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Your First Car

Bigunit

Hammer Down!
Staff member
Messages
6,561
Location
Arizona
Mine was a cherry red 1973 Datsun 620 2wd truck that I bought in my junior year in high school in 1978 with money that I had saved working at the Lucky Wishbone restaurant (a "comfort-food" fried-chicken institution here in Tucson) that I converted to the first 4x4 mini-pickup in the state of Arizona at the time - way before the introduction of the first factory, mass--production 4x4 mini-pickup in the US - the 1979 Toyota Hi-Lux.

It was a spring-over, solid Jeep axle-conversion (even used the transfer case & drive-shafts from a CJ6). It had 11x15 Armstrong Tru-Tracs and was completely regeared to handle the "monster truck tires". It was quite the talk around town because of the conversion and 6" lift from stock - no kidding! It had the stock F4W63 4-speed transmission and the L16 96 hp engine (so as you can imagine it was pretty underpowered) but I loved that truck, wheeled the piss out of it and have some great memories of it. I think I might still have a pic of my first ride - that I built and modded myself with the help of a few knowledgeable Jeepers & 4x4 gearheads (including my late & only brother)...if I can find a pic, I'll post it up.
 
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Sierra H3

Well-Known Member
Messages
150
Location
Central Sierras
My first car was a Galaxy 500 (64) with the 390 4bb. My first car I bought new (ordered it) was a 1977 Mustang II with T-Top roof and a 302 V8. A whopping 145hp with the mandated emission controls.

Mine was part of the same series. Same power plant and chassis. But, as the 1966 Forest Green LTD version with that slick nylon "panty cloth" interior, some additional interior lighting, and an upgraded interior ventilation system. It looked a bit like a mafia car since it seated six in the passenger compartment and also three stretched out in the trunk. I drove that car across the US, across Canada, and up/ down the west coast. Even pulled out the front bench seat and fitted in a bucket seat from one a few years newer out of a junk yard. This was so that I could put in a cot for naps at the rest stops when traveling. 0 to 60 times were not impressive due to her two+ ton weight, but low end torque was good enough to show up my buddies burning rubber in the parking lot. The scratches she layed down in the concrete with the studded tires are probably still in that back lot today. Nope, you don't forget your first car!

http://www.flee.com/ltd/brochure/ltdbrochure66.htm
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,505
Location
Meridian, ID
I love cars from the 50's and 60's. There isnt a good way to describe it but they give off a vibe that the time period was a ton of fun.
 

Flash

Well-Known Member
Messages
195
Location
Michigan
Flash,

Was that Model A new off the factory floor? About $600 new wasn't it?

(Just kidding!!!:giggle: )

:giggle: Pretty beat up actually. This would have been about 1967-70 and it had seen much better days. Was used as a backwoods trail car at night shining Deer. Guess you could say that was my first "off roading". :thumbs:
 

DJinCO

Well-Known Member
My first car that I bought new (ordered) was a 1977 Mustang II with the 302V8 and T-Tops. It was Turquoise blue. I can't remember what the official color was. I do think the color was originally a Lincoln-Mercury color that they brought into Ford.

I pampered that car and I finally traded it in at Beach Ford in Virginia Beach in 1988. It only had 40K miles and the rear main seal leaked like crazy. The fan motor switch was bad and it had the high altitude emissions on it; which meant that no one in Virginia Beach knew how to work on it.

I was such a geek in that car.:loser:

It really had zero power. Folks think the I-5 has no power; try a V8 that put out an advertised whopping 140hp.:gaah:
14" wheels... yikes. But I had planned to keep that car until I died.

Oh well, young and dumb.
 
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