First Car?

1966 Ford Mustang GT fastback, purchased in 1981. I wanted a Shelby GT350, but didn't have enough money. So, I bought the next best thing, then turned it into a GT350 look-a-like (mostly). Crazy thing is, with what I paid for the car and what I put into it in the following 6 months to make it look like a Shelby GT350, I could have purchased a nice driver Shelby. Hindsight is 20/20.

Here's the car a year ago when it went into the body shop...

And 'yes' I still have it! Here's my 66 GT fastback now, still not done, but getting close to paint. I'm returning it to it's original Vintage Burgundy, although it's a mild resto-mod now. Added rear disc brakes, converted the 4-speed to a 5-speed, engine was rebuilt 20 years ago to a more stout but mild build, comparable to a HiPo or GT350, added 3-point retractable seat belts and shoulder harness, electronic ignition, stainless tri-y headers, etc.

I don't have any pictures of it...but my first car was a 1966 Ford Fairlane 500...4 door.

#2 1969 VW Beetle
#3 1971 Mach 1
#4 1986 Mustang SVO
#5 1989 25th Anniv. Mustang
.....and I lost count from there.

My first car 1969 Mustang with a Boss 302 motor, hood tach, 4:11 Gears ... lot of fun at 16 years old.

My 1957 Triumph TR3.........It taught me:
Positive ground Lucas electrics.
rebuilding/synchronising sidedraft SU carbs. (with a Uni-Syn that I still have)
Repairs and replacement of generators/starters/voltage regulators.
Bleeding (the first ever production car with) front disc brake calipers.
Replacing leaky rear (drum) brake cylinders.
Leaky tops, side curtains, and Meguiar's plastic cleaner.
The perfect car for tsd and "gimmic" rallys, and road trips to Laguna Seca sports car races.
Not so much for autocrossing at the Fremont Ford plant's parking lot.
Rear axle tramp and cowl shake.
Heel/toe/rev-matching downshifts with a non-synchro trans.
1st/reverse idler repairs, clutch replacements.
Purchased 1964/sold 1992/still miss it........

First car was a 1976 Opel Ascona S - But quickly is was swapped with a Ford Capri 2.3S

And now 85 cars, and 25 years later, I finally upgraded to a Pantera





In fact I started a Thread this new year at my website, where I look back in time on the cars I've had through the years, since 1988. It's in Danish, but Google Translate will do the trick.
A new chapter every sunday

http://www.carnut.dk/category/back-in-time/page/2/

Mine was a 1985 Isuzu ImpulseI loved that car. My Dad gave it to me when I got my license. I washed and vacuumed it every Saturday since I was 12, waiting to get to drive it on the roads. I didn't have to wait to drive it in the driveway though!!!

the pic is not my car, but almost identical.

I don't have a picture of it but my first car was a bright yellow 1976 Fiat X/19. It turned out to be a real POS but I loved it! It was sort of a "baby" Pantera! I was so happy to find out my Pantera was WAY more reliable than that car ever was!!

Mine was exact same 1st car as PanTTera. Except Burgundy. I think it cost $300. Also same on the Lucas electrics and constant carb adjustments. Cool car, though. I used to hang my arm out the door and file my nails on the asphalt. I left it in the snow in my yard one winter and weeds were growing out the carpets and seats in the spring. I cut the grass and drove for a couple more years. Great fun ride. Then I got a TR4A and on it went. Tougher, louder and faster ever since...

Here's mine - a '46 Plymouth Special Deluxe (This was in ~'76).

Three on the tree, oil bath air cleaner, and all the trim. A cool cruiser!

I bought my first car I was 15 years old, was not allowed to drive it until i was 16 at witch i got my drivers permit on my birthday.
An 8 year old at the time a burgundy 1967 convertible Firebird with a 326 HO (4bbl) 285 bhp. this car was a bomb. I cant find a pic i could scan so I got it off the internet

I like your girlfriend

Hey Mic... When my wife was fresh out of high school a guy she worked with said had an old firebird for sale. We went over and he had a sprint conv and a 326 conv. sitting side by side. The 326 needed a battery and alt. but he said we could have either car for 1800 bucks. We took the sprint and drove it away... We still have it and it's fully restored w/a big block. Both cars looked identical to your photo.

First car... My dads 69 351C mustang 3 speed. I was driving it since I was 15, I didn't realize the lady down the street worked at the DL office and when I went in there they just waived the ride along. She smiled at me and said "now you can drive around legally"...lol... Good times...

was a truck. Dad taught me to drive in it. Still have it. After a forty year nap in the barn and not much more than fixing the brakes and a couple of stuck valves she runs again. Almost 1000 new miles on the clock since I disturbed her slumbers.

Sorry about the huge image, how did that happen?

Well now that I see that not EVERYONE had some awesome sports car that I'd have killed my family to have as a "first" car…

Mine was a wolf in sheep's clothing. Sure, it was an old, slow wolf in a very chubby sheep's clothing, but it was a pretty great car considering it was designed in the late 1960's.

It had rack & pinion steering, 4-wheel independent suspension with disc brakes all around, an overhead valve 2L engine, ZF manual gearbox, a torque-tube driveshaft, isolated subframe suspension, halogen lights and a proven racing history (many African Rally wins). Cops never gave it a second look, the seats folded completely flat to make it an awesome make-out ride and it could cary four of my friends in comfort and relative style. Not to mention the 22 cubic foot trunk which was equalled only by the Lincoln Town cars of the day. I learned all about rebuilding cars thanks to My "Peugeot" days (I owned 13 of them in all). My first one was burgundy and my last few were white. Great cars.

Mark

Well Now ...

My first car was a 1974 Capri MK1 2.8L V6 built in Koln and imported by Lincoln Mercury. When I bought it there was another car I really wanted ... 1974 DeTomaso Pantera right beside it in the showroom (but that is another story).

It was a Great Car. I kept and drove it for 18 years. A Jackie Stewart, Jochen Mass, European Touring Car (BMW 3.0CSi killing) Champion.

A picture of a car like mine (same colour etc.)

Hey Mark, I love your Peugeot 504. My best friend in college had a 504 diesel. Too many road trips through Baja California to count in that thing. Talk about a comfortable ride! A few years later I purchased a 505 Turbo Gas, another great car with fantastic styling, and quite a bit more performance than my friend's diesel 504 and subsequent diesel 505. I believe Peugeot made one of the best suspensions in the world.

Thanks for sharing the picture of that 504 (my friend's looked just like that) - brings back fond memories of a more care-free time of life.

By-The-Way ...

This is how I felt when I drove it:

Me too... 73 Capri, brown

Andryko / Shotgun / Odin -

I backed my '46 plymouth into my friend's brother's Capri, just below the rear bumper. I punched a 4" hole right through the sheet metal.

I still feel bad about it.

I started out in a 1964 Olds F-85. It was line green and kind of ran. I payed almost nothing for it but that was all I had at 16 bagging groceries. By the time I graduated high school it was black with flames and a very strong big block Chevy. It was fast in a stright line but it didn't turn for shit. After all the nights laying under it, fixing what I broke street racing so I could get to work the next day I sold it and bought a new Camero in 1975 an swore I would never work on a car again. 30 years later I bought the Pantera and now can't wait for free time to work on it. This isn't the car but what it looked like.

1976 Triumph TR7.. Nothing more than a bucket of bolts but I thought it looked cool

1930 model A
3- 29- 70 on my way to the senior prom

I still have it!

My first was a 1971 black Ford capri.

The pride of British car manufacturing: A Triumph Spitfire. Girls seemed to like it...

a grass green Porsche 911 .. for a good year, i wrecked it profoundly.

Could have been , at 20 , the reason i was not 57 today....

afterwords all BMW's...i can't count them

1969 Vauxhall Cresta 3.3.

quote:

3- 29- 70 on my way to the senior prom

I still have it!

Wade, is your camera also from 1930?

My dad was a car salesman for Lincoln Mercury and he promised me that if I didn't smoke cigarettes I would get a car as soon as I turned 16. That was all the incentive I needed and, true to his word, a faded red 1974 Mustang II hatchback was waiting for me the day I passed my driver exam. But he was a smart dad: he bought me the 4-cylinder.

So, while I had my own ride, I was still envious of all my buddies who were driving V8's ...

I learned to drive on a 1972 MGB. But my first car was a 73 Corvette roadster. My dad and I bought it as insurance salvage when I was 15. Spent three years restoring it. Still have it today.

What is it about Pantera owners and their love for Ford Capri's ? Seems like many of us had a Capri at some time. I've had 3

Rocky ...

I noticed that you DID NOT puncture the gas tank!! Because ...
In the Capri, the gas tank was mounted ahead of the rear axle and behind the rear seats in order to:
1) Keep the centre of gravity of the vehicle as close to the centre of the car (handling) and
2) Safety from rear enders.

My wife loved Driving the Capri V6. She felt it was a fun and fast car to drive.

quote:

Originally posted by Tony Blevins:
1976 Triumph TR7.. Nothing more than a bucket of bolts but I thought it looked cool

HA! My first was a 75? TR7 as well.It was yellow. Perfect colour for that lemon. Bought it at 15 then sold it 6 mths later. Looked really cool but it was a real piece of sh…
Will

quote:

Originally posted by danishcarnut:
What is it about Pantera owners and their love for Ford Capri's ? Seems like many of us had a Capri at some time. I've had 3

Yup,
I've had 2. The 78 (last year it was an import) wasn't my first car but it was my first brand new car. Took it right off the showroom floor for $6100. Those days are gone.

Doug M

Mine was an Opel.


And take a wild guess what was the next one... That's right...



And the next one was a Capri as well.

given Father was a mechanic, we would flip cars so I drove a lot of different cars from a 62 Dodge Lancer 170 to 68 FuryII Super Comando. the first new car was Charger SE. Also didn't take photos so this is the sales ad, but it is identical to way it look till it changes wheels/tires added front spoiler, blacked out grill. As I was washing it one Saturday, the High Way Patrol Officer stopped and asked to look under the hood and replied "wanted to see what he would have to catch"

JFB - Is that Donald Trump leaning on the hood?

quote:

Originally posted by danishcarnut:
What is it about Pantera owners and their love for Ford Capri's ? Seems like many of us had a Capri at some time. I've had 3

I took my mom's to my driver's test. It was the V6 and made no power, but it had the nicest power steering. Worst seat cover material, however. Very itchy!

quote:

Originally posted by Rocky:
JFB - Is that Donald Trump leaning on the hood?

now that you mentioned...I had to google to see if it could be. while I can't confirm, it might be!