You and Your First Car - Page 7

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

@mustang66lady wrote:
@PINKdogWOOD wrote:
@sfnative Oh this is choice isn't it? What a beauty. I hope you still have your beetle, DH just this morning read in the newspaper Volkswagen has decided to not make Bugs anymore. Seems no one buys enough of them these days. How very sad.
@PINKdogWOOD
OH SNAP! You just made my day! I haven't heard anyone use the term "choice" in ages!

I hope your DH is mistaken about VW not making beetles anymore. I will never win a big lottery because I would probably spend it all on a collection of old muscle cars (even though a Beetle wasn't a muscle car, it still belongs). I am so happy reading this thread-thanks again @sfnative for starting it!

@PINKdogWOOD

@mustang66lady

I so agree about the word "Choice!" So many people use curse words these days to express what "Choice" expresses. "Choice" has a certain "je ne sais quoi" to it. We need to revitalize that word! Thanks so much for bringing it to the forefront! (Pristine is another.)

@Unfortunately, it's true about beetle production being d/c'd. @PINKdogWOOD Sending you good vibes so that you can WIN the lottery and purchase a beetle.

Biftu · ‎02-05-2011

@sfnative wrote:
@Biftu wrote:
My first car was a used 1963 racing green convertible MGB. It was a stick shift which I didn't even know how to drive! I had to have my friend drive it home from the dealers. I had to have that car! I practiced and practiced how to drive that car especially on hills. Such fun memories of that car jamming my shorter friends in the back which wasn't even a seat. People who owned MGBs would always wave to me when driving, it was like a special "club."
@Biftu

LOVE BRG MGBs!!! After I had my blue Beetle for some years, traded it in for a red MGB, which had a really hefty roll bar, with red convertible top. And, you're right about the back seat: it was more like a flat surface on the right and left and straight backs on both sides - carpet lined. That car had the lousiest rear suspension, though. Very dangerous going around curves in wet weather - not enough weight to give the wheels any grip. However, that gas tank was built "like a tank." I was driving up Portola Drive in San Francisco one day, had to stop in traffic, when all of a sudden, BAM! Was hit at high velocity from behind. The rear of my MGB went way up in the air, then plopped down, BAM! onto the pavement. Lucky I had a sea belt on, which were not required at the time. Got out of my car, with a good "mad on," expecting the entire back end of my MGB to be demolished, screaming at the driver of the car behind me. This is what I found.

A lady with 2 un-restrained pre-schoolers in the front seat was driving a brand new black Merces-Benz. She was bleeding and her kids were bleeding. She was going 45 mph, as she was paying attention to her kids, not the road. When she hit me, she had one split second to jam on the brakes, the nose of the Mercedes dove under my car, my car landed on top of the front of her car thereby demolishing everything under the hood, then my car bounched back off onto the pacement. You should have seen her car. The gas tank on my MBG did so much damage, her insurance company "totaled" her brand ner car. I must say I was blessed without not even a scratch or bit of a whiplash. Her insurance agent kept calling me asking, "Are you sure you're OK?" I was so fortunate that I always placed my trannie in neutral when stopped, or she would have taken out my transmission. Felt very blessed.

@sfnative What a story! Thanks for sharing. You sure were blessed. It was a fun car and since they stopped making them years ago they would probably we worth something today. In spite of your experience, I hope you had enjoyable times in that sporty car. I can't even imagine driving something like that today. Guess that's what youth is all about -- fearless.

RainCityWoman · ‎06-16-2015

I don't have any pictures. My dad bought me an old used 6 cylinder Ford Falcon to take to college. It was baby blue and in fairly good condition. I named it Desdemona. Very clean inside and not many dings on the exterior. It hung in there through sub zero winter weather, snow, not covered, then under cover....until the end of my junior year. My room mate and I drove it 300 miles across state and just before we arrived at my parents' home, it began making a horrible noise. My dad said he could hear it blocks and blocks away. Turns out I burned out the valves...not sure how, but I did. The next year I left it with my dad until the spring. He had had it fixed and was driving it instead of his huge two barreled 8 cylinder Buick to save on gas. It was a simpler time of automobiles then. Not a lot of bells and whistles, no computer chips, and repairs were fairly straight forward. Often my dad fixed things himself without taking it to a garage. However, humble as it was, that Falcon to me might as well have been a Cadillac. I was thrilled to have my own wheels at 18.

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

@Biftu wrote:
@sfnative wrote:
@Biftu wrote:
My first car was a used 1963 racing green convertible MGB. It was a stick shift which I didn't even know how to drive! I had to have my friend drive it home from the dealers. I had to have that car! I practiced and practiced how to drive that car especially on hills. Such fun memories of that car jamming my shorter friends in the back which wasn't even a seat. People who owned MGBs would always wave to me when driving, it was like a special "club."

@sfnative What a story! Thanks for sharing. You sure were blessed. It was a fun car and since they stopped making them years ago they would probably we worth something today. In spite of your experience, I hope you had enjoyable times in that sporty car. I can't even imagine driving something like that today. Guess that's what youth is all about -- fearless.

@Biftu

Oh, for sure they'd be worth big bucks today. We go to car shows once in a while and whince, followed by, "We should have kept it," referring to a plethora of British sports cars. Famous last words.

ItsME · ‎03-10-2010

@beckyb1012 wrote:
It was so different back then @ItsME. After the 98 another Dr. was selling a 1969 Buick Electric (the size of a BOAT) Mom bought that so I would be even safer if in a wreck. Right after the purchase cassette tape players came out and my younger brother said he could install one for me. Stupid thing caught on fire one day and since I was almost home I stuck my head out the window to see the highway and residential streets since the car had filled up with smoke. Called fire dept. to put it out. I was so dumb but I was only a few block from home and did not want to walk with my Candies on my feet. Fixed the car and drove another 18 months till it gave out. So big and ugly the entire Drill team could fit in the back seat.

That is too funny! Things we did as kids but look back and wonder "What was I thinking?"!

ItsME · ‎03-10-2010

@sfnative wrote:
I love the memories your have of your Buick Skylark. Am sure your brother and his friend did a great job of sanding and priming. Just not what you expected - right? Think I would have been rather furious at them. But...I guess you can look at it that they were protecting the body of your car, even if it did look like measles. I have a cousin who had a Skylark and it lasted forever. Just kept going and going.

Actually, they just thought it would be funny. And, while I wasn't too happy with them, I can see the humor in things. I decided that it just gave the car more character. LOL

BirkiLady · ‎02-22-2015

@sfnative Our family owned the Olds dealership at the time. Mom had always driven convertibles and felt no other car compared. That F-85 took some friends and me on many cross-country jaunts. Yes, it roared across the miles like a wild thing! We were kind of wild in those days (or so we thought!). We passed any vehicle in sight in order to get from Point A to Point B in the least amount of time. Each one of us received more than one speeding ticket while driving that flashy car; lots of laughter ensued each time! Who knew it was a Patrol Magnet? Certainly had great tans back in those days and never thought about sunscreens!

Money screams; wealth whispers.

Jordan2 · ‎03-16-2010

My first car was a used Pontiac Sunbird. I said I didn't want a yellow car, and you guessed it, it was yellow. It lived up to it's color as it was a lemon from day one! I bought this "great" car with my own hard earned money. It was bought from a private seller ( a mistake), my brother-in-law came with me to look at it. This was the first car I looked at, he didn't want to look at other cars, so I settled on this one. I always maintained that this car was good enough for me, but would never have been good enough for his sister. Karma came back on him because I would break down often with this car, and who do you think I would call for help, you guessed it, my brother-in-law! I never bought a used car again.

BirkiLady · ‎02-22-2015

@Nugbucker wrote:
I'm a huge fan of beautiful, old classic cars, so I'm really envious of you folks. Some seriously beautiful cars being mentioned here.
My first car wasn't nearly as cool as most of you here, but I sure loved it. I had a 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais, two-door, beautiful blue. Sadly it was totaled about a month and a half of driving it. I was hit head on by a kid going the wrong way in a one-way lane. I was fine, but I cried for that car.
I will say this- I was born in 1977, way too late to have had the chance to experience all the coolness of the cars before me. Cars today can't even compete with cars from the 50's and 60's, in my humble opinion.

@Nugbucker We bought a new Cutlass Calais for our son's 16th birthday in 1989. We debated about a silver model with an automatic (he didn't like it) or a burgendy model with a 5-speed, great sound system and a sun-roof (a "guys car" in his opinion). We bought the burgendy Cutlass. Those Cutlass Calais had nice clean lines. I always thought they had clean, classic lines in the '80's compared to other vehicles.

About six months later, he was rear-ended by a large truck and pushed under another truck. Totaled that Cutlass. He was devestated. We were delighted no one was hurt. Later, we found out the guy who rear-ended him didn't have insurance. Our insurance paid for another 1989 Cutlass for him, but he was never as happy with the second one (same color and features) as the original.

I'm sorry you and our son both had to deal with accidents at such young ages and with such favorite first vehicles. Guess it's part of growing up, but what a painful process. Best part of the lesson is so glad you were not hurt.

Money screams; wealth whispers.

jannabelle1 · ‎09-12-2010

1963 Plymouth Valiant, mint green in color....sexy it was not! Haha! My dad bought it for $400 when I was a sophomore in college. It had roll-up windows, no AC, no radio....but that wonderful mint green color! My dad told me it was a wonderful car with its "slant 6 engine" (whatever that was). I named her Valerie, and she was the most dependable car through some very tough Midwest winters, student teaching, first marriage and a move to another state. Sweet memories!