Someone commented that we seem to be talking a lot about birds and trivial things. So here is something that should interest the men as well as the women. Did you have a favorite car?
Mine was our 1960 Ford Country Sedan station wagon, standard transmission and no air conditioning. We had traded the 1957 station wagon in on it, but I think the total price was something like $4000.00. Seemed like a lot then, but it really served us well. It might have had the original fold down back seats to increase the cargo area. You thought the current stow & go was original? No way. Our station wagon's back seats folded forward to form cargo area clear to the back of the front seat You could fit a piece of 4 X 8 paneling or plywood in the back of that car. The front was a bench seat, seating 3 adults. It carried 9 adult passengers, but the back seat was a bit cramped for 3 adults. There was plenty of room for half a dozen kids and a couple of dogs. We used it a lot to provide transportation for school trips. No buses all the time then. We took private cars and the drivers helped with the chaperonage. It finally gave out in 1969. The radiator was giving us a lot of trouble and one day when I got home, it looked like it wasn't going to go again and it didn't. We traded it, sight unseen, for a 1964 Ford Galaxie with automatic transmission and air conditioning. A friend gave me a ride to Fredonia where I selected the car, made the arrangements and drove it home. The dealer came and picked up the old station wagon.
That's my story. What was your favorite car?
I don't know that I had a favorite. They all have memories both good and bad. My first car was a '58 Chevy Belair. It had a broken gas guage so I had to figure the gas mileage by multiplying the 20 gallon gas tank by the difference in miles. So I knew that if I got to around 200 miles, I needed gas. I went through two Ford Falcons before being drafted. I came home to no car and finally was able to get one. We have had several cars over the years. The longest was a '78 Toyota pickup with a camper shell that was carpeted and padded for the kids use. Seatbelts weren't required then. I drove it for 18 years and over 200000 miles before the odometer said enough was enough. Lately we have been driving a Camry and a Toyota Sienna van. We are pretty much stuck to toyotas. They get decent mileage and are very trustworthy. I don't need to hear any comments about buying American. American cars can't keep up with the dependability of Toyotas.
Larryj
My first car was a 1937 Chevrolet Deluxe Sedan, deep blue, with suicide doors, straight pipes and a back seat where passengers could stretch their legs out and still not hit the front seat. (Hmmm)
I bought it for $100 and sold it a year later for $125 when I found a 1951 Mercury with a $225 price tag on it.
But nothing will ever replace my '37 Chevy.
My first automobile was a 1953 red Ford V-8 stick shift convertible bought used for $695 in 1958. It had a continental tire rear end that was supposed to be popular. One of my classmates was impressed with my car—not because it was a convertible but because it had turn signals.
After driving it for awhile, I noticed that the body slightly drifted to the left when cruising down the road. It had been in a major accident and originally came off the assembly line painted cream.
The car was an absolute dud and turned out to be the worst car I have ever owned.
Within eighteen months, I had to replace the clutch, had two broken axles, the water pump went out, a hole developed in the radiator, the radio quit working, the heat controls quit working, the top came loose from the boot area needing major repair, the battery had to be replaced, the speedometer quit working, and the gas gauge quit working but not before I computed I was getting 8 miles to the gallon of gas. Besides all that, if it was a cold morning, it would not start.
On a 400 mile round trip to Howard, I had to plug the hole in the radiator with a rag and drive with the cap off. At Howard I bought some modeling clay at the Ben Franklin dime store and put in the hole. It held until I got back home to have it fixed.
Tires did not last long in those days and I would go around to the filling stations and buy used tires at $1 each from the pile of old tires in back of the station. I purchased rubber fake white sidewalls that fit around the wheel because it was not cool to go around with black wall tires in those days. I also purchased "spinner" hubcaps because that was the rage of the time. I replaced the red brake light lenses with lenses that had a large blue plastic piece in the center. When hitting the brakes the lights shined more blue than red. These were another cool item of the time but the states soon made it against the law to have them.
I soon discovered that in the summer during the day, the sun made it too hot to drive with the top town. The best time driving with the top down was after dark if there was not too much humidity. High humidity made the seats and the controls sweat.
I had 18 monthly payments on that car and when it was paid off, I obtained a more sensible 1954 Ford four-door Ford Fairlane, one of the better cars I have owned.
Showing my age here... My favorite car was the car I drove in high school after my parents got a different one. It was a Chevy Citation - hatchback. The back seat laid completely down and you could fit a LOT of kids back there. I don't remember the year of the car, probably early 80's. That car did a lot of "cruisin main" even though I was only on my learner's permit (hey, I couldn't help it that my friends lived on opposite end of town when I was dropping them off!).
W. Gray, you caused me to have a flashback to the roads of Elk County back when I was first driving. Tires had tubes then for the most part and there were a lot of nails which had fallen off hay wagons and such. I seem to remember getting a flat at least once a week. Me and my buddy would have contests to see who could change the flat in the fastest time.
Thanks for the memory.
Larryj
My first car, actually owned by me, was a burgundy 4 door '64 Ford Falcon. I wasn't allowed to have my own car until I graduated college. My favorite car is usually whatever I own at the time, but I do have great memories of the Land Rover Al and I had. That was a really fun vehicle. No AC, no radio ( no springs! ;D). Surf fishing, mountain touring, you name it we did it. Great times at Cape Hatteras! That was 'way back before they moved the lighthouse.
LarryJ
I did have one memorable morning in which I came out of the house to go to school and the tire was flat. I jacked the car up, put the spare on, and it immediately went flat. I had to ride the bus to school that day.
I fixed a few flats back then. The going rate at the time was 75 cents to take the tire off, pull the tube, patch it, put it back together, and then remount the tire. Fifty cents bought three gallons of gas.
There were 402 kids in my graduating class. Almost all the boys owned a car of one type or another and none had air conditioning. No one, but no one, drove a new car. Only one girl had a car and I recall on one occasion the boys clapped in unison as she was driving out of the parking lot after school. She may have been the only girl to even have had a driver's license.
That car that gave me so much trouble was my favorite because it was my first car. Since then, I always have to chuckle when something goes wrong with a current car. I am always reminded that nothing could be as bad as the many troubles I had with that first car.
My first favorite car was a gift from my boyfriend. It was a 1957 Buick 4door, and that baby could fly! We will not speak about the gas mileage as it had dual carbs. I had a lot of fun with that car, it was very dependable until the vacuum lines started to age. All the accessories were run with a vacuum pump, wipers etc. Very aggravating when it was raining and the wipers quit. I ended up selling it to a collector for 50 dollars after I had driven it for a lot of years.
My second favorite car was a 1975 AMC Gremlin. I bought it used in 1985 as a work car and I ended up driving it all through school and into my first job. It was embarrassingly cheap to upkeep. The last year I drove it we had a huge amount of snow. I carried 300 lbs of cat litter over the back wheels and had strap on chains for emergencies. I was able to get where I needed to go even when many others were off in the ditch or were sliding everywhere. My next car was a small front wheel drive, I sure hated driving that thing when it was slick, you couldn't stop it like you could the Gremlin. Now I just stay home, and thank the good Lord I don't have to brave that traffic in the bad weather. ;)
I have two favorites. My first car which was a truck; A 1970Toyota Landcruiser Wagon named Betsy. It took me and my little brother on many great trips all over Alaska. My second was a 1978 Datsun F-10 hatchback. It averaged 35 mpg and on several trips between SF and LA on Highway 5 I averaged over 40mpg. It was an odd metallic, neon lime, pea soup color. Truly a 70's color. The back seat folded down and I used to sleep in the back on my many trips to Yosemite National Park to do some rock climbing.
David
Did you climb Half Dome?
Quote from: Diane Amberg on May 20, 2009, 10:43:26 AM
Did you climb Half Dome?
Yes Diane. Almost got hit by lightening climbing the easy cable route on the backside. Climbed much of the face which takes three days if you do the whole climb to the top. Also, climbed a side route to the top that can be done in a day . I never had the desire to climb a route that was so long that you had to bivouac and sleep hanging from a piton and a rope.
David
Quote from: larryJ on May 20, 2009, 08:57:12 AM
...there were a lot of nails which had fallen off hay wagons and such...
??? I wasn't raised on a farm, but have spent a lot of time with someone who was. I never knew they nailed those hay bales together! ;D
My favorite car was a '67 Falcon my dad refurbished for me as a High School graduation present. I had it when I met my husband and he always called it the "worm burner" because I had a tag on front that said "I'd rather eat worms than drive a Chevy". We used that car up completely... would buy another one in a minute if I found one that still runs.
:laugh: :laugh: Joanne, I had to go back and reread my post to see if I indicated that the bales were nailed down! Anyway, yeah, those flat bed wagons were notorious for falling apart and nailed back together. I even remember being on a hay wagon behind the baler when it started to fall apart and several bales fell off and almost dropped me with it. The farmer got off the bailer and walked over to his truck, got some nails and a hammer and nailed the wagon back together in a "mickey mouse" fashion. I was smart enough in those days not to go anywhere near those boards for the rest of the time I was working for him. However, it did hold together under the next load of hay. The nails that I ran over were big and usually bent towards the head indicating that they weren't driven all the way in before bending. Such a vivid memory now!
Larryj
OOPS! I meant to comment on the Ford Falcon. As I stated, I owned two of them. One was a 1962 fire engine red and the other was a white 1964. The only reason I traded the red one in was because I liked the design of the white one better. There was nothing wrong with the red one. I had to get rid of the white one when I was drafted. Around 1976, I was looking for a good used car and spotted a '64 falcon. I took it for a test drive, but it just wasn't the same. Maybe that particular car was a lemon. I don't know as I didn't buy it. But, like Joanne said, the falcon was a great car.
Larryj
So several of us had Ford Falcons, about the same time. I kept mine until 1970 when I got a Ford Maverick.
This is a good one :) I had 2 favorites in my life....a 73 Dodge Dart my folks gave me for graduation...340 3-speed. Hedricks built the motor for Dad. Won a few street races with that one! Shhhh....don't tell Mom :P
Other one 69 GMC short wide 350 4-speed I bought when I lived in Arkansas......won a few with that one too LOL. I loved that truck.......Now I've got a 75 Chevy 4x4 I bought from Moms Marvin a few years ago...go anywhere I want and pull a house while doin it lol
My favorite used-to-have car was a 1969 AMC Javelin SST (not the kind with the flared fenders). It was a metallic gold/bronze with a black hardtop. I drove that as a newlywed bride, and actuallly got pulled over once after I chirped the tires while turning (following Danny Yard's Camaro as it peeled rubber around the corner). The cop looked at me and my very-pregnant tummy nearly rubbing the steering well, shook his head and let me go with a warning. That was an awesome car, and I'd have another just like it if I could.
My favorite never-had-but-maybe-will-someday car is a early 80s El Camino. The kind that's more angular and "fast looking"...the other models sort of had a "hang dog" look to them. Anyway, I'd like to have a Camino and cover it in mosaic. Sure, it would weigh as much as a tank when it was done, but wouldn't that look sweet cruising down the road? No doubt it would turn a few heads.
My favorite currently-own-and-will-until-the-wheels-fall-off is a 98 Taurus that just rolled over 68,000 miles. Bought it new, and despite its dents and nicks and quirks, it's still a great car that gets me where I need to go without costing a fortune.
I didn't know we get to say what kind of car we wanted, just the ones we had. I so wanted the 1969 black Mustang 2-door hatchbook. That car was so cool.
Larryj
My favorite car was my first one ever that I bought as soon as I got my first teaching job after college. It was a used 1966 black Mustang 3-speed with red interior, and I loved that car. It even had an airconditioner that had been installed below the radio. which was not common for most cars then. I never knew if it was factory installed or someone before me had put it in, but the AC had a Ford insignia on it. Years down the line after I got married and was starting a family, it had some repairs needed, and we sold it. I have always regretted it, and think how cool it would have been when our kids were teenagers to drive around in a "classic" Mustang. Or better yet, how neat it would be today as retirees to drive around in it!!!!!
Al's mom had a new 19641/2 Mustang that he got to drive on dates. I loved it.
gotta comment on pamsback and her "street race wins". What she failed to tell you is she learned to street race in our Mercury Marquis Broughm 9 passenger stationwagon. I was informed years later that there wasn't a vehicle in Elk County that would outrun that mercury. And Vancil's, not Hedricks, rebuilt the motor for her Dodge Dart.
I have a hard time picturing anybody racing a station wagon. ;D ;D ;D
Oh my bad Dad told me Hedrick did :P
Diane, that station wagon didn't HAVE a top speed lol we just pegged the speedometer and kept goin! I cut my very first ktty in it ;D
Favorite car - my 1991 Nissan 300ZX. They've always been a dream car of mine and I finally got one not too long ago. They were originally introduced in late 1989 as a 1990 model and were way ahead of their time at release. They originally came with a 3 liter V6 making 222 horsepower and later released the Twin Turbo model, which I bet made the American manufacturers freak out a bit by putting out 300 hp... considering the Mustang was making 225 hp, the top model Camaro 240 hp, and the Corvette 250 hp all with large V8's. Not only was the Z fast in a straight line but it was excellent at what it was really designed to do... take corners.
The design was way ahead of its time as well with a very sleek, aerodynamic shape that still make people who don't know the car think its something brand new. Nissan even had to find a special process of making the headlights and windshield because the angles were so steep. Lamborghini even used the Z's headlights in some of their cars because of it and Nissan used them in some of their own race cars too.
I've just always loved the styling of them and their performance, though I bought a base model with the intention of swapping the engine with a different one (oddly, I actually like their older 80's V6 more than the newer one they put in these).
I actually have a ton of other favorite cars as well but the Z is among my all time favorites. I actually got the Twin Turbo version for my wife and it is definitely a blast, very fast. ;D
(http://www.machzracing.com/300ZXT/MachZ.jpg)
Right now my favorite is anything made by Ford. They must be doing something right, no bailout, no BK, seem to be doing alright. What do they know that Chrysler and GM don't?
ohh yeah... the Nissan 300ZX is sweeet sweeet sweeet!
The most fun car we ever had was the 240 Z Datsun...
That thing never had even a tick go wrong with it. I suppose we might still have it if it had of had more than 2 seats.. We had Danny then and it was a bit cramped..
So we sold it and I got my Celica... That car run like a well oiled top...
But my favorite of all was my Q45 Infinite...........you would roll the windows up and it would be like you were in a soundproof box.. The stereo was phenomenal.. and the ride was unlike anything I have ever ridden in..
You could get on the interstate.. look down and be going 100 mph and never even know it..
My stupid 3rd husband who I was married to for a total of 5 months had me sell it. It was a good thing for him.. He bought a new truck.. I got nothing........
But I got the divorce.. so I guess I won and got the best end of the deal after all.
Sorry.. I got carried away (http://www.rightnation.us/forums/style_emoticons/default/daz.gif) on the hate path.. I apologize.. :-[
Ahhhh the Q45. I love those... I really really need to get mine running sometime... I kind of broke it lol
I also like the older Celica's, especially the first few generations that were rear wheel drive. Small, light weight, and fun. ;D
You should ask your dad about the Mazda that a friend of his had in Emporia..
hahahahaha
but wait until Uncle Mark I are with him..
We ended up buying it.. ..
There is a pretty good story to it..
You've got me interested now, I'll definitely have to ask about that. :D
My first car was a 1948 chevy that I bought off of my mother's aunt Nell for 150.00 dollars. My dad thought I paid too much for it. I got it half way through my first year in college and it lasted all the way through. It attended many dances. My room -mate borrowed it and ran into a parked car. We bought a used fender that didn't match of course. I drove it to Kansas City where I started teaching but traded for a TR3. It died on the way to be traded but I got it going.
Since I have been "away" for a time, I'm going to take the opportunity to revive this topic. I have enjoyed reading this a lot.
Since several have mentioned the Ford Falcon, I'll start with that. While I never owned one of my own, my Mom did have two of them. When we lived in Maine, in the 60's she had a baby blue 1964 Falcon Futura convertible. Wow, that was a fun car. It was such a good car that she also got a 1965 2-door Falcon, while we lived in Iola. I wouldn't mind having a convertible Falcon again.
Many of you in Howard might remember the 1967 Mustang I had when I was in High School. I ended up selling that to a Mustang collector and getting that big red Cadillac Coupe de Ville I had for many years. Wow that was a nice car.
Anyway... my most favorite car I have ever had was probably my 1990 Volvo 740. What a great car that was. I wanted to keep it forever, but right after I finished paying for it, a trash truck, in Washington DC, backed into it. I was bummed. LOL
I've had so many cars over the years (I used to trade every two years) it would probably take a while to list them all. I won't bore you with that.
My 1964 GTO, and my 1980 camaro (year i graduated highschool).
My GTO is gone but my camaro is still around. Put a L2 350 into it with a 700r4 tranny. 4bbl demon carb on top. Boy does it S&G down the road
My first car was a 1967 mustang fastback. It was a plum color. I got it when I turned sixteen in 1986. I don't remember picking that car out, I think it was more my dad's choice than mine. But I loved that car!!! The stories it could tell ! LOL!!!
Our first new car was a 1968 Chevelle Malibu, bright red! We still have the car but it needs someone to do body work. Henry has the motor and transmission ready to go, but he doesn't like body work.
Gina,
To bad you do not have that Mustang Fastback now. When you watch the car auction on TV they bring big bucks. I had a 1956 Red Chevy that my Dad bought from a junk dealer and the only thing wrong with it, it needed new brakes.Time and time again I wish I had kept that car.
Jane
We have talked about favorite cars but now I want to tell you about my favorite truck. Everybody has or has had a truck at one time or another. Incidentally, I never had a car of my own before I was married. At that time girls didn't have their own car and usually depended on a brother to do the driving for them. Being between two brothers, I was never at a loss for a driver. But back to my favorite truck.
By truck, of course, I mean pick-up truck. That ingenious piece of transportation that carried you anywhere you wanted to go, hauled all your dogs and equipment and all the junk that you could buy at an auction. My favorite one was a 1979 F-150, 460. I hope that number is right. Anyway, it was a powerful machine. It was rust colored, indeterminate as to whether it was brown or red. It took us wherever we wanted to go through my mother's pastures or ours. Over the steepest hills of Elk County roads, including the big rocks that sometimes remained in the middle of the roads. My husband and I spent lots of time in that truck, coming to Elk County and going back to Sedgwick County. It had an 8-track player but no cassette player. We bought it when our 1977 Dodge wasn't running so good anymore. Realizing that we needed a better truck, I began reading the want ads for older trucks. I found one at a dealer just a block south of where I worked and they were willing to bring it to my place of employment for my inspection. Finding that it suited our needs, I talked to them about bringing my husband back to look at it later after work. They offered to let me drive it home. I drove it home, picked up my husband, we made a deal which included some brake work and it was ours. That must have been in the late 80's as it was before I retired. We drove that truck until we bought a newer one in 1999. Pretty good old truck. I still had it when the time came for me to liquidate my excess possessions. It did my heart good to see that it was still moving under it's own power when the new owner drove it out of my yard.