Being somewhat familiar with the San Diego area, I can relate......like all those dealers on 'dealer row' in National City - BTDT.
Even in central Illinois they were marking cars UP! My first real new car wasn't my 1965 Mustang fastback. It was the first fastback in town and the new owner hated it for some reason. It had few miles but had been registered. My first new car was my 1972 red Gran Torino wagon. I was destined to be a wagon man! I bought it to haul three kids and a real RV for a change. Before that we had tents, a homemade mini house on an old truck bed, then a pop up *fold down". I never did own a lot f vehicles or homes like many. I loved what I bought and only traded mostly for a better RV tow-er. Old cars were a hobby. They don't count.
They did redeem themselves somewhat. My Uncle was wounded at Normandy and saved the life of another soldier while wounded. His wound rendered him sterile, so they treated us as their own kids. They had a 59 Ranch wagon at the time. One day they stopped by and said they were going to buy a new car and did I want to come along. We went to the Mercury dealer and my Uncle asked me which one I would buy. I immediately fixated on a 63 Marauder in rangoon red with a red interior and white vinyl top. I said I'd pick that one. They had set me up and had already bought the car earlier. We were there to pick it up. They let me borrow it almost any weekend I had a date and I took it to the prom. Already explained that. This was the same uncle who put me in the 51 Ford I talked about earlier in this thread.
1964 Plymouth Fury Station Wagon. Same one that is my avatar. My Grandfather purchased it "new" in 65 from Webb Chrysler -Plymouth in Kennewick Washington. It had served as a factory executives car for the first few months of it's life. It was the car my dad rode in as a kid. In 1987 my parents bought it from Grandpa and Grandma and it became the car I rode in as a kid. When I was in High school I started driving it since my parents had bought a van for the family hauler. In 2000 I graduated from High School and to my surprise Mom and Dad gave it to me as a graduation gift. At that point it officially became my "first car". I now have two boys of my own and they love riding in the Fury. We drive it constantly during the good weather months. Ad from Webb Chrysler- Plymouth, January of 1965 Grandpa, Aunt Joan and Uncle John on the family farm 1965 Me and cousins and siblings in about 1989 (I'm in the firetruck) My Senior portrait Last month cruising the Ave. Someday, it will be one of their first cars as well.
Orth, we have 1 more member ( only 1) who has the 99.9% history with there wagon, and most of all the pictures to prove. Can't remember there name, and it's been a long time since they posted. But it was a 1955 Chev 4 door. Pics of Grandpa and Grandma with them as little kids when the car was fairly new, with up to date as last postings of the wagon, still owned but handed down generation to generation
ModelT1 says "Altho in today's money most of us couldn't afford our first cars now" My 70 GTO in excellent condition would be valued around $65,000, and probably would have cost more than that to keep it in excellent condition =, if I kept it But I can't even fathom trying to convince my wife that I needed another 70 GTO convertible at 65 grand that gets 8 mpg on the highway, got enough grief on the Colony Park's mpg - until I broke down and reminder her that her fancy Mercedes SUV gets worse - haha it's the last I heard about that!
1967 ss chevelle bought her in 1974 for $350 Still have her today Was everyday driver Hotrod Race car 7.0 on 1979 1/8 mile (Still has components from race days) bbc 427 ,12 bolt, 4 speed, v gate shifter, ls6 heads, 600 solid cam, tq 2r airgap intake, 850 Holley for some items still on her Center lines are from 1975, hooker headers are from 1975 also. Cars been operable always has never sat dead! Car show car now . I'll do a face lift on her this year. The 72 chevelle wagon will become a cruiser
My first car was my aunts ‘56 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan. It came out of Fred Jones Ford in Oklahoma City. Still have it! Was kinda dumpy in 1977, but it has factory air, which was like 20% of the cost of the car. I enjoy having it, but I really like driving the ‘70’s cars that we had growing up, and I remember when those were new. Also has a ‘68 Buick LeSabre that was a work car. It was a nice car till I sold it to a co-worker who decided that a tree was a better place to park under than a carport.
That's so cool. Not many folks can claim they still have their first car. Better post a photo to prove it. You too Mercman.
Will do. In Phoenix this week but will post photo when I get back to NM. Got a lot of cars on my phone, but not that one for some reason.