• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

What was your first car?

Splatter Pak said:
My first was a 1967 Plymouth Valiant sedan, four door, bench seats, automatic, AM radio, slant six engine - the 170 cubic inch version with a Ball & Ball carb and a carb heater stuck in the "cold" position. In the winter, the engine would routinely die at all stops and corners. It was still better than taking the bus, and I even drove to California in it.
Click to expand...

Chrysler's slant six has a reputation of having the longest lifespan of any other American car, I have a cousin who used the same engine in three successive cars and it outlived them all.
 
Caveman Carl said:
Chrysler's slant six has a reputation of having the longest lifespan of any other American car, I have a cousin who used the same engine in three successive cars and it outlived them all.
Click to expand...

I met a fellow, even bought a car from him, and he drove a Plymouth wagon from the early 1960's. It had a slant six and he told me he last re-ringed it at 800,000 miles and used standard rings. He could get away with that (as he said) because he used an inverse oiler with marvel mystery oil.
 
Caveman Carl said:
I had the 1972 Dodge Demon as a first car in 1979. It also had the 318, and a standard stick-shift tranny that only had 4 gears including reverse lol. The Demon was renamed Dodge Dart Sport the following year iirc. Had to do with some bible thumpers claiming Demon was "blasphemy". Party poopers.
Click to expand...

I had a TorqueFlite . . . I remember when they changed the name but never knew why lol the same year as The Exorcist.

and it was a Convertrible!

 
Caveman Carl said:
I had the 1972 Dodge Demon as a first car in 1979. It also had the 318, and a standard stick-shift tranny that only had 4 gears including reverse lol. The Demon was renamed Dodge Dart Sport the following year iirc. Had to do with some bible thumpers claiming Demon was "blasphemy". Party poopers.
Click to expand...

More trivia . . .

In 1971 Plymouth's popular Valiant-based fastback Duster which was to be named the Beaver, but when Chrysler's marketing department learned that "beaver" was CB Slang for vagina, the vehicle was renamed the "Dart Demon".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Dart#1970
 
I got a 1967 Mercury Cougar when I turned 17 in 1971. Sporty little car but had transmission problems and ended up getting rid of it. I was tooling around in style there for a while.
 
The Duster appeared in 1970.

The Demon didn't come out until 71.

Duster had a somewhat odd distinction as having the "most severely curved" side glass in automotive history at the time.
 
930turbo said:
Thanks for the nice words Caveman Carl , but the 124 series was not derived from the FIAT 850 w/c was rear engine . The 124 series came in Sedan form , a GT Form and roadster .
Click to expand...
My mistake. There was a tiny 850 roadster which was also called Spider, it can get a little confusing! :D

1280px-Fiat_850_Spider_%2816.06.2007%29.jpg
 
YY1 said:
The Duster appeared in 1970.

The Demon didn't come out until 71.

Duster had a somewhat odd distinction as having the "most severely curved" side glass in automotive history at the time.
Click to expand...
Also, did some models come with a manual 3 speed on the floor?
 
70's pea green Maverick 6-banger for 75 bucks from family. turned around and sold it for 200. Took the bus to school. Walked. Those were the days.
 
THF2 said:
Right.

No “three on the tree” which is what I remember
Click to expand...

Besides an auto which could have a column selector or floor selector with console, Duster, Dart, basically all "A" body Chryslers could come with either 3 on the tree,3 on the floor, or 4 on the floor.
Additionally, after IIRC 1973, you could get a floor shifted, manual trans that had an overdrive gear as "4th".

For a car that was larger than Pinto or a Vega, a 225 or 318 Duster with an 833 "OD" could get the same average MPG.
 
7BC816BD-3A84-4DDD-8C5C-67F382DE920B.jpeg 166FA590-6CE1-4B21-B31C-F774FE14D16E.jpeg I posted my first car before but this is the first one I put together and built the engine, including all the machine work. I bought it in 77 for $400, a 68 SS396 less engine and trans. It had been parked for 5 years. I put a 396 out of a 66 Caprice in it. Did tons of work on it including big valves and the wildest, stupid cam that can be found in any catalog. It idled like a Top Fueler, spitting unburnt fuel out the oval tailpipes. 5:13 rear gear coupled with a cast iron case Super T-10 made it a young punk’s wet dream. These two are the only pictures I have of it. The passenger side wheels look like the camber is a mile off, it must be the cell phone distorting the picture of a picture.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom