[Angus Forbes]

My first car was a beautiful 1965 Volvo 122, bought in 1967. At the time, my dad had a 66 Pontiac Catalina, 421 with three 2-barrels, low restriction dual exhaust, a numerically-high limited slip rear end, the whole works. It was nominally rated at 376 HP, but was probably closer to 500 in reality -- faster than stink, and a real two-fisted drinker of gasoline!

 

[randooch]

1966 Volvo 122S. I saved up for the special vanity plates, too: BABAR. The car definitely resembled the lovable pachyderm.

I also installed an enormous air horn from a semi that I found in a junk pile. It was carefully hidden between the radiator and the grill, supplied from a converted propane tank behind the driver's seat, activated by pressing a valve under the dash. (Creative little bugger back then!)

 

[Touchofevil]

70 Chevy Root Beer brown truck. It was Bad! It moved. The first car I owned was a dark blue 79 Camaro. I put it through a lot! Bought another blue Camaro before I went back to a Chevy truck again; also blue. It moves!