First Car

10 November 2017 | Army Air Corps

[Army Air Corps]

Calling All Freeper Gearheads!

Let's talk about first cars! What was you first vehicle? What did you like most about the car? What drove you nuts? Do you wish that you still had it?

[MrsEmmaPeel]

1968 British Leyland Austin 1800 ( right hand drive). I nicknamed it: “Rain lover” (there was a famous race horse of the same name). It was named not for the horse, but for the rain. Every time it rained, or I happened to drive through the smallest of puddles, it would stall. I described it as the most comfortable car while waiting for the tow truck.

[Brooklyn Attitude]

1966 Ford Fairlane. It almost got me eaten by a leopard.

[Army Air Corps]

Okay, I gotta hear about this.

[Lee Enfield]

1966 Cadillac Calais. All the good and bad that can go with a $600.00 Cadillac.

[Army Air Corps]

Sounds like a temperament similar to the Austin 1100.

[Army Air Corps]

A nice, big piece of Detroit iron. The ‘66 Calais had an elegant body style.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

I read an article in Hot Rod magazine where some fella shoehorned a short block V-8 into one. He did have to beef-up the chassis, though.

Yes, but that would be more of a drag car. Not much fun in the corners with all that weight biased forward...a lot of "pushing".

Now an aluminum Rover (Buick) V-8 would be a different story.

[Brooklyn Attitude]

It was a hot summer day and I took my girlfriend to Great Escape drive through Safari in Jersey. It overheated and the engine died in leopard country. One of the park workers drove by and had me get out and open the hood then went off to get some water. I was standing there waiting as a line of cars was driving by. One guy started waving wildly and then opened his window and said something like “get back in the car you f’in idiot there’s a leopard!”. Sure enough one was starting to sneak up on me. I was oblivious and had forgotten where I was.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

Wow!

I had a Jag almost identical to that...same color. I restored it myself. It was a 1959 with the small oval rear window. The ex-wife sold it.

*Sigh*

[Army Air Corps]

Something like this should get your attention.

[Army Air Corps]

The ex-wife sold it.

I dislike your ex-wife, and I haven't even met her.

[imardmd1]

1950 Buick Super 4-door sedan, straight-8, column shift (no Dynaslush), midnight blue. The grille looked like it would bite you, hard. Paid $100 when it was 9 years old.

Loved it, made seat covers for it. It took me to school when I reentered engineering college, only 12 miles away. Started smoking blue a couple of years later. I did a full engine overhaul in the back yard. But I got one of the crank bearings installed wrong, and it blew out after only 100 miles.

Few people today have ever heard the soft, silky, sussurrating whine of a Buick many-toothed shift transmission as it was powered through first and second gears into third; or the richness of the deep-toned Delco radio (with the rotatable antenna fixed to the top center of the windshield frame). Still flat glass in the front windows, of course--curved came three or four years later.

Roomy, solid, luxurious, powerful, . . . I guess I just liked Dad's 1947 Super after riding through the war in a '37 Chevy. My next cars were a 1949 grey Super sedan (lasted only a couple of months, leaky dried-out seals on the Dynaflow), a 1952 2-door Special, and finally! a two-toned green 1957 hard-top with the V-8 engine that was introduced in the Buick line with the 1953 Century . . . the same engine of the 88 Olds. Boy! did I love that one!

Back then, Buick was quality, not stodgy, but the ride of the affluent (or pretending to be).

Wish I could go back, just for a day.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

Creative build, he did a nice job. The intake setup was interesting, but I think he’d be better off with EFI or a 4bbl.

Cross rams with 4 Weber sidedrafts would be kickass as well.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

I dislike your ex-wife, and I haven't even met her.

I think God got her for that.

[txnativegop]

1977 Chevy Malibu Classic 4-door (4-bbl 350). A gas-guzzling beast from the very bowels of Hades.

[HP8753]

1969 Olds Cutlass. Bought it from my sister for $300 in 1980 when she moved out of state.
It needed a timing chain and burnt oil like a mofo. Got about 100 miles to the quart of oil.
Passenger side door wouldnt open due to a fender bender she had.I wish I still had it.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

It looks totally stock with the hood shut. The genius of good custom work is to make it look like nothing happened. (must have been made that way)

[ROCKLOBSTER]

Oops, posted to myself.

[DanZ]

MGB - you are really touching on a soft spot of mine. Faults and all, I do love those cars.

MGB GT - Lovely cars. My first cad was a 72 Toyota Celica, My mom would not buy me the 914 next to in the Used Car lot that was back in '74

[Gil4]

1970 Plymouth Valiant It performed its primary purpose for which my parents gave it to me splendidly. I remained a virgin while I had it.

The Olds Custom Cruiser wagon my parents let me drive probably had the same intent. It was big and ugly, as was I, but wit the back seat folded down there was a full-sized bed back there when you added a couple of sleeping bags.