Your Very First Real Car

[wisdonm]

My first car was a creme over green 1954 Dodge 4-door. I forget the model. I bought the semi barn find in '64 for $1, because it hadn't been run in years. It started while being towed home. It had an original Hemi and a push-button 2-speed power flite transmission. I added a red dome light and green and creme Shelby GT stripes. My mother totaled it, while I was away for my freshman year in college.

Edited February 7, 2010 by wisdonm

[CAL]

Only mine was silver with a red plaid interior.

Edited February 7, 2010 by CAL

[PatRedmond]

Can't find a pic. 68 Dodge Coronet. Base model 440 body style. 318 automatic. B-3 blue.

[gasman]

mine was a 1995 Geo Prism, sold it in 2004 with 140,000 miles on it, and I should have never sold it. didn't burn oil, got 40 mpg's, The reason I sold it was because it needed a $30 exhaust manifold gasket and I decided not to fix it. (I was young, stupid, and wanted something newer). was a great car, had the 1.6 litre 4cyl with a 5sp manual. mine was pretty close to the picture below, same color (purple), but mine had some AR wheels, and a power moon roof

[oscarhardwick]

Ok... this car is recent to me, my first ever car at the age of 15, needs minor work although I have pleanty of time in which to be doing it

Its a 1975 (we beleive - last known year of manufacture) Merlin 2 plus 2 with a 2.0L over-head cam ford pinto engine.

So soon as i sort out my camera I have about 50-100 photos which i shall put into an online album.

thanks all,

Oscar.

[ScrappyJ]

While I was stationed at Ft. Ord, CA., I bought me a used, '78 Chevy Camaro Berlinetta. Didn't do enough checking under the hood and after about a week, spun a bearing. Came to find out, the oil was "caked" under the valve covers. We used the On Post facilities to rebuild it. The guy that helped me to rebuild it took it on a drive to break it in and it spun another bearing. Then I had a Sgt. that was taking an engine rebuild class and he asked me if I would mind them using my motor. Had to take advantage of the offer since I was going TDY to Fairbanks, Alaska for 3-months of "cold weahter training". The day before I got back, the Sgt, while under the influence, got t-boned and it was totalled.

I think the car had an omen, but to this day, Camaro's are my favorite.

[ScrappyJ]

This one is a bit of a saga.

Here is the car

<a href="http://public.fotki.com/Scottcolmer/the_11_59_bugeye_sprite/1980bugeye.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://images50.fotki.com/v397/photos/5/545594/3091609/1980bugeye-vi.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></a><a href="http://www.fotki.com" target="_blank">Hosted on Fotki</a>

1958 Austin Healey "Bugeye" Sprite. My Pop had it parked in the backyard for years. My brother worked on it for a bit and made a black plexiglass dash face but lost interest. I started on it when I was 15. It got running and was pretty much original except for a header and a massive webber carb that resulted in instant bog. I proudly drove it in faded red paint and bondo for 6 months. When the transmission finally gave out, Pop suggested putting a rotary drivetrain in it since he was way into those and they could be made really fast. I ported it and we added a 455 Holly, Racing Beat highrise and an header. It was really fast. A faulty hood latch on the front-opening clamshell hood created a freeway disaster that folded the metal hood. Pop came through again with a fiberglass unit that I hinged to open forward. The interior was finished and it got steel flares in back and fiberglass in front.

It was still in primer when I rear ended another car by looking one way and driving another. (She wasn't even that cute.) The fiberglass hood was pulverized. I tore it down and found a crack in the frame. Since my Pop had a muffler shop, I figured why not build a chassis and put in a bigger Wankle. Below is as far as I got. The four link was hung. College slowed work on the car and my Pop told me it was time for it to go. I gave it away.

<a href="http://public.fotki.com/Scottcolmer/the_11_59_bugeye_sprite/scottc.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://images53.fotki.com/v1579/photos/5/545594/3091609/ScottC-vi.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></a><a href="http://www.fotki.com" target="_blank">Hosted on Fotki</a>

Fast forward about 25 years. I want to build a 1:1 car. Why not finish the Sprite? I talked to Pop. Within 2 months he found the shell I needed. Good 'Ol Pops! So here it is waiting for more money and time. I did get another fiberglass hood since this picture, but it has really become a spider hotel and general storage center.

<a href="http://public.fotki.com/Scottcolmer/the_11_59_bugeye_sprite/side.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://images12.fotki.com/v236/photos/5/545594/3091609/side-vi.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></a><a href="http://www.fotki.com" target="_blank">Hosted on Fotki</a>

This is the plan for the most part. The Wankle is going to be replaced with an EFI small displacement aluminum V8. I think 300 hp would be about all it could handle safely. Maybe 400... Where is Overhaulin' when you need them?

<a href="http://public.fotki.com/Scottcolmer/the_11_59_bugeye_sprite/bugeyespritelr.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://images51.fotki.com/v178/photos/5/545594/3091609/BugeyeSpriteLR-vi.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></a><a href="http://www.fotki.com" target="_blank">Hosted on Fotki</a>

Scott

I really like this one, Scott!

[89cxsport]

My first car was an 85 Cavalier sedan. I have pics but no scanner. Besides all of the pics only show the carnage of the three times I wrecked it.

[Nick F40]

Geebee, that is one sweet Imp

Ok... this car is recent to me, my first ever car at the age of 15, needs minor work although I have pleanty of time in which to be doing it

Its a 1975 (we beleive - last known year of manufacture) Merlin 2 plus 2 with a 2.0L over-head cam ford pinto engine.

So soon as i sort out my camera I have about 50-100 photos which i shall put into an online album.

thanks all,

Oscar.

This is just freaking cool, lucky you, I wish I had that.

[weasel]

this is actually my 2nd car, 1966 Austin Healey Sprite, got it in '67, it was a trade-in at the Ford dealer my dad worked at..in this pic, it's already been re-painted... i painted the stripes and used pinstripe tape to outline the large stripes and the down the sides...

Edited February 10, 2010 by weasel

[whale392]

1965 Dodge Coronet500 convert. Harvest Gold with Black top/interior. 318poly/727. Somewhere I have a pic or two....I think.

[seeker589]

My first car was a 1968 Mustang Coupe. 195HP - Two Barrel - 289 - C4. Sea Foam Green. Burned copious amounts of oil while smoking for mosquitoes.

Here is an illustration of a '68. Mine was neither blue or remotely straight, bodywork wise. One thing mine did have was head rests. I have never seen any coupes with them other than mine.

My second car was much prettier:

It was just as pictured. Blue - no T-tops - Crossfire 305 with automatic and 165 furious horsepower! It stayed nice until I spun it into a wall in suburban Sacramento one evening. Totaled.

Neither one of these pics are of my cars. I used them for examples.

Edited February 11, 2010 by seeker589

[Wayne Buck]

'84 Trans Am 5 speed with the 5 liter h.o. that my uncle rescued from the junkyard when I was 16. He was going to fix it up but I needed a car and he needed it like a hole in the head so I bought it from him for $600.

It had kissed either a telephone pole or a tree by the looks of it. Someone had the rear brake line crimped because one of the hoses was leaking in the back! LOL I wonder if that had anything to do with what happened to it!

It had every option except a rear window defroster. Took me about 6 months on weekends to fix it and paint the front half of the car.

I can't find any pics at the moment when I first finished it, but here it is about 3 years, 3 ring and pinions, 2 engines and 2 t5 rebuilds later.

I built a 350 for it after I graduated tech school and eventually put a th350 in it. I had a 75 and then a 150 shot in it which made it pretty fun but filling the bottle all of the time got rather old.

Sadly, it sits in my yard now with no engine (sold it because someone offered me $$$ that I couldn't refuse) and the "rare" dana44 I just recently found, wound up in my brother's 90 Camaro... oh well

Sorry for the crappy pics. My scanner broke so I took pictures of the pictures.

[TurboKitty]

mine had to be a Mopar, lol. I ended up buying a 1991 Dodge Daytona ES with the 3.0L V6. It was just like this one, only it looked like new. Unfortunately, I t-boned a truck that ran a stop sign not too long after buying it. I still miss that car, got it when I was 15. I honestly wouldn't mind getting another one, either that or one of the '92-'93 Iroc R/Ts,

[Kaleb]

I dont have any good pictures of it but I have a 1966 Chevy swb fleet-side that I'm eventually going to redo. My first drivable car is a 02 mustang.

[highway]

Wow, I guess I should really start reading a little deeper than just the first couple pages of topics!

Anyway, here's a pic I found online of a near identical twin to my first car, just in much better shape than the $500 beater I had! My first car was a 1976 Mercury Cougar, man, I still miss that car even after almost 20 years.

[59-Desoto]

My 1st. car was a 56 Pontiac Star Chief 2dr ht , it was white with a blue interior , ohhhhhhhh what I wouldn't give to have it back . Never had any picture of it wish I did.

[moparmagiclives]

My first car was a 1964 ford falcon futura, 2 door hard top. Bought in 1994 It had a 289 and a c4. it was fun and plenty fast for a 14 year old. I worked on till i was in my senior year and drove the wheels off it. Fast forward thru collage, marrage and 3 babys, Its still sitting in my garage with a .060 over 351 ready to drop in and just getting done with the undercar/air bag set up. Front disk conversion with 15 inch powder coated blue ranger wheels with trim rings ans spider caps on the way, probly never paint it though......someday it should be a ton-o-fun again.

[philo426]

My first new car was an'83 Pontiac J-2000.Great car with great gas mileage and reliabilty. Here is a model of it.

[sjordan2]

My first car: White 1959 Alfa Romeo Super Spider Veloce, showroom cosmetics, purchased in 1966 for $1100, short wheelbase version, prepared in New York by Hoffman Motors with overchromed camshafts and sporting the Veloce dual Webers, and a cutout exhaust that burnt out the valves. My favorite car of all my life, a joy to drive, and an absolute nightmare to maintain. This looks exactly like it.

Edited September 15, 2010 by sjordan2

[Chuck Most]

Now that I think of it- I don't think I've ever owned a 'real' car!

[DRG]

My first car was a green and white 1956 Ford Crown Victoria.

312 H.P. Thunderbird engine.

great memories in that car.

[Agent G]

1962 Pontiac Catalina 421 SD.

I got it in 1972 from a guy in north St Louis that didn't know what she was. It'd been painted that darn chevy metallic lt. green by the time I bought it.

Freakin' car would run like heck in a straight line. Don't try to stop, and don't try to corner.

I was on Okinawa in '75 when Dad wrote saying the car was leaking all over the garage. He said he could sell it to a guy for more that we spent. I actually doubled my money and later bought a cherry '72 Buick Skylark and a new Yamaha TX 500.

Here's a model of the car, 'cause pics are nowhere to be found.

G

[The Modeling Hermit]

Mine was a 48 Chevy coupe.

[backwardk]

My first car was a 1969 Plymouth Satellite. I bought it on Aug.11th 1989, ten days later on August 21st. Someone hit me and took off. It was nothing special as far as performance goes...318/auto, but it was a two-door, had the console, factory gauges and was straight. The car still had all the original paperwork and ironically the car was purchased on August 22nd, 1969. One day shy of it's twentieth anniversary purchase date.

And even thought this is only about our first cars, I thought I would briefly mention this........ A few months later I bought a 1969 Olds F-85. And on August 21st, 1990, I threw a rod racing another car (71 Cougar). For the next few years I refused driving my cars on that date.