Great Vehicles I have owned in the past

[Zeno]

Recent car talk has brought back memories of young days and the cars and trucks that infused that long ago time.

Some old stuff (purchased and owned in the early to later 1970’s):

First vehicle was a red colored Ford half-ton pickup, vintage 1961, with a six cylinder engine. I ran it off a gravel road down a small embankment and into a pile of large boulders but since I was going so slow not much damage (didn’t have a seat belt either and I survived just fine, hard head). I replaced the radiator and got a blue hood, both from a junkyard, and was good to go. I sold it to a high school friend and he took the truck all the way to Alaska and back. Then it died - the truck – not my friend. He is still alive I think. Both his older brothers fought in Vietnam and we used to listen to all their stories. Rather Ugly stuff even though I’m sure it was embellished.

I had a 1949 ford half-ton pickup with a flat-head V8 and 3-speed on the floor. No syncros in low gear so had to double clutch on downshifting. This was a great pickup and could really fly. Those flat-head V8’s were a great engine and used to be the choice of hot rod types to super up. Used this vehicle up and it quit running (I forget why, something with the starting system, I think) and then like a fool I sold it for $50 bucks and someone towed it away. It was in great shape. It had an old tube radio in it that took 5 to 10 minutes to warm up.

1961 Ford galaxy 500. I purchase this from a hippie guy that needed seed money for his weed patch out in the national forest. $250 bucks I think. It had an 8-track tape deck and a cue ball on the automatic column shifter. It was a boat. I have forgotten what happen to this car but I think I traded it in for something, maybe my next car which was-

1960 Ford Galaxy 500. This car was dubbed ‘The Screaming Yellow Zonker” by various friends. V8, automatic, ugly yellow color. Once on a trip back from the Oregon coast I punched it to the floor to pass some Deadhead zombies in an old VW microbus and the muffler blew off. Really. I stopped and pick the muffler up from the roadside and wired that sucker back on. Then the brakes went out. I had the front brakes worked on and fixed but the back left side brake was all screwed up. I didn’t have the money to fix the back brakes so I just ripped that whole brake assembly off, cut, bent and flattened over the brake line and was good to go. I drove around with great front brakes (which do most of the stopping power anyway) and with the back right side brakes intact but no back left side brakes. Made for some funny stopping swerves and backside loops but nothing an excellent driver like myself couldn’t handle.


Interspersed in this I had a 1965 VW bug for a while. I then had a great 1968 VW bug also. From about 1977 to 1988 I had a 1974 Blue VW bug. This thing ran like a champ. I ran this VW until the transmission gave out (for a number of years reverse did not work, so I had to be choosey about parking spots) and it had a red hood and one gray primer front fender (results from another fender bender) when I finally drove it to a junkyard in Mesa, Arizona in 1988 and got $100 for it. Then I purchased a 1984 Toyota pick up. Right now I have a 1996 4-wheel drive Toyota pickup and love it.

-Zeno

[shawn_p]

No syncros in low gear so had to double clutch on downshifting.

What does double clutch mean>?

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]


What does double clutch mean>?

[/ QUOTE ]

Double clutch means to briefly let the clutch out as you pass through neutral, then push it in again as you move into the lower gear. It helps to get the meshing gears turning at the same speed so they mesh easier.

[Losing all]

First car, best car, 79 Lincoln contenential. Gold with white leather interior. Built like a tank, a rolling party bus/motel room. I loved that car!

First new vehicle was a 94 F150. 120,000 miles in 4 years and zero stops at the shop. (and a 50/50 chance I put the park break in it.)

all junk besides those

[astroglide]

the most fun i've ever had with a car was a red nissan pulsar, i loved that thing. it makes me think i should buy a lotus elise or a cooper or whatever.

[namknils]

My first car was an '81 Mercury Capri. It had the same body style as a Mustang. I loved the car, but it died in 2000.

By the way, I was born in '82 and bought the car for $500 when I turned 16 in '98. My guitar amp cost me the same amount.

[JimRivett]

The first car I owned was a "got at" Mk I Sprite, sometimes referred to as a "bug eyed" Sprite because of the headlights being in the middle of the bonnet (that's a hood to the US audience). Great car, I used to hill climb it. I remember once when I was going somewhere after some rain, I made a right hand turn from a nice stretch of road to another nice stretch of road, so as you can imagine I was moving along pretty good. Anyway coming out of the turn I got it sideways, so I turned into the slide and hit the throttle, the bloody thing did a 270 and I ended up facing the way I had just come! Good thing the road way empty.

The last great car I owned was an Alfa Romeo GTV6, Monza Red. I took it to Vegas once, sat on 120mph all the way, and it purred like a kitten for the entire trip.

I now drive boring, practical vehicles.

Jim

[turnipmonster]

my first car, in '93, was a '73 ford maverick with a v8 (302). it was ready for the junkyard, but my dad and I ripped it apart, put in dual exhaust, a 4 barrel holley carb and a edelbrock intake. After we fiberglassed and bondo'd the hell out of the body we painted it black. also we redid the interior in black and gray (mostly gray). it was a great, very quick car which I loved and respected.

I knew everything about how that car worked and we never had to take it to a mechanic, we just fixed it ourselves. good times.

--turnipmonster

[Zeno]

I can't believe I forget to tell about the sports car I used to have. Your post remained me about it. I did not own it for long, only a few months, and sold it to a friend after the transmission when ka-flewy. It was a Triumph GT6 (I forgot the year, early 70’s for sure) the slope back. It had a six-cylinder engine and dual carburetors, standard. It was not all that fast - topped out at about 120 mph but was really quick from 0 to 70 mph. I use to love laying out a long second gear rubber with the thing. It was black and had green flames on the hood and side. I'm glad the tranmission blew because I wouldn’t be alive right now if it hadn’t.

-Zeno

[Zeno]

Having a 302 V8 in the maverick was a tight fit. I did a tune up on one years ago. Friggin almost impossible to get one of the spartplugs out if I remember correctly. Anyway, that must have been one cramped engine space with all those lovely extras in it.

And it does sound like fun times. It's great when you do not have to rely on a mechanic to fix your vehicle.

-Zeno

[turnipmonster]

yeah, the valve covers had to come off to get the rears ones off I think. very tight fit all around.

--turnipmonster

[TheRake]

1972 Monte Carlo

http://www.montecarlocity.net/e107/e107_plugins/coppermine_menu/albums/userpics/10358/normal_DSC01195.JPG

This picture isn't mine. Mine was Red with a black vynol(sp?) top. I traded a 1978 Dodge Diplomat + $900 for it when I was 17 (1987). Super cool /images/graemlins/cool.gif

TheRake

[theBruiser500]

bikes are better than cars

[JimRivett]

I kid you not, this is my back yard and this vehicle is currently parked there!


http://www.cshsystems.com/pics/grade1.jpg

[vulturesrow]

My first car was a '66 Plymouth Valiant with a slant 6 and three speed column shifter. I bought it for 400 dollars. The gas gauge didnt work but I got pretty damn good at estimating. Kept a gerry can in the trunk just in case though. After a couple outings with it the radiator hose completely came apart, dry rot. Couple bucks worth of hose and I was good to go. Or so I thought. Went out on a date one night and when I dropped the lucky lass off, I felt the brake pedal sink all the way to the floor. Judicious use of downshifting and parking brake prevented catastrophe. I then drove all the way home (approximately 20 miles or so) with lots of downshifting and liberal reliance on God as my copilot. I made it home without incident. Checked it out the next day, brake lines were dry rotted. Fixed that and never had another problem. I often regret my decision to get rid of that car.

[Slacker13]

Most memorable was a 65 Merc Cougar in near mint condition that I got for 1$, thats right one single dollar. My girlfriend at the time her parents owned many duplexes and one of their tenants' husbands was always out drinking all night so she got tired of him never coming home, well we went by their apartment for whatever reason and she asked me if I wanted his car for 1$, I was 21 and said hell yes.
This car was sweet, near mint interior, had the lift up headlight covers and stock strobe turn signals. because of financial problems at the time I had to sell it and I still see that car every now and then in the old neighborhood. I think I might cry.

[astroglide]

this is a response thread not a talk thread

[Zeno]

[ QUOTE ]
this is a response thread not a talk thread

[/ QUOTE ]

Pardon Me, Astroglide.

Triumph GT6 - Ugly Yellow (http://www.americandreamcars.com/1970triumphgt6.htm)

-Zeno

[ThaSaltCracka]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/ThaSaltCracka/Picture024.jpg

[wacki]

My first car....

A Chevy Cozycraft. The name says it all.

Second car, Honda Accord. Put over 300K on it before the transmission failed. Funny thing is, I don't remember ever changing the tranny fluid. I wonder how long it would of lasted if I did.

[andyfox]

Don't you mean grate vehicle?

[Diplomat]

Oranges are better than potatoes.

-Diplomat

[Porcupine]

1973 Datsun 240Z (http://www.americandreamcars.com/1973datsun240z0824.htm)