What was your first car?

[jojo2324]

Mine was an 89 Subaru Justy. I never see them around. It was the best little car. And I do emphasize the little bit. It was a slightly glorified Yugo.

My DH found it at one of his pool accounts - it was sitting in the woods and had 35K miles on it. Turned out it was the home owner's college graduation present, but she had since graduated to a Beemer, so into the woods the Justy went.

It started right up, even though it had been in the woods for over a year. I ended up driving it for two years, and even splurged and put in a sound system that was probably worth more than the car itself.

Only bad part was that it was so small, it could run over a plastic Coke bottle and nearly careen off the road. (I do think I've seen some bicycles with bigger tires.) No joke, during hurricane season, we had to put cinder blocks in the front to weigh the car down. :)

This thread was inspired in part by the undeniably catchy, funk-infused, people-and-animals-posing-with-their-Mercedes commercial.

[heytootsy]

A 1985 rusty white Pontiac Sunbird. It was a great car, and it was only $500. It ran a long time.

[rrosen]

My first car was a 1965 Corvair convertible. It was my grandmother's, she gave it to me when she could not drive anymore. It was in mint condition. Being that it had an engine that Ralph Nader deemed "unsafe at any speed" and lap belts only it was probably crazy that my parents let a 16 y/o drive it. And I was not a great driver to boot. I survived and so did the car. A collector happily purchased it when I went to college.

The first car I purchased was a bright blue Honda Civic. It was ugly as sin but ran great. I drove that car for 10 years and had no problems with it ever.


Fun thread!
Rebecca

[llcoddington]

The first car I drove was my parents' 1985 blue and white Chevy Surburban! My first car was a 1996 Toyota Camry that DH and I bought at an auction. I LOVED that car! It was in a line of trucks at the auction, so all the bidders except one walked away when it rolled through. So, we got it for an excellent price!

Lana
mommy to Lauren 12/5/03

[kathsmom]

I feel so old! I got my first car when I was 15 and it was a brand new 1980 Pontiac Sunbird in a canary yellow color. I put the down payment on it and my parents paid for the car and insurance on the condition that I had to pick up my younger brother from school everyday and take him places.

The car ran great for 3 years, but as soon as I went off to college, it started acting up, so my parents bought me a Chevy Cavalier which I had for 5 years.

My brother's first car was a 1966 Mustang convertible. He would not let me drive it at all. He no longer has the Mustang, but I know he misses it.

[JMarie]

My first car was a 1985 Ford Escort, although I was only able to drive it about 2 miles before the transmission died. My dad never could pick out the good used cars. The next one was a 1991 (I think...) Geo Metro, which I proceeded to run into the ground - the engine actually made it to 130000 miles and I was terrible about oil changes! Ever since, I've been a Honda girl. My 95 Civic coupe is still going strong!

Jennifer
Mom to Aidan Christopher
01/28/03

[C99]

A 1984 4-door Toyota Corolla. It had been my grandparents' car and my dad made them sell it to get something a little bit more senior-citizen friendly (read: big). It took the entire drive home to Illinois from NJ for the car to readjust to going above 35 mph.

[alkagift]

Mine was a 1978 Datsun B210 that I bought in 1985. It was small but it ran like a top.

When I sold it, I had already bought my first new car and the B210 had been sitting next to the garage for about two weeks. I went out to start it just to make sure it stayed in starting condition and the Garbage man, who happened to see me start it, offered me $300 on the spot. SOLD!

Edited to say, I just feel so OLD now that I've read the above posts!

Allison
Mommy to Matthew Clayton, 5/19/03

[LD92599]

Mine was an 86 Chevy Monte Carlo 2 Door...$100 special that my dad did a bunch of work on himself! It was ok...send car was a 87 Olds Cutlass Supreme...2 door...nice car!! I sold that to DH (fiance at the time!) in '97 when I bought my first new car...Pontiac Grand Prix!

Laura
mom to William
3.5.2003

http://homepage.mac.com/ld14m

[jbowman]

What a fun thread! It really strikes a chord with me b/c I ADORED my first car: a 1977 black Mustang II with a white top and black *vinyl* seats! It wasn't the cool, classic Mustang: my 'Stang was the one that looked like a Pinto! We called it the Pinto-Stang!

My dad bought it (it only had 16,000 miles on it) for my twin sister and me to drive (a little old lady had "garaged" the "classic," LOL!).

I drove the 'Stang for 9 years (from high school well into grad school) and although I love our Maxima & Tribute, I still miss it!

**A previous poster mentioned a Corvair--my dad has a '66 Corvair convertible that I used to drive occasionally---aaarghhh, the mechanical brakes and steering! "Unsafe at any speed" is an understatement!

[deborah_r]

I was just debating whether to admit my first car was a 1985 Ford Escort, and then I read about Jennifer's first car! Yes, not a great year for the Ford Escort. I eventually killed that and moved on to a 1990 VW Fox. Now we finally have our first ever *NEW* car - 2002 VW Jetta Wagon VR6 with a stick - LOVE it!

[bluej]

I want to point out that I was 14, so I had no say in what vehicles I had. My drive around car was a 1980 Chrysler Cordoba. My work vehicle was a 1982 Chevy S10. I preferred the S10, but you couldn't fit as many teenage girls into that as you could into the Cordoba :D The first vehicle I had any say in and spent any money on (well DH's money) is the minivan I still drive, a 1997 Grand Caravan.

[MelissaTC]

The first car I drove was my Mom's 1984 Toyota Camry. When my Mom inherited my Dad's Honda (after I was already out the house) they gave it to my oldest and dearest friend. It died in her driveway.

The first car that I selected and paid for was my 1998 Ford Explorer XLT. I named her Xena the Warrior Princess (I am not a fan of the show, just like the name). She was awesome. I recently traded her in for my 2005 Grand Caravan SXT...I miss her...She was VERY cool!

[parkersmama]

My first car was a 1980 (but I inherited in in '85) Renault Le Car! LOL! It was actually a great little car with a cool fold-back sunroof that was practically the whole top of the car. It gave me my passion for European steering and sitting far back from the wheel. I still sit so far back in my Honda Odyssey that I'm 5'4" and dh is 6'0" and he doesn't have to move the seat back when he gets in. :)

My next car was an '85 Ford Escort GT. LOL! An Escort GT? What were they thinkin'???

[Karenn]

I was feeling a little old too, until I saw your post!

I drove a 1974 Datsun B210! I LOVED that car. My parents bought it around 1976, it went to me around 1986 and then my brother drove it after I did. I think it was finally retired around 1992! I have such fond memories of that car! Was yours a 2 door or 4 door? Of the very few that I encounter on the road these days, most of them are 2 doors. I've never seen a 4 door like I had.

[Jacksonvol]

Oooh, a 1973 GMC Jimmy! Proudly dubbed the "UAV" for Urban Assault Vehicle. It got probably 8 miles to the gallon, but I drove it through high school and college. I had to give it to my brother when I graduated from college (he promptly ran it into the ground) and purchased "my" first car a 1985 Volkswagen Jetta that leaked like a collander in Florida's rainy season. Although it did have an exciting variety of mold in the back, it safely transported me through law school and my first year of practice. I still miss the Jimmy. A quarter ton of steel set high up off the road with enough room to transport most of my friends. Sigh.

[August Mom]

A 1988 red Pontiac Sunbird. The Sunbird looks like a good first car. :) I really liked it actually.

[pritchettzoo]

My first car was a hand-me-down 1986 Honda Accord (my parents got a new one). It had 192K miles on it and was going strong when it was murdered. The insurance check bought a 1986 Honda Civic. My parents joked that the insurance check from it would buy a bicycle with an umbrella, so I'd best be careful. Anyway, that was a great little car. I drove it until 2000 when DH killed it. Well, he was driving it when she died--just coasted to a stop on the side of the road. Poor car. I still think it was somehow his fault...

Anna
Mama to Gracie (9/16/03)

[Marisa6826]

A 1979 four door navy blue VW Rabbit.

It had 106,000 miles when I got rid of it. It was previously owned by a minister, so my grandfather was pretty certain it wasn't beaten on ;)

I loved that car!

-m

[Bethann31]

A 1973 Fiat Spider convertible 5 on the floor that would do 150 in pouring down rain (ask me how I know..) My dad bought it for me when I was 14 and spent 2 years making it wonderful. It met its untimely death in a parking lot when the transmission fell out, literally. To this day, I'm sure doing donuts in the dry parking lot had NOTHING to do with it.

Next up was a 1965 or 66 Mustang. I loved that car too. I drove it until it just died while I was in college, and then sold the body, without the engine, for what I paid for it several years previously.

Next up, a Volkswagen Scirocco, straight from Germany. Bad oil filter from Sears bought me a new engine. That ran until I moved to CA. I wanted something new, so we sold it. Several cars followed and then...

For many years, I drove a minivan. First a Dodge Grand Caravan and then a Pontiac Montana. I still own the Montana, but MY car is the 2002 Black Woody PT Cruiser. I LOVE MY CAR!!

Beth

Josh 3/90
Mollie 4/92
Jeffrey 12/94
and Katherine 6/03

[Dcclerk]

The first car I drove was my parents' ENORMOUS 1985 Oldsmobile Delta '98. Truly a car any grandmother would be proud of... if her cataracts were such that she missed it was rusting and that the vinyl top was peeling like a bad sunburn. Since I was a teenager, those things didn't escape me and I was pretty darned embarrassed about the whole thing. Especially since others in my school were getting brand new BMWs... :)

I sure did redeem myself, however, with MY car that I got in college.... a bright red, 4-door, 1992 VW Fox. Brand new, we got that beauty for less than $7000. And, it even had air conditioning! I did seriously love that car. Everyone at school knew it was mine. It practically became a school mascot. And I drove it well passed the time it was professionally acceptable to do so, because hey, it still was running. (Ok, loudly, kind of like it was screeching at you for turning a corner, but....) That Fox had character. AAAAAHHHHH :)

[lukkykatt]

The very first car I ever drove was a Pacer. Then I used to tool around in my father's '79 Chevy Nova - the envy of everyone, ha! The first car I bought was a '92 Mustang. Try getting around in the snow in one of those! It got stolen at one point, and alas, I got it back with the message "Thanks for the whees" (typo on purpose), adding insult to injury.

[Jeanmick]

The first car I drove was a 1966 Chevy Nova (what a tank!). Then I drove a 1980 Celica Supra. Both were inherited from my folks. The first car I bought for myself was a 1991 Mitsubishi 3000GT SL. I still have it! :)

[Mommie2MadLyn]

Well, first I got my sister's 1979 Saab that we called "the egg". Because it was so old that it had a faded white paint job that was so flat it looked like an eggshell. Not to mention the shape of the car looked like an egg! Then I "upgraded" to a 1985 Ford Mustang. Not the cool one either, the "pinto style" like someone mentioned earlier! That car ran great though I must admit.

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

...with like 300,000 miles on it :)....I think it was a 1975...
My parents sent me off to an all girls school where "everyone" (gotta say it whiny, victim voice...my worst nightmare is my son will pull this same thing on me)had BMWS and SAABS and I had nothing!!!!!

I finally convinced my parents it was dangerous for me to rely on other gals to transport me to and from the boys colleges on party nights for the gal might "hookup" and want to stay or be drunk with an hour ride home. So lucky me I got the old family robin egg Volvo :)....

When I gradurated I bought myself a Special Edition Honda Accord SEI...and it was (is) a 1989 too Joanne. That car has a good 250,000 miles on it and it is still MY BABY!!!!

I have (what use to be) my dream car sitting in the garage with a license plate "nevesnsx"...an Acura NSX...its mine and I think I've sat in it only 4 times since I got pregnant with Tristan. No one belives me when I say my old Honda in the driveway is more my baby than the NSX...but I swear it is!!!!

They'll bury me in my Honda I suspect:)...

Neve
http://home.nc.rr.com/ourbabytristan
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

[JenCA]

My first car was a 1990 Geo Metro (or "Ghettro", as we called it). It was a previous daily rental, and I drove it into the ground (which wasn't long, considering it wasn't of the best quality). It got me through my senior year of high school and most of college before it just died one day. It's quite a far cry from the car I *just* ordered on Monday--a 2004 BMW X5, lol! :)

[redhookmom]

I don't remember what year the car was but it was a Honda Civic hatchback. I LOVED that car. I think it was a 1981. I got hit by a Drunk Driver and the car was totaled. All cars since then have been a blur, that was my baby.

[DDowning]

At 16, I was given a 1974 Camara that was my mom's first car. God was that thing a gas guzzler. After getting tired of filling up every 3 or 4 days (just going to school and such) and having engine problems, I saved up and bought my first car - 1989 GEO Metro! Yeah, I know it was a squirrel on wheels but that thing got like 52 miles to the gallon and took me everywhere!

[mom2kandj]

So NOBODY else had to drive a VW Superbeetle? Yes, Superbeetle! You know, it was upgraded from the "regular" bug! :P 1969, lap belts only and the window cranks were always falling off! Oh, and when the ignition switch went out, my younger brothers had to push the bug out of the garage so I could "running start" it in reverse! Talk about class! :) Two years later, younger brother claimed it and I "upgraded" to dad's old Dodge Aries K car! CLASSSSSSY!


Rose
mom 2 Katie 12/02/00
& Jack 04/16/02

[kijip]

First car I ever drove was a big old Ford Crown Victoria- it had been a police car! Complete with red button and little holes drilled into the dash where all the police-y gadgets had been. The car was huge and very much like a box on wheels. But the car was not mine- alas I just drove it.

First car I bought was/is a 1998 Toyota Corolla. There is a reason it is the best selling car in the world- we hardly have to maintain it, just regular service and new break pads, no break downs at all. We love it but with another baby a possibility we may buy a minivan or something that would fit 2 rearfacing Britaxs once we have a second child.

[toomanystrollers]

1979 POWDER BLUE MUSTANG :) My parents actually bought it for me before I had my license and let my lic. best friend drive us around in it. Can you tell they were sick of carting my butt around???

[smomom]

Do I get a prize if mine is the worst?

My first car was a 1972 orange Ford Pinto with a black vinyl roof. It had a matching black vinyl interior and NO A/C!!!!! It vibrated when the speed reached a whopping 55 mph. We also had to disconnect the horn in the winter because it would start blowing automatically on cold nights (never did figure that one out).

oh, well. I still have good memories of sticking to the seats of that car.

[momathome]

My first car was a '91 Subaru Legacy, handed down from my mother. Love, love, LOVED that car!!! Power windows, power locks, so comfy to drive, working a/c - I drove it until dh and I got married when we decided to just use his car and sell mine to my BIL, who had it 3 months before he totaled it in an accident :( Broke my heart! The first car that I actually bought was our '98 Ford Explorer, which dh still drives to work. First NEW car we bought was our '03 Mazda MPV last year - can you say new car smell??? :D
-Lauren

[wdland45]

Me too! Mine was silver with red vinyl and no air conditioning! I bought it in 1987 with 47,000 miles on it. I adored that car. Drove it for 6 years and was very sad to see it go. So nice to hear of another '77 'Stang II owner!


Danielle, Mom to Alex, 12.03.01 and Brian, 7.27.03

[momma_boo]

Joanne, Such a cool thread!

My first car was a 1980 Volvo DL (predecessor to the 240). I got my license in 94, so it was already pretty old. It was a hand-me-down from my parents. It was a TANK. I admit that I never felt unsafe driving that thing. It was temperamental, didn't like it when it rained or when it was hot. It was in pretty bad shape, so we sold it and got a 1990 Honda Civic (bought it 5 years old). That was my car during senior year of high school. It was great. I took it to college with me (the gas mileage was awesome, especially on all the drives between NYC and Boston), but then had to give it to my sister after I graduated and moved back home. She finally sold it a few years ago and bought herself a brand new Civic coupe. I still see it once in a while, which is pretty funny.

Married DH and shared his car, 1993 Ford Explorer. That was our only car until last year. After DD was born, we got a 2003 Honda Pilot. LOVE IT!!!

(Can you tell my family loves Honda's. My brother has an Accord and so do my parents). Although my sister defected and bought herself a flashy BMW convertible last year.

[hobey]

A 1982 royal blue Datsun/Nissan (back when they labeled cars with both names) Sentra station wagon that I inherited from my parents. I loved that car and was traumatized when my mom totalled it.

My next car was a 1995 white Subaru Legacy that I got from my mom after agreeing to take over the payments after I graduated from college.

The first car I bought myself was my baby. A navy 2000 Mazda Miata. I had to give her up (sniff, sniff) for a more practical car when I got pregnant and I now drive a 2003 gold Honda Civic Hybrid or DH's 1998 red Honda CRV. Yup, we're an all Honda family now.

Raquel
Nathan's Mom 12/19/03

[hez]

I hear you on the worst... But I think you beat me :)

I drove a 1979 Mercury Bobcat, bright red. This was in '92, when my grandparents gave it to my parents. It was first my GREAT-grandmother's, and she had driven a whopping 500 miles or so, given it to my grandparents, who used it as the winter car and then gave it to my parents so we kids could beat the heck out of it. The body was in great shape when we got it, but there were quirks like no fuel injection-- that was fun on cold winter mornings!

I scraped a yellow pole in the hs parking lot with it-- had gorgeous yellow stripes down the driver's side after that... The gas tank was actually empty when it read 1/4 tank left. Learned that the hard way. Learned also that once a timing belt dies, the car just rolls to a stop...

[khakismom]

Dana, that sounds vey similar to mine, but I may beat you. :)

Mine was a 1975 Toyota Corolla--and this was 1986. It was a little 2-door thing that seemed to bring out hate in people. Paint remover had been thrown on this car in the middle of the night so there was random spots where my dad had spray painted it white to try to cover up where the paint came off. Also, it had 2 big spider cracks on the windshield, where someone had taken a rock and pounded on the windshield. (In Missouri, to get your car tags for the next year, your car needs to pass an inspection. My dad used to give the inspector $50 to look the other way and approve it when the windshield was buckling in. Real safe, huh? Thanks Dad!)

Mine also would start shimmy and shake when you got over 50 mph. It was a stick shift with no power-steering and no AC. The car had to run for 10 minutes before the defrost and heat would work. You should have seen me trying to drive this to school in the freezing winter--trying to make it turn was like an act of God. It also had AM radio only, and got one station--yep, the oldies station.

Oh, and there was a giant hole in the floorboards, so you could see the road underneath you as you sped along. Watch out for your toes!!

Eventually it died when a leak formed in the water tank and it overheated. Mechanic said it looked like someone had taken a blowtorch to the engine. I did a happy dance! :)

[jbowman]

That's wonderful--someone else with *great taste*, LOL!!! Mine didn't have air conditioning either, but it did have a snazzy luggage rack!

[RwnMayfair]

Well, if we're talking one provided by parents, a 1986 Honda Civic hatchback. It was my mother's old car and it was a fairly nice car (considering I was 16), but was taken out by a lady in a minivan who hit me hard enough to bend the frame in the middle. My mother still occasionally comments that I, "killed her baby". ;) A few other not-quite-as-nice used cars followed it. (Including a Mitsubishi Precis that was basically just a glorified Hyundai Excel that had Mitsubishi's name on it. It was a real piece of junk with how often we had to repair it. And then there was the Ford Festiva that a VA State trooper felt the need to tell me was, "a death trap" when he pulled me over coming home from college at one point.)

If we're talking one that I purchased, a 1997 Saturn SL1, which my husband's father is still driving. We sold it to him when we purchased our VW Passat. My favorite so far is the Passat. ;)

-Melissa

Edited because I apparently can't capitalize properly. ;)

Taran Reed - Nov, 20, 2003

[doubleL]

Okay, have to spill because this is just too funny. The year was 1987 and my dear dad, God bless him, got me a White 1979 Plymouth Volare station wagon with fake wood paneling. LOL! He bought it from an older woman who used it to go to church and take the dogs to the vet. Well there were scratches in the light-blue vinyl interior which everyone agreed looked like gun shots. Lovely.

Anyway, like all of you... I loved this car. I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about it. Many fun nights driving around with the girls singing Cat Stevens at the top of our lungs... Another Saturday night and I aint got nobody... and the never-ending joke about how safe we were in the car, could have barrelled into the largest tree and it would've barely made a dent in this machine. Ahhh, my VaLori :)

Had mixed emotions selling the car for $100. It was still running fine with 113+K miles. I was also estatic the day I bought my 1989 burgandy Honda Accord (in 1994) and love love loved that car.

I'll post a pic of the Volare if I can find it.

Lou
~David 5.01
~Elisabeth 6.03

[wdland45]

Mine didn't have a rack, but my sisters did - she had a silver '78 Mustang II. I think when we started driving, the cost of these used cars was very appealing to my parents. My older sister also had a brown '78 Mustang II, but she bought it new (she is 15 years older than me!) Guess I come from a Mustang II family! They may not have been the Mustangs best years, but they sure had some get up and go!

Danielle, Mom to Alex, 12.03.01 and Brian, 7.27.03

[tinkerbell1217]

A '79 Mercury Capri, bright yellow! Looked like a banana, but it was a car and it got me where I needed to go. Bought in 1986 right before my senior year in high school by my wonderful grandparents! A year later, when I had a decent part time job I got an '86 Ford Mustang LX. MUCH nicer!!

The first new car I bought myself was a '95 Isuzu Rodeo, brand new in '95. Then a '98 Caravan Sport, which lasted all of two years, it was used when we bought it. Then my 2001 Grand Caravan Sport, which I have now. In 2 years it will be paid off and I am splurging on an Acura MDX!


Kelly

[new_mommy25]

Mine was a 1982 Pontiac J2000. They didn't make very many. It was an awful gold yellow like baby poop. THe doors didn't work so we had to jump through the window "Dukes of Hazard" style. Once I was at a party and the cops came. My friend went to get into my car, opened the door and it fell off right in front of the cops. Luckily they thought it was humerous. The car was a tank. I drove once into a brick wall and nary a dent. THe drivers window didn't work so if it rained you were screwed. I got the car when I was 15 from my bf who is now my DH. He got it for free from his karate instructor. I had it about a year until I moved onto a Ford Escort, lol. I loved that car!

[Thatchermom]

Member of the Datsun club, too. 79 4-door B210, sounded like you were in a tin can when it rained...

The darn thing has been passed from friend to friend and refuses to die.

[newbelly2002]

Great thread, Joanne!

Mine was a 1977 Powder Blue Chevy Grand Prix with white vinyl interior. I used to sun myself stretched out across the hood. Mind you, of course, I'm only 5'3" to start with. It had a leaky gas tank and I got 14 miles to the gallon on a good day.

The best part was my high school boyfriend (and now my husband) who stood at 6'2" slouched owned a powder blue (yup, same shade) VW bug.

Seeing the two of us drive into the school parking lot together and getting out of our wildly mis-sized car to person ration was quite a hoot.

We named mine: "the yacht" and sailed a small flag from her rear until one day I hit a deer. Was mighty thankful then for her size(the car not the deer).

Paula
Mama to Dante, 8/02

[smilequeen]

The first car I drove was my Dad's 87 or 88 Acura Legend, when he wasn't using it. I swear I thought I was the only girl at my snooty highschool who didn't have her own car.

The first car that was all mine to drive was an 85 Nissan Maxima that my parents gave me when I went away to college. I loved that car. And my senior year I crashed it :( Then I got that Legend since my Dad was done with it :)

The first car I bought for myself was an 01 Honda Accord. I loved it too, but I traded it in a year later for the MDX that I'm driving now :)