Tell us about your first car!

[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.

[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...

[Rail26]

I inherited my grandma's Copper colored 1978 Chevy Malibu Classic. Interesting ride...I guess the important thing is it was reliable and moved me back and forth from school, soccer practice and flying lessons. The best part is it was free!

[CJ_Boxster]

2bbl carb, very clean car for a 17 year old.