Tell us about your first car!

[jerhofer]

1956 VW Bug
I was stationed in Germany from 1965 to 1967 and enjoyed the VW on all types of German roads. I was stationed in Giessen. One Saturday, two other GI's and myself decided to go to Koblenz, about 90 miles away. I don't ever remember why we decided to go there, but it was a great drive on backroads for three young people. Stopped along the way at a couple Gasthaus's for some fine German beer, ogled some women, and, in general, celebrated being young with no attachments.

[St. Louis Boxster]

a 1964 Karmann Ghia.. bought it for $50. Used to have to park on hills so I could roll start it when it was time to go. Even then I knew topless was the way of my life!! Drove that car for a year roll starting it every time.

[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!

[rufio]

My first car was a 1992 325i Four door BMW which had about 700k on it.
The car was quite well-maintained given its condition, the black interior and the leather smells great.

You could always tell a bimmer with its unique smell. The car meant another chapter for me. it took me to places and ventured into many adventures, not to mention taking my first gf all over.

I bought it and saved hard because i wanted to look good bringing my first love to the formal. it worked out well.

Again, like the first story, I could remember the times when we would just slip back to the back seats and make out like two wild bunnies. She loved making out in cars because it was somthing different.

AS we broke up because she had to go to England, I had many more encounters in the backseat with other woman. heading off into the forest and just getting it off.

APart from these sizzles, the car was great, reliable and it saved my life from an accident once when a car collied with me head on and i escaped unscathed .

My car mechanic told me that if it was a jap car, i would have died straight on the spot.

so after that i changed to a 325i Cabrio and then a z3 2.8 and now a boxster.
hoping eventually to upgrade to the 996 one day !

Keep the stories coming !

[gRed04]

My first car was a 1969 Charger RT/SE with 318 and cragars. I was 17 and paid about $800 in 1979.

I worked for a year flipping burgers to buy it. Had it for two years until
a sophomore with new license took out the drivers side front to rear at
a school dance. Never really recovered from that

This is a 69 RT/SE, not mine. Mine was green with black top.

[Brucelee]

That 325 sedan was a sweet ride. I have a 1999 328I right now and it is still a fine set of wheels!

[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!

[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.

[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.

[Mark986]

My first car was the probably the first "jelly bean"; a 1971 Toyota Celica.
Long throw four speed with the 18R engine. Tan on tan with a thin red/ black stripe on the sides. I usually kept about ten coats of carnuba on it, looked like it was encased in a 1/4" of glass. Drove the hell out of it during the college years, great fun car, really tossable. Did many a powerslide through cohttp:// rners in it.

[03box]

My first car was a 1971 Dodge Challeger R/T with a 340 c.i. engine. I paid $1600 for it in 1972 with 20,000 miles on it. It was metallic blue with black interior. Man it was quick. Wish I still had it. Muscle cars from that era are fetching a pretty penny on Barrett Jackson.

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by Mark986

My first car was the probably the first "jelly bean"; a 1971 Toyota Celica.
Long throw four speed with the 18R engine. Tan on tan with a thin red/ black stripe on the sides. I usually kept about ten coats of carnuba on it, looked like it was encased in a 1/4" of glass. Drove the hell out of it during the college years, great fun car, really tossable. Did many a powerslide through cohttp:// rners in it.

Hi,

I had a '77 Celica GT Coupe. I liked it alot, but it always seemed a little 'Tinney' and slightly anemic to me. While it was parked at the Curb overnight, it was totalled by a Chicago PD Cruiser rushing to a Call. I was informed by a Pizza Delivery Guy who saw it and got the Cruiser #. I waited 3 days and never heard a thing from the Cops. I reported it totalled and told the responding Officer what I had been told. He called in and told me I was wrong. I gave him the Cruiser #, Time of accident, and said I had a witness willing to testify. The next day the City Manager called and we agreed on an amount which the City paid the next day - weird huh? It had maybe 25k mi. on it, so I have no longterm experience with it...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99