Your first car

[DitchPanda]

1989 Plymouth acclaim 6cylinder. 4 door...got it in 2000 around my 17 bday for like $1200. Had brake issues...got them fixed...tranny went out after like 6 months...loved the freedom but hated that d**n car.

[Team9nine]

1970s Chevy Monza 2+2 I bought for $600. Was mostly all primer gray and yellow except for the drivers door which was burgundy - lol. A guy was restoring it and must have decided to sell. Kept it until the timing chain broke somewhere over 100k miles and about 3 hrs from home. Had an 8 track tape player that I used the heck out of when I found half a dozen classic punk rock albums on 8-track in a $0.99 clearance bin at JC Murphys - lol

 

[Randy Price]

My first car was a '72 Chevy Nova with a 250 cid straight 6 in it.  Bought in the spring of '81 when I turned 16 from some old lady.  It was some type of orange color and had moon hubcaps on it.  The only thing I liked about it (other than it was my first taste of freedom) was it had a bench seat in the front.  I really enjoyed having my girlfriend sitting literally right next to me!  Talk about trying not to get distracted!  This was just slightly before the required seatbelt law.  Had a lot of fun in that car.  Oh to be young again!

[clayton86]

97 chevy cavalier, 5speed I had all stick cars and trucks till I got married and had kids forced to get auto trans and haven’t had a stick shift since

[lo n slo]

67 Ford Galaxy 500

[Nelson Delaney]

76 Cadillac el dorado.   Had so much fun that car..... burn outs at pretty much every stop sign.  we used to do drive by’s at school with super soakers.  

[lo n slo]

39 minutes ago, Nelson Delaney said:

76 Cadillac el dorado.   Had so much fun that car..... burn outs at pretty much every stop sign.  we used to do drive by’s at school with super soakers.  

a friend of mine had an Eldo. it was a party barge on wheels.

[CountryboyinDC]

77 Chevy Chevelle.  Not the best year for a Chevelle, but the ad in the penny saver had the line  to get my attention "$1,800 or will trade for cattle".  Something I had, or at least could convince my dad to give me.  4 yearling black whitefaced steers later, and I was the owner of a poorly restored almost muscle car.  It had a small block, a Turbo 350, and a tall gear.  Once you wound it up it was scary, but that 4,000 lb beast wasn't going to leave anything faster than a Volkswagen at the line.  It had a vinyl interior, enormous back seat, and a trunk that a mobster could fit 6 bodies in.  I guess it had personality, but I'm not looking for another one.

 

Today is POW/MIA Day.

10 hours ago, Choporoz said:

Bought it in 82 for $500 from a little old lady who only drove on Sundays.

How many ads have I seen that said a little old lady only drove it to church on Sundays?  I've showed up to look at the car and had a mind to ask them up what goat trail this church they go to is.

[DogBone_384]

My first car was a '70 Pontiac LeMans that my father told me not to buy because it was a heap (not his words...).  I paid $200 for it and probably put twice that into it to get it running/road worthy.  Parents get so much smarter as kids get older...

 

My next car was a pristine '72 Cutlass S that I bought from my 5th grade teacher that I bugged through H.S. for a chance to buy it when I was old enough.  I came home from school one day and she was having tea with my mother.  She told me Plaza Olds was giving her $1,800 trade for it and I had first shot.  I ran to the bank as fast as I could and got it.  Being 18 and not knowing what a steal I had, I ended up wrecking it.

 

A '72 Monte Carlo followed the Cutlass.  The Monte was sold for a '72 Skylark convertible.  The ragtop was 350/2 bbl with drum brakes all around, but is the ONE I'd like to have back today.

 

My dad had a '70 Vista Cruiser (the same color as "That '70's show"). He paid $3,400 for it, new, in 1970.  The reason he drove it for 22 years was because he didn't let me, nor my brother drive it...

 

15 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Was horrible on the New England snow

All my old A-bodies were nearly 'as good'.  That's why we had studded snow tires back then.

9 hours ago, BigAngus752 said:

They now sell for six figures.  

I had the chance to buy a '69 Hurst Olds in '91 from a coworker for $12,000.  $12,000 in '91 might as well have been $1,000,000 to me.  Also would have been a 'six figure car'... woulda-shoulda-coulda...

[GReb]

97 F150 regular cab work truck with 5 speed on the floor. Nothing fancy but it barked 2nd like a champ and peg legged with the best of them. What more could a 16 year old ask for lol

[Mike L]

5 hours ago, slonezp said:

My aunt had a 72 Catalina ragtop. I wish I had that car today. 

Yeah, I’ll bet you do! 
??

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Scott F]

4 hours ago, Team9nine said:

1970s Chevy Monza 2+2 I bought for $600. Was mostly all primer gray and yellow except for the drivers door which was burgundy - lol. A guy was restoring it and must have decided to sell. Kept it until the timing chain broke somewhere over 100k miles and about 3 hrs from home. Had an 8 track tape player that I used the heck out of when I found half a dozen classic punk rock albums on 8-track in a $0.99 clearance bin at JC Murphys - lol

 

I had a couple of those I bought new back in the 70’s. Here is an actual picture of the last one I had. I guess they weren’t very good cars but I really liked the ones I had.

[Bankbeater]

1973 Chevy Nova two door coupe.  Antique white over light metallic green.  Mom and dad bought it new and got a good deal on it since they bought it during the first gas embargo. I started driving it when I was 16 because my mom hated driving a stick in traffic.

[Hammer 4]

1947 Chevy 4 door ..it was the fleetwood IIRC..Bought it for $ 25.00. Sorry no pic's.

[Boomstick]

1981 Buick Century. It was my grandfather's car, who died in 1985 when I was only 3 of cancer. My grandmother sold her car and kept his car, but she had meniere's disease which made her dizzy so she rarely drove. She had surgery and got that cleared up, but was still afraid to drive largely because she sat on 3 pillows to see over the dashboard, so she bought a Toyota Corolla and gave me the Century in 2000. It was great for me because I'm tall.

 

It had 31,200 original miles on it, and the original everything. When I got it, it wouldn't start so I added water to the battery and it started on the coldest day in Berkshire county history without a problem. It had a stalling problem until it warmed up, and my grandmother had it looked at and everyone told her it was a computer problem they couldn't fix. Took one look at it and the choke in the carburetor got stuck in the middle - got that rebuilt and never had another problem. 

[Way north bass guy]

My first truck at 17 was a 87 Chevy S15, with a gutless 4cyl stick shift. But it was a cool looking truck, black with a black low top cap on the back and jacked up a bit with bigger wheels. Was slow as molasses but in low gear and 4x4 it would go just about anywhere, great hunting truck. 
when I turned 18 I bought a new 98’ F150 with the small V8 to pull my new 98’ Triton Tr17. That was one heck of a nice outdoorsman package, especially as an 18 year old. My cousin and I traveled all over the place fishing tournaments with that setup for a few years. 

[Log Catcher]

65 Chevy Biscayne. It had a 6cylinder manual shift three on the tree. That will have some people scratching their heads wondering what I'm talking about. It was an aqua color. Engine was about worn out when I got it and had to be rebuilt. To say I was rough on it would be an understatement.

 About three years later I bought a 65 Plymouth Fury. White in color with a 6 cylinder manual shift. I bought it from my aunt after my uncle had passed away. It was a really good car and got good gas mileage. Kept it about two years and traded it for 71 Dodge Challenger. It was gray and had a 318 engine automatic trans. 

[CountryboyinDC]

11 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

This truck also got 30 mpg, I guess technology is moving backwards because they don’t make a truck that gets that good of mileage now and haven’t in years

Two of my friends had 80s Toyota pickups, one of them a very rare 4wd.  Both of them did better than 40 mpg.  My friend with the 4wd put 33 inch tires on his, and it was lucky to make 60 mph, but it still was a fuel sipper.  I would imagine some of the smaller diesel engines make 30 mpg now, but my truck can barely make 20 with nothing behind it.

11 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Why don't they have manuals in trucks anymore?

My truck has a manual.  Drive it in DC traffic and you'll understand why.

[slonezp]

11 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Why don't they have manuals in trucks anymore?

It's not financially wise. Most people don't want or know how to use a stick shift. With the ability to put 400lbs+ of torque at the rear wheels, who needs a manual? My last manual truck was a 97 Dodge

[NYWayfarer]

Used Plymouth Duster.

[N Florida Mike]

‘72 dodge polara ,,with a 360 under the hood.Big ol car I bought from my uncle for 60.00. Within a month I had already busted out the motor mounts from going muddin’ etc. Got it up to 110 once with no problem. Dated my first love in it and traded it for a ford ranger after we broke up.
It would be interesting to know where it is now- probably out in a lonesome junkyard somewhere... 

It looked like this without the white roof...same color, but mine was a 4 door.

 

[Columbia Craw]

1963 Chevrolet Impala SS with the 327 and automatic on the floor.  I traded it a year later and got a 1965 GTO 389 CI 4 Speed with Crager Mags. I really miss those vehicles.

[DanielG]

1973 Chevelle deluxe. The deluxe meant 'stripped'. I ordered it new as a commuter car for college. 60 miles round trip a day for four years. It was standard, no power brakes or steering. Not even a radio. $2,400. I bought a radio from sears and put it in myself along with an 8 track player along with four sears shiny hubcaps. The straight 6 would wind up to a fairly high rpm. You'd gradually release the clutch and the car would start to creep forward. If you wanted to pass a car you'd need to drop it into 2nd and allow yourself a clear shot of several thousand feet to make it. Your best bet was don't try in the first place. But, It lasted several years. and finally rusted out at about 140k miles which was typical at the time for most vehicles.

Similar in color and look as the one I found online below. First car, so I did love it and seeing it hauled off was a sad memory for me.

I did hate getting underneath and replacing the muffler/pipes about every three years. Cutting them out and trying to retrofit a muffler kit, one size fits all if you like jigsaw puzzles. Anyone remember those times?

[Smokinal]

This an actual pic of my first car.  1969 Camaro

I bought it at 18 yrs old, rebuilt almost everything on it. Had a built 383 stroker motor, 350turbo trans, 3.73 rear end.

Car would pull 7.90's through the 1/8 and 12.50's in the 1/4 @ ~117mph

Hardly ever lost a street race; may 3 I can think of out of 100+

This is how I got nicknamed SmokinAl

 

 

 

[12poundbass]

My first car was a ‘94 Chevy S-10, 2.2l, stick shift, metallic blue and had 13” polished aluminum wheels. I threw a 10” Infinity Cappa subwoofer behind the passenger seat and a Kenwood 400 watt amp under the seat. This is probably part of the reason why my ears constantly ring! Lol

 

I was working at the local lumberyard and a guy came in with the truck, I just asked him if it was for sale and I got lucky and it was. My parents co-signed on the loan for it and I bought it for $3800 at 15 years old. My monthly payments were $95.05/month. 
 

I was pimpin’ in that truck! ?