First wheels

[smokehouse]

I'm seeing a few 'muricans posting up mental cars for first cars - I'm surprised this many of you made it through to adulthood. If you'd put me behind a 4/5/6 litre car when I was 17 I'd have been smeared up the wall of an underpass like pate in minutes.

That charger was a brick shithouse...honest to god "American steel". I'm not sure what I could have done to destroy that thing (besides the engine blowing like it did). I will say, it did have enough torque to pull a house off the foundation.

Funny, the 200ci Maverick was no slouch in the torque dept either. Not a ton of hp but it would roast the tires if you smashed the throttle. That little thing had 4 wheel drum brakes with power booster. You had to pump the brakes to stop...which was funny...too little and you wouldn't stop, too much and all 4 wheels would lock up and send you screeching down the street.

The fist time my girlfriend (now wife) drove it, she damn near killed us because she had no idea it had no brake booster!

 

[HellioN]

1963 Ford Falcon, mine was not that nice tho.

Previous car side by side with my new ride.

1986 Mercury Grand Marquis - 2010 Mercury Milan

 

[lithy]

First cars were both hand me down/purchased for me a 93 Ford Taurus Green with black interior, 3.0L V6, automatic trans and a 99 Pontiac Sunfire convertible, 5 speed, flipped that one...

The first car I bought with my own money was a $750 1992 Ford Taurus SHO, 3.0L Yamaha V6 with a 5 speed manual, forest green, black leather interior. The interior was not all ripped up like a lot of them, but the paint was fading. It still ran great for 2 years with minimal repairs except for a new CV joint until some unknown engine issue sucked all of the life out of it. I drove it on one last trip for a job interview and I couldn't get it over 35mph. It acted like it had a blocked cat, but we cut it out and still had issues, so I eventually sold it for 200 bucks.

 

[RBjakeSpecial]

This isn't a picture of the car. It's almost impossible to find a stock Prelude on image search.


My first car was a '97 Honda Prelude. The thing was a beast. I bought it used for about 12k at the time (I came into some money and the timing was right) and then sold it to my brother. It was way too fast and way too awesome. After selling the car I moved to Japan. I haven't owned a car since. I'll be back in the market this year when I move back to 'Merica! Probably be getting a big family mobile.

 

[NeoGeoNinja]

Slightly off-topic Ste, but this thread - looking through it - just reminded me of the amount of cars in the US that, coming from the UK, you've never even heard of or seen in your life!

I went to the US for the first time ever at New Year for a couple of weeks, and (sadly) spent most of my time looking out for weird and wonderful cars I'd never seen before. I'd never even heard of "Mercury" until 2014! Let alone ever seen Dodge Pick-ups (with dual-wheelbases!) the size of a mini-bus! The whole near 50/50 American and Asian car market divide was an eye opener too with little in terms of European cars there. The odd BMW/Mini, Audi, Volvo and occasional Fiat500. But no Frence: Renault, Citroen or Peugeot at all. Or Alfa's. Was shocked to see modern Mustangs, Camaros and Chargers are as common as Mondeo's, Vectra's and 3-series' are here! Very, VERY few hatchbacks too. Even Ford Fiesta's were saloons (sedans) too. It was a completely different world of cars entirely.

On-topic: Only JUST passed my test for the first time December last year, so looking forward to experiencing my 1st car; most probably something small, cheap, economical and manageable. My GF has a Fiat500c right now that I use when she's not, but I really need my own. Shouldn't be too far off now...

 

[Jibbajaba]

Slightly off-topic Ste, but this thread - looking through it - just reminded me of the amount of cars in the US that, coming from the UK, you've never even heard of or seen in your life!

I went to the US for the first time ever at New Year for a couple of weeks, and (sadly) spent most of my time looking out for weird and wonderful cars I'd never seen before. I'd never even heard of "Mercury" until 2014! Let alone ever seen Dodge Pick-ups (with dual-wheelbases!) the size of a mini-bus! The whole near 50/50 American and Asian car market divide was an eye opener too with little in terms of European cars there. The odd BMW/Mini, Audi, Volvo and occasional Fiat500. But no Frence: Renault, Citroen or Peugeot at all. Or Alfa's. Was shocked to see modern Mustangs, Camaros and Chargers are as common as Mondeo's, Vectra's and 3-series' are here! Very, VERY few hatchbacks too. Even Ford Fiesta's were saloons (sedans) too. It was a completely different world of cars entirely.

I felt the same way when I went to Europe. I spent as much time looking at the cars as at anything else.

 

[ebinsugewa]

Foreign cars in the states are almost exclusively German or Japanese. That's about it. Never really thought about it until now.

 

[cdamm]

Slightly off-topic Ste, but this thread - looking through it - just reminded me of the amount of cars in the US that, coming from the UK, you've never even heard of or seen in your life!

I went to the US for the first time ever at New Year for a couple of weeks, and (sadly) spent most of my time looking out for weird and wonderful cars I'd never seen before. I'd never even heard of "Mercury" until 2014! Let alone ever seen Dodge Pick-ups (with dual-wheelbases!) the size of a mini-bus! The whole near 50/50 American and Asian car market divide was an eye opener too with little in terms of European cars there. The odd BMW/Mini, Audi, Volvo and occasional Fiat500. But no Frence: Renault, Citroen or Peugeot at all. Or Alfa's. Was shocked to see modern Mustangs, Camaros and Chargers are as common as Mondeo's, Vectra's and 3-series' are here! Very, VERY few hatchbacks too. Even Ford Fiesta's were saloons (sedans) too. It was a completely different world of cars entirely.

On-topic: Only JUST passed my test for the first time December last year, so looking forward to experiencing my 1st car; most probably something small, cheap, economical and manageable. My GF has a Fiat500c right now that I use when she's not, but I really need my own. Shouldn't be too far off now...

i posted my first car already. it was a peugeot.

we share a lot of rebadged cars too. the mondeo is a fusion (and before that a ford contour and mercury mystique). your opel/holden/vauxhall astra was under the saturn badge here.

 

[StevenK]

Slightly off-topic Ste, but this thread - looking through it - just reminded me of the amount of cars in the US that, coming from the UK, you've never even heard of or seen in your life!

I went to the US for the first time ever at New Year for a couple of weeks, and (sadly) spent most of my time looking out for weird and wonderful cars I'd never seen before. I'd never even heard of "Mercury" until 2014! Let alone ever seen Dodge Pick-ups (with dual-wheelbases!) the size of a mini-bus! The whole near 50/50 American and Asian car market divide was an eye opener too with little in terms of European cars there. The odd BMW/Mini, Audi, Volvo and occasional Fiat500. But no Frence: Renault, Citroen or Peugeot at all. Or Alfa's. Was shocked to see modern Mustangs, Camaros and Chargers are as common as Mondeo's, Vectra's and 3-series' are here! Very, VERY few hatchbacks too. Even Ford Fiesta's were saloons (sedans) too. It was a completely different world of cars entirely.

On-topic: Only JUST passed my test for the first time December last year, so looking forward to experiencing my 1st car; most probably something small, cheap, economical and manageable. My GF has a Fiat500c right now that I use when she's not, but I really need my own. Shouldn't be too far off now...

I was thinking the exact same thing, I like cars a lot but I've never even heard of some of the makes, never mind the models, being thrown in here.

Oldsmobile kind of rings a bell, Saturn never heard of, LeBaron never heard of, Cutlass never heard of, I don't even know what Jibbajabba's car is (though it looks kind of eastern block european circa 80s), Mercury never heard of. Maybe the import duties make them uneconomical to bring over to europe when europe has a pretty healthy car industry already.

Regarding Ebisugewa's point that foreign cars in the US are mainly Jap or German - that's pretty wise.

I've noticed Chrysler are finally starting to get a toehold in europe though, or Britain at least. I've not been bowled over by any of them yet, the 300c looks like a coffin wagon, but the crossfire seems like some fun.

 

[StevenK]

i posted my first car already. it was a peugeot.

we share a lot of rebadged cars too. the mondeo is a fusion (and before that a ford contour and mercury mystique). your opel/holden/vauxhall astra was under the saturn badge here.

Odd how they do that. I'm not sure if they think that americans couldn't handle the name vauxhall or that europeans couldn't handle the name saturn, but I think neither would have been the end of the world.

 

[NeoGeoNinja]

Odd how they do that. I'm not sure if they think that americans couldn't handle the name vauxhall or that europeans couldn't handle the name saturn, but I think neither would have been the end of the world.

I think, out of all 3, Opel would have been the best name/logo all round. I suppose you don't want to put all your eggs in one basket, just in case you have to sell one part of your car conglomerate off.

I've noticed that (maybe) some of the Vauxhall/Opel models are split between Pontiac too, much like the Monaro/GTO was.

That's right. A Pontiac Astra. Crazy! It's almost like parallel universe stuff...

 

[GutsDozer]

I've been attempting to scrounge up a picture of my first car but can't find one. Regardless it was an 1985 Ford Crown Victoria LTD. It was two tone matte gray and had no A/C or radio and the gas needle was broken. The funniest thing is that it had maroon cloth interior and in the summer when it gets really hot you would sweat and the dye in the seats would come off and stain your cloths. But I was 17 and it was freedom. Plus it was an V8 so it was like driving a really fast tank or land boat.

 

[lithy]

The Cadillac Catera was a rebadged Opal.

 

[smokehouse]

Dug up a pic of my Maverick, pics were taken in 1995...enjoy:

(that fucking license plate was the shit...I've tried to get it since then but the state won't let me)

...and for good measure, a pic of my 1999 SHO. Bought the thing in 2000, I loved that car deeply.

*EDIT*...

LOL@LeBaron...

1990's...WAY too much $$ in stereo equipment in WAY too little car. Priorities FTL...

 

[Andy Is A Bastard]

I've been attempting to scrounge up a picture of my first car but can't find one. Regardless it was an 1985 Ford Crown Victoria LTD. It was two tone matte gray and had no A/C or radio and the gas needle was broken. The funniest thing is that it had maroon cloth interior and in the summer when it gets really hot you would sweat and the dye in the seats would come off and stain your cloths. But I was 17 and it was freedom. Plus it was an V8 so it was like driving a really fast tank or land boat.

Rock on with the LTD! Nothin' says lovin' like a V8 landboat with bench seats! My first car (got back in '07) was a 1991 LTD Crown Vic, and she just gave up the ghost a week ago. Sure, she had her problems here and there but she was damn-near bulletproof for pushing 230-240K (the odometer stopped rolling at 142K). Engine redline overheated in -6 F coming home Monday night. After pulling over and letting her cool down for a half-hour or so, she turned over fine and cycled coolant like normal the last stretches of highway/I-43 to home. The next morning, when taking her to get looked at she would hit 30 mph on a hill and then the engine just wanted to choke if you pushed her any harder. We knew that the transmission was already going to go, so I limped her home and that was that (she's still in a lot across from the driveway). I will miss her dearly, but it's time to move on. I was already planning to replace her in April/May, the time table just advanced.

 

[cdamm]

The Cadillac Catera was a rebadged Opal.

to be fair the catera was the car that zagged.

 

[Mac91]

Smokehouse, that reg number is fucking sick.

DAT AZZ 1

 

[Renmauzo]

Smokehouse, that reg number is fucking sick.

DAT AZZ 1

Didn't notice that before...hahaha, that's pretty damned awesome

 

[GutsDozer]

I took the bus and train for a hell of a long time, so when I landed a big contract, I bought my dream car.

Hell yeah! WRX is boss as hell.

 

[Gamefan]

My first car was a 1995 teal Honda Civic DX. Then I bought a 2005 Ford Escape XLT.

Now I roll in a 2012 Subaru Impreza.

GAMEFAN

 

[RBjakeSpecial]

Jealous! I will own a WRX one day. So bad ass.

 

[not sonic]

I've still got my first car, 1995 Chevy Camaro. Just got it back on the road too after the pinion gear broke in August. It's great to be driving it again.

 

[mr aize]

Not an actual picture of mine, but got the same colour and model. Only started driving a couple of years ago so bought myself a golf gti mk3. Got at least 3 unfixable oil leaks, gets seriously steamed up when it rains, the passenger window doesn't work and I put my finger through the bodywork around the wheel arch the other day, but my god is it fun to drive! (Especially whilst playing loud mid 90s ragga jungle, taped off a pirate station way back, whilst wearing a pair of old reebok classics (incidentally my old raving shoes) just feels right somehow)

 

[StevenK]

Not an actual picture of mine, but got the same colour and model. Only started driving a couple of years ago so bought myself a golf gti mk3. Got at least 3 unfixable oil leaks, gets seriously steamed up when it rains, the passenger window doesn't work and I put my finger through the bodywork around the wheel arch the other day, but my god is it fun to drive! (Especially whilst playing loud mid 90s ragga jungle, taped off a pirate station way back, whilst wearing a pair of old reebok classics (incidentally my old raving shoes) just feels right somehow)

View attachment 10884

That car requires a sub. You must purchase it one.

 

[Evilpoptart]

My first car 1991 Red Mustang Hatchback. 5.0 manual transmission. Guy I bought it from was drunk one day and dumped it in a ditch. The lower radiator support was crushed and he didn't want to fix it. I fixed it up replaced worn out parts as I went. Ended up selling it because couldn't drive it during the winter. Wisconsin sucks. I miss it terribly so, such is life Ill pick something up again. I drive a 4x4 Jeep compass now. Pics: