What was your first car?

[boat737]

hahahahaha! love it!

Actually, it was 21.12 seconds, 61.09 mph. I looked up the time slip. Motor Trends review of the 600 that year had it at 21.8 sec, and 59.3 mph (I still got the magazine). So I beat the professional test drivers by over a half second, and almost 2 miles per hour in the quarter mile. What a stud I was (what the heck happened since...?). They also had top speed of 77 in the little car, I got mine up to 90 one day. Must have had a tailwind.

[289FIA_Cobra]

Mine was my brother 1965 Mustang NB; normal 2 barrel 289, 4 speed T4. He went off to college and let it deteriorate; it was dented on driver door, front and rear bumpers; the Poppy Red was totally oxidized. I paid him $500 so I could use it to go to college, in 1978 or 1979. Despite it's normal demeanor, I had a lot of fun in this thing; took it to a few autocrosses as well...
1965_Mustang_002.jpg1965_Mustang_001.jpg

[Blue MK3]

I predate all of you. My first car was a 1929 Model A Town Sedan. My dad bought it for me when I was between my junior and senior year of high school. I think he paid $50 for it. It had lots of "patina," but was reliable for around town. I drove it to school every day my senior year (1961). I sold it to someone who wanted to do a full restoration. And no, I don't wish I still had it.

[Chuck Sloggett]

1970 Honda N600. 2 cylinder, 598 CC, (or as I used to say, "36 cubic inches of fire breathin' blow-by"), 35hp (almost 1 hp per cu. in., rare in the 70's), air cooled, 4 speed, front wheel drive. Honda started selling cars in the U.S. on May 1, 1970, and I bought this 14 days later, for a whopping $1395 brand new. Drove it for 28 years before I sold it to a guy who took it back to Japan. Here's a pic at Lions Drag Strip. Won my class once, and came in runner-up in bracket racing one day. Won $10. I still have some Lions time slips from back then. 21 seconds in the quarter mile. Whew...

Attachment 66394Attachment 66393

The Honda Dealer in Rapid City, SD has on of those sitting on the showroom floor. -- Chuck

[boat737]

hahahahaha! love it!

The Honda Dealer in Rapid City, SD has on of those sitting on the showroom floor. -- Chuck

Used to be one out here too. It disappeared. I still see a really beat-up and thrashed one in a shop in Long Beach, and it still runs. All in all, for what it was, it was a good car. I've owned Honda's and Acura's continuously for 47 years now. Still think they are good cars.

[7tvette]

Glad to see lots of Beetles out there. I was lucky to have a 1978 Beetle Convertible as a first car. Awesome car and still in the family.

Troy

[BEAR-AvHistory]

1957 Red & White Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner. hardtop convertible. Bought used in 1960 for $1200.

[mcduke3]

1976 Fiat Spider 124. Orange color, similar to this picture. I got a lot of dates because of it.Fiat_Spider_124.png

[sheephearder]

67 Ford Fairlane! Candy Apple Red 2 door hardtop with black vinal top and red interior and no A/C! 289HO with 3 on the tree!

[UnhipPopano]

My brother and I owned a 68 Blue VW Beatle. The reverse gear was iffy, but with its studded snow tires, it would go anywhere. With the sun roof open, my brother was able to drive home the entire wrestling team. We were able to do all of the maintenance on the car.

[Stork]

First car was a hand-me-down, dark blue, early 80's Pontiac Bonneville. Rear windows did not roll down... not because they were broken, but because it was apparently designed to not have rear windows that roll down! Told all my friends it was a decommissioned cop car. Best part was the throttle response of flooring it, waiting a few counts, then the engine decided to come alive and the front end lifting up as if a jet pack had been ignited. Had a good year with her before the engine blew-up and I headed off to college.

[KDubU]

A brand new 1985 Suzuki Samurai. Loved jeeps but could not afford a jeep jeep so opted for the next thing. Loved my Samurai, sure it was slow as a snail, noisy, etc. but it was mine and it was a convertible that I drove in the Montreal winters no problem. Had my worst accident in it when a guy in his Trans-Am t-boned me doing 40-50mph. The nose of his car went underneath and flipped me over a couple times. I had my seatbelt on and ended up climbing out the passenger door as it was on it's side. I don't really recall the impact other than seeing a white flash out of my peripheral vision just before it happened. A lot of damage but nobody hurt.

[Jeff Kleiner]

...flipped me over a couple times...

Yeah, they're kind of prone to that! Back in my Jeep days a couple of Samaurai guys often went trail riding with us and it became almost expected that there would be at least one Suzi belly up every trip. Beauty of them is that they roll slow and are light so 4 guys could usually get them back on all fours. After giving them a few minutes for the oil to run back down to where it was supposed to be they'd fire up and roll on. Like the early Toyota pickups they were tough little suckers that didn't make enough power to hurt themselves

Jeff

[SDhemmings]

Had a 1971 GMC 1/2 ton, loved that truck! Now that I see what they go for fully restored I wish I had kept it!!

[FMJ]

1963 VW Beetle. My Dad traded a 19" TV to some relatives for it.

-Fred

[WIS89]

I had a 1960 Thunderbird convertible. It was black with a red interior. Power everything! It was going to be awesome, right up until I discovered the unibody was rusted out, and with both doors open the car actually flexed -- I don't think this was a designed trait for this car! It was just like Doug at Forma Cars posted in the daily driver thread. Ended up selling it, and it broke my heart!

Replaced it with a 72 MGB. It was orange and awesome! It broke down on the NJ Turnpike the weekend I got engaged. Now wife said to get a new car, and I did. Sold the MG to a classmate. I should have kept the car; it was a wonderful, fun little car!!

Regards,

Steve

[wareaglescott]

1963 VW Beetle. My Dad traded a 19" TV to some relatives for it.

-Fred

Which weighed more the VW or a large TV in that time frame?

[Bob-STL]

1953 Mercury 2 door hardtop that my dad bought. It was a tank, flat head V8. Man, I wish I had that car today.

[jakester888]

1970 Toyota Corona MKII

1985-Toyota.jpg

[Dodgeman]

1955 Ford custom 4door with 262 CI, 3 on the tree, paid $100.00 in 1964 drove it until graduation then scrapped it when I went in the service.

[Just puttering]

Besides driving my moms 1976 granada 4 door 3 speed, I traded my atc 110 for a 58 ford truck. it had a 289 and c4 trans. I then proceeded to tear it apart and put a 1976? Dodge alpine? (It sucks getting old) front end in it. The car had transverse tortion bars on the front that unbolted as one unit. So the independent front with disk brakes and power steering got bolted to the truck (got the idea from a car mag.) you adjusted the ride height with two nuts under the truck. I had the front so low, you could not fit a soda can under front of the body to the ground. I also put the tilt column in it and used the wiring harness from the car. I just realized this sounds familiar reading this forum. Then somone sabotaged my engine. So I built a 400 ford and c6 for it. Just looked it up dodge aspen was the car

[adubbelde]

59 Impala Bubble top. I totaled it a couple of months later. Saw another that was totaled and bought it from the insurance company. I put the 2 together and sold parts for a net cost of $75 to be back on the road. That was 51 years ago.

[Dave Schwaab]

1959 Triumph TR-3A. When I was 11, my fighter pilot older brother gave me a ride in it on some Virginia country roads with the telephone poles and drainage ditches whizzing by. Scared the **** out of me. Five years later, I bought it from him. I also remember riding in the back seat for a hundred miles when he was headed to a little get-together fondly remembered as the "Cuban Missile Crisis"!

In addition to that car, I also owned a TR-4A, and drove a Spitfire, MGA, MGA Fixed Head Coupe, MGB, MG Midget, Austin Healey Sprite and Austin Healey 100-6. I just LOVE British Roadsters! I've wanted a Cobra ever since my August 1964 issue of Mechanix Illustrated arrived with the Tom McCahill test.

[chuckster]

1969 Dodge Charger SE with a 383 magnum. Was only 15 years old and didn't want to tell my parents, so left it at a friend's house for a year then "bought" it from him and drove it home.

I can't believe the cars that teenagers were able to buy and drive back in the late '70s and early '80s - tons of horsepower, crappy brakes, and just plain used cars - now they're huge money collectibles.

First car, 1965 galaxie 500 XL convertible, 300 six, 3on the tree. Eleven months later, third car, 1967 Shelby GT500, 428 Cobra LeMans dual quad's 4spd. Paid $1500,put $4k into it, sold it 4 years later for $1800. Duh.

[mach'er]

I bought a '67 Bronco from one of those "We Finance Anybody" places when I was 19 and a E-2 in the Army, stationed in the west desert of Utah. I remember looking at it, and a '70 Mustang coupe, both in the same lot, and trying to decide between the two.

That Bronco was a fun vehicle for blasting around off-roading in the desert. I'd take the roof off in the early spring, and just leave it off till late fall. Someone had swapped in a 351W prior to me purchasing it, and also installed a 3" body lift. Three on the tree, marine stereo and speakers, roll bar, KC Highlighter lights. Fun truck. I sold it after 3 years, and bought an '84 Firebird with T-tops and a low horsepower 350 ci engine. Wish I still had the Bronco.

[Ray]

One of these....only it was all black.'56 Ford.jpg

'57 Ford Ranchwagon with a 312 "Y" block.

Ray

[Eespensen]

1969 VW bug, $400. Rebuilt motor, rebuilt bearings and brakes, learned upholstery and wiring. Loved it til I rolled it 5 months later! Was drifting on a dirt road and lost control into a ditch. Laughed the whole time!

[aduarte]

1961 Chevy Impala 4 door.

[CobraboyDR]

First car was a 1962 Corvair 2-door, 3 on the floor with a leaky motor. I learned what Ralph Nader said was true: the only way to get it to stop at all, much less in a straight line, was to put two cement bags in the front trunk.

First set of wheels was a 1968 Yamaha YDS3 Catalina Cruiser, 2-cyl, 2-stroke mosquito-fogger that should have killed me. Man, I thought I was Peter Fonda or Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider, hippie hair, bell bottoms, paisley shirt, side-zip boots and all. I also learned how NOT to properly twist wrenches...and the cost thereof of fixing what I broke...

[zilverx]

OK, here's a quiz - anyone know of a 1963 Renault Caravelle ? I thought it looked cool until we removed the hardtop and the car collapsed in the middle, turns out the the hardtop was a truss for the very rusted unibody! Our Dad, interceded and we were fortunate to end up with a 1966 Triumph Spitfire. Thanks Dad! On my own in college, my $1.65 an hour gas station job bought a 1957 VW, which lasted 3+ years with continuous mechanical and bodywork intervention. Several other questionable forms of transportation followed over the years. A learning experience, with a lot of fun between grease and wrenching.

[Blue MK3]

I bought a '67 Bronco from one of those "We Finance Anybody" places when I was 19 and a E-2 in the Army, stationed in the west desert of Utah. I remember looking at it, and a '70 Mustang coupe, both in the same lot, and trying to decide between the two.

That Bronco was a fun vehicle for blasting around off-roading in the desert. I'd take the roof off in the early spring, and just leave it off till late fall. Someone had swapped in a 351W prior to me purchasing it, and also installed a 3" body lift. Three on the tree, marine stereo and speakers, roll bar, KC Highlighter lights. Fun truck. I sold it after 3 years, and bought an '84 Firebird with T-tops and a low horsepower 350 ci engine. Wish I still had the Bronco.

Mach'er, when were you at "that place"? I was there from late 1968 through late 1969. I was in the survey section, supporting tests out in the desert. Mostly artillery tests.

[Shawn]

1965 Ford F100 Custom Cab short bed w/ a 352, 3-on-the-tree, and no power anything!

[mach'er]

Mach'er, when were you at "that place"? I was there from late 1968 through late 1969. I was in the survey section, supporting tests out in the desert. Mostly artillery tests.

I was there from 1989 - 92. First, at the chem lab down in Ditto, then at the health clinic up in English Village. Roughly a year and a half working at each location. If we're talking about the same DPG "that place". I had friends in the barracks that were artillery. I really only went out that far when we needed to set-up or collect bubblers for an airburst simulation.

1968 & 1969? How'd you get posted there, given the alternative?

[smithbks]

I wish I had a cool car for my first. Nope - a 1984 Ford Tempo with a mismatched hood. On the way home for the first time the brakes caught on fire when they seized. That car had more gremlins and I was so hard on it that I had to learn how to fix it. That car taught me a lot about working on a car - especially what I want to fix and don't because it is a PIA!

[HCP 65 COUPE]

67 mustang coupe here c4 auto with 351w out of a 73 ltd. I worked on the car for 2 years before I got my license. Man I wish I keep that car.

[Blue MK3]

I was there from 1989 - 92. First, at the chem lab down in Ditto, then at the health clinic up in English Village. Roughly a year and a half working at each location. If we're talking about the same DPG "that place". I had friends in the barracks that were artillery. I really only went out that far when we needed to set-up or collect bubblers for an airburst simulation.

1968 & 1969? How'd you get posted there, given the alternative?

I was in Vietnam as a surveyor in the construction engineers, staking out building foundations and earthwork and bridge supports. Toward the end of my one-year tour, I received orders for Germany. There were two guys in the survey section with me that had voluntarily transferred from Germany to VN. They reported that life there for a GI was very bad, what with race, drug, and other problems. They had both left their wives behind in the process. I figured if things were that bad, I wouldn’t go there. So I extended my VN tour another six months, hoping for a better reassignment. It came with orders for DPG. I had no idea where it was, but it sounded interesting.

I was in the survey section at Ditto, which consisted of five E-5 GIs and three civilians. My boss was a civilian. We spent most of our time out in the test areas, establishing control points for mobile tracking cameras, modifying/adding to grids (like for bubblers) and a lot of time recording data on artillery/mortar rounds.

If a test ended or job early or was cancelled, we'd go exploring in the some of the many old mines in the area. We always carried ropes and lights for this. One of the surveyors was a geologist and knew all about that stuff. Really interesting. A couple of times, we chased the heard of wild mustangs that roamed the area. That was verboten, but the boss didn’t know what we were doing.

I arrived in early December, 1968 and learned to ski soon after. I loved it and skied every weekend through the middle of May, when the resorts closed. I spent a fair amount of time exploring the desert the following summer. I left in September, 1969 to return to continue college.

I lived in the only barracks on the base for enlisted GI's. When I was there, there were about 150 military and 1500 civilians living on post. I went back in 1995 and saw that the barracks were empty, abandoned. Recent aerial photography shows that the barracks have been demolished and most other building on post have been either replaced or refurbished.

Enjoyed my time there, it was good duty. I've always has a soft spot for Utah and the mountains.

[mach'er]

Interesting story about Vietnam and Germany. Who'd ever think that was the case, now looking back at it? Well, I'm glad you made it back, even if it was to Dugway.

My boss at the chem lab was a civilian, a Doctor that had been working there for ~25 years, so he was probably there when you were. Not that I remember his name. He retired just before I was transferred up to the health clinic. I worked for another civilian there. Also in to geology, and he always was trying to get us to go look for geodes. Now, I wish I had. They'd find them, take them to the craft shop to cut an polish. I see the same things now in stores for big bucks that people there used to just go find and finish in their spare time.

I looked up the current English Village map after reading your comments. It looks like things have changed a lot since I left in late 1992. The health clinic has a new building. The fitness center is now called Shocklee Fitness Center, named after a Ranger Master Sargent that died after a training accident on a night jump. I was working at the health clinic when that happened, and was involved with his treatment prior to transfer via life flight. I didn't know they named a building after him.

The old barracks closed while I was there. They moved us all to what had previously been the visiting officers quarters. There were that few of us left. Based on the current map, it looks like they built a new barracks building, so maybe there's more there now. Poor souls.

The Auto Craft Shop (a.k.a. motor pool garage, but off hours) was where I first started wrenching on cars. They'd let you use any tool or equipment they had, and even teach you how to use it. I had the Bronco for about 2.5 years, and then got the Firebird and built a 350 to swap into it. My friend had a 1982 Mustang that we pulled the I4 out of and replaced with a 302 - after we did everything we could think of to increase the output of the 4 cylinder. We did all this at the Auto Craft Shop.

So, I guess I enjoyed my time there as well. Not the chem lab, but working at the clinic was a good experience. And the Auto Craft Shop. I'm an engineer now because of the experiences I had at that motor pool outside of their normal working hours. Good stuff.

Anyway, PM me if you want to reminisce about Dugway some more.

Back on topic... 1967 Ford Bronco. Wait, I already said that. Sorry.

[Blue MK3]

PM sent.

[H R Lucky]

I guess I am a little older than most, my first car was a 1946 Chrysler 4 dr. sedan, flat head 6 cylinder, Fluid Drive, 4 speed on the column!
It was really a 3spd but it had an overdrive & after you were in 3rd gear, if you moved the shifter up to neutral & back down to the 3rd position, you were now in 4th overdrive without having to wait for it to kick in. This car would do 110 mph, however it would take awhile to get there & hope you didn't have to stop quick. The Fluid Drive was sort of a semi-automatic, you could stop the car & not push in the clutch and it wouldn't stall, but you needed the clutch to change gears.
This car had a lot of room in the back seat, you could sit in the back & lift your legs up to horizontal and not touch the back of the front seat unless you had long legs! This feature was a real advantage at the drive-in theater if you get my drift.

I have included a couple of pictures, not actually of my car but it looked exactly like it.

pictures:

[FFR3296]

My first car at 13 was a 1962 Daf made in Holland. Neighbor gave it to me because variable speed belts kept breaking and nobody wanted it. When I was 14 my Dad and I towed home by rope a 1961 Caddy conv. that was abandoned on the highway. The engine had blown and that's what people did in the 60's, pulled the plates and left them. I spent the next 2 years rebuilding and restoring before I had my license. And that was my first official car to drive in 1969 and I still own it today and needs to be restored again.