What was YOUR first car? Your favorite car? (VANITY)

[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.

[IYAS9YAS]

Oh c'mon. Be a sport :D

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.

[Lx]

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.

[Lx]

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.

[Sopater]

1st Car: 1966 Chevelle Station Wagon

Favorite Car: I really like my 1995 Acura Integra, but I think my favorite would have been my 1973 Buick Riviera.

[Stephanie32]

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.

[A. Patriot]

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.

[stylin_geek]

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.

[labette]

Fact: Our brains worked different then.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

Can’t explain it well, but I miss my Ford EXP

[Just another Joe]

First car was a 1965 Ford Ranch Wagon in dark blue.

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

[engrpat]

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

[potlatch]

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.

[engrpat]

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.

[potlatch]

Lol, bet that ‘53 Chevy was a “hoot and a holler’ of a lot better than the little boxy Crosley. I had always been used to driving my parents Buicks so it was a lot different to me in the Crosley.

[stylin_geek]

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.