72 Pontiac LeMans, brown with the Enduro nose on it.
Coolest Car your Dad had when you were a kid
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I'm too young. When I was growing up, my dad owned full size vans. They were always conversion vans too. I guess they were kinda cool. They had televisions in them before every minivan on earth had rear seat entertainment.
Now, when my brothers were growing up, he was a Pontiac guy. He convinced my mom that a 1963 Catalina 421 SD would be a great family car (purchased from Ace Wilson's Royal Pontiac). That lasted about a year before she'd had enough. He traded it the following year, straight up, for a 1964 Bonneville convertible with a 421 HO instead of the SD. He had that until the late '60s, when the third kid showed up. That's when he started with the vans.
Now, when my brothers were growing up, he was a Pontiac guy. He convinced my mom that a 1963 Catalina 421 SD would be a great family car (purchased from Ace Wilson's Royal Pontiac). That lasted about a year before she'd had enough. He traded it the following year, straight up, for a 1964 Bonneville convertible with a 421 HO instead of the SD. He had that until the late '60s, when the third kid showed up. That's when he started with the vans.
ls1mike
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Before I was born both of my parents had 318 Barracudas. I do remeber his 1978 Monte Carlo. It was white and was one of the frist cars to have T-tops. I also remeber my Mom and Aunt Both had 1978 Bandit specials. My aunt worked at the Pontiac dealership. Wish they still had the Bandits.
My father worked for a GM distributor abroad. Every year he got a new company car to drive which turned out to be what did not sell well.
As a 5 year old I thought this was coolest thing which we had in the exact same color, engine, and bird on hood:
My parent really disliked it I have two siblings.
As a 5 year old I thought this was coolest thing which we had in the exact same color, engine, and bird on hood:
My parent really disliked it I have two siblings.
When my dad returned from Vietnam, he bought one of the first 1967 Camaros at Friendly Chevrolet in Dallas.
It was the most base model of 230 L6 3 speed manual Camaros. Blue with a white vinyl interior, manual everything and dog dishes.
It was the first car I remember. I thought it was really cool compared to the other '60s cars in the neighborhood. I didn't understand that it was underpowered and un-equipped.
Later he bought a used 1965 MKII Triumph Spitfire. It was the first car I ever really drove. I could barely push the clutch and barely see over the dash, but he let me drive it around a little dirt road in Georgia. I knew that was the car I wanted. Took me about 20 years to get my Spitfire 1500.
It was the most base model of 230 L6 3 speed manual Camaros. Blue with a white vinyl interior, manual everything and dog dishes.
It was the first car I remember. I thought it was really cool compared to the other '60s cars in the neighborhood. I didn't understand that it was underpowered and un-equipped.
Later he bought a used 1965 MKII Triumph Spitfire. It was the first car I ever really drove. I could barely push the clutch and barely see over the dash, but he let me drive it around a little dirt road in Georgia. I knew that was the car I wanted. Took me about 20 years to get my Spitfire 1500.
A tie between his 1969 Buick GS California w/ dealer installed 'sport exhaust' or his 1971 Mach 1, w/ the 351 CJ.
The most memorable one for me was the '68 Camaro he had with a 1970 model LT-1 370 hp 350 crate engine direct from the Chevy dealer. It was in the mid 70's. It had a 4.10 12 bolt with a close ratio Muncey. Headers and good exhaust. It was regarded as the fastest car in my hometown (75,000 pop.) at the time even by guys with big block Camaros.
But then he had a slew of cool cars. He owned over 100 different 67-69 Camaros between 1968 and 1982. He had four of the Indy Pace Cars at the same time! I remember them! He also had numerous Chevelles. One I remember was a 1970 454 SS Chevelle convertible with a 4-speed. He had the top down and ran the [censored] out of it one day and I said "Daddy, this is a really fast car." He looked at me and said, "Naa, This one isn't all that fast." It was the often mimicked red with black stripes. Our family cars were always Buick Electra 225's. 1969 or 1970 models. We had several in the 70's. "Other" cars were always '67-'69 Camaros.
But one of the most mysterious was the Austin Healy BN7 that spent a long time under a tarp on one side of our garage as I was growing. Then, one day in about 1978 he pulled it out and started it up with the old gas (6-7 years old.) You could do that back then. It stunk but ran normal. He pulled it out front of the house and put a for sale sign on it. I remember sitting in it when someone was looking at it. I was playing "race car." I guess that one would be worth hundreds of thousands today. He probably sold it for about $3000 back then. He actually wrote to Donald Healey who was a driver for Austin Healey but no relation to the company name. They had just devalued the British Pound. He was able to buy parts that Austin Healy ran at Lemans. Cylinder head, carburetors, headers and aluminum body parts. All for cheap! We still have the correspondence letters from Mr. Healey. So I guess that was the coolest car he had.
I remember one Corvette. It was a 454 1970 model. I remember a 1970 or 71 Datsun 240Z.
There are many I just cant think of right now.
But then he had a slew of cool cars. He owned over 100 different 67-69 Camaros between 1968 and 1982. He had four of the Indy Pace Cars at the same time! I remember them! He also had numerous Chevelles. One I remember was a 1970 454 SS Chevelle convertible with a 4-speed. He had the top down and ran the [censored] out of it one day and I said "Daddy, this is a really fast car." He looked at me and said, "Naa, This one isn't all that fast." It was the often mimicked red with black stripes. Our family cars were always Buick Electra 225's. 1969 or 1970 models. We had several in the 70's. "Other" cars were always '67-'69 Camaros.
But one of the most mysterious was the Austin Healy BN7 that spent a long time under a tarp on one side of our garage as I was growing. Then, one day in about 1978 he pulled it out and started it up with the old gas (6-7 years old.) You could do that back then. It stunk but ran normal. He pulled it out front of the house and put a for sale sign on it. I remember sitting in it when someone was looking at it. I was playing "race car." I guess that one would be worth hundreds of thousands today. He probably sold it for about $3000 back then. He actually wrote to Donald Healey who was a driver for Austin Healey but no relation to the company name. They had just devalued the British Pound. He was able to buy parts that Austin Healy ran at Lemans. Cylinder head, carburetors, headers and aluminum body parts. All for cheap! We still have the correspondence letters from Mr. Healey. So I guess that was the coolest car he had.
I remember one Corvette. It was a 454 1970 model. I remember a 1970 or 71 Datsun 240Z.
There are many I just cant think of right now.
1978 Jeep Wagoneer Limited with a 360 and Quadra-Trac. All the fast and sporty cars were gone by the time I came around. The Wagoneer was cool because it was like a big version of my Stompers toys.
I thought it was really slow though, and that my father's 1980 Suburban was fast, until he drove the Wagoneer with just me as a passenger one day. It was normally only driven by my mother or for short family drives to see the grandparents.
I thought it was really slow though, and that my father's 1980 Suburban was fast, until he drove the Wagoneer with just me as a passenger one day. It was normally only driven by my mother or for short family drives to see the grandparents.
coolest car my dad owned? A Datson B210. He is and always will be a government leaching bum. I remember the POS datson had no seatbelts, 1 headlight, and every few miles he would hop out at a redlight to top off the brake fluid so he had brakes for the next red light.
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Does a rusted out Ford Maverick qualify? This family lived lean on the hog....
Perhaps a Shortbox Ford f100 with a 351 Cleveland? Unfortunately, it was being worked on more than it ran.
Perhaps a Shortbox Ford f100 with a 351 Cleveland? Unfortunately, it was being worked on more than it ran.
My father only owned 3 non-motorcycle vehicles in my lifetime and had them till he died: 1941 Studebaker Commander, 1961 Studebaker Hawk, & 1953 Ford F-100
My dad had THIS:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...rue#Post1969822
I vaguely remeber it sitting in the garage, undriverable b/c of rust. I don't remember riding in it.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...rue#Post1969822
I vaguely remeber it sitting in the garage, undriverable b/c of rust. I don't remember riding in it.
Both my parents were into cars so it was as much (or more) my Mom as it was my dad. Here's the list I'd put in the cool category:
MGB
MGA 1500 and a late Mk II deluxe
Morris Mini Cooper (1070cc)
Frogeye Sprite
TR4a
TR3a
'70 454 Corvette convertible
Wolfsburg VW Scirroco
Fiat X19
of course those were mixed in with fairmont's, pintos, mustang II's, etc.
Wasn't while I was growing up but my dad sold a 1962 vette to pay for my birth - now that's love
MGB
MGA 1500 and a late Mk II deluxe
Morris Mini Cooper (1070cc)
Frogeye Sprite
TR4a
TR3a
'70 454 Corvette convertible
Wolfsburg VW Scirroco
Fiat X19
of course those were mixed in with fairmont's, pintos, mustang II's, etc.
Wasn't while I was growing up but my dad sold a 1962 vette to pay for my birth - now that's love
My dad's best-friend had THIS:
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/posts/1983986/
I always though it was the neatest car in the world, and wished my dad had kept it when his friend gave it to us.
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/posts/1983986/
I always though it was the neatest car in the world, and wished my dad had kept it when his friend gave it to us.
A 1957 Crown Imperial Powder Blue.
Back when I was about 7 years old, my dad bought a 1940 Buick and a 50-something Studebaker, with the goal of restoring them. I thought they were very cool! The Buick ran and drove well and I remember riding in it a few times; it was all original and had that distinctive "old car" smell. Then when I was 8 we moved to Illinois and he promptly sold both cars and drove a series of company cars after that. I was bummed.
Up until I was 11 or 12, my father would rebuild Corvettes in his spare time in our garage. I remember the 1969 convertible that showed up at our house as a rolling frame and several boxes of parts, and it didn't take him long to put it back together. Yearly trips to the parts swap in Iola, WI. I also can remember the 1957 red with the white stripe and the 1964 custom green with the 302 and then the 327 4 speed. I actually got to take the '64 with me for my senior pictures. Everyone wanted that picture, but too bad it was for the car and not me!
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