car enthusiasts what is your fav old car and why? Have you ever done restoration?

I have been meaning to post something about hobby car racing/rebuilding mopar type cars.

my fav all time are the late 1960s and early 1970s. I love the Chevelle and Dodge Charger. Don't mind mustangs either.

I have not done any restoration but I want to. I did a very short stint of rebuilding my 1984 Chevy citation. 2.8V6 engine that had a carburetor in it. It was acting up in 1994-1995 when I attempted to rebuild the carburetor. and that was a disaster. The hardest part was fitting the 3 plates back together along with the springs=I just couldn't get it to work right but I did get the car to turn over and drive. Ended up being the ECM and of course I never looked for a new carburetor. I just sold it to someone and got a 1986 buick lesabre 3.8 that blew the doors off that Chevy. I never bought any older cars in the past as I don't have a garage or dedicated land to work on them but if I did I would get a Goat (GTO) and see if I can get it to blow the doors off!

I don't drive, but as kids in England in the fifties we drove around in my father's vintage Rolls Royce. (No clue what year it was built.) People would wave to us as though we were royalty!

@foxxycat, I'm not sure of the year, but my BIL has an old Goat. He had it restored; he didn't do the work himself. He still has the car and it's gorgeous. He keeps it under lock and key in the garage and he is very proud of that car.

Back in late 1960s, Rick had a 67 Mustang. He got rid of it in 71 to buy a new Mustang Fastback and he's been sorry that he ever got rid of his 67. It was a great car.

I always wanted a Trans Am (with the bird and preferably a convertible). My father told me that as long as I was living under his roof, it would be over his dead body. He knew I'd kill myself driving it and there was no way I was allowed to own one. And even after I got married, my father said NO! 

In fact, one night I told my mother that I was going up to this used car dealer to look at a Trans Am that was for sale. I came up the next morning and stopped in for coffee. Dad was there and when I was back in the bathroom, I heard him say to Mom, "She's not buying that car. I forbid it. I found a car for her. We'll look at that one."

I walked out into the kitchen and said, "Guess I'd better get going." Dad got his coat and grabbed his keys. I looked at him and he told me that he was going along....and that was final. So we left.

We drove home in a 1974 Chevrolet Nova. A hatchback. A little over a year old. That was the car my dad had looked at. That was the car I bought. And I think I had that car for about ten years; the thing was almost indestructible. I slid on a patch of ice one day and hit a utility pole. Broke the blasted pole. The car barely had a dent. 

I'd still really like to have a Trans Am (with the bird and preferably a convertible).

Now that's a funny story!! What's the difference what car you have? Maybe he thought you would get into trouble with it? Those Chevy novas were pretty tuff cars. and you could always put a faster engine and drive train if you wanted.

When I was 19 and looking for my first car (I refused to pay $300 for drivers ed so waited until 19) I wanted this Chevy Caprice. It was a TANK. But my sister talked me out of it. I settled on the Citation as it had a V6 and I refused to buy anything smaller than a V6 simply because I wanted something to tinker on. My dad helped me reset the carburetor and wow it got aton of extra power. he was having fun sitting in the passenger seat telling me when to stomp on the gas-it did really well from 2nd gear into 3rd gear-I could feel the front end lift up slightly! And of course when the car is on a flat or down hill and punch the gas-that feeling of you sucking to the seat is my favorite thing in the world.

I envy people who knew enough to hang on to their old cars. Yes the reason he wishes he kept the 67 is because in 1971ish they started making rules about how much power a  car is allowed to have..so after I believe its 1972-73ish the amount of power was decreased considerably. I think it had something to do with the gas conservation or some such thing..I wasn't born then but just going on what I heard the old timers talk about. I know those cars back then were easier to work on and you had to be mechanically inclined to fine tune. The funny thing is I can hear if the engine is out of time or other thing. I often listen to a car/truck go by and I can tell right off the bat what it could be. Luckily now our cars have computers running the timing so no more timing belts and setting points.

In that one year in automotive we were rebuilding engines. The guy I was working with decided to do a volkswagon bug engine. The easiest thing to work on. We were done way sooner than the rest of the class. Some decided to do a big 350 V8 or 442 etc etc..  My memory is sketchy lately but I remember honing the cylinders and all the other nitpicky measurements we had to make sure otherwise you would have back firing or just not enough pressure in the chamber from too much room inbetween the pistons and the block. And all the other stuff. it was definitely interesting. I wish I paid better attention back then so  I could remember exactly what we were doing...funny thing about that..this was 20 years ago!

My favorite car was my first car, a 69 Mustang.  It was lime green and I loved it so much. I thought I was way cool driving it around town. I later brought a 78 Mustang hatchback. It was a nice car but not as good as my 69 model. I just brought a 2016 Corolla. It is a wonderful car. My last car was a 2003 Corolla. I had it for 13 years and was planning on keeping it another 5 years as I only had 45,000 miles on it. However I totaled it on August 1 and had to get a new car.  

Ha[emoji]128521[/emoji][emoji]128521[/emoji][emoji]128521[/emoji]My first car, in 1978 was my grandma's 1965 Ford Falcon. It had Flintstone floorboards..very soggy in the rain. Not fast but it got me where I needed to go, til the transmission croaked.

Then I got my 78 ? Camaro...took me awhile to get used to the power [emoji]128552[/emoji]. Loved it ! Traded it in for a truck though and haven't looked back.
Nowadays I have my 2000 Chevy Silverado with a 6.0 l. engine ...love it, just wish people would stop bashing it in parking lots [emoji]128545[/emoji][emoji]128545[/emoji][emoji]128545[/emoji]

My second car was an 8-year-old maroon, 8-cylinder 1967 Mustang with a white leather interior that I absolutely loved. I kept getting offers for it and broke down and sold it after a few years to a guy who really offered me too much. He had it for a very short time - a truck hit and totaled it while it was parked outside a supermarket.

jcat said:

My second car was an 8-year-old maroon, 8-cylinder 1967 Mustang with a white leather interior that I absolutely loved. I kept getting offers for it and broke down and sold it after a few years to a guy who really offered me too much. He had it for a very short time - a truck hit and totaled it while it was parked outside a supermarket.

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Loved Steve McQueen's Mustang in Bullitt.

There's another car I always wanted: Buick International. or as some places call it the Grand National.


There were only 547 produced at least that's from what I was reading about them. One magazine I was reading says you could beat a Corvette. It's a turbocharged V6. I just always loved Buick anyways. Never could kill them.

I had 3 of them and each one I sold to someone when I was ready to move onto another car.

The one I had before I started driving a Tahoe was a 91 regal and the odometer was broken. We never knew the real mileage on that one. I am guessing around 225,000 miles. I sold it to a coworker when I got my truck. Last I heard she sold it to another and it's still on the road. Believe me I used to pound the heck out of my vehicles when they got over a certain mileage as I figured I would run it into the ground anyways. but I wasn't as hard on them as my family was on their cars.

I never did that whole brake fast or punch the gas fast anyways but I did drive fast and just not baby it. Now fast forward and I baby the heck out of my truck now. Only because I really don't want to give her up and get another one. I just don't want to spend the money. But if I had a larger driveway I would definitely get a V6 car to drive on days I don't want to drive the truck...one can dream.

Primula said:

 

jcat said:

My second car was an 8-year-old maroon, 8-cylinder 1967 Mustang with a white leather interior that I absolutely loved. I kept getting offers for it and broke down and sold it after a few years to a guy who really offered me too much. He had it for a very short time - a truck hit and totaled it while it was parked outside a supermarket.

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Loved Steve McQueen's Mustang in Bullitt.

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I am checking that out. One movie I love= Grand Toreno!! That car was S-W-E-E-T!

jcat said:

My second car was an 8-year-old maroon, 8-cylinder 1967 Mustang with a white leather interior that I absolutely loved. I kept getting offers for it and broke down and sold it after a few years to a guy who really offered me too much. He had it for a very short time - a truck hit and totaled it while it was parked outside a supermarket.

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Rick traded his 67 Mustang in on a 1971 maroon Mustang fastback (it's official color was Candy Apple Red, but no way was it even close to that color). We called it the Maroon Marauder. Black interior. Automatic. I took my driver's test in that car. Dad went with me and he said he was scared to death I was going to mess up because it was so difficult to see out of the back window when backing up. But I did well and passed my test. 

Nice car. But I'd fishtail all over the place in the snow.

foxxycat said:

I am checking that out. One movie I love= Grand Toreno!! That car was S-W-E-E-T!

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You've never seen Bullitt? Brilliant movie from 1969.

foxxycat said:

 
I am checking that out. One movie I love= Grand Toreno!! That car was S-W-E-E-T!

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If you are a fan of the Buick Grand National this video is a must watch.

One of these, 68 camero ss. My dream car. I highly doubt I'll ever be able to afford one, but I sure like to oooogle over them!

My first car was a second hand 1963 Chevy Impala that had been lovingly nurtured by the shop manager of the local Chevrolet dealer.  After I'd had it for about two months, I took it back for some work and while it was on the lot someone did a hit and run on it. It then spent a week being fussed over again by its former owner until it was like new again.  After many years of dependable driving, I parked "Old White" at my parents' house where it developed rust and was renamed "Old Paint."  Eventually "Old Paint"  was sold for $150 to a neighborhood kid who wanted to restore it.  Cost of a fully restored 1963 Chevy Impala today?  $38,000. 

I loved that car and really hope it is spending its golden years being admired at classic car shows.  I lacked the skills to restore it myself but am pleased as punch that someone else took it on.

Not sure of the year (1967??)  but the Winchesters in Supernatural drive a 4-door black Chevy Impala, known affectionately as the Metallicar. Dean Winchester calls her Baby. She had been totalled and he completely rebuilt her. She is an awesome car.   

I had a nice red 88 Firebird that I loved. Now I have a 2005 Dodge Magnum with a Hemi in it. It's a fast car, maybe too fast for me (2 tickets this year so far)..... I looked under the hood and unless your a computer wiz it's a nightmare to work on. It has 16 spark plugs.......................

The first car I drove was 68 Dodge Barracuda.  It belonged to the driving school,  There was another school in town that had 64 Mustangs.   They were closed the day I went to sign up so I went across the street to the other school, 

The Barracuda was nice but didn't have power steering.  A few weeks after I signed up they traded the 68 for a new 71 Barracuda.  That was a nice car.  My instructor seemed to think I drove too fast.  He would ask "do you know how fast you are going?"  I would look down and say yes. 

He was a really good teacher.  Still too this day if I find my right hand too far down on the wheel I can almost feel him hitting my hand and telling me to "hold on to the top at 2 o'clock. 

His reasoning was not only better control but if I got into trouble he could grab the wheel and correct the situation.  He never did that but he still kept whacking me.

The first car I owned was a 71 Ford Pinto.  It was not cool in any way but it was mine!  It was my freedom to go anywhere I wanted at any time. 

CheshireCat said:

 

foxxycat said:

 
I am checking that out. One movie I love= Grand Toreno!! That car was S-W-E-E-T!

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If you are a fan of the Buick Grand National this video is a must watch.

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I will check it out! I also many years ago with my ex went to Poconos PA racetrack as they had racing school. I had the opportunity to drive a nascar car around the track but since I never quite mastered stick shift driving I said no-my ex says I KNOW you can drive it-just get it into 5th gear and go like hell!! Hahaha he tried to teach me to drive standard and I kept smashing my head into the steering wheel from it bucking-it was some chevy cavaliar crap car and the clutch was sticky as all heck. It was nothing like my dad's jeep. so anyways I got to be a passenger in the car=that would have been like a wedding day to other ladies=this was my wedding day type happiness=I was forever changed whipping around that huge track at 160mph.

when you go to this school they teach you how to drive on the track-the biggest misconception=you actually steer the car in a square around the corners=the banking=-if you turn slightly like on a regular road=you will go right up the banking and smash into the wall-so you have to yank it hard to the left like a square for steering. So it was I think 10 laps... a mile each. the first corner=I SCREAMED bloody murder because I thought the wall was going to smash into us=the second corner was better. By the time we got into the 4th corner=I screamed out faster!! That car=holy heck those tires sucked that car to the pavement-and going around the corners-my body was leaning all the way over to the drivers side=good thing they use a body harness type restraining system as well as the required fire suit/neck brace/helmet and I wore my steel toe boots but they actually make you wear these special slipper type shoes that also are fire retardant. So yes If I ever come across this again I would without a doubt take another ride. I doubt I would drive=too nervous with other people-

I think that was in 1997/1998? We drove from NH to PA via highway and ride home took the state roads-we went by hersey factory then found something called the Niagara Falls of PA-it was a small place that you could walk trails and see waterfalls-it was very pretty. I think it was in September if I remember=it wasn't stinking hot out but was warm in the sun. So anyways yes I love cars and riding in them. Love the sound of an engine and the smells and sounds of the race track. Not sure why I developed a need for speed-probably from watching my dad tinkering with cars and just enjoying himself on his old Suzuki 1000 cc motorcycle-that we used to ride all over the southern NH in...the first time we went out-I told him go faster-he did a wheely out on Rt 101 in Hudson-I was laughing my head off and just thought it was the best thing in the world!! I was 12? 13? Needless to say we never told Mom what we did..she would have had a complete meltdown. It was our secret if you would. He taught me how to drive and taught me what to listen for when fine tuning the idle Rpms in an engine...

Yeah I definitely need to go burn off some steam next summer at the local race track. got a coworker who got a Ford Fiesta set up for racing-I have ridden to work with him-he is actually the only person I heard of going to the race track and messing around=I hope to try this in the next few years whenever I get a car. He just knows how to drive that little car of his...it too sucks itself to the pavement as there is an on ramp near us that he almost always takes in 3rd gear and its just a ton of fun!!!  

TomCat60 said:

 
I had a nice red 88 Firebird that I loved. Now I have a 2005 Dodge Magnum with a Hemi in it. It's a fast car, maybe too fast for me (2 tickets this year so far)..... I looked under the hood and unless your a computer wiz it's a nightmare to work on. It has 16 spark plugs.......................

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16?! must have 2 for each cylinder? I don't do my own tune ups anymore. I need a ladder to get into my Tahoe's engine. I had a 97 Tahoe for many years-I attempted to change the plugs and wires=what a knuckle busting job that was. That was the last time I worked on my vehicles. The last 2 needed fancy universal joints and extensions-you just couldn't get in there to change the plugs. and those wire holders for the plug wires-you have to put them on exactly as they go-and since there is no distributor cap anymore it gets more complicated. Everything is run by computer motherboards and stuff now. Nope I don't want to work on cars built after 1995 anymore.