Tell us about your first car!

[jpcolin]

my first car back in 1995 was a 1994 Honda civic VTEC 125HP stock, probably some 130HP with exhaust and intake mods, very nice car, reliable, fast (8.4 sec 0-100km/h) nice for sex in the back ;-)
second car in 2001 was a 1997 BMW 318 TI 140HP stock 151HP on dyno (again axhaust and intake), first own RWD (altough I learned to drive with with a 1986 toyota Celica also RWD) enjoyed the BMW realy much, and great sex inthe front and rear ;-), last month bought my 1998 Boxster with 10.000km on it, love that car in all ways exept for sex ;-)
maybe in the summer with top down ;-)

[graybeard]

'64 chevy rag top, broken motor mounts, split rear window, 3 on the column if I shifted too hard the d**n thing got stuck in 2nd gear. Mine was junk but Jeannot yours was down right UGLY, but we have arrived.

[PSP]

1964 Triumph Herald aka "Chick Magnet"

OK, maybe anti-magnet

[aglsteven]

The first car I drove regularly was a 1990 50Hp Nissan Micra 1.0L. Supposed to be Mum's car, but she decided there was no way she was ever going to drive a manual transmission, so it was shared between my brother and I.

My first true car that I owned though was a 1984 VW Golf GTI MkII, one of the very first MkII's. I bought it from my Uncle in Germany, and imported it into the UK. It was a fantastic car, but very old, very used and eventually blew up on the side of the A5 near Milton Keynes. I didn't have it for long, but have very fond memories of it, including the time when one of the engine mounting bolts sheared off and the whole engine rotated everytime I put my foot on the accelerator.

[rmf986]

My first car was a 1983 GTI I bought in 1988. Silver with the blue interior. That was my favorite car until the Boxster (mostly because of nostalgia). It was easily the slowest car I owned and probable had the least amount of grip, but it was just so much fun to drive. A lot like how the Boxster is. Both are no nonsense drivers’ car, that can really do it all.
It took me 12 cars, two were Porsches, to find another car that made me feel like the GTI did.
I’ll be driving a Boxster for awhile.

[IceBox]

A 198? Chrysler Le Baron Turbo Convertible. Red! It had possibly the world's fastest heater/AC unit. It's where my love-affair with the drop-top began!

[tomatjs]

Mine was 1972 Chrysler import from French called Simca w/ manual tranny. The name itself was embarrassing to mention to other people who asked what kind of car it was. Anyway, I bought it from my boss who was using it to run errands for his staff. I paid $300 with 40,000 mi. on it. It ran great for a few weeks until the clutch didn't engage. Pushed it all by myself to a nearest mechanic, who told me that the clutch ran on hydraulics and there was a crack in the container which caused all the fluid to leak. By the time I bought this car, Chrysler had already stopped selling this car in just two years! This was its harried answer to the gaining popularity of Toyotas and Hondas at that time. Ford had a Pinto and the Chevy had Vega. Anyway, I could not find parts for this car anywhere. My only [U]search tool at this time ( mid 70's) was a Yellow Pages phone book. So I had to use duct tape around the reservour until the fluids seep out and refilled everyday. Then fuses shortened out without warning and blew out all the lights, so I could only drive it during the day. No radio, no blinkers, no gas gauge....it was a disaster. I had to practically give it away to get rid of it. Anyway, that experience convinced me not to get another French made car, ever!

[chad4835]

My first car was a 1981 Nissan 280ZX Turbo. It was not in the best condition, but I really loved that car. It had a 140k on it when I got it and was showing its age. I am still amazed at all of the equipment it had even by today's standards - leather, t-tops, climate control, allum. wheels. Unfortunately I did not have the funds to keep up with the repairs at the time and it could have used some body work and new paint. 15 years later, I consider my recent purchase of a Boxster as the first real replacement for my beloved Z.

[wild1poet2]

Love reading this thread. Mine was a '60 VW bug that had been totaled in '70 and my dad's customer gave it to us. I rebuilt a motor for it. I forget the displacement but remember it had a whopping 36bhp!!! Those were air cooled flat fours with push rods back then. They were easy to push start. Even with a date sitting inside. lol

Anybody recall the scene in "Sleeper" when Woody Allen finds a 200 year old VW in a cave??

[airboxster]

My first car was a 67 Austin Mini, British Racing Green. Paid $500 for it in 70. My dad though I was nuts. Chevy guy. Learned to drive a stick after picking it up. Kept it two years. A mechanical and electrical mess but lots of fun and many great memories. Moved on to VW bugs... 66, 71, and 76. Easier to fix and swop motors.

[mjw930]

My first car was a 1973 Chevy Nova that I inherited from my Mom. Next was a 1976 Olds Cutlass 442 (not the real ones with the power, this was in the middle of the emissions learning curve, the 350 only made about 145 HP). Although this was my car I didn't buy it (Graduation gift for choosing a state school (Rutgers) rather than Princeton or Wake Forest, saved Dad a ton of $$$$ so the least he could do was buy me a car )

The first car I actually bought and paid for myself was a 1979 VW Scirocco. After the lowering, Koni's, Widened rims, Goodyear Wingfoots, "secret" sway bars and body stiffening, "enhanced" fuel injection, headers, Ansa exhaust, shaved heads and degreed cams it was a terror at the local autocross. I was beating "prepared" 911's brought in on trailers Hard to believe that was over 25 years ago......

[TriGem2k]

First car.....2001 Porsche Boxster bought in September of 2001.

My first car was a Fiat 128. It was so boxy, people would say they didn't know if I was coming or going! Very underpowered. I put a great sound system in it!

I swapped with a friend for a semester in college. He took it to school down south in Mississippi. I went to school at Illinois. One day he told me it was stolen. Till this day, I think he lied to me, sold the car, and bought an engagement ring for his girlfriend.

I was fully insured, so it all worked out in the end. The friendship was not so lucky!

[deliriousga]

Here she is, a garnet 1984 Chrysler Laser Turbo. My wife says I wanted it because it looked like the 928 I lusted for, but could not afford at 17 years old. I had saved for a car from 6 years old when my parents said they would split the cost of my first car with me. The summer after I graduated high school my dad asked me what car I had my eye on. It showed up in the driveway the week before I was off to college along with an empty savings account. In the end, it held up for 107K miles and put our first daughter to sleep in the car seat many times.

[bhduxbury]

from my faded memory . . . .

it was a 1972 VW "SuperBeetle" -- iirc, the difference between it and a bug were the rims, the chassis length, the engine size, and the "Formula Vee" stripes (lol).

it was passed down to me when i turned 16 in, errrrr, 1982. power was absolutely negligible, so i revved that thing like there was no tomorrow before upshifting (no tach to know exactly where that was). it had about 100k on it. i went through 2 clutches in 4 years, much to the distress of my dad. turns out i was sitting too far from the pedal -- i moved in closer on my next car and took it to 100k w/o a clutch issue.

anyway, this car (and my dad) taught me to drive a stick, how to change a car's oil, and how to score beer. it got the job done until i got my second car in 1986, a vw scirocco. here's to you, orange bug!

[Ronzi]

1958 Jaguar XK150 "Fixed Head" (hardtop) Coupe. It had been an SCCA race car and had a straight pipe exhaust, no muffler whatsoever. Unbelievably loud. Had to sell it when I was drafted six months later. I was hung up on Jags for many years thereafter. Fortunately I have since recovered.

[ford40]

Mine was a 1960 TR3 red with black interior....purchased in 1963 for $800....then a 1964 VW after I totaled the TR. 1967 I bought a new sprite then got another TR3 then a 1967 MGB GT.....then I decided that I wanted to drive my car for more than 2 days without fixing it and since I had gotten married and my wife and child enjoyed eating and shelter I bought a more sensible car to go to work. I haven't been the same since that woeful day...that is until last month when I bought my 2004 Boxster.

[MNBoxster]

My first Car was a 1939 Ford V8 2-door Coupe. An older guy, named Joe McConnel lived down the Block and was a real Motorhead. I didn't have an older brother, and so Joe was a great substitute. Much of what I learned about Cars I learned from Joe. I'd hang out at his garage, cleaning Parts and handing him Wrenches, etc.

Anyway, when I had just turned 13 (1967), Joe acquired this '39 Ford. We spent most of that summer trying to get it to run. We timed the Valves, replaced the Plugs, Rebuilt the Carb, replaced the Starter, Battery and Generator. But, whatever we did, we could not get the thing to run.

In August, Joe got his Induction Notice to report to Marine Basic Training in 30 days at MCRD - Parris Island. I asked Joe what he was going to do with the Ford and he replied "Probably Junk it, I can't figure out what's wrong..."

I pleaded with Joe to let me have the Car. He finally agreed so long as I has my Father's approval.

That night at Dinner, I told my Dad all about it. He said, you're too young to even drive, what would you do with it. I told him that I'd take it apart, fix it up for the day when I could drive and then he wouldn't need to get me a Car.

Now, it didn't hurt that my Dad's first Car was also a '39 Ford, that and I had promised to Cut the Lawn, Shovel the Snow, Paint the House FOREVER! if I could have this Car.

So, after Dinner, down the Alley we both went to meet Joe at his Garage. My Father took one look at the Car and I knew I was IN. But he asked all the Fatherly questions, making Joe assure him that the Car was unrunnable. After a little chat, we pushed the Car up the Alley to our Garage.

Daily, right after school, I'd tear out to the Garage, hook the 6-volt Battery up from the charger and sit and listen to the Radio with all my friends. Obviously, owning my own Car at 13 raised my status considerably!

I had replaced the 3-On-The-Tree with a Floor Mounted Shifter from Hurst (quite an engineering feat for a 13 year old), when I removed the distributor and noticed that it didn't have a Condensor, they probably made them that way I thought.

Anyway, the next day, I ran down to the Corner Gas Station (remember those..??) on my Bike with the Gas Can to gas up the Mower to do the lawn (to keep up my promises). The Owner came out and I casually asked if Cars from the '30's had condensers. He replied " Of Course, every Car has to have one". So I asked where I could get one. He disappeared inside the Shop and came back out with a Condenser for a '46 Ford which he gave to me and said might work.

I dashed home and cut the Grass in Record Time. Ran to the Garage, installed the condenser and refitted the distributor and, holding my breath, turned the key and stepped on the Starter Button--- Vrooooom.....

Then it hit me, I was only allowed the Car so long as it didn't run. I'd have to keep my little Triumph to myself for the time being.

Anyway, After School took on a whole new meaning for me and my friends. We had a Private Alley, which meant that the DMV Rules did not apply. I could legally drive it's 1 block length.

My buddies and I would get in the Car and run down to the end of the Alley. It was too narrow to turn around, so I had to put the Car in reverse and Back Up the length of the Alley and repeat the process, which we did endlessly. The first 1,000 mi. put on the Car by me were split 50/50 between Forward and Reverse.

Then, one day, my buddies and I were on our usual Down and Back runs. When I got to the end of the Alley, I put in the clutch, shifted into Reverse and swung around to look behind me. The entire rear window was filled with the image of my Father...

Anyway, I surrendered the Keys which I was only able to get when I was working on the Car. But, in the next two years, I installed new Brakes, Radiator, Shocks, a Thrush GlassPac Muffler and stripped the Body and painted it a couple different shades of Primer Gray.

On my 16th B'day, my Father took me to the License Bureau where I passed my Driver's Test with a 99

I ran the rims off that old Ford. Added an Edelbrock High-Rise Manifold and the biggest Holley Carb I could find. Maybe the best addition was a Bumper Sticker which read "Don't Laugh Lady... Your Daughter may be in this Car!"

Unfortunately, Joe never returned from Vietnam to see this thing running. He was killed in a Mortar Attack at Da Nang where he was stationed. But, I'll remember Him and that Car for the rest of my Life!...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[trogdor]

PREPARE TO BE AMAZED!!

Presenting the 1985 Toyota van - no name, just van.

Dad bought it in Dallas, brought it to Europe where my dad was stationed while I was in high school, ended up in Virginia where I inherited it and I finally had to give it up after 225,000 miles when it started leaking exhaust into the passenger area and wouldn't pass emissions.

I really miss that van - during college I took out the seats and had a full size couch in the back! ohh the days....

I still remember the time my dad was driving it on the autobahn and pulled out into the fast lane in the way of some guy driving a fast BMW. They had to hit the brakes and as they passed later all in the backseat gave us the finger so we all saluted them back! hah

One one awesome feature we never really used.. it had a fridge and icemaker in it and two sunroofs! wow.

oh and the Dutch neighbors (living in Holland) called it a bus because it was so big.. looks like a star trek shuttle craft - got lots of stares back in the day.

[denverpete]

Great Stuff!

My first car was a '50 Chevy 3 window pickup. My dad bought it for $500.00 and spent the next 5 years restoring it. Every Father's Day or other celebration we would pitch in to get another part to help finish the truck. By the time it was done it was light grey with a burgandy pin-stripe. The interior was in a burgandy hounds-tooth with a Sony tape deck and speakers in the doors. He did a fantastic job integrating everything and it really looked original. No hop-ups for this truck! It'd do about 60 MPH if you were going down hill. Of course, the air wipers were a trip. I remember constantly finding 50 year old men standing outside my truck trying to get a better view. They just don't make trucks like that any more! Wish I sill had it. I probably look for one every other month or so. Good times, Good times.

My next car was a '72 Opel GT. Fun little car, lot's of issues. And YES Brucelee, I drove that one in the snow too! My dad still has that Opel in the garage and has been tinkering with it for the last 15 years or so...