I bought my first car about a year after my parents bought their first car with air. A/C was still relatively rare, and many cars didn't have it. Certainly not a Beetle. It barely had a heater. Even when I got my first new car in '72, I didn't get air because it just would have been a drag on the 4 banger. No power brakes or steering either. Both cars did originally come with AM radios.
Your first car.
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My first was a '64 Corvair Monza with a 4-speed on the floor I got it for $50 in '72. No power anything. Am radio. The thing was in really bad shape so it took another couple hundred to make it "legal", then lots more to keep it running for about 6 months after which it fell apart. For a whole summer the starter didn't work so I had to always find a small hill to park it on so I could catch it in gear later. Otherwise a short push by whomever was asking for a ride would suffice. Gas was about 40-cents a gallon back then IIRC. We did a bunch of joyriding in that car in the lazy days of summer. Once the car was finally junked, I let a Fraternity brother strip it for whatever he could use (He had a Corvair van, relatively rare even then.) and the rest ended-up in a car bash. That saved me from having to pay to have it towed.
I think it was the freedom that first car meant to us that leaves most of us with the positive memories, even if the going wasn't always the best or most reliable at the time. Perhaps for some it is memories of what had happened in the back seat...!
I think it was the freedom that first car meant to us that leaves most of us with the positive memories, even if the going wasn't always the best or most reliable at the time. Perhaps for some it is memories of what had happened in the back seat...!
My first car was a 1991 Plymouth Acclaim with a 3.0L V6. It started having some problems by the time I got it, and my father and I replaced every component in the fuel system, from the tank to the injectors until we found what part had gone bad.
It was a relay switch that cost $5.
It wasn't that funny at the time.
It was a relay switch that cost $5.
It wasn't that funny at the time.
I know it wasn't. I had a '74 Gran Torino with a 351. I rebuilt the carb and it ran great. Until I got to about 45 MPH. Then it died. If I took my foot off the gas for about five seconds I could then get it up to about 55. I could keep doing that until I hit at least 90. Unless I was heading into a strong headwind. Then I could hardly get it up to 50 and keep it there. I was sure it was the fuel supply, but couldn't figure out where. I replaced everything in the fuel line, from the filter on the intake in the fuel tank, the regular fuel filter, the fuel pump, and for good measure, just in case I was wrong, I replaced the plugs, plug wires, points and distributor cap. I had the top off the carb and adjusted the float at least a dozen times. I really felt that was where the problem was, but couldn't see a damn thing wrong. I finally took it in to a Ford garage, because I was going to be towing a trailer, and there was no way I was going to be able to with this problem. We told the service manager what the problem was, and he said he would have someone take a look at it. My dad had gone with me, and we were looking at the cars on the lot when we saw a mechanic coming back with my car after a test drive. We went back to the service dept. to talk with him, and he was glad we did, because everything I had done was what he was about to do. This was their master mechanic, who had his own separate bay. He caught what the problem was. When I rebuilt the carb, the needle/seat assembly screwed down with a washer under it. The original had a splash guard built into it, the rebuild kit had just a plain washer. I had put them both on, since they didn't look the same, I thought they both needed to go on. The few thousands of an inch of the extra washer added just enough height for the tang to hit the gasket, when the top was on the carb body. When the top was off, when I was adjusting it, it worked great, nothing for it to hit. Took the extra washer off, and the thing went right to 100 without a pause. Ran great with all the new parts.
The mechanic put on a new float just in case, and I think the shop charged me about $10. More than happy to pay it. 
For my 16th birthday in '87, my dad bought me a '72 Ford Maverick with a 200 slant-6 (car was almost as old as I was).
I think he spent a whopping $200 on it.
Had a red body and white top. Loved the rear air shocks.
First thing I did was yank the 8-track and put in a cassette player.
Having no power steering or power brakes sucked, but it did have A/C which was a godsend in middle Georgia (unfortunately the seats were black vinyl which was oh so fun to sit down in when wearing shorts HOT HOT HOT).
Blew the engine out right after college. Miss that car. Though getting out of the car when in a tight parking spot was fun, them doors were long.
I think he spent a whopping $200 on it.
Had a red body and white top. Loved the rear air shocks.
First thing I did was yank the 8-track and put in a cassette player.
Having no power steering or power brakes sucked, but it did have A/C which was a godsend in middle Georgia (unfortunately the seats were black vinyl which was oh so fun to sit down in when wearing shorts HOT HOT HOT).
Blew the engine out right after college. Miss that car. Though getting out of the car when in a tight parking spot was fun, them doors were long.
1970 pumpkin-orange AMC Gremlin with the 262 straight-6. It was very easy to spin the tires; I have no idea why my dad thought it would be a better first car than the Opel Manta that I wanted... That car took me back and forth to college in the late 1970s until some idgit turned left in front of me and I learned a lot of about radiator leaks and engine overheating on the trip home.
That car took me back and forth to college in the late 1970s until some idgit turned left in front of me and I learned a lot of about radiator leaks and engine overheating on the trip home.
In 1983, my parents gave me their car, a 1976 Jamaican Blue (color of a Blue Raspberry gumball) Dodge Charger (not the cool muscle car, the neutered mid 70's version)... Hey, it worked, and only broke down once every three months.
In 1985, I got a 1973 Ford Mustang Grande with the Cleveland engine... Zippy, but always broke down. Oh, and it was an ugly Spicy Mustard color. My wife still hates mustangs to this day after all the times it broke down on us.
Finally, I got my first new car just before college graduation in 1988. A new Ford Escort GT. My first car with a stick, it was fun and got the job done. Loved the gas mileage.
In 1985, I got a 1973 Ford Mustang Grande with the Cleveland engine... Zippy, but always broke down. Oh, and it was an ugly Spicy Mustard color. My wife still hates mustangs to this day after all the times it broke down on us.
Finally, I got my first new car just before college graduation in 1988. A new Ford Escort GT. My first car with a stick, it was fun and got the job done. Loved the gas mileage.
My first car I was able to drive was my parents 1986 Pontiac 6000 (piece of crap). Then I got some money from my high school graduation in 1992 and bought a 1987 Nissan Hardbody. My wife's first car was from her parents (they bought it new) 1979 Ponitac Trans Am T-Tops (no radio). http://hometown.aol.com/onebadwskier/images/cornerta79.jpg
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