The "Your First Car" Thread

[93JC]

El Tres is not well suited to cruising the vistas, I'll grant you that.

[nickdrinkwater]

My SEAT is my first and only car so far.  It was new in December 1996 and my grandfather bought it as an ex-demo from the dealer sometime in 1997.  When he finally traded up to a Yaris a few years back, he gave the Ibiza to my sister and I.  However, since my sister was still learning to drive at that point, I bought her out for her half.  I think I gave her about ?400.

Since then I've put on about 20,000 of the 47,000 miles it has done in total (not bad for a 13 year old car).  The bodywork is pretty bad, there's only a tiny bit of rust but there's a ton of large scratches, dents and dings.  Recently, it has been feeling more and more tired, the engine is reluctant to pull in 4th and 5th, and I'm only getting about 35 mpg (metric), so something is wrong somewhere.  Also, there's a problem with either the tracking or wheel balancing - I just put two new front tyres on it but still, whenever I go above 70mph the thing vibrates like crazy the faster I go.  Oh, and I crashed it in 2007, I rear ended someone in a 106 at a roundabout at about 15mph.  Managed to get a cheap repair from a backstreet garage though!

I have a love hate relationship, on the one hand I feel like there should be a lot of life left in the car, but I still yearn for something new because I've been driving this thing since 2005.

Guess I can't complain as long as I remain broke.


Courtesy of the what we drive thread.

PS some great cars in here.  I have to nominate the Z as the coolest.  Though Madman's Chevy and FoMoJo's rides are pretty awesome too.

[hotrodalex]

There's supposedly a 442 in a friend's neighborhood that's in good shape. Sources say that the owner may sell it for 2-4k. Yes, you read that price correctly.

[The Pirate]

There's supposedly a 442 in a friend's neighborhood that's in good shape. Sources say that the owner may sell it for 2-4k. Yes, you read that price correctly.

You're buying, right?

[hotrodalex]

You're buying, right?

If it's true, hopefully. There's a chance that my dad could be interested in it as well.

[BimmerM3]

"That's 70's Show" is about the only series I can watch repeatedly and not get bored.  A lot of that has to do with Mila Kunis.

This might make you feel creepy, but she was 15 when she started on that show. She had to lie about her age to get the audition.

[JWC]

This might make you feel creepy, but she was 15 when she started on that show. She had to lie about her age to get the audition.

I just saw that on TV the other day.   Yes, I did feel creepy about it.  I was happier thinking she was an 18 year old, playing a 15 year old.

That said, she's still hot.

[Madman]

I just saw that on TV the other day.   Yes, I did feel creepy about it.  I was happier thinking she was an 18 year old, playing a 15 year old.

That said, she's still hot.

Paedo Warning!!! 



Madman of the People

[93JC]

Paedo Warning!!! 

Paedo

[nickdrinkwater]

I think ChrisV's is the coolest.

My first was my Camaro.

Awesome first car man

[Nethead]

Okay, here's the game:

-What was your first car?
-How much did you pay for it/how did you receive it?
-How long did you have it?
-Would you want it back if you could get it back?
-Etc.

1947 MG TC

'Given to me by another GI who did not want to put money into it--he was into electric guitars and was getting decent at it.  It was running, but had an erratic fuel pump that could leave you shufflin' down the railroad tracks kickin' beer cans if you didn't feel like disassembling the fuel pump on the side of the road.

I had it 'til I got an early out of the Army--the sudden announcement of group early outs for about fifty of us cut my time left from 385 days left on the tenth to 74 days left on the eleventh (Instant Two-Digit Midget!!! )--there were barely funds and time remaining to have my motorcycle crated and shipped to the US, much less funds and time to ship the TC (If it hadda been a TD, I woulda tried harder to find funding--but it wasn't so I didn't...).

I'll take the TC back if I get home and there it sits, postage paid, but I don't regret keeping the motorcycle instead of the MG back in '72.  I gave the TC away to another GI, and so I heard it was eventually parted out to fix up various other vehicles where I had been stationed in the Bundesrepublik Deutschland.

Like chicks, some cars enter your life sorta unexpectedly from nowhere and most sorta wind up being memories of the way your life was at the time.  Some you miss, some you don't.  MGs should never be missed unless you had a '48 TD and let it slip away...or a sweet girl with beautiful eyes that you let slip away...

[hotrodalex]

Awesome first car man

Thanks!

Nethead's is pretty cool too.

[BimmerM3]

I just saw that on TV the other day.   Yes, I did feel creepy about it.  I was happier thinking she was an 18 year old, playing a 15 year old.

That said, she's still hot.

Absolutely. Have you seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall? Great movie, and she looks great in it.

[Nethead]

Absolutely. Have you seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall? Great movie, and she looks great in it.

BimmerM3:  Nice ass-whuppin' the Yellow Jackets laid on the Tarheels, BTW!  Keep up the good work!

[Nethead]

Thanks!

Nethead's is pretty cool too.

hotrodalex:  Thanks, HRA!  It was a cool ride--the best part being the wooden frame (early effort at carbon fibre, no doubt), offset a bit by rusty wire wheels whose spinners had been well knocked over the quarter century that had elapsed by the time the '47 came into my possession...

Solid axles front & rear and four-wheel drums--little did I suspect at the time that I would once again enjoy those amenities twenty-seven years later in my '66 Bronco.

I've come full circle, I guess

[MexicoCityM3]

First car I was allowed to drive somewhat regularly (I was 15 then) was an '87 VW Atlantic (that was the name in Mexico, it was the first gen Jetta for us)
First car I was given for my own use was an '89 Dodge Shadow ES - called a Chrysler Shadow here in Mexico. 2.2L engine.
First car I bought with my own money was a '96 Chrysler Breeze (Plymouth Breeze in the U.S.) that I bought new.
First BMW (had to bring this up) was a grey market, imported from the U.S. by an embassy, '94 325is E36 coupe that I bought in '98 used.

[Tave]

Try as I might, I seem to have lost the pictures of my late 4runner.

Anywho, it was a

1986 Toyota 4runner
Hand-me-down from pops
I had it for 5 years
and would love to have it back

[S204STi]

Well, sad news.  I found out that my first car was totaled when some twit slid into it at high speed on the ice, and sandwiched it between theirs and another car on the sidewalk.  Luckily nobody was hurt.  The tailgate and front bumper are ruined.

[The Pirate]

Try as I might, I seem to have lost the pictures of my late 4runner.

Anywho, it was a

1986 Toyota 4runner
Hand-me-down from pops
I had it for 5 years
and would love to have it back

One year too late for the solid front axle (though it's still an awesome truck, and I'd love one).  Why did you get rid of it?

[Tave]

One year too late for the solid front axle (though it's still an awesome truck, and I'd love one).  Why did you get rid of it?

It became more expensive to fix than it was worth. Also, I lived in Phoenix at the time and didn't need a truck.