To commemorate my 100th posting, here’s a question for everyone: We know what you’re driving now, but what was your first car?

Mine was a 1970 Mercury Comet station wagon with a 200 cubic 1-bbl, and 3-on-the-tree. Despite having an engine that was about 10% bigger than the F-Type, 0-60 was around 30 seconds. It was factory equipped with heat -- and nothing else; not even a radio. The best thing I can say about it was that it was a station wagon, I was a teenager, I met my high school sweetheart (now wife)... In that respect, it was much more convenient than the Renault 10 my older sister drove.

My first car almost was a 1962 e-Type coupe. When I was in middle school, I was friends with a couple of high school brothers who went in together to buy the Jag. It needed a clutch, front suspension, and some engine tuning, but was in good overall shape and only 60k miles. We used a swing set to hoist out the engine and managed to get everything torn apart and (remarkably) put back together. Within the year, the older brother got engaged and needed his half of the car to buy a ring. They gave me first refusal at the price they paid for it: $1,600. I had the money, but my Dad said “No Way.” I was crushed at the time, but it may be the reason I’m alive today to tell the story. Of course, I’ve been compensating ever since.

 

My FIRST car was only temporary until my grandfather, father, and myself finished restoring my SECOND car...

First...




Second...

 

First




Second





Third

 

First car was a 1931 Model A with a 396 or 392 Hemi with a LaSalle 3 speed transmission boy did I learn about cars from this beast.

 

First car 1986 VW GTI purchased new.

A dog by today's standards but it was an incredibly fun car. Somehow I was able to keep it in one piece before I finally sold it, even after letting my friends drive it.

 

Mine was a 10 years old Ford Capri V6 3.0 Ghia.

And that is many years ago

 

Basic - maybe, but a dog? Mk2 GTi 8v in good condition are sought after in the UK.

Oh. 1976 Ford Cortina (1600cc OHC, manual) in orange - with a black vinyl roof...

 

My first was a 1961 Triumph Herald in two tone purple and white (car below is same model but obviously different color):

 

1964 Plymouth Valiant. Slant 6, 3 on a tree.

 

1986 Ford EXP (2-seat Escort with 'high output' 110HP) and manual transmission.

 

Here's mine, bought new April 1965. I still have it and drive it. Restored 1986, mechanicals and body. Recent photo.

 

Mine was a 1965 Ford Anglia. Same color but didn't look nearly this good:

 

My first car was a mid 80's Ford Escort painted a hideous combination of brown and tan.

While joyriding one morning in high school with some friends, I took a corner in the road too fast, launched it over a bad dip in the road, lost control, and drove it through a chain link fence.

I managed to brake and come to a stop right in the middle of the fence, with the chain link still wrapped around the middle of the car. My friends were freaking out, and I had to continue driving through it, with the fence scraping the crap out of the car, since I couldn't reverse back through it.

I remember talking with a buddy at school who was good with cars, and I told me all that scratch damage should just "buff right out" (no joke!). Went over to his house and we spent hours trying to buff it out, but it didn't work.

I tried to hide all that damage from my parents. My Dad saw the damage on the front fender one morning and asked me what happened. IIRC, I lied and told him I hit a concrete light post stand in a parking lot (yeah, I know lying to your parents...shame on me!). He didn't care too much, and just told me to be more careful.

Mom, on the other hand...when she was outside one morning and I drove into the driveway, she saw it and went ballistic. Her going ballistic made Dad go ballistic (even though he'd already seen it once, LOL)

Ah, the stupid things we do in our youth. I'll never forget that little car, though.

 

........was a Peugeot 403, MY1967 with manual transmission, Michelins, manual sun roof, foot pedal pump windscreen washers, and the front seats folded straight back - very convenient. It looked exactly like the web-lifted picture below.





When my father found it, the car was low mileage, in excellent overall condition, in storage up on blocks, and not running. The owner said if we could get it back in the road (he couldn't get it running) then to pay him $50. We got it running, passed/past inspection, and on the road - so $50 it was + service parts and free labor.

It wasn't a chick magnet by today's standards, but just having wheels was a bonus in my neighborhood.

Desert Hiker

 

'54 Ford. I have no pictures of it, but it was just like this, except it was "baby blue" all over. My father purchased it brand new at a dealer near Chapel Hill, NC.

 

This is my first car, 1972 Buick Skylark 350, which I've owned since 1978. This photo was taken a few hours ago.

 

'59 yellow TR3A in high school.

 

Although this isn't a picture of my first car, it is exactly like it in every way. A 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator, I wish I had kept it, but jamming a pencil in the carburator secondaries, every morning, in order to get it to start got a little tiring.
I still have my third car purchased new in 1978, my Datsun 280Z.

 

1974 Mustang II hatchback, 2.3 liter, 4 cylinder automatic, totally gutless - would almost stall if you turned the AC on.

Don't have an actual pic, but it was just like this one:



My brother had the 1975 or 76 302 V8 Cobra version that we thought was a badass racing machine, but the 302 only put out 122hp back then!!

Just like this one:

 

My first new car I bought with my own money: