What Was Your First Car?

[offthemark]

I started with a 1980 Ford pickup. Dad got a new farm truck and i got the old one. The thing was geared so low it would literally crank in first gear. Slow as molasses. I'm pretty sure my Dad planned it that way.

[bigsteel15]

1980 Chevy Chevette

Bright yellow.

My mom bought it new, and sold it to me for $1 in 1988 (I think I overpaid)

Lee

I agree. She should have given you $100 to take it off her hands.

The car I miss the most is my black '71 T-Bird 3 window coupe with 429 Thunderjet. The thing was a monster, but with power everything, leather, HUGE back seat, it was the best darn drive-in car I ever had. Also kicked butt on a long distance drag.
Still regret losing that one when I parked it and was too broke to insure it so the city towed it. My future FIL had the matching Lincoln that I could have scavenged parts from if I'd known him at the time.

[tuttlejr]

My first car was a 1929 Packard convertible. It had a Kilometer speedometer and a special door on the side for golf clubs. Cost $50 from dealer in Yonkers NY. Wish I still had it as it would be worth many $$. Real bear to steer. Had one shot lubrication built in.

This tells one and all that I am rather elderly.

[gabedad]

1964 plymouth valiant

slant 6 that would not die and push button automatic transmission on the dash

[jp_spins]

My first car was a 1973 Chevy Impala, I was 16 years old and I bought for $1000 in 1982 with the money that I saved from being a bus boy.

[Tundra_Man]

The first car that I drove was my father's '75 Chevy Impala. It was so rusty that when it rained you got wet from the water dripping through the roof. My dad let me borrow this car when he wasn't using it for my first year and a half of driving.

Then, in 1986 I got the first car I owned: a '75 Volkswagen Super Beetle. Had the factory fuel injection that was made long before FI was commonplace and they worked out all the glitches. Some sensor went bad shortly after I bought it and it was going to be $300 to fix it (in 1986 money.) I wound up having to start it (every time, hot or cold) by disassembling the air cleaner, jamming a screw driver down the air intake to hold the butterfly valve open, running around and starting the car, then going back and reassembling everything. I got the process down to less than 30 seconds. Boy, that'll impress your date. Did this for about six months before I removed the FI and installed dual Webers.

[RayintheUK]

If you can call it a car ...

My first transport with more than two wheels was a Messerschmitt KR 200 (the "KR" stood for Kabin Roller). Mine was black, but the following pics give you some idea:









It had direct handlebar steering and a cable-operated motorcycle gear shift. Did a collosal MPG (two-stroke) and was mostly aluminium panels. The roof was like an aircraft cockpit and it really got hot inside if you were caught in traffic in the summer. Great fun, though - valuable now too - wish I still had it!

Ray.

[Hoyden]

My first car in 1964 was a 1956 Desoto Fireflight 4dr, Pink and Black. Push button automatic. Fireflight Hemi with a 4barrel. man could that thing go. on a closed straight away newly topped unopened road had it to 130 with power to spare chickend out.

this is the indi pace car 1956

1956 DeSoto Pacesetter Indy 500 Pace Car
In 1956, a DeSoto Fireflight convertible, one of the hottest production cars of the year, was selected to pace the field for the 40th running of the Indianapolis 500. This specially prepared DeSoto had a modified V-8 engine capable of more than 320 horsepower to lead the 33-car starting field to the green flag at over 100 mph – setting a speed record for a pace car at Indy.


I did my tour is Southeast Asia and came home to a siezed engine. My sister had driven it and never checked the oil. could never find a replacement as all the Hemi's were going to dragsters.

Replaced it with a 1965 Ford Galexy 2 dr, yellow and Black, 350 windsor 3 speed auto.

Sure miss both of those cars.

[ironhat]

I bought a 1961 Dodge Pioneer, 3 on the tree, 318cid - weird blue color - for $225 made on a diswasher's wage. That was senior year in 1969. Dad had it in his name for insurance reasons and I was always in his pocket for repair money and wrench time. When I got home from a band trip one weekend it was gone. He had had enough even if I hadn't. In its place was 1969 1/2 Ford Maverick with the 170 cid engine. What a huge dog but, as you might recall, they were promoted as the only car for under $2000 - $1995!! Five years later Dad gave me and my new wife the rusted remains as a wedding present and we were grateful. Heaven knows he couldn't afford it. Thanks, Dad.
Later,
Chiz

[MilDoc]

My first transport with more than two wheels was a Messerschmitt KR 200 (the "KR" stood for Kabin Roller).

Ray -- that car is sooooo ugly it's actually cool!

Is that a back seat? Held 1, 2, 3 people? And just how fast could it go?

[Joe Lyddon]

Ray,

What year was that?

Looks like a fun thing!

[davidtu]

1970 Mustang Mach I

Mine was this 1970 Mustang Mach I ... got it for $2200 in High School. Am I the only one who STILL HAS his first car?

[wwday3]

'69 Pontiac

Custom S (I think it stood for Custom Sport). Looked like cross between a Tempest and a GTO. Ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly green. Bought it for $450 when I was 18. Added quite a few dents to it over time, yet sold it when I was 22 for $150.

[RayintheUK]

Ray -- that car is sooooo ugly it's actually cool!

Is that a back seat? Held 1, 2, 3 people? And just how fast could it go?

It was a two-seater. The front seat lifted up and back on a cantilever in order to make getting in easier for the driver. The passenger sat with legs either side of the front seat. It was good for 70mph, but in high winds it was so light you had to be a little careful. Went round bends a treat, though. It sure was an ugly thing, but it turned heads! It was much cooler than the three-wheeled BMW Isettas (yes, BMW!) of the same era - now that was a weird thing!

Ray,

What year was that?

Looks like a fun thing!

The year was 1962. It was great fun and at least kept me dry - I got fed up arriving at work wet from motorcycling. It was the "de luxe" model with reverse - not reverse gear, just reverse. You had to switch off, depress the key and re-start, which ran the engine backwards. In effect, you had four reverse gears, but I didn't try anything other than first going backwards!

Ray.

[Scrollist]

First car

I had a 1965 Rambler 770 Classic. The seats went down flat. I quickly changed the 6 cyl out for a 327 cu. in. with a 4 speed behind it.