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Your first car!

Started by billtm, July 01, 2016, 09:25:05 AM

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Duke87

I mostly learned to drive on a 2004(?) Nissan Sentra (it may have been from the 2005 model year), but this was my father's car.

The first car I owned was a 2009 Ford Focus... purchased new a full three years after I got my license. Prior to that I did not own a car and led a lifestyle dependent mostly on my feet and the subway for transportation.



If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.


cl94

First car I drove regularly was a 2006 Mazda3. Stick shift. Looked cool, but it was a bear in the snow. First car I owned is a 2014 Honda Civic that I bought 5 months ago. Wonderful little car.
Please note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of my employer or any of its partner agencies.

Travel Mapping (updated weekly)

Stratuscaster

1971 Chevy Nova, with a 4.1L straight-six and 3-speed automatic. No carpet, just vinyl floor covering. Had to add grounding straps since I would get shocked every time I touched the door locks or any part of the door for that matter. A good pothole or dip would reveal a busted motor mount that would send the crank-attached fan right into the radiator - thus allowing me to learn how to solder radiator holes closed. Didn't matter - it was mine and it was freedom.

The Nova was traded to my uncle for a 1966 Ford Galaxie with a 352 V8. Thing was a beast, could fit 7 inside and another 3 in the trunk. (It was supposed to be a trade for a 197? Buick Opel GT, but that car would die on left-hand turns and I passed on it.)

From there:
1974 Ford Maverick
1984 Chevy Chevette - my first new car and first loan.
1987 Ford Ranger
1989 Hyundai Sonata
1979 Ford Thunderbird
1993 Geo Storm
(The Storm became my wife's car, and I went on with a number of crappy cheap cars - 80's Chevy Malibu, Olds Cutlass Ciera, Ford Aerostar, Chevy Suburban...)
1995 Plymouth Grand Voyager (made it to 198000 miles)
1998 Dodge Stratus (hence my screen name and the best car I'd ever owned - made it to 203000 miles)
1999 Dodge Grand Caravan (152000 miles)
1995 Jeep Cherokee Country (now my son's girlfriend's car)
2002 Dodge Caravan (Canada-spec, reimported into the US - bought for $994 with 397000 miles and lasted 3 years before throwing a rod at 432000 miles)
2000 Olds Intrigue (passed to me by my retiring father-in-law - 203000 miles)

My current cars are:
2006 Chrysler Town & Country Touring (130000 miles)
2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser (~197000 miles - the odo reads 93000, but service records state otherwise)

corco

Holy crap, the two people in America that miss their Dodge Stratus are both in this thread!

jakeroot

Quote from: corco on July 01, 2016, 09:22:51 PM
My current primary car, a 2015 VW Golf, is the first new car I've ever bought.

TSI or TDI?

LM117

Quote from: corco on July 02, 2016, 12:30:49 AM
Holy crap, the two people in America that miss their Dodge Stratus are both in this thread!

Hell, I'm even more surprised that there's somebody else other than me! Now, I don't miss it to the point that I would turn down that new Dodge Charger I test drove back in 2009 (I wish I could've brought that sumbitch home) in favor of another Stratus. I'm not THAT big a fan. :-D
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

jeffandnicole

So, just wondering, how many people lost their first car due to it being totaled? 

That's what happened to my wife's car, a Sebring Convertible (not the universally disliked current model).  Avoided a deer....hit a telephone pole instead. She's an animal lover, so it was probably a good thing. Besides, that deer could've gone thru the soft top, so the pole was probably the better option to hit!

Quote from: corco on July 02, 2016, 12:30:49 AM
Holy crap, the two people in America that miss their Dodge Stratus are both in this thread!

:-D

Takumi

Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

noelbotevera

#33
My first car was a 2002 Ford Taurus  :bigass:

Well, this is my parents' car (duh). First car I've ever been in. I believe it was gone at around 103k for a new 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. I don't really remember much about the technical details since I was only a year old when it was traded for the Dodge.

CORRECTION: It was a Grand Caravan.

US71

1973 Dodge Dart, demo model with V-8 engine that eventually destroyed the front end.
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Roadrunner75

Growing up, my parents cycled through every beat up sub-$400 clunker they could get their hands on.  Between the two of them, they often had 3 cars parked on our street because one was guaranteed not to start on a given morning.  I spent much of my childhood sitting in Pep Boys waiting rooms and on the side of the road.  Some lasted only a few months at a time - I think our Vega lasted about a month.  If there was a notorious 60s/70s era American car out there, we probably had it at one point.

Keeping with this tradition, my first car at age 17 was an '81 Chevy Citation with about 150K miles for - you guessed it - $400.  The rack and pinion was in bad shape, and the wheel often locked up as I was trying to make right turns (good times).  My friends and I beat the Hell out of it, and it was off to the junkyard in two years (where almost all of our cars went when we were done with them).  Regardless, it was a great car and we had a lot of fun in it.

My second car was a brown '79 Pinto wagon.  Fortunately, the gas tank rear-end collision explosion problem was solved by that model, so that was one less concern.  It was 0-60 in 2 minutes and I got soaked by a puddle from the hole in the floor (thanks Mom for the cookie sheet to cover it), but it was another car that I had a lot of fun with and lasted the first year or so into my career after college.  The boss once asked "Don't we pay you enough?" when looking out at it in the parking lot.

After that went to the junkyard, I finally had enough and wanted something reliable.  My brother had a Corolla that lasted forever, and I tried to jump on the bandwagon.  Unfortunately, I was off to a false start with an '85 Corolla that was not cared for well.  Everything went wrong and it was gone in less than a year.

Finally, I made the big jump and bought a brand new '99 Corolla and it was all good things since then.  My wife has since gotten the hand-me-downs, and it has been a brand new Camry and a brand new Rav4 since then.  No more used cars for me, and Toyota will probably continue to get my business.  We still keep the cars as long as possible, but we take good care of them. 

Bruce

I don't own it yet, but I'll be inheriting my mom's 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe when she buys her next car. It'll spend a lot of time parked at home, though, but I hope to go and do some serious clinching in the coming summers.

TravelingBethelite

My first car I rode in? Either a 1998 Subaru Outback or a freshly bought 2000 Ford Explorer (when we refer to it now, we call it the Clunker or the Guzzler), but my parents probably don't remember enough detail to say for sure. In all likelihood, it was the Explorer (more room).

As for the first one I'll own? I can't say. I am getting my learner's permit later this summer, though, so it will most likely be my mom's 2008 Chevy HHR LS, as we will be taking our aforementioned road trip in it.
"Imprisoned by the freedom of the road!" - Ronnie Milsap
See my photos at: http://bit.ly/1Qi81ws

Now I decide where I go...

2018 Ford Fusion SE - proud new owner!

1995hoo

Shit. First car we rode in? My parents had a '72 Volvo, I think a 165 sedan, when I was born, and I assume that was it because their other car was my father's Fiat! But then, in Copperas Cove in 1973 I could have sat on Dad's lap at one week old and nobody would have cared.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Ned Weasel

Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 02, 2016, 07:53:50 AM
So, just wondering, how many people lost their first car due to it being totaled?

Not I, but how many people lost their first car due to it being stolen?

My first car was a 1986 Pontiac Grand Prix Brougham.  Fully loaded with the V-8.

What I loved about it:  (1) Although it was well over a decade old when I got it, it looked practically good as new on the outside.  (2) It had the front bench seat, which is definitely the optimal seating arrangement for an automatic-transmission car, since it makes it easy for the driver to slide out the passenger side when parked on the side of a busy street or when parked awkwardly close to another car on the left.  (3) It had the kind of "loose" steering that made fast hand-over-hand action practically effortless, so it was great for the kind of precise action one needs for complex parking maneuvers and sharp turns.  (4) Obviously, it was really powerful.  (5) It looked like a beautifully detailed work of art, and it even still had the hood ornament.

What I didn't like about it:  (1) It was supposed to run on regular unleaded, but it didn't perform well until I started feeding it super (mid-grade).  (2) The gas mileage was pretty good compared to a full-size car from the 1970s or a large SUV, but it wasn't great compared to a smaller, more modest car, or later mid-size cars with comparable performance.  (3) I got it at around 100,000 miles, and it took a good amount of $$$ to get a lot of things working.  (4) The driver's seat looked nice and plush, but it felt just a slight bit uncomfortable when driving long distances.  Front bench seats weren't perfected until they came out with the one in a late-90s Buick Century I've driven.  (5) It was easy to steal.  If it wasn't for that, I would have definitely tried to keep it running as long as possible, and, with some luck, I'd still be driving it with over 200,000 miles on it.
"I was raised by a cup of coffee." - Strong Bad imitating Homsar

Disclaimer: Views I express are my own and don't reflect any employer or associated entity.

corco

Quote from: jakeroot on July 02, 2016, 02:16:43 AM
Quote from: corco on July 01, 2016, 09:22:51 PM
My current primary car, a 2015 VW Golf, is the first new car I've ever bought.

TSI or TDI?

TSI, 2-door, 5-speed manual

pumpkineater2

"My" first (and current) car is a 1997 Dodge Ram 1500. It really belongs to my dad but he has a Honda Civic that he uses as his daily driver, thus I get to use the Dodge as if it were mine. It has ~199,175 miles on it and its been through a lot with my family over the years. My dad crashed it into a stop sign once and it bore the damaged bumper for probably close to ten years until a few months ago when it was replaced with a black bumper from a junkyard truck. The truck is dark green so you can't really tell the difference at first glance, not that it matters because the vehicle has spent nearly its whole life in the southern Arizona sun, and the paint shows it. One time many years ago my entire family was stranded when the rear end of the truck became stuck on a large boulder somewhere near Crown King, AZ as the sun was beginning to set. We had to call my grandfather to come out and get us unstuck, otherwise we would've been stranded out there all night. At one point a couple years ago, it wouldn't go in reverse, and at the time repairing it would've taken too much time and would've been too costly because my dad was taking me and my sister on a long-planned hunting trip north of the Grand Canyon. Long story short, my parents traded our 2005 Chrysler town and country for a 2010 dodge Ram which my mom now uses in lieu of her van. The truck has since been repaired and hasn't had any major problems since, though it shows its age inside and out. When you go to open the glove compartment, the whole thing falls out. The panel under the steering wheel fell out one day and I'm not sure what my dad did with it after that. The cupholder in the dash vibrated out on a washboardy dirt road one day, and I haven't seen it since. The front grille is currently being held on with twisted wires. The windshield has looked like a jigsaw puzzle for years and I'm surprised that I've never been pulled over for it. Most of the dashboard is missing because one day my brother was beating on it too hard to one of his favorite songs and broke the plastic. But it runs well and that's all that really matters with a vehicle of this age.  My dad and I just recently replaced the ball joints and put new tires on the front, and man, it rides so much better now. A couple days ago we replaced the power steering pressure hose because that had been leaking for quite a while and made an ungodly mess inside the engine compartment.  It holds lots of sentimental value to me, after all its been through with my family. I plan on recording myself wearing a party hat and blowing a noisemaker as the odometer rolls over to 200,000 just for laughs. :sombrero:
Come ride with me to the distant shore...

kkt

First car regularly driven - dad's Datsun B210

First car legally owned was by marriage, a Jeep Wrangler.  Traded when repairs got to be too frequent.

First car I participated in buying was a 1998 Honda Civic, a terrific car, until some jackass ran a red light at full speed and T-boned it when it was just 4 years old.

LM117

Quote from: pumpkineater2 on July 03, 2016, 02:43:29 AM
"My" first (and current) car is a 1997 Dodge Ram 1500.

At one point a couple years ago, it wouldn't go in reverse

The infamous Dodge transmission strikes again! The 46RE automatic transmissions (used in Dodges and Jeeps with the 5.2L and 5.9L engines) were one of the biggest pieces of trash Chrysler ever made. My uncle had a 1997 Dodge Ram that he bought brand new with the 5.9L engine and the transmission was the only problem he ever had. I have yet to meet anybody else with a Ram that had those transmissions that didn't have problems. The transmissions were every bit as weak as the engines were tough.
“I don’t know whether to wind my ass or scratch my watch!” - Jim Cornette

Takumi

Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 02, 2016, 07:53:50 AM
So, just wondering, how many people lost their first car due to it being totaled?
Lost my second car to a truck that ran a red light.
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

billtm

The first car I rode in was a 2nd Gen. Nissan Altima GXE. I don't really have that many memories of the car. My parents sold it in the summer of 2007, and then bought the Accord. All I really remember was following US highways in my Rand McNally and reading the Consumer Reports annual auto issue in the backseat on long roadtrips.

Max Rockatansky

If we're talking first car rode in...it was likely my Mom's new 1975 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser.  My Dad a 1969 Camaro at the time and highly doubt he would have allowed that to go down....but then again that thing was pretty beat up by the mid-80s, so who knows?  Regardless I don't recall the color of the Vista Cruiser in question but it would have looked like this:



I want to say it was either yellow or green but it DID have that fake wood paneling.  Little did we know that our dens would soon be overtaken by the same treatment....the 70s and 80s were truly dark times for style or taste.

Zeffy

First car I've driven was a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. First car I've owned I still drive, mainly because I bought it 6 months ago - my 2013 Honda Civic. I could not recommend a Civic enough for anyone who wants a car that gets it done and gets it done well.
Life would be boring if we didn't take an offramp every once in a while

A weird combination of a weather geek, roadgeek, car enthusiast and furry mixed with many anxiety related disorders

tchafe1978

First car I ever drove when I first got my license was my parents 1980 Ford Country Squire station wagon, white and complete with the fake wood grain paneling. That thing was a boat, and did I ever get some grief from my friends over it, but it sure hauled a lot of those friends around at once.

The first car I owned was a 1991 Ford Escort, bought between my first and second years of college. Paid cash with money I had saved. It was a great first car, very economical for a college student, yet could haul a lot with the hatchback. Very basic, 5-speed, no A/C, no power windows, only an AM/FM, though I did swap that out for a nice CD stereo system after a year. Favorite thing about it was the 5-speed, made it that much more fun to drive. It finally said good bye when our family was growing and my wife couldn't drive it, so we got something to accommodate both those needs. I still have a longing for another stick someday, but my wife refuses.

PHLBOS

Quote from: tchafe1978 on July 06, 2016, 10:55:53 AM
First car I ever drove when I first got my license was my parents 1980 Ford Country Squire station wagon, white and complete with the fake wood grain paneling. That thing was a boat, and did I ever get some grief from my friends over it, but it sure hauled a lot of those friends around at once.
Did it have the optional dual-facing rear seats (making it an 8-seater)?  If you thought the '80 Country Squire was a boat; park it next to a '78 or earlier model.
GPS does NOT equal GOD



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