At 13 my dad bought me a 1957 Chevy Bel-air as a "garage" car to learn about cars and tools. I did body work, welding, took apart the engine and figured out how everything worked. great long lasting experience. I did have pics but they are long gone. It was used as a senior prank. It was cut in half and placed on either side of a chain link fence behind the school.
I dont have any pictures-it was a long time ago-about 1962 I worked all summer in the junkyard down the road from my folks place and old Charlie Stebbins the owner paid me with a 49 Cadillac-331,3sp manual.I was 12.I had a GREAT time beating that thing to death on the dirt roads in that part of rural Florida.Wish I had it now----
I always hate these threads. I didn't have a camera when I was a kid. If I had any cash after my bills were paid it went into my car. never the less it is embarrassing but my first car was a '59 English Reilly. bought for 25 bucks when I was 14, smoked so bad when I drove it home that I had to hang my head out the window Fire ball Roberts style. But it had dual carbs, a burl dash and a tach from the factory.
My first car, purchased 41 years ago this month for $500, was (OT by one year) a '66 Caprice 2 dr hdtp with a 396, Turbo 400, 3:23 gears, factory bucket seats and console with gauges. First engine rebuild, first brake job, first front suspension rebuild, etc, were all done on this car.
At 16 years old, my first car was a 1964 Olds Dynamic 88 with a 394. I saved my money from doing yard work ($2/hr) and bought the car from friends of my parents that I had known all my life. I paid $200 for it. They went out and bought a new Olds. A year or so later, the wife of this couple got caught in traffic on the railroad tracks and she and three of her friends were killed by an oncoming train. Sad as hell.
I have moved and travelled round so much I only have photos nowadays of all my cars in my head, but I never had photos of the first one anyway as I never had a camera then. the first was a '38 slantback ford that had a '48 merc motor and running gear. It cost $250 in 1970 when I got my licence. It was in pretty good shape but it always had problems starting. Fortunately we lived at the top of a hill so that was easy, but at work the guys had to push start to get me home. Not always, some weeks it would start every day, but then gremlins meant back to push starting. I was 15 and my mates were same age and we knew zip about cars, except they were cool and we wanted them, we learned lots with various cars,but too slow to figure that thing out. 5-7 of us piled in and cruising with the hood off cause it looked cool, and sitting at traffic lights revving the shit out of it again cause we thought it was real neat, and grown up!...I think of some of the stuff we did and think now,,,what a bunch of Tits!,..but it was fun, harmless. I'm glad you started this because I have not thought of that old car or some of those guys for years,...thanks. Perhaps someone should, or I should...if it has not been started before,..start a post about the scariest/funniest thing that happened to you while driving in the early years of having your licence. I can remember a few that seem funny now, but at the time.....
I got my first 1931 Dodge Brothers DH6 business coupe from my Dad in 1965 when I was 13 years old. I still have that one and my 2nd 1931 Dodge....
1964 Dodge 330 2-door sedan. 318 poly, auto, radio delete, rubber floor mats. Beige with a fawn interior. I coverted it to a 383 4-speed w/391 sure grip - fun to drive and never lost a street race. Pop the hood and the engine looked stock (painted edelbrock intake) stock dual snorkel air cleaner and '68 HP ex manifolds. I put color coordinated steelies w/ dog dish caps - 15x4.5 Dodge truck steelies on front and widened 14's on back. Sleeper!
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