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How un-cool was your first car?
How uncool was your first car?
Tuesday March 13, 2007
When I was 18, my folks gave me my first car: My mother's old 1982 Plymouth Reliant Kcar sedan. I don't mean to sound like an ingrate; driving the Reliant beat the daylights out of taking the bus, especially on those days it chose to run on all four cylinders. But it was slow even by 82 hp Kcar standards and about as unhip as a car could possibly be. My friends drove some real crudmobiles, but nothing was as nerdy as that Reliant.
I owned the Reliant George P. White was his name for a couple of years, and how I ever managed to get a single date in that car is beyond me (let alone two bless you, Carrie and Tammy, wherever you may be). I simply can't imagine a first car that could be any less cool... but perhaps you can. Were you saddled with a first car even more unhip than my Reliant? Click the "comments" link below and tell us about it. Aaron Gold
Photo © Chrysler Corp.
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March 13, 2007 at 5:39 am(1) Keith Griffin says:
In 1984, fresh out of college, my first car was a 1972 yellow Ford Pinto that I picked up for $400. Not only was it uncool and the antibabe magnet, there was also that need to constantly check the rearview mirror at stoplights so I didn’t become a crispy critter. I loved the little beast, though, because it never gave me any problems.
March 13, 2007 at 8:01 am(2) JV says:
My first car was a 1973 Dodge Colt GT. This was a hand me down from my mother. I learn to drive on that car when I was 16 and was one of the “lucky ones” on my school to have a car without been a rich kid. I used the car through college, and finally died after the third engine melt down… My father thought about rebuilding the engine, but there was so much rust on it that my father decided to buy me antoher car… My second car was a 1979 Dodge Colt… Argh!!!
March 13, 2007 at 8:27 am(3) TK says:
In 1977, my first car was a 1964 American (Nash) Rambler. Drivers door didn’t open, 3speed on the column ransmission often got stuck in first and I had to bang on the transmission tunnel with a hammer to get it to move, and finally the windshield wiper switch was broken and I had to get out of the car and go under the hood to turn on the windshield wipers. Amazing I got anywhere.
March 13, 2007 at 8:34 am(4) Michael says:
A 1976 Mercury Bobcat (i.e Pinto) with front end damage caused by a run in with a cow. Bought it for $100 and it got me through my senior year in high school. To this day its still the only car I know for a fact I could fix without any fancy equipment. Duct tape anyone??
March 13, 2007 at 8:42 am(5) Bill says:
My first car, was 1960 AMC RAMBLER STATION WAGON my cousin gave me. not only was it uncool, it had a group of problems that just wouldn’t quit. But it made a neet camper because the front seat folded out to the back and made a bed.
March 13, 2007 at 9:19 am(6) Dave says:
the absolute worst car i have ever owned was a orange 1976 Dodge Aspen wagon with fake wood outside trim. i bought it from my father in 1980 and it was non stop grief for the 8 years i owned it. swore i’d never buy another chrysler product. unfortunately i did but that’s another story.
March 13, 2007 at 9:25 am(7) Tim says:
I write this on behalf of my brotherinlaw. His first car was a yellow 1985 Dodge Caravan. He drove it from the time he was 16 until he was part of the way through medical school nine years later. NOTHING on this car worked properly. It was truly the nerdiest car on the planet.
March 13, 2007 at 9:34 am(8) Steve says:
Hi, I REALLY feel old, my first car was a 1948 Hillman convertable with a 3 way top. It was handpainted light blue, and ran well. The gear shift was on the leftside of the steering colum, and the pattern was backwards. Unfortunatly, it went to the crushers
March 13, 2007 at 9:42 am(9) iameriica says:
It was 1986 and I have the pleasure of receiving a $800 — 1973 Pontiac Catalina for my sweet sixteen. With bench seats and a CB!
My parents were driving a Porsche 911 and the brand new Nissan 300zx. I didn’t quite see how this was fair.
Don’t worry somehow I talked my mom into buying me a 1980 RX7 a year later.
March 13, 2007 at 9:54 am(10) Brent says:
First car I ever drove? Our old 1958 EDSEL. They called it “Sunset Coral”, but it was pink and white twotone.
Car I took my driver’s test in? Mom’s 1974 Pinto. Godawful yellow, and the tranny failed 500 miles after the 12,000 mile warranty was up. But it was a hell of a lot easier to parallel park than the Edsel.
First car I ever bought on my own? Okay, after the two Ford fiasco’s, I went GM. And bought… *drum roll please* A Chevy Vega. Engine had been rebuilt, and it was cheap enough. And the rebuilt engine? Threw a rod out the side of the block a year later. I suspected the rod bolts weren’t torqued properly, but couldn’t prove it at the time.
So there’s my trifecta.
Edsel.
Pinto.
Vega.
With a start like that, is it any wonder my friends think I’m carcursed?
March 13, 2007 at 10:05 am(11) Susan says:
Volkswagen Beetle of indeterminate age. My brother rebuilt it, the heat never worked, and it died on me one wintry day.
March 13, 2007 at 10:32 am(12) tim says:
in 1997 i was given a 1985 olds cutlass supreme 3.8 for my 16th birthday. the car had 150k on it. the 2 barrel was shot, there was a broken motor mount, and there was an exhaust leak. it lasted until 200k, and was a total tank. but with the whitewalls and hub caps it was extremely uncool.
March 13, 2007 at 10:51 am(13) Norm says:
My first car was a yellow 1976 Chevy Chevette. It was beyond uncool with it’s 90 HP motor and vinyl seats. It had an AM radio and no power accessories. The back seat caught on fire because GM forgot to put insulation between the catalytic converter and the seat. When people asked me what I drove, I said a “vette”. Little did they know it was a Chevette and not a Corvette! Still beats walking, though.
March 13, 2007 at 11:00 am(14) clark says:
In 1995 I inherited a 1969 rambler with a bad motor. I rebuilt the straight six on my front porch during my junior year of high school. Although it ran smooth and never used oil I had somehow managed to obtain about half the horse power from stock. I drove it for several years before parking it behind my dads shop where it sits to this day.
March 13, 2007 at 11:21 am(15) jim says:
In 1978 my dad bought a former state owned Plymouth Suburban stationwagon that had rubber floor mats and dogdish hupcaps. It was ugly but it had a 360ci motor. I beat the !@#$ out of that car for about five years until one day the drive shaft broke off. That car served well. It was the beer keg toter, canoe/campmobile,started every morning for swim practice, and more than once served as the romantic escape vehicle if you know what I mean.
March 13, 2007 at 11:28 am(16) Blaine says:
My first pride and joy was a ‘52 Plymouth coupe. Paid $53.57 and learnrd on the way home from just purchasing it, that I got a real gem. When you step on the gas very hard, the front seat rolled over backwards and you only saw the roof. The floor was completely rusted out. When you lifted up the floor mats, you saw the street below. It was replaced by a ‘53
Ford that I had 3 nonfault accidents on the way home, from it’s purchase.
March 13, 2007 at 11:51 am(17) austin says:
my first car was a 1970 ford maverick ,gold with one white fender and four bald tires but it did have a 250 six cylinder which made one hot rod lmao!!!!!!!
March 13, 2007 at 11:53 am(18) Bob M says:
My first car was a 1962 Ford Falcon S/W
Uncool but it was dubbed the luv machine. Plenty of room in the back for any romantic trist at 16. Carried the 4 of us aroung and got in trouble many times in it(Davie, Richie and my brother Tommy) Always started and got 20 miles to the gallon.
March 13, 2007 at 11:53 am(19) Rafael says:
First owned car? in 1964, in Puerto Rico, a two tone (yellow and white) 1956 Nash Rambler. It was loud, it was heavy, it was slow… But the radio (BIG center knob) worked great !! I always described as a radio which happened to have a car built around it. I learned to appreciate it tne day a chevelle blew a stop sign and I hit it. Rambler 1 — Chevelle 0.
My bumper was a little bent, the chevelle had to be towed.
RJA
March 13, 2007 at 11:56 am(20) Kirby says:
My first was a 1960 Mercury Comet “three on the tree”. Bought it for $50, put $45 seat covers on it, $40 recaps on it, drove it two years, waxed it once, washed it twice and sold it for $100. Had to keep a greasy rag under the drivers seat to wipe my hands on since sometimes at a redlight the gears would lock up and I had to pop the hood and realign the gear shift to proceed.
March 13, 2007 at 11:59 am(21) hawaiian don says:
My brother and I worked in construction for our uncle, who provided company cars…mine was a ‘71 Gremlin X…laugh as you may, I thought it was awesome…and certainly better than my brother’s ‘76 AMC Pacer!My car was lime green with Polyglass tires…but best of all it tied me over till I bought my own first car with all that construction pay…a 1969 Mach 1 Mustang,428 Cobra Jet in lime gold…it passed everything but a gas station…boy I loved that car,now if I could get that baby back…
March 13, 2007 at 12:29 pm(22) gemphoto says:
My first car was a burgundy red 1978 Ford Thunderbird with a 302ci motor that was a handmedown from my dad. The color had faded to pink, and the vinyl top had completely pealed off, so it looked like it was bald with a bad sunburn. I used to beat the living daylights out of it because I drove fast like a maniac back then. When it had 120,000 miles on it I had it up to 93 mph and I blew up the motor. I put in a cheap rebuilt motor and then the tranny started to go right away.
I traded it in for a used 1984 Toyota Celica GTS, silver. I loved the handling on this car but the motor was a real slug and it was a real rust bucket. That motor also blew up when I had 150,000 miles on it. I donated it to a buddy. He completely stripped it down, threw in a Ford 2.3L motor he had and went to the local oval track races with it. I even got to do a few laps with it.
So I went from ugly junker to cool junker. =)
March 13, 2007 at 12:31 pm(23) John Campea says:
In 1990, I got to cruise in my first car…a beige 1983 Cutlas Ciera, with a brown landau roof…what made it special was the bumper sticker on the back…DON’T LAUGH, YOUR DAUGHTER MAY BE IN HERE
March 13, 2007 at 12:32 pm(24) Jack says:
Only one comment. Those of you who had American Motors cars win hands down. Rambler or Gremlin, I can’t even imagine anything worse.
March 13, 2007 at 1:05 pm(25) Dave says:
After receiving my Canadian Air Force pilot Wings, before you could say “it’s time for some personal fun”, I suddenly found myself with a pregnant spouse and the need to accommodate a new baby in a necessarily cheap but reliable car as I roamed around from one temporary posting to another. I intelligently chose a 1963 Rambler American 2 door (suddenly couldn’t afford a graduation Impala SS convertible) because it was the only new car I could swing financially. It was a disaster. The shift clanked stiffly, and worst still, was that the brakes squealed mercilessly as the car came to a 1/2 mile sedate stop following full brake application. I then got smart and quickly replaced it with a 1964 Rambler American Station Wagon (only dealer who would take my trade and leave my shirt), claiming to myself that surely it must be a better car the commercials said so. I was wrong. That car spent more time in the garage than I even aspired to in the cockpit. A reliable couple of Chevys followed until a disastrous 1974 Chevelle (car of the year) wagon (alias the rusting, gas eating junker) unhappily brought an end to my North American purchases. Now Toyota and Hondas grace my driveway with little fuss or expense. They even stop when I ask, not, I think, a lot to ask in my dotage.
March 13, 2007 at 1:08 pm(26) Mike J says:
My parents had a 61 VW bug that went 0 to 60 in about 4 minutes. You could get it up to 70 mph if you were going down hill and had a wind at your back. In the 60s, that was uncool (friends had Mustangs and Camaros). Most of the time I rode my horse. He was faster and had a much better cool factor. But on occasion, I could drive the “cool” car my parents had. A 66 Country Squire station wagon. Don’t laugh, it had the 428 under the hood and every option not even offered on Lincolns. I think there were only 7 made. A wagon might not have been cool but once it left everyone at the red light, it was cool. My parents were too smart to let me have that much power very often at my age. First car I drove was a 53 Pontiac Chieftan. Not sure if that was cool or not. Would love to have the station wagon or the Pontiac now. For the guy with the Rambler parked out back… time to get it running. Could be worth some bucks now!
March 13, 2007 at 1:53 pm(27) malcolm hanshaw says:
my first car was a 1974 vega that my parents bought me in 1976 it had 25000 miles on it when bought i drove it for 1.5 years had 44000 on clock it got 30 miles per gallon gas and 20 miles per gallon oil
March 13, 2007 at 2:02 pm(28) Brian says:
My first car was a 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger. I was 16, and now I am 41 and still have the car. It was a 340 car, and I am putting a race motor in it for the dragstrip. I am almost done with the motor (working on it before work this morning).
March 13, 2007 at 2:04 pm(29) Bob P says:
My first car was a 1966 Plymouth Valiant. Turquiose with a tan interior, 170 C.I. six cylinder with 3onthetree. I bought it from the local police chief for $200 and drove it for 3 years until it spun a rod bearing. I then junked it and got $50 from the boneyard. I wish that I had it now to drop a 440 or Hemi in it and go to the track, (dream on).
Great article, I love everyone’s stories. My dad and uncle had matching red ‘66 Rambler American convertibles. What a couple of nerds!!
March 13, 2007 at 2:09 pm(30) big old cat says:
1982 Pontiac J2000. Weak, weak engine. Step on the gas and the squirrel under the hood would whine “Who, me?”
March 13, 2007 at 2:28 pm(31) mikem says:
My parents gave me there old 4 door sedan 1961 Dodge Pioneer when I was 16.A brake line failed at a stop sign about a month after I got it & I broadsided a car, totaling it.
March 13, 2007 at 2:53 pm(32) Matt Wright says:
Great topic! My first car was a doodoobrown ‘79 Pontiac Grand Prix. I traded a Honda scooter for it (this was before the days of “mod” scootering). The bench seat was shredded, which wouldn’t have bothered me so much except that I had to slide across it every time I got into the car — the driver’s door didn’t open. On sunny days I could dive in Dukes of Hazzard style, but I’m not too acrobatic so this tended to result in personal injury.
March 13, 2007 at 2:54 pm(33) Rick says:
My 1st was a 1964 Renault Dauphine. It was the slowest thing on four wheels. It had an automatic tranny. Push button on the dash selection for the 3 speed auto. I really hated it. So much so, that I ended up totaling the car before it was a year old.
March 13, 2007 at 3:00 pm(34) Mike says:
A 52 expolice chevy. Put slip on seat covers and a floor shift. Didn’t need akey to turn the switch on just push the starter button. Sometimes stuck in 1stgear possible faulty shifter install.
Drove it 4 years and sold for $200.
March 13, 2007 at 3:18 pm(35) J R says:
My first car was a blue 1970 four door Plymouth Fury III. All the Arkansas State Trooper cars were the same color. Harrassed a lot of people with that car. The two things I remember about the car was that the windshield leaked right on my right knee when it rained and I ran over a dog once and the car rattled from that day until I traded it.
March 13, 2007 at 3:27 pm(36) ernest says:
First car driven: metallic green 1974 Gran Torino.
First car owned: 1974 Subaru 1600. Leaked oil past the front main seal faster than you could pour it in, but it got 40 MPG on the highway. It was a castoff when I got it, I gave up on it when the alternator died and a reman was quoted at $300 for the part. No interweb in those days, eh?
March 13, 2007 at 4:01 pm(37) Steve says:
My first car was a ‘71 Valiant 4 door… I moved up to a purple ‘74 Gremlin X with a 304 v8.
March 13, 2007 at 4:04 pm(38) jesse says:
sorry guys but i defenitly have the worst first car. My mom just bought a new pt cruiser and I was lucky enough to recieve her old car. It a 1994 Dodge Caravan copmlete with broken sliding door and peeling paint. Lucky Me!
March 13, 2007 at 4:14 pm(39) Bob A says:
When I was 11 years old, my mom let me get a 1956 Ford four door sedan for $20. It never ran, but a friend let me keep it in their garage and tinker around with it. When I was 15, I got a 1955 Chevy 2 door Belair. It never ran either. I bought it for $125 and sold it for $150. Boy I wish I had that car now! My first car that ran was a 1966 Mustang that I bought for $400. The first night I had it, it died because the fuel pump went
March 13, 2007 at 4:26 pm(40) HDS says:
1983 Datsun King cab, red paint fadded to pink. Rust holes the size of my foot in the bed. Not very classy but incredibly reliable, all I ever did was give it a tune up and oil changes. Bought it for $400 bondoed the rust painted it and sold it to a Mexican guy for $1200
March 13, 2007 at 4:27 pm(41) Dan A says:
1963 Chevy II, white 4door sedan, 6cylinder, 3 speed on the column, no radio, no A/C, blue vinyl/cloth bench seats…purchased after it was thoroughly usedup by our local utility company. And I was proud to have it as a soph in college! Only major problem was that the shift linkage routinely hung up when I stopped and attempted to downshift from 3rd to 1st. So all of my dates had to be mechanical enough to jump out, run to the front, open the hood, hit the linkage near the steering column, and jump back into the car. No ditzy blonds for me.
March 13, 2007 at 5:39 pm(42) ethuey says:
My first car was a 1960 Chevy truck with a 2speed automatic “power glide” transmission. It was so slow. I told my dad that i hated to be seen in it because it was so ugly. He smiled and said “mission accomplished.”
My first child to drive will get a 1994 buick roadmaster wagon, complete with simulated wood grain paneling and a red interior…or a bus pass.
March 13, 2007 at 5:52 pm(43) KC says:
Now this was a tacky, but surprisingly great car. A 1980 Ford Pinto, 4 spd manual. So what, you say? It was painted Starsky & Hutch red and white paint scheme. Very uncool!! But I bought it for $650 and sold it two years later for $750 and never put a cent into it…now that’s cool!
March 13, 2007 at 6:12 pm(44) Rob says:
Got you all beat; my bro gave me a ‘48 Crosley when I was a Jr. in HS. Semiconvertible, with mechanical brakes that only slowed you a bit. 25 HP, with 3 on the floor, what there was of it; could see the road thru most of it. Top speed of about 45mph. Put in an aluminum floor and drove it until college. Not too cool with the ladies, but got a lot of looks from people who didn’t know what it was
March 13, 2007 at 6:25 pm(45) Michael M M says:
My first car was a 1961 Volkswagen Beetle. It was for sale on somebody’s front lawn for $200. I told the man that I only had $75 and he said take itI want it off my lawn.
It had all of 36 horsepower. (fastest thing on the road from 0 to 10 feet!) There was no gas gauge, just a lever on the floor that you turned when the car started sputtering out. It gave you about 40 more miles to get to a gas station. If you forgot to turn the lever back after filling up, the next time you ran out of gas you really were out of gas. (I forgot many times).
It ran forever on $2 worth of gas. I had a blast with that car. I used it for a full year and never had to put a penny into it.
Oh, yeah. The car was so rusty that you could see sunlight coming in along the edged of the floor pan.
Wow, thanks for the memories.
March 13, 2007 at 6:32 pm(46) fred says:
My first uncool car was a 1978 Chevrolet Caprice Wagon…It was a tank…nice ride and it held 4 kids and two adults on many long rides without any felonies being committed.
March 13, 2007 at 6:51 pm(47) Ed M says:
My first was a 1967 Opel Kadet L Wagon. Off yellow with black interier.
It kept going and going and going. Actually, maybe better then some of my newer ones……..
March 13, 2007 at 7:37 pm(48) WHG 1158 says:
First Car I Ever Was My parents 1958 Plymouth Fury Wagon And 1966 Plymouth Belvedere II They were Both rode and drove Like A Sherman Tank And Got Bad Gas Milage
First I Got Was My Sisters Handed Down 1970 Plymouth Duster 225 C.I.D Slant6 Cylender It was a dark purple metalic that is where there was paint still left that had not blistered and peeled off of the car and missing the wheel covers
March 13, 2007 at 8:05 pm(49) Mrod says:
87 sentra that I bought from my mom when I was 18. Zero power, vinyl seats, faded bumpers, but it ran like a champ. Eventually sold it for 1,000 bucks to begin my dive into the Honda tuner market, haven’t looked back after 15 years of modifying.
March 13, 2007 at 8:16 pm(50) Todd B. says:
My first car was a 73 Caprice Estate station wagon with wood grain. I drove that for 2 weeks, wrapped it around a pole on an icy winter night and was bestowed with my second car, A 78 Dodge Omni, also with wood grain. Not only was the Omni saddled with wood grain, it also had a leaking valve cover gasket that allowed it to have a permanent oil smoked interior odor. You would sit at a light and people would try and tell me my engine was on fire, but I would tell them it was just oil burning off of the back of the block. Then it began to burn oil out of the tailpipe also. I ended up putting about a quart a week into the Omni. Within two years it had been totaled by the insurance company, twice, neither my fault. And believe it or not I was actually able to use the fully reclining front buckets for God’s intended purpose also, God bless the charity in those young ladies hearts .
March 13, 2007 at 8:30 pm(51) BJ Killeen says:
My pride and joy was my 1976 Pinto hatchback that I couldn’t even drive home from the dealership since I hadn’t learned how to drive a stick shift. My dad finally taught me, and I in turn taught the rest of my friends. It was dark metallic brown with orange and yellow “pinstriping” (acutally tape) from the A to the Bpillars just at the beltline. Yowza. Turning in my last final at UCLA, I was free for the summer. I parked the Pinto up by north campus (illegally, since I was just gonna run in and drop off my paper), ran back, started it up, and stepped on the clutch which promptly went through the floor. Had to get towed to the dealership, plus pay for the ticket for the illegal parking….nice start to summer. Sold it for $1,200 and bought the 1981 Honda CRX…which, coincidentally, Aaron Gold still is the proud owner of one that should be listed here because it’s wayyy past its prime…
March 14, 2007 at 1:16 am(52) David W says:
I had a decade old 1968 Plymouth Fury lll, jade green metalic with the 70’s green shag carpet, fog lights, mag wheels and glass pack mufflers. It was the most uncool car you could imagine for a high school kid. But for some reason, thinking back on it sure brings a smile. Thanks for the opportunity to relive those tough but wonderful times! By the way, I sold the car after four or five years of hard driving. It had about 200,000 miles on the odometer, and made a great first car for another 16 year old driver who was geeky enough to think it was cool. Go figure!
March 14, 2007 at 1:51 am(53) Aaron Gold Cars Guide says:
These are some great comments… I’m feeling better and better about my Reliant all the time. Keep ‘em coming.
PS BJ Which is less cool my crummylooking CRX or, say, a white Nissan pickup truck with a vinyl bench seat and automatic transmission? Not that I’m referring to *your* white Nissan pickup truck with a vinyl bench seat and automatic transmission, of course, since I may need to borrow it again some day…
March 14, 2007 at 7:33 am(54) Keith S says:
‘65 Rambler American Station Wagon, faded “coral” paint ( pink ) Paid $15 for it cause the clutch was gone. Ran great once I replaced the clutch. Great motocross car, my buddy in High School had a ‘66 Rambler wagon and we’d race on the motocross track. Definatly NOT a chick magnet though
March 14, 2007 at 7:41 am(55) TokioOkie says:
My first car was a 16year old 1937 Ford V860 Business Coupe, which was actually born in 1936, as I was. Lots of fun but no “real” dates. Oh, I forgot mechanical brakes! What fun to adjust.
Second was a 40 Ford Coupe
March 14, 2007 at 7:57 am(56) hawaiian don says:
TpkioOkie…you mean they actually built cars back then in 1937?…when George Washington was president???
March 14, 2007 at 7:59 am(57) Wendy B says:
The first car I owned actually was far too hip for the room. It was a 1969ish AMC Javelin, an actual muscle car, in pristine condition because it was literally owned by a little old couple who only drove it to church. It looks just like the car here AMC Javelin. It had an 8track player and I spent a summer driving it to the lake for tanning, swimming, and flirting with the boys.
Alas, I totaled the poor thing by rearending a 56 Chevy and ended up with a very boxy Datsun, I think it was a 510. Now, I’ve found a site that claims the Datsun 510 was the coolest car ever, but it was just a cheap boxy car with bad brakes and I think the odometer was broken.
March 14, 2007 at 9:00 am(58) George says:
My first car was a 1976 Ford Pinto Station Wagon, I would rather forget those days…
March 14, 2007 at 9:29 am(59) Michael says:
It was 1987 and getting your first car at 17 was the biggest thing. There is no pun intended but my first car was a tan 1975 Lincoln Mark 5. It was a hand me down from my mother. It was fully loaded. It took me almost 20 years to get another a car with the same options. And still, the Lexus I have now still has less items. To conclude, other kids might have tried to make fum of me but I had the last laugh making out with there girlfriends in the king size back seat!!!
March 14, 2007 at 10:32 am(60) james says:
I was forced to buy a 1962 Mercury Monterey from friends of my grandparents when I was in college, because they believed that a car had to have a hood and trunk each longer than I was tall for it to be safe to drive. Of course, the thing had no brakes right from the get go. My grandparents were proved right during the initial testing phase as I discovered you could ram just about anything and survive. Of course, in those days a front clip and great paint job cost $100…
james
March 14, 2007 at 11:03 am(61) BJ Killeen says:
Aaron:
As for our Nissan, First, it’s gray, not white, and second, that ride is way cool, since it has over 150,000 miles on it, starts every time, and people are constantly ringing our doorbell trying to buy it cuz it was the firstever hardbody Nissan pickup. Plus it starts every time…I love that truck, or as we call it, the Christmas tree runner…It’s moved something for everyone in the neighborhood, including you!! I don’t think we’ll ever let it go. Everyone needs to own a pickup…Plus, tell them all about the car that’s really parked in your space at home!!!
March 14, 2007 at 12:35 pm(62) John says:
I guess I was just in the right place at the right time when I bought my first cars.
My first was a 57 Chevy BelAir Convertible V8 that had no brakes. I drove it home, using the 2 speed auto as a brake. Yup, slipped it into reverse and applied a little throttle. Worked until the tranny quit.
My 2nd car was a 63 Thunderbird with a 406. I burned up many trannys and rear tires with that engine.
My 3rd car was a 66 Mustang GT w 289 and 4 speed. That car was good for attracting the attention of the local police department.
I wish that I kept each of them. I could retire nicely
March 14, 2007 at 1:43 pm(63) Chris says:
I learned to drive in my mother’s 55 Rambler, which put up with abuse from my brother and me for years. When my brother was a senior in high school, he bought and installed an exhaust cutout in a futile effort to add some kidappeal to the beast. I was riding with my mother one day shortly after when she saw a “new” knob, and pulled it… needless to say, the cutout was removed that same day! My first car was a 61 VW that I bought when I was in the Air Force in early 65 it lasted up to 120,000 miles, and never gave me any trouble. I broke the clutch cable one day, and couldn’t afford to replace it right away, so I drove it without a clutch for over a month. I could synchronize the gears perfectly going up and down, but when I came to a stop, I had to turn off the engine, and then start it in first gear… worked every time!
March 14, 2007 at 1:51 pm(64) Melissa says:
How about a 1982 Chevy Chevette 4door with luggage rack? Did i mention the heater was busted it ran constantly at about 180 degrees. Yes folks, I drove that car in the summer, when it was 95 degrees out with humidity levels of 75% or higher. The only plus is that I was a pizza delivery girl at the time, so everyone would request me since the pizza’s were hotter when they arrived than when I left.
March 14, 2007 at 1:53 pm(65) Jack says:
My first car was a 1949 Kaiser. I’m sure that many of you never even seen a Kaiser. This was a big tub, dark blue, 3 speed column shift, Bendix heater(remember those used gasoline did provide instant heat). My father was a mechanic at a Kaiser dealership, so of course I had to drive a Kaiser.
March 14, 2007 at 1:57 pm(66) Gary says:
my first truck was a 49 chev,,and the first car was 50 meteor, soupedup flat v8,,man, she could go, but it kept me broke….
March 14, 2007 at 2:16 pm(67) Steve says:
My first car was a 1972 Dodge Dart Colt. I bought it at night from a dealer who took it home to show me. Since there were no lights in his driveway, and since I wanted a car really badly, I bought it without really looking at it. When the sun came up the next morning such a piece of trash I had never seen before. There were holes in the body and in the front floorboard, and where there weren’t holes, there was rust. It was definitely uncool.
March 14, 2007 at 2:46 pm(68) raa says:
I never owned my own car until I was married with children (then a 62 Chevy Nova), but learned to drive in my dad’s Chevy Corvair, which I didn’t notice that anyone owned one of these. We thought it was cool with the hippie flowers on the side (yep, 60’s) but poor dad had to drive it to work that way also.
March 14, 2007 at 3:10 pm(69) Tom says:
My first car was a 1957 DKW 3cylinder, 2cycle pile of rust. I cost $300 in 1962. I kept it for a year and about 10000 miles until it died and I junked it. My total cost was under $1000 including gas, insurance, service…everything.
Maybe a car with a TCO of .10/mile isn’t so uncool after all.
March 14, 2007 at 3:45 pm(70) Zeta says:
It was 1976. Three months after my 16th birthday. I knew my parents were buying me a used car for Christmas and I kept dropping hints about wanting a VW bug. Light blue, please. Now I know I should be grateful, but when I saw the car they bought me, I almost wanted to give it back. Almost it was still a car and I was grateful. It was a gold 1969 Chevy Impala. Gold. The car was so huge that it barely fit in the driveway. In addition, it didn’t run well in humidity. Not only did rain cause it to stall, so did fog.
March 14, 2007 at 4:56 pm(71) Bonnie J. says:
My dad bought me my first car in 1969 for $75.00 a green 1951 Chevy with no trunk lid or right rear fender. The windshield wipers were the vacuum type, the slower you drove the slower the wipers went. So when it was raining really hard and you had to drive slow the wipers hardly moved at all. And everyone in my small home town knew the car so if I did something I should not have the folks usually knew before I got home!
March 14, 2007 at 5:44 pm(72) Zachary Yeager says:
When I turned 16, which was a little over 2 years ago, my parents went to an auto auction and came home with a burgundy 1986 Ford Country Squire LX station wagon. It had the leather seats, all power, 5.0 liter engine. Everyone at the high school loves it. It has 256,249 miles on it and looks like crap. I think something lives in it. I can’t complain though. At least the air works. It’s going to take me and some friends to Gulf Shores for senior trip in June.
March 14, 2007 at 5:48 pm(73) Adrian_in_Phoenix says:
My first vehicle was a 1963 Dodge D100 I forget the model, but it was basically Dodge’s version of the 2 door Suburban. It cost my mom $100and I paid another $100 to help the owner swap in a “grannylow” 4speed. With the SlantSix, it would go fast enough, but it was really difficult to start on cold wither nights. I ended up plugging in a heat lamp and battery charger under the hood every night that it was expected to get below zero. When the roads were wet, holes in the rear wheel wells allowed (dirty) water to spray the back of my head as I drove to school. The 7ply nylon tires were awful in snow, but it’s final demise was caused by excessive speed & a risky passing decision although other cars were “influential” only my 4 passengers and I ended up on the side in a parking lot with only minor cuts & bruises. I was sorry to see it go, but I’m sure several parents in my neighborhood weren’t.
March 14, 2007 at 5:56 pm(74) Brian says:
While in H.S. back in 1964, my father had a friend at his work that had a 52 ford stationwageon. This car had a straight 8 and the paint was down to the primer. California woody look. Leather seat that folded down into the next seat and plenty of room in the back. The only bad thing about it was that the oil pump failed after going a few miles. I tried to remover it but to no avail (something about cam’s/crank shaft that tied it). I got for $25.00 and got $25.00 for it to the junk man. But I did learn a few things about that car keyed the igination switch and the drivers door [no using a screw driver to start the car], Put in a new head gasket. It could have been but it was not uncoolcar.
March 14, 2007 at 5:59 pm(75) Agnes says:
At the tender age of 62 I am currently driving my first car. I bought a 1995 toyota RAV 4 in 2000. This was one month after getting my FIRST driver’s license!
When I first saw it in the dealer’s lot, I had to have it because it had blue rims to match the body. Seems all first cars have an adolescent component.
My son Bruce, now forty and a racing driver and corvette owner had a very interesting first car at seventeen. It was a 1972 Opal with very little front grille left, it was missing either front or rear brakes, burned more oil than gas, and I rejoiced when it got towed away.
March 14, 2007 at 6:04 pm(76) Earl Newton says:
I think my first car was the most uncool car of them all. I was a senior in high school and my mother wanted to by me a new car. She went with me to pick out the car and I immediately picked a 1966 Dodge Dart with a 440 hemi engine in it. My mother asked the dealer if it was a fast car and he said it will go faster than anything on the road. My mom then turned around and saw a 1966 Simca 1000. That box was my first car.
March 14, 2007 at 6:51 pm(77) Terri says:
My first car was a 1965 VW Bug. My dad bought it for me and I had to always park on a hill because if it didn’t start I could pop the clutch…LOL
It had an 8 track and the heater barely worked. But I was one of the lucky few that got a car when they turned 16 in 1976.
March 14, 2007 at 8:09 pm(78) Les says:
I can’t believe nobody has mentioned my friend’s first car … early 80’s Hyundai Pony??? Can it get any worse, I seem to remeber pushing or fixing it with him regularily.
My first car was a 1968 Toyota Corona Deluxe 1900, yellow and rust in colour (no it’s not a spelling mistake). Talk about COOL, eh!
March 15, 2007 at 12:05 am(79) Elizabeth says:
In the early 90s, I got my first car, which was a sparkly blue 1980 Ford Mustang. Doesn’t sound so bad, but there were a few amenities:
1) The door wouldn’t open from the inside, so I had to exit it “Daisy Duke” style–through the window!
2) The radio was AM only, so I had to fall in love with the oldies
3) Said radio was halfbroken, so when I would take a turn too fast or too slow, or would drive straight, or go through an intersection, or do some other thing that pleased or angered My Car, the music would cut out or start up out of nowhere.
4) It was a stick shift–with only 4 speeds instead of the 5 that most of my peers were spoiled with.
5) There was a leak in the oil tank, so I always had to fill it up with more oil
6) The gas tank was dented and the gauge broken, so I was never sure if I needed more gas.
There are probably some special features I’m forgetting, but I still loved that car because it got me from place to place. When I inherrited a gold Mercury Lynx station wagon (circa 1984) with a working FM RADIO, tinted windows (complete with air bubbles), five gears (PLUS reverse!) and the ability to be opened from the inside, I thought I was in heaven.
March 15, 2007 at 12:14 am(80) voonderbar says:
I bought a 1974 ford courier for five hundred bucks , It was known as the gutless wonder , with is ulta low geared 4speed , am radio and the 255 air conditioning , those four wheel drum brakes always had you guessing which way it would stop . Oh how I dreamed of a toyota sr5
March 15, 2007 at 1:18 am(81) Heather says:
My husband’s first car was an early 80s Ford F250 that was converted to run on propane. He drove it to college, too, where we met, and on our first few dates I thought he had a real issue with farting because that truck reeked big time. I think a vehicle should get extra uncool votes if it makes people think you have digestive issues.
Sadly, the truck is still a part of our lives, thanks to his mechanic skillz. My poor daughter is doomed to have the stinky truck as her first car, too.
March 15, 2007 at 8:44 am(82) Cap'n Jon says:
My first car was a 1959 ford Custom we used to call “The Chariot” It had a 292 V8, with a three speed column shifter. The body consisted of Bondo, and rust. I remember that the tail lights would fill with water when it rained giving it a cool effect at night! I learned how to shift gears with my left hand, while I had my right arm around my girlfriend, and steered with my knee. A great lesson indeed! Poor thing died when I went over a railroad track and lost the left ball joint. The cost to repair it was more than what I paid for the car!
March 15, 2007 at 9:05 am(83) Tom says:
My first car was a blue 1980 Plymouth Horizon. I bought it from my Aunt and Uncle for a dollar. It usually ran fine, but for some unknown reason, it would stall out when I was stopped at a traffic light. Twice in my first year of driving, I was rearended by someone who just saw the green light and not the poor fool in the blue car stopped there. When I took it to college for my first year, it affectionately became known as “the blue turd”. Not my favorite car, but definitely the one with the most character and history.
March 15, 2007 at 10:25 am(84) ezearl says:
My 1st was a ‘27 Chrysler, bought it for $30 no starter, had to park on a hill or crank it. Kept if 2 years and sold it for $35! What a deal! After that I went on to college and ending up “trying” to sell cars for 47 years had a ball!
March 15, 2007 at 10:37 am(85) kfowler says:
I had to share the ugliest black Datsun B210 with my sister. So light, when it got stuck in the sand, three guys simply lifted the whole thing out by hand. How could there be anything worse? This was an upgrade from our moped!!
March 15, 2007 at 12:18 pm(86) Brooklyn Bob says:
In 1987 I got, as a gift, a 1977 Pontiac LeMans. My dad bought it from a little old lady and let me tell you — when that engine was idling you would swear it was off.
Then one day it developed a leak around the top of the windshield that resulted in water pouring right on my crotch when I made a left turn.
Talk about a chick magnet!
bob,
March 15, 2007 at 1:06 pm(87) jakkkflash says:
MY FIRST car was a toytao camry.. what a p.o.s. kept me broke trying to keep it running.. no more tyoatas for me.. EVER..!!!!!!
March 15, 2007 at 3:06 pm(88) Thomas Mole says:
In 1970 my first car was my mothers 1960 Impala sedan. after I cleaned up as much rust as I could, I got a $29.95 Earl Schibe paint job. Two weeks later someone stole it.
March 15, 2007 at 4:07 pm(89) Richard says:
My first car in 1969 had to have been one of the worst ever produceda 1964 Renault R8. The first day I had it , the wipers failed in the rain and it was downhill from there. The generator(not alternator) would continually fall off. The brakes would fail on a regular basis. And one day as I was driving, flames started coming from under the dash. In retrospect, I should have let the car just burn and blow up.
March 15, 2007 at 4:56 pm(90) kbwright13 says:
1979 Volvo 240 stationwagon.
This was a brand new car for my father in which I celebrated by 3rd and my 18th birthdays. This was actuall my brother first car as well. We finally sold it in 1995 for $1500 with 200k+ miles on it. By the way, did I tell you that it ran without an oil cap for 2 years.
March 15, 2007 at 5:00 pm(91) Carlos says:
When I turned 16 in 1952 my dad gave me a 28 Model A to drive. My friends were driveing cool Ford V8s, and I was stuck with a worn out A. The A was a Sport Coupe, so I cut the top off, cut down the doors ala MG and painted it bright orange with black trim. School colors. The girls would line up blocking the street so I would have to stop and give them rides in the rumble seat. I had the rear view mirror adjusted so I could get a good view of them lifting their skirts to get in. Pretty risque in those days. My uncool car became the coolest one around. By the way the serial number on the block was something like 18 or 19. I sold it for $25 and bought a nice 50 Chev convertible. I’ve never had an uncool car since.
March 15, 2007 at 6:09 pm(92) Cris says:
A 1966 Wartburg 1000. Never heard of it? It was an East German car, but do not confuse it with the Trabant. Two stroke 3 cyl engine, 4 speed manual with coulumn shifter. People would make fun of it for so many reasons, unfortunately at the time I dind’t know all the details to fight them back. For once, this car was built on the same premises that BMW had its factories before 1945. So technically, it was an East German BMW. People would also laugh at ignition key on the left side….There weren’t many Porsche 911s around, or I would’ve shown them where the ignition is supposed to be on a sports car LOL. One interesting feature was the radiator which was located behind the engine, so a frontal impact was quite ok. Also the transmission had a feature that I have yet to see on another vehicle. You could pull a lever and eliminate engine braking completely. Not overdrive. You could drive 60 mph, and put the car in first gear without problems. it was supposed to save gas.
Mixing gas with oil was always a pain, but that comes with a two stroke motor. Driving this car was such an adventure, you never knew if you’re going to make it there, or back. It would run fine, then bad, then fine again, almost like it had a mind of its own. Even when running fine, the engine would leave the two stroke exhaust smoke. When it ran bad, the smoke became so thick, you couldn’t see anything in the rearview mirror, it was like a James Bond machine, or like a Blue Angel jet during a show. If it ran good, you could reach 62 mph in about 20 sec. if it ran bad you may not reach that speed at all. tuning this thing was next to impossible, and once you got it right, it wouldn;t last. Idle was always a problem; I had to learn left foot braking, so I could rev the engine with my right, otherwise it would stall, and who knows if it would restart. Left foot braking was something I got used to, but there was more. If running over bad roads, the brake pedal would get stuck in the firewall, so before braking, my left foot had to hit the pedal so it would release, so I could press it. once pressed, it wouldn;t come back up on its own, I had to stick my foot under, and pull it back up.
Other than that, everything was fine. I was always happy to go somewhere with this car, way happier once I got back.
And you know what ? I miss that car so much. I wouldn’t be the driver I am today if it wasn;t for this Wartburg.
March 15, 2007 at 6:47 pm(93) Drew says:
A 1980 Ford Fiesta! That’s right, a silver Ford Fiesta with some seriously orange interior. I don’t even think it had 100 HP. But it was 1986 and I was 16 and I had wheels baby! Well, for about a year, then the head gasket blew, but still, it was a car and it meant freedom! And that’s all that counts when you’re 16.
March 15, 2007 at 8:10 pm(94) Hank says:
I had a 1974 Datsun 610 station wagon that I inherited from my grandmother. This was at a time in my life (early college) when most guys had old cars, but they had cars that were at one time cool (Dusters, Mustangs). This car was never cool. It drove like a boat and the heat kept conking out. I drove it up to Saratoga Springs to visit my mom one Christmas and almost froze my ass off.
March 15, 2007 at 8:20 pm(95) BJ Killeen says:
One more story…my older sister’s first car was a Toyota Corona sedan, faded red. It didn’t have reverse, so every time we went out, we made sure to park it somewhere we didn’t have to back up. Luckily, it gave up and died before I was going to inherit it!
March 15, 2007 at 11:36 pm(96) Richard says:
Jack’s right: owners of any late1970s AMC car win the uncoolest award hands down. The Pacer (my first car) was so uncool precisely because AMC promoted it as the coolest car EVER. Just to boost their lagging selfesteem, Yugoowners used to tack polaroids of Pacers to their busted sunscreens.
March 16, 2007 at 5:41 am(97) Cat says:
My first was a 1964 Dodge Dart with over 164,000 miles. It was like a tank & I wish I had kept it. My mechanic father gave it to me to get to my first job & a year later sold it for an MGB.
Many cars later & I still think of that car fondly even though it only has AM radio.
March 16, 2007 at 10:38 am(98) hawaiian don says:
You know Aaron, I can’t recall such a response since I’ve been reading this site…next, why don’t you try “the worst car I’ve ever owned”…let’s see what and how many responses that topic shall elicit.
March 16, 2007 at 1:08 pm(99) Timba King says:
Hoo Boy How about a fourdoor 1966 Plymouth Belvedere faded tan with automatic tranny no radio no heaters & driving through Oregon, Nevada and Utah in the dead of winter? My parents bought the car for me (my money though I had loaned them some dough and they were paying me back with a car and monthly payments) the car lasted a year with the major surprises being a leaky radiator that never got fixed and tires that started losing gigantic chunks when I was about 60 miles from anywhere in the middle of the Nevada desert turns out my tires had spent some time in the previous owner’s garden as tomato planters! When he went to sell the car, he noticed they still had tread, so he washed them out and had them put on the car! Oh yeah to start the car I had to turn the key, jump out of the car and pop the hood and then reach down with a long metal rod to “short” the starter so it would turn over. It was a classic and a boat the absolutely biggest car I’ve ever owned and I have an SUV now! I later sold the car to my cousin for $250 not bad $50, plus oil and repairs for a year’s worth of driving. My cousin blamed me when the transmission went out a few weeks later, but it turned out he had been jumping the car (yes, jumping just like the Dukes of Hazard) so I didn’t feel too bad for him. The next car I bought for myself was in Germany a little Volkswagen Derby also for $300 I drove that car for 3 months before the transmission went out first it was just second gear and then third and then first and by that time Kaput! Still, you couldn’t rent a car for that cheap and I was able to pull the stereo and speakers and sell them the car was “donated” for recycling. So I bought a brand new 89′ Dodge Daytona Turbo and haven’t been back to a used car since.
March 16, 2007 at 4:07 pm(100) Gordon says:
My first car was a family handmedown, a’68 four door Pontiac “pest”. It was actually a Tempest but before it became mine my father had crumpled both front fenders knocking off the “Tem” of the Tempest badge on both sides.
March 16, 2007 at 4:29 pm(101) Aaron Gold Cars Guide says:
Gordon — that reminds me of two friends who had Fords… thanks to brokenoff nameplates, one had a “MUSTA”, the other had a “NG”.
March 16, 2007 at 6:24 pm(102) Dave says:
Paid $200 for a 62 Chevy Impala in 1973
The Valves knocked so hard you could hear it coming for a 1/2 mile. It was a faded blue with primer showing thru which kinda made it a two tone. I rebuilt the engine and added some goodies. It was UGLY but BADDDD!!!!
March 17, 2007 at 9:28 am(103) rob says:
First car was 1982 VW Rabbit that would not run in the rain, found out it was the points it would burn a set out every six months, they cost 4 dollars to replace and I gapped them with a book of matches, got to be a pro after 5 years. I replaced everything a man could replace on that car, it kept me broke until I got out of college. I swore back then if God would let me get home sometimes I would never crack on anyones hooptie when I got older and could afford a decent car. Some things I never fixed included a passenger door that could not be opened, unless you wanted it to lay on the road, stick shift knob that you would hold in your hand while you drove and just stick it on top of the stick part to shift, dry rotted speakers that couldn’t be heard if the car was running. Traded it in the day after after graduation and the salesman takes it for a spin after I show him how to start it by shaking some big fuse under the dashboard and turning the key at the same time, comes back and says “Would I be doing you a favor by taking this car in or what.” Did I mention the car wobbled so bad at 55 MPH it would almost shake the steering wheel out of your hand. Favorite line then was, let’s fill her up with oil and check the gas.
March 17, 2007 at 10:05 am(104) Craig says:
My first a 72 Volkswagen campervan complete with a powerfull aftermarket stereo that was worth more than the van. Bright orange paint with patches of rust and rust paint applied regularly to keep ahead of, or hide the rust. 060..never. No heat to speak of, whaich can be a nice feature in Canada. It had a rigged up hose than came from the back to clear a small spot on the windshield. The four speed was like mush, actually no one could drive it bet me…finally taught buddy how so we could share the nightmare.
I think I worked 4 jobs to keep that thing on the road. Having said all though…we had the best time in that thing up at Sauble beach camping…everyone in town new her as Burt’s van.
Thanks for bringing me back folks.
March 17, 2007 at 5:06 pm(105) Clarence Abrahamson says:
The year is 1942 and I am 17 years old.I bought a 1929 Chevrolet coupe with a rumble seat, I paid $50, $5 down and $5 a week. I made several payments and got my draft notice and gave the car to a friend and told him just to finish making the payments. I don’t know if he paid it off and never saw him again.
The year is 1946 and I got out of the service and bought a 1930 Chevrolet sedan paid $200 for it. Cars were hard to get, the factories were going back to making cars after making tanks for 4 years. Drove it for a year and sold it to my best friend and bought a 1941 Plymouth sedan for about $900. My friend came to me for his money back because the drive shaft dropped of the 1930 Chevrolet, and I lost a friend because I would not take the car back! Never sell to friend unless you want to lose them!
March 17, 2007 at 6:38 pm(106) Tracy says:
1981 Dk Blue Chevy Chevette, 4 speed, with no A/C and vinyl seats(in Texas!!). What was I thinking? When I had to replace the clutch for the second time, I traded it in for Toyota with A/C!!!
March 18, 2007 at 8:14 am(107) George says:
1962 faded red Corvair with dual 1 barrel carbs and a dash shifted powerglide trans. The car seemed to have every bit of 20 HP, and you didn’t dare shut it off when it was hot because it would never restart. Paid $25 & sold it for $25
March 18, 2007 at 12:58 pm(108) hawaiian don says:
Boy, in all my years, I never had a car hold its vaue like George’s Corvair!
March 18, 2007 at 1:48 pm(109) Ziporah says:
I bought my first car, a 1981 Chevette Scooter, from my sister for $1, yes $1. I was the 13th owner. And that wasn’t the worst part. Needless to say my ‘vette looked like an eyesore in the high school parking lot where all the rich kids complained that “Mommy didn’t get me the color I wanted for my Jeep.” I spent $700 after I told my mechanic “just make it run.” Then came registration time and the plates which contained the letters “VD” in that sequence. Can we say cursed? I must say that despite the ugliness and the fact that the car spent more time with my mechanic than with me (and that was after the duct tape I used to hold it together) a lot of memories were made in that car. Unfortunatly (or fortunatlydepending on your point of view) I crashed it 7 months later on a 300 year old tree on my way to school. Nobody was hurt, and very little damage was done, mainly just a busted up radiator, but my mechanic told me it wasn’t worth the repair, and even if I did want to fix it he wouldn’t, because he didn’t want to see me pull up in that car again!
March 19, 2007 at 6:40 am(110) planet says:
My first car was a 1960 Wolsley 15/60 with fins and a stick shift. It constantly ran hot in summer and I found by turning on the heater and fan the hot air would be extracted from the engine compartment and the car would not overheat; but I did; often to the point of fainting when I exited the vehicle! For this privilege, I paid AUS$250.00
Oh the joys of an Australian summer in a Wolsley!
March 19, 2007 at 5:20 pm(111) Jazzy says:
My first car (in the ’80s) was a ‘65 Chevy Biscayne. It ran great always, but was never much of a looker.
Plus side: I’m pretty sure that thing could move buildings without needing a tow afterwards…also had more room than anything I’ve seen before or since. One time the bus didn’t show up to take my highschool jazz band to a competition, so we all piled in my car and put all our instruments and gear in the trunk.
Minus side: The back doors didn’t open at all, and the front doors wouldn’t stay closed. Solution? Attach the front doors to the back doors with bungee cords, and work with them that way. Also, the windows and actual top of the car leaked badly enough that after a Seattle rain, there’d be standing water–so I drilled holes in the floor to let it drain. Good times. Sheesh I loved that thing.
March 23, 2007 at 4:41 pm(112) dawn says:
My first car in 1987 was a ‘84 Datsun Station wagon, crap brown. NO AIR CONDITIONER!!! and I live in Texas. It was horrible. If it had not been a gift from my uncle I know I would never have chosen this thing. But it was reliable transportation for a few years to and from work and school and I got away from home when I wanted to do so!
March 27, 2007 at 9:51 am(113) rick says:
my firts car was a truck (kind of) a 1977 datsun pick up it was the ugliest baby !@*& green. not much left for floor pans couldn’t haul its own weight and yaa the girls loved it ha ha ha ha.
March 28, 2007 at 1:12 pm(114) joecool says:
My first car was an 89 Cadillac Sedan Deville. Oh yeah, Cadillac style, and paid $500 for the opportunity. What a fine piece of automobile. Had to hose down the interior with Febreeze so the pot smell would subside. Broken driver fender, bad paint, rear passenger steel bumper pushed in, and trim problems all around. When I got it, it needed a new brake master cylinder and some other brake work. A couple weeks later the water pump blew because the previous owner had let it sit for a long time. Needless to say, there was about three microns in between the frame and the engine block for which to work in. (I wonder why Cadillac mechanics charge so much?) Spent three long weeks busting knuckles to get that back on. Had overheating problems afterward that I couldn’t figure out. (maybe thermostat?) Some idiot decided to go out and pop the driver’s rear window so it was well spidered and I had to shut the doors like I was trying to get away with something. Then the electronic dash went the way of the dinosaur and fried my Panasonic stereo in the process. My favorite thing was when I was driving it to work (within a mile) and the passenger tire blew off the bead while driving on nice smooth concrete.
When I finally decided to get another car, I told the dealer I would just give him the “Cadicrap”. I went out to drive it over to him and the spare tire was flat too. So I put fixaflat in there, limped it to a gas station on the way so I could put some air into it, and dropped that beast off. Pulled in with that thing: overheating, on fumes, bad tire, broken window, atrocious blue velvet interior, and broken dash. I tossed some employee the keys and took off.
The only good thing about that heap was that Cadillac parts were cheap here in the midwest. I’m talking $10 for a brake rotor and $15 for a caliper! I wish all parts were that cheap.
April 1, 2007 at 12:07 pm(115) Bill says:
67 Rambler American, the rumbler. Straight six three on the tree. The driver’s door wouldn’t open and the cloth seat covers were covers in name only. Two years after I replaced the head gasket in my driveway in January after driving it 150 miles on 4 of the six cylinders I decided it would never die and sold it to buy… a 74 Audi Fox that burned and leaked oil faster than gasoline. Haven’t bought a German car since.
April 3, 2007 at 3:28 pm(116) JASON says:
1970 BUICK SKYLARK….350/350
April 7, 2007 at 12:56 am(117) Sidney Neeb says:
1986 Plymouth Reliant SE, 2.5l w/ fuel injection.
It is my first & only car thus far (I’ve had it for 4 years). At 256,000 miles (80,000 of which are mine), it is still a darned reliable car (except for the head gasket giving out at about 200,000).
I bet I can squeeze another 80,000 miles out of it.
April 16, 2007 at 11:24 am(118) Jorden says:
wow i must be the lucky one my first car was and still is a 92 honda accord with 162,000 miles on it and because i fix every problem “none since ive had the car, just plugs, oil changes and the occasional brake job” theres nothing wrong with it, it runs perfect and drives increadible no leaks or anything like that. and even better the dealership wanted $5000 for it and i talked them into “drum roll” $1500
May 20, 2007 at 8:21 pm(119) ryan says:
a 1981 ford escort, that’s right, the first year they were made. no radio and i had to be flying into corners, because for some reason, you couldn’t accelerate in corners. i think it used more oil than gas. better than the cheese wagon though.
May 22, 2007 at 7:04 pm(120) Clem Morton says:
Well, First Car I owned was a 1982 Plymouth K Car Sedan. During my escapades downtown learning to drive I backed the thing into another white van *to my defence it was snowing outside and the van was white.* But we all know I loved to slide on the ice. well anywyas i did $1200 damage on the *new* van and only cracked the tail light and a little bit of the plastic fender on the K car. I decided that i would not keep the car so i proceeded to give it back to my mom *god bless her* She absolutely loves the thing btw. Well I then got a Mercury Sable. Which my dad hit a deer with. Now I am currently driving to school in a 1990 Pontiac Grand Pre. *Totally nerdy outdated car* But I love the 190HP it gives me at stoplights. Beat a newer Ford Probe today actually …. But anyways I am currently in the process of fixing up my 1995 Ford F150 XL Pickup! GO FORD! | And Working on my sucky 1981 Mustang. Motor has some serious problems. fixed the fuel pump shooting gas out the side of it yesterday! absolutely NO POWER! *is this really a mustang?* Well anyways I kind of consider myself lucky here because my family owns over 350 vehicles, not including farm equipment. Too bad they didn’t all run. Sorry for the long winded post just thought you people would like to know my story.
~Clem
May 24, 2007 at 9:01 pm(121) Welder says:
1967 Mercury Monterey 2 door fastback with a 390, 4 bbl,automatic. In 1976 I bought the car off a girl in my 10th grade class for $50 who ran it out of gas and thought it had overheated. She was standing there and watched in amazement as I dumped a gallon of gas in it and fired that puppy up. First stop was the gas station, then into town where I was going to prove to my buddies that this car that weighed more than an M1A1 tank could still smoke the tires off the back WITH 3 fat girls in the back seat. Once we were all loaded up (which took a bit of time) I was ready to prove my theory. I pulled up in front of a group of my peers, I mashed the go fast pedal and the smoke started to bellow. The car took hold of the asphalt sooner than I expected and we lurched forward. Before I could say any cuss words, we slammed into the back of (what turned out to be my Uncles) dump truck. 1967 Mercury Monterey’s folding seats didn’t have a locking mechanism to hold them in place in case of , well, 3 fat girls hitting them at speed. You guessed it, the girls were now in the FRONT seat and my buddy and I were sandwiched in the seat like cheap taco meat. My arm was wrapped in the steering wheel and the horn was blowing for the entire town to hear. Fortunately, nobody was injured, just a bruised ego and alot of explaining to do to my very forgiving Uncle. He traded a 64 Ford Falcon to me for the Monterey. Thanks Uncle.Hope everyone gets a smile out of this.
May 29, 2007 at 3:13 pm(122) Muazzer says:
Dear Mr.Aaron Gold,
I always followon your valued articles.
Please let me say I dont find the Plymouth Reliant Kcar sedan 1982 Uncool first cars.When I am 11 years old I was making many correspondences with CHRYSLER CORP., and I have received brouchers, I like it. It’s same Chevrolet Malibu 197980.
Finally it’s Plymouth Brand and taht is prides.
This is
