Our automotive firsts

". ." (xllx) 11/07/2013 at 16:21 • Filed to: show us

0

15

A passion for cars is something the majority of us have had for most of our lives. Some say that we were born with petrol in our blood, that it's something you either have in you or you don't, but I don't think that's the whole story. I believe we were all shaped by our surroundings, the cars we were around as youngsters, how we interacted with them, and whether the time we spent with them was enjoyable. Let's try to trace the development of our interest in everything automotive through all our 'firsts'. Just try not to get a nostalgia overload, that's never too healthy.

First car I remember my parents owning.

Lada 2107
This was my parents' second car since I was born, and third overall. They started out with a yellow Trabant 601, which my parents deemed unsuitable for a small child and replaced with a white Polski Fiat 126p just before I was born. I have no recollection of the Fiat, and only know it from old photos, but I do remember the Trabant, since dad passed it over to his younger brother. After my uncle was done with it, my dad didn't want to sell it and decided to park it on my grandfather's farm where it was vandalised and torched by unknown culprits. Such a shame. As for the Lada, I don't remember it that well either. I recall that it was blue, but since I was still in pre-school when my parents got rid of it, the details elude me. From what I understand it had a 1.5l motor that was converted to run on LPG.

First car I ever drove.

1995 (4?) Opel Corsa B 1.4, 2000 Ford Transit 2.5TD
The green Corsa that my parents replaced their Lada with was the first car I got to 'drive'. And by drive I mean that I was sitting on my dad's laps, operating the steering wheel and indicators, while my dad did the pedals and the gearbox. We 'practiced' driving like that around an industrial estate where his company was located, and on an empty university campus during summer holidays.
As for the first car I drove properly, that was my dad's 2000 'Smiley' Ford Transit around my grandfather's farm. It was the car on which I learnt the principles of operating a clutch, and you'll be pleased to hear that I never stalled it.

First car I was facinated with.

ZAZ 966/968 Zaporozhets
This car was parked just in front of the block I lived in when I were about 3. Today, I don't even remember what colour it was, but back then whenever we went outside I wanted to go past the old (possibly abandoned) Zaporozhets. For some reason it was really fascinating.

First car I ever really liked.

Wartburg 353 Estate
It was my grandfather's car, and I always felt that there was something special about it. It sounded and smelled different than anything else thanks to its 1l 2 stroke 3 cylinder engine. It had a 4 on the tree shifter, and was just epic. It's a pity that it got scrapped sometime in the late 90's. And while I dreamt of Vipers and Lambos, those things were obviously unreachable. It was the plucky little Wartburg that I could sit inside and enjoy.

First car I wanted to buy.

Nissan 200SX S13
I started seriously planning my first car around the time I turned 15, and since around here you can get your license when you're 18, that gave me a lot of time. The first car I was seriously considering was a Nissan 200SX S13. They were affordable, cool, quick, and fun. With age however came wisdom, and I decided that I'd much rather have something more comfortable, reliable, and better in winter conditions.

First car I drove in the streets, on open road.

Nissan Micra K12
That was the car I learned to drive in, and also the one I passed my exam in. I believe it had either a 1.0 or a 1.2 engine (obviously with a manual gearbox), and the worst seats I've ever experienced. Each lesson ended in crippling backpain. Over here you use government owned cars for exams, Micras were what was used in my city at the time I took mine.

First car I drove after getting my license.

2008 Nissan Navara d40 2.5 DCi
After I got my license and arrived home, my dad casually suggested I take his car and pick up my brother from school. So I did. Let's just say that it felt slightly different than a Micra.

First car I ever owned.

1998 Mercedes-Benz CLK 200 Kompressor W208
It's my current car as well. Since my mum was changing cars as I was approaching my 18th birthsday and graduation, she offered me her 2003 1.6 Focus Estate. I politely declined and told her that I'd much rather have the Focus' worth in cash. That money later bought me the CLK.

First car I ever had a crash in.

1998 Mercedes-Benz CLK 200 Kompressor W208
Some arsewipe ran a red light and twatted me into the front nearside corner with his Corsa C. The Corsa's front end got annihilated, but my Merc was repairable with surprisingly minor suspension damage.

What were your car-related first times? Feel free to list different ones. Maybe you had a car you first fell in love with? First manual car you drove? First car you raced? Whatever you feel shaped your passion, please share it with us.

Goshen, formerly Darkcode > . . 11/07/2013 at 16:27

0

First car I remember my family owning: 1987 Austin Metro
First car I ever drove: 1995 Fiat Punto Van SX 1.7 TD
First car I was fascinated with: 1992 Dodge Viper RT/10 (kids are gonna be kids)
First car I really liked: the above
First car I was seriously considering: '82-'88 Camaro Z28/E, later switched to a BMW 628CSi, later switched to a W123 240D, later switched to a Saab 9000.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > . . 11/07/2013 at 16:32

0

First car I remember riding in:
An old Opel Kadett
First car I drove:
80's Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel
First car I was fascinated with:
Shit! I think it's the Viper... I had a model car as a kid
First car I really liked:
Probably the Viper once again.
The first car I owned:
1997 Volkswagen Jetta, which also happens to be the first car I seriously considered buying. It was also the first car I had a crash in.
First car I drove with my license:
2002 Olds Intrigue

area man > . . 11/07/2013 at 16:35

0

First car I was ever fascinated with: 1995 Ferrari F50

Blew my fucking six year old mind. I didn't know cars could look like this. I definitely remember pleading with my mom to buy me models at EVERY scale.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > . . 11/07/2013 at 16:36

0

First car I can remember my parents owning:

Pinto Wagon.

First car I drove:

'90 Cherokee

First car I was facinated with:

Countach

First car I ever really liked:

My dad's '78 GMC pickup

First car I wanted to buy:

V8 Dakota

First car I drove on the streets:

Same '90 Cherokee

First car I drove after getting my license:

'80 Plymouth Champ (first solo drive)

First car I ever owned (not counting my parents owning)

'91 Grand Prix

First car I had a crash in:

'80 Champ, it was apparently invisible.

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > . . 11/07/2013 at 16:45

0

First Car I Remember My Parents Owning

Nissan Bluebird in a gold that I would never want to wish upon myself. My dad owned an Accord SiR, a Mondeo, an Escort and like all stylish men like he considers he was, an E21 was his first car, I was born in the Mondeo. And the Accord was after that with the Bluebird even after that, but the Bluebird was the first one I remember.

First Car I Ever Drove

Mitsubishi Spacewagon. It was teal. It was also the first car I technically drove sitting on my grandfather's lap after he parked in the parking structure. Operated the turn signals, but I didn't move at all, because I was 3 at the time. Future Jalop since 1998. It stayed in our family until a couple years ago. Cars in Hong Kong are expensive.

First Car I was fascinated with.

2000 Honda Civic HX
When we moved to the United States, the first car we got was a 2000 Honda Civic LX. But I was 5 and they took me with them to the dealership. And god, I had no idea why this was so interesting to me. It had different wheels, that's all I remember that made me interested and to this day other than those wheels I have absolutely no idea what's so special about it.

First car I ever really liked and drove.

2000 Acura 3.2TL. This was the first car I daily drove to high school. It was also the first car that I really liked. My dad finally got a job after being unemployed for a while and after having a stable income, with his long commute, two cars for taking me to school, my mom and aunt to work and him to work wasn't enough, so he spent $32,000 I think on a new TL. It was so smooth, it felt like there were no bumps on the road. It became my car after I got my license.

First Car I Wanted to Buy

The three super sedans I called them. C63. M3. ISF. I had to go to a different high school than my middle school friends because my parents thought it would be better since it was a higher ranked magnet school and they promised me any car I wanted and this never happened and now I'm stuck in Oklahoma instead of California and now I don't even have a car.

Mason-Dixon > . . 11/07/2013 at 16:46

0

Good article idea!

First car I remember my parents owning: 1984 Oldsmobile Regency Sedan

First car I was fascinated with/ First car I wanted to buy: my dad had a friend with a bitchin' 1992 Corvette ZR-1

First car I ever really liked: Lamborghini Diablo

First car I ever drove: Dad's lap in a 1991 Honda Accord

First car I ever drove on the road: 2001 Lexus LS430

First car I ever crashed: 2004 Acura MDX (if you count getting ass-rammed by a drunk government employee as a crash)

First car I ever owned: 1984 Oldsmobile Regency Sedan

Leadbull > . . 11/07/2013 at 16:48

0

First car I remember my parents owning: 1992 Accord. They had two of them, although my dad's was a coupe.

First car I drove; drove in the streets, on an open rode; drove after getting my license: 2005 Hyundai Tucson

First car I was fascinated with: Probably some sort of construction vehicle or tow truck. Tiny me freaking loved trucks.

First car I ever really liked: My dad's '00 BMW z3

First car I wanted to buy: BMW e24. Still do.

First car I ever owned: Soon...

First car I ever had a crash in: 2005 Hyundai Tucson. A Papa John's delivery guy rear-ended me. No serious damage, it's fixed now.

maximillious > . . 11/07/2013 at 16:48

0

First Car I remember my parents owning:
Cosworth Vega

First Car I drove:
Chevy Prism

First car I was fascinated with:
McClaren F1

First Car I ever really liked:
E36 M3

First car I wanted to buy
Honda Civic SI

First car I drove on the streets:
Chevy Prism

First Car I drove after getting license:
chevy prism

First car I ever Owned:
Acura Integra GS-R

First Car I Crashed:
Integra GS-R :(

Casper > . . 11/07/2013 at 16:49

0

Family Cars
Parent's didn't own cool cars that I can really remember. My mom had a 68 SS Camaro but sold it when I was young. My uncle had a hemi Cuda, Stingray Corvette, 300ZX turbo, Nova, and other stuff.

First car I ever drove
1978? Datsun pickup 4x4 manual. The brakes didn't really work without a lot of pumping, there was no knob on the shifter so you didn't rest your hand there bouncing through fields unless you wanted to jam it on the metal top. I think I got to drive it first when I was somewhere around 10? It was whenever I was just old enough to reach the gas pedal and brake without sliding all the way under the dash. The first time out I crashed it into a fence post because I couldn't pump the brakes enough to get them to stop the rig. After that I got really good at rev matching down shifts and engine braking.

First car I was fascinated with
I honestly don't know. I know I had a Viper on my wall like most kids.

First car I drove with my license
1991 Chevrolet 1500 pickup 4x4 manual. Drove it all over until my parents made me buy a car... they actually bought it and made me pay for it which was lame.

Then I went through some random crap cars like a Plymouth Caravelle, Oldsmobile Delta 88, Geo Metro, Honda CRX Si, and lots of other random stuff. Eventually I got into sports cars with a 300ZX and have stuck with sports cars since then.

55Buick, Oversteer Scientist > . . 11/07/2013 at 16:52

0

First car I remember my parents owning: 1997 Audi A4 1.8T 5-spd..they still own it

First car I drove: 2002 Rav4 EV

First car I was fascinated with: 1959 Cadillac Eldorado

First car I really liked: 1955 Chrysler 300

First car I wanted to buy: NA Miata (still do)

First car I drove on streets: TBD

first car after license: no license yet, so we'll see

First car owned: None yet

First crash: not yet, hopefully never.

njp1589 > . . 11/07/2013 at 16:53

0

First car I can remember my parents owning:

Plymouth Voyager with the 5 speed. My dad still misses it.

First car I was facinated with:

I remember seeing a Prowler in a dealership and just thinking that it looked incredible...

First car I ever really liked:

Audi TT.

First car I wanted to buy:

Almost bought an Alfa 155 that I saw in the paper, but by the time I called on it it had sold.

First car I drove on the streets:

Probably my dad's Chrysler Town and Country. He was mad that I did a good job and he didn't get to give me any tips.

First car I drove after getting my license:

My Neon, used it for the driving test.

First car I ever owned (not counting my parents owning)

'95 Plymouth neon with a 3 speed slushbox.

First car I had a crash in:

The Neon. Was on my way to a funeral, was running late, and rear ended a Volvo XC70. I lost.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > . . 11/07/2013 at 17:20

0

First car I remember my parents owning:

A 199-something (probably 92 or 93) Chevrolet Monza Classic. It soon got replaced with a Chevrolet Suprema though, so I don't remember much of it. Only that my mom hated it.

First car I ever drove:

Obviously.

First car I became fascinated with:

Can't say it was this one for sure, but it was definitely among them. You see, growing up in Brazil in the early 90's, the amount of exotic cars I saw was exactly zero, so my source for cool cars were the books my old man had on the subject. Most of them were a few years old already, released in the 80's to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the automobile, and I loved those books. There was a 4 volume collection about the great cars of the world, a two volume collection about legendary races and a big volume with the history of the major automakers. There, I learned about a lot of cars, including GT40s, 911s, Testarossas, Countaches... But the one that jumped to the top of the list was the aggressively styled Vette.

First car I really liked:

Really. There were/are no others like it in my hometown and it has such a characteristic exhaust note I could always tell when my parents were getting home just by listening. Plus, growing up in and around it, I have every little sound, scent and feel permanently etched into my mind, from the small click it makes when engaging the power brakes, to the slight scent of oil after running it for too long, to the texture of the leather steering wheel...

First car I ever wanted to buy:

I was 15 or 16 by the time I started hearing stories about young americans inheriting or earning a classic muscle car from their parents and fixing them up during high school, and when I saw a metallic blue Dart on a lot near my bus stop in Passo Fundo, I finally figured out my purpose in life. 23 Grand for what was essentially a wreck couldn't disagree more.

First car I drove in open streets/roads:

First car I drove after getting my license

First car I ever owned:

First car I had an accident in:

And don't ask me for the pictures, I really did delete them :p

JustWaitingForAMate > . . 11/07/2013 at 17:25

0

First car I remember my parents owning: XF Ford Falcon.

First car I was fascinated with/ First car I wanted to buy: HT Monaro.

First car I ever really liked: Lamborghini Diablo (like almost everyone else.)

First car I ever drove: 1983 Mitsubishi Sigma.

First car I ever drove on the road: 96 Rav 4. (ended up buying it off the parents as my 'dogs' car.)

First car I ever crashed: 2001 Ford Laser (never crashed a car, only been hit)

First car I ever owned: 2001 Ford Laser.

ptak appreciates old racecars > . . 11/07/2013 at 17:40

1

My automotive firsts... hmm... damn being fifteen. Well, if I'm not intruding, I can say that the first car I've driven (private property) was a 2003 Crown Victoria. Love the Vicky.

matthewklein220 > . . 11/14/2013 at 13:58

0

(Sorry for being late to the party)

First Car I Remember My Parents Owning:

Some old ex-park ranger GMC pickup 2-door

This was my dad's truck for many years, he'd bought it around the time he married my mother because she'd totaled his old Nissan pickup. My dad wanted something cheap that could tow a car on a trailer, and the state auction provided. (Picture is of generic truck of how it roughly looked, only it was a super-faded tan color)

First Car I Ever Drove:

2003(?) Chevrolet Silverado 6.0L 4-door

This was the GMC's replacement, bought brand new by my dad and built with every little bell and whistle he needed for towing and being able to drive 6 people around. I'd had my permit for about 12 hours when my dad drove me to my highschool and had me driving around the parking lot and then to a family friend's house. Never got used to how long the thing is though.

First Car I Was Fascinated With:

1969 Pontiac Firebird

It was my dad's drag car before it was my DD and autocross machine (which is why this isn't going to have a picture). With 12" wide, 28" tall, drag slicks and 3" exhaust that set off car alarms two streets over, it was really hard to not be fascinated by that car as a child. It's also why I ended up driving it.

First Car I Ever Really Liked:

1969-70 Ford Mustang Boss 302

Once my dad parked the Firebird, I got enamored with Mustangs (I can thank Hot Wheels for that one), especially the Boss 302. I loved the Competition Orange, the hockey stripes, the styling (all cars styled in '69 were great), shaker scoop, the car was a little kid's dream! (Still kind of want one)

First Car I Wanted to Buy:

1970-72 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

My dad had neglected to tell me, and I had neglected to notice, that he already had one ('71) that we could restore for me to drive. I wanted one with a set of Rally II's and white on blue. Eventually I gravitated towards the '69 in the garage, since it was the hard-to-beat price of free and required buttloads less work than the '71 to turn into a DD. It's still a car I'm going to own though. Whether I inherit my dad's or buy my own, I will have one.

First Car I Drove in the Streets, On Open Road:

See: First Car I Drove

First Car I Drove After Getting My License:

2007 Honda CR-V 2.4L

The Firebird wasn't quite ready yet, and I still needed to get around, so I got stuck driving my mom's car for a brief period of time. I don't enjoy driving it, it feels numb and I have no sense of how large the car is. No matter how hard I try I always misjudge the size (thankfully erring on the side of caution, so far). I dread having to drive it, although not as much as the Silverado, because it is surprisingly easy to park. And it has buttwarmers...

First Car I Ever Owned:

1969 Pontiac Firebird HO 350

Ok, so I don't technically own this car. It still belongs to my father simply because that's the only way I can be under my parent's insurance. But I have to take care of the car, pay for gas, replace broken things, try not to crash it, and so on. Considering it was the first car my father also bought, I get pretty damn protective of it, despite the paint delaminating and the car basically needing a whole new left-side (hooray lifted bro-trucks...), because it is essentially mine and my parents treat it that way.

First Car I Ever Had a Crash in:

1969 Pontiac Firebird HO 350

This one counts both as a passenger and behind the wheel. When I was 5, and the car was still in drag racing trim, we were driving when started raining. Now if you've ever driven a car with slicks in the rain, you already know what happened. We took the offramp, the rear end slid out and we ended up fishtailing into the embankment of the overpass. No pictures, but it ruined that car for my mother and she refuses to ride in it now. Then, the first week I was driving the car, I went to get my first tank of gas...and ended up getting blinded by the sun and hitting one of the poles by the pumps. Not too proud of that one...