Already listed mine in that other epic thread, so I'll list my parents:
Dad, 13 years old, was given a decrepit 1940 ford convertible by his parents to fix up. He took it all apart and it never ran again. Ordered some $15 intake-related "speed part" from JC Whitney and when it showed up in the mail Grandpa had his hide for shenanigans.
He then got a 67 Mustang convertible, lived at home, and financed it on a 12 month term! Even better the bank made a clerical error and mailed him the title halfway through. He paid it off of course. Traded on a 69 version of same. Something was wonky with the carb so he put a real stiff throttle return spring in; my Mom was dating him at the time and hated driving the thing.
After that he got huge used ford wagons from Grandpa's business, like this turkey. This went on all through the 70's then he special ordered a brand new 1980 Fairmont, inline 6 with 4 speed stick shift. The ratios were all funky and you could either race in 2nd or lug in 3rd trying to go 25 MPH. Discovered this not on a test drive like normal people but after signing all the papers.
We had that awful fairmont with vinyl seats and no AC all through my childhood. I even learned to drive on it near the end. His tranny/clutch was screwed up and he said, oh just turn the car off when it stops, then you can get it into 1st gear. Sensibly, I said, I don't think I want to drive this... and I was 16 and would have driven ANYTHING!! Sold it to some not-completely-toothed hillbilly for $60 who used it for storage on his property.
Then, yawn, he downsized to an escort with AC they were selling in a "any body shape for $9999" promotion that lasted 170k boring miles. Junked it because of a frozen brake caliper and other trivial stuff. Now has a (yawn) Matrix AWD.
Mom borrowed her dad's renault dauphine in Vermont when she was in college. On the same hill every time it would boil over and she'd add water... and everyone put up with this back in the day!
She got a new VW beetle as a graduation present; passed it down to her brother who broke the shifter and stuck a screwdriver down in the linkage to drive it.
1971 and 1976 Chevy Vegas, 1st was sold running, 2nd was wrecked.
1981 Dodge omni 024 miser, went through door handles and clutches like candy.
1989 Mazda 323, late to the "we read consumer reports" party, was eventually my 1st car
when Grandma died and passed down her Corolla. Now Mom has an 02 Camry.
Dad, 13 years old, was given a decrepit 1940 ford convertible by his parents to fix up. He took it all apart and it never ran again. Ordered some $15 intake-related "speed part" from JC Whitney and when it showed up in the mail Grandpa had his hide for shenanigans.
He then got a 67 Mustang convertible, lived at home, and financed it on a 12 month term! Even better the bank made a clerical error and mailed him the title halfway through. He paid it off of course. Traded on a 69 version of same. Something was wonky with the carb so he put a real stiff throttle return spring in; my Mom was dating him at the time and hated driving the thing.
After that he got huge used ford wagons from Grandpa's business, like this turkey. This went on all through the 70's then he special ordered a brand new 1980 Fairmont, inline 6 with 4 speed stick shift. The ratios were all funky and you could either race in 2nd or lug in 3rd trying to go 25 MPH. Discovered this not on a test drive like normal people but after signing all the papers.
We had that awful fairmont with vinyl seats and no AC all through my childhood. I even learned to drive on it near the end. His tranny/clutch was screwed up and he said, oh just turn the car off when it stops, then you can get it into 1st gear. Sensibly, I said, I don't think I want to drive this... and I was 16 and would have driven ANYTHING!! Sold it to some not-completely-toothed hillbilly for $60 who used it for storage on his property.
Then, yawn, he downsized to an escort with AC they were selling in a "any body shape for $9999" promotion that lasted 170k boring miles. Junked it because of a frozen brake caliper and other trivial stuff. Now has a (yawn) Matrix AWD.
Mom borrowed her dad's renault dauphine in Vermont when she was in college. On the same hill every time it would boil over and she'd add water... and everyone put up with this back in the day!
She got a new VW beetle as a graduation present; passed it down to her brother who broke the shifter and stuck a screwdriver down in the linkage to drive it.
1971 and 1976 Chevy Vegas, 1st was sold running, 2nd was wrecked.
1981 Dodge omni 024 miser, went through door handles and clutches like candy.
1989 Mazda 323, late to the "we read consumer reports" party, was eventually my 1st car
