What was your first . . .

[Janmac]

Car?

Mine was a 1964 Ford Fairlane that I paid $75 for when I was 19. And then turned around and paid another $75 for a valve job. Boy howdy did that car have some get up and go then.

Btw, that rear wheel drive car was awesome in snow. DH and I used to confound the fellas in the 4 wd trucks, tooling around in that plain old car.

DH crumpled the front passenger fender in 1975 or 76 and that pretty effectively totaled the car. At least from an insurance point of view.

Had a 260 V-8 in it. Nice little engine.

Jan

[Disney Hungarian]

1961 VW beetle. The engine was in a box and I had to put it together. It had the 6 volt electronics and a folding sunroof like Herbie. I sure do miss that piece of junk. Was so much fun.

[Briansmom]

When I graduated from high school in 1978, my mom bought me a 1968 Plymouth Valiant for $500. That was all she could afford as a single mom. Boy, I thought I was hot stuff! Broke down many a nite on the way home from my closing shift at Tomorrowland Terrace (now Cosmic Ray's) (more like many a morning as we got off at 2 am!!) Things were definitely different back than as I wouldnt dare walk that back road to the employee tunnel entrance in the middle of the nite now by myself, much less go up to a lone house and yell up at someone's 2nd floor window (that's where I saw lights) to ask to use their phone! Also, walked on Interstate 4 to the nearest exit to find a phone too. That car could have been dangerous to my health! Wow....havent thought about that in a looong time! Thanks for this post!

[SBETigg]

I didn't have a car when I was a kid at home. I think to make up for it, my dad bought me a 1972 Plymouth Fury-- in 1991 when I was a 22 year old new mom. I laughed like crazy when he showed up with it- wow, that thing was huge. My friends bought me fuzzy dice to hang from the mirror. And I thought, Gee, um, thanks Dad? But we were just out of college, certainly not thriving financially, and needed the extra car so I could get my baby to doctor appointments and pick up groceries and stuff. So of course, yes, I drove it (short distances) and appreciated the gift. The Fury only lasted about a year, but my friends still talk about it and she's a fond memory, representative of those lean early struggling years for me. Hard times, yes, but such good times.

[mgmnut]

My first car was a 1974 Buick Apollo..... in 1987. I bought it off my grandfather, a very Nova like car.

Hey Briansmom,
My second car was a 1968 Plymouth Valiant. My car was 2 years older than me. I had to let this car warm up for about 5 - 10 mins mid summer or it would stall out, but once it was running I never had any issues with it. My brother ended up totalling it, as he did many cars

[BongoFury]

My first car was a 1972 Mercury Capri that I bought (with help from my dad) for $600 in 1980. It looked like a piece of junk but it ran great. The passenger seat broke so I had to wedge a board between it and the back seat to keep it up. I had a lot of fun in that car except the back seat was kinda small so you couldn't really.....ummm ......but it was a great little car!:D

[Ian]

Oh man ... my first car was a hand-me-down from my Mom. It was a 1979 Datsun 310GX. One of the ugliest things I've ever seen. I have no clue whatever possessed my Mom to buy the thing.

I had the strangest love/hate relationship with that car. I hated it because it was ugly as sin and certainly not a "chick magnet" kind of car, but at the same time I loved it and appreciated the freedom it gave me.

I'd like to say I appreciated my parents for giving it to me, too, but the reality is I really didn't. Much like any other teenage boy, I was just frustrated and embarrassed that my parents hadn't given me something "cool" to drive. :blush:

[Basket Mommy]

1984 white Ford Thunderbird. It was my mom's first, purchased used from Budget Rent a Car. I loved it.

[magicofdisney]

I always thought my first car would have been the brown, Pinto station wagon my mom owned. Unfortunately (or maybe not) it finally died a couple of years before I could drive.

Not to sound ungrateful but I begged my dad to make sure my first car wasn't green. I'm not sure why it mattered so much to me back then. I wouldn't mind a green car today. However, he had a buddy that was willing to trade his HUGE green Plymouth (pre-1970 model) for my dads motor boat, plus an additional $75.

The front windshield was cracked. There was a huge dent on the driver's side that the man had "tried" to repair himself. The inside smelled as if the car had been sitting for several years and maybe it had been. Fortunately, most of the seat belts worked and the radio turned on. It was extremely LOUD and everyone at school always knew when I was headed down the lane.

Although I didn't have to pay for the car, I did have to pay for my insurance, gas and maintenance. This made me truly appreciate the car eventually.

For our children, we've told them we'll pay half for their first car with a limit on our part (maybe $2000-$3000). We'll pay the insurance unless they get a ticket, in which case they'll take over that expense. We got this advice from friends and Dave Ramsey.

I had an acquaintance that had some fairly strict rules for her children when they began driving. She would not allow a radio in the car, no talking while driving and no friends in the car, period. To be honest, I have no problems with these rules and may implement them myself. We'll see.

[Ed]

Oh man ... my first car was a hand-me-down from my Mom.


:ditto:

Mine, too. A 1957 Plymouth Savoy 2 dr with a flathead 6 and transmission pushbuttons on the dash. It was snow white except for the plentiful rust. In the course of a year, I think I added about 40 pounds of Bondo and a gallon or two of paint. Once I got it looking decent, I traded it in on a two-year-old '62 Ford convertible.

[SallyMcQueen]

1966 Ford Mustang. Of course I got it in 1997. It had a 302 from a Ford Bronco and a 4-speed racing clutch. It was a beautiful rust orange with an AM only radio. Since the starter was for the original Mustang engine it didn't always match-up with the engine. I would have to turn the fan by hand just to get the thing to start. Man I loved that car. One of the first times I drove it was in the mountains outside Estes Park, CO. That baby handled awesome.

Now I drive a mini-van....not quite as cool.

[snuggs30]

OH YES THE FIRST CAR!! Mine was a hand me down from my sister who is 5 yrs older than me. It was a lovely 1971 YELLOW with Wood Grain on the sides HORNET....:sick: It stalled all the time and sucked gas! It smelled of her college partying days (if you know what i mean)! This was in the late 80's so you know it wasn't cool then! But hey me and the girls would load up in it (about 8 of us) and go places all the time:thumbsup:. I am so glad I could sell it when I graduated (got 400.00 for it)! Oh well it was free!

[princessgirls]

I had a 1980 something Chevy Chevette. Silver...

We named it the silver bullet. It was an awful car...but it gave me that all important freedom! I worked in highschool and I didn't have to wait for my mom to pick me up at night on the weekends. I had it for 7 years, until I could afford a better used car!
The car wasn't much, but I do remember putting some money into a better "Stereo" system!!!
I bought it myself, or borrowed the money from my Dad and paid him back monthly. $85 a month for two years + insurance.
Julie:mickey:

[wickedgin]

The first car I drove regularly was Chevy Cavalier that wasn't technically mine, but my mother bought it mostly for me to drive (she doesn't drive much and didn't have a car at all before the Cavalier). The first car I actually owned and drove was a 1985 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham d'Elegance that my boyfriend bought for me. I loved that car so much.

[barnaby]

My first car was 1984 Pontiac Firebird that I bought in 1992 as a junior in high school. I worked full time during my summer and holiday breaks and saved up for it. It was an ugly brown but still a sporty Firebird nonetheless. :
I added a nice stereo system - Alpine detachable face radio with a 6 CD changer in the back and a Kicker bandpass box powered by a 200W Alpine amp.
But alas, I still wasn't cool!! :D

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

My parents bought me a brand new Nissan Sentra-standard when I graduated in 1987.

[MNNHFLTX]

When I was 20 I bought a used Mazda Sport. It was red with a sun-roof and I thought it was so cool, lol!

[KylesMom]

A black 1979 Buick Regal - in 1985.

Of course, I blew the engine six months after I bought it . . . :D

[NewDVCowner]

I got a brand new 1992 Geo Metro when I was a junior in high school. Total base model - manual transmission, no stereo, no air conditioning. I had that car for 11 years and NEVER had a problem with it. I finally got a new Honda Civic in July of 2003 - and honestly, it was the fact that the Metro didn't have a/c that made me call it quits.

[faline]

My first car was a 1965 VW Beetle - white. I paid $500 for it and by time it died, I could have taken that engine apart and put it back together by myself!

It was a stick shift and when I bought it, I didn't know how to drive stick! The very first day, I drove it to work (mostly highway), I made out okay. When I left, there was a major traffic jam which required lots of 1st gear starts....I don't remember how often I stalled and feel terrible about anyone who was behind me but...I never had a problem driving stick shift again!

Never known for their power (and I live in hilly New England), I remember having to floor it every time I started up at long upgrade in the hopes it wouldn't slow down too badly before I hit the crest of the hill!

Still had it when I got married and, in fact, it was the only car we owned at that time. When it finally died, we replaced it with a 1968 Beetle (also white) which we had for several years.

[PopPhan]

My first car was purchased for 600 hard earned $$$....It was a 1968 Mustang Coupe - 200cid 6 cylinder engine with a 3 speed manual transmission...The color was a shade of green that looked almost gold in the light (I actually thought the color was gold until I looked up the color palette for 1968 Fords)....I bought it in January of 1979 and had it for all of about 3 months until a drunk ran me off the road an I lost control in gravel and rolled it!!

[garymacd]

Guess Snuggs30 and I have something in common:

1970 AMC Hornet 2-door coupe

Faded blue paint with one red fender

No floor

No front bumper

Hole-y exhaust system

More body filler than metal

Vacuum assist wipers (stopped when you accelerated or went up a hill)

Broken alternator/voltage regulator

Wonky brakes

But it got me through college and into my first real job.

And I loved it. Haven't seen one since.

[Janmac]

My first car was a 1965 VW Beetle - white. I paid $500 for it and by time it died, I could have taken that engine apart and put it back together by myself!


Never known for their power (and I live in hilly New England), I remember having to floor it every time I started up at long upgrade in the hopes it wouldn't slow down too badly before I hit the crest of the hill!



Had to laugh, Linda, when I read about taking your VW engine apart. DH and I had one in the middle 70s - no longer recall what year, he thinks '67 - but we got very good at removing the engine in no time. DH just said it was the easiest car he ever worked on but had to work on it every day.

In high school - in New York state - my best friend had a VW and I very much remember her trying to make it up hills before we hit walking speed.

Our older daughter's second car was an AMC Gremlin. Weird looking car but it was transportation. And another car that was good in the snow.

Sure has been fun reading the posts. I'm reminded of Jimmy Buffet's song about our first cars costing less than a pair of sneakers today.

Jan

[AHOTE]

My first car was a well maintained 1949 Packard hearse. It was gift from my best friend on my 16th birthday. I had more fun with that car especially around Halloween and on dollar a carload nights at the drive-in. I used it all through college until it required major repairs that would have cost more that the car was worth. I reluctantly sold it for parts and promptly upgraded to a 1950 Plymouth that I purchased for $6.00 from a graduating senior. :car:

[diz_girl]

Mine was a brown 1973 Oldsmobile Omega (looked like a Nova), which I bought for $150 back in 1986, right before I started my senior year in High School. Had to replace the engine mounts twice in the two years that I had it. Plus, the trunk would pop open if you hit a bump or pothole too hard, which happened many a time, including once while going over the Walt Whitman bridge. It became too expensive for me to maintain, so it was replaced with a Plymouth Turismo hatchback. The guy I sold the Olds to totaled it about a week after I sold it.

Glad to know that I'm not the only one who had a less than ideal first car.

[c&d]

1967 Dodge coronet, gold in color. Paid $150.

[DonLefNY]

Mine was a white 1963 Chevrolet Biscayne 2 door sedan. It had a 6 cylinder engine and a 3 speed standard (shifter on the steering column) that I purchased for $400 in the summer of 1968. I sold it to my sister a year later.

The shifter would sometimes get stuck between gears and I'd have to open the hood and hit the shifter links with a mallet.

[DVC2004]

My first car was a 1987 Chevy Blazer/2 Door. It was used and it was a hunk of junk. I remember shortly after I got it the transmission went and I needed a new one and then the engine had to be rebuilt.I am pretty sure the 4 wheel drive either stopped working or never worked in the first place. I had it just under 2 years I think.

[SteveL]

1967 Rambler American, not a bit of cool about it for a 16 year old. The only redeeming thing it had going for it was a reclining bench seat.

[AHOTE]

The shifter would sometimes get stuck between gears and I'd have to open the hood and hit the shifter links with a mallet.

I had a 1964 Ford Falcon van that did the same thing except I had to jump out, rum around to the passenger side, lay on the ground and use a metal rod to unjamb the linkage. It did this at the most inopportune times. :)

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

I got my license at 16.5, on a Monday. That Friday I picked up my first car, a 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback 2+2 Limited edition with an automatic transmission. It was black with a red interior. This was in 1972. I paid $550.00 that I had been saving up by working nights and weekends at Bradlees Department store. That car could fly! But unfortunately it had been Mickey Moused before I got it and not in a good way! When I blew the transmission, I couldn't get one to fit without spending a fortune on it. I then bought a maroon, 3 speed manual transmission 1972 Chevy Impala that I'd paid $350.00 for and blew the transmission in that too! I sold them both for $75.00. If I still had that Mustang it would be worth a small fortune now! I've since learned to be more gentle on my cars.

[SandmanGStefani24]

my first car I got was an 85 Ford Mustang hatchback. It was blue, with the black hood stripe. I loved that car, but not enough to drive it sensibly and killed it 5 months later.

The first car I bought (because Mom meant it when she said she would only buy me one!) I bought almost 4 years later and it was a 90 Buick Skylark. (not the hotrod type of the 60s and 70s, the little grandma version) I had it for about 2 years until minor problems and quirks coupled with the fact that I could no longer get it to pass inspection forced me to get rid of it. I couldn't even sell it, I had to donate it! :shake:

[LauraF]

I had a 1979 Chevy Chevette (I called it my "Vette" in much jest).

I paid $900 for the thing in 1994, and it ran quite well until 1999 when the clutch, starter and alternator all went. Pretty good investment!

That things was a POS - the door panels had this banding on them that was peeling off in strips, the radio had four levers to "set" stations which usually broke, the car had a permanent funk in the upholstery, and the thing would rattle and whine if I tried to get it above 55 MPH!

I threatened my brother by promising to take him for rides to meet his friends in it. :D

[TheDuckRocks]

Christine! Yes, seriously. This was in 1961, long before Stephen King wrote the book and not at all the car I wanted. That Plymouth Fury had to have been one of the ugliest cars ever made. Although I earned the money to pay for it, my dad was the one who found it for me. Low mileage, great shape and a super, super low price. That thing was still ugly, but what did I know, I thought my cat's eyes glasses with the rinestones that I wore were fashionable.:cool:

[micky95]

my first car was a hand me down from my brother.it was a red 61 4 door chevy 2.no power ,friend step thru the floor in the back,hung up shifting between gears but it was mine.i was the first of my friend to get a "car" so i drove them to school for gas money.i remember one day we were driving to school.3 in the front seat 3 in the back.we were on a busy road when i noticed the guys in the back were bent over and hiding and the other guy up front sitting by the door was also hiding.i was confused until i realized that me and the guy sitting next to me were the only 2 people visible in this car.to everyone who saw us we were snuggled up real close.HaHa.i doubled their gas money after that.