A 1972 Ford Pinto! Anyone remember those? My parents bought it from our pastor and his wife ...... she'd been rear ended and the back was all crunched up. My stepdad straightened it out, painted it and away I went. I loved that little car ... ugly as it was.

:-)

It was 1968, and the car was a '55 Chevy. Actually, my first two cars were '55 Chevys.

A 67' Mustang.

Monica--my first was a 60 Lark! Bought it in '69 for $86. Loved that car. What a tank. I always felt safe in it. What color was yours? Mine was white with a red interior.

When I was 17, I got a used '66 Mustang. I LOVED that car, it ran so good and quiet, you never even knew it was running. It was so dependable and I could do a lot of the maintanance to it myself, it had room under the hood. I knew that car like the back of my hand. I knew what brand of gas it liked and tried to always provide it. I drool when I see Mustangs now. I wish I still had it, but it got hit when it was parked out in front of my house in FL and was badly damaged. I sold it to a junkyard. Sniff.

1987, I was 16, just a few weeks shy of 17, my parents bought me a maroon Mazda stick-shift, used, for about $1000, don't remember the model. The ash tray was full of change, I remember that, enough to fill the gas tank! I guess the dealer didn't check that.

I totaled it the day after my 17th birthday, temporary tags still on it. It was my fault, pulled out in front of a big Chevy blazer, hit me broad on the driver's side. The Blazer won. I climbed out the passenger side unhurt except for the bruise left by my seatbelt and a couple scrapes. The people in the Blazer were completely unhurt, fortunately. I don't think it even did that much damage to the vehicle LOL. My little Mazda was no match, looked like a train hit it. The sheriff kept telling me he could not believe I walked away from that. I was *very* shaken up, though. In shock, beyond stunned. I was still taken to the hospital by ambulance for evaluation. My parents were a few hours away at the time and the woman in the car behind me, a stranger who witnessed it, got into the ambulance and went with me, held my hand, and stayed with me until my parents arrived. Like a live guardian angel. I never saw her again.

My next car was an old Concorde that I saved and paid $500 for the next summer. That got me through college without even a ding. I guess I answered more than the question. ;o)

Brenda, I had a '72 Pinto in about 1978 or so. After that, I had a '78 Pinto, I think.

My first car was a '63 or '61 Chevy Belair, I think.
JoanMN/FL

It was a little Ford Prefect,I'm not sure of the year,
I didn't have it long,we couldn't afford two cars and
DH needed his for work. :-)
Later on DH bought me a 72 automatic VW Bug,which I christened "Bertha" :-)

I bought with my own money a beautiful new 1960 Ford Falcon. Boy, did I love that car!

When I first got my license, I drove the family station wagon, a 1972 Datsun 610 station wagon, bright yellow. When I went off to college, they let me use their VW Dasher. I had to carry a soda bottle filled with water because there was a leak in the radiator. Finally, when I graduated from college in 1985, I bought my first real car, a Honda Civic.

Sheryl

After we moved to Sask. in the spring of '46, Dad came to Ontario again to get the new Ford Monarch that he'd ordered quite a few months earlier, paying $1,600. in early summer 1947. There was a real shortage, after no cars having been built during World War II, 1939 - 1945. The dealer said that he could sell it next day for $2,000., but Dad said that he'd take it. He drove it to the 100th anniversary family reunion, celebrating our forebears' arrival here 100 years earlier.

After second year Univ., spring of '49, Dad let me have our old '34 Ford, with one of the earlier V-8 engines, to go out to serve a small church congregation where they only had services with a theology student in summer. Quite a few student ministers rode bikes. I had it for a couple of years and left it at home during the winters.

The first one that I bought was on old Model "A" Ford, built about 1929 or 1930, I think, bought about '51 or '52, but I only had it for a little over a year before I graduated from seminary (3 years Arts, 3 years theology: 6 years total) and went overseas.

Second was a VW bug that I bought in Geneva (was a U.S. specifications car that had been owned by a U.S.person), that I shipped over and drove it while at Cornell, '57 - '58, sold it in Calif. before sailing to Korea. Drove Sue to Iowa to meet her folks, and to London to meet some of my relatives, not my parents, then to Pittsburgh where she was a summer intern in a hosp. kitchen.

Hope you enjoy your cars - mine's sitting in the shed, for I'm on restricted licence, failed driving test, must have driver beside me, have seldom driven in over 2 weeks, re-test in just over a week.

ole joyful

My first car was a 1930 Model A Ford. I bought it at the beginning of my Junior year in HS. I was working 3 hours after school at the local filling station, and I needed to have a ride home. My house was 9 miles out in the country side, and the folks needed their car.

I paid 108$ for it and it was missing on cylinder #4. A friendly independent mechanic took pity on me and offered to help with the repair. All I had to do was to supply a new head gasket. He had about 4 to 5 Model engines in his lot. He took the best fit valve from one of these and lapped it in on my engine. (Model-As do not have valve adjusters. You shape the head and grind off the end of the valve to fit.) The gasket cost $5, the sum total of my repair cost!

I wondered about how many miles it had on it since it was common in those days to roll back the odomete. There was clue on the back of the car. The spare mounts on an extension at the rear of the car. Molded into the sidewall of the tire was the words, "U. S. Post Office". LOL. This must have been a mail carrier's car. The odometer read 70,000 miles, but I think it was more.

I named it "Betsy", and when the radiator leaked, it became "Betsy Wetsy".

This old car served my purposes until I left home to work my way through college.

VW Beetle.baby blue,then a van,then,olds Tornado,then another olds Tornado,an Eldorado cadillac,now Cadillac Escalade

I got my license when I was 19, in 1970. Hadn't needed it before then because I was a "city girl" ;o) I bought my parents 1963 Chevy Bel Air with a 3-speed on the column. I had never driven a shift until then. My dad took me to the newly built IBM complex down the road to practice. After that we went home and I called 3 friends and asked them if they wanted to take a spin with me so I could get comfortable driving it. They came over and I drove to Manhattan and back. I only stalled her 3 times, twice on the West Side Highway and once coming back somewhere around the FDR Drive. My parents had no idea where I had driven to until I got home. And they sure were proud!...and maybe a tad upset.

A 1966 ford Galaxy 500.

My first car that I could drive anywhere I wanted...was a '66 Mustang fastback. Bright red. My husband bought it for me when we got married. Before then, I drove an old '56 ford station wagon that belonged to my dad, but I was just allowed to drive it to work. I've probably had a hundred different cars in the past 41 years.

Mine was a /76 Ford Pinto! Bright orange hatchback with black & white houndstooth interior. I loved that car! I drove it until the transmission finally died.

A 1952 Buick Roadmaster, maroon with a white top was the first car I had to drive. My parents gave it to me. The first car "I" bought was a used 53 Buick Special and the first brand new car I bought was a 1964 Chevy Corvair Monza.

I'm surprised at all the Pintos. My second car was a 72 Pinto I paid $1100 for. . I gave it up when the front seat collapsed to the floor. Did I mention I drove that car to the ground?

1956 Plymouth Fury. It was black and white, with fins in the back. It had a push button, on the dash, transmission. It was the coolest car! This was the family "if you can drive it around the yard, without hitting any of your mother's flowers, then you can get your license" car. My mom had A LOT of flowers in the yard and we had a huge yard.

The first vehicle I bought myself, was a 1963 GMC Pickup. It was a 3 speed on the column.

Mine was a 63 Valiant convertible...looked just like this one...

1972 Vega...brand new off the showroom...i'd been working since 8th grade and my parents matched what I'd saved and that's what I got! My Dad didn't drive so my Mom was thrilled to have another driver and car in the family!

My first car was a 68 Buick Skylark - bronze green color. Yuck! They added a vinyl roof at the dealership. Sure dress it up but it didn't even have a radio! NO RADIO and they give it a vinyl roof. One of my guy friends put in an 8 track and speakers for me. We picked it up and on the way home it over heated. LOL They came with the tow truck to get it. Had to wait a week while they replaced the radiator. I remember the payments were $42 a month.

1972 Ford Maverick - the color of pea soup. I still miss it.

My Pride and Joy, A 1968 Karmen Ghia. I had it until 1980 when my X totalled it in a Ice Storm. I still swoon when I see one. I saw a "scale" model in a Hobby Shop once just like it. I'm sad that I didn't buy it.

{{!gwi}}
Gayle

A blue and white, 1965 Rambler, 3 speed on the column. It was very big and heavy...a tank of a car. I learned to drive a standard transmission in that car. The back seat was huge!

sooey

In 1971 my boyfriend helped me find a car. It was a VW Bug with a sunroof for about $500. Don't remember what year it was, but it certainly wasn't new at all.

It was neat driving in the rain with the sunroof open. Of course, when I stopped, the rain then came in.

A brand new, baby blue 1985 Toyota Corolla.

my parents bought my first car so I could drive back and forth to school. It was an Anglia (little English foreign bug) - nothing more than a red box on 4 wheels but it did the job. The first car I actually bought myself was a brand new '65 Mustang convertible - very sharp. However, my then husband couldn't fit in the front seat comfortably, so I sold it to my sister who eventually wrecked it. Hubby and I then bought a beautiful red Plymouth GTX - very fast!!

My dad gave me a 1976 powder blue Comet, in 1979. I needed a car for college, it was a requirment for my program.

A 1969 Pontiac Firebird.

It was dark green with a black vinyl top.

My first car that I got to drive when I got my school permit, before I got my license was my aunt and uncles 1976 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Dear lord was that a boat and a half. I could barely see over the steering wheel, and the hood was big enough that 4 of us could lay out on down by the river. I had a chance a few years ago to buy the car for 500 dollars but at the time had no clue where I would put it.

Stacie

Mine was a white 1976 VW Rabbit for $2,500. I bought it from a girl who was in the band called Hooters back in the 80's before they made their millions on stage as an all male band. They were quite famous back then.

'83 Celica, 5 speed. I loved that car...

My first car which was my very own was a (can't remember the year) darling, shiny, red, Volkswagon Beetle... even had a tape player. lol That ended up costing me about $50 more because the sales person didn't realize it had a tape player in it and I was so excited to see it that I exclaimed and said something about it and they tacked on more money. Live and learn!! lol
Lu

Mine was a 72 Mustang - my boyfriend at the time was heading to Viet Nam and left me the car. It broke down so much my Mom co-signed on a new car for him. When we broke up, the car was here since he wasn't paying for it. It was another mustang - yellow convertible (yr...???).

This was a fun thread. I remember so many of these makes and models. My ex was a car nut and in 21 yrs, we bought 2 cars (1 mine, 1 his) every 18mos to 2yrs.

Brenda - when the 2nd mustang went on it's merry way, I had a pinto - LOVED that thing. It died one month after my last payment. My ex told me to pick out what I wanted - and I wanted a Corvette. BUT, it was a '79 and with that long nose, I couldn't see to the front of the car. That was the year they brought the Z28 back and made the switch. I still miss that car!!

Thanks!!

Wow what memories! My first car was a 67 Buick LeSabre, 4 dr sedan, looked like {{!gwi}}) originally sort of a taupe color, then the old fart had it painted powder blue (ugh ugh ugly!), black interior, bought from an elderly neighbor who was getting a new Caprice in 1974. Paid $500 for it and it was a big ol boat but handled surprisingly well for it's size and suspension. Sucked gas like crazy! Plenty of room - could hide bodies in the trunk easily if needed.

I will say this, after others' experience and some of my own, often I've thought I'd "really rather have a Buick!"

Lots of different vehicles since. Only two new ones.

A '51 Oldsmobile that I bought in '59 after I went to work at my first job. It was dark green in color. Can't remember how much I paid for it.

aqua green, push button transmission, 1966 4 door plymouth valiant....drove the fire out of that thing..traded for a horse shortly after getting married in 69....should have traded him...LOL just kidding he's still a keeper!

1972 Volkswagen Super Beetle, pumpkin orange with a sliding steel sunroof you cranked open like a window. $2765 brand new. My late Aunt Mary, my godmother, lent me the last $700 to put me over the top. I was fresh home from Vietnam. I had a lot of fun with that car - drove it from Philly to Chicago via NY and back. A pity I smashed it up!

My first car was a 1987 chevy camaro. Fire engine red with t-tops. Bought it the summer of 88, after I graduated. Got alot of attention in that baby. Miss it terribly.

My first car that was truly my own, came to me when I was a newly single mother of 4. Trying to go to college, no money or child support, so Mom helped me with the $250 to buy it. It was a 1972 red Pontiac Ventura. Only 2 previous owners. I was able to drive it a couple of years before it died. Loved that car, my first ticket to freedom!

I must to tell you all. My first car was a 1933 Ford - Paid $100.00 for it and I as 16 years old. Charged my school buddies .50 cents per WEEK to take them to school. From what I see of the responses so far I must be the oldest guy on the KT ( smile).

a '77 Dodge Colt. Bright yellow. It was a hand me down from my sister. Well, not actually a hand me down...I had to pay for it!!
I swear the bees were attracted to it!!
LOL!!

A bright yellow 1972 Karmen Ghia I bought in 1977 for a few hundred dollars, around $300-$400.
Clare

A 1966 ford fairlane squire station wagon.I already had 4 kids by then.We were military and lived the first 10 years of military life on the east coast with mass transit,or lived on bases where it was very easy to get around.

Then we came to california----------where they don't even know how to spell mass transit,let alone provide it,so we had to get a car,and i had to learn to drive.Have never been sorry since.
Kathi

1968 dodge dart with a slant 6 engine...oh it was sooo plain jane in dark green it looked like a small cop car, lol...it cost $3000, brand new.

What pops into my mind first off is the Studebaker. It might have been the same as Monica's. That would have been in 1962 or 3 and I have no idea what year it was. The "Green Bullet" was fun to drive when I could manage to shift it correctly.

That really doesn't count because that was the car my Dad bought for us 3 kids to drive, so it wasn't actually mine.

The first car that was MINE, would be a 1974 Pinto wagon. It was the coolest car I have ever had. It had an automatic floor shift (between the buckets.) It was brand new (Yes, nobody owned it before me!) and I made all the payments. It was bright red with black interior, with black and white plaid in the center of the seats. Even my kids thought it was cool!

Welcome, Ernie! Pull up a chair and tell us a bit more about yourself, besides your first car. Wow, $100 these days would get you about two tanks of gas! Glad to have you with us, and hope you will post more often!!

I had a 1972 AMC Gremlin. My best friend had a Pacer. When we were in college we used to park them in the back row with all of the Trams Ams, Camaros, Novas and Mustangs!!! LOL