Posted on 08/10/2008 5:57:25 PM PDT by Number57
Was talking to a friend about old cars & old times today (for me, that means the early 80s, when I got my license). I've had a LOT of cars. Most clunkers, as I was usually broke, but a few gems. I've had better cars, and I've had worse. But here's my 1st & fav picks.
My very first car, purchased in 1980 for the Princely sum of $150, was a true tank: the 1969 Chrysler Town & Country station wagon. Weighing in at an impressive 3,700 lbs (IIRC), it had a wheezing 383 CI, after-market manual choke sticking out of the dash, and some very nice wood-like vinyl stuck to the sides.
Mine was blue. It was Rad. I loved it. It lasted 3 weeks.
My favorite car (out of the 50+ I've owned over the years) might surprise some of you. It was a tough choice, but I settled on an odd little 4-door I owned from 1985 to 1986. I think it is my favorite because it was such an unusual car to see in Michigan (never seen another since), and because it was such a tough little bugger. It was even stabbed by a drug-crazed hippy once. How many people can say that about their car? True story. The Fiat Mirafiori 131S (mine was this exact color)..
I was SHOCKED to learn that my parents never owned a car until they were married. That blows me away. Their first car was a 1952 Mercury Monterey.
My mom's favorite ever was her 1955 Ford Fairlane Victoria (crown vic, I guess). Hers was Red/White:
Dad's fav was a 1964 Corvair, which had been built for drag racing, then de-tuned for the street. The original HP was 140 for that engine, after tweaking for the strip he estimates it was over 300 HP. After de-tuning it was about 240. Still a LOT of power for a car of that size.
He owned a number of Corvairs over the years, and this is the only one he doesn't have a picture of... he sold it not long after buying it because of the 70s gas crunch, when premium gas (the engine required it) hit a jaw-dropping .60 cents a gallon.
Here's a similar car:
OK that's it! If you enjoyed this, please leave your Firsts and Favorites!! Thanks for reading.
I tried to scan the picture, but the scanner kept rejecting it and was trying to send me to a web-site called "www.fashionrejects.com" for some reason.
You will laugh but my first car was a ‘72 Vega GT. That car taught me how to turn a wrench big time. I put high compression pistons in it with a header and four barrel and I was smoking everyone. Then a piston let go and I put the stock type POS aluminum engine that at least had steel sleeves.
That would be an Opal GT. Did it have the big lever to make the headlights roll over? I think the guy that designed the GT also had a hand in the C3 Vette, ‘68-’82.
Hmmm, I’m not too much of a car person and mostly drove my Dad’s hand me downs.
I’m thinking the first was a Chevy Camaro probably around the year 1980.
I think the one I liked best was either a 97 or 98 Malibu.
My first was a 1962 MGA (predecessor to the MGB). I bought it with a siezed engine for $150.00. I rebuilt the engine and have been working on cars off and on for the last 35 years.
I had mine in high school. We won’t discuss the stupidity of a 16 year old with a nice car who doesn’t take proper care of said car.
Can’t explain it well, but I miss my Ford EXP
Favorite car was a 1969 Pontiac Firebird. Came with a factory Speedometer that went to 185 MPH.
Only car I ever burned a hole through the piston
My first car was a 1948 Crosley wagon. The engine was in 3 cardboard boxes. The mechanic across the street helped me put it together and my mom made seat covers for it. It was blue. I started driving in '58
I was browsing latest posts and saw your post. How neat that you posted the little Crosley Wagon! I believe somewhere way up above I wrote about driving one after my Freshman year of college.
My dad bought one to make into a golf cart, which he later did!! I saved your picture, the one I drove was some blah color, don’t know the year.
It was a hoot and seemed to run forever on a couple dollars worth of gas but then gas in those days was $.20 to $.25/gal. I had it for a year and sold it and then my folks got me a ‘53 Chevy...that too was a hoot.
On the upside, I made every mistake you can make with a car on my first car. I actually learned my lesson about taking care of cars by the time I turned 19.
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