What kind of car did you grow up in?

[Mach 1 Club]

   
I'm the cool one in the black jacket and the Justin Bieber hair cut

I think that all of us have had that one family car that sticks out in our minds. Some of us grew up in big sedans, others in SUV’s and yet others, like myself, grew-up in station wagons. If you were a kid growing up in the 1970?s and early 1980?s than you either had one of two things in the driveway. It was either a big four door sedan or coupe, or a station wagon. Remember, SUV’s and mini-vans hadn’t been invented yet. At my house we had a 1976 Ford Country Squire station wagon, It was green, with fake wood paneling on the side, and a green vinyl interior and my mom drove that sucker like a rented mule.

My Mother was in a constant state of war with this car, as truth be told it was a lemon from day one. Being green with wood paneling meant that all the neighborhood birds thought the big green Ford was a tree, so they were constantly flying into it. We’d be sitting in the family room and hear that familiar “THUNK”, only to go outside and find that another bird had bit the dust at the expense of the Ford. Then there was the time when my Mother was driving myself and a few friends home from someplace and the rear window just exploded for no apparent reason. Like any good Mother would, my Mom hit the gas because she thought we were being attacked by a sniper. Turns out it was just a crappy rear defroster.

We drove that sucker on road trips, back and fourth to school and everyplace in between, and with every problem it had, I swear my Mom fought back with the tenacity of a lioness defending her cubs. Dammit if this car was going to beat her down… no flippin’ way. The big Ford was also the car I learned how to drive in, as she’d let me lean over from the passenger seat and steer from time to time. It wasn’t exactly drivers ed, but it did the job.

So what car did you grow up in?

[1969jimmach]

We had all kinds my dad wheeled and delt in cars.I remember olds 98 and 88s and we did have a wagon or 4.lol I also remember he had a trans am that us kids didnt even get to ride in until I got my license.My first one I drove at 16 was a 1967 galaxie 500 2 door.

[JTS71 Mach1]

Hey Guys; The most memerable of the cars. Are, lets see a 1958 Packard Hawk, with a 392 Chrysler Hemi with a paxton supercharger. I was 5, A 1959 Mercury Parklane Battle Ship, the power steering went out and mom knocked a gas pump off its pedestal.I was 6, A 1964 Pontiac Tempest wagon, with a 4 cyl we called it the clac clac Pontiac. I was 9, Then the family got a 1966 Dodge Polara 4dr. Dad got a 1965 Mustang fastback with a 289 Hi Po and a 4 spd I was 12. then we got a 1966 Thunderbird Landau. I was 13. then came the 1968 Dodge Charger Black n Silver I was 15. By now Dad had a 1971 Toyota Hilux pickup. First stick shift vehicle I had ever driven, it took me about 10 seconds to figure out how to feather the clutch and I was Gone!!! We sanded down the charger and Dad had it painted. So we could sell it. Now came the HORSEPOWER. A 1968 Thunderbird with a 429 the old car was a little rusty in the lower quarters, but it would smoke the tires as long as you wanted to hold the pedal to the floor! after I put it in a ditch and knocked the rust out of the left rear quarter they traded it in for a 1971 Thunderbird with a Thunderjet 429 which was the same that year as the police interceptor engine and was rated at 425 HP. More HORSEPOWER!!! I learned real quick how to launch it with out frying the tires! And if you didn't fry the tires it would blow the doors off a SS 396 Chevelle He would beat me across the intersection but once I got it to the floor it was all over and I could just drive past the 396. I was 17 Then mom traded the 71 in on a 1977 Tbird with a 351m and the fun was all gone. But by then I had my 1971 Mach 1 And life was still good. So how was your childhood???
JTS 71 Mach1

[Bitdriver]

Not sure where you guys all live, but I grew up in a house like normal people do

[Mister 4x4]

Not sure where you guys all live, but I grew up in a house like normal people do

Mom had a '69 Galaxie 500 until I was 8, then a '74 Mustang II hatch, then a '78 Fairmont Futura (the 'cooler' 2-door, not the frumpy 4-door).

Grandma had a cool old '65 Lincoln Continental, then a 70-something Buick LeSabre, then a '71 Caprice (2-door). I only mentioned Grandma's cars because Mom and I lived with her.

My first car was an '82 Mustang GL (hatch) that I spiffed up with new rims, tires, tint, stereo, louvers, nose bra, and trunk spoiler from an '83 GT.

[Maiden Dearborn]

I grew up in Fordtown aka Dearborn and that's all we ever had. With dad working at the various Ford office buildings he was able to get a new lease car each year.

However, you are who you are because you were born when. That means that because he grew up in the 40s and 50s he was frugal. Heck the first car I leaned to drive was a 75 pinto runabout. AM radio and a four speed with no air, nothing. Each year it was the same thing, the base model of every car Ford made.

We never owned a mustang, but owned every other car ford made. So when I had a chance to get my own car, I went for the fastest, brightest thing Ford made. In 1978 all I could afford was my 73 Mach 1. Still have it 32 years later...

[gxr02190]

My dad was a GM guy and the first car I rode in was a '57 corvette that he bought right after he was married in 1957. I have one older and one younger brother, and it was a real squeeze whenever we went out in it. Myself and my infant brother sat in Mom's lap, while older brother sat between the seats. Most of our trips together however were in the '58 Chev. Biscayne 2-dr. sedan. In 1962, Dad traded the vette in, and bought a '62 Chev. station wagon. The interior of that car was like a playground, and most of the time, we kids hung out in the back while riding to stay out of Dad's reach. It seemed that dad could reach around pretty far from the driver's seat. Our next addition to the family was a '65 impala 2-dr. hardtop. 327 / 300 h.p. I remember dad taking that thing out on the highway after a tune-up and really hauling ass. Then, that car became Mom's grocery-getter when Dad bought a '68 4-4-2. That new body style had just come out and he fell in love with it. (Later on down the road, this would be my first car.) In 1976, Mom got a left-over '75 Mercury monterey 2-dr. What a barge! Dad had to remove the impact absorbers (remember how the bumpers stuck way out?) and custom make bumper brackets so it would fit in our garage. Cool, we had the only custom '75 merc around. This was our first Ford vehicle and it ran very well and we never had any problems with it. We owned it until 1983. Anyways, in June of 1976, I bought the 4-4-2 from dad for $300.00. It had 92,000 on it and needed a radiator, water pump, and new tires. I restored this car- buying most of the parts from our local Olds dealer - yeah- the parts were still available! I won a first place trophy in the 68-72 class the first time I took it to a show. Here's the real kicker - after Dad sold me the Olds, he bought a used '72 mach-1. The car was a medium green metallic with silver side stripes. It had a white deluxe sports interior, 351-4V and C-6. The car also had A/C and it worked great, as I remember freezing my butt off in the middle of the summer riding in it. Dad never let me drive it though, I guess he didn't want me making any comparisons between it and the 4-4-2. That car was the one that inspired me to buy my first mach-1, a '71 351-4V , C-6 car five years later.

[bob.harlan]

The vehicles I remember the most are Dad's '48 or'49 Chevy pickup and the '51 ford car. I learned to drive in those two. We lived on a farm so started driving pretty early. Remember hauling wheat to town in that old truck. Broke the axle on the '51 Ford pulling away from a stop sign, Dad thought I was hot rodding. My first car was a '60 Chevy Impala 2-door hardtop w/283 V-8, bought it my sophmore year in collage. In the picture my buddy's (red shirt) '59 Impala behind my '60.

[Rare Pony]

The most memorable ones we had was a 59 Chevy with the wide wings on the back and a 64 Bonneville. The Bonneville was fast with a 389 four barrel carb but also had a rare GM 4-speed automatic. That tranny would get that big Bonneville off the line fast! It eventually became my first car after a drunk hit it head on. I bought a 64 Pontiac Grand Prix with a frozen engine and took the front end off and put it on the Bonneville. Then I had the very first Grand Ville!!!!

[gxr02190]

Hey Bob, I hope your buddy isn't taking a leak on your driver's door.