Cars Of Our Youth.......

[no2gates]

First wife wanted the Vega and if GM made a good Vega, she got it. She drove it for years without no issues. No oil consumption, either. They had all aluminum blocks without sleeves. If they overheated, the cylinders would distort and oil would go right by the rings. This one never overheated. It looked like this one.

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My first girlfriend had a vega station wagon. Got laid the first time in that station wagon.
Used about a quart of oil every 3 weeks or so. (The Vega, not the girlfriend).

 

[ZX9RCAM]

When I was a teenager I wanted (wait for it...) an AMC Pacer. I thought that was such a cool car.
What I GOT as a first car was a 1970 Oldsmobile Toronado. That was in 1979 and I traded a CB radio for it.
Had it for about a year. Cost a fortune in gas. Had dual quad carburetors.
Think I sold if for about $300 when I bought a new car in 1980.

Did it have a 455, and a "drum" speedometer?

 

[no2gates]

Did it have a 455, and a "drum" speedometer?

It did indeed ! It was a weird car. One of the first to have front wheel drive and it had torsion bar suspension.

 

[Charlie]

Many, many years ago I had a '58 Corvette with a hard top and soft top. I wish I had it now!

 

[Army 1911]

The first car I bought was a 1956 Jag XK150 Coupe. Sold it back to the guy a few months later because as a 16 yr old I couldn't afford the insurance. In 1966 that was bout $250 a month.

The second car I bought was an old 1951 Caddy Hearse Ambulance with a gumball on top. I added a hot pink racing stripe.

Third car was a new 1966 Corvair Monza 140 hp. I paid less than 2K for it and drove it for 18 years (over 200k miles). I would still be driving it if some drunk illegal Mexican hadn't run in to it 3 times with his Aunt's land yacht.

 

[striker55]

I bought a 1971 VW super beetle in 1972 just before the gas shortage. I remember being in line for gas with the motor off and pushing it to the pump. During the odd even days for gas. After about 10 years I rebuilt the engine in my father's garage, put a Holly carb, mechanical advance distributor and headers. I loved that car! I think I washed it every week, also had a small chrome steering wheel and a wing on it, and a Hurst shifter.

 

[Vaquero]

Mostly pickups where I grew up.
Rich girls had some nice cars.
Honestly, not much stands out in my memory of school days transportation.

 

[toby1]

My first car - '72 Dodge Challenger auto, 340-4bbl. w/Rallye stripes package. Baby blue with a black vinyl roof. 27 wins & 3 losses( to chevy big blocks) street racing. 40+years and I've never seen another one in that combination. I miss that car. Also had 6 different Mustangs- 2 x 65 coupes, 66 fastback, 69 Mach 1, 67 coupe, & GT coupe?. The 66 fastback was my favorite Mustang. If I had known then, what I know now, I would have kept them all.

 

[no2gates]

Third car was a new 1966 Corvair Monza 140 hp. I paid less than 2K for it and drove it for 18 years (over 200k miles). I would still be driving it if some drunk illegal Mexican hadn't run in to it 3 times with his Aunt's land yacht.


Wait, this just got interesting... he ran into it 3 times??? How the hell did he do that?

 

[Bozz10mm]

I would still be driving it if some drunk illegal Mexican hadn't run in to it 3 times with his Aunt's land yacht.

Was that all on the same day?

 

[Texasjack]

The first car I bought was a 1956 Jag XK150 Coupe. Sold it back to the guy a few months later because as a 16 yr old I couldn't afford the insurance. In 1966 that was bout $250 a month.

The second car I bought was an old 1951 Caddy Hearse Ambulance with a gumball on top. I added a hot pink racing stripe.

Third car was a new 1966 Corvair Monza 140 hp. I paid less than 2K for it and drove it for 18 years (over 200k miles). I would still be driving it if some drunk illegal Mexican hadn't run in to it 3 times with his Aunt's land yacht.

The Monza was a good looking car, but the internals were designed by the devil himself. If memory serves, the first year's production you had to pull the engine to change the spark plugs. Just changing the oil was a problem.

 

[Texasjack]

My son's first car was an old Crown Victoria that had been a fire chief's car. Still had the spotlights on each side. He was driving across College Station to visit a friend and came upon a house fire. There was a cop directing traffic away from the area, but when he saw my son's car, he waived him through. It road nice and had more room inside than a bus. Driving down the road, you didn't have to look at the speedometer; cops and firemen just waived as you went past. Everybody should have a first car that breaks down frequently enough that you learn how to do minor repairs and when you need professional help.

 

[Texasjack]

First wife wanted the Vega and if GM made a good Vega, she got it. She drove it for years without no issues. No oil consumption, either. They had all aluminum blocks without sleeves. If they overheated, the cylinders would distort and oil would go right by the rings. This one never overheated. It looked like this one.

The last year they made the Vega, they replaced that crappy aluminum engine with a Pontiac Iron Duke 4 cylinder. It's maybe the most reliable engine Detroit ever produced. It was too little, too late and the production died. It was a nice looking car (as opposed to the very ugly Pinto), but the engineers just took too many shortcuts that kept it from being a good car.

 

[TEXAS "All or nothing"]

I just had a '84 chevy k15 short bed. After I graduated I was given a '65 better that didn't run and needed restoration, but was happy. Previous owner put a 350 in place of the fi327. I did all the mechanical and electrical work myself. Body work was done by someone else. All of the work took 2 years as i was in automotive school learning. Bought a sc and fi kit, but never installed. I would love to get another to rebuild.

 

[Army 1911]

The Monza was a good looking car, but the internals were designed by the devil himself. If memory serves, the first year's production you had to pull the engine to change the spark plugs. Just changing the oil was a problem.

Not right. My mom had the first one in KC. The problem was the fan belt. It had a 90 degree bend and the tensioning pulley would start vibrating because people over tightened the adjustment and would strip the aluminium threads.

The 66 I bought was 2nd gen. Rear suspension was fixed and was similar to the Corvette.

 

[mongoose]

My first car - '72 Dodge Challenger auto, 340-4bbl. w/Rallye stripes package. Baby blue with a black vinyl roof. 27 wins & 3 losses( to chevy big blocks) street racing. 40+years and I've never seen another one in that combination. I miss that car. Also had 6 different Mustangs- 2 x 65 coupes, 66 fastback, 69 Mach 1, 67 coupe, & GT coupe?. The 66 fastback was my favorite Mustang. If I had known then, what I know now, I would have kept them all.

My AG teacher was selling his 70 Challenger with a 440, six pack and 4 speed. I had the money so I asked my Dad if I could buy it. I was 17. My Dad said he would give me his answer the next evening. When he got home he said he would buy me the car if I would pay the insurance. I bought a used 70 GMC 3/4 ton.

 

[Axxe55]

The Monza was a good looking car, but the internals were designed by the devil himself. If memory serves, the first year's production you had to pull the engine to change the spark plugs. Just changing the oil was a problem.

Actually, Chevrolet had two "Monza" vehicles in the United States market. One was just an upscale package offered on the Corvair from 1961 to 1969. The other was actually a car line, called the Monza, that was offered from 1975 to 1980 and was based off the Vega.

 

[cygunner]

Actually, Chevrolet had two "Monza" vehicles in the United States market. One was just an upscale package offered on the Corvair from 1961 to 1969. The other was actually a car line, called the Monza, that was offered from 1975 to 1980 and was based off the Vega.

Ahh the corvair. I had about forgotten that fun to drive on gravel roads sidewinding beast. A bunch of us were coming home from a party on a river sandbar late and my date now wife said "they aren't back there". They have to be this is a one lane road each way and they hadn't passed us. No lights in the rearview mirror. We hadn't gone back a quarter of a mile and we could see headlights up through the trees. My roommate driving his gf's car, a corvair, had slid off and sideswiped a few trees on his way into a gully. You could smell the beer 10 yards away. One girl thought her nose was broken, everyone else was ok. What are we going to do. I said what we are going to do is get the hell out of here, sober up, clean up and worry about it tomorrow. Next morning roomie and I go out to take a look. There sits highway patrol. What happened?? An army convoy driving with lights off nearly ran us all off the road and did run this car off or something like that were the first words out of my head. Can't repeat what he said in public but ended up with have accident report to troop hq by noon. So, we got a wrecker, dragged it to town she got a chewing from her father and later they got married too. Courtship in the 60's was more fun than it is today IMHO.

 

[cygunner]

BTW my first car was a snow white '61 chevy bel air sport coupe with red interior, small v-8 and manual on the column. These cars were more rare than the popular Impala at the time but a few hundred cheaper and my father's favorite dealer got me one for a very good price.

 

[Lonesome Dove]

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