by "davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
Published 12/13/2017 at 09:30
by "davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
Published 12/13/2017 at 09:30
No Tags
STARS: 0
My first car was an ‘86 Toyota Camry, very similar to the one pictured. It had a 5-speed, and was owned by a shade-tree mechanic who lived up the street from us. My dad thought it would be a good first car for me, and I bought it for $2500 (I think?) that I had saved up from my job working at the grocery store. I didn’t know how to drive a standard before I bought it; my dad took me to the church parking lot and almost immediately put me on an incline to figure out the clutch and I promptly overheated it - ha!
The car I wish I could’ve had (minus the front plate):
A close second (not the DeLorean):
"punkgoose17" (punkgoose17)
12/13/2017 at 10:12, STARS: 1
First Car: 2001 VW Jetta GLS VR6
Was looking for: 1996-1998 Ford Mustang V6, Ford Contour SVT, VW Golf GTI
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 10:13, STARS: 0
Contour SVT - so Jalop!
"Tripper" (tripe46)
12/13/2017 at 10:24, STARS: 1
First vehicle...
First car...
The explorer was a hand me down, and I traded it for the Mazda. The salesman backed the explorer into another car on the lot right after I signed the deal haha.
"Nothing" (nothingatalluseful)
12/13/2017 at 10:32, STARS: 2
First car was a ‘72 Chevy C10, 307, 3 on the tree, harvest gold/white color combo. What did I want? Well, near me was a Grabber Orange ‘70 Boss 302 with 32k miles on it for $10k obo. By the time I convinced my dad to look at it with me (I could afford half of it at the time, he would’ve loaned me, or cosigned for a person loan for the rest), it was gone. One of my sister’s friends bought it and promptly parked it in a garage.
"MrFurzzy" (mrfurzzy1)
12/13/2017 at 10:35, STARS: 1
My first car was a horrible 2001 chevy prizm that burned oil horribly and had a terrible 4 speed auto. The car I wanted was a mid 90s manual civic which I know own. Looking back I am happy that I didn’t get a civic as a first car. I didn’t know anything about cars back then and would have destroyed it with all of the terrible boy racer mods I would have done. Now I’m making my civic into as much of a sleeper as possible. It looks stock from the outside except for an exhaust and an intercooler if you look very close at the front, but it is making somewhere around 170 whp with a homemade turbo setup.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 10:39, STARS: 0
Nice! Sleeper FTW.
"DipodomysDeserti" (dipodomysdeserti)
12/13/2017 at 10:39, STARS: 0
My first car was a white ‘92 Acura Integra sedan with a bit over 100k miles on it. I worked at my family’s print shop to save up for it. It was an auto, but still a great car. i hardly ever see them around anymore and wish I’d held onto it.
I never really wished I’d had anything else. it was quick, clean and the seat reclined flat. What more could a sixteen year-old ask for?
Not my car, but it looked just like this including the purplish tint. Mine did have a moon roof, though:
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 10:40, STARS: 0
Sad story is sad. But the truck sounds sweet.
"DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back" (karsonkinja)
12/13/2017 at 10:42, STARS: 1
My Taco looked almost identical to this one, with some 90's-tastic pinstriping along the beltline.
1996 Toyota Tacoma. 2.4l 4 Cylinder mated to a 5 Speed manual. It was bought new by my parents and then handed down to me when I started driving. I still miss that truck.
At the time I really wanted a Dodge Challenger R/T, which was super unrealistic obviously. And then I sat in one at a car show, and it promptly killed any desire I had for one.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 10:44, STARS: 1
Sweet Protege5! And your “wish” at that age?
"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
12/13/2017 at 10:46, STARS: 2
The car I had:
VS. the one I wanted:
"promoted by the color red" (whenindoubtflatout)
12/13/2017 at 10:49, STARS: 1
One and the same: a 1995 Acura Integra GS-R.
It was a unicorn and I did all the stupid things I could with it. It stayed with me for a year and a half before it was stolen and stripped. Still miss it.
There’s an oppositelock review somewhere.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 10:49, STARS: 1
Look like a great truck!
Your last line... hahaha!!
"bhtooefr" (bhtooefr)
12/13/2017 at 10:50, STARS: 1
My first car was a 1985 Jetta diesel:
(Photo from before I bought it)
It’s the car that I wanted at that time, but in retrospect... It’s not the car I should’ve gotten. Really, I figured that a Geo Metro or Ford Festiva (or maybe a Honda CRX HF, but even back then, the market was silly for them) would be my first car - I needed high MPG - but then I found out about DIY biodiesel and thought a diesel would be a good idea to burn that.
I never made my own biodiesel, and old VW diesels were MASSIVELY inflated in value in the used market at that time (end of 2005). Like, a gas Jetta in the same condition was worth well under $500, I paid $1200 for that one.
In retrospect, I probably should’ve gone with my original plan, because that thing (and the 86 Golf diesel that replaced it after I crashed it, and the 99.5 Golf TDI that I later got) was a total moneypit, and VW ownership is a bit of a cult/Stockholm sufferers’ club. Still, I made some good friends as a result, so it wasn’t all bad.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 10:54, STARS: 0
That is a sweet first car. My brother had one similar, but the hatchback.
“print shop” - screenprinting or stationery, etc.? Seems like a pretty decent first job. I spent a year or so at a sign shop - would’ve been a good job for a younger me, but I was ready for something more at that point.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 10:56, STARS: 0
Gotta look at the positives! My dad owned a couple first-gen Jettas when I was younger - fun little cars.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 10:57, STARS: 0
Oh yeah... Super sad how it had to end!
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 10:58, STARS: 0
Helllllo ladies... haha!
"Tripper" (tripe46)
12/13/2017 at 11:09, STARS: 0
Right, forgot about that. At the time it was a Phoenix Yellow M3 coupe.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 11:12, STARS: 0
And... check! Or close to it, anyway.
"404 - User No Longer Available" (toni-cipriani)
12/13/2017 at 11:13, STARS: 1
2002 Crapalier. Wished it was an Oldsmobile...
"sony1492" (sony1492)
12/13/2017 at 11:26, STARS: 1
My first car was 95 Civic 1.5 nonvtec automatic. I bought it for too much, bent the valves fixing a hg and drove till I cracked the transmission on a pothole (after lower it of course). Ended up trading for something I wanted much more in the end, an sc400 that I still have.
My dream car at the time was anything quick and cheap, such as v6 maximas, camaros, v8 anything
"Slant6" (slant-6)
12/13/2017 at 11:33, STARS: 1
First car: 2000 Saab 9-5 wagon with a manual. Bought for $400 in 2013. At the time it was what I wanted. Turbo, manual, wagon, heated seats. I still miss it but it really started getting expensive after a while.
I also wanted a small truck at the time. Like a Ranger or a Tacoma (I have owned both since then), but had to drive my two siblings to school with me and 3 abrest and jump seats weren’t going to cut it. Expecialy with my budget.
Weird to think I’ll have been driving for 5 years this coming year. Also 5 years on Oppo.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 11:34, STARS: 0
4DSC!
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 11:38, STARS: 0
Nice!
On the small truck front, this is what it sounds like my son wants as a first car (he’s just 11). So, thinking of buying a truck that is new or almost new now, but will be 4-6 years used by the time he’s ready for it, would you go Tacoma or Colorado? Would be a 4x4, four-door, normal or short bed (and I’d prefer his first car be a manual).
"kanadanmajava1" (kanadanmajava1)
12/13/2017 at 11:52, STARS: 1
My first was a ‘63 Chrysler Newport 4d sedan that had been mildly modified in 80's. I bought it in 1998. It had the 80's standard metallic blue paint, chromed 5-spoke wheels and Saab sourced upholstery. Finland was assembling Saabs and the only well available upholstery material was the one used in those. Nearly always people used red color with American cars but mine was radically blue.
It was missing its front bumper and the paint was starting to come apart but I liked it quite a lot. At that point my dream cars were ‘57 and ‘58 Chrysler 300s but those were quite expensive even then. I was happy with mine.
I was storing it several years unused because it failed the inspection due rust issues. I did revive it back to the road but eventually I parked it on my parents’ yard due carburetor issues. There was a crack in the frame part and it had started to leak from several places.
For some reason I don’t seem to have any pictures of the car even though I only sold it couple of years ago to parents’ plumber. I didn’t really want to sell it but I couldn’t refuse as didn’t have time to mess with the car myself and the guy really wanted to buy it. My parents also wanted me to sell it...
Here’s similar one but in original condition. It was a quite large car but the shape of it made it look even larger.
"Tripper" (tripe46)
12/13/2017 at 11:52, STARS: 1
Yup, I’d still spring for a coupe in addition to the ragtop if one comes knocking at my door. Same goes for Laguna Seca or Oxford Green.
"Milky" (jordanmielke)
12/13/2017 at 12:02, STARS: 1
What I had:
‘92 cherokee Laredo (with a lot more rust)
What I wanted:
Cant remember the year, but it was black, t-tops, wing, louvers and I think it was just a 305 and auto.
Couldn’t get the Camaro without spending every dime I had saved. Very happy with the Jeep though.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 12:04, STARS: 0
What are E46 M3 prices doing these days? Have they reached the bottom of the depreciation curve for well-kept examples?
"Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW!" (theduckduck)
12/13/2017 at 12:12, STARS: 1
Holy shit balls! My second car was a 86 Camry! My first car was a 1985 Dodge Aries. God it sucked. I had no dream first car. I just needed a car. I wasn’t thrilled that it was a hand me down first car from my older sister but what evs. It had a cat piss yellow interior.
(Not actual pictured but same color)
"Slant6" (slant-6)
12/13/2017 at 12:12, STARS: 0
I was going to recommend the base 4 cylinder 5 speed 4x4 Tacoma, but it looks like they don’t offer it any more. They had up until recently and it was going to be my first new car eventually. Looks like the cheapest manual is with the TRD sport at $33k for an access cab (suicide doors) or $34k for a double cab.
For what it’s worth I’d go used. Yeah, I know it will be used by the time he gets it, but these things last and they hit depreciation later than normal.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/717558810/overview/
I don’t think he’ll be able to tell $15k difference, I think he’ll just be excited to have a first car.
But no particular reason for Taco over Colorodo, I just like Tacos better, owned a first gen for a while.
"RallyWrench" (rndlitebmw)
12/13/2017 at 12:20, STARS: 1
My first car was a rusty 1968 BMW 1600, Bristol Gray, bought for $600 when I was 15. The car I drove most of the time was my parents’ ‘82 Vanagon, because I was always working on the BMW. The 1600 was actually one of two first cars I wished for, once I saved a little money I pretty much only looked for BMW 2002s and old Mustang projects. Of course, that was when they were sub $1,000 cars in many cases.
The one I wish I hadn’t let get away was an ex-race car ‘64 Lotus Cortina project, super rough, needed everything but came with a semi-trailer full of spares and Pinto engines, also for $600. My dad and I deemed it too much work to return to the road with my very limited money and experience. That’d be a hell of a car to have now! I’d have had to find a real twincam for it at some point, though.
"sony1492" (sony1492)
12/13/2017 at 12:22, STARS: 1
What does that mean?
"Roundbadge" (Roundbadge)
12/13/2017 at 12:43, STARS: 1
My first car was an ‘81 Accord LX with leprosy.
I wish my first car was the ‘70 Roadrunner with the Super Commando 440 that was in the dealership’s garage out back.
"Roundbadge" (Roundbadge)
12/13/2017 at 12:45, STARS: 2
Was a sticker on the rear door windows of the first-generation Nissan Maximas. At the bottom of the sticker, it read “4-Door Sports Car”.
"E90M3" (e90m3)
12/13/2017 at 12:59, STARS: 1
First car:
The car I wish I had:
"Wacko" (wacko--)
12/13/2017 at 13:05, STARS: 1
first car way back in 1995 was a 1985 sentra wagon like this but charcoal
and what i wanted was
"Tripper" (tripe46)
12/13/2017 at 13:05, STARS: 1
It’s kind of all over the place to be honest. I’d say they’ve hit bottom and that anything in nice shape under 60k miles is beginning to go back up. If it’s a special color, really low miles, or a competition package, they’re going way high. SMG models are dirt cheap, rag tops are in the middle.
With a little patience, 20k would get you in a really nice driver.
"knowonelse" (knowonelse)
12/13/2017 at 13:20, STARS: 1
‘71 Fiat 128 2 door sedan. My first choice was a ‘67 VW Squareback. Got that next. Still have it. Not the Fiat. Bought it in 1978. Ready to install a rebuilt motor early next year and drive again.
"DipodomysDeserti" (dipodomysdeserti)
12/13/2017 at 13:22, STARS: 1
Commercial offset printing. We just closed up shop last summer. We had a print shop, mailing house and envelope converting business. I started off stuffing envelopes and sorting mail in junior high then graduated to the paper slitter and folding machine in high school. Came back from college and was the production manager for all three operations. Mind numbing work, but it paid the bills, allowed me to travel the world and I got to work with my dad and brother all day.
My wife started designing custom shirts in college so I’ve done quite a bit of screen printing as well.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 14:03, STARS: 0
I vaguely remember you all closing up... Was it by choice or necessity?
I’ve thought about getting all the stuff I need for a small screen printing operation, just as a hobby.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 14:04, STARS: 0
Nice - my folks had a Squareback at some point.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 14:10, STARS: 0
Will be interesting to see what happens with E9x values. I assume they’ll behave similarly to E46 values. Mine’s a sedan, which is far more rare than a coupe, but it also has 110k miles and plenty of rock chips and some wear on the seats. I’m not looking to sell any time soon, but it would be nice if it retained value well and eventually became as desirable as E39 M5s seem to be now.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 14:11, STARS: 0
Sweet truck!
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 14:12, STARS: 1
4 door M3s are best M3s.
"Wacko" (wacko--)
12/13/2017 at 14:17, STARS: 1
the one i was looking at back in 1995 was blue, and had roll bars.
"B_dol" (bdolan40)
12/13/2017 at 14:19, STARS: 1
Preface - I purchased my own first car at 23. Scion FR-S (MT)
If I had been a little craftier and savvy - BMW Z3M coupe (S52 fine by me)
"E90M3" (e90m3)
12/13/2017 at 14:20, STARS: 1
Yup! I think one of the main reasons I got an E90 was because I wanted a 4 door E36 back when I was in high school. E46s were still in production then, and the E9X M3 came out my senior year. I’ve got a picture of 19 year old me sitting in one at an auto show.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 14:32, STARS: 1
I remember really wanting an E46 for some time and really hating the rear end of the E90 when they first came out - ha!
I did clip A LOT of E9x M3 comparison wins for years before finally buying mine, though.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 14:32, STARS: 0
Fantastic first car and fantastic first car desire!
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 14:33, STARS: 1
Thanks for the assist.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 14:35, STARS: 0
Fantastic first car, and that Cortina would’ve been amazing...
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 14:41, STARS: 1
Thanks. Clearly, safety concerns come into play when it’s a car for your kid, so we’ll probably be looking at something less than 10 years old when he’s ready to buy (planning on making him pay for at least half).
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 14:43, STARS: 0
No dream first car? Were you not really into cars back then?
I mean, mine was a true dream, because there was no way I could afford it, but still... it’s free to dream!
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 14:46, STARS: 1
Sounds like you made the right choice.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 14:55, STARS: 0
Nice!
"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno)
12/13/2017 at 15:02, STARS: 0
First car:
My second car was a third pedal and a little less wear and tear away from what I wanted.
"Slant6" (slant-6)
12/13/2017 at 15:07, STARS: 0
Of course. An easy thing for me, a 21 year old with no sense of my own mortality to forget is safety, especially for a kid.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 15:17, STARS: 1
Enjoyment is so much higher on my personal list than safety, too. Thankfully, cars since like 2010 are quite safe, and the advancements since then seems to be very slight (besides adding all the self-braking & lane departure stuff), so pretty much anything we get him should be fine.
I probably won’t pass down my ‘03 Pathfinder to him, though.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
"E90M3" (e90m3)
12/13/2017 at 15:26, STARS: 1
An E46 M3 is what caused me to become a car person. I don’t know what it was about it, but I had to own an M3. This was in 2002, years before I had a license. When I got my license in 2006 I wanted an E36 badly, hell a 318i would’ve been fine.
I hated the E9Xs when they came out, until I saw the M3. The pre-LCIs just looked so terrible. I remember looking at the LCI regular E90s when they came out and being like yes they finally got that right. I also remember configuring many E90 M3s online, always with an alpine white exterior and a tan interior and probably with the 219M wheels. That was the car I wanted to buy when I finally had a career of my own. While I don’t have the exact car I configured, I’ve got something pretty damn close. Even thought I’ve had it more than 3 years now I sometimes stare at it in bewilderment that I have a car I wanted for so long. It still puts a massive smile on my face. I saw a white E90 at the dealer yesterday and I wanted it so bad, maybe one day I’ll get one.
I still don’t really like the way the pre-LCI E92 look, which is extremely ironic because I have a pre-LCI E92. That said, the M-sport body kit takes care of those issues I have with them.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 15:40, STARS: 1
It’s a great feeling.
Damn, that’s a nice car. And it’s mine...
"DipodomysDeserti" (dipodomysdeserti)
12/13/2017 at 15:59, STARS: 0
It was out of necessity. A couple of bad months with a family owned shop can put you under quick. Screen printing is fun and easy to get into. We would make our own screens from scratch which allowed us to make them on the cheap. We also had a commercial account with American Apparel so we could get sweat shop free shirts for cheap.
"B_dol" (bdolan40)
12/13/2017 at 16:02, STARS: 1
I was not as well practiced in the “how much car can I get for $20K” back then. Probably should bought a 911 hah
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 16:09, STARS: 0
Live & learn!
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 16:11, STARS: 0
Sorry to hear it. Hope everyone’s been able to land on their feet in the months since.
Sounds like a fun thing to get into with my kids!
"SpeedSix" (speedsix)
12/13/2017 at 17:17, STARS: 0
Oh my, a 35-year-old Newport as a first car for somebody - Scandanivians (and to a lesser extent, Europeans ) really do have quite a lot of enthusiasm for regular American land barges.
"SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media" (silentbutnotreallydeadly)
12/13/2017 at 17:57, STARS: 1
First car I bought with my own dollars was a 1986 Holden Astra SLE. Like this one...
...except blue. Automatic, velour seats, made by Nissan. Bought it off Dad for cheap in 1991 when he was having money issues.
The car I wanted at the time...
...fortunately I didn’t get what I wanted because I’d be dead by now.
"King_Delorean" (kingdelorean16)
12/13/2017 at 19:16, STARS: 1
First truck
1998 Ford Ranger XLT
My first car:
1981 Delorean DMC-12 w/ twin-turbo
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/13/2017 at 19:24, STARS: 1
Wow!
"MINIGTI" (76tr6)
12/13/2017 at 22:45, STARS: 1
My sister and I learned to drive in that exact Camry, except maroon. It was in the family from new to about 230k miles around 1999.
"Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW!" (theduckduck)
12/14/2017 at 09:33, STARS: 1
I wasn’t yet. I was very mechanically inclined just had not figured out what to apply it towards. I guess maybe a 3rd gen Camaro. At one point there were 5 in the high school parking lot. Just to give you an idea of how big a deal that is, I had a graduating class size of 90. That was one of the biggest class’s to graduate, so 5 Camaro’s is a lotta Camero!
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/14/2017 at 10:03, STARS: 0
Story time: I was always into cars and LEGO as a kid, but my dad wasn’t very mechanical, so I didn’t learn as much as I would’ve liked when I was young (I still don’t know how to do as much as I’d like to...). I took a drafting class in HS and really enjoyed it, strongly considered architecture, but chose to go into civil engineering as a “safe” choice. In hindsight, part of me wishes I would’ve gone into mechanical engineering and gotten involved with the Formula SAE team, etc. But who knows how different my life would be now if I’d done that...
Met my future wife at school, left the CE program after 3 years of pain, got married after she graduated, transferred to a school near where her first job was, started in their art program (with a thought to pursue architecture), they added a graphic design program (perfect for me) and I got my BFA, moved to a bigger city, had a crappy design job, left for a shot at an oil & gas company, learned a lot, went back to school for GIS, and now have a very good job doing mapping and software support at a small company where I actually have equity, making more than I probably would be as an engineer, and doing freelance design work on the side. Still hard to believe I ended up where I am professionally, considering how lost I was those first few years of school... I’ve been very fortunate.
"DipodomysDeserti" (dipodomysdeserti)
12/14/2017 at 10:56, STARS: 1
Yeah, we are all doing good.
Screening would be great for kids. Nothing quite like being able to wear your art.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/14/2017 at 11:00, STARS: 1
They would love it, and I really like the idea of teaching them that if they want something, there are lots of times that they can make it themselves instead of just buying it or paying someone else to do it.
"DipodomysDeserti" (dipodomysdeserti)
12/14/2017 at 11:13, STARS: 1
Yep, that’s pretty much my wife’s philosophy on everything.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/14/2017 at 11:16, STARS: 0
It will serve them well!
"Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW!" (theduckduck)
12/14/2017 at 11:23, STARS: 1
Wow. That’s crazy! I am actually starting to go back to school this spring. I want to be a mechanical engineer. My dad owns a machine shop and is a carpenter so I got a lot of my creativity from watching him. I am currently a CNC machinist but I want to do more than just machine. I want to create and design and I currently don’t have enough knowledge to make stuff I think of.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
12/14/2017 at 11:44, STARS: 0
Awesome - best of luck with school!
Very cool that your dad has been able to pass on so much to you. CNC is pretty sweet, but I can imagine it’s hard doing that work when what you really want to do is design the stuff to be machined & built.