[nashcar]

Originally Posted by pontiac jack

nashcar- I sometimes drive down to the annual Trumansburg show. Do you ever go to it?

I haven't yet, seems that it conflicts with something else we do. Maybe we can make it if I plan ahead, give me a reminder if you plan on going this year and we can meet up. My daughter lives in T-burg. I also bought my Firebird there. Do you know the date?

[firebird_400]

I knew I wanted a 1st gen F-body, and I was leaning toward the Pontiac a few years back. I liked the fact that the Firebird is more unique than the Camaro. Hell, everybody and their brother has a Camaro. I loved thin slit tails, the beak...

I also liked how the '67 looked cleaner (to me) than a '68, with the different front air dam and how there are no side marker lights toward the back. Also like the little side windows

[JZD_Fan]

A 1984 Pontiac Fiero 2M4. Funny that I got it in 1989/90 from a salvage auction and I thought of it as an "old" car. It had gotten the woman spurned treatment. She had managed to etch "Asshole" into the windshield, among other things. I wonder what that guy did?!

It was a piece of poop, but I really had fun being rough with it. Being that it was an automatic, it was pretty slow. Like most Fieros, it liked to overheat, until the fan was straightwired.

A few years later I had another clean '84 Fiero 4 banger, but it was a stick. That particular car must have been built on a Wednesday because it was very reliable. I drove it for maybe 50K miles with no problems.

[stevensonDNL]

My first car was a Bluemist slate 1965 Catalina Sport Coupe, which I bought for $600.00 US in the summer of 1974. I was 18 years old. I was working for Hoselton Chevy's Service Dept. on Fairport Rd. in East Rochester NY. Walt, the Assistant Service Manager of Hoselton Toyota had it for sale. It had a 389 2bbl. with column shifted automatic, cloth bench interior, cobbled in stereo from a Lincoln Continental, and a Walker dual exhaust system. A great car. My Dad never liked that car. I sold it in the winter of 1976 prior to joining the US Navy. Three photos taken by my Mom in our driveway in the winter of 1976.
Dan

[pontiacwoman]

I just bought my first car. '65 pontiac catalina 2+2. 421 and turbo 400. all original. good project car. quite easy.

this car has always been my dream car. I have never wanted anyother car!! this car was "must". and now I'm very happy,repairing it and waiting my driver's license

[chief455]

A 65 Mustang 289 coupe, white with red interior. Zero rust, smashed up rear quarter. In the local paper "part" section = $150
Sold ity for $750, found my 2nd car that day listed as "69 Mustang, V8 $850"
Called ...fastback or coupe? that Mark one type...302 motor or...no, the Cobra Jet with the big hole in the hood, you know, the air cleaner stasys on the motor...ummm, ok, it's in primer with a 4 speed, I just need insurance money for my Vette

drove the stock except headers, rust free, red interior, Shaker hood '69 428 SCJ Mach 1 home for $775
I miss those days...

[hoosierGP]

I got my first Pontiac when I was 15. A guy my dad worked with had this car that he thought the transmission was gone on, no one wanted it and already I was car crazy so I begged them to give it to me. Turned out it was only a $1.25 roller that locked the transmission in gear! It was a 10 year old 1960 Pontiac Ventura. I thought it was the ugliest car ever at the time. Big fins, looked very outdated by 1970 standards. I learned to drive in that car, we lived in the country and me and my friends tore up a lot of fields in that boat. Once I actually got my license I sold that car to some migrants and bought a 5 year old 67 Chevelle SS. Now I wish I had that old Pontiac. What once looked old and outdated, today looks great.

[mnepitjr]

It was a 1972 Lemans that my dad had found in 1982 when I was 14. The woman had got the car new for graduation in 72 and the transmission quit pulling so she parked it under a tree. Dad gave 212.00 for it and it had 70k on the odometer. Got it home and started it up so I could use the power brakes to stop it coming off the trailer and the transmission started working again. Worked for another 7 years before I had to rebuild the trans. Great car and looking for it to buy back.

[jkdman]

1967 GTO. The VERY same car I am trying to bring back to life now. 8-)

[triathlonx13]

My first car was a 1968 GTO. I learned how to drive standard on it. I still have the car today!!!

[MikeCio1]

My first car was a 1968 Grand Prix. 400 4 bbl. posi. This thing was a huge rocket. Lots of fun. I should have never let it go. I should go find the pics I had of it...
I think they are pretty rare, I hardly ever hear of one let alone see one.
I tried to find one before I found my Lemans.

[Icantdrive55]

It was December 1977 and the blue '64 GTO had been in barn storage for seven years. I think it was comprised more chicken droppings and KY-winter rust than anything else! It had an automatic, a Carter AFB, a set of bald snow tires and 138,000 on the clock. BUT, it was a GTO and a convertible! It was given to me by my aunt and uncle as a Christmas present, but only if I could get it running during Christmas break. I was 14 at the time and in love with the possibility of owning my first car.

After a few hours of tinkering around on the engine, I decided to attempt a startup. While tinkering, I had not noticed that the throttle return spring was missing on the AFB. So, when the car started, the AFB backfired and a small engine fire started and immediately spread over the filthy engine. The engine was so dirty with oil and grease that none of the original parts appeared to be chromed (like the air cleaner and valve covers). I somehow put the fire out with my hands and a shop towel! However,I still did not notice the missing spring! So, I put more starting fluid to it and hit the key...

In the next 5 seconds, I learned the following information about the car very, very quickly: The functioning exhaust system consisted of the exhaust manifolds plus about 15 inches of rusty pipe on both outlets; the oil rings were shot; the throttle-return spring was definitely missing and, most importantly, I learned the meaning of "wide-open" on a GTO! I didn't worry so much about the driverless car taking off down the road as much as I thought it might liftoff and achieve orbit any moment - if I didn't do something quick!

It took about 15 more seconds to figure it out and idle the GTO's engine down. I was feeling like an adrenalin factory, but the car was running (which meant I got to keep it)! While relishing my accomplishment, my grandfather's barn was filled with and pouring out thick blue/black smoke in all directions. Three locals stopped along the country road to see if the barn was on fire and everyone from my grandparent's house abandoned their lunchtime feeding on holiday leftovers to sprint across the road and check out the revived beast, the smoke and the straight-pipe thunder! In a single day, word spread in the little town of 3,000 that the Kirkpatrick's GTO was back on the street. Limping badly, but back on the street, nonetheless!

The next day, we installed a spring on the AFB and took the car into town to get a fill-up. Man, the looks we got in town from the noise and smoke of that 389! Anyway, we also bought some plastic sheeting from the local farm supply store to construct a semblance of a convertible top. That afternoon, we cleaned out about 3 gallons of chicken poop from the interior and later drove the car home to Georgia on New Year's Day.

My dad and I restored the car (for a total cost of $3,700) over the next year. The best race I remember was beating a 74 454 Corvette on the Newnan Highway (at the encouragement of my dad who was riding shotgun at the time)!!! Sadly, within three years, the cost of gas was so high that I traded the GTO away in favor of more MPG and reliability.

Yeah, I wish I had her back.

I was told that a collector from the Carolinas purchased the car within 2 days of the trade-in. I never heard anything thereafter. I have always hoped the car went to a good home.

The VIN # was 824P2244770. I still have some of the early documentation on the car, some photos and a bunch of great memories. I would later own and restore other GTOs, and I even found a 1 of 1 Dodge Daytona now owned by Tim Wellborn in Alabama, but the 64 GTO was (and will always be, to me) the best of my car stories.

[Ford5of5]

I got my first car back in '91. It was a hunter green '82 Buick Riviera that my brother gave to me. I won't go into details but he was going on vacation for 5-10 years. When I picked the car up from the police yard it was covered inside and out with finger printing dust. The police were good enough to pay to have it detailed but the paint on the hood of the car had been all cracked up from engine and the sun and whatever was used for the fingerprinting dust never came off! Eventually the car came to be known as the "Rice Eater". I got into 2 accidents with the car, only one being my fault. The mighty Buick killed three japanese automibles and drove away with out a scratch. It was in this car that I learned the noise a car makes when it dosnt have any oil in it. Oh boy, out came the crappy olds 307 and in went a crappy olds 350. It was jaloppe but damn it was a fun car. Plenty of room in the back seat too

[robz]

First car was a '69 GTO H/T, Palladium Silver/Black, Auto. Bought it in 1980, for $525...I was 16. Quite a rustbucket but very well maintained mechanically as well as the interior.

Still have engine/interior in my current 69 GTO H/T, 4 speed.

[schalmat]

72 gremlin,,232 3spd,,man talk about a smokey burnout macine,hold it on the floor and drop the clutch.that 232 was indestructable.

[784spdta]

My first car was my Mayan Red 400 4 speed 78 Trans Am which is sitting down the the garage as we speak, bought it in 87 and never let it go. Trying to get it back to its former glory. Got the motor and trans ready to go in, just trying to find the time to do it. Can't wait to get it out in the street and dump the clutch. Cool thing about it is I still have my first car, my brother still has his first car 67 Plymouth Belvedere 383 magnum, and my sister still has her first car 74 camaro.

[74 SD455 Formula]

My first car was a 1970 AMC Rebel Machine.I bought it June 16,1979.That was the day I Graduated from High School.I had several other AMC muscle cars back than.I switched to Pontiac's only because they were the only thing to beat me in a race on a consistent basis.The car is long gone,but I sure would like another one now.

[Wareagle]

Originally Posted by 74 SD455 Formula

My first car was a 1970 AMC Rebel Machine.I bought it June 16,1979.That was the day I Graduated from High School.I had several other AMC muscle cars back than.I switched to Pontiac's only because they were the only thing to beat me in a race on a consistent basis.The car is long gone,but I sure would like another one now.

Cool story. My friend had a 71 Javelin--wrapped it around a telephone pole--ended up getting a 76 T/A 400 4 spd--open scoop--dual exhaust etc. . Always had fun when driving the T/A--Shifting gears--taking corners.

[Andre]

Well, my first car was a 1967 Camaro RS. 327, 2 speed. That was in the fall of 1979. I had the bodywork done and painted and had it back in spring of 1980. I drove it until July 4 1980 when I flipped it.

Two weeks later I found a 1966 GTO tripower 4 speed which I drove for 5 years before parking it for 20 years. You can see the history of the restoration in the '66-7 tech session.

That car led me to owning about 100 different pontiacs. Most of them would never move under their own power due to missing engines etc. Nearly all of them were rusty.

[428ho4spd]

In 1979.....My very first car was a 1971 Ford Galaxie 500 with a 351 Windsor, it wasn't by choice, it was a "hand-me-down" car that had been in the family for a while. I didn't keep it long as it wasn't a very cool car to have in high school!

In 1980.....I purchased MY first car a few months later, it was a 1970 Grand Prix Model J, Pepper Green with a white top and green interior. It was a great car until I backed it into a telephone pole going around a corner too fast in the rain!