• 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?

The summer before my junior year of high school (1977) I bought a 1942 Chevrolet (1 ton) van from my cousin's friend. It burned a quart of oil every tank of gas I put through it and ate up most of my meager take home pay via insurance and repairs, but I enjoyed driving it for about 12 months. Oh, yea. Top speed was around 50-55mph, but in first gear it could pull a stump out of the ground.
 
I don't have any pictures but mine was a 68 Mercury Monterey convertible. I found it while attending a car event in Carlisle Pennsylvania with my father and immediately fell in love. A friend of my father's actually bought it for his wife and I was heartbroken. I found out a few months later his wife said the car was way too big for her so my father promptly bought it. It was $ 3100 in 1982 and I paid half. Pop's reasoning was he bought my brothers first cars but this one was more expensive so I had to pay 50%.
 
Morgan D said:
73 Mazda RX-2
Two distributors ,3 sets of points and a little 4 barrel Hitachi carb.
All stock.
I remember my brother racing some V-8 truck on the freeway and keeping up with it.
It got to the point where it would only start if I used STP for oil.
Click to expand...
Mrs. Kid had a '74 Mazda RX-4. I think it just had 1 distributor with 2 sets of points...points didn't last long. Also had a Weber 4-barrel carb. A very nice 4-door sedan that would pass almost anything,and then backfire. Required constant tinkering.
 
Last edited:
I traded an almost brand new (at the time) 1965 Yamaha 100cc twin two stroke bike for a 1957 DeSoto with a 341 hemi that DeSoto called the Firedome. It was a 4 door with forest green and white paint. It was huge by today's standards. I drove it for a few years until it died from unnatural causes! It got 9mpg at 50mph, or 90mph! Didn't matter.

Second car I owned I paid $50 for. A 1959 Triumph TR10, bought from a buddy about to muster out of the USN, as I would do a few months later. It didn't take much thought on whether I'd drive the Triumph from San Diego home to Everett Washington. The couple of times I took it on the freeway persuaded me that wasn't a great idea. Anything over 50mph felt like 100mph in any other car. And the positive ground electrical system was simply bizarre! So I sold it and went home. Got a 64 Studebaker 4 door when I got home. Yeah, I have a penchant for defunct makes. Went through a few Corvairs too.
 
H2OMAN7.62MM said:
It was a sweet car, but I didn't own it long enough to encounter maintenance issues.
I owned a string of '70 to '72 V8 Pontiac LeMans Sport and GTO cars after my time with the Tempest, and they were also very nice cars.
Click to expand...
The Pontiac V8 engines in that era were nice.
 
Mr Boochie said:
The Pontiac V8 engines in that era were nice.
Click to expand...
My last one was a '71 455 H.O. that we bored .30 over, increased compression a little bit, installed a mild performance cam and added ram air to. The turbo 400 was built up and I added a 12 bolt posi with highway gearing... it would light the rear tires up whenever I floored it, even when cruising at 70 mph. So much fun.
 
H2OMAN7.62MM said:
It was a sweet car, but I didn't own it long enough to encounter maintenance issues.
I owned a string of '70 to '72 V8 Pontiac LeMans Sport and GTO cars after my time with the Tempest, and they were also very nice cars.
Click to expand...
I believe Kaiser had an OHC 6 in the Jeep trucks and wagoneers.
Old school body with a very high tech engine for the times.
 
H2OMAN7.62MM said:
My last one was a '71 455 H.O. that we bored .30 over, increased compression a little bit, installed a mild performance cam and added ram air to. The turbo 400 was built up and I added a 12 bolt posi with highway gearing... it would light the rear tires up whenever I floored it, even when cruising at 70 mph. So much fun.
Click to expand...
Those Turbo TH400s were bulletproof. Big as whales! Made the 350s look tiny.
 
Morgan D said:
Love the odd ball motors.
Wasn't it the tempest that had an aluminum slant 4?
I had the Scout with the Slant 4, 196 .
Click to expand...

The 1961-63 Pontiac Tempest did have a slant 4 (half of a 389 V8, 194ci "Trophy 4"), but it was cast iron, not aluminum.

Of course, given that the drivetrain was already set up with the same bellhousing pattern as the Pontiac V8- it was only a matter of time before someone shoe-horned a 421 into the Tempest. :D

bangshift.com

Super Duty Pontiac Tempest

Super Duty Pontiac Tempest
bangshift.com bangshift.com

After 1964, the Tempest only came with 6- and 8- cylinder engines.

Regards,
Gordon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom