Let's hear stories: how did you get your first cool car?

Actually it was complete and original V6 - and a POS in a complete and original way.
I cannot remember why - but I swear it had 2 carbs and I had to regularly drizzle
a few drops of oil on some leather thing in them or the leather would dry out and
the carbs would become erratic.... am I remembering the right car? It had LOTS
of issues, but looked cool so I didn't much care.

That Mercury Capri V6 was ROCKET! Used to do 300 foot 2 gear burnouts
That was right after I changed the engine and clutch (myself) and learned all about
stripping bolts and shearing off firewall heater connections

Jedi

 

Indeed a small world sometimes. My bro'in'law graduated a LONG time ago - I think it
was around 1984 (we're both 48). My son (a fellow F-Chatter - Son of Jedi) and
daughter live with their mom in Temperance, MI - you could WALK into Toledo, OH
from their house. Of course, I have no idea why you'd want to do that

It's a tiny farm town right on the border, with Sylvania and Toledo
on each side, essentially.

Jedi

 

......

I'm starting to suspect not..... TR7 pictured below - (Under)powered by a 4 banger. It was *terrible*! - From Wikipedia:

IIRC, someone (maybe here in the States?) made a little business for a while slotting in a V8 (?) which "livened it up" a little....

[Good job your name isn't Hamilton ]

I started on Mini's (of course!) but first wrenched on my elder cousins Frogeyes and Ford Anglias.

Cheers,
Ian
PS, to the OP - It seems you asked a good question! Welcome!
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My first car was a 1970 Datsun 240z that I bought when I was 17 for $900. It was a pretty good deal considering how expensive rust can be, because the whole underside of the car was rust. And it didn't run. My father and I towed it home. I worked on it every day until I got it running, then I took the plates off my moms car and drove it to the DQ. When I went to leave, it wouldn't start. I guess I got it running and made it home. I then started on the modifying. I turbocharged it and put some suspension on it and autocrossed it. There was so much rust that the big sway bars ripped holes into the subframe.
My next car was a Honda N600. I had just moved to CA to go to design school and I was looking for a car. I stopped at a supermarket and there was this 600 parked on the sidewalk in front of the store. I knew someone who worked there must have owned it so I asked the cart boy and it was his and I bought it for $600 right there. It was cool because someone had replaced the back seat with a deck, so I could put the seat way back (I am 6'6"). I put Yokohama A008's on the front and it had snow tires on the back so it could hang the tail out anywhere. I drove that car to PA but the motor blew in Nebraska. I towed it home and rebuilt the motor and drove it back to CA.
After that:
'67 Pontiac Bonneville (taken from my grandmother so she wouldn't try to drive)
Nissan 240SX
Mazda RX7 (2nd gen)
'90 Nissan 300ZX TT
Honda Del Sol
'83 Ferrari 308GTB QV (still own)
Honda Prelude
'97 Porsche Boxster
'02 Subaru WRX
'05 Mini S Convertible (still own)
'08 Subaru STi (still own)

The list feels a little short, but I did leave off the SUV's and minivan.

 

Very cool!

Ever considered an Atom? Quoting Clarkson:

?? Cheers,
Ian

 

I will share with you my experience of buying my 1st 1978 Ferrari 308GTS in 1992.
I was 28 years old at the time and I stopped at 7-11 for a slurpee on a July afternoon.
I also would buy the Autotrader every week and decided to buy an issue.
As I went back into my vehicle, I started to read the 308GTS ad because it was on the cover and I had been tracking this car for a few issues.
The price was now reduced from the asking of $55k to $45K.
I phoned the number in the ad and arranged to go see the car within 1 hour of reading the ad that afternoon.
This was a Friday and I told the seller that I was interested to buy the car after a Ferrari Mechanic friend of mine inspected the car Saturday morning.
Alessandro inspected the car on Saturday and we had a deal all worked out at $40K.
I picked up the car on Monday afternoon from the seller in Downtown Calgary during our Calgary Stampede festivities.
I will always remember driving away with the car on that beautiful July afternoon and the sound of the engine.
It was a lot of money for me at the time, but priceless as far as the rush and feeling of the experience driving the Ferrari.

I worked very hard doing concrete work in the business that I started myself when I was 19 years old. I had a goal of owning a Ferrari at an early age of 15. I did buy a 1984 Corvette before this Ferrari, but sold it after buying the 308GTS.

I have always been patient to wait for the right deal for me to come along, at the right price and color combo.
I still look for the right deal to come along, as I did with my 2001 F550 Barchetta.
I almost bought one 3 years ago and am glad I waited until Oct/09.
I think you have to be able to sleep comfortably at night in your car purchase, whether it cost $20K or $200K.

I would still buy and have looked at the 308GTS for a future purchase, it would bring back all the memories of my first Ferrari experience.

 

Friend of mine was in money trouble and wanted to sell his modified 200SX (240sx for you americans, but with a 4 pot turbo engine)

250 HP, fully stripped...horrible matt black paint. That said it was a comedy spec mobile. It wasn't exactly slow being completely stripped out (even sound insulation) and with the welded diff it was good for tail out action.

I was selling my quad and had a buyer, who then tried to steal it after sending multiple bouncing checks and kept wanting to pick it up . So couldn't pay for the car in the end and had to give it back .

 

Oh, I'd love an Atom, I'd love a lot of things, but I've only been able to spend more than $3,000 on a car once in my life, and I bought my current motorcycle instead, the only dealer-new vehicle I've ever owned. Passion for motorized fun is a lifestyle and one that can be lived on limited means, or nearly no means, if you work at it.

The Manx cost me $900 to buy and $50 to get running. The current engine is a '64 VW 1200cc flat-four, which put out 40hp when new and maybe 18hp now. Thankfully the entire car weighs 1012lbs. Acceleration is... well, it accelerates, and the top speed is 70mph, downhill... in a stiff tailwind. I drag raced a Plymouth Reliant once and totally pulled away in 1-2-3, but he caught me in 4th. But, with the weight and the tires, I almost never have to use the brakes to corner. I can roll up to almost any curve at speed and just turn in with my right foot on the floor. This is good because the brakes are also '64 vintage and drums all the way around.

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I've been saving my loose change for a couple years now and this year she's getting a present. I'm dropping $1000 on a stock 1600cc/60hp engine for it. Just in time too, the 1200cc unit has given up the ghost. After 45 years of life and 4 years of dealing with my immature, irresponsible antics, I don't blame it one bit. I can't even imagine what such an increase in hp will do for the car, but I can't wait to find out.

 

This is a great thread. To see how peoples tastes have evolved, continued or totally changed is great. Here my list (what I remember)

My first car was a 1969 Ford LTD. Had a 390 engine and was a blast. Bought it from my dad, who was trading it in and offered it to me for what the dealer was going to give him. At 15, it was a great lesson in needing to work to get what you desire. From there, I bought a 77 Firebird Esprit. Then came a new 1984 Shelby Charger. That was a fun ride. After that got two Porsche 924's. They were glorified VW's but, .... Then bought a new Camaro followed by an SVX by Subaru. At this point, I felt I could support a weekend car and bought a DeLorean. I truly loved that car and kept it for over 15 years. But then a chance to get a 308 arose and I had to take it. 5 years in and it still brings a smile to my face whenever I drive her. You know, it is nice out right now.....think I will go for a drive!

 

It will be much quicker with that 60hp 1600cc engine. Next will be an adjustable front end, so I can lower it, with disc brakes front and rear, then a freeway flyer transaxle. Then I'll need a 6-point cage before I put the cherry on top, a 150hp 2000+cc engine. Then it will be really something...

 

So you have never owned a car? Explain how this can be.

 

1978 Porsche 928 stick. Could not afford it at the time but bought it anyway. Brakes not so good, power left some to be desired, but nothing looks different like the 928. Later bought an 86 ... had two 928's at one time, very sick. Later bought a 90, that one had brakes that worked and near enough power. Last two were automatics, perfect for those cars, never in the wrong gear.

Now I have a California, power like you can't believe with computers that control it well. Brakes that are unbeatable, even by the Enzo. This is the definition of a 'cool car'.

 

My first sports car was a new 1977 280Z. I don't care what anybody says back then that was one hell of a lot of sports car for $3500.00. I sold it for what I paid for it a few years later and bought an XKE. That was the beginning of a long Jaguar run of 4 XKE's and 5 sedans including, 3.8S, Mark2, and Mark X. I traded a nice XKE straight accross in Eugene Or. in 1983, for a Maserati Mexico. That was traded for a Mercedes 190 SL. Then another 1971 XKE. It was at that point I saw close up a Ferrari 308, and my interests changed abruptly.

 

I guess it all depends on what 'cool' is.

1987 Honda Accord - not cool (though I really liked that car)

1990 Honda CRX Si - "I" thought it was cool as it was brand new and I was 21 years old. Super fun car to drive on the sunset twisties

1992 BMW 325is - Deep burgundy color. Beautiful and fun car. Again "I" thought it was cool

1995 BMW M3 - Okay this one was officially cool. Black on black. Stick. Loved this car. Drove it from LA to Miami a dozen or so times

1998 BMW M Roadster - Red. This one was cool too. Had the Dinan package and was a torque beast. Great car

2001 Dodge Viper RT/10 - Yellow. Very cool. My favorite car Ive ever owned

1998 Ferrari F355 Spyder - Yellow. Stick. hard to imagine anyone wouldnt consider it a cool car

2006 MB E55 - Black on black. Got a surprising amount of attention in LA. One day I was pulling up to a club and Shaq was out front. He points and yells 'Nice E55'. Ran into him later at Mels Drive in

 

I was 16 and subscribed to Road & Track. They had just come out with some sort of 10 best sports cars for under a certain price article I believe. And of course the Fiat 124 Spider was one of them. Had to have it!

Argued my case with dad who was and is a super-cool dude. The kinda guy that bought me a dirtbike when I was 6 so we could hang in the garage. The kinda guy that was too bothered to drive me to Boy Scouts when I was 12 so he threw me the keys to the family Toyota (that only happened a couple times, and we lived in a small town). Anyway, he pitched a $2500 loan offer to my mom on the couch one night. She turned away from 3's Company long enough to grunt out a "meh" or something to that effect.

Later that week she drove me to a nice firefighters house in Shoreline, WA for a minty 1972 Fiat with 75k on the clock. Last year of the bump-free hood, best year for power (1608cc rev-machine), etc., etc. If this car could talk !
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My first car (16 years old) was a 2003 silver Toyota Camry. I have incredible memories with that car....

A little more than a month ago at 18, I bought a 2001 black Boxster S. I worked at Outback for almost a year but most of the money came from educational scholarships. I got Bright Futures state scholarships and I also get a large lump of money each year as long as I'm in school from my Dad's cousin's company. Could I have saved it instead? Sure but it's more than worth it for me. Plus you have to remember, you're only SPENDING whatever the car will cost to fix or depreciate, the rest of your capital is just in another, more fun, form!!

Life is short, live it up.

 

I had just graduted from pharmacy school and received a 5 digit sign on bonus from my employer. I took the money and banked it until I passed my boards. I graduated in May 07 and passed my boards in July. I used my first paycheck combined with my sign on bonus to put a down payment on a 01 Dodge Viper. It was one of the best feelings after years of studying and living in some really nasty places to finally have a dream come true.

 

Well...I got a new job in 2008 that tripled my income--the job is based on straight commission (no base salary). I tried to do the right thing and buy a house. Bank said, "No, not until you've had 2 years on the job."

So, I used the down payment I was going to put on a new house as the down payment on my 1999 F355 Spider F1 in TdF Blue/Cuoio. Couldn't be happier!

As a second, "Hurray!", the builder was unable to sell any of the new homes because of the lack of lending (All "starter" homes and most first-time buyers don't have 20% in cash), so they leased me my brand-new home with a 2-year contract and we negotiated a price when we signed.

Contract expires in November of this year.

I LOVE MY 355!!!

 

It was not an easy road, but I persisted down this path and learned to offer the best possible service and products to my customers; and to be proud of my work.

I think that you will easily acheive what you set out to do.

Most car guys have the passion about what they own and drive, I don't really think that it is about one brand being better than another. To each their own, and if it makes you happy, all the power to you.

 

Hi AxerJk,

You started a "fun" thread - thx So let's see - - starting with my first car at age 14 1/2.

(1) 35 Ford 3 Window Coupe
(2) 48 Ford Deluxe Club Coupe with (extremely) built flathead. CC (cool car) but hot in the Summer !!
(3) 55 AH 100S with tube frame & Buick Century engine. CC and very FAST
(4) 48 Plymouth 4 dr sedan.
(5) 49 Dodge 4 dr sedan "Dudgie" CC
(6) an old Ford Falcon
(7) 70 Karmann Ghia coupe "Carminn". CC
(8) BMW 32somethingi Convertible & 70 VW Bus (for my sound equipment) Hated the BMW
(9) 64SC Porsche Cab "Ol' Grey" had her for 13 years & late GMC van (sound equipment) The P car was totally CC.
(10) 92 Saab Cab "Blackie" & Blown GMC Sierra truck "Whitey" (sound equipment) The truck was beastly fast & a CT.
(Currently) 92 Ferrari Mondial t Cab, Valeo "Rachel" & 01 Audi Allroad, APR chipped with SS exhaust and sway bars, "Miss Audi" (sold
the sound equipment, retired and now run my own business)........ i love both of them!!

That was a trip down memory lane

Cheers, Hank