What was your first car and how/when did you get it.

When I turned 16 Dad said he would split 50/50 with me for a my first car. That once we had some money saved up he would find it for me.
He was a really astute shade tree mechanic and firmly believed in the antics and chronicles of Gus Wilson.
(more to come)

So, I cut laswns (jobs americans wont do)
and I collected papers. and I workded some after school jobs.
And I was able to round up a wopping 200 Bucks.
Dad matched it and said he would start to look for a good fixer upper............................

well after about a week pops announces he has found a real jewel and we will go to pick it up in the morning..
Im excited as if I was going on a first date.
I asked him what type and body.
He just grinned and said its a real bargin and a surprise.
Your gonna learn a lot about old cars and your gonna be a good mechanic he says

So.............of we go to this work buddys house.
I have visions of an early mustang or my gosh a 57 belair maybe....................
We pull into the drive way and my heart just sank...........
I gulped and this cold sweet broke out on my forehead..
It was the ugliset, most pathetic......car I had ever seen.
A 54 chevy.........4 door sedan.......a sedan?????WTH.
and it was two tone.. The Top was water melon red and the body was egg shell white......and it was painted with a brush....................OMGGGGGGGGGGGggg

oh man I can see your face at seeing that car keep it comeing lol

My mom had a phrase for such cars
She called em the wreck of the Hesper.
This thing had a so so interior, if ya didn't mind the headliner saggin and the smell of mouse pee to much.
But that wasn't the worst of it. The darn thing leaned to the port.
Omg. I cant be seen in this thing and it probably didn't even run
Oh Dad..............what have you done to your son.
Well. After I come out of my shocks and get to watching dad, hes just smiling like he had sense.........................

So Dad and this old fella decide to fire it up as we said.
COurse Pops had to open the hood and look in the engine compartment. Rites of passage kinda thing.
All menly men even today will pop the hood and look in.
I looked in............... and saw this ugly black, useing mass of metal...........................
Dad hollers at the owner to "make contact" thats an old WW!! expression. Well that guy hits the starter and it groans, whines spits.................and back fires.......
Booommmmmmmm.
Dad just grins and sauys the points are off giver er another try.
Pops reaches int the engine compartment and does something.....I dont know what as he was a full fledged member of the secreat society of the road side mechanics association.
Any way............it whines groans and starts................
and blows smoke out the tail pipe with enough vigor to pass for a fog machine..........

OMG now I know Im sunk. I cant bee seen driving home with that.
It was a four door and it was painted with a brush and it belched, yes belched ugly gray smoke and it leaned and the head liner hung down.
Dad called it a real fixer upper and pronounced it done for $150 bucks..........
he tells me to take her home........Home........????????????????this thing needed the junk yard.
But I didn't argue with dad, just got in the darn thing and watched as he backed up and drove away.
Well the car was running and I grabbed the shift leaver to put her in drive.
What was that funny grinding noise I thought. And why did this car have two brake pedals????????

omg lmao I am in tears here more more we need more story lol

Blushing Tree.............I seem to recall I was as pale as a ghoust.

Any way.

with a sickening realization I realized it was a stick shift and I had nto learned to drive one.
OMG.
I look around. Wheres Dad? He cant leave me like this.

But he did.......................

and his buddy he bought the car from. He was gone...
Im on my own........Ok first things first. What is the clutch and how do youuse it?
Cause and effect. With the engine running it wont go into gear unless I push the third brake pedel to the floor.
But what about the shift pattern......
So I kill the engine and practice shifting . Down. up...push forward...upp...down.up...pulll back....up....
yeah I got it........

So I star theengine.............push in the clutch and put her in gear.........let up the clutch ....................and learch forward.....suddenly and violently.....I slam on the brake and the car dies....................

hee hee...I remember doing that. Gwad was I embarrassed!

For ten minutes I struggled to back that car out of the Drive.
I was so angry....frustrated....embarrassed......
Here I am a big tuff guy and I cant back a silly car up.
But finally I made it out the drive and into the street.
And a car swooshes past me with horn blaring........and I notice this gray haired old lady driving that car.......and she stops at the stop sign and I watch her put it into gear......
What she is driving a stick shift??????
That aint right....
Time to buckle down and go for it.
Welp............So I start struggling and I get that car movie'n forward and I start the long drive home (actually it was like 5 minutes away)

Well about half way home I actually think to look in my rearview mirror and I notice this car is following me..........and it gets closer and I see this fool in the car grinning ear to ear and I realize...............its DAD and his BUDDYY.
They been watching me all along..................

LMAO very embarrasing but remember you provided an unique and unforgettable entertainment for these old men and your father paid half for it - remember?

Dad Friend comes up to the car and says
Scoot over Kid I got it from here. and he just kinda chuckles
Well At this point Im not argueing a bit.
His name was Eugene Parkhurst, an indian fella and he is gone now
Heart attack while I was over seas in 71

But we get the car home and Dad and Gene start talking and they break out the beer and leave me looking at my new possession

Well about this time Mom comes outside , takes one look at it and say
"Lord a mercy, look after this boy"
and walks back in just shaking her head.

lol

LOL...how long did you have the car?? That was a very funny story...my cheeks are sore from reading it all!! OH, my first car was a FORD Escort, I have no idea what year it was. It was brown & tan, and you could never put more then $5.00 in the tank, and I mean exactly $5.00 or it would leak out.

I worked on that car for 8 months. Got it running good. Great paint job and nugahyde tuck and roll interior.
It had biggies and littles and 68 pontiac racing green.
I drove that car until the spring of 70. It was stolen, stripped and burnt.

omg - that must be devastating! the cheek of those thoughtless buggars!!

what did you do next? bought another old car?

long time no see Mark - how are ya stranger? hope you're ok now?

Mark! Where have you been man!? Gosh I have missed you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a sad ending to your car story.

Not a sad ending.........thats just life.I got over it and went on to other cars.....like my 54 Belair Convert..........