First Car
 

Here are a couple Polaroids of my 70 Chevelle as purchased in May of 1987 at the ripe age of 15 for $250. It was originally a red L34 bench seat 4 speed car with tach and gauges and power steering being the only other option it had. Motor and tranny were long gone by the time I got it and over the next 15 years this car taught my why the pro's always say to buy the best car you can afford because it was a complete money pit and needed everything. Looking back my only regret was that I didn't give up and sell it sooner but 70 Chevelle Super Sports are still one of my all time favorite muscle cars. I ended up driving the green 77 Volare sitting next to it a lot more than the Chevelle, that car was literally bulletproof with a solid lifter slant six.

----Did that 69 have any Cape Cod history? A friend growing up bought a twin to that convert new. It was a 427 4-speed. Dark green with black bucket seats. I put a clutch in that Impala! He's passed on, but his name was Charlie Curran. He lived between Wellsley Hills and Cape Cod.....Bill S

"Let’s see your first car."


I think we've played this game before, but here goes. First 'car' and first 'real cars'.
The '57 is the first car "I" purchased, but the '55 Olds in the background is what I drove in HS. Still have the '57 but I REALLY WISH I still had the Olds!

I can't find any pics of my first (a Marina Blue 66 Chevelle SS 396), but here are some good ones:

1. My Dad's first car - Factory solid red 55 Belair, lightly hot rodded.

2. My Mom's first car - Repainted red 55 Belair (born 2-tone red and white).

*These two 55's are why I exist. Mom and Dad were both cruising downtown Salisbury NC, and stopped to talk because of their matching cars. Now here I am!

3. My Dad's second car (with Mom's 55 in the background). 60 Impala, factory high-horse 348-tripower 4-spd car, but with a 63 409/425 2x4 transplanted into it in late 1963/early 1964. His buddy bought a new 63 Impala SS with the 409/425 and hated the cam and the temperamental carburetors. Told dad if he would put a single 4-barrel on the 348 and swap the engines, he could have the 409. Good deal for Dad!!

And yes, he liked those tube grills!
.

Appears he liked fender skirts too, Jeff!

When you see Jeff have him tell you the story of Dad's Impala vs the Ford on I-85!! :grin:

Bill, The first owner lived two streets over from me in Hanover Ma. I didn't know is name. It could have been Charlie because Hanover is in between Wellesley and Cape cod The second owner was Brad Quinn from Hanover. The third owner was Bobby Denneen from Deneen Auto Parts in Hanover. The forth owner was Julie McKinnen from Hanover. I was the fifth owner in 1976. When I bought it the floors, trunk, fenders and Quarters had already been patched from rot. Typical New England car. I pulled the motor and trans to put in a 71 Chevelle SS 454 roller I bought for $600 and sold the body for $200. I saw the car 6 months later at Barrows junk yard on top of 10 cars crushed. I still have the CE 512 motor that came out of it. I've had it in two different vehicles since.

April 1972. Yep, and nobody knew what they were, including myself at the time. One month shy of 15. All I knew was that it had the 427 that I had dreamed of.

Your 1st car was a Yenko Camaro? That’s flipping awesome!

And you were 15?!

...not that it's a competition, but you're the winner so far on "most awesome first car"

...not that it's a competition, but you've got my vote so far on "most awesome first car"

First car .
 

1966 roadster , Divco truck frame with handmade all steel body (pictures circa 67 - 73 ish). First engine 406 Ford with tri - power from 62 Ford . In 69 got a 68 396/375 MQ shortblock with aluminum heads added turning the L78 into an L89 with a M/T crossram to top it off. Center picture is me in 1969 not long after the Ford to Chevy transplant . My dad in picture above couple years earlier .

Ha!

I can do that, too (although I'm not totally sure this would be my first car).

Looks like it needed some work done.

K

Yes it was. Oddly enough, Jerry M. Was one of the guys in the crowd. We all hung at the Burger King and other spots like that. Nobody knew what the car actually was at that time. Sure would like to find it. Before I am too old to take it for another blast. Still friends with my buddy that drove it home that night. I was about a month shy in getting my license. All true!

Fortunately my Dad signed for me. Payments were I recall 63.00 a month and I paid every cent of them. It was advertised in the local newspaper classified section. Originally, I was trying to buy a GTO, 69 I believe. It had a 427 stuffed under the hood. Dad had heard a description of it and said he wouldn’t sign because it looked and sounded like a race car. The Yenko would have run circles around that GTO. Gosh, seat belts? No way. We didn’t even consider wearing them then. Amazing I didn’t get hurt in that car.

64 Vette first car I had back in 1977. Had a 67 front end, flares and a 396/375 out of a 68 Camaro. Second picture is when I saw it again around 1995… Should have bought it back, I messed up!

4th of July parade 1975ish . Was around this time I was around 11 or 12 my dad told me to go in the garage and pick out something red I would like to have . Had to choose between a new red Schwinn 10 speed a wheel barrel or the roadster . I picked the roadster , was happy to keep pedaling my 3 speed bike . Ended up getting the ten speed later after all and dad kept his end of bargain after all conditions and stipulations were met . Thanks pops !

November 1967 and now

So cool. My first car was "almost" a green Yenko Nova. Dad and I looked at it and drove it but it was $1200 and he wouldn't cover the delta. Plus he thought it was too much for a first car. I ended up with a $250 67 Camaro 327 which was still ok, and probably why I survived. ;)

Those redlines look like the repos that are sold now. The red is really protruding out.

----I believe those red-lines are the original Firestones that would have been available in 1967. The stripe was further towards the tread than other tire manufacturers. Also Sal (an old friend) is a real clean freak,,,LOL!....Bill S

1970 charger R/T. 440 six pack, 4 speed with a Dana 60 rear-end. Paid 600$ in 1978. Those formula one super stocks didn't last very long. We were out street racing at least three nights a week.

1970 Z28, circa 1979 photo. Got it in '78 while in high school. Doing my best Grumpy Jenkins impersonation.

Just out of frame to the left is my friends 69 Z. We had a great time back then. Seems like everybody in the neighborhood had some kind of musclecar.

Looks like the photo of the 70 Charger has deteriorated a bit. What was the actual color? That is a very rare car indeed!

70 z
 

Dave, the 70 Z is way cool with the 10 wide slots. Is it a black car or dark green?

Ooops
 

Ooops sorry Dave I went back n read your post again. It’s a green car and you’ve still got it. That’s great!!

Sublime.

Bought new from Jerrys Chevrolet in Baltimore, 73 SS Camino.
First new car.

https://i.postimg.cc/zBhcBBbQ/el-camino.jpg

Poor scan of a Polaroid darkened the colors. The car is slightly different at the moment

My first car in early '60's. I think I was about 12 years old when the guys in Shop Class were undertaking projects to build a Hydroplane (I lived in Florida on the Gulf Coast) and my parents said "no way". So, I twisted their arms and said I won't even think about building one of those if you buy me a car, so that's what happened. They knew I was a car guy from a toddler....always had a car in my hands, then model car building (won awards in the Revell/Pactra Model Car Contests...remember those?). I could drive with my "Learners Permit" at 14 in Florida, so I was all set. I worked on my '55 for several years, including installing a new 327 crate engine (pulled the 6 cyl...great engine, but I had to have the V8)! When I turned 16 it was ready the first trip to High School! This is a pic my Dad took of me on my way to High School for the first time in my '55. Good times!!!

Great story

Great story. Are you still on the Gulf Coast of FL?

My 68 SS when I was 16.

Circa 1975

I really love these threads. Really cool to see all these old rides and pretty cool how many are still around.

Here's my 1967 Chevelle Circa 1985 and then summer 2021. She's like my best friend.

Blair

No, I'm in Pennsylvania now. I do miss Florida, but there are some good things about living outside the Sunshine State (but not much!). I lived in Sarasota for around 20 years total (moved back after college, and living in Illinois where I bought my '67 Chevelle SS L78 in '67).


I do remember growing up in Sarasota in the late 50's when it was mostly orange groves and no condos on the keys...was pretty nice back then! And we rarely used the a/c!

1970 LS6 Chevelle Fathom Blue White stripes. Junior Year of high school 1981 paid 1900 dollars for her.
M22 Rock Crusher with a 410 rear bucket seats console and as a kid I was the 2nd owner. Original owners raced the @ Atco Dragway on the weekends. Boy If I could only turn the hands of the clock back

Wow, cool

Cool LS6
 

Wow LS6-rock crusher- 410 gear. Doesn’t get much better!
I never thought this thread would run this long, 13 pages so far. If your really a car guy like us you never forget that first ride you buy.
Bring on more pics n stories I enjoy seeing them.

Best regards,