Your First Car

[Dodgersrf]

Probably but it seems like it takes so much effort and probably not a good idea to learn in a classic car haha.

Naw. After the first tank of gas, it will feel like second nature.

 

[RhodyRams]

I graduated in 83 and @IowaRam nailed it about the cars in the parking lot. 4 sections of the parking lot, gear heads,stoners,jocks and everyone else lol

 

[dieterbrock]

Ain't that the truth. Nothing like manually shifting a car with lots of torque.

Yeah man. Chirping the tires in 2nd, 3rd gear was a thrill.
This thread has been awesome. Had me perusing the classic cars for sale websites until 2am...
There is one car that I WILL own someday

 

[dieterbrock]

C'mon Jrry. A real muscle car with a stick is something every testosterone junkie needs to get hold of. Grabbing gears is what it is all about because you feel like you are doing just that - grabbing gears. The feel of that rear end trying to shove the seat out from under your ass and then downshifting into and out of a turn while you jump on it.... it's about the only thing I miss in driving a muscle car. It doesn't take long to learn and when you do, you will be like a kid in a candy store. Just find a vacant parking lot and you'll learn in minutes being that you probably have all the other motions down.

Muscle cars are no where near as smooth as most cars today. They make you want a smoke afterwards.

Man, what a great post. Gave me goosebumps.

 

[Zaphod]

I can't drive stick. Wish I could because there's some cars that I found that I really like that are stick. But at this point in my life, I just don't want to take the time to learn.

That's a lot for insurance...whoa.

Really all it takes is one hour to learn what you need to know. Then after just driving back and forth to work for a week or two, you won't even be thinking about it. After a year, it's just an extension of you.

In a front wheel drive car you can use engine braking/down shifting with no gas using the clutch to control how much friction and the cable brake (rear wheels) to control braking to the front and back, kind of like a motorcycle, which helps a lot better than anti-lock in snow and ice.

This is a funny story. My first manual gear box experience was a 72 pinto. I kid you not, there was a 2X4 holding the front driver's side seat in place as the uni-body frame was rusting out underneath. I just wanted to take it for a spin around the block. I didn't know that there was no clutch pedal, just the stump. Of course that made the clutch extremely binary and due to that and my lack of experience I ended up speed shifting all the way around the block. I made it back horrified, parked that car, and never drove it again

It's not a big deal at all, more mental than anything else, and there really isn't anything to be afraid of, especially on modern cars with the cable brake in the middle to help with rolling back, and once you learn, you'll think it's fun.

 

[Athos]

Yeah man. Chirping the tires in 2nd, 3rd gear was a thrill.
This thread has been awesome. Had me perusing the classic cars for sale websites until 2am...
There is one car that I WILL own someday

One of my favorite vette designs. Ever.

 

[Killgasm]

My first car was a 99' Chevy Silverado.
My dad gave it to me at age 16. He told me that I should always own a Chevy truck in my life

 

[bluecoconuts]

I can't drive stick. Wish I could because there's some cars that I found that I really like that are stick. But at this point in my life, I just don't want to take the time to learn.

That's a lot for insurance...whoa.

Man code dude, you gotta know how to drive a stick.

It did take me some extra practice to get the hang of driving on the left when I went back home, since all our cars are manual as well. I got used to driving automatic, but I have a shitty Civic, so I don't need stick. Having the extra control is great, makes racing a lot more fun that's for sure. I used to love when little automatic ricer cars would try to race me on the freeway on my motorcyle, I'd drop it down to second gear and just take off. So much more fun than trying to do it with an automatic.

 

[Stranger]

My High School transportation. I was crazy to be driving around L.A. on a bike, even back then.

 

[Selassie I]

My High School transportation. I was crazy to be driving around L.A. on a bike, even back then.

Hahaha

My first ever vehicle of my own was a Honda XR-75 dirt bike. I was like 12 or 13.

I quit riding it when I took the front end loader and created a very big junp. We made these in our orange grove.

I landed in an orange tree on my LAST jump.

 

[Stranger]

Hahaha

My first ever vehicle of my own was a Honda XR-75 dirt bike. I was like 12 or 13.

I quit riding it when I took the front end loader and created a very big junp. We made these in our orange grove.

I landed in an orange tree on my LAST jump.

Yup, I had a Suzuki 50 as a little kid, and almost killed myself countless times. Almost didn't make it to the age of 10

 

[LesBaker]

I can't drive stick. Wish I could because there's some cars that I found that I really like that are stick. But at this point in my life, I just don't want to take the time to learn.

That's a lot for insurance...whoa.

I'll echo what so many others are telling you. If you're buying an old muscle car learn to drive a stick. You will like it. One piece of advice I will offer is to remember that first gear is really only to get the car moving forward, second, and especially third gear are you friend in city driving.

As far as insurance........in late 1987 I bought the 1988 Mustang GT 5.0 right when they hit the showrooms. It was a stick, a 5 speed, by the way, and would fly past most cars on the road.

Insurance was $2500 a year in two premiums, one every six months. I was barely 27, plus the car had so much power the insurance companies had to hedge bets LOL.

 

[LesBaker]

1967 Firebird, still have it.

This post wins the thread.

 

[Zaphod]

My High School transportation. I was crazy to be driving around L.A. on a bike, even back then.

Holy smokes, I can imagine! Very cool.

 

[JonRam99]

1985 chevette, looked virtually like this, rust & sliding trim & all:

The driver's side door wouldn't shut unless I pushed it from the outside, so I had to climb in through the passenger side every time. Going around corners, the A/T would start free-spinning, until I straightened out & it caught. Always adjusting the idle. On trips down the highway with friends, it wouldn't maintain highway speed up hills, gradually slowing to about 30 mph until it crested the hill. It was REAR wheel drive, and when it snowed, it might as well have been a sleigh.

But it was my FIRST car, and I washed & waxed it religiously. I had a cheap stereo & amp & a custom speaker box with (4) 6x9'S in it that screamed out the heavy metal junk I used to listen to, mullet flying around & all. My grandpa helped me buy it, & he passed away a year later so I took very good care of it. My wife & I laugh about it now, & she still dogs me for how I took such great care of this lump & don't with the nicer cars we have now!

 

[LazyWinker]

Now I want to drive a sports car. I don't have a sports car .

It pains me to admit it, I'm just not a sports car guy. Which sucks because I imagine it's very fun to drive something fast and sporty. I've thought it would be cool to have one but I've made peace with myself. Don't get me wrong, I would jump at the opportunity to drive something with lots of power, I just wouldn't purchase it.

 

[Selassie I]

Now I want to drive a sports car. I don't have a sports car .

It pains me to admit it, I'm just not a sports car guy. Which sucks because I imagine it's very fun to drive something fast and sporty. I've thought it would be cool to have one but I've made peace with myself. Don't get me wrong, I would jump at the opportunity to drive something with lots of power, I just wouldn't purchase it.

You can rent very expensive sports cars. Even Ferraris and Lamborghinis.

So go cure your itch Brudda!

 

[LazyWinker]

You can rent very expensive sports cars. Even Ferraris and Lamborghinis.

So go cure your itch Brudda!

Perhaps next time I'm in Vegas.

 

[Pancake]

1985 chevette, looked virtually like this, rust & sliding trim & all:

View attachment 5612

The driver's side door wouldn't shut unless I pushed it from the outside, so I had to climb in through the passenger side every time. Going around corners, the A/T would start free-spinning, until I straightened out & it caught. Always adjusting the idle. On trips down the highway with friends, it wouldn't maintain highway speed up hills, gradually slowing to about 30 mph until it crested the hill. It was REAR wheel drive, and when it snowed, it might as well have been a sleigh.

But it was my FIRST car, and I washed & waxed it religiously. I had a cheap stereo & amp & a custom speaker box with (4) 6x9'S in it that screamed out the heavy metal junk I used to listen to, mullet flying around & all. My grandpa helped me buy it, & he passed away a year later so I took very good care of it. My wife & I laugh about it now, & she still dogs me for how I took such great care of this lump & don't with the nicer cars we have now!

One of my best buds in HS had the same car except I think it was an 82'. The best times were had in that car. Brings back memories of clove cigarrettes, crappy new wave music and cute girls every where dressing like Madonna.

 

[Rmfnlt]

OK... first car I drove? 1941 Caddilac.

My father bought it from an funeral home about five years before I could drive. Why, I don't know... as he had zero mechanical skills to fix it up.
It sat in the driveway for years.

When I got my license and it was clear I wasn't "getting" a car, my friends and I cleaned it up as best we could and got it running.
Of course, no power steering and the thing weighed a ton. Turning the steering wheel took both arms!
Three speed on the column ("three on the tree")
We sure had a lot of fun with that sucker!
First car I bought? 1966 Dodge Dart.

Bought it off some friends, who were moving out of state.
They bought it off their grandfather's friend, who only drove it to church and the store.
While they had it, they didn't put a lof mileage on it so I got this 1966 car in 1979 with only 16,000 original miles!
It held up amazingly... great car for college!
Economical (small slant 6 - couldn't kill those engines!), hugh trunk, reliable.
Another "three on the tree".
Funny story... one day I'm heading home after dropping off my girlfriend. I shift from first into second (out and up) and the shifter falls off in my hand! I had to limp home in second gear (about 15 miles with lights). Surprised I didn't totally burn out the clutch... but it turned out I didn't do much damage to it at all.

Held onto it for 3 years, then sold it to my brother-in-law and the new wife and I got our first new car... 1982 Mazda 626.
I remember fretting over how big the payment was and whether we could afford it. The payment?

$123/month!