The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
Today’s question:
What make,model & year was your first vehicle, and if you could buy it back today, would you?
Talk about it….
74 comments
1965 Buick Skylark…it was purchased brand new by my Grandfather who then passed it on the my Father and then onto me. I do wish I had it back to restore.
VW bug
That was my second car. Had a 72 &73 Baja bugs. Lots of fun going off road in the river bed in So Cal.
A 1965 VW Bug was my first car. It was lowered, had custom paint, interior and wheels. Only paid $2k for it back in 1994.
I did actually see it for sale in the mid-2000s, albeit with different wheels and exhaust. The interior was a dead giveaway that it was the same car. I thought about it, but didn’t have the space or need for it at the time. At this point I wish that I’d bought it back.
My 1st car was a 1967 VW Bug. Bought it for $750 in 1973 & sold it for $1500 7 years later. Many times notes were left on my windshield asking if I’d like to sell it. Kinda wish I kept it.
1973 Ford Courier…..put over 130,000 miles on it, and no, wouldn’t buy it back.
Did yours backfire? The first time I heard it I thought it was a gun.
My first job as a delivery girl. I drove 2 small trucks. I loved it.
To Justifiable: No, mine didn’t backfire. Got lucky I guess. After it finally quit, I bought a red, 1980 Courier and drove it until 1993. Then a Silverado, Z71. I’m a truck girl also.
1963 990 Rambler Ambassador. V8 motor in a car that weighed next to nothing. A real sleeper in grandpa suit. The car didn’t turn heads but it could rip the doors off of many a muscle car of its day. Know where I can find one?
Sold!
When I had so many tickets in my vet and I was about to loose my license so I traded it in on a new 1964 Rambler Ambassador station wagon. It was good but don’t remember that much power. It stopped the tickets though.
May have been equipped with the smaller 287ci V8. Mine was a 327ci
with mild cam.
My very first car was a 1951 Plymouth two door coupe, flat head six, three speed. I was 17 when I bought it for 50 bucks. The only driving experience I had at that time was drivers training in high school, and that was with an automatic transmission. I literally taught myself how to drive a stick with that car and burned out the clutch in about a week.
Would I buy it back today if I could? No, a ’51 Plymouth doesn’t really appeal to me. Of all the cars I had as a young man, the only one I would like to have today is the 1947 Chevy two door sedan I had when I was dating my high school sweetheart and soon to be wife. It was another car I bought for fifty bucks and I drove it without any problems.
1971 black Buick Riviera for my 16th birthday. Would I buy it back today? In a heartbeat!
1973 Chevy Camaro. 8cyl. Burnt orange, black top. Loved it. But started showing it’s age too much and being young and needing reliable transportation, and a girl (girls NEVER worked on cars back then), I traded it in and got a 4cyl Nissan 200sx. I suffered extreme lack of power withdrawals for a long time after that. I’ve never had a cool car since. Heck ya, I’d buy another.
1962 Corvair Monza Convertible, Black with a White Top. It would be nice to have it back.
Just my foot
1969 Subaru 360
Yes I would buy it back.
1963 Corvette that my folks bought me for my 16th birthday.
Pretty nice folks I would say. Trusting also.
I bet you want that one back (if not, I’ll take it)
I grew up in Denmark in the fifties and was a teen-ager in the early sixties. Most young people at that time did not have a car, or even had parents who had a car, my parents never did. I came to the US in 1967 as an au pair in Westport Ct, my au pair family wanted me to drive their children around so they arranged it so I got a drivers license, and would let me take the car often in my time off.
In 1968 I date someone (same location) who had a corvette I think it was a 63, it was dark green with a canvas top. I remember riding in it with my then boyfriend by the beach with the top down, and thought: This is what I dreamed America would be like, this is why I left a small town in Denmark to come here”. When I got married my husband got me a Ford Fairmont station wagon, no I would not buy that car again. Later in we bought a 1982 528E BMW. bought it in Munich and drove it on the autobahn in Germany, before shipping it over here. When I got divorced a few years later I got the BMW and drove for another 8-9 years, and yes I would buy it again. Loved that car. Now I drive a Toyota Camry and like it a lot.
1969 Datsun 1600 pickup 1900.00 Brand new
Oh man! I loved driving the old Datsun pickup. The shift column was so long and wobbly. The interior was empty. Two bucket seats, a shifter that was 3 ft long and a very spare dashboard.
It was orange. And the sound it made, as distinct as the Bug.
For twenty dollars a 1940 Buick sedan. It ran, needed no work but took a little over a mile to get up to 60 MPH. Only drove it a few times. Gave it away and bought a 47 merc convertible. RED
Love you MOM!!!!
It was a 1969 Camaro, three speed manual. Found out later it had been used for street racing. Cost a bit to fix, but sold it to help with a down payment for a house it 1979. I really don’t miss it.
But my Hubby had a 1964, 2 door, Chevy Nova. I wish we never sold that car.
I inherited my parents ’72 Datsun 510 station wagon, hell to the no.
56 Ford with a cracked block for $50-. It lat all Summer which was all I needed that year.
1969 VW bug. YES!
1975 Chevy LUV pick up. Yes, I wish I could find another one.
2005 Honda Accord. Best car ever.
1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe $65.00. 283 Chev motor $175.00 FAST (60+ years ago)
The ’40 Ford is my all time favorite car, never owned one though.
1958 VW Bug.
Oh, would I buy it back? Well after I was “L” boned to the front end by a hit and run beer drinking bunch in a Rambler running a stop sign in Berkeley in 1977, the frame was just a wee bit comma shaped. My BF turned it into a dune buggy, and last I knew of it it lived in Darwin Ca., and made weekend runs to Big Sur. No, I don’t think so.
It was a 1936 Plymouth 4 door. Used it for two years at ECCJC (now called Diablo Valley College) and at San Jose State for another year before buying a near new 1951 Mercury. Paid $100 for the Plymouth and 3 ½ years later sold it for $100. Cheap transportation and a wonderful, soft, roomy back seat.
69 Chevy RS 350 Camaro. It was fun… and yes it would be great to have it back.
It’s quite clear that I’m much younger than the average Claycord commenter. My first car was a 1991 Ford Ranger, which I inherited from my late uncle in 2007. It was super base model, 4cyl manual trans with no A/C.
I drove the hell out of that truck until I was rear-ended by some kid in a Land Cruiser going 45mph. Not sure if I would buy the same kind of truck again, but probably not.
Fun, utilitarian truck though, that’s why Ford brought the Ranger back!
You and me both, Bob. Buncha gray hairs on here haha
1990 Ford Mustang convertible. Don’t think I would want it back, but at the time it was a lot of fun.
I think Ford made better vehicles back then. The commercial vehicles are still solid, but I wouldn’t buy a new car from them.
As much as I want to support American companies, the Japanese cars are undoubtedly the best in many ways. At least they build most of them here now. My 2015 Civic was built in Ohio, I believe.
Jack’s Fan don’t go knocking us old guys you must have read about the 70 year old that got attacked by an 18 year old road rager with a knife. The old guy took his knife and held him for the police.
First car was 1941 DeSoto, built like a tank.Second a 1954 Hudson.
I had a 1952 Hudson Wasp that I drove to Los Angeles with virtually no brakes, except for the emergency brake, and a dismantled 1950 Hudson Commodore that I bought in pieces and was working on, but never managed to get back together.
Hudsons were wonderful cars (1948 – 1953), very roadable, fast and smooth.
1969 Buick Le Sabre, sittin’ right out on Clayton Rd. across from K-mart back on Sept. 1st 1987……….I’d buy it back in a heartbeat if I could.
1983 Honda Civic hatchback. Best “truck” I ever had. Seemed like when you put the back seats down it could haul just about anything. Biggest hauling it did was 63 2x4s that were 6 feet long.
1977 Chevy Caprice Classic
Metallic gold with a huge V8.
But I wouldn’t buy that tuna boat ever again. It got about 15MPG and it was so big that I don’t think I’d ever find a parking slot wide enough. It handled like mush too.
Somehow, it was named “car of the year” that year. Must have been the roomy back seat!
First car was a 1959 Studebaker Lark 6 three door station wagon. Six cylinder, three on the tree, leaf springs in the front and rear, vacuum wipers. Rode like a log wagon. I only paid $25 for it so I couldn’t complain. I wouldn’t want it today. The one car i would like back was my 1964 GTO. Didn’t realize what I had in that one
(Used) 1968 Dodge Charger…the one I would want back would be the first new vehicle I bought…a blue 1985 Toyota 5 speed 4×4, never should have sold it 😫
1965 Chevy Impala SS Convertible. Red body and black top. Leather bucket seats and a rear speaker. Cool, man!
First car while in high school was the old family car, a ’52 Plymouth. After graduation I bought a ’49 Merc. convertible (I have pictures). Within a few months I had burned up the old flathead, and found a ’55, low mileage Studebaker President, OHV engine at Urgharts wrecking yard on Monument. With help I swapped in into the Merc. Was pretty fast despite being a heavy car, surprised a lot of people. Sold it when I enlisted in the USAF in 1959. Wouldn’t want it now, but would love to have a ’54 Studebaker, or a BMW Isetta. A Nash Rambler or a Crosley might also be fun.
My first car was a used Mustard Yellow 1970 Chevy Vega that was a piece of junk. I bought it used from East Bay Chevy in Albany in 73/74 for a little over $1000, all the money I had. The car burnt oil like it was going out off style and rode like you were in a tin can. Got rid of it for a new van a few years later.
First car; 1936 Chevrolet business coupe. My dad was a used car dealer and at 16 years he got fed up with my “borrowing” nice cars from his lot. He said “after dinner have your brother take you down to the lot as I took in trade, a 36 Chev coupe”. If you want it I have 25 dollars in it. You can have it for that, cash. You can’t take it until you pay for it. Mom loaned me the 25 and swore me to secrecy but I had to wash all the windows on a two story house. Took me a week. Dad was dumbfounded I had saved 25 on a ten dollar a week allowance. Saturday morning Mom drove me to the lot to pick the car. Then Mom drove me to our insurance man to get insurance which costs 8 dollars a month. Great deal of money for me. The car had four dented fenders, mismatched wheels and we couldn’t get the trunk open. My brother was more cleaver than me and got it opened only to find a “one armed bandit full of slugs”. The man that owned it traveled different clubs for charity which was why it had slugs instead of nickels. Dad contacted him and the answer was to throw it away, he no longer wanted it. I loved that car as it was neat to me and if I had room I would but it back in a minute. He didn’t have any money in the car but he was teaching me about money and it worked.
1959 Austin-Healey 100-6. Would take it back in a hearbeat.
My first (beloved) car was a red 1960 Rootes Group of England Singer Gazelle. I loved this little car and would love having it (restored) today!! It was a 4 on the floor with a little “bullseye” button horn in the middle of the dashboard. Though I avoided some of the more treacherous hills in Los Angeles I enjoyed the heck out of that car!
A 1964 VW 1500 sedan. They were not sold in the US. My dad got it in Germany and had it shipped over. I inherited it when he was finished with it. I drove it until rust chunks fell from the fenders. Literally. My cars after were VW bugs or vans, until 1980, when I bought a Honda Civic. Stick shift, of course.
Those were nice cars. Was it a fastback or a notch back?
Model T
1991 Chevy Cheyenne 2500. Yeah I would buy it back in a heartbeat. 350v8, TBI, posi in the rear, long bed.
I used to see it around the Pacheco / Martinez area now and then, the red bow tie vinyl on the hood and mismatched chrome rear bumper made it easy to spot. It’s probably long gone by now poor thing was from the era that the quality really slipped for a while.
1972 family orange/white Ford Pinto; with sunroof – cool at the time but ummm…. No🔥💥
Hilarious! 🙂
1967 Pontiac Firebird 400 4speed Positraction. Paid top dollar for it: $750
1964 MG Midget, with spoke wheels and knock-off hubcaps. It didn’t have outside door handles, so I had to slide the windows open and reach in to open the door. The windows and top were removable, and it had a zippable tonneau cover. I could drive all week on $2.50 of high-test.
It was so small, that instead of getting in, I just put it on. After boot camp, I discovered that my sea bag wouldn’t fit, so I traded my brother for his Barracuda. I’d like either of those cars back.
First vehicle was a 35′ Ford Pickup Truck- $1600.00
It was a shotrod built by some guy who was definitely not a pro.
He’d put a 283 Chevy in it with a 2 speed transmission and a Corvair IFS front end,,,, a real basket case… when it became apparent I’d never be able to fix it up right I sold it…. for $1600.00 and bought a ’70 AMX which I kept for years… fast car! yeah, I want it back…even tho I have a ’69 AMX now…. willing to trade!
1979 Trans-Am and yes I would buy it back in a heartbeat.
1963 Plymouth Sport Fury, all dented and banged up.
Push-button transmission shifter – no lever.
Drove it everywhere. Got me through school.
Stolen in Palo Alto in 1978, never seen it since.
Small African stickers on the quarter-lights (wind-wings) – one said ‘Kruger National Park’, the other side said “Hluluwe’ with a picture of a rhino.
Anybody seen it?
A 1960 Morris 850 Mini that I bought in 1966. 848cc, 37.5 HP, 1,230 pounds, 80 MPH flat out and a hoot to drive, especially using the handbrake to rotate the car or make U-turns. I owned it for 14 months and loved driving it but hated owning it because it was down for maintenance or repairs about 25% of the time. I was in college and needed reliable transportation. I’d love to have it back.
The Mini got replaced by a new 1967 Barracuda Formula S fastback with a 4 speed manual. It was reliable, handled well and was pretty fast. I took my wife out on our first date in it and did a 3,500 mile road trip in it for our honeymoon. Would I like to have it back? I don’t need to get it back because I still have it.
63 Ford Galaxie Hardtop take it back in a minute
1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. It had bench seats that looked like a 70’s living room. It was like driving a couch around. Had a non-standard hood ornament, and automatic shift on the tree. I was 16 and loved it. Only paid $600 and it ran perfectly until I got rear-ended by a drunk lady when I was 18.
This is a fantastic thread by the way! Thanks everybody for sharing.
In 1975 I was a freshman at Mt. Diablo 15yrs old .An older Woman, (19) I was involved with gave Me for My 15th B- day a brand new customized 75,Dodge van.I was not even old enough to get a drivers license.I drove it to school for half of that school year before those in high places became the wiser.I Loved that Van.It sent Me on a life long course of favoring Dodges.In Fact I have one even now.I’ve had some really fast, nice Cars since then,But If any way I could go back and do it again, I would trade every year before,and every year after, just to go back for that one year,1975…The greatest year of My life
The van isn’t the story here Willie…. tell me all about the 19 year old woman!
Did you let her get away?
Every guy’s dream come true …. she buys a brand new vehicle for you and gives you whatever else, and you aren’t telling us the rest of the story?
No Way!
Spill it Dude!
1965 Mustang. Loved that car.
58 VW bug. $750. Yes.
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