first cars

1997 pontiac sunfire, bright red. lol, that was a great car, my friends kept ragging on me because of the color, it was a hand me down, it was first my dad's, then my mom's, then my sisters, and by the time we sold it 2 years ago, it was about to blow up. lol, i've since upgraded to a malibu, a much better upgrade.

 

My first was a 1986 Monte Carlo SS. I loved that car, and when I get time plan to buy another one to toy with.

 

First car. 1998 Mercedes CLK320 brand spanking new. Totaled it 10 months later. Not my fault, something slippery and a too much gas in a turn at 8 miles an hour. Spun out and hit a tree.

 

Hey, with TR6 running gear, Triumph Herald suspension and most bits n' pieces from the British Leyland parts shelf, it was easy to keep running and the body was fiberglass....no rust.
Thank G-d for places like Victoria British, Moss Motors, etc.

 

Triumph TR4 BRG, targa top, wire wheels great car...when it ran. Learned alot about cars on that one. I think I was 17 at the time. Traded a friend for his 55 BelAir 2dr hdtp with a corvette engine oooh ahhhh. regards, Vern

 

1986 GTI in 1989.

 

1986 C4 Corvette. 1989.

Flattened by a parking garage thanks to hurricane Andrew in 92.

 

The first car I ever owned was Italian. It breathed air through a Webber carburetor and gripped the road with an all-round independent suspension and Pirelli tires. It was red, as in arrest-me-red, and with the sun roof open it was easy to wave back at the ogling horde of excited girls.

(About now the zippy music dies and something on an organ grinder takes over.....)

Only there was no horde. And if there was, it certainly wasn’t composed of excited girls. And a closed sun roof did not explain the absence of all the above, no, it was because the car was ....... a Fiat 500.

A 1972 Fiat 500D to be exact.

For those who do not know, the Fiat 500 was an upturned jelly mold with a two cylinder 498 c.c. engine stuffed behind the rear wheels. It was so basic it made East Block cars look good, but it had its own charms. Speed wasn’t one of them. I once did 80 mph (indicated by the optimist-o-meter on the dash, the only dial) slipstreaming a truck down a long hill outside of Le Harvre, but that nosebleed aside, it struggled to break 59 mph. The only speed the car hand was the speed with which rust ate through the bodywork, today’s bubble at the base of the windscreen pillar becoming the next morning’s hanging fender. Unchecked, the hanging fender would transmute itself, through an alchemy of Italian oxidation, into the afternoon’s ant hill of red powder plus four tires and a few rubber brake hoses. It was amazing. You didn’t need to watch T.V., you just went outside after a rain shower and watched your car bond with the planet.


The Fiat 500 had a crash gearbox (very useful if you ended up driving agricultural machinery or formula racing cars for a living) and drum brakes. Applying the anchors, during moments of stress, felt like pushing a small stick against a steel printing press roll during the height of the morning’s edition. You were doing something, that was for sure, only Newton aside, your something might have no affect an the whole. It soon became obvious why the front of the car was pretty much flat. Had they not designed it that way it would soon have become that way - anyway.

It was built and sold between 1957 and 1975 with 3.6 million copies gracing the roads, so even with the rust problem it was easy to get parts, which was good, because it needed a few. The high tension system always gave problems with the condenser inside the distributor being the chief culprit. I suspect that the air-cooled nature of the motor caused that particular component to get to hot and fail. Either way the main symptom was a complete refusal to start. The motor would run over in that hurried way that fooled you into thinking ignition was at the next turn of the crank, or the next, or the next ..... Eventually one learned that even pushing the car down the North Face of the Eiger wouldn’t get it to fire, no, one had to get out and change the damn thing in a rain storm to keep going.

Bliss.

Cruise control? Sure! It had a hand throttle, a sort of wire loop you could pull out to keep you going on the Autostrada while you made sandwiches and pulled open a bottle of Chianti. This allowed one, if you were really stupid, to put the car in second gear, open the sun roof, and then climb out and sit on the roof, feet on the steering wheel, and admire the passing view. And count the shaking fists of others also on the road. It was fine for 5:00 a.m. on a summer morning, on the way back home, but for social reasons, couldn’t be used elsewhere or else when.

I loved that car. I drove it across Europe, Italy to Ireland, and very few bits fell off along the way. Well, bits that one really needed. Come to think of it there was a time......

I was somewhere near Cannes on the Autoroute, flogging south, when the shriek of an abused two cylinder engine pushed to the edge of valve bounce changed and grew deeper. What was that?
Ah, it was only a snapping exhaust pipe, nothing much to worry about!
On I continued, enjoying the racy sound of a half muffled bang every other revolution, and putting no thought into the long term consequences of the failure. You see each cylinder had a bit of plumbing that found it’s way down to a muffler at the back of the engine. With one side broken the muffler was rhythmically pulsed back and forth, a condition that far exceeded the tin ware that held it in place. Before long the other pipe gave out and my 500 c.c. donkey suddenly started to sound like a Merlin with both superchargers operating. Half deafened, I glanced in the mirror, checking for the telltale blue smoke of a burst gasket - one got lots of those- , and was suddenly stuck by the sight of the oval muffler parting company with the rest of the car and disappearing back down the road. It bounced twice, and then, just as a Mercedes driven by a swarthy crew flew over it, the welded flange caught the road and it bounced UP, as in a bid for orbit. And up it went. Right through the radiator of the Mercedes, leaving the chrome grill work untouched but smashing the core and turning the car behind into a comet of steam.

Good Lord!!

There was only one thing to do! Stop, walk back, explain to all those heavy set gentlemen that it was all my fault! Fit a new radiator (which would fall to hand) while they joshed each other and played boules by the side of the autoroute. I glanced back and saw, through the gush of steam, glaring eyes and a steering wheel held by knuckles the size of my head. Perhaps a spot of egg white would do the job? They could manage that. Perhaps they had a handy tin of rad-weld in the trunk, between the cosh, the body and the firearms.

While my brain tried to process the correct etiquette my right foot did the thinking, planting itself heavily on the accelerator and not letting go as the Mercedes slowed and ground to a halt by the side of the road.

Over thirty years later I still have twinges of guilt as I fall asleep, particularly as they might still be there, the armco barrier and the whoosh - whoosh of traffic pinning them in the car to this day. I wonder at what point their collective beard growth will force someone out through a window......

I sold the Fiat 500 for 375 quid to someone I once knew. He is currently in great health - it’s all the walking his purchase made him to do.

But does he thank me??

 

not so exciting but...
-85 Transam (knight rider car) when I was 17.
-99 Corvette at 19 until present (Porsche is my older brother's).
-Plan to Upgrade to a Viper RT/10 after my first year of residency (next year)...and then hit the Italian market a few years later (by 30)

 

1st car was a 1987 Toyota Celica GTS. 5 Speed manual (had to teach myself how to drive). That car was great till I got T-Boned by an '89 suburban..

oh well

 

Kram,

That post had me rolling laughing! Do you write professionally? If not I am positive that there's a magazine out there that would be happy to take you on as an occasional correspondent. That's a fabulous tale!

 

+1 Kram, great read. And you have moved very high up with that beautiful 250! Gives me hope... 19 and still no car although presumably my dad's 1992 Tercel Deluxe will be passed down to me when my little sister goes to college.

 

2005 GMC Jimmy, its not very fast or flashy but it can take a gravel road like no other!

 

1966 Ford Mustang Red/Black interior 289 4 on the floor.

Bought it from the original owner and it is still in my garage today 28 years later.

 

1969 Chevelle

When I got it, it was in somewhat original condition. It came with a rebuilt 350 engine completely stock with that garbage Rodchester carb on it. The only oddity was the TH400 trans. The most unique factory installation was the 396 SS interior, which included bucket seats and shift on the floor. Factory A/C was ordered on the car too, but the compressor was taken out. Factory air must have been a rarity, because the most difficult, impossible part to find on that entire car was the 6 prong A/C switch. 4 prong switches were available at a dime a dozen, but nobody seemed to know anything about that switch.

I built it up with the complete Edelbrock power package from the carb all the way down to the headers. The car had power and torque to roast a brand new set of tires with ease. I found another A/C compressor and the matching brackets and recharged the A/C. I could take the belt on and off easily if I wanted that extra power. This car was my DD and I needed releif from sweltering summers.

I learned about emergency situations very quickly with that car. As 24+ year old parts began to fail leaving me stranded, I learned how to rig it up just enough to get me to the nearest phone, parts shop, etc. The week I installed the ignition kit, my distributor cap blew. Another instance the battery cable insulation melted and shorted through the header and completed the circuit for the battery, lots of white smoke happened. I learned that not every engine is ready for full synthetic oil, just all sorts of fun things with that car. The wildest ride of my life was when the drivers side ball joint gave out on the freeway at around 60mph. I managed to save it without rolling it and get it off to the shoulder. Nothing will ever prepare you for that sort of instance. Once bugs were ironed out and parts replaced, over time it became that much more reliable. I really enjoyed that car beleive it or not.

 

I have had about 35 cars in the last 10 years, but here are some highlights.

First Car:
1954 Ford Crestline I bought it when I was 14 for $150.00, it was in a barn down the road.

First Car I owned and was licensed to drive:
1967 Ford Galaxie 500 2-door, No Post, 390 V8.

Car I wish I still had:
1962 Austin Healey equp with a Thomas Denner Bonnet, RHD 1275cc motor

Current Project(s)

1967 Moretti 124 2+2
1967 Fiat 850 Coupe

Next carI hope)
Maserati Spider

Mike Satterfield
Rancho Cucamonga,CA

 

1991 mitsubishi Mirage four door......no airbags and no power steering

 

1989 Chrysler New Yorker. I got it from my Grandmother who had two cars at the time and really had no business driving either of them. I appreciated it at the time but later grew to hate it as I became more interested in cars. It wasn't terribly fast but it had every option (including notoriously comfy leather seats), thus it was a popular "night-out" car.

By the time I traded it (and I'm using the term "trade" loosely) for the C36 it puffed blue smoke and leaked pretty much every vital fluid you could pour into it, but the body was in great shape. Last time I saw the VIN it was for sale at a dealer about 30 miles from my home, but that was 3 years ago.

 

67 Camaro, $250 in 1975.

 

1974 Triumph Spitfire

No power, but could turn on a dime.

Loved the story, Kram. Excellent job.

 

1981 Datsun Maxima diesel. 77 mph top speed, 15 mph top speed going up the mountain in NC. Made lots of smoke when you dropped it into nd gear on the highway for thise that were tailgating you . It also was one of the cars that talked 'The door is ajar' etc...

BT

 

1970 Camaro split bumper. I still have it and it still runs! It has the giant IROC flares and a fiberglass front end. I loved road racing cars but getting parts for this car with that end in mind was impossible in 1978. So I found the stiffest springs I could find in the salvage yard that would fit the car (from an old Chevy ambulance), the thickest rear sway bar that would fit (from the front of some giant station wagon), etc. I auto crossed the car but this got boring quick and thereafter drove it around Shelby Forest late at night when it needed exercise.

I recently bought a roll cage had it painted red and have a new transmission for it and will be driving it on the street again....soon. Purchased it when I was 15 for 1100.00, 1978.

A true story:

I fell asleep after staying awake for two days studying for an "advanced math" test in college. Got pegged for something like 10 mph over in a Memphis police crackdown on unsafe drivers. Somehow the car spun the tires a little bit after I had received my reminder to drive safely and the chase began! About three corners later they couldn't find the car because I had parked it in somebody's driveway, pulled the hood off and stood it up in front of the car. Two cop cars drove right by it going somewhat above the speed limit.

An hour later I figure they will have given up, no quite. Got tagged about ten seconds after getting back on the road.

While sitting cuffed in the back counted 13 cop cars and said "13 cop cars and a helicopter, this must be my lucky day". One of the cops pulled my calculator out of my car and stole it right in front of us. It had alot of my work in it and I couldn't believe this happened. I yelled at him and asked how he liked my calculator and he tossed it back in the car (LCD display).

Anyway, later my Mom and Dad came to jail to pick up the criminal. "If this is the worst thing you ever do you'll be just fine." Killed the test the next day, had a good laugh with the teacher when he saw the ticket. I will never forget how well my parents handled this. I can't remember anything that I learned for that test.

ken

 

425ci, no emission controls. 4-6 mpg when driving to school and home.
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1962 Chevy Nova.

6 CYL
powerglide.


It WOULD not break. I tried.



Darrell.

 

1978 MGB. Pageant Blue with tan interior. Got it in 1992....my dad's first car when he started working was a late-60's MGB, so when it came time for me to get a car, he suggested a B. We found one a few weeks later, and I have been a car nut ever since!
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