Your first ride... and what happen to it.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

The car my family owned when I got my license was a '57 Chevy, 4 door with a straight six, 235 cu. in. I was driving home from a date, (actually had just dropped Dottie off and was taking some other people home) when an older lady driving her 96 year old father home from work t-boned the car when she ran a stop sign. My father and I had spent months rebuilding the car prior to that. Welded in new dog legs behind the back doors and "t" sections between the doors. Had completly repainted in metallic green and cream paint with wet sanding between coats. I swear that the newly welded sections kept the offending vehicle from getting under the chassis and rolling the car. Instead it pushed me about 75 ft. up on someone's lawn. My father made me drive it home and that probably kept me driving after that. I made the ultimate mistake in demanding to take it to the junk yard when the insurance company said it was totaled. I sat and watched as a fork truck operator came along and knocked the wheels off with the tip of the forks and then broke through the side windows to lift the car up onto a pile of other cars. I am sure it was recycled into something bigger. I still have the key.
My first owned vehicle was a '64 Plymoth Fury that I bought from my uncle for $50. I sold it for $150 two years later after replacing the clutch. My first new vehicle was a Mazda RX4 wagon. If you have never driven a Wankel it is an interesting experience. No starting torque but it could really go after you got out of first gear. It hugged the road like a race car but had pretty bad gas mileage for the time.

[IKE]

1973 Chevy 3/4 ton Pick-up. This was in 1995. It was a bright orange farm truck that came complete with a giant dent where a horse had backed into it. What happened to it? Well it had a 1972 chevy 350 in it so it was sold for 4 times what we paid for it to a guy that just wanted the motor to make a hot rod.

[Zflash]

The first car that I owned that I was not sharing with anyone was a 1972 Chevrolet El Camino SS purchased for me by my parents. I still have it and drive it daily. I also recently purchased a 1967 El Camino my self that I drive on the weekends due to the fact that I am in the process of restoring it. I plan on keeping them both but only time will tell. By the way I am also looking for a 1959 El Camino if anyone knows of one.

[JohnBoucher]

1965 Volkswagen 411 Hatchback. UGLY is being nice to it. Followed the Dead around in it. 300K. Someone crashed into it when it was parked. I miss that ugly car

[Andy Baker]

1976 Olds Cutlass Supreme

I bought it from a guy for $100. This was a 2-door car with possibly the largest doors ever on a car. The driver's side door never worked from the outside. I would fix it, and it would just break.

After driving it for 2 years, the local junk yard bought it for $50.

This car taught me to be a gentleman, as I would have to open the door for my passenger first.

Andy B.

[tennispro9911]

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/img...e81a493d_l.jpg

that would be fun, but just a bit slow on a highway.

2000 Chevy Prism, and I have it now.

[Protronie]

Originally Posted by Zflash

The first car that I owned that I was not sharing with anyone was a 1972 Chevrolet El Camino SS purchased for me by my parents. I still have it and drive it daily. I also recently purchased a 1967 El Camino my self that I drive on the weekends due to the fact that I am in the process of restoring it. I plan on keeping them both but only time will tell. By the way I am also looking for a 1959 El Camino if anyone knows of one.

Stop being a hog... what you need with two or three SWEET rides?
You can only drive one at a time

I'd be happy to take that '72 SS El off your hands ....

[Mike Schroeder]

1989 Ford Bronco Midnight Blue and Tan Eddie Bauer Trim Package, 302 V8 190,000 miles,

I didn't mind when the engine bearings went, I didn't mind that the transmission was on its last legs, it was when a friend at ford looked at it and said that the body is almost rusted right off the frame that i thought that it may be a good time for a new car...

and remember kids on the east coast who plan to travel to IRI ever summer, change your air filter before you go or you may break down.... twice on the way home once on the PA turnpike in the middle of no where

[whytheheckme]

I'm looking to buy my first car, CT area, <$5000. Don't care so much about the milage, as long as its not at the end(END) of it's life. Smaller car (for better gas milage), gotta be sporty, and a clean CARFAX. I've looked at many different cars, but I can't decide.

If anyone has any suggestions

I'm new to the whole car scene. I have computers that are worth more than the car that I'm looking to buy (LOL)

Jacob

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Jacob,
I have owned many (~7 I think) Hondas over the years. Both my kids drove them and one had over 170000 miles when I sold it to a kid in the neighborhood for school. They are just getting broken in at 100k. However, in deference to all my Michigan friends, there are some great US vehicles too.

[MrForbes]

My wife's Dart has only 328,000 on the clock. I hope she makes it home from work ok today....

[RyanN]

1975 MGB Convertible. Basically exactly like the one below except not that shiny. I put a lot of work into its British electrical system. Would you believe they ran a straight switch to run the headlights? I found that out the hard way driving down a dark road and the lights went out. Hmm... many many things I fixed and recently just sold it. It ran great. Better to keep the top down when it rained.



Now I'm driving this (2006 Mazda 3):



And unfortunately not driving this... although it was fun at prom (1972 Corvette):

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

Jacob,
I have owned many (~7 I think) Hondas over the years. Both my kids drove them and one had over 170000 miles when I sold it to a kid in the neighborhood for school. They are just getting broken in at 100k. However, in deference to all my Michigan friends, there are some great US vehicles too.

My first car was a purplish maroonish 1989 Pontiac Sunbird. Looked nice - ran like garbage. I sold it to a high school friend who ran it into the ground. I think the transmission decided it didn't want to shift any more.

Then came my run o' Pontiac Grand Prixs - a '97 SE, '98 GT, '01 GTP, '04 GTP Comp G, '06 GXP......then they ran out of letter combinations and stopped making them. Fun to drive, looked nice on the outside - HORRIBLE interiors.

I would have obtained a Pontiac G8 GT, but GM was not being kind on the incentives, so.....

....I decided it was time to go a different route and got an Acura TL. I hope this Honda product (built in Ohio!) treats me as well as all yours did, Al.

I'm loving the car so far.

[DonRotolo]

Ah, memories. My first car was a 1969 Plymouth Sport Satellite with a 318 V-8 and auto trans. I bought it at 110,00 miles from a girl who called it the Yellow Submarine (it was yellow. I don't think it ever went underwater. They all lived in it). My oldest brother went with mt to buy it, and he found it needed a transmission. She wanted $360 for it, we told her no, it needs a $250 transmission, so she asked "How about $110?". I bought it in early 1977, six months before I got my license. I brought it to "a guy" who put in a junkyard trans for $210, I did a valve job myself, and first got the whole thing together and running on 7/7/77.

I had it for 4 years, went through 2 ballast resistors, one starter, 12 pounds of Bondo, two motor mounts, and a radiator (all 4 wheels were airborne, according to witnesses) and a throttle cable. (One day I was driving and the gas pedal got stuck down. I pulled it up with my foot, repeated it, and pulled off the highway to see the problem. The cable was rats nested (all tangled). Had TWO spares in the trunk, installed one and went away, the gas station guy just scratching his head...)

Has an accident in Ship Bottom, NJ - a guy made a left right in front of me, his fault. Found a radiator (again), insurance paid me $1000 for the car and let me keep it. Drove it 2 more years.

Sold it in 1981 for $250 to a guy who was going to use it in a demolition derby...


Don.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Don,
Those 318s were nice engines.