First Cars & Fond Memories

[JPatrick]

I'm guessing showing up at the dealership wearing only your underpants was a negotiating tactic?

I've heard of "giving them the shirt off your back," but this is a new extreme.

 

[eytonxav]

I'm guessing showing up at the dealership wearing only your underpants was a negotiating tactic?

This would certainly speed up the transaction

 

[East Texas]

Bench seats. Radios with five push-buttons. Big steering wheels. $.20 gas wars. There was a time you could look at a car and know its make, model, and year.

 

[Seeking Hobbes]

There was a time you could look at a car and know its make, model, and year.

... Or open the hood (bonnet) and know what you were looking at.

I learned all I know about cars from taking apart my old MG. If I look under the hood now, I can barely find the windshield washer reservoir.

 

[rmark]

1968 Olds 98 with the Rocket 455 engine, previously the famliy car and trailer towing vehicle, light green with black vinyl top. My dad changed out the rear end for a lower rear axle ratio.

 

[SteveR]

1959 Hillman Minx bought well used when I was 17. It was up on blocks in my brother's friend's garage. I worked on it all Summer to get it road worthy. It had been "renovated" on the interior. Dash was a piece of wood paneling and all the wiring had been replaced....all with the same color wire.

I was a great learning car. I spend many hours scouring local junk yards for parts; none could be found for it but it used many of the same electrical parts as MGs and Triumph's which helped, along with J.C. Whitney. Sold it after about a year and went to college sans car for 4 years.

 

[nafddur1]

These two VW's got me through college from 1968-72. My first car ever was a 57 Bug (last year for the small, oval rear window) that I painted Kelley green metalflake. That one was followed by a 56 conv. that I painted fluorescent red.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Steve, my dad had a Hillman Minx when he and my mom got married. No pictures of it, but it was a big day when they were able to replace it with a VW that looked a lot like naffdd's photo of the earlier green one. Naff--I love the convertible!

 

[Midpack]

This pic is almost a dead ringer for my first car, a yellow 1973 Chevy Vega GT. I thought it was wonderful when I got it but it wasn't a very good car, using a quart of oil with each tank of gas at 50K miles thanks to the aluminum block. Though Chevy sleeved the cylinders and did a valve job on it for $9, even though it was out of warranty. And I had to spray ether in the carb to start it every day in 1978, just before I traded it in...

 

[Bimmerbill]

Mine was a 1978 Pontiac Trans Am, complete with big firebird on top and 400 engine.
First new car was a 1990 Mustang LX 5.0 (sleeper), 5 speed with optional rear end ratio.

 

[Ally]

My first car was about a 1966 Mustang. I say about, because at the time, it was just a car to me. My dad traded it in after 3 years for a new 1970 Maverick. After driving the Maverick for a short time, I realized that my Mustang was a much cooler car. Too bad I didn't appreciate it when I had it.

 

[73ss454]

My first car was about a 1966 Mustang. I say about, because at the time, it was just a car to me. My dad traded it in after 3 years for a new 1970 Maverick. After driving the Maverick for a short time, I realized that my Mustang was a much cooler car. Too bad I didn't appreciate it when I had it.

Did anyone, just once, call you Mustang Ally?

 

[Midpack]

Did anyone, just once, call you Mustang Ally?

Good one...

 

[REWahoo]

Did anyone, just once, call you Mustang Ally?

<rimshot!>

 

[Ally]

Hahaha, no, cause my real name is Joanne.

 

[clifp]

My first car was 57 Chevy Bel Air. My dad bought it for me for $500 but I had to pay for everything else. The original color was turquoise but I quickly repainted it red. Thanks mostly to Dad's mechanical skills and many trips to junk yards to find parts it was actually a pretty cool car by my senior year. (They were just starting to become classic). Sadly I sold it when I went to college for $2,000 which is the first and only time I made money on a car. Of course now days they are worth $30K and up restored.

 

[Marita40]

Mine was a flaming orange Opel Cadet with black leather (? --probably plastic) seats and steering wheel that gave me third degree burns in summer. Loved that car! It was very used when I bought it but ran for several years and did the trick in transporting me from Chicago to college in Michigan.

 

[My Dream]

Wow, a lot of nice cars in this thread.

Ya I remember my first car and I still see it in the garage in pieces. I was suppost to put it back together this year....sort of like Humpty Dumpty, but as usual higher priority things got in the way.

I bought it new as a teenager and ....................well here is a picture.

 

[scrinch]

Mine was a '70 lime green Plymouth Barracuda with a 383. Lasted about a month before I smashed it into a tree and a brick wall going too fast around a corner one night where a broken sprinkler had flooded the street. Took me a while to realize that some boys shouldn't have their driver's licences at age 16.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Oh, man Scrinch, did it look like this one? I can't believe you wrecked it, dang, what a hot car!!! Whew!

 

[REWahoo]

Oh, man Scrinch, did it look like this one? I can't believe you wrecked it, dang, what a hot car!!! Whew!

Sarah, what size hitch did that 'Cuda have on it to tow that B-17?

 

[JOHNNIE36]

Wow, a lot of nice cars in this thread.

Ya I remember my first car and I still see it in the garage in pieces. I was suppost to put it back together this year....sort of like Humpty Dumpty, but as usual higher priority things got in the way.

I bought it new as a teenager and ....................well here is a picture.

Looks like a 70 or 71. I had a 69 that looked just like it except for the front fender vents. Bought it new in 1969 for $4300 (I was getting the company discount). Drove it until 1973 and went to a Cadillac. On the Vette by that time I had Hooker headers and Anson mag wheels w/10" wide tires. Sold it for $3000. Probably worth ten times that now. I seemed like $3000 was a fortune back then.

 

[Avalon]

70 and 71 still had chrome front bumpers. 75 or 76?

 

[FinanceDude]

First car was 1975 AMC Gremlin, bought from my old man. 3 speed manual, no air, vinyl seats (black). Its only two attributes were that is was a hatchback and had a big gas tank so I could drive awhile before I had to fill up..........

 

[My Dream]

Looks like a 70 or 71. I had a 69 bought it new in 1969 for $4300 Sold it for $3000. Probably worth ten times that now. I seemed like $3000 was a fortune back then.

It's a 75' Corvette. They stopped the chrome front bumper in 73' and front and rear in 74'.

As for your 69' I've seen them go anywhere between $20,000.00 to $120,000.00 depending on the condition and whether it's still original.