First car you drove regularly

[REWahoo]

Puzzley, very nice car!

 

[W2R]

A blue 1965 Buick station wagon, that my parents gave me in 1974 when they were done with it, back in Hawaii. After a tune-up and some wheel bearings and new tires, it was even driveable.

I was just 26 and in grad school. It was great for surfing and diving expeditions.

 

[Nords]

A blue 1965 Buick station wagon, that my parents gave me in 1974 when they were done with it, back in Hawaii. After a tune-up and some wheel bearings and new tires, it was even driveable.
I was just 26 and in grad school. It was great for surfing and diving expeditions.

I think I saw that one the road the other day...

"Regularly"? As in "Didn't have to beg anyone for the keys"? That would be Murrysville Golf Course's utility trucks & tractors. I can still recall my boss throwing the keys at me (5 AM) and growling "Here's the keys, now get out there and clear the dew off those #$%^ing greens." I probably put more miles on that course than on any of the local roads but at least I got paid to do it.

I did manage to spin out the family's 1975 Chrysler Newport one night on a snowy road. What a tank.

The next regular driver after that was my own 1981 Mazda GLC 3-door hatchback. First & last car I ever bought from a dealer, and I think I paid the full $5100...

 

[travelover]

1967 Saab 96. Weird features: Three cylinder two cycle engine, front wheel drive, 4 speed shift on the column and a one way clutch so the engine idled whenever you took your foot off the gas.

In their day, these cars dominated European road rallies and ice racing. It was a good winter car due to the unusual (at the time) front wheel drive. Because the gas/oil ratio had to be maintained, I only added gas when the tank was nearly empty so I could also add a quart of oil. It had three carburetors, but only a choke on the center one, so that was the first cylinder to start in cold weather.

The spare tire lived in a secret compartment under the trunk floor. I used to put my (illegal) beer in this compartment and the spare tire up in the trunk. Police were clueless when looking in the truck.

 

[Outtahere]

Gosh my first ride was a 1961 Chevy Impala, black with red interior, my grand parents gave it to me. That thing had all the bells and whistles and would hold at least 8 of my friends. That car lasted about a year (Gparents knew it was about to die), next one was a Pontiac Bonneville Convertable, not sure of the year but somewhere between 64 and 67, that was a cruising machine, baby blue, black top convert with dark blue interior.

 

[tightasadrum]

I worked all summer for an apartment builder at $1.15/hour between 11th and 12th grade to earn enough money to buy some wheels. Bought a very used '52 Willis army jeep for $500 with a removable canvas top & plastic doors which I rarely used. It was painted army green with a paint brush. You wouldn't believe how many high school kids you can carry in one of those.There wasn't a hill, woods or swamp in town I didn't try out. I only got it stuck once at the crest of a hill in a contruction site when the transmission settled down onto a large boulder leaving all four wheels spinning in the air. No problem. Just jacked it up on one corner until I could get some traction and I was on my way again. Top speed was 55mph, downhill with a tailwind. When it snowed 8" that winter, I pushed cars up hills all day long. Schools were closed. Hey, it was Georgia, ok? I learned a lot about car repairs too, since I had to repair something almost every day it seems.

When I went off to college in the fall I had to sell it. Freshmen couldn't have cars. (Since I now live in the same college town, I wish they would bring back that rule again.) I learned driving skills that I could not have learned in anything else. It was a great first vehicle. The only wonder to me now is that I didn't kill myself and my friends in it.

 

[brewer12345]

A 1987 toyota pick up (no model name, just "pick up") that had been badly abused when I got it. Painted Ford white, with one tan door and one red door, body rust, and a hood that was held shut with a cotter pin and a bungie cord. It had electrical issues so I had to turn the headlights on and off by putting in or taking out a fuse under the hood, and occasionally you;d go over a big bump in the road and the headlights would cut out (until the next bump). No heater (in Ohio in the winter, fun), and a vent window didn't quite ever shut. Ran it over 10k miles in a year in college before I went into a spin and totalled it against the guardrail on the highway.

Every once in a while I think about picking up a small truck second hand. Then I regain my senses.

 

[donheff]

I had a Nash. I can't remember the year but it looked a little like the one below. It was a beater. I painted it by hand with green Rustoleum.

 

[MasterBlaster]

What will the neighbors think when I drive up in this ?

Or will they even see me in a camouflage car

Here's another crap car...

And my personal favorite !

 

[Coach]

Corvair Monza convertible, '62 I think, what a wonderful car for a high school kid to be driving.

Coach

 

[happy2bretired]

My first car was a 1970 brand spanking new red Ford Maverick. I was so proud of that car and the freedom was great. My first big credit purchase. It was a good car except for that one time when it's master cylinder went out and scared me half to death.

 

[grumpy]

First car I drove was my parents' 1960 Plymouth Valiant. Due to its lack of power and unimpressive engine voice, it was known affectionately by my friends as "the white fart".

Grumpy

 

[Gworker]

197? (I can't remember the exact year) AMC Hornet station wagon.
We called it the Horny Hornet in high school.

 

[Goonie]

My first car was a 1970 brand spanking new red Ford Maverick......It was a good car except for that one time when it's master cylinder went out and scared me half to death.

I had the master cylinder on my '69 Galaxy go out while flying down a steep hill.....just about soiled the front seat that night!

My 2nd car was a very used, black '70 Maverick with 94K miles on it. It lasted until I got a 1 year old, cherry '74 Chevy Malibu Classic....THAT was a great car!

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

1947 Chrysler Club Coupe. Got it for painting someones home in 1956. Drove it for a year before going into the Army.

that is gorgeous!

edit: puzzly's is nice too.

back to that threat about not leaving any money. well, i'm pretty sure in my last few years if there's anything left i'll be able to find something to splurge on.

 

[MikeD]

Learned to drive (operate clutch, shift, gas, etc) on a '48 Willys wagon with the plow down. This was my father's secret plan to get me to do the plowing.

First car driven w/lisence on the road: 64 Chevy Suburban Carryall.

Mike D.

 

[bow-tie]

First hoopty.... my '72 malibu. Still have it. I was so proud of the car I thought I would bust. Shoulda started with a beater though. I took care of it, but was still hard on her.

 

[Sarah in SC]

1982 Chevy Blazer (back when you could undo about 20 bolts and make it a convertible, sort of). Brown with a white top. Rolled it down a 30 ft embankment, crushed every single panel, 1/2 of the glass, and flattened all the tires. But, once the tow truck was able to get it back up to the road, we put some air in those tires and drove it home! No frame damage! Of course Dad made me drive it all winter without the glass so I'd be more careful in the future.

I cried like a baby when it threw a rod a couple of years later. Went out with Dad and bought my first and only new car, the 1988 GMC Jimmy, that I put 380k miles on!

I've never felt again about a car the way I felt about the Blazer--it defined me in high school, probably in a way that was not too good for a girl's reputation! O0

 

[yakers]

My first vehicles were a Honda 65, a Ducatti 250 and a Triumph 500 (1970). My first car was a 1967 Plymouth Fury III, has a 383 and was a great car in a lot of ways.

My wife's first car was a 1961 MGA

 

[USK Coastie]

1st car was an Alfa Romeo spider. Spent lots of hrs driving over Mt Tamiplias at unlawful speeds between my job as a dish washer in Stinson Beach and home. From there moved on to a Puegot 404 and other rides.

 

[FinanceDude]

Believeor not, a 1975 AMC Gremlin, sunshine yellow, vinyl seats, 3-speed manual no air, hatchback.......

However, it had a 22 gallon fuel tank and got 25 on th highway, so I did a lot of road trips..........

 

[Getting short]

Coach beat me to it! My first car was a Corvair too. Not a convertible though; it had an automatic transmission that worked via a little lever on the dash board. Can't remember how many times gas station attendants tried to check my oil under the front hood. I earned the car by babysitting my aunt's cat for a month while she was in Sweden vacationing and buying a Volvo (which I later inherited too).

 

[Meadbh]

1970 VW Beetle. Great car. Still miss it.

 

[TexasGal]

Apparently we do share a bit of parallel history, eh?

But my Rambler American was not my first regular driver, it was my second. My first was a black & white 1956 Chevy Bel Air two door...

For me 1956 Chevy Bel Air, blue and white, but with very un-cool 4 doors. Belonged to someone in the family who let me have it in 1965.

 

[calmloki]

Out of the Navy and off to work in Santa Fe in a '67 Datsun SPL1600 convertible roadster. Warped the head several times and ended up running two headgaskets. Lotsa fun. 'specially in the New Mexico winters. Did a bunch of driving in full winter garb with ice building up on the plastic rear window. Mine was British racing green.