How did you really feel about your first car?

[Schmoe]

1975 Datsun B210 hatchback...with AC, while I was living on Guam with my Dad. Loved that car. I could get my whole 15 piece drum set in it. It was a 4 speed. Great on gas and easy to work on. It's how I learned about head gasket replacement, charging AC lines, break pads, etc. etc.

 

[Bud]

Got my license in 64 and got a used 63 Plymouth Valiant that was for my sister and I to share. I felt thankful to just have a car.

 

[WyrTwister]

Originally Posted by addyguy

I know most people were ecstatic when they got their first car; it was the best thing in the world that gave you freedom like never before. Some people got exactly what they wanted as their first car, so it was easy to feel that way. However, even though some people got the freedom of a new car, it wasn't what they wanted - they had to 'settle' for a hand-me-down, or their budget limited them to something they didn't really want to drive. How did you REALLY feel about your first car? Was it what you wanted? My first car was a 1985 Buick Skyhawk 4-door sedan in two-tone blue with a blue velour interior. I was a die-hard GM guy, and a bit of a snob at the time, so believe it or not, I bought a Buick because I thought if you 'stepped up' to a Buick, you got a better car than a Chevy. Yeah, I was that shallow and silly in my thinking. I thought it showed that I had made a 'dignified' choice and that I hadn't settled. I know, I know.... I was thrilled with my car for probably about the first year I had it, It was comfortable and quieter that 'lower' models. However, it definitely wasn't any more reliable. I couldn't admit I had made a mistake; so I shovelled money at it to keep it on the road, and then suddenly realized it was never going to be a good car, so I dumped it for a Civic, and never touched another GM product for 10 years. I was mad at myself about that car for a long time, but I now realize I never would have made another decision at the time...I was so determined to have a small Buick....

I drove Fords and GM cars ( one Mercury ) for years . I am an old man now . Quiet and comfort matter much more now , especially for longer trips . The 2006 Buick Lacrosse is the last car I have purchased . It is the nicest , quietest , most comfortable car I have owned . And I am happy with it . Even though it does not get driven that much . My wife drives a Chevy Sonic . It is fine for an in town car , gets good MPG on the 1.8l 4 cylinder . Just not the most comfortable car for long trips , for 2 old fat people . My first car was a 62 Chevy Biscayne 235 straight 6 cylinder hand me down . Better than no car at all .

 

[1978elcamino]

mine was a 1978 elcamino, still have it, still has my senior parking decal on the window too. Nasty cam, loose converter, 4:10's w slicks. Sits in the garage and rarely gets driven now.

 

[Burt]

I bought a ten year old '65 mustang and drove it for 6 years til I got out of college. I liked to say that 56 years after it was built, I was still on my fourth car. It was a great time to be a teenager because by the mid-70's all these 60's muscle cars were quite affordable although beat to heck and rusty. Dangerous too. But for very little money you could buy cars that were king of the hill for the next 25 years. Now a days, a Honda civic is probably faster than the majority, gets four times the gas mileage and with a lot less noise and commotion. Handles better and lasts 3x as long.

 

[JeffKeryk]

'64 Corvair.

 

[Dorian]

97 Ranger. Two door, [censored] teal, 2.3 dual spark plug 4 cylinder, 2 wheel drive, 5 speed. Reliable as all get out. However, very unsafe and not a desirable car at all. Hated it then, kind of miss it now.

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by JLTD

74 Plymouth Scamp (same as Dodge Dart). 225 slant six and drum brakes all around. Paid too much at a used car dealer, had it about 2 years when a lady pulled out in front of me. Liked it initially but it had lots of little issues that became annoying. It was a blessing it got totaled.

1993 P71 crown vic, bought at auction, built from junkyard parts (including the motor). My father, grandfather, and I built it in the driveway. This was right about the time low economic, high-crime parts of town were saturated with them. I was ashamed of it because I was 17, image mattered, and all of my better off friends made fun of me/it, but it worked. I bought a 1995 Trans Am 1.5 years later, and gave it back to my Dad. It's been 15 years ago. My grandfather has died. The car is who knows where. I don't want that car back, but I want the memories back, and they rolled off into the sunset with that car. We really don't know what we have when we have it, sometimes, and sometimes what we miss, isn't even what we thought we had. I wish I had been "less 17" when I was 17, but such is life. I now cherish all the memories I have with my father, and go out of my way to make more, when he visits. I purposefully let certain projects around the house slide, so that he can "fix them" when he visits (EX: Not installing a vent hood over the stove, even though it's 15 minutes work). He might well suspect it, but he plays his part, and I'm grateful to that, because one day, that vent hood is going to be so much more than a vent hood to me, I'm sad to acknowledge.

 

[Hoot_r]

A 1961 Studebaker Hawk. No one knew what it was, other than it was fast and had a supercharger under the hood. Turned a lot of heads in the late 70s, obviously! After it ate a few Camaros while doing the "stoplight derby", it was rather well recognized. Sold it and bought a "retired" '70 Fury unmarked police car.

 

[Leo99]

My first was a 77 Buick Century. Green on green. 305 V8 with about 150 hp. I replaced the stock manifold and carb with an Edlebrock and Holley 4 barrel. Had a box full of vacuum hoses and valves after that. It was a horrible car but had a lot of fun with it.

 

[cwilliamsws6]

Am 18, got the Honda CR-V in my signature when I turned 16. Gets 20-22mpg which is good considering my commutes to school or work are both less than 5 miles long so it gets short-tripped a lot. Have had to replace a lot of things on the car to keep it running ($3,000+ spent by now at least) which I can't even be mad because all of it was maintenance items which would need replaced sooner or later either way. Everything in the engine bay is just so cramped that getting anything accomplished is a real chore. For example to replace my alternator I had to take off the front right wheel and move all of my power steering stuff aside. That's my only real complaint is it is a pain to work on.

 

[aquariuscsm]

1974 Cutlass Supreme with the Rocket 350. This was back in 1984. Good days!!

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted by tahoe_hybrid

first car I got scammed it was a lemon endless problems endless I spend like 6-7k in repairs in the time i had it almost everytime i turned around I had to drop another 3-500$ it was the only thing that worked great were the brakes AFTER I PAID 500$ in repairs second car had issues brake got rid of it quickly\ (the person who bought it wreaked it shortly afterwards).. death trap third car more issues I'm fighting the dealer i bought it from might have to go to small claims court Smog issues and brake issues (they sold it with faulty brakes)...

What kind've cars were these?

 

[Ignatius]

My first car was a 1984 Ford Thunderbird 5.0L V8 that I bought in 1998 for $1150 with 102,000 miles on it, burgundy color inside and out. I had the idea to cut the exhaust pipe off ahead of the rear tire and run a side pipe, it sounded pretty good. What did I think of it? Looking back now it was a very solid car for the year I had it. I performed basic maintenance on it and put new tires on it, things like that. I ran the absolute [censored] out of that car and it only ever had a minor transmission problem that one of my dad's buddies took care of for me. It met its demise going through any alley one day when an inattentive old lady came barreling through, without using her horn, and smashed into the front driver's side around the wheel. My insurance totaled the var out for $1300! It was still driveable but I rather took the money and moved on.

 

[DGXR]

I wish I had kept my first car, 1972 AMC Gremlin X, 4.2L (258cid) 6-cylinder engine. Drove it 100k miles in 5 years without one bit of trouble. I just heard of the exact same year and trim selling for $20k (fully restored I am sure). I enjoyed the car a lot but didn't hesitate to sell it after buying a 1965 Mustang 6-cyl, The Mustang was inferior to the Gremlin in every way, except the styling After a few more years and owning a few more vehicles, I started appreciating the Gremlin for the great little car that it was.

 

[Dave P.]

I'm in NJ and my Dad was in Florida. When I was building a deck many years ago, even though I knew what to do, I would call him just to ask HIM what to do next. I knew it made him feel good to still be important to me even though I was now a capable adult. I hope my own kids will someday make me feel needed too! Nice story about your Dad too and you're right, every time I'm on that deck, it feels like the two of us built it.

 

[Cujet]

My first car (in the late '70's) , a 1966 Mustang GT, was an awful car, despite the many road-race mods and excellent HP. I raced the car for a while at local tracks. By 1984, I sold it and was glad to see it go. Just not competitive with more modern vehicles, despite the mods. Looked like this, except with black stripes. It was very light, and quite responsive. From that standpoint, today's overweight, throttle by wire cars don't come close to the wild weasel feel of the old mustang. But good god it was a handful. The king of oversteer and modest grip. But a bone stock RX-7 could wipe the floor with the Mustang. Not due to power, but due to better "everything else". I even had all the Shelby mods, including re positioned upper control arms, sway bars springs, Koni's, poly bushings, etc. It was a flexible flyer and it showed. As I mentioned above, I was glad to see it go. It gets annoying when turning the worst lap times despite major effort. On to bigger and better things.

 

[tbm3fan]

I still have my first car. I wanted a Mustang when I turned 16 but my father was able to get a great deal in buying the 68 Cougar that he bought new when leaving Carnation, then sold it to his new company Westgate California 3 months later, then bought if back from them 15 months later. How could I argue? Besides I had taken care of the car from the first day he bought it in April 1968 so I was very familiar. I guess you could say I was happy. My father even helped find a good deal on some 14" wheels and white letter tires for me right after I got it.

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted by tbm3fan

I still have my first car. I wanted a Mustang when I turned 16 but my father was able to get a great deal in buying the 68 Cougar that he bought new when leaving Carnation, then sold it to his new company Westgate California 3 months later, then bought if back from them 15 months later. How could I argue? Besides I had taken care of the car from the first day he bought it in April 1968 so I was very familiar. I guess you could say I was happy. My father even helped find a good deal on some 14" wheels and white letter tires for me right after I got it.

Did it have the foot pedal windshield wiper?

 

[spasm3]

[quote=rhandle. Honestly, if I found a 77 Regal in Excellent condition, I would buy it[/quote] If i found a good one at the right price, i'd love to put an LS drivetrain in there!