Cars

First car I ever drove - 1973 Chevy suburban (stick) - I was 12 and on the island. It's life ended when the rear axel fell off about 8 years ago.

First car I owned - 1987 Toyota corolla (automatic). It still runs too. I sold it to my sister, who sold it to a local couple in town and I see it every once in a while.

The family was big on AMCs. First car I drove was a Rebel stationwagon. Got the learner's permit within days of my 16th birthday and license 3 months later.
The first manual transmission that I drove was a '64 Rambler that my Mom got from an Aunt. 3 on the tree.
First car owned was a used '75 Chevy Monza 4 cylinder. My brother had a Monza too but with a V-8 ... big engine for a little car That car gave me a lot of grief ... cracked head and hard to find at the junk yards as they all suffered the same problem. My poor Monza died a painful death when then new Hubby (still the same one as now) took out the oilpan on a access road to a power dam in '85.

'69 Dodge Dart. 4-door. Slant six. Three-on-the-tree.

Good thing it wasn't anything more powerful than that or I probably wouldn't be here...

My first car was a '62 Chevy II. 327 (not stock) close ratio Muncie 4 speed w/Hurst indie shifter, 4.56- posi 12 bolt rear.
I wish I still had that car. I can't imagine what it would be worth these days. Followed it up with a string of muscle cars/hot rods from the 50s and 60s, many of which I had until my children came along.

I learned to drive with a 38 Dodge 1/2 T pickup, very fond memories there. My first car that I owned was a 1940 Ford Coupe. Wish they where both sitting in the driveway today !

my first car was a 71 Plymouth Gold duster with a slant 6 in it. was a solid car , drove it for a few years before buying my first new car a 1984 chevy chevette with a 1.8L diesel engine. really miss that car dang thing got 60 MPG.

Can't remember the first car I drove, but my first car was a Ford Pinto, don't remember the year. It was a stick and I kept stalling it out trying to get it out of the driveway of the seller, the parents of one of my high school friends. I wound up getting it to the nearest convenience store and calling an older friend of mine. He called it a "death trap" but managed to get it to my apartment. I gradually learned to let in the clutch slowly. My roommate and driving mentor Mark taught me to think of the clutch as "the ladyparts" (actual term redacted). "Gently" he'd say, as I let out the clutch and accelerated.

First I ever drove was my dad's old Toyota FJ55 on gravel logging roads. I was probably 13 years old. It had been converted to a small block V8 and automatic tranny, so I didn't have to work a clutch then.
First I ever owned was a 4x4 '86 Toyota pickup with a 5-speed. I'm still a Toyota guy.

First I ever drove I hink was my parents '89 Taurus station wagon... the one with the annoying digital speedo..

Car I learned on was an 85 Honda Civic 5 speed.


First car I owned was an '82 Honda Accord 5 speed. 72hp baby! I rear ended a Blazer 3 months after we got it, and then my Dad and I put it back together with junkyard panels and had a local shop weld up the front subframe... Left it eggshell blue with grey fenders and a maroon hood and I drove it that way all through college. I learned a lot about wrench on cars with that thing - new clutch, new carb (nightmare), struts, brakes, brakes again, wheel bearings, fuel pump, starter, you name it... In fact the fuel pump I replaced in the dorm parking lot outside in a snowstorm so I could drive home for holiday brak.

Man I loved that car.

Learned on a VW Golf as that was the typical driving-school car. Soon after, I bought this one:

Anyone recognize it? Talbot Samba, was an awesome bargain. ~$2000 with just 44,000 km (27,000 miles) on it. Drove it close to 5 years with zero repairs, only some maintenance (new tires and battery mainly). Above 140 km/h (86 mph) it felt like it was going to take off any moment. Never let me down. Yep, the first one is always special.

First car driven was my dad's 73 Plymouth Duster......he would let my brother and I drive it on the runway of the flying field where we flew Radio Controlled Planes.....when there was snow on the ground, he encouraged us to do donuts for fun. First car owned '66 Ford Fairlane 500

First car driven with a driver's permit: 1976? Dodge Aspen . . . aka "The Bondo Buggy". Fenders rotted off it so Dad used liberal amounts of Bondo and a few of Mom's bed sheets (not sure why he didn't spring for the fiberglass mesh) to reform the fenders. The automatic choke went on it as well so he installed a manual choke that you had to pull out when starting and then feather it close as you took off down the road and the engine warmed up.

First car driven with a license: 1987 Subaru GL with selectable AWD. That car had no power whatsoever and the shifter felt like you were slapping around a wet noodle on a rubberband . . . but this car would not die. Between myself, friend, father and a few other folks we claimed something like 4 white tailed deer with that thing leading Dad to proclaim that he should just paint the ol' melted chocolate brown Hershey bar GL florescent orange and use it to get venison every year. In the end, Dad sold the car to a teenager who finally managed to kill the car by wrapping it around a tree.

First car I bought on my own: 1993 Jeep YJ Wrangler. Love-Hate Relationship with that vehicle. Loved it when it was the middle of summer and the doors were off and the top was down. Hated it about every other time. A candle could have heated the inside better than the existing heater. Handled terrible in the snow . . . and it was always breaking down. The only vehicle I have ever owned that I had to replace the windshield wiper motor . . . and along the way a whole lot of other things . . . including the engine that blew up around 30,000 or so miles (I forget the exact amount -- but it was not a whole lot of miles.) Ended up trading that for a Toyota 4Runner that was more reliable.

First new vehicle my wife and I bought: 1997 Nissan Hardbody Pickup that we bought at a very good price since this was the year they were phasing out the Hardbody and bringing in the first year of the Frontier. Picked up this truck at a rock bottom price with no options -- didn't even have a rear bumper or radio. This was my wife's vehicle for several years before she decided she wanted a more car-like ride.

First new vehicle I bought for myself: 2010 Nissan Titan. I also managed to get a good deal on this truck . . . due to good timing. Gas prices were wicked high and no one was buying a very dated design that had a gas guzzling V-8 . . . add in the fact that this was the end of the year -- actually last week of 2010 -- and there was some motivation on the dealership to strike up a good deal.


Car that I miss the most . . . I think it would be a tie:

1981 Chevy Malibu . . . formerly used by the Maine State Police. Loved that V-8.

1990 Toyota Celica . . . it was just the base model . . . and my buddy said it was a "chick car" . . . but I loved the way it handled. It was light enough so that the small 4 cylinder engine had plenty of get up and go.

My first car was a '67 Lincoln I bought for $300. Leather automatic seats, suicide doors, tilt steering wheel, 6 mpg. Most importantly, trunk held 4-5 kids for drive-in nights.

Beer Belly said:

First car driven was my dad's 73 Plymouth Duster......he would let my brother and I drive it on the runway of the flying field where we flew Radio Controlled Planes.....when there was snow on the ground, he encouraged us to do donuts for fun. First car owned '66 Ford Fairlane 500

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I had a 73 340 duster with 4spd and posi rear.

Stole my older sister's BF's 302 Maverick when I was 14, so short of sitting on dad's lap and steering the Olds at age 8, I guess that was the first car I drove myself.

Sis and I shared a little 2-seater EXP 4-speed when I was 16.

First car I ever drove was a 1965 Ford Falcon, my buddy's car. 15 years old, no permit, no nothing, but he was drunk so I drove.

My own first car was a 1972 Ford Gran Torino. Like Starsky and Hutch's car, except mint green. It was showroom condition. I loved that damn car. Owned it for a year until some idiot with bald tires and driving way too fast slammed into me and that was the end of it. Opened the entire driver's side up like I was attacked by a giant can opener. Cracked the windshield with my head and messed my jaw up on the steering wheel but all I could think about was my poor car.

79 Trans Am....got it when I was fifteen, drove it and street raced it through many years and engines/transmissions! Still have it....on the rotisserie undergoing some surgery. P.S. I don't condone street racing...not really that smart...but it's what we did, and makes for some great stories! And had a blast doing it.....but don't try it at home kids! Now with kids of my own, that part of life has passed, and one boy just got his license. Wife made the decision he got a Toyota Avalon ...probably not a bad thing

Jags said:

I still have a 73 Challenger.

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What engine?

73 Vega 4 speed hatchback. Check the gas and fill with oil. Aluminum block with cast iron piston rings. Smart. I just had to change the filter. After engine break in it consumed lots of oil. Did buy it used as it was in a flood for $300 in 76. Had to replace some wiring and just let it rust out. Good first car but that was all. Good sound system installed and I was fine. Can't beat 8 track under dash.