Author Topic: Do You Still Have Your First Car?  (Read 30565 times)

cook_dw

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Do You Still Have Your First Car?
« on: June 27, 2014, 11:43:46 PM »
I stole this idea from another forum and thought might try it here to see if any else has their first car.  Here is my story on my first car.


I know I do not post on very much but I thought I would add to this thread.  The car sold new at my local Chevy dealer to a guy here in town in early 1970 (late build 69).  His neighbor bought it from him in '72 and she drove it until 1978 when she pulled out in front of someone and was t-boned..  The car sat until my father was talking to a guy and he was telling him about a '79 Camaro that might be for sale.  We didnt think much about it but I thought that might be an OK first car.  When my father talked to the guy again; he said did I say 79??  I meant 69...  At that point, I was in.  We went to look at it in Nov of 1989 and brought it home.  After several hours on a frame machine, body work the car was repainted in Rallye Green (I hated Frost Green at the time; wish I wouldnt have been so ignorant at the time).  Once the car was finished and road worthy we took it back to Mrs. Brockett (2nd owner) for her to see the car could be fixed (when she wrecked the car the insurance totaled the car and she just bought it back thinking she might get it fixed one day).  When we pulled up she came out and first things out of her mouth were; "I see you put one of those "humps" on the hood..  And you added that "flip" on the trunk.."  Needless to say, she was happy to see the car again on the road.  When I was a senior in high school I pulled the 307, powerglide & 10 bolt out and slide in a mild built 350, Muncie M20 & a 12 Bolt with 3.55 gears.  I still have the car and once I finish my other projects it will return as a LS turbo powered drag radial car one of these days. 

Before:

 

Yes I thought I was sooo cool with my new car..



My father doing a little bodywork.



Now the finished product as of 2005.




janobyte

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Re: Do You Still Have Your First Car?
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2014, 01:06:13 AM »
Nope--long gone. 1st car was an old 55 drag car minus motor and trans. Firewall was beat in for the big block. In today's world the body would be considered in pretty good shape. This was probably in 79 or 80. Rear side windows still had the Dragway 42 + trophy stickers. Traded a RM80 with a leaking case and a few hundred bucks saved up from mowing lawns , etc.. Picked up a 409, yup that's correct,  for real cheap.( the old guys used to say they couldn't take a rev) Big plus with the car was all the trim, bumpers and glass were in wonderful shape. Being 100% Hungarian sort makes me a Gypsy by birth right ,and there was $$ to be made in rolling the body and bleeding the parts out. I sat on the 409 a few years and turned a good buck on it. Many cars in and out of the driveway through high school, mostly from bad neighborhoods. A little love ,and off they went. Helped knowing guys in the "old school" parts stores ;) 

Got the Z from Dad in 89, my 1st love so to speak. Lots of not so fun jobs helping him in the garage, not always treasured moments...but great experience. This one was always pleasure, and still is.
68 Z/28  born with: 302, drive line, etc..

68camaroz28

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Re: Do You Still Have Your First Car?
« Reply #2 on: June 28, 2014, 01:51:49 AM »
Not my first car (62 Austin Healey 3000) but have back our first New Car, i.e. 69 L78 Nova
Chick
68 Z/28 NOR 01B Orig motor/trans/rear
69 Z/28 NOR 07A Orig Block & GM Cross-ram/carbs
69 L34 Rest. Nova Father/Son Car
69 L78 Surv Nova Purch 4/69 31K miles
67 L89 Corv Tribute
68 Corv 427/400 Orig motor
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BULLITT65

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Re: Do You Still Have Your First Car?
« Reply #3 on: June 28, 2014, 02:15:09 AM »
Well my story is similar to Jano's as far as working hard mowing lawns, bagging groceries at safeway, during the school year and then worked with my uncle in construction during the summer months putting away money. I was already interested in early Mustangs, but when my uncle was able to purchase his uncles 65 fastback, that kinda locked me onto looking for a 65 fastback as well. I had saved up 5k and my uncle I bought one for $1500 and by the time we drove it back to California, it had new paint, motor, and interior. I had $500 left of my savings for a set of 65(mustang) rally wheels. I had the car from the beginning of my Senior year in high school until one stormy night 5 years later. It was rainy cats and dogs my car was fishtailing just going down El Camino (main strip in the bay area) but I made it home safe, I put "THE CLUB" on the steering wheel and locked it up thinking it was safe for the night....  I woke up the next morning the sun was out and my car was GONE>>
Well as much as I hoped the Police would find it, me and a friend drove up to the sunset district, and looked with no luck. After a couple of months the insurance company said they would cut me a check for the current value, which was a decent amount. 8 months after it was stolen they found my car along with a friends 85 Grand National which got stolen the night before mine. Both cars were in Oakland, and were being driven into the ground by some thugs. I went to the auction and got to see my car I had built up with my uncle, that I had washed religiously. They had replaced the drivers door probably because they used a screwdriver to get the original open, the steering wheel was taped together and besides the paint looking terrible they had put 75,000 miles on it in that time. The car didn't run, but still bid up to 4k in the auction which surprised me. I didn't bid higher than 3 knowing it would need to be completely taken apart and would have a salvage title when it was done. Instead as luck would have it my uncle was finishing another 65 Mustang fastback, that he originally conceived would be more for him since my aunt had taken over the other car which was an automatic, power steering car. His carhe was about to finsih was a factory 4V 289 with an original 4 speed, and had the handling package with quick ratio steering. My aunt ended up talking him into selling it to me, so I bought my second car form my uncle as well, which happened to be the same color as the one that got stolen, Candy Apple Red. I bought the car and then spent another grand swapping over 4 piston caliper disc brakes from a GT parts car he had bought a few months prior.
When I look back at what happened, I miss the good times from the first car, the car races at sears point, picking up chicks, and out running the cops. BUT the car I ended up with is so much cleaner, is a factory 4 speed car and is really a polished up version of my first car:
1969 garnet red Z/28 46k mile unrestored X77
-Looking for 3192477 (front) spiral shocks 3192851 (rear)
-Looking for an original LOF soft ray windshield
-Looking for original Delco side post negative battery cable part # 6297651AV

69Z28

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Re: Do You Still Have Your First Car?
« Reply #4 on: June 28, 2014, 08:51:50 AM »
No, don't have it. Growing up in Atlanta my first car was a 64 GTO 4 speed at 16. Bought it off a high school friend with a spun bearing for $125.00 in 1969. Had a mechanic friend fix it while I was pumping gas at the local Chevron across from my parents house during the summer. Got it all fixed up and got into a boat load of trouble with it and my dad took the keys and had the car shredded into little tiny pieces while I watched. My dad managed an aluminum plant and this car shredding plant for Max and Bobby London Inc, some old Navy friends. After seeing that my new job was running a pedestal crane 60 feet in the air dropping cars into that shredder. I was 17 that summer. Oh, I had one car explode when someone below didn't tell me the gas tank was still in it. What a bang.  
GaryC

'UNRESTORED' 1969 Cortez Silver Z28 X33 D80

janobyte

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Re: Do You Still Have Your First Car?
« Reply #5 on: June 28, 2014, 10:15:44 AM »
No, don't have it. Growing up in Atlanta my first car was a 64 GTO 4 speed at 16. Bought it off a high school friend with a spun bearing for $125.00 in 1969. Had a mechanic friend fix it while I was pumping gas at the local Chevron across from my parents house during the summer. Got it all fixed up and got into a boat load of trouble with it and my dad took the keys and had the car shredded into little tiny pieces while I watched. My dad managed an aluminum plant and this car shredding plant for Max and Bobby London Inc, some old Navy friends. After seeing that my new job was running a pedestal crane 60 feet in the air dropping cars into that shredder. I was 17 that summer. Oh, I had one car explode when someone below didn't tell me the gas tank was still in it. What a bang. 


Back when kid's didn't call there Dad's bluff !  Sorry, not funny...but the story does make me chuckle!   good one
68 Z/28  born with: 302, drive line, etc..

69Z28-RS

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Re: Do You Still Have Your First Car?
« Reply #6 on: June 28, 2014, 12:59:34 PM »
No, don't have it. Growing up in Atlanta my first car was a 64 GTO 4 speed at 16. Bought it off a high school friend with a spun bearing for $125.00 in 1969. Had a mechanic friend fix it while I was pumping gas at the local Chevron across from my parents house during the summer. Got it all fixed up and got into a boat load of trouble with it and my dad took the keys and had the car shredded into little tiny pieces while I watched. My dad managed an aluminum plant and this car shredding plant for Max and Bobby London Inc, some old Navy friends. After seeing that my new job was running a pedestal crane 60 feet in the air dropping cars into that shredder. I was 17 that summer. Oh, I had one car explode when someone below didn't tell me the gas tank was still in it. What a bang. 

OMG..   shredded?  literally?   '64 GTO was one of my favorite cars of the mid-60's...  a HS classmate had one, and  I will remember forever his passing the school bus (that I was riding home in) .. full bore, cutouts open...  I didn't care for that fella, but I loved his car.. :)
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BULLITT65

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Re: Do You Still Have Your First Car?
« Reply #7 on: June 28, 2014, 01:31:32 PM »
It would be tough for me to watch a 64 GTO get shredded, even if it wasn't mine. In fact when I look at those old photos with 50's and 60's 4 doors and 2 doors alike stacked in junkyards and think of all the cool cars that got crushed, and all the parts cars and trim that could have been utilized.

When you mentioned it getting shredded, it made me think of the scene in Gone in 60 Seconds where they pick up that nice challenger with the claws, and then you see the chunks of metal coming out the other side....
1969 garnet red Z/28 46k mile unrestored X77
-Looking for 3192477 (front) spiral shocks 3192851 (rear)
-Looking for an original LOF soft ray windshield
-Looking for original Delco side post negative battery cable part # 6297651AV

ko-lek-tor

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Re: Do You Still Have Your First Car?
« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2014, 02:11:15 PM »
Gary, If I had witnessed all those cars being shredded,like you, I would still be in intense psychotherapy,lol. As a teen though and without that perfect hindsight, running a crane was probably totaly fun and cool.
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x66 714

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Re: Do You Still Have Your First Car?
« Reply #9 on: June 28, 2014, 02:35:31 PM »
I don't have my first car which was a 1965 Chevelle SS327 4 spd. I do have my 1st Camaro & the last Camaro I ever purchased. I've had 16. Maybe we should ask who still has their 1st Camaro. The z/28 was my 1st Camaro...Joe
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1969 SS396 Yellow/Yellow 08E Norwood born 8/28/1969 pnt 76E. Purchased April 1981

Kelley W King

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Re: Do You Still Have Your First Car?
« Reply #10 on: June 28, 2014, 02:50:47 PM »
I don,t have mine either. It was a black with red interior 61 Impala bubbletop.348 tripower, 350 horse, 4 speed, all factory. Bought new by my cousin . His wife parked it when it would not start in a field while he was in Viet Nam. I gave him $90.00 for it and towed it home. New battery and a tune up and a 16 year old in 69 was on the loose. Put down some 396 chevelles and GTO,s. dated my 1st wife in it. Spun a bearing in it and bought a 65 SS impala. Put the 4 speed in that and actually gave the body away to a guy who wanted the interior. Later gave the 348 away. This car actually had the tripower emblems on the front fenders. Many cars later and I still look at 61 black impalas hoping it might be mine. I did however take pictures of it and still have them. For some reason I was into pictures and took some of almost every car I ever had and still have them in an album. On lazy days it is nice to look at 45 years worth of muscle cars the I owned and drove.
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69Z28

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Re: Do You Still Have Your First Car?
« Reply #11 on: June 28, 2014, 08:23:58 PM »
No, don't have it. Growing up in Atlanta my first car was a 64 GTO 4 speed at 16. Bought it off a high school friend with a spun bearing for $125.00 in 1969. Had a mechanic friend fix it while I was pumping gas at the local Chevron across from my parents house during the summer. Got it all fixed up and got into a boat load of trouble with it and my dad took the keys and had the car shredded into little tiny pieces while I watched. My dad managed an aluminum plant and this car shredding plant for Max and Bobby London Inc, some old Navy friends. After seeing that my new job was running a pedestal crane 60 feet in the air dropping cars into that shredder. I was 17 that summer. Oh, I had one car explode when someone below didn't tell me the gas tank was still in it. What a bang. 


Back when kid's didn't call there Dad's bluff !  Sorry, not funny...but the story does make me chuckle!   good one

Yeah, I wasn't laughing. He was a fairly decent boxer and we, my brothers and I, were always sparing with him growing up, he was a tough cookie. Wore his bare back hand a few times.
GaryC

'UNRESTORED' 1969 Cortez Silver Z28 X33 D80

69Z28

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Re: Do You Still Have Your First Car?
« Reply #12 on: June 28, 2014, 08:35:04 PM »
No, don't have it. Growing up in Atlanta my first car was a 64 GTO 4 speed at 16. Bought it off a high school friend with a spun bearing for $125.00 in 1969. Had a mechanic friend fix it while I was pumping gas at the local Chevron across from my parents house during the summer. Got it all fixed up and got into a boat load of trouble with it and my dad took the keys and had the car shredded into little tiny pieces while I watched. My dad managed an aluminum plant and this car shredding plant for Max and Bobby London Inc, some old Navy friends. After seeing that my new job was running a pedestal crane 60 feet in the air dropping cars into that shredder. I was 17 that summer. Oh, I had one car explode when someone below didn't tell me the gas tank was still in it. What a bang. 

OMG..   shredded?  literally?   '64 GTO was one of my favorite cars of the mid-60's...  a HS classmate had one, and  I will remember forever his passing the school bus (that I was riding home in) .. full bore, cutouts open...  I didn't care for that fella, but I loved his car.. :)



Yes sir Gary, in tiny little pieces. I went to get something out of the trunk and it was gone. I went to work with my dad that Saturday and it was sitting in front of the crane all prepped and ready to drop in the shredder. A few things have to be removed beforehand mainly the gas tank. I learned a lot about the shredding business from then on. The shredder was no joke. I just found out recently the HS buddy I bought my car from was murdered a little while back according to another HS friend. That was sad to hear.
GaryC

'UNRESTORED' 1969 Cortez Silver Z28 X33 D80

69Z28

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Re: Do You Still Have Your First Car?
« Reply #13 on: June 28, 2014, 08:50:59 PM »
It would be tough for me to watch a 64 GTO get shredded, even if it wasn't mine. In fact when I look at those old photos with 50's and 60's 4 doors and 2 doors alike stacked in junkyards and think of all the cool cars that got crushed, and all the parts cars and trim that could have been utilized.

When you mentioned it getting shredded, it made me think of the scene in Gone in 60 Seconds where they pick up that nice challenger with the claws, and then you see the chunks of metal coming out the other side....

Some bodies got cubed and some got flattened. The cubed metal went directly to a smelter, I think, never had any hands on with that but the flatten cars went to a shredder. Once in the shredder, which had titanium hammers rotating horizontally, similar to the beaters on a cake mixer, one set rotated clockwise and the other set rotated counter clockwise and the flattened, and sometimes not flatten body was dropped in between the hammers and what a noise it makes. Underneath are conveyer belts that separated the magnetic and non magnetic material. The magnetic didn't need hands on but the non magnetic did, so there where workers that separated the trash material from the aluminum and S.S. It's amazing when a car goes thru with a gas tank still in it. There were welders out there every day fixing that shredder at the end of the day.
GaryC

'UNRESTORED' 1969 Cortez Silver Z28 X33 D80

69Z28

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Re: Do You Still Have Your First Car?
« Reply #14 on: June 28, 2014, 09:02:15 PM »
Gary, If I had witnessed all those cars being shredded,like you, I would still be in intense psychotherapy,lol. As a teen though and without that perfect hindsight, running a crane was probably totaly fun and cool.

Hey B I was a rubber necker in the biggest sense. Always looking for possible good parts but there wasn't. One thing I didn't like was how these bodies were stacked. Aisles and aisles and rows and rows. If there was ever a strong wind I wouldn't want to be in between the aisles. There was some leaning action going on. It's been at least 45 years since I worked there, I was 16 going on 17 in 69 and working that crane was great. I wanted to stay at that job forever, but I was always getting into trouble with the law and at home and finally left home. Eventually joined the Air Force. Atlanta was great for me, lots to do, Delaware sucks, no comparison. My intense psychotherapy was getting away from home.
GaryC

'UNRESTORED' 1969 Cortez Silver Z28 X33 D80