Some stories were doozies.
I never had any 50’s-70’s muscle cars, though I did have a 67 or 68 (I forget) ChevyII-Nova(that is how the car was badged) I bought for a hundred bucks that had all the emissions stuff cut out\capped. Thing didn't have any floor boards- could see the road through the floor in all seats. I used plywood to cover the holes so my kids didn't have to sit with their feet up. That thing went like a scaled dog.
Traded that for a Datsun B210 that I drove awhile then gave to my dad.
My first car was a 65 Ford Fairlane 2-door with a long crack in the windshield and a headlight that was rusted straight up...like a spot light on planes.
I had 2 Vegas. My wife (as my girlfriend) bought a 71 Vega for a buck and sold it to me for a buck.(I gave the Fairlane to my best friend, he gave it to his brother) She got into a wreck with the 71 Vega and I bought another Vega-74.
Some hilites\low lights
I bought the same car twice.
For while I was in the car of the month club.
I'd buy a car for 700 bucks and blow the engine. Buy another for 700 bucks etc...
I traded an 83 Toronado for a brake job on my wife's 75 Chevette.
I traded a 74 Vega for a 75 Mazda Rx4 wagon then traded that for a 74 Pinto wagon - loser for a loser for a blowup loser.
This could go on all night.
When I bought my first Hyundai (2005 Elantra GT) -
I told my friends I bought it for the 5yr\60k warranty plus 100k powertrain.
They laffed their collective arses off...I never kept a car long enough to run out of warranty.
I like the warranty so much, I bought 5 Hyundais in 7 years. I went to the dealer to get my 2010 Sonata an oil change and came away with a 2013 Elantra.
My family gets nervous when I say I'm taking a car in for an oil change.
I'm now looking at a 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Blue (Hybrid that gets 59 MPG). I currently have a 2013 Prius-C that only gets about 54 MPG.
I burned out a clutch on a 70 something Mazda GLC,(which I had bought for 700 bucks, got hit and the insurance company gave me 700 bucks) on a major road in Illinois. I left the keys in the ashtray and was taking the plates off when a state cop asked me what the heck I was doing. I told him I burned the clutch and couldn't afford the tow and the fix, so I'm leaving it here. He said ok and went on his way.
The state towed the car and was looking for the title.
When I finally found the title, I used it as collateral to buy an 88 Crown Vic.
I had a 91 6-cyl Buick Century (I loved that car) that got T-Boned. I'm out of town going to a golf outing and wasn't sure what I was going to do next. I spotted a dealer across the street and bought a 89 Dodge Shadow for 900 bucks on a credit card. There was crack in the engine block and I ended up selling it for 750 telling the guy and putting it in writing that the engine had a crack in it. He blew it up about 3 months later.
I bought a bagel for 400 bucks -74 Audi that showed 132k miles on it. I bought it from my cousin who is a car salesman. He din't know many actual miles were on it cause he said the speedometer was pegged a long time ago. This thing needed the starter rewired. I would have to back into an inclined parking space at work. To start the car, I would have to get the car rolling then pop the clutch.Too wacky...
Thanks for triggering this...I think I will do the begats. FreeRegards
“...Traded that for a Datsun B210...”
I remember those... Datsun was just making inroads into the American car scene. They had the 240, 260 and 280Z sports cars. I think they became Nissan, actually...or were bought by Nissan.
“... 83 Toronado...”
That was a cool car. Big, Oldsmobile-comfortable, and front wheel drive. Neat body styles on those. I also like the Buick Rivieras. The ‘71’s had that whale tail where the roofline ran down to a point on the ass end. Cool, cool car.
I think the last true Muscle Car was the 85-87 Buick Grand National and T-Type. Truly monstrous on the road. Factory-made beast.
But they were unaffordable to me at the time, so I never got to buy one.
Bought the hatchback version in 1976. Drove it off the showroom floor and spent the next 12 weeks traveling across the country on the longest road trip of my life. Visited 28 states and saw the pre bicentennial celebrations in as major cities as I could.
Slept in the back of the thing every night except for 12 where I either stayed in a hotel or crashed with friends. By the time I got back home the warranty was gone and I had more photos and memories than a young man deserves.
Glad I did it when I did, could never do it now.