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What was your first car? What happened to it? - READ ONLY

281 messages,  Last post on Jan 02, 2009 at 7:50 PM

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Messages Page 25 of 29

#232 of 281 Re: Wow [lemko] by nippononly

Nov 19, 2007 (11:38 am)

Replying to: lemko (Nov 19, 2007 6:54 am)
It was funny, I was walking around the exhibit behind this guy with his two kids, both of whom were under 5, and several cars there I couldn't help thinking those kids would be the perfect size to drive!
 
The alt fuels exhibit was indeed small, but I liked seeing the EV1. I think it's a shame GM not only dropped that car but worked so strenuously to destroy all the ones they had built, so I like seeing the surviving examples in the museums. Honda did the same with its EV1, another car displayed at the Peterson.
 
Right outside the Peterson and just down Fairfax a bit, I got stuck behind a surviving example of my first car, a '75 Corolla. This one was worn down by the years on the outside, but it was still chugging along for its owner, who was a senior whose preferred driving mode was SLOOOOWWWW.

#233 of 281 1977 Oldsmobile 98 Regency LS. by carfanforever

Sep 18, 2008 (11:25 pm)

She was a unique light-brown/orangy color. 55,000 miles on the clock, and a big, healthy 350 cubic-inch V8 under the hood. She was a very comfortable, fast, reliable, and beautiful car. I had lots of fun with her, will never forget her, miss her terribly, and would love to have her back. I sold her to an Olds nut and have regretted it ever since.

#234 of 281 73 Superbeetle -Automatic = Slooooooooow by lokki

Sep 19, 2008 (10:05 am)

I owned an 11-year-old 73 Super Beetle with an automatic transmission at a (low) point in my life. It was the slowest thing I ever drove. It actually DID get beaten off the line by a schoolbus full of screaming little kids one day. "Can you say humiliation, boys and girls?" I sold it not too long after that and got started on making a success of my life. I still drive German cars, but of a different make.
 
Owning a car that got beaten by a school bus was one of those moments where you suddenly realize that you actually HAVE hit bottom
 
I do have to say that it was indestructible. It could always be fixed. Always. At one point the pot metal that held the butterfly valve in the carb wore out and I had to replace the carb.....but I got it fixed and it just kept on tickin'

#235 of 281 Re: 73 Superbeetle -Automatic = Slooooooooow [lokki] by fezo

Sep 20, 2008 (8:34 pm)

Replying to: lokki (Sep 19, 2008 10:05 am)
Now I would have like to race your Superbeetle with my 69 Volvo 142. THAT was a slug. Nowadays one might walk a short errand for the exercise. Baack then it was just faster...
 
It was an amazingly comfortable car (at least the seats were) and all sorts of safety things for a car of the era but it did 0 - 60 in a couple of weeks. It would do 60 or better all day once you got it up there but it was noticeably louder once you did.
 
Got my first speeding ticket at 24 when I borrowed my dad's 72 Impala. I was driving along nice and quietly when I looked at the speedo and saw I was doing 80. I was used to the Volvo which would have raised hell at that speed. The cop didn't want to hear it. "but officer, I've never had a ticket." "You do now."

#236 of 281 Re: 73 Superbeetle -Automatic = Slooooooooow [lokki] (fezo) by hpmctorque

Sep 21, 2008 (4:17 pm)

Assuming there was nothing mechanically wrong with your '69 Volvo, and even assuming it was an automatic, it had to be faster than a '73 Super Beetle with the semi automatic that VW offered in those days. If both were slow, the Beetle was slower.
 
I don't think you could buy an underpowered new car if you tried today, at least not in the U.S. Even the slowest perform decently, and by the standards of the '60s the slowest '08 model is, at a minimum, peppy.

#237 of 281 Re: 73 Superbeetle -Automatic = Slooooooooow [lokki] (fezo) [hpmctorque] by steve_ HOST

Sep 21, 2008 (4:24 pm)

Replying to: hpmctorque (Sep 21, 2008 4:17 pm)
The manual 73 Bug I drove sure felt peppier than the '70 Volvo I drove. Lots better mechanically as well (as were the other two bugs of that era I drove). Now, the '69 Bus I drove for a year was a real dog.
 
But you couldn't beat those Volvo seats for comfort as you sat on the side of the road waiting for a new rubber bellows or a tow.
 
I also remember being driven over the Golden Gate bridge in one of those semi-automatic VWs back in 1969 and almost getting blown off the bridge.

#238 of 281 Re: 73 Superbeetle -Automatic = Slooooooooow [lokki] (fezo) (steve) by hpmctorque

Sep 21, 2008 (8:04 pm)

In the interest of comparing apples with apples, was the Volvo you're referring to a manual or automatic?
 
The manual Beetle was considerably peppier than the semi-automatic version.

#239 of 281 Re: 73 Superbeetle -Automatic = Slooooooooow [lokki] (fezo) (steve) [hpmctorque] by steve_ HOST

Sep 21, 2008 (9:15 pm)

Replying to: hpmctorque (Sep 21, 2008 8:04 pm)
True that - t'was an automatic.
 
It had a nice little tranny "access" port so now and then I'd crawl under with a big screwdriver and move the flywheel enough to find some teeth that weren't broken so I could get the starter engaged when it stopped on a gap. Bugs were like Timexes after running around in that era Vovlo. That sure changed.

#240 of 281 From an Old Dude by wesleyg

Sep 22, 2008 (5:21 am)

This sure dates me but my first car when I was 16 was a 1946 Ford 4 dr sedan I bought from another kid. Not stock though, had a bored out flat head '46 Ford V-8, two 2 barrel carbs and a couple other minor things I can't remember anymore. You started the car by turning the key in the dash, then pushing the button next to the key to crank the starter. This was 1959 so it sure wasn't new when I got it, but nice condition. It had a big hand painted wolf head on rear trunk.
 
The only traffic ticket I ever got in my life was in that baby in 1960, sold it and went to military overseas, came back and joined law enforce. for 32 years and luckily never got written up again. If I could have that car back I'd take a half dozen tickets right now.

#241 of 281 Re: From an Old Dude [wesleyg] by fezo

Sep 22, 2008 (6:43 am)

Replying to: wesleyg (Sep 22, 2008 5:21 am)
Oh, the old Volvo was a stick - a huge, long stick. I'd have hated to be in an accident where that came flying....
 
In fairness to it it was not the slowest car I ever drove. I carpooled years ago with a woman who had a 63 Beetle and usually had me driving it. THAT was slow. It did have the old insanely big roll back sunroof which was nice once you got moving.

Messages Page 25 of 29

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