First car memories

My first car was the biggest piece of junk ever to come out of British Leland Motors - Austin America.
It overheated during every stoplight. Then the radiator, water pump, & hoses were gone.
Then the transmission quit, starting with Reverse. All before 5,000 miles.
We successfully sued British Leland & the judge made them buy the car back from me - including every penny.

Austin America 1969- Kit's Car when I met her in 1971. Her's was British Racing Green. Cute car.
 

Last edited:
win231 said:
My first car was the biggest piece of junk ever to come out of British Leland Motors - Austin America.
It overheated during every stoplight. Then the radiator, water pump, & hoses were gone.
Then the transmission quit, starting with Reverse. All before 5,000 miles.
We successfully sued British Leland & the judge made them buy the car back from me - including every penny.

Austin America 1969- Kit's Car when I met her in 1971. Her's was British Racing Green. Cute car.'s Car when I met her in 1971. Her's was British Racing Green. Cute car.



https://www.pinterest.com/pin/162059286579724118/
Click to expand...
Sounds like my Renault Dauphine. I finally sold it to a mechanic for $50, for the few spare parts that were still functional.
 

Back in 1963, having just passed my driving test, I hankered for an old MG TD sports car, something like the one on the left.
mg-td.jpgmg-y.jpg
But when you take into account the tax on it, the insurance and running costs, (I'm hopeless with a spanner,) add in the cost of fuel, it all became a pipe dream for a penniless student just about to start college. However, I could afford something similar albeit somewhat down market. Known as the MG YB it did me proud for three years and when I sold it I got the purchase price, and more, back. At the time I was well pleased.

How life can come round full circle. Fourteen years ago, and in retirement, I was getting rather bored, I then remembered that MG TD that I couldn't afford, but now I could, so I went shopping. After seeing a few and not being impressed my thoughts went back to that YB that I drove into the ground. My wife was more than pleased with the idea of getting an MG YB, she suffers from asthma, not really conducive with an open sports car, so, a YB it will be.
MG fun.jpg
The car is great fun but it's not enough to keep me happily occupied. I still have it, but I'm no longer retired, I have no intention of rusting out, I am back at work, retirement only lasted twenty months. The car will last a lot longer than me.
 
My first car was a 53 mercury coupe. Got it from my great grandfather for $1. It had been sitting in his garage for several years, as he was no longer able to drive. It had 17k original miles on it when I got it in 1966. Drove it for maybe a year, and tore the flathead V8 out along with the trans and rear end, and installed a worked over 390FE, T-10 four speed, and a narrowed 9". But that's another story. Still keep an eye out for one.
 
I built a model of my wife's first car for her.

chev3-small.jpg
 
At 16 my 1st car. was a 1948 Plymouth. Dad chose it for family use[I paid for it] not for looks. A good car to learn on. Had it for about a year before. Thankfully when leaving church one sunday for some unknown reason my mom decided to open the passenger side front door as I was backing up to pull out of a parking space. I say thankfully because there was a tree there that the open door hit. Bent the hinges & crunched the right front fender. A total loss.
This is what that car looked like
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/craigslist-find-1948-plymouth-handles-like-a-marshmallow/

A 1954 Ford convertible replacement was my choice since I was going to pay for this one also. I enrolled in a new school program called Distributive education. Regular classes in the morning Afternoons off to go to my job. I had a really good job woriking in the afternoons & all day Saturday.

At 17 replacing that beauty this is representive of my choice.
https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1954-ford-crestline-sunliner-convertible.htm

Nice car money to spend & I had pretty nice teen years before joining the Navy. I gave that car to my younger brother as a gift.
 
I bought a Buick Lasabre when I was 15 for $100. It was from a friend of my sister's boyfriend who lived probably 75 miles from where I lived. Her boyfriend drove me to see the car and I bought it and drove it home, no drivers license, no plates, no worries. I was a bold little shit.
 
My first car was a 1969 Mach 1 Mustang, straight drive, no power steering. It was like driving a tank. I was in high school.
I say ‘my car’ but it was actually supposed to to be mine and my brother’s ( he’s 18 months younger than me). Lot of fights took place over whose turn to use car, put gas in, etc.
 
I was about to graduate from college in 1967. My dad took me to the local Chevrolet dealership and admonished me to let him do the talking. I came home with a 1967 Chevy II stick shift, just like the one my dad had--except that mine was a slightly darker shade of blue! Around $1900 if I recall.
 
Murrmurr said:
Mine was a 64 Ford Falcon convertible. My aunt let me have it for $175, after her husband/my uncle died. That was in 1970, just before I graduated high school. It was in really good condition, but it had brake failure about a year later. I replaced the discs, bled the brakes a couple of times, and had to check the brake fluid every time I drove it. After my first son was born, I sold it for $500 and bought a ...um, pretty sure that's when I got the 61 Impala. That was a great family car.
Click to expand...
Almost the same story here, BUT mine wasn't in "good" condition. The clutch would go out because the motor mounts were bad and I had to get under the car and force the clutch connection back in place...about every 50 miles! :) this is what it reminds me of. :)

1e537f73be288cb71a593742b4d85a46.jpg
 
Alligatorob said:
Only car I ever owned that I could pick up (one end at a time) myself!
Click to expand...
The only car I ever owned that your could hand crank to start. I think the engine was 32 hp. Plastic window cranks fell apart. Hood developed a stress crack.

I was driving to work on the freeway and the engine suddenly died. It was in a dense morning fog. I coasted over to the side and opened the engine compartment. Gas was flowing out of the carburetor right on the hot exhaust manifold. I just stood there watching it. Down the road a ways I heard a screech and a bang. Then more screeches and bangs. They kept getting closer. There was a tall fence behind me so I couldn't run. I stood there watching as the accidents went right by in front of me and on up the road.

Eventually, one of the tow trucks that showed up towed me home. There were over a hundred cars and trucks involved. I suppose, if the Dauphine hadn't died when it did, I might have been part of it. So, I guess I was doubly lucky. It was one of my scarier moments.
 
Grampa Don said:
The only car I ever owned that your could hand crank to start. I think the engine was 32 hp. Plastic window cranks fell apart. Hood developed a stress crack.
Click to expand...
Yep, forgot the hand crank. The Dauphine made a VW bug look like a luxury car.

Ours had an openable moon roof. I used to take it to the beach, put it in first, climb out the roof window and drive with my feet on the steering wheel. Pretty slow, but it worked. Reaction time to break however was not great...
 
When I bought the Dauphine, I couldn't afford a VW, and I thought the Dauphine looked cooler. I think I paid about $1000 used.

I was following a station wagon on a circular onramp that was wet from sprinklers. I was a little fast but the station wagon had no troubles so I figured I was OK too. I almost lost it when the rear end started to slide around.

Once I tried to drive to Wrightwood in the local mountains. Didn't make it. That little engine pooped out in the thin air.

It was a long time before I would even eat French fries or French toast.

When I worked at a service station I had a chance to drive a customer's Citroen. That was one really weird car, one spoke for the steering wheel and everything, including the suspension, hydraulic.
 
The only car I had after my divorce was a VW Beetle. A cherry red one. It was a bit small for a family car but I loved that thing, and so did my 3 kids. A girlfriend's brother bought it from me for more than it was worth (imo) and I bought a mini station-wagon. I forget the make....Toyota, I think. That was a great little car, too. Unfortunately, I let a (former)friend borrow it and he drove it into a ditch and broke the axle. At the time, it was cheaper to buy another used car than to replace an axle... + oil pan, rear-end repair, and 2 tires.
 
Learned to drive at 14, in a '49 Chev flatbed 1/2 T. 4 on the foor, starter next to gas pedal, no restraints or turn signals only arm. First auto was a '51 Henry J purple (every thing was purple). Paid $250, 3 on the column. Previously owned by my 1st grade school teacher, Low, low miles but I managed to beat it to death.

Took my test in the '49, examiner had me make 4 right turns around the block once, Said 'Son, if you can drive this you can drive anything'.
 

Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top