We all had that "first car" what was your first car and compared to today what do you think?

[J0J0]

 

a) Even to this day, I still want one of those with a few "tweaks" including a TT427 backed with a 6L90E.

That car was based off the 9C1 Caprice which was the police package. I liked the 9C1s even from a looks standpoint. Cops I knew loved them so much that some municipalities in Chicago actually sent them to a place in Jersey that would refurbish them.

If it was me, I would go a different route. Put in a new LS3 Crate and a 6 speed manual in there. If I were to do it, I just need one that has been beat to hell. I'm not concerned with keeping it "numbers correct" since I already have one. There are a few out there on Ebay but I'm going mohave to put that on hold since I'm in the middle of a relocation for work.

Just got the car, couldn't help myself. I was 26 and just had to do it. At least I waited till initial "break-in" was finished.

Edited March 24, 2015 by J0J0

[PrinzII]

The 427 would be an LSX 427 crate motor. I wanted to turn up the wick to 1500 hp but I would be content with 800-1000.

[sisaacs918]

1993 Ford Bronco, Eddie Bauer Edition! "Pumba" was the best friend a guy could have. I am positive that my love for Edges stems from their Bronco-ish proportions!

 

[Vadimus]

My first car was 1990 ВАЗ 2105 1.3

 

Not an actual photo but mine was exactly like this, even including the rims design and headlight wipers.

 

 

To compare it to 2015 Ford Edge Sport I drive now... Well on the first approach they are from different centuries (actually they are, literally LOL)
On the second thought, they both serve the same idea - take me to some place I won't be able to get to (or will be too lazy) by my feet, preferably enjoying the process itself too

Edited September 25, 2015 by Vadimus

[TheWizard]

I was working for a major automobile distributor in Canada in the 80s and I remember how Ladas would come into Halifax by ship from Russia and many would need to have their corroded hoods replaced as soon as they were offloaded. By the mid-80s, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan had become such a hot topic that some gas stations were refusing to sell gas to Ladas and the car's owners were scrambling to get Fiat emblems to replace the Lada emblems on their cars (the body styles were virtually identical).

[Redbow]

39 Chevrolet 2 dr sedan $450. Mother and I found. When we got it home Dad gave us hell for spending that much money. It looked nice but the engine had to be overhauled a short time later. Drove it to College. Stuffed steel wool up the duel pipe tips while on campus because it was a little to loud for the locals. That was back in 1951. Have hade over 50 vehicles since. Current crop 2013 Edge SE and my 57 Thunderbird.

 

Burke

Edited September 25, 2015 by Redbow

[Vadimus]

I was working for a major automobile distributor in Canada in the 80s and I remember how Ladas would come into Halifax by ship from Russia and many would need to have their corroded hoods replaced as soon as they were offloaded. By the mid-80s, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan had become such a hot topic that some gas stations were refusing to sell gas to Ladas and the car's owners were scrambling to get Fiat emblems to replace the Lada emblems on their cars (the body styles were virtually identical).

Russia learned nothing from those times it seems. Both in terms of politics and car making.

Edited September 25, 2015 by Vadimus

[ClosetotheEdge]

Very cool! Did you sell it on or ...

http://www.hotrod.com/cars/featured/hppp-0910-the-trans-am-421-sd/

I sold my 68 Firebird back in 1988. IThe guy who bought it asked to drive the car first. I said you can go for a ride, but you get to drive it after you buy it.

There used to be a big statue of an indian on 63rd asnd pulaski in CHicago.

My brother and I think they found half of that guy in the statue and half in a tree after I sold it to him. = not sure, but he and his friend were the type of idiots that would have ended up that way!

[SoMdLimited]

With the exception of my current Edge, and a mistake with a 1989 Aerostar, I have always been a GM guy. In fact, my wife drives a 2010 Camaro. Thought she was going to croak when I told her I wanted a Ford.

 

First car was a 57 Chevy 210 sedan, that I never drove but sold to an uncle for local stock car racing.

Second car was a 57 Chevy Belair, 2dr 6 cylinder auto. As a 16 year old, I worked at an ESSO gas station, and this older couple were regular customers. I bugged them to death about that car....finally they agreed to sell it to me for $400. (1968 or 69) It was definitely a cool ride just as it was. Never modified it, and to tell you the truth, can't recall what I did with it.

Then, I bought a 63 Chevy Impala SS. That was a badass car. Had the 327/365 motor reworked, and was setting it up for drag racing. I put 5:38 gears in it, so it was a "how many gallons to the mile" car. But hey, at 42 cents a gallon for Sunoco 260, who cared?

 

First actual new car purchase: 1972 Vega, 4 banger 4 speed, some kind of green color. Wasn't the GT, but I optioned it up with wheels and whatever. That was actually a fun car. Cheaply made, but fun.

 

I know I'm drifting off topic - but there have also been: 1969 Olds 442, 1970 Monte Carlo, 1969 and 1070 Chevelle's, 1974 Toyota Celica (how'd that get in here?), 1994 Trans Am, 2006 Malibu SS, 1995 Olds Cutlass Cierra, 1990 Pontiac 6000, along with a Chevy and GMC pick-up.

 

To compare the Vega, or any of the others to my current Edge is the old apples/oranges thing. All the cars I've owned were the right car for me at the time. I've enjoyed driving all of them -- with the exception of the dreaded Aerostar.

 

There is nothing to compare to the quality and reliability of today's vehicles. They are so much more complex, and they can be a handful to diagnose and repair for sure. But my Edge has been a great car. As you can see, I don't generally keep 'em long. In fact, at a little over 4 years since I purchased my Edge, it may be close to the longest I've ever kept one. No plans to look for something new, although I might not pass a lie detector test.

[PrinzII]

Comparing a 2011 Edge to a 1977 Cutlass is akin to comparing an Audi S8 to a Trabant, Yugo, or Lada.

 

Out of the cars I have owned, I tend to compare my Edge to my 2002 Maxima SE as they both had 200+ hp V6s and both were fun to drive. Big difference is that my Edge never saw the shop as much as that Maxima did.

[Vadimus]

Trabant, Yugo, or Lada.

You have a fancy driving experience it seems

[TheWizard]

The new 4-door Yugo is called the "Wego".

[Bobs2015EdgeSport]

My first car was a '63 Chevy Nova, with an inline-6 and a 2-speed Powerglide transmission, bought just before I graduated high school in 1971. It had no power options whatsoever... which is what forced me learn how to go down to the local junkyard and plunder all the parts I needed to upgrade my car in that regard... a process which also forced me to learn how to work on them! That first car (and learning how to work on it) resulted in my having a lifelong love of cars, and doing most of the work myself. That little Nova was great, and I loved it so much that my next car was a '70 Nova (again with the six-cylinders!). Both cars were a blast to drive and own, and I have great memories as a result.

 

A few years ago, I decided to buy and restore a '67 Camaro Rally Sport... but once I finished it, I rarely drove it, and then soon sold it. This was because today's cars are so "sound"; that is, built so much better and quieter, with amazing power pulled from small V-6's... that it was hard for me to "go back" to a car from the '60's era (even though that was the era that I had "cut my teeth" on). I guess we just didn't know any better back then, especially with what the future would actually bring us.

 

So, as others have stated, while my first couple of cars were a blast at the time, NOTHING compares to the cars we have today... NOTHING!

[Chipster]

My first car purchase while in the Air Force. 1969 SS396, 350hp, posi rear, rock crusher tranny with special low first gear. I wish I had it now, but those Rat motors loved oil and gasoline. No comparison to anything built today, but not a ECM, ECU, or BCM in sight! I wonder how that was possible?

Edited October 16, 2015 by Chipster

[PrinzII]

You have a fancy driving experience it seems

 

Growing up, I had access to various Cadillacs, Lincolns, Mercedes, and a Jaguar. Later in life, I drove BMWs, Porsches, and a Lexus or two.

Two of the BMWs I drove were X5s (6 cyl and 8 cyl) which happened to be the Edge's target vehicle when they were developing it.

[PrinzII]

My first car purchase while in the Air Force. 1969 SS396, 350hp, posi rear, rock crusher tranny with special low first gear. I wish I had it now, but those Rat motors loved oil and gasoline. No comparison to anything built today, but not a ECM, ECU, or BCM in sight! I wonder how that was possible?

 

Do you still have it in the family?

[SoMdLimited]

 

My 63 Chevy Impala SS with tunnel ram, about 1970-71

 

My 2006 Malibu SS, nothing special

 

My favorite funny car driver Jungle Jim Lieberman from the late 60's

Edited October 22, 2015 by SoMdLimited

[olyeller]

My first car was a '65 Buick Skylark convertible. I purchased it in 1969. It was metallic Blue with a Blue interior and a white top. I loved that car, especially the taillights that went all the way across the back end. It had the 300 V8 with a 4 barrel carb. For a kid it had plenty of git. The love affair ended when I planted it 6 feet up the exhaust pipe on a Camaro on the freeway due to faulty brakes. I managed to repair the damage but the thrill was gone and a couple of years later I sold it and bought a 1971 Gremlin brand new. That was a horrid little car. Over the years I tried to recreate the thrill of my first car with a couple of convertibles and ending up with my current ride, a 1990 Buick Reatta convertible, which I love. I have restored several '64-'65 Skylarks and came closest to reliving my experience with a 1965 Skylark 2 door hardtop which I restored from the frame up by my own hand. It was a light Yellow (Buick called it Bamboo Cream) with a black interior. I kept it for 12 years and entered it in numerous shows around the western US almost always coming home with some trophy. Its name was Ol' Yeller. In 2010 I had some serious health issues and could no longer support the big house and garage that a 45 year old car required, so we sold it all and now live a smaller but still satisfying life in a retirement community.

 

Our new to us MKX is for my wife and there is no comparison to my old Buicks. The power, the comfort, and the luxury complementing the safety are night and day better than 50 year old technology. In fact, we were amazed at how much of a leap auto technology had made in the 10 years since we bought her 2005 Escape Limited. Old cars, even when new required a lot of regular maintenance, annual tune-ups, tires every 20,000, oil changes every 3,000, and constant adding of oil which was burned in the combustion process. My first car only had 2 seatbelts in the front seat. The only smog equipment was a PCV valve, and first rode on bias ply tires. If I got 18 MPG I was lucky and more often got 13-14. Of course gas was cheap and that didn't matter then. Now, our MKX goes 7,500 between oil changes, won't need a tune up until it hits 100K and the tires are probably good for 75,000. Add in the airbags, traction control, and all the smog stuff and the fact that it still gets 20 MPG and could smoke my old 300 with 2 fewer cylinders is just amazing.

Edited November 1, 2015 by olyeller

[luminator]

My first car was a 1988 Cavalier Z24, 5 speed, I had swapped out the blown 2.8L engine for a 3.1L multiport out of a 1991 Z24. The young tuner in me at the time did just about every bolt on possible, headers, exhaust, homemade intake, a "superchip" and a new cam. Was a fast fun little car(well fast in my mind) that met an unfortunate ending to the rear end of a jacked up K series Blazer.

[tamugrad2013]

My first car was a 2003 Chevy Monte Carlo. I regret buying that car the second time I ever drove it. Had to have the transmission rebuilt at 56,000 miles and bought it with 53,000. Lower intake manifold had to be replaced at 70,000 and the entire computer system had to be redone with 102,000 miles also various other issues. It was a boat of a car and was so slow, although I regretted buying it it was my car through college and high school and it got me through my first 6 months of my new job after graduation. I really am glad that I had a car and it got me to where I needed to go and am very fortunate to have a great Ford Edge now. My dad sold it to a local used car lot in our hometown almost two years ago and I have started seeing it around town again recently. I have to good luck to the new owners your going to need it.

Edited November 21, 2015 by tamugrad2013

[Bruce Turner]

My sort of first car was a '50 chevy coup, minus an engine. i shoe horned a '53 Buick V8 into it 'and bought a '39 Olds 3 sp. standard with the rear end and whatever it took to mate all the mismatched drive line together. It was 'THE HOTTEST' car in town, then Dad found out and made me sell it because I wasn't old enough to have a drivers license never mind It didn't have a proper license plate (I race for gas).

[Chipster]

 

Do you still have it in the family?

I wish...This one too. I got this when I returned from Nam in 71. Convert.w/ hardtop LT1 350/330. This one would be worth a mint today, but it was really a pain while I owned it. Fast, but required a lot of attention...

[enigma-2]

I wish...This one too. 1971 LT1 Corvette.jpg I got this when I returned from Nam in 71. Convert.w/ hardtop LT1 350/330. This one would be worth a mint today, but it was really a pain while I owned it. Fast, but required a lot of attention...

Lucky you. All I got was a VW Beetle with a wife and two young'ns, no job to go back to (went under) and a recession (no one was hiring).

Sweet ride, but honestly I really don't care for Corvettes. Seems like your always filling up the tank and on regular roads, it's like your riding inside a basketball. (Hard suspension). But they will definitely put you back in the seat! (If you can afford the gas).

Wasn't my first, but a senior in high school (64-65), I bought a 62 Tbird convert. Loved that car, real chick magnetic (not that I needed it mind you - cough, cough). {How did that song go "Those were the days, my friend...."}.

 

Semper Fi

Edited January 6, 2016 by enigma-2

[dennisflysfast]

I remember my first car I ever bought. 1973 chevy vega. 70 series wheels on the front with 50 series on the rear.

Awesome. I would drive my Vega again in a heartbeat. My first was a 74. Bright yellow.

[Quackinup]

First car was a 1971 Mazda 626. Major piece of crap. lol