Once again, inspired by another thread: What was your first car ?
Mine was a 1968 Ford Fairlane. Bought it when I was 16 in 1980. I worked at a garage/gas station while in high school, so was able to put it up on the "rack" and keep it running. It wasn't a "chic magnet" ride by any means, but I loved it. Finally had to get rid of it when the frame rusted too much for safety.
1961 Buick Lesabre my dad found on hos mail route for $200. Never forget it. Was a beast of big car. 401V8 with the Suicide tranny. What, You say. Never heard of it, GM had some terrible Auto trans back in the day. Mine shift pattern was like this. PNDLR, guess how long it lasted with a 17 year old driver. 5 months before I made the mistake in down shifting. It was an AWEFUL sound. and was going nowhere after.
Best part of the story, The car was the same age as me. Born 11-26-1961
62 Red VW bug. I freakin loved that car. I remember filling it up for under $2.00 and driving for days it seemed. Did a round trip in 68 from FL to CA and back in it. Had it for a few years till a brake line failed at a bad time. I was OK but the bug wasn't.
My first of 3 bugs I had.
Censored
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A Henry J it ran for a while then everything started going South. 2nd Car was a 1950 Ford with a Cast Iron Motor. Ran for a lot longer. These pics I got from the web Mie were not anywhere as nice or even complete, but they are the types.
1986 was the year I got my first wheels in France, and I had the unbelievable privilege to drive a Citroen Traction Avant for 6 months; borrowed from an uncle who loved me more than his old car ! I was the first in the family to get into university, that was the deal An exceptional car for countryside roads on a sunny weekend, nothing else. Never attempted a "highway sortie" . It was a 1954 model "Legere" if I recall.
6 months later, I moved on to a 3rd or 4th hand WV Beetle, that's all I could afford.
Darn, still can't figure out how to post a pic on SimHQ.
Cheers, Slug
"Major Burns isn't saying much of anything, Sir. I think he's formulating the answer..." - Radar - M*A*S*H
A 1969 Hillman Imp Californian (thanks mum!) I passed my test in 1978.
850cc if I remember. 4 speed manual,finished in gold with black interior. Rear engined with the drive going through rubber dampers to the wheels. These I ripped out twice doing burn-outs much to the annoyance of my dad who had to rescue me. We fixed one at the side of the road. Not an easy task. I'm sure he was very proud of me.
It was renowned for over-heating problems and eventually it cooked the engine (not helped by my driving) and I sold it for £30 to a local dealer as scrap.
I can concur with the Capri handling ability DM. I owned a 2.0 in a horrible green colour with a black vinyl roof. If pushed on bends the rear was more likely to make it round the bend first.
It was also the first car I ever shred a cam-belt on but because it was the 2.0 and a non-interference engine I got away with it.
While technically the companys van, I put 100,000 miles in her.. And myself and my dad had her from new so.... (handed back with 137,000 on the clock... 1 new alternator, 2 sets of brakes. 8 new tires and a new engine and turbo!)
Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 121,384PanzerMeyer
Pro-Consul of Florida
PanzerMeyer
Pro-Consul of Florida
King Crimson - SimHQ's Top Poster
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 121,384
Miami, FL USA
1983 Chevy Caprice Classic. I bought it used in 1999. I called it the "aircraft carrier" due to the fact that you could fit about 8 passengers inside. I got rid of it in 2000.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
1976 International Scout II, with 196cid slant 4 (1/2 the 392 V8) & 3-speed manual. That 4-cyl could pull a house off its foundation. If (when) I got stuck the winch on the front could pull the truck and a house. One time my front axle fetched up against a stump in the mud and the winch pulled that out with the truck, roots and all. I have to credit that vehicle with my choice of career, as a young soldier I didn’t have the money to pay a shop to fix it when I broke it so I had to learn to do it myself (with a good friend’s instruction.) I wish I still had it, but my electrical wiring skills weren’t quite up to where they needed to be to get it running again.
Phil
“The biggest problem people have is they don’t think they’re supposed to have problems.” - Hayes Barnard
Ajay newbie Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 19,381
Brisbane OZ
Man, plenty of cool cars here!
Mine was '69 Holden HK Premier. Had the baby 253 cube V8 mated to a 5 speed Celica box and a the shi tty banjo diff. Blew enough diff centres that i could do a changeover in an hour by myself. Loved that car. I went out with a bird for a couple of years and she won the local miss hot legs comp at a nightclub, we went and brought a 10 bolt Salisbury diff from the wreckers with the winnings:D
Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 121,384PanzerMeyer
Pro-Consul of Florida
PanzerMeyer
Pro-Consul of Florida
King Crimson - SimHQ's Top Poster
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 121,384
Miami, FL USA
Is that “Australian” you’re speaking Ajay? I think I got most of what you said.
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
1984 Plymouth Colt. A righteous machine. Stick shift of course.
v6, boNes
"Also, I would prefer a back seater over the extra gas any day. I would have 80 pounds of flesh to eat and a pair of glasses to start a fire." --F/A-18 Hornet pilot