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

Respect the car and drive it in good health. They are amazing machines.

 

First car was a 1970 Chevy truck at age 15, couldn't drive it without a license. Then at 16 found a 1968 firebird in a barn, it had sunk into the dirt so far I couldn't open the doors so I had to dig it out with a shovel and drag it home. Then a 1967 Catalina, drove that one home but pulled the motor and rebuilt it and stuck it in the firebird. That car was insane fast, would pull the front off the ground until the rear bumper would hit the ground, and fire would burn out of the side exhaust, but with such a big cam it would barely idle.

 

That's the way to do it, Brian! I drove my Dad's spare '52 Chevy after turning 16 until he helped me buy a creampuff '67 Skylark with fender skirts and auto with stick on the console for $1200 in about 1971. Not fast, but I thought it was cool but funny to think of now. I always wanted a '68 GTO, but after getting a real job, I consoled myself with a '74 Vette that was 9 mo. old when I bought it. Then a '71 Iso Grifo in 1976, and a '65 275GTB in 1978! Followed by 10yrs of restoration

 

I went to the local Dodge dealership and paid sticker ( $10,124.00 ) for a brand new 1985 Dodge Shelby Charger....Red / Silver. I kinda wish that I still had that car.


Geffen

 

When I was 12 my older cousins, whom I looked up to, had Ford Mustangs and Ford Capris (mid 80's) and those cars along with the Iroc's and Trans AM's were the hottest thing going. That was when I decided I wanted a Mustang GT. Got my first part-time job at age 15, saved up for 3 years, and when I was 18 years old in 1990 I bought a 1988 Ford Mustang GT for $11,500.00....man that brings back some fond memories

 

OK - I'll add mine.

In 2004 I bought a Bourget Low Blow Chopper motorcycle. Beautiful bike that I put 7000 trouble free miles on. Come 2005, I decided to sell it. So, I put an ad in traderonline. No takers. No calls. Nothing. So, after thinking about things for a few weeks, I call the Auto Toy Store in Florida. Yes, they'll take bikes in on trade. So, I asked if they had any Vipers in stock. You bet. A week or so later, I had a 2001 RT/10 Viper in my garage in sapphire blue.

Mike

 

The summer between college and grad school my wife and I had to move to Boston two months early in order to get student housing. Moving from Hawaii to Boston basically meant selling everything and starting over, and we got there with a hand-me-down bed, a recliner chair from my grandpa, kitchenware and about $100 cash. No credit cards really. It was two months before I'd get my first loan disbursement.

We applied for jobs like crazy and since we couldn't afford gas or internet we walked to the library every day to get 29 minutes each on the internet looking for jobs. We also did 60-90 minute surveys for $2-5 each at this poll station at the mall every day. We literally ate Wonderbread and peanut butter for a week straight. Then, in one week, I got a full-time and two part time jobs (nights and weekend) and my wife got a full time job. We went from $0 to about $5k/mo in three weeks flat with absolutely no connections in the city, and the next week we walked into a Subaru dealer and drove a new WRX off the lot. That felt pretty awesome.

 

Got our first sports car in 07. Ferrari Mondial t. The stars lined up and we went for it.

The path...

Tiziana (In Italy)> Fial Panda> Renault super 5

Me (in Florida)> 67 Morris Minor>64 Chevy 10 pickup>84 Olds 88

Together > 91 Toyota Tercel>98 Subi Wagon>04 Scion XB>92 Ferrari Mondial t> 66 Fiat 500

 

No matter what you end up doing or buying, saving as much as you can while living with your parents is a great idea.

 

1) 1968 Impala convertible (16 y.o. I've got a car as big as a whale and its about to set sail)
2) 1973 Firebird 400 small block
3) 1973 Citroen SM
4) 1979 Camaro (1,2,3,4, B*tchin Camaro....
5) Bertone Volvo (The intelligent car for ignotant people, the misspelling is intentional)
6) Guisepe Fiat (1976 Fiat 124)
7) Alfredo Fiat (1980 124)
8) Peggy the Mustang (1971 Grande that my Grandmother bought in 1971. 351C 240 h.p.
I still have this car and always greet her with a smile.)
9) P.I.T.A. Fiat (1978 124 from hell)
10) 365 GT 2+2
11) TBD

Since my father was a car person, he never had a problem fronting me for car purchases as a kid. He helped me with the first four cars and was never too concerned about getting all of his money back as long as I did some/most of the maintenance.
#1 and #2 were destroyed through no fault of my own. I was T-boned by an old fart in the Impala(a.k.a. the great red shark a la Hunter Thompson) and rear ended by a drunk in the Firebird. I learned that just because I have the light doesn't mean the other driver will acknowledge this.
#3 The SM was in some ways my crowning achievement in that not only did I pay my father back all of the money, I actually got to drive it for a year, have the hydropneumatic suspension fixed, and broke even! I also loved this car because I got to P.O. a 308 driver at the 1989 FCA meet with this car at R.A. I could beat him in the corners and hang on to my lead into turn one. He hated the fact that some P.O.S. Citroen and some 18 y.o. kid was beating him.
#4 was a great long distance road car and it took me to college and back numerous times as well as a few road trips to Canada.
#5 This car put me too sleep but I bought #5 when I was 19 to flip for a profit and actually did make $300.
#6 and #7 are two of my favorites even though they came to bad ends (as all FIATs driven in winter will).
#8 (Peggy) always makes me think of going to morning swim practice as a kid. My grandmother (Peggy) bought this car because my grandfather always bought "old lady cars" for my grandmother. My grandmother died from cancer shortly after she bought this car. My grandfather kept it and rarely drove it because he always felt badly that he didn't buy her the Cadillac convertible she wanted. My grandfather gave me this car when I bought my first house.
All of these cars were fun except #9 which was one of the few that really cost me any money.
Car # 10 is my 1969 365 GT 2+2 that was my father's. When he died it became mine. With any luck when I die it will become my son's.
These are just some of the women in my life (Randy Newman)

 

The Iso Grifo is a cool looking car, But I think the fender skirts would be hanging in the garage though!

 

Hey AxerJk - I'm impressed how long this thread has gone. You've done well
with this one. You an ok guy! SO many threads like this have died a painful
death... May it live on. Good job.

Jedi

 

In high school my first car was a 1999 Dodge Durango. Still love it to this day because it was my first car but my parents made me get rid of it because of too many "incidents" that included putting it into a pond. Young + Dumb + 4x4 wasnt a success for me. Then i had a 2000 dodge intrpid, a 2001 Ford Taurus. Now i sit with a truck that i hope ill have for a long time cause i love it that much. A 2005 Ford F-150 XLT. Its also something that i havent been able to get stuck....yet. I dont know what my future holds but hopefully a 360 CS is in line once i finish college in 2 months and get working.

 

My first cool car was a 1963 Corvair Monza, black vinyl buckets, four on the floor. My dad gave it to my sister and me in 1971. She wrecked it and lost her license, so from that point on, it was dented, but it was all mine -- until oil on the engine caught fire at a gas station. Loved that car. The rest:

’64 Ford Galaxie (paid $200 in 1973, earned in summer jobs; very fast); ’67 Pontiac Safari wagon (very big); ’68 VW Beetle (with a/c; had to remove it to drive); ’79 Chevy pickup (first brand-new vehicle); ’81 Buick Skylark (totaled while stopped at a traffic light); ’83 Buick LeSabre (mediocre); ’85 BMW 318i (bad car); ’86 Volvo 240 (worse car); ’87 Acura Legend (sweet); ’91 Acura Legend (semi-lemon); ’93 Ford Explorer (well-engineered junk); ’92 Lexus LS400 (still on the road, looks new, drives great); ’99 Porsche Boxster (first really cool car); ’02 Porsche 911 Coupe; ’04 Mercedes E500 (bad karma); ’05 Honda Ridgeline; ’05 Porsche 911S Cab (still own); ’08 Acura MDX; ’08 Mazdaspeed 3 (still own; best drive for the money, bar none); ’09 BMW 335d (still own); ’10 Ferrari California (as of next week).

Whew.

 

65 mustang fastback, 289, 4 speed, no power steering, no power brakes, 3:50 posi rear end, Eleanor paint job, red pony interior and a Gadsden flag front licence plate (+20 horse power) to top it off. I loved my milf, but sold her to a milf in mountain view. Being 23 I always was asked if that was my dads car (very frustrating).

 

Great photos. Thanks. I take delivery next week. I'll definitely post.

 

First car was a 69 Austin America with hydrualic suspension--did not last long tree at 45 mph and gone but the seat belts worked.
While in school various Datsuns Volvos and Fiats with a couple nice cars in the middle--rebuilt wrecks and theft recovery to pay way through school--Porsche 914 2.0 L was first mid-engined but as student could not afford to insure--they wanted me to buy it every year--and dad said I did not need the 308 that had crunched front after 300 ft of skid marks before rear ending car runnign 70 on interstate--Moms 440 powered Plymouth Sport Suburban wagon with 4.10 sure grip and heavest suspension could get taught me a big car could run and handle--75 Eldorado convertible was big disapointment after that-- 501 CID and sluggish and could not handle. Out of school went with 71 Fiat 124 Spyder when got married had that and a 76 X1/9. Then came house in country wife and kids so to pickups for me till a bit more established. Went through a Chrysler stage first was 66 Newyorker with 440 and some suspension stiffening then added 68 and 66 Newport convertibles all 3 still in shed--Like big block Chryslers for cruising. Then with gas prices back up more X 1/9s 85 and 87 now in fleet although this morn question was what to drive to work X 1/9 or Mondial--the X sat.
Current interest cars are Chrysler 66 New Yorker, 66, 68 Newport Convertibles, 85, 87 Bertone X1/9, and 82 Mondial 8. With some Chrysler and Bertone parts cars down the hill.
Other drivers for me Dodge 2500 V10 4x4 when need capability or Jeep Compass for light duty rain work. Wife and younger daughter in Volvos by their choice. Older daughter in Dakota.

 

Absolutely - now is the time to do it while you have no expenses....that's exactly how I did it.

 

+1

 

I've got two stories. My first ever new car purchase was a Toyota Corolla SR-5 Liftback (designed by Guigaro) which I totaled. So I saw a 1976 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV Mario Andretti Limited Edition (splitter, rear spoiler, Konis, better carpet) that I thrased the heck out of. Remember Alfa/Andretti won the World Championship of Makes.

That led to a 66 Duetto, a Bertone 74 GTV, and then a brand new GTV-6.

Then I got married, got a Honda, bought first house, bought next house, bought investment property, had kids and started college savings.

So in year seven of marriage, I tell the wife-I've got the seven year itch, I'm getting a sports car or a girlfriend.

Five Porsches later . . .

 

My cool car story started when I was 15. My mom had a '91 BMW 735i at the time and while my parents were very supportive of me getting my license (to shuttle around my little brother, of course), they were not too fond of me learning on their car. I took that window of opportunity begin purchasing Sports Car Trader every week.

Things were going great as a I slowly, but diligently, wore down my parents' objections. Then it happened. My brother's baseball coach stopped by the house and somehow the conversation came to looking at cars for me. He kept referring to a car he had for sale as "the silver Mercedes" and remarked that it would be perfect for me. In my excite I had completely missed the sarcasm dripping from the name began to fantasize about being Tom Cruise in the The Firm, gliding down picturesque backroads in an E-class convertible with Jeanne Tripplehorn in the passenger seat. The "silver Mercedes" turned out to be a silver '80 Honda Civic Wagon with a 2-speed Hondamatic transmission. Fortunately, my dad, reading my face, told me "Don't worry...I'm not *that* mean."

A few days later he saw an ad in the newspaper from a Ford dealership for an '87 BMW 325is. The black paint was oxidized and it had a lot of miles -- but it was loaded with options, the engine was a strong, a furrow into the glovebox revealed complete service records, and an independent mechanic said it needed a transmission seal and that was it. I loved that car -- the turbine-like inline 6 (I even had one of the first Conforti chips, Jim himself talked me through the installation over the phone), BBS basket weave wheels, and a stock stereo that had speakers with separates. I particularly driving through Live Oak Canyon on chilly fall days with the windows down, sunroof open, and heater on -- a pastime that would eventually lead to the car's demise.

Next I got a Porsche 944 (still own) and in 2003 bought a brand-new (my first and probably last new car) Subaru WRX (still own).

No one here has talked about their *next* cool car. I'm looking for something classic. While part of me says to just get a great cruiser, I know deep down I like cars that are more stiffly sprung with sporting ambitions. I'm thinking either a 308 (QV or GT/4) or a Porsche 930, the latter of which I've wanted since they were new.

 

I bought a used 71 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe from a friend.
Amazing thing is that we're still friends almost forty years on.