[bhcsteve]

My 1st car I bought at 16 yrs. old / 39 Dodge 4 dr. paid $50. Was olive drab green, flat head 6 cyl. 3 speed column shift. Couple of the cheapest cars: 60 Corvair paid $50. 65 Corvair paid $15. Both ran great, leaked a little oil but good commuters to work and back. friend of mine in H.S. bought 53 Ford for $10. owner was selling it cause it wouldn't start. To fix it all it needed as some gasoline.

Steve
Bullhead City
AZ.

[MadManMoon]

My first car was a 1986 Mercury Grand Marquis LS 2-door. Total gangster-mobile, with the vinyl top, leather seats, power everything, and the 5.0L with the police package. Bought it in 1999 with 91K miles on it, probably worth $2,200 at most, we paid $3,000, and probably dropped another $5,000 (including transmission rebuild) over the next year or so out of misplaced sentimentality and attachment to that monster. Loved the car, but definitely not worth the money. I'd buy another one and restore it today in a heartbeat.

Second car more than made up for it -- 1992 Toyota Camry, 4-door, automatic, A/C, no other options (manual windows and door locks). Bought it with 93K on the odo for $2,000 - worth around $6,000. That ran trouble-free all through college. At 175K gave it to my Dad when I bought my '03 Corolla. He gave it to our cousin who's an auto mechanic at 210K...last I heard it's still running great. Indestructable! Howver, THE most boring car to drive on the planet.

Wow, memories!

[Cali_KR]

My first car when I was 17 y.o in 1979 was a 1977 Mercury Capri 3.0 V6, If I recall we paid the princely sum of about $4500 for that car (if memory serves), Tell you what, those German built V6 Capri's really hooked up, and I beat the crap out of that thing, and she marched along dutifully...

The cheapest car was a early '65 Mustang 4speed coupe for $1900 that needed a full resto (did not run,), never turned a wrench or spent one single dollar to it and sold it for $2500 six months later

[thewheelman]

My first car was a '59 MGA, bought it for $200 and my dad poured handfuls of mouse droppings through a hole in the wooden floorboard all the way home! MG's are the perfect car for teenage boys, it teaches them patience, it teaches them mechanical skills and it won't run long enough for them to get into trouble with it!

Cheapest car I ever "bought" was my first Mustang--64 1/2 coupe that had been abandoned (and abused) and repo'ed by our small town bank. Banker made my dad a deal, if we'd transfer the tags and pay the taxes, we could have it. I think it cost me something like $65 and a chain to drag it home. 289 4v automatic, I drove it two years to college!

[SGT/SC#0471]

thewheelman, on Nov 12 2009, 08:10 AM, said:

My first car was a '59 MGA, bought it for $200 and my dad poured handfuls of mouse droppings through a hole in the wooden floorboard all the way home! MG's are the perfect car for teenage boys, it teaches them patience, it teaches them mechanical skills and it won't run long enough for them to get into trouble with it!

Cheapest car I ever "bought" was my first Mustang--64 1/2 coupe that had been abandoned (and abused) and repo'ed by our small town bank. Banker made my dad a deal, if we'd transfer the tags and pay the taxes, we could have it. I think it cost me something like $65 and a chain to drag it home. 289 4v automatic, I drove it two years to college!

My second car was 58' MGA Paid $900, rebuilt the engine and trans myself, used my moms trunk to get the engine to the shop I worked at to use my boss' tools. Also installed and uninstalled it with a come along and the garage truss...Ran like a top I sold it 2 years later for $4500.

[SGT2807]

My first was a 1956, Dodge Savoy sedan, pushbutton drive---$150. I pay more for tennis shoes now!
Second, 1963 Chevy Impala, 2 door hardtop convertable, 283ci---- the Savoy and $150, girls loved it.
Third, 1949 Ford 2 door coupe, Flat head V-8 that you couldn't hear run, 12,000 original miles. Loved the Mohair and you could dance on the hood with no damage. I bet you could make at least 10 Toyotas outta that sheet metal! ---$-- The '63 Chevy staight out.

[ilmor]

In 1970 my first car was a '68 Ford Falcon. I paid $500 for it!

[stump_breaker]

I consider my first car to be a 1981 Camaro Berlnetta. 3 spd auto with the 229 V-6. Paid $900. After my 1st college escapade, I pulled the 229 and installed a B&B 350 with a TH350 tranny. Then an AC Delco plug broke off it's electrode and destroyed the piston. After a rebuild I wrecked it going way to fast on a very shap corner at 10pm at night heading home from college (again) to see a girl who dumped me the following week!

Dammit....
I loved that car.

I can't even remember the girls name!

This post has been edited by stump_breaker: 12 November 2009 - 10:02 AM

[skeet]

My first car was a 1947 Studebaker purchased from a friend for $15 in 1967. Three speed on the column.


1947 Studebaker

[lawdude]

skeet, on Nov 12 2009, 01:40 PM, said:

My first car was a 1947 Studebaker purchased from a friend for $15 in 1967. Three speed on the column.


1947 Studebaker

Haha, three on the tree.

[EL SHELBY]

1956 Chevy 210 4 dr. with a 235 Blueflame straight 6 and three on the tree. It would sit me and five of my friends and everyone could cross their legs if they wanted. I'm pretty sure I could have kept a Prius in the trunk instead of a spare. I paid $1500 for it in 1989 and sold it off when I went to collage. I'll have another someday built to actually look as my mind's eye convenced me in high school.

This post has been edited by EL SHELBY: 12 November 2009 - 11:11 AM

[stormeaston]

1963 Chevrolet Biscayne, 283 V-8, 4-door, bought it from my brother for $100.00. Used her for my college ride. It was tooo kool!!

[Matts]

Wow I feel young!

My first car was a 1967 Mustang coupe inline 6 back in 2005. I paid $1500 and worked two crap jobs to keep that thing in line. I finally dropped an '89 5.0 in it, but forgot to update the suspension and steering. That thing was a WORK OUT, but I loved that car! Unfortunately someone run a stop sign and it was totalled. My next car was a 2004 Mustang which I only had for about 5 months because I couldn't stand it. Now I'm on my 2005 Mustang and I like it but it still doesn't feel the same.

[bhcsteve]

[quote name='skeet' date='Nov 12 2009, 11:40 AM' post='845878']
My first car was a 1947 Studebaker purchased from a friend for $15 in 1967. Three speed on the column.


1947 Studebaker
[/quot

Like me, cars for under $100. To good to be true. I tell my kids and grandkid about this and they think I must not have both oars in the water, but it is absolutely true fact. Wish I had those old cheap clunkers today.

Steve

[stump_breaker]

bhcsteve, on Nov 12 2009, 02:34 PM, said:

Like me, cars for under $100. To good to be true. I tell my kids and grandkid about this and they think I must not have both oars in the water, but it is absolutely true fact. Wish I had those old cheap clunkers today.

Steve

It still happens. A few years back I bought a Subaru Loyale wagon off a buddy for $75 because it had a bad knock, or to be more correct, a loud tick. Fortunately I have head enough knocks to know it wasn't a rod or anything major mechanical. I just had to find out what it was.
Subarus have a front oil pump with a "mickey mouse" looking seal which flattens over time and allows air into the system. This infusion of air does not allow the hydraulic lifters to pump up all the way causing a horrible ticking sound. A $6 oil pump seal and it became my step daughters 1st car. I eventually sold it for $1000.
Engine, transmission, differential as well as the spare tire were all located under the hood. You had to turn off the AC compressor to get enough power to pull into traffic!
It was a 1993 in pristine condition when I bought it. No dents, glosy paint and even had all the manuals, service records and the original unused tool kit they used to put inoto those cars. My step daughter had it for 3 months and all that changed. Oh well.

This post has been edited by stump_breaker: 12 November 2009 - 12:52 PM

[bhcsteve]

stump_breaker, on Nov 12 2009, 01:50 PM, said:

It still happens. A few years back I bought a Subaru Loyale wagon off a buddy for $75 because it had a bad knock, or to be more correct, a loud tick. Fortunately I have head enough knocks to know it wasn't a rod or anything major mechanical. I just had to find out what it was.
Subarus have a front oil pump with a "mickey mouse" looking seal which flattens over time and allows air into the system. This infusion of air does not allow the hydraulic lifters to pump up all the way causing a horrible ticking sound. A $6 oil pump seal and it became my step daughters 1st car. I eventually sold it for $1000.
Engine, transmission, differential as well as the spare tire were all located under the hood. You had to turn off the AC compressor to get enough power to pull into traffic!
It was a 1993 in pristine condition when I bought it. No dents, glosy paint and even had all the manuals, service records and the original unused tool kit they used to put inoto those cars. My step daughter had it for 3 months and all that changed. Oh well.

That was a great find. Guess good practical mechanical knowledge and a good ear paid off.

Steve

[Fontech]

In 1977 at the age of 16 I purchased a 1974 Mercury Capri 2000cc 4 speed for $2000.00. Added a Hooker Header, dual exhaust with Glass Packs and the tips stuck out the rear 8 inches. The car was Ginger Brown and at that time, My Pride... The car loved doing 140 mph on the 55 Freeway...

If you think my stang is loud now back then my 74 Capri was even louder...

Tom

[tispco]

The first car I bought was a 1966 Mustang coupe for $400. I found it in a barn in Centerville, Iowa. The interior was out, one brake worked, the paint was brushed on, lots of rust, and the leaf springs were pushing through the trunk. I sold it when I bought a 64.5 Mustang convertible. I miss the '66 and I wish I still had it. I completely restored it top to bottom.

[brisk_tea]

1st - '82 chevy celebrity for $100 in 1993
2nd - '85 (i think, can't remember) shelby charger turbo - $400 in 1994

[1badshelby]

My first was (from my grandmother) a 1966 Rambler American 232 straight 6....the float in the carb was hinged on the passenger side, make a sharp right turn and the motor would die every time!!! 1st car I bought was a 1972 canary yellow Ford Torino, wish I still had it today. Man I had some good times in that land yatch!!!

Mike