1984 Ford Escort L. Complete with an automatic transmission and an AM radio. I pulled that out and tossed in a tape deck which I then had one of those tapes with the wire that plugged into a discman to play CDs on your radio, LOL. I painted the 14" steelies black and put on some KMart hubcaps and a nice FORD sticker on the windshield. I also had one of those perforated steering wheel covers that you laced on yourself and a set of seat covers. Not bad for a $250 car during high school.
This is almost EXACTLY like my first car that I got when I was 15, same color minus the chrome band on the bottom and the body colored mirrors. 1981 Olds Cutlass LS sedan. It had 3,900 miles and was a former Drivers Ed car that my grandmother financed for me. Back then local dealers would loan new cars to the high schools for the drivers ed programs and then sell them as demos. I paid $178 a month until I graduated and then she gave the balance to me as a graduation present. I swapped the bench seat for buckets and a console from a 2 door Cutlass and installed a stereo, I tinted the windows, got RWL BFG tires. It was a decent car, threw the timing chain at 117K, but I learned a lot about working on cars from it.
Thomas
the "Mustang Guy"
1987 5.0 LX Mustang
2016 Mustang GT - current daily
2004 Satellite Vibe &
2009 Red Vibe GT -twin's cars
2003 Neptune Vibe GT - prior daily
2010 Red Vibe GT - RIP 6/16/14
2006 Platinum Vibe - son's car
My first baby. Purchased January 16th, 1972. It had a spent 283 in it. I installed (w/the help of my friends) a rebuilt 300hp 327, 4-bbl. Yup!! 9.5mpg with a 3-speed manual trans (Hurst shifter... of course,) 4.10:1 rear gears and a 16 yr old behind the wheel. I was at the gas station every other day, if I drove it every day. The small tank didn't help either... 'bout 12 gals to full, IIRC?
FJ's Garage Thread "There is no tool you can buy that will replace experience." - Josh Mills, C.K.DeLuxe January 2011 GenVibe MOTM
My 2000 Ford Mustang. Rescued from a salvage yard; had been rear ended with around 40,000 miles. Sold it at around 120,000. Had it for 3-3 1/2 years. Swapped the fogged over headlamps for the "smoked" style headlights that came in the 01-04's. Also put in Silverstars!
I was given a choice of money for college, or first car...duh, get me a car. Maybe not the best decision of my life, but here she is:1978 Datsun B210 4 door sedan...oh yeah, the girls were clamoring to ride with me! My car didn't have the custom rims, it had the honeycomb hubcaps.
Not the exact car (don't have a photo of it) but it looked exactly like this. 1988 Nissan Maxima station wagon.. everything plastic broke, everything sealed leaked.. it was a real treat.
james / bodhi tree studio / tattoos & illustration / http://www.bodhitreestudio.comebay store : vintage clothing & toys---03 Satellite Vibe GT // 04 Neptune base // 1986 VW Golf // 1990 VW Golf GL---
Not my first car but one of the first I ownedIt was a 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham. The last year of the 4 door rear wheel drive Cutty. The rims came from a 1960's Oldsmobile. If you look really close at the top right of the pic near the white van you can see the back end of my POS 1989 Buick Century wagon(on the left of the van) and my 1992 GMC S-15 Jimmy on the right side of the vanI hated that danged carb as it never seemed to run right even after a rebuild Oh and the Dodge van on the right side of the Oldsmobile had a oil leak problem and caught fire in that very parking lot after a 2 hour drive one night.
Quote, originally posted by journeyforce »Not my first car but one of the first I ownedIt was a 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham. The last year of the 4 door rear wheel drive Cutty. Didn't you just love those rear windows that you could not roll down? I wonder what beancounter had that idea! The AC went out on my car a couple of times during the 6 yrs I owned it, and no one liked sitting in the rear when that happened.
Thomas
the "Mustang Guy"
1987 5.0 LX Mustang
2016 Mustang GT - current daily
2004 Satellite Vibe &
2009 Red Vibe GT -twin's cars
2003 Neptune Vibe GT - prior daily
2010 Red Vibe GT - RIP 6/16/14
2006 Platinum Vibe - son's car
Yea that car represented my second time to the no roll down back window dance as I had a 1980 Malibu also. They had vent windows!! Years after I got rid of the Olds, I happened to find one at the junk yard with power everything and the thing still did not have roll down rear windows. The closest you could get was power rear vent windows I like to think it was GM's way of covering their rears. A child could not hurt themself falling out of the window if the thing did not roll down(making it the ultimate child safety door.) But in reality the truth is much more plain. It probably came about because a bean counter found it was cheaper to make a car with only 2 windows that roll down then 4
My first car that I actually purchased with my money was a 1982 olds cutlass supreme 4 door. Got it home from the stealer and the V6 locked up. In went the 350 rocket and 400 turbo. 650dp Holley and edelbrock intake. Kept the V6 geared rear and had a modified driveshaft and trans crossmember made. That car outran 5.0L mustangs with bottles. I could smoke the tires for three blocks. Glad that car is gone. It almost killed me many times. Lol
1973 Ford Pinto. Purchased in June 1974 with 13K miles.These photos were taken Fall 1975 by one of those cheap Kodak pocket cameras that were popular in the 1970's:
Quote, originally posted by Feelin’ The Vibe »^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^While I don't have anything to add (Vibe is my 1st), I do want to say I'm enjoying reading this thread.I don't mean to offend anyone, but I was thinking that there aren't too many interesting first cars in this thread.What? No one had a Chevette? When desperately trying to replace my dead P1800 when I was younger, my mother tried unsuccessfully to talk me into used Vegas and Pintos but I was having none of that.And a saleman once tried to talk me into a LeBaron convertible (5-sp.) After a short test drive I left him sitting in the passenger seat.
FJ's Garage Thread "There is no tool you can buy that will replace experience." - Josh Mills, C.K.DeLuxe January 2011 GenVibe MOTM
Quote, originally posted by 06pvibe »I don't mean to offend anyone, but I was thinking that there aren't too many interesting first cars in this thread.My grandfather also took me to look at a '80 turbo Trans Am when we went to look at my Olds. They offered him a really great deal on it, just a bit more than the Olds. He asked if I would like it, and fearing what my mother would say, I said no, not really. I didn't really like it since the body style was so old (10+yrs) and I'm sure the insurance would have been too much. But it would have been a cool car to have in high school if I wanted it.
Thomas
the "Mustang Guy"
1987 5.0 LX Mustang
2016 Mustang GT - current daily
2004 Satellite Vibe &
2009 Red Vibe GT -twin's cars
2003 Neptune Vibe GT - prior daily
2010 Red Vibe GT - RIP 6/16/14
2006 Platinum Vibe - son's car
Quote, originally posted by 06pvibe »I don't mean to offend anyone, but I was thinking that there aren't too many interesting first cars in this thread.What? No one had a Chevette? I'm convinced that, had I been born in the 60s and gotten my drivers license around the later 70s early 80s I'd have ended up in a '77 Chevette with the rally package. Manual though. Based on a Motortrend article I'd probably still do some aero-modding, but I'd be more dedicated to conservation causes, such as whaling. Actually, I have a whole scenario played out, all based on if I'd been born in the 60s. My dad (born in '65) had a '78 Chevy Monza Spyder as his first car. He repainted it a nicer blue, got the mag wheels and dropped a 350 into it. He and I have the same amount of forward gears in our first cars EDIT: holy carp I'm less than 100 from GV god status
No one had a truck for their first vehicle? Ok, I'll break from the car scene.I had an '82 Chevy K20 short bed 4x4. Came with the 6.2 V8 diesel and 4 spd. heavy duty trans. I loved that truck, my dad bought it for me when I turned 16. It had big rubber mudflaps on the back, nice off road tires and sat up real tall. I was the talk of the senior class when I drove in to school with it. The truck was immaculate for its age and ran like an absolute dream the whole time I had it.This isn't it, but it looked just like this...I loved the big 8 bolt rims and the big hubs sticking out. JR
2010 Ultra White AWD-Railfan Customized...on to a new owner in 2015 2008 two tone Salsa base model..current railfan rig
Quote, originally posted by 06pvibe »I don't mean to offend anyone, but I was thinking that there aren't too many interesting first cars in this thread.What? No one had a Chevette? Well.. considering I'm not older this was obviously out of the question.. I don't think a Mustang at 16 is too shabby. Especially one that was more current.
No, not at all. And the fact that you rescued it and repaired it made a more interesting first car story as well.A Mustang is a pretty exciting first car. What I was referring to is that most of these cars here insite no passion.I had wanted a '57 since I was about 10 yrs old and nothing else would have done at the time. I was a car guy even then, and was passsionate about '57's. I looked over every one that I saw.Near that time my Great Uncle died and I was offered his '63 Ford Falcon. I could have bought it from his estate for a whopping $75. But it was 4-dr, 6-cyl and automatic... an old man's car. I declined because I KNEW what I wanted and worked for it and at it. Especially because this is a car forum, and realizing that there are sometime circumstances that won't allow for it (re: parents,) but I would have expected more passion from more our first time buyers than Pintos and K Cars.
FJ's Garage Thread "There is no tool you can buy that will replace experience." - Josh Mills, C.K.DeLuxe January 2011 GenVibe MOTM
Quote, originally posted by 06pvibe »......... What I was referring to is that most of these cars here insite no passion......... So "car Passion" is about big motors fat tires and dangerous speed? There is no way this defines the general motoring public. IT does define immature teenagers who thrive on more more more!I do take offense to your statement. My auto "passion" has never taken the pony car or classic hot rod route at all. I've always gyrated to the smaller more sane car. I had the piece of American Iron crap...once. Never again. Give me the excitement or quirkiness of a well engineered fun car that doesn't depend upon raw unharnessed power to have fun! Yes, my VW WAS fun!! Major fun! I also probably passed you numerous times filling your gas gulpers fuel tank as I got double or triple the mileage on a given quantity of fuel!My Triumph Spitfire was funMy MG midget was funMy Austin America ...... wasn't fun!BMW 1600BMW 2002I've had a slew of DatsunsI've had some older classic importsI've had my Mazda MiataAll of these cars were practical, some where hair raising exciting as well.There is more than one flavor of automotive excitement out there. You happen to like old Chevy's with big motors, good for you. I don't run that "passion" down though if you want to know what I think about big HP cars and the men that drive them..........PM me, it isn't FIT for public print. As you said, no disrespect but I do strongly disagree with you on your "passion" statement!Dave
Dave, You have a passion for VW's and your first car was one. I can respect that. Beetles were quirky and certainly a sign of the times. I remember I used to count the number of Beetles I'd see when traveling anywhere... and there were quite a lot at that time. I always thought that sooner or later I myself would end up owning one, but never did. I guess I just didn't want one that badly to go out and work for it. Plus I always sucked at working on air cooled Vee Dubs. But many of these first cars have no soul. It's not about fat tires and power for me. Its about being automotively passionate and not just taking the first thing that comes along. Heck, my all time FAVORITE car had only 77hp in stock form and came w/145- 12" tires. Neither lasted as I bumped HP and when to larger wheels/tires, but it was still never a powerhouse, just fun as hell. Perhaps I am not stating what I mean correctly... I don't know, but its just how I feel. I get no sense of passion (And BTW: EVERYTHING I have owned since that Chevy has had a 4-cyl engine in it and a manual trans... British cars, Volvo's, an Opel, Rabbit/Golf's, etc.... AND except for a 4 yr stint at a Jeep dealership, all the places I worked at were Foreign Cars shops as well.
FJ's Garage Thread "There is no tool you can buy that will replace experience." - Josh Mills, C.K.DeLuxe January 2011 GenVibe MOTM
Sorry man but if you want an example of an American car you should probably pick one that didn't sink within 5 years of production. It's in all reality a British company from everything I've read.. Forgive me if I am mistaken as I was not even a thought in any ones head back then. Just my opinion.. I mean I cant make a fair judgement as to Mitsubishi as I have owned one.. Bought it used.. And don't know what the previous owner had done to it. I know it was a quick little sh*t for a car but other than that.. Cant make much of an assumption on an entire brand let alone an entire country's car.
I think what you are seeing is that many members here are younger than us. As a result affordable first cars in the 80's and 90's were pieces of boring crap from the 70's and 80's. Wind tunnel designed so they all look mostly alike. They were poorly engineered and poor constructed. Sadly, they sold this garbage by the millions to the masses. Not saying everything was garbage during this time frame but it was a sad time overall. Actually many cars being built today are better than we've seen for a long time! There is a renewed interest in fun economical transportation.
I had a 1983 Chevette Scooter but it was not my first car and while it was not a bad car from the point of view that it drove and got good mileage and I never had to do anything to it except oil changes and two week gas fill ups and new plugs and wires (mine had the rare air cond. package which made replacing spark plug wires without removing the compressor a PITAAs for non interesting cars in the thread, well most people got their first car as a hand me down from their folks and that meant boring conservative cars. My folks are included in that group. So I had a Malibu(1980)
I was joking about the Chevette, of course. I had a girl friend in college that had one of the first ('76?). Automatic, gutless, but it handled OK until you reached the limit, then it was completely unforgiving. Mileage was just OK for a 1.6L, IMO. It was also a death trap if involved in an accident. I used to beat the crap out of it so we could get something else. As it turned out, I got someone else before that happened... but not right away.
FJ's Garage Thread "There is no tool you can buy that will replace experience." - Josh Mills, C.K.DeLuxe January 2011 GenVibe MOTM
I think it's good there are so many practical, "unexciting" cars in this thread.I think every new driver should have at least one economical, practical car for a few years before getting a sports car or high-end car in general, for many reasons. It seems so obvious, I'd be bored to type them.
03VibeOttawa–’03 Salsa 5spd. Fast Wheels Blade 17â€s/Fuzion Zr1s (summer),Blizzak Revo1/’04 WRX rims, (winter),Tokico HP Struts,Tein S-Tech Springs,Progress RSB,K&N Typhoon SRI,SLP ram air hood,Magnaflow CB,DC header. Sold 11/9/2012 w/ 217,633kms.
A teenager/new driver could get into trouble no matter what you put them in. It's the inexperience of the driver thats the problem, not the car.I did wreck the Chevy after a 40 yr old woman in her new ('73) Pontiac Catalina came through an intersection to t-bone me. But really, I have owned underpowered cars most of my adult life, and had very few accidents/incidents in the process, from an Opel Rallye Kadett (1.1L, twin Solex carbs,) to a couple of MGB's (1.8L, twin SU's) to a couple of Volvo 1800S's (1.8 & 2.0L, twin SU's,) a Datsun pick up (1.3L, single 2 bbl.) Even my current Mazda3 HB (2.3L) isn't really all that fast, but it handles well after some playing around with the suspension geometry and a super thick rear sway bar) and it has more HP and torque than anything I've had since the Chevy!! After the Chevy, I really got into road racing and the cars that are able to handle well, even if they are under powered. I began to appreciate MG's, Bug Eyed Sprites, Porsche's for what they were built for... HANDLING. And later as FWD became the norm, 1st gen Integra's, Datsun/Nissan's, VW Rabbits, etc. In the '80's there was a whole SCCA series based on these tail-draggers and I LOVED watching them lift their inside rear wheel in a tight turn. I seem to have stirred up a lot of hard feelings here, and while I thought it a possibility when I wrote that post, rest assured it was not my intention. I am spending a lot of time here trying to explain my position and it seems few of you are getting it. So be it. Perhaps its my fault, in which case I will just apologize for any hard feelings. I'm sorry if I hurt anybody's feelings with my opinion of your first cars. The truth is that I like all kinds of cars and trucks. I AM a Car-Guy in spades. Even if they are not my style, I can appreciate the time, mental effort, physical effort, monetary effort, what a vehicle is designed for and capable of, and an individuals dream of what the vehicle should be, etc, and THAT's where I'm coming from.
FJ's Garage Thread "There is no tool you can buy that will replace experience." - Josh Mills, C.K.DeLuxe January 2011 GenVibe MOTM
I wanted the Vibe. Had I been given either my step-moms Corolla, my dads truck, or my moms Trailblazer, they'd each have been traded for a Vibe! BTW the Chevette is really a Kadett with a different nose.
Quote, originally posted by KITT222 » BTW the Chevette is really a Kadett with a different nose.How do you figure? The first Chevette was in 1976. My Kadett was a '67. The Chevette had a 1.6L. The Opel had either a 1.1, 1.5 or 1.9L engine... all HP. No torque to speak of.
FJ's Garage Thread "There is no tool you can buy that will replace experience." - Josh Mills, C.K.DeLuxe January 2011 GenVibe MOTM
Second page needs more pics!1977 Dodge Colt. Had new paint, Ultra wheels, 4-10" Subwoofers which replaced the back-rest in the back seat, and green neon. Don't hate!I sold this car to a legally blind man for $550. No. Seriously. $550.
Quote, originally posted by 06pvibe »How do you figure? The first Chevette was in 1976. My Kadett was a '67. The Chevette had a 1.6L. The Opel had either a 1.1, 1.5 or 1.9L engine... all HP. No torque to speak of. Well... yeah, the Kadett came before the Chevette. The Kadett was around for all those years. Gas crisis hits, GM bombs with the Vega, so they just bring around the Kadett with a nose job and the 1.6l in hopes that it'll be efficient and powerful enough for Americans. There was even the Vauxhall Chevette. All of them being Chevy T-cars. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vauxhall_Chevette
Kitt222 is correct about the relationship between the USA/Canada Chevette and the Opel Kadett and you are also right about your 1967 looking nothing like the Chevette. Yours was called Kadett B and it was made 1965-1973 and sold in the USA at Buick dealers. The Chevette was based off the Kadett C which was referred to as GM's T-cars (which included the Vauxhall Chevette, Chevy Chevette, Pontiac T1000, Pontiac Acadian(Canada only) Opel Kadett C and the Isuzu Gemini) and was GM's first attempt at a world car. The Chevy Chevette was first launched in 1973 in Brazil and from then it went to the UK as Vauxhall in 1975 and a Opel Kadett in 1973. The Brazilian two door hatchback version migrated up to the USA and was produced there in 1976 and in 1978 a North American only 4 door hatch arrived. That is probably more then you ever wanted or cared to know about the ChevetteI will say this that the car was very slow but it was very good in the snow despite being a RWD and light car and drove better then the faster Ford Escrap er Escort that replaced it Mine was the Scooter edition and I remember increasing its value with a radio(did not come with one only a delete plate), rear speakers and a glove box door(it was tan while the interior was black) because the Scooter version did not have these standard in 1983. Imagine having to pay $15 for the option to have a glove box door
Here's some passion! My 1962 Triumph TR4 just after I bought it in 1983. I was fortunate - it was a trade in at the Ford dealer where I was working for the summer and it cost me $700. Wish I still had it but it had...issues that I could not afford to deal with. Should have socked it away in a barn for 20 years because at the height of the collector car boom a few years ago basket case TRs were going for $3-5k.
1997 Civic EX sedan w/auto trans2001 Accord EX sedan w/5-spd manual2009 Vibe 2.4L w/5-spd manual, sunroof, monsoon, GT spoiler, Magnaflow muffler and rolled SS tip, lowered on H-Tech springs, window tint, debadged (save the red arrow!).
I love TR4's, especially the A-IRS's.I'm guessing electrical problems and perhaps a syncro or two? You can't kill those 4-cyl engines.In the '80's I had a friend and coworker with a 6. We grafted the inner fenders and sheetmetal from a 4A-IRS onto the front of it. Cool car. Cool look. But that car had "issues" too.
FJ's Garage Thread "There is no tool you can buy that will replace experience." - Josh Mills, C.K.DeLuxe January 2011 GenVibe MOTM
My British cars were never THAT cool!! I had MG Midgets Austin Healey Sprites and Triumph Spitfires (among other "lesser" British cars).They all had troubles of one kind or another. Bad Electronic systems (Lucas the Prince of Darkness) Shock absorber issues, fuel delivery, etc. The joke even back then was you had to have two cars. A British one to drive on weekends and a quality Japanese or German car to drive during the week while the British car was getting fixed for next weekends journey!British Leyland defined the terms and left these manufacturers whose names became public jokes looking like dependable quality transportation, FORD, FIAT, or any other derogatory manufacturer acronym! Dave.
What? You don't have a high regard for Lucus Quality Control???? Shocking Thats why if you wanted a true bugs in the teeth British roadster and you did not want to have a tech on the payroll to fix all the issue that cropped up then you bought a Mazda Miata which gave you all the goodness of a British roadster but none of the issues and lack of reliability.
I "rebuilt" two MGB's, and yes you certainly had to be willing to deal w/the unexpected. But it was possible to make them more reliable if you were willing to do a few things.First of all, most of the engines they used were very stout. Triumph and Healey used what were basically tractor engines. Very torquey and very strong bottom ends. MG engines were freer reving and if like me you made the mistake of using an early 3-main 18B engine, you were liable to find out its limitations pretty quickly. Once that one went bad, I dropped in a later 5-main and it was good to go.You have to expect to rewire the entire car, and use silicone grease LIBERALLY in all the connections for long life. Replace the Lucas electric fuel pump for an aftermarket unit... ANY AM pump would be an improvement.Use only Girling brake fluid. Any other brand will break down the natural rubber seals quickly and you'll develop leaks.There used to be a rear shock conversion to tube shocks. I'm sure someone still offers it. That took care of the leaky Armstrong "lever" shocks.If twin or triple SU carbs were too much, Weber and Makuni conversions were also available. And they both have accelerator pumps which SU and Stromberg's do not. Instant power increase.A Mallory Unilite distributor, or convert the Lucas unit using a Petronics unit.And there you have it!! Easy!! I did rewire both the '63 and '70 I owned, but didn't know about silicone grease then. For the time I had them, the electrical system was a non-issue. And I replaced the Lucas fuel pump too. That's as far as I got with either car due to time and money contraints at the time.The '63 was a beautiful car I had repainted in the original lighter, non-metallic BRG paint. It had the steel wheels w/moons which I much prefered over the wires and a lot less trouble too. I wish I still had that car. The '70 was the second one I had and it was a disappointment by comparison, though it did have a syncronized first gear the '63 did not have.
FJ's Garage Thread "There is no tool you can buy that will replace experience." - Josh Mills, C.K.DeLuxe January 2011 GenVibe MOTM
I heard that you could increase reliability and value in an MG by dropping a Toyota 20R engine in the thing. Of course putting a different company's engine in a British car seemed to increase its reliability. I had friends with Jags with Chevy 350's in them