"My First Car" Stories

[SteveC]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by RichL:
Steve,
didnt you know that the Ford Ka was a joke gone horribly wrong?
One of Ford's design team painted four wheels on a Habitat teapot and sent it up to the board as an April Fool's joke. </font>

You know - I could quite believe that.



------------------
Cheers,
Steve

"Life is what we make of it, yet most of us just fake"

[cjolley]

Well, I had the whole story of my car history eaten by the UBB posting muncher.

To summarize: I've had lots of cars

Current car:
1993 Lexus GS300 (by far the most pretty and least seen model)
Color: Royal Jade Green (very dark)
Engine: 3.0L DOC inline six
HP @ 4500rpm: lots
HP @ 2500rpm: maybe 5 (This car has no bottom end!)
Top Speed: 146mph, 236kph (actual)

Bad: very expensive parts, no bottom end, throttle body must be removed to replace the spark plugs, no autobahn in US (unless you count I-40 in eastern Tennessee )
Wonderful: Everything else!

chuck

[Pneumatic]

Summer of '86 I got my first car. It was a tricked out Mustang GT with an Edelbrock intake, wicked cam, roller rockers and a Holley 750 double pumper. Way too fast for a 16-17 year old. When my dad gave it to me he said "I hope I didn't just buy you your coffin". He almost did. I totaled it less than a year after I got it. After that I got an old beat up Chevy Cavalier (that I bought).

I was too young and immature to appreciate that much car (but it sure was fun!).

Now that I am a little older and a lot more *cough* responsible, I have my eye on a new toy. This is what I am currently (actively) shopping for. In fact I am going to look at one this comming week! Weeeeeee.



[This message has been edited by Kindness! (edited 18 May 2001).]

[cjolley]

That wasn't very kind!
Now I've got drool on my desk.
Doesn't a real one of those go for about
$1,000,000 now?

chuck

PS Did you know Shellby (?) and his guys
were so into racing that they forgot to
install a heater in the first one.
The owner had to drive it back from northern
California to have one put in.
PPS You had to remove one of the heads to
replace the battery on the original 427!



[This message has been edited by cjolley (edited 18 May 2001).]

[Pneumatic]

The one in the pictures is a replica (that's what I am looking at). The original Cobras are going for $200,000 up to $500,000. I have a little extra money lying around, but not that much!. The replicas that I am looking at have the original Shelby 472 Side Oiler in them. They are identical in every way (visually) except that the body is fiberglass instead of aluminum (which by the way makes them faster than the original because they weigh less with the same or more power with new technology in the engine compartment where applicable). They are even registered as 1966 vehicles so there is no emission regulations. That means that, just as the originals, the headers go straight to the side pipes with nothing to impede the flow. The few that I have driven were spectacularly fast and sounded supreme!

A GOOD replica is between $35,000 and $60,000. That's about the price of a really nice boat, at least that's the logic I used on my wife

BTW a few other changes is the fact that the brakes are modern tech, the battery is in the trunk, and they remembered the heater (although that's not a big problem here in Texas).



[This message has been edited by Kindness! (edited 18 May 2001).]

[cjolley]

Hey Kindness, where abouts in Texas?
I was born in Fort Worth.
My wife is visiting Rockport even as we speak.
chuck

[thecurse]

well if you count first vechicle i drove it would be a ford 8n tractor from 1928.

first car i had was a 1971 chevy truck with a 350 slush bucket (2 speed automatic). manual steering, manual brakes. no seat belts because those were optional. am push button radio. original owner of it must have been a smoker because they paid extra for the cig lighter. it was a dark green colour with white pin stipes and a white full size topper. i paid $400 for it. the only thign i ever had to have fixed on it was steering gear which came from junk yard so johnson motors charged me $50 to install that.


best stoies about my truck is when we would go out drinking in high school and i would get so drunk my friends could not get my keys away from me so they would pull the coil out of my truck so i could not go anywhere.

[Pneumatic]

cjolley:

I'm in the North Dallas area. I travel to Ft. Worth pretty often. It's getting to be the season that some people dread around these parts..................Summer! I am use to it since I grew up here but the transplants can't get use to our 105 degree weather and 80% humidity. I like it since we can make our Easter and Halloween parties swimming parties!

[Ali]

Bit delayed.

Minis fit tall people well.

Im 6 foot 4, and have heaps of head room left in a mini.

They are scary to drive, I would never take one on the open road, but around town there is nothing more fun.

They are noisy, leak oil, offen leak water, and need lots of care to keep them working.

I dont know what it is, but I love them!


About that Cobra. There is a company (or was about a year ago, dont know if they still exist) in Christchurch (New Zealand) that make replicas out of carbon fiber, with your choice of engine. They only cost NZ$50,000 (about US$22000-25000) with the 427 in them. All the visible stuff is stainless steel, with all the hoses being braided.

I fell in love with them when I saw them, but was still paying the house off at that time, so had no spare money

The cool demo that they had was to bash the side of one of them with a great big sledge hammer, and the body pannels would just pop out again. The colour was built in, so you couldnt scratch them, they are stronger than fiber glass, and lighter.

I must look into them again now that you have reminded me.

Ali

[Raptor^]

Make: Mini
Year: 1987
Price: £900
Color: Black
Engine: 998cc (stage 1)

Most passengers: 6 and a bootful of stuff to too... Made for insanely long stopping distances, despite never getting above 50mph.

Best memory - leaving some idiot from school for dead when they decided they wanted a race round some country lanes. Guess their Golf GTI just couldn't handle the pace


Best breakdown - hit a speed bump that I somehow failed to spot at about 35MPH. I had my foot on the floor and the tacho left the scale as the front wheels came off the ground. Left the LCB exhaust on the road 20yds or so after. Went from being 'loud' to 'very loud indeed' (and misfiring lots too). Exhaust was only a couple of months old, so I stopped and recovered it (undamaged).

My friend had a Mini too - his best breakdown was on a motorway. Travelling at about 90 (flat out), the traffic ahead slowed slighty. He braked gently and shifted from 4th to 3rd (you do this instictively if you drive a Mini whenever you brake). Unfortunately at ~85mph this wasn't the best idea ever. Mucho revs, mucho bits of exhaust all over the road as it exploded from pressure. Then engine was fine though

Actually I'm not sure that either of those count as breakdowns... Mechanical failure caused by driver stupidity is more appropriate.

PS.. don't leave Minis out in the rain for extended amounts of time

[This message has been edited by Raptor^ (edited 25 May 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Raptor^ (edited 25 May 2001).]

[SCompRacer]

My first car was a 1968 Ford Mustang "fastback" with a 428 Cobra Jet. Had the Daytona Toploader 4 speed and Detroit locker rear diff.

Got the car in 1970, was almost 17. Used money I had earned working with my Dad doing plumbing since I was 13.

Car was mostly stock except for an OEM solid lifter cam and dual 4 barrel manifold used on the Ford 427's (same engine family, FE).

I had the motor redone and changed the rear gear and started drag racing. Ran 11:20 @ 124. Started in Super Stock but it's very expensive to be competitive in. You can do OK in Division meets as long as your within a couple of tenths of the index, but at a National meet, your usually first round fodder.


This sad looking photo is all I can find anymore. Was from some obscure magazine add by one of my sponsors, Hays Clutch. Back in 1974, not all publications used the glossy paper with color photos.



This is my wife, gassing up our Cobra.....Well, maybe someday, but for now it's a large 16" X 24" poster I've had for years.

I have driven an original 427 AC Cobra. I set up the dual carbs after the guy had the motor redone. Some have problems calibrating multiple carbs, but since I had learned on that same setup it was pretty easy for me to do.

I have also driven some replica Cobras. Most have been with either a small block Ford, or small or big block Chevy. A decently prepped small block offers plenty of torque and power for the weight of the car, but the big block cars are definitely much more exciting to drive.



[This message has been edited by SCompRacer (edited 25 May 2001).]

[Laurie]

1951 flat black Morris Minor convertible which cost $25. Would do 80 mph down steep hills. The first time I drove it after getting my licence I spun it around a corner and both the driver's and passenger's seats came loose from the floor and we ended up in the back seat.

Steve C take note:

my second car: 1961 morris 850
my third car: 1968 austin 850
my fourth car: 1965 998cc mini cooper (not even as fast as a VW beetle.

5th: 1970 datsun 510 (indestructible - still owned it in 1989)
6th: 1972 mercury capri 1600 (would do 110 mph downhill)
7th: 1975 VW rabbit
8th: 1976 datsun F10 hatchback (possibly the worst car I've ever owned)
9th: 1977 datsun 710 wagon (you'd think I would've learned by now but I had kids and needed cheap transport)
current: 1989 dodge caravan. (I'm getting old and don't really care what I drive, that is, until I saw the NEW MINI!!)


[This message has been edited by Laurie (edited 29 May 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Laurie (edited 29 May 2001).]

[Kruzin]

The vehicle I learned in and drove lots: A 73 Bronco, much like the one Amish described, only red and white. Also had an automatic trans. No pwr steering, no power brakes (and drums all the way around to boot). Rolled that thing before I even had a licence (not too bad though...we fixed it and drove it for several years after that).

My first very own car: A 73 Mercury Capri (the German made one). $200 rustbucket. Rolled that puppy within 2 weeks .

My first REAL car: A 75 MustangII Mach1. Started off a faded yellow, with a hopped up 2.8 V6 I built that kept eating tranny input shafts. I eventually redid the whole car. Found a trashed 74 Mach1 with a 302, 4speed, and 3:1 posi. Rebuilt the engine, shoved the drivetrain and heavier suspension into mine, painted it a '75 Corvette canarie yellow with black trim, and drove the hell out of it. People would laugh at the car, call it a Pinto, etc. Then they'd suck my tire smoke for 3 blocks The thing had no top end, but it would sure go from stop light to stop light in a hurry

[impact]

Guys, learn to drive!

http://members.aol.com/doggiesnot/

[VJ]

My first car:
VW Polo, model 2000, brand new

ok this is not funny, but my list of problems might be...

Day 1 : Went to pick up the car (very excited, my first car !). After a brief introduction (during which i noticed the wrong radio had been fitted, and during which I also got my hand all greasy (the guys from the garage were a bit generous with the lubricant that lets the chairs slide smootly ), I could drive the car out of there. As allways, the fuelgauge pointed empty (alarm light lighting up); so I drove to a gasstation, filled'r up, and drove on. After 20 km, the gauge still pointed empty (alarm still on), so I called the garage : "Yes, well, we're probably going to have to replace some parts, just bring her in." Well so far for my first drive...

Next week (went to pick up the car). The garage has a large electric fence, yet strangely, during opening hours this fence was closed. The small pedestrian-fence was open, so I went through there. Apperently, their front door was closed, but a salesman directed me towards the side entrance. "Yes, about that Polo... Well, the good news is it has been fixed... But we have a small electronic problem, and are currently unable to open the gate, and euhm... your car is still behind the gate...". Well, anyway, after about 7 hours, they managed to open the gate, and I could drive my car again...

After a couple of weeks, my car showed problems in starting. In the garage, the managed to pinpoint the anti-theft system (immobilizer) as the culprit; so I got a new key. Apperently, this wasn't enough, because the problem remained. Even worse now : the car often just stalled when I drove slowly (1st gear). Imagine parking the car (or leaving a parkingspace : forward, car stops, backwards, car stops... It sometimes stalled about 5 times when I tried to manoevre it; made me look like a real amateur ). The people at the garage noticed that the engine was running in a far to low RPM, but this is completely computer-controlled. When they attempted to reprogram the computer that controls the engine, the noticed it didn't respond as it should, so they ordered a new computer...

You'd think that was it ?

Sometimes, when I parked my car, switched of the lights and opened the door, the alarm indication functioning headlights sounded. I look at the switch, and it was in the off position, my dashboard was also no longer lit. Yet when I got out, my lights were on ! I used the switch again, and after some fondeling, I managed to get them out. My car did this a couple of times, upon which my garage ordered a new lightswitch. And after this, my lights did work as they should...

Well, I think that was about it (this entire story took me about 12 visits to the garage, and this was with a brand new car). Hopefully, I won't regret having said this tomorow...

(I wonder if anybody can beat that car story ?)