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trof

(54,273 posts)
Sun Jul 21, 2019, 06:46 PM Jul 2019

My first car

1952 Morris Minor convertible.
I got it in 1960 for about $300.

4 on the floor, man!
Semaphore turn signals.
A heater (sorta) but no radio.
Max speed of close to 60 MPH...downhill.
It made the trip to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl (New Years Day) a couple of times.

Had a starter crank that I actually used when I had a dead battery once.
It worked!
We had a rare hard freeze in Tuscaloosa (college, Roll Tide!) and the auto stores and filling stations ran out of antifreeze. I poured a half a fifth of Scotch into the radiator and got through it just fine.
Smelled good too.


What was you first car?

40 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
My first car (Original Post) trof Jul 2019 OP
I am quite younger than you tymorial Jul 2019 #1
1968 Volkswagen Beetle lambchopp59 Jul 2019 #2
wow same car! CountAllVotes Jul 2019 #3
"loved the sunroof! " mitch96 Jul 2019 #25
I had a '68 also.. Green with a sunroof!! snazzy .......... mitch96 Jul 2019 #19
bwa ha! CountAllVotes Jul 2019 #27
The VW or the Plymouth?? nt mitch96 Jul 2019 #35
Both actually! CountAllVotes Jul 2019 #38
The joke with my Plymoth was mitch96 Jul 2019 #39
I briefly owned a Westfalia camper like that CountAllVotes Jul 2019 #40
Rosie the Bondo Bomb. safeinOhio Jul 2019 #4
The Rebl2 Jul 2019 #5
'52 Ford two door hardtop, flathead V8. Kool car. Wish I still had it. brush Jul 2019 #6
A Moggy Thou convertible... Gumboot Jul 2019 #7
can't post a pic, so found a link to pic dweller Jul 2019 #8
1964 VW Beetle dhol82 Jul 2019 #9
First car I drove was a baby blue SCantiGOP Jul 2019 #10
Got a '63 Beetle and a set of metric wrenches for my 15th birthday flotsam Jul 2019 #11
1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk SeattleVet Jul 2019 #12
1966 forest green mustang. It was a car shared between my brother and myself. AJT Jul 2019 #13
This message was self-deleted by its author Freelancer Jul 2019 #14
1960 Studebaker Lark ... GeorgeGist Jul 2019 #15
'59 VW Beetle. Convertible. PoindexterOglethorpe Jul 2019 #16
1956 Nash Metropolitan. My dad bought it for me in 1964 for $250. sinkingfeeling Jul 2019 #17
1953 Mercury hardtop with a 56 T abird engine. gibraltar72 Jul 2019 #18
A 1960 Chrysler push button automatic. murielm99 Jul 2019 #20
I just handled something today from my first car customerserviceguy Jul 2019 #21
1969 Chevy Nova. lamp_shade Jul 2019 #22
1965 gold Corvair lillypaddle Jul 2019 #23
Ugh. rownesheck Jul 2019 #24
Single malt? ret5hd Jul 2019 #26
NO! Johnny Walker red, I think. trof Jul 2019 #32
My first one Timewas Jul 2019 #28
63 Rambler Classic Lulu KC Jul 2019 #29
66 Rambler - the seats would go all the way back! redstateblues Jul 2019 #30
Makeoutmobile trof Jul 2019 #34
1961 Volvo 122S Yonnie3 Jul 2019 #31
1972 Ford Custom - CA highway patrol car Runningdawg Jul 2019 #33
72 Dodge Polara bearfan454 Jul 2019 #36
1953 Blue & White Chevrolet. GentryDixon Jul 2019 #37

tymorial

(3,433 posts)
1. I am quite younger than you
Sun Jul 21, 2019, 07:00 PM
Jul 2019

1987 Plymouth Sundance Turbo. It was a 5 speed that had been in a wreck. It had only 50k miles on it when I bought it in 1995 My dad bought it for me when I graduated from high school and was going to commute to school. I went to college full time and worked 25 hours a week to afford the insurance and additional money for tuition. I loved that car. We eventually sold it because it started to get expensive but I still miss it. I could drive that car too and back home from college when I transferred out of state on 5 bucks of gas. God I miss that car.

lambchopp59

(2,809 posts)
2. 1968 Volkswagen Beetle
Sun Jul 21, 2019, 07:03 PM
Jul 2019

Air cooled rear engine, weight on the rear drive wheels that could burble along through hazardous winter conditions, through the slickest ice and snow without losing traction.
Disadvantage of the Air cooled engine was a tendency to vaporlock the carburetor in summer heat, lose speed then quit, testing patience of passengers when pulled over roadside hopefully finding a shady spot to sit with the engine hood open waiting for it to cool down enough to swallow gasoline again. I kept a spray bottle to spritz the engine little at a time, shortening the waiting period considerably to get going again.
Yet the very best feature that little car had was a roll-open sunroof. That was great fun for throwing water balloons. Our little crew got a bit notorious for that one summer.

mitch96

(14,651 posts)
25. "loved the sunroof! "
Mon Jul 22, 2019, 08:01 AM
Jul 2019

Did you get that funny "wump wump" pressure change with the windows closed and the sunroof open? Only happened at 40 mph.. I would not tell friends about it and then smoke a joint. I'd get up to 40 and open the roof with the windows closed. They would be freaking out and I would tell them they were crazy and nothing was happening!!! What fun...!!
m

mitch96

(14,651 posts)
19. I had a '68 also.. Green with a sunroof!! snazzy ..........
Sun Jul 21, 2019, 09:52 PM
Jul 2019

First car was a '57 Plymouth two door. 318 cu in hemi with a torque flite tranny. I could not kill that thing and lordy I tried!! Cost me a whole $25 from a friends father.. We called it the blue and white whale.. Same car used in the movie Christine.. uff what a tank
m

CountAllVotes

(21,067 posts)
27. bwa ha!
Mon Jul 22, 2019, 09:22 AM
Jul 2019

Mine was aka "The Blue Wonder".

I swear that car had a mind of its own!

Towards the end, I had AAA sending me threatening letters about it!

I loved that car and my Dad convinced me to get rid of it! I did not care to to that! ha!!

mitch96

(14,651 posts)
39. The joke with my Plymoth was
Thu Jul 25, 2019, 11:02 PM
Jul 2019

When I went to the service station and asked them to check the gass and fill it up with oil!
The engine was strong but leaked.. I was glad when mine went by by.. Got an early VWbug with mismatched engine and tranny. I think it was a '59 with a '56 tranny and a '61 engine.. The '68 came after that... What a HOo!!!!
m

CountAllVotes

(21,067 posts)
40. I briefly owned a Westfalia camper like that
Fri Jul 26, 2019, 02:29 AM
Jul 2019

The clutch did not match the year of that van!

What a nightmare that was!

And oh yeah, the guy that sold it to me acted like he had no idea why people rip people off when selling cars.

to say the least!

Those were days alright weren't they?

Gumboot

(531 posts)
7. A Moggy Thou convertible...
Sun Jul 21, 2019, 07:19 PM
Jul 2019

... down in Dixie! Wow, I bet that was a great conversation starter!

Mine was a 1980 Talbot Sunbeam 1.6GL in red. It allegedly had about 70bhp, but there was no power steering, airbags, anti-lock brakes, or any creature comforts. 4 on the floor again, and a gnarly old cable clutch that needed a seriously heavy shove to operate.



Amazing what can be found on YouTube, eh?

I kept a carboard box on the back seat to collect the many bits of trim that had fallen off, with the intention of one day, fixing them back on. Unsurprisingly, that never happened.

But it was great fun to thrash the red rascal around the deserted twisty lanes of North Yorkshire. The Mk2 Ford Escort was the car for young blokes to have way back then, but I loved my Sunbeam for being different and so much fun.

And I swear I was much better attired than the guy in the TV clip... honest.


dhol82

(9,438 posts)
9. 1964 VW Beetle
Sun Jul 21, 2019, 07:32 PM
Jul 2019

Brand new, $1700 off the lot.
When I went to pick it up the dealer asked me if I knew how to drive a stick. I said no, teach me.
Drove it home.
It was a great car that I drove all over the states.

Currently drive a 2003 Subaru WRX. Never got over that stick shift love.

SCantiGOP

(14,238 posts)
10. First car I drove was a baby blue
Sun Jul 21, 2019, 07:34 PM
Jul 2019

1967 Mustang (thanks to my Dad). I remember it cost $2,700 new.
First car I bought was a 1966 Ford Falcon with 105,000 miles on it. I put another 45,000 miles on it until it wouldn’t go any further and sold it to a junk yard for $50.
That works out to about 1.5 cents a mile for 45,000 miles.

flotsam

(3,268 posts)
11. Got a '63 Beetle and a set of metric wrenches for my 15th birthday
Sun Jul 21, 2019, 07:54 PM
Jul 2019

The guy my father bought it from assured him the engine was blown. Took me damn near a week to get it running-Do you have ANY idea how deep the ruts in a dirt driveway can be worn in 11 months by a 15 year old waiting for his license???

SeattleVet

(5,588 posts)
12. 1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk
Sun Jul 21, 2019, 08:08 PM
Jul 2019

Bought it for $100 when I was stationed in Denver for Tech School in 1972-1973. Engine was pretty noisy, gearbox had a cracked 3rd gear and leaked oil. I could drive for about an hour before I'd have to pull over to let things cool down so I could shift.

Got a fix-it ticket for air pollution and pissed off the cop somehow - when he pulled me over and asked if I knew my car was smoking, I replied, "Well, isn't it old enough to smoke?". A few weeks later the engine finally went totally to crap when I was off base coming back from a shopping trip. I pulled into a gas station and called a friend to come out. He brought 2 other guys, and when I started it up it sounded like a washing machine full of tools. While one guy was yelling for me to shut it off I said, "And if you give it some gas, it really ..." and floored it. One loud bang and it started to run quieter than it ever had! After we saw the spreading pool of oil caused by a rod coming out through the oil pan we pushed it into an empty lot across the street. It was there 2 weeks later when I flew out of Stapleton to my next assignment.

A few months later I got a letter from Colorado asking about the ticket, and whether I had fixed it. I told them where the car was and never heard anything else.

Response to trof (Original post)

PoindexterOglethorpe

(26,727 posts)
16. '59 VW Beetle. Convertible.
Sun Jul 21, 2019, 09:17 PM
Jul 2019

No gas gauge. I learned to note what the mileage was and get it filled again when I'd driven about 200 miles. It had the spare tank thing, where you flipped a switch to open up the spare when you started sputtering. But if you didn't flip the switch back before getting gas, it was locked open. I only made that mistake once.

It also had a manual choke which I just loved.

I owned it in 1968/69.

I paid $100 for it, and a year or so later sold it for $150. Then did without a car for the next seven years, and bought a '69 Beetle.

My current car is a 2017 Honda Fit. Manual transmission, which is all I willingly drive. One reason I hate renting cars is that I'm forced to drive some crappy automatic.

murielm99

(31,433 posts)
20. A 1960 Chrysler push button automatic.
Mon Jul 22, 2019, 12:08 AM
Jul 2019

Aunt Billie gave it to me because they would not let her drive any more.

It had fins and it was ginormous.

customerserviceguy

(25,185 posts)
21. I just handled something today from my first car
Mon Jul 22, 2019, 12:18 AM
Jul 2019

It was the thing you put the registration in that goes around the steering wheel column. It is red, like my 1963 Pontiac Catalina was.

I had that car a month, and only got to drive it for about a week. A total POS, but it was my first, and for a short while there in high school, I was proud.

rownesheck

(2,343 posts)
24. Ugh.
Mon Jul 22, 2019, 04:56 AM
Jul 2019

1986 Pontiac 6000.

It would get stuck in 2nd gear. I would hold the accelerator down until it finally would switch gears, then it would jolt right into 3rd. It was real fun if I didn't give myself enough room when pulling out into traffic. I'm sure I pissed a lot of people off.

In my senior year of high school, my first period class was Art. That teacher HATED tardiness. If you were late to her class, she acted as though you had punched her grandmother. Anyway, one morning while about to leave for school, I open my car door and it completely falls off! Luckily my mother was home and I was able to drive her aircraft carrier sized 1991 Chevy caprice classic to school after dropping her off at work.

Well, I was late to class that day. I walk in and my lovely teacher angrily asks why I was late. I tell her that my car door fell off, to which she replied, "oh don't give me that crap! Sit down!"

Ah, high school memories...

Timewas

(2,291 posts)
28. My first one
Mon Jul 22, 2019, 09:31 AM
Jul 2019

A 1936 ford 4 door sedan for which I paid 35 dollars, suicide doors and mechanical brakes...85 horse power flat head V8bought it in 1955 at the ripe age of 14..

Lulu KC

(4,182 posts)
29. 63 Rambler Classic
Mon Jul 22, 2019, 09:39 AM
Jul 2019

My mom's car, passed down. Mint green.
Only seven cars since then. Now I'm shopping for an EV.

Yonnie3

(18,111 posts)
31. 1961 Volvo 122S
Mon Jul 22, 2019, 09:43 AM
Jul 2019

Found growing in a farmer's field. His son had brought it back after being stationed in Europe and abandoned it there. New battery, used tires and it was good to go. 50 bucks in 1972.

Runningdawg

(4,613 posts)
33. 1972 Ford Custom - CA highway patrol car
Mon Jul 22, 2019, 11:55 AM
Jul 2019

I bought it at auction for $500 in 1976. The only thing they did to it was spray paint over the signs on the doors and take the cherry off the top. No handles in the back seat to roll down windows or open the doors. Metal grill between front and back seat. Aftermarket tac, CB and shotgun rack still welded to the floor between the 2 front seats. No AC or radio. Music was from a cassette player I kept in the glove compartment LOL
Four barrel carb - the speedometer registered 200. The ONLY speeding ticket in my life came when he clocked me at 119. I drove it 7 years. The transmission fell out on I-35 just outside of OKC.

GentryDixon

(3,010 posts)
37. 1953 Blue & White Chevrolet.
Tue Jul 23, 2019, 05:57 PM
Jul 2019

Our cousin bought it for me & my twin in 1966. I worked after school & she would take the car out & run all the oil & gas out of it. I spent more on oil than I did gas.

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