First car you drove regularly

[waltwill8]

My first regular drive (ride) was a '61 Vespa motor scooter. Commuted to college all week on a gallon of gas (.29) and a little cup of oil (about another dime)
My first regular car was a '57 rambler wagon with a broken motor mount. When I floored it, the engine torqued up enough to jam the throttle full on. Had to turn off the key to slow it down. I drove it for a year without fixing it. What an idiot!

[Gumby]

1968 Jeep CJ-5. To put it in four wheel drive you had to get out and lock the front hubs. But then it would climb a wall.

[bow-tie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goonie Some friends and I had an orange Vega GT, that we rebuilt from the ground up with a 454 big block with a dual 4-bbl tunnel ram, and all of the trimmings! Darn thing got lousy mileage! But it made a really quick trip to the gas station!

I think that is how a lot of Vegas, Monzas, Pintos, and Mavericks, and the like met their demise... as drag cars. Little cars... BIG motors.

[packrat44]

First one was a 1940 Ford coupe, 283 Chevy, 3-2s (Stromberg97s); Duntov cam and solid lifters; dual ignition; 4" dropped front axle. Second one was a 1956 Chevy convertible, turquoise and white, 301 Chevy (283 bored); 11:1 forged pistons; .030/.030 Duntov (fuelie) cam and solid lifters; 3-2s (Rochester 2GCs); Headman headers; Muncie 4-speed with Hurst shifter.

I use to meet a lot of police officers my early days.

[ziggy29]

First car I drove somewhat regularly was my mom's old beater, a '68 Impala which was a hand-me-down from my grandma after she got a new car. Mom rarely needed that car so I occasionally drove it to school.

When I was a senior in high school, my parents decided to buy my "graduation car" a few months early so things would be more convenient for all of us. That was a used '77 Plymouth Arrow, a rather gutless car which still holds a place in my heart as my "first car." It had a few problems but I got four years and 45,000 miles out of it commuting to and from high school and the first years of college before it gave up the ghost.

[martyb]

'67 Ford Custom 500. 289 cu in smallblock V-8 under the hood, 3 on the tree straight drive tranny and no, I mean NO:

1. Power Steering
2. Power Brakes
3. Air Conditioning
4. Radio

I did eventually install a Craig 8-Track tape player under the dash for some entertainment. Of course, my main entertainment in that car was...uhh...maybe I better not say!

LOL, I did install a 4 barrel carb and a loud muffler, and some mag wheels hahaha!!! We were easily amused back in those days!

[Goonie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bow-tie I think that is how a lot of Vegas, Monzas, Pintos, and Mavericks, and the like met their demise... as drag cars. Little cars... BIG motors.

That's what the plan was for my '70 Maverick. I had most of the parts and pieces gathered together, but then got a deal on a nice '74 Malibu Classic. So I returned most of the parts (no 15% restocking fee back then), and sold off the rest of the stuff....including the Mav.

[ScooterGuy]

... was a '57 Rambler American, sort of red, 4 cyliners, with a 3-position shift stick on the steering column. I was 6' 8" eventhen, and I fit! I remember one time getting up to 90 mph on the Silver Strand in San Diego, and I thought the car would bounce off the road. Ah, but the seat went down (and so--I hoped--did she ... she didn't, this being the late 50's ... 'nice' girls didn't do that, then). Got 35 mpg, with gas at 35 cents a gallon. Drove it all over California. I got it from my Dad, and drove it 98,000 miles, until the needle bearings went in the differential, and Dad had her towed away (he didn't ask me for my OK, just did it).

[redduck]

First car was a Burgandy Red Karmin Ghia convertible. Got it after my sophomore year in collge. I bought it from a minister in Hollywood. It had a stick shift (the car, not the minister--well, maybe the also the minister), so I needed a friend drive it home for me. Turns out my first college girl friend, later wife, also had a Karmin Ghia convertible, but in turquoise (sp)? The cars were so cool, but so impractical. No real back seat, no real trunk (which was in the front). Looked sort of like a sports car--but no power. And, the rear window was a heavy plastic that clouded and stayed cloudy. I guess "opaque" is the word--just couldn't see out of them very well. But, that was OK, because these convertibles had huge blind spots due to the form of the convertible top. Sure wish I had my Karmin Ghia now. Driving my mother's blue and white 1954 Buick Century back in high school--wow, was that embarrassing. It got 8 miles to the gallon, but who cared back then? Sure wish I had that Buick Century now. Those old Buicks and old Oldsmobiles, once fixed up, are the best looking cars on the road.

[megacorp-firee]

Mine was a hand me down 60 Chevy Impala ... don't remember what the original color was, but it was an indescribible tannish copper color. I had to buy 4 used tires and a tire patch kit (and got real good at patching too) to ensure that I could get from point a to point b. Room enough for 8. 6 cyl. 4 door. Not exactly your chick mobile, but hey I had wheels. I sold it for 50 bucks knowing that it was on it's last legs. so did the guy who bought it, but needed cheap transportation and took the chance.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redduck First car was a Burgandy Red Karmin Ghia convertible.

I owned a Ghia convertible also. I had to park on the street and I never locked it since everyone that owned a jack knife had a "key". It rusted away constantly, despite my Bondo efforts. Those cars had a real personality though.

[Goonie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover It rusted away constantly, despite my Bondo efforts.

Bondo was the only part of my '70 Maverick that wasn't rusty.

[Maurice]

The first car I drove regularly was my parents 1976 Chevy Impala.


The first car I owned was one of these:



Mine was silver and a later model. Lots of fun, that thing.

[calmloki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maurice The first car I drove regularly was my parents 1976 Chevy Impala. The first car I owned was one of these: Mine was silver and a later model. Lots of fun, that thing.

That a Fiat 124? Mid engine, distributor cap facing forward to the firewall about at the small of the passenger's back? Fun to set the points on!

[Maurice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by calmloki That a Fiat 124? Mid engine, distributor cap facing forward to the firewall about at the small of the passenger's back? Fun to set the points on!

It was the Fiat X1/9 Bertone. Mine was a 1982 model. The one in the photo is from the 70s.

You're right, though, mid engine, two seater. Sitting in the drivers seat your butt is 11" off the pavement. It handled like a dream. Not particularly fast, but you could take a corner at 60 and survive

[TargaDave]

Dodge Polara push button automatic (somewhere around 1961 to 1964) bought for $240 in 1976 with with 60K miles. Drove it for another 60k miles. Remember driving it right to the junk yard when it finally threw a rod. I used it in the summer and my older brother used it as a winter drive while I was on campus at school. It wasn't even on the same planet as big bro's 63 pearl white split window coup with chrome knockoffs (Corvette) but it always got me from A to B without fail

[73ss454]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TargaDave Dodge Polara push button automatic (somewhere around 1961 to 1964) bought for $240 in 1976 with with 60K miles. Drove it for another 60k miles. Remember driving it right to the junk yard when it finally threw a rod. I used it in the summer and my older brother used it as a winter drive while I was on campus at school. It wasn't even on the same planet as big bro's 63 pearl white split window coup with chrome knockoffs (Corvette) but it always got me from A to B without fail

Now, if you had the Max Wedge 426 in that Polara you would have blown the doors off your brothers Vette. Remember the song "Shut Down" had the same cars.

[HFWR]

62 Chev Belair
66 Bug
70 Bug
62 Caddy
55 Ford
72 Datsun pu
64 Chev pu
70 Chev Impala
81 Corolla
90 Corsica
92 Chev pu
00 Chev pu

[Sue J]

My first car was a pale yellow 1971 VW Beetle. My Dad bought it used for my 21st birthday (1976) and it was a complete surprise! He was tired of driving me back and forth to college and I had just gotten engaged and I think he really bought it for both of us.

It was a stick shift and I knew the basics but my fiancee had to drive me out to a parking lot and make sure I really learned shifting. After a little too much coaching I let him out and drove around by myself. Being that I was shifting my own car this time, it all felt natural and I became a lifetime shifter.

Having that car was a great start for us and I think my Dad knew that when he bought it. I loved the buzz of the engine and the sound of the gears. There was no blower fan for the heat or defrost, just air convection when you moved. So driving to work in bitter cold was ok unless you had to stop for a light. I wore "defroster mittens" so that I could rub a viewing hole in the windshield and I kept an ice scraper nearby.

We both loved that car and kept it until the repairs got to be too much of a burden. I sold it to a sister of a co-worker and bought a Renault Le Car. I know a lot of people point and laugh at those but it was affordable, drove great and we loved it.

[Khan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sue J My first car was a pale yellow 1971 VW Beetle. My Dad bought it used for my 21st birthday (1976) and it was a complete surprise! He was tired of driving me back and forth to college and I had just gotten engaged and I think he really bought it for both of us. It was a stick shift and I knew the basics but my fiancee had to drive me out to a parking lot and make sure I really learned shifting. After a little too much coaching I let him out and drove around by myself. Being that I was shifting my own car this time, it all felt natural and I became a lifetime shifter. Having that car was a great start for us and I think my Dad knew that when he bought it. I loved the buzz of the engine and the sound of the gears. There was no blower fan for the heat or defrost, just air convection when you moved. So driving to work in bitter cold was ok unless you had to stop for a light. I wore "defroster mittens" so that I could rub a viewing hole in the windshield and I kept an ice scraper nearby. We both loved that car and kept it until the repairs got to be too much of a burden. I sold it to a sister of a co-worker and bought a Renault Le Car. I know a lot of people point and laugh at those but it was affordable, drove great and we loved it.

Memories.

Did you know you could clean the outside of the windshield while sitting inside a Bug?

Also the clutch was only needed for first and reverse.