what was your first car?

[dobro59]

Mine was a 1950 dodge 5 window pickup. 218 flathead 6, fluid drive. It was piece of junk but dad let me buy it, probably thinking he will learn to mechanic on this thing. I did keep it running , but the dang thing was so low geared it wouldn't do but about 45 mph.

[Boji]

First car that I bought myself was a '57 Corvette, in 1965 for $900.

[Case V42]

My first car was a red & white 57 Chevy, 283 and a 2 barrel. I had it exactly one month before I totaled it!

[Railsplitter]

Mine was a 1968 Ford Galaxy 500 that I bought in 1978. I bought it from the lady across the street for $150 that I saved up from my first job.

Wish I had a picture of that beast.

[Samb]

66 Rambler with 3 on the tree.

[robpa]

1st was a 1948 International P/U which was actually Dads. 1st I bought was a 1962 Cheve Impala SS convertible w a 327 300 hp automatic. It only had 3000 miles on it. bought it the day after I got home from Nam for $1150!!! A realcream puff. traded it a year later for a 1965 Cheve Impala SS convertible w a 327 putting out about 400 hp. Guy I bought it from did a ton of work on the thing. it was a real go getter. Later traded a team of pulling ponies for a 41 Cheve p/u which I used to haul the coon hounds.

[herbva]

1962 Buick Special convertible. Bucket seats, small block V-8, 4 on the floor. I got it for $100 from a friend who had to get rid of it and it hadn't been running for quite a while. It hadn't been cared for at all and the oil was thicker than mayonnaise. I got it running and used it for about a year before I saw an MG that I just had to have. So stupid!

[dlr110]

1966 Chevy Bel Air 2 door. It got me to school and back.

[jerryd6818]

Had my folks buy a car for me while stationed at Port Hueneme, CA. They picked out a 1956 Buick 4 door sedan with 90,000 miles on it. I couldn't afford to make car payments and have the car with me so they drove it for a second car and I drove it when I was home on leave. Mom and dad had picked up a 2nd car just before I went to Viet Nam so for that final year in the Corps in Viet Nam, the Buick sat. When I got home and tried to get it started, it blew the rings out of it so the junk man came and hauled it away. We make mistakes when we're young. That was one of mine.

This is not the car of course but it will give you an idea what it looked like. (for all you youngsters)

[royal0014]

A blue 1970 VW Beetle.

[tallguy606]

A 59 Plymouth, white top, green body, with fins. Very much like the Christine car in the movie. Was 10 years old when I got it and it got me through college. Would seat 6 guys with no problem.

[bighomer]

'57 Ford Fairlane 2 door hardtop with a thunderbird 312ci 245 horse engine. Looked just like this one only it was Colonial white with white and brown interior.

[Samb]

Had my folks buy a car for me while stationed at Port Hueneme, CA. They picked out a 1956 Buick 4 door sedan with 90,000 miles on it. I couldn't afford to make car payments and have the car with me so they drove it for a second car and I drove it when I was home on leave. Mom and dad had picked up a 2nd car just before I went to Viet Nam so for that final year in the Corps in Viet Nam, the Buick sat. When I got home and tried to get it started, it blew the rings out of it so the junk man came and hauled it away. We make mistakes when we're young. That was one of mine.

This is not the car of course but it will give you an idea what it looked like. (for all you youngsters)

My parents had one just like when I was just a kid only it was red and black. Remember it well.

[beresman]

The first car that I owned was a 1968 Dodge Polara, with a 318 and automatic. You could fit 8 people in it, but if you did, don't bother to try to go uphill in any gear but first. 12-13 mpg, as I recall (but gas was what, 25c a gallon?). This is that beast after the '78 blizzard.

[edgy46]

1952 Pontiac straight eight in 1963, duel range hydromatic.

[Eye Brand Man]

Mine was a 1993 F250 extended cab 7.3L Diesel.

[rwmoss1]

1966 Corvair coupe 140 HP with 4 - 1bbl carbs mechanically linked. Great handling and fun to drive. A great sleeper for street drag racing but got me in a lot of trouble. Ralph Nader was wrong.

[orvet]

1962 Buick Special convertible. Bucket seats, small block V-8, 4 on the floor. I got it for $100 from a friend who had to get rid of it and it hadn't been running for quite a while. It hadn't been cared for at all and the oil was thicker than mayonnaise. I got it running and used it for about a year before I saw an MG that I just had to have. So stupid!

Herb,
Was that by chance an aluminum block 215 V8? I had a 62 Oldsmobile f85 which had an aluminum block 215 V8 in it. I drove the wheels off of that car but I took very good care of the motor. That was long before the days of synthetic oil so I used Valvoline racing oil and change the oil every 3,000 miles. I got about 160,000 Mi out of that first motor. Then I bought a rebuilt 215 V8 that was balanced and blueprinted by a fellow who worked for GMC in Beaverton Oregon, at their warehouse. That was his hobby car that he was building until he got interested in a Lamborghini. I put the new motor in the car and got about 20,000 miles or so out of it and the transmission started going out and then it through the timing chain, then I started doing some math. I figured how much I was spending on gas driving about 200 miles a day sometimes more. I priced a new Honda Civic and realize that it was far cheaper to make payments on a new car then drive the old Oldsmobile. I bought the Civic and in spite of a car payment it was cheaper to drive the Civic then it was to pay for the gas and parts that I was using on the Oldsmobile. Besides, I didn't have to work on it every weekend! An added bonus was the insurance was cheaper on the new Honda than on the old Buick.


My first car was a 54 Chevy, 4 door, 3 on the tree. I think the motor was a 212 or a 224 inline 6. I bought it for $20, bought a used crankshaft from a friend for $7.50 and of course a gasket kit. My dad and I rebuilt the engine and that alone worth far more than the car. It was a good experience working with my dad on that project , and a fond memory as I look back on it now.

[herbva]

1962 Buick Special convertible. Bucket seats, small block V-8, 4 on the floor. I got it for $100 from a friend who had to get rid of it and it hadn't been running for quite a while. It hadn't been cared for at all and the oil was thicker than mayonnaise. I got it running and used it for about a year before I saw an MG that I just had to have. So stupid!

Herb,
Was that by chance an aluminum block 215 V8? I had a 62 Oldsmobile f85 which had an aluminum block 215 V8 in it. I drove the wheels off of that car but I took very good care of the motor. That was long before the days of synthetic oil so I used Valvoline racing oil and change the oil every 3,000 miles. I got about 160,000 Mi out of that first motor. Then I bought a rebuilt 215 V8 that was balanced and blueprinted by a fellow who worked for GMC in Beaverton Oregon, at their warehouse. That was his hobby car that he was building until he got interested in a Lamborghini. I put the new motor in the car and got about 20,000 miles or so out of it and the transmission started going out and then it through the timing chain, then I started doing some math. I figured how much I was spending on gas driving about 200 miles a day sometimes more. I priced a new Honda Civic and realize that it was far cheaper to make payments on a new car then drive the old Oldsmobile. I bought the Civic and in spite of a car payment it was cheaper to drive the Civic then it was to pay for the gas and parts that I was using on the Oldsmobile. Besides, I didn't have to work on it every weekend! An added bonus was the insurance was cheaper on the new Honda than on the old Buick.


My first car was a 54 Chevy, 4 door, 3 on the tree. I think the motor was a 212 or a 224 inline 6. I bought it for $20, bought a used crankshaft from a friend for $7.50 and of course a gasket kit. My dad and I rebuilt the engine and that alone worth far more than the car. It was a good experience working with my dad on that project , and a fond memory as I look back on it now.

Hey Dale,
I thought I was told at the time that it was a 265 V8, but I do remember thinking that it was the smallest block V-8 I had ever seen, and the guy I got it from knew zip about cars, so it quite likely could have been a 215 V-8. (And that was over 50 years ago.) The MG I got to replace it was quite a temperamental little thing and I wound up selling it after only a year (and having been left walking many times) and then got a pretty nice 67 Camaro 327 which I drove for many years. Every once in a rare while I see one of those 2-door Buick Specials and wish that I had been able to hold onto that one.

[Samb]

The first car that I owned was a 1968 Dodge Polara, with a 318 and automatic. You could fit 8 people in it, but if you did, don't bother to try to go uphill in any gear but first. 12-13 mpg, as I recall (but gas was what, 25c a gallon?). This is that beast after the '78 blizzard.

Rember that blizzard well!

[jmh58]

Herb. Most likely 235. Slim chance 216.
John

[Mumbleypeg]

My first car was a 1950 Ford Tudor Custom Coupe. Bought it for $300 with money I saved up from mowing lawns and hauling hay. I wasn't old enough to have a driver's license yet.

Our neighbor worked for the Nash dealer and knew I was saving up to buy a car. A widow traded it in on a new Rambler. The Ford only had 28k miles on it and was like new inside and out but it was 12 years old at the time. Had a flathead V8, three on the column. Top speed was about 70 MPH, and in the hot summer if you drove it 70 mph for very long it would overheat. But it would cruise all day at 60 with no problem.

A lot of great memories in and with that car. I drove it until 1968 and wrecked it when a guy rear-ended me on a rain-slick street and drove me into the car stopped at the light n front of me.
Totaled it but thankfully neither me nor my at-the-time girlfriend were hurt. The insurance company totaled it out for more than i paid for it.
Wish I still had it (the car, not the girl)!

Ken

[garddogg56]

T'was a 1966 Cutlas S with a 330 ci gold block police interceptor with the coolest dash board.

[Wonderboy]

I learned to drive with a 1941 Ford, but a 1948 Packard two-door, straight 8 engine, three speed trans with overdrive was the first car that I actually owned. I drove it around the ranch for several years, then traded the engine to a neighbor for a 1941 Chevy two-door. I drove a 1953 Chevy to high school and the first two years of college, then bought a 6 year old '57 Chevy Bel Air for the rest of my college days.

[Boji]

First car that I bought myself was a '57 Corvette, in 1965 for $900. I was 18.

I must have been sleepy when I posted last night, should have gave more details. The Vette had a sick, oil burning stock 283 and a lame 3 speed floor shift when I bought it. scrounged parts and had an engine built by 2 race car owner friends. 265 block bored to 301, solid lifters, 375hp fuelie cam, big Carter 4 barrel, hooked up to a T-10 Borg Warner 4 speed. No idea what rear end ratio but definitely not positrac. Was the fastest car around the area, met its demise one night 80mph in 3rd gear and everything let loose.
Next car was a 65 AH Sprite, that's another story.