What Was Your First Car?

[pauljr]

Today, wouldn't you rather have the '66 goat?

Probably not, I've got a Miata now, guess that says what kind of stuff I like. I'm just hoping to be riding in an Elio before I take my last ride.

 

[Ekh]

My first car was a 1949 pontiac, for farm use only. My first proper car was a 1960 Ford Falcon, bright red, picked out by my dad. Rotten car. The next one was a 1962 Chevy Nova, "the Blue Beast of Ill Repute." It was OK, but the front end wouldn't stay aligned. The next car was a 1969 Opel Kadet, bought brand new at sticker price (I didn't know ANYTHING in those days). That car had its quirks, including the need for points every 2,000 miles and a permanently misaligned front end. As a grad student I had no money, so bought JC Whitney tools and started learning to fix it myself. Good investment.

After that life got more fun. I acquired a 1967 Marcos GT, plywood chassis, fiberglass body, 1500 lbs, and 114 hp engine -- a lemans car homologated by Jem Marsh and Cosworth (hence, Marcos). Went like stink and got 25 mpg. Your butt was the lowest thing on the car, 4.25" above the pavement. You couldn't roll it over, the center of gravity was somewhere under the road, and you drove it lying down and adjusted the pedals, not the seat. Electrics were Lucas, made even worse by the absence of a frame to ground through.

Next up a 1972 or 3 Porsche 911S 2.2 sidewinder. Two transmissions later it was parted out in favor of a Ford Fiesta (great car, really terrific -- eventually developed rust problems, but it was great while it lasted).

The list goes on, and on. Various junkers. 1983 Buck Skylark with a hotted up engine (piece of crap). Cars I loved: RX7, MR2 Turbo. One I tolerated: Passat. Currently driving a 2009 Subaru Forester. A work horse, always gets you there. Now, for the finale -- I WANT MY ELIO.

 

[JT16754]

I bought a '73 Mercury Capri for $750 with a mom and pop loan when I was 16. I remember it being fun to drive. It's major defect was I remember needing to replace front end bushings repeatedly because the front end would shimmy violently when I slowed down to a certain speed. It also had pop out rear windows. Someone yanked one window off and stole my speakers when I parked it in a bad neighborhood. I did learn a little on how to work on a car with it. Cars were a lot simpler then. I'm looking forward to be able to tool around with my Elio. I felt good when I sold it because I got $100 more for it than what I paid for it.

 

[Frim]

My first car was a 1949 pontiac, for farm use only. My first proper car was a 1960 Ford Falcon, bright red, picked out by my dad. Rotten car. The next one was a 1962 Chevy Nova, "the Blue Beast of Ill Repute." It was OK, but the front end wouldn't stay aligned. The next car was a 1969 Opel Kadet, bought brand new at sticker price (I didn't know ANYTHING in those days). That car had its quirks, including the need for points every 2,000 miles and a permanently misaligned front end. As a grad student I had no money, so bought JC Whitney tools and started learning to fix it myself. Good investment.

After that life got more fun. I acquired a 1967 Marcos GT, plywood chassis, fiberglass body, 1500 lbs, and 114 hp engine -- a lemans car homologated by Jem Marsh and Cosworth (hence, Marcos). Went like stink and got 25 mpg. Your butt was the lowest thing on the car, 4.25" above the pavement. You couldn't roll it over, the center of gravity was somewhere under the road, and you drove it lying down and adjusted the pedals, not the seat. Electrics were Lucas, made even worse by the absence of a frame to ground through.

Next up a 1972 or 3 Porsche 911S 2.2 sidewinder. Two transmissions later it was parted out in favor of a Ford Fiesta (great car, really terrific -- eventually developed rust problems, but it was great while it lasted).

The list goes on, and on. Various junkers. 1983 Buck Skylark with a hotted up engine (piece of crap). Cars I loved: RX7, MR2 Turbo. One I tolerated: Passat. Currently driving a 2009 Subaru Forester. A work horse, always gets you there. Now, for the finale -- I WANT MY ELIO.

My first car was a 1949 pontiac, for farm use only. My first proper car was a 1960 Ford Falcon, bright red, picked out by my dad. Rotten car. The next one was a 1962 Chevy Nova, "the Blue Beast of Ill Repute." It was OK, but the front end wouldn't stay aligned. The next car was a 1969 Opel Kadet, bought brand new at sticker price (I didn't know ANYTHING in those days). That car had its quirks, including the need for points every 2,000 miles and a permanently misaligned front end. As a grad student I had no money, so bought JC Whitney tools and started learning to fix it myself. Good investment.

After that life got more fun. I acquired a 1967 Marcos GT, plywood chassis, fiberglass body, 1500 lbs, and 114 hp engine -- a lemans car homologated by Jem Marsh and Cosworth (hence, Marcos). Went like stink and got 25 mpg. Your butt was the lowest thing on the car, 4.25" above the pavement. You couldn't roll it over, the center of gravity was somewhere under the road, and you drove it lying down and adjusted the pedals, not the seat. Electrics were Lucas, made even worse by the absence of a frame to ground through.

Next up a 1972 or 3 Porsche 911S 2.2 sidewinder. Two transmissions later it was parted out in favor of a Ford Fiesta (great car, really terrific -- eventually developed rust problems, but it was great while it lasted).

The list goes on, and on. Various junkers. 1983 Buck Skylark with a hotted up engine (piece of crap). Cars I loved: RX7, MR2 Turbo. One I tolerated: Passat. Currently driving a 2009 Subaru Forester. A work horse, always gets you there. Now, for the finale -- I WANT MY ELIO.

You have arrived. The Suby is the top of the line.

 

[Marshall]

My first car was a 1949 pontiac, for farm use only. My first proper car was a 1960 Ford Falcon, bright red, picked out by my dad. Rotten car. The next one was a 1962 Chevy Nova, "the Blue Beast of Ill Repute." It was OK, but the front end wouldn't stay aligned. The next car was a 1969 Opel Kadet, bought brand new at sticker price (I didn't know ANYTHING in those days). That car had its quirks, including the need for points every 2,000 miles and a permanently misaligned front end. As a grad student I had no money, so bought JC Whitney tools and started learning to fix it myself. Good investment.

After that life got more fun. I acquired a 1967 Marcos GT, plywood chassis, fiberglass body, 1500 lbs, and 114 hp engine -- a lemans car homologated by Jem Marsh and Cosworth (hence, Marcos). Went like stink and got 25 mpg. Your butt was the lowest thing on the car, 4.25" above the pavement. You couldn't roll it over, the center of gravity was somewhere under the road, and you drove it lying down and adjusted the pedals, not the seat. Electrics were Lucas, made even worse by the absence of a frame to ground through.

Next up a 1972 or 3 Porsche 911S 2.2 sidewinder. Two transmissions later it was parted out in favor of a Ford Fiesta (great car, really terrific -- eventually developed rust problems, but it was great while it lasted).

The list goes on, and on. Various junkers. 1983 Buck Skylark with a hotted up engine (piece of crap). Cars I loved: RX7, MR2 Turbo. One I tolerated: Passat. Currently driving a 2009 Subaru Forester. A work horse, always gets you there. Now, for the finale -- I WANT MY ELIO.

I'm trying to recall whether it was the fiesta or the rabbit which had the negative steering roll feature. It was strange to hit a pothole and have the wheel not jerk and if it did, it did it the wrong way.

 

[Ekh]

I'm trying to recall whether it was the fiesta or the rabbit which had the negative steering roll feature. It was strange to hit a pothole and have the wheel not jerk and if it did, it did it the wrong way.

I don't recall any particular bad behavior from the car -- so maybe it was the Rabbit. But this was 30 years ago ...

 

[Marshall]

I don't recall any particular bad behavior from the car -- so maybe it was the Rabbit. But this was 30 years ago ...

It wasn't a bad effect. In fact, they marketed it as an engineering feat. But I never saw it again. I think it might have been an accidental discovery they couldn't replicate..

 

[DailyLunatic]

What was your very first car?

My first was a 1982 Dodge Rampage. Looks like a Dodge Charger in the front, and a truck in the back. Red, 4 on the floor, racing stripes, two seats, and NOTHING under the hood...

Looks nice though and (as evident by my presence here) I've always been attracted to things a bit different...

-sterling

 

[Muzhik]

I'm trying to recall whether it was the fiesta or the rabbit which had the negative steering roll feature. It was strange to hit a pothole and have the wheel not jerk and if it did, it did it the wrong way.

I don't recall any pothole steering issues, and believe me, driving around Minnesota when I owned that car, potholes were required: if the road didn't have them, they put them in.

So my vote is for the Fiesta. Also due to the fact that I once heard the Car Talk guys on NPR describe the Fiesta as the only car that arrived from the showroom with its own funeral wreath.

 

[Pooter Case]

Wow~1952 PACKARD I wanted a Harley but my dad said no way !!!! So I named the car Harley. Well this way I did get my Harley