How did you decide on your first car?

MONEY, or actually the lack of it dictated my 1st car. A $20 Chevy in 1970

 

What ever $10 would buy. Turns out that was a '36 Chevy coupe, got it running and sold it about a year later. Of course that was 50 years ago............

 

Yeah, the Bellflower style customs is what I'm going for.

 

It was cheap, it ran good, it was only 3 miles away, AND... it was a 50 Merc 2dr. So what's to think about? (This was in 1970).

 

dad came home with a 72 ford f100 to get back and forth to work, it was red and shiny (where it still had metal) LOTS of rust....i fell in love anyway, and bugged him about the truck till he let me have the old junker. he showed me a bit about working with fiberglass, then i discovered that in granny gear it would lift the tires off the ground! it had a 302 2bbl 4 spd and posi rear and was almost the ugliest truck at my high school....only lost 2 races in it, though....they both had blowers, BUT I KEPT UP!!! drove it til the engine blew to pieces all over the road, never did have good luck with red vehicles after that one...my latest endeavor will be painted blue for obvious reasons....

 

1961 and I turned 16, got my license and always wanted a shoebox Ford. My Sister and Bro-in-law bought me a '49 Tudor because I was just the coolest kid ever!!!

 

Pretty simple really, my Grandpa had a '64 Nova 2-dr sedan, 6 cyl, 3 spd. "Granny Gold" with tan interior, 13 in. wheels with Snow tires It sat in his driveway for years. I always wanted to shoehorn a small block into it, and make it a sleeper. Well when I turned 15 I bought it from him and did just that. Wish I still had that car.

 

My first was an ex-gasser '57 Chevy. Don't know why, but the '57 Chevrolet was always my favorite. Built models of them for years. Started working summers when I was 13 to save for one. Bought it when I was 15: $700. Never liked the hard tops... always wanted the post for that gasser look. I "learned" on that first car, eventually sold it. I have another two-door post '57 that I drive now. I have several other rods, but nothing beats a '57 Chevy.

 

I had $3000.00 dollars...and I encountered an article on the "Thunderbolt" Fairlane S/Stockers in my Fathers old Mags....
'64 Car found,'64 Car bought. Never looked back...

 

i was driving around and saw my 57 olds in some guys yard for sale. i knew i had to have it. i gave him $200.00 a week until it was paid for. i've had no regrets. love at first sight.

 

I wanted a 55-57 Chevy back in 1973, but I wasn't even sure what a '56 looked like. Found a four door '57 at a gas station for $200. It was in good shape, but wouldn't start. Made an offer and got the car for $100.

Saved every grass cutting job money I could get my hands on and learned to work on the beast with my dads instruction. Original 283 and PG car which my dad painted in the back yard. It came out good and I drove the thing to high school.

 

My uncle had to abandon a '51 Ford that wouldn't tow right when they were moving across country. We had it up for sale for a couple of months and I called and asked what he wanted for it...$100.00 with the stipulation that I pay for the insurance, not my parents. This was in 1977. And I still have the '51. Needs lots of work, but I'll get it back together.

51FourDoor
Wade

 

understand what generally you're looking for and let destiny take it's course. seek and you shall discover

-scott noteboom

 

Had a 65 dodge coronet that i sold,knew i wanted somthing older happen to find a 31 pickup on craigslist. pure dumb luck. im posting two pic, when i bought the truck and what the truck looks like now.

 

My first truck was a mid 80s 2wd chevy that my dad and I (most my dad, I was 13) built. The motor was a 355, roller cam, hydro lifters, 4barrel, Etlbrock torque cam, and intake, 650 AFB carter carb. He got a new truck and gave me the old chevy when I got my licence. I had a job pumping gas at a garage and on sat afternoons the mechanics would go home, that would leave me alone to work on my chevy. I learend alot with that old truck, I junked the truck when I went to college, kept the motor.
That thing was quick off the line even with the auto. I could roll up to most any duche with a 5.0 mustang and smoke em

Funny side note, just before I went to school the truck was running very poor, sucking gas etc. (the main reason I junked it, figured the cam was gone) My brother and I deceide to go pull it apart in the basement with the old man looking on. Turned out that I had bent 2 pushrods so bad the end split and we had to cut em off to get them out! I took some major heat for that one! 12 years after the fact! :LOL:

 

Didnt get what i wanted innitially ..settled for what i had and could afford..I waited..drove it, slowly got it better..got some money togeather slowly and put it into it till it was nice enough..and I drive it..Now 10 years later I find another one..this is one that I wanted and cant wait to finish..but than again its time and money...ya do what ya can.

 

I've always had old cars, but after we sold our 67 GMC van, I knew I wanted something older and cooler. I started surfing the net and magazines and discovering which cars I was drawn to the most. First I focused on an era and then certain manufacturers. I liked 48-53 Buicks so I started casually looking for those. The local Big Nickel had an ad for the Lincoln that sounded interesting so we had a look see and even though it wasn't a Buick, it met the criteria. Being a first-time hobbyist, I liked that it had a 350/th400 cause I knew parts would be readily available and relatively cheap. And it was already nosed and decked and shaved and all which was good because I don't have a welder or welding skills. I've had a ball with her and can't believe how enthusiastic I still am after 3 years!

 

There were two cars I wanted; a '57 Chevy and/or a '64 GTO. I bought a '57 210 two door sedan in 1975 at the age of 15 for $130.00, without the consent of my parents, as a few other H.A.M.B.ers have stated. Luckily, my oldest brother let me hide it out at his place for a while. The '57's long gone, but the '64 GTO I bought in 1981 (for $400.00) is still with me.

 

I worked all summer long in 79 saving up for this 68 camaro my dad's friend had. My dad had a 49 chev panel truck and my mom had a 59 chev truck, both done up nice. I went out to pick up the camaro at the end of the summer and the guy told me he had changed his mind and had given it to his son. He did offer me a 57 chev 2dr/ht yellow with white roof V-8/stick, I didn't want that damn thing, I came for the camaro.
I ended up taking a 48 ford truck with a 300 hp 327 and a glide from the guy, it was 450 bucks. I used to terrorize the neighborhood with open exhausts going around and around the block...lol Sometimes the first car isn't always the one you can't live without but it sure is fun to have one.

 

well it pretty much choose me i don't know how to explain it ....its that fellin you get when you go crank it after a bad day and it makes you fell better....idk i'm wierd i guess.

 

My first project was a 65 chevy truck 6 foot bed lost that truck in a bet...

 

My first car was a '37 Chevy that my uncle gave me. Had to fix the brakes to get it home which was 60 miles away, got um working but it pulled to one side, transmission jumped out of second gear. Took it over to one of my fellow workers and he said I should junk it and get a car he knew about. So I junked it that same day. The car he found for me was a '34 Ford fordor which sorta ran, had a good interior and had no rust. Paid $125.00 for it, that was in '62.

 

Hmmm my first car was a 1955 Ford F100 in baby blue.
I had been looking for a car for about two months. I saw alot of cars but I always liked the '55 F100 because of the front grill more than any other year F100. I had seen one for sale a few streets up where I lived a few months before then it disapeared so I figured the guy had sold it. But then one day I saw it again and I jumped at it and bought it. It had a hopped up 292 Y-Block the owner had put in and was pretty darn good other then a faulty gas gauge and wood bed in the need of some sanding.
I miss that truck now. I was young and insane so I sold it...for more then I payed for it but now I know I shouldnt have sold it. Live and learn.
Alot of fun stories with that truck like one time I had to drive home from work about 30 miles in the pouring rain with no windshield whipers because the whiper motor took a dump. It was'nt too bad because it was night but then there was road work for a few miles and I couldnt see much when the construction lights hit the windshield and the light just gleamed off the water.
Ahhhh the joys of old cars! They arent just a ride they're an adventure!

 

My 54 chevy is the first classic car I bought. When I was working at hollywood hot rods I frenched the tail lights on a customer car and fell in love with the body style. I know what your are saying though there are still so many cars that I want.

 

two years working in a foundry as a furnance operator. Hot, dangerous, well paid work. Worked nights during high school, then stayed nights because it was cooler. Took a lot of shit because I rode the bus to work. Borrowed my Mom's car for the important things(dates). But it was worth it. First car was a new 69 vette, 427 tri-power, radio/heater delete, no power steering/brakes, 4 speed, 3.90 rear end. First time I side stepped the clutch, and opened the carbs all the shit about the bus was forgotten. Ahh, to be 19 again......

 

It was 1965, I'm fifteen yrs. old and it wasn't my decision, it was Dads..I was driving Moms 59 Olds wagon and wrecked it, so it was time to get my own jalopy and start driving my sisters to school..We looked at a Hudson Pickup, I Loved that ugly thing!..We looked at a 57 Thunderbird, more to my Dads liking but probably too expensive..settled on the 55 Chevy two-door Handyman sedan, I've told that story too many times..second car was a 55 Nomad Dad bought from a guy working at a lumber yard, we waited in the parking lot for him to get off work and bought it from him for $300, he had to call for a ride home, and I drove the car off with a really bad rod knockin 265 V/8..and on and on..

 

Woke up one morning when I was twenty, not knowing, that I had an old car in the evening (but I already was on the lookout before....)

 

Bought my first car when I was 15 with money saved from my paper route. Bought the car off the Ron Tonkin carlot when it was in Beaverton (51 Chev Htp). They wanted $188 and my Dad talked them down to $104. My Dad and I drove it home and I remember my Dad had to hold it in 3rd gear because it kept popping out of gear.
Dad, (who was a diesel mechanic for P.I.E) and my Grandfather (who was the machinest for Baxter Automotive in St. Johns) helped me rebuild a 55 Corvette Six that was given to me by a Chevy mechanic (he got the motor from the dealership he worked at..Fields Chevrolet) that lived behind us.
The car was pretty nice with a one piece Olds windshield and nosed and decked. She was a mover and really shocked some 265/283 Chevy's.........I could show them my tail lights for at least the 1/8 mile.
As we finished the build on the motor (it had factory tripower) I had purchased some Cal Custom air cleaners and put them on. We started up the motor.....let it run for a minute or so and my Dad started to back it out the driveway........as we got to the end of the driveway my Dad listened very intently for a couple of seconds..........then killed the motor.
I asked him why and he said it sounded like a rist pin/ring had broken.........we pushed the car back into the garage and opened the hood. One of the air cleaners was off the carb and the wing nut was laying on the frame rail.............the washer was no where to be found. I don't remember exactly what my Dad said at that point but I was banished to my room.
For the next 3/4 hours my Dad was in the garage. When he came out he had three/four pieces of broken up washer in his hand...........this had gone through the carb, through the valves and found a resting point on top of the piston............didn't do very much damage but my Dad was..............just a little upset..........like I said, the car went like a scalded ape and I finally sold it to a close friend who had been bugging me for over a year to sell it to him. Both my Dad and Grandfather are gone, but the memories of my first car/hot rod will live with me for the remainder of my life.

 

I chose a '51 F1 pickup for my first project because I needed a parts hauler to retrieve stuff for future projects. It was also cheap, parts were easy to find, and it was relatively easy to complete, just a restoration of a basically stock body with updated chassis and drive train. The basic welding and bodywork skills I developed working on the F1 gave me confidence to tackle the much harder '31 Highboy project I'm working on now.

 

When I was 12 I bought a '62 VW from a guy in the swap sheet who was like 2 miles away. Never got to drive it though. When I recovered from that, I had my dad's '70 Gran Prix to drive. But he sold that out from under me, so...

First car I actually registered in my name was the '60 Pontiac 4dr. People I got it from had spent a ton of money on it, brought it with them from PA to NY, got it off some car lot there. They'd put a brand new transmission in it and it had a lot of signs of repair from a left front collision. I drove the wheels off it for about three years. Salt ate it up pretty bad, though. I found it in Hemmings Motor News; it sounded interesting, it wasn't expensive, and it was new enough in 1993 that I could insure it as a primary car. The guy was willing to drive it 30 miles or so to meet me, too.

Before that I looked at a nice '38 Century sedan from a car collector in Utica... no one would insure it for my only car at 18. But on the bright side, while I was there someone else was looking at this old Cadillac and had them start it for him, about a '37, '38. That's the only time I've ever seen a Caddy V16 motor -