Your First Car

[DNW]

My first was a burgundy (what was left of it anyway) 1984 Nissan Maxima. It had about 140k on it, with rusty fenders, a peeling roof liner, and sometimes working sunroof. It could max out at about 70, but the ****** felt like it was going to fall out. I bought it from my uncle for $1,000--his son has been driving it until that point--who gave the money to me back later when I bought my second car for college. He was keeping the money so I wouldn't spend it. The car turned out to be pretty reliable; I didn't have to fix anything throughout the second half of my senior year in highschool. I sold it for $1,000 later within just a few days of listing it in Autotrader.

 

[Huntsman]

Likely all the car guys on SF know this, but this was mine...1986 Jaguar XJ-S V12, which is currently not patiently waiting for the salt to be gone.

First car I ever spent time driving was an '87 Olds. Props to you guys with the Triumphs. Kai, you're killing me. Regards, Huntsman

 

[BigHandMan]

Originally Posted by odoreater

Tiecollector mentioned in the other thread that his first car was a datsun, and I thought it would be interesting if people shared what their first car was.

My first car, a 1988 Buick Regal:
Funny. Mine was a 1980 Buick Regal -- a coupe in black with power everything, including a sunroof. Of course, the sunroof never worked correctly and the radio was fried. That thing had the cushiest (is that a word?) seats on earth and rode like it had Charmin TP for shock absorbers. Smooth as all get-up.

Funny thing about that car -- it had once been my grandmother's. At the time she first registered it, either in Florida or NY, a front license plate was not required. So, Grams had a custom vanity plate installed instead of a regular one. It read "Grams" on it, in black script writing on a silver metal background.

At the time, my friends and I thought it was freakin' hysterical. I kept that Grams plate on the car for as long as possible.

 

[eg1]

1973 Montego MX Villager Wagon -- white with dark fake-wood trim and veneer. Trust me, there is nothing less cool than a station wagon ...

Followed by 1983 Honda Civic hatchback. The car that would not die. Drove it over 300K kms until it was 13 years old and the body panels were literally flapping. I gave it to my little brother who junked it for $50. Weeks later I saw it on the road ...

 

[Pink22m]

1973 Montego MX Villager Wagon -- white with dark fake-wood trim and veneer. Trust me, there is nothing less cool than a station wagon ...

Maybe back in the 1980's, but certainly not today. Wagons are just as cool as their sedan counterparts.

 

[briancl]

Originally Posted by Pink22m

Maybe back in the 1980's, but certainly not today. Wagons are just as cool as their sedan counterparts.

Sedans are boring. Wagons are seriously cool.

 

[j]

Technically my first car was a 1981 Ford Escort which blew its engine within a couple of months.

Then I got a 1984 Ford Escort (Why? The world will never know) and fixed it up with my stepdad, and drove that another 6 months or so until it blew a headgasket and we sold it.

The first one I like to admit to, I still have, which is a 1972 Datsun 510 (much like M@t's pic) 2-door with 1.8L SSS engine, dual 40mm Mikunis, balanced, port/polished, a hot cam, etc. The paint job (pistachio) was a little beat, and the black vinyl top was in pretty bad shape. So in my infinite wisdom I decided to strip it down to nothing and completely restore it. And so after a very nice paint job (Mazda Millenia dark metallic green, about 9 years old now) and putting the engine and stuff all back in it, it still languishes at about 90% completion and not running, in my parents' garage. When I think of that car, I feel shame because I should have been ruling the streets in it all throughout high school. Someday I will finish it, and it will still rule.

I bought 2 more of those, drove an orange one for most of high school, cut it apart and threw it away once the shock tower was rusting out, then drove a white one with a black top for quite a while. Boy, those are fun cars. I have very fond memories of putting 100 lbs. of sand in the trunk, chains on the rear wheels and snow tires on the front and rallying it all over the city during the serious snow we got a couple of times. Just drove today in the snow in the Bim and it's just not the same. About 1500 lbs. not the same.

 

[Kaga]

IMMSMC, a Toyota 2000.

 

[texas_jack]

'79 320i BMW. It was a cream yellow color that was totally '70s. I put fat sticky tires and supersprint exhaust on it. Coolest car in high school.

 

[Lucky Strike]

I inherited my first car two weeks ago. It's my grandfather's maroon 1982 Volvo 240 four-door. Salt-and-pepper tweed and black plastic interior. One fist-sized ding on the right wing, from when my mother killed a moose with it.

 

[skalogre]

Originally Posted by Lucky Strike

I inherited my first car two weeks ago. It's my grandfather's maroon 1982 Volvo 240 four-door. Salt-and-pepper tweed and black plastic interior. One fist-sized ding on the right wing, from when my mother killed a moose with it.

Word of warning: those Volvo eat fingernails. I fractured my thumb in a friends Volvo 240 GL IIRC door, you'd think those things were built to withstand most light assault weapon fire...

 

[Houndstooth]

67 Camaro Purchased in 1977 for $500

 

[ratboycom]

Originally Posted by j

Technically my first car was a 1981 Ford Escort which blew its engine within a couple of months.

Then I got a 1984 Ford Escort (Why? The world will never know) and fixed it up with my stepdad, and drove that another 6 months or so until it blew a headgasket and we sold it.

The first one I like to admit to, I still have, which is a 1972 Datsun 510 (much like M@t's pic) 2-door with 1.8L SSS engine, dual 40mm Mikunis, balanced, port/polished, a hot cam, etc. The paint job (pistachio) was a little beat, and the black vinyl top was in pretty bad shape. So in my infinite wisdom I decided to strip it down to nothing and completely restore it. And so after a very nice paint job (Mazda Millenia dark metallic green, about 9 years old now) and putting the engine and stuff all back in it, it still languishes at about 90% completion and not running, in my parents' garage. When I think of that car, I feel shame because I should have been ruling the streets in it all throughout high school. Someday I will finish it, and it will still rule.

I bought 2 more of those, drove an orange one for most of high school, cut it apart and threw it away once the shock tower was rusting out, then drove a white one with a black top for quite a while. Boy, those are fun cars. I have very fond memories of putting 100 lbs. of sand in the trunk, chains on the rear wheels and snow tires on the front and rallying it all over the city during the serious snow we got a couple of times. Just drove today in the snow in the Bim and it's just not the same. About 1500 lbs. not the same.

dude, you should take a month off from buying stuff and get that 510 up and going, that would be sick! I love those cars, but IMHO I like mid to late 60s Toyota Corona Coupes better, mainly because I am a Toyota Whore/geek.

Originally Posted by Kaga

\tIMMSMC, a Toyota 2000.
Those are unbelievable cars, beautiful, well engineered and way ahead of their time.

 

[eg1]

Originally Posted by briancl

Sedans are boring. Wagons are seriously cool.

and Pink22m

Maybe back in the 1980's, but certainly not today. Wagons are just as cool as their sedan counterparts.

Damn! I was born 25 years too early!

 

[Lucky Strike]

Originally Posted by Lucky Strike

I inherited my first car two weeks ago. It's my grandfather's maroon 1982 Volvo 240 four-door. Salt-and-pepper tweed and black plastic interior. One fist-sized ding on the right wing, from when my mother killed a moose with it.
And here we are (that's the ruins of a Cistercian (Cisterciencian?) monastery chapel behind it):

Here's the moose ding:

I'm keeping grandfather's old Homburg and his tweed cap where I found them: