What was your first car, and what did you really want?
 

'76 Pinto Wagon, full windows.

Ferrari 308 GTI (Magnum PI)

In 1978 as a high school senior, I got a '75 yellow Fiat X1/9. Pretty cool car for a teenager, even though it only had a 1.3 liter engine and broke down all the time. But it was a mid-engine car that you could take the top off. Plus it had a frunk and a trunk. :D

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t...ftFrontTop.jpg

What I really wanted was a muscle car like all my friends. I had my eyes on a yellow Dodge Challenger with the 340 engine, 6 pack, 411 rear end and I believe it had a four speed on the floor. Fat tires on the rear with Crager mags. Of course my parents (wisely) said I couldn't have it and I imagine I would have killed myself had I got it (the Fiat could never get going fast enough to cause any harm).

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t...st2/514722.jpg

And I didn't learn my lesson with the Fiat. My second car was a '76 Lancia Scorpion. It broke down more than the Fiat, but again, it was a mid-engine, 2 seat sports car that had a large fabric top that folded back.

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t...t2/lancia1.jpg

X-19 & challenger were on my list, but at the top of my list was a 1971 Firebird Formula 455 ci. The only thing better would be one with carpet & a working starter solenoid. It had headers so to start the car I could use a long skinny screwdriver to stick between the header tubes & jump the starter terminals to start the car. This went on for 5 months until I learned how to replace the starter & solenoid. :o

74 Plymouth Fury III - Dark Green 4 door soft top

The best drive in car ever

Once it had a AM/FM Cassette installed and a couple of rear 6X9s I wanted for nothing

Maybe a Ferrari

Just Maybe thou

Want? 63 Corvette 427 split window.
http://www.amcarguide.com/wp-content...ear-red-sy.jpg

Got? 63 Chevy II 6 cyl, 3 on the tree.

http://63ChevyII.com/photos/gallerie...s/DSC_6104.JPG

'86 Porsche 944 NA
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1379925136.jpg

Wanted a 911, of course.

In 1985 Dad forked out $200 for a 1976 Camaro. "If you want to drive it, you're gonna need to learn to fix it. It needs a radiator..." Smart move- Thanks!

I lusted after a 930. I was a BMX kid, and I had a pic in my locker of Stu Thomsen jumping over three of them. Still got the pic!

I wanted a Toyota MR2 but could not find one cheap enought, so I bought a Pontiac Fiero saying it's the same, 2 seater, mid engine, propulsion. Wow was I wrong! Lol

Six months later I had my MR2 and only had mid engine, 2 seater since I own car.

Later all
Chris

Wanted:
http://www.classicandperformancecar....re.php?id=7171

Got:
http://images.classiccars.com/classi...n%2BTorino.jpg
In the most awful pea soup color.

I got a 1978 Mercury Grand Marquis from a friends mom for $100, was in excellent condition.

http://images.classiccars.com/classi...%2BMarquis.jpg

Wanted a 1986 Mustang GT in bright red with T-Tops.

http://mustangattitude.com/mustang/1...6_00023_02.jpg

68 Olds cutlass convertible, 350 automatic. 3 months after I got it it dropped a value. Dragged a W30 442 400ci motor out of a Barn, dropped it in and mayhem was created. Huge fat tires all around what a death machine. late 70's muscle cars were cheap. In my group of friends, 68 GTO, Boss 302, Hurst Olds 442, 454 Chevelle. These cars now are in the 6 figures. Back then, a couple thousand.

What I really wanted was my dad's 914.
I got the Porsche fever early.
Its been 35+ years and now I finally have my own P-car
I would still like to have a 70 Boss 302

I had that :

http://photochoperos.com/general/js/...26.66666666667

And actually I had no specific car wanted ;) Anything to move quickly was great.

My first car (in 1975) was a 1967 Pontiac Laurentian, white, 2 door sedan, with the 250 straight six. My grandfather bought it new, passed it on to my father, who then passed it on to me.

What I really wanted was an Opel GT because it looked like a little Corvette. I should probably be grateful that dream never came true.

I asked for a 1996 Volkswagen GTI VR6 5 speed when I was 16. That was what I wanted and expected in a first car. It cost $4000-5000 at the time. My dad actually bought me something with half the power for half the price, a 1996 Mazda Protege DX 5 speed. I drove that for 8 years and never switched it under my name so it was officially my dad's car all those years, and then I bought my first car with my own money, a 2000 Porsche Boxster 5 speed.

Wanted for a first car:
http://www.angelfire.com/extreme5/du.../yellowmk3.jpg

Ended up getting as first car:
Left: Mazda my dad bought for me. Right: Porsche. First car I personally bought.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6...1c1b52bd_z.jpg

I know this is not part of the forum question, but it was interesting to add.

What I was actually looking for when buying my first car on my own:
2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege and 2003 Volkswagen GTI 1.8T.

What I want now:
2013 Mazda MX-5 Club and assuming 2015-16 Mazdaspeed 3 based on looks of 2014 model.

Future Attainable Dream Car:
Porsche Cayman S or R.

Unattainable ultimate dream car:
McLaren P1.

Everyone loves a good story so...

In 1977 I wanted a then brand new $3999 Honda Civic, then I saw an Opel GT for a bit less, used and changed my mind.

http://static.cargurus.com/images/si...pic-15985.jpeg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ffen-Diest.jpg

Ended up with an old Austin Marina Sedan...ugh...how uncool, damn you dad, don't you know British cars like that are junk !
http://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/...ide_resize.jpg
Fortunately it did not last more than 2 years so I was then scoping out a Dodge Charger...

ended up with a used Renault Le Car and a Hobie Cat 16 sailboat instead. (Launched my Sailing career)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...rters_1972.jpg
http://www.hobiecat.com.au/images/sa...tion-20-sm.jpg

The Le Car had the folding roof cover like the new Fiats that went all the way from the front to the rear of the rear seats.
More than a few passengers of mine got seatbelt infractions due to standing up in the rear seat while underway.
Sailing after parties, campfires with raucus drunken sailers, crew and groupies where standard weekend activities for a good part of my 20's

It was a decent party car and odd enough to be cool with the friends.
It towed the Hobie Cat to many sailing races during my years as a racing sailor all the way to the Canadian National Championships in 84.

A couple years ago I picked up a Hobie again, still great fun almost 30 years later.

Wanted: 67 Camaro SS, got 72 Bug with seized motor and rusted gas tank But for $250 it suited my broke student self and got me to work after school.

Wanted a Ferrari F430 and got Kia Sephia. Still better than taking the bus to college

Wanted:

http://worldcarslist.com/images/bmw/.../bmw-m6-02.jpg

or

http://www.thesupercars.org/wp-conte...ssan-300ZX.jpg

Got:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5020/5...beb39d86_z.jpg

'77 Merc Grand Marquis, bought in 1998 -- Paid $900 in $10s and $20s from my job a t crappy diner to a widow of the deceased police chief, the car had the police interceptor package but had never been used as a cop car (it was a coupe!) -- 7.5L Big Block, 3 speed C6 transmission, and heavy duty curb hopping suspension. Slow, dangerously bad handling, 10 MPG, awesome!

Got nicknamed "The Gray Whale" (totally accurate) by me, and "The Love Boat" by my HS yearbook (never really lived up to this one though). I oversteered it into a tree swerving to avoid a dog that ran into the street in a rainstorm, used a crowbar to pull the fender back out and then drove it with a tree-shaped front end for another year!

Wanted an early-60's C2 Corvette (the real Sting Ray). Got a 1973 Datsun pickup. That pickup has been passed around my family for over 30 years (myself, brother, father, brother (again, brother-in-law) and is still owned by my sister.

I was a BMX kid as well and Stu Thompson was the man. I raced a diamond back so naturally was a fan of Harry Learys and also a huge fan of Geoff Schofield from GT. What a trip!