What was the first car you worked on regularly?

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

When I was a kid, Ford enthusiasts said First On Race Day.

I can verify there was quite a lot of truth in that statement on the wide ovals of early NASCAR to drag strips across the USA.
FORDs and their cousins the monster fast Mercury's. I have never ridden in any moving vehicle faster than a buddies 1970 Mercury Cougar he installed a FORD 429cui engine in. Scary fast in fact.

 

[Pablo]

My 1974 Monte Carlo.

What engine?

I can verify there was quite a lot of truth in that statement on the wide ovals of early NASCAR to drag strips across the USA.
FORDs and their cousins the monster fast Mercury's. I have never ridden in any moving vehicle faster than a buddies 1970 Mercury Cougar he installed a FORD 429cui engine it. Scary fast in fact.

Ford in the 1960's 427-428-429 (including answer to the Chrysler hemi) is pretty epic IMHO.

Dan Gurney in back yard in the 1960's was pretty epic, and really how Ford treated him was lousy to say the least.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

DELETE

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

What engine?

Ford in the 1960's 427-428-429 (including answer to the Chrysler hemi) is pretty epic IMHO.

Dan Gurney in back yard in the 1960's was pretty epic, and really how Ford treated him was lousy to say the least.

Yeah - The 72 Cougar was kinda right in the start of the smothered down smog era engines. This fellow took a 429cui out of a wrecked FORD Torino. I helped him install some Hooker Headers on it and I then ran his exhaust all the way out the back for him like I did all of my Chevelles. Strange Dan Gurney actually ended up being honored by Mercury with his very own Mercury "Dan Gurney" edition Cougars (super rare today) and even a fastback model Mercury Cyclone to twin up with the Cale Yarborough edition too.

 

[ChrisMU]

My parents cars of the early 90’s were the ones I actually remember helping with… so those were an ‘83 Mercury Lynx Wagon, ‘91 Mercury Tracer Wagon, and a ‘79 Chevy C10 short bed.

 

[MCompact]

What engine?

It was a 350 2v. I wanted bucket seats and a console; it was the end of the model year and pickings were slim. I was swayed by the R&T road test that complemented the European handling characteristics- and I couldn't afford a Bavaria (until 9 years later).
Anyway, I couldn't leave it stock; modifications included:
Crane HT Cam/lifters
Edelbrock Performer Dual Plane Intake
Q-Jet carb(calibrated by yours truly)
Recurved Delco Distributor/Mallory Unilite/MSD5 ignition
Blackjack Headers
3" dual exhaust with Cherry Bomb Q (Turbo) mufflers
B&M Transpak(Street/Strip calibration)
Flex-a-lite 15000 lb. GVW Transmission cooler
L82 Air filter/valve covers
3:42 Final Drive Ratio
At full throttle the sled would chirp the tires on the 1-2 and 2-3 upshifts.

 

[CheezWhiz]

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

My parents cars of the early 90’s were the ones I actually remember helping with… so those were an ‘83 Mercury Lynx Wagon, ‘91 Mercury Tracer Wagon, and a ‘79 Chevy C10 short bed.

I had the '79 GMC , the brother to the Chevy C10. Back then they used to say that GMC had different suspension than Chevys. Who knows. I do recall around that time the price of vehicles started to JUMP much higher than just a few years prior. Very first new car , '76 Chevelle Type S3 cost about $4,900. I about choked on that at the time.

So I certainly near caught a stroke 5-6 years later , around 1982/1983 when a new Chevy pick up had a window sticker on it at $9600! I know today not to even look at a price on a regular pick up. If there is any such thing left? I say this because I have seen so many newer pick ups driven by the young guys in the family. These modern trucks not only are "what the...?" Industrial Strength/Sized , the interiors , (especially some FORDs I have seen) are so plush one could be blind folded and imagine riding in a limo!

 

[Wylie6G72]

Day in and day out, it was VERY needy. Iron Duke (anchor). It got me through high school, and I was D.O.N.E.

 

[Exhaustgases]

At about age 7 or 8, a sears 2 seat go cart, and not too many years after, it was a toss up between a 1952 Ford with a flat head 3 on tree, and a 1957 Chev truck.

 

[Corollaman]

1973 Chevy LUV, first vehicle.

 

[Chris142]

78 Toyota pickup. My first repair was a vacuum leak in the pcv hose. Later on I listened to my auto shop teacher and replaced the timing chain for no reason.

 

[Urshurak776]

1981 (I think?) Chevy LUV pickup.

Loved that thing. You know how when you turn the corner fast, and your body presses up against the door? The sound system would do the same. No kidding.....

 

[Chris142]

1980 Chevy Chevette, which was my first car. Had a lot of issues so I had to learn fast, with some help from Dad…

You ever put a starter in that car? I hated doing that.

 

[Chris142]

I got a beautiful hand me down '65 Electra 225 convertible with the 401 Nailhead. After somehow toasting the condenser on my first try at points I did my first successful V8 tune-up with a GM windowed distributor. Loved that car. I replaced the stock muffler with a single Cherry Bomb - what a sound! I was also impressed with the giant aluminum brake drums when I performed my first brake job on that car.
Later I got a 1970 Electra 225 with the 455, THM400 and Posi. It was indestructible, but it didn't quite have the character of the 1965.

Pet peeve - If someone in my presence calls these Buick a "deuce and a quarter" I'm gonna smack the dope!

- Arco

Did that nailhead have the switch pitch converter?

 

[MCompact]

View attachment 281967

If we're going back that far...

 

[Hohn]

1967 Coronet 440 sedan, purchased by me for $200 cash in 1990 before I even had my license.

I got several years out of it before it spun a rod bearing and locked up.

 

[Paco Pena]

1972 Ford Ltd Country Squire wagon. My first car in 1982.

Paco

 

[mva]

1970 AMC Hornet. 304 v8. My parent’s very first new car. Oil changes and tune-ups. Where I learned to change points/condenser, set the dwell and use a timing light. Not much value now LOL.

My first car was a 1973 Lemans, I learned the same stuff starting back in 1981 plus brakes, carb kit, antifreeze, battery, starter, timing chain, etc.

It was pretty normal to experience a very noticeable engine operation improvement after a tuneup up back then!

 

[MCompact]

I worked on my mother's Maverick and my dad's Bronco in the '70s as well. In 2008 when I bought my 2002 all those long forgotten skills came back remarkably quickly.