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Post by Calvin on Jul 23, 2014 11:05:01 GMT -5
Easy question. What was your first car or truck (Street)
Yours truly started out with a yellow 1980 GMC Pickup with an Oldsmobile 350 Rocket engine! It was so dusty that the dust was impregnated into the paint job!
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Post by kip on Jul 23, 2014 11:52:37 GMT -5
My first ride was a 1962 Mercury Comet, but with bucket seats, believe it or not. Every time I drove it more than 30 miles, something broke.
kip
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Post by sandysixtysfan on Jul 23, 2014 12:39:51 GMT -5
Around '69-70 my first car was a '64 Dodge Dart with a bench seat, push button automatic trans and the invincible Slant Six engine. Coming home from school one day the right front wheel bearing disintegrated. So with the wheel cocked over I kept driving the remaining few miles to home like a knucklehead. Once home I had to chisel the inner race off as the heat had welded it to the axel. Then I took a big course file and filed off the cut marks leaving a pretty chewed up axel. A new bearing (costing a few bucks) plus a pound or so of bearing grease and it worked great. The car gave great service for the years I had it.
Sandy
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Post by indy on Jul 23, 2014 12:59:06 GMT -5
 stock photo My (then) 97 year-old (living at the time) great grandfather's 1980 Buick Skylark sedan with the optional 115hp 2.8L V6 and 3-speed automatic transmission (base car was 2.5L V6 4-spd manual) with medium yellow paint and brown/tan interior. Some friends called it "the banana" but I thought it was a lighter yellow than that. I called her "Kat" because of one time I told her she was purring like a kitten going down the interstate. IIRC she averaged around 17/18 MPG and I'd yell at her for dropping into passing gear in the acceleration lane leaving high school because that was gas money I didn't want to spend LOL. The original tires that I inherited her with were old and they blew out on me one by one. One blowout sent the car fishtailing at 65mph as the tread flopped around the wheel, beating the fender in, and adding terrifying audible thumps to an already scary situation. The auto transmission also jerked heavily when shifting so I worked out a technique to throttle up a touch before a shift then back off while it shifted then immediately pick the throttle up to keep up the momentum - the trick took shifts from a potential whiplash injury to a barely noticeable tug. When I left for college in my 1990 Acura Integra GS with a 5-speed (I practically demanded a manual shift after the Skylark), Dad gave the car to Jon, a 21ish year old family friend, and he blew up the transmission within a few weeks. I surmised that Jon hadn't figured out the trick to make the car shift less violently so the transmission came apart from the constant abuse of bone jarring shifts. Jordan |
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Post by INDY22IAM on Jul 23, 2014 13:28:42 GMT -5
I will have to dig through and find a photo. My first ride was a 1977 Cutlass Supreme with t-tops. I was almost in love with that car.
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Post by IndyCarModels on Jul 23, 2014 14:10:00 GMT -5
1951 Plymouth with holes in the floor board that I tore up in about 3 months.
I then got a 1957 Pontiac that I just loved.
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Post by clm1545 on Jul 23, 2014 16:48:27 GMT -5
I'm with Terry. My first was a 1957 Pontiac Chiefton 2 door, 3 speed stick. It went quite well, but when you needed to stop, good luck. No disc brakes back then.
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Post by indydog on Jul 23, 2014 17:00:10 GMT -5
 A 1963 Dodge A330 Polara. It had a push button transmission and steering wheel that would have done a Mack proud. It was a great car and I loved it! |
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Post by harveythedog2 on Jul 23, 2014 17:06:34 GMT -5
1969 Firebird. My first and still my favorite to this day. Wish I still had it.
Stu
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Post by 2lapsdown on Jul 23, 2014 17:28:18 GMT -5
1970 Mach 1 purchased brand new. My dad told me I could have any car I wanted, but I had to pay for it. I had some friends take me to the local Ford dealership. When I told my dad what I'd bought I think he was more than a little surprised. I don't think that's quite what he had in mind. But hey, a deal's a deal, Right? I wish I had that car back!!
John
PS. Dad took it for a drive one night. When he came back he said "I think one of wheels needs balanced, it vibrates a little." I said "I know, but only after you hit 80" The look on his face was priceless.
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Post by IndyCarModels on Jul 23, 2014 17:42:10 GMT -5
I'm with Terry. My first was a 1957 Pontiac Chiefton 2 door, 3 speed stick. It went quite well, but when you needed to stop, good luck. No disc brakes back then. I had a Chiefton also but it had a Bonneville engine in it. I won a lot of drag races with it. Wish I still had it. |
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Post by INDY22IAM on Jul 23, 2014 18:37:47 GMT -5
 Picture of my true ride and my true love. I still have one out of the two. Hint it had 5 kids and we are still together after 22 years. |
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Post by INDY22IAM on Jul 23, 2014 18:39:22 GMT -5
I actually can't believe I let her sit on the car like that. Shows you when it comes to love it messes with your mind and importance.
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Post by smbrm on Jul 23, 2014 18:43:47 GMT -5
1969 Datsun 510, just like the Trans-Am Under 2 litre! Well, except for the extra doors and some other minor details!!!
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Post by dusfincher on Jul 23, 2014 18:47:09 GMT -5
I got an 86 IROC when I was 16 that I still have. With the exception of paint and a few 28 year old car problems it's still in great condition.
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Post by alterrenner on Jul 23, 2014 18:55:30 GMT -5
Big Iron, all of you. Even the 510 was big compared to my first car. My first car was an English Ford.
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Post by pntmachine on Jul 23, 2014 19:10:35 GMT -5
My first car was a 69 Olds 442. Growing up in Indy in the 70's which was a big drag racing town I of course had to throw handfulls of money in it for performance and street racing.
Kevin
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Post by ttocs78z28 on Jul 23, 2014 20:05:29 GMT -5
1971 Chevrolet Vega. Believe it or not the front fenders rusted thru under warranty. Then I went to the 1977 Indy 500 and saw the re-introduced Z28. The following year I bought one.
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Post by racerbrown on Jul 23, 2014 20:44:46 GMT -5
paid $400.00 for a '65 ford galaxie in '76 and boy what a turd that thing was.
duane
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Post by mjjracer on Jul 24, 2014 15:24:27 GMT -5
1969 Datsun 510, just like the Trans-Am Under 2 litre! Well, except for the extra doors and some other minor details!!! Almost - a '69 2 door 510 was my second car. Rooted on John Morton at RA from the roof. Had the dents to prove it. First car, in 1970, was a '67 Austin Healey Sprite. $800 cash money. Funny thing is, I'm 6'3", 200-something-something pounds. I was 6'4" and 180 back then. My step-dad asked when I was getting the one for my other foot. I drove that sucker from San Diego to northern Illinois in the middle of the summer. Only overheated most of the time. I can't imagine trying to sit in that car now, let alone drive 1500 miles. Coolest first car that I know of was my cousin - 6 months older than me. His dad promised him a certain car if he graduated high school. So, he did in '72 and got a '70 Boss 302 for it. I got a freaking worthless diploma! Harumph! Oh, and he still has it. MJ |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2014 16:13:14 GMT -5
 '68 Charger to commute to college. This is the Revell metal kit from their Bullitt series. |
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Post by mjjracer on Jul 24, 2014 16:24:26 GMT -5
'68 Charger to commute to college. This is the Revell metal kit from their Bullitt series. Ah, that was my parent's car, the one I learned to drive in. Even the same color with the vinyl top - except no Cragar mags and only the 318. Quite the shock going from that to a Sprite!  MJ |
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Post by jeffmasengale on Jul 24, 2014 16:27:46 GMT -5
In 1983 I bought a 13 year old used car for $1,200. I was so embarrassed to drive such a old car that after 3 years I bought a new '86 Camero.
I would give anything for that used 1970 Chevelle now days. Stupid kid.
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Post by smbrm on Jul 24, 2014 18:57:09 GMT -5
Top 9 Stories about that 1969 Datsun 510:
Cost $1300 with 50,000 miles and I took it to 80,000 miles.
9) You had to put new points in each tuneup. I finally discovered the dwell was not the same on each distributor cam lobe.
8) Had a radiator anchor break, causing a leak. When the rad was dipped to clean it before soldering the anchor, all the fins fell out!
7) Drove for a while with an interesting clunk in the rear end. The needle rollers in one of the CV joints had fallen out!
6) Pushed in the clutch one day and got a wet ankle! Clutch master cylinder seal failed.
5) Battery cable to starter solenoid burnt off one day when the solenoid shorted out. That turned it off really quick!
4) Was checking the brakes and wheel bearings in an automotive mechanics class. Discovered the front wheel bearings were tightened just right. Only problem was that in one front hub, the outer wheel bearing race had worn out in the hub. Needed a new hub!
3) It was white with black racing stripes. As it got older some things got rusty so black tremclad paint helped keep some of the rust in check. Looked cool with black bumpers and black rocker panels!
2) Knew I needed a new clutch when the car went slower and the engine faster when I went up a hill.
1) best story, however was the day I went to the parking lot and discovered from a distance another white 510 was parked next to mine. Couldn't figure out why the other one was so much more shiny than mine as it just gleamed in the sunshine. When I got closer I discovered why. The other 510 had been painted with gloss white enamel. Really shiny. Only problem was the entire car had been painted with a roller!!!
Traded it for a new 1976 Celica GT.
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Post by mjjracer on Jul 24, 2014 19:22:36 GMT -5
Top 9 Stories about that 1969 Datsun 510: Cost $1300 with 50,000 miles and I took it to 80,000 miles. 9) You had to put new points in each tuneup. I finally discovered the dwell was not the same on each distributor cam lobe. 8) Had a radiator anchor break, causing a leak. When the rad was dipped to clean it before soldering the anchor, all the fins fell out! 7) Drove for a while with an interesting clunk in the rear end. The needle rollers in one of the CV joints had fallen out! 6) Pushed in the clutch one day and got a wet ankle! Clutch master cylinder seal failed. 5) Battery cable to starter solenoid burnt off one day when the solenoid shorted out. That turned it off really quick! 4) Was checking the brakes and wheel bearings in an automotive mechanics class. Discovered the front wheel bearings were tightened just right. Only problem was that in one front hub, the outer wheel bearing race had worn out in the hub. Needed a new hub! 3) It was white with black racing stripes. As it got older some things got rusty so black tremclad paint helped keep some of the rust in check. Looked cool with black bumpers and black rocker panels! 2) Knew I needed a new clutch when the car went slower and the engine faster when I went up a hill. 1) best story, however was the day I went to the parking lot and discovered from a distance another white 510 was parked next to mine. Couldn't figure out why the other one was so much more shiny than mine as it just gleamed in the sunshine. When I got closer I discovered why. The other 510 had been painted with gloss white enamel. Really shiny. Only problem was the entire car had been painted with a roller!!! Traded it for a new 1976 Celica GT. Wow, mine was dead on reliable. Of course, in So.Cal, no problem with rust. And it was only 2 years old when I got it (for $1100 - good deal!) I remember changing the points, rebuilding the carb, replacing the water pump, all amazingly easy. Really loved that car... MJ |
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rusty
Hot Shoe
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Post by rusty on Jul 24, 2014 20:22:15 GMT -5
A hand me down 1998 ford escort ZX2 from my mum. Totaled it on the mailbox of doom about a year later.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2014 20:55:41 GMT -5
A 1960 Corvair 4-door with snow tires on the front. Paid 50$, drove it for 2 months, and sold it for 60$. Only car I've ever made money on !!
Tom T.
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